tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23521466941413846662024-02-18T23:49:30.984-08:00DARK HEART 2011 in NewsTHIS BLOG IS NOT FOR ADULT OR PORN SITE. WE LOVE TO BLOGGING AND SHARE ARTICLES OR INFORMATION ALL ABOUT HEALTH NEWS, TECHNOLOGY, ENTERTAINMENT, AND BUSINESS. THANKS FOR COMING AND HAPPY READING............ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.comBlogger266125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-8658958073145545352021-12-02T06:55:00.002-08:002021-12-02T06:55:53.980-08:00Google Doodle goesneo-impressionist to celebrate artist Georges Seurat's 162nd birthday
<p><img src="https://www.cnet.com/a/img/Rg3wh5B71Xdzr14oCwDVa-1FsLk=/470x264/2019/03/21/94447ef0-abc7-4428-b942-d01f36edc8d8/google-doodle-burning-man-august-30-1998.jpg"/>
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Georges Seurat was a French painter perhaps best known for creating the masterpiece A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, a pastoral scene featuring Parisians enjoying a park. </p><p>
After his first major painting, the impressionist-influenced Bathers at Asnières, was rejected by the Paris Salon in 1884, Seurat went to work on A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. </p><p>
The Doodle showcases the pointillism technique, showing the Google logo gradually transformed into Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. </p><p>
For his masterpiece A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, the French painter created a new technique that used dots <a name='more'></a>of colors to form an image when viewed from a distance. </p><p>
Instead of mixing colors on a pallet and then applying them to the canvas, Seurat used a technique he helped originate called pointillism, in which distinct dotlike strokes of color that blend into an image when viewed from a distance.</p><p>
Using his pointillist technique, Seurat began applying thousands of tiny dots and dabs to the mural-size canvas. </p><p>
With a keen interest in the science of art, Seurat began studying color theory, perception and the psychological power of line and form. </p><p>
The painting, depicting Parisians strolling and resting in an island park on the Seine River, took two years to complete and is now part of the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. </p><p>
He was particularly influenced by the writings of French chemist Michel Eugène Chevreul and American physicist Ogden Rood and incorporated their scientific approach to color and optical effects into his paintings.</p><p>
Seurat sketched sculptures and copied the old masters but soon grew disenchanted with the conventional academic approach and left the school in November 1879 to study on his own. </p><p>
To honor his influence, Google is dedicating an animated Doodle to Seurat on his 162nd birthday. </p><p>
Georges Pierre Seurat was born in Paris on Dec. </p><p>
The painting was the inspiration for the Broadway musical Sunday in the Park With George. </p><p>
2, 1859, and began art lessons as a teenager before eventually enrolling at the prestigious fine arts institution École des Beaux-Arts in 1878.</p><p>
Seurat's life was cut short in 1891.</p><p>
He was particularly influenced by impressionists Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro and how they represented light and atmosphere in their paintings.</p><p>
His innovative style gave rise to the avant-garde art movement neo-impressionism and would forever change the art world. </p><p>
Spice up your small talk with the latest tech news, products and reviews. </p><p>
He died at the age of 31 from a brief illness that may have been meningitis or pneumonia.
</p><p>(SOURCE BY:<a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/google-doodle-goes-neo-impressionist-to-celebrate-artist-georges-seurats-162nd-birthday/"/>cnet</a>)</p>
ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-46599754169309214912021-11-29T10:13:00.001-08:002021-11-29T10:20:07.934-08:00Ballon d'Or 2021: Who will be crowned the best footballs players<p><img src="https://media.suara.com/pictures/653x366/2021/10/15/25871-trofi-ballon-dor.jpg"/></p><p>
"Incredibly disappointing that the highest award for the best female players in the world is not even accessible for them to attend -- these things need to keep being highlighted as not acceptable," Rehanne Skinner, head coach of Tottenham Hotspur Women, said on Twitter. </p><p>
"I don't think it's an intentional snub ... I just think that the Ballon d'Or now by definition is both a men's and women's award, and in the third season, they really <a name='more'></a> need to get it right and they need to promote it in that way," former New Zealand captain Rebecca Smith said on CNN World Sport. </p><p>
Liverpool's Salah, the top scorer in the Premier League this season, and Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, the top scorer so far in La Liga, are also among the favorites, as is midfielder Jorginho, who won the Champions League title with Chelsea and Euro 2020 with Italy this year. </p><p>
Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Mohamed Salah are among the favorites to be crowned the best men's player, while Barcelona's Alexia Putellas and Jennifer Hermoso headline the women's nominees. </p><p>
For instance, Australia and Chelsea star Sam Kerr, who is in the running to be crowned the best player in the women's game, is likely to be a notable absentee from the ceremony with the Matildas facing the US in Newcastle on Tuesday.</p><p>
The women's Ballon d'Or was introduced in 2018 and won by Norway's Ada Hegerberg, while American Megan Rapinoe became the second winner the following year. </p><p>
Of the 20 players nominated for this year's award, 10 play for Chelsea or Barcelona, the two sides that contested the Champions League final in May. </p><p>
In the men's award, Messi could claim a record-extending seventh Ballon d'Or having won the Copa América title with Argentina earlier this year. </p><p>
CNN has contacted France Football, which organizes the Ballon d'Or awards, regarding the scheduling of this year's ceremony. </p><p>
However, the scheduling of the awards in the middle of a women's international break has drawn criticism, a decision that makes it hard for some of the nominees to attend. </p><p>
Lewandowski's sensational goalscoring form for Bayern Munich has also put him in the running; the striker has netted 53 times this calendar year, more than any other player in Europe's top five leagues. </p><p>
Some players have been released in order to attend the awards, including Spanish internationals Putellas, Hermoso, Irene Paredes and Sandra Paños. </p><p>
Ada Hegerberg won the inaugural Women's Ballon d'Or award in 2018. </p><p>
(CNN)The world's best footballers will be recognized at the annual Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris on Monday. </p><p>
(Source by : <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/29/football/ballon-dor-2021-football-spt-intl/index.html">CNN</a>)</p>ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-75173655301581454222021-11-28T09:53:00.004-08:002021-11-28T10:08:21.839-08:00Hanukkah Celebration, Light After Adversity<p><img src="
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<p>Rabbi-in-residence Avram Mlotek of Marlene Meyerson Jewish Community Center in New York City participated in virtual celebrations last year, with a latke cooking class and menorah lightings offered online.</p>
<p>He hopes to reach a larger audience of current and future generations of Jewish people to celebrate life and Hanukkah this year.<a name='more'></a> </p><p>
In 2019, New York City resident Lisa Gaetjens' family threw a party for dozens of family and friends filled with traditional foods like latkes and sufganiyot, which are fried jelly doughnuts.</p><p>
Hanukkah is celebrated on different dates each year because the celebration days are determined by the ancient Hebrew calendar. </p><p>
The ancient Hebrew calendar determines when Hanukkah is celebrated -- not the Gregorian calendar -- which is why the dates change from year to year. </p><p>
(CNN)Celebrating Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is a bright spot for Jewish people after nearly two years of living in a pandemic. </p><p>
Rudkin volunteers at The Friendship Circle of Pittsburgh, a Jewish community-based group that works to enrich the lives of youth and adults in the Pittsburgh area. </p>
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Meyerson believes that Jewish people are prepared to celebrate online because they had to do it early on in the pandemic. </p><p>
Her family decided to transition their party online last year, which was a smaller affair. </p><p>
Over 5.1 million people have died worldwide from Covid-19, but rising vaccination numbers have allowed a mixture of virtual and in-person events this year. </p><p>
Last year, she decided not to invite friends over, but she still made latkes with her parents at home. </p><p>
The ancient ruler King Antiochus IV abolished Jewish religion and forced Jews to worship the Greek gods. </p><p><p>(Source by :<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/28/us/hanukkah-2021-celebrations-wellness/index.html">CNN</a>)</p>ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-82141617043624021662017-02-10T06:31:00.001-08:002017-02-10T06:31:35.986-08:00The Rock leg-drops Under Armour CEO for Trump comments<img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/news/02/10/under-armour-e.jpg" border="0" width="300" title="The Rock leg-drops Under Armour CEO for Trump comments"/><i>Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson and Steph Curry during a film shoot for Johnson's HBO Show "Ballers." Johnson and Curry have criticized Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank for comments Plank made about US President Donald Trump. Photo courtesy of Dwayne Johnson's Instagram</i> <br />
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The backlash over supportive comments made recently by Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank on US President Donald Trump continued Thursday when two of the company's most recognizable endorsers voiced their discontent with their employer's stance.<a name='more'></a><br />
Actor and former full-time professional wrestler Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson took to Instagram to point out the ramifications of Plank standing by Trump, who has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/26/opinion/why-donald-trump-should-not-be-president.html">angered</a> millions around the world for his misogynistic, racist and xenophobic tendencies.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"> </div></div><br />
<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BQTRZ5uAhG7/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">I appreciate and welcome the feedback from people who disagree (and agree) with Kevin Plank's words on CNBC, but these are neither my words, nor my beliefs. His words were divisive and lacking in perspective. Inadvertently creating a situation where the personal political opinions of UA’s partners and its employees were overshadowed by the comments of its CEO. A good company is not solely defined by its CEO. A good company is not defined by the athlete or celebrity who partners with them. A good company is not a single person. A good company is a team, a group of brothers and sisters committed to working together each and every day to provide for their families and one another and the clients they serve. We don’t partner with a brand casually. I partner with brands I trust and with people who share my same values. That means a commitment to diversity, inclusion, community, open-mindedness and some serious hard work. But it doesn't mean that I or my team will always agree with the opinion of everyone who works there, including its executives. Great leaders inspire and galvanize the masses during turbulent times, they don't cause people to divide and disband. My responsibility here is not only to the global audience we serve, but also to the thousands of workers who pour blood, sweat, and tears into making Under Armour strong. A diverse group of hardworking men and women who possess integrity, respect and compassion for one another and the world they live in. Debate is healthy. But in a time of widespread disagreement, so is loyalty. I feel an obligation to stand with this diverse team, the American and global workers, who are the beating heart and soul of Under Armour and the reason I chose to partner with them. My commitment is as real as my sweat and callouses that thicken daily. #CommittedToThePeople</a></p><br />
<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by therock (@therock) on <time datetime="2017-02-09T18:36:12+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Feb 9, 2017 at 10:36am PST</time></p></div></blockquote><script async defer src="https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br />
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<p>Ballerina Misty Copeland joined the chorus of critics who called out Plank.</p><br />
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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"> </div></div><br />
<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BQTO6yuDvfT/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">I have always appreciated the great support and platform that Under Armour has given me to represent my community, gender, and career on the world stage. However, I strongly disagree with Kevin Plank's recent comments in support of Trump as recently reported. Those of you who have supported and followed my career know that the one topic I've never backed away from speaking openly about is the importance of diversity and inclusion. It is imperative to me that my partners and sponsors share this belief. I have spoken at length with Kevin privately about the matter, but as someone who takes my responsibility as a role model very seriously, it is important to me that he, and UA, take public action to clearly communicate and reflect our common values in order for us to effectively continue to work towards our shared goal of trying to motivate ALL people to be their best selves.</a></p><br />
