ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) ? A formal complaint filed with New York's lobbying board asks it to investigate whether Artists Against Fracking, a group formed by Yoko Ono and son Sean Lennon, is violating the state's lobbying law.
The complaint obtained by The Associated Press was made by the Independent Oil & Gas Association to the state Joint Commission on Public Ethics.
The energy trade group based its request for an investigation on an AP report that found that Artists Against Fracking and its advocates didn't register as lobbyists. Registration requires several disclosures about spending and activities.
A spokesman for Artists Against Fracking says the group's activities are protected because they were made during a public comment period. He also says celebrities involved in the group are protected because they are longtime activists, not lobbyists.
When your startup is in its infancy you may not exactly be rolling in money. Spending big bucks on publicity may be a no-no for you. But there?s no need to fret. There are a lot of ways in which you can make your brand more visible. Thanks to the internet there are several ways for you to achieve this without emptying out your bank account. Let us take a look at some of them:
Use local listing services: register your business with Google Places, and you?ll be amazed how easily it shows up on Google maps and SERPs. All it involves are filling out a form and registering and waiting for them to verify and confirm via telephone or email. And best of all, it won?t cost you a cent. Just a little patience till it is set up. Bing too has something similar; check it out as well.
Leverage Social Media: It has become a necessity in today?s world to keep up with the competition. Again, creating a business page on FB or tweeting offers and updates to your audience on Twitter is totally free. You can also network with industry peers on LinkedIn.
Blog: Blogging will help you interact with your customers and gain more publicity for your brand. Do keep in mind however that this has to be a continuous process, and not just a onetime thing.
Post videos and images: make use of YouTube for uploading promo videos; make it interesting, wacky even so that people feel like viewing it. Flickr is a great place for you to showcase still photos for your company. Make sure the photos and videos are relevant for your business, and that you link back to your ecommerce site from the sites where you upload them. You could upload videos of events you sponsor, product launches, how-to (especially if you have products that have to be assembled), troubleshooting, and more.
Don?t ignore SEO: make sure your business site is optimized so that Google picks it up and displays it when people search. There are several ways to do this, like using relevant keywords, using descriptors, tags, minimizing use of Flash and JavaScript and so on.
Image from: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
Press Release: shout out your business achievements through press releases; there are people who follow this stuff. This is a potent tool that can help you publicize your business without spending a load of money. Sites like 24/7 Press Release and PRLog are some of the reliable sites you can use for this purpose.
Be active in online communities: every industry has online communities and forums which you can be part of. You can participate by posting about your business only occasionally (tom-tom your business here and you may find that you are tossed out), offering valuable info or solutions to customers (even if they have not bought your product as such). This will help you build relationships in the community. Ensure to include a link to your business site in your signature.
Use QR Codes: Quick response codes can be scanned by everyone with Smartphones and this will grant them easy access to the website or FB page of your company. Using these codes on banners and outdoor signs will spread awareness about your business. Make sure you have them on flyers, visiting cards, brochures and any other material that you print. This way you have an instant interaction with your customers and they can get quick info on your products.
Get on Pinterest: This site with its online pinboards is driving sales in a big way. You could even pin your YouTube and Vimeo videos here, in addition to still photographs. People especially love to see behind the scenes videos. You could video shoot your employees on a typical day at your business or something similar.
Andrea Walter, a freelance writer, is writing? for Buy Verizon ? Find the best Verizon fios California on tv, internet, and phone.
Mar. 27, 2013 ? Electronic computing speeds are brushing up against limits imposed by the laws of physics. Photonic computing, where photons replace comparatively slow electrons in representing information, could surpass those limitations, but the components of such computers require semiconductors that can emit light.
Now, research from the University of Pennsylvania has enabled "bulk" silicon to emit broad-spectrum, visible light for the first time, opening the possibility of using the element in devices that have both electronic and photonic components.
The research was conducted by associate professor Ritesh Agarwal, postdoctoral fellow Chang-Hee Cho and graduate students Carlos O. Aspetti and Joohee Park, all of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in Penn's School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Their work was published in Nature Photonics.
Certain semiconductors, when imparted with energy, in turn emit light; they directly produce photons, instead of producing heat. This phenomenon is commonplace and used in light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, which are ubiquitous in traffic signals, new types of light bulbs, computer displays and other electronic and optoelectronic devices. Getting the desired photonic properties often means finding the right semiconducting material. Agarwal's group produced the first ever all-optical switch out of cadmium sulfide nanowires, for example.
Semiconducting materials -- especially silicon -- form the backbone of modern electronics and computing, but, unfortunately, silicon is an especially poor emitter of light. It belongs to a group of semiconducting materials, which turns added energy into heat. This makes integrating electronic and photonic circuits a challenge; materials with desirable photonic properties, such as cadmium sulfide, tend to have poor electrical properties and vice versa and are not compatible with silicon-based electronic devices.
"The problem is that electronic devices are made of silicon and photonic devices are typically not," Agarwal said. "Silicon doesn't emit light and the materials that do aren't necessarily the best materials for making electronic devices."
With silicon entrenched as the material of choice for the electronics industry, augmenting its optical properties so it could be integrated into photonic circuitry would make consumer-level applications of the technology more feasible.
"People have tried to solve this problem by doping silicon with other materials, but the light emission is then in the very long wavelength range, so it's not visible and not very efficient and can degrade its electronic properties," Agarwal said. "Another approach is to make silicon devices that are very small, five nanometers in diameter or less. At that size you have quantum confinement effects, which allows the device to emit light, but making electrical connections at that scale isn't currently feasible, and the electrical conductivity would be very low."
To get elemental, "bulk" silicon to emit light, Agarwal's team drew upon previous research they had conducted on plasmonic cavities. In that earlier work, the researchers wrapped a cadmium sulfide nanowire first in a layer of silicon dioxide, essentially glass, and then in a layer of silver. The silver coating supports what are known as surface plasmons, waves that are a combination of oscillating metal electrons and of light. These surface plasmons are highly confined to the surface where the silicon dioxide and silver layers meet. For certain nanowire sizes, the silver coating creates pockets of resonance and hence highly confined electromagnetic fields -- in other words, light -- within the nanostructure.
