SurModics Recruits New Finance Head - Zacks.com

SurModics, Inc. (SRDX - Analyst Report), a provider of surface modification and drug delivery technologies to the healthcare industry, recently revealed that it has appointed Andy LaFrence as the chief financial officer (CFO) and Vice President of finance. He will take over the reins effective February 12, 2013. LaFrence will replace Timothy Arens, the current interim CFO at SurModics.

Going forward, Timothy Arens will assume responsibility as the Vice President of corporate development and strategy. He will be responsible for framing strategies and assessing growth opportunities for the Medical Device and In Vitro Diagnostics segments at Surmodics. We note that SurModics currently operates through these two divisions.

The new CFO will be responsible for leading the entire financial activities at SurModics. His will be in charge of activities, such as controlling, financial planning and analysis, treasury, tax, audit and investor relations.

LaFrence, a certified public accountant, brings with him more than 20 years of experience to SurModics pertaining to finance and capital markets. LaFrence has donned many important roles in his illustrious career. Previously, he was the CFO of CNS Therapeutics (now a wholly owned subsidiary of Covidien plc (COV - Analyst Report)). Prior to that, he acted as an audit partner at KPMG, where he concentrated on supporting public and private, high-growth medical technology, pharmaceutical and biotechnology entities.

Taking into account LaFrence?s vast experience in the finance and capital markets, he can easily be labeled as a veteran in that field. LaFrence?s comprehensive sector know-how and expertise is expected to be beneficial to SurModics.

We have a long-term Neutral recommendation on SurModics. Also, it holds a short-term Zacks #3 Rank (Hold). However, Quidel Corporation (QDEL - Snapshot Report), which operates in the same industry as SurModics, appears to be better- positioned. The stock carries a Zacks #2 Rank (Buy).

Source: http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/89331/surmodics-recruits-new-finance-head

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The Importance of Good Web Design to E-commerce

Today?s consumers have the good fortune of being able to access a wide variety of products and services thanks to the Internet. Whatever may be the product that they desire, they can order online. Be it groceries, gizmos, books, clothes accessories,
insurance or automobile spare parts, everything is available online. Rather than take their cars out, they only need to take out their laptops and click on what they want to buy. It will get delivered to their doorstep.

From the point of view of companies, e-commerce increases the number of customers in a very cost-effective way. In this win-win situation the crucial link is the website, and it is imperative that it be optimised for e-commerce. For this, one has the option of turning to professional set-ups like web design Chester. A website optimised for e-commerce is able to persuade an online visitor to the site to make a purchase online.

What is a good e-commerce website?

It is important that the firm that designs your website fully understands the exact nature of your business in order to be able to design a website that will maximise revenue while keeping the costs low. For this to happen, the website first of all has to have an easily navigable path so that potential buyers have no difficulty in reaching the purchase page.

Also let the layout be an impressive one, and care should be taken in researching the best way to design a website for a particular product or service. The effective use of programming languages like Cold Fusion, Perl, Python, Java, Net, ASP etc. ensures that the website turns out be both efficient and innovative.

Advantages of a good ecommerce website

A good website reflects a good pedigree. This means that potential buyers will come to trust your products and services to the extent that they would be willing to buy them online. A well-designed website will reflect in your website rankings. Increased online visibility, in turn, leads to increased traffic, and eventually increased sales.

A professionally designed website is bound to be featured in other websites. This again leads to more traffic. Also, a website is really a live 24x7 advertising medium which practically costs you nothing. This is a great way to save on costs when measured against other traditional advertising media. Perhaps the most crucial advantage of a well-designed ecommerce website is that it enables you to sell your products or services 365 days and nights a year.

The fact that a website is a great medium for collecting real-time feedback directly from the customers lets you have that rare insight into what the customers really think of your product and what improvements they would like for you to make to them.

Thus, we see that good website design is everything when it comes to achieving success in ecommerce. It is no wonder then that the importance of web designing companies like web design Chester is growing by the day.

John Hunt is quite a popular blogger with IT industry people. His recent blogs on the proliferation of web design companies like web design Chester are quite popular.

Source: http://www.itmashable.com/2012/12/the-importance-of-good-web-design-to-e.html

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Autopsy: NY gunman shot self, not hit by police

The gunman who lured two firefighters to their deaths died of a self-inflicted shot to the head and wasn't hit by return fire from a police officer, New York State Police said Thursday.

But investigators still hadn't made a positive identification of the body found in William Spengler's burned house. They have said they believe the remains are those of his 67-year-old sister, Cheryl Spengler, who also lived in the house near Rochester.

