Why Foods and Drinks Taste Bad after Brushing Teeth | Cooking ...

Posted on March 31, 2013 by cookwithkathy

If you have no idea why we?re pondering that question today, go brush your teeth real quick and grab a drink (orange juice, iced tea, beer?anything except water). Awful, isn?t it?

You can thank sodium laureth sulfate, also known as sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES), or sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) for ruining your drink, depending on which toothpaste you use. Both of these chemicals are surfactants ?? wetting agents that lower the surface tension of a liquid ?? that are added to toothpastes to create foam and make the paste easier to spread around your mouth (they?re also important ingredients in detergents, fabric softeners, paints, laxatives, surfboard waxes and insecticides).

While surfactants make brushing our teeth a lot easier, they do more than make foam. Both SLES and SLS mess with our taste buds in two ways. One, they suppress the receptors on our taste buds that perceive sweetness, inhibiting our ability to pick up the sweet notes of food and drink. And, as if that wasn?t enough, they break up the phospholipids on our tongue. These fatty molecules inhibit our receptors for bitterness and keep bitter tastes from overwhelming us, but when they?re broken down by the surfactants in toothpaste, bitter tastes get enhanced.

So, anything you eat or drink after you brush is going to have less sweetness and more bitterness than it normally would. Is there any end to this torture? Yes. You don?t need foam for good toothpaste, and there are plenty out there that are SLES/SLS-free. You won?t get that rabid dog look that makes oral hygiene so much fun, but your breakfast won?t be ruined.

Source: Mental Floss

Filed under: Food, News and Articles Tagged: | Taste

Source: http://cookwithkathy.wordpress.com/2013/03/31/why-foods-and-drinks-taste-bad-after-brushing-teeth/

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Insert Coin: Dash charts your car data live, with gauges and a dashcam (video)

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.

We've seen a few stabs at smartphone-enhanced car diagnostics as of late, but many good solutions like Automatic Link and Delphi's Vehicle Diagnostics are primarily useful after you've parked. The upcoming Dash OBD-II adapter is certainly up to that side of the job, telling a Bluetooth-connected iOS device (and eventually, Android) about your car's problems and estimating fuel costs based on the gas tank's levels. Where it stands out is its usefulness while on the road: the custom app offers custom live gauges, including a Green-Meter for ideal fuel economy that you won't usually find in a real instrument cluster. There's even a dashcam mode that overlays travel details on captured video, whether it's to support insurance claims or just to immortalize a drive through the back country.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Transportation

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Source: Kickstarter

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/31/insert-coin-dash-charts-your-car-data-live-with-gauges-and-dashcam/

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Elite Eight Wraps With Rick Pitino vs. Coach K, Sizzling Trey Burke

Tom Izzo pitted against Mike Krzyzewski was sensational in the Sweet 16, but coach Rick Pitino's Louisville program may be the most relevant in the country right now, after narrowly losing the national title last year.

Pitino has made six trips to the Final Four and a seventh would tie him for fourth all-time with North Carolina's Roy Williams. Krzyzewski though, is gunning for his 12th, which would tie him with John Wooden for most all time. Don't forget that the last time the two met one another, this happened.

In our other tilt, the combination of speed and athleticism between Florida and Michigan should be incredible. Both teams love to get up and down, and both teams also feature premier head coaches. It will be interesting to see how the Wolverines -- fresh off a highly emotional come-from-behind victory over Kansas, will respond less than 48 hours after the fact.

Here are the can't miss matchups to watch in the Elite 8 games Sunday.

Duke SG Seth Curry vs. Louisville Guards Peyton Siva and Russ Smith

Duke's Seth Curry was lights out against Michigan State, totaling 29 points on 6-9 shooting from three. MSU's Spartans, though, do not feature the same elite quickness as Louisville with its stellar duo of guards. Nor do they trap in the half-court. Louisville's Russ Smith is an electric and hyperactive jitterbug who disrupts the rhythm of scorers with his hands and foot speed. Aside from peaking offensively right now -- he had a career high 31 Friday and is averaging 27 points per game in the tournament -- Smith will trail Curry on every staggered screen and fight over every ball screen. Lousiville's Peyton Siva will do the same thing, albeit not quite as well, but that combination along with the superior length of the Cardinals will make scoring a severe challenge for Curry.

Michigan PG Trey Burke vs. Florida PG Scottie Wilbekin

Amidst his struggles, I'm not sure if anybody has remained higher on Michigan's Trey Burke than myself. His ability to control a game even when he's not scoring is a rare trait and, now that he's rolling once again offensively, he's just a brutal matchup any way you dice it up.

Florida's Scottie Wilbekin though, while under the radar a bit, is a terrific defender who really fights through screens and understands how to play on the ball. He's far from the scoring threat of Burke, but the junior does average 9 points and 5 assists for the Gators while shooting a career high 46 percent from the floor. His No. 1 priority Sunday is to keep Burke out of the paint. However, even when he cannot manage to do so, his powerful teammate Patric Young will be waiting to disrupt and obstruct. The bottom line though, is that as good as Michigan's Tim Hardaway, Jr. and Mitch McGary have been, Burke is the engine and jet fuel that drives the Michigan offense. He has to be really good against the Gators.

