fMRI and autism: Does imaging research miss the mark? | Health ...

Recent studies have hinted at a potential role for functional MRI (fMRI) in the diagnosis of children and adolescents with autism. However, researchers may be putting the cart before the horse by focusing on imaging rather than biology, according to a Health Imaging interview with Nicholas Lange, PhD, a biostatistician at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

?Until its solid biological basis is found, any attempts to use brain imaging to diagnose autism will be futile,? Lange wrote in an editorial published in the November issue of Nature, in which he outlined several issues with the fMRI-based approach.

The first stumbling block is the lack of clinical knowledge about the biology of autism. Historically, in medicine, great advances are made when there is a breakthrough on the biological basis of the disorder, Lange said. Currently, there is no blood test, genetic test or other physical measurement tool that provides information about the biological basis of autism. fMRI observations can not be linked to a biological reference point.

Another issue relates to the difference between fMRI and other imaging modalities, such as PET, CT and MR spectroscopy. Other modalities provide results in units of physical measurement, such as diffusion rates of water, uptake of tracers or concentrations of metabolites.

In contrast, fMRI results are based on the percentage difference between an active state and an empirically determined baseline characterized by a lack of activity. The difference between those percentages is relatively small, or on the order of 1 to 3 percent, says Lange.

Another complicating factor relates to the multitude of possible interpretations of fMRI hot spots. Each part of the brain has many functions. The posterior temporal gyrus, for example, might be interpreted as the seat of music or the seat of language, depending on a researcher?s scientific bias, says Lange.

On a related note, multiple disorders?autism, dyslexia, learning disabilities?share common symptoms. ?It isn?t surprising that any child with a language problem will show lower activity in the superior temporal gyrus because that is where language reception and expression are oriented. But scanning a child and showing low activity does not indicate the child is autistic. A child with dyslexia or other language problems would show similar phenomenology.?

Despite the shortcomings of fMRI, Lange sees a role for brain imaging in understanding autism. He cited several examples, including:

Source: http://www.healthimaging.com/topics/diagnostic-imaging/fmri-and-autism-does-imaging-research-miss-mark

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Long-Term Senior Care Costs Spiked In 2012

By Dana Larsen on November 13, 2012

A recent MetLife survey shows that nursing home, assisted living, adult day services and home care costs are up. What can we expect in the future? Will costs keep going up as baby boomers continue to age and make senior citizens one of the largest American demographics? What resources do we have to pay for senior care?

Long-Term Care Costs Have Increased in 2012 - How Will You Pay for Senior Care?It?s hard to predict the future. But it?s not a huge surprise to learn that long-term care costs are rising. This has been an ongoing trend, however, as the recession in tandem with aging baby boomers has not helped with retirement and health care costs.

And while old age and retirement are typically associated with stability and relaxation?a time to connect with grand kids, golf and mingle with friends?today our elders have been hit with the recession, housing crisis and delayed retirements. And long-term care costs have definitely impacted not only seniors and caregivers, but also the nation as a whole.

The good news? Medicare is offering more. And different types of senior housing and care mean different costs. We have discovered that many families are not actually aware of the varied senior living options as most search specifically for ?nursing homes.? This disconnect between public perception and individual senior needs shows us how important care cost education is to the American public. After all, smart planning for anticipated long-term care costs is half the battle.

What Can You Expect To Pay for Long-Term Care?

According to a 2012 A Place for Mom Cost of Senior Care survey, the average rent for a one bedroom apartment at an assisted living community is approximately $3,100 per month, and the average rent for a one bedroom apartment in independent living or retirement community is approximately $2,700 per month. Of course, different factors, such as geographical location of the community, types of services needed and size of apartment all factor into the individual costs. Here is more information on elder care costs, depending on care type.

But how exactly have costs gone up? Here?s the 411 on how long-term care costs have changed in the past year, according to MetLife:

  1. The national average daily rate for rooms in a nursing homes has slightly increased in 2012 (approximately $10 more)
  2. The national average monthly base rate in assisted living communities has slightly increased in 2012 (approximately $100 more)
  3. The national average home care hourly rate slightly increased by 5.3% in 2012

While these increases may be slight, they?ve only been over a year. This is why smart retirement and financial planning are so important for American families. You can visit our Senior Care Calculator to help you compare the costs of living at home to the costs associated with assisted living to help your family plan.

