'Ultimate bachelor pad' yours for $23.5 million

Zillow

The New York City skyline is visible through the enormous clock faces.

By Zillow

1 Main St., Brooklyn, N.Y.
For sale: $23,500,000

Whoever said time is money must have seen this New York City apartment.

The converted clock tower penthouse is by far the most expensive listing in Brooklyn at $23.5 million. Located in the Dumbo neighborhood (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), the 7,000-square-foot space is defined by four 14-foot-high glass clock faces. Peering out between each working clock hand are 360-degree vistas of the New York City skyline including views of the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges.

Built in 1914, the brick tower building was first used as a cardboard box factory. In the 1980s, developer David Walentas of Two Trees Management bought the factory as part of a $12 million real estate acquisition.

Walentas turned the clock tower building into 126 condo units as part of the area development in the late 1990s, leaving the top portion of the tower until a few years ago. As a part of a personal project, he outfitted the three-story penthouse with high-end furnishings and "smart home" technology. Accessible by a private glass elevator, the loft-like apartment boasts 15- to 50-foot ceilings, an open floor plan and sleek modern finishes. The fourth floor has a small crow's nest and rooftop deck for further city panoramas.

The three bathrooms have stone radiant-heated floors, and the all-white kitchen features stone and stainless steel countertops, high-end appliances and lacquer cabinets.

Originally listed on the Dumbo real estate market in 2005 for $25 million, the penthouse caught the eye of Esquire magazine editors, who?used it as their?"2011 Esquire Apartment."

"They could pick anywhere, and they fell in love in this apartment," said Ian Kleier, vice president of brokerage Gumley Haft Kleier.

Labeling it?the "ultimate bachelor pad," the magazine outfitted the three-bedroom space with luxury designs sponsored by Hugo Boss, Asics, Lufthansa and others.

"They say they've transformed a stunning contemporary home into a modern man's lifestyle," said Kleier. "It's just gorgeous what they've done to it."

Esquire showed off the finished pad with a few charity events, hosting celebrities and philanthropists for the Fresh Air Fund, City of Hope and International Medical Corps. While you can take a video tour of Esquire's space online, the penthouse will also be in the January 2012 issue of Esquire.

Esquire's furnishings are only temporary, but whoever buys the pricey penthouse probably won't need to invest in any clocks.

According to data from Zillow's Mortgage Marketplace, monthly payments on?the apartment would?be $88,319, assuming a?20 percent down payment and?30-year mortgage.

The listing is held by Michele Kleier of Gumley Haft Kleier.

Zillow

The open floor plan is dominated by a glass elevator and staircase.

Zillow

An enormous kitchen has stainless steel appliances and countertops.

Zillow

The fourth floor of the penthouse features a crows nest and covered deck.

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/21/8931762-listing-of-the-week-bachelor-pad-clock-tower

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The best sites for creating a gift wish list

Getty Images stock

By Heidi Leder, Techlicious.com

With holiday gift catalogs arriving in your mailbox daily, it?s only a matter of time before relatives start asking about gift ideas for you and the kids. No doubt you?ve already started dreaming about the toys, trinkets and baubles you and they would love to unwrap this holiday season. Maybe you?ve even circled or flagged items in a catalog ? but how do you get these ideas onto the shopping lists of your relatives so you don't end up with another reindeer sweater from your Aunt Edna?

Wish lists have become an easy and increasingly accepted (and preferred) way to share with friends and loved ones the stuff you really want. Amazon Wish List and Toys R Us are both fantastic sites with mobile counterparts, so you can create or review a list and then easily check it from the store. But many people are working off wish lists from a variety of stores and sites. We?ve compiled a list of the best websites to help you easily assemble, share and track your family wish lists.

WantsThis

WantsThis
WantsThis is a terrific wish list that makes it quick and easy to create and update your list with the option to drop in URLs of products you?d like. We tested out different gifts, and it did a great job of pulling in a product shot, name and price for the item that we added to our list.

If you?re just surfing around on the Web, a WantsThis toolbar add-on for almost all Web browsers enables you to easily add products directly to your WantsThis wish list. My favorite feature is price notification, which searches the Web for better deals than the site where you found the product and alerts you when an item goes on sale. WantsThis has social sharing tools that notify you when family or friends add items to their list, and you can also choose to share your lists through Facebook and Twitter.

