Should lottery winners' names be kept secret?

PHOENIX (AP) — When two winning tickets for a record $588 million Powerball jackpot were claimed from the Nov. 28 drawing, the world focused on the winners.
A Missouri couple appeared at a press conference and held up the traditional giant-sized check. The Arizona winner, however, skipped the press conference where lottery officials announced last month that someone had claimed the second half of the prize.
The differing approach to releasing information on the winners reflects a broader debate that is playing out in state Legislatures and lottery offices nationwide: Should the winners' names be secret?
Lawmakers in Michigan and New Jersey think so, proposing bills to allow anonymity because winners are prone to falling victim to scams, shady businesses, greedy distant family members and violent criminals looking to shake them down.
Lotteries object, arguing that publicizing the winners' names drives sales and that having their names released ensures that people know there isn't something fishy afoot, like a game rigged so a lottery insider wins.
When players see that an actual person won, "it has a much greater impact than when they might read that the lottery paid a big prize to an anonymous player," said Andi Brancato, director of public relations for the Michigan state lottery.
Most states require the names of lottery winners be disclosed, albeit in different ways. Some states require the winner to appear at a press conference, like Missouri winners Mark and Cindy Hill did on Nov. 30.
Arizona and other states allow winners not to appear in public, but their names can be obtained through public records laws. The Arizona winner, Matthew Good, was not identified at the news conference a week after the Hills' came forward, and has not given interviews or appeared in public.
When news media including The Associated Press learned of his name through records requests, TV crews and reporters flocked to Good's neighborhood to get reaction from the winner of a lottery that captivated the nation.
Jeff Hatch-Miller, executive director of the Arizona Lottery, said he understands winners' desire for privacy, but he argues they are essentially entering into a large contract with the government that is public. Others argue that appearing at a news conference helps defuse media interest because the winner is available to answer questions that satisfy the media's interest in telling their stories.
In Michigan, Republican state Sen. Tory Rocca pushed a lottery bill that allows winners to remain anonymous. It didn't pass, but in arguing for it, he cited cases where lottery winners were shot and killed because of their newfound wealth.
A Florida woman was convicted last month of first-degree murder after she befriended a man who won a $30 million jackpot in 2006. Prosecutors said she took control of his assets, killed him, buried him in her yard and poured a concrete slab above the grave.
An effort in New Jersey by Democratic Sen. Jim Whelan took a middle ground between public release and privacy, calling for a one-year delay in releasing winners' names. It also didn't make it out of the Legislature last year, but he said he'll keep pressing to get it passed.
Whelan said a one-year delay would give winners a chance to adjust while still keeping the public disclosure lotteries say they need. However, Whelan said he doesn't really buy the agencies' arguments for public disclosure.
"I'm not sure how many people are spurred to buy a lottery ticket because they see a picture of someone in the paper holding up a big check - and I don't think people don't buy a ticket because they think the whole thing's fixed," Whelan said.
Of 44 states participating in Powerball and 33 in Mega-Millions, only Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota and Ohio allow blanket anonymity, said Chuck Strutt, executive director of the Multi-State Lottery Association, which oversees the games.
"Obviously, it is a law that is designed to ensure an open and transparent process, so that the public can be ensured that insiders are not winners," Strutt said. "But in today's world, most of us can understand the wish to remain anonymous."
The most famous modern lottery fraud case happened in 1980 when Pennsylvania Lottery district manager Edward Plevel and TV announcer Nick Perry were convicted of fixing the result of the Daily Number drawing.
Authorities found that some of the ping pong balls used in the game were injected with paint to make them too heavy to float up the winning slots. The result paid $3.8 million, a record at the time, and eight people involved in the fix won a total of about $1.2 million.
Former Missouri child services worker Sandra Hayes shared a $224 million Powerball jackpot with a dozen co-workers in 2006 and said she understands the push for anonymity.
Hayes said she received many requests for money or to make investments, both at work (she kept her job another month) and at home, where she'd find people waiting on her porch. Her lump sum payout after taxes was more than $6 million.
Even if people are allowed to remain anonymous, it's often inevitable that their identities will become known.
Steve Thornton, a lawyer in Bowling Green, Ky., has helped two big lottery winners shield their names through corporations despite rules in his state that require disclosure of winners. Even though they were kept out of the public eye, one winner couldn't stay hidden.
"It was not many months later that lots of people knew who won, even though it was not released, because of their gifts and their spending." Thornton said.

