Hotel Reservations In Santa Clarita - Asian Stocks Set for First Drop in Seven Months; Rupee Declines

Source - http://www.bloomberg.com/
By - Glenys Sim & Jonathan Burgos
Category - Hotel Reservations In Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

 

Hotel Reservations In Santa Clarita

Asian stocks headed for the first monthly decline since October as a drop in Japanese brokerages and shipping lines limited a rebound in the nation’s shares. The Indian rupee and equities fell as a report showed the nation’s economy grew at its slowest pace in a decade.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index was little changed at 135.64 as of 2:41 p.m. in Tokyo, after climbing as much as 0.8 percent, and is down 4.6 percent in May. Japan’s Topix (TPX) index swang between gains and losses. Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures and FTSE 100 Index contracts were steady. The yen fell against all 16 major counterparts. The so-called Aussie slid 0.3 percent to 96.38 U.S. cents.

India’s gross domestic product increased 5 percent in the year ended March 31, compared with 6.2 percent in the previous period, a government report showed. Data due today may show U.S. consumer spending stagnated, reducing bets the Federal Reserve will scale back its purchases of bonds. Japan’s industrial production expanded 1.7 percent in April, an initial sign of success for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s economic revival campaign.

“Price moves are being exaggerated by thin volume” as investors stay on the sidelines, said Alex Wong, a Hong Kong-based director at Ample Capital Ltd. “You can’t be bullish after the market fell so much, but with foreign markets being so resilient, you can’t be too bearish.”

The Topix slumped yesterday, passing the 10 percent threshold some investors use to define a correction. Even after yesterday’s plunge, the gauge is still up more than 30 percent this year after the Bank of Japan pledged to reach 2 percent inflation within two years with unlimited bond buying and by doubling the monetary base.
Shipping, Brokerages

Shipping companies dropped the most among 33 industry groups on the Topix, with Mitsui O.S.K Lines Ltd. falling 4.9 percent. Nomura Holdings Ltd. declined 2.7 percent to lead a slide among securities firms. Sony Corp. increased 3.3 percent after people familiar with the matter said the electronics maker is consulting banks about a proposal to take part of its entertainment unit public.

“The market is trying to find a place to settle,” said Takashi Aoki, a Tokyo-based fund manager at Mizuho Asset Management Co., which oversees about $33 billion. “We don’t know where the bottom is yet.”

The Indian rupee declined 0.3 percent to 56.51 per dollar, while the S&P BSE Sensex retreated 1.2 percent, the most among Asian indexes.

As many stocks rose as fell on the MSCI Asian gauge. South Korea’s Kospi (KOSPI) index added 0.2 percent and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index climbed 0.2 percent. Shares in Hong Kong, Taiwan and China fluctuated. Singapore’s Straits Times Index slipped 0.7 percent and Thailand’s SET Index lost 0.6 percent.
Yen, Aussie

The yen weakened 0.3 percent to 101.03 per dollar, while Japan’s 10-year government bond yield slid three basis points to 0.86 percent as signs of deflation suggested the Bank of Japan will need to sustain stimulus. Consumer prices excluding fresh food fell 0.4 percent in April from a year earlier, the statistics bureau said in Tokyo today, matching the median estimate of 29 economists in a Bloomberg News survey.

Australia’s dollar fell today after having risen 0.5 percent in the previous two sessions. It’s headed for its biggest monthly decline in more than two years on speculation a slowdown in China will weigh on the economy, encouraging the Reserve Bank to cut interest rates this year.

Gold for immediate delivery gained as much as 0.6 percent to $1,422.10 an ounce, the highest since May 15, before trading at $1,420.08. Prices are up 2.4 percent this week.

Data yesterday showed that the U.S. economy grew at an annualized 2.4 percent pace in the first quarter, down from a preliminary reading of 2.5 percent, boosting speculation the Fed may maintain its purchases of $85 billion of Treasury and mortgage debt a month.
 

Santa Clarita Local Colleges - Common Painkillers 'Pose Heart Risk'

Source - http://www.bbc.co.uk/
By - James Gallagher
Category - Santa Clarita Local Colleges
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

 

Santa Clarita Local Colleges

People with severe arthritis often take the drugs, which also calm inflammation, to go about daily life.

The researchers said some patients would deem the risk acceptable, but they should be given the choice.

A study, published in the Lancet, showed the drugs posed even greater risks for smokers and the overweight.

The risks have been reported before, but a team of researchers at the University of Oxford analysed the issue in unprecedented detail in order to help patients make an informed choice.

The group investigated more than 353,000 patient records from 639 separate clinical trials to assess the impact of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

They looked at high-dose prescriptions levels, rather than over-the-counter pain relief, of 150mg diclofenac or 2,400mg ibuprofen each day.

They showed that for every 1,000 people taking the drugs there would be three additional heart attacks, four more cases of heart failure and one death as well cases of stomach bleeding - every year as a result of taking the drugs.

So the number of heart attacks would increase from eight per 1,000 people per year normally, to 11 per 1,000 people per year with the drugs.

"Three per thousand per year sounds like it is quite a low risk, but the judgement has to be made by patients," said lead researcher Prof Colin Baigent.

He added: "So if you're a patient and you go and sit in front of your doctor and discuss it, you are the one who should be making the judgement about whether three per thousand per year is worth it to allow you, potentially, to go about your daily life."

He said this should not concern people taking a short course of these drugs, for example for headaches.

However, he did warn that those already at risk of heart problems would be at even greater risk as a result of the high-dose drugs.

High blood pressure, cholesterol and smoking all increase the risk of heart problems.

Prof Baigent said: "The higher your risk of heart disease, the higher your risk of a complication. Roughly speaking, if you've got double the risk of heart disease, then the risk of having a heart attack is roughly doubled."

He said patients should consider ways to reduce their risk, which could include statins for some patients.
Alternative

A similar drug called rofecoxib (known as Vioxx), was voluntarily taken off the market by its manufacturer in 2004 after similar concerns were raised.

There are more than 17 million prescriptions of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the UK each year. Two thirds are either ibuprofen or diclofenac.

A third drug, naproxen, had lower risks of heart complications in the study and some doctors are prescribing this to higher-risk patients.

The drug does a similar job to aspirin by stopping the blood from clotting although this also increases the odds of a stomach bleed.

Prof Alan Silman, medical director of Arthritis Research UK, said the drugs were a "lifeline" for millions of people with arthritis and were "extremely effective in relieving pain".

He added: "However, because of their potential side-effects, in particular the increased risk of cardiovascular complications which has been known for a number of years, there is an urgent need to find alternatives that are as effective, but safer."

Prof Donald Singer, member of the British Pharmacological Society and from the University of Warwick, said: "The findings underscore a key point for patients and prescribers - powerful drugs may have serious harmful effects.

"It is therefore important for prescribers to take into account these risks and ensure patients are fully informed about the medicines they are taking."

Hotel In Santa Clarita - Home Price Gains Propel U.S. Stocks

Source - http://www.latimes.com/
By - Alejandro Lazo
Category - Hotel In Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Hotel In Santa Clarita

Home prices are soaring at a pace not seen since the housing boom, giving a much-needed boost to the larger economy.

The rebound is helping homeowners recover losses from the crash and giving them confidence to spend. And that's raising the fortunes of banks, builders and investors — all reflected in a Tuesday rally on Wall Street.

