Eating more veggies, fruit can make you happier

Feeling stressed at work? Hit the salad bar on your lunch break. Economists from Dartmouth University and England have stumbled onto findings that suggest that eating more vegetables and fruits could boost your happiness.

In a working paper for the National Bureau of Economic Research, a U.S. nonprofit that studies how our economy functions, the authors analyzed three surveys from the United Kingdom that measured both psychological well-being and factors that influence human health, such as diet. The psychological surveys asked a combined total of 80,000 people about things like work-related stress, feelings of nervousness and worry, level of satisfaction with their lives, and ability to deal with problems and life's difficulties. The diet surveys assessed how frequently each person ate fruits and vegetables.

The authors' conclusion? The more vegetables you eat, the happier and more satisfied with life you are. In fact, in one survey, eating seven to eight portions of vegetables was more strongly associated with happiness and overall well-being than employment status. On the whole, the paper concluded that well-being peaks at seven daily servings of fruits and vegetables, but the surveys also showed that people who ate just five servings a day (the amount that the USDA recommends) were as happy--or very nearly so--as people who ate higher amounts.

The authors call their results "only suggestive" of a link between the fruit bowl and happiness levels, because even though they tried to control for income, work status, overall health, and other factors that play a role in how you feel about your life, there are a lot of other factors that can influence happiness. And, they add, it's not clear whether vegetables make people happy or happy people eat more vegetables.

Nevertheless, this study definitely shows a connection between your psychological health and your diet. As the saying goes, you are what you eat. And eating more vegetables is certainly not going to hurt, particularly in light of another new survey showing that 63 percent of American workers consider themselves unhappy and burned out.

Weather Disasters Prove the Need for a Carbon Tax

- Richard Caperton saying .....

Superstorm Sandy. Massive droughts. Devastating tornadoes. Horrific wildfires. The United States has certainly seen the dramatic weather-related effects of climate change in 2012, and every American has in some way been negatively impacted. Unfortunately, unless we start taking action now to curb the greenhouse gas pollution that's causing this extreme weather, things are only going to get worse.

Congress passing a progressive carbon tax is one way for the United States could make a significant contribution to the fight against climate change.

To be effective, a carbon tax should do a few things. First, it must be robust enough to lead to meaningful greenhouse gas pollution reductions; increasing over time and applying to non-carbon-dioxide greenhouse gases such as methane. This ensures continuing reductions and encourages companies to move toward cleaner energies instead of different dirty ones. Second, it should encourage businesses to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy to reduce emissions. This will stimulate the economy and put people back to work in the burgeoning green-jobs sector. Third, it must reduce the economic vulnerability of low-income households by ensuring that they are compensated for increases in energy prices. Fourth, it should have appropriate mechanisms to protect existing American businesses and prevent "pollution leakage," which occurs if highly polluting industries simply move to other countries that don't have a comparable limit on pollution. Leakage can also happen if domestic industries shut down, causing us to import goods from other countries. Finally, it should reduce the budget deficit to prevent draconian cuts in vital domestic programs by raising revenue from the tax.

America is currently on the right path. Our greenhouse gas pollution is lower than it's been in recent history, and our economy is starting to see more signs of life. Neither of these positive trends, however, is anywhere close to where we need them to be to fully address the challenges of climate change and economic growth. Even worse, our country must make additional significant changes to reduce our substantial budget deficit so future generations aren't stuck with the bill for our expenses.

These issues—climate change, economic growth, and fiscal responsibility—may not appear to be intimately linked. They all have different causes, and they impact our country in different ways. They are, however, inextricably tied together by their solution: A price on carbon can make a significant contribution to solving each of these challenges.

Asia stocks fall as US budget negotiations stall

Heightened uncertainty about the outcome of budget negotiations in Washington among President Barack Obama, House Speaker John Boehner and other Republican lawmakers drove Asian stock markets lower Friday.

If a compromise is not in place by Jan. 1, the Bush-era tax cuts will expire and spending cuts will kick in automatically — a one-two punch to the economy that many experts fear will push the U.S. economy back into recession just as it begins to recover from the last one.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell nearly 0.3 percent to 10,014.17. Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 0.8 percent to 22,470.67. South Korea's Kospi shed 1.1 percent at 1,977.08. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.5 percent to 4,612.10. Benchmarks in Singapore and Taiwan also fell. Indonesia and the Philippines rose.

U.S. stock futures tumbled after rank-and-file Republican lawmakers failed to support an alternative tax plan by House Speaker John Boehner late Thursday in Washington. That plan would have allowed tax rates to rise on households earning $1 million and up. Obama wants the level to be $400,000.

Ironically, the two leaders had significantly narrowed their differences toward a compromise. The latest setback, with Republicans bucking their leader, left precious little time for an agreement to be reached before the "fiscal cliff" of tax increases and spending cuts goes into effect.

Dow Jones industrial futures dropped 1.6 percent to 13,061 and S&P 500 futures lost 1.6 percent to 1,417.80. Analysts cautioned, however, that market swings would be exaggerated because of light trading volumes that typically accompany end-of-year holidays.

"Approaching the weekend and holiday, volumes will likely remain thin, with choppy trading sessions while the 'fiscal cliff' talks will stay in the spotlight," said Kintai Cheung of Credit Agricole CIB in Hong Kong in an email commentary.

Benchmark crude for February delivery fell $1.03 to $89.10 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 15 cents to finish at $90.13 per barrel on the Nymex on Thursday.

In currencies, the euro fell to $1.3199 from $1.3241 late Thursday in New York. The dollar fell to 83.92 yen from 84.42 yen.

