Europe: learning from air traffic disruption caused by snow

Air: Siim Kallas calls airports (an airport is all buildings and facilities of an airport serving air traffic in a city or region. These buildings and facilities are designed so that aircraft can takeoff and landing, the cargo and passengers can embark and disembark.) to learn from the air traffic disruption caused by snow.

Siim Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for transport, met Jan. 19, 2011 in Brussels CEOs of major European airports to discuss how to prevent the problems they faced due to heavy snowfall month (month (From Lat. mensis "month", and formerly in plur. "menses") is an arbitrary time period.) ago. Poor weather forced the major EU airports to close, at least in part, which has significantly disrupted air traffic throughout Europe. 35 000 flights - or more than all of 2009 - were canceled, forcing thousands of passengers to spend the night at airports. The Commission will present specific measures to address some of the most important in a package "Airports" which will be published later this year.

The Vice-President Siim Kallas said: "If the airline industry is hard to predict volcanic ash cloud, we know from cons that we face the winter each year (A year is a unit expressing the length of time between two occurrences of an event linked to the revolution of Earth around the Sun.) and we should be ready. The development and implementation of contingency plans the responsibility of the aviation sector. At European level, we can help by strengthening, if necessary (The needs are at the interaction between the individual and the environment. It is often a classification of human needs into three broad .. .) is the regulatory framework and in particular by requiring European airports to implement a minimum service and meet quality criteria in the interest of passengers. These requirements will be part of a series of legislative proposals contained in the package Airports planned for this year (A year is a unit expressing the time duration between two occurrences of an event linked to the revolution of Earth around the Sun.) . (MEMO/11/28).
The events of the past month
In December 2010, air traffic was severely disrupted. A large number (A number is a concept characterizing a unit, a collection of units or fractional units.) Platforms airports (hubs), among the largest in Europe (Europe is seen as a continent or part of Eurasia (western peninsula), or even the Eurafrasie, depending on the point of view. It is sometimes called the "Old Continent" (or "Old World"), as opposed to the "New ...) in terms of traffic, have a partially closed during the weekends the busiest year since it corresponded to the beginning of the Christmas holidays. Many flights were canceled and thousands of passengers were stranded in the airports all over Europe and even in other parts of the world (The word can describe the world:). This resulted in huge problems handling luggage. In some airports, concerns about a shortage of liquid (the liquid phase is a state of matter.) Deicing also night operations. Total (Total is the quality of what is complete, without exception. From an accounting perspective, a total is the result of an addition that is to say an amount. Example: "The total debts. "In physics the total is not necessarily achieved with the addition: example of the total capacity of a series of capacitors in series, which is not ...), tens of thousands of flights been canceled.

- During the meeting, airport representatives gave their views on events and shared their experiences and failures, and factors involved

- Heavy snowfalls hit the European hub airports that operate near the limit of their capabilities, and one of the busiest times of the year.

- Often, the snow removal operations were too slow.

- Heathrow, one of the platforms where traffic is most intense in the EU, was closed for several days. The closure (The term closure refers to) has led to the closure (The term closure refers to) other airports in cascade, because the airports are a system.

- Information for Travellers have been too slow to avoid waiting times at airports.

- The threat of a shortage of deicing fluid and limited disrupted airport operations.
How to ensure that this never happens again?
- Better emergency plans in case of snow at airports.

- We must ensure better cooperation between all stakeholders in the air and ground.

- We must ensure the proper functioning of the airport hubs. Because of the cascading effect, airports should be more integrated and network. They can not work while being isolated from each other.

- We must improve the quality and timeliness of information to passengers about delays and rerouting.

The aviation sector is primarily responsible for emergency plans. What the Commission can do is strengthen, if necessary, the regulatory framework and, in particular, ensure a minimum service and enforce compliance with quality standards at European airports in the interest of passengers.
Next Steps
Looking ahead to Christmas 2011, Mr. Vice-President Kallas asked European airports to submit as soon as possible a report on the state of affairs regarding plans for next winter.

Mr. Vice-President will present specific measures to solve the problems mentioned above in the package Airports normally expected before summer.

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Medical robotics come to Kaiser (photos)

OAKLAND, Calif.--At Kaiser Permanente's Garfield Center for Innovation, the health care giant is testing not just robotics, but new, more efficient hospital room designs.

Kaiser held a demonstration day at the center Thursday for physicians and health care professionals to check out, and give feedback on, future technologies being evaluated for rollout.



