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PALO ALTO, California (AFP) – Facebook on Wednesday moved to become the heart of smartphone lifestyles PA3672U-1BRS battery by making it easy for people to find deals at nearby shops and connect with mobile softwareapplications.

The world’s top online social networking service updated its mobile platform to let people check into third-party applications with a click of a Satellite E105 battery Facebook sign-in icon and also let them see bargains available at local businesses.

“There is obviously a lot of change in the mobile space,” Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said during a press eventat the firm’s headquarters in the California city of Palo Alto.

“There is also a revolution happening in the social space,” he continued.

“You can rethink any product area to be social, where all interactions involve someone’s friends… That makes some really big opportunities for new companies to get built and more industries to get disrupted.”

Facebook is intent on being a platform for socializing done using applications on mobile phones, regardless of who makes the devices or the programs, according to Zuckerberg.

“There has been this rumor floating around recently that Facebook is going to build a phone… No,” Zuckerberg said.

“Our goal is to make it so that no matter what (mobile phone) platform you are writing for, it can be social.”

Two of the three announcements made by Facebook were aimed at software makers, with the social network eliminating the need to type in passwords for mobile applications and opening a location-based “Places” feature to programs crafted for smartphones running on Google-backed Android handsets.

A “Deals” feature unveiled by Facebook promised to resonate with users and businesses by tapping into location-sensing features of mobile phones to connect people with bargains at local shops, restaurants or bars.

Deals applications on smartphones would list promotions and other enticements nearby establishments post to lure customers.

“I see this as a game changer in the location-based services field,” said Forrester analyst Augie Ray. “I think this advances Facebook’s goals of being at the center of consumers’ virtual worlds.”

Facebook Deals comes as a threat to Foursquare, a popular service that lets people “check-in” at spots using smartphones and then letting selected friends know where each other are.

Facebook has more than 500 million users worldwide compared with approximately five million people at Foursquare, according to Ray.

Facebook is giving people incentives to check in by rewarding them with discounts or other rewards from local merchants.

“So many people have said there is no reason to check in at these location-based services,” Ray said. “Now, there is a reason for moms, kids, or just about anyone to check in using Facebook.”

Zuckerberg said that Facebook gets no money from promotions posted at Deals and that user privacy remained a priority.

Businesses can pay for ads to be posted at Deals pages, and if the service results in a deluge of promotions posted by local shops that could open the door for Facebook to charge for priority placement of offers.

“Once Deals is adopted there will be demand to differentiate deals,” Ray said of the potential for Facebook to eventually make money from the service.

About 200 million people use Facebook mobile applications, according to Zuckerberg.

Facebook has been beefing up its team devoted to programs for Android smartphones.

The single sign-on feature for third-party applications is intended to deal with a lament that trying to type on tiny keypads on smartphones is so frustrating that people don’t bother with programs.

“For the applications that are important to you, you are willing to go through the pain,” Facebook mobile product manager Erick Tseng said.

“In an age where we measure Internet searches in milliseconds and we expect online video to start immediately, removing friction counts.”

Online social computer game star Zynga and coupon service Groupon were among Internet services that had single sign-in features in place on Wednesday.

Launch partners for Facebook Deals included fast-food giant McDonald’s and Starbucks coffee shop chain.

Facebook teams are working on making software developers kits to various handset platforms, with Android and iPhone as priorities.

Zuckerberg made it clear that iPad is not in its targeted line-up of gadgets.

“IPad’s not mobile, it’s a computer, Satellite E105-S1402 battery” Zuckerberg said. “It’s a different thing. Sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude toApple; we love Apple here.”

India is well recognized in the world as the leader in innovative IT services and the tourism and hospitality industry of India has taken the right steps to put efficient technological tools and benefits of global networking to use, to market and promote its products and services, and offer better services to their clients.

The best travel agents in India have grown out of rigid, inflexible tour packages and entered a more mature phase of tourism growth and development by incorporating the use of technology and Internet and offering world-class experiences to their clients. To keep up with the growing demand of tailored India holidays and unique and exclusive experiences on luxury India tours, it has become imperative for a travel agent in India to be aware of market segmentation, introduce enough flexibility in its tours, operate in an increasingly competitive and complex environment, and form a network of close associates in best hotels and high quality tourism services.

Internet provides them with instant communication facilities while highly complex software applications and CRM systems allow them to track various processes at once and deal with any glitches in time. Some of the benefits offered by an India travel agent that optimizes the use of technology include: · Value Addition to Products and Special Offers: Internet makes it very easy for a person to collect information and compare competing products on net.

They can easily check out which online travel agent in India is offering special offers, better hotels, and better facilities. Best travel agents in India keep an eye on new entrants in the market and design niche products by packing in more comforts and facilities, and giving more choice to their customers by personalizing their services.

