Suspect in India gang rape to be tried as juvenile

NEW DELHI (AP) ? A juvenile court has ruled that a suspect in the fatal gang rape of a young woman in New Delhi last month was a juvenile at the time of the attack.

A lawyer present in the court said a magistrate announced the decision Monday after going over documents presented to the court by officials of the suspect's elementary school that indicated that he was a juvenile at the time of the Dec. 16 attack.

The lawyer could not be named because he was not authorized to brief media.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/suspect-india-gang-rape-tried-juvenile-110304827.html

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Platelet Rich Plasma - Fitness & Weight Loss Tips

National Pain Institute , the leading pain clinics in South Florida , are now offering cutting edge platelet rich plasma therapy. Termed PRP for short, the injections offer pain relief by helping to repair injured tissue rather than simply masking pain.

Delray Beach, FL (PRWEB) January 02, 2013

Platelet rich plamsa calls in an individual?s stem cells to regenerate the damaged tissue. For more information and scheduling, call (561) 600-1046.

PRP has become state of the art for pain management West Palm Beach and all of Palm Beach County as regenerative medicine becomes mainstream. Most treatments currently have been successful at helping with pain by masking it, rather than actually correcting the problem. While these treatments, such as cortisone shots, are excellent at short term pain relief, they are not actually correcting the damaged tissue.

Platelet rich plasma consists of blood from the patient that is ?spun down? into a concentrate of platelets and growth factors that have the possibility to repair damaged ligaments, tendons and cartilage. PRP actually calls in the patient?s own stem cells as well which help in tissue repair as well.

To date, PRP injections have shown satisfactory results in preliminary studies, including a study by Sampson et al from a 2008 Current Review Musculoskeletal Medicine study. The PRP therapy was shown to produce good results for tendinitis of the elbow, hip, shoulder, knee, and ankle. Along with the soft tissue benefits, arthritis is also showing satisfactory results.

The Board Certified pain doctors at NPI offer platelet rich plasma injections as an outpatient treatment. NPI has a location in Delray Beach along with a Port St. Lucie pain management clinic. National Pain also has three locations around Orlando, a clinic in New Port Richey, and near Ocala as well.

More information and scheduling is available at (561) 600-1046.

Cary Friedlander
National Pain Institute
(561) 600-1046
Email Information

Related Websites

Source: http://healthy-tips.net/platelet-rich-plasma-florida-pain-clinic-national-pain-institute-now-offering-revolutionary-platelet-rich-plasma-treatment-in-palm-beach/

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Skin Cancer Prevention Act goes before committee - News, Weather ...

By: Cole Miller
cmiller@klkntv.com?
?
In the dead of winter, a tanning bed may be the closest thing you can get to summer-like weather. But should we regulate who can use them? Omaha senator Jeremy Nordquist wants a ban that would prohibit anyone under the age of 18 from 'warming up' with?UV light bulbs.?
?
"A study of young people calculated that 3 out of 4 melanomas under age 30 were directly caused by indoor tanning," Dr. David Watts said.?"In simple terms, the more indoor tanning or the younger the person, the higher the risk."

Dermatologists, professors and skin cancer survivors, like 26-year-old Jessica Guerrero, agree.?
?
"What's stopping you from supporting this bill?" Guerrero asked.?"and?I just have to ask, how many more young people are we going to let this affect before we take a stand against it?"
?
"It will be 5 years next month since my last surgery. I'm optimistic that this time I'll make the 5 year mark," Teresa Roddy, a skin cancer survivor said.

But what about those who make their living in this business?
?
"In the past 3 years, 48% of Nebraska tanning salons have closed. My company could be next if more legislation assaults us this way," Heather Almond of Ashley Lynn's Tanning said.

Many salon owners say they already regulate who can come in and ask for parental consent, even though Nebraska law doesn't require it.
?
"The difference in this bill is it not only implies that we, as professional salons, are acting irresponsibly, but Nebraska parents are unable to parent responsibly," Max?Tan owner?Michelle Grubbs said.
?
Nordquist has said that he would work with tanning companies to find common ground. The committee took no immediate action on the bill Friday.

Source: http://www.klkntv.com/story/20711349/skin-cancer-prevention-act-goes-before-committee

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Obama birth control mandates loosens lawsuits

FILE - In this Feb. 10, 2012, file photo, President Barack Obama and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius leave the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, after the president announced the revamp of his contraception policy requiring religious institutions to fully pay for birth control. The legal challenges over religious freedom and the birth control coverage requirement in Obama?s health care overhaul appear to be moving toward the U.S. Supreme Court. Dozens of lawsuits have been filed by faith-affiliated charities, hospitals and universities, against the mandate which requires employers to provide insurance that covers contraception for free. However, many for-profit business owners are also suing, claiming a violation of their religious beliefs. The religious lawsuits have largely stalled, as the Department of Health and Human Services tries to develop an accommodation for faith groups. However, no such offer will be made to individual business owners. And their lawsuits are yielding conflicting rulings in appeals courts around the country. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 10, 2012, file photo, President Barack Obama and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius leave the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, after the president announced the revamp of his contraception policy requiring religious institutions to fully pay for birth control. The legal challenges over religious freedom and the birth control coverage requirement in Obama?s health care overhaul appear to be moving toward the U.S. Supreme Court. Dozens of lawsuits have been filed by faith-affiliated charities, hospitals and universities, against the mandate which requires employers to provide insurance that covers contraception for free. However, many for-profit business owners are also suing, claiming a violation of their religious beliefs. The religious lawsuits have largely stalled, as the Department of Health and Human Services tries to develop an accommodation for faith groups. However, no such offer will be made to individual business owners. And their lawsuits are yielding conflicting rulings in appeals courts around the country. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

FILE - In this May 15, 2012 file photo, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius speaks in Bethesda, Md. The legal challenges over religious freedom and the birth control coverage requirement in President Barack Obama?s health care overhaul appear to be moving toward the U.S. Supreme Court. Dozens of lawsuits have been filed by faith-affiliated charities, hospitals and universities, against the mandate which requires employers to provide insurance that covers contraception for free. However, many for-profit business owners are also suing, claiming a violation of their religious beliefs. The religious lawsuits have largely stalled, as the Department of Health and Human Services tries to develop an accommodation for faith groups. However, no such offer will be made to individual business owners. And their lawsuits are yielding conflicting rulings in appeals courts around the country. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

NEW YORK (AP) ? The legal challenges over religious freedom and the birth control coverage requirement in President Barack Obama's health care overhaul appear to be moving toward the U.S. Supreme Court.

Faith-affiliated charities, hospitals and universities have filed dozens of lawsuits against the mandate, which requires employers to provide insurance that covers contraception for free. However, many for-profit business owners are also suing, claiming a violation of their religious beliefs.

The religious lawsuits have largely stalled, as the Department of Health and Human Services tries to develop an accommodation for faith groups. However, no such offer will be made to individual business owners. And their lawsuits are yielding conflicting rulings in appeals courts around the country.

"The circuits have split. You're getting different, conflicting interpretations of law, so the line of cases will have to go to the Supreme Court, " said Carl Esbeck, a professor at the University of Missouri Law School who specializes in religious liberty issues.

Last year, the Supreme Court ruled that Obama's fiercely contested health care overhaul, known as the Affordable Care Act, was constitutional. But differences over the birth control provision in the law have yet to be resolved.

