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Thursday, March 22, 2012

Android app apathy: Why developers still aren't smitten with Android

A new survey of mobile developers conducted by Appcelerator and IDC has turned up some interesting results. No doubt spurred by the death of mobile Flash, developers are rapidly embracing HTML5 for building apps. Similarly, developers seem to be embracing Google?s social efforts more than, perhaps, everyday users might be. However, another finding jumps out: Developer interest in the Android platform seems to be slowly eroding. Apple?s iOS remains the top target of mobile developer efforts, with 89 percent of respondents indicating they?re very interested in developing for the iPhone, and a nearly equal number (88 percent) saying they?re very interested in the iPad.

Android holds a strong second-place ranking: some 78.6 percent of developers say they?re very interested in developing for Android phones, and 65.9 percent say they?re very interested in Android tablet. But here?s the thing: the Android phone figures represent a 4.7 percent quarter-to-quater decline.?Similarly, the Android tablet figures are 2.2 percent lower than from the last survey.

Fewer Android developers means fewer top-drawer applications for Android ? and could mean users will eventually begin leaving the platform for one with better software. Why are some developers turning way from Android, and what can be done to keep them on board?

Is Ice Cream Sandwich melting on the shelf?

The results of the Appcelerator survey seem to fly in the face of comments from Google chairman Eric Schmidt, who forecast that the release of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich would spark developer interest, and perhaps make Ice Cream Sandwich some developers? preferred deployment platform by mid-2012. As the first release of Android to be optimized for use on both tablets and smartphones, ICS was supposed to overcome longstanding concerns of Android platform fragmentation and give developers a solid, sure target for their apps.

Android?s future would seem to be rosey: In late February at Mobile World Congress, Google?s Android chief Andy Rubin claimed that there were more than 300 million Android devices out in the wild, including 12 million tablets. Furthermore, Google was activating some 850,000 new Android devices every day. That would seem to be a pretty ripe plum for developers looking to get their mobile apps in front of a large audience.

However, developers seem to be taking a cautious wait-and-see approach to Ice Cream Sandwich. Google?s latest and greatest Android operating system was initially only available on a single device ? the Samsung Galaxy Nexus ? and while device makers and carriers are gradually getting ICS out to a number of recent devices, progress has been slow. A surprising number of Android devices on the market are still running Android 2.2 (Froyo) or earlier. Many will never get upgraded to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich: Some users will only upgrade when (and if) they buy a new Android device. Right now, the most widely installed version of Android seems to be version 3.0 Gingerbread, which had a slower rollout than any previous version of Android. So far, Ice Cream Sandwich seems to be experiencing an even slower introduction ? check out Chris Sauve?s analysis of Android versions and fragmentation for an idea. When building an app for Android today, developers still face a serious question: Do I target Ice Cream Sandwich and hope the market catches up with my app? Or do I target Gingerbread (or perhaps even earlier versions of Android) to reach the most people?

Still, Android doesn?t have it so bad. The same survey found developer interest in Research in Motion?s BlackBerry platform has dropped from 20.7 percent last quarter to 15.5 percent this quarter. And, despite underwhelming sales to date, developer interest in Microsoft?s Windows Phone platform is holding steady at 37 percent. That basically puts Microsoft?s nascent smartphone platform in the number-three position, albeit distantly. Furthermore, an essentially equal number of developers report being very interested in making apps for Windows 8 tablets.

As intriguing as the survey results are, it?s important to note they don?t represent scientific fact. The results are based on surveying some 2,173 Appcelerator Titanium developers in late January 2012, and then following up with 484 in late February. There?s no way of telling if developers who use Appcelerator?s development framework are in any way representative of Android developers in general. Both Appcelerator and IDC note that the figures for the erosion of developer interest in Android aren?t far from the margin of error for their survey. So it could all be a hill of beans.

To market, to market, to buy a fat pig?

