Thursday, January 24, 2013

TSX near 18-month high, buoyed by Agrium, Potash

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index held near 18-month highs on Thursday, led in part by U.S. economic data as well as by fertilizer makers Potash Corp and Agrium Inc , which rose after Agrium raised its profit forecast.

In the United States, a private survey showed that factory activity advanced at the fastest pace in nearly two years this month, while the government reported the number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits hit a five-year low last week.

Canadian stocks were also supported by data that showed Chinese manufacturing growth hit a two-year high this month.

"When you've got stronger economic growth in the two largest economies in the world, that can help," said Gavin Graham, president at Graham Investment Strategy, even as he noted that it was still a bit simplistic. "Nonetheless, undoubtedly it's the way the market's mind tends to work."

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index <.gsptse> rose 29.57 points, or 0.23 percent, to 12,823.62, after touching 12,863.47, its highest since August 2, 2011.

Eight of the 10 main sectors on the index finished in positive territory.

"There's a growing feeling that we're heading in the right direction. The U.S. economy is showing a little bit of life, and that's spilling over into Canada," said Fred Ketchen, director of equity trading at ScotiaMcLeod.

Potash was the most influential positive stock on the index, rising 1.7 percent to C$42.63, while shares of Agrium, among the top five weightiest gainers, climbed 2.9 percent to C$113.90.

Agrium rallied after it raised its fourth-quarter earnings forecast as strong grain and oilseed prices spurred demand for its fertilizer products over the fall season.

Ketchen, noting the activity in Agrium shares over the past few days, said, "People are taking another look at it, thinking maybe it's time to get back in."

The overall materials group was down 1.34 percent, however, dragged lower by slumping gold mining stocks, which slipped with the price of the precious metal. Bullion posted its biggest one day drop in three weeks, falling 1 percent after repeatedly failing to break above a key technical resistance.

Shares of Research In Motion Ltd also boosted the market, closing up 2.9 percent following Apple Inc's disappointing iPhone sales [ID:nL4N0AT4LX] and after a report that China's Lenovo Group said a bid for the BlackBerry maker was among the options available to boost its mobile business. [ID:nL1N0ATB47]

"RIM is doing better on the back of Apple's misfortunes," said Graham, adding that the Lenovo news was also a key factor.

The overall technology sector finished up 1.91 percent.

Energy stocks gained 0.7 percent and was the biggest contributor to the market's gains as U.S. crude oil prices rose. Canadian Natural Resources Ltd rose 1.6 percent to C$30.67.

Methanex Corp shares climbed 8.2 percent to C$34.88, touching a life high, after it signed a 10-year natural gas supply deal with U.S. oil and gas company Chesapeake Energy Corp.

Financials, the index's weightiest sector, added 0.4 percent.

(Additional reporting by John Tilak; Editing by Dan Grebler)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tsx-opens-higher-buoyed-agrium-china-growth-144548806--finance.html

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LG intros 15.6-inch U560, helps stretch our definition of Ultrabook (video)

Image

There have already been a few 15-inch Ultrabooks that have pushed the very limits of the thin-and-light category. Still, LG wants its turn at bending the rules. Its new U560 packs a 15.6-inch display and an optical drive that, together, contribute to the PC's 4.3-pound weight and 0.82-inch thickness -- really, it's a traditional laptop in a slimmer than usual package. Not that we'll complain too much when it involves an IPS-based LCD, a 1.8GHz Core i5, dedicated graphics (a support page suggests NVIDIA) and both a spinning hard disk as well as solid-state storage. The U560's launch is limited to South Korea so far, although we wouldn't be surprised to see Europe and other territories get their turn.