Under the requirement, most employers, including faith-affiliated hospitals and nonprofits, have to provide health insurance that includes artificial contraception, including sterilization, as a free preventive service. The goal, in part, is to help women space pregnancies as a way to promote health.

Religious groups who employ and serve people of their own faith ? such as churches ? are exempt. But other religiously affiliated groups, such as Catholic Charities, must comply.

Roman Catholic bishops, evangelicals and some religious leaders who have generally been supportive of Obama's policies have lobbied fiercely for a broader exemption. The Catholic Church prohibits the use of artificial contraception. Evangelicals generally permit the use of birth control, but they object to specific methods such as the morning-after contraceptive pill, which they argue is tantamount to abortion.

Obama promised to change the birth control requirement so insurance companies and not faith-affiliated employers would pay for the coverage, but religious leaders said more changes were needed to make the plan work.

The Health and Human Services Department said it could not comment on litigation. A spokeswoman also did not respond to a question about when the latest revisions in the birth control rule would be made public.

However, government attorneys responding to a lawsuit said an announcement was expected by the end of March. In the suit filed by the evangelical Wheaton College in Illinois and Catholic Belmont Abbey in North Carolina, the court ordered government attorneys to provide a progress report on the new rule every 60 days. Whatever its final form, the mandate will take effect for religious groups in August.

At the center of the cases is the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the 1993 law that bars the government from imposing a substantial burden on the exercise of religion for anything other than a compelling government interest pursued in the least restrictive way. The question of how or whether these criteria apply when owners of for-profit businesses have a religious objection to a government policy hasn't been fully tested.

"It's more natural for people to say Notre Dame exercises religion, but when you say this power tool company exercises religion, you have to explain it little more, I think the claims are really the same," said Kyle Duncan, general counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represents many of the plaintiffs.

Brigitte Amiri, senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, argued the business owners are trying to use a religious liberty claim to deny benefits to someone else.

"We don't think that religious liberty claims can be used as a way to discriminate against women employees ? using those claims to take away someone else's benefits and services," Amiri said.

In the lawsuits from faith-affiliated groups, such as the University of Notre Dame, judges around the country have generally said it would be premature to decide the legal issues until the federal rule for religiously affiliated organizations is finalized.

In the cases involving business owners, judges have granted temporary injunctions to businesses in nine of 14 cases they've heard, while questions about for-profit employers and religious rights are decided, according to a tally by the Becket Fund.

In a case brought by Cyril and Jane Korte, Catholic owners of Korte & Luitjohan Contractors in Illinois, a three-judge panel granted a temporary injunction, ruling 2-1 that providing employees insurance coverage that includes birth control would violate the Kortes' faith.

"It is a family-run business, and they manage the company in accordance with their religious beliefs," the judges wrote.

The dissenting judge argued that the company will not be paying directly for contraception but instead will purchase insurance that covers a wide range of health care that could include birth control, if the woman decides with her physician that she needs it.

"What the Kortes wish to do is to preemptively declare that their company need not pay for insurance which covers particular types of medical care to which they object," the dissenting judge wrote.

Similar reasoning was used by courts denying an injunction requested by the arts and crafts chain Hobby Lobby and religious book-seller Mardel Inc., which are owned by the same evangelical family. Oklahoma-based Hobby Lobby calls itself a "biblically founded business" and is closed on Sundays.

The U.S. district judge who first considered the request said, "Hobby Lobby and Mardel are not religious organizations."

"Plaintiffs have not cited, and the court has not found, any case concluding that secular, for-profit corporations such as Hobby Lobby and Mardel have a constitutional right to the free exercise of religion," the ruling said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-01-26-Birth%20Control-Lawsuits/id-08d8c7c370e54db8893162245c4be5fb

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Disney039s Zoog Genius Math Science Technology New York ...

Home ? Computer ? Disney039s Zoog Genius Math Science Technology New York Computers Hardware

Trivia that puts your brain to the test with math, science and technology Product Information Areyou a Zoog genius?A Power up your?

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Realease Date: 2005-09-27

ISBN-10 Code: B00005JJF4

Categories: Computer Tags: 920XM, 940XM, Alienware, Chicago, Computers, EXTREME, Hardware, LAPTOP

Source: http://www.ceprot.com/disney039s-zoog-genius-math-science-technology-new-york-computers-hardware/

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Can a Web Site Get Visitors to 'Feel' the Cotton? - NYTimes.com

My company, Abe?s Market, is an online marketplace for natural and organic goods that connects Americans who want to live a more healthful lifestyle with passionate business owners they may not otherwise find. We get hundreds of thousands of visitors every month, and our monthly sales growth has been in double digits. Based in part on that experience, the editors of You?re the Boss have asked me to be the host of regular conversations on the blog about what works and what doesn?t when selling online. We?re looking for small businesses that would like to have their sites evaluated by the blog?s readers. (If you are interested in volunteering your site, please see below.)

This first post is about American Giant, a start-up clothing manufacturer that makes all of its clothing in America and sells online only. The company was founded by Bayard Winthrop, who has a rich understanding of how clothing is made and sold. He believes the current clothing supply chain is broken, and he thinks his opportunity lies in bypassing retailers and distributors to sell directly to consumers through the Web. He introduced American Giant last February, and he considers the company an ode to the glory days of American-made, high-quality cotton clothing.

That sounds nice, of course, but here is the obstacle: Can Mr. Winthrop persuade people to buy sweatshirts they cannot touch or try on? Will people buy based on images and word of mouth alone?

American Giant is a new brand with none of the market recognition enjoyed by companies like Lands? End, Polo or Gap. Mr. Winthrop, who aims to take on those billion-dollar clothing brands, thinks American Giant, which is based in San Francisco and manufactures all of its products in the United States, can not only survive but conquer. But clearly the Web site ? especially its photography ? will be very important to that effort.

When the site was introduced in February, it featured the photos below. While the photos were professional, the team at American Giant, which has raised $2 million in start-up financing from Donald Kendall, a former chairman of PepsiCo, had doubts about their impact. Some feared that the photos felt flat, were contrived and provided little sense of the brand?s story.

The Web team also questioned the decision to cut off the model?s head instead of showing his face and making a personal connection. This led to an interesting dynamic. Early on, the site?s conversion rate ? the percentage of visitors who actually make a purchase ? was lower than projected. But the company was extremely successful with its social media and word-of-mouth marketing. This led to increased traffic, to styles? selling out much faster than expected and to better than anticipated revenue (in fact, the clothing is selling so well ? thanks in part to some very positive reviews ? that the company cannot fulfill orders before March). But American Giant recognized that it was missing an opportunity to convert a larger percentage of its visitors from browsers to buyers.

I am a big fan of management that is critical of its own decisions and willing to revisit them quickly. Even though American Giant had already spent considerable amounts of money on its photography, it decided to invest a significant sum, $35,000, to redo the shots.

Right and below are some shots it recently unveiled on the site. The new theme focuses on real world heroes, showing the American Giant line in action on everyday people. Mr. Winthrop explained that the new tagline ? ?Don?t Get Comfortable? ? is intended to create ?an intimate and provocative look at what hard work and dedication is: a pillar of the American Giant brand.?

