Major issues in Pakistan's upcoming election

The Pakistan People's Party, which led the government for the past five years, faces a difficult challenge in the upcoming national election expected in May because of anger over faltering economic growth, worsening energy shortages and continued attacks by militants.

FALTERING ECONOMIC GROWTH: The economy has grown at less than 4 percent a year under the PPP government, compared with much higher rates during the previous administration, which sometimes hovered near 7 percent. Inflation spiked, reaching an annualized rate of around 25 percent in some months. The inflation rate, however, has fallen in the past year, averaging around 11 percent in 2012.

ENERGY SHORTAGES: Electricity shortages have almost doubled under the PPP compared with the previous administration. Some places in Pakistan suffer blackouts for up to 18 hours a day during the hot summer months. The country also has experienced increased shortages of natural gas, which were felt acutely during the winter because many people rely on natural gas to heat their homes as well as cook.

TALIBAN ATTACKS: The military has launched numerous operations against the Pakistani Taliban in the country's northwest tribal region along the Afghan border since the spring of 2009. Analysts say the operations and U.S. drone attacks against militants in the tribal region have helped produce a significant decline in overall levels of violence in 2011 and 2012. But the Taliban remain a potent threat and have once again stepped up their pace of attacks in recent months, especially operations against high-profile targets like Pakistani military bases. Sectarian violence by radical Sunni Muslim militants against minority Shiites also has significantly worsened in recent months.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/major-issues-pakistans-upcoming-election-195906165.html

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Cyprus secures $13 bn bailout from eurozone, IMF

Dutch Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem, left, speaks with Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde during an extraordinary meeting of the eurogroup at EU headquarters in Brussels on Friday, March 15, 2013. European finance ministers are trying to complete a long-delayed bailout deal for Cyprus in a bid to keep the island nation from a bankruptcy that could rekindle the region?s debt crisis. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Dutch Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem, left, speaks with Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde during an extraordinary meeting of the eurogroup at EU headquarters in Brussels on Friday, March 15, 2013. European finance ministers are trying to complete a long-delayed bailout deal for Cyprus in a bid to keep the island nation from a bankruptcy that could rekindle the region?s debt crisis. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, center, speaks with the media as he arrives for an extraordinary meeting of the eurogroup at EU headquarters in Brussels on Friday, March 15, 2013. European finance ministers are trying to complete a long-delayed bailout deal for Cyprus in a bid to keep the island nation from a bankruptcy that could rekindle the region?s debt crisis. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

A man uses his mobile phone as passes outside of the Financial ministry in capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Friday, March 15, 2013. European finance ministers are gathering for an extraordinary meeting on Friday, in a bid to finalize a long-delayed bailout for the cash-strapped Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus, officials said, but the bailout is likely to come with tough strings attached. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)(AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks during a media conference at an EU summit in Brussels on Friday, March 15, 2013. On the second anniversary of an uprising that evolved into Syria?s brutal civil war, the European Union?s national leaders will likely discuss whether to arm rebels trying to overthrow the regime of Bashar Assad. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

BRUSSELS (AP) ? Cash-strapped Cyprus secured a ?10 billion ($13 billion) bailout package from its European partners and the International Monetary Fund in a bid to prevent the island nation from entering a bankruptcy that could rekindle the region's debt crisis, officials said early Saturday.

In a major departure from established policies, the package foresees a one-time levy on the money held in bank accounts in Cyprus. Analysts have warned that making depositors take a hit threatens to undermine investors' confidence in other weaker eurozone economies and might possibly lead to bank runs.

In return for the rescue loans, Cyprus will trim its deficit, significantly shrink its troubled banking sector, raise taxes and privatize state assets, said the Netherlands' Jeroen Dijsselbloem, president of the Eurogroup meetings of the 17-nation eurozone's finance ministers.

"The assistance is warranted to safeguard financial stability in Cyprus and the eurozone as a whole," he said, briefing reporters after almost 10 hours of negotiations.

People with less than ?100,000 in their Cypriot bank accounts will have to pay a one-time tax of 6.75 percent, those owning more money will lose 9.9 percent. The measure will be carried out early next week and is expected to net ?5.8 billion in additional revenues, Dijsselbloem added, thereby greatly reducing the country's financing need.

"We found it justified in terms of burden sharing to also involve the depositors," said Dijsselbloem, noting that it was a "unique measure" because of Cyprus' outsized banking system.