Autopsies showed that West Webster volunteer firefighter Michael Chiapperini died of a single gunshot and Tomasz Kaczowka was killed by two, police said.

Spengler set a car on fire and touched off an "inferno" in his Webster home on a strip of land along the Lake Ontario shore, took up a sniper's position and opened fire on the first firefighters to arrive at about 5:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve, authorities said. He wounded two other firefighters and an off-duty police officer who was on his way to work.

A Webster police officer who had accompanied the firefighters shot back at Spengler with a rifle in a brief exchange of gunfire before the gunman killed himself.

Trooper Mark O'Donnell said investigators weren't releasing information about how Spengler got the military-style Bushmaster .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle, 12-gauge shotgun and .38-caliber revolver found with his body. He said they're still tracing the history of the guns. Spengler spent 17 years in prison for killing his grandmother in 1980 and was barred from possessing weapons as a convicted felon.

Police have said they believe Spengler used the rifle to attack the firefighters because of the distances involved, but O'Donnell said that hadn't been confirmed by ballistics tests. The rifle, which had a combat-style flash suppressor, is similar to the one used by the gunman who massacred 20 children and six women in a Newtown, Conn., elementary school earlier this month.

The wounded firefighters, Joseph Hofstetter and Theodore Scardino, were upgraded Wednesday to satisfactory condition at Rochester's Strong Memorial Hospital.

The hospital released a statement from them saying they were "humbled and a bit overwhelmed by the outpouring of well wishes for us and our families."

The Spengler siblings had lived in the home with their mother, Arline Spengler, who died in October. In all, seven houses were destroyed by the flames.

Investigators found a rambling, typed letter laying out Spengler's intention to destroy his neighborhood and "do what I like doing best, killing people."

He had been released from parole in 2006 on the manslaughter conviction and authorities said they had had no encounters with him since.

Police Chief Gerald Pickering said police may never know Spengler's motive.

Chiapperini, who also was a police lieutenant, was driving a pumper with Scardino on board when bullets blasted the windshield. He and Kaczowka died at the scene. Hofstetter was hit in the pelvis, and Scardino was shot in the shoulder and knee.

The passing off-duty officer from the neighboring town of Greece was treated for shrapnel wounds from gunfire that hit his car.

Calling hours for Chiapperini and Kaczowka will be at Webster Schroeder High School on Friday and Saturday. A funeral for Chiapperini is scheduled for Sunday at the school, with burial in West Webster Cemetery.

A funeral Mass for Kaczowka, who worked as a Monroe County emergency dispatcher, will be held Monday in Rochester at St. Stanislaus Church, with burial at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/autopsy-ny-gunman-shot-self-not-hit-police-172349134.html

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Gabe Elsner: Fossil Fuel Front Groups on the Front Page

Fossil fuel-funded front groups, commonly referred to as "think tanks" or "institutes," have been secretly influencing the media and the public on energy issues by moving pro-fossil fuel messaging.

These groups, and their proponents, have been quoted on average every other day for the past five years in 60 of the largest mainstream newspapers and publications. Despite having received millions of dollars from fossil fuel interests, such as ExxonMobil and Koch Industries, these groups' financial ties to the fossil fuel industry are rarely mentioned.

The Checks and Balances Project's report, "Fossil Fuel Front Groups on the Front Page," uncovered the extent of this deception by focusing on the 10 most prominent fossil fuel front groups' traction 58 of the largest daily newspapers, the Associated Press and Politico. This analysis does not include mentions in broadcast, radio or online publications for these 10 advocacy groups. As a result, this report only scratches the surface on these fossil fuel-funded groups' influence on the energy debate.

Fossil fuel-funded advocacy groups' failure to divulge their ties to the fossil fuel industry in one story is regrettable, but doing it in over 1,000 stories appears to be planned deception.

Here is a summary of the report findings (download a PDF of the report here):

1. Fossil fuel interests have provided at least $16.5 million to 10 organizations from 2006-2010.
Organizational Recipients of Funding

2. Fossil fuel-funded organizations used targeted, focused messaging to support fossil energy sources and attack clean energy.

Media Mentions by Topic

3. Within a five-year period, these groups and their personnel have been mentioned on energy issues at least 1,010 times in major daily newspapers, averaging four mentions a week -- or more than once every other day.