Discover Financial Services 4Q net income rises

 Discover Financial Services on Thursday reported higher earnings for its fiscal fourth quarter, as users of its namesake credit card stepped up purchases and the company wrote off fewer unpaid balances.

Even so, the Riverwoods, Ill.-based company's results fell short of Wall Street expectations, and investors sent its shares down over 3 percent Thursday.

Discover, the nation's sixth-largest credit card issuer, said total loans, credit card loans and Discover card sales volume increased 6 percent in the quarter, which coincided with the tail end of the back-to-school shopping season and the ramp up to the December holidays — key periods when consumers traditionally spend more.

Discover card sales volume increased to $26.5 billion, while credit card loans at the end of the quarter totaled $49.6 billion. Private student loans rose 6 percent, while personal loans climbed 24 percent, the company said.

"Our strong receivables and sales growth results demonstrate the effectiveness of our marketing programs, consumers' preference for cash rewards and our acceptance and awareness initiatives," Chairman and CEO David Nelms said during a conference call with analysts.

While Discover's customers racked up more debt, more of them paid off credit card balances on time. The delinquency rate on credit-card loans over 30 days past due was 1.86 percent, an improvement of 53 basis points from a year earlier. The rate of charge-offs, when the company writes off unpaid credit card balances, dropped to a historic low of 2.29 percent.

"While the continued improvement in credit appears to be nearing an end, we don't believe we are at a point where charge-offs are poised to rise significantly," Nelms said.

Nationwide the rate of credit card payments at least 90 days overdue edged up in the third quarter to 0.75 percent, according to credit reporting agency TransUnion. The rate is coming off historically low levels, however.

Discover has traditionally had one of the lowest rates for default and delinquency in the credit card industry, the result of tighter lending standards and close monitoring of problem accounts.

The company has reported improvement in its customers' default and late-payment rates since the Great Recession, as cardholders moved to pay down debt and boost savings.

Late-payment rates tend to creep higher in the fall, particularly as cardholders spend more money on holiday shopping, travel and other expenses. The company said that seasonal factor led to a slight increase in its credit card loan delinquency rate between the third and fourth quarter.

While Discover's rates for late payments and defaults remain low, the company has been making more loans. As a result, it has been setting aside more funds to cover potential loan losses.

In the September-to-November quarter, Discover increased its provision for loan losses by 6 percent to $338 million, noting that was somewhat offset by a drop in the number of unpaid credit card balances that had to be written off.

Meanwhile Discover's payment-services business, which competes with Visa and MasterCard, saw dollar volume increase 13 percent in the latest quarter.

In a client note Thursday, RBC Capital Markets analyst Jason Arnold said Discover is benefiting from increased acceptance of its cards and favorable credit trends.

"We remain very enthused by Discover's fundamental position and believe the company remains well positioned for loan and (earnings per share) growth," wrote Arnold, who has a $50 price target on the stock.

For the period ended Nov. 30, Discover earned $541 million, or $1.07 per share. That compares with $513 million, or 95 cents per share, a year earlier.

Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected earnings of $1.12 per share.

Revenue climbed 11 percent to $2 billion, after interest expense. Wall Street forecast $1.96 billion.

Also on Thursday, Discover declared a dividend of 14 cents per share. It will be paid on Jan. 17 to shareholders of record on Jan. 3.

Discover shares fell $1.36, or 3.4 percent, to close at $38.41 Thursday. The stock is up 60 percent this year.

Should You Make New Year's Resolutions?

- Keri Gans Saying.....

Early in the holiday season, often as soon as Thanksgiving has passed, many of us start making plans for New Year's Eve. And then almost automatically, it's on to New Year's resolutions for the upcoming year. Personally, I never make even one resolution. I'd go as far as 

Early in the holiday season, often as soon as Thanksgiving has passed, many of us start making plans for New Year's Eve. And then almost automatically, it's on to New Year's resolutions for the upcoming year. Personally, I never make even one resolution. I'd go as far as saying I have a problem with them—maybe because almost everyone who makes New Year's resolutions fails to see them through.

I decided to look up the definition of resolution, thinking that perhaps it's a word that's misunderstood or misused. According to the dictionary, it can be defined as a decision, determination, or solution. So why is it that people feel they need to wait for a certain date to begin making healthy changes? Maybe they're confusing "resolution" with procrastination, which is defined as delaying, putting off, or postponing.

Let's be honest—most healthy changes could be made now, rather than next month. Today, December 20, sounds like a good day to me. Maybe the problem has to do with deciding to make too many changes at the beginning of the year, or biting off more than you can chew, and getting frustrated when it's too much to keep up. 

If you're convinced you want to make resolutions, go about it like this: 

1. Determine why you need to make a change. Do you need to lose weight to fit into your favorite jeans? To lower your cholesterol or prevent a chronic disease? Whatever the reason, it can be unique to you, with no judgments. If you don't have a strong reason for making a change, you'll most likely find many reasons not to adhere to it. 

2. Create a goal. If weight loss is your goal, decide on a realistic total amount, and then break it down into weeks. For example, if you need to lose 20 pounds, commit to losing one pound per week for 20 weeks. That way, when you don't drop 20 pounds in January—which isn't realistic—you won't feel like a failure. 

3. Make a plan that includes many steps. It's one thing to say you'll lose weight in 2013. That's great, but how are you going to do it? Maybe you need to start eating breakfast (step 1); bringing a snack to work to avoid the vending machine (step 2); turning the TV off earlier and going to bed instead of raiding the refrigerator (step 3); and joining a gym or trying yoga class instead of lounging on the couch (step 4). 

4. Record your efforts. Whether it's a food journal, fitness journal, or even a sleep journal, write down what you're doing every day, be it positive or negative. If you monitor your actions, you can easily identify your successes and/or failures, which will help you stay motivated. Keeping yourself accountable for your actions is key to success. 