Android fragmentation is likely only part of some developers? concern over building Android apps. Another appears to be workable revenue models for Android applications. Simply put, making a quality Android app that generates significant revenue seems to be significantly different than making a quality app for iOS that generates significant revenue. Developers prefer to design and build one application, then bring versions to different platforms. However, the reality is that an app design and revenue model that works for iOS may not work for Android, and vice versa. While not yet common, some developers are finding themselves in a position where it makes sense to drop their Android development efforts ? a recent example is Mika Mobile. And doing business with Google?s Android Market, now Google Play for Android, can be quite a lot different than doing business with Apple: Game developer Retro Dreamer says it doesn?t build paid Android apps because the international tax situation is too complex?? an issue it doesn?t have with iOS.

Last November, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Muster raised eyebrows by opining that the overall revenue generated by Android applications was a mere seven percent of that generated by iOS apps. Many criticized Munster?s analysis as incomplete, noting the figures did not seem to account for so-called ?freemium? games that are free to download but that require payments to full activate or that make additional features or content available through in-app purchases. A key difference in the Android and iOS app revenue models is that Apple?s iTunes App Store is built on Apple?s iTunes Store, which has been accumulating accounts (and associated credit cards) for nearly a decade. Apple had (and retains) an enormous number of customers who are accustomed to paying for digital content a la carte. Google didn?t have that, and many successful Android app developers have eschewed the traditional pay-to-download model and embraced freemium and in-app purchases as a way to generate revenue. Of course, a tremendous variety of applications also derive their revenue from in-app advertising ? another revenue source that wouldn?t have been factored in to that dreary seven percent solution.

Nonetheless, the revenue disparity between Android and iOS apps seems very real. Last December, Flurry Analytics found that if an app is available for both iOS and Android, the Android version will generate on average less than one quarter of the revenue of the iOS app. Flurry attributed the discrepancy to an Android users? ability to pay: With Apple, nearly every user is a potential paying customer, where Google Checkout is used by far fewer Android users.

Free apps that rely on in-app advertising to support their development also have their downsides. A recent study from Cambridge University found that 80 percent of free applications in the Android Market were supported by in-app advertising. More than 70 percent of free apps request ?dangerous? permissions to access things like user?s messages, email, location, contacts, phone number, and unique device identifier. The price of ?free? apps in many cases seems to be a loss of privacy and disclosing personal data. As consumers become increasingly aware of online and mobile privacy issues, the free-with-ads revenue model may be inhibiting consumers adoption of Android apps.

Can Google and developers cope?

Android is not facing an imminent crisis amongst developers. But, looking out over the next two years, Android (and Google) are clearly going to have to move application development and revenue generation to the same priority level as OEM adoption and device activations, or face a stagnating software and content ecosystem. Here?s where we expect Google to focus its attention:

Expand in-app purchasing beyond games

Currently, most in-app purchases on mobile platforms are limited to games, and are fueled by a handful of dedicated gamers buying virtual goods and content add-ons. Google only enabled in-app billing features in March 2011: Both Google and developers need to leverage this capability to create revenue models that work beyond games. This will have to include support for subscription billing ? something Google has yet to enable ? so users can subscribe to regular content updates from magazines, newspapers, and other publishers. Moreover, subscription billing will have to be as painless as possible to consumers. If it?s a difficult chore, it won?t be embraced.

Put user privacy ahead of in-app advertising

A tremendous number of companies offer in-app advertising services for Android (and iOS) applications: Developers typically sign up for the service, implement the ads as drop-in libraries, and hope for a check. Although there are ethical ad networks out there, in most cases app developers aren?t aware of what information ad networks are gleaning from their users? devices, and how that information is being used. Google cannot police third-party advertising networks. Heck, Google has exhibited very little interest in policing its own app marketplace. However, Google can build privacy controls into Android that put users in charge of how much information about themselves they are (and are not) comfortable disclosing to apps. Does a comics app really need to have access to location data? Probably not, but advertisers dearly want to know where people are located. Putting users in charge of their personal data may put a crimp in the existing ad-supported app model, but it will mean consumers will be far more comfortable with that model going forward. Privacy safeguards could have a similar effect for so-called ?incentivized installs,? which lure users into downloading advertisers? apps in exchange for in-game or in-app content.

