Liberty Newspost Feb-08-10

E-reader News Edition

07/02/10 - 08/02/10

http://www.LibertyNewspost.com

Victor Yanukovych heads for Ukrainian presidency

by Luke Harding (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)

had put him up to four points ahead.

International monitors described the vote as "professional, Submitted at 2/8/2010 7:51:07 AM transparent and honest" and • E a r l y r e s u l t s p u t r i v a l called on the country's political Tymoshenko three points behind leaders to ensure a peaceful • International monitors praise transition of power. ' i m p r e s s i v e d i s p l a y ' o f The observers, headed by the democracy Organisation for Security and Co Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine's -operation in Europe, said: Russia-leaning opposition leader, " Y e s t e r d a y ' s v o t e w a s a n is on course to become the impressive display of democratic country's president, with early elections. For everyone in results indicating a three-point Ukraine this election was a lead over his bitter rival, the victory. It is now time for the p r i m e m i n i s t e r , Y u l i a country's political leaders to Tymoshenko. listen to the people's verdict and Yanukovych, the villain of the make sure that the transition of 2004 Orange revolution, power is peaceful and appeared to be -heading for a c o n s t r u c t i v e . " remarkable comeback. With The verdict undermined more than 98% of the vote T y m o s h e n k o ' s c h a n c e s o f c o u n t e d , r e s u l t s s h o w e d succesfully appealing against the Yanukovych with 48.6%, against result in court. On Sunday night 45.81% for his long-time rival she refused to concede defeat, Tymoshenko. Earlier exit polls but she remained silent today and

Advertisement: (Inc.com)

postponed a scheduled news conference.

Claiming victory on Sunday night, Yanukovych said in a TV interview: "I think Yulia Tymoshenko should prepare to resign. She understands that well." He said his priority as president would be to restore the economy: "I will carry out the reforms that will allow us to overcome soon the consequences of the economic crisis."

Describing the vote as a "turning point in our country's history", he said he would pursue policies that helped all Ukrainians and not favour one geographical area.

"We don't need to find enemies in our country. We need to unite together," he said.

Tymoshenko said on Sunday night that her opponent's slender lead in exit polls was "within the margin of error … it is too soon to draw any conclusions". Even before polling stations had

closed her aides had accused Yanukovych of "open banditry and terrorism", claiming that her election observers had been barred from 1,000 polling stations in the eastern Donetsk region. Yanukovych's Regions party rejected this.

Hundreds of Yanukovych supporters took to the streets of Kiev and set up camp outside Ukraine's central election commission building, an echo of the protests against him during the revolution on Kiev's Independence Square five years ago.

• Ukraine Luke Harding guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

Video: Yanukovych set to become Ukrainian president (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk) Submitted at 2/8/2010 7:51:07 AM

The opposition leader appeared to be -heading for a remarkable comeback, showing a three-point lead over his bitter rival, the prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko

ADVERTISEMENT: (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 2/8/2010 10:00:00 AM

2

World/

E-reader News Edition

Gay rights groups attack FA delay over anti-homophobia film

by Owen Gibson (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)

of the FA's dissolution of the broad-based Tackling Homophobia Working Group," he added.

Submitted at 2/8/2010 8:05:31 AM He said the group had helped FA says internet film will be implement many constructive released after further talks with initiatives to rid football of gay rights groups homophobia, but that members The Football Association's had now been replaced by a c o m m i t m e n t t o t a c k l i n g "hand-picked, much smaller and homophobia in the game was less representative" group. "It no today called into question by gay longer includes all interested rights groups after the launch of stakeholders," he said. a much-heralded film designed Last year, Ben Summerskill, t o c o n f r o n t t h e i s s u e w a s chief executive of Stonewall, cancelled at the last minute. said the results of a survey Amid some unease about the showing that seven in 10 fans content of the hard-hitting had witnessed homophobic video, produced by advertising abuse proved that football was agency Ogilvy to a brief agreed "institutionally homophobic". b y t h e F A i t s e l f , f o o t b a l l The video shows a man abusing diversity campaign group Kick It workmates, tube passengers and O u t a n d g a y r i g h t s g r o u p a newspaper seller with gay OutRage, Thursday's planned taunts, before doing the same at a launch of the film at Wembley football match. Captions make Stadium has been cancelled. the point that since homophobic The campaign had been in behaviour is not acceptable development for almost two outside football stadiums, it years and had been billed as a should not be acceptable within key moment in an embryonic them either. The FA planned to drive to tackle homophobia release the viral video via a m o n g p l a y e r s , f a n s a n d YouTube and its website. administrators.

According to Tatchell, FA "This last-minute cancellation is chairman Lord Triesman also a big disappointment. It has planned to send a copy to clubs t h r o w n t h e F o o t b a l l with a personal plea to show it at Association's commitment to half time in stadiums and send t a c k l i n g h o m o p h o b i a i n t o out the film to overseas football d i s a r r a y , " s a i d O u t R a g e associations. campaigner Peter Tatchell. The Justin Campaign – named "Contrary to what the FA is now after the only openly gay topsaying, the video and strategy flight footballer, the late Justin was agreed nearly two years ago. F a s h a n u – s a i d : " T h e This postponement comes on top postponement of this long

awaited and much needed video has raised grave concerns regarding the FA's overall approach to tackling homophobia."

It is believed that while the FA had signed off the script for the film, it only recently saw the final version. It will consult more widely and conduct focus group research before finally releasing it.

As yet, not a single high profile footballer has followed the lead of Welsh rugby union international Gareth Thomas and come out.

"I wouldn't expect a player to come out by himself but I don't see any reason why three or four players shouldn't come out simultaneously. Players fear rejection, but that fear is grossly exaggerated," said Tatchell.

"Most fans are not homophobic and most sponsors would not withdraw their support. But one of the problems is that players often feel they wouldn't receive wholehearted support from their clubs. That has to change."

The decision has also sparked a debate within the gay community about whether the shocking video was the right strategy.

Tatchell agreed that Ogilvy's approach was effective but said he would have preferred a more "uplifting, MTV-style" video featuring high-profile players and criticised the FA for not doing more to sign them up.

But John Ameachi, the gay former NBA basketball player,

was scathing about the clip's content and what it said about the attitudes at the top of English football.

"Football can't shock fans out of being bigots – this process requires a highly strategic, multimodal approach, not to mention a significant investment," he wrote on his blog, also criticising the "cheap" £10,000 budget.

"Ninety seconds of bad language that will only be seen on the internet is not a solution to the problems faced by football and the concept of trying to create a 'viral video' to combat homophobia in football feels crass at best."

He added: "I have reached out on numerous occasions to help the Premier League, the Football Association and even UEFA make the necessary changes to bring them into the 21st century, but there is simply too much denial in too many quarters to penetrate to the heart of the problem in football."

Many of those attempting to force the game to face up to the issue liken the debate to that which surrounded racism in football grounds 25 years ago, with some clubs and players refusing to admit there is a problem.

Tatchell said the FA deserved credit for some of the work it has done in educating coaches and referees, and ensuring that homophobic abuse within grounds results in ejection or arrest, but its hesitation over the

video meant that it had misjudged a significant moment.

Piara Power, director of Kick It Out, said the FA had "got themselves into a mess". "If they had gone ahead as planned, I don't think any of this would have happened and no one would be doubting their sincerity," he said. "As campaigners with a long record of success of tackling discrimination in football we know our audience well and are confident the film will have the desired impact."

Power said gay rights groups, including OutRage, Stonewall and the Gay Football Supporters Network, were widely consulted on the film's content.

"We also know that a film of this kind cannot by itself solve the problem of homophobia in football. We intend to start an active debate that will be followed up by a series of other interventions, from within football and from within the LGBT community."

An FA spokesman said it was "committed to its stated aims of tackling homophobia in football". He added: "After consultation with our Tackling Homophobia Working Group we have now produced a viral film which will form part of our overall strategy. We will now enter a final stage of consultation and will shortly be in a position to announce the next stage of the GAY page 5

World/ Popular News/

E-reader News Edition

3

The real no-go area in Brussels | Khaled Diab

by Khaled Diab (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)

In addition to idle musings about who polices the police during such a protest, I wondered whether the Belgian capital's Submitted at 2/8/2010 8:03:35 AM image is deserved and whether Belgian media hysteria over m o r e d r a c o n i a n s e c u r i t y c r i m e a n d c a l l s f o r z e r o - measures are really the answer. tolerance policing miss the real According to available statistics, issue – social exclusion in the B r u s s e l s h a s , b y n o r t h e r n inner city European standards, a high petty Among Belgians, Brussels has crime rate and it is top of the something of a reputation for European league when it comes being an unsafe city where to domestic burglaries but is one criminals of Moroccan and other of the safest capitals in the world immigrant extractions rule its – and possibly the safest in m e a n s t r e e t s a n d c e r t a i n Europe– when it comes to neighbourhoods are no-go areas, violent crime, particularly not only for law-abiding citizens murder. And despite the current but also for the police. media stampede, in the first half Three recent incidents, including of 2009 Brussels registered the a dramatic one in which a police lowest crime rate in almost a o f f i c e r w a s s h o t w i t h a decade.

Kalashnikov during a getaway Like many Brussels residents, after a thwarted armed robbery, my wife and I lived for years have confirmed this perception without problems beyond some in the minds of many. minor annoyances, on the edge The predictable media frenzy – of what is regarded as one of the with a tone that would be c i t y ' s m o r e d a n g e r o u s familiar to a British audience – n e i g h b o u r h o o d s . about street crime and the need The public debate, carrying as it for "zero tolerance" followed hot d o e s r a c i a l a n d r e l i g i o u s on the heels of the tragic undertones, has not surprised shooting, and voices of reason locals in Brussels's problem and nuance have been drowned a r e a s b u t i t h a s c a u s e d out. The police even took to the widespread disappointment. streets to call for more resources "The violence we hear about in and pay, as well as stiffer the media is the exception and sentences and faster judicial not the rule," Kamal, a 32-yearprocedures. old Moroccan, told me. "With all

this talk of zero tolerance, respect has reached zero level.

We need a public debate, but one based on mutual respect and acceptance."

The sense of disillusionment is pervasive, especially in Kuregem, which is regularly portrayed as some kind of urban "war zone". Eric Gijssen, a video artist and social worker who has lived in Brussels for two decades and works with young people in Kuregem to help them find their voice through the medium of film, has noticed a growing apathy among his charges.

"The youth I work with and other locals are becoming increasingly apathetic," he said. This is a far cry from the active and engaged young people we met some years ago at the Alhambra centre who were keen to challenge stereotypes and misperceptions.

"They no longer believe this will make a difference, and have turned their backs on the media to find their own information sources and forums online," Gijssen added.

While he acknowledges that there are plenty of problems, he finds that the sensation-seeking elements of the media and selfserving politicians are only making a delicate situation worse. "Instead of stigmatising entire communities, we must first

of all engage with the youth and offer them alternative perspectives," he said.

Gijssen and others with grassroots experience see the fixation on security aspects of the Brussels question as shortsighted and even counterproductive. Instead of attacking the symptoms with a fist of steel, what is required is treatment of the root causes: poverty and social exclusion.

While it is not inevitable that poverty will lead to crime, ignoring the strong correlation between the two is disingenuous and an easy way for politicians and society to cop out of their responsibilities to create opportunities for the marginalised.

In Brussels, the contrast between wealth and poverty is extremely stark. As the country's main economic dynamo, Brussels has a per-capita GDP that is 233% that of the EU average. However, most of the wealth generated in the city is earned by people who live in its plusher suburbs or who commute there from other towns.

In contrast, inner-city Brussels, unlike most other capital cities, has the highest unemployment rate in the country (17.6%) and, according to Gijssen, in places like Kuregem, youth

you missed it.

All the news about Google.

Permalink| Leave a comment »

Google's Super Bowl commercial (Holy Kaw!)

I loved Google’s Super Bowl commercial. Check it out in case

unemployment can be as high as 50%. Unsurprisingly, this chasm can often lead to feelings of resentment on one side of the wealth divide and fear on the other.

"In places like Kuregem, young people have very little or nothing, and not much of a future to look forward to," explains Gijssen. "One thing is essential: more investment."

But rather than investing more, the authorities have been siphoning off funds from community projects in Kuregem and other poorer neighbourhoods in Brussels and, at a time when everyone is feeling the pinch of the economic crisis, immigrant neighbourhoods have fallen off the political radar when it comes to employment and education.

"If jobs and other opportunities are found, then this security problem will vanish," Kamal told me. "We need to combat social exclusion through better socioeconomic integration."

• Belgium Khaled Diab guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

4

World/ Politics/

E-reader News Edition

Afghanistan death toll matches Falklands as two British soldiers die

by Matthew Weaver, Richard Norton-Taylor (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)

"Two of our comrades have been cruelly taken from us, but their bravery and fortitude will not be forgotten".

The soldiers were not due to be Submitted at 2/8/2010 7:43:55 AM involved in Operation Royal Scots Borderers killed by Moshtarak, the biggest offensive explosion on foot patrol as against Taliban-led insurgents in Ministry of Defence warns of central Helmand, which is about more casualties to be launched, the MoD said.

Two British soldiers have been Simon Weston, a Welsh k i l l e d b y a n e x p l o s i o n i n Guardsman who suffered serious southern Afghanistan, bringing burns when his troopship, Sir the number to have died there Galahad, was bombed, said: "For equal to the death toll in the the Afghanistan death toll to Falkland war in 1982. reach that of the Falklands The two soldiers, from The strikes me as very sad. It has Royal Scots Borderers, 1st taken a long time to get to this Battalion The Royal Regiment of figure – over two years - and has Scotland, part of the 3 Rifles been very dramatic for our boys B a t t l e G r o u p , d i e d i n a n and girls and the allies over explosion near Sangin, on there."

Sunday evening, the Ministry of He continued: "But you now Defence said. have to ask yourself how many A t o t a l o f 2 5 5 B r i t i s h more are going to die – is it servicemen and women have going to exceed the figure of d i e d s i n c e o p e r a t i o n s i n Northern Ireland even?"

Afghanistan began in October He said the troops should not be 2001. pulled out of Afghanistan if it Lieutenant Colonel David meant a return to the Taliban's W a k e f i e l d , s p o k e s m a n f o r hardline regime. "We can't let the British forces in Helmand, said: Taliban back in to conduct "They were on a foot patrol themselves the way they did bringing security to local people before." near Patrol Base Wishtan when Bob Ainsworth, the defence the explosion caught them. secretary, said it was

"imperative" for Britain to hold its resolve after the latest casualties. "We should not forget that each and every death of a member of our armed forces is a tragedy of equal proportion," he said.

"We have seen an intense, hard and bloody period in Afghanistan but, as we prepare to consolidate our progress with the launch of Operation Moshtarak, it is imperative that we hold our resolve. The national security of the UK and the safety of its citizens depends on that".

Ainsworth added: "Our presence in Afghanistan is vital in preventing it from once again becoming a haven for terrorists who would seek to threaten the UK. In taking the fight to the insurgents, providing security and hope for the Afghan people and building up their own security forces, we will – and must – succeed."

Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, chief of the defence staff, said the milestone would "attract attention" but the work of the troops would continue regardless.

He said: "Sad milestones such as this naturally attract attention in

the UK, but in theatre our people continue resolutely and courageously with the task of assisting Afghans to build their own future".

US and British military commanders have been briefing openly about Operation Moshtarak clearly in the hope that Taliban fighters will either lay down their arms or flee. Taliban fighters have said they intended to defend the town of Marja, the first target for US and Afghan forces, with the help of foreign fighters.

Ainsworth has warned that British -casualties were a "very real risk" during Operation Moshtarak. "This is not a safe environment and it doesn't matter how much kit and equipment we provide for them, we cannot entirely make these -operations risk-free", he said.