If you fall off track at any time, get yourself back up immediately. You don't need to wait until January 2014 to try again. Remember that a resolution—also known as a decision—can be incorporated into your life just as easily in March, June,or August. And when the holidays roll around again next year, you can focus your thoughts on New Year's eve plans, and not the resolutions that need to follow. 

Review: Google Maps on iOS 6

Like a lot of people, I was happy and relieved to see Google Maps return to the iPhone. 

I'd been frustrated with the Apple mapping software that had replaced it three months ago. For one thing, it didn't have public transit directions, a feature important for New Yorkers like me. Apple's mapping app also wasn't as good as the old Google app in finding destinations. I often had to type full addresses rather than just the name of a business. 

I tried to get by instead with maps on Google's mobile website, but I found that clunky and slower to start up. So when Google Maps returned this week as its own app, I installed it right away. Although it may not be perfect, it is a big step up from both Apple's current software and the old Google-powered Maps app that Apple kicked off the iPhone in September. 

For the first time, Google Maps has turn-by-turn voice navigation on the iPhone, and with that, automatic recalculation of routes whenever you make a wrong turn. The feature had been available on Android phones since 2009, but Google's previous refusal to bring it to the iPhone is believed to be a key reason Apple decided to develop its own technology. 

The new app also offers public transit information for more than 500 cities around the world. That's a feature Apple's own mapping software lacks. 

The turn-by-turn driving directions work exceptionally well. It quickly and accurately calculated the most direct route from The Associated Press' headquarters in Manhattan to my home in the Bronx. It offered a variety of routes for traveling from New York to Boston. 

The app's voice directions came in the form of a pleasant female voice that sounded much more human than the GPS system my husband had in his car years ago. She was also more pleasant to hear than Siri, the virtual assistant on my iPhone 4S. 

Directions were easy to understand. But don't worry if you're the type of person, like my husband, who finds voice directions annoying. There's a mute option. 

Google's app usually gives you the choice of a couple of routes. Unlike Apple's app, Google Maps lets you automatically exclude routes that involve highways or tolls. You can also add an overlay showing how bad the traffic is along the way, along with satellite and street-level photography of the area you're traveling through. Those features are much more limited in Apple's app. 

To test out the walking directions, I took to the streets of New York. I didn't get as many bells and whistles as the driving directions. For instance, there was no nice lady to tell me which way to go, because the voice directions only work for driving. In addition, the app doesn't automatically recalculate your route if you miss a turn. The little blue dot marking your location just continues on its merry way in the wrong direction. 

To get the voice and the recalculations, you'd have to walk with driving directions, but you might then find yourself walking farther as the app won't let you walk against traffic on one-way street or through a park on recreational paths. 

Google's mapping service is typically adorned with multitudes of landmarks such as tourist spots, dry cleaners and bars. To test this out, I took a walk up Ninth Avenue toward Hell's Kitchen. I found that while Google knows this neighborhood pretty well, it doesn't know it as well as I do. 

A pawn shop that closed and was replaced by a Dunkin' Donuts a month or two ago is still shown as such on the map (then again, it's not even listed in Apple's mapping app). A bar that changed its name last summer still is listed under its former identity, the same as in the Apple software. And only about half of the many restaurants on the roughly 10 blocks I walked are listed. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of rhyme or reason as to what made the map and what didn't. Still, there appears to be more landmarks in Google Maps than in Apple's app. 

For people like me who live in big cities or travel a lot, the addition of public transit information is a big plus. For basic directions, Google Maps works very well. It's able to find my apartment building in a far-flung neighborhood of the Bronx (though Google still thinks my building is about half a block north of where it actually is). It gives me a couple ways to get there on the subway and bus, along with pretty accurate travel times. 

If you have a preference of subway, bus or light rail, you can filter out the other options. The app shows me the correct express bus routes from my office to my home, but fails to mention that it costs $5.50 to ride that bus, rather than the usual $2.25. It also doesn't mention that regular monthly transit passes don't work on those buses. 

I also asked the app for light rail options as I live about a five-minute walk from a Metro-North railroad stop. But instead of sending me across town to Grand Central Terminal to catch a 25-minute train ride home, the app offers a convoluted set of instructions that involves taking an Amtrak train to the suburbs and then heading back into the city on another Metro-North train. While technically faster, the directions are far from practical (or cheap). 

It's also worth mentioning that unlike what you get with HopStop.com or the public transit agency's website, you can't ask for a handicapped accessible route. That means you can't find out if the subway stop you're traveling to has an elevator (hint: many of them in New York still don't). This can cause big problems for everyone from moms with strollers to the wheelchair bound. But the bigger problem is not having the transit directions at all, as Apple's mapping app is guilty of. 

As with any mobile app, you're at the mercy of your wireless connection. While out walking in midtown Manhattan, I lost my cellular signal several times, putting a stop to my little blue dot's progress or sending it way off the street I was traveling down. 

I knew where I was going, but if you're a tourist in an unfamiliar city, this could be a problem. That's the case whether you're using Google's or Apple's product. 

The one clear advantage that Apple has is style. Like Apple devices, the maps are clean and clear and have a fun, pretty element to them, especially in 3D. But when it comes down to depth and information, Google still reigns superior and will no doubt be welcomed back by its fans. 

Wal-Mart offers holiday deals on some iPads, iPhones

Wal-Mart said Friday that it had would offer discounts on favorite Apple products, including two models of iPhones and an iPad.

The sales, which spokeswoman Sarah Spencer said would run through the holiday season, could be a deal for gadget-loving consumers and may be a way for Wal-Mart to get a last-minute holiday sales boost.