Curate

One reason consumers may not be embracing Android apps as strongly as iOS apps? Google?s market is (still) a mess. The unmoderated nature of the Android Market has always attracted a large number of apps that infringe on copyright and trademark, as well as instances of outright malware. Google is attempting to address the threat situation with Bouncer, a new automated system that attempts to reject malware and other threats before they ever reach consumers. But it doesn?t take more than a search for ?Pokemon? or ?Batman? to see some rough edges. Google has attempted to expose reputable apps and publishers through its editorial choice lists and charts ranking top apps, but there?s always a sense with Android Market ? sorry, Google Play ? that you?re just a tap from a mistake. If users have confidence in a marketplace, they?re more likely to become paying customers.

This article was originally posted on Digital Trends

Refinance Rates at Risk of increasing - Lakeshore Realty North ...

All mortgage rates, including bank mortgage refinance rates are at risk of increasing now that the economy is showing some signs of improvement. It has been tough week for MBS prices that have been falling and, ultimately, sent mortgage rates higher by Thursday. Freerateupdate.com's survey of wholesale and direct lenders shows that while most mortgage rates rose .125%, 30 year fixed mortgage rates increased .250% and are at 3.750%. 15 year fixed mortgage rates are at 3.000% and 5/1 adjustable mortgage rates are at 2.375%. With good qualifications and acceptable credit, these are the lowest mortgage rates available with 0.7 to 1% origination fee. These bank mortgage refinance rates increased just a few days ahead of the start of the Harp 2.0 refinancing program which is open to underwater borrowers who have mortgages owned by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Since this program is a regular refinance with special guidelines, borrowers should research for the lowest mortgage rates available in order to recognize the most savings possible.

Also increasing .125%, FHA 30 year fixed mortgage rates are at 3.375%, FHA 15 year fixed mortgage rates are at 2.875% and FHA 5/1 adjustable mortgage rates are at 2.875%. FHA mortgage rates are not risk based according to credit scores which makes them more appealing to borrowers who do not have perfect credit. FHA's streamline refinance program with no cash out now has a new incentive. The upfront and annual mortgage insurance premiums will be lower starting in June, 2012. This program is a quick and easy refinance for FHA borrowers that does not require an appraisal or other verifications, but still offers the same low FHA bank mortgage refinance rates. Any upfront mortgage insurance premium, whether for a purchase loan or refinance, will make FHA closing costs (APR) higher, but FHA allows these costs to be included in the mortgage.

Jumbo 30 year fixed mortgage rates increased again by .125% and are now at 4.625%. Jumbo 15 year fixed mortgage rates are at 3.375% and jumbo 5/1 adjustable mortgage rates are at 2.500%. Borrowers are required to have excellent credit in order to obtain these lowest jumbo mortgage rates with 0.7 to 1% origination fee. Jumbo mortgages are a smaller market and are not government insured or sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Most often, jumbo mortgages are held by the lender within their portfolio which is why they tend to have stricter guidelines.

Source: http://www.lakeshorerealty.com/Blog/Refinance-Rates-at-Risk-of-increasing

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Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Aziz Ansari releases comedy special online for $5

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Aziz Ansari is bringing his new standup special straight to his fans. The "Parks and Recreation" star is bypassing cable networks to release his latest comedy special on his website.

Ansari's "Dangerously Delicious" standup special will be available online worldwide for $5 beginning Tuesday.

"It seemed like the smartest way to deliver it," the 29-year-old comedian said. Fans can download or stream the 60-minute show without commercials or restrictions.

Ansari is the latest entertainer to bypass the big guys and sell his material straight to his fans. Radiohead famously did it with their pay-what-you-wish download of "In Rainbows" in 2007, and comedian Louis C.K. opened the door for comics do to the same when he sold his "Live at the Beacon Theater" standup special online in December and brought in more than $1 million in the first two weeks.

(Radiohead didn't reveal sales figures for "In Rainbows", but experts estimate the band collected at least $2 million and as much as $10 million.)

