Six Flags Magic Mountain - Natural Gas a Good Choice For Vehicles

Source - http://www.news-register.net/
By - Press Release
Category - Six Flags Magic Mountain
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

 

Six Flags Magic Mountain

We're sure motorists around the Upper Ohio Valley rejoiced last week when they learned that gasoline prices had hit their "summer slide."

Right.

When you look at the average price of gasoline over the past five years, which we did for July 3, you find that prices this year at $3.48 per gallon for regular unleaded are the second highest during that span. Only July 3, 2011, at $3.56 per gallon, was higher, according to AAA.

A year ago, prices were at $3.33 per gallon. In 2010, the average price came in at $2.74 per gallon while in 2009, it was $2.63.

It has been a welcome sight to see prices fall slowly over the past few months. But motorists preparing for summer travel should be looking to the Middle East and what's happening in Egypt to gauge where prices could go in the very near future.

Already, oil prices have topped $100 per barrel, with more increases likely if oil supply lines are interrupted. And the price of gasoline always follows oil.

That's what makes natural gas an attractive alternative. Compressed natural gas already serves as the power source for many fleet vehicles across the country, and the technology exists to create a filling station virtually anywhere.

Compressed natural gas currently costs about $2 for the equivalent of a gallon of fuel. That price has held steady for the past few years.

The local region's abundance of natural gas also makes such a project a wise investment.

And when you couple in reduced emissions and helping to reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil, it makes sense to look at natural gas as an option.

We're sure motorists around the Upper Ohio Valley rejoiced last week when they learned that gasoline prices had hit their "summer slide."
Right.
When you look at the average price of gasoline over the past five years, which we did for July 3, you find that prices this year at $3.48 per gallon for regular unleaded are the second highest during that span. Only July 3, 2011, at $3.56 per gallon, was higher, according to AAA.
A year ago, prices were at $3.33 per gallon. In 2010, the average price came in at $2.74 per gallon while in 2009, it was $2.63.
It has been a welcome sight to see prices fall slowly over the past few months. But motorists preparing for summer travel should be looking to the Middle East and what's happening in Egypt to gauge where prices could go in the very near future.
Already, oil prices have topped $100 per barrel, with more increases likely if oil supply lines are interrupted. And the price of gasoline always follows oil.
That's what makes natural gas an attractive alternative. Compressed natural gas already serves as the power source for many fleet vehicles across the country, and the technology exists to create a filling station virtually anywhere.
Compressed natural gas currently costs about $2 for the equivalent of a gallon of fuel. That price has held steady for the past few years.
The local region's abundance of natural gas also makes such a project a wise investment.
And when you couple in reduced emissions and helping to reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil, it makes sense to look at natural gas as an option.
- See more at: http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/587312/Natural-Gas-a-Good-Choice-for-Vehicles.html?nav=511#sthash.sICxETlX.dpuf

We're sure motorists around the Upper Ohio Valley rejoiced last week when they learned that gasoline prices had hit their "summer slide."
Right.
When you look at the average price of gasoline over the past five years, which we did for July 3, you find that prices this year at $3.48 per gallon for regular unleaded are the second highest during that span. Only July 3, 2011, at $3.56 per gallon, was higher, according to AAA.
A year ago, prices were at $3.33 per gallon. In 2010, the average price came in at $2.74 per gallon while in 2009, it was $2.63.
It has been a welcome sight to see prices fall slowly over the past few months. But motorists preparing for summer travel should be looking to the Middle East and what's happening in Egypt to gauge where prices could go in the very near future.
Already, oil prices have topped $100 per barrel, with more increases likely if oil supply lines are interrupted. And the price of gasoline always follows oil.
That's what makes natural gas an attractive alternative. Compressed natural gas already serves as the power source for many fleet vehicles across the country, and the technology exists to create a filling station virtually anywhere.
Compressed natural gas currently costs about $2 for the equivalent of a gallon of fuel. That price has held steady for the past few years.
The local region's abundance of natural gas also makes such a project a wise investment.
And when you couple in reduced emissions and helping to reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil, it makes sense to look at natural gas as an option.
- See more at: http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/587312/Natural-Gas-a-Good-Choice-for-Vehicles.html?nav=511#sthash.sICxETlX.dpuf

Vacations In Santa Clarita - iPhone 5, iPad And Macbook Air, May Be Banned

Source - http://guardianlv.com/
By - Veverly Edwards
Category - Vacations In Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

 

Vacations In Santa Clarita

Boston University is requesting a ban on Apple Inc. leading devices including the iPhone 5, iPad and Macbook Air, purportedly for patent violations.