Email me at jordan.schultz@huffingtonpost.com or ask me questions about anything sports-related at @Schultz_Report.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/31/elite-8-sunday_n_2985075.html

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Nextdoor Hits 10K Neighborhoods, Gets Me To Stop Running At Night

After I had been running at night for more than a decade, a relatively under-the-radar service called Nextdoor got me to start running during the day. Almost nobody likes to exercise, and for many, overcoming the motivational hump of putting on your shoes and gym clothes can be trying on even the best of days. One evening late in January I had finally overcome this initial barrier to entry, and was just about to stop blogging to do my usual 30-minute nightly sprint when I got the email. “Woman robbed at gunpoint in Dogpatch, San Francisco” the subject line screamed. Unlike many of the emails I constantly receive, this was highly relevant to me, especially because, upon further inspection, the robbery had happened one block from my house. Until this email, I hadn’t given too much thought to Nextdoor , a service that I signed up for at the Allen & Co conference last summer, where co-founder Nirav Tolia had given a talk about the local social network. The company started out as Fanbase in 2009, and was an attempt to create a user-generated content version of ESPN. Founders Tolia and Sarah Leary decided to pivot around May of 2010, and spent the next four to five months testing out different ideas. Fanbase officially pivoted to Nextdoor in September of 2010, starting out its pilot in Lorelei, a neighborhood in Menlo Park. Now a Facebook for your neighborhood, about half the Fanbase funding ended up carrying over, and Tolia and Leary ended up raising an additional $40.2 million for the new Nextdoor product. Initially enthusiastic, I had also invited my neighbors to use the platform, which had resulted in a de facto neighborhood support group (including the services of a pet psychic) when their adventurous cat Kiki went missing. I wrote a post about it for TechCrunch and then sort of forgot about it, rarely logging on to peruse the listings of free stuff and garage sales. Well I was certainly giving the service some thought now: “What if I had been that woman who was robbed?”"What if I had ventured out of my house just 15 minutes earlier?” I was still in my gym clothes, after so much effort, and feeling antsy from my day of work. Worse, I was now worried about a random stranger I had only heard about through the Internet, and I still needed a

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Xv9XgjwdzKs/

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Adults drivers admit to texting more than teens

Nidhi Subbaraman , NBC News ? ? ? 4 hrs.

Teens' hands may be fused to their phones, but on the road, it's adults who say they text more. Anew survey of driving and texting habits, commissioned by AT&T and conducted by ResearchNow, asked 1,011 adults if they texted or emailed while at the wheel.

Almost every adult surveyed ? 98 percent of them ? knew texting or emailing while driving was unsafe (though we wonder what that last two percent are thinking). But half of the group (49 percent) said they did it anyway.

Also, 60 percent of the adults said they didn't text and drive three years ago.

In a similar survey from April last year, 43 percent of a 1,200 teens between 15 and 19 said they texted while driving with their licenses or learning permits.

As a member of the National Safety Council pointed out to USA Today, this trend is concerning because there's just plain more adults than teens on the roads: 10 million teen learners, compared 180 million full-grown humans in cars and presumably with phones. The NSC estimates that 100,000 road crashes involve texters at the wheel.

Of course, there is the chance that teens were shyer about sharing their true texting habits. Even so, adults don't seem to be setting the best example.

Nidhi Subbaraman writes about technology and science. Follow her on Twitter and Google+.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653377/s/2a23a950/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Ctechnology0Ctechnolog0Cadults0Edrivers0Eadmit0Etexting0Emore0Eteens0E1C9139940A/story01.htm

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Friday Night Lights and Leather Pants

Author Buzz Bissinger in 2011

Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Every weekend, Longform shares a collection of great stories from its archive with Slate. For daily picks of new and classic nonfiction, check out Longform or follow @longform on Twitter. Have an iPad? Download Longform?s app to read the latest picks, plus features from 70 of the world?s best magazines, including Slate.

Assuming you were anywhere near the Internet this week, you probably heard that Buzz Bissinger, the Pulitzer-Prize winner and author of Friday Night Lights, has spend more than $600,000 on expensive, and often bizarre, leather clothing. Read ?My Gucci Addiction,? his sprawling, confessional essay published Tuesday by GQ, then read these amazing pre-Gucci Bissinger stories:

Friday Night Lights
Sports Illustrated ? September 1990

Before the show, before the movie, there was Bissinger?s tale of the 1988 Permian Panther football team and the small West Texas city of Odessa, where he lived with a family for a year.

?The faithful sat on little stools of orange and blue under the merciless lights of the high school cafeteria, but the spartan setting didn't bother them a bit. Had the booster club's Watermelon Feed been held inside the county jail, or on a sinking ship, or on the side of a craggy mountain, these fans still would have flocked there.

?Outside, the August night was cool and serene, with just a wisp of West Texas wind. Inside, there was a sense of excitement and also relief, for the waiting was basically over?no more sighs of longing, no more awkward groping to fill up the empty spaces of time with golf games and thoroughly unsatisfying talk about baseball. Tonight the boys of Permian High School in Odessa would come before the crowd, one by one, to be introduced. And in less than two weeks, on the first Friday night in September, the march to state?to the Texas high school championship finals?would begin with the first game of the season."

The Killing Trail
Vanity Fair ? February 1995?

The story of eight gay men in Texas murdered by teenage boys.

?On a frigid night in east Texas in 1993, just a few weeks before Christmas, a 23-year-old gay man named Nicholas West is abducted from Bergfeld Park in Tyler. He is taken to a hilly isolated area of red clay nicknamed the Pits, a place where pleas for mercy evaporate under the cold shine of the stars. He is punched, kicked and slapped across the face with a .357 magnum. When he falls to the ground, utterly alone and helpless in that marrow of darkness, blood oozing out of his eye, his three abductors gather around him with their arsenal of loaded weapons. Then the shooting begins?so many entrance and exit wounds that by the time of the autopsy, West?s body looks like a stickpin doll. There are at least 9 bullets, the first in the abdomen, then several through the arms and hands, then at least 4 up the back in a pattern as neatly spaced as the buttons on a shirt. Eight shots at that point, but Nicholas is still alive, his breath reduced to a tiny gurgle, until the final shot is fired into the back of his head. Then he is left on that field of red clay, face down, without shoes or pants, his arms by his sides and his legs spread apart like those of a sleeping child, the bottom of his socks red from the clay, and his underwear soiled by a fear that none of us could ever know.

?After the murder, one of the killers rides around in the red Mazda truck that West had driven to the park that night. Impressed by the power of the truck, he squeals the tires the way the drag racers do it. Then he goes on over to the laundromat on Troup Highway in Tyler to do a load of wash.?

Shattered Glass
Vanity Fair ? September 1998

At 25, Stephen Glass was a reporter wunderkind, regularly filing incredible pieces for the largest magazines. When suspicion fell on his sources, things started to really get strange. It wasn?t just sources and organizations he was inventing, but whole stories.

