Suites In New Orleans - Scientists Discover DNA Body Clock

Source     - http://www.theguardian.com/
By            - Ian Sample
Category  - Suites In New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Suites In New Orleans

A US scientist has discovered an internal body clock based on DNA that measures the biological age of our tissues and organs.

The clock shows that while many healthy tissues age at the same rate as the body as a whole, some of them age much faster or slower. The age of diseased organs varied hugely, with some many tens of years "older" than healthy tissue in the same person, according to the clock.

Researchers say that unravelling the mechanisms behind the clock will help them understand the ageing process and hopefully lead to drugs and other interventions that slow it down.

Therapies that counteract natural ageing are attracting huge interest from scientists because they target the single most important risk factor for scores of incurable diseases that strike in old age.

"Ultimately, it would be very exciting to develop therapy interventions to reset the clock and hopefully keep us young," said Steve Horvath, professor of genetics and biostatistics at the University of California in Los Angeles.

Horvath looked at the DNA of nearly 8,000 samples of 51 different healthy and cancerous cells and tissues. Specifically, he looked at how methylation, a natural process that chemically modifies DNA, varied with age.

Horvath found that the methylation of 353 DNA markers varied consistently with age and could be used as a biological clock. The clock ticked fastest in the years up to around age 20, then slowed down to a steadier rate. Whether the DNA changes cause ageing or are caused by ageing is an unknown that scientists are now keen to work out.

"Does this relate to something that keeps track of age, or is a consequence of age? I really don't know," Horvath told the Guardian. "The development of grey hair is a marker of ageing, but nobody would say it causes ageing," he said.

The clock has already revealed some intriguing results. Tests on healthy heart tissue showed that its biological age – how worn out it appears to be – was around nine years younger than expected. Female breast tissue aged faster than the rest of the body, on average appearing two years older.

Diseased tissues also aged at different rates, with cancers speeding up the clock by an average of 36 years. Some brain cancer tissues taken from children had a biological age of more than 80 years.

"Female breast tissue, even healthy tissue, seems to be older than other tissues of the human body. That's interesting in the light that breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. Also, age is one of the primary risk factors of cancer, so these types of results could explain why cancer of the breast is so common," Horvath said.

Healthy tissue surrounding a breast tumour was on average 12 years older than the rest of the woman's body, the scientist's tests revealed.

Writing in the journal Genome Biology, Horvath showed that the biological clock was reset to zero when cells plucked from an adult were reprogrammed back to a stem-cell-like state. The process for converting adult cells into stem cells, which can grow into any tissue in the body, won the Nobel prize in 2012 for Sir John Gurdon at Cambridge University and Shinya Yamanaka at Kyoto University.

"It provides a proof of concept that one can reset the clock," said Horvath. The scientist now wants to run tests to see how neurodegenerative and infectious diseases affect, or are affected by, the biological clock.

"These data could prove valuable in furthering our knowledge of the biological changes that are linked to the ageing process," said Veryan Codd, who works on the effects of biological ageing in cardiovascular disease at Leicester University. "It will be important to determine whether the accelerated ageing, as described here, is associated with other age-related diseases and if it is a causal factor in, or a consequence of, disease development.

"As more data becomes available, it will also be interesting to see whether a similar approach could identify tissue-specific ageing signatures, which could also prove important in disease mechanisms," she added.

Suites In New Orleans - 6 Ways to Keep Your Brain from Aging

Source      - http://blogs.discovery.com/
By            - Press Release
Category  - Suites In New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Suites In New Orleans

As we age, we need all the help we can get when it comes to preventing dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and generally keeping your brain from aging. In fact, your brain is an average 15 percent smaller when you’re 80 then it was when you were 20.  

And diet seems to have a real impact on your brain overtime, the way you feed your body can actually keep your brain from aging. Here's how:

1. Eat sardines. 

A study at the University of Oregon Health and Science School found that those who tested high for omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D experienced less brain shrinkage than those that didn’t. Sardines are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D; they have a number of benefits that other sources of omega fatty acids do not have. Namely, they're much less polluted with mercury when compared to other fatty fish like tuna and salmon. 

2. Indulge in shellfish.

Shellfish are high in B-12 as well as B vitamins like folate and B6, which are known to reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease. A small Finnish study published in the journal Neurology, found that people who consume foods rich in B12 may reduce their risk of Alzheimer's, a disease that permanently damages the brain, in their later years. 

3. Avoid trans-fats.

Diets high in trans-fats promote brain shrinkage, according to a study published in the journal Neurology. Those who ate the most trans-fats performed the worst on thinking and memory tests. Trans-fats tend to be found in fast food, pre-packaged foods, and margarine spreads, though there has been a move to remove trans-fats from the American diet because of its impact on heart disease.  

