H&R Block At Home Deluxe Online (Tax Year 2012) | ITReviews

No personal tax preparation software/website publisher has a range of offerings as broad as H&R Block, understandably. Industry veteran Intuit is a relative upstart compared to H&R Block, which has been providing tax services since 1955. The company employs more than 100,000 tax professionals worldwide and has prepared more than 550 million tax returns worldwide. This year, we?ve reviewed H&R Block At Home Deluxe Online .

H&R Block?s digital presence is considerable. It has competed alongside Intuit and 2nd Story Software for years, first as a publisher of personal tax preparation software, and then as the host for matching websites. You can use these products entirely on your own, or you can ask questions along the way of H&R Block staff. You can prepare your return and then have a company representative review it, correct as necessary and sign it as the preparer of record.

And you can participate in a videoconference remotely with a representative, just as if you?d walked into a physical H&R Block office. Starting with the 2012 tax year, you will be able to do the latter on your iPad, and you can maintain a year-round conversation with H&R Block experts, even saving relevant documents to a personal portal as you acquire them, so that you don?t have such a mad scramble at prep time.

Interpreting the Arcane
Like TurboTax?and TaxACT, H&R Block At Home Deluxe Online helps you complete your 1040 and its related forms and schedules in a fashion that?s much easier and more understandable than sitting at the kitchen table with a stack of paper forms and a lot of apprehension.

Over the years, H&R Block has continued to hone its web-based version of an in-person sit-down with a company representative. The live interview that you do when you visit one of the company?s offices translates well to the approach that all tax preparation websites take: They ask you questions and provide fields or checklists or other conventions for your answers, and then they drop those answers in the correct fields on the actual IRS forms and schedules.

When you?ve answered all of the questions about your federal return, the service can use that information to work on any state returns required. The website does all of the calculating, and it combs your return for errors and omissions, insisting on correct responses before it lets you print the return or file it electronically.

Navigation is simple and straightforward. You advance through the interview by clicking ?Back? and ?Next? buttons (but the latter doesn?t work unless you?ve completed the current screen, a departure from what competitors allow). A series of buttons in the upper right corner takes you to a chronological, interactive index of the site?s topics; a utility that produces a link to the appropriate form when you enter a topic (new in the online version); your ?bookmarks? (a list of pages where you?ve indicated you?re missing information); and site utilities.

Help From the Pros
All of the tax sites we reviewed this year try to do three things primarily: help you fill out your forms as completely and accurately as you can; try to lower your tax obligation as much as is legally possible; and move you through the preparation process as quickly and painlessly as it can. So H&R Block, like its competitors, begins by asking for personal information (names, Social Security numbers, etc.) and then presenting you with a comprehensive list of the issues that are addressed within the IRS Form 1040 and its accompanying forms and schedules (employment wages, investments, interest income, mortgage interest, medical expenses, etc.). You check the ones that apply to you, and the step-by-step interview process begins.

As you go, H&R Block provides support for the challenging task. Some words and phrases within the site?s interview questions are hyperlinked, and clicking on them opens a window containing a more complete explanation of what?s needed there. Unlike in other sites, you can?t click directly from there to get additional assistance, but a vertical pane to the right contains commonly-asked questions and answers about the current topic.

If that?s not thorough enough for you, you can enter a search term in the box provided, which opens the Help Center. This window consists of a list of related help topics. There are often dozens of them, and they?re not necessarily prioritized for general interest users?some are state-specific, and there?s a lot of duplication. And many are answered in a sentence or two. You may have to do excessive clicking and reading to get your answer. Every other site offers more in-depth, easily-accessible, context-sensitive help.

When you click the ?Go? button under ?Need program help?? you?re directed to a window that connects you to either a live chat session or a live phone call with an H&R Block support agent. This is for technical site support only. If you have a tax-related question, you only get one shot at a live chat, email and phone call, and then fees apply for each. This is in sharp contrast to TurboTax, which offers unlimited contact for free, and TaxACT, which charges $7.95 for unrestricted access. There?s also online help and a community of users and experts asking and answering questions.

An Unusual Extra
H&R Block is making its huge stable of tax professionals available year-round now for ongoing support. It?s giving customers their own private portal, where they can upload documentation for the current year?s taxes. This is a great idea, and will be very helpful when prep time rolls around. The company will also provide tax law updates and advice from the pros on these individual sites.

H&R Block?s online tax preparation sites have always been rated highly in our reviews. The variety of ways that you can interact with the company?s experts is greater than what?s offered by any competitor. But its online help tools pale in comparison to its competitors?, and individualized tax help is prohibitively expensive.

If you?ve been using H&R Block At Home Deluxe or one of its sister sites (Free, Basic, and Premium) and you like it, there?s no reason not to keep using it. It?s an excellent site, backed up by the best-known name in tax preparation. But for the same price, you can get equally competent 1040 coverage with better onsite help and free remote access to tax experts through TurboTax Deluxe Online, our tax-prep Editors? Choice?the site I?ll recommend this year to anyone who asks.

More Accouting and Tax Reviews:

Published under license from Ziff Davis, Inc., New York, All rights reserved.
Copyright ? 2012 Ziff Davis, Inc

Source: http://www.itreviews.com/hr-block-at-home-deluxe-online-tax-year-2012/

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Israeli Official Hints Pentagon Plans May Make Lone Strike On Iran Unnecessary

New York Times:

JERUSALEM ? Israel?s departing defense minister, Ehud Barak, said that the Pentagon had prepared sophisticated blueprints for a surgical operation to set back Iran?s nuclear program should the United States decide to attack ? a statement that was a possible indication that Israel might have shelved any plans for a unilateral strike, at least for now.

Read the whole story at New York Times

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/27/israeli-official-hints-pentagon_n_2560430.html

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Washington casts wary eye at Muslim Brotherhood

A protester throws a tear gas canister back at riot police during clashes near Tahrir Square, in Cairo, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. Clashes continued for the fourth successive day between protesters and police near Tahrir square, birthplace of the 2011 uprising. Police used tear gas, while the protesters pelted them with rocks. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

A protester throws a tear gas canister back at riot police during clashes near Tahrir Square, in Cairo, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. Clashes continued for the fourth successive day between protesters and police near Tahrir square, birthplace of the 2011 uprising. Police used tear gas, while the protesters pelted them with rocks. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

People carry the coffin of a man killed during a mass funeral in Port Said, Egypt, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. Tens of thousands of mourners poured into the streets of Port Said on Sunday for a funeral for most of the 37 people killed in rioting a day earlier, chanting slogans against Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. (AP Photo)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama begins his second term straining to maintain a good relationship with Egypt, an important U.S. ally whose president is a conservative Islamist walking a fine line between acting as a moderate peace broker and keeping his Muslim Brotherhood party happy with anti-American rhetoric.

