China feels direct, wide effects of unresolved eurozone crisis
The prolonged eurozone crisis is having a powerful effect in China, contributing to high unemployment and pushing down consumer spending, analysts say. With the Chinese currency rising against the hard-hit euro, Chinese exports are less in demand worldwide. And China's stock markets haven't been immune, with shares easing in line with falling indexes around the world.
Germany signals flexibility on European debt
Just ahead of the eurozone summit in Brussels, Germany signaled it may soon be willing to accept some form of shared liability for debt across the zone, provided there is assured progress toward establishing centralized European control over national fiscal policies. The move would require nations to surrender a large measure of sovereignty. But German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said Berlin, in return, is "willing to go as far as we need to in order to get a sustainable agreement in Europe."
U.S. high court upholds bulk of health care law
In a ruling that echoed across the U.S. medical and insurance industries as well as the landscape of the 2012 presidential campaign, the Supreme Court essentially upheld President Barack Obama's landmark health care legislation. At the heart of the ruling was the requirement that Americans buy health insurance or pay a penalty, a provision that the court upheld as legal under the federal government's taxing authority.
Latest U.S. growth, jobs figures point to weak economy
The U.S. Commerce Department confirmed that the nation's economy grew at a sluggish 1.9% annual rate in the first quarter, a pace widely thought to have slackened in the current period. Meanwhile, the latest figure for unemployment applications came in at 386,000, down 6,000 from the previous week but high enough to indicate that the jobless rate is unlikely to ease much soon.
Markets take note of record fines against Barclays
A record $451 million in fines for Barclays over manipulation of interest rates sent shock waves through the markets. The penalty highlighted continued investigations by U.S. and U.K. authorities involving a number of banks. "It's going to put a great deal of pressure on the other banks to settle because somebody has set a precedent," said Jerry W. Markham, law professor at Florida International University and a former chief counsel in the enforcement division of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
News Corp. confirms publishing/entertainment split
As expected, News Corp. will be splitting into two companies, one with publications and the other with highly profitable entertainment properties. "We determined that creating this new structure would simplify operations and greater align strategic priorities, enabling each company to better deliver on our commitments to consumers across the globe," Chairman Rupert Murdoch said of the board's unanimous decision.
Report that trade loss may total $9 billion slams JPMorgan shares
A New York Times report that losses from JPMorgan's disastrous credit derivatives trade could be as much as $9 billion sent the bank's shares tumbling Thursday. Last month, Chief Executive Jamie Dimon pegged the loss at $2 billion but said it could grow by $1 billion or more. Dimon plans to provide more details July 13.
Market Activities
INTERNATIONAL MARKETS OVERVIEW
Worries over a possible cutback in U.S. consumer spending after the Supreme Court upheld a mandate to buy health insurance weighed on stocks Thursday. But late signs of a possible resolution in the eurozone crisis lifted shares in late trading, leaving the S&P 500 down 0.2% for the day. In Europe, shares were generally lower after a jump in Spanish borrowing costs and an unexpectedly large gain in German unemployment. Here is a list of continuously updated global stock indexes.
Economic Trends & Outlook
Indian central bank blames eurozone crisis for global doldrums
The Reserve Bank of India singles out the eurozone crisis as a key driver of global economic instability and a contributor to a range of difficulties burdening India's economy. "The Euro area sovereign debt problem is continuing to weigh on global recovery. Although slowing global growth has dampened commodity prices, heightened risk aversion and the resultant slowing of capital flows are likely to adversely impact emerging and developing economies," the central bank said in its Financial Stability Report.
Europe's debt woes are seen thwarting South Korean recovery
A recovery in South Korea's economy is being delayed by a global economy restrained by the festering crisis in the eurozone, the nation's finance ministry said as it lowered its GDP growth estimate for the year to 3.3%. The forecast is down from an earlier 3.7%. Looking ahead, however, the ministry said "an improved job market during the second half of this year and slowing consumer price rises will drive a recovery on the back of domestic demand."
China's Finance Ministry still expects 7.5% growth for year
Although China's economic growth has slowed, the Finance Ministry says the country is still on track for 7.5% growth in 2012. "We should see stabilization [in economic activity] in the third quarter," said Jia Kang, director of the ministry's Research Institute for Fiscal Science. Jia noted that Beijing also retains the option of adjusting fiscal and monetary policy as needed.