4. Eat elderberries.

Elderberries are a tiny, dark purple berry, popular in pies, jams, and jellies. They're packed with quercetin, a flavonoid that’s critical to your brain’s health. Like blueberries and strawberries, the flavonoids found in elderberries help reduce harmful inflammation at a cellular level. Quercetin boosts your mitachondrial level, the cell powerhouse, which amps the overall energy level of the cell.

5. Enjoy beets.

Poor blood flow throughout the body and especially in your brain causes mental decline as we age. Beets are packed with natural nitrates that help improve blood flow. Consider cabbage and radishes as well. 

6. Keep it social.

A Dutch study linked loneliness in old age to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. However, it’s important to note that being alone and loneliness are not the same thing.

Suites In New Orleans - Is The Smartphone Market Fragmented?

Source       -http://www.mycentraljersey.com/
By             - Andre Mouton
Category   - Suites In New Orleans
Posted By  - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Suites In New Orleans

The Galaxy S4 was announced in March, and there's a good chance you heard about it. Samsung's spring event, like Apple's fall one, has turned into something like the State of the Union address. One day a year, everyone tunes in -- even those who could normally care less -- to get informed about the seminal issues of our time.

What you may not realize is that there are actually five Galaxy S4s. There's the standard 5-inch version, and there's the 4.3-inch Mini. The Galaxy S4 Mega is a pocket-stretching 6.3-inch phablet, while the Zoom is a camera phone with a beer gut. Finally, there's the Active, a water-resistant S4 that goes mountain biking on the weekends.

Samsung's surprisingly complicated lineup reflects an increasingly complicated market. For years, the smartphone industry was a vanity race between rock-star handsets, namely Apple's iPhone and the Galaxy line. Today, however, even low-end devices offer handsome form factors, high-resolution screens, and advanced data connections. In many cases, consumers no longer need the latest and greatest, and they're settling for the cheapest. The industry is commoditizing, and this in turn is driving fragmentation. In order to stand out from the pack, and prop up falling margins, manufacturers are turning to niche markets, where competitors are fewer and innovation might still get noticed.

This trend has brought us camera-smartphone hybrids like the S4 Zoom and Nokia's Lumia 1020, loaded with high-resolution lenses and advanced photography features. Samsung's S4 Active and Sony's Xperia Z1 will both survive a dip in the pool, while the Casio G'zOne boasts a rugged exterior built for wilderness survival. Google's Moto X offers customizable backplates for those who simply need their smartphone to come in Spearmint, and the iPhone 5S sports fingerprint recognition for the privacy-minded individual. Some of these features may seem like gimmicks, unlikely to become industry standards; but with manufacturers focusing on their small game, we should probably expect to see more of this gimmickry.

If peripheral markets are one of the few big growth opportunities remaining, they're also somewhat friendlier to smaller brands and new entrants. To give one example, the demise of BlackBerry has left a gaping hole in the enterprise. Businesses have embraced the iPhone, and yet it's a virtual certainty that Apple, as a consumer-facing company, will never cater its hardware or software to the workplace. Android poses security problems for IT departments, and Windows Phone is mostly limited to lipstick-colored Nokia handsets. Bring-your-own-device is often touted as an advantage of the mobile era, but it could also reflect the lack of a better option for the office. Perhaps there's a window of opportunity here for some new competitor -- or even for BlackBerry, if it can get its act together -- that can provide business-friendly features like advanced security, an email-friendly keyboard, and close integration with company IT.

Video gaming represents another potentially lucrative market. Sony already sells a Playstation-branded mobile called the Xperia Play, and Microsoft is rumored to be working on closer integration of Windows Phone and the Xbox One. With the smartphone side of the equation standardized, consumers may begin to focus on the other things they can do with their handheld devices -- like play console games. Even a newcomer like Nintendo could potentially carve its way into the market; brand recognition and a back catalogue of titles would go a long way.

We're also seeing fragmentation in software, with mixed results. The Moto X offers advanced voice recognition and other perks not generally found on an Android handset, and for those who enjoy Google's services, it could be an attractive option. Until this year, Microsoft refused to release Office apps for IOS and Android, hoping to drive consumers to Windows Phone. The strategy didn't work -- or at least, it failed to move Windows Phone out of a (very) distant third place. Facebook Home promised an immersive social media experience to anyone who wanted it -- and few did.

Whether consumers embrace these niche products or not probably depends on what they're asked to sacrifice. Facebook Home was mostly an inconvenience for those who wanted to use their smartphones to make calls, shoot texts, or run apps; older generations of camera phones were awkward to hold or pocket. Compromises on form factor, usability, battery life, and price are a recipe for failure. First and foremost, a smartphone needs to be a smartphone.

It remains to be seen whether fragmentation succeeds in the marketplace. High-profile devices like the iPhone are still driving headlines, and stories about "the next big thing" continue to attract investors looking for an equally big return. One-size-fits-all makes for an exciting narrative, but the reality is that smartphones are deeply personal devices. They follow us everywhere, and have the potential to be useful in many different situations. Maybe we should expect some differences in personality.