The White House last summer had hoped to smooth over some of the traditional tensions between Washington and the Brotherhood, a party rooted in opposition to Israel and the U.S., when Egypt overthrew dictator Hosni Mubarak and picked Mohammed Morsi as its first democratically elected leader.

But a spate of recent steps ? from Brotherhood-led attacks on protesters, to vague protestations of women's freedoms in the nation's new constitution, to revelations of old comments by Morsi referring to Jews as "bloodsuckers" and "pigs" ? have raised alarm among senior U.S. officials and threatens $1 billion in American aid to Egypt.

Moreover, political unrest gripping Egypt ? spurred, in part, by public frustration with Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood ? has spooked international lenders and delayed billions of dollars more. Tensions peaked this weekend with clashes in three Suez Canal provinces that left more than 50 people dead, forcing Morsi to declare a monthlong state of emergency and urging his liberal and secular political opponents to join a national dialogue, starting Monday, to ease the crisis.

The Morsi-led government is "a new administration and they're obviously having growing pains," said a senior Obama administration official who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity so she could discuss White House policy. She said the White House is increasingly concerned about the direction the Brotherhood is taking Egypt.

Yet the White House has little interest in picking a fight with the Muslim Brotherhood, which has grown in size and stature across the region since the Arab Spring revolts. The Brotherhood and similar Islamist movements are regarded warily by monarchies in Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco. Its members are part of the opposition coalition seeking to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad. It has small followings in Qatar, Algeria, and a like-minded ? although not officially affiliated ? ally in Tunisia.

Though the Brotherhood was founded in Egypt, its influence and affiliates have spread across the Mideast and into North Africa ? where two recent terrorist attacks and a French assault on Islamist militants in Mali have presented Obama with a new front in the battle against extremism for his second term.

Since the Tahrir Square revolution two years ago, Washington has tried to help Egypt build a democratic state without appearing to tread on its sovereignty. Morsi won election last June with 51 percent of Egypt's vote, and has since offered words of moderation, brokered a cease-fire between Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza and bore down on terrorist dens in the Sinai Peninsula.

But Morsi's anti-Semitic comments, made in separate speeches in 2010 but which surfaced this month on Egyptian TV, also accused Obama of being a liar. They shocked U.S. officials who sprang to condemn them as counter-productive to American-supported peace efforts in the Mideast. But they surprised few people in Egypt, who have heard Brotherhood officials make similar statements for years.

Morsi initially struggled to respond to the U.S. backlash from the comments. His office issued a statement committing to uphold religious freedoms and tolerance, and condemning violence.

"The president strongly believes that we must respect and indeed celebrate our common humanity, and does not accept or condone derogatory statements regarding any religious or ethnic group," the statement said, without addressing the fact that Morsi himself made those comments.

The statement, however, did little to soothe U.S. lawmakers ? Democrats and Republicans alike ? who have balked at approving $1 billion in aid to Egypt that Obama promised in 2011 to help the new government settle an economic crisis that has drained the country's central bank and devalued the local currency in the revolution's aftermath.

"How would the American people feel about cutting money to education programs here and giving money to a government that is anti-Semitic?" Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., a member of the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees funding to foreign governments, said.

"I don't think the administration has any right to say they are going to grant this foreign aid because I think this Congress may very well condition it," Wolf said. "I think there are a lot of questions, and I don't think it's a given."

Part of the proposed $1 billion aid package depends on International Monetary Fund approval of its own $4.8 billion loan to Egypt. But that loan has stalled for months because of Egypt's instability.

Despite its misgivings about Morsi, the White House still is pushing Congress for the funding, acknowledging that Egypt's downfall all but certainly would roil the already turbulent Mideast and North Africa.

"It's not in our interest to have an economic collapse in Egypt," said the senior Obama administration official.

The Brotherhood describes itself as a non-violent social organization dedicated to instilling Islamic values in the society. In Egypt, where it formed, the group was repressed by former regimes for decades and has struggled with adjusting to its new role leading the government. Its members, fearing a coup, are widely blamed with attacking anti-Morsi protesters outside the presidential palace in Cairo last month in clashes that left at least 10 people dead.

"What they missed was the fact that they are a governing party now, and to be getting into street battles when you also have commanding presence in the Egyptian state shows inexperience and panic," said Nathan Brown, a professor at George Washington University who has been researching Islamic movements for nearly a decade. "This is the kind of group that will be a pain to deal with for the United States, but it's not al-Qaida; it's not a security threat."

He added: "The biggest fear on the part of the (Obama) administration is a political breakdown in Egypt. They are worried that a collapse in the Egyptian state would be destabilizing on the region, and might allow the flow of arms and fighters among more radical movements in the region ? especially in trouble spots like Sinai and Gaza."

Obama administration officials said Morsi's promises to abide by Egypt's 1979 peace treaty with Israel, and continued security cooperation with Israel over the volatile Sinai Peninsula shows his willingness to be a reasonable partner. Morsi's work in November to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rules was "a good first step," the senior Obama administration official said.

But Washington remains wary of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, "who come from a very conservative viewpoint with issues that are very important to America," said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.

Gillibrand was part of a delegation of U.S. lawmakers who met with Morsi in Cairo this month shortly after his 2010 statements surfaced. She stopped short of saying Morsi appeared chastened but described him as mindful of "how important America is to the viability of his presidency and the economy."

She said lawmakers want to see what actions he takes, "and we want to see if his words match those deeds and actions," Gillibrand said.

