sebastianstanbe: January 2013

Thursday 31 January 2013

Newell: Steambox racing against Apple, not consoles | VG247

Thu, Jan 31, 2013 | 05:09 GMT

Wednesday 30 January 2013

Down Home Antiques: Winter Antiques

We had so much fun last weekend up in the mountains! ?Love spending time with our family! We did some sledding and took a walk to the lake. ?It was the coldest weekend we've ever spent up there. One night, ?it was 3 degrees!!! ?Born and raised in Southern California, that is just not a comfortable temperature! ?We bundled up and enjoyed the beautiful snow, but it was nice to come back inside and stay warm! ?We ?played games, did puzzles, colored, watched football, and ate!!!

At Down Home, we have lots of fun things to decorate your cabin or lake house with! ?And, while we love going up the mountains, you can create a "lodge" look no matter where you live!

Have a cozy winter!

xo~Peggy

Source: http://downhomeorange.blogspot.com/2013/01/winter-antiques.html

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Lindsay Lohan Too Sick For Court

Lindsay Lohan is due in court tomorrow for a pre-trial hearing in L.A. after her probation was revoked last month for allegedly lying to police. Apparently the actress (can we still call her that?) is too sick to fly. She is currently in New York and has had her lawyer send over a Doctors note (what are we in high school?) and some documentation on how the flu epidemic has hit the city. Lindsay doesn’t have the flu, just an upper respiratory infection which would apparently put her, and others on the flight, at risk. Here is the other kicker – Lindsay? recently fired her amazeballz lawyer Shawn Holley and she is off the case. Her new lawyer,?Mark Heller, believes in Lindsay’s innocence. A source previously said: Mark believes he can get Lindsay acquitted of all criminal charges stemming from her car accident in Santa Monica last summer. Lindsay has convinced Mark that she never lied to cops when they asked her if she was driving the car that day. There was a plea bargain offer on the table for Lindsay to go to rehab for nine months, but she absolutely refused that. Mark won’t sign off on [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/RoSARUowCPg/

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UPDATED: Facebook Hit By Extended Outage In Several Countries

Facebook is back online for everyone, according to Downrightnow and the company. A spokesperson said:

Earlier today we experienced a DNS issue that briefly prevented people who typed 'facebook.com' into their browsers from reaching the site. People who accessed the site using a mobile app, typed 'www.facebook.com<http://www.facebook.com/>' into their browsers, or used a bookmark or a search engine to navigate to the site were not affected. We resolved the issue quickly, and the fix should be fully propagated now. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/cJPI2WVMQn4/

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Tuesday 29 January 2013

Rimac delivers Concept_One-based one-off, refuses to pull back the curtain

What's that intriguing shape poking out from underneath the curtain? Rimac Automobili assures us all via its Facebook account that there's a Concept_One in there -- or, at least, a "one-off car based [on it]," marking the delivery of the company's much discussed and sometimes questioned 1,088 horsepower electric supercar. So, why the secrecy? According to the company's namesake executive, Mate Rimac, "the customer wished to control what will be published about the project." Hopefully the wind will blow away that curtain soon enough.

Filed under: Transportation

Comments

Source: Facebook

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/29/rimac-concept_one/

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Dick Van Dyke honored for lifetime achievement

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? He's acted, danced and sang his way through movies, television and the stage, making Dick Van Dyke an entertainment triple-threat long before Hollywood used such hyphenates.

The 87-year-old actor, best known for the 1960s hit comedy "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and Disney's big-screen musical "Mary Poppins," can now add lifetime achievement honoree. He added that honor to his resume at Sunday night's 19th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.

"They tell me you never work again once you get this award," Van Dyke said on the red carpet. "I'll have to let them know I'm available."

His career has spanned eight decades, starting with work as a disc jockey and a standup comic in the late '40s. He even worked as a national television morning-show host, with no less than Walter Cronkite serving as his news anchor.

But perhaps Van Dyke's most critical career break came in 1960, when director Gower Champion hired him as the male lead opposite Chita Rivera in the new Broadway-bound stage musical "Bye Bye Birdie."

Van Dyke had no professional dance experience, and out-of-town tryouts did not go well. Nevertheless, Champion refused to fire the actor, who would go on to New York with Rivera and win a Tony award for his performance.

About a year later, Van Dyke was starring in his own sitcom, in the role of TV comedy writer Rob Petrie on "The Dick Van Dyke Show." Three prime-time Emmys for Van Dyke and more than 50 years later, the series remains revered by many critics as one of the earliest models of great workplace comedy.

"'The 'Dick Van Dyke Show' was the most fun I ever had and the most creative period of my life," he said on the red carpet.

During the series' run, Van Dyke also enjoyed big-screen hits, including the 1963 "Birdie" movie and the 1964 all-star comedy, "What a Way to Go!" But biggest of all was "Mary Poppins," in which he introduced the Oscar-winning song "Chim Chim Cher-ee."

"I'm world-famous for my Cockney accent," Van Dyke kidded in his acceptance speech. He has said his British-born co-star, Julie Andrews, told him he never got the accent right.

Last year, Van Dyke presented the same lifetime achievement honor to his former TV co-star, Mary Tyler Moore.

These days, Van Dyke sings with his vocal group, The Vantasix, and enjoys life with his wife of one year, makeup artist Arlene Silver. The couple met seven years ago at the SAG Awards.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/dick-van-dyke-honored-lifetime-achievement-025510248.html

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Conference suggests ways Broadway can be better

FILE - This Jan. 19, 2012 file photo shows billboards advertising Broadway shows in Times Square, in New York. The TEDxBroadway conference will be held Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, at the off-Broadway complex New World Stages. The one-day event is bringing together more than a dozen producers, marketers, entrepreneurs, academics, economists and artists. All will try to answer the question: "What is the best Broadway can be?" (AP Photo/Charles Sykes, file)

NEW YORK (AP) ? A conference on how to make the Broadway experience better for theatergoers has come up with some prescriptions: Be brave in the stories that are told onstage and embrace youth and technology.

"Broadway, I don't think, has boldly gone where it needs to," said "Star Trek" actor George Takei, riffing off his old show's motto. "I have a sense that Broadway hasn't entered into the 21st century."

The second TEDxBroadway conference on Monday brought together 16 speakers ? producers, marketers, entrepreneurs, academics and artists ? to try to answer the question: "What is the best Broadway can be?"