Normally, after excitation the semiconductor must first "cool down," releasing energy as heat, before "jumping" back to the ground state and finally releasing the remaining energy as light. The Penn team's semiconductor nanowires coupled with plasmonic nanocavities, however, can jump directly from a high-energy excited state to the ground state, all but eliminating the heat-releasing cool-down period. This ultra-fast emission time opens the possibility of producing light from semiconductors such as silicon that might otherwise only produce heat.
"If we can make the carriers recombine immediately," Agarwal said, "then we can produce light in silicon."
In their latest work, the group wrapped pure silicon nanowires in a similar fashion, first with a coating of glass and then one of silver. In this case, however, the silver did not wrap completely around the wire as the researchers first mounted the glass-coated silicon on a sperate pane of glass. Tucking under the curve of the wire but unable to go between it and the glass substrate, the silver coating took on the shape of the greek letter omega -- ? -- while still acting as a plasmonic cavity.
Critically, the transparent bottom of the omega allowed the researchers to impart energy to the semiconductor with a laser and then examine the light silicon emitted.
Even though the silicon nanowire is excited at a single energy level, which corresponds to the wavelength of the blue laser, it produces white light that spans the visible spectrum. This translates into a broad bandwidth for possible operation in a photonic or optoelectronic device. In the future, it should also be possible to excite these silicon nanowires electrically.
"If you can make the silicon emit light itself, you don't have to have an external light source on the chip," Agarwal said. "We could excite the silicon electrically and get the same effect, and we can make it work with wires from 20 to 100 nanometers in diameter, so it's very compatible in terms of length scale with current electronics."
The research was supported by the U.S. Army Research Office and the National Institutes of Health.
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 Pennsylvania.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Chang-Hee Cho, Carlos O. Aspetti, Joohee Park, Ritesh Agarwal. Silicon coupled with plasmon nanocavities generates bright visible hot luminescence. Nature Photonics, 2013; 7 (4): 285 DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2013.25
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.
By Agence France-Presse Monday, March 25, 2013 7:17 EDT
?
Almost half as many teenagers and young adults are dying from cancer today as did in the 1970s, according to a report from Cancer Research UK published Monday.
Deaths between 2008-2010 in this age group were around 300 a year, down from 580 a year in the period 1975-1977.
The largest improvement was in those diagnosed with leukaemia with more specialised treatments believed to be behind the drop, said the report, ?Cancer Statistics Report: Teenage and Young Adult Cancer.?
The study revealed that around 2,100 people aged 15-24 years old are diagnosed with cancer each year in Britain.
?It?s fantastic to see such a fall in the number of young people dying from some types of cancers during this time,? said Simon Davies, chief executive of Teenage Cancer Trust.
?However, many of the rarer cancers which affect young people like sarcomas have made little or no progress.
?More investment in rare cancer research is urgently needed,? he warned.
People with depression may not reap full benefits of healthy behaviorsPublic release date: 26-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Rachel Harrison rachel.harrison@duke.edu 919-419-5069 Duke University Medical Center
DURHAM, N.C. -- Depression may inhibit the anti-inflammatory effects typically associated with physical activity and light-to-moderate alcohol consumption, according to researchers at Duke Medicine.
The finding based on measurements of the cardio-metabolic risk marker C-reactive protein (CRP) points to another potential danger of depression, which afflicts an estimated one in 10 adults in the United States. Study results were published online March 26, 2013, in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.
"Our findings suggest depression not only directly affects an individual's mental and physical health; it might also diminish the health benefits of physical activities and moderate alcohol consumption," said lead author Edward C. Suarez, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke Medicine. "This appears to be specific to inflammation, which we know increases the risk for heart disease, so our findings suggest that depression could be a complicating risk factor."
CRP is a biomarker that predicts future risk of heart disease and other chronic inflammatory conditions. It may also play a role in the formation of plaque that builds up in arteries.
Physical activity and moderate alcohol consumption, defined as one drink a day for women and two a day for men, have each been shown to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. These behaviors also reduce inflammation, which is demonstrated through lower levels of CRP.
In contrast, depression is associated with elevated CRP and increased risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
In the current study, researchers gathered information from 222 nonsmoking, healthy adults with no history or diagnosis of psychiatric conditions. They recorded the amount of alcohol the participants consumed, defining light-to-moderate drinking as about half a drink per day for women and one daily drink for men. Participants reported how many hours of physical activity they did in the past week in activities such as walking, playing tennis, and exercise classes. Researchers also measured CRP levels through blood samples and evaluated the participants' depressive symptoms, with 4.5 percent of the study group meeting the criteria for depression.
The researchers found that untreated depression hindered the anti-inflammatory effects of moderate alcohol consumption and exercise. Participants who were physically active generally had lower CRP levels, with the exception of those who were depressed, who saw no beneficial effect on CRP levels.
In addition, light-to-moderate alcohol consumption was associated with lower CRP, but only in men who were not depressed. Men with symptoms of depression did not see the benefits of light-to-moderate alcohol consumption. Depression did not make a statistically significant difference among women who consumed light to moderate amounts of alcohol, nor those who didn't drink or only drank infrequently.
"This is a novel finding, and it seems to be specific to inflammation as measured by CRP," Suarez said, given that depression did not affect other health markers such as fasting triglyceride and cholesterol levels.
Although preliminary, Suarez said the study could guide health care providers on how best to reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. In addition to traditional recommendations to increase physical activity and adhere to a Mediterranean diet that includes alcohol consumption, clinicians may also need to consider the mental state of their patients and specifically the presence of depressive symptoms.
This combined approach could be especially beneficial for primary care providers, who are in a good position to both screen for depressive symptoms and measure CRP and cardiovascular risk. Early intervention and perhaps more aggressive treatment for depression may benefit patients who do not see the benefit of heart-healthy activities due to untreated depression.
"We're not saying that exercise isn't helpful for those with depression; what we saw is that depression has effects beyond what has previously been reported. Even if mental health improves, the anti-inflammatory benefits of physical activities may lag behind," Suarez said.
