Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, May 29, 2012 ?(PR.com)? The hottest weight loss tool around, Sunlighten infrared saunas offer a safe, at-home detox experience. The residential saunas employ far infrared therapy that penetrates deeply into joints, muscles and tissues, providing a variety of health benefits, including weight loss, detoxification, help with blood sugar regulation, mood elevation, pain management, skin purification and stress management.
?Creating your own persona health spa at home, the Sunlighten far infrared saunas offer the highest quality of residential saunas,? said John Spencer Ellis, founder of John Spencer Ellis Enterprises, a personal development and fitness solutions company. ?Offering deep natural healing, these residential saunas are truly amazing, which is why I?m so happy to personally vouch for their many health benefits.?
Anyone who visits http://infrared-sauna-saunas.com/ and signs up with special code ?JSE? can enjoy a special discount on the at-home saunas, which come in a variety of options.
In the Sunlighten residential saunas, men and women can burn anywhere from 200 to 600 calories in 30 minutes, sweat out seven times as many toxins as in a traditional sauna, reduce blood pressure, increase circulation and feel great. Far infrared saunas also help the body detox from heavy metals, including mercury, lead, cadmium and aluminum, at a cellular level. Likewise, they can provide relief to patients suffering from arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and certain skin conditions.
?Far infrared heat can penetrate deeply and provide that natural warmth and healing from within,? Ellis added. ?Residential saunas give you a great opportunity to take charge of your health in the privacy and comfort of your home.?
The #1 recommended sauna brand by doctors, the Sunlighten saunas are completely safe, and users can sit in them for hours without concerns about burns. The residential saunas also offer a variety of options and programs, depending on your overall goals.
About John Spencer Ellis Enterprises and Sunlighten Residential Infrared Saunas
John Spencer Ellis Enterprises is a solutions provider for fitness and coaching professionals around the world, providing education, turn-key business programs, coaching and resources for new and advanced fitness and coaching professionals. For more information about John Spencer Ellis Enterprises or for more information on Sunlighten Residential Infrared Saunas, please visit http://infrared-sauna-saunas.com/
Contact Information: John Spencer Ellis Fitness & Personal Development John Spencer Ellis 949-589-9166 Contact via Email
http://www.johnspencerellis.com
Click here to read the full story: Infrared Residential Saunas Offer Hot List of Health Benefits: Sunlighten Infrared Saunas Bring the Spa Experience Home
Travel insurance for summer vacation. Luxury or good idea? What to look for, and what to look out for.
The Georgia Dept. of Insurance issued a public service memo offering advice on what to consider in evaluating travel insurance.
Some travel insurance can protect against the loss of non-refundable travel costs such as air fare or hotel costs. Other travel insurance plans offer protection against financial loss due to medical emergencies, damage to personal property and death.
Trip Cancellation - Reimburses you for pre-paid travel expenses if you have to cancel your trip due to unforeseen situations such as illness, death or other conflicts.
Travel Delay - Reimbursement for out of pocket expenses if you have to delay your flight due to circumstances beyond your control, such as flight delay or cancellation.
Medical or Health - Reimburses out of pocket expenses for medical or dental emergencies, including those not covered by your major medical plan.
Medical Evacuation - Transport to a hospital near your location or back home.
Air ambulance charges, even for local transport, can run $5,000 or more. If you have to be returned to your home country, a charge of $30,000+ is not out of the ordinary.
A new report indicates that Facebook, fresh off its initial public offering, is in talks to acquire Web browser maker Opera Software.
Tech blog Pocket-lint, citing unnamed "trusted sources," reported that the social media giant is looking to buy Oslo, Norway-based Opera to expand into the browser space. In doing so, Facebook would be facing competition from the likes of Google, Microsoft, Mozilla, Apple ? and even Yahoo, which just this week launched its own Axis browser.
A spokeswoman for Facebook declined to comment about the rumor when contacted by PCMag on Friday. Opera also declined to comment.
"As a standard policy Opera does not respond to market rumors and we have no comment to the rumor addressed in the question," the company said in a statement.
However, The Next Web reported that a "source close to Opera" claims the browser maker is currently in the midst of a hiring freeze, and its management is talking to potential buyers. The company's leadership is reportedly considering becoming part of a larger privately held or public company, instead of trying to keep growing the business on its own.
Opera, which makes browsers for desktops, tablets, and smartphones, is currently listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange. The company says that about 270 million people use its browsers every month.
Facebook, meanwhile, last month bought the photo-sharing service Instagram for $1 billion. The social network also recently picked up the developers of the Lightbox Android photo app, along with 750 patents from IBM.
Copyright ? 2010 Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc.