___

Follow Lara Jakes on Twitter at https://twitter.com/larajakesAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-28-US-Muslim%20Brotherhood/id-0db287327deb4526a6f9b4e230a3d9a3

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Death toll rises to 31 in Egypt violence

UPDATES DEATH TOLL - Egyptian soccer fans of Al-Ahly club celebrate a court verdict that returned 21 death penalties in last years soccer violence, inside the club premises in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. Egyptian security officials say military to deploy in Port Said after 38 people including a senior police officer and a policeman were shot dead in the Mediterranean city of Port Said after a judge sentenced 21 people to death in connection to one of the world's deadliest incidents of soccer violence. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

UPDATES DEATH TOLL - Egyptian soccer fans of Al-Ahly club celebrate a court verdict that returned 21 death penalties in last years soccer violence, inside the club premises in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. Egyptian security officials say military to deploy in Port Said after 38 people including a senior police officer and a policeman were shot dead in the Mediterranean city of Port Said after a judge sentenced 21 people to death in connection to one of the world's deadliest incidents of soccer violence. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

UPDATES DEATH TOLL - Families and supporters of those accused of soccer violence from the Port Said soccer club react to the announcement of verdicts for 21 fans on trial in last years Port Said stadium incident which left 74 people dead, in Port Said, Egypt, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. Egyptian security officials say that 38 people have died in the Mediterranean city of Port Said after a judge sentenced 21 people to death in connection to one of the world's deadliest incidents of soccer violence (AP Photo/Mohammed Nouhan, Shorouk Newspaper) EGYPT OUT

UPDATES DEATH TOLL - Egyptian soccer fans of Al-Ahly club celebrate a court verdict that returned 21 death penalties in last years soccer violence, which left 74 dead, inside the club premises in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. Egyptian security officials say military to deploy in Port Said after 38 people including a senior police officer and a policeman were shot dead in the Mediterranean city of Port Said after a judge sentenced 21 people to death in connection to one of the world's deadliest incidents of soccer violence. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

PORT SAID, Egypt (AP) ? The death toll from rioting in the Egyptian city of Port Said has risen to 31, health officials said Sunday, as army troops backed by tanks and armored vehicles staked out positions at key government facilities to try to restore order.

The violence erupted Saturday after a court handed down death sentences to almost two dozen local fans involved in a deadly melee at a Port Said soccer game last year. Immediately after the ruling was announced, angry residents and young men went on a rampage in the city, attacking the prison where the defendants were being held and trying to storm police stations and government offices.

The street clashes in Port Said were the latest in a bout of unrest that has left a total of 42 people dead in two days, including 11 killed in clashes between police and protesters marking Friday's second anniversary of the uprising that overthrew longtime leader Hosni Mubarak. On Sunday, clashes continued for the fourth successive between protesters and police near Cairo's central Tahrir square, birthplace of the 2011 uprising. Police used tear gas, while the protesters pelted them with rocks.

The bloodshed highlights the challenges facing President Mohammed Morsi, who took office nearly seven months ago following the uprising that ousted Mubarak. Critics say Morsi has failed to carry out promised reforms in the country's judiciary and police force, and claim little has improved in the two years after the uprising against Mubarak.

As the situation spiraled out of control Saturday, police disappeared from Port Said's streets, residents and security officials said.

The military then dispatched troops to the city, which is located on the northern tip of the Suez Canal. Soldiers took up positions at vital state facilities, including the local power and water stations, the city's main courthouse, the local government building and the city prison. Navy sailors were guarding the local offices of the Suez Canal company.

Navy vessels were escorting merchant ships sailing through the international waterway, and army helicopters were flying over the canal to ensure the safety of shipping, according to Suez Canal spokesman Tareq Hassanein.

Residents said Port Said was quiet overnight except for the intermittent bursts of gunfire. The city was still on edge Sunday, although a degree of calm had returned. Streets were largely deserted, stores were closed for the second successive day, and some hotels asked guests to leave, fearing more violence.

Funerals for those killed on Saturday were to be held later Sunday, and residents said they expected more street clashes after the city buries its dead.

The officials and residents spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Saturday's riot in Port Said mostly stemmed from animosity between police and die-hard soccer fans know as Ultras, who also were part of the uprising that toppled Mubarak's regime.

The Ultras were at the forefront of protests against the military generals who took over from Mubarak and are now again on the frontlines of protests against the rule of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

Survivors and witnesses of the Feb. 1 soccer melee in Port Said say Mubarak loyalists had a hand in instigating the killings, which began after Port Said's home team Al-Masry beat Cairo's Al-Ahly 3-1. Some say "hired thugs" wearing green T-shirts posing as Al-Masry fans led the attacks.

Others say, at the very least, police were responsible for gross negligence in the soccer violence, which killed 74 people, most of them Al-Ahly fans.

Anger at police was evident in Port Said, home to most of the 73 men accused of involvement in the bloodshed, although the trial was held outside Cairo.

Judge Sobhi Abdel-Maguid did not give his reasoning when he handed down the sentences for 21 defendants on Saturday. Executions in Egypt are usually carried out by hanging.

Verdicts for the remaining 52 defendants, including nine security officials, are scheduled to be delivered March 9. Some have been charged with murder and others with assisting the attackers. All the defendants ? who were not present in the courtroom Saturday for security reasons ? can appeal the verdict.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-27-ML-Egypt/id-b4429268f71f4b8e8fb656c410b109ec

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Draco 5 Aluminum Bumper Case for the iPhone 5 review

This past December, I reviewed Element Case’s newly (at the time) released iPhone 5 aluminum bumper case, the Sector 5. While I found the Sector 5 Transformer-like and very tech-stylish, it was overall a bit extreme with too many rough edges for my taste. So, when Julie asked if I would like to review the [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/01/26/draco-5-aluminum-bumper-case-for-the-iphone-5-review/

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China slaps duties on some EU and U.S. chemicals

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has imposed anti-dumping duties on European and U.S. exporters of two chemical solvents, the Commerce Ministry said on Friday, in the latest round of trade restrictions involving China and the West.

The United States and the EU have relied increasingly on anti-dumping and countervailing duty laws in recent years to halt what they say are unfairly priced and subsidized imports from China, the world's second-largest economy.

China has stepped up its own use trade remedies in the face of what it decries as rising trade protectionism on products ranging from ceramic plates to solar panels.

The five-year anti-dumping duties on glycol and diethylene glycol -- widely used solvents imported from Europe and the United States -- will come into effect from January 28, the ministry said in a statement posted to its website.

"The glycol and diethylene glycol produced in Europe and the United States is being dumped in China, which has caused substantial damage to China's domestic industry," it said.

The duties range from 9.3 to 18.8 percent on companies such as Eastman Chemical Company , Equistar Chemicals, LP from the United States, and BASF SE from Europe.

A U.S. trade panel last Friday approved punitive duties for five years on hundreds of millions of dollars of wind towers from China and Vietnam. U.S. producers have complained that unfair Asian competition was forcing them to close plants and shed jobs.

The U.S. Commerce Department earlier in January set preliminary duties ranging up to 154 percent on imports of a food additive and thickening agent from China, and Austria, to offset what it said were unfairly low prices.

(Reporting By Michael Martina,; Editing by Michael Perry)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-slaps-duties-eu-u-chemicals-062211015--finance.html

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AT&T subscriber growth beats but profit margin misses

NEW YORK (Reuters) - AT&T Inc's fourth-quarter profit was lower than expected but the telephone company promised earnings and revenue growth this year even if the economy does not improve.