Future longitudinal studies could measure CRP levels among those with depression to see if the anti-inflammatory effects of healthy behaviors catch up over time.
###
In addition to Suarez, study authors include Nicole L. Schramm-Sapyta, Tracey V. Hawkins and Alaattin Erkanli.
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute provided funding for the study (HL67459).
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
People with depression may not reap full benefits of healthy behaviorsPublic release date: 26-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Rachel Harrison rachel.harrison@duke.edu 919-419-5069 Duke University Medical Center
DURHAM, N.C. -- Depression may inhibit the anti-inflammatory effects typically associated with physical activity and light-to-moderate alcohol consumption, according to researchers at Duke Medicine.
The finding based on measurements of the cardio-metabolic risk marker C-reactive protein (CRP) points to another potential danger of depression, which afflicts an estimated one in 10 adults in the United States. Study results were published online March 26, 2013, in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.
"Our findings suggest depression not only directly affects an individual's mental and physical health; it might also diminish the health benefits of physical activities and moderate alcohol consumption," said lead author Edward C. Suarez, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke Medicine. "This appears to be specific to inflammation, which we know increases the risk for heart disease, so our findings suggest that depression could be a complicating risk factor."
CRP is a biomarker that predicts future risk of heart disease and other chronic inflammatory conditions. It may also play a role in the formation of plaque that builds up in arteries.
Physical activity and moderate alcohol consumption, defined as one drink a day for women and two a day for men, have each been shown to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. These behaviors also reduce inflammation, which is demonstrated through lower levels of CRP.
In contrast, depression is associated with elevated CRP and increased risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
In the current study, researchers gathered information from 222 nonsmoking, healthy adults with no history or diagnosis of psychiatric conditions. They recorded the amount of alcohol the participants consumed, defining light-to-moderate drinking as about half a drink per day for women and one daily drink for men. Participants reported how many hours of physical activity they did in the past week in activities such as walking, playing tennis, and exercise classes. Researchers also measured CRP levels through blood samples and evaluated the participants' depressive symptoms, with 4.5 percent of the study group meeting the criteria for depression.
The researchers found that untreated depression hindered the anti-inflammatory effects of moderate alcohol consumption and exercise. Participants who were physically active generally had lower CRP levels, with the exception of those who were depressed, who saw no beneficial effect on CRP levels.
In addition, light-to-moderate alcohol consumption was associated with lower CRP, but only in men who were not depressed. Men with symptoms of depression did not see the benefits of light-to-moderate alcohol consumption. Depression did not make a statistically significant difference among women who consumed light to moderate amounts of alcohol, nor those who didn't drink or only drank infrequently.
"This is a novel finding, and it seems to be specific to inflammation as measured by CRP," Suarez said, given that depression did not affect other health markers such as fasting triglyceride and cholesterol levels.
Although preliminary, Suarez said the study could guide health care providers on how best to reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. In addition to traditional recommendations to increase physical activity and adhere to a Mediterranean diet that includes alcohol consumption, clinicians may also need to consider the mental state of their patients and specifically the presence of depressive symptoms.
This combined approach could be especially beneficial for primary care providers, who are in a good position to both screen for depressive symptoms and measure CRP and cardiovascular risk. Early intervention and perhaps more aggressive treatment for depression may benefit patients who do not see the benefit of heart-healthy activities due to untreated depression.
"We're not saying that exercise isn't helpful for those with depression; what we saw is that depression has effects beyond what has previously been reported. Even if mental health improves, the anti-inflammatory benefits of physical activities may lag behind," Suarez said.
Future longitudinal studies could measure CRP levels among those with depression to see if the anti-inflammatory effects of healthy behaviors catch up over time.
###
In addition to Suarez, study authors include Nicole L. Schramm-Sapyta, Tracey V. Hawkins and Alaattin Erkanli.
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute provided funding for the study (HL67459).
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
At the World Series of Fighting's second show on Saturday, one-time UFC welterweight won over one-time UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski. As seen in the highlights above, Johnson had Arlovski hobbled at the end of the first round, but Arlovski was saved by the bell. Arlovski's jaw was reportedly broken in the bout that was Johnson's first fight at heavyweight.
As a welterweight who was bigger than other 170 lbers in the UFC, he struggled with his weight cut and missed weight three times. He moved to light heavyweight last August, and now won his heavyweight debut.
In other WSOF action, Marlon Moraes won his fourth straight by knocking out Tyson Nam with a headkick. Paulo Filho, the troubled one-time WEC champ, dropped a decision to Dave Branch.
Josh Burkman knocked out Aaron Simpson in the first round. After the fight, he said the win earned him a title shot, but questioned if one-time UFC title contender Jon Fitch had earned the WSOF title shot against him.
This ad was pulled after various complaints to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
When two high school football players were convicted of raping an intoxicated girl in Steubenville, Ohio, ? after sending pictures of the act to friends and posting about it on social media ? a significant portion of the backlash was aimed at the victim?rather than her attackers.
Even CNN was criticized for empathizing with the two convicted rapists.
It might be the 21st century, but there's still a tendency to?blame the victim,?be it for drinking or wearing a short skirt. The meme of targeting the violated as opposed to the violator has even made it into modern PSAs that are supposed to be anti-domestic violence.
We have collected eight recent ads that imply if a woman drinks or fails to cover up, then she is somehow asking for it.
The most headline-inducing recent example was when the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board released a series of posters showing a woman's legs sprawled on a bathroom floor, underwear at her ankles, with the text, "See what happens when your friends drink too much?" They were later pulled.
We've also found a few anti-rape PSAs that get the message right, so there's hope for progress.
Click here to see 8 anti-rape PSAs that blame the victim >
With the U.S. Senate slated to consider comprehensive gun legislation next month, two powerful voices on different sides of the gun debate - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the National Rifle Association's Wayne LaPierre - are bracing for the upcoming legislative showdown on guns.
Bloomberg's gun group, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, announced this weekend that it will pour $12 million into advertising in 13 key states to convince potentially persuadable Democratic and Republican senators to vote in favor of gun legislation, specifically focusing on the controversial universal background checks; a measure that an ABC News-Washington Post poll found is supported by 91 percent of the public.