The Latest Internet Marketing Techniques & SEO Tips Using Google Analytics? Real-Time - business2community.com
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The second session of internet marketing training from 6 ? 9 pm will include keynote speaker, Rosh Sillar, who will explain email marketing. He will show participants how to use email to market more effectively, best practices for best results and email ...
Top 10 Internet marketing strategies - castanet.net
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SkinTagsHelp.com, a Recently Launched Website from Internet Marketing Services, Disclose Unknown Facts about Skin Tag Removal - PRWeb
Tons of useful information about skin tag removal has been made available by SkinTagsHelp.com, the recently launched website from Internet Marketing Services. The website has already gained immense popularity amongst people looking to get rid of skin tags.
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So the past few posts have been a bit, uh, depressing in tone....so, here's what I've been up to, and hopefully, this will be seen as what it IS: an attempt to jump back into life, head-first.A diving-into, as it were... Wednesday, I attended a truly boffo reading at Bound To Be Read Books, which I chronicled here, and on Facebook. Editors of that Anthology, "A Face To Meet TheFaces", a collection of persona poetry, are Stacey Lynn Brown and Oliver de la Paz. I was shored-up that night, and later, at the ironically-cheerful dinner and swing-dance club, named "The Graveyard" in East Atlanta Village, I felt even better. We chose no cocktails for us, just iced tea and good grub, thank you. And great company. Thursday turned into an all-afternoon-into-evening-photo-shoot with eternal friend, Coral McGhee, who needed new shots to submit for a new film being lensed in Atlanta. Long-time dear friend, (Videographer/filmmaker/director) Alan Wright supplied the photography skills, I held the reflector, and Coral? Well, she had to look gorgeous. Which happens to be incredibly easy for her, because she IS. The pics turned out great...I learned just tonight via her Facebook announcement, that she has been selected for a small role in the aforementioned "new film"!!!Yaaaay!!! On Friday, I met up with the delightful Crystal Rast, a poet and novelist I seldom get to see. Because besides being a poet/novelist, she's also a writer of "white papers" (that's corporate-speak for writing papers for business execs), and she's also a professor, a graduate student working on her Master's in Creative Writing, and,in her most important role...she's also Tristan's mom. We met at Bahama Breeze, the 'burbs answer to a staycation: the setting is tropical, and the drinks are strong.After a few "Pineapple-Coconut Martinis" (that was this past Friday's designated Happy Hour Drink of the Day)you might begin to believe you're actually IN the islands...We were there several hours, enjoying a few appetizers (please note: the appetizers are HALF-PRICE every WEEKDAY from 4:00-6:00 PM) and more than a few drinks.(her:Pinot Grigio me:the aforementioned Rum cocktails) After hours of noshing on flatbreads with salsa and goat-cheese, coconut shrimp, and crab-stacks (the very best of the various appetizers)and downing drinks, we headed for the corner Starbucks, where we drank strong coffee, and wrote. Here's to writing. Peace, kids.
While initially announced in the summer of 2011, the Son-X Octavia has been working its way into reality ever since. As of this month, though, the solar-powered "interactive sound device" is now shipping to schools in Europe. For those unfamiliar, the coconut-esque device straps onto a conventional swing set in order to keep kids outside -- using technology to prevent kids from becoming supersaturated with technology, if you will. The company has designed it with tight school budgets in mind, making it completely wireless, self-contained and easy to install. Once in place, swingers can activate three aural games, each of which act to "awaken the natural curiosity in children to explore the possibilities through activity." Not surprisingly, it's designed to be upgraded over time, with new titles to be made available on USB drives. The outfit's still not offering 'em direct to consumers, but those with B2B connections can grab one for €499 ($624).
Sears refurbishes four stores with new concept in Canada
May 26, 2012 (Canada)
Barrie, Belleville, Newmarket and Hamilton are the First - With a renewed commitment to customer service and dramatic changes to store layout and merchandising, big things are happening at Sears.
On May 25th, Sears Canada unveils its new, refreshed store concept in four Ontario locations: Barrie, Belleville, Newmarket and at the Lime Ridge mall in Hamilton. These stores reflect the Company's plans to transform the Sears shopping experience in Canada.
Changes in the stores include: wider aisles, less clutter and streamlined merchandise offerings with exciting new brands at everyday low prices. In all the stores, expanded sections include: KidsRoom and BabyRoom, Jessica women's suit shops, Men's suit shops with easier by-size shopping and additional fitting services, a new assortment and look for Craftsman outdoor power equipment and a market-leading assortment of major appliances and mattresses.
In Newmarket, the new store has an improved check-out process. In Barrie and Belleville, easy-access shopping carts will now be available.
In addition, Trend Directors Cynthia Florek (Womenswear) and Nancy Dennis (Menswear and Kidswear) will be on hand in two of the stores on the 26thto present special style-savvy seminars. Cynthia and Nancy will be in Newmarket at 11am and in Barrie at 2pm.
