Apple SVP of hardware engineering Bob Mansfield retiring"

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	Welcome to MacSurfer's Headline News! Is this the headline you are looking for? Thu Jun 28 "Apple SVP of hardware engineering Bob Mansfield retiring"" The Verge 6:06 PM Mac RAM Upgrades: MacBook Pro 16GB kits $475, 8GB Kits for $119.99! iMac 16GB RAM Kits (4x 4GB) for $229.99! Mac Pro Memory 32GB Kit for $399.99, 64GB Kit for $889.99! Mac Hard Drives 2TB Seagate SATA II for $249.99! Click Here! Macsales Add 2nd Hard Drive or SSD to Mac mini, MacBook or MacBook Pro. 1TB of Hard Drive or SSD Capacity from $64.99! Video Guides Make it easy - OWC DataDoubler - Macsales.com Have you heard about the online poker site Macpokeronline.com? They're giving away great poker bonuses to anybody who plays poker on a Mac. Visit today and they'll match your first deposit! "Mansfield Retiring from Apple"?TidBITS?5:56 PM "'Hokey' Kim Dotcom case a threat to the net: Apple co-founder"?Associated Press?7:12 PM "'Who needs an app store?' Five years of iPhone: The iPhone has evolved?and altered the course of the smartphone industry."?Ars Technica?4:38 PM "iPhone to Lead Smartphone Charge in 2013"?PC Magazine?4:26 PM "The original iPhone -the blueprint for the modern day smartphone"?Network World?11:29 AM "Apple's iPhone turns 5 on Friday: June 29 marks fifth anniversary of iPhone launch" [Slideshow]?MarketWatch?8:40 AM "Activating 5.6 million units per day"?asymco?8:07 AM "How Samsung is eating western Europe's mobile phone market: Apart from the Korean company, only Apple is managing to thrive, while Nokia has seen its share of both featurephones and smartphones dive since its announcement of the shift away from Symbian"?The Guardian?8:52 AM "Apple's Core Market Is Under Attack! Is Apple about to lose its luster as the electronics supplier of choice for schools? Google would like to think so. The search king says Chromebooks have become a popular PC and Mac alternative for the nation's school systems."?The Motley Fool?8:19 AM "Google takes Nexus step against Apple: Undercuts mini-iPad release, Nook and Kindle"?Boston Herald?8:16 AM "Google's Chrome browser comes to Apple's iPhone"?CNNMoney?4:24 PM "Google claims Chrome is the world's most popular browser: Apple targeted with Chrome and Drive builds for iOS"?The Register?4:38 PM "Prepaid Apple iPhone available now from Virgin Mobile"?MobileBurn?8:52 AM "T-Mobile confirms iPhone users on next-gen network will keep legacy data plans"?9 to 5 Mac?8:11 AM "Is Your Customer a Mac or a PC? You might want to find out: Orbitz shows higher-priced deals to Mac users because they tend to spend more. But be careful with the data you find."?Inc.?4:37 PM "National Weather Service to send severe weather warnings directly to smartphones"?The Verge?8:22 AM Non-Apple News "RIM looks to BB10, software licensing for survival"?AppleInsider?6:17 PM "Vizio rolls out XVT Cinemawide 21:9 aspect ratio TV"?TG Daily?11:29 AM "Amazon Will Reportedly Launch A 10-Inch Quad-Core Tablet Alongside New Metal-Clad 7-Inch Fire"?TechCrunch?11:26 AM "North Korea Is Allegedly Building Its Own Tablet, The Samjiyeon"?TechCrunch?11:26 AM "Red Hat Aims Its Cloud at Bigger Rival VMware"?TheStreet?11:52 AM "Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst Weighs in on Strategy, Oracle and Growth"?IDG News Service?11:11 AM "The rock, paper, scissors playing robot that never loses"?Los Angeles Times [Paid Membership Required]?10:56 AM "Amazon Said To Add Social Features For Tablet Digital Games"?Bloomberg?10:13 AM "Google adds movies, TV shows and magazines to Google Play store"?Los Angeles Times [Paid Membership Required]?10:57 AM "Google Glass Designer Gives Us An Up Close Look"?ABCNews?10:08 AM "Google App Engine Gets Ready For Business: Google platform now hosts one million active applications; Release 1.7.0, unveiled at Google I/O, to add business-friendly features."?InformationWeek?10:01 AM "Vodafone nabs newly departed T-Mobile USA chief"?CNET News?9:55 AM "Analysts to focus on layoffs, inventory when RIM releases results"?The Globe and Mail [Free Registration Required]?10:49 AM "RIM earnings preview: Bleak, disappointing, 'terrible'"?CNET News?9:55 AM "Want affordable OLED TVs? 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US, Russia discuss Syria ahead of Geneva talks