BoxedUp

BoxedUp
BoxedUp does a fairly good job at adding products to your wish list, and shows you the lowest price available based on what other BoxedUp members have found. Product images aren't pulled into to the item descriptions very well, so you wind up having a? lot of items that you have to click through to the retailer website to see ?a deterrent to friends and family who want to quickly scroll through your list to see what they might want to buy you.?

BoxedUp does a better job than most of socializing the wish list and shopping experience; you see what other people want or already have, sparking ideas for you. You'll need to be careful though; the products included are a compilation of U.S. and UK products, so finding a gift idea that excites you could lead to disappointment if it's only available overseas.

TallWish

TallWish
TallWish has some gift planning features not found on other wish list sites: a calendar where you can store important dates like birthdays and anniversaries, and a bulletin board to post information about an upcoming family event. I like how family members can see what items have been purchased for other family members, but the person who owns the wish list won?t know if it?s been purchased until they open the gift.

WishListr

WishListr
A simple list that?s best for people who aren?t looking for something fully integrated and interactive. With WishListr you have to manually enter in the name and URLs of the products you want to add to your list; however, simple drag-and-drop functionality helps you organize your lists easily and then share them out to your friends. It has a simple interface and beautiful background templates to personalize your wish list with a seasonal flare . . . which is nice for tweens or adults who?ve outgrown the sugar-coated kiddie templates.

More stories on Techlicious:

Chat with?Techlicious on?Facebook?and get the free daily Techlicious Newsletter.

Source: http://digitallife.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/08/8707258-the-best-sites-for-creating-a-gift-wish-list

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10 gifts your mobile device fanatic will love

  • Smartphones and tablets are surely going to be the hot gifts this holiday, and if you know someone who is a mobile gadget fanatic, these unique gifts will help to round out your shopping list. Don't feel guilty about enabling their addiction, it's too late for them anyway. Save yourself.

  • Cursor stylus

    My wife got her first smartphone last week and I caught her holding the phone with one hand and making broad swiping gestures with the other in a motion that was reminiscent of a conductor in front of an orchestra. For some, the transitional road from PCs to touchscreen devices is a bumpy one, which is where the Big Cursor Stylus comes in. It helps ease the transition with familiar arrow and finger cursor designs while allowing for precise movements and a clean, smudge-free screen. $12.99 - Big Cursor via CubicleBot

  • Powerbag

    As someone who works from home but frequently travels to coffee shops and bookstores to get things done, I can tell you from experience that having one of these Powerbags comes in really handy. Basically, it's a backpack or messenger bag that features a built-in charging system for your tablets and smartphones. It features a 3000 mAh or 6000 mAh internal battery along with a micro connector, mini connector, Apple connector and USB port. The 3000 mAh battery is enough to charge many smartphones two times over, which means I can loiter twice as long. $139.99 to $249.99 - Powerbag

  • Compubody sock

    I'm one of those people who really appreciates when someone takes the time and effort to make a gift themselves ? even when the gift that they create is completely ridiculous. Take this Compubody sock for example. It's a hand-knitted hoodie that fits over your head and a tablet, laptop or smartphone for both warmth and privacy in public spaces. It's kind of like the 21st-century equivalent of the bunny pajamas Ralphie got from Aunt Clara in "A Christmas Story." - Instructables via CubicleBot

  • iHelicopter

    If you've ever played with a remote-controlled helicopter, you know how fun they can be. The difference is that the iHelicopter can be controlled with your iPhone or select Android devices, so it would be a really fun gift for your smartphone fanatic. Just plug the included IR transmitter into your phone, download the Copter Controller app and start flying. Or, in my case, violently crashing into the furniture and terrifying your pets. $46 - ParamountZone

  • Grab-It gadget holster

    Picture a "lock and load" montage with a nerd stuffing his smartphone, keys, wallet and inhaler into this Grab-It Pack leg-mounted gadget holster. It's kindof like being a commando, right? Now load some fresh batteries into your TV remote and pretend you're loading a gun clip. You are a one-man army, my friend. The Grab-It Pack was developed by a stuntman to help keep all of his gadgets and tools at the ready. It's made of water-resistant nylon for extra toughness and it was designed to be ergonomic and comfortable to wear. It's actually a great gift for photographers, cyclists, handymen the like. $24.95 to $44.95 - Grab-It Pack via Fashionably Geek