Read more: http://news.cnet.com/2300-11386_3-10006378.html?tag=cnetRiver#ixzz1BlyIhhlM

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U.K. astronomers discover hottest planet ever found

A team of astronomers in Britain believe they have discovered the hottest planet ever found.

While Venus, right here in our own solar system, was once the hottest known planet, astronomers in the past 20 years have expanded their search outside of the Milky Way.

As a result, planets have been identified that far exceed the 460 degrees Celsius temperature of Venus -- some with scorching temperatures approaching 1,000 C.

But astronomers from England have discovered what is now believed to be by far the hottest plan ever found.

Simply called WASP-33b, the planet is located in the far-off Andromeda constellation, 378 light years from Earth, and boasts a scorching temperature of 3,148 C.

The temperature readings were made using the William Herschel Telescope in the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean southwest of Morocco.

Astronomer Alexis Smith, of Keele University in Staffordshire, U.K., led the study

"Given the nature of its host star and its very short orbital period, WASP-33b has the largest equilibrium temperature of any known exoplanet," said Smith's report.

That temperature means WASP-33b -- which is about 1.4 times the size of Jupiter -- is actually hotter than some stars.

The planet is considered a "hot jupiter" because it orbits close to its star, completing a full rotation every 29.28 hours.

By comparison, it takes planet Earth 365 days to complete a full orbit around the sun. The fast rotation effectively means WASP-33b experiences the equivalent of an Earthly year in 1.2 days.

It is also much closer to its star than Earth is to the sun. While Earth is 93 million miles from the sun, WASP-33b is only 1.86 million miles from the star it orbits.

Though that is not the closest known orbital distance between a star and a planet, WASP-33b's star is among the hottest to host a planet.

The star that WASP-33b orbits has an estimated temperature of about 7,160 C. The sun, by comparison, is about 5,600 C.

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Top-rated reviews of the week (photos)

Here's our weekly roundup of the new products CNET reviewers liked best.

Canon EOS 60D (body only)

Editors' rating: 4 out of 5

The good: Very fast; articulated display; excellent video quality and options.

The bad: Some annoying interface conventions.

The bottom line: The Canon EOS 60D is in many ways a great camera: fast, feature-packed, and with excellent photo and video quality. Some annoying aspects of its control layout dim its shine a little, however, so try before you buy.



Read more: http://news.cnet.com/2300-1041_3-10006381.html?tag=topStories3#ixzz1BlwiAZUz

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Facebook raises $1.5 billion

Confirming reports that have swirled for weeks, Facebook said Friday that it has raised $1.5 billion from Goldman Sachs and Digital Sky Technologies. The investment gives the company a valuation of approximately $50 billion.

The company also confirmed that it plans to begin filing public financial reports by April 2012 -- a move likely to coincide with an IPO.

243Email Print CommentRegulatory rules are forcing Facebook's hand. When companies have more than 499 shareholders, they're required to publicly disclose their financial results and file quarterly reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Facebook said it expects to pass the 500 shareholder mark sometime this year.

The Goldman Sachs (GS, Fortune 500) deal has two parts. The first is a $500 million investment from Goldman Sachs directly, several of the funds it manages, and Digital Sky Technologies, a Russian investment group that already owned a chunk of Facebook.

The second is a $1 billion investment from Goldman Sachs' wealthy individual clients.

On Monday, Goldman Sachs moved to limit that opportunity to only its non-U.S. clients, a decision it attributed to the "intense media attention" the deal has attracted since it came to light earlier this month. Keeping American investors out of the pool limits the scrutiny U.S. regulators can apply to the deal.

Facebook took pains to make clear that it was approached about the investment deal -- not the other way around.

"DST and Goldman Sachs approached Facebook to express their interest in making an investment, and Facebook decided it was an attractive opportunity to bolster its cash reserves and increase its financial flexibility with limited dilution to existing shareholder," the company said in a press release.

It also didn't take as much cash as it could have.

"Facebook had the option to accept between $375 million and $1.5 billion from the Goldman Sachs overseas offering," the company said. "While the offering was oversubscribed, Facebook made a business decision to limit the offering to $1 billion."

Facebook now has over 500 million users, and according to a recent Hitwise study, surpassed Google as the most visited site in 2010.


0:00 /6:31Does Facebook hurt real friendships?
A $50 billion valuation is a big step up for Facebook, which had a $15 billion valuation three years ago, when Microsoft paid $240 million for a 1.6% ownership stake.

