Makaron's Life and Friends

Vocabulary Software, Ultimate Vocabulary™, Announces New 2012 Upgrade

>New York, NY (PRWEB) May 19, 2012 Having already helped thousands of people to improve their vocabulary and excel in all areas of life, the team behind Ultimate Vocabulary™ today announces their latest update http://onlinedegreeissues.webs.com/apps/blog/entries/show/12443446-syndrome-of-the-elusive-joe. Ultimate Vocabulary™ 2012 was released with one goal – helping those using it to be successful in life by building a strong and deep knowledge of words and their meanings. Marc Slater, Managing Director of the company behind Ultimate Vocabulary™ 2012, explains more about what users can expect. “This heavily updated version of our popular vocabulary software places a bigger focus on the daily application of what users are learning,” Slater explains. He continues, “We have introduced a more solid structure the software’s seven vocabulary mastery strategies, with a wider range of examples, tasks and tests.” The seven strategies form the backbone of Ultimate Vocabulary™ 2012’s operation. These strategies include features such as over fifty usage examples for each vocabulary rule, the ability to translate words into virtually any language and the ability to create custom lists of words and phrases close to the heart of each user. “At the end of the day, we want everyone to be able to use words to their own advantage. To achieve this goal it is vital that all of the information required to master vocabulary is contained in one place. That is exactly what we have worked hard to achieve with Ultimate Vocabulary™ 2012,” Slater adds. The software is already being used within thousands of different applications across the South Pacific, Europe and North America. Usage spans a huge range of age

You’re Hired: Bucknell University Grads Quickly Find Jobs, Despite...

>Lewisburg, PA (PRWEB) April 27, 2012 While the struggling economy continues to keep unemployment rates above 8 percent, and new national statistics show more than half of bachelor-degree holders under the age of 25 are struggling to find adequate work, Bucknell University alumni are finding their investment in a Bucknell education is paying off. A new report shows 71 percent of Bucknell's Class of 2011 were employed within nine months, far above the national average and a significant increase from 2010. The full results are available in The Postgraduate Report of Activity for the Class of 2011. "That jump indicates that we are seeing some positive movement within the job market," said Pamela Keiser, executive director of Career Services at Bucknell. "It also shows Bucknellians are successfully connecting with employers. In a job market that is highly competitive, applicants must stand out. Clearly Bucknellians set themselves apart from the rest of the field." According to the report, an additional 18 percent of Bucknell's Class of 2011 enrolled in graduate or professional school, 3 percent were both employed and enrolled in graduate or professional school part-time and 5 percent indicated they were taking time to volunteer, travel or both. Only 3 percent of 2011 graduates were still job searching, half the number of 2010 graduates that were still looking for work nine months after commencement. "It's credible evidence of the continued value of a Bucknell education within the marketplace," Keiser said. The Class of 2011 continued the strong earnings trend among recent Bucknell graduates. The mean salary for a graduate from the College of Engineering was $56,882, those holding a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration averaged a salary of $50,726 and graduates from the College of Arts and Sciences earned a mean salary of $42,620. Nearly 15 percent of 2011 graduates who gained employment found their position through an alumni or faculty connection, the Bucknell University Career Development Center Employer Expo, or an on-campus interview. The employers with the most accepted offers from 2011 Bucknell graduates include: PricewaterhouseCoopers; Deloitte Consulting; Teach for America; Bucknell University; United States Navy; Goldman Sachs; United States Army; High Performance Technologies, Inc.; Whiting-Turner Contracting Company; Air Products and Chemicals; Johnson & Johnson; Accenture; Vanguard Group; Epic Systems; Ernst & Young; and General Electric. Each year the Career Development Center conducts a post-graduate survey. The Class of 2011 provided a strong 97 percent response rate. Results from 812 out of 838 individuals were collected and recorded to compile the data referenced above. Contact: Division of Communications ...

Source: You’re Hired: Bucknell University Grads Quickly Find Jobs, Despite...

