Hotel Near Miami Beach - Forgot your Password? Just Take a Pill

Source - http://www.smh.com.au/
By - Press Release
Category - Hotel Near Miami Beach
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Hotel Near Miami Beach

Having trouble remembering all those passwords for all those tablets, smartphones and apps?

Well, Motorola may have the solution – just pop a pill.

Motorola Mobility's head of advanced technology and projects group, Regina Dugan, unveiled its latest concept at the All Things Digital conference in California on Thursday - and while it's still in the gestation phase, so to speak, it could point to the future.

The pill in question is no ordinary tablet – it contains a tiny chip but no battery – instead it gets its power from the acids in your stomach.

According to Geek.com, the pill will send out an 18-bit authentication signal, which your device will pick up and use in lieu of a password.

The pill, which Motorola calls "the authentication vitamin", has reportedly been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Of course, the experimental technology isn't ready yet but you can check out a video of it on Slate.com.

If you don't have the stomach for the pill, then how about a tattoo?

The company, owned by Google, showed off another authentication device at the conference – a tattoo with a chip that, like the pill, sends out a signal that your smartphone or tablet will pick up.

But the tattoo is more a sticker that you place on your wrist and won't be inked into your body.

In the future, both the pill and tattoo could serve other purposes – such as opening your front door or starting your car.

Attractions In West Miami - Asia Stocks Down As Fed Fears Weigh On Markets

Source - http://www.newsday.com/
By - PAMELA SAMPSON
Category - Attractions In West Miami
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Attractions In West Miami

Concerns that the Federal Reserve might start scaling back its stimulus program due to improvement in the U.S. economy sent Asian stock markets lower Thursday.

Sharp rises in global stock markets this year have been partly fueled by central bank actions to keep interest rates super low to support economic recovery in the U.S., Europe and Japan. Positive signs of growth in the U.S., including data released Tuesday showing improved consumer confidence and housing prices, have also helped to boost Wall Street stocks to record highs.

However, an improving U.S. economy increases the chance that the Fed might ease back on its massive bond-buying program, known as quantitative easing. The purchase of $85 billion a month in Treasury bonds has helped keep interest rates down and been a boon to stock markets, where investors have fled in search of higher returns.

Investment energy was also curbed by warnings from the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which said Wednesday that Europe's recession risked hurting the world economy. The OECD slashed its forecast for the combined economy of the 17 countries that use the euro, saying it will shrink by 0.6 percent this year, after a 0.5 percent drop in 2012.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index tumbled 3.6 percent to 13,804.44. Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 0.5 percent to 22,447.81. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dropped 1.1 percent to 4,921.80. Benchmarks in Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, and the Philippines also fell more than 1 percent. South Korea went against the flow, rising 0.1 percent to 2,002.98.

Daniel Martin of Capital Economics in Singapore said two concerns are generally weighing on emerging market stocks.

"The first is that the Fed might soon start tapering its assets purchases. The second is that growth in Asia has generally disappointed the market this year, as the global trade recovery has faltered," he said.

One particular pocket of concern is China. A survey by HSBC Corp. said that manufacturing in world's No. 2 economy slipped in May, a sign the country's fragile recovery might be weakening. The official monthly figure on factory output is due Saturday.

Otherwise, the lack of major data releases for the day deprives investors of reasons to wade into stocks, analysts said.

"A lack of first tier data releases today will limit activity although the tone will likely remain relatively downbeat," said Mitul Kotecha of Credit Agricole CIB in a market commentary.

The latest speculation surrounding the Fed came after the release of positive consumer confidence and housing news on Tuesday. That led investors to fret over the prospect of the Fed reducing its bond-buying.

With the approach of the end of the month, investors also were booking profits.

Japanese export stocks fell as the yen crept higher against the dollar. Honda Motor Corp. fell 2.9 percent. Yamaha Motor Co. lost 2.6 percent.

On Wednesday, the Dow Jones industrial average fell 0.7 percent to close at 15,302.80. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 0.7 percent to 1,648.36. The Nasdaq composite index fell 0.6 percent, to 3,467.52.

Benchmark oil for July delivery was up 11 cents to $93.24 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract for the benchmark grade fell $1.88 to close at $93.13 a barrel on the Nymex on Wednesday.

In currencies, the euro rose to $1.2959 from $1.2934 late Thursday in New York. The dollar fell to 101.05 yen from 101.15 yen.

Holiday In West Miami - Home Price Gains Propel U.S. Stocks

Source - http://www.latimes.com/
By - Alejandro Lazo
Category - Holiday In West Miami
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Holiday In West Miami

Home prices are soaring at a pace not seen since the housing boom, giving a much-needed boost to the larger economy.

The rebound is helping homeowners recover losses from the crash and giving them confidence to spend. And that's raising the fortunes of banks, builders and investors — all reflected in a Tuesday rally on Wall Street.

Home prices rose 10.9% in March compared with the same month last year, according to the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index of 20 U.S. cities. Fueled by strong demand and tight supply, that was the strongest annual jump since April 2006.

The real estate market has emerged once again as the driver of economic optimism, sorely needed to pick up the slack left by weak government spending, economists said.

Home prices will keep accelerating this year and next year because of home shortages, said economist Patrick Newport of IHS Global Insight. But he advised caution in joining the fray of home buyers.

"Whenever you see double-digit increases, human psychology starts kicking in," Newport said, which could cause some markets to overheat and risk another price crash.

The Case-Shiller index, created by economists Karl E. Case and Robert J. Shiller, is widely considered the most reliable read on home values. The housing index compares the latest sales of detached houses with previous sales and accounts for factors such as remodeling that might affect a home's sale price over time.

On an annual basis, every metro area tracked by the index has posted year-over-year gains for three consecutive months. The Phoenix area had the largest annual gain — up 22.5% in March. San Francisco posted a 22.2% gain. Once-downtrodden metro areas showed huge jumps, with Las Vegas up 20.6%; Atlanta, 19.1%; Detroit, 18.5%; and Los Angeles, 16.6%.

So far, the increases have served to make up for some of the severe losses suffered during the bust. The 20-city home price index remains about 28% off its bubble-era peak and matches the level of late 2003.

Western cities are leading the rally. But home prices in some areas are outpacing fundamentals such as employment gains and increases in real wages. That's particularly true in many California cities, including Los Angeles, according to commentary issued Tuesday by credit rating firm Fitch Ratings.

"In cities that never fully unwound the mid-2000s bubble, rapidly increasing price levels are a potential cause for concern," the Fitch analysts wrote. "For example, in Los Angeles, prices are up more than 10% in the past year despite a stubborn unemployment rate that remains above 10% and real incomes that have declined over the past two years."

The housing recovery began last year as foreclosures waned and buyers chased perceived home bargains and low interest rates. Investors, meanwhile, have snapped up homes on the cheap to either flip or rent out. Growing confidence in the recovery has unleashed pent-up demand from buyers waiting out the crash.

"We believe this level of housing demand is likely to abate once the pent-up demand is satisfied," the Fitch analysts wrote.

Rising home prices have boosted spirits on Main Street and Wall Street.

Consumer confidence surged this month to its highest level in more than five years as optimism increased about the state of the economy and its prospects for the rest of the year, according to a closely watched private barometer released Tuesday.