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr. pay their respects during a flower-laying at the Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad, Thursday, June 28, 2012, in St. Petersburg, Russia. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr. pay their respects during a flower-laying at the Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad, Thursday, June 28, 2012, in St. Petersburg, Russia. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton looks up at a monument for WWII victims in St. Petersburg, Russia, Thursday, June 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, listens to question during his and Tunisian Foreign Minister Rafik Abdessalam, unseen, news conference in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, June 28, 2012. Russia is denying comments by a U.S. official that it has endorsed a Syrian transition plan that includes a call for President Bashar Assad to give up power in favor of a national unity government saying that outside forces must concentrate on convincing opposition groups to soften their demands. But, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov denied that Thursday. "We are not supporting and will not support any external meddling,? he said. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, listens to Tunisian Foreign Minister Rafik Abdessalam, unseen, during their talks in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, June 28, 2012. Russia is denying comments by a U.S. official that it has endorsed a Syrian transition plan that includes a call for President Bashar Assad to give up power in favor of a national unity government saying that outside forces must concentrate on convincing opposition groups to soften their demands. But, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov denied that Thursday. "We are not supporting and will not support any external meddling,? he said. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

In this Thursday, June 28, 2012 photo, embers of the Free Syrian Army are seen in a neighborhood of Damascus, Syria. Much of the violence that has gripped Syria has been sanctioned by the government to crush dissent. But rebel fighters are launching increasingly deadly attacks on regime targets, and several huge suicide bombings this year suggest al-Qaida or other extremists are joining the battle. A bomb blast rocked central Damascus on Thursday near a busy market and the country's main justice complex, wounding at least three people and sending a cloud of black smoke into the air. (AP Photo)

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) ? The top U.S. and Russian diplomats failed Friday to bridge their differences over Syria on the eve of a landmark multinational conference that had been designed to sign off on a plan to ease Syrian President Bashar Assad out of power.

"We may get there tomorrow, we may not," a senior State Department official told reporters as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton left Russia for Geneva, where the conference will be held Saturday.

Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met for one hour in St. Petersburg, then shared dinner before Clinton left Russia. The official said the two talked through all the areas of differences and difficulties.

Areas of difficulty and difference remain, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations.

The St. Petersburg meeting occurred ahead of Saturday's conference aimed at ending 16 months of brutal violence in Syria. There was hope they could iron out deep differences over the transition plan being pushed by U.N. envoy Kofi Annan. It calls for the formation of a national unity government that would oversee the drafting of a new constitution and elections.

U.S. officials are adamant that the plan will not allow Assad to remain in power at the top of the transitional government, but Russia insists that outsiders cannot dictate the ultimate solution or the composition of the interim administration.

Annan laid out his expectations for the weekend conference in an op-ed Friday in The Washington Post. The future government in Syria, he said, "must include a government of national unity that would exercise full executive powers.

"This government could include members of the present government and the opposition and other groups, but those whose continued presence and participation would undermine the credibility of the transition and jeopardize stability and reconciliation would be excluded," Annan said.

Such a proposal does not explicitly bar Assad, but the U.S. and other Western powers that will participate in the conference said that is implicit.

Assad also said any future government in Syria must hold free and fair elections for a multiparty government. The official said Clinton and Lavrov agreed to attend the Geneva conference anyway, out of respect for Annan.

