Getting an iPhone in China has always been hard. For most of its life-cycle, the phone has been unavailable in the Mainland except through the grey market. Now that Apple is allowed to sell units in Shenzhen, however, it's gotten amazingly strict on sales per person.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Tk8rlCC6P2o/
It?s a match made in mobile app heaven. The EatDrink app helps you find a discounted meal at participating New Jersey restaurants, and that includes alcohol. If you have too much to drink at the restaurant let the StearClear app?s designated driver service take you and your car home. The companies that provide these two North Jersey smart phone applications merged last week to start a network of app-based franchises that targets the food and drink industry and its consumers.
StearClear, a Wyckoff, NJ-based technology company with a flagship designated-driver app, bought EatDrink New Jersey, a restaurant discount service located in Hoboken, for approximately $500,000 in a cash plus equity deal. StearClear CEO Craig Sher saw a profitable synergy between the two companies, as well as an opportunity to establish tighter relationships with bars and restaurants ? something EatDrink already had. EatDrink?s founder David Liebler already joined StearClear as chief marketing officer and board member.
StearClear started offering franchises in June and now operates five ? four in North Jersey and one in Pennsylvania ? with several more
are pending. Franchises, which run the designated driver service through an iPad app, start at under $40,000 for a 10-ZIP code area of 75,000 people and escalate by population size, according to Sher.
Customers can use the StearClear service by paying a $20 pick-up fee and $2.50 per mile for two drivers to pick them up and drive them and their car home. To date, the iPhone/Android app has 3,000 downloads, registered 2,100 customers and completed 2,000 drives in New Jersey. The company has experienced 100 percent growth every month since August, according to Sher, who doesn?t expect to merge the app with EatDrink?s app.
EatDrink New Jersey started out in 2009 as EatDrinkHoboken. It eventually broadened its service to provide deals at more New Jersey bars and restaurants. The company?s service offers customers a 10 percent daily discount off checks by collecting a one-time $250 set-up fee and a 75-cent-per-click fee from participating merchants. ?Through EatDrink?s Android/iPhone app and Web site, eatdrinknewjersey.com, customers who want to dine in Northern New Jersey can take advantage of offers from 60 merchants. Liebler expects to increase the number of merchants in their system to 250 by the end of the year. So far, there have been approximately 1,000 app downloads.
Source: NorthJersey.com
lytro camera lytro camera andrew brietbart branson mo monkees songs danica patrick top chef texas
FILE - In this Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012 file photo, U.S. soldiers, part of the NATO- led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) walks, as a U.S. Chinook helicopter is seen on the back ground near the place where the foundation of a hospital was laid in Shindand, Herat, west of Kabul, Afghanistan. The phrases to describe some of the looming foreign policy challenges for U.S. President Barack Obama didn't even exist when he took the oath of office the first time: the Arab Spring, the Fordo Facility housing Iran's underground uranium enrichment labs, the stealth power of new viruses bearing names such as Stuxnet and Flame in the shadow world of cyber-sabotage. While the war in Afghanistan, now in its 12th year, was barely a topic on the campaign trail, the country will certainly command a great deal of Obama's attention in his second term. Obama soon will receive his top military officials' recommendations about how fast to withdraw the roughly 66,000 U.S. troops still in Afghanistan. The first 33,000 American troops withdrew by the end of September.(AP Photo/Hoshang Hashimi, File)
FILE - In this Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012 file photo, U.S. soldiers, part of the NATO- led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) walks, as a U.S. Chinook helicopter is seen on the back ground near the place where the foundation of a hospital was laid in Shindand, Herat, west of Kabul, Afghanistan. The phrases to describe some of the looming foreign policy challenges for U.S. President Barack Obama didn't even exist when he took the oath of office the first time: the Arab Spring, the Fordo Facility housing Iran's underground uranium enrichment labs, the stealth power of new viruses bearing names such as Stuxnet and Flame in the shadow world of cyber-sabotage. While the war in Afghanistan, now in its 12th year, was barely a topic on the campaign trail, the country will certainly command a great deal of Obama's attention in his second term. Obama soon will receive his top military officials' recommendations about how fast to withdraw the roughly 66,000 U.S. troops still in Afghanistan. The first 33,000 American troops withdrew by the end of September.(AP Photo/Hoshang Hashimi, File)
FILE - In this Saturday, Feb. 3, 2007 file photo, an Iranian technician works at the Uranium Conversion Facility just outside the city of Isfahan 255 miles (410 kilometers) south of the capital Tehran, Iran. The phrases to describe some of the looming foreign policy challenges for U.S. President Barack Obama didn't even exist when he took the oath of office the first time: the Arab Spring, the Fordo Facility housing Iran's underground uranium enrichment labs, the stealth power of new viruses bearing names such as Stuxnet and Flame in the shadow world of cyber-sabotage. But that also doesn't mean the list of earlier conflicts, stalemates and crises _ inherited by Obama in his first term and, in some cases, reaching back decades _ is any shorter for the White House. Obama has stood by the policy that tightening sanctions and diplomacy is the best course to leverage possible concessions from Iran on its nuclear program, which the West and others fear could eventually lead to atomic weapons. Iran says it only seeks reactors for energy and medical research.(AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)
In this Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012 photo, a group of Free Syrian Army fighters carry a wounded comrade to cover in the town of Harem, Syria. The phrases to describe some of the looming foreign policy challenges for U.S. President Barack Obama didn't even exist when he took the oath of office the first time: the Arab Spring, the Fordo Facility housing Iran's underground uranium enrichment labs, the stealth power of new viruses bearing names such as Stuxnet and Flame in the shadow world of cyber-sabotage.U.S. allies appear to be anticipating a new, bolder approach from Obama on Syria in his second term _ but it remains to be seen if the U.S. plans to change course in any significant way in a conflict that has already claimed more than 36,000 lives since March 2011.(AP Photo/Mustafa Karali)
FILE - In this Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012 file photo, Chinese military troops march before U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta arrives at the Bayi Building in Beijing, China. The phrases to describe some of the looming foreign policy challenges for U.S. President Barack Obama didn't even exist when he took the oath of office the first time: the Arab Spring, the Fordo Facility housing Iran's underground uranium enrichment labs, the stealth power of new viruses bearing names such as Stuxnet and Flame in the shadow world of cyber-sabotage. Obama's re-election averts the immediate prospect of the United States designating China a currency manipulator, which Romney had promised to do on his first day in office. That would have been a setback to relations and could even have triggered a trade war between the world's two biggest economies.(AP Photo/Larry Downing, Pool, File)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) ? Phrases to describe some of the looming foreign policy challenges for President Barack Obama didn't even exist when he took the oath of office the first time: the Arab Spring, the Fordo Facility housing Iran's underground uranium enrichment labs, the stealth power of new viruses bearing names such as Stuxnet and Flame in the shadow world of cyber-sabotage.