The Conference Board's consumer confidence index jumped to 76.2 in May from the previous month's upwardly revised reading of 69. The last time the index was this high was in February 2008, at the start of the Great Recession.

The index now has risen two straight months after plunging in March amid concerns about the effect of tax increases that kicked in at the start of the year as well as the federal budget cuts known as sequestration.

"Back-to-back monthly gains suggest that consumer confidence is on the mend," said Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at the Conference Board.

The percentage of consumers saying business conditions were good increased to 18.8% this month, from 17.5% in April. And the percentage of consumers who said jobs were plentiful rose to 10.8%, from 9.7%.

Wall Street rejoiced at the reports on housing and consumer confidence, driving stocks up more than 1% in early trading after a rally in global markets. Investors pulled back later in the day, and the Dow Jones industrial average ended the day up 106.29 points, or 0.69%, to 15,409.39. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index climbed 10.46 points, or 0.63%, to 1,660.06, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 29.75 points, or 0.86%, to 3,488.89.

The rally signals that investors are looking to economic growth, not just easy money from the Federal Reserve.

Investors are not "excited about a handout anymore," said Sam Stovall, chief equity strategist for S&P Capital IQ. "The excitement is coming from organic growth."

The Federal Reserve's monetary stimulus programs have fueled a run-up in stocks this year. The central bank has continued to pump cheap money into the system. The aim is to lower interest rates to make borrowing cheaper and stimulate growth. In doing so, the Fed has made safer investments such as bonds less attractive and lured investors into riskier assets such as stocks.

Many on Wall Street have been expecting a pull-back or correction of 10% or more in stocks during the second quarter. But with May almost in the rear-view mirror, any significant halt in the rally has to wait until next month.

Port Of Miami Hotels - 'Fast & Furious 6' Leads Industry To The Biggest Memorial Weekend Box Office Ever!

Source - http://www.hollywood.com/
By - Paul Dergarabedian
Category - Port Of Miami Hotels
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Port Of Miami Hotels

This is an absolutely monumental box office weekend with an unprecedented $316 million expected for the F-S-S-M period and easily the biggest Memorial weekend (and one of the biggest weekends of all-time!). Christmas weekend of 2009 had a bigger F-S-S total of around $270 million, but for a four-day holiday total this is the runaway winner.

A perfect storm of hits led to this incredible weekend with going out to the movies proving itself to be the first choice for outside of the home entertainment. No question that this year's combo of Fast & Furious 6, The Hangover Part III, Epic and the continued strength of Star Trek: Into Darkness, The Great Gatsby and Iron Man 3 was irresistible to audiences looking for a fun time at the nation's movie theaters over the extended holiday frame.

UPDATED on Monday: Top Movies for Memorial Weekend 

(4-day estimates for Fri. May 24 - Mon. May 27) - This will be biggest Memorial Weekend ever with $316M overall!
Rank     Movie     Gross     Theaters     Avg.Per     YTD     Distributor
01     Fast & Furious 6     $120.0M     3,658     $32,810     $120.0M     Universal
02     The Hangover Part III     $51.2M     3,555     $14,406     $63.0M     Warner Bros.
03     Star Trek: Into Darkness     $47.0M     3,907     $12,030     $155.8M     Paramount
04     Epic     $42.6M     3,882     $10,974     $42.6M     Fox
05     Iron Man 3     $24.35M     3,424     $7,112     $372.4M     Disney
06     The Great Gatsby     $17.02M     3,090     $5,508     $117.8M     Warner Bros.

Budget Miami Hotels - EU Investigating Apple's iPhone Agreements With Mobile Operators

Source - http://www.pcworld.com/
By - John Ribeiro
Category - Budget Miami Hotels
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Budget Miami Hotels

The European Commission has sent a questionnaire to a number of mobile operators in the European Union, focusing on whether its distribution terms with these providers may put Apple at an advantage over other smartphone makers, according to a newspaper report.

"The Commission has information indicating that Apple and Mobile Network Operators ("MNOs") have concluded distribution agreements which may potentially lead to the foreclosure of other smartphone manufacturers from the markets," the nine-page questionnaire states, The Financial Times reported Sunday.

The commission referred to the possibility that certain technical functions are disabled on certain Apple products in certain countries in the EU and the European Economic Area, which if confirmed could constitute an infringement of antitrust law. The questionnaire also probes operators on Apple's sales practices, including whether they are required to buy a minimum number of phones, and are required to always offer Apple no worse subsidies and sales terms than other smartphone vendors, according to the newspaper.

The European inquiry, based on private complaints from some mobile operators, is at a preliminary stage, and would require that Apple be found to be dominant in the EU smartphone market, the newspaper said.

Apple could not be immediately reached for comment. The company was questioned last week in the U.S. by a Senate subcommittee looking into charges that the company avoided tax by diverting profits to subsidiaries in Ireland. Apple said it did not break the laws.

Samsung Electronics became the top smartphone manufacturer in Europe in April last year, a position it has maintained through the rest of the year, Web and mobile usage tracking firm comScore said in February. The South Korean company had a 32.3 percent share of the market by December, followed by Apple with 20.5 and Nokia with 16.3 percent.

Family Hotels In Miami - Intelligence Linked To Ability To Ignore Distractions

Source - http://www.bbc.co.uk/
By - Press Release
Category - Family Hotels In Miami
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami
 

Family Hotels In Miami

Instead, they are good at detecting small moving objects.

The findings come in a study of 53 people given a simple, visual test in Current Biology.

The results could help scientists understand what makes a brain more efficient and more intelligent.

In the study, individuals watched short video clips of black and white bars moving across a computer screen. Some clips were small and filled only the centre of the screen, while others filled the whole screen.

The participants' sole task was to identify in which direction the bars were drifting - to the right or to the left.

Participants also took a standardised intelligence test.

The results showed that people with higher IQ scores were faster at noticing the movement of the bars when observing the smallest image - but they were slower at detecting movement in the larger images.

Michael Melnick of the University of Rochester, who was part of the research team said the results were very clear.

"From previous research, we expected that all participants would be worse at detecting the movement of large images, but high IQ individuals were much, much worse.

The authors explain that in most scenarios, background movement is less important than small moving objects in the foreground, for example driving a car, walking down a hall or moving your eyes across the room.

As a person's IQ increases, so too does his or her ability to filter out distracting background motion and concentrate on the foreground.

In an initial study on 12 people, there was a 64% correlation between motion suppression and IQ scores. In this larger study on 53 people, a 71% correlation was found.

In contrast, previous research on the link between intelligence and reaction times, colour discrimination and sensitivity to pitch found only a 20-40% correlation.

But the ability to ignore background movements is not the only indicator of intelligence.

"Because intelligence is such a broad construct, you can't really track it back to one part of the brain," says Duje Tadin, who also worked on the study.

"But since this task is so simple and so closely linked to IQ, it may give us clues about what makes a brain more efficient, and, consequently, more intelligent.

"We know from prior research which parts of the brain are involved in visual suppression of background motion.

"This new link to intelligence provides a good target for looking at what is different about the neural processing, what's different about the neurochemistry, what's different about the neurotransmitters of people with different IQs."
 