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Court faults EPA for Bush-era soot regulations

WASHINGTON (AP) — An appeals court is siding with environmental groups that had challenged Environmental Protection Agency regulations on soot as too weak.
The three-judge panel ruled Friday that the EPA regulated soot of a certain size under weaker cleanup requirements than it should have.
The environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, had challenged two rules dating back to the George W. Bush administration. The court sent the rules back to the EPA with instructions to strengthen them.
Soot, or fine particulate matter, is microscopic pollution released from smokestacks, diesel trucks and other sources. Breathing it can cause lung and heart problems, contributing to heart attacks, strokes and asthma attacks.
Two of the three judges were appointed by Republican presidents, the third by a Democrat.

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New ND lawmaker 1 of many drafting drone measures

A freshman lawmaker from North Dakota is one of numerous state legislators around the country suggesting regulations to limit the use of unmanned planes for law enforcement, an effort that's gaining bipartisan support and fostering unlikely political alignments.
The bill proposed by Republican State Rep. Rick Becker, of Bismarck, stems from the 2011 arrest of a Lakota farmer during a 16-hour standoff, an event that sparked national debate. State courts held up law enforcement's use of a drone to help a SWAT team apprehend Rodney Brossart, but Becker says there should be safeguards in place to make sure the practice isn't abused.
Lawmakers plan to introduce similar bills in several states, and although Republicans are mostly leading the charge, the issue crosses party lines in Florida and brought together a tea party member from Virginia's General Assembly and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Becker insists he's not out to hinder police; he says it's a matter of privacy.
"It's a new technology that has really amazing capabilities and can be used in excellent ways for our communities. I don't want to say that drones can't be used," Becker said. "But with the new technology there are also issues, primarily privacy issues, which can come into play."
The sheriff in Cass County, the state's most populous county, says Becker's proposal could set a troublesome precedent.
"Some people have this idea that these drones are some sneak and peek into their private lives," said Sheriff Paul Laney, a former Red River Valley SWAT team commander and a member of a national board for crisis management on issues similar to the Brossart case. "It's no different than a routine patrol when we drive by in a squad car on the road and look down the driveway. We are just doing it from a higher level."
One part of Becker's proposal would require a warrant when drones are used as a part of a criminal investigation. Brossart's lawyer, Bruce Quick of Fargo, said a warrant was not obtained for drone use.
State Rep. Al Carlson, the Republican House majority leader from Fargo, said Becker's proposal warrants serious discussion.
"Obviously, invasion of privacy is always important to North Dakotans," Carlson said. "I think it's a good debate to have and I look forward to hearing it."
Similar legislation will be proposed in many states this legislative session, including California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon, Missouri, Michigan and Indiana. In Virginia, the ACLU/tea party-backed measure is expected to be unveiled this session.
In addition, a U.S. House of Representatives bill that targets drone privacy was introduced last month by Massachusetts Democrat Ed Markey. He plans this session to re-introduce the proposal that would require law enforcement to obtain a warrant to use a drone except in situations such as imminent danger of death or a terrorist attack.
The Brossart arrest was the first drone surveillance case involving a private citizen to receive attention from national media outlets. The standoff began in June 2011, when Nelson County Sheriff Kelly Janke went onto Brossart's land with a search warrant to look for six missing cows. Janke said he left after he was confronted by three men brandishing rifles.
Authorities used images from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Predator drone to find the location of three Brossart brothers, including Rodney, who lived on the farm and determine that they were unarmed. Police then moved in to arrest them.
State Rep. Ed Gruchalla, D-Fargo, a retired highway patrol officer, opposes Becker's idea and said he heard the same complaints when global cameras were first placed into squad cars.
"I see the same kind of things from the drones. It's new and I don't think people are quite used to it," he said. "I think it will blow over."
Some states are testing drones for uses that don't include investigations. Last month, a Department of Homeland Security drone testing program was launched near Fort Sill in southwestern Oklahoma.
Steve McKeever, the state's secretary of science and technology and vice president of research and technology transfer at Oklahoma State University, said the program is designed to test robotic aircraft technologies for use in public safety applications, such as first responders and search and rescue missions, and does not involve military use.
"All we're doing is testing technologies," McKeever said, noting the program does not involve training in pursuit situations as part of criminal investigations, like the drones were used in Brossart's case.
Brossart, his wife and their four children face several charges, including theft and terrorizing. Quick said he is negotiating a resolution that could be completed in the next month.
Quick, who earlier labeled drone use in the Brossart case as "outrageous government conduct," said he supports Becker's efforts.
"I'm not saying what they're doing is unconstitutional, although it could be in certain circumstances, I just don't like it," he said. "I just think the more that sort of intrusion happens, the less privacy we all have.