Along with growth from its existing business, Chief Executive Randall Stephenson said on Thursday that AT&T is also eyeing overseas opportunities. He said the idea would be to profit from wireless expansion in countries where services are not yet as advanced as in the United States.

"The question is if there are opportunities for us to participate in that growth around the world" Stephenson said on a conference all with analysts. "There's just a lot of different ways to think about it. There's a lot of options."

Stephenson declined to say if AT&T would make overseas acquisitions in response to a question about a recent report that it was considering European transactions. Instead, he listed options such as international roaming deals for AT&T customers traveling overseas and the possibility for overseas expansion of a home security business AT&T is developing.

AT&T, the No. 2 U.S. mobile service provider, posted stronger than expected fourth quarter subscriber growth but this also put pressure on its wireless profit margin as it spends heavily on every new subscriber it signs up.

It added 780,000 mobile subscribers in the quarter compared with the average expectation for 699,200 from 10 analysts, with the lowest estimate at 475,000 and the majority of estimates at 700,000 or higher.

AT&T's wireless growth was slower than bigger rival Verizon Wireless, a venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group Plc, which reported subscriber additions of 2.1 million on Tuesday. Sprint Nextel, the No. 3 U.S. mobile provider, does not report its results until February 7.

AT&T's fourth quarter loss was $3.86 billion or 68 cents per share, compared with a loss of $6.68 billion or $1.12 per share in the year-ago quarter when it shouldered big charges including the break-up fee for its failed purchase of T-Mobile USA, a Deutsche Telekom unit.

Excluding unusual items earnings per share was 44 cents per share, a penny lower than Wall Street analysts had expected, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

"When you have better subscriber growth its understandable your earnings miss a little," said Guggenheim Securities analyst Shing Yin, adding that the results overall were "acceptable."

While AT&T's sale of 8.6 million Apple Inc iPhones in the quarter helped subscriber numbers it hurt profits as AT&T pays Apple a big subsidy for every iPhone it sells so it can offer discounts to customers who commit to contracts.

AT&T's wireless service profit margin based on earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization was 29.1 percent, compared with the average expectation for 31.29 percent from ten analysts contacted by Reuters.

Stephenson said he would keep a close watch on a strategy outlined by smaller rival T-Mobile USA to offer smartphone installment plans under which consumers would pay for their smartphones gradually. If it followed this plan, AT&T would not have to pay a big upfront subsidy for phones.

"That's something we've looked at on several occasions. I kind of like that idea," Stephenson said. "Its something we're going to be watching."

AT&T forecast 2013 earnings per share growth in the upper-single digit percentage range or higher and revenue growth exceeding 2 percent based on strength in wireless and its wireline consumer business. It said that the growth assumed "little improvement" in the economy.

"Guidance was good but not dramatically good," said Hudson Square Research analyst Todd Rethemeier.

Revenue rose to $32.58 billion from $32.5 billion and compared with Wall Street expectations for $32.2 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

AT&T shares were down 2 cents in late trade at $33.73 after closing at $33.75 on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Additional reporting by Nicole Leske; Editing by Bernard Orr)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/t-subscriber-growth-beats-profit-margin-misses-004759158--sector.html

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Manti Te'o to Katie Couric: I'm Not Gay!

Source:

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At Long Last, Samsung?s ATIV Odyssey Will Make Its Verizon Debut On Jan. 24

Well, after being teased at presentations and making brief appearances at football-themed trade show events, Samsung's elusive ATIV Odyssey finally has a price and a release date. According to a recent update from Verizon, the humble Windows Phone will make its debut on January 24 (i.e. tomorrow), and will set prospective buyers back $50... eventually. As usual, Verizon is sticking to their obnoxious mail-in rebate tendencies, so those who take the leap will actually shell out $100 at time of purchase.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/cPGFCCj73jA/

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Evaluating Your Credit After Bankruptcy | Frugal Finance

I?m holding my hands up here; I?m too young and not yet successful enough to have experienced bankruptcy. Make of that first sentence what you will. What I do know, from research and having spoken to people that have suffered bankruptcy is that it?s a particularly stressful time, the last straw. But I?ve also seen people who have gone through the experience and come through the other side more experienced and go on to make great successes of themselves. There is often the misassumption that those who have gone bankrupt can?t rebuild their credit (or even their lives) which is completely untrue. Though rebuilding credit might not be the first thing on someone?s mind after going bust, it can somewhat ironically be one of the first steps in building a healthier financial lifestyle.

Don?t Miss Another Payment

If you?ve gone bankrupt the likelihood is you won?t have many direct debits or bills to manage aside from ongoing utility bills. So your first step should be to try as hard as possible to set up direct debits for future repayments of ANYTHING. Not only does this help you manage cash flow (you simply won?t be able to pay for things you can?t afford) it will be a nod to creditors of your ability to pay on time and thus rebuilding your trust.

Seeking Instalment Loans

If you?re literally left following bankruptcy with nothing but the shirt on your back, there are some household and daily necessities which you will need to buy. Typically your first call should obviously be friends, family and second hand resources like eBay, but failing this you may look to instalment loans for large items such as washing machines, cars or other appliances. Obviously you?d have to be in the position to know you could afford the repayments, but assuming that you could, this can be a great way of rapidly rebuilding a credit score.

Secured Credit Cards

Secured credit cards are kind of like a cross between debit cards and credit cards, typically you will find more companies in the US than the UK that provide these types of cards. Essentially, you pre-pay, draw out and then add money to the card exactly the same as you would with a normal bank debit scheme but the card may have an additional limit that works similar to an overdraft. If you?re just recovering from bankruptcy, these types of cards can again help the speed of credit recovery, but typically try never to use more than 50% of the card?s limit.

Review Your Credit Report

This it kind of a catch 22 situation in that you have to pay to review your credit record which is not easy when you?ve got no cash. However, it can often be a worthwhile investment if you?ve got the opportunity to do so. You may be able to prove errors or anomalies in your credit report which will help your efforts with creditors in the future. Plus if you?re rebuilding your life after bankruptcy you want everything to be crystal clear, so building upon an accurate foundation is without doubt the first and best place to start. There are a shed load of personal finance blogs, credit advice resources and online forums available for you to research exactly how and what you should be looking for wen it comes to analysing your credit.

