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Insert Coin: Modkit Micro asks us if we're ready for six-year-olds coding Arduino boards

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.

What does microcontroller programming have in common with Tetris? Quite a bit if you're doing it with Modkit Micro from a Kickstarter project out of Cambridge, MA., which allows almost anyone to visually set up their hardware using graphical blocks to write the code. The partially-hooded trio behind it promises that the software is ideal for use with prototyping boards from Arduino, Evil Mad Science, Lilypad, Seeed Studio, Wiring and SparkFun, and they even claim that elementary school students have used it to "take their projects from concept to reality in just a few hours." Purists should have no fear either: you can still get into a code view to see what's going on behind the scenes. A web-based Modkit Micro is being offered online starting June 1st for $25, and there'll be a desktop variant for Windows, OSX, and Linux as early as July if they reach their funding target. Check out the video after the break and then try to get your kids to wait for college before inventing version 2.0 of this.

Previous Project Update: The PressurePen stylus is a bit short of its $10,000 goal, but that could change since the campaign won't come to a close for another solid two months.

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Insert Coin: Modkit Micro asks us if we're ready for six-year-olds coding Arduino boards

Crown Depedencies Summit Held

30 May 2012

The Isle of Mans Chief Minister Allan Bell recently held meetings with members of the Jersey and Guernsey governments to increase cooperation in areas of mutual interest and concern..

Bell met the recently-elected Chief Minister of Jersey, Ian Gorst, and Guernseys new Chief Minister, Peter Harwood, along with the islands deputy Chief Ministers and Treasury Ministers.

Ahead of his meetings, Bell noted that: "Whilst the Isle of Man and Channel Islands are often rivals in terms of competing for new business, there are also opportunities for us to work together for our mutual benefit.

Topics discussed at the meetings included the financial challenges facing each of the territories, policies for economic growth, and international developments, including in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Each of the three Crown Dependencies have been affected recently by changes in European rules on business taxation, which has triggered each of the territories to repeal, or schedule the repeal, of their tax regimes deemed distribution provisions. In addition, Jersey and Guernsey have recently suffered from the UK government's decision to revoke low-value consignment relief, a longstanding value-added tax concession on low value goods imported to the United Kingdom.

In comments ahead of the meetings, Bell said: [With the appointment of new Chief Ministers in each of the territories in the last twelve months] this is a new political era for the Crown Dependencies.

This weeks visits will provide an opportunity for me to strike up a personal rapport with both Harwood and Gorst, and deepen our understanding of each others priorities and aspirations. We are all experiencing similar challenges in terms of rebalancing our budgets and stimulating economic growth, and I am sure that our discussions around these common issues will be very positive and productive.

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Crown Depedencies Summit Held

Chief Minister to meet Channel Islands counterparts

by Richard Parslow

Chief Minister Allan Bell MHK is leading a senior Isle of Man Government delegation to the Channel Islands this week for a series of high-level meetings.

Mr Bell is meeting the recently elected Chief Minister of Jersey, Senator Ian Gorst, and Guernseys new Chief Minister, Deputy Peter Harwood, along with the Deputy Chief Ministers and Treasury Ministers of both islands.

The discussions will provide an opportunity to consider a wide range of issues facing all three Crown Dependencies, including financial challenges, the drive for economic growth, and developments within the UK and Europe.

Mr Bell, who is being accompanied by Treasury Minister Eddie Teare MHK, Chief Secretary Will Greenhow and Director of External Relations Della Fletcher, flew into Guernsey today (Tuesday, May 29) and will travel onwards to Jersey this evening.

The visits continue the Isle of Man Governments programme of engagement with political and business leaders in neighbouring jurisdictions.

All three Crown Dependencies have new Chief Ministers. Mr Bell was elected to the post in the Isle of Man in October 2011, Senator Gorst was appointed Chief Minister of the States of Jersey in November last year, while Deputy Harwood became Chief Minister of the States of Guernsey earlier this month.

Mr Bell said: This is a new political era for the Crown Dependencies following the recent general elections in the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey, and the appointments of new Chief Ministers in all three islands. This weeks visits will provide an opportunity for me to strike up a personal rapport with both Deputy Harwood and Senator Gorst, and deepen our understanding of each others priorities and aspirations.

He added: We are all experiencing similar challenges in terms of rebalancing our budgets and stimulating economic growth, and I am sure that our discussions around these common issues will be very positive and productive. I am also looking forward to building my relationships with Deputy Harwood and Senator Gorst in the future, in particular when we represent our countries at international forums such as the British-Irish Council Summits.

It will be interesting to gain a personal insight into the current political and economic situation in Jersey and Guernsey. Whilst the Isle of Man and Channel Islands are often rivals in terms of competing for new business, there are also opportunities for us to work together for our mutual benefit.

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Chief Minister to meet Channel Islands counterparts

Ron Paul Real Plan VS Mitt Romney empty Promises – Video

28-05-2012 10:45 While Romney said his tax plan would not add to the deficit, he didn't offer specifics as to how he'd pay for his newly proposed tax cuts. Absent those offsets, the CRFB roughly estimates that his plan could add $2.6 trillion in debt, boosting debt to 96% of GDP by 2021. Ron Paul's plan Debt over next decade: Reduces it by $2.2 trillion, lowering debt to GDP to 76%. Costliest proposal: Get rid of various income taxes, such as the Alternative Minimum Tax and taxes on investment income, Social Security benefits and tips, at a cost of $2.5 trillion. Biggest cost saver: Reduce many parts of non-defense spending, such as eliminating five federal departments including education, commerce and energy, saving $4.5 trillion. Interest costs on the debt: Lowers it by $300 billion. FBI -- WARNING -- Federal law allows citizens to reproduce, distribute or exhibit portions of copyright motion pictures, video tapes, or video disks under certain circumstances without authorization of the copyright holder. This infringement of copyright is called fair use and is allowed for purposes of criticism, news reporting, teaching and parody.

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Ron Paul Real Plan VS Mitt Romney empty Promises - Video

Stop Job Killng Regulations from DC. Conservative Common Sense from Maria Sheffield. – Video

29-05-2012 13:58 Maria Sheffield, mariasheffield.com, is a Reagan conservative. Maria Sheffield supports small businesses and opposes job killing regulations from President Obama and Congressman John Barrow - Join Maria Sheffield's common sense conservative positive policy campaign at http Like the Maria Sheffield Facebook fanpage and follow her on Twitter: @mariasheffield.

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Stop Job Killng Regulations from DC. Conservative Common Sense from Maria Sheffield. - Video