The research, tracking of various processes, and the communication with the clients are three most important areas where technology plays a key role in tourism industry. · · Smart Pricing: Cost-effective India tour packages, discounts, and smart pricing are what everyone is looking for. And India travel agents understand it well. So, when it’s not the peak tourism season, they still manage to get significant business by cutting down their profit margins or offering you attractive discounts or freebies according to the fluctuation in demand.

An extra night free in your favourite hotel or a complimentary dinner for two sounds good to tourists and India travel agents are always ready to take the extra step to make you feel satisfied. Smart pricing offers means that you may get a hotel room for less during weekdays or in the summers in Goa, depending on the business cycle of the region. · · Industry Networking: One big advantage of Information Technology is that it has become easier to connect to other participants in the value chain. An India travel agent can offer value additions to its customers by linking up to other quality tourism and hospitality service providers as associates, affiliates, or on revenue sharing basis.

Bigger the network, more empowered is the travel agent to offer a better match to customer preferences. Technological advancements also help travel agents in India to always remain in touch with their guests – be it on phone or on net. This allows them to resolve their problems, change their programs according to their requests, and provide them immediate assistance in case of an emergency.

Satellite Views provide Satellite pictures for many countries such as USA, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. More countries will be added up to the list as and when Google Maps set up in other countries.

Besides providing Free Satellite Views and Maps of Over 5.9 million places, they have made it easier for users to explore other views of the world by categorising them. In the USA, states that are listed: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware , Washington DC, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii , Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Other countries include Africa, Asia, Europe, Egypt, China, France, Kenya, India, Germany, Mozambique, Japan, Italy, South Africa, Russia, Norway, Uganda, North Korea, United Kingdom, Middle East, Afghanistan, Gaza Strip, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria, West Bank, North America, Australia – Oceania, South America, Canada, Australia, Argentina, Mexico, Hong Kong, Brazil, Guatemala, Malaysia, Chile, Panama, New Zealand, and Nicaragua.

Personally I feel it’s cool to view your house via a Satellite View. If you want to see your house in a satellite’s view, you can scroll down at the bottom of this page where there is a link that will give you a satellite view of your house, provided by Satellite Views.

Satellite Views can be able to provide satellite views from over 5.9 million locations worldwide. With the use of mapping service of Google and geodata from Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) databases, they give you very clear pictures of your street, block and rooftop.
Satellite Views have been present since December 2005 and are not affiliated with or sponsored by Google nor GNIS.

People ask: I want to see a satellite view of my house! Surely, thanks to technology, you may view a satellite view of your house right here in this website for free. Besides that, you can also view satellite street map views; It’s incredible why many people would a live satellite view of their houses. “Watching over” live satellite aerial view would give you a complete picture of your neighbourhood and surroundings. So if you asked: A live satellite view of my house or a free satellite view of my house. This is the right place!

Find out more information about viewing your house via a satellite by visiting my website at
Try it and you will love it, share it with friends and family. Satellite views are the “in” thing nowadays, save it as desktop wallpaper or show it to your friends whose coming over, it will serve as a detail direction.

ICx Technologies (NASDAQ: ICXT) is a leader in the development and integration of advanced sensor technologies for homeland security, force protection, and commercial applications. Its proprietary sensors detect and identify chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive threats. They deliver superior awareness and actionable intelligence for wide-area surveillance, intrusion detection, and facility security. Today, it announced that it has recently been awarded two advanced technology demonstration contracts by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency- the Hazard Mitigation Material and Equipment Restoration (HaMMER) and Rapid Area Sensitive Site Reconnaissance (RASR) programs. These 2 awards are valued at up to $9.1 million.

With HaMMER, ICx plans to further develop its Agentase Disclosure Spray and its ‘smart’ strippable coatings, providing the detection of the presence of chemical warfare agents on a surface and identifying their location. HaMMER is aimed at developing an integrated system of decontaminants, applications, and processes that provide a means to mitigate chemical and biological hazards. Consequently, ICx’s solution fits right into HaMMER’s program. With the information provided by the Agentase Disclosure Spray, first responders can focus their decontamination efforts and are able to immediately tell if their efforts were effective.

Under RASR, ICx will develop a semi-autonomous standoff detection system to provide rapid reconnaissance for hazardous chemicals, homemade-explosives, and radioactive materials. As part of this project, ICx will integrate standoff detection and identification technologies with semi-autonomous mapping capability for the clearing of potentially hazardous areas.
 

 

“Advanced technology Demonstrations, or ATDs, are a critical aspect of transitioning new technologies to the warfighter,” said Colin Cumming, CEO of ICx Technologies. “ICx is pleased that our technologies and integration capabilities will be employed within these two important programs and anticipate successful technology transitions because of them.”