Capital Markets & Financial Products
Analysts forecast strong gains for Japan's Nikkei
A 20% gain is likely this year for Japan's Nikkei average, according to a poll of analysts. Expectations of renewed foreign interest in Japanese stocks as well as a resolution to the eurozone debt crisis were cited. The year-end projection for the Nikkei is 10,125, up 14% from Thursday's close of 8,874.11.
UBS sees strong rebound for South Korean shares
Factors weighing on the global economy have already been figured into the price of South Korean shares, making them attractive enough to pull in buying that will lift the market about 10% in the second half of the year, according to a UBS researcher. "Although the current market conditions are not good, valuations on Korean shares send a buy signal to investors. The benchmark Kospi will start rebounding after between three and six months," the researcher said.
China plans currency-convertibility experiment in Shenzhen
Shenzhen will be the site for a special currency zone as China experiments with convertibility. President Hu Jintao is to reveal details today.
Joint venture to open trading across 3 Chinese exchanges
Investors will have the chance to trade in shares on all three major Chinese exchanges for the first time under a planned HK$300 million joint venture.
Bank of China extends lending for Taiwan companies in China
Taiwanese-invested enterprises in China will receive at least 200 billion yuan in development support from the Bank of China over the next three years, said bank President Li Lihui. Over the past three years, BOC has made 170 billion yuan in loans to more than 1,000 Taiwanese enterprises located in China.
Indian central bank announces FII rules change
FIIs will now be able to invest as much as 23% in commodity exchanges without seeking clearance under new FDI rules announced by the Reserve Bank of India. The changes were approved by the Department of Industrial policy and Promotion in April.
Industry & Regulatory Update
U.S. pursues next WTO step in rare earths dispute with China
The World Trade Organization has been asked by the U.S. to set up a settlement panel in Washington's dispute with China over Beijing's quotas on exports of rare earths and other materials. China says the quotas are intended to reduce irresponsible mining that endangers human health and the environment. For its part, the U.S. maintains that "it is vital that U.S. workers and manufacturers obtain the fair and equal access to raw materials like rare earths that China specifically agreed to when it joined the WTO," said U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk.
Ethics & Standards ![]()
Executive pay cuts loom for Nomura insider trading involvement
Executive pay cuts loom for Nomura insider trading involvement
CEO Kenichi Watanabe and other top executives at Nomura Holdings will be subject to pay cuts as part of the company's effort to resolve an insider trading scandal, sources say. Nomura is working to complete by the end of the month an investigation into the Japanese company's failure in compliance.
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World record attempt at bra unhooking. Germany holds onto record for bra unhooking. A trio of American contenders came no where close to beating the German world record in unhooking bras. A woman from New York, NY, came the closest with 37 bras unhooked in one minute.
Tie me down
Imagine lying down on your bed waiting for your partner. Suddenly your hands are handcuffed and you get blindfolded. You have no idea what's happening when your partner whispers in your ear, 'Honey, submit yourself.' He caresses you and takes you on a journey where all your desires seem to be fulfilled. Imagine! You are bound to reach the ultimate point of satisfaction.
Role play
When you are bored with your routine sex life and love making becomes 'just another task, try making it fun (instead of faking that headache). Role-playing is a must-try for those who wish to fulfill their sexual fantasies. Think of some interesting scenarios and don some exciting costumes and let your imagination guide you. Dress up like a maid, or a teenager, or try more mature roles like MILF or a teacher seducing a student. Guys could enact the role of a cow boy, or a cabana boy.
Deliciously unexpected
Kinky sex is all about 'revealing' your wild side. If you are mild and sober in your real life, be the king of the fantasy world. Dominate the bedroom moves. Spank your partner or do smut talking - the shock your partner will get to see this side of you will get things in the right gear.
Sex toys
While many use them to satisfy themselves when their partner is away, you can try them when your partner is with you. The reason? Multiple orgasms. Dildos, vibrators, Wen ba balls are some toys you could try to kick-start a heated sexual frenzy.