  • Angry Birds speakers

    Can't get enough Angry Birds? I would have thought the backlash would have begun by now, but you can still find it at or near the top of the paid apps in the App Store. If you know someone who's constantly wasting time on their iPhone or tablet playing the game, you might consider picking up one of these Angry Birds speakers. Despite the red bird having a reputation for being useless, the speaker is actually quite functional. Both the red bird and bomber bird versions have the ability to connect to a mobile device with an auxiliary cable. It also comes with a separate iPhone/iPod/iPad dock. The green pig version, on the other hand, has a built-in helmet dock for the iPod/iPhone. $79.99 to $99.99 - Gear4 via Nerd Approved

  • Umbrella messenger bag

    When it's wet outside, the Umbrella messenger bag helps keep an umbrella over your head and your hands free for making phone calls, surfing the web on your tablet, holding a coffee or juggling. Plus it features four compartments and a cellphone pocket to carry around all of your portable gadgets. $19.99 - Amazon via Fashionably Geek

  • iCade

    So someone you know has a state-of-the-art iPad tablet with thousands of console-quality games to choose from. Now let's dial all of that progress back 30 years or so with the iCade. It turns the iPad into a desktop-sized arcade cabinet that can be used to play over 100 of Atari's greatest retro hits and a growing list of third-party games. It's an excellent gift for nostalgic nerds. $79.99 - ThinkGeek via Nerd Approved

  • SLR lens iPhone mount

    The new iPhone 4S and the latest Android phones have pretty formidable cameras nowadays ? certainly on par with many point-and-shoots. However, if you know a photographer who scoffs at smartphone cameras, this SLR lens mount for the iPhone could make for a really neat gift. It allows the user to mount Canon EOS or Nikon SLR lenses to an iPhone to give the phone "powerful depth of field and manual focus." Sure, mounting a $3,000 lens on an iPhone doesn't make any sense, but it's all about prestige. This is an all-in-one solution for both smartphone and camera snobs. $249 - Photojojo via Nerd Approved

  • Wipe T-shirt

    You know you're not supposed to wipe your smudgy smartphone screen on your shirt, but you do it anyway. No need to search for a support group ? we all do it. That having been said, what the Wipe Shirt lacks in style it more than makes up for in functionality. That's because the strips are actually microfiber cloths that are great for wiping off your touchscreens and/or glasses. $89 - Generate via Fashionably Geek

  • More craziness from Nerd Approved:

  • Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45409170/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/

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    Court upholds Yellowstone grizzly protections (Reuters)

    SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) ? Endangered Species Act protections, including habitat safeguards, should remain intact for some 600 grizzly bears roaming the area around Yellowstone National Park, a federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday.

    The decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upholds the bulk of a lower-court ruling in 2009 that required the federal government to restore the status of the iconic bear as a threatened species.

    Conservationists had successfully argued then that the government failed to analyze the impact of climate change on grizzlies in the Yellowstone area when Endangered Species Act protections were lifted in 2007.

    Hunting, trapping and poisoning of grizzlies in the lower 48 states had cut grizzly numbers from tens of thousands in the 19th century to several hundred in 1975, when they were listed as threatened with extinction.

    But the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has asserted that the population of out-sized, hump-shouldered bears roaming parts of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming had made a healthy comeback in the past three decades.

    Environmentalists pointed to a dwindling supply of whitebark pines, high-elevation trees whose seeds provide a crucial food source for grizzlies. Scientists say a warming climate in the West was the chief culprit in the decline of whitebarks, which are under assault from diseases and pests.

    The government appealed the U.S. district judge's decision that ordered re-listing of the grizzly.

    But a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit unanimously sided on Tuesday with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition on the question of whitebark pines, finding that the trees' decline was reason enough to keep the bears protected.

    Two of the three judges embraced the Fish and Wildlife Service's blueprint for the long-term management of a sustainable grizzly population, but the panel concluded that was not sufficient to deny the bears protection.

    BEAR ENCOUNTERS

    The ruling comes as the number of grizzly encounters with humans in the Northern Rockies has been running above average, including two fatal maulings in Yellowstone National Park that marked the first such deaths there since 1986.

