Family Hotels In Miami - Why Eating Artificial Sweeteners Won't Help You Lose Weight

Source       - http://www.natureworldnews.com/
By              - Staff Reporter
Category   - Family Hotels In Miami
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Family Hotels In Miami

The brain knows when it needs sugar and can't be fooled by artificial sweeteners, even if it is sweeter than real sugar.

A new study has found that the brain can differentiate between real and artificial sugar. What's worse? Eating food with artificial sweeteners will only increase cravings for sugary treats later.

The brain's reward system is highly activated when the body receives a sugary solution rather than artificial sweeteners. Researchers at Yale University School of Medicine USA, believe that the research might explain the reason behind increasing obesity rates despite artificial sweeteners existing for years now.

Food seasoned with artificial sweeteners is extremely popular. In the U.S., about 30 percent of people eat stuff that has sugar substitutes. Previously, Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, had published an article about artificial sweeteners' effect on the body. Another recent study had found that drinking a can of diet soda can increase the risk of diabetes.

Researchers in the study argue that eating food containing artificial sweeteners, especially while you are hungry, will make you consume more sugar later.

In the study, researchers looked at specific brain signals that are associated with determining the difference between sugar and artificial sweeteners. These signals regulate the release of dopamine levels.

Dopamine is a chemical messenger and affects processes that control behavior, emotional response and more importantly the ability to feel pleasure. The chemical plays a major role in addiction.

The study was conducted on a group of mice and researchers looked for specific brain circuits while the mice were fed sugar or artificial sweeteners.

"According to the data, when we apply substances that interfere with a critical step of the 'sugar-to-energy pathway', the interest of the animals in consuming artificial sweetener decreases significantly, along with important reductions in brain dopamine levels," said Ivan de Araujo, who led the study at Yale University School of Medicine USA.

"This is verified by the fact that when hungry mice - who thus have low sugar levels - are given a choice between artificial sweeteners and sugars, they are more likely to completely switch their preferences towards sugars even if the artificial sweetener is much sweeter than the sugar solution," de Araujo said in a news release.

So, can there be a sugar substitute that can help people reduce weight without punishing the taste buds?

"The results suggest that a 'happy medium' could be a solution; combining sweeteners with minimal amounts of sugar so that energy metabolism doesn't drop, while caloric intake is kept to a minimum," Araujo said.

The study is published in the Journal of Physiology.

Hotel Near Miami Beach - Sunscreens for babies, kids, recalled for contamination

Source      - http://www.usatoday.com/
By            - Kim Painter
Category  - Hotel Near Miami Beach
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Hotel Near Miami Beach

About 30,000 tubes of Badger sunscreens for babies and children have been recalled after testing found they could be contaminated with bacteria and fungi, the manufacturer says.

The voluntary recall from a leading maker of natural and organic sunscreens includes all lots of the company's 4-ounce SPF 30 Baby Sunscreen Lotion and one lot of 4-ounce SPF 30 Kids Sunscreen Lotion, according to a statement from W.S. Badger Co. Inc.

The New Hampshire company says the products all passed testing before they were put on sale, starting in February, but routine quality checks later turned up three microbes: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida parapsilosis and Acremonium fungis. The third microbe was found only in one open sample that had been handled and contaminated, the company says.

The testing suggested all the problems were caused by "preservative instability," the company says.

The recalled products include:

• SPF 30 Baby Sunscreen Lotion tubes with UPC codes of 34084490091 and 634084490114. (Lot #'s 3024A, 3057B, 3063A, 3063B, 3132A, 3133A)
• SPF 30 Kids Sunscreen Lotion tubes with UPC codes of 634084490145 and 634084490169 ( Lot # 3164A)

In an online message, Badger CEO Bill Whyte apologizes for the problems and says no adverse reactions have been reported. He also says he has been reassured by toxicologists that the organisms found in the sunscreens are "unlikely to cause problems except for in immune-compromised persons or for persons with severely damaged skin."

Company spokeswoman Deirdre Fitzgerald says: "We are already reformulating all products in question for improved shelf-life stability for next year's sunscreen season."

Attractions In West Miami - 'Afternoon Naps' Aid Children's Learning

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

Attractions In West Miami

Getting young children to take an hour-long nap after lunch could help them with their learning by boosting brain power, a small study suggests. 

A nap appeared to help three-to-five-year-olds better remember pre-school lessons, US researchers said.

University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers studied 40 youngsters and report their findings in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

The benefit persisted in the afternoon after a nap and into the next day.

The study authors say their results suggest naps are critical for memory consolidation and early learning.

When the children were allowed a siesta after lunch they performed significantly better on a visual-spatial tasks in the afternoon and the next day than when they were denied a midday snooze. 

Following a nap, children recalled 10% more of the information they were being tested on than they did when they had been kept awake.

Close monitoring of 14 additional youngsters who came to the researchers' sleep lab revealed the processes at work in the brain during asleep. 

As the children napped, they experienced increased activity in brain regions linked with learning and integrating new information.

Lead investigator Rebecca Spencer said: "Essentially we are the first to report evidence that naps are important for preschool children.

"Our study shows that naps help the kids better remember what they are learning in preschool." 

She said while older children would naturally drop their daytime sleep, younger children should be encouraged to nap.

Holiday In West Miami - The iPhone 5s TouchID Fingerprint Hack Doesn't Matter

Source      - http://www.fool.com/
By             - Malcolm Manness
Category    - Holiday In West Miami
Posted By  - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Holiday In West Miami

Apple  (NASDAQ: AAPL  )  is in fierce competition in the smartphone market with Android OS by Google and, to a lesser degree, Windows Phone 8 by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) . Both competitors have been gaining smartphone market share over Apple's iOS-driven iPhone, and in this race, perception as an innovator is crucial to continued success. New features need to draw significant attention. But they can't compromise security.

The new iPhone 5s

The new iPhone 5s has made quite a stir by introducing two new technologies that leave Android and WP8 phones behind. The first is a 64-bit CPU, something no other smartphone can boast.