"We're trying to do everything we can to impress upon the senators that this is what the survivors want, this is what the public wants," Bloomberg said on NBC's "Meet the Press" today. "If 90 percent of the public want something, and their representatives vote against that, common sense says, they are going to have a price to pay for that."
The two TV ads, titled "Responsibility" and "Family," feature a hunter sitting on the bed of a pickup truck with a hunting rifle across his lap while children play on a tire-swing in the background as he argues for universal background checks.
"For me, guns are for hunting and protecting my family. I believe in the Second Amendment and I'll fight to protect it but with rights come responsibility. That's why I'm for comprehensive background checks so criminals and the dangerously mentally ill can't buy guns. That protects my rights and my family," the man says in one ad.
The ads will target Republican and Democratic senators in Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
But LaPierre, executive vice president of the NRA, today dismissed Bloomberg's ad buy and called the mayor's positions on guns "reckless" and "insane."
"He can't spend enough of his $27 billion to impose his will on the American people," LaPierre said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
"They don't want him in their restaurants. They don't want him in their homes. They don't want him telling what food to eat. They sure don't want him telling what self-defense firearms to own. He can't buy America."
The Senate will consider a comprehensive gun package when it returns from the holiday recess next month. For many Republicans and moderate Democrats, the universal background-check requirement, which LaPierre called "a speed bump for the law-abiding," is the sticking point in the package.
Earlier this week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada announced that the controversial assault-weapons ban would not be included as part of the package. Instead, it will receive a vote as an amendment but is not expected to receive approval from the full Senate.
Despite the measure's not making it into the comprehensive plan, Bloomberg stood behind the assault-weapons ban while acknowledging the measure is "difficult" for some lawmakers to sign onto.
"I don't think there's ever been an issue where the public has spoken so clearly, where Congress hasn't eventually understood and done the right thing," Bloomberg said. "We have a lot of work ahead of us. I don't think we should give up on the assault weapons ban. But clearly it is a more difficult issue for a lot of people."
President Obama urged lawmakers to thoroughly consider all the gun measures that have been presented in the Senate, including the assault weapons ban, in his weekly address Saturday.
"These ideas shouldn't be controversial," he said. "They're common sense. They're supported by a majority of the American people. And I urge the Senate and the House to give each of them a vote.
"Right now, we have a real chance to reduce gun violence in America, and prevent the very worst violence. We have a unique opportunity to reaffirm our tradition of responsible gun ownership, and also do more to keep guns out of the hands of criminals or people with a severe mental illness," he said.
"We've made progress over the last three months, but we're not there yet. And in the weeks ahead, I hope members of Congress will join me in finishing the job; for our communities and, most importantly, for our kids."
By Steve Neavling DETROIT (Reuters) - U.S. automakers joined other Michigan businesses on Monday in donating $8 million for new ambulances and police cars to Detroit as state-appointed emergency manager Kevyn Orr took over running the destitute city. General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co, Chrysler Group LLC, which have their headquarters in the Detroit area, joined Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Quicken Loans and other area companies in the effort, Mayor Dave Bing announced. "This is an unprecedented collaboration between the business community and the mayor's office," said Bing. ...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Thursday warned computer users to beware of fake emails they may receive from hackers claiming to be from the Department of Homeland Security and demanding money to reinstate use of their computer.
Homeland Security's U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team, or US-CERT, published an alert on its website warning it had received reports of DHS-themed "ransomware."
"Users who are being targeted by the ransomware receive an email message claiming that use of their computer has been suspended and that the user must pay a fine to unblock it," the warning said, adding that the ransomware falsely claims to be from the department and its National Cyber Security Division.
Ransomware is increasingly widespread malicious software that purports to encrypt a user's files and then demands payment to unlock them.
US-CERT urged users and systems administrations to use caution if they find a questionable email message that could contain the ransomware. It said to urge users not to click on the messages or submit any information to Web pages.
(Reporting by Deborah Charles; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
Aaliyah's been dead nearly 12 years ... but a music publisher is still fighting over the rights to her songs, suing a record company for allegedly hawking bootleg Aaliyah jams on the Internet.
Reservoir Media Management filed the lawsuit against a company called Craze Productions, claiming Craze has been illegally selling songs from Aaliyah's double-platinum albums "Aaliyah" and "One in a Million" on iTunes.
Reservoir claims it's the sole owner of the songs in question ... acquiring the music rights in 2012 ... and it never gave Craze permission to sell the music.
Reservoir wants a judge to block Craze from peddling any more Aaliyah music ... and it wants $$$.
Name: Bill Age: 35 Occupation: Pokemon Researcher; Inventor Pokemon: Eevee, Leafeon, Glaceon Info: Bill is one of the most famous researchers and inventors in the world, having invented the PC storage system for pokemon in addition to his extensive documentation of evolutionary processes. He makes his home in Cerulean City most of the time.
Name: Annabeth Age: 30 Occupation: Team Rocket Scientist Pokemon: Magneton, Porygon2, Liepard Info: One of the most brilliant scientists at Team Rocket?s disposal, Annabelle was recruited from a position with a major research firm and swayed by promises of little administrative oversight and no inquiries into her experimental ethics. Little is known about her generally, even among the membership of Team Rocket.
Name: Xavier Age: 31 Occupation: Team Rocket Admin. Pokemon: Torkoal, Weezing, Skarmory Info: A new administrator within the organization, Xavier is a favored underling of the boss. He tends to disdain the typical Rocket uniform, and is almost always seen smoking. From the looks of things, he has experience in the emergency medical care of pokemon.
Quick, name a technology company with a REALLY good reputation?
Apple??Google? Facebook??
Nope. Nah. Sorry.
If you're on the same page as former Apple bigwig Jean-Louis Gass?e, the company that should have jumped to mind first is Microsoft.
In fact, Gass?e says his old firm should try harder to emulate Microsoft's public relations tactics.
Last week, Apple marketing boss Phil Schiller reached out ot a bunch of big business publications to trash Android and Samsung the night before Samsung launched its new flagship phone, the Galaxy S4.
Schiller got a lot of criticism for doing this. This happened for two reasons:?
