Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG_weU-65ow

13-03-2011 23:35 Learn Piano FREE only 1 more day! bit.ly In this video, Mahalo expert Gene Shaw explains the various settings and options in the Performance tab under Preferences. Performance Preferences --------------------------------------------------------------------- Photoshop has several options that can be changed to optimize its performance. These can be changed in the Performance tab of the Preferences panel. 1. Open the Preferences menu by pressing Ctrl+K (Command+K for Mac) and click on the tab Performance.2. One thing you'll want to focus on here is Memory Usage. Photoshop helps you out by giving you an ideal range. This number is based on what Photoshop thinks is the amount of RAM that the rest of your computer needs to operate effectively without crashing or without slowing down Photoshop. 70% is the default. It might be a good idea to change this if Photoshop is the only program you're using or going to use (which is most likely a rarity), in which case 80% is a good increase. Otherwise, if you're using several programs at once, a decrease to 60% or even 50% is a good idea. It all depends on your personal computing habits. Basically, if you're switching back and forth between multiple programs, it's a good idea to keep in mind how much memory each program is using so your computer can run as efficiently as possible. 3. If you don't know a good setting for the History & Cache, then Default is probably your best option. The other two options are Tall & Thin or Big & Flat ...

Originally posted here:
Learn Adobe Photoshop - Performance Preferences - Video

HOUSTON, Feb. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc. (NYSE: KRA - News), a leading global producer of styrenic block copolymers, announces financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2011.

2011 FOURTH QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

"Despite significant volatility in raw material prices throughout 2011 and the uncertain global economic environment in the second half of the year, Kraton reported full-year 2011 Adjusted EBITDA of $194 million, the second highest in the company's history," said Kevin M. Fogarty, Kraton's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Although 2011 sales volumes were essentially flat with the prior year, reflecting the impact of customer destocking and competitive price dynamics in certain markets, we experienced volume growth in our more differentiated Cariflex and HSBC products. Furthermore, we were able to defend unit margins through continued implementation of our Price Right strategy as butadiene prices rose throughout much of the year, reaching record levels in the third quarter. Regarding our innovation results, in 2011 we proudly achieved a Vitality Index, reflecting the percentage of sales directly attributable to innovation sales commercialized in the prior 5 years, of 14.3%, a 137 basis point improvement from 2010," said Fogarty.

Three Months Ended Dec. 31,

Years Ended Dec. 31,

(US $ in thousands, except per share amounts)

2011

2010

2011

2010

Link:
Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc. Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2011 Results

EAST LANSING -- Michigan State University will not release police video of state Rep. Bob Genetski performing roadside sobriety tests because it constitutes an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, a university official says.

The refusal comes after the video was played in its entirety including the sobriety tests during a public hearing Monday related to the Saugatuck Republicans arrest for drunken driving.

The copy released by the university one day later, a month after MLive Media Group requested it through the Freedom of Information Act, is edited to remove Genetskis performance on the tests.

The deletions include his responses when the MSU police officer asks him to recite the alphabet, count backwards and walk in a straight line.

See how Michigan State University's Freedom of Information Office redacted details from police reports on state Rep. Robert Genetski's roadside sobriety tests.

The video is also edited to remove Genetski telling the officer he had consumed two beers, the last of which he said occurred half an hour before the traffic stop.

To me it is something of a personal nature, intimate and embarrassing, said Ellen Armentrout, MSUs Freedom of Information Act officer.

She said she knew the tape had been played in full in a drivers license suspension hearing which MLive attended but said just because something is public in one venue does not mean it is public in all venues.

The edited video does show the exchange between Genetski and the officer when Genetski declines to take a breath test at the scene:

Genetski: Im not taking the test. I want to see the reading that shows I was going 44 mph.

Read the original:
MSU will not release video showing state Rep. Bob Genetski taking roadside sobriety tests

So you're thinking about starting your own business? Many new entrepreneurs focus solely on their business ideas during the startup process--and rightfully so. But what about those less exciting yet important business decisions that could dramatically affect your performance or your bottom line?

Here are six questions you should ask and answer before earning your first dollar:

[See The Best Jobs of 2012.]

1. Do I really need an office? The answer depends on the nature of your business. You'll need space if you require a storefront or on-site personnel, but if you're like the majority of virtual businesses today, consider setting up a home office or renting shared office space instead. Starting a business can be extremely expensive, so reducing costs is the best option to improve your bottom line when revenue is small. Look into shared office services like Loosecubes, and check out online collaboration tools like Dropbox or Addie to share files and ideas with colleagues and clients.

2. Can I afford personal healthcare? Expensive healthcare is probably the top reason that many aspiring entrepreneurs refuse to break away from the comfort of their current corporate benefits. However, services like eHealth help you research plans and options that fit your personal needs and budget. Don't let personal healthcare costs prevent you from starting your own business, and don't take unnecessary risks by going without coverage.