Tests by the respected site AnandTech have shown that the 5s is very fast, handily beating competitors in most of the benchmarks. On the Geekbench benchmark, an overall computational set, gains were mixed, except in one important area – cryptographic tests: AES over 800%, and SHA1 245% improvements.

The AES and SHA1 gains are a direct result of the new cryptographic instructions that are a part of ARMv8. The AES test in particular shows nearly an order of magnitude performance improvement. [Emphasis added.]

One wonders what Apple has in mind for cryptographic services.

Apple's TouchID

One possibility, of course, is the second radical improvement, the fingerprint scanner, dubbed TouchID, that allows you to open your locked iPhone without needing to enter your password. Reviewers have hailed this as a great advance.

It should be noted that Motorola – now a part of Google – used to have a phone model, Atrix 4G, that used fingerprint scanning, but it was both awkward and so unreliable that they discontinued the feature . By most accounts, Apple's TouchID system works simply and reliably.

The Chaos Computer Club

The Chaos Computer Club is "Europe's largest association of hackers." They quickly developed a method to fool the fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 5s, and released a statement:

The biometrics hacking team of the Chaos Computer Club (CCC) has successfully bypassed the biometric security of Apple's TouchID using easy everyday means. A fingerprint of the phone user, photographed from a glass surface, was enough to create a fake finger that could unlock an iPhone 5s secured with TouchID. This demonstrates – again – that fingerprint biometrics is unsuitable as access control method and should be avoided.

Basically they took a fingerprint off of glass, scanned it under fairly high resolution, then used that image to make a latex spoof. It is easy to do and anyone can do it at home with inexpensive equipment.

Port Of Miami Hotels - Man uses planetarium show to Propose To Girlfriend

Source      - http://www.upi.com/
By            - WARNER ROBINS
Category  - Port Of Miami Hotels
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Port Of Miami Hotels

A Georgia man said the hardest part of proposing to his girlfriend was maneuvering her into the planetarium show where he had inserted the question.

Alan Gilbert, 23, of Warner Robins, said he wanted to propose to girlfriend Krystal Sanderson, 22, during the Mark Smith Planetarium show at the Museum of Arts & Sciences, so he set to work making sure she would be at Sunday's 4 p.m. show, The Macon (Ga.) Telegraph reported Monday.

"The main thing is, Krystal and I spent a lot of time looking at the stars," Gilbert said. "They were always one of those moments where we could talk about anything we wanted to."

Gilbert said Sanderson, who works with a campus nursing organization, almost had to go to work Sunday, but he insisted she visit the museum with him, instead.

Gilbert said he hit a second hiccup when Sanderson wanted to see the 2 p.m. planetarium show instead of the 4 p.m. show, which had his marriage proposal attached at the end of the 30-minute show about prehistoric sea creatures.

Gilbert said he was able to convince Sanderson to tour the facility before attending the 4 p.m. show, then all he had to do was wait.

"The movie, the documentary, was the longest 30 minutes of my life," Gilbert said.

When the film ended, Gilbert's question appeared on the screen and he presented Sanderson with a ring surrounded in glow sticks to make sure she could see it in the dark.

Sanderson accepted.

"I was so shocked when I saw my name," she said. "It was like, 'Oh my goodness!'"

Budget Miami Hotels - How To Manage Chronic Pain Without Pills

Source     - http://www.news-sentinel.com/
By            - Drs. Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen
Category   - Budget Miami Hotels
Posted By  - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Budget Miami Hotels

Q: I've had shoulder pain for a couple of years, and the constant low-level agony is making me nuts. What should I do? — Johnny M., Akron, Ohio

A: More than 100 million North Americans live with chronic pain, and, as you indicated, it does a lot more than just make you feel achy. Chronic pain is associated with a three- to fourfold increase in the rate of depression and anxiety, and most folks also have problems with sleep, memory, attention, high blood pressure and resulting cardio problems, not to mention sexual dysfunction. Chronic pain actually can damage your most valued relationships.

The most common sources (not related to cancer) are degenerative spine disease, lower-back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis (perhaps in your shoulder), fibromyalgia, HIV, migraine, nerve pain and complications of shingles.

The first step is to get the right diagnosis from a specialist (maybe a second opinion, too). If pain medications are suggested, ask about a pain-management specialist who knows how to do nerve-dampening blocks and how to safely put you on (and take you off of) potentially addictive drugs.

But we're huge fans of using wellness to control pain!

•Try mind-body therapies: guided imagery, cognitive-behavioral therapy, meditation, breath work, massage and acupuncture. They can break the cycle of pain, then stress that worsens the pain, then more stress and even worse pain.

•Get daily physical activity. You'll dispel stress and build strength. Work with a physical therapist to determine the safest, most effective exercise and to learn how to use the two best short-term pain relievers, heat and ice.

•Adopt an anti-inflammatory diet to help put out the pain fire: Eliminate added sugars and syrups, any grain that isn't 100 percent whole, and trans and saturated fats, and go for lots of omega-3 DHA from salmon and ocean trout two to three days a week, and consider a daily 900-mg supplement.

Q: I just turned 50. The kids are at college; the house is almost paid for; you'd think I'd be happy. But I'm getting hot flashes, and I'm grumpy all the time. There's no second honeymoon in our house! Do I just have to live with this? — Nancy J., Washington D.C.

A: Many women in their 50s feel ambushed by conditions related to menopause. In addition to hot flashes, you may have brain fog, heart palpitations, mood swings, sleep problems and less interest in sex. In fact, declining hormone levels can lead to vaginal atrophy – around half of women say intercourse becomes so painful (because of thinning, fragile tissue) that they avoid it. Plus, there are the risks to your heart health and long-term brain function.

Fortunately, menopause symptoms don't have to put you on the sidelines of your life. You can be as energetic, engaged and frisky in the bedroom as you want to be! And that's big news for the 72 percent of women (like you) who are getting no treatment at all for menopause symptoms!

