Construction of world's tallest statue begins in India

AHMEDABAD - Indian farmers were urged Thursday to hand over scraps of metal and tools for the world's tallest statue, as construction began on what promoters hope will be a wonder of the world.

The tribute to Sardar Patel, the first home minister of independent India, is set to be twice the size of the Statue of Liberty and four times higher than Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.

The metal structure, a pet project of opposition leader Narendra Modi in his home state of Gujarat, will rise 182 meters (600 feet) from an island in the Narmada river when completed in four years' time.

Modi laid the foundation stone on Thursday and urged farmers to donate tools which will be melted down and used in the memorial to a politician nicknamed the "Iron Man of India."

"People come to see the Taj Mahal, flock to America for the Statue of Liberty and France for the Eiffel Tower. Now people from all over the world will come here to see this wonder," Modi said.

"We have asked farmers from every village in India to give old pieces of their agricultural tools, just 200 grams or 400 grams would do," he added from the site at Kevadia, 170 kilometers (105 miles) from Gujarat's biggest city Ahmedabad.

A metal collection effort covering nearly 700,000 villages across the country will begin Thursday and last until January 26 next year, state officials said.

The total cost of the statue is estimated at 25 billion rupees ($300 million) and will be funded with public funds and private donations.

When finished, it will tower by 54 meters over the 128-meter Spring Temple Buddha in China's Henan province which is currently the world's tallest statue.

The memorial has strong political undertones as it honors an independence hero who spent his life in the Congress party, the main rival of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in national elections next year.

Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, suggested earlier this week that Patel, who is from Gujarat, would have made a better leader than India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

This was a provocative dig at India's modern-day Gandhi political dynasty, led by Congress chief Sonia and her son Rahul, who are descended from Nehru.

The family has ruled for most of India's post-independence history.

The theme of national unity represented by Patel is also attractive to Modi as he tries to paint himself as a secular, centrist candidate in the diverse country of 1.2 billion people.

The Hindu nationalist was chief minister of Gujarat in 2002 when religious riots targeting Muslims left at least 1,000 dead and led to accusations he did too little to stop the violence.

One of his ministers was convicted of instigating the carnage, but he has been cleared of wrongdoing in various official investigations.

Patel was a close friend and ally of Mahatma Gandhi, with whom he shared a prison cell, and became the leader of the Congress Party in 1934.

His lasting legacy was forged in his role as India's first home minister, when he was tasked with moulding a united country from hundreds of semi-autonomous princely states and British-era colonial provinces.

Work on the statue will be undertaken by Turner Construction, the company behind the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. — Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

Elderly exercisers have fewer broken bones after falls

NEW YORK - Older adults who exercise are less likely to fall, but if they do, they're also less likely to get hurt, a new analysis suggests.

Researchers found that older adults taking part in fall prevention exercise programs were about 37 percent less likely to be injured during a tumble, compared to non-exercising participants.

"Falls are recognized as a serious and common medical problem experienced by older adults, but it's also widely known that falls are preventable, and that exercise is an efficient way to prevent them," Fabienne El-Khoury, the study's lead author, told Reuters Health in an email.

"However there was no clear evidence that exercise (programs) can also reduce severe or more moderate injuries caused by falls, even though injuries due to falls have serious medical, psychological and economic consequences," El-Khoury added.

She is a doctoral candidate at the University of Paris-Sud and at INSERM, the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research.

Between 30 to 40 percent of people age 65 or older fall at least once each year, according to the government-backed US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). About five to 10 percent of those people will have a serious injury such as a hip fracture.

For older adults who live independently and are at a high risk for falls, the USPSTF recommends exercise or physical therapy and/or vitamin D supplements.

Older people who are at a high risk for falls include those with a history of falls, mobility problems and those who have trouble getting up from a chair and walking.

While several studies have found that exercise programs reduce tumbles, the researchers wondered whether those programs also prevented injuries if older adults did fall.

For the analysis, published in BMJ, El-Khoury and her colleagues used data from 17 previous studies comparing 2,195 people assigned to take part in exercise programs and 2,110 people who were not.

The average age of the people included in the analysis was about 77 years old and more than three quarters of the participants were women.

Overall, the researchers found that people in the exercise group were about 37 percent less likely to be injured during a fall, compared to the non-exercisers. Those injuries could be anything from bruises to broken bones.

The exercisers were 61 percent less likely to have broken bones after falls, and 43 percent less likely to experience a fall leading to any injury serious enough to warrant admission to a hospital.

El-Khoury said it's hard to know how many injuries those reduced risks represent, because all of the studies reported injuries differently. Also, results varied between studies.

For example, there were 81 injuries per 100 people over a year in the exercise group of one study included in the analysis. There were 134 injuries per 100 people over a year for the non-exercise group.

In other studies, researchers have found no such difference between groups based on exercise.

When there is a difference, Yvonne Michael, who has studied falls among older people but wasn't involved in the new analysis, said the reason could be that the bodies of people who exercise are better at absorbing a fall.

The authors suggest the minds of people who exercise may also be sharper than those of non-exercisers and they can respond better to falling, for instance by grabbing onto something.

Michael said the findings are consistent with previous studies, but there is still uncertainty about which exercise programs work best.

In the new analysis the programs emphasized exercises to improve balance, but most had several components. Three of the included studies used Tai Chi.

It's also uncertain whether routine activities, such as gardening, walking and mowing the lawn, are just as good as more structured exercise programs.

"It's harder to test the routine activity because it doesn't fit well into a randomized controlled trial setting," said Michael, an associate professor at the Drexel University School of Public Health in Philadelphia.

She added, however, that people living in urban or suburban areas should be able to find structured exercise programs through their local senior center. Also, some medical plans include exercise programs for older adults.

Those are typically low cost and may even be included in some insurance plans, she said.
"I think the evidence continues to grow in terms of the benefit of physical activity," Michael said. "It seems like there's really no downside to staying active." —Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Retina iPad Mini may be launched Nov. 21

Apple's much-awaited Retina iPad mini tablet may launch on Nov. 21, if a product listing on a US retailer's site is any indication.

Enthusiast site MacRumors.com cited the listing on Target.com, which showed the product had a release date of Nov. 21.

"(It suggests) Apple's new tablet could make its debut on the Thursday before Thanksgiving. Thus far, Apple has not provided a prospective release date for its iPad mini with Retina Display, offering up only broad November launch plans," it said.

The product listing was still live on Target.com as of Thursday afternoon, Manila time.


It suggested the new tablet would sell for $399.99, and would feature 16GB of storage and Wi-Fi, and is available in space gray and black.

MacRumors said that while a November 21 launch date could be a simple guess by Target, it is a "logical release day" as it falls before Thanksgiving "and more importantly, before Black Friday, which is a major shopping holiday in the United States."

Also, it said a late November launch may give Apple a chance to focus on the iPad Air for most of the month.

"It is unclear, however, why Apple would choose to launch the Retina mini on a Thursday, as product releases typically fall on a Friday," it said.

The Retina iPad mini will run on an A7 processor, but is said to be in very short supply.

MacRumors cited a recent report saying stock of the Retina iPad mini will be "ridiculously tight" until early 2014.

"Though supplies of the Retina mini will be low, Apple is said to have a large quantity of iPad Airs available for purchase, which will likely alleviate some of the demand for the smaller tablet. Apple's iPad Air will go on sale this Friday, with online orders beginning at 12:01 AM in the United States and at varying times in other countries," it added. — TJD, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Google brews interactive witch doodle for Halloween

Google on Thursday had visitors to its site join in the Halloween fun with an interactive doodle starring the "Halloween witch."