<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Misty Copeland (@mistyonpointe) on <time datetime="2017-02-09T18:14:29+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Feb 9, 2017 at 10:14am PST</time></p></div></blockquote><script async defer src="https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br />
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<p>In a televised interview earlier this week, Plank said he considers Trump "a real asset to the country." The billionaire entrepreneur has said his comments were purely business in nature.</p><br />
<p>Two-time NBA MVP Steph Curry, Under Armour's biggest and most important company pitchman, was the first athlete in the company's stable of big-name endorsers to <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/02/08/stephen-curry-respond-to-trump-love-from-under-amours-ceo" target="_blank">express</a> his displeasure over Plank's statement.</p><br />
<p>Curry responded by saying he agrees with Plank's description of Trump if the letters "e" and "t" were removed.</p><br />
<p>In a story posted on the Mercury News website, Curry said he and Plank have already spoken and hinted that the air has been cleared.</p><br />
<p>When Curry was asked if he sees himself leaving Under Armour if the two sides' values clash again in the future, the Golden State Warriors guard said it's not impossible.</p><br />
<p>"If I can say the leadership is not in line with my core values, then there is no amount of money, there is no platform I wouldn’t jump off if it wasn’t in line with who I am," Curry said.</p><br />
<p><strong>For more sports coverage, visit the</strong> <a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/" target="_blank"><strong>ABS-CBN Sports website</strong></a>.</p><br />
<br />
(Source by: <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/02/10/17/the-rock-leg-drops-under-armour-ceo-for-trump-comments">news.abs-cbn.com</a>)ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-60087947609373771492017-02-06T20:09:00.001-08:002021-11-28T10:07:36.113-08:00We have a vaccine for six cancers, so why are less than half of kids getting it?<img src="https://media.salon.com/2014/02/hpv_vaccine.jpg" border="0" width="300" title="We have a vaccine for six cancers, so why are less than half of kids getting it?"><br />
(Credit: AP/Charles Rex Arbogast)<br />
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com/">The Conversation</a>.<br />
<br />
Early in our careers, few of us imagined a vaccine could one day prevent cancer. Now there is a vaccine that keeps the risk of developing six Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers at bay, but adoption of it has been slow and surprising low.<br /><a name='more'></a>
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Although it’s been available for more than a decade, as of 2014 only 40 percent of girls had received the full three doses of the vaccine, while only 22 percent of boys had received all three. That is far lower than the 87 percent vaccination rates for the Tdap vaccine, which prevents tetanus, diptheria and acellular pertussis. Rates of uptake are low in all population groups.<br />
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Some of the reasons include misinformation about the vaccine and why it’s administered to children. Because it is transmitted sexually in almost all cases, many parents assume their children do not need it until they are sexually active. Some believe that giving it will encourage early sexual behavior. Three separate doses on three separate doctor visits place a burden to many working parents. And, of course, there are those few who believe that vaccines are not good for children.<br />
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Now, however, with the approval of a two-dose regimen for children under age 15, we have an opportunity to revisit the conversation with providers and parents and reinvigorate efforts to expand HPV vaccination. If successful, we may save tens of thousands of Americans from cancer every year.<br />
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A common virus with an uncommon risk<br />
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Oncologists and cancer control researchers, including my colleagues at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, regard HPV as the leading cause of many cervical, anal, vaginal, vulvar, penile and oropharynx cancers, or head and neck cancers. In fact, studies are now revealing how HPV damages the genes in our cells and triggers the mutations of cancer.<br />
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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tracks HPV infections and trends, and the numbers are daunting: 79 million Americans are currently carriers for at least one type of HPV, and about 14 million become newly infected each year. Most infections are benign, and nine of 10 fade within two years. Several strains have been directly linked to cancers, however, inflicting more than 30,000 Americans annually.<br />
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HPV is almost universally transmitted through sexual activity, but it can also be transmitted through kissing. For the vaccine to be most effective, immunity must develop well before exposure, which is why it’s important that young people get the vaccine.<br />
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The full schedule should be completed at an early age, well before engaging in these risky behaviors. Clinical trials have shown that when administered correctly, the HPV vaccine provides close to 100 percent protection against cervical precancers and genital warts, and over the last decade there has been a 64 percent reduction in the HPV infections the vaccine targets.<br />
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The first HPV vaccine, Gardasil, launched with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in the summer of 2006. Almost immediately it became embroiled in dangerously incorrect assumptions – even more prevalent at that time – about vaccines, and a persistent political debate that confuses the recommended HPV vaccination age (as young as nine) with when young people become sexually active (much later).<br />
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Despite those challenges, the publicity surrounding the vaccine helped health care providers raise awareness, and vaccination rates have grown.<br />
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The current formulation, Gardasil 9, requires three doses over six months for young people aged 15 to 26. However, the CDC recently recommended Gardasil 9 as being equally effective in two doses for adolescents nine to 14 years old, with the dosages separated by as much as a year. As parents consider HPV vaccine options, the two-dose approach will likely prove more convenient and easier to provide.<br />
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Two doses, many lives<br />
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Recently, the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Centers – 69 world-leading research and treatment facilities distributed across the country – called on Americans to universally endorse the vaccines and follow the CDC’s new two-dose recommendation when appropriate.<br />
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The new two-dose push is critical. Any cancer is bad, but many of the cancers caused by HPV are particularly difficult. Head and neck cancers are disfiguring and can cause tremendous problems with swallowing and with speaking. In turn, those problems can render patients unable to eat and can dramatically affect a person’s desire to socialize.<br />
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After more than a decade of use, it is clear that HPV vaccines are safe and effective. Providers must talk to parents and patients about the vaccine, understand concerns, and respond with clear information and strong recommendations. Parents and guardians, too, should talk to their health care provider to learn more about the HPV vaccine and its benefits.<br />
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There are HPV resources for both patients and physicians, such as a CDC fact sheet for patients and a series of resources for clinicians, but the most impact will come from one-on-one conversations. In trusted communication with patients, providers can emphasize the HPV vaccine’s universal safety – in both clinical trials and widespread global use – and explain why the vaccination must come well before a child is sexually active, not as an adult. Ultimately, as with MMR or the flu shot, this is about a virus, not about sex.<br />
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ADVERTISEMENT<br />
All parents and guardians should have their sons and daughters complete a two-dose 9-valent HPV vaccine series before age 13, or complete a catch-up vaccine series as soon as possible in older children, including three doses in those older than 15. The ideal time is when a child is receiving other childhood vaccines at age 11-12. If this bundling had been done, the HPV vaccination rate would be over 90 percent in this country.<br />
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Young men and young women up to age 26 who were not vaccinated as preteens or teens need to complete a three-dose vaccine series to protect themselves against HPV.<br />
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As a cancer control researcher, and as a parent of three boys, I have closely followed the arrival of HPV vaccines. There is no room for equivocation – these vaccines exist, they work and if they can prevent my children from developing cancer later in life, I had them vaccinated. During the last century, vaccines helped bring many diseases under control, and eradicated smallpox. There is a vaccine that may help eradicate several cancers in this century – but only if we act.<br />
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Electra D. Paskett, Professor of Cancer Research, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University<br />
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(Source by: <a href="http://www.salon.com/2017/02/06/we-have-a-vaccine-for-six-cancers-why-are-less-than-half-of-kids-getting-it_partner/">SALON.COM</a>)<br />
ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-68995790389745889472016-05-31T10:18:00.001-07:002016-05-31T10:18:13.201-07:00Alibaba Fuels Massive Rise In Mobile Ad Blocking In Asia; Could The US Be Next?<p><center><img src="http://s1.ibtimes.com/sites/www.ibtimes.com/files/styles/lg/public/2016/05/31/gettyimages-525308866.jpg" border="0" width="300" title="Alibaba Fuels Massive Rise In Mobile Ad Blocking In Asia; Could The US Be Next?" alt="alibaba, tecnology"/><i>A woman looks at her smartphone during the Global Mobile Internet Conference at the National Convention Centre in Beijing, April 28, 2016. China is one of the countries where mobile ad blocking is most widespread, according to a report from PageFair. PHOTO: NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/GETTY IMAGES</i></center></p><p>Last year, the advertising technology company PageFair put the fear of God into publishers and advertisers across the world with some startling research: Ad bloc<a name='more'></a>king, the Irish startup found, had become mainstream on computer desktops. Now it looks like things have gone from bad to worse for those businesspeople. PageFair on Monday released a new report, this one suggesting that ad blocking on mobile devices is trending in the same direction.</p><p>The company’s research, which it conducted in partnership with the mobile data firm Priori Data, found that more than a fifth of the world's internet users, or 419 million people, have installed some kind of mobile ad-blocking software on their smartphones. The vast majority of these ad blockers, 329 million of them, reside in just four countries: China, India, Indonesia and Pakistan.</p><p>That most of the ad blocking is taking place in countries where Android’s mobile operating system is dominant is no coincidence. Android places few restrictions on the kinds of apps developers can build and offer to its mobile users, while Apple tightly controls what is available in its App Store; prior to last fall, Apple had barred apps that permitted ad blocking, though since then the number of ad- blocking apps on the App Store has quickly climbed into the hundreds.</p><p></p><p><center>(Read More at: <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/alibaba-fuels-massive-rise-mobile-ad-blocking-asia-could-us-be-next-2376144">ibtimes.com</a>)</center></p><p>While there’s no shortage of apps that allow mobile internet users to block the ads they see on their phones, most of the growth PageFair has observed can be tied to one company: Alibaba. The Chinese e-commerce giant’s mobile internet browser, UC, has more users than all the other ad-blocking apps combined, according to PageFair. Among Windows phone users, the UC browser is the most popular mobile browser in the world.</p><p>Monday's report is the latest piece of bad news for digital publishers, which are still reeling from news that ad blocking is widespread on desktop computers. While the ad blocking on desktops has the potential to cost publishers more money per user (a web page loaded on a desktop contains more ads than the same page loaded on a person's phone), PageFair's report does not augur well; desktop page views have been declining since 2014, while mobile page views are growing considerably. Last August, the number of mobile-only internet users surpassed the number of desktop-only Internet users, according to comScore.