Group Mobile Offers In-Vehicle Printing Solution For Mobile Workers

Group Mobile, well known for carrying the top brands in rugged laptops(toshiba laptop battery), rugged tablet PCs, rugged PDAs, and rugged handheld computers has recently created an In-Vehicle Printing Solution for mobile workers. The In-Vehicle Printing Solution makes it simple to turn a car or truck into a mobile office. This is an ideal solution for field service and other mobile professionals who need to print reports, forms, contracts, and other important documents while they are away from the office.

Chandler, AZ (Vocus/PRWEB) - Group Mobile, well known for carrying the top brands in rugged laptops, rugged tablet PCs, rugged PDAs, and rugged handheld computers has recently created an In-Vehicle Printing Solution for mobile workers. The In-Vehicle Printing Solution makes it simple to turn a car or truck into a mobile office. This is an ideal solution for field service and other mobile professionals who need to print reports, forms, contracts, and other important documents while they are away from the office.

Group Mobile's In-Vehicle Printing Solution includes an HP® OfficeJet H470 Mobile Printer with a Long Life mobiule phone battery, Bluetooth® Adapter, Protective Sleeve, Auto Power Adapter, and a RAM® Vehicle Printer System. Group Mobile offers a savings of over $50 when your purchase these rugged mobile computing products in this mobile computing bundle, instead of buying them individually.

The HP OfficeJet H470 mobile printer featured in this solution is compact and weighs only 5 lbs. The printer provides laser-quality text and business-quality photos. The printer has been upgraded to include an HP Lithium-ion long life battery for increased portability; a Bluetooth printer adapter to allow users to print from mobile devices including laptops, PDAs, digital cameras, camera phones, and memory cards; a durable, form-fitted mobile printer sleeve to protect the printer while in use and during transportation; and a 12 volt auto power adapter to keep the printer plugged in and powered up while on the road. The printer also includes one black and one tri-color inkjet cartridge.

The RAM Vehicle Printer System included in this vehicle printing solution is designed to hold the HP OfficeJet H470 portable printer. The cradle uses a unique patent-pending, spring-loaded mechanism that holds strong to a vehicle laptop mount (sold separately), yet provides easy removal for printer storage. A standard length arm and round pipe base are included, which will connect to any RAM Tele-Pole™ and other poles with a diameter from 1.25 to 1.88 inches.

"More and more of our customers are creating a complete mobile office in their vehicles to enhance productivity and to better serve their customers," said Richard Lawson, President of Group Mobile. "The In-Vehicle Printing Solution is an easy and affordable way for our customers to get all of the mobile printing products they need without any guesswork."

In addition to the items included in this bundle, mobile users will need a ruggedized computer and a vehicle mounting system specific to the year, make, and model of the vehicle to complete their mobile office solution. Group Mobile offers a broad line of vehicle computer mounts and rugged computer brands including Panasonic, Getac, GD Itronix, Xplore, Trimble and others.

About Group Mobile
Headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, Group Mobile serves customers all over North America. We supply customers ranging from Fortune 500 companies and the U.S. Military, to local police/fire/ambulance, to small and mid-size businesses, to the frequent traveler that needs something more durable than a commercial, off-the-shelf computer. Group Mobile carries all the leading rugged computing brands such as Panasonic, GD-Itronix, Xplore Technologies, Getac Inc., Trimble, and more. In addition, Group Mobile offers vehicle docking and mounting equipment from Gamber Johnson, Ram Mounts, Jotto Desk, and Havis/Ledco. To learn more about rugged computers and how they differ from commercial, indoor computers.

Battery box aims to solve rural African electricity problems

BBOXX is a young start-up intent on creating new and sustainable energy solutions in developing countries. The company is dedicated to solving the problem of rural electrification in an innovative, sustainable and cost effective manner. Made up of Laurent Van Houcke and his colleagues, who are also the founders of e.quinox, a charitable organisation at Imperial College London, Bboxx aims to use local knowledge combined with global research to create a paradigm shift in rural electrification.

 

Their main technology is portable AC battery boxes which are capable of outputting 60Wh of 240/110V 50/60Hz at max 80W electric power through a conventional socket. These battery boxes can be charged through in-built solar panels or through a standard wall charger (included with the box). This technology was developed from the recognition that the main barrier towards rural electrification is the distribution of electrical power. Their flag ship model, BB5, is currently produced in Rwanda and can power, among others devices, mobile phones, radios, shavers, lights and fans.

 

According to Van Houcke, Africa has experienced a mobile phone boom with the number of users having increased dramatically from 50 million in 2003 to 250 million users in 2008. In many African countries, such as Rwanda, up to 85% of the population lives in rural villages with limited access to grid electricity, but with ample access to sunlight.

 

Bboxx have set up a manufacturing facility in Rwanda and have sold their first production batch of 1500 laptop battery boxes, the company having launched the business in March 2010. BBOXX has also created a partnership with Energie Solutions Durbales in Central African Republic for the representation and distribution of BBOXX's energy solutions. The company hopes to expand to other African countries and to set up a production facility in China by the end of this year.