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Source: LG (translated)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/23/lg-intros-15-inch-u560/

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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Nintendo Wii U to get Virtual Console service this spring

Nintendo Wii U to get Virtual Console service this spring

Nintendo's Satoru Iwata just announced via Nintendo Direct that Virtual Console will be available on the Wii U this spring. Previously, the service was only accessible via the Wii emulator on Nintendo's new console, but will now arrive on the eShop at some unspecified time in Q2 and feature GameBoy Advance titles for the first time. Before that can happen, however, the company wants to implement two key software updates designed to address system performance issues. Nintendo's also devised a pricing scheme to offer users who've amassed a retro gaming library a more affordable way to re-download past VC purchases (as opposed to that clunky transfer system). For any previously downloaded NES ($4.99 - $5.99) and SNES ($7.99 - $8.99) titles, users will have to fork over $1.00 and $1.50, respectively.

And, as part of a celebration of the Famicom's 30th anniversary, Nintendo's offering up a trial campaign that'll make certain titles available to download for 30 cents over a 30 day period. Starting in January and running through July, users will be able to demo one select title per month from the eShop: Balloon Fight, F-Zero, Punch-Out featuring Mr. Dream, Kirby's Adventure, Super Metroid, Yoshi and Donkey Kong. But, take heed, these teases will only last for the month they're offered and, hopefully, entice you to pay full price when the service officially launches on Wii U.

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Jan. 23, 2013 14:41 UTC
Two Zelda Games, Mario, Mario Kart and Other Fan-Favorite Franchises Planned for Wii U

Nintendo Outlines Its Vision for Wii U, Including Launching Virtual Console and How Miiverse and Second-Screen Gaming Features Will Continue to Evolve

NOTE: Multimedia available here

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Nintendo President Satoru Iwata unleashed Wii U news in an installment of Nintendo Direct today as he outlined Nintendo's future plans for the console. Iwata revealed how the Wii U launch lineup will be bolstered by a long list of top game franchises headed for the new console. These are games that longtime players and newcomers alike will love to play, and everyone will be experiencing them in new ways, thanks to the integrated second-screen experiences enabled by the Wii U GamePad controller. Iwata also detailed a number of enhancements designed to make the Wii U game experience more social, even if people are not playing in the same room.

"The fun of video games is not only just playing games, but also sharing experiences together with people - even though they live far away, their skill levels are different or their experience does not happen at the same time," Iwata said. "We want Wii U to be the system that brings everyone together."

To view the Nintendo Direct in its entirety, visit http://www.nintendo.com/nintendo-direct. The many announcements included:

Game News

Two Zelda Games: Eiji Aonuma, the producer of The Legend of Zelda series, revealed two entries in the series for Wii U.
Super Mario is on His Way: The Nintendo EAD Tokyo Software Development team that created the Super Mario Galaxy games for Wii and Super Mario 3D Land for Nintendo 3DS is working on a new 3D Mario action game for Wii U. The game is scheduled to be playable at this year's E3.
Buckle Up!: Nintendo is also working on a new installment of the hit Mario Kart franchise. This game is also planned to be playable at E3.
Yarn Yoshi: The team that created Kirby's Epic Yarn is hard at work on the first console game to feature Yoshi as the main character since 1998's Yoshi's Story for Nintendo 64. Takashi Tezuka, director of Yoshi's Island and Yoshi's Story, is supervising the development of the new game, which is set in a fanciful world of yarn and textiles.
Wii Fit U Communities: New features coming to Wii Fit U include letting players create user communities on Miiverse from within the game. Community members can discuss exercises, BMI or weight changes and other health topics with other players as a way to encourage one another to reach their fitness goals. Similar functionality for other games is also planned.
Pikmin 3 Photos: The upcoming Pikmin 3 game includes a feature that lets players use the Wii U GamePad as a camera to share the same perspective as Pikmin and take close-up pictures of landscapes and creatures in the game and share them in Miiverse.
The Party Continues: A new installment in the Wii Party franchise is planned to launch this summer. The game features various play styles, including one that lets both players compete head-to-head using just the GamePad.
RPG Mashup: Nintendo has begun many collaborations with outside development partners to bring the best franchises and experiences to Wii U. In one such partnership, Nintendo and Atlus are working on a collaboration that features the Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei franchises. A video trailer for the game was shown in the Nintendo Direct.
A New Game from Monolith Soft: Tetsuya Takahashi and the team at Monolith Soft that worked on Xenoblade for Wii are working on a new game. A video trailer for the game was shown in the Nintendo Direct.
More on the Way: Iwata shared a new trailer for The Wonderful 101. That game and GAME & WARIO are scheduled to launch in the first half of 2013. Iwata also showed a new video for Bayonetta 2. That game and the new Super Smash Bros. installment are still on the way, but will need more development time before details can be revealed.

