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Live Coverage – 2010 Budget By Reuters Staff (Front Row Washington) Submitted at 2/1/2010 5:26:27 AM
News quiz: the Sunday papers (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk) Submitted at 2/1/2010 7:18:10 AM
Apart from confident predictions that Andy Murray was striding towards the UK's first tennis Grand Slam title in 74 years, what else was in the Sunday papers?
IPad Hands-On Review (Little Green Footballs) Submitted at 1/31/2010 12:37:21 PM
TidBITS has an interesting overview of the features of Apple’s new iPad device: Handson Impressions of the iPad.
31/01/10 - 01/02/10
http://www.LibertyNewspost.com
Did we forget about love? | Jonathan Bartley By Jonathan Bartley (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)
Love, of course, is supposed to be central to Christian doctrine. And by love I don't mean vague sentimentality, but a genuine Submitted at 2/1/2010 7:19:55 AM willingness to treat others with It's difficult for some to equal regard, dignity, concern acknowledge, but secularists and respect – something that have shown the church how to be both religionist and secularist more Christian over the equality should be able to agree on. bill The question: Does faith When I was growing up, we trump equality? used to sing a song in our church Love gets a bad press. It sounds based on words that Jesus is too 1960s to be considered any recorded as using in John's political use. It's a term of abuse gospel: "They will know we are against liberals. It's privatised by C h r i s t i a n s b y o u r l o v e " . fundamentalists. But it could be Nowadays, as far as their public the key to both making sense of, profile goes, "they" seem more and providing a way forward in likely to know Christians by the apparent stand-off in which their ability to negotiate opt-outs, some amongst the religious and win rights to discriminate. claim that they need to have their But it also highlights how doctrines protected in law. churches, in demanding that a Some churches would like to small, selective collection of c l a i m t h a t r e l i g i o n ' s v e r y their ideas take priority, are banishment from public life is at a c t u a l l y d e n y i n g w h a t i s s t a k e . B u t t h i s i s t o supposed to be at the heart of misunderstand what is going on. their faith. The fact that the question "does Churches should be able to faith trump equality" is posed at determine their own beliefs. But a l l i s a s y m p t o m o f t h e when they approach government underlying problem. It is the law to ask for them to be enshrined of love that should trump them in law, no one should naively both – or at least be their assume that this is the whole fulfilment. theological picture. Christians
should be challenged instead to demonstrate how exactly that squares with the other tenets of their faith. How do they reconcile what they are demanding with such ideas as inclusion, equality, service, grace, and honesty, which are all supposed to stem from it? In the case of the equality bill they clearly can't. Such an approach may not sit well with some secularists. You can't fight fire with fire, or mumbo jumbo with more gobbledegook, some will undoubtedly argue. But whilst it may stick in the throats of some to acknowledge it openly, secularists have shown the church how to be more Christian over the equality bill. They have championed the rights of, predominantly Christian people, who want to work for religious organisations and churches, but will find themselves further excluded if the amended bill becomes law. In a strange way they have shown how to love their enemies – albeit with a mix of motives. They have also shown that common ground might be found
around the L-word. Hopeless romanticism without substance? Love certainly needs defining and pinning down. St Paul, the architect of so much Christian doctrine, had quite a few things to say on the subject in his first letter to the church at Corinth. He laid out pretty clearly what he thought true love did, and didn't look like. It's kind, it's trusting, it's truthful, it doesn't defend its own interests, and it always protects, he said. Such things should be the guiding criteria in finding a way forward to the happy state we all desire to inhabit. And if the demands on both sides were subjected to such ideas, whether you call them "secular" or "religious", we'd be most of the way there. • Religion • Christianity • Law • Equality Jonathan Bartley guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds
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US-Russia arms talks resume By Luke Harding, Daniel Nasaw (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)
elections. Analysts say that if Obama fails to persuade the Senate to back a deal, the current arms control "vacuum" may continue. Submitted at 2/1/2010 7:57:38 AM Sixty-seven votes are needed in Geneva meeting works towards the Senate to ratify the treaty, finding successor to 40-year-old a n d t h e R e p u b l i c a n S c o t t Start 1 weapons reduction B r o w n ' s v i c t o r y i n t h e agreement, which expired last Massachusetts Senate race last year week compounded Obama's Negotiations over a new arms difficulties, emboldening the control treaty between the US opposition and creating anxiety and Russia resumed in Geneva among centrist Democrats. When today amid growing criticism of t h e t r e a t y c o m e s u p f o r Barack Obama's conciliatory consideration, Republicans will policy towards the Kremlin from be inclined to portray Obama as human rights groups and a newly making concessions on defence. emboldened Republican party. "They don't want President Obama and Russia's president, Obama to score a major policy Dmitry Medvedev, indicated last victory that would lend heft to week that a successor agreement h i s c r e d e n t i a l s a s a g r e a t to the Strategic Arms Reduction American statesman in the runTreaty (Start 1) could be signed up to the midterm elections," within weeks. The 1972 treaty said a US official familiar with expired on 5 December, leaving the treaty talks. "They are going M o s c o w a n d W a s h i n g t o n to use this as a political football without an operational arms and play this in a political way control regime for the first time rather than out of consideration in 40 years. for its merits." A spokesman for the US A year after his inauguration, mission in Geneva, Michael critics claim Obama has failed to Parmly, said today that the realise many of his major foreign delegation hoped "the remaining policy goals, including on Iran negotiations can be concluded and the Middle East, with his quickly," but declined to say "reset" strategy towards Russia when that might be. yet to produce tangible results. But even if the sides manage to One of Obama's key aspirations r e s o l v e t h e i r o u t s t a n d i n g was to improve relations with differences over verification and Moscow in return for closer comissile defence, serious doubts operation on Iran and its nuclear remain about Obama's ability to programme and the war in ratify any new treaty ahead of Afghanistan. N o v e m b e r ' s m i d - t e r m U S So far, however, the Kremlin
has made no significant concessions towards the Obama White House, either over a sanctions regime against Tehran or anything else. Obama's decision to dump the Bush-era missile defence shield in central Europe last summer – an issue that had enraged Vladimir Putin, Russia's hawkish prime minister – failed to elicit any reciprocal gesture from the Russian side. Obama's tactical silence on human rights issues in Russia and other repressive former Soviet republics, meanwhile, has infuriated human rights defenders. During a visit to Moscow last December, the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, made clear that human rights issues would now be discussed "behind closed doors" with the Russian government, prompting accusations that Obama had relegated values to third-tier status. "I don't think keeping silent is the way to go. At this stage, I would express disappointment with the Obama-Clinton approach," Allison Gill, the director of the Russia office of Human Rights Watch, said. "I don't think there is any evidence that pragmatic silence has proved particularly effective, certainly in promoting human rights." Russian human rights defenders concur. "A more definite approach from the Americans wouldn't hurt civil society in Russia. You have to speak the truth," Lev Ponomarev, a
prominent activist who has met Clinton, said. Ponomarev complained Clinton had not offered any criticism of the situation in Russia, where journalists are routinely murdered, and said the secretary of state's short encounter with civil society representatives had been a "protocol" one. Some believe that in its eagerness to improve relations with Moscow, the Obama administration made key mistakes, in particular in its erroneously "optimistic" assessment of Medvedev. During his visit to Moscow last July, Obama held long face-to-face negotiations with Medvedev while snubbing Putin, in an unsubtle attempt to boost Medvedev's domestic prestige. Since then, however, it has become clear that Medvedev is not the liberal reformer that some had hoped but part of Russia's managed democracy construct, in which elections are stagemanaged and dissent swiftly squashed. Few are in any doubt that it is Putin who continues to run the country, and who remains the supreme arbiter of both domestic and foreign affairs. "I think the administration had the feeling that more had changed in the Russian political scene with the arrival of Medvedev than was actually the case," Sam Greene, deputy director of the Moscow Carnegie Centre, said. Asked whether the
Obama administration had been naive in its assessment, he said: "I think they were very quickly disavowed of the notion [that Medvedev was a liberal] – during the summit itself, in fact." A new Start treaty would face an uphill battle to win Senate approval, he added. "The reality is that in a hard-fought election, anything can become hostage with politics. I think the state department and the administration will be wary of risking a treaty as important as this in a political season as fraught as we are likely to see towards the summer and fall." He went on: "If they don't get a treaty soon, it may have to wait until next year to ratify." James Collins, former US ambassador to Russia under Bill Clinton, said ratification entirely depended on whether it was consistent with the US military's nuclear posture review, currently under way, and the military's and the intelligence community's approval of its verification mechanisms. He said the time was ripe for the eventual treaty language to be judged on its own merits, with few available political "cheap shots". "It has been negotiated to serve American interests. Nobody was playing politics or games with it. We didn't have artificial deadlines, and it wasn't set US-RUSSIA page 4
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Freedom comes before equality | Pope Benedict XVI By Pope Benedict XVI (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)
forthcoming apostolic visit to Great Britain, I shall be able to witness that faith for myself and, as successor of Peter, to Submitted at 2/1/2010 7:24:52 AM strengthen and confirm it. The effect of some equality During the months of preparation legislation has been to impose that lie ahead, be sure to unjust limitations on the freedom encourage the Catholics of of religious communities England and Wales in their Dear Brother Bishops, devotion, and assure them that I welcome all of you on your ad the pope constantly remembers Limina visit to Rome, where you them in his prayers and holds have come to venerate the tombs them in his heart. of the Apostles Peter and Paul. I Your country is well known for thank you for the kind words that its firm commitment to equality Archbishop Vincent Nichols has of opportunity for all members addressed to me on your behalf, of society. Yet as you have and I offer you my warmest good rightly pointed out, the effect of w i s h e s a n d p r a y e r s f o r some of the legislation designed yourselves and all the faithful of to achieve this goal has been to England and Wales entrusted to impose unjust limitations on the your pastoral care. Your visit to f r e e d o m o f r e l i g i o u s Rome strengthens the bonds of communities to act in accordance c o m m u n i o n b e t w e e n t h e with their beliefs. In some Catholic community in your respects it actually violates the country and the Apostolic See, a natural law upon which the communion that sustained your equality of all human beings is people's faith for centuries, and grounded and by which it is today provides fresh energies for guaranteed. I urge you as pastors renewal and evangelisation. to ensure that the church's moral Even amid the pressures of a teaching be always presented in secular age, there are many signs its entirety and convincingly of living faith and devotion defended. Fidelity to the Gospel among the Catholics of England in no way restricts the freedom and Wales. I am thinking, for of others – on the contrary, it example, of the enthusiasm serves their freedom by offering generated by the visit of the them the truth. Continue to insist relics of Saint Thérèse, the upon your right to participate in interest aroused by the prospect n a t i o n a l d e b a t e t h r o u g h o f C a r d i n a l N e w m a n ' s respectful dialogue with other beatification, and the eagerness elements in society. In doing so, of young people to take part in you are not only maintaining pilgrimages and World Youth long-standing British traditions Days. On the occasion of my of freedom of expression and
honest exchange of opinion, but you are actually giving voice to the convictions of many people who lack the means to express them: when so many of the population claim to be Christian, how could anyone dispute the Gospel's right to be heard? If the full saving message of Christ is to be presented effectively and convincingly to the world, the Catholic community in your country needs to speak with a united voice. This requires not only you, the bishops, but also priests, teachers, catechists, writers – in short all who are engaged in the task of communicating the Gospel – to be attentive to the promptings of the spirit, who guides the whole church into the truth, gathers her into unity and inspires her with missionary zeal. Make it your concern, then, to draw on the considerable gifts of the lay faithful in England and Wales and see that they are equipped to hand on the faith to n e w g e n e r a t i o n s comprehensively, accurately, and with a keen awareness that in so doing they are playing their part in the church's mission. In a social milieu that encourages the expression of a variety of opinions on every question that arises, it is important to recognise dissent for what it is, and not to mistake it for a mature contribution to a balanced and wide-ranging debate. It is the truth revealed through scripture and tradition and articulated by
the church's magisterium that sets us free. Cardinal Newman realised this, and he left us an outstanding example of faithfulness to revealed truth by following that "kindly light" wherever it led him, even at considerable personal cost. Great writers and communicators of his stature and integrity are needed in the church today, and it is my hope that devotion to him will inspire many to follow in his footsteps. Much attention has rightly been given to Newman's scholarship and to his extensive writings, but it is important to remember that he saw himself first and foremost as a priest. In this Annus Sacerdotalis, I urge you to hold up to your priests his example of dedication to prayer, pastoral sensitivity towards the needs of his flock, and passion for preaching the Gospel. You yourselves should set a similar example. Be close to your priests, and rekindle their sense of the enormous privilege and joy of standing among the people of God as alter Christus. In Newman's words, "Christ's priests have no priesthood but his … what they do, he does; when they baptise, He is baptising; when they bless, he is blessing" ( Parochial and Plain Sermons, VI 242). Indeed, since the priest plays an irreplaceable role in the life of the church, spare no effort in encouraging priestly vocations and emphasising to the faithful the
true meaning and necessity of the priesthood. Encourage the lay faithful to express their appreciation of the priests who serve them, and to recognise the difficulties they sometimes face on account of their declining numbers and increasing pressures. The support and understanding of the faithful is particularly necessary when parishes have to be merged or mass times adjusted. Help them to avoid any temptation to view the clergy as mere functionaries but rather to rejoice in the gift of priestly ministry, a gift that can never be taken for granted. Ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue assume great importance in England and Wales, given the varied demographic profile of the population. As well as encouraging you in your important work in these areas, I would ask you to be generous in implementing the provisions of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus, so as to assist those groups of Anglicans who wish to enter into full communion with the Catholic church. I am convinced that, if given a warm and open-hearted welcome, such groups will be a blessing for the entire church. With these thoughts, I commend your apostolic ministry to the intercession of Saint David, Saint George and all the saints and FREEDOM page 4
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against Obama's Nobel prize," Collins said. Over the last month, the Republicans have considerably stepped up their attack on Obama's Russia strategy, directing their fire in particular at Vladislav Surkov, the Kremlin's chief ideologue. Surkov is synonymous with the rollback of democracy during the Putin era. He visited Washington last week as co-chair of a new US-Russian intergovernmental civil society working group set up by Obama and Medvedev. On 11 December, more than 60 Republican members of Congress signed a letter urging Obama to boycott the meeting until Surkov, Medvedev's deputy chief of staff, was replaced by "someone who has not been involved in establishing oppressive and undemocratic policies". They also expressed concern over Russia's human rights record. In an interview with Radio Liberty, Michael McFaul, special
assistant to Obama and senior director for Russian affairs at the National Security Council, played down the "controversy" over Surkov. He said it was better to engage with Russia, even if there were "disagreements", than to "sit in our cubbyholes and not have any real connectivity with those that we think we are disagreeing with". Some believe Obama has brought about a marked improvement in US-Russian relations – at least in tone. "There have been positive steps. It isn't a shouting match any more," Sergei Rogov, the director of Moscow's Insitute for US and Canada Studies, said. Rogov acknowledged there were disagreements – over Russia's claim, for example, it is entitled to a sphere of influence in postSoviet countries. He also noted that trade and investment were "going down". The key test, he said, was whether Obama could deliver a
new Start treaty. "If we sign the treaty, there may be more progress in other areas; if we don't sign, we will have a repetition of the old story – a nice declaration but no practical achievements." Others said Obama's failure to reap any dividends from his rapprochement with Russia was due to a more profound conceptual weakness: his failure to define America's role in the 21st century. "The problem is Obama's foreign policy. He is trying to solve complex problems without having a clear strategy of how to position the US in the new world," Fyodor Lukyanov, editor-in-chief of Russian in Global Affairs, said. Start 1 was approved in 1992 on a 93-6 vote. Despite the acrimonious climate in Washington, some analysts hold out hope the new treaty will not get bogged down in domestic electoral politics, and will be judged on its own merits. "The concerns about US defence
FREEDOM continued from page 3
martyrs of England and Wales. May Our Lady of Walsingham guide and protect you always. To all of you, and to the priests, religious and lay faithful of your country, I cordially impart my apostolic blessing as a pledge of peace and joy in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the text of an address delivered to the Catholic bishops
of England and Wales by Pope Benedict on 1 February 2010 • Religion • Catholicism • Pope Benedict XVI • Equality • Law Pope Benedict XVI guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 |
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go beyond the party-line divisions," said Ariel Cohen, a Russia and Eurasia analyst at the conservative Heritage Foundation. "In the past, both Republicans and Democrats were those who approved. And in things like nuclear weapons, China to Restructure responsible politicians do not Its Economy, Boost trifle." • United States Domestic Demand • Russia By Connie Madon • Vladimir Putin (BloggingStocks) • Dmitry Medvedev Submitted at 2/1/2010 10:10:00 AM • Barack Obama • Obama administration Filed under: International Markets, China, Recession, Luke Harding Daniel Nasaw Financial Crisis guardian.co.uk© Guardian China's economy has been News & Media Limited 2010 | booming. The main driver has Use of this content is subject to been exports. But as the our Terms & Conditions| More developed world has been in a Feeds deep recession, China lost some of its export business. Now, it seems the present model of the Chinese economy is about to change. Li Keqiang, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, outlined the changes about to occur, the New York Times reported. Continue reading China to Restructure Its Economy, Boost Domestic Demand China to Restructure Its Economy, Boost Domestic By Hugh Hart (Wired Top Demand originally appeared on Stories) BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 Feb Submitted at 1/31/2010 9:00:00 PM 2010 10:10:00 EST. Please see A Los Angeles TV station our terms for use of feeds. Read| bootlegs coverage of an A-bomb P e r m a l i n k | E m a i l t h i s | test from the roof of a Las Vegas C o m m e n t s
Feb. 1, 1951: TV Shows Atomic Blast, Live
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Scene and heard: Zef (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)
cross Gummo with Scooter?" The band is led by Ninja, the latest incarnation of Watkin "Waddy" Tudor Jones, a wiry, Submitted at 2/1/2010 7:46:54 AM tattooed MC and veteran of the This is a sweat-stained South South African rap scene. In an African cousin to the UK's own interview with Vice magazine he white, working-class rap variant. translated zef as "fucking cool" It's District 9 donk and described his band as, "like, Language reveals a lot about the 2Unlimited, C+C Music Factory culture it springs from, as anyone kind of thing … but a bit more grappling with more than 40 gangster, with a street edge". An Finnish variations on the word unhinged hotchpotch of Euro "snow" can attest. Zef is a lurid dance, snap beats and rapid-fire form of South African rave-rap rapping, zef is a sweat-stained t h a t h a s g r o w n f r o m t h e South African cousin to the UK's ramshackle Afrikaans suburbs of own white, working-class rap Cape Town. An online glossary variant. It's District 9 donk. of zef slang contains 10 words Ninja's partner in rhyme is the for "masturbate" and 12 for astounding Yo-landi Visser, "vagina". whose eerie singing voice and At the forefront of this scene is potty-mouthed rapping pitches Die Antwoord, whose moniker is her somewhere between Liz Afrikaans for "the answer". But Fraser and Peaches. The synthif they're the answer, what's the h e a v y r i n g t o n e r a v e t h a t question? Judging by the x-rated underpins their songs is provided trio's super-stylised videos, it's by DJ Hi-Tek, though sadly not probably "what do you get if you the same Hi-Tek who produced
for Mos Def and Talib Kweli during the 1990s heyday of New York backpack rap. Satellite members include a number of local gangsta rappers and a DJ with progeria syndrome. Die Antwoord are not alone in exploiting the hip-hop potential of Afrikaans patios. Jack Parow, who fills his songs with funny tales of slum strife, has been dubbed the Afrikaans Eminem. But while Parow has been praised for his authenticity, Die Antwoord's credibility is more open to interpretation. I contacted Tudor Jones for this feature and, to begin with, he willingly answered questions about the band and their background. That changed when I broached the subject of his previous projects. During the 90s, Tudor Jones was a member of Original Evergreens, South Africa's answer to Cypress Hill, but left to explore more conceptual territory as part of the
Max Normal.tv(MNTV) crew. Bottle-blonde Visser was also a member of MNTV. According to the band's Wikipedia page they, "perform[ed] live wearing threepiece suits while frontman Max Normal [Tudor Jones] delivers his motivational-speaking-style raps to the audience". I asked 'Hershey's Kisses' CD Tudor Jones if Die Antwoord Holders Look Good was another conceptual project, Enough to Watch if he and Visser had taken on new, more subversive roles. He Someone Eat declined to answer and politely [Peripherals] withdrew his co operation. By Mark Wilson (Gizmodo) They may be the answer, but it seems Die Antwoord is not Submitted at 2/1/2010 9:59:18 AM necessarily the truth. Note: these are Hershey's-Kiss• Urban music inspired CD/DVD stands—not • South Africa actual Hershey's Kisses—that are being used to prop up optical guardian.co.uk© Guardian media. The latter might work, News & Media Limited 2010 | but the former will crack that Use of this content is subject to coworker's tooth who keeps our Terms & Conditions| More stealing your desk candy. [ Feeds HiddenArtShop via NerdApproved]
Former Lehman Executive Calls for Ouster of High School Teacher By Zac Bissonnette (BloggingStocks)
McGee, the former head of investment banking at Lehman Brothers, sent a five-page screed Submitted at 2/1/2010 10:50:00 AM to the board of trustees at his Filed under: Management, son's private Texas high school Blogs The following story is after a teacher referred to overflowing with irony. The b a n k e r s a s " s l e a z e b a l l s " . reason is partly because of one DealBreaker has published the man's lack of irony: Hugh "Skip" letter in its entirety. If you have a
lot of time on your hands, read and look for Skip's complaints about the lack of cross-dressing at the pep rally, among other things. His demands? The teacher, the upper school principal, and the
headmaster should all resign over the injustice. That's right: a former executive at Lehman Bros. is demanding accountability. Continue reading Former Lehman Executive Calls for Ouster of High School Teacher Former Lehman Executive Calls
for Ouster of High School Teacher originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments
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Amazon Revealed: It Hates You, and It Hates Publishers By Kit Eaton (Fast Company)
mind you. Macmillan's CEO stood his ground, and explained his thinking in an open letter, There's one clear conclusion and Amazon was forced to falling out of the ridiculous " c a p i t u l a t e " a n d r e t u r n Amazon versus Macmillan Macmillan books to the store. books debacle that played out Simple, eh? Cut-throat business this weekend: Amazon really politics played out in public, and doesn't care about you, in fact it swiftly concluded? Yes. But kinda hates you--pretty much reading into the matter, it's clear whoever you are. that Amazon really cares nothing If you're still playing catch-up about the publishing industry, on the news, this is what about authors, about the bookh a p p e n e d . A m a z o n a n d buying public and about any Macmillan books entered into other book seller it knocks out of discussions about the prices business. Amazon charges for e-books This much is clear from the way f r o m t h e p u b l i s h e r , w i t h Amazon comported itself during Macmillan pressuring for a the last several days. Firstly it higher price--perhaps around refused to see eye to eye with a $15, which is much more than key publisher--one of its major Amazon's strict $9.99 limit. It's suppliers--and preferred to stick clear the move was inspired by to its bullying tactic that eats into Apple's iPad and simultaneous the revenue of the publisher, and iBooks launch event, which subsequently authors themselves, promises a fairer share, more by basically insisting that it favorable terms and conditions decide how much to pay them than Amazon, and higher price for their product. Then it points. Amazon, of course, petulantly pulled stock from the o p e r a t e s s o m e t h i n g l i k e a Amazon store without warning-supermarket giant does in the meaning the book-buying public food industry--leveraging its was denied access to around onehuge size to force suppliers to sixth of titles published in the sell to it at wholesale prices. This U.S., with no explanation. tactic has caused issues in the Then, when Amazon reversed food market, and now its doing its decision, it announced the the same in the books market: news with a blog posting from Amazon refused, and without a n o n y m o u s Amazon warning pulled all Macmillan spokespersons that contains books from its store. That's one some extremely twisty language. of the "big six" U.S. publishers, Firstly it paints itself as the Submitted at 2/1/2010 9:38:08 AM
and only cares about getting the right price it wants--which will then earn it huge profits from the average consumer who sees merely a lower store price. It doesn't care about the fleet of editors that a publisher has to maintain to shepherd books from author's minds into reality, about reviewers who sample thousands of submitted manuscripts from wannabe authors, about artwork, marketing, and the designers involved in creating a final finished copy of a book--whether paper or digital. Perhaps worst of all, Amazon clearly doesn't care what its customers think (despite thanking them in the blog post) because it acted to axe Macmillan's texts without explaining why or giving any warning. And though it tries to portray itself as championing customer rights, what its actually doing is trying to manipulate an entire industry to working how it wants everything to work, victim, having to "capitulate" to Hmmm. A "monopoly over their squeezing everybody from demands that it clearly wishes own titles" is the absolute key authors to other booksellers. t h e p u b l i c t o t h i n k o f a s phrase here, because it's plain And the final, most fascinating unreasonable. Then it explains dumb. It's like complaining that twist of all this, is that there's that it has to capitulate because Van Gogh has a monopoly over likely to be one main beneficiary Macmillan has a monopoly over paintings painted by Van Gogh. of Amazon's shenanigans, and its titles. Finally it suggests that Amazon here is revealing that it it's one Amazon will deeply M a c m i l l a n ' s p r i c e s a r e doesn't care how publishers resent over the next year or so: unreasonably high for e-books, actually work (a vast and Apple, with its new iPad. and it believes other publishers complex system that's evolved [Via Amazon, TechCrunch] w i l l t h i n k d i f f e r e n t l y t o over time, and which really Macmillan. seems to function pretty well)
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Foursquare Goes Mainstream, Teams with Bravo TV By Kit Eaton (Fast Company) Submitted at 2/1/2010 9:41:47 AM
Foursquare's fortunes look good --today it's due to announce a tieup with Bravo TV that'll see its location-based social network move into a more mainstream role. But will this experiment repeat the disaster of Fox TV's live Twitter event? Bravo's SVP for marketing Ellen Stone sums up precisely why this tie-up is happening: Foursquare's spiraling popularity and the chance to increase Bravo TV customer's engagement with the channel. "We saw the Foursquare phenomenon taking off [...] Our audiences is always looking for new and unique engagements and this is perfect for them," is Stone says. The actual workings of the collaboration are pretty straightforward, and they'll be leveraging Foursquare's gaming elements, centering mainly on the achievement badges Foursquare players compete for. When Foursquare-playing Bravo viewers visit over 500 special locations, chosen to match up with a selection of Bravo shows,
they'll be rewarded with a special badge. That gives Bravo a degree of advertising, it connects Foursquare to a successful TV channel, and it'll probably please Bravo viewers who'll feel a gentle sense that they've somehow taken part in their favorite shows. The idea almost couldn't be simpler, and would seem to be relatively risk-free for both business parties. The only sticking point is that so far it's been pretty tricky to integrate social networking into TV
channels efforts at increasing customer engagement. The worst example is Fox's dreadful, failed attempt to get users engaged by broadcasting a live Twitter feed over episodes of Glee and Fringe --it was disastrous, and seemed to turn off many potential viewers of the shows. Luckily the Foursquare plan actually requires users to take part in the Bravo game, meaning that disinterested Bravo viewers or Foursquare players probably won't be affected. And the players themselves
stand to benefit more than mere Foursquare badges of honor: There are plans to have sweepstakes and actual prizes coded into the location-based Foursquare Bravo tips, and advertisers playing along could also offer benefits like coupons. The biggest signal sent by this plan is that TV really is changing in our mobile Internet world. Bravo's decision to use a very cutting-edge and emergent gaming phenomenon is pretty fascinating, and it actually seems directed at generating some extra
fun for its customers as well as acting as a clever PR vehicle. While Fox messed up the Twitter experiment, perhaps we'll start seeing a degree more interactivity from other TV providers too--after all, the rate that mobile social networks are evolving and expanding is incredible, and new ways of using the systems are emerging all the time. [via New York Times]
White Goat Turns TPS Reports into T.P.! By Ariel Schwartz (Fast Company) Submitted at 2/1/2010 6:46:38 AM
Don't like that office memo from the boss? Think the latest
report to come across your desk is utter BS? Or do you just have way too much old paper lying around in recycling bins? The White Goat can save you. The shredder, developed by Oriental