Bournemouth Teacher Wins the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion

Local business man and former school teacher, Chris Hunt, has been nominated and has won The Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion 2012. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GS_googleAddAdSenseService("ca-pub-83492339"+"76388614"); GS_googleEnableAllServices(); GA_googleAddSlot("ca-pub-8349233976388614", "NewsArticles_ATF_Center_250x250"); GA_googleAddSlot("ca-pub-8349233976388614", "NewsArticles_BTF_Footer_728x90"); GA_googleFetchAds(); GA_googleAddAdSensePageAttr("google_color_bg","ffffff"); GA_googleAddAdSensePageAttr("google_color_border","ffffff"); GA_googleAddAdSensePageAttr("google_color_link","2050d0"); GA_googleAddAdSensePageAttr("google_alternate_ad_url","http://www.prlog.org/jsinc/noidx/ads.html"); GA_googleAddAdSenseSlotAttr("NewsArticles_ATF_Center_250x250","google_ad_type","text"); GA_googleAddAdSenseSlotAttr("NewsArticles_ATF_Center_250x250", "google_ad_channel", "1297855608+0633753409+7072525493+0362719149+6863560615");GA_googleFillSlot("NewsArticles_ATF_Center_250x250");PRLog (Press Release) - Apr 23, 2012 - Local business man and former school teacher, Chris Hunt, has been nominated and has won The Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion 2012. The award will be conferred today (Saturday 21 April), on Her Majesty’s birthday, and presented to Chris in the Autumn at a ceremony at the Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) headquarters in central London. The Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable, Secretary of State and President of the Board of Trade, is anticipated to present the award. This will be followed by a reception which will be given by Her Majesty The Queen. Chris, who was nominated for the coveted award by a fellow colleague at Avonbourne School in Bournemouth for his work promoting enterprise, while working as a full time teacher, was later recommended for the award by the Prime Minister. Now Managing Director of ‘Manage Your Emotions’, a company which specialises in providing online emotional help for people of all ages, Chris has long been a passionate advocate of enterprise. While working at Avonbourne School, he made enterprise the number one priority for students and staff, as well as for businesses locally and nationally. He instigated a way of employers assessing enterprise skills in their workplace – such as creativity, innovation, risk-taking, can-do attitude and making things happen. This initiative was taken up with great interest by local companies including the Dorset Chamber of Commerce & Industry and LV=, and also attracted support from the Department of Business, Innovation & Skills. Speaking of the award win, Chris said: “I was amazed and delighted to learn that I had won, and am extremely humbled to think that others had been working on my behalf to put a nomination together which led to me being recognised by the Government and Royalty. Enterprise is a subject I have been passionate about for many years, and it is the cherry on the cake that my work is to be awarded and that I am going to meet the Queen!”Peter Scott, Chief Executive of the Dorset Chamber of Commerce & Industry, said: “In the three years that I have known Chris, the enthusiasm and unstinting effort which he has devoted to promoting enterprise has been truly outstanding. Chris has taken a lead role in driving the enterprise agenda in schools in Dorset, to get young people geared-up for the world of work. I consider him an ambassador extraordinaire for enterprise.”Launched in 2004, The Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion recognises individuals who have encouraged others into enterprise, by promoting enterprise skills and attitudes in others. Each year up to ten individuals are given the award. The award takes the form of an engraved crystal chalice and a ceremonial Grant of Appointment, which gives details of the award and bears a copy of HM The Queen’s and the Prime Minister’s signatures. For more information or to contact Manage Your Emotions please visit www.myenow.com or email admin@myenow.com. Chris Hunt is available for interviews on request. EndsNotes for EditorsManage Your Emotions, or ‘MYE’ for short, is a programme designed to help children and adults help themselves in dealing with their emotions. MYE starts by first explaining, in clear terms, what our emotions are and how they can affect our feelings and physical and mental well-being. MYE identifies behaviours associated with emotions that can continue to be detrimental until we choose to take action. It helps us recognise our current behaviours and the behaviours we can move towards.MYE uses specially developed, online tools to help you understand your current emotional profile, and then provides you with a customised action plan, so you can take your first steps to a more rewarding lifestyle. The MYE programme can be the answer for anyone who wants immediate help with their emotional difficulties. It is a way of starting to deal with emotional turmoil in the here and now. It helps you to take responsibility for your own healing.Visit the Manage Your Emotions Facebook page at www.facebook.com/myenow and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Myenow For more informationContact: Zoe Hiljemark, PR Account Director / Jenny Pearce, Senior PR Account ExecutiveE-mail: zoe@marketing-matters.co.uk / jenny@marketing-matters.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1202 777111 / +44 (0) 7770 924439Address: Marketing Matters, Unit C, Acorn Business Park, Ling Road, Poole, Dorset, UK, BH12 4NZ...

Source: Bournemouth Teacher Wins the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion

Intels Ivy Bridge arrives: Heres what you need to know

You've likely heard the name Ivy Bridge tossed around over the past six months or more, and might even know that it represents the next generation of Intel CPUs and chipsets. But what do these new parts mean if you're currently shopping for a laptop or desktop PC?

This basic FAQ should answer some of your most immediate shopping questions (with more background on Ivy Bridge and its new 22nm transistors here). For a more in-depth look at Ivy Bridge performance results on laptops and desktops, check out our system reviews, benchmark scores, and analysis at the related links below.

