Olympus M.Zuiko Lens 12mm f2.0

The Olympus M.Zuiko Lens 12mm f2.0 ($799.99 direct) is an impressively compact lens with a fast aperture and ultra-wide field of view for Micro Four Thirds cameras. Its field of view is equivalent to a 24mm lens on a full-frame camera. This ultra-wide design is great for landscape photography and for capturing action in tight spaces. It's sharper than equivalent lenses for competing mirrorless camera systems, but is pretty expensive and shows some chromatic aberration. Our Editors' Choice award for wide-angle prime lenses for compact interchangeable lens camera systems goes to another Olympus lens, the M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f1.8. That lens doesn't cover as wide of an angle, but it's a smidge faster, less expensive, and also impressively sharp.

The lens measures just 2.2 by 1.7 inches (HD) and weighs 4.6 ounces. Its barrel is made entirely of metal, which accounts for its weight. Autofocus is very quiet, and there's a large manual focus ring if you prefer to adjust focus on your own. Simply pull the ring back towards the base of the lens to switch to manual focus mode, and push it back forward when you want to go with autofocus. The close focus distance is 7.9 inches; when shooting close with a wide aperture it's possible to create a very shallow depth of field, which is often not the case with wide-angle optics.

The lens is not weather sealed, which is a concern to owners of the dust- and splash-proof Olympus OM-D E-M5. Olympus does not include a hood with the lens, but it does sell an accessory hood for $89.99; that's a bit much, and the clip-on design of the hood can make it hard to use the lens with filters. That's unfortunate as a polarizing filter is a useful accessory with such a wide lens?it will let you darken skies in landscape shots, or minimize reflections coming off of water.

The 24mm field of view can be a tough one for many photographers to master, as there are many elements to take into consideration in order to create a pleasing composition. It's one of the reasons that we give higher marks to the narrower 17mm lens. Shutterbugs who are looking to add a fast prime lens to supplement the kit zoom will likely find it a more useful tool.

If you are someone who sees the world in wide swaths, the image quality that the M.Zuiko 12mm lens delivers will not disappoint. We tested the lens on the OM-D E-M5, and used our standard 1,800 lines per picture height cutoff as a measure of acceptable sharpness. According to Imatest, the lens records 2,118 lines at its maximum aperture, and delivers impressive edge-to-edge sharpness. Stopping down to f/2.8 increases the score to 2,276 lines. It hits 2,439 lines at f/4, and peaks at 2,490 lines at f/5.6. There is a little bit of barrel distortion, about 0.8 percent, which is nominal for a lens of this type. The only real issue with the lens is that it's prone to chromatic aberration, which shows itself as purple and green color fringes in high contrast areas. We noticed this on our test chart, as well as during field use. It can be corrected in Lightroom, but can require a bit of work to clear up. Neither the Samsung 16mm f/2.4 Ultra Wide Pancake NX Lens or the Sony SEL16F28 16mm f/2.8 Wide-Angle Lens, which provide equivalent fields of view for their respective systems, manage to cross the 1,800-line mark without having to close down their apertures, which limits the amount of light captured and doesn't allow for as shallow of a depth of field.

You need to be a lover of wide angles to truly appreciate the Olympus M.Zuiko Lens 12mm f2.0, but if you master its field of view the lens will not disappoint. It's impressively sharp at every aperture, and videographers will appreciate just how quiet its focus motor is. It's pretty expensive, and some sort of lens hood really should be included with an $800 lens. Overall we feel that the narrower Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f1.8 is a better value?it doesn't capture nearly as wide of a field of view as the M.Zuiko 12mm, but it's $300 less expensive and delivers similar sharpness, without the chromatic aberration.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/hKsc59McQtg/0,2817,2417345,00.asp

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At Odds: Connecting Dots Between Rutgers, Yahoo, Atlanta Teachers and Politics

Atlanta teachers accused of cheating. Yahoo bans telecommuting. A Rutgers? basketball coach hurls balls and epithets at his players. Meanwhile, in Washington, the president and House Republicans can?t or won?t bridge their differences and regain the trust of voters.

These seemingly disparate strands have in a common a single, sobering sociological trend: People today are more separate and at odds in their human connections than anytime on record.

That is the conclusion of a jarring report by Robert Hall, ?Our Relationship Crash: The Biggest Story Never Told.? Hall is an accomplished consultant and speaker on relationships, and author of the 2012 book, ?This Land of Strangers.?

Building on the work of Harvard professor Robert Putnam (?Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community?) and others, Hall?s report places Washington?s dysfunction in a broad historic-social context that is no less depressing than the political landscape.