Co. Ltd, turns office paper into toilet paper. All users have to do is add water to the mix. The paper is turned into pulp, dissolved in water, dried, and rolled-up into a nice roll of toilet
paper. 40 sheets of office paper will produce a single roll of toilet paper in approximately half an hour. If the White Goat is low energy enough, it seems like an excellent alternative to
traditional paper recycling. Check it out in action below. [Via Popular Science]
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Waste Management Knows Something Can Be Made out of Almost Anything By Joseph Lazzaro (BloggingStocks)
January's Drop in Commodities Prices: Biggest in 13 Months
Submitted at 2/1/2010 9:50:00 AM
Where Does Your City Rank in the EV Revolution? By Ariel Schwartz (Fast Company) Submitted at 2/1/2010 6:50:12 AM
Look out the window. How many EVs do you see on the road? Probably none, but that's about to change in the coming years as mainstream automakers begin to roll out their all-electric offerings. Some cities will catch on more quickly than others depending on a number of factors, including infrastructure support and overall market fit (a catch-all term that includes factors like hybrid sales, traffic congestion, and air quality). To that end, EV maker THINK developed a list of the top EVready cities in the U.S. Is your hometown on the list? THINK
US EV-Ready Cities Index Scorecard CityPurchase/Usage IncentivesMarket FitOverall Score Los Angeles 5.75 3.75 9.50 San Francisco 5.75 3.25 9.00 Chicago (tie) 5.75 2.15 7.90 New York (tie) 5.75 2.15 7.90 San Diego 5.75 2.00 7.75 Portland 5.55 1.95 7.50 Sacramento 5.75 1.50 7.25 Newark 4.85 2.15 7.00 Seattle 3.30 3.25 6.55 Atlanta 4.85 1.20 6.05 Denver 4.65 0.80 5.45 Boston 2.40 1.90 4.30 Washington DC 0.80 3.05 3.85 Philadelphia 2.40 1.70 4.10 Phoenix 1.70 1.90 3.60 [Via Green Car Congress]
Filed under: Stocks to Buy, Waste Management Inc. (WMI) Waste Management ( WM) remains well-positioned to profit from the long-term, secular recycling and no-waste trends, and that's the main reason I'm reiterating my buy rating for the company's shares, first recommended on March 25, 2009, at a price of $25.74. The recession hurt WM's results in 2009, as the commercial impact of reduced industrial output rippled throughout the U.S. economy. But that's just a temporary, cycling downturn. The long-term trend looks very good for WM, and here's why: 20 million customers, 267 owned/operated landfills, 16
waste-to-energy plants, 105 recycling plants, and more than 100 beneficial-use landfill gas projects. Continue reading Waste Management Knows Something Can Be Made out of Almost Anything Waste Management Knows Something Can Be Made out of Almost Anything originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments
Submitted at 2/1/2010 7:40:57 AM
Amazon loses Macmillan Books in the Kindle store and then gets them back, AT&T is paying out big bucks in an early termination fee settlement, and Natali goes the entire show without saying
Submitted at 2/1/2010 9:30:00 AM
Filed under: International Markets, India, China, Indices, Market Matters, Economic Data, Commodities, Oil, Headline News, Agriculture Is the world running on stimulus money or is there real demand for basic commodities? What has been happening is that underdeveloped countries have been using stimulus money to stockpile raw commodities. Now there is a surplus. This, in turn, has led to a fall-off in commodity prices. Continue reading January's Drop in Commodities Prices: Biggest the word iPad! in 13 Months 4 minutes 20 seconds January's Drop in Commodities February 1, 2010 7:40 AM PST Prices: Biggest in 13 Months Five Filters featured article: originally appeared on Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 Feb PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see Term Extraction. our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments
Enough about the iPad already (CNET News.com)
By Connie Madon (BloggingStocks)
Business/ Gadgets/
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Diesel Dollars: Two Experts Eye China Yuchai (CYD)
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How Apple kills hardware innovation By John Biggs (CrunchGear)
forced Asia’s hand. The company clearly did plenty of deals with Foxconn and the rest By Steven Halpern Paul Goodwin, editor of The If there are two things you can of the suppliers down the line (BloggingStocks) C a b o t C h i n a & E m e r g i n g count on its Death and the and while folks like LG are Markets Report. Submitted at 2/1/2010 10:30:00 AM propensity of Asian electronics making a mint on screens and C o n t i n u e r e a d i n g D i e s e l manufacturers to capitalize on a other components, they have Filed under: International Dollars: Two Experts Eye China rising trend. In short, what we essentially closed the spigot Markets, China, Newsletters, Yuchai (CYD) buy Asia makes and Asia is very overseas leading companies like Stocks to Buy Diesel Dollars: Two Experts happy about the iPad. And this Asus and Acer to announce that Two leading international E y e C h i n a Y u c h a i ( C Y D ) chain of events, in turn, destroys they won’t try to compete. financial newsletter editors o r i g i n a l l y a p p e a r e d o n hardware innovation. This also explains why other remain bullish on the prospects BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 Feb First we have this AP report companies just couldn’t get past for China Yuchai International 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see about accessories makers. We the resistive touchscreen for so Limited ( CYD), a maker of our terms for use of feeds. haven’t posted very many iPad long. Suppliers knew that Apple diesel engines. P e r m a l i n k | E m a i l t h i s | accessories since the launch but was sniffing around and so they Here's recent commentary from C o m m e n t s trust me, we’ve been inundated. kept prices high. As a result we Nicholas Vardy, editor of The Every accessory and app had almost two years of me-too Global Bull Market Alert and company worth its salt has manufacturers. Remember when garbage coming out of Samsung, tasked its befuddled PR flacks to Apple bought up all the Flash Sony, and Nokia until – at long send us emails with subjects like memory? Well, Apple has also last – the smaller touchscreens “Supertech creates first iPad c o r n e r e d t h e m a r k e t i n are ubiquitous. Bad Apple: The 1-Bit holster for cowboys” complete touchscreens. A few months ago Apple has the industry by the Stop Motion Movie w i t h r e n d e r e d i m a g e s o f I spoke to one inventor who had tail. Heck, they even have the ridiculous accessories. Why do a horrible time trying to grab n e w s c y c l e b y t h e t a i l a s [Image Cache] they do this? Because all they capitative touchscreens for a evidenced by the fact that By Jesus Diaz (Gizmodo) really have to do is make a call project, even at the smaller everyone – including this site – By Adam Frucci (Gizmodo) to a factory in Shenzhen and e l e c t r o n i c s m a r k e t s . is still writing about Apple. But Submitted at 2/1/2010 9:20:00 AM Submitted at 2/1/2010 10:20:00 AM have a planeload made in a few M a n u f a c t u r e r s k n e w t h a t it’s not all roses and champagne I like the current wave of weeks. It’s that easy. This ties up something from Apple was about when Apple launches a new unusual stop motion animation. Remember this incredible 70- resources, however, discouraging to drop so they drove up prices, product and everyone else – This clip is not as crazy and minute video review of The other manufacturers to try to resulting in a standstill in Lenovo, Dell, and the like – amazing as the heasploding Phantom Menace? Well, while make accessories for other innovation. knows it but refuses to talk about Videogioco, but I like its he works on his Attack of the devices. it. By pricing the iPad at about simplicity. It was recorded using Clones review, he decided to The real beneficiaries, however, $500 on a good day, Apple has a w e b c a m , w i t h n o p o s t - take on Avatar. It's a much more a r e the component production whatsoever. [ Pink manageable 20 minutes, but is just as great. [ YouTube] Tentacle]
Phantom Menace Review Guy Takes on Avatar [Movies]
Submitted at 2/1/2010 6:24:52 AM
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War of Words Between Apple and Adobe Heats Up [Fights] By Adam Frucci (Gizmodo)
The ExoPC Slate Tablet features Windows 7 in a 8.9-inch screen package By Tablet (BestTabletReview.com)
Submitted at 2/1/2010 9:54:58 AM Submitted at 1/31/2010 7:36:03 PM
There's been no love lost between Apple and Adobe for a while now, ever since Apple decided to not allow Flash on the iPhone. But since the iPad was announced with an equal lack of Flash, things have gotten ugly. First, Adobe posted a screed about how lame it was that Apple wasn't including Flash on the iPad. Then, Steve Jobs himself called Adobe "lazy" and blaming Flash for most Mac crashes. Now, Adobe is back to its Flash blog with another salvo. First, they address and attempt to debunk the various reasons Apple has for blacklisting Flash. Then, they go for the heart of the matter: But I want to be very clear. My concern isn't just about Flash on the iPad. It's about a disturbing trend where Apple is starting to inhibit broad categories of innovation on their platforms. On the iPad, it looks like developers won't be able to write applications in Java, .net, Python, Ruby, Perl, or any number of other languages (including Flash). And users won't be able to install Firefox, Opera,IE, or any third party browser. There are countless other examples of applications and technologies that Apple
doesn't allow. Why? Apple won't say. And innovation isn't just about technology, it's also about business models. Developers on this new platform aren't able to innovate there either. At best, developers targeting the iPad are subject to a 30% Apple Tax in the App Store. And at worst, developers invest time and money building a product that can never be brought to market, because the only channel is one that is centrally controlled and entirely opaque. In every case, Apple is a gatekeeper on how developers are able to deliver
content to their consumers. Over time, restrictions on technology and business opportunity have a chilling effect on innovation on closed platforms. In the end, this is a tricky situation. On the one hand, Flash is a relatively insecure and resource-heavy plugin that would invariably cause some problems if used on the iPad. In a year or so, HTML5 will be replacing it for most of its biggest uses, such as streaming video. However, it isn't a year from now, and Flash is still heavily
The ExoPC Slate Tablet Here’s an interesting looking tablet PC from French company ExoPC. It features an 8.9-inch 1024 x 600 resolution touchscreen that runs Windows 7 Pro and uses an Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz processor. The ExoPc Slate has 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a SSD with 32GB of storage, an SD card reader, WiFi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth, a 1.3MP webcam and four hours of battery life. It also has 3 USB ports, audio in/out, VGA port, SIM and 10/100 network plug. It measures 9.84 x 6.6 x 0.83 inches and the battery is removable as well. used all around the web. It's just The ExoPC Slate Tablet has full a fact of life that if you want a netbook computing function full internet experience right through Windows 7 in addition now, you need to have Flash. to it’s own onscreen keyboard, So neither side is entirely right eBook Reader, online radio and or entirely wrong. But something can run applications (they even tells me that Apple isn't going to have a dev kit for would-be cave, and as HTML5 gets rolled developers). We’ll avoid any out over the next year, they'll comparison talk with another have fewer and fewer reasons to certain tablet and just say that the even consider it. Sorry, Adobe. [ ExoPC is set to go on sale in March for $599. Adobe] Source: Engadget Leave a Reply Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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Wacom goes wireless with their Intuos 4 graphics tablet By Tablet (BestTabletReview.com)
show connection. The active area on the wireless is listed as 8 x 5 inches which is smaller than the Submitted at 2/1/2010 6:58:41 AM Intuos 4 Medium tablet which is Look Ma, no wires! listed at 8.8 x 5.5 inches. The The Wacom Intuos 4 graphics tablet charges by USB when tablet is highly regarded to be the plugged into your computer and best non-screen pen tablet on the is operational during this time. m a r k e t . N o w W a c o m h a s When not used for 30 minutes upgraded their popular medium the tablet will go into a dormant model to go wireless via a mode to save battery. Wacom Bluetooth connection. rates battery life at up to 18 The new Wacom Intuos 4 hours but that doesn’t include Wireless graphics tablet takes all constant use. the great things about the CNET released a quick review medium Intuos 4 — like its on the Intuos 4 Wireless last 2,048 levels of pen pressure, n i g h t a n d f o u n d i t v e r y OLED ExpressKey display that responsive and great to use. The shows you what function each reviewer found no glitches or button will perform and the multi delays (something that we were -function touch ring — and adds concerned about when we heard a wireless connection and of the move to wireless). They snapping pen holder. It also has did uncover one major concern two lights on the side of the however — if you don’t pay device; yellow or green to show attention to your power state you charge status and blue to there is the possibility that you’ll
ruin your battery and have to have it replaced (a $39-$49 charge). This could happen if you leave the tablet on for a week or longer which will result in a battery drain that will make it unable to recharge. The CNET reviewer also had a few difficulties with Bluetooth pairing both with Snow Leopard and Windows Vista. The Wacom Intuos 4 Wireless graphics tablet is available for preorder now for $399. Currently you can find the non-wireless model on Amazon for around $320 so having wireless will cost you about $80 more. Source: CNET via Slashgear Leave a Reply Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
When it comes to Tag, Microsoft's it (photos) (CNET News.com)
phone's camera, rather than requiring a separate gadget. The splotches in the Microsoft Reminiscent of the old CueCat, Tag bar codes can themselves be Microsoft Tag technology uses a customized, such as this one two-dimensional bar code to link made of hearts for a wedding a print publication to online magazine. content. Tag, though, uses a cell More: Microsoft tries to reinvent Submitted at 2/1/2010 4:00:00 AM
the bar code Photo by Ina Fried/CNET Caption by Ina Fried Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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Acer: We could totally make an iPad. It’s so simps. We won’t, though. By Doug Aamoth (CrunchGear)
it sees a market for certain types of devices, it’s got the comparative advantage of being Submitted at 2/1/2010 7:00:44 AM able to mass produce products Acer Taiwan president Scott Lin efficiently and at relatively low told DigiTimes “that designing price points. an iPad-like device would not I pointedly asked Acer president pose any technical challenges for Gianfranco Lanci back in 2007 if Acer, but said such a product his company would produce does not fit into Acer’s business some sort of “aPhone,” meaning model.” an iPhone-like smartphone, and Lin went on to say that it’d be he emphatically said, “No! Big tough to replicate the mojo that no.” Fast forward a couple years Apple has between a device like and we’ve got the Acer Liquid the iPad and the iTunes store. smartphone and half of Acer’s You can’t just copy the iPad 2010 smartphones to be sporting without something like iTunes Android. and the App Store, basically, and So, yes, Acer may have no plans “few other makers, including to produce a closed-ecosystem A c e r , h a v e c o m p a r a b l e tablet device but let’s not leave experience in operating an online some sort of tablet device (or store.” devices) out of the equation I wouldn’t put it past Acer to altogether. come out with some tablet Acer has no plans for iPad-like devices running full blown product, says Acer Taiwan Windows operating systems, president[DigiTimes] though. Perhaps even Android, too. Acer’s a big company and if
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Toshiba Satellite E205 (with Intel Wireless Display) review By Joanna Stern (Engadget) Submitted at 2/1/2010 10:46:00 AM
So it's been a long day, you plop down on the couch, turn on the TV and grab your the laptop and a cold beverage. But while you're watching that re-run of The Office on TBS you come across an awesome video on the web probably the Engadget Show and instead of watching that expensive 40-inch HDTV you end up starring at the smaller screen. Okay, so maybe that's our specific scenario, but you'd
probably hook up your laptop to a TV in a number of different situations if it didn't involve cables, dongles, and extra software -- basically if it were just easier. Well, it's supposed to be with the $999 Toshiba Satellite E205 and its included Netgear Push2TV adapter. Exclusively sold at Best Buy as part of its Blue Label program, the 15-inch Core i5-powered laptop is outfitted with Intel's Wireless Display -- what we've taken to calling WiDi-- which wirelessly connects the laptop to
any HDTV using the included Netgear with just the push of a button. But can you really watch Hulu on the big screen without leaving your couch? And is the
E205 even a laptop you'd want to use in the first place? We've been "testing" it -- or watching loads of web video on our TV -- for the last couple of days to find
out. Read on for our full review! Gallery: Toshiba Satellite E205 review gallery Continue reading Toshiba Satellite E205 (with Intel Wireless Display) review Toshiba Satellite E205 (with Intel Wireless Display) review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| | Email this| Comments
Hivision's Android-based PWS700CA netbook gets video review, may sport sub-$100 price tag By Darren Murph (Engadget)
Benjamin. What makes this one marginally interesting, though, is Submitted at 2/1/2010 9:54:00 AM the fact that Android is on board; Oh, Hivision-- always up for yeah, it's not like Google's making us chuckle. Just weeks mobile OS is really cut out for after we spotted the outfit's$149 netbook use, but it sure beats the netbook with a lackluster Cortex browsing experience found in A9 processor, along comes this: Windows CE. The device you're the PWS700CA. Reportedly, the peering at above will eventually c o m p a n y i s s t i l l s c o u t i n g ship with a 600MHz ARM926 distributors in order to get this processor, 128MB of RAM, a 7thing out to the masses, but if all i n c h d i s p l a y ( 8 0 0 x 4 8 0 goes well, it could be sold to end resolution), 720p video playback u s e r s f o r r i g h t a r o u n d a support, WiFi, Ethernet and the
usual complement of ports. Hop on past the break for a look at how it fared in testing, and feel free to ping Hivision directly if
you're feeling all distributor-y. Continue reading Hivision's Android-based PWS700CA netbook gets video review, may
sport sub-$100 price tag Hivision's Android-based PWS700CA netbook gets video review, may sport sub-$100 price tag originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| ARMDevices| Email this| Comments
Tea Party Convention Organizers Send Angry Email (Little Green Footballs) Submitted at 1/31/2010 1:14:48 PM
One of the problems with building a movement on a base
of populist rage is that it tends to attract rage-a-holics who would rather die than compromise on anything at all, the kind of people who will just as easily
turn their rage on each other when disagreements pop up. Today the organizers of the National Tea Party Convention sent out an angry email
demonstrating this principle, email: National Tea Party naming and attacking their critics Convention Organizers Push and revealing some of the ugly Back. infighting going on behind the scenes. Dave Weigel has the
Gadgets/ Tech/ Politics/
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Acer's GD235HZ 23.6-inch 3D display is ready for your glasses-equipped exploits By Paul Miller (Engadget) Submitted at 2/1/2010 9:33:00 AM
You could say 3D has hit the mainstream computer today (or something similarly bombastic and partially untrue), as Acer has just released its GD235HZ 120Hz LCD, specially prepped for working with NVIDIA's 3D Vision active-shutter glasses system. The 23.6-inch, 16:9 display retails for $399, and
while it's going to be great for 3D gaming for the next few months until you grow bored of Avatar and frustrated by Left 4 Dead 2, the 1920 x 1080 resolution is going to really come in handy once the first crop of 3D Blu-ray movies starts hitting. Of course, the NVIDIA 3D Vision kit is sold separately for $199, and requires a compatible immersion, right? PR is after the NVIDIA card, but that's a small break. Continue reading Acer's price to pay for total spacial
GD235HZ 23.6-inch 3D display is ready for your glassesequipped exploits Acer's GD235HZ 23.6-inch 3D display is ready for your glassesequipped exploits originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:33:00 EST. (Little Green Footballs) Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| | Email this| Submitted at 1/31/2010 11:04:30 Comments
South Bay Poles PM
Hitachi, Panasonic and Toshiba to deliver 60GHz wireless products in 2H 2010 By Richard Lai (Engadget)
wireless chips -- which sip little juice but churn out 7GHz of Submitted at 2/1/2010 10:25:00 AM colossal bandwidth and 1.5Gbps The year's 2010, yet we're still of data rate -- in the second half leering at the dusty pile of cables of this year. While none of the behind our AV equipment and manufacturers are directly wondering, "O UWB, where art pimping either WirelessHD or thou?" Well, the folks at Tech- WiGig, it appears that Hitachi On have got a little update for us: and Panasonic are siding with Hitachi, Panasonic and Toshiba WiGig's extra functionalities like are reported to be delivering media access control (MAC), p r o d u c t s d o n n i n g 6 0 G H z and the latter even envisions
to deliver 60GHz wireless products in 2H 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Tech-On| Email this| Comments "embedding the functionality into portable gear" for downloading digital content from kiosks. Either way, it's nice
to see some progress here -- we don't want things to drag on any longer, do we? Hitachi, Panasonic and Toshiba
Stephen Colbert and his iPad at the Grammys By Steven Sande (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))
Apple It must be nice to be the host of your own popular Comedy Central show and a host on the Grammy Awards. Why? Submitted at 1/31/2010 10:20:00 PM You get to play with an iPad. Filed under: Odds and ends, No, it's not one of Tim Meehan's
faux iPads- this was a working unit that flipped from portrait to landscape mode when Stephen Colbert pulled it out of his jacket... or pants. Enjoy this short piece of video from
tonight's Grammy Award ceremonies. TUAW Stephen Colbert and his iPad at the Grammys originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun,
31 Jan 2010 22:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments
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Prototype Phone Shifts Weight and Thickness, Right In Your Hand [Concepts] By Mark Wilson (Gizmodo) Submitted at 2/1/2010 9:39:53 AM
Video: Meet Palro, Fujisoft’s mini humanoid By Serkan Toto (CrunchGear) Submitted at 2/1/2010 7:21:00 AM
Most of the robots we cover on CrunchGear have been built for research or entertainment purposes, but some of them do become available for the general public at some point. And today we can give you the Palro
(Pal+robot)[JP], a soon to be marketed humanoid developed by Tokyo-based Fujisoft. The little guy stands 39.8cm tall, weighs 1.6kg and boasts a whole range of features: 20 joints, five mics, voice recognition, mono speakers, a 3MP camera, Wi-Fi IEE 802.11 b/g/n, a USB port, an Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor,
1GB internal memory, 4GB flash memory, Ubuntu OS, a gyrosensor, a three-axis acceleration sensor, eight pressure sensors in his feet, a distance sensor in his head, and a 7.4V/2,800mAh lithium ion battery as his power source. Fujisoft plans to start selling a total of 1,000 Palros to research
institutions on March 15 and to everybody else later (but within this year). Each of the remotecontrolled Palros will cost $3,300. See him dancing and doing other stuff in the following (Japanese) video: Via Game Watch[JP]
What if your phone wasn't a stagnant box with optional vibration, but a mechanism that responded to your touch like a living being? Well, designer Fabian Hemmert has created such a phone—albeit in early prototype form. During his presentation from TEDxBerlin, Hemmert demonstrates how simple mechanical functions could add a level of tangibility that's completely missing from the phones of today. Imagine a moving icon that has a shifting yet subconscious weight in your hand, or an eBook that shrinks thinner as you have less pages remaining. Hemmert's demos are unwieldy, for sure, and I'm not so sure these technologies could be readily miniaturized. But I'd certainly love to watch as someone tried. [ information aesthetics via Engadget]
Top Ten African-American Characters in Science Fiction By Lonnie Morgan (Wired Top Stories)
Every so often an AfricanAmerican gets cast in a particular role, not to get a Black
stereotype on the screen, but because the actor or actress was the right fit for the part. They
were the embodiment of the Here are 10 of our favorites. character and made us forget about race as a divisive issue.
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The Air Force connects 2,000 PS3s to create a supercomputer By John Biggs (CrunchGear) Submitted at 2/1/2010 8:00:00 AM
Did you know that the PS3 was military ordnance? The Air Force Research Laboratory has been given a $2 million to build a Playstation 3 cluster out of about 2,000 PS3s. Their goal? To create a Neuromorphic system designed to find examples of images stored in a massive database using systems that “mimic human nervous systems.” Keeping with the off-the-shelf mentality, the Air Force is using f o l l o w s . I f a l l g o e s w e l l , metal shelves found at most Samsung should be delivering department stores to house the thinner and lighter phones with PS3 cluster. They are also using slightly brighter touchscreens in Linux, which is a free, open a few months' time, or possibly source operating system. phones in the current package The system will use 300 to 320 but with bigger batteries. Sorry, kilowatts at full bore and about LCD, but we've got a new crush 10 percent to 30 percent of that to focus on. Samsung to mass produce 3.3inch touch-embedded AMOLED panels originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:06:00 EST. Please see our (Little Green Footballs) terms for use of feeds. Permalink Submitted at 1/31/2010 5:45:08 PM OLED-Info| Korea IT Times| Email this| Comments Don Ross got a haircut, but it doesn’t seem to have affected his stellar finger-picking skills. This tune is “Klimbim,” from the
Samsung to mass produce 3.3-inch touch-embedded AMOLED panels By Richard Lai (Engadget) Submitted at 2/1/2010 10:06:00 AM
Need a mystery to keep you bewildered? Here's one: that layer of nothingness between the touch-sensing glass and the display on your phone. Whatever that is, Samsung's about to blow it away with a new 3.3-inch WVGA AMOLED touchscreen coming in March. The magic lies in the on-cell touch technology -0.001mm-thick capacitive touch sensors are deposited between the panel's substrate and the bottom polarizer film, thus removing the usual touchscreen glass cover and the gap that
The Acer GD235HZ 23inch LCD monitor is ready for 3D even if you aren’t By Matt Burns (CrunchGear) Submitted at 2/1/2010 7:40:53 AM
in standby, when most supercomputers are using 5 megawatts, Linderman said. However, much of the time the cluster will only be running the nodes it needs and it will be turned off when not in use. via Stars and Stripes
Sunday Night Music: Don Ross album Passion Session.(The iTunes Store has it too.)[Video] An Amazon widget with samples from the rest of the album:[Video]
In case you didn’t notice, CES 2010 was full of 3D. It was everywhere and the Acer GD235HZ is ready to play with all of it. The 23.6-inch, 1080p LCD is specifically designed to work nicely with NVIDIA’s 3D Vision active shutter glasses, but of course they don’t come with it. The NVIDIA kit costs an extra $199 on top of the monitor’s $399 MSRP and require the right graphics card, too. But if you’re ready to test the 3D waters, this option is still less expensive even with all that extra stuff than refitting your home theater with a new 3D display and Blu-ray player. That is, of course, if you won’t mind watching Avatar on a 23.6-inch display. If this sounds like you, Amazon has the set available.
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iPad's multifunction appeal and sub-$500 price point a formula for disruptive technology By Sang Tang (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)) Submitted at 2/1/2010 7:00:00 AM
Filed under: Apple T minus a little over a month and a half until retail liftoff of the Apple iPad and, similar to the launch of the iPhone 3 years ago, the device is not without its share of criticism -- be it the lack of support for multitasking or the missing front facing camera (or any camera, for that matter). However, it's unlikely that anything short of a sub-$1,000 multitouch cancer-curing device could have lived up to expectations, for the hype coming into the keynote was of epic proportions. Expectations aside, however, the iPad's price point and feature set put Apple in a position to disrupt the low-end notebook computer market, while also providing it a foot in the door in the eBook market as well as traditional print media. Though multipurpose in functionality, the iPad will likely find its largest appeal in the lowend notebook computing space, primarily the sub-11 inch variants dubbed " netbooks." As implied in the nomenclature, netbooks place less of a focus on raw computing horsepower and instead aim toward providing an extremely portable and affordable means to surf the net.
While the ultra-compact form factor of netbooks makes them extremely portable, it brings compromises -- namely cramped keyboards that, unless you're an Oompa Loompa or haven't yet reached middle school, are difficult to type on. While the iPad lacks a built-in physical keyboard (it's an optional accessory), its multitouchenabled 9.7 inch LED display provides a clearly differentiated and, on initial impression, a superior web browsing experience. While still priced at a premium over most netbooks, the iPad's$499 opening price point places it in the pricing pantheon of affordable computing, as
produces a purchasing conundrum for the former. At $499, the device is priced within reach of the Kindle DX's $489 price tag, while also providing the ancillary benefits of a multitouch portable computing platform. Such an approach may be the best way to grow the eBook category mainstream, and is in line with Apple thinking. At Apple's September 2009 special event, Steve Jobs noted that while "there will always be dedicated devices, and [that] they may have a few advantages in doing just one thing...generalpurpose devices will win the day because...people just probably c r o s s i n g t h i s s u b - $ 5 0 0 Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' claim aren't willing to pay for a psychological purchasing barrier of selling "millions" of Kindles. dedicated device." And while the increases its attractiveness in While the reading experience on iPad lacks an e-ink based screen, competing for the mindshare of the iPad -- most notably eye its color LED-backlit multitouch c o n s u m e r s c o n s i d e r i n g a strain and battery life -- has yet display could provide consumers netbook. to be thoroughly fleshed out, the with new ways to consume With the iPad, Apple is also device's other features will help traditional media (newspapers, looking to make inroads into the m a s k w h a t e v e r e - r e a d i n g magazines, etc.) and traditional eBook reader market, where it deficiencies it has against media companies new avenues will be joining Amazon and existing e-ink based offerings. for revenues. Sony, two of that market's bigger Thus, whatever inroads the iPad But at the end of the day, the p l a y e r s . U n l i k e t h e i P a d , makes within the eBook reader Apple iPad is a computer and, as Amazon's Kindle and the Sony market will likely be paved by its such, could possibly serve as a Reader offer a "book-like" other virtues. substitute for a MacBook or experience through e-ink A l t h o u g h t h e p o t e n t i a l MacBook Pro purchase for some technology -- in contrast to the a d d r e s s a b l e m a r k e t f o r a c o n s u m e r s . F o r m a n y , LED-backlit screen of the iPad. dedicated eBook reader is likely computing could boil down to Despite the virtues of e-ink and m u c h s m a l l e r t h a n t h o s e surfing the web (i.e., "checking carrying hundreds of books with c o n s i d e r i n g a n o t e b o o k my Facebook"), email, and basic you, eBook readers haven't yet computer, the iPad's $499 IPAD'S page 22 hit mainstream status, in spite of o p e n i n g p r i c e p o i n t a l s o
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Where's the iMag store? By Michael Grothaus (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)) Submitted at 2/1/2010 8:00:00 AM
Filed under: Features, Odds and ends You know, at first I wasn't so impressed with the iPad, but the more I thought about the ways in which you can use it, the more excited I got. As a piece of leisure technology - something you just have laying around your living room like a newspaper it's a lot more user friendly than a laptop or an iPhone. However, I don't think the iPad is revolutionary. By now we're well familiar with multi-touch devices and apps stores. And let's face it, ebooks are nothing new. The iBooks app isn't going to be breaking any ground, but you know what would? An iMag store. Sure, there's sites like emagazines.com that offer browser-based magazines, but there's no one universal storefront for emagazines that's easy to use. Even Zinio doesn't make the emagazine buying experience as easy or pleasurable as buy a song from the iTunes store. Can you imaging what an iMag app might be like? Bjørn Rybakken, creative director at Tangram Design, an Oslo based design agency, sent me these mock-ups (and you guys know how I love mock-ups) which got me thinking what the iMag store might be like.