Visitors to Google's homepage (www.google.com) were greeted with a doodle of a green, grim-faced witch reading her spell book, with a Play button waiting to be clicked.

Clicking on the Play button will trigger several instances of witchery where the user is asked to choose which of four items to throw into her pot - an apple, a bone, a bottle, and a skull.

Among the supposedly spooky results are a group of jack-o-lanterns, spiders, and hands rising from the grave.

In the meantime, a spooky sound plays in the background.

However, clicking on the spyglass outside the doodle will take the user to a Google Search Results page for "Halloween witch."

"As it falls on the eve of All Saints' Day, it has a religious significance for some Christians otherwise it is nowadays observed largely as a secular celebration," noted IBN Live.  — ELR, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Sugaring: A 'sweeter' way to remove hair

Ouch. Whoever said going Brazilian would not be painful is a liar.

Some methods of body hair removal—like the popular Brazilian wax—is like ripping hundreds of Band-Aids off your skin.

But now there's a gentler and more natural alternative for removing unwanted hair down there and everywhere else: sugaring.

Sugaring uses a sticky mixture of lemon juice, sugar, and water that is applied on the skin and then peeled off, taking hair with it.

According to the website of Barenaked Sugaring Salon, sugaring uses 100 percent natural and water-soluble sugar paste, unlike waxing, which uses waxes that contain resin and are difficult to remove, needing solvents and “much effort.”



Sugaring also uses "food-grade sugar," says Barenaked franchisee Tsin Pajaro-Inocian, whose salon is in Glorietta 5, Makati. "Usually what we do is we put it on a spoon and make our customers taste it. It has no chemicals.

"Second, our technique is different. Waxing removes hair in the opposite direction, unlike  sugaring where we make sure to remove hair towards the natural direction of the hair. So we have less breakage, therefore less ingrown hair. It's less painful because we put less stress on the hair when we remove it."

Sensitive parts

In a bikini hair removal treatment, the attendants clean up just the sides and top of one’s bikini line or anything that would show while wearing a bathing suit.

A Brazilian is the removal of all hair around one’s private parts. After getting a Brazilian sugaring service, "you will notice that you smell better, you don't sweat as much," says Inocian.

"I think the reason why girls get this [type of treatment] is because when they have their period then there's no hair na kinakapitan ng blood and you smell so much better," she says. "You feel so clean kasi sugar is naturally anti-bacterial."

Inocian explains that Brazilian sugaring is especially painful for first-timers especially as the skin around one’s private parts is very sensitive.

Dimple, a salon attendant, says that some of their clients make angry noises or even push her away while she's removing unwanted hair.

However, once they see the results, the pleased clients just smile, Dimple says.

Sugaring 101

Barenaked, which is owned by sisters Ces and Emalaine Garcia, who studied sugaring in the US, also advises clients to avoid these for a few hours after a sugaring session:
Perfumes, scented creams/lotions, and deodorant (for those who had their underarms sugared)
Heat (hot baths/steam rooms/sauna)
Direct sunlight
Perspiration
Touching freshly sugared area with dirty hands, and
Wearing tight or restrictive clothing.

The salon also urges its clients not to be alarmed when they experience skin spotting (tiny red spots), which is quite normal after a treatment and which should soon disappear. And to lessen the sting and reduce redness on sensitive skin, clients must apply an ice cold compress for about two to three minutes at a time, two to three times a day.

In between sugaring treatments, clients must exfoliate gently with water-based lotions to prevent breakouts and ingrown hairs, and to keep their skin hydrated in between treatments.

Pros and cons of various hair removal methods

Before deciding to avail of a sugaring hair removal treatment, you may want to compare it with other types of hair removal:

The website ph.ShoppingLifestyle.com lists the pros and cons of some hair removal methods, such as:

1. Shaving: A low-risk, inexpensive, convenient and popular method—not to mention a painless one, save for the occasional nick—that, while it does not cause hair to grow more quickly, will nevertheless mean you will have to deal with the hair growing back the next day.

2. Tweezing: Another inexpensive method that doesn't require the services of a professional, but can take up quite a bit of your time. For many people it can be quite painful as well. According to the site, hair regrowth will take two to three weeks.

3. Waxing: Waxing is quite affordable and will result in less hair growth, said the site, but some people may develop a reaction to the wax. Hair regrowth time is longer than if you tweezed: about three to eight weeks.

4. Chemical depilatories: Using chemicals to remove hair means less pain (for most people) and is quite inexpensive, but some people may develop skin irritations, said the site. Depilatories (the term used for the chemical products used to remove hair) can be gels, creams, lotions, sprays or even powders. Hair starts growing back about a week after the treatment.

5. Laser hair removal: This method is by far the most expensive way to remove hair, and results in either permanent or long-term hair removal. — BM, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Dollar off lows but still vulnerable as Fed meeting looms

SYDNEY - The dollar clung onto modest overnight gains early in Asia on Tuesday, but stayed near a nine-month trough as investors bet the Federal Reserve will this week set the course for its massive stimulus program to be maintained into early next year.

The dollar index was steady at 79.344 after drifting up 0.2 percent on Monday. However, it remained not far off Friday's 78.998—a low not seen since Feb. 1.

A break there could pave the way for a test of this year's trough of 78.918 and then the September 2012 low of 78.601.

Traders said the market lacked conviction and moves were driven more by flows and position adjustments ahead of the Fed policy meeting over Tuesday and Wednesday rather than by fundamentals.

Indeed, investors would probably have sold the dollar if going by the latest string of data that suggested a flagging US economy.

Figures on Tuesday showed US manufacturing output barely rose in September and contracts to buy previously owned homes recorded their largest drop in nearly 3-1/2 years.

"The dollar's ability to gain against this backdrop likely reflects positioning, with USD shorts having built up quickly in October according to our metrics," analysts at BNP Paribas wrote in a client note.

That has left the dollar increasingly less vulnerable to negative news and with more scope to rally if data begins to beat expectations again, they added.

Traders also said it is unlikely the dollar would react too negatively should the Fed choose to wait for more evidence of how badly Washington's budget battle has hurt the US economy before deciding on whether or not to scale back stimulus.

The dollar index has fallen 1.1 percent so far this month, adding to a 2.3 percent slide in September.

One of the key beneficiaries of the dollar's decline has been the euro, which as recently as Friday rose to its highest since November 2011 at $1.3833.

It last traded at $1.3788 after slipping 0.1 percent on Monday. Traders see chart resistance around $1.3800/70 with a convincing break there setting the scene for a retest of the Oct. 2011 peak of $1.4248.

Against the yen, the dollar bought 97.66, having gained 0.3 percent, while the euro fetched 134.62 yen after Monday's 0.2 percent rise.

A standout mover in early Asian trade was the Australian dollar, which dipped about a third of a US cent to a session low of $0.9535 after the head of Australia's central bank again tried to talk down the currency.

Reserve Bank of Australia governor Glenn Stevens said it was likely the Aussie dollar would fall materially in the future given the country's declining terms of trade, a shift that would be welcomed to trade-exposed sectors of the domestic economy.

The Aussie last stood at $0.9542, well off a five-month high of $0.9758 set last Wednesday. —Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Google Apps now lets you share docs, slides to those with no Google account

Good news for users of Google's Docs, Slides and Drawings: you can now share your work even with people who do not have a Google account.

The Google Apps team said this means recipients of a link to the Google Apps files need not sign in or create a new Google Account to view the contents.

"[But] if a file is shared with edit or comment permissions, the recieving user must still sign in with a Google Account in order to edit or comment on that file," the team said.

Covered by the new policy are Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Education, and Government.

People who do not have Google accounts can view the file without signing in with the sharing link until they create a Google Account and "expends the invitation."