3. What is considered a business expense? One major benefit of owning your own business is the ability to write off certain expenses on your taxes. Always seek the advice of a licensed tax professional if you have questions while preparing your returns. A few commonly forgotten business expense deductions include mileage; rent, mortgage, and utilities related to your home office; telecommunications, business meeting meals, and tax preparation fees.

[See Five Tools Every Entrepreneur Should Know About.]

4. How can I save for retirement? Small business owners can contribute to an individual 401(k). Essentially, you use your small business to "match" your personal contributions--a great way to use both company money and earned salary to fund your retirement. There is a maximum total contribution of $50,000 for 2012, which should be plenty for most small business owners.

5. How should I structure my company? There are several different business structures available, each with their own legal and financial implications, so do your homework to choose the right structure. Limited liability companies (LLCs) are becoming increasingly popular for small businesses due to low filing fees, ease of incorporation, relaxed tax implications, and liability protection for owners. If you need to incorporate to share ownership or shares but want to report profit and loss on your personal tax return, then an S corporation may be right for your business. If you choose to incorporate as opposed to setting up a sole proprietorship or LLC, you will need to elect a board, sign a shareholder agreement, and facilitate annual meetings to comply with government regulations.

[See How to Set Yourself Apart From Other Newbie Entrepreneurs.]

Read more:
6 Questions Everyone Asks Before Starting a Business

ALBANY, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Momentive Performance Materials Inc., a leading global provider of silicones and advanced materials, today announced the expansion of its manufacturing facility and application development center in Chennai, India. Spanning more than 15 acres, the state-of-the-art facility, which opened in 2009, focuses on manufacturing high-end specialty silicones to serve the growing needs of customers in India, the Middle East and South Asia.

This investment represents a major step forward in our ability to grow the silicones business in India, said Craig O. Morrison, Chief Executive Officer, Momentive. India is one of the worlds fastest growing regions for automotive, construction, telecom and energy. Chennai, in particular, is developing into a significant center for multiple industries.

Over the years we have stayed on course in realizing our vision of building Momentive into a best-in-class specialty chemicals and materials company in the region by combining global technology, application development, manufacturing and service capabilities with outstanding products and services, said V.P. Nalian, Managing Director, Momentive Performance Materials India. This expansion will bring some of the most sophisticated technology and manufacturing processes that Momentive has developed worldwide to the Chennai facility and considerably enhance our ability to serve customers across the region.

We look forward to delivering innovation and finding new opportunities to expand our technology platforms into this region, said Dr. Eric Thaler, Chief Technology Officer, Momentive Performance Materials. This expansion will allow for the commercialization of a number of specialty silicone branded products, such as Magnasoft* and Silsoft* additives for personal care and textile applications, Silwet* products for agricultural use, Niax*additives for polyurethane foam, and SilFORT* hardcoats for automotive lighting and glazing.

The expansion of the Chennai facility, along with the opening of a regional headquarters and global research and development center in Bangalore later this year, is part of Momentives long-standing commitment to India and the surrounding regions. Additionally, the Chennai facility has been designated to become a zero-discharge plant, underscoring Momentives commitment to sustainability. Local Momentive employees will participate in training programs on running the plant efficiently and in compliance with the highest safety standards.

For more information about Momentive Performance Materials solutions in India, the Middle East and South Asia, please call 800.295.2392 in North America (+1 614 986 2495 everywhere else), email 4information@momentive.com or visit http://www.momentive.com.

About Momentive Performance Materials Inc.

Momentive Performance Materials Inc. is a global leader in silicones and advanced materials, with a 70+ year heritage of being first to market with performance applications for major industries that support and improve everyday life. The company delivers science-based solutions, by linking custom technology platforms to opportunities for customers. Momentive Performance Materials Inc. is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Momentive Performance Materials Holdings LLC. Additional information is available at http://www.momentive.com.

About Momentive

Read more:
Momentive Performance Materials Expands Manufacturing Operations in India

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4HgFCIujrc

28-02-2012 14:29 Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Follow this link:
Dream high 2 - Ailee Nana JB and Siwoo's performance [ep 10] - Video

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire -02/29/12)- Prosper.com, a peer-to-peer lending marketplace for personal loans and investments, announced today that investors seeking consistent and predictable high-yield returns in their retirement accounts can now open a new or rollover IRA at Prosper.com and earn industry-leading 10.46%(1) tax deferred returns.

Traditional, Roth, SEP and 401(k) rollovers are eligible for investing in a Prosper IRA. The minimum investment requirement is $5,000. The federal deadline to fund a Prosper.com IRA is Tuesday, April 17, 2012.