Home prices rose 10.9% in March compared with the same month last year, according to the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index of 20 U.S. cities. Fueled by strong demand and tight supply, that was the strongest annual jump since April 2006.

The real estate market has emerged once again as the driver of economic optimism, sorely needed to pick up the slack left by weak government spending, economists said.

Home prices will keep accelerating this year and next year because of home shortages, said economist Patrick Newport of IHS Global Insight. But he advised caution in joining the fray of home buyers.

"Whenever you see double-digit increases, human psychology starts kicking in," Newport said, which could cause some markets to overheat and risk another price crash.

The Case-Shiller index, created by economists Karl E. Case and Robert J. Shiller, is widely considered the most reliable read on home values. The housing index compares the latest sales of detached houses with previous sales and accounts for factors such as remodeling that might affect a home's sale price over time.

On an annual basis, every metro area tracked by the index has posted year-over-year gains for three consecutive months. The Phoenix area had the largest annual gain — up 22.5% in March. San Francisco posted a 22.2% gain. Once-downtrodden metro areas showed huge jumps, with Las Vegas up 20.6%; Atlanta, 19.1%; Detroit, 18.5%; and Los Angeles, 16.6%.

So far, the increases have served to make up for some of the severe losses suffered during the bust. The 20-city home price index remains about 28% off its bubble-era peak and matches the level of late 2003.

Western cities are leading the rally. But home prices in some areas are outpacing fundamentals such as employment gains and increases in real wages. That's particularly true in many California cities, including Los Angeles, according to commentary issued Tuesday by credit rating firm Fitch Ratings.

"In cities that never fully unwound the mid-2000s bubble, rapidly increasing price levels are a potential cause for concern," the Fitch analysts wrote. "For example, in Los Angeles, prices are up more than 10% in the past year despite a stubborn unemployment rate that remains above 10% and real incomes that have declined over the past two years."

The housing recovery began last year as foreclosures waned and buyers chased perceived home bargains and low interest rates. Investors, meanwhile, have snapped up homes on the cheap to either flip or rent out. Growing confidence in the recovery has unleashed pent-up demand from buyers waiting out the crash.

"We believe this level of housing demand is likely to abate once the pent-up demand is satisfied," the Fitch analysts wrote.

Rising home prices have boosted spirits on Main Street and Wall Street.

Consumer confidence surged this month to its highest level in more than five years as optimism increased about the state of the economy and its prospects for the rest of the year, according to a closely watched private barometer released Tuesday.

The Conference Board's consumer confidence index jumped to 76.2 in May from the previous month's upwardly revised reading of 69. The last time the index was this high was in February 2008, at the start of the Great Recession.

The index now has risen two straight months after plunging in March amid concerns about the effect of tax increases that kicked in at the start of the year as well as the federal budget cuts known as sequestration.

"Back-to-back monthly gains suggest that consumer confidence is on the mend," said Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at the Conference Board.

The percentage of consumers saying business conditions were good increased to 18.8% this month, from 17.5% in April. And the percentage of consumers who said jobs were plentiful rose to 10.8%, from 9.7%.

Wall Street rejoiced at the reports on housing and consumer confidence, driving stocks up more than 1% in early trading after a rally in global markets. Investors pulled back later in the day, and the Dow Jones industrial average ended the day up 106.29 points, or 0.69%, to 15,409.39. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index climbed 10.46 points, or 0.63%, to 1,660.06, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 29.75 points, or 0.86%, to 3,488.89.

The rally signals that investors are looking to economic growth, not just easy money from the Federal Reserve.

Investors are not "excited about a handout anymore," said Sam Stovall, chief equity strategist for S&P Capital IQ. "The excitement is coming from organic growth."

The Federal Reserve's monetary stimulus programs have fueled a run-up in stocks this year. The central bank has continued to pump cheap money into the system. The aim is to lower interest rates to make borrowing cheaper and stimulate growth. In doing so, the Fed has made safer investments such as bonds less attractive and lured investors into riskier assets such as stocks.

Many on Wall Street have been expecting a pull-back or correction of 10% or more in stocks during the second quarter. But with May almost in the rear-view mirror, any significant halt in the rally has to wait until next month.

California Vacation Packages - Insurance Rates Climbing In Florida

Source - http://www.weartv.com/
By - Press Release
Category - California Vacation Packages
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

California Vacation Packages

It's been nearly eight years since a hurricane caused widespread damage in Florida, but rates for homeowners insurance have still been climbing. With hurricane season starting Saturday, authorities say there's a chance rates may finally stabilize. Some homeowners say they feel like they're being eaten alive by insurance premiums, and they want some relief. Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation has been approving more than 100 rate hike requests a year since 2009, including requests to hike rates by double-digits. "It's really high," said Chuck Taylor. Chuck Taylor and his neighbors in Garcon Point say they've had no choice but to keep shelling out big bucks for insurance. "If you live down here, you have to have your house up elevated when you rebuild and then you pay flood insurance. Flood insurance doesn't cover any of that, so you're paying insurance twice," Taylor said. This year's hurricane season could determine how much homeowners pay. Florida's Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty says there's a chance rates may finally even out, if no major storms come our way this year. Taylor is skeptical of that prediction. "I really don't see it going down that much," Taylor said. His neighbor, Judy Wagner, however, has a different perspective. "There are storms other places, too. And I mean, the insurance companies are paying for those. You know, you have to pay for where you live," said Judy Wagner. The state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, meanwhile, is expected to ask for rate hikes for 2014.

Hotels In Northern California - EU Investigating Apple's iPhone Agreements With Mobile Operators

Source - http://www.pcworld.com/
By - John Ribeiro
Category - Hotels In Northern California
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

 

Hotels In Northern California

The European Commission has sent a questionnaire to a number of mobile operators in the European Union, focusing on whether its distribution terms with these providers may put Apple at an advantage over other smartphone makers, according to a newspaper report.

"The Commission has information indicating that Apple and Mobile Network Operators ("MNOs") have concluded distribution agreements which may potentially lead to the foreclosure of other smartphone manufacturers from the markets," the nine-page questionnaire states, The Financial Times reported Sunday.

The commission referred to the possibility that certain technical functions are disabled on certain Apple products in certain countries in the EU and the European Economic Area, which if confirmed could constitute an infringement of antitrust law. The questionnaire also probes operators on Apple's sales practices, including whether they are required to buy a minimum number of phones, and are required to always offer Apple no worse subsidies and sales terms than other smartphone vendors, according to the newspaper.

The European inquiry, based on private complaints from some mobile operators, is at a preliminary stage, and would require that Apple be found to be dominant in the EU smartphone market, the newspaper said.

Apple could not be immediately reached for comment. The company was questioned last week in the U.S. by a Senate subcommittee looking into charges that the company avoided tax by diverting profits to subsidiaries in Ireland. Apple said it did not break the laws.

Samsung Electronics became the top smartphone manufacturer in Europe in April last year, a position it has maintained through the rest of the year, Web and mobile usage tracking firm comScore said in February. The South Korean company had a 32.3 percent share of the market by December, followed by Apple with 20.5 and Nokia with 16.3 percent.

Hampton Hotels Santa Clarita - Galaxy S4 Fastest-Selling Android Phone Ever

Source - http://www.smh.com.au/
By - James W. Manning
Category - Hampton Hotels Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

 

Hampton Hotels Santa Clarita

Samsung's Galaxy S4 smartphone has sold more than 10 million units around the world less than one month after being released, making it the fastest-selling Android phone in history.