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FDA: New rules will make food safer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration says its new guidelines would make the food Americans eat safer and help prevent the kinds of foodborne disease outbreaks that sicken or kill thousands of consumers each year.
The rules, the most sweeping food safety guidelines in decades, would require farmers to take new precautions against contamination, to include making sure workers' hands are washed, irrigation water is clean, and that animals stay out of fields. Food manufacturers will have to submit food safety plans to the government to show they are keeping their operations clean.
The long-overdue regulations could cost businesses close to half a billion dollars a year to implement, but are expected to reduce the estimated 3,000 deaths a year from foodborne illness. The new guidelines were announced Friday.
Just since last summer, outbreaks of listeria in cheese and salmonella in peanut butter, mangoes and cantaloupe have been linked to more than 400 illnesses and as many as seven deaths, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The actual number of those sickened is likely much higher.
Many responsible food companies and farmers are already following the steps that the FDA would now require them to take. But officials say the requirements could have saved lives and prevented illnesses in several of the large-scale outbreaks that have hit the country in recent years.
In a 2011 outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe that claimed 33 lives, for example, FDA inspectors found pools of dirty water on the floor and old, dirty processing equipment at Jensen Farms in Colorado where the cantaloupes were grown. In a peanut butter outbreak this year linked to 42 salmonella illnesses, inspectors found samples of salmonella throughout Sunland Inc.'s peanut processing plant in New Mexico and multiple obvious safety problems, such as birds flying over uncovered trailers of peanuts and employees not washing their hands.
Under the new rules, companies would have to lay out plans for preventing those sorts of problems, monitor their own progress and explain to the FDA how they would correct them.
"The rules go very directly to preventing the types of outbreaks we have seen," said Michael Taylor, FDA's deputy commissioner for foods.
The FDA estimates the new rules could prevent almost 2 million illnesses annually, but it could be several years before the rules are actually preventing outbreaks. Taylor said it could take the agency another year to craft the rules after a four-month comment period, and farms would have at least two years to comply — meaning the farm rules are at least three years away from taking effect. Smaller farms would have even longer to comply.
The new rules, which come exactly two years to the day President Barack Obama's signed food safety legislation passed by Congress, were already delayed. The 2011 law required the agency to propose a first installment of the rules a year ago, but the Obama administration held them until after the election. Food safety advocates sued the administration to win their release.
The produce rule would mark the first time the FDA has had real authority to regulate food on farms. In an effort to stave off protests from farmers, the farm rules are tailored to apply only to certain fruits and vegetables that pose the greatest risk, like berries, melons, leafy greens and other foods that are usually eaten raw. A farm that produces green beans that will be canned and cooked, for example, would not be regulated.
Such flexibility, along with the growing realization that outbreaks are bad for business, has brought the produce industry and much of the rest of the food industry on board as Congress and FDA has worked to make food safer.
In a statement Friday, Pamela Bailey, president of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents the country's biggest food companies, said the food safety law "can serve as a role model for what can be achieved when the private and public sectors work together to achieve a common goal."
The new rules could cost large farms $30,000 a year, according to the FDA. The agency did not break down the costs for individual processing plants, but said the rules could cost manufacturers up to $475 million annually.
FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said the success of the rules will also depend on how much money Congress gives the chronically underfunded agency to put them in place. "Resources remain an ongoing concern," she said.
The farm and manufacturing rules are only one part of the food safety law. The bill also authorized more surprise inspections by the FDA and gave the agency additional powers to shut down food facilities. In addition, the law required stricter standards on imported foods. The agency said it will soon propose other overdue rules to ensure that importers verify overseas food is safe and to improve food safety audits overseas.
Food safety advocates frustrated over the last year as the rules stalled praised the proposed action.
"The new law should transform the FDA from an agency that tracks down outbreaks after the fact, to an agency focused on preventing food contamination in the first place," said Caroline Smith DeWaal of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

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Merkel kicks off German election year campaigning

BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Angela Merkel is highlighting Germany's economic strength and dismissing worries that her party could be dragged down by its struggling coalition partner as she kicks off campaigning for an important state election.
Merkel's center-right coalition faces a tough battle to extend its 10-year hold on Lower Saxony state in the Jan. 20 election. Polls suggest the center-left opposition has a good chance of winning — giving it a significant boost ahead of September national elections in which Merkel will seek a third term.
Merkel, speaking Saturday after her conservative Christian Democrats' leadership met in Lower Saxony, criticized opposition plans for tax increases.
Merkel's party leads polls in Lower Saxony and nationally but its junior partner, the pro-market Free Democratic Party, is very weak.

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Venezuela's Chavez fighting severe lung infection

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is being treated for "respiratory deficiency" after complications from a severe lung infection, his government said, pointing to a deepening crisis for the ailing 58-year-old president.
Chavez hasn't spoken publicly or been seen since his Dec. 11 operation in Cuba, and the latest report from his government Thursday night increased speculation that he is unlikely to be able to be sworn in for another term as scheduled in less than a week.
"Chavez has faced complications as a result of a severe respiratory infection. This infection has led to respiratory deficiency that requires Commander Chavez to remain in strict compliance with his medical treatment," Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said Thursday night, reading the statement on television.
The government's characterization raised the possibility that Chavez might be breathing with the assistance of a machine. But the government did not address that question and didn't give details of the president's treatment.
"It appears he has a very severe pneumonia that he suffered after a respiratory failure. It is not very specific," said Dr. Alejandro Rios-Ramirez, a pulmonary specialist in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, who is not involved in Chavez's treatment. "It does imply the gravity of his pulmonary infection that led to a respiratory failure. It doesn't mean yet that he is breathing with a machine."
Dr. Michael Pishvaian, an oncologist at Georgetown University's Lombardi Cancer Center in Washington, said such respiratory infections can run the gamut from "a mild infection requiring antibiotics and supplemental oxygen to life threatening respiratory complications."
"It could be a very ominous sign," Pishvaian said.
The government expressed confidence in Chavez's medical team and condemned what it called a "campaign of psychological warfare" in the international media regarding the president's condition. Officials have urged Venezuelans not to heed rumors about Chavez's condition.
The statement didn't point to any particular rumors but said "this campaign aims ultimately to destabilize the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ... and end the Bolivarian Revolution led by Chavez."
Venezuela's opposition has demanded that the government provide more specific information about Chavez's condition.
Chavez has undergone four cancer-related surgeries since June 2011 for an undisclosed type of pelvic cancer. He also has undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
He was re-elected in October to another six-year term, and two months later announced that the cancer had come back. Chavez said before the operation that if his illness prevented him from remaining president, Vice President Nicolas Maduro should be his party's candidate to replace him in a new election.
This week, the president's elder brother Adan and National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello joined a parade of visitors who saw Chavez in Havana, and then returned to Caracas on Thursday along with Maduro.
"In the past hours, we've been accompanying President Hugo Chavez and taking him the courage and strength of the Venezuelan people," Maduro said on television. Appearing next to Cabello visiting a government-run coffee plant in Caracas, he said they had been with Chavez together with the president's brother, his son-in-law Jorge Arreaza, Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez and Attorney General Cilia Flores.
Chavez's health crisis has raised contentious questions ahead of the swearing-in set for Jan. 10, including whether the inauguration could legally be postponed and what will happen if Chavez can't begin his new term. The plans of Chavez's allies remain a mystery.
The Venezuelan Constitution says the presidential oath should be taken Jan. 10 before the National Assembly, and officials have raised the possibility that Chavez might not be well enough to do that, without saying what will happen if he can't.
The constitution says that if a president or president-elect dies or is declared unable to continue in office, presidential powers should be held temporarily by the president of the National Assembly, who is now Cabello. It says a new presidential vote should be held within 30 days.
Opposition leaders have argued that Chavez, who was re-elected to a six-year term in October, seems no longer fit to continue as president and have demanded that a new election be held within 30 days if he isn't in Caracas on inauguration day.
But some of Chavez's close confidants dismiss the view that the inauguration date is a hard deadline, saying Chavez could be given more time to recover from his surgery if necessary.
Aristobulo Isturiz, a state governor and leader of Chavez's United Socialist Party of Venezuela, said Thursday that if Chavez's swearing-in isn't held Jan. 10, it will be up to the Supreme Court to determine the place and date of the ceremony.
"The president has a right to recover," Isturiz said in remarks published by the state-run Venezuelan News Agency.
Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma, an opposition politician, proposed on Thursday that a commission travel to Cuba to determine the state of Chavez's health. He said the delegation should be made up of doctors, lawmakers and other officials such as state governors, including opposition leader Henrique Capriles.
"I'm not asking for permission to go to Cuba. I think it's our right to go there and see what's going on," Ledezma said in comments reported by the television channel Globovision. "Enough mysteries. Venezuela isn't a colony of Cuba."
Some of the brewing disagreements could begin to be aired Saturday, when the National Assembly, which is controlled by a pro-Chavez majority, convenes to select legislative leaders. That session will be held just five days before the scheduled inauguration day.

