'Waste heat' may economize CO2 capture

Mar. 28, 2013 ? In some of the first results from a federally funded initiative to find new ways of capturing carbon dioxide (CO₂) from coal-fired power plants, Rice University scientists have found that CO₂ can be removed more economically using "waste" heat -- low-grade steam that cannot be used to produce electricity. The find is significant because capturing CO₂ with conventional technology is an energy-intensive process that can consume as much as one-quarter of the high-pressure steam that plants use to produce electricity.

"This is just the first step in our effort to better engineer a process for capturing CO₂ from flue gas at power plants," said George Hirasaki, the lead researcher of Rice's CO₂-capture research team. The researchers hope to reduce the costs of CO₂ capture by creating an integrated reaction column that uses waste heat, engineered materials and optimized components. Hirasaki's team was one of 16 chosen by the Department of Energy (DOE) in 2011 to develop innovative techniques for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.

The team's first findings appear in two new studies that are available online this month in the International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control.

Power plants fired by coal and natural gas account for about half of the CO₂ that humans add to the atmosphere each year; these power plants are prime candidates for new technology that captures CO₂ before it goes up in smoke. Each of these plants makes electricity by boiling water to create steam to run electric turbines. But not all steam is equal. Some steam has insufficient energy to run a turbine. This is often referred to as "waste" heat, although the term is something of misnomer because low-grade steam is often put to various uses around a plant. Rice's new study found that in cases where waste is available, it may be used to capture CO₂.

Hirasaki, Rice's A.J. Hartsook Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, said employing waste heat is just one example of a number of ways that Rice's team is looking to improve upon a tried-and-true technology for CO₂ capture. That technology -- a two-phase chemical process -- has been used for decades to remove naturally occurring CO₂ from natural gas.

In the first phase of the process, gas is piped upward through a vertical column while an ammonia-like liquid called amine flows down through the column. The liquid amine captures CO₂ and drains away while the purified natural gas bubbles out the top of the column. In the second phase of the process, the CO₂-laden amine is recycled with heat, which drives off the CO₂.

"The CO₂ that comes out of the ground with natural gas is under high pressure, while the CO₂ at power plants is not," Hirasaki said. "There's also a greater volume of CO₂ per unit mass at a power plant than at a natural gas well. For these reasons and others, the amine process must be re-engineered if it is to be cost-effective for CO₂ capture at power plants."

A major challenge in adapting two-phase amine processing for power plants is the amount of heat required to recycle the amine in the second phase of the process. Using existing amine processing technology at power plants is impractical, because amine recycling would require as much as one-quarter of the high-pressure steam that could otherwise be used to drive turbines and make electricity, Hirasaki said. This phenomenon is known as "parasitic" power loss, and it will drive up the cost of electricity by lowering the amount of electricity a plant can produce for sale.

"It has been estimated that the use of current technology for CO₂ capture would drive up the cost of electricity by 70 to 100 percent," said Rice graduate student Sumedh Warudkar, a co-investigator on the Rice University team. "In our study, we examined whether it would be possible to improve on that by using lower-value steam to run the amine recyclers."

To test this idea, Warudkar used a software package that's commonly used to model industrial chemical processes. One variable he tested was tailoring the chemical formulation of the liquid amine solution. Other variables included the type of steam used, and the size and pressure of the reactor -- the chamber where the flue gas flows past the amine solution.

"There's a great deal of optimization that needs to take place," Warudkar said. "The question is, What is the optimal amine formula and the optimal reactor design and pressure for removing CO₂ with low-value steam? There isn't one correct answer. For example, we have developed a process in which the gas absorption and solvent heating occurs in a single vessel instead of two separate ones, as is currently practiced. We think combining the processes might bring us some savings. But there are always trade-offs. The Department of Energy wants us to investigate how our process compares with what's already on the market, and these first two studies are the first step because they will help us identify an optimal set of operating conditions for our process."

The results are encouraging. The research suggests that two elements of Rice's design -- optimized amine formulation and the use of waste heat -- can reduce parasitic power loss from about 35 percent to around 25 percent.

Additional research is under way to develop and test novel materials and a single integrated column that the team hopes can further economize CO₂ capture by increasing efficiency and reducing parasitic power loss.

Study co-authors include Michael Wong, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and of chemistry, and Ken Cox, professor in the practice of chemical and biomolecular engineering. The research is supported by the Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory.

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---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Rice University. The original article was written by Jade Boyd.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal References:

1. Sumedh S. Warudkar, Kenneth R. Cox, Michael S. Wong, George J. Hirasaki. Influence of stripper operating parameters on the performance of amine absorption systems for post-combustion carbon capture: Part I. High pressure strippers. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.ijggc.2013.01.050
2. Sumedh S. Warudkar, Kenneth R. Cox, Michael S. Wong, George J. Hirasaki. Influence of stripper operating parameters on the performance of amine absorption systems for post-combustion carbon capture: Part II. Vacuum strippers. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.ijggc.2013.01.049

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/6tZEhtWnOxQ/130329090631.htm

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'Waste heat' may economize CO2 capture

Mar. 28, 2013 ? In some of the first results from a federally funded initiative to find new ways of capturing carbon dioxide (CO₂) from coal-fired power plants, Rice University scientists have found that CO₂ can be removed more economically using "waste" heat -- low-grade steam that cannot be used to produce electricity. The find is significant because capturing CO₂ with conventional technology is an energy-intensive process that can consume as much as one-quarter of the high-pressure steam that plants use to produce electricity.

"This is just the first step in our effort to better engineer a process for capturing CO₂ from flue gas at power plants," said George Hirasaki, the lead researcher of Rice's CO₂-capture research team. The researchers hope to reduce the costs of CO₂ capture by creating an integrated reaction column that uses waste heat, engineered materials and optimized components. Hirasaki's team was one of 16 chosen by the Department of Energy (DOE) in 2011 to develop innovative techniques for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.

The team's first findings appear in two new studies that are available online this month in the International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control.

Power plants fired by coal and natural gas account for about half of the CO₂ that humans add to the atmosphere each year; these power plants are prime candidates for new technology that captures CO₂ before it goes up in smoke. Each of these plants makes electricity by boiling water to create steam to run electric turbines. But not all steam is equal. Some steam has insufficient energy to run a turbine. This is often referred to as "waste" heat, although the term is something of misnomer because low-grade steam is often put to various uses around a plant. Rice's new study found that in cases where waste is available, it may be used to capture CO₂.

Hirasaki, Rice's A.J. Hartsook Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, said employing waste heat is just one example of a number of ways that Rice's team is looking to improve upon a tried-and-true technology for CO₂ capture. That technology -- a two-phase chemical process -- has been used for decades to remove naturally occurring CO₂ from natural gas.