The crucial choice was not to use professional models. Instead, the company tapped local people, including a pastry chef, a creative agency strategist, a sports bar owner, an amateur boxer and a music producer, in an attempt to make the campaign more realistic and attainable. The team feels that the background and texture add visual interest, the lighting is more natural and the close-up shots of the sweatshirts demonstrate the fit.

To help display the new photography, the American Giant Web team added a home page carousel and three capsule features below it. Take a look at the photos below and at the redesigned site and tell us what you think.

As you look at the site, here are some questions to consider:

• Do you think the photography and the stories behind it make a difference?
• Was the money spent on new photography worth the investment?
• Should the company have focused more attention on, say, social media marketing?
• What would the site have to do to convince you that its products really are superior?
• Do the photos convey the company?s story in a compelling way that makes you want to buy the clothes?

Please share your comments below. In a follow-up column next week, we will tell you how American Giant has been doing since the redesign and what Mr. Winthrop thinks of your suggestions.

Would you like to have your business?s Web site or mobile app reviewed? This is an opportunity for companies looking for an honest (and free) appraisal of their online presence and marketing efforts.

To be considered, tell us about your experiences ? why you started your site, what works, what doesn?t and why you would like to have the site reviewed ? in an e-mail to youretheboss@abesmarket.com.

Richard Demb is co-founder of Abe?s Market, an online marketplace for natural products that is based in Chicago.

Source: http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/23/can-a-web-site-get-visitors-to-feel-the-cotton/

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London Heathrow cancels more flights as snow continues

LONDON (Reuters) - London's Heathrow airport cancelled 10 percent of flights on Monday because of snow, about half the number cut on Sunday, and said there could be further disruption with more snowfall expected.

Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport, said it had cut around 130 flights - most operated by IAG'S British Airways - from its schedule on Monday to allow more space between aircraft because of low visibility.

"Many airports have plenty of spare runway capacity so aircraft can be spaced out more during low visibility without causing delays and cancellations. Because Heathrow operates at almost full capacity, there is simply no room to reschedule the delayed flights," a Heathrow spokesman said.

The airport scrapped some 250 flights on Sunday and said the decision had helped it to operate smoothly.

British Airways said it had cancelled around 350 flights in total since Friday.

Further light snowfalls and poor visibility were forecast at Heathrow through Monday and Tuesday, the Met Office national weather service said, adding to the likelihood to further cancellations

Ferrovial's Heathrow has spent 36 million pounds ($57 million) on upgrading its winter weather equipment since 2010 - a year when it was heavily criticised for almost shutting down when snow hit just before Christmas. It now has 130 snow-clearing vehicles.

London's second airport, Gatwick, said it was operating as normal on Monday morning but that delays and some flight cancellations were likely because of bad weather across Europe.

Two Greek passengers told Reuters they would be stranded at Gatwick for the next 24 hours with no money after snow delayed their train, meaning they had missed their flight.

"They don't care about us, we told them we need somewhere to live until tomorrow and they just looked at us and said 'Oh'," said psychologist Georgina Kourousiakli, 24, sitting with her friend Fay Sakellariou, 24, who was wrapped in a red blanket.

"We don't have any money to eat or buy anything ... we can't call home. I see many people who have missed their flights. "We're quiet but angry."

The smaller Stansted airport said it was open and operational but that it expected to see some Ryanair flights cancelled during the day.

East Midlands Airport, in central England, said its single runway would remain closed until later on Monday, while City Airport - close to London's financial district - re-opened its one runway after closing it earlier in the morning.

(Reporting by Rhys Jones and Lorraine Turner, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Kevin Liffey)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/london-heathrow-cancels-more-flights-snow-continues-093141080--finance.html

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Big crowd, high spirits for 2nd Obama swearing-in

President Barack Obama, with daughter Sasha, waves as they leave St. John's Church in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, followed by first lady Michelle Obama, talking with Rev. Luis Leon, after attending a church service during the 57th Presidential Inauguration. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

President Barack Obama, with daughter Sasha, waves as they leave St. John's Church in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, followed by first lady Michelle Obama, talking with Rev. Luis Leon, after attending a church service during the 57th Presidential Inauguration. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Crowds congregate in The National Mall for the ceremonial swearing-in for President Barack Obama at the U.S. Capitol during the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

President Barack Obama supporters arrive on the National Mall in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, for President Barack Obama's ceremonial swearing-in ceremony during the 57th Presidential Inauguration. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

President Barack Obama walks with daughter Sasha as they leave St. John's Church in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, after attending a church service during the 57th Presidential Inauguration. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Members of the Lee University Festival Choir and PS 22 Chorus perform before the ceremonial swearing-in of President Barack Obama at the U.S. Capitol during the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Declaring "our work begins today", President Barack Obama vowed to "finish what we started" four years ago as hundreds of thousands of inauguration-goers gathered on the historic National Mall in anticipation of his oath-taking for a second term.

"Let's go," Obama tweeted Monday morning as he began the day of inaugural celebrations.

The president was cheered in the streets as his motorcade slowly made its way down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House and arrived at the Capitol. At midday, he was to speak to a huge crowd on the Mall and millions more watching on television, hoping to set an optimistic tone for a divided nation seeking solutions to economic woes at home and conflict overseas.

The fanfare is extending across the nation's capital, including the traditional inaugural parade and a pair of glitzy formal balls.

Obama, along with his family and Vice President Joe Biden, began his day with a church service at St. John's Episcopal Church. Known as "The Church of the Presidents", St. John's is located just across from the White House on the other side of Lafayette Park. Pew 54 is known as "the president's pew" and is reserved for the commander in chief whenever he attends.

The centerpiece of Monday's festivities is Obama's inaugural address. The president will be urging lawmakers to find common ground and will preview his second-term goals, including immigration reform, stricter gun-control laws and an end to the war in Afghanistan.

Obama is also facing fresh concerns about terrorism in North Africa. In the midst of the inaugural celebrations, a U.S. official said two more Americans died in Algeria, bringing the U.S. death toll from a four-day siege at a natural gas plant to three. Seven Americans survived, the official said.

Washington largely shelved its partisan fighting for the three days of inaugural celebrations. Obama, perhaps seeking to start fresh with lawmakers in his second term, invited several members of Congress to the White House before his swearing-in, including the Republican leaders he has been at odds with for the past four years: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker John Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.

"This is a great day for all Americans to celebrate and to remember that the Capitol belongs to all," Cantor wrote on Twitter.

Pressing matters await the president and Congress once the celebrations subside, including three looming fiscal deadlines. Obama will also need help from a reluctant Congress if he hopes to fulfill his promise to sign comprehensive immigration reform and tighten gun laws in the wake of last month's school shooting in Newtown, Conn.

The mood surrounding Obama's second inaugural is more subdued than it was four years ago, when the swearing in of the nation's first black president drew 1.8 million people to the Mall. Still, organizers were expecting up to 700,000 to attend Monday's events, which would make it the largest second-term inaugural in history.

At least one public viewing area on the National Mall was full two hours before the president's swearing-in, and the crowd spread from the Capitol to the Washington Monument.

The weather forecast was encouraging, to a point. High temperatures were predicted for the lower 40s during the day, with a slight chance of rain and snow showers in the afternoon and flurries later.

Security was tight across Washington, with several streets near the White House and Capitol Hill closed off. Humvees and city buses were being used to block intersections. Volunteers fanned out near the Mall to help direct the crowds.