?For those two and a half years, the Stephen Glass show played to a captivated audience; then the curtain abruptly fell. He got away with his mind games because of the remarkable industry he applied to the production of the false backup materials which he methodically used to deceive legions of editors and fact checkers. Glass created fake letterheads, memos, faxes, and phone numbers; he presented fake handwritten notes, fake typed notes from imaginary events written with intentional misspellings, fake diagrams of who sat where at meetings that never transpired, fake voice mails from fake sources. He even inserted fake mistakes into his fake stories so fact checkers would catch them and feel as if they were doing their jobs. He wasn?t, obviously, too lazy to report. He apparently wanted to present something better, more colorful and provocative, than mere truth offered.?

Gone Like the Wind
Vanity Fair ? August 2007

After one of the most decisive wins in Kentucky Derby history, Barbaro broke his leg at the Preakness, ending a promising career and beginning a herculean effort to save his life.

?But the problem for Gretchen Jackson was she did fall in love with a horse. She fell in love with him because when he was in his element on the racecourse there were moments he ran with such joy and abandon that he actually flew, all four feet off the ground. She fell in love with him because of the way he soldiered on after he was tragically hurt in the Preakness Stakes in May 2006, his sense of self so intact that he bit one veterinarian smack on the butt and ran a masseuse out of the stall. She fell in love with him because of the gleam in his eyes, still bright, during those dark days in July 2006 when both his rear lower limbs became a medical nightmare, and she wrote in the private journal she kept:

?It's not good. Oh my God I am so concerned. Dear Lord we cannot let the bright light fade, flicker, die. We must conquer. Where are you God in my suffering? Are you holding my hands showing me full moons and breezy nights? Yes Lord, they are magnificent but my heart is looking at Barbaro. That is not the horse that won the derby.

?She fell in love with him because of the way he was trying to communicate, Don't give up on me yet. She fell in love with him because of the way he rallied after that. And then she fell in love with him because of the way he died.?

To Bean or Not to Bean
Sports Illustrated ? March 2005

On the retaliation ethics of baseball.

?But once he is convinced of malicious intent, deciding how to respond is just as hard--an agony even worse for him than losing. ?The responsibilities and the consequences are huge,? La Russa says. Thrown baseballs have ended careers; one player, Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman, died as a result of a beaning in 1920. In meetings with pitchers during spring training, La Russa issued clear guidelines: Any message had to be aimed at the ribs or below. Nothing above the shoulders would be tolerated.

?La Russa knows that over the years he has gained a reputation for being vengeful at times when vengeance did not seem necessary. He is also known as something of a headhunter himself, but La Russa asserts that he has never told a pitcher to throw at a hitter simply because the batter was too dangerous and needed to be quieted down. ?If a guy is hitting good against us,? he says, ?I have never told a pitcher to go out and drill him. I have said, 'Pitch the guy tough, pitch the guy different.' If a pitcher does something on his own, I will take him out. You can pitch a hitter inside. You can try to open up the plate on him, get him to speed up the bat. But you do not drill him.? ?

Buzz Bissinger: A Savior for the City
Sandy Hingston ? Philadelphia Weekly ? May 2010

A profile of Bissinger as he returned to his old stomping grounds, the Philadelphia Inquirer.

?In person, Buzz vacillates between prickly and pacific. There?s a pattern to how he answers questions; he starts out calm and rational and then shifts into irate gear. ?I am opinionated, passionate,? he allows. ?I have strong feelings.? And he vents them, in conversation and in his writing. He?s furious at Philadelphia politicians, at patronage, at the proposed soda tax, at his fellow Inquirer columnists, who never tackle local issues and don?t even live in the city, especially Rick Santorum, who so far as Buzz can tell dwells ?in a world all his own.? That?s the simple explanation for why he said yes when Inky editor-in-chief Bill Marimow invited him back, 20-plus years after he last set foot in the newsroom. ?There was a void, a vacuum,? Buzz says. ?Nothing ever changes in this city. I knew all these guys. No one was holding them accountable.? So Buzz has taken on all comers. ?I am tired of defense attorneys using loopholes that have nothing to do with guilt or innocence,? he wrote in December, ?and I wonder how these suckerfish can sleep at night knowing that all they have done is increase the already unconscionable probability that an innocent citizen will be robbed or even killed.? He skewered ex-mayor John Street: ?[N]ever have I seen a human being who went so unfortunately out of his way to be remote, resistant, removed, repulsed by the sight of others.? And he called the mighty out by name; in March, he eviscerated Foxwoods? Lew Katz, Ed Snider, and Ron Rubin, saying they had ?the swag and swagger that come with always getting what you want because of who you know.?

? ?That?s what the assignment is,? says Buzz?s old friend David Cohen. ?To be tough and provocative, and advance the civic discussion of the city.? But Buzz?s ?Half Empty? column isn?t just a platform from which he can speak ? well, scream ? truth to power. There?s also the matter of Steve Lopez. Lopez wrote a column for the Inquirer back in the day, and though he moved on to Time Inc. in the ?90s and the L.A. Times the in 2001, ?The Inquirer still misses Steve Lopez,? says PR kingpin Larry Ceisler, also a longtime friend of Buzz. Buzz allows that Lopez is one reason he came back, but frames it differently: ?I want to prove he isn?t the only columnist the Inquirer ever had. I want to eradicate the memory of Steve Lopez. Because I?m a competitive little shit.? ?

Have a favorite piece that we missed? Leave the link in the comments or tweet it to @longform. For more great writing, check out Longform?s complete archive.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=b2af293671418be025dce10a23291616

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House Speaker admonishes fellow Republican for immigrant slur (reuters)

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The Original Digital Pet Returns for a New Generation - NYTimes.com

Making the most of a recent nostalgia trend in technology that has brought back brands like Furby and Pac-Man, Bandai is reintroducing Tamagotchi, the digital pet from the 1990s, as a lifestyle brand called Tamagotchi L.I.F.E. (for Love Is Fun Everywhere).

The original Tamagotchi was a toy that fit on a keychain; the new version is a smartphone app. An iOS version was released on Thursday, following the introduction of an Android app last month. The app is free, but comes with banner ads; an ad-free version is available for 99 cents.

