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Monday, 31 October 2011
Snow smacks Northeast; power out for millions
SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn. ?? Millions of people from Maine to Maryland were without power as an unseasonably early nor'easter dumped heavy, wet snow over the weekend on a region more used to gaping at leaves in October than shoveling snow.
The snow stopped falling in New England Sunday, but Halloween will likely come and go before many of the more than 3 million without electricity see it restored, officials warned. Several officials referred to the combination of its early arrival and its ferocity as historic, yet another unwelcome superlative for weather-weary Northeasterners.
"You had this storm, you had Hurricane Irene, you had the flooding last spring and you had the nasty storms last winter," Tom Jacobsen said Sunday while getting coffee at a convenience store in Hamilton Township, N.J.
"I'm starting to think we really ticked off Mother Nature somehow because we've been getting spanked by her for about a year now."
Story: Snow cancels NY, Philly flights, makes road travel treacherousThe storm smashed record snowfall totals for October and worsened as it moved north. Communities in western Massachusetts were among the hardest hit. Snowfall totals topped 27 inches in Plainfield, and nearby Windsor had gotten 26 inches by early Sunday. It was blamed for at least three deaths, and states of emergency were declared in New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and parts of New York.
Roads, rails and airline flights were knocked out, and passengers on a JetBlue flight were stuck on a plane in Hartford, Conn., for more than seven hours. And while children across the region were thrilled to see snow so early, it also complicated many of their Halloween plans.
Sharon Martovich of Southbury, Conn., said she hoped the power will come back on in time for her husband's Halloween tradition of playing "Young Frankenstein" on a giant screen in front of their house. But no matter what, she said, they will make sure the eight or so children who live in the neighborhood don't miss out on trick-or-treating.
"Either way we will get the giant flashlights and we will go," she said.
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Compounding the storm's impact were still-leafy trees, which gave the snow something to hang onto and that put tremendous weight on branches, said National Weather Service spokesman Chris Vaccaro. That led to limbs breaking off and contributed to the widespread outages.
"This is not going to be a quick fix," said Peter Judge, a Massachusetts emergency management official.
More than 800,000 power customers were without electricity in Connecticut alone ? shattering the record set just two months ago by Hurricane Irene. Massachusetts had more than 600,000 outages, and so did New Jersey ? including Gov. Chris Christie's house. Parts of Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, New York, Maine, Maryland and Vermont also were without power.
"It's going to be a more difficult situation than we experienced in Irene," Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said. "We are expecting extensive and long-term power outages."
Thirty-two shelters were open around the state, and Malloy asked volunteer fire departments to allow people in for warmth and showers. At least four hospitals were relying on generators for power.
Video: Pre-winter snowstorm slams Northeast (on this page)Around Newtown in western Connecticut, trees were so laden with snow on some back roads that the branches touched the street. Every few minutes, a snap filled the air as one broke and tumbled down. Roads that were plowed became impassible because the trees were falling so fast.
One of the few businesses open in the area was a Big Y grocery store that had a generator. Customers loaded up on supplies, heard news updates over the intercom, charged up their cell phones, and waited for a suddenly hard-to-get cup of coffee ? in a line that was 30 people deep and growing.
Many of the areas hit by the storm had also been hit by Irene. In New Jersey's Hamilton Township, Tom Jacobsen also recalled heavy spring flooding and a particularly heavy winter before that.
"I'm starting to think we really ticked off Mother Nature somehow, because we've been getting spanked by her for about a year now," he said while grabbing some coffee at a convenience store.
It wasn't just the trees that weren't fully ready for a wintry wallop.
Kerry McNiven said she was "totally unprepared" for the storm that knocked out her water and power and sent tree limbs crashing into her Simsbury, Conn., home. She was buying disposable plates and cups in a darkened supermarket, a setting that she said resembled "one of those post-apocalyptic TV shows."
"They didn't hype this one as much" as Irene, she said. "I didn't think it was going to be as bad."
In Concord, N.H., Dave Whitcher's company had yet to prep its sanding equipment before the storm dropped nearly 2 feet of snow. His crews were plowing and shoveling parking lots Sunday, and would be back Monday to salt sidewalks and walkways.
"It was a bit of a surprise, the amount and how heavy it was. We should've probably come out and got a little earlier start, but we did all right," Whitcher said. He held up his shovel and added, "Me and this guy are going to get to know each other real well today."
Story: JetBlue apologizes to passengers stranded for hoursVaccaro, the weather service spokesman, said the snowstorm "absolutely crushed previous records that in some cases dated back more than 100 years." Saturday was only the fourth snowy October day in New York's Central Park since record-keeping began 135 years ago.