"As it is a contribution to the financial stability of Cyprus, it seems just to ask a contribution of all deposit holders," Dijsselbloem added.

Analysts have warned that imposing such a drastic measure could be seen as a watershed moment, undermining the eurozone's credibility. Although the leaders stressed the levy was a unique measure for Cyprus, they said the same when private holders of government bonds were forced to accept losses in Greece.

The measure therefore risks scaring investors in Europe's weaker economies, which could lead them to move their deposits to more stable eurozone countries like Germany. In that case, banks in southern Europe's economies might be considerably weakened and could possibly require new bailouts. That could then weaken the respective governments, which might then need further assistance from their eurozone partners ? possibly setting off a vicious spiral.

But Joerg Asmussen, a member of the European Central Bank's governing council, sought to dismiss fears of bank troubles stemming from the levy, saying the ECB stands ready to provide financial institutions with emergency liquidity assistance.

"The levy, it's an appropriate tool. It's really tailor-made to the situation in Cyprus," he said. "It's a country in extreme financing need, and what you do is to expand the tax base, not only to residents but also to non-residents," he said.

Russian citizens are estimated to have at least ?20 billion in deposits in Cyprus.

Asmussen stressed that there was no risk of such a levy being implemented in other countries that have already received bailouts, such as Greece, Ireland or Portugal, because those countries' financing needs are covered by their international rescue loans.

In a sign of how exceptional and urgent a decision the one-time levy is, Cypriot banks are already implementing measures to make sure that depositors cannot withdraw money to shrink the tax basis, Asmussen said. The remainder of their holdings can be withdrawn, he added.

But Cypriot Finance Minister Michalis Sarris added that electronic bank transfers won't be possible before Tuesday, Monday being a regular holiday in the country. In return for their one-time tax payment, depositors will get an equivalent stake in the bank where they have their account, he said.

"It was a very difficult decision," Sarris acknowledged, but added that "much more money could have been lost in a bankruptcy of the banking system or indeed the country."

Cypriot lawmakers are expected to approve a law on the bank levy over the weekend, and the money will be levied starting Tuesday.

"I want to underscore that this is a once and for all levy. We wanted to do it in a way, in a decisive way ... to remove any doubt about the future," Sarris said. "There is no reason whatsoever that deposit holders in Cyprus, existing and new ones, should have any concerns."

While the Cypriot bailout is many times smaller than Greece's ?240 billion package or Ireland's ?67.5 billion, it is still considered crucial to the future of the eurozone because a default even by a small country could roil financial markets and undermine investor confidence.

Cyprus' financing needs to recapitalize its banks and keep the government afloat were initially estimated to total ?17 billion, which is almost the equivalent of Cyprus' annual economic output and would have ballooned the country's public debt to about 140 percent of its economy, a level the IMF considers unsustainable.

The creditors therefore sought to exhaust all avenues to have Cyprus raise more revenue to reduce the need for external financing.

Losses will also be imposed on the banks' junior bondholders, the officials said. In addition, Cyprus agreed to increase its capital gains tax, and to raise its corporate tax by a quarter, from 10 to 25 percent, Dijsselbloem said.

To further reduce the financing needs, Russia was expected to significantly extend the maturity of a ?2.5 billion loan granted in 2011 after the country could no longer tap international markets.

The ministers also agreed to make sizeable Greek operations of the country's two largest banks, Bank of Cyprus and Laiki, eligible for spare rescue cash from Greece's bailout accord.

Under the bailout deal, Cyprus debt is forecast to reach about 100% of GDP by 2020.

The economy of Cyprus, an eastern Mediterranean island of just over a million people, represents less than 0.2 percent of the eurozone's annual economic output.

Cyprus, which first applied for a bailout last summer, wasn't in imminent danger of bankruptcy, as it faces its next bond redemption in June. But the European Central Bank, concerned that prolonged uncertainty over Cyprus could hurt market sentiment across the eurozone, had pushed for a swift deal, even threatening to cut the country's financial system off from emergency funding.

The finance ministers' agreement still has to be approved by parliaments in several eurozone nations. EU officials say everything should be done by the end of the month.

To appease its potential rescue creditors, Cyprus has already accepted an independent audit of its banks, which hold billions in Russian deposits, to soothe concerns voiced by Germany, France and others that they launder dirty Russian money.

___

Don Melvin in Brussels contributed to this report.