But the move also left some retail analysts questioning whether such bargain-basement deals could put a dent in Apple’s premium reputation.

The big-box discounter said it would offer a 16 GB, older model third generation iPad with WiFi for $399, plus a $30 iTunes gift card. The newer, fourth-generation model iPad selling for a $499 list price on Apple’s website. The spokeswoman, speaking on behalf of Wal-Mart, said the retailer had been selling the older model for $499 as well.

The 16 GB iPhone 5 is selling at Wal-Mart for $127, compared to $199 on the Apple website.

The 16 GB iPhone 4S is selling for $47 at Wal-Mart, compared with $99 on the corporate site.

The discounts are all starting immediately, and the gift card will be available starting Monday.

One key part of Apple’s successful formula has been to sell its own products in branded retail stores, part of an overall strategy of creating an Apple-centric universe of products, apps and the like.

Microsoft has even gone so far as to copy the move, creating its own retail stores to sell Windows 8 products including the Surface.

Brian Sozzi, a retail industry analyst and editor of Decoding Wall St., said Apple’s branding effort could be undermined if customers figure out that they can get a better deal elsewhere.

“You start to worry about, well, mixed messages,” Sozzi said. “You now have consumer discounts (at) Wal-Mart stores, and then a full-price experience at a mall-based store.”

 Other retailers also appear to be offering consumers a better deal than Apple itself. Best Buy’s website on Friday listed the comparable iPhone 5 for $149, while a similar 4S was selling for $49.99. The same model iPad was selling on Best Buy’s website for $499.99.

Spencer, the Wal-Mart spokeswoman, said the retailer has offered sales like this in the past and that it always works with Apple when coming up with such deals. She declined to comment on how the pricing would affect the company’s bottom line.

“We’re striking a balance between being competitive and giving our customers the products they want,” she said.

Sozzi saw the sale as a last-minute effort to boost sales in the all-important retail season, and he noted that it is a good deal for customers looking to save some money on a premium product.

But he said seeing such a good deal, especially on a slightly more dated model like the iPhone 4S, could cause some consumers to rethink the general mentality of paying top dollar for Apple’s most recent gadget as soon as it comes out.

He noted that it’s especially hard to keep up now that Apple has so  many products coming out so quickly. He said it may make some customers think that they “might as well just wait it out.”

All you need is a phone number! Facebook launches new messenger app

Social networking giant Facebook has rolled out its new messenger app, allowing mobile phone users without Facebook account to sign up for the service with just a phone number.

Facebook Messenger is an instant messaging service and software application which provides text and video communication.

The app will be first available to users of phones running on Google's Android platform in India, Indonesia, Australia, Venezuela and South Africa, Xinhua reported.

"Users can now sign up for a messenger account with just their name and phone number, so they can send messages to their phone contacts instantly ," Facebook said in a statement.

The sign up option will soon be rolled out globally, along with a version for Apple's iPhone users and other smartphone platforms, the statement added.

Facebook Messenger's mobile version was released last year for major smartphone platforms, but users needed to sign up with a Facebook account.

The latest move is expected to help the social network reach a larger audience, attracting smartphone users with no Facebook account to gradually use more of the company's services.

2G spectrum: Cabinet clears cut in base price

The Cabinet on Thursday approved a 30 per cent cut in the reserve price for sale of mobile phone spectrum in four zones that went unsold in the recent damp-squib auction.

Airwaves in Delhi, Mumbai, Karnataka and Rajasthan found no takers in last months auction as bidders found the prices too high.

Subsequently, a ministerial panel recommended a 30 per cent cut in the base or reserve price for spectrum in 1,800 mega-Hertz (MHz) band in the four circles.

The Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, accepted the EGoM recommendation and approved auction of airwaves in the four zones at 30 per cent lower price, one of the participants said.

The reserve price for last month's sale per block in Delhi was Rs 693.06 crore, while the same for Mumbai, Karnataka and Rajasthan was fixed at Rs 678.45 crore, Rs 330.12 crore and Rs 67.08 crore respectively.

The Cabinet also gave its go ahead for auctioning spectrum in 900 MHz band in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata simultaneously with the sale of radiowaves in 1800 Mhz in these four circles.

Reacting to the development, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) said there needs to be transparency in how the reserve price is arrived at.

"Participating is not the problem. All our operators by and large especially when 900MHz is involved will be interested. The question is what is the right price, "COAI Director General Rajan S Mathews said.

The last 2G mobile phone spectrum auction was virtually a flop as government managed to garner bids worth just Rs 9,407 crore as against a minimum target of Rs 28,000 crore.

Compared to the 3G auction, which lasted 35 days and got Rs 67,719 crore, the last round of 2G spectrum auction held in November lasted just two days.

Mother's values tied to baby's health

The value an expectant mother places on her family can tell how healthy a baby is going to be three years later.
These findings from University of Southern California (USC) suggest that one's culture is a resource that can provide tangible physical health benefits.
"We know that social support has profound health implications. Yet in this case, this is more a story of beliefs than of actual family support," said Cleopatra Abdou, assistant professor at USC Davis School of Gerontology, the journal Social Science & Medicine reports.
Abdou studied 4,633 socio-economically disadvantaged women, gauging their "familism" or, more specifically, their beliefs about familial roles and responsibilities, using a questionnaire, according to an USC statement.
Familism was determined by responses to statements such as, "single moms can do just as well as married parents," or "it is better for children if their parents are married."
Abdou then tracked the health of their children and found that for every one point increase in familism, there was a 71 gram increase in birth weight independent of a whole host of other factors-including the gender of the infant or whether the mother was married.
Average birth weight in the United States is roughly 3.4 kg.
Low birth weight, typically defined as under 2.5 kg, has been linked to health problems later in life. Higher familism also predicted lower rates of asthma in the children up to three years later.
Though one might expect to see healthier children from mothers who reported strong family support, familism is a cultural measure that exists outside of an individual's actual circumstances.
"Cultural beliefs and ideals can be distinct from one's present reality. Familism is about beliefs and ideals within families. That's why familism is referred to as a cultural resource," Abdou said.