Top 5 laptops: January 2011

Our Top 5 laptops(laptop batteries) list for January 2011 is dominated by small and light notebooks from Dell, HP, Sony and Toshiba, ranging in size from 10.1in to 13.3in. However, we have also included the comparatively huge Medion Akoya E7216 (MD98550), which goes on sale at Aldi supermarkets on Thursday 27 January. It's a 17.3in laptop with plenty of great features (including USB 3.0 and HDMI) and good performance, and it only costs $799.

Next month is shaping up to be a doozy for laptop lovers, too, as many vendors refresh their line-ups with Intel's 2nd Generation Core (or Sandy Bridge) CPUs. The new CPUs will offer better performance and efficiency over the 1st Generation Core CPUs and their integrated graphics performance will also be far superior. Check back soon for the latest 2nd Generation Core laptop reviews.

1. HP Mini 5103 (XP882PA)

Despite not being very different to the HP Mini 5102, the HP Mini 5103 is still one of the best netbooks money can buy — if you don't mind forking out so much cash for a netbook, that is. It's solidly constructed, has 2GB of RAM and a fast 7200rpm hard drive, and its battery life is great. We hate the prolonged setup procedure when you boot it up for the first time, and think it comes with too much bloatware, but overall, the 5103 is excellent.

2. Sony VAIO Y Series (VPCYA15FGB)

The Sony VAIO Y Series ultraportable notebook represents good value in our opinion. It's very small and light, it's nicely designed and it feels comfortable to use for the most part. Under the hood it features a Core i3 CPU, which gives it ample power to tackle office tasks and Web browsing. We like it a lot.

3. Dell Inspiron M101z

The Dell Inspiron M101z ultraportable laptop is small and light and offers decent performance for everyday tasks. It's the type of notebook you should consider if you want something that's about the same size as a netbook, but which offers better performance. Our only quibble with this notebook is that its screen is of poor quality, but that's to be expected for such an inexpensive ultraportable. Overall, we like it.

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4. Medion Akoya E7216 (MD98550)

With a low price and lots of great features, the Medion Akoya E7216 (MD98550) is a great alternative to big-brand entry-level notebooks. It's a 17.3in laptop and it's not pretty, but it has a solid configuration and modern conveniences such as USB 3.0 and HDMI that really set it apart from the competition. It goes on sale at Aldi supermarkets on 27 January, 2011.

5. Toshiba Portege R700 (PT311AA-00J00Q)

The Toshiba Portege R700 will impress you with its light weight, slim build and great performance. However, having a powerful Core i5 CPU installed in its thin base means that it's a laptop that also runs very warm, making it uncomfortable to use on your lap. We're not fans of its keyboard and we also wish Toshiba would fix the problem with its fingerprint reading software. Those quibbles aside, the R700 is still a tremendous business laptop for anyone who wants mobility in addition to fast performance.

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Can the transforming Motorola Atrix 4G change the face of smartphones?

As far as I’m concerned, the standout gadget of the Consumer Electronics Show this year was the Motorola Atrix 4G - no small feat considering the sheer multitude of gadgets that were hawked. A geek’s wet dream of the ultimate mobile gadget meets the Transformers: a single, powerful device that can morph into other gadgets whenever the need arises. I haven’t been this excited about a gadget since, well, the original Apple iPhone.

First and foremost, the Motorola Atrix 4G is an Android smartphone. It runs the new(ish) Android 2.2, paired to a 1GHz Tegra 2 dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM, and throws in a bunch of other high-end features like a 4-inch qHD 540 x 960-pixel display (a resolution that’s almost as high as the iPhone 4’s Retina display, but with less pixel density due to the extra half inch in the display), 16GB of flash storage with microSD expansion up to 32GB, and an impossibly large 1930mAh battery.

Despite all these advanced features, the Atrix is remarkably compact, weighing only 135g and only marginally taller, wider and thicker than the iPhone 4. On its own, I’d be pumping my first in the air and cracking open the piggybank in anticipation of its launch, which local Motorola reps haven’t been able to confirm in terms of timeline (although it’s expected to launch in the United States in Q1 of this year).

But the smartphone itself is just the tip of the iceberg as far as the Atrix is concerned. The two docks that will be available for the Atrix will completely change the face of smartphone computing as we know it, and it’s especially impressive because a company other than Apple is the one that’s leading the charge.

 

Future of smartphone computing? The Atrix 4G sitting in its Laptop Dock.

The HD Multimedia Dock transforms the Atrix into a high-definition media player for the TV and a desktop computer. In both cases, connecting the Atrix to a larger screen launches a separate Linux interface that’s custom designed for that medium. Hooked up to a HDTV, it displays a media player interface that you can navigate using the bundled infrared remote control, and any photos, music or movies stored on the Atrix (either in the internal 16GB storage or on a microSD card) can be played back in 1080p Full High Definition.

Even more impressive is using the HD Multimedia Dock to transform the Atrix into a desktop computer. The three USB ports and HDMI port can be used for hooking up an LCD monitor, keyboard, mouse and other peripherals (I’m thinking a 1TB external hard drive – yum!), and the Webtop desktop interface offers all the standard Linux amenities like the Firefox web browser with Flash support, a file manager, media player and email client. You can also launch the Android operating system in a separate window to access all of the Atrix’s phone functions and apps.