Once a person creates a Google Account, the sharing link will no longer work for new users to access the file and the sharing dialog will indicate that the invitation has been used.

Also, a user who accessed the file using the sharing link while it was open and signed in using their Google Account will be added to the sharing access list for that file and will continue to have access.

"Users with permissions to change sharing settings can revoke this access if desired," the Google Apps team said.

However, it said Google Apps admins can prevent this behavior by "disabling sharing outside the domain to people who are not using a Google Account via a setting in the Admin console." – KDM, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Bomb blasts kill five at Indian opposition rally

PATNA - A series of crude bombs killed five people and injured dozens in an eastern Indian city Sunday, shortly before opposition candidate Narendra Modi was due to hold a campaign rally.

Seven small bombs exploded near the venue in Patna where tens of thousands were gathering to hear Hindu hardliner Modi, a popular but divisive leader, launch the opposition's campaign in Bihar state for upcoming general elections.

The first explosion occurred in a public toilet at a railway station in Patna, before more bombs exploded near and just outside the Gandhi Maidan ground where the large rally was held, police said.

Five people were killed and 83 others injured, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar told a press conference in Patna.

"It seems that today's blasts were preplanned in Patna and I would like to assure everyone that no effort will be spared to solve the case," Kumar said.

"Making a guess on who did it would be premature at this stage. I rule out any political conspiracy," he said.

Police said two people have been arrested and several others detained for questioning, while the national government deployed anti-terrorism forces to Patna to investigate.

Television footage showed people running from several explosions at the venue, with smoke rising above them. Police helped carry the injured to hospitals, where mostly men with bloodied bandages were seen lying on beds and connected to intravenous drips.

"The condition of nearly half a dozen injured is critical," said an official from the Patna Medical College and Hospital, adding that some people were injured in stampedes after the blasts.

Modi, a polarizing figure particularly among religious minorities, later took to the stage and urged Hindus and Muslims to unite to overcome poverty in Bihar, a key battleground in the general election due next May.

"If we want to take Bihar forward we need to unite people of all religions, caste and creed together... We want to unite people, not divide them," he told cheering supporters in a speech that did not mention the blasts.

"Our opponents are fooling people. That's why I want to ask my poor Muslim and Hindu brothers, do you want to fight against each other or against poverty?"

Modi has been campaigning to topple the ruling Congress party since he was named last month as the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate for the national elections.

The chief minister of the economically successful western state of Gujarat, Modi is popular with the corporate world. Many hope he can revive Asia's third-largest economy if elected next year.

But he remains a divisive figure, tarred by religious riots in Gujarat in 2002. As many as 2,000 people were killed, mainly Muslims, according to rights groups.

Modi was chief minister at the time and denied any wrongdoing, but one of his former ministers was jailed last year for orchestrating some of the violence.

The rally in Patna was seen as key for Modi after the governing party in Bihar broke off a 17-year alliance with the BJP over choosing him as its candidate.

After the rally, Modi described the blasts as "deeply saddening and unfortunate". "Condolences with families of deceased & prayers with injured. I appeal for peace & calm," he tweeted.

Four more unexploded crude bombs were discovered at the railway station and the venue site after bomb disposal squads swept through, Bihar police chief Abhayanand, who uses one name, said.

In a statement, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemned the blasts, appealed for calm and "called for urgent steps to identify and take action against those responsible".

Junior home minister R.P.N. Singh said officers from the National Security Guard and National Investigation Agency have been deployed to Bihar.

Modi and his political rival Rahul Gandhi from the Congress party are holding a series of mass rallies across the country in a battle to win five key state elections later this year.

Those elections are seen as a crucial test of popularity, with both parties hoping to capitalize on any momentum from the results for next year's general election. — Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

Vine rolls out video editing tools

Aware of the difference six seconds could make, Twitter's video app Vine has rolled out new tools that allow users to edit their six-second posts.

In a blog post, Twitter said it is giving the Vine camera the "Sessions" and "Time Travel" tools that let users maintain multiple posts in progress.

"With these new features, you can maintain multiple posts in progress over time and edit your posts before you share them," said Vine iOS director Ben Sheats.

Users can now download the update from Apple's App Store and Android's Google Play, he added.

"We think these features offer new ways for people to express themselves and their creativity. We hope you like them," he said.

Sheats said the Sessions feature allows users to save any post and come back to it later. Users can work on up to 10 posts at once, he added.

To use the tool, users can tap the new icon in the bottom right corner of the camera "to save a new session or open an existing one."

On the other hand, the Time Travel feature allows users to "remove, reorganize or replace any shot within a post before you share it."

Sheats said users can tap the green bar from the camera while they are shooting, or tap "Edit" when they are previewing a post. — TJD, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

White House steps up damage control on healthcare rollout

WASHINGTON - The White House sought to limit the political damage from the troubled rollout of the government's healthcare website as Republicans increased pressure on Wednesday to delay parts of President Barack Obama's signature domestic policy.

Obama administration officials held a closed-door briefing for Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives and planned a session with insurance company executives to explain steps they are taking to quickly resolve problems with Healthcare.gov.

Republican critics in Congress demanded a delay in a requirement of the healthcare law that uninsured Americans must purchase insurance or face a tax penalty. They also said they would intensify their investigations into the launch of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, known as "Obamacare."

"It is our job to hold them accountable, and when it comes to Obamacare clearly there is a lot to hold accountable," House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner told reporters.

The chair of the Democratic National Committee, Florida Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, told MSNBC that the administration should be willing to extend the open-enrollment period for people to sign up for insurance.

Online exchanges, or marketplaces, were designed to be the main way for millions of uninsured Americans to find out prices and buy health insurance plans required under the law, but the Oct. 1 debut has been marred by technical glitches that have kept many from signing on and making purchases. Those unable to sign up online can call a toll-free telephone number as an alternative.

The administration has so far declined to disclose the number of enrollments either online or by telephone.

A prolonged delay in getting Healthcare.gov to work could jeopardize White House efforts to sign up as many as 7 million people in 2014, the first full year the law takes effect. The administration on Tuesday began what it has called a "tech surge," bringing in experts led by the administration's top economic aide Jeffrey Zients to analyze and fix the problems.

"I think what we learned is they're working hard to fix the problems," Representative Sander Levin of Michigan, senior Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, said after Wednesday's briefing.

House Democrats said there was no talk in Wednesday's briefing about whether the problems should lead to a delay of the individual requirement that every American have insurance or pay a tax penalty. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated a delay would reduce enrollment significantly.

REPUBLICANS DEMAND DELAY

Republicans, who oppose the healthcare law on the grounds that it is an unwarranted extension of the federal government, said the requirement should be delayed until the problems with the rollout are resolved.

"With so many unanswered questions and the problems arising around this rollout, it doesn't make any sense to impose this one percent mandate tax on the American people," House Republican Leader Eric Cantor told reporters on Wednesday.

Republicans, who have repeatedly tried to derail or delay the healthcare law since taking control of the House in the 2010 elections, also demanded more answers about the scope of the problems and how many people were signing up for insurance in the federal exchanges.

Despite the announcement of the "tech surge," the administration has not provided details about what caused the problems, what is being done to fix them and who exactly is being brought in for the effort aside from Zients.

"This is not transparency, this is adding to the confusion and the fears surrounding the rollout of Obamacare," Cantor said.

Three committees in the Republican-controlled House have announced investigations of the law's rollout, which Cantor described as "nothing short of a debacle."

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has been the focal point of criticism for the problems and Republicans have demanded she step down, but so far the White House has rallied around her.

Denis McDonough, the White House chief of staff, told the New York Times on Tuesday that Sebelius "has the president's confidence. And she knows that."