Keep Off Any Overdraft Fees

Just don?t arrange any overdrafts it?s as simple as that. Do everything you can to avoid the temptation. Overdrafts following bankruptcy may just be the first sign that you simply haven?t learned your lesson. Be sure not to accept any co-signing of a loan from a friend or family members as this will put an instant black mark against your name. Simply translated, co-signs are ?high risk? and creditors will be closely monitoring all your activity after any co-signing of a loan. Also, you put the co-signer at risk which adds further unnecessary stress to the whole situation.

Source: http://www.frugalfinance.co.uk/evaluating-your-credit-after-bankruptcy/

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Can children and teens can get their work published? - Susan Uhlig

Yes. Check out these opportunities.

Children's Magazines and Ezines
A good place to look is at the magazines you read. Do you see a kid's or children's section? Or there might be a "reader's art" section. Here are some I found:

Amazing Kids! Online Magazine - writing, art, photography or videography, by kids ages of 5 to 18.

chixLIT - by and for girls 13-17 OR chixLITtle for girls 7-12.

Creative Kids Magazine - for kids 8 to 16. "Material may include cartoons, songs, stories between 500 and 1200 words, puzzles, photographs, artwork, games, editorials, poetry, and plays, as well as any other creative work that can fit in the pages of the magazine."

KidPub - books and stories by kids online - free to read, but membership ($12.95) is required to publish stories.

New Moon Girls - writing and art by girls 8 and up.

Stone Soup Magazine - features stories, poems and art by kids 8 to 13

Contests
Contests aimed at children are a good place for young people to submit. Here are a few.

The Young Voices Foundation 2013 contest ends February 28th. This year's theme is: Young Voices of America Speak of Heroes Among Us

Adventure Write Kids has an annual contest for kids under the age of 19.

Creative Communication offers poetry and essay contests for kids ages K-12.

Miss Literati offers writing contests and book giveaways.

National Geographic Kids has some contests - looks as if photos is a consistent contest and others vary.

PBS Kids has a story writing and illustrating contest for kids in K-3rd grade.

Scholastic has an annual Kids Are Authors contest.

Other
Young Authors Guide - this website has advice, links to magazines, and contests ordered by deadline.

The Young Writer's Guide to Getting Published by Kathy Henderson has been a good resource in the past, but the copy on Amazon is pretty dated (2001)

Young Writers Society is an online communities for young writers - ages 13+

Advice
Same as with adults submitting, kids and teens need to follow the directions exactly.

Thanks to Kristine Kisky for the photo above.

Source: http://www.susanuhlig.com/2013/01/children-and-teens-publish.html

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Nintendo Wii U to get Virtual Console service this spring

Nintendo's Satoru Iwata just announced via Nintendo Direct that Virtual Console will be available on the Wii U this spring. Previously, the service was only accessible via the Wii emulator on Nintendo's new console, but will now arrive on the eShop at some unspecified time in Q2 and feature GameBoy Advance titles for the first time. Before that can happen, however, the company wants to implement two key software updates designed to address system performance issues. Nintendo's also devised a pricing scheme to offer users who've amassed a retro gaming library a more affordable way to re-download past VC purchases (as opposed to that clunky transfer system). For any previously downloaded NES ($4.99 - $5.99) and SNES ($7.99 - $8.99) titles, users will have to fork over $1.00 and $1.50, respectively.

And, as part of a celebration of the Famicom's 30th anniversary, Nintendo's offering up a trial campaign that'll make certain titles available to download for 30 cents over a 30 day period. Starting in January and running through July, users will be able to demo one select title per month from the eShop: Balloon Fight, F-Zero, Punch-Out featuring Mr. Dream, Kirby's Adventure, Super Metroid, Yoshi and Donkey Kong. But, take heed, these teases will only last for the month they're offered and, hopefully, entice you to pay full price when the service officially launches on Wii U.

Show full PR text

Jan. 23, 2013 14:41 UTC
Two Zelda Games, Mario, Mario Kart and Other Fan-Favorite Franchises Planned for Wii U

Nintendo Outlines Its Vision for Wii U, Including Launching Virtual Console and How Miiverse and Second-Screen Gaming Features Will Continue to Evolve

NOTE: Multimedia available here

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Nintendo President Satoru Iwata unleashed Wii U news in an installment of Nintendo Direct today as he outlined Nintendo's future plans for the console. Iwata revealed how the Wii U launch lineup will be bolstered by a long list of top game franchises headed for the new console. These are games that longtime players and newcomers alike will love to play, and everyone will be experiencing them in new ways, thanks to the integrated second-screen experiences enabled by the Wii U GamePad controller. Iwata also detailed a number of enhancements designed to make the Wii U game experience more social, even if people are not playing in the same room.

"The fun of video games is not only just playing games, but also sharing experiences together with people - even though they live far away, their skill levels are different or their experience does not happen at the same time," Iwata said. "We want Wii U to be the system that brings everyone together."

To view the Nintendo Direct in its entirety, visit http://www.nintendo.com/nintendo-direct. The many announcements included:

Game News

Two Zelda Games: Eiji Aonuma, the producer of The Legend of Zelda series, revealed two entries in the series for Wii U.
Super Mario is on His Way: The Nintendo EAD Tokyo Software Development team that created the Super Mario Galaxy games for Wii and Super Mario 3D Land for Nintendo 3DS is working on a new 3D Mario action game for Wii U. The game is scheduled to be playable at this year's E3.
Buckle Up!: Nintendo is also working on a new installment of the hit Mario Kart franchise. This game is also planned to be playable at E3.
Yarn Yoshi: The team that created Kirby's Epic Yarn is hard at work on the first console game to feature Yoshi as the main character since 1998's Yoshi's Story for Nintendo 64. Takashi Tezuka, director of Yoshi's Island and Yoshi's Story, is supervising the development of the new game, which is set in a fanciful world of yarn and textiles.
Wii Fit U Communities: New features coming to Wii Fit U include letting players create user communities on Miiverse from within the game. Community members can discuss exercises, BMI or weight changes and other health topics with other players as a way to encourage one another to reach their fitness goals. Similar functionality for other games is also planned.
Pikmin 3 Photos: The upcoming Pikmin 3 game includes a feature that lets players use the Wii U GamePad as a camera to share the same perspective as Pikmin and take close-up pictures of landscapes and creatures in the game and share them in Miiverse.
The Party Continues: A new installment in the Wii Party franchise is planned to launch this summer. The game features various play styles, including one that lets both players compete head-to-head using just the GamePad.
RPG Mashup: Nintendo has begun many collaborations with outside development partners to bring the best franchises and experiences to Wii U. In one such partnership, Nintendo and Atlus are working on a collaboration that features the Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei franchises. A video trailer for the game was shown in the Nintendo Direct.
A New Game from Monolith Soft: Tetsuya Takahashi and the team at Monolith Soft that worked on Xenoblade for Wii are working on a new game. A video trailer for the game was shown in the Nintendo Direct.
More on the Way: Iwata shared a new trailer for The Wonderful 101. That game and GAME & WARIO are scheduled to launch in the first half of 2013. Iwata also showed a new video for Bayonetta 2. That game and the new Super Smash Bros. installment are still on the way, but will need more development time before details can be revealed.