The Trustees of Boston University filed a complaint this week with Massachusetts federal court alleging that Apple Inc. products contain a “gallium nitride thin film semiconductor device” in which the University owns the patent.

The component in question powers the LED in the iPhone 5, iPad and Macbook Air.  The device is also expected to be used in the iPhone 6 which is expected to have a dual LED flash which will improve the photographs taken with the phone.

In the complaint filed this week, the Trustees asked the court to forbid Apple Inc. from making, having made, selling, offering for sale, distributing and/or using products that use the device in question including the accused products.

In the papers filed with the court, the inventor of the device is identified as Theodore D. Moustakas, Ph.D., Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at BU, the device is referred to as 738 patent. According to the complaint Boston University owns by assignment the entire right, title, and interest in and to 738 patent, including the sole right to sue for the past and present patent infringements’

Dr. Moustakas applied for the patent in 1995 and it was granted in 1997. The lifespan of a patent in the U.S. is approximately 20 years; therefore, the patent will not expire until 2017 and the University owns all rights to it.

The first iphones were released on the market in 2007.  The iphones like many other smartphones use the blue laser light/LED- “gallium nitride thin film semiconductor.”

The Trustees are also asking for damages to include past and present profits from all products that use the component in question.

The documents filed in court this week also allege the infringement has caused substantial and irreparable damage to the University and is demanding a trial by jury.

The court documents state that Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States, and one of the largest employers in Boston, with more than 10,000 faculty and staff and over 33,000 students.  It conducts a diverse range of interdisciplinary, collaborative and innovative research projects across a broad spectrum of academic departments, programs, centers and institutes, including research in the field of electrical and computer engineering.  BU faculty members have won five Nobel Prizes and BU has been awarded hundreds of United States Patents, including U.S. Patent No. 5,686,738 (the “738 patent”).

If the alleged complaint is true, Apple is not the only company to infringe upon this device.  Several other companies have been named including Amazon and Samsung. Certainly if their has been an infringement these companies are at fault, but Boston University certainly waited a long time before filing a complaint.

While customers are awaiting the release of new devices by Apple Inc., if they have indeed infringed upon Boston University, and are using 738 patent, this could be the end to the iPhone 5, iPad and Macbook Air and possibly delay or prevent the release of the iPhone 6.

Meeting Space Santa Clarita - 5 Tips For Improving Your Home’s Wi-Fi Performance

Source - http://shopping.yahoo.com/
By - Marc Saltzman
Category - Meeting Space Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Meeting Space Santa Clarita

It may sound like a daunting task, but setting up a wireless network in your home is a lot easier (and cheaper) than you think.

For as low as $15, in fact, web surfers can purchase a wireless router, connect it to their broadband modem and then wirelessly access the Internet on any compatible device in the home, such as a laptop at the kitchen table, iPad in the bedroom or a video game system in the family room.

Aside from multiple computers and other devices sharing the same high-speed Internet connection – without being tethered to the wall -- another advantage of setting up a "Wi-Fi" network is the ability to share the same peripheral between computers, such as a printer.

But you already know this, you say? You’ve owned a wireless router for years? Perhaps, then, you’re still reading this blog post because you’re in need of improving the Wi-Fi experience in your home.

If so, the following are a few tips to extending the range and the strength of your wireless network:

Reposition your wireless router.

Try to place your wireless router in a central place in your home, so that its range will cover your entire home and perhaps even a front porch or back patio. Many try to surf the Net wirelessly on a laptop on one end of the home while the wireless router is at the other. Or you might find a weak connection if your wireless router is in the basement and you’re trying to access it on the top floor of your home; generally speaking, if you can't use it on your main floor, it's recommended to keep the router higher than you opposed to underneath you.

Try to avoid wireless interference.

Move the wireless router off the floor and away from walls and metal objects (such as a filing cabinet) as these may interfere with your router's wireless signals. Remove potential obstructions to strengthen your connection. Another way to reduce interference is to try and avoid using other wireless devices while accessing the Net, such as cordless phones and microwave ovens -- though this is less of an issue with newer routers (see below). Also, if your wireless router has an external antenna it might be possible to unscrew it and attach a more powerful, hi-gain one, found at your local electronics store.

Pick up a wireless repeater.

If you can’t change where your wireless network is, because you need it near your broadband modem is, and you have a large home, you might want to consider buying a wireless repeater -- sometimes referred to as a signal booster, network bridge or range extender (and may work a little differently) -- and placing it about half-way between where your wireless router is and where you access the wireless connection the most, such as a kitchen table, home office or media room. A wireless repeater, which simply plugs into a wall’s electrical socket, will work to extend the range of the signal.