Businesses poised to grow if fiscal cliff resolved

The Next Big Idea may be right around the fiscal cliff.

Economists say businesses are poised to unleash a wave of new products and services, and expand into new markets and territories if Washington can reach a deal on the year-end package of tax increases and spending cuts called the fiscal cliff.

Such risk-taking behavior can drive the economy and job growth more dramatically than replacing worn factory equipment or gradually hiring to meet customer demand.

"We're ready to pull the trigger — just give us some certainty," Pete Selleck, CEO of Michelin North America, said of planned company projects, including the development of fresh markets for new types of tires.

The fiscal cliff has frozen many such investments. Thirty percent of large-company CEOs plan to increase their capital spending in the next six months, down from 48% in the first quarter, according to a Business Roundtable survey.

Yet, if a deal on the fiscal cliff is struck, as most analysts say is likely, a pent-up torrent of expansion-oriented projects could flow.

"That is where you get the big productivity gains, the outsize growth," says Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics.

During and after the recession, U.S. firms restored profits by cutting costs and modestly growing revenue. To ratchet growth much higher, companies must develop new products and markets, Zandi says.

Top U.S. corporations are sitting on record cash reserves. Yet, many backed off the past two years as the economy was slowed by events such as the European financial crisis.

Among the plans:

--Sports Resource Group of Minneapolis has developed a durable plastic wall for a popular elementary-school sport similar to dodge ball called Ga-Ga. Currently, schools use wooden walls that wear out faster.But Sports Resource chief Chris Guertin worries parent groups won't be able to raise the $3,700 for the walls with "this much uncertainty" about parents' future taxes. The project would add about a dozen factory workers.

--Abbey Color, which makes industrial dyes, will likely roll out new dyes in 2013 for the first time in four years if the fiscal cliff is resolved, says President Roger Nielsen in Philadelphia. He has worried the business won't provide the marketing capital he needs if the economy tanks.

--Sushi-teria, a high-end take-out sushi restaurant in Manhattan plans to open two more outlets next year after delaying expansion. When the fiscal cliff is fixed, "the mood of the country and the city will be different," says owner Victor Chan.

Google puts stop to accidental porn

In an effort to avoid showing sexually explicit content when someone enters an ambiguous — but entirely innocent — search query, Google has tweaked its Image Search. The only downside is that you'll have to work a tiny bit harder to dig up — ahem — adult content when (or if) you really want it.

The Verge's T.C. Sottek was among the first to report that something strange was occurring with Google's Image Search on Wednesday. "Previously, users could select from three levels of search filtration with a SafeSearch drop-down menu," he explains. There was 'strict' filtering (no explicit content), 'moderate' filtering (the default setting), or no filtering."

But now there are only two options: SafeSearch on and SafeSearch off. And there's not a lot of explicit content in the results with SafeSearch off — which is the default option.

What's going on?

A Google spokesperson tells NBC News that the search engine giant has "simplified SafeSearch settings on image search to make them easier to understand."

"The new default behaves similarly to what most users had as the default previously ('moderate')," she explains. "We want to show users exactly what they are looking for — but we aim not to show sexually-explicit results unless a user is specifically searching for them."

There are times when you might enter a term which is utterly ambiguous. For example, there is a word which can either refer to female genitalia or to a feline. If that's all you enter into the Google Image Search field, how can the search engine possibly know whether you're looking for photos of a kitten or for sultry images of a naked woman?

Just think of the awkward moments an ambiguous search query could cause at work or when youngsters are around. There are scenarios in which you really don't want a search engine to choose the wrong meaning of a word or phrase.

"We use algorithms to select the most relevant results for a given query," a Google spokesperson elaborates. "If you’re looking for adult content, you can find it without having to change the default setting — you just may need to be more explicit in your query if your search terms are potentially ambiguous. The new image search settings work the same way as in web and video search."

To put it simply? You may have to type "Playboy bunny" instead of "bunny" or similar. Sexy photos are still just a search away ... you just need to use more — or more specific — words to find them.

Macs hit by new wave of money-stealing malware

Apple users who think they're immune to malware and other bugs need to pay attention: A new Trojan is infecting Apple computers in order to obtain victims' phone numbers and rob them via unexpected premium SMS charges.

The Trojan, which masks itself as downloadable software, presents victims with a legitimate-looking installation wizard that asks for their phone number in order to verify or authenticate the install.

Of course, that's nonsense. The only time an application should request your phone number or ask for a code sent to your phone is when logging into a secure part of the Web with two-step authentication, such as an online banking profile or email account. Legitimate installers, which typically don't need to be connected to the Internet in order to work, have no use for your phone number.

Once the code from the cellphone is entered, though, victims have unknowingly agreed to be enrolled into an expensive subscription to gibberish text messages.

Dr. Web, the Russian anti-virus company who discovered the new Mac threat, said the Trojan was made with ZipMonster, a popular Russian-language file compression tool in widespread use among hackers and cybercriminals.

Toll fraud, as scams like this are called, is quickly becoming one of the most serious threats to smartphone users, especially those using Android devices, Kaspersky's Threatpost blog reported.

The vast majority of malware, Trojans and other malicious bugs are meant to run on Windows machines and therefore often aren't a threat to Macs. But as Apple continues to increase its market share, security experts have predicted the end of Apple customers' happy days very soon.