He said British commanders and Afghan forces had been talking to disaffected Afghans in an attempt to draw them away from the insurgency. "This is not about slaughtering people. This war will not be won by killing Taliban, it will be won in the hearts and the minds of the Afghan people".

Sunday Afternoon Music: Pat Metheny, 'Here to Stay' (Little Green Footballs)

A live version from Japan in 1995 of “Here To Stay,” from

the Pat Matheny Group’s 1994 masterpiece, We Live Here.(The

iTunes Store has this essential jazz album too.)[Video]

General Wardak, the Afghan defence minister, said in a statement later: "I was deeply saddened to hear of the death of the 255th UK serviceman who paid the ultimate price on operations in Afghanistan. On behalf of the Afghan government, the ANSF and the Afghan people, I would like to offer our sincere condolences to the families and friends of all those who have died".

Their sacrifice was not in vain, he said. "The scourge of extremism and terrorism affects us all and we will continue to confront it together. I look forward to the day when the Afghan security forces are able to take full responsibility for Afghanistan's security. We are trying very hard to make this day happen as soon as possible".

• Military • Afghanistan Matthew Weaver Richard Norton-Taylor guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

Business/ Popular News/

E-reader News Edition

GAY

All the Super Bowl ads in one place

continued from page 2

strategy, including the launch of the educational film."

• Gay rights

5

our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

Owen Gibson guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to

(Holy Kaw!)

which the commercial played.

See all the ads at NFL Fanhouse.

More on NFL football.

Permalink| Leave a comment »

Submitted at 2/7/2010 11:13:00 PM

I love the Super Bowl commercials—Super Bowl Sunday is the only day of the year that I don’t fast-forward through the ads. The NFL

Fanhouse provides all of them organized by the quarter in

Eat-onomics With Paul Willis of Niman Ranch

by Stephanie Schomer (Fast Company)

FC: What's the biggest challenge facing sustainable food right now?

Submitted at 2/8/2010 8:47:34 AM PW: It's probably the Niman Ranch began in 1970 as commodity system that is in a small, eleven-acre farm raising place, and has been in place for humanely treated animals using quite a long time, that's based on all-natural feeds. Forty years h i g h - e n e r g y i n p u t s — f u e l , later, Niman Ranch has grown chemicals, fertilizers. There are into the largest network of lots of input costs and energy independent American farmers, costs. A big obstacle is the food producing antibiotic-free meat system we have in place. What products that carry the reputation we need to look for in the future of "the finest tasting meat in the is a sustainable agricultural world," and served at high-end system where the environmental, restaurants such as Per Se. Paul social, and economic results are Willis joined Niman Ranch in all taken into consideration. It's 1995 as a hog farmer working to not just about yield, it's not just revitalize sustainable farming about dollars, but it's about methods in the Midwest. Today, taking into consideration longhe manages a network of more term goals, and how the system than 500 family hog farmers, and a f f e c t s t h e c o m m u n i t i e s , continues raising his own e n v i r o n m e n t s . animals.

FC: What does Niman Ranch do FC: What's your definition of to tackle that problem? sustainable food?

PW: We provide a market for PW: Food that has a minimal farmers that raise livestock with impact on the environment and high animal welfare standards comes from healthy soils, is and are generally part of a sustainable, and animals that are diversified farm. Most of our raised as humanely as possible farmers don't just raise livestock, and allowed to exhibit their but also raise crops. That allows natural behaviors. them to minimize the impact on

the environment. For example, the manure can be used as an asset, as a fertilizer, rather than being a waste product.

I'm primarily involved with the network of hog farmers. Our criteria, in the briefest definition, are that the animals are raised in pastures or deeply bedded pens.

We allow the animals to live in groups with no liquid manure systems, and we pay attention to the natural behaviors of animals.

FC: How do we move sustainable food into the mainstream?

PW: I think just continue to talk about it, continue to talk about the benefits of supporting farming systems, and ask where your food comes from, how it was raised. Everything from meat products, fruits, vegetables—just be curious. Ask those questions. Support, in the marketplace, what you believe in.

FC: How did Niman Ranch become the largest US network of farmers and ranchers?

PW: My farm was the first farm in Iowa that was providing pigs to Niman Ranch, which was a brand that has since become the network of farmers--it just came down to the fact that I didn’t have enough supplies, so I just was looking for friends and other farmers that were raising pigs in a similar manner. I created a small network and we just continued to expand. What was happening was, the independent family farmers, without a network like Niman, were just disappearing. There are hardly

any today. So we were raising the best pigs and getting farmers the best price. All those things together? It became an important option for people that wanted to stay in business.

FC: What are the benefits of choosing your products?

PW: It's the best eating product out there, and it supports small, sustainable farms. It's raised without drugs, without antibiotics. All those things wouldn't work if it didn't taste great, but it does.

Fast Company: What did you eat for breakfast today?

Paul Willis: I had a little bowl of granola that my neighbor made and gave to me. Organic oats, nuts, and fruit.

Read more of Eat-onomics, part of our Inspired Ethonomics series: Gary Hirshberg, CEO of Stonyfield Farm Paul Willis of Niman Ranch Dave Corsi, VP of Produce at Wegmans Roger Doiron, Founder of Kitchen Gardeners International Mike Yohay, CEO of Cityscape Farms

6

Business/

E-reader News Edition

Will Your Texting Policy Stand Up in Court?

by Minda Zetlin (Inc.com) Submitted at 2/8/2010 4:39:00 AM

You have a mobile workforce, so you issue mobile devices to your employees. You pay for their mobile service and make sure their equipment is working.

Since it's intended for business, you have the right to read employees' text messages.

What's more, you have a policy that says so, in so many words.

All employees must acknowledge this policy when receiving their Blackberry devices or other smartphones.

Legally, you might think you're well covered -- and you might be wrong. In Ontario, Calif., police officials reviewed an unusually large number of texts sent by a police sergeant named Jeff Quon.

They found hundreds of sexually explicit texts. Quon sued, arguing that his bosses had no right to read the texts. The case made its way up the food chain to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled in favor of the cop. Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the case, with a final ruling expected this summer.

Whatever the court eventually rules, this is unlikely to be the last employment case involving text messages, and employers find themselves setting text and other communications policies in an increasingly confusing world.

"Technology is changing fast and the courts are left to catch up," notes Jason C. Gavejian, an

associate at Jackson Lewis LLP. "The biggest challenge is the interplay between federal law, and state and local law," he adds.

"In one New Jersey case, the courts ruled that employers have an obligation to make sure employees are not viewing child pornography. That requires monitoring. Now the Supreme Court may rule that monitoring is illegal." If it does, the two rulings will be in direct conflict, and employers in New Jersey will have to choose between disobeying state and federal courts.

It should be clear by now that setting an appropriate policy governing the use of mobile devices is a very serious business. But many small companies don't take it seriously enough, says Michael McAuliffe Miller, partner in the labor and employment group at Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC. "The biggest mistake companies make is that they have no policy on texting and mobile communications," he says. "Or else, they have an off-the-shelf policy that they've downloaded from the Internet. Then they're inconsistent about enforcing the policy, especially with employees everybody likes."

Develop a policy on texting If the above is a good description of how not to handle texting policy, what's the right way to do it, especially in light of the Quon case? Unfortunately, there's no one right way, but here

weren't private. But a lieutenant told Quon informally that if he paid for any texts beyond the 25,000 characters a month on his are some steps that may help: pager plan, no one would read Have the right people create his texts. "You should have in policy. "In many companies we your policy that no one but a consult, these policies are set by designated senior official of the an IT person," notes James company can change the policy," Sinclair, principal of OnSite Miller says.

Consulting, a hospitality industry Train managers about the consulting firm that specializes policy. "You want to make sure in helping financially troubled managers get proper training so companies regain profitability. that when they inform employees "I'm a big believer that these about the policy they're doing it should be management in a uniform fashion, consistent decisions." Top management with what the company wants to should set mobile accomplish," Gavejian says. communications policy, with Specify how equipment is to be input from legal counsel. used. This is a tricky question.

Update the policy often.

You can't define unauthorized Especially any time you provide use too narrowly, Gavejian says. employees with new types of For instance, if you write a rule devices. "One of the issues in the against sexually explicit text Quon case is that the police messages, it won't apply to force's policy had been written to sexually explicit images. Instead apply to e-mail, not texts." he suggests a rule that company Reduce expectation of privacy. equipment be used only for "Employers should have a policy business communications. At the that says employees have 'no same time, he acknowledges, reasonable expectation of such a rule may not be realistic. privacy.' That's the key phrase," "You can't stop someone from Miller says. The policy should be sending a message home saying distributed to employees at 'I'll be late for dinner,'" he notes. regular intervals, and they should "I don't think there's one be asked to acknowledge their universal policy everyone can agreement. "Some employers apply. It has to be analyzed on a make that consent interactive," case-by-case basis, and he adds. "It could be part of the depending what technology employee's log-in process." you're using."

Specify who can change policy Keep messages on your own - and who can't. In the Quon servers. This is a potentially case, the police force had a costly solution that isn't right for formal policy that said texts every small company. But,

because its clients' data is always highly confidential, OnSite Consulting chose to route all emails and Blackberry messages through its own servers. "We worked with our general counsel and did a lot of research," Sinclair explains. "By default, if you're going through our server, you're accepting our terms and conditions, and the messages are automatically copied and audited."

This solution may become more popular in the wake of the Quon case: One of the questions at issue is whether his employer had the right to demand his text messages from their pager company, and whether the pager company was right in acceding to that demand. OnSite's server is hosted and maintained by a hosting provider, but it does physically belong to OnSite.

"We made it a priority and spent a significant sum for a technology we can't see or directly use and that does not contribute to our return on investment," Sinclair says. "But it provides another layer of protection for our clients." It also provides a real-world model of how to most safely handle employee communications. "We have to do it," Sinclair says. "We can't walk in there as a consulting company and have a less-than-perfect system ourselves."

WILL page 8

Business/

E-reader News Edition

7

Tech Life | Sima Diane Sistani

by Sima Sistani (Fast Company) Submitted at 2/7/2010 3:55:39 PM

Tech Life follows the daily routines of the world's Fastest movers and shakers to find out what products make them click -and scroll and surf, too.

Business Development | Branded Entertainment | San Francisco Blackberry or iPhone: Both--one for emails, and the other for fun.

I am on three phones all day--the "crack"-berry (my blackberry actually has a cracked screen), iPhone, and my work landline (no landline at home).

Alarm Clock: iPod alarm (iHome Brand)--much better wake-up call to have a little music in your ear in the AM than the heavy blare or BUZZ of a traditional alarm clock. Currently I'm waking to Kate Nash Made of Bricks album but it's always something sing-songy that gets in my head for the rest of the day.

Black & Decker Toaster Oven, and Four Other Gadgets She Can't Live Without: iPod, Macbook, Blackberry. I get my energy from fresh squeezed juice --a juicer is a must in the kitchen (concoction of the week: kale, pear, apple, carrot, lime) Today's Papers: Newspapers, really? (sadly, no; but I'm guiltridden for being part of their demise). On the go, I'm a fan of magazines - I still can't read more than an email or text on a

gadget, so no Kindle for me (famous last words).

Tweets From the Fridge: In NYC I was a big fan of FreshDirect.com--I miss it greatly in SF. I also heard Intel was working on an integrated Kitchen--your fridge tells you what your missing for grocery list or can recommend recipes for what you do have!

RSS Feed of Champions: Personalized start page created on Netvibes runs through everything branded entertainment, trend related, ad and mobile news, and some online guilty pleasures and updates like VitalJuice daily and TravelZoo(I just know one day

I'll pull the trigger on the $599 last minute deal to Iceland). Eat yogurt with almonds and berries as I surf the Feed.

Mac or PC: I'm a Mac, but I have daily frustrations sending presentations to colleagues and clients--Keynote doesn't translate and the UX of Office for Mac is less than desirable. Thank goodness for Adobe PDF or all my presos would look deformed.

What Happens Between Phone Calls: PowerPoint, Excel, viewing designs in Photoshop, previewing our video productions in QuickTime, examining flow charts for our latest campaign on Visio, chatting internally using iChat

(which displays my gChat friends and internal chat in one place), and intermittent cups of green tea. Drop.io is the easiest FTP site ever--upload and share deck; time for lunch.

Most Visited Web site: Dictionary.com--texting has done nothing for my vocabulary!

LinkedIn for connections, and Facebook for marketing inspiration--nothing like Zeitgeist to get the creative mind wandering.

Listening Habits: Pandora online and NPR Podcasts (since I don't have a car or radio).

Her Next Gagdet: Bose SoundDock, $299.95 (update: writing this made me want it--I

just purchased it on Amazon for S299.95).

Twitter or IM: My friends are all spread out across the country so I use BBM (Blackberry Messenger) to chat on the go, and it helps me feels like they're always around (I prefer that to Facebook status updates because it allows for more candid discussion).

Multitasks: Demo'ing our latest iPhone application ad hoc, doing QA and entering bugs in Bugzilla, calling our colleagues in the Tokyo office on Skype, and using our internal Wiki and BaseCamp for status updates of TECH page 12

8

Business/

E-reader News Edition

Making Cents of Social Media Tools

by Saumil Mehta (Inc.com) Submitted at 2/8/2010 3:36:00 AM

Let's get this out of the way: much like you, I too am sick of every single "social media" service that's going to magically bring customers in the door and turn them into lifetime fans of your business. Ever since Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn became mainstream applications, we've seen a torrent of entrants into the social space that's matched in number only by the sheer volume of vapid celebrity tweets on Twitter.But look underneath the surface and something interesting is truly afoot. Consumers across the globe are sharing media on Twitter and Facebook, friending relative strangers, becoming fans of their cities and their favorite shows on Facebook and talking with their public officials on Twitter. It seems obvious then, that where consumers are, business must follow.As a business owner or manager, where should you start? There are several social media tools that you can begin using right away with low friction and great upside. I have picked a few select examples but this list only scratches the surface. CoTweet: Do you run a service business?

Do you live and die by customer service and word–of-mouth? It doesn't matter if you operate a small neighborhood cafe or a low-cost airline, you have most likely created a company Twitter account to engage with your customers who are also on the social network. CoTweet allows all of your employees to share one company Twitter account and engage obsessively with your current and future customers in a common voice.

You can also see what the Twittersphere is saying about your business and reach out to them directly via CoTweet.

Finally, you can even track all of your Twitter conversations in one place. Think it sounds hokey? Take a look at JetBlue's rather active Twitter stream, powered by CoTweet.

SalesForce Chatter: You have undoubtedly come across SalesForce's myriad business offerings over the last few years.

One of their latest is a slick collaboration offering called Chatter. Most small and midsized businesses deal with collaboration issues -- how do you run a lean and efficient business when your team is stuck in a meeting vortex for half the day? Smart companies are solving the problem by offering

already established a basic online presence via a company website that lists and/or sells all of your products online, a blog where their employees the same kinds you discuss your tactical goingsof social tools we all use to keep on, and likely, Facebook/Twitter in touch with our friends around pages where you engage with the globe. Chatter, for example, actual customers. But what is a piece of collaboration happens when things go wrong software that allows your with customers? How do you employees to "follow" each other provide professional customer much like on Twitter or service online in today's Facebook. This way, employees hothouse media environment? A can stay constantly updated on simple "Contact Us" page with a projects that various colleagues 1-800 number simply won't do. are working on across teams and Enter GetSatisfaction, a departments. Chatter also allows thoughtful service that allows team members to create groups customers to report issues, start instantaneously to discuss and conversations and get in touch collaborate on deals they are with your customer service reps working on together. Users can painlessly. In a nutshell, the post files, talk deal strategy and service provides your customers competition, and get on the same a simple online interface to ask page without more dreadful questions and report problems. meetings. The key point here is Your service reps can now that different members of your maintain an official online team can engage with the stream presence and work with your of information at their own pace customers' most pressing issues. and "chime in" as needed, or GetSatisfaction also allows simply consume the updates grouping of issues into passively. I think we are going meaningful "views" such as to see an increase in similar frequently asked questions, collaboration offerings in the recently proposed ideas, most next few years and Chatter is common problems with your definitely a service to keep a product (and solutions!), etc. close eye on. GetSatisfaction: No What's more, you can integrate matter what business or industry GetSatisfaction directly into your you are in, you have likely site's domain at

find out how much your business can save with Comcast Business Class.