The laptop dock is no less impressive. It’s essentially the shell of a laptop with an 11.6-inch display, full-sized QWERTY keyboard, two USB ports and 8-hour hp laptop battery life. The Atrix docks into the back, and as with the HD Multimedia Dock, this launches the Webtop desktop interface. For those that remember, it’s a concept very similar to the Palm Foleo, which never ended up launching – poor timing on Palm’s part, given the company was in dire straits at the time and ended up being bought by HP.

It will be interesting to see when the Atrix ends up launching, and whether it will come before or after the next iPhone. Whenever it does touch down, my money is ready and waiting.

CES 2011: Sony Revamps Digital Camera, Camcorder Lineups

At CES, Sony introduced a broad range of Cyber-shot digicams and Handycam camcorders, some of which have 3D features.

The company is billing its HDR-TD10 (shown at top of story) as the world's first "Double Full HD" 3D camcorder (although the JVC GS-TD1 3D cam described above seems to share that billing). Arriving in April for about $1,500, the HDR-TD10 has dual Sony G 10x zoom lenses with optical image stabilization, dual Exmor R CMOS sensors, and dual BIONZ video processors. The HDR-TD10 captures separate left- and right-eye streams at 1080p24 or 1080p60, along with 5.1-channel audio. 3D footage can be watched on a 3D-capable TV with appropriate glasses, or without glasses on the HDR-TD10's 3.5-inch 3D touchscreen. The HDR-TD10 can also capture 7MP 2D stills. camcorder batteries

A couple of new 2D Handycams have nifty new feature: an LED projector built into the LCD touchscreen. That lets users project video images up to 60 inches diagonal onto a flat surface, so they can conduct impromptu screenings. Audio comes from built-in stereo speakers powered by digital amplifiers. Priced at $1,000 and arriving in April, the HDR-PJ50V (shown at right) records onto an internal 220GB hard drive. It features a three-inch LCD touchscreen, Exmor-R CMOS sensor, Sony G 12x wide-angle zoom lens, and built-in GPS receiver for geo-tagging image and video files. The HDR-PJ10 ($750, available in March) records onto 16GB of flash memory, and employs a 30x zoom lens.

Aimed at video enthusiasts, the HDR-CX700V features a Sony G wide-angle 10x zoom lens with optical image stabilization, a newly developed Exmor-R CMOS sensor with 16:9 native aspect ratio, 96GB of internal flash memory, and built-in GPS receiver with Navteq map database. The HDR-CX700V has a wide range of features for videophiles, such as support for 1080p recording at 60 and 24fps frame rates, with selectable presets for colour and gamma; expanded focus, zebra and peak settings, and an assignable dial for manual controls. The HDR-CX700V can also capture 12MP stills. It will be available in March for $1,300. canon camcorder batteries

Arriving in April for $1,100, the HDR-XR560V has 64GB of internal flash memory, and can record HD video at 1080p60 and 1080p24, with CimemaTone presets for gamma and colour. It features a new 1/2.88-inch Exmor-R 16:9 CMOS sensor, Sony G 10x wide-angle zoom lens, assignable function dial, and GPS receiver with Navteq map database.

There are two entry-level HD Handycams: the HDR-XR160 with 160GB hard drive ($650, arriving in April) and the HDR-CX130 with SDXC-compatible and MemoryStick Duo slots ($500, March). Both models have 30x wide-angle zoom lens with optical image stabilization, Exmor-R sensor and three-inch LCD with touch panel. They can capture 3MP stills as well as HD video.

Sony will have two new standard-definition Handycams for 2011: the DCR-SX45, with dual memory-card slots ($280) and the DCR-SX85 ($330) with 16GB of internal flash memory. Both models have Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar 60x zoom lens and three-inch LCD with touch panel. sony camcorder batteries

All of Sony's 2011 camcorders have a Direct Copy feature for transferring footage to an external USB drive. HD models feature tracking autofocus, which automatically maintains focus on a subject selected on the touchscreen; Event Browse, for automatically grouping content; and Highlight Playback & Share, for creating simple highlight reels.

Sony's digital still cameras will all be refreshed this quarter. The affordable W-series starts with the Cyber-shot DSC-W510 ($130; available in silver, black and red), which has a 4x zoom lens (26-104mm equivalent), 12.1MP sensor, 2.7-inch LCD, image stabilization and sweep panorama mode. The DSC-W530 ($150; available in silver, black, pink and blue) boosts resolution to 14.1MP, and the DSC-W560 ($180; available in silver, black, red and blue) also has a three-inch LCD. The DSC-W570 ($200; available in silver, black, pink and violet) has a 5x (25-125mm equivalent) zoom lens, 16.1MP sensor and 2.7-inch LCD; and adds HD video capability at 720p. All four models ship in February.

Sony's 2011 Cyber-shots above the entry W-series employ 16.2MP Exmor-R CMOS sensors. The backlit sensors offer excellent low-light performance, Sony notes. The step-up cameras can all record HD video at 1080i in AVCHD format, and feature dual video/still image recording, which allows them to capture 3MP stills while simultaneously recording HD video. jvc camcorder batteries

Several models allow the capture of 3D images. The 3D Sweep Panorama mode creates 3D panoramic images from images captured with a press-and-pan motion. With the new 3D Still Image mode, the camera records two shots with different focus positions to calculate the depth of objects in the scene, and uses that information to generate separate left- and right-eye images. Pictures taken in either mode can be viewed on a 3D TV with suitable glasses. Users can also use the Sweep Multi-Angle mode, and view the results in simulated 3D on the camera's built-in screen.

