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But the institution, now a landmark in Kota, a city in Rajasthan, is neither a school nor a college. It is the jewel in the crown of India's private coaching industry, a $6.4 billion business that exacerbates the social divide.

Cram schools have become a magnet for tens of thousands of mostly middle class families in a country where two decades of rapid economic growth have failed to improve a dysfunctional state education system and a shortage of good universities.

Such cram schools coach students for fiercely competitive entrance tests to a handful of premier technical and medical colleges. Their modus operandi is rote learning. At Bansal's, hundreds of teenagers are trained intensively to solve complex multiple-choice questions on physics, chemistry or mathematics.

Yash Raj Mishra, a Kota cram student, lives in a tiny room with no television or laptop and spends almost 16 hours a day attending classes, revising or tackling question papers.

"Physics is my first and last girlfriend," said Mishra, leaning against a wall plastered with notes on Kinematics.

"I feel bad and frustrated when my friends score even slightly better than I do," added the 17-year-old, who calls his friends only to ask about their academic progress.

Two-year coaching programmes in Kota cost $3,000-$4,000, in addition to which students have to pay for their regular schools and spend at least $2,000 a year on accommodation. That makes the total expenditure a small fortune for most in a nation where the annual per capita income is around $1,250.

"A child is a stack of thousand-rupee notes," said Manoj Chauhan, a mathematics tutor in his late 20s who could have joined a software company or multinational but chose instead to teach in Kota, where many teachers' salaries top $6,000 a month.

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How coaching classes are widening the class divide in India

GREAT FALLS - Olympic soccer star Abby Wambach has been in Great Falls for several days, doing what sports stars enjoy doing - making public appearances, promoting health and fitness, helping young soccer players improve their game and so on. But Wambach also found time to stop by the Bowser Brewing Company to try a very special beer that was created just for her.

Bowser Brewing Company owner Evan Bowser brewed the unique beer for Abby's visit, and he called it Abby's Urbock.

Bowser says it's perfect for Wambach because it looks harmless and is smooth, but it has quite a kick with 7 percent alcohol content.

When he unveiled the brew last week, Bowser said,"We wanted to do this for Abby. I really think Great Falls is a great town and a great community and I want people to feel over-the-top welcome so they will come back and bring their friends back."

And now comes word that Wambach did indeed stop by the brewery and enjoyed a glass of her namesake brew, telling Bowser that it is an honor to have a beer made just for her.

Bowser said that meeting Wambach was great, adding that she is "real down to earth" and he really enjoyed having her visit the brewery.

Sports columnist Larry Brown picked up on the story, stating that, "You haven't truly made it as an athlete until you've had a beer named after you. With that in mind, we can safely say that Abby Wambach has officially arrived."

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Soccer star Wambach samples "Abby's Urbock" beer in Great Falls

JACKSONVILLE, FL/DALLAS, TX (PRWEB) September 11, 2012

U.S. Preventive Medicine, Inc. announced today that Macaw from The Prevention Plan, its mobile health and fitness app, has integrated with RunKeeper to provide Macaw users with the ability to track statistics for a variety of fitness activities on their smartphones.

Macaw is a full-featured app that assesses an individuals health risks and will serve as a hub to track health metrics and activity, as well as integrate information from other health and fitness apps, lab results and wireless devices.

With more than 11 million users, RunKeeper utilizes the GPS on a smart phone to track measurements related to physical activity. The app will log details about pace, distance and time and makes it easy to evaluate changes in performance over time. The RunKeeper platform is accessible through their Health Graph API, which integrates health data from 80+ apps, sensors and services.

For members of U.S. Preventive Medicines The Prevention Plan, Macaw will integrate data between the mobile app and the Plans online health management platform using technology and services provided by Qualcomm Life Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated. Macaw can be downloaded for free on the iPhone and Android devices.

U.S. Preventive Medicine is dedicated to developing new technology to make tracking exercise and activity easier, and our partnership with RunKeeper allows us to do just that, said Jason Fey, director of mobile solutions at U.S. Preventive Medicine. With this type of health data at their fingertips, users are empowered to take control of their health.