In that same article, however, an unidentified White House aide was quoted as saying that Sebelius did not have the "access to the president that she really needs to make a difference" and that while "everybody thinks that she's the driving force" in implementing Obamacare, "unfortunately she's not."

Sebelius, who will testify to Congress next week, will attend the session with insurance company executives, including the chief executives of WellPoint Inc and Humana Inc

WellPoint raised its 2013 membership and profit forecasts in part to reflect coming market changes under the law, its chief executive, Joseph Swedish, said in a statement on Wednesday.

Republican Representative Tim Murphy, chairman of a House and Energy Committee panel that will hold a hearing on the problems on Thursday, said the government had "frittered away" more than $300 million in payments to contractors for a website that does not work.

"Either they didn't know what was going on in their own offices, or they were deliberately misleading us and the American people," Murphy said.  — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Merkel calls Obama over suspicion US monitored her phone

BERLIN - The German government has obtained information that the United States may have monitored the mobile phone of Chancellor Angela Merkel and she called President Barack Obama on Wednesday to demand an immediate clarification, a German government spokesman said.

"We swiftly sent a request to our American partners asking for an immediate and comprehensive clarification," the spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement.

He added that Merkel had made clear to Obama that if the information proved trued it would be "completely unacceptable" and represent a "grave breach of trust".  — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Hyundai recalls 27,500 sedans in US for brake issue

DETROIT - South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co said on Monday it is recalling about 27,500 Genesis sedans in the United States from model years 2009 to 2012 to address a potential brake issue.

Hyundai said it is recalling the cars, which were built from April 1, 2008, through March 16, 2012, to replace the brake fluid.

The company had already initiated a service campaign in March to replace the brake fluid in the affected carsas they were brought into the dealers. The fluid had been replaced in about 60 percent, or about 40,000, of the vehicles, a spokesman said.

However, after receiving word that US safety regulators had opened an investigation into an estimated 40,000 Genesis cars from model year 2009, Hyundai decided to recall the rest, the company said. Letters will be mailed to the affected owners starting next month.

Owners will be instructed to bring their cars to Hyundai dealers for brake inspection and changing of the brake fluid with replacement fluid containing an anticorrosive additive, the Hyundai spokesman said. There will be no cost to the owners.

US safety regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had opened a preliminary evaluation into an estimated 40,000 Genesis cars from model year 2009 after receiving 23 consumer complaints alleging reduced brake effectiveness, according to documents filed online. Several complaints said the problem was diagnosed as a faulty antilock brake system module.

In one complaint NHTSA received, a consumer in Florida alleged that her brakes did not work, resulting in a crash into another vehicle stopped at a red light. In another complaint, the consumer reported responding to the same problem by using the parking brake, which caused the driver to lose control. —Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Katy Perry shows vulnerability, maturity on new album 'Prism'

NEW YORK - Singer Katy Perry has shed her cotton-candy pop image and reveals a vulnerability and maturity on her new album "Prism," which she said reflects changes in both her personal life and her music.

"Prism," released on Tuesday, is Perry's fourth studio album and the follow-up to 2010's phenomenally successful "Teenage Dream." It is also the first album since the 28-year-old singer split with her husband, British comedian Russell Brand, in December 2011.

"I went through a lot of experiences in my life that I think built more character. I had to find own self identity the hard way. But I did. I came out alive and stronger, a little bit stronger," Perry said in an interview.

From "By the Grace of God," the first and darkest song on the album, to the empowering lead single "Roar," or "Birthday," a rousing, catchy dance tune, Perry said each song tells a story.

"I think what 'Prism' is, is an evolution and a maturity," she said. "I think you can hear growth as a songwriter. I hope you can hear the growth as a person."

"Teenage Dream" produced five No. 1 singles, making it only the second album after Michael Jackson's "Bad" to achieve that milestone, and the first by a female artist. It also sold 5.7 million copies worldwide.

But Perry made it clear she was in a new place with "Prism," with early teasers showing her burning the blue wig she wore in the music video for her hit single "California Girls" and holding a mock funeral for her peppermint swirl outfit.

"I'm into different things," she said. "It is my most present album so far. I think I am living very consciously right now. I think I am very aware, more aware than I have ever been."

Having fun, taking chances

Perry reunited with music producers and songwriters Max Martin, Dr. Luke and Cirkut for "Prism." Most of the 13 tracks, all co-written by Perry, were recorded in San Diego, or with Martin and record producer and songwriter Klas Ahlund in Stockholm, where club anthem "Walking on Air" and the hip-hop tinged "This is How We Do" were both made.

The personal ballad "By the Grace of God," co-written with Greg Wells, reflects where Perry was emotionally late last year, the "stuff" she was working through and the blow to her self confidence.

"It had really gotten to me and I wrote this song out of a very sad place. I was hearing these negative thoughts and battling these negative thoughts," she said.

Since splitting with Brand, Perry has moved on in her personal life and is dating singer-songwriter John Mayer.

Although she had initially expected to make a darker, more acoustic record, Perry said the opposite happened and she became much more upbeat, which is reflected in the album's title.

"I let a lot of light in my life during the spring of this year, which is when I made most of the record and it influenced my songs in a very positive way," she said. "All these beautiful colors of light and love came out and hope and joy and even just fun party songs."

"Unconditionally," the second single and Perry's favorite song on the album, is a big, soaring ballad with a heavy drum tribal influence. Its lyrics speak about an all-accepting love.

Perry wrote "Roar," a thumping pop tune and her 10th No.1 Top 40 track, after becoming complacent in a relationship and not speaking up for herself.

"Double Rainbow," a collaboration with producer Greg Kurstin and songwriter Sia, is about finding someone and a rare, magical moment.

"You can tell I am having fun and taking chances, musically with the different textures that I am showing in the songs," said Perry. "I'm painting with more colors this time. I think people can adopt certain anthems for the messages or they can make them their own." — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Spanking tied to later aggression among kids

NEW YORK - Think spanking will help teach an out of control child to stay in line? A new study suggests the opposite may be true.

Researchers found kids who were spanked as five-year-olds were slightly more likely to be aggressive and break rules later in elementary school.

Those results are in keeping with past research, said Elizabeth Gershoff. She studies parental discipline and its effects at the University of Texas at Austin.

"There's just no evidence that spanking is good for kids," she told Reuters Health.

"Spanking models aggression as a way of solving problems, that you can hit people and get what you want," Gershoff, who wasn't involved in the new study, said.

"When [children] want another kid's toy, the parents haven't taught them how to use their words or how to negotiate."

Despite mounting evidence on the harms tied to spanking, it is "still a very typical experience" for U.S. children, the study's lead author said.

"Most kids experience spanking at least some point in time," Michael MacKenzie, from Columbia University in New York, said. "So there's this disconnect."

His team used data from a long-term study of children born in one of 20 U.S. cities between 1998 and 2000. The new report includes about 1,900 kids.

Researchers surveyed parents when children were three and five years old about whether and how often they spanked their child.

Then they asked mothers about their kid's behavior problems and gave the children a vocabulary test at age nine.

A total of 57 percent of mothers and 40 percent of fathers said they spanked children when they were three years old. That fell slightly to 52 percent of mothers and 33 percent of fathers who spanked at age five.

Children acted out more and were more aggressive when they had been spanked by their mothers as five-year-olds, whether regularly or occasionally.

Spanking by mothers at least twice a week was tied to a two-point increase on a 70-point scale of problem behavior. That was after the researchers took into account children's behavior at younger ages and other family characteristics.

There was no link between spanking by parents at age three and children's later behavior, however.

Kids also tended to score lower on vocabulary tests when they had been regularly spanked by their fathers at age five, MacKenzie and his colleagues write in Pediatrics.