There usually isn't enough cold air in the region to support a nor'easter this time of year, but an area of high pressure over southeastern Canada funneled cold air south into the U.S., Vaccaro said. That cold air combined with moisture coming from the North Carolina coast to produce the unseasonable weather.
Though the fact that leaves were still on the trees worsened storm damage inland, the nor'easter did less damage in coastal areas than it would have in winter because warm ocean temperatures limited snowfall, Vaccaro said.
A few businesses enjoyed the early snow: Ski resorts in Vermont and Maine opened early. But it was more commonly an aggravation.
Many residents were urged to avoid travel altogether. Speed limits were reduced on bridges between New Jersey and Pennsylvania. A few roads closed because of accidents and downed trees and power lines, said Sean Brown, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
The JetBlue passengers stranded Saturday at Hartford's Bradley International Airport were on a flight from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Newark, N.J., that had been diverted. Passenger Andrew Carter, a football reporter for the Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, said the plane ran out of snacks and bottled water, and the toilets backed up.
JetBlue spokeswoman Victoria Lucia said power outages at the airport has made it difficult to get passengers off the plane, and added that the passengers would be reimbursed.
In 2007, passengers in JetBlue planes were stranded for nearly 11 hours at New York's Kennedy Airport following snow and ice storms.
There were other flight delays in the region over the weekend, and commuter trains in Connecticut and New York were delayed or suspended because of downed trees and signal problems. Amtrak suspended service on several Northeast routes, and one train from Chicago to Boston got stuck overnight in Palmer, Mass. The 48 passengers had food and heat, a spokeswoman said, and they were taken by bus Sunday to their destinations.
Slideshow: Editorial cartoonists poke fun at snow so soon (on this page)In southeastern Pennsylvania, an 84-year-old man was killed when a snow-laden tree fell on his home while he was napping in his recliner. In Connecticut, the governor said one person died in a Colchester traffic accident that he blamed on slippery conditions.
And a 20-year-old man in Springfield, Mass., stopped when he saw police and firefighters examining downed wires and stepped in the wrong place and was electrocuted, Capt. William Collins said.
The snow was a bone-chilling slush in New York City, and was a taste of what's to come for demonstrators camping out at Zuccotti Park in lower Manhattan for the Occupy Wall Street protest.
Nick Lemmin, of Brooklyn, spent his first night at Zuccotti in a sleeping bag in a tent, wearing thermals, a sweatshirt and a scarf.
"I slept actually pretty well," he said. "It was pretty quiet."
Lemmin said he thought the early snow was actually "a good test," giving protesters a chance to deal with such weather before it sets in more permanently.
The weather was too much for protester Adash Daniel, who had already been in the park for three weeks. "I'm not much good to this movement if I'm shivering," he said as he left.
The snow was relatively light in Manhattan, as it was farther north in Albany, where a couple of dirt- and leaf-caked snowmen stood about the protesters waving "We are the 99 percent" signs for passing cars.
In Concord, 9-year-old Nate Smith had more than enough snow to make a proper snowman with his brother, but he was worried about Halloween. He wasn't sure he'd be able to go trick-or-treating, and even if he did, his werewolf costume could end up looking a little different than he had imagined.
"I might have to put on snow pants," he said.
___
Associated Press writers Noreen Gillespie-Connolly in Newtown, Conn.; Ron Todt in Philadelphia; Verena Dobnik, Deepti Hajela and Candice Choi in New York; Mary Esch in Albany, N.Y.; Holly Ramer in Concord, N.H.; and Bruce Shipkowski in Trenton, N.J., contributed to this report.
? 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45093724/ns/weather/
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Sunday, 30 October 2011
Lawmakers warn Obama over Russia's WTO bid (Reuters)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? Senior lawmakers urged the Obama administration Saturday to insist Russia meet high standards in its bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO), saying they worried about the impact on American jobs and businesses.
The Obama administration has said it is committed to helping Russia join the WTO this year. The Congress cannot stop Moscow's entry, but it could refuse to lift restraints on U.S.-Russia trade that date back to the Cold War.
In a letter to Trade Representative Ron Kirk, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, a Democrat, and three colleagues suggested the restraints, known as the Jackson-Vanik amendment, could remain if Russia did not fix problems with its trade policies.
"A high standard (WTO) accession package will be essential to ensuring support for granting Russia permanent normal trade relations," said the lawmakers who oversee trade legislation in Congress.
Senator Orrin Hatch, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, Republican House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, and Sander Levin, the ranking Democrat on that committee, also signed the letter.
They said they worried about Russia's protection of intellectual property rights; Russia's commitment to duty-free access for information technology; market access to Russia for U.S. agricultural goods; and whether Russia's auto investment policy would disadvantage U.S. auto companies.
"While we recognize that Russia has made progress in opening its economy since 1991, the accession should address the serious problems that remain," they said.