First: Don't rule out hormone therapy. If you're not at increased risk for heart disease or breast cancer, before age 60, up to five years of taking micronized progesterone and bioequivalent estrogen can banish symptoms. (Ask your doc about taking two baby aspirins a day while on hormones to protect you from potential heart problems.) And older women can safely use topical estrogen to restore vaginal health.

Lifestyle changes also help: Get sweaty — on purpose. Exercise can improve your quality of life and sometimes reduces hot flashes. Dropping just 10 percent of your weight can cut hot flashes and improve sleep. Practice deep breathing when symptoms hit. Inhale slowly and deeply for a count of four; then exhale slowly for a count of eight. And use focus and memory techniques: Keep distractions to a minimum; write down what you want to remember; repeat specifics out loud to yourself; and optimize your sleeping environment (keep it cool and quiet), because nothing improves brain power like a good night's rest.

Family Hotels In Miami - iPad Neck Strain: 5 Tips For Avoiding Injury

Source       - http://news.yahoo.com/
By             - Jon Chase
Category   - Family Hotels In Miami
Posted By  - Inn and Suites In West Miami

 

Family Hotels In Miami

Anything stand out? Besides being an exemplary way to generate excitement for what would become a revolutionary product, that ad, it turns out, is a near-encyclopedic collection of every way you shouldn't be using an iPad (or any other tablet, for that matter).

Unfortunately, millions of consumers are already coming to the same conclusion on their own — the hard way. While no hard numbers exist yet, chiropractors, physical therapists and other physicians have taken to referring to "iPad Neck" as a shorthand for the increasingly reported forms of upper body muscle and tendon injuries by their patients.

For ergonomics experts, there is a wicked irony in the fact that this new generation of mobile devices — so seemingly full of potential to finally liberate consumers from the shackles of body-contorting desktop computing — are turning out to suffer the same fatal flaw as every computing device before them: They're hell on people's bodies.

Jack Dennerlein, adjunct professor of ergonomics and safety and director of the Occupational Biomechanics and Ergonomics Laboratory at Harvard University, said that the advent of tablet computing represents a step backward of sorts. "We've gone back to books, is a way of thinking about it," he said. That's meant as a compliment in that, unlike with desktop and laptop computers, people are able to use tablets in an almost infinite number of postures.

In theory, that means people ought to auto-adjust their bodies frequently enough to avoid injuring ourselves — after all, nobody ever went to the doctor for paperback thumb or hardcover elbow. Humans are a funny bunch, though, and it seems their inclinations to adopt unhealthy habits are far stickier than humble science could predict.

A Telling Story

Dennerlein headed up a study last year in which veteran tablet users were observed while using devices in various commonly adopted postures (tablet on a table, on a lap with feet up, held while propped, etc.). Infrared sensors on the subject revealed any potential injury-producing flexion of the head and neck as subjects used the devices.

Dennerlein said that the overwhelming conclusion of his study wasn't that any one posture was ideal or irredeemably bad. In fact, a seemingly tangential factor turns out to be key. "The major finding of our study was that the case used with a device is what really matters," he said. "Different cases create different head angles for how people look at these devices, but a lot didn't have what we call the 'Goldilocks angle' — somewhere in between that's not too steep and not too shallow."

As such, Dennerlein is actually pro-tablet, especially when compared with the other alternatives. "The problem with laptops is that nowadays we get stuck working on them as a desktop replacement. So we're sitting in the same spot for 8 hours," he said. "But with a tablet, you shouldn't be sitting with them for long periods of time. They've given us freedom to move around again."

Still, tablet neck is a real phenomenon, and so as with laptops and desktops before them, users are obliged to adopt smart habits so they don't end up with the dumbest type of nagging injury (you know, the ones that are completely avoidable). Dennerlein stressed that there's no one magical posture to ward off muscle strain, but offered the following tips:

Tips for Safe Tablet Use

1. It's good to be restless

Sitting too long in any position is always inviting injury, as bodies simply aren't meant to sit frozen for long periods of time. Muscles and tendons need a break. As Dennerlein said: "The ideal posture is the next one you're going to take," meaning the shift of position is everything. If you're sitting in one position for more than a few minutes, that's too long. "Think about it: Even when we sleep, we don't tend to stay in the same posture for a very long time — we roll over and move in our sleep," he said. "If you're feeling uncomfortable, listen to your body."

2. Don't believe Apple ads

Despite the temptation to kick back and prop your tablet on your lap as you see in the early iPad ads, doing so typically requires one to adopt unnatural neck angles or body contortions, forcing users to crane to look down. Thus Dennerlein's one concrete no-no: "You can get away with a tablet propped on crossed legs for maybe a couple minutes on the subway, but any longer — you just don't want to."

3. Get a case

It's a good idea to opt for a case with a built-in stand that allows you to position the screen at multiple viewing angles, so that you can adjust it as needed. Dennerlein said a case propped on your lap should ideally be at 45 degrees; when set on a table, it should be more like 60 degrees (from flat). Dennerlein also pointed out that recent 7-inch tablets are far lighter and easier to hold as you would a book for a length of time, in lieu of a case.

4. Tablets aren't typewriters

It should be obvious, but tablets are way better for data and media consumption than content generation. And so anyone boasting of their blazing ability to Swype 80 words per minute is either lying or hiding crippling fingertip bruises and blossoming carpal tunnel syndrome. The fact is that besides being far more difficult than typing on a physical keyboard, touch screens are almost always propped at a wrist-shredding angle. And so Dennerlein is blunt: "Avoid typing anything more than an email or two," he said. "If you're going to type the next 'War and Peace' — just get an external keyboard."

5. Beware the glare

"There's two major factors when it comes to ergonomics: There's visual access and support," Dennerlein said. "Those are the two things that drive how people configure themselves when using a device." As such, those highly reflective glossy displays that designers love so much are an ergonomic nightmare, because they force users to subtly manipulate their body away from a comfortably, neutral position in order to "fix" their view. Dennerlein said it's a topic yet to be studied but that users should be conscious of it. So again, invest in a case or stand that allows you to prop your tablet away from glare so that you can sit in a relaxed position.