The average vocabulary score for all nine-year-olds in the study was 93, slightly below the test-wide standard score of 100. Frequent spanking by fathers was linked to a four-point lower score. But the researchers couldn't be sure that small difference wasn't due to chance.

Gershoff said the finding is a bit hard to interpret. "I don't think that spanking makes kids stupider," she said.

It's possible that parents who are spanking are not talking to their children as often, Gershoff said. Or kids who are spanked and act out could be more distracted in the classroom.

When it comes to disciplining children, she said there's more evidence on what doesn't work long-term than what does.

"We know that spanking doesn't work, we know that yelling doesn't work," Gershoff said. "Timeout is kind of a mixed bag. We know that reasoning does work."

MacKenzie said spanking continues to seem effective to parents in the short term, which makes it hard to change their minds about it.

"It's strongly associated with immediate compliance," he told Reuters Health. "Children will change their behavior in the moment."

Because family strain and spanking often go together, he said doctors should try to support stressed parents to encourage more positive forms of discipline.

"The techniques that are designed to promote positive behaviors … oftentimes take more effort and time to put into place," MacKenzie said. — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Paul McCartney plays surprise London gig from a truck

LONDON -- Rocker Paul McCartney played a surprise gig at London's Covent Garden on Friday, drawing a crowd of hundreds as he and his band performed half a dozen songs from the back of a truck.

The 71-year-old former Beatle played a colourful piano and strummed the guitar in the plaza in the centre of the capital in a stunt to promote "New", his first album of solo material in six years.

The performance was announced on Twitter only minutes before it took place and many in the crowd were passers-by or office workers who popped out for a sandwich.

"Thank you, @PaulMcCartney. I can safely say that's the best lunch break I've ever had," tweeted fan James Gill. -- Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

'Bionic man' makes debut at Washington's Air and Space Museum

A first-ever walking, talking "bionic man" built entirely out of synthetic body parts made his Washington debut on Thursday.

The robot with a human face unveiled at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum was built by London's Shadow Robot Co to showcase medical breakthroughs in bionic body parts and artificial organs.

"This is not a gimmick. This is a real science development," museum director John Dailey said.

The 6-foot-tall (1.83 meter), 170-pound (77-kg) robot is the subject of a one-hour Smithsonian Channel documentary, "The Incredible Bionic Man," airing on Sunday.

A "bionic man" was the material of science fiction in the 1970s when the television show "The Six Million Dollar Man" showed the adventures of a character named Steve Austin, a former astronaut whose body was rebuilt using synthetic parts after he nearly died.

The robot on display at the museum cost $1 million and was made from 28 artificial body parts on loan from biomedical innovators. They include a pancreas, lungs, spleen and circulatory system, with most of the parts early prototypes.

"The whole idea of the project is to get together all of the spare parts that already exist for the human body today - one piece. If you did that, what would it look like?" said Bertolt Meyer, a social psychologist from the University of Zurich in Switzerland and host of the documentary.

The robot was modeled after Meyer, who was born without a hand and relies on an artificial limb. He showed off the bionic man by having it take a few clumsy steps and by running artificial blood through its see-through circulatory system.

"It, kind of, looks lifelike. Kind of creepy," said Paul Arcand, a tourist who was visiting from Boston with his wife.

The robot has a motionless face and virtually no skin. It was controlled remotely from a computer, and Bluetooth wireless connections were used to operate its limbs.

The bionic creation's artificial intelligence is limited to a chatbot computer program, similar to the Siri application on the Apple iPhone, said Robert Warburton, a design engineer for Shadow Robot.

"The people who made it decided to program it with the personality of a 13-year-old boy from the Ukraine," he said. "So, he's not really the most polite of people to have a conversation with."

Assembly began in August 2012 and took three months to finish.

The robot made its U.S. debut last week at New York's Comic Con convention. It will be on display at the museum throughout the fall. — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

'Cut the Rope 2' coming before 2013 ends

If you liked the video game "Cut the Rope," get ready for more physics-based challenges when "Cut the Rope 2" rolls out before 2013 ends.



Tech site The Next Web said the upcoming sequel may feature new challenges in a “re-imagined universe” with new characters.

"Developer ZeptoLab said that to accompany the new game it will be developing a new series of its Om Nom Stories webisodes, currently already in its second season," it added.

ZeptoLab claimed more than 400 million downloads for the game, it added.

The original "Cut the Rope" was launched in 2010. It has since spawned "Cut the Rope: Experiments," "Cut the Rope: Time Travel" and "Pudding Monster."

"Cut the Rope" is a physics-based puzzle-oriented game where the player has to feed candy to a green monster named Om Nom. — VC, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

UN agency calls outdoor air pollution leading cause of cancer

LONDON - The air we breathe is laced with cancer-causing substances and should now be classified as carcinogenic to humans, the World Health Organization's (WHO) cancer agency said on Thursday.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) cited data indicating that in 2010, 223,000 deaths from lung cancer worldwide resulted from air pollution, and said there was also convincing evidence it increases the risk of bladder cancer.

The WHO is a Geneva-based agency of the United Nations focused on international public health matters.

Air pollution, mostly caused by transport, power generation, industrial or agricultural emissions and residential heating and cooking, is already known to raise risks for a wide range of illnesses including respiratory and heart diseases.

Research suggests that in recent years, exposure levels have risen significantly in some parts of the world, particularly countries with large populations going through rapid industrialisation such as China.

"We now know that outdoor air pollution is not only a major risk to health in general, but also a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths," said Kurt Straif, head of the IARC's monographs section, which is tasked with ranking carcinogens.

"The air we breathe has become polluted with a mixture of cancer-causing substances."

In a statement released after a week-long meeting of experts reviewing the latest scientific literature, IARC said both outdoor air pollution and "particulate matter"—a major component of it—would now be classified among its Group 1 human carcinogens.

That ranks them alongside more than 100 other known cancer-causing substances in IARC's Group 1, including asbestos, plutonium, silica dust, ultraviolet radiation and tobacco smoke.

IARC's monographs program, sometimes known as the "encyclopedia of carcinogens," aims to be an authoritative source of scientific evidence on cancer-causing substances.

It has already classified many chemicals and mixtures that can be components of air pollution, including diesel engine exhaust, solvents, metals and dusts. But this is the first time that experts have classified outdoor air pollution as a cause of cancer.

"Our task was to evaluate the air everyone breathes rather than focus on specific air pollutants," said Dana Loomis, deputy head of the section. "The results from the reviewed studies point in the same direction: the risk of developing lung cancer is significantly increased in people exposed to air pollution."

Although both the composition and levels of air pollution can vary dramatically from one location to the next, IARC said its conclusions applied to all regions of the world.

IARC's director, Christopher Wild, said the agency's decision to classify outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic to humans was an important step towards alerting governments to its dangers and potential costs.

"There are effective ways to reduce air pollution and, given the scale of the exposure affecting people worldwide, this report should send a strong signal to the international community to take action," he said. — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Fitness experts extol machine-less workout

NEW YORK - Man versus machines? In the realm of fitness at least man seems to be winning.

Despite a gym floor bulging with weight-lifting equipment, fitness experts said the only thing people need to push, pull and lift is the weight of their own body.

"If more people knew you could get a good physique using your body as a bar bell, they could take matters into their own hands," said Bret Contreras, author of "Bodyweight Strength Training Anatomy," a guide to bodyweight-only workouts aimed at everyone from the exercise-challenged to the personal trainer.

Known as "the Glute Guy," Arizona-based Contreras has been resistance training for 21 years. But in high school, he couldn't do a push-up.

"At 15 I was so skinny people used to make jokes," the 37-year old said. "I just got so tired of being made fun of I decided to take charge."