But that also doesn't mean the list of earlier conflicts, stalemates and crises ? inherited by Obama in his first term and, in some cases, reaching back decades ? is any shorter for the White House.
The global financial downturn hangs on stubbornly in a 21st century matrix that binds, to varying degrees, all major economies into a shared economic destiny. The U.S. combat role in Afghanistan is winding down as the Iraq mission before it, but U.S. policymakers face perhaps even more complex diplomacy and deal-making ahead in Kabul. Meanwhile, other flashpoints linked to al-Qaida and Islamist extremists such as Mali and Nigeria could rise on the U.S. agenda. And, as always, showdowns that span generations ? including Cuba and the Israel-Palestinian impasse ? hold a spot on Washington's radar.
In an increasingly interconnected and politically complex world, Obama's next term may test America's evolving ? and perhaps more nuanced ? roles as a superpower confident in its military strength yet trying to reclaim its "soft power" status of nimble diplomacy and building coalitions.
"We want to pass on a country that's safe and respected and admired around the world," Obama said in his victory speech Tuesday, "a nation that is defended by the strongest military on Earth ... but also a country that moves with confidence beyond this time of war to shape a peace that is built on the promise of freedom and dignity for every human being."
The only real foreign policy sure bet is that America's current top diplomat will change. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has announced plans to retire but could stay a few weeks into the new year. Her successor ? like many for decades ? will take on a portfolio heavily weighted toward the Middle East.
___
IRAN
Obama has stood by the policy that sanctions and diplomacy are the best course to leverage possible concessions from Iran on its nuclear program, which the West and others fear could eventually lead to atomic weapons. Iran says it seeks reactors for energy and medical research only.
The next major crossroads for the White House could be whether to consider any changes in its negotiating tactics with Tehran after three rounds of failed talks this year between envoys from Iran and world powers. Iranian officials have suggested they would consider scaling back on uranium enrichment ? the centerpiece of the stand-off with the West ? if some of the economic pressures were eased.
So far, Obama and Western allies have shown no willingness to roll back sanctions as part of a step-by-step process proposed by the Iranians. But Washington has said it would be open to groundbreaking direct talks with Tehran if there were a real chance of nuclear compromises, but that military options remain on the table.
Iran has countered with threats of hardening positions ? possibly a reflection of growing unease as sanctions cut into critical oil sales and drive the Iranian currency to record lows. Iranian officials warn they could start boosting uranium enrichment above current top levels unless the West is ready to negotiate on sanctions.
Iran claims the U.S., Israel and allies were responsible for computer viruses such as Stuxnet that caused malfunctions in centrifuges used to enrich uranium.
In turn, some cyber-security experts suggest Iran was behind malware that infiltrated Internet systems at sites such as U.S. banks and the Saudi state oil giant Aramco. Last month, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned that the U.S. will strike back against a cyberattack, underscoring the Obama administration's growing concern that Iran could be the first country to unleash cyberterrorism on America.
___
SYRIA
U.S. allies appear to be expecting a new, bolder approach from Obama on Syria. But it remains to be seen if the U.S. plans to change course in any significant way in a conflict that has already claimed more than 36,000 lives since March 2011.
World powers have shown no appetite for foreign military intervention, and there are fears that arming the fractious opposition could backfire, with powerful weapons falling into the hands of extremists. The U.S. supplies only non-lethal assistance to the political opposition.
Against this backdrop, a diplomatic process that has proven increasingly moribund and faltering has been the only real option for peace thus far. NATO has insisted it will not intervene in Syria without a clear United Nations mandate. But Syrian President Bashar Assad's allies, Russia and China, have blocked strong action against Damascus at the U.N. Security Council.
Britain this week called on the U.S. and other allies to do more to shape the Syrian opposition into a coherent force, saying Obama's re-election is an opportunity for the world to take stronger action to end the deadlocked civil war.
And Turkey said NATO members ? including the United States ? have discussed using Patriot missiles along the Syrian border. It was unclear whether the purpose was to protect a safe zone inside Syria or to protect Turkey from Syrian regime attacks.
In the first official comments from Damascus on the U.S. presidential elections, an editorial in the ruling Baath party's newspaper said "the Syrian crisis would be politically resolved" during Obama's second term. A U.S.-led military intervention is unlikely, the al-Baath newspaper also claimed Thursday.
___
AFGHANISTAN
While the war in Afghanistan, now in its 12th year, was barely a topic on the campaign trail, the country will certainly command a great deal of Obama's attention in his second term.
Obama soon will receive his top military officials' recommendations about how fast to withdraw the roughly 66,000 U.S. troops still in Afghanistan. The first 33,000 American troops withdrew by the end of September.
