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Facebook is ramping up its Credits currency, particularly through recently announced daily discounts venture Facebook Deals, which is already rolling out in San Francisco,we supply all kinds of oil painting reproduction, Austin, Atlanta, Dallas and San Diego. From July, Credits will be the only online payment processing system available for its gaming platform.

And Facebook is not the only one turning your dollars into in-house funds. Groupon already uses Groupon Bucks. Then there's Google, who bought virtual payment firm Jambool last August, and are currently testing Google Offers in Portland and soon in New York and San Francisco.

But why the sudden rush to get you to use virtual currencies? The answer is simple,uy Aion Kinah direct from us at low prices says Vili Lehdonvirta, a researcher in virtual goods, currencies and economies at the Helsinki Institute for Information Technology.

"The benefit to the company is in the psychology of consumption," says Lehdonvirta. "When you replace national currency with credits, it makes it more difficult for consumers to understand prices and the value of goods."

In addition, companies become the middlemen. Facebook, for example, will take 30% of revenue from merchants who sell goods through its site.

That doesn't mean virtual currencies aren't good for consumers. They are akin to giving yourself a gift card to spend as you wish, particularly useful if you tend to make a lot of micropayments.
It saves you reaching for your credit or debit card every five minutes and there are loyalty card-style privileges.

The downside is once you buy, say, 1,000 Facebook Credits, there's no converting them back into dollars when the novelty has worn off. In this regard, they are technically not a currency, but more like tokens.

And as anyone who's had a gift card lying around for months knows, you can end up buying something you really didn't want in the first place, just to use it up.

The other watch on this is that you are, of course, incentivized to buy more virtual currency than you planned to. We're all a sucker for a so-called good deal,Full color plastic card printing and manufacturing services. after all. Buying Facebook Credits in bulk rewards you with free credits. Make sure you don't click "buy" before you've considered why.

Kids in the Cash Till

Plenty of adults are into video games, but chances are if virtual currencies are new to you, they won't be to your children. They have proven lucrative for years in the video game market. The virtual game goods industry generated revenues of approximately $7.3 billion in 2010,The Leading Wholesale pet supplies Distributor to Independent Pet Retailers. according to In-Stat, a market research firm.

Much is from consumers using real money to buy virtual items in their favorite video games. Popular games all have their own currencies, such as World of Warcraft Gold,Use bluray burner to burn video to BD DVD on blu ray burner disc. Second Life Linden Dollars and FarmVille Cash and Coins.

Each tempts you to spend real cash to progress faster through the game. Success in World of Warcraft relies on acquiring special weapons and powers for your character using virtual gold. Time-poor players are now paying professional gamers very real dollars to stockpile this virtual gold for them.

Put simply, virtual toys are replacing their real-life plastic counterparts. "When I was young, it used to be about action figures and who had the best ones in the neighborhood," says Lehdonvirta, who co-authored a World Bank study released last month on the virtual economy. "These are now taking that role."

It's easy to see how one boy racked up a bill of almost $1,500 using his savings and mom's credit card in order to beef up his virtual farm.

Some companies are savvy. Virtual currencies can be bought using mobile phone credit or gift cards and even at coin kiosks, getting round the issue of consumers who don't yet have bank accounts.

As the virtual currency march continues, be sure to understand the marketing tools behind the urge to spend.

In what the JSE says is a move designed to bring much needed transparency to the unregulated hedge fund industry, it has announced the purchase of Momentum's Managed Account Platform (MAP).

The Competition Commission has approved the acquisition of the risk management tool which offers hedge fund investors greater protection by segregating investors' assets from the hedge fund manager.

Monitoring hedge funds' trading activity has become vital to ensure that their activity remains within investment mandates.

Allan Thomson, Head of Derivatives Trading at the JSEComplete Your sculpture Magazine Collection for Less!, said the acquisition makes the JSE the first exchange worldwide to endorse a managed account platform which would provide more transparency to hedge fund trading.

"We are delighted to have concluded this acquisition. The JSE has been working with MAP for some time now. We believe that this deal will be beneficial for the markets as it provides a safe platform for the hedge fund industry to grow,we supply all kinds of oil painting reproduction," he says.

Rand Merchant Bank and Momentum developed the monitoring platform in 2007 to create more clarity in the hedge fund industry.

"The market has been regarded as opaque, both locally and globally," says Braam Jordaan,Use bluray burner to burn video to BD DVD on blu ray burner disc. of Momentum Alternative Investments.

As institutions invest into the hedge fund industry,The Leading Wholesale pet supplies Distributor to Independent Pet Retailers. it has become more urgent that these trades are monitored effectively.