The new flagship smartphone, launched globally on April 27, is estimated to have sold at a rate of four units per second, according to the company, and has sold at twice the rate its rival, the HTC One.

The S4's predecessor, the Galaxy S3, previously held the title for the fast-selling Android smartphone after reaching the 10 million mark after 50 days on sale in 2012. Before that, the Galaxy S2 and Galaxy S took five and seven months respectively to reach the same goal.

"On behalf of Samsung, I would like to thank the millions of customers around the world who have chosen the Samsung GALAXY S4," said J.K. Shin, chief executive and president of IT and mobile communications at Samsung. "At Samsung we'll continue to pursue innovation inspired by and for people."

An anonymous Samsung executive told South Korean newspaper The Chosun Ilbo last week that sales had surpassed six million in the first two weeks after launch.

Meanwhile, an unnamed HTC executive told The Wall Street Journal that the HTC One, seen by industry commentators as a rival to Samsung's S4, has sold five million units since its launch, which occurred about the same time as the S4, meaning Samsung has doubled the sales of its HTC rival.

Both Samsung and HTC have confirmed they will release a version of their new

smartphones running the default version of Google's Android mobile operating system, rather than the ones currently customised with Samsung or HTC apps built in.

Samsung also confirmed that the Galaxy S4 will be made available in four new colours later this year: red, blue, purple and brown. The smartphone was available in black and white at launch.
 

Vacations In Santa Clarita - Samsung Galaxy S4 Shipments Hit 10 Million One Month After Release

Source - http://techcrunch.com/
By - Catherine Shu
Category - Vacations In Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Vacations In Santa Clarita

Samsung’s Galaxy S4 has hit 10 million channel sales one month after its release. The company announced its latest milestone today just eight days after confirming that it had shipped over 6 million units of the S4 since its international launch on April 26. According to Samsung, this is the fastest ever sell rate for any of its smartphones.

The latest entry in the Galaxy series–meant as Samsung’s iPhone challenger–has sold much more quickly than its predecessors. The Galaxy S4′s milestone beats the record set by the Galaxy S3, which reached 10 million channel sales 50 days after its launch in 2012. The Galaxy S2 took five months and the Galaxy S seven months to reach the same number.

(Channel sales are to wireless operators and not direct to consumers. In other words, the numbers are for units shipped.)

The Galaxy S4 had to overcome inventory issues that disrupted its U.S. rollout and were attributed by the company to unexpectedly high demand for the phone. Though the Galaxy S4 is indeed selling swiftly, reinforcing Samsung’s dominance of the worldwide smartphone market, Jordan Crook noted after it hit 6 million units shipped that the iPhone is still technically a faster selling phone than any of Samsung’s Galaxy models.

When the iPhone 5 launched, Apple took over 2 million pre-orders in the first 24 hours available. Furthermore, iPhone 5 pre-orders were two times the number of pre-orders seen for the iPhone 4S. Despite Apple’s recent earnings woes, consumers still love their iPhones, and Samsung VS Apple: Battle Smartphone is not over quite yet, especially as the Cupertino company prepares to launch new products this fall.

Budget Hotels Santa Clarita - China's Bird Flu Outbreak Cost $6.5 Billion

Source - http://www.reuters.com/
By - Stephanie Nebehay
Category - Budget Hotels Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Budget Hotels Santa Clarita

Health authorities worldwide must be on the lookout to detect the virus, the experts said, which could still develop the ability to spread easily among humans and cause a deadly influenza pandemic.

The new bird flu virus is known to have infected 130 people in mainland China since emerging in March, including 36 who died, but no cases have been detected since early May, Health Minister Li Bin told a meeting of the World Health Organization. One case was found in Taiwan in April, making a total of 131.

"The immediate outbreak has been controlled, but it is also unlikely that virus has simply disappeared. We believe we need go another autumn/winter/spring season to know," said Keiji Fukuda, WHO assistant director-general for health security.

"We also have high concern over the potential, I stress the potential, to gain the ability to sustain transmissibility."

There was no evidence of sustained spread among people and "most cases probably resulted from infected poultry or perhaps contamination related to live poultry markets," Fukuda said.

Li said local Chinese authorities had shut down live poultry markets "temporarily or permanently as needed" to control the source of outbreaks in 10 provinces. It standardized methods of transporting poultry to reduce spread among birds.

China's government had spent 600 million RMB or $97 million to support healthy development of the poultry industry, Li said.

"In view of the present situation, H7N9 is preventable and controllable. There has been no qualitative change in the epidemic. Cases are sporadic and there has been no genetic mutation (of the virus)," she said.

H7N9 is highly pathogenic in humans, causing severe respiratory disease, but is not virulent among birds, making it nearly impossible for farmers to detect, experts said.

"There have been no (human) cases since May 8, that is a good indication and means measures are being taken seriously. Now when the virus is found at market, all birds are killed, that is important too," Bernard Vallat, head of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), told reporters.

Out of 60,000 samples taken from birds, 53 were found to carry the virus, Liang Wannian of China's health ministry said.

There is "no red flag" for H7N9 among poultry, unlike H1N1 which kills off flocks, said Juan Lubroth, chief veterinary officer at the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

"Economic impacts of H7N9 have been astounding," he said.

"Over $6.5 billion has been lost in the agriculture sector because of prices, consumer confidence and trade. So poultry industry losses in China have been high," Lubroth said, later making clear it was an estimate by China's agriculture ministry.

Family Hotels In Santa Clarita - Apple’s Web Of Tax Shelters Saved It Billions, Panel Finds

Source - http://www.nytimes.com/
By -  NELSON D. SCHWARTZ and CHARLES DUHIGG
Category - Family Hotels In Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Family Hotels In Santa Clarita

Even as Apple became the nation’s most profitable technology company, it avoided billions in taxes in the United States and around the world through a web of subsidiaries so complex it spanned continents and went beyond anything most experts had ever seen, Congressional investigators disclosed on Monday.

 The investigation is expected to set up a potentially explosive confrontation between a bipartisan group of lawmakers and Timothy D. Cook, Apple’s chief executive, at a public hearing on Tuesday.

Congressional investigators found that some of Apple’s subsidiaries had no employees and were largely run by top officials from the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. But by officially locating them in places like Ireland, Apple was able to, in effect, make them stateless — exempt from taxes, record-keeping laws and the need for the subsidiaries to even file tax returns anywhere in the world.

“Apple wasn’t satisfied with shifting its profits to a low-tax offshore tax haven,” said Senator Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat who is chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations that is holding the public hearing Tuesday into Apple’s use of tax havens. “Apple successfully sought the holy grail of tax avoidance. It has created offshore entities holding tens of billions of dollars while claiming to be tax resident nowhere.”

Thanks to what lawmakers called “gimmicks” and “schemes,” Apple was able to largely sidestep taxes on tens of billions of dollars it earned outside the United States in recent years. Last year, international operations accounted for 61 percent of Apple’s total revenue.

Investigators have not accused Apple of breaking any laws and the company is hardly the only American multinational to face scrutiny for using complex corporate structures and tax havens to sidestep taxes. In recent months, revelations from European authorities about the tax avoidance strategies used by Google, Starbucks and Amazon have all stirred public anger and spurred several European governments, as well as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a Paris-based research organization for the world’s richest countries, to discuss measures to close the loopholes.