Now, before someone stops me and says"But the Kindle does magazines..." It does, but not how magazines should be done. In my first journalism class we learned of how in the early part of the 20th century (I think the year was 1913, but can't be sure sorry professor), the editors at National Geographic were putting the finishing touches on an issue that was a day away from going to press when they
discovered that they came up short in the articles department that month. In a last-ditch attempt to fill the space the editor-in-chief decided to publish eleven full-page photographs a journalist had sent him. Before that issue, National Geographic(like all magazines of the day) had been what we would consider a journal - a lot of text articles with few photographs. When the issue hit
newsstands, the editor-in-chief was sure the publishers would fire him. They didn't. That issue turned out to be their best-selling issue since the publication started in 1888. People loved the photos and since then, National Geographic has become synonymous with iconic photography and every other magazine in the world has used photography as a way to enhance and highlight their pages.
Magazines aren't like books. Magazines rely heavily on photography, charts, sidebars, page-bleeds, and even cartoons. E-ink readers like the Kindle just can't give you the magazine experience that a full-color display can. An iMag store could allow you to find and purchase magazines from all over the world, in any WHERE'S page 20
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E-reader News Edition
iPodcaStudio brings easy podcasting Wil Shipley: Apple to the iPhone / iPod touch "copied me" By Steven Sande (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))
about how to use an iPhone 3GS, Garage Band, and Posterous to do"quick and easy" podcasting. While that method has the Submitted at 2/1/2010 9:00:00 AM desired results -- your podcast Filed under: iPhone, App Store, has a feed that can be subscribed iPod touch, App Review to, and it actually sounds pretty Podcasting is an art best learned good -- it forces you to stick with by experience. In order to be a one website on Posterous to good podcaster, it helps to have a create the feed. Many podcasts good speaking voice, excellent are associated with a website, so topics to talk about (or fun it's important in many cases to guests), and equipment and have the ability to upload a software to assist you in podcast file to an FTP server. recording and editing your That, and my continuing quest podcast. It also helps to make a to make my podcasting as easy lot of mistakes, since you'll learn as possible, is what got me from them. interested in iPodcaStudio from A while back, I wrote a post i P h o n e a p p f o r r e c o r d i n g , Vault Multimedia. iPodcaStudio about how to use an iPhone 3GS, editing, and uploading your [$0.99, iTunes Link] is an Garage Band, and Posterous to podcasts easily. While it isn't as i P h o n e a p p f o r r e c o r d i n g , do"quick and easy" podcasting. f u l l - f e a t u r e d a s i t c o u l d editing, and uploading your While that method has the eventually be, iPodcaStudio is a podcasts easily. While it isn't as desired results -- your podcast good start at a complete podcast f u l l - f e a t u r e d a s i t c o u l d has a feed that can be subscribed studio on your iPhone or iPod eventually be, iPodcaStudio is a to, and it actually sounds pretty touch running iPhone OS 3.0 or good start at a complete podcast good -- it forces you to stick with greater. Podcasting is an art best studio on your iPhone or iPod one website on Posterous to learned by experience. In order touch running iPhone OS 3.0 or create the feed. Many podcasts to be a good podcaster, it helps greater. are associated with a website, so to have a good speaking voice, TUAW iPodcaStudio brings it's important in many cases to excellent topics to talk about (or easy podcasting to the iPhone / have the ability to upload a fun guests), and equipment and iPod touch originally appeared podcast file to an FTP server. s o f t w a r e t o a s s i s t y o u i n on The Unofficial Apple Weblog That, and my continuing quest recording and editing your (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 to make my podcasting as easy podcast. It also helps to make a 09:00:00 EST. Please see our as possible, is what got me lot of mistakes, since you'll learn terms for use of feeds. interested in iPodcaStudio from from them. Read| Permalink| Email this| Vault Multimedia. iPodcaStudio A while back, I wrote a post Comments [$0.99, iTunes Link] is an
By Dave Caolo (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)) Submitted at 2/1/2010 10:00:00 AM
Filed under: Apple Corporate, Software, Bad Apple When Steve Jobs was introducing the iPad last week, a number of us familiar with Delicious Monster had the same reaction during the iBooks demo: "That looks like Delicious Library." Developer Wil Shipley noticed, too. In an interview with The Washington Post, Shipley complained about the striking similarity. "But the thing about iBooks is, it's a book-reader. So, of course they looked around, found the best interface for displaying books (Delicious Library's shelves), and said: yup, this is what we're doing." He notes that he didn't copyright the idea of showing photorealistic books on wooden shelves, and that if Apple had called ahead of time they would have revealed a secret on one hand, and admitted that the two apps were similar on the other. "...they can't write someone a check unless they got some value in return. And if they got value, the lawyers would ask, how much was it? How was it determined?" Before you call "coincidence,"
note that many former Delicious Monsters employees are now at Apple. Of course, you can't say that this was malicious. In fact, Shipley's assertion is probably correct: They felt that Delicious Library's implementation was the best and ran with it. In a way, it's flattering. Something he made has been acknowledged by a huge corporation known for design. Still, it's gotta sting. Shipley again: "But your [designs] aren't really yours. They have lives of their own. So when your designs do change the world, you have to accept it. You have to say, 'Ok, this was such a good idea, other people took it and ran with it. I win.'" TUAW Wil Shipley: Apple "copied me" originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments
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Budget omits cap-and-trade revenue, Short on cash, official says Wikileaks suspends operations (CNET News.com)
Submitted at 2/1/2010 5:46:32 AM
The White House has dropped projected revenue from a "capand-trade" mechanism to fight climate change from its new budget, an administration official said, bowing to the possibility that the Congress may not pass it. Last year, the Obama administration forecast revenue of $646 billion in the years 20122019 from an emissions trading program that formed the crux of its proposal to fight global warming. The legislation that contains that proposal is now stalled in the Senate, and cap-and-trade-which sets limits on greenhouse gas emissions and allows companies to trade permits to pollute--may be cut from a final bill if one is passed. "The $646 billion revenue projection is no longer in the budget," the administration official told Reuters. "Unlike last year, we do not show an
deficit-neutral," he said. The $646 billion figure a year ago was based on a presumption assumed amount of cap- and- that a U.S. law to limit emissions trade revenue since the exact would be in place by 2012. A nature of the legislation remains climate law is crucial to Obama's in flux." efforts to get international The trading system had been the momentum behind efforts to keystone to President Obama's fight global warming and craft a plan to reduce emissions blamed follow-up pact to the Kyoto for global warming, although he Protocol. did not mention cap-and-trade The House of Representatives last week in his State of the has already passed a bill with a Union address when calling for cap-and-trade component. c o m p r e h e n s i v e c l i m a t e A Senate version is still in the legislation. works, but chances of passage Some interpreted the omission may be hindered by the looming as a signal that he would not e l e c t i o n i n N o v e m b e r a s actively pursue a wide-ranging lawmakers fear the repercussions climate bill this year. White of supporting a measure that House aides, however, are still some say would drive up energy w o r k i n g h a r d t o a d v a n c e costs for consumers. legislation among lawmakers. Story Copyright (c) 2010 T h e o f f i c i a l s a i d t h e Reuters Limited. All rights administration would insist any reserved. climate legislation be paid for Five Filters featured article: without adding to the deficit. Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: "We assume neither a specific PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, spending and revenue level--but Term Extraction. stand by the same principle that the policy as a whole must be
Tardy Transit? Tweet To The Top By Keith Barry (Wired Top Stories) Submitted at 2/1/2010 6:31:00 AM
Riders of San Francisco’s often infuriating Municipal Railway —
known to locals as Muni — have a new way of expressing their displeasure with service outages, delayed trains and late buses: Tweeting the man in charge from MuniFail.com.
(CNET News.com)
If staff are paid, our yearly budget is $600,000." What's next? Reaching out Wikileaks, which has published beyond the group of "human a n o n y m o u s l y c o n t r i b u t e d rights campaigners, investigative i n f o r m a t i o n t h a t i s b o t h journalists, technologists, and the confidential and controversial, g e n e r a l p u b l i c " w h o ' v e has one thing in common with c o n t r i b u t e d m o n e y s o f a r . many more-traditional media "We have received hundreds of outlets: financial troubles. thousands of pages from corrupt The site has posted confidential banks, the U.S. detainee system, 9/11 pager messages, tangled the Iraq war, China, the UN and with banks and the Church of many others that we do not Scientology, revealed inner currently have the resources to workings of the U.S. military release. You can change that and base in Guantanamo, Cuba, and by doing so, change the world. shared snippets of e-mail from Even $10 will pay to put one of vice presidential candidate Sarah these reports into another ten Palin. thousand hands and $1,000, a Now, though, Wikileaks has million." shut the site down at least Awards it has received "do not temporarily. pay the bills," the site said. "Nor "To concentrate on raising the can we accept government or funds necessary to keep us alive corporate funding and maintain into 2010, we have reluctantly our absolute integrity. It is your suspended all other operations, s t r o n g s u p p o r t a l o n e t h a t but will be back soon," a note on p r e s e r v e s o u r c o n t i n u e d the Wikileaks site said Monday. independence and strength." "We have raised just over ( Via BBC News) $130,000 for this year but can Five Filters featured article: not meaningfully continue Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: o p e r a t i o n s u n t i l c o s t s a r e PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, covered. These amount to just Term Extraction. under $200,000 PA [per annum]. Submitted at 2/1/2010 6:07:00 AM
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E-reader News Edition
Amazon, Macmillan Fight Over Ebook Prices; After Amazon Removes Macmillan Titles, It Caves To Higher Prices By Mike Masnick (Techdirt)
that when manufacturers tell retailers what the end user price is, it's a form of price fixing, but On Friday, there was a sudden apparently not... realization that Amazon had Of course, what may seem odd removed books published by about this is that it appears publishing giant Macmillan, Macmillan will make less per a p p a r e n t l y o v e r a d i s p u t e ebook under this model. That's concerning ebook pricing. Of because with its old wholesale course, Amazon wasn't just pricing, Amazon was actually removing Macmillan ebooks, but losing money on every ebook the physical books as well. After sold. As the NY Times notes: In a bit of back and forth over the the model that Amazon prefers, weekend, Amazon caved in and publishers typically collect accepted the way Macmillan $12.50 to $17.50 for new ewants to price books, which books. Under the new agency means that Macmillan sets the model, publishers will typically retail price, and Amazon gets a make $9 to $10.50 on new cut. Previously, Amazon had digital editions. So why are paid a wholesale price and then publishers specifically trying to got to set the retail prices itself. limit their own profits from I had been under the impression ebooks? Because they're afraid Submitted at 2/1/2010 2:57:15 AM
of ebooks cannibalizing hardcover book sales, which is why they're also looking to delay ebook releases. In fact, in this case, Amazon was given the choice of either increasing the retail price for consumers on Macmillan ebooks, or getting them many months later. All in all, this looks like publishers hurting themselves, yet again, by going against what consumers want in a misguided effort to preserve the way things used to be. Yet, in an age when users are punishing authors and publishers who don't treat them right, this could backfire in a big way. Permalink| Comments| Email This Story
Porsche at Daytona (Holy Kaw!) Submitted at 1/31/2010 9:21:00 PM
Check out this video of the Porsche legacy at the Rolex 24 hour race at Daytona.
Total coverage of Porsche.* Permalink| Leave a comment »
WHERE'S continued from page 17
language. You could search by title, subject, or even author (a cool search feature because most authors write articles for many magazines). Indie magazine publishers would also now have a wider distribution network and a chance at a wider audience. The magazines could feature videos in the articles, live polls, and even integrated chat rooms discussing the current article. iMag store pricing? Yearly magazine subscriptions for $9.99. Single issues for 99 cents. There's been countless times I would have liked to buy a magazine I don't normally read off the newsstand, but the $4.99 cover price kept me from doing so. However, if I could get that same magazine for 99 cents instantly in electronic form, I'd buy it in a heartbeat - especially if they were all as slick as this. Existing emagazine sites charge between $9.99 and $34.99 per title for an annual magazine subscription. I think most publishers would agree to a $9.99 price through an iPad iMag store if they could supplement the lower pricing
with revenue generated from inpage dynamic advertising (it's 2015 and you decide to peruse a 2014 issue of MacWorld: the ads in the iMag MacWorld magazine have updated to advertise the current 2015 iCar) - especially if the forecasts are correct that there will be 12 million iPads in homes across the world by the end of 2011. Not to mention 12 million potential iPad customers is a hell of a way to get their subscription rates up. But the best thing about an iPad iMag store? No more of those annoying magazine subscription cards falling all over your lap. TUAW Where's the iMag store? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments
Stephen Colbert Shows Off iPad at The Grammys [VIDEO] By Adam Ostrow (Mashable!)
Apple device instead of an envelope to present the show’s award for “Song of the Year.” Just when you thought the iPad Colbert then jokingly turned to hype may be winding down, Jay-Z and said, “Did you not get Stephen Colbert opened up The one of these in your gift bag?” Grammys by pulling out the new and asked his own daughter, also Submitted at 1/31/2010 5:29:22 PM
in attendance, if she finally thought he was cool. He then
presented the award for “Song of the Year” to Beyonce and the team for “Single Ladies.” Kanye is surely applauding somewhere. Update: Here’s a video of Colbert’s iPad: [img via jose3030]
Tags: Apple Tablet, beyonce, grammys, ipad, stephen colbert
Tech/ Tech News/ Picture/
E-reader News Edition
Social Networks Are Becoming a Security Risk [SURVEY] By Stan Schroeder (Mashable!)
blame on Facebook’s own privacy rules. “When Facebook rolled-out its new recommended Submitted at 2/1/2010 3:27:40 AM privacy settings late last year, it According to a report by was a backwards step, Sophos, malware and spam are encouraging many users to share on the rise on social networks their information with everybody such as Twitter, MySpace, on the internet,” he says. Facebook and LinkedIn. Interestingly enough (and In the last year, 57% of users s u r v e y e d m o r e t h a n 5 0 0 contrasted to some of the reports report they have been spammed organizations, discovering that we’ve seen lately), Cluley thinks via social networking sites, an 7 2 % o f t h e m t h i n k s o c i a l that simply barring access to increase of 70.6% compared to networks are a danger for their Facebook is not the solution. last year. Furthermore, 36% of companys, with 60% of them “Social networks can be an users claim they’ve been sent tagging Facebook as the biggest essential part of the business mix malware via social networking security risk, followed by today,” he says, “and the answer sites, which is a rise of 69.8% MySpace, Twitter and LinkedIn. i s n o t t o b a r s t a f f f r o m G r a h a m C l u l e y , s e n i o r participating in them but to apply from last year. On the other hand, CEOs of t e c h n o l o g y c o n s u l t a n t f o r some ’social security’ instead.” companies are concerned that Sophos, says that Facebook is Tags: facebook, linkedin, their employees’ usage of social the biggest threat because it’s the m a l w a r e , m y s p a c e , s o c i a l networks is posing a security risk biggest social network out there, networking, spam, trending, for their company. Sophos has but he also places some of the twitter
Chinese 'iPad' Maker Threatens to Sue Apple for Plagiarism By Charlie Sorrel (Wired Top Stories) Submitted at 2/1/2010 5:59:00 AM
How to Play Games on Your Mobile Phone By How-To Wiki (Wired Top Stories) Submitted at 1/31/2010 9:00:00 PM
A Chinese company claimsthat its iPad knockoff is in fact an original design that has been copied by Apple. The P88 has been on the market in China for six months. It’s easy to recognize: it looks just like a big iPhone.
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Lady Gaga's Use Of Free Music By Mike Masnick (Techdirt) Submitted at 2/1/2010 6:47:00 AM
While Beyonce and Taylor Swift may have outshone Lady Gaga at the Grammy's, it doesn't change the fact that Gaga has become quite a music industry sensation. But similar to what we saw with Mariah Carey, the details behind Lady Gaga's business model success shows how even today's superstars are embracing more nuanced business models that make use of free music and focus on selling unique scarcities. When it comes to free music, apparently that's been a huge part of Gaga getting attention: In fact, much of Gaga's audience got her music for free, and legally. They have listened to free streams--by the hundreds of millions--on YouTube and the other online services that Gaga currently leads, according to research firm BigChampagne. On MySpace, Gaga has had 321.5 million
plays. By contrast, singer Susan Boyle tallied only 133,000 plays, despite scoring the No. 2 selling album of 2009. And while she has been able to sell music, she's also making a ton of money from live gigs and corporate deals, including Polaroid and Estee Lauder -- which are examples of Gaga selling the attention of her fans, as well as some tangible goods (such as makeup, similar to Mariah Carey). Again, nothing about this is revolutionary at all. But it again shows that even today's megastars are figuring out how that just selling music isn't the only way to make money these days, and, in fact, having the music available for free can often be quite helpful in getting even more attention in ways that aid the other parts of the business model. Permalink| Comments| Email This Story
Winter sports across the Commons
Mobile phones are powerful enough to do just about anything, including conquering alien By Cris Stoddard (Flickr Blog) worlds. Here's how to find the Submitted at 1/31/2010 9:41:45 AM best games, play against friends and optimize your handset for • About Flickr Flickr is a revolution in photo maximum fragging. storage, sharing and
organization, making photo Five Filters featured article: management an easy, natural and Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: c o l l a b o r a t i v e p r o c e s s . G e t PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, comments, notes, and tags on Term Extraction. your photos, post to any blog, share and more!
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Steve Jobs Is Not Happy With Google, Adobe By Stan Schroeder (Mashable!) Submitted at 2/1/2010 1:23:21 AM
What a time we’re living in. You can’t even make fun of your competitors at your own company meeting without your words leaking out to the Internet. Apparently, this has happened to Steve Jobs, who lashed out at Google and Adobe at Apple’s Town Hall company meeting held at the One Infinite Loop headquarters. Speaking to Apple employees, Steve Jobs voiced his frustration with buggy Flash, lazy Adobe and Google’s fakery in the “don’t be evil” department. Although these words have not been (and will never be)
officially confirmed, multiple anonymous people from the audience confirmed their authenticity to Wired. Here’s a couple of Steve’s (inexact) quotes from the meeting: “Adobe is lazy. Apple does not support Flash because it is so buggy. Whenever a Mac crashes more often than not it’s because of Flash. No one will be using Flash. The world is moving to HTML5.”
When it comes to Google, Jobs is mad at them for trying to “kill the iPhone.” “We did not enter the search business,” he said. “They entered the phone business. Make no mistake: they want to kill the iPhone. We won’t let them.” Finally, his most interesting quote is about Google’s “don’t be evil” mantra. According to Daring Fireball, Jobs simply said: “It’s a load of crap.” Yes, I think we can safely say we were right when we said that a). The iPad and the iPhone aren’t getting full Flash support anytime soon, and b). Google is now Apple’s greatest enemy. Tags: adobe, apple, Flash, Google, steve jobs, trending
IPAD'S continued from page 16
productivity apps, such as word processing and spreadsheets. However, the slightest footstep outside of this sandbox demands more, be it a video editor demanding more processing power to render and store h.264 videos or a college student who needs a torrent or P2P client and codec support to play DivX videos. Add to this formula the iPad's lack of support for multitasking as well as its smaller screen display, and the potential for cannibalization is likely marginal.
Yes, many may have found the iPad announcement underwhelming. But expectations aside, the device is a misfit with its cross category functional appeal. And it's these misfit ways that, coupled with a competitive opening price point, arm it with great potential to disrupt multiple categories and serve as another avenue to drive growth for Apple. *Median price of Netbook based on top 15 best selling models at Bestbuy.com. TUAW iPad's multifunction
appeal and sub-$500 price point a formula for disruptive technology originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments
Microsoft’s Tag Links the Physical World To the Internet By Stan Schroeder (Mashable!) Submitted at 2/1/2010 5:47:23 AM
Paper publications have a problem: they want to link to the Internet, but in order to reach the destination, the reader must type the link into his browser manually, which is slow and awkward. Microsoft now offers a solution, called Tag. It’s essentially a barcode – an optical machinereadable representation of data – and it lets paper magazines create visual links to content which can be “opened” simply by pointing your smartphone’s camera at them. In today’s world of iPhones, iPads, Nexus Ones and other smart mobile gadgetry, this actually makes more sense than forcing the reader/user to type in a link, no matter how short. Of course, the possible uses of
Tag go far beyond paper magazines; you can put a tag almost anywhere: on a wall, a product, or a giant outdoor sign. To be able to “read” tags with your phone, you need to download a piece of software; luckily enough, Microsoft has supported most modern smartphone operating systems, including several varieties of Symbian, the iPhone OS, Android, BlackBerry and others. Check out CNET’s video about Tag below. [img credit: CNET] Tags: microsoft, Tag, Web 2.0
Tech/ Politics/ Entertainment/
E-reader News Edition
Ind. Secretary of State Making Congressional Run
Students Given Detention Just For Becoming 'Fans' Of A Page Making Fun Of A Teacher
(Newsmax - Politics)
By Mike Masnick (Techdirt)
made fun of a teacher. The school claims that the page about Submitted at 2/1/2010 4:46:30 AM the group was derogatory and We've been seeing more and libelous. Even if we accept that's more stories like this, as various true, this seems to step over the schools seem to overstep the line in a variety of ways. First, boundaries of school property students always make fun of into the online world to try to teachers they don't like. It's part regulate student speech. It's o f b e i n g i n h i g h s c h o o l . h i g h l y q u e s t i o n a b l e a s t o Pretending you can stop that isn't whether or not they have the going to change the human legal right to do so (and, in fact, nature of teenagers. Second, there are cases that suggest that even if the content is libelous, at there's a significant limit to how most, shouldn't the detention much schools can even prevent have only been given to those students from speaking out while who actually posted the libelous on campus as well). This latest information, rather than to case, sent in by reader Keyop, everyone who became a "fan" or highlights a high school in "member" of the group? Syracuse that gave detention to a Permalink| Comments| Email group of students who had This Story By Stan Schroeder joined a Facebook group that (Mashable!)
Submitted at 2/1/2010 2:29:03 AM
Drew Barrymore Announces Engagement on Facebook (or Not?) [UPDATED]
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard Engaged
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Submitted at 1/31/2010 9:01:01 PM
Update: According to other sources, Drew Barrymore is not engaged. The Facebook status (ETonline - Breaking News) presenter at Sunday night's update still seems to be real, but Grammy Awards and wore what as we’ve said, it doesn’t always Submitted at 2/1/2010 6:19:00 AM looked to be an engagement ring. reflect the true state of affairs. She may be looking for a soul- Kristen, 29, and Dax, 35, both – mate in her film 'When In Rome,' star in the new romantic comedy Well, why not? Social networks but Kristen Bell has found love 'When In Rome.' The film came such as Facebook and Twitter are in real life! in at No. 3 at the box office, becoming celebrities’ favorite The actress got engaged to making an impressive $12.1 hangouts, so it’s only logical to longtime boyfriend Dax Shepard million in its opening weekend. see a popular actress like Drew over the holiday season, People.com confirms. Bell was a
Barrymore publicly announce her engagement on Facebook before anywhere else. If you’ve been following Drew’s love life, you know that her fiancé is most probably Justin Long, star of Apple’s popular “I’m a Mac” series of ads, whom Drew’s been dating for quite some time now. If this is not another case of a hacked celeb account (it has happened in the past), we can only wish Drew and her fiancé all the best. Tags: Drew Barrymore, facebook, social media
Republican Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita (Row-KEE'tuh) is running for the House seat being vacated by longtime congressman Steve Buyer (BOO' -yer). Buyer announced Friday that he will not seek re-election this fall and will leave Congress after 18 years because his wife has an incurable autoimmune disease. Adviser Kevin Kellems said Monday that Rokita wants to work on economic and security issues that directly affect the 4th District. He says Rokita plans to post an announcement on his Facebook page later Monday. Purdue University biology professor David Sanders, who lost badly to Buyer in the 2004 and 2006 elections, is the only Democrat to announce a campaign. © Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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A Watershed Election (AEI.Org: Articles) Submitted at 1/31/2010 3:00:00 PM
After the Iraqi parliament banned 500 candidates from contesting the March 7 national elections, Vice President Joseph Biden rushed to Baghdad to urge Iraqi political leaders to reconsider. While the ban has fueled U.S. cynicism about Iraqi democracy, such cynicism is unwarranted, especially now. The Iraqi parliament's decision did not wipe out Sunni candidates. Even the majority Shia lists are multi-sectarian. Iraqis say the controversy is really about rule-of-law and sovereignty issues. Across the ethnic and sectarian spectrum-and even in senior Iraqi military circles--Iraqis consider it likely that there will be a Baathist coup attempt following U.S. withdrawal, even if they disagree about its chances of success. Indeed, it is no coincidence the current defense minister is among those banned by parliament. The White House and U.S. embassy in Iraq should be cautious about interfering in judicial matters. From an Iraqi perspective, their law is seldom as arbitrary as U.S. embassy whims or U.S. CENTCOM experiments. The Iraqi system now works. Already, several
dozen disqualified candidates have won reinstatement through appeal. An overly active White House will fuel Iraqi distrust, which is already high because of the perception that the current administration is hostile toward Arab democracy. In offices and classrooms around the holy city of Najaf, the Shia religious leadership castigated U.S. military efforts--singling out Generals Petraeus and Odierno by name--to force reconciliation with recalcitrant Baath party members. "The Awakening [Council] model cannot apply to the Baath," the son of one Grand Ayatollah said. "If they do not accept democracy, how can they govern it?" Indeed, it is ironic that so many observers are bashing Iraqi democracy ahead of elections that can, more than any previous polling, cement Iraq's democracy. In 2005, Iraqi leaders sought to dominate society. Shia and Kurdish leaders used militias to impose through force of arms what they could not achieve at the ballot box. Public reaction against their abuse of power, however, overshadowed the short-term dividends these political movements sought. In municipal elections last January and July, voters punished the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI)
and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, both of which used militias to facilitate corruption and intimidate constituents. This trend toward greater accountability will continue, as the Iraqi parliament has reversed the system of closed lists and party slates imposed by the Coalition Provisional Authority and the United Nations. Previously, party leaders rather than constituents determined a politician's success. In the new system, all candidates must appear on ballots and Iraqis can vote for individuals regardless of where they fall on the slate. No longer can party leaders fill lists with family members and corrupt functionaries and suffer no electoral consequences. While Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has a reputation for honesty, the public will purge many of his subordinates who do not. One senior Dawa member predicted that only 50 percent of incumbents will remain in office. Kurdish leader Masud Barzani's decision to visit Washington last week also stemmed from the realization that, given the public animus toward his party's corruption and his functionaries' abuse of power, the number of seats he controls (and, by extension, his leverage) will decline after the elections. Municipal elections provide a
window into Iraqis' new realism. Governors took office only after negotiating power-sharing agreements. Najaf governor Adnan al-Zurfi, who governs in coalition with the ISCI, said his rivals realize that the electorate will punish both parties if they do not cooperate and deliver. Compare this with the Arab political norm: While one-party states and dictators dominate most countries, Iraqi politicians debate campaign strategies and candidate match-ups to maximize seats ahead of coalition negotiations. Indeed, Iraq is now one of only two Middle Eastern countries where ordinary people cannot easily predict their next leader. (The other is Israel.) Even Iraqi president Jalal Talabani, a U.S. favorite, may find himself forced into retirement after March. "If Talabani can't even manage his own political party," one Shia leader remarked, referring to the collapse of Talabani's political support among Kurds, "why does he deserve to lead Iraq?" Still, Iraqis are wary and need international support. Confidence in the Independent High Election Commission is low after a bribery scandal in last summer's Kurdish elections. Politicians worry that opponents polling poorly in specific districts might deliberately spoil ballot boxes to
sway results in hotly contested races. Lack of international preparation to support electoral transparency has increased fears of a repeat of last August's botched Afghanistan election. Any election-day chaos might hamper U.S. withdrawal plans. Alternatively, successful elections will allow Iraq to turn a corner. Saddam will have been gone a decade when the new parliament's term ends. As University of Baghdad students point out, Iraqis entering the university will have been eight years old when Saddam fell. Just as new generations in Eastern Europe finally put the past behind them, so too can young Iraqis. How sad, then, that when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks of the "three Ds-diplomacy, development, and defense"--that define Obama's foreign-policy philosophy, democracy is not among them. Michael Rubin is a resident scholar at AEI. Photo credit: UN Photo/Rick Bajornas Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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More Mr. Nice Guy (AEI.Org: Articles)
Then came Obama's critical linkage: "These diplomatic efforts have also strengthened In his lengthy State of the Union our hand in dealing with those address, President Obama was nations that insist on violating brief on national security issues, international agreements in which he squeezed in toward the pursuit of nuclear weapons." end. International terrorism, wars Obama described the increasing in Iraq and Afghanistan, and "isolation" of both North Korea even America's relief efforts in a n d I r a n , t h e t w o m o s t Haiti all flashed past in bullet- conspicuous--but far from the point mentions. On Iraq and only--nuclear proliferators. He Afghanistan, Obama emphasized also mentioned the increased n e i t h e r v i c t o r y n o r sanctions imposed on Pyongyang determination, but merely the after its second nuclear test in early withdrawal of U.S. forces 2 0 0 9 a n d t h e " g r o w i n g from both. His once vaunted consequences" he says Iran will Middle East peace process didn't face because of his policies. make the cut. In fact, reducing our nuclear Nonetheless, during this arsenal will not somehow windshield tour of the world, the persuade Iran and North Korea president found time to opine t o a l t e r t h e i r b e h a v i o r o r more explicitly than ever before encourage others to apply more that reducing America's nuclear pressure on them to do so. weapons and delivery systems Obama's remarks reflect a will temper the global threat of complete misreading of strategic proliferation. Obama boasted realities. that "the United States and We have no need for further R u s s i a a r e c o m p l e t i n g arms control treaties with Russia, negotiations on the farthest- especially ones that reduce our reaching arms control treaty in nuclear and delivery capabilities nearly two decades" and that he to Moscow's economically is trying to secure "all vulnerable forced low levels. We have nuclear materials around the i n t e r n a t i o n a l o b l i g a t i o n s , world in four years, so that they moreover, that Russia does not, never fall into the hands of requiring our nuclear umbrella to terrorists." afford protection to friends and Submitted at 1/31/2010 3:00:00 PM
allies worldwide. Obama's policy artificially inflates Russian influence and, depending on the final agreement, will likely reduce our nuclear and strategic delivery capabilities dangerously and unnecessarily. (Securing "loose" nuclear materials internationally has long been a bipartisan goal, properly so. Obama said nothing new on that score.) Meanwhile, Obama is considering treaty restrictions on our missile defense capabilities more damaging than his own previous unilateral reductions. What warrants close attention is the jarring naĂŻvetĂŠ of arguing that reducing our capabilities will inhibit nuclear proliferators. That would certainly surprise Tehran and Pyongyang. Obama's insistence that the evil-doers are "violating international agreements" is also startling, as if this were of equal importance with the proliferation itself. The premise underlying these assertions may well be found in Obama's smug earlier comment that we should "put aside the schoolyard taunts about who is tough....Let's leave behind the fear and division." By reducing to the level of wayward boys the debates over whether his policies are making us more or less
secure, Obama reveals a deep disdain for the decades of strategic thinking that kept America safe during the Cold War and afterwards. Even more pertinent, Obama's indifference and scorn for real threats are chilling auguries of what the next three years may hold. Obama has now explicitly rejected the idea that U.S. weakness is provocative, arguing instead that weakness will convince Tehran and Pyongyang to do the opposite of what they have been resolutely doing for decades--vigorously pursuing their nuclear and missile programs. Obama's first year amply demonstrates that his approach will do nothing even to retard, let alone stop, Iran and North Korea. Neither Bush nor Obama administration efforts toward international sanctions have had any measurable impact. The first Security Council sanctions on North Korea after its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons tests in 2006 did not stop Pyongyang from conducting further missile launches and a second nuclear detonation in 2009. Nor have the measures imposed after that second test, about which Obama boasted,
impaired the North's nuclear program or even brought Pyongyang back to the risible Six-Party Talks. Three sets of Security Council restrictions against Iran have only glancingly affected Tehran's nuclear program, and the Obama administration's threats of "crippling sanctions" have disappeared along with last year's series of "deadlines" that Iran purportedly faced. In response, Tehran's authoritarianism and belligerence have only increased. With his counterproliferation strategies, such as they were, in disarray, Obama now pins his hopes on moral suasion, which has never influenced Iran, North Korea, or any other determined proliferator. Perhaps it would have been better had the president's speech not mentioned national security at all. John R. Bolton is a senior fellow at AEI. Photo credit: White House photo/Pete Souza Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Hosted by funnymen Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, the Academy Awards will air on
Sunday, March 7 on ABC.