</p><p>Pagefair’s report found that mobile ad-blocking app installations are relatively low in the United States; just 2.3 million of the total PageFair observed live in the U.S. But that number does not provide a full picture of mobile ad blocking in that country. A number of mobile browsers that are very popular among U.S. mobile users — including Firefox, Opera and Apple's native browser, Safari — recently permitted users to block ads by installing add-ons, and it seems users have embraced the opportunity. More than 17 percent of the mobile traffic generated by Firefox came from users that have turned ad blocking on.</p><p>How the publishing and advertising industries solve the problem of consumers' blocking ads remains to be seen, but PageFair would no doubt like to be part of the solution: Worth noting is that the company's chief product is an advertisement that ad blockers cannot shut out.</p><p></p><p><center>(Read More at: <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/alibaba-fuels-massive-rise-mobile-ad-blocking-asia-could-us-be-next-2376144">ibtimes.com</a>)</center></p>ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-1215414169616439352016-05-30T10:23:00.001-07:002016-05-30T10:32:50.453-07:00Facebook Live Now Available On Windows 10: Here's The Deal<p><center><i><img src="http://images.techtimes.com/data/thumbs/full/247408/600/0/0/0/facebook-windows-10.jpg" border="0" width="300" alt="technology, facebook, google, windows 10" title="Facebook Live Now Available On Windows 10: Here's The Deal" />Facebook has decided to make Facebook Live available on Windows 10 tablets and computers. Here is how Windows 10 users can use this live streaming video service. (Photo : Microsoft)</i></center></p><p>Facebook wants more people to broadcast their actions on the go wherever they are in the globe as its live streaming service Facebook Live is now rolling out on Windows 10 computers and tablets.</p><a name='more'></a><p>Prior to releasing Facebook Live on tablets and computers, this service was pushed out into smartphones first.</p><p>Toward the end of April, Facebook Live already headed to Android and iOS smartphones, which made it possible for users to share what they are presently doing to their friends in different regions of the world. Now, Facebook Live has officially landed on the recent app for Windows 10.</p><p><b>How Windows 10 Users Can Access The Go Live Option</b></p><p>Owners of Windows 10 tablets and computers can access the Go Live feature by simply hitting the livestreaming icon located in the Update Status box, in which users can find other app functionalities such as emojis and image sharing.</p><p>At the moment, Facebook has yet to announce as to when this nifty feature will be headed to Apple's iOS and OSX devices or Android tablets.</p><p>On April 28, Facebook app and Messenger chat service arrived on Windows 10. During the time, the company promised to pack in new features of the Facebook app for the operating system — and yes, livestreaming is one of them.</p><p>In the future, Messenger will be released on Windows 10 Mobile after developers fine-tune a few bugs and tweak the app's overall performance. What this means is that users of Windows 10 Mobile devices will soon enjoy sending voice messages, GIFs and stickers to their friends. They will also benefit from the key features of the Messenger app, such as Do Not Disturb mode and Push Notifications.</p><p>In early April, Facebook Live was treated with <a href="http://www.techtimes.com/articles/147826/20160406/facebook-live-gets-new-features-live-reactions-discovery-tab-live-in-groups-events-and-more.htm">new features</a>, including Discovery Tab, Live Reactions, Live in Groups/Events and more.</p><p>Earlier this month, Tech Times also <a href="http://www.techtimes.com/articles/160552/20160524/facebook-introduces-nonstop-live-streaming-heres-what-to-expect.htm">reported</a> that the firm is currently testing an added feature to the streaming service named Continuous Live Video. This new functionality allows users to watch a video nonstop. Facebook says that this one is slated to be pushed out to all users in the succeeding weeks.</p><p>For <a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/you-can-now-use-facebook-live-on-your-windows-10-desktop-or-tablet/">Digital Trends</a>,this latest move of the company to offer Facebook Live to Windows 10 users suggests that the firm "is likely seeking all avenues of growth for its burgeoning service."</p><p>This also implies that Facebook is focusing its attention in transforming the social networking site into a go-to destination for streaming videos.</p>
<p><right>(Read More at: <a href="http://www.techtimes.com/articles/161796/20160530/facebook-live-now-available-on-windows-10-heres-the-deal.htm"><b>techtimes.com</b></a>)</right></p>ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-14144824742023998662016-05-25T08:51:00.001-07:002016-05-25T08:59:38.102-07:00Drug discovery offers hope for new breast cancer treatments<p><img src="http://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.838659.1452551035!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_300/image.jpg" border="0" width="300" title="Drug discovery offers hope for new breast cancer treatments"/> Scientists from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, have identified a new drug that could offer an effective future therapy for breast cancer. While a potential treatment is still a long way off, this discovery could give rise to promising clinical trials.<a name='more'></a></p><p>The potentially life-changing compound for women suffering from breast cancer is called eCF506. The British team of researchers discovered its ability to block the growth of breast cancer cells in lab-based studies.</p><p>Unlike other drugs currently being tested in clinical trials, this new compound has the advantage of being highly selective, so it doesn't affect other molecules in the cell. This means it should have fewer side effects for patients.</p><p>The researchers say that their early findings are highly promising, even if the drug will require further preclinical testing before progression to clinical trials. "eCF506 is the first drug candidate of a second generation of Src inhibitors that will not only help to understand the complexity of some cancers but also the development of safer combination therapies," explains Dr. Asier Unciti-Broceta, who led the study.</p><p>Breast cancer is the most common kind of cancer affecting women worldwide. One in nine women will suffer from breast cancer in her lifetime and one in 27 will die from the disease. Breast cancer is most common after the age of 50. The survival rate five years after diagnosis varies from 80-90 per cent, depending on age and the type of cancer.</p><p>Current treatments usually revolve around four techniques: surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy.</p><p>The World Health Organization singles out the early onset of puberty, late menopause or a first pregnancy later in life as some of the most significant risk factors for breast cancer. Women using oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapies are also at higher risk of developing the disease. Breastfeeding has, on the other hand, been found to have a protective effect against the disease.</p>
<p>(Source by: <a href="http://ctv.news/c8ff53a">ctvnews.ca</a>)</p>ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-36139551775542130692016-05-24T09:35:00.001-07:002016-05-24T09:46:10.896-07:00Google Maps Will Feature Local Search Ads for Businesses<img src="http://www.adweek.com/files/imagecache/node-detail/2016_May/walgreens-googlemaps-hed-2016.png" border="0" width="300" alt="business, technology, Adwords" tìtle="Google Maps Will Feature Local Search Ads for Businesses"><b>Local businesses could see a boost with Google search ads.</b>
<p>Expect to see more digital strangers along your physical routes: Local ads are coming to Google Maps.</p><p>Now that nearly one third of all mobile searches are related to location, Google is looking for more ways to connect marketers with users walking, biking, driving and otherwise commuting around any given city.</p><a name='more'></a><p>In a blog post published today, Google said it's investing more in "branded, customized experiences" for businesses to help increase store visits.</p><p>Users will be able to tell the difference between a promoted location and an organic location by the color of the pin on the map and the word "ad" in the text at the bottom of the screen.</p><p>"For example, Maps users may start to see promoted pins for nearby coffee shops, gas stations or lunch spots along their driving route," Sridhar Ramaswamy, Google's senior vp of ads and commerce, wrote in a blog post. "Local business pages are also getting a brand new look—to encourage consumers to explore your store before they even arrive, we're adding new features like special offers and the ability to browse product inventory."</p><p>Google says its mobile ads across other products are already working. The search engine giant said AdWords store visits have generated more than 1 billion physical visits around the world since it was <a href="http://adwords.blogspot.com/2014/12/measure-more-improving-estimated-total.html">introduced in 2014</a>. It cited Nissan UK, which found around six percent of ad clicks led to trips to a dealership that resulted in a return on investment that was 25 times higher than the cost.</p><p>Along with bringing ads to Maps, the company is also increasing the amount of copy on text ads across both desktop and mobile. The expanded text ads in AdWords will allow marketers to have more ad space to display information about products and services before a user clicks.</p>
<p>(Source by: <a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/google-maps-will-feature-local-search-ads-businesses-171649">adweekcom</a>)</p>ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-28341623741745502392016-05-24T09:02:00.001-07:002016-05-24T09:08:35.539-07:00Patient can't always access complete medical records, doctors say<img src="http://a57.foxnews.com/images.foxnews.com/content/fox-news/health/2016/05/24/patient-cant-always-access-complete-medical-records-doctors-say/_jcr_content/par/featured_image/media-0.img.jpg/876/493/1464090279223.jpg" border="0" width="300" alt="health, fox news" tìtle="Patient can't always access complete medical records, doctors say"/><p>Technology makes it possible for patients to access medical records online, but a thicket of legal issues may still keep people from always seeing everything in their chart, some doctors say.</p><p>The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) gives U.S. patients the right to access their medical records and control who else has access to <a name='more'></a>the information, physicians note in an essay in the Annals of Internal Medicine.</p><p>But in reality, the contents of electronic records may be limited by doctors' concerns about disputes with patients about what the records say, fear of malpractice litigation, and questions about how much information to give certain individuals like minors and people with mental illness, these physicians argue.</p><p>"I think the default should be for patients to have complete access to their electronic medical records, and the benefits would likely greatly outweigh any harm," said lead author Dr. Bryan Lee of Altos Eye Physicians in Los Altos, California, and the University of Washington in Seattle.</p><p>As patients increasingly read their medical records, they will disagree with content, find errors and request changes, Lee and colleagues point out. While doctors may have the final say over what they add to records, patients may want to add information of their own, and the legal status of patient- created content is unclear.</p><p>In another point of legal murkiness, parents generally have control over minors' medical records and can prevent children from accessing online notes. Providers can deny parents access if they suspect abuse or think parental involvement isn't in a child's best interest - but this, too, is an area where laws vary and liability concerns may color doctors' decisions, the authors argue.</p><p>With mental illness, HIPAA prevents patients from accessing psychotherapy notes in some circumstances, but some state laws allow broader access to these records, the authors note.</p><p>While patients can benefit from access to records in most cases, there are some exceptions, and psychotherapy notes may be one of them, said Ann Kutney- Lee, a health policy researcher at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in Philadelphia, in email to Reuters Health.</p><p>"There are certain clinical situations where providing access may cause more harm to the patient than good - e.g. psychotherapy notes for a patient that is suicidal," said Kutney-Lee, who wasn't involved in the essay.</p><p>For many patients, though, reviewing records may make them more proactive about their health, said Daniel Walker, a family medicine researcher at Ohio State University in Columbus who wasn't involved in the study.</p><p>"It can make them feel more a part of the healthcare experience, and empower them to engage in shared decision making," Walker said by email.</p><p>Preventing errors is another big advantage of electronic records, said Dr. Dean Sittig, a researcher at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston who wasn't involved in the essay.</p><p>"Without an electronic health record, it is very difficult if not impossible to check whether the right medications were given at the right time, to the right patients," Sittig said by email.</p>