How Do you Pay for Senior Care?

There are many ways for your family to pay for senior care. It?s all about assessing your resources and finding the mix that works with your loved one?s benefits. Here are some of the options available:

  1. Monthly Income, Social Security Benefits and Savings ???Each senior has a different amount of monthly allowances to help pay for senior care costs, but typically, additional resources are needed.
  2. Long-Term Care Insurance ??Long-term care insurance helps fill in the gaps for costs not covered by Medicare, Medicaid or private medical insurance.
  3. Veteran?s Benefits?? Veteran?s benefits are available to those who have served their country, as well as, their spouses. However, there are specific service requirements. Learn whether your loved one might qualify for Veteran?s benefits.
  4. Home Equity or Reverse Mortgages ? Whether your family decides to sell their home to pay for care, or borrow money based on the equity in your home, the family home is an option for senior care funding. Read more about the benefits and downsides of reverse mortgages.
  5. Life Insurance Settlements ??The sale of an in-force life insurance policy can help pay for senior care. Read more about how life insurance settlements work.
  6. Medicare ? This federal program pays for hospital and medical needs for those of 65 years of age. Get more Medicare information.
  7. Family Resources ? When tapped for resources, often family needs to step-in to help finance senior care for their loved ones.

And are you curious about social security benefits? Social Security Administration Specialist, Kirk Larson, provides social security benefit insight and expertise in our Social Security Benefits Demystified: Your Top Questions Answered.

Where Do You Go From Here?

Deciphering your individual family retirement resources can be challenging.?Learn more about how to finance senior care?and get tips to help you plan and finance your aging parents? elder care costs. And here are some financial planning mistakes to avoid?as your family starts to go through the process.

A Place for Mom?s Senior Living Advisors are also here to answer your family?s questions about how to pay for senior care. Contact an Advisor Today!

What challenges have you encountered going through the senior care funding process? Do you have any pearls of wisdom for helping others? We welcome your comments below.

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Category: Aging and Health News

Source: http://www.aplaceformom.com/blog/long-term-care-cost-increases/

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Samantha Daniels: Is This Your Definition of ... - Huffington Post

Cheating is always an interesting relationship topic. Most people will publicly say that it's despicable, they would never do it, and they fully don't approve, but what do they really think about it? And how many of those "I would never do it" people have actually done it? I spent some time talking to people around town and here are the top 10 things people really think about cheating (besides the obvious):

1. They would overlook cheating if it was sex without intimacy, meaning no oral sex, no french kissing, no verbal interaction and no romance.

2. If they cheat with a stranger and it is just sex with no attachment, it is not really cheating.

3. If they have discussed the definition of cheating with their spouse beforehand and both people adhere to "the rules," then it is not really cheating.

4. As long as it's just one time with the same person and never again, then there will be no lingering connections or feelings and then this is not really cheating.

5. If each spouse gave the other a "hall pass" to go do it and they both take advantage of that hall pass, it's not really cheating.

6. If it's with a prostitute or call-girl so it's more like a business transaction, then it's not really cheating.

7. Only emotional cheating is real cheating because there is an emotional connection with the other person, hence a real relationship.

8. A threesome is not cheating as long as their significant other is participating.

9. Oral sex isn't really cheating and only intercourse really counts.

10. Swinging is not cheating because they keep it "in the family" and only bring others in as a fun distraction.

I know, I know... some of these definitions are out there, right? Whatever happened to just thinking that cheating is wrong; plain and simple, regardless of all the rationalizations?

What do you think?


Samantha Daniels is a well-known professional matchmaker and relationship expert. She is the President of Samantha's Table Matchmaking, a bicoastal matchmaking service which caters exclusively to busy, successful professionals who have no trouble getting dates, but who have yet to find that one person with whom to spend the rest of their lives. She is also the author of "Matchbook: The Diary of a Modern Day Matchmaker" (Simon & Schuster). You can follow her on Twitter @Matchmakersd. You can also follow her on her Curator page on OpenSky, where you can get advice and picks for shopping from Celebrities.