Should I look for an Ivy Bridge sticker at the store? Post-launch, you'll likely rarely hear that name again. It's an internal code name (like Sandy Bridge before it), that we use as a quick shorthand. In reality, this is Intel's third-generation Core series processor family, which will use the same Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 names as the previous two generations.

If the names are the same, how can I tell which PCs have the newest parts? On the mobile side, it's easier. The 2012 Ivy Bridge (or third-generation) CPUs have a part number that begins with the number 3. For example, one of our test systems has an Intel i7-3720QM CPU. Our Sandy Bridge test system from last year had an Intel Core i7-2820QM. The new mobile CPUs are: i7-3920XM, i7-3820QM, i7-3720QM, i7-3612QM, and 3610QM. The desktop CPUs are: i7-3770K, i7-3770, i7-3770T, i7-3770S, i5-3570K, i5-3550, i5-3450, i5-3550S, and i5-3450S.

Related stories Ivy Bridge PCs: The first wave At long last, a credible 3D gaming chip from Intel Our first Ivy Bridge laptops: How do they perform? Intel's Ivy Bridge waits on Windows 8 Asus Essentio CM6870 review Origin Eon 17-S review Origin Genesis review

So if I buy a laptop now, it'll have the new CPUs, right? Hold on, partner. You knew it wasn't going to be that easy, right? The first systems with Ivy Bridge CPUs are getting reviewed right now, but they won't be available to order until at least April 29. Additionally, those are just going to be the very high-end quad-core Core i7 versions. The more-mainstream dual-core Core i5 and Core i3 parts should start appearing sometime around the end of May.

Is the third-generation Core i-series much faster than the second-generation? The leap between generations is not going to be as great as between the first- and second-gen Core i-series chips. In fact,when it comes to actual CPU performance, we really don't expect you'd notice too much of a difference at all in everyday use. Where the new platform really shines is in its integrated graphics.

Intel's new HD 4000 graphics replaces the current HD 3000, and the company promises that you'll be able to play current high-end PC games without needing a separate Nvidia or AMD GPU. Of course, they say that with just about every generation of integrated graphics, and it's never quite true.

Two of the first Ivy Bridge laptops, from Origin and Asus.

So, how good are the new integrated HD 4000 graphics? Definitely better. If you keep the detail levels turned down, you can get a very playable experience from most current PC games. But, keep in mind the early test systems we have all include very high-end quad-core Core i7 CPUs, which can help in some games. We'll have to wait until we can test midrange Core i3 and Core i5 laptops to see if you can skip the discrete GPU and still play Skyrim on your midprice laptop (on these high-end system, Skyrim worked fine at full 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution, but with detail levels set to low).

For a more in-depth look at the HD 4000's gaming chops, read this detailed analysis.

Will these new CPUs make my next PC cost more? From the vendors we've spoken to, there should be no price difference to consumers once second-gen CPUs are swapped out for third-gen ones.

Does Ivy Bridge improve battery life? After the big leap made by last year's Sandy Bridge Intel chips, both battery life and application performance are in for modest gains. In comparing somewhat similar 17-inch Origin gaming laptops (one Ivy Bridge, one Sandy Bridge), we saw a small drop in battery life, but those were both outlier systems with power-hungry overclocked parts. In comparing two similar Asus N-series laptops, the newer Ivy Bridge version ran for an additional 12 minutes (226 versus 214 minutes). Keep in mind that these are all examples of high-powered Core i7 laptops that aren't expected to have great battery life. We'll have to wait until the mainstream versions of Ivy Bridge hit to really test battery life.

I really need a mainstream laptop right now, should I tough it out and wait four to eight weeks? This is a topic recently debated here at the CNET offices, and you can see the arguments for and against waiting here. Besides Intel's new chips, it may also be worth waiting for Windows 8, or at least the free upgrade coupons we expect to see bundled with new laptops starting in late summer.

One thing to definitely watch out for is new laptop models or refreshes announced right now or in the next few weeks. In some unfortunate cases, if you order (or preorder) right away, you'll actually be getting a laptop with the older second-generation CPUs, but if you wait another week or so (for quad-core, longer for dual-core), the same systems will be for sale with newer Ivy Bridge parts.

The PC makers in question blame Intel for shifting the release dates of these new CPUs. We say, if you're launching a new product right around the time of a processor upgrade, don't take people's money for an extra week or so and make sure every customer has the newest parts.

...