If Congress refused to lift the trade restraints and establish "permanent normal trade relations," Russia could under WTO rules deny U.S. exporters the market-opening concessions it negotiated to join the world trading body.
Russia is closer than ever to joining the WTO after being offered a "take it or leave it" compromise last week by its tiny neighbor Georgia, the last holdout in Moscow's 18-year path to membership.
Georgia, like all WTO members, has an effective veto on Russia's membership, which it has threatened to use unless a dispute with Russia over customs controls was resolved.
The two countries fought a brief war in August 2008 over two breakaway regions in Georgia and they have not restored diplomatic relations.
Russia said Thursday it needed several days to review a proposal on border trade with Georgia made by Swiss mediators.
Russian entry to the WTO would be the biggest step in world trade liberalization since China joined a decade ago, and the United States and the European Union have urged all sides to try to settle membership terms by the end of this year.
But there is a lot of sympathy in the Congress for Georgia, as well as some criticism of President Barack Obama's "reset" policy with Russia.
House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican, said last week that Moscow's border dispute with Georgia should be resolved before movement on its WTO bid was considered.
(Additional reporting by Doug Palmer; Editing by Paul Simao)
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Saturday, 29 October 2011
Video: Mom doesn?t want daughter to live on ?Harm?s Way?
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Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29054368/vp/45061907#45061907
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Friday, 28 October 2011
Obama announces help for student loan borrowers (AP)
DENVER ? President Barack Obama recalled his struggles with student loan debt as he unveiled a plan Wednesday that could give millions of young people some relief on their payments. Speaking at the University of Colorado Denver, Obama said that he and his wife, Michelle, together owed more than $120,000 in law school debt that took nearly a decade to pay off. He said that sometimes he'd have to make monthly payments to multiple lenders, and the debt meant they were not only paying for their own degrees but saving for their daughters' college funds simultaneously.
"I've been in your shoes. We did not come from a wealthy family," Obama said to cheers.
Obama said it's never been more important to get a college education, but it's also never been more expensive. Obama said his plan will help not just individuals, but the nation, because graduates will have more money to spend on things like buying homes.
"Our economy needs it right now and your future could use a boost right now," Obama said.
Obama's plan will accelerate a measure passed by Congress that reduces the maximum required payment on student loans from 15 percent of discretionary income annually to 10 percent. He will put it into effect in 2012, instead of 2014. In addition, the White House says the remaining debt would be forgiven after 20 years, instead of 25. About 1.6 million borrowers could be affected.
He will also allow borrowers who have a loan from the Federal Family Education Loan Program and a direct loan from the government to consolidate them into one. The consolidated loan would carry an interest rate of up to a half percentage point less than before. This could affect 5.8 million borrowers.
Student loans are the No. 2 source of household debt. The president's announcement came on the same day as a new report on tuition costs from the College Board. It showed that average in-state tuition and fees at four-year public colleges rose $631 this fall, or 8.3 percent, compared with a year ago. Nationally, the cost of a full credit load has passed $8,000, an all-time high.
Student loan debt is a common concern voiced by Occupy Wall Street protesters. Obama's plan could help him shore up re-election support among young voters, an important voting bloc in his 2008 election. But, it might not ease all their fears.
Anna Van Pelt, 24, a graduate student in public health at the University of Colorado Denver who attended the speech, estimates she'll graduate with $40,000 in loans. She called Obama's plan a "really big deal" for her, but said she still worries about how she'll make the payments.
"By the time I graduate, my interest rate is going to be astronomical, especially when you don't have a job," Van Pelt said. "So it's not just paying the loans back. It's paying the loans back without a job."
The White House said the changes will carry no additional costs to taxpayers.
Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., his party's ranking member on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said in a statement that while he supports efforts to help struggling graduates, the president's plan was crafted behind closed doors and "we are left with more questions than answers."
Last year, Congress passed a law that lowered the repayment cap and moved student loans to direct lending by eliminating banks as the middlemen. Before that, borrowers could get loans directly from the government or from the Federal Family Education Loan Program; the latter were issued by private lenders but basically insured by the government. The law was passed along with the health care overhaul with the anticipation that it could save about $60 billion over a decade.
The change in the law was opposed by many Republicans. At a hearing Tuesday, Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., who chairs a subcommittee with oversight over higher education, said it had resulted in poorer customer service for borrowers. And Senate Republicans issued a news release with a compilation of headlines that showed thousands of workers in student lending, including those from Sallie Mae Inc., had been laid off because of the change.
Today, there are 23 million borrowers with $490 billion in loans under the Federal Family Education Loan Program. Last year, the Education Department made $102.2 billion in direct loans to 11.5 million recipients.
_____
Hefling reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Kristen Wyatt contributed to this report.