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Follow Samantha Daniels on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Matchmakersd

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samantha-daniels/cheating_b_2123209.html

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Autos drag on retail sales, price pressure subdued

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Retail sales fell in October for the first time in three months as superstorm Sandy slammed the brakes on automobile purchases, suggesting spending lost momentum early in the fourth quarter.

Other data on Wednesday showed wholesale prices falling last month for the first time since May, giving the Federal Reserve latitude to maintain its ultra-easy monetary policy stance.

Retail sales dipped 0.3 percent after a 1.3 percent increase in September, the Commerce Department said. Economists had expected sales to fall 0.2 percent.

"Sandy was a drag, but I expect we will see a gain in sales in November," said Gus Faucher, a senior economist at PNC Financial Services Group in Pittsburgh.

Part of the drop in sales was payback after two straight months of solid gains. It could also be a sign of hesitation among consumers facing the prospect of higher taxes next year.

Even excluding autos, retail sales were flat last month.

Automatic tax hikes and government spending cuts will siphon about $600 billion from the economy next year if Congress fails to act to avert them. This so-called fiscal cliff has already eroded business confidence.

"It's imperative that policymakers address the looming fiscal cliff now to give consumers some certainty heading into the holiday shopping season," said Matthew Shay, president of the National Retail Federation.

STORM CITED

Car makers blamed Sandy, the monster storm that lashed the densely populated East Coast and caused up to $50 billion in damage, for the abrupt pullback in sales last month.

Automakers said traffic at East Coast dealerships slowed as residents began to brace for the storm, which hit at the end of the month. Sales tend to build up late in the month, which likely amplified the impact.

Ford Motor Corp estimated the industry lost sales of 20,000 to 25,000 vehicles, while Toyota put the loss at 30,000.

The Commerce Department said it had received indications from companies that the storm had both positive and negative effects on retail sales overall, but was unable to quantify them.

Motor vehicle sales declined 1.5 percent, the largest fall since August last year, after increasing 1.7 percent in September. Excluding autos, retail sales were unchanged last month after advancing 1.2 percent in September.

The storm also likely dented sales at clothing stores, but probably boosted receipts at food and beverage stores.

Economists expect the storm could shave as much as half a percentage point from economic growth in the fourth quarter. However, any lost activity should be made up early next year.

"That will come back in the first quarter. Spending on rebuilding will filter into growth numbers gradually over a number of quarters," said Julia Coronado, chief North America economist at BNP Paribas in New York.

Separately, the Labor Department said its producer price index slipped 0.2 percent last month, the first decline since May. The index had increased 1.1 percent in September.

Economists had expected prices received by farms, factories and refineries to increase 0.2 percent last month.

Excluding volatile food and energy costs, wholesale prices also fell 0.2 percent, the largest drop since October 2010.

The fall in this core gauge was tied to the introduction of new motor vehicle models, which can skew the data. Excluding autos, the core PPI was flat, consistent with a benign inflation environment, which should suit the Fed's accommodative policy.

Minutes of the U.S. central bank's October 23-24 meeting showed a number of officials thought the Fed should step up asset purchases next year to support the economy through low borrowing costs.

U.S. financial markets were little moved by the economic reports. Stocks on Wall Street were down as investors fretted about the fiscal cliff and Europe's ongoing problems. U.S. Treasury debt prices were mostly up, while the dollar fell against the euro.

BROAD WEAKNESS BEYOND STORM

Even accounting for Sandy's impact, the retail sales report highlighted the sluggishness of domestic demand.

So-called core retail sales, which exclude autos, gasoline and building materials and which correspond most closely with the consumer spending component of GDP, fell 0.1 percent. They had increased 0.9 percent in September.

The drop suggested consumer spending slowed early this quarter after ending the July-September period on a solid footing.

Building materials and garden equipment sales fell 1.9 percent, while sales of electronics and appliances fell 1.0 percent, unwinding some of the prior month's boost from purchases of Apple's iPhone 5.

Receipts at gasoline stations surprisingly rose 1.4 percent last month, despite pump prices falling almost 10 cents.