In the first phase of the process, gas is piped upward through a vertical column while an ammonia-like liquid called amine flows down through the column. The liquid amine captures CO₂ and drains away while the purified natural gas bubbles out the top of the column. In the second phase of the process, the CO₂-laden amine is recycled with heat, which drives off the CO₂.

"The CO₂ that comes out of the ground with natural gas is under high pressure, while the CO₂ at power plants is not," Hirasaki said. "There's also a greater volume of CO₂ per unit mass at a power plant than at a natural gas well. For these reasons and others, the amine process must be re-engineered if it is to be cost-effective for CO₂ capture at power plants."

A major challenge in adapting two-phase amine processing for power plants is the amount of heat required to recycle the amine in the second phase of the process. Using existing amine processing technology at power plants is impractical, because amine recycling would require as much as one-quarter of the high-pressure steam that could otherwise be used to drive turbines and make electricity, Hirasaki said. This phenomenon is known as "parasitic" power loss, and it will drive up the cost of electricity by lowering the amount of electricity a plant can produce for sale.

"It has been estimated that the use of current technology for CO₂ capture would drive up the cost of electricity by 70 to 100 percent," said Rice graduate student Sumedh Warudkar, a co-investigator on the Rice University team. "In our study, we examined whether it would be possible to improve on that by using lower-value steam to run the amine recyclers."

To test this idea, Warudkar used a software package that's commonly used to model industrial chemical processes. One variable he tested was tailoring the chemical formulation of the liquid amine solution. Other variables included the type of steam used, and the size and pressure of the reactor -- the chamber where the flue gas flows past the amine solution.

"There's a great deal of optimization that needs to take place," Warudkar said. "The question is, What is the optimal amine formula and the optimal reactor design and pressure for removing CO₂ with low-value steam? There isn't one correct answer. For example, we have developed a process in which the gas absorption and solvent heating occurs in a single vessel instead of two separate ones, as is currently practiced. We think combining the processes might bring us some savings. But there are always trade-offs. The Department of Energy wants us to investigate how our process compares with what's already on the market, and these first two studies are the first step because they will help us identify an optimal set of operating conditions for our process."

The results are encouraging. The research suggests that two elements of Rice's design -- optimized amine formulation and the use of waste heat -- can reduce parasitic power loss from about 35 percent to around 25 percent.

Additional research is under way to develop and test novel materials and a single integrated column that the team hopes can further economize CO₂ capture by increasing efficiency and reducing parasitic power loss.

Study co-authors include Michael Wong, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and of chemistry, and Ken Cox, professor in the practice of chemical and biomolecular engineering. The research is supported by the Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Rice University. The original article was written by Jade Boyd.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal References:

1. Sumedh S. Warudkar, Kenneth R. Cox, Michael S. Wong, George J. Hirasaki. Influence of stripper operating parameters on the performance of amine absorption systems for post-combustion carbon capture: Part I. High pressure strippers. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.ijggc.2013.01.050
2. Sumedh S. Warudkar, Kenneth R. Cox, Michael S. Wong, George J. Hirasaki. Influence of stripper operating parameters on the performance of amine absorption systems for post-combustion carbon capture: Part II. Vacuum strippers. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.ijggc.2013.01.049

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/matter_energy/electricity/~3/6tZEhtWnOxQ/130329090631.htm

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Confederate flag at old NC Capitol raises ire

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) ? A Confederate battle flag hung inside the old North Carolina State Capitol to mark the sesquicentennial of the Civil War is raising concern with civil rights leaders.

The flag was raised inside the House chamber last week as part of an historical display intended to replicate how the antebellum building appeared in 1863.

State Historic Sites Director Keith Hardison said Thursday the flag should be viewed in its proper historical context.

"Our goal is not to create issues," said Hardison, a Civil War re-enactor and history buff. "Our goal is to help people understand issues of the past. ... If you refuse to put something that someone might object to or have a concern with in the exhibit, then you are basically censoring history."

North Carolina NAACP president Rev. William Barber was shocked Friday when he was shown a photo of the flag by The Associated Press.

"He is right that it has a historical context," Barber said. "But what is that history? The history of racism. The history of lynchings. The history of death. The history of slavery. If you say that shouldn't be offensive, then either you don't know the history, or you are denying the history."

Sessions of the General Assembly moved to a newer building a half-century ago, but the old capitol is still routinely used as a venue for official state government events. Gov. Pat McCrory's office is on the first floor, as are the offices of his chief of staff and communications staff.

The governor was in the House chamber where the Confederate flag hangs as recently as Wednesday, when he presided over the swearing in ceremony of his new Highway Patrol commander.

McCrory, a Republican, was not immediately available for comment Friday, a state government holiday.

The presentation of the Confederate battle flag at state government buildings has long been an issue of debate throughout the South. For more than a decade, the NAACP has urged its members to boycott South Carolina because of that state's display of the flag on the state capitol grounds.

Prior to taking his current job in North Carolina in 2006, Hardison worked as director at the Mississippi home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, which is operated as a museum and library owned by the Sons of Confederate Veterans. The group has led the fight in the South for the proud display of the Confederate flag, which it contends is a symbol of heritage, not hate.

Hardison said the battle flag is displayed with other flags described in the diary of a North Carolina woman who visited the capitol in 1863. A large U.S. flag displayed in the Senate chamber is reminiscent of a trophy of war captured from Union troops at the Battle of Plymouth.

"I thought, wouldn't it be wonderful to recreate this," Hardison said. "I think we were all thinking along the same vein. ... The Capitol is both a working seat of government, in that the governor and his staff has his office there. But it is also a museum."

A placard near the entrance of the House and Senate chambers describes the history of the flags on display, and Hardison said a brochure with more information is available at the front desk downstairs. Guides giving daily tours of the building have also been briefed to recount the history of the flags to visitors.

Hardison also pointed out that the national flag used by the Confederate government, with its circle of white stars and red and white stripes, is still flown over the State Capitol dome each year on Confederate Memorial Day. The more familiar battle flag was used by the rebel military.

Barber said if someone wants to display the Confederate battle flag across the street at the N.C. Museum of History, he has no objection. But to display the flag where the state's governor has his office is over the line, he said.

"That flag does not represent out democracy," Barber said. "It represents division. Underneath that flag, bodies were hung. People were terrorized. The people who marched under that flag deliberately violated the fundamental principles of freedom in our Constitution, to keep radical discrimination in place. It should come down."

___

Follow Michael Biesecker at twitter.com/mbieseck

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/confederate-flag-old-nc-capitol-raises-ire-162047291.html

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Cyprus looks to its past for economic reboot

LONDON (AP) ? As it grapples with the prospect of years of economic pain, Cyprus will try to draw strength from its not-so-distant experience of invasion ? and the fact a whole generation knows what it means to rebuild from scratch.

But it's a tough task.

Any inspiration will be badly needed on the small east Mediterranean island nation of under a million people, as even the most optimistic forecasters predict years of recession and sky-high unemployment.