Hotel Near Miami Beach - How To Upgrade To iOS 7 Without Messing Up Your Phone

Source       - http://finance.yahoo.com/
By             - Caroline Moss
Category   - Hotel Near Miami Beach
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Hotel Near Miami Beach

The iOS 7 software is available today.

Apple has made the new iOS 7 software available today. While it's a drastic change in interface from iOS 6, change is not necessarily a bad thing.

If you're thinking about making the switch, here's what you need to do:

Make Sure You Have A Compatible Device

iOS 7 will only work on iPhones that are iPhone 4 and later, Retina display iPads, iPad 2, and the fifth-generation iPod touch. 

iOS 7 comes on the new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, available September 20.

Carve Out Some Time

Historically, Apple makes its software available around 1pm on the release day. When lots of people download it at the same time, it crowds Apple's servers. If you can wait, try downloading iOS 7 in a few days. If you're impatient, be prepared for a sluggish download.

Update iTunes

If you back up your iPhone or iPad to iTunes, or if you plan to install iOS 7 from iTunes, make sure you are running the latest version (11.0).

You can check by opening iTunes and going to Help > Check for Updates. Make sure you restart iTunes after installing the latest version.

Back Up Your Device

Back up your device to iTunes. This is extremely important as it will let you keep your contacts, photos, and apps from the previous iOS.

You can also back it up to iCloud. Go to Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup. Under Backup, turn on the switch for iCloud Backup.

Update iOS 

When iOS 7 becomes available, you can update with a good Wi-Fi connection by going into your settings and grabbing the software update. This is an easy way to do it if you're on the go. 

You can also use iTunes to upgrade your software. 

Plug your device into your computer with the USB cord and launch iTunes. On the left side of iTunes, find and select your device. Click "Check for Update" which will appear automatically. When the dialog box appears, select "Download and Update".

Wait

Be patient as you wait for the download. If you interrupt the process you could risk disrupting the update.

Attractions In West Miami - Does Apple Really Need a Less-Expensive iPhone Right Now?

Source     - http://allthingsd.com/
By           - John Paczkowski
Category  - Attractions In West Miami
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

 

Attractions In West Miami

Apple’s decision to give its colorful new iPhone 5c a premium price far in excess of the $400 to $500 price range analysts had expected has been met with skepticism in the market, and the company’s stock price has suffered some as a result.

Read through the volley of research notes that followed the debut of the 5c, and a common theme emerges: Apple should have used the device to establish a new iPhone price band low enough to drive growth in big, price-sensitive markets like China. But it chose not to, essentially doubling down on the market’s increasingly more saturated higher end, and protecting its high margins. And, in doing so, it has — for the time being — forfeited the market’s massive not-at-all-saturated lower end to Android.

The market views that as a strategic misstep. But Apple clearly doesn’t. Because, for Apple, winning has never been about shipping the most product.

“That’s never been a cornerstone of Apple,” CEO Tim Cook said at D11 earlier this year. “Arguably, we make the best PC, we don’t make the most. We make the best music player, we wound up making the most. We make the best tablet, we’re making the most there today. We make the best phone, we’re not making the most phones. … iPad has the highest customer satisfaction of any tablet. iPhone has the highest customer satisfaction of any phone and it has won JD Powers nine times in a row now. So that’s what we’re about. We’re about enriching customer’s lives and making great products, not making the most.”

Okay. But if Apple’s not going to cut prices (and corners) in a land grab for market share, how does it propose to succeed in a country like China, which it has said repeatedly is one of its most important markets? Perhaps by simply staying the course, and inking that long-in-the offing China Mobile deal. 

With the iPhone 5c, Apple may have an upper-middle-tier product with enough aspirational appeal to draw budget-conscious consumers into a higher price range. Add to that the addressable market it stands to gain simply by inking that widely rumored distribution deal with China Mobile — the world’s largest wireless carrier, and perhaps Apple decided it’s simply not yet the time to move down-market.

Why bother chasing lower-margin phone sales when there’s still a significant opportunity in high-margin ones? Why bother fielding a less-expensive iPhone when you know you’re about to bring the device to China Mobile’s 700 million subscribers, not to mention the 60 million consumers on Japan’s NTT DoCoMo? Don’t forget, Apple continues to sell the two-year-old iPhone 4S for a lower price than its new marquee phones.

“It could be that Apple is willing to stake out the high end and wait for the emerging global middle market to be able to afford its phones,” UBS’s Steve Milunovich. “While the 5C is too expensive for most developing markets, there still is an aspiration to own Apple products. … Exclusiveness creates its own demand.”

Perhaps even enough to obviate the need for that less-expensive iPhone for which the market seems to be pining. We’ll find out soon enough.

Holiday In West Miami - Help Your Kids Ace Their Tests With a Salmon Dinner

Source       - http://news.yahoo.com/
By             - Press Release
Category   - Holiday In West Miami
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Holiday In West Miami

Want to help your kids improve their performance at school? Serve them a dinner of grilled tuna or salmon teriyaki, suggests a new study out of Oxford University.

After taking blood samples from nearly 500 children between the ages of seven and nine, scientists found that levels of omega-3 fatty acids “significantly predicted” their ability to concentrate, and learn.

Published in the journal PLOS One and presented at a conference in London last week, the study found that higher levels of omega-3, particularly the long-chain form of Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), were associated with better reading and memory and fewer behavioral problems among the children examined.

Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to play an important role in the brain’s structure and cognitive function, in addition to heart health and the immune system. Dietary sources of omega-3 include fatty fish such as sardines, mackerel, salmon and tuna as well as flaxseed oil and walnuts.