"We use the word 'best' because the goal of today is to go right past better all the way to the extent of what is possible, even if it seems a little bit outlandish," said co-organizer Jim McCarthy, the CEO of Goldstar, a ticket retailer.

TEDx events are independently organized but inspired by the nonprofit group TED ? standing for Technology, Entertainment, Design ? that started in 1984 as a conference dedicated to "ideas worth spreading." Video of the Broadway event will be made available to the public.

While the health of Broadway is good, with shows yielding a record $1.14 billion in grosses last season, some speakers noted that total attendance ? 12.3 million last season ? hasn't kept pace, meaning Broadway isn't always attracting new customers.

Three speakers ? one the sister of Facebook's founder Mark Zuckerberg ? argued that new technology means the stage experience doesn't need to be confined to the four walls of the theater and so can grow new audiences.

David Sabel, who has helped drive the National Theatre of Great Britain into the digital age, pointed out that broadcasts of his stage shows on movie screens across the world haven't dampened demand at the box office and have actually have themselves become profitable.

"I think in our business, digital is uniquely not a threat but an opportunity," he said. "What if we could open it up and invite a much greater audience in to speak with us?"

Randi Zuckerberg said the Broadway community could increase visibility by having auditions for minor parts via YouTube, have live tweeters backstage, offer crowd funding to knit people to productions, give walk-on parts for influential figures or even make the Playbills electronic.

"Why should Broadway be limited by physical space? By ticket prices? By the same shows, over and over?" she asked. "Instead of having just a small sliver of the world come to Broadway, why not bring a small piece of Broadway to the entire world?"

And Internet guru Josh Harris said producers need to open the entire process to the outside world, including video cameras backstage to capture actors getting ready and even having the orchestra pit filled with people interacting with the audience via their electronic devices.

The annual gathering centered on Broadway is the brainchild of three men: McCarthy; Ken Davenport, a writer and producer; and Damian Bazadona, the founder of Situation Interactive. It drew 400 people to the off-Broadway complex New World Stages and into the theater where "Avenue Q" usually plays.

Takei in the past few years has grown 3.3 million Facebook friends and leveraged them into audience members to "Allegiance," his new musical about Japanese-Americans during World War II,

"If I can do it, Broadway certainly can," the 65-year-old said. "Broadway is at its best when it embraces all of the technological advancements of the time and starts making a lot of friends on social media. Then, as we say on 'Star Trek,' Broadway will live long and prosper."

Thomas Schumacher, the president of the Disney Theatrical Group, slammed the pretentious way some in the theatrical community look at more mainstream shows and scoffed at their disdain for making the audience experience more fun.

"Populism has its own manifest destiny and we need to embrace that," said Schumacher, who called for a big tent of theatrical options on Broadway and especially shows for children who will return as adults. "What I ask you to do is embrace this audience and maybe even embrace the sippy cup."

Terry Teachout, drama critic at The Wall Street Journal, soberly pointed out that 75 percent of all Broadway shows fail and then asked that more producers roll the dice on quality.

"If you can't count on getting rich, then forget playing it safe. Why not take a shot at being great?" he asked. "If there's ever a time for you to shoot high, this is it. Don't start out settling for safe. Gamble on great."

Kristoffer Diaz, the playwright of the Pulitzer Prize finalist "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity," urged producers to embrace different voices, as they did with "In the Heights" and "Rent."

"Women, writers of color, transgender, lesbian, gay and bisexual ? we need to keep hearing these stories. We need to hear them on Broadway," he said. "It becomes a lot harder to dismiss somebody out of hand if you've spent a couple of hours investing in their story."

Two speakers with specialty knowledge outside Broadway urged the community to not just focus on putting on a great show.

Susan Reilly Salgado, who has worked with famed restaurant owner Danny Meyer, said his success is not only about creating tasty dishes. Meyer, she said, makes the whole evening fun.

"To say that, in a restaurant, it's all about the food discounts everyone else who touches the customer experience," she said. "The best way to get people to come back to you over and over is to create an all-encompassing experience."

Erin Hoover, the vice president of design for Westin and Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, said Broadway theaters could take a page out of the innovations brought to hotel lobbies, which are now comfortable, inviting and offer new sources of revenue. "The experience for the show really starts at the door."

Customer service was also a theme touched on by Zachary A. Schmahl, an actor-turned-baker who created Schmackary's Cookies in his apartment and has watched it grow into a thriving business.

"Customer service is something that people are missing in New York," he said. "It's so important in our single-serving culture to be that business that has a heart and a soul alongside a quality product."

One returning speaker was Vincent Gassetto, the principal of a high-performing public middle school in a tough area of the Bronx, who urged those in attendance to make sure Broadway was on the radar of his best and brightest students.

"It's in everybody in this room's best interest that they have an awareness of this industry or we're never going to win that talent war," he said. "We're all going to be competing for them."

Though the speakers came from different backgrounds and emphasized different prescriptions, they did seem to agree with Daryl Roth, the Pulitzer Prize-winning producer of seven plays, including "Clybourne Park." She challenged the crowd to think of Broadway in more than just dollars and cents.

"If we share the deep belief that theater matters, that theater can change us and ultimately change the world, then isn't that the best Broadway can be?" Roth asked.

___

Online:

http://www.goldstar.com/tedxbroadway

___

Follow Mark Kennedy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-01-28-Theater-TEDxBroadway/id-47df4f1bfd8346a2875d88f3d6f3b2b0

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WhatsApp Violates International Phone Number Privacy Laws

WhatsApp, the Instant Message client beloved of people too cheap to text, appears to contravene international privacy laws because of the way it forces users to grant it access to their entire address book. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/2AJOjRcoNDE/whatsapp-violates-international-phone-number-privacy-laws

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Al-Qaida-linked group claims deadly Syria blast

In this image taken from video obtained from the Ugarit News, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, smoke rises from buildings after rockets slammed into them in the rebel-held town of Rastan, Syria, just north of Homs, Friday, Jan. 25, 2013. Regime troops shelled the city of Homs on Friday as soldiers battled rebels around the central province with the same name, which was a major frontline during the first year of the revolt. (AP Photo/Ugarit News via AP video)

French Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius, right, listens to Syrian National Coalition vice-president Riad Seif during a press conference at the International support meeting of the Syrian National Coalition in Paris, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. France has called together representatives of some 50 nations to coax them to make good on promises to help the Syrian opposition coalition, in need of funds to move forward in its bid to oust the regime of Bashar Assad. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

French Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius, right, flanked by Syrian National Coalition vice-president Riad Seif attend a press conference during the International support meeting of the Syrian National Coalition in Paris, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. France has called together representatives of some 50 nations to coax them to make good on promises to help the Syrian opposition coalition, in need of funds to move forward in its bid to oust the regime of Bashar Assad. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

In this image taken from video obtained from the Sham News Network, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, a pair of what activists say are tanks from President Bashar Assad regime in sit in a street in the Daraya neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, just before one of them fires a shot Friday, Jan. 25, 2013. Troops battled rebels around Damascus in an effort to dislodge opposition fighters who have set up enclaves around the capital, including Daraya and Zabadani. (AP Photo/Sham News Network via AP video)

BEIRUT (AP) ? An al-Qaida-linked group fighting alongside Syrian rebels claimed responsibility Monday for a suicide car bombing that reportedly killed dozens of President Bashar Assad's loyalists last week.

In Paris, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius pleaded for countries to honor their pledges of funding and other aid to the Syrian opposition to keep the country out of the hands of Islamist militant groups.

"If we don't give the means to the Syrian people to go achieve their freedom, there is a risk, and we all know it exists, that massacres and antagonisms amplify, and that extremism and terrorism prevail.

"Chaos is not tomorrow, it is today, and we need to end it. We need to end it in a peaceful way and that means increased and concrete support to the Syrian National Coalition."

Islamic militants have been the most organized fighters battling government troops in the 22-month-old conflict in which more than 60,000 people have been killed. Their growing prominence has fueled fears that Muslim radicals might try to hijack the revolt, and has contributed to the West's hesitance to equip the opposition with sophisticated weapons.

In Beirut, U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said the situation in Syria was getting worse ? that entire neighborhoods are being destroyed by the fighting.

Amos, who just returned from Syria, also reported human rights abuses.

"I listen to the women who talk about what happened to them, to their families, the sexual abuse they have faced," Amos said in an interview with The Associated Press.

"The indiscriminate shelling. The indiscriminate killing of people. This is a conflict that is happening essentially in towns and cities," she said.

Amos said she went last year to the once rebel-held neighborhood of Baba Amr in the central city of Homs. She said the entire neighborhood was destroyed and more than 70,000 people had left, but no one knew where they had gone.

"There was not a single building left standing," she said. "This is being repeated across Syria. It's a terrible thing."

Jabhat al-Nusra, which the U.S. says has ties to al-Qaida and has declared a terrorist organization, said in a statement posted online that one of its suicide bombers detonated a car bomb last Monday at the headquarters of a pro-government militia in the central province of Hama. It said the bomber drove a truck packed with explosives to the militia's complex in the town of Salamiya and blew himself up "to give the tyrannical regime a taste" of violence it has been inflicting on the Syrian people.

Activists said at least 42 people, mostly pro-Assad militiamen, were killed in the blast. The government did not say how many people were killed, although state-run SANA news agency published photographs of what it said was a funeral procession for the blast's victims on Wednesday. In one of the photographs, a dozen men are seen standing behind 11 caskets, wrapped into a Syrian flag.

Jabhat al-Nusra has previously targeted government institutions in Damascus with suicide bombers and has led successful attacks on military bases and strategic territory in the country's north.

The suicide bombings are part of relentless violence that has engulfed Syria since the uprising against Assad began in March 2011.

On Monday, activists said troops battled rebels in several towns and villages around Damascus, including in Daraya, Arbeen and Zabadani. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the regime's forces also shelled several of the capital's suburbs.

The areas outside Damascus have been rebel strongholds since the uprising began. In recent months, the rebels have used them as a base from which they have been trying to push into central Damascus, the seat of Assad's power.

In the north, troops clashed with rebels in al-Hasaka province along Syria's border with Turkey, the Observatory said, adding that at least 10 rebels were killed in the fighting that erupted Sunday after the opposition fighters attacked a government checkpoint.

International efforts to stop the bloodshed in Syria have repeatedly failed and both sides fighting in the civil war are convinced they can defeat the other on the battlefield.

In France, Fabius pleaded for countries to keep their promises of financial aid to the Syrian opposition or risk compromising the legitimacy of the Syrian National Coalition in the eyes of the people fighting the Assad regime.

The opposition coalition was formed in November. More than 100 countries have back the umbrella group, decreeing it the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. France was the first to confer such recognition.

"We have to give the Syrian people a clear signal: We are at your side," Fabius told representatives of some 50 nations.

Not all the promises of funding and other aid made at the Friends of Syria group's conference in December in Marrakech, Morocco, have materialized. France, which has spearheaded the formation of a viable opposition in exile, wants to make sure that backing that has been promised actually comes through.

More than $100 million was promised in Marrakech, but it's unclear how much has been sent.

Three Syrian National Coalition's vice-presidents attended the Paris gathering, which comes two days before a donor conference in Kuwait.

Amos, the U.N. official, said she went to Syria from Lebanon by land on Sunday because of insecurity around the Damascus International Airport that has witnessed fighting and air raids for weeks.

In recent months, several officials, including special U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, have flown to Beirut and then traveled by land to Damascus because of the fighting.

Amos hoped that Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq or Jordan don't close their borders with Syria. She said funds are needed to help refugees and those countries that are receiving them.

Amos spoke two days ahead of a donor conference for Syria that will be held in Kuwait. More than half a million Syrians have fled to neighboring countries and there are hundreds of thousands who are internally displaced.

_____

Associated Press writer Elaine Ganley in Paris and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-01-28-Syria/id-dbe2c5be8a3c4778b7dff90d1bcb7fe1

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Monday 28 January 2013

Smartphone Applications for business ? are you getting left behind ...

January 28, 2013 at 2:54 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Tags: apps, brands, marketing, small businesses, smartphones

Junior Designer James Mercer

A new report by Flurry states that more than 1.7 billion apps were downloaded in the week after Christmas. In the UK alone 132 million apps were downloaded in seven days, more than twice as many as Germany. The app world is massive, and growing ? Flurry expects more than 52 billion apps to be downloaded in 2013.