"It became clear early on that this concept had greater industry-wide benefit and it needed to be driven by an independent industry-wide player. The JSE, with its unique position in the South African financial markets landscape, is ideally placed to fully realise the potential of MAP," said Jordaan.the Injection mold fast!

Institutional investors are now able to invest up to 10% of their assets in hedge funds, up from the 2,5% allocation previously reserved for "other" investments in terms of the new Pension Funds Act.

The hedge fund industry across the world is unregulated and has problems with unethical behaviour.

A few months ago, as my father began to write a check for groceries at Publix, I heard people behind him in line groan.

My dad is one of the few people I know still writing checks to local merchants. Most of us, when we want to pay in "cash,buy landscape oil paintings online." use our debit cards.

But now that we've all been successfully hooked on plastic money, it might get expensive.

When you swipe your debit card to pay for something, the merchant has to pay your bank or credit union a fee, called an "interchange fee." How much that is varies depending on the retailer's size and the bank. But it's a percentage of the purchase.

So if the rate is 2 percent, and you buy a $10 item,Choose from one of the major categories of Bedding,From standard Cable Ties to advanced wire tires, the retailer pays 20 cents. If you buy a $100 item the interchange fee is $2.

Processing those two transactions is no different for the bank, so why is the amount the retailer has to pay so different?

It shouldn't be, according the government. So the Federal Reserve is imposing a cap on how much financial institutions can collect from merchants who accept debit cards.

The proposed cap is 12 cents per transaction.The same Air purifier, cover removed. Banks can charge a percentage, but the charge can never be more than 12 cents - whether the item costs $12 or $1,200.

At first blush, this looks like a good thing for consumers. If merchants are charged less for this, they will have lower costs and can offer lower prices.

But Linda Darling, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union, said that hasn't happened in other countries when debit card interchange fees were cut.

Darling said the credit union isn't against changes in how the interchange fees are assessed. But a cap of 12 cents isn't enough to cover costs of the debit card processing.

Already, Darling said, consumers are getting hurt. Large banks have started charging for checking accounts that used to be free in anticipation of changes in the interchange fee.

If the fees are capped, the credit union also will have to look at a change in the free checking account services it offers members, Darling said.

This might involve things such as a fee for using debit cards, a limit on the number of free debit card transactions you can make, or a limit on the amount you can pay using a debit card.

Suncoast has launched a campaign to get its members to call Congress. An email went out to members with the subject line: "How important is free checking to you?"

Under the system, retailers are paying for the convenience of not having to process checks or deal with cash. And banks are making money off the debit card interchange fees.

The fee cap is set to go into effect July 21.uy Aion Kinah direct from us at low prices And if it does, someone is going to absorb the cost of this loss of banking income. My guess is it will be those of us who use debit cards.

The Wallace H. Coulter Foundation along with the University of Michigan's College of Engineering and the School of Medicine has enabled the creation of a $20 million endowment to enhance and support research directed at technologies promising progression towards commercial development and clinical practice.

"We are grateful to the Coulter Foundation for once again advancing biomedical engineering at Michigan. The university's commitment to strengthening the economy includes seeing that our research moves from the laboratory to the marketplace, and this new endowment will help make that possible," said U-M President Mary Sue Coleman.

"This endowment from the Coulter Foundation will help to boost the burgeoning biotech industry in southeast Michigan, mainly because funding like this picks up where funding from the National Institute of Health (NIH) tends to leave off," said Douglas C. Noll, chair of Biomedical Engineering (BME). "Many companies need products that are closer to commercialization before they become interesting enough to attract outside investors, and the Coulter Program plays a unique role in advancing projects to that stage."

Sue Van, president of the foundation, said: "This program started out as a grand experiment to link the relatively new discipline of biomedical engineering to translational research. We are extremely proud of the advancements achieved by the University of Michigan in moving projects through the Coulter Process so that these advances will benefit patients."

Elias Caro, vice president of technology development at the foundation stated: "As a member of the Coulter program, U-M adopted the Coulter Process, an industry-like development process that includes a thorough analysis which assesses intellectual property, FDA requirements, reimbursement, critical milestones and clinical adoption. This attracted follow on funding from venture capital and biomedical companies and create high quality jobs."

"The University of Michigan College of Engineering encourages bright minds to apply their talents to solving big problems," said David Munson, the Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering. "This focus matches up perfectly with the Coulter Foundation's drive to close the divide between research and the effective commercialization of products that will be suitable for clinical use."

