WaMu Bankruptcy Judge to Approve $7 Billion Reorganization ...

February 17, 2012, 2:34 PM EST

By Steven Church

(Updates with shareholder?s comment in fifth paragraph.)

Feb. 17 (Bloomberg) ? Washington Mutual Inc. won court approval for a $7 billion reorganization plan that resolves some legal claims related to the biggest U.S. bank to fail.

Creditors may be paid the first chunk of money as early as March 8 once a deadline passes for shareholders to decide whether they will waive their right to sue over the collapse of WaMu?s former bank, said Fred Hodara, a lawyer for the creditors? committee.

?It should be confirmed immediately so stakeholders can get a distribution,? U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Mary Walrath said today in Wilmington, Delaware. Walrath said she will sign a final order approving the plan after wording changes are submitted by company lawyers.

The approval followed a deal struck this week to allow common shareholders to split ownership of the only unit of WaMu that will emerge from bankruptcy, a reinsurance company valued at about $140 million. Even with the deal, shareholders will still lose more than other WaMu investors, Edgar Sargent, with the law firm Susman Godfrey LLP, said in court.

?Getting to a recovery for shareholders was not an easy process,? Florin Matache, a shareholder who estimates he lost about $10,000 on WaMu common stock purchased before the bankruptcy, said in an interview after the hearing. ?I am not sure the struggle was worth it.?

Break Even

Matache, a 34-year-old pharmacist from Roseville, California, said he tried to cut his losses after the Chapter 11 filing by buying WaMu debt securities that had dropped in value. Should the reinsurance company be worth $140 million, as WaMu financial advisers estimated, Matache expects to break even on his post-bankruptcy investments.

Bondholders, some of whom bought WaMu?s debt for pennies on the dollar after the company?s 2008 collapse and bankruptcy filing, will be repaid in full plus interest, according to court documents.

WaMu, based in Seattle, filed for bankruptcy on Sept. 26, 2008, the day after its banking unit was taken over by regulators and sold to JPMorgan Chase & Co. for $1.9 billion. Washington Mutual Bank had more than 2,200 branches and $188 billion in deposits.

Creditors will collect more than $7 billion, mainly from about $4 billion in cash that WaMu had on deposit with the banking unit bought by JPMorgan and from tax refunds. The cash and the refunds were split with JPMorgan and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to settle a dispute about who owned the assets and who should be held responsible for WaMu?s collapse.

Shared Recovery

Today?s approval of WaMu?s plan came after a group of creditors known as the TPS Consortium, who hold securities that resemble preferred shares, agreed to switch their vote and support the proposal.

In return for their support, the group?s members will share stock in the reinsurance company that would exit bankruptcy under the plan. Those creditors and another group of investors who hold the same securities will share $18 million provided by JPMorgan.

The deal removed the last major objection to the plan, WaMu attorney Brian Rosen, with the law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, said in court. He compared a small stack of objections for this version of the plan, the seventh, to the hundreds of written critiques of the previous plan.

?It was like the winner of the ?Biggest Loser? contest,? Rosen said, referring to the reality-television show in which obese people try to lose weight.

The bankruptcy case is In re Washington Mutual Inc., 08-12229, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware (Wilmington).

?Editors: Stephen Farr, Glenn Holdcraft

To contact the reporter on this story: Steven Church in Wilmington at schurch3@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: John Pickering at jpickering@bloomberg.net

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Source: http://g7finance.com/investing/wamu-bankruptcy-judge-to-approve-7-billion-reorganization/

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Obama aides: Modest growth, but wary of oil prices (AP)

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U.S. President Barack Obama steps aboard Air Force One in rain at the Boeing production facility in Everett, Washington, February 17, 2012. REUTERS/Jason Reed   (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS)AP - Amid predictions that the economy's recovery will continue at a moderate pace, White House officials are keeping an increasingly wary eye on oil prices, worried that an election-year spike in the cost of gasoline could dampen consumer confidence and quash President Barack Obama's recent economic and political gains.


Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120217/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_economy

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Assessment Of PEMCO Auto Insurance - Florida Car Insurance

Introduction to PEMCO auto insurance:

Generated in 1949 PEMCO auto insurance was the firm which idea was to supply cheap auto insurance for Washington citizens. This firm gives best quality auto insurance following its growth, however remaining local all those years. Becoming limited to Washington only this provider was able to grow when some other small providers were terminated.