<p>(Source by: <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/05/24/patient-cant-always-access-complete-medical-records-doctors-say.html">foxnews.com</a>)</p>ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-1882246304495871282016-05-23T09:44:00.001-07:002016-05-23T09:54:14.980-07:00NAS Insurance Enhances Cyber Liability Coverage, Lowers Rates<center><img src="http://www.nasinsurance.com/mobile_assets/images/logo.png" border="0" width="300" alt="NAS Insurance Enhances Cyber Liability Coverage, Lowers Rates, insurance" title="NAS Insurance Enhances Cyber Liability Coverage, Lowers Rates"/></center><p>NAS Insurance Services has enhanced its NetGuard Plus cyber liability product. The new coverage features offer greater protection for emerging privacy and security threats for businesses of all sizes across a range of industries.</p><a name='more'></a><p>The enhancements include:</p><p><b>¤</b> Unknown prior acts for covered cyber incidents that took place at any time prior to the inception date of the policy.</p><p><b>¤</b> Business interruption expenses incurred as a result of outages caused by an insured’s cloud provider or web host.</p><p><b>¤</b> Cyber-crime coverage for incidents such as fraudulent wire transfer requests is now included on every quote</p><p><b>¤</b> Payment Card Industry (PCI) fines, penalties and assessments are covered up to the policy limit</p><p><b>¤</b> BrandGuard coverage for reputational harm is included up to the policy limit on most quotes</p>
<p>In addition to the enhancements to the cyber liability insurance coverage, NAS has reduced its rates and increased its maximum limits to $25 million.</p><p>In its recently released “2016 Incident Security Threat Report,” Symantec reported that over 400 million individual identities were exposed in 2015. Incidents of malicious software viruses and ‘ransomware’ in particular have increased 35 percent, and email scams (aka, “spear phishing attacks”) targeting employees have increased 55 percent. The Symantec report also identified that 43 percent of attacks are targeted at small- to mid-size businesses.</p><p>“We’re seeing significant growth in demand for cyber insurance from the SMB sector,” commented Michael Palotay, National Cyber Liability Practice leader for NAS. “It’s not just the large corporations with large volumes of credit card data that are targeted. Often, it is employees of smaller companies falling prey to social engineering or phishing scams that lead to a breach or other criminal activity which really hurt the small- and mid-sized businesses.”</p><p>NAS Insurance Services is a full- service specialty insurance underwriting manager that provides product development, underwriting, marketing, risk management, and claims handling services for a range of specialty insurance products.</p>
<p>(Read More at: <a href="http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2016/05/19/409166.htm">insurancejournal.com</a>)</p>ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-90161593665706637242016-05-22T06:27:00.001-07:002016-05-22T06:27:16.888-07:00Google's new app lets users conduct scientific research on their phones<center><img src="https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5qGTWdTK7UWmD57R5s0cMkz-HJY=/0x0:646x431/1280x854/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49653757/Screen_Shot_2016-05-22_at_8.52.03_AM.0.0.png" border="0" width="300" title="Google's new app lets users conduct scientific research on their phones" alt="technology, google"/></center><p>Google's new Android app revamps the clipboard for scientific field experiments. The app, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.forscience.whistlepunk">called Science Journal</a>, measures and records data in real time, and then converts that data into easily readable graphs and charts.</p><p>Users can store several projects in the app, and use tools like an accelerometer, plus light and sound meters, in order to gather information for their projects. For example, a user<a name='more'></a> could record their running pace everyday for a week, and then chart their progress on a line graph. While the number of sensors available to use is still small, Google says it will work with people in the science community to continually improve the app.</p><p><center><img src="https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/6527189/walkthrough_welcome_02.1080x1140.0.gif" border="0" width="300" alt="technology, google, playstore"/></center></p><p>Google is also selling "<a href="https://makingscience.withgoogle.com/science-journal/materials">hands-on learning kits</a>" to accompany the app, which contain external sensors, microcontrollers, and other craft supplies that will help kids conduct experiments. Google says it plans to open source the app later this summer.</p><p>¤¤<b>SOURCE: <a href="https://makingscience.withgoogle.com/science-journal"><u><i>GOOGLE</u></b></i></a>¤¤</p><br />
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<p>(Read More at: <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/5/22/11735532/google-science-journal-app-research-android">theverge.com</a>)</p>ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-8872330195754518932016-05-21T10:37:00.001-07:002016-05-21T10:45:03.825-07:00Google And Levi's Introduce Smart Jacket Commuter With Project Jacquard Technology: Here's What It Can Do<center><img src="http://images.techtimes.com/data/thumbs/full/245057/600/0/0/0/levis-commuter.jpg" border="0" width="300" alt="technology, Google And Levi's Introduce Smart Jacket Commuter With Project Jacquard Technology: Here's What It Can Do" title="Google And Levi's Introduce Smart Jacket Commuter With Project Jacquard Technology: Here's What It Can Do"/><i>Google and Levi's unveil Commuter, a smart jacket with Project Jacquard technology woven in. Not only is it fashionable, but it also comes with a lot of nifty features. (Photo : Levi's | YouTube)</i></center>
<p>Google and Levi's are taking the wraps off a smart jacket that lets wearers answer calls and do certain functions that a smartphone can via the apparel.</p><a name='more'></a><p>Dubbed Commuter, it's a piece of garment that's loaded with Project Jacquard technology, and for those who don't know what that particular venture is, it's the Mountain View-based company's attempt to produce smart clothing for consumers.</p><p>The people behind it are none other than the folks over at Google Advanced Technology and Products (ATAP), showcasing the nifty device at the 2016 I/O conference.</p><p>"Project Jacquard makes it possible to weave touch and gesture interactivity into any textile using standard, industrial looms," Google <a href="https://atap.google.com/jacquard/">says</a>.</p><p>Using conductive yarns, the researchers manage to turn clothes into "interactive surfaces." On that note, the Commuter gives the user access to maps and music and, as mentioned earlier, the option to respond to incoming calls.</p><p>To control these functions, the wearer will have to tap or swipe on the smart jacket's cuff that has a Jacquard tag underneath it, which connects to the haptics and LED, to name a few of the embedded components. At this point, it should be noted that the tag is removable and rechargeable through USB.</p><p>Targeted at cyclists everywhere, the Commuter provides them easy access to said features on the go, not to mention that because of the inevitable sweating that physical activity causes, it's washing-machine friendly.</p><p>Also, the smart jacket is connected to the cloud, as it comes with a mobile app where users can manage other software that'll work with it.</p><p>Compatibility-wise, it's expected to have support for third-party services, including Spotify or fitness-focused apps.</p><p>It's also worth mentioning that the <a href="http://www.techtimes.com/articles/56813/20150602/google-levi-strauss-team-up-to-bring-you-smart-clothes-hello-project-jacquard.htm">partnership with Levi's</a> is only the beginning, as Google has plans to collaborate with other clothing makers to incorporate Project Jacquard on more apparels.</p><p>As for availability, it's believed to go into the beta phase this fall and hit the shelves in spring 2017, but there's still no word about pricing.</p>
<p>Leave a comment below and let us know what you think of the Commuter and its many smart features. Don't forget to hit up the video as well to get a good look at the technology.</p>
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<p>(Read More at: <a href="http://www.techtimes.com/articles/160065/20160521/google-and-levis-introduce-smart-jacket-commuter-with-project-jacquard-technology-heres-what-it-can-do.htm">techtimes.com</a>)</p>ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-24410852401266987052016-05-20T10:45:00.001-07:002016-05-20T10:57:10.886-07:00Microsoft bringing Minecraft to China<img src="http://assets2.ignimgs.com/2014/02/13/minecraft1114131280jpg-1e0b27_1280w.jpg" border="0" width="300" alt="microsoft, minecraft, technology" title="Microsoft bringing Minecraft to China" /><p>Minecraft is insanely popular, and for good reason. Not only is it fun, but light on resources. In other words, it can run on many desktop and laptop computers, not to mention smartphones and tablets. There is even a special Windows 10 edition in Microsoft’s app store.</p><a name='more'></a><p>Today, Microsoft announces that it is bringing Minecraft to China. While that news is great, the way they are announcing it is a bit disappointing. You see, the company has produced a video showing creative designer of Minecraft, Jens Bergensten, playfully mocking old-school dubbed martial arts videos. While I am sure it was not the intention, it feels a bit culturally insensitive. Surely the people of China are more than these tired stereotypes, right?</p><p>“Today we’re proud to announce an exclusive agreement to license Minecraft for Pocket and PC to a NetEase, Inc. affiliate in mainland China. The plan is to develop a version of Minecraft tailored for the Chinese market. It probably won’t affect most of you, seeing as you’re probably not based in China”, says Owen Hill, Director of creative communications at Mojang — a Microsoft company.</p><p>Jonas Martensson, CEO of Mojang, explains, “we’ll always embrace opportunities to bring Minecraft to new players around the world, widening our community, and giving us a new perspective on our game. NetEase understand our long- term vision for Minecraft and support Mojang’s ideals, so we’re delighted to have them on board. We look forward to welcoming China’s builders and adventurers to the world of Minecraft”.</p>
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<p>Unfortunately, when this special Chinese version will become available is unknown. This is merely an announcement of the intention to bring it to the country. With that said, China is a very lucrative market nowadays, and Microsoft would be wise to make sure NetEase delivers it sooner rather than later. After all, it needs to recoup the <a href="http://betanews.com/2014/09/15/microsoft-buys-minecraft-reasons-are-uncertain/">$2.5 billion it paid</a> to acquire the game.</p><p>This is only the latest of Microsoft’s dealing with China. Back in March, the company <a href="http://betanews.com/2016/03/28/windows-10-specifically-provided-edition-for-china/">announced</a> that a special version of Windows 10 was heading to the country too. It is becoming increasingly clear that China is very important to tech companies.</p>
<p>(Read More at: <a href="http://betanews.com/2016/05/20/microsoft-minecraft-china/">betanews.com</a>)</p>ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-54695582972423193482016-05-20T09:25:00.001-07:002016-05-20T09:25:43.248-07:00Auto Insurance Customers Disappointed in Their Insurers’ Websites: J.D. Power<div style='text-align:center'> <img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQCXyKikeH8vAIMZLkP5aBJXDEd62ms6Z0Fsbk8i3WR0ktTrwG1UyMTv3I5zbvy2LOMKtfT-Uin1kljRjXvX7d_vtZmOMWzGtDQgCmLCV70SsdOYQiE1yK_EIzSY-W_pFJb0Vjsr9KCY/s1600/mobile_apps-580x386.jpg' width='70%' height='auto' title="Auto Insurance Customers Disappointed in Their Insurers’ Websites: J.D. Power" alt="insurance"/> </div><p>While overall customers are more satisfied with their experience shopping online for auto insurance, they are less thrilled with the websites of individual insurance companies, with only slightly more half saying they “definitely will” return to the site for their servicing needs, according to the latest J.D. Power study.</p><a name='more'></a><p>The J.D. Power 2016 Insurance Digital Evaluation Study, now in its fifth year, measures online consumer experiences among auto insurance shoppers. The study examines the functional aspects of websites rather than such aesthetic aspects as look and feel. Consumers performed a number of tasks online and then rated the ease of performing them on a 5-point scale. Their ratings were used to compute an overall index for shopping and servicing experiences based on a 500-point scale.</p><p>Overall satisfaction among customers shopping online for auto insurance improved by 7 index points to 376 in 2016, but satisfaction among customers using their insurer’s website for servicing activities has a more modest 4-point improvement to 424. Some of the more basic service tasks, such as printing or requesting new or replacement ID cards, updating the user profile or adding a driver or vehicle to the policy, earn the lowest overall experience scores, according to J.D. Power.</p><p>“While satisfaction hasn’t suffered yet, it likely will if insurers don’t invest in their websites and keep pace with other industries,” said Valerie Monet, director of the insurance practice at J.D. Power. “Compared with the servicing experience, there is still more room for improvement. The digital sales experience poses a growing financial risk for insurers as they work to close new business.’</p><p>She said failed quote rates range between 4 and 6 percent and can add up to substantial lost business if customers don’t turn to another channel to finalize their quote and close the deal.</p><p></p><p><b>Other Sites</b></p><p>Customer expectations of their insurer’s website are set based on their experiences on other sites, including non-insurance sites, according to J.D. Power. Some insurance companies have begun using responsive design technology, which helps facilitate access across multiple devices. However, the J.D. Power insurance analysts say there is still work to be done to making sure information on the site is easy to find and understand. Nearly one-fourth of auto insurance customers do not completely understand the information about their current deductible, coverages or the claims process when accessed via their insurer’s website.