Hotel Near Miami Beach - Samsung Sells Over 10 Million Galaxy S4 Smartphones In First Month

Source - http://www.pcworld.com/
By - John Ribeiro
Category - Hotel Near Miami Beach
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Hotel Near Miami Beach

Samsung Electronics has reported global channel sales of over 10 million units of the Galaxy S4 in less than a month after its global launch.

The new smartphone from the Samsung stable has outstripped its predecessors in first-month sales.

The GALAXY S III reached the 10 million mark 50 days after its launch in 2012, while the GALAXY S II took five months and the GALAXY S seven months to reach the milestone, Samsung said.

The device is now available in over 110 countries and will gradually be rolled out to a total of 155 countries in tandem with partners, Samsung said Thursday.

The Galaxy S4 features a 5-inch full HD Super AMOLED display with 441 pixels per inch, and a dual camera function that allows simultaneous use of both front and rear cameras, besides software such as Air View and  Air Gesture that aim to simplify interaction with the phone including through hand gestures.

Samsung is also planning to introduce more color variations of the device. In addition to the currently available White Mist and Black Forest, new color iterations will be added this summer, including Blue Arctic and Red Aurora, followed by Purple Mirage and Brown Autumn, the company said.

The South Korean vendor had a 30.8 percent share of the smartphone market in the first quarter to Apple's 18.2 percent, research firm Gartner said.

Samsung is also making profits from its Android smartphone sales, and captured a 95 percent share of all Android smartphone profits in the first quarter, research firm Strategy Analytics said earlier this month. Global Android smartphone profits reached US$5 billion in total during the first quarter of 2013, and accounted for 43 percent share of the entire smartphone industry's operating profits, it added.

The success of the Galaxy S4 has not gone unnoticed by its competitors. Apple has filed to a court in California that the smartphone infringes on five of its patents. The company aims to add the Galaxy S4 to an ongoing case involving Apple and Samsung being heard in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Jose Division.

Attractions In West Miami - The Crazy Things We Do In Our Sleep (and How to Treat Them)

Source - http://lifehacker.com/
By - Press Release
Category - Attractions In West Miami
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Attractions In West Miami

Do you know what you're doing while you're asleep? If you're like millions of other people, you could be talking, walking, or even having sex in your sleep. Here are some of the crazy things we do when we're asleep, and how—if you're someone who suffers from them—you can find some relief.

We've all heard of people who sleepwalk or sleeptalk, but what about sleep driving? Or sleep eating? They're both very real conditions. Some people even get into fistfights with their partners while they sleep. A british actor, recently convicted of rape, tried to use another real medical condition, sexsomnia, as a defense in his case. The jury didn't buy it, but the condition itself is actually real.

We've discussed some common sleep conditions like snoring, insomnia, and sleep apnea, but when it comes to those "strange things people do in their sleep," there are two types of conditions.

In this post we'll walk through some of these sleep conditions and some potential treatments that might help you get a better night's rest. To help, we called Dr. Nitun Verma, a specialist in sleep medicine and the Medical Director of the Washington Township Center for Sleep Disorders in the Bay Area.

Holiday In West Miami - Apple 'Tried To Find Holy Grail Of Tax Avoidance', US Senate Committee Claims

Source - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
By - Andrew Trotman
Category - Holiday In West Miami
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Holiday In West Miami

Apple tried to find the “Holy Grail of tax avoidance”, a US Senate committee has claimed, on the eve of chief executive Tim Cook’s appearance to answer questions on the tech giant’s offshore businesses.

 The committee, which is made up of senior politicians, on Monday argued that Apple’s complex structure includes three Irish-based subsidiaries that appear not be a tax resident anywhere in the world.

According to the committee, one of those Irish affiliates, Apple Sales International, reported pre-tax profits of $22bn (£14.4bn) in 2011 but paid just $10m in tax, a rate of 0.05pc.

“Apple wasn’t satisfied with shifting its profits to a low-tax offshore tax haven,” said senator Carl Levin, the subcommittee’s Democratic chairman.

“Apple sought the Holy Grail of tax avoidance. It has created offshore entities holding tens of billions of dollars, while claiming to be tax resident nowhere.

“We intend to highlight that gimmick and other Apple offshore tax avoidance tactics so that American working families who pay their share of taxes understand how offshore tax loopholes raise their tax burden, add to the federal deficit and ought to be closed.”

Port Of Miami Hotels - Global Shares Grind Higher, Yen Edges Up On Amari Comments

Source - http://www.reuters.com/
By - Marc Jones
Category - Port Of Miami Hotels
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Port Of Miami Hotels

Data last week that showed U.S. consumer sentiment at its strongest in nearly six years continued to support equity markets. MSCI's world index .MIWO00000PUS is at its highest since June 2008 as top European shares .FTEU3 started the week up 0.2 percent.

With risk appetite dominating, safe-haven German Bunds fell 45 ticks, while gold, also pressured by signs the U.S. Federal Reserve could start winding down its support, extended it longest losing streak in four years to hit a 1-month low. <GOL/>

"We have started to see a series of positive readings coming out of the United States. We are positioned for a rising market and think that the best way is to invest in financials," said HSBC equity strategist Robert Parkes.

In the currency market, focus remained largely on the yen and it edged up from last week's 4-1/2 year low after Japan's economy minister suggested over the weekend the government might be satisfied with its level after it recent slump. <FRX/>

"People say the excessively strong yen has corrected quite a bit. If the yen continues to weaken steadily from here, negative effects on people's lives will emerge," Japanese Economics Minister Akira Amari told a Sunday talk show.

As European trading gathered pace Brent crude held steady at $104.60 a barrel while copper eased 0.36 percent to $7,282.50 a metric ton (1.1023 tons) as the talk of the Fed tapering its bond purchases weighed on sentiment.

Budget Miami Hotels - Astronomers Now Know Why Uranus, Neptune Host The Solar System’s Strongest Winds

Source - http://thespacereporter.com/
By - Press Release
Category - Budget Miami Hotels
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Budget Miami Hotels

The distant gas giants Uranus and Neptune hold many secrets that scientists have yet to unlock. While NASA’s Galileo and Cassini space probes have investigated both Jupiter and Saturn and transmitted a wealth of fascinating new data about these planets. The only time astronomers have been able to get a close view of these giant icy worlds was when NASA’s Voyager 2 passed by in the 1980s.

Atmospheric circulation on Uranus and Neptune is dominated by powerful east-west jet streams. These winds can reach supersonic speeds, with jet streams blowing hundreds of meters per second–10 to 15 times greater than on Earth. The question of the depth of these winds has puzzled scientists trying to understand their internal structures, energy output, and overall dynamics.

GALLERY: The 10 Most Amazing Solar Flare Images

Now, researchers, after pouring over data from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Voyager 2 space probe, have concluded that the weather on Neptune and Uranus is confined to a relatively thin atmospheric layers. The new study by lead author Yohai Kaspi of Israel’s Weizman Institute of Science and published in Saturday’s issue of the journal Nature could have important implications for understanding not only the dynamics, but how these planets were formed.

According to Kaspi, there were two approaches to explaining the existence of the strong winds on Neptune and Uranus. The first hypothesized that the jet streams are driven by shallow atmospheric processes near the surface. The second approach suggested that the winds were propelled by forces extending deep into the planets’ interiors. Kaspi and his colleagues resolved the issue by looking at the planets’ respective gravitational fields.

