Retirement is the most critical time in life. The home people choose to live in is a major component in retirement planning, and may have significant tax advantaged features.
For most Americans, their home is their largest asset. For years, the equity in the family home was used as part of retirement income after downsizing. But when the housing market went upside down, most home owners could no longer bank on their home equity.
Owning a home has always been the American dream and banking on the equity in your home has always been part of retirement planning. But after the housing bubble, the dream turned into a nightmare. Many lost their home equity; some lost their homes and a few poor souls owed money even after repossession by the bank.
But the housing recovery is underway. The economy has fought off a second recession. Unemployment is leveling off. Housing startups are steadily increasing. The inventory of homes for sale is still relatively small, so values are on the rise.
The next big wave in housing is retirement home sales. The baby boomers have begun looking for their last home. Some of the specifications for their retirement home are a one level house with low maintenance in a neighborhood kid-free zone. And keep in mind, most boomers are purchasing existing homes, so retrofitting those homes will become a cottage industry in itself.
But a new brand of home retrofitting is under way beyond the cosmetic: going energy efficient. It?s going green. It?s ?greenovation.?And it?s not just lowering your monthly utility and water bills. Many utilities now offer energy related refunds for the installation of new HVAC units, hot water heaters, refrigerators, window treatments and irrigation systems. And add to that manufacturing and appliance rebates. The real bonus may be the federal and state tax credits for ?greenovation,? all immediate pocket book items to consider. But it doesn?t stop with the here and now. There?s future financial impact.
In Arizona, the impact of ?greenovation? goes beyond monthly utility savings, rebates, refunds and tax credits. For every $1,000 of energy efficient upgrades installed, the average home appreciates $10,000 to $12,000.
The majority of baby boomers are preparing for retirement. They may elect to wait until age 70? to maximize their Social Security Benefits and take their required minimum distributions from their 401(k)s. Preparing the home for retirement is once again a critical component of golden year planning. It may very well need to be tapped later during retirement by using a reverse mortgage to increase monthly income or sold with appreciation for nursing home care.
The vast majority of mortgage lenders are wrapping the cost of ?greenovations? into their mortgages, with some FHA loans excluding the cost in the down payment calculation.
Retirement is the most critical time in life. The home people choose to live in is a major component in retirement planning, and may have significant tax advantaged features. By integrating these tax advantages with other tax advantaged investments like annuities or life insurance, seniors can keep more of their retirement money in their golden years.
SEATTLE (AP) ? Wanted: A green thumb with extensive knowledge of the black, or at least gray, market.
As Washington state tries to figure out how to regulate its newly legal marijuana, officials are hiring an adviser on all things weed: how it's best grown, dried, tested, labeled, packaged and cooked into brownies.
Those angling for the job were expected to learn more Wednesday in Tacoma. The state Liquor Control Board, the agency charged with developing rules for the marijuana industry, reserved a convention center hall with a capacity of 275 people ? plus an overflow room ? for its bidding experts to take questions about the position and the hiring process.
"The Liquor Control Board has a long and a very good history with licensing and regulation. We know it and know how to do it well," said spokesman Mikhail Carpenter. "But there are some technical aspects with marijuana we could use a consultant to help us with."
Last fall, Washington and Colorado became the first states to pass laws legalizing the recreational use of marijuana and setting up systems of state-licensed growers, processors and retail stores where adults over 21 can walk in and buy up to an ounce of heavily taxed cannabis. Sales are due to begin in Washington state in December.
Both states are working to develop rules for the emerging pot industry. Up in the air is everything from how many growers and stores there should be, to how the marijuana should be tested to ensure people don't get sick.
Washington's Liquor Control Board has advertised for consulting services in four categories. The first is "product and industry knowledge" and requires "at least three years of consulting experience relating to the knowledge of the cannabis industry, including but not limited to product growth, harvesting, packaging, product infusion and product safety."
Other categories cover quality testing, including how to test for levels of THC, the compound that gets marijuana users high; statistical analysis of how much marijuana the state's licensed growers should produce; and the development of regulations, a category that requires "a strong understanding of state, local or federal government processes," with a law degree preferred.
In case no regulatory lawyers who grow pot in their spare time apply, multiple contracts could be awarded. Or bidders who are strong in one category could team up with those who are strong in another. Bids are due Feb. 15, with the contract awarded in March.
Many of the bidders are expected to come from the medical marijuana world.
Christy Stanley, a Kitsap County resident who has researched marijuana and considered opening a medical dispensary in the past, said she's attending the conference because she'd like the job, but wants to know whether it would disqualify her from also becoming a licensed grower or retailer. She knows growers, but has never grown marijuana herself, she said.
"This is big: The nation and the world are looking to us to set up a good model," she said. "If it works here, they're just going to cookie-cut this for other states."
___
Johnson can be reached at https://twitter.com/GeneAPseattle
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Will you buy a 128GB iPad?
Cast your vote in "Today's Poll..." in the left column below or go straight to the results here.