But it could prove tricky to sustain once the company goes public and has its shares traded more broadly. At $50 billion, Facebook would be worth more than media and e-commerce companies like News Corp., CBS, Yahoo and eBay.

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RN ICU IR

Company: mKmResources
Job Title: RN ICU IR
Employment Category: Nursing

Location: Los Angeles - CA California - USA
Employment Type: Full Time
Posting Date: 2011-01-22
Job Description
Our client is a large medical facility that is looking for an RN that is ICU trained with IR experience. If you are a dynamic individual, able to thrive in a stressful environment, then you just may be the right person for this job. Apply!
Position Requirements
Skills / Qualifications Required: Registered Nurse
ICU trained
Interventional radiology experience
Minimum Education Level required: College
Minimum Years of Experience required: 3 to 5 Years
Contact Information
Contact Name: Hugh
Contact Phone: (800) 642-5031 (800) 642-5031
Preferred method of contact: E-mail via Apply Online Box

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Medical Receptionist

Company: mKmResources
Job Title: Medical Receptionist
Employment Category: Healthcare

Location: Los Angeles - CA California - USA
Employment Type: Temporary
Posting Date: 2011-01-22
Job Description
This position is at a large medical facility in Los Angeles. The department if very fastpaced.

The candidate will be responsible for answering the phones for three other departments also. The department supports five MDs and can check in 75 patients a day!

This role is 100% front desk so you must be able to answer multiple phone lines, check in patients, fax and scan information, take messages accurately, and perform well under pressure.

You must be able to juggle multiple priorities and remain calm and professional and get tasks done in the middle of a fast paced office.
Position Requirements
Skills / Qualifications Required: The right candidate will be computer savvy, have great people skills, be knowledgeable of basic medical terms, and able to work under stressful conditions.

Please tell us the average number of patients you have checked in, the average number of MDs you have supported, and the average number of phone lines you have handled on your most recent job.

Pay is up to $14/hr.
Minimum Education Level required: High School
Minimum Years of Experience required: 3 to 5 Years
Contact Information
Contact Name: Hugh
Contact Phone: (800) 642-5031 (800) 642-5031
Contact Fax: (909) 989-7633
Preferred method of contact: E-mail via Apply Online Box

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Power cord lights up as electricity flows

Think about the "vampire electronics" in your kitchen -- all of those blenders, coffee pots, toasters and toaster ovens that are sucking down power simply because they're plugged into an outlet.

These electronics gobble an estimated 5% to 10% of all the electricity used in U.S. homes, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

But what if you could see your money going down the drain? Would visualizing power use help you save energy?

That's one possible effect of a new smartphone charger from Dexim.

When electricity is flowing down the charger's cord, blue lights travel down the cord, too, letting users see the energy that's needed to charge their smartphones. The lights zip down the cord more quickly when the phone is almost out of juice, since more electricity is needed.

Patrick Tarpey, a spokesman for the company, said this "electro-luminescent wire" is intended as a visual reminder for phone users so that they can see from across the room whether their phone is almost charged.

They'll know it's almost ready when the lights slow down, he said. That occurs when the phone is 65% charged. The charger shuts down completely and the light goes off when the charge is complete, he said.

"There's not really anything that's much like it out on the market," Tarpey said.

The charger, which only works with Apple devices such as the iPhone and iPod, is expected to be available for $40 in February. It will be sold on Amazon.com and on Dexim's website, Tarpey said.

Tarpey said the Dexim charger isn't intended to guilt consumers into using less energy. It's just meant as a neat visual indicator of power use. It could have that guilt effect, however.

BJ Fogg, director of the Persuasive Tech Lab at Stanford University, wrote in an e-mail to CNN that the charger "will influence some people (not all people) to recharge their phones differently."

"It's a cool idea," he said.

Academic researchers have been looking at the idea of visualizing power and cutting down "vampire" electricity usage for some time.

For example, Swedish nonprofit research group Interactive Institute has developed a product it calls the Power-Aware Cord -- a surge protector that lights up when it's pulling power from the wall and gets brighter as more power is used. (TIME named this one of the best inventions of 2010.)

The group outlines its motivations in a 2005 academic paper (PDF):

"Electricity is both invisible and intangible. We can see, feel, hear and even smell its effects, but we can not really perceive it," the paper says. "As the effects of electricity (light, heat and so on) often are taken for granted in our domestic homes today, electricity becomes even more invisible.

"In order to support increased awareness in the area of consumer energy consumption, on a large scale in society as well as on the mundane level of the home, it is crucial that people learn about different amounts of energy used by the electric products in their everyday life.