PEMCO Auto Insurance In Ranking List:

PEMCO auto insurance was able to make big auto insurance companies very irritated with its ranking. Staying local firms like PEMCO, J.D. Power and Associates aren?t able to provide it with a suitable score. Because of the indefinite status of PEMCO auto insurance, most of the top auto insurance companies spread the rumors that the little firm won?t be any more and they attempt to assume control over the Washington auto insurance industry. Nevertheless the near future of the company can?t be predicted as for now they are very well loved by all the state?s residents and since it lived more than sixty years it may live a lot more years to come.

Why Must One Choose PEMCO Auto Insurance:

The beauty of PEMCO insurance is that they are extremely flexible with both costs and the coverage. Washington citizens, as it was shown before, would be the only people who can get cheap auto insurance or simply any auto insurance with this particular firm. Hence the best way for a client to acquire less costly rates for their insurance coverage is to assemble the coverage himself. Additionally you may get in contact with PEMCO auto insurance representative of the customer service and they are going to generate info necessary and make a appropriate package for you personally.

Discounts Of PEMCO Auto Insurance:

Exceptional deals and cost cuts are offered by PEMCO auto insurance in order to keep the status of cheap auto insurance company. PEMCO auto insurance can offer discounts for a number of cars insured, quantity of other plans bought, less costly cars and even discount for being a new driver. You may use trains and buses for five days a week and only the remaining two use for driving a car and PEMCO auto insurance is going to supply you with a significant price reduction. As you can see PEMCO auto insurance tries its best to arrange cheap car insurance rates for Washington people.

PEMCO auto insurance Claim handling abilities:

PEMCO auto insurance isn?t an exception with the evaluations of the customer service, as it also receives both negative and positive reviews. Staying sixty years in the auto insurance industry makes PEMCO auto insurance more competent in Washington laws and legislations.

Used for other numbers, choose to try our site at Car Insurance in FL.

Source: http://carinsurance-florida.org/assessment-of-pemco-auto-insurance

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Romney takes on world as he vies for presidency (AP)

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Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks at the Livonia Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Farmington Hills, Mich., Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012. The world according Republican presidential front-runner Romney: Europeans are socialists. The Chinese are currency manipulators. Russia can't be trusted to abide by nuclear agreements. The Palestinians are out to destroy Israel. And the U.S. is too generous with humanitarian aid. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)AP - The world according to Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney: Europeans are socialists. The Chinese are currency manipulators. Russia can't be trusted to abide by nuclear agreements. The Palestinians are out to destroy Israel. And the U.S. is too generous with humanitarian aid.


Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120217/ap_on_el_pr/us_romney_vs_the_world

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Russians and Americans, Differences in Dating ? Blognik Beat ...

By Rashel Noginsky

Rashel Noginsky

Love and relationships are a complicated part of our lives. Many of us see relationships in a subjective way; biased and based on how we were raised and the relationships we are surrounded by. Yet there is a clear cross-cultural difference in how individuals communicate with each other, and the expectations that are upheld between one another in relationships. Born into a Russian-Jewish household, I was raised differently from the average American girl, which has made dating outside of my culture interesting. When I share stories with my mother about certain ?male friends,? she is always a bit surprised by the differences she finds in what she knows as dating and what I have experienced.

For one, Americans have an open form of communication in relationships, where much more is discussed. Perhaps the way people lived in the Soviet days, where everything was a secret, translated into relationships and lack of communication. Sure, feelings and ideas were discussed, but how much was really talked about when problems and difficulties arose? In today?s American society, if a couple is having issues, they are urged to seek professional help through couples therapy. It is very unlikely that a Russian couple would seek help or talk about their relationship anywhere outside the walls of their own private home.

A second difference that strikes me as comical, is the expectation in Russian culture, perhaps more so than others, that the wife stay home to take charge of domestic duties and child-rearing. It is very common among Russian families to place that burden on the girls of the family. In the Brighton Beach-based show ?Russian Dolls?, a mother tells her 23 year-old daughter, who has prioritized finding herself a Russian husband and starting a family before her perfectly plump, tattooed lips thin out, that she needs to learn how to make borscht in order to find a husband. I believe that among American families, these duties fall more equally on both parents. It is not unheard of to have a stay-at-home dad in an American culture, but would be completely ridiculed among Russians.