Lavrov issued a more hopeful statement after the meeting.

"I have felt a change in my colleague Hillary Clinton's position in a way that I heard no ultimatums, nothing was said about that paper (the Annan plan) being absolutely unchangeable," Lavrov was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.

"(We) agreed to look for an agreement that will bring us closer based on a clear understanding of what's written in the Annan plan that (all) sides in Syria need an incentive for a national dialogue," Lavrov was quoted as saying. "But it's only up to the Syrians to make agreements on what the Syrian state will be like, who will hold (government) jobs and positions."

Lavrov predicted the meeting had a "good chance" of finding a way forward. "But I am not saying that we will agree on every dot," he said.

The senior State Department official said Clinton and Lavrov also discussed the real danger for the region if the uprising in Syria that has killed some 14,000 people doesn't end peacefully. Already, Syria has shot down a Turkish warplane and Turkey has responded by setting up anti-aircraft guns on its border with Syria. They also discussed the "serious risk" of destabilizing Jordan and the potential impact on Israel.

On Friday, Syrian troops shelled a suburb of Damascus, killing an estimated 125 civilians and 60 soldiers..

Russia is Syria's most important ally, protector and supplier of arms. Diplomatic hopes for have rested on persuading Russia to agree to a plan that would end the Assad family dynasty, which has ruled Syria for more than four decades.

The difference in interpretation between the U.S. and Russia could prove to be the plan's unraveling.

On Thursday, Lavrov acknowledged that a transition period is necessary to end the violence in Syria, but said Russia had not agreed to all elements of Annan's plan, in particular any suggestion that Assad would be required to leave.

"We are not supporting and will not support any external meddling," Lavrov said. "External players must not dictate ... to Syrians, but, first of all, must commit to influencing all the sides in Syria to stop the violence."

He also said the Annan plan was still a work in progress.

But, Clinton, speaking Thursday in Riga, Latvia, said it was "very clear" that all participants in the Geneva meeting, including Russia, were on board with the transition plan. She told reporters that the invitations made clear that representatives "were coming on the basis of (Annan's) transition plan."

She said then that she expects the meeting "to provide an opportunity to make real progress" on that plan

___

Associated Press writer Mansur Mirovalev in Moscow contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-06-29-Syria-Diplomacy/id-db5650a5e3f14b9a95dc1e608a98bfec

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Don't Give Up! You Can Finish Your Home Improvement Project ...

When choosing a contractor, make sure to interview them and check references. There are few things more painful than a home improvement project gone wrong. At best you?ll have to live in a house that makes you unhappy and at worse you could find yourself without a place that?s safe to live in. Perform your due diligence upfront in making your choice so that you won?t be surprised at the results at the end.

When it comes to home improvement, be sure to do your background work and ensure that the contractor is bonded. This is important because a way to assure that the job you intended to be completed will be completed per the stated terms. Also, the bond provider will cover any damage or theft that occurs.

When doing any major home improvement project do not forget the front door. The front door is the focal point of the house and the place where a guest will wait after ringing the bell. The front door and entry are what welcomes them, so spruce them up during your home improvementproject.

If you are going to do home improvements for family members or friends and are not insured to do the repairs you may want to think long and hard before doing the repairs. You can not see extensive damage behind walls and you could be setting yourself up for a lawsuit if you are not able to properly fix the repair after you have started.

Adding halogen track lighting fixtures can add an especially elegant touch to kitchens in which food is focal. Track lighting can be adjusted to highlight distinctive architectural elements of the kitchen, illuminate fine china or floral displays, or draw visitors? eyes to the main serving area during intimate dinner parties.

Protect yourself when you change the blades in your utility knife. While changing the blade, wrap tape around the old blade before tossing it in the trash. By doing this, the sharp edges of the blade will be covered. When taking out the trash, or packing down the trash, the sharp edges will not be able to hurt anyone with the tape wrapped around them.