"If this awareness is increased, people might gain control over their own local relationship to this invisible global resource. Ultimately this will lead them to question their energy behaviors."

In the 2006 post "Glowing Guilt," the tech blog Gizmodo put this idea into simpler terms:

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14-year-old creates 'Bubble Ball,' iTunes' most popular free app

His name is Robert Nay, and he's an 8th grader in Spanish Fork, Utah.

But the media is fascinated by this story. In part because Nay is so young. Partly because he used a public library to do some of the work (hello, quaint factor). And, here's perhaps the most lasting piece of this, because he used a program that's designed to make app-building easy for anyone -- even non-programmers.

Then there's the fact that his app, Bubble Ball, is so freakishly popular. According to the All Things Digital blog, Nay's app -- a series of puzzles where players have to guide a ball through courses that they manipulate -- was downloaded a million times in its first two weeks.

The app debuted on December 29, the blog says, and hit the top of the iTunes chart late last week, beating out a holiday-themed version of "Angry Birds," which is the king of all the time-waster games. (The paid version of "Angry Birds", which is the one most people will know, is still on top of the paid app chart at the Apple App Store, which serves iOS devices like the iPod).

In an interview with ABC News, Nay looked like a middle schooler's version of dapper. Video clips showed him pulling books off of library shelves while wearing a blue button-up and jeans (it's an outfit Zuckerberg may want to make note of, after his slouchy fashion sense earnedhim a worst-dressed rating from Esquire magazine). He talks with that Zuckerbergian, code-is-my-first-language type of rhythm.

But, for Nay, these coding skills are new and basic. He used a program called Corona, from Ansca Mobile, to develop the app. This is part of a recent trend: Google also unveiled an app-development tool, called App Inventor, which it says will be used in middle school and high school classrooms.

The gist, proponents say, is that apps now can be developed by anyone -- just like Blogger and Tumblr let anyone author a blog, even without knowledge of the HTML coding language.

Corona's website explains the program this way:

"With Corona, you can quickly create applications in a matter of hours. No Objective-C/Cocoa required, and no C++."

All Things Digital, the Wall Street Journal blog network, offers details on Nay's background in computers and coding, which isn't deep (reminder: he's only 14):

"Although it's his first game, Nay has been into computers for some time, including Web programming and helping others with their computers. When he's not at the computer (or school) he also likes reading, especially science fiction, and playing the piano and trumpet.

"Some months back, a friend suggested that if Nay liked his iPod Touch so much, perhaps he should try his hand at programming for it. At first he tried the standard Objective-C programming tools, but found the learning curve a little steep. He tried another tool called GameSalad, but didn't like the results. In the end, he settled on the Corona tools from Ansca Mobile. Corona was easy to use, he said, and also let him write once and publish for both Apple and Android devices."

ABC echoes the fact that he struggled with the process until he found the Corona tool:

"Robert said he enjoyed creating the game, which was somewhat inspired by features of his own favorite iPod games, but it wasn't always smooth sailing. 'There were some times when I felt like, 'can people seriously do this?' It seemed impossible,' he said. 'But then there were times when things just worked and I'd be like 'maybe I can actually do this.'"

Google's App Inventor software has been compared to stacking Legos. It doesn't require coding knowledge. Corona -- check out its video demo here -- looks more complicated, and All Things Digital writes that Nay did author 4,000 lines of code to create Bubble Ball. So this isn't child's play.

That blog says Nay's mother helped her son by doing the "grown-up stuff" -- putting the app on iTunes, promoting it and drawing some of the layouts for Bubble Ball's levels. Her son did all the code, All Things Digital says.

ABC writes that Nay is being coy about his future as a developer:

"Aside from excelling at school, Robert plays the piano, mandolin and trumpet. But given the response to 'Bubble Ball,' he said he's going to be carving out more of his time to work on his next application. Robert said he'll likely charge people for his next download, but is learning quickly to be tight-lipped about his plans. When asked about his newest game, he told 'Good Morning America Weekend' just this: 'It's secret for now.'"

Meanwhile, the app is getting good reviews on iTunes, with an average rating of three stars out of five.

Some reviewers note that Nay's story factored into their decision to download Bubble Ball: "This game is pointless and stupid!!! Sooo glad I didn't pay money for this!! Only reason it has that many downloads is because a 14 year old kid made it," wrote one reviewer called Epicmetal.