"Unfortunately, retirement portfolios have been hit hard by the volatility of the markets and many investors don't have the luxury of time to make up for losses," said Joseph Toms, Chief Investment Officer of Prosper.com. "Investors eager to boost their retirement savings can now benefit from the consistent high-yield of our industry-leading returns with the tax advantages of an IRA. The Prosper IRA is also an ideal option for younger investors seeking longer term tax-deferred growth. It's a great time to open a Prosper IRA."

Along with best-in-class seasoned returns of 10.46%, the benefits of a Prosper IRA are:

For more information, Prosper.com is hosting a free webinar on Thursday, March 15 at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT. Prosper.com's Chief Investment Officer, Joseph Toms, and Mike Kurka, Institutional Sales Executive at Sterling Trust will lead the conversation: "Boost Your Retirement Savings: The Advantages of a Self-Directed IRA for Your Peer-to-Peer Lending Investment." Register here.

About Prosper Prosper Marketplace Inc., a peer-to-peer lending marketplace for personal loans and investments that brings together creditworthy borrowers with individual and institutional investors, allows people to invest in each other in a way that is financially and socially rewarding. Individual and institutional investors invest in minimum increments of $25 on loan listings they select. In addition to credit scores, ratings and histories, investors can consider borrowers' personal loan descriptions, endorsements from friends, and community affiliations. Prosper.com handles the servicing of the loan on behalf of the matched borrowers and investors. Prosper.com was co-founded by Chris Larsen, co-founder of E-LOAN. Prosper.com has raised $83.85 million in venture capital and is backed by financial and technology luminaries including, Tim Draper of Draper Fisher Jurvetson; David Silverman of Crosslink Capital, Accel Partners; CompuCredit; Omidyar Network; Capital One Co-founder Nigel Morris of QED Investors; Court Coursey of TomorrowVentures; Larry Cheng of Volition Capital.

Notes offered by Prospectus.

1. Seasoned Return calculations represent historical performance data for the Borrower Payment Dependent Notes ("Notes") issued and sold by Prosper since July 15, 2009. To be included in the calculations, Notes must be associated with a borrower loan originated more than 10 months ago; this calculation uses loans originated through February 28, 2011. Our research shows that Prosper Note returns historically have shown increased stability after they've reached ten months of age. For that reason, we provide "Seasoned Returns," defined as the Return for Notes aged 10 months or more.

To calculate the Return, all payments received on borrower loans, net of principal repayment, credit losses, and servicing costs for such loans, are aggregated and then divided by the average daily amount of aggregate outstanding principal. To annualize this cumulative return, it is divided by the dollar-weighted average age of the loans in days and then multiplied by 365.

All calculations were made as of December 31, 2011. Returns have been audited by a 3rd party for all data through September 30, 2011. Seasoned Return is not necessarily indicative of the future performance on any Notes.

See the rest here:
Prosper.com Brings Consistent, High-Yield 10.46% Returns to IRAs

Shopping center developer CBL & Associates announced a 5 percent hike Friday in its quarterly dividend. Chattanooga-based CBL is a member of a special class of pass-through investment vehicles known as real estate investment trusts, or REITs. These securities are often favored as income plays, and represent an excellent way for investors to gain broad exposure to real estate assets without the hassle of being a landlord.

Congress enacted legislation in 1960 that created REITs as a means of enhancing real estate investment opportunities for the general public. Recognizing the capital intensity and long-term nature inherent in large real estate ventures, Congress established a special class of ownership aimed at expanding the breadth of participation and spreading the risk of property investing.

Most large real estate trusts in the U.S. are publicly traded on the major exchanges just like other stocks and are therefore quite accessible to most investors.

Many smaller REITs are not publicly traded and hence unsuitable for all but the most sophisticated investors, owing to their inherent lack of liquidity and transparency.

To qualify as a REIT, a company must distribute at least 90 percent of its taxable income each year in the form of dividends to shareholders. In return, the company is not required to pay corporate income tax, since the profits are passed through to shareholders.

This is a considerably higher payout fraction than most companies maintain, hence dividend yields tend to be greater on average than for most common stocks.

REIT investments generally fall into one of two specific categories. Equity REITs own and often operate physical properties like shopping malls, warehouses, and industrial buildings. CBL, which owns Hamilton Place and Northgate malls, is an example of such an equity REIT.

Mortgage REITs are involved in the financing of properties through ownership of mortgages or direct lending to real estate owners.

REITs have gained wide acceptance as an essential asset class within a well diversified portfolio. Returns have demonstrated a relatively low correlation with traditional equity classes, contributing important diversification.

And historical performance has been impressive, although no guarantee of future results. Over the past three decades, the total return for equity REITs has outpaced the S&P 500 by over one percentage point per year.