Another distinct characteristic of dating between the two cultures is the classification of relationship status. With Russians, if you are dating someone, you are officially dating. There is no concept of ?seeing each other,? ?hooking up,? or ?hanging out,? like there is in the American dating scene. With that, it may be argued which culture has more respect for women. My mother says it is Americans and I say it is Russians. I believe some Russian-Jewish men were raised with a certain degree of respect for the women in their lives, while my mom thinks that American men are not as spoiled and do not expect to have women cowering at their feet. Maybe the divergent opinions leads us to believe that finding respect from a man in any relationship, regardless of culture, is hard to come by.

Rashel Noginsky, 22, whose family emigrated from St. Petersburg, Russia, was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and is studying Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University.


Source: http://blogs.forward.com/blognik-beat/151483/

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Business Consulting Firms ? Bringing Your Start-Up Company to the ...

Business consulting firms help you streamline operations as you set up your own small business. Being a business owner is more difficult today, as you will have to deal with multinational companies along with locally established institutions. Having a small business consultant on your side offers you a fighting chance of succeeding. Their knowledge and understanding of the business world levels the playing field, providing you with an edge.

Why should you hire a business consulting firm?

Majority of small enterprise owners are getting into the business world for the first time. You might have limited or no understanding of operating a business efficiently if you haven?t had any past experience. A small business consultant offers you advice and guide you through building healthy business practices. It is possible to contend with the ?big guns? in the industry by working together and building a dynamic and efficient system.

Consultation agencies assist you from the beginning of your venture. First, they?re going to assess your company and discover what kind of manpower and equipment you will need. Next is the registration process. They understand the requirements for your registration procedure and will counsel you accordingly. Some agencies even offer to process the paperwork themselves. You could avoid any unnecessary and time-consuming steps with their expert guidance.

Business consulting firms don?t stop after your enterprise begins its operations. They will improve your current business practices by pointing out which ones work and which ones will need improvement. You won?t have to worry about not getting any straight answers ? they offer honest assessments and aren?t afraid to convey their findings. Making your business more efficient and systematic will help you perform well. Their understanding of your industry and competition can help you become an enterprise to watch out for.

How do you find an agency that suits your needs?

Consider your type of industry and what type of support you will require. You will want a small business consultant who specializes in your field. Try speaking with a few of their former clients to learn how they work. Find out whether or not the consultant improved their system and how they fulfilled each objective.

The kind of support you require varies on your knowledge of business processes and your familiarity with the market. You could find a consultancy firm that will stay with your company from the start until you are stable and equipped to run your own business. On the other hand, you might select a sit-down session with an expert if you already have previous experience in handling businesses. Each has its own set of benefits. An in-house consultant will provide you with easy access to support and make more accurate observations and advice. Sit-down consultants, meanwhile, can save you money because you only have to pay for your sessions with them.

Make sure the firm you select shares your vision. You can do this by asking them about their goals and business philosophies. You can work together towards attaining your business goals if you and your consultant share the same ideas on where you will take your business.

Writer works for a multinational company that hired small business consultants as a start-up enterprise and acknowledges small business consulting for the company?s international success.

Source: http://www.my-article-city.com/business-consulting-firms-bringing-your-start-up-company-to-the-next-level/recreation-and-sports/02/2012/

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Shawn Levy Frankenstein Interview

Shawn-Levy-interns-interview-slice

Coming off the success of Date Night and Real Steel, director Shawn Levy has a number of high-profile projects on his plate. He?s been attached to a 3D remake of Fantastic Voyage for quite a while, with James Cameron onboard as producer, and he?s set to take on a new iteration of Frankenstein. While Levy became involved in both of these projects last year, we haven?t heard much about their status as of late. Steve recently got the chance to sit down for an exclusive interview with Levy regarding the Best Visual Effects Oscar nomination for Real Steel, and the director talked quite a bit about what he has coming up. Yesterday we ran the portion of the conversation where Levy discussed the visual effects in Real Steel and the status of the Real Steel sequel, and today we?ve got updates on a few more of his upcoming projects.