Were excited about the opportunity to partner with U.S. Preventative Medicine and Qualcomm Lifeto seamlessly sync RunKeeper data with the Macaw app, removing the need to log data twice. said Jake Cacciapaglia, Head of Business Development at RunKeeper. "This is a great example of what is possible through partnerships in the broader health ecosystem and we look forward to future collaboration to improve the experience for our collective users."

About U.S. Preventive Medicine U.S. Preventive Medicine is leading a global preventive health movement focused on saving lives and money by keeping people healthy and better managing chronic conditions before they progress. Innovative productsThe Prevention Plan web-based health management platform and Macaw mobile health & fitness appare based on the clinical science of preventive medicine: primary (wellness and health promotion to keep healthy people healthy), secondary (screening for earlier detection/diagnosis) and tertiary (early evidence-based treatment to reduce complications and disability). The company is accredited in wellness and health promotion by NCQA (the National Committee for Quality Assurance) and disease management by URAC. More information can be found on Facebook, Twitter (@USPM) and YouTube.

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U.S. Preventive Medicine Health & Fitness App Integrates With Runkeeper

From its showcase botanic gardens, public parks, and nature reserves to community vegetable plots, school planting projects, and well-kept private grounds, Christchurch deserves its status as a garden city. The gardens give the city its breathing space, provide a backdrop to its numerous festivals and public entertainment, and present an opportunity for residents to escape all that a bustling city has to offer.

With a population of about 375,000, Christchurch is a small city by world standards, but it is New Zealand's second-largest and the gateway to the scenic delights of the South Island. Lakes, rivers, wine country, beaches, ski fields, mountains, and thermal springs are all on the doorstep while the city offers all you would expect in urban shopping, dining, education, entertainment, health care, and recreational facilities.

Situated in the South Pacific, New Zealand is a safe and separate haven. It's a clean and green oasis with a stable Western democratic government that's far away from many of the world's trouble spots but well-connected and engaged in world affairs. In 2010, the United Nation's human development report ranked New Zealand as the world's third best country to live in, and in 2011 it was ranked as the world's least corrupt country. Christchurch personifies all that makes New Zealand such a great destination and is one of the country's most vibrant cities.

Christchurch is located a third of the way down the east coast of the South Island, in the province of Canterbury. Lying between Pacific Ocean beaches and the ancient volcanic Port Hills, the city is flat and crossed by the rivers Avon and Heathcote. It is surrounded by the Canterbury Plains, an area of productive farmland running from the coast to the Southern Alps, the mountain range running the length of the South Island.

The beauty of Christchurch lies in its gardens (740 parks and reserves) and its natural environment. The city founders, with much-appreciated foresight, reserved a huge park and botanical gardens in the center of the city for public use. The 161-hectare Hagley Park is now very much the heart of city life.

For all these reasons, Christchurch qualifies as a top retirement option. The small population means Christchurch can offer a slower pace of life and a community feel. Visitors and expats alike marvel at the lack of crowds and traffic even though Christchurch is the major urban center for the South Island and offers all the services and entertainment you could desire.

Recreational opportunities abound. Within 30 minutes to a three-hour drive you can be bungee jumping, skiing, hot air ballooning, white water rafting, tasting wine at the cellar door, whale watching, and hiking. In the city you could be surfing, swimming, playing golf, boating, or shopping. Entertainment options include attending live theatre, a concert, watching a film, and visiting museums. And, of course, you can always relax by the river or beach. The city has a full festival program celebrating jazz, Chinese New Year, drama, and flowers.

All types of community groups are active, and, as the local language is English, it's easy for foreign retirees to connect and become part of the active local scene. The local university, many secondary schools, and retiree education groups offer adult education courses including crafts, photography, history, cooking, philosophy, languages, science, and do-it-yourself. All this is on offer within a safe and clean city with a pleasant climate.

Once known as a Pavlova Paradise, Christchurch is not the perfect escape for everyone, and there are two downsides in particular. First is the earthquake risk. The risk of another large quake has receded significantly, but there is still a lot of damage in the city. Some areas will be construction zones for years to come. However, if you are living in a damage-free area you can go about your day-to-day life without being affected much beyond some traffic delays and detours.