Schiller got a crucial fact wrong about which version of Android the S4 would use.
Apple bloggers said he made Apple sound weak and defensive.
Now,?Gass?e, the former president of Apple Products, is getting a lot of attention for a blog post he wrote explaining how Apple could do better talking to the press.
In it, Gass?e writes "Apple has lost control of the narrative; the company has let others define its story."
His solution: Apple PR should operate more like Microsoft PR.
He thinks Apple needs to hire an outside PR firm ? "hired media assassins" ? and use it for "attacking competitors, pointing to their weaknesses, and trumpeting [Apple's] achievements."
He says that Microsoft did this to great effect back in the day, working with Waggener Edstrom.
Apple has lost control of the narrative; the company has let others define its story.?This is a war of words and Apple is proving to be inept at verbal warfare.
In another of his sharply worded analyses titled?Ceding the Crown, John Gruber makes the same point, although from a different angle:
The desire for the ?Oh, how the mighty Apple has fallen? narrative is so strong that the narrative is simply being stated as fact, evidence to the contrary be damned. It?s reported as true simply because they want it to be true. They?re declaring ?The King is dead; long live the King? not because the king has actually died or abdicated the throne, but because they?re bored with the king and want to write a new coronation story.
I agree with the perception, but blaming the media rarely produces results, we shouldn?t point our criticism in the wrong direction. The media have their priorities, which more often than not veer in the direction of entertainment passed as fair and balanced information (see?Amusing Ourselves To Death?by?Neil Postman). If Apple won?t feed them an interesting, captivating story, they?ll find it elsewhere, even in rumors and senseless hand-wringing.
Attacking competitors, pointing to their weaknesses, and trumpeting one?s achievements is better done by hired media assassins. A company, directly or through a PR firm, engages oft-quoted consultants who provide the required third-party stats, barbs, and encomiums. This isn?t theorizing, I once was a director at a company, one of many, that used such an arrangement to good effect.
A brief anecdote: When Microsoft was Microsoft,?Waggener Edstrom, the company?s PR powerhouse, was an exemplary propagandist.?I distinctly remember a journalist from a white-shoe East Coast business publication coming to my office more than twenty years ago, asking very pointed questions. I asked my own questions in return and realized that the individual didn?t quite know the meaning of certain terms that he was throwing around. A bit of hectoring and cajoling, and the individual finally admitted that the questions were talking points provided by the Seattle PR firm. A few years later, I got a comminatory phone call from one of the firm?s founders. My offense? I had made an unflattering quip about Microsoft when it was having legal troubles with Apple (the IP battle that was later settled as part of the 1997 ?investment? in Apple and Steve Jobs). PR firms have long memories and sharp knives.
The approach may seem cynical, but it?s convenient and effective. The PR firm maintains a net (and that?s the right word) of relationships with the media and their pilot fish. If it has the talent of a Waggener Edstrom, it provides sound strategic advice, position papers, talking points, and freeze-dried one-liners.
Furthermore, a PR firm has the power of providing?access. I once asked a journalist friend how his respected newspaper could have allowed one of its writers to publish a fellacious piece that described, in dulcet tones, a worldwide Microsoft R&D tour by the company?s?missus dominicus. ?Access, Jean-Louis, access. That?s the price you pay to get the next Ballmer interview??
Today, look at the truly admirable job?Frank Shaw?does for Microsoft. Always on Twitter, frequently writing learned and assertive pieces for the company?s?official blog. By the way, where?s Apple?s blog?
The popular notion is that Apple rose to the top without these tools and tactics, but that?s not entirely true.?Dear Leader was a one-man?propagandastaffel, maintaining his own small network of trusted friends in the media. Jobs also managed to get exemptions from good-behavior rules, exemptions that seem to have expired with him?
Before leaving us, Jobs famously admonished ?left-behind? Apple execs to think for themselves instead of trying to guess what he would have done. Perhaps it?s time for senior execs to rethink the kind of control they want to exercise on what others say about Apple. Either stay the old course and try to let the numbers do the talking, or go out and really fight the war of words. Last week?s misstep didn?t belong to either approach.
Curbed University delivers insider tips and non-boring advice on how to buy, sell, or rent a home or apartment. Additional questions welcomed to tips@curbed.com. Today's topic: Jonathan Miller answers your questions!
Appraiser, graph guru, and Curbed columnist Jonathan Miller dropped by our Curbed University Friday Open Thread to answer your questions. As promised, we're collected some of the Q's and Jonathan Miller's A's here. And so we'll turn the floor over to JMillz.
Curbed Reader: Many developers/owners are predicting multifamily rental rates in most neighborhoods in Manhattan and prime Brooklyn to increase 4-5% YOY for the next 5 years or so - do you think this is feasible and how much will it impact the sales market if they're right?
Jonathan Miller: I suppose anything is possible but that's pretty aggressive. Over the past 2 years, rents have been rising sharply, driven first by tight credit and lately, by (slowly) rising NYC employment. Tight credit tends to tip would-be buyers back into the rental market driving up rents because supply is pretty inelastic (slow to react). I think rents remain fairly strong for several years out (assuming no surprises) because credit remains tight and NYC employment continues to rise. But I don't think this kind of price growth can be sustained unless incomes and employment begin to rise as well. Plus, if mortgage lending standards begin to ease in a few years (because of improved income and employment numbers), easier mortgage lending will cause more inventory to come to sales market and more sales activity will poach some of the rental demand that is needed to keep rents rising.
When will supply/demand normalize in Manhattan? Or how long do you see this inventory shortage lasting?
I see it lasting for a while - tough to be more specific than that. This is a great question since the tightness of inventory is really the cause of all "feel good" housing news lately. In order to gauge the length of this market condition, look at the primary cause: tight credit. Sales are not rising as fast as inventory has fallen, not by a long shot, so I think the question to ask becomes "when does credit ease?" That's not something that the Federal Reserve or any economists have been able to figure out. To look at it another way, it doesn't look like we will seen a significant addition to supply in the near future.