___

Juergen Baetz can be reached on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jbaetz

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-03-16-Cyprus-Financial%20Crisis/id-c830ce957acd47aebb0e5d5d2160f1cd

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Movie Review: A Cosmic Love Story, Upside Down Is Sucked Into a ...

For all its cosmic fluff and visually stunning hot air, Upside Down,?a tale of star-crossed lovers that find themselves divided by conflicting gravity fields of two parallel planets, fails to evoke any genuine character depth or emotional authenticity to match is visually expansive and innovative conceptual design.

The movie opens with a shot of stars exploding into supernovas across the night sky. A whispering, raspy voiced teen begins to narrate and explain the complexity of the worlds that exist here. There are two planets in equal orbit around a single sun, and each has its own gravity that its residents are governed by. He immediately solicits an idea of concrete physics that should certainly allow for our acceptance of this world, and hopefully all reasoning to follow should fit as neatly into the pursuing narrative as the opening monologue declares. It does not. Adam is a young boy with a troubled past that barely exists beyond his brief explanation of it. He is an orphan who lives in the lower world, which is where the peasants live in depraved isolation without the glamour and resources of the elitist upper world. There is also one gigantic corporation whose building and tyrannical dominance connect the two worlds and employ most of its citizens, and it?s called Transworld.

Adam narrates us quickly through his youthful struggles where he learns the secrets of the Sage Mountains from his Aunt Betty. She shows him a magical bee pollen that makes pancakes fly, and he is immediately entranced by its possibilities. On his journey to collect this pollen he comes to a mountain top and notices a young girl named Eden wandering along a similar peak in the opposing upper world. Over time they become close and Adam even uses a rope to pull her to his side. Unfortunately, this is strictly prohibited by the draconian law enforcement that maintains proper segregation between both worlds. In their attempt to escape, Adam drops Eden and is captured by the police. For no explained reason, his Aunt Betty?s house is burned and she is driven away forever.

Time passes and Adam tinkers in his science lab concocting some potion from the magic bee pollen that only he possesses. To save myself the pain of reliving this story again, I will now proceed with brevity. Adam goes to work for Transworld where he is ridiculed for his lower world stature, but his cosmetic lift cream that is powered by his magic pollen attracts the attention of the Executives. He manages to find Eden again, who also works for Transworld and has suffered amnesia from her fall so she does not remember Adam. He plies his bushy haired, disheveled charm to no end in hopes to win back her forgotten heart while using inverse matter to maintain gravity in her world. She struggles to remember, but ultimately does and they escape again to the woods for some immaculate conception. In the end Adam triumphs and somehow Eden is pregnant. Blah.

The film makes a consistent effort to distract from its vapid and shallow plot by wowing the audience with gimmicks from the conflicting gravities. At one point, Adam is weighted in the upper world by his inverse matter and while he uses the restroom, his urine comically falls to the ceiling. Adam is similar to Aladdin in his attempts at love, but without the charm and heroic talents or entertaining sidekicks. The movie pays such little attention to logical reason that Adam?s quarter mile free fall causes no injury and he is saved simply by landing in a pine tree. I remember Rambo suffering great pains as he fell from a helicopter through a similar tree ending up bloodied and beaten. Oh well. And speaking of animated children?s movies, how Eden got pregnant with twins from making out is beyond me, but I?m sure it?s easier to explain to children that way. Adam closes the movie by saying, ?but that?s another story.? Let?s just hope they keep this one to themselves.?

Despite all Upside Down?s romantic pageantry, there is little beyond the robust special effects to conjure up anything beyond a mediocre and disingenuous love story. I found myself on many occasions dropping my head into my hands in embarrassment for the filmmakers. As you may be guessing, I did not care for this movie.

Source: http://frontrow.dmagazine.com/2013/03/movie-review-a-cosmic-love-story-upside-down-is-sucked-into-a-vortex-of-inanity/

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Scientists map genome that causes Dutch Elm Disease

Friday, March 15, 2013

Researchers from the University of Toronto and SickKids Research Institute announced today that they have successfully mapped the genes in the fungus that causes Dutch Elm Disease.

The researchers believe this is the first time the 30 million DNA letters for the fungus Ophiostoma ulmi have been mapped. The findings, published in this week's online journal BMC Genomics, could help scientists figure out how to prevent the fungus from destroying elm trees in the future.

"Essentially, Dutch Elm Disease is caused by a fungus that prevents the normal distribution of nutrients in the tree by blocking the flow of sap," said Alan Moses, an Assistant Professor with the University of Toronto's department of Cell & Systems Biology, one of the authors of the study. "The tree wilts and eventually dies.