To view this article at World Market Media click on the link below: http://www.worldmarketmedia.com/779/section.aspx/1864/post/icx-technologies-inc-nasdaq-icxt-261m-marketcap-wins-defense-threat-reduction-agency-awards-valued-at-up-to-91m

Disclosure: no positions

Only last month we reported here at canon Copiers on the surprise release of two new photocopiers ranges from Canon, the iR ADV 6000 and the iR ADV 8000, which complete the formidable imageRUNNER Advance portfolio. The iR ADV 8000 is Canon’s solution for light production monochrome printing and comes in to replace the ageing iR 7000 range. It’s an impressive package – more compact and versatile than its predecessor and also much easier to use. And even before the Canon imageRUNNER advance 8000’s full UK release (which is taking place in June), it’s already been singled-out for praise by a leading industry authority. The 8105 black and white photocopier/printer, the highest performance model in the 8000 range has just been awarded Honourable Mention at the Best of Show Awards at this year’s On Demand expo in the US.

On Demand

On Demand is the leading digital printing and automated production show and is the largest expo of its kind, dedicated to technologies which personalise, manage, print and deliver content. For fifteen years running, printing, IT and communications professionals have gathered at On Demand to see all the latest solutions and better understand the ways in which their industries are developing and increasingly, converging.

Best of Show

The ‘Best of Show’ Awards Program is now in its fifth year. It’s a joint collaboration between the On Demand Conference and Expo organisers and InfoTrends, a leading market research and consulting firm in the digital imaging and document solutions industry. The founding idea, as On Demand Event Director, Debra Brown put it, has been to recognise

“cutting-edge solutions that are pioneering new technologies in the digital printing marketplace.”

This year, the Best of Show Awards were judged across nine different categories by an expert panel chosen from the printing and graphic arts community. These categories being – 1:1 Communications, Bindery Finishing and Mailing Equipment, Colour Digital Printing Equipment, Innovative Use of Technology, Monochrome Digital Printing Equipment, Print MIS/ERP, Web-to-Print solutions and Workflow Solutions.

The awards were open to all On Demand exhibitors and to be eligible company’s products must have been available after April 2009 and have been generally available at the time of On Demand which was held in April 2010.

Black and White Photocopiers

canon is truly delighted to have received Honourable Mention, Best of Show, in the Monochrome Digital Printing selection. While judges at the awards never release information on their choices, it is almost certain two very innovative aspects of the Canon imageRUNNER Advance’s design and build will have stood out for them. As Canon’s recent Third Insight Report into the effects of the recession highlighted, adaptability in the printing industry is becoming increasingly important. The new Canon imageRUNNER Advance 8000 is designed to expand or compact, depending on user requirements, and the Advanced Space design which has already proved an enormous draw on the imageRUNNER Advance colour equivalent, is likely to have proved a real hit with the selection panel. As Trevor Dodsworth, Head of Product Marketing, Canon Business Solutions UK commented,

“The scalability offered by the new devices is crucial to our customers, enabling them to increase their capabilities as their customer profile and work mix changes, or as digital volumes grow. It was a natural move for Canon to introduce the new black and white printers which will provide the same user benefits and will therefore, we believe, be a very attractive proposition for CRDs (Central Reprographics Departments) in particular.”

Green Black and White Printers

In addition to the Canon imageRUNNER Advance 8000’s scalability options, the machine’s environmental credentials, like others on the imageRUNNER Advance platform, should have given the judges some pause for thought. canon, it seems, has been doing more than any other manufacturer in recent years to limit the environmental impact of its office business solutions. The imageRUNNER Advance has been designed through canon’s Life Cycle Assessment product design system to minimise the device’s carbon emissions throughout the entire life cycle, from manufacturer and supplier logistics to delivery and energy consumption during use. And with green technology innovations such as increasing use of recycled materials in the build and the incorporation of bioplastics, it’s expected that the new series will reduce total associated CO2 emissions by as much as 30%. It is also expected that the new monochrome imageRUNNER Advance 8000 series will offer the lowest Total Energy Consumption in its class (TEC, as defined by ENERGY STAR®).

canon Copiers is delighted with the news from On Demand and is thrilled to be one of the first Canon Solutions Partners to be able to offer the new Ir ADV 8000 series for sale from June 2010. The company’s Sales Director told us,

“We’re overjoyed by the news from On Demand expo in the US. To be recognised by one of the leading authorities in the States is a major coup for canon, and this even before the product’s been formally released for sale in the UK! …but we all genuinely feel this time that a product which is not only better performing but also much kinder to the environment than anything in its class at the moment, deserves all the praise it gets.”