The app recreates the same nurturing play that Tamagotchi offered when it was introduced in the United States 16 years ago. It eats, it sleeps and it poops. It can die, too, so you have to take care of it by feeding it, playing games with it and giving it medicine when it gets sick. To increase awareness of your parenting duties, the little guy sends alerts when it needs attention, at least a half-dozen times a day. Fortunately, Tamagotchi sleeps through the night.

The app has color graphics and better resolution than the original Tamagotchi, but it still has the same pixelated appearance of the original. If you?re feeling really nostalgic, a toy mode replicates the look of the original, including the shell that housed it. The app also includes a few extras, like a rock-paper-scissors game and the ability to share photos of your bouncing baby blob on Facebook.

The app is a simple pastime, but I can see how it could get tedious after a few days for anyone over the age of 7. The Tamagotchi?s incessant appetite is bested only by the piles of stinking poop it makes (you can tell they are stinky because they have wavy stink lines rising above them).

Unlike other mindless apps, there are no ropes to cut or fruit to slice or birds to sling at pigs. Bandai may have updated the brand for a new audience, but it forgot to advance the concept.

Source: http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/29/the-original-digital-pet-returns-for-a-new-generation/

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Ars Poetica: Where Art Meets Poetry | Kitsap Week - Port Orchard ...

BREMERTON ? Local artists are honoring National Poetry Month by selecting works by local poets and visually interpreting them.

Interpretations are in two-dimensional and three-dimensional works in a wide range of mediums. View the poems and the art at the First Friday Artwalk, April 5, 5-8 p.m. at these Bremerton venues:
? IZM, 247 4th St.
? Elaine Turso Photography, 249 4th St.
? Valentinetti Puppet Museum, 257 4th St.
? Bremerton Chamber of Commerce, 286 4th St.
? Mistarian Roses, 519 4th St.
? Claywerks Too, 345 6th St., Suite 600.
? Toro Lounge & Tapas, 315 Pacific Ave.?
? Hudson?s Photography, 321 Pacific Ave.
? Collective Visions Gallery, 331 Pacific Ave.
? Amy Burnett Gallery, 408 Pacific Ave.
? Juan Rodriguez, 408 Pacific Ave.
? Two Sisters Fine Jewelry, 520 Pacific Ave.
? Edward Jones Financial, 555 Pacific Ave., No. 101.

The ?Ars Poetica 2013? book features 27 regional poems and 16 CVG artists. To order, email photoartbybev@aol.com. Pre-order price: $10.50.

?

Source: http://www.portorchardindependent.com/entertainment/200510011.html

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Change (talking-points-memo)

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Flipboard (for iPad)

Flipboard just keeps getting better. A continued presence in our 100 Best iPad Apps, Flipboard makes use of the slate's Web-connectivity and large 9.7-inch display (or 7.9-inch display if you're using an iPad mini) to transform blog posts, social networking feeds, images, video, and articles into an impressive layout that replicates the print reading experience?and essentially puts traditional RSS readers to shame (R.I.P.,Google Reader). The latest update, version 2.0, brings a new feature that may change the way you use Flipboard: magazine creation.

The Basics and Content
Flipboard's main page features boxes where you add content. You do this by tapping a blank, square pane, which opens the new Content Guide that lists Flipboard categories such as Art & Design, Business, Food & Design, and Tech. By default, the Featured category is highlighted, which showcases several popular brands such as Fast Company, Make, and Popular Science (as well as Flipboard-curated top stories, Flipboard tips, and Flipboard-related news). Bringing a finger to Sports revealed a Bill Simmons sub-category (one of my favorite writers), which I tapped to see a list of his stories, tweets, and stories he's shared. After deeming the Bill Simmons category worthy, I tapped the "Add" icon, which placed it in the blank square. Pressing and holding a square gives you the option to delete it.

There's an Audio category that features the likes of CMJ Network, Slate Internet Radio, and TWiT; a Video category lets you add Allrecipes.com, CollegeHumor, ESPN and others Both categories also have themed genre collections such as News FM and Gamer TV. Tapping the "+" icon adds that feed to your Flipboard library. Flipboard makes it incredible easy to discover new content. Once a feed is added, you simply launch the pane, and tap the play icon inside. Music and video streamed without a hitch, which made me supremely happy as the lack of audio support was Flipboard's one glaring omission in early versions of the app.

The panes are continually updated as the sources feed fresh content into their streams, so you'll see different images in each one when you launch the app and new stories are available. The first screen has enough real estate to house nine squares, as does the second page. You're limited to just two pane pages; the other saved article streams are seen when you tap the red "More..." icon. That's a definite improvement, but I'd still like more pane pages.

Magazine Creation
Magazine creation is the highlight of Flipboard 2.0. This is how it works: When you find an article you fancy, tap the "+" icon to open a window. Doing so lets you create a magazine name, add an optional description, and assign a category (you can also choose to make the magazine public or private). Flipboard automatically pulls an image from one of the stories to use as its cover, but if you don't like it, tap the "edit" icon and reset the image. You can't manually select a cover image, but Flipboard will choose another for you. Once the magazine's set up, it behaves in the familiar, intuitive Flipboard manner.

Readers can share magazines to Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Sina Weibo, and Renren. Flipboard also offers an email option, but it doesn't actually email the magazine to others. Instead, it emails a link to the Apple and Android marketplaces, so that the recipient can download the appropriate app. Disappointing. Flipboard users, however, can subscribe to public magazines.

Social Networking
Tapping a content box opens articles in a print-style page, with a top story and two to three more along the bottom. You can read an article by tapping on it; otherwise, flip the page over and you'll see more stories. Depending on the story and source in question, a particular article could show up as an entire page of photos, one third of a page, or a small box. You can share stories by e-mail, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter.

In fact, you can almost use the app as a substitute for visiting those social networking sites. Its presentation of your friends' status updates and new photos is much more attractive than on those sites' own home pages. Naturally, you can use Flipboard to update our status and share content. Since everything is integrated in a magazine-style layout, the app also improves on Facebook's ungainly method of displaying the latest news from "liked" sources in a single column. You can also mute authors who bombard your feed.

