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Apple was awarded a patent this week for a page-turn feature that is used in iBooks.Apple patents a page turn function this weekIt is a feature used in Apple’s iBooks applicationApple has been involved in recent patent disputes with Samsung and HTC Apple is now the proud owner of the page turn.In a patent approved this week by the United States Patent Office Apple was awarded a design patent for “Display screen or portion thereof with animated graphical user interface.”The patent illustration shows three images: One with the corner of a page being turned slightly, the next with it halfway, [...]

A high-profile group of senators – nine Democrats and nine Republicans – has urged President Barack Obama to quickly issue a permit for the northern leg of the Keystone XL pipeline, a project that environmental groups have vowed to fight. The senators asked Obama to approve the pipeline because it will reduce the need for oil imports from the Middle East, and create jobs. They were led by Max Baucus, a Montana Democrat, and John Hoeven, a North Dakota Republican, who both represent the booming Bakken oil region. Last year, Obama put a hold on the pipeline designed to carry [...]

The ultimate aim of the Sahara Forest Project is to return vast areas of desert back to life, providing food, water and clean energy in barren, resource-poor areas around the world. This dusty construction site in Mesaieed Industrial City, Qatar will be transformed into a center of food and freshwater production by bringing together a range of innovative green technologies.The Sahara Forest Project is testing its technology on a one-hectare site. Solar power and a seawater greenhouse are being deployed in an attempt to prove a concept which could regenerate many arid locations around the world. This CGI shows how [...]

A bout of long-term unemployment can trigger trauma and uncertainty. Some have equated the emotional fallout with that of a divorce or the death of a loved one. But Alan Moore, founder of Serenity Financial Consulting in Milwaukee sees potential opportunities for smart retirement planning moves. “If properly managed, I believe this time can be one of the most beneficial periods in my clients’ career(s),” he says. Following are three ways to turn the sour lemons of job loss into the sweet lemonade of financial security in retirement. Convert Traditional IRA to Roth IRA Certified Financial Planner professional Clark Kendall, [...]

SAN FRANCISCO The Treasury Department sold $ 21 billion in 10-year notes on Wednesday at a yield of 1.70%, lower than what some traders expected. Bidders offered to buy 3.26 times the amount of debt sold, compared to an average of 3.15 at the last four comparable auctions, according to CRT Capital Group. Indirect bidders, a group which includes foreign central banks, bought 41.4% of the sale, versus an average of 39.3% recently. Direct bidders, a group which includes domestic money managers, purchased another 22.9%, compared to 22.2% on average. After the auction, the broader bond market turned up as [...]

Anger over a film trailer mocking a sanctified Muslim religious figure has sparked violent protests across the Middle East that have taken the lives of dozens of people. Now, the strife is manifesting itself in the form of cyber war waged against America at home. Over the course of this week, three major U.S. financial institutions have seen their web infrastructure targeted in technical attacks. On at least two occasions, groups or individuals claiming to be aligned with Muslims said the attacks were a reprisal for the ‘Innocence of Muslims’ trailer that ridiculed the Prophet Mohammad. On Tuesday, Bank of [...]

CHICAGO Gold stocks rallied, shedding losses, following the Federal Reserve’s Thursday statement it would begin a new program of bond buying, effectively launching a third round of quantitative easing, or QE3. The SPDR Gold Trust gained $ 1.16, or 0.7%, to $ 169.05 a share on the New York Stock Exchange. The iShares Gold Trust gained 14 cents, or 0.8%, to $ 17 per share. The SPDR S&P Metals and Mining ETF gained 32 cents, or 0.7%, to $ 44.90 a share. The Market Vectors ETF Gold Miners index gained 20 cents, or 0.4%, to $ 50.30 a share.

Dear To Her Credit, Two years ago, I applied for a loan to help out a friend to start a new business. I believed in her product, and she agreed to pay the money back in installments toward the credit card company. The amount was $ 30,000. The business failed, and the money has been spent. The debt is now double the original amount because of penalties and interest, and the credit card company is after me to make the payments because the loan is in my name. What are my legal options? What could happen if I am not [...]

Betting against falling interest rates in recent years has been like betting against the tide rolling in. The fact is, though, that eventually tides do change direction.The legend of 11th-century King Canute says that he sought to teach his overly flattering court the limitations of any man’s power. He sat on his throne at the water’s edge, and commanded the tide to stop. When it continued on to soak him and his throne, he had made his point that only divine power can stop the tide.Try as they might, customers in savings accounts, money market accounts and other deposits have [...]