Windows Phone goes on sale in China today

Microsoft China has finally christened its first Windows Phone. The HTC Triumph (or Titan, or even Eternity, according to the official Windows Phone Blog) is out, brandishing a 4.7-inch display and double camera setup. The phone arrives unlocked and apparently loaded up with "a slew" of popular native apps. We'll be taking a look at those once we've got our hands on this regional variant. We've included a few screengrabs of the Chinese language UI after the break.

Continue reading Windows Phone goes on sale in China today

Windows Phone goes on sale in China today originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 04:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/c9f_v2pcncc/

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PwC reports on the state of the internal audit profession ? their ...

I added the phrase ?their opinion? to the end of the title, because while PwC?always reports what respondents say, it is understandably difficult to do so with bias. PwC has always had a perspective to share, and frankly I always look forward to hearing it ? whether I agree with it or not.

You can download the 2012 (8^th) edition of this report here.

I recommend you skip past the highly questionable statement at the beginning, that business are facing more risks than ever before (I suspect they are just more aware of the risks rather than the number of risks has grown in the last year), to the substance.

For example, they make this statement which is not only true but essential to understanding the speed of business and the required speed and relevance (in my opinion) of internal audit:

?With global trade, supply chains, and financial markets all intricately linked, risks become apparent quickly, unexpectedly, and with significant impacts on company operations, ??reputations, and even survival.?

PwC echoes my view that internal audit has to change:

?Stakeholders and CAEs alike have recognized that in order for internal audit to be effective in supporting organizational risk management efforts, the minimum standard of performance has to rise. In today?s ever-shifting risk landscape, internal audit can?t settle for simply reacting to events; instead, it must adopt a strategic mindset that is responsive to risks and helps ready their organizations for new threats and opportunities.?

The report includes this very important observation:

??on average less than half (45%) of those surveyed told us that they are comfortable with how well their most critical risks are being managed? despite the fact that 74% of those surveyed have formal enterprise risk management (ERM) processes in place.?

But, rather than pointing out that internal audit teams need to assess and help improve risk management programs, PwC has focused on telling internal auditors to improve their understanding of the ?organization?s risk landscape?.

Isn?t the point that perhaps the greatest risk to an organization?s success is their failure to understand and address risks ? in other words, that they don?t have effective risk management? A case can be made that internal audit has a great opportunity to add value by being a catalyst for improving risk management frameworks, processes, and understanding!

PwC positions internal audit as ?having an important role to play in monitoring their organizations? top risks?. That seems dangerous to me: I strongly believe that it is a management role to monitor, report, and respond to risk. Internal audit?s role is to provide assurance that those processes, including the controls relied upon to manage risks at acceptable levels, are designed and functioning as needed.

The report has a useful section, with a chart, that lists risk areas that don?t get sufficient attention from internal audit. I would have included these, in addition to risk management:

• The effectiveness of governance processes, including oversight of risk management
• The quality and timeliness of information used to run the business ? at speed

One section of the report that I like is where PwC describes (with a nice illustration) a ?new floor for internal audit?. In particular, I agree with this statement:

?But risks have shifted and expectations have risen, and all internal audit functions need to rise to this new floor: providing assurance on a broader range of critical risks and clearly communicating deeper insights, all while staying in complete alignment with stakeholder expectations.?

An area for concern is that the study identified that only 55% of internal audit functions are building their audit plan based on a top-down, risk-based process that focuses on critical risks to the organization. That is not (either in my or PwC?s opinion) the path to success.

There?s a lot of good content in the report and I strongly recommend downloading and spending time on it.

What are your takeaways?

?

By the way, did you respond to the survey on whether COSO or ISO is a better risk management standard/framework? The direct link is here.

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Be the first to like this post.

Source: http://normanmarks.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/pwc-reports-on-the-state-of-the-internal-audit-profession-their-opinion/

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Wordless Wednesday ? Make a Wish Foundation Wishing Place ...

Thanks for stopping by! If you have a picture up for Wordless Wednesday, leave your link below! Then head on over to Mom Knows It All and From Val?s Kitchen for more wordless fun!

Posted in: Disney, Photos.
Tagged: Wordless Wednesday

Source: http://hereandthere.us/index.php/2012/wordless-wednesday-make-a-wish-foundation-wishing-place-monroe-twsp/

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HP to merge printer, PC arms in revamp: sources

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hp-merge-printer-pc-arms-revamp-source-174441486.html

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We Must Get a Grip on Child Obesity: Parents, Schools, Agencies ...