Others didn't mention the 14-year-old at all, perhaps because the app's description does not advertise Nay or his youth.

"Some people might skip this because of the 'homemade' look of the graphics, but that would be a big mistake! It's not complicated, it's easy to get into, and best of all, it's a lot of fun!" wrote a reviewer listed as Jay Jennings. "Worth the download, for sure!"

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Instructor of Science & Technology

Company: RY Robotics Explorers
Job Title: Instructor of Science & Technology
Employment Category: Teaching
Engineering

Location: Alpharetta - GA Georgia - USA
County or nearby cities: North Atlanta
Employment Type: Full Time
Posting Date: 2011-01-18
Job Description
The Instructor of Science and Technology will execute science and engineering exploration programs (classes, camps, and competitive teams) in a working laboratory. They will provide leadership to students, coaches, and interns as well as assist with recruitment of the same.

Main Responsibilities:
After-School Program Administration
Staff Recruitment, Management and Support
Client Relations
Student Recruitment and Enrollment
Community Relations

Training will be provided in all curriculum and technical program areas.

Reports to: President
Direct Reports: Interns, Coaches
Position Requirements
Skills / Qualifications Required: Qualifications:
Bachelor's Degree
Passion for science and technology
Ability to teach effectively using a variety of methods
Focus on student achievement elementary through high school
Strategic thinker and problem solver
Adept at tactical execution of programs
Self-motivated
Excellent written and oral communication skills
Strong organizational skills; time management, reliable and accurate record-keeping abilities
High ethical standards
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Internet; Computer programming experience a plus
Previous exposure to pre-enginnering building sets such as LEGO, K'NEX, and others
Flexible schedule
Minimum Education Level required: Bachelor
Contact Information
Contact Phone: 770-772-6622     

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Nanny

Company: Direct Employer
Job Title: Nanny
Employment Category: Au Pair

Location: Vaughan - Ontario - Canada
Employment Type: Full Time
Posting Date: 2011-01-19
Job Description
A caregiver is a person that can work unsupervised in a private house, taking care of children, elderly or disabled (mental/physical) persons.

The caregiver should be able to live in my home, perform the caregiver duties and will also help in housekeeping duties, as part of the family he or she will work for.

Benefits include:
- personal room
- all meals included
- after the deduction of income taxes and the live-in costs, approx savings of CAD $ 900 - 1200 /month
- medical insurance
- between 40-48 hours/week, with 2 consecutive days off
- Vacation – 2 weeks paid plus 8 days national holidays.

*** Perhaps the most important benefit of the Live-
in Caregiver program is that after 2 years of continuous work, you can apply to obtain permanent residency for yourself and your spouse & dependents.

I am employer and mother of two .There is no agency involved. I will do the paper work . Requirements:

- Must have completed bachelors . Teachers and music teachers are preferred.

- Must speak English to at least a conversational level.

Experience/Training can be in the following areas:

- Teacher (experience with children under approx 11 or training in early childhood education – ie not a general teaching training)
- Nurse
- Nanny
- Geriatric Care
- Au pair
- Working with physical disabled and related
- Working with special needs, learning/mental disabilities
- Other relevant areas

Training course must be of a minimum of six months full-time in a classroom setting (training may have been completed as part of formal education)

OR

the relevant experience must be of a minimum of 12 months out of which at least 6 months should be with one employer.


This is an exciting opportunity for eligible candidates to be able to obtain Permanent Residency in Canada for themselves and spouse/dependents, after 2 years continuous work.
Position Requirements
Skills / Qualifications Required: music teacher,nurse,teachers preferred
Minimum Education Level required: College
Contact Information
Contact Name: SAMY
Contact Phone: 2895535577
Preferred method of contact: E-mail via Apply Online Box

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Typist/Data Entry

Company: Home Income Solutions
Job Title: Typist/Data Entry
Job Reference Number: 001
Employment Category: Advertising
Internet

Location: Toronto - Ontario - Canada
Employment Type: Full Time, Part Time
Yearly Salary: 35000 USD
Posting Date: 2011-01-20
Job Description
We have several openings in this area earning $400.00-$600.00 per week. We are seeking only honest, self-motivated people with a desire to work in the typing and data entry fields. The preferred applicants should be at least 18 yrs. old with internet access.
Position Requirements
Skills / Qualifications Required: No experience is needed; however, the following skills are desired:
Basic computer and typing skills
Ability to spell and print neatly
Ability to follow directions
Minimum Education Level required: High School
Minimum Years of Experience required: Less than 1 Year
Contact Information
Contact Name: Home Income Solutions
Preferred method of contact: E-mail via Apply Online