The key question is what this phenomena means for business and how a small to medium sized business can really benefit from developing its own apps? There are already millions of useful apps that businesses can download ? such as Bump which allows entrepreneurs to ditch traditional business cards in favour of virtual ones. Users can trade contact information, photos and files imply by ?bumping? two Smartphones together. But why would a business consider developing its own app as part of its marketing strategy?

Try these benefits for starters:

- Advertises your brand to new markets
- Builds and reinforces brand loyalty
- Increases visibility and accessibility
- Increases exposure across mobile devices, connecting you with on-the-go consumers
- Generates repeat business
- Enhances your social networking strategies

To achieve these great business benefits your app needs to have a great download-ability factor. Put simply, your app needs to provide the user with something that enhances their everyday activities ? either through a service, an interest or even fun. These elements will establish your app on the download charts and ensure that consumers return to them once they?ve been downloaded.

At Quantum PR we?re currently developing an app based on business events and exhibitions. For visitors to a business exhibition apps provide the perfect channel to relay up to the minute information such as details on products available, speakers, competitions taking place or directions to different stands. Our app will enable a delegate to completely plan their visit to the exhibition, highlighting who and what to see where ? smart business sense. And any business can now develop its own app to promote into its own marketplace and build its brand recognition.

So what do consumers expect from a business-led app?

- Easy access to your brand, products and services and the key benefits that it provides
- Notifications of special events, launches, and importantly offers
- One-touch access to your information
- Directions to your location

So is your business getting left behind?

The smartphone application market is growing massively, By combining great design with excellent functionality (and of course marketing!) apps have the potential to help you develop new markets for your products and services.

If you?re not yet convinced that apps are worth researching further ? consider this: By 2014 there will be more than 2 billion smartphone users worldwide. So perhaps it?s time to look to get ahead, rather than get left behind.

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Source: http://quantumpr.wordpress.com/2013/01/28/smartphone-applications-for-business-are-you-getting-left-behind/

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Sunday 27 January 2013

Page Not Found (404) - Salon.com

Source: http://feeds.salon.com/salon/index

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Witch-hunting "Hansel & Gretel" wins box office

(Reuters) - A grown-up "Hansel & Gretel" grabbed the weekend box office title, pulling in $19 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales with its reinvention of the classic fairy tale characters as fierce bounty hunters.

"Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters" knocked last weekend's winner, low-budget horror flick "Mama," into second place. "Mama" earned $12.8 million from Friday through Sunday, according to studio estimates, followed by "Silver Linings Playbook" with $10 million.

CIA drama "Zero Dark Thirty" came in fourth with $9.8 million.

Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton star in "Hansel & Gretel" as crossbow-wielding adult siblings who travel the world to take out evil witches. MGM and Viacom Inc's Paramount Pictures produced the action comedy for about $50 million. Paramount had predicted opening weekend sales in the high-teens or low $20 million range.

Don Harris, Paramount's president of distribution, said the film performed well despite the very cold temperatures and snow that hit the eastern United States.

"We are pleased that we were on our number on a worldwide basis. It looks like we are on or exceeding our numbers, but we did get dinged with the weather on Friday," he said in an interview.

"The impact of the weather was certainly more than I had predicted."

"Mama" features Jessica Chastain as a woman forced to take care of two orphaned nieces who have been living in the woods. The $15 million production has now earned $48.6 million at U.S. and Canadian theaters through two weekends.

Chastain also stars in "Zero Dark Thirty" in an Oscar-nominated role as a dogged CIA agent searching for al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The best picture nominee, which has sparked debate over depictions of torture, has grossed $69.9 million since its release in late December.

"Silver Linings Playbook," another Oscar contender, stars Bradley Cooper as a former mental patient trying to rebuild his life with the help of a young widow played by Jennifer Lawrence. Total sales for "Silver Linings" reached $69.46 million.

New crime thriller "Parker" finished in fifth place, taking in $7 million at domestic theaters. The film is based on a series of novels by Donald E. Westlake and stars Jason Statham as a thief seeking revenge against a crew that double-crossed him. Jennifer Lopez plays a woman who helps with his mission.

"Movie 43," a raunchy new comedy with an ensemble of Hollywood directors and stars, settled for seventh place. The film is a series of related short films about three kids scouring the Internet to find the world's most-banned movie. Stars making appearances include Huge Jackman, Seth MacFarlane, Kate Winslet and Dennis Quaid. Privately held Relativity Media produced the film for about $6 million.

"Mama" was distributed by Universal Studios, a division of Comcast Corp. Sony Corp's movie studio released "Zero Dark Thirty." "Parker" was released by independent studio FilmDistrict. The Weinstein Co distributed "Silver Linings Playbook."

(Editing by Bill Trott)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/action-remake-hansel-gretel-wins-box-office-165822523--sector.html

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It's time to howl at the Full Wolf Moon

NASA

Up-close exploration of the moon, Earth's only natural satellite, began in 1959 and hasn't stopped. Take a look at scenes from 50 years of moon exploration.

By Joe Rao, Space.com

The first full moon of 2013 will light up the night sky on Saturday night, but did you know it's a full moon of many names?

Full moon names date back to the Native American tribes of a few hundred years ago, who lived in what is now the northern and eastern United States. Those tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred.

There were some variations in the moon names, but in general, the same ones were used throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England on west to Lake Superior. European settlers followed their own customs and created some of their own names. Since the lunar (or "synodic") month is roughly 29.5 days in length on average, the dates of the full moon shift from year to year.

Here is a listing of all of the full moon names, as well as the dates and times for 2013. Unless otherwise noted, all times are for the Eastern time zone:

Jan. 26, 11:38 p.m. ET ?Full Wolf Moon: Amid the zero cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Indian villages.? It was also known as the Old Moon or the Moon after Yule.? In some tribes this was the Full Snow Moon; most applied that name to the next moon. [Full Moon: Why Does It Happen? (Video)]

Feb. 25, 3:26 p.m. ET ?Full Snow Moon: Usually the heaviest snows fall in this month. Hunting becomes very difficult, and hence, to some tribes this was the Full Hunger Moon.?