One other thought: Also break it down by existing and new dev: ? Existing listings: nearly half of all US mortgage holders have either low or negative equity - they can't buy so they don't list. Those who have no issue with equity but can't find what they want don't list until they find something, compounding the problem. ? New Dev listings: they're coming big time over the next 2 years and not enough (new dev is 10-20% of the market-what about the other 80-90%?) and the product being built is nearly all luxury (top 10% of market). So what about the other 90%?
Do you think the current outlook for local tax policies will disadvantage NY real estate for global high net worth investors? NY looks cheap compared to London, Hong Kong etc. Will the gap ever narrow?
I don't think so. We are currently far more affordable to high net worth individuals?and since the credit crunch is global and many governments are entering periods of revenue shortfalls like us, the wealthy will probably be the target for disproportionately higher taxes and more regulatory overlay in their businesses everywhere. With all the economic uncertainty and the political stalemate in US, we seem to be more certain as a location to invest in RE than in other areas across the globe. That's why we have seen a proliferation of trophy and other record high end sales in the past 2 years. This was the running theme in the recently released Wealth Report by Knight Frank in London.
I inherited an apartment. The apartment needs a complete renovation. Is it better to sell it as it is or renovate and sell?
I've never been a fan of "renovating to sell" unless you are in that business. You delay entry to the market and risk that your costs and hassle won't be paid for to their fullest or achieve a premium by your buyer. Check out this weekend's NYT Real Estate cover story, "Home Buyers Seek Manhattan Wrecks," by Constance Rosenblum that addresses this very point. I provided some stats for the piece that show with the chronic inventory shortage we are seeing a rise in listings that need TLC. I would imagine that the spread between listings that are renovated and those that aren't renovated to narrow with the lack of supply right now.
I've seen your research on valuing outdoor space (via Manhattan Loft Guy) as 50% per sqft of the indoor space. If the outdoor space is completely finished with a full outdoor kitchen (Viking grill, burners, sink, fridge, dishwasher etc) and has 360 views (completely private). Do you see it going beyond the 50% rule of thumb? Size wise it does not exceed the size of "diminishing returns" by being outsized relative to the indoor space. At what point does spending additional $/sqft on outdoor space renovation become pointless?
The 360 degree views are already considered in the ppsf analysis of the interior space as if there was no terrace. While those amenities sound nice, I am wary that they make the space more personalized rather than neutral and therefore may provide a diminishing return to the overall value of the outdoor space.
? Open Thread: Ask Jonathan Miller Your Real Estate Questions [Curbed] ? Curbed University archive [Curbed]
Mar. 18, 2013 ? A new National Research Council report finds that by the year 2050, the U.S. may be able to reduce petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent for light-duty vehicles -- cars and small trucks -- via a combination of more efficient vehicles; the use of alternative fuels like biofuels, electricity, and hydrogen; and strong government policies to overcome high costs and influence consumer choices. While achieving these goals will be difficult, improving technologies driven by strong and effective policies could make deep reductions possible.
"To reach the 2050 goals for reducing petroleum use and greenhouse gases, vehicles must become dramatically more efficient, regardless of how they are powered," said Douglas M. Chapin, principal of MPR Associates, and chair of the committee that wrote the report."In addition, alternative fuels to petroleum must be readily available, cost-effective and produced with low emissions of greenhouse gases.Such a transition will be costly and require several decades.The committee's model calculations, while exploratory and highly uncertain, indicate that the benefits of making the transition, i.e. energy cost savings, improved vehicle technologies, and reductions in petroleum use and greenhouse gas emissions, exceed the additional costs of the transition over and above what the market is willing to do voluntarily."
Improving the efficiency of conventional vehicles is, up to a point, the most economical and easiest-to-implement approach to saving fuel and lowering emissions, the report says.This approach includes reducing work the engine must perform -- reducing vehicle weight, aerodynamic resistance, rolling resistance, and accessories -- plus improving the efficiency of the internal combustion engine powertrain.
Improved efficiency alone will not meet the 2050 goals, however.The average fuel economy of vehicles on the road would have to exceed 180 mpg, which, the report says, is extremely unlikely with current technologies.Therefore, the study committee also considered other alternatives for vehicles and fuels, including:
?hybrid electric vehicles, such as the Toyota Prius;
?plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, such as the Chevrolet Volt;
?battery electric vehicles, such as the Nissan Leaf;
?hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, such as the Mercedes F-Cell, scheduled to be introduced about 2014; and
?compressed natural gas vehicles, such as the Honda Civic Natural Gas.
Although driving costs per mile will be lower, especially for vehicles powered by natural gas or electricity, the high initial purchase cost is likely to be a significant barrier to widespread consumer acceptance, the report says.All the vehicles considered are and will continue to be several thousand dollars more expensive than today's conventional vehicles.Additionally, particularly in the early years, the report predicts that alternative vehicles will likely be limited to a few body styles and sizes; some will rely on fuels that are not readily available or have restricted travel range; and others may require bulky energy storage that will limit their cargo and passenger capacity.Wide consumer acceptance is essential, however, and large numbers of alternative vehicles must be purchased long before 2050 if the on-road fleet is to meet desired performance goals.Strong policies and technology advances are critical in overcoming this challenge.
The report identified several scenarios that could meet the more demanding 2050 greenhouse gas goal.Each combines highly efficient vehicles with at least one of three alternative power sources -- biofuel, electricity, or hydrogen.Natural gas vehicles were considered, but their greenhouse gas emissions are too high for the 2050 goal.However, if the costs of these vehicles can be reduced and appropriate refueling infrastructure created, they have great potential for reducing petroleum consumption.
While corn-grain ethanol and biodiesel are the only biofuels to have been produced in commercial quantities in the U.S. to date, the study committee found much greater potential in biofuels made from lignocellulosic biomass -- which includes crop residues like wheat straw, switchgrass, whole trees, and wood waste.This "drop-in" fuel is designed to be a direct replacement for gasoline and could lead to large reductions in both petroleum use and greenhouse gas emissions; it can also be introduced without major changes in fuel delivery infrastructure or vehicles.The report finds that sufficient lignocellulosic biomass could be produced by 2050 to meet the goal of an 80 percent reduction in petroleum use when combined with highly efficient vehicles.