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Powder Metallurgy Industry Top 10 Companies Analysis in New Market Research Report at ReportsnReports.com

ReportsnReports.com adds “Top Ten Companies in Powder Metallurgy” new market research report to its store.

Dallas, Texas (PRWEB) December 27, 2012
The scope of this report is focused on a select 10 companies in the powder metals industry. This is in many ways a selected due diligence of the key companies and drivers in the PM marketplace. An attempt has been made to include top companies in metal powder manufacturing as well as those companies that use powder metal to fabricate components. Also included are descriptions of several up-and-coming global players—companies that appear to have the potential to become major contributors in the PM market.
This report on identifies:

     The top 10 major manufacturers of powder metal and other related materials, such as ceramics and nanopowders, special alloys and metal matrix composites, and companies that make parts and components for automotive products, industrial and tolling equipment, recreation and hobby items, appliances, business machines and other products.
     It is written with the intent of covering two major segments of the powder metallurgy industry: (1) those companies that manufacture metal powders, and (2) those who use the metal powders to fabricate components.
     Also included are descriptions of several up-and-coming global players—companies that appear to have the potential to become major contributors in the PM market.
Powder metallurgy is sometimes referred to as the chipless process, meaning there is nearly zero waste of material. This is due to the absence of machining operations compared to conventional metallurgical methods mentioned earlier. Statistics show that 97% or higher of the input material is retained in the final part. This alone saves the industry huge amounts of money as all conventional metal processing methods result in double-digit waste of material between incoming material and final product.
This focused report profiles the top 10 companies of this industry globally, and provides comments on several transformative changes that are happening in the powder metallurgy industry. The industry as such has a wide range of companies as players—including metal powder manufacturers, part manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, end users and several unique supporting suppliers.
The industry is well developed and mature, and has several global communities, groups, associations and similar organizations that support, campaign for, lobby and market the needs and services of the industry. These range from local clusters to international organizations of various sizes and membership counts. Overall, the industry is estimated to have more than 5,000 companies, not to mention the several thousands of less-established upcoming players.
The powder metallurgy industry caters to a wide range of industries including automotive, aerospace, medical and dental. In the recent years there have also been several new applications for powdered metals such as conductive inks, paints and electronics. This report will explore these application areas in detail.
That report provides a global review of the industry with trends, regulatory aspects and other macro-level factors. In that report, numerous companies are listed in brief along with their region of operation and products. The goal of this document is to provide a more in-depth look at the top-tier companies in the industry and to take a closer look at how the products from these companies are addressed in the market, thus providing an explorative financial and technical review to the readers.
The objectives include identifying companies that are considered the leaders and what technologies or management contributions make them leaders. There are certain market drivers and some constraints to both the companies and to the evolving technology they seek to dominate. There is a desire to ascertain whether these companies will be able to meet the continuing demand for their products by proprietary technology, strategy alliances, superior marketing or other sought-after advantages.
Most of the information presented in this report is based on that available from annual reports, various regulatory filings, company website, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and other public sources, and the author hereby acknowledges the same. Additional information was sourced from industry experts and people with a close understanding of the industry dynamics.
Buy your copy of report @ http://www.reportsnreports.com/purchase.aspx?name=211263 .
The Top 10 Companies In The Powder Metallurgy Industry: Basf, Carpenter Technology Corp., Fukuda Metal Foil And Powder Co., Gkn Plc, H.C. Starck, Hitachi Powder Metals Co. Ltd. , Hoganas, Ab, Metaldyne Llc, Miba Ag, Rio-Tinto.
Browse more reports on advanced materials market @ http://www.reportsnreports.com/market-research/advanced-material/.
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ReportsnReports.com (http://www.reportsnreports.com/ ) is an online market research reports library of 200,000+ in-depth studies of over 5000 micro markets. Our database includes reports by leading publishers from across the globe. We provide 24/7 online and offline support service to our customers.