Install a lazy Susan in those odd corner cabinets. It can be difficult to properly use the storage space they provide, if you have to get down on your hands and knees to search for the items in the back corners. A lazy Susan will allow you to reach your items easily every time.

Improve your home and lower your water bill by changing out your toilet with a more efficient model. Many companies have reduced the amount of gallons it takes to flush and they even feature options, such as flushing only liquids or solids, so you can control how much water is used, depending on what is in the toilet.

If you have a home improvement project, why not involve the neighbors? Look into tool borrowing websites to borrow goods from your neighbors. You can borrow expensive tools for just a fraction of the cost; saving you lots of money, and enabling you to have the tools you need when you need them. Bonus! You get to meet and know your neighbors, making your neighborhood a better, happier place to live.

If you are trying to decide what home improvement projects to take on to prepare your home for resale, then remember the old real estate adage, ?Kitchens and bathrooms sell homes.? If you only have funds to improve a couple rooms, then start with your kitchens and bathrooms to see the biggest improvement in your asking price.

Learning how to remove a sink trap is a valuable skill. It can help you remove anything that has been dropped down the drain which is not an uncommon occurrence. If you do drop something down the drain don?t run water in it until you can remove the trap.

If you have thought about adding an extra room to your house, then adding an extra bathroom, family room, or den to your home. Recreational areas add value as extra space, and they are a great area for entertainment needs. Have the blueprints drawn up for a family den or entertainment room, and see how it could benefit the value of your home.

When remodeling your kitchen, decide whether you really need enclosed cabinetry. Cabinets are often one of the most expensive pieces of kitchen remodeling, and you can save money by choosing open shelving instead. Shelves give you instant access to your cooking utensils, serving dishes, and ingredients. It?s a great idea for casual kitchens that get a lot of use.

Switch your thermostat to a programmable model for an easy update that will save you money on your energy bills. These thermostats can be set to automatically adjust the temperature based on the time of day, so your furnace or air conditioner will run less often when you are at work or school or while you are sleeping.

In conclusion, home improvement is inevitable for homeowners. Parts of a home may break down and need repair or new additions to a house must be made. Using the tips that were provided in this article, you can tackle your own home improvement needs with ease and keep your home in top shape.

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Spain just Euro 2012 final away from history

By PAUL LOGOTHETIS

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 10:33 a.m. ET June 28, 2012

DONETSK, Ukraine (AP) -Spain is just one victory away from making history and securing its reputation as perhaps the greatest national side ever.

Spain labored to a penalty shootout win over Portugal to reach Sunday's final, where only Germany or Italy can keep it from winning a third straight major tournament - an unprecedented feat between World Cup and continental competitions.

"Hopefully we can achieve what nobody else has achieved," coach Vicente del Bosque said. "This would be great for everyone: for Spanish football and for our country as a whole.

"These are signs of progress taking place in Spanish sports, and hopefully it will carry over into society as well," Del Bosque added.

The record run is on course even if Spain's attack hasn't exactly lived up to high expectations, with the team's ability to grind out results becoming its trademark in Poland and Ukraine.

Spain is the only side apart from West Germany to have reached three straight finals, and the team can go one better than that West German side from the 1970s with a victory in Kiev.

"Spain has already made history and now we continue making it," captain Iker Casillas said. "I hope people remember this all their lives because who would have thought we could achieve this four years ago."

The Spanish, who started their current run by winning Euro 2008, remain on course after Cesc Fabregas netted the decisive penalty after Wednesday's game ended 0-0 after extra-time.

"I had an intuition. In the afternoon I was thinking about it, that I would have a unique opportunity and I told (assistant coach) Toni Grande that I didn't want to shoot second, that I wanted to shoot fifth," Fabregas said at the Donbass Arena. "I think I spoke to the ball, I know what I told the ball. I said 'I think we'll be together right to the final."'

Del Bosque's team has an extra rest day over its opponent, something that will surely be appreciated as the Spanish coach admitted that he replaced Xavi Hernandez against Portugal because of fatigue.

And there are no preferences for the world champions come the final.