Suites In New Orleans - Almost 90 Percent Of Internet Users Have Taken Steps To Avoid Surveillance

Source        - http://www.pcworld.com/
By              - Loek Essers
Category    - Suites In New Orleans
Posted By -  Homewood Suites New Orleans

Suites In New Orleans

A majority of U.S. Internet users polled in a recent survey report taking steps to remove or mask their digital footprints online, according to a report from the Pew Research Center’s Internet Project and Carnegie Mellon University.

While 86 percent of the Internet users polled said they made some attempt hide what they do online, more than half of the Web users also said they have taken steps to avoid observation by organizations, specific people or the government, according to the survey. 

The survey’s findings are based on telephone interviews among a sample of 1002 adults, age 18 or older in July, with 792 Internet users among the respondents. 

People use a variety of measures to decrease their online visibility, the study showed. The most popular one is clearing cookie and browser history, which 64 percent of Internet users polled said they did. Forty-one percent said they deleted or edited something they had posted in the past and 41 percent said they disabled or turned off their browsers’ use of cookies, Pew said. 

Other measures taken to cloak online activity were not using websites that asked to disclose a user’s real name (36 percent of users polled), using a temporary user name or email address (26 percent), posting comments without revealing who you are (25 percent). Twenty-one percent of the Internet users polled said they had asked others to remove something that was posted about them. 

Some Internet users also use public computers to browse and give inaccurate information about themselves, while 14 percent said they at times encrypt email and 14 percent said they use services like virtual networks or proxy servers such as Tor anonymity software, which allow them to browse without being tied to a specific IP address, the survey found. 

Beyond general measures taken to go online more or less anonymously, the majority of Internet users polled (55 percent) have tried to avoid observation by specific people or groups. “Hackers, criminals and advertisers are at the top of the list of groups people wish to avoid,” Pew said. 

But a minority of Web users said they tried to hide their online activities from certain friends, people form their past, family members or partners as well as their employers, coworkers, supervisors, companies, people that might want payment for downloaded files and to a lesser extent the government (5 percent) and law enforcement (4 percent). 

However, despite these precautions 21 percent of the online adults polled said they have had an email or social media account hijacked and 11 percent said they have had vital information like Social Security numbers, bank account data, or credit cards stolen. 

Discovering that many Internet users have tried to conceal their identity or their communications from others was the biggest surprise to the research team, they said in a news release. Not only hackers, but almost everyone has taken some action to avoid surveillance and despite their knowing that anonymity is virtually impossible, most Internet users think they should be able to avoid surveillance online, they said. 

Most U.S. citizens would like to be anonymous and untracked online, at least every once in a while, but many think it is not possible to be completely anonymous online, Pew said. “This reinforces the notion that privacy is not an all-or-nothing proposition for internet users. People choose different strategies for different activities, for different content, to mask themselves from different people, at different times in their lives,” the researchers wrote. 

One of the most revealing contradictions in the results of the survey is that those who have taken steps to try to avoid observation by others and those who have taken more general steps to be anonymous are more likely than others to have personal information posted online, the researchers said. 

Internet users surveyed said they have a photo of themselves online (66 percent), while about half of those polled said their birth date was available online. A minority said that their email address, home address, mobile number or political affiliation was available. 

A majority of Web users polled, 66 percent, said they think current privacy laws are not good enough to provide reasonable protections for people’s privacy on their online activities. 

“Interestingly, there are not noteworthy differences in answers to this question associated with political or partisan points of view. Tea Party supporters, conservative Republicans, self-described moderates, and liberal Democrats are not statistically significantly different in their answers,” the researchers wrote.

Suites In New Orleans - Pregnant? It's OK To Have A Glass Of Wine

Source           - http://www.kplu.org/
By                  - Press Release
Category       - Suites In New Orleans
Posted By      - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Suites In New Orleans

In her new book Expecting Better, economist and new mom Emily Oster parses the evidence behind all the recommendations given to pregnant women. She argues that, as an economist, she's trained to both examine evidence and think about trade-offs.

Oster is the guest on today's show, which we'll post shortly. In the meantime, here are a few of her findings in the book: 

On Alcohol

There is no question that very heavy drinking during pregnancy is bad for your baby. ... However, this does not directly imply that light or occasional drinking is a problem. ... The bottom line is that the evidence overwhelmingly shows that light drinking is fine. In fact, there is virtually no evidence that drinking a glass of wine a day has negative impacts on pregnancy or child outcomes.

On Weight Gain

The evidence was strong enough to convince me that weight gain does matter in the sense that it impacts the baby's size in particular. But that wasn't quite the same as convincing me that the weekly haranguing [at the doctor's office] was appropriate. How should I think about the downside to gaining too much weight? How should I trade that off against the fact that, let's face it, I was hungry and I like cookies.