?We?re paying a heck of a price for the destruction of relationships, and we haven?t seen anything yet if it plays out like we?re seeing it now,? Hall told me in a telephone interview. (Disclosure: His book quotes from one I co-authored in 2005, ?Applebee?s America: How Successful Political, Business and Religious Leaders Connect with the New American Community.?)

Hall?s report adds to the conversation on human connections by creating a ?Flight from Relationships? index that aggregates 16 metrics across home, work, faith and politics. ?While obviously not scientific (data from different research sources with different time frames), the FFR Index does illustrate a dramatic trend: our flight from relationships is up 214 percent over five decades,? Hall wrote.

Political junkies will find four of the measures familiar. First, Americans relate less to each other politically. The number of voters who identify themselves as ideologically extreme has jumped from 29 percent to 49 percent in the last four decades, Hall reports. ?Somehow,? he wrote, ?we seem to be magnifying our differences and then joining like-minded, warring tribes.?

Second, the relationship between Americans and their president is weakening. Hall said the Presidential Approval Gap (the difference between how voters of the president?s party vs. voters from the opposing party view the chief executive?s performance) has reached a record 76 percent under Presidents Bush and Obama.

He also cited the wealth of data showing how Congress itself is polarized. ?Productive relationships have suffered as the ranks of the ideological extreme (have) increased 50 percent? since the 1970s, Hall wrote. President Obama has been accused of not working hard enough to get to know his political rivals. Fair or not, Obama is addressing his reputation for aloofness by meeting more regularly and socially with lawmakers.

Finally, the number of self-identified independent voters has increased to nearly 38 percent. ?As politics has grown more partisan and divisive, aided by a media adept at monetizing strife,? Hall wrote, ?the flight from political parties has nearly doubled over the past 50 years.?

In isolation, these political trends would be depressing enough. Hall?s index gathers them with other cultural markers to raise questions about our ability as a nation to adapt to vast social change.

For example, married couples represent just 48 percent of U.S. households, and births to unwed mothers are up 726 percent in 50 years, Hall said. Both are measures of vastly changing, if not fraying, personal relationships.

At work, employee turnover, CEO turnover and customer defections are dramatically on the rise. At church, the increase in members leaving one denomination for another has jumped from 15 percent in 1955 to 50 percent today.

Faith in organized religion (like so many other institutions) is down. People with little or no confidence in the church have jumped 75 percent since 1975, he said.

?Never in recorded history has a culture tried to raise half its children in single-parent households, or systematically changed business ownership at a rate in excess of twice a year or seen an informed citizenry become so rapidly divided over politics and faith,? Hall wrote. ?We have veered off the map into uncharted and dangerous relationship territory.?

The school-testing scandal is partly a result of diminished relationships ? teacher-to-student, teacher-to-parent and employee-to-employer, Hall said.

Yahoo?s ban on telecommunicating reflects the tension between workers? desires to maintain family relationships amid new economic challenges and a CEO?s need to restore valuable face-to-face relationships. ?With their new freedom, individuals are more productive but often to the determinant of their companies,? Hall said.

Rutgers coach Mike Rice is an extreme but not isolated example of a leader who responds to new pressures inappropriately. With competition intensifying at almost every workplace, ?We can?t deal with weak leadership,? Hall said, ?so we struggle by with fear-based relationships.?

You might have such a boss.

Hall continued, ?The advances of extreme individualism, expansive organizations, and breakthrough information technology have yielded unintended consequences: The rate of change is outrunning our ability to adapt.?

Sounds like a political problem.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/odds-connecting-dots-between-rutgers-yahoo-atlanta-teachers-115602649--politics.html

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Oil slide continues on jobs report

NEW YORK?The price of oil dipped below $93 a barrel Friday after a weak U.S. jobs report cast doubt on the strength of the U.S. economy.

U.S. benchmark oil fell 56 cents to close at $92.70 in New York. Brent Crude, which sets the price of oil used by many U.S. refineries to make gasoline, fell $2.19 to close at $104.15. It was the lowest close for Brent since last July.

It was the third straight day of declines for oil. U.S. benchmark oil has fallen 5 percent since closing Tuesday at $97.19.

Oil fell earlier in the week after the Energy Department reported that storage levels were at their highest levels since 1990 even though refiners had begun to ramp up gasoline production to get ready for the summer driving season.

Now the economy looks like it might not grow fast enough to churn through the nation's high supplies.

The Labor Department reported Friday the economy added 88,000 jobs in March, the fewest in nine months and half as many as analysts expected. The slowdown may signal the economy will weaken this spring.

When the economy slows, shippers and travelers burn less gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, reducing demand for crude oil needed to make those fuels.

Oil analyst Jim Ritterbusch said that he expects oil prices to remain weak in the coming weeks. Along with what could be a slower U.S. economy, economic growth in developing markets seems to be slowing slightly and the European economy continues to struggle. At the same time, oil supplies in the U.S. and Europe are high.

