New console may pave the way for gaming integration

By Jaron Serven, Staff Writer

Well, it’s here—and no, it’s not called the Xbox 720.

Don Mattrick, Microsoft president of interactive entertainment business, unveiled the next generation Xbox One during a much-hyped Tuesday morning press conference.

The original Xbox was released in November 2001—launching with a controller so big, one could fight a zombie apocalypse with it—and quickly gained popularity, due in part to the marquee launch title Halo. Its successor, the Xbox 360, dropped in 2005 and went on to become a staple in every dorm room and frat house that was worth its weight in beer. The console overcame its well-publicized problems and became the de facto gaming flagship of the early 21st century.

Yet the Xbox One has some very unique features and functions, broken down below:

• The system will utilize voice controls. The command “Xbox on” will power up the system, “Xbox game” will activate gameplay and so on.
• This same feature will also have “user recognition” which will only recognize and react to the owner of the system. Microsoft did not address the possible problems with multiple-user voice commands, though the tech giant will likely address such an issue before the console drops later this year.
• For the spec-happy, the system will boast eight GB of RAM, 500 GB of storage, USB 3.0 ports and full HD compatibility.
• Microsoft will look to the cloud for much of its storage needs. To support the new cloud-based features, Xbox Live will run on 300,000 servers for the Xbox One, up from the previous 3,000.

Design-wise, the console is still its quintessential box shape. It appears to be sleeker and shinier than its predecessors, while the supported Xbox Kinect boasts sharper corners and is apparently integral to the voice-recognition functions.

In a stroke of good news, Microsoft has decided not to reinvent the wheel. The controller design remains largely unchanged, but according to Microsoft it will sport “40 technical and design innovations.”

There is currently no set release date, except a cryptic “later this year” that could mean December, in order to advantage of the Christmas rush. More information will be released at the upcoming annual video game industry gala, E3, which takes place June 11th through the 13th.

Sources

Image courtesy: Mashable

Article research: Herocomplex

Wired.com

BBC News

Xbox.com

cNet reviews

Jaron Serven graduated last year as a Master in English from UAlbany, and is now a professional freelance writer/editor in the Greater New York City Area. Follow him on Twitter @j_serv, and check out his music and culture blog at www.jaronserven.com.

By Lindsey Addawoo

With one of the largest economies in the world, Japan has been making remarkable progress in recovering its economy. Japan’s GDP has risen by a whopping 0.9 per cent in the last three months, and it has seen a lowering in its national deflation.

Japan’s economic model, affectionately called “Abenomics” in honour of current Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, was set in motion last December when Abe was re-elected into office. According to The Economist, some of Abe’s stimulus measures involve an increase in individual consumer spending, as well as government spending.

However, though some may question how steady this model will be, there is one thing Abe can be sure of – though the value of Japanese currency may result in a weaker yen under this economic model, it will raise international exports – something Japan so desperately depends on.

So far under Abe’s government, the Japanese stock market (Nikkei 225) has risen by roughly 45-55 per cent. He has yet to release the details of his economic mandate.

Many believe Abe is not only good for the Japanese economy, but also for Japan’s socio-cultural and national identity. His administration continuously refers to national security as its economic mantra. As Abe’s “fiscal stimulus and monetary easing” formally involve his economic doctrine, his administration also perpetuates the Meiji slogan fukoku kyohei (enrich the country, strengthen the army). Clearly Abe has more than an economic agenda in mind.

In fact, many might note that this intricate tie of economics, national identity and even politics is poignant in Japan’s history.

Courtesy of kylehase

Japan has had long withstanding success in both areas of political and economic rise. Under a closed, state-run bureaucracy, Japan held both political and economic stability many would deem as necessary for a chance at economic boom post-WWII. For four decades (from the 1950s to the early 1990s), Japan achieved growth rates of up to 10 per cent per year.

This may seem dull in comparison to Japan’s growth of just one per cent last year, but for a country that essentially had to “catch up” with other developed countries, the importance of their central bank system and business-government cooperation became less and less crucial as the country reached financial stability. Perhaps a shift away from the intertwinement of a central banking system and the state into a more equitable, laissez-faire new enterprise may be the small step back into the right direction that Japan has been waiting for.

Lindsey Addawoo is a fourth year Radio and Television Arts student at Ryerson University. She has written for various student publications, such as The Ryerson Free Press and Mcclung’s Magazine. Her ultimate goal is to become a multi-faceted news journalist in both print and TV broadcasting.

Most people have a problem letting go; but take a break, then return–there’s no strict formula to writing. It’s all cerebral and mental, it can drive you nuts if you continue to plug away.

He says, the best teacher is a cheap, little Penguin classic.

Read beyond what you want to write about, all topics should be covered.

Writing is the greatest mode of representation, as every human has a story. As soon as you engage yourself in being human, you’ll gather all sorts of tales.