"In either case, whichever team gets out of the semifinal will be a great team," Del Bosque said.

Spain's biggest concern going into the final will be its starting attack after surprise choice Alvaro Negredo failed to gel with his teammates against Portugal. Fabregas or Fernando Torres are the favorites, with the pair having scored two goals each and having both started twice in five games.

Despite its difficulties in finding the back of the net, Spain remains upbeat about its chances.

"Spain keeps making history, nobody has done what we have and now if we win Sunday's final we can add the exclamation point to this era," said defender Sergio Ramos, whose audacious soft chip in the penalty shootout helped put Spain in command. "I hope people appreciate how difficult it is to get to where we are. Spain won't always win every game but we hope that's not the case on Sunday."

---

Paul Logothetis can be reached at: www.twitter.com/PaulLogoAP

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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More newsKai Pfaffenbach / Reuters

Balotelli, Italy stun Germany

PST: Star scores two goals in the first half to send the Italians into the Euro 12 championship match against Spain on Sunday.

Italy beats Germany 2-1 to reach Euro 2012 final

WARSAW, Poland (AP) -Mario Balotelli finally showed some quality finishing, scoring twice in the first half Thursday to give Italy a 2-1 win over Germany and an unexpected spot in the European Championship final.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/47396939/ns/sports-soccer/

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Like Square But For Corporations: mPowa Launches New Dongle Payment Service In U.S.

Add one more company to the ranks of hopefuls that want to own the space where dongles and mobiles are used for card-based payments. mPowa, a UK-based startup, is launching in the U.S. today with a solution that looks a lot like Square,?Here from PayPal, and others. But while Square and the rest currently target smaller merchants that do not have card facilities already, mPowa is first going after bigger fish: the large enterprises that do. "Our main focus are those businesses who already take cards but lack the mobile point of sale facilities to make transactions on the go, the Whirlpools or charities of the world," Dan Wagner, the founder and CEO, told me in an interview earlier today. "Now they can make home visits or collect money anywhere." And that's not the only difference. The service works on devices covering four different platforms: iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Windows, another way to aim for mass coverage.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/eegz8RS4ols/

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Soderbergh ready for indefinite break from movies

FILE - This Feb. 15, 2012 file photo shows director, Steven Soderbergh, speaking at the press conference for his film "Haywire," at the Berlin Film Festival in Berlin. Soderbergh says he is taking a sabbatical from Hollywood that could be permanent after he completes his next two films. Soderbergh directed the movie "Magic Mike," which opens June 29, 2012. (AP Photo/dapd, Steffi Loos, File)

FILE - This Feb. 15, 2012 file photo shows director, Steven Soderbergh, speaking at the press conference for his film "Haywire," at the Berlin Film Festival in Berlin. Soderbergh says he is taking a sabbatical from Hollywood that could be permanent after he completes his next two films. Soderbergh directed the movie "Magic Mike," which opens June 29, 2012. (AP Photo/dapd, Steffi Loos, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The countdown is on for Steven Soderbergh. With "Magic Mike" opening in theaters Friday, the prolific director has just two more films to finish before he's "going to drop off the grid for a while."

The 49-year-old filmmaker says he's taking a sabbatical from Hollywood, and it could be permanent.

"It's just time to recharge," he said. "I'm all or nothing. It's on or off, and I need it to be off for a while."

If all goes according to plan, he aims to begin his indefinite break from the movie business on his 50th birthday in January. Until then, he'll be working furiously to finish his final two films.

"The Bitter Pill," a drama starring Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum and Jude Law, is nearly done, the director said, and he's about to start shooting "Behind the Candelabra," a Liberace biopic for HBO starring Michael Douglas as the flamboyant pianist. Both are set for release in 2013.

Soderbergh said he's looking forward to "a new year with a new start."

He already has ideas in mind for paintings and drawings he'd like to make. Other creative interests include photography, collage and "one more film book."

"I'll always be making things," he said. "They'll just be other things."

Soderbergh, who has been nominated for three Academy Awards and won for directing 2000's "Traffic," said the type of material that appeals to moviegoers has changed during his 27-year career.