"Our goal with the refreshed stores is to create a stage for product in an authoritative way to make it easier for our customers to shop for the items they expect from Sears and to demonstrate our leadership in the marketplace," said Calvin McDonald, President and CEO, Sears Canada. "Along with a renewed commitment to customer service, our new return policy and over 5,000 lower prices, our refreshed stores demonstrate another way that Sears is doing its best to do what's best for our customers."
Sears Canada is a multi-channel retailer with a network that includes 196 corporate stores, 278 hometown dealer stores, 29 home services showrooms, over 1,500 catalogue and online merchandise pick-up locations, 105 Sears Travel offices and a nationwide home maintenance, repair, and installation network.
Adore Me expands into swimwear category, May?25,?2012
Mothercare to expand rapidly in BRIC countries, May?25,?2012
Innerwear brand Dixcy Scott unveils new range of products, May?25,?2012
Aza opens first store in Ludhiana, May?25,?2012
Prada plans more outlets to tap emerging markets, May?25,?2012
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You?ve always wanted to open your own store ? but the hassle of finding the best building has delayed your plans. So you can try running an online store and ebusiness site that permits you to do that. But what is a web store and what Ecommerce Features do you need? Continue reading to learn more.
E-Commerce internet sites make it far easier for folks to go shopping for clothes, shoes and cell phones that they want ? right in the comfort of their own home. Millions of men and women shop at these sites each year, and there are many successful stores that have become reliant on e-commerce websites to bring more income for the company.
The most important point of these sites is to offer merchandise, and give consumers a simple way to buy. Internet site directors and business owners may want to utilize a site builder to form the site correctly, as purchasers will also wish to know about the company before purchasing. Business info must be included on your homepage of the internet site, and there should be links to the products offered so the site is straightforward to navigate.
Once Ecommerce internet sites are set up properly, they provide many benefits for the retailer as well . Not only will the consumer the ease of purchasing at home, but shops elevated sales experience in a shorter time. You may also see that your favorite brick and mortar stores will include the internet site of the store on bills and carrier bags. Some firms have even discovered that they don?t have to open as many ?live ? shops, as the majority of their business now comes from Internet buyers. You may also find that there are deals online that you won?t find in the store, and it?s another tactic to keep the e-business active. Favored clothes shops like Old Navy offer internet services for off-season clothes that make everything a steal. And you will also benefit from free or discounted delivery when your purchase surpasses a certain cost. These sites also ensure that your payments are secure and that your Visa card info is safe.
Remember that when you build your website, there are a range of shopping carts and ecommerce features for you to choose from. Make sure you select a system that supports your local payment gateway, has excellent local support, is convenient to use and make sure that who ever you select as your supplier of E-commerce Web Site Design can show you the standard of their work.
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Species:Melanophila consputa Habitat: coniferous forests of western North America, hoping for an arsonist to come calling
On the morning of 10 August 1925, a bolt of lightning struck a large oil storage tank in a remote area of California. The oil immediately caught fire and burned fiercely. By the evening it was so hot that it suddenly boiled over, sending flames shooting over 100 metres into the air, and spilling boiling oil onto the ground. The resulting lake of fire burned for another two days.
Before the fire could be extinguished, something strange happened ? untold numbers of charcoal beetles descended, swarming near the blazing oil.
We know what they were doing there: charcoal beetles are drawn to heat, and only breed in the smouldering remains of forest fires. But their nearest habitat was dozens of kilometres away. How did they know where to come?
Smokin' hot
Charcoal beetles belong to a genus called Melanophila, commonly known as fire-chasers or fire beetles. They are part of a larger family called the jewel beetles, most of which have bright iridescent colours. Fire beetles, however, are as black as coal.
They flock to forest fires, where the mated females lay eggs in the charred wood. The larvae burrow into the wood and feast, safe from the defences that a healthy tree might employ to get rid of them.
To help it find a suitable conflagration, each beetle has a special set of sensors mounted just behind the "hips" of its second pair of legs. These can detect infrared radiation, the invisible rays of heat given off by fires. Similar heat sensors have been found in the wings of some butterflies.
Each sensor array contains around 70 individual organs called sensillas, which contain a small pocket of water. This expands when heated, pushing against a receptor at the base of the pocket.
But the question remains: how good are these heat sensors? The closest large population of charcoal beetles was probably in the forests of the Sierra Nevada, around 130 kilometres away. Did they really feel the heat of the fire?
Into the fire
Infrared radiation is probably the most reliable way to spot a fire from a distance, says Helmut Schmitz of the University of Bonn in Germany. The beetles are active during the day, when the flames would be hard to see from a distance. The beetles can also sense smoke, but smoke plumes can be disrupted by crosswinds, so are rather unreliable.