Still, the findings about Apple were remarkable both for the enormous amount of money involved and the audaciousness of the company’s assertion that its subsidiaries are beyond the reach of any taxing authority.

“There is a technical term economists like to use for behavior like this,” said Edward Kleinbard, a law professor at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and a former staff director at the Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation. “Unbelievable chutzpah.”

While Apple’s strategy is unusual in its scope and effectiveness, it underscores how riddled with loopholes the American corporate tax code has become, critics say. At the same time, it shows how difficult it will be for Washington to overhaul the tax system.

Over all, Apple’s tax avoidance efforts shifted at least $74 billion from the reach of the Internal Revenue Service between 2009 and 2012, the investigators said. That cash remains offshore, but Apple, which paid more than $6 billion in taxes in the United States last year on its American operations, could still have to pay federal taxes on it if the company were to return the money to its coffers in the United States.

John McCain of Arizona, who is the panel’s senior Republican, said: “Apple claims to be the largest U.S. corporate taxpayer, but by sheer size and scale, it is also among America’s largest tax avoiders.”

In prepared testimony expected to be delivered to the Senate committee by Mr. Cook and other Apple executives on Tuesday, the company said it “welcomes an objective examination of the U.S. corporate tax system, which has not kept pace with the advent of the digital age and the rapidly changing global economy.”

The executives plan to tell the lawmakers that Apple does not use tax gimmicks, according to the prepared testimony.

Mr. Cook is also expected to argue that some of Apple’s largest subsidiaries do not reduce Apple’s tax liability, and to press for a sweeping overhaul of the United States corporate tax code — in particular, by lowering rates on companies moving foreign overseas earnings back to the United States. Apple currently assigns more than $100 billion to offshore subsidiaries.

Atop Apple’s offshore network is a subsidiary named Apple Operations International, which is incorporated in Ireland — where Apple had negotiated a special corporate tax rate of 2 percent or less in recent years — but keeps its bank accounts and records in the United States and holds board meetings in California.

Because the United States bases residency on where companies are incorporated, while Ireland focuses on where they are managed and controlled, Apple Operations International was able to fall neatly between the cracks of the two countries’ jurisdictions.

Apple Operations International has not filed a tax return in Ireland, the United States or any other country over the last five years. It had income of $30 billion between 2009 and 2012. By shuttling revenue between international subsidiaries, Apple was able largely to sidestep paying taxes, Congressional investigators said.

In the prepared testimony, Apple executives disputed the characterization of Apple Operations International. “A.O.I. performs important business functions that facilitate and enhance Apple’s success in international markets,” the testimony states. “It is not a shell company.”

The Senate investigators also found evidence that the company turned over substantially less money to the government than its public filings indicated.

While the company cited an effective rate of 24 to 32 percent in its disclosures, its effective tax rate was 20.1 percent, based on the committee’s findings. And for a company of Apple’s size, the resulting difference was substantial — more than $8 billion in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Because of these strategies, tax experts say, Washington is forced to rely more and heavily on payroll taxes and individual income taxes to finance the government’s operations. For example, in 2011, individual income taxes contributed $1.1 trillion to federal coffers, while corporate taxes added up to $181 billion.

As companies’ earnings have accumulated offshore, many executives have been pushing more aggressively for a tax holiday that would allow them to bring back funds at lower tax rates. Apple has recently announced that it will return $100 billion to shareholders over three years through a combination of dividends and purchases of its own shares. Though Apple has enough cash on hand to pay for those initiatives, the company recently announced it would take on $17 billion in debt, rather than bring overseas money back to the United States to avoid paying repatriation taxes on those returning funds.

Hotels In Northern California - Selling through social media

Source - http://www.charlotteobserver.com/
By - Charlotte Blogs
Category - Hotels In Northern California
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Hotels In Northern California

Every business owner seems to be at a different point in their journey with social media.  If you’re just starting out, take a moment to read Glenn Burkins’s recent articles that describe the popular social media sites and give general guidance on building your social media brand.  They provide an excellent primer for the newcomer.

If you've already laid a basic foundation for your business, such as creating a Facebook business page or LinkedIn profile, then you might be wondering about specific strategies for turning your efforts into revenue.  Your next step depends on what kind of business you’re in.

Ecommerce

If you sell products or services online, social media is likely your key to customer loyalty, referrals, and repeat purchases.

The Adobe Digital Index showed social traffic to online retailers doubled from 2011 to 2012.  When measured by “last click” referrals, this amounts to 2% of total online shopping traffic, which may sound small --  until you consider the possibility of continued doubling, year after year

Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook, applied Moore’s Law to sharing back in 2008, positing that “(N)ext year, people will share twice as much information as they share this year, and next year, they will be sharing twice as much as they did the year before.”  This idea has come to be known as Zuckerberg’s Law.

I predict that we’ll see a similar trend in the convergence of social media and ecommerce, with the percentage of ecommerce that is socially referred continuing to double every coming year -- to 4% in 2013, 8% in 2014, and 16% in 2015.  So what do you need to know to capitalize on this trend?

Mauria Finley, founder and CEO of Citrus Lane, is a master of leveraging social for selling, without ever asking for the sale.  Citrus Lane is a fast growing subscription company delivering monthly collections of curated baby products, and their Facebook strategy relies more on human psychology than hard-sell techniques for drawing in new converts into the fold.

Finley says, “We use our happy customers as our advocates and let the natural triggers of envy and scarcity do the selling for us.”  And indeed, the Citrus Lane Facebook page is full of pictures of subscriber babies clutching their latest sold-out toy of the moment, irresistible fodder for keeping up with the Joneses

Finley adds, “We don’t see ourselves as leading the conversation with our customers, but rather our job is to facilitate their interactions with each other.”  One recent post illustrates this principle by posting a question from “Patty,” who needs help with getting her 2-year-old to sleep in her own bed.  In less than 60 minutes, Patty’s question had 75 comments, a testament to their approach.

Traditional commerce

If you sell products or services through an offline model, social media can help you do everything from generate leads to increase foot traffic to advertise new offerings.  The key is to understand your customer’s habits and motivations.

Find out where your customers spend their time online and experiment to discover what content they’ll respond to.  What’s keeping them up at night, and conversely, what do they do to escape their worries for a while

Liz Guthridge, managing director and change management consultant at Connect, says she devotes time to participating in LinkedIn groups where her prospects hang out.  “The groups are an under-utilized feature of LinkedIn, and they’re a great way to see what your clients are discussing.  I’ll comment whenever I can add something of value, which builds my credibility as a trustworthy resource.”

In all of the hurry to get your message out, don’t forget to listen to your customers and act on what they say.  For example, use social media to poll your customers about what inventory you should be stocking.  When a customer sees that the cupcake flavor she voted for on Monday is on sale Tuesday, she’ll be that much more motivated to make a purchase.

You can also combine tracking your results from various social channels with incentivizing your customers by issuing different discount codes by channel.  For example, you might offer 10% off using code “ABC” on Facebook and using code “123” on Instagram.  These are sometimes called whisper codes and can generate useful insights as to whether Twitter is working better than Pinterest, or vice versa.

In summary, social is here to stay, and no matter if you sell online or offline, socially referred business is going to continue to grow as a driver of revenues.  So it behooves you to figure out where your customers are congregating, what content they want to see, and to create engagement in a way that builds loyalty to your business.