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Phil Gramm's Proposal to End Wind Subsidies Could Hurt Wind Industry in Texas

Phil Gramm, a former United States senator from Texas and economics professor at Texas A&M, has published a piece in the Wall Street Journal attacking wind power subsidies as a distortion of the energy marketplace.
The ending of that subsidy, in the form of a tax credit, will adversely affect the wind power industry in Texas, according to a recent New York Times article.
Wind power subsidies are costly compared to other forms of energy
Gramm points out in his article that the United States has spent $24 billion since 1992 to encourage the development of a wind power industry in the form of direct spending, tax credits, loan guarantees, and other support. The subsidies cost $52.48 per million watt hours, as opposed to nuclear power at $3.10, hydropower at 84 cents, coal at 64 cents, and natural gas at 63 cents. Wind power also benefits from federal mandates as well as state support.
Wind power subsidies distort the energy market place
The problem, according to Gramm is that supporting costly wind power is displacing other, cheaper forms of energy production, such as natural gas. The subsidies are so high, Gramm suggests, that wind farm owners could actually pay utility companies to buy the electricity they generate and still make money. Additionally, wind power only works when the wind is blowing, causing utility companies that use wind to also have backup sources in case of calm weather.
Wind power in Texas depends on tax credits
The New York Times points out that the wind power industry in Texas depends on the tax credits due to expire at the end of 2012. Texas Republicans such as Sen. John Cornyn and Gov. Rick Perry, who had previously supported the wind power tax credit, are now supporting its abolishment in the name of tax reform. Wind farms have until the end of the year to qualify for the tax credit, should it expire, thus sparking a boom in construction being rushed before the deadline. The tax credit lasts for 10 years.
Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens had been proponent of wind power
Ironically, one of the most famous oilmen alive, T. Boone Pickens, had at one time been a proponent of wind power. According to Gigaom.com, Pickens could not get his wind farm built in Texas due to the recession that started in 2008 and the lack of power transmission lines. An attempt by him to build a wind farm in Minnesota fared no better. Pickens appears to be withdrawing from the wind power industry and concentrating instead on natural gas.

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eBazR.com - Global Trading Platform - Launches New Markeplaces and Mobile App

eBazR.com global online auction, e-store –and classified advertising site has launched a Mobile Application and additional Marketplaces – Jobs portal, Homes portal and a Blogs portal, offering traders an alternative to eBay – Amazon.

(PRWEB) December 26, 2012
eBazR,s Online Marketplace currently provides eight diverse markets:

    Auctions: is an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses can trade, buy and sell their products and services globally, Formats include: Buy it Now, Fixed Price, Dutch and Live English auction.
    Blogs: is a free blog-publishing tool from eBazR for easily sharing your thoughts with the world. eBazR Blogger makes it simple to post text, photos and video onto your personal or team blog.
    Classifieds: Ads for cars, jobs, flats and much more. Sell or buy anything on a local, National and Global basis, quick and free.
    Homes: is an online real estate property portal for properties for sale and to rent from the top estate agents and developers in the world
    Jobs: is an employment job board, eBazR premier global online employment solution for people seeking jobs and the employers who need great people as a "job board" to a global provider of a full array of job seeking, career management, recruitment and talent management products and services.
    Motors: is a site where sellers list cars for sale, so you're not dealing with the reliability of the site - it's down to the individual sellers, Buy and sell autos, trucks, parts, motorcycles, boats, accessories, and other used cars and vehicles on eBazR online auction site find, list, buy and sell, used cars, autos, motorcycles, car, used car, truck, parts, accessories, boats, online auction.
    Stores: Start your own business and sell bulk items, Build, Easily create a beautiful, hosted online store, Manage, Process orders, manage inventory and sell more, Grow Get found on Google, eBay, Facebook and much more
    Trades People: The Smarter Way to Find Tradesmen! And A Smarter Way to Find Customers, Find local recommended tradesmen who've been approved by others. Post a job, get a quote and pick the most reliable tradesman with the best reviews!, become a member of the largest rated tradesmen directory, receive potential leads for jobs in your area and see your business grow, introduces people with home improvement projects to tradesmen who have been rated and recommended by others.
eBazR.com, offers a viable alternative to popular online trading sites such as eBay, Amazon without the high fees. It also features optional social networking tools, such as instantly posting your listings on Twitter and Facebook, so that you can promote your products quickly and easily.
eBazR.com provides both professional traders and people who want to make money and sell unwanted personal items the ability to buy and sell across the world in their own currency. This makes tapping into a global marketplace easy and risk free for Manufacturers, Wholesalers, Retailers of all sizes and individuals who want to make extra money listing their Goods and services.
eBazR has just launched its new free mobile application with augmented reality functionality. By exploiting the latest digital technologies, eBazR invites its customers to explore the uncompromising quality on the eBazR Marketplace, and to find, Buy, Bid and Sell your Goods, Items and Services in a fun and unexpected way.
“At eBazR, we have a passion for creativity and for all kinds of digital means of expression. We continuously try to bring our customers exceptional experiences, and by using augmented reality, we are adding a digital layer around our products and Services. The application is one part entertainment and one part service. Ultimately, it adds excitement and value to anyone who trades on eBazR Marketplace”, says Elliot Carver, Global Marketing Manager at Carver Media Group.
To try the app, the user needs an augmented reality visual code that comes with this release. Consumers that cannot get hold of the QR Code can download and print a tag from eBazR.com. “In an intriguing and visually stunning way, the application shows how eBazR goes to unnecessary lengths to make a good ,safe trading environment”, Elliot Carver, continues.
The FREE Mobile App can be downloaded for from ITUNES App Store and Google Play

The eBazR Marketplace mobile app is available free for iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S, iPad2, Android and Blackberry on eBazR, It was created by eBazR in collaboration with Carver Media Group, the digital agency of eBazR Plc.
Visit http://www.eBazR.com to find out more and take advantage of online trading across the world.

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ListedBy and Revestor Enter Marketing Agreement

Partnership builds on synergies in the real estate investment market.

NAPA Calif. (PRWEB) December 26, 2012
ListedBy (http://www.ListedBy.com), the first free online real estate marketplace and social network with live bidding public real estate auctions and ‘Best Offer’ functionality, and Revestor (http://www.revestor.com), a real estate platform that enables home buyers and investors to instantly evaluate a property’s likely returns, today announced a co-marketing agreement that builds on a number of synergies between the two organizations, including strengths and appeal within the real estate investment market segment.
The partnership incorporates a revenue share component and covers multiple cross-platform exposure and promotion programs.
"We are very pleased to partner with Bill Lyons and the Revestor team,” said Stephan Piscano, CEO and Co-Founder, ListedBy. “Buyers on ListedBy.com are looking for the type of analysis that Revestor provides, and Revestor users will benefit greatly from the free exposure ListedBy.com offers to help investors market assets to our highly targeted buyer community.”
"We are excited to offer to ListedBy members an additional tool for success, as we are about bringing to Revestor users the ability to research and buy investment properties including off-market assets on ListedBy,” said Bill Lyons, CEO and Member, Revestor.
Consumers and real estate investors across the United States can use Revestor's technology in their home buying process to estimate the risks involved with a home purchase and expectations for future potential performance of specific properties.
ListedBy members use the platform to research MLS listings nationwide and to view, bid on, or purchase homes and investment properties instantly online. Users can submit a ‘Best Offer’ on a desired property, or purchase the asset outright through the Buy-It-Now function. Buyers can also bid on listings through on-going commercial and residential real estate auction events on the site, including real estate foreclosure auctions, completely free of charge.
About Revestor
Revestor is a new real estate marketplace for consumers and investors to search homes for sale. With their patent pending technology, anyone buying real estate can search the unique application to find homes estimated to offer the best return. Users apply the information to make buying decisions that will benefit them in the long run, whether as a place to rent, live or invest in. For more information, visit http://www.revestor.com.
About ListedBy
ListedBy is the first free online real estate marketplace and social network with live bidding auction and ‘Best Offer’ functionality. Buyers, sellers, real estate professionals and service providers join ListedBy to network and to list, research, buy and sell real assets in a collaborative, transparent environment. ListedBy is headquartered in Napa, and is privately funded. For ongoing news, please visit http://www.listedby.com/about.

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