With Herbert Bousack of the Peter Gr?nberg Institute in J?lich, Germany, Schmitz calculated how much heat the oil fire must have emitted, and thus how sensitive the beetles' sensors needed to be.
Based on the size of the oil tank, it must have been putting out around 20 kilowatts of heat per square metre. That means the beetles needed to sense an extraordinarily faint signal of 0.13-0.41 milliwatts per square metre.
Lab tests suggest that each sensilla can only sense signals of 0.6 watts per square metre ? which is a problem as the real signal was a thousand times weaker. But Schmitz says those lab tests were crude, and probably didn't tap the beetles' true abilities.
It may be that the beetles can combine signals from multiple sensillas, which would allow them to spot much weaker signals. The sensors may also make use of a phenomenon called stochastic resonance, in which random noise (in this case, heat from other sources) actually improves the sensitivity of the system.
Maybe we should start making insect-based fire alarms.
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Brothers Adam, 10, left, and Brendan Koeppl,11, have autism and use an iPad to help with their motor skills, eye/hand coordination, learning facial/verbal expressions and learning to verbalize wants and needs. (Photos by Teesha McClam, Dayton Daily News/Special to The Denver Post)
When the iPad debuted two years ago, there was lots of talk about whether people beyond the iPhone and Mac faithful would use such a thing.
But it became very clear to a particular group of people ? advocates for those with autism spectrum disorders ? that the device could be a new tool for communication and education in that community, something perhaps even Apple didn't foresee. Some autism-related apps aid conversation between parents and children, while others help with learning words or social skills.
In fact, there are now so many autism-related apps for the iPad and other iOS devices that there's "Autism Apps," an app that provides a comprehensive list.
Kel Smith, a blogger, consultant and founder of the Philadelphia-based technology accessibility company Anikto LLC, has been studying technology shifts like this one for a book he's working on, "Digital Outcasts: Moving Technology Forward Without Leaving People Behind."
It revolves around "accessibility," the idea that websites, apps, hardware and other technology should be designed in ways that do not shut them out to those with disabilities including blindness, hearing loss and other physical limitations.
But the concept of the book is changing as Smith works on it.
"I went in with the premise that there's entire populations of people who are being left behind; they're not being considered. Then I realized, they're the ones driving the innovation and moving it forward. They're forming their own solutions at this very grassroots level."
Smith's company Anikto (the word is Greek for "Open") has for years been advocating more accessible web design, hardware and software. In recent years, he says, tech companies are realizing that they're leaving money on the table by not making their sites or products accessible.
"Ten years ago, I was being laughed out of boardrooms for bringing up that we should make things accessible," Smith says. "Now, there's a
Adam and Brendan play HalfBrick-Fruit Ninji on their iPad to help with their motor skills and eye/hand coordination.
greater recognition that there's a market for this type of stuff and it's not just what we do on a secular level."
The idea is that designers should think about accessibility because it's in their own best interests ? in addition to being altruistic.
For companies selling products online, for instance, "You have to understand that people who have a disability that prevents them from leaving the home will be shopping from home. You don't want to have barriers (to) that purchasing decision," he says.
What's more, the cost for individuals and nonprofits to create their own web design tools and apps is falling, making it easier than ever for technology for the disabled to be distributed and for communities online to get the word out about them.
Another big shift is that for years, accessibility was largely focused on how the web is viewed on computers, how the online world interacts with computers, and mice and text-to-speech devices.
But now, much of people's web browsing is moving to mobile devices like smart phones, which have much smaller screens. We're also being introduced to personal tech like Microsoft's Xbox 360 Kinect, which relies on gestures and movement.
These new interfaces can be a double-edged sword. They provide "a whole new array of possibilities," Smith says, "and a whole new array of problems... We're almost back to square one in terms of web accessibility."
Improvements in tech accessibility are likely to benefit an increasing number of people as aging baby boomers will soon dictate the demand for devices suitable for people with limited motor skills, hand-eye coordination, poor vision and hearing.
When I wrote the post, ?The Stages of Eliminating Stuff,? I wrote about let?ting go of the sen?ti?men?tal?ity of some of the stuff we had, which was my mother?s. She and my father used to antique quite a bit and I had some very large pieces.
Obviously, we don?t have room for a lot of big fur?ni?ture. I knew what she loved most and I loved most of the same pieces and resolved to find a use and space for?them.
One of our Living Large com?mu?nity, Martin, made some good points in a com?ment: ?I have antiques from Great Aunts/Grandparents/parents who worked hard to buy them?they came (from) Ireland with noth?ing and from what you are work?ing to go to as a life style. I would find it is dis?re?spect?ful to dump these things-they are more than sentiment?they are fam?ily his?tory. With that said-there are so many other things I real?ize I can and will part with, but not the fam?ily history!!?