Tuesday Highlights: In the span of about 24 hours, the 128GB iPad went from rumor to reality as Apple made the official announcement today, pricing the new tablet at $799 for WiFi, $929 cellular; reports in our Apple/Macintosh, Hardware/Software, and Op/Ed sections including opinion that it should be called the "iPad Pro"; Giz lists 9 professions where the 128GB model should excel; others note that it is Apple's response to Microsoft's Surface Pro, but about $200 cheaper, and speaking of the Surface Pro, you'll only have 83GB free on the 128GB model, that's 45GB for Windows 8, pre-installed apps; CNBC explains the reasons behind Apple's rapid and drastic stock drop; Samsung pleads with Japan court to dismiss Apple's appeal and conclude the case; Fortune on Goldman Sach's big Apple bond deal; Robin Harris at ZDNet ponders whether Jony Ive is killing the Mac; Microsoft releases Office 2013 as a subscription service for $100/year, Mac version AWOL, but said to be on way; another round of quick fixes for common Mac problems from Mactuts+; Amsys has a second installment on client security with FileVault; IGN analysis of what are the biggest challenges facing gaming on the Mac, including price, upgrades, compatibility; in the enterprise, iPhone, Adroid produce happier employees and higher profits; it's coming, no really, the cheaper iPhone 5; Fast Co Design article on 26 Apple designs that never made it; pictures of purported iPad 5 casing hit the web, is a bigger iPad mini, as expected, more in our Hardware/Software section where you'll also find the newest of Apple's granted patents, and there's a lot of them including motion based payments, smart bikes, zooming on touch display, among others; here's a review of Intel's 335 240GB SSD.
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"Apple Increases iPad with Retina Display to 128GB" Business Wire
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News
"Peak Mac ? Will Apple ever sell 5 million Macs in a quarter again?"?9 to 5 Mac?1:25 PM
"iWork Isn't Dead; Apple Hiring Engineer To Make Numbers App Better"?Apple Bitch?2:55 PM
"Is Jony Ive killing the Mac? Even as eye candy has been added to the Mac interface, basic functionality critical to data integrity and reliable operation have been subtracted. Is this Apple's design chief Jony Ive's fault?"?ZDNet?8:06 AM
"Peak Mac? Was 2012 a one-off year of treading water for Apple's Mac business? Or has the Mac peaked for good?"?SplatF?7:41 PM
"iPhone users take legal action against Google: Tech giant faces group privacy claim after it allegedly sidestepped Apple security settings."?Guardian News & Media?9:14 PM
"Microsoft Office 2013 Now Available, New Mac Version Still Missing in Action"?Mac|Life?9:29 AM
AppleCare/Troubleshooting
"Fix incorrect document associations in OS X: If opening documents launches the wrong program, or if you have repeated entries in the OS X Open With menu, then there is a quick solution that can fix the issue."?CNET Reviews?5:10 PM
Reviews/How-To/Tips
"Mac Gems: Trickster tracks your recently used items"?Macworld?8:19 AM
"5 More Quick Fixes to Common Mac Problems"?Mactuts+?8:10 AM
"How to quickly change audio output in OS X: If you need to switch audio interfaces, you can do so quickly from the OS X menu bar."?MacFixIt?7:41 PM
"Client Security Part 2 ? FileVault 2"?Amsys?9:00 AM
"Master The Option Key In The OS X Menu Bar [OS X Tips]?Cult of Mac?8:29 AM
"Scrub through tracks in iTunes 11 with two-finger swipe"?Mac OS X Hints?9:52 AM
"Control Mac Screen Brightness with Shady"?ResExcellence?7:51 AM
"Accordance Quicktip - Amplifying from the Library"?Accordance?10:29 AM
"The Easier Way To Manage Your Mac's App Window Clutter Is An Absolute Snap Tool"?Mac 360?7:58 AM
"Are You Tired Of The Typical Todo Apps And Task Schedulers? Daily Routine Thinks Different"?Mac 360?7:58 AM
"This Mac App I Want To Like Does Something I Need To Do But I Don't Like How It Does It"?Mac 360?7:58 AM
Op/Ed
"Seven 'must have' apps for your new Mac"?ZDNet?9:41 AM
"Mac Gaming's Biggest Challenges: Price, upgrades, and compatibility still haunt Apple's rigs."?IGN?9:36 AM
"Use Your Mac as a WiFi Hotspot, Make a Mountain Lion Recovery Disk, and More Mac News"?Low End Mac?9:29 AM
Press Releases