U.S. retail gasoline prices inched lower Friday, falling by a penny to $3.63 per gallon, according to AAA, OPIS and Wright Express. Pump prices have been slowly declining since reaching a winter peak of $3.79 on Feb. 27. Last year at this time, U.S. gasoline prices hit their high for the year of $3.94 per gallon.

Natural gas prices have been rising quickly in recent months as cold weather blanketed the country through March and into early April. Half of U.S. homes use natural gas for heating.

Natural gas rose 4.6 percent Friday to close at $4.13 per thousand cubic feet. That's the highest close for natural gas since August 2011. The price has doubled since last year at this time, when the nation was emerging from the warmest winter on record.

In other energy futures trading on the Nymex:

? Heating oil fell 5 cents to close at $2.91 per gallon.

? Wholesale gasoline fell 4 cents to close at $2.86 per gallon.

Source: http://www.scsun-news.com/silver_city-business/ci_22960105?source=rss

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3 Mistakes To Avoid In Internet Marketing

By Tega Diegbe

Internet marketing can be a very lucrative field to be involved in, but it is also one that is fraught with potential mistakes that can be very costly to those who are new to the field of internet marketing. This article will endeavour to highlight some of the pitfalls on the road to success with internet marketing. When thinking about venturing into internet marketing, there are things which you simply have to avoid, in order not to waste your time.

These mistakes are quite common, and if you are able to avoid these mistakes you should have an edge over your competitors.

If you really are serious about running a successful internet business, it is wise to be aware of these mistakes, so that if you happen to find yourself in the midst of a mistake, then you can fix it, and if you are aware of them the murky waters become easier to navigate.

Mistake 1: Not having a niche/being in the wrong Niche

Once you have setup your online business, you have to choose what services you want to offer and sell. The next step after this is to make your presence known within your niche, if you choose the wrong niche, you are setting yourself up for failure from the get go. The reason for this being there is a lot of competition online, so you have to find a niche that will give you the better chance of success. Choosing the right niche will allow you to stay focused and engaged when things get a little challenging.

Mistake 2: Lack of patience

Too many people believe that buying the latest program and reading through it will guarantee their success, not only that they expect success over night. Unless you are lucky enough to win the lottery, you will not have overnight success in your business. Sometime, it is likely that a lack of patience will leave you in a bigger hole than the one you are trying to climb out of. In Business your moves need to be slow and focused on your long term success. The sooner you realise that patience is a virtue, you will notice that your online ventures will only get better.

Mistake 3: The Lack of originality

The internet is the information highway of the world, and as you can imagine there will be a number of duplicate content which some people would have just copied word for word, you have to set yourself apart from everyone else and have your own style on the web.

If you are successful in setting yourself apart, you will find that there would be little stopping you from achieving success. Avoiding these mistakes should set you on the path of getting your presence to be known on the internet. Majority of people will admit that these are the simplest mistakes to make, and if you can avoid them from the outset, you are increasing your chances for success.

Most people will admit that these are the simplest mistakes to create and if you avoid these from the very beginning, you will be able to really prosper online.

Tega Diegbe is a business owner and Internet entrepreneur based out of Newcastle England.
To discover more about internet marketing and to receive a free instructional manual that shows valuable steps no how to setting up your own internet business simply visit: http://www.prosperitystrategy.com/

Tagged as: avoid these mistakes, get it right, internet marketing, Internet marketing mistakes

Source: http://liveamericandreamnow.com/?p=6882

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Jeremy Irons Gay Remarks: Mocked by Stephen Colbert

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/jeremy-irons-gay-remarks-mocked-by-stephen-colbert/

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Obama Calls Californian Kamala Harris 'Best Looking' Attorney General

President Obama assessed the beauty of California's attorney general Kamala Harris, calling her "the best looking attorney general," during remarks at a fundraiser in Atherton, California.

"You have to be careful to, first of all, say she is brilliant and she is dedicated and she is tough, and she is exactly what you'd want in anybody who is administering the law, and making sure that everybody is getting a fair shake. She also happens to be by far the best-looking attorney general in the country - Kamala Harris is here."

"It's true! C'mon," he said as the crowd laughed, according to a report provided by a print reporter at the home of John Goldman, an heir to the Levi-Strauss fortune.

"And she is a great friend and has just been a great supporter for many, many years. She's brilliant and she's dedicated," Obama said at a luncheon fundraiser benefiting the DNC.

Harris has served as California's attorney general since 2011 and is a rising star for Democrats. She is often mentioned as a potential candidate for governor.

The president came under some fire back in 2008 when he referred to a female reporter as " sweetie " and told her to hold a question for a press availability.