The one overwhelming thing I took away from this was that it doesn't matter very much. Gaining a few pounds, even 10 or 15, over the weight limit is not very important. Even in studies that do find some risks to too much weight gain, these effects are small and don't kick in for women who gain, say, 37 pounds. At one visit I was informed that if I continued my current rate of gaining, I would be at 36 pounds, and the limit was 35, so I should try to cut down. Nothing — not evidence and not basic logic — supports this.

On Caffeine

I ultimately concluded that the weight of the evidence didn't support limiting my consumption very much. I decided the 3 to 4 cups a day I was having was fine. It's possible you will read this evidence and decide that you would like to stay under 2 cups. There's no reason to have less than that if you feel up to it.

Suites In New Orleans - This Is The Biggest Reason Apple Is Releasing a Budget iPhone

Source - http://news.yahoo.com/
By - Brad Reed
Category - Suites In New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Suites In New Orleans

For anyone puzzled why Apple is risking its high margins by releasing a cheaper iPhone, a new survey from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners may give some answers. As AllThingsD reports, the survey shows that while Apple is still the best in the business at attracting repeat smartphone buyers, it is having considerably less success with first-time buyers. In fact, while 50% of repeat smartphone buyers say they plan on buying an iPhone, just around 35% of first-time buyers say the same. 

Although the percentage of first-time buyers interested in buying an iPhone is still higher than the percentage interested in buying a Samsung smartphone, AllThingsD notes that Apple still wants to expand its reach among first-time buyers so that it doesn’t lose market share to low-cost Android devices. These first-time buyers “tend to be more price-conscious, and also tend to keep their devices longer than longer-term smartphone owners,” AllThingsD writes, which means that Apple will need a low-cost device to get them onboard.

As we’ve noted before, the big trick for Apple will be reeling in new smartphone customers with its low-cost iPhone while making sure that its existing customers don’t buy the cheaper device in lieu of Apple’s high-end models. It will be tough to pull off, but at this point it seems the company has little choice but to try.

Suites In New Orleans - Skipping Breakfast May Increase Heart Attack Risk

Source - http://www.boston.com/
By - MIKE STOBBE
Category - Suites In New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

 

Suites In New Orleans

Another reason to eat breakfast: Skipping it may increase your chances of a heart attack.

A study of older men found those who regularly skipped breakfast had a 27 percent higher risk of a heart attack than those who ate a morning meal. There’s no reason why the results wouldn’t apply to other people, too, the Harvard researchers said.

Other studies have suggested a link between breakfast and obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and other health problems seen as precursors to heart problems.

‘‘But no studies looked at long-term risk of heart attack,’’ said Eric Rimm, one of the study authors at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Why would skipping breakfast be a heart attack risk?

Experts aren’t certain, but here’s what they think: People who don’t eat breakfast are more likely to be hungrier later in the day and eat larger meals. Those meals mean the body must process a larger amount of calories in a shorter amount of time. That can spike sugar levels in the blood and perhaps lead to clogged arteries.

But is a stack of syrupy pancakes, greasy eggs and lots of bacon really better than eating nothing?

The researchers did not ask what the study participants ate for breakfast, and were not prepared to pass judgment on whether a fatty, sugary breakfast is better than no breakfast at all.

Other experts agreed that it’s hard to say.

‘‘We don’t know whether it’s the timing or content of breakfast that’s important. It’s probably both,’’ said Andrew Odegaard, a University of Minnesota researcher who has studied a link between skipping breakfast and health problems like obesity and high blood pressure.

‘‘Generally, people who eat breakfast tend to eat a healthier diet,’’ he added.

The new research was released Monday by the journal Circulation. It was an observational study, so it’s not designed to prove a cause and effect. But when done well, such studies can reveal important health risks.

The researchers surveyed nearly 27,000 men about their eating habits in 1992. About 13 percent of them said they regularly skipped breakfast. They all were educated health professionals — like dentists and veterinarians — and were at least 45.

Over the next 16 years, 1,527 suffered fatal or non-fatal heart attacks, including 171 who had said they regularly skipped breakfast.

In other words, over 7 percent of the men who skipped breakfast had heart attacks, compared to nearly 6 percent of those who ate breakfast.

The researchers calculated the increased risk at 27 percent, taking into account other factors like smoking, drinking, diet and health problems like high blood pressure and obesity.

As many as 18 percent of U.S. adults regularly skip breakfast, according to federal estimates. So the study could be important news for many, Rimm said.

‘‘It’s a really simple message,’’ he said. ‘‘Breakfast is an important meal.’’

Suites In New Orleans - 10 Surprising Human Foods Dogs Can Eat

Source - http://shine.yahoo.com/
By - Woman s Day
Category - Suites In New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Suites In New Orleans

You know how you get sick of the same foods every day? Variety can spice up a dog's life too. Plenty of people foods are safe for your pooch, and some even have healthy perks. While certain nibbles aren't suitable for all dogs, especially those with chronic conditions and allergies, the following meals and snacks work well as occasional treats. After checking with your vet, make a date with your dog over one of these 10 pet-friendly dishes. Photo by Sarah Bonk; Food styling by Corey Belle

1. Spinach Omelet

Eggs are eggs-cellent for pooches: They're a "perfect protein source," says Tina Wismer, DVM, medical director at the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center. Meanwhile, the spinach offers fiber, which regulates weight, and vitamins A and K, which aid in metabolism and keep skin and coat healthy. Since anything but standard dog food should account for no more than 10% of your pet's daily caloric intake, stick to one egg (or a few egg whites) at a sitting, according to Dr. Wismer.

