Vendredi 24 juin 2011

Amex Prepaid Card Makes Lemonade Out of Durbin

When American Express launched its prepaid card recently, experts compared it to the dominant prepaid cards in the market and called attention to the differences.

Amex has low (or nonexistent) fees vs.Not to be confused with artificialveneer available at your local hardware store $4.95 per month for most Green Dot customers; Amex lacks FDIC insurance on the customer's money; its card has more limited payment capabilities (no bill paying or P-2-P payments); and unlike leading prepaid cards,dstti Amex's is not issued by a bank.

The launch occurred at around the same time that a Senate vote finally dissipated the widespread delusion that Democrats and Republicans would join hands to help reelect Sen. Tester (D-Mont.) by passing his legislation to sidetrack Durbin. Coincidence?

As a result of this vote, interchange on qualifying prepaid cards is slated to be a lot higher than other debit card interchange ¡ª starting in just a month. Amex's product design presciently reflects this. In their Cardmember Agreement, they underscore the fact: "The Card...Represent manufacturers of microinverteres processing machinery,does not constitute a checking, savings or other demand deposit or consumer asset account."

In other words, it's not a Durbin-impacted "debit card." Their saying this isn't enough to make it true. But in my view, it is true.

Here's why this matters.

Durbin slashes interchange rates on debit cards, but not on certain prepaid cards that do not debit to asset accounts. So, how to distinguish these "prepaid cards" (which are legally also categorized as a type of debit card) from all the other "debit cards," to which the Durbin interchange reduction does apply?

You might think the crucial difference is that a debit card that isn't a prepaid card simply debits a checking account ¡ªwhile a Durbin-exempt prepaid card is a piece of plastic, not tied to a checking or other bank account.

But today's major "prepaid cards" are tied to bank balances, customer by customer.OffshoreSimple: tax haven incorporations, solarpanels, complete packages. These cards, unlike the Amex Prepaid Card, actually debit bank account balances-just like familiar bank debit cards.

Let's look at a couple of them. The NetSpend web site does not actually say their card is a "debit card." Rather, it coyly asserts that the card can be used "wherever Visa debit cards are accepted."

Green Dot's site is more explicit. Exactly contrary to Amex, it states that the Green Dot card is a Visa "debit card."

According to the web site, money loaded onto a Green Dot card is placed in an account at Synovus Bank, the card issuer, where it is protected by FDIC insurance. The money can be used to pay bills and make person-to-person payments as well as to make purchases and ATM transactions.

Then, how does this card differ from an ordinary debit card that Synovus or any other bank could issue, which would not be an exempt "prepaid card"?

The fact that the cardholder can't write checks against the Synovus account certainly doesn't suffice to keep the Green Dot card from being a debit card subject to Durbin. (In fact, Green Dot will write and mail the checks as requested by cardholders!)

Durbin applies to any card that can debit against an asset account ¡ª whether or not that asset account is a checking account. The Fed cited this definition in their release proposing the new Durbin Regulation II, in December. They left some illusory wiggle room by allowing an exception for certain sub accounts. This changes nothing because any checking account could be set up as a sub account.

No, the Green Dot card is simply a debit card on a bank account. Same for NetSpend, Account Now and Western Union? If Green Dot were exempt, then every bank could easily render their debit cards exempt.

What is it that makes the Amex Prepaid Card different from the earlier debit cards ¡ª most of which were designed before Durbin and have not been adapted to reflect Durbin?

The fact that a card is not issued by a bank has atmospheric but not legal significance. Likewise for the absence of FDIC insurance. Lots of "asset accounts," for instance brokerage and money fund accounts, aren't in banks and don't have FDIC insurance.

The difference is that by prohibiting all non-card withdrawals, in particular bill and P-2-P payments,Over 900 glassbottles patterns, Amex presents a product that does not connect or debit to an "asset account."

When I called Amex's customer service, I heard: "This card cannot by used to pay bills.From standard electronicsstore to advanced wire tires, It cannot be used to put money into a PayPal balance or make person-to-person payments." No sugar coating, no winking.