"The Dark Reef is an underwater action/adventure game. It's also a new take on video games, with weekly updates continuing a fully immersive story. Deep in the Pacific Ocean, a secret military operation has uncovered something sinister. And the international research station 'Dark Reef' is in its path! It's up to you to protect the station and its inhabitants while they race to unravel the origin and secrets of this mysterious new foe. Each week, a new episode will be released to subscribers, continuing that month's chapter in the story."?The Dark Reef?5:04 PM
"Open Source Edition of LiveCode"?KickStarter?4:25 PM
"Audiozue Is a Menubar App That Controls Music, Shows Your Trending Songs, and More"?Lifehacker?8:07 AM
"Hexius Has Arrived on the Mac App Store!"?prMac?11:14 AM
"iWeb Replacement App To Be Unveiled at Macworld 2013"?prMac?7:48 AM
"Dolly Drive to launch Space Virtual Storage at Macworld/iWorld2013"?prMac?7:48 AM
"Pixeljam Releases Potatoman Seeks the Troof in the Mac App Store"?prMac?7:48 AM
"Apple to sell 128GB models of its fourth-generation iPad with Retina display from February 5"?The Next Web?8:06 AM
"Apple iPad jumps to 128GB, starting at $799"?CNET News?8:21 AM
"128 GB Tablets to Hit Market"?Forbes?3:56 PM
"128GB iPad: from myth to reality in 24 hours/Apple has announced it's expanding its existing line of fourth-generation iPads."?Ars Technica?8:25 AM
"So that 128GB iPad? It's real, and it's available from Apple on Feb. 5"?GigaOM?8:29 AM
"Apple announces 128GB iPad"?Macworld?8:50 AM
"Apple dishes out 128GB iPad; available early February"?ZDNet?9:40 AM
"Slightly Smaller Apple TV 3,2 (A1469) Contains A5X SoC, BCM4334 Combo"?AnandTech?6:53 PM
"FCC filing reveals Apple TV model A1469 with slightly smaller dimensions"?Engadget?5:09 PM
"Slightly smaller Apple TV revealed by FCC filing"?The Verge?5:07 PM
"New Apple TV 3,2 to be half centimeter smaller, can now fit in your mouth"?9 to 5 Mac?5:08 PM
"FCC Documents Reveal A Smaller, More Powerful Apple TV Is Coming Soon"?TechCrunch?6:55 PM
"Smaller Apple TV box hinted at in FCC filing"?CNET News?6:54 PM
"Nearly 300 million devices now running iOS 6: Apple's SVP of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller announces new figures as iOS 6.1 is released"?Macworld UK?7:57 AM
"Apple says iOS 6 is now on 300 million devices as it rolls out v6.1"?Digital Trends?8:18 AM
"Apple Reportedly Chops Q1 9.7-Inch Ipad Orders In Half As Consumers Clamor For Ipad Mini"?BGR?11:34 AM
"Leaked Rear Panel Images Suggest The iPad 5 Will Look A Lot Like The iPad mini"?App Advice?8:08 AM
"Purported 'iPad 5' Back Plate Surfaces With Looks Akin To iPad Mini, Could Launch This March ? [Photos]?RazorianFly?8:07 AM
"Apple's Next iPad Could Sport A Slimmer Shell, Take A Page From The iPad Mini Playbook"?TechCrunch?10:29 AM
"Rumor: Amazing iPad 5 Component Pictures Appear"?AppleBitch?7:59 AM
"First iPad 5 Spy Photos Appear"?Tapscape?7:59 AM
"Taiwan market: Apple iPad mini far outsells iPad 4"?DigiTimes?7:56 AM
"LG Display sees decreased capacity utilization due to Apple order cuts"?DigiTimes?7:57 AM
"Apple trademarks design of its retail stores"?Reuters?9:07 PM
"Apple granted U.S. trademark for its retail store design"?Los Angeles Times [Paid Membership Required]?6:54 PM
"iOS 6.1: New Lockscreen Music Controls"?MacTrast?8:02 AM
"About the new 'Reset Advertising Identifier' button in iOS 6.1"?ZDNet?9:41 AM
"Whats New in iOS 6.1: Some Features, Lots of Security"?FairerPlatform?7:59 AM
"Apple TV Update - 5.2 w/ Bluetooth Keyboard Support (Video)"?Insanely Great Mac?8:49 AM
Granted Apple Patents
"Apple Wins 48 Patents Covering the iPhone 5's Integrated Touch Display, Apple's Zoom Feature & Electromagnetic Induction"?Patently Apple?9:07 AM
"Apple Wins iWallet Patent for Motion based Payment System"?Patently Apple?7:50 AM
"Apple Granted a Patent for an Intriguing Smart Bike System"?Patently Apple?7:50 AM
"Apple Granted 4 Design Patents Covering the iPod Touch & More"?Patently Apple?7:50 AM
"Apple granted patent involving zooming on a touch-screen display"?AppleDailyReport?9:03 AM
"Apple's new integrated touch screen patent mentions phones, media players AND personal computers"?AppleDailyReport?8:49 AM
"Apple patent involves group formation using anonymous broadcast information"?AppleDailyReport?8:58 AM
Price Trackers/Deals
"AstroWings3 Plus : ICARUS For iPhone and iPad Is Temporarily Available For Free (Normally $1.99)"?Apple Sliced?8:23 AM
"File Manager Pro App For iPhone and iPad Is Free Right Now (Previously $4.99)"?Apple Sliced?8:23 AM
"Stickman Ski Racer For iPhone and iPad Is Free Today (Was $0.99)"?Apple Sliced?8:23 AM
"15" MacBook Pro Prices & Sales"?MacPrices?7:50 AM