Levy revealed that he?ll be using motion-capture SimulCam for the monsters (plural) in Frankenstein, and he also talked about how they?re tweaking the development status of the film in response to the competition project I, Frankenstein starring Aaron Eckhart. In addition, Levy talked about his ambitious practical effects approach to Fantastic Voyage, and revealed that he may actually film the comedy Interns with Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson this summer. Hit the jump for much more.

Shawn Levy on the set of REAL STEEL_2Regarding Frankenstein, Levy is planning to use motion-capture SimulCam (the same process he used on Real Steel) to film the monsters:

?In the case of Frankenstein, my whole approach is based on a mo-cap SimulCam playback so that it?s not a dude with scars on his face. It?s not just kind of latex and a costume; it would be a motion-capture performance of the monster?I can give away maybe not too much by saying there?s more than one in our version?and then I would go to Europe, shoot the movie, do scenes with the real actors and I would be able to see the motion-captured monster in real time due to SimulCam, so yes that is our technological VFX paradigm for Frankenstein.?

frankenstein-classic-01It?s an interesting approach, but it worked splendidly on Real Steel.? As for when production might begin on Frankenstein, Levy admitted that the production start on another Frankenstein project has affected his iteration. He and Fox are making sure their Frankenstein is just right before it goes forward:

?Frankenstein is a great script. Everyone now knows, because people have seen Chronicle, that Max Landis is a hell of a goddamn writer and his script for Frankenstein is awesome. Here?s what doesn?t help: there?s another movie that is already shooting called I, Frankenstein? It?s a wildly different movie, but in the culture it?s another Frankenstein movie, it?s gonna come out next year. So if anything, that movie has kind of raised the bar for the studio and I to cast the living hell out of our Frankenstein.

shawn-levy-imagePrevious reports claimed that Fox was wary of the large budget for the project, but Levy says the concern has more to do with finding the right cast:

?That script is ready to rock, I am ready to rock on that script, but as was reported it?s not a small budget. My Frankenstein, it ain?t gonna get done well and the way I would insist on doing it for $35 million. So anytime you?re in like $70-$80 million for a movie, you?re really thinking about ?Well who are these two guys?? in our case it?s Igor and Victor Frankenstein, ?What?s the juicy pairing that makes that a good bet? That makes that financial bet smart and worth it?? because I am in the business of not squandering the money the studios give me to make movies? It was more like ?Okay if that?s the budget, we?ve gotta make sure we cast it really, really right? and so that?s the moment we?re in.?

fantastic-voyage-posterAs for Fantastic Voyage, Levy says they?re currently making script tweaks, but he?s got a very specific vision for the finished film:

?We all remember the original or we have a dim memory, but it was like miasmic views out a submarine window. It was like ?Oh globules of blood cells!? My whole thing with Jim Cameron who?s the producer on that movie is like, let?s get out of the boat; let?s be tactile and hands-on. Part of the reason why the budget for my Fantastic Voyage is not small is that we?re talking about free dives in the body with real full-scale underwater sets, so it?s not just looking at the shit, maybe it?s climbing up the fucking spine. It?s real, full-scale underwater 3D practical sets.?

This is nice to hear, as the initial instinct these days would be to create an entire CG environment and add your actors in accordingly. Practical underwater sets standing in for the human body won?t exactly be easy, but I?m interested to see Levy take the challenge on.

vince-vaughn-owen-wilson-wedding-crashersThough Frankenstein and Fantastic Voyage have been on Levy?s radar for a while now, his next project might actually be a comedy that he only recently began working on. While on the set of Neighborhood Watch, which he?s producing, Levy struck up a rapport with star Vince Vaughn who pitched him a comedy called Interns that would reteam Vaughn with Owen Wilson:

?Vince and I spent a lot of time together and we kind of hit it off and he started telling me about this idea he had, which was him and Owen [Wilson] as interns at Google, and I was like ?Well that?s a juicy idea.? I don?t have to work super hard to see the viability of that idea because it?s more than ?shades of Old School, shades of Wedding Crashers,? really what it?s also about is a fucking world filled with pretty much anyone over 30 who already has the feeling that they?re obsolete in their own time, that they?re not even living in their own world anymore, that they play by their own rules but they?re fucking analog guys in a digital moment.?

shawn-levy-image-2The pic would see Vaughn and Wilson as friends who get laid off and decide to become interns at a Google-like startup. They soon discover that they?re completely lost in a sea of fresh-faced twentysomethings who know infinitely more about the digital world than they do. It?s material that?s definitely in Vaughn and Wilson?s wheelhouse, and something I?d love to see them hit out of the park. Levy revealed that if they come up with a great script, they could possibly shoot the film this summer:

?We just had a series of conversations about it and so yes, we are now working on?it was [Vaughn?s] screenplay, we?re working on kind of a revision to it, but it feels like a big idea if we can get it right, and if we get it right maybe we make it as soon as this summer.?