Malicious programs for Macs are popping up with more frequency, but they're still rare. All computer users are advised to treat unfamiliar Web pages and links with skepticism, even if they appear to come from a trusted source. Users of all stripes — not just Mac owners — should install and continue to update their anti-virus software.

Android banking Trojans were in Google Play store

Mobile banking Trojans for Android devices, disguised as real banking apps, have made their way into the official Google Play store, where at least one was up until earlier this week.

Google Once a user downloads and launches one of the malicious apps, which are all variants of the CitMo Trojan, the app prompts users to enter their phone numbers. Then users are asked to enter a 5-digit code they receive via text message.

Entering that code "authorizes" the app, which then hides text messages to and from financial institutions by creating two new files.

"The file 'hide.txt' will contain information about the numbers which must be hidden if an incoming SMS message is received from [them]," Kaspersky Lab expert Denis Maslennikov said in a blog posting.

"The file 'view.txt' will contain information about numbers which must be shown on the screen if an incoming SMS message is received from [them]. These actions are performed in order to hide all the activities related to the transfer of money stolen from a user's account."

Maslennikov added that one developer, listed as "Samsonov Sergey" (the names are likely reversed),  was responsible for at least three banking Trojans that made it into Android's official app store, all with the exact same functionality.

To its credit, Maslennikov said, Google rid Google Play of the offending apps Thursday, the day after Kaspersky alerted it to the bugs.

These aren't the first malicious apps to make it into Google Play, but the official store is much safer to buy from than "off-road" app markets.

No matter where its owner shops for apps, every Android device should have anti-virus software installed.

RIM gets its groove back with BlackBerry 10

Research in Motion is hoping to get its groove back with the upcoming launch of BlackBerry 10, but whether it will work is anybody's guess.

For now, investors are willing to give the company somewhat of a chance. Shares of RIM (RIMM) rose 5% Thursday following news that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency will begin a pilot program early next year to test the company's new smartphones and the operating system.

It's a curious move. Just two months ago, it seemed that the federal agency was moving away from BlackBerry devices to Apple (AAPL) iPhones. In fact, it said it was ordering more than 17,000 iPhones for its employees, at a cost of more than $2 million.

But it seems ICE isn't making a decision one way or the other just yet.

"We're not backing away from BlackBerry or iOS," said ICE spokesman Barbara Gonzalez. "We've had a long and good relationship with RIM and plan to continue that."

Related: RIM's fate hangs on BlackBerry 10

While some ICE employees are using iPhones, some have continued to use BlackBerry phones as well, she said. And for now, the agency is going to maintain "a set of services"-- meaning both options.

While Gonzalez declined to provide details on the pilot program, she said the agency is developing mobile applications for law enforcement agents and exploring how BlackBerry 10 will fit in with the agency's mobile solutions in the future.

Bar code inventor Norman Joseph Woodland dies at 91

 Norman Joseph Woodland, the co-inventor of the bar code that labels nearly every product in stores and has boosted productivity in nearly every sector of commerce worldwide, has died. He was 91.

Woodland died Sunday in Edgewater, N.J., from the effects of Alzheimer's disease and complications of his advanced age, his daughter, Susan Woodland of New York, said Thursday.

Woodland and Bernard Silver were students at what is now called Drexel University in Philadelphia when Silver overheard a grocery-store executive asking an engineering school dean to channel students into research on how product information could be captured at checkout, Susan Woodland said.

Woodland notably had worked on the Manhattan Project, the U.S. military's atomic bomb development team. And having already earned a mechanical engineering degree, Woodland dropped out of graduate school to work on the bar code idea. He stole away to spend time with his grandfather in Miami to focus on developing a code that could symbolically capture details about an item, Susan Woodland.

The only code Woodland knew was the Morse Code he'd learned in the Boy Scouts, his daughter said. One day, he drew Morse dots and dashes as he sat on the beach and absent-mindedly left his fingers in the sand where they traced a series of parallel lines.

"It was a moment of inspiration. He said, 'instead of dots and dashes I can have thick and thin bars,'" Susan Woodland said.

Woodland joined IBM in 1951 hoping to develop the bar code, but the technology wasn't accepted for more than two decades until lasers made it possible to read the code readily, the technology company said. In the early 1970s, Woodland moved to Raleigh to join a team at IBM's Research Triangle Park, N.C., facility. The team developed a bar-code-reading laser scanner system in response to demand from grocers' desires to automate and speed checkout while also cutting handling and inventory management costs.Woodland and Silver submitted their patent in 1949 for a code patterned on concentric circles that looked like a bull's eye. The patent was issued in 1952, 60 years ago this fall. Silver died in 1963.

IBM promoted a rectangular barcode that led to a standard for universal product code technology. The first product sold using a UPC scan was a 67-cent package of Wrigley's chewing gum at a supermarket in Troy, Ohio, in June 1974, according to GS1 US, the American affiliate of the global standard-setting UPC body.

Today, about 5 billion products are scanned and tracked worldwide every day.

Woodland was born Sept 6, 1921, in Atlantic City, N.J.

Woodland and Microsoft founder Bill Gates were among those honored at the White House in 1992 for their achievements to technology, four months after President George H.W. Bush appeared amazed at a demonstration of a grocery checkout machine.

Huge DNA Code of the Christmas Tree Being Revealed

To millions of people, the Christmas tree is a cheerful sight. To scientists who decipher the DNA codes of plants and animals, it's a monster.

We're talking about the conifer, the umbrella term for cone-bearing trees like the spruce, fir, pine, cypress and cedar. Apart from their Yuletide popularity, they play big roles in the lumber industry and in healthy forest ecosystems.