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Sales Consultant

Company: Gorgeous Getaways
Job Title: Sales Consultant
Employment Category: Sales
Healthcare

Location: Canada
County or nearby cities: Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto. Other locations considered. UK England, USA, major cities preferred
Employment Type: Full Time, Part Time, Temporary, Contract, Student
Posting Date: 2011-01-20
Job Description
Founded in 2004, Gorgeous Getaways is one of the original pioneers of medical tourism and regarded as the worldwide leader of quality, affordable cosmetic surgery holidays. Today, the company has sales offices in Canada/US, UK, New Zealand and Australia, with local operations in Malaysia, Thailand, Costa Rica and Mexico. Established relationships with providers provide Gorgeous Getaways with an edge - to offer the most competitive, full-service packages in exotic locations. With over 20,000 subscribers, numerous testimonials and case-studies, Gorgeous Getaways is world-renowned for quality and superior customer care with global clients, surgeons, hospitals, tourism bodies, industry affiliates and local government.

We are looking for professional sales consultants interested in working in the exciting medical tourism industry.

Your principal responsibilities will be the following:

• Build and network to develop a strong base of client interest
• Follow up on direct leads that are assigned in your area
• Execute national marketing programs designed to increase market share, and raise awareness.
• Build strong rapport with all clients within your territory through superior customer service and communication
• Prospect and develop new business by cold calling and building relationships with local media and community
Position Requirements
Skills / Qualifications Required: Requirements:

• Previous sales experience is desirable in the medical, beauty, travel or tourism industry. Full training will be provided for the right candidates
• Strong organizational skills
• Strong communicator with the ability to build strong and long term client relationships;
• A self-starter with the ability to work independently and as a part of a global team;
• Ability to travel domestically & internationally may be required

This position is a commission & bonus position. This position is based at home, and hours are completely flexible. You will be provided with all tools necessary to communicate as part of a global network of employees.
Minimum Education Level required: College
Contact Information
Contact Name: Gorgeous Getaways
Contact Phone: 18006800594
Contact Fax: 7804014232
Preferred method of contact: E-mail via Apply Online Box

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More church websites invite posting of prayers

Need prayer power? Try the World Wide Web.
More than four in 10 Protestant churches with websites now invite people to post pleas to the Lord on the main church site so volunteers and staff can chime in on the soulful call, according to a new survey.


FAITH & REASON: Religion, spirituality, ethics

It's the latest cyberspin on religious life, updating traditional prayer rooms and supplementing other familiar prayer request paths such as e-mail or social networks.

"People today are accustomed to public sharing. Now, churches are giving public sharing an eternal purpose," says Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, a Nashville-based Christian research firm that surveyed 1,003 churches on use of technology.

Most (78%) had websites, including all the churches with more than 500 members and more than half of the smaller churches. That's up from 53% overall in 2006.

Scott McConnell, director of LifeWay, says many "use their website like a steeple in a small town" to point people to the church, but offering prayer requests at the website is rising fast in popularity.

One such site, mobberly.org/ministries/prayer_ministry, invites people: "Please pray with us for the following prayer requests. You can add your own prayer request by clicking on the 'Add Prayer Request' button."

People can post a prayer publicly, such as a recent posting in which a teacher asked for spiritual help for students badly hurt in a car accident. Or they can be private, seen only by staff and the volunteer prayer team at Mobberly Baptist Church.

The 2,500-member church in Longview, Texas, added online prayer requests to its website six weeks ago. Tammy Whitehurst, director of Mobberly's prayer ministry, says, "People need to be listened to — online or by any means. We always follow up, praying for them in our church prayer room and sending them notes of encouragement.

"We had one request from a lady who lost her husband. We have never seen her face. But we know from an e-mail that these prayers confirmed to her how much God loves her," she says.

Prayer room regular Cliff Desain, 80 and Internet-savvy, gave Whitehurst the Web idea because, he says, "a lot of us older folks can't drive so much, so we thought it would be good if we could pray from home."

Other church sites keep Web-submitted prayer requests private, as if you were clasping hands with a pastor or volunteer in person.

Vince Marotte, Internet pastor for the non-denominational, 5,000-member Gateway Church in Austin, launched its website two years ago. It invites people to submit a 400-character prayer (slightly less than three Tweet-lengths), by first name only, at gatewaychurch.com/help.