Virtual Console

Virtual Console for Wii U: A spring system update will add Virtual Console software to the Nintendo eShop for Wii U. The service will launch right after the spring update and will include a selection of NES and Super NES games, with Game Boy Advance games to be added in the future. The prices for NES and Super NES Virtual Console games for Wii U will be the same as they were for the Virtual Console on Wii. People who have already purchased the Wii version of a certain NES or Super NES Virtual Console game and transferred it to their Wii U console can buy the enhanced Wii U version of the same game for the reduced price of $1 for NES games and $1.50 for Super NES games.
Classic Games for 30 Cents! To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of the Famicom in Japan (which was known as the NES in the United States), Nintendo is making one NES or Super NES game available each month now through July at the anniversary price of just 30 cents. Each game will be available at that price for 30 days, and the first is the NES game Balloon Fight, which is now available in the Nintendo eShop for Wii U.

Social and System Enhancements

Miiverse Expands to Smartphones: Starting this spring, people will be able to browse Miiverse from their smartphones. Initially the experience will be browser-based, but Nintendo plans to create a dedicated Miiverse app in the future.
System Updates: Two major updates are on the way, one in the spring and one in the summer. The updates will introduce a wide range of functionality, such as Virtual Console capabilities and shortening the time it takes users to launch software or return to the menu screen.

Remember that Wii U features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu. Standalone versions of the trailers for The Wonderful 101, Bayonetta 2, the new game from Monolith Soft and the collaboration featuring the Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei franchises can be found at http://www.youtube.com/nintendo.

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Source: Nintendo Direct

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/2uNNDtCTb3w/

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Baby Boomers Create Niche Retirement Communities

North America?s Baby Boomers are the wealthiest generation alive today, and for many of them, retirement means more than not working; it means a completely new lifestyle.

As reported by Marketwatch, one of the newest markets for affluent Boomers is niche retirement homes and assisted living communities, which cater to a variety of residents? interests and affiliations.

?The typical cookie-cutter gated community is oversaturated?a lot of people just don?t want that,? Neil Schuster, founder of Lake Weir Living, a ?toy-friendly? Florida active living community that welcomes residents with jeeps, RVs, and boats, told the news source.

Some of the niche residences either currently in existence, or under development, include communities for RV aficionados, Indian-Americans, those looking for continuing college education, and Chinese-Americans, to name a few.

One retirement community, Nalcrest, located south of Orlando, Florida, was built about 50 years ago, and reserved exclusively for retired postal workers, who had been historically very poorly paid, one of the community?s management told the news source.

At Nalcrest, rents are kept artificially low at $520 per month, and the roughly 700 residents can enjoy a host of amenities, including a swimming pool, shuffleboard courts, a lake and a restaurant.

Would you consider a niche retirement community? If so, what kind of community would be your choice?

Retirement Communities near You Other Locations?

  • Welcome to Emeritus at Villa de Anza!! A place to call home - many do. Emeritus at Villa de Anza offers a home like setting and cheerful smiles ...

  • Step into a Sunrise Assisted Living community and you can't help but feel at home. We stop at nothing to make your experience warm and inviting, from our ...

  • Our community is located in the heart of historic Oak Park, just around the corner from RUSH Oak Park Hospital and is convenient to shops, galleries and ...

  • Holley Court Terrace provides a full range of choices for today?s seniors. Choosing a senior living community represents a lifestyle choice and we understand ...

  • At the perfectly placed Sunrise at Fountain Square, west of Oak Brook in Lombard, Illinois, you?ll enjoy the convenience of nearby shopping, great restaurants ...

  • Wyndemere is much more than a place to live. It?s a vibrant community that nearly 300 residents are proud to call home. Nestled on 22 charming acres ...