His com?ment first made me doubt whether I should be elim?i?nat?ing any of these things from our lives and also won?der if there are dif?fer?ent sets of rules for items con?sid?ered to be fam?ily his?tory, rather than just stuff, or even stuff with sen?ti?men?tal?ity attached.
I once again con?fronted my doubts as many of these antiques that were so prized by my mother are still sit?ting in our stor?age build?ing. I know how hard my father worked and I?was on many of the antique shop?ping adven?tures with them when some of those items were pur?chased. I also know how hard my mother worked to restore many of the pieces.
Believe me, I once whole?heart?edly agreed with Martin. That?s why our 1,100?square foot house in the city was stuffed full of fur?ni?ture and stuff my mother had already given?us.
Maybe 10?years ago, I read a remark?able essay by a woman who had just lost her mother. Like mine, her mother col?lected antiques and had many prized pos?ses?sions. This woman wrote the essay after stor?ing her mother?s belong?ings for a year. She kept what she could and gave to her chil?dren what they wanted.
At the time, I won?dered how any?one could part with some?thing that belonged to their mother, but as I thought more about it and even?tu?ally had to clean out my own mother?s apart?ments twice, my out?look changed.
It?s not until you have to sort through 82?years of your par?ents' lives in the stuff they leave behind that the real?ity hits you that in the end, you can?not take it with you and what you?re leav?ing is a lot of heart-wrenching work for the fam?ily you also leave behind.
There are things I will not ever part with such as that dry sink, her read?ing lamp, her china and a new find ? the let?ters she wrote to my father while he was sta?tioned in the Army dur?ing WWII. But I?ve come to the con?clu?sion that I can?not keep it all sim?ply because it was cher?ished by my mom or is a part of my child?hood memories.
My nephews do not want these huge pieces and our daugh?ters live out of the country.
In this thought process, I?ve come up with a few tips for part?ing with stuff that is a part of your fam?ily history:
Assess its sen?ti?men?tal value to your fam?ily his?tory: The first thing you must do is assess how impor?tant this item is to your fam?ily his?tory. Did your great-great grand?par?ents bring the item from their home?land? Is it a part of your fam?ily history's story, which means it must be some?thing more than someone's baby blan?ket. It must be cen?tral to who your fam?ily?is.
A place for every?thing and every?thing in its place: If you haven?t built your small home yet, take these items into con?sid?er?a?tion. Where will they be placed? Can they take on multi-purpose use? When my aunt built her home down the road from us, she designed one wall in her kitchen to specif?i?cally fit an oddly shaped cor?ner cab?i?net that was a fam?ily heir?loom.? Think about your design and?uses.
Giving it away: If you can?not use it and don?t want to store it, the best thing is to give the item to another fam?ily mem?ber who might appre?ci?ate it and its his?tory. If no one in your fam?ily is inter?ested, how about donat?ing it to the local his?tor?i?cal or cul?tural soci?ety? If the piece has a mon?e?tary value, find a rep?utable antiques appraiser and?sell.
Document: If you have to part with your beloved relative?s antiques, you can doc?u?ment them for?ever by tak?ing pho?tographs and plac?ing them into a spe?cial mem?ory album and/or record?ing it all on video. You can go back and revisit those items anytime!
Do you have a lot of items that are part of your fam?ily his?tory? What would you never part with? If mov?ing to a smaller space, how would you deal with?it?
Days of '1-size-fits-all' cloud contracts are numbered, report findsPublic release date: 23-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Emma Lowry e.lowry@qmul.ac.uk Queen Mary, University of London
Combined legal and market factors may force online companies to offer more flexible contract terms, suggests new research from Queen Mary, University of London.
The paper examines how and why companies providing IT services over the internet, also known as cloud computing, have begun to negotiate standard contract terms to better meet cloud users' needs, minimise operating risks and address legal compliance obligations.
The research, by the Cloud Legal Project at the Centre for Commercial Law Studies at QM, is primarily based on in-depth interviews with global and UK cloud providers, cloud users, law firms and other market players.
The report found that the top six types of cloud contract terms most negotiated were:
Provider liability
Service level agreements
Data protection and security
Termination rights and lock-in/exit
Unilateral amendments to service features
Intellectual property rights
"These are the key contractual issues of concern to users in the cloud market at this relatively immature stage of cloud adoption," explains Professor Christopher Millard, lead academic on the Cloud Legal Project (CLP).
Standard 'one-size-fits-all' terms are often weighted in favour of the provider, and many are potentially non-compliant, invalid or unenforceable in some countries, the project found.
Many providers do not take into account that users, especially in Europe, have regulatory or other legal obligations and may need to demonstrate compliance to regulators.
Professor Millard adds: "To remain competitive, providers may have to be more aware of user concerns, more flexible in negotiations, and more willing to demonstrate the security and robustness of their services.