2. Yogurt and Banana Parfait

 If your furry friend loves fetch, this parfait is a top-notch post-playtime snack. "Yogurt is a good source of protein and calcium, and bananas are full of electrolytes, potassium and fiber," says Jules Benson, a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and vice president of veterinary services at Petplan pet insurance. These nutrients maintain fluid balance and muscle strength, while boosting energy. Larger dogs can enjoy a 6 oz cup of plain, lowfat yogurt (Greek yogurt works too), while smaller breeds should eat no more than a 3 oz serving, says Dr. Benson.

3. Boiled Chicken and Brown Rice

 The cure for an upset doggy stomach just may be this easily digestible, fiber-rich combo, says Dr. Wismer. Since poultry can cause itching and diarrhea in some dogs, though, Babette Gladstein, VMD, volunteer vet at the Humane Society of New York, suggests starting with a .5-oz serving to ensure your pet's tummy can handle it. Don't season the chicken with anything but salt and pepper (steer clear of dog hazards like onion and garlic powder, which can trigger anemia), and make sure the meat's thoroughly cooked.

4. Salmon and Green Beans

This colorful meal is chockfull of benefits. "Salmon is a good source of omega 3s and fish oil, which helps with coat and joints," says Dr. Wismer. Cook the salmon well to nix harmful bacteria, and stick to a 1-oz portion for smaller dogs (2 oz for larger dogs); too much of the rich fish can upset stomachs. As for the beans, "Green beans are great snacks for dogs looking to lose weight, as they're low in calories but high in fiber, which makes dogs feel full," says Dr. Benson. One cup provides only 30 calories and no fat.

 5. Apples and Peanut Butter 
 Satisfy the afternoon munchies with this sweet-and-salty snack. "Apples contain pectin, which helps digestion," says Dr. Gladstein. Plus, the crunchy fruit cleans teeth and freshens breath. "They're rich in sugars, so stick to a few slices," advises Dr. Gladstein. The skins are safe to leave on, but discard the core, since the seeds can be toxic. Adding 1 to 2 tsp of peanut butter provides your pup with loads of healthy fats, protein and vitamins, says Dr. Benson. But choose an all-natural variety-the fewer added sweeteners, the better.

6. Steak and Mashed Sweet Potatoes

This sophisticated supper has a healthy bonus. "Lean red meat is an excellent source of amino acids, which build muscle, and B vitamins, which stimulate metabolism," says Dr. Benson. Bake or boil (don't grill) 1 oz of the leanest cuts and trim any visible fat. Sweet potatoes make a nutritious side dish because they're high in fiber, vitamin C and beta carotene, which is good for puppy-dog eyes, adds Dr. Benson. Skip the butter and brown sugar; just as in humans, these high-calorie additives can lead to obesity, dental issues and diabetes.

7. Pasta with Peas and Carrots

 Your pup won't be able to keep his paws off this dish-and he doesn't have to. "Plain boiled pasta is easily digestible," says Dr. Benson. Choose frozen peas and carrots over canned; the former have more of the nutritional value preserved, he adds. The veggies offer vitamin A, good for your pet's skin and coat, and B vitamins, which boost energy and metabolism. Dr. Gladstein recommends opting for gluten-free pasta to avoid triggering gluten allergies, which would cause digestive issues and lethargy. Depending on your dog's size, boil ¼ to 1 cup of dry pasta and skip sauces to avoid stomach upset. Again, leave toxic garlic and onions off the menu.

8. Fruit Salad

 In the dog days of summer, a fruit salad is a refreshing way to rehydrate. Loaded with vitamin C and fiber, whole fruit is a satisfying low-calorie treat for your canine. Melons (like watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe) and berries (like blueberries, strawberries and blackberries) are safe ingredients, but avoid grapes because they can cause kidney failure. Dr. Wismer suggests layering the fruit salad over cottage cheese, a good source of protein that's easily digestible. Wash fruit well, and serve only occasionally because it's high in sugar.

 9. Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

 Reward a good dog by baking a batch of cookies for dessert. Besides boasting healthy vitamins, peanut butter is also highly digestible. Meanwhile, oatmeal is packed with soluble fiber, which regulates digestion, says Dr. Benson. Simply combine raw, rolled oats (not the flavored, sweetened kind) with plain, all-natural peanut butter and bake until crisp. For a safe, chocolaty taste, add a few carob chips. But don't throw in raisins: Just like grapes, these can cause kidney failure.