    Scientists said the shortage in the high country of whitebark seeds forces the bears to seek food in areas they once colonized but are now inhabited by humans.

    Writing for the majority in Tuesday's ruling, Judge Richard Tallman said the grizzly delisting process had been well under way before whitebark pine losses emerged as a problem.

    "But now that this threat has emerged, the service cannot take a full-speed ahead, damn-the-torpedoes approach to delisting," he wrote.

    Doug Honnold, a lawyer representing the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, said the opinion was a wake-up call for government agencies weighing threats to imperiled species in a vacuum.

    "It's a precedent-setting case on the ravages of global warming that are being documented on the ground in the Yellowstone ecosystem," he said.

    Interior Department spokesman Adam Fetcher said in an e-mail that the government was reviewing the decision.

    The decision dealt a blow to sportsmen who were eager to hunt the trophy animals once they were delisted. The National Wildlife Federation, whose state and local chapters are often dominated by hunters and anglers, sided with the government.

    "We've seen the grizzly population increase dramatically. The success on the ground seems clear to us," federation attorney Thomas France said.

    He added that the appeals court's analysis of the whitebark pine issue gave too little deference to federal and state agencies' expertise.

    Hannold, however, said state agencies had a financial incentive to eliminate the grizzly protections. "The states want to hunt grizzly bears, pure and simple," he said.

    Earlier this year, the Fish and Wildlife Service found that whitebark pines were themselves at risk of extinction due to climate change. But the agency said the trees must wait behind more imperiled species before being considered for listing.

    (Editing by Steve Gorman and Cynthia Johnston)

    Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/pets/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111123/us_nm/us_grizzlies_yellowstone

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    Adoptable Pets | Visual Harmony Photography

    The holidays are just around the corner, so what better way to share the joy than to adopt a pet.? Shelters and rescue organizations are operating at full capacity. When you adopt a pet, you make room for another pet to be saved. Many rescue organizations save pets that are on the euthanasia list at large facilities.? Animal advocates work around the clock saving animals not only from euthanasia lists -? animals are rescued off the street where they are often injured and in dire need of medical care,? they are rescued from abandoned homes, construction sites, the reservation ? the list goes on and on.? The stories are heartbreaking and horrendous.? It costs a lot of money to feed, house and provide medical care for these animals. If you can?t adopt a pet, please consider making a donation to a local rescue organization. Even the smallest donation helps.? No amount is too small.

    Below are some cats and dogs I photographed recently for Friend for Life Animal Rescue, Happy Tails Animal Rescue and Cat a Do.? All of the animals below and MANY more are looking for a family to love them. Click on the organization name above to find out more information about the pets pictured below and many others available for adoption.

    Spread some joy and love by adopting a pet!

    Adopt "Reebok" at Friends for Life Animal Rescue (az.friends.org)

    Adopt "Marmi" at Friends for Life Animal Rescue (az.friends.org)

    Adopt "Jaime" at Friends for Life Animal Rescue (az.friends.org)

    Adopt "Twister" at Friends for Life Animal Rescue (az.friends.org). He recently had surgery to repair his broken muzzle.

    Adopt "Tango" at Friends for Life Animal Rescue (az.friends.org)

    Adopt "Indy" at Friends for Life Animal Rescue (az.friends.org)

    Adopt "Olivia" at Happy Tails Animal Rescue (azhappytails.petfinder.com)

    Adopt "Misty" at at Happy Tails Animal Rescue (azhappytails.petfinder.com)

    Adopt "Ginger" at Cat a Do (catado.org)

    Adopt "Coco" at Friends for Life Animal Rescue (az.friends.org)

    Source: http://visualharmonyphotography.com/blog/pet-portraits/adoptable-pets/

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    Video: ?First ladies? exhibit returns to the Smithsonian

    From Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton to Jacqueline Kennedy and all the way back to Martha Washington, Americans have been fascinated by first ladies. NBC?s Andrea Mitchell has more on the newly-expanded First Ladies exhibit at the Smithsonian.