"It seems like this is the thing to do at this moment when so much is changing and nobody's really figured out how to do anything," Ansari said, adding that he was inspired by the popularity of his comedy clips on YouTube. "In this era, the way people consume media, the way people release media has not caught up."

Louis C.K. said he'd go straight to his audience again, and after the success of his "Beacon Theater" specials, would consider selling his show tickets the same way ? "keeping my price as far down as possible, not over marketing to you, keeping as few people between you and me as possible in the transaction," he wrote on his website a few days after his special went on sale.

The straight-to-fans approach works especially well for comedy, Ansari said: "It makes sense that comedians would embrace something like this where you have so much control over how you're releasing stuff... comedians are used to being autonomous anyway."

Still, such online success mostly belongs to artists with established audiences, says Karen North, director of the USC Annenberg Program in Online Communities.

Direct-to-consumer entertainment is a growing trend, "but I don't think it's going to destroy the studio system," she said.

"If you have a following, it's great, because you have people to announce it to, people to anticipate it and people to search for you. When you release content, it will be found and purchased or found and appreciated," she said. "Going straight to consumer if you don't have some kind of following is a bit of a needle in a haystack," and time-strapped audiences rely on studios and talent-scouts to curate the endless entertainment content available online.

Like Louis C.K., Ansari funded his production and the website to sell it. By making the special available around the world, he's counting on his fans ? including the 1.7 million who follow him on Twitter ? to help him recoup his costs. He can even tell them about it in person during his "Buried Alive" tour, which begins next month in New Jersey and continues through the summer.

Profits for Louis C.K.'s online special so exceeded his costs that he wrote on his website that he would give his staff $250,000 in bonuses, donate $280,000 to charity and keep $220,000 for himself.

"To me," he wrote, "220k is enough out of a million."

Online:

www.azizansari.com

www.louisck.net/

___

AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen is on Twitter: www.twitter.com/APSandy .

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/aziz-ansari-releases-comedy-special-online-5-091053935.html

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Monday, March 19, 2012

Health And Fitness ? How To Choose A Cosmetic Surgeon

It?s important to find a surgeon that you can trust when you are considering cosmetic surgery.?Surgery is serious and therefore, it?s very important that you have all of the facts before you actually decide to go through with the operation. You may find that there are an overwhelming number of options as you begin to research.?Discuss your concerns and questions with a reputable surgeon who can help you through this process.

First of all, you need to gather names of various reputable surgeons that deal specifically with the type of surgery that you need. For example, if you live near the Chicago area and are considering rhinoplasty,?you could do an online search for ?rhinoplasty Chicago.? If you live in New York, you could search for ?top rhinoplasty doctor in New York.? On the other hand, if you are thinking about breast augmentation, you would search for ?New York breast augmentation.? You will get many webpages of results when you search online, but you can sort through them quickly and decide which ones you would like to contact.

To take it a step further, you can then search for the various facilities and surgeons on the Internet. You may find helpful items such as reviews by patients, the surgeon?s history, background and specialties. You may also be able to find rather or not they are board certified and with which hospital he has privileges.

Once you have a list of names, you can then call or email the office for more information. When you call, be sure to ask for a nurse in order to find out some answers regarding the physician and his practice. You can ask the nurse many questions about office procedures, insurance, etc., and then make an appointment for a consultation visit if you feel good about the facility.

You can meet with the doctor without committing to surgery. Instead, this is your time to interview the doctor to see if he can answer your questions and perform the surgery that you desire. You should feel completely at ease and the staff, including the receptionist, nurses and surgeon, should answer your questions to your complete satisfaction.

When you ask questions, be ?procedure specific,? meaning that the questions will relate directly to the type of surgery that you are considering. For example, you can ask how many breast augmentations or rhinoplasties he has performed. You can ask if he has completed residency in a specialty that is related to cosmetic surgery.