  • So many things have gone into making you the person you are. Retirement is hardly the time to give them up. That sentiment inspired Sedgebrook to create ...

  • Discover our beautifully landscaped courtyard and gardens, enjoy our fine cuisine or join in an activity or social group. At Brighton Gardens, we have ...

  • The Seasons at Glenview Place provides a full range of choices for today?s seniors. Choosing a senior living community represents a lifestyle choice ...

  • Church Street Station offers new homes in Hanover Park. This Cook County community features a scenic pond, gazebo and courtyards with benches. Conveniently ...

Search for a Retirement Community

Source: http://www.retirementhomes.com/library/baby-boomers-create-niche-retirement-communities/

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Google announces Q4 2012 earnings: impressive revenues of $14.42 billion, excluding Motorola Home

Google announces Q4 2012 earnings impressive revenues of $1442 billion, excluding Motorola Home

Earnings season is swinging into high gear and today's big player is Google. The internet giant just announced its earnings for the fourth quarter of 2012, and unsurprisingly it's still raking in the dough. For the three month period ending December 31st, 2012 the company pulled in $14.42 billion in revenue -- a staggering 36 percent increase year-over-year. That doesn't even include revenue generated by Motorola's recently spun off Home division, which would have pushed the total to $15.24 billion. 2012 also marked the first year that the company broke the $50 billion barrier for total revenues. Of course, bringing in all that money means nothing if you can't actually turn a profit. Good news for investors is that Google saw a net income of $2.89 billion this quarter, up from $2.71 billion the same time last year and $2.74 billion last quarter. Not surprisingly, a large chunk of that cash is coming from Google's own properties and advertising -- with Google-owned sites accounting for 67 percent of revenues and ads pulling in $12 billion on their own.

Obviously, a vast majority of Big G's income is coming from the US, $5.99 billion in this quarter, but international markets are still hugely important for the company. 53 percent of its revenues came from overseas ventures, including $1.3 billion from the UK alone.

Motorola Mobility, on the other hand, isn't faring so well. While pulling in $1.51 billion in revenue, the phone manufacturer lost $353 million as its new parent company continues to try to turn around the business. Whether or not Mountain View is succeeding is debatable as revenues continue to drop and losses increase for the beleaguered, former icon. There is a sizable war chest at its disposal however, as Google claims to have $48.1 billion in cash or its equivalent on hand. For more financial fun check out the PR after the break and check back here for updates from the earnings call this afternoon.

Update: Larry Page briefly touched on the ongoing drama over Nexus 4 stock saying, "clearly there's work to be done managing our supply better, and that is a priority to our teams." Though, we're not sure how much control Page actually has over that.

Nickesh Arora, Google's Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer, took a pretty big chunk of time to talk about the spread of YouTube and the earning power of ads. In case you continue to doubt that the streaming service is a viable money-making platform, Arora said he estimates Gangnam Style has raked in $8 million through ads. Who said making an ass of yourself isn't a viable career choice?

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Google Inc. Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2012 Results

Google Inc. reported consolidated revenues of $14.42 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2012. Consolidated revenues would have been $15.24 billion had Motorola Home been included.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - January 22, 2013 - Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) today announced financial results for the quarter and the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012.

"We ended 2012 with a strong quarter," said Larry Page, CEO of Google. "Revenues were up 36% year-on-year, and 8% quarter-on-quarter. And we hit $50 billion in revenues for the first time last year - not a bad achievement in just a decade and a half. In today's multi-screen world we face tremendous opportunities as a technology company focused on user benefit. It's an incredibly exciting time to be at Google."

Q4 Financial Summary

In December 2012, we entered into an agreement with Arris Group, Inc. and certain other persons to dispose the Motorola Home business for a total consideration of approximately $2.35 billion in cash and stock, subject to certain adjustments. The transaction is expected to close in 2013. As a result, financial results related to the Home business are presented as net loss from discontinued operations on the consolidated statements of income, and are excluded from all other results unless otherwise noted. Assets and liabilities of the Home business are not presented separately because they are not material.