In many ways, the challenge facing Cyprus now following an international bailout that effectively wipes out a hefty chunk of the banking sector is more daunting than recovery from the events of 1974. Then, the island was split into an internationally recognized, Greek-speaking south and a breakaway Turkish north, following Turkey's invasion in the wake of an attempted coup by supporters of union with Greece.

The country's room for maneuver is limited, given that it has already largely exhausted the potential for development from a primarily agricultural state.

And any reboot of the economy of the Greek-Cypriot side ? the part of the island that has joined the European Union and is afflicted by the recent bailout woes ? will have to be done within the limitations of a colossal debt mountain, a collapsed property bubble, a sclerotic European economy and a seeming dearth of international sympathy.

"It's an economic tragedy this time and the difference is you don't know where it'll end up," said Andreas Georgiou, 80. "This could stir social unrest, people are worried about their families, putting their kids through school. In 1974, we had support from the outside, our people were willing to go abroad and find work to send money home. But could this happen again?"

Such doubts are on the minds of many Cypriots, even as the resilience shown after 1974 provides grounds for encouragement.

Following the invasion, Turkey ended up with control of nearly 40 percent of the island and much of its economic potential. Greek-Cypriots were largely cut off from the world, losing the historic deep-water port of Famagusta and the international airport in Nicosia, which has since been home to peacekeeping troops from the United Nations.

The Turkish side also ended up with the bulk of the country's pre-1974 agricultural base as well as the lion's share of the burgeoning tourism industry.

And tens of thousands of refugees living in camps had to be rehoused.

The University of Cyprus has estimated that the invasion and division cost Greek Cypriot individuals and companies over 109 billion euros ($140 billion).

"Our homeland has experienced worse," President Nikos Anastasiades said in a televised address in the wake of the bailout on Monday.

Cyprus proved back then it could bounce back.

In spite of the economic devastation wrought by the 1974 invasion, Cyprus found itself on the mend, at least economically, within a few years of the invasion as the government backed a series of emergency economic plans with international support.

Between 1976 and 1997, Cyprus was growing over 6 percent a year, with tourism at the heart of the economy's rebirth. The small fishing village of Ayia Napa was transformed and became the standard bearer of the industry and purveyor of a new nightclub sound.

Businesses, big and small, prevailed as many of the country's youth returned home after getting university degrees around the world, notably from Greece, Britain, and the U.S.

"A lesson that came out of 1974 was that people learnt that you could lose your property, your money, but if you've got an education, you can start again and rebuild," said James Ker-Lindsay, a senior research fellow at the London School of Economics, who has written extensively on modern Cyprus.

However, one unintended consequence of that drive to educate was the unbalancing of the Cypriot economy away from agriculture and tourism towards financial services, said Ker-Lindsay.

The booming financial sector got a further turbo charge from the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, and Russian money ? some thought to be of dubious origin ? started flowing into the country's banks. The influx of capital that further unbalanced the economy.

Membership in the EU in 2004 and the adoption of the euro four years later were meant to solidify the country's advance and set a course for further prosperity.

However, Europe's debt crisis and in particular the problems of Greece tore up the Cypriot economic model and the country eventually had to accept an onerous package of measures to stave off bankruptcy, including the closure of its second-largest bank, Laiki, and a whack on big depositors.

With capital controls likely to be in place for the time being, Cyprus' status as an offshore financial haven is likely gone for a generation at least. And with its banking sector crippled from restrictions imposed, the country will undoubtedly lose a chunk of its credit lifeblood.

"Should the current banking sector instability result in a prolonged breakdown in the domestic payments system, this would lead to a surge in corporate bankruptcy and drive a deeper GDP contraction," the ratings agency Fitch warned.

A severe economic depression looms that many think could see the Cypriot economy shrinking by a quarter over the coming years ? equivalent to the contraction seen in the immediate post-invasion period ? as companies go bust and unemployment likely rises to Spanish and Greek levels above 25 percent.

The country's European partners know there are grim times ahead. Olli Rehn, the EU's top monetary official, sought to find comfort in the lessons of the past.

"Cyprus and the Cypriots have gone through very difficult times before, and you know what I mean, and the Cypriots have overcome these difficult times," Rehn said Monday immediately after the country's bailout deal was secured.

Given that it's opted to keep the euro, Cyprus doesn't have the option of boosting growth from a lower currency.

So where could growth come from? Much has been made of the country's potential offshore gas reserves but there are doubts as to how that will be brought to market given the interests of other players in the region, including Turkey.

Whatever the form a future Cypriot economy takes, the financial services industry will need to regain trust.

"The fundamentals are still there," said the LSE's Ker-Lindsay. "Cyprus is still a great place to set up business in that region. However, without trust in the banking sector, it's going to be difficult to keep companies there, let alone attract new ones."

____

Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus, contributed to this story.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cyprus-looks-past-economic-reboot-082641908--finance.html

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Send Us Photos of Your Beautifully Cracked Smartphone Screens

Dropping your phone and cracking the screen sucks. But it can lead to an amazing fusion of art and technology. Wired is putting out a call for your artsy photos of a smartphone or tablet with a busted screen. Cracks, ...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/H69oMZoCbtc/

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Rackspace Acquires Exceptional To Add App Error Tracking Tools For Developers

Web hosting giant Rackspace is acquiring Web app error tracking startup Exceptional Cloud Services and its subsidiaries to enhance its toolset for developers deploying and managing applications in the cloud. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/eTq4FlthTYM/

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Teens' struggles with peers forecast long-term adult relationships

Mar. 28, 2013 ? Teenagers' struggles to connect with their peers in the early adolescent years while not getting swept along by negative peer influences predict their capacity to form strong friendships and avoid serious problems even ten years later. Those are the conclusions of a new longitudinal study by researchers at the University of Virginia that appears in the journal Child Development.

"Overall, we found that teens face a high-wire act with their peers," explains Joseph P. Allen, Hugh P. Kelly Distinguished Professor at the University of Virginia, who led the study. "They need to establish strong, positive connections with them while at the same time establishing independence in resisting deviant peer influences. Those who don't manage this have significant problems as much as a decade later."

Researchers followed about 150 teens over a 10-year period (starting at age 13 and continuing to 23) to learn about the long-term effects of their peer struggles early in adolescence. They gathered information from multiple sources -- the teens themselves, their parents and peers, and by observing teens' later interactions with romantic partners. The teens comprised a racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse group.

Teens who had trouble connecting well with their peers in early adolescence had difficulty establishing close friendships in young adulthood. Teens who didn't connect well at 13 also had more difficulty managing disagreements in romantic relationships as adults.

Teens who had trouble establishing some autonomy and independence with peers (especially with respect to minor forms of deviance such as shoplifting and vandalism) were found to be at higher risk for problems with alcohol and substance use, and for illegal behavior, almost a decade later.