Dance, baby, dance
A seductive dance is all it takes to woo your partner. Guys could try the American Pie dance (at your own risk) and girls could do the sexy pole dance. Play her favourite song in the background and do a close dance. Slowly touch her and feel her and you are all set for a hot and sexy night.
Spank her tight
Spank her, bite him, hit him, pull her hair, do what you like to make it a passionate sexual encounter.
These are just a few ways to make your sex life pleasurable. Bring out the sexy, naughty, bitchy you for a more fanatical sex.
Ringbow is the world’s first wearable accessory for touch devices that provides the functionalities of a mouse, keyboard and joystick simultaneously with your touch. Ringbow transforms touch screen gaming, allows remote control of your operating system, applications, music apps and presentation tools, allows you to operate and answer your phone remotely and turns your device into a multi-user or multi-player platform.
Since touch screens are controlled with fingers, a finger-worn tool, specifically a ring, is the natural choice for complementing them. Operating Ringbow with your thumb, in conjunction with using a touch device, enables countless new features and a much more efficient user experience. Ringbow multiplies the functionality of your finger together with allowing amazing simultaneous actions providing powerful capabilities and layers of functionality that are simply not available in today’s technologies.
Operating the ring with your thumb while using your finger to touch a device provides powerful capabilities and layers of functionality that are simply not available in today’s technologies. Ringbow multiplies the functionality of your finger together with allowing amazing simultaneous actions.
Ringbow lets you free your fingers from your device, leaving your hands available to do whatever you feel like doing: eating a sandwich, drinking a beer, high-fiving your buddy or stroking a puppy. Whatever you'd choose to do with your hands!
Ringbow innovates touch devices’ gameplay, offering unique additions to existing mobile games as well as developing new games that couldn’t previously be played on touch devices. Ringbow also makes porting consoles games and PC games to mobile devices easier than ever which can be done without affecting and damaging their great experience.
Ringbow in a nutshell;
* the world's first touch-screen gaming accessory
* a comfortable ring that you wear on your finger whilst gaming
* adds layers of functionality to each touch
* acts as a mouse/joystick device to use for gaming
* builds a new platform for existing and new games
It simply works
Using Ringbow is extremely easy and staggeringly simple. It is designed to provide natural gaming control, similar to the way we operate our console’s controllers. This allows for an intuitive gaming experience and a sense of tactile feedback which greatly enhances the user experience.
Ringbow works on Android, iOS (coming very soon) and supports any Bluetooth enabled device. It works natively with the operating system and with a large variety of existing applications, although our mission is to provide users with brand new cool features. To do that we've partnered with some leading game developers so that Kickstarter supporters will receive a package of exclusive games with their Ringbow. We also hope that you’ll use our API to enhance your own apps so we can add them to our games and apps directory.
Ringbow offers a D-pad style controller, communicates via Bluetooth and lasts 5 hours per charge. The Ringbow box includes:
- The Ringbow game-ring accessory device
- Micro-USB cable for charging
- Ringbow control panel application for Android & iOS devices
- Game package (see below) including games that were especially designed to support Ringbow, native control of the operating systems and a list of many games that naturally supports Ringbow and works automatically.
This very first Ringbow model is described as a gaming accessory but it can do much, much more. You can use Ringbow for remote browsing while reading; to correct misspelled emails; to act as a remote control for your TV; to answer phone calls while driving; to transform your tablet into a gaming console for your kids;
LUMOback is a wireless posture sensor and mobile app that leverages great design, proven science, and the latest advances in mobile computing.
LUMOback sensorThe sensor provides a gentle vibration when you slouch to remind you to sit or stand straight. It is worn on your lower back and designed to be slim, sleek and so comfortable that you barely feel it when you have it on.
The sensor connects wirelessly to an iPhone 4S or new iPad app which tracks all of your movement data. LUMO, your avatar, mirrors your activities when you sit, stand, walk, run, lay down, and more!
Anyone can use LUMOback. It’s simple and integrates into your daily routine.You live your life. Only better.
TAKTIK: the smartest iPhone case developed by Lunatik,
Features with pics
Features with pics
If you are tired of the same old box with sloppy features, Lunatik got you covered with the TAKTIK iPhone Case.