Vacations In Santa Clarita - U.S. Jobless Claims Jump 32,000 to 360,000

Source - http://www.marketwatch.com/
By - Jeffry Bartash
Category - Vacations In Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

 

Vacations In Santa Clarita

The number of people who applied for new unemployment benefits surged by 32,000 to 360,000 in the week ended May 11, putting jobless claims at the highest level in a month and a half, according to the U.S. Labor Department. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had expected claims to rise to a seasonally adjusted 330,000 from a revised 328,000 in the prior week. A Labor official said there was nothing unusual in the report and there was no evidence that reductions in federal spending under a law known as the sequester contributed to the spike. The average of new claims over the past month, which smoothes out weekly volatility, rose a much smaller 1,250 to 339,250 and remained near a five-year low. Also, the government said continuing claims decreased by 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 3.0 million in the week ended May 4. Continuing claims reflect the number of people already receiving benefits. Initial claims from two weeks ago, meanwhile, were revised up to 328,000 from an original reading of 323,000, based on more complete data collected at the state level
 

Meeting Space Santa Clarita - Angelina Jolie Has Double Mastectomy To Elude Cancer

Source - http://news.yahoo.com/
By - Patricia Reaney
Category - Meeting Space Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Meeting Space Santa Clarita

Oscar-winning film star Angelina Jolie revealed on Tuesday that she underwent a double mastectomy after learning she had inherited a high risk of breast cancer and said she hoped her story would inspire other women fighting the life-threatening disease.

Jolie, an actress who has long embodied Hollywood glamour and has in recent years drawn nearly as much attention for her globe-trotting work on behalf of refugees as for her role as a celebrity mom, disclosed her choice in an op-ed column in the New York Times.

The 37-year-old performer, raising a family with fellow film star and fiance Brad Pitt, wrote that she went through with the operation in part to reassure her six children that she would not die young from cancer, as her own mother did at age 56.

"We often speak of 'Mommy's mommy,' and I find myself trying to explain the illness that took her away from us. They have asked if the same could happen to me," wrote Jolie.

"I have always told them not to worry, but the truth is I carry a 'faulty' gene."

The actress, who won an Oscar as best supporting actress for her 1999 role in the film "Girl, Interrupted," said she opted for the surgery after her doctors had estimated she had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer, due to an inherited genetic mutation.

"Once I knew this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much as I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy," she said. She said her breast cancer risk had dropped to under 5 percent as a result.

Celebrities, cancer survivors and doctors expressed admiration for her openness, saying she was an inspiration for other women.

"I commend Angelina Jolie for her courage and thoughtfulness in sharing her story today regarding her mastectomy. So brave!" tweeted singer Sheryl Crow, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006.

Singer Kylie Minogue, another cancer survivor, thanked Jolie for helping women, as did television host Giuliana Rancic, who also had surgery after being diagnosed with the disease.

"Angelina Jolie reveals double mastectomy. Proud of her for using her incredible platform to educate women," Rancic said on Twitter.

PITT AT HER SIDE

Pitt was by Jolie's side through three months of treatment that ended late in April, she said. The two became engaged last year.

"Having witnessed this decision firsthand, I find Angie's choice, as well as so many others like her, absolutely heroic," Pitt told London's Evening Standard newspaper.

"All I want is for her to have a long and healthy life, with myself and our children. This is a happy day for our family."

Jolie opted for reconstruction with implants. Breast tissue was removed during surgery and temporary fillers were inserted in their place. Nine weeks later the surgery was completed with the implants.

"On a personal note, I do not feel any less of a woman," she wrote. "I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity."

The actress decided to be open about her surgery after finishing treatment to help women who might be living under the shadow of cancer.

"It is my hope that they, too, will be able to get gene tested," she said.

Breast cancer kills about 458,000 people each year, according to the World Health Organization. It is estimated that one in 300 to one in 500 women carry a BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 gene mutation, as Jolie does.

CNN anchor Zoraida Sambolin announced on Tuesday that she had breast cancer and was also getting a double mastectomy.

Sambolin, who anchors CNN's "Early Start" morning show, discussed her condition on the show while talking about Jolie's procedure.

"I struggled for weeks trying to figure out how to tell you that I had been diagnosed with breast cancer and was leaving to have surgery," Sambolin, 47, said on Facebook. "Then ... Angelina Jolie shares her story of a double mastectomy and gives me strength and an opening."

Dr Chet Nastala, a breast surgeon at PRMA Plastic Surgery in San Antonio, Texas, said Jolie's fame and openness about her treatment will have a big impact on women faced with the same decision.

"It is difficult to go public," he said in an interview. "It shows a lot of courage."

In past 10 years the PRMA practice has done about 5,000 reconstructive breast surgeries and about 20-30 percent have been for preventative mastectomies.

Dr. Kristi Funk, director of the Pink Lotus Breast Center in Beverly Hills where Jolie was treated, also applauded her choice.

"We hope that the awareness she is raising around the world will save countless lives," said Funk at a brief news conference outside the clinic.

Richard Francis, head of research at the Breakthrough Breast Cancer charity in Britain, said it demonstrated the importance of educating women with the gene fault.

"For women like Angelina it's important that they are made fully aware of all the options that are available, including risk-reducing surgery and extra breast screening," Francis told Reuters.

Jolie also lends her star power to a range of humanitarian causes, including serving more than 10 years as a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

Santa Clarita Local Colleges - Salt Levels In U.S. Processed And Fast-Food Dangerously High

Source - http://www.upi.com/
By - Press Release
Category - Santa Clarita Local Colleges
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Santa Clarita Local Colleges

Voluntary reduction of salt in processed and fast-food failed as salt levels remain dangerously high, U.S. researchers say.

Dr. Stephen Havas, a research professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington assessed the sodium content in selected processed foods and in fast-food restaurants in 2005, 2008 and 2011.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found from 2005-11, the sodium content in 402 processed foods declined by approximately 3.5 percent, while the sodium content in 78 fast-food restaurant products increased by 2.6 percent. Although some products showed decreases of at least 30 percent, a greater number of products showed increases of at least 30 percent, the study said.

"The voluntary approach has failed," Havas said in a statement. "The study demonstrated the food industry has been dragging its feet and making very few changes. This issue will not go away unless the government steps in to protect the public. The amount of sodium in our food supply needs to be regulated."

A typical American consumes an average of almost 2 teaspoons a day of salt, vastly higher than the recommended amount of three-fifths of a teaspoon or no more than 1,500 milligrams. About 80 percent of daily sodium consumption comes from eating processed or restaurant foods -- very little comes from salt we add to food, Havas said.

"The only way for most people to meet the current sodium recommendation is to cook from scratch and not use salt," Havas said in a statement. "But that's not realistic for most people."

Hotel In Santa Clarita - Chris Sale throws 1-hitter as White Sox beat Angels

Source - http://www.usatoday.com
By - Press Release
Category - Hotel In Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Hotel In Santa Clarita

The Chicago White Sox needed a big start from ace Chris Sale, and he nearly gave them something historic.

Sale took a perfect game into the seventh inning before finishing with a one-hitter, and Chicago beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-0 on Sunday night to avoid a three-game sweep. The left-hander retired the first 19 batters he faced before Mike Trout's sharp single to center ended the perfect game bid with one out in the seventh, on his 70th pitch.

