New Prize Aims To Become 'Nobel' Of Engineering

The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering is a new award created with hopes to breathe new life into the field. One million British pounds will be awarded every two years for an engineering achievement deemed to have great benefit to humanity. Nominations for the prize opened last week. Robert Siegel talks to Lord Browne of Madingley, the former president of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the force behind the award.

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MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Melissa Block.

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

I'm Robert Siegel. And it's time now for All Tech Considered.

Today, a new award, it's called the Queen Elizabeth Prize. It aims to become the Nobel of engineering. Nominations opened last week to anyone from engineering and science institutions, to research organization and companies around the world. The prize is managed by the Royal Academy of Engineering in Britain, and it will award one million pounds, that's nearly $1.6 million, to a person or group responsible for, to quote the academy, "outstanding advances in engineering that have changed the world and benefited humanity."

Well, Lord Browne of Mattingly is the president of the Royal Academy of Engineering. He's also known as John Brown. He used to be the CEO of BP and he joins us now.

Welcome to the program.

LORD JOHN BROWNE: Thank you very much.

SIEGEL: And first, why create this award and why created now?

BROWNE: Well, very much I think a missing element in the panoply of prizes; something which is completely global to celebrate today's achievements in engineering that make a difference to humanity. I think it's always been a missing element in what's there to motivate people to do great things.

SIEGEL: And give us some sense of the breadth of engineering when you define this category.

BROWNE: Today, engineering is very broad. It goes for medical sciences through to IT systems - the software and the hardware - through to building a great space telescope, building an automobile, building a robot. And all these things are different parts of engineering.

SIEGEL: A question I would have about a big prize for the engineering is: Wouldn't any engineering breakthrough that meets the academy's standard of being an outstanding advance that has changed the world and benefited humanity, wouldn't that already be something for which the inventor or the developer has been richly rewarded.

BROWNE: Maybe not richly rewarded, but even if they had been, they might not have been celebrated, lauded and profiled as great advocates of engineering. And that is the point here; that engineering which looks to commerce and the markets, as well as to the fruits of discovery, needs I think to raise its profile in most countries in the world.

SIEGEL: Every other year, I gather, a winner will receive the one million pounds. Who is underwriting that? Where will the money come from for the endowment?

BROWNE: The money comes from corporations. There is no U.K. government money in this at all. It is completely private. And we'll be fund-raising over the next decade or so to make sure that we do make this endowment live in perpetuity.

SIEGEL: Lord Browne, in your past life as CEO of BP, you were responsible for rebranding of that company as moving beyond petroleum towards green energy. Do you have a particular interest - would you want to see the new prize going to engineers whose work might reduce dependence on oil?

BROWNE: That's just as valid as those who might have made a breakthrough in recovering a little bit more oil from existing reservoirs. I have no particular prejudice one way or the other. What I'd like to make sure, though, is it's something that really does improve the lot of humanity in one way or another.

SIEGEL: It's called the Queen Elizabeth Prize. What was the thinking there?

BROWNE: Well, this is the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ascension to the throne, and it was one of the things that we thought was appropriate to get her name attached to a prize. She has done this, I think, very rarely, indeed. She's very excited. The good news is I think everyone knows who Queen Elizabeth is.

SIEGEL: She requires no rebranding.

BROWNE: I would say so. I think we are very delighted to have her as our brand.

SIEGEL: Well, Lord Browne, thank you very much for talking with us.

BROWNE: Thank you.

SIEGEL: That's Lord Browne of Mattingly, John Brown, president of the Royal Academy of Engineering. He was talking with us about the new Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. Nominations are coming in now and the Academy will give out its first award in April of next year.

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Source: http://www.npr.org/2012/03/05/147992049/new-prize-aims-to-become-nobel-of-engineering?ft=1&f=1007

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The Top Cell Phone Accessories for your Smart Phone | Eastside ...

It is now proved that phone symbolizes the personality of user. A stylish phone such as the Motorola Atrix 2 gives an impression of professional and color of it gives an impression of taste. Everybody wants to have a nice phone.

The Motorola Atrix is designed in such a way that it needs no modification, the elegant slim appearance makes it stand out in the market and from far one can easily tell a Motorola Atrix from another smart phone. To keep the good appearance of our phone or to prevent the formation of scratches, we use various protectors on phone. This is not as easy as it may sound since imagine the burden of always watching wear you place your smart phone and the kind of objects near it.

What is best to protect scratches on screen, if you want keep your Smart phone in the bag, pouch, pocket, with your car keys? What is perfect to protect the UV rays? Anyone using a smart phone with a touch screen like Motorola Atrix or a touch screen tablet will assert that this are the major challenges that face touch screen gadgets.

The Motorola Atrix smart phone developers realized that equipping their gadgets with all the best hardware and software is useless if the convenience of use by the intended user is not attained. That is why they went back to make the Motorola Atrix 2 screen protector, this accessory is designed to protect your screen from all sorts of damage. Instead of limiting the use of your phone indoors now all users can use their phone anywhere anytime without the worry of UV rays.

