Why bitcoin wont go away

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China's craze for bitcoins has been well-documented over the past year, but a new report highlights just how dominant of a player the country is.

About 80 percent of bitcoin volume is now driven by the Chinese yuan, according to data from Goldman Sachs. The U.S. dollar is the second most used currency for transactions, followed by the euro, the bank said in a new report.

The bank's findings correlate with data from Bitcoinity, a popular website used to track market data. A look at trading volume over the past six months reveals China's yuan accounted for 77 percent of total market share, compared with 19 percent for the greenback and just 1 percent for the euro.

China's high trading activity comes despite recent moves by the People's Bank of China (PBoC) to clamp down on the crypto-currency. The central bank banned financial institutions from bitcoin trading in December after warning that the currency was essentially a vehicle for speculation. Earlier in 2014, the PBoC also took measures to prevent bitcoin companies from gaining access to payment processors.

However, Goldman Sachs believes the mood is gradually improving: "However, in light of a somewhat stabilizing Bitcoin economy in China, a few payment processors have reemerged, such as BTC China's JustPay."

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Why bitcoin wont go away

Comets Defeat Milwaukee, Move on to the Conference Championship

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March 12, 2015 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) Missouri Comets INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (March 12, 2015) - The Missouri Comets continued to roll in the inaugural season of the Major Arena Soccer League by winning the Central Division championship after defeating the Milwaukee Wave 7-2 in front of 3,441 fans at the Independence Events Center.

Immediately after the match, head coach Vlatko Andonovski's team will hit the road to St. Louis, Missouri where they will board a plane to Baltimore in the morning for game one of the Conference Championship against the Blast tomorrow at 6:35 p.m. CT. Game two and three (if needed) will be played on Sunday at 3:05 p.m. CT. at the Independence Events Center.

With three goals and one assist (four points), team captain Vahid Assadpour was named Borden Man of the Match. In addition, league leader Leo Gibson scored once and had two assists.

Three minutes into the match, Assadpour scored the first goal assisted by Bryan Perez. However, one minute later, Milwaukee's Tony Walls got the equalizer for the visitors. No more tallies were scored in the first quarter.

Only 14 seconds into the second stanza, rookie Kiel Williams found space between three Wave defenders and shot a rocket that crossed the line below the crossbar to make it 2-1. Goals from Perez, Josh Gardner and Assadpour ended the half 5-1.

The third quarter saw the Comets add two more goals to the score courtesy of Brian Harris and Gibson ending the quarter 7-1.

Former Comets player Stefan St. Louis shortened the lead for the Wave early in the fourth quarter but Assadpour's third of the night ended the match with an 8-2 final score.

Tickets for the Conference Championship second leg against the Baltimore Blast are on sale now. Call 855.4KC.GOAL for more information.

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Comets Defeat Milwaukee, Move on to the Conference Championship

Wave Travel to Missouri to Face Defending Champion Comets in Central Divison Final Thursday Night

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March 10, 2015 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) Milwaukee Wave Your Six-Time Champion MKE Wave travel to Missouri to face the defending MISL Champion Comets for the 2015 Major Arena Soccer League Central Division Championship, Thursday night, 7pm at Independence Events Center.

"I know the players are really excited to get a shot at the Comets." said Head Coach Giuliano Oliviero. "The Comets have had a great year and they're undefeated but we feel that we're playing our best soccer at the right time and we'll be ready. We know this is not just another game, it a one game knock out playoff game and we can't afford to not have a good performance because it's win or go home. The players are excited, I'm excited, and I think we're going to do well."

CALLING ALL MKE WAVE FANS! VIEWING PARTY AT THE ROCK!

The game is being broadcast LIVE! to the nation online via the WatchESPN App on your mobile devices or at ESPN3.com. Check with your cable provider for access or join MKE Wave Mascot Brad Beach and friends at The Rock Sports Complex, 7900 Crystal Ridge Rd, Franklin, WI 53132, for an all ages viewing party at Tapworks!

Enjoy $10 tubing at The Rock SnowPark from 5-8pm, if weather and conditions permit, delicious DiMaggio's Pizza (Large, one topping pizza, $10 or any DiMaggio's All-Star pizza, $15), and the Major Arena Soccer League Central Division Championship Game on ESPN3 at 7pm on TapWorks huge flat screen TVs! Enter to win MKE Wave prizes, learn more about MKE Wave Summer Soccer Camps and sign up on-site to take advantage of a $25 viewing party discount of Full or Half Day Camp (with $75 deposit) and lots more!

Learn more about The Rock Sports Complex - TapWorks, click here.

LET US KNOW YOU ARE COMING TO THE VIEWING PARTY!

PLEASE RSVP via email at vmcneil@milwaukeewave.com or on Facebook.

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

The MKE Wave ended the MASL Regular Season with a record of 13-7 and eliminated Chicago from the opening round of the 2015 Major Arena Soccer League Ron Newman Cup Playoffs Saturday night by defeating the Mustangs in Game 2; (9-2) and Game 3; (2-1) in overtime at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.

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Wave Travel to Missouri to Face Defending Champion Comets in Central Divison Final Thursday Night

Fox World Travel & Conferma Announce Partnership to Offer Virtual Payment Solution

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OSHKOSH, WI (PRWEB) March 12, 2015

Fox World Travel and Conferma today announced a partnership to provide clients with an advanced solution in travel payment: the ability to generate on-demand single use virtual credit card numbers (VCNs).

VCN technology provides organizations a secure travel payment option for temporary employees, candidates, infrequent travelers, and travelers without a corporate credit card. VCNs also make post-trip reconciliation more efficient while reducing fraud, loss, and theft associated with traditional corporate cards.