"In the middle or low value markets, choice is still limited, and many contract terms are still inadequate or inappropriate for SME users' needs, as they may lack the bargaining power to force contract changes."
According to the research, there are signs of market development. Where large users have negotiated amendments and thereby helped educate providers about user concerns, these changes are likely to filter down to the middle market at least. Changes to providers' standard terms may also filter up from regulatory action affecting the consumer market.
CLP research consultant, Kuan Hon says: "The findings suggest that more customer-friendly terms are being demanded by large cloud users such as governments and financial institutions, and being offered or agreed by niche specialist providers and market entrants - making contract terms a source of competitive advantage."
The paper also discusses other legal risk issues, such as providers' lack of transparency about data security, location and management. Providers' exclusion of liability in their terms, particularly for outages and data loss, was generally the biggest issue for users surveyed.
Conversely, providers have argued that customers want to 'have their cake and eat it'; seeking the cheapest services while requesting the highest levels of assurances in contract terms and conditions.
"Forcing providers to accept more liability and incur the expense of upgrading their infrastructure, while keeping prices low, may undermine market development," Professor Ian Walden, from CLP, warns.
Apart from contract terms, users may need to take other practical measures to protect their businesses online, including data encryption or backing up data internally or to another cloud service, note the researchers.
Professor Walden explains: "Many cloud providers, particularly those offering free services, do not offer back-ups or assume liability for data losses as part of their basic package. Ignorance of cloud structures, with their multiple potential failure points, may result in risks not being addressed."
Users may need to consider what functions should be migrated to cloud and on what basis, such as starting with pilots only, conducting risk assessments, and implementing internal controls.
Researchers suggest multiple approaches are emerging, with a fragmentation of the market, rather than a 'de facto' cloud model. Market participants may be developing a range of cloud services with different contractual terms, priced at different levels and embracing standards and certifications that aid legal certainty and compliance, particularly for SME users.
###
The paper, Negotiating Cloud Contracts Looking at Clouds from Both Side Now, is available for free download via the Cloud Legal Project website: http://www.cloudlegal.ccls.qmul.ac.uk or http://cloudlegalproject.org/Research
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Days of '1-size-fits-all' cloud contracts are numbered, report findsPublic release date: 23-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Emma Lowry e.lowry@qmul.ac.uk Queen Mary, University of London
Combined legal and market factors may force online companies to offer more flexible contract terms, suggests new research from Queen Mary, University of London.
The paper examines how and why companies providing IT services over the internet, also known as cloud computing, have begun to negotiate standard contract terms to better meet cloud users' needs, minimise operating risks and address legal compliance obligations.
The research, by the Cloud Legal Project at the Centre for Commercial Law Studies at QM, is primarily based on in-depth interviews with global and UK cloud providers, cloud users, law firms and other market players.
The report found that the top six types of cloud contract terms most negotiated were:
Provider liability
Service level agreements
Data protection and security
Termination rights and lock-in/exit
Unilateral amendments to service features
Intellectual property rights
"These are the key contractual issues of concern to users in the cloud market at this relatively immature stage of cloud adoption," explains Professor Christopher Millard, lead academic on the Cloud Legal Project (CLP).
Standard 'one-size-fits-all' terms are often weighted in favour of the provider, and many are potentially non-compliant, invalid or unenforceable in some countries, the project found.
Many providers do not take into account that users, especially in Europe, have regulatory or other legal obligations and may need to demonstrate compliance to regulators.
Professor Millard adds: "To remain competitive, providers may have to be more aware of user concerns, more flexible in negotiations, and more willing to demonstrate the security and robustness of their services.
"In the middle or low value markets, choice is still limited, and many contract terms are still inadequate or inappropriate for SME users' needs, as they may lack the bargaining power to force contract changes."
According to the research, there are signs of market development. Where large users have negotiated amendments and thereby helped educate providers about user concerns, these changes are likely to filter down to the middle market at least. Changes to providers' standard terms may also filter up from regulatory action affecting the consumer market.
CLP research consultant, Kuan Hon says: "The findings suggest that more customer-friendly terms are being demanded by large cloud users such as governments and financial institutions, and being offered or agreed by niche specialist providers and market entrants - making contract terms a source of competitive advantage."
The paper also discusses other legal risk issues, such as providers' lack of transparency about data security, location and management. Providers' exclusion of liability in their terms, particularly for outages and data loss, was generally the biggest issue for users surveyed.
Conversely, providers have argued that customers want to 'have their cake and eat it'; seeking the cheapest services while requesting the highest levels of assurances in contract terms and conditions.
"Forcing providers to accept more liability and incur the expense of upgrading their infrastructure, while keeping prices low, may undermine market development," Professor Ian Walden, from CLP, warns.