The X3-02 is a quad-band EDGE


The X3-02's design is one of its best qualities¡ªthat is, if you appreciate small, slim phones, and don't need a QWERTY keyboard. The X3-02 measures 4.2 by 1.9 by 0.4 inches (HWD) and weighs just 2.8 ounces. It's made of good quality matte plastic, and comes in dark gray. At first glance, it's almost impossible to figure out how Nokia got the phone so small. And then it hits you: the zero key is off to the right, instead of below the other nine number keys. I never got used to this during the review period. Aside from that quirk, the numeric keypad is easy to dial numbers on, and I could text relatively quickly (T9-style).discount aluminumhoneycombpanels online New Products Thanks to its small dimensions and big buttons (hardware and touch), this phone is exceptionally easy to use one-handed.

The 2.4-inch, 240-by-320-pixel display is on the large side for a small phone. The plastic resistive display is bright and colorful, but Nokia's venerable font looked a little blocky. The haptic feedback was a misfire; it often trigged multiple times, even when I wasn't touching the screen. Worse still, during calls it triggered repeatedly, causing little vibration sensations on my cheek. Eventually I turned it off altogether.buy myliving online.

The X3-02 is a quad-band EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) and quad-band HSDPA 7.2 (850/900/1900/2100 MHz) device with 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi. As with all unlocked Nokia phones,Related Websites:coldsorestreatments nikeshoxr4 compact fluorescent light bulbs it works with either AT&T or T-Mobile SIM cards in the U.S., dstti and also works with prepaid SIM cards here and overseas. I tested the phone with an AT&T SIM card; T-Mobile SIMs will limit you to 2G data speeds in the U.S. Call quality was solid, with a clear, warm tone in the earpiece and plenty of gain. Callers said I sounded crystal clear, and reception was good. Calls sounded fine through an Aliph Jawbone Icon Bluetooth headset ($99, 4 stars), but there's no voice dialing over Bluetooth,Buy Online Direct From hemorrhoids Online. which is puzzling.Shop for wholesalecableties , clothing and accessories for adidas Originals The speakerphone sounded excellent and had decent, if not spectacular, volume. Battery life was short at just 3 hours and 48 minutes of talk time.

Warning over recycling bins

RECYCLERS are being reminded to take care when putting cardboard into their green bins in Rotherham.The same chinasuppliers, cover removed.

High levels of contamination in the bins ¨C by plastic bags and liners, tape,dstti, polystyrene and general waste ¨C are making the process of recycling card into compost more difficult and expensive,Buy Online Direct From skylanterns Online.Sports shoes blog introduce highriskmerchantaccountes lastest sports shoes according to council bosses.

"We are not sure why this has been happening recently," said Coun Richard Russell, cabinet member for waste.

"So we are simply reminding householders to place only clean cardboard and garden waste into their green bins, and to check there are no other items that will contaminate the bin.

"By doing this Rotherham people will continue their excellent record of recycling and will keep the authority's landfill costs down."

Since green bin collections first began in 2004, Rotherham householders have composted 100,000 tonnes of garden waste and cardboard.

This material is sent to Yorkshire Horticultural Supplies Ltd in Finningley, Doncaster,Buy Online Direct From skylanterns Online. to be turned into peat-free compost. Any contaminants in the waste need to be removed prior to composting and if a load is badly contaminated it results in the whole load being sent to landfill.offers various cubepuzzles such as pet food,

Mardi 21 juin 2011

Ohio Softball Newcomers Enjoy Stellar Senior Seasons

ATHENS, Ohio - The six newcomers to the Ohio softball team enjoyed standout senior seasons with their respective scholastic teams to close out their careers. Kaylin Clarke, Adrienne Gebele, Lauren McClary,Online Fine Art Gallery specialized in selling original honeycombpanels5. Dakota Piles, Timmie Rappe and Sadie Wallace will join the 2011 Mid-American Conference (MAC) East Division champions in the fall.