Number of Energy Issue Placements for Each Organization 2007-2011 4. Media descriptions of these organizations (beyond their name) were not included in a majority of mentions. If described, descriptions typically focused on the organizations' function (e.g., "think tank") or location (e.g., "DC-based"), not their motivation. Almost all of the rare descriptions of motivation used self-identified ideology (i.e., "conservative," "free market" or "libertarian"), not their financial ties to fossil fuel interests.

How Organizations Are Described

5. Media outlets routinely omitted any mention of the financial ties between the 10 organizations and the fossil fuel interests providing funding. The link between fossil fuel funders and organizations was described only 6 percent of the time.

Major Metropolitan Dailies with No Mention
6. These organizations received heavier coverage in influential newspapers that help shape the national agenda, including Politico, the Washington Post, USA Today and the New York Times.
Appearances in National Newspapers

7. Despite being labeled as "free market" or "libertarian," these organizations focus their criticism almost exclusively on clean energy policy investments. They make few -- if any -- references to government support for fossil fuels.

These findings will hopefully encourage more disclosure in our nation's top media outlets. The Checks & Balances Project suggests a simple question to ask pundits and experts being quoted, cited or published in the media: "Do you get money, directly or indirectly, from interests that stand to benefit from what you are saying?"

With more transparency, members of the American public will know when an opinion may be biased and will be better informed on these critical questions about our energy future.

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Follow Gabe Elsner on Twitter: www.twitter.com/GabeElsner

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gabe-elsner/fossil-fuel-front-groups-_b_2287167.html

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Smart TV owners tuning out most apps

11 hrs.

They may be called smart TVs, but that doesn?t stop the vast majority of us from using them as basic boob tubes. A new NPD Group report claims that most people use their Internet-enabled televisions to stream video services like Netflix or Hulu Plus, and?? actually, not much else.

Streaming music services manage to entertain around 15 percent of smart TV owners, but all of the more ballyhooed interactive aspects of Internet-enabled TVs???think Facebook, Twitter, Web browsers, and all those apps, games, and email widgets that come preloaded in newer HDTVs???are left completely untouched by most people.

The NPD Group?chalks the trend?up to a few different factors, the biggest of which being the simple fact that most people consider televisions sets to be, well, televisions???not computing devices. The proliferation of secondary Internet-enabled devices (like consoles and Blu-ray players) and the rise of local digital streaming options (like AirPlay, DLNA, and Samsung AllShare) may also be both confusing customers and cannibalizing traditional smart TV services, NPD theorizes.

We?ll add another possible factor: The molasses-slow processors in most smart TVs make anything beyond simple content streaming a major usability pain. Trying to browse your Facebook News Feed on a television is often a tremendously laggy exercise in frustration.

Fortunately, consumer disinterest in the Internet-enabled bells and whistles may just make the basic video-streaming functions of smart TVs more pleasant to use going into the future???at least if manufacturers listen to the NPD?s closing advice: ?Focus less on new innovation in this space and more on simplification of the user experience.?

More from Laptop Mag:

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/smart-tv-owners-seemingly-tuning-out-most-apps-1C7660224

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Cooking Tips For Your Home Cooking ? Food and Drink

The preeminent part in this area learning straightforward to aid basic cooking tips is that somebody can apply these in the kitchen to save on precious calculate a12.26
nd wait relaxed while dealing with present lifestyle hassle that have made life so unavailable. We all have our own practices in the kitchen that get on to our cooking straightforward and smooth sailing. The more we cook the more cooking tips and techniques we discover. In the article below I will give you more tips.

First, you can dodge Bacon pieces from reduction by pre-washing them under cold fill up and at that time fry them. Similarly, the gassy quality of beans can be cut-rate by pre-soaking them in a lofty container to which a tbsp of Soda bicarbonate has been added. Another handy kitchen hint is pro boiling eggs: A wee morsel of salt or a dash of vinegar added to the boiling fill up will keep the egg-shell intact.

Second, remember that if you are barbequing, brush the grille with cooking smear with oil or spray with vegetable cooking spray to prevent the barbeque from sticking. When fire flares up all through barbequing, sprinkle a little fill up ended the flames. Befall guaranteed furthermore to remove the barbeque previous to the fire will burn lone feature of the meat. To cut overbrowning of your barbeque, you can apply the sauce single 20 minutes previous to it is made.

Third, pro cleaning skewers made of wood, a pre-soak in cold fill up pro in this area 20 minutes will ensure they sort made known not burn as prone to dependability ? try approximately basic cooking tips to raise your quality of life. The cookers also play an important part in cooking. Therefore, you should buy high quality cookers for yourself, such as custom kitchens, small kitchen designs and discount Kitchens.