Apart from contract terms, users may need to take other practical measures to protect their businesses online, including data encryption or backing up data internally or to another cloud service, note the researchers.
Professor Walden explains: "Many cloud providers, particularly those offering free services, do not offer back-ups or assume liability for data losses as part of their basic package. Ignorance of cloud structures, with their multiple potential failure points, may result in risks not being addressed."
Users may need to consider what functions should be migrated to cloud and on what basis, such as starting with pilots only, conducting risk assessments, and implementing internal controls.
Researchers suggest multiple approaches are emerging, with a fragmentation of the market, rather than a 'de facto' cloud model. Market participants may be developing a range of cloud services with different contractual terms, priced at different levels and embracing standards and certifications that aid legal certainty and compliance, particularly for SME users.
###
The paper, Negotiating Cloud Contracts Looking at Clouds from Both Side Now, is available for free download via the Cloud Legal Project website: http://www.cloudlegal.ccls.qmul.ac.uk or http://cloudlegalproject.org/Research
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Phoenix Coyotes left wing Taylor Pyatt (14) and Los Angeles Kings left wing Dwight King (74) battle for the puck during the second period of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Western Conference finals, Tuesday, May 22, 2012, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Phoenix Coyotes left wing Taylor Pyatt (14) and Los Angeles Kings left wing Dwight King (74) battle for the puck during the second period of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Western Conference finals, Tuesday, May 22, 2012, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Phoenix Coyotes' Marc-Antoine Pouliot (43) celebrates his goal against Los Angeles Kings' Jonathan Quick (32) in the second period during Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Western Conference finals, Tuesday, May 22, 2012, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Los Angeles Kings' Mike Richards (10) celebrates his goal against the Phoenix Coyotes with Dustin Penner (25), Alec Martinez (27), Matt Greene and Jeff Carter (77) in the second period during Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Western Conference finals, Tuesday, May 22, 2012, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Phoenix Coyotes goalie Mike Smith (41) sits on the ice after giving up a goal against the Los Angeles Kings during the second period of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Western Conference finals, Tuesday, May 22, 2012, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Los Angeles Kings' Justin Williams (14) battles with Phoenix Coyotes' Oliver Ekman-Larsson (23), of Sweden, and goalie Mike Smith, left, for the puck in the second period during Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Western Conference finals, Tuesday, May 22, 2012, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) ? A great road playoff run has the Los Angeles Kings in a place they haven't been since the Great One was skating in Southern California.
Dustin Penner scored 17:42 into overtime and the Kings beat the Phoenix Coyotes 4-3 in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals Tuesday night to earn their first trip to the Stanley Cup finals since 1993.
"It means everything," Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said. "You grow up your whole life wanting to be in that Stanley Cup final."
The kings of the road, Los Angeles will play for Lord Stanley's cup for the second time as a franchise after taking down the Western Conference's top three seeds.
The Kings knocked off No. 1 Vancouver, the Presidents' Trophy winner, No. 2 St. Louis and rounded it out with a five-game win over the No. 3 Coyotes in the conference finals to become the second No. 8 seed ? along with Edmonton in 2006 ? to reach the Stanley Cup finals.
They played hard, utilized their skill and size, and won away from home like no other team in NHL history.
After losing Game 4 at home, Los Angeles closed out Phoenix in the desert for its NHL record eighth straight road victory of the playoffs. The Kings became the first team to go undefeated on the road en route to the Stanley Cup finals and have won 10 straight road playoff games over two seasons, another record.
Anze Kopitar scored Los Angeles' fifth short-handed goal of the playoffs, Drew Doughty had a goal an assist, and Mike Richards also scored for Los Angeles. Jonathan Quick had some big saves in the third period and overtime, and Penner capped it by gathering a bouncing puck and beating Smith for his third goal of the playoffs.
Next up for the Kings is a trip to the New York metropolitan area. They will play Game 1 next Wednesday at either the New York Rangers or the New Jersey Devils. Los Angeles last played in the final round 19 years ago, vs. Montreal.
"There hasn't been much success as an organization, but we've got an opportunity to play for the Cup," said Kings captain Dustin Brown, who angered the Coyotes with a hit that knocked defenseman Michal Rozsival from the game just before Penner's goal. "But there's still a lot of work to be done."
The Coyotes avoided being swept out of their first conference finals with a gutty win in Los Angeles on Sunday. They couldn't extend the series another game despite jumping on the Kings early, unable to stop Los Angeles' waves of skilled players or Penner's final shot.
Taylor Pyatt had a goal and an assist, Marc-Antoine Pouliot and Keith Yandle also scored, and Smith made some superb saves while facing 51 shots.