"Relatively little is known about the fungus that causes Dutch Elm Disease, and it's a very distant relative of the fungi that are more often studied by researchers, like bread mould or beer yeast. We hope that the availability of the genome will encourage and speed-up research on this fungus ? it's only a matter of time before most the elm trees are gone."

Dutch Elm disease is believed to have originated in the Himalayas, travelling to Europe from the Dutch East Indies in the late 1800s. It emerged in Holland shortly after the First World War, earning the name Dutch Elm Disease.

It is the most destructive elm tree disease in North America, and typically kills most trees within two years of infection. Dutch Elm Disease is a problem in many parts of the world, particularly Scotland, Spain, Italy, Western Canada and New Zealand.

###

University of Toronto: http://www.utoronto.ca

Thanks to University of Toronto for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127327/Scientists_map_genome_that_causes_Dutch_Elm_Disease

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Teen sexting, the gender gap

Public release date: 14-Mar-2013
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Contact: Albert Ang
press@inderscience.com
Inderscience Publishers

Sexting: Involves sending sexually explicit messages and/or photographs, primarily between mobile phones using the SMS system was first reported in 2005. It is an obvious portmanteau of "sex" and "texting"; the word was added to the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary in August 2012. 4% of mobile phone-owning teens claim to have sent sexually suggestive, nude or nearly nude images or videos of themselves to someone else via a mobile device while 15% claim to have received such material from someone they know.

With contract cell phones and cheaper multimedia messaging services it is easier and cheaper than ever to share information, images and other data. Ran Wei of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of South Carolina and Ven-Hwei Lo of the School of Journalism and Communication of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, examined the effects of teen sexting that involves serious privacy and personal safety issues. One observer has suggested that the desire for risk-taking and sexual exploration among teens, coupled with a perpetual connection with peers via mobile telephony, creates a "perfect storm for sexting."

The USC-Hong Kong team has now carried out a survey of 236 adolescents in the USA, the results of which reveal that teenagers believe sexting to cause more harm to other people than to themselves. Moreover, they also consider that sext messages subsequently posted to the Internet on social networking sites and elsewhere are more harmful than those messages that are shared en masse among a group of phone users. However, they also felt that consensual sexting between two people was less harmful.

The survey also revealed a strong gender gap with regards to third-person perception of sexting: both males and females believed other females were more harmed by sexting. This perception of girls, not boys, as the victims of sexting is perhaps a common theme in sexual culture and predates telecommunications by several centuries if not longer I'd say. The survey did reveal that this gender gap meant many respondents were willing to support restrictions on sexting, but those who participated in this activity were less keen on the application of restrictions.

"Sexting raises a new issue with far-reaching social consequences for teenagers because it spans the boundaries of interpersonal communication and mass mediated communication," the team explains. "In addition, sexting poses a challenge in defining the boundary between what is socially appropriate and what is inappropriate in various communication contexts." They point out that fun or flirtatious messages between two teenagers in a romantic relationship might be shared outside that relationship to a large audience on wireless networks or the internet, causing psychological, social, cultural, and legal problems. Indeed, there have been numerous legal cases involving high-school students who have sexted in recent years.

"Sexting among teens is characteristic of an expected negative message from the perspective of parents, educators, and law enforcers," the team concludes. "When sexting is no longer confined to two people in a romantic relationship, to be vulnerable to sexting implies that sext messages may end up in the hands of predators and have a long-term harm on a teen sexter's future."

###

"Examining sexting's effect among adolescent mobile phone users" in Int. J. Mobile Communications, 2013, 11, 176-193

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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.

Public release date: 14-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Albert Ang
press@inderscience.com
Inderscience Publishers

Sexting: Involves sending sexually explicit messages and/or photographs, primarily between mobile phones using the SMS system was first reported in 2005. It is an obvious portmanteau of "sex" and "texting"; the word was added to the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary in August 2012. 4% of mobile phone-owning teens claim to have sent sexually suggestive, nude or nearly nude images or videos of themselves to someone else via a mobile device while 15% claim to have received such material from someone they know.

With contract cell phones and cheaper multimedia messaging services it is easier and cheaper than ever to share information, images and other data. Ran Wei of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of South Carolina and Ven-Hwei Lo of the School of Journalism and Communication of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, examined the effects of teen sexting that involves serious privacy and personal safety issues. One observer has suggested that the desire for risk-taking and sexual exploration among teens, coupled with a perpetual connection with peers via mobile telephony, creates a "perfect storm for sexting."