Lawmakers and other officials slowly trickled onto the platform on the West Front of the Capitol where Obama was to be sworn in. Former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were in attendance, along with former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn.

David Richardson of Atlanta and his two young children were among the early crowds heading to the National Mall Monday even before sunrise.

"We wanted to see history, I think, and also for the children to witness that anything is possible through hard work," Richardson said.

Wendy Davis of Rome, Ga., was one of thousands of inaugural attendees who packed Metro trains before sunrise headed for the Capitol and parade route. Davis came four years ago as well but was among the many ticketholders who couldn't get in because of the massive crowds. She was determined to get in this time.

"I thought I was early last time but I obviously wasn't early enough," she said.

By 8 a.m. thousands of people were also waiting in security lines that stretched a block to gain access to the spots along the parade route that were accessible to the general public without a special ticket.

The cold weather was easily tolerated by Marie-France Lemaine of Montreal, who received the trip to the inaugural as a birthday present from her husband. She headed up an Obama advocacy group in Quebec that cheered on the president from north of the border.

"The American president affects the rest of the world," she said.

The president was officially sworn-in shortly before noon on Sunday, in keeping with the Constitution's mandate that presidents begin their new term on Jan. 20. But because inaugural ceremonies are historically not held on Sundays, the public celebration was pushed to Monday, coinciding with the birthday of late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Condoleezza Rice, who served as secretary of state under former President George W. Bush, called on Obama to put electoral politics aside in his second term if he hopes to accomplish those objectives.

"It requires now a kind of humility and a reaching across the aisle," Rice said on CBS "This Morning. "And reaching across the aisle, by the way, means reaching out to Americans who may not have voted for him."

Following his swearing-in, Obama will attend the traditional luncheon with lawmakers before joining marching bands and floats in the inaugural parade, which winds its way from Capitol Hill to the White House.

The president and first lady will then slip into formalwear for two swanky inaugural balls. That's far fewer than the 10 they attended after the 2009 inauguration, though this year's events are still expected to draw up to about 40,000 people.

The centerpiece of Monday's activities was Obama's inaugural address. Aides said he would make the case that the nation's founding values can still guide the country through changing times. He is not expected to outline specifically policy proposals, saving them instead for his Feb. 12 State of the Union address.

Some Americans, weary after four years of shaky economic news, implored Obama to focus on patriotism, not politics, in his remarks.

"I'm just hoping for a nice eloquent speech that makes people feel good about being an American," said Sean Payton, a 32-year-old Democrat from Highland Ranch, Colo.

Monday's celebrations bring to a close three days of inaugural fanfare across Washington, including a day of service, a wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery, and a concert honoring military families.

The quirk in the calendar meant Obama would end up being sworn in for his second term twice. Sunday's ceremony was an intimate gathering at the White House, with only a dozen family members on hand to witness Chief Justice John Roberts administer the oath of office.

Obama placed his hand on a Bible used for years by Michelle Obama's family. On Monday, he'll take the oath using two ? one owned by King and one by Abraham Lincoln.

Vice President Joe Biden was also to be sworn in for the second term a second time Monday. Biden took the oath of office Sunday at the Naval Observatory in northwest Washington. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, appointed by Obama as the first Hispanic to serve on the Supreme Court, administered the oath to Biden, who placed his hand on a Bible his family has used since 1893.

Ahead of his swearing-in Sunday, Obama, along with Vice President Joe Biden, solemnly honored the nation's fallen soldiers during a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. On a crisp, sun-splashed morning, Obama and Biden placed a large wreath adorned with red, white and blue ribbon, in front of Arlington's Tomb of the Unknowns. Holding their hands over their hearts, the two leaders stood motionless as a bugler played taps.

___

Associated Press writers Darlene Superville, Matt Barakat, Alan Fram, Donna Cassata, Jim Kuhnhenn and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

___

Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-21-US-Obama-Inauguration/id-72b5e397067d4b2f8ae3a2611bc7a143

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The inaugural do-over: time to relax and savor

President Barack Obama gives his Inaugural address on the West Front of the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, during the ceremonial swearing-in ceremony during the 57th Presidential Inauguration. (AP Photo/Rob Carr, Pool)

President Barack Obama gives his Inaugural address on the West Front of the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, during the ceremonial swearing-in ceremony during the 57th Presidential Inauguration. (AP Photo/Rob Carr, Pool)

President Barack Obama, left and Vice President Joe Biden listen as singer Beyonce sings the National Anthem at the ceremonial swearing-in on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol during the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Scott Andrews, Pool)

Singer James Taylor performs at the ceremonial swearing-in at the U.S. Capitol during the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

President Barack Obama, from left, with first lady Michelle Obama, Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, and his wife Deborah Gunlack, joins members of Congress for a luncheon after his ceremonial swearing-in on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Barack Obama laughs with, from left, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, after signing a proclamation to commemorate his inauguration, entitled a National Day of Hope and Resolve, following his ceremonial swearing-in ceremony during the 57th Presidential Inauguration. (AP Photo/Jonathan Ernst, Pool)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Let's hear it for the do-over.

Inaugurations are always moments of great ceremony and pageantry. But, hey, everybody can rel-a-a-a-ax a little the second time around.

After the electric moment of President Barack Obama's first swearing-in, the second inaugural was just so much more ... comfortable.

(Really, Monday was a do-over of the do-over. The actual swearing-in took place a day earlier in a private ceremony at the White House.)

A little before noon, Obama daughters Sasha and Malia strolled onto the inaugural platform at the Capitol like they were heading out to meet up with a few friends, chatting up their cousins on the stand, completely uncowed by the millions watching via Jumbotron and television.

Obama himself seemed more relaxed, too.

"I miss this place," the onetime senator said with a big smile as he greeted congressional leaders upon arriving at the Capitol.

The inaugural crowds ? down considerably from four years ago ? knew there was no repeating the raw emotion of 2009, and most people didn't demand it.

"I just feel so proud," said Sharon Davis, of Suitland, Md., who attended both.

But the different vibe was palpable.

"Before, it was just so exciting ? you could be walking for miles and miles and it didn't even feel like an effort," said Katasha Smart of Randallstown, Md.

The sentiment was the same from afar for many.

"We've been there, done that in terms of electing the first African-American president," said Beniam Fantu, 34, speaking from Dallas.

With the smaller crowds came smaller headaches.

Sure, there were still snags at security checkpoints and Metro stops and the like. There was a smattering of protesters, and some glitches with the sound system.

But there was no repeat of 2009's Purple Tunnel of Doom, the underpass where throngs of purple ticket-holders famously were stranded for hours.

Even the weather cooperated ? 40 degrees at high noon, up from 28 four years ago.

And for all that was not-so-new, it was still a moment to savor. And Obama did.

As he headed back into the Capitol after the swearing-in, the president pivoted and planted himself to look back at the scene.

"I want to take a look, one more time," he said. "I'm not going to see this again."

Obama, who won't ever face re-election, felt free to ramp up the inaugural program's Hollywood quotient this time.

Beyonce sang the national anthem, Kelly Clarkson did "My Country, 'Tis of Thee," James Taylor offered "America the Beautiful."

Contrast that to four years ago, when the inaugural ceremony included Aretha Franklin but also classical musicians such as cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman and others, and the Hollywood types were largely saved for the evening's balls.