After you have met with the surgeon, seen the facility and had the opportunity to ask some questions, you will have a better idea of rather or not you want to go with this facility. If you aren?t 100% sure, then continue to search until you find someone that you trust, can confide in, and respect. In turn, you should feel that the surgeon and his staff are truly concerned about you and your needs and will do everything they can to insure that you have a safe and successful surgery experience.

Source: http://health-and-fitness.us/how-to-choose-a-cosmetic-surgeon

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Sunday, March 18, 2012

Delicate rescue saves stranded $1.7B US satellite

This artist rendering provided by the U.S. Air Force, shows the AEHF-1 satellite in orbit above the earth. Air Force ground controllers executed a delicate rescue to save the $1.7 billion military communications satellite that was stranded in the wrong orbit and at risk of blowing up _ all possibly because a piece of cloth had been left in a critical fuel line during manufacture. (AP Photo/U.S. Air Force)

This photo provided by the U.S. Air Force, shows the AEHF-1 satellite being launched by an Atlas rocket in August 2010 at Cape Canaveral, Fla. Air Force ground controllers executed a delicate rescue to save the $1.7 billion military communications satellite that was stranded in the wrong orbit and at risk of blowing up _ all possibly because a piece of cloth had been left in a critical fuel line during manufacture. (AP Photo/U.S. Air Force)

This undated photo provided by the U.S. Air Force, shows technicians working on the AEHF-1 satellite at the Lockheed Martin facility in Sunnyvale, Calif. The AEHF-1 was launched in August 2010 and Air Force ground controllers executed a delicate rescue to save the $1.7 billion military communications satellite that was stranded in the wrong orbit and at risk of blowing up _ all possibly because a piece of cloth had been left in a critical fuel line during manufacture. (AP Photo/U.S. Air Force)

DENVER (AP) ? Air Force ground controllers delicately rescued a $1.7 billion military communications satellite last year that had been stranded in the wrong orbit and at risk of blowing up ? all possibly because a piece of cloth had been left in a critical fuel line during manufacture.

During the 14-month effort, the satellite had to battle gravity and dodge space junk while controllers improvised ways to coax it more than 21,000 miles higher to its planned orbit.

"This rescue effort was definitely a very sophisticated and highly technical masterpiece," said Col. Michael Lakos, chief of the Military Satellite Communications Division at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.

The Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite is the first of six in a $14 billion system designed to give the military more communications capacity than its current Milstar system as well as resist signals jamming.

Losing AEHF-1 would have been a costly and embarrassing blow. It would have delayed the satellite system along with all the related technology that will use it, and it would have prolonged the military's dependence on the aging Milstar system, first launched in 1994. It also would have raised more questions in Congress about the military and aerospace industry's ability to manage multibillion-dollar projects.

The program was $250 million over budget and two years behind schedule when the first satellite, AEHF-1, lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., in August 2010. As planned, an Atlas V rocket carried AEHF-1 to an elliptical "parking orbit" ranging from 140 miles to 31,000 miles from Earth.

Trouble came days later when ground controllers twice directed AEHF-1 to fire its main engine to begin moving into a circular orbit more than 22,000 miles above the Earth. Both times the satellite shut the engine down when it detected that it wasn't working ? a safety feature.

AEHF-1 was useless in the parking orbit where it was stranded. Worse, there was a danger the fuel backed up in the lines might ignite and explode, the Air Force said.

The Air Force acknowledged a problem in the propulsion system shortly after the 2010 launch but didn't publicly discuss the danger the satellite was in until this year.

"My initial reaction was we had lost the mission," said Dave Madden, the civilian director of the Military Satellite Communications System Directorate at Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif.

Madden quickly assembled teams of "really big brains" from the Air Force and the aerospace industry ? including satellite builder Lockheed Martin ? to determine what went wrong. His experts said another attempt to fire the engine might trigger an explosion.

"Their findings probably saved the satellite," Madden said.

They devised a rescue plan using the satellite's two other propulsion systems. Both are weaker than the main engine and were designed to make course corrections, not push the satellite across 21,000 miles of space.