Conversely, teens who were seen as desirable companions -- those deemed empathetic, able to see things from different perspectives and control their impulses, and having a good sense of humor -- were more likely to have positive relationships in young adulthood.

Teens who were able to establish some autonomy vis a vis peers' influences were more likely to avoid problematic behavior in young adulthood, with teens who showed they were able to think for themselves in the face of negative peer influences using less alcohol as early adults and having fewer problems with alcohol and substance abuse as young adults. But teens who were seen as desirable companions were more likely to have higher levels of alcohol use in early adulthood and future problems associated with alcohol and substance use.

"The findings make it clear that establishing social competence in adolescence and early adulthood is not a straightforward process, but involves negotiating challenging and at times conflicting goals between peer acceptance and autonomy with regard to negative peer influences," Allen notes.

"Teaching teens how to stand up for themselves in ways that preserve and deepen relationships -- to become their own persons while still connecting to others -- is a core task of social development that parents, teachers, and others can all work to promote," adds Allen.

Teens who managed both of these goals simultaneously -- connecting with peers while retaining their autonomy -- were rated by their parents as being most competent overall by age 23. "There is a positive pathway through the peer jungle of early adolescence," says Allen, "but it is a tricky one for many teens to find and traverse."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Society for Research in Child Development, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Joseph P. Allen, Joanna Chango, David Szwedo. The Adolescent Relational Dialectic and the Peer Roots of Adult Social Functioning. Child Development, 2013; DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12106

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/living_well/~3/Shaf-2ktyMQ/130328080223.htm

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Play of the Day: The Many Views of Marriage

By Martyn Herman LONDON, March 28 (Reuters) - Whether by design, necessity, self-interest or because of all three, nurturing youngsters has become fashionable for England's elite with no expense spared in the hunt for the new Wayne Rooney or Steven Gerrard. The length and breadth of the country, scouts from top clubs are hoovering up promising footballers barely old enough to tie their bootlaces in a bid to unearth the 30 million pounds ($45.40 million) treasures of the future. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/play-day-many-views-marriage-112149631--politics.html

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Boxee TV update brings DLNA access, on device DVR management and more

Boxee's second box is getting a fresh round of updates, as GigaOm points out software version 2.1.0.7781 has been detailed and is rolling out. It includes features that appeal to classic Boxee fans like support for DLNA rendering that lets it browse and play files from PCs or other devices on the same network and DMR that lets users push media to it from apps like Skifta. For more traditional viewers, the update also brings a standard TV guide users can pull up by selecting "TV" on the home screen, the ability to schedule and manage DVR recordings from antenna on the box itself (previously only possible via webpage for the still-in-beta feature), notifications for upcoming recordings and even 3D support in the Vudu app. Boxee co-founder Idan Cohen joined us at Expand and mentioned some of the other updates the team is working on, we'll see if oft-requested features like the ability to pause live TV are added any time soon. Hit the source link for the full list of changes, current owners should see the new software arrive over the next few days.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

Comments

Via: GigaOm

Source: Boxee Support

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/27/boxee-tv-update-brings-dlna-access-on-device-dvr-management-and/

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ND gears up for legal dispute on new abortion laws

FILE - In this April 16, 2012 file photo North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple speaks in Bismarck, N.D. Dalrymple signed legislation Tuesday, March 26, 2013 that that would make North Dakota the nation's most restrictive state on abortion rights, banning the procedure if a fetal heartbeat can be detected ? something that can happen as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. (AP Photo/Dale Wetzel, File)

FILE - In this April 16, 2012 file photo North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple speaks in Bismarck, N.D. Dalrymple signed legislation Tuesday, March 26, 2013 that that would make North Dakota the nation's most restrictive state on abortion rights, banning the procedure if a fetal heartbeat can be detected ? something that can happen as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. (AP Photo/Dale Wetzel, File)

Map identifies states with time-based restrictions on abortions.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) ? North Dakota's governor positioned the oil-rich state Tuesday as a primary battleground in the decades-old fight over abortion rights, signing into law the nation's toughest restriction on the procedure and urging lawmakers to set aside cash for an inevitable legal challenge.

Minutes after Republican Gov. Jack Dalrymple signed three anti-abortion measures ? one banning them when a heartbeat can be detected, which is as early as six weeks into a pregnancy ? unsolicited donations began pouring into the state's lone abortion clinic to help opponents prove the new laws are unconstitutional.

"Although the likelihood of this measure surviving a court challenge remains in question, this bill is nevertheless a legitimate attempt by a state legislature to discover the boundaries of Roe v. Wade," Dalrymple said in a statement, referring to the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion up to until a fetus is considered viable ? usually at 22 to 24 weeks.

In an interview later Tuesday, Dalrymple told The Associated Press that the courts opened the door for a challenge by picking a specific moment in the timeline of gestation. He also said he studied the fetal heartbeat bill and "educated myself on the history and legal aspects as best I could. My conclusion is not coming from any religious belief or personal experience."

Dalrymple seemed determined to open a legal debate on the legislation, acknowledging the constitutionality of the measure was an open question. He asked the Legislature to set aside money for a "litigation fund" that would allow the state's attorney general to defend the measure against lawsuits.

He said he didn't know how much the likely court fight would cost, but he said money wasn't the issue.

"The Legislature has decided to ask these questions on additional restrictions on abortions, and I think they have the legitimate right to ask those questions," he said.

He also signed into law measures that would makes North Dakota the first state to ban abortions based on genetic defects such as Down syndrome and require a doctor who performs abortions to be a physician with hospital-admitting privileges.

Lawmakers endorsed a fourth anti-abortion bill last week that would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy based on the disputed premise that fetuses feel pain at that point. The governor stopped short of saying he would sign it, but said: "I've already signed three bills. Draw your own conclusion."

The signed measures, which take effect Aug. 1, are fueled in part by an attempt to close the Red River Women's Clinic in Fargo ? the state's only abortion clinic.

Tammi Kromenaker, the clinic's director, called the legislation "extreme and unconstitutional" and said Dalrymple "awoke a sleeping giant" by approving it. The clinic, which performs about 3,000 abortions annually, was accepting cash donations and continued to take appointments Tuesday, she said.

"First and foremost, abortion is both legal and available in North Dakota," she said. "But anytime abortion laws are in the news, women are worried about access."

The Center for Reproductive Rights announced Tuesday that it has committed to challenging the fetal heartbeat bill on behalf of the clinic. The New York-based group already represented the clinic for free in a lawsuit over a 2011 law banning the widely accepted use of a medication that induces abortion. A judge has temporarily blocked enforcement of the law, and a trial is slated for April in Fargo.

Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem told the AP that lawyers from his office would defend any lawsuits that arise but an increase to the agency's budget would likely be necessary. He did not have a dollar amount.

The state has spent about $23,000 in legal costs to date defending the 2011 legislation, according to agency records obtained by the AP.