His administration is expected to begin in earnest crafting an agreement with the Afghan government to define the rules for the U.S. presence in Afghanistan after the end of 2014 when nearly all U.S. and NATO combat forces will have left the country.
That same year, Afghans are scheduled to elect a new president to replace Hamid Karzai, who is prevented by the constitution from running for a third term. The U.S. and international community does not want the next presidential election marred by the same fraud as in 2009. Some Afghans worry that having the election the same year that the international troops end their combat mission in Afghanistan will further destabilize the nation.
Afghans also are worried whether their own soldiers and police will be able to secure the country, which remains riddled with poverty, corruption, a weak government and political instability. The U.S.-led coalition says it is confident that the country will be stable and that the Afghan security forces ? now 352,000 strong ? will be able to keep their homeland from becoming a haven for international terrorists.
The Obama administration also will continue to try to lure the Taliban's top leaders to the negotiating table in hopes of finding a political resolution, but these overtures have yielded little traction so far.
___
ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS
In his first term, Obama plunged immediately into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, hoping his hands-on approach would bring an elusive peace deal. But peace talks remain stalled after he first supported ? then retreated from ? a demand for an Israeli settlement freeze
Obama starts his second term on the eve of Israel's Jan. 22 elections and with Palestinians vowing to ask the U.N. General Assembly to recognize an independent state of Palestine ? a move opposed by the U.S. as well as Israel, which favor negotiations. The Palestinians, in congratulating Obama on his re-election, urged him to support their U.N. appeal, but the American ambassador to Israel rejected that course.
If Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is returned to the helm, as expected, some analysts expect Obama ? who had frosty relations at best with the Israeli leader ? might be freed in a second term to pressure Israel to make painful overtures to the Palestinians. The Palestinians have refused for four years to negotiate without a settlement freeze.
___
CHINA
Obama's re-election averts the immediate prospect of the United States designating China a currency manipulator, which Romney had promised to do on his first day in office. That would have been a setback to relations and could even have triggered a trade war between the world's two biggest economies.
During his first term, Obama stepped up trade complaints against China but also sought to deepen ties with Beijing to diminish the prospects of a confrontation with a Chinese military that is starting to challenge U.S. pre-eminence in the Asia-Pacific.
This week, China embarks on its own once-in-a-decade leadership transition that will be critical in setting the tone for relations between the powers in the years ahead.
The run-up to the Communist Party Congress, which opened Thursday, has seen an escalation in tensions between China and Japan over disputed islands in the East China Sea. The U.S. has a treaty obligation to help Japan if it is attacked ? a scenario Washington is eager to avoid.
Obama will be looking to reassure China that the U.S. does not seek to block its rise as a global power but will also be pressing it to abide by international norms. A strident nationalistic tone in China's state rhetoric in its dispute with Japan has fueled concerns that China's new leaders could increasingly resort to such patriotic appeals if the nation's juggernaut economy slows and public dissatisfaction with the Communist Party grows further. That heightens the risk of a more adversarial relationship between the U.S. and China.
___
RUSSIA
During his first term, Obama made improving relations with Russia a priority. His so-called reset policy yielded dividends, including a major nuclear arms control pact, Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization and Russian help with the U.S. war in Afghanistan.
But as he moves into his second term, Obama's Russia policy could take a bumpy turn. Among the areas of contention: Russia's backing of Assad's regime in Syria and opposition to increased Western sanctions on Iran.
In March, Obama was caught on a microphone telling then-President Dmitry Medvedev that the U.S. would have more flexibility to work on missile defense issues after the election. Moscow wants Obama to scale back the U.S. missile defense plans in Eastern Europe that Russia has stridently opposed. But any move by the White House to limit those plans would provoke cries of appeasement from Republicans, who will continue to control the House of Representatives.
Obama is pushing to lift Cold-War era trade restrictions that are preventing U.S. companies from enjoying the full benefits of Russia's entry into the WTO. U.S. lawmakers, including many from Obama's party, are tying the removal of restrictions to another bill that would target senior Russian officials implicated in human rights abuses with financial sanctions. The Kremlin has said it would retaliate with economic measures of its own.
___
NORTH KOREA
There's little appetite in Washington to haggle with North Korea for possible deals to provide aid in return for a rollback in Pyongyang's nuclear program.
Last year, Obama's sole attempt at negotiating a nuclear freeze with North Korea in exchange for food aid ended in failure when Pyongyang launched a long-range rocket in defiance of U.N. ban. Now, North Korea is hinting that it may withdraw from its 2005 commitments on denuclearization as a prelude to declaring itself a nuclear power, which would bring strong U.S. objections.
Washington could respond by moving to tighten already tough sanctions against the North, but that could likely leave the U.S. at odds with the winner of a December presidential election in key ally South Korea. The next president is expected to adopt a more conciliatory stance toward the North than the incumbent, Lee Myung-bak, who has been Obama's staunchest backer in Asia.
The U.S. will continue urging China to use its fraternal relations and economic leverage over North Korea to urge it to disarm, but China will remain reluctant to use too much pressure. Beijing fears a collapse of fledgling leader Kim Jong Un's government and the instability and flood of refugees that could ensue. China also fears the possible emergence of a U.S. ally on its border if the rival Koreas unify.
___
CUBA
There are no signs of major breakthroughs in the frosty relationship between Washington and Havana. The U.S. says the island must hold free elections. Cuba demands an end to the 50-year-old economic embargo. Neither side has shown a willingness to budge.
Yet freed from worrying about the voting from swing state Florida's Cuban-American community ? where he polled about even with Romney ? the president has room to tinker with the sanctions and their enforcement if he's interested in pursuing a thaw with Havana.