Even Michelle Obama seemed more liberated this time, sporting a new haircut ? with bangs! ? that's a little less first-lady-ish.

Lots of lessons learned were deployed.

Chief Justice John Roberts, who administered the oath of office to Obama on both occasions, read from notes this time.

In 2008, he'd worked from memory and flubbed the wording, requiring a private do-over the next day.

This time, the only snag in the oath-taking was a little catch in Obama's voice as he uttered the word "states" in the phrase "president of the United States."

Even the parade planners learned a thing or two.

They made this year's floats shorter, to improve their turning radius and allow them to move along Pennsylvania Avenue at a faster clip.

And about those portable toilets: organizers arranged them in clusters this year rather than long lines, to make it easier to get around them.

Some glitches were inevitable.

Malfunctioning speakers made it nearly impossible for the flag-waving fans stuck in the overflow section near the Washington Monument to hear what the president was saying.

"You're in the IT capital of the world: How can this be so hard?" a frustrated Smart demanded.

But even there, good will was in evidence.

"It does take away from the experience, but it's so minute, compared to being able to raise the flag for Obama," said Anna Johnson, who came from Decatur, Ga.

The party scene for this year's inauguration was more muted: Fewer big names. No concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Two official inaugural balls instead of 10.

But 40,000 people were ready to cram into the Washington Convention Center for those two balls.

And for many, being a part of it all was still hugely important. The fact that the inaugural festivities coincided with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday sweetened the deal for some.

Julie Davis, 69, of suburban Dayton, Ohio, said attending the event reduced her pangs of guilt for not joining King's 1963 March on Washington, back when she was working in the city as a black, 19-year-old intern.

She's always regretted that she didn't skip an out-of-town meeting to attend the march.

"Every year since that time, whenever I heard of the March on Washington or thought about it or somebody made reference to it, it was almost like a knife cutting me," Davis said. "I am very, very, very happy to be here."

___

Associated Press writers Matthew Barakat, Alan Fram, Dave Dishneau, Thomas Ritchie, C.J. Jackson, Donna Cassata, Sam Hananel and Calvin Woodward contributed to this report.

___

Follow Nancy Benac on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nbenac

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-01-21-Inauguration%20Scene/id-454c1d7a4569494c8cfb1532d4f1b88d

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Cubs envision improved Wrigley

January 19, 2013, 10:01 pm

As Cubs executives tried to figure out ways to renovate Wrigley Field, they visited Fenway Park, Lambeau Field and the Rose Bowl. They wanted to get a sense of how those iconic stadiums changed with the times without losing its charms.

Beyond lobbying City Hall and figuring out how to pay for this $300 million project, that will be the trick in restoring Wrigley Field, which will be 100 years old in 2014.?? ?

The renderings put up on big screens inside the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers on Saturday became the story at Cubs Convention. The plan would remove 50 million pounds of concrete and steel. In its place could be a completely different experience. ?

Here are some of the bullet points, drawn from 30 focus groups and almost 23,000 total surveys: rooftop patio; party decks in left and center field; expanded luxury suites; new LED board in left field; Jumbotron-like video screen; club lounge; restaurant where the old administrative offices used to be.

But the driving force will be player facilities that president of business operations Crane Kenney called ?the worst in Major League Baseball.? Beginning to address that will be the first priority if construction begins in October or November and is phased in across five offseasons.

When general manager Jed Hoyer first toured the Cubs clubhouse in the fall of 2011, he thought it was fit for a Double-A ballpark. This vision will include a much bigger clubhouse, batting tunnels, a video room, a new weight room and a physical therapy/rehab center.

This helped the recruiting pitch as team president Theo Epstein walked away from the Boston Red Sox and Hoyer chose to leave the San Diego Padres.? ?

?When we talked through it and decided to come to Chicago, the promise of this project was a huge plus for us,? Hoyer said. ?We both started with the Red Sox before any kind of renovation to Fenway Park. I can assure you that the facilities were every bit as subpar for the players as they are at Wrigley Field right now.

?There was one batting cage out in center field, which sounds familiar, a tiny clubhouse that was infested with a lot of rats. It was certainly not good enough for a big-market team. Theo and I both saw how it changed the organization.?

You can?t draw a straight line to the Red Sox winning two World Series titles within the past decade, but a new Wrigley Field could be a game-changer.

Hoyer recalled one of his first days on the job, when he went on a tour with Kenney and Epstein and saw the home clubhouse.

?We looked up at the ceiling and there was a net,? Hoyer said. ?We?re like: ?Oh, what?s the net for?? Crane said: ?Oh, that?s where the players warm up during the game.? Both of us laughed. We thought it was a joke.

?He goes: ?No, no, guys, I?m serious. Before a guy pinch-hits, we actually drop the net. We put a wooden slab over the TV and guys take swings in the clubhouse.??

As Kenney said: ?We were smart. We didn?t tell Theo about that when we were hiring him.?

But the possibilities clearly intrigued Epstein. In theory, this will generate more and more revenues to pour into the on-field product. Kenney said personal seat licenses are not on the table now.

The Cubs project that their concession capacity could increase by more than 100 percent. Restroom capacity would rise 42 percent. Changes would be made to the electrical, plumbing and telecommunication systems. A new press box would also be created.

These plans have been about three years in the making.

The Cubs have been working with several influencers, including: DAIQ Architects, a force in modernizing Fenway Park; Gunny Harboe, a historic preservation architect who worked on The Rookery and Sullivan Center in the Loop; VOA Associates, which helped design Navy Pier; and Gensler, the firm with a portfolio that includes L.A. Live and Roland Garros, the home of the French Open.

Now chairman Tom Ricketts will have to live up to the promise his family made to Cubs fans.

?The character of the Wrigley that we all love will be retained,? Ricketts said. ?It will be the same place you always loved, the same place you went with your grandfather. But the amenities for the players, the fans, everybody, will be dramatically improved.?

Tags: mlb, world series, rose bowl, Wrigley Field, baseball, Chicago, fenway park, San Diego Padres, Theo Epstein, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Tom Ricketts, Patrick Mooney, Crane Kenney, Cubs Convention, Jed Hoyer, french open, Wrigleyville, Lambeau Field

Source: http://www.csnchicago.com/01/19/13/Cubs-lay-out-their-new-vision-for-Wrigle/nbcsportscubs.html?blockID=825189&feedID=10336

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Real estate investment: Five Suggestions for Maximizing Rental ...

Committing to local rental real estate is amongst the most robust means of making money and also earning cash. Rent via well maintained properties with decent regions will pay for house loans and working expenses though generating reasonable cash. Another advantage We Buy Houses Chattanooga TN, with regard to buyers seeking to build retirement living cash flow, is always that homes are available and located in non-traditional IRAs!

Regardless of whether you own one particular property or you will be contributing to an active profile, you?ll be able to increase your cashflow by simply:

A single. Refinancing as well as lowering home loan payments. Home loan interest levels are still the least expensive they have have you been in history. Creditors are still offering 30 yr loans pertaining to 5% APR (and even less) pertaining to single family properties!

Only two. Requiring those who own the house to afford utilities. One of the biggest stumbling blocks for anyone is such when utility fees in e book. Many people missing their own homes, while natural gas prices spiked in the the very coldest winters?the winter season regarding Two thousand. Several bills ended up in excess of $800 first calendar month!