March 27, 5:27 a.m. ET ?Full Worm Moon: In this month the ground softens and the earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of the robins. The more northern tribes knew this as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signals the end of winter, or the Full Crust Moon, because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night. The Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation. [Phases of the Moon in 2013: A Lunar Calendar]

In 2013, this is also the Paschal Full Moon?? the first full moon of the spring season. The first Sunday following the paschal moon is Easter Sunday, which indeed will be observed four days later on Sunday, March 31.

April 25, 3:57 p.m. ET ??Full Pink Moon: The grass pink or wild phlox is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring. Other names were the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon and ? among coastal tribes ? the Full Fish Moon, when the shad come upstream to spawn. The moon will also undergo a very slight partial lunar eclipse, which will be visible from the Eastern Hemisphere, but not from North America. At its peak, less than 1.5 percent of the moon's diameter will be immersed in Earth?s umbral shadow; a very underwhelming event, to say the least.

May 25, 12:25 a.m. ET ??Full Flower Moon: Flowers are now abundant everywhere. It was also known as the Full Corn Planting Moon or the Milk Moon. The moon will also undergo a penumbral lunar eclipse, but the passage of the moon's disk into Earth's shadow will result in one of the slightest eclipses of all, administering a mere touch of penumbral shadow at the northernmost part of the lunar limb.

June 23, 7:32 a.m. ET ??Full Strawberry Moon: Strawberry-picking season peaks during this month.? Europeans called this the Rose Moon. The moon will also arrive at perigee only 32 minutes earlier, at 7 a.m. ET at a distance of 221,824 miles (356,991 kilometers) from Earth. So this is the biggest full moon of 2013. Very high ocean tides can be expected during the next two or three days, thanks to the coincidence of perigee with the full moon.?

July 22, 2:16 p.m. ET??Full Buck Moon: Named for when the new antlers of buck deer push out from their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. It was also often called the Full Thunder Moon, thunderstorms now being most frequent. Sometimes it's also called the Full Hay Moon.

Aug. 20, 9:45 p.m. ET ??Full Sturgeon Moon: This large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water like Lake Champlain is most readily caught at this time. A few tribes knew it as the Full Red Moon, because when the moon rises it looks reddish through a sultry haze. It was also known as the Green Corn Moon or Grain Moon.

Sept. 19, 7:13 a.m. ET ??Full Harvest Moon: Traditionally, this designation goes to the full moon that occurs closest to the autumnal (fall) equinox. The Harvest Moon usually comes in September, but (on average) once or twice a decade it will fall in early October.? At the peak of the harvest, farmers can work into the night by the light of this moon.?

Usually the moon rises an average of 50 minutes later each night, but for the few nights around the Harvest Moon, the moon seems to rise at nearly the same time each night: just 25 to 30 minutes later across the U.S., and only 10 to 20 minutes later for much of Canada and Europe. Corn, pumpkins, squash, beans and wild rice ? the chief Indian staples ? are now ready for gathering.

Oct. 18, 7:38 p.m. ET ??Full Hunters' Moon: With the leaves falling and the deer fattened, it's now time to hunt.? Since the fields have been reaped, hunters can ride over the stubble, and can more easily see the fox, as well as other animals, which can be caught for a Thanksgiving banquet after the harvest.?

A penumbral lunar eclipse will also take place. Perhaps for some minutes centered on the time of greatest eclipse (7:50 p.m. ET) the penumbra might be marginally detectable over the moon?s southernmost limb, for at that moment the penumbral magnitude will reach 76.5 percent.? Those living across the eastern half of North America might see some evidence of this faint penumbral shading soon after local moonrise.

Nov. 17, 10:16 a.m. ET ?Full Beaver Moon: At this point of the year, it's time to set beaver traps before the swamps freeze to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. Another interpretation suggests that the name Beaver Full Moon came from the fact that the beavers are now active in their preparation for winter. It's also called the Frosty Moon.

Dec. 17, 4:28 a.m. ET ??Full Cold Moon: On occasion, this moon was also called the Moon Before Yule. December is also the month the winter cold fastens its grip. Sometimes this moon is referred to as the Full Long Nights Moon, and the term "Long Night" Moon is a very appropriate name because the nights are now indeed long and the moon is above the horizon a long time. This particular full moon makes its highest arc across the night sky because it's diametrically opposite to the low sun.?

Space.com skywatching columnist Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for The?New York Times and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, New York.?

Source: http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/26/16715209-its-time-to-howl-at-the-full-wolf-moon?lite

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Saturday 26 January 2013

Elusive giant squid is still a deep mystery

The recent unprecedented video footage of a giant squid filmed in its deep ocean habitat has renewed interest in the enormous ? and yet still mysterious ? species.

It's believed that giant squid (genus Architeuthis) can grow up to 55 feet long. The individual captured on video via a small submarine located in the North Pacific Ocean was about 30 feet long and silver and gold in color, marine biologist Edie Widder, who helped to shoot the footage, said. Her colleague Tsunemi Kubodera added that the squid was missing its two longest tentacles.

Cephalopod experts are intrigued by the world record footage.

PHOTOS: Sea Monsters Real and Imagined

"It was really thrilling to see the press releases concerning the filming of a living giant squid with a manned submersible," William Gilly, a professor of biology at Stanford University and the Hopkins Marine Station, told Discovery News.

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Gilly previously examined a 7-foot-long giant squid that weighed 300 pounds. It was found floating dead in Monterey Bay, Calif.

"It was missing the tentacles and its stomach had been removed through a hole in its body," he said. "Something strange must like to eat those parts, I guess!"

He also noted that the color-changing system, which functions using organelles called chromatophores that contain pigment and reflect light, was present very deep inside the giant squid's body cavity. In smaller species, this system is arranged only on the body?s outer surface.

In recent months, researchers have also learned more about giant squid eyes. The diameter of these eyes measures two to three times that of any other animal.

Dan-Eric Nilsson of Lund University determined that giant squid eyes measure 10 inches, making them about the same size as a large dinner plate. Big is optimal for sight in deep-water environments.

"For seeing in dim light, a large eye is better than a small eye, simply because it picks up more light," Nilsson said, explaining that the light isn?t from the sun, but rather from bioluminescence emitted by other deep sea species, such as huge and hungry sperm whales.

This bioluminescence, he explained, is ?light produced by small gelatinous animals when they are disturbed by the whale moving through the water. It is well known that bioluminescence can reveal submarines at night, and diving sperm whales will become visible for the same reason."