ET to Live Stream Oscar Nominations (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 2/1/2010 12:40:00 AM
And the Oscar Nominees are... Find out when ETonline streams the 82nd Academy Award
nomination announcements live on Tuesday, February 2, at 5:30 a.m. PST.
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Not-So-Friendly Fire Marks Primary Season (Newsmax - Politics)
full term to replace the disgraced former Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich. Among the races to watch 'Tis the season when Democrats between now and September: and Republicans eat their own. Governors Eight months of primaries for Republicans: party nominations get under way Texas is home to the hottest next week in House, Senate, Republican primary race. Rick gubernatorial and legislative Perry, the state's longest-serving races. The outcomes will set the governor, is trying to fend off stage for the first midterm Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, an elections of Barack Obama's indisputable Washington insider. presidency. The race is pitting the public's Political siblings square off in anger at Washington against its these family feuds. Personalities anti-incumbent fervor. and campaign organizations take California's ultra-expensive race on outsized importance, while features former eBay Chief differences on issues typically Executive Meg Whitman, a take a back seat. billionaire, against Insurance Republican incumbents and Commissioner Steve Poizner, a Republicans hand-picked by multimillionaire Silicon Valley party leaders are facing spirited entrepreneur. Both have spent challenges from candidates millions of their own money. supported by the grass roots. No The winner is all but certain to race epitomizes the battle for the face Democrat Jerry Brown, 71 GOP's future more than the and a former governor who Florida Senate primary between unsuccessfully ran for president. Gov. Charlie Crist and Marco He is currently California's Rubio, a former state House attorney general. s p e a k e r b a c k e d b y a n t i - Democrats: e s t a b l i s h m e n t " t e a p a r t y " In a race tinged by scandal and activists. turning nasty, Illinois Gov. Pat Democrats have their own Quinn is in danger of losing internal battles. Among most T u e s d a y b e c a u s e o f h i s notable are Senate primaries that a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h M r . drew challengers even though Blagojevich, who was expelled M r . O b a m a e n d o r s e d t h e from office. Mr. Quinn, who incumbents, Arlen Specter in twice ran as lieutenant governor Pennsylvania and Michael o n t h e s a m e t i c k e t a s Bennet in Colorado. Blagojevich, is up against state The Illinois primary is Tuesday, Comptroller Dan Hynes. when voters choose candidates New York also may have a for the Senate seat Mr. Obama Democratic primary. Gov. David once held and nominees to seek a A, Paterson rejected White Submitted at 2/1/2010 12:26:35 AM
House overtures to step aside amid dismal poll numbers. Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo may challenge him. Senate Republicans: Mr. Crist, who was on Arizona Sen. John McCain's 2008 list of possible vice presidential running mates, had been the Florida front-runner for the Senate. But Mr. Rubio has pulled even in polls, propelled by grassroots anger against Mr Crist. The governor isn't pure enough to some Republicans, who are outraged by his support for the federal economic stimulus package and his literal hug of Mr. Obama. Mr. McCain is facing primary challenges from the right in Arizona for the seat he's held since 1986. Opponents are former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, a conservative radio talk-show host, and Minuteman Civil Defense Corps co-founder Chris Simcox. Mr. McCain's 2008 running mate, Sarah Palin, will campaign for Mr. McCain to validate his right-flank credentials. In Nevada, nearly a dozen Republicans none favored by Republican leaders in Washington are seeking the chance to take on Harry Reid, who's seen as vulnerable. Almost as many Republicans in Arkansas have lined up for the opportunity to face Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln. Democrats:
Mr. Specter ditched the GOP last year to avoid a primary only to become a Democrat, get endorsed by Mr. Obama and find himself in a race against Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak. Mr. Specter will have more money and the establishment's backing. But Mr. Sestak has grabbed the outsider role at a time when voters hate insiders. Colorado's Mr. Bennet was appointed to the seat to replace Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. Mr. Obama came out early for the nonelected incumbent who has never run statewide. But that didn't scare off Andrew Romanoff, a Denver lawyer and former speaker of the state House who tells people he's the homegrown candidate not a White House favorite. In New York, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who is filling the remainder of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's term, has the primary to herself for now. Former Tennessee Rep. Harold E. Ford Jr. is flirting with a candidacy, even though the White House has made clear it's fully behind Mrs. Gillibrand. She's never run statewide. Š Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Gmail Google Search Button Makes Link Pasting Easier [Gmail Labs] By Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker) Submitted at 2/1/2010 5:30:00 AM
The Google Search box in Gmail Labs makes it easy to quickly search and past results into an email without ever clicking away. If you don't like sidebar clutter, a button on your email toolbar now offers the same search-and-paste convenience. If you use a script or add-on that hides your Gmail sidebar boxes, or you'd rather keep the Google Search toolbar minimized, you can now activate the bottomright search box pop-in with the "G" button on your email composition toolbar. Hit it, search for what you need, then hit the arrow icon when you hover over a result to grab the full result text or just the URL link and paste it into your email. Small convenience, sure, but perfect for when you're just looking to pass on a helpful link or recommendation. Google Labs Adds Search Icon To ‘Compose Mail' Window In Gmail[TechCrunch]
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Brittle Activists By E.J. Dionne Jr. (The New Republic - All Feed)
conservative judicial revolutionaries to live by double standards without apology. Submitted at 1/31/2010 9:00:00 PM The movement's legal theorists WASHINGTON -- The nation and politicians have spent more owes a substantial debt to Justice than four decades attacking Samuel Alito for his display of alleged judicial abuses by unhappiness over President l i b e r a l s , c h e e r i n g o n t h e O b a m a ' s c r i t i c i s m s o f t h e presidents who joined them in S u p r e m e C o u r t ' s r e c e n t their assaults. But now, they are legislation -- excuse me, decision terribly offended that Obama has -- opening our electoral system straightforwardly challenged the to a new torrent of corporate handiwork of their judicial money. comrades. Alito's inability to restrain There is ample precedent for himself during the State of the Obama's firm but respectful Union address brought to wide rebuke of the court. I know of no attention a truth that too many one on the right who protested h a v e t r i e d t o i g n o r e : T h e when President Reagan, in a S u p r e m e C o u r t i s n o w 1983 article in the Human Life d o m i n a t e d b y a h i g h l y Review, took on the Supreme politicized conservative majority Court's Roe v. Wade decision of intent on working its will, even if 10 years earlier. that means ignoring precedents "Make no mistake, abortion-onand the wishes of the elected demand is not a right granted by branches of government. the Constitution," Reagan wrote. Obama called the court on this, "No serious scholar, including and Alito shook his head and one disposed to agree with the apparently mouthed "not true." court's result, has argued that the His was the honest reaction of a framers of the Constitution judicial activist who believes he intended to create such a right. ... has the obligation to impose his Nowhere do the plain words of version of right reason on the the Constitution even hint at a rest of us. 'right' so sweeping as to permit The controversy also exposed abortion up to the time the child the impressive capacity of the is ready to be born."
Reagan cited Justice Byron White's description of Roe as an act of "raw judicial power," which is actually an excellent description of the court's ruling on corporate money in the Citizens United case. Reagan had every right to say what he did. But why do conservatives deny the same right to Obama? Alternatively, why do they think it's persuasive to argue, as Georgetown Law professor Randy Barnett did in The Wall Street Journal, that it's fine for a president to take issue with the court, except in a State of the Union speech? Isn't it more honorable to criticize the justices to their faces? Are these jurists so sensitive that they can't take it? Do they expect everyone to submit quietly to whatever they do? In fact, conservatives have made the Supreme Court a punching bag since the 1960s, when "Impeach Earl Warren" bumper stickers aimed at the liberal chief justice proliferated in right-wing precincts. Richard Nixon made the Warren court's rulings on criminal justice a major issue in his 1968 presidential campaign. "Let us always respect, as I do, our
courts and those who serve on them," he said in his acceptance speech that year. "But let us also recognize that some of our courts, in their decisions, have gone too far in weakening the peace forces as against the criminal forces in this country, and we must act to restore that balance." Many conservatives cheered this, too. As for the specifics of Obama's indictment, Alito's defenders have said the president was wrong to say that the court's decision on corporate political spending had reversed "a century of law" and also opened "the floodgates for special interests -including foreign corporations." But Obama was not simply referring to court precedents but also to the 1907 Tillman Act, which banned corporate money in electoral campaigns. The court's recent ruling undermined that policy. Defenders of the decision also say it did not invalidate the existing legal ban on foreign political activity. What they don't acknowledge is that the ruling opens a loophole for domestic corporations under foreign control to make unlimited campaign expenditures.
Alito did not like the president making an issue of the court's truly radical intervention in politics. I disagree with Alito on the law and the policy, but I have no problem with his personal expression of displeasure. On the contrary, I salute him because his candid response brought home to the country how high the stakes are in the battle over the conservative activism of Chief Justice John Roberts' court. E.J. Dionne, Jr. is the author of the recently published Souled Out: Reclaiming Faith and Politics After the Religious Right. He is a Washington Post columnist, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and a professor at Georgetown University. (c) 2010, Washington Post Writers Group For more TNR, become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Andrew Breitbart Is Mad About Something [Interviews] By Hamilton Nolan (Gawker) Submitted at 2/1/2010 10:03:46 AM
Finally, Andrew Breitbart is
speaking out on the liberal media's railroading of phone tap pimp James O'Keefe. Bonus: to reveal when he's being Lloyd Grove also gets Breitbart
cantankerous, and when he's merely being jocular. Invaluable perspective! [ Daily Beast]
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Double Dip Risk Rises after Inventory Blowout (AEI.Org: Articles)
Blinder's calculations through the fourth quarter of last year, inventories have accounted for W h e n i s q u a r t e r l y g r o s s about 34 percent of historical domestic product growth of fluctuations in GDP since 1947. almost 6 percent bad news? Inventories are even more When it looks like what was important during recessions. In reported last week. another paper, co-authored with U.S. GDP increased 5.7 percent Louis Maccini in 1991, Blinder at the end of last year, with more found that 87 percent of the than half of that growth--3.4 decline in GDP from the peak to percent--attributable to changes the trough of the recession was in inventories. This astonishing attributable to inventories. impact of inventory has ample Hard to Predict historical precedent, and the Something that constitutes a b o t t o m l i n e h a s t e r r i b l e small share of GDP can have a implications for 2010. big impact on its overall Inventories are a remarkable volatility only if it is swinging corner of the economy. They are a b o u t w i l d l y . I n v e n t o r i e s the goods and materials that fluctuate so much for a simple companies keep on hand to make reason: Predicting the future is sure that their operations run really hard. smoothly. They are the boxes of A firm tries to set its inventory food on shelves at the grocery level to match expected future store and the bins of metal parts sales. It must balance the sitting next to the assembly line f i n a n c i a l c o s t o f c a r r y i n g in a manufacturing plant. inventoried items against the risk Inventories were a big part of that customers might not find the the story during the worst of this product they are looking for. recession, and that is nothing In good times, inventories are new. In a landmark paper relatively easy to manage. published in 1980, Princeton Demand grows a little bit each University economist Alan quarter, and firms have a good Blinder found that inventories, idea what their future sales will while accounting for less than 1 be. percentage point of national Around turning points, output, accounted for 37 percent expectations can go horribly of the fluctuations in output. wrong, and inventories are often Since Blinder's paper came out, the first sign that firms are being inventories have held onto their surprised by their customers. A i m p o r t a n t r o l e . U p d a t i n g car manufacturer might expect Submitted at 1/31/2010 3:00:00 PM
that it will sell 100 cars next month and set its production accordingly. If sales fall short, the unsold cars sitting on the lot represent inventory piling up. The manufacturer will likely respond by cutting output, since it already has enough cars on hand to meet next month's sales. Peek into Future In other words: If we see inventories piling up, firms may need to adjust their future activity downward. On the other hand, sales sometimes jump unexpectedly, driving inventories below their desired levels. When that happens, we can expect firms to ramp up production to replenish their stocks. Since 1970, there have been nine quarters, like the last one, when GDP grew by at least 3 percent and inventories accounted for at least half of that growth. The history of those quarters is hardly a favorable sign of what is in store. Inventory spikes make for blowout quarters. In the nine quarters with such spikes, the average growth rate was 6.6 percent and the average inventory contribution was 4.4 percent, even higher than what was observed for last quarter. Spikes also produce hangovers. The average growth rate in the quarter after a spike was 0.9 percent, a whopping 5.7 percent lower. In the second quarter
following a spike, the average growth rate is just 1.6 percent. More Bad News To be sure, the inventory story is not the only red flag right now. The unemployment rate in the U.S. is hovering around 10 percent and has shown little sign of recovery. In addition, any positive effects of the economic stimulus are likely dwindling. On top of that, the tax cuts enacted by President George W. Bush are set to expire, and the U.S. deficit is so high that even a subtle swing in interest rates can have major negative budget implications. Given those factors, we might consider ourselves lucky if we experience only the typical decline in growth that follows an inventory spike. In that case, first -quarter growth in 2010 will be right around zero. If that happens, talk of a double-dip recession will ignite. Such talk probably should begin now. Kevin A. Hassett is a senior fellow and the director of education policy studies at AEI. Photo credit: iStockphoto/Stefan Klein Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Firefox Mobile 1.0 Lands on Maemo Phones [Downloads] By Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker) Submitted at 2/1/2010 7:00:00 AM
Maemo5 Phones: Moving right along from the release candidate, Firefox Mobile has arrived in 1.0 form on phones like the N900 that run Maemo. It's got add-ons, an AwesomeBar, desktop syncing through Weave, and pleny more to recommend it. Image from jkOnTheRun. Firefox Mobile's features are listed and explained at a helpful Mozilla page, but to see what Firefox Mobile looks like in action, check out mobileobsessed blog jkOnTheRun's screenshot tour. You can also see the thinking, and a few action shots, of Firefox Mobile in Mozilla's own video, ported by the folks at the Android and Me blog to YouTube: Got an N900 or another nifty Maemo device? Tell us how Firefox Mobile runs for you, and what other features we've failed to mention, in the comments. Firefox for Mobile Now Available on Nokia's Maemo Platform![The Mozilla Blog]
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The Quiet Revolution By John B. Judis (The New Republic - All Feed)
battered institutions. In doing so, he isn’t simply improving the effectiveness of various Submitted at 1/31/2010 9:00:00 PM government offices or making These days, liberals don’t know scattered progress on a few whether to feel betrayed by or issues; he is resuscitating an merely disappointed with Barack entire philosophy of government Obama. They have gone from with roots in the Progressive era decrying his willingness to of the early twentieth century. remove the public option from Taken as a whole, Obama’s his health care plan to worrying revival of these agencies is that, in the wake of Democrat arguably the most significant Martha Coakley’s defeat in accomplishment of his first year Massachusetts, he won’t get any in office. plan through Congress. On other The regulatory agencies, most of subjects, too, from Afghanistan which date from one of the three to Wall Street, Obama has g r e a t r e f o r m p e r i o d s thoroughly let down his party’s (1901–1914, 1932–1938, and left flank. 1961–1972) of the last century, Yet there is one extremely were intended to smooth out the consequential area where Obama rough edges (the “externalities,” has done just about everything a in economic jargon) of modern liberal could ask for--but done it capitalism--from dirty air to so quietly that almost no one, d a n g e r o u s w o r k p l a c e s t o including most liberals, has d e f e c t i v e m e r c h a n d i s e t o n o t i c e d . O b a m a ’ s t h r e e financial corruption. With wide Republican predecessors were all latitude in writing and enforcing committed to weakening or even regulations, they have been d e s t r o y i n g t h e c o u n t r y ’ s described as a “fourth branch of r e g u l a t o r y a p p a r a t u s : t h e government.” E n v i r o n m e n t a l P r o t e c t i o n That wide latitude could invite Agency (EPA), the Occupational abuses of power, but the old-time Safety and H e a l t h progressives who fashioned the Administration (OSHA), the regulatory state rested their S e c u r i t i e s a n d E x c h a n g e hopes on what could be called Commission (SEC), and the “scientific administration.” Louis other agencies that are supposed Brandeis and Herbert Croly--to t o p r o t e c t w o r k e r s a n d name two of the foremost turn-of c o n s u m e r s b y r e g u l a t i n g -the-century progressives-business practices. Now Obama believed that the agencies, is seeking to rebuild these staffed by experts schooled in
social and natural science and employing the scientific method in their decision-making, could rise above partisanship and interest-group pressure. Brandeis’s famous concept of states as “laboratories of democracy” comes out of his defense of state regulation of industry and was meant to conjure an image of states basing their regulatory activities on the scientific method. For his part, Croly often made the progressive case for disinterested expertise. The success of the regulatory agencies, he wrote, depended upon “a sufficient popular confidence in the ability of enlightened and trained individuals … and the actual existence for their use of a body of sufficiently authentic social knowledge.” Many of the last century’s presidents--from Theodore Roosevelt to Jimmy Carter to Bill Clinton--subscribed to this progressive ideal of regulation based on expertise. But, beginning in the 1980s and culminating in the presidency of George W. Bush, the notion of scientific administration came under attack from Republicans and their allies. They began to subvert the agencies by bringing in business executives, corporate lawyers, and lobbyists--the very opposite of the impartial experts envisioned by Brandeis and
Croly. Reagan chose Thorne Auchter, the vice president of a construction firm, to head OSHA. Bush appointed a mining company executive to head the Mine Safety and Health Administration and a trucking company executive to head the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. To lead OSHA, he named Edwin G. Foulke Jr., a longtime foe of the agency who had advised companies on how to block union organization. Some of the Republican appointees weren’t business types, but ideologues or hacks who were utterly unqualified for their positions. Anne Gorsuch, whom Reagan nominated to head the EPA, was a rising member of the Colorado House of Representatives, where she was part of a conservative group known as the “House crazies.” Michael Brown, whom Bush appointed to run the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), had previously been commissioner of the International Arabian Horse Association. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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Beyoncé Holds Back Tears of Joy Backstage at Grammys (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 2/1/2010 2:27:00 AM
With wide smiles plastered across their faces, ET's Kevin Frazier congratulated the Grammy winners after the singers hit all the right notes while accepting their awards on stage. Beyoncé was undoubtedly the night's big winner, raking in a record-breaking six awards out of her 10 nominations. Holding back tears, the emotional "Single Lady" said, "I'm trying to hold it in because I can see right now, looking around, that this is something that I'll never, ever forget. This night is very surreal for me." The other half of the multiplatinum couple, Jay-Z, is not even going to attempt to compete with his wife because "she's got 700 [Grammys]." Grateful for his win for the "Run This Town" collaboration with Rihanna and Kanye West, he said, "It was the collaboration between family…It was like the Jackson Three." As for the real Jackson lineage, he called it a "special moment" when Michael's eldest two children, Prince and Paris, accepted an award on their late father's behalf.
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The Elegist By Jeremy Dauber (The New Republic - All Feed) Submitted at 1/31/2010 9:00:00 PM
All deaths leave a void, but mourners for Avrom Sutzkever, arguably the greatest Yiddish poet of the twentieth century, are feeling an accordingly outsize loss. Remembering the life and reading the work, one is struck once more by how genius and circumstance combine to create a means of expressing the inexpressible--and in a way that seems, considering the circumstances, almost natural. Born 96 years ago in a small industrial town about fifty miles out of Vilna, Sutzkever was expelled at the age of two from that town along with all his fellow Jews by the Russians, who saw them as potential spies for the Germans. The next five years were spent in Omsk, in Siberia, conventionally exile but for Sutzkever an inspirational natural wonderland. Returning to Vilna in 1920, he encountered the two loves of his life--his wife Freydke and Yiddish poetry-- in the welter of Jewish secular cultural organizations then flourishing there, and found artistic companionship, of a sort, in the group of intellectuals known as “Young Vilna,” which most famously included Chaim
Grade (Sutzkever’s apolitical poetry tended to raise objections). Remarkable works like Siberia and From the Forest followed, which would have sufficed to cement Sutzkever’s reputation in the canon as the genius who put the lie to the old claim--noised around by modern Yiddish literature’s founder, S. Y. Abramovitch--that Eastern European Jews didn’t know how to appreciate the natural world around them. And then, in June of 1941, the Germans turned on their Soviet allies and invaded Lithuania. All survivors’ biographies are filled with extraordinary events; so much so that the listener occasionally fears suffering from becoming jaded. Sutzkever’s story itself was no less extraordinary--and just as tragic-as the others. He was forced to dig his own grave at gunpoint; his newborn son was poisoned by the Germans in the ghetto hospital. Less than a year later, Sutzkever would write a poem from a child’s viewpoint begging its mother to: strangle me with your Mama fingers That played On my willow cradle. It will mean: Your love is stronger than death. It will mean:
You trusted me with your love. Is there anything more shattering, and utterly poetic, and utterly representative of the raging impossibility of the concentrationary universe, than the throwing of the obligation of the murder upon the loving self? Sutzkever survived, though, a survival dependent, in two distinct ways, on his poetry. Writing kept him sane and focused as he hid in a crawl space for six weeks during the first waves of the invasion when men were being dragged off to Ponar. It also maintained him as he weathered the rigors of daily life in the ghetto (where he saved books and manuscripts destined for destruction or for future Nazi museums) and as he led the impossible life of a partisan in the Vilna forests, menaced by Nazis, Polish right-wing underground forces, and even anti-Semitic elements in the Soviet partisan movement he joined. More directly--if not more importantly-- Sutzkever’s poetry had reached Moscow, and its impact there led to his salvation by the president-inexile of the Lithuanian government. From Moscow, Sutzkever would end up immigrating to Palestine in 1947, where he would remain for the next six decades, a prolific poet
and a versatile editor of The Golden Chain, a Yiddish cultural journal. Sutzkever’s particular power as a Holocaust poet comes from his uncanny ability to harness both ends of the poetic spectrum to achieve his effects. His epic poem Clandestine City, written from 1945 to 1947, features little Jews with enormous emotions skittering around the “abyss of sewers” beneath the Vilna streets. Sutzkever had found his own Inferno in the cauldron of Europe, with a tragic minyan standing in for Dante’s pilgrim. But he could also write, during his time in the ghetto, that Over a pile of steaming horse dung, I warm my icy hands. I warm my hands and regret: Not enough have I known, have I listened To the greatness of smallness. Sometimes, The warm breath of a pile of dung May become a poem, a thing of beauty. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Jennifer Hudson Talks Motherhood on the Grammy Red Carpet (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 2/1/2010 12:44:00 AM
ET's Kevin Frazier was on the Grammy Awards red carpet on Sunday night in Los Angeles, where stars discussed the devastation in Haiti and the night's big Michael Jackson tribute. Plus, Jennifer Hudson opened up about motherhood and bringing her son to the Grammys -- and ET's Grammy fashion correspondent Adam Lambert talked music with Ke$ha! Jennifer Hudson, who brought son David to his very first Grammy Awards show, called being a mother "the best thing in the world." Country cutie Carrie Underwood dished about squeezing wedding planning into her busy schedule, while Katy Perry revealed that she wants her future wedding to fiancé Russell Brand to be "about special friends and not a big hoopla." Watch the video to see ET's red carpet interviews with Lionel Richie, P!nk, Mary J. Blige, Taylor Swift, the Black Eyed Peas and Ke$ha on music's biggest night!