The USC-Hong Kong team has now carried out a survey of 236 adolescents in the USA, the results of which reveal that teenagers believe sexting to cause more harm to other people than to themselves. Moreover, they also consider that sext messages subsequently posted to the Internet on social networking sites and elsewhere are more harmful than those messages that are shared en masse among a group of phone users. However, they also felt that consensual sexting between two people was less harmful.

The survey also revealed a strong gender gap with regards to third-person perception of sexting: both males and females believed other females were more harmed by sexting. This perception of girls, not boys, as the victims of sexting is perhaps a common theme in sexual culture and predates telecommunications by several centuries if not longer I'd say. The survey did reveal that this gender gap meant many respondents were willing to support restrictions on sexting, but those who participated in this activity were less keen on the application of restrictions.

"Sexting raises a new issue with far-reaching social consequences for teenagers because it spans the boundaries of interpersonal communication and mass mediated communication," the team explains. "In addition, sexting poses a challenge in defining the boundary between what is socially appropriate and what is inappropriate in various communication contexts." They point out that fun or flirtatious messages between two teenagers in a romantic relationship might be shared outside that relationship to a large audience on wireless networks or the internet, causing psychological, social, cultural, and legal problems. Indeed, there have been numerous legal cases involving high-school students who have sexted in recent years.

"Sexting among teens is characteristic of an expected negative message from the perspective of parents, educators, and law enforcers," the team concludes. "When sexting is no longer confined to two people in a romantic relationship, to be vulnerable to sexting implies that sext messages may end up in the hands of predators and have a long-term harm on a teen sexter's future."

###

"Examining sexting's effect among adolescent mobile phone users" in Int. J. Mobile Communications, 2013, 11, 176-193

---

[ | 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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/ip-tst031413.php

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How To Locate Real Estate Property in Houston | Team Building ...

When the thought of finally making the ideal possible reaches hand, it really is important to exercise extra caution when choosing one of the top real estate property services Houston has. Perhaps you intend to relocate in the area or must find a greater or smaller abode to allow for current household size, deciding who to operate for help could make you reap huge rewards if you need to snag the best value in real estate market. In everything else, preparation is paramount and beginning with having a professional partnership having a reliable property service could be the key that can unlock your dreams on investing in a home and even selling your old one.

Old-School

Whether you are wanting to sell or buy a home, an advertisement space or perhaps an industrial lot, one easy buy your engine running is to contact trusted people. Good recommendations recommendation is worth a great deal in regards from trustworthy individuals like family members or friends of interested parties. Property services which can be proven tried and tested by your trusted circle will help you gain a boot of confidence especially when recommended by someone you knew. Local internet search via newspaper advertisements or good ol? Telephone Book may seem old-school however, these, too, works. A cruise down the neighborhood that you want to purchase might also land you in open houses. Make sure you make a note of real estate agent?s name the truth is on for-sale signboards.

Tech-Savvy

In relation to accessibility and convenience, however, one great place to begin could be the Internet. You will find valuable information online waiting to be tapped. Take advantage of comprehensive web sites that enable you to filter your pursuit in accordance with street where you plan to exist in Houston, budget, house bedroom size and so forth. Be aware these sites are often free of charge and contacting directly a realtor allotted to the particular area will assist you to grow in realistic inputs from real estate services Houston. Pictures can be deceiving. In case you are across the area, a simple personal check in the posted ad will gain you more perspective. ?

Realtor Referral

One other way in order to connect with great Houston real estate property services is through realtor referrals. These companies usually see leads out there from licensed real estate professionals that like being referring agents only for an important realty company. These inactive yet licensed agents find clients out there and help them talk with referral companies which, subsequently, produce an actively practicing agent of their tutelage to assist the customer.

In order to have a pro in your corner upon making one of the greatest life investment, seeing the best among top real estate property services Houston has ever can be achieved with a bit legwork and proper planning working for you.

