Yandex Launches Interactive Snippets Called ‘Islands’

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Russian search giant Yandex announced a newly redesigned search results page today, including new interactive snippets. The company calls these snippets Islands.

Yandex says Islands will speed up the engagement with sites and services by allowing users to take action on their queries from the results pages. Users could, for example, buy movie tickets, make reservations at restaurants, or pay bills directly from the search page.

Apps have changed peoples expectations of usability, especially on mobile, said Ilya Segalovich, CTO at Yandex. When people search on the rich web these days, they are often looking to carry out an action. What happens now is that even if you can see in search results a link to the website where you can potentially book your movie ticket or pay your bill, you still need to click through to this site and possibly even browse a few pages before you find the booking form. Were speeding up this process.

Interactive snippets deliver a new level of user experience, Segalovich adds. Sitelinks are an outdated way of providing information and rich snippets are mere decoration. We know users want faster, more direct engagement with services, and interactive snippets mean businesses can better serve the needs of their customers by offering a shortcut to the ultimate search.

The company is careful to note that it will not determine when to show Islands itself. It does relinquish some control to the webmasters providing such services. Webmasters will also be able to determine what their Islands will look like, at least to some extent.

The feature will be available to all users on different types of devices, but will first launch for desktop computers and tablets before launching for mobile devices. Its being rolled out in Turkey today, then will be launched in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan in the coming months.

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Yandex Launches Interactive Snippets Called ‘Islands’

Hoolahan starts for Faroe Islands clash

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Updated: Thursday, 06 Jun 2013 14:57 | Comments Wes Hoolahan brings a very different dimension to the Ireland midfield for Friday's encounter with the Faroe Islands Giovanni Trapattoni has selected Wes Hoolahan to start against the Faroe Islands

Wes Hoolahan has been selected to start for Irelands World Cup qualifier with the Faroe Islands on Friday night at Aviva Stadium.

The Norwich midfielder will line up in midfield alongside Glenn Whelan, Simon Cox and Aiden McGeady.

Robbie Keane will make a record-breaking 126th appearance for Ireland, as the 32-year-old Los Angeles Galaxy striker passes former goalkeeper Shay Given.

Keane will captain the side and will lead the line with striking partner Jonathan Walters for the must-win clash with the Faroes.

David Forde has recovered from a calf injury and has been passed fit to take his place between the posts, while Marc Wilson starts at left back alongside Sean St Ledger, John OShea and Seamus Coleman.

There was to be no place in the starting line-up for central defender Richard Dunne despite his return from a year-long injury nightmare against Georgia on Sunday.

James McCarthy and Shane Long are suspended for Friday's clash.

Ireland v Faroes: Forde; Coleman, O'Shea, St Ledger, Wilson; McGeady, Whelan, Hoolahan, Cox; Walters, Keane.

LIVE: REP of IRELAND v FAROE ISLANDS

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Vineyard-Nantucket rivalry is part of islands' mystique

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On a recent afternoon, a group of teenagers were playing Frisbee on a lawn on Marthas Vineyard, having a fairly typical conversation for children who grew up on this storied island: They were talking about how much they despise Nantucket.

We dont like Nantucket at all, said Zac Wannamaker. Like, not one bit, Augusto Bueno added. Pressed for reasons, both struggled for an answer. They just did.

Of the seven youths playing Frisbee, only one had even been to Nantucket. But for those who grew up on either of these islands, disliking the other is a birthright enforced through years of athletic rivalry culminating in the fierce Island Cup battle between the high school football teams. For decades, the coach of the Nantucket team visited newborns in the hospital to present them with a tiny football.

While the rivalry between Nantucket and Marthas Vineyard is very real, those on both sides say the root is simply this: Everyone needs a rival, and theyre the only other thing around.

Its little more than the old My-island-is-better-than-your-island thing, said Luke DeBettencourt, a fourth-generation Vineyarder.

But what has changed, natives say, is how rabid the rivalry has become off the field, especially among the summer people who couldnt care less who wins the football game but care very much about what their island choice says about them.

I like the Vineyard because I find its more diverse culturally and economically and socially, said Lisbeth Cooper, who has been coming to Marthas Vineyard each summer since the 1970s. When I go to Nantucket, I just feel out of place, she said as she paused from reading Anna Karenina on the beach in Oak Bluffs, where her son now owns an inn.

Oak Bluffs is just revolting, Richard Zahm said as he rode the ferry to his preferred island, Nantucket. Its like the Jersey Shore. The colors are garish.