(Editing by Andrea Ricci, Tim Ahmann and James Dalgleish)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/retail-sales-sag-autos-wholesale-prices-subdued-154238665--business.html

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SS26 planning on quitting job and moving home. Anyone ... - Step Talk

SS26 has been in the army for years now. Last year he married a girl who has a 4 yr old son. So he is a step dad plus has one of the way due in a few months. He says that his military job does not allow him enough time to spend w/his family sooooooo his plan is to get out, around the same time the baby is due, and live in his MIL's basement. They will live there until he finds another job and are able to make it on their own.

So I'm very glad that DH and I's basement was not #1 on the list but since they live right across town we are by default an unspoken #2. I think this is a very bad idea. Right now ss26 has a steady income, full health insurance coverage, paid housing, etc. He wants to leave all of this for a basement with no guaranteed job and the only fall back insurance is welfare and parents taking care of them.

I have told DH that I feel this is an extremely unwise plan and that if things go awry @ MIL's then we are next in line. I want to be supportive of DH's relationship w/his children but not actually supporting them.

Besides cementing in the basement any wise suggestion?

Source: http://www.steptalk.org/node/89803

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Don't jump to conclusions over general, Pentagon chief says

PERTH, Australia (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned on Wednesday against jumping to conclusions over the actions of the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, a day after placing him under investigation in a widening scandal that already cost CIA Director David Petraeus his job.

Marine General John Allen, who denies any wrongdoing, is being investigated for potentially inappropriate communications with a woman at the center of the Petraeus case, Jill Kelley, a Florida socialite.

Panetta defended his decision to refer the case to the Pentagon's inspector general and for suspending Allen's nomination to another top position in the U.S. military, saying it was a prudent step "until we determine what the facts are."

"And we will," Panetta told reporters at high-level talks in Australia, also attended by the top U.S. military officer, General Martin Dempsey, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

At the same time, he praised Allen's work commanding the Afghan war effort, a position he retains despite the probe.

"No one should leap to any conclusions here. General Allen is doing an excellent job at ISAF, in leading those forces," Panetta said, referring to the NATO-led force.

"He certainly has my continued confidence to lead our forces and continue the fight."

Clinton acknowledged that allies had raised questions about the Allen case but said there was "no concern whatsoever being expressed to us" about the mission in Afghanistan.

Defense officials and people close to Petraeus say neither he nor Allen had a romantic relationship with Kelley, a 37-year-old wife and mother, who is described as a prominent presence in military circles in Tampa.

She may have been seen as a rival by Petraeus' biographer, Paula Broadwell, who sent Kelley a series of anonymous, harassing emails which touched off an investigation that uncovered evidence of an affair between Petraeus and Broadwell.

According to law enforcement sources, FBI investigators decided to pursue the matter when they found the messages contained information about the CIA chief's activities that was not publicly available.

Kelley had gotten to know both Petraeus and Allen as a volunteer setting up social events at MacDill Air Force Base outside Tampa, headquarters of U.S. Central Command.

The relationship was evidently close enough that both men intervened in a child custody battle involving Kelley's twin sister, Natalie Khawam.

"She is a dedicated mother, whose only focus is to provide the necessary support, love, and care for her son," Allen wrote about Khawam in a September 22 letter to a Washington, D.C., court.

Allen and Kelley communicated often enough over the past two years to produce between 20,000 and 30,000 pages of email and other messages, which were turned over to Defense Department investigators on Sunday.

The actual volume of communications is likely much smaller, an official said, as the printouts include messages involving other people and email threads including prior communications.

A senior defense official told Reuters the messages were seen as inappropriate because they were "flirtatious" in nature, not because they dealt with sensitive information.

But "flirtatious" may be an understatement. Another U.S. official said the Pentagon only decided to refer it for investigation after an initial look found the communications to be of "a sufficient character" to warrant further review.

Allen has denied that the two had a sexual relationship, officials said on condition of anonymity. Adultery can lead to a dishonorable discharge under U.S. military law.

WHITE HOUSE BACKS ALLEN

The scandal complicates President Barack Obama's efforts to reorganize his national security team following his re-election. The White House said it still had faith in Allen, but acknowledged its plans to transfer him to Europe, where he would head U.S. and allied forces, have been suspended.