Flipboard displays content in several ways. If the viewed content comes from one of Flipboard's partners (ABC News, All Things Digital, Bon Appetit, Lonely Planet, SB Nation, SF Chronicle/Gate, Uncrate or The Washington Post Magazine) the new HTML 5-powered Flipboard Pages versions of their websites are displayed. Non-content partners have stories pulled from RSS feeds, and if that isn't available, the webpage itself is shown. Flipboard also has Instagram support, so you can view snapshots uploaded to the social photo network. A new social search features lets you search for content or hashtags across your various networks, and save it as its own dedicated content box?very cool. Pages are extremely clean with excellent use of photos and whitespace, but The Daily, another iPad news reading app, has a layout that truly adopts the magazine aesthetic with its color pages, excellent photography, and full page ads. Flipboard pulls links from numerous social networking sources that you use including Flickr, Google+, and Instagram.

Flipboard now integrates with Apple's iBookstore in its "Bestsellers" section. There you'll find fiction (World War Z) and non-fiction (The Joy of Hate) summaries, cover art, and an icon?that when tapped?opens Apple's iBookstore. Frankly, it feels like an odd inclusion; Flipboard has always been about content, but this is, essentially, a dedicated ad section. The entries could have at least featured a few excerpted pages!

In testing, Flipboard performed admirably. Page layouts always looked great, and I rarely waited more than a second or two for a story or Contents page to load. Overall, Flipboard came the closest to feeling like a "live" magazine than anything I've tested on the iPad; even The Daily, Rupert Murdoch's iPad magazine, updates only a few times per day (unless breaking news occurs). Flipboard now highlights popular stories with a red "Popular" icon, and you'll occasionally find an ad placed between content pages. By default you can't read articles without an internet connection, but you can save individual pages for offline reading if you have an Instapaper, Pocket, or Readability account. Google Currents?lets you save articles without third-party apps.

You'll Flip For Flipboard
Flipboard was plenty of fun to use in its first iteration, and has gotten better over time. Flipboard is a superb alternative to standalone RSS feed readers, browsing individual sites, and following Facebook and Twitter feeds, making it a near-perfect Editors' Choice award-winning app.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/zpWVMh5mmpM/0,2817,2367338,00.asp

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FCC confident in its mobile phone radiation limits, seeks second opinions

Cast your memory back to last summer. Sweep away memories of iPhone 5 leaks galore, and you might remember that the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) asked the FCC to reevaluate its radiation limits for mobile phones. Now a few seasons later, the FCC has finally wrapped up a report that responds to the GAO, and there are no changes to its RF radiation levels in sight because it feels comfortable with its current caps. "We continue to have confidence in the current exposure limits, and note that more recent international standards have a similar basis," reads the report. However, given that its guidelines were adopted in 1996, new research on radiation and the proliferation of mobile devices, the FCC would like some feedback regarding its restrictions. It's put out a call for comments from concerned parties and even federal health and safety bodies.

Though the freshly-released document didn't rock the proverbial boat, it made one change worth noting. The pinna (outer ear) is now classified an extremity, which means the FCC allows devices to hit the tissue with more radiation. Feel like poring through 201 pages of regulatory minutiae? Click the source link below for the commission's full dossier.

Filed under: Cellphones

Comments

Via: The Verge

Source: FCC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/30/fcc-confident-in-mobile-phone-radiation-limits-seeks-comments/

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Woodside Plantation Clubhouse - Retirement Community and ...

The 2013 Masters Tournament is set to begin on April 11 through the 14 in Augusta, Georgia.? This year's Masters is one of four major championships in men's professional golf.? The nine top contenders to watch are;? Luke Donald, Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Justin Rose, Brand Snedeker, Bubba Watson and Tiger Woods.

While all eyes are on The Masters golf tournament, in the world of master-planned communities, there is much going on at two quality residential communities nearby the Masters, which is held at Augusta National Golf Club.??

Reynolds Plantation, which is located about an hour east of Augusta, Georgia is a golf and boating community located on the shores of Lake Oconee.? This 19,000 Georgia lake has attracted buyers from all over the U.S. for the past two decades - primary families looking to relocate out of Atlanta as Reynolds is just 70 minutes east, second home buyers looking for a boating and golf community, as well as relocating retirees from all over the United States who are looking for an established master-planned development that is within easy proximity to a city both the size and caliber of Atlanta in the Southeast.

In the summer of 2012, Reynolds Plantation was purchased by subsidiaries of MetLife and since, the community which already was impressive, has been receiving much attention to detail, with significant renovations enhancing several of their golf courses, the amenity buildings, the on-site Ritz-Carlton Lodge, and even down to the landscape seen throughout the community.?

Residents of Reynolds Plantation have commented since MetLife took over last summer.? They are happy to see the renovations and enhancements taking place in this already, impressive master-planned community.? And it shows - as both residents and prospective buyers coming to look at Reynolds Plantation on Lake Oconee are noticing just how beautiful this Southeastern master-planned development looks and how well it is being maintained.

No doubt the improving real estate market is also having a positive impact on sales in the first quarter of 2013 for this Georgia master-planned golf and boating community.? Yet, we can't help but think both the financial infusion of capital coupled with the financial stability provided by MetLife since taking it over, is both enhancing the development and giving prospective buyers peace of mind knowing there is a solid entity behind the enhancements being made to Reynolds.??

For the first 60 days in 2013, tours for Reynolds Plantation by prospective buyers have increased 50% and real estate closings are up 75%.? Add to it, Reynolds Plantation has close to $30 million in new home starts underway, which include everything from weekend getaway homes being built by young active families to lakefront estate homes for relocating retirees.

Reynolds Plantation is releasing some exclusive lakefront properties which will offer beautiful lake views and they anticipate these home sites will be received well by current prospective buyers.

MetLife seems to be very happy with the reception they are receiving from current Reynolds Plantation residents.? MetLife acknowledges that the community's 3,200 members are supporting the six championship golf clubs more than ever.? Golf rounds are up, the four marinas are busy, membership dues remained the same this year and the owners' association is fully funded with a healthy reserve balance.