Both islands, of course, are summer paradises of great natural beauty. They are also very expensive, very exclusive, and very preppy. Nantucket, the broad-brush argument goes, is just more extreme in all categories. In other words, many Vineyarders say, snobby.

We totally agree, Whitey Willauer, a Nantucket selectman, said to the charge of snobbiness as he sat with friends at the private Wharf Rat Club just off the ferry terminal. They tend to be movie-starish. We tend to attract CEOs and political persons. Its a different culture.

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Independent Living Systems Acquires Royal Health Care

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MIAMI & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Independent Living Systems (ILS) has completed its acquisition of Royal Health Care (Royal), a business and technology service provider delivering fully integrated third-party administrative solutions for Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and Specialty plans since 1996.

As an increasing number of health plans and provider organizations look to expand their scope of services, ILS and Royal are uniquely positioned to support a wide-range of health care payers in delivering comprehensive, cost effective and personalized care to their members. Royal's service capabilities combined with ILS' long term care offerings will enable us to deliver an unprecedented continuum of clinical and administrative services.

Royal has service center locations in New York and New Mexico, covering members nationwide. Their diverse client base includes health plans, provider groups, government, commercial and self-funded programs. This acquisition expands ILS' national footprint and service capabilities to include Medicare, Medicaid, Dual Eligibles, Fully Integrated Dual Advantage (FIDA) and managed radiology benefits.

Nestor Plana, President and Chief Executive Officer, Independent Living Systems said, "Royal's model of care and scalable technology will enable ILS to better serve the needs of our growing membership and client base. We are excited to welcome Royal and its dedicated employees to the ILS family of companies"

"We look forward to working with ILS to enhance the services we offer to our current members and bring our proven solution set to the ILS family," said Steven Bory, President Royal Health Care.

About Independent Living Systems

Founded in 2001, Independent Living Systems ("ILS") has expanded its geographical footprint and provides services nationwide. ILS provides an integrated suite of care management solutions that combats the fragmentation of health care today. While coordinating health plan and state benefits, ILS completes the customer support network utilizing home and community based services to bridge gaps. Its information technology backbone allows for solutions to integrate into existing customer business workflows and technology infrastructures. Real time delivery of data allows its business partners the ability to rapidly perform strategic analysis, targeted oversight and implement new interventions as their health care models change. ILS' goal of improving the aging experience for millions of Americas elderly, special needs and dual-eligible individuals is ideally positioned as a national solution for rebalancing costs for healthcare plans and providers For more information, please visit http://www.ilshealth.com

About Royal Health Care

As a fully integrated business and technology service provider, Royal offers both flexibility and innovation when designing IT and operations solutions. Our state-of-the-art claims processing and health insurance transaction systems provide superior capabilities. In addition, Royal provides outsourcing of member services, claims processing, and report generation using our experienced staff and technology. Since 1996, we have serviced a diverse client base that includes health plans, provider groups, and government, commercial, and self-funded programs. Tailoring solutions to specific needs is one of Royal's strengths and a key driver of our success. For more information, please visit http://www.royalhc.com

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Access to health care among Thailand's poor reduces infant mortality

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Public release date: 6-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Cheryl Lynn Reed creed1@uchicago.edu 773-834-2240 Consortium on Financial Systems & Poverty

(June 6, 2013 Chicago, IL) When health care reform in Thailand increased payments to public hospitals for indigent care, more poor people sought medical treatment and infant mortality was reduced, even though the cost of medical care remained free for the poor, a new study shows.

The study, "The Great Equalizer: Health Care Access and Infant Mortality in Thailand," funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, found that reducing out-of-pocket costs of medical care had less of an impact than providing more money to hospitals. The study also suggests that health reforms should make reimbursements to health care providers a primary concern for any effective health reforms.

"When the Thai government provided hospitals with more resources to care for the poor, more of the poor sought and received treatment," said Nathaniel Hendren, a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research, who was one of the researchers, along with Jonathan Gruber and Robert M. Townsend, both professors of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). "This increase in patient care and public confidence had a direct impact on infant mortality, which suggests reimbursement incentives to health care providers is an important factor in improving health outcomes and access to medical care in developing countries."

Thailand's health care reform occurred in 2001. Called the "30 Baht Program," it was one of the largest and most ambitious health reforms ever undertaken in a developing country. The aim of the program was to reduce long-standing geographical disparities in public health care. The program both increased by fourfold the amount hospitals were paid to care for the poorfrom 250 Baht (about $6) per enrollee per year to 1,200 Baht (about $35)and reduced the copays for non-welfare residents to 30 bahtessentially 75 cents. In effect, the reforms made access to health care in public facilities independent of a person's financial situation and equalized health care access for rich and poor.