Virtual Console

Virtual Console for Wii U: A spring system update will add Virtual Console software to the Nintendo eShop for Wii U. The service will launch right after the spring update and will include a selection of NES and Super NES games, with Game Boy Advance games to be added in the future. The prices for NES and Super NES Virtual Console games for Wii U will be the same as they were for the Virtual Console on Wii. People who have already purchased the Wii version of a certain NES or Super NES Virtual Console game and transferred it to their Wii U console can buy the enhanced Wii U version of the same game for the reduced price of $1 for NES games and $1.50 for Super NES games.
Classic Games for 30 Cents! To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of the Famicom in Japan (which was known as the NES in the United States), Nintendo is making one NES or Super NES game available each month now through July at the anniversary price of just 30 cents. Each game will be available at that price for 30 days, and the first is the NES game Balloon Fight, which is now available in the Nintendo eShop for Wii U.

Social and System Enhancements

Miiverse Expands to Smartphones: Starting this spring, people will be able to browse Miiverse from their smartphones. Initially the experience will be browser-based, but Nintendo plans to create a dedicated Miiverse app in the future.
System Updates: Two major updates are on the way, one in the spring and one in the summer. The updates will introduce a wide range of functionality, such as Virtual Console capabilities and shortening the time it takes users to launch software or return to the menu screen.

Remember that Wii U features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu. Standalone versions of the trailers for The Wonderful 101, Bayonetta 2, the new game from Monolith Soft and the collaboration featuring the Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei franchises can be found at http://www.youtube.com/nintendo.

Filed under: Gaming, Nintendo

Comments

Source: Nintendo Direct

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/2uNNDtCTb3w/

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Pets on your Big Day? | PENNY'S WEDDING

Until fairly recently, I wasn?t a big animal person.? It wasn?t that I disliked animals; I just didn?t have a major love for them.? As a child I had the token pet fish and hamster, plus I did a bit of horse riding, until an allergy put a stop to that, but that?s where my pet experiences come to an end.

Two years ago my Husband and I decided to expand our family in the shape of a gorgeous little brown Labrador called Jags. ?Meet Jags. ?Now, I?m bordering on dog obsessed. ?It?s amazing how one little furry friend can change your outlook so much.

Isn?t he a fluffy ball of cuteness? ?He?s now two years old and much bigger, bouncier and full of mischief?

OK, I?ll get on with the point of my post! ?Our dog is very much a part of our lives, everything gets planned around him. ?I?m not one of those pet owners who think their animals are their children, but he?s the closest thing we have at the moment. ?The bottom line is he is very important to both of us. ?I often say to my husband, ?I wish Jags had been in our lives so he was with us on our wedding day?.

So today?s post is all about pets on your wedding day. ?Would you do it? ?Do you think it?s mad? ?I love the family aspect of weddings and if you have a dog, you?ll know that they are family. ?How awesome would it be to have a wedding day like these?

?

Tips For Your Big Day With Your Pooch

??Check with your venue if pets are allowed. ?Be prepared for disappointment as not all venues will allow animals. ?Most pets will be dogs, cats and possibly birds; anything bigger and it?s likely to be a ?no no?. ?If this option has been ruled out, perhaps pictures with your pooch as you?re getting ready would be nice.

??You need to think practically! ?Having your dog present for your entire wedding day isn?t very sensible, but they could be part of the ceremony or part of the photographs.

??Plan for all eventualities, in particular clothing, weather, toilet breaks and children. ?It wouldn?t be the best idea to have pictures with your dog if it?s pouring with rain and you?re in a muddy field. ?That white dress would soon turn brown. ?Have a plan B up your sleeve.

??Think about hiring a dog minder for the day. ?This will relieve you from the pressure of constantly watching your dog and give you the freedom to enjoy your day with them. ?I suggest you don?t ask friends or family to do this, after all it is your big day and you don?t want them preoccupied with your pooch.

If all plans fail and it?s not possible to have your pet with you on your day, how about a pet friendly ?trash the dress? day. ?I?m planning to do this with my pooch. ?I get to wear my dress again, have a day out at the beach, bring the dog and have some gorgeous pictures of him. Any excuse to dress up again. ?Please do get in touch if you involved your pet at your wedding ? we?d love to see it!

Penelope x x

Categories: BLOG | Tags: BLOG, Debate, FUN, Planning, WEDDING WISHES | Permalink

Source: http://www.pennyswedding.com/pets-on-your-big-day/

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Apple's profit rocket hits air pocket

NEW YORK (AP) ? Apple Inc. warned Wednesday that the blockbuster sales growth of the last five years is slowing drastically, as iPhone sales are starting to plateau.

The outlook sent Apple shares plunging by 10 percent, wiping out a year's worth of gains.

Analysts said the warning suggested that Apple can no longer sustain its growth without some completely new product. Its last revolutionary product launch was the iPad in 2010.

"It has been an overriding concern with Apple that they would not be able to generate revenue growth just rolling out new versions of old products," said Jeff Sica, president and chief investment officer of SICA Wealth Management. "Now they've proven it in their numbers."

Apple said it expects sales of between $41 billion and $43 billion in the current quarter, which ends in March. That would usually be little cause for concern, even though analysts were expecting $45.6 billion, because Apple usually lowballs its forecasts. But Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer said the company is changing its practices and providing a reasonable range rather than a single, easily achievable number.

That means Apple is looking at sales growth of about 7 percent from last year's January to March quarter, a striking number for a company that's posted double-digit increases in every quarter except one since 2008.

Apple shares fell $51.48 to $462.59, in extended trading, after the release of the results.

Apple's enviable profit growth also hit a wall in the October to December quarter. It said net income in the fiscal first quarter was $13.1 billion, or $13.81 per share, flat with a year ago. That still beat expectations, as analysts polled by FactSet had forecast earnings of $13.48 per share.

Revenue was $54.5 billion, up 18 percent from a year ago. Analysts were expecting $55 billion.

Apple shipped 47.8 million iPhones in the quarter, about 1 million less than analysts were expecting, and 22.9 million iPads, also about 1 million short.