Vehicles powered by electricity will not emit any greenhouse gases, but the production of electricity and the additional load on the electric power grid are factors that must be considered.To the extent that fossil resources are used to generate electricity, the report says that the successful implementation of carbon capture and storage will be essential.These vehicles also rely on batteries, which are projected to drop steeply in price.However, the report says that limited range and long recharge times are likely to limit the use of all-electric vehicles mainly to local driving.Advanced battery technologies under development all face serious technical challenges.
When hydrogen is used as a fuel cell in electric vehicles, the only vehicle emission is water.However, varying amounts of greenhouse gases are emitted during hydrogen production, and the low-greenhouse gas methods of making hydrogen are more expensive and will need further development to become competitive.Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles could become less costly than the advanced internal combustion engine vehicles of 2050.Fuel cell vehicles are not subject to the limitations of battery vehicles, but developing a hydrogen infrastructure in concert with a growing number of fuel cell vehicles will be difficult and expensive, the report says.
The technology advances required to meet the 2050 goals are challenging and not assured.Nevertheless, the committee considers that dramatic cost reduction and overall performance enhancement is possible without unpredictable technology breakthroughs.Achieving these goals requires that the improved technology focus on reducing fuel use rather than adding greater power or weight, the report says.
It is impossible to know which technologies will ultimately succeed, the report says, because all involve uncertainty.The best approach, therefore, is to promote a portfolio of vehicle and fuel research and development, supported by both government and industry, designed to solve the critical challenges in each major candidate technology.Such primary research efforts need continuing evaluation of progress against performance goals to determine which technologies, fuels, designs, and production methods are emerging as the most promising and cost-effective.
Overcoming the barriers to advanced vehicles and fuels will require a rigorous policy framework that is more stringent than the proposed fuel economy standards for 2025.This policy intervention could include high and increasing fuel economy standards, R&D support, subsidies, and public information programs aimed at improving consumers' familiarity with the new fuels and powertrains.Because of the high level of uncertainty in the pace and scale of technology advances, this framework should be modified as technologies develop and as conditions change.
It is essential that policies promoting particular technologies to the public are not introduced before these new fuels and vehicle technologies are close to market readiness, and consumer behavior toward them is well understood.The report warns that forcing a technology into the market should be undertaken only when the benefits of the proposed support justify its costs.
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court on Monday weighed whether the state of Arizona should be allowed to create additional hurdles to voting that go beyond federal requirements.
Under the federal "Motor Voter" registration law, states are required to accept a voter registration form that asks individuals to state, under penalty of perjury, that they are a citizen. Arizona wanted to require individuals to go one step further and provide proof of citizenship.
Voting rights groups and the federal government say that allowing Arizona to impose additional requirements on top of the federal form would essentially defeat the purpose of the Motor Voter law, which was designed to streamline the voter registration process.
Justice Anthony Kennedy seemed to advocate for both sides of the case, known as Arizona v. The Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. Kennedy argued that the federal form "is not worth very much" if Arizona could simply impose additional requirements on top of it, but later said that states had a "vital interest" in federal elections.
Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne argued that allowing would-be voters to simply state under oath that they are citizens amounted to "essentially an honor system," and said Arizona should be able to enforce its own eligibility requirements.
Justice Antonin Scalia appeared to agree, arguing that the penalty of perjury wasn't enough to prevent ineligible voters from registering.
"So it's under oath, big deal," Scalia said. "I suppose if you're willing to violate the voting laws you're willing to violate the perjury laws."
Regardless, voting rights advocates were cautiously optimistic after oral arguments concluded.
"A majority of the Court, including Justice Kennedy, appeared to recognize that the entire point of having a single Federal form was to streamline the voter registration process, and that approving Arizona's law would pave the way for a patchwork of 50 state forms," Doug Kendall, president of the Constitutional Accountability Center, said in a statement. "We are optimistic that that recognition will lead the Court to strike down Arizona's law and respect Congress' power to protect the right to vote in Federal elections."
"Congress passed the National Voter Registration Act to encourage more people to vote in federal elections, but Arizona's law has precisely the opposite effect," said Laughlin McDonald, director of the ACLU Voting Rights Project. "The lower court correctly held that Arizona's law was inconsistent with federal law, and we're hopeful that the Supreme Court will agree. States should not be erecting obstacles that restrict our democracy's electorate, but follow laws that ensure voter registration is accessible to all eligible American voters."
Get inspired at Venture Caf? this week. Find out how to address big problems such as the need for clean energy, better education, and fresh water?in developing countries, and in our own. Speak with visiting experts and learn how to access advice, grants, and other resources that will help translate your ideas into tangible solutions. Connect with:
NextDrop, a tech-enabled social enterprise in India
LearnLaunchX, New England?s first learning and education startups accelerator
Boston Cleanweb Hackathon, the city?s biggest cleanweb event
Mass. Tech Transfer Center, organizer of the Mass. Clean Energy Center Catalyst Program Awards
The EntreTech Forum, monthly discussions on entrepreneurship and technology commercialization
TiE, organizer of the TiE Challenge startup accelerator program
Mass. Small Business Development Center, offering services and training for small businesses
MassChallenge, the world?s largest startup competition
Burns & Levinson, legal expertise in funding and IP protection
George Mabry, experienced mentor and angel investor
MassVentures, an early-stage venture capital fund
At the Venture Caf?, we believe that innovation and entrepreneurship are means to an end, not ends in themselves. The end is to improve the human condition.
Hope to see you at the Caf? on Thursday!
Thursday, March 21, 2013 | Venture Caf? in Session | 3:00 ? 8:00 P.M.
3:00 ? 5:00 P.M. | Mass. Tech. Transfer Center / Mass. Clean Energy Center ? Info Table
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center in partnership with the Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center, ?invites you to apply for MassCEC Catalyst Program Awards. The Program?s primary intent is to stimulate the commercialization of clean energy technologies developed in the Commonwealth. The program awards grants of $40,000 each to help entrepreneurs demonstrate the feasibility of technologies in specific industry applications. More information on the awards is available here. Visit their info table to find out more.