Obama could allow more U.S. travel and trade, try to increase diplomatic and law-enforcement cooperation or remove Cuba from Washington's list of state sponsors of terror, a designation that has long irked Havana.
Obama's re-election also means Cuba policy changes he made in the first term will likely remain, such as increased cultural exchanges and eased restrictions on Cuban-Americans traveling to the island and sending remittances back home. The latter has become a key source of financing for mushrooming small businesses allowed under President Raul Castro's economic reforms.
Perhaps Washington's top priority on Cuba is winning the release of Alan Gross, a U.S. government subcontractor sentenced to 15 years in prison after he imported sensitive communications equipment. Gross and U.S. officials say he was only setting up Internet connections for the island's Jewish community.
Cuba has demanded the return of five Cuban intelligence agents serving long sentences in the United States. Washington rejected that idea.
___
CLIMATE CHANGE
Those calling for stronger action on climate change were thrilled that Obama made a reference to the "destructive power of a warming planet" in his victory speech in a reference that clearly included the devastation by superstorm Sandy on the U.S. East Coast. Now comes the hard part: doing something about it.
Many countries are still frustrated by what's seen as a lack of ambition from the U.S. in global efforts to curb greenhouse emissions.
The Bush administration pulled out of a U.N. pact to curb emissions from industrialized countries, saying it was unfair because it didn't include major developing economies such as China
The U.S. hasn't really shifted that stance under Obama, insisting it won't be part of any global climate pact unless it also imposes binding commitments on China, which views global warming as a problem mainly caused by the West.
That issue is likely to remain a stumbling block during Obama's second term. Sweeping climate action, including international commitments, needs approval from Congress, where many Republicans don't accept the mainstream science on global warming.
___
Associated Press writers contributing to this report: Elizabeth A. Kennedy in Beirut, Lebanon; Deb Riechmann in Kabul, Afghanistan; Amy Teibel in Jerusalem; Matthew Pennington and Desmond Butler in Washington; Karl Ritter in Stockholm, Sweden; and Peter Orsi in Havana, Cuba.
Associated Presskarl rove Election 2012 Results polling place washington post yahoo news comedy central obamacare
FILE - In this March 23, 2010, file photo, President Barack Obama reaches for a pen to sign the health care bill in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Obama?s re-election has guaranteed the survival of his health care law. Now the administration is in a sprint to the finish line to put it into place. In just 11 months, millions of uninsured people can start signing up for coverage. But there are hurdles in the way. Republican governors will have to decide whether they can join the team and help carry out what they?ve dismissed as "Obamacare." And the administration could stumble under the sheer strain of implementing the complex legislation, or get tripped up in budget talks with Congress. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
FILE - In this March 23, 2010, file photo, President Barack Obama reaches for a pen to sign the health care bill in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Obama?s re-election has guaranteed the survival of his health care law. Now the administration is in a sprint to the finish line to put it into place. In just 11 months, millions of uninsured people can start signing up for coverage. But there are hurdles in the way. Republican governors will have to decide whether they can join the team and help carry out what they?ve dismissed as "Obamacare." And the administration could stumble under the sheer strain of implementing the complex legislation, or get tripped up in budget talks with Congress. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Its place assured alongside Medicare and Medicaid, President Barack Obama's health care law is now in a sprint to the finish line, with just 11 months to go before millions of uninsured people can start signing up for coverage.
But there are hurdles in the way.
Republican governors, opposed to what they deride as "Obamacare," will have to decide whether they somehow can join the team. And the administration could stumble under the sheer strain of carrying out the complex legislation, or get tripped up in budget talks with Congress.
"The clarity brought about by the election is critical," said Andrew Hyman of the nonpartisan Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "We are still going to be struggling through the politics, and there are important policy hurdles and logistical challenges. But we are on a very positive trajectory." Hyman oversees efforts to help states carry out the law.
In the two years since passage of the Affordable Care Act, the Obama administration has been consumed with planning and playing political defense. Now it has to quickly turn to execution.
States must notify Washington a week from Friday whether they will be setting up new health insurance markets, called exchanges, in which millions of households as well as small businesses will shop for private coverage. The Health and Human Services Department will run the exchanges in states that aren't ready or willing.
Open enrollment for exchange plans is scheduled to start Oct. 1, 2013, and coverage will be effective Jan. 1, 2014.
In all, more than 30 million uninsured people are expected to gain coverage under the law. About half will get private insurance through the exchanges, with most receiving government help to pay premiums.
The rest, mainly low-income adults without children at home, will be covered through an expansion of Medicaid. While the federal government will pay virtually all the additional Medicaid costs, the Supreme Court gave states the leeway to opt out of the expansion. That gives states more leverage but also adds to the uncertainty over how the law will be carried out.
A steadying force within the administration is likely to be HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The former Kansas governor has said she wants to stay in her job until the law is fully enacted. "I can't imagine walking out the door in the middle of that," she told The Kansas City Star during the Democratic convention. Her office declined to comment Wednesday.
Republicans will be leading more than half the states, so governors are going to be her main counterparts.
Some, like Rick Perry of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida, have drawn a line against helping carry out Obama's law. In other states, voters have endorsed a hard stance. Missouri voters passed a ballot measure Tuesday that would prohibit establishment of a health insurance exchange unless the Legislature approves. State-level challenges to the federal law will continue to be filed in court.
But other GOP governors have been on the fence, awaiting the outcome of the election. All eyes will be on pragmatists like Chris Christie of New Jersey and Bob McDonnell of Virginia, whose states have done considerable planning of their own to set up exchanges.
"Republican governors are at the center of the health care universe right now," said Michael Ramlet, health policy director at the American Action Forum, a center-right think tank. "They do not have a uniform position across the board."