"13" MacBook Pro Prices & Sales"?MacPrices?7:50 AM
"MacBook Air Prices & Sales"?MacPrices?7:50 AM
"Apple refurbs: save up to $850 on Mac Pro"?MacNN?3:58 PM
"PadGadget Daily App Deal ? 8 iPad Apps on Sale"?PadGadget?8:09 AM
Deal Brothers Daily Deal: Get a Docking Station for your MacBook Air for $46
"Rant of the day: Android hate and Apple love"?Seattle Times?9:13 PM
"Remains of the Day: Trust fall"?Macworld?7:12 PM
"Cassandra -Wednesday Review: The Week in Full Swing"?eXtensions?6:45 PM
"Low Cost iPhone Rumors Simply Make No Sense"?Apple'n'Apps?4:01 PM
"Apple's Ups And Downs Are A Classic Study In Momentum Investing"?Forbes?3:58 PM
"Tim Cook Needs Eureka Moment To Get Apple Back Above $700"?Forbes?3:58 PM
"The Macalope Daily: Backlash"?Macworld?10:37 AM
"Conspiracy Theory: Did Apple And Google Agree To Split The Smart Phone Market?"?Mac 360?10:28 AM
"Leaving the iPhone: How Windows Phone 8 Stacks Up"?Tech.pinions?9:46 AM
"Apple vs. Amazon: Two Different Paths to Success" [Video Report]?Bloomberg?9:43 AM
"I fought the cord, and the cord won"?Macworld?9:03 AM
"Why on Earth would anyone want a $1,000 iPad? Is it overkill? Or just enough to get by? The answer depends on the user."?Ars Technica?5:02 PM
"Apple'S 128Gb Ipad Shows The World Exactly What Apple Does Best"?BGR?3:56 PM
"Why A 128GB iPad? Call It The iPad Pro [Opinion]?Cult of Mac?10:37 AM
"9 People Who Actually Need a 128GB iPad"?Gizmodo?9:43 AM
"For $200 less, the 128GB iPad is more appealing than Microsoft's Surface Pro"?ZDNet?9:39 AM
"Apple Produces A New iPad But No Excitement"?Forbes?9:02 AM
"The 128GB iPad Is Real, It's Here, and It's Almost Definitely Not For You"?Gizmodo?8:27 AM
"Low-cost iPhone will be like a plastic iPhone 5, claims story"?CNET News?8:21 AM
"Budget iPhone design to be a mix of iPhone 5, iPod Touch and iPod Classic, report claims"?Digital Trends?8:18 AM
"Steve Jobs biopic will be must-see for techies: Apple chief flick will fuel debate, nostalgia; despite inaccuracies"?MarketWatch?8:18 AM
"Jobs Movie Reviews Range from Good to Passable to Poor"?FairerPlatform?7:59 AM
Non-Apple
"Can you ever really delete yourself from the Internet?"?VentureBeat?5:03 PM
"And the 32 GB Surface Pro Will Have Just Enough Storage to Display the Start-Up Screen"?AllThingsD?5:02 PM
"Microsoft's Surface Pro to ship with as little as 36% of advertised storage available to users"?AppleInsider?5:02 PM
"On day Apple announces 128GB iPad, Microsoft admits that Surface Pro ships with 83GB free"?9 to 5 Mac?3:58 PM
"Report: 128GB Surface Pro Only Has 83GB Free for Users"?DailyTech?8:28 AM
"Why Microsoft's Office 2013 Subscription Model Will Flop"?PC Magazine?11:17 AM
"Microsoft Office 2013 review: Designed for tablets, but great for everyone" ["The bad: The $100-a-year subscription will be hard for many people to swallow. The upgraded apps are not available for Mac at this time, and won't be for 12 to 18 months."]?CNET Reviews?9:36 AM
"Office 2013 Is a Big Improvement, but Needs Polish"?Mashable?8:30 AM
"Review: Microsoft Office 365 Home Premium Edition hopes to be at your service"?Ars Technica?8:28 AM
"Microsoft Office 2013 is here: Hands-on impressions and buying advice"?PCWorld?8:28 AM
"Most Popular iPad Keyboard: Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover"?Lifehacker?4:57 PM
"Top Tweaks For iPhone And iPad That Don't Require A Jailbreak"?Redmond Pie?1:26 PM
"After Being Removed For Porn, Photo-Sharing App 500px Is Back In Apple's App Store"?Business Insider?11:16 AM
"The New Office Is Here; Those Pesky iOS Apps Aren't"?AllThingsD?11:15 AM
"Macworld Live returns"?Macworld?11:14 AM
"500px Returns to the iOS App Store, Now Rated 17+"?Daring Fireball?4:26 PM
"500px Returns To The iOS App Store, With Mature Content Warning And Photo Reporting Button"?TechCrunch?11:14 AM
"Going to Macworld/iWorld? Come see Jacqui talk?twice: Ars' Apple Editor is doing Tech Talk on January 31 and a panel on February 1."?Ars Technica?10:40 AM
"Little Snitch sale, Yelp, 9GAG, USPS Mobile, Notabli, price drops, and more"?9 to 5 Mac?9:36 AM
"PadGadget Photobooth ? Check Out These Great Photography Magazines"?PadGadget?9:29 AM
"The Best Apps for New Parents"?Mashable?9:29 AM
"Macworld/iWorld 2013: MMT to reveal 'the future of mobile monitors'"?AppleTell?9:29 AM
"We're *This Close* To An iPhone 5 Jailbreak ? And It May Arrive As Soon As Sunday"?TechCrunch?8:59 AM
"Google Drive iOS update adds support for multiple photo/video uploads and more"?Digital Trends?8:18 AM