By using a protective case you can prevent the formation of scratches on your mobile phone. The cases have the ability to absorb pressure hence in case you smart phone falls down or rather is pressed by a hard object the case will absorb pressure protecting the inner components of the phone. The Motorola Atrix 2 case does more than protection, it also adds style and personality to your mobile device.

Dust and other particles like water should also be shielded from getting on the surface of the phone; some screens lose the clarity when the screen has a lot of dirt but with a protective case this issue is faced off. So apart from the best Motorola Atrix 2 accessories we have seen that the smart phone has a couple of advantages. In conclusion, let your Smart phone express your personality. There is a case for anyone in the market no matter the personality.

If you already own the Motorola Atrix 2 and are looking for Motorola Atrix 2 accessories, then visit ThinkATRIX 2 to find the best selection on Motorola Atrix 2 cases.

Source: http://www.eastsidewriter.com/the-top-cell-phone-accessories-for-your-smart-phone/

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Real Words from the Real World: Flood Insurance is about ...

Mar 06

By: Deborah Brcka on Uncategorized ?|?

Last week, we talked about the difference between water damage, which is covered under Homeowners Insurance, and flood damage, which is covered under a separate flood policy. Now that we?ve cleared up some of the confusion between the two, Brightway Insurance CEO David Miller explains why Flood Insurance is an important policy to have.

David Miller cofounded Brightway Insurance in 2003 with one office and three associates, and now Brightway has 97 offices in five states and has helped over 125,000 customers with their insurance needs. David says that incredible growth and customer loyalty stems from how Brightway thinks of insurance. ?These products are here to protect people, and our real goal is education.?

David says in his experience, most homeowners choose not to have a flood insurance policy and don?t understand its value. However, that?s where he feels it?s his job to educate his customers and keep them safe from catastrophe.

Floods occur with 90% of natural disasters, and 25% of flood claims are from low to moderate risk areas. ?We want to package flood insurance in a way that makes sense to customers, and we want them to have the confidence that comes with knowing they?re protected against catastrophic events,? David says. ?Our customers feel safe?because they are safe.?

Don?t wait until it?s too late to protect your home from disaster. Get in touch today and find out how to get a Flood Insurance package that makes sense for you.

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All data collected from National Flood Insurance Program figures available at FloodSmart.gov.

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Source: http://www.bankersinsurance.com/blog/real-words-from-the-real-world-flood-insurance-is-about-education/

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Can a subdivision in CA, once recorded, sever legal access to other ...

Posted by admin on March 5, 2012

- Chosen by Voters I recommend that you interview several attorneys who have recent successful experience with real estate law specifically dealing with subdivisions and legal access to other property.I recommend that you ask each attorney about their recent experience with these issues and what was the outcome.This will give you an estimate of the amount of experience that each attorney has with this type of issue. Next I would ask each attorney about the facts of your specific issue and ask them for their best estimate of the likely outcome. The answers that you get to this question will give you an estimate of the amount of knowledge each attorney has with respect to the issues of your case.Determine which of the attorneys is both experienced with the issues of your case. Make your selection from the group of attorneys that you have determined to be both experienced and knowledgable with respect to the issues of your case. 2 years ago 80% 4 VotesError processing request

Filed under: Law Issues

Source: http://attorneyearlgtaylor.com/can-a-subdivision-in-ca-once-recorded-sever-legal-access-to-other-properties-where-is-law-for-this-issue/

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US service firms grow at fastest pace in a year (AP)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]AP - U.S. service companies expanded in February at the fastest pace in a year, helped by increased demand for new orders and growth in hiring.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120305/ap_on_bi_ge/us_economy_services

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Creating A Scene With General Household LED Lamps | Your Home ...

Successful style in General Household LED lighting is one that uses a lot of light bulbs. This does not suggest adding loads of lights but actually lighting that?s located more strategically with various models of lighting in different zones. Placing a few fluorescent tubes on the roof is the worst thing that can be done. It will basically give you dazzling and cold light that brings on migraines and headaches. Central lighting might cause dark spots as well as shadows. By using down lights across the roof and added lighting in focus locations you will fully do away with this problem. By employing halogen lights and incandescent lighting, you will discover a most extravagant way to light a space and to make use of electricity. A welcome modification would be to swap your lights with LED lighting as well as experience more cost efficiency. When replacing lights try to complement your luminosity, beam position and color temperature as strongly to the characteristics of the prior light bulbs as possible.