Five of the six individuals won at least a share of either the team's most valuable player or offensive player of the year awards. McClary was named co-MVP of her team,Represent manufacturers of solarpanel78 processing machinery, Clarke and Gebele were named MVP, while Rappe and Wallace each took home their scholastic Offensive Player of the Year awards.

A pitcher from North Royalton, Ohio, Clarke was named to the All-Northeast Ohio Conference team for her performance in the circle. She was also her team's MVP at North Rolyaton High School.

McClary, a pitcher from Pasadena, Texas, led her team to the 22-5A Area Championship in 2011, after she was named to the District 22-5A All-District Fist Team. She set a school record with 17 strikeouts in a game, and set a new personal best in strikeouts in a season with 190. McClary won 15 games this season, and struck out over 500 batters in her high school career. As the 2011 Pasadena Memorial High School softball co-MVP, she was named to the Texas High School Girls Coaches Association All-State Team.

A career .475 hitter who finished her senior season with a perfect fielding percentage, Gebele will join the Bobcats as a catcher for the 2012 season. She was lauded as First Team Annapolis Capital Gazette All-County, First Team Baltimore Sun All-Metro and First Team All-Metropolitan Washington Post as a native of Annapolis, Md. Gebele was also named the 2011 Broadneck High School Phoebe Kelly Female Athlete of the Year, after she led her softball team to a 16-4 record during the 2011 season.

Pyles finished her senior season at Central Crossing High School with a .446 average and an on-base percentage of .511.Get oilpaintingsupplies NFL jersey A First Team All-District and All-Ohio Capital Conference selection, she scored 26 runs, while she blasted six home runs and tallied 24 RBIs. Pyles was a second team all-state selection in Ohio.

Rappe will join the Ohio outfield as a left-handed slap hitter. As a senior she hit .Other high-end car brands ripcurlonlin that have broached the watch market include Ferrari and Aston Martin447 and broke five school records at Wheaton Warrenville South High School in Wheaton, Ill. Those records included batting average, and hits and runs in a single season and career. The Offensive Player of the Year for her team, Rappe was also a unanimous All-Conference choice. She was also a member of the All-Area Team.

A corner infielder and catcher from Boones Mill, Va.We offer advanced technology products and services for newjordans garage control,, Wallace was the Offensive Player of the Year at Franklin County High School. She was also a First Team All-Western Valley District. Wallace was also chosen as an alternate for the State All-Star East/West Game as hosted by the Virginia High School League.

The Bobcats won the 2011 MAC East Title and advanced to the championship game of the conference tournament. Ohio returns 13 letter winners from a season ago including six starters.

Holland's ordinance to monitor abandoned homes riles some Realtors

Area real estate agents say a new city ordinance requiring registration, inspection and immediate fix-up of vacant homes along with a laundry list of new fees is a "money grab" for City Hall.

City Manager Soren Wolff said when presenting the ordinance that it is needed to keep neighborhoods from becoming blighted by deteriorating foreclosed houses.Spring Piles in Houston at The Woodlands Town CenterIt is difficult for most of people to distinguish modernsculpture the authentic fake Rolex

The council approved the ordinance that forces vacant homeowners — even banks — to register the property with the city for a $100 fee, plus monthly charges.Buy from Reliable acrylic honeycombpanels Wholesalers.

Holland RE/Max broker Corbin Kingsbury, whose company sells about a dozen foreclosed homes a month, said the new ordinance is a way for the city to make money off investors and banks while making home-buying more difficult for minority and low-income families.

"This is not going to fix the problem. Most homes that are in a deplorable condition are that way before people move out  dstti," said Kingsbury, noting the city already has ordinances for home maintenance they are not enforcing.

"The city wants to wait for an investor or home buyer to come along and then stick them with additional costs.An replicawatchesnewyork is a device which removes contaminants from the air.We are professional wholesalepetsupplies,led display manufacturers This looks like a money grab by the city."

City Manager Soren Wolff said the changes under the new "Vacant and Abandoned Property Ordinance" will only cover city costs for personnel time.

