Gemini 2015 Horoscope

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Allowing Vision Along Our Journey, The Month of Sagittarius, 2014

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Seven Planets in Vedic Astrology - Just a Glimpse

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How to Differentiate Between Chalk and Cheese While Consulting a Psychic Reader

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Inuit group calls on Canada to better fund Arctic research

Inuit leaders say they want to see more long term government support for Arctic research into issues affecting the North. 

Senior officials of the Arctic Council wrapped up three days of closed door meetings in Whitehorse on Wednesday.

"The unfortunate part is a lot of Canada's world-renowned scientists have to go to other forums to continue their work because there isn't the same commitment and dedication to continue that work to the same degree the ICC thinks there should be," said Duane Smith, president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council for Canada.

The Arctic Council is made up of Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States. Six organizations representing Arctic indigenous peoples, including the ICC, have status as permanent participants.

Smith's concerns were echoed by Greenland and Alaska delegates. They point to the increased economic influence of China, India, and Korea — countries newly recognized as official observers to the Arctic Council.

Patrick Borbey chaired this week's meetings.

"China, for example, already has an ice breaker, and is building a second ice breaker," he said. "Korea has an ice breaker as well and they are ready and willing to support the Arctic and the Arctic Council's work."

The Arctic Council delegates meet next in Yellowknife in March.

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U.S. tablet owners get 'free data service for life'

The Associated Press Posted: Oct 24, 2013 8:40 AM ET Last Updated: Oct 24, 2013 10:29 AM ET

An Apple employee demonstrates the new iPad Mini on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013, in San Francisco. Apple unveiled a new, thinner, lighter tablet called the "iPad Air" and the iPad Mini with Retina Display, along with a slew of new Macs Tuesday at an event in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) (The Associated Press)

Wireless provider T-Mobile will give U.S. owners of iPads and other tablet computers free data service for life as part of an effort to broaden its customer base beyond phones.

The free service would be limited to 200 megabytes of high-speed data per month — enough to upload about 800 Instagram photos or listen to more than three hours of streaming music, the company said.

T-Mobile US Inc. said the free service comes with no obligations, but the company expects people will want to buy plans for additional data once they grow accustomed to having it.

People typically buy tablet computers that access the internet using Wi-Fi only. Models with 4G LTE cellular access typically cost $100 to $130 more, but T-Mobile marketing chief Mike Sievert said many people are reluctant to purchase cellular-enabled tablets for fear they would be stuck with monthly data service costs.

By guaranteeing free data service, he said, T-Mobile is hoping to encourage people to buy LTE tablets.

The latest offer, announced Wednesday, comes as the company tries to shatter longstanding industry practices and brand itself as the Un-Carrier.

In March, the company dropped conventional two-year service contracts in favour of selling phones with installment plans. In July, it introduced a program that lets people upgrade phones more frequently — up to twice a year. This month, the company eliminated data and texting fees in more than 100 countries and capped charges for international voice calls.

There are signs the efforts are working. In the April-June quarter, T-Mobile gained long-term, good-credit customers for the first time in at least two and a half years. T-Mobile added a net 688,000 such customers in the quarter, compared with a loss of 557,000 in the same period a year earlier.

The net increase includes 3,000, or less than 0.5 per cent, for non-phone service such as tablets. T-Mobile officials believe there's room for further growth.

All tablet computers, including Apple's iPad, Google's Nexus 7 and Amazon's Kindle Fire, are eligible for the offer as long as they work on T-Mobile's network. Sievert said most tablets do.

The new iPads announced Tuesday are universal models, meaning they will work on various LTE networks around the world. Previously, Apple sold separate models compatible with a subset of networks.

Tablet owners will need to buy a SIM card that costs about $10 US.

T-Mobile said it will sell iPads under installment plans, but people who buy tablets elsewhere will qualify as well.

The free access is limited to the United States.

For $10 a month, T-Mobile phone customers can buy an additional 500 megabytes of high-speed data in the U.S. and unlimited data at slower speeds. That plan also comes with unlimited data at the slower speeds in more than 100 countries. Non-phone customers can pay $20 a month for the same plan. There's no contract, so people can sign up for a month at a time. There are also daily and weekly options.