Upgrade your wireless adaptor.

If your wireless experience varies on which device you’re using, perhaps it’s because one device might have a better wireless network adaptor than the other. For example, if your TV or video game console has a Wi-Fi dongle for Internet access, there might be a faster one you can pick up. Your next ebook reader or tablet will likely support faster Wi-Fi connectivity, too. Also be sure to download newer drivers or firmware updates for your existing devices, so that it has the latest improvements from the manufacturer. Also, some believe a wireless adaptor and router from the same company, such as Linksys or D-Link, will work better together than products from separate companies.

Upgrade to 802.11ac or at least 802.11n.

Finally, it might be time to make the jump from 802.11b or 802.11g to the latest technology, 802.11ac, which not only offers greater speeds –- especially those who want to wireless stream video over the airwaves or transfer large files between multiple computers -– but also covers a greater range, such as those who live in a larger home. These routers also support more simultaneous devices, offer less interference and have stronger security options, too. Because your wireless router has a broader range with 802.11ac (and 802.11n, which came before it), be sure you’re using a secure password so neighbors can’t access your network.

Attractions In Santa Clarita - Businesses React To Health Care Act Delay

Source - http://www.usatoday.com/
By - Tim Mullaney
Category - Attractions In Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Attractions In Santa Clarita

Businesses reacted with relief to the Obama administration's decision to give large and midsize employers until 2015 to provide health care coverage for their workers or face fines.

Before the administration's announcement Tuesday, businesses with 50 or more employees had to provide affordable coverage to their full-time employees starting Jan. 1 or risk a series of penalties if even one worker ended up getting government-subsidized insurance.

Reaction marked a divide between representatives of big business, who mostly provide insurance already and were focused on complying with complex new reporting rules, and representatives of small business who said they need much bigger changes.

"This is a wise decision," says Bill Kramer, executive director for national health policy for the Pacific Business Group on Health. It represents national employers in all 50 states, including General Electric and Wal-Mart.

Small-business groups that opposed Obamacare entirely said the move didn't go far enough.

They are still lobbying for changes that will mandate coverage only for employees who work at least 40 hours a week, rather than 30, along with other fixes, said National Federation of Independent Business spokeswoman Cynthia Magnuson.

"This is a temporary fix and we need long-term relief,'' Magnuson said.

The delay may also calm the nerves of small business people, who have been reluctant to expand because of the new mandate, said Mark Cerminaro, senior vice president of small-business lending company RapidAdvance.

Since the economy is expected to be growing faster by late 2014, the delay will let small-company owners buy insurance or pay the penalties without worrying as much about how it will affect their businesses, he said.

"You have a tendency, where there's economic uncertainty already, to see individuals get a little more cautious,'' he said. ``With the extra time, they'll have an extra confidence level.''

Most large employers will still provide health insurance benefits — and wouldn't be subject to penalties — Kramer said. But the law's reporting requirements for those companies will still be an administrative burden, he said.

The decision to delay "is a recognition of how complex the implementation is," says Allan Zaremberg, CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce.

He says many regulations implementing the act weren't published until late last year and many companies wouldn't be ready to implement it.

More than 90% of the California Chamber of Commerce's member companies already offer coverage, he said.

Erik Stewart, who advises small-business owners at the Washington Small Business Development Center in Aberdeen, Wash., says the delay will let small-business owners overcome ``incorrect information" about what the law actually requires. Many employers with fewer than 50 employees mistakenly think they have to buy insurance, he said.

"What they hear on TV usually isn't the whole story, and so what has happened is that there is a culture of fear concerning these laws," says Stewart.

Hotel In California - Why Do Sandwiches Taste Better When Someone Else Makes Them?

Source - http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/
By - Jonathan Becher
Category - Hotel In California
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Hotel In California

At first blush, this explanation seems counter-intuitive. Studies have shown that picturing yourself eating a food you enjoy (perhaps chocolate) induces an increase in saliva and the desire to eat it.  Similarly, imagining the smell of a cigarette increases cravings in smokers.  So why doesn’t making a sandwich improve the taste?

Carnegie Mellon University researchers believe the answer lies in the fact that extended exposure to a stimulus (the sandwich) decreases the physiological and behavioral responses (wanting to eat it). In other words, seeing the sandwich get made over time makes it feel less novel and thus less desirable.  A similar phenomena works with repeated exposure to the same food: a fifth bite of chocolate is less desirable than the first.