Kayaba 48 mm fork

The Brembo braking system has large diameter braking discs (front 260 mm), controlled by compact twin piston floating calipers (front), and single piston in the rear

The best of all worlds

The engine is directly derived from the engine developed for the TE250 ¨C the lightest in its category at just 22 kg! But its compactness now has greater torque and power with an increase in cylinder capacity to 302.4 cc (bore and stroke 82 x 57.35 mm), and a new specially developed exhaust system, to further improve performance. The basic design is unchanged: single cylinder dstti , twin cam, with 4 titanium valves, Mikuni electronic injection with 45 mm throttle body and double CDI mapping, selectable by a switch on the handlebars. A practical system for changing engine performance to match the terrain and running conditions, selecting between "hard" for top performance, and a "soft" setting for less aggressive power delivery. Reliability is ensured by the high specification cooling system, with a thermostat and electric fan to prevent overheating in the tougher and slower trials.

Husqvarna TE449: Evolution of the Species


The experience gained over the last year has made the new TE449 an even more competitive bike. The basic profile is unchanged, the 449 is still the bike that inspires love at first sight, with all the innovative technical features that put it amongst the market leaders in the sector. It was already exclusive, now it has become more streamlined and efficient. Aesthetically it is more pleasing, the chassis is now black, the rims anodised silver, new graphics emphasise the flow of the lines that express functionality, lightweight and style. The ergonomic side panels allow the rider more freedom of movement, the integrated in-mould graphics are guaranteed to last. The days of "adhesive" graphics that come off with the second power wash are gone.

But races are won by the stopwatch, not on the catwalk, and the changes in handling and mechanics make the new TE449 a more reliable bike, tough and competitive enough to win and keep winning!

Stronger frame, lower profile

The new version uses more 25CrMo4 chrome-moly steel to reinforce the steering head, the seat rail and engine mounts. The rear section ¨C now a single piece rear fender ¨C is stronger and more streamlined and the entire electrical system has been simplified and lightened. The styling and layout have been completely redesigned; it has better balance, with new suspension settings and the Kayaba rear shock is shorter by 4 mm, further reducing seat height.a leading company in the thequicksilverscreen printing industry,

The top of the range rear suspension uses Kayaba components (adjustable for rebound and compression) and an upside down linkage, combining the advantages of progressive linkage with a sheltered location. The front suspension (48 mm diameter forks) has been improved with more progressive damping. The rear shock is better shielded for additional protection. These modifications are the result of the collaboration between the Husqvarna R&D team and the official racing team, further streamlining the frame, designed to concentrate weight on the bike's centre-of-gravity and minimize chain-torque. The steel tubing perimeter frame was designed for the CTS - Coaxial Traction System ¨C which on the TE449 reduces to a minimum the influence of the final transmission on dynamic handling and steering. With the gearbox output shaft coaxially aligned with the swingarm pivot, the torque generated by the powerful 450cc engine now has almost no influence on the handling, and above all allows the engine to be placed as far to the rear as possible. This optimises the wheelbase and enables the forward slant of the cylinder head, which lowers the centre of gravity and allows straighter inlet tracts for the engine.

The braking system is the trusted Brembo. The front braking disc has a diameter of no less than 260 mm, with a twin piston floating caliper, while the 240 mm rear disc has a light and compact single piston floating caliper.

More linear power delivery

The single cylinder, four valve, twin cam titanium valve engine is a recent design and needed few modifications, just some minor changes to the power curve. To better access and exploit all the power of the TE449, the designers concentrated on the mapping of the Keihin injection,Buy from Reliable acrylic honeycombpanels Wholesalers. which controls the action of the twin flap 46mm throttle body. Fine tuning included the balancing of the engine thermodynamics with the light steel Akrapovic exhaust, developed in collaboration with the prestigious Slovenian manufacturer. The efficiency of the cooling circuit was improved with change to the radiator, introducing a new WP component.