Scientists would love to identify the billions of building blocks that make up the DNA of a conifer. That's called sequencing its genome. Such analysis is a standard tool of biology, and doing it for conifers could reveal genetic secrets useful for basic science, breeding and forest management.

But the conifer genome is dauntingly huge. And like a big price tag on a wished-for present, that has put it out of reach.

Now, as Christmas approaches, it appears the conifer's role as a genetic Grinch may be ending.

In recent months, scientific teams in the United States and Canada have released preliminary, patchy descriptions of conifer genomes. And a Swedish team plans to follow suit soon in its quest for the Norway spruce.

"The world changed for conifer genetics," said David Neale of the University of California, Davis. It's "entering the modern era."

What happened? Credit the same recent technological advances that have some doctors predicting that someday, people will have their genomes sequenced routinely as part of medical care. The technology for that has gotten faster and much cheaper.

"Until just a few years ago, the idea of sequencing even a single conifer genome seemed impossible," said John MacKay of the University of Laval in Quebec City, who co-directs a multi-institution Canadian project that's tackling the white spruce. The new technologies changed that, he said.

How big is a conifer genome? Consider the 80-foot Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center in New York. It's a Norway spruce, so its genome is six times bigger than that of anybody skating below it. Other conifer genomes are even larger.

Nobody expects a perfect, finished conifer genome anytime soon. MacKay and others say that reaching that goal would probably require some advances in technology. But even partial versions can help tree breeders and basic scientists, researchers say.

Why bother doing this?

For breeders, "genomes can really help you speed up the process and simply do a better job of selecting trees, if you understand the genetic architecture of the traits you want to breed for," MacKay said.

The prospect of climate change brings another dimension. As forest managers select trees to plant after a fire or tree harvesting, genetic information might help them pick varieties that can adapt to climate trends in coming decades, Neale said.

It's all about "giving them a tree that will be healthy into the future," he said.

To sequence a genome, scientists start by chopping DNA into small bits, and let their machines sequence each bit. That's the part that has become much faster and cheaper in recent years. But then comes the task of re-assembling these bits back into the long DNA chains found in trees. And that is a huge challenge with conifers, because their DNA chains contain many repeated sequences that make the assembly a lot harder.

As a result, conifers present "these large regions I think we will never be able to piece together" with current technologies, said Par Ingvarsson of Umea University in Sweden, who is leading the Norway spruce project.

Will scientists develop new technologies to overcome that problem?

7 Features Your Next Camera Will Have

If you took a Nikon D800, Samsung Galaxy Camera, or Lytro Light field Cameraback in time and showed it to someone living in the dawn of the digital age—a whopping 10 years ago—it would seem like science fiction. 
The first generation of consumer digital cameras were slow, bulky, and extremely limited in their photographic capabilities. 
Today’s top models are lightning fast, feature-packed, and can produce shots that meet or exceed the best of what film can do.
But that doesn’t mean manufacturers are going to stop innovating. Beyond higher megapixel counts and better low-light sensitivity,
 there are plenty of features that will be making their way into future cameras, making our current shooters look as archaic as a Casio QV-10 looks today. 
 Join us as we gaze into our crystal pentaprism and prognosticate the future of digital photography.

WiFi: Making Your Phone the Middleman

Wireless connectivity is already fairly widespread in today’s camera market, but with enthusiast and high-end models like the Sony NEX-5R, Panasonic GH3, and Canon 6D jumping onboard, it seems to have finally made the jump out of the point-and-shoot ghetto. Some will ask why; the functionality you get usually isn’t really all that impressive, and it’s another thing draining the battery. But there are some cool implementations that allow for smartphone control, remote live view, and instant sync with your phone’s gallery. Once on your phone, the shots can be uploaded to social media sites, which is really where most photos end up these days anyway.

4G LTE: Data (Almost) Anywhere

Though not currently available on any model other than the Samsung Galaxy Camera, we are convinced that 4G LTE radios will saturate the consumer camera market over the next two to five years. Instant cloud backup of photos is a very attractive concept, and with cameras moving toward more app-friendly operating systems we may not be too far away from Instagrammed full-frame DSLR photos. (Heaven help us.)

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App Stores: Paying for Features You Used to Get for Free

We really hope this one doesn’t come to pass, but the cynical curmudgeons in us are all but certain it will. Sony’s NEX-5R recently broke ground on this concept, removing features from its predecessor only to let you “unlock” them by buying software packages from the in-camera Sony PlayMemories app store. What’s next, paying for faster shutter speeds or wider apertures? We shudder to think. Running Android 4.1, the Samsung Galaxy Camera offers a different take on this phenomenon, with a more traditional smartphone app store. Instagram and Facebook integration right on your point and shoot? How can camera manufacturers possibly resist?

GPS: Um, Where Did I Take That Photo?

Like WiFi, GPS is already present on many cameras, either built-in or via an adapter. Over the next few years, we fully expect it to become a standard feature. Geotagged shots could be useful for all kinds of reasons, and not just to back-country hikers and surveyors. And in the future, GPS modules in cameras could be used for other purposes, including navigation and alerting you to interesting nearby attractions—something Google Now has recently pioneered.

4K Video: Because More Pixels are Mo’ Better

HD video recording is cool, right? All those pixels! Know what would be cooler? Yep, that’s right—even more pixels. The next standard in high-def video is called 4K (or Ultra High Definition), and it’s on a mission to make all of your media obsolete within the next few years. TV sets and purpose-built video cameras are already adapting the technology, and digital still cameras won’t be too far behind the curve. Get ready to see all of your relatives’ pores in gory detail.