Looking at perturbations in Uranus and Neptune’s gravitational fields, the team separated out what could be attributed to the fact that the planets are not perfect spheres and what arose from small changes in the planets’ density, which indicates the effect of strong winds. By calculating how much the winds contribute to gravitational irregularity, the researchers found that the jet streams are active in only the outermost 0.2 percent of Neptune’s mass and in the outermost 0.15 percent of Uranus’ mass. In other words, the winds are not being propelled by forces active deep in the planets’ interiors.

Kaspi’s team is uncertain about what exactly does drive the jet streams, but a top contender is moist convection. When water vapor rises and condenses on Earth, it forms a cloud and releases latent heat into the atmosphere. This process can also happen on planets like Uranus and Neptune, according to Kaspi.

The new findings by Kaspi and colleagues could shed light on how the tremendously strong winds on Uranus and Neptune arise and evolve over time and help scientists create more accurate models of the interiors of these gas giants.

Family Hotels In Miami - Apple Targets Samsung Galaxy S 4 in Patent Case

Source - http://www.pcmag.com/
By - Chloe Albanesius
Category - Family Hotels In Miami
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Family Hotels In Miami

Apple wants to add the Galaxy S 4 to a list of 22 Samsung devices its believes infringes on its patents.

Cupertino said it is willing to drop one of those 22 gadgets and swap in Samsung's newest flagship smartphone.

"Based on Apple's analysis of the Galaxy S 4, Apple has concluded that it is an infringing device and accordingly intends to move for leave to add the Galaxy S4 as an infringing product," Apple said in a Monday court filing posted online by The Verge.

If the California district court overseeing the case approves that request, "Apple will eliminate (without prejudice) one of the Accused Products named herein, so that it will continue to accuse only 22 products of infringement at this stage of the litigation," Apple said.

That list includes everything from the Samsung Admire and Dart to the Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note II, and various Samsung tablets.

Apple was advised to identify specific Samsung products that it believed infringed on its patents, rather than entire product lines. "For example, Apple separately accuses the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, the Samsung Galaxy SII, and the Samsung Galaxy S III, rather than singularly accusing the Samsung Galaxy product line," Apple wrote.

The two sides have been fighting over how many products they can enter as evidence in the case. In this filing, for example, Apple argues that there is "no justification" for Samsung wanting to count different carrier versions of the same phone as two phones.

"According to Samsung, for example, the Galaxy Nexus activated on Sprint must be counted separately from the Galaxy Nexus activated on Verizon," Apple said.

The case is not scheduled to go to court until next year, so both sides are still hammering out the details. This is not the same case that resulted in a $1.05 billion judgment for Apple in Aug. 2012, though it is making its way through the same court. Apple was recently dealt a setback in that case, when the judge threw out a portion of the verdict (and millions in fines), and ordered a new trial on those points.

Given that the cases have gone on for so long (Apple first sued Samsung in April 2011), both sides have continually updated their lawsuits every time they release a new product. Last year, Apple added the Galaxy S III, for example, while Samsung took aim at the iPhone 5.

Hotel Near Miami Beach - 3-Man Crew Returns Safely To Earth From International Space Station

Source - http://www.foxnews.com/
By - Press Release
Category - Hotel Near Miami Beach
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Hotel Near Miami Beach

A Soyuz space capsule carrying a three-man crew returning from a five-month mission to the International Space Station landed safely Tuesday on the steppes of Kazakhstan.

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, American Thomas Marshburn, and Russian Roman Romanenko landed as planned southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan at 8:31 a.m. local time Tuesday.

Live footage on NASA TV showed the Soyuz TMA-07M capsule slowly descending by parachute onto the sun-drenched steppes under clear skies. Russian search and rescue helicopters hovered over the landing site for a quick recovery effort.

Rescue teams moved quickly to help the crew in their bulky spacesuits exit through the narrow hatch of the capsule. They were then put into reclining chairs to start adjusting to Earth's gravity after 146 days in space.

The three astronauts smiled as they chatted with space agency officials and doctors who were checking their condition.  Hadfield, who served as the space station's commander, gave a thumbs-up sign. They then made quick phone calls to family members and friends.

NASA spokesman Josh Byerly said by telephone from the landing site that the three returning astronauts were doing very well.

Hadfield, 53, an engineer and former test pilot from Milton, Ontario, was Canada's first professional astronaut to live aboard the space station and became the first Canadian in charge of a spacecraft. He relinquished command of the space station on Sunday.

"It's just been an extremely fulfilling and amazing experience end to end," Hadfield told Mission Control on Monday. "From this Canadian to all the rest of them, I offer an enormous debt of thanks." He was referring to all those in the Canadian Space Agency who helped make his flight possible.

Hadfield bowed out of orbit by posting a music video on YouTube on Sunday -- his own custom version of David Bowie's "Space Oddity."  It's believed to be the first music video made in space, according to NASA.

"With deference to the genius of David Bowie, here's Space Oddity, recorded on Station. A last glimpse of the World," Hadfield said via Twitter.

Hadfield sang often in orbit, using a guitar already aboard the complex, and even took part in a live, Canadian coast-to-coast concert in February that included the Barenaked Ladies' Ed Robertson and a youth choir.

The five-minute video posted Sunday drew a salute from Bowie's official Facebook page: "It's possibly the most poignant version of the song ever created."

A three-man U.S.-Russian crew is staying on the space station and will be joined in two weeks by the next trio of astronauts.

Attractions In West Miami - Firm Dollar Hits Oil, Gold, Shares; Nikkei Scales New Peak

Source - http://www.reuters.com/
By - Chikako Mogi
Category - Attractions In West Miami
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Attractions In West Miami

European stock markets are seen narrowly mixed after the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index .FTEU3 closed at a five-year high on Friday, with financial spreadbetters predicting London's FTSE 100 .FTSE, Paris's CAC-40 .FCHI and Frankfurt's DAX .GDAXI would open between a 0.2 percent rise and a 0.1 percent drop. .L.EU

U.S. stock futures were down 0.3 percent, pointing to a weak Wall Street open, after the Dow Jones industrial average .DJI and the Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX ended at record highs on Friday. .N

"A strength in the dollar is weighing on commodities across the board," said Ben Le Brun, analyst at OptionsXpress in Sydney. "For oil, worries of ample supplies is putting pressure. We have unprecedented levels of stockpiles in the United States, with uncertainty surrounding economic growth."

U.S. crude futures slipped 0.8 percent to $95.23 a barrel and Brent dropped 0.7 percent to $103.16. <O/R>

The dollar's strong performance also took the shine off gold, which typically serves as an alternative to the U.S. currency. Spot gold fell as much as 1.5 percent to a session low of $1,426.40 an ounce. <GOL/>

Investors were cautious ahead of China's data. China's industrial output in April grew 9.3 percent from a year earlier and its fixed-asset investment grew 20.6 percent from a year ago, both slightly below expectations. Retail sales in April rose 12.8 percent from a year earlier, matching forecasts.

The yen slid to a fresh 4-1/2-year low against the dollar of 102.15 yen in Asia on Monday morning, having earlier hit its highest point since January 2010 against the euro at 132.385. The yen last traded at 101.70 against the dollar.

The drop in commodities prices weighed on the Australian dollar, which traded around $0.9987 after hitting an 11-month low of $0.9961 on Friday.