    Related Links:

    http://www.facebook.com/nbcnightlynews

    Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/45362715/

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    Europe's Mysterious Radiation Cloud May Be Coming from Hungary [Radiation]

    The radioactive element Iodine-131 has been spreading around Europe in heightened concentrations and everyone is confused as to why it is happening or who is responsible. Hungary thinks they know who: the Budapest-based Institute of Isotopes. More »


    Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/bNR2WJHWRjM/hungary-blames-its-own-ilk-for-the-mystery-radiation-cloud-in-europe

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    Brain study explores what makes colors and numbers collide

    Friday, November 18, 2011

    Someone with the condition known as grapheme-color synesthesia might experience the number 2 in turquoise or the letter S in magenta. Now, researchers reporting their findings online in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on November 17 have shown that those individuals also show heightened activity in a brain region responsible for vision.

    The findings provide a novel way of looking at synesthesia as the product of regional hyperexcitability in the brain, the researchers say. They also provide a window into our understanding of individual differences in perception.

    "Most of us tend to assume that we experience the world in the same way as everyone else, but synesthesia provides a clear example of a group that perceives the world in a fundamentally different way," says Devin Blair Terhune of the University of Oxford. "The majority of people do not have conscious experiences of color when they look at numbers, letters, and words, whereas synesthetes do. Studying these people can thus shed light on the brain mechanisms underlying conscious awareness."

    Earlier studies had shown that synesthetes who experience color for numbers and letters also discriminate among colors better than those with other types of synesthesia. Those findings hinted that an overactive visual cortex might be in play.

    Terhune's team, which is led by Roi Cohen Kadosh, found that average people do indeed require three times greater magnetic stimulation to their visual cortex than synesthetes do in order to experience phosphenes, transient flashes of light or other visual disturbances.

    "We were surprised by the magnitude of the difference," Terhune said. "The synesthetes in our study displayed considerably greater levels of cortical excitability than our participants without synesthesia. These results point to a very large effect that may reflect a fundamental difference between the brains of those with and without synesthesia."

    It's not that the enhanced excitability of the visual cortex is directly responsible for the experience of synesthesia, however. Further experiments showed that reducing the excitability of visual cortex in synesthetes actually increased their experience of colors with numbers. Meanwhile, increasing excitability in that brain region made the synesthesia more intense.

    Terhune says they now suspect that the enhanced excitability of synesthetes' brains might be related to the development of the condition, but it doesn't produce the phenomenon in adults.

    Ultimately, the findings might allow for treatments designed to reduce or eliminate the experience of synesthesia or to make it even more vivid, he says. The work also raises new questions in other fields that examine atypical perceptions, such as hallucinations, he says. "Might it be that the same principle is applying also there?"

    ###

    Cell Press: http://www.cellpress.com

    Thanks to Cell Press for this article.

    This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

    This press release has been viewed 32 time(s).

    Source: http://www.labspaces.net/115304/Brain_study_explores_what_makes_colors_and_numbers_collide

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    Walmart rolls out digital movie downloads with Vudu-to-Go (Digital Trends)

    vudu-screen

    Designed for the traveler, Vudu now allows users to download movies that have been purchased on the service. Previously, the service would only allow users to stream content over a PC or mobile device to watch a film or television show. This allows users to download an entire film similar to iTunes and watch at a later time. This also allows users with slower broadband connections to download an entire film instead of waiting for buffering while attempting to steam a 1080p version of a movie. However, downloads are only available for purchased movies rather than rentals. Avid movie watchers will have to stick with iTunes when renting a new movie to watch on an iPhone or iPad.

    Vudu titlesBy adding the ability to download a standard definition quality version of the film, this puts Vudu in line with UltraViolet technology that?s being slowly launched by the movie studios.?UltraViolet allows a standard definition version of the movie to be downloaded to mobile devices after a physical copy is purchased. However, PlayStation 3 owners currently have the ability to download both Vudu rentals and purchases onto the hard drive included with the game console. Walmart is also attempting to introduce more people to the Vudu service by offering?$5 Vudu credit vouchers when customers purchase specific Blu-ray and DVD titles at a brick and mortar location. This promotion is continuing through the end of November and Black Friday shoppers will be able to take advantage when purchasing movies on sale that day.

    A $5 voucher pays for the cost of a typical 720p HD rental of a new release on the Vudu service, but a 1080p version of the movie costs an extra dollar. Television episodes can also be rented starting at $1.99 an episode. Walmart has also struck a deal with HP that will include the Vudu application on the desktop when a new HP personal computer or laptop is purchased at Walmart.