Blood samples of the 493 schoolchildren showed, meanwhile, that British children fall below the minimum recommended intake of the brain boosting nutrient: on average, the total levels of omega-3 fatty acids (both DHA and its cousin Eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA), averaged 2.45 percent. The minimum level of omega-3 fatty acids recommended to maintain heart health is four percent in adults.

Scientists also found that nine out of ten children in the sample ate fish less than twice a week, and nearly one in ten never ate fish at all, according to dietary information obtained from the parents. Recommended weekly intake is a minimum of two fish portions a week.

“[T]his study suggests that many, if not most UK children, probably aren't getting enough of the long-chain omega-3 we all need for a healthy brain, heart and immune system,” said study co-author Alex Richardson.

“That gives serious cause for concern because we found that lower blood DHA was linked with poorer behaviour and learning in these children.”

Another study published last year in the print issue of Neurology likewise found that a diet lacking in omega-3 fatty acids may be linked to shrinking brains in older people, causing the brain to age faster and weakening important cognitive functions such as visual memory, problem solving, multi-tasking and abstract thinking.

Port Of Miami Hotels - Should Tim Cook Be Replaced?

Source       - http://www.fool.com/
By             - Joe Tenebruso and Eric Bleeker
Category   - Port Of Miami Hotels
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Port Of Miami Hotels

Many investors are beginning to question Tim Cook's ability to lead Apple  (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) , particularly when it comes to driving innovation in the manner in which Steve Jobs was so adept.

While recognizing that Jobs is irreplaceable, Motley Fool analyst Joe Tenebruso believes that Tim Cook has done a lot of things that shareholders have wanted for a long time -- and that Jobs might not have done -- such as initiating a dividend and instituting the largest share buyback in history. But can Cook drive innovation at Apple? Joe thinks we'll have the answer to that question soon. For more, check out the following video.

Apple has a history of cranking out revolutionary products -- and then creatively destroying them with something better. Read about the future of Apple in the free report, "Apple Will Destroy Its Greatest Product." Can Apple really disrupt its own iPhones and iPads? 

Why our CEO sold all of his stocks...
18 months ago, Motley Fool co-founder and CEO Tom Gardner sold every last stock he owned so he could go "all in" on the "Everlasting Portfolio" he was constructing for members of his unprecedented new wealth-building service, Motley Fool ONE.

To date, this portfolio is up 53.9% whereas a "white-hot" S&P 500 is only up 28.6%. On Sept. 19, Tom will re-open Motley Fool ONE to a select few new members for only the second time ever. In the meantime, you can get the full story on 3 top holdings he’s considering "doubling down" on for his next round of stock purchases on Oct. 1 and claim a bundle of other valuable gifts absolutely free of charge.

Budget Miami Hotels - iPhone 5S Fingerprint Sensor Is Ill-Disposed To Sweat

Source     - http://news.cnet.com/
By           - Dara Kerr
Category  - Budget Miami Hotels
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Budget Miami Hotels

The fingerprint scanner on Apple's new iPhone 5S is being heralded as the most innovative feature on the latest model of the company's smartphone. However, Apple has admitted that its "Touch ID" sensor isn't exactly perfect -- namely, it doesn't like sweaty fingers.

Company testers have discovered that the Touch ID sensor will not always respond to fingertips coated in sweat, lotion, or other liquids, an Apple spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal. 

Besides fluids, the scanner also doesn't seem to like fingertips with scars. However, the company spokesperson told the Journal that this issue is easily solvable by using another finger on the scanner.

Apple's Touch ID sensor technology is something completely new for smartphone users. The scanner is capacitive, thin, and can scan in 360 degrees. This means the sensor doesn't have to be oriented in a certain manner in relation to a user's finger. It also can learn multiple fingers, so it's not limited to just a thumbprint. The technology is said to be superior to laptop fingerprint sensors that make users repeatedly swipe the scanner.

In adding a fingerprint sensor to the iPhone, Apple has begun to rethink device security and online identity. The scanner will presumably act as a first line of defense against would-be thieves and hackers. 

Users' fingerprint data will be encrypted and stored on the device's processor -- it will not be backed up to iCloud. According to the Journal, this type of storage means that it should be near impossible for a thief to reverse-engineer someone's fingerprint.

CNET contacted Apple for comment. We'll update this story when we get more information.

Family Hotels In Miami - Cheaper iPhone Will Cost More In China

Source      - http://www.nytimes.com/
By             - BRIAN X. CHEN and ERIC PFANNER
Category   - Family Hotels In Miami
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Family Hotels In Miami

With the introduction of a cheaper iPhone on Tuesday, Apple took a step toward catering to China, the world’s largest smartphone market and one that is crucial to the company’s future. 

But the cost of the phone — more than $700 in China — will still keep Apple’s phones beyond the reach of most Chinese consumers. And that predicament only underscores what has become increasingly clear in recent months: that Apple’s fortunes in China largely depend not on any phone, but on reaching a deal with China Mobile, the country’s largest cellphone carrier. 

On Wednesday, Apple took another step in that partnership, when the Chinese government said that Apple’s phones could run on China Mobile’s new cell network, essentially paving the way for a deal between the companies. 

An agreement would instantly give Apple access to China Mobile’s 700 million customers, and reaching it might require Apple to bend on price. China Mobile has been holding out on a deal for years, and it is now positioned to ask for better terms with Apple. 

“The only way they’ll have a significantly better time in China over the next 12 months is if they can sign China Mobile,” said Jan Dawson, a telecom analyst for Ovum. “A small percentage would be a large number of new customers for Apple. So it’s even more crucial now that Apple gets that deal done.” 

Apple has recently pursued an aggressive strategy for China. For the first time, Apple’s new phones will be released in China at the same time as they are in the United States. Analysts say the new gold color being offered for the higher-end iPhone 5S was probably designed for wealthy Chinese who enjoy flashing smartphones the same way they show off jewelry. And Apple has tailored some software features of its products for the Chinese, including easier setup for Chinese e-mail services. 