The site has handled more than 300 requests so far.

It promises, "Share with us where you are struggling to connect with or follow God and Gateway Church will pray for you."

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Report: Infinity Ward, two other studios working on 'Modern Warfare 3'

Studio Infinity Ward is reportedly getting some help from two studios to create the next installment in the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting production is underway on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and assisting on the project will be the newly-formed Sledgehammer Games and longtime Activision development house Raven Software.

Modern Warfare 3 is slated to debut this November, as have recent titles from the Call of Duty library, the report says, citing "people familiar with the situation."

Sledgehammer Games -- a studio created by the developers behind Electronic Arts' Dead Space -- was working on a separate Call of Duty title, but has since delayed production to work on Modern Warfare 3, says the Times.

Raven Software -- best known for games such as Singularity and X-Men Legends -- has reportedly been brought in to work on the game's online multiplayer component, the franchise's most popular feature.

If true, this would mark the first Call of Duty title from Infinity Ward since the departures of studio heads Jason West and Vince Zampella last March.

The turmoil at Infinity Ward has spawned several lawsuits from West and Zampella, Activision and a group of studio employees. Last month, Activision added rival publisher Electronic Arts to its lawsuit against West and Zampella, and is seeking $400 million.

Call of Duty has quickly become Activision's biggest brand, with last year's release of Call of Duty: Black Ops selling 8.4 million copies in the U.S. in its first month. Modern Warfare 2 -- the last game from Infinity Ward -- topped $1 billion in sales worldwide only two months after debuting in November 2009.

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Social-networking site Quora has answers to your questions

You seek answers to all sorts of questions on the Internet. But how often are the answers relevant or supplied by someone truly in the know?
There are often smart responses on Quora, a much buzzed about Silicon Valley social start-up that you'll be hearing a lot more about in the weeks ahead. Quora aims to build a constantly evolving collection of questions and answers that are created, edited and organized by the very people who use the free service. In my experience on Quora, I found many of the people answering questions have the intellectual chops or credentials to back up their words.

Curious how much AOL spent distributing all those CDs back in the 1990s? The Quora answer comes from AOL co-founder and former CEO Steve Case: ("A lot! I don't remember the total spending but do recall in the early 1990s our target was to spend 10% of lifetime revenue to get a new subscriber.")

Wonder what Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz thinks of The Social Network (Facebook movie)? Moskovitz weighs in: "It is interesting to see my past rewritten in a way that emphasizes things that didn't matter ... and leaves out things that really did.")


TV: Watch Baig on ABC's 'America This Morning' Fridays 4:30 a.m. ET or check local listings

Quora isn't going to make you ditch Google searches or visits to Wikipedia anytime soon, especially if you want a quick answer. Actually, Quora combines elements from Wikipedia, Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo Answers, Ask.com, ChaCha.com and the Facebook Questions feature Facebook has opened up to some users.

As on Twitter, you can follow someone on Quora, which means following questions posed or answered by the person. You can also follow a topic area (technology trends, parenting, classical music). Or follow a specific question. It all shows up on your Quora home-page feed.

During setup, you can connect Quora to your Twitter or Facebook accounts, or your blog. You can share questions you post on Twitter or Facebook. You can also invite others to join Quora and suggest topics of interest to them. Pretty much any topic goes. But you're encouraged to word them in a manner likely to generate in-depth responses rather than yes/no answers or responses barely longer than Twitter's 140-character limit.

Examples: How can job seekers in their 40s and 50s improve their marketability in the job market? What are the best tips for potty training a child?

I got three relatively fast responses to my question on whether "augmented reality will garner mainstream interest anytime soon?" My question on if "it is worth gutting your (NBA) team to acquire Carmelo Anthony" received two responses.

Still, it was generally more fun browsing other people's questions and answers than asking my own.

There's no guarantee that answers are accurate or that respondents are who they claim to be. Quora is self-policed by users who vote on whether they like or don't like an answer. A team of Quora reviewers may edit or purge questions with inappropriate content. (Through a filter, you determine whether to allow adult content in your feed.)

Quora co-founder and former Facebook exec Charlie Cheever admitted to me that keeping the quality high "is going to be an incredible challenge" as more of the masses pile onto the service.

There are certain guidelines to posting questions on Quora. For starters, you need to sign up with your real name, and are advised to add a bio that demonstrates your expertise. You can, however, remain anonymous on a per-question basis — which is critical if you're asking or answering a question regarding a sensitive medical condition or potential sexual harassment episode.