Julie Rikelman, litigation director for the Center for Reproductive Rights, said the group has provided three attorneys to argue that case. But in the recent round of legislation, the fetal heartbeat measure is the priority because it would effectively ban abortion in the state, she said.

"The impact is very, very clear," she said. "It would have an immediate and very large impact on the women in North Dakota."

Rikelman said the center also would support the clinic in other litigation, if need be and at no cost.

Kromenaker said other states have spent millions of dollars defending legislation, if the case reaches the nation's highest court. Rikelman said it's impossible to put a dollar amount on the impending legal fight in North Dakota.

"Litigation is so unpredictable," she said. "It could be very quick with a ruling in our favor."

North Dakota's law, since it would ban most abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, goes further than a bill approved earlier this month in Arkansas that establishes a 12-week ban ? prohibiting them when a fetal heartbeat can be detected using an abdominal ultrasound. That ban is scheduled to take effect 90 days after the Arkansas Legislature adjourns.

A fetal heartbeat can generally be detected earlier in a pregnancy using a vaginal ultrasound, but Arkansas lawmakers balked at requiring women seeking abortions to have the more invasive imaging technique.

North Dakota's legislation doesn't specify how a fetal heartbeat would be detected.

Doctors performing an abortion after a heartbeat is detected could face a felony charge punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Women having an abortion would not face charges.

The legislation to ban abortions based on genetic defects also would ban abortion based on gender selection. The Guttmacher Institute, which tracks abortion laws throughout the country, says Pennsylvania, Arizona and Oklahoma also have laws outlawing abortion based on gender selection.

The Republican-led North Dakota Legislature has endorsed a spate of anti-abortion Legislation this year. North Dakota lawmakers moved last week to outlaw abortion in the state by passing a resolution defining life as starting at conception, essentially banning abortion in the state. The measure is likely to come before voters in November 2014.

Dalrymple attended a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday for a new diesel refinery in western North Dakota and made no public appearance to explain his signing of the abortion legislation.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-26-US-Abortion-North-Dakota/id-a7537bfccf054c4eaf515e2cb71c62f7

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Follow This Advice To Improve Your Self Improvement | Cessiosturim

Sometimes it is difficult to begin a new program of personal development. This is because your psyche has many facets; therefore, you need to decide where you are going to begin. This article was created to put you on the right direction to meet self improvement goals. Keep reading to discover several techniques you can use to increase your success.

Being selfless is an important part of self improvement. Doing good for others will also benefit yourself. Caring for the ill and feeding the hungry can help you become a more empathetic, loving person.

You should be humble in your everyday interactions. Learn from daily situations and see what you can change about your circumstances. In addition, you have to realize there are things that can?t be changed. Using a humble approach will help you stick to what you are able to change. Wisdom learned from the past can enable to you improve your decisions in the future.

Talking to a counselor or a religious leader can help you relieve stress. These professionals are equipped to discuss very deep, emotional issues and often have many years of experience. These impartial listeners can provide a sympathetic ear or help you deal with troublesome areas of your life. Speaking with a professional is a great step toward self improvement.

You need to know what it is that you want your life to be if you want to develop as a person. Long-term goals are a tremendous thing to have and can make a big difference in your perspective.

You must take care of yourself if you expect to do a good job caring for others. Wherever you are mentally and emotionally, always take time to relax and check in with your needs.

Stay in top physical condition to maximize your personal development success. Just simple things, such as exercise, getting enough rest and a proper diet, will all keep your energy level up and make you feel good enough to be successful in your self improvement journey. It might seem easy, but it can prove to be very difficult.

Seek out texts that encourage you. A religious text might work for some people, while others may prefer a book that contains inspirational quotes. Having something that you can easily turn to when times get tough and you need encouragement gives you a better mind set, and helps you handle your life better.

There is a separation between where you?re at and where you want to go. You need to understand and embrace this before you can move forward. Until you acknowledge this, you cannot even begin to move forward as these goals will help you measure your success and keep you motivated.

As you can see, self improvement is simpler than it looks. By breaking your personal development process into small, manageable goals, you?ll find yourself closer to your goals by the end of every day. You?ll be able to practice what you?re seeking to adopt as habit, and you?ll increase your own morale to continue. These tips are only a springboard, it?s up to you to build a better life.

Source: http://cessiosturim.unblog.fr/2013/03/26/follow-this-advice-to-improve-your-self-improvement/

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Boeing 787 Dreamliner completes flight check, certification still awaits (update)

It wouldn't surprise us to learn that more than a few Boeing officials had their fingers crossed this morning in Everett, Washington. That's because the 787 Dreamliner took to the skies for the first time since being grounded in an effort to demonstrate a proper fix to that nasty overheating issue that's plagued the airliner's battery. The test flight, known as a functional flight check, lasted approximately two hours and will give the folks at Boeing an opportunity to examine data from the outing in advance of the 787's single certification flight -- a process that's otherwise known as one and done.

Update: This article originally stated that this is the first time the 787 Dreamliner has flown since being grounded, which is incorrect. Today's test flight is the first time the 787 Dreamliner has flown since the FAA-approved battery fix has been in place.

Filed under: Transportation

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Source: Reuters, USA Today

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/25/boeing-787-dreamliner-functional-flight-check/

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Google partners local media in Ghana to produce more online content

You Are Here: Home ? ICT ? Google partners local media in Ghana to produce more online content

Page last updated at Sunday, March 24, 2013 17:17 PM //

Google Ghana is committed to assisting the Ghanaian media to make their online presence more relevant and generate additional revenue, Estelle Akofio-Sowah, Country Manager of Google has said.

?The media and journalists in particular are the main producers of content online and that is where our (Google) engagement is with the media, Mrs Akofio-Sowah said in a chat with executive members of the Network of Communication Reporters, Ghana, (NCR Ghana) in Accra.

She said the online department or unit within media houses in Ghana was still new that needed all the support from its management because of the potential it had to propel high the organisation?s image and ways of raising extra funds.

For us at Google, Mrs Akofio-Sowah said, our Sub Saharan goal is to build an internet ecosystem and make it relevant and useful for people. ?We want to give Africans the reason to come on the internet everyday and make it part of their life,? she added.

Google has supported a number of local media houses such as Citi FM, YFM and Multimedia Group (Joy FM) helping them to build their internet infrastructure. This kind support, Mrs Akofio-Sowah noted would be extended to many more media institutions in the coming months and years but that would be based on a particular institution?s arrangement with Google Ghana.

To enable Google achieve its global mission of making information universally accessible, Mrs Akofio-Sowah said Google focuses on increasing access to the Internet and making it more relevant to users across the world, which also make the media an important partner.

Google Ghana, according to her, aims to regularly meet with media houses management, especially the online department in order to understand their priorities and needs and how they could use the vast internet-based Google applications to enhance their objectives and make their work more relevant and beneficial to their stakeholders.