The U-M Coulter Translational Research Partnership program has used a unique funding approach and support structure to launch 22 pilot projects and catalyze four BME start-ups since the first round of projects funded in 2006. The program pairs engineers and clinicians with the aim of moving promising technologies from the laboratory to the marketplace.Complete Your sculpture Magazine Collection for Less! Because of its success, the Coulter framework is serving as a model for other translational programs on campus.

"The Coulter Foundation endowment helps the U-M Health System create the future of medicine by fostering the development of cutting-edge discoveries that improve patient health," said Dr. James O. Woolliscroft, dean of the U-M Medical School and the Lyle C. Roll Professor of Medicine. "High-risk and potentially high-return medical research too often is not pursued were it not for this kind of philanthropic support."

The foundation has funded BME with a total of $5 million over five years (April 2006-March 2011). The funded projects have leveraged this support to advance projects towards translation to patient care, resulting in $22.2 million in investments in four start-up companies and over $7 million in NIH and other grant funding. Additional innovations were successfully licensed to industry.

Driven by the positive results of the U-M-Coulter model, the university seeks to raise additional funds from other foundations, gifts, corporate sponsors and individual partners to ensure the growth and expansion of this program for continued success in the future.

"By creating four startups in five years, the Coulter Foundation's program has provided U-M and southeast Michigan with its most productive commercialization model to date," said Jim O'Connell, U-M's Coulter Program director. "The most recent being Life Magnetics. The Coulter program's ability to provide extremely targeted, and well-timed funding at only the most promising university technologies has accelerated companies like Life Magnetics out into the marketplace, created jobs, and will ultimately save lives."

HistoSonics, a U-M Coulter success story, launched an Ann Arbor-based start-up to develop a technology known as histotripsy. Histotripsy is a non-invasive surgical procedure that uses high intensity ultrasound pulses to break down soft tissue. Its lead application is the treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia,From standard Cable Ties to advanced wire tires, but it can also be applied to blood clots, kidney stones, uterine fibroids, congenital heart disease, and tumors of the breast and brain—without pain or other side effects. The company has received $11 million in venture financing to develop its clinical prototype and secure FDA approval.

Wallace H. Coulter (1913-1998),The Leading Wholesale pet supplies Distributor to Independent Pet Retailers. benefactor of the foundation, was a serial innovator and entrepreneur. He founded Coulter Corporation and continued to lead this global diagnostics company during its entire 40-year history. He revolutionized the practice of hematology and laboratory medicine and pioneered the fields of flow cytometry and monoclonal antibodies.Handmade oil paintings for sale at museum quality,

The Coulter Principle, or electronic sensing zone, was the first of his 82 patents. Its first application, the Coulter Counter, provided the first high-throughput, standardized method to count and size cells and particles as they flow through an aperture. It led to major breakthroughs in science, medicine and industry. In fact, the Coulter Principle touches everyone's daily life from having a blood test, to painting your home,Shop a wide selection of billabong outlet products in the evo shop. from drinking beer to eating chocolate, swallowing a pill or applying cosmetics. It is critical to toners and ceramics as well as space exploration where NASA uses it to test the purity of rocket fuel. The impact of the Coulter Principle enhances and supports research directed at promising technologies within the university laboratory, propelling them towards commercial development and clinical practice.

If you really love your dog, it shouldn't lead a dog's life, but should be treated once in awhile, perhaps to a luxurious bath.Customized imprinted and promotional usb flash drives. You're thinking, "I do bathe my dog … with a garden hose." Those days are long gone, thanks to Brielle Dog Boutique & Self Serve Dog Wash at 501 Union Ave., Brielle.

No garden hoses here.

"We have a hose where soap and water is pre-mixed, and you choose your shampoo, and it's heated nice-temperature water," said Debi Brkal, Brielle, a Realtor and part-owner of the 1,300-square-foot boutique, who pitches in when she can.

The self-serve wash was the brainchild of her son, Kevin, 25, a Manasquan native and soon-to-be-ex Boston resident involved with internet marketing.

"While in Boston, my fiancee and I got a French bulldog. Living in the city, it was tough washing Kiki inside, so we looked and found a self-serve dog wash," he stated. "We planned on moving back down to the shore area and decided to bring the idea to this area."

Sure, you could go to a groomer, but "It's easy on the dog – they're not nervous – unlike being left at the groomer where they're separated from their owner," said Debi, noting "It's a fun experience for the owner and his dog to bathe the dog."

She claimed there aren't any dog-bathing boutiques in the area, and Brielle Dog Boutique & Self Serve Dog Wash not only offers baths, but endless dog supplies as well.

"We additionally saw a need for a higher-end type of dog supplies and wanted to add that as well," said Kevin.