"American movie audiences now just don't seem to be very interested in any kind of ambiguity or any kind of real complexity of character or narrative ? I'm talking in large numbers, there are always some, but enough to make hits out of movies that have those qualities," he said. "I think those qualities are now being seen on television and that people who want to see stories that have those kinds of qualities are watching television."

He said if he returns to the entertainment industry, "it's more likely I would end up in television."

But he's comfortable with saying goodbye to filmmaking forever.

"I'd be fine with that," he said. "That was 27, 28 films. That's plenty."

___

AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen is on Twitter: www.twitter.com/APSandy.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-06-29-People-Steven%20Soderbergh/id-4f6ffc3999d04d548719c693cdb7320c

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Factbox: Major political handshakes

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OK, This Is Awesome: Gilt Taste?s iPad App Has A ?Touch-Free Recipe Mode? To Keep Screens Clean

When Gilt Groupe first reached out to tell TechCrunch about their brand new iPad app for their Gilt Taste vertical, we were suitably skeptical over whether it was really necessary that we cover it. Gilt is a very exciting company, to be sure -- but at this point, another iPad app debut from another super slick shopping site is not exactly newsworthy. But it turns out that the launch of Gilt Taste for the iPad is absolutely news that a lot of people can use.

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Anyone here use LinkedIn?

WGU courses I have yet to complete: ABV1
Completed: EWB2, CLC1, BBC1, BAC1, BRV1, WFV1, ORC1, LAE1, MGC1, LET1, TPV1, AIV1, AHV1, AJV1, BOV1, INC1, INT1, LAT1, HHT1, QLT1, LUT1, IWT1, TWA1, CPW2, GAC1
Transferred: IWC1, SSC1, SST1, AXV1, TIV1, TNV1, TSV1

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Doug Mohney On The State of HDVoice | VoIP Users Conference

Friday, June 29, 2012 at 12 Noon US Eastern

VUCNovember 14, 2011

The?VUC?call on Friday, June 29th?will feature?Doug Mohney?of?HDVoice News. With over 20 years of telecom experience Doug truly is a veteran in the realm of IP communications. Having appeared on VUC calls twice previously (Feb 4, 2011?&?Aug 14, 2009) he?s also becoming a VUC repeat offender.

This weeks discussion will focus on the evolving state of?HDVoice?as described in?HDVoice 2012: Proliferation. This is the latest version of his annual report on the state of HDVoice, published by?TMC.

I?ve read through this years report. It?s a great summary of state of HDVoice deployment. It covers the issue from a variety of angles, presenting sound insights useful to? corporate telecom managers, service providers, manufacturers and start-ups in the ITSP space.

To make this weeks call a little more interesting, Doug will be joining the us using the?Invoxia NVX 610. The NVX 610 is a novel, HDVoice-capable desk phone/conference phone for use with an Apple iOS device.

So we?ll be walking the walk as we have our talk?in HDVoice!

Related posts:

1. Doug Mohney and HD
2. IT Expo with Doug Mohney

Tagged as: Doug Mohney, HDVoice, HDVoice News, Invoxia, NVX 610, TMC

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European plan tries to convince Germany to do more

The Reichstag building, house of German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, photographed Tuesday, June 26, 2012. German parliament will vote on the European Stability Mechanism, ESM, and the EU fiscal compact on Friday, June 29. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

The Reichstag building, house of German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, photographed Tuesday, June 26, 2012. German parliament will vote on the European Stability Mechanism, ESM, and the EU fiscal compact on Friday, June 29. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

BRUSSELS (AP) ? Top European officials have called on countries that use the euro to surrender more control over their national budgets, a move apparently aimed at easing Germany's fears of sharing debt burdens with struggling governments like Spain or Italy.

The plan is meant to be a grand vision to save the euro currency from financial disaster and to set up negotiations between leaders at a key European Union summit on Thursday.