GOP governors are pressing Sebelius on whether the administration will approve partial, less costly Medicaid expansions. There has been no ruling yet.
On health insurance exchanges, some governors whose states aren't likely to be completely ready are considering the administration's offer of running the new markets through a partnership.
"The real question for Republican governors is, 'Are you going to let the feds come into your state?'" Ramlet said. "The question for the Obama administration is whether they are going to have more flexibility."
Major regulations due shortly and covering issues including exchange operations, benefits and protections for people with pre-existing health problems could signal the administration's willingness to compromise.
A recent check by The Associated Press found 16 states and the District of Columbia on track to setting up their own exchanges, while nine have decided they will not do so. The federal government could end up running the new markets in half or more of the states.
As far as Medicaid, 11 states and the District of Columbia have indicated they will expand their programs, while six have said they will not. That leaves more than 30 states undecided.
On Capitol Hill, Republicans say if a budget deal is going to include tax increases, it must also come with cuts to the health care law, or money-saving delays in its implementation.
While major changes can't be ruled out, they don't seem very likely to former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., who is close to the administration.
"I think Democrats are increasingly emboldened about the health care act," Daschle said. "The president won re-election partly by defending it. There is a new dynamic around the health care effort."
Republican attempts to amend the law will continue, he added, but outright repeal is no longer a possibility. "Budgetary issues will continue to be a big question mark," said Daschle.
Associated Pressjenelle evans jenelle evans mlb 12 the show sabu google play
Getting a building or planning permit through a municipality is often time consuming and costly. Here are some helpful tips to get you through the process quickly and at a low cost.
Initial consultation
A lot of people start by talking to an architect or a?designer without understanding their options. These professionals will charge you for information that the city or county can tell you for free.
Go to your governing municipality?s planning office, tell them what you?re thinking about doing and ask what your options are. Bring an aerial photograph of your property (Google maps) and sketches of your existing house and what you?d like to do. Take measurements of all of your rooms, the perimeter of your house and your structures and measure from your structures to your property lines (typically your fence line).
If your project is feasible, ask about the process. They will tell you either no permit is required or that a building permit is required and possibly planning permits such as a zoning clearance, design review, minor use or conditional use permits. Every municipality is different, so make sure to ask about the submittal requirements, review and processing times, cost and helpful tips to get you through the process quickly.
Many municipalities charge a flat fee for a combination plumbing, electrical and mechanical permit. To save on permit costs, it?s usually best to have one building permit for all of your improvements. Most permits don?t expire for six months and are renewed automatically with each inspection, so you?ll have time to get to everything.
Before you get a permit
Before you consider getting a permit for your home improvement project, be sure to obtain all of your existing permit records for the property. As part of the permit process for your new project, you may be required to obtain permits for any existing unpermitted improvements on your property. Permitting after construction is often much more costly and complicated.
To obtain records, contact your municipality?s planning or building department and ask for copies of all planning and building permits. Additionally, visit the county assessor?s office for the construction records on the property. The assessor?s construction records are often more up to date than the records from your local municipality.
Choosing your designer
If you?re required to do plans, you?ll need an architect or designer. A municipality may require an architect for your plan submittal. Architects are licensed by the state and are usually better overall, but they cost more.
Once you?ve got a few leads, ask each person what projects they?ve worked on, how many permits they?ve obtained and the timeline for each one. Also ask for three references from clients they?ve worked with and contact them.
Be aware that some architects and designers have a tendency to provide incomplete plans and respond to only a portion of the permit comments provided by officials. This will slow down your process dramatically and will increase your costs because many municipalities are on a deposit system and most designers and architects charge by the hour. If possible, get a price quote for the job with penalties for lengthy processing times. Regardless, get involved with the process, review the plans and the municipality?s comments and make sure everything is addressed prior to resubmittals.
While obtaining a permit may be a challenging process, the permit certifies the work is done correctly and helps the resale of your home. Getting involved with the process and ongoing communication with your designer and permit processors will help you get through the process quicker and for less cost. A friendly demeanor goes a long way with public officials. Good luck!
Read More From Zillow:
?
Source: http://www.ourbusinessnews.com/how-to-get-permits-for-your-home-improvement-project
badgers badgers nbc sports network mendenhall demarcus cousins savannah brinson mount rainier
Making an investment your hard earned money in nearly anything within this marketplace might be a risky company, of course, Outpost homes for sale if you?re investing in real-estate, your risk has just dramatically increased. Prior to deciding to placed your money available in the market like a buyer, ensure you?re totally knowledgeable on how to technique real estate industry. Check this out write-up now!
In the event you or somebody inside your loved ones are impaired, be sure to buy a home that is certainly disability-pleasant, or at best a property that you can to produce variations in. This is very important to keep in mind due to the fact you do not are interested to buy a home that will create a tough for that disabled specific to get all around in.
Pay attention to truth when purchasing a property. Don?t just buy a home-based on cost or enjoy of the house. Think about how far aside it really is through your work, the school area, taxes you will need to shell out and if you have a property owners association charge.
If your credit isn?t ideal, but you need to buy a property, think about a co-signer. A co-signer might be any individual, an honest loved one or close friend for instance. They assume responsibility for the loan in case you are struggling to (or prepared to) shell out it back.
When choosing a home, you must check around for loans alternatives. Consider for the greatest offer when financing. Be sure that every one of the relation to the borrowed funds are composed on pieces of paper. Some lenders will attempt to change the terminology and costs throughout the financing procedure. Keep your vision out for concealed costs.
Young children do not necessarily will need to have their own rooms. Some youngsters actually take pleasure in sharing a room using a sibling. It might help save some cash while you are getting a house, to not need to find a home containing adequate rooms, that can give every one of your young ones, their own personal rooms.