Global Shutter: No More Jell-O

You know how the video you get out of your digital camera sometimes looks like it’s         being projected through Jell-O? That’s a side effect of rolling shutter, a sensor technology that captures images by scanning incrementally (though very quickly) across the frame. The result is that not all parts of the image are exposed at the same time. This isn’t a problem when shooting stills (and in fact can be beneficial in some ways), but it causes all kinds of problems for video. Global shutters are the solution, exposing the entire frame in one go and eliminating the wobblycam behavior. Though this tech has thus far been limited to expensive industrial applications, we expect to see it trickle down to the consumer level over the next few years.

Light Field Photography: Frustration-Free Focusing

What is light field photography? Non-technical answer: a new technology that uses special microlenses to capture the entire light field in a scene—that is, the direction of light, not just the color and intensity. This allows you to change the point of focus via software after the fact. Obviously, this could be a real paradigm shift—or a total flash in the pan. The Lytro Light Field Camera (the only commercial application thus far) is an exciting product, but its images can’t be shared outside of the proprietary Lytro Web platform unless they’re exported to JPEG format (where they lose the ability to change focus points). There are significant technological hurdles to creating higher resolution shots and integrating the technology into interchangeable lens cameras, but we hope that they’ll be solved sooner rather than later.

Asian shares fall back on US concerns

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Asian shares retreated after an 11-day winning streak as concerns grew over a deadlock in US budget negotiations, while a survey showed Japanese manufacturers are more pessimistic than expected.

The MSCI Asia Pacific index shed 0.3 per cent with Japan’s Nikkei 225 Stock Average off 0.5 per cent ahead of Sunday’s election, South Korea’s Kospi down 0.7 per cent and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 up 0.1 per cent.

Sentiment was dampened by a lack of progress in US budget talks, with less than three weeks until the December 31 deadline before a mix of spending cuts and tax increases start taking effect, potentially tilting the US economy back into recession. House Speaker John Boehner said on Thursday, after meeting President Barack Obama for an hour, that the president’s budget proposals are not balanced.

The Japanese stock market was hit by profit-taking after rising 12.4 per cent since mid-November, when the election was called. The opposition Liberal Democratic party is widely expected to win Sunday’s poll, which analysts predict will lead to aggressive monetary easing.

But sentiment was hurt by the Bank of Japan’s quarterly Tankan survey, which showed the lowest reading since March 2010. Tankan, which tracks the sentiment of large manufacturers, fell to minus 12 in December, from minus three in the last survey in September.

The data suggested that any recovery “could come even later than the central bank is currently envisaging”, Crédit Agricole said in a research note.

Panasonic slid 1.7 per cent as the electronics maker faced a second straight annual loss.

In Seoul, Samsung Electronics lost 1.2 per cent on profit-taking after closing at a record-high on Thursday. In Sydney, APN News & Media plunged 7.9 per cent after the newspaper publisher forecast lower second-half revenue.

Chinese shares were boosted by stronger manufacturing data. The Shanghai Composite Index rallied 1.7 per cent while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index advanced 0.4 per cent, after HSBC released the preliminary version of its December manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index survey, which came in at a 14-month high of 50.9.

In currency markets, the yen was steady around its lowest level since late March, trading at Y86.68 against the dollar. It was trading at Y109.40 per euro, slightly above an eight-month low of Y109.55.

In commodities markets, US crude futures gained 0.6 per cent to $86.36 a barrel, bouncing back from Thursday’s fall. Spot gold was steady near $1,696 an ounce after falling 1 per cent in the previous session.

MIT Makes Breakthrough in Wireless Electricity

Today’s consumers are plagued with having to remember to charge their cell phones, plug in their laptops, and, for photographers, recharge their camera batteries. But researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have made a breakthrough in what scientists call "WiTricity," or wireless electricity. MIT researchers last month announced they successfully lit a 60-watt light bulb from a power source two meters away without a wired connection, signaling that some day consumers may be able to power electronics without cords. 

"Look behind your desk. There are a number of annoying wires," said MIT Ph.D. candidate Aristeidis Karalis in an interview with DigitalCameraInfo.com. "It would be great to get rid of them." 

With hopes to cut out the use of power cords, MIT researchers used a specific kind of energy, electromagnetic radiation. When two objects vibrate at the same frequency, the pair makes for a strong couple that can effectively transfer energy. The researchers used two cooper coils as magnetically coupled resonators; one for sending out the non-radiative energy, and one to receive it (in this case, the light bulb). 

The research team was able to light the 60-watt bulb from one coil to the other coil two meters (6.56 feet) away. The first trial experiment of WiTricity had a 40 percent efficiency rate, explained Karalis. That is, 40 percent of the power from the first coil made it to the light bulb, leaving 60 percent of energy absorbed by the wire. 

While the numbers may sound low, Karalis explained that a laptop, a common household electronic, only produces 70 percent efficiency and that most people would not need to power it from more than a meter away. 

"[For a first trial], the numbers are promising," Karalis said. 

While some consumers are jumping at the chance to cut the cord, others may have concerns about the side effects of radiation. 

The magnetic fields that achieved this coupling do not interact with surrounding objects, such as biological tissue, said Karalis. If WiTricity were to be commercialized for consumers, he added, the wireless energy would need to follow international regulations set by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). 

If WiTricity were successfully commercialized, Karalis said the wireless power could be used for applications in consumer electronics or the medical field. Wireless power could be used for critical medical devices such as artificial pacemakers, a battery-operated device which is traditionally replaced through surgery. 

As far as future plans go, Karalis said increased efficiency and distance could be improved with WiTricity. In addition, the size of the coils could be reduced from the tested dimensions of 60 centimeters in diameter to smaller resonators, better suited to actual consumer devices such as cell phones and cameras. 

Consumers can continue to hope for the day when they can toss out their cords as the MIT research team continues to change WiTricity theory into reality.