3. Ensuring that rent is due to collection along with equivalent homes. A lot of proprietors hesitate to improve hire, about active long-term property owners in homes these people buy. If the present-day lease is correctly below the area rates, the majority of tenants will not likely object to modest increases.

That runs specifically true pertaining to instances in which they?re able to find concrete improvements (coloring, innovative rug, etc.). The bottom line is to be sure the book handles the price tag on these types of repairs as well as add to the total property?s cost.

4. Which includes home warrantee coverage while in the rental long term contract. The payments for the warrantee ought to be taken care of by the owner. Your actuel pays for software calls. It will save the big bucks for essential repairs.

During one of our features, the air physical fitness unit kicked the bucket during the greatest month in the summer. A replacement component might have simply charge $1,Five-hundred. Nonetheless, your property guarantee price tag merely $45 for the support simply call!

5. Cutting month-to-month management fees. Many upkeep tasks can be remedied by a certified handyman Stop Foreclosure Chattanooga TN. Regarding larger tasks, such as woods removal coupled with trimming, roof repairs, etc., most home management info mill able to get respectable fees by way of providers they will work within other homes they management.

Timely routine maintenance and agenda maintenance can easily conserve a wide range of cash in this long-run. Pleased property owners equivalent significantly less turn over as well as increased capability to increase rental prices properly.

Right after these kind of 5 beneficial, easy to implement guidelines might help considerably increase your cashflow although improving property value. This allows intelligent buyers to be able to leveraging existing fairness to include in their apartment stock collection.

Did you like this article? Share it below!

Source: http://www.tradefinancebank.com/real-estate-investment-five-suggestions-for-maximizing-rental-property-earnings/

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Loneliness, like chronic stress, taxes the immune system

Jan. 19, 2013 ? New research links loneliness to a number of dysfunctional immune responses, suggesting that being lonely has the potential to harm overall health.

Researchers found that people who were more lonely showed signs of elevated latent herpes virus reactivation and produced more inflammation-related proteins in response to acute stress than did people who felt more socially connected.

These proteins signal the presence of inflammation, and chronic inflammation is linked to numerous conditions, including coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis and Alzheimer's disease, as well as the frailty and functional decline that can accompany aging.

Reactivation of a latent herpes virus is known to be associated with stress, suggesting that loneliness functions as a chronic stressor that triggers a poorly controlled immune response.

"It is clear from previous research that poor-quality relationships are linked to a number of health problems, including premature mortality and all sorts of other very serious health conditions. And people who are lonely clearly feel like they are in poor-quality relationships," said Lisa Jaremka, a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research at Ohio State University and lead author of the research.

"One reason this type of research is important is to understand how loneliness and relationships broadly affect health. The more we understand about the process, the more potential there is to counter those negative effects -- to perhaps intervene. If we don't know the physiological processes, what are we going to do to change them?"

The results are based on a series of studies conducted with two populations: a healthy group of overweight middle-aged adults and a group of breast cancer survivors. The researchers measured loneliness in all studies using the UCLA Loneliness Scale, a questionnaire that assesses perceptions of social isolation and loneliness.

Jaremka will present the research January 19 at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology annual meeting in New Orleans.

The researchers first sought to obtain a snapshot of immune system behavior related to loneliness by gauging levels of antibodies in the blood that are produced when herpes viruses are reactivated.

Participants were 200 breast cancer survivors who were between two months and three years past completion of cancer treatment with an average age of 51 years. Their blood was analyzed for the presence of antibodies against Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus.

Both are herpes viruses that infect a majority of Americans. About half of infections do not produce illness, but once a person is infected, the viruses remain dormant in the body and can be reactivated, resulting in elevated antibody levels, or titers -- again, often producing no symptoms but hinting at regulatory problems in the cellular immune system.

Lonelier participants had higher levels of antibodies against cytomegalovirus than did less lonely participants, and those higher antibody levels were related to more pain, depression and fatigue symptoms. No difference was seen in Epstein-Barr virus antibody levels, possibly because this reactivation is linked to age and many of these participants were somewhat older, meaning reactivation related to loneliness would be difficult to detect, Jaremka said.

Previous research has suggested that stress can promote reactivation of these viruses, also resulting in elevated antibody titers.

"The same processes involved in stress and reactivation of these viruses is probably also relevant to the loneliness findings," Jaremka said. "Loneliness has been thought of in many ways as a chronic stressor -- a socially painful situation that can last for quite a long time."

In an additional set of studies, the scientists sought to determine how loneliness affected the production of proinflammatory proteins, or cytokines, in response to stress. These studies were conducted with 144 women from the same group of breast cancer survivors and a group of 134 overweight middle-aged and older adults with no major health problems.

Baseline blood samples were taken from all participants, who were then subjected to stress -- they were asked to deliver an impromptu five-minute speech and perform a mental arithmetic task in front of a video camera and three panelists. Researchers followed by stimulating the participants' immune systems with lipopolysaccharide, a compound found on bacterial cell walls that is known to trigger an immune response.

In both populations, those who were lonelier produced significantly higher levels of a cytokine called interleukin-6, or IL-6, in response to acute stress than did participants who were more socially connected. Levels of another cytokine, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, also rose more dramatically in lonelier participants than in less lonely participants, but the findings were significant by statistical standards in only one study group, the healthy adults.

In the study with breast cancer survivors, researchers also tested for levels of the cytokine interleukin 1-beta, which was produced at higher levels in lonelier participants.

When the scientists controlled for a number of factors, including sleep quality, age and general health measures, the results were the same.

"We saw consistency in the sense that more lonely people in both studies had more inflammation than less lonely people," Jaremka said.

"It's also important to remember the flip side, which is that people who feel very socially connected are experiencing more positive outcomes," she said.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Ohio State University, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS. The original article was written by Emily Caldwell.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/zh6EAfrImIM/130119185019.htm

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Troy mayor appoints new police commissioner

TROY - Troy's Police Department will soon have a new leader. The mayor appointed a police commissioner today to oversee the day to day operation of the force.

The new commissioner is a retired assistant police chief who spent more than 30 years in the police department he's now about to lead.

62-year-old Anthony Magnetto will be taking over as commissioner in February.

Troy mayor Lou Rosamilia made the announcement this afternoon at city hall.

Magnetto joined the police department in 1976 and worked his way up through the ranks. He retired in 2011.

He says he couldn't pass up the opportunity to come back to serve and improve public safety in the city where he grew up.

Source: http://schenectadycity.wnyt.com/news/news/179270-troy-mayor-appoints-new-police-commissioner

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Pantech Discover review: a budget phone has never looked so premium

Watch out, folks: Pantech is moving up the AT&T food chain. Once known in the US as little more than a budget brand, the Korean company is learning that it's possible to push out a device with premium components without increasing the going price (while choosing an outside-the-box design at the same time). The latest piece of evidence supporting this is the Discover, a $50 smartphone with enough trimmings to turn some heads. But will the phone set a new precedent for its pricing tier, or is it just blindly checking off items on a spec sheet to-do list? Follow us after the break and find out.