?We want to encourage the media to create more content online and how they can make money through their products,? Mrs Akofio-Sowah repeated.

She said through Google Ad Sense product, a media house could become an Ad Sense Partner and begin to make some money when an advertisement appeared on their websites. ?Once you become an Ad Sense Partner, you can share revenues with Google by allowing it (Google) to advertise on your websites. The more people click to open the ads on the website, the more money you make?, she explained.

In order to help reduce the cost internet and barriers to access, Mrs Akofio-Sowah said Google had invested a lot in infrastructure in many countries across the globe. ?We have invested in the fibre optic cables, satellite and transmission??

In addition, she said in Ghana, ?We (Google Ghana) have put in Google Cash Service and every time someone uploads video to YouTube he gets cash locally. It also helps operators to save money locally.?

In the education sector, the Country Director of the largest search engine in the world, said Google had introduced the Google Apps Supporting Programme (ABSP), which is an enterprise version of its gmail to support tertiary institutions to improve on their internet infrastructure in order to benefit fully from Google apps.

?For the universities we give them grants to help them to build up their internet infrastructure. The University of Ghana and Central University have so far received their grants from Google Ghana.?

?We have worked with schools and institutions to bring cost of internet down?Google Apps Education edition offers all the tools necessary for schools to control IT costs, while improving productivity,? she noted.

Google Ghana has targeted 11 universities so far for the support which would be delivered depending on the infrastructure need of particular university.

Mrs Akofio-Sowah said under Google?s ?Africa, Get Your Business Online? project, about 9,000 businesses in Ghana had so far been engaged and all today were making good use of the internet as their businesses can now be felt online. ?About 99 per cent of them are Ghanaian businesses,? she said.

NCR Ghana is a registered body and an affiliate of the Ghana Journalists Association, consists of seasoned journalists drawn from all the major media houses in Ghana (both print and electronic).

The Network exists to serve as the main interface between the public and the telecoms/ICT industry, through comprehensive and veritable reportage from the perspective of both consumers and industry players.

Source: GNA

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Source: http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2013/03/24/google-partners-local-media-in-ghana-to-produce-more-online-content/

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Start a Craft Business | Craft Crocheting From Home | Crochet Jewelry

Crocheting isn?t just a craft but it?s also an art. When you master the basic stitches you?ll be comfortably on your way to producing masterpieces you?ll be proud to share with your family, friends or sell on sites such as Etsy.

I recently opened my Etsy store where I sell artisan handmade crochet jewelry.? Besides crochet necklaces, I also sell crochet infinity scarves.? Crocheting is a stress-relieving hobby, and can also be a nice home-based business.

One of the challenges I am facing is finding good sources of crochet yarn, ribbon and beads.? Presently I source and purchase all of my craft supplies over the internet.? I found that driving to local craft supply stores was very time consuming, and most of the time I didn?t find what I was looking for.

Here?s a few of my latest creations that you can find in my Etsy shop, Moomettes Crochet:

Handmade Crochet Necklace Available for sale at Moomettes Crochet on Etsy

Handmade Crochet Necklace Available for sale at Moomettes Crochet on Etsy

?
Anybody can learn to crochet as long as they put their mind to it.

Before you run off to buy your crocheting supplies, determine what you would like to crochet first. You can find many craft ideas on Pinterest.

Depending on the item you pick out,you?ll need different size crochet hooks and yarn weight. All this information is noted in the patterns you choose and you?ll? see just how simple it is to accomplish your goal of crocheting your first work of art.

You?ll be crocheting anything from dish clothes, baby toys, baby afghans, to sweaters, scarves, gloves, mittens and headbands in no time.

There are so many different items you can crochet. Current seasonal craft trends are snowflakes for a Christmas tree, skinny scarfs, cowls, scarflettes and infinity scarves for your best friend, and cute crochet slippers for the whole family.

You can even learn to crochet baby bibs, blankets, and outfits.

No matter what you decide to crochet you?ll find crochet supplies for everything you need on the Internet!

There?s no need to leave the house. Some websites such as Craftsy provide you all the supplies for crocheting and knitting with just a click of your mouse. You?ll need crochet hooks, yarn, and occasionally needles. You can find crochet hooks in various different sizes.

Be frugal and compare prices. Save yourself? time and money by sourcing your craft supplies on craft websites and shopping online.

? Moomettes Magnificents

photo credit: SewPixie via photopin cc

Start a Craft Business | Craft Crocheting From Home | Crochet Jewelry

Crocheting isn?t just a craft but it?s also an art. When you master the basic stitches you?ll be comfortably on your way to producing masterpieces you?ll be proud to share with your family, friends or sell on sites such as Etsy.

Source: http://moomettesmagnificents.com/blog/start-a-craft-business-craft-crocheting-from-home-crochet-jewelry/

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How efforts to save itty-bitty endangered frogs paid off

For the first time, scientists succeeded in saving a type of tiny amphibian whose population has been on the decline in Panama.?

By Douglas Main,?LiveScience / March 22, 2013

A baby limosa harlequin frog on a U.S. quarter.

Brian Gratwicke, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

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Several teeny-tiny frogs, one big hop for amphibian conservation.

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Scientists have successfully bred a certain type of endangered Panamanian amphibian ? the limosa harlequin frog ? for the first time. ?The development is key because populations of the itty-bitty frog, which is smaller than a quarter as a babya certain type of endangered Panamanian amphibian ? the limosa harlequin frog ? for the first time. ?The development is key because populations of the itty-bitty frog, which is smaller than a quarter as a baby, are declining in its native country.

"This new generation is hugely inspiring to us as we work to conserve and care for this species and others," said Brian Gratwicke, international coordinator for the project and a research biologist at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, one of six partners in the effort.

To get the small amphibians to mate, researchers went to great lengths. They built a rock platform to mimic the underground caves in which the frogs breed, and piped in oxygen-rich water between 72 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (22 and 24 degrees Celsius), according to a release from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

Young frogs only feed on algal mats coating rocks. So scientists with the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project, which bred the frogs, also painted the rock platforms with spirulina algae and then let it dry. When placed inside the enclosure, the algae grew ?and fed the animals.

Young frogs can fit easily on a U.S. quarter with room to spare, and adults don't get much bigger, growing to slightly larger than an inch in length.

For all their trouble, the scientists were rewarded with hundreds of tadpoles from one pair of frogs, and nine youngsters from another, the release noted. These frogs are of the "chevron-patterned" variety; there are also plain-colored forms of limosa harlequin frogs that scientists are trying to breed.

The frog is threatened by habitat loss, development, water pollution and climate change, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Amphibians are also threatened by chytridiomycosis, a fungal disease that kills the animals; due in part to the disease, up to one-third of amphibian species are threatened worldwide.

The Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project has successfully bred other challenging endangered species, including crowned treefrogs, horned marsupial frogs and toad mountain harlequin frogs, the release noted.