The Great Waters Golf Course, a Jack Nicklaus Signature design is receiving some enhancements to its waterfront holes as well as cart paths, comfort stations and golfers were greeted by Great Waters' newly painted clubhouse this season.

At The Landing Golf Course, Bob Cupp, the course designer along with former Augusta National course superintendent? Billy Fuller, helped choreograph a renovation to this course which includes hole redesigns, new bunkering, expansion of tee boxes, a new set of forward tees and work on cart paths and buildings.? Additionally, peripheral ornamental grasses that evoke a "heath land" feel are adding shape and challenges to many holes.? The Landing Golf Course at Reynolds Plantation will re-open in April.

The Ritz Carlton Lodge at Reynolds Plantation is undergoing a sizable renovation to the grounds, its exterior, the main dining venue at Georgia's Bistro along with all 251 guest rooms, suites and cottages.? This work will hopefully be completed in time for The Masters.? A new coffee shop has been added to the resort's amenities.?

The Sandy Creek Barn, Reynolds Plantation's latest amenity, will be added to this community's line-up of distinct amenity venues at this Georgia master-planned community.? Members of the Club and guests of the Ritz Carlton Lodge will enjoy a pastoral setting of this fully-restored 1820's era Pennsylvania Dutch barn which overlooks a private 44-acre lake and is situated among 800 acres of pine forest.? The Sandy Creek Barn will be a unique alternative for corporate retreats, family reunions and memory-filled weddings.

Metlife has additional enhancements planned for Reynolds Plantation going forward.? It makes for an exciting time for this golf and lake community located almost equidistant from Atlanta and Augusta, Georgia, where the Masters Tournament will be held early April.?

Woodside Plantation, a master-planned golf community located in Aiken, South Carolina is less than 30 minutes from Augusta, where The Masters will take place and is also adding amenities and enhancements to its community for its residents to enjoy.

Woodside Plantation has recently opened their new 22,000 square feet, state-of-the-art Village Health and Wellness Center that offers an indoor heated saltwater pool, the latest in fitness equipment including the Greg Norman Cybex system and spa.? In addition, Woodside Plantation offers miles of walking trails, parks and nature preserves for its residents to enjoy.? Like Reynolds Plantation, Woodside Plantation is a seasoned established gated development that offers a sense of community.? There are many social events planned every week, various clubs to choose from and hobby groups among its residents and newcomers.? Woodside is known for its four championship golf courses and is located in the charming and quaint town of Aiken, South Carolina.

In addition, Woodside Plantation has introduced their Pine Glen Collection of homes which offer a great value combined with the practicality yet elegant living we see today's buyer is looking for.? These homes are constructed from cedar and brick and use today's energy-efficient building materials.? The floor plans have been thoughtfully designed which include incorporating outdoor living space.? The Pine Glen Collection of homes range in size from 1,956 to 2,128 SF, featuring 2-4 bedrooms, 2-3 baths and floor plans with an option for additional square footage - building out on the second floor.? These homes are well-appointed with interior features and are priced from the mid $200's.

Woodside Plantation in Aiken, South Carolina is a community with completed amenities and a developer that has owned the community since the mid 1990's.? This has provided Woodside property owners the security of a financially stable community.? Woodside is a master-planned community appealing to the distinctive tastes of golfers who are looking for a high quality golf experience in their own community.? Yet, given all of Woodside Plantation's other amenities, this community also appeals to those who do not golf.?

Woodside offers a Nicklaus Design course called The Reserve, which is continuously placed as one of South Carolina's best golf courses.? Woodside's additional golf courses, The Wisteria (Rees Jones designed) and The Plantation (Bob Cupp designed) also offer an enjoyable and challenging golf experience.? Woodside's newest course, Hollow Creek, has been designed by Fuzzy Zoeller.? There are two driving ranges, practice greens, a teaching facility and a pro-shop making Woodside Plantation a wonderful community to consider in the Southeast for the golf enthusiast.

Woodside Plantation also offers tennis, clubhouses with dining, an outdoor pool and previously mentioned new health and wellness center all behind their gated entrance.

So, while all eyes are on the Masters golf tournament in two weeks, if you plan to visit the area, perhaps are considering retiring and relocating to the Southeast and are looking for quality golf communities, both Reynolds Plantation and Woodside Plantation are two master-planned golf communities with a host of other amenities as well.??

Send an email to info@southeastdiscovery.com or call 877.886.8388 and we'll be happy to send you a packet on either or both developments to review.? If you'd like to set up a time to tour either community while in town for the Masters or if you plan to visit this spring or summer, let us know and we'll send you their Discovery Package upon request.

Source: http://www.southeastdiscovery.com/southern-way-of-life/2013/03/as-the-masters-tournament-tees-up-early-april-so-does-woodside-and-reynolds-plantation-nearby

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Republicans Blast Don Young Over Racial Slur (ABC News)

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

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Movie Week In Review: The Host with the Most

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/03/movie-week-in-review-the-host-with-the-most/

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PFT: Lattimore cheered on at Pro Day workout

Getty Images

When Robert Griffin III released a statement on Tuesday, the news that most people took out of it was that he won?t rush his recovery from reconstructive knee surgery. But some people are also reading into Griffin?s statement a shot at the Redskins for the circumstances that led him to need reconstructive knee surgery.

Griffin said in his statement, wich he sent to Trey Wingo of ESPN, that everyone who is responsible for Griffin getting hurt understands his responsibility.

?I know where my responsibility is within the dilemma that led to me having surgery to repair my knee and all parties involved know their responsibilities as well,? Griffin wrote.

Griffin didn?t name any other parties who were responsible for his injury, but he could have been referring to Redskins coach Mike Shanahan, who left him in the Redskins? playoff loss to the Seahawks even though Griffin?s knee was clearly bothering him. Or he could have been referring to Redskins team doctor James Andrews, the renowned surgeon who works on the Redskins? sideline and allowed Griffin to play. Or he could have been referring to Redskins owner Daniel Snyder for the sloppy playing surface at FedEx Field that day.

