2011年5月6日星期五

Girls think about their dress

"You need to cover a lot of girls, and a lot of girls who want to show their personality, but you always, always need certain styles," says Michael Shettel, the http://www.cheapfashionwholesale.com/ designer of bridal and eveningwear label Alfred Angelo.

Girls think about their dress — a lot — and they started this process months ago. That means that while red-carpet style and runway looks might influence some girls, you can count on some wanting a retro '50s ball gown while others want to be all grown up in something slinky with a slit.

Shettel collaborated with Walt Disney Pictures for the movie "Prom," and covered the bases. One of the main characters wears a champagne-coloured strapless with a short hemline, another a bright purple corset style, and another in a hippie-esque halter.

High schoolers are a whole "new crop" of girls learning to embrace fashion and use it as a tool of self-expression, says Jane Keltner de Valle, fashion news director of Teen Vogue. The prom outfit is more than just a dress — it's a statement of who they want to be remembered as with their old friends, and it's a glimpse at who they will be in the future, she says.

The film accurately mirrors the cheap fashion – wholesale 2011 sunglasses, shoes, handbags online scenes playing out across the country, Shettel says. Girls go into stores and try on sometimes dozens of dresses, but they know when they hit the right one.

"They might go through a frenzy of dresses, like they'll try on every green dress. But," says Shettel, "they're such quick changers, they're in and out of the dressing room to show their friends or their parents standing around in the background like lightning."

Recognizing that girls shop more by type than by specific silhouette, Lord & Taylor is merchandising its prom dresses by personality, says Amy Avitabile, senior vice-president of marketing. There's an online quiz girls can take to guide them.

She breaks it down:

—The trendsetter this year might consider something with cutouts, a one-shoulder neckline or an asymmetrical hemline; neon is a possibility.

—The glamour girl loves embellishment and beading. Look for her in something fit for a princess or a goddess.

—The daring diva will take a plunge with a more revealing neckline and go for a bright colour.

—The romantic might be taking style cues from a Taylor Swift type. She likes flowy fabrics, laces, bows and ruffles.

A kooky lace veil, chunky shoe or other bells and whistles are becoming more common as a way to put a personal twist on the outfit, adds Keltner de Valle, but underneath all that, the dresses are typically classic.

That doesn't necessarily mean timeless, though.

Shettel recalls his own prom date, decades ago, wearing an off-the-shoulder dress in a blue-and-pink floral print, with a ruffle at the neckline and hemline.

2011年5月5日星期四

LastPass said it first noticed a network traffic irregularity on Tuesday

In a blog post on Wednesday, LastPass said it first noticed a network traffic irregularity on Tuesday morning when looking at the logs for one of its non-critical systems. It decided to dig deeper into the problem after it was unable to find a root cause for the problem.

"After delving into the anomaly we found a similar but smaller matching traffic anomaly from one of our databases in the opposite direction (more traffic was sent from the database compared to what was received on the server)," the blog post noted.

Because LastPass has been unable to account for this anomaly, it has decided to assume that the database has been compromised. The amount of data that was transferred out of its system is big enough to have contained people's email addresses, their salted password hashes and the server salt, LastPass said.

Salting is a technique that is used to make it harder for people to misuse stolen passwords. A randomly generated key is added to the password before it is obscured, or hashed.

"We also know that the amount of data taken isn't remotely enough to have pulled many users encrypted data blob," LastPass noted.

LastPass is a service that lets users store their usernames, passwords and form-fill data online. The service then automatically fills in the information when the user visits a site that requires the information. The company offers a free service as well as a fee-based service.

Such services are designed to let people create strong and unique passwords for each site they use without having to worry about remembering each one of them. Users tend to use the same passwords for multiple sites because of this worry.

With services such as LastPass, users need to only remember one master password for logging into the service.

In its blog post, LastPass noted that the possible compromise is unlikely to affect anyone with a "strong, non-dictionary"-based master password or pass phrase.

The reason that LastPass is requiring everyone to change their master password is because of the potential for the intruders to use brute-force methods to guess at weaker master passwords, the company noted. "Unfortunately, not everyone picks a master password that's immune to brute forcing."

According to LastPass, the incident has accelerated its decision to implement stronger authentication measures. The company is also rebuilding the servers that were compromised and all source code underlying the Web site have been verified against the original repository to ensure no tampering was done.

Users will need to validate their email addresses or log in from an IP address they have used before to reset their master password, the company added.

"We realize this may be an overreaction and we apologize for the disruption this will cause, but we'd rather be paranoid and slightly inconvenience you than to be even more sorry later," it said.

Several of the more than 700 comments posted by LastPass users on its blog site suggested that users had some trouble accessing their accounts following the master password reset request.