Bioluminescence even played a key role during the recent filming in about 3,000 feet of water near Japan. Widder, Kubodera and their crew used a lure that mimicked the bioluminescent display of jellyfish in order to attract the giant squid?s attention.

News: Giant squid filmed in Pacific depths

Despite the footage and other recent research, there are still more questions than answers about giant squid.

Gilly, for example, mentioned that the following questions remain: What are their daily behavior patterns? Do they rise toward the surface at night like many other large oceanic squid, or do they remain deep all the time? How can they tolerate the very low oxygen levels at great depths? How rapidly can they swim? What do they eat, and how do they catch prey with their very long tentacles? How many of them are there in any one place? Do they travel in groups like other squid? If so, do they show group behaviors associated with hunting, mating or defense? How big and old can they get?

"These questions can, at least in theory, be answered by existing technologies, including manned and remotely-operated submersibles for filming," he said.

He added that another important tool could be video and archival electronic tags for filming interactions with other animals, monitoring swimming activity, recording migration patterns, and documenting environmental parameters ? such as temperature, depth, light and oxygen ? as the squid moves up and down in the water column.

Such tags are programmed to release at a certain time, permitting researchers to non-invasively study the collected data. Gilly and his colleagues are using these techniques to monitor large Humboldt squid in the Gulf of California and off the Pacific coast from Baja California to Canada. No one, though, has yet been able to successfully capture and tag a giant squid for release back into its habitat.

Gilly said Kubodera might be the one, in the future, to solve this problem. In the meantime, Gilly plans "to wait until Jan. 27 like everyone else" to see the rare giant squid footage.

Discovery Channel's Monster Squid: The Giant Is Real, premieres on Sunday, Jan. 27 at 10/9c as the season finale of Curiosity.

? 2012 Discovery Channel

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50588848/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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Lawmakers require VA to track effects of burn pits

WASHINGTON (AP) ? J.D. Williams didn't think much about the smoke cloud that often shrouded his air base in Iraq. Not when it covered everything he owned with black soot or when his wheezing and coughing made it difficult to sleep at night.

"We just went about our business because there was a war going on," said Williams, a retired chief warrant officer who was responsible for maintaining some 250 aircraft for the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division.

He returned home from that second stint in Iraq in 2006 and subsequently was diagnosed with an irreversible lung disease that his doctor suspects could be related to smoke from one of the hundreds of burn pits that dotted Iraq and Afghanistan during the course of the two wars. The pits were used to burn off the garbage that accumulates at military bases, everything from Styrofoam and metal to paints, solvents, human waste and medical waste.

A new Department of Veterans Affairs registry, mandated by Congress, will be used to try to determine if there is a link between the burn pits and long-term health problems.

Military personnel who were stationed near an open burn pit can sign up. Researchers will use the database to monitor health trends in participants, and the VA will alert them to major problems detected.

Over the long term, the findings could make it easier for veterans who served near burn pits to obtain disability payments.

Williams, 56, of Huntsville, Ala., was initially told that he would have to prove that his illness, diagnosed as constrictive bronchiolitis, was service-related. He walked out of the room. Eventually, after he traveled to Washington and met with members of Congress, the VA increased his disability rating 10 percent.

He said he's hoping the registry will pave the way for other soldiers to avoid a similarly exasperating process. If researchers find certain illnesses are linked to exposure to burn pits, then the VA would be more likely to declare those illnesses a presumptive condition, eliminating the need for a veteran to prove that his or her illness is service-related.

Sixty-three burn pits were still being used in Afghanistan as of Dec. 26; those in Iraq were closed by December 2010. Camps with fewer than 100 people are not required to report the use of a burn pit, so there could be more, but generally much smaller ones. Proponents say the burn pits were so widespread that the large majority of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan could participate in the registry.

In 2009, the military updated its policies on burn pits to prohibit the burning of hazardous materials such as certain medical waste, batteries and tires, and whenever possible, to situate them where the smoke would not blow over work and living quarters.

"When our service members voice concerns about burn pit exposures as well as other health issues, we take our responsibility seriously to investigate these exposures and possible health risks, and to implement any protective measure that are indicated and feasible," said Defense Department spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith.

The creation of the burn pit registry has been several years in the making.

Air Force Lt. Col Darrin Curtis said in a memo disclosed by the Army Times in 2008 that he believed a particularly large burn pit at Joint Base Balad, one of the largest air bases in Iraq, was an acute health hazard, and he was amazed that it was allowed to operate without restrictions.

Congressional hearings followed that featured sick veterans, contractors and family members who had lost a loved one from illnesses they attributed to burn pits. The Pentagon said that none of the monitoring conducted at Balad identified an increased risk for long-term health problems. It has maintained that position over the years but also acknowledges that some personnel have persistent symptoms, possibly as a result of elevated exposures to the smoke, existing health conditions or other unknown factors.

An Institute of Medicine study requested by the VA and made public in 2011 concluded there was insufficient data to determine whether burn pit emissions had long-term health consequences. The study found the pollutants measured at Balad were generally present at a concentration so low that it would not be expected to cause any harm, even if a person was exposed to that concentration for a lifetime. The two exceptions were particulate matter and acrolein.

Particulate matter is a mixture of small particles and liquid droplets that can lead to acute respiratory problems. But the high concentrations at Joint Base Balad came primarily from local sources such as traffic and dust storms, rather than the burn pit, according to the institute, which advises the government on health issues.

Acrolein is a liquid primarily used as a herbicide and in making other chemicals. Exposure can lead to eye, nose and throat irritation. Although the concentration exceeded precautionary levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency, it was still far below the concentration that led to nasal and lung damage in laboratory animals, the study said.

The Pentagon said it is continuing to study the potential hazards of burn pit exposure.

The VA opposed the legislation setting up the burn pit registry even though it has registries for those exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam and for those who served during the Gulf War. The department did not oppose trying to track potential burn pit-related illnesses, just the mechanism proposed.

"We said it was not the best scientific approach for learning about long-term health outcomes and it really wasn't necessary for outreach because we have other programs in place," said Dr. Paul Ciminera, director of the VA's Post-9/11 Era Environmental Health Program.