"Google Drive For iOS Gets Multiple Photo/Video Upload And Other Enhancements"?App Advice?8:08 AM
"Google updates Google Drive app"?AppleTell?8:06 AM
"Visual Voicemail on iPhone 5 now available for 4G EE customers"?Macworld UK?7:57 AM
"Qihoo Gets Double Dose Of Bad News As Apple Cuts Its iOS Apps And It Receives Unfair Competition Warning"?TechCrunch?7:57 AM
"LexisNexis Releases New Research, Litigation and Practical Guidance Tools Expanding its Comprehensive Portfolio of Legal Solutions"?Business Wire?7:49 AM
"THX Launches Its First Mobile iOS App to Help Consumers Properly Adjust and Get the Most from Their TV, Projector and Speakers"?Business Wire?7:49 AM
"Massive Dynamics Announces Completion of the First Production Run of the iPhone 5??Battery Pack"?Business Wire?7:49 AM
"ChordLab HD 3.0 Released"?prMac?7:49 AM
"Timeline: Minimalist Project Management v1.0 released for the iPad"?prMac?7:49 AM
"iPad Essay App Teaches How To Write Papers In Middle School"?prMac?7:48 AM
"Night Whisper Lane Scenario 2: Boss Rush Mode is Out Now"?prMac?7:48 AM
"New Microsoft Office: in the cloud or traditional software/Microsoft is expected to launch Tuesday its newest version of Office, which is available as a subscription ? another step in the company's evolution into a devices-and-services company."?Seattle Times?8:19 AM
"Microsoft's Cloud-Friendly Office 365 Launches"?Wired?8:43 AM
"Office 2013 goes on sale in Microsoft's UK store: The Inquirer (http://s.tt/1z5st)"?The Inquirer?8:13 AM
"Microsoft wants you to pay $100 a year for Office"?CNNMoney?8:16 AM
"Office 2013 available now: Microsoft ditches DVDs in push for cloud subscriptions"?The Verge?8:16 AM
"Microsoft won't deliver Office 365 updates for new business users until February"?ZDNet?11:04 AM
"Microsoft launches new Office for consumers"?Reuters?3:34 PM
"Microsoft pushes subscription model for Office 2013: Available for download beginning today, Office 2013 comes in a wide variety of versions. But Microsoft is hoping that you'll skip the one-time fee for a subscription model that delivers lots of updates to come."?CNET Reviews?8:15 AM
"Office boss: Within 10 years, every customer will subscribe/Kurt DelBene says that the software giant's push into services will lead to more and more customers opting for subscriptions to it its productivity application. But the transition from buying software to renting it will take as long as a decade."?CNET News?8:15 AM
"Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Dell Inc. (NASDAQ:DELL) Forming a Formidable Union"?The Point Daily?8:09 AM
"Popularity of Google Chrome-Based Laptops Impede Windows 8 Sales"?24/7 Wall St.?7:45 AM
"Google exposes HP printers to attack"?Fudzilla?7:37 AM
"HP is jumping on the Google Chromebook bandwagon"?Bangkok Post?2:25 PM
"HP lining up Pavilion Chromebook: New device, leaked temporarily on HP webiste, will Reportedly feature 14-inch display"?Techworld?7:37 AM
"Analysis: Dell LBO talks reveal other leverage options"?Reuters?2:18 PM
"Reports: Is HP Prepping a New Chromebook?"?The VAR Guy?7:36 AM
"Microsoft's Role a Sticking Point in Dell Buyout Talks"?WSJ.com [Paid Membership Required]?3:36 PM
"Microsoft wants influence over privatized Dell, Reports WSJ"?The Verge?3:34 PM
"Dell has four different mobile device management (MDM) products. What's their strategy here?"?Brian Madden?7:35 AM
"Dell XPS 13 ultrabook with high-res display due next week: Dell's XPS 13 ultrabook finally gets the high-resolution display the design deserves."?CNET News?4:00 PM
"Dell Inc Stock Upgraded (DELL)"?TheStreet?7:34 AM
"IBM Declares Quarterly DiVidend of $0.85 (IBM)"?JAGSReport?3:31 PM
"RIM works IBM conference"?Canada?3:32 PM
"IBM adds big data capabilities and Microsoft Office integration to Connections"?V3?7:59 AM
"IBM suggests how social business can work for healthcare, retail, gov't"?ZDNet?3:37 PM
"Q&A: IBM's GM of social business on C-level strategies, Microsoft, and Oracle"?ZDNet?7:59 AM
"Obama Cites Intel, Instagram As Examples Of Immigrant-Powered Companies"?Talking Points Memo?3:33 PM
"Intel promotes senior executives ahead of Otellini's exit"?The Inquirer?8:01 AM
"Intel Launches Celeron 927UE, 1020E and 1047UE Ivy Bridge CPUs"?Softpedia?7:53 AM
"Safaricom launches new smartphone in Africa with Intel Inside"?infoTECH?7:52 AM
"Nokia pours $250m into its VC business, grows China/Nokia Growth Partners has scored $250m in funding from Nokia and adds AMD China's president to its payroll, in order to grow business in the country."?ZDNet?7:47 AM