At rival AT&T, monthly plans start at $15 for 250 megabytes. The company recently introduced $5 day passes, which it says is ideal for travellers looking for an alternative to Wi-Fi hotspots. That's good for 250 megabytes. AT&T also has a new $25 plan offering 1 gigabyte over a three-month period. 20:20ET 23-10-13

October 26: There's Gold in Them Thar Trees Oct. 25, 2013 5:02 PM They say that money doesn't grow on trees. But it appears that gold does. Scientists in Australia have discovered gold particles in the leaves of eucalyptus trees that grow above gold deposits. And they might provide a natural detection system for mining companies.

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World's first Bitcoin ATM goes live in Vancouver next week

CBC News Posted: Oct 25, 2013 1:44 PM ET Last Updated: Oct 25, 2013 1:44 PM ET

The world's first Bitcoin kiosk, made by Robocoin, begins operation in Vancouver next week. (Robocoin/Canadian Press)

What's believed to be the first Bitcoin ATM in the world will go live next week in Vancouver, operated by Nevada-based Robocoin and Vancouver's Bitcoiniacs.

Mitchell Demeter, co-founder of Vancouver bitcoin trading company Bitcoiniacs and part-owner of Robocoin, has invested in five such machines to be placed across Canada.

Bitcoins are an emerging digital currency that isn't controlled by any authority such as a central bank. It’s an idea that is moving into the mainstream, despite the scandal surrounding Silk Road, an anonymous online marketplace for illegal drugs and other illicit goods that used Bitcoins.

Silk Road was shut down and its owner arrested on narcotics charges earlier this month.

The new ATM, to operate near downtown Vancouver coffee house Waves, will trade Canadian dollars for online Bitcoins. Users are required to do a palm scan and are permitted to exchange up to $3,000 per a day.

Canadian cash is exchanged  on Canada’s VirtEx exchange for Bitcoins, which are then entered in your online bitcoin wallet. Transactions will be anonymous.

The palm scan is to limit people to less than $3,000 worth of transactions, and avoid tangling with Canada’s anti-money-laundering laws, says Demeter, who adds that he believes he is complying with all Canadian laws

Bitcoins currently trade for close to $200, but have swung widely in value from $13 to $250 in the past year. Until now, most have been traded person-to-person in individual transactions or through various unregulated exchanges that exist mostly online.

Last year, a bitcoin exchange in Europe, Bitcoin-Central, was authorized to operate as a bank.  Robocoin, which showed the ATMs at a California conference earlier this year, says the Vancouver ATM is the first to begin operation.

Bitcoiniacs says it's eyeing major Canadian cities such as Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Ottawa for the other four machines, to come in December.

"Basically, it just make it easier for people to buy and sell Bitcoins and hopefully will drive the adoption of Bitcoin, and make it more accessible for people," Demeter told CBC News.

Bitcoins are mathematically generated through a series of commands executed by computers in a peer-to-peer network. The process is called Bitcoin "mining" and is set up so that the total number of Bitcoins that can ever be generated is limited to about 21 million.

While some have doubted Bitcoin's validity and others have raised concerns that the unregulated currency is being used for nefarious means, a U.S. judge ruled last month that Bitcoin, which has been around since 2009, is a real currency.

Oct 27, 2013 12:00 AM ET Oct 27, 2013 12:00 AM ET Oct 27, 2013 12:00 AM ET Oct 27, 2013 12:00 AM ET Oct 27, 2013 12:00 AM ET

The data on this site is informational only and may be delayed; it is not intended as trading or investment advice and you should not rely on it as such.

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Spray foam insulation can make some homes unlivable

By Megan Griffith-Greene, CBC News Posted: Oct 25, 2013 5:00 AM ET Last Updated: Oct 25, 2013 8:53 AM ET

A CBC Marketplace investigation has found that for some homeowners, a “green” way to make their houses more energy efficient has left them out in the cold.