</p><p>Monet said that direct insurers have more heavily invested in their websites than agent-based insurers. She said this is because it’s a primary channel of communication with their customers and key to new- customer acquisition strategies. Brands like Esurance, GEICO, Mercury and USAA achieve some of the highest scores in the overall service index.</p><p></p><p><b>Going Mobile</b></p><p>Overall, 57 percent of insurance customers own a smartphone and 38 percent own a tablet. Gen Y (those born between 1977-1994) has the highest usage rate of mobile, with 95 percent owning a smartphone and 79 percent owning a tablet. Automotive insurance mobile application servicing continues to increase year over year, with Gen Y and Gen X (born between 1965-1976) not only having the highest proportion of users, but also growing at the highest rates. Gen Y’s adoption rate has nearly doubled to 53 percent in 2016 from 27 percent in 2014, while Gen X has increased to 35 percent from 22 percent.</p><p>Among Gen Y users of mobile apps, 90 percent expect all the services and information to be available from the insurer’s website to also be available from the app.</p><p>Among customers who delete their insurer’s app, two of the most common reasons are that they didn’t use the app or the app was too slow.</p><p>“Across multiple industries, mobile devices are increasingly being used for online transactions,” said Monet. “Although apps have been slower to gain popularity in the insurance industry among consumers, once they do, customers’ expectations are likely to be high based on their experiences in other industries such as banking. Highly rated apps from other industries typically focus on key actions while underperforming apps have outdated interfaces.”</p><p>Among the 20 insurance companies included in the study, Esurance, GEICO, Mercury, Safeco and USAA (in alphabetical order) perform particularly well in the service index, while Erie Insurance, Esurance, Liberty Mutual, Travelers and 21st Century (in alphabetical order) perform particularly well in the shopping index.</p><br />
<p><b>OTHER FINDINGS</b></p><p><b><u>Self-Service Customers</u></b></p><br />
<p><b>¤</b>More than half (56%) of all customers have visited their insurer’s website in the past month. Additionally, customers have visited their insurer’s website an average of nine times in the past 12 months.</p><p><b>¤</b>Nearly one-fourth (23%) of customers do not or only partially understand the policy information offered on their insurers’ website</p><p><b>¤</b>Only 26% of customers indicate the speed at which they can pay a bill on the website exceeds their expectations.</p><p><b>¤</b>Over half (55%) of customers say they “definitely will” return to the website for service needs.</p><br />
<p><u><b>Shoppers</b></u></p><br />
<p><b>¤</b>Eleven percent of shoppers indicate the online quote process is more complicated than they expected.</p><p><b>¤</b>The speed of the quote process exceeds the expectations of only 25% of shoppers. In contrast, 12% of customers say the online quote process is slower than they expected.</p><p><b>¤</b>Nearly half (46%) of all shoppers access and find videos of policy information helpful, an increase from 39% in 2015.</p><br />
<p>The 2016 Insurance Digital Evaluation Study is based on responses from 3,854 shopping evaluations and 3,340 service evaluations of auto insurance websites. The study ranks 20 websites for both shopping and service. The study was fielded from January through March 2016.</p><br />
<br />
<p>(Read More at: <a href="http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2016/05/20/409343.htm">insurancejournal.com</a>)</p>ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-63194769187035858192016-05-19T13:49:00.001-07:002016-05-19T13:49:54.651-07:00Scientists have determined how we can prevent half of all cancer deaths<img src="https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://img.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/files/2016/05/chemotherapy.jpg&w=480" title="Scientists have determined how we can prevent half of all cancer deaths"/><p>Imagine a powerful new treatment that could cut all cancer deaths by more than half.</p><p>In the age of $10,000-a-month cancer drugs that often extend life by the thinnest margins — a few precious months before the cancer rages back — the idea of such a potent effect sounds like a fantasy.</p><a name='more'></a><p>But it isn't, exactly. A new study published in the journal <a href="http://oncology.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?doi=10.1001/jamaoncol.2016.0843">JAMA Oncology</a> estimates that by applying insights we've had for decades — no smoking, drinking in moderation, maintaining a healthy body weight and exercising — more than half of cancer deaths could be prevented and new cases of cancer could drop by 40 percent to 60 percent.</p><p>The excitement, funding and much of the prestige in the fight against cancer is fired up by the immense progress being made in understanding the molecular underpinnings driving the disease. Advances in science have created real hope for new generations of powerful drugs and combination cocktails — along with tremendous hype that almost certainly overstates the amount of progress that is just around the corner. This simple truth remains: Even as science gains powerful insights into many types of cancer, there's still a lot that scientists don't yet fully understand about its sinister biology. Meanwhile, the new study drives home an important point: Scientists already know how to prevent a large swath of cancer deaths.</p><br />
<a href="https://img.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/files/2016/05/1101130401_600.jpg"><img src="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/05/19/scientists-have-determined-how-we-can-prevent-half-of-all-cancer-deaths/"></a><br />
<p>"Some of the declines we have already seen in cancer mortality — the large decline in lung cancer — that was because of efforts to stop people from smoking," said Siobhan Sutcliffe, an associate professor in the division of public health sciences at Washington University in St. Louis not involved in the research. "Even while we’re making new discoveries, that shouldn’t stop us from acting on the knowledge we already do have."</p><p>(<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/08/06/the-alluring-idea-that-we-can-cure-cancer-has-become-a-trap/">The alluring idea that we can cure cancer has become a trap</a>)</p><p>To make their estimates of how lifestyle changes could affect cancer's toll on the population, a pair of researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health used large ongoing studies that have closely followed the health and lifestyle habits of tens of thousands of female nurses and male health professionals. They divided people into two groups: a low- risk group that did not smoke, drank no more than one drink a day for women or two for men, maintained a certain healthy body mass index, and did two- and-a-half hours of moderate aerobic exercise a week or half as much vigorous exercise.</p><p>The team compared cancer cases and cancer deaths between the low- and high-risk groups and found that for individual cancers, the healthy behaviors could have a large effect on some cancers: The vast majority of cases of lung cancer were attributable to lifestyle, as well as more than a fifth of cases of colon cancer, pancreatic cancer and kidney cancer.</p><p>Then, they extrapolated those differences to the U.S. population at large, finding an even larger proportion of potentially preventable cancer cases and deaths. For women, they estimated 41 percent of cancer cases were preventable and 59 percent of cancer deaths. For men, 63 percent of cancer cases were potentially preventable and 67 percent of deaths.</p><p>There are caveats to this — the high-risk group in the study is healthier than the general U.S. population, so there are reasons the numbers may be slightly overestimated. But Mingyang Song, the researcher who led the work, argues the numbers are a good approximation because they may be underestimating the effects of lifestyle, too, because they selected a narrow range of lifestyle factors.</p><p>"We should not ignore the knowledge we already learned over the past decade, or the past 100 years," Song said. "We should use this knowledge to move the policy forward and also make the public aware that we already have this knowledge and we can utilize this knowledge, to improve the current cancer prevention effort."</p><p>(<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/01/19/these-charts-challenge-ideas-about-how-americans-die-of-cancer/">Where in the world is the best place to die?</a>)</p><p>For years, the fight against cancer has been waged on two related, but largely siloed fronts. At the cutting-edge of science are physicians and researchers with ever more powerful tools to probe how cancer works and invent new ways to stop it. This fight is often waged near the end of the disease, once it has taken hold and doctors and patients would do anything to loosen its grip, even temporarily. On the front lines of public health are researchers who often focus on strategies to reduce deaths by preventing the disease altogether, trying to understand how to screen for it, or what environmental exposures should be avoided.</p><p>"There sort of are two worlds, one world focused on therapy and another world focused on prevention, and I do think those two worlds are coming together now," said Tyler Jacks, director of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.</p><p>This summer, MIT — a place teeming with biologists and engineers who have tended to favor the first approach — will hold a <a href="https://hsi.mit.edu/events-activities/koch-institute-summer-symposium-cancer-prevention-and-early-detection">symposium</a> focused on early detection and prevention of cancer. Jacks, who is also a co-chair of the panel of scientists advising Vice President Biden's "Cancer Moonshot," said that prevention and early detection — and even untangling exactly why lifestyle risk factors such as obesity increase risk for cancer — are very much on people's minds.</p><p>"There's room for both. Let’s not ignore the power of therapy and its applications for people who have cancer. ... We simply cannot ignore that," Jacks said. "But why can’t we also include, as we think about cancer control more broadly, the lifestyle issues, the human behavior issues, that can lower overall risk."</p><br />
<br />
<p>(Source by: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/05/19/scientists-have-determined-how-we-can-prevent-half-of-all-cancer-deaths/">washingtonpost.com</a>)</p>ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-41130331741156150612016-05-19T12:21:00.001-07:002016-05-19T12:27:25.234-07:00FDA Approves New Drug to Treat Bladder Cancer<div style='text-align:center'> <img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xYAQSPp9le2jaOmR1ikNokt9esoTq7W8mESBni736SloeAR0RTngWxYsQI_jTRCYWssRxaS-Kck2bjqQGl7DZvafDJUXzFSNSKselGAtATBRg8m-pNzowBeWHCT8hWq6FV4i4S2Ygyw/s1600/TTAC-Bladder-Cancer-Graphic.jpg' width='70%' height='auto' title="FDA Approves New Drug to Treat Bladder Cancer"/> </div><p>(HealthDay News) -- A new drug to treat bladder cancer was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday.</p><p>Tecentriq (atezolizumab) treats the most common type of bladder cancer, called urothelial carcinoma. It's the first in its class of drugs, called PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, approved to treat this type of cancer.</p><a name='more'></a><p>"Tecentriq provides these patients with a new therapy targeting the PD-L1 pathway," Dr. Richard Pazdur, director of the office of hematology and oncology products in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in an agency news release.</p><p>"Products that block PD-1/PD-L1 interactions are part of an evolving story about the relationship between the body's immune system and its interaction with cancer cells," he added.</p><p>The FDA approved Tecentriq for treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma whose disease has worsened during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy, or within 12 months of receiving platinum- containing chemotherapy, either before or after surgery.</p><p>Urothelial carcinoma occurs in the urinary tract system, involving the bladder and related organs. An estimated 76,960 new cases of bladder cancer and 16,390 deaths from the disease will occur in the United States in 2016, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute.</p><p>The FDA's approval of Tecentriq is based on a clinical trial involving 310 patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Nearly 15 percent of patients had at least partial shrinkage of their tumors, which lasted from about 2 months to nearly 14 months at the time the data was analyzed, the study found.</p><p>Tumor response occurred in 26 percent of patients who were positive for PD-L1 expression, compared with 9.5 percent of those who were negative for PD-L1 expression, the findings showed. This suggests that patients who are positive for PD-L1 expression may be more likely to respond to treatment with Tecentriq.</p><p>Therefore, the FDA also approved a companion test to detect PD-L1 protein expression levels in patients, to help doctors identify those most likely to benefit from Tecentriq.</p><p>During the clinical trial, common side effects associated with Tecentriq were fatigue, decreased appetite, nausea, urinary tract infection, fever and constipation. The drug also has the potential to cause infection and serious immune system side effects involving healthy organs such as the lungs, colon and endocrine system, the FDA said.</p><p>Tecentriq is made by San Francisco-based Genentech.</p>