China’s cellphone market is growing quickly, surpassing the American market last year. But so far, most Chinese consumers are gravitating toward cheap Android smartphones that can be bought for as little as $100 at full price from handset makers like Xiaomi, Huawei and ZTE. 

Apple has been left as No. 6 in the Chinese market, and sales of its products in the country were down 4 percent in the second quarter compared with the same period last year. Though Apple is still enormously successful, its profit growth has slowed and its stock price has struggled. On Wednesday, the company’s shares fell more than 5 percent. 

In exchange for adding Apple to its lineup, China Mobile may demand that Apple help subsidize the cost of the iPhones. It might ask for a better cut of each iPhone sale. Or it could just ask for a more lax contract, in which it can reduce the prices of the phones. In the United States and some European markets, Apple has forbidden carriers from discounting the price of the iPhone. 

“With every passing month, China Mobile is getting stronger and Apple is getting weaker,” said Tero Kuittinen, a mobile analyst for Alekstra. “We have a moment where all of the cards are in China Mobile’s hands.” 

When the new iPhones, the 5C and 5S, are released on Sept. 20, they will be available through two other Chinese mobile carriers, China Unicom and China Telecom, which together have more than 400 million subscribers. 

Apple said on its Web site that the iPhone 5C, the cheaper model, would start at 4,488 renminbi, or $733, without subsidies from mobile operators. The new flagship iPhone 5S will start at 5,288 renminbi, or $864. That price is more than one-third higher in China than the $550 unsubsidized cost for the iPhone 5S in the United States. 

Apple products have always been more expensive in China than in the United States — even though iPhones are actually assembled in China. That is because iPhones sold in China are subject to a 17 percent value-added tax, while those that are exported can be sent abroad tax-free. 

The cost in mainland China is also higher than it is in Hong Kong, where there is no value-added tax or sales tax. There, Apple announced a price of 4,688 Hong Kong dollars, or $604, for the iPhone 5C. 

Yet even with that 17 percent factored in, Apple appears to be marking up the iPhone 5C substantially in China, potentially giving the company room to maneuver later. Chinese carriers do not generally subsidize the handset price for consumers, but they often discount their monthly bills. So the eventual cost to consumers has plenty of room to come down. 

Some analysts said Apple might have announced a high initial price in China to justify eventual price cuts. If an agreement with China Mobile were to come soon, Apple could then reap a marketing benefit by cutting prices just as it gained access to a vast new consumer base. 

Ben Bajarin, a technology analyst for Creative Strategies, a consulting firm, said it was possible that China Mobile could trim the cost of the iPhone 5C and use the device to lure customers into paying for more expensive smartphone plans. 

“That’s the one thing the iPhone’s been remarkably good at,” he said, “is driving value to the premium data service.”

Hotel Near Miami Beach - Apple's New iPhones May Underwhelm In China

Source    - http://www.usatoday.com/
By           - Bill Bishop
Category  - Hotel Near Miami Beach
Posted By  - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Hotel Near Miami Beach

So much for the expectation that Apple's Beijing satellite iPhone launch event would be anything special. Apple simply replayed a video recording of the California show and then allowed attendees to play with the new devices.

The new iPhones go on sale next week in China and they are very expensive. The starting prices for the 5c and 5s are $735 and $867, respectively. Given the supposed market segmentation strategy it seems strange that the 32G 5c model is the exact same price as the 16G 5s model.

Those prices are firmly at the high-end of the China market and the 5c is priced well above what many analysts expected. Those hoping that Apple was going to have a credible mid-market phone to regain market share will likely be disappointed.

The iPhone was once both the best phone and a highly coveted status symbol in China, and Apple stores witnessed near riots as customers rushed to buy. But the iPhone is no longer such an object of desire here and these models, while technically impressive, look to be too aesthetically undifferentiated to help return the iPhone to "bling" status.

As predicted in my previous post there was no announcement of a deal with China Mobile, the country's dominant mobile operator. For the first time the iPhone is compatible with China Mobile's network existing 3G and forthcoming 4G networks, which some interpret as a sign a deal is near.

Apple generates billions of dollars in China and its business here is the envy of many companies. Without a significant deal with China Mobile though it is hard to see how these new models reignite Apple's growth in this market.

Apple may have once had leverage with China Mobile, but no longer. The iPhone is a nice-to-have product for China Mobile but a deal with the carrier is now absolutely essential for Apple. Perhaps in addition to the new iPhones Apple will also have to show China Mobile an iKowtow?

Attractions In West Miami - PayPal To Offer Hands-Free Payment Through Smartphone App

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

Attractions In West Miami

In its bid to boost its acceptance in physical retail stores, PayPal has introduced technology that will enable people running its app on smartphones to automatically check in at stores and restaurants.

Paying only requires a verbal confirmation, the payment processor said in a blog post describing its hands-free Beacon technology that uses the Bluetooth Low Energy standard for wireless communications between the store's point-of-sale system and the customer's smartphone to identify and authenticate users.

Beacon also does away with the requirement to swipe credit cards when making payments. PayPal said its team started working "on designing an integrated solution that would enable a transaction to take place without having to open up an app, without GPS being turned on, and even without a phone signal for those places with thick concrete walls."

Consumers will be able to choose those stores they will want to get prompted to confirm payment for, and stores where their walking into the store will trigger a vibration or sound to confirm a successful check in. "If you enter a store and decline to check in, or just ignore the prompt entirely, no information is transmitted to PayPal or the merchant," PayPal said.

Stores running point-of-sale systems compatible with PayPal will have to plug a PayPal Beacon device in a power outlet in their store. PayPal Beacon sends out a Bluetooth low energy signal to anyone with the PayPal app.

PayPal plans to start piloting the technology in the fourth quarter with full rollout planned for early next year.
PayPal is giving 100 developers that submit the best ideas access to the mobile in-store payments API (application programming interface) and a free developer version of the PayPal Beacon device. Developers are expected to try out ways to improve shopping experiences for customers, such as placing a customer's usual order as soon as they walk through the door or an interactive map to see where sales items are located.