_____
Kimberly Hefling can be followed at http://twitter.com/khefling
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Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Gold, silver jump on economic worries, Europe (AP)
Gold and silver prices rose sharply Tuesday on concerns about U.S. economic growth and the European financial crisis.
Gold for December delivery jumped $48.10 Tuesday, or 2.9 percent, to settle at $1,700.40 an ounce. December silver was up 1.408 cents, or 4.5 percent, to close at $33.052.
The rally puts gold 4 percent higher for the week, silver 6 percent higher.
Precious metals often rise when traders are worried about economic stagnation or financial turmoil. Both of those concerns were stoked Tuesday.
Stocks slumped on disappointing earnings from industrial conglomerate 3M, Netflix Inc. and Delta Air Lines Inc. Also, European finance ministers cancelled a meeting to hammer out a rescue package for banks and indebted nations there.
Many traders were expecting that European officials would unveil a broad financial rescue plan Wednesday to shore up the region's banks and heavily indebted nations like Greece. Doubts are growing that a plan will be ready in time.
In other trading, December palladium rose $13.60, or 2 percent, to $652.10 an ounce. January platinum gained $26.80 to finish at $1,568.80 an ounce.
Copper prices fell. Following a strong rally Monday, copper is still up 6 percent for the week. Copper for December delivery lost 2.85 cents, or nearly 1 percent, to settle at $3.4205 a pound.
Crop prices fell. December wheat fell 6.25 cents to finish at $6.3625 per bushel. December corn lost 0.25 cents to end at $6.5075 per bushel. November soybeans dropped 1.25 cents, or 1 percent, to finish at $12.255 a bushel.
Oil prices rose. Benchmark oil rose $1.90 to $93.17 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Heating oil fell 0.3 cents to finish at $3.0512 per gallon, gasoline futures rose 0.44 cents to close at $2.6747 per gallon and natural gas gained 5.4 cents to close at $3.658 per 1,000 cubic feet.
___
Find Christopher Leonard on Twitter at http://twitter.com/cleonardnews
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Sunday, 23 October 2011
PFT: Rodgers shows off, Ponder shows promise
Getty ImagesSunday night?s Saints-Colts game reminded me of last year?s Redskins-Eagles blowout on Monday Night Football.
Playing the role of Mike Vick this year: The entire Saints offense.
The Saints won 62-7 in the Superdome, the most points scored in a game since 1985. ?As you would expect, some of the numbers from the game were nutty.
The Saints scored on their first nine possessions. ?They had 36 first downs to nine for the Colts.
Drew Brees had more touchdown throws (five) than incompletions. ?His 31-for-35 gives him an 89% completion percentage, the second highest all time. ?Sean Payton broke the record for earliest head coach hot dog in NFL history.
It?s tempting to say the Colts just aren?t very good and move on, but the Colts have hung around in every game since Week One. They are an NFL team. It?s not like other teams are going to put up 62 points on them.
At their very best, the Saints offense rivals any in the league. Including the Packers and Patriots.
They have three dynamic running backs. Their first round pick Mark Ingram ? who suffered a bruised foot late in the game ? is probably the third least important back behind Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas.
The Saints have a tight end on pace for a record-breaking season. They have four wide receivers who all have different skill sets and know the offense incredibly well. They have two Pro Bowl guards. ?They have the biggest homefield advantage among good teams in the NFC.
At 5-2, the Saints aren?t perfect. ?But they should get to 6-2 next week against the Rams before heading back to New Orleans for a huge division game against the Bucs.
We still have questions about whether the Saints defense is Super Bowl caliber, but the offense has the pieces to be just as good as it has ever been.
Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/10/23/rodgers-shows-greatness-ponder-shows-promise/related
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Saturday, 22 October 2011
Poll: Vote for your favorite Frankengadget!
Poll: Vote for your favorite Frankengadget! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Friday, 21 October 2011
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Thursday, 20 October 2011
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VFW urges 2 million to fight benefit changes
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Veterans of Foreign Wars on Tuesday urged its 2 million members to plead with Congress to spare military and veterans' benefits as a special deficit-cutting panel looks to slash $1.2 trillion from the federal budget.
In a "call to action," the VFW said it opposes any changes to the programs and decried any congressional attempt to balance the budget on the backs of military retirees and disabled veterans. The organization implored members, their families and friends to contact lawmakers immediately.
"It is critical that our voices not be lost in the ongoing budget debate that seems to now equate national service and sacrifice with the size of health care premiums," said Richard L. DeNoyer, a retired Marine and head of the VFW. "The 'people programs' inside the (departments) are expensive because it takes people to fight our wars, and with less than 1 percent of our citizens currently in uniform, any degradation of these hard fought-for programs will break faith with those who sacrifice the most."