    This article was originally posted on Digital Trends

    More from Digital Trends

    Change the channel: 5 Netflix and Qwikster alternatives

    Apple retains dominance in movie VOD market

    Viewers of online content are starting to prefer gaming consoles over computers

    Vudu?s popularity increases while Microsoft and Sony lose market share

    Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/applecomputer/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/digitaltrends/20111117/tc_digitaltrends/walmartrollsoutdigitalmoviedownloadswithvudutogo

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    Stronger factories, lower prices lift economy

    This Nov. 14, 2011 photo, shows a Dell computer using the Windows 7 Home Premium operating system, at Micro Center computer store in Santa Clara, Calif. Consumers paid less for gas, cars and computers last month, as overall prices dropped for the first time since June. Inflation is easing after prices rose sharply this spring. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

    This Nov. 14, 2011 photo, shows a Dell computer using the Windows 7 Home Premium operating system, at Micro Center computer store in Santa Clara, Calif. Consumers paid less for gas, cars and computers last month, as overall prices dropped for the first time since June. Inflation is easing after prices rose sharply this spring. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

    FILE - In this Nov. 11, 2011 file photo, Mohammad Rezaie changes the gas prices at his Union 76 gas station in Oakland, Calif. Consumers paid less for gas, cars and computers last month, as overall prices dropped for the first time since June. Inflation is easing after prices rose sharply this spring. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

    Chart shows percent change in the Consumer Price Index from the previous month

    (AP) ? U.S. manufacturing is recovering from a slump, and inflation may be peaking.

    Data issued Wednesday point to an economy growing slowly but steadily. Still, surging oil prices and a possible European recession threaten to drain the economy's momentum.

    "The continued resilience of manufacturing is encouraging, since this should be the sector most exposed to the global economic slowdown," said Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist with Capital Economics.

    Industrial production rose in October at the fastest pace in three months. Output at the nation's factories, utilities and mines rose 0.7 percent last month, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday.

    Factory output, the largest component of industrial production, increased a solid 0.5 percent. It was the fourth straight monthly gain. Factories made more trucks, electronics and business equipment.

    Manufacturers "are benefiting from the strong growth in emerging markets, and domestic businesses are confident enough in the future to continue expanding purchases of capital equipment," said Daniel Meckstroth, chief economist for the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI, a trade group.

    A separate report from the Labor Department showed Americans paid less for gas, cars and computers last month as overall prices fell for the first time since June.

    Slower inflation could give the Federal Reserve more leeway to lower long-term interest rates to help the economy.

    "In the current soft economic environment, inflation is not an issue for policymakers," said Jennifer Lee, an economist at BMO Capital Markets.

    Factory production was dragged down this spring after the Japanese earthquake and tsunami disrupted key supply chains for automakers and other manufacturers. Rising food and gas costs and shaky financial markets caused consumers to cut back on big purchases.

    The auto industry has rebounded to drive most of the growth in factory output. Many U.S. auto plants, which depend upon parts from Japan to produce various models, are seeing supply chains flow more freely.

    Higher output at auto plants has allowed dealers to stock popular models that were in demand this spring. As a result, October sales were 7 percent higher than the same month last year. Light trucks were the biggest contributor.

    A steep drop in gas prices was a key reason the Consumer Price Index dropped 0.1 percent in October. Food prices did rise, but at the slowest pace this year. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called "core" prices rose 0.1 percent.

    Still, oil prices have been climbing in recent weeks and hit $100 a barrel Wednesday for the first time in four months. They have been rising as the economy improves while tensions rise in countries that hold some of the world's major sources of crude.

    If those prices translate into higher gas prices, consumers could pull back on spending and slow economic growth.

    Strong consumer spending helped the economy grow at an annual rate of 2.5 percent in the July-September quarter. The October gain in retail sales suggests similar growth in the final three months of the year.

    Instability in Europe might also hurt the U.S. economy. A shaky euro would likely strengthen the dollar, making U.S. goods appear more expensive to overseas buyers. And exports to Europe already account for about one-fourth of U.S. corporate revenue, analysts say.

    Europe's economy is barely growing, and sharp government spending cuts might tip it back into recession. If that happens, slowing output by U.S. manufacturers could hinder the broader economic recovery.

    Associated Press

    Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-11-16-Economy/id-234bc30b55244f99975d32418903cd78

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