The growing popularity of spray polyurethane foam insulation may be creating an emerging problem in Canada. While the majority of spray foam installations occur without incident, problems can be costly and difficult to repair, and have led to a string of lawsuits in the U.S. as homeowners attempt to recover costs.

To see how a Canadian family got caught up in a spray foam nightmare, and how you can protect yourself from disaster, watch Marketplace's episode, Renovation Horror Story, Friday at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. in Newfoundland and Labrador).

When installed incorrectly, spray foam insulation can result in a strong, unpleasant fishy smell from off-gassing that has driven some people from their homes, some complaining of difficulty breathing and other health problems. When contractors fail to address installation problems, homeowners can have little recourse.

“We thought we were doing something to improve our home and instead basically destroyed my home,” one homeowner tells Marketplace co-host Tom Harrington. “They ruined it. We can’t live in it anymore."

Spray foam insulation is applied with a hose that mixes two chemical compounds. Installing the material properly is a process that requires precise mixing, layering and temperature of the chemicals. If installed incorrectly, the material fails to properly cure and can crack, off-gas or cause other problems.

"It’s not simple,” says Alex Schuts, who has been in the insulation industry for more than 20 years. "You don’t just pick up the gun and start spraying."

Alex Schuts, who has been in the insulation industry for more than 20 years, says some green marketing claims about spray foam insulation can be “misleading.” (CBC)

"It can be kind of a game of Russian roulette,” says Bernie Bloom, a Maryland-based indoor air quality scientist and a specialist in spray foam problems. The full investigation, Renovation Horror Story, airs Friday at 8pm (8:30pm NT) on CBC Television.

The Canadian Urethane Foam Contractors Association (CUFCA) estimates that spray foam insulation is installed in between 300,000 and 400,000 Canadian homes every year, a number that has been growing by 30 to 40 per cent every year over the last decade.

Part of the product’s appeal is that, when properly installed, spray foam insulation can reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 50 per cent, according to CUFCA. The product has also received glowing endorsements on a variety of home renovation TV shows and from celebrity contractors such as Mike Holmes.

As consumer awareness has grown, some companies have aggressively marketed spray foam insulation as a green choice.

But some of those green claims may send consumers the wrong message, says Schuts, who works on home renovation shows including Holmes on Homes and Disaster DIY. He points to marketing that implies that the ingredients are natural and non-toxic, such as soy.

“It’s very misleading,” Schuts says. “The truth of it is there’s only a very small percentage of soy in the spray foams that are out there.” Schuts says that “soy-based” foams can contain less than two per cent soy.

Not all green claims are false, however, says Schuts. When installed correctly, spray foam can significantly increase the energy efficiency of a house. And unlike other kinds of insulation, which can settle, spray foam insulation lasts longer and resists deterioration.

However, the Marketplace investigation has discovered that some contractors may be emphasizing “green” claims while neglecting to provide customers with proper safety information, including telling people to stay out of the house during and after spraying. If this advice is not given or followed, exposure to the chemicals can cause serious health problems.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "exposures to [spray foam insulation (SPF)’s] key ingredient, isocyanates, and other SPF chemicals in vapors, aerosols, and dust during and after installation can cause asthma, sensitization, lung damage, other respiratory and breathing problems, and skin and eye irritation."

Despite the growing popularity of spray foam insulation, there are no industry standards for its removal. The Marketplace investigation discovered that when contractors fail to address problems, homeowners may have difficulty finding companies that are willing to help because of the lack of protocols for removing improperly installed spray foam insulation.

Bernie Bloom, an air quality scientist based in Maryland, says that spray foam insulation can be “a game of Russian roulette.” (CBC)

Finding another contractor who will come to remove the insulation can also cost thousands of dollars.

The product’s durability -- one of its advantages over other kinds of insulation -- can make it difficult to remove if it has been installed incorrectly. In some cases, including that of one family featured in the Marketplace investigation, homeowners ended up removing their roof and having the spray foam scraped out manually. However, this can raise additional concerns.