As for the rating, Levy says that?s a big question that they haven?t quite settled yet, but he?s leaning towards R. If you?re gonna get Vaughn and Wilson back together, I think you?ve gotta go R. Their comedic sensibilities compliment each other perfectly, and it?s the R-rated verbal flourishes that make their wordplay so much fun to watch. You can check out the portion of the interview where Levy talks about Frankenstein, Fantastic Voyage, and Interns below, followed by a time index/partial transcript of the conversation. Look for more from Steve?s interview with Levy in the coming days, and be sure to check out what he had to say about Real Steel and the Real Steel sequel if you missed it.

Here?s a time index:

  • frankenstein-poster:02 Update on Frankenstein: ?I?ve been tinkering/toying with both Frankenstein and Fantastic Voyage. The teams that I?ve been prepping are the same that I did Real Steel with. Both movies would involve some of the same technology. In the case of Frankenstein, my whole approach is based on a mo-cap SimulCam playback so that it?s not a dude with scars on his face. It?s not just kind of latex and a costume; it would be a motion-capture performance of the monster?I can give away maybe not too much by saying there?s more than one in our version?and then I would go to Europe, shoot the movie, do scenes with the real actors and I would be able to see the motion-captured monster in real time due to SimulCam, so yes that is our technological VFX paradigm for Frankenstein.?
  • 1:00 Update on Fantastic Voyage: ?In Fantastic Voyage, which is now still kind of undergoing some script tweaks, that movie we all remember the original or we have a dim memory, but it was like miasmic views out a submarine window. It was like ?Oh globules of blood cells!? My whole thing with Jim Cameron who?s the producer on that movie is like, let?s get out of the boat; let?s be tactile and hands-on. Part of the reason why the budget for my Fantastic Voyage is not small is that we?re talking about free dives in the body with real full-scale underwater sets, so it?s not just looking at the shit, maybe it?s climbing up the fucking spine. It?s real, full-scale underwater 3D practical sets, and that is the lesson of this guy [points to practical model of Noisy Boy from Real Steel], I would not do a VFX spectacle film without something tactile and textural and real? For sure [Real Steel] has shaped how I approach big films in the future.?
  • shawn-levy-image-32:23 Talks about where they?re at in the development phase of Frankenstein and how I, Frankenstein has affected their film: ?Frankenstein is a great script. Everyone now knows, because people have seen Chronicle, that Max Landis is a hell of a goddamn writer and his script for Frankenstein is awesome. Here?s what doesn?t help: there?s another movie that is already shooting called I, Frankenstein? It?s a wildly different movie, but in the culture it?s another Frankenstein movie, it?s gonna come out next year. So if anything, that movie has kind of raised the bar for the studio and I to cast the living hell out of our Frankenstein. That script is ready to rock, I am ready to rock on that script, but as was reported it?s not a small budget. My Frankenstein, it ain?t gonna get done well and the way I would insist on doing it for $35 million. So anytime you?re in like $70-$80 million for a movie, you?re really thinking about ?Well who are these two guys?? in our case it?s Igor and Victor Frankenstein, ?What?s the juicy pairing that makes that a good bet? That makes that financial bet smart and worth it?? because I am in the business of not squandering the money the studios give me to make movies. I haven?t let them down yet, I don?t wanna let them down. So the [initial] report was off in that it wasn?t about ?Oh no we got the budget to Frankenstein and we don?t wanna make it?, it was more like ?Okay if that?s the budget, we?ve gotta make sure we cast it really, really right? and so that?s the moment we?re in.?
  • 4:52 Talks about how Interns came to be and the status of the project: ?Vince and I spent a lot of time together and we kind of hit it off and he started telling me about this idea he had, which was him and Owen [Wilson] as interns at Google, and I was like ?Well that?s a juicy idea.? I don?t have to work super hard to see the viability of that idea because it?s more than ?shades of Old School, shades of Wedding Crashers,? really what it?s also about is a fucking world filled with pretty much anyone over 30 who already has the feeling that they?re obsolete in their own time, that they?re not even living in their own world anymore, that they play by their own rules but they?re fucking analog guys in a digital moment. Honestly, Vince can talk, that dude is so damn articulate and compelling and he?s like ?Come on Levy let?s fucking do it, we?ll bust that shit out!? We just had a series of conversations about it and so yes, we are now working on?it was his screenplay, we?re working on kind of a revision to it, but it feels like a big idea if we can get it right, and if we get it right maybe we make it as soon as this summer. [R or PG-13] is a really big question, and while it?s not settled I am leaning towards R? If it were up to me today, as we sit here, I?m leaning R.?