As to whether the burn pits lead to health problems in soldiers, Ciminera cited the Institute of Medicine report. "We need to do further research to see what the long-term effects could be," he said.

Democratic Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico, the lead Senate sponsor of the registry legislation, said he pushed ahead despite VA objections because the department seems to instinctively reject concerns that veterans are harmed by their surrounding environment. He cited Agent Orange as an example and said the VA initially resisted a link between the defoliant and the health of soldiers who served in Vietnam.

Many supporters of the registry, including Williams, are also participants in a class-action lawsuit filed against KBR Inc., which contracted with the government to operate several of the burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some 50 lawsuits were consolidated into one case in a Maryland federal court. The plaintiffs are seeking damages for various injuries, emotional distress and fear of future disease. KBR is seeking to dismiss the lawsuits on grounds it deserves the same immunity that prevents the plaintiffs from suing the federal government.

"Every type of waste imaginable was and is burned in these pits," the plaintiffs said in their lawsuit.

Veterans groups were big backers of the registry, and an often-divided Congress overwhelmingly sides with them rather than the VA.

"You've been told since you're a little kid: 'Don't put a Styrofoam cup in a fire and breathe it because it's bad for you," said Ray Kelley, national legislative director for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. "They do that all day long on these stops along with Lord knows what else, from human waste to all sorts of garbage. You're inhaling that on a daily basis. It can't be good for you."

___

Online:

Department of Veterans Affairs: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/burnpits/index.asp

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lawmakers-require-va-track-effects-burn-pits-085359722.html

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Facebook Is Done Giving Its Precious Social Graph To Competitors

Of all Facebook's data sets, it's the social graph that's truly unique. It's spent nine years getting you to confirm who you know, and apparently it's sick of handing over your friend list to competitors. This week it?cut off?both Twitter's new photo app Vine and messaging app Voxer from Find Friends, Facebook's API that lets you connect with Facebook friends on other apps. But this could backfire

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/-F74SbhZ9ZE/

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Friday 25 January 2013

Twitter?s 6-Second Video Sharing App, Vine, Goes Live In The App Store

Twitter has officially launched its Vine video sharing app in the App Store, as announced on the company blog. With Instagram taking the world by storm, and subsequently selling to Facebook for $1 billion, the question on everyone's minds has been who will be able to do the same thing with video? Twitter's been thinking this through for a while, proven by the acquisition of video-sharing app Vine in October.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/-xCWB8ytXVc/

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Yandex says new mobile app is blocked by Facebook

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian internet company Yandex said on Friday its new experimental application to search on social networking sites from mobile devices was blocked by Facebook.

The Wonder app is a recommendation tool for devices using Apple's iOS software that allows U.S. users of social networks to retrieve information from these sites by voice or by typing questions.

The application was released late on Thursday for users of Facebook, Instagram, Foursquare and Twitter but was blocked by Facebook three hours after the launch, a Yandex spokesman said.

He added that talks between Yandex and Facebook, aimed to establish the reason of the issue and resolve it, were to begin within hours. He gave no reason for the problem.

Facebook was not available for comment.

With the new app, Yandex wants to test the opportunities offered by social networks. If successful, the company will consider offering it to users in Russia and Turkey, he said.

Shares in Yandex, Russia's most popular search engine, gained 0.8 percent in early trade on Friday.

(Reporting by Maria Kiselyova; Editing by Mike Nesbit)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/yandex-says-mobile-app-blocked-facebook-155901498.html

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New Home Sales Preview - Business Insider

The U.S. housing market has been one of the bright spots of the global economy.

But the data hasn't not been uniformly bullish.

Economists have noted that new home sales has been a laggard.? And with housing starts roaring back, some are concerned that the market for new homes may soon see a supply glut.

Here's TD Securities Millan Mulraine:

New home sales to improve
The new homes market has been a laggard in the overall housing market recovery, and while new homebuilding and existing home sales activity have risen significantly from their lows, new home sales have yet to enjoy a similar turnaround in fortune. In December, we expect sales activity to improve modestly, with the pace of sales boasting a respectable 6.1% m/m gain to 400K. The increase in sales will add to the positive momentum in November, when sales rose an equally impressive 4.4% m/m, justifying the surge in optimism among homebuilders (as seen in the NAHB homebuilders? sentiment report) about sales prospects in recent months. In the coming months, we expect the positive momentum in new home sales activity to be sustained, though it is likely to continue to lag the buoyancy in the existing homes market.

Here's a chart.? The concern is that lagging new home sales could cause another supply glut.

TD Securities

From HFE's Jim O'Sullivan:

While manufacturing has been weak, housing indicators have generally been strengthening. Indeed, housing is now the strongest part of the economy?in growth terms, not levels. At 377K, the November reading for new home sales was just a fraction of the 1.389 million level reached in 2005, but it was up 15% from 12 months earlier. We expect the uptrend to continue in today?s report for December.

The December new home sales report gets published at 10:00 AM ET. Economists are looking for a reading of 388k, up from 377k last month.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/new-home-sales-preview-2013-1

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Thursday 24 January 2013

Step by Step Guide to Relocating to Austin - Austin Real Estate

Relocating to a new city can be an overwhelming task. We know, we made the move from San Francisco to Austin about 3 year ago. Ideally you?d take several trips to your new city to get to know the place and find out exactly where you want to live. Realistically, though, that probably won?t happen. Our lives are busy and money is limited. To help guide you through the relocation process, save you time and money, we?ve put together this step by step guide.

step by step guide to relocating to austin

Step 1: Research Austin Neighborhoods

For people who are getting relocated with a company, this part is a bit easier because you know where you?ll work and can focus your search around neighborhoods with an acceptable commute. Though traffic in Austin is nothing compared to traffic in LA, you?ll still want to pay attention to things like which roads you?ll be taking to work and how long it will take you to travel each way. (Hint: 35 is always a bad choice ? especially during commute hours) We?ve put together several one-click searches near Austin?s top employers, so feel free to start there. If you don?t see your company on the list, email us with your company?s name and address at info@AustinRealEstateHomesBlog.com and we can set one up for you.

How to Research: Home Searches Near Top Austin Employers.

If you?re moving to Austin without a job, or can work from home, or just have the flexibility to choose exactly where you want to live, that can be a monumental task as the Austin area is huge ? and getting bigger. The good news? Austin and the surrounding cities are very different in terms of topography, amenities, look and feel. Usually people are drawn to one area over the others, so it makes the choice easy. Our Austin Neighborhood and City Guides can help you drill down further.