“If you try to hack the foam out mechanically, you make foam dust, and the foam dust travels,” Bloom says. “Air moves through the house, and you wind up with foam dust in house dust. “

In the U.S., problems with spray foam installation -- and contractors who are unwilling to fix problems -- have provoked some distraught homeowners to join class-action lawsuits, some of which are currently underway.

In Canada, a contractor must be trained, licensed and certified in order to install certain kinds of spray foam insulation. As the popularity of the insulation has increased, the number of licensed installers has also risen. Some courses require only a few days of training.

According to CUFCA, the association receives only a handful of complaints from consumers about installation problems, noting that it tries to assist consumers who have a problem with CUFCA-certified installers.

The association advises consumers to choose an installer carefully, and review the guarantees the contractor offers if installation problems do occur.

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Storm in a tea kettle? Hitler row boils over online

LOS ANGELES: A tea kettle which some think resembles Adolf Hitler has soared in price to over $200 on eBay, after it sold out online following protests over a billboard promoting the otherwise innocent product.
Pictures went viral of the Michael Graves Bells and Whistles Stainless Steel Tea Kettle, which in the eyes of some resembles the German Nazi leader giving his infamous Sieg Heil salute.
The $40 kettle -- described on eBay as the "JC Penney Michael Graves Hitler Tea Kettle" -- on Thursday fetched prices as high as $245.90.
The appliance sold out online and a billboard advertising it was taken down following protests, but retailer JC Penney took to Twitter to defend the advert, which showed the same image as on packaging.
"Totally unintentional -- and if we had been strategizing, we probably would have gone with a cute puppy or kitty kettle. :)" it tweeted, adding that the kettle had sold out online, although not in stores.
The pictures, which sparked the storm appeared on social news website Reddit, showing a billboard in Los Angeles advertising the kettle, along with a blurred version which makes the Hitler comparison marginally clearer.
Meanwhile, the mayor of Culver City -- the LA suburb where the billboard was posted -- slammed the retailer.
"I am disappointed JC Penney actually put the billboard up in the first place and more outraged that they actually attempted to defend it.
"As a Jew, I am offended," Mayor Jeff Cooper wrote in an email to the Mother Jones news website.
"As an elected official, I am mad that the city I represent is linked to this," he said.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which monitors and campaigns against anti-Semitism, told the website: "We take JC Penney at their word that any resemblance to the Nazi dictator was completely unintended."
But some buyers and sellers took the opposite view.
"Looks like Hitler, pulled off the shelves hurry!" said one seller, alluding to reports that JC Penney had withdrawn the kettle.
The kettle however appeared to be available on JC Penney's own website Thursday, still priced at $40.
The retailer did not immediately respond to requests for further clarification or comment. (AFP)

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Solar plane sets distance record on US tour

LOS ANGELES: The first manned aircraft that can fly day and night powered only by solar energy set a new distance record Thursday when it landed after the second leg of a cross-country US tour.
The Solar Impulse project, founded and led by two Swiss pilots, aims to showcase what can be accomplished without fossil fuels, and has set its "ultimate goal" as an around-the-world flight in 2015.
Solar Impulse landed in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas at 1:08 am (0608 GMT) after an 18 hour and 21 minute flight from Phoenix, Arizona, a distance of 1,541 kilometers (950 miles), organizers said in a statement.
"This leg was particularly challenging because of fairly strong winds at the landing. It also was the longest flight -- in terms of distance -- ever flown by a solar airplane," the plane's pilot Andre Borschberg said.
"You have to understand that the pilot needs to stay awake for more than 20 hours without any autopilot," added Borschberg, who holds the record for the longest solar-powered flight, at 26 hours.
The previous distance record was attained by Solar Impulse one year ago on a 1,116 kilometer (693 mile) flight from Switzerland to Spain.
The first leg of Solar Impulse's US tour took place on May 3, when Swiss aviator Bertrand Piccard flew the aircraft from the San Francisco, California area to Phoenix.
On the first leg the plane -- which has a slim body and four electric engines attached to enormous wings -- flew quietly at an average speed of about 30 miles (49 kilometers) per hour.
Energy provided by 12,000 solar cells powered the plane's propellers.
The plane can fly at night by reaching a high elevation of 27,000 feet (8,230 meters) and then gently gliding downward, using almost no power until the sun comes up to begin recharging the solar cells.
The US itinerary allows for up to 10 days at each stop in order to showcase the plane's technology to the public. Another stop is planned in the US capital Washington before the trip concludes in New York in early July.
The stopovers will allow Piccard and Borschberg to share duties and rest between flights.