In most of the cases, the problems appeared to be the result of users not knowing how to proceed with the reset or not knowing about the need for them to do it.

In some cases, users appeared unsure what to do because the passwords to their email system had been stored in LastPass.

2011年5月3日星期二

Three Celtics played through discomfort Tuesday

They aren’t broken, but to climb back in this series, they’ll need more from their marquee players. They’ll need to solve the Heat’s suffocating defense and avoid lulls like the 3:50 stretch of the fourth quarter when the Heat unleashed a 14-0 run after the score was tied.

“We’ve got to get better ball movement and get the ball to the right guys and that’s always on me,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “Today was tough because I didn’t know who the hell was healthy.”

Three Celtics played through discomfort Tuesday. First, it was Paul Pierce who went down with what he identified as a “strain in my Achilles,” apparently after being stepped on by Joel Anthony following a free throw. He left with 5:05 left in the first quarter and returned with 7:41 remaining in the second.

Pierce played through the injury in the second half but attempted only four shots after intermission and closed with 13 points – five below his average against the Heat this season. “Every step is like a slight pain,” he said. “But it didn’t affect me the rest of the game.”

Meanwhile, Rajon Rondo was bothered by a sore back that prompted him to lie on his stomach when he was out on the game. His play didn’t seem to be affected; he had 20 points and 12 assists.

“One time he asked to come out at the beginning of the fourth because it got tight,” Rivers said. “It was bothering him this morning.”

And Ray Allen went to the locker-room in the fourth quarter to receive treatment on a bruised chest before returning. “I took an elbow into the chest from LeBron James and I sat on the bench and started to get shortness of breath,” Allen said. “It is just something I have to deal with.”

Allen, who shot a ridiculous 21 for 36 on three-pointers against the Heat in the teams’ previous five meetings, had a lackluster night: seven points on 2 for 7 shooting, including 1 for 2 on threes.

Allen was one of a trio of Celtics players who shot 2 for 7, with Jermaine O’Neal and backup Glen Davis also in that group. Kevin Garnett scored 16, missing 12 of 20 shots.

Celtics starters shot 9 for 32 in the first half and 5 for 12 in the fourth quarter. “We didn’t have great fluidity down the stretch,” Allen said.

Said Rivers: “We’re not a one-on-one team. Paul is the only guy who can beat guys one-on-one on his own.”

And defensively, “we’ve got to look ourselves in the mirror and do a better job on LeBron James and Dwyane Wade,” Pierce said. “One part that’s killing us is finishing off quarters.”

Some other Game 2 postscripts:

• The Heat shot 14 more free throws than Boston for the second consecutive game and now holds a 53-31 edge at the line. “That’s hurting us as much as anything,” Rivers said. “We fouled a ton of jump shooters tonight, which we can’t do.”

• The Heat’s starting unit hasn’t played well, as a group, throughout this postseason and that continued Tuesday. Outscored by five as a unit in Game 2, Miami’s starters have now been outscored by 51 points in seven postseason games. Coach Erik Spoelstra never went back to that starting lineup in the second or fourth quarters.

• Allen made one thing clear: “Being down 2-0 doesn’t scare any of us, doesn’t make us nervous.”

• The Celtics did a much better job defending James Jones, who on Sunday set a playoff record for most playoff points without attempting a two-point shot. Jones, who scored 25 Sunday, was held to one shot (a missed two pointer) in 19 scoreless minutes.

2011年4月24日星期日

And the Heat didn’t buy wholesale rus

For three games, Miami toyed with the Sixers in the same way a bully amuses himself by picking on the weak. In Game 4, the weak fought back. Rocky finally won a round.

The Heat lost its first game of the postseason Sunday at Wells Fargo Center, falling 86-82 to the overmatched yet underappreciated Sixers. Miami was hoping for a sweep. Now it must try and knock out a scrappy opponent who is gaining confidence.

Up 3-1 on the Sixers in this first-round, best-of-7 series, the Heat now returns to Miami for Game 5 on Wednesday. It brings home a few of problems that need fixing before a serious playoff run can be realized.

“It’s disappointing,” LeBron James said, “but we’re not going to hang our heads all the way to the ground about it. We were up six with a minute and a half to go and they made some plays down the stretch.”

The Heat trailed 84-82 with 8.1 seconds on the clock when James Jones inbounded to James, who drove to his right against Andre Iguodala. James got his shot off on Iguodala but Brand shifted over from his weak-side position and got just enough of his hand on James’ attempt to redirect it with 3.8 seconds remaining.

“I anticipated him being there,” James said, “and I thought I put enough loft on the ball that I could get over his outstretched hand, but he made a great play.”