How to Research: Use our Austin Neighborhood Guides. Here are some tips for How to Research an Austin Neighborhood.

Need a cheat sheet? Check out our list of Best Austin Neighborhoods to Live.

Step 2: Contact an Austin Realtor

An Austin Realtor who is knowledgeable about the real estate market, neighborhoods and relocation process can save you a lot of time right off the bat. We work with people who are several months away from their move and help them narrow down their search criteria so they don?t spend weeks they don?t have focusing on places they aren?t going to like when they see it in person. If you give us an idea of what you?re looking for (price range, type/size of house, company/industry you work in (to help us narrow down geography), where you?re coming from, and any other pertinent info), we can recommend areas you can start your search.

Remember, working with an Austin Realtor costs buyers nothing! Our commission is paid by the seller. So, there is really no excuse not to reach out. Scared of getting pressured or hundreds of emails asking you when you?re ready to buy? You don?t have to worry about that with us. We?ll move as fast as you want to move and act as a resource, not a nuisance.

Here are some tips for What to Look for in a Realtor When Relocating to Austin.

Email us at info@AustinRealEstateHomesBlog.com or call us at (512) 827-8323 to get started.

Step 3: Get Pre-Approved by an Austin Mortgage Broker

This is the step most people miss. If you need to get a loan to purchase a home in Austin, you should talk to an Austin mortgage broker early in the process. One of the big myths we hear is getting pre-approved too early will hurt your credit. That?s simply not true. The credit monitoring bureaus understand finding a house can take months. A good mortgage broker can help you determine the best loan program for your situation and help you determine how best to approach the home buying process during your move (there are certain rules you need to follow, or your loan will be denied). They can also explain Austin?s property taxes (which are higher than most other cities) and HOA dues and how they impact what you can afford.

We have a couple of great mortgage brokers we can refer you to. Simply email us at info@AustinRealEstateHomesBlog.com or call us at (512) 827-8323 and we can get you their contact info.

Step 4: Prioritize Your Housing Wants and Needs

Once you know exactly how much you can afford, it?s time to prioritize what?s important to you in terms of the house you want to buy. Are schools important? Is commute time a factor? Can you afford homes you like where you are looking? Are you taking your long term needs into consideration? Do you want to be in an urban or suburban area? Do you need to be able to walk to shops and restaurants?

These are just a few of the questions you should be asking yourself to help you determine what is most important in your house hunt. Sometimes these answers can help further narrow down areas of focus and will help you make the best home buying decision.

Need help determining your priorities? We can help you think through the process. Call or email us.

Step 5: Narrow Down Austin Neighborhoods and Areas

At this point, it is time to start narrowing down areas. This is a key step to get straight before you take a trip to Austin so you don?t waste time on areas that just won?t work for you. Make a list of the Top 5-10 neighborhoods from favorite to least favorite. Our recommendation would be to start exploring the neighborhoods you like most first. Then when you can?t find something you like there, keep going down your list until you do. Even though the Austin real estate market is booming, you can usually still find homes in your top neighborhoods, so why settle before you have to?

Still not quite sure you have a handle on the areas? Contact the Austin Realtor you contacted in Step 2 and ask them to recommend areas/neighborhoods based on what you told them you wanted. Don?t have a Realtor yet? Contact us. We?ll can help you make this top neighborhoods list.

Step 6 Get Set Up on an Email Home Search

Once you?ve come up with your top neighborhoods list, ask your Realtor to set you up on an email home search so you don?t have to waste time searching every single day. We set up each neighborhood in a separate search so you don?t get confused.

Ready for an email search? Email us and we?ll get it set up for you.

Step 7: Schedule a Neighborhood Scouting Trip to Austin

At this point, you probably have a good handle on which areas might work for you. Now, it?s time to check them out in person. The goal of this first trip is simply to rule in or rule out neighborhoods, not to necessarily find a home. Driving through each neighborhood and looking at a few houses in your price range will give you a good indication whether or not you want to keep this neighborhood on the list, or if you want to rule it out completely.

This neighborhood scouting trip is a crucial part of the process and one that shouldn?t be ignored. Investing a little time and money at this point in the process could mean the difference in liking or not liking the place you live.

Contact us to let us know when you?re planning your trip. We?ll show you around the area and help you narrow down your favorite neighborhoods.

Step 8: Don?t Forget to Make Time for Exploring Austin

Let?s face it, looking at home and neighborhoods all day can get pretty exhausting. Make sure you carve out some time to visit some of Austin?s sights, eat from a food truck, check out 6th Street or relax at the Lake. Doing something fun during your visit may help ease the stress of the move and help you realize Austin is not too different from the city you are leaving.

Not sure what to do? Here is a list of the Top 10 Things to Do on Your First Visit to Austin.

Step 9: Finalize Your List of Favorite Neighborhoods

When you see the neighborhoods in person, you?ll be surprised how easy this step becomes. Make notes while you are looking so you remember what is what. After looking at 20 homes in 8 neighborhoods, they start to run together, especially when you aren?t familiar with the area.

Then, make a list of your favorites and have your Realtor adjust your home searches. With a picture of what each neighborhood looks like, you?ll be able to focus on finding the home you like.

Step 10: Find a House and Move

Sounds easy, right? Though its not ?easy? (especially not the actual moving part), we can help make the relocation process as easy as it can be. We?ve been in your shoes, so we know the answers to the questions you have, even if you don?t know to ask them. We also have spent months learning the Austin area and know it better than most locals. If you are considering a move to Austin, email us at info@AustinRealEstateHomesBlog.com or call us at (512) 827-8323, no matter how early in the process you are. We?ll put together a tailored, step by step program designed for your specific move.

Here are some Tips for Tackling Your Home Search When Relocating and Tips for Overcoming the Distance Disadvantage.

Want More Information About Relocating to Austin?

Check out our Austin Relocation Blog, our Guide to Relocating to Austin and our Tips for a Successful Relocation Experience for more tips. Have a question not answered here? Email it over and we?ll help you find the answers!

Source: http://www.austinrealestatehomesblog.com/austin-relocation-guide/step-by-step-guide-to-relocating-to-austin/

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