The dollar was also underpinned against the yen after Japan avoided criticism from its peers for pursuing bold reflationary policies which have resulted in a steady decline in the Japanese currency. A weaker yen improves earnings prospects for exporters and underpins the export-reliant Japanese economy.

Group of Seven finance officials agreed on Saturday to redouble efforts to deal with failing banks and gave a green light to Japan's drive to galvanize its economy.

Having urged Tokyo for years to do something to revive its economy, other world powers are not in a position to complain now that it is doing so. Also, the Federal Reserve and Bank of England have printed money in the way the Bank of Japan is now.

"If international peers criticize the yen's weakness, investors who are on the nervous side could stop chasing the market higher. Now, such concerns are receding," said Kenichi Hirano, a strategist at Tachibana Securities.

The Nikkei stock average .N225 scaled a fresh peak since January 2008 of 14,849.01, rising as much as 1.7 percent. .T

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS shed 0.8 percent. Hong Kong shares .HSI led the decline with a 1 percent drop as Ping An Insurance fell sharply after a three-month ban was imposed on its brokerage unit for helping list a fraudulent Chinese company.

Australian shares .AXJO were down 0.3 percent after closing at a five-year high on Friday, while South Korean shares .KS11 held in a tight range, capped by the yen's weakness which erodes the competitiveness of Korean exporters.

U.S. labor market data has pointed to a steady recovery trend in the world's largest economy, boosting the dollar and fuelling speculation that the Federal Reserve could scale back its aggressive monetary stimulus aimed at supporting growth.

Investors were keeping an eye on the U.S. retail sales due later on Monday.

"U.S. retail sales ... is always going to be important as it highlights the health of the consumer and the potential to feed into expectations of inflation and also potential job creation," Chris Weston, chief market strategist at IG markets, said in a note to clients.

U.S. Treasuries extended losses in Asia, with benchmark 10-year yields rising to 1.93 percent from around 1.895 percent on Friday. <US/T>

Japanese government bond prices tumbled, hurt by the Nikkei's rally and also tracking U.S. bonds lower, with the 10-year JGB yield hitting a three-month high of 0.750 percent and benchmark JGB futures shedding a full point to their lowest in a year. <JP/T>

Elsewhere, removing a potential source of political instability in the Asian region, Pakistan's Nawaz Sharif, toppled in a 1999 military coup, has made a comeback over the weekend election, eyeing to form a government to implement reforms needed to rescue the fragile economy.

Holiday In West Miami - Diabetes: Dirty Air 'May Raise' Insulin Resistance Risk

Source - http://www.bbc.co.uk/
By - Press Release
Category - Holiday In West Miami
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Holiday In West Miami

German research on 397 10-year-olds found that living close to a major road increased resistance by 7% per 500m.

Air pollutants are known to be oxidisers that can impact on lipids and proteins in the blood.

But some experts say the results should be treated with caution.

The children in the study were invited for blood sampling at the age of 10, and glucose and insulin measurements were taken.

Their level of exposure to traffic pollution was estimated using air pollution figures from 2008-09 for their birth address neighbourhood.

The results were adjusted to take into account birth weight, body mass index (BMI) and exposure to second-hand smoke at home.

The study concluded that levels of insulin resistance were greater in children with higher exposure to air pollution, such as nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter.

It also found a larger effect in children with higher BMIs.

Oxidisers

Elisabeth Thiering and Joachim Heinrich, who led the research at the German Research Centre for Environmental Health in Neuherberg, said the link between traffic pollution and insulin resistance could be explained.

"Although toxicity differs between air pollutants, they are all considered potent oxidisers that act either directly on lipids and proteins, or indirectly through the activation of intracellular oxidant pathways," said Dr Heinrich. 

 

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

Breathing the same pollutant concentrations, children may have a two to fourfold higher dose reaching the lung”

Prof Frank Kelly King's College London

"Oxidative stress caused by exposure to air pollutants may therefore play a role in the development of insulin resistance."

But Prof Jon Ayres, an expert in environmental and respiratory medicine, of the University of Birmingham, said the results were not clear-cut.

"As the authors point out, their measurements of fasting blood insulin levels and estimations of air pollution levels were not taken at the same time.

"Therefore, these results should be regarded with caution, and a larger and methodologically more secure study needs to be done to confirm the possible link between air pollution from traffic emissions and insulin resistance in children."

'Higher dose'

Previous studies have shown links between air pollution and other chronic conditions, such as atherosclerosis and heart disease.

Yet to date, epidemiological studies that have examined associations between long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution and type 2 diabetes in adults are inconsistent, and studies on the effect of air pollution on insulin resistance in children are scarce.

Frank Kelly, professor of environmental health at King's College London, said children were particularly vulnerable.

"They have a larger lung-to-body volume ratio, their airway epithelium is more permeable to air pollutants, and the lung defence mechanisms against particulate matter pollution and gaseous pollution are not fully evolved."

"Breathing the same pollutant concentrations, children may have a two to fourfold higher dose reaching the lung compared with adults.

"It is of interest that this new study demonstrates that both particulate-matter nitrogen dioxide are linked to increased risk of insulin resistance in children. This finding is especially relevant for cities in the UK such as London, which regularly exceeds current EU limit values for nitrogen dioxide."

Port Of Miami Hotels - No, Really - Don't Shop When You're Hungry

Source - http://www.reuters.com/
By - Genevra Pittman
Category - Port Of Miami Hotels
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Port Of Miami Hotels

Researchers found that people who hadn't eaten all afternoon chose more high-calorie foods in a simulated supermarket than those who were given a snack just before online food shopping.

And in a real grocery store, shoppers bought a higher ratio of high-calorie foods to low-calorie ones in the hours leading up to dinnertime compared to earlier in the day, the study team observed.

"Even short-term fasts can lead people to make unhealthy food choices," said Amy Yaroch, head of the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition in Omaha, Nebraska.

"Don't go shopping when you're hungry and you don't have a list, because you're just going to buy all sorts of junk food," advised Yaroch, who wasn't involved in the new study.

She said the results may have implications not just for everyday shoppers, but for "food insecure" families, which often don't have the money to buy healthy food - or any food.

For their research, Aner Tal and Brian Wansink from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, conducted a lab study and went out into "the field" to see how hunger influenced food choices.

For the lab study, they asked 68 adults not to eat for the five hours before a late-afternoon appointment. Prior to starting the experiment, the researchers gave half of the participants a plate of Wheat Thins to sate their hunger. Then they had all study subjects shop in a simulated online grocery store.

On average, both hungry and sated participants bought eight low-calorie food items, which included certain types of dairy products, meats and snacks.

The hungry participants also bought six higher-calorie items, compared to four purchased by people who'd recently had a snack, according to the findings published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Likewise in their field study, the researchers observed 82 people's purchases in a real supermarket and found the ratio of high-calorie foods to low-calorie foods was healthier between 1 pm and 4 pm than between 4 pm and 7 pm.

Endocrinologist Tony Goldstone from Imperial College London said the findings should be interpreted cautiously given the assumptions the authors made that people would be hungrier during the later time period.

Still, he told Reuters Health, "It overall is pointing to what we expected."

That behavior might stem from an evolutionary time when it was essential for a person to find high-calorie food after a long fast, Tal speculated.

Goldstone agreed.