Google Inc. reported consolidated revenues of $14.42 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2012, an increase of 36% compared to the fourth quarter of 2011. Google Inc. reports advertising revenues, consistent with GAAP, on a gross basis without deducting traffic acquisition costs (TAC). In the fourth quarter of 2012, TAC totaled $3.08 billion, or 25% of advertising revenues.

Operating income, operating margin, net income, and earnings per share (EPS) are reported on a GAAP and non-GAAP basis. The non-GAAP measures, as well as free cash flow, an alternative non-GAAP measure of liquidity, are described below and are reconciled to the corresponding GAAP measures at the end of this release.

GAAP operating income in the fourth quarter of 2012 was $3.39 billion, or 24% of revenues. This compares to GAAP operating income of $3.51 billion, or 33% of revenues, in the fourth quarter of 2011. Non-GAAP operating income in the fourth quarter of 2012 was $4.27 billion, or 30% of revenues. This compares to non-GAAP operating income of $4.04 billion, or 38% of revenues, in the fourth quarter of 2011. Had we included Home, non-GAAP operating income in the fourth quarter of 2012 would have been $4.31 billion.
GAAP net income including net loss from discontinued operations in the fourth quarter of 2012 was $2.89 billion, compared to $2.71 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011. Non-GAAP net income in the fourth quarter of 2012 was $3.57 billion, compared to $3.13 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011.
GAAP EPS including impact from net loss from discontinued operations in the fourth quarter of 2012 was $8.62 on 335 million diluted shares outstanding, compared to $8.22 in the fourth quarter of 2011 on 329 million diluted shares outstanding. Non-GAAP EPS in the fourth quarter of 2012 was $10.65, compared to $9.50 in the fourth quarter of 2011.
Non-GAAP operating income and non-GAAP operating margin exclude stock-based compensation (SBC) expense, as well as restructuring and related charges recorded in our Motorola Mobile business. Non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP EPS exclude the expenses noted above, net of the related tax benefits, as well as net loss from discontinued operations. In the fourth quarter of 2012, the expense related to SBC and the related tax benefits were $700 million and $152 million compared to $536 million and $114 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. In the fourth quarter of 2012, restructuring and related charges recorded in our Motorola Mobile business were $178 million, and the related tax benefits were $65 million. In addition, net loss from discontinued operations, in the fourth quarter of 2012, was $21 million. In the fourth quarter of 2012, non-GAAP operating income with Home included the impact from Home of $35 million and excludes the above SBC expense and restructuring and related charges.
Q4 Financial Highlights

Revenues and other information - On a consolidated basis, Google Inc. revenues for the quarter ended December 31, 2012 was $14.42 billion, an increase of 36% compared to the fourth quarter of 2011.

Google Revenues (advertising and other) - Google revenues were $12.91 billion, or 89% of consolidated revenues, in the fourth quarter of 2012, representing a 22% increase over fourth quarter 2011 revenues of $10.58 billion.
Google Sites Revenues - Google-owned sites generated revenues of $8.64 billion, or 67% of total Google revenues, in the fourth quarter of 2012. This represents a 18% increase over fourth quarter 2011 Google sites revenues of $7.29 billion.

Google Network Revenues - Google's partner sites generated revenues of $3.44 billion, or 27% of total Google revenues, in the fourth quarter of 2012. This represents a 19% increase from fourth quarter 2011 Google network revenues of $2.88 billion.

Other Revenues - Other revenues from Google were $829 million, or 6% of total Google revenues, in the fourth quarter of 2012. This represents a 102% increase over fourth quarter 2011 other revenues of $410 million.

Google International Revenues - Google revenues from outside of the United States totaled $6.9 billion, representing 54% of total Google revenues in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to 53% in the third quarter of 2012 and 53% in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Foreign Exchange Impact on Google Revenues - Excluding gains related to our foreign exchange risk management program, had foreign exchange rates remained constant from the third quarter of 2012 through the fourth quarter of 2012, our Google revenues in the fourth quarter of 2012 would have been $130 million lower. Excluding gains related to our foreign exchange risk management program, had foreign exchange rates remained constant from the fourth quarter of 2011 through the fourth quarter of 2012, our Google revenues in the fourth quarter of 2012 would have been $193 million higher.