A USA Today story on Griffin?s statement noted that it suggested there?s blame to go around within the Redskins, and on ESPN?s Pardon the Interruption on Wednesday, longtime Washington, D.C., sports media figures Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon both said it was clear that Griffin was ripping Shanahan with his statement.

?This is a thinly veiled direct shot at his coach, Mike Shanahan,? Kornheiser said.

?It is direct, it?s bold, it?s a heavy shot and it?s deserved,? Wilbon added.

Calling it a ?direct shot? at Shanahan may be an overstatement: Griffin could have actually mentioned Shanahan if he really wanted to take a ?direct shot.? But if Griffin isn?t pleased with the way the Redskins handled his knee injury, he isn?t alone.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/27/lattimore-hears-applause-at-pro-day-workout/related/

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10 Things to See: A week of top AP photos

AP10ThingsToSee - A Bangladeshi Hindu child with his face smeared in colors participates in Holi festival celebrations in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, March 28, 2013. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad, File)

AP10ThingsToSee - A Bangladeshi Hindu child with his face smeared in colors participates in Holi festival celebrations in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, March 28, 2013. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad, File)

AP10ThingsToSee - U.S. President Barack Obama stops to look at the Treasury during his tour of the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, Saturday, March 23, 2013. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

AP10ThingsToSee - An aerial photo shows a landslide near Coupeville, Wash., on Whidbey Island, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. The slide severely damaged one home and isolated or threatened more than 30 on the island, about 50 miles north of Seattle in Puget Sound. No one was reported injured in the slide, which happened at about 4 a.m. Wednesday. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

AP10ThingsToSee - A Yemeni suspected of being an al-Qaida militant listens to a judge from inside a cage during his hearing at a state security court in Sanaa, Yemen, Tuesday, March, 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed, File)

AP10ThingsToSee - Egyptian protesters drag a wounded Muslim Brotherhood supporter during clashes between supporters and opponents of Egypt?s powerful Muslim Brotherhood near the Islamist group?s headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, March 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)

Here's your look at highlights from the weekly AP photo report, a gallery featuring a mix of front-page photography, the odd image you might have missed and lasting moments our editors think you should see.

This week's collection includes an injured Muslim Brotherhood supporter being dragged by protesters in Egypt, a massive landslide in Washington state, penitents marching in robes during Holy Week processions in Spain and a look inside a locker room during March Madness.

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This gallery contains images published March 21, 2013 - March 28, 2013.

Follow AP photographers on Twitter: http://apne.ws/VyAhxg

___

See other recent AP photo galleries:

Cities go dark for Earth Hour: http://apne.ws/16k8gwR

Images from Holy Week around the world: http://apne.ws/XeENUN

Images from the Hindu festival of Holi: http://apne.ws/ZrhqBE

Haiti splashes slum with psychedelic colors: http://apne.ws/XeEPMh

East Coast endures another blast of winter: http://apne.ws/YIjxrC

March Madness gets into full swing: http://apne.ws/Zrhq4y

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AP10ThingsToSee Week 1: http://apne.ws/ZWiCOl

AP10ThingsToSee Week 2: http://apne.ws/ZWiJt0

AP10ThingsToSee Week 3: http://apne.ws/10USsze

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Follow AP Images on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Images

Visit AP Images online: http://www.apimages.com

___

This gallery is curated by news producer Caleb Jones in New York: https://twitter.com/CalebNews

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-28-10%20Things%20To%20See/id-2d83d4512cad4ae893e73456ea77ab59

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Booq Boa Courier

As a lifelong user of backpacks, I'm fully aware that it borders on heresy to admit that I've secretly been coveting messenger bags for a while. Perhaps it's simply a side-effect of growing older, but I've slowly come to appreciate the way that messenger bags can carry a lot of stuff while maintaining a sleek, business-casual look that eludes most backpacks. The Booq Boa Courier ($109.95 list) is one such example, merging function and style in a versatile bag that can accommodate your MacBook (or any laptop up to 15 inches) while looking clean enough to bring to work and cool enough for happy hour.

The Boa Courier is available in 10-, 13-, or 15-inch sizes. Our review unit was the 13-inch model, and its exterior accordingly measures 10.8 by 17.1 by 4.7 inches (HWD) and weighs two pounds like the Ju-Ju-Be Be Hip (Messenger Bag)'s timber model. The Boa Courier's nylon exterior rocks a graphite finish that's decidedly more understated than the Magic Eye-like prints that we saw on the Ju-Ju-Be Micra Be Laptop Bag . In addition to its waterproof coating, the Boa Courier's nylon exterior also features a reflective piping along the flap's outer edges to help increase visibility when making moves during the night.

Since it's a messenger bag, the Boa Courier is designed to be slung over your shoulder. Accordingly, its seatbelt nylon shoulder strap runs across your chest in a manner that allows the bag to hang over your back in a 45-degree angle. A removable shoulder pad can be fastened to this strap to increase its overall comfort. There's also a removable "crossbody strap" that supposedly improves stability by running under your armpit to connect the shoulder strap to an extra buckle on the bag's bottom portion. I found this feature unnecessary, though, and ditched it early on. Although the thought of my bag dangling from a weird angle initially freaked me out, two sturdy plastic buckles kept it securely closed. While I'd choose buckles over Velcro any day, it may not be your cup of tea if you like buttons or zippers.

Despite its compact size, the Boa Courier boasts ample interior storage space by virtue of its many compartments. The main compartment houses a dedicated laptop sleeve that closes over your system with a thick Velcro strap. Between its dense plush padding and snug fit, your laptop feels secure. The rest of the main compartment, meanwhile, is made from a soft herringbone nylon material that protects your gadgets from getting scratched. Here, you'll also find a pen holder and a smartphone compartment. An external zippered pocket beneath the bag's flap serves as a storage pouch for miscellany. On the opposite end of the Boa Courier, a rear external sleeve can hold thin materials like magazines and loose papers. This section also sports a key ring that can conveniently be removed via a sliding buckle mechanism. Nearby, you'll also find a single briefcase handle for carrying the Boa Courier by your side. While two handles would have made more sense, the handle nevertheless feels durable enough to transport a heavy load.