Tags: Custom Kitchens, Discount Kitchens, Small kitchen designs

Source: http://foodanddrink.deadale.com/uncategorized/cooking-tips-for-your-home-cooking/

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KVH Doubles Capacity for Caribbean Region of mini-VSAT ...

MIDDLETOWN, R.I., Dec. 27, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Staying ahead of the bandwidth demands for its rapidly growing customer base, KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq:KVHI) has just doubled the capacity of its mini-VSAT Broadbandsm network in the busy Caribbean region. The capacity increase was provided as part of the ongoing global network upgrade involving deployment of Variable Coding, Spreading, and Modulation (VCSM) technology provided by ViaSat, Inc., (Nasdaq:VSAT), KVH's partner in the mini-VSAT Broadband network. This was the second major upgrade to the mini-VSAT Broadband network in less than a month, following the recently announced improvements that increased the capacity in Europe by more than 60%.

"The Caribbean region upgrade is part of our planned expansion to support the increased demand of our rapidly growing customer base," explained Brent Bruun, Executive Vice President of KVH's Mobile Broadband Group. "We are rolling out a new version of our modulation technology that enables us to handle transmissions much more efficiently, thereby increasing the amount of data that our network can carry. Thanks to our end-to-end design approach, we are able to upgrade the software in our large population of fielded TracPhone? systems over the air, providing a future-proof solution that we continue to improve as we add new features and network enhancements."

Since launching the mini-VSAT Broadband network in 2007, KVH has become one of the world's leading providers of maritime VSAT service. KVH's service differs from competing maritime VSAT services in its use of spread spectrum technology, which enables the use of antennas that are 85% smaller than competing products while still providing fast, high quality service. KVH is also the only maritime satellite service company that designs and manufactures the onboard terminals, owns and operates the satellite service network, and provides round-the-clock global after-sale support providing customers with a total end-to-end solution. Smaller antennas and fully integrated belowdecks equipment are less costly and faster and easier to install, offering significant savings to companies deploying broadband technology to a fleet of vessels.

KVH's business model is another key part of the company's growth strategy. Rather than investing in its own satellites, the company leverages the readily available commercial FSS satellite capacity covering the world's oceans, provided by industry leaders like Intelsat, Eutelsat, SES, and SkyPerfect JSAT. Currently, the mini-VSAT Broadband network uses 17 leased transponders to cover the globe with a unique hybrid network including both C-band and Ku-band coverage. KVH's unique 1 meter, dual-mode TracPhone V11 antenna, the world's only global 1 meter maritime VSAT solution, seamlessly switches among C- and Ku-band frequencies as easily as the 60 cm TracPhone V7-IP antennas and 37 cm TracPhone V3 antennas switch among Ku-band satellites. As KVH's customer base grows, the company will lease additional capacity covering exactly the areas of the world where it is needed. All of the company's TracPhone systems in the field can be dynamically updated to use new capacity as it comes online, ensuring continued delivery of high-quality service.

"KVH supports a large number of oil-and-gas industry customers in the Caribbean region, as well as a large number of yachts, a population that grows with the seasonal migration to southern Florida and the islands from the northern U.S., Canada, and the Mediterranean during the winter," said Mr. Bruun. "Our customers enjoy the highest quality satellite service available, with downloads as fast as 4 Mbps and uploads as fast as 1 Mbps, as well as crystal clear Voice over IP (VoIP) telephone lines with optimized service and prioritization of applications. The addition of this new capacity in the Caribbean in time for the busy winter season is a perfect example of how we actively monitor and manage our mini-VSAT Broadband network to ensure we are delivering the speeds and quality of service our customers expect."

With more than 2,500 onboard terminals sold, mini-VSAT Broadband service is the world's fastest growing, most popular maritime VSAT solution, according to three independent industry research reports published in 2012 by Euroconsult, NSR, and Comsys.

Visit www.minivsat.com/one for complete details about the global mini-VSAT Broadband network and award-winning TracPhone V-series antennas.

Note to Editors: High-resolution, press-ready images of KVH's TracPhone V-series systems and mini-VSAT Broadband coverage maps, are available at http://press.kvh.com for download and editorial use.

About KVH Industries, Inc.