Often thought of as a stepping stone to weight training, bodyweight training can be a complete, whole body workout in itself, Contreras said.

Once the person masters the simpler version of a push-up, squat, or chin-up, a more advanced version can be tackled, often with a little help from the living room furniture.

"Find things in the environment: a table to get underneath, hold on to the sides of and then pull the body upward; a rafter for a pull-up," he said. "To work your glutes (buttocks muscles), all you need is a couch."

Contreras recommends the beginner start with 15 minutes a day and increase over time.

"It doesn't have to be intimidating," he said. "You could do a 20-minute workout three times a week and have an incredible physique, so long as you push hard and keep challenging yourself."

Anytime, anywhere

Bodyweight exercises return people to the way they move naturally, according to Lisa Wheeler, national creative manager of group fitness at Equinox, the upscale chain of fitness centers.

"We squat, lunge, crawl, reach," she said, adding that a bodyweight class at Equinox is called "Animal Flow" because its crab crawls, lunges and swings were inspired by the primal movement patterns of man and beast.

"Bodyweight training is great for mobility, stability and creating movement patterns," she said. "You want to build a strong foundation, be stable around the shoulders, hips and spine."

Because the load doesn't change, progression is achieved by changing the center of gravity of the exerciser or the complexity of the movement.

Another challenge, she said, is getting enough pull to match the push of most bodyweight exercises.

"Bodyweight training can make everything else better," she said. "Dancers, moms, we all live push-pull now."

Jessica Matthews, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise, said bodyweight training blends with the trend toward functional training, or training that mimics the way we move in everyday life, as opposed to the older bodybuilder model of targeting one muscle group at a time.

"Our body is one kinetic chain, everything moves together, so most everyday exercises will move multiple muscle groups," she said.

Matthews said not only can bodyweight training be done anytime, anywhere, it also works easily into popular interval training, circuit and boot camp workouts.

"Using bodyweight exercises allow more of a cardiovascular component because you can move rapidly from one exercise to the next," Matthews said.

So are machines a thing of the past?

"I think there's a place for everything," she said, "For some people a fixed path might be the way to go. It boils down to having proper joint stability and quality range of movement, then adding load. Form is imperative." — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Apple may release 'ultra-slim' 12in MacBook in 2014

Apple Inc. may be working on an ultra-slim 12-inch MacBook laptop with high-resolution Retina display, and release it in mid-2014, an enthusiast site reported.

MacRumors cited a report by KGI Securities anaylst Ming-Chi Kuo who said the new MacBook may be slimmer even than the MacBook Air.

"We expect the unprecedented 12-inch model will boast both the portability of the 11-inch model, and productivity of the 13-inch model. The high resolution display will also offer the outstanding visual experience of the Retina MacBook Pro," it quoted Kuo as saying.

Kuo added the new MacBook may be lighter and slimmer than the existing MacBook Air.

Also, Kuo said the form factor is likely to showcase a much improved clamshell structure, "and that it will redefine laptop computing once again following the milestone created by the MacBook Air."

MacRumors also cited information suggesting the upcoming MacBook Pro may come out cheaper than the present Retina MacBook Pro line "due to an improving yield rate."

It added Kuo's claims jibe with a report from NPD DisplaySearch analysts that Apple is planning to introduce a new 12-inch MacBook Air in 2014.

NPD DisplaySearch had indicated the new MacBook may have a high-resolution 2304 x 1440 display, it added.

"Both rumors also fall in line with earlier reports that Apple is set to move to IGZO displays for many of its future products, allowing for higher-resolution displays with lower power consumption," it added. — TJD, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Peso trades sideways ahead of US debt ceiling deadline

The peso closed barely changed Monday, as investors took on a wait-and-see attitude ahead of the US debt ceiling talks between Democrats and Republicans.

A dollar fetched P43.15 at the close of trading, just a centavo and a half more than the P43.135 it got last Friday. Trading volume totaled $534 million compared with $818.3 million Friday.

“It was a very lethargic trading with low volume,” a trader at a local bank said.

All eyes are on the negotiations in the US Senate on bringing the fiscal crisis to an end, which as of Sunday in Washington showed little signs of progress, Reuters reported.

Failure to break the stalemate before Oct. 17, Thursday, would leave the world's biggest economy unable to pay its bills in the coming weeks.

In a separate interview, a second trader said investors held on to their positions in the face of the uncertainty over what would happened to markets should the US default on its obligations.

“Expectations of the US defaulting is increasing, but a lot of investors are still holding on to dollars – because that's supposedly the safe haven. We're slowly seeing lines get blurred,” she said.

Philippine financial markets will be closed Tuesday in observance of Eidul Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice of Muslims. – VS, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Without grand plans for China, U.S., Sony set to lag in smartphones

TOKYO - Kazuo Hirai's plan to restore Sony Corp to lasting profitability rests in large part on its smartphones leapfrogging rivals to become the world's third-biggest sellers after the Apple iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy series.

But that goal remains some way off. Sony's CEO, installed last year with a brief to turn the serial loss maker around, said on Friday that for now, Sony has no big plans for the world's two largest smartphone markets, China and the United States.

Instead, Hirai said Sony, which aims to rise to third position from its current ranking of seventh, will focus on Europe and its home market in Japan, which collectively account for 60 percent of its smartphone sales.

"Those two are the most important areas for us and we'll put substantial resources there. But not yet for the U.S. and China," Hirai told a gathering of journalists.

"It's not realistic to try to do everything at once. In the U.S. we'll start gradually."

In the U.S., only the fourth-largest carrier T-Mobile US Inc offers Sony smartphones. Meanwhile, Sony has been unable to compete in China with homegrown brands from ZTE to CoolPad despite contracts with the three largest carriers.

Sony is not among the top five smartphone brands in either of those markets, according to research firm IDC. Its global share of the smartphone market was a modest 2.2 percent in the second quarter of this year, according to research firm Gartner, trailing the likes of LG Electronics Inc and Lenovo Group Ltd as well as Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics.

Hirai has positioned mobile devices as one of the three pillars for a turnaround of the company's electronics unit, which relied on help from a weak yen to post a profit in the latest quarter - its first quarterly profit in two years.

The other two key divisions are games, where the PlayStation 4 console due for launch next month has drawn strong pre-orders, and digital imaging, where Sony dominates the production of image sensors for smartphone cameras.

Against that background, smartphones could end up the weakest link in the strategy.

NOT EXCEPTIONAL

"Their devices are OK but frankly not compelling. They're fine, but they're not exceptional," said Benedict Evans, an independent mobile and telecommunications analyst based in London.

"But the deeper problem is that when you're selling devices made on someone else's platform it's extremely difficult to differentiate."

Even in its home market, where Sony ranked No. 2 in the latest quarter behind Apple, the outlook has become tougher. Last month Japan's largest carrier, NTT DoCoMo Inc, which in its summer campaign favored Sony's Xperia over other domestic brands, struck a deal with Apple to carry the latest iPhone.

Still, Hirai said the Xperia's established reputation in Japan should help to see off the threat from Apple. "We have strong brand recognition here for Xperia's hardware and services," Hirai said.

The company has set a target of selling 42 million smartphones worldwide in the financial year to next March, an increase of 27 percent from a year ago.

In 2012, Samsung shipped 218.2 million Galaxy phones while Apple sold 135.9 million iPhones, according to IDC.  — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Meet Hyundai's lean, mean zombie killing machine

Even the most brain-depraved zombie would think twice before messing with this vehicle.

Hyundai has built a fan-designed "Zombie Survival Machine" for the television show "The Walking Dead," based on its Santa Fe sport utility vehicle.