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Google Maps - Google, Inc.

Navigate your world with Google Maps, now available for iPhone. Get comprehensive, accurate and easy-to-use maps with built-in Google local search, voice guided turn-by-turn navigation, public transit directions, Street View and more. Use Google Maps to discover great places to eat, drink, shop and play, with ratings and reviews from people you trust. Sign in to save your favorite places and quickly access all your past searches and directions from your computer, right on your phone.

Search
* Find addresses, places and businesses around the world with Google local search.
* Discover places to eat, drink, shop and play, with ratings and local reviews.
* Sign in to sync your searches, directions, and favorite places between your computer and your phone.

Directions
* Get voice guided, turn-by-turn driving directions.
* Find your way by train, bus, subway or walking directions.
* Access live traffic information in cities across the world.

Street View and imagery
* View 360-degree panoramas of places around the globe with Street View.
* See inside more than 100,000 businesses worldwide.
* View high resolution satellite imagery of locations around the world.

Simple and easy to use
* An entirely new Google Maps experience on your iPhone.
* Newly designed and streamlined interface for even easier navigation of your world.
* Use gestures to explore the map and browse results.

* Search your Google Contacts; sign in to have your saved addresses show up when you search for friends and family by name.
* Quickly search for local places by selecting popular categories such as restaurants, bars, cafes, gas stations, etc.
* Choose between Kilometers or Miles for your preferred distance units.
* Note that some features may not be available in all countries.

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Google Search - Google, Inc.

Search faster and easier with the latest Search app from Google. Get just the right information at just the right time with Google Now. Search hands­free with enhanced Voice Search.

Answers before you ask with Google Now
• Get weather and traffic conditions before you start your day
• Get updates on your favorite sports teams and breaking news stories as they happen
Find out more about all other ways Google Now can help at http://www.google.com/now

Enhanced Voice Search for everything else
• Simply say what you want and get results without typing.
• Enhanced voice recognition with text streamed on the fly.
• Get answers spoken directly back to you with results tailored to your questions.

Other Google Search app features
• Faster: get to search results faster than by searching from a browser
• Beautiful full­screen image search
• Swipe away webpages to quickly return to search results
• Google Goggles: Snap a photo of what you see to find more information about products, landmarks or famous paintings, and even solve Sudoku puzzles

Answers before you ask with Google Now:
• start your day with weather & traffic conditions
• get updates on your favorite teams & news

Learn more about location
To provide up-to-the-minute information, Google Now turns on Location Services. Even though the icon stays on, the app has minimal battery impact:

• The app doesn’t turn on the GPS. Instead, it receives passive updates from nearby cell towers and WIFI hot spots.
• If your battery is running low, the app pauses location updates.
• The app stays asleep unless your device moves a long distance.

If you see an impact on your battery life, please tell us about it by tapping feedback in the app settings. You can also turn this feature on and off as you like in the privacy section of the app settings. Learn more at http://goo.gl/9GKI2

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YouTube - Google, Inc.

Watch the world’s videos and keep up with your favorite YouTube channels with the official YouTube app for iOS. Sign in to access your subscriptions, playlists, uploads and more.

Features:
? Enjoy YouTube’s vast video catalog
? Find videos and channels more easily with voice search and query autocomplete
? Subscribe to channels and instantly access your subscriptions with the channel guide UI
? Read comments, browse related videos, enable subtitles and more - all while watching
? Easy video sharing to Google+, E-mail, Facebook and Twitter

* Quick access to new uploads from subscriptions via "My Subscriptions" feed on the Guide
* Access to Live streams
* Queue up videos to play on TV
* One Channel branding for video creator channels
* Stability and performance improvements

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