Photo courtesy of CuratorMagazine

Sourced: bigthink

Curated: Online Editor Aryssah Stankevitsch @stnkvtsch

But at a sit-down restaurant, the server deserves at least 15%, with an additional 5% (each, don’t skimp) for good service and feeling nice.

Leaving at least $2 per person is necessary if the food was cheap.

Think about it: they make you happy, you make them happy. As a former server, I can justify that about 60%-70% of your living expenses come from tips. It’s just the right thing to do! It encourages good service. As opposed to Japan and China and other places around the world where tipping is considered rude.

Fun fact: ethnicity, gender, the weather outside, the size of the bill, and whether your server writers a happy face effects the tip amount more than good service. With the latter, ladies who draw a smile had their tips raised on average 9%, whereas guys had their tips lowered by 3%.

Photo courtesy of AllThingsD

Sourced: VlogBrothers

Curated: Online Editor Aryssah Stankevitsch @stnkvtsch

Goldstein once asked a patient, “What would it take to have a good day?” and the child responded, “When bad things don’t happen.” These bad things could range from problems with parents, challenges or adversities on the playground; his view was avoiding mistakes is the best way to not be judged.

Dr. Goldstein had previously thought if he found what was wrong and fixed it, he was doing his job. However, what really makes the difference is who we become and how we view ourselves. Family, extended environment, and things within us influence us the most; experience trumps genetics.

People can go on to manage adversity and live happily, as long as we prepare our children for the future, embrace and understand them, and use our hearts/minds. The power of resilience is irrefutable.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

Sourced: TEDxTalks

Curated: Online Editor Aryssah Stankevitsch @stnkvtsch

By: Jaron Serven, Staff Writer

Russ Leiner sits back in his chair, the cool early-April breeze wafting past us into the spacious living room, and smiles.

“[Saltwater fish] were the most colorful, unbelievable fish you’d ever seen,” he says, remembering first glimpsing them at 15 or 16. “At that same time, Jacques Cousteau was on television—”

He breaks off, laughing slightly. His eyes gleam with good nature behind his spectacles and his black hair is dappled with grey.

“They didn’t have Discovery Channels back then.”

Russ has good reason to laugh—he’s looking back at the beginning of his success as a small-business owner.

As a country, America has never really been at the forefront of entrepreneurialism when it comes to small businesses. The primary mentality seems to be “go big, or go home.” However, with the recent economic hardship, more and more Americans—about 9.3 million since 2001, Forbes reports—are forging their own path, foregoing the usual routes to success and creating their own  businesses.

Yet there are still many jobless Americans out there who may be thinking about starting their own home-based entrepreneurship without any clue as to which field would suit them best. In Russ’s case, the choice was a very specific one:

“I’m a purveyor of saltwater aquarium equipment.”

Say what?

“I sell on the Internet, and through home-based business, dry goods and equipment for people to put together saltwater reef aquariums.”

Most people who hear about what he does initially meet the news with a mixture of apprehension and surprise, but Russ, like many writers, musicians and educators, is working in one of his oldest passions. Not in saltwater livestock itself, which he admires wholeheartedly, but in literally creating small environments for these beautiful creatures to live in, which he then sells on saltwatercritters.com

This is, briefly, a more complicated science than it seems. You must create the exact conditions of the ocean in the middle of your living room for the livestock to survive comfortably, which includes circulation, neutrality, salt content, everything. Even rudimentary set-ups recommended by pet-stores provide a complicated and thorough step-by-step process, which would prove infuriating to those expecting the easy set-up of a freshwater tank.

He wasn’t always in this field, and the path to it was long and, in its own way, fateful.  Russ originally comes from a background in accounting.  “And computer science…” he adds, smiling again. “But [that field] was a lot different than it is today.” He was a successful contractor, accountant and businessman for years.

Then, an unfortunate car accident left Russ unable to do his regular job, and the career he’d been working on for decades was suddenly gone.

But where some would find mere tribulation, Russ saw opportunity. “I got a chance to go and basically take my passion and make a business out of it.” What started as a childhood passion for colorful fish—one visit to the pet store, and he was hooked—grew into something that could flourish in our day and age. Still, the task of starting a business from scratch was (and is) no joke, especially during a time when the economy was in flux.

It doesn’t appear to have stressed Russ too much. In contrast to your stereotypical American citizen, he has an almost unusually calm demeanor. It might be influenced by that breeze, heralding the incoming arrival of spring and refreshing the living room of his home, or it could be encouraged by his small dog, Scooter, curled asleep in his lap.

That calm, as much as it’s a part of his personality, is also a carefully cultivated aspect of his business, and it’s likely contributed to his success.