To understand real-estate within a specific location, study crime stats with time. True, you never ever wish to move into an area that?s harmful. Nonetheless, a neighborhood?s criminal activity level which is fairly more than typical but is significantly decreasing during the last decade can be a reliable investment. This community will almost certainly consistently turn out to be more secure.
In getting a residence, make certain not to shell out additional for some thing frivolous like a wonderful look at. When you can definitely find it good and really worth a premium, which could not hold over to another purchasers when it?s time to offer the home. It?s possible for your view to become blocked, or perhaps the up coming consumers might not value the scene, and you might wind up cutting your cost to similar to the surrounding properties.
If you are looking to acquire or market a property when the real estate bubble is about to burst, it is next to impossible. Believing that real estate bubble will take is not actually accurate, they have an inclination to deflate and blow up depending on the market place. Real-estate is obviously a lengthy-word purchase.
Tend not to buy a property with someone that you may not determine if you should have a upcoming with. Purchasing a property is a commitment that ought not to be taken lightly. You do not desire to be trapped getting a property with an individual only to discover that you might want absolutely nothing to do with them.
Before buying your first property, decide if you are all set to be a homeowner. When you are not planning on residing in the same region for a minimum of another three to five yrs, investing in a home is not the correct choice. Also be sure you are ready to agree to the veracity of the property within your budget, rather than a single you desire.
Even when you have shed your home to real estate foreclosure, you will likely get the chance to acquire real-estate again. Keep the fantasy full of life, begin saving today, and understand that one could personal your best house once again, the foreclosure will never stay on your record for a long time. Particularly if you have gotten extenuating conditions, your chances of buying property once more are even better.
When trying to get a property understand that the colour of any roof top could mean just as much as the durability of it. In the event the property you would like to acquire is at a frosty weather conditions, a deeper roof structure holds in heating better. A lighter roof top mirrors temperature and it is ideal in hotter environments.
Property owners organizations are important to take into account when purchasing property. In case you are the kind of person that does unlike getting handled in your home management, then this is usually a property to avoid. Though they are often good for the regularity of the area, an HOA can influence improvements and modifications you might like to make on the residence.
Question everyone you may have worked with in regards to the house value. Request brokers, brokers, insurance coverage agents, and inspectors. These folks will be able to provide you with a precise figure as to where the property definitely holds on the market. Take advantage of this to assist you figure out what to offer the owner.
Usually do not hesitate to put a deal in on a property that you are searching for. Should you second suppose oneself about how much to offer to get a home, you may miss out on the property that you desire. When the offer you is just too reduced, oftentimes, the owner will counteroffer by using a cost they are more comfortable with.
If you are looking to acquire a home and rapidly flick it for any profit, you require not concern your self using the location superiority the neighborhood, as this will have virtually no outcome in case you are merely looking to fix it up and sell the house.
Ideas such as these will help possible property purchasers, whether or not they are buying their first piece of house or their twelfth. Property is actually a vast discipline plus it adjustments quickly, so there is usually something totally new for the would-be buyer to find out. Consuming a bit of useful assistance to coronary heart could save the consumer a lot of cash.
Source: http://nicoleevaemery.com/real-estate/rentals-for-selling-around-outpost/
type 2 diabetes occupy congress juan williams victor martinez alcatraz cruise ship martin luther king jr.
ScienceDaily (Oct. 30, 2012) ? The next generation of electronic displays -- e-Readers, smartphones and tablets -- is closer thanks to research out October 31 from the University of Cincinnati.
Advances that will eventually bring foldable/rollable e-devices as well as no pixel borders are experimentally verified and proven to work in concept at UC's Novel Devices Laboratory. That research is published this week in the journal Nature Communications.
The UC paper, "Bright e-Paper by Transport of Ink through a White Electrofluidic Imaging Film," is authored by College of Engineering and Applied Science doctoral students Matthew Hagedon, Shu Yang, and Ann Russell, as well as Jason Heikenfeld, associate professor of electronic and computing systems. UC worked on this research with partner: start-up company Gamma Dynamics.
Foldable e-Devices Closer Thanks to Electrofluidic Imaging Film
One challenge in creating foldable e-Paper devices has been the device screen, which is currently made of rigid glass. But what if the screen were a paper-thin plastic that rolled like a window shade? You'd have a device like an iPad that could be folded or rolled up repeatedly -- even tens of thousands of time. Just roll it up and stick it in your pocket.
The UC research out today experimentally verifies that such a screen of paper-thin plastic, what the researchers refer to as "electrofluidic imaging film," works. The breakthrough is a white, porous film coated with a thin layer of reflective electrodes and spacers that are then subjected to unique and sophisticated fluid mechanics in order to electrically transport the colored ink and clear-oil fluids that comprise the consumer content (text, images, video) of electronic devices.
According to UC's Hagedon, "This is the first of any type of electrowetting display that can be made as a simple film that you laminate onto a sheet of controlling electronics. Manufacturers prefer this approach compared to having to build up the pixels themselves within their devices, layer by layer, material by material. Our proof-of-concept breakthrough takes us one step closer to brighter, color-video e-Paper and the Holy Grail of rollable/foldable displays."
No Pixel Borders
Importantly, this paper-thin plastic screen developed at UC is the first among all types of fluidic displays that has no pixel borders.
In current technology, colors maintain their image-forming distinctiveness by means of what are known as "pixel borders." Each individual pixel that helps to comprise the image necessary for text, photographs, video and other content maintains its distinct color and does not bleed over into the next pixel or color due to a pixel border. In other words, each individual pixel of color has a border around it (invisible to the eye of the consumer) to maintain its color distinctiveness.
This matters because pixel borders are basically "dead areas" that dull any display of information, whether a display of text or image. Leading electronics companies have been seeking ways to reduce or eliminate pixel borders in order to increase display brightness.