The new health reform led to a moderate increase in the use of health care among those who previously were uninsured. But the greatest impact was among those who were previously covered by Thailand's Medical Welfare program, particularly mothers and infants. Before the 30 Baht Program, poor provinces had higher infant mortality rates, but after the program was implemented, infant mortality rates in rich and poor provinces were nearly identical. The study provides evidence that the new health reform reduced infant mortality by as much as 30 percent in poor provinces.

"Indeed, the sharp equalization in infant mortality observed between 2000 and 2002 is consistent with the fact that the most common causes of infant mortality in the world are from treatable diseases, such as dehydration associated with diarrhea, pneumonia and infection," the study's authors write.

The researchers used data from Thailand's Health and Welfare Survey, a national cross section of all 76 Thai provinces, as well as data from the provincial-level vital statistics registry. The Thai National Statistics Office was instrumental in providing the authors access to these valuable data sources.

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Futurist’s Hand Activated iPhone Speaker: Mengontrol Sistem Audio dengan Gestur

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By Edi Maher on 05/06/2013 in News

Kualitas perangkat mobile besutan Apple, khususnya iPhone, menggugah sejumlah pengembang untuk menciptakan aksesori pendukung yang mumpuni, baik dari segi desain maupun fungsi. Karena terkenal sebagai alat pemutar musik unggulan, banyak di antara aksesori tersebut berupa audio dock. Termasuk Futurists Hand Activated iPhone Speaker berikut.

Dari segi desain, speaker ini terlihat mencolok dengan bentuk tubuh yang menyerupai pesawat terbang dan balutan warna merah yang mentereng. Sangat berbeda dari audio dock iPhone pada umumnya. Cara pengoperasiannya pun berbeda. Lupakan rangkaian tombol fisik atau layar sentuh, pengoperasian speaker ini dilakukan dengan gestur tangan. Namun bagi Anda yang lebih menyukai cara konvensional, tersedia pula remote control sebagai alternatif.

Dalam badan speaker berbentuk pesawat ini tersembunyi sensor yang mendeteksi gerakan tangan untuk mengecilkan dan mengencangkan volume. Sensor lain di sisi speaker menerima input untuk menghentikan musik atau melompat ke lagu selanjutnya. Sensor terakhir di bagian hidung membaca perintah untuk menyala-matikan speaker.

Tweeter ganda 5 watt terhubung dengan iPhone melalui koneksi Bluetooth. Subwoofer 10 watt yang menghadap ke bawah menghasilkan suara bass yang siap memanjakan telinga pendengarnya. Sayangnya, gestur tangan tidak berfungsi untuk mengendalikan tingkat bass dan treble. Untuk melakukannya, Anda harus menggunakan remote control.

Untuk mendapatkan speaker dock iPhone dengan kontrol gestur ini, Anda harus merogoh kocek US$200. Informasi pembelian bisa dilihat di sini.

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Futurist’s Hand Activated iPhone Speaker: Mengontrol Sistem Audio dengan Gestur

Freedom ride, vigil set to honor Sgt. Bergdahl

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MEREDITH Thousands of Laconia Motorcycle Week visitors are expected to attend the Northeast POW/MIA Network's Freedom Ride and vigil on June 13 to raise awareness of POW/MIA issues

They will also honor the only American prisoner of war in Iraq or Afghanistan, Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl of Hailey, Idaho.

For the past 20 years, motorcycle riders from across the country have commemorated missing and captive American soldiers with a ride and vigil the Thursday of Laconia Motorcycle Week.

The Freedom Ride will begin in Gilford and conclude with a vigil at Hesky Park in Meredith with a proclamation from Gov. Maggie Hassan. Information on the Freedom Ride, sponsored by Laconia Harley-Davidson, can be found at http://www.northeastpowmianetwork.org.

The Northeast POW/MIA Network gained nationwide attention some 25 years ago when a small group of veterans began holding weekly Thursday night vigils in Meredith to honor servicemen and women missing in Vietnam. Through basking heat, ridged rain storms and mid-winter snows, this small group has held a weekly vigil each and every Thursday night to gain recognition for the members of our armed forces who were unaccounted for.

The vigil was quickly embraced by Laconia Motorcycle Week attendees and has grown into what is now the Freedom Ride, drawing thousands of supporters each year.

"Our primary focus this year is to dedicate our vigil to Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl and his family," said Bob Jones, vice-president of the Northeast POW/MIA Network. "We need to do everything necessary and raise awareness so we can bring this American soldier home."