Gallery: Pantech Discover review

Hardware

On our stage at CES, Pantech's Manager of US Marketing Chandra Thompson told us that nearly 60 percent of the company's employees are dedicated to R&D, a claim that certainly can't be made by very many companies. We were quite surprised to hear that from a company like Pantech -- it caters almost exclusively to the penny-pinching demographic in the US, so it's easy to dismiss its hardware as cheap and unexciting.

Au contraire, naysayers: the Discover, Pantech's latest budget-friendly offering on AT&T, actually bucks the trend of the stereotypical slab, making it a visually arresting device to behold. The curvaceous back is chock-full of contours, but each one is done up in a way that enhances how the phone feels when you hold it in your hands. (We can't help but be reminded of the Sony Xperia arc when looking at it.) In fact, we'll go ahead and say that the Discover is one of the most comfortable phones we've used in recent history; its chassis hits the ruler at 134.2 x 68.6 x 9.1mm (5.3 x 2.7 x 0.36 inches) and gives us a solid grip that made us confident it wouldn't slip out of our grasp. It's also relatively light, weighing in at 4.76 ounces (135g).

Much of that has to do with the textured plastic material on the removable back panel, which adds just the right amount of traction without drawing too much attention to itself. The Discover is not only attractive; it also exudes durability. If you've only handled it for a few minutes it might be hard to tell that the device is as inexpensive as it is. We were happy to discover (pun not intended) that the back doesn't flex or creak when you add pressure, lending even more credibility to the phone relative to its pricing tier.

The front of the device shows off the 4.8-inch 720p TFT screen, with a 2MP front-facing camera and the typical array of sensors above. You won't find any capacitive nav buttons on the bottom, as the Discover uses virtual keys instead. To take the place of the missing keys, you'll expectedly find a Pantech logo.

The sides are where the Discover starts to get really interesting. The phone bulges near the top to make room for a pair of 3D surround sound speakers, and the back cover tapers inward to meet up with the chrome edge. The speaker grilles are dotted with a snowflake-like pattern -- the only hole in this analogy is that they're all exactly alike. On the left side, adjacent to the grille, you'll find a volume rocker that blends in perfectly with the rest of the chrome trim; the top end houses the power button and 3.5mm headphone jack, while the bottom end is where you plug in your micro-USB charger.

Completing our tour, we take you to the back of the Discover, which is where the 12.6MP rear-end camera module is located, with the LED flash directly beneath. You'll also see a pair of logos for AT&T and Pantech, but neither is so ridiculously large so as to distract from the overall elegance of the device. Rip open that removable cover and you'll find slots for the micro-SIM and microSD cards, as well as the replaceable 2,100mAh battery and NFC contacts.

Antenna-wise, the Discover is packed with plenty of radios: GSM / EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900; HSPA+ / UMTS 850/1900/2100; and LTE 700/850/1900/AWS. While most observers may be puzzled by the inclusion of four LTE bands when AT&T's network is only currently utilizing two (700 / AWS), it actually means that your device will continue working properly if the operator decides to begin refarming 850 / 1900 HSPA+ spectrum for the use of LTE. Many of AT&T's latest phones offer the same new LTE setup, but it's typically not advertised -- in the past we've had to dig into each handset's FCC filings to figure it out.

Rounding out the specs, the Discover also offers aGPS, Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11a/b/g/n, 16GB of internal storage and supports DLNA. That microSD slot is capable of holding cards up to 32GB in size. There is, however, one glaring omission: there's no LED notification light.

Display

Now, let's dive deeper into the display itself. Typically, the only time we see a $50 phone sporting a panel with a 720p (1,280 x 720) resolution is either when it's on sale or is near the end of its retail shelf life (such is the case with the HTC One X). Thus, the fact that Pantech is pushing out a device with a higher-end screen at such a low price point should be enough to get any budget-conscious consumer excited. But how is it in real life? How does the display hold up against similar offerings?

While the HTC One X still holds the crown for best 720p display, the Discover doesn't disappoint. It's not quite as bright as the One X, but it certainly bests the Galaxy S III in this area. We also like the decent viewing angles and natural-looking colors -- it's definitely less saturated than the GS III, but then again, most phones are. It doesn't use a PenTile matrix, so the fonts were crisp and easy to read without any jagged edges getting in our way.

Software

Pantech is just as creative in its firmware design as it is in hardware. The Discover runs Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich), though company reps have told us that Jelly Bean is in the works -- unfortunately, they wouldn't tell us which version, but this is at least a step in the right direction. Despite the fact it's running now-antiquated firmware, it at least throws in quite a few differentiators that make its custom skin one of the most unique we've encountered on this side of the Pacific.

For starters, the app dock on the front screen allows 14 total icons, instead of the standard four. How so? If you look carefully, you'll see arrows on either side of the dock indicating that you can swipe left or right for more shortcuts, folders or apps. We imagine this will only come in handy if you prefer using most of your front screen space for widgets, but it's a nice touch regardless.

Additionally, while the virtual nav buttons at the bottom of the display feature the usual suite of back, home and recent apps, Pantech throws in a tiny menu button on the right-hand side that's visible only on the front screen. (It doesn't replace or duplicate the settings buttons you'll find in most apps.) Pressing it brings up a menu that overlays the app dock and offers widgets, wallpaper, themes, settings and tips. Sounds great in theory, but it's absolutely pointless since long-pressing the home screen achieves exactly the same result.

Moving on to the app menu, you'll first notice that widgets are nowhere to be found -- you'll need to access them using the settings bar. Pantech has chosen to use the tab space on top to enhance the group-viewing experience. Essentially, you can choose to put any of your apps into customizable groups -- just as if they're a separate folder -- and each group you create gets its own tab up on top. You can also assign each tab its own specific color and change the name to whatever you want; even better, you can also long-press the tab to install the entire group as a folder on your home screen, making it less work for you to set up groups in multiple places.

The navigation menu also has a few tweaks of its own: the top of the menu features a quick settings bar (nothing new there) and a second bar for settings shortcuts. This bar, which can be collapsed if you deem it unnecessary, includes icons for sound, WiFi, display, Bluetooth and more -- the idea is to get you one step closer to these individual settings, thus reducing the amount of time you spend trying to reach them. We don't foresee this saving more than a fraction of a second, but it's there for you as an option if you want.

Pantech is also taking a page out of Samsung's book by introducing its own set of motion / gesture controls. The concept is roughly the same: by waving your hand left and right over the front-facing camera, you can answer calls and navigate through pics and music without touching the screen. It worked much better than we expected; the camera recognized our hands from as far away as two feet.

Speaking of looking to Samsung for inspiration, the Discover also features a pop-up video option. When you begin watching a video, tap the proper button near the top of the screen and it hovers above whatever app you want to use simultaneously. You can also do something similar in the music app: the press of a button will float a "now playing" widget (which can be switched to playlist view as well) above your other programs.

Easy Experience Mode is offered with the Pantech Discover. We went into more detail on this particular feature in our review of the Flex, but in a nutshell: Easy Experience is essentially a special introductory launcher that helps first-time smartphone users settle into the whirlwind world of Android without experiencing as drastic a learning curve. There's less stuff to customize, the font and icons are a little larger and the app menu is much more streamlined. Not much is different on the Discover, with the exception of a new toggle switch on the main UI, which makes it pretty easy to go back and forth between the two modes.