10. Unsalted, Butter-Free Popcorn

Next time you plan a movie night, no hogging the popcorn! "Plain, air-popped popcorn builds bones with minerals like phosphorous, magnesium and calcium," explains Dr. Benson. Skip the salt and butter, which can lead to stomach upset, and pick out any unpopped kernels, which are choking hazards. A Labrador-size dog can enjoy a hefty 2 cup portion of plain popcorn, says Dr. Wismer.

Suites In New Orleans - Why Samsung’s New Galaxy Tab 3 Series Is Mimicking Galaxy Smartphones

Source - http://www.firstpost.com/
By - Press Release
Category - Suites In New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Suites In New Orleans

Samsung is making its tablet computers look more like its hit Galaxy phones in the hope that the success of the smartphones can boost tablet sales.

Samsung Electronics Co, the second-largest maker of tablets after Apple, is putting three new tablets in the Galaxy Tab 3 series on sale in the US on July 7. The cheapest, $199 device will have a screen that measures 7 inches (18 centimeters) diagonally. An 8-inch (20-centimeter) model will go for $299 and a 10-inch one for $399.

“Our goal is to attract Galaxy smartphone users, and to make it the ultimate smartphone accessory,” said Shoneel Kolhatkar, director of product planning at Samsung Mobile.

The “Tab” line is Samsung’s value brand, undercutting the price of similar Apple models. Samsung’s premium tablets are in the “Note” line, which include styluses.

The new tablets have the same three buttons on the front as the Galaxy smartphones. Last year’s Tab 2 had no physical buttons on the front, as encouraged by Google, which supplies the Android software.

The 10-inch (25-centimeter) model is the first Android-powered Samsung tablet to use an Intel processor. That’s a significant win for the Santa Clara, California, chipmaker, which has been trying to break into the market for cellphone and tablet chips now that PC sales are slumping. Other smartphones and tablets run chips made by a variety of companies, all based on designs from ARM Holdings PLC, a British company.

Samsung had 18 percent of the global tablet market in the first quarter this year, according to research firm IDC. Apple had 40 percent. In smartphones, the figures are nearly reversed, with Samsung dominating, largely because of its Galaxy line. Apple came in second with a 17 percent market share for the iPhone.

Even though the tablets have bigger screens than Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S4 smartphone, their screen resolution is lower. The 10-inch (25-centimetre) tablet has a resolution of 1280 by 800 pixels, compared with 1920 by 1080 for the phone. The smartphone packs in three times more detail in a square inch than the tablet does. Competitors Google and Apple have similarly-sized tablets with higher-resolution screens.

Suites In New Orleans - A Standing O For Apple's New Mac Pro

Source - http://www.pcmag.com/
By - John C. Dvorak
Category - Suites In New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Suites In New Orleans

Ever wonder why there has been a massive slowdown in PC growth? Don't blame Windows 8, blame Apple!

Apple has been the leader in tech and there is no indication that anything has changed. Dell is no leader, nor is Microsoft, Lenovo, or IBM. It's Apple. And Apple went too long without showing something new, thus the desktop market slowed down.

So it finally rolls out what appears to be a spectacular desktop machine capable of delivering a whopping seven teraflops of processing power. This is obviously the future king of all multimedia work, especially video editing, which needs all the help it can get. I would also assume that sort of power would make any Adobe application pop. No waiting!

The machine maxes out with 12 cores of Xeon E5 power and a souped-up RAM subsystem that will peak at 60 gigabytes per second bandwidth. It's a total butt-kicker that has no peer today.

Tomorrow is another story because within 30 days, the PC competition will roll out all sorts of machines that will attempt to match the Mac and undercut the price. Then again, maybe the competition won't do anything.

And even if they do something, it will pale in comparison to the Mac Pro's radical design. It's a 6.6-by-9.9-inch tube. It's not a box and it's not the old Apple cheese grater. Its unique design will surely win a lot of awards.

More importantly, you now have to wonder how the competition will counter this. Will someone else make a tubular computer? I doubt it since the competition can barely manage a cube, let alone a tube like this.

Apple left the PC designers in the dust with the old cheese grater and then blew up the market for laptops with the MacBooks and their unique solid aluminum cases. Now this. All the while, the PC desktoppers were still making big funky boxes filled with mostly air (and still overheating). Even the iMac was hard to copy. A few makers tried but got zero traction.

In this column, I've chided the PC makers for being duds for years. Most recently, I said that these folks should be promoting high-performance and three-monitor setups.

Of course nothing came of the idea. Now Apple rolls this gem out bragging about teraflops and multiple monitors—and not just three monitors but three 4K monitors!

The brain-dead PC folks are flat-footed once more. I can hear the counter argument already: "Well, this is all well and good but at the end of the day, people will be buying our cheap junk anyway because, well, it's cheap."

The PC makers should be ever so proud.