"I knew warming up in the bullpen I felt loose. My arm felt good tonight," Sale said. "Warming up in the bullpen I felt like I was creating some good stuff and just wanted to transfer that out to the field, and it ended up working out tonight."

BOX SCORE: White Sox 3, Angels 0

Sale (4-2) struck out seven on just 98 pitches for his first career shutout and third win in his last four outings. The one-hitter was Chicago's first since Zach Stewart had one on Sept. 5, 2011, at Minnesota.

The White Sox had lost two straight and were on the verge of being swept by a struggling Angels team. Before Saturday's loss, manager Robin Ventura called a meeting to discuss the team's woes.

"He understands how it's been going," Ventura said of Sale. "So it's one of those you need a guy like that that can go out and put together a game like that and give you a chance."

MOTHER'S DAY: Special baseballs in play

Sale pithed the third one-hitter in three days in the majors, joining St. Louis' Shelby Miller and Boston's Jon Lester, who both had theirs on Friday night.

Alexei Ramirez's two-run two-out single in the bottom of the seventh drove in Tyler Flowers and Tyler Greene to give Sale the lead and chase Los Angeles' C.J. Wilson. Alex Rios then doubled off reliever Michael Kohn to drive in Ramirez, who had three hits and scored a run.

Sale didn't require much more support than that in a game the White Sox needed badly.

"I think he (Sale) just likes the big games," Flowers said. "I guarantee you he knows everyone was watching on ESPN and that whole thing."

Wilson (3-2) gave up three runs and six hits while striking out three and walking four in 6 2-3 innings. He lost his second straight decision after losing to Houston on Tuesday.

Wilson got no support from his offense. Other than Rios' running catch against the wall on Howie Kendrick's drive in the second, there weren't any close calls for Sale.

"It just goes back to that competitive streak in you. You want to get that guy out there," said Josh Hamilton, who was 0 for 3. "Even though he is having a phenomenal night, you want to hit it hard somewhere, or barrel it up, if they make a play, they make a play, tip your hat. He did a good job."

Except for the seventh, Wilson pitched well enough to give the Angels what would have been a welcome sweep and four-game winning streak. They had lost five of seven before the series and won the first two in Chicago but fell Sunday to 10 games behind in the AL West.

"We need to carry some of the things we did well in this series forward," manager Mike Scioscia said. "I think if there is one thing we saw in this series, is that we have the ability to pitch well and I think we have to carry that forward."

For their part, the White Sox would like to prolong what happened Sunday.

Sale was eight outs away from the White Sox's 19th no-hitter in team history and their fourth perfect game after Philip Humber (2012), Mark Buehrle (2009) and Charles Robertson (1922).

The 24-year-old said he started thinking about a perfect game or no-hitter around the fourth or the fifth, but didn't sound disappointed with the one-hitter.

"I didn't wake up this morning and say I'm going to throw a perfect game or a no-hitter," Sale said. "I come to the ballpark every day when I'm pitching and say I just want to keep my team in this game and I want to win this game."

Hampton Hotels Santa Clarita - GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian Shares Pause After Rally, Yen At 4-yr Low vs Dollar

Source - http://www.reuters.com/
By - Chikako Mogi
Category - Hampton Hotels Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Hampton Hotels Santa Clarita

The U.S. currency was buoyed as worries about soft patches in the economy faded after Thursday's weekly U.S. data showed initial jobless claims fell to the lowest level in more than five years, following last week's much stronger-than-expected monthly nonfarm payrolls report for April.

"It's global buying of the U.S., with more investors feeling comfortable buying the dollar. U.S. stocks are stabilizing four years after the Lehman collapse. It's a good sign for markets when funds target the U.S., where investors are willing to take on risk," said Goro Ohwada, president and CEO at Japan-based fund of hedge funds Aino Investment Corp.

Signs of a steady U.S. recovery could refuel speculation over the Federal Reserve scaling back its aggressive quantitative easing to push up U.S. yields, attracting funds from lower-yielding countries such as Japan.

Capital flows data showed Japanese investors were net buyers of foreign bonds in the last two weeks, reversing their relentless net selling since late January. They repatriated a total of 9.33 trillion yen in January-April. <JP/CAP>

The dollar extended its gains from Thursday to rise to a fresh four-year high of 101.20 yen, having stalled for a month after reaching a high of 99.95 yen in early April. The dollar was last at 100.92 yen, while the euro rose to 131.91 yen, its highest since January 2010.

"The market is returning to where it should be, to buying the dollar, mainly driven by the notion that the U.S. economy is on a positive track as seen by the jobs reports," said Hiroshi Maeba, head of FX trading Japan for UBS in Tokyo.

"The dollar buying after the initial jobless claims may have been a factor, but failed attempts to break the 100 yen had lightened positions and cleared the way for such a move. The euro's break below $1.3050 also helped remove a cap on the dollar," he said.

Maeba added that the dollar may see a near-term correction to the downside, but the 99 yen level will now signal a buying opportunity and markets may test 102-103 yen in coming weeks.

The yen's resumed downtrend is a boon for Japanese exporters and expectations of robust earnings drove the Nikkei stock average .N225 up 3 percent to its highest since January 2008. The index is up 6.5 percent so far this week, on track for its biggest weekly gain since December 2009 when it jumped 10.4 percent. .T

The currency moves had diverging impacts on Asian shares.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS shed 0.6 percent, after climbing to its highest since July 2011 on Thursday. For the week, the index is set for a gain of 1 percent.

U.S. stocks slipped from record highs on Thursday while the pan-European FTSEurofirst .FTEU3 closed flat to stay near five-year highs.

Australian shares .AXJO rose 0.3 percent after hitting a fresh five-year high earlier, as strong gains in the banking sector and companies with a strong exposure in the U.S. market rallied on the back of the dollar's gain against the yen. The Australian dollar hit a 10-month low of $1.0046 overnight.

"Whenever the U.S. dollar gains this much against the Australian dollar, then companies that make most of their earnings in U.S. returns will always look more attractive," said Stan Shamu, market strategist at IG.

But the yen's decline hurt South Korean shares .KS11, which fell 1 percent, dragged lower by exporters on concerns that a weaker yen would curb their competitiveness against their Japanese counterparts, although the dollar's rise pushed the South Korean won sharply down to a one-week low.

Chinese shares were subdued, with Hong Kong .HSI down 0.2 percent while Shanghai .SSEC inched up 0.1 percent.

A firm dollar capped prices of dollar-based commodities.

London copper eased 0.1 percent to $7,344 a ton while spot gold added 0.2 percent to $1,460.81 an ounce.

U.S. crude futures fell 0.3 percent to $96.12 a barrel and Brent eased 0.2 percent to $104.29. <O/R>

Analysts said the dollar's direction against the yen from here largely depends on U.S. economic indicators, with a strong outlook for the world's largest economy likely to spur investment flows out of Japan, which is taking aggressive reflationary policies and depressing yields.

"The USD strength may prove short-lived unless backed by incoming April U.S. cyclical activity data showing a pickup in growth momentum from the softer tone in March. A series of key U.S. economic data next week, especially retail sales on Monday, will be critical from this perspective," Barclays Capital said in a research note.