Internet, Phone & TV for $99.

Learn More Ads by Pheedo

WILL continued from page 6

Advertisement: Comcast Business Class Look at your bill and

http://service.yourcompany.com, for example. This allows you to control the look and feel and maintain a seamless experience for your customers. Companies left and right are jumping in with both feet. Check out a traditional and established business -- Nike -- that has overcome these qualms and is taking advantage of social customer service. Nike integrates GetSatisfaction on their NikeRunning site, albeit mostly for technology issues.So what are you waiting for? Kick off 2010 with an aggressive investment in a few, or all, of these tools. Saumil Mehta is a product fanatic at Kosmix and an all-around Internet business geek. He tweets with nary a hint of self-promotion at @saumil and blogs about technology and personal rants at http://bitbubble.wordpress.com Advertisement: Comcast Business Class Look at your bill and find out how much your business can save with Comcast Business Class.

Internet, Phone & TV for $99.

Learn More Ads by Pheedo

Business/ Popular News/ Tech/

E-reader News Edition

Inc. 5000 Applicant of the Week: GreenLogic Energy

by Lauren Folino (Inc.com) Submitted at 2/8/2010 7:29:00 AM

As applications for the 2010 Inc. 500 | 5000 arrive, we thought it would be worthwhile to shine a spotlight on some of the companies that are vying to appear on our ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. (For more information and to apply, go to http://www.inc.com/inc5000appl y/2010/.) One that caught our eye was Southampton, New York-based GreenLogic Energy.Founded in 2005, GreenLogic works with homes, businesses and municipalities from New York City to the tip of Long Island to install and maintain the best alternative energy solutions. According to GreenLogic co-founder and managing director Marc Cléjan, his company works to eliminate both the financial and environmental burdens of typical power sources.“We refer to ourselves as technology integrators,” Cléjan says. “We don’t build anything, but we search out the best products in the market and bring them to our

of referrals, which currently accounts for about 60 percent of their business. GreenLogic’s product systems also have 25year warrantees, and drastically cut down not only the financial aspect of energy, but on carbon dioxide emissions, too. As a result of installing these combined technologies, Cléjan says that 25 percent of his company’s nearly 450 clients have no energy costs whatsoever. “When you take the full value of everything, it adds up to $50 million savings for customers, financially,” Cléjan says. “On environmental costs, the equivalence of carbon dioxide reduction would be if we went out and planted 1,000 acres of trees. Customers are signing clients.” The GreenLogic team heating, cooling, cooking, and in up because this makes sense.”

Advertisement: Comcast uses several types of the near future, even technologies to eliminate t r a n s p o r t a t i o n , ” C l é j a n Business Class environmental impact, including explains.From 2007 through Look at your bill and solar photovoltaic (VP) and solar 2009, GreenLogic grew from find out how much your thermal systems, wind turbines, having only 100 clients to 486, business can save and geothermal heating and growth of 386 percent. He with Comcast Business Class. cooling. “By putting these attributes the company’s increase Internet, Phone & TV for $99. technologies together, we can in clients to a comprehensive Learn More supply 100 percent of energy marketing and sales approach, Ads by Pheedo needs, [including] electric, coupled with a superior network

How CoverItLive failed users during iPad unveiling

by Rafe Needleman (Webware.com)

When you're covering tech's Super Bowl equivalent live, you really don't want your

broadcasting platform to collapse.

Originally posted at Rafe's

Radar

9

Authorities Investigate Possible Airport Security Breach (FOXNews.com) Submitted at 2/8/2010 7:35:14 AM

Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full -text RSS service so we can continue developing it.

A portion of a terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Airport was evacuated after authorities say a man walked through a passenger screening checkpoint and refused to comply with security officers.

The Transportation Security Administration says the passenger failed to stop about 7:45 a.m. Monday at the McNamara Terminal. Airport spokesman Mike Conway says the man was arrested by airport police and was being questioned.

Conway says the man's vehicle was located at the airport in suburban Detroit, and it was searched and towed.

Conway says security doors were lowered at the terminal between the security area and the concourse, and people in that area were evacuated. He says security screening resumed about an hour later.

People evacuated from the terminal were screened again.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

10

Business/

E-reader News Edition

China Busts Nation's Biggest Hacking School ... for Google's Sake?

by Kit Eaton (Fast Company)

caught.

What exactly were these guys up to? It seems that their main China can't seem to keep out of crime isn't so much hacking the news about hacking and themselves, but running a cyberwar can it? The country's subscription site which provided police have scored a positive sophisticated tools like trojans news report, however: They've and account-hijacking code. closed down the nation's biggest They also ran training sessions in hacker training school. It does which they'd show other coders raise some questions though. how to write malicious code.

The action went down in Hubei Over the years of operation, province in Central China, and Black Hawk attracted some three people were arrested and a 17,000 VIP members, 140,000 pile of money and other assets free-access members and had were seized. The three were made a haul of the equivalent of responsible for running the Black just over a million dollars in Hawk Safety Net, allegedly, and membership fees. And that's t h e y ' r e f a c i n g c h a r g e s o f actually pretty amazing--it providing online hacking code to implies that there's an active others--a new offense in China. hacker base numbering in the It all stems back to a cyberattack hundreds of thousands just from i n 2 0 0 7 , w h i c h r e v e a l e d this one site, and though the connections to Black Hawk media is labeling Black Hawk as when some of the suspects were what's "believed to be" the Submitted at 2/8/2010 8:46:44 AM

biggest site, there must be others, and they may be of a similar scale.

The concept of a hacking school is, by itself, an intriguing one, particularly in the light of the ongoing Google-versus-Chinesegovernment spat. It implies that

China really does have a large corps of young code-happy hackers, that might be capable of organizing group attacks on foreign interests. This news article implies that the subscribing Black Hawk hackers were in the game for personal

gain, rather than any kind of national/geopolitical reasons.

Conspiracy theorists will of course point out that this new report is curiously timely, and that might even reflect a certain amount of former blind-eye turning towards the hacking group by the authorities. And the only way to detect the significance of this police action is to measure if there's a markedly reduced incidence of cyber attacks both inside and outside China in the coming weeks--a statistic that's not necessarily the easiest thing to measure.

[Via ChinaDaily]

Insurance Companies to See Hot Cat Bond Market

by Tom Johansmeyer (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 2/8/2010 9:30:00 AM

Filed under: Deals, Goldman Sachs Group (GS) The catastrophe bond market will be heating up over the next few months, thanks to a combination of favorable market conditions and new investors. Michael Halsband, Vice President at

Goldman Sachs ( GS), said to Reuters that the cat bond issuance market got off to an early start in January, despite the fact that the first quarter is usually rather quiet. This follows the recent closing of the year's first cat bond, Foundation Re III,

by The Hartford ( HIG).

According to Halsband, "From mature and most of that is January to June this year, $2.7 expected to be placed straight billion of transactions will back into the ILS [ insurance-

linked securities] sector," continuing, "In addition, we believe between $1.5 and $2.5 billion of new capital has flowed into dedicated ILS funds and along with the $2.7 billion of maturities. Around $5 billion will be available to be put to work in the cat bond sector."

Continue reading Insurance Companies to See Hot Cat Bond Market

Insurance Companies to See Hot Cat Bond Market originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Business/ Popular News/

E-reader News Edition

The Best Smartphone Apps for Business (Inc.com)

startling phone calls in the middle of an important meeting.

Using GPS, Locale lets you DataViz lets you create and edit choose your phone settings based Word and Excel files and on your most common locations, PowerPoint presentations, and then switches to that setting view PDF documents. A free automatically when you enter the version lets you view Word and area. Cost: $9.99 Excel documents. Cost: $14.99 Receive IMs and updates from This app, by Burrotech, lets you AIM, Yahoo, Google Talk, MSN use your phone's camera to scan Messenger, ICQ, Skype, Twitter contracts, receipts, and other and Facebook users all through documents as full-color PDFs one program called Fring. Fring and e-mail them to your desktop. consolidates all of your Cost: $14.99 messenger clients into one See what your customers really mobile app so you can chat with think about you with GPS-based multiple people on multiple app Loopt, which shows you programs in one place - and onwhere you're nearby friends -- or the-go. Cost: Free customers -- are on an interactive Need a graphic designer in the map and displays their Yelp New York City area? Send out a swap info simply by tapping life. WaveSecure takes a little of r e q u e s t o n W h o s H e r e , a ratings. Cost: Free Seesmic neatly groups all your their phones together. Cost: Free the edge off by allowing you to p r o x i m i t y - b a s e d s o c i a l Twitter timelines in one screen. Conference via text message remotely lock the device, track networking app for iPhone, that The coolest feature: the ability to with TextPLUS, which enables the SIM card, and back up any connects people using queries customize alerts, so you will be users to text up to 20 people at data so you won’t lose any and then allows you to make free notified only when specific once. It's a fast and cheap way to precious info or contacts. Cost: text messages or calls to them. tweets are posted. Cost: Free c o m m u n i c a t e w i t h y o u r About $7 for every 3 months, Cost: Free Quickly exchange contact employees and colleagues. Cost: $21 for one year. Free lifetime subscriptions for Android users information without fumbling Free It’s unfortunate, but losing your until the end of March, 2010. with cell phone keypads using phone is pretty much a part of Gone are the days of those loud, Bump. It allows two users to Submitted at 2/7/2010 1:00:54 PM

11

Behind the LettermanOprah-Leno Super Bowl commercial (Holy Kaw!) Submitted at 2/7/2010 7:07:00 PM

Considering the recent controversies in late night television, what a surprise to see Letterman, Oprah, and Leno sitting around for a Super Bowl commercial. The New York Times explains how the commercial came to be and how the talk show stars had to sneak around New York City in order to keep the surprise. Believe it or not, the spot took only 20 or 30 minutes to shoot!

Read the full blog post at The New York Times.

More NY Times headlines.

Permalink| Leave a comment »

Super Bowl strip club stimulus?

(Holy Kaw!) Submitted at 2/7/2010 7:39:00 PM

If this Fast Company article is correct, estimates that the Super Bowl is pumping $153 million into the South Florida economy

are conservative in more ways than one: they overlook a less than wholesome swell from football visitors at strip clubs.

“Peeler destinations,” as the article calls them, can apparently Super Bowl festivities. Football double their business during

fans typically boost both tips and visits, especially in a Florida city like Miami, which is one of the six biggest strip club markets in the country.

Read the full article at Fast Company.

More on NFL football.

Photo credit: Fotolia Permalink| Leave a comment »

12

Business/

E-reader News Edition

TECH continued from page 7

ongoing projects--and of course, yet more PowerPoint.

Hyperconnected Excursion: Meeting a client for a drink, update my FB status asking for a recommendation in the Mission for a nice outdoor venue since it's a warm night in SF (that never happens!); text a friend, who lives in the neighborhood, on my way there to see if she wants to meet for dinner after; Google map my way there using the iPhone.

Crowdsourcing Dinner: Some people check Yelp iPhone app for suggestions on what to order, but not me, I'll have to order whatever looks good around me (food envy inevitable). But I will use NextBus iPhone app (which is really just a WAP site) to time/plan my trip home.

TV Guilty Pleasure: I don't have cable (otherwise I'll get addicted), but I watch it on the

treadmill at the gym. So my content is delivered via Netflix, consumed online, or taken in the old fashioned way, reading a book. I'm currently enjoying Modern Family on ABC and 30 Rock on NBC (the only shows that will drive me to the gym so I can watch in real-time).

YouTube or Hulu: Hulu (I There's An App For ... Romplr (music remixing tool--makes me feel like a DJ), Epicurious (great for--"I've got cabbage in the fridge--how can I make it yummy?"), GoodGuide (keeping it green on-the-go) Digital Bedtime Ritual: Unplug.

Though am I really? Have sun simulator that slowly dims the room to make it feel like sundown. Offline: I think it's important to unwind with old school comforts: a hike, a book, the farmer's market.

About Sima Sistani Director of

Business Development at Moderati, a mobile entertainment agency. Prior to joining Moderati, Sima worked in Business Development at startup television network, Plum TV. At Plum TV, she secured strategic partnerships with Delta Airlines, Volkswagen, Pepsi, and the HBO Comedy Festival. She also worked at Creative Artists Agency and on the trading floor of Goldman Sachs. Sima holds an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Sociology from Duke University. She currently calls San Francisco by William Bostwick (Fast home and is learning to love Company) avocados and hiking Submitted at 2/8/2010 8:49:05 AM

Compassionate Counterfeiting: GhandiApproved Zero-Rupee Bills

zero-rupee note instead. The Indian NGO Fifth Pillar has been handing out the fake bills for a few years now, and they say An Indian NGO is fighting they've put more than one bribery by using fake money. million into circulation. (The T h e s e e m i n g l y c o n s t a n t design is apparently available for redesigning of U.S. currency and downloading here, but the site the rise of the design-community may be down.)

-approved, architecture-centric Vijay Anand, Fifth Pillar’s Euro (only the Netherlands could president, says it works not

by Joseph Lazzaro continue for some time to absorb get away with a coin this cool) because bribe-takers are fooled (BloggingStocks) the slack in the labor force to has led to a wave of art and into thinking the money is real, lower the U.S. unemployment design projects that toy with but because bribery is a crime in Submitted at 2/8/2010 10:00:00 AM what our money looks like, and India, even though it's so rate significantly.

Filed under: Forecasts, Continue reading Greenspan: w h a t i t s a y s a b o u t u s . widespread, and most officials (DesignBoom has a great round- are only comfortable asking for Employees, Recession One of 'The Recession Is Over' the world's preeminent Greenspan: 'The Recession Is up here, but they missed my bribes when they know they economists and former central Over' originally appeared on favorite, the Lil' Rhody-themed won't get caught. A powerful little piece of graphic design, the bankers had some good news BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 Feb Noney.) a n d n o t - s o - g o o d n e w s f o r is over. It bottomed back in the 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see A new design for the Indian zero-rupee notes diffuse the investors. our terms for use of feeds. rupee has a more immediate crime by acknowledging it. middle of the year."

Speaking on NBC's Meet The However, Greenspan added that, P e r m a l i n k | E m a i l t h i s | message. Indians pressured into [Via Boing Boing] giving bribes can now flash this Press on Sunday, Former U.S. as many economists agree, the C o m m e n t s Federal Reserve Chairman Alan economic recovery will have to Greenspan said, "The recession

Greenspan: 'The Recession Is Over'

Business/ Tech/

E-reader News Edition

13

The Best (and Worst) Super Bowl Ad Spoofs You Didn't See Last Night

by Dan Macsai (Fast Company) Submitted at 2/8/2010 10:18:33 AM

While you were busy watching last night's motley crew of Super Bowl commercials, we were busy trolling the Internet for "spoof" and "banned" ads. Here's a look at the best--and the best of the worst: BEST: Is Tiger Feeling Lucky Today? [Google Spoof] Google's aww-shucks "Parisian Love" spot is reimagined with a typing Tiger Woods, who's frantically

searching for information about facial lacerations and "Rachel Uckital." Side note: If you ever catch yourself looking for the "Orlando Zales," it's way too late.

BEST: Tim Tebow Superbowl Ad Response [Focus on the Family Spoof] Tim Tebow's prolife Focus on the Family spot is reimagined with a pro-choice message, starring a 30-something slob who's living in his mom's basement--proof that "they don't all turn out like Tim Tebow."