Suites In New Orleans - Hand, Foot And Mouth Disease: First Vaccine

Source - http://www.bbc.co.uk/
By - James Gallagher
Category - Suites In New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

 

Suites In New Orleans

The first vaccine which protects children against hand, foot and mouth disease has been reported by scientists in China.

The infection causes a rash and painful blisters, but in some cases results in brain infections which can be fatal.

A trial involving 10,000 children, published in the Lancet, showed the vaccine was 90% effective against one virus which causes the disease.

It does not protect against other viruses that result in the disease.

Viruses can cause large outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease. In 2009, there was an outbreak in China involving 1.2 million people. Nearly 14,000 people had severe complications and 353 people died.

Groups of researchers in Jiangsu province and Beijing tested a vaccine made from a deactivated enterovirus 71 (EV71), which causes the disease.

Two jabs were given to children between six and 35 months old. They prevented 90% of cases of hand, foot and mouth disease caused by EV71.

"Infection with EV71 is of particular concern because it can cause severe disease and even death in children. The EV71 vaccine could help prevent hospital admissions and severe cases," the researchers said.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is caused by many other viruses, such as Coxsackievirus A16 and even other strains of EV71, so this vaccine could not eliminate the disease.

The researchers themselves warn that: "The EV71 vaccine might have little part in reducing the overall incidence of HFMD, even by universal mass immunisation of children."

Commenting on the research, Dr Nigel Crawford and Dr Steve Graham, both from the University of Melbourne, said the vaccine was tailored to the predominant strain in China.

"The major effect of this vaccine will be to reduce hospital admission, which is an important result of many vaccines.

"The next step is to assess the appropriateness of including an EV71 vaccine in China's national immunisation programme."
  

Suites In New Orleans - GM to invest $258M In Milford Twp. Data Center

Source - http://www.detroitnews.com/
By - Melissa Burden
Category - Suites In New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Suites In New Orleans

General Motors Co. said Monday it will spend $258 million to build and equip a new data center at its Milford Proving Ground in Milford Township — one that will back up its new data center at the Warren Tech Center.

In total, GM will spend $546 million on constructing and equipping the two data centers in Milford and Warren, GM Chief Information Officer Randy Mott said. And there is room to expand in Warren, so GM could add to that total in the future, Mott said.

Construction at the proving ground is expected to begin this summer, with an opening targeted for July 2014.

GM said 350 skilled trades workers will be needed at the peak of construction for the Milford data center. The Milford Township data center will create 20 jobs once open, Milford Township Supervisor Donald Green previously told The Detroit News.

The Warren and Milford Township data centers are replacing 23 data centers that GM and three information technology suppliers operate across the globe. The move is part of the automaker's information technology overhaul, which also includes in-sourcing about 90 percent of its information technology work force over the next few years.

GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson said GM's competitors on average outsource about 30 to 35 percent of their information technology workload. Mott said when GM is finished with its transformation, he expects GM will have the least outsourced percentage of its competitors.

"Today, every single link of the automotive value chain is wired and connected, and that means from the design to the showroom floor," Akerson said during a news conference at the Warren Tech Center celebrating the opening of that data center. "That's why for any company — not just an automotive manufacturer — to be successful in the 21st century, you have to have a core competency in IT. You have to own it and you have to control it and when you don't, you're at the whim of other companies, their priorities, and if they have financial problems, their difficulties."

Akerson said to win in the auto business, the company must turn information technology into a competitive advantage. "When we're finished, we'll have one of the most robust business applications, software capabilities in the industry and accurate and timely, secure data, imperative for companies in the 21st century," he said.

GM said its proving ground location was chosen because it's more than 25 miles away from its center in Warren, but less than 50 miles away. That allows for "mirrored" data, which would give either facility the same data without an interruption if one goes off line, the company said.

"It's all about reducing risk and making sure no one event would affect both centers at the same time," Curt Loehr, GM information technology project manager, said in a statement. "Each center has its own utility feed using separate paths to provide uninterrupted power. We even checked weather data going back a half century, and Warren and Milford are affected by separate weather patterns."

The News reported Friday that GM received approval from Milford Township late last month on tax breaks worth about $3.2 million for the data center.

GM, which opened up the Warren data center to the media Monday, said the two centers will help the company work faster and smarter. That includes product development, manufacturing, marketing, sales and applications for subsidiary OnStar. The first data hall — in which row upon row of servers are housed and cables are snaked under a clear floor — opened in January in Warren; a second data hall will go live in July, GM said.

GM looked at companies such as eBay, Facebook and Google as it developed its data enterprise.

The automaker also showed its Warren innovation center, where more than 700 employees have been hired and are working on a number of software projects, many in open areas to foster collaboration. The center, one of four GM has opened across the U.S., could eventually house 1,500 workers.

GM wants to hire about 9,000 information technology workers over three to five years as it brings most information technology operations in-house.

Mott said that GM has hired about 1,800 information technology workers, plus has hired 2,500 former Hewlett-Packard employees; another 500 workers from Hewlett-Packard have been identified to join GM, the automaker has said.