TAKTIK: Transformational Design
With TAKTIK, company has focused on making a case that exceeds user expectations in the rugged case market and one that balances strong iconic aesthetics with innovative performance features. There is no reason you have to settle for one or the other. With TAKTIK you get both: a case that takes a beating and can turns heads at the same time.
TAKTIK transforms your iPhone through bold design, precision engineering and the best performance materials available.
Shockproof Suspension System
TAKTIK's shockproof suspension features a patent-pending 9mm Impact Truss silicone perimeter compressed between two durable Ballistik polymer bezels or anodized aluminum bezels. The front bezel includes an adhered compression seal liner to protect from rain seeping into the case. Its design for the rear bezel features an open, unobstructed camera pass through that maintains brilliant photo and flash quality almost as if the case wasn't there. This sandwich construction compresses the silicone truss creating a suspension system to cradle your iPhone like the precious baby it is.
Gorilla Glass Lens UPGRADE
Gorilla Glass Lens UPGRADE
Gorilla Glass is the hardest, thinnest, most durable glass that the iPhone uses for its display and it has defined the future of tactile interaction with mobile devices. Company is doubling down with an optional upgrade: a sealed GORILLA Glass protective lens on the front bezel including anti-glare and anti-smudge coatings. You won't even know you are using protection and there's no loss of sensitivity or performance. Maintaining the interaction quality of the iPhone, it's soul, is essential and we have spared no expense to achieve this. Gorilla Glass lens alone costs more than our competitor's entire cases.
From spills and driving rain to the occasional toilet, the slightest bit of fluid can permeate your phone and cause the Apple Genius to say "no iPhone for you!" Company is using GORE, the leader in environmental protection,to create a hydrophobic barrier for speaker and mic porting.
Plug those Holes
Plug those Holes
Both the headset port and 30-pin connector are protected with gasket plugs that won't tear off after a few uses. TAKTIK's iconic port cover for the headphone jack, inspired by Panerai watches, is machined from anodized aircraft grade aluminum and provides solid visual and tactile assurance that your port is secure. The 30-pin flap features a machined aluminum port plug ensuring better sealing and durability.
Silence Switch
So many durable cases neglect the importance of silence. For uninterrupted quiet when your are ready to get down to business, Company has provided easy access to the ringer switch. We wondered why the silence switch is always buried instead of being as simple as throwing a safety mechanism on a gun. Our patent-pending Silence Switch makes it fast and painless.
Silence Switch
So many durable cases neglect the importance of silence. For uninterrupted quiet when your are ready to get down to business, Company has provided easy access to the ringer switch. We wondered why the silence switch is always buried instead of being as simple as throwing a safety mechanism on a gun. Our patent-pending Silence Switch makes it fast and painless.
The concept:
The Future Office: where our daily tasks help generate the energy needed to power the electronics that we have on our desks. The energy is generated through the pressure of the person walking on the carpet, through the body heat of the person sitting on the chair, through the plants natural acids and sugars, and through the heat from the electronics on the desk. The concept thereby moves sustainable design from the realm of demand and effort and makes it into something tailored to our everyday existence.
What is Unplugged?
Eddi Törnberg has built a prototype desk called Unplugged that uses a combination of green energy tricks to power itself. The carpet is woven with piezo elements that generate power whenever subjected to mechanical stress (walking on it or rolling your chair). A flowering plant is a microbial fuel cell, extracting energy from the sun. And the chair is designed to exploit the Seebeck effect. As one’s body warms the metal on the top of the chair, the bottom of the chair is kept cool through heatsink fins. This difference in temperature emits energy.
While Unplugged doesn’t appear to generate enough electricity (yet) to run a laptop--it appears to only power a small lamp, and not necessarily in a sustained manner--the real point is that these energy sources are invisible, self-contained and, most importantly, entirely passive. Other than its unfinished wood surface, Unplugged resembles any other desk. Check it out..
While Unplugged doesn’t appear to generate enough electricity (yet) to run a laptop--it appears to only power a small lamp, and not necessarily in a sustained manner--the real point is that these energy sources are invisible, self-contained and, most importantly, entirely passive. Other than its unfinished wood surface, Unplugged resembles any other desk. Check it out..