Nearly one in three schoolchildren in Tennessee is obese.

Maybe you?ve heard that statistic before; even so, take a moment to consider the implications. With roughly 1.5 million school-age children in this state, that means nearly a half-million are on track to experience problems associated with obesity: diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver disease, even heart disease and cancer.

Even those who survive their bouts with such diseases face a lifetime of health complications, multiple doctor visits and use of prescription drugs and therapies to manage their conditions. As grownups, their career options and ability to enjoy things such as sports and travel vacations will be limited.

It doesn?t have to be that way, however. Most obese children can reach a healthy weight if they begin to get a balanced, nutritious diet, save sugary treats for special occasions, and get regular exercise.

We know the goals; now we must find out how to get there. Unlike adults who struggle with obesity, kids don?t control their food sources. Depending on where they live, they may have few options for exercise. So, while the message about child obesity must first hit home with parents, there is a role for government to play.

Many people hate to hear that, but it?s true, because the world has changed. Many Tennessee kids live in single-parent households or have two parents working multiple jobs, where cooked family meals rarely occur. Many live in low-income neighborhoods ? rural as well as urban ? with a single grocery that stocks primarily processed foods because they have a long shelf life, and a number of fast-food restaurants. In neighborhoods where crime is high and patrols are low, kids are less likely to go out and play.

So be glad when Gov. Bill Haslam announces that the state is working on ways to lower child obesity. His Health and Wellness Task Force plans to build on the work of groups including the Tennessee Obesity Task Force, the YMCA and the Metro Public Health Department.

And be glad that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has begun requiring public-school cafeterias nationwide to cut sodium, use more whole grains, and serve low-fat milk.

Not all government-centered solutions are a good idea. A tax on soft drinks that contain sugar, for example, would be unlikely to make a dent in kids? consumption and would unfairly hit low-income people the hardest.

But where government agencies can help is to bring healthier food choices to cafeterias and school vending machines; fund improvements in public playgrounds and ballfields and make them safer; and support public-service programs and ads that teach children and their parents about the necessity of healthy food and physical fitness.

There are other ideas about how to beat child obesity, and projects including?The Tennessean?s Brainstorm Nashville are looking for fresh, workable ideas. With a half-million children?s well-being at stake, it will take parents, schools, public and private agencies and the kids themselves to listen, learn about the challenges, and make lifestyle changes to break the cycle.

The children will feel better, learn and grow at a healthier pace, and their prospects for adulthood improve exponentially.

Source: The Tennessean - http://goo.gl/RAsMV

Source: http://www.childup.com/blog/we-must-get-a-grip-on-child-obesity-parents-schools-agencies-need-to-work-together

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Personal Finance: IRS clock ticking toward tax day | Payday Loans ...

1. Don?t procrastinate. Resist a enticement to equivocate your taxes until a final minute. If you?re rushing to accommodate a taxation filing deadline, it?s easy to disremember intensity assets and your risk of creation an blunder goes up.

?We don?t wish people to forget to file, since a IRS won?t forget,? pronounced IRS orator David Tucker. ?There?s no reason to suspend since if we need assistance solution any questions, there are so many resources out there,? including by phone, website or walk-in taxation assistance centers.

2. Visit IRS and FTB websites. Go to ?1040 Central? on a IRS website (www.irs.gov) for questions on e-filing, taxation credits, fraud alerts, how to select a taxation preparer and other topics.

?It?s a heart of a IRS website. We strongly inspire taxpayers to use it,? pronounced Tucker.

Similarly, a FTB?s website (www.ftb.ca.gov) has useful links to countless tax-filing topics.

3. Use e-filing.

Last year, about 80 percent of all Californians and U.S. taxpayers filed their state and sovereign taxation earnings online.

There are giveaway options on both FTB and IRS websites. In California, about 2 million taxpayers already have a finished ?Ready Return? watchful for them. Based on final year?s taxes, it?s generally for singular people with one employer and fewer than 5 dependents.

?It?s already completed. You make any changes, contention it and we are finished until subsequent year,? pronounced FTB orator Daniel Tahara. Another FTB choice is CalFile, that generally takes 15 to 30 mins to complete, regulating step-by-step instructions. It?s for singles who don?t acquire some-more than $167,000 annually or married couples filing jointly with income reduction than $333,000.