Through integration with Confermas API, Fox is able to offer our clients the ability to apply virtual card payments during both agent assisted and online reservations, said George Kalka, Foxs senior director of account management. Confermas numerous bank relationships and capability to customize card limits, validity, and use restrictions provides our clients with significant flexibility and security measures when implementing this payment solution.

Conferma streamlines the reconciliation process after travel by generating unique VCNs and capturing custom reportable fields for each transaction. VCNs are an attractive solution to move beyond the limitations of hotel direct billing, said Kalka. VCN authorizations are automatically faxed to the hotel multiple times prior to the travelers arrival. Additionally, travelers can access an image of the VCN and re-fax the hotel authorization from a smartphone using Confermas TripPay app.

We are delighted to partner with Fox and have been very impressed by the speed at which they have been able to implement the solution for their customers, commented Simon Barker, CEO of Conferma. "Through the interaction of our respective APIs, Fox can now operate a secure and efficient payment mechanism that offers their clients even more reporting data on their travel spend. Foxs connection to Conferma opens up a gateway of multiple banking and scheme partners to their customer base, providing them with a choice.

About Fox World Travel Fox World Travel, Inc. is a leading provider of travel management solutions, serving travelers as they navigate the globe while guiding organizations toward successful policies, compliance and financial advantages in their domestic and global travel programs. Established in 1960, Fox World Travel enjoys the distinction of being among the largest and most highly respected travel management companies nationwide.

For more information please visit http://www.foxworldtravel.com.

About Conferma Conferma is an expert in VCN technology for the settlement and reconciliation of corporate travel expense. Confermas VCN technologies enhance operational efficiencies and drive cost savings, whilst providing tighter payment controls and offering detailed and accurate data on corporate travel spend. Conferma first launched its payment platform in 2004 and is privately owned.

For more information please visit http://www.conferma.com or follow us on Twitter @Conferma.

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Fox World Travel & Conferma Announce Partnership to Offer Virtual Payment Solution

More U.S. Travelers Planning Trips In 2015 Despite Rising Hotel Rates, According To Survey

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TripAdvisor Announces TripBarometer Study Results, Unveiling Global Travel Trends According to More than 44,000 Respondents Worldwide - U.S. the Most Popular Destination for World Travelers

TripBarometer 2015 (Canada)

TripBarometer 2015 (US)

TripBarometer 2015 (Latin America)

TripBarometer 2015 (Global)

NEWTON, Mass. -- TripAdvisor today announced the results of the TripBarometer1 study, the world's largest accommodation and traveler survey. Conducted on behalf of TripAdvisor by independent research firm Ipsos, the TripBarometer study is the analysis of more than 44,000 global responses from travelers and the hotel sector, including more than 6,700 respondents from the U.S. The TripBarometer "Global Travel Economy" report reveals worldwide travel trends at country, region and global levels, highlighting year-over-year changes in consumer spending plans and trip planning, as well as hotelier confidence.

"The TripBarometer report paints a positive picture for travel this year, with travelers twice as likely to increase their vacation budgets than cut their spending," said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer, TripAdvisor. "Across the board, people want to take more international trips and Australia, Italy and the U.S. continue to be the destinations topping travelers' wish lists."

International Trips for U.S. Travelers on the Rise, But Domestic Travel Remains Strongest

While Travel is Expected to Rise, U.S. Traveler Budgets Remain Flat U.S. travel budgets are expected to average $8,700 in 2015, the same as last year. One quarter of all U.S. respondents plan to keep their travel budgets at 2014 levels. Forty-three percent are planning to spend more on travel this year, compared to 23 percent who anticipate cutbacks, consistent with the global trend. The top reasons for spending increases are "going somewhere on my wish list" (49%) and "my family deserve it" (47%), while the top reasons for spending decreases are "I'm planning fewer long trips" (32%) and "I've not got enough money saved" (29%).

The U.S. is among the top 10 markets with the biggest travel budgets.

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More U.S. Travelers Planning Trips In 2015 Despite Rising Hotel Rates, According To Survey

Could this computer save your life?

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It's so good that sometimes sick patients are sent home with a clean bill of health.

And screenings don't always help: A 2013 study by Oxford University found "no evidence" that screening programs are responsible for the decline in breast cancer, and a study by the Huntsman Cancer Institute last year found that colon cancer is missed in about 6% of colonoscopies.

A company is looking to change that margin of error by bringing a super-smart computer into the examination room.

"In one panel of scans that we looked at, when you look at the number of times that radiologists sent someone home with a clean bill of health, about 7% of the time that patient was ultimately found to have cancer," said John Zedlewski, a data scientist with Enlitic, a medical technology company.

When Zedlewski used Enlitic's algorithm against the same panel, there weren't any mistakes.

Related: These temporary tattoos measure glucose

How does it work? Enlitic's technology uses machine learning -- which some say is a version of artificial intelligence. It takes medical information from one patient -- whether it's a CT scan, an X-ray or details about, say, a tumor -- and then converts it into a mathematical representation. It's then added to a large pool of data and compared to other patients who have experienced similar issues.

Think of it as crowdsourcing your symptoms. And not just with one or two people, but millions. The more data the computer has, the smarter it gets, and the more accurate the diagnoses.

At least that's the dream. But before this technology makes it to your local doctor's office, there are some barriers.

Accessing all that data isn't easy. Not only do individual hospitals have their own data-keeping practices, but every department within that hospital does too. That means the vast amount of medical records are locked in servers, vaults and so-called "data silos."

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Could this computer save your life?