Tests Show Why You Should Stay Away from Knockoff USB Chargers

By Whitson Gordon

$30 may seem ridiculous for a cellphone charger, and you might be tempted to buy an off-brand model. Ken Shirriff tests a dozen USB chargers and shows us why that may not be a good idea.

The World's Most Expensive Food and Drink | The Gracevine

Rarity value can demand a high price, so here?s a look at food and drink that fall into the category of unashamedly expensive and utterly decadent, starting right on our doorstep:

While food at Cape Grace is 5-star, it?s still very affordable, but we do have a drink that would only attract a big spender; it?s a shot of Glenfiddich 50 year old whisky at R18,000 a tot! It?s so rare that only 500 bottles were ever made and Cape Grace gets through about one bottle every three years. A couple of months ago in Cape Grace?s Bascule Bar, an American gentleman bought a tot for himself, his two friends and then another for an acquaintance he met in the bar!

Coffee with a Difference:

Have you heard of Kopi Luwak Coffee? It?s Sumatran coffee beans that have passed through the native arboreal civet who eats the coffee berries, which then drop to the ground where they are collected, washed, dried and roasted.? It?s the enzymes in the civet?s stomach that gives this coffee a softer taste and it costs around R100 for a double espresso at Haas Coffee Collective at 67 Rose Street, Bo Kaap, or you can buy a 250g bag of beans for R900.

Brunch with Attitude:

Kopi Luwak Coffee is very small fry in the scheme of really expensive foods, like the Zillion-Dollar Frittata from the popular Norma?s in Le Parker Meridien Hotel, New York City. This brunch of 6 eggs, a whole lobster and 10 ounces of Sevruga caviar goes for $1,000, but you can opt for the poor-man?s version with only one ounce of caviar at a mere $100.

Not-so Humble Burger:

Ok let?s look at one more gourmet extravagance; how about the humble burger turned into haute cuisine by who else but a Frenchman in Las Vegas! At Fleur by Hubert Keller at Mandalay Bay, the FleurBurger 5000 goes for an astonishing $5,000. Why? Because it?s a fois gras and black truffle Kobe beef burgeron a brioche truffle bun with Chef Keller?s special truffle sauce. It comes with a bottle of Chateau Petrus 1995 Bordeaux, chosen to match the dish perfectly, served in Ichendorf Brunello crystal stemware from Sweden, two of which get shipped to your home. Guess how many FleurBurger?s they have sold since 2005 when it first appeared on the menu??????26!Phew!?

Source: http://www.capegrace.com/blog/top5/the-worlds-most-expensive-food-and-drink/

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Lose your weight without leaving your favorite diet - Weight Loss ...

You might have heard about the weight loss product ?nidora.? This is really a fantastic product for those guys who?re suffering from the problem of overweight. Nidora is a natural weight loss herb which is totally different from other tablets and pills available in the market for this problem. It is generally observed that in many weight loss program the dietitian use to follow a limited diet on their meal and there is a restriction of eating any food which contains high calories. However with nidora, the user of this product can continue eating his or her favorite food without quitting anyone for a specific time.

Nidora works well with no food restrictions and the user of this product can attain greater satisfaction from smaller portions by eating their lovable food items without changing their eating habits. Nidora is a fantastic weight loss product which is very helpful for its users to transform their silhouette without making any kind of change in their lifestyle. The natural weight loss product generally contains ingredients which are low in calories and help in burning out excess of stored fat from the body thereby making user?s body healthy and fit. Nidora is a best and effective treatment for the overweight problem and suits well to men, women and child for removing obesity.

While using nidora natural weight loss product, the user generally does not needs to perform any kind of physical exercises and they can attain effective result in weight loss in just a few days after the usage of this product.

It is very essential for the user of this Weight loss program to stop eating meal as he or she sense fuller feeling and nidora must be used on every single meal. This weight loss product can easily eliminate the negative aspects of dieting and do not target the digestive system in order to deliver a fuller feeling. However, the user of ?nidora? weight loss program for treating overweight senses of smell and taste of its user for making the user body feel full faster without notifying any kind of embarrassment or side effects. So, buy this natural weight loss supplement for your sound health now.

Source: http://weight-loss.ezinemark.com/lose-your-weight-without-leaving-your-favorite-diet-7d37f03edc9b.html

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Battery maker A123 Systems files for bankruptcy

(Reuters) - A123 Systems, which had received a $249 million grant from the U.S. government, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday, giving Republicans fresh ammunition to attack the Obama administration's subsidies for green energy.