Seconds earlier, Sixers reserve Lou Williams swished a three-pointer from the top of the key to give Philadelphia the lead. The noise that followed was deafening, and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra called timeout to set up a play to tie or take the lead. Spoelstra went for the tie and drew up a play for James, who has often been used as a decoy at end of games.

James finished the game with 31 points on 11-of-20 shooting. He led the Heat with six assists and added seven rebounds, a block and a steal. Afterwards, James emphasized that his last-second miss “didn’t decide the game.” He pointed to mistakes in the first and third quarters that he thought had more impact.

Dwyane Wade tipped in James’ miss with 1:35 to play to give the Heat an 82-76 lead. The six-point lead seemed to be enough against a Sixers team not known for its outside shooting. A first-round sweep was in sight but Sixers rookie Evan Turner answered with a runner in the lane, and guard Jrue Holiday caught Wade out of possession for a three-pointer.

“The one with Jrue Holiday, he froze me, got off a good shot,” said Wade, who finished with 22 points on 9-of-21 shooting. “Probably not many people in the arena expected him to shoot.”

Holiday’s three-pointer dropped with 46.9 seconds to play, cutting the Heat’s lead to 82-81. Wade missed a 13-footer on the next possession, which set up Williams’ go-ahead three.

“We’ve always been a team that fought all the way to the end,” Williams said. “Leading up into the shot I made, Jrue made a big shot and Evan played a great game. So, I just wanted to give us http://www.buywholesalerus.com/ an opportunity to win the basketball game."

Lindsay Lohan is "angry" about her buy wholesale products

Lindsay Lohan is "angry" about her looming buy wholesale products jail sentence, but is willing to accept her punishment and serve out her time, according to her producer pal Nathan Folks.

The Mean Girls star was charged with probation violation by a judge in Los Angeles on Friday (22Apr11) and ordered back to jail for a fourth time.

The sentence - which also includes 400 hours of community service - came as she pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanour charge relating to the alleged theft of a necklace from a California jewellery store back in January (11). The judge decided the accusation constituted a violation of her probation stemming from a 2007 Dui charge and Lohan was booked into a California jail before being freed on bail to appeal the sentence.

Movie producer Folks has now spoken out about his close friend's situation, revealing the 24 year old feels disappointed as she was looking forward to getting her acting career back on track with a number of new film roles.

He tells People.com, "She is fine. Obviously, she is upset about (being sentenced to four months in jail)... She is angry because she has been working so hard on turning her life around. She didn't do what they said she did. She didn't steal that necklace."

Folks also claims Lohan - who was released from three months of court-ordered rehab in January (11) - is prepared to go to jail and attend drink and drugs therapy to cement buy wholesale cheap online her recovery.

He adds, "She is ready to do her time. She wants to go to A.A. (Alcoholics Anonymous) and N.A. (Narcotics Anonymous) and to serve her 400 hours (of community service). She has already been doing lots of charity work."

2011年4月21日星期四

United Technologies was also strong with buy wholesale r us

Intel led the Dow with a jump of $1.55, or 7.8%, to $21.41, after the chip maker posted first Buy wholesale - Cheap products, Best buy wholesale online R Us -quarter earnings and revenue above analysts' expectations, along with a second-quarter revenue outlook that topped Wall Street estimates.

United Technologies was also strong with a gain of 3.54, or 4.3%, to 85.90, as the maker of elevators and airplane engines also posted first-quarter earnings above Wall Street expectations on strong revenue growth and margin expansion.

Earnings from International Business Machines also exceeded expectations, but the technology giant's shares slipped 65 cents, or 0.4%, to 164.75, as the company didn't lift its full-year forecast by as much as some investors had hoped and services signings disappointed.

The Nasdaq Composite jumped 57.54, or 2.10%, to 2802.51, and the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index added 17.74, or 1.35%, to 1330.36. The technology sector led the advance, as the stronger-than-expected earnings and revenue growth from Intel and IBM boosted sentiment for the quarterly results to come from others in the sector.

Nick Raich, director of research and senior vice president at Key Private Bank, said he was particularly encouraged to see more companies reporting revenue increases.

"Everyone's been saying earnings are coming from the cost cutting, but when you actually see the sales in the businesses start to improve, that's when investors say 'hey, things are improving.'"

U.S. economic data also provided a lift after the National Association of Realtors said existing-home sales increased 3.7% in March from February. Economists had expected a smaller increase.

Together, the latest earnings and housing data helped alleviate investors' concerns about the economy just two days after Standard & Poor's Ratings Services cut its outlook on U.S. Buy wholesale - Cheap products, Best buy wholesale online R Us government debt. It also helped U.S. stocks erase the declines that followed the S&P move on Monday, when the market suffered its biggest one-day drop in almost a month.