<p><b>More information</b></p><p>The American Cancer Society has more about <a href="http://www.cancer.org/cancer/bladdercancer/detailedguide/bladder-cancer-what-is-bladder-cancer">bladder cancer</a>.</p>
<p>(Source by: <a href="http://health.usnews.com/health-care/articles/2016-05-19/fda-approves-new-drug-to-treat-bladder-cancer">health.usnews.com</a>)</p>ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-1978719560889645652016-05-18T09:55:00.001-07:002016-05-18T09:55:14.451-07:00Wall Street turns higher as bank stocks offset retail shares<center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1rE-DzmNTYsUcrBAb3DV9OS-6J8TDZ7yfH-FXVYaLDJtkkJjkz7eTD8XSHJpqHuQbJlvLrP9UoO4Il7PiwS-xYSq0rNGhIwWA4wIhjCsw89ra3xmi5BiC5aPpO6BLWDhh-5-f1nsV3UE/s1600/Wall.jpg" border="0" width="300" title="Wall Street turns higher as bank stocks offset retail shares"/><i>Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., May 16, 2016.</i></center><p>(Reuters) - Wall Street reversed course to trade slightly higher on Wednesday as the prospect of higher interest rates sent financial stocks up, offsetting a fall in retail shares.</p><a name='more'></a><p>The minutes from the Federal Reserve's April meeting, scheduled to be released at 2 p.m. ET (1800 GMT), could give clues on the path of rate hikes.</p><p>"There may be some nugget in the minutes that confirms what two Fed governors mentioned yesterday," said Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott in Philadelphia.</p><p>Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan said on Tuesday he will advocate for a hike in June or July. Two other Fed officials said they expect up to three increases this year.</p><p>"If others insinuate the same, that could set the market up again for some rough activity," Luschini said.</p><p>The central bank next meets on June 14-15 but chances of a hike in June are slim. Traders see a 58 percent probability of a rate hike after the Fed's November meeting, up from about 42 percent on Monday, according to the CME FedWatch tool.</p><p>April data on Tuesday showed the biggest rise in U.S. consumer prices in more than three years as gasoline prices and rents rose, while other data showed housing starts and industrial production rebounded strongly.</p><p>The strong data and a recovery in oil prices to seven-month highs have stoked expectations that inflation will rise further. The Fed has a 2 percent inflation target.</p><p>At 10:55 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones industrial average .DJI was up 3.59 points, or 0.02 percent, at 17,533.57, the S&P 500 .SPX was up 2.13 points, or 0.1 percent, at 2,049.34 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC was up 23.61 points, or 0.5 percent, at 4,739.34.</p><p>Five of the 10 major S&P sectors were higher, with the financial index's .SPSY 1.33 percent rise leading the advancers. JPMorgan's (JPM.N) 2.9 percent rise provided the biggest boost to the sector.</p><p>Retail stocks, which were roiled last week following poor results from department stores, remained under pressure after Target (TGT.N) fell 8.7 percent at $67.21 as its quarterly sales missed expectations.</p><p>The consumer staples' .SPLRCS 0.8 percent fall made it the biggest laggard.</p><p>Dow-component Wal-Mart Stores (WMT.N), which reports results on Thursday, was also down 3.1 percent at $63.10. Costco Wholesale (COST.O) slipped 2.6 percent to $139.89.</p><p>Staples (SPLS.O) was up 1.3 percent at $8.39, while Lowe's (LOW.N) rose 2.7 percent to $ 78.07 after the companies' quarterly sales beat expectations.</p><p>Hormel Foods (HRL.N) was down 7.1 percent at $36.03 after the company's profit came missed market estimates.</p><p>Tesla Motors (TSLA.O) was up 4.5 percent at $213.90 after Goldman Sachs upgraded the electric car maker's stock to "buy" from "neutral."</p><p>Goldman Sachs on Tuesday downgraded equities to "neutral" over a 12-month time-frame, saying, "until we see sustained signals of growth recovery, we do not feel comfortable taking equity risk."</p><p>Advancing issues outnumbered decliners on the NYSE by 1,387 to 1,378. On the Nasdaq, 1,572 issues rose and 976 fell.</p><p>The S&P 500 index showed 4 new 52-week highs and 7 new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 9 new highs and 34 new lows.</p><br />
<br />
<p>(Read More at: <a href="http://reut.rs/205ocxW">reuters.com</a>)</p>ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-87923207658712159402016-05-17T10:24:00.001-07:002016-05-17T10:24:17.332-07:00Apple, Microsoft, Google Chinese Security Reviews<p>It's fair to say that relations between the U.S. and China are strained, especially in regards to technology. Security researchers have often traced cyberattacks big and small back to China, for which the <a href="http://hothardware.com/news/china-still-claiming-innocence-in-massive-federal-employee-database-hack">Chinese government often denies</a>, <a name='more'></a>and there's contention over shipping products to the region. The latter is likely to escalate as China ramps up its security reviews on U.S. tech companies such as Apple and Microsoft. China has a deep distrust of technology products originating from the U.S. As a result, China's been conducting more intensive reviews of tech companies with a focus on encryption and data storage products. According to anonymous sources who spoke with The New York Times, executives or employees of foreign tech firms must answer questions about their company's products in person.</p><p><img src="http://hothardware.com/ContentImages/NewsItem/37425/content/Apple_Store_China.jpg" border="0" width="300" alt="technology, Apple, Microsoft, Google, Chinese Security" title="Apple, Microsoft, Google Chinese Security Reviews"/></p><p>Hangzhou West Lake Apple Store There's a special committee with ties to the Cyberspace Administration of China that conducts these reviews. The committee includes experts and engineers linked to China's military and security agencies. It's not unlike the reviews the U.S. conducts for foreign products, though this level of scrutiny is typically reserved for products that are used by the military or parts of the government.</p><p>China's reviews apply to a wider range of products, including consumer goods, and there's a fear that they could be used to extort trade secrets. Companies that fail to fork over details about how their products work could risk not being allowed access to the Chinese market. And if a company does comply, those secrets could end up leaked to competitors.</p><p>The concern that American tech products are spy gadgets for the U.S. government isn't new. China has a history of making demands with regards to hardware and software that's shipped into the country. In January of last year, it wanted U.S. companies to <a href="http://hothardware.com/news/china-wants-us-companies-to-hand-over-source-code-use-stated-sanctioned-encryption">hand over their source code</a> and use state-sanctioned encryption. A month later, <a href="http://hothardware.com/news/apple-intel-cisco-dropped-from-chinese-governments-approved-purchase-list">China booted Apple, Intel, and Cisco</a> from the government's approved purchase list.</p><p>Tech companies outside China fear that these reviews could set a precedent for other nations to follow, with each one making their own set of demands in exchange for market access.</p><br />
<br />
<p>(Read More at: <a href="http://hothardware.com/news/apple-microsoft-google-chinese-security-reviews">hothardware.com</a>)</p>ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-9657735255430996352016-05-16T09:25:00.001-07:002016-05-16T09:45:53.608-07:00First Penis Transplant Performed in U.S., Hospital Says<p>Surgeons said Monday they have done the first penis transplant in the U.S., helping a 64-year-old man who lost his organ to cancer.</p><p>Massachusetts General Hospital planned a news conference later Monday to give details about the transplant, which is only the third recorded penis transplant ever done globally.</p><p><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF3h17RMaHbxFTv7MVlLoxZm3iGBDEglia_ZOTYU24NDtZfprach8wI55qf6nrG2rqFoqig9LDNBzAPFGLXUMRthGWQNB2XVPAW4rK8Q4EWfwyU3IBYsHglNzgP6jVAGenRjR-CIWM7rJh/s1600/160516-thomas-manning-jsw-912a_a30559c133658e8f4778382b9e1b9807.nbcnews-ux-2880-1000.jpg" border="0" width="300" alt="health" title="First Penis Transplant Performed in U.S., Hospital Says"/><i>Thomas Manning gives a thumbs up after being asked how he was feeling following the first penis transplant in the United States, in Boston. Sam Riley / Mass General Hospital via AP</i></center></p><a name='more'></a><p>Thomas Manning, a bank courier from Halifax, Massachusetts, underwent 15 hours of delicate surgery, doctors said. "Earlier this month during a 15-hour procedure, surgeons connected the intricate vascular and nerve structures of a donor penis with those of the 64-year-old transplant recipient. The patient continues to recover well," the hospital said in a statement.</p><p>Manning is already up and about, his surgeons said.</p><p>More than 50 staff, including surgeons, urologists, and other experts, took part in the tricky and delicate procedure. Dr. Curtis Cetrulo, who performed the hospital's first hand transplant, teamed up with urologist Dr. Dicken Ko and others to plan the operation.</p><p>Ko said men who lose all or part of their genitals to injury or cancer are not just inconvenienced by the loss. The psychological effects are profound, he said.</p><p>"THEIR DEVASTATING LOSSES ARE ENDURED BY THEMSELVES ALONE AND OFTEN,MOST OF THE TIME, IN SILENCE."</p><p>"These courageous survivors often are left with a very abnormal urinary system, loss of sexual function and, ultimately, a loss of identity," Ko told a news conference.</p><p>"Their devastating losses are endured by themselves alone and often,most of the time, in silence."</p><p>Combat veterans are often so devastated that they consider suicide, Cetrulo added. "It makes them feel isolated and, in some cases, despondent," he said.</p><p>Manning, who is not married, said the transplant has "quite literally saved my life."</p><p>"In 2012 my life changed forever when I suffered a debilitating work accident followed by a devastating cancer diagnosis," he said in a statement.</p><p>Last year, a South African university said it had performed <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/south-african-university-performs-successful-penis-transplant-n323061">a successful penis transplant</a>. Later, the patient went on to <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/penis-transplant-pioneer-father-child-south-africa-doctor-n374321">father a child</a>.</p><p>China reported <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/id/14905485/ns/health-mens_health/t/first-penis-transplant-reversed-after-two-weeks/#.Vzm_XvkrJhE">an unsuccessful transplant</a> in 2006, saying it was reversed deliberately because the man and his wife did not like the result.</p><p>Penis transplants <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/id/57497915/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/can-transplanted-penis-work-original/#.Vzm-PPkrJhE">are complicated</a>. The organ has many blood vessels and nerve endings, and also must connect the urethra to the bladder and to the prostate inside the body.</p><p>Plastic surgeons can perform penile reconstruction using a patient's own skin but a transplant of an entire organ is more complicated.</p>"IN 2012 MY LIFE CHANGED FOREVER WHEN I SUFFERED A DEBILITATING WORK ACCIDENT FOLLOWED BY A DEVASTATING CANCER DIAGNOSIS."<p>Cetrulo said Manning had to undergo a series of scans to make sure his body was physically adaptable to a transplant. Size and location of key blood vessels are important, for instance.</p><p>He also had to be healthy enough to undergo such a long operation, psychologically stable and he had to be motivated and able to take care of himself afterwards, including by taking immune-suppressing drugs for the rest of his life to prevent his body from rejecting the new penis.</p><p>Researchers funded by the U.S. military are also working on ways to <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/id/48976348/ns/health-mens_health/t/modern-medicine-lab-grown-genitals-spray-on-skin/">regenerate penises</a> in the lab for transplant using a <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/id/33808214/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/lab-grown-penis-lets-rabbits-mate-bunnies/#.Vzm-lvkrJhE">patient's own cells</a>. The hope is to help soldiers whose genitals have been damaged by mines and other explosive devices.</p><p>The United Network for organ Sharing says there is one patient on the waiting list for a penile transplant in the United States. The University of Maryland Medical System, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Johns Hopkins Hospital all have approval to perform them.</p><p>Alexandra Glazier of the New England Organ Bank said the family of the donor, a man who had died, was praying for Manning's recovery. "There are not words to thank a family for this selfless gift of donation," Glazier told the news conference.</p><p>"The donation has been uplifting for their family as it has helped them get through this difficult time."</p>