Source: Intel's Ivy Bridge arrives: Here's what you need to know

Students Learn Lesson in Power of Giving

They say children learn best by doing, by having a "hands-on" experience. A mother in Maryland took that advice to heart when she started "Food on the 15th," a non-profit program that involves school children helping people in need.

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Bringing broadband to the boonies: The odyssey begins

Editors' note: This is the first installment in a five-part Crave series detailing writer Eric Mack's long struggle to get a broadband connection in rural New Mexico, where he lives http://onlinedegreeissues.webs.com/apps/blog/show/12784664-variety-of-specialized-vehicles-and-airport-equipment.

PENASCO, N.M -- Although my author bio hints at it, you might not guess that I file CNET stories from the edge of the vast wilderness.

I've lived here five years now, and it's taken me that long to cross the Digital Divide that still exists in this country between those who take decent broadband for granted and those who must constantly say, "Actually, no, I can't Skype."

Today, I finally have a connection at my home office that's on par with average DSL services, but it's not cheap and it hasn't been easy getting it.

Over the course of this and four subsequent posts, I'm going to share the 12-year odyssey that brought me from the San Francisco Bay Area to where I am today -- a guy in an isolated mountain village where many people live without Internet access (or even voice mail, for that matter) who writes about technology -- and my struggles to drag just basic broadband from the digital First World to my more... digitally underdeveloped home.

To understand how I got here, let's briefly revisit the era of the dot-com bubble.

Twelve years ago this month, I got my first big break at South by Southwest. A now long-forgotten Web site I was working on as part of my journalism degree at the University of Missouri won the award for Best Current Events Site that year, besting the likes of "The Daily Show" and others.

Within hours, I was offered a job at a "new-media magazine" -- also now long forgotten -- in San Francisco. I put my education on hold and moved west, arriving just in time for the carnage of the dot-com bubble burst. The digital Shangri-La I envisioned was crumbling, if it ever really existed in the first place.

Within months I was back in Missouri finishing my degree, and aft

Gamestop steps up bet on digital, mobile

> SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Struggling with a slowing business for traditional videogame retail sales, GameStop Corp. said Thursday that it plans to expand its business in the areas of digital content and mobile devices.

The Grapevine, Tex.-based retailer said it will expand its business of buying, selling and trading-in used iPhones and iPads and other mobile devices to all of its retail stores Offset Printing Machines. The company also said it has acquired BuyMyTronics.com, an online business that buys and refurbishes used mobile devices, for an undisclosed sum.

GameStop  is also banking on the digital side of its business growing by 50% this year — offsetting the continued slowdown of retail sales of new game disks and consoles.

“We’ve been engaged in a calculated transformation of the company,” CEO Paul Raines said on a conference call with analysts Thursday morning, following the announcement of the company’s fourth fiscal quarter earnings results.

Those results were mixed, with earnings coming in line with Wall Street’s estimates with weaker-than-expected sales for the period ended Jan. 28. The period was hurt by weaker demand for new game titles and consoles, despite the launch of some big properties such as “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” in the holiday season.

Shares of GameStop were last trading down 2% to $24.16, though the shares were up as much as 4% early in the session.

For the fourth quarter, GameStop reported net income of $174.7 million, or $1.27 per share, compared with net income of $237.8 million, or $1.56 per share, for the same period the previous year.

Excluding charges for asset impairment and other restructuring costs, the company said adjusted earnings would have been $1.73 per share — up from $1.57 per share for the same period last year, based on the same metrics. This came in line with the consensus estimates by analysts, according to FactSet Research.

Sales slipped by 3% to $3.58 billion during the quarter. Analysts had been expe

Originals By Weber Invention: New Solution For Loose Denture Problem

>Toms River, NJ (PRWEB) March 24, 2012 This new Weber Denture Liner kit is designed to answer questions often asked by denture wearers such as: "How can I make my loose denture fit better and give me more comfort and no more sores or pain?" The obvious answer to these questions is the use of this new Originals By Weber invention the always-soft Weber Denture Liner that requires no mixing. Originals By Weber, Toms River, NJ 08753, Terry L http://goarticles.com/article/London-is-the-Great-Place-to-Get-Excellent-Education/6193292/. Weber, owner, announces immediate availability of their new, Patent Pending, long lasting Weber Denture Liners in a handy do-it-yourself kit, The always soft Liner material in this kit is a flexible, translucent, odorless, putty-like compound designed to fill the gaps created by the slow but constant natural shrinkage of the gums and jawbones after natural teeth are removed. The Weber Liner provides a denture wearer with the three basic essentials needed for comfortable dentures: (1) support, (2) stability and (3) reliable retention. Most new denture wearers are aware of the fact that, after a few months of use, their once comfortable dentures (false teeth) lose their original stability. This happens because there is slow shrinkage of both gums and jawbones after natural teeth are removed. This shrinkage gradually causes the rigid plastic denture to become loose. Then, when chewing food, the movement of the denture where it rubs against the gums can cause raw and very painful sores to develop on the gums. Using this new, unique and always soft Weber Denture Liner can eliminate this very common sore mouth problem of denture wearers. It is the best and most reliable way to provide a space-filling comfortable always-soft cushion between the hard acrylic plastic of the denture and the soft and tender flesh of the gums. The Weber Denture Liner kit is a low cost, do-it-yourself-at home method of re-lining all loose dentures both: uppers and lowers with no mixing required. The soft, mold-able, always flexible Liner material self-adheres to the dry acrylic surface of the denture. The Liner can be easily cut with scissors