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More Commentary on State of Union Coverage (Newsmax - Politics) Submitted at 2/1/2010 2:50:01 AM
Watching Chuck Todd on The Today Show the morning after President Obama’s first State of the Union speech, one would think that we have a tragically divided Congress. If you were linked to Chuck Todd on his Facebook page during the speech, then you would have seen several status updates about watching Republicans sitting down during standing ovations or looking sour during some of the President’s policy announcements. Todd and The Today Show have completely missed the reality of Washington’s power game, and have instead proven to be the goto guy and morning show for this White House. Their consistent voice for Obama’s hope and change tour reached its climax with their report on the State of the Union speech. Todd’s report, the lead story for The Today Show, focused on the few times in Obama’s speech where he tried to reach out to the Republicans. Todd never mentioned once how Obama started the speech by blaming
Bush for our current problems and how he consistently blamed the previous administration for a banking collapse, large deficits and an economy in the tank. For a President with all of the power in Washington, Obama’s speech was antagonistic and full of excuses. Someone needs to remind Todd that the President’s party overwhelmingly controls Congress and could have passed any piece of change legislation they wanted this past year. Why Todd continues to focus on the minority party is more than disturbing, it’s biased. The President’s first year has been a failure, the worst first year performance by any President, and the blame goes squarely on his own party and his ability to lead them. While The Today Show cameras kept showing the Democrats standing and clapping for Obama’s speech and the Republicans seated, voters were led to believe that it was the Republicans fault that this past year has been a disaster in Washington. Not to be outdone by Todd, Meredith Vieira jumped in to pile on too. Speaking with Vice
President Joe Biden, Vieira asked “What risk do Republicans run if they remain the party of NO?” Biden, of course, had an answer and stayed on message by emphasizing how when the Obama Administration took office they brought America “back from the abyss”. No one challenged Biden with the facts: larger deficits, unemployment at an all-time high and his own party controlling all of Washington. Todd and Vieira also pointed out Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s silent frustration with being called-out by the President when he mouthed the words “No, that’s not true” while the NBC cameras went to slow motion to emphasize the point. But the fact that the President of the United States was so partisan throughout his speech, blamed Bush for his problems and publicly attacked the Supreme Court on national television for their most-recent decision while they had to sit there and be silent was never mentioned on-air. When it was Matt Lauer’s turn to jump in he also stayed on the theme that Republicans are to
blame for this President’s disastrous first year and low approval ratings. Lauer emphasized the “political divide in congress right now” without pointing out that if there is a political divide then it’s because the Democrats can’t agree among themselves on what to do or how to do it. Since Todd, Vieira and Lauer obviously don’t understand that the Democrats have unprecedented influence in Congress, here’s a reminder: there are 255 Democrats and 178 Republicans in the House; and there are 56 Democrats and 41 Republicans in the Senate. Todd should start putting the White House and its party of power under scrutiny and stop force-feeding the American people with the White House’s message that their first year’s failure is anyone’s fault but their own. © Newsmax. All rights reserved. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Kobe's late jumper pushes Lakers past Celtics By Associated Press (ESPN.com) Submitted at 1/31/2010 10:08:10 PM
More from ESPN.com
The Lakers' inability to slow quick guards remains a major problem for Los Angeles, writes Dave McMenamin. Story The Celtics' defense in the
fourth quarter gave the Lakers a PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, leg up, writes Chris Forsberg. Term Extraction. Story Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
News Corp Pays Half Billion Dollars to Keep Case Out of Court. Nothing to See Here. [Lawsuits] By Hamilton Nolan (Gawker) Submitted at 2/1/2010 10:23:04 AM
News Corp. has agreed to pay $500 million to settle three lawsuits alleging "anticompetitive behavior" by its News America unit, which publishes coupon inserts and sells in-store ads. A paper not owned by News Corp also notes the following bit of context: "In a separate case that was settled last year, News America was accused by another competitor, Floorgraphics, of corporate spying. Just as witnesses began testifying in a federal case in New Jersey, News Corporation settled the lawsuit and then days later bought the company outright for an undisclosed sum." The WSJ left that out. Huh.
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Newt Gingrich in New Hampshire (Newsmax - Politics)
Obama will visit the state on Tuesday to promote his economic recovery and jobs M A N C H E S T E R , N e w agenda. Hampshire - It's frigid outside About 500 conservatives but inside the basketball arena, a t t e n d e d S o u t h e r n N e w conservative activists give a H a m p s h i r e U n i v e r s i t y f o r warm welcome to former House workshops on "new media for of Representatives Speaker Newt activists and campaigns" and Gingrich who lectures them on "Facebook and Twitter for the importance of social media in political communications." winning elections. Conservatives were electrified Gingrich spoke at a grass-roots this month by the Republican communication boot-camp for Scott Brown's upset win in the conservatives that aimed to close Senate race in neighboring the technology advantage in Massachusetts -- the first time campaigning and fund-raising the Democratic party has lost the that Democrats enjoy -- one that seat in more than 40 years. helped sweep President Barack The win deprived Democrats of Obama to power in 2008. their super-majority in the Senate Gingrich led the House from and stopped Obama's signature 1995 to 1999 but has not sought healthcare reform legislation in elected office since then. Still, he its tracks. never discourages speculation he Brown's campaign used social might seek the presidency. media to its advantage, reeling in H e p l a y e d c o y a g a i n o n millions of dollars in online Saturday. donations. "We are totally focused this year Gingrich said Brown's win at on developing a generation of showed that Obama and the solutions for the elections this Democrats now owned the fall. Next February or March economy, even though the deep (wife) Callista and I will look recession started in late 2007 seriously about whether we under former president George should do more than that," he W. Bush. said. "There are probably 80 or 90 Submitted at 2/1/2010 12:35:12 AM
(Democratic Congressional seats) that are vulnerable. If we still have 10 percent or 9.5 percent unemployment in September, they have a long, long campaign ahead of them," he said. Republicans could also pick up six Senate seats in November, he added. That would still leave the Democrats in charge of the Senate, but with a narrower majority. One poll last October showed Gingrich lagging potential Republican candidates Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin -- former governors of Arkansas, Massachusetts and Alaska -- as choices for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. © 2010 Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
New Fatah Charter Doesn't Mention Israel At All (Little Green Footballs)
(Hat tip Kobyashi Maru.) UPDATE at 1/31/10 11:23:49 am: The Federation of American Barry Rubin throws cold water S c i e n t i s t s ’ P r o j e c t o n on the idea that this charter is G o v e r n m e n t S e c r e c y h a s more “moderate:” Fatah’s New obtained an English translation Charter Shows Why Peace of the newly revised Fatah Won’t Happen. charter: OSC Translates the 2009 Following my article on the new Fatah Charter. Fatah Charter, I was sent a JTA And there are some interesting story about how the new charter changes in the new document; is very moderate since it “drops” while it still calls for revolution calls for Israel’s destruction, etc. and “struggle,” and refers several As I pointed out, the charter says times to the “enemy” of the that the old charter is still in Palestinian people, there is no force and nothing in the new one direct mention at all of Israel, contradicts it. So nothing has Zionism, or Jews. changed in fact. It is amazing The previous version of the how easy it is for various radical Fatah charter explicitly rejected Arab and Islamist groups to fool Israel’s right to exist. The Western journalists. It always question: is the absence of any helps to read a document before mention of Israel a sign that the describing it as a breakthrough PLO position is softening — or for moderation. is it evidence of an even more radical rejectionism? Submitted at 1/31/2010 11:00:59 AM
Jamie Foxx Raises the Roof with Pre-Grammy Bash (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 2/1/2010 12:10:00 AM
The success of his Grammynominated single "Blame It"
skyrocketed Jamie Foxx to the roof of the L'Ermitage Beverly Hills for an intimate gathering before the Grammy Awards. The multi-talented artist
declared his love for acting, but explained the intrigue he finds in music: "You've got to hustle at it…You think you've reached a certain plateau, but you still have
to hustle." Two nights before taking the stage during Sunday’s awards show, Jamie told ET he wanted to "taste every moment" of his
Grammy experience.
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DocFetcher Searches Inside Your Document Files [Downloads]
Plane reporting on traffic lands on NJ Turnpike (AP)
By Jason Fitzpatrick (Lifehacker)
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
Submitted at 2/1/2010 6:30:00 AM
Windows/Linux: It's one thing to be able to quickly search through file names using a program like Everything, but it leaves you out in the cold when it comes to deep searching documents. DocFetcher can help by indexing document contents. If you need to search within a text document instead of simply searching for the name of the file, DocFetcher is a great
extensions. More well known document search tools exist, like Google Desktop, but for those who don't want the bulk or potential invasion of privacy that comes with using software like Google Desktop, DocFetcher is a lightweight alternative. DocFetcher is freeware and application available for both variety of parameters like available for Windows and Windows and Linux to do so. including or excluding search Linux. Have a favorite tool for DocFetcher doesn't simply index terms using the +/- signs, deep massaging your data? Let's the words and leave you to pick searching metadata, using wild hear about it in the comments. through them, you can use a c a r d s , a n d s p e c i f y i n g f i l e DocFetcher[via MakeUseOf]
Prevent Google Talk on Android from Automatically Signing In [Annoyances] By Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker) Submitted at 2/1/2010 6:00:00 AM
Do you get inopportune IM chats on your Android phone, even if you haven't activated the Google Talk application? There's a setting in the app that always makes you available. Here's how to turn it off. The Tech Recipes blog points out the semi-hidden setting in Google Talk. Fire up the application, hit the Menu button, then choose Settings. Un-check the "Automatically sign in"
option, hit your back button, and then hit Menu and sign out of Google Talk. Now you're only signed in and receiving chats when you consciously activate Google Talk.
Submitted at 2/1/2010 7:33:10 AM
ROBYN buzzed up: Female suicide bomber hits Iraq pilgrims, kills 46 (AP) 6 seconds ago 2010-0201T07:53:51-08:00 Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Schaub, AFC outduel NFC in Miami Pro Bowl By Associated Press (ESPN.com)
• Matt Schaub threw two TDs in the first five minutes and was given the MVP award. Submitted at 2/1/2010 6:23:34 AM From experience, many Google • Attendance for the game was Talk chatters aren't using Gmail Fast Facts 70,697, the second-largest crowd to access you, and can't see the • The NFC lost for the second in Pro Bowl history (1959 Pro little Android icon indicating you time in the last five Pro Bowls. Bowl, 72,250). might not be at your computer, • 34 players chosen for the Pro -- ESPN Stats & Information but at the grocery store instead. Bowl missed the game due to Five Filters featured article: Unless you're in love with your either injury or because they are Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: notification sounds, turning off scheduled to be in the Super PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, the auto-chat feature is probably Bowl. Term Extraction. a good move to make. Nexus One: Prevent Google Talk from Signing onto your Account When the Device is Turned On[Tech-Recipes]
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Trillian Alpha Brings Its MultiProtocol IM to Macs [Downloads] By Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker) Submitted at 2/1/2010 4:30:00 AM
Mac OS X: Trillian, the slicklooking multi-protocol IM client that kinda-sorta won our Hive Five for best IM app, has launched an early alpha for Mac OS X. It's not close to featurecomplete, but it does look like Trillian. Early reports peg the Mac alpha of Trillian as very rough, and not on the same level as the wellknown Windows client. Some preferences are missing, Growl
support isn't there, and, as Download Squad notes, the chat alert sounds are annoying and hard to turn off. That said, the
client has a smooth look to it, and, while Adium is the welltested standard for multi-protocol chat on Macs, if you're familiar with Trillian on Windows, you'll probably enjoy the Cocoa-ed version seen here. Trillian Alpha is a free download for Mac systems only. Give it a shot and tell us what you think of Trillian's new platform in the comments. Help Shape Trillian for Mac – Alpha Build Now Available![Cerulean Studios via Download Squad]
Facebook Brags: 35% Adjusted their Privacy Settings By Sarah Perez (ReadWriteWeb) Submitted at 2/1/2010 7:40:40 AM
After Facebook's recent privacy settings "adjustment," the social network is now reporting that 35% users who had never before engaged with their privacy FACEBOOK page 34
How the iPad is Changing Interaction Design By Dana Oshiro (ReadWriteWeb) Submitted at 1/31/2010 7:00:00 PM
Applications that looked amazing on larger multi-touch experiences like Microsoft Surface may have a more affordable consumer-facing counterpart. While the iPad has been widely criticized, many startups are thrilled by its possibilities. In mid-November we featured Paris-based Pearltrees as a new design interface for remapping web information. We spoke to CEO Patrice Lamothe to hear his thoughts on the release of the iPad. Sponsor Pearltrees is a new way of
organizing information where users create mindmap-style visualizations of their favorite websites and web-based media. Each "pearl" or media node can have multiple branches and depending on how you want to arrange your pearls, you can drag and drop them to any branch point to suit your needs. Rather than scrolling through a linear hierarchy of bookmarks, users can delve into different branches of a pearltree. Naturally, this type of data visualization lends itself to the touch capabilities of the iPad. Says Lamothe, "The idea of physically touching and moving items on a screen is in the DNA of Pearltrees. We won't need to change much to the interaction
workarounds. Says Lamothe, "I believe tablets can open up an entirely new field, something I would call 'casual browsing'. It's a really simple way to get information, browse the Web, enjoy content, design to make it suitable for the play games and communicate with friends. It's something you iPad." Nevertheless, while Lamothe will do at home, in cafes, during sees the potential in the tablet's your holidays - basically when touch interface, the fact that the you have a bit of leisure time. To device does not currently support be the perfect casual browser, the Flash is a problem for the CEO. IPad would need a more open While many argue that Apple's architecture, Flash, a camera and omission of Flash support is in a few other features...In any case, favor of HTML 5, there's no it's an exciting new way to enjoy denying that lack of Flash would the Web." Discuss hinder the consumer experience. The plethora of pre-existing Flash apps and sites are inaccessible save for Adobe's
Rip Torn Not the Populist Hero America's Been Waiting For [Shucks] By Hamilton Nolan (Gawker) Submitted at 2/1/2010 9:50:24 AM
Rip Torn was heroically arrested for breaking into a bank drunk and armed over the weekend. Sadly, he wasn't launching a populist anti-banking revolution; he was so drunk, "he thought he had been dozing in his home." [ NYP]
FACEBOOK continued from page 34
settings took the initiative to do so instead of accepting the updated suggestions put before them by the social network. To Facebook, this number is a very, very good thing. Although nowhere near a majority of users, this engagement rate is much higher than industry averages. Plus, as Facebook's Director of Public Policy Tim Sparapani points out, "35% of 350 million users is an extraordinary number." FACEBOOK page 35
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FACEBOOK continued from page 34
But should Facebook really be proud here? What about the other 65% of users who blindly accepted the defaults? Sponsor According to an article in Baynewser, Sparapani said that a typical engagement rate for users interacting with their settings is 5 -10%. This information came out during a recent roundtable discussion organized by the F e d e r a l T r a d e Commission(FTC). The panel's focus was technology and privacy. However, Facebook wouldn't reveal what the number was prior to December's appearance of the "privacy changes" dialog box splashed across the tops of Facebook homepages. This dialog box, something Facebook called its "transition tool," was where the company explained the changes and asked its users to either accept the new recommended settings or make their own adjustments. It was the tool that thrust the once-private posts
from millions of users into the light, making status updates public along with friend lists and Facebook page subscriptions. It was the tool that made Facebook function a lot more like rival Twitter, a social network for public sharing. Flipping around the PR spin on this event, what we're learning through Sparapani's reveal is that the vast majority of Facebook users accepted the new defaults and then moved on with their life. However large Facebook's network may be, however many millions 35% represents, however bigger a figure that is than the industry average, most would agree that it's not a number worth bragging about...especially when most users have been duped into oversharing content that they think is private. Is 35% Worth Bragging About? This raises the question, is Facebook truly proud of this change? Surely Facebook doesn't think that the other 65% actually
wanted their status updates public by default? There are plenty of indications that's not the case. Outside of the numerous finger-wagging reports by tech industry pundits, analysts, and commentators, these changes have come to the attention of the general public in ways that few other esoteric reports regarding social networking settings ever have before. For example, internet users have been emailing around(warning, shameless plug ahead) this article detailing Facebook privacy settings so much that it landed on NYT's most emailed list for days on end as the number one story. ( It's still there now, just further down). If users weren't generally outraged over these changes, there probably wouldn't be a petition to sign nor would the FTC be receiving complaints about the matter. Interestingly enough, it's worth noting that users aren't angry
enough to actually abandon the social network - at least not in any significant numbers. They're just mad. That speaks greatly to how deeply entrenched Facebook has now become as a part of our everyday communication infrastructure. The company can essentially bait-and-switch its millions of users, promising a private place for online socialization, then turn around and open up its network to the web at large, and they get away with it. Afterwards, the company gets to pat itself on the back that 35% of its users were smart enough to not fall for its tricks. Facebook, in our opinion, this isn't something you should brag about. It's not a move worthy of praise. Discuss
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Willie Mays is telling his story (Holy Kaw!) Submitted at 1/31/2010 10:14:51 PM
Willie Mays, now seventy-eight, is telling his story in a book called Willie Mays. The Life. The Legend. If you’re a baseball fan, you won’t want to miss this article about Mays. He is a neighbor of mine. Ever year he gives out baseballs and candy at Halloween. One of the funniest things that ever happened to me is when he handed a baseball to my son (at the time, about seven years old), and my son’s response was, “But can I have a Jolly Rancher, Mr. Mays?” (Via New York Times) More on baseball. Photo credit: Wikipedia Permalink| Leave a comment »
Syfy Updates Fairy Tales for Movie Franchise By Brad Trechak (TV Squad) Submitted at 2/1/2010 10:00:00 AM
SyFy has been reinventing things with mixed success. They have'Battlestar Galactica', their gold standard, but they also have'Flash Gordon' and numerous other bombs. They've also had mini-series based on classic tales like 'The Wizard of
Oz' and 'Alice in Wonderland'. Now, they're going to even older stories by creating a television movie franchise based on classic fairy tales. One benefit of this idea is that nobody is owed any creator fees as most fairy tales are in the public domain. Of course, much like their previous mini-series such as'Tin will have a modern, adult spin. Man' and'Alice', these stories For example, 'Hansel and Gretel'
will now become a revenge flick. 'Little Red Riding Hood' could very well turn into a copy of'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' where Red hunts down werewolves. This idea might work, and some of the movies might even become backdoor pilots if done well enough (despite the limited budget of each). Of course, this
concept has already sort of been done with DC Comics' 'Fables' series, but using that directly would involve paying for rights. Filed under: Programming, OpEd, Pickups and Renewals, Reality-Free Permalink| Email this| | Comments
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Open Thread: What Features Should iPad's Competitors Have? By Jolie O'Dell (ReadWriteWeb)
just 16 gigabytes of storage, it's not the music/video/photocarrying device most of us will Submitted at 1/31/2010 12:00:42 PM need or want. That price point is Last week, we asked if you essentially a phantom. And when thought the iPad was a flop, and we start to add up all the costs many of you told us exactly why. for the iPad we'd actually want to In that comments thread, you have, it makes more sense to joined us in collective head- scrape together another couple scratching and fist-shaking over hundred dollars and spring for a the price point and the lack of top-of-the-line PC laptop certain key features. It's clear something a bit more functional, that many of us won't be flocking not just a big, expensive geek to the nearest Apple store to pick toy. A Camera up one of these gadgets. But For a device that promises to there may be alternatives. In the make picture- and video-sharing event that a competitor releases a simple and fun, the lack of a tablet device, what features camera is a great disappointment. would you want it to have? Give Without a camera, it's true that u s y o u r w i s h l i s t i n t h e there's no ability to snap pics and c o m m e n t s ; h o p e f u l l y , vids for Facebook or DailyBooth manufactures are listening. or talk to others via Skype video Sponsor or TinyChat, but users are also Here's our own wish list of missing out on one of RWW's features that would make us favorite tech trends: augmented really excited to buy a tablet reality! We wrote a whole post from an Apple competitor. A lamenting the fact that this longBetter Price awaited device can't play nicely The iPad starts at $500, but with with some of our favorite AR
toys. A Stylus Our awesome cartoonist, Rob Cottingham, just wrote this morning that as one who draws and doodles, he'd appreciate a way to interact with the iPad's multitouch screen. Bridging that gap between the screen and the stylus might even be the graphics tablet-killer. For a company that's traditionally held sway over the design and arts communities, Apple should've thought more about this part of its core audience. A Slide-Out Keyboard This is one of the reasons I'm so glad I held out for my Droid when the Apple fanboys and fangirls were mocking my iPhone-free lifestyle for years. Having a physical keyboard simply can't be beat, particularly for content creators and enterprise users. More Options for OSes and Carriers No multitasking? AT&T? Those conditions are deal-breakers for
me and quite a few others, I'm sure. I'd love to see a device that could run Jolicloud, Chrome OS or a lightweight Linux distro. And as a happy Verizon customer, I'd like to stick with my current carrier and perhaps even work the data charges into my current plan. Overall, we just want more openness and more options. So, what do YOU want in a tablet? USB or other ports? A built-in WAN card for instant Internet connectivity? More storage? A faster processor? Flash? In the comments, give us your list of must-haves and what you expect to pay for them. Who knows - perhaps a manufacturer will be able to produce something for non-iPad fans sooner than we think. Check out ReadWriteWeb's full iPad Archives. Discuss
Touring Holden Caufield's New York (Holy Kaw!) Submitted at 2/1/2010 2:46:34 AM
If you love Holden Caufield, it's hard not to love New York City, too. The boy is inseparable from his city. So, the NY Times takes us on a stroll through the urban spaces that were dear to Holden in an interactive map that associates specific New York spots and Catcher in the Rye passages (with page numbers!). And Holden said we never noticed anything. (via NY Times). More on books and New York City. Permalink| Leave a comment Âť
First Down/Fourth Down: Pro Bowl Highs And Lows By Dan Graziano (FanHouse Main) Submitted at 1/31/2010 2:43:00 PM
Filed under: NFL Analysis, Pro Bowl MIAMI-- First Down/Fourth Down picks the winners and losers from the 2010
Pro Bowl. First Down: Aaron Rodgers. This is what it would feel like if he had an offensive line that could keep defenders off of him. Rodgers was 15-of-19 for 197 yards and two TDs in the first home, though, he did manage to half. To make himself feel at
take one sack. Fourth Down: Norv Turner. Chad Ochocinco begged him to let him try a 36-yard field goal at the end of the first half, but Turner refused. In a nifty karmic twist reminiscent of Turner's playoff loss to the Jets, Dan
Carpenter (filling in for Nate Kaeding) missed the kick anyway. More: AFC Wins, 4134| Schaub Named MVP| Players Joke Around Jay Mariotti: Time to Put Pro Bowl Out of Its Misery
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Indian Authors, Publishers Unhappy What if Flash were an with Google Books Plan to Scan open standard? By Jolie O'Dell (ReadWriteWeb)
In the past, Google's bookscanning project has come under the scrutiny of the U.S. Submitted at 2/1/2010 12:10:13 AM Department of Justice as well as A group of 15 authors and the governments of Germany and publishers and two organizations France. Federal judge Danny in India have filed a formal Chin is currently presiding over objection to the Google Books the case, which involves a classSettlement. action lawsuit and a settlement of The Indian Reprographic Rights more than $100 million for Organisation and the Federation copyright holders whose works of Indian Publishers and these 15 had been reproduced without individuals join a panoply of publishing entities claims that their consent. international entities who have Google's proposed settlement is a The Indian authors and objected to Google's ambitious violation of copyright laws, both publishers have submitted their and controversial plan to scan as internationally and in India, objections to the settlement to m a n y b o o k s a s p o s s i b l e because it allows for Google's Chin, who has decided to hold a throughout the world. Though scanning, redistributing and final hearing on February 18, the search and web app giant's selling books online. Content 2010 to determine whether the scheme would create a vast creators who don't want their Google Books Settlement is fair, online library, it may also work online must opt out of the adequate and reasonable. infringe on the rights of content plan themselves; if an author Check out ReadWriteWeb's creators and has involved a does not explicitly opt out, his or archive of articles on the Google lengthy international legal battle. her silence is deemed implicit Books Settlement for more Sponsor information. Discuss consent. The coalition of Indian
Lady Gaga's 3 lessons for the music industry (Holy Kaw!) Submitted at 1/31/2010 8:14:00 PM
Tonight’s Grammy opener isn’t Lady Gaga’s only treat for the music industry. Not to suggest that there is much obscure about her, the extreme performer has three lessons tucked away as
well, according to The Wall Street Journal:
• She’s a digital phenomenon. • She’s got a 360-degree view. • She could be the next Madonna. Read the full WSJ article. (via WSJ) More on celebrities and music. Permalink| Leave a comment »
(Scripting News)
and that's probably right (I don't have a single Flash document on scripting.com). But I very much Interesting collaborative post care about an open Internet. betw Gruber and Scoble. I'd like Yes, that opens me to ridicule to get into the mix with a 90- from users with little experience degree turn -- in the form of a w i t h t h e o t h e r k i n d o f question. networking, one that has huge 1. Okay, Apple seems to be Do Not Enter signs everywhere. forcing a question. Can they Their naivete is no excuse for force web site producers to kill throwing out the engine that's Flash? been driving innovation. The 2. It's kind of hard to defend question of where and how we Flash because it's a company- draw the line should be part of owned thing, not an open the public discussion. standard. BTW, how lovely are open 3. Now the question. What if standards? I'm writing this post Apple were trying to erase from an American Airlines flight something that's not company- from NY to SF. Do you have any owned? Either a formal or idea how many open standards defacto standard? were necessary to make this 4 . F u r t h e r , w h a t i f t h e i r work? Makes the mind spin. And alternative were something that it all works exactly the same if I was locked-down and owned by fly Virgin America or Air Egypt. a company? Further, what if the In an Apple-designed world how company was Apple? much of this would work? Imho, This may be kind of a toe-dip. not very much. Apple tries this. If it works, they PS: Adobe might want to try sticking their whole foot in. c o n s i d e r , r i g h t n o w , v e r y The end result may well be a quickly, giving Flash to the networking environment owned public domain. Disclaim all by one company. Or two or more patents, open source all code, etc i n c o m p a t i b l e n e t w o r k i n g etc. That would throw the ball environments. squarely back into Apple's court Users and website developers and would frame the question are practical people. We don't right now in its most stark terms. care about Adobe, says Gruber, Submitted at 1/31/2010 9:50:19 AM
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Sensors to Help You Get Fit - From Nike, Adidas & Others By Richard MacManus (ReadWriteWeb)
2010 doesn't come with a Twitter and Facebook connection? Sure enough, the Nike+ can Submitted at 2/1/2010 2:26:53 AM automatically tweet and post a One of the trends we're status report on Facebook. exploring this year is how the Meanwhile the Adidas miCoach Internet is being integrated into PACER is a running pacer everyday objects. Called the device which retails for $140. Internet of Things, it's seeping The bundle includes a Heart Rate into some massive consumer Monitor and a "Stride Sensor" industries. One of them is a battery-operated sensor that fits fitness. Many of you have heard into your shoe. of the Nike+ running shoes, Sponsor The miCoach Pacer can also which send running data to your A recent USA Today article verbally coach the runner during iPod via a sensor. Adidas notes the increasing usage of their run, "to ensure that they are recently joined the race to web-enabled products that help staying within their targeted connect your running gear to the you monitor your workouts and heart rate zone." Internet, with its miCoach give you real-time coaching. The There's an accompanying system. There is also the Wii Fit Nike+ shoes and iPod system is website, where users can create and innovative web fitness one of the market leaders. training plans, set goals and services like NordicTrack's iFit. The Nike+ shoes come with a monitor their progress. Keep up, because tracking your sensor that tracks your run, then Let us know if you currently use fitness progress on the Internet - sends the data to your iPod. It an Internet-connected fitness via sensors attached to your body even has its own social network. system, especially if it makes use or workout gear - is going to And what Web product circa of sensors. Discuss become very popular.