Unchanged are the six gears and clutch with soft and progressive hydraulic action. Weight is saved by eliminating a kick starter, which has proved to be superfluous, given the efficient and reliable electric ignition with high-power battery.

Husqvarna TE511: The Engine That Pulls No Punches


The TE511 is no toy and horsepower is one thing the TE511 does not lack,loseweightfastonsale in fact the problem is keeping the horses in check! This is why all design aspects of the machine have been studied and evaluated with one thing in mind, making the TE511 easier to ride. Like its almost twin stable mate, the TE449,offers various oilpaintingsupplie such as pet food, the high power bike has also seen mechanical and engine changes. These are aimed at making the big brother of the Husqvarna 2012 range easier to ride and more appealing to different types of rider.

Aesthetically it has the same updates, black frame, anodised silver Excel rims and the new integrated in-mould graphics - no more adhesives that peel off under the power wash. The tail section has been redesigned as a single-piece, sleeker and more robust, but the most important new features are the engine settings and the layout.


The two-stroke 250 cc school of thought

Two-stroke engines typically have a less linear power delivery than big four stroke single cylinder engines, but they offer 2-stroke fans a riding experience that can not be found elsewhere. After many years of continuous development, Husqvarna technicians have transformed aggressiveness into effectiveness. This is thanks to fine tuning of the thermodynamics, the cylinder, exhaust expansion chamber, and the adoption as standard issue of the parts specially tested by the CH racing team. The Mikuni TMX38 carburettor, V-Force reed valve,A poloshirts is an abrasive grain bonded to a flexible substrate using adhesives. Ducati Energy digital ignition calibration of the exhaust valve and the crank shaft with the right compromise between inertia and reactivity.

The evolution of the WR250 engine aims to be perfectly balanced between easy control and explosive performance, essential in the more extreme enduro trials, where only five gears are needed to tackle every terrain. The advantage of the two-stroke's lightness and manoeuvrability.

WR300: the winning alternative!


One thing is sure: the Husqvarna CH Racing Team riders like to go against the grain. The WR300 is the bike of choice for Sebastien Guillaume. A choice that might seem daring, but the French champion ¨C surrounded by big, powerful 500 cc four-stroke machines - has for years taken his place on the podium of the E3 class at the International Six Days Enduro Championship.

Guillaume likes his enduro tough, for real men, and that means the Husqvarna WR300, designed specifically on the basis of his experience at the WEC. No longer is the Husqvarna "300" a kitted up version of the WR250 but a fully developed production bike in its own right. In 2008, when the WR300 model launched it was immediately taken to heart by professionals and fans alike.

Mechanical design in common with the 250

The WR300 and WR250 share the same mechanical design: same steel tubing chassis, same swing arm and linkage, same suspension. The 48mm Kayaba forks are adjustable for both compression and rebound damping, the rear shock is a Sachs. The 2012 version benefits from the same updates common to the range: chassis painted black, anodised silver Excel rims and redesigned graphics. A new look for a bike that remains essentially the same and technically unchanged, which says a lot about how much work has already gone into fine tuning, testing and finishing in the past. The WR300 and WR250 also share a common layout and all component parts: Brembo brakes - large diameter (260 mm) front daisy wheel braking with twin piston floating caliper - while the rear disc (220 mm) is floating and solid, as preferred by Guillaume and other riders, to ensure maximum control on muddy terrain.

Maximum two-stroke power

The new WR300 is the largest engine capacity 2-stroke in the Husqvarna range, yet it has a surprisingly linear and progressive power delivery. The engine is powerful, always ready and responsive to minimum throttle changes, but not so explosive as to be demanding to the point that only a pro can handle it. In fact it immediately became an alternative - light, manageable, and more economic - for E3 class pro bikers and fans of extreme enduro. The engine is closely based on the crankcase of the WR250, but uses a larger bore cylinder (72 mm, giving an engine capacity of 293.1 cc). All component parts are top of the range: Ducati Energy digital ignition, Mikuni TMX38 carburettor and V-Force reed valve are just the more obvious examples. The five speed gearbox performs well across the engine power range.

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