Said UC's Heikenfeld, "For example, the pixel border in current electrowetting displays, which prevents ink merging, takes up a sizable portion of the pixel. This is now resolved with our electrofluidic film breakthrough. Furthermore, our breakthrough provides extraordinary capability to hide the ink when you don't want to see it, which further cranks up the available brightness and color of the display when you do want to see it. With a single, new technology, we have simplified manufacturability AND improved screen brightness."
Foldable e-Devices as Environmental Electronics
Expect that the first-generation foldable e-devices will be monochrome. Color will come later. Eventually, within 10 to 20 years, e-Devices with magazine-quality color, viewable in bright sunlight but requiring low power will come to market. "Think of this as the green iPad or e-Reader, combining high function and high color without the weight of a heavy battery, readable out in the sunlight, and foldable into your pocket," said Heikenfeld.
The device will require low power to operate since it will charge via sunlight and ambient room light. However, it will be so "tough" and only use wireless connection ports, such that you can leave it out over night in the rain. In fact, you'll be able to wash it or drop it without damaging the thin, highly flexible casing and screen.
This latest proof of concept research verifying the functionality of electrofluidic imaging film builds on previous research out of UC's Novel Devices Laboratory. That previous research broke down a significant barrier to bright electronic displays that don't require a heavy battery to power them.
Currently, faster, color-saturated, high-power devices like a computer's liquid-cystal display screen, an iPad or a cell phone require high power (and, consequently, a larger battery), in part, because they need a strong internal light source within the device (that "backlights" the screen) as well as color filters in order to display the pixels as color/moving images. The need for an internal light source within the device also means visibility is poor in bright sunlight.
The new electrofluidic imaging film is part of an overall UC design that will require only low-power to produce high speed content and function because it makes use of ambient light vs. a strong, internal light source within the device.
Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Cincinnati. The original article was written by M.B. Reilly.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/fCg_V7NxHuQ/121031111612.htm
whitney houston i will always love you breaking news whitney houston carmen whitney houston last performance cpac straw poll breaking dawn part 2 breaking dawn part 2
Rogue and aggressive ? that?s how the program named PC Defender Plus can be characterized. A really bad feature of this software is the fact that it tries to look like a regular antivirus and even performs actions that are typical for normal security applications. Cyber criminals are really good at making their products mimic AV behavior plausibly enough for users to fall for the scams. What you see if infected is scanners which are bogus, spyware detection pop-ups which have nothing to do with actual protection, and the really common ?PC Defender Plus Firewall Alert? which states that iexplore.exe is infected with Trojan.JS.Fraud.ba. It?s noteworthy that you may have trouble opening some applications due to this rogue?s interference. So, obviously it?s a must to do something urgent about it otherwise the malware will get worse as the time goes by. Removal of this infection is barely accomplishable by manual means, so you might have to use an automated cleaning tool to get this nasty thing off your machine.
To ensure PC Defender Plus detection and efficient removal, we strongly recommend using the trusted remover with free scanner.
If you intend to perform PC Defender Plus manual removal, you need to possess some computer troubleshooting skills. This will require stopping the malignant processes, deleting malware files and registry keys.
Terminate the associated processes:
{random}.exe
Delete PC Defender Plus related files and folders:
%Documents and Settings%\All Users\Application Data\{random}
Remove the registry keys listed:
%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\pcdfdata\{random}
In order to avoid system damage, we advise using the automatic tool which will do the removal job for you.
This site is not related to PC Defender Plus in any way, nor is it affiliated with or owned by its creators. Any information available on antivirustech.com is not to be in any way associated with distribution of this infection.
Our primary and sole mission is to instruct our visitors in the issues of PC Defender Plus bug detection and manual/automated removal methods.
Please bear in mind that manual removal of this malware is not ultimately effective because the corrupted file names can get repeatedly modified or be hidden. Therefore it?s recommended to use the automatic solution to ensure the removal of this scam and eliminate possible risks that may arise due to improper registry and file system manipulations.
The free virus scanner provided on our website is meant for detection only. If you choose to use the tool for malware removal, you will need to buy its full version.
Source: http://antivirustech.com/pc-defender-plus-virus-removal-tutorial/
al sharpton actuary elon musk fox mole manson bubba watson recent earthquakes
The view of storm damage over the Atlantic Coast in Seaside Heights, N.J., Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012, from a helicopter traveling behind the helicopter carrying President Obama and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, as they viewed storm damage from superstorm Sandy. (AP Photo/Doug Mills, Pool)
The view of storm damage over the Atlantic Coast in Seaside Heights, N.J., Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012, from a helicopter traveling behind the helicopter carrying President Obama and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, as they viewed storm damage from superstorm Sandy. (AP Photo/Doug Mills, Pool)
The view of storm damage over the Atlantic Coast in Seaside Heights, N.J., Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012, from a helicopter traveling behind the helicopter carrying President Obama and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, as they viewed storm damage from superstorm Sandy. (AP Photo/Doug Mills, Pool)
The view of storm damage over the Atlantic Coast in Seaside Heights, N.J., Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012, from a helicopter traveling behind the helicopter carrying President Obama and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, as they viewed storm damage from superstorm Sandy. (AP Photo/Doug Mills, Pool)
The view of storm damage over the Atlantic Coast in Seaside Heights, N.J., Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012, from a helicopter traveling behind the helicopter carrying President Obama and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, as they viewed storm damage from superstorm Sandy. (AP Photo/Doug Mills, Pool)
Marine One, carrying President Barack Obama and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, take an aerial tour of the Atlantic Coast in New Jersey in areas damaged by superstorm Sandy, Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Doug Mills, Pool)
MANTOLOKING, N.J. (AP) ? New Jersey's delicate barrier islands, long and slender strips of land cherished by generations of sunbathing vacationers and full-time residents alike, are a hazardous wasteland of badly eroded shore, ruined beachfront homes, flooded streets and damaged utilities.