Beacon will be available in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan. The pricing of the device was not disclosed. PayPal introduced last week a redesigned app that allowed people to order ahead at restaurants, starting with Eat24 locations. Users can also use the app to view and pay the restaurant bill.

Holiday In West Miami - iPhone 5S To Ring In The New With Expected Fingerprint Sensing Home Button

Source     - http://www.forbes.com/
By            - Press Release
Category   - Holiday In West Miami
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Holiday In West Miami

Tuesday will tell, but multiple rumors are pointing to a subtle design distinction for the forthcoming iPhone 5S. Along with new Gold and Graphite colors, the home button is expected have a new look signifying the inclusion of a fingerprint scanner within.

FOX News anchor (and now app developer) Clayton Morris first claimed, in an interview last month, that “sources” told him that the home button will “have a silver ring around it.” Speculation was raised by the inclusion in the invitation for Tuesday’s announcement of three silver-bordered rings along with the brightly-colored circles reminiscent of the iOS 7′s new palette. (I have inserted iPhone 5 home buttons into those rings in the spoof on Apple AAPL +0.61%‘s invitation above.) The features is also shown on questionable “leaked” photos of 5S packaging, but these could have been generated in response to Clayton as opposed to anything Apple is actually doing.

Additionally, Sonny Dickson released high-resolution photos on Friday of a sensor purported to be attached to the new home button, but there has need no independent corroboration of the actual functionality of the leaked part.

Most accounts have indicated that initially the sensor will be able to authenticate a user on the device, as the lock screen passcode does now, but not yet be capable of secure payments. The payment piece will obviously be a really big deal, and many companies are pursuing that grail, but fingerprint authentication, if it works reliably, will be a big boon to Apple in winning over enterprise IT departments.

Wells Fargo WFC -0.93% analyst and AllThingsD contributor Maynard Um, quoted this morning in USA Today, says that, “Enterprises want to know devices are in the right hands, and this pretty much guarantees it. [the inclusion of a fingerprint scanner] addresses enterprise security issues for Apple and will open up that market to the company more.” Um is bullish on the new technology that Apple bought from Authentec, and on Thursday he raised his price range estimate for Apple by almost 10% (from $485-$525 to $525-$575) in advance of the 5S release.

“Everyone is looking at what this new phone can do, and one of the key things is fingerprint authentication,” Um told USA Today. “People are underestimating what this technology can do.” Indeed, the authentication feature has been the one genuinely new aspect of the 5S that has surfaced, leading me to speculate that the “S” will stand for “security.” In combination with iOS 7′s iCloud Keychain, the fingerprint scanner could make the use of the new iPhones both more spontaneous and more secure.

Sebastien Taveau, the CTO of Validity Sensors, one of Authentec’s major competitors, reminds us in the USA Today article that, ”The swipe and PIN was one of the things Steve Jobs hated. It was in the way of the user experience.” This could be the biggest post-Jobs improvement in user experience undertaken by Apple under Tim Cook, and its success (or failure) will tell us a lot about the future viability of the company’s ability to innovate.

Apple will not be alone, particularly in the pursuit of biometric authentication for payments. PayPal president David Marcus predicts that, ”Within the next two years the vast majority of high-end smartphones will have biometrics and mainly fingerprint logins. It’s going to be very useful for payments.” PayPal is partners with Google GOOG +0.02%, BlackBerry, Lenovo and Validity Sensors in the FIDO Alliance (Fast Identity Online) a trade group that is charged with developing open standards for biometric alternatives to passwords and PINs. Apple, you will notice, is not a member of that group, indicating it intends to go its own way with this technology.

Port Of Miami Hotels - The Start menu -- Cause Or Effect?

Source      - http://betanews.com/
By             - Andy Gowen
Category    - Port Of Miami Hotels
Posted By  - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Port Of Miami Hotels

When Windows 95 was released there was a lot of fuss about the Start menu and debate about whether it would catch-on. It was a significant departure from icon shortcuts in program groups; or superficially at least. In reality, it was simply the program groups (folders) put in a hierarchical order and rather wisely, the option to place folders, icons and shortcuts on the desktop remained (to this day).

The Start menu developed; it grew out of the logic of the program shortcut and built upon that logic. It was not intended to abruptly impose a new paradigm but to slowly replace the shortcut as customers became comfortable with the concept. That journey never really ended, as the icon shortcut was not phased-out -- why would it be?

There is no good reason to withdraw functionality that provides another easy avenue for the user to achieve their desired goal. The Start menu became the paradigm for Windows; indeed, to many, it was Windows. There it remained -- from Windows 95 all the way through to Windows 7 -- a 17 year (and counting) fixture.

So why was the Start menu unceremoniously dumped with the introduction of Modern UI? Why was the continuous story of the shortcut, to Start menu, to Modern UI broken; and why (if this break was needed) did the older shortcut icon survive? I think at least part of that story can be traced to Bill Gates stepping down as chief software architect in 2006, removing his vision and historical design anchor point; effectively leaving Steve Ballmer with the vision control. By 2006, the groundwork for Windows 7 was already in place, so its eventual release in 2009 followed the basic Start menu paradigm but with some bells and whistles added; nothing radical, just another incremental step along the path.

Ballmer is, by trade, a business manager (and a darned good one) but he did not bring Gates' programming and software development skills to the party. Combine this with Microsoft’s historic and continuing berating and confrontational management style and you find an environment where everyone (even the boss) is forever trying to prove themselves by leading change -- regardless of whether that change is needed/necessary, or not. Such an environment does not reward brilliantly managing what you already have; it only values something new that kicks away the old. That is an accident waiting to happen; change for its own sake and almost regardless of external demand.

In short, the answer was that Microsoft stopped listening to its customers and started dictating to them. The mantra of a common interface that ran through the new Microsoft culture has been allowed to overcome the more important and influential voice of the consumer (the one with the money). Microsoft left a version of the command prompt (cmd.exe – from the 1980s!) in place, for goodness sake, so keeping legacy code obviously was not a problem. The Start menu decision was management dogma, pure and simple.