The plea was prompted by several recommendations to the so-called supercommittee that sent shock waves through the powerful groups of retired officers and veterans. Last Friday, the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee suggested that the panel consider some of President Barack Obama's proposed cost-saving changes to health and retirement benefits for the military.
Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and John McCain, R-Ariz., said they would support establishing an annual enrollment fee for TRICARE for Life, the health care program that has no fee for participation. Obama had proposed an initial annual fee of $200.
McCain also urged the supercommittee to consider restricting working-age military retirees and their dependents from enrolling in TRICARE Prime, which has the lowest out-of-pocket expenses. The retirees could still enroll in other TRICARE programs. McCain pointed out that the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that such a move would save $111 billion over 10 years.
Active-duty personnel still would be enrolled in the program automatically.
McCain, who was Obama's rival for the presidency in 2008, also said he supported Obama's proposal for a commission to review military retirement benefits that should consider changes to the military compensation system. He said he agreed with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who said those currently serving in the military should be "grandfathered" in, so expected benefits aren't reduced.
Levin also backed creation of a commission, but suggested that it look at all elements of military compensation, including basic pay, allowances such as housing, incentive pay and the tax structure for military pay. He said current service members should be grandfathered in "to avoid breaking faith with the force."
The Pentagon's health care costs have skyrocketed from $19 billion in 2001 to $53 billion, but lawmakers and various groups argue that members of the military and their families sacrifice far more than the average American, with a career that includes long and dangerous deployments overseas that overshadow civilian work. Health and retirement benefits help attract service members to the all-volunteer force.
Asked about the response from groups such as the VFW, McCain said Tuesday in an interview, "They're very worried and we want to assure them that we will protect present beneficiaries."
Another member of the Armed Services Committee, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., expressed support for McCain's proposal.
Separately, the top lawmakers on the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs committees also sent a letter to the supercommittee that offered no specific recommendations on cuts but did describe cost-saving steps that Congress and administrations have taken in the past.
"In past times of fiscal restraint, thoughtful and measured areas of budgetary savings found within veterans' programs have advanced on a bipartisan basis," the lawmakers wrote. "We recommend that the Select Committee refer to these lists when making the difficult decisions ahead."
Signing the letter were Reps. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., and Bob Filner, D-Calif., and Sens. Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Patty Murray, D-Wash. Murray is co-chair of the supercommittee. .
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Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Lern2Play
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Friday, 7 October 2011
Acquiring Patent Portfolios of Failed or Failing Technology ...
Previously published on September 2011
Recently, the market raised its level of awareness and began to more fully recognize the intrinsic value of patents. This recognition was highlighted during the Nortel patent auction when Rockstar Bidco LP, a consortium of convenience comprising tech giants Apple, Microsoft, RIM and others, acquired Nortel patents for the staggering amount of $4.5 billion.
Acquisition opportunities
It would appear that various forces are now combining to increase the level of patent acquisition activity. In recent years, innovation has continued in computer and Internet-related disruptive technologies. Efforts have also been concentrated in creating the next disruptive technology, examples of which include biotechnologies, clean technologies, and nanotechnologies.
Many businesses developing these technologies are at a fairly early stage and fuelled by private investment and government funding. Unfortunately, in the present environment such funding is disappearing, leaving these businesses vulnerable to failure. As in the Nortel situation, this creates an opportunity for financially healthy businesses to acquire patent assets of failing or failed businesses who have been working towards developing the next disruptive technology. The particular attraction to the patents in such cases is that they may cover important aspects of a disruptive technology, thereby providing monopoly power over a potentially significant market.
Due diligence
Of course, any patent acquisitions in this environment should be carefully considered to understand their potential pitfalls and limitations. For each patent (or pending application), it is important to understand the scope of protection afforded by the claims and whether such patent scope covers meaningful technology that will provide commercial advantages in the marketplace. It is also important to assess the validity of the subject patent or pending application and confirm the duration of the patent term.
For pending applications, final determinations on patentability may not have been made. It is thus important to understand the technology space and the pre-existing technologies that are present, and assess whether the claimed subject matter is patentable over such pre-existing technologies. Even for issued patents, it may be worthwhile conducting independent prior art searches to identify pre-existing technologies that may have been missed during examination at the patent office and may affect the validity of the claimed subject matter.
Apart from prior art considerations, but as equally important, it may be worthwhile to review the complete file histories of the subject patents and patent applications, with a view to identifying any other defects that may have arisen during the patent prosecution process and may affect validity (or, in the case of pending applications, patentability). Such defects may relate to insufficient description of the claimed subject matter, failure to describe best mode, or failure to comply with the duty to disclose information material to patentability under US patent law.