"I have been knocked out in the first round a lot and you think it is going to feel better when you get to the next round, but I don't care when you get knocked out," Coyotes captain Shane Doan said. "It feels awful and you don't want to be a part of it and you wish you could keep going."
Los Angeles blew one chance to put away the pesky Coyotes. Leading the series 3-0 and playing at home, the Kings couldn't match Phoenix's intensity in Game 4 and lost 2-0, giving the Coyotes a glimmer of hope.
What they didn't want to do is give them momentum.
Phoenix has been as good as any team in the league when the confidence is rolling, using an 11-game winning streak in February to get back into the playoff race and a five-game surge to close out its first NHL division title.
The Kings had come through in this spot once before, defeating Vancouver on the road after failing to complete the sweep at home in Game 4.
They didn't seem ready to do it again.
Riding the confidence carryover from Game 4, the Coyotes dominated early, controlling the puck, giving the Kings little room in the neutral zone or anywhere else. Phoenix had some good scoring chances early and Pyatt cashed in on a power play, redirecting Martin Hanzal's one-timer in the slot 4:20 into the game.
Despite numerous other good chances, including a couple on a power play, the Coyotes couldn't get another puck past Quick in the first period. Adding to it, the Kings snatched a little momentum back with Kopitar's short-handed goal, on a redirect of a shot by Doughty after Smith was called for icing.
"We didn't capitalize on a power play early, a couple other opportunities, couldn't push the game along," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. "We knew it was going to be a tight game. It ended up that way."
The second period wound up being a shootout.
Pouliot gave Phoenix the lead back by flipping a backhander past Quick on a loose puck in front for his first career playoff goal. Doughty tied it a few minutes later, scoring from just inside the blue line on a shot Smith had trouble seeing through traffic.
Richards scored on rebound to put Los Angeles up 3-2, Yandle tied it again after a pass by Pyatt caromed off his right leg past Quick.
Both teams had numerous scoring chances in a hectic third period, but both goalies made some superb saves.
They went back and forth in the overtime, too, until Penner finally ended it when a shot by Jeff Carter caromed out front to him in the slot.
"It's the biggest goal of my career so far," Penner said. "Hopefully, there are a couple more waiting in the finals."
NOTES: Coyotes RW Radim Vrbata had an assist on Pyatt's goal for his first point in eight games. ... Los Angeles was 2 for 27 in the series on the power play after going 0 for 4 in Game 5. ... Yandle had nine points in the playoffs, matching Dave Babych's team record for a defenseman set in 1985. ... The Kings are the seventh team to reach the Stanley Cup finals in 14 games (12-2) since the NHL went to a four-round best-of-seven series format in 1987.
What could be the better view early in the morning rather than the gardens packed with beautiful flowers? Gardens are the beautiful places of relaxation. Over the years people have spend their greater amount of time in garden for relaxing. Although there are thousands of different decorations like Landscaping,Garden accessories, Garden designs, and Garden maintenance in that, the great challenge is to choose the right one according to user?s need and budget.
Garden decorations can help the style and improvement of your outlook, Encouraging nature is always a great idea in the gardening. If we need a little creative idea, garden can be more fun to work with. There is no matter what garden decorations are used, the outdoor area should be simple and be an addition to the living area.
Accessorizing is one of the most important habits of gardening.
This adds the scenic beauty of our gardens. If you plan your garden with classic theme, Garden decors need not be expensive. Often you do enjoying with your garden, remember that what was in today may also come back in future. So, it is advisable to maintain the standard garden pattern instead of changing. The reuse or recycle garden material can also be used some how to transform to a new look of garden decoration.
Some of the decorations that we can add to our gardens are; Lightning, bird houses, Ornaments, Signs, Furniture, Banners, Statues, Fountains and many more to make our garden much attractive.
Lightning is one of the attractive decorations to our garden.
The more attractive light we use the more beautiful the garden looks. Main advantage of lightning is once the lights are ON the insects keeps away from the plants.
When we place bird houses the garden looks much decorative, as a known fact birds add life to our garden.
A garden sign adds much style to our gardens. It creates a traditional feel when we use one made by wood.
Furniture, Banners, statues and Fountains are the additional decorations for our garden outlook and can start our day by sitting on a bench with enjoying a hot cup of tea in our gardens?These are only some of the additional garden decorations that we can added to our gardens. By adding some artistic planning we can make our garden more beautiful with friendly environment?
Product Launch Secrets EXPOSED! (The Secrets of Internet Marketing)
Discover the science and psychology behind massively successful online product launches.
Every time Apple releases a new product, people skip work and camp out on sidewalks for the chance to be one of the first to purchase the greatest gadget ever made. Hundreds of online businesses are using the same tactics and strategies as the Apple marketing team to turn interested prospects into rabid fans for their products.
Every year, business owners pay thousands of dollars to le
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Public release date: 23-May-2012
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