Hotels In Northern California - World of Warcraft Loses 1.3 Million Subscribers in 3 Months

Source - http://www.escapistmagazine.com/
By - Stew Shearer
Category - Hotels In Northern California
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Hotels In Northern California

The world of massively multiplayer online gaming has seen some dramatic transitions in the past few years. Even with landscape changing things like the advent and increasing quality of free-to-play games, however, one constant has remained untouched: World of Warcraft is the king.

That being the case, the king's subjects have been shrinking in numbers over the years. In 2010, the massively popular MMORPG had more than 12 million subscribers. Af ew years later that number would fall to about 9 million before climbing back up to 10 million following the 2012 Mists of Panderia expansion. While this uptick was good news for the aging MMORPG, it seems to have been only temporary. World of Warcraft's user base has again declined, falling by more than 1.3 million subscribers between January and March of 2013.

To its credit, the game's publisher, Activision Blizzard, doesn't seem at all phased by the news. Part of this has to do with the fact that the game still remains "the number one subscription-based MMORPG in the world' and is still a valuable cash cow. That said, a gradual decline in the game's user base is something its publisher had been expecting. "We do believe further declines are likely, and we expect to have fewer subscribers a year than we do today," said Bobby Kotick, Activision Blizzard's CEO. "We believe in the long-term value of this franchise and will continue to commit substantial resources to World of Warcraft."

Even if the publisher were to cut off funds tomorrow and shutter the long running MMO, it would still have had an impressive run. In addition to making oodles of money, the massive popularity of World of Warcraft helped expose more general audiences to MMOs. Likewise, while some gamers may be leaving, there are millions more who have stuck with World of Warcraft through thick and thin and remain enthusiastic members of its magical universe. The day might come where this isn't the case, but that's a future that seems so far off it's beyond the sight of anyone looking.

Vacations In Santa Clarita - China Trade Data Beats Expectations, Skepticism Remains

Source - http://www.reuters.com/
By - Langi Chiang and Jonathan Standing
Category - Vacations In Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Vacations In Santa Clarita

China's exports rose 14.7 percent in April, while imports grew 16.8 percent, leaving the country with a trade surplus of $18.16 billion for the month, the Customs Administration said on Wednesday.

That compared with market expectations for a 10.3 percent rise in exports, a 13.9 percent increase in imports and a trade surplus of $15.1 billion.

From a month earlier, exports edged up 2.7 percent while imports fell 7.7 percent.

Chinese export data in recent months has seemed to signal to a gradual revival of external demand, though some analysts suspect exporters may have overstated their business to sneak funds into the country and avoid capital restrictions.

"I have no strong conviction whether the data reflects reality. We'll focus on next Monday's activities data," said Zhiwei Zhang, chief China economist at Nomura in Hong Kong.

"China's SAFE recently launched new rules to crack down against capital inflows disguised as trade payments. I'm suspicious about the trade data," Zhang said, referring to the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.

The regulator released new rules on Sunday to crack down on hot money inflows disguised as trade payments.

A Reuters estimate of hot money flows based on official data indicates that $181 billion in speculative cash entered China in the first quarter, fuelled in part by loose monetary policy from the United States and Europe.

SIGNS OF WEAKNESS

Adding to the skepticism over the trade data, a pair of PMI surveys last week showed growth in China's vast factory sector eased in April as new export orders shrank. However, in the trade figures, manufacturers were among the sectors reporting increases in exports in the month.

In addition, the customs figures showed a 57 percent jump in exports to Hong Kong and a 250 percent rise in exports to bonded areas, adding weight to theories that goods are not being exported to final destinations.

"In 1Q13, China's export data were heavily distorted due to over-reporting by exporters who might bring in hot money through fake exports and arbitrage the differential between CNH/USD and CNY/USD by moving goods in and out of HK," Bank of America Merrill Lynch economist Ting Lu wrote in a report on Wednesday's data, referring to offshore and onshore yuan currency rates.

"The evidence includes the abnormally strong exports to bonded areas and Hong Kong."

Spot onshore yuan hit a fresh record high of 6.1424 per dollar on Wednesday, on strong corporate demand and expectations of further policy reforms to liberalize the exchange rate. <CNY/>

The latest export figures also don't chime with those from other regional economies. South Korea and Taiwan posted weaker-than-expected exports for April, showing the fragility of global demand.

Taiwan's government said on Wednesday it will cut this year's economic growth forecast due to sluggish export data.

Although the United States posted firm jobs numbers for April, they followed a series of weak data, while the recession-hit euro zone has record unemployment.

However, there were positives in the data. While China's exports to the United States fell 0.1 percent in April and those to the EU fell 6.4 percent, the rates of decline were much less than March's declines of 6.5 percent and 14 percent, respectively.

Exports to ASEAN countries rose 37.3 percent and those to South Korea were up 7.2 percent.

"I think the export growth must be supported to some extent by the real overseas demand, adding to signs of gradual revival in the world economy," said Shen Lan, economist at Standard Chartered in Shanghai.

"With Beijing tightening checks on hot money inflows disguised as trade transactions, I think the export figures in the coming months will more reflect the real underlying momentum of external demand."

China's economy unexpectedly stumbled in the first quarter, growing 7.7 percent from a year earlier versus a rise of 7.9 percent in the previous three months.

A Reuters poll in April had forecast second-quarter annual growth of 8.00 percent and most economists expect a steady and gentle economic recovery this year.
 

Meeting Space Santa Clarita - Exercise Cuts Kidney Stone Risk In Women

Source - http://news.yahoo.com/
By - MARILYNN MARCHIONE
Category - Meeting Space Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Meeting Space Santa Clarita

Women have another reason to exercise: It may help prevent kidney stones. You don't have to break a sweat or be a super athlete, either. Even walking for a couple hours a week can cut the risk of developing this painful and common problem by about one-third, a large study found.

"Every little bit makes a difference" and the intensity doesn't matter — just getting a minimum amount of exercise does, said Dr. Mathew Sorensen of the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.

He led the study, which was to be discussed Friday at an American Urological Association conference in San Diego.

About 9 percent of people will get a kidney stone sometime in their life. The problem is a little more common in men, but incidence has risen 70 percent over the last 15 years, most rapidly among women.

Obesity raises the risk as do calcium supplements, which many women take after menopause. A government task force recently advised against supplements for healthy older women, saying that relatively low-dose calcium pills don't do much to keep bones strong but make kidney stones more likely.

The new research involved nearly 85,000 women 50 and older in the government-funded Women's Health Initiative study. All had an exam to measure weight and height so doctors could figure out their body mass index, a gauge of obesity. They also filled out annual surveys on what they ate, so researchers could take into account things known to lower the risk of kidney stones, such as drinking a lot of fluids and eating less salt or meat.

Participants said how much exercise they usually got and that was translated into "METs" — a measure of how much effort an activity takes. For example, 10 METs per week is about 2 1/2 hours of walking at a moderate pace, four hours of light gardening or one hour of jogging.

After about eight years, 3 percent of the women had developed a kidney stone. Compared to women who got no leisure-time exercise, those who got up to 5 METs per week had a 16 percent lower risk for stones. The risk was 22 percent lower with 5 to 10 METs per week and 31 percent lower for 10 METs or more. Exercise beyond 10 METs added no additional benefit for kidney stone prevention. Exercise intensity didn't matter — just how much women got each week.

"We're not asking people to run marathons. This is just a very mild to moderate additional amount of activity," Sorensen said.