The frogs will eventually be released into the wild, where the scientists hope they will help replenish the animal's dwindling numbers.

Email Douglas Mainor follow him @Douglas_Main. Follow us?@OAPlanet, Facebook?or Google+. Original article on LiveScience's OurAmazingPlanet.

Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/7tsbXAhJxu4/How-efforts-to-save-itty-bitty-endangered-frogs-paid-off

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North Dakota closer to amendment outlawing abortions

Members of the North Dakota House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment granting legal right to embryos from the time of fertilization, a measure that could ban all abortions in the state.

The vote, 57 to 35, comes on the heels of its passage in the Senate. It's the first state "personhood" amendment passed by a legislature in the United States.

The measure recognizes ?the inalienable right to life of every human being at any stage of development must be recognized and protected.?

If it's signed by Republican Gov. Jack Dalrymple, it will fall to state voters?potentially in 2014?to decide whether to amend their state constitution to include the measure.

Abortion rights advocates immediately decried Friday's development, heralding it as the latest attack on women.

?These so-called ?personhood? measures are so extreme that they have been rejected every time they are on the ballot," Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said in a statement. "What we?re seeing in North Dakota right now is a whole new level of extremism on women?s health and rights, with a raft of bills that show a complete disregard for women?s rights and health."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/north-dakota-lawmakers-move-outlaw-abortions-personhood-amendment-210736627--politics.html

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The New Wave (Featured in Low Cost & Regional Airline Business ...

Editor?s Note: This article is featured in Low Cost & Regional Airline Business (April 2013 Issue),?contributed by Shubhodeep Pal, Senior Innovation Officer at?SimpliFlying. To download a soft copy of the full article, please see?here.?

?

Billboards are no longer enough to attract well-connected travellers. Social media and the internet have moved the goalposts ? and airlines need to be far more savvy, writes Shubhodeep Pal, head of operations and innovation at consulting firm SimpliFlying.

If at first it is not apparent, look again: there?s a tectonic shift under way. Airline marketing is undergoing a phase that?s exciting, unpredictable and creative. Debatably, this new and constantly evolving state of airline marketing is unprecedented ? in terms of its ingenuity, its previously unseen empathy for the customer and its exceptional brand-building capabilities.

A number of factors have contributed to this renaissance. So, before moving on to what airline marketing really looks like today, it would be useful to consider what exactly is different about it now.

Firstly, the age of advertising is dead. Quite simply, it is no longer reasonable to expect travellers inundated with one-way marketing messages to respond to ?because people need to fly?. Such tactics no longer sit well; we?ll see why in a while.

Secondly, effective airline marketing today employs a hybrid model. The pervasiveness of the internet and social media almost necessitates the adoption of marketing tactics that involve both online and offline space. Notably, even Ryanair ? the fine fellows who are not known for their customer care ? ran an online initiative to offer ticket refunds to their customers through a game called ?Play and Win?.

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, airline marketers now have access to powerful tools to run efficient campaigns that could not have been dreamt of even five years ago: think crowd-sourcing, location-based campaigns and the like. This is the time to be creative and to dream big.

RIP, traditional travellers

Easily available access to the internet, coupled with the mind-boggling popularity of social networks and smartphones, has led to the rise of a new socially savvy traveller who is ever-connected on a mobile device. This traveller ? both characteristics and behaviour ? has important implications for airline marketing strategy.

The travel cycle itself has changed. A three-stage lifecycle ? namely planning, booking and travelling ? has arguably been replaced by an evolved five-part cycle. In the Connected Traveller Lifecycle model developed by SimpliFlying, based on empirical observation and analysis, it seems that airlines need to look beyond booking. While booking is indeed the driver on which the airline ultimately depends, now it must be reached through the path today?s traveller adopts.

Sharing the secret?

Nowadays, travellers conduct extensive research on search engines, travel websites and online travel agencies (OTAs) before they actually make a booking. Now here?s the point: why should airlines let the fate of a passenger?s ticket depend on an external party? What can airlines do to pull potential customers to a decision to buy? Two things: make sure customers dream of flying to an airlines? destinations before they have even made a conscious decision to travel (the dream stage). Vueling, for instance, asked users to create an Instagram image of a Vueling destination and share it using the hashtag #vuelingairgallery in order to win free flights and have their image featured on the exterior of a special Vueling plane.

In the next plan phase, airlines can make it easy for travellers to finalise their decision and move to the booking phase. Cebu Pacific promised a free flight to their fans on Facebook to the first group of 150 people ready to travel to the same destination.

While booking is still largely handled by traditional means (online booking systems), some airlines have chosen to use social media to spice up the booking process. JetBlue, for example, clears inventory through a dedicated Twitter account @JetBlueCheeps that sells cut-price tickets.

While the pre-booking phase of the new travel cycle differs from traditional models when it comes to achieving the booking, there is a radical difference in how the connected travellers and the traditional travellers behave once they start the journey ? because the former, through their smartphones and social networks, automatically become a conduit for messages, photographs, thoughts and emotions that go out to a potentially large social network, where the impact of the content can be multiplied manifold. Hence, it becomes incredibly important for airlines to consider the travel and share phases of the connected traveller lifecycle and provide not just effective ?social care?, but encourage sharing in a way that enhances the online brand. Witness how easyJet encouraged its fans to create a full-blown ?Memory Maker? holiday video about its destinations and share it on Facebook. Each week, the most voted video won prizes.?

Today?s travellers are no longer content with just accepting whatever good or bad the airline dishes out to them. They are extremely tuned in to the power of social media, as citizens of a virtually connected world. An airline brand can no longer be ?controlled? by the management and corporate speak. Today?s airline brands are moulded as much by management direction as by the goodwill of social advocates.

The bottom-line: if airlines are not where their customers are, if they are not connected to them and tuned in to their behaviour, they stand to lose a lot of business. The bad news is the flow of online opinion cannot be controlled. The good news is that customers are happy (and, in fact, want) to engage with brands and spread a good word. Being transparent, responsive and helpful online will go a long way.

Making it fly

Over the last six months, SimpliFlying has published its Airline Marketing Benchmark Report, in partnership with airlinestrends.com. Across the near 100 innovative marketing initiatives that were featured to date, SimpliFlying has identified eight trends through which Airline Marketing 2.0 can be defined.?

Arguably, the biggest traditional function disrupted by social media has been customer service. The speed, transparency and interactive nature of social platforms make them a boon for customers, as well as an effective channel to disseminate information far and wide for airlines. Given that good customer service is an excellent marketing and branding exercise, the importance of social care cannot be overstated. Many airlines have accepted this new reality. Consider how AirAsia has done away with its phone-based contact centre and now performs customer service wholly on social media.