Cheever says the goal of any Quora question page is to become the "best source" for folks seeking an answer. Whether that happens remains to be seen. These are early days for Quora. It has 16 employees and opened to the public in mid-2010. It won't say how many users it has.

Quora's interface could be more intuitive. It wasn't immediately evident to me that the box at the top of the page was a search box because of the clickable button next to it labeled "Ask Question." When you do start typing a question, you'll see questions already asked that are similar to yours.

Nor was it obvious that the tiny up-down arrows next to an answer are how you vote yea or nay on an answer. You can add Web links to answers but can't post videos to explain how something works. Quora most likely will be adding video in the future, but didn't share specific timing.

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Has China's new jet launched a stealth arms race?

China's first flight test of its new high-tech J-20 stealth military jet on 11 January has drawn a lot of attention, particularly because it came during the visit of US defence secretary Robert Gates. What it means is another question, and the answers are complex.

Military analysts had known China was developing a combat plane in the class of the US F-22 Raptor stealth fighter, but they had not expected it to make its first appearance in December, Aviation Week and Space Technology reported. Several high-speed ground tests, in which the craft's front wheel rose off the ground, preceded the first flight.

China has released videos of the new jet on the ground, taking off, and landing at Chengdu. The New York Times quoted a Hong Kong analyst as saying the plane flew for 15 minutes over the airfield. With two distinctive angled tail fins like those of the F-22, it's clearly intended to be stealthy. The Times also reports it is intended carry missiles and fly long distances when refuelled in the air.

The demonstration worries some analysts because it's the first aircraft to challenge the performance of the F-22, the top of the US air force's fleet. "We have become accustomed to a world where our air power is dominant," Rand Corporation analyst Roger Cliff told Newsweek.

"But that dominance is now in question." Once the J-20 is deployed, in that scenario, US top guns would lose their high-performance stealth advantage and no longer rule the skies.

No so fast, says Aviation Week. New, more powerful radars using active electronically scaled arrays can pick up fainter and fainter targets, and are fast catching up to stealth technology. "Anti-stealth will bring into question all stealth designs," it says, hinting that the US may already have airborne radars able to spot stealth aircraft.

Moreover, perfecting stealth technology takes time. The US started its F-22 programme in the 1980s. To an experienced eye, the stealthy look of the Chinese jet "is just sort of cobbled together," Teal group analyst Richard Aboulafia told The Wall Street Journal. He thinks China may be able to deploy the new aircraft in a decade, but by then the US should have better technology.

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Agua Caliente Solar gets $967 million loan guarantee

Energy Department said on Thursday it awarded a $967 million loan guarantee to an NRG Energy subsidiary to help pay for the world's biggest solar power plant using photovoltaic panels.

The loan guarantee will support the construction of the 290-megawatt Agua Caliente Solar generating facility in Yuma County, Ariz., that will use thin solar panels.

Energy Department said on Thursday it awarded a $967 million loan guarantee to an NRG Energy subsidiary to help pay for the world's biggest solar power plant using photovoltaic panels.

The loan guarantee will support the construction of the 290-megawatt Agua Caliente Solar generating facility in Yuma County, Ariz., that will use thin solar panels.

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New York City invests in urban green tech

The NYC Urban Innovation Center is a partnership between the City, universities, and businesses that aims to identify effective green building technologies. A location has not yet been chosen, but Columbia University, the City University of New York, and Polytechnic Institute of New York University will be involved.

It will be funded by $250,000 from the New York City Economic Development Corp and the three universities will provide money in kind. The group is also seeking funding through memberships.

IBM will be involved in the research by providing computing technology to analyze building performance and evaluate different building products, said IBM energy and environment executive ...

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Google CEO surprise: Larry Page replacing Eric Schmidt

Google CEO Eric Schmidt, brought in a decade ago to provide suit-and-tie management to the search giant, had a Twitter-size explanation for stepping aside Thursday to make way for the return of co-founder Larry Page.
"Day-to-day adult supervision no longer needed!" Schmidt said on his Twitter feed as word of Google's unexpected shake-up spread.

The announcement that the 37-year-old Page, who with Sergey Brin established Google in 1998, will return to run day-to-day operations as CEO upstaged Google's own good-news fourth-quarter earnings report.

The shake-up capped what is shaping up as one of the most tumultuous weeks in Silicon Valley history. Just three days earlier, Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs announced he was taking an unspecified medical leave, raising questions about the company's future without its iconic leader in charge of operations.

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