Here is an interview Harris did with ABC News and Yahoo! during last summer's Democratic National Convention:

Obama's event in California wrapped a two day, four fundraiser sweep through the Bay Area. Earlier Thursday he talked about the need for new gun control at the home of Liz Simons and Mark Heising, director of a San Francisco investment firm and a board member at the Environmental Defense Fund

Read about his comments on gun control and immigration by clicking HERE .

Obama Calls Californian Kamala Harris Best Looking Attorney General Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-calls-californian-kamala-harris-best-looking-attorney-211610335--abc-news-politics.html

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Hagel warns of deep, new spending cuts

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel put the Pentagon and Congress on notice Wednesday that he is considering fundamental changes to the size of the military's management and command structures, requiring sweeping and dramatic spending cuts that are likely to hit programs favored by lawmakers.

Hagel said in a speech to the National Defense University at Fort McNair that escalating spending to maintain benefits, existing military structures and replacements for aging weapons programs are devouring funding needed for critical operations, training and equipment.

The Pentagon, he said, must reevaluate the size of its management and military command structures, which continue to grow even as the overall force numbers decline.

"I am concerned that despite pruning many major procurement programs over the past four years, the military's modernization strategy still depends on systems that are vastly more expensive and technologically risky than what were promised or budgeted for," Hagel said.

Hagel also echoed other administration officials in calling North Korea's recent rhetoric a real, clear danger and threat to the U.S. and its Asia-Pacific allies and says America is doing all it can to defuse the situation.

The U.S. has dispatched bombers, stealth fighters and ships to the region, in a show of force to deter any action by Pyongyang. And on Wednesday the Pentagon announced it will deploy a high altitude ballistic missile defense system to Guam in the coming weeks to strengthen the region's protections against the North Korean threat.

The land-based system includes a truck-mounted launcher, tracking radar, interceptor missiles, and an integrated fire control system.

But Hagel said he believes there is a path to peace on the troubled Korean peninsula, although it doesn't include making nuclear threats or taking provocative actions.

While his speech focused on the need for the Pentagon to do much more to slash its spending, Hagel also made it clear that any budget cuts should not erode America's ability to be a force for global leadership.

The Pentagon is already grappling with a $487 billion, 10-year reduction in projected spending as part of the budget law that Obama and congressional Republicans agreed to in August 2011. In addition to that, the military is now facing $41 billion in across-the-board cuts for this fiscal year that went into effect on March 1.

The changes, he said, will involve "not just tweaking or chipping away at existing structures and practices but, where necessary, fashioning entirely new ones that are better suited to 21st century realities and challenges."

In his first major address as Pentagon chief, Hagel embraced what is likely to be his major challenge in his term: shrinking the U.S. military despite persistent congressional mandates that slash funding but forbid the elimination of favored bases and programs that must be cut in order to achieve the required savings.

Lawmakers have resisted Pentagon pleas for another round of base closures and to trim unwanted aircraft, or proposals to adjust military health care benefits as too politically risky. Closing bases and ending contracts can cost jobs in members' districts.

"Much more hard work, difficult decisions and strategic prioritizing remains to be done," Hagel said, noting that "deep political and institutional obstacles to necessary reforms will need to be engaged and overcome."

While both his predecessors launched reviews to identify hundreds of millions of dollars in savings, Hagel is taking over just as the automatic, across-the-board budget cuts are taking effect. In light of those reductions, he has already ordered a re-evaluation of the defense strategy that President Barack Obama announced early last year.

That strategy called for a greater emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region, a continued focus on the Middle East and an increase in cybersecurity, missile defense and special operations forces.

Asked specifically about the unpaid furlough days that civilians will be forced to take, Hagel acknowledged that the cuts will be painful but unavoidable. As many as 700,000 of the department's civilian workers will have to take 14 unpaid days off in the coming months to save about $2.5 billion.

But he said officials are also looking at cutting layers of upper and middle management, including in the military commands, and are weighing whether the department has the right mix of military and civilians, and the correct balance of officers and enlisted troops.

He also said he will ask Congress to look at ways to increase various fees, including those for health care and retirement programs.

"We need to be steely-eyed and clear-headed in our analysis, and explore the full range of options for implementing our national security strategy," he said.

But, despite the budget cuts, Hagel said the U.S. does not have the luxury of choosing to withdraw from the world.

"If we refuse to lead, something, someone will fill the vacuum. The next great power may not use its power as responsibly or judiciously as America has," he said. "America has helped make a better world for all people with its power. A world where America does not lead is not the world I wish my children to inherit."

___

Lolita C. Baldor can be followed on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lbaldor

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hagel-warns-deep-spending-cuts-164634723--politics.html

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