"There has been a growing worry that the economic momentum is slowing both domestically and globally and the economic data in terms of housing has helped to assuage those fears a bit and the earnings that have come out in terms of technology have offered positive reinforcement that global demand remains intact," said Quincy Krosby, chief market strategist at Prudential Financial. "Technology especially is crucial because it is an integral component of global growth."

Wednesday's climb in U.S. stocks followed gains in Asian and European markets, which rallied on the strong U.S. corporate earnings as well as a well-received Spanish bond auction.

Among stocks in focus, shares of DPL jumped 2.58, or 9.4%, to 30.17, after power company AES agreed to acquire the utility for an 8.7% premium over DPL's Tuesday closing share price. Shares of AES rose 41 cents, or 3.3%, to 12.88.

However, Wells Fargo dropped 1.24, or 4.1%, to 28.83. Investors were disappointed with a drop in revenue at the in the first quarter as its mortgage business cooled, a decline that tepid loan demand from corporations couldn't offset.

CIT Group jumped 2.81, or 7%, to 43.26. The commercial lender said regulators lifted a cease-and-desist order, now allowing the company to increase its brokered deposits. The go-ahead bolsters the small business lender's access to deposits, a cheap funding source, and underscores CIT's progress in winning back the confidence of regulators.

Wynn Resorts climbed 8.99, or 6.5%, to 147.92. The casino resort operator's first-quarter profit jumped as revenue surged on strength in Las Vegas and Macau.

Yahoo added 75 cents, or 4.7%, to 16.87. The Internet heavyweight's first-quarter earnings fell 28% as the company continues to contend with revenue-sharing costs, but its profit beat analysts' expectations. Yahoo's revenue outlook for the current quarter also came in line with analysts' expectations.

Amphenol Corp. gained 3.34, or 6.5%, to 54.92. The company, which makes fiber-optic and electronic connectors, cable and interconnect systems, reported first-quarter earnings above analysts' consensus estimate, benefetting from stronger demand for its interconnect products.

EMC Corp. rose 1.24, or 4.6%, to 27.96. The data-storage company's first-quarter earnings rose 28% on better-than-expected revenue growth, especially from its growing international markets.

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold added 1.58, or 3.1%, to 53.30. The miner's first-quarter profit jumped 59% as higher production and surging prices boosted the top line.

Polaris Industries surged 19.10, or 21%, to 110.28. The producer of all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles more than doubled its first-quarter profit on sharp sales growth in all its major segments and expanded margins. The stronger-than-expected results prompted the company to raise its 2011 profit outlook.

United Rentals tumbled 3.13, or 9.9% Buy wholesale - Cheap products, Best buy wholesale online R Us, to 28.37. The equipment-rental company's first-quarter loss narrowed as revenue increased on higher rates and volume, but its adjusted loss was worse than analysts had expected.

2011年4月15日星期五

The market response to the Hui Xian REIT has been a bit

"The market response to the Hui Xian REIT has been a bit slow and the retail portion has not been fully subscribed yet," Alvin Cheung, associate director at Prudential Brokerage, was quoted as saying on Friday.

The retail offering will close on Tuesday.

As of April 14 - four days into bookbuilding - the public offering tranche was still not fully covered, based on margin financing and estimated orders, IFR said.

Hong Kong's main brokerages reported margin financing of about 602 million yuan, accounting for only 27 percent of the retail tranche, IFR said. Hui Xian REIT has set aside 20 percent of its IPO, or 2.09-2.23 billion yuan, for retail investors.

Prudential Brokerage has only lent out HK$30 million ($3.9 million) of margin loans for the IPO so far, well below the HK$1.5-10 billion it typically lends on other Hong Kong dollar-denominated IPOs.

Subscriptions in cash were taking time to come through, although about 100,000 copies of the prospectus and 400,000 white forms had been handed out, IFR said.

"It seems retail investors prefer to buy in cash than through margin financing. The reason may be that they are afraid to get more shares in hand than expected, as the chances of that are greater than in regular IPOs," said a Hong Kong-based fund manager. "What's more, the cost in margin financing is also a consideration."

Margin financing on Hui Xian's IPO is more expensive than usual, with brokers charging annualised interest rates of about 2 percent, compared with the usual less than 1 percent to compensate for the additional cost of swapping Hong Kong dollars to yuan, IFR said.

Some brokerages were charging as much as 2.8 percent for margin financing against 1-2 percent for Hong Kong dollar issues, according to Cheung at Prudential, which charges 1.8 percent, the report said.