This entry was posted in general and tagged real estate property, realtor, relocating. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://alfonso.sisko-hosting.com/how-to-locate-real-estate-property-in-houston/

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doubleTwist (for Android)

The free doubleTwist bills itself as "iTunes for Android" and it's easy to understand why. The Android app?which works in conjunction with desktop software and optional premium add-ons?makes it very simple to manage video and music, download podcasts, and wirelessly sync iTunes?songs and playlists between a computer and Google-powered mobile device. If, that is, you're willing to open your wallet. Multimedia devourers may like the initial cut of doubleTwist's jib, but they may not find the app's premium content worth their cash. SnapPea?a rival app?offers similar features (and more) for zero dollars, but if you want basic iTunes syncing, doubleTwist is a worthy download.

Let the Games Begin
Getting started with doubleTwist is simple. You connect your phone or tablet to a Mac or PC via USB and launch the doubleTwist desktop and mobile software. Your Android device must be set to Mass Storage Mode in order to sync files via USB. That may prove a small stumbling block for some users as tablets running Honeycomb and devices without a SD card running Ice Cream Sandwich lack a Mass Storage mode.

Fortunately, I had a memory card in my Samsung Galaxy Note II, so I was able to sync a few movie soundtracks and playlists from iTunes to my Samsung Galaxy Note II in approximately five minutes' time. The free features aren't mind-blowing, but doubleTwist's more intriguing features come with a price?literally.

Premium Features
Shelling out $4.99 for AirSync lets you wirelessly sync video, and iTunes music and playlists from a Mac or PC to your Android smartphone or tablet. Setting up this feature is easy, too. Simply connect your Android device and computer to the same Wi-Fi signal, launch the doubleTwist software, select the device name, enter the passkey that's displayed on your Android device, select the files you want to wirelessly transfer, and click the Sync button. The syncing process was easy and fast?and it's a feature not available on SnapPea which only allows you to sync content over wired connections. This is definitely a point in doubleTwist's favor.

That's not the only premium feature. The $14.97 doubleTwist Pro builds upon AirSync by adding two other upgrades: "Music Lover" and "Podcasts." The former adds EQ settings and HD album art to tracks missing images; the latter lets users download podcasts without syncing to a desktop computer. "Music Lover" didn't feel at all like a premium feature and should've been included in the free, basic version. "Podcasts" proved somewhat more useful as it let me download several episodes of The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe to my Galaxy Note II without the need for a Mac or PC. Still, this comes off as a cash-grab as there are numerous free podcast manager apps in Google Play. A $1.99 alarm clock add-on is also offered.

SnapPea, on the other hand, includes desktop texting, photo slideshows, and more?free of charge.

The doubleTwist Experience
Once content is loaded onto your Android phone or tablet, it's a breeze to navigate doubleTwist's interface. It's made of seven icon-driven, self-explanatory panels: Artists, Albums, Songs, Playlists, Genres, Podcasts, and Radio.

The Playlist section is where you find a duplicate of your iTunes playlists. That's terrific if you're an iTunes power-user, but those who want to create playlists from within doubleTwist itself will find that they sadly cannot. The flakey internet radio stations would sometimes take minutes to pick up audio?frustrating. On the upside, I was able to stream music from my phone to an Xbox 360?without a hitch.

Magic Radio is a fresh addition to the doubleTwist experience. It's a streaming music service which serves up channels based on song or artists name. Like Songza, Magic Radio lets you select a mood?I chose "Aggressive" and received big helpings of '80s style buttrock. The crisp, thumping music was a perfect early morning pick-me-up.

"Infinite Playlists" is a Magic Radio feature which lets users create channels based on the music files on their devices. My Red Hot Chili Peppers playlist generated a station featuring other funk-and-rap rockers like Rage Against the Machine and Faith No More. I liked its selections for the most part, but I could've done without the outlier, Alien Ant Farm. You can tweak Infinite Playlist channels?as well as any other?by banning tracks, changing the frequency by which new songs appear, and altering the tempo to receive slower or faster tracks

Magic Radio, like many of doubleTwist's attractive features has an additional cost: $3.99 per month (via Google Wallet). This add-on, however, is one I that I consider worth the money.

Fine for Some
Wireless syncing may lure some into downloading doubleTwist, but if you want a more complete iTunes/Android syncing feature, SnapPea is the way to go. Not only does it offer unusual features (desktop texting), but it's absolutely free as well. That said, doubleTwist is a solid Android app, but there are better options available.

More Android Apps Reviews:
??? doubleTwist (for Android)
??? SwiftKey Keyboard (for Android)
??? Small Call (for Android)
??? Minecraft?Pocket Edition (for Android)
??? Ruzzle (for Android)
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/ZItfQl98IuM/0,2817,2415902,00.asp

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