Pending vs. issued patents
Even when claim scope is not optimal, or other defects are present which may affect the available scope of patent protection, it may still be possible to improve the quality of patent rights. There is greater flexibility with pending applications to optimize claim scope or correct other defects than there is with issued patents. Even if defects cannot be corrected within the confines of the pending application, the opportunity to ?re-file? (strictly speaking, this would be a completely new patent application filing) for the same invention, with a higher-quality patent application, may still exist so long as no patent bars have been triggered (such as by public disclosure of the invention) in the interim. Where jurisdictional gaps in patent protection exist, it may still be possible to file patent applications in jurisdictions missed during the initial wave of patent filing by the original owner, but again, so long as no patent bars have been triggered in the interim. Also, there may be features for which patent applications have yet to be filed and for which the filing opportunity still exists;? it may be helpful to identify and include such technologies in the context of the transaction.
For issued patents, claims may be optimized, or other defects may be corrected, through post-grant procedures made available in the jurisdiction in which the patent has been granted (e.g., in Canada, ?reissue,? ?re-examination,? and ?disclaimer? are available under Canadian patent law, depending on the circumstances).
Summary
For failing or failed companies, it should not be surprising that claims may not be optimal or other patent protection defects are present. Financially troubled companies typically conserve their financial resources by reducing their spending on patent-related expenses, potentially resulting in patent quality being compromised. By making responsible investigations of the patent assets being purchased, the likelihood of overpaying for the technology or making a bad purchase is greatly reduced. Even when the transaction goes through, by having made these investigations the purchaser is aware of any actions that should be taken to improve the quality of the patent assets. This is important, because when claims must be optimized or other defects must be corrected, time is usually of the essence and any action to optimize claims or correct other patent defects must not be delayed, and should certainly be taken as soon as possible after the purchaser assumes control over the patent assets.
Source: http://www.martindale.com/mergers-acquisitions-law/article_Norton-Rose-OR-LLP_1354838.htm
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Thursday, 6 October 2011
Unions, students join Wall Street protesters
Miles Partman carries an umbrella with "Occupy Seattle" written on it as he walks though an encampment in downtown Seattle's Westlake Park, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011. People protesting the current economic situation and several other causes have been camped in the park for several days, mirroring other demonstrations in other areas of the country. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Miles Partman carries an umbrella with "Occupy Seattle" written on it as he walks though an encampment in downtown Seattle's Westlake Park, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011. People protesting the current economic situation and several other causes have been camped in the park for several days, mirroring other demonstrations in other areas of the country. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Occupy Boston protesters gather outside a building in the Financial district in Boston, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011. The group is part of a nationwide grassroots movement in support of the ongoing Wall?Street protests in New York. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
Marchers with Occupy Wall Street lead off a march that included labor unions through Lower Manhattan Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011 in New York. Unions gave a high-profile boost to the long-running protest against Wall Street and economic inequality, with their members joining thousands of protesters in a lower Manhattan march. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Occupy Wall Street protesters join a labor union rally in Foley Square before marching on Zuccotti Park in New York's Financial District, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
Nurse Margret Sweeney, center, and others join Occupy Wall Street during a march in Lower Manhattan Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011 in New York. Unions gave a high-profile boost to the long-running protest against Wall Street and economic inequality Wednesday, with their members joining thousands of protesters in a lower Manhattan march. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
NEW YORK (AP) ? Unions lent their muscle to the long-running protest against Wall Street and economic inequality Wednesday, with their members joining thousands of protesters in a lower Manhattan march as smaller demonstrations flourished across the country.
Protesters in suits and T-shirts with union slogans left work early to march with activists who have been camped out in Zuccotti Park for days. Some marchers brought along their children, hoisting them onto their shoulders as they walked down Broadway.
"We're here to stop corporate greed," said Mike Pellegrino, an NYC Transit bus mechanic from Rye Brook. "They should pay their fair share of taxes. We're just working and looking for decent lives for our families."
Of the camping protesters, he said, "We feel kinship with them. We're both looking for the same things."
People gathered in front of the courthouses that encircle Foley Square, then marched to Zuccotti Park, where they refueled with snacks and hurriedly painted new signs as the strong scent of burning sage wafted through the plaza.
The protesters have varied causes but have spoken largely about unemployment and economic inequality and reserved most of their criticism for Wall Street. "We are the 99 percent," they chanted, contrasting themselves with the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans.
Susan Henoch, 63, of Manhattan said she was a "child of the '60s" and came out to the park for the first time Wednesday. She held a sign that read, "Enough."
"It's time for the people to speak up," she said. "Nobody's listening to us, nobody's representing us. Politics is dead.
"This is no longer a recognizable democracy. This is a disaster," she said.
Some of the union members traveled from other states to march.