The physical appearance of cool or warm light calculates the colour temperature. The majority of LEDs have a bluish colour simply because it has always been much easier and more less expensive to fabricate them this way. They generally do come in various white color lamps. Warm white is a really more common color of bulb used, which enables you to be compared to the prevalent halogen or incandescent lighting we are familiar with. The surface finish which the light shines onto is the important point of how lighting appears. Position your lighting at cozy areas, terracotta tiling or warm wood, to warm an area up. When blue LED light bulb is reflected off dark tops of blue or green or steel, it can give emphasis to the room building up a rather impressive effect. By utilizing lights with ranging characteristics on various kinds of surfaces and textures you certainly will create a completely different effect. It is advisable to use a single or two options and you will be pleasantly surprised at what a stunning result you achieve with just a little General Household LED lighting.

LED lighting fixture is the ?green? and much more fashionable alternative to the incandescent and perhaps halogen lights we are comfortable with. This lighting fixture is the fore-runner in any type of feature lighting and they in addition come with energy-saving features. The General Household LED lighting is now only restricted by your creativity and LEDs could be the lighting of our future generations. They are the modern day most ecologically friendly way to get the most gorgeous lighting effects in any room. Compared to usual halogen lamps, these lights provide up a 90% decreased energy consumption. They also have an incredibly longevity of about 50,000 hours, in addition, involve almost no servicing or the need to be changed. The variety in measurements means that almost any lighting suggestion or need is now able to be installed. They are also moisture and impact protected and quite simple to install. Though LEDs are more expensive than other lighting, with their expanding popularity, this is prone to change. A reduction of price is unstoppable. Soon, people will be able to obtain and make use of LEDs.

Source: http://your-home-improvement.com/flooring/creating-a-scene-with-general-household-led-lamps-4535.php

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How Bridging Finance Can Help Small Businesses | Layer Design

Following the recession, the commercial bridging loan, or gap mortgage, has been somewhat restricted in its use within the UK commercial market. Today it is probably considered to be the most under used form of finance. Nonetheless, it is still regarded as a useful financial tool, especially to small businesses that have survived the credit crunch and are looking to expand. Bridging loans are designed to bridge the gap between selling a property and buying another, hence the name. Short term funding of this sort will enable the asset to be acquired whilst the client has time to organise the longer term finances.

It can also be used to help with the expansion of business premises or to cover temporary shortfalls in finance. Essentially, a commercial bridging loan is a very short term mortgage and, like other mortgages, it needs to be secured over property. If the loan is to be used to expand/refurbish business premises then it will be secured over that commercial property. On the other hand, if the loan is being obtained by someone who is hoping to develop a new commercial project, then the loan is usually secured over the residential property of the borrower.

Additionally, this form of commercial loan can be secured on most types of business property including freehold and long term leasehold properties as well as commercial investment properties. Bridging loans have been used by investors and developers for years to take advantage of market conditions or undervalued assets.

The amount of money that can be obtained for an advancement of this type is usually up to 60pc of the propertys open market value and generally has a short designated repayment term of up to 1 year. Generally, loans of this type can be obtained for between 10k and 5 million pounds. As this is a short term loan, the less capital you require, the better, in order to ensure that you can meet the repayment terms with little problems.

Furthermore, the credit repayment plan can be rolled up for the term of the loan. A business bridging loan charges much higher interest rates (around 12-15pc) than most traditional advances due to the speciality nature of the credit and the repayment terms are usually interest only. As a result of the recession lenders are much more restrictive with which businesses they are willing to invest in. They often require proof that the transaction will be financially beneficial to them.

Bridging loans are versatile in that they can be used for both residential and commercial property and land with or without planning permission. As mentioned above, a commercial bridging finance can be used for various things from business funds, to property development to initial land purchase and property refurbishment. However, they are most commonly used by individuals who have bought property at auction where funds are required in a very short period of time.

Normally, a bidder has around 4 weeks to complete the purchase from the day of auction and a 10pc deposit is usually required. A bridging loan can provide the quick capital necessary to meet this deposit. Being able to complete the purchase of the property quickly ensures that you beat others to the deal whilst also negotiating the best deal.

Furthermore, financial bridges are also very practical and quick for companies who do not want to be locked into a long term credit agreement and who are seeking to raise money on their commercial premises. It gives them the advantage of being able to repay the debt over a short time span. This type of loan is designed for short term finance secured against property in place of a term mortgage or conventional mortgage which would take too long to arrange or where the property itself would not form good security for the lender for mortgage purposes.

There are also instances where businesses are forced to obtain a bridging loan to avoid bankruptcy, repossessions and clean up mortgage arrears. Bridging is much quicker to arrange than a normal residential mortgage, on average taking 3 to 5 days from first enquiry to completion, providing all the formalities and legalities are dealt with efficiently by the borrower. It is important to know that bridging lenders look for speed and will not hesitate to pass up your opportunity if you do not provide them with the correct information in an efficient manner. The bridging finance market is a very small place and lenders will happily go elsewhere with their money, no matter how big the profit margin is!

Source: http://layer-design.net/how-bridging-finance-can-help-small-businesses

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