BEST: In The Hole [KGB

"Banned" Ad] To illustrate that "you shouldn't go through life with your head up your ass," this KGB spot shows a man literally walking around with his head up

his ass. BEST/WORST: Humpy ["Banned" Doritos Ad] In this fanmade Doritos commercial, a man backs his car over a woman to steal a bag of chips.

Completely disgusting. (Unless, of course, they're Doritos Late Night Last Call Jalapeno Poppers, which everyone knows are worth an occasional vehicular homicide.)

WORST: Lola ["Banned" GoDaddy Ad] This GoDaddy spot features a flamboyant male lingerie enterpreneur named Lola, who's both unsexy and unfunny.

Private Equity Tax Could Have Unintended Consequences

PayPal Suspends Payments In India?

by Tom Johansmeyer (BloggingStocks)

by Mike Masnick (Techdirt)

Submitted at 2/8/2010 10:30:00 AM

Filed under: Private Equity The federal government needs cash, and we all know it has to come from somewhere. As no politician has ever been criticized (at least not broadly) for going after the folks with the deepest pockets, private equity industry needs to dig in for what could become a fierce battle over new taxes.

The issue isn't new. For a while now, the feds have been kicking around new taxes on private

equity firms based on how profits are classified. Yet, this search for cash could have unintended consequences, as the definitions used could wind up taxing venture capital funds and

small partnerships, which could be the keys to an economic recovery. Critics argue that the tax may not bring in as much money as the government hopes.

Continue reading Private Equity Tax Could Have Unintended Consequences Private Equity Tax Could Have Unintended Consequences originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

not particularly clear as to why:"Personal payments to and Submitted at 2/8/2010 4:45:33 AM from India and transfers to local After the story a few weeks ago b a n k s i n I n d i a h a v e b e e n about Paypal suspending the suspended while we work with account of Wikileaks, and our business partners and other blocking it from removing stakeholders to address questions money in the account, many they have about the service...." people pointed out how risky it is Apparently, this has been going to leave any money in a PayPal on for over a week, which has to account. It seems that situation be seriously frustrating to many is getting worse and worse. merchants, but a seriously good PayPal has apparently halted t h i n g f o r v a r i o u s P a y P a l personal payments in India, and c o m p e t i t o r s . aren't allowing merchants to Permalink| Comments| Email r e m o v e m o n e y f r o m t h e i r This Story accounts. And the reasoning is...

14

Business/ Popular News/ Politics/

E-reader News Edition

John Thain Takes the New Orleans parties after NFL win Top Spot at CIT Group (BBC News | Americas | World Edition)

by Elizabeth Harrow (BloggingStocks)

Submitted at 2/8/2010 3:40:54 AM

Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full -text RSS service so we can Filed under: Management, Bank continue developing it. of America (BAC), CIT Group Party season has come early to (CIT), Options, Technical New Orleans which is Analysis celebrating a historic victory in John Thain -- whom you may the US Super Bowl less than a recall as the man who presided Bank of America ( BAC) -- week before Mardi Gras. over the spectacular implosion of Thain became something of a People hugged and kissed in the Merrill Lynch -- is looking to poster boy for Wall Street city's famous French Quarter as have some new business cards excesses. they marked the Saints' win over printed up. Over the weekend, Continue reading John Thain the Indianapolis Colts, against all CIT Group ( CIT) officially Takes the Top Spot at CIT the odds. announced that its board of Group Pundits had said the home team directors has elected Thain as John Thain Takes the Top Spot would never win the National at CIT Group originally appeared chairman and CEO. Football League championship Due to his controversial past, the on BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 until "hell froze over". decision to elect Thain wasn't an Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please A placard saying "Hell is easy one. After shelling out a see our terms for use of feeds. Frozen" could be seen in one small fortune to tart up his office P e r m a l i n k | E m a i l t h i s | fan's hands. digs at Merrill Lynch -- and C o m m e n t s Fireworks were set off as doling out lofty bonuses amid revellers whooped and danced to the bank's hasty takeover by spontaneous brass bands.

It was an emotional victory for the Saints, who had the backing of many Americans outside Louisiana.

New Orleans has been struggling to rebuild itself after Submitted at 2/8/2010 11:00:00 AM

the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 which killed almost 2,000 people.

The Saints' stadium was used as a refuge for thousands of people left homeless by the storm.

Dramatic finish Victory in the the biggest annual event in American football, held in Miami, was not sealed until minutes before full time with a 74-yard (-metre) sprint for a touch-down score.

The Saints had come from behind at half-time to beat the Colts, 31-17, clinching their first -ever Super Bowl.

The annual game is the most watched sports event in the US, with 30-second TV adverts during the match costing more than $2m (ÂŁ1.3m).

Marita Jager, manageress of Johnny White's bar in Bourbon Street, which famously stayed open during Katrina, said the team's victory was welldeserved.

"We knew we could do it and we want to make sure everybody realises this is not a Cinderella story, this is no fly-by-night," she told BBC World Service.

"We were the champions of our

division and we played the champions of their division and we won and we are capable of this and we deserve this win. It means a lot to the team, it means a lot to the city and it's just an amazing feeling."

So big was the event on Sunday night that even the strippers on Bourbon Street stopped dancing and joined thousands of revellers cheering on the Saints in front of TV screens in bars, an AFP correspondent in the city said.

"We have no music, no stages," said Sam Stonebraker, 34, a host at Rick's Cabaret.

"It's the first time I've seen a club shut down and I've been doing this for five years. The game is pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime event in this city."

New Orleans has been running carnival events since last month but the main celebrations will come on Mardi Gras itself, next Tuesday - the last day before the Christian season of Lent.

Print Sponsor Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Ex-USS Cole CO Mulls Run Against Reid (Newsmax - Politics) Submitted at 2/8/2010 1:19:37 AM

Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full -text RSS service so we can

continue developing it.

Retired Navy Commander Kirk S. Lippold is mulling a run for U.S. Senate in Nevada, two sources said Thursday. Lippold was commanding officer of the

USS Cole in 2000 when it was attacked in an al-Qaida suicide bombing in the harbor of Aden, in Yemen. He retired from the Navy in 2007, according to a reviewjournal.com report.

Kirk would join a crowded field Five Filters featured article: wanting to take on incumbent Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: Sen. Harry Reid, a Democrat. PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, The deadline for filing is March Term Extraction.

12. Š All Rights Reserved.

Popular News/

E-reader News Edition

15

AP IMPACT: Credibility key in 9/11 health trials (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News)

at all. Her actual illness involves something akin to chronic asthma. She insists her lawyers Message from fivefilters.org: If were mistaken. you can, please donate to the full The three cases are among the -text RSS service so we can 30 plaintiffs whose suits are continue developing it. being considered for May trials NEW YORK – As the first over the city's culpability for cases in a massive battle over chronic illnesses caused by illnesses linked to 9/11 near trial, exposure to contaminated dust in an Associated Press investigation the months after the Sept. 11, has found that several of the 2001 terrorist attacks. initial 30 suits contain Those cases are among the inconsistent or exaggerated thousands filed over the health of claims about how the workers ground zero workers, but they got sick or how much time they have an outsized importance. spent at ground zero.

Of the more than 9,000 legal One demolition worker who claims filed against New York s a i d h e d e v e l o p e d h e a l t h City, about 60 have gotten close problems after toiling for six scrutiny by the court. Of those, months in the toxic ruins of the 30 are now being considered as World Trade Center has actually candidates for trials in May. U.S. been severely ill since the 1990s. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, I n a p r e v i o u s m e d i c a l who is overseeing the case, says malpractice case, he said he was that group will ultimately be so sick between 2000 and 2003 reduced to 12, for the first set of that he couldn't work regularly. trials.

He never mentioned 9/11 during Hellerstein has said he hopes his testimony in that lawsuit. those initial trials will serve as a Lawyers for a police officer road map to settlements for the from northern New Jersey who many other claims by rescue and died in 2006 claimed in a court recovery workers who say they filing that he spent nearly 300 got sick after the city failed to days handling debris at ground protect them from poisonous zero, but his work records trade center ash. More than $1 indicate that his actual time and billion in damages is at stake. duties related to 9/11 were far Lawyers for the workers whose more limited. During the months cases were examined by the AP the lawyers said the man worked declined to discuss them, but at ground zero, he was recording s a i d t h e t r i a l s w i l l s h o w full-time shifts in Cresskill, N.J. unequivocally that workers Another police officer who was exposed to the dust weren't given listed by her lawyers as having proper equipment, and as a result lung cancer, doesn't have cancer are now sick.

Submitted at 2/8/2010 5:49:19 AM

"These are cops and firemen and construction workers who were there for the city," said attorney David Worby, who would not answer specific questions about the cases uncovered by AP. "There is no question anymore about whether they were sick, and how sick they are. There are tens of thousands of people who are sick. Not all are severely ill, but many of them are."

Evaluating the merits of even the few cases selected for trial is difficult, due to medical privacy rules, a lack of detail in public court filings and a refusal by both legal teams to discuss details of the suits.

Yet, a few stand out.

Take the case of Vincent Briganti: In the lawsuit he filed against the city in 2005, the 50year-old said he put in 75 days supervising demolition crews at ground zero, then developed ailments including shortness of breath, vocal cord problems, skin problems and acid reflux disease.

He blamed all of those problems on the trade center dust.

But records obtained by the AP show that this isn't the first time Briganti has sued over his poor health.

In August, 2001 — one month before the terrorist attacks — he filed a medical malpractice lawsuit in which he claimed to be so ill with complications of Crohn's disease, an incurable gastrointestinal disorder, that he couldn't work regularly.

Briganti testified that improper

treatment of the illness had left him in such pain that he had trouble pushing a vacuum, carrying bags of laundry, or even spending time with his daughter.

"I am just not up to it. I feel nauseous, I get sick. I am weak," he told the jury in that case.

He needed repeat surgeries for fistulas and an abdominal abscess beginning in the mid1990s. And, his lawyers in the medical malpractice case wrote that for weeks in early 2002, he was too ill even to leave his Staten Island home.

When questioned about his health and employment during a 2003 trial, which he lost, Briganti didn't say anything about having worked at ground zero. But he did reveal that he was taking a powerful medication with side effects that can include shortness of breath, respiratory infections and skin problems.

There also are contradictions in the court filings submitted on behalf of Sgt. Michael O'Loughlin, a police officer in Cresskill, N.J., who was diagnosed with advanced stage colon cancer in early 2003 and died in 2006. There is no question that in the years after 9/11, O'Loughlin frequently raised money for trade center victims' groups, but other parts of his timeline are in doubt.

Lawyers for O'Loughlin's family initially claimed that he put in 293 days as "a debris remover and decontaminator" at ground

zero. The papers listed him as working an average of 12 hours per day between Sept. 12, 2001 and July 7, 2002. They also said he worked hundreds of days at Fresh Kills, the Staten Island landfill where the rubble was sifted for human remains.

But O'Loughlin's work records at the Cresskill Police Department show him working regular shifts there, day after day, through all of those months.

While he was indeed assigned duties related to 9/11 on 11 days in September and October of 2001, his official responsibilities on at least five of those days was to give a motorcycle escort to a funeral procession, not sift rubble, the records show.

On Sept. 11, he guarded the George Washington Bridge. On another occasion, his duty was listed as escorting an ambulance.

Another entry had his responsibility listed as "escort," without further explanation.

Cresskill's records are incomplete and don't say what O'Loughlin was doing on a few of his workdays or his days off.

So it is possible that he did volunteer in the "Bucket Brigade" that sifted rubble at the site.

But based on the records, it appears very unlikely — impossible — for him to have worked so diligently at both jobs during the same weeks and IMPACT: page 16

16

E-reader News Edition

IMPACT: continued from page 15

months.

O'Loughlin's widow didn't respond to phone calls, an e-mail or a letter, but former Newark Police Lt. Jim O'Connor, who employed O'Loughlin at his private investigation firm, told the AP in an e-mail that he was sure his friend was there.

"He told me he had worked ground zero," O'Connor said.

"He described the same horrific scenes that only a person who was there would remember ...

Many officers responded and worked the pile and it was never documented."

In a third case examined by the AP, New York Police Sgt. Dawn Sorrento, 43, said she was healthy her entire life before her service at ground zero, but now carries an inhaler to treat episodes of wheezing and shortness of breath that flare up when she has to exert herself, or when it is cold outside.

"I'm having trouble breathing on a daily basis," she told the AP in a phone interview. "If I have to run after a perp, I'm going to need an oxygen tent."

Yet even in Sorrento's case, there have been irregularities.

In her initial legal complaint, she described her illness accurately. But her lawyers claimed in a subsequent court filing that she also suffered from lung cancer.

"I noticed that was written on one of the papers they sent me and I made corrections. I'm like

'This is incorrect. I don't have lung cancer,'" Sorrento explained during a recent deposition contained in the court file.

"I got a package of papers that said I had lung cancer. I was like, 'Whoa, that's news for me, hold on.' And I corrected it and I sent it back."

Sorrento, who said the correct information has been provided to the court, is confident that if her case goes to trial, jurors will see the truth and do the right thing.

"I might not be in the hospital as much as other people. I know there are people who have come out of this in a box," she said.

"But I never smoked, I've never done drugs, I've been physically active my whole life, and all of a sudden, I now can't breathe... I shouldn't have to live like that."

The lead counsel for the plaintiffs, Paul Napoli, did not respond to several requests for information about Briganti, O'Loughlin, Sorrento or the others with health claims against the city.

Some plaintiffs have turned reluctant as the cases have moved forward. For example, one of the 30 asked out of the case completely, for unspecified personal reasons.

Also, New York Police Sgt. James Cantore listed his only exposure as taking place in July of 2002, when he worked six days at the Fresh Kills landfill.

The only illness listed in his case are chronic headaches that began

in 2006. Though his wife, Cantore declined to be interviewed by the AP. He has also been reluctant to appear for depositions, finally sitting down with lawyers for the city in late January only after the judge threatened to have him arrested.

Clearly, some of the plaintiffs are gravely ill — or worse.

Firefighter Raymond Hauber died of esophageal cancer at age 47 after putting in at least 90 days on the smoking rubble pile.

Fire Lt. Martin Fullam needed a lung transplant after doctors diagnosed him with polymyositis, an autoimmune disease that led to pulmonary fibrosis.

Others claim a variety of illnesses, but a majority describe symptoms similar to asthma, with recurrent wheezing, shortness of breath and sinus problems.

There is growing scientific evidence that some people, maybe even thousands, were harmed by the air at ground zero.

Studies have shown elevated levels of sinus and lung problems among rescue and recovery workers. Of the people exposed to the dust, 1 in 10 developed asthma within six years of the attacks, about triple the national rate. Firefighters have experienced unusual levels of sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease that affects the lungs.

Research has also shown that trade center responders suffer

from high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and doctors have been investigating elevated levels of acid reflux disease.

Some lawmakers have proposed legislation that would reopen the federal 9/11 victim compensation fund to cover people with health claims. They have asked for as much as $12 billion for the sick.

The legal team representing New York City and the contractors who carried out the debris removal effort have argued that many claims contain incorrect or exaggerated information.

Another defendant, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said in a court filing that many plaintiffs, in addition to detailing claims of dust-related ailments, also have listed everything wrong with their health, regardless of whether there is any link to 9/11 exposure.

The detailed medical and work records needed to confirm victim illness were largely unavailable to the court last year when it selected the 30 candidates for early trial consideration.

Instead, it chose plaintiffs based on their responses to a 360question survey about their health and work history, the results of which were compiled in a database and ranked by illness severity. Of the 30, a third were selected by the court, a third by the defense team and a third by the plaintiffs. The cases

of Briganti, O'Loughlin and Sorrento were selected by the judge.

It is unclear which cases will make the cut when the pool is narrowed to 12.

Hellerstein has commented in his rulings on the difficulty of managing the case, which he noted involved plaintiffs with 387 diseases "ranging from the most life threatening to the merely irritating." He said on Jan. 21 that he would likely order all trial plaintiffs to undergo an independent medical evaluation.