"Nokia invests $250m into venture capital business"?Mobile Magazine?7:47 AM
"Facebook, ARM, x86, and the data centre of tomorrow"?ITProPortal?7:46 AM
"Cisco Unified Access updates focus on addressing 'Internet of Things'"?ZDNet?7:51 AM
"Cisco Catalyst marries wired, wireless and SDN in one switch: Catalyst 3850 and 5760 WLAN controller offer consistent wireless and wired management, services through new programmable ASIC"?Network World?7:50 AM
"Unified Access is Cisco's Next-Gen Strategy"?Channelnomics?7:50 AM
"Cisco Finalizes Unified Access Strategy Lineup"?The VAR Guy?7:51 AM
"Cisco unveils hybrid wireless-wired network access kit"?V3?7:51 AM
"Oracle Wants Cloud Cake And Hardware Wins"?TechWeb News?8:53 AM
"Java Security Work Remains, Bug Hunter Says"?TechWeb News?8:54 AM
"Oracle Cloud Success Triggers Oracle-Derangement Syndrome"?Forbes?8:20 AM
"Three years later, has Oracle's Sun buy paid off? Cash flow has far exceeded purchase price, according to Oracle President Mark Hurd, but an investment researcher remains doubtful"?InfoWorld?3:35 PM
"Internet, social media least trusted industries for privacy: Google, Facebook, Yahoo, and AOL were just four of the tech companies missing from Ponemon's Top 20 list of the most trusted companies."?CNET News?1:22 PM
Finances
(Click heading for current Apple Stock price.)
Apple News
"Apple regains 'el numero uno' market-value crown: iPad reveal steals Microsoftian thunder on Office 365 day"?The Register?4:46 PM
"Facebook Gains on Apple in Wall Street Rating Race"?WSJ.com [Paid Membership Required]?4:47 PM
"From Apple to Where?" [Video Report]?CNBC?3:56 PM
"At Worst, Apple Is A $400 Stock"?Forbes?3:54 PM
"Who Sold Off Apple? One Fund Company's Multi-billion Dollar Dump"?Barron's?1:25 PM
"How Apple Gave Wall Street The Middle Finger"?Seeking Alpha?9:44 AM
"Apple dragging down hedge funds"?CNNMoney?8:19 AM
"Apple 'could be sued' for sitting on $137.1 billion cash, expert"?Macworld UK?7:57 AM
"Apple Supplier AMS Drops as Net Misses Estimates: Zurich Mover"?Bloomberg?8:18 AM
Industry News
"Stocks Close Mixed as Dow Hits 2007 High"?TheStreet?4:06 PM
"Yahoo, VMware, EMC drive down techs: Shares tumble on earnings results; Apple gains on new iPad news"?MarketWatch?4:08 PM
"Futures Slip as Traders Digest Data, Earnings"?FOXBusiness?8:58 AM
"Asia Markets: Asia stocks end mostly higher; Hong Kong lags/Asia markets rose Tuesday, with Japan stocks boosted by a solid rally in banks, although Hong Kong shares lagged behind, weighed by Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd. after Goldman Sachs Group Inc. pared its stake in the lender."?MarketWatch?8:57 AM
"Europe Markets: Europe stocks key off Wall Street gains/Oil firms led European stocks higher on Tuesday, as oil prices topped $97 a barrel for the first time since mid-September, while encouraging German consumer-confidence data and solid U.S. earnings reports also lifted sentiment."?MarketWatch?3:38 PM
SKYE Condominiums inUptown Charlotte?s Second Ward is the up-and-coming, hippest mixed-use development to hit the city!? Formerly The Park Condos, SKYE is located at the corner of S. Caldwell and E. 3rd Streets and features 67 luxury residential condominiums on floors 14-21with 2 penthouse suites, atop a 172-room Hyatt Place hotel and ground-floor retail space.
The cherry on top of this glass, brick, granite, stucco and metal exterior hip, new complex is going to be a fabulous rooftop restaurant and bar featuring 360? panoramic views of Charlotte?s gorgeous skyline.
Uptown Charlotte is the premier live/work (and play!) community in the area. ?Such convenience to arts, sporting events, concerts, fine dining, shopping?simply?everything Charlotte!
A rooftop pool
Sun deck
7,800 square feet of green, landscaped gardens
Conversation areas
Theatre room
Game room
Party room/kitchen
Fitness center
Valet services
Controlled-access parking
24-hour concierge services
5 elevator banks
24-hour security
172-room limited-service hotel
Valet parking service
5-story parking garage
Rooftop restaurant and bar
Valet laundry service
Bicycle storage
Private mail room
Limited number of private storage units available
?
What more could you ask for in luxury and convenience in Uptown Charlotte?!
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?Debe Maxwell | [email?protected] |?SKYE Condominiums in Uptown Charlotte ? Hip, New and Happening!