The full extent of the devastation on the island that hosts MTV's "Jersey Shore" came into sharper focus Wednesday, and it wasn't a pretty sight. Signs of the good life that had defined wealthy enclaves like Bayhead and Mantoloking lie scattered and broken: $3,000 barbecue grills buried beneath the sand and hot tubs cracked and filled with seawater.
Nearly all the homes were seriously damaged, and many were destroyed ? no trace of them left.
"This," said Harry Typaldos, who owns the Grenville Inn in Mantoloking, "I just can't comprehend."
New Jersey got the brunt of superstorm Sandy, which made landfall in the state and killed six people here. More than 2 million customers were without power as of Wednesday afternoon, down from a peak of 2.7 million.
Some parts of the shore might never look the same, Gov. Chris Christie said.
The governor joined President Barack Obama aboard Marine One on Wednesday afternoon for an aerial tour of the storm damage along the shore, the economic engine that powers New Jersey's $35.5 billion tourism industry.
Nearly 48 hours after Sandy made landfall, the most densely populated state in the nation was still very much in a state of emergency.
Most mass transit systems were shut down, leaving hundreds of thousands of commuters braving clogged highways and quarter-mile lines at gas stations. Closed, too, were Atlantic City's casinos. And Christie postponed Halloween until Monday, saying trick-or-treating wasn't safe in towns with flooded and darkened streets, fallen trees and downed power lines.
Nearly 20,000 residents were stranded in Hoboken, just across the Hudson River from Manhattan, amid accusations that officials have been slow to deliver food and water. One man blew up an air mattress and floated to City Hall, demanding to know why supplies hadn't gotten out. Public Safety Director Jon Tooke defended the city's response, saying at least 25 percent of Hoboken remained under water and emergency personnel and the National Guard are working round-the-clock.
On the opposite end of the state, hairdresser Robert Dennis desperately tried to flag a ride out of Atlantic City to work in Pleasantville, several miles away. His car was flooded and taxis wouldn't take him because they can't get back in.
"I'm ready to walk," he said. "I didn't plan on getting stuck. I thought I had my car at a high enough level."
In Little Egg Harbor Township, a coastal community bordering the southern end of Long Beach Island, streets and yards were clogged with battered pleasure craft ? and the docks they had been tied to. Residents still had at least 2 feet of water in their homes.
New Jersey has 127 miles of Atlantic Ocean shoreline. Most of the beach destinations, including famed spots like Seaside Heights, Atlantic City and Wildwood, are on barrier islands that range in width from a few hundred feet to a couple of miles. The islands are so narrow that bay met ocean during the height of the storm, with water covering entire islands and making a mockery of the sandbags that some had placed around their homes.
Conditions were still too hazardous Wednesday to allow residents back on Long Beach Island, where cars were buried in 5 feet of sand, crews used heavy equipment to clear the roads and National Guard members went door-to-door, checking on residents who stayed.
Residents were turned away from the barrier island just to the north, too. At the bridge, Toms River police Chief Michael Mastronardy told them homes were destroyed, power lines were down and the area smelled like natural gas.
"It's just bad," he told a group of residents. "Right now we're trying to save lives."
Kathy Kirkof was hoping to get back to her home in Ortley Beach, just north of Seaside Heights.
"I can't eat; it's so frustrating. It's the unknown. I don't know what I'm going to go back to," she said.
Toms River and Seaside Heights both took a heavy blow. A truck stuck out of a sinkhole, houses were on their sides and pushed into the main road and huge piles of sand stood blocks from the ocean.
Police were making anyone still there clear out.
"We have to get everyone off the island because there is total devastation," said Seaside Heights police Chief Thomas Boyd.
Long Beach Island and its northern neighbor still lacked sewer service, water, gas and electricity. The stench of natural gas hung in the air, indicating broken lines.
In Brick Township, as many as 10 homes caught fire during the storm when they were knocked from their foundations, rupturing gas lines, said Brick Township police Sgt. Keith Reinhard. Gas still jetted from the broken lines Wednesday, and about 25 fires burned.
One bright spot: Newer oceanfront homes built on 35-foot pilings did what they were supposed to do as upper floors remained intact, though many were damaged. About a dozen older homes were swept off their foundations, according to Long Beach Township Mayor Joe Mancini.
Some residents believe that beach replenishment projects that built up the dunes protected the southern end of Long Beach Island.
"I felt pretty protected in my house because of all the beach replenishment," said Will Randall-Goodwin, a 21-year-old Rutgers University student who stayed in his family's home through the storm.
To the north, in Mantoloking, residents weren't feeling so lucky.
Peter Green said a neighbor told him she saw a group of kids carrying away golf clubs they had stolen from his wrecked home.
"There are people looting this area, and there's no law and order right now. They feel it's their opportunity," he said.
Police appeared to be doing what they could to protect the damaged multimillion-dollar homes.
A police officer patrolled the sand and questioned a group of kids with backpacks, asking if they'd taken anything. They said no, and their father vouched for them.
A passer-by then asked the officer, "Is this Mantoloking?"
"It was," came the reply.
___
Dale reported from Long Beach Island. Associated Press writers Katie Zezima in Little Egg Harbor Township and Seaside Heights, Shawn Marsh and Geoff Mulvihill in Trenton, Samantha Henry in Hoboken, David Porter in Newark and Michael Rubinkam contributed to this story.
Associated Presstexas a m insight bowl russell brand files for divorce bowl game schedule katy perry and russell brand katy perry divorce brock lesnar retires