KVH Industries, Inc., is the leading provider of in-motion satellite TV and communications systems, having designed, manufactured, and sold more than 150,000 mobile satellite antennas for applications on vessels, vehicles, and aircraft. In 2012, Euroconsult, NSR, and Comsys all reported that KVH was the market share leader in global maritime VSAT. KVH's mission is to connect mobile customers around the globe with the same digital television entertainment, communications, and Internet services that they enjoy in their homes and offices. The company is based in Middletown, RI, with facilities in Illinois, Denmark, Norway, Japan, and Singapore.

This release may contain certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include, for example, the functionality, characteristics, quality and performance of KVH's products and technology; anticipated innovation and product development; and customer preferences, requirements and expectations. The actual results could differ materially. Factors that may cause such differences include, among others, those discussed in KVH's most recent Form 10-Q filed with the SEC. KVH does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements to reflect new information or developments.

KVH and TracPhone are registered trademarks of KVH Industries, Inc. "mini-VSAT Broadband" is a service mark of KVH Industries, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies.

Nicole Mongillo KVH Industries, Inc. 401-845-2443

Source: http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2012/12/27/513680/10016599/en/KVH-Doubles-Capacity-for-Caribbean-Region-of-mini-VSAT-Broadband-Network.html

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Top 3 Mistakes Step-Families Make (and How to Avoid Them)

In order to have the best chance at success in your step-family, it?s important to avoid some common mistakes. Unfortunately, these mistakes are easy to make, and many people don?t even know they?re mistakes! So here is a list of the top 3 mistakes step-families make, and how to avoid them.

1. Criticizing the Other Parent

Just who ?the other parent? is will differ from family to family. However, the point is that (in most step-family situations) there are biological parents and step-parents. And when you criticize the other parent, it tends to make the child of that parent feel terrible. It?s very easy to do, especially if the other parent is difficult to deal with, or is less-than-perfect in his or her parenting ability.

In other words, it?s hard to see the other parent cause emotional damage to the child and not say anything negative about that parent. Remember, though, that the other parent is half of your child (from a genetic standpoint), and saying bad things about the other parent feels like you?re saying bad things about the child.

How to avoid this mistake: Focus on how your child feels and how the other parent makes him or her feel. For instance, if you find out the other parent did something that upset your child, rather than criticizing the other parent for that, ask the child how that made him or her feel. Then offer some coping mechanisms and tools to help your child deal with the other parent?s behavior. If you are ?the other parent? and you?re being criticized in a way that you feel is unjust or untrue, don?t criticize in return. Instead, do the above ? ask the child how it makes him or her feel when you get criticized.

2. Acting Like Nothing Is Wrong

Okay, maybe nothing is really ?wrong? ? at least, not that you can see. But this mistake takes several forms, such as pretending like the other parent(s) doesn?t/don?t exist, or acting like everything?s normal while not acknowledging the very real difficulties presented in a remarriage. There may be a need for therapy, counseling, or both; and such treatment may need to be ongoing as the step-family evolves (new babies, moving, etc.).

How to avoid this mistake: Recognize that remarriage and step-family situations are a major transition for children, even if they don?t show much outwardly. Don?t be afraid to seek counseling or therapy, and make sure communication lines are open. Don?t fear negative feelings or make them ?not allowed.?

3. Not Respecting the Other Parent?s Time

It?s easy to make this mistake, especially in this day and age of crazy schedules and full days and nights. Step-parents may not look at bonding time with the other parent as important, and therefore may ?blow it off? and not accommodate it in their schedule. This can be difficult to balance, especially if the other parent doesn?t respect the visitation schedule and expects the step-family to drop everything whenever he/she wants to spend time with the child.

How to avoid this mistake: When a child?s biological parent wants to spend time with the child, make sure you respect that time and try not to schedule anything over that time.

However, it?s important for the other parent to realize that schedules and routines are important to kids. The best thing to do is to respect the court-ordered visitation schedule or whatever schedule you have worked out, and tell the other parent that you need to know at least a week (or more) in advance about activities that are outside the normal visitation schedule. That way, you?re respecting the time the other parent can spend with the child without being at the other parent?s ?beck and call.?

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Source: http://www.mommyland.com/top-3-mistakes-step-families-make-and-how-to-avoid-them

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Not exactly a foreign idea - Winnipeg Free Press

Kerry Strayton, 61, is looking to retire in places such as Colombia, Uruguay and Thailand to stretch his retirement dollar.

DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS Enlarge Image

Kerry Strayton, 61, is looking to retire in places such as Colombia, Uruguay and Thailand to stretch his retirement dollar.