The establishment offers far from simple fare and carries all-natural dog food by brands such as Merrick, treats, upscale pet products, and even beer for dogs. But, more on that later. Let's concentrate on what primarily draws people into the boutique in the first place: the bathing experience.

Four huge stainless tubs await the dogs – two with ramps, and one with stairs to accommodate dogs that need an easier way to get into the tub. The tubs are also owner-friendly and "are waist-high so you're not hurting your back," noted Debi.

Also easy on owners' backs is thick meshed rubber matting on the floor, which prevents slipping for dog and owner, while drains in the floor get rid of any spillage.

How does the process work?

"We have a hose where shampoo and water is pre-mixed and you choose your shampoo and it's heated, nice temperature water," explained Debi.

There haven't been any bathing "incidents" thus far, thanks to the mats in the tubs, and tethers in the tub are available if owners want to make their dogs feel secure – and also to keep Rover from exiting the tub!

The dog owners are not left out.

"We supply owners with aprons so they can stay relatively dry," said Debi.

Like any other salon, Brielle Dog Boutique & Self Serve Dog Wash has elevated drying stations with a professional dog blow dryer, grooming supplies, ear wipes, eye wipes, brushes and combs for the pooch's post-wash beauty routine.

The boutique provides ample parking for owners with large vehicles transporting sometimes large dogs.

"We strive to be a friendly place where people can come and bathe their dirty dog," Kevin commented.

Which is precisely what occurred on a recent Saturday. Granted, the boutique draws "Tons of all-size dogs from really huge dogs to small sizes," noted Debi, yet Kevin and his fiancee, Agata Glowacka, 26, were somewhat taken aback when – following a full house with all four tubs occupied – Rollins, a 160-pound Newfoundland ambled in and had the whole place to himself.

The handsome, docile 3-year-old was accompanied by his owners, Frank Verga, and wife, Lynda Inzinna, both Point Pleasant. Although Frank claimed, "In the bathtub, he hears the water running and he jumps in the tub – he loves water!," the couple would rather not use their claw-foot tub if possible.

Agata, who helps in the boutique and acts as its photographer, seemed concerned as to how Rollins would get into the tub, but he had no problem navigating the ramp and – thoroughly enjoying the experience – stood patiently as his parents washed and blow-dried him.

"It's good, terrific! You wash him, you do what you have to do, and the dog loves it!," commented Verga.

Inzinna couldn't praise Brielle Dog Boutique & Self Serve Dog Wash enough.

"You call up and tell people you have a Newfoundland, and they're like ‘Forget it!' You can take little dogs anywhere. This is the best – nobody caters to big dogs. This is like his own spa! We love this place," she commented.

The couple decided on the $20 "Laundro-Dog Special" with specialty berry shampoo and blow dry. Prices not including tax begin at $5 for a "Muddy Paws," five-minute undercarriage wash; also offered are baths using house shampoo with blow dry, baths with a towel dry, and other options. Owners wishing to may bring shampoo and towel-dry their dog for $12.50.From standard Cable Ties to advanced wire tires,

Opting for specialty shampoo minus the blow dry was Matt Brady, Sea Girt, accompanied by his six-month old female Labrador retriever, Kona.

"This place is the best place that's happened in the area as far as I'm concerned," stated Brady.

The well-behaved Kona – fresh from the surf at Manasquan dog beach, but still eager to get back in the drink – stood in the tub as Brady lathered her up with deodorizing shampoo.

"I'll be back next weekend," he stated as the attractive puppy was towel dried by her owner, then contentedly finished off her reward of a chicken stick from the boutique's treat area.

Treats? Did someone mention treats? The shop is called "boutique" for a reason. It carries a sizeable amount of plush, patterned dog beds, and unique collars and leashes made of leather, nylon webbing and cloth.

"We did not want to be the run-of-the-mill type of dog store, so we looked to get as many made in the USA products as possible. We really wanted to differentiate ourselves by selling high-quality dog food, treats and upscale dog supplies," noted Kevin.

Premium-brand dog food and snacks by names such as Merrick, Acana and Evanger's are sold, as are the stainless bowls and bowl stands to in which to serve them. Aren't these brands available at pet outlets and stores? Possibly,we supply all kinds of oil painting reproduction, but "We have a price-match guarantee for all of our items and we're competitively priced," noted Debi.

Sales are good, and a mix of 50 percent bath/50 percent sales, with baths averaging eight to 10 dogs per-day. Bathing brings clients in first, then they browse, and all items may be special ordered.