Obama also has to find a replacement for Petraeus at the CIA at a time when the president is vetting candidates to head the State and Defense departments.

The scandal could throw a wrench into Obama's relations with Congress at a time when he is engaging in high-stakes budget negotiations to avoid the combination of tax increases and spending cuts known as the "fiscal cliff."

"I certainly wouldn't call it welcome," White House spokesman Jay Carney said of the scandal.

Both Allen and the official due to replace him in Afghanistan, Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford, must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate before they can take up their new posts.

Lawmakers on the Senate Armed Services Committee said they would go ahead with a confirmation hearing for Dunford on Thursday. Allen's appearance was canceled.

Allen had just submitted recommendations on what role the United States should play in Afghanistan after most American combat troops withdraw by the end of 2014.

FBI agents searched Broadwell's Charlotte, North Carolina, home late on Monday in a sign that the case involving Petraeus was not fully closed.

Agents entered the house carrying boxes at around 9 p.m. (0200 GMT Tuesday) and emerged four hours later, carrying away what appeared to be two computers and about 10 boxes.

Broadwell's family was not at home at the time.

U.S. officials have said recently that their investigation was largely complete and that prosecutors had determined it was unlikely they would bring charges in that case, which started when Kelley contacted an FBI agent in Tampa.

That FBI agent, who has not been identified, came under scrutiny himself after it was discovered he had sent shirtless photographs of himself to Kelley "long before" this investigation, a law enforcement official told Reuters.

The agent, who alerted an FBI cyber squad to the Broadwell case, apparently became frustrated at the pace of the investigation and complained to a member of Congress about it, the official said.

(Additional reporting by David Alexander, Mark Hosenball, Rick Rothacker, David Ingram, Toby Zakaria, Susan Cornwell, Matt Spetalnick, Margaret Chadbourn; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/dont-jump-conclusions-over-general-pentagon-chief-says-090421061.html

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Vuzix Smart Glasses M100 to battle Google Glass for Android eyewear supremacy

DNP Here's apps in your eye! Vuzix Smart Glasses M100 coming to Android and iOS in 2013

Interactive eyewear maker Vuzix revealed its potential challenger today for Google Glass in the Android-powered world of augmented reality: the company will showcase its Smart Glasses M100 at CES 2013, in hopes of bringing over-the-eye display support to everyday mobile applications. Set for a mid-2013 release, the Ice Cream Sandwich-based eyepatch, features a WQVGA display with a 16:9 aspect ratio, a 1GHz OMAP4430 processor, 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal memory. This modernized monocle is also capable of capturing still photos and 720p HD video, with playback and picture viewing available through its mounted display. While the M100s run Android 4.0, Vuzix has included support for iOS devices and plans to release an SDK for developers sometime in December to the tune of $999. As more tech companies begin focusing their efforts on HUD glasses, hopefully some jerk will come along and create a next-gen Opti-Grab to hold these things steady.

Continue reading Vuzix Smart Glasses M100 to battle Google Glass for Android eyewear supremacy

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Fort Lauderdale Fall Home Design & Remodeling Show ...

Tick!-it Status: UPCOMING Departing In: 2 days 13 hrs 50 mins 8?secs

The Details: Featuring fine home furniture, accessories, remodeling, interior design, kitchens and baths, appliances, home theaters, home improvements, pools and spas, patios, landscaping, and an array of products and services for the interior and exterior of the home . . . all under one roof.

Broward?s premiere home show is a unique marketplace that enables homeowners to experience the products and services first hand, talk one-on-one with industry experts and get personalized advice to plan home improvement or design projects. Meet with professionals that can do the work for you?.or get ideas from the hundreds of products and services on display and plan your home improvement projects yourself.

Organization: Home Show Management Corp.

Starting Date: Friday, November 16, 2012 11:00 AM

Ending Date: Sunday, November 18, 2012 7:30 PM

Venue: Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center

Address: 1950 Eisenhower Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

Please remember that we at LastMinute Lauderdale don?t create these Tick!-its and we can?t guarantee the accuracy of the information. So make sure you check with the source of the offer before taking advantage of it.