Bergdahl was captured in Afghanistan in 2009 and is believed to be held by the Haqqani network, an insurgent group affiliated with the Taliban, likely somewhere in Pakistan. Bergdahl recently "celebrated" his 27 birthday unwillingly as a prisoner of war.

Sgt. Bergdahl's status is classified as Missing/Captured or MIA-C, a severe injustice according to Jones.

"International law and the Geneva Convention do not make any mention of the Missing/Captured status, thus it does not provide Sgt. Bergdahl privileges of care and treatment afforded to someone that is classified as an official prisoner of war," said Jones. "We are calling on the United States government to officially change Sgt. Bergdahl's status to POW so he can obtain the protection and international recognition he deserves. Those responsible for sending Sgt. Bergdahl into harm's way are equally responsible to protect him and to bring him home."

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Silk'n and Sephora Announce Launch of Flash&Go Freedom

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NEW YORK, June 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Sephorathe visionary beauty retailerrecently solidified its partnership with Silk'n to add the Silk'n Flash&Go Freedom hair removal device to select stores nationwide. Following the success of Silk'n Flash&Go sales, the retail giant will carry a next generation Silk'n product -- the Freedom -- in 40 Sephora retail locations from coast to coast, with plans to expand into additional locations this year.

"After launching in Sephora four years ago, the partnership has continued to blossom," says Scott Lyon, Vice President of Sales for Silk'n. "In honor of our long-lasting commitment to the Sephora business, we are thrilled to develop a revolutionary product for their exclusive customer."

Top dermatologists and plastic surgeons who tested Flash&Go Freedom concluded it could be used safely and effectively in a typical home environment. Results come with minimal discomfort as compared to waxing or professional treatments and the ergonomic design allows users to target any area. The innovative light-based device offers long-term hair removal results on the face and body, as well as sensitive or smaller areas.

Flash&Go Freedom uses safe, sophisticated, FDA-cleared Home Pulsed Light technology, clinically proven to remove unwanted hair. The device is affordably priced at $299, available at http://www.Silkn.com, select Sephora stores and http://www.Sephora.com.

To learn more about the Flash&Go Freedom visit http://www.silkn.com, follow us on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/SilknFlashandGo), Twitter (@SilknSolution) and watch the Silk'n Channel at http://www.youtube.com/SILKNOFFICIALSITE.

About Home SkinovationsHome Skinovations Ltd, the award-winning, internationally-acclaimed global leader in professional aesthetic devices for home use, is a private company with a mission to develop, manufacture and sell the safest and most effective consumer devices. A team of skilled scientists, engineers and business executives have a successful record of introducing innovative light, laser and LED based products to the global aesthetic devices market. The Silk'n family of at-home products has over 1 million users world-wide and has been featured in TV shows and magazines such as The Doctors, Dr. Oz, Allure, Vogue and more.Home Skinovations manufactures the Glide, Flash&Go and SensEpil at-home hair removal devices, FaceFX anti-aging treatment and Blue for acne. Silk'n has received international recognition for Best Laser Hair Removal, Product of the Year - Hair Removal, and Product of the Year - Anti-Aging.

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Belmont Stakes: Missing Derby a blessing for Freedom Child

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Tom Keyser

Freedom Child (left) is held back by an assistant starter at the break in the Wood Memorial, in which he was declared a non-starter. He enters Saturday's Belmont Stakes off a 13 1/4-length romp in the Peter Pan.

ELMONT, N.Y. The worst thing to ever happen to Freedom Child may turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to Freedom Child.

With one chance to crack the field for the Kentucky Derby, Freedom Child, coming off a maiden victory, ran in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. Well, he attempted to run in the Wood Memorial.

A split second before the gates officially opened, Go Get the Basil, the horse inside of Freedom Child, charged the gate, opening it a fraction of a second before the starter did. The assistant starter in the stall with Freedom Child took a hold of the horse and still had a hold of him when the doors opened, forcing Freedom Child to break in a tangle. Essentially, his race and any hopes for making the Derby were over. Though he did make a move into contention down the backside, Freedom Child retreated to last in the field. He was later declared by the stewards to be a non-starter because he was in the hands of the assistant starter.

Frustrated at the time, the connections of Freedom Child quickly turned the page and formulated a different plan that included a start in Saturdays 145th Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park.

The first part of the plan was engineered perfectly Freedom Child romped to a 13 1/4-length victory in the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes over Belmont Parks main track May 11. That performance, and how hes trained since, has Freedom Child considered by many among the top contenders in the 14-horse field for the Belmont.