3:00 ? 5:00 P.M. | Mass. Small Business Development Center ? Office Hours
Mark Allio will be back at the Caf? for office hours. Mark is Regional Director of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (MSBDC) Network?s Boston Regional Office & Minority Business Center at UMass Boston. The MSBDC provides free one-on-one business advisory services, entrepreneurial training workshops, and special assistance in gaining access to capital. MSBDC Advisors are all former entrepreneurs. Mark co-founded two business ventures: TracRac, a Fall River-based manufacturer of automotive accessories, and Virtuous.com, an e-ticketing service provider serving the arts and entertainment industry. If you would like a consultation with Mark, please fill out this request form before Thursday. To learn more about MSBDC?s services, check out this flier.
3:30 ? 5:00 P.M. | MassVentures ? Office Hours
Discuss your pitch with Jennifer Jordan, Vice President of MassVentures, an early-stage venture capital fund dedicated to investing in Massachusetts high growth technology companies. MassVentures focuses on Series A Investments in software, data, analytics, crowdsourcing, and the intersection of healthcare and IT. ?Reserve a 15 minute segment by signing up at the bar. ?Come prepared with a high level pitch deck that covers: (1) the problem you are addressing, (2) the size of the market, (3) the team, (4) the product offering, and (5) the exit strategy.
4:00 ? 6:00 P.M. | LearnLaunchX ? Office Hours
Chat with LearnLaunchX, New England?s first accelerator program for new learning and education technology companies. Participant companies will receive seed funding, workspace, and intensive mentoring and collaboration from experienced professionals in the learning and education space. The first Boston class of LearnLaunchX begins on June 10th. Applications are being accepted until March 25th.
4:00 ? 6:00 P.M. | Funding and Protecting Your Idea and Business ? Office Hours
Burns & Levinson?s attorneys Gil Breiman and Bruce Jobse are holding office hours at Venture Caf? this week. Gil can assist you with devising and preparing funding strategies for your business. Learn about traditional options such as venture capital and angel investment, as well as alternatives such as grants, crowdfunding, and accelerator programs and platforms. ?Gil can introduce you to the firm?s Innovation Program, a special legal services offering available to a select group of startup and emerging businesses. Speak with Bruce about the ramifications of the ?first to file? changes to the U.S. patent process that came about on March 16, 2013 as a result of the America Invents Act.
4:00 ? 6:00 P.M. | George Mabry ? Office Hours
Ask consultant, mentor, and angel investor George Mabry for feedback on your business concept. ?He is active in Harvard, MIT, and Greater Boston?s entrepreneurship communities and holds degrees in computer science and business. ??George co-founded a biotech market research company that was acquired by a global biopharmaceutical service provider in 2008. ?To speak with him, please sign up at the Caf? bar for a 20-minute appointment. ?Come prepared with concise, high-level materials to explain your idea, including the market, the team, and how you are addressing the opportunity or problem.
5:00 ? 6:30 P.M. | TiE ? Office Hours
TiE Challenge is a startup accelerator program that turns great ideas into companies. TiE Challenge offers first-time entrepreneurs a 2-for-1 opportunity: help from top Boston entrepreneurs and access to capital. Twenty companies are selected to participate in the program run by TiE Charter members and sponsors. Benefits include: dedicated advisors, office space, attendance at all TiE events and the opportunity to present to TiE Angels for potential investment. Come by their info table to learn more.
5:00 ? 6:00 P.M. | How to Find the Right Funder for Your Startup
Do you have questions about how to find a funder for your startup? In the labyrinthic funding map there may be a funder that is perfect for your startup. Who should you talk to first and why? Jennifer Jordan of MassVentures will be discussing the funding landscape for startups: how to navigate and how to find the right funder for you.
5:00 ? 8:00 P.M. | Boston Cleanweb Hackathon ? Info Table
Boston?s biggest cleanweb event, the Boston Cleanweb Hackathon, is coming back this year from April 5th to the 7th. ?Learn how you can help solve some of the world?s most pressing energy and water problems using a creative combination of clean tech and high tech.
5:00 ? 8:00 P.M. | MassChallenge ? Office Hours
MassChallenge, the world?s largest startup accelerator, connects entrepreneurs with the resources they need to launch successful businesses. Mass Challenge invites startups in any industry to apply for 125 spots in the 2013 program. Benefits include world-class mentorship and training, joining a community of fellow entrepreneurs, $10 million in in-kind support and $1 million in grants with no equity taken. Applications are open from February 13 to April 3. Chat with a MassChallenge representative if you interested in being a participant, sponsor, mentor, or judge?or if you have questions, comments, or suggestions about the competition.
6:00 ? 8:00 P.M. | EntreTech Panel ? Crowdfunding: Where It Stands Now
Join The EntreTech Forum?s panel discussion to learn about the power of alternative financing for entrepreneurs. Ask any entrepreneur about raising seed capital and you?ll hear a wide range of adventure stories. The lucky ones are able to secure an initial investor and get started, but most spend months pitching their ideas to investors who seem receptive but are hesitant to gamble on an uncertain exit. ?Enter crowdfunding, a powerful means to directly tap into groups of new and veteran investors. ?No longer a techie fad, crowdfunding has helped raise more than $10 million for some companies: how can it it can be used as a mature source for financing ventures?
6:30 ? 7:30 P.M. | NextDrop Roundtable: How to do a startup in India
Meet Anu Sridharan, a Forbes 30-under-30 social entrepreneur, and learn how she launched a technology-enabled social-impact enterprise in India. She is one of the founders of NextDrop, a startup that originated in an engineering class at UC Berkeley and won the Knight News Challenge. In conditions of scarcity, fresh water is only available intermittently?even in places with the pipes to deliver it. In India, NextDrop is deploying a system that notifies residents when water will become available. ?Join Anu in this interactive session to discuss how aspiring social entrepreneurs can identify a problem to solve, assess product-market fit, and overcome the many obstacles that might be encountered in a developing country.
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 26-Mar-2013
Share ] 
Appraiser, graph guru, and Curbed columnist Jonathan Miller dropped by our Curbed University Friday Open Thread to answer your questions. As promised, we're collected some of the Q's and Jonathan Miller's A's here. And so we'll turn the floor over to JMillz.