?

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1924546/news/1924546/

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PS Vita vs. Nintendo 3DS: how the specs compare ? Video Games ...

It?s astounding to think that just a few years ago, the Nintendo DS and the PSP were the lone mobile devices that gamers had to choose from. It must have been nice for Sony and Nintendo, to only have each other to compete with.

Then the iPhone came along. At launch, it was essentially a glorified iPod ? but the 2008 arrival of the App Store changed that. Suddenly iOS was a legitimate gaming platform. The arrival of tablets and Android phones only further crowded the field. What we have today is a torrential downpour of mobile devices ? all of which are gaming systems in their own rights.

So where does that leave the two old-timers? The dedicated gaming systems of Nintendo and Sony are desperately searching for ways to stay relevant. The two companies have gone in two different ? yet unsurprising ? directions, in trying to differentiate their products.

Let?s take a look at the choices that Sony and Nintendo have made with their latest systems; and how they stack up against each other.

Dimensions

In terms of design, not a lot has changed since the days of the DS and the PSP. Nintendo still has a dual-screen clamshell device, while Sony sticks with its more traditional look ? whose inspiration can be traced all the way back to the Sega Game Gear and Atari Lynx.

The Vita is longer and wider, and only slightly thinner. This makes the 3DS the more portable of the two, though you could argue that neither competes with a smartphone in this department.

Weight

The 3DS is also a bit lighter than the Vita.

To give you some perspective on the threat from smartphones, the iPhone 4S weighs 140g and the Galaxy Nexus is about 150g.

Display

The biggest thing to keep in mind here is that the 3DS is using a stereoscopic (glasses-free 3D) display on the top screen, so it essentially comes out to 400?240 resolution in each eye.

From that perspective, the Vita easily has the sharper display. It?s only presented in two dimensions, but 3D hasn?t become quite the sensation that companies like Nintendo hoped that it would be.

This is another category where smartphones have the upper-hand. The iPhone 4S and Galaxy Nexus have pixel densities of around 320-330ppi.

Processor

The Vita has much more processing power than the 3DS does. Its quad-core CPU is probably clocked between 800MHz and 1GHz, easily trumping the 3DS? 268MHz dual-core chip.

Graphics

This is another area where the 3DS is getting shown up. The Vita is, without question, going to give you much better graphics.

RAM

128MB of RAM would be unheard of on a current-generation high-end smartphone. Yet that?s what the 3DS is bringing to the table. It?s trumped by the Vita?s 512MB.

Storage

Here we see one of the biggest potential drawbacks of the Vita. Sony has priced digital downloads of its games cheaper than it priced its physical games, but you?ll have to pay Sony for the privilege of storing them.

The Vita has no internal storage, and its external storage is a proprietary Sony ?PS Vita card,? which will be pricey: 4GB for $20, 8GB for $30, 16GB for $60, and 32GB for $100. Those are much more costly than comparable SD cards. Sony claims that it?s doing it for ?security? (aka preventing piracy), but at what point does it become hostile towards customers?

Wireless

The Vita will be the first prominent dedicated gaming system to offer 3G connectivity. Much like tablets and e-readers, there will be a cheaper Wi-Fi-only option, and a more expensive Wi-Fi + 3G model (which uses AT&T).

Battery

Here we have a rare category where the two are evenly matched. We?ll need to get our hands on a Vita for testing, but both devices should be in the 3-5 hour range.

Cameras

Don?t expect any 8MP cameras here; these are more throw-ins than legit photography tools. They?re just good enough to allow for game integration, augmented reality, and other fun tricks.