Karen Higgins, a co-president of National Nurses United, came down with a group of colleagues from Boston. She said they had seen patients who skipped important medical tests because they couldn't afford them.
"Tax Wall Street," she said. "Those who make all the money need to start paying their fair share."
The Occupy Wall Street protests started Sept. 17 with a few dozen demonstrators who tried to pitch tents in front of the New York Stock Exchange. Since then, hundreds have set up camp nearby in Zuccotti Park and have become increasingly organized, lining up medical aid and legal help and printing their own newspaper.
Several Democratic lawmakers have expressed support for the protesters, but some Republican presidential candidates have rebuked them. Herman Cain, called the activists "un-American" Wednesday at a book signing in St. Petersburg, Fla.
"They're basically saying that somehow the government is supposed to take from those that have succeeded and give to those who want to protest," the former pizza-company executive said. "That's not the way America was built."
On Tuesday, CBS reported that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney called the protest "class warfare" at an appearance at a Florida retirement community.
Activists have been showing solidarity with movement in many cities: Occupy Providence. Occupy Los Angeles. Occupy Boise.
More than 100 people withstood an afternoon downpour in Idaho's capital to protest, including Judy Taylor, a retired property manager.
"I want change. I'm tired of things being taken away from those that need help," she said.
In Seattle, at least four demonstrators who had been camping out since the weekend in a downtown park were arrested after they refused orders from city park rangers to pack up. The reception was warmer in Los Angeles, where the City Council approved a resolution of support and Mayor Antonia Villaraigosa's office distributed 100 rain ponchos to activists at another dayslong demonstration, according to City News Service.
In Boston, hundreds of nurses and Northeastern University students rallied together to condemn what they called corporate control of government and the spiraling costs of their education. The students banged on drums made of water jugs and chanted, "Banks got bailed out, and we got sold out."
"This is an organic process. This is a process of grassroot people coming together. It's a beautiful thing," said David Schildmeier, spokesman for the Massachusetts Nurses Association.
Many of those protesting are college students. Hundreds walked out of classes in New York, some in a show of solidarity for the Wall Street movement but many more concerned with worries closer to home. Protests were scheduled at State University of New York campuses including Albany, Buffalo, Binghamton, New Paltz and Purchase.
Danielle Kingsbury, a 21-year-old senior from New Paltz, said she walked out of an American literature class to show support for some of her professors who she said have had their workloads increased because of budget cuts.
"The state of education in our country is ridiculous," said Kingsbury, who plans to teach. "The state doesn't care about it and we need to fight back about that."
Not every campus appeared to feel the rumblings of dissent. At the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, there were students publicizing breast cancer awareness and National Coming Out Week, students crawling on their elbows in an apparent fraternity hazing ritual, quarreling evangelicals and even a flash mob to promote physical fitness, but no sign of the Wall Street protests.
Senior Alex Brown tried to promote an event on Facebook, but said students' disgust with the government and wealth inequality was "not enough to reach a fever pitch."
Some protesters were recent graduates looking for work, including Rachelle Suissa, who held up a sign in Manhattan that read: "I have a 4.0 GPA & $20,000 in debt. Where's my bailout?"
The 25-year-old Brooklyn woman said she has applied for at least 200 jobs and is finding it difficult to remain optimistic.
"I don't understand what's going on here," she said.
Wednesday was quieter for the New York protesters than Saturday, when about 700 people were arrested and given disorderly conduct summonses for spilling into the roadway of the Brooklyn Bridge despite warnings from police. Wednesday's march route was well marked with metal barricades along the side of the road.
___
Associated Press writers Cristian Salazar and Karen Zraick in New York City, Mark Pratt in Boston, Chris Carola in New Paltz, N.Y., Tamara Lush in St. Petersburg, Fla., and Justin Pope in Ann Arbor, Mich., contributed to this report.
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'Asian F': Glee's 'best episode ever'? (The Week)
New York ? A poignant, but still hilarious, outing may redeem the show to fans who bemoaned the series' dip in quality last season
With all the critical backlash Glee faced last season, it's easy to forget that it's produced more than its share of acclaimed television, from its beloved "Don't Stop Believing" pilot to its "Born This Way" ode to self-acceptance. After critics praised the third-season premiere for finding its footing again, they're now calling Tuesday night's episode, "Asian F," the show's "best... ever." In the episode, the chronically underserved Mike Chang and Mercedes both get long-awaited star turns. After Mike earns an A minus in chemistry (the notorious "Asian F"), his father threatens to pull him from the glee club, squelching his love of performing. Meanwhile, Mercedes goes up against perennial leading lady Rachel for the top role in a school production of West Side Story. Was the episode really that good?