Even having trials for only the most severely ill could mean hundreds of trials, but the judge rejected lumping them together as a class action because the plaintiffs were each exposed to different toxins under different circumstances.

Hellerstein also has pushed hard for a settlement that would avoid trials altogether. At a hearing Jan. 21 he said the two sides had been in intensive talks, although he noted that the negotiations had been complicated.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Popular News/

E-reader News Edition

17

Space shuttle blasts off on last night flight (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News) Submitted at 2/8/2010 5:49:11 AM

Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full -text RSS service so we can continue developing it.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Endeavour and six astronauts rocketed into orbit Monday on what's likely the last nighttime launch for the shuttle program, hauling a new room and observation deck for the International Space Station.

The space shuttle took flight before dawn, igniting the sky with a brilliant flash seen for miles around. The weather finally cooperated: Thick, low clouds that had delayed a first launch attempt Sunday returned, but then cleared away just in time.

"Looks like the weather came together tonight," launch director Mike Leinbach told the astronauts right before liftoff.

"It's time to go fly."

"We'll see you in a couple weeks," replied commander George Zamka. He repeated: "It's time to go fly."

There are just four more missions scheduled this year before the shuttles are retired.

"For the last night launch, it treated us well," Leinbach said.

Endeavour's destination — the

space station, home to five men — was soaring over Romania at the time of liftoff. The shuttle is set to arrive at the station early Wednesday.

Zamka and his crew will deliver and install Tranquility, a new room that will eventually house life-support equipment, exercise machines and a toilet, as well as a seven-windowed dome. The lookout has the biggest window ever sent into space, a circle 31 inches across.

It will be the last major construction job at the space station. No more big pieces like that are left to fly.

Both the new room and dome — together exceeding $400 million — were supplied by the European Space Agency.

NASA began fueling Endeavour on Sunday night just as the Super Bowl was kicking off to the south in Miami. The shuttle crew did not watch the game — neither did the launch team — but it was beamed up to the space station in case anyone there wanted to watch it.

Endeavour's launch also was broadcast to the space station residents, who got to watch it live.

Launch manager Mike Moses said he got "evil glares" in the control center for making his team report to work on Super

Bowl night. He noted that the shuttle's fuel tank was made in New Orleans. "They were at least happy with the results of the game," he said with a smile.

The coin used in the opening toss flew to the space station in November, aboard Atlantis.

Monday morning's countdown ended up being uneventful, except for a last-minute run to the launch pad. Astronaut Stephen Robinson forgot the binder holding all his flight data files, and the emergency red team had to rush it out to him, just before he climbed aboard.

The launch team couldn't resist some gentle teasing.

A quick look at the launch video showed a couple pieces of foam insulation breaking off Endeavour's external fuel tank, but none appeared to strike the shuttle, officials said.

The 13-day mission comes at an agonizing time for NASA. Exactly one week ago, the space agency finally got its marching orders from President Barack Obama: Ditch the back-to-themoon Constellation program and its Ares rockets, and pack on the research for an as-yetunspecified rocket and destination.

NASA's boss, ex-astronaut Charles Bolden, favors Mars.

But he, too, is waiting to hear

how everything will play out.

The space station came out a winner in the Obama plan. The president's budget would keep the outpost flying until at least 2020, a major extension.

The spectacle of the night launch illuminating the sky attracted a crowd, including some members of Congress, federal big shots and European space leaders.

Endeavour shot through some thin clouds on its way into orbit, and its bright flame was visible from the launch site for seven minutes. By then, the shuttle already was up near Cape Hatteras, N.C., said Leinbach.

"We're going to cherish this," he said at the traditional post-launch news conference.

Within 15 minutes of taking off, the astronauts were enjoying "a beautiful sunrise" from orbit, with the moon as a backdrop.

"Wish you could be here," Zamka called down.

The four remaining shuttle flights to the station — in March, May, July and September — have daytime departures, at least for now. A significant delay could bump any of the launches into darkness. NASA has Obama's permission to bump a mission or two into 2011 if safety needs arise.

Given all the changes coming,

the mood around the launching site was bittersweet.

The manager in charge of preparing Endeavour for launch, Dana Hutcherson, said everyone was excited to be part of the first launch of the new year.

"But let's face it, our KSC (Kennedy) team is going to have a challenging year ahead of us as the space shuttle is ending," she said. "It's not going to be easy for us."

Three spacewalks are planned during Endeavour's flight to hook up the new station compartments, beginning Thursday. The shuttle crew — five men and one woman, all Americans — will team up with the station residents to get the job done. Aboard the station are two Americans, two Russians and one Japanese.

Bolden sees that same blend of nations in NASA's future exploration efforts, whatever they are. ___ On the Net: N A S A : http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pa ges/shuttle/main/index.html Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

18

Popular News/ Politics/

E-reader News Edition

Official: About 5 unaccounted for after CT blast (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News) Submitted at 2/8/2010 6:55:35 AM

Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full -text RSS service so we can continue developing it.

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – About five people remain unaccounted for after a deadly explosion at an underconstruction power plant, and a section of the site was too unstable to search, a fire official said Monday.

Sunday morning's blast at the Kleen Energy Systems plant in Middletown, about 20 miles south of Hartford, killed at least five people and injured a dozen or more others. It happened as workers were clearing gas lines of air.

Middletown Deputy Fire Marshal Al Santostefano said officials have verified the whereabouts of 95 percent of the nearly 100 workers who were at the plant, citing conversations with contractors and labor union officials. It was unclear whether the workers who remain unaccounted for are missing or haven't been contacted yet by authorities.

Investigators returned to the scene Monday to try to begin determining the cause.

Santostefano said he didn't know when rescue crews would be able to search the small section of the plant that is unstable.

Piles of rubble were 10 feet tall in some parts of the plant, and mounds of rubble and debris were everywhere, he said.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell said Monday morning that officials still haven't received rosters of workers who were at the plant Sunday.

"There are a number of contractors who do the work at the building," Rell told WTNHTV. "Until we actually have a roster of the names of those individuals that are in each of those groups and who was working on Sunday, we need that before we can do anything else. ... We're still confirming the number of people."

The explosion was so powerful it alarmed residents who heard the boom and felt tremors in their homes miles away.

The blast left huge pieces of metal that once encased the plant peeling off its sides. A large swath of the structure was blackened and surrounded by debris, but the building, its roof and its two smokestacks were still standing at the site, which is near Wesleyan University on a

wooded and hilly 137-acre parcel of land overlooking the Connecticut River.

Rescue crews combed through the debris until about 2:30 a.m.

Monday.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board, a federal agency that investigates industrial chemical accidents, was mobilizing a team of workers from Colorado and hoped to have them on the scene by midday Monday, spokesman Daniel Horowitz said.

The nearly completed 620megawatt plant is being built to produce energy primarily using natural gas, which accounts for about a fifth of the nation's electricity. Workers for the construction company, O&G Industries, were purging a gas line, clearing it of air, when the explosion occurred around 11:15 a.m. Sunday, Santostefano said.

Santostefano said workers were at the site Sunday because they were trying to get the plant open on time — the opening was slated for sometime in the middle of 2010 — but he added "It wasn't like they were working in a frenzy."

One of those killed was Raymond Dobratz, a 58-year-old plumber from Old Saybrook, said his son Erik Dobratz, who called the elder man "a great

dad."

Lynn Hawley, of Hartland, Conn., said her 36-year-old son, Brian Hawley, is a pipefitter at the plant and broke his leg. She said he called her from his cell phone to say he was being rushed to a hospital.

"He really couldn't say what happened to him," she said. "He was in a lot of pain, and they got him into surgery as quickly as possible."

Hospital officials didn't immediately release the conditions of the other injured people, whose wounds ranged from minor to very serious.

The thundering blast shook houses for miles.

"I felt the house shake," Middletown resident Steve Clark said. "I thought a tree fell on the house."

Mayor Sebastian Giuliano said he heard it as he was leaving church.

"It felt almost like a sonic boom," he said.

Kleen Energy Systems LLC began construction on the plant in February 2008. It had signed a deal with Connecticut Light and Power for the electricity produced by the plant, and would be one of the biggest built in New England in the last few years.

Video: The Coming of the Plug-In Hybrids (Little Green Footballs) Submitted at 2/7/2010 9:28:07 PM

Environmentalist Peter Sinclair is beginning a new series of videos titled “Renewable Energy

Solution of the Month,” and the first episode deals with some interesting possibilities for

electric cars you may not have previously considered.[Video]

The company is run by former City Councilman William Corvo.

A message left at Corvo's home was not returned. Calls to Gordon Holk, general manager of Power Plant Management Services, which has a contract to manage the plant, also weren't returned.

Energy Investors Funds, a private equity fund that indirectly owns a majority share in the power plant, said it was cooperating with authorities.

Safety board investigators have done extensive work on the issue of gas line purging since an explosion last year at a Slim Jim factory in North Carolina killed four people. They've identified other explosions caused by workers who were unsafely venting gas lines inside buildings. ___ Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Middletown; Stephanie Reitz in Glastonbury, Conn.; Mark Williams in Columbus, Ohio; Mike Baker in Raleigh, N.C.; and Anne D'Innocenzio in New York.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Popular News/ Tech News/

E-reader News Edition

19

Fire Official: Unclear If Everyone Got Out After Plant Blast (FOXNews.com)

able to search a section of the plant that remains unstable, and it was impossible to know if Message from fivefilters.org: If there were victims in that area. you can, please donate to the full Gov. M. Jodi Rell said Monday -text RSS service so we can morning that officials still continue developing it. haven't received rosters of At least 95 percent of the nearly workers who were at the site 100 workers who were at a Sunday, and Santostefano said power plant that exploded are he didn't know when emergency accounted for, a Connecticut fire crews would be able to search official said Monday. the unstable area.

Middletown Deputy Fire SLIDESHOW: Deadly Marshal Al Santostefano said C o n n e c t i c u t P o w e r P l a n t that most of the workers are E x p l o s i o n accounted for, judging by "There's still uncertainly about conversations with contractors who came in and who didn't and labor union officials. But he come in yesterday," he told says a section of the Kleen reporters Monday morning.

Energy Systems plant remains Santostefano also said there too unstable to see whether w e r e " p i l e s o f r u b b l e anyone is still trapped. everywhere, debris everywhere.

A u t h o r i t i e s s a y d i f f e r e n t In some places the debris is as contractors were working at the high as 10 feet." site, making it difficult to Local fire investigators and determine how many people f e d e r a l a u t h o r i t i e s a r e were there during the blast. investigating what caused the Sunday's massive explosion at e x p l o s i o n , w h i c h w a s s o the nearly completed plant in powerful it alarmed residents Middletown, about 20 miles who heard the boom and felt south of Hartford, killed at least tremors in their homes miles five people and injured a dozen away. o r m o r e . O f f i c i a l s s a y i t The blast left huge pieces of happened as workers were metal that once encased the plant clearing a gas line of air. peeling off its sides. A large Santostefano said Monday that swath of the structure was rescue crews still haven't been blackened and surrounded by Submitted at 2/8/2010 6:34:22 AM

debris, but the building, its roof and its two smokestacks were still standing at the site, which is near Wesleyan University on a wooded and hilly 137-acre parcel of land overlooking the Connecticut River.

Rescue crews combed through the debris until about 2:30 a.m.

Monday.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board, a federal agency that investigates industrial chemical accidents, was mobilizing a team of workers from Colorado and hoped to have them on the scene by midday Monday, spokesman Daniel Horowitz said.

The nearly completed 620megawatt plant is being built to produce energy primarily using natural gas, which accounts for about a fifth of the nation's electricity. Workers for the construction company, O&G Industries, were purging a gas line, clearing it of air, when the explosion occurred around 11:15 a.m.

One of those killed was Raymond Dobratz, a 58-year-old plumber from Old Saybrook, said his son Erik Dobratz, who called the elder man "a great dad."

Lynn Hawley, of Hartland, Conn., said her 36-year-old son,

Brian Hawley, is a pipefitter at the plant and broke his leg. She said he called her from his cell phone to say he was being rushed to a hospital.

"He really couldn't say what happened to him," she said. "He was in a lot of pain, and they got him into surgery as quickly as possible."

Hospital officials didn't immediately release the conditions of the other injured people, whose wounds ranged from minor to very serious.

"I felt the house shake," Middletown resident Steve Clark said. "I thought a tree fell on the house."

Mayor Sebastian Giuliano said he heard it as he was leaving church.

"It felt almost like a sonic boom," he said.

Kleen Energy Systems LLC began construction on the plant in February 2008. It had signed a deal with Connecticut Light and Power for the electricity produced by the plant, which was scheduled to be completed by mid-2010 and would be one of the biggest built in New England in the last few years.

The company is run by former City Councilman William Corvo.

A message left at Corvo's home

Google's Super Bowl Ad: A Romance in Search

by John C Abell (Wired Top Stories) Submitted at 2/8/2010 5:27:00 AM

Google debuted a Super Bowl ad Sunday. The ad tells the story of a romance helped along by a series of Google searches

conducted by (one is left to imagine) a young man whose simple plan to study abroad in Paris ends with his need to know

how to assemble a crib.

was not returned. Calls to Gordon Holk, general manager of Power Plant Management Services, which has a contract to manage the plant, also weren't returned.

Energy Investors Funds, a private equity fund that indirectly owns a majority share in the power plant, said it was cooperating with authorities investigating the explosion. In a written statement, the company offered sympathy and concern and said it would release more information on the explosion as it becomes available.

Safety board investigators have done extensive work on the issue of gas line purging since an explosion last year at a Slim Jim factory in North Carolina killed four people. They've identified other explosions caused by workers who were unsafely venting gas lines inside buildings.

Click to read more on this story from Fox 61.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

20

Popular News/ Consumer Reports/

E-reader News Edition

Mid-Atlantic digs out of snow; government shut (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News) Submitted at 2/8/2010 5:49:14 AM

Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full -text RSS service so we can continue developing it.

WASHINGTON – The federal government was shuttered Monday while the Mid-Atlantic region dug out from as much as three feet of snow that left tens of thousands without power and blocked trains, planes and cars, with another storm looming.

Federal agencies that employ 230,000 in Washington were closed, as were many local governments, businesses and school districts across the region.

Around 200,000 students in Philadelphia's public and Roman Catholic schools got a snow day.

With more snow expected Tuesday, stranded travelers and those struggling with no electricity wondered when they'd escape the icy, gray mess.

"You've got a whole city held captive here," Gwen Dawkins, who was trying to get to Detroit, said as she waited at Washington's Reagan National Airport, where all flights had been canceled after 18 inches of snow was recorded by Sunday.

That was the fourth-highest storm total for Washington.

Reagan remained closed for snow and ice removal Monday and officials said operations were expected to resume at some point during the day.

Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport opened one runway Sunday evening, but airport officials warned that delays and cancellations will likely continue Monday.

Dulles International Airport was open, but the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority warned that some flights may be canceled or delayed.

More than 24,000 utility customers in Virginia were without electricity after some areas got nearly 3 feet of snow.

In Pennsylvania, Allegheny Power reported outages to about 65,000 customers. West Virginia had about 5,000 customers without electricity.

The National Weather Service called the storm "historic" and reported a foot of snow in parts of Ohio and 2 feet or more in Washington, Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Parts of Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia got closer to 3 feet.

Crews plowing streets and homeowners shoveling their walkways faced the possibility of another storm adding to the work. The National Weather Service issued a storm watch for the Washington area Tuesday, saying there was potential for another 5 inches or more of snow. Forecasters expect highs in the low- to mid-30s for the next few days, though sunshine on Monday should help melt some of the snow, said weather service meteorologist Bryan Jackson.

The sight of cross-country skiers cascading down monument steps and flying snowballs has since given way to images of people hunched over snow shovels or huddled next to fireplaces.