The filing came after the lithium-ion battery maker's $465 million rescue deal with Chinese auto parts supplier Wanxiang Group collapsed, hobbled by "unanticipated and significant challenges," A123 said on its website.

A123 has agreed to sell its automotive operations, including two factories in Michigan, for $125 million to Johnson Controls Inc, a leading battery supplier and another recipient of federal green subsidies.

The bankruptcy filing comes as President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney prepare for their second debate Tuesday night.

The U.S. Department of Energy allotted about $90 billion for various clean-energy programs through the administration's stimulus package. Of that, at least $813 million went to energy companies that eventually filed for bankruptcy, including A123, Solyndra, Beacon, Abound Solar and EnerDel.

The Solyndra failure has been regularly cited in stump speeches leading up the November 6 U.S. presidential election, including those of Romney, who argues that the government should not be in the business of picking corporate winners and losers.

The administration has countered criticism of its green energy initiative by saying such investments are needed to bolster the U.S. position in the market for fast-moving and competitive technology, such as advanced batteries.

"The riskiest strategy of all is not competing aggressively for the technologies of tomorrow and the jobs that come," Dan Leistikow, DOE director of public affairs, said in a blog post. "In an emerging industry, it's very common to see some firms consolidate with others as the industry grows and matures."

A123 had promised to create 38,000 U.S. jobs, including 5,900 at its own plants, in return for the government funding under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's Electric Drive Vehicle Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative.

A123 has tapped $132 million of its 2009 grant, the DOE said. Johnson Controls, which supplies lithium-ion batteries to a number of vehicle manufacturers, also received a $299 million grant under the same program.

A123 supplies batteries to Fisker Automotive's Karma hybrid, which accounted for 26 percent of A123 revenue last year, and the Chevrolet Spark EV that will be introduced next year by General Motors Co.

"GM is aware of the situation with battery supplier A123," GM spokeswoman Kim Carpenter said. "We are monitoring the situation, but we expect no delays in the Spark EV program."

Johnson Controls supplies batteries to Ford Motor Co, BMW and Daimler, among others.

A123 DEAL A BOOST TO JCI

The bankruptcy filing comes after roughly 8 months of attempts by A123 to find a buyer or strategic investor. In March 2012, A123 hired Lazard Freres & Co, which contacted 74 potential partners and investors, according to court documents.

Only 24 discussed the process with Lazard, but only Wanxiang offered to invest in A123 as a going concern. However, it became apparent that A123 would not be able to satisfy some of the conditions laid out in the Wanxiang deal before A123 ran out of money to pay for operations, documents show.

Johnson Controls has provided $72.5 million in debtor-in-possession financing to A123. Johnson Controls said its interest in A123 "is consistent with its long-term commitment to being a market leader in the advanced battery industry."

"This process is in its early stages, so the company cannot provide further details at this time," the company said.

In a research note, Morgan Stanley analyst Ravi Shankar said Johnson Controls would be able to wring out cost inefficiencies in A123 and possible bring the company to break-even quickly. The deal is expected to be dilutive in the first year.

"The transaction is about closing JCI's technology gap in advanced batteries," Shankar said, adding that the deal will help Johnson Controls compete for next-generation hybrid programs and cement its position in the market for start-stop batteries.

WINNERS AND LOSERS

In court documents, A123 said it expects it will be able to sell its non-automotive operations and has identified certain bidders. A123 listed total assets of $459.8 million and liabilities of $376 million in its Chapter 11 petition.

In the first presidential debate, Romney attacked Obama's promotion of green technologies, saying the administration, in doling out billions to clean-energy companies, only picked losers.

"I mean, I had a friend who said 'You don't just pick the winners and losers, you pick the losers, all right?'" Romney said. "This is not the kind of policy you want to have if you want to get America energy secure."

The highest-profile recipient of federal funds, Solyndra, will square off in court on Wednesday against the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Energy as it argues for its bankruptcy plan.

That plan provides $300 million-plus in tax breaks for Solyndra's venture capital backers while potentially leaving the government with zero return on its investment. Every class of creditor supports the plan except the government, which appears to have negotiated the lowest recovery of all the creditors.