As you might expect, you'll still have the normal onslaught of preloaded apps (though fortunately Pantech lets you hide unwanted apps or tuck them away in groups), but AT&T is pushing one new program in particular: DriveMode. The app is intended to prevent drivers from reading texts or taking calls when on the road. When your driving speed is above 25MPH, the service (which can be disabled if you prefer) sends an automatic SMS response to anyone who calls you or sends a text, letting them know you'll get in touch with them as soon as you've finished your journey. It definitely does the job as intended -- when we first began this review, our unit had the service enabled by default, and it showed up as soon as we hit the right speed. (Disclaimer: the reviewer was in the passenger seat when making this discovery.)

Gallery: Pantech Discover screenshots

Lastly, the Discover uses the same stock Skyfire browser as the HTC One VX and LG Optimus G (among others). This means it comes with the love-or-hate browser bar at the bottom of the screen that offers several shortcuts and other settings. It appears that this particular browser is here to stay, and we shouldn't be surprised to see it continue to surface on future AT&T models.

One major quirk with the UI is that Pantech doesn't really take full advantage of the vertical space afforded to it. In addition to the virtual keys taking up room at the bottom of the screen, most of the phone's UI elements are much larger than your typical device. The app dock on the front screen, the extra settings in the navigation menu and even the tabs on top of the app menu are easy to press, but you only get this benefit by sacrificing precious screen real estate.

Camera

The weakest link in every Pantech phone we've ever reviewed is the camera. The 8MP sensor used in the Flex was certainly an improvement over the 5MP models used previously, but it still couldn't hold a candle to Samsung's and HTC's 8-megapixel units. So what did we get out of the Discover's 12.6-megapixel rear-facing cam? Pixel count isn't everything, after all.

First, let's go over the user interface on the camera. The shutter button sidebar consists of a few toggle switches: front / rear, camcorder and HDR. The other sidebar is where you'll find your various settings, as well as shortcuts that can be customized to specific things you tweak the most (this bar is free of shortcuts by default -- you have to add them in at your leisure). Among the listed settings are exposure, flash, resolution, white balance, color effects and focus mode (in which you can choose between touch focus and tracking focus). Long-pressing the viewfinder in touch mode will lock your focus, and then you can touch the screen another time to lock exposure.

Speaking of which, the Discover is missing the ability to lock focus on objects in low-light or near-dark conditions; the phone doesn't give us the option to use LED flash as a focus mechanism prior to taking the shot, so you may need to take several images in low light before it truly comes out the way it should. The LED flash itself is sufficiently bright, so that particular part of the camera isn't an issue.

Gallery: Pantech Discover camera samples

In fact, low-light images in general didn't turn out very well. Perhaps a big part of the problem is the fact that Pantech didn't throw in any special modes like the ones you'll find on the One X, Galaxy S III and other flagships. No low-light, night or candlelight modes are offered; the phone doesn't even have macro mode. Unfortunately, it's just not as decked out as we'd like it to be. Frankly, this is to be expected on a phone that is geared toward the budget user, but we have a hard time understanding exactly why Pantech would go through the effort of boosting the megapixel count without enhancing the actual image-taking experience.

While we have a difficult time recommending the Discover's camera over the proven modules found on the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III, the images on the Discover were still at least par with what we originally expected (which unfortunately isn't saying much). We had quite a few issues with washed-out colors, middling dynamic range and soft focus. The upside is that white balance seemed to be pretty good. Regardless, it's not the point-and-shoot replacement you'd like it to be.

We actually didn't have so much to complain about with the video capture performance (MPEG-4, 18 Mbps bit rate, 30fps frame rate). It was very smooth when catching motion or panning, and the mics picked up our voice loud and clear. Its only drawback was that it couldn't properly handle sunlight without ultimately washing out the colors in the process.

Performance and battery life

On the performance side, the Discover doesn't bring anything new to the table. It sports the same 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus processor that we enjoyed on the Burst and Flex, along with 1GB RAM and an Adreno 225 GPU. Thus, it shouldn't come as any surprise that its actual output is nearly the same. Responsiveness is great and lag is near non-existent when performing most processor-heavy tasks. All told, we didn't feel like we were using a subpar handset. Gaming was also as smooth as we've come to expect on an S4 Plus device. Here's how the Discover benchmarks against some similarly priced phones on AT&T's network:

	Pantech Discover	HTC One VX	LG Escape
Quadrant v2	5,782	5,242	5,026
Vellamo 2.0	1,928	1,268	1,461
AnTuTu 3.0	9,652	10,552	N/A
SunSpider 0.9.1 (ms)	1,614	1,504	1,598
GLBenchmark 2.5 Egypt 1080p Offscreen (fps)	14	12	11
CF-Bench	9,824	7,423	8,112
SunSpider: lower scores are better.

In terms of battery life, our standard endurance test -- looping a video with a series of notifications rolling in the background -- went on for six hours and 45 minutes. That's hardly spectacular, but it's still better than what we saw on the HTC One VX. What this means is that moderate users can make it through an entire day before having to charge up the phone, but anyone who uses the device extensively will get a solid nine or 10 hours out of it. However, unless you're barely using it, you shouldn't expect it to last overnight and into the next day.

On AT&T's LTE network in Salt Lake City, the Discover zoomed through speed tests at an average of 18 Mbps down and 12 Mbps up. Keep in mind that this number may vary depending on the strength of your local network. We had mixed results with the phone's WiFi performance; on multiple occasions it randomly disconnected from our preferred network and would refuse to reconnect again (it often would get stuck in an endless loop, going back and forth between "connecting" and "saved"). Quickly shutting WiFi off and then turning it on again typically resolved the problem, but that's of course an annoyance.

When it came to actually making phone calls, our callers could hear us perfectly loud and clear. Noise cancelling was in full force, as callers had no idea that we were in a noisy room. On our end, other voices came through crystal clear, although the volume was a little softer than we would have preferred.

So what about the dual 3D surround sound speakers on the Discover? In a couple words: not bad. Thing is, it's louder than your typical budget phone, so in that sense you're getting your money's worth; however, we could barely tell any difference between it and the audio output on flagship phones like the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S III. In fact, when doing direct comparisons between the three devices, the Discover's sound was on the tinny side and not as full or rich as the others. Again, it's pretty good for its intended price range, but not the best out there. One other thing: while the surround sound concept works okay when the phone's in portrait mode, it's a completely different story when you're watching movies in landscape, since both speakers are on the same side. It's pretty difficult to mimic stereo sound very well with this kind of setup.

Pricing and comparison

Going by the spec sheet alone, the Pantech Discover blows away any other brand-new device in its price range -- you may see some better-specced phones on sale around the $50 margin, but this surpasses any other budget or midrange phone that has begun at this particular cost. On AT&T's network, the next in line would be the HTC One VX, a phone that for the same amount of money snags you a qHD display, 5MP rear camera, 8GB internal storage and a few other mid-range specs to go along with it. While we were fond of the VX, the Discover ultimately offers more bang for your buck.

Wrap-up

With each of its recent phones, Pantech has shown that it's possible to make an inexpensive handset without sacrificing premium components. It specializes in the lower-end (in the US, at least), and it does its job very well. With a going price of $50 (after a two-year commitment), it's sure to turn quite a few heads. It's far from perfect, of course, but right now, at least, we have a hard time seeing how anyone could make a better budget device.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, AT&T

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/19/pantech-discover-review/

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