John and Nicole Ibrahim and their 2-year-old son, Joshua, have been without power at their suburban Washington home in Silver Spring, Md., since overnight Friday. They were among hundreds of thousands without electricity across the region, and utilities warned it could be days before electricity is restored to everyone.

"We were all bundled up in the same bed together and (Joshua) was coughing in his sleep and his

heart was racing, and we worried he might be getting pneumonia," Nicole Ibrahim said.

Eric Berry, a plow driver for Baltimore, said he worked 12hour shifts Saturday and Sunday.

He said overanxious residents were sometimes hindering his ability to clear secondary roads by digging out their cars and moving them into the path of his plow.

"They feel like they need to park in the street, so that when it's time to go, they can up and go," Berry said.

In Philadelphia, 28.5 inches of snow fell during the storm, just shy of the record 30.7 inches during a January 1996 blizzard.

Snow totals were even higher to the west in Pennsylvania, with 31 inches recorded in Upper Strasburg and 30 inches in Somerset.

Authorities say most public transportation in Philadelphia has resumed. In Pittsburgh, bus service restarted but light-rail wasn't running. Washington's Metro trains were to be limited Monday to underground rails, and its buses were going to operate on a very limited basis.

Despite the snow, watching the Super Bowl was still a priority

for many. Eric Teoh, 29, of Arlington, said he borrowed his neighbor's snow shovel and spent at least an hour getting his car out of the snow to head to the Crystal City Sports Pub in Arlington, Va. "I was snowed in and I dug my car out today to come here," he said. "I couldn't go anywhere."

The frigid temperatures and snowy and icy streets did not deter runner Patrick Duffy, 23, from training for the Pittsburgh Marathon in May. He admitted was going slower than usual.

"I'm trying not to fall. I haven't fallen yet," Duffy said, his eyelashes frosted white. ___ Nuckols reported from Baltimore. Contributing to this report were Associated Press photographer Jacquelyn Martin in Silver Spring, Md.; and writers Geoff Mulvihill in Atlantic City, N.J.; Ron Todt in Philadelphia; Jessica Gresko in Washington; and Kathleen Miller in Arlington, Va. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Communication Services - from Consumer Reports

by Press Room (Consumer Reports) Submitted at 2/7/2010 9:00:59 PM

Communication Services - from Consumer Reports For the February issue, Consumer Reports surveyed its readers

about experiences they've had S u b s c r i b e t o with telecom services to see ConsumerReports.org for expert which is better -- Cable or Fiber. Ratings, buying advice and CR Podcast Subscribe now! reliability on hundreds of

products. Update your feed preferences

Popular News/

E-reader News Edition

21

Snow misery continues in US (BBC News | Americas | World Edition) Submitted at 2/8/2010 1:24:11 AM

Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full -text RSS service so we can continue developing it.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Parts of the eastern United States remain largely paralysed Parts of the eastern United States remain largely paralysed for a third day after some of the heaviest snowfalls in decades.

Transport links in Washington DC and nearby states have been severely disrupted and hundreds of thousands of people are still without power.

Federal government offices and most schools are shut after the authorities advised people to stay indoors.

Weather forecasts are warning of fresh blizzards due on Tuesday.

The storm has disrupted transport from West Virginia to southern New Jersey.

Some parts of Washington experienced up to 32in (81cm) of snow, one of the heaviest snowfalls in decades.

A record 3ft (91cm) of snow fell in Maryland.

Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland have declared emergencies, allowing them to mobilise the National Guard to help cope with the wintry onslaught.

Electricity was cut to at least

300,000 homes as the snow felled trees, and cut power lines across the region. Emergency workers are struggling to restore power.

Another 250,000 customers were hit by blackouts in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the New York Times reported.

Pepco electric company said its workers were scrambling to restore power, but warned it could be a few days before everyone's supply was restored.

"We have a lot of scattered outages and the road conditions are not really working with us," spokesman Andre Francis told AFP news agency. ' Snowmageddon' The massive storm brought the nation's capital to a virtual

standstill.

All flights were cancelled out of Washington's national airport, along with most flights out of Dulles International in Virginia.

The 18in (46cm) recorded at Reagan National Airport was the fourth-highest snow total for the city. At Dulles Airport, outside Washington, the record was shattered with 32in (81cm).

Even President Barack Obama fell victim to "snowmageddon", as locals - including the president - have dubbed it.

A tree limb snapped and fell on to a vehicle in Mr Obama's motorcade, but no-one was injured.

All across the region, hundreds of car accidents were reported, but only two fatalities - a father

Debi Adkins, who lives just outside the city of Baltimore, told the BBC: "I'm not going anywhere - I couldn't if I wanted to. You just can't get your cars out. The front door of the building I live in is closed shut, so I just can't get out."

Some sightseers ventured out in thigh-deep snow in the National Mall park, or went cross-country skiing down empty boulevards.

Others took part in a huge snowball fight at Washington's DuPont Circle, organised via Facebook and Twitter.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Washington's mass snowball fight Are you in the eastern US? How are you coping with the snow and son who died while helping storms? Send us your comments another motorist in Virginia. using the form below.

US national rail service Amtrak Send your pictures and videos to cancelled a number of trains yourpics@bbc.co.uk, text them between New York and to+44 7725 100 100 or you have Washington, and also between a large file you can upload here.

Washington and some southern Read the terms and conditions destinations.

At no time should you endanger Snowball fight yourself or others, take any The latest storm comes less than unnecessary risks or infringe any two months after a December laws. storm dumped more than 16in A selection of your comments (41cm) of snow in Washington. may be published, displaying The Washington Metro was your name and location unless operating only on underground you state otherwise in the box lines, and bus services were below. cancelled.

The BBC may edit your The usually traffic-heavy roads comments and not all emails will of the capital were deserted, and be published. Your comments the city's famous sites and monuments were covered with SNOW page 22 snow.

22

Popular News/

E-reader News Edition

Shuttle makes final night flight (BBC News | Americas | World Edition) Submitted at 2/8/2010 1:17:24 AM

Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full -text RSS service so we can continue developing it.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

The Endeavour shuttle launched from Kennedy Space Center The US space shuttle has made its final night launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The Endeavour orbiter soared into the Florida sky on a 13-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

It is delivering a connecting node and a large window module in what will be one of the last ISS assembly flights.

The US space agency (Nasa) plans just four further shuttle missions after this one - and all of them are planned to launch in daylight hours.

The blast-off occurred at 0414 local time (0914 GMT), 24 hours behind schedule. Endeavour should have left Earth on Sunday but was held on the pad because of a thick layer of cloud blanketing Florida's Space Coast.

Monday's weather was much more obliging, and the shuttle's

ascent to orbit made for quite a spectacle.

"It lit up the Kennedy Space Center," said shuttle flight director, Mike Leinbach.

"I saw it very clearly through solid rocket booster separation, and then it disappeared behind some clouds and I got kinda disappointed. But then it broke out of those clouds and that's when I was able to see it all the way out to seven minutes in flight. For the last night launch, it treated us well."

Endeavour's mission is an

important moment for the European Space Agency's (Esa) contribution to the station project. Both the new modules were manufactured in Italy by Thales Alenia Space.

Node 3, also known as Tranquility, will house the station's core life-support systems.

It will also store a treadmill the crew must use regularly to exercise their bodies and maintain bone density.

One of the risks of living in microgravity conditions is that

SNOW continued from page 21

may be published on any BBC media worldwide.

Print Sponsor

Five Filters featured article: Term Extraction.

Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,

that looks straight down to Earth.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

The spectacular views from the Cupola mean it is likely to become a popular place on the station for astronauts to relax.

Esa's project manager on Node 3 and the Cupola, Philippe Deloo, told the BBC: "I heard that on orbit the most favourite past-time of the crew when they're off duty is to watch out the window and look at Earth.

"The psychological effect of being able to look outside, to look at the Mother Earth, is something that has long been put forward as an argument to have windows on the station."

Endeavour's crew is commanded

by George Zamka, a colonel in bones tend to lose strength over the US Marine Corps, and time. includes the British-born mission The Cupola is an observation specialist Nicholas Patrick. tower that will be used to control Dr Patrick will conduct the three robots working on the exterior of spacewalks to install the two the platform. modules with colleague Bob It is constructed in the shape of Behnken. a dome, with six trapezoidal side J o n a t h a n . A m o s windows and a circular top INTERNET@bbc.co.uk window of a little under 80cm, Print Sponsor making it the largest window Five Filters featured article: ever built for space.

Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: The Cupola is travelling into PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, orbit attached to the end cone of Term Extraction.

Node 3 but once in orbit will be transferred to a berthing point

Popular News/ Tech/ Tech News/

E-reader News Edition

23

Costa Rica elects female leader (BBC News | Americas | World Edition) Submitted at 2/8/2010 2:02:07 AM

Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full -text RSS service so we can continue developing it.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Laura Chinchilla celebrates the win Costa Rica is set to have its first female president, after election results gave governing party candidate Laura Chinchilla an unassailable lead.

With most votes counted from Sunday's poll, Ms Chinchilla had 47% of the vote, 22 points ahead of the main opposition contender, Otton Solis.

Ms Chinchilla, a former vicepresident, has pledged to continue the free-market policies of outgoing head, Oscar Arias.

She has also promised to tackle violent crime, a growing issue in Costa Rica.

"The biggest challenge we face is criminality, violence and drugtrafficking," Ms Chinchilla, 50, told her supporters.

Costa Rica, along with other Central American nations, is increasingly being used as a transit route for drugs smuggled from South America to the US

Don’t Have Money for a Real iPad? Cut One Out of Paper

by Stan Schroeder (Mashable!)

Submitted at 2/8/2010 4:10:18 AM

Yeah, we know. Although experts have been congratulating Apple on how competitive the iPad prices are, when you actually have to part with 500 market.

Mr Solis won some 25% of the Send your pictures and videos to bucks or more (if you want 3G, She also responded to criticism vote, while the third-placed yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them which is a must-have for such a that she is too close to Mr Arias, candidate, Otto Guevara, won to +44 7725 100 100. If you have device), it hurts. a Nobel Peace Prize winner, and 21%. a large file you can upload here.

There is a solution that won’t that he will continue to control Costa Rica is one of Latin Read the terms and conditions cost you a dime, though. It also government policies.

America's most stable countries.

T h e B B C m a y e d i t y o u r won’t get you an iPad, but you "I have to justify the confidence The country abolished its army comments and not all emails will can perhaps fool someone with placed in me by having an in 1949 and has become known be published. Your comments poor eyesight into thinking that independent government focused in recent years for tourism and may be published on any BBC you have one, at least for a on the wellbeing of my country," p r o g r e s s i v e e n v i r o n m e n t a l media worldwide. second. Yes, we’re talking about Ms Chinchilla said. policies.

Print Sponsor a paper iPad. Mr Solis, who was narrowly Are you from Costa Rica? What Five Filters featured article: To make one yourself, you’ll defeated by Mr Arias in Costa i s y o u r r e a c t i o n t o L a u r a Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: need these two PNG files: the Rica's previous presidential vote, Chinchilla's election victory? PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, front and the back. Print them, w a s q u i c k t o d e c l a r e M s Send us your comments, videos Term Extraction. cut them out, and voila — your Chinchilla the winner. and pictures. brand-new paper iPad is ready to… well, it can’t really do anything except sit on your desk, but considering the price is zero, Can aging gamers compete with battlefields? War is extra hellish in games like MAG and Modern we won’t hold it against it.

Tags: diy, Fun, ipad, paper t w i t c h y t e e n s o n t o d a y ' s when you're too old, or too busy, Warfare 2. increasingly complicated virtual to fight off the adolescent hordes

21st-Century Shooters Are No Country for Old Men

by Gus Mastrapa (Wired Top Stories)

24

Popular News/ Tech/

E-reader News Edition

Father Accused of Waterboarding Daughter (FOXNews.com)

"held her down on the counter and submerged her head into the water three or four times until Message from fivefilters.org: If the water came around her you can, please donate to the full forehead and jawline," according -text RSS service so we can to the newspaper. continue developing it.

The suspect said he punished the A U.S. soldier has been accused girl for "refusing to say her of "waterboarding" his four-year- letters." old daughter because she would Tabor, a soldier at the Lewisnot recite her ABCs. McChord base in Tacoma, Joshua Tabor, 27, of Yelm, Wash., has been charged with Wash., allegedly beat the child second-degree assault of a child before holding her head under and is set to appear in court Feb. water Sunday night in the 16. family's kitchen sink, The News The suspect reportedly told Tribune reported. police that his daughter was Tabor reportedly told a police a f r a i d o f w a t e r " a n d w a s officer that he and his girlfriend squirming around trying to get Submitted at 2/8/2010 6:13:58 AM

away from the water."

"Joshua did not act as though he felt there was anything wrong with this form of punishment," the police report said.

Tabor's girlfriend also told authorities that the girl had “severe bruising on her entire back" and had locked herself in a closet to hide from her father, the newspaper reported.

Click here to read more from The News Tribune.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Submitted at 2/7/2010 6:51:00 PM

As technology advances, the possibility of automated fighting machines becomes more and more realized. Thousands of robots are already in use— such as bomb disposal unites and unmaned aerial vehicles—says the BBC, but the horizons are growing broader for mechanized warriors.

This BBC article examines a few reactions to these imminent developments, specifically speaking to the ethical dilemmas

of unfeeling automatons running amok on the battlefield. One particularly chilling example in the article, for instance, describes

(CNET News.com) Submitted at 2/8/2010 6:49:00 AM

Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full -text RSS service so we can continue developing it.

Google already runs a successful online translator, Google Translate, but they've got farloftier ideas than simply converting the written word.

They want to translate languages spoken over the phone, according to their head of translation services.

Speaking to The Times, Franz Och, Google's head of translation services, said: "We think speech-to-speech the Pentagon’s driverless vehicle translation should be possible called the EATR, which “can and work reasonably well in a refuel itself on long journeys by few years' time. s c a v e n g i n g f o r o r g a n i c Clearly, for it to work smoothly, material—which raises the you need a combination of highhaunting spectre of a machine accuracy machine translation and consuming corpses on the high-accuracy voice recognition, battlefield,” says the article. “Its and that's what we're working inventor, Dr Robert Finkelstein on. of Robotic Technology Inc, If you look at the progress in insists it will consume ‘organic m a c h i n e t r a n s l a t i o n a n d material but mostly vegetarian.’” corresponding advances in voice Read the full article at the BBC. recognition, there has been huge More on the military.

Photo credit: Fotolia Permalink| Leave a comment »

What if the Terminator were real?

(Holy Kaw!)

Google working on speech translation for phones progress recently."

It's not really clear as to whether Google wants to translate a phone conversation, or conversation around you (for example, ordering food in a Japanese restaurant). If it's the former, I'm unsure as to whether I'd actually use the software, although booking hotels in other countries might be one example.

But then, when everything's done online these days--and effective online translation services like Google Translate and Babel Fish exist--Google might find that by the time they launch translation software on a phone (presumably Android), it's too late and everyone can speak English by then anyway. I hope that's not the case, though. [ The Times] See also: At a loss for words?

Google offers search by sight This story originally appeared on Gizmodo.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Tech/

E-reader News Edition

25

iPad in the family: What it'll take

by Michael Grothaus (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)) Submitted at 2/8/2010 8:00:00 AM

Filed under: Hardware When Steve Jobs announced the iPad, I thought it was neat, but I didn't see how it would really fit into my life. What could it do for me that my iPhone or MacBook Pro couldn't? It seemed like that gap Steve Jobs said the iPad filled was targeted at a group of people I didn't belong to. So I asked the TUAW readers if you'd be getting one. Then I began talking to my family about the iPad and discovered some surprising things: the very people I thought would never buy one plan to, and the people I thought would jump at it are holding off.

So here's a rundown of four very different people in my family and if/why they will be getting an iPad: Person: My mother. 62. Queen of the Luddites.

Computer proficiency: Absolutely none.

Will she be getting the iPad? Yep. The 16GB 3G model.