Citigroup in talks to sell buy-out division (Financial Times - US homepage)
presses ahead with plans to sell $900bn of non-core assets to repay debt. Submitted at 2/1/2010 7:08:54 AM The talks come just weeks after Citigroup is in talks to sell its US President Barack Obama private equity, real estate and announced plans to prevent hedge fund investment arms, banks from owning or investing which together manage about in private equity or hedge funds $20bn of assets, as the bank under the “Volcker Rule�, which
was inspired by Paul Volcker, former chairman of the Federal Reserve. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Sundays with Seth: A night of criminal activity By Jason Hughes (TV Squad)
prescription), while 'American Dad' mocked the notion of Submitted at 2/1/2010 4:10:00 AM someone becoming addicted to I'm not sure if it was by bizarre pot to the point they would need coincidence or divine -- by rehab. which I mean Seth MacFarlane -- At least 'Family Guy' kept it intervention, but all three simple. Drugs weren't an issue MacFarlane episodes this week throughout the entire episode, were mired in illegal activities. though Meg was certainly acting 'Family Guy' saw Meg go from a like she was on drugs. What she sweet innocent teenaged girl into was really doing, though, was a hardened criminal, Cleveland acting out over years of abuse by Brown inadvertently became a everyone around her. drug trafficker, while Stan Smith Continue reading Sundays with found himself overwhelmed with Seth: A night of criminal activity a drug problem of his own. Filed under: Other Comedy And in both 'The Cleveland Shows, OpEd, Episode Reviews, Show' and 'American Dad,' we Reality-Free got reminders that marijuana isn't Permalink| Email this| | really a drug. 'The Cleveland C o m m e n t s Show' listed for us where we can get it legally (with a
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Apple Makes at Least $200 Per iPad Sold: Report By Darrell Etherington (TheAppleBlog)
of that cost accounts for the 9.7inch touchscreen display, which Marshall guesses costs around Submitted at 2/1/2010 8:00:07 AM $100. Apple sees considerable Maybe it’s a hangover from my savings on its own in-house A4 days working in electronic retail chips, which run around $15 per sales at Best Buy, but I love unit. With a cost of $290.50 and hearing about the profit margins a selling price of $499, Apple companies have for their devices. stands to see a profit margin of I t ’ s a m a z i n g t o m e t h a t 42.9 percent with each sale. companies like Sony are willing On other models that margin to take a hit and sell devices at a ranges from 48 to 55.1 percent, loss in order to sell more giving the iPad line as a whole software down the road. Apple is an overall profit-generating clearly no fan of this kind of power of about 50 percent, a sales strategy, and the brand new number which assumes that the iPad is no exception. Wi-Fi models will sell A new report by BroadPoint considerably more than the 3GAmTech analyst Brian Marshall capable devices, a reasonable about the cost of production of assumption. Computerworld the iPad based on the going rate points out that while the number f o r c o m p o n e n t p a r t s , seems fairly high, it is in fact on manufacturing cost and built-in par with Apple’s other hardware warranty repair costs reveals offerings: quite a wide profit margin on a High profit margins are standard per device basis. The entry-level for Apple, which earlier in the $499 model apparently generates week boasted that its corporate $208 in profit, while the top of margin for 2009’s final quarter the line $829 model more than was 40.1%. Some products, in doubles that, raking in $446 per fact, have estimated margins unit. even higher than Marshall’s iPad Marshall estimates that the cost numbers: The consensus for the of making the 16GB Wi-Fi iPhone 3GS is above 60%, for model of the iPad runs around example. $270.50, plus $20 for warranty iSuppli, a research firm which is costs for a total of $290.50. Most well-known for its Apple product
margin is a very promising sign of things to come for future Apple customers. Just like it eventually became profitable for Apple to sell the iPhone 3G at a subsidized $99 price point as parts became cheaper and manufacturing costs went down, so too is it conceivable that we will eventually see a significant dip in the price of the iPad. If the 1G iPad sticks around when Apple eventually introduces a 2G camera-equipped model, for instance, 1G pricing could drop to a point where it would decimate netbook sales. There’s also the possibility that the iPad will eventually get the same subsidy treatment the iPhone currently enjoys, though Apple doesn’t appear to want to go that route with consumers just yet, preferring instead to keep the device unlocked and tear-downs and component inside. We’d rather not just therefore theoretically available analyses, has refrained from throw numbers at it yet. It does t o a b r o a d e r b u y e r - b a s e . making any estimates about the seem like a gigantic iPod Touch, Subsidies attached to contracts iPad’s cost to build as of yet, which means that although some could reduce the initial purchase though it does acknowledge that costs would just scale up from p r i c e c o n s i d e r a b l y , a n d I there’s reason to believe many the iPod, like the display and the wouldn’t be surprised to see costs will be similar to those touch screen, a lot won’t. $199 as the cost of entry for the found in the manufacture of the Considering that the iPad is a 16GB Wi-Fi/3G model. iPhone and iPod touch: brand new product just getting We really want to wait until we out of the gate, news that it know a little more about what’s already enjoys such a wide profit
Street Chic: New York By ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog) Submitted at 2/1/2010 4:00:00 AM
Monochrome black pieces offset her pants’ unique print. Photo: Anne Ziegler Think you are Street Chic? E-
mail us your photo and you
could appear in ELLE.com's Street Chic Daily. Follow ELLE on Twitter. Become our Facebook fan!
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Rumor: Jobs Bashes Google and Adobe, Hints at New Products By Charles Jade (TheAppleBlog) Submitted at 2/1/2010 7:28:55 AM
Secondhand reports of Steve Jobs at a town hall meeting for Apple employees have the iconic CEO telling it like is about Flash, Google’s “Don’t be Evil” philosophy, and maybe telling us what to expect in 2010. First, the stuff for your inner rumormonger from MacRumors. Steve Jobs believes the iPad is as important to Apple as the iPhone and the Mac, and that’s both unsurprising and scary. Let’s hope it doesn’t become a “hobby” like the Apple TV. As for the iPhone, the next model is an “A+ update” that Google/Android won’t be able to match. Macs are going to “take Apple to the next level” in 2010, unless that level requires Blu-ray. Repeating the tired refrain about software and licensing being a “mess,” Apple is apparently waiting until Blu-ray sales “take off.” Those, like myself, pining for a Mac mini with Blu-ray take a moment to collect yourselves.
Apple and Google would not compete in the same space. More colorfully, Jobs supposedly called Google’s motto “bulls**t,” maybe. John Gruber of Daring Fireball reports a source told him that Wired was paraphrasing, that Jobs said, “Don’t be evil is a load of crap.” Scatological nuance noted. As for Adobe, there’s less to dispute. Steve Jobs hates Flash. Finally, about the whole Lala According to Wired, Jobs once acquisition, Apple wanted to get again criticized Flash, asserting them on the “iTunes team,” that it is buggy and it crashes Macs, and that “the world is whatever that means. Regarding Google and Adobe, moving to HTML5.” It’s all there’s some dispute over exactly g o o d , s o l i d b o i l e r p l a t e what was said, giving credence execuspeak, but it still won’t get to the theory of eyewitness me Hulu on my iPad, or will it? fallibility or the theory of As for the company itself, Jobs inflammatory reporting. Take suggested that while Adobe has great potential, “they are lazy.” your pick. According to Wired, Jobs had So, cutting through the rumor h a r s h w o r d s f o r G o o g l e , chaff for the wheat, no Flash for asserting that Apple “did not iPad, no Blu-ray for Mac, and enter the search business,” but just four more months until that Google “entered the phone WWDC and, presumably, the business.” If true, that’s a iPhone A+. fascinating comment, in that it could be argued their was, at least from Jobs’ point of view, a kind of informal agreement that
Review: The Simpsons Million Dollar Maybe By Jason Hughes (TV Squad)
than we're used to seeing. 'The Simpsons' has become a very crisp production. (S21E11) This episode featured The main plot this week two surprises, though both rather involved Homer ditching Marge short-lived. The band Coldplay at a wedding because a fortune appeared as themselves, and the cookie told him he would be winning character from the lucky that day. From there, "Best. Character. Ever" contest things went into the realm of the was revealed. It's so much absurd at a breakneck pace. excitement, even a million Continue reading Review: The dollars couldn't top it! Simpsons - Million Dollar The animation looked a little Maybe more awkward than in most Filed under: OpEd, The weeks for some reason. It's as if Simpsons, Episode Reviews, the characters were drawn in a Reality-Free slightly more abstract way, Permalink| Email this| | similar to Groening's 'Life in C o m m e n t s Hell' comic strip. There was a bit more distortion in their features Submitted at 2/1/2010 3:07:00 AM
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ABC Greenlights Comedy from 'Scrubs' Writers
Fred Willard and Swoosie Kurtz to Guest on 'Chuck'
By Joel Keller (TV Squad)
By Allison Waldman (TV Squad)
Submitted at 2/1/2010 9:35:00 AM
Submitted at 2/1/2010 11:00:00 AM
ABC really loves dealing with Bill Lawrence and his crew, don't they?'Scrubs' has been on far longer than anyone expected, and'Cougar Town' is now on its way to a second season. It seems like Steve McPherson and company haven't been deterred by the poor ratings of 'Scrubs,' since he's ordered a pilot from two of the show's writers. 'How to Be a Better American' is about a middle-aged man who goes on a journey to be a better man, dragging his unwilling family along with him. It's a single-camera comedy that will be run by Steven Cragg and Brian Bradley, longtime members of Team Lawrence; they will also be writing the pilot. No casting news yet, so the
Guest stars can be a good thing... or a bad thing. Some shows handle it better than others, incorporating the usually familiar stars into the episode(s) for maximum effect. The recent turn by Robert Wagner on 'NCIS' was an example of a terrific guest appearance. show is more of a concept than Speaking of Robert Wagner, anything else. But it sounds kind you're probably aware that he of like 'The Middle' in an RV, starred on the much-loved ABC's which actually wouldn't be so romantic detective series 'Hart to bad. As long as they don't have a Hart' with Stephanie Powers. kid who whispers to himself, Now, two other stars will be playing a 'Hart to Hart' type of they'll be OK. Filed under: Industry, Scrubs, couple on a current show. Pickups and Renewals, Reality- Swoozie Kurtz and Fred Willard will be on 'Chuck' later this Free Permalink| Email this| | Comments
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Exxon profits fall 23% in fourth quarter (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 2/1/2010 6:40:25 AM
ExxonMobil, the world’s largest listed western energy group, on Monday followed the industry trend, as it reported a 23 per cent drop in fourth-quarter earnings on lower refining margins, even as its production increased nearly season as a pair of former spies 2 per cent. who were romantically involved. Its refining and marketing 'Hart to Hart' was mentioned in earnings had a loss of $189m, Michael Ausiello's scoop, and he down $2.6bn from the yeareven went so far as to suggest a e a r l i e r p e r i o d , a s d e m a n d spin-off. dropped with the economic Continue reading Fred Willard downturn and a move towards and Swoosie Kurtz to Guest on energy efficiency and renewables 'Chuck' took hold. Filed under: OpEd, Celebrities, Five Filters featured article: Casting, Chuck, Reality-Free Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: P e r m a l i n k | E m a i l t h i s | | PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Comments Term Extraction.
Fantasy Spin: Chris Paul Needs Surgery By Tom Lorenzo (FanHouse Main)
from the game for the next two months without using an emoticon. Upside-down smiley Submitted at 1/31/2010 3:00:00 PM face, anyone? But that's not my Filed under: NBA Injury Report, style. I'm more of an "ugh" kind Fantasy Basketball I really don't of guy. So ... UGH! k n o w h o w t o e x p r e s s m y Word broke that Chris Paul will feelings toward Chris Paul's reportedly miss the next 6-8 imminent surgery and absence weeks after tearing cartilage in
his left knee on Friday night against the Bulls. It looks like he
will have surgery on Monday and an optimistic return is no sooner than one month from now. Paul missed eight games in late-November, though he's still in the Top 5 due to his tremendous skills on both sides of the ball. There really is no way to replace Paul unless you
can convince another owner to trade you Deron Williams, Steve Nash or Rajon Rondo. Even then, you're not going to get back fair value. So once again you are forced to weather the storm and hope for the best.
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Mel Gibson Pretty Sure The Na'vi Are Just Jews In Disguise [Monday Box Office] By Richard Lawson (Gawker)
hair-fucking and space trees. Did anyone know that Americans loved hair-fucking and space If ten years ago someone were trees as much as Americans to tell you that Mel Gibson was apparently love hair-fucking and going to be killed someday by space trees? We don't even know blue space monkeys, you'd have ourselves. Avatar has taught us figured them just as crazy as he that. For that we should be is, right? Well you'd have been grateful. the crazy one! 2) Edge of Relevance— $17.1 1 ) A v a t a r — A b a j i l l i o n million doughlars Oh poor Mel Gibson. Well, not Snatching up thirty million more that poor. This thing did well! Earthbucks, this thing is just Not many anti-Semitic wallabies never going to stop. Not ever! In with drinking problems can open forty years when all of us are a movie this big. Gibson is either dead or gray and forgotten, maybe the only one who can. this thing will still be playing in Russell Crowe hasn't said the brain-theaters of our youths' anything anti-Jew that we're computerheads. No one was aware of, plus he's a great big fat surprised when this movie was a person these days, so nobody hit. But aren't you starting to get w a n t s t o s e e t h a t . C a t e surprised that it's THIS big? Blanchett? She's a handsome Titantic made sense, because that woman and oh lord does she was about the Titantic boat and drink and hate Jewish people, but all the people that died on it and no one wants to see her artsy Leo DiCaprio's face looked like movies about arts. Maybe the a baby's buttocks if a baby's only Australian creature capable buttocks could look impossibly of being as drunken and Jewbeautiful even when blue (omg!) hatingly successful as Mel and dead. Romance and swoony- Gibson is Rupert Murdoch. goony stuff mixed with boat- Actually, he probably wins. halving special effects? Yes Murdoch really does win every please! But Avatar is all about time. But still! Mel does well! Submitted at 2/1/2010 10:27:00 AM
Shine on you crazy drunken Jewhating diamond. Shine on. 3) When in Rome— $12 million This movie did surprisingly well. No one actually knows who Kristen Bell is, and Josh Duhamel is a foot disease one gets in North Africa. And yet! And yet, and yet, and yet. Maybe women were just starved for a little romance and, oddly enough, weren't finding it in the hair-fucking and grizzled Mel Gibson movies. And wacky movies starring people you've never heard of about magic things happening to shrill idiots
Scorpion King, in which she would play an ancient Egyptian warrior who's been brought back from the dead by an evil wizard to once and for all destroy the kingdom of Genovia, hopefully slaying its cruel dictator, Mia Thermopolis, in the process. 6) Legion— $6.8 million Dropping a significant 60% in its second weekend, this documentary about angels killing old ladies is just not connecting with people. Is it that no one cares for Dennis Quaid's muttony looks anymore? Has Kate Walsh finally angered America with *are* terribly romantic. 4) The Tooth Fairy— $10 Private Practice enough for a cruel backlash? Has albino million Since quitting professional British person Paul Bettany w r e s t l i n g a n d e n t e r i n g defied the odds and asserted Hollywood as a bulky but himself as *not* an action star? lovable lunk, Julie Andrews has Whatever the mystifying reason, had quite a career. But perhaps most mystifying of all things is the seemingly unstoppable buck that we still haven't seen it. Just does, in fact, stop here. In two look at the previews. That old weeks of release, Fairy has l a d y i s C R A Z Y A N D grossed a sad little $26 million, CLIMBING ON THE WALLS. despite its hilarious premise and Plus: many guns. We're going realistic fairy wing technology. right now. Sorry, Gabriel! Already with an eye toward a comeback, Andrews is said to be pondering a sequel to The
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Sources: New Orleans Hornets' Chris Paul will undergo knee surgery By Marc Stein (ESPN.com)
need for surgery, saying that test results revealed a partial tear to Paul's meniscus and that he The New Orleans Hornets have could miss up to two months. lost All-Star point guard Chris This will be Paul's second Paul for at least a month. extended absence of the season. Sources close to the situation An ankle injury cost him eight confirmed to ESPN.com on games soon after Byron Scott Sunday that Paul tore cartilage in was replaced as coach by general his left knee and will be forced to manager Jeff Bower, but the undergo arthroscopic surgery. Hornets managed a 4-4 record The Hornets are optimistic, during that stretch. sources said, that Paul will miss After Paul tweaked the knee in a only one month, including the game Wednesday at Golden Feb. 14 All-Star Game. But they State, it appears he suffered the won't establish a firmer timetable tear Friday night in a home on Paul's return until after he has overtime loss to the Chicago surgery. Bulls following a scramble for a Yahoo! Sports first reported the loose ball and a hard landing on Submitted at 2/1/2010 6:23:58 AM
HP Donates Thousands to Former CEO's Opponent [Carly Fiorina Dreamin] By Pareene (Gawker)
McCain campaign to go around being a big famous successful CEO who proved that John Out in California, former McCain totally understood and Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly cared about business (he doesn't, Fiorina is running for Senate as a really) but she was actually not Republican against terrible much of an asset to that hilarious liberal Barbara Boxer. And her campaign, even leaving aside the former company is, for some fact that her tenure as CEO was reason, donating a lot of money kind of disastrous and the to Boxer. company became much more B o x e r g o t t h e m a x i m u m valuable once they fired her. $ 1 0 , 0 0 0 f r o m H P ' s P A C , (She is also now facing a including $3,000 in the last primary battle from Tea Partyquarter of 2009. Fiorina, HP affiliated bona fide conservative CEO from 1999-2005 (when she C h u c k D e V o r e , w h o h a s was fired) received $250 from received $2,400 from HP heiress one HP manager. Arianna Packard herself.) Carly was paid by the John Submitted at 2/1/2010 10:31:50 AM
the baseline in the final seconds of regulation. When Paul is formally ruled out of the All-Star Game, his replacement on the Western Conference roster will be chosen by NBA commissioner David Stern. Prime candidates to replace Paul at guard include Denver's Chauncey Billups and Golden State's Monta Ellis. Marc Stein is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Report: Chris Paul Out 1-2 Months After Knee Surgery By Matt Moore (FanHouse Main) Submitted at 1/31/2010 2:32:00 PM
Filed under: Hornets, NBA Injuries Every year we are robbed of stars, phenomenal players who fall to injuries; the fates denying us their talents as randomly as anything in this bizarre world. A few days ago, we were robbed of Chris Paul. And it turns out we've been robbed of him for a
good while longer. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports is reporting that Paul will miss 12 months after planned surgery
on his left knee to repair a torn meniscus. The injury is not believed to be season ending, and because he is not Kevin Garnett Tracy McGrady Andrew Bynum, we might be able to trust that information. For the Hornets, a rough season that had recently started to look up just took a drastic turn for the toilet. Join me as we examine the flush.
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Source: Indianapolis Colts DE Dwight Freeney has torn ligament in right ankle By ESPN.com news services (ESPN.com) Submitted at 2/1/2010 7:41:06 AM
Can The Colts Replace Freeney? Can The Colts Replace Freeney? VIDEO PLAYLIST • Can The Colts Replace Freeney? Can The Colts Replace Freeney? • Stephania Bell: Freeney Injury Analysis Stephania Bell: Freeney Injury Analysis • Schefter: Dwight Freeney Injury Update Schefter: Dwight Freeney Injury Update Indianapolis Colts Pro Bowl defensive end Dwight Freeney has a torn ligament in his right ankle that will make it difficult for him to play against the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV, a source familiar with the injury told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. The Colts were maintaining Sunday that Freeney has a low ankle sprain and remained questionable, which means he has about a 50-50 chance of playing. Team spokesman Craig Kelley said Sunday night Freeney was being treated in Florida for a basketball-type injury. "He is under the care of our athletic training staff," Kelley said. "Nothing we have seen
changes our diagnosis that he is questionable. He has a thirddegree, low basketball sprain." A third-degree ankle sprain by definition involves a complete tear of an ankle ligament. Despite the fact that Colts president Bill Polian has predicted that Freeney will play, there are serious questions about whether he will. Even if Freeney can, the question then becomes how effective he can be. AFC South blog ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky writes about all things AFC South in his division blog. • Blog network: NFL Nation Freeney, who has been in a walking boot all week, flew to South Florida on Friday to begin a battery of treatments for the ankle. Freeney has used a hyperbaric chamber this week to help heal, a technique he often uses to try to heal from injuries quickly. Freeney is also using a device called ARP that is similar to a stem device to move the blood supply to the damaged ankle. The ARP operates differently than normal stem devices, but ARP has helped him in past years recover quickly from groin and hamstring pulls. Freeney's ankle is said to be heavily swollen. The torn ligament is on the outside of his
right ankle, which will make it difficult for him to pivot and use his whirling-dervish pass moves to get to Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Freeney did not practice Wednesday, Thursday or Friday and has not been available to reporters since the game. "It's hard to speculate at this point," Colts quarterback Peyton Manning said during ESPN's Pro Bowl broadcast. "Dwight is one of our best players, we know that. But all season long Coach Caldwell has talked about picking up the bayonet. Someone's got to step up. If Dwight were not to be able to go that would be tough, but somebody else will step up and we'll feel confident in whoever that is." Freeney injured the ankle pulling up in an effort to not hit Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez late in the fourth quarter of the Colts AFC Championship Game win. Freeney didn't hit Sanchez, but he did injure himself. "He has had injuries before where they said [he's] not going to play and he has come back," Colts tight end Dallas Clark said during the Pro Bowl. "He is a competitor, he is one of the toughest guys on our team and I never expect him to miss anything." Freeney will continue
undergoing treatment all week with the hope of playing. But if the Colts do not have Freeney, they will be missing their top defender, a player that tied for third in the league this season with 13.5 sacks. But Freeney also has a history of healing fast, including earlier this season, when he returned seven days after hurting his quadriceps -- an injury that some reports said would keep the former league sacks champ out up to three weeks. That was in late September. Freeney did not miss a game until Nov. 29 at Houston, when he sat out with an abdominal injury. The only other game he missed this season was the regular-season finale at Buffalo when most Indy starters played sparingly or not at all. He finished this season with 13½ sacks this season, the sixth time in eight NFL seasons Freeney has had at least 10 sacks. Information from ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, ESPN.com senior writer John Clayton and The Associated Press was used in this report. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
EA trademarks 'MySims Sky Heroes' By JC Fletcher (Joystiq) Submitted at 2/1/2010 10:32:00 AM
According to a new trademark, EA's surprisingly adorable MySims are preparing for another adventure -- after Agents, Kingdom, Party, Racing, and the original MySims(the last of which being less of an adventure and more of a life). EA has filed a trademark for MySims Sky Heroes(and MySims SkyHeroes), for what we assume will be a game about operating a small neighborhood coffee shop flying flghter planes. We can safely guess that if this game does end up being made, it'll be released for DS and Wii. And it'll be really cute. Unless this is to be the "mature" relaunch of MySims. [Via Trademork, Destructoid] EA trademarks 'MySims Sky Heroes' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments
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Slowly but Surely, Crane Triumphs Again By Mick Elliott (FanHouse Main) Submitted at 1/31/2010 1:45:00 PM
Filed under: PGA SAN DIEGO -- For a player who had two career PGA Tour wins in nine seasons before arriving at Torrey Pines for the Farmers Insurance Open, Ben Crane on Sunday looked very much like he knew exactly what he was doing. At least he did until the winning three-foot putt for par on the Stadium/Dolphin Stadium these final hole dropped. days, was completely That's when Crane turned embarrassing, meaningless, quizzically to caddie Joel Stock, unnecessary and insulting to looking very much like a man one's intellect. Give me Rex In suddenly realizing his pants were The City, Jets coach Rex Ryan, on fire. flipping the bird at rowdy "You know, I did not know that I Dolphins fans at a nearby mixed had won when it was over," martial arts event. Give me Crane said. "I didn't know who whether the NFL is headed was playing well. I didn't know toward labor doom, which will what was really going on in front be a constant theme this week. of me. I had no idea what was Give me a debate on whether going on. Shaun Alexander belongs on the "I'm thankful I didn't. Someone league's all-decade team. More said, 'one-shot lead' when we importantly, give me Dwight were going to the last hole, so I Freeney's torn ankle ligament -- thought he might be right." or if you believe the Colts, and I don't, a low ankle sprain -- and how it will affect the Indianapolis defense in putting pressure on Drew Brees next Sunday.
Time to Put Pro Bowl Out of Its Misery By Jay Mariotti (FanHouse Main) Submitted at 1/31/2010 3:30:00 PM
Filed under: NFL MIAMI -- Given a choice of watching the Pro Bowl or wading with killer alligators in the Everglades, well, next time, I promise to think about it. Not that I really want a next time. If this event could be held at midseason, like all the normal All-Star Games, and if every player was placed in a hermetically sealed cocoon to avoid injuries, and if the mood was serious and not something out of Uncle Bob's picnic, then maybe I'd embrace it. But what I watched on a rainy Sunday night, inside whatever they're calling Joe Robbie Stadium/Pro Player
NintendoWare Weekly: Monkey Island, Alex Kidd, Rollway Puzzle By JC Fletcher (Joystiq) Submitted at 2/1/2010 9:39:00 AM
There are a couple of interesting games hidden in an unusually crowded lineup of new Nintendo downloads. The Tales of Monkey Island series concludes, Alex Kidd appears in a weird Still, Crane insisted victory did crossover game, and DSiWare not register until final-group features a game that uses the playing partner Ryuji Imada camera for motion controls. And somehow, Digital Leisure made it official. "He goes, 'Congratulations,' and released the same game twice! I go, 'Did I win?' " Crane said. Find out how that happened (and "He kind of looks at me. I said, what all the other new games 'Did I win the tournament?' He's are) after the break. Continue reading NintendoWare like, 'Yeah.' " It meant the 33-year-old golf Weekly: Monkey Island, Alex wallflower did everything the Kidd, Rollway Puzzle pros with their own airplanes NintendoWare Weekly: Monkey Island, Alex Kidd, Rollway did, only a little bit better. Puzzle originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments
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'The Tester' reality series debuts on PSN Feb. 18 By Andrew Yoon (Joystiq)
Mass Effect 2 enjoys effective debut in UK
Over 60,000 PAX East attendees expected, around 1,000 tickets remaining
Submitted at 2/1/2010 10:03:00 AM
Sony's PlayStation Networkexclusive reality series " The Tester" will begin February 18th. The competition will have the above real gamers vying for a By Alexander Sliwinski been totally eclipsed by week that the show has fewer chance to win a glamorous (Joystiq) BioWare's space opera, but it By Alexander Sliwinski (Joystiq) t h a n 1 , 0 0 0 3 - d a y b a d g e s testing job at PlayStation. Until still managed a strong debut -Submitted at 2/1/2010 11:00:00 AM remaining. At this point, PAX April 8th, the PlayStation Store have a look at our review to see Submitted at 2/1/2010 9:05:00 AM East has no announced speakers, (for PSP and PS3) will update Mass Effect 2 has warped to the if it's worth the attention. The every Thursday with new -- and top of Chart-Track's UK sales rest of the list features the usual Following up on the warning music guests nor sponsors. It free -- episodes of the series. that PAX East will sell out, seems like everyone is buying chart, revealing that Britain isn't suspects, though Dragon Age: Should "The Tester" just about Just Dance(which still Origins has made a return to the Joystiq has learned that the into an expectation that the show successfully sidestep traditional stepped its way into second top 40. It seems Mass Effect 2 inaugural East Coast edition of will deliver an experience similar employee recruitment and take place, by the way). Comparing wasn't the only BioWare game the show will have over 60,000 to PAX West -- and you don't off, don't be surprised if Sony debut weeks, the Normandy casting a spell over consumers a t t e n d e e s . R o b e r t K h o o , want to disappoint an audience announces "Who Wants to be President of Operations and Biz this huge. crew's second outing sold twice last week. O v e r 6 0 , 0 0 0 P A X E a s t Our Janitor?" next season. as well on Xbox 360 than the Source- Mass Effect 2 gravitates Dev for Penny Arcade Inc., tells us that they can't release final attendees expected, around 1,000 'The Tester' reality series debuts original did back in 2007 and to No1 [GFK Chart-Track] on PSN Feb. 18 originally three times higher on PC. EA is Source- Latest UK Software figures until the show is over, tickets remaining originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 b u t a r e " l o o k i n g a t m o r e appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 expecting a good financial return Charts [GFK Chart-Track] Feb 2010 10:03:00 EST. Please from Mass Effect 2, having Mass Effect 2 enjoys effective attendees than the last PAX in Feb 2010 09:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. already shipped 2 million copies. debut in UK originally appeared Seattle." PAX 2009 sold out and see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Permalink| Email this| Taking the bronze this week on on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 had 60,750 participants. Comments PAX East organizers plan to C o m m e n t s the all-formats chart is Call of 11:00:00 EST. Please see our make an announcement this Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and in terms for use of feeds. fourth is ... MAG. Yes, coverage Permalink| Email this| of the PS3-exclusive may have C o m m e n t s
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Abbie Cornish on Bright Star and Sucker Punch By ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog)
didn’t know his work. When I got to London, we had three weeks’ rehearsal time, during Submitted at 2/1/2010 7:52:20 AM which we did a lot of Abbie Cornish won over critics improvising, playing, and just with her standout performance in sitting in that environment and Bright Star(now available on then compressing it back down DVD), which follows the ill- to the original scene. There’s not fated affair between Romantic a lot written about her, so p o e t J o h n K e a t s a n d h i s [director Jane Campion] really neighbor, Fanny Brawne. Next had to create her in the film. We u p , t h e A u s s i e a c t r e s s i s kind of know who her family s w i t c h i n g g e a r s f o r Z a c k was and what happened later on Snyder’s Sucker Punch, which in her life, but I had to use my bears the tagline “ Alice in i m a g i n a t i o n a n d J a n e ’ s Wonderland with machine i m a g i n a t i o n guns.” Cornish chatted with Did you go into Bright Star me about Oscar buzz for Bright t h i n k i n g i t w o u l d g e t s o Star, bonding with her Sucker m u c h O s c a r b u z z ? Punch castmates, and preparing Jane has Oscar buzz because to play a teen owl in another that’s something she’s been upcoming Snyder project. through before. She’s the only —Erin Clements female director to win the Palme What appealed to you about d’Or, and she’s won an Oscar. playing Fanny Brawne? So for her, yeah, but never for She had so much life and myself. You don’t really have presence. She’s such a strong, those preconceived ideas about a independent young woman, but f i l m while you’re at the same time very sensitive shooting—you’re so consumed and delicate. And I respect her by the process of making it that love for fashion, which was how it’s hard to think of the end she expressed herself. product. What kind of research did you What was it like working with do before filming? Jane? I learned more about Keats, It was a very intense experience. because I knew his name but I We shot six-day weeks; Jane
operates on three different levels: A reality, which is the psych ward, and then a sub-reality, where the psych ward turns into an opulent, high-rolling brothel. And then there’s this dream world, where it’s all action. It’s kind of in the girls’ heads, but the lines blur in the film, so even though it’s drifting in and out of these dimensions, it’s a seamless transition. Even though you’re jumping through time and space, the story stays linear. What kind of training did you undergo? We trained for three months in martial arts, and learned how to use guns and swords and work works really hard and everyone on the wires. We did mixed around her works hard. We shot martial arts—a bit of karate, tae in one location 90 percent of the kwon-do, wushu, boxing. And time, so there was something then they stylized that to our very familiar about going to set characters. My character is every day. Jane really likes to set strong, independent, a natural up that environment where you leader, so in the action world, her feel at ease and it’s more about moves and even the weapons—I feeling and sensing than u s e a big, heavy thinking. She’s so connected as a broadsword—are more powerful. human being and as a director, How difficult was it to transition she’s always there for you and from a period drama to an action pushes you in the right direction. flick? Let’s talk about Sucker Punch. I had a year between the two, It’s the story of five girls who from when I wrapped Bright band together to escape a Star, so there was so much time psychiatric ward in the ‘60s. It in between them. But it was
definitely a polar-opposite experience. Did you become tight with Vanessa Hudgens, Jena Malone, and the rest of the Sucker Punch cast? We all became really good friends. The five of us have our differences and similarities, but we all got along so well, which could be a rare thing. With any combination of five girls, who knows what will happen? You have another Zack Snyder movie—an animated film called Guardians of Ga’hoole. I voice Otulissa, who’s a teenage owl. It was so strange! I went in and sat with Zach and Deb [Snyder] and they showed me what the landscapes would be like, what the tree was like, and any other mockups. I had an image of what she looked like. And I also looked at owls of the same breed on the internet. I looked in their eyes, and tried to get a sense of what they would be like. It was really funny sitting in the recording booth, flapping my arms about. Photo: Getty Images
Obama unveils US budget plans (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 2/1/2010 7:40:25 AM
President Barack Obama on
Monday unveiled budget plans that would reduce the US government deficit from 10.6 per cent of gross domestic product in 2010 to below 4 per cent by
2014. In cash terms, the deficit would peak at $1,556bn this year – even higher than the $1,413bn deficit in 2009 – then gradually
decline to $706bn in 2014 before starting to drift up again. The 10year cumulative deficit from the fiscal year 2011 to 2020 would come in at $8,532bn.
Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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Protecting Against 'Lone Wolf' at Super Bowl (FOXNews.com)
someone who comes through doesn't have anything on them," Ahlerich said. MIAMI T h e m a s s i v e , Part of the $6 million or so the multimillion-dollar security NFL spends each year for Super operations for the Super Bowl Bowl security — on top of tax and Winter Olympics are being dollars spent by the government adjusted in light of recent — has been devoted to what breaches such as the attempted Ahlerich said were "several Christmas Day bombing of an hours of extra training" for airliner and the White House screeners by the Secret Service gatecrashers. and the Transportation Security Sports and government officials Administration. He wouldn't say s a y s u c h l a p s e s — w h e r e whether any additional screening individuals got past guards on e q u i p m e n t w a s a d d e d i n the ground — are leading to response to the failed Dec. 25 increased screening efforts at attack on a flight from the m a j o r u p c o m i n g e v e n t s , Netherlands to Detroit. including the NFL championship Royal Canadian Mounted Police game between the Indianapolis Cpl. Bert Paquet, a spokesman Colts and New Orleans Saints in for the Olympics security task Miami next Sunday, and the force, acknowledged the failed Vancouver Games starting Feb. bombing prompted intensive 12. reassessments. Extensive ticket-checking "It is definitely an incident that p r o c e d u r e s a l s o a r e b e i n g has raised our awareness," implemented for soccer's World Paquet said. "While there's been Cup, which begins June 11 in no specific credible threat to the S o u t h A f r i c a . E v e n games, we understand the threat entertainment awards shows are is always there. ... We've taking extra steps, like stricter increased police presence at all monitoring of cars arriving at the entry points — the airport, the G o l d e n G l o b e s A w a r d s port." c e r e m o n y t w o w e e k s a g o . He said more full-body scanners "We're very mindful of the world were being acquired, for use at that we live in," the NFL's vice the airport and possibly some president of security, Milt Olympic venues, to supplement Ahlerich, said in a telephone walkthrough and hand-held interview from Florida. metal detectors screeners will "We put our fate and our use at event sites. While most protection in the hands of that screeners already had completed person on the front lines — those training before late December, people that are protecting our the RCMP officers supervising gates — and being sure that screeners were given an updated Submitted at 2/1/2010 4:08:05 AM
briefing on how the Christmas Day episode could affect Olympic operations. For the NFL, security is an ongoing issue throughout the season. Ahlerich told The Associated Press that five to 10 bomb threats are phoned in during each regular season — roughly one every other week — but they amount to nothing. Still, he called "improvised explosive devices" — a car bomb or pipe bomb, for example — the biggest concern as thousands of people from dozens of federal agencies, including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, local police and two private security firms prepare for the Super Bowl. Other primary concerns, he said, include "the active shooter scenario, the chemical agent or biological agent scenario." Coast Guard Rear Admiral Steven Branham, the federal coordinator for Super Bowl security, said Sun Life Stadium and environs will be screened for bombs and other threats well before anyone is allowed inside. According to a federal security assessment prepared for last year's Super Bowl, the al-Qaida training manual lists "blasting and destroying the places of amusement, immorality, and sin" as one of the terrorist group's missions. That assessment also says a jihadist message board carried a posting in 2006 with
information about how to conduct an attack on a sporting event using more than one suicide bomber, inside the venue and near exits. Fans aren't allowed to bring large bags into the Super Bowl stadium, and 100 magnetometers — like those you step through at an airport — will be used to detect metal objects. There are also radiological, biological and chemical weapon detection and protection devices. But, Ahlerich noted, plastic explosives attached to someone's body would elude a metal detector, which is why nearly everyone entering the stadium is subjected to a patdown search. "Exceptions would be a police officer in uniform and a player in uniform, but they're going to be rigorously screened as well when they come in," Ahlerich said. He paused, then added another exception: "We're not going to pat down the president of the United States." Used to be, long before the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, that screening wasn't nearly so rigorous at the Super Bowl. It wasn't even all that tough to get in without a ticket, or so says Dion Rich, subject of the book, "Confessions of the World's Greatest Gate-Crasher." The 80-year-old Rich delights in regaling listeners with tales of walking right into Super Bowls, Olympics, the World Series, the Kentucky Derby, the Academy Awards — all without showing a
ticket. He said in a telephone interview from his San Diego home that he attended 24 of the first 25 Super Bowls without a ticket by sneaking through a turnstile or ducking in a media entrance or using connections — he says he owned a San Diego bar popular among football teams — to stroll right into the stadium alongside players. "It's extremely difficult now, in light of 9-11 and in light of this last terrorist attempt on the airplane. Security is getting tighter and tighter and tighter," Rich said. "People say, 'Do you think (a terrorist) could do the same thing you do?' I say, 'Possible, but highly improbable."' The security buildup isn't just to stop rogue ticket-holders. The FBI does detailed background checks on everyone expected to work at the Super Bowl, from parking lot attendants to groundskeepers to beer vendors. John Gillies, special agent in charge of the FBI's Miami field office, said each year the Super Bowl vetting process "does uncover people with background issues," though he wouldn't discuss specifics. The FBI and Miami-Dade Police Department are running separate centers to collect and disseminate intelligence, but that might not uncover a person acting alone — the kind of threat PROTECTING page 53
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Landrieu caper prep: Whole lotta typin' goin' on (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News) Submitted at 2/1/2010 4:03:10 AM
NEW ORLEANS – Johnny Angel opened the door to his old, brick-faced duplex and saw them all there, typing away quietly on their computers just days before their hidden-camera stunt in Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu's district office. "Man, it was laptop city in this place," said Angel, known locally as the front man for the swing band Johnny Angel and the Swinging Demons. Working away were Stan Dai, 24, of the Washington, D.C., area, Joseph Basel, 24, of Minnesota, and James O'Keefe, the 25-year-old daredevil videographer known as "the pimp" since he recorded undercover visits to ACORN offices nationwide. "I had no idea he was the cat from those ACORN videos," said Angel, whose pale face is framed by a dense, coal-black pompadour and thick sideburns that stretch two-thirds the way down his cheeks. Angel's roommate, Ben Wetmore, told him that the three would be staying awhile. Wetmore has his own colorful past that includes an arrest for trying to tape a speech by Tipper Gore after police asked him to stop filming the former vice president's wife. While Dai, Basel and O'Keefe aren't discussing their relationships or what they did in
New Orleans during the days that led up to their Jan. 25 arrest, a more complete picture has emerged through interviews with more than a dozen people who know or met the suspects, and a review of writings and videos posted on the Web by some of the suspects and their friends. A fourth person arrested, Robert Flanagan, 24, of New Orleans, the son of the Shreveport-based acting U.S. attorney for Louisiana's Western District, also has been silent. Wetmore and O'Keefe are close, Angel said, but he didn't talk serious issues with any of them. "I didn't know anything about their politics," said Angel. Angel didn't mind the three crashing at the house because they were nice guys. He just had no idea the three, along with a fourth man who lives in New Orleans, would get mixed up in a scheme that would land them in jail on a charge of entering federal property under false pretenses for the purpose of committing a felony. Their respective trips to New Orleans ended with Angel driving them to the federal courthouse, their suitcases packed, to receive instructions from court officials outlining the conditions of their release. They're free on $10,000 bond and are scheduled to return to court Feb. 12. Angel said he asked the guys if what the newspaper was saying was true: Did they really try to
mess with Landrieu's phones? "They said they couldn't talk about it, that the judge said they couldn't discuss the case," Angel said. In the days before their ill-fated visit to Landrieu's office, O'Keefe and the other three spent an afternoon mingling with fellow conservatives at a luncheon that O'Keefe headlined; at a bar in the French Quarter, they watched the New Orleans Saints earn their first trip to the Super Bowl; and they spent time at one of Angel's shows. O'Keefe, Basel and Dai had ties to the Leadership Institute, an Arlington, Va.-based program that provided resources to their conservative college publications. Several years ago, Wetmore hired O'Keefe to help establish dozens of conservative magazines on college campuses. Wetmore used to brag about his influence on the younger O'Keefe after the ACORN videos made him a star: how he gave O'Keefe a job, helped him buy equipment used in his video projects and counseled him. But standing in the den of his Uptown house about a block off the city's street car line, Wetmore just stared ahead silently when asked about O'Keefe and his other house guests. Did he know about the planned trip to Landrieu's office? Is there a reasonable explanation for what O'Keefe and the others were doing? How does he know the three and when did he meet
them? The 28-year-old student at Loyola University's law school in New Orleans had nothing to say, only politely saying: "I'll think about it" as he closed the front door. The silence was uncharacteristic from the prolific — at times caustic — free-speech advocate who until days ago had an entire Web site dedicated to his research and writings, including tips on how to shut down abortion clinics developed as the leader of a Massachusetts antiabortion group. Access to Wetmore's blogs, research, writings and speeches on his Web site became inactive soon after O'Keefe's arrest. But material collected from the site earlier offer some of Wetmore's insights into O'Keefe and the in-your-face activism Wetmore's protege has practiced — and Wetmore has preached — behind and in front the camera. "James O'Keefe's recent work against ACORN has been amazing," Wetmore wrote Oct. 16 on his blog after O'Keefe began releasing videos showing him posing as the pimp with his make-believe prostitute. The videos show O'Keefe and his sidekick seeking advice from ACORN staff on how to buy a house to set up a brothel featuring underage hookers trafficked in from Central America without revealing illegal income. "As the person who hired James
at the (Leadership) Institute, as well as one whom he turned to for help during his final weeks there, I hope to have some minor insight into the whole context of the situation," Wetmore wrote. For his part, O'Keefe called Wetmore his mentor during his Jan. 21 luncheon speech here at the libertarian-leaning Pelican Institute think-tank, according to one attendee. Flanagan only met the other three the day before the speech, five days before their arrest, said J. Garrison Jordan, Flanagan's lawyer. Kevin Kane, who runs the Pelican Institute, said he asked O'Keefe to speak at the luncheon, although Kane declined to say how much he paid O'Keefe. The institute had published its own critical investigation of ACORN and was impressed with O'Keefe's videos, Kane said. Kane and O'Keefe share another connection: They're both writers for biggovernment.com, run by Web site publisher Andrew Breitbart that last fall was the launching pad for O'Keefe's meteoric rise to notoriety through the ACORN videos. Wetmore introduced O'Keefe at the institute's luncheon. Basel and Dai joined O'Keefe at the luncheon, and they talked with people in the audience after the event. LANDRIEU page 55
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Child rescue bid raises tough questions in Haiti (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
that wouldn't affect my decision." The Baptists' "Haitian Orphan PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Rescue Mission" was described The arrest of 10 Americans for as an effort to save abandoned, trying to take children out of traumatized children. Their plan H a i t i h a s r a i s e d a n was to scoop up 100 kids and uncomfortable question in this take them by bus to a 45-room brutally poor and earthquake- hotel at Cabarete, a beach resort devastated country: Could some in the Dominican Republic. The children be better off abroad 33 kids ranged in age from 2 under the grim circumstances? months to 12 years. The Baptists from Idaho were They were stopped at the border waiting Monday to hear if they for not having proper paperwork will be tried on child trafficking and taken back to Port-au-Prince, charges for attempting to take 33 where the children were taken to H a i t i a n c h i l d r e n t o t h e a temporary children's home. Dominican Republic without Haiti's justice secretary, official authorization. Guards A m a r i c k L o u i s , t o l d T h e waved off reporters who tried to A s s o c i a t e d P r e s s t h a t a enter to meet them. commission would meet Monday Child welfare groups expressed to determine if the group would outrage over Friday's attempt, go before a judge. The group saying some of the children had was being held at a building parents who survived the Jan. 12 where government ministers are earthquake. Prime Minister Max giving regular briefings — a Bellerive denounced the group's maze of dingy concrete rooms "illegal trafficking of children" but not traditional cells. Their in a country long afflicted by the living conditions were unclear. s c o u r g e a n d b y f o r e i g n Foreigners adopting children meddling. from the developing world have But the reality is that some grabbed headlines recently — struggling Haitian parents see Madonna tried to adopt a girl adoption as a last-ditch hope for from Malawi amid criticism their children. from locals, while Brad Pitt and "My parents died in the A n g e l i n a J o l i e h a v e a earthquake. My husband has burgeoning multicultural brood. gone. Giving up one of my kids But in Haiti, a long tradition of would at least give them a foreign military intervention chance," Saintanne Petit-Frere, coupled with the earthquake that 40, a mother of six living outside destroyed much of the capital in a tent camp near the airport and plunged it even deeper into said Sunday. "My only fear is poverty, have made this issue that they would forget me, but even more emotionally charged. Submitted at 2/1/2010 6:13:25 AM
"Some parents I know have already given their children to foreigners," said Adonis Helman, 44. "I've been thinking how I will choose which one I may give." Haiti's overwhelmed government has halted all adoptions unless they were in motion before the earthquake amid fears that parentless or lost children are more vulnerable than ever to being seized and sold. Sex trafficking has been rampant in Haiti. Without proper documents and concerted efforts to track down their parents, children could be forever separated from family members able and willing to care for them. Bellerive's personal authorization is now required for the departure of any child. "For UNICEF, what is important is that for children separated from their parents, we do everything possible to have their families traced and to reunite them," said Kent Page, a spokesman for the group in Haiti. "They have to be protected from traffickers or people who wish to exploit these children." He said it was possible the Americans arrested may have had "good intentions but misguided execution." The Idaho church group's spokeswoman, Laura Silsby, told the AP from detention that the group was "just trying to do the right thing" amid the chaos. She conceded she had not obtained the proper Haitian documents for
the children. The children were taken to an orphanage run by Austrian-based SOS Children's Villages, where spokesman George Willeit said they arrived "very hungry, very thirsty." A 2- to 3-month-old baby was dehydrated and had to be hospitalized, he said. Workers were searching for their families or close relatives. "One (8-year-old) girl was crying, and saying, 'I am not an orphan. I still have my parents.' And she thought she was going on a summer camp or a boarding school or something like that," Willeit said. As the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti is in a difficult spot — it needs aid, but deeply resents foreign meddling. Many have mixed feelings toward Christian groups that funnel hundreds of millions into missions in Haiti. Christian missionaries alone run or support an estimated 2,000 primary schools attended by some 600,000 students — a third of Haiti's school-aged population, according to government figures. Church groups also run vital hospitals, orphanages and food-distribution sites. "There are many who come here with religious ideas that belong more in the time of the inquisition," said Max Beauvoir, head of Haiti's Voodoo Priest's Association, which represents thousands of priests and priestesses. "These types of
people believe they need to save our souls and our bodies from ourselves. We need compassion, not proselytizing now, and we need aid — not just aid going to people of the Christian faith." Two-thirds of Haiti's 9 million are said to practice Voodoo, a melange of beliefs combining animism from west Africa and Catholicism. Many religious groups run legitimate adoption agencies and orphanages in Haiti. The arrested Americans include members of the Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian, Idaho, and the East Side Baptist Church in Twin Falls, Idaho. They are part of the Southern Baptist Convention, which is America's largest Protestant denomination and has extensive humanitarian programs worldwide. The Idaho churches had elaborate plans before the earthquake to shelter up to 200 Haitian and Dominican boys and girls in the Magante beach resort, complete with a school and chapel as well as villas and a seaside cafe catering to adoptive U.S. parents. ___ Associated Press Writers Carolina Correa in Port-auPrince, Haiti, Jessie Bonner and Keith Ridler in Idaho and Rachel Zoll in New York contributed to this story. CHILD page 53
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States seeking to ban mandatory health insurance (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
filed or proposed amendments to their state constitutions or statutes rejecting health JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – insurance mandates, according to Although President Barack t h e A m e r i c a n L e g i s l a t i v e Obama's push for a health care Exchange Council, a nonprofit o v e r h a u l h a s s t a l l e d , group that promotes limited conservative lawmakers in about government that is helping half the states are forging ahead coordinate the efforts. Many of with constitutional amendments those proposals are targeted for t o b a n g o v e r n m e n t h e a l t h the November ballot, assuring insurance mandates. that health care remains a hot The proposals would assert a topic as hundreds of federal and state-based right for people to state lawmakers face re-election. pay medical bills from their own Legislative committees in Idaho p o c k e t b o o k s a n d p r o h i b i t and Virginia endorsed their penalties against those who m e a s u r e s t h i s p a s t w e e k . refuse to carry health insurance. Supporters held a rally at the In many states, the proposals Pennsylvania Capitol. And began as a backlash to hearings on the proposed Democratic health care plans constitutional amendments were pending in Congress. But instead held in Georgia and Missouri. o f b a c k i n g a w a y a f t e r a The Missouri hearing drew Massachusetts election gave overflow crowds the day after Senate Republicans the filibuster Obama urged federal lawmakers power to halt the health care during his State of the Union l e g i s l a t i o n , m a n y s t a t e address to keep pressing to pass lawmakers are ramping up their a health care bill. The Nebraska efforts with new enthusiasm. Legislature plans a hearing on a The moves reflect the continued measure this coming week. political potency of the issue for Supporters of the state measures conservatives, who have used it portray them as a way of extensively for fundraising and defending individual rights and attracting new supporters. The state sovereignty, asserting that l e g a l i m p a c t o f a n y s t a t e the federal government has no measures may be questionable authority to tell states and their because courts generally have citizens to buy health insurance. held that federal laws trump "I think the alarm bell has been those in states. rung," said Clint Bolick, the Lawmakers in 34 states have constitutional litigation director Submitted at 2/1/2010 5:28:10 AM
at the Goldwater Institute in Phoenix, which helped craft an Arizona amendment on this November's ballot that has been used as a model in other states. "These amendments are a way to manifest grass roots opposition" to federal health insurance mandates, Bolick said. "They kind of have a life of their own at this point. So while some of the pressure may be off, I think that this movement has legs." Separate bills passed by the U.S. House and Senate would impose a penalty on people who don't have health insurance except in cases of financial hardship. Subsidies would be provided to low-income and middle-income households. The intent of the mandate is to expand the pool of people who are insured and paying premiums and thus offset the increased costs of insuring those with preexisting conditions or other risks. The federal bills also would require many businesses to pay a penalty if they fail to provide employees health insurance that meets certain standards, though details and exemptions vary between the House and Senate versions. Obama and Democratic legislative leaders were working to merge the two bills when Republican Scott Brown won the Massachusetts Senate seat long
held by the late Edward M. Kennedy on Jan. 19, leaving Democrats one seat shy of the number needed to break a Republican filibuster. Since then, the federal legislation has been in limbo. But state lawmakers have not. "We need to move ahead no matter what kind of maneuvering continues in Washington, D.C.," said Missouri Sen. Jane Cunningham, a Republican from suburban St. Louis. Since suffering resounding defeats in the 2008 elections, Republicans have seized upon voter unease over the federal health care legislation to help revitalize their fortunes. A USA Today/Gallup poll conducted the day after the Massachusetts vote found that about 55 percent of respondents — including a majority of selfdescribed independents — favored putting the breaks on the current health care legislation. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. State laws or constitutional amendments clearly could bar lawmakers in those states from requiring individuals to purchase health insurance, such as Massachusetts has done. But it's questionable that such the measures could shield state residents from a federal health
insurance requirement. "They are merely symbolic gestures," said Michael Dorf, a constitutional law professor at Cornell University. "If this Congress were to pass an individual mandate, and if it is constitutional — which I believe it is — the express rule under the supremacy clause(of the U.S. Constitution) is that the federal law prevails." Many Democratic lawmakers are skeptical of both the intent and the effect of the state measures, entitled in many states as the " Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act." Some have derided it as "political theater" or an attempt to merely shape the public debate. "We need to do something about health care," said Idaho Rep. Phylis King, a Boise Democrat. "And the federal government is trying to do something. It hurts our companies and it hurts our people to be uninsured." ___ Associated Press writer John Miller in Boise, Idaho contributed to this report. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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US to resume Haiti victim airlift (BBC News | Americas | World Edition) Submitted at 2/1/2010 5:53:01 AM
The US will resume emergency evacuation flights for critically injured Haitian earthquake victims on Monday, the White House has said. Airlifts stopped last Wednesday after Florida's governor said his state's healthcare system was being swamped. Doctors warned that scores of people would die unless flights resumed. Meanwhile, some Haitian children identified as orphans by a group of Americans who were taking them abroad may have parents, it has emerged. Ten Americans are due to appear in court on Monday, after being stopped at Haiti's border with the Dominican Republic in a bus with 33 children. Haiti imposed new controls on the movement of children following the 12 January earthquake that killed up to 200,000 people. Officials fear that orphans are now particularly vulnerable to being abducted and sold for adoption. Also on Sunday, the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) began a large-scale aid distribution at 16 sites across Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince, aiming to feed two million people. Only women will be allowed to collect the 25kg (55lb) rice
ration, enough to feed a family for two weeks. The WFP says food is more likely to be shared equally within a family if it is given to the women. 'On track' White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said the US had expanded "access to additional facilities" in the US and abroad to treat the earthquake victims. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Imprisoned missionary Laura Silsby says they are innocent exclusive mobile footage courtesy of ABC News He said the hold-up in evacuation flights had been due to "logistical issues" rather than medical costs as had been reported.
"Having received assurances that additional capacity exists both here and among our international partners, we determined that we can resume these critical flights," he said. Hundreds of patients with spinal injuries, burns and other wounds have been flown on US military planes to America since the quake. More than 500 have been treated in Florida. Last week, Florida Governor Charlie Crist warned President Barack Obama's administration that the state's healthcare system was "quickly reaching saturation". Mr Crist also asked the federal government to activate the National Disaster Medical System, which usually pays for
victims' care in domestic disasters. 'Hungry and dehydrated' On Sunday, the international charity SOS Children's Villages said at least one of the 33 Haitian youngsters whom the Americans had tried to take out of Haiti, a little girl, insisted her parents were alive. Charity spokesman George Willeit told journalists the girl thought she was being taken to a boarding school or summer camp. Mr Willeit also said many of the children had been found to be in poor health, hungry and dehydrated. One of the smallest - just two or three months old - was so dehydrated she had to be taken to
hospital, he added. Haitian authorities said none of the children had documentation or proof that they were actually parentless. The 10 Americans, who are now in police custody in Port-auPrince, said they were simply trying to help the children by taking them to an orphanage in neighbouring Dominican Republic. The five men and five women, from Idaho-based charity New Life Children's Refuge, said the children had been entrusted into their care by a pastor whose orphanage and churches had collapsed. Laura Silsby, the group's leader, said they had the required clearances from the Dominican authorities, but admitted they had not obtained the proper Haitian documents. The BBC's Rupert WingfieldHayes, in Port-au-Prince, says the regulations are very clear each case of child adoption must be approved by the government. Even before the earthquake, he adds, child-smuggling was a massive problem in Haiti, with thousands of children disappearing each year. Print Sponsor Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
RESUME page 53
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that most worries the FBI's Gillies and James Loftus, interim director of the Miami-Dade Police Department. "I'm not an alarmist, but we worry about the lone guy with the rifle. That's where our attention is," Loftus said. "That's the guy who is not e-mailing, who is not networking." An Arizona man was sentenced to a year and a day in prison for mailing letters to major media outlets threatening to kill people at the 2008 Super Bowl. He was accused of bringing a semiautomatic rifle and 200 rounds of ammunition to a parking lot near the stadium; he did not attack, however, and turned himself into police. Loftus said another concern is someone who might try to use a false police or firefighter uniform to gain unauthorized access. Steps taken to thwart fake credentials and new "expertise" being used on bags carried into the stadium are among changes Ahlerich said were made to Super Bowl plans this year. He declined to go into details
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but said it's "certainly not uncommon" that guns and knives are found and taken away from people entering a Super Bowl, "and it'll probably happen again this year. ... (But) a very key part of our plan is deterrence. We want to scare the bad guys away, and they should be scared away, because they won't get in." Unlike the Super Bowl, the Olympics have been struck by terrorism. At the 1972 Munich Games, 11 athletes and coaches from Israel's Olympic team were killed after being taken hostage by Palestinian gunmen. A bombing in a park during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics killed one and injured more than 100 and was found to be the work of an anti-government extremist. A senior International Olympic Committee member told the AP there have been other, lessserious security threats thwarted at past Olympics. The person spoke on condition of anonymity, citing an IOC policy of not talking publicly about security issues. Another IOC official, executive board member Craig Reedie of
Britain, said security concerns were raised by the ambush of the Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan last year and the machine gun attack on a bus carrying the Togo soccer team to the African Cup of Nations in Angola in January. Detailed security planning has been under way for Vancouver since the IOC approved its bid seven years ago. A security budget initially projected at $175 million now tops $900 million, and the force for the games will include more than 15,000 people, a surveillance blimp hovering over Vancouver, and more than 900 surveillance cameras monitoring competition venues and crowd-attracting public areas. Similarly, security planning for the World Cup began years ago. South African police and military forces are coordinating efforts for soccer's showcase event and have conducted training simulations of chemical, biological and radiation attacks. During the World Cup, fans driving to matches must park more than a half-mile away; only
officials and teams can drive right up to a stadium. Once they arrive, spectators will have to show tickets to police and be subject to searches. Clearly, that final step is considered key at all events. "We feel very good about the plan. The concern always comes down to execution: We're depending on the team or the individual to execute," the NFL's Ahlerich said. "We've got a couple of thousand civilian security personnel and certainly a great number of sworn personnel assigned to this. If everybody does their job the way we planned, we'll be just fine. But if someone doesn't, then you've got risks associated — more risk than you would hope." Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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US army equips for multiple wars (BBC News | Americas | World Edition) Submitted at 2/1/2010 4:30:32 AM
The US military must shift its focus to fighting a wide range of threats - from cyber attacks to terrorism - the Pentagon's 2010 ARMY page 54
Plane lands on New Jersey highway (BBC News | Americas | World Edition) Submitted at 2/1/2010 4:35:14 AM
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Small plane makes emergency landing on New Jersey turnpike
A small plane has made an emergency landing on a highway in the US state of New Jersey, officials say. Neither of the two people on board were injured in the incident on the New Jersey east of Philadelphia. Turnpike, about five miles (8km) Turnpike Authority spokesman
Joe Orlando said the plane was Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: believed to be involved in traffic PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, reports for radio and TV stations. Term Extraction. He expected police to move the plane on to a truck for removal, he said. Print Sponsor Five Filters featured article:
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ARMY continued from page 53
draft strategy says. The quadrennial defence review - set to be unveiled in Washington - revises the previous objective of being equipped to fight two major conflicts at any time. The strategy accounts for threats such as cyber attacks, global warming and "hybrid" guerrillastyle insurgencies. It comes on the same day that the US defence secretary unveils his budget. Robert Gates' proposed 2011 spending plan comes to more than $700bn (£440bn), a modest 2% increase, the draft documents show. But it avoids the sweeping cuts to major weapons programmes seen in last year's budget. New threats The Pentagon is mandated by Congress to review America's defence priorities every four years. The 2010 Quadrennial Defence Review will show the continuing evolution of military thinking away from conventional warfare to the increased threat from nonstate actors, like al-Qaeda. China is still seen as a problem but the wars in Afghanistan and
Iraq have forced the US military to focus on the actual enemy, more than potential threats. That will be reflected in defence spending. More money will be spent on special forces helicopters and drones or UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) - the equipment the army needs now, rather than what it might need in 20 years time. Robert Gates is lucky - while President Barack Obama is putting the squeeze on public spending, defence will be one of the few areas of government that will receive more money. According to the draft 2010 quadrennial defence review: "It is no longer appropriate to speak of 'major regional conflicts' as the sole or even the primary template for sizing, shaping and evaluating US forces." It highlights "a multiplicity of threats", including satellite and cyber attacks, as well as terrorist groups and the prospect of more nuclear-armed nations. But it says the military's top priority is to "prevail in today's wars", citing the need to "dismantle terrorist networks" in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The plan allocates new funding for helicopters, unmanned planes and special operations units, which have played a key role in both conflicts. It outlines a joint Air ForceNavy battle plan to counter the threats from nations such as China, Iran and North Korea, citing their increasingly sophisticated aerial defence and strike systems. The report says Mr Gates will also seek to overhaul the military's acquisitions system so the US can get key supplies quickly to its own bases and those of its partners around the world. The review for the first time identifies global warming as a potential trigger of instability or conflict around the world. Print Sponsor Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, (Holy Kaw!) Term Extraction.