Google revenues from the United Kingdom totaled $1.30 billion, representing 10% of Google revenues in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to 10% in the fourth quarter of 2011.

In the fourth quarter of 2012, we recognized a benefit of $37 million to Google revenues through our foreign exchange risk management program, compared to $25 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Reconciliations of our non-GAAP international revenues excluding the impact of foreign exchange and hedging to GAAP international revenues are included at the end of this release.

Paid Clicks - Aggregate paid clicks, which include clicks related to ads served on Google sites and the sites of our Network members, increased approximately 24% over the fourth quarter of 2011 and increased approximately 9% over the third quarter of 2012.

Cost-Per-Click - Average cost-per-click, which includes clicks related to ads served on Google sites and the sites of our Network members, decreased approximately 6% over the fourth quarter of 2011 and increased approximately 2% over the third quarter of 2012.

TAC - Traffic acquisition costs, the portion of revenues shared with Google's partners, increased to $3.08 billion in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to $2.45 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011. TAC as a percentage of advertising revenues was 25% in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to 24% in the fourth quarter of 2011.

The majority of TAC is related to amounts ultimately paid to our Network members, which totaled $2.44 billion in the fourth quarter of 2012. TAC also includes amounts ultimately paid to certain distribution partners and others who direct traffic to our website, which totaled $634 million in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Motorola Mobile Revenues (hardware and other) - Motorola Mobile revenues were $1.51 billion, or 11% of consolidated revenues in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Other Cost of Revenues - Other cost of revenues, which is comprised primarily of data center operational expenses, amortization of intangible assets, content acquisition costs, credit card processing charges, and manufacturing and inventory-related costs, increased to $3.14 billion, or 22% of revenues, in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to $1.25 billion, or 12% of revenues, in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Operating Expenses - Operating expenses, other than cost of revenues, were $4.81 billion in the fourth quarter of 2012, or 33% of revenues, compared to $3.38 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011, or 32% of revenues.

Amortization Expenses - Amortization expenses of acquisition-related intangible assets were $289 million for the fourth quarter of 2012. Of the $289 million, $153 million was as a result of the acquisition of Motorola, of which $116 million was allocated to Google and $37 million was allocated to Motorola Mobile.

Stock-Based Compensation (SBC) - In the fourth quarter of 2012, the total charge related to SBC was $708 million, compared to $536 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

We currently estimate SBC charges for grants to employees prior to January 1, 2013 to be approximately $2.5 billion for 2013. This estimate does not include expenses to be recognized related to employee stock awards that are granted after December 31, 2012 or non-employee stock awards that have been or may be granted.

Operating Income - On a consolidated basis, GAAP operating income in the fourth quarter of 2012 was $3.39 billion, or 24% of revenues. This compares to GAAP operating income of $3.51 billion, or 33% of revenues, in the fourth quarter of 2011. Non-GAAP operating income in the fourth quarter of 2012 was $4.27 billion, or 30% of revenues. This compares to non-GAAP operating income of $4.04 billion, or 38% of revenues, in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Google Operating Income - GAAP operating income for Google was $3.75 billion, or 29% of Google revenues, in the fourth quarter of 2012. This compares to GAAP operating income of $3.51 billion, or 33% of Google revenues, in the fourth quarter of 2011. Non-GAAP operating income in the fourth quarter of 2012 was $4.42 billion, or 34% of Google revenues. This compares to non-GAAP operating income of $4.04 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011, or 38% of Google revenues.

Motorola Mobile Operating Loss - GAAP operating loss for Motorola Mobile was $353 million, or -23% of Motorola Mobile revenues in the fourth quarter of 2012. Non-GAAP operating loss for Motorola Mobile in the fourth quarter of 2012 was $152 million, or -10% of Motorola Mobile revenues.