"The body is always trying to defend its state and it makes very logical sense that if you're going for a period without food, and you're wanting food, you're more likely to go for the food that's high-calorie," he said. "If we're needing energy, we're not going to go out for lettuce."

Tal recommended that people have a snack, such as a piece of fruit, before going grocery shopping or chew gum while perusing the aisles to mitigate the effects of hunger.

"Do your shopping at hours when you're less vulnerable, like after lunch versus before lunch, and so on," he told Reuters Health.

Yaroch said that for people who can't always afford food, the new study shows there may be biological cues as well as practical ones pointing them toward the junk food aisle.

"It's not surprising to me that when you're hungry, you're going to choose foods of low nutritional quality," she told Reuters Health. "What's disturbing to me is I feel that people don't understand the connection between obesity and food insecurity."

Not knowing when you're going to have food available means that when you do, you're going to choose a high-calorie option, Yaroch said - especially when it's the cheapest one.

"There are definitely different implications for someone who's hungry most of the time," she said.

Budget Miami Hotels - Standard Chartered Operating Profit Falls as Wholesale Slips

Source - http://www.bloomberg.com/
By - Stephanie Tong & Howard Mustoe 
Category - Budget Miami Hotels
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Budget Miami Hotels

Standard Chartered Plc (STAN) said operating profit in the first quarter declined “slightly” as wholesale banking revenue fell, pushing down shares in the U.K.’s second- largest bank by market value.

Revenue grew from a year earlier as an increase in consumer banking income offset a “mid single digit” decrease in wholesale operations, the London-based company said in a statement today, without giving specific figures. The shares fell 2 percent to HK$197 at 2:14 p.m. in Hong Kong, after advancing as much as 2.4 percent before the announcement.

Chief Executive Officer Peter Sands, 51, is trying to increase revenue by at least 10 percent a year while keeping cost growth at a similar pace, as he hires and opens branches in China and Africa. Standard Chartered, which gets most of its profit from Asia, last year reached a $667 million settlement with U.S. regulators who said it violated sanctions with Iran.

“Stanchart will surely grow this year, but it remains to be seen whether they can achieve their double-digit targets,” said Sandy Mehta, chief executive officer of Value Investment Principals Ltd. in Hong Kong, which doesn’t own shares in the lender. “The year is off to a slow start so some catch-up will be required.”

Today’s decline in Standard Chartered shares compared with a 0.6 percent gain in Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng Index. (HSI) The lender is alone among Britain’s five biggest banks in not disclosing detailed quarterly earnings.
‘Very Liquid’

“The issue facing all of the strong global banks, such as Standard Chartered, is how to make more money in poor-to- middling economic times,” Jim Antos, a Hong Kong-based analyst at Mizuho Securities Asia Ltd., who has a buy recommendation on the shares. The lender “is a very liquid bank, and this gives Standard Chartered limited ways to invest that excess liquidity and earn a decent return.”

In August, Standard Chartered was accused by Benjamin Lawsky, head of the New York Department of Financial Services, of helping Iran launder about $250 billion in violation of federal laws, keeping false records and handling lucrative wire transfers for Iranian clients.

Chairman John Peace was forced by U.S. regulators to apologize for claiming breaches of sanctions on Iran that led to the fine were unintentional. Peace, who told reporters at a March 5 press conference that the firm had no “willful” intention to dodge U.S. rules, said in a statement on March 21 that the earlier claim was “wrong.”
Consensus Estimate

“We have started the second quarter well with April income back at trend levels” and the bank is “comfortable” with the consensus estimate of pretax profit, it said in the statement. By region, revenue increases of 10 percent or more in Africa and Hong Kong were “offset by a weaker performance in Korea and Singapore,” the bank said.

HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA), the other U.K. bank that gets most of its earnings in Asia, yesterday posted a bigger-than-estimated increase in first-quarter profit after provisions for bad loans shrank. Pretax profit increased to $8.43 billion from $4.32 billion a year earlier.

“Standard Chartered has a more coherent franchise worldwide” and “has been more effectively managed in recent years,” Antos at Mizuho said. “But this year if you want to make money on bank stocks, you have to look at HSBC first. The market loves a recovery story.”

Family Hotels In Miami - Jennifer Lopez Whisked Away To Safety In The Middle Of Music

Source - http://guardianlv.com/
By - Janet Grace Ortigas
Category - Family Hotels In Miami
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

 

Family Hotels In Miami

What was supposedly a fun-filled afternoon in Fort Lauderdale Beach Park on Sunday, May 5 for Jennifer Lopez and her crew end up to be an upsetting moment. Jennifer Lopez was whisked away to safety in the middle of a dance scene in her “Live-it Up” music-video filming.

Police immediately responded to a 911 call to investigate the set at the southern side of the park’s parking lot, but no evidence was found. According to police, the shooting took place at the northern side of the park.

This music video was in collaboration with superstar rapper PitBull, who was with Jennifer Lopez on the set when the shooting occurred. JLO’s boyfriend Casper Smart was also at the scene but no signs of her twins Max and Emme. At that time, Rob Marciano was interviewing JLO about the latest buzz on her upcoming music video with Cuban Rap Star PitBull.

When the gun shots were heard, she was whisked away to her car until the police arrived. Rob Tweeted to break the news: “BREAKING: Gunshots fired at Fort Lauderdale beach DURING my JLO Interview. No Kidding. Security scrambled her away.” He also added tweets like “Can hear and see ambulance converging 400 yards down the street.” His last tweet on the matter says: Police confirming: ‘shots fired; no one hit.’

According to Detective De Anna Greenlaw, Fort Lauderdale spokesman, the incident took place around 7:30 p.m., in the parking lot at 800 Sea Breeze BLVD. Incidentally; the police arrested several beach goers at the scene where the shots were allegedly fired. However, police is yet to determine who fired those shots. There were no witnesses, and no one has seen the actual firing. Apparently, the perpetrators were long gone before the police arrived.

Up until today, no witnesses came forward to provide any statement. The report adds that no one got hurt, and police officers have no information to go forward at this time.

The pop star representative assured her fans that is fine. Reports say that several calls were made to the pop star, but no return calls have been done. Nothing has happened like this before. The police have no idea what caused the incident and there were no speculations.

As of today, speculations mount. Although many say it is another prank that gave the pop star a scare, while others say it could be another gang feud that has nothing to do with the shoot or JLO. However, it did give Jennifer Lopez and her crew a bit of a fright. If the gunshots were meant to upset the shoot, it was successful.

Hotel Near Miami Beach - Drug To Cut Cholesterol Is Approved By The F.D.A.

Source - http://www.nytimes.com/
By - KATIE THOMAS
Category - Hotel Near Miami Beach
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Hotel Near Miami Beach

The Food and Drug Administration approved on Friday a combination drug developed by Merck that lowers a patient’s cholesterol but has not been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease or death, the company said.

 The drug pairs Merck’s Zetia, which lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad cholesterol”) with the generic version of Lipitor, the best-selling statin made by Pfizer that lost its patent protection in 2011.

Although the combination drug, to be called Liptruzet, was shown in a clinical trial to reduce LDL cholesterol more than patients who took Lipitor alone, the company said Liptruzet did not reduce patients’ chances of developing heart disease. That fact troubled some cardiologists, who questioned why it was approved.