Most surprisingly, Mac sales were also 1 million short, at 4.1 million. That's a 22 percent drop from shipments a year ago. Oppenheimer said this was due to difficulties producing enough of the new iMac desktops fast enough.

Investors have already been concerned that Apple's strategy of keeping the price of the iPhone high means it's losing out on sales, particularly overseas. Consumers are instead opting to buy cheaper smartphones running Google Inc.'s Android software, which has propelled South Korea's Samsung Electronics to the world's largest maker of smartphones.

There's speculation that the company will produce a cheaper iPhone, but that would cut into its stunning profits, which are the whole reason it's become the world's most valuable company.

Apple had warned that the holiday quarter's profits would be lower than Wall Street was initially expecting, because it had so many new products coming out, including the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini. New production lines are more expensive to run and yield more defective products that need to be redone or thrown out rather than sold.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-01-23-Earns-Apple/id-4360969323c242359dd0b2204955c3af

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Dayton: Shift state's tax burden, spend more on education (Star Tribune)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/278770117?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Governments Requesting More Private Data From Google

Governments around the world, especially the U.S. government, are continuing to request more private data from Google. The search giant released a fresh transparency report this morning, revealing that the U.S. leads the world in information requests about users (8,438 requests for information from about 14,868 users). Google isn't a fan of how governments force them to hand over data and freak out privacy-happy users, so the regular transparency report has been their (very) clever way of heightening public pressure on issues of government surveillance.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/rH5vYrazdqM/

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Abortion protester climbs tree at inauguration

Taylor Hill / Getty Images Contributor

An anti-abortion heckler during the inauguration festivities on Monday climbed a tree to avoid police.

By Isolde Raftery, Staff Writer, NBC News

A known anti-abortion heckler tried to avoid police at Monday?s inauguration festivities by climbing a tree.

Rives Grogan, a silver-haired man wearing a brown Carhartt-style jacket, had climbed up a tall, thin evergreen tree, protest sign in hand, near 1st and Maryland Avenue by the Capitol Building. The sign he held read, ?Pray to end abortion.?

Grogan, who was not carrying identification, had a ticket and went through security screening, according to a police report. He has been a pastor at New Beginnings Christian Church in Los Angeles, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, and he has twice disrupted Supreme Court proceedings.

As U.S. Capitol Police roped off the tree and propped a ladder up against it, the man kept climbing, reaching nearly 40 feet as he shouted, ?Democrats are baby killers!? (He took a break when Beyonc? sang the National Anthem, politicker.com reported.)

When he climbed down the tree some time later, police arrested the man, identity unknown, and placed him in handcuffs. The crowd, frustrated by his disruptive shouts throughout the speeches, bid him adieu singing, ?Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye.??

Grogan faces three charges, among them, contempt of court and injury to property.

Related stories:

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/21/16630508-abortion-protester-climbs-tree-at-inauguration-annoys-revelers?lite

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Grad Student Looking for Experience Developing Business ...

Category: Marketing
Project Duration: February 1st, 2013 - May 31st, 2013
Est. Hours Required to Complete: 160
Deadline to Apply: January 31st, 2013

Overview:
Are you in an graduate business program looking to help an entrepreneurial company create its business, marketing and sales planning strategy, particularly for a case study? Are you interested in leading a project team to develop this plan?

What are we looking for?

We are looking for a graduate student pursuing a masters degree in business or marketing who is looking for an opportunity to help a small social web marketing agency in Atlanta further develop its business model along with its sales and marketing strategy for a case study, professional development or course credit.

You would help us write our new business plan as well as a separate sales and marketing strategy to bring business to the firm in specific market segments. Our principal is a former business development strategist (and still conducts some business development strategy for clients) who has helped others write business and/or marketing plans. Thus, we are very clear on our goals and objectives but need help getting our business development strategy completed.

You would supervise two interns with undergraduate degrees in business and marketing to help guide them through this process more efficiently and develop their skills in creating marketing and business strategy.

We are particularly interested in those with previous business experience, strong writing and business research skills and supervisory experience. Exposure to or experience an entrepreneurial environment, particularly a small marketing agency or environment where you conducted marketing activities helpful but not necessary. A concentration in entrepreneurship, business and/or marketing is necessary. Understanding of the North American business environment also necessary.

We aren?t particularly concerned about what kind of grad program you?re in as long as its strong and accredited. (In other words, you don?t have to be in a top 100 program, just a good one, even if it?s an online program, and you are genuinely interested in the opportunity.)

Please send us a cover letter telling us why you?re ideal for this role and your resume. Keep in mind that you?re helping us develop a proprietary document that we won?t allow to be shared but we?d be open to being part of a case study about us and this project that you write for a class or for your job search.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Interested? Apply Now

Source: http://springtern.com/2013/01/grad-student-looking-for-experience-developing-business-marketing-sales-strategy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=grad-student-looking-for-experience-developing-business-marketing-sales-strategy

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BlackBerry Z10 compared to iPhone 5 on camera [video]

BlackBerry Z10, iPhone 5

Alongside BGR?s own extensive BlackBerry 10 walkthrough, Austrian website Telekom Presse has uploaded another video comparing Research in Motion?s (RIMM) not-so-secret?BlackBerry Z10 smartphone to the iPhone 5. The company?s upcoming BlackBerry 10 operating system seems to be a mix between iOS and Android, while adding some unique features. The video showcases the BlackBerry voice assistant app, multitasking and app switching, the app drawer, and the device?s business and home profiles.

[More from BGR: BlackBerry 10 OS walkthrough, BlackBerry Z10 pricing]

Despite the fact that the handset is still running beta software it appears to be exceptionally fast, even besting the iPhone 5 in some scenarios.

[More from BGR: Rumored Xbox 720 specs: 8-core processor, 8GB of RAM, 800MHz GPU]

The BlackBerry Z10 smartphone is said to be equipped with a 4.2-inch HD display, 16GB of internal storage, an 8-megapixel rear camera, 2GB of RAM, NFC, 4G LTE and an 1,800 mAh battery.

RIM will unveil the device along with a second BlackBerry 10 phone?at a press conference on January 30th. The BlackBerry Z10, iPhone 5 comparison video follows below.

This article was originally published on BGR.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blackberry-z10-compared-iphone-5-camera-video-175025819.html

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India rape prosecutors bank on DNA, despite poor forensic track record

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A DNA investigation of bloodstained clothes and body swabs has linked all five men and a juvenile accused of the gang rape and murder of a woman in New Delhi to the crime, providing evidence the prosecution claims will be enough to convict them.