Steve Jobs lets it rip Submitted at 1/31/2010 8:51:00 PM
Steve Jobs let it rip against Google and Adobe at an employee meeting. There are conflicting reports about what he said about the companies, but this is interesting reading nonetheless. Robert Scoble, by the way, is
also saying that Adobe can’t save Flash, but Google can. Pardon my interruption but is anyone thinking of the customer? Details, details. (Via Wired) More on Apple, Google, and Adobe. Photo credit: Fotolia Permalink| Leave a comment »
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LANDRIEU continued from page 49
It was there that O'Keefe telegraphed publicly that he was working on a new, secret project in New Orleans. The Saturday night after the Pelican Institute luncheon, Angel invited the group to watch his band perform at the Bombay Club jazz bar near the Quarter. And the next night, on the eve of their visit to Landrieu's office, they returned to the club to watch the Saints on the big screen beat the Minnesota Vikings to win the NFC Championship. Basel, a Vikings fan, got ribbed by the others, Angel said. The guys weren't big drinkers or big tippers, said Bennett Sheehy, the 29-year-old bartender who served them. Flanagan drank a mojito and rum and cokes; Dai preferred Maker's Mark bourbon. Sheehy served them a traditional Mardi Gras king cake, brought out after Angel said he was hungry. More than two months before their trip to New Orleans, O'Keefe and Basel videotaped another stunt, this time testing the patience of administrators at
Washington University in St. Louis with a fake Russian gulag built in an open area. The video mocking college liberals features Basel, dressed as a gulag guard, asking a student at one point, "Don't you have the desire to have a brotherhood with the common man?" Basel, the son of a Lutheran pastor, worked at one time for a Minnesota Republican state senator and for a brief period in 2008 on a dairy farm in Morris, Minn. Like the others, Dai also has a history of political activism. It dates back to when he brought conservative political commentator Bay Buchanan to his Illinois high school as part of his work with the Young America's Foundation, group spokesman Jason Mattera said. The Washington-area foundation develops political activists and counts as one of its stars Hannah Giles, who played the prostitute in the ACORN videos. Later, Dai's interest turned to intelligence, a field where he found work as a government contractor.
Flanagan stands out from the others because he didn't share a background in conservative college publications. The AllAmerican pitcher for the Division III baseball team at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn., was enrolled last year at Missouri State University's Department of Defense and Strategic Studies, in Fairfax, Va. He served as a paid Washington intern for Republican Rep. Mary Fallin of Oklahoma and also interned for Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn. ___ Associated Press Writer Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis contributed to this report. ___ The AP National Investigative Team can be reached at investigate(at) ap.org Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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Wall Street bucks the bearish trend (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 2/1/2010 7:45:20 AM
15:45 GMT. New month, same concerns, but Wall Street appears to be sick of the selling. Asian equities dropped to their lowest in three months and European bourses initially recorded further declines, as
investors continued to see strong Chinese data as a reason for caution and traders steeled themselves for another week rich with political, policy and economic catalysts. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
Around the Net In Media: Cablevision Asks Court To Review 'Must Carry' (MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 1/31/2010 8:51:07 PM
Cablevision has asked the Supreme Court to review the constitutionality of the mustcarry rules, which require cable operators to carry local broadcast stations. What was once a cable monopoly, Cablevision concedes to the court, "has been replaced by vibrant competition." Specifically, Cablevision wants the court to hear the cable company's appeal of a Second Circuit decision upholding the FCC's must-carry mandate for station WRNN. A three-judge
panel in June 2009 rejected Cablevision's challenge to an FCC order requiring carriage of WRNN New York in some Long Island communities under the must-carry provision. The full court in October rejected Cablevision's petition for a rehearing before the full court. So far, the court has taken an expansive view of must-carry benefits. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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Mexico partygoers die in attack (BBC News | Americas | World Edition)
Around the Net In Media: 'WSJ' Savvy: Targets NYC News, Advertisers
Submitted at 2/1/2010 12:23:33 AM
(MediaPost | Media News)
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Gunmen kill partygoers in Mexico Gunmen have killed at least 14 people at a high school student party in the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez. Three adults and 11 teenagers died, while some 20 others were injured, as the attackers fired indiscriminately. Authorities say they are investigating any links to the drug gangs that have made Ciudad Juarez one of the world's most dangerous cities. But witnesses said the victims, most aged between 15 and 20, had no ties to traffickers. "It must have been a huge mistake," Martha Lujan, who lives in the housing complex where the attack took place, told the Associated Press news agency. Patricia Gonzalez, the attorney general for Chihuhua state, where Ciudad Juarez is located said: "We have two lines of investigation and one of them is linked to drug trafficking. "We know from witnesses that the men arrived looking for someone." Witnesses said the gunmen
Submitted at 1/31/2010 8:51:00 PM
drove up to the house in several cars late on Saturday or in the early hours of Sunday. Scattered bodies They began shooting at people from outside the property before moving inside, and pursued some of the youngsters trying to escape over a fence. The bodies of the victims lay scattered around the house. Unnamed police officials told AP news agency that witnesses had counted at least 15 attackers. "The men drove up in four SUVs, they were well-armed. They went into the house and shot at everyone, you could hear
the gunfire all around," said a neighbour at the scene, quoted by Reuters news agency. Ciudad Juarez, straddling a highly lucrative drug-smuggling route into the US, is the scene of a vicious ongoing turf war between rival cartels. At least 15 other people died in the city, on the US border, at the weekend. Some 45,000 troops and extra police have been deployed to crack down on the gangs in the city, across the border from El Paso, Texas. But the campaign has done little to curb the bloodletting - more
"A brilliant move" is what Mort Zuckerman, the publisher of The Daily News calls The Wall Street Journal upcoming NYC metro section. And while the Murdochowned paper is aiming at The New York Times, which has lost some local news coverage. He's not referring to losing editorial circulation, however. "Frankly, it's not the readers I'm worried about, it's the advertisers" says Zuckerman. Others who may have cause for concern: Newsday, the New York Observer, Time Out New than 7,000 people reportedly York, New York Magazine and died in Mexican drug-related even Murdoch's own New York violence last year. Post. "Everybody's going to be Beheadings, attacks on police, affected because there's a finite and shootings in clubs and amount of advertising in print restaurants are a daily occurrence these days." in some regions. Five Filters featured article: In two of the worst attacks in Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: 2009, gunmen stormed drug PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, r e h a b i l i t a t i o n c l i n i c s i n Term Extraction. September, killing nearly 30 people. Print Sponsor Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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The US budget: Budget day
Around the Net In Media: CBS Rejects GoDaddy Super Bowl Ad
(The Economist: News analysis)
and downs, and an expensive drug benefit for Medicare (the health system for the elderly) Submitted at 1/31/2010 11:56:43 PM that was supported by both The US budget Barack Obama parties, pushed public finances is caught between a rising deep into the red. deficit, stubborn unemployment As hard as Mr Obama and his and political paralysis advisers have tried to remind Feb 1st 2010 | NEW YORK | voters of the fiscal situation that From The Economist online he inherited, the president is now A MEETING between Barack seen to “own” the economy and Obama and Republican members the tide of red ink that America of the House of Representatives faces. So as he proposes his first last week proved to be an full-year budget on Monday unusually frank, if polite, affair. February 1st, he is stressing not The president sought to put the the goodies the budget will dole members of the minority party out but the programmes he is on the spot before the television c u t t i n g a n d c o n s o l i d a t i n g . cameras, allowing them to voice According to the White House, their concerns but also asking t h e n e w b u d g e t c u t s 1 2 0 them to offer proposals. Both p r o g r a m m e s , w i t h s a v i n g s sides were pleased with having a expected to total $20 billion. chance to make their rivals These include combining 38 squirm. The deficit was an area education programmes into 11, of particular focus. and cutting money for parks, The Republicans, as well as the brownfield development and amorphous but vigorous “tea other areas. party” movement, have managed Whereas the deficit has become to put deficit spending on the more prominent the White House national agenda like at no time has its eyes on another concern: since the early 1990s when Bill jobs. In the early 1980s under Clinton came to office on a wave Ronald Reagan, and then in the of anxiety about the economy. late 1990s under Mr Clinton, the During Mr Clinton’s terms the u n e m p l o y m e n t r a t e a n d economy boomed and deficits p r e s i d e n t i a l p o p u l a r i t y became surpluses. During those corresponded eerily closely. Late of his successor, George Bush, last week GDP figures for the the public let slip its attention on fourth quarter of 2009 showed overspending. Two wars, two the strongest quarterly economic popular tax cuts, economic ups growth since 2003. But the
president and his supporters have reacted cautiously, as economic analysts warn that the recovery remains fragile and as job figures and (closely related) consumption numbers remain weak. Can the president get Americans back to work? On Friday he proposed a package of tax incentives for job creation: small businesses would get a $5,000 tax credit for every worker hired. In addition, those who raise pay above inflation for existing workers will get a credit on their Social Security taxes, a payroll tax that adds a good deal to the cost of every worker. Republicans dismiss this as small beer and remind the president that not just Reagan but John Kennedy pushed through economy-wide, broad-based tax cuts to stimulate the economy in a recession. Neither party talks comfortably about the real tax-and-spend issue, entitlements. Last week the Congressional Budget Office said that the national debt is on course to triple in ten years. The three-year discretionaryspending freeze Mr Obama backed at his state-of-the-union address last week would reap only small savings next to the rising costs of Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid, the health-insurance programme for
the poor. Mr Obama wants a commission to propose a deficitreduction plan that would have to pass Congress without amendment. This could be one way to tackle entitlements. But Mr Obama could not get the creation of such a commission through the Senate (and thus has talked of creating one by executive order). Many Republicans want such a commission to focus only on spending cuts and not tax increases, and some Democrats fear entitlement cuts. The Republican refusal to countenance tax increases could make them look irresponsible. But they may gamble that with control of Congress and the presidency, any political pain for deficits, joblessness and the rest will only be felt by the Democrats. The most shameless partisans on both sides glory in trying to make the other look like it will throw the elderly out in the cold if Medicare and Social Security are reformed. Making hard choices is all but impossible when political gamesmanship is at the fore. Readers' comments The Economist welcomes your views. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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(MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 1/31/2010 8:50:42 PM
A Go Daddy Group Super Bowl spot was rejected by CBS, which has gotten flack for its decision to run an anti-abortion spot for Focus on the Family. The rejected commercial features an effeminate former football star named Lola who designs lingerie for women and refers to a Go Daddy online retail portal. The spot is narrated by race car driver Danica Patrick. Go Daddy was told the ad "had the potential to offend a significant number of people." "It's the first time for me I've been baffled," said Go Daddy CEO Bob Parsons. "Usually we may get an ad rejected and we'll understand." Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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Research Brief: Bargain Hunters Start With Newspaper and Magazine Ads (MediaPost | Media News)
Respondents) Age Total According to a recent Adweek 18-34 Media/ Harris Poll, 23% of adult 35-44 A m e r i c a n s b e l i e v e t h a t 45-54 n e w s p a p e r a n d m a g a z i n e 55+ advertisements are where they Newspaper/Magazine can find the best bargains. 18% a d v e r t i s e m e n t s believe online advertisements are 23% most likely to help them find the 15% best bargains. 10% say direct 16% mail and 12% catalogs, 11% 24% television commercials, and just 33% 2% say radio. And, 34% of Online advertisements Americans believe the type of ad 18 makes no difference when they 22 are looking for the best bargain. 26 When looking for the best 17 bargains, different age groups 12 have different ideas of where to Direct mail and catalogs look: 12 • 18-34 year olds are more 13 likely to say online ads (22%) 13 and television commercials 14 (17%) are the best places to go 10 • 35-44 year olds go online Television commercials (26%) 11 • 24% of those 44-54 and 17 33% of those 55 and older say 12 newspaper and magazine 8 advertisements those are media 7 most likely to help them find the Radio best bargain 2 2 Advertising Most Likely to Help 3 Find Bargain - Age(Base: All 1 U.S. adults; % of Category None- the type of ad makes no Submitted at 2/1/2010 5:15:25 AM
difference Education(Base: All U.S. adults; 34 % of Category Respondents) 31 Gender 31 Education 36 Total 36 Men Source: Harris Polls, January Women 2010 HS or less Among the genders, women are Some college more likely than men to say College grad newspaper and magazine Newspaper/Magazine advertisements, and direct mail a d v e r t i s e m e n t s and catalogs are more likely to 23% help them find a bargain. Men, 22% on the other hand, are more 24% l i k e l y t o s a y o n l i n e 25% advertisements are more likely to 23% help them find a bargain. 20% There is also an interesting Online advertisements educational difference in the 18 media people believe can help 21 them find the best bargains: 16 • One-quarter of those with a 12 high school education or less say 18 n e w s p a p e r a n d m a g a z i n e 29 advertisements are more likely to Direct mail and catalogs h e l p t h e m f i n d a b a r g a i n , 12 compared to 20% of those 11 with at least a college degree. 14 • 29% with at least a college 12 d e g r e e b e l i e v e o n l i n e 12 a d v e r t i s e m e n t s a r e m o r e 12 likely to help them find a bargain Television commercials compared to 12% of those with a 11 high school education or less 12 10 Advertising Most Likely to Help 12 Find Bargain - Gender & 12
8 Radio 2 2 1 3 1 1 None- the type of ad makes no difference 34 32 35 36 33 31 Source: Harris Polls, January 2010 The report concludes that, while newspaper ads are still slightly ahead of others among all adults when it comes to bargain hunting, online is not far behind. And, online ads lead newspaper and magazine ads, as a source of information about bargains, among younger, better educated consumers, who are much more attractive to most advertisers. Please visit here for additional information about the study. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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Color E-readers a Hit at Book Fair, to Be Sold Like Handsets (PC World via Yahoo! News) (Yahoo! News Search Results for e-readers) Submitted at 2/1/2010 2:50:09 AM
Taiwanese e-reader makers jockeyed to show off new technologies at the Taipei International Book Exhibition over the weekend and said the emerging model for the devices is to sell them as part of a content bundle. Taipei is a fitting place to show new e-readers because Taiwanese companies are leading the charge for the three leading e-paper technologies on the market. They hope to push down device prices while upping the ante on features this year to compete with newcomers such as Apple's iPad. Several companies were showing off devices with regular LCD screens on board, mostly aimed at schoolchildren. LCD screens are less expensive than epaper screens and offer color and multimedia, but use up batteries faster. The iPad also has an LCD screen and boasts 10 hours of battery life, but e-readers can run for a few weeks without a recharge. There is also some debate over the impact of LCD screens on eye health. People who use video screens at work have complained of eye strain, blurred vision, headaches
and neck pain, but it is unclear whether these symptoms can be blamed on the screens because similar complaints come from people in other jobs that induce eye strain but where video screens are not present, according to the American Optometric Association. The association called the symptoms a "growing health problem" but said that "based on current evidence it is unlikely that the use of VDTs (video display terminals) causes permanent changes or damage to the eyes or visual system." Companies such as LCD screen maker AU Optronics say LCD screens are not ideal for eye health because of the backlight, and that reading on e-paper using natural room light is better for the eyes. AU owns a major stake in SiPix Imaging, an e-paper technology developer. Hiachieve Digital Technology (HCD) showed off the iWonder 10.1-inch LCD touchscreen tablet PC aimed at schoolchildren at the book fair. The device uses a regular LCD screen so comic books, newspapers, magazines, Web content and more can be viewed in color as on any computer screen. The device was chosen for a government trial at a few elementary schools in Taiwan
that starts mid-year, said Jim Sun, CEO of HCD. Taiwan's Ministry of Education plans to distribute e-readers to students across the island over the next few years. HCD has already signed deals with some private schools to use the device. It will cost around NT$15,000 (US$470) each bundled with "a lot of content," he said. Prices differ depending on content agreements. The device is being manufactured by Hon Hai Precision Industry, the world's largest contract electronics maker. Another company showing off an LCD device for children at the book fair was Aiptek International, with its inColor story book. The device has an 8inch LCD screen and comes with 20 multimedia books on board for NT$6,900 (US$216) in Taiwan. The only company showing off color e-paper screens at the book fair was Taiwan's Delta Electronics. The company displayed its new 13.1-inch ereaders made with e-paper technology from Japan's Bridgestone at the book fair. Delta plans to start marketing the new 13.1-inch color touchscreen e-reader around the end of the second quarter. The ereader is the size of an A4 sheet of paper, suitable for viewing
business documents. Bridgestone, well-known for its tire business, showed the 13.1inch e-paper technology off last year at a show in Japan. Delta is seeking partnerships with book, magazine and comic book publishers, as well as newspapers, to launch the devices, said Hui Lee, director of the e-Paper business program at Delta. Working together, the companies will try to offer the ereader at a subsidized price if users pay for a multi-year content agreement, similar to mobile phone contracts, she said. The 13.1-inch e-readers allow users to write notes on them and could come with wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi or 3G once they're on the market, she said. The price of the device will depend on agreements with the content providers. Several companies displayed monochrome e-readers with epaper technology from market leader E-ink, which was bought by Taiwanese manufacturer Prime View International last year. E-ink technology leads the market and is used in devices including Amazon's Kindle and Sony's Reader. The JinYong Reader, designed by Taiwan's Koobe, will be launched in April by Yuen-Liou Publishing Company for between NT$10,000 and
NT$12,000 in Taiwan, depending on a content agreement, according to a YuenLiou representative. The device has a 6-inch e-paper screen and comes with built-in Chinese and Chinese-English dictionaries. Greenbook, another Taiwanese company, will sell its 6-inch ereader for NT$8,950 as part of a content deal. The device was made by Hon Hai subsidiary Netronix, which uses E-ink digital ink technology. The third e-paper technology on display at the book exhibition was from SiPix. BenQ is using the technology in its nReader, which carries a 6inch touchscreen screen and went on sale last week for NT$8,990 each in retail stores throughout Taiwan. The nReader comes loaded with 40 e-books. Taiwanese companies showed off dozens of other devices with software to make them more reading-friendly, including netbooks, laptops, smartphones and tablet PCs at the book exhibition. The show ended Monday. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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E-Readers and Libraries (The Kitsap Sun) (Yahoo! News Search Results for e-readers) Submitted at 1/31/2010 5:58:00 PM
As the hype over e-readers like the Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble’s Nook intensifies, libraries are looking to the future, and thinking about changes that would make it easier to loan books to people using e-readers. (PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DEREK SHEPPARD | KITSAP SUN) As the hype over e-readers like the Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble’s Nook intensifies, libraries are looking to the future, and thinking about changes that would make it easier to loan books to people using e-readers. (PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DEREK SHEPPARD | KITSAP SUN) As the hype over e-readers like the Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble’s Nook intensifies, libraries are looking to the future, and thinking about changes that would make it easier to loan books to people using e-readers. (PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DEREK SHEPPARD | KITSAP SUN) As the hype over e-readers like the Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble’s Nook intensifies, libraries are looking to the future, and thinking about changes that would make it easier to loan books to people using e-readers. (PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DEREK SHEPPARD | KITSAP SUN)
E-book, Kindle, Nook, iPad. The marketing hype is bombarding consumers and publishers as tech companies push the evolution of reading from paper to pixels. The jury is out on whether ereaders will be a dominant force that forever changes how people read, but there’s a lot of public discussion on buying e-books and e-readers. But what if you’re a Kitsap Regional Library user, or an Olympic College student who doesn’t want to buy your books? Can your Kindle get books from the library? Sort of. As the system exists now, choice is limited, and several technological hurdles are yet to be scaled, librarians said. That doesn’t mean libraries aren’t thinking about the changing technology. “We need to be on the cutting edge, but not the bleeding edge,” KRL director Jill Jean said. Libraries with shrinking budgets are mostly taking a wait-and-see approach to the e-book phenomenon, but they have waded in a little. KRL has about 800 digital titles available for loan and Olympic College has about 7,000. But technology remains a hurdle. Some e-readers and ebooks match up like square pegs and round holes. At issue are varying file formats and digital walls built into some e-readers, which allow or disallow certain books to be read
on certain devices. “The Kindle, it just works with Amazon’s things,” said Michelle Will, who is in charge of buying digital material for KRL’s collection. If publishers and e-reader manufacturers eventually settle on a standard file format, librarians say, lending would be much simpler. (Currently, the Sony readers work best with
KRL titles, librarians said. You can also read the e-books on your computer.) “There are no institutional models set up for these yet,” said Greg Raschke, who is in charge of a pilot program at North Carolina State University that lends e-readers to students. Right now, Google, Apple and Amazon are in a fight to determine which format will
prevail. Everyone else is waiting for the dust to settle. There’s also the issue of money. Will said KRL’s collection of ebooks will build following patron demand — as more people ask for e-books, more of the budget will flow that direction. But the different file formats force the library to buy multiple versions of each e-book. Given the uncertainty about ereader popularity and the stability of file formats, “we sort of have to wait and see,” Jean said. “We can’t just throw dollars down the drain.” Another issue confronting librarians grappling with the new technology is piracy. Concerns over that issue are among the reasons some e-books are locked into certain devices. Olympic College Dean of Library-Media Ruth Ross said a balance must be struck between the need to offer media in formats that are easy to loan out on e-readers, and the need to make sure authors and publishers are still able to make money. “The good stuff isn’t free,” she said, “and the libraries are paying for it for you.” Raschke dreams of someday having the chance to convince Amazon boss Jeff Bezos of the role of libraries in making ereaders more mainstream. “I could convince him that libraries are a great incubator,” E-READERS page 61
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Current Crop of E-Readers Compared: iPad vs. the Rest [Infographic] (Lifehacker) (Yahoo! News Search Results for e-readers) Submitted at 1/31/2010 2:11:58 PM
Developer and blogger Darren Beckett rounds up a crop of five e-readers and gives them a short price and feature comparison with the newly released iPad—and rolled the results into an eye-friendly infographic. (Click the image above for a closer look.) We may have our problems with the iPad, but that doesn't mean people aren't interested in buying it. This comparison pits the iPad against other similar devices, highlighting price, screen size and type, storage, input, multitasking, multi-function, and connectivity. The chart's not perfect (it only compares the bottom-of-the-barrel iPad, so when it says the connectivity is only Wi-Fi, keep in mind that more spendy iPads also have 3G), and it's not as detailed as, say, this excellent comparison of
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the current crop of smartphones(which includes monthly fees for a true cost of ownership), but it still offers a nice overview of the market if the iPad's piqued your interest. Most e-reader enthusiasts would likely point to the iPad's lack of e -ink as a pretty big red mark—and that because of that the iPad maybe isn't something you'd even want to compare to
an e-reader. But convergence devices like the iPad are certainly attractive when they can swallow the functionality of other devices (like e-readers) and offer a lot more at a similar price, so you can be sure that a lot of people interested in buying a Kindle will also be considering the iPad. Give your thoughts on the matter—especially if you've got
experience with any of the other readers listed—in the comments. (Note: The JooJoo is still an unreleased product but is, in theory, more like the iPad.) Send an email to Adam Pash, the author of this post, at tips+adam@lifehacker.com. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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Party ID: Despite GOP Gains, Most States Remain Blue (All Gallup Headlines) Submitted at 1/31/2010 8:00:00 PM
PRINCETON, NJ -- Rhode Island and Massachusetts -along with the District of Columbia -- were the most Democratic U.S. states in 2009, based on their residents' stated political affiliations. Wyoming and Utah ranked as the two most Republican states in the nation. These results are based on aggregated data from Gallup Daily tracking in 2009, including interviews with more than 350,000 adults in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia. Gallup conducted at least 1,000 interviews in every state except Wyoming (878), North Dakota (968), Delaware (997), and the District of Columbia (632). Gallup interviewed more than 20,000 residents each in California, Texas, New York, and Pennsylvania. Nationwide, party support shifted in a slightly more Republican direction in 2009 after a historically strong Democratic year in 2008. Overall, 49% of Americans in 2009 identified as Democrats or said they were independent but leaned to the Democratic Party, while 41% identified as Republicans or were Republicanleaning independents. That 8point Democratic advantage compares to a 12-point, 52% to 40%, Democratic advantage in 2008. Thus, even with the reduction in
Democratic strength, the party still maintained a solid advantage over the Republicans nationally last year. It follows, then, that most states continued to be Democratic in their political orientation. (A table showing the full data for each state appears at the end of the article.) It is important to note that the classification of states reported here is based on the political affiliations of all residents, and does not necessarily indicate how a state might vote in a given election. Also, the partisanship figures include independents who have a partisan leaning with each party's core identifiers. This makes the states more comparable because the percentage of independents varies widely by state, and can understate a party's true strength in a state. In total, 23 states plus the District of Columbia can be classified as solidly Democratic, with a 10 percentage-point or greater advantage in party affiliation in favor of the Democrats. This includes most of the Northeast and midAtlantic regions, most of the Great Lakes region, and the Pacific Coast. Another 10 states can be considered Democratic leaning, in which the state's Democratic supporters outnumber Republican supporters by at least 5 percentage points but less than 10 points. These are Missouri, Kentucky, North Carolina,
Florida, New Hampshire, Virginia, Colorado, Nevada, Indiana, and Tennessee. Four states are solidly Republican, with a better than 10 -point advantage in Republican affiliation -- Wyoming, Utah, Alaska, and Idaho. Alabama qualifies as the lone Republicanleaning state, with a 6-point advantage in Republican affiliation. That leaves 12 states that are competitive, with less than a 5point advantage for either party. Among these 13 states, 6 tilt in a Republican direction: Montana, Nebraska, Mississippi, Texas, North Dakota, and Kansas. Six tilt toward the Democratic Party: Georgia, South Dakota, Louisiana, Arizona, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. Party Trends by State, 2008 vs. 2009
As at the national level, most of the states showed movement in the Republican direction in 2009, with a reduction of the Democratic advantage in 39 states and the District of Columbia. The greatest movement toward the GOP occurred in the District of Columbia, Ohio, Louisiana, Montana, and Hawaii. Seven states showed at least a slight increase in the Democratic advantage, while four states showed no change. But these shifts were generally not large enough to fundamentally shake up the political map. In fact, the total number of Republican-leaning or solid Republican states was unchanged from the prior year. Rather, in 2009, there was an increase in competitive states and Democratic-leaning states, and a reduction in the number of solidly Democratic states, from 30 to 24. The lists of top 10 Democratic and Republican states were also generally similar in 2008 and 2009. The membership of the 10 most Democratic states was the same in 2009 as in 2008, with a minor shuffling of the order of these. The District of Columbia, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts topped the Democratic list in both years. Last year, Utah ranked ahead of Wyoming as the most Republican state, but this year Wyoming has a slight edge. Arizona and South Carolina were
among the top 10 Republican states in 2008 but were just outside the top 10 list in 2009. Texas is new to the list of top 10 Republican states. Bottom Line Despite the modest shift toward a decreased affiliation with the Democratic Party and an increased affiliation with the Republican Party in 2009 compared to 2008, the United States remained a Democratically oriented nation last year. In all, 33 states and the District of Columbia were either solidly Democratic or leaning Democratic in terms of the political party leanings of their residents. Twelve states were fairly evenly balanced between Democratic and Republican supporters, and 5 states were solidly or leaning Republican. Gallup's "State of the States" series reveals state-by-state differences on political, economic, and well-being measures Gallup tracks each day. New stories will be released throughout the month of February. Survey Methods Results are based on telephone interviews with 353,849 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted in 2009 as part of Gallup Poll Daily tracking. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the PARTY page 63
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maximum margin of sampling error is ±1 percentage point. The margin of error for most states is ±2 percentage points, but is as high as ±4 percentage points for Delaware, Hawaii, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia. For the most populous states, the margin of error is ±1 percentage point. Interviews are conducted with respondents on land-line telephones and cellular phones.
In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.