TORONTO -- Dwindling pension benefits are forcing many Canadians to rethink how they'll spend their golden years, but that doesn't necessarily mean giving up their dreams of a sun-soaked retirement.

Some experts say with proper planning, uprooting to an exotic locale can actually help cash-strapped seniors stretch their retirement dollars.

Aside from milder temperatures, they say many of the destinations favoured by Canadians -- including parts of Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica -- offer another advantage prized by those on a fixed income: a lower cost of living.

"It's sometimes assumed that an international retirement vision or lifestyle is something that wealthy people pursue," said Rod Burylo, a Calgary-based financial adviser specializing in international retirement.

"The reality is... some people retire to Mexico because it's so darn cheap," he said.

"One could reason, therefore, that if the economy suffered and their finances suffered, they may be more inclined to retire to Mexico because... they could have a better quality of life than they could have here."

Many Canadians are having to make tough financial choices -- including prolonging their careers or downsizing their homes -- in preparing for retirement as debt-ridden governments and companies scale back benefits.

While financial considerations alone are rarely enough to prompt a drastic change of scenery, they often play an important role in the decision-making process, according to a recent survey by the BMO Retirement Institute.

The survey by one of Canada's largest banks found more than 70 per cent of Canadians aged 45 or older have given thought to where they want to live out their golden years.

But it also found that while many fantasize about retreating to faraway lands, just over 10 per cent of respondents said they were willing to follow through and leave Canadian soil.

"I think you get people moving abroad for two reasons," said Brian Burlacoff, a financial adviser with Sun Life Financial.

"You get a proportion of people who do want to spend time very purposely outside of Canada -- snowbirds, for example, in Florida or Arizona -- (and) they have a plan for that," he said.

"But the other group that you get moving away are people that have no plan and they're kind of drawing at straws because they have to find a place that's less expensive to live in order to carry out their retirement objectives."

That kind of "reactive" move, he said, is similar to trading a downtown Toronto lifestyle for a more affordable one in a neighbouring suburb.

But unlike a simple hop across municipal borders, crossing national boundaries can have serious tax and health-care implications, he warned.

And even regions where the average day-to-day costs are low can drain the savings of those without a clear budget plan, he said.

A guidebook published by the Department of Foreign Affairs lays out the potential pitfalls for those looking to retire abroad, from the loss of Canadian citizenship or residency -- and the resulting loss of health coverage -- to the intricacies of foreign tax systems.

"Many developing countries lack the resources to collect taxes on foreign-source income, so they compensate by imposing high consumption taxes or import duties," the document reads.

"Make sure you take into account all taxes, duties and fees, as well as the withholding taxes you will pay on income originating in Canada."

Burlacoff and Burylo both recommend consulting an adviser who understands the specific challenges involved, and keeping in touch throughout the preparations and after the move.

At 61, Kerry Strayton believes he's still up to a decade away from retirement, but that hasn't stopped the Richmond, B.C., resident from getting a head start on his plans to retire abroad.

He's already "actively researching" possible destinations for him and his wife, such as Colombia, Uruguay and Thailand -- places with a pleasant climate and a thriving cultural scene, that he says are accessible enough that their son and daughter will be able to visit.

Moving seems like a necessity for the couple, who Strayton says will have to live off their savings and his wife's "small, very modest" pension, given that his employer doesn't offer a pension plan of its own.

He estimates it would cost roughly $1,500 a month in one of his chosen destinations to keep the same standard of living that would cost $2,500 in Richmond.

"To be honest, living in this part of the country in particular, which is very, very expensive, it's hard to see how we would manage to have at least some kind of reasonable lifestyle," he said.

Many unknowns remain: For one thing, the couple hasn't decided whether to make a permanent move or take the more popular snowbird route.

But with several more years of squirrelling away savings ahead, the pair has some time to figure it out.

And in the meantime, Strayton said, they'll be checking out the top contenders to see which one could eventually become their new home.

?

-- The Canadian Press

Source: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/finance/not-exactly-a-foreign-idea-184783561.html

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Top Japanese Messaging App Line Adds Kids Apps To Its Growing Product Roster

Line LogoLine--Japan's top smartphone messaging app--which reaches about a third of that country's mobile phone users, just announced the release of Line Kids (link via Google Translate), for children aged six and younger. Line Kids is currently available only in Japan and developer NHN Japan says it does not currently have plans to release it outside of the country. But, as Kim-mai Cutler noted in November profile of Line, the app has the potential to become a very important messaging player throughout the world, and marketing to families and children will help it increase its already large user base.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/27V_E9fssyw/

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