"As part of The Walking Dead Chop Shop configurator app designed by Hyundai and INNOCEAN USA (launched during San Diego Comic-Con), fans have designed thousands of custom zombie survival machines using the Hyundai Veloster Turbo, Santa Fe or Elantra. This summer, Kuo’s Santa Fe design was picked as the winner out of more than 82,500 fan submissions," Hyundai said.

“We love Anson Kuo’s take on this Santa Fe Zombie Survival Machine – it’s creative… and deadly. With help from the popularity of The Walking Dead franchise, Hyundai continues to expand the conversation around Hyundai vehicles with young and passionate audiences,” said Steve Shannon, vice president, Marketing, Hyundai Motor America.

Features of the anti-zombie machine include "knife blades, an automatic crossbow, razor-wired windows, three machine guns, a samurai sword, aluminum armor and a muffler silencer."

Hyundai said Kuo's winning vehicle was constructed by Galpin Auto Sports (GAS).

The machine is to be unveiled on the New York Comic-Con show floor on October 10 at the Future US booth.

Kuo, a native of Arizona, had created the urban camouflaged Zombie Survival Machine.

He had wanted to create a "stealthy vehicle with abundant cargo space for supplies and passengers, maximizing survivability against the undead," Hyundai said.

Kuo added the knives as a primary weapon aims to save on scarce ammunition.

Last July at the San Diego Comic-Con, Hyundai unveiled a customized Veloster Zombie Survival Machine designed by Robert Kirkman and built by GAS.

“Having Anson’s winning design on display at New York Comic-Con is a fun way to celebrate The Walking Dead’s 10th anniversary,” said Robert Kirkman.

A separate article on Discovery News noted Hyundai is one of the TV show's sponsors.  — TJD, GMA

source: gmanetwork.com

Could the next Facebook or Google come from a Filipino?

If you have a million-dollar idea for a software company, now is the time to get it started, according to the Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA).

There are 300 software startups in the country at the moment, yet the public and private funds available to be used for these are so much more, said Joey Gurango, PSIA President, during a media briefing at the SOFTCON.PH conference, Thursday.

“There's probably more investment money out there than there are investible software companies. There's more money that can be deployed because ang kulang talaga dito is we don't have enough software startups for them to invest in,” he said.

The Philippines is still the leader in the voice business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, according to Gurango, but is only close second or third next to India when it comes to export revenues from software engineering services from the IT-BPO industry.

Making and selling Pinoy software

In order to “encourage, nurture, educate, and support” aspiring Filipino software entrepreneurs, PSIA started SPRING.PH (Software PRoducts Incubation Group) to help build and sell software products to the world.

“We (PSIA) are fostering a new generation of Filipino software entrepreneurs by helping support them in their aspirations to eventually become the next Facebook or the next Google or even the next Angry Birds that is based in the Philippines,” Gurango said.

Its goal is to have 50 product teams trained and supported by 2016, with at least 10 software products generating one million US dollars in annual revenues.

Every quarter of the year, PSIA conducts an event called Launchpad where aspiring candidates pitch their business models and product ideas to a jury. About 15 to 20 groups present to them, to which only half are chosen to be mentored by a group of coaches.

“We provide an access to knowledge, to networks, to contacts, to funding, access to experience that most business people would never have access to; or if they do it will cost them a lot of money.”

Teams on board

There are 14 product teams already on board, and PSIA aims to increase this number to 20 by the end of the year. All these teams presented their software products in an exhibit during SOFTCON.PH.

One of them is Tom Taps, a mobile app that contains activities and tools that aid and help encourage learning for children with special needs.

It contains a communication tool where a child can choose picture cards that say what he or she means to say. It also has a scheduler board, a theraputic tool, and a set of learning games.

Another is WaitLifter, a virtual queueing system that allows people to be wherever they want while waiting for their turn instead of staying in long queues.

Right now, the product is being tested in doctors' private clinics in a town near Gen. Santos City and in Makati Med in Metro Manila, said software developer Benjamin Jiao.

"Our main goal for this phase is just to get as much feedback as we can from the doctors as well as the patients and refine the app before we sell it," he said.

The hospital secretary only needs to enter the patient's name and mobile number into the system. The system then sends an automated SMS notification to the customer as his turn nears.

The system is also capable of estimating how long a certain appointment lasts based on its historical data.

“You could think (that we're making competitors) but the truth is, the market is so big. It's like saying you have the ocean and I'm not going to allow you to get any more water out of it because baka maubusan ako. The opportunity is so big, not just in the Philippines but globally,” said Gurango.

“The whole idea of a start up is to come up with something new. We're looking for new ideas: something that's disruptive, something that would change the landscape. Because the more disruptive it is, the better chance of its success.”

The next Launchpad event will be held on November 7 at the Asian Institute of Management. — TJD, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Penchant for cars grows PHL auto loans – industry experts

Here's a simple but interesting equation involving cars, loans and consumers: a growing appetite for wheels, plus favorable lending rates, equals fuel for optimism that car loans will grow by at least a third this year.

“We see a continued increase in auto loans in the coming months,” Jacqueline Fernandez, executive vice president and head of Consumer Lending Sector at listed East West Banking Corporation (EastWest), said in an e-mail message to GMA News Online.

The Gotianun-led bank projects auto loans growing at a yearly rate of 33 percent, particularly this year, in line with a double-digit growth in sales car dealers and manufacturers see expect for the period.

Lee de Claro, first vice president and Consumer Group head of United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB), noted in a separate e-mail they expect to maintain “results of over 30 percent” growth in auto loans the rest of the year.

A growing economy fuels the changing lifestyle and consumption habits of the Filipino consumer, boosting car sales by a fifth in January to August.



Affordable rates

Czarina Pilapil, 34, a first-time car buyer, is proof of this phenomenon.

“It's really a necessity for me now, given the time and length of my commute,” she said in a phone interview.

An expanding car market can be traced to affordable lending rates, thanks to record low policy rates set kept by the central bank.

Latest Bangko Sentral Data showed the average lending rate was pegged at 5.62 percent as of Thursday. Lending rates range from a low of 1.25 percent to a high of 10 percent.

Bankers are confident favorable auto loan rates are here to stay – at least in the foreseeable future.

“We expect the good auto loan rates to continue maybe 'til early next year,” said Fernandez of
EastWest.

De Claro of UCPB echoed the same view. “We believe it will remain that way until 2014. Beyond that, we'll have to wait.”

In general, loan rates are convenient to buyers on credit, but experts are raising the red flag and telling first-time buyers to be mindful of the terms and financing schemes to avoid experiencing a crash and getting burned.

Learning from lessons of the past, Pilapil now plans to approach various banks for the best comprehensive car plan – including insurance, third-party liabilities and low monthly amortization.

Canvassing for the best rate is a must, said Alvin Tabañag, registered financial planner and author of “Kaya Mo, Pinoy! 12 Steps to Build Wealth on Any Income.”

Tabañag, who is also founder of Pinoy Smart Savers Learning Center, explains how a small difference in loan rates can mean a world of difference for the first-time buyer.

For a P1,000,000 loan payable in 60 months, a 2 percent difference in interest rates translates to paying P60,000 extra over five years, he said.

Low interest rates and discriminating consumers revved up the competition among banks to fever pitch. Banks are now neck and neck in giving the best quality service and flexible payment terms.

“We are positioning ourselves in quality service,” said EastWest's Fernandez.

UCPB uses a different tack.

“We adjust to their (clients') needs... We also do our best to meet their preferred timeline,” said De Claro.

Maybe the low interest rate regime explains why soured loans of big banks remain manageable at 2.5 percent of the total industry loans as shown by the latest Bangko Sentral data.