The Cyber-shot DSC-WX7 ($250; available in black, silver, pink, blue and white) features a 5x wide-angle zoom lens (24-120mm equivalent), and 2.8-inch LCD. The DSC-WX9 ($270; available in black, silver, red and violet) is similar, but has a three-inch 921,000-dot high-resolution LCD. Both models feature a fast 10fps burst rate at 16.2MP, backlight correction HDR mode, sweep panorama, 3D Sweep Panorama, and 3D still image mode. They'll be available in March.

Also arriving in March, the Cyber-shot DSC-HX7V is a compact super-zoom camera, employing a 10x Sony G lens. Other features include maximum 10fps burst rate on 16.2MP stills, 3D Sweep Panorama and 3D Still Image. It will be available in black, red and blue, and retail for $350.

The Cyber-shot DSC-TX10 is waterproof to 16 feet, shockproof to five feet, dustproof, and freeze-proof to -10°C. It features a three-inch LCD touchscreen with touch autofocus control. The DSC-TX10 will be available in March in sliver, black, green, blue and pink for $360. toshiba camcorder batteries

Arriving in March for $430, the Cyber-shot DSC-TX100V features a 3.5-inch OLED touchscreen with autofocus selection, 3D Sweep Panorama and 3D Still Image modes, and a GPS receiver for recording shot location. In addition to 1080i video in AVCHD format, the DSC-TX100V can record 1080p60 (but dual record does not work in 1080p mode).

Article comes from: http://www.marketnews.ca/LatestNewsHeadlines/CES2011:SonyRevampsDigitalCamera,CamcorderLineups.html

Elmhurst Police Investigate Battery, Make Arrests for Alcohol

Battery Investigation
A resident on the 800 block of North Geneva reported that while he was standing outside of his home, a silver Chevy Blazer pulled up and a group of men jumped out and started to punch him at 12:08 a.m. Jan. 8. The men fled on foot and in the vehicle. While checking the area, officers found two 17-year-old boys hiding in an open garage. They matched the description of the offenders in the battery, but the victim couldn’t positively identify them. They were taken into custody and charged with curfew and released to their grandparents.

Fleeing and Eluding
Jose J. Gormaz, 37, 222 Klein No. 2B, Carol Stream, was arrested and charged on state charges for improper turn, improper lane use, fleeing and eluding, open alcohol, no license, no insurance, driving under the influence of alcohol and possession of cannabis at 12:54 a.m. Jan. 8. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle at St. Charles Road and Route 83. Gormaz continued to drive north on Route 83 while a passenger in his vehicle, Michael A. Medina, 43, 547 Pioneer Drive, Addison, began throwing something out of the passenger window. The vehicle came to a stop on westbound Interstate 290 near Interstate 355, and both men were taken into custody. Officers found cannabis on the passenger seat, floor and arm rest on the door, and open alcohol in the back seat. Medina was charged on state charges with possession of cannabis, open alcohol and littering. Both were released on cash bonds.

Under-age Drinking/Zero Tolerance
While investigating a laptop battery call, police conducted a traffic stop at Interstate 290 and York Road at 12:08 a.m. Jan. 8 because the vehicle matched the offenders’ vehicle. While speaking to the subjects, police detected a strong odor of alcohol. Robert R. Legere, 18, 449 E. Webster, reportedly admitted to drinking, was given a citation for underage consumption at the scene and released. Brendan J. Gallagher, 19, 149 Quincy St.; Joseph R. Zuccaro, 18, 487 Mitchell; and Daniel J. Kosich, 19, 492 S. Prospect Ave. were taken into custody after they allegedly denied drinking. Gallagher and Zuccaro were both booked and charged under city ordinance for consumption of alcohol by a minor and released on I-bond.  Kosich was charged under city ordinance with consumption of alcohol by a minor and being a driver under age 21 with a blood-alcohol concentration over .0. He was released on I-bond.

DUI Arrests
Steven J. Hudson, 26, 803 E. South Broadway, Lombard, was arrested and charged with no insurance, driving with a suspended license, expired registration and DUI after a traffic stop at 3:46 a.m. Jan. 8 at Roosevelt and Salt Creek Lane.
A 17-year-old boy was arrested at 7:24 p.m. Jan. 6 at North Avenue and York Road for driving under the influence of drugs, improper lane use, possession of tobacco and leaving the scene of an accident. He was released on bond.
Bahroze Hussain, 18, 6758 N. Memai, Lincolnwood, was arrested and charged with improper lane use, failure to signal and DUI after police stopped his silver Porsche at North and Berteau at 1:37 a.m. Jan. 9. Hussain allegedly admitted to smoking cannabis earlier. He was released on cash bond. A 16-year-old female passenger was found to be in violation of curfew and was charged and released to her mother.
Cynthia A. Lowell, 26, 1524 Virginia Ave., Downers Grove, was arrested and charged with driving without headlights when required, driving the wrong way down a one-way street and DUI after police stopped her silver Toyota Prius at First and York streets at 1:51 a.m. Jan. 9. She was released on bond.

Warrant Arrest
Aileen R. Soriano, 22, 750 E. Bode Circle, Hoffman Estates, was arrested after an incident at 3:41 a.m. Jan. 5 at North Avenue and Elm Street. She was found to have a valid warrant out of Kane County. She was cited under city ordinance for driving with a suspended license, no insurance and improper lane use. She was given an I-bond on the local charges, but was unable to post $1,200 for the warrant. She was taken to DuPage  County Jail.

Alcohol in Public
Walter Sawyer, 75, 1467 W. 73^rd St., Chicago, and Derrick White, 50, 11567 S. Wentworth, Chicago, were cited for consumption of alcohol in public after they were seen in the parking lot of Corner Cottage Liquors, 526 W. North Ave., with open alcohol at 5:50 p.m. Jan. 5.

Damage to a Motor Vehicle
Someone smashed the driver-side window on a vehicle parked at Park and Kenmore streets between 9 p.m. Jan. 7 and 9:41 a.m. Jan. 8.
Someone ripped off the driver-side mirror of a vehicle while it was parked at Sears Essentials, 265 S. Route 83 between 1:15 and 1:45 p.m. Jan. 8.

Patch reports on law enforcement activity using information provided by official agencies. Persons charged with a crime or issued a citation for violation of a local ordinance are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If you or a family member are charged with a crime or cited for a violation and the charge or citation is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor of this Patch site and we will do follow-up reporting on the case. 

News comes from: http://elmhurst.patch.com/articles/elmhurst-police-investigate-battery-make-arrests-for-alcohol

Hawaii Island utility purchases 1.5MW battery system for 3MW PV plant

Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC, Lihu'e, Hawaii) signed a contract with Xtreme Power, Inc. (Kyle, Texas, U.S.) to purchase a 1.5 MW utility-scale battery storage system. Xtreme Power’s "Dynamic Power Resource" (DPR) will be installed at the Koloa substation. This storage system will help mitigate the effects of a 3 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project, which will also feed into Koloa.

Integration of large, intermittent generation resources

In support of KIUC’s commitment to incorporate greater amounts of renewable energy, the organization sought solutions to effectively integrate large, intermittent generation resources into its system. The utility has determined that Xtreme Power’s utility-scale storage technology can stabilize intermittent resources, such as solar PV, and is consistent with its strategic goals and initiatives.

"KIUC is presented with a unique set of challenges in terms of grid stability," said John Cox, Senior Electrical Engineer and Project Manager at KIUC. "The advanced capabilities of Xtreme Power’s technology provide support in this capacity while promoting increased renewable energy generation on Kaua’i."

Maintaining a predictable flow of power from the solar farm to the electrical grid

Solar PV systems are subject to output variability due to factors such as clouds passing over an installation. The addition of the laptop battery storage system (DPR) will allow KIUC to smooth the power output from PV projects by providing real and reactive power, compensating for sudden output fluctuations in a matter of microseconds.

This rapid response will enable KIUC to better control the installation’s ramp rates and maintain a predictable flow of power from the solar farm to the electrical grid. The dell laptop battery storage system (DPR) will also respond to other system events, such as loss of generation and system faults, which will help KIUC to analyze the effects and benefits of expanding storage in the future.

Clean energy without a major infrastructure overhaul

"With this project, Xtreme Power will once again demonstrate the ease of cost-effectively utilizing abundant, clean energy without a major infrastructure overhaul," said Carlos Coe, CEO of Xtreme Power. "We commend the Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative for its progressive thinking and intelligent measures to overcome variability challenges when implementing renewables into Kaua’i’s grid."

The project marks Xtreme Power’s first sale directly to a utility and is planned for completion in the third quarter of 2011. At that time, this will bring the total megawatts of Dynamic Power Resources installed in Hawaii to nearly 30, with projects on Kaua’i, Maui, Lana’i and Oahu.

Boynton Police: video, 911 calls detail cross-dressers' pepper spray attack

Surveillance videos and 911 recordings reveal the chaos that followed a botched shoplifting attempt at a Home Depot on Wednesday when two suspects used pepper spray on store employees and customers, authorities said.

Police arrested four men initially, including the two who were dressed as women. They were accused of stealing power tool batteries at the home improvement store on 1500 SW Eighth Street and were confronted by security officers just before 1 p.m., said police spokeswoman Stephanie Slater.

"A purse full of batteries" was among some of the items recovered before the suspects fled the store, according to Slater.

One woman, who identified herself as a "sales associate" in the store, told the 911 operator, "two black transvestites maced me and my other associate then came back in fighting."

Another 911 caller started coughing repeatedly as she explained how the pepper spray mist was affecting her breathing.

The video appears to show two people the sales associate referred to as "asset protection associates" stopping the two suspects as they tried to leave the store. As security employees Anthony Varona and Stanley Landin struggled to restrain the suspects, the video appears to show an aerosol blast of what police identified as pepper spray.

One of the suspects, identified as Kendal Edgar Lowry, 26, of Opa-locka, is seen hitting the security men with the aerosol can as they wrestled with the second suspect, identified as David Tucker, 24, of Miami. Lowry appeared to flee the store but returned to repeatedly strike the security employees with the aerosol canister again, according to police. Both suspects are seen running across the parking lot as the video ends.
Two other suspects were identified as Jeffrey G. Baldwin, 37, of Miami; and Carlton A. Mitchell, 19, of North Miami Beach.

Lowry wore a yellow tank top, gray pants and mid-calf gray boots while Tucker wore a pink shirt, denim skirt and flip-flops during the robbery, Slater said.
Tucker is facing an additional charge of possession of an anti-shoplifting device. Baldwin was charged with robbery with a weapon but charges against Mitchell were dropped when investigators later determined he played no role in the robbery, authorities said.

"One of the loss prevention officers who was treated at the scene told us that he was sprayed heavily with pepper spray," Slater said.

Six employees and customers in the area were overcome by the pepper spray, she said.
"One older woman apparently passed out from being affected by the fumes," Slater said.

The elderly woman was among four people taken to Bethesda Memorial Hospital for treatment, she said, while two others were treated at the scene. All have been released from the hospital since, Slater said.

Lowry and Tucker were charged with robbery with a weapon; aggravated battery with a weapon; and aggravated battery on a person over 65.

Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Ted S. Booras on Thursday ordered Lowry held on $140,000 bail; Tucker on $55,500 bail and Baldwin on $50,000 bail. Booras also ordered all three to have no contact with the store or any of the alleged victims.
Dozens of people were evacuated from the Home Depot at the time.

"We do have a safety plan that was implemented by the store and it worked very well," said Home Depot district operations manager Keith Marchesani. "They did follow our standard operating procedures and thank goodness everybody was safe."

The suspects tried to escape in a red Ford Explorer, but a police sergeant stopped the SUV and arrested them before they could leave the parking lot, Slater said.

Assistant State Attorney Mary Ann Duggan said Baldwin has at least seven felony convictions for robbery and drug charges, all believed to be from Miami-Dade County. She said Tucker has three felony convictions for drugs and prostitution in the Miami and Orlando areas and at least 10 misdemeanor convictions. She did not mention any past arrests for Lowry.

News comes from: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/fl-home-depot-pepper-spray-folo-20110113,0,4338012.story

10 Reasons to Start a Business This Year

It's the nature of New Year's resolutions to make promises that we can't keep. This is the year we'll go on a diet, work out at the gym, quit smoking, feed the homeless, learn Chinese and be a better Mom, Dad, brother, sister, son, daughter or friend. But if there's one New Year's resolution you should try to keep this year, it's this one: To start your own business and be your own boss.
Here are 10 good reasons to take the plunge this January instead of procrastinating until 2012.

1. You'll never get laid off again.
 Tired of being a number on somebody else's spreadsheet? That won't happen once you start working for yourself. "Jobs used to be for life, and leaving a company to start your own could put your entire career in jeopardy," says David Ronin, co-founder of UpStartBootcamp.com, a New York company that provides coaching, classes and information to first-time entrepreneurs. "Now the average job lasts about four years—if you can get one." On the flip side, most start-ups don't succeed and, while you won't get fired from your own business, you might end up shutting it down and losing the money you invested. "You'll probably take home a smaller salary, work harder and face higher stress levels, too," Mr. Ronin says.

2. You can stop asking your boss for a raise and give yourself one.

When you run your own business, there's no limit to how much money you can make if your company takes off. Because you're taking all the risk, you're entitled to all the upside. "A 'real' job does not have your best interests at heart—ever," says Scott Gerber, a New York entrepreneur and author of "Never Get a 'Real' Job." "Most jobs offer employees nothing more than a false sense of security, a workload that far exceeds their pay grades and a benefits package that they are most likely paying for themselves." While getting a business off the ground is never easy, every dollar that you put in and every hour that you work is an investment that returns profit back to you. "Find me any job that offers that level of financial incentive, and perhaps I'll think of getting a 'real' job," Mr. Gerber says. (Mr. Gerber is also head of Young Entrepreneur Council, which writes a guest column for WSJ.com.)

3. You can write off that new laptop BlackBerry, iPad or printer. One of the fringe benefits of running your own business is the opportunity to write off or depreciate legitimate business expenses. Recent changes in the tax laws make these deductions even sweeter. Under expanded bonus depreciation rules, qualified investments in fixed assets purchased between Sept. 9, 2010, and Dec. 31, 2011, can be fully written off for federal tax purposes, according to Michael J. Goldberg of New York's Ganer, Grossbach & Ganer LP. (Check with your accountant to make sure your state accepts bonus depreciation for tax purposes.) A new business also can use the Section 179 deduction to write off the price of certain equipment or software, up to $500,000 in 2011. The disadvantage is that the current year Section 179 deduction cannot exceed the net income of the business. Start-up costs of up to $10,000 are deductible once the business begins, Mr. Goldberg adds.

4. You can unplug and work anywhere there's WiFi reception.

Forget the daily grind of commuting to the office. Today's mobile start-ups have unplugged from their digital tether. Small business and social-media marketing consultant Richard Wooley, co-founder of New York's Bond/Wooley Inc., says the key to working virtually is picking your spots—ideally, locations that offer comfy chairs and free WiFi. "When I'm spending an afternoon working through a call list, the best place for me is an independent coffee shop," Mr. Wooley says. "Starbucks can get too noisy to have a real conversation on a cell phone." By contrast, Mr. Wooley finds a quiet bar the perfect setting for crunching complex formulas in the Excel spreadsheets he prepares for clients' business plans. Says Mr. Wooley, "The key is to take off the shackles of a cubicle, charge your laptop battery and get out in the world."

5. There's never been a cheaper time to start a business.
Ten years ago, a typical Internet start-up needed $1 million to launch a product and millions more to prove its business model and scale it to profitability or an IPO. Today's start-ups run lean and mean thanks to the plunging cost of technology and a surplus of real estate and talent. "The popular 'lean start-ups' approach favors developing a product and getting it into the hands of customers as quickly and inexpensively as possible," says Mr. Ronin of UpStartBootcamp.com. "Plus, the stigma of freelancing has lifted for both companies and individuals so start-ups can hire top talent on an as-needed, virtual basis. This lets founders hire better talent with more flexibility, reduced office space needs, and lower benefits costs." And thanks to the power of social networking, it's no longer necessary to hire an expensive PR firm to generate press. You can target niche publishers and bloggers instead.

6. There's a huge talent pool just waiting to be tapped.
While businesses have started staffing up again, there are still plenty of executives, bookkeepers, sales reps and other skilled professionals looking for work. Not only can you scoop up top talent at bargain prices (either as employees or independent contractors), but you may also be able to find someone who's prepared to roll up his or her sleeves and share the risk. "There are lots of people out there with complementary skills who are between jobs and ready with time and talent to be your partner and give your business idea the internal expertise you are missing," says Gregg Stebben, CEO and co-founder of Press4, a New York digital-marketing start-up. It's a great time to partner up with Web designers, graphic artists and other service providers who are struggling to fill their dance cards with paying gigs.

7. Consumers and businesses have started spending again.
With the economy slowly beginning to rebound, both retail shoppers and corporate purchasing departments are opening their wallets once again. But customers are demanding more bang for the buck, keeping companies' prices low and margins thin while the cost of commodities and other materials continues to rise. "Value is the new black and it isn't going anywhere," says Elyissia Wassung, CEO of 2 Chicks with Chocolate, a Matawan, N.J., chocolate maker. "As a premium chocolatier, we've had to get very creative on flavors, packaging and overall value while maintaining exceptional quality." Ms. Wassung's advice: If you can't deliver a unique selling proposition, keep your day job until you can.

8. Capital has started flowing again for small businesses.

 Banks have started lending again—but only to borrowers who check all their boxes. And while getting a small business bank loan may no longer be as tough as landing a date with George Clooney on Oscar night, it's still not as easy as getting tickets to a comedy starring Vince Vaughn. Some alternatives: Crowdfunding (raising small amounts through sites like Kickstarter.com), peer-to-peer lending, credit unions, microlending, merchant cash advances, factoring accounts receivable, purchase order financing and good old-fashioned credit cards.

9. Sellers will lend you the money to buy their businesses.
With the market for small, privately held businesses still soft and bank financing hard to come by, businesses that are looking to sell are willing to "hold notes" to bridge the gap between the purchase price of the company and the cash and loans that the buyer can bring to the table. Sally Anne Hughes, a New York business broker at Hughes Klaiber LLC who helps small businesses find buyers, says that seller financing can help deals close more quickly by giving the seller a higher purchase price while limiting the amount of capital the buyer needs to put down. While most sellers would prefer an all-cash deal, seller financing offers the selling business owner an income stream that's usually higher than he or she could get from investing the proceeds in a bond, money-market account or CD. "Financing may also allow a seller to postpone some of the taxes due on the sale of the business," Ms. Hughes says.

10. You can finally set your inner entrepreneur free.

 Probably the best reason to start a business this year has nothing to do with start-up costs, financing or taxes. It's so that you can stop making excuses and spread your entrepreneurial wings and fly. But before you take the leap, check out Barry Moltz's quiz. (And if that's not enough, here are five questions to ask before you start your own business.)

"Entrepreneurship is a tough test," says Mr. Moltz, a Chicago entrepreneur, author and small-business consultant. "If you scored [low on the test], you are not quite ready to quit your day job. If you no longer have a day job, consider joining a small business to get the experience you will need to venture out on your own."
That's sound advice, and I hope that anybody thinking about becoming an entrepreneur will take it. If you're anything like me, you might just become a lifer.

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Top 10 products of CES 2011

Top 10 products of CES 2011

A demonstrator plays a racing game on an Android-based Motorola Atrix smartphone. Photo: Reuters

         
The end of another Consumer Electronics Show is here and this year there were four stand-out trends: tablets, 3D TVs, internet-enabled televisions and "smart" appliances.
The trade show - by far the biggest event held in Las Vegas every year - attracted over 120,000 attendees who flocked to see the latest and greatest gadgets from the 2600 exhibitors.
It's impossible for one person to see anywhere near all of the products on display but here's my list of top 10 innovations found at CES 2011.

Motorola Atrix
The most innovative smartphone(smart phone batteries) at the show by a long shot was Motorola's Atrix. The Android 2.2 phone has an HDMI port allowing it to be connected via a dock to a big screen and a keyboard and mouse. When it's connected, what you see on the screen is a new desktop-friendly interface that looks a lot like Mac OS X. Apps and games can be launched and familiar shortcuts like alt-tab allow users to easily cycle through them.
There is also a nifty laptop-like dock for the phone that has a screen, keyboard, touchpad, battery and USB ports in an 11-inch shell. The phone can essentially act as a desktop, laptop and smartphone.