The interior of the Boa Courier also houses a metal-framed Terralinq serial tag, which allows Boa Courier owners to register the unique serial number on the Booq website. In the event of losing the bag, the finder can enter said number on the site, and Booq will in turn contact the original owner and assist in its eventual return. It's a nice idea, in theory at least.

I put the Boa Courier to the test by using it as my primary bag for two full weeks, a period that entailed frenetically zipping between crowded trains and some bicycle riding. In both instances, I stashed my usual necessities inside, like my 13-inch MacBook Pro, a bottle of water, an umbrella, a book, and (in one instance), a six-pack. Throughout, the Boa Courier comfortably rested on my back, and its shoulder strap allowed it hew close enough to my body so it didn't jut out and bump into others on crowded trains. Thanks to its compact size, I was able to deftly swing the Boa Courier in front of me and sit in those rare instances that I got a seat. Moreover, the Boa Courier never lost its shape or sagged, an attribute that became apparent when, at one point, the train's doors closed onto the bag and I had yank it out. Much to my surprise, the Boa Courier took this unscripted stress test in stride.

Even while riding a bike, the Boa Courier never felt burdensome. Thanks to the semi-vertical angle that it rested on my back, it never bumped into my body with my every movement?one of my biggest pet peeves with messenger bags. Moreover, all of my wares consistently remained accessible, making interior navigation and organization feel like second nature. I especially liked the key ring since I was able to grab my keys without having to fiddle with any compartments or zipper every time I needed to enter or leave my apartment.

So the question remains: After two weeks of using the Booq Boa Courier, am I a messenger bag convert? The answer is a resounding "yes." The Boa Courier proved itself to be a highly functional and comfortable way to carry my gear around without compromising my style. For students, commuters, and wavering backpackers looking for a cool way to tote their gear around, it's definitely worth checking out.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/8yHvrL5XrDE/0,2817,2417194,00.asp

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GOP moves to catch up with Democrats on technology

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Republicans are moving aggressively to repair their technological shortcomings from the 2012 election, opening a new tech race to counter a glaring weakness against President Barack Obama.

With the blessing of party leaders, a new crop of Republican-backed outside groups is developing tools to improve communication with voters, predict their behavior and track Democratic opponents. After watching Obama win re-election with the aid of an unprecedented technological machine, GOP officials concede an urgent need for major changes in the way they reach voters. They are turning to a younger generation of tech experts expected to play a bigger role in the 2014 midterm elections and beyond.

"I think everybody realized that the party is really far behind at the moment and they're doing everything within their realistic sphere of influence to catch up," said Bret Jacobson, a partner with Red Edge, a Virginia-based digital advocacy firm that represents the Republican Governors Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Heritage Foundation.

Alex Skatell, former digital director for the GOP's gubernatorial and Senate campaign operations, leads a new group that has been quietly testing a system that would allow Republicans to share details about millions of voters ? their personal interests, group affiliations and even where they went to school. Democrats began using related technology years ago, giving Obama a significant advantage last fall in personalizing communication with prospective supporters.

With no primary opponent last year, Obama's re-election team used the extra time to build a large campaign operation melding a grass-roots army of 2.2 million volunteers with groundbreaking technology to target voters. They tapped about 17 million email subscribers to raise nearly $700 million online.

Data-driven analytics enabled the campaign to run daily simulations to handicap battleground states, analyze demographic trends and test alternatives for reaching voters online.

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, in contrast, had only a few months after a lengthy primary fight to try to match Obama's tech advantage. He couldn't make up the difference. Romney's technology operation was overwhelmed by the intense flow of data and temporarily crashed on Election Day.

A 100-page report on how to rebound from the 2012 election, released last week by Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus, includes several technology recommendations.

"The president's campaign significantly changed the makeup of the national electorate and identified, persuaded and turned out low-propensity voters by unleashing a barrage of human and technological resources previously unseen in a presidential contest," the report said. "Marrying grass-roots politics with technology and analytics, they successfully contacted, persuaded and turned out their margin of victory. There are many lessons to be learned from their efforts, particularly with respect to voter contact."

Skatell, 26, is leading one new effort by Republican allies to fill the void. His team of designers, software developers and veteran Republican strategists is now testing what he calls an "almost an eHarmony for matching volunteers with persuadable voters" that would let campaigns across the country share details in real time on voter preferences, harnessing social media like Facebook and Twitter.

Other groups are working to improve the GOP's data and digital performance.

The major Republican ally, American Crossroads, which spent a combined $175 million on the last election with its sister organization, hosted private meetings last month focused on data and technology. Drawing from technology experts in Silicon Valley, the organization helped craft a series of recommendations expected to be rolled out later this year.

"A good action plan that fixes our deficiencies and identifies new opportunities can help us regain our advantage within a cycle or two," said Crossroads spokesman Jonathan Collegio.

A prominent group of Republican aides has also formed America Rising, a company that will have a companion "super" political action committee that can raise unlimited contributions without having to disclose its donors. Its purpose is to counter Democratic opposition research groups, which generated negative coverage of Romney and GOP candidates last year.

America Rising will provide video tracking, opposition research and rapid response for campaign committees, super PACs and individual candidates' campaigns but does not plan to get involved in GOP primaries. It will be led by Matt Rhoades, who served as Romney's campaign manager, and Joe Pounder, the research director for the Republican National Committee. Running its super PAC will be Tim Miller, a former RNC aide and spokesman for former GOP presidential candidate Jon Huntsman.

Romney and several Republican candidates were monitored closely by camera-toting Democratic aides during the campaign, a gap that Miller said American Rising hopes to fill on behalf of Republicans.

Brad Woodhouse, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, said his party has "a several years' lead on data and analytics infrastructure and we're not standing still."

Of the GOP effort, Woodhouse said, "We don't see them closing the gap anytime soon."

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Peoples reported from Boston.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gop-moves-catch-democrats-technology-065816379--election.html

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