Prosecutors say their case will also hinge on cellphone records and on testimony from the dying woman and a male companion who was attacked with her on a moving bus in the Indian capital on December 16.

However, the case against the men may not be open and shut in a country where shoddy forensic practices are one of the chief reasons for a low conviction rate in rape trials.

Defense lawyers told Reuters they were preparing to reject the forensic findings as fabricated.

They said they would also contend that the case is unsafe because police rushed investigations after an outpouring of popular fury over the attack. Two of the four defense lawyers have said their clients were tortured in custody to make confessions that looked suspiciously similar.

"The statements all read the same. It is like somebody has dictated it to them," lawyer Manohar Lal Sharma told Reuters.

A police spokesman declined to comment on the confessions, saying it was policy not to respond to reported allegations.

"We have no comment to make on media reports. If anything has to be communicated, it will done in the appropriate court," he said. "We are not going to engage in a debate in the media."

Another official said the men had to undergo medical tests in custody and if they were beaten, it would have shown up; and if the lawyers were serious about the allegations, they should approach the court rather than air views in the media.

The defense will also argue that the men were denied legal aid for more than three weeks after their arrest and point to discrepancies in the account given by the woman's friend.

DNA SAMPLES - FROM CLOTHES TO DRIED LEAVES

A fast-track court will on Monday begin hearings in the case just five weeks after the attack, which brought thousands of protesters on to the streets of New Delhi and made headlines around the globe.

Police said the 23-year-old physiotherapy student and her friend were lured into the bus, both were beaten and then the woman was taken to the rear of the bus and raped. They were then thrown, bleeding, on to a dark roadside. The woman died in a Singapore hospital nearly two weeks later.

While the five men have been charged with rape and murder and face the death penalty if convicted, the juvenile will be tried separately. He will not be charged until police confirm he is under 18.

The forensic report found that DNA tests on bloodstains from underwear worn by the main accused, Ram Singh, matched those of the woman. Another test done on a swab taken from her body showed his DNA signature, according to a laboratory report seen by Reuters.

A lawyer for Singh dismissed the results as manipulated and demanded that the case be heard in a court away from the Indian capital, where pressure for a conviction is intense.

"The Delhi police are biased. This case must be taken away from Delhi," lawyer V.K. Anand said.

The other lawyer, Sharma, has filed a petition before the Supreme Court separately, asking for the case to be transferred out of New Delhi to ensure a free and fair trial.

The police spokesman declined to comment on the lawyers' claim that a fair trial was not possible in New Delhi.

The DNA samples were taken from bloodstains on clothes of all five accused, curtains and seats on the bus. Samples were also taken from bloodstained dried leaves by the side of the highway where the pair said they were dumped.

The woman's DNA profile showed up in bloodstains on the undergarments and flip-flops of Vinay Sharma, a gym assistant and one of the five men accused, a police document said.

Another test on blood found on his jacket matched that of the woman's friend, who, according to police, fought with the men before he was hit with an iron rod.

"EVIDENCE FABRICATED"

But Vinay Sharma's lawyer, A.P. Singh, said his client was not even on the bus that night. Sharma was with the main accused, Ram Singh, and his brother in the early part of the evening, but did not join the others when they allegedly went on a joy ride looking for women, the lawyer said.

"The police have falsely implicated my client. He is absolutely innocent," A.P. Singh said. "The DNA evidence against Vinay Sharma has been fabricated by the police. The police have a tendency of doing such things."

The police spokesman declined to comment on this allegation.

The police report also linked DNA evidence to the other members of the group - Ram Singh's brother, Mukesh Singh, 26, bus cleaner Akshay Kumar Singh, 28, and fruit vendor Pawan Kumar, 19, all of whom it says were friends who gathered for dinner that night and carried out the assault.

"All we need is to establish one member of the group committed the crime of rape. We don't have to prove every one of them did it," said the prosecution source.

Under Indian rape laws, all members of a group are equally liable as long as one is proved to have committed the crime.

CLOSED-CIRCUIT TV

Cellphone records show that both Vinay Sharma and Pawan Kumar received calls between 9:24 p.m. and 9:54 p.m., the period of the attack. These corroborated their location in south Delhi areas that the bus passed through at that time, according to the police document, which gave details of the calls on each phone.

The woman's friend also received a text message and a call during the time of the attack, but he couldn't answer because the phone had been taken away, police said. Closed-circuit TV footage of the street outside from Hotel Delhi Airport near where the pair were left also showed that the bus crossed the area twice, police said.

According to Ram Singh's statement to police, the group washed the bus after they returned home that night and set fire to clothes torn off the couple. Two neighbors in their slum who police said saw them burning the clothes are among 80 prosecution witnesses.

The prosecution says it will point to articles stolen from the couple on the bus, including their cellphones, rings and debit cards, the man's watch and shoes and all their money. Most of these were found in raids conducted in the men's homes, the police document said.

The defense lawyers, for their part, will zero in on discrepancies in the friend's version of events.

The friend told a television network that he and another friend lay naked and bleeding for 45 minutes in the street after the attack. When a police van arrived, officers spent a long while arguing about under whose jurisdiction the crime fell.

But Delhi police say GPS records showed the first police van reached the scene four minutes after they were called and took the battered pair to hospital within 24 minutes.

"When they cannot agree on such basic things, then how can you trust them on the main charges?" said lawyer Sharma, who is defending Mukesh Singh, the man police say drove the bus for most of the time while the others attacked the woman.

He said his client had not even read the charges against him because much of the charge sheet he was handed was only in English, which he cannot read.

"They have collected the evidence, they have already pre- decided that these are the accused persons and they have created the evidence against them," the lawyer said. "Within 10 days they completed everything. Has anything ever happened in India so fast?

India's criminal justice system is widely seen to have failed women who are sexually assaulted. One woman is raped every 20 minutes in India, according to government statistics, but the conviction rate is among the lowest in the world and one of the key reasons is lack of proper investigation.

An August 2012 study of 40 judgments of rape cases by district courts in Delhi where the accused were acquitted found that more than half were due to police failure to perform adequate investigations.

The study, by the Delhi-based charity Shakti Vahini, cited examples where judges criticized investigating officers for not collecting evidence or finding witnesses to support the claims.

Police refused to be drawn into comment on the pace at which they had moved in the latest case and on the issue of the language of the charge sheet. But K.T.S.Tulsi, a prominent criminal lawyer, said the court can provide a Hindi translation of the charge sheet if the accused asked for it.

(Additional reporting by Annie Banerjee; Editing by John Chalmers and Nick Macfie)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/india-rape-prosecutors-bank-dna-despite-poor-forensic-210704012.html

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