<p>(Read More at: <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/first-penis-transplant-performed-u-s-hospital-says-n574621">nbcnews.com</a>)</p>ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-57718391247534111252016-05-15T11:07:00.001-07:002016-05-15T11:14:09.699-07:00Wedding Insurance – Protect your Wedding Plans<p><img src="http://tourop.travelberry.net/data/landing_images/190_28072010_155543_bridesandbeaches_wedding_insurance.jpg" border="0" width="300" title="Wedding Insurance – Protect your Wedding Plans" alt="insurance, wedding insurance"/></p><p>Most weddings cost far more than you would spend on a decent saloon car. It’s unthinkable that you would drive your brand new car without insurance cover, yet so many couples take a bigger financial risk by not insuring their wedding costs against the risk of total loss. By comparison to cars, house content, possessions, valuables, etc., wedding insurance costs very little for comprehensive cover. The relatively small premium for wedding insurance will give you peace of mind as you plan for your wedding.</p><a name='more'></a><p>Wedding insurance policies give a wide range of cover for many eventualities that could affect your wedding day. However, it is unlikely that small, irritating events would be included in the cover, such as rainfall, cloud, etc. but stronger weather forces that affect the wedding day almost certainly would, such as floods, landslides, earthquakes, etc. If adverse weather or other unpredicted events were to cause your wedding or reception venue to close or become inaccessible then your wedding insurance policy would provide a suitable level of cover. The same policy would cover unpredictable events with the wedding car supplier or the caterer or even if the bride or groom should sustain an accident which caused the wedding to be cancelled for the planned date. A low premium insurance policy to cover all of the wedding day suppliers and events will compensate for those unexpected situations that can leave you seriously out of pocket.</p><p>When you start to plan the wedding arrangements most couples wouldn’t consider including insurance as a part of their list – but you should! When you have set your wedding date and you start to book the suppliers for your wedding you are starting to make financial obligations for the big day – at that stage you should have your wedding insurance in places as well. This will give you a maximum period of cover for your insurance fee as well as adequate cover should anything go wrong in the period leading up to your wedding day that may leave you financially disadvantaged.</p><p>A good wedding insurance policy will include the following items in it’s cover: cancellation of your wedding (check the applicable clauses, it’s unlikely a change of heart will be covered!), wedding rings and jewellery, the wedding dress, attire purchased for the groom, best man, bridesmaids (if formal attire is to be hired, check insurance liability with the supplier), cancellation of the wedding and reception venue(s), catering supplier, wedding florist, personal accident of the bride or groom causing disruption of your wedding plans, public liability cover (check that your wedding and reception venues carry public liability cover for your guests whilst on their premises), personal liability and legal expenses for the bride and groom, cancellation or failure of wedding cars, accidental damage to your wedding cake, wedding photographer (ensure that provision is included for any possibility of your photographs being destroyed), wedding gifts (including an amount to cover cash and vouchers received).</p><p>Don’t forget insurance cover when planning your honeymoon. The honeymoon insurance is normally covered by travel insurance offered by the travel agent or available through insurance brokers, it is unlikely that honeymoon insurance would be included in a wedding insurance policy. One item that is often overlooked is cover in the event that the honeymoon is cancelled due to the wedding not taking place – neither the wedding insurance nor the travel insurance is likely to cover such a risk – so it is worth considering taking out a separate insurance cover for this specified risk (the insurance premium for such a policy is likely to be very small and may even be able to be added onto your wedding insurance cover as a specific item).</p><p>Planning and organising your wedding can be a very enjoyable experience, leading up to one of the most exciting and important days of your life. No one expects things to go wrong, and they rarely do, but you should have the reassurance of wedding insurance to give yourself peace of mind over any unexpected or unpredictable events that could disrupt your wedding day. When you start to plan your wedding day and book the suppliers, take out your wedding insurance policy at the same time. This gives the maximum period of cover and means you can concentrate on your wedding whilst you have the reassurance that the whole event is covered by your wedding insurance policy. Enjoy planning for the big day and your wedding day itself – congratulations, it’s one of the most enjoyable days of your life.</p>
<p>(Read More at : <a href="http://www.newsinsurances.co.uk/wedding-insurance-protect-your-wedding-plans/0169494858">newsinsurances.co.uk</a>)</p>ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-59285505004200542342016-05-15T09:47:00.001-07:002016-05-15T09:49:55.542-07:005 insurance changes to make when you retire<p><center><img src="http://mobile.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/2e40bb3037a5fd3a5b340a33fada715e27b3bbce/c=214-0-2097-1416&r=x483&c=640x480/local/-/media/2016/05/12/USATODAY/USATODAY/635986657665613136-insurance-types.jpg" border="0" width="300" title="5 insurance changes to make when you retire Barbara Marquand, NerdWallet"/><i>Thinkstock</p><p>Your insurance needs will change in retirement.</i></p></center><p>Whether you plan to travel the world, run marathons, serve your community or spend more time with family, retirement will bring radical changes in the ways you spend your time. And whenever life changes, so do the risks you face — which means retirement is a good time to look closely at your insurance coverage.</p><a name='more'></a><p>You might need more, less or different coverage, and you might also qualify for new discounts.</p><p>Here are five insurance tasks you should prioritize as you enter retirement.</p>
<p><b>1. Ask about car insurance discounts and coverage</b></p><p>There are a couple of ways you can save money on car insurance once you retire:</p>
<p><b>¤</b> Tell your car insurance agent or company you’re no longer commuting. Driving fewer miles may reduce your <a href="https://www.nerdwallet.com/insurance/compare-car-insurance-rates/?utm_source=syn&user_id=292">car insurance rates</a>.</p>
<p><b>¤</b> Take a defensive driving course. Most states and the District of Columbia require car insurers to give discounted rates to older adults, usually ages 55 and up, who complete these classes. AARP and AAA are among the groups that offer the courses, many of which are available online for less than $20.</p>
<p>But you might also need more or different coverage. For example, if you plan to rent cars in other countries, you might need international liability protection, advises Scott Johnson, manager of Marindependent Insurance Services in Mill Valley, California. Most standard car insurance policies don’t cover you when driving abroad.</p><p>You could be covered through your credit card or stand-alone trip insurance policies. But those options might not provide enough coverage if you’re in a wreck that causes injuries. And the coverage from an umbrella liability policy, which offers protection above the liability limits of your car and home insurance policies, might vary by the country you’re in and how long you’re there, Johnson says. Ask your agent whether you have enough liability protection to cover your assets no matter where you travel.</p><p>Your coverage needs might also change if any of your adult children have come back to live with you, Johnson says. Even if they have their own cars and insurance, they might need to be listed on your policy.</p>
<p><b>2. Contact your homeowners insurance company</b></p>
<p>Find out if your homeowners insurance company offers discounts to retirees. Some do, reasoning that retirees are at home more often, reducing their risk of burglary, fire and other problems, according to the Insurance Information Institute.</p><p>Planning a big remodel? Update your total coverage amount to include the improvements. It should cover the cost to rebuild your home.</p><p>Travel plans could also impact homeowners insurance. If you’re going to live in Tuscany for six months or spend the summer visiting grandkids, and your home will be vacant, you’ll need to get an endorsement — an addition to the policy — to cover the risk, Johnson says. Tell your insurer, too, if you plan to rent out your home through a service like Airbnb while you’re gone. You might also need special coverage in that case, Johnson says.</p>
<p><b>3. Re-evaluate life insurance</b></p>
<p>If your kids are grown up, your house is paid off, and you have enough retirement savings to support you and your spouse, you might not need life insurance.</p><p>But there are a few reasons why getting <a href="https://www.nerdwallet.com/life-insurance?utm_source=syn&user_id=292">life insurance quotes</a> and buying a policy as you near retirement might be a smart decision, says Marvin Feldman, president and CEO of industry group Life Happens.</p><p>“Some of these factors are pretty predictable — such as the financial obligations brought on by dependents and mortgages — but your unexpected death could prove to be a huge financial burden for your spouse, reducing your Social Security benefits and possibly pension benefits and bringing about unplanned medical and funeral expenses,” he says.</p><p>If your death would still hurt someone financially, consider a permanent policy, such as whole life insurance, to cover funeral and other final expenses, Feldman says. And if your estate will be subject to taxes, your heirs can pay them with life insurance proceeds.</p><p>Permanent life insurance policies can be complicated. Talk to a financial planner if you’re considering one.</p>
<p><b>4. Sign up for Medicare</b></p>
<p>Medicare is the federal government’s health insurance program for people 65 and older. You can sign up during a seven- month window, starting three months before your 65th birthday. Learn about the different parts of the program at <a href="https://www.medicare.gov/">Medicare.gov</a>.</p><p>Stay on top of the enrollment period. You’ll usually pay a higher price for Medicare if you enroll late.</p>
<p><b>5. Plan for long-term care costs</b></p>
<p>Long-term care includes a range of services that help with daily tasks, such as eating and bathing, if you can’t do them yourself. Paying for it is American consumers’ No. 2 financial concern, second only to retirement saving, according to the 2016 Insurance Barometer Study by Life Happens and financial services research group LIMRA.</p><p>Seventy percent of 65-year-olds will use long-term care eventually, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In many cases, Medicare won’t pay a dime for it. Medicaid, the government health insurance program for low- income people, pays for nursing home care, but only after you’ve spent down most of your assets.</p><p>So planning is critical. You can:</p>
<p><b>¤</b>Save money for long-term care.</p><p><b>¤</b>Buy a long-term care insurance policy.</p><p><b>¤</b>Rely on life insurance that includes long-term care benefits.</p>
<p>“The first place to start is to recognize and determine your needs,” Feldman says. “Given the vast number of products that exist, speak with a financial advisor or agent who specializes in long-term care to better understand and navigate all the options.”</p><p>Many years of planning and saving got you to retirement. With some careful attention, you can protect all that hard work going forward.</p>
<p>(Read More at : <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2016/05/14/nerdwallet-retirement-insurance--coverage-changes-discounts/84291556/">usatoday.com</a>)</p>ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-83235126359043470832016-05-14T09:37:00.001-07:002016-05-14T09:43:15.687-07:00Why Gluten-Free Diets May Not Be Best For Healthy Kids<p><center><img src="http://images.techtimes.com/data/thumbs/full/242791/600/0/0/0/gluten-free.jpg" border="0" width="300" title="Why Gluten-Free Diets May Not Be Best For Healthy Kids"/><i>Shifting a healthy child to a gluten-free diet is not without disadvantages. Experts advise parents to consult a pediatrician for proper guidance about their child's diet. (Photo : John Fischer | Flickr)</i></center></p><p>Individuals with <a href="http://www.techtimes.com/articles/19624/20141106/top-5-things-need-know-celiac-disease.htm">celiac disease</a> are advised to veer away from foods with gluten because it causes gut problems for them. However, some individuals shift to gluten- free diet just because it is a popular choice or they think it is a healthier option.<a name='more'></a> -Students Debt Consolidation Loans-</p><p>Due to the growing popularity of gluten-free products, sales are expected to balloon to as much as $24 billion by 2020. -Free Forex Trading-</p><p>The sense of being "healthy" is <a href="http://www.statista.com/topics/2067/gluten-free-foods-market/">driving</a> the industry, which concerns experts who believe that gluten-free diet when given to healthy kids may cause more harm than good. -Car Free Insurance Online Quote-</p><p>Dr. Norelle Reilly, assistant professor of Pediatrics and director of Columbia University Medical Center's Pediatric Celiac Disease, <a href="http://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(16)30062-2/fulltext">wrote</a> a commentary in the Journal of Pediatrics detailing the facts that must be considered before gluten is removed from a kid's diet. -Consolidating Private Student Loans-</p>
<p><b>The Caveats Of Gluten-Free Diet</b></p>