Over the next 14 months, ground crews fired the two propulsion systems hundreds of times. Each time, they had to check with Air Force teams that monitor satellite orbits to make sure AEHF-1 wasn't headed for a collision with a piece of space junk. They had to move the satellite out of the way of debris three or four times.

One of the backup propulsion systems required electricity, so the satellite's solar panels had to be extended earlier than planned. That put them at risk of damage as the satellite passed through radiation belts around the Earth. They survived without damage.

The satellite reached orbit in October, more than a year late, and successfully completed testing on Feb. 29, Lockheed Martin said. No other problems have cropped up, and the Air Force said it has enough fuel to complete its expected 14-year life.

Madden's experts identified the likely culprit for the engine malfunction as a blocked fuel line. A Government Accountability Office report issued last year said the blockage might have been a piece of cloth left there during manufacturing. The Air Force said it could have been put there in the first place to keep out impurities when the line was disconnected for a repair.

Defense analyst Marco Caceres, who tracks rocket and satellite failures as part of his work for the Teal group, an aerospace and defense analysis firm, said he had never heard of such a mistake.

"If I had to find the top 10 strange ones, that one would make my list," said Caceres.

Lockheed Martin, which is expected to build all six AEHF satellites, said the probable cause was a foreign object that got into the system during manufacture. The Air Force reduced Lockheed Martin's potential fees by $15 million because of the mistake. Lockheed Martin's current contract for AEHF is valued at $7.8 billion.

The Air Force said the next two AEHF satellites have been inspected and additional checks have been added to the manufacturing process for the remaining versions. Lockheed Martin and the Air Force say the next satellite is scheduled for launch on April 27.

___

Follow Dan Elliott at http://twitter.com/DanElliottAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2012-03-17-Military%20Satellite%20Rescue/id-4448b588daad4bedaf3b6ce3bbeee7b9

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While Spartans roll, Saint Louis coach sleeps

Saint Louis' Rick Majerus coaches against Memphis during the first half of an NCAA college basketball tournament second-round game Friday, March 16, 2012, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

Long Island's Jamal Olasewere, front, drives past Michigan State's Draymond Green during the second half of an NCAA men's college basketball tournament second-round game in Columbus, Ohio, Friday, March 16, 2012. Michigan State won 89-67. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

North Carolina State's Richard Howell (1) jumps to the basket against San Diego State's Garrett Green (5) during the first half of an NCAA men's college basketball tournament second-round game in Columbus, Ohio, Friday, March 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Georgetown's Jason Clark (21) drives past Belmont's Mick Hedgepeth (34) and Drew Hanlen (1) during the first half of an NCAA men's college basketball tournament second-round game in Columbus, Ohio, Friday, March 16, 2012. Georgetown won 74-59. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) ? His team had just played a near-perfect defensive game in pulling a mild upset against a good Memphis team.

So was Saint Louis coach Rick Majerus planning on burning the midnight oil watching videotape of his next opponent?

Nope. He was going out to dinner. Then to bed.

"My mind's on Michigan State," he said, referring to the top-seeded Spartans, who held off LIU Brooklyn 89-67 in Friday's nightcap of the regional at Nationwide Arena. "I'm not going to watch it here. I'll watch it at (my hotel). I'll watch the tape. I've got assistants who work the way I used to work, as dedicated as I used to be.

"I just can't stay up all night anymore."

The way his team played defense, he should have sweet dreams. The ninth-seeded Billikens held Memphis to its worst offensive night of the season in pulling off a 61-54 win.

That paved the way for Saint Louis to move into Sunday's third round against the Spartans, who got 24 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists from Big Ten player of the year Draymond Green in an easy 89-67 win over 16th-seeded LIU Brooklyn.

In Friday's other games at Nationwide Arena, Richard Howell doubled his average with 22 points in 11th-seeded North Carolina State's surprising 79-65 win over San Diego State, and Jason Clark scored 21 points and No. 3 seed Georgetown's nasty zone defense befuddled Belmont in a 74-59 victory.

Majerus was probably disappointed that LIU Brooklyn lost the nightcap, long after he had left the arena.