The IRS offers ?Free File? options that are no-cost to those creation next $57,000. Those with aloft incomes who are gentle scheming their possess taxation earnings can use ?Free File Fillable Forms,? that are electronic versions of IRS paper forms.

4. Get an extension. If we can?t fill out your IRS paperwork on time, we can record to get an involuntary six-month IRS prolongation ? by Oct. 15. However, we still contingency compensate during slightest 90 percent of what we owe or be theme to late-payment penalties.

To obtain an IRS extension, record Form 4868 (Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return). To download a duplicate online, go to www.irs.gov. To get a duplicate by mail, call 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676). Allow during slightest 10 days for mailed forms.

For California taxes, there?s no form to fill out for an involuntary prolongation until Oct. 15, though we contingency compensate a full volume due to equivocate penalties and interest. To calculate what we owe, use FTB Form 3519.

5. Don?t panic. If we can?t compensate a full volume of taxes due by a Apr deadline, cruise prejudiced payments. Both a IRS and FTB let taxpayers set adult installment plans, that assign seductiveness though can assistance we equivocate penalties for nonpayment.

6. Ask for help. There are countless village sites that offer giveaway tax-filing assistance for low-income taxpayers and seniors, many in mixed languages such as Russian, Chinese and Vietnamese. The giveaway taxation help, offering by lerned volunteers, is sponsored by a IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for a Elderly programs, as good as a AARP. Locations embody open libraries, comparison centers and churches.

Source: http://paydayloans-uk.org/personal-finance-irs-clock-ticking-toward-tax-day/

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Professional Accomplishment Assured By Management Accounts ...

In the present specialist arena doing work standards are changing consistently. They are changing to keep up with your changing societal and economic situations. That is why as a specialist you need to be kept up to date too. You will need to constantly update your skills to settle ahead already in the market.

Professionalism just isn?t about what you are doing, it?s about how you will do it. This one statement is sufficient to explain the significance of being forward in your operate. When it comes to shifting work tendencies, policies along with expectations, you have to be up-to-date with them all. When you have been in this line of business for a long time, yet need to sustain new adjustments, or you can be a new get and want to study the ropes rapidly, then the path you must consume is becoming a member of professional management accounts online classes.

These training aim at creating a better specialist out of anyone by increasing your productivity through successful techniques. Here is a brief list of working out courses that exist in the market for one to take up and stay trained through an expert:

* Customer Care Instruction

* Finance & Planning Instruction

* Management Accounts Instruction

* Project management software Training

* Time Management Instruction

* Self improvement Training

* Sales Instruction

As you can see, all of the prominent operate fields have already been covered by these kind of courses. Furthermore they are created for every level. This means that to get a new get who is drenched behind your ears, to a thorough specialist with numerous experience, each can benefit from these. The companies presenting such training can work on any level and with several professionals also. That is why many times, they are employed by firms to totally train a batch of their employees.

It is obvious the training courses available are usually specialised for every buyer. It will be an alternative approach for a batch of 10 experts than for the lone personal.

The time reduce of the training may also vary. From only a day session to a few days or in certain instances a couple of months. This course moment is proportional towards the experience, variety and the purpose of the delegates. The aim is obvious; however in just about every case it really is to increase your productivity from the employee through effective training. This is because training is essential to arm people who have the needed capabilities set, in order that they perform to their best sizes and increase further using a fresh along with right frame of mind.

Now, that you understand the meaning and need for management accounts training courses and other such training, you must try to improve your perhaps employees? productiveness levels through signing up for these. The training offered by respected names already in the market require an attendance cost. This cost varies based on the training course, your instructor, your duration of your course as well as the content from the course. Moreover, many of the workout sessions are used on different platforms also. In some cases, there are 1 to 1 times, sometimes there exists telephone assistance and sometimes classes on the web too. The training course as well as the instructor include the main components in figuring out what sort of tactic will be acquired while coaching the hand over.

It is about time now to generate things much better at the specialist front. If you are searching for quick and highly effective methods to your work, next train your employees. Training can even help you achieve better along with consistence performance at intervals of level.

Source: http://www.positivesymbolism.com/professional-accomplishment-assured-by-management-accounts-programs/

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