“This is extremely surprising and disturbing,” said Dr. Steven E. Nissen, chairman of the department of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic.

Cardiologists have long questioned the value of Zetia and Vytorin, which combined Zetia with an older statin, Zocor. They had been on the market for a decade, but had not been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.

A clinical trial of more than 18,000 patients is assessing whether Vytorin significantly reduces heart attacks, strokes and heart-related deaths and is expected to conclude in 2014. In March, an independent monitoring board let the trial continue, suggesting that no significant safety concerns had come up. Still, Dr. Nissen said he was skeptical that the trial would show that the drugs were effective.

Morgan Liscinsky, an F.D.A. spokeswoman, said high levels of LDL cholesterol were a known risk factor for heart disease. “Liptruzet is a combination of two currently marketed drugs that effectively lower elevated levels of LDL cholesterol,” she said. The F.D.A. rejected Merck’s application for the drug last year, and the company said at the time that the agency requested more information.

Merck said Liptruzet was a good option for patients who were not successful in lowering their bad cholesterol. “A significant percentage of patients are unable to lower their LDL cholesterol to recommended levels despite treatment,” Dr. Peter H. Jones, an adviser to Merck and an associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, said in a news release.

Liptruzet is meant to be taken once a day and will be sold in doses of 10 milligrams of Zetia, in addition to 10, 20, 40 or 80 milligrams of Lipitor, known as atorvastatin. Merck’s list price will be $5.50 a pill. A company spokeswoman did not say whether insurance companies were planning to cover the drug, but said Merck “intends to be competitive in managed care to ensure wide access to Liptruzet.”

Sales of Vytorin and Zetia have fallen since 2007, when they brought in a combined $5 billion, but they are still among Merck’s top-selling drugs. In 2012, Zetia brought in $2.6 billion and Vytorin $1.8 billion, according to company filings.

Attractions In West Miami - Do 0% Credit Cards Really Mean Free Money?

Source - http://www.13wmaz.com/
By - Press Release
Category - Attractions In West Miami
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

 

Attractions In West Miami

Credit card companies are once again offering free money - or it sure looks free when you see a huge 0% plastered on the envelope.

Open that new plastic, buy now and get 0% until August 2014? Yes, you're not imagining things. Credit card experts say we're seeing the best promotions for plastic ever since the Great Recession.

"It was free money to me in some sense," said Donald Grimes, an economist at the University of Michigan.

Grimes jumped at a 0% deal that runs 18 months to buy an Apple laptop. But he plans to pay off the purchase before an 18% annual percentage rate kicks in, retroactively on this deal, if the purchase is not paid off in 18 months.

"I've played that game, and I know how to do it," Grimes said.

MONEY QUICK TIPS: Make your credit cards work for you

The latest run of 0% offers - including 0% financing deals at stores and 0% introductory-rate major credit cards - is one more sign that the worst is over for the economy.

"The economy is definitely coming back, and the credit card industry is definitely making a bet on that," said Tim Chen, CEO of NerdWallet.com, which compares everything from credit cards to checking accounts to airline fees.

More jobs mean more people can pay their credit card bills. Credit card issuers are able to offer 0% rates to a significant group of consumers now because the expectation is that interest rates will remain low and the unemployment rate won't climb dramatically through the end of 2014. If that's correct, economists say, it would be awhile before rates increase appreciatively.

Banks also have so much in additional reserves that they have a good deal of money to lend, as well.

Yet do all those 0% deals mean we're heading back to the oh-too-easy credit days, when borrowers basically went on a bender? Not there yet, economists and credit card experts say.

The 0% offers are going to people who have good credit and are likely to make their payments, according to Greg McBride, senior financial analyst for Bankrate.com.

The deals aren't just for six months any more - again, indicating more optimism that the worst may be behind us. Some 0% rate deals can be strung out for 15 months, 18 months or even 21 months, depending on the offer.

But Grimes, senior research specialist for the U-Michigan Institute for Research on Labor, Employment and the Economy, said he is concerned about potential problems ahead after seeing the personal savings rate drop to 2.6% in the first quarter, compared with 4.7% in the fourth quarter last year.

Consumers could be stretching more, he said, to deal with a 2 percentage point increase in the payroll tax that began Jan. 1. Will some be tempted to borrow too much?

Right now, though, 0% could be a great deal for those who want to borrow and pay down old debt sensibly.

Better deals for consumers include:

- Slate from Chase is offering a 0% introductory rate until Aug. 1, 2014, on both purchases and balance transfers. More important, for a limited time, Slate also is offering a $0 introductory balance-transfer fee for balance transfers during the first 60 days the account is open.

- The Citi Simplicity Card has a 0% introductory rate for 18 months for purchases and balance transfers. The balance-transfer fee is $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer.

- Capital One Prestige Card is offering 0% on balance transfers and purchases through August 2014. Balance-transfer fee is 3%.

- The Discover "It" card offers an introductory 0% rate for 14 months from the date of opening the account.

What's the best deal for you?

Will you be going out to buy new patio furniture with that 0% card? If taking on new debt, consumers would want to know what the payments would be each month so that they would be able to pay off their debt at 0% before the offer ends in 15 months or 18 months.

Simple math: Take the amount of the debt and divide by the number of months you have at 0%. So if you spend $6,000 on the card, you'd want to pay $400 a month to have that debt paid off in 15 months.

Are you struggling to take care of some old debt? If so, how much will you pay to transfer a balance if tackling an old balance is part of your strategy?

"The balance-transfer fee plays a big role," said Odysseas Papadimitriou,CEO of CardHub.com.

One reason the Slate from Chase offer is so appealing, Papadimitriou said, is that there is no transfer fee for the first 60 days the account is open. After that 60 days, the fee for future balance transfers is either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.

"It's very easy to get distracted by the length of the 0% offer," Papadimitriou said.

But typically, he said, an 18-month offer with a 3% balance-transfer fee is going to be more costly than a 15-month offer with no balance-transfer fee.

The balance transfer would add up to $150 if you'd transfer $5,000 with a 3% fee on some cards.

Make sure you understand what kind of debt can be transferred to a card, too. Slate from Chase will not allow consumers to transfer balances from store credit cards, such as a Macy's credit card.

And remember these cards can still go from 0% to 20%. Much of that will depend on your creditworthiness. The Capital One Prestige Card, for example, offers variable rates ranging from 10.9% to 18.9%. Those are variable rates that could go up once interest rates overall climb higher.

Consumers need to look at the big picture of credit, too.

If you are looking to refinance the house this spring or take out a new car loan now, think twice about jumping at 0% offers. You typically don't want to open a new credit card before applying for a major loan in the next 12 months, McBride said.

Understand that 0% on a credit card is not the same as making no payments for 18 months.

To keep that 0% rate, a card holder would need to keep up with making at least the minimum monthly payments, McBride said. If you are 60 days delinquent, you would lose the 0% rate. Ideally, you'd want to pay much more than the minimum payment to pay off that debt before higher rates hit.

The 0% rate could be a break for some consumers. But the trick is will they make time to pay off that debt?

"Use the 0% card to get out of debt faster, not as an excuse to spend more," Papadimitriou said.

Holiday In West Miami - Is Antibacterial Soap Effective And Is It Safe?