Yes. Glee's never been better: "Glee has completely found its heart again," says Kristin Dos Santos at E! Online. "And then some." Focusing on core characters and the "emotional crux" that made the show resonate so strongly in the first place, "Asian F" was Glee best episode yet. The musical numbers, including Brittany's rousing performance of Beyonce's "Run the World (Girls)" and Mike Chang's first-ever solo, were among the strongest the series has produced. But beyond that, the storylines were "tight, grounded, completely believable, and emotionally gripping."
"Get ready for the best episode of Glee?ever!"
But let's not get too giddy: Let's praise this episode with "proper restraint," says James Poniewozik at TIME. Glee's sub-par season two also produced episodes that promised a return to greatness, but then the show would fizzle out again. Sure, "Asian F" offered strong story lines. Mercedes's resentment at being passed over was "an apt meta-touch, since she's been overlooked by the show for some time now." Mike Chang's dance with his mother was touching, but viewers had to sit through Tiger Mom stereotypes to get there. And a "bizarre backstory" about Emma's red-haired supremacist parents tanked. Still, "Asian F" was reassuringly good.
"Glee watch: Gotta dance!"
Actually, "I really didn't care for it": I give the episode an "Asian Q," says Matt Richenthal at TV Fanatic. Despite some winning turns, especially Brittany's flash mob Beyonce performance, the episode "tried to jam way too much into a single hour." So many of the plot twists seemed "slapped together" ? Mercedes' sudden seething jealousy of Rachel ? or "heavy-handed" ? the scene with Mike Chang and his mom. A show can only attempt so many tear-jerking moments per hour before "it turns more eye-rolling than tear-inducing."
"Glee review: A non-Asian F"
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Wednesday, 5 October 2011
Good MPG SUVs Are More Widespread Nowadays | Motorcycle ...
1 advertisement in distinct was indicative of the American way of pondering about SUV?s. The industrial showed footage of a standard sedan and an SUV crashing into each other. The SUV came out of the crash somewhat in one particular piece, whereas the other motor vehicle was absolutely demolished. Then the advertisement asked a little something to the influence of, ?If you care about your relatives, need to you not buy an SUV?? This advert brought about revenue of greater automobiles to skyrocket, as individuals began to see SUV?s as the safer option for driving out on the street. But you might have mentioned in the above description what so quite a few drivers appeared to skip. Though the SUV is clearly safe to be in during such an accident, acquiring such a big hefty object crash into them massively increases the risk to the other motor vehicle. Though SUV?s make the street seemingly safer for individuals within, other individuals on the street will be set in more and more danger.
This did not quit individuals who required 7 passenger vehicles from acquiring one particular, and the ?soccer mom? pattern was born. But there is one other issue not typically considered that helps make the SUV much less safe than imagined, their tipping point. Because of to their style, SUV?s are considerably more most likely to suggestion about when turning sharply at high speed. Numerous assessments have been performed to show that SUV?s can by no suggests be considered safe when they are capable to flip so quickly.
In a variety of senses, a luxury four wheel generate motor vehicle is the pinnacle of automotive innovation. Motor corporations prove themselves in quite a few strategies ? via motorsport good results, by regular innovation, by pushing style boundaries ? but genuine achievement suggests translating these improvements into a motor vehicle that will work in the genuine earth. Luxury four wheel generate automobiles, which are made for very good convenience and functionality below all conditions, are the culmination of quite a few of these achievements.
4 wheel generate represents freedom. With a four wheel generate motor vehicle you are no more time constrained by conditions that would hamper more delicate automobiles. In the prior, nevertheless, this freedom has meant sacrificing convenience. In order to generate an automobile rugged sufficient to handle demanding scenarios, these automobiles had been stripped down to their most basic components.
If you are acquiring troubles with your Jeep Liberty, you have to have to read through this report. The Liberty is a fantastic motor vehicle, but transmission troubles have occurred with this motor vehicle in the prior and are overpriced to repair. Do not be forced to spend hundreds of bucks to repair your Jeep, read through this report to uncover Jeep Liberty Challenges
With the prices of gas and fuel growing steadily, customers have a tendency to flip their backs on the activity utility motor vehicle (SUV) market. Sports activities utility automobiles when all has a popularity for currently being gas guzzlers and that is why most customers now choose for more fuel effective smaller sized automobiles like a sedan or a coupe.
But the versatility and the loading potential of an SUV is hard to match, even by big sedans. That is why Client Reports came out with a list of best mpg SUV vehicle to support customers choose the perfect sort of motor vehicle that would suit their wants and wishes as perfectly as their budgets. The list of the finest and worst SUVs when it arrives to fuel economic system is the result of a battery of assessments that had been performed by Client Reports on the SUVs that are now offered in the market.
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Source: http://www.learnsd.org/good-mpg-suvs-are-more-widespread-nowadays/
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