Most post-bath pooches go right for either plush dog toys that come filled or un-filled, or the immense collection of dog treats. Housed in dog-accessible baskets on the floor, or on shelving are treats such as rawhides, Thinkers Dog Chicken Snacks,Use bluray burner to burn video to BD DVD on blu ray burner disc. cupcakes and cookies, Bowser Bits Peanut Buttery Pretzels, jerky treats and sweet potato treats. Brielle Dog Boutique & Self Serve Dog Wash even carries Bowser Beer, a non-alcohol, no hops beer for dogs.

Bella, an 8-year-old female mixed breed, may not have had access to the beer, but she did accept a treat following her bath. Owners Gary and Lynn Bishop of Brielle opted for the deodorizing shampoo/blow dry package for their somewhat apprehensive dog. Despite her size, the entire process took less than 25 minutes as the mellow Bella isn't fond of blow dryers and was also towel-dried.

Lynn was more-than-pleased with the outcome, stating "It's easy – definitely easier than home, especially when the dog doesn't like the bath."

Although singles and couples ranging up to their 40s were washing on a recent weekend, Debi noted the boutique's clientele is "All over the place from teens 12-13 bathing their dogs to 80-year-olds because it's so simple and easy," and "Children especially love doing it with their parents."

A youthful Alex Kalman, Freehold, and her "youngster," nine-month-old border collie, Scooter Pie, dropped in following their weekly trip to the dog beach.

"It's great. It's nice, because I go to the dog beach in Manasquan. It's a nice stop on the way from the dog beach – I can't do this at home," she said.

The petite border collie was enveloped by the size of the tub – which can fit two small dogs or one large dog – but she seemed to enjoy the experience, sitting calmly as her owner bathed her.

"I'll come back, we go to the beach a lot. I do her in the shower and it's a mess – we'll come back!," said Kalman.

What about owners not interested in a bath, but simply grooming? Brielle Dog Boutique & Self Serve Dog Wash offers access to its grooming station in 30-minute increments, but owners must bring their own clippers.

The dog wash facility presently doesn't have a groomer, but "We plan on having a groomer who will be able to cut nails, and wash dogs if anyone does not want to do the self serve," stated Kevin, who noted the worst part of his day was the down-time, what little there is.Complete Your sculpture Magazine Collection for Less!

Debi feels there is no down-side, other than the task of vacuuming up the dog hair after the owners trim their dogs.

Kevin mentioned all boutique items will be available on the establishment's website which he plans on expanding, noting "My background is online e-commerce, so the goal is to get that up and running."

"We turned down more key accounts than we accepted," Sterling said. Excluded were big national discount chains, because of a strategy to focus on specialty stores. "We could have sold three times as much product this year if we said yes to everyone."

"Our product lends itself more to a specialty store where there is more of a personal selling approach," said Brewer.

Sterling and Brewer, with a stack of hefty orders, now had only a few weeks to raise more than $1 million to get the merchandise manufactured and delivered. Almost immediately, they needed several hundred thousand dollars that they didn't have for a down payment.

Banks wouldn't lend to a startup with no track record, they said. There were firms or individual investors who agreed to make a loan on the basis of their bulging order book, but they wanted too much in return, the women said. Still, these last-resort sources of capital were there if all else failed.

Again, fortune intervened. Sterling's birthday fell during the financial scramble, and a relative she ran into at two family gatherings agreed to lend her the money - just 48 hours before LockerLookz had to wire it to China.

Both the Sterlings and Brewers attend Prestonwood Baptist Church. Also in the congregation are a group of anonymous individuals who invest together through an adviser who places money in business projects where potential profit is not the only consideration. Again, in the nick of time, the rest of the cash needed materialized at a reasonable interest rate.

There were other last-minute saves.

In Xu's successor in China,Customized imprinted and promotional usb flash drives.Complete Your sculpture Magazine Collection for Less! another Sun employee named Helen Wu, the Texas partners found a committed, on-the-ground rep. During one crisis, Wu left her Shanghai office and drove 300 miles through the night to a plant so she could personally address a production delay that threatened to upend a make-or-break deadline for LockerLookz. Sun's crew made China work for these first-time entrepreneurs.

Their 2011 line has 38 items, up from 15. Many are priced under $10 and only one product category,we supply all kinds of oil painting reproduction, lighting, is priced higher than $20. They have provisional patents on the wallpaper and the lights.

Come summer,uy Aion Kinah direct from us at low prices 30 sea-freight containers will be offloaded at a larger warehouse in Coppell.

"This has been like eight years of college and business school for all the time we've put in it,Use bluray burner to burn video to BD DVD on blu ray burner disc." Sterling said.

"And we had a lot of guidance, added Brewer, referring to Xu and Wu in China, along with Sun, Hardin and the village of supporters it took to bring LockerLookz to market.