Why? My mom has never owned a computer. She doesn't have an internet connection. She couldn't explain to you what Facebook is. And she refers to my iPhone as"that information device."

Given all this, I was quite surprised when she said she'll be getting one right away. But then it made perfect sense. My mom

hates computers because the icons are so small and the various program UI's are relatively confusing (remember, she's a 62 year old woman who still clings to her VHS tapes).

My mom never saw the value in getting a computer and subscribing to a $30 monthly internet service when computers were always hard for her to use (she never really understood the mouse moves the cursor on the screen thing) and the only thing she would really use the computer for would be email.

For her the iPad is perfect. It's not small like the iPhone, so she can see everything on the screen without squinting. Because my mom is a light internet user (think email and Skype), the $15 pay-as-you-go 250MB 3G price plan is perfect for her especially since she can cancel at any time. She doesn't have to sign a $30 a month contract and has no modem to worry about dying on her. But, the real appeal about the iPad is there is no mouse for her to fuddle with or cursor to follow. With the iPad,

when she wants to check on her email, she simply touches the screen. My mom has poor sight but the iPad is both large enough and features a simple enough UI that she can touch to email with ease.

Best of all, when she isn't checking her email, the iPad will double as a digital picture frame.

My mom loves her photos and has recently gotten a digital camera. But with no computer, she's had to take the camera card to Walgreen's to get the pictures printed. Now with the iPad and

the camera connection kit she can bypass a computer entirely and view her photos as never before.

Person: My brother. 34. Public school teacher.

Computer proficiency: Intermediate.

Will he be getting the iPad? Not yet.

Why? My brother won't be getting an iPad until it offers him something he doesn't already have in his iMac. What would IPAD page 27

26

Tech/

E-reader News Edition

Review: Hive board game app offers all sorts of buggy fun

by Sebastian Blanco (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))

these bugs are the kind you want invading your iPhone.

Gallery: Hive A game of Hive goes pretty Submitted at 2/7/2010 7:00:00 PM quickly, taking anywhere Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, between five and 30 minutes App Review As a tabletop board depending on how good you are game, Hive has been around and what level you're playing since 2001. It draws inspiration against. The app can save up to from classic abstract strategy eight games so you'll always games like chess and shogi but have room for any game that gets does away with that pesky board interrupted. (see also: Tile Chess). The The App i P h o n e / i P o d t o u c h a p p Since Hive, like chess and many [US$1.99, iTunes link] brings other abstract strategy games everything from the physical where all pieces and options are version to your pocket, and if known at all times, is a game of c l e v e r p l a c e m e n t o f b u g - perfect information, it works decorated pieces is your thing, wonderfully as a two player app. the game is well worth the In fact, if your tabletop board download - at least for a short game shelves are already full of while. abstract games, there's really no The Game reason any more to shell out the The rules of this two-player $25 or $30 for the physical copy game are entirely simple. Each w h e n a l m o s t t h e s a m e turn, you either add a piece to the functionality - with quicker set hive (you can think of the hive as up - can be had for $1.99 in the the board) or, if you've already App Store. Heck, just the 2007 placed your queen bee, you can Mosquito expansion costs $10 in move a piece in the hive. The a store. There's no way an object of the game is to surround iPhone can replace an entire your opponent's bee and, like in board game collection, but in this c h e s s , e a c h t y p e o f p i e c e case, it makes more sense to (different kinds of bugs) has its have the app than the box. own movement abilities, so While the app doesn't offer a knowing when to move where is way to playing with multiple a challenge and certainly part of mosquito tiles, the game's visual the fun. Beetles climb on other options are ridiculously varied. bugs, the ant runs around the None of them make the game hive, and so on.The full rules are look quite as nice and the detailed in the app's tutorial, or polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolan you can watch a video review hydride (sorry, Bakelite) pieces after the jump (or get the rules available for tabletop play, but PDF). Read on to discover if you can pick from about two

dozen background colors and five different tile types. There are also four difficulty levels and toggles to to turn the mosquito option and tournament rules on and off and to select which color the AI will play in single player mode. We recommend leaving

on hard, is not too difficult to beat. In the course of an evening, an experienced abstract game player can learn the rules and manage to beat the system with some regularity. It's not a total cakewalk, but a difficulty level beyond "hard" would be appreciated. You know, something really frustrating.

Considering the game's mediocre AI, a real online player option would be a great thing. Instead, the pass-the-device two-player and local network P2P are all that's offered.

Of course, a harder-working AI might be a bit much for early iPhones. Running on a first-gen iPod Touch, the game repeatedly reported low memory and suggested restarting the device.

Even after doing so, though, the message appeared. Still, the app continued to work, so it's not the most useful of warnings. When playing the medium and hard AI levels, there is some - not too much - delay in the bot's moves, which is kind of nice and mimics playing against a person, but it might become too annoying if the AI got smarter.

Thankfully, the game's music and sound effects can be muted the tournament rules set to be and, if iTunes is playing when always on. Tournament rules t h e a p p s t a r t s , t h e a u d i o mean that neither player can continues without interruption. place the Bee as their first piece, Also, while there is no undo a choice that often leads to button per se, you can touch the games that end in a draw. "Hive" logo on the game screen Boring.

REVIEW: page 27 The trouble is that the AI, even

Tech News/

E-reader News Edition

IPAD continued from page 25

that something be? An iComicbook store.

My brother has collected comics since he was a kid - back when they were 75 cents an issue.

Today they run about $3.99 each - a price many think is just too high. He's had to cut back on the amount of comics he reads because of their high cover price.

But what if he could buy a digital issue for 99 cents each? That would be enough for him to get the iPad. And it just might happen. Jon Fortt over at Fortune wrote an article that made a lot of sense about why he believes comics will come to the iPad. His thesis?

Steve Jobs is the largest Disney shareholder. In August Disney bought Marvel Comics. Disney is extremely concerned about turning a young, tech savvy, male audience back to their brands. The marriage of Disney and Marvel might just produce a subsection of the iBookstore in the very near future called the iComicstore. If Marvel signs on, you can bet DC Comics will follow suit. Once this happens, my brother will buy an iPad, as

I'm sure legions of comics fans would.

Person: Me. 32. Tech blogger and writer.

Computer proficiency: Expert.

Will I be getting the iPad? Not yet.

Why? No, not because they didn't put a front facing camera on it as planned. Really people, do you really want the person you're vid chatting with to be staring up at your nose hair? I think the iPad's pretty cool, but I see it more as a content/leisure device - and right now the content is lacking. Sure, the iBooks app is nice, but I'll have to see if reading a book on an iPad is an enjoyable as reading a paperback or as easy on the eyes as reading on an E-ink reader.

There is one thing that would make me buy an iPad right away.

It's another subsection of the iBookstore that I envision: the iMagazine store. I've written about this before, but I'll repeat my talking points here: I like magazines, but like my brother, I find the newsstand cover prices are a bit too high when I only want to read one interesting

article that's caught my eye. If I could buy that single issue on an iPad for 99 cents, it would be a done deal. Add bookmarking, highlighting, and a built-in dictionary panel like the one in Mac OS X and I would be in heaven.

As with comics, the expensive cover price is a result of the costs of printing, shipping, and distribution. If magazine and comic publishers switched to the digital iPad distribution format, they could easily cut the cover prices while still maintaining profits (due to no printing or shipping costs, and cheaper distribution costs through Apple). Magazine publishers may actually be able to make a healthier profit if they introduce pay-per-click dynamic ads in the issues. This would especially benefit digital comic books because many fans go back and read their favorite issues again and again (thus they would be seeing new ads each time).

Person: My sister. 30.

Occupational Therapist.

Computer proficiency: Intermediate.

Will she be getting the iPad? What's that?

Why? Please, I'm still trying to get her on a Mac or even just an iPod. IMHO, Apple will implement an iMagazine and iComicbook store sooner rather than later and that's when my brother and I will jump on the iPad bandwagon. In the meantime, I'll have to live with the fact that my mom will have the latest and greatest tech gadget on the planet while I curl up with a good book and a copy of Men's Health.

TUAW iPad in the family: What it'll take originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

kind of troublesome for one player in a two-player game.

All in all, Hive is like so many of the "easy to learn, hard to master" style of games. Even when playing on the iPod touch, having two human players is better than playing against the

bots, and the game loses nothing in the translation to virtual tabletop.

Review of the board game version by the Dice Tower: Official app promo from Lotus Studios: TUAW Review: Hive board

game app offers all sorts of buggy fun originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

10 Ways to a Geeky Girl's Heart

by Jenny Williams (Wired Top Stories) Submitted at 2/8/2010 6:36:00 AM

If you’re a geeky guy looking to romance a geeky girl, it doesn’t matter if you’ve been with her forever or if she’s a new interest; realize that conventional romantic overtures won’t always work. Think outside the box.

Here's some help.

Ad-Network Vets Try to Clean Up Their Act

by Eliot Van Buskirk (Wired Top Stories) Submitted at 2/7/2010 9:00:00 PM

Do you wonder where those ads for work at home, teeth whitening and so on are coming from, and why they appear on otherwise respectable websites?

The answer is complicated, but becoming less so.

REVIEW: continued from page 26

and call up the game menu, which includes a "Back to Game" option. If you do this when you're selected the wrong piece, the piece will be unselected when you come back to the game. Handy, but the location of the logo makes it

27

28

Tech/ Tech News/ Sports/

E-reader News Edition

The Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART]

by Pete Cashmore (Mashable!)

Submitted at 2/7/2010 7:00:41 PM

Twitter was abuzz this week with chatter about the iPad, performances at The Grammys and relief efforts in Haiti.

Some of the top trends were predictable (Mashable’s Ben Parr successfully guessed at four of the 10 last week), while others were unexpected.

The tendency for Twitter users to sign off with “Goodnight” has made that a top topic this week, while the “Retweet If” meme gathered momentum.

Meanwhile, the Super Bowl is the dominant topic today, although these stats were compiled before the big game: its true popularity will be seen in next week’s list.

Here’s a roundup of the top 10 topics on Twitter this week, courtesy of our friends at WhatTheTrend. As this is a topical list, hashtag memes like “#UKnowUBrokeWhen” and “#thatsanono” are not included.

You can find previous weeks’ Twitter trends in our Twitter

Topics section. Top Twitter Topics This Week Rank Topic Top Index This Week Change Description#1 iPad 1 Steve Jobs, head of Apple, announced the iPad on 1/27/10. It will be available for purchase in March, 2010. On the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards Show, Steven Colbert pulled an iPad out of his jacket (Trends: iPad, Apple iPad)#2 Grammys The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards aired on 1/31/10 with great performances from Lady GaGa, Beyonce, Pink, Taylor, Drake, Wayne, Eminem, and a wonderful MJ tribute. (Trends: Grammys, Lady GaGa, Taylor S w i f t , B e y o n c e , #goodlucktaylor, Grammy’s, Grammy Awards, Kanye, Drake, Eminem, American Idiot, MJ’s, Ciara, Maxwell, Eminem)#3 Haiti 2-1 On January 12, 2010 an earthquake measured at 7.3 devastated the country’s capital.

A week later, on the 20th, an aftershock of magnitude 6.1 struck. People are Tweeting about other charitable efforts along with recordings of song to support relief.#4 Shorty

A Would-Be Spy's Buried Treasure and Uncrackable Code

by Yudhijit Bhattacharjee (Wired Top Stories) Submitted at 2/7/2010 9:00:00 PM

Former Air Force sergeant Brian Regan buried stolen government

secrets and encrypted the coordinates, hoping to sell the stash to the highest bidder. Then he had to crack his own code.

Award 2 The Second Annual Shorty Awards honor the most popular producers of short content on Twitter. Award winners are recognized in 26 official and 100s of user generated categories. This topic first trended when nominations were submitted and now people are casting votes for different categories.#5 Follow Friday 2 Follow Friday is a tradition where people tweet the names of others who they believe are fun/interesting to follow.#6 Happy Groundhog Day 2 Groundhog day is an American tradition. A groundhog is used to determine whether we have 6 more weeks of winter due to the animal seeing his shadow after emerging from his burrow. (Trends: Happy Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney

Phil)#7 Super Bowl 4-3 The Indianapolis Colts play the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV, the culmination of a season of National League Football play. The Super Bowl is treated almost as a holiday in the United States, with many people holding parties, some just to watch the commercials during the game.#8 Goodnight 5 Usually a person’s last tweet of the day. They’re telling us they’re going to sleep now and wishing us the traditional ‘Goodnight’. This can trend at many different times due to the different time-zones of Twitter users.#9 Retweet If 3 Simple eme: "Retweet if x" where "x" could be "Crazy for Justin Bieber" or, at this point, anything. Also, there is a meme "Retweet if #idothat2"#10 Lost 3 The two hour premiere of Lost’s sixth and final season aired 2/2 on ABC in the USA. (Preceded by an hour long recap of the first five seasons.)

Tags: Top Twitter Topics, trends, twitter

One Last Who Dat (WSJ.com: The Daily Fix) Submitted at 2/8/2010 5:48:53 AM

A random Who Dat on the corner of Royal and St. Louis Streets in the French Quarter

Sunday night, speaking for the Nation: “I believed, and it happened.”

Amen. Good morning. And one last Who Dat.

German Pranksters Attach GPS Device to Google Street View Car [MAP]

by Stan Schroeder (Mashable!)

Submitted at 2/8/2010 5:29:56 AM

This one will definitely put a smile on the faces of all those who think Google’s Street View service is invading their privacy: Members of German Free Art & Technology group(F.A.T.) noticed Google’s Street View car in Berlin and decided to attach a GPS device to it and track its movement.

The result of their efforts can be seen on a large map, and although it doesn’t seem to show anything out of the ordinary — the Google Street View car seemed to be driving around Berlin as it should be (until they realized they were being tracked and removed the GPS device), but it was nice to be able to reverse the roles and snoop on Google, even for a short while.

Tags: Google, gps, street view

Tech/

E-reader News Edition

29

Bids are in for AOL's sale of ICQ-it's down to 'UN' of 4 buyers

TUAW at Big Nerd Ranch: Aaron Hillegass

(CNET News.com)

by Brett Terpstra (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))

running.

Whatever the price, it will likely be much lower than what AOL Message from fivefilters.org: If are four "serious" ones, which paid for it in 1998. you can, please donate to the full one person close to the situation The then-powerful AOL -text RSS service so we can described as a "U.N. of buyers." acquired ICQ, which was once of Translation: The bidders are t h e m o s t e x p l o s i v e o n l i n e continue developing it. likelier to be one of many communications tools, for $287 AOL has taken another step closer to selling off its ICQ international Internet companies million, with another $120 i n s t a n t m e s s a g i n g s e r v i c e , rather than a U.S. one. million in earnouts for the team. culling seven bids to four That's because ICQ-which has It was part of an Tel Aviv, Israel, "serious" ones, said sources close 40 to 50 million active users start-up called Mirabilis. across the globe-has a stronger But ICQ's popularity in the U.S. to the situation.

The price for the service is overseas business, especially in lagged in comparison to rival h o v e r i n g j u s t u n d e r $ 2 0 0 G e r m a n y , R u s s i a , E a s t e r n services from Microsoft, Yahoo million, several sources said, E u r o p e a n d I s r a e l . and Google. In addition, While I could not get the exact Facebook and Twitter have also with one bid higher.

An AOL spokeswoman declined names of those left, the most become major players in the obvious possibilities include: status-update space. to comment.

Russian investment group AOL's AIM service, in contrast, BoomTown reported news of the sale of ICQ by AOL in Digital Sky Technologies, which is quite strong, typically clocking N o v e m b e r , p a r t o f a has invested in both Facebook a s o n e o f t h e t o p i n s t a n t deleveraging of units from the and social gaming site Zynga; m e s s a g i n g p r o p e r t i e s . newly independent Internet China's huge Tencent-owned QQ ICQ is still based in Israel with company, as it focuses more on instant messaging and gaming about 100 employees and is its content and advertising service; Naspers, a multimedia moderately profitable. Bidders giant which is also known as the and its team, sources said, are business.