Suites In New Orleans - Online Sales Tax Divides Small Businesses

Source - http://www.washingtonpost.com/
By - J.D. Harrison
Category - Suites In New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Suites In New Orleans

A legislative proposal to allow states to collect online sales tax has divided policymakers and small-business owners, but that hasn’t slowed its momentum on Capitol Hill.

The Marketplace Fairness Act would give states the authority to tax merchants from anywhere in the country that sell to customers inside their borders, be it through phone orders, catalogs or the Internet. The Senate could take up the measure today, less than three weeks after the latest version of the bill was introduced.

The legislation is intended to level the playing field for brick-and-mortar retailers while delivering additional revenue to state and local governments. It potentially poses major challenges for online merchants, who would be forced to start charging various tax rates for customers who live in any one of the country’s thousands of taxing jurisdictions.

Using a crowdsourced story format, we asked entrepreneurs last month to share their take on the proposal and how it would affect their businesses — and though a few supported the change, most denounced the measure as yet another potential burden on their business.

“This law is a nightmare,” commenter Carrie82 wrote. “I am a small-business owner, and with this bill, I can at best expect about an 80 percent drop in online profits, because I will have to stop selling to states other than my own that have sales tax.”

Many expressed similar concerns, warning that the cost of complying with the new tax mandate will deter small retailers from interstate commerce. Commenter CoachMaria, whose company sells CDs and e-books across the country, said she already stopped selling to several states that tried to collect taxes on her sales.

If Congress approves the change, she intends to stop selling out of state altogether.

“It’s a very costly proposition,” she wrote, noting that the software needed to monitor varying sales tax rates would be too expensive. “No states have the same rate.”

Hoping to ease concerns from the small-business community, the authors of the bill exempted companies with less than $1 million in annual revenue from paying online sales tax. But many have argued the cap is too low to protect small retailers.

“I believe it should be raised to $10 million,” wrote commenter Shirley Tan. “If a business sells $1 million online, it doesn’t mean that they got to keep all the money. They have inventory costs, labor costs, shipping costs. So even though it sounds like, ‘Wow, a business is selling $1 million,’ it sounds like a lot but it really isn’t.”

One Internet giant, eBay, has taken the same stance, sending a letter to users urging them speak out against the bill, or at least urge lawmakers to raise the exemption ceiling.

Taxation without representation?

Other critics include lawmakers in sales-tax-free states and proponents of a smaller government — the latter of whom believe the bill would set a dangerous precedent by forcing business owners to pay taxes in states where they have no presence, and where they therefore have no vote and see no direct benefit from their tax dollars.

Suites In New Orleans - Asian Markets Start Higher; Shanghai Slips

Source - http://news.morningstar.com/
By - Gazala Parveen
Category - Suites In New Orleans
Posted By - Homewood Suites New Orleans

Suites In New Orleans

Most Asian markets started the week on a positive note Monday with Japanese stocks leading the gains as the yen dropped to a four-year low against the dollar.

The Nikkei was up 2.1% at 12:40 p,.m. Tokyo time. The Sensex opened 0.4% higher while the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries gained 0.3%.

Among Chinese bourses, Hong Kong's Hang Seng was a tad higher-- up 0.1% but the Shanghai Composite lost 0.4% after a powerful earthquake in southwestern China over the weekend left 189 people dead.

In the currencies market, the yen lost ground agains major currencies of the world after Japanese finance minister said the G20 group of countries posed no objection to the Bank of Japan's recently announced aggressive monetary policies to beat inflation.

At the time of writing, the USD/JPY pair was trading 0.3% higher at 99.83. Commodities, including gold, silver and crude oil, were also trading mostly higher.

Stocks on the move

Exporters in Tokyo were trading broadly higher boosted by the yen's weakness. Mazda Motor Corp. accelerated more than 5.5%, Nissan Motor Co Ltd. rose 3.7% while Tokyo Electron Ltd. and Sumco Corp. moved up around 4% each.

Resources stocks, financials and retailers supported the broad market gains.

In Hong Kong, insurance companies traded under pressure in the wake of the earthquake in the Sichuan province. China Life Insurance dropped 1.9%, Ping An  Insurance retreated 1.7%.

Property developers were among other laggards. On the mainland, Gemdale Corp., Poly Real Estate and China Vanke lost more than 3% each.

Among gainers in Mumbai, Coal India topped the charts - up 3.8%, HDFC Bank was 2.3% higher, Hero MotoCorp added 2.2% while L&T climbed 2%.

On the flipside, Wipro tumbled 9.4% even though the IT giant reported 16.7% rise in net profit for the fourth quarter.

Other IT stocks were also lower -- Infosys lost 1.8% while TCS erased 0.5%.

In Sydney, miners and banking stocks scored slim gains. Index leader BHP Billiton climbed 0.3% while Rio Tinto tacked on a percent.

Banks NAB, Westpac and ANZ were up around 0.2% each.