Germany, Europe's biggest and strongest economy, is increasingly isolated in its refusal to quickly adopt measures such as jointly issued eurobonds, which would see it take on some of the debt risk of financially weak countries. Some experts say such debt-sharing is what Europe needs to end its crisis as it would help defuse the prospect of unaffordable bailouts for Spain or Italy.

But Germany is worried that such debt-sharing would tempt financially weak countries to spend irresponsibly once again and not reform their economies. Reassuring Berlin that governments would face tough oversight of their budgets would be key to easing Germany's resistance to debt-sharing.

"What is at stake is...the overall confidence in the euro area, and indeed in our commitment to the European project," European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso told reporters in Brussels. "For a genuine economic and monetary union to be established, I think we need a banking union, a fiscal union, and further steps toward a political union."

The plan was was drawn up by the "gang of four" top European officials: Barroso along with Council President Herman Van Rompuy, Eurogroup President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Central Bank President Mario Draghi.

It is doubtful whether eurozone governments will be willing to cede control over their budgets and whether citizens of European countries would accept the idea even if their leaders sign off on the idea.

The plan is to be debated by leaders from around Europe at a summit in Brussels Thursday and Friday that takes place against a backdrop of financial strains that are threatening to shatter the single currency.

On Monday, Spain requested financial help to recapitalize its banking industry, and yields on Spanish and Italian government bonds are rising toward levels that forced the governments of Greece, Portugal and Ireland to seek bailouts. But Spain and Italy are widely considered "too big to bail" ? even for Germany.

The plan proposes a "medium term" move towards eurobonds, as well as creating a banking union with a single authority. This authority, probably the ECB, would have the power to shut insolvent banks and insure deposits, with help from Europe's permanent bailout fund.

Though the plan is similar to those put forward by the International Monetary Fund and French President Francois Hollande, it was not embraced by Germany.

Chancellor Angela Merkel told a meeting of her party Tuesday afternoon that she would not accept full debt-sharing "as long as I live." A lawmaker who was present confirmed the remarks to the Associated Press, on condition of anonymity, but noted that she was referring to a full sharing of all national debts. Her office declined to comment.

Despite her strong words, Merkel has during the course of the European crisis accepted measures she had previously ruled out. She had opposed having a permanent rescue fund for Europe, for example, before then accepting it.

Even if rejecting eurobonds in all but the longest time frame is only a negotiating stance, it is clear that Merkel and her finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble oppose debt-sharing until countries have carried out reforms or credibly committed to do so, and the Eurozone has become better integrated than it is now. It is less clear how they believe the monetary union can survive its current stress to get to that point.

Merkel herself has said the solution to the crisis lies in "more Europe" in the form of better central controls.

Analysts were skeptical that the" gang of four" plan would lead to a concrete plan at the summit.

"Such proposals are just bureaucratic fine-tuning, rather than game-changing policies that will result in debt mutualisation and a banking Union," said analyst Neil MacKinnon of VTB Capital.

"As a result, the EU Summit will likely produce re-hashed plans for closer fiscal integration and a banking union but without any substantive detail of how it will actually be put into practice."

Though many European citizens will be opposed to the idea of surrendering control over their budgets, their governments all agreed to abide by a 3 percent deficit limit when they joined the single currency.

After multiple violations of the limit ? by Germany and France in the early 2000s, by a host of countries in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, and by Greece the whole time ? the 3 percent limit was reaffirmed in a new pact signed in January but not yet ratified. That pact also obliges eurozone countries to submit preliminary budgets to Brussels each year.

The latest plan published Tuesday was short on detail, but appeared to propose an even closer oversight of national budgets: "upper limits on the annual budget balance and on government debt levels of individual member states could be agreed in common," it said. Then, a "euro area level" authority could "require changes" to budgets of countries that stray.

At the end of the report, Van Rompuy volunteered to develop a "specific and time-bound roadmap for the achievement of the genuine economic and monetary union" by December.

_____

Angela Charlton in Paris and Juergen Baetz in Berlin contributed to this story.

Don Melvin can be reached at ?http://twitter.com/Don_Melvin

Associated Press

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