"(My assistants) have already done a lot of work on Michigan State," he said before the tip of the Spartans' game. "We didn't think Long Island would win. Although I hope Long Island wins."

No such luck, coach.

It was Green's second NCAA triple-double in as many games. The last player to have more than one? Michigan State icon Earvin "Magic" Johnson.

Just like he does on the court, Green tried to get his teammates involved.

"A lot of the time on TV you're going to see a triple-double pop up in my stats, but you will never see the other guys' stats on what they did to contribute to me getting that triple double," he said.

The Spartans (28-7) had difficulty getting away from pesky LIU Brooklyn (25-9) in the first half. They led 42-37 at the break, but then started flexing their muscles inside. They ended up with a 43-20 advantage on the boards, shot 59 percent from the field and completely intimidated the Blackbirds.

"Those guys are monsters," LIU Brooklyn coach Jim Ferry said.

MSU coach Tom Izzo praised his team, but he also knew that there were tougher tests coming up.

"One down, many to go," he said to no one in particular as he walked down the hallway to the locker room.

In the win by Saint Louis (26-7), Kwamain Mitchell scored 22 points, including three momentum-shifting 3-pointers, and Brian Conklin hit five free throws in the last minute.

But it was the Billikens' defense that starred.

Averaging over 75 points a game, Memphis (26-9) had just 23 at half and shot just 39 percent from the field and hit only 2 of 15 3-pointers.

"We tried to make sure that we limit fast-break baskets and put defense as a priority," said Majerus, who has won 517 games at four schools.

The Tigers, led by Will Barton's 16 points, led by eight with less than 12 minutes left but couldn't hang on.

"We didn't play the way we normally played," said Memphis coach Josh Pastner, whose team came in having won 20 of the its last 23 games.

Howell, averaging under 11 points a game, was the star attraction as North Carolina State's upended San Diego State.

He scored 15 first-half points as the Wolfpack (23-12) built an early lead and then helped them hold onto it as the Aztecs (26-8) fought back in the second half.

"In today's game, we felt we could have success around the basket," first-year coach Mark Gottfried said. "We made the decision to go toward Richard, and he lit up like a Christmas tree."

The Wolfpack had size inside ? the Aztecs' biggest starter was just 6-foot-7 ? and exploited it as much as possible.

"It's one thing to be big," San Diego State coach Steve Fisher said. "It's another thing to be big and good. And they were big and good."

Jamaal Franklin had 23 points and Chase Tapley 19 for the Aztecs, regular-season champs of the Mountain West.

Georgetown had lost early in the tournament the last two years, but made sure that didn't happen this time.

With a ruthless defense that bottled up Belmont (27-8), the Hoyas forged a nine-point halftime lead and led by as many as 19 points near the finish.

"It was so good to get that first game," said Hoyas center Henry Sims, who had 15 points. "But we didn't come here just to win one game."

Georgetown's previous two seasons ended with embarrassing opening-round losses to Virginia Commonwealth and Ohio, scrappy mid-majors who made the big, bad Hoyas look silly. This time around, Georgetown played like the Georgetown of old, using inside muscle and a swarming defense that choked the life out of the Bruins.

"They're well-taught, and they've got great athletes," Belmont coach Rick Byrd said. "If (Big East champion) Syracuse is better than that, I'm glad we didn't play Syracuse."

___

AP Sports Writer Tom Withers contributed to this story.

___

Follow Rusty Miller on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/rustymillerap .

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-03-17-NCAA-Columbus/id-567b4081ccc640b290d775485a5078d7

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Saturday, March 17, 2012

The Fine Favors of Dallas Web Design | Kidzapaloozablog.com

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Dallas web design has an exceptional offshore team that manages many complicated jobs of the firms it serves. ... Dallas web design is one stop internet marketing solutions. It gives you website design services, logo design, flash design, graphic layout, website re-design, E-commerce design, ... Dallas web design can help your small business standout online as well as control an attention that your business justifiably deserves. Just give your thorough business plan and specification ...

Source: http://kidzapaloozablog.com/the-fine-favors-of-dallas-web-design/

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