Did you like this Tick!-it? Share it:

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Source: http://www.lastminutelauderdale.com/23091/events/fort-lauderdale-fall-home-design-remodeling-show

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I'm Helping with Junior Achievement | AllFinancialMatters

This is a first for me.

This Friday I will be teaching a 5th grade class for the school?s ?JA In A Day? program. I?m excited and nervous at the same time.

The program is pretty cool. I?ll post my notes later. Right now I need to get a firm grip on the presentation.

Source: http://allfinancialmatters.com/2012/11/14/im-helping-with-junior-achievement/

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A year in, YouTube's channels not must-see TV, yet

FILE - In this Thursday, March 15, 2012 photo provided by Red Bull Stratos, Felix Baumgartner prepares to jump during the first manned test flight for Red Bull Stratos over Roswell, N.M. Some 52 million watched YouTube's live stream of daredevil Baumgartner's free-fall jump from space, a viewership that far outpaced the 7.6 million who watched it on the Discovery Channel in the U.S. (AP Photo/Red Bull Stratos, Jay Nemeth)

FILE - In this Thursday, March 15, 2012 photo provided by Red Bull Stratos, Felix Baumgartner prepares to jump during the first manned test flight for Red Bull Stratos over Roswell, N.M. Some 52 million watched YouTube's live stream of daredevil Baumgartner's free-fall jump from space, a viewership that far outpaced the 7.6 million who watched it on the Discovery Channel in the U.S. (AP Photo/Red Bull Stratos, Jay Nemeth)

FILE - In this Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012 image provided by Red Bull Stratos, pilot Felix Baumgartner of Austria jumps out of his capsule during the final manned flight for Red Bull Stratos. Some 52 million watched YouTube's live stream of daredevil Baumgartner's free-fall jump from space, a viewership that far outpaced the 7.6 million who watched it on the Discovery Channel in the U.S. (AP Photo/Red Bull Stratos, file)

NEW YORK (AP) ? When Google announced its plans to fund some 100 new channels of original programming on YouTube, many expected a transformation in television.

Google had disrupted other industries and TV appeared to be next in line. The YouTube channels were trumpeted as the next iteration in television: Just as a handful of networks begat a few hundred cable channels, YouTube would now foster the birth of thousands of channels online.

The revolution has not yet been YouTubed.

Though a year later such a cultural sea change isn't palpable ? and likely shouldn't be expected so soon ? YouTube's developing platform of original programming is gradually taking shape, building steadily into an enormous, global video ecosystem wherein the tools to produce a mini TV station are anyone's.

YouTube is now doubling down on its investment. It recently expanded into Europe with another 50-plus channels. And now, YouTube is reinvesting in 40 percent of the channels that have already launched. That means more than half of the channels have failed to catch on, yet is still a rate of success that any network programmer would kill for.

But for YouTube, success at this stage is measured less by view counts than by changing perception.

"What we're trying to do is galvanize the creative and advertising community," Robert Kyncl, YouTube's global head of content and the leader of its channels initiative, said in an interview. "And we're succeeding at that."

Since it was founded in 2005, YouTube has been predominately the home of user-created video. But by putting out a welcome mat to Hollywood, the site is trying to lure viewers to stay for longer and coax advertisers to pair their brands with known talent.

Kyncl says the first year has been one of defining where YouTube's channels fit into the media landscape.

"I feel we're 300 percent smarter than we were in January," he says.

YouTube has declined to make public the size of its investment. The initial channel launch was reportedly fueled by $100 million, a number YouTube executives dispute. Kyncl will go no further than to confirm the $200 million he pledged to spend marketing the channels at YouTube's TV-style upfront presentation to advertisers in May ? a flashy event capped by a performance by Jay-Z, who recently launched a lifestyle channel called Life and Times.

Jamie Byrne, director of content strategy, said the second round of funding would be relatively similar to the amount of the first round, on a per channel basis. Those not being offered more money aren't canceled; they are encouraged to keep going, but will have to pay their own way.