The second downside of note is the distance. New Zealand is a long way from the rest of the world (except Australia and the Pacific Islands), meaning travel can be expensive and time consuming. With flight connections, it can take more than 24 hours to reach a destination in Europe or North America. This remoteness, though, is seen as an attraction by many would-be retirees looking for an escape from world crises.

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Retirement in New Zealand's Garden City

For many years, baby boomers and other workers looked at their homes as giant piggy banks. Rather than saving for retirement, they assumed rising home values would bail them out in their golden years.

But since 2008, a "huge paradigm shift" has made the road to a secure retirement much rockier, according to Jill Vihtelic, professor of business at Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Ind. Vihtelic says the best way to prepare for an "uncertain future" is to spend less and invest your savings. And the sooner you start your retirement planning, the better.

America's retirement crisis is well-documented in studies and surveys. Why do you suppose this is a problem? Is it due to Americans' penchant to spend rather than save?

I don't think that the problem is as simple as that; we have suffered a huge paradigm shift. Americans are net savers over their lifetimes. As Elizabeth Warren (current Senate candidate, longtime consumer advocate and former special adviser to the Secretary of the Treasury for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) has said, most people invested in their homes and built equity as their main retirement asset.

As it turns out, that investment lost value since 2008. Homes are still quite hard to sell and illiquid in many locations, and most real estate experts will tell you that we're not through all of the foreclosures yet.

Other economic, societal and demographic shifts -- such as stagnant incomes, increased divorce rates, the number of grandparents raising grandchildren, rising medical costs, increased life longevity, et cetera -- contribute to the financial difficulties that many people now face as they reach retirement age.

What can Americans do to improve their retirement prospects at various points in their careers?

Regardless of where people are in their careers, to be prepared for an uncertain future, we should spend less than we earn and invest the difference. And the sooner people start, the better. Longer periods of time make achievement of financial goals more feasible due to the time value of money. (Editor's note: "Time value of money" is the value of money based on a specific amount of interest earned over a specific period of time.)

There's been a lot of talk lately about the demographic shift in many developed countries. Because of the shift to an aging population, an economic slowdown is forecasted in those countries. Do you think aging populations and economic slowdowns go hand in hand?

I'm not sure that I agree with the statement or its premise. Aging populations will provide growth to many industries such as health care products and other service sectors. In the U.S., the boomer generation is so massive that it drives consumer demand. What boomers want and need as they age will undoubtedly be a different mix of products and services compared to when they were in their 20s, 30s or 40s.

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Save early, often to calm retirement chaos

LUBBOCK, Texas, Sept. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --If you started retirement planning early in your career, it's good news by the time you hit your 40s.But for those 40-somethings just thinking about retirement it's like halftime in a football game.

Since football season is upon us, we'll use the gridiron analogy. Let's face it; working in your 40s really is like halftime in the big game. Your career is about half over, and it's time to stop the game, assess where you are and make any necessary adjustments to your plan. You have 20 years of work behind you, and roughly 20 years of work ahead. If you haven't been saving for retirement, it's time to get started. If you've been socking money away for years, then it's a good time to reassess where you are, and what you need to do over the next 20 years.

"Now more than ever, it's important to have both an offensive and a defensive game plan," said Brian Pitaniello, a partner with PFG Advisors. "In your 40s, you still need to have an offensive strategy to continue building dollars for the future. On the flip side, a defensive strategy is still just as important to have in place for the possibility of premature death, disability, economic crises and other unforeseen financial needs.

"Just like any football game, you have to have that half-time 'locker-room talk' about preparing for the worst but hitting the field with the mentality and the tools for ultimate success."

Pitaniello explained that if you've been ignoring retirement for some reason, or delayed facing the reality that you may one day be retired, then now is the time to act. It's halftime. It's time to regroup and prepare yourself for the second half of your career. No matter the age you begin, Pitaniello and PFG Advisors recommend the following checklist in creating a retirement strategy:

http://advisorspfg.com

CONTACT: Kim Davis, (806) 544-4255

This press release was issued through eReleases Press Release Distribution. For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.