'Trial Run'

Consumers can also learn from books and financial planners how avoid being a number in the statistics on bad loans.

For general tips on car financing, Tabañag shares what he calls the “Trial Run” system.

“In this system, you determine how much you will be paying monthly if you avail of the car loan then set aside this amount and exclude it from your monthly budget for the next four to six months,” he said.

This gives the prospective borrower the chance to see the budget bottom line and if it is feasible in financial terms.

“Determine your budget and how much monthly amortization is light on your pocket,” Fernandez noted.

There is also the “Save Then Buy” approach, suggested by Tabañag, noting the plan is to first save a significant amount before buying a big ticket item.

“The more money you save, the bigger the down payment you can make which significantly lowers the difference in total amount you pay,” Tabañag said.

Apart from the savings on interest payments, Tabañag noted the “Save Then Buy” strategy gives the consumer more time to think about what to buy. – VS, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Convergys earns advanced rating for ethical business practices

True to one of its corporate values, “We value, above all, integrity in everything we do,” Convergys, the country’s largest private employer, earned an “Advanced” rating for its ethical business practices. It is the only BPO and one of five companies in the Philippines with this rating from the Integrity Validation System (IVS) of the Integrity Initiative, a nationwide, private-sector led movement. To share best practices in line with this, Convergys was among the featured companies at the recent 2013 Integrity Summit.

The IVS begins with a voluntary self-assessment taken by companies who are signatories to the Integrity Pledge, a commitment to conduct all business transactions and processes with integrity and transparency. The self-assessment is followed by an independent validation by the Integrity Initiative. Companies that have “Advanced” rating from this process are considered to have maintained extensive and effective practices in their organizations and are demonstrating best practices in 6 focus areas: Top Management, Dealing with Employees, Dealing with Clients, Dealing with Business Partners, Dealing with Finances and Dealing with Government, Communities, Environment and other Key Stakeholders.

Now on its third year, the Integrity Initiative has already influenced more than 1,800 companies and organizations across the country to sign the Integrity Pledge. As part of its phased approach and after rolling out other related programs, the movement launched the IVS this year to help companies assess their existing integrity policies, procedures and practices.

“Convergys’ Global Operating Model ensures the same level of integrity and transparency in our business units across all the countries where we operate, in all transactions and operations, as well as in measuring performance and developing the careers of our people.  Over and above that, our company’s leaders straightforwardly and consistently set the tone of integrity, transparency and meritocracy – this makes a big difference,” explained Ivic Mueco, Convergys’ Country Manager for the Philippines.

“As we are in the customer service industry, our employees regularly deal with confidential customer information and integrity is of paramount importance. Our employees are the first line of defense against the threat of fraud,” adds Convergys Senior Director-Finance Aldrin Dulig, who spoke of best practices during the summit.

Convergys’ best practices on integrity include annual refresher courses that all employees are required to take, accompanied by validation exams to ensure their knowledge and understanding of the company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, as well as Privacy and Security policies. The company has also established a Corporate Ethics and Security hotline, allowing employees to report any suspicious activity.

Vendors and suppliers also undergo accreditation and proper documentation. They are considered based on the merits of their products and services, and gift-giving is not allowed. Convergys has also enjoined over 100 of its suppliers to commit and sign the Integrity Pledge, making it the number one contributor to the movement.

Convergys, the global leader in customer management, is now on its tenth year of operations in the Philippines, and has more than 37,000 employees in the country. It recently opened its 22nd operating site in Davao.  Convergys has won BPO Employer of the Year thrice and BPO Company of the Year twice in the International ICT Awards. It is also in the PEZA Hall of Fame for winning Outstanding Employer and Outstanding Exporter three times in a row in both categories. – Convergys

source: gmanetwork.com

Oil rebounds on breakthrough hopes in US budget crisis

Singapore – Oil prices rebounded in Asian trade Thursday on hopes of a possible breakthrough in the US budget crisis after the White House moved to convene meetings with leading members of Congress.

New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate for delivery in November, was up seven cents at $101.68 in mid-morning trade while Brent North Sea crude for November gained seven cents to $109.13.

WTI declined $1.88 and Brent fell $1.10 New York Wednesday after the latest US crude stockpiles report showed a surprise build-up of 6.8 million barrels, but analysts said developments in Washington remain the main focus.

There are "continued concerns regarding the US budget impasse that would reduce demand for oil in the world's largest oil consumer," said Vanessa Tan, investment analyst at Phillip Futures in Singapore.

President Barack Obama sat down with House of Representatives Democrats on Wednesday, and invited all other lawmakers to the White House to work through budget disagreements that have led to the partial shutdown of the government.

Scenarios for an exit to the shutdown include a short-term government funding bill and a temporary debt ceiling rise, but there have no been consensus on any of these so far.

Failure to lift the debt ceiling by a October 17 deadline will mean the government is unable to pay its bills or service its debts, causing a default that analysts have warned could send the world economy back into recession.

"There is still no clarity as to whether the White House and the Republicans are closer towards a compromise that could result in a continuing resolution or a decision to lift the federal debt ceiling," DBS Bank said in a note.

"For now, a continuing resolution looks more likely if the both parties can move away from (Republican demands to cut Obama's health care law) and work towards spending cuts," it said. – Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

Want to know if you have Alzheimer's? Try some peanut butter

A-la peanut butter sandwiches! Just as The Amazing Mumford invokes peanut butter for his magic tricks, researchers at the University of Florida are now turning to the treat for detecting Alzheimer’s disease in its early stages.

Graduate student Jennifer Stamps thought of using peanut butter to test patients for their sense of smell, which could deteriorate with cognitive decline.

"One of the first places in the brain to degenerate in people with Alzheimer’s disease is the front part of the temporal lobe that evolved from the smell system, and this portion of the brain is involved in forming new memories," the university said in a news release.




Stamps and Dr. Kenneth Heilman, the James E. Rooks distinguished professor of neurology and health psychology in the UF College of Medicine’s department of neurology, said this test could be used by clinics that cannot run more elaborate tests.

The university added the peanut butter test will be one more added tool in an arsenal of clinical tests for neurological function in patients with memory disorders.

“We see people with all kinds of memory disorders. This can become an important part of the evaluation process,” Heilman said.

With her colleagues, Stamps, a graduate student in the UF McKnight Brain Institute Center for Smell and Taste, decided to test sensitivity with peanut butter and a ruler.

They reported the findings of a small pilot study in the Journal of the Neurological Sciences.

Stamps said she thought of peanut butter because it is a “pure odorant” that is only detected by the olfactory nerve and is easy to access.

Study details

In the study, patients who were coming to the clinic for testing sat down with a clinician with a tablespoon (14 grams) of peanut butter and a ruler.

The patient would close his or her eyes and mouth and block one nostril. The clinician then opened the peanut butter container and held the ruler next to the open nostril as the patient breathed.

The clinician would move the peanut butter up the ruler one centimeter at a time until the patient could detect an odor.

After recording the distance, the clinician would repeat the procedure on the other nostril after a 90-second delay.

In the study, the researchers found patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease had a dramatic difference in detecting odor between the left and right nostril.

The left nostril turned out to be impaired and did not detect the smell until it was about 10 cm closer to the nose than the right nostril.

Patients with other kinds of dementia did not have such a degraded sense of smell, the university noted.

More studies needed

The researchers said more studies may be needed, after noting that of the 24 patients tested who had mild cognitive impairment, 10 showed a left nostril impairment and 14 patients did not.

“At the moment, we can use this test to confirm diagnosis. But we plan to study patients with mild cognitive impairment to see if this test might be used to predict which patients are going to get Alzheimer’s disease,” Stamps said. — TJD, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com