<p>Celiac disease affects 1 percent of the adult population, which warrants the shift to a gluten- free diet. In kids, gluten has not been established to cause any intestinal problem. In fact, shifting to a gluten-free diet may even deprive kids of good nutrition. -free quote for car insurance-</p><p>Reilly explained that gluten-free processed foods are fortified unevenly that they may be lacking in nutrients that children need, such as vitamin B complex, vitamin D, fiber, folate, calcium, magnesium and iron.</p><p>Kids may become vitamin deficient, and the lack of fiber in their diet could even cause gastrointestinal problems. Giving them gluten-free cookie may not be a good choice over naturally gluten-free vegetables.</p><p>For kids to stay healthy, it is still best to follow a balanced diet with vegetables, fresh fruit, lean protein and carbohydrates.</p><p>Reilly is also concerned that a gluten-free diet may mask symptoms of more serious diseases. Relying on information that they get from the Internet alone, without consulting their health care provider may be problematic in the future.</p><p>"They were trying to treat some sort of condition or symptom, such as an abdominal pain, diarrhea, headaches, or problems with attention," Reilly <a href="http://www.today.com/health/why-gluten-free-diet-may-be-bad-healthy-kids-t92546">said</a>. "Kids will often improve no matter what you do. So it's often hard to tell if they're improved because of a dietary change."</p><p>Gluten-free diet does not only affect health because it may also become socially limiting for kids and expensive for parents.</p><p>Kids on gluten-free diets feel different from their peers, as if they have some disease that sets them apart from the rest of their group. Some also fear that the diet may have an effect on their future choices.</p><p>Shifting to a gluten-free diet is also an expensive choice that long-term sustenance may be financially constraining to some families.</p><p>Reilly advised to exhaust all considerations before going gluten-free. Decisions should be guided by a health care provider to make sure the diet is appropriate.</p>
<p>(Read More at : <a href="http://www.techtimes.com/articles/158365/20160514/why-gluten-free-diets-may-not-be-best-for-healthy-kids.htm">techtimes.com</a>)</p>ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-54080260639305228412016-05-11T10:31:00.001-07:002016-05-11T10:43:24.615-07:00Instagram’s big redesign goes live with a colorful new icon, black-and-white app and more<p><img src="https://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/instagram-redesign.jpg" border="0" width="300" title="Instagram’s big redesign goes live with a colorful new icon, black-and-white app and more"/> Instagram’s new icon is pink. Well, it’s pink and purple and yellow and orange. It’s definitely different. And that’s not all the company has changed today. Instagram this morning is rolling out a radical redesign of its mobile application, which not only includes this new, brightly colored app icon but also a revamped user interface that does away with color in favor of a black-and-white look and feel.</p><a name='more'></a><p>You <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2016/03/23/google-is-reportedly-making-an-ios-keyboard-with-search-functionality/">may remember that screenshots</a> of this redesign <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/26/11512718/instagram-redesign-black-white">leaked last month</a>, prompting many to wonder if such a change was actually in the works.</p><p>As it turns out, it was.</p><p>Instagram’s interest in updating the icon was to better reflect how its community has changed over time.</p><p>“When Instagram was founded over five years ago, it was a place for you to easily edit and share photos. Over those five years, things have changed,” says Ian Spalter, Instagram’s Head of Design. “Instagram is now a diverse community of interests where people are sharing more photos and videos than ever before, using new tools like Boomerang and Layout, and connecting in new ways through Explore.”</p><p>The new icon, however, still references Instagram’s history with its now simplified and softer camera that appears in the much more colorful design.</p><p><img src="https://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/instagram-old-new.png" border="0" width="300" alt="" /></p><p><p>In addition, the colors that blend and blur from purple to pink to orange and yellow are also supposed to reference Instagram’s iconic rainbow in its older design. (This isn’t entirely obvious, but we can see how the designer would want to make that connection.)</p><p>Meanwhile, where Instagram’s icon is now filled with color, the app itself has had the color removed. Instead of using blue and white in the app’s chrome, the new black-and-white design allows the color in the app to come from the community and what’s being shared. The user interface is no longer competing for attention.</p><p><img src="https://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/instagram-ios-old-new.png" border="0" width="300" alt="" /></p><p>Though this design change will impact users the most, given it’s the app that’s actually interacted with on a regular basis, it somehow feels less jarring – at least, initially – than the change to the app icon.</p><p>Perhaps that’s because nothing has been fundamentally changed with regard to the app’s workflow. The buttons remain in the same positions, and pops of color are still shown to highlight things like notifications, for example. And there are some slight under-the-hood changes. For instance, Instagram now uses standard iOS and Android components, fonts and patterns. But the app itself is simply a cleaner, more modern version of the Instagram we know and love.</p><p>That’s not to say it doesn’t take some getting used to. Seeing the editing tools laid out in black-and-white simplicity will prompt a double take the first few times you use them. But the process of using the tools has not been changed.</p><p><img src="https://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/img_5281.jpg" border="0" width="300" alt=""/></p><p>However, the icon’s update feels as dramatic as iOS 7 once did when Apple’s Jony Ive unveiled the operating system’s newer, flatter look-and-feel and its brighter color gradients. This initially prompted some user backlash among Apple fans who had trouble adjusting. (Remember the <a href="https://jonyiveredesignsthings.tumblr.com/">Jony Ive Redesigns Things</a> Tumblr, anyone?)</p>
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/166138104?autoplay=1&loop=1&automute=0" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>What’s funny is that the iOS revamp years ago eventually <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/25/4767036/instagram-ios-7-update-no-icon">prompted</a> <a href="http://thenextweb.com/apps/2014/08/13/dont-like-instagrams-icon-this-app-lets-you-change-it-and-any-others-on-your-phone/#gref">Instagram’s</a> <a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-hasnt-Instagram-changed-its-iPhone-icon-to-an-iOS-7-style">user base</a> to <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/iphone/comments/2hzfax/anyone_else_kinda_annoyed_at_the_instagram_icon/">call for the company</a> to update its look as well. The older app icon began to feel out of place on the iPhone home screen, as other app icons were updated to better fit Apple’s new design language.</p><p>Then, when Google rolled out its own take on flat design with Material Design, Instagram’s icon began to feel a little out of place there, too.</p><p><img src="https://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/instagram-icons-old-new.png" border="0" width="300" alt=""/></p><p>Besides the icon change and black-and-white revamp, Instagram’s larger suite of apps, including Layout, Hyperlapse and Boomerang, have also received new icons. These new icons now better reflect what their app does in some cases. For example, the collage maker Layout has gone from a square to a grid. They also now match the new Instagram icon’s color scheme.</p><p>While the makeover is dramatic, it’s not tied to the other forthcoming changes, like the <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2016/05/04/instagram-business-profiles-to-feature-contact-buttons-directions-and-more/?ncid=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=sfgplus&sr_share=googleplus&%3Fncid=sfgplus">rollout of Business Profiles due in a few months.</a></p><p>Instagram has been working on this redesign since last summer and ended up testing over 300 icons before arriving on a lead candidate in late November. The company then worked on the user interface update, which had been tested internally since the beginning of the year.</p><p>Those tests finally made it out into the wild in the past couple of weeks, which is when users spotted them and the news of the redesign was leaked. The company doesn’t share details on its internal tests or how the changes impacted key metrics like user engagement.</p><p>However, with 400 million users worldwide who share more than 80 million photos and videos daily, it’s not likely that the company would roll out an update of this magnitude if it were worried the changes could negatively impact any of its numbers.</p>
<p>(Read More at : <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2016/05/11/instagrams-big-redesign-goes-live-with-a-colorful-new-icon-black-and-white-app-and-more/">techcrunch.com</a>)</p>ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352146694141384666.post-54974093240474087822016-05-10T09:36:00.001-07:002016-05-10T09:50:27.390-07:00Genetic testing is terrifying when you have cancer<p><img src="https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/genetictesting.jpg" border="0" width="300" title="Genetic testing is terrifying when you have cancer" rel="dofollow" /> Learning that you have cancer is shocking. During treatment, the last thing you want to consider is having cancer ever again.</p><p>But for many of us who’ve been diagnosed, especially at a young age, it’s a prospect we must confront.</p><a name='more'></a><p>When I was <a href="http://qz.com/432083/why-i-chose-a-life-without-breasts-after-cancer/" rel="dofollow">diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago at age 31</a>, genetic testing was part of an initial battery of tests. If I was a carrier of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, it would mean that a double mastectomy was without a doubt my course of treatment. Having those mutations predisposes women to developing breast cancer at a young age, as well as in both breasts. Despite what many people think, breast cancer is typically not hereditary, but mutations like these account for many of the familial cases. Only an estimated 7% of breast cancers are caused by mutations of this gene.</p><p>But here’s the rub: carrying the BRCA gene mutations put your likelihood of developing <a href="http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/genetics/brca-fact-sheet" rel="dofollow">ovarian cancer up to 40%</a> (the probability is higher with BRCA1 than BRCA2). Many of my friends who have the mutation have been advised to have their ovaries removed by the age of 40 as a preventative measure. In some cases, BRCA mutations are also linked to a higher likelihood of pancreatic cancer and melanoma.</p><p>I tested negative for BRCA, but there are other genetic mutations related to breast cancer: p53, ATM, PALB, and CHEK2.</p><p>My insurance required that I receive genetic counseling with my testing. The genetic testing company advised that I be tested for p53, or Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which is a rare disorder linked to breast cancer, sarcoma, and leukemia.</p><p>This, I found terrifying. I could barely wrap my head around the fact that I had one cancer let alone the prospect of having another.</p><p>I tested negative for p53.</p><p>When I met with a woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer in her thirties, she encouraged me to get my entire panel of genetic testing done as she had. I couldn’t think of anything worse than finding out that I had a higher likelihood for developing another cancer. And my oncologist wasn’t advising it. A recent study in the <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/05/160505135028.htm" rel="dofollow">American Journal of Human Genetics</a> found that testing beyond breast or ovarian cancer-specific genes has no clinical benefit. For patients with mutations in the ATM or CHEK2 genes, there are not yet guidelines on what kind of care to provide.</p><p>More information doesn’t necessarily mean more knowledge. As I went through treatment, I learned about the risks of chemotherapy: I could feel nauseous or, in a decade, I might develop leukemia; from radiation, I could experience skin discoloration or get heart disease. I was at risk for a range of side effects from the minor to the catastrophic, and the doctors had no idea who would experience what. They also couldn’t tell me why I developed cancer in the first place or whether it would return.</p><p>Being treated for cancer is an exercise in learning how little doctors know about cancer.</p>
<p>Recently, <a href="http://qz.com/676394/if-people-realized-how-little-doctors-knew-theyd-be-very-scared/" rel="dofollow">Quartz reporter Katherine Foley</a> interviewed Lisa Sanders, a doctor of internal medicine who served as inspiration for the TV show House. Sanders said:</p><p><center>We like to give the impression that if you have questions, we have answers. But actually, there’s a lot of wiggle room in that. … If you put on one plate all the stuff we know, and on another all the stuff we know we don’t know … I think it’s about equal. And I think everyone in medicine recognizes that there’s a huge dollop of stuff we have no idea about.</center></p>
<p>Just this year I found out that friend of a friend had developed a second breast cancer in the opposite breast. She discovered that she had a mutation in the ATM gene. I asked my doctor if I should be tested for it. Or what about colon cancer, which my maternal grandfather had in the 1960s?</p><p>She told me not to worry about it, and I won’t. Tests and probabilities are abstract; they can’t prepare you for the trauma of a life-threatening illness. The only antidote I know is to live.</p>
<p>(Read More at: <a href="http://qz.com/677932/genetic-testing-is-terrifying-when-you-have-cancer/" rel="dofollow">qz.com</a>)</p>ON THE TOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02562920465555854692noreply@blogger.com0