A simple glance at the site reveals how central the channels initiative is to YouTube. The fabric of the video behemoth ? where 72 hours of video are uploaded every minute ? has been reoriented to emphasize a user's playlist of channels, a move that has increased channel subscribers by 50 percent, executives say. It may sound like a small tweak, but behind it is the mission to alter the very nature of YouTube.

"Up until now, the primary noun on YouTube has been video. You watch a video, you share a video, a video has view counts and so on," Shishir Mehrotra, director of product management at YouTube, said in a separate interview. "We're gradually shifting the site so the primary noun on the site is the channel, and you tune into the channels that you care about."

Sometimes lost in the fanfare over YouTube's channels initiative is that it's only a drop in the bucket for all of YouTube's channels. Through ad revenue sharing, more than 1 million content creators are earning money through YouTube, from pennies to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The channels that have received funding from YouTube aren't separated from the tens of millions created sans financial backing by users, upstart production outfits and large media companies. Those funded by YouTube are just seedlings in endless pastures of video, planted with the hope of spouting more.

The first harvest, though, has not impressed some onlookers. Forrester analyst James McQuivey, who specializes in digital video and was among those who predicted YouTube's channels would be a landmark shift, has not seen the progress he expected. He would like to see YouTube try to produce some mainstream originals, as Netflix and Hulu have, in order to attract mass audiences, not just niche ones.

"If the requirement for showing progress for Google is that they've disrupted television, then they haven't met that condition," says McQuivey. "They haven't really changed the way people watch TV. That said, to have expected to do that in a year would have been kind of crazy.

"I see nothing in what's happened so far that says, 'Yep, Google has definitely sewn this up. Two, three years out, they will have changed the future of television,'" he says. "I think they've laid the groundwork from which they had learned how to do this, but it's going to require significant investment."

Perhaps the closest a YouTube channel has come to a mainstream viewing event was Red Bull's October 14 webcast of daredevil Felix Baumgartner's free-fall jump from space. Some 52 million watched the channel's live stream, a viewership that far outpaced the 7.6 million who watched it on the Discovery Channel in the U.S.

Such breakthroughs have been seldom, though. Most programming has been more of the talk show variety. Rainn Wilson gets metaphysical on his channel "Soul Pancake." Amy Poehler gives young women a role model with "Smart Girls." Shaquille O'Neal flexes a new muscle with "Comedy Shaq." Others have sought the drama of a scripted serial, like the Bryan Singer-produced sci-fi series "H+" or the female-focused "WIGS" channels from Rodrigo Garcia ("In Treatment") and Jon Avnet ("Fried Green Tomatoes").

The most popular few channels typically draw 5-10 million viewers weekly. Among the usual chart-toppers are Warner Sound, which features music videos and behind-the-scenes features on the label's acts, WWE Fan Nation, Maker Studios (a sprawling digital network of hundreds of channels), and the gaming channel Machinima Prime.

Most channels, though, receive less than 100,000 views per week and some draw just a few thousand.

Kyncl describes this stage as gear three of a five-shift process. The next iteration, he promises, "will be reserved for partners who by then are big, successful and growing fast" and will take them to "the next level." The message to content brands is clear: Get on board now, or you'll miss out.

One advance in the YouTube viewing experience has been the launch of skippable ads, which now run on about 65 percent of videos. Mehrotra says this is more palatable to both viewers and advertisers, who only pay for ads that are watched.

"TV has generally made more money by showing more and more advertising," says Mehrotra. "Our view is that we should actually show you fewer ads but make sure the ads are actually being seen."

Drawing a distinction ? not a commonality ? between YouTube and TV has become part of the mission statement. Kyncl stresses that YouTube's content is largely short-form, and that mobile is their "first screen," rather than TV: "We go left, TV goes right," he says.

And it's helping the amateurs catch up with the pros, handing out instruction manuals and conducting seminars, meet-ups and training programs and opening "creator spaces" ? studios with available filmmaking equipment ? in London and New York, with another coming this month to Los Angeles.

"The strategy is set," says Kyncl. "We are combining the worlds of content creation and we're tearing down the walls that existed before. It's not easy but I would say we're doing a pretty good job at it."

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Follow Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2012-11-12-YouTube%20Channels-One%20Year%20Later/id-6a75e13521ae476ca141c8081a9b1e40

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