The second biggest achievement of new media campaigns has been their ability to leverage positive emotions and spread good cheer among customers and audiences, thereby engendering a happy association with the brand. Examples range from kulula?s wacky ?most South African flight ever?, to JetBlue?s humourous take on the Mars rover landing by offering ?flights from 2052 or later?, to Southwest Airlines giving away free $1000 gift cards during their holiday season contest, ?12 Days of LUV?. Such feel-good initiatives do not just pique interest in the brand but also help drive loyalty. (It is worth noting that even when the real initiative happens offline, airlines, more often than not, depend on their online audience to spread the buzz.)?

Last but not least, an increasingly connected world has made the flow of ideas freer than ever before. And airlines have been quick to leverage this in order to improve their own products and services. Many airlines have used crowdsourcing as a great way to achieve several business objectives at once: to engage customers and build the brand; seek new, innovative ideas for products and services; drive revenue or bring down costs; drive brand loyalty by involving customers in the brand; increase brand reach; get more people interested in the brand; and gain new customers. Consider how WestJet claimed to have saved over $10 million by crowdsourcing ideas from employees on how to reduce costs. Ryanair, on the other hand, ran a memorable crowdsourcing campaign to find new ideas for ancillary revenues.

The fun, of course, has only just begun. While airlines spent the last couple of years getting their foothold on social media, we are finally at a mature stage where they can come into their own and leverage the true power of social media (beyond just fans, followers and likes), while combining them with the power of traditional and experiential campaigns.

?

Airline Marketing Benchmark Report is a monthly report that assesses the effectiveness of a selection of 15 of the most innovative airline marketing campaigns from around the world. For more information, contact shubhodeep@simpliflying.com.

?

The post The New Wave (Featured in Low Cost & Regional Airline Business) appeared first on SimpliFlying.

Author information

Li Guen heads the communications and marketing functions at SimpliFlying where she drives corporate branding efforts and industry research initiatives. A PR enthusiast, Li Guen returned to SimpliFlying after a stint with Weber Shandwick working with clients including Rolls-Royce, Changi Airport Group and P&G.In her free time, Li Guen likes trekking mountains in Asia. You can tweet her at @SimpliGuen or email her at guen@simpliflying.com.

Source: http://connect.phocuswright.com/2013/03/the-new-wave-featured-in-low-cost-regional-airline-business/

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Cyprus to vote on new plan, Europe skeptical

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) ? Cypriot lawmakers are due to vote Friday on a raft of new measures they hope will qualify the country for a bailout package and avoid financial ruin next week. But officials in Brussels and Berlin gave no indication it would be enough.

Cyprus needs to find a way to raise the 5.8 billion euros to qualify for 10 billion euros in rescue loans from other eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund.

The plan needs approval from eurozone and IMF and that remained elusive. Eurozone officials said they had not seen all the details and would have to discuss whatever final plan Cyprus presents.

"The next few hours will determine the future of this country," said government spokesman Christos Stylianides.

Cyprus has had to come up with the new plan after lawmakers rejected a scheme that would have seized up to 10 percent of people's bank deposits.

The plan needs to be in place by Monday, when the European Central Bank has said it will cut off emergency support to the banks. That could trigger their collapse and devastate the economy, potentially pushing the country to leave the 17-country euro currency union.

"We are trying very hard," Averof Neophytou, deputy leader of the ruling Democratic Rally party, told reporters on the progress of talks. "We may have a result this day."

As part of the package being discussed Friday, lawmakers were considering restructuring the country's second largest lender, Laiki, which suffered big losses on Greek debt investments.

A large part of deposits in Laiki above the 100,000 euros ($129,000) that are insured could be confiscated. A banking official, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because the talks were ongoing, said seizures of 25-30 percent were being discussed.

Banking officials estimate the restructuring will account for 3.6 billion euros of the 5.8 billion euros ($7.5 billion) the country needs to raise.

The rest of the money could come from a proposed tax on deposits from the Bank of Cyprus, the country's largest lender, one lawmaker with knowledge of the deliberations said on condition of anonymity because the talks were ongoing.

The lawmaker didn't specify the size of the tax, but said it would be large enough "so that the numbers add up," adding that he expected this to be put to a vote tonight.

Laiki bank's acting CEO, Takis Phidias, condemned the plan. "I'm certain that there will be chaos after these bills are approved."

Phidias said the initial plan to seize deposits across all Cypriot accounts "would have more evenly shared the burden and certainly, it would have safeguarded both large banks. I'd like to believe that there's still time to carry out this negotiation.

A government official, speaking only on condition of anonymity as negotiations were on-going, indicated that a tax on deposits in other banks was also still on the table.

The Bank of Cyprus, the country's largest lender, said it backed the idea of confiscating some percentage of all bank deposits over 100,000 euros because there were no immediate alternatives.

The bank warned Cypriots that "a potential collapse of the banking sector could lead to the total loss of all deposits above 100,000 euros and the immediate sale of all collateral accompanying non-performing loans."

Meanwhile, Cypriot efforts to clinch a contribution from Russia appeared to have failed for now. Russia is a key player in the crisis as Russian depositors have parked around 20 billion euros in the country.

"We will only be ready to discuss various ways of support for that state only after the EU nations and Cyprus work out a final settlement," Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told a news conference.

Russia's finance minister, Anton Siluanov, said the Cypriots were seeking investment from Russian companies in a Cypriot state-owned firm that will manage revenue from the island's newfound offshore gas. The Russian investors, however, were not interested.

Cyprus also offered stakes in some of its banks, but there were no takers in Moscow for that, either. Siluanov also said they were not discussing providing a new loan to Cyprus as the EU has set a debt limit for Cyprus.

Back in Nicosia, worried Laiki employees gathered near parliament for a second day to protest the bank's restructuring, which would break the lender in two. One side would take on the soured investments to allow the stronger side to survive.

"The bank is finished, we'll lose our jobs and I'm worried about my kids," Laiki employee Nikos Tsiangos said, standing behind barricades and a cordon of police that have blocked the way to Parliament. "They've brought us to the brink, the Europeans wanted to destroy our economy and they've done it."

The bills lawmakers were considering also included setting up an "Investment Solidarity Fund" to receive donations from the church and to pool revenue from other measures. They were also due to vote on restricting banking transactions in times of crisis.

A vote on the laws had been scheduled for Friday morning, but was pushed back as negotiations continued.

Separately, President Nicos Anastasiades announced there had been agreement for Greek subsidiaries of Cypriot banks to be sold, "with significant benefit for the Cypriot side," a statement from Anastasiades' office said.

Europe also turned up the pressure on Cyprus. Luxembourg's finance Minister Luc Frieden told Germany's Inforadio that Cyprus "certainly must change a very great deal in its financial sector ..... I see among some euro states little financial room for more concessions to Cyprus."

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Geir Moulson in Berlin and Nataliya Vasiliyeva in Moscow contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cyprus-vote-plan-europe-skeptical-125626579--finance.html

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