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Retirement Planning at 40-Something - Halftime of the Big Game

When it comes to saving for retirement, Americans are woefully underprepared. A study by Bankrate.com found that around 28% of Americans have no emergency savings. Similarly, another 21% of Americans have some savings, but only enough to cover expenses for three months. Couple that with the economic uncertainty of Social Security and Medicare, and you can see why many people are looking for unconventional ways to free up cash for retirement.

Here's a simple, albeit controversial, idea: don't have any kids. A 2011 report by the USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion now puts the cost of raising a single child to the age of 17 at roughly $235,000. That's up 3.5% from the year before. Schooling, transportation, day care and feeding are the costs that are seeing the largest increases when it comes to raising a child. As expected, if a family makes more, the spending ratchets up exponentially. That would be quite the nest egg if you didn't have to allocate it for children, wouldn't you say?

No College CostsAccording to the academic think tank College Board, the average cost of just one year at a public university is around $21,000. If you're talking private school, the cost is nearly twice as much for just one year of tuition costs. Even more troubling is the fact that college costs are not included in the aforementioned $235,000. Just think how much cushier things would be for you and your spouse if you could boost your retirement portfolio by an extra $84,000.

Far Less StressAnyone who tells you raising a child isn't a source of gray hair is simply lying. Trying to balance kids and work, keeping your offspring on the straight and narrow and waging daily homework battles can result in a lot of stress for parents. By not having kids, you alone set the priorities for life, for work and for finances. Your retirement fund will also benefit.

More Free TimeJust imagine no PTA meetings, no carpooling, no Little League, no bake sales and no birthday parties. Your days before and after work will be free. If you want to be proactive toward retirement, you can put this time to good use by generating extra income. You could sign up to fill out paid surveys online, sell your stuff on the Internet or even start a side business. You'd be hard-pressed to make time for these financially beneficial activities with a household full of kids.

No Childcare PaymentsToday, both halves of a married couple generally work. The thinking is that the extra income can cover child care. According to the National Association of Child Care Resources and Referral Agencies, a year of child care can cost nearly $20,000. Not only can you save money by not having kids, you can generate a lot more of it.

No Need for an InheritanceIf you have kids, it's natural to want to leave something behind for them when you pass. If you don't have kids to begin with, you'll never have to worry about that. You can either spend the money during retirement, or you can leave your money to a charity

The Bottom LineIn many ways, having kids costs you dearly. Also, it's getting more and more expensive by the day. If you're single, or married with no kids, you might want to consider the notion of not having kids. The notion may seem radical to some. From a purely financial standpoint, however, there are plenty of perks to not having kids. Would you choose retirement over offspring?

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How Not Having Kids Can Help You Save For Retirement

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/xm67n5/rf_analog_impairme) has announced the addition of John Wiley and Sons Ltd's new book "RF Analog Impairments Modeling for Communication Systems Simulation. Application to OFDM-based Transceivers" to their offering.

With the growing complexity of personal mobile communication systems demanding higher data-rates and high levels of integration using low-cost CMOS technology, overall system performance has become more sensitive to RF analog font-end impairments.

Designing integrated transceivers requires a thorough understanding of the whole transceiver chain including RF analog front-end and digital baseband. Communication system engineers have to include RF analog imperfections in their simulation benches in order to study and quantify their impact on the system performance.

Here the author explores key RF analog impairments in a transceiver and demonstrates how to model their impact from a communication system design view-point. He discusses the design aspects of the front end of transceivers (both receivers and transmitters) and provides the reader with a way to optimize a complex mixed-signal platform by taking into account the characteristics of the RF/analog front-end.

Key features of this book include:

- Practical examples illustrated by system simulation results based on WiFi and mobile WiMAX OFDM transceivers

- An overview of the digital estimation and compensation of the RF analog impairments such as power amplifier distortion, quadrature imbalance, and carrier and sampling frequency offsets

- An exposition of the challenges involved in the design of both RF analog circuits and DSP communication circuits in deep submicron CMOS technology

- MATLAB codes for RF analog impairments models hosted on the companion website

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Research and Markets: RF Analog Impairments Modeling for Communication Systems Simulation. Application to OFDM-based ...

SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwire - Sep 11, 2012) - AdTruth, the digital media division of global device recognition technology leader 41st Parameter, today announced the release of DeviceInsight 4.0, the latest version of the company's audience recognition technology. DeviceInsight 4.0 introduces enhanced performance through Device Specific Optimization (DSO), a new capability which improves both the accuracy and longevity of audience recognition across any Internet connected device: from personal computers, tablets, smart phones and beyond.

"AdTruth DeviceInsight 4.0 is a critical step forward for the digital media industry when it comes to device recognition," said James Lamberti, vice president and general manager of AdTruth. "So many of our global clients are seeing a highly fragmented mix of traffic across a variety of device types. This makes it critical that we understand the nuances of each and can provide an appropriately tuned device identification approach for every circumstance. Based on feedback from brand, agency, and network customers, DeviceInsight 4.0 delivers increased longevity, improved accuracy and enhanced privacy-compliance."

Device Specific Optimization recognizes the user's device type and selects the most effective "recipe" to best identify a device in real time. In addition to device type, DeviceInsight 4.0 also allows marketers to adjust their optimization based on specific use cases. For example, a retargeter aiming to reach a customer over a long period of time can optimize for longevity over accuracy, whereas a marketer tracking app downloads requires a higher level of recognition accuracy within a shorter time window.

"AdTruth's device recognition technology is increasingly important to our plans to solve the mobile tracking problem seamlessly across all devices," shared Carl Uminski, chief operating officer for Somo, the largest independent global mobile marketing agency. "With the plethora of devices out there, it is critical to be able to recognize them and provide the most accurate and privacy-friendly tracking possible with no operational impact on us, our clients, or consumers."

To learn more about AdTruth, please visit http://www.adtruth.com.

About AdTruth, a division of 41st Parameter In a world where people are increasingly reliant on a variety of Internet-connected devices for everything from banking to shopping to entertainment and media, creating relevant customer experiences is a constant and complex business challenge. 41st Parameter, the global leader in device recognition and intelligence, combines its patented technologies and years of expertise to identify devices without cookies, without compromising privacy and without impacting performance. AdTruth, the company's digital media division, gives marketers a new and better way to recognize and reach their most valuable audiences across all types of devices. These privacy compliant solutions help keep the Internet more secure and relevant for everyone. To learn more about digital media solutions from AdTruth visit http://www.AdTruth.com.

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AdTruth Empowers Marketers With New Device Specific Optimization to Increase Campaign Accuracy and Performance

By Noel Randewich

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intel Corp showed off hybrid tablets and ultrabook laptops with voice and gesture recognition technology along with an upcoming low-power chip in a bid to convince Wall Street a slump in the personal computer industry is only temporary.

At the annual Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco on Tuesday, the company demonstrated a range of mobile devices, many of them crosses between tablets and laptops. Executives showed sleek "ultrabook" laptops with improved gesture- and voice-recognition features, similar to those already found on some smartphones.

Intel's upcoming processor, code-named Haswell and due to appear in a crop of laptops during next year's holiday season, will improve on computing and graphics features and is targeted to reduce electricity consumption from 17 watts to 10 watts, according to the company.

The chip will allow devices to stay on longer without needing to recharge and underscores the Intel's recognition that mobility will only become a bigger factor in personal computing.

"It was designed with mobility in mind ... from sleek tablets to ultrabooks to high-performing desktops," said David Perlmutter, general manager of Intel's Architecture Group.

In an interview with Reuters, Perlmutter steered away from strict categories of laptops and tablets and said manufacturers over the next few year will offer a wider range of mobile products for consumers, mixing and matching new features, performance and size.

Recent launches of smaller tablet sizes by Google and Amazon are examples of the already growing range of devices consumers have to choose between, a trend that will gain more steam, he said.

"There will be a variety of needs fulfilled by a variety of solutions. Some people want something very benign, very simple," Perlmutter said. "Others need performance."

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Do PCs have a future? Intel thinks so