Written by Oxana Tsirelman, Staff Writer

Many Canadians are currently struggling with how to wisely invest their money in order to retire with comfort. After all, any avenue is risky since you always have to decide which calculated risk is the best to take.

Try not to forget this fundamental rule in finance: “What you need to do is weigh out the risk versus the potential return. The difference between saving and investing is that investing is much riskier but has a much higher potential rate-of-return.”

One potential avenue to consider is property ownership. After all, most people want to eventually live on their own. If you can retire in a location that does not require monthly rental payments or a mortgage is a sound option. Besides, “if you can earn enough to buy a second house outright then you will be able to live in one and live off the rental from the other.”

Another viable option to invest your money is in pension funds since the money goes directly back to you when you retire. The way it works is that you invest a certain amount from your current income in a pension fund for retirement. However, considering the current collapse of some pension funds, you should exercise caution and consideration if pursuing this path.

Another good option is the Stock Purchase Plans since you are able to invest by little amounts. Investing small amounts of money through Dividend Reinvestment Plans (DRPs) or Direct Stock Purchase Plans (DSPs) enables you to purchase right from the companies rather than going through a broker. Countless companies are offering this option and make it possible to invest as little as $20. Frankly, “basically these investments allow you to reinvest your dividends and slowly grow your investment.”

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Lastly, investing your money in index funds works out well if you have several hundred dollars to invest. Basically, index funds finds index like the Dow, the Nasdaq, or the S&P500-an index based on 500 top companies in the main industry sector. Not only that, some index’s like the IRAs let you invest as little as $250! The advantage of this option is that index funds is a low cost option since they find the index for you, which saves you high management costs. If you decide to choose this option, be aware that the two primary ways to invest in index funds are through mutual funds or ETFs, short for exchange traded funds. ToInvestMoney.net asserts that “when investing in an index fund, you should keep your transaction costs less than 2% of the value of the transactions. So if you invest $500, you should ensure the transaction cost is no more than $10.”

These are just some of the wise ways of investing money into your retirement. Before you make your final decision, just don’t forget to do a lot of research!

ARB Team
Arbitrage Magazine
Business News with BITE.

By: Maureen Lu, Staff Writer

May 8th Protest at the State Library in Melbourne

For the first time, registered voters looking to vote on Malaysia’s 13^th general election were able to do so overseas at Malaysian diplomatic missions. Eileen Yong is an Australian-based Malaysian. Like a lot of her peers in both Malaysia and overseas, she is enthusiastic about Malaysian politics. She voted in Melbourne on April 28^th 2013, one week before the formal election process in Malaysia.

Eileen is not alone in voting for the Malaysian Election from abroad. 16, 000 globally dispersed Malaysians voted in the election. 1000 voted from Australia, with voting available at the Malaysian High Commission in Canberra and two consulates in Melbourne and Perth. Malaysians from Sydney and Brisbane drove or flew to Melbourne to vote.

“People are passionate about this election, because it is anticipated that the election will be very close between the incumbent and the opposition. People realize that for this time their one vote can actually make a difference,” said a Melbourne-based Malaysian banker.

However, passion for voting swiftly turned into protesting after the election result was announced. Malaysia’s governing coalition, Barisan Nasional, won 133 out of 222 seats, insuring its continuation as one of the world’s longest-ruling parties.  The BN has ruled the country since its independence from Britain in 1957.

Allegations of a fraud election are now floating around, especially through social media.

Allegations also assert that the ruling government created power blackouts at several polling centers where the Opposition had a lead. After the electricity came back, the votes counting for the ruling party had suspiciously increased.

The election authorities explained that the Malaysians include different ethnic communities with different appearances, so it is hard to just tell from the looks of someone whether they are in fact a legitimate Malaysian voter. They also firmly denied the allegations of blackouts. “Most of my friends have changed their Facebook profile image to black to show their anger about the blackout scheme of the government,” said Yong.

On May 8^th, Anwar Ibrahim, the opposition leader, called for a “Black 505” rally to protest the result. The rally spread throughout Malaysia and overseas to Australia. On the same day, almost 200 Malaysians gathered in front of the State Library in Melbourne. Most of them were in their twenties. They wore black to support the rally in Malaysia and held up signs proclaiming “save Malaysia” and “we want a clean and fair election.”

As a Chinese Malaysian, Yong also expressed her concern when Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak unhappily called the Chinese voters for the opposition  “Chinese tsunami,” and blamed them for the loss of several administration candidates in a national television news conference after the election.

This accusation might cause more racial division throughout the country. Under the current system, the ethnic Malays majority have been given preference in business, housing and education in fear of Indian and Chinese minorities gaining greater prosperity. This policy has lead to a flight of capital and talents from the country.

Chinese voters traditionally have great power in Malaysian economy. Even though ethnic Malays have benefited from positive discrimination in business, ethnic Chinese still hold economic control and are the wealthiest community in the country.