Backwards Compatibility

This is a potential deal-breaker for PSP owners. All of those UMDs that you collected through the years will be no good here. It isn?t surprising that Sony wouldn?t give the Vita a physical drive for the old cartridges, but the company also isn?t offering a Passport plan for US customers.

The UMD Passport program would have let customers get digital copies of their old UMDs; but there will be none of that. If you own a physical copy of God of War: Chains of Olympus or GTA: Chinatown Wars, you?ll have to pony up and buy a new digital copy. What was that we were saying about hostility towards customers?

The 3DS, meanwhile, comes in at the other end of the spectrum. It offers full compatibility for (almost) all DS and DSi titles. The only exceptions are games like Guitar Hero that required a peripheral.

Intangibles

Did we mention that the Vita has a touchpad on its backside? Though this may not sound like a mind-blowing feature, it provides yet another tool for developers to involve you in their games. It?s placed so that your fingers will be resting near it anyway, so it can provide extra controls for more complex titles.

How can you mention a Nintendo device without bringing up Mario? Though the Italian plumber has starred in many a watered-down cash-in through the years, his flagship titles are still top-of-the-line. Super Mario 3D Land is the first (original) landmark title for the 3DS, and the more of those quality Mario games Nintendo can spit out, the better off 3DS owners will be.

Summing up

In many ways, these devices are targeted at different audiences. Nintendo has always been favored by young children ? and the 3DS will have a library to match ? but it isn?t limited to kids. Any adult game lover can be swept away by the brilliance of Ocarina of Time 3D and Super Mario 3D Land. Nintendo will need to keep producing games like that in order for its device to avoid becoming a mere novelty.

Part of that is due to processing power. The Vita is much more of a device for hardcore gamers, and it has the specs to back it up. Its biggest long-term competition, then, may lie with smartphones and tablets. Sure, the Vita makes a compelling gaming device today, but what about a couple of years from now? Do you think that the iPhone 6 or Droid Razr Maxx 3 HD+(?) won?t eat the specs of these two for breakfast? Despite the hyped launch of the Vita, the future of dedicated gaming systems has never been murkier.

Source: http://www.geek.com/articles/games/ps-vita-vs-nintendo-3ds-how-the-specs-compare-20120216/

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The NFL Scouting Combine Marks The Start Of Football

The following op-ed was submitted by?sports agent Jeffrey Dobin, Esq. ?Mr. Dobin is?co-founder of Athlete Advocates.

As the football season ends, the NFL Scouting Combine symbolizes a new beginning for potential NFL rookies.? Last year, discussions at the NFL?s Scouting Combine revolved around a common theme: the lockout and CBA negotiations.? Now that this issue has been resolved, things should return to business as usual.? Although agents are required to attend Friday?s agent meeting to maintain NFLPA certification (or attend a seminar in San Diego this spring), this is hardly the reason we attend the Scouting Combine.

For a one week period beginning Wednesday, February 22, team executives, scouts, coaches, marketing representatives, sports apparel companies, agents and potential draft candidates will convene in an area spanning a one mile radius from Lucas Oil Stadium ? the Combine epicenter and home of the Indianapolis Colts.? With a plethora of NFL insiders squeezed into such a small area, it is difficult to avoid familiar faces.? While walking from the hotel to lunch I am sure to bump into a scout or coach I know, however, each person has his/her own agenda and is there for their his/her specific purpose.

Coaches and scouts attend for one main reason: to evaluate the talent of over 300 potential draft candidates who were invited.

Players arrive in one of four separate groups, which all follow the same four-day schedule.? One of our clients arrives on Wednesday and will undergo X-rays, orientation and a string of interviews.? On Thursday he will have his medical evaluation; they will take his official measurements, conduct more interviews, and evaluate his intelligence and psychological well-being through Wonderlic testing.? Friday brings more psychological testing, interviews and an important meeting with the NFL Players Association.? Saturday is the first day of workouts, which have come to be highlighted and promoted by the NFL Network and ESPN.? This is also the final day for ?Group 1? participants. Players will be timed in drills including the famous 40 yard dash and various agility drills. The bench press test, which requires a player to press 225 pounds for as many reps as possible, will be used to measure strength and stamina.? Players will also participate in football drills to evaluate their skills specific to their position.