In a series of five experiments, the CMU researchers showed the more often people imagined eating a food, the less likely they were to eat it later.  In addition, people who repeatedly imagined eating a specific food ate less of that food than people who repeatedly imagined eating a different food. According to the research, they ate less because they felt less hungry, not because they thought the food was less appetizing.

This is an extraordinary compelling idea. We will likely eat less if we make our own food and imagine eating it several times beforehand. Maybe we could call it the Daydream Diet.

Santa Clarita Local Colleges - Go To Bed Late And Gain Weight Says New Study

Source - http://guardianlv.com/
By - Rebecca Savastio
Category - Santa Clarita Local Colleges
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

 Santa Clarita Local Colleges

Terrible news for night owls everywhere-a new study that has been published in the journal Sleep says if you go to bed late, you will gain weight, even if you are otherwise healthy and do not have a weight problem. Main researcher Andrea Spaeth performed a controlled study, which split groups into those who slept from 4:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. and those who slept from 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. The seemingly unfortunate lot who stayed up until 4:00 a.m. ate more, and not only that; the food they ate was more fattening, meaning it was more calorie-dense and fat laden.

While previous studies have been done in this area, Spaeth and other researchers claim their study contained more subjects, and showed more weight gain. “Although previous epidemiological studies have suggested an association between short sleep duration and weight gain/obesity, we were surprised to observe significant weight gain during an in-laboratory study” Spaeth said. The study consisted of 225 people.

All of the study subjects were encouraged to be sedentary, that is, to avoid exercise, and they all had unlimited access to food during the duration of the study. There were some major differences, though, among several lines. Speath explained:

Among sleep-restricted subjects, there were also significant gender and race differences in weight gain. African Americans, who are at greater risk for obesity and more likely to be habitual short sleepers, may be more susceptible to weight gain in response to sleep restriction. Future studies should focus on identifying the behavioral and physiological mechanisms underlying this increased vulnerability.

Contrary to what the study might appear to prove at first glance, there was no magic reason why the late hours and lack of proper sleep caused more weight gain. The simple explanation is that people were hungry because they were awake longer, and therefore, ate more.

The comparison could be staying out late at night, dancing the night away, feeling starving at 3:00 a.m., piling into a friend’s car and heading to the diner for a big breakfast of pancakes, eggs, sausage and hash browns. The more activity you do, the hungrier you feel.

While a greater level of activity burns more calories, in the case of the study, the amount of food consumed superseded the amount of calories burned. Study subjects were also drawn to much fattier and calorie dense food than subjects who got the right amount of sleep. While researcher s did not offer a ready explanation for why the food consumed during the late night hours was more rich, a non-scientific observation could liken the sleep deprivation to any situation in which someone is drawn to comfort food. In this case, comfort food could sooth the pain of not getting enough good quality sleep.

Another possibility is that the extra activity could rev the metabolism and therefore cause more hunger than would normally be felt. While those examples are simply speculation, the study could certainly shed light on the extreme importance of getting the recommended eight hours of sleep rather than going to bed late when trying to manage weight gain.

Hotel In Santa Clarita - US Plans New Restrictions On The Snacks Schools Sell

Source - http://www.bostonglobe.com/
By - Mary Clare Jalonick and Connie Cass
Category - Hotel In Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Hotel In Santa Clarita

The days of eschewing healthier school lunches and filling up on cookies from the vending machine are numbered.

For the first time, the Agriculture Department is telling schools what sorts of snacks they can sell. The new restrictions announced Thursday fill a gap in nutrition rules that allowed many students to load up on fat, sugar, and salt despite the existing guidelines for healthy meals.

‘‘Parents will no longer have to worry that their kids are using their lunch money to buy junk food and junk drinks at school,’’ said Margo Wootan, a nutrition lobbyist for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, who pushed for the new rules.

That does not mean schools will be limited to doling out broccoli and brussels sprouts.

Snacks that still make the grade include granola bars, low-fat tortilla chips, fruit cups, and 100 percent fruit juice. And high school students can buy diet versions of soda, sports drinks, and iced tea.

Banned are some beloved school standbys, such as doughy pretzels, cookies, and those little ice cream cups with their own spoons.

The bottom line, Wootan said, is that the food must have nutritional value.

‘‘There has to be some food in the food,’’ she said.

Still, 17-year-old Vanessa Herrera of Rockaway, N.J., is partial to the Cheez-Its and sugar-laden vitamin water in her school’s vending machine.

Granola bars and bags of peanuts?

‘‘I don’t think anyone would eat it,’’ Herrera said.

The snack rules don’t take effect until the 2014-15 school year.