Read the original post:
Personal Finance: REITs such as CBL offer investor benefits

HOUSTON, Feb. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc. (NYSE: "KRA"), a leading global producer of styrenic block copolymers or "SBCs," in partnership with the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) is pleased to announce the findings of The NCAT Pavement Test Track project that tested and compared the performance of Kraton HiMA technology against competing asphalt pavement technologies.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120229/DA58923LOGO-a)

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120229/DA58923-b)

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120229/DA58923-c)

The NCAT Pavement Test Track, a road and bridge industry-renowned, accelerated pavement-testing facility has been operating for eleven years. It is a cooperative project with individual test sections sponsored by highway transportation agencies and commercial interest groups to validate and develop new technologies for improving roadways to make them smoother, quieter, safer, last longer, and more economical. It is NCAT's proving ground to help validate those technologies in an accelerated fashion. To view an edited video about the NCAT Test Track, please click here.

Kraton Polymers sponsored test section North 7 (N7) to determine if a highly modified binder using its HiMA technology could reduce the total pavement thickness and still achieve adequate and even superior performance. Kraton kept the same gradation and mix design and simply replaced the binder, which gave the Kraton section a total thickness of 5 3/4 inches versus seven inches (18% reduction in thickness) from the control section. "Even though there is no cracking to date, NCAT has conducted an analysis based on actual pavement strain and back calculated modulus data along with laboratory fatigue tests," said Bob Kluttz, Sr. Scientist, Research and Development at Kraton Polymers. "The analysis shows many times the fatigue life of the control indicating that our thinner section may significantly outperform the control in bottom up fatigue cracking as well. At the end of the 2009-2011 trafficking cycle the average rut depth of section N7 was 2.2 mm versus 7.1 mm for the control section S9," he concluded.

"Partnerships between the NCAT Pavement Test Track and private industries such as Kraton Polymers are key to the continued success of both organizations," says Test Track Manager Buzz Powell. "Funding for projects on public roads is scarce, and the test track gives Kraton a solid proving ground for their new technologies," he concluded.

Polymer modification of asphalt binder is the government transportation agency solution of choice to enhance the durability of roads exposed to heavy traffic or harsh climates. The added performance that an asphalt binder achieves through polymer modification is required to meet the evolving expectations of drivers, road agencies and authorities, and the wider community. As pioneers in asphalt modification, Kraton Polymers leads the paving industry by offering new and innovative polymers that deliver greater performance and processability.

The current NCAT test track sponsors include the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), numerous state departments of transportation and four private industry groups. NCAT's annual budget is about $5 million.

For additional information about Kraton HiMA technology, please contact Marcie Coronado at Marcie.coronado@kraton.com or 281-504-4975. For information regarding the test track and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Karen Hunley at the National Center for Asphalt Technology at Karen.hunley@auburn.edu or (334) 844-7328.

Visit link:
Kraton Performance Polymers and the National Center for Asphalt Technology Announce Exceptional Performance Results of ...

RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Telit Wireless Solutions (AIM: TCM.L - News), a global leader in machine-to-machine (M2M) wireless technology, today announced a new dual GPS/GLONASS module that dramatically improves navigation performance by providing access to both the Russian GLONASS global navigation satellite system and U.S. GPS.

Telit Location Solutions new Jupiter SL869 provides three times the usual satellite visibility by accessing to up to 22 satellites compared to the six or eight satellites normally available through standard GPS, providing optimum performance for any navigation application, from personal and asset tracking to automotive solutions.

The Jupiter SL869 reduces the delay from several minutes to seconds for a navigation device to acquire its position after being powered on. The module also reduces the incidence of lost satellite coverage, especially problematic in urban areas with tall buildings, by enabling additional satellite fixes that reduces blind spots. Finally, the module enables more accurate positioning, better pinning a person, car or an assets true location on a digital map.

Accessing the combined GPS/GLONASS constellations is a major step forward in navigation, providing the best satellite geometry to obtain the most accurate position possible more often, said George Arnott, vice president, Telit Location Solutions, a business unit of Telit. The difference in performance between standard GPS and GPS/GLONASS is like night and day. Telit is proud to be one of the first OEM module providers to offer this innovation to the global market.

With the identical form factor of previous product generations, the Jupiter SL869 can easily replace standard GPS modules in devices and applications. The product also features automatic jamming immunity, automatically blocking up to eight radio frequency interferers, increasing the performance of the GPS.

With its first official product launch under the Telit umbrella, Telit Location Solutions has released a leading-edge navigation module thats destined to have a major impact on the GPS industry, said Oozi Cats, CEO of Telit. As with all Telit products, customers will also receive premier global support from design to deployment.

Formerly known as Navman Wireless OEM before being acquired by Telit in January 2012, Telit Location Solutions has more than 20 years of experience serving the GPS market and has sold millions of its high-performance Jupiter GPS modules worldwide.

For further information about Telit, visit http://www.telit.com.

Read the original:
Telit Wireless Solutions Announces High-Performance GPS/GLONASS Module for Navigation Devices