Debe
I am a full-time REALTOR? personally specializing in historic homes and luxury home sales in the Charlotte NC real estate market. My team specializes in a variety of areas including first time home buyers, condos and townhomes as well as single family home sales and marketing. ?
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Workers set up signage on the red carpet before the 19th annual SAG Awards on Saturday, Jan 26, 2013 in Los Angeles. The SAG Awards will be held Jan. 27, 2013. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)
Workers set up signage on the red carpet before the 19th annual SAG Awards on Saturday, Jan 26, 2013 in Los Angeles. The SAG Awards will be held Jan. 27, 2013. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)
Seating placards for the 19th annual SAG Awards are seen inside the Shrine Auditorium on Saturday, Jan 26, 2013 in Los Angeles. The SAG Awards will be held Jan. 27, 2013. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)
Rico Rodriguez, left, and Nolan Gould roll out the red carpet for the 19th annual SAG Awards on Saturday, Jan 26, 2013 in Los Angeles. The SAG Awards will be held Jan. 27, 2013. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)
An Actor statue for the 19th annual SAG Awards are seen on stage, Saturday, Jan 26, 2013 in Los Angeles. The SAG Awards will be held Jan. 27, 2013. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)
FILE - Dick Van Dyke, left, and Mary Tyler Moore co-stars of The Dick Van Dyke Show pose backstage at the Palladium with the Emmys won in the Television Academy's 16th annual awards show, in Los Angeles, Calif. They won the Emmy Award for best actor and actress in a series. Van Dyke is the recipient of the Life Achievement Award at the upcoming 19th Annual SAG Awards ceremony on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. (AP Photo, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? A puzzling Academy Awards season will sort itself out a bit more on Sunday with the Screen Actors Guild Awards, where top performers gather to honor their own in what often is a prelude for who'll go home with an Oscar.
Among nominees for the 19th annual guild awards are Oscar winners Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones for the Civil War epic "Lincoln"; Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway for the Victor Hugo musical adaptation "Les Miserables"; and Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and Oscar recipient Robert De Niro for the oddball romance "Silver Linings Playbook."
De Niro and Jones are in an exclusive supporting-actors group where all five nominees are past Oscar winners. The others are Alan Arkin for the Iran hostage-crisis thriller "Argo," Javier Bardem for the James Bond adventure "Skyfall" and Philip Seymour Hoffman for the cult drama "The Master."
Honors from the actors union, next weekend's Directors Guild of America Awards and Saturday night's Producers Guild of America Awards ? whose top honor went to "Argo" ? typically help to establish clear favorites for the Oscars.
But Oscar night on Feb. 24 looks more uncertain this time after some top directing prospects, including Ben Affleck for "Argo" and Kathryn Bigelow for "Zero Dark Thirty," missed out on nominations. Both films were nominated for best picture, but a movie rarely wins the top Oscar if its director is not also in the running.
Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" would seem the Oscar favorite with 12 nominations. Yet "Argo" and Affleck were surprise best-drama and director winners at the Golden Globes, and then there's Saturday's Producers Guild win for "Argo," leaving the Oscar race looking like anybody's guess.
The Screen Actors Guild honors at least should help to establish solid front-runners for the stars. All four of the guild's individual acting winners often go on to receive the same prizes at the Academy Awards.
Last year, the guild went just three-for-four ? with lead actor Jean Dujardin of "The Artist" and supporting players Octavia Spencer of "The Help" and Christopher Plummer of "Beginners" also taking home Oscars. The guild's lead-actress winner, Viola Davis of "The Help," missed out on the Oscar, which went to Meryl Streep for "The Iron Lady."
The guild also presents an award for overall cast performance, its equivalent of a best-picture honor. The nominees are "Argo," ''The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," ''Les Miserables," ''Lincoln" and "Silver Linings Playbook."
Yet the cast prize has a spotty record at predicting the eventual best-picture recipient at the Oscars. Only eight of 17 times since the guild added the category has the cast winner gone on to take the best-picture Oscar. "The Help" won the guild's cast prize last year, while Oscar voters named "The Artist" as best picture.
Such past guild cast winners as "The Birdcage," ''Gosford Park" and "Inglourious Basterds" also failed to take the top Oscar.
Airing live on TNT and TBS, the show features nine television categories, as well.
The SAG ceremony also includes awards for film and TV stunt ensemble. The film stunt nominees are "The Amazing Spider-Man," ''The Bourne Legacy," ''The Dark Knight Rises," ''Les Miserables" and "Skyfall."
Receiving the guild's life-achievement award is Dick Van Dyke, who presented the same prize last year to his "The Dick Van Dyke Show" co-star, Mary Tyler Moore. Van Dyke's award will be presented by his 1960s sitcom's creator and co-star, Carl Reiner, and Alec Baldwin.
After the NFC jumped out in front 10-7 in the Pro Bowl?s initial 16 minutes, Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson briefly returned the lead to the AFC by reading Giants quarterback Eli Manning?s eyes in zone coverage and picking off Eli?s pass, which was intended for Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph.
Johnson beat everyone to the house for a 42-yard pick six, putting the AFC up 14-10 early in the second quarter.
The NFC rallied back on its next drive, keyed by a BeastMode run out of Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch. Lynch shed five tackles for a vicious 12-yard gain, easily the best run of a Pro Bowl that has so far been decidedly pass happy.