The case is In re:A123 Systems Inc, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware, No:12-12859.

(Additional reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Patrick; Rucker in Washington, Tanya Agrawal and A. Ananthalakshmi in Bangalore.; Editing by Don Sebastian and Dan Grebler)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/battery-maker-a123-systems-files-bankruptcy-140217965.html

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E-Reading Company Kobo Acquires Publishing Platform Aquafadas To Make It Easier To Bring Content To Its Wares

Kobo, the Rakuten-owned e-reading company, has announced that it is to acquire the French digital publishing platform Aquafadas to bolster the breadth of content that is available to its e-reader devices, for which it claims 10 million users in 190 countries. Terms of the deal remain undisclosed. The acquisition gives Kobo access to the Aquafadas Digital Publishing System, which the company says will able it to bring a selection of rich media ? magazines, academic, comics, kid's books and more to its customers, by providing better content creation tools for publishers.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/8U9CtZHOA_s/

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I Love Rock n' Rollovers | Thrive Detroit

People are starting to find jobs now, slowly but surely.? So, after signing their employment forms, dusting off their desks, and arranging their photographs, the last thing on their minds are their orphan 401(k) or 403(b) accounts.? Often, these balances are left behind at former employers, and soon forgotten.

As hard as it may be to be reminded of your former employer, it is best to act right away to establish control over your retirement assets.? Here are several options to consider.

Cash Out

We strongly advise against this option. You will be subject to ordinary income tax rates on the entire balance. And, if you are under age 59 ?, you will also have to pay a penalty tax of 10% on these balances.? If your past employer requires you to cash out, redeposit the amount in a retirement account within 60 days to avoid being taxed as indicated.

Do Nothing

This is the default option, particularly if the former employer is willing to continue holding the account without additional charges.? This is a good choice if you do not yet qualify for a 401(k) at your current employer. The concern is that you may indeed forget about this account, and fail to monitor these investments closely.? Sometimes, plans fold, and the proceeds could be distributed outright to you by check, with all the tax implications described above.

Rollover to Your Current Employer?s Plan

The advantage here is that your retirement assets are all in one place and easier to manage.? Employer-sponsored plans limit fund offerings to those approved by the administrator.? Though you are provided with funds that are reviewed for your benefit, you lose the flexibility of having the unlimited choice of investments that an IRA rollover will provide (see below).? Check the fees that you will be paying within the plan. Review administrative charges as well as fees taken within the mutual funds offered to get a comprehensive view of costs.

Rollover to an IRA Account

IRA (individual retirement account) rollovers can be administered by brokers, mutual fund companies, or banks.? Brokers provide a broad array of choices, including individual securities, mutual funds, and certificates of deposit (CODs).? Mutual fund companies will limit choices to their proprietary funds.? Banks offer a variety of savings vehicles and mutual funds, and for larger accounts, provide investment management services as well.?? Another currently popular option is a so-called ?self-directed IRA,? offered by specialist custodians.? These firms allow the investor to participate in more esoteric investments like private companies, residential and commercial real estate, promissory notes, and tax liens.? In all cases, verify the minimum balances required, custodial fees, commissions, and transaction fees prior to making a choice.? If considering a self-directed IRA, tread carefully.? The IRS rules are complex, the costs high, and the investments are generally illiquid (meaning they cannot be easily converted to cash) and riskier than publicly traded securities and mutual funds.

Next Steps

After you have made a choice, find out what forms your former employer needs to transfer the account.? Do the same with your current employer or IRA custodian.? Keep in mind that transferring your account may not be a high priority with your former employer, so follow up regularly to gauge progress.

Bottom Line

Regardless of age, we will be increasingly responsible for funding our own retirement.? So choosing wisely now is essential to making sure our ?golden years? are not tarnished by a lack of funds.? To quote George Foreman: ?The question isn?t at what age I want to retire, it?s at what income?.

Ina Fernandez has over 20 years of investment experience, and is Managing Director at Liberty Capital Management, Inc.

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About The Author

Ina Fernandez

Ina Fernandez CPA is Managing Director of Liberty Capital Management Inc., an independent investment advisor. She has over 20 years of investment experience and holds a number of volunteer leadership positions, including Board President of COTS (www.cotsdetroit.org) and Board member of the Michigan Womens Foundation.

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Source: http://www.thrivedetroit.org/i-love-rock-n-rollovers/

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