While other reports a month MIH Group and based in South now also talking as part of the later said the sale was closer to Africa; Seznam, the largest Web process. completion than it actually was, portal in the Czech Republic; Story Copyright (c) 2010 the process is proceeding in a and, perhaps, Yandex, Russia's AllThingsD. All rights reserved. more traditional manner, with leading search engine.

Five Filters featured article: bidders making proposal to In the U.S., some felt Google Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: AOL's investment bankers, Allen would be a bidder for ICQ, PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, although it was Yahoo that Term Extraction. & Co. and Morgan Stanley.

Sources said that the solicitation apparently made a much lower of bids is now over and that there offer, which took it out of the Submitted at 2/8/2010 7:02:40 AM

Aaron expounds a little on his "monastic" approach, and had me walking up and down slippery slopes to see the land ...

Submitted at 2/7/2010 4:30:00 PM A big thanks to Aaron for his F i l e d u n d e r : I n t e r v i e w s , time, it was definitely a pleasure Developer and an honor to sit down with More coverage of TUAW's him! inside look at developer boot In order to give our readers the camp. See below for notes & first-hand account of what it's disclaimer. like to experience developer boot On my last day at Big Nerd camp, Big Nerd Ranch has Ranch, I got a chance to sit down p e r m i t t e d B r e t t t o a t t e n d with with the biggest nerd at the complimentary classes and has ranch, Aaron Hillegass, and talk provided transportation/lodging about nerds, NextStep, the iPad assistance. Other than those and more. Aaron has a unique considerations, no sponsorship or vantage point on all things advertising relationship exists Apple, and it was definitely an between BNR and TUAW. This enjoyable conversation. If you series is not an endorsement of continue reading after the first BNR's programs or teaching video, there's a second short methodology. video of Aaron and I out at the TUAW TUAW at Big Nerd site of the future Big Nerd R a n c h : A a r o n H i l l e g a s s Ranch. originally appeared on The After chatting with Aaron for a U n o f f i c i a l A p p l e W e b l o g while, we drove about 20 (TUAW) on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 minutes to get to the site of the 16:30:00 EST. Please see our "new" ranch (it's much closer to terms for use of feeds. the airport than the current Read| Permalink| Email this| residence). Ground hasn't been Comments broken yet, but the plans are laid for a new Big Nerd Ranch.

30

Tech/ Tech News/ Gadgets/

E-reader News Edition

Israeli gas stations to swap Better Place car batteries (CNET News.com) Submitted at 2/8/2010 7:20:41 AM

Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full -text RSS service so we can continue developing it.

Electric car service company Better Place on Sunday announced deals with corporate fleet operators and a gas station company in Israel, steps toward launching a country-wide network of all-electric cars next year.

Ninety two companies said they plan to host charging stations for Better Place electric cars and a gas station operator will host battery switching stations.

A charging point for electric vehicles in Israel.(Credit: Better Place) With the deals in place and support from the Israeli government, Better Place projects that it will be operating a country-wide network of thousands of charging stations by 2011, according to reports.

During a presss conference, Israel-born Better Place CEO

Shai Agassi predicted that by 2020 there will be more electric cars sold in Israel than gasoline cars. The deal with corporate fleet operators translates into over half the fleet cars in the country, he told Reuters.

Better Place's business model is to provide driving plans for electric vehicle owners, roughly analogous to mobile phone plans. A person or company can

$350 million to expand into Israel, Denmark, and other locations, an investment led by bank HSBC. Better Place has not signed on any other carmakers and many people have questioned whether its business model will work, particularly in the U.S. where driving distances can be longer than other countries.

By contrast, its business is better suited for Israel, where there is a strong national interest to reduce oil imports, many people drive corporate cars, and there is a relatively small geography to work with.

Also on Sunday, the company said it will open a demonstration purchase a certain number driving miles per month for a fee facility, which includes a driving and refill batteries at home and track and displays to explain corporate charging stations. They how how the electric charging can also swap out batteries, network will operate. which are owned by Better Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: Place, for fresh ones.

It has signed on Renault Nissan PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, which will manufacture cars with Term Extraction. swappable batteries and a driving range of about 100 miles. Earlier this month, Better Place raised

Historic Naval Gunship, Fully Cloaked [War]

by Mark Wilson (Gizmodo) Submitted at 2/8/2010 10:20:00 AM

After Japan destroyed the Allied Fleet in WWII's Battle of the

Java Sea, the Abraham Crijnssen, a minesweeper, was ordered to escape to Australia.

To avoid detection, the 186-foot branches. [ HNSA via MAKE boat was simply covered in

via boingboing]

Vitamin D Webcam Monitor Hits 1.0, Still Has a Free Option [Updates]

by Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker) Submitted at 2/8/2010 7:10:00 AM

Vitamin D, the Windows/Mac remote webcam monitoring software that we liked for customizable accuracy, and which one reader used to nab proof of a derelict dog walker, has hit a 1.0 release and announced its pricing. There's still a free version that does most of what the (soon-to-expire) beta does, but is limited to monitoring one camera. A Basic ($49) version supports two cameras, and Pro ($199) license monitors as many camera streams as your computer can handle. [ Vitamin D via TechCrunch]

Tech/

E-reader News Edition

31

Super Bowl Ads 2010 [VIDEOS]

by Pete Cashmore (Mashable!)

Why Does The IEEE Make It So Difficult To Access And Share Research?

Submitted at 2/7/2010 11:03:15 PM

YouTube delivered on its promise to upload all the Super Bowl Ads as soon as they aired today, with users voting to choose which one will grace the YouTube front page on Thursday.

The tech and web ads were a mixed bunch: Both the established GoDaddy “Too Hot for TV” schtick and Motorola’s decision to put Megan Fox in a bathtub stuck to the “sex sells” mantra, while Monster.com returned with a “Fiddling Beaver.” Intel went for a quirky “lunch room” ad while Vizio chose star power in its Beyonce commercial. We don’t know what inspired Boost Mobile’s ad, meanwhile, but the humor appears to miss the mark [Update: Commenters say it's a remake of the "Chicago Bears Super Bowl Shuffle"].

Our favorite: Google’s sentimental made-for-web ad — it was promoted to Super Bowl status after its success on YouTube.

FLO TV’s retrospective on American media is also a very memorable attempt. Which ads are your faves? Web and Tech Super Bowl Ads 2010 Megan Fox

by Mike Masnick (Techdirt)

the author of his own paper -but the IEEE stamps it with Martin's name and says that it Matt points us to an article by can't be used by anyone else.

Martin Rowe about the difficulty Of course, you can see what the o f a c c e s s i n g a n d s h a r i n g IEEE is thinking. It wants to i n f o r m a t i o n a n d r e s e a r c h hoard the information in order to published by the IEEE, which he build up its membership ranks, finds to be a bit of a travesty, fearing that if it made that Wolfman Ad since the IEEE should be in the information available, people The Good Wife business of promoting technical would be less interested in Emerald Nuts: Awesomer knowledge. He describes how becoming an IEEE member. I Hyundai Soata / Brett Favre Ad he found an interesting paper that would argue that's rather shortVW Punchdub he wanted to share with his sighted, and there are plenty of Budweiser Bridge Ad readership, but that the IEEE other ways the IEEE could make Denny’s Chicken Birthday Ad forbids just reposting their membership more valuable Denny’s Chicken Warning content (a restriction he's fine (member-only gathering, access Alice in Wonderland with). Instead, though, he hoped t o o t h e r m e m b e r s o n l i n e , Skechers that the author of the paper d i s c o u n t s o n Homeaway Vacation Ad would post it publicly (rather events/publications/etc.) while Dr Pepper / KISS ad than behind the IEEE's paywall) s t i l l m a k i n g t h e p a p e r s i t Select 55 Ice Bottle Ad Michelob Ultra – Little Bumps and let him link to it. The author publishes free. In fact, by agreed, but since the author freeing up the content, and Ad Budweiser Clydesdale Fence Ad wasn't a member of the IEEE, he highlighting those other benefits, didn't have a copy of the full it could even make membership Late Show Ad paper (this part seems a bit odd -- more valuable.

Bud Light Asteroid Ad Tags: ads, MARKETING, Super you would think at some point Permalink| Comments| Email B o w l , S u p e r B o w l a d s , the author would have a copy of This Story his own paper). So Martin Superbowl, trending agreed to download a copy for Submitted at 2/8/2010 6:41:16 AM

Motorola Ad FLO TV: My Generation Ad Monster.com Fiddling Beaver Ad GoDaddy Super Bowl Boost Mobile Ad Google: Parisian Love Ad Intel Lunch Room Ad Go Daddy: News Vizio Beyonce Ad Cars.com Ad Other Super Bowl Ads 2010 Snickers Super Bowl Ad Survivor: Heroes Vs. Villains Ad Hyundai Sonata Ad Doritos Ad Robin Hood Spot Doritos: House Rules Ad NCIS /CBS Ad Coca-Cola / Simpsons Ad Undercover Boss Ad (CBS) Doritos Casket Ad

32

Tech/ Tech News/

E-reader News Edition

Google is Working on Speech-toSpeech Translation for Android

Italy Blocks The Pirate Bay Yet Again

by Stan Schroeder (Mashable!)

by Mike Masnick (Techdirt)

Submitted at 2/8/2010 6:22:07 AM

In Douglas Adams’s humorous sci-fi novel series Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy a special kind of fish is mentioned — the Babel Fish. When inserted into the ear, it translates any spoken language into whichever language the listener understands. It is a very nifty device, and now Google seeks to create something similar.

According to Times Online, Google is developing a speech-to -speech automated translator for Android phones. It’s essentially a combination of two of Google’s existing technologies; its online universal translator service, Google Translate, and its voice recognition system.

Google plans to make its Babel Fish a lot like a human translator; the software would analyze chunks of speech, and

translate them in their entirety rather than translating word for word. Franz Och, Google’s head of translation services, claims the technology could go live in a couple of years. “Clearly, for it to work smoothly, you need a combination of high-accuracy machine translation and highaccuracy voice recognition, and that’s what we’re working on. If you look at the progress in machine translation and corresponding advances in voice recognition, there has been huge progress recently,” he says.

Anyone who’s used Google Translate knows that translations aren’t (and probably never will be) perfect, but they’re very helpful when you can’t

understand a word of some foreign language. However, Google’s voice recognition also has issues of its own, and I fear that these two combined would produce a very high amount of errors. The Times also mentions the issue of different accents, a problem that Google plans to solve by making the software gradually learn the speaking habits of the phone’s owner.

Despite the big issues Google has to overcome to make this technology useful, if anyone can pull it off, Google can. The idea of being able to call someone who doesn’t speak your language, and have the conversation translated almost instantly, well, that’s one of those inventions that made Google the company it is today.

Tags: Google, machine translation, translation

entertainment industry we're talking about, and if the courts save it from shooting itself in the Well, here we go again. A year foot, it will just keep shooting. and a half ago, an Italian court So, once again, it is going to get ordered ISPs to start blocking The Pirate Bay a lot more access to The Pirate Bay. Oddly attention by getting a court to (and inexplicably) many ISPs require the site be blocked again. redirected all such traffic to a Basically, the original ruling website owned by the IFPI, saying that Italy couldn't ban w h i c h s e e m e d h i g h l y foreign sites was overturned by questionable. Why should a the Italian Supreme Court, and private entity receive that traffic? thus, the lower court went back Either way, it didn't do much and decided, again, that the site good, as the block only drew should be blocked. more attention to The Pirate Bay, What I really wonder is if leading more visitors to reach the anyone actually thinks this will site from Italy than before the make a difference? block! Not long after that, a Permalink| Comments| Email court struck down the ban as This Story being unreasonable.

But, of course, this is the Submitted at 2/8/2010 2:45:17 AM

Google Working on Speech-to-Speech Phone Translation [Google]

by Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker)

"speech-to-speech," translation technology for future phone Submitted at 2/8/2010 4:40:00 AM models, according to The Times Using its vast compendium of UK. Google's head of translation voice and translation data, services is quoted as saying that Google appears to be working speech-to-speech requires "hightoward a semi-real-time, or accuracy machine translation and

and that's what we're working on." Would you let Google listen in on your international calls and do your translation for you? [via Gizmodo high-accuracy voice recognition,

Tech/ Politics/

E-reader News Edition

Nook back on sale (CNET News.com) Submitted at 2/8/2010 7:06:00 AM

Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full -text RSS service so we can continue developing it.

Nook e-reader(Credit: Barnes & Noble) Barnes & Noble's Nook ereader, which sold out over the winter holidays, is available online once again, the company said Monday.

The Nook is also expected to show up in most B&N stores by midweek.

After running out of the ereaders over the holidays, Barnes & Noble said it kicked production into high gear so it could ship the Nook to its stores by this week--in time for the next gift-giving holiday: Valentine's Day. Those interested in buying the reader locally can check the Nook in-store Locator to see if any neighborhood Barnes & Noble store has one. If not, you can order one online for $259 with free shipping. And in case you want to be doubly sure to get that Nook in time to woo your sweetheart, B&N is offering free 1- to 2-day air service for online purchases so that the e-reader arrives in time for V-Day. The company recently launched Nook version 1.2, which sent several updates to the e-reader,

33

Palin Thinking of Presidency in 2012, Cites Pat Buchanan (Little Green Footballs) Submitted at 2/7/2010 11:09:23 AM

Sarah Palin, who quit her elected office as Governor of Alaska in the middle of her term, now says she’s considering running for President in 2012.

“I would, I would if I believe that is the right thing to do for our country and the Palin family.

Certainly I would do so,” she told “Fox News Sunday,” in an interview that was taped before she addressed a Tea Party convention the night before. “I think that it would be absurd to not consider what it is that I could potentially do to help our including the ability to wirelessly • "Read Between the Wines," a country … . I won’t close a door browse books, magazines, and regular feature by wine expert that perhaps could be open for newspapers via Wi-Fi inside Kevin Zraly, which pairs books me in the future.”

Barnes & Noble stores. with wines.

In her interview with Fox News, To mark Valentine's Day, she quoted … get ready for it …

Barnes & Noble is offering The company said that in-store- Pat Buchanan. related content via Wi-Fi within only content will be updated In her first Sunday show its stores this month, including: each week. Nook readers can appearance, the 2008 vicefind out what's available by presidential candidate predicted • A short story by Adriana checking the More In Store page. that, if the election were held Trigiani featuring characters Five Filters featured article: today, President Barack Obama f r o m h e r b o o k , " B r a v a , Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: Valentine."

PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, • A Valentine's Day recipe for Term Extraction. red velvet cupcakes from Anne Byrn, the so-dubbed Cake Mix Doctor.

would actually lose the office he won just a year-and-a-half ago.

But — citing a column written

by Pat Buchanan — she left open the possibility that his fates could change, particularly (she seemed to wish) if a major attack were to be launched against Iran.

And she topped it off by defending Rush Limbaugh’s use of the word “retard,” (with the patented“It’s satire!” gambit), reversing the criticism issued by one of her aides just a few days ago.

“They are kooks, so I agree with Rush Limbaugh,” she said, when read a quote of Limbaugh calling liberal groups “retards.” “Rush Limbaugh was using satire … . I didn’t hear Rush Limbaugh calling a group of people whom he did not agree with ‘f-ing retards,’ and we did know that Rahm Emanuel, as has been reported, did say that. There is a big difference there.”

But remember — no teleprompter![twinkle]

34

Tech/ Politics/ Gadgets/

E-reader News Edition

Talkcast tonight, 10 pm ET: Macworld Expo preview

Toward a Different Fiscal Future

by Michael Rose (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))

(AEI.Org: Articles)

Submitted at 2/7/2010 6:00:00 PM

Filed under: Macworld, TUAW Business, Podcasