Bing Valentine's Search Trends: Cupid goes mobile

It’s that time of year.  February 14th is circled on the calendar, romance is in the air and people around the world are racking their brains to plan the perfect night out.  

According to a recent Bing consumer poll of 16-35 year olds, mobile phones are increasingly becoming a critical tool for Valentine’s Day.  We’ve captured some of the top findings and provided tips on how Bing for Mobile can help you maximize your romantic options.  

Interesting findings include:

  • Twice as many men say they will use their mobile phone to find the perfect romantic restaurant compared to women. Men are also more likely to use their handheld to buy a Valentine's Day gift and a fifth of all male respondents say the key to a successful spontaneous V-day is keeping their mobile by their side. 
  • More men than women say they will wait until the day-of to schedule Valentine's Day plans.
  • Nearly 50% of people plan to see a movie this Valentine’s Day.
  • For single folks in the mix, 14 percent of men ages 16-35 year old said they want to go out and try to meet fellow single co-eds.
  • Nearly a third of 16-35 year olds say they go direct to their mobile phone when they get lost on the way to a restaurant.

In fact, since Valentine’s day is such a highly searched and talked-about holiday, Bing teamed up with Digital Dating Experts and Co-Authors of the popular book Flirtexting, Debra Goldstein and Olivia Baniuszewicz to help survey takers and you alike with tips on how to plan the day. The best part is, you can use their tips to do all your planning with m.bing.com on your cell phone. If you’re trying to figure out what to do, where to go and how to get there, whether single or in a relationship, m.bing.com will help find your local hotspot restaurants, movies, bars and more. You’ll get key information about each place, like popularity, proximity and more to help you quickly make your decisions. So, whip up a fun and spontaneous plan on your phone, and quickly text it to your friends or significant other.

Debra and Olivia’s tips include:

  • If you’re a single guy and after a woman that you feel is out of your league, the best way to get her to go out with you on Valentine’s Day is to keep her in her comfort zone. Go to m.bing.com on your phone to find out all the local restaurants and movie theaters in her area. It would be hard for her to turn down a date if all the plans are only one block away from her apartment.
  • If you’re single, Cocktails + Gossip Girl + Girlfriends + More Cocktails = Best Valentine’s Day Ever. Invite girlfriends over for a night in of dinner, pink champagne, board games, and of course, Gossip Girl.
  • According to the Bing survey; if you’re in a relationship, romantic candlelight dinner tops the list as the perfect way to spend Valentine’s Day.  Whether you’re going out or making something at home, m.Bing.com makes planning easy from quick local finds to romantic recipes for two.
  • If you’re in a relationship, try setting up a Treasure Hunt. Leave clues behind either in the house or in your neighborhood with things that he’ll need once he finds you, like a tube of chapstick, a phonkerchief, massage oil, etc. This is a fun way to keep your significant other on his toes and your date plans a surprise. Make the clues challenging so that he has to work hard to find you. Tip: Use Bing's local search to find cool spots in town to leave clues behind.
  • When asking your Valentine’s Date out via text message remember to mind your Flirtexting etiquette: Smiley faces and lots of acronyms will get you nowhere, Keep it light and flirty and avoid emotional texts, Check your spelling, don’t text under the influence and while you shouldn’t reply back right away never wait more than a few hours before responding.

 

Cheers!

- The Bing Team

Source: http://www.bing.com/community/Site_Blogs/b/search/archive/2011/02/07/bing-valentine-s-search-trends-cupid-goes-mobile.aspx

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14 Money Savers @ Home, Apartment Style

I see a lot of great advice for those who own or even rent a home, things I have kept in the back of my mind for when I go single residence. But until them, I am @ home in my mile high apartment and I still want to save money.

I've already discussed how phantom power sucks up your money and that keeping your clothes dryer clean saves as well (if you are lucky enough to have one in your home). But there are still a few items that can save you money in your apartment.

1. Borrow  or Rent it - Room is very limited in most apartments and storage at a premium for items that may be used 2-3 times a year. Renting from the local hardware store may be more worthwhile or check out Borrowtools or Neighborgoods. Of course you want to consider the cost of renting versus buying the item over the long term. And keep your eye out for tools you may need at garage sales (always ask to plug it in).

2. Keep Closets Closed - Having closet doors closed allows you to heat or cool a smaller area and also keeping closet doors closed that have an exterior wall, keep the home insulated. A bonus is that guests won't see your clutter. If you don't have doors this is a great time to get some nice fabric or heavy single size flat sheet to act as your door.

3. Peak and Non-Peak Use - If the utility bill goes directly to you and not split with others then try getting on the utility companies peak/non-peak plan for reduced rates. Some companies have lower rates if you use washer/dryer and dishwasher later in the evening or early morning.

4. DIY Cleaning Supplies - In small areas with few windows, using non-toxic cleaners may be best for you physically and you can save upwards of $50 a year by making your own. And speaking of odor removal ideas, don't forget DIY for stinking feet/shoes and  the smelly bathroom.

5. Fan Yourself - If you have the authorization, install a ceiling fan, even if you have to leave it behind, it can be your best friend in the summer and the winter. If not, fans throughout the house are handy in the summer to keep costs down. And in the winter, open up your window shades to let the heat warm up your room.

6. Changing to CFL - Since the incandescent light bulb is being phased out in 2012 and no longer produced by 2014, it should be easier to get the CFL bulbs for cheaper prices. Just be careful of CFLs that easily burn out. And if you are worried about contamination, then you will be glad to know that LED lights are slowing making it into the stores and they last even longer.

7. Replace AC filters - If you have central air, like myself. There will be a location to change out the filter and hopefully your complex office does it for you. If not, make sure you do it once a year to keep the AC cost down when using it, though some suggest replacing them every month in the summer if it is on everyday.

8. Replacing Grills - If you can hold off until fall or winter for better sales on the BBQ grills, that can save you quite a bit of money. Just replaced our little propane grill in 10 years and saved 31% with free shipping.

9. Heated Water - If you get your bill for heated water, then you should have the ability to lower the water heater temperature. This can save you about $30 a year and reduce any scalding issues. In my case, the water
heater doesn't have temperature settings, but does have A, B, C and Very Hot, so I set mine at A, but this picture shows someone turned it up. (oops) 
For your info:
? (triangle up) = 120?
A = 130?
B = 140?
C = 150?
Very Hot = 160?

Did you know that dropping the water temperature setting by ten degrees typically saves about 4% on the cost to heat water each year.

10. Insurance for Accidents - I know that you would never set your home on fire, but you can't always trust that your neighbor won't accidentally do that. Renter's insurance is something that costs pennies to add with your car insurance premiums and is a nice bit of piece of mind if the unthinkable should happen.

11. Shower Timer - Handy for the person, like myself, who soaks for an hour in a SHOWER. You can buy ones that turn your water off or do like I do and just get an annoying sounding timer for when you shower.

12. Programmable Thermometer - Check with your leasing office to see if you can replace the old thermometer with a programmable one to save money on AC/Heat instead of flipping the switch at whim. In my complex, I can buy one and they will install it, but I have to take it with me when I move.

13. Wrap in Plastic - Especially for north facing windows that get hit with the wind, put up plastic on the windows to keep in the warm and the cold out. This stuff can be put up in about 30 minutes or less. Well worth the expense for the plastic.

14. Bricked Tank - I see suggestions to put a brick in your toilet tank. This is handy if your toilet is not one of the efficient models (mine says 1.3gpf) . If it is an old type, a brick can be wonderful but possibly crack your tank if it is really old. An alternative is to fill up a 20oz plastic bottle and drop it in - just as effective and not as dangerous.


What ways have you saved money in apartment living?


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/IpRp/~3/v2FY_oXPKh8/14-money-savers-home-apartment-style.html

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Real-world vehicle platooning demo

Vehicle platooning, where a convoy of vehicles follows a professional driver in a lead vehicle by adjusting its movements to the distance, speed, and the direction of the car in front, has advanced in great strides (see our previous post from 2005). Following much work in simulation, researchers of the European project Safe Road Trains for the Environment or SARTRE have now achieved a key milestone by performing a real-world demonstration of an autonomous car following a human-driven test vehicle in highway conditions. For more details, have a look at the SARTRE webpage and this SARTRE press release.

Source: http://robots.net/article/3093.html

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New Skyrim screens show off ugly beasts and not-ugly humans

We've had to suffer four whole iterations of the Elder Scrolls franchise featuring characters with gaunt and terrifying faces. However, a recent flood of screens from OXM UK and PCGames.de give us hope that Skyrim's NPCs won't be quite as upsetting to gaze upon. Check out the new Skyrimages below.

Continue reading New Skyrim screens show off ugly beasts and not-ugly humans

JoystiqNew Skyrim screens show off ugly beasts and not-ugly humans originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/08/new-skyrim-screens-show-off-ugly-beasts-and-not-ugly-humans/

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Torchlight XBLA video to warm up your screen

With the XBLA debut of Torchlight now set for March 9, the first gameplay footage has been released. Apart from some necessary HUD changes, the game seems identical to its computer counterparts. Hit the break to watch the video, after which you can continue intensely staring at the nearest calendar.

Continue reading Torchlight XBLA video to warm up your screen

JoystiqTorchlight XBLA video to warm up your screen originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 20:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/08/torchlight-xbla-video-to-warm-up-your-screen/

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Another EA Mobile $0.99 iOS sale - Bad Company 2, Need for Speed, plenty more

EA Mobile is dropping the price on over two dozen iOS titles to just $0.99 for "48 hours only!" If the heart-themed banner we've reproduced above is any indication, this is intended to be a Valentine's Day sale ... though V-Day isn't until next Monday.

Continue reading Another EA Mobile $0.99 iOS sale - Bad Company 2, Need for Speed, plenty more

JoystiqAnother EA Mobile $0.99 iOS sale - Bad Company 2, Need for Speed, plenty more originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/08/another-ea-mobile-0-99-ios-sale-bad-company-2-need-for-speed/

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Johann Van Niekerk replied to Gonzalo Cucho Padín's discussion 'AUTO MODE ARDUPILOTMEGA'

Johann Van Niekerk replied to Gonzalo Cucho Padín's discussion 'AUTO MODE ARDUPILOTMEGA'
Okay I understand,   Chris while we on the subkect of GPSs what is the benifit of having a Ublox versus a Mtek ? its double the price and slower Hz rate ? the only thing iv seen sofar is that the Ublox has better "dead recogning" processing then Mte?

Source: http://diydrones.com/xn/detail/705844:Comment:274543?xg_source=activity

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World IPv6 Day: Bing taking decisions to the next generation of the Internet

Earlier today, IANA, the international body responsible for distributing Internet addresses, completed its final allocation of IPv4 addresses. IPv4 has been the primary communication protocol for the Internet for more than 20 years, so this final allocation marks the end of an era, to the extent the brief history of the Internet can be categorized this way.

Considering the rapid proliferation of personal computers, smartphones, networked appliances, and other connected devices around the world, it’s easy to conceive how we’ve already exhausted four billion IPv4 addresses.

Microsoft and other major technology companies have been working behind the scenes for years to outline a clear path to the next generation Internet Protocol, IPv6. Although a complete migration will take years, we are hopeful that the vast majority of people will never notice the transition.

Microsoft has worked as a member of Internet Society (ISOC) – and more generally the Internet community – to invest in and ensure that there is a seamless transition from IPv4 to IPv6. It is especially important for Microsoft’s online services like Bing to be prepared. For this reason, Bing is joining other major websites in “World IPv6 Day” on June 8, 2011 as part of the Internet Society’s effort to validate the readiness of IPv6 as new foundation of the Internet.

On June 8, we will enable world-wide IPv6 connectivity to Bing.com, for the purposes of a one-day test. Consumers with IPv6 Internet capabilities will automatically access this new method of connectivity. This necessitates both a device that supports IPv6 (like a Windows 7 PC), and support from your Internet provider.

IPv4 traffic will continue to connect to Bing without any change. In fact, most Bing users won’t even notice that this transition is occurring.

At Microsoft, we have been working towards the promise of a smooth and prudent transition, and teams across the company have been readying our products and services to support IPv6. Many of our products, like Windows and Windows Server, have had robust IPv6 support for years.

This is another step in the multi-year process to shepherd in a new Internet era, with billions upon billions of addresses representing billions of devices and users. The number of addresses available under IPv6 is more than 300 trillion trillion trillion.

For more detail, you can Bing it: http://www.bing.com/search?q=ipv6

Kevin Boske- Program Manager,  Bing

 

Source: http://www.bing.com/community/Site_Blogs/b/search/archive/2011/02/03/world-ipv6-day_3A00_-bing-taking-decisions-to-the-next-generation-of-the-internet.aspx

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