We thought there was a reason why we didnt go to the Kentucky Derby, said Terry Finley, president of the West Point Thoroughbreds partnership group that owns one-third of Freedom Child. Were hoping we run well in the Belmont and have a really good second half of the year and everything will be made right.

Given Freedom Childs running style and considering the way the Derby was run, missing that race may be a blessing in disguise. Freedom Child is a front-running sort, and the early fractions in the Kentucky Derby ranked in the top five in the history of the race. The four horses in front after the first half-mile finished 12th, 14th, 18th, and 17th.

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Belmont Stakes: Missing Derby a blessing for Freedom Child

Belmont Stakes: Missing Kentucky Derby a blessing for Freedom Child

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Freedom Child (left) is held back by an assistant starter at the break in the Wood Memorial, in which he was declared a non-starter. He enters Saturday's Belmont Stakes off a 13 1/4-length romp in the Peter Pan.

ELMONT, N.Y. The worst thing to ever happen to Freedom Child may turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to Freedom Child.

With one chance to crack the field for the Kentucky Derby, Freedom Child, coming off a maiden victory, ran in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. Well, he attempted to run in the Wood Memorial.

A split second before the gates officially opened, Go Get the Basil, the horse inside of Freedom Child, charged the gate, opening it a fraction of a second before the starter did. The assistant starter in the stall with Freedom Child took a hold of the horse and still had a hold of him when the doors opened, forcing Freedom Child to break in a tangle. Essentially, his race and any hopes for making the Derby were over. Though he did make a move into contention down the backside, Freedom Child retreated to last in the field. He was later declared by the stewards to be a non-starter because he was in the hands of the assistant starter.

Frustrated at the time, the connections of Freedom Child quickly turned the page and formulated a different plan that included a start in Saturdays 145th Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park.

The first part of the plan was engineered perfectly Freedom Child romped to a 13 1/4-length victory in the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes over Belmont Parks main track May 11. That performance, and how hes trained since, has Freedom Child considered by many among the top contenders in the 14-horse field for the Belmont.

We thought there was a reason why we didnt go to the Kentucky Derby, said Terry Finley, president of the West Point Thoroughbreds partnership group that owns one-third of Freedom Child. Were hoping we run well in the Belmont and have a really good second half of the year and everything will be made right.

Given Freedom Childs running style and considering the way the Derby was run, missing that race may be a blessing in disguise. Freedom Child is a front-running sort, and the early fractions in the Kentucky Derby ranked in the top five in the history of the race. The four horses in front after the first half-mile finished 12th, 14th, 18th, and 17th.

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Belmont Stakes: Missing Kentucky Derby a blessing for Freedom Child

Could interloper Freedom Child grab Belmont Stakes?

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DICK JERARDI, Daily News Staff Writer jerardd@phillynews.com Posted: Thursday, June 6, 2013, 1:08 AM

ON THE 40th anniversary of Secretariat's Belmont Stakes win, when the colt ran off 31 lengths in front of the field into an unknown realm, we wait in vain for the next Secretariat or Seattle Slew or Affirmed, the Triple Crown still elusive.

No Triple Crown is on the line in Saturday's Belmont Stakes, but we do get a rematch between the winner of the Kentucky Derby (Orb) and Preakness (Oxbow), as well as a terrific betting race, promised by a 14-horse field with much intrigue and more than a few question marks.

Orb finished 9 3/4 lengths in front of Oxbow in the Derby, 9 lengths behind him in the Preakness. Trying to decipher what those margins mean might be the critical component in determining Saturday's outcome. Or a horse that did not run in Louisville or Baltimore could change the equation entirely.

The horse could be Freedom Child, owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, a partnership managed by Bucks County native Terry Finley.

When last seen in a race, Freedom Child was winning the Peter Pan Stakes by 13 1/4 lengths at Belmont Park. It was not Secretariat, but it was impressive.

"When you own horses, whether you're in partnerships or you're doing it yourself and you have a chance to run in a big race like this, it's really humbling and really super cool," Finley said. "These are the opportunities that really get us all out of bed in the morning. So as it relates to this colt, he's really given us a good vibe overall. He's a May 18th foal, and he's gotten really better and better in each start."

No horse has drawn more praise from the clockers who watch the horses in the morning than Freedom Child. So, West Point, which was formed in 1991 and named after the school where Finley earned a mechanical engineering degree in 1986, has its best chance at its first Triple Crown race win.

The West Point partners have won major races through the years. But these three races hold a special place in American sport that transcends horse racing.

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Could interloper Freedom Child grab Belmont Stakes?