Interest and Other Income, Net - Interest and other income, net, was $152 million in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to an expense of $18 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Income Taxes - Our effective tax rate was 18% for the fourth quarter of 2012.

Net Income - GAAP net income in the fourth quarter of 2012 was $2.89 billion, compared to $2.71 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011. Non-GAAP net income was $3.57 billion in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to $3.13 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011. GAAP EPS in the fourth quarter of 2012 was $8.62 on 335 million diluted shares outstanding, compared to $8.22 in the fourth quarter of 2011 on 329 million diluted shares outstanding. Non-GAAP EPS in the fourth quarter of 2012 was $10.65, compared to $9.50 in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Cash Flow and Capital Expenditures (including Home) - Net cash provided by operating activities in the fourth quarter of 2012 totaled $4.67 billion, compared to $3.92 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011. In the fourth quarter of 2012, capital expenditures were $1.02 billion, the majority of which was for production equipment, data center construction and facilities-related purchases. Free cash flow, an alternative non-GAAP measure of liquidity, is defined as net cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures. In the fourth quarter of 2012, free cash flow was $3.65 billion.

We expect to continue to make significant capital expenditures.

A reconciliation of free cash flow to net cash provided by operating activities, the GAAP measure of liquidity, is included at the end of this release.

Cash - As of December 31, 2012, cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities were $48.1 billion.

Headcount - On a worldwide basis, we employed 53,861 full-time employees (37,544 in Google and 11,113 in Motorola Mobile and 5,204 in Motorola Home) as of December 31, 2012, compared to 53,546 full-time employees as of September 30, 2012.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/22/google-announces-q4-2012-earnings/

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Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Novel gene-searching software improves accuracy in disease studies

Novel gene-searching software improves accuracy in disease studies [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 22-Jan-2013
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Contact: John Ascenzi
ascenzi@email.chop.edu
267-426-6055
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia scientist develops versatile tool for finding disease-causing CNVs

A novel software tool, developed at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, streamlines the detection of disease-causing genetic changes through more sensitive detection methods and by automatically correcting for variations that reduce the accuracy of results in conventional software. The software, called ParseCNV, is freely available to the scientific-academic community, and significantly advances the identification of gene variants associated with genetic diseases.

"The algorithm we developed detects copy number variation associations with a higher level of accuracy than that available in existing software," said the lead inventor of ParseCNV, Joseph T. Glessner, of the Center for Applied Genomics at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "By automatically correcting for variations in the length of deleted or duplicated DNA sequences from one individual to another, ParseCNV produces high-quality, highly replicable results for researchers studying genetic contributions to disease."

Glessner is the lead author of a study describing ParseCNV, published Jan. 4 in Nucleic Acids Research.

Copy number variations (CNVs) are particular sequences of DNA, ranging in length from 1000 to millions of nucleotide bases, which may be deleted or duplicated. While in any given region of a person's DNA, CNVs are very rare, everyone's genome has CNVs, many of which play important roles in causing or influencing disease.

In searching for associations between CNVs and diseases, researchers typically perform case-control studies, comparing DNA samples from patients to DNA from healthy individuals, looking for telltale differences in how CNVs are overrepresented or underrepresented.

CNVs, however, occur in multiple types among individuals, said senior author Hakon Hakonarson, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Applied Genomics at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "One person may have a 60-kilobase deletion, while another may have a 100-kilobase deletion; that may determine the difference between a healthy state versus disease. Many CNV detection softwares may misread the boundary of a CNV region, which could lead to a misclassification and result in false-positive or false-negative associations."

ParseCNV is designed with built-in corrections to adjust for these size variations and other red flags that confound results. Using polymerase chain reaction testing to validate the initial findings, the study team determined that the software had called 90 percent of the CNVs accuratelya better rate than conventional CNV association softwares, which typically produce validation rates that are notably lower.

The authors say the program's comprehensive design, statistical capabilities, and quality-control features lend it versatility, applicable not just to case-control studies, but also to family studies, and quantitative analyses of continuous traits, such as obesity or height.