Why might exercise help? It changes the way the body handles nutrients and fluids that affect stone formation. Exercisers sweat out salt and tend to retain calcium in their bones, rather than having these go into the kidneys and urine where stones form. They also tend to drink water and fluids afterwards, another plus for preventing stones.

"There's something about exercise itself that probably produces things in your urine that prevent stone formation," said one expert not involved in the work, Dr. Kevin McVary. He is chairman of urology at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, Ill., and a spokesman for the urology group. "It's not just being skinny or not being fat, it's something about the exercise that protects you."

Exercise is known to cut the risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and other conditions that raise the risk of kidney stones. Next, researchers want to study men and younger women to see if exercise helps prevent kidney stones in them, too .

Santa Clarita Local Colleges - Obama To Use Austin Visit To Push Ideas To Help Middle Class

Source - http://www.dallasnews.com/
By - TODD J. GILLMAN
Category - Santa Clarita Local Colleges
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Santa Clarita Local Colleges

President Barack Obama will use Thursday’s trip to Austin to kick off a “Middle-Class Jobs and Opportunity Tour,” showcasing high-tech companies and schools that are preparing students with cutting-edge technology skills, an aide said Sunday.

In Austin and its surroundings, Obama will visit Manor New Tech High School. He’ll also meet with technology entrepreneurs and visit a high-tech company — as yet unidentified — to spotlight Austin as a hub for innovation and job creation.

“Even though some in Congress are determined to create more self-inflicted economic wounds, there are things Washington could be doing right now to help American businesses, schools and workers,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.

“We need to build on the progress we’ve made over the last four years, and that means investing in things that are already creating good-paying, stable jobs that can support a middle-class family.”

The president also will meet with Austin workers to “discuss his vision for ensuring that hard work leads to a decent living,” Earnest said.

This is Obama’s second trip to Texas in two weeks. Aides made no mention of whether the president would tuck a political fundraiser into his schedule, as he did in Dallas on the eve of the George W. Bush library dedication and in Austin two years earlier after a border tour in El Paso.

This Austin visit — and day trips Obama will take every several weeks as part of this “Opportunity Tour” — are meant to prod Congress to embrace his views on ways to speed economic recovery.

The Austin trip is meant to put a focus on making America a magnet for jobs, ensuring that workers have the skills they need to compete and earn a livable wage. To that end, the president will push for expanded early-childhood education and a minimum-wage increase, according to aides.

Hotel In Santa Clarita - Acer Shows Off Aspire P3 Ultrabook, Aspire R7 Laptop With Innovative Designs

Source - http://www.zdnet.com/
By - Sean Portnoy
Category - Hotel In Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Hotel In Santa Clarita

Acer is looking to make a splash with its latest notebook offerings -- and it sure appears to have succeeded. The tech world is abuzz about its new Aspire R7 laptop (pictured above), which features what the company calls an "Ezel Hinge" that literally provides a different view of a portable display.

The design allows you to use the Aspire R7 in a variety of modes, from a traditional laptop to tablet style with the screen laying flat to what Acer calls "Ezel" mode, where the hinge allows you to bring the display closer or even flip it around. Despite that flexibility, the company promises that you can use the 15.6-inch display's touchscreen capabilities without it moving all around, and in theory, the Ezel mode makes using touchscreen features easier as you can pull the screen closer to you.

As a notebook, the R7 includes an Intel Core i5 CPU, 6GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive with 24GB of solid-state storage for faster boot-ups, and Dolby Home Theater sound. But the unique design is the selling point here, and fortunately Acer has made buying the R7 not so difficult on the wallet. It will be available through Best Buy for $999 and start shipping on May 17.

While not as radical as the R7, the new Aspire P3 is a convertible Ultrabook that's also moderately priced. The Windows 8 system will come with a choice of either Intel Core i3 or i5 CPUs, and its 11.6-inch IPS display detaches to function as a tablet. (You can also use it with an optional stylus.) The keyboard is tinier than a typical notebook sports, and it lacks a touchpad, though there's a USB 3.0 port that you can use to attach a mouse or other input device to. Our sister site CNET lists some additional specs, including either 2GB or 4GB of RAM and either 60GB or 120GB SSD.

Priced starting at $799.99 and available now, the P3 might be a better alternative for some users than dedicated Windows 8 tablets for a similar cost, as you essentially get a bigger screen and a keyboard and case/cover in a 3-pound package. If nothing else, it delivers on the promise of Windows 8 ushering in some different types of portable devices.
 

Hampton Hotels Santa Clarita - NYC's Met To Return 2 10th-Century Stone Statues

Source - http://abcnews.go.com
By - Press Release
Category - Hampton Hotels Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Hampton Hotels Santa Clarita

Two ancient stone statues that have been on display in a New York City museum for nearly 20 years are being returned to Cambodia.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art said Friday the 10th-century Koh Ker stone statues are being returned after researchers discovered new evidence about how they were acquired.

The statues are called "Kneeling Attendants." The Met says the decision to return them was made after a recent meeting between museum officials and representatives of the Cambodian government in their country's capital, Phnom Penh (puh-NAHM' pehn).

The Met says it received the statues in pieces from different donors between 1987 and 1992.

A 1993 Cambodian law prohibited the removal of cultural artifacts without government permission.

Cambodian officials have claimed a similar statue was looted from a temple in Koh Ker, a remote region in the north.

Hotels In Northern California - Facebook Turns Friends Into IT Support

Source - http://www.informationweek.com/
By - Thomas Claburn
Category - Hotels In Northern California
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Hotels In Northern California

Just as companies have warmed to the financial benefits of employee-supplied devices and have embraced the rent savings of offices that are open but smaller under the pretense of promoting interaction, Facebook has recognized the economic and security promise of deputizing users to provide customer support.

The social network, ever keen to increase user engagement, wants you to designate friends as Trusted Contacts who can restore access to your Facebook account "if you ever have trouble logging in." Don't call us, call a friend.

 Why might you have trouble logging in? Facebook doesn't say. A hacked account is one possibility, but presumably anyone who hijacks your account could alter your Trusted Contact list. And Facebook maintains a separate account reset process for hacked accounts, at facebook.com/hacked.

The most common scenario for resorting to Trusted Contacts is a forgotten password. This could be a relatively frequent occurrence, given that Facebook tends to keep users logged in, thereby obviating the need to type one's password and making it easier to forget.

Account recovery processes, however, have a long history of insecurity. For example, in 2008, the Yahoo Mail account of then vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was hacked when a University of Tennessee student reset the account password by answering what turned out to be obvious password recovery questions. The following year, Yahoo Mail's account recovery process was abused again to gain control over a Twitter administrative account.

A Facebook spokeswoman in an email said that there are also occasions when users lose access to the email account through which they log in to Facebook.

Facebook in a blog post suggests that the Trusted Contact account recovery process represents an improvement on answering security questions. "With trusted contacts, there's no need to worry about remembering the answer to your security question or filling out long web forms to prove who you are," the company says. "You can recover your account with help from your friends."

There's another security benefit too: Account compromises often occur as a result of social engineering attacks. While customer service personnel can be tricked into revealing personal information by people posing as account holders, friends presumably are less likely to be duped by an imposter soliciting sensitive data.

With Trusted Contacts, Facebook support personnel can expect fewer emails from users who can't log in to get their their social fix. What's more, Trusted Contacts could create a user retention halo effect: Users will probably be less likely to drift away from Facebook when their friends have entrusted them with the keys to their accounts.