Two snaps after Lynch?s run, Eli hit Giants teammate Victor Cruz for a nine-yard touchdown on an in route out of the slot, giving the NFC the lead back at 17-14. Cruz, as he is known to do, performed a quick salsa dance in the end zone to celebrate.
Trailing by three points midway through the second quarter, the AFC replaced Peyton Manning at quarterback with Matt Schaub of the Texans. On a 40-yard bomb attempt intended for Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas, Schaub was intercepted by Falcons safety William Moore. Moore returned the pick 27 yards to the NFC 28.
Eli got aggressive with under three minutes remaining in the first half. He noticed Rudolph in Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali?s coverage down the right sideline, waved Rudolph to continue his route downfield, and hit him for a deep gain of 52 behind a lumbering Hali.
The first flag of the game was called on Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey toward the end of the second quarter. When explaining the penalty, official Ed Hochuli made sure to announce that ?Yes, there are penalties in the Pro Bowl.? (Yes, Hochuli really said that.)
Bailey was covering Bucs receiver Vincent Jackson in the end zone when whistled, so the ball was placed at the AFC?s one-yard line.
Lynch punched it in from a yard out, increasing the NFC?s lead to 24-14. Eli led yet another touchdown drive to close out the half, going 75 yards in the final 68 seconds with a three-yard scoring strike to Rudolph to cap it off.
As of halftime, top performers in the 2013 Pro Bowl so far have included Rudolph (five catches, game-high 122 yards, one touchdown), Jackson (five catches, 86 yards, one touchdown) and Cruz (game-high eight catches, 66 yards, touchdown).
Through two quarters, Rudolph is the favorite for Pro Bowl MVP.
The Supreme Court recently granted a writ of certiorari in the highly controversial case Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad.In the coming months, the Court will determine whether the genetic material claimed by Myriad?s composition patents is patentable subject matter under Section 101 of the Patent Act. The high profile case has generated a widespread debate often framed as whether genes should be patentable. To the extent that the patentability of genetic material is not the specific question at issue in Myriad, such publicity may be misleading or overstate the impact of the Supreme Court?s decision.This post seeks to serve as a reminder that a holding in favor of Myriad would only establish that the claims at issue meet one of the many requirements of our patent system.
The nonobviousness and written description requirements set forth in sections 103 and 112 of the Patent Act provide additional and, some argue, more effective filters for claims directed towards genetic material. According to some academics, these requirements have been much further developed in the case law, are more finely tuned to address patents on genetic material, and provide more appropriate filters for separating truly inventive additions to human knowledge from unpatentable matter. Two landmark cases illustrate how these requirements have been used to invalidate claims directed towards genetic material.
First, the Federal Circuit invalidated patent claims for failing to meet the written description requirement in Regents of the University of California v. Eli Lilly & Co. The patent specification described cDNA encoding rat insulin, which the court held did not give the patentee a right to also claim the cDNA encoding human insulin. The court emphasized that even if the disclosure was sufficient to enable a person of skill in the art to make and use that cDNA, it still failed to meet the written description requirement. On the other hand, the court noted, a recitation of the actual nucleotide sequence would suffice. As some scholars argue, the requirement so applied compels applicants ?to spell out the exact sequence of all the DNA they hope to claim, rather than just the function of the genes.? Denise DeFranco argues that the primary goal of applying the requirement in this way to biotechnology patents ?is to limit inventors to their actual inventions.? Indeed, at the time the Plaintiffs in Eli Lilly applied for the patent claiming human insulin, they had only cloned the rat insulin gene, and did not clone the human insulin gene until two years later.
In another significant biotechnology case in 2009, In re Kubin, the Federal Circuit invalidated patent claims on obviousness grounds. The case involved a claim to the isolation and sequencing of a gene encoding a protein domain known as NAIL. In light of the prior art references, which taught a prophetic method for isolating the gene that codes for the NAIL protein as well as a probe specific to the protein, the court held that the claims were invalid.Prior to this holding, similar patents had been upheld even when the prior art included as much or more information as that considered in Kubin, such as the actual polypeptide sequence of the protein at issue and not just a probe for the protein. This decision has thus been characterized as ?a major change in the law that will lower the bar for finding biotechnology patents obvious.? Joanne Kwan postulates that following Kubin, biotech inventions such as claims to isolated genes that encode particular proteins may now be routinely invalidated as obvious under Section 103.
This post does not comment on the social desirability of allowing patents on genetic material, nor on the legal merits of the arguments in Myriad. Rather, it seeks to highlight that the question raised by the patentable subject matter challenge in Myriad is a narrow one, a ?coarse eligibility filter? in the words of the Federal Circuit. The Patent Act provides a number of other requirements to ensure that patents on genetic material aren?t improvidently granted when, for example, the inventors have not actually cloned the gene they are claiming, or when the protein of interest, a motivation to isolate the gene coding for that protein, and illustrative instructions for cloning the gene already exist in the prior art. Regardless of the precedent ultimately set by Myriad, these and other additional statutory requirements will continue to have a significant impact on the validity of patent claims directed to genetic material.
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