This period of evaluation will lead to some players? draft stock plummeting due to poor workouts or failed medical examinations. Others, however, will see their draft stock skyrocket due to strong performances. Some players will therefore be drafted much higher than originally projected, while other players will slip.? Oftentimes, team personnel put too much weight on Combine performance and not enough on actual success at the collegiate level. If evaluating talent was an actual science, we would not see undrafted free agents become Pro Bowlers, or first round draft picks become busts. Evaluating talent is an art and the most successful evaluators use as many tools as possible to rank and evaluate draft candidates.

Agents attend the Scouting Combine to promote their players.? Face-to-face interaction is usually more successful than a phone call or email.? For an agent, there is no better place to be three weeks following the Super Bowl than in Indianapolis at the Combine.? I have already scheduled dozens of meetings with scouts, General Managers and everyone in between. Some meetings will be formal and private in our hotel rooms.? Others will be more casual in a hotel lobby or over dinner at one of the popular restaurants and pubs blocks from the stadium.? During these meetings, we will not only promote our top rookie talent, but we will also encourage teams to consider players we anticipate to be undrafted free agents.? These rookies will fit into certain schemes better than others, and it is our job as agents to ensure our undrafted free agents sign with teams that will help them grow and develop their talent.? Lastly, we will discuss our veteran free agents in an attempt to keep them with their current teams, or find them each a new home where they can prosper.

Besides being stopped by a handful of enthusiastic football fans, I am likely to speak with former NFL and college coaches or scouts who are looking for work.? They attend Combine for a similar reason: to network and find new employment.? Despite the unlikelihood of being hired this week, attending Combine keeps unemployed coaches and scouts in the loop and on the minds of important NFL decision makers, and increases their chances of finding their next employer sooner rather than later.

Although football seemed to end just a few weeks ago with a Giants win over the Patriots, Indianapolis will be buzzing again.? Teams will be searching for talent, players will be fighting to prove themselves and agents will be the liaison between the two.? Some people think football has ended for the year; I think it?s just beginning.

Related posts:

  1. The Players 1st & US Canada Free Agents Professional Football Combine
  2. Combine Over, Now The Fun Starts
  3. Breakdown Of The 329 Players Invited To The 2011 NFL Combine
  4. The NFL Combine Is Exactly Two Weeks Away
  5. The NFL Combine: Brought To You By Under Armour

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IWantToBeASportsAgent/~3/S_shw8R_Xn4/

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An Altamonte Springs Chiropractor Offers ... - New Health and Fitness

New Health And Fitness.Org - Health Information You Can Use

An Altamonte Springs chiropractor helps patients to get rid of aches in their bodies with the help of natural therapy. He works in a field of medicine called chiropractic. Any patient having pains in any body part can be examined by this doctor and assisted toward better health.

There are no consequences in accepting chiropractic care. Since it does not administer drugs, no chemicals are taken into the body. Surgeries are not performed. No matter the age of an individual, he or she can safely get chiropractic care. Persons who prefer to always go for natural therapies will immensely benefit from it.

Massage therapy, a natural techniques employed by chiropractic, provides the whole body with numerous benefits. It helps rigid nerves to relax. These kinds of nerves are usually burdened with too much stress which results in painful joints and muscles. When properly massaged, they are relieved of the unwanted stress and the body becomes at ease.

It also helps the circulatory system to function properly. It opens up blood carrying veins and helps to effectively distribute enough oxygen and food nutrients to every part of the body. This is needed for the human body to function at optimal capacity.

Accident victims find chiropractic massage therapy very beneficial. They usually suffer from fractures and dislocations as a result of the auto crash. Their bones and joints need to be properly aligned again for them to get completely well. Massaging will help a great deal to speed up their recovery.

It is not only sick people who are meant to benefit from the therapeutic massage offered by an Altamonte Springs chiropractor. Healthy people should make it a habit to go for massage sessions regularly. It provides great benefits to their bodies such as helping to maintain good physical and mental health. It also equips them to better deal with work-related stress.

Chiropractic care alleviates back, shoulder and leg pain quickly and safely. You will find more information about a respected Altamonte Springs chiropractor at http://drkross.com right now.

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Source: http://newhealthandfitness.org/2012/02/15/an-altamonte-springs-chiropractor-offers-therapeutic-massage/

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