On the back is a 5-megapixel camera with flash and a fingerprint scanner for unlocking the phone. Under the hood, it is the most powerful smartphone seen to date, with 1GB of built-in RAM, 16GB of storage and an Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor - similar to that found in laptops and desktops just a few years ago.
An Australia release date is not yet clear.

Motorola Xoom
There were about 100 iPad challengers on show at CES, but again, Motorola, which has languished behind competitors in recent years, appeared to have the strongest offering.
It is a 10.1-inch tablet based on the latest "Honeycomb" iteration (version 3.0) of Google's Android platform, which was designed specifically for tablets. The Xoom is around the same size as Apple's iPad but contains a 5-megapixel camera with 720p video recording, a 2-megapixel webcam, HDMI output for connecting to a big-screen TV, a 1GHz processor and a 1280x800 screen resolution. The Honeycomb version of Android offers new features such as multi-tasking and tabbed browsing. Support for Adobe Flash is also included.
No price was revealed but Motorola said the Xoom would be available worldwide in the first quarter of this year.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc
At just 8.3mm thin and with an impressive 8-megapixel camera, the Xperia Arc packs a lot of punch into a small package. It runs Android version 2.3 ("Gingerbread") and has a giant 4.2-inch multi-touch screen. This is the Android phone for serious photographers and will be available in the first quarter of this year.

BlackBerry PlayBook
CES 2011 was the first event where RIM allowed people to play with its PlayBook and most walked away decidedly impressed. It runs a tablet version of the BlackBerry operating system and offers a 7-inch screen, with a zippy user interface and a number of apps and features for business users. The touch support extends even beyond the screen itself to the black borders.
It also offers consumer-friendly features such as front and rear cameras and the ability to play games such as Quake. No prices were revealed but the tablet will be available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions in the first quarter of this year.

Samsung Sliding PC 7
One of the more attractive Windows 7 tablets at CES, Samsung's Sliding PC7 has a nifty slide-out keyboard, a 10.1-inch 1366 x 768 touchscreen and either 32GB or 64GB of storage. Asus unveiled a similar product that runs on Andriod 3.0 instead of Windows, dubbed the Asus Eee Pad Slider.

Razer Switchblade
The gamer enthusiast accessory maker had attendees frothing at the mouth with its small 7-inch laptop prototype that is tailored specifically to PC gamers. It's as small as a netbook but is a lot more powerful, capable of playing the latest games and runs a full copy of Windows 7. The operating system is modified with an intuitive user interface from Razer.
What really grabs your attention with the Switchblade is its dynamic keyboard, which is essentially an LCD screen overlayed with plastic keys. The keys change depending on the game or game mode, significantly enhancing the experience of titles such as World of Warcraft.

Sony 3D camcorders + projector handycams
Like at last year's CES, Sony went all-in with 3D this year but has focused more on the ability for anyone to create their own 3D content. A new range of Sony camcorders and still cameras let users record 3D movies and take 3D stills before viewing them on a 3D TV, laptop or the camera's built-in glasses-free 3D display.
Sony's HDR-TD10 is essentially two camcorders strapped together, which Sony says make it the first true HD 3D video recorder, offering a full HD image for each eye. The only catch is that in 3D mode the camera will barely squeeze out half an hour of battery life.
The company also showed off a 3D version of its small Bloggie video capture device and a 2D handycam with a built-in projector that can beam video up to 1.5 metres wide.

Sony OLED 3D headset + glasses free 3D
Looking more like a prop from a sci-fi movie, Sony's concept 3D headset had people lining up for half an hour for a demo. Featuring two 3D-ready OLED screens with a resolution of 1280x720 and built-in speakers, the head-mounted display is highly immersive and creates the impression that you're watching a big screen.
Sony also showed off some impressive glasses-free 3DTV concepts in screen sizes of 46-inch and 56-inch. The 3D effect appeared more pronounced at wider viewing angles than on Toshiba's concept glasses-free 3D set.

Philips/LG wand-style remotes
Resembling the controllers bundled with the Nintendo Wii, the remotes for the latest high-end Philips and LG TVs contained accelerometers and cameras that communicate with an infrared sensor below the TV. This turns the remote into an air mouse that can be controlled using gestures (such as flicking left and right to scroll or pushing and pulling to zoom).
These new wand-style remotes will be especially handy in today's world where all the latest TVs can access a range of internet content such as websites and online video. Philips' version has a full QWERTY keyboard on the back.
Another cool remote innovation came from Samsung in the form of a remote with a colour screen that can be used to navigate menus and settings and even continue watching shows while away from the TV set, such as in the bathroom.

Samsung 9 Series laptop
This new ultra-portable laptop from Samsung was immediately dubbed the "MacBook Air" killer by some pundits. Based on the new Intel Sandy Bridge processors announced at CES, the new laptop series comes in 13-inch and 15-inch versions and runs Windows 7. The 13-inch model weighs 1.3 kilograms and is just 1.7cm thick - the same weight and thickness as the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air.
The screen resolution is a whopping 1440x900 and Samsung says the display is over twice as bright as your average laptop, at 450 nits. The chassis is made out of a light-weight material called Duralumin that Samsung says is twice as strong as aluminium.
Asher Moses travelled to Las Vegas as a guest of Sony.

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