Stepping back for one second, the basic marketing question that comes to mind is; "what harm would it do to give your customer the choice of Modern UI or Start menu?" Why not follow the successful adoption process from Windows 95? After all, if Modern UI is as good as Microsoft claims, then people will naturally migrate to it as they see the benefits outweighing their archaic old Start menu. Again, the answer is wholly within Microsoft; managers need to bring change in order to prove self-worth to the company. If Modern UI and the Start menu were allowed to coexist, then there was always the risk that the Start menu would win the popularity contest and the change would fail; along with the sponsor’s career. On the back of that risk, the Start menu had to go.

Personally, I have no opinion on whether Modern UI is better or worse than the Start menu; it is an otiose argument. The deciding factor is the context. To my mind, Modern UI is superior on a touch screen and the Start menu is better on a desktop. Your views may (and almost certainly will) differ. The underpinning point is that Microsoft could (and should) respect your opinion and let you have that choice; it just decided not to do so.

(You may recall that prior to Windows Phone 7’s release in 2010, there was Windows Mobile 6; a mobile OS based on the desktop paradigm. Put simply, it was dire. You can’t impose a desktop OS on a mobile device -- or the other way around. They are simply different beasts.)

The Modern UI/Start menu debate is only happening because Microsoft made a terrible marketing decision based on internal company problems. It decided to remove functionality that could easily be left in place and which a good proportion of its customers demanded. Any decision that reduces or alienates a proportion of your customers is a bad decision, unless you can squeeze more profit from the slice of business that is left. This is not Microsoft’s natural stomping ground and it was a critically bad decision. Microsoft is not about disruptive change or dictating to customers (I can hear the laughter!). It was and should be about development, choice and response to customers.

As any great leader will tell you; no decision is final and mistakes must be rectified quickly and with minimal fuss. There is still time for Microsoft to become the company of customer choice and embrace the diversity of preferences of its users. There just needs to be the will to do it. As an aside, reorganizing the company’s department structure cannot magically make-up for removing choice and it definitely will not bring success to a failing strategy.

The Start menu is just a symptom of the underlying problem at Microsoft -- bad management practice. If the leader can’t change a bad strategy, then it is time to change the leader. It seems, judging from last week's announcement, that Microsoft agrees.

Budget Miami Hotels - Apple To Unveil New iPhone Models? What We Want To See

Source     - http://popwatch.ew.com/
By            - Samantha Highfill
Category   - Budget Miami Hotels
Posted By  - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Budget Miami Hotels

On Sept. 10, Apple is holding an event at its headquarters in Cupertino, California to reportedly unveil new models of the iPhone, from a standard upgrade for the iPhone 5 to a brand new model that’s meant to be more affordable for those in developing regions. The event will also feature the release of an overhaul to the iOS mobile operating system, according to Bloomberg.

All that sounds great and fancy, but what does it really mean for those of us with iPhones? Well, iOS7 has been introduced with a number of new features, including a Control Center, a Notification Center, and better multitasking (so all of those commercials can finally stop). It also promises an overall more organized experience when it come to things such as photos, and easier sharing with AirDrop, which uses WiFi and Bluetooth to share anything from an app. And did we mention the more colorful screen?

So far so good. But considering my iPhone is pretty much my best friend at this point, there are a few other adjustments I’d really like to see:

Colorful options: It’s time for customers to be able to get a blue iPhone if that’s what they want. It’s been five years. This relationship is not just black and white (and champagne) anymore.

Time stamps on iMessage: Surely this isn’t too much to ask for. It’s as simple as knowing when you sent a message, which works with text messages, so why doesn’t it apply to iMessages?

Easy picture editing: iOS7 has mentioned the ability to add filters to photos, which is great — or pointless if you’re an Instagram person — but what I want is to be able to edit photos easily without having to get a separate app.

Complete app control: Maybe this will never happen, but being able to get rid of the apps I don’t use (even the pre-installed ones) would really free up some space on my beloved home screen.

Auto-translate: I’m talking about the ability to translate a text message without ever leaving the app. Let that sink in.

Better battery life/wireless charging: I’m told this exists, so why am I still plugging in my phone at night?

Tactile screen: I’m told this exists, so why am I still touching a seemingly flat surface?

Individual MiFi for every phone: Without any extra cost, please and thank you.

Financial aid: No, my iPhone doesn’t need to lend me money. But if it could alert me when my bills are due without me having to add it in my calendar myself, my credit would greatly appreciate it.

Upgraded alarm clock: Here’s the deal — I want my alarm clock to 1) Link with my calendar, so it can wake me up by telling me that I have a 9 a.m. meeting (or whatever); 2) Be able to sound like anyone I want. I would definitely wake up if Ben McKenzie were saying “Good Morning,” wouldn’t you?; And 3) There’s no reason why my iPhone can’t know the difference between me turning off the alarm in a semi-comatose state and actually waking up. Bottom line: I shouldn’t oversleep anything ever again. Look, I’m not asking it to make me breakfast — let’s not get crazy — but it would be nice if it could turn on my coffee pot, pour my coffee, add milk and two sugars, and then put the mug on my nightstand (but not too close that I knock it over getting out of bed).

Shopping assistance: I don’t need my iPhone to carry my grocery bags (though that would be helpful), but it would be great if it could look in my fridge and tell me if my eggs have expired, how much wine is left, and if I have enough milk for it to make my coffee for the rest of the week.

Overall companionship: When my roommate is gone and something like Batfleck happens, I need someone to talk to. My iPhone knows what’s going on with Twitter and such, so why can’t I just talk to him/her about it (gender will be determined by what color phone I get)? And when we’re done chatting, it can give me endless compliments! Too much?

Now I pass the torch to you, PopWatchers. What changes would you make to your iPhone?