Start Studying More Effectively Today with the New Website –...

>Pittsburgh, PA (PRWEB) March 24, 2012 Every day at school there are students wondering how they can better begin to understand a lesson in school. Most of the time, the most logical step seems to be to share it with a classmate or friend to try to understand a lesson better. Educational experts have discovered that studying with others in a small group or study partner is helpful because it enables all parties in the group to think out loud, share ideas, and learn from one another. Why a study partner should be sought to achieve educational goals is easily answered when peers have a chance to experience studying with a study partner themselves. They find that they are able to stay on track, learn the discussion or program, and most importantly pass the exams. Finding a study partner for test prep is becoming increasingly easier with today's technology. http://www.MyStudyPartner.com was created to help people who are studying or preparing for examinations and admissions tests. The website helps find their ideal study buddy, and answer any questions they may have when studying. It is the online portal where one can search for and find people studying for the same exam, regardless of their location or grade. MyStudyPartner.com believes that by supplementing individual study within a study group, people can deepen their understanding of complex concepts and maybe even make a few new friends in the process. Working in groups can be beneficial, and allows learners to keep their options open when choosing a time to study. Whether you’re trying to study for college admission tests, such as the GMAT, SAT, GRE, ACT, LSAT, TOEFL, MCAT, IELTS and USMLE; or certification tests including PANCE, CPA, MICROSOFT, PMI, CISCO, ITIL, IIBA, COMPTIA or RED HAT, MyStudyPartner.com helps people connect with study partners from across the world every day of the week. MyStudyPartner.com assists people as they prepare to achieve their goals – and does it by helping them meet the study partner, or partners, at a local coffee shop, library or online. Through MyStudyPartner.com, individuals can form a study group to create a support system, motivate each other, share their talents, and have fun all at the same time. People targeting to achieve their education goals, and to find a new study partner can learn how it works at http://www.mystudypartner.com/HowItWorks. Website tour is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMXr5ycZDHY Visit their website today to learn more, and get started on your path to studying success. ...

Source: Start Studying More Effectively Today with the New Website –...

The One Yahoo Patent That Facebook Can’t Claim Is Too Vague To Enforce

Most of the patents that Yahoo is suing Facebook over are for vague concepts that underly a wide variety of web services, but one is for a much more specific protocol that Facebook definitely employs: seamless communication between email and instant messaging users.

If the other patents are ruled invalid for being too broad to enforce, it’s maybe this Patent 7406501 that could stick http://onlinedegreespro.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-7.html. Facebook could need a separate defense or answer to this complaint, or it could be forced into a settlement to close the case prior its IPO.

Filed way back in 2003 before Facebook existed, and issued in July 2008 by the time the social network had roughly 200 million users, the patent’s abstract reads:

“Systems and methods allowing an instant messaging user to exchange messages with an e-mail user. To the instant messaging user, the experience is a seamless exchange of instant messages; to the e-mail user, the experience is a seamless exchange of e-mail messages. Conversion of an instant message to an e-mail message includes insertion of a token into the e-mail message, and conversion of an e-mail message to an instant message includes validating a token extracted from the e-mail message.”

My research hasn’t surfaced any other prominent companies that provide this service. Many will deliver email notifications about missed instant messages, but not actually allow users to have their full emails delivered as instant messages and vice versa.

Over two years after the patent was filed, Facebook launched its unified messaging product that offers this service. Email users can send messages to [username]@facebook.com to have them delivered as Chats or Facebook Messages. Messages or Chats sent back are delivered as emails. That means Facebook is directly infringing on Yahoo’s patent.

Facebook did make some significant improvements to what Yahoo patented. Rather than blindly delivering communications as Chats or emails, Facebook dynamically assesses what the best delivery medium is. If a recipient i