Source - http://www.click2houston.com/
By - Rachel McNeill
Category - Holiday In West Miami
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Holiday In West Miami

You'll find them in just about every school and every home: those antibacterial liquid soaps that help kill bacteria.

Now the Food and Drug Administration is reviewing the safety of an ingredient in those products because they might increase the risk of infertility and early puberty.
Triclosan is found in 75 percent of antibacterial products, even some toys and toothpastes.

It's not a new ingredient. In fact, the FDA has been reviewing it for nearly four decades.

Scientists have said the chemical may increase the risk of infertility, early puberty and other hormone related problems in humans.

The ingredient has been under FDA review for nearly 40 years and the agency aims to finalize its review sometime this year.

Endocrinologist Dr. Kelly Wirfel with UTHealth Medical School told Local 2, "Well, it's about time. There's lots of questions and everybody wants to know is this going to cause problems to me, my children? What do we do about it?"

Houstonian Josie Karaze remembers hearing about the chemical 10 years ago.
She said, "They should find chemists that can put together a purer product. It needs to be more pure."

Andrea Johnson said, "It is crazy, interesting too that it would be in the soap. Is it helping anything?"

Maybe not. Many believe the chemical is ineffective.

Studies have shown antibacterial soaps with triclosan are no better at reducing bacteria on skin than regular soap.

Still, Wirfel advises families wait for the FDA's conclusions before going out of their way to avoid the chemical.

She explained, "It's not the only product. We've got multiple products that have concerns that we're exposed to and is that also causing some of these problems? So whether triclosan is one of them is the issue or combination of one or any of the others."

Some studies have shown longer hand washing tends to work better than added antibacterial ingredients.

Port Of Miami Hotels - TOP Oil Market News: WTI Drops After Biggest Rally in Six Months

Source - http://www.businessweek.com/
By - Alexander Kwiatkowski
Category - Port Of Miami Hotels
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Port Of Miami Hotels

WTI Drops to Pare Weekly Gain After Biggest Rally in Six Months

West Texas Intermediate crude fell, paring a weekly advance, as traders awaited U.S. jobs data that may signal the economic recovery is accelerating.

Northeast Gas Poised to Surge on Pipeline Limits: Energy Markets

Natural gas prices in the U.S. Northeast are poised to reach five-year seasonal highs this summer as increasing demand from power plants may outstrip the ability of pipelines to deliver enough fuel.
Crude May Fall Next Week on U.S. Inventory Gain, Survey Shows

West Texas Intermediate oil may decline next week after U.S. crude inventories reached an 82- year high amid signs of economic slowdown in the U.S. and China, a Bloomberg survey showed.

Naphtha East-West Gap Narrows; Gasoil Crack Widens: Oil Products

Naphtha’s East-West spread is at the narrowest in almost three weeks. Asia gasoil’s premium to Dubai crude rises to the widest in a week.
Pertamina Buys 1.2 Million Barrels of Saharan Blend Oil for July

PT Pertamina, Indonesia’s state-owned oil company, purchased two 600,000 barrel shipments of Saharan Blend crude for delivery in July to its Balikpapan and Cilacap refineries, according to a company official.

Methanex Gaining as Methanol Use in Fuel Grows: Corporate Canada

Methanex Corp., the world’s largest methanol supplier, is forecast by analysts to climb beyond last month’s record price as demand rises for the chemical as a fuel source in countries such as China.
Keystone Foes Plan Worst Insisting Obama Find a Pipeline Offset

President Barack Obama is being pressed by opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline to tie any approval to measures that would curb climate change, reflecting mounting pressure on the administration to mitigate the project’s impact if it goes forward.
Cnooc Raises $4 Billion in Biggest Asian Dollar Bond Since 2003

Cnooc Ltd., China’s largest offshore energy explorer, sold $4 billion of bonds in the biggest dollar- denominated offering from Asia outside of Japan in more than nine years.
Fusion Scientists Seeing Breakthrough Where Obama Shows No Arbor

Chris Bishop paces as he beams the world’s biggest laser at a peppercorn-sized fuel pellet, a crucial step toward fusing hydrogen atoms to replicate the explosive power of the sun, stars and thermonuclear weapons.

U.S. Energy Department Natural Gas Update for May 2 (Text)

Following is the text of the weekly natural gas update as released by the U. S. Department of Energy in Washington, D.C.:
Natural Gas Drops for Third Day on Forecasts for Mild Weather

Natural gas futures slipped for a third day in New York on forecasts for moderating temperatures that would reduce demand for the heating and power-plant fuel.
Natural Gas Climbs on Forecasts for Below-Average Supply Gain

Natural gas futures advanced in New York as analysts predicted government data would show a smaller- than-normal gain in stockpiles of the heating fuel, expanding a supply deficit.
Glencore Said to Hire Two Xstrata Executives as Managers Depart

Glencore Xstrata Plc hired two former Xstrata Plc executives as division heads amid the departure of a number of senior managers as it completed the takeover of the coal exporter, a person familiar with the matter said.
Gasoil Stockpiles Fall in Europe’s Oil-Trading Hub, PJK Says

Gasoil stockpiles in independent storage fell in Europe’s Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp oil-trading hub, according to PJK International BV.
OPEC

OPEC Exports Seen Stable Amid ‘Glum’ Demand, Oil Movements Says

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will keep shipments little changed this month as “glum” demand in the U.S. and Europe counters rising consumption in Asia, tanker tracker Oil Movements said.
REFINERIES Map global refinery outages

Edmonton Refinery Work Causing Western Canada Gasoline Pinch (1)

Suncor Energy Inc.’s unexpected shutdown of gasoline production units at the Edmonton, Alberta, refinery is causing a fuel shortage at some gas stations in Western Canada.
Los Angeles Gasoline Rises to 10-Week High on Planned Exxon Shut

Spot gasoline in Los Angeles surged to a 10-week high against futures as Exxon Mobil Corp.’s Torrance refinery prepared to shut units for maintenance and Valero Energy Corp.’s Wilmington plant had an upset at its fluid catalytic cracker.
Canadian Crudes Weaken as Output Rises After Spring Maintenance

Canadian crudes weakened on the spot market as Alberta output began to rise after seasonal maintenance that temporarily reduced production.
PBF to Export 20,000 to 25,000 Barrels a Day From East Coast

PBF Energy Inc. exported 1.8m bbls of middle distillate fuel in Q1, company said on earnings call with investors today.
Valero Benicia Rail Unloading Will Operate by End of 2013

Valero Energy Corp. will be able to unload crude delivered by trains at its Benicia refinery in Northern California by the end of 2013.
Valero Quebec Plant Will Have Rail Unloading Capability by July

Valero Energy Corp.’s Quebec City refinery will have the ability to unload 30,000 to 50,000 barrels of crude a day by rail in July, Bill Klesse, the company’s chief executive officer, said after the company’s annual meeting in San Antonio.
Valero’s Klesse Says Little Industry Interest in Freedom Line

Valero Energy CEO Bill Klesse said there is “not a lot of industry interest at the moment” for Kinder Morgan Energy Partners’ proposed Freedom crude pipeline.
Exxon Torrance Refinery to Shut Units Starting Tomorrow

Some units to shut for planned maintenance that’s expected to last “several weeks,” Gesuina Paras, Exxon Mobil Corp. spokeswoman, said by e-mail.