Glessner says the Center for Applied Genomics team will continue to refine ParseCNV's features as CNV research progresses. Hakonarson adds that the ParseCNV algorithm will advance genomic diagnostics: "It is likely to play a future key role as a research tool in improving detection of CNV association in individual patients enrolled in disease studiesperhaps through an initial diagnostic screen, to be followed up with a CLIA-certified laboratory test."

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An Institutional Development Award from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia supported this research, along with the Cotswold Foundation and a donation from Adele and Daniel Kubert. The third co-author, also from the Children's Hospital genome center, was Jin Li.

"ParseCNV integrative copy number variation association software with quality tracking," Nucleic Acids Research, published online Jan. 4, 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/nar/gks1346

About The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country, ranking third in National Institutes of Health funding. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 516-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.


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Novel gene-searching software improves accuracy in disease studies [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 22-Jan-2013
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Contact: John Ascenzi
ascenzi@email.chop.edu
267-426-6055
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia scientist develops versatile tool for finding disease-causing CNVs

A novel software tool, developed at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, streamlines the detection of disease-causing genetic changes through more sensitive detection methods and by automatically correcting for variations that reduce the accuracy of results in conventional software. The software, called ParseCNV, is freely available to the scientific-academic community, and significantly advances the identification of gene variants associated with genetic diseases.

"The algorithm we developed detects copy number variation associations with a higher level of accuracy than that available in existing software," said the lead inventor of ParseCNV, Joseph T. Glessner, of the Center for Applied Genomics at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "By automatically correcting for variations in the length of deleted or duplicated DNA sequences from one individual to another, ParseCNV produces high-quality, highly replicable results for researchers studying genetic contributions to disease."

Glessner is the lead author of a study describing ParseCNV, published Jan. 4 in Nucleic Acids Research.

Copy number variations (CNVs) are particular sequences of DNA, ranging in length from 1000 to millions of nucleotide bases, which may be deleted or duplicated. While in any given region of a person's DNA, CNVs are very rare, everyone's genome has CNVs, many of which play important roles in causing or influencing disease.

In searching for associations between CNVs and diseases, researchers typically perform case-control studies, comparing DNA samples from patients to DNA from healthy individuals, looking for telltale differences in how CNVs are overrepresented or underrepresented.

CNVs, however, occur in multiple types among individuals, said senior author Hakon Hakonarson, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Applied Genomics at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "One person may have a 60-kilobase deletion, while another may have a 100-kilobase deletion; that may determine the difference between a healthy state versus disease. Many CNV detection softwares may misread the boundary of a CNV region, which could lead to a misclassification and result in false-positive or false-negative associations."

ParseCNV is designed with built-in corrections to adjust for these size variations and other red flags that confound results. Using polymerase chain reaction testing to validate the initial findings, the study team determined that the software had called 90 percent of the CNVs accuratelya better rate than conventional CNV association softwares, which typically produce validation rates that are notably lower.

The authors say the program's comprehensive design, statistical capabilities, and quality-control features lend it versatility, applicable not just to case-control studies, but also to family studies, and quantitative analyses of continuous traits, such as obesity or height.

Glessner says the Center for Applied Genomics team will continue to refine ParseCNV's features as CNV research progresses. Hakonarson adds that the ParseCNV algorithm will advance genomic diagnostics: "It is likely to play a future key role as a research tool in improving detection of CNV association in individual patients enrolled in disease studiesperhaps through an initial diagnostic screen, to be followed up with a CLIA-certified laboratory test."

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An Institutional Development Award from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia supported this research, along with the Cotswold Foundation and a donation from Adele and Daniel Kubert. The third co-author, also from the Children's Hospital genome center, was Jin Li.

"ParseCNV integrative copy number variation association software with quality tracking," Nucleic Acids Research, published online Jan. 4, 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/nar/gks1346

About The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country, ranking third in National Institutes of Health funding. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 516-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-01/chop-ngs012213.php

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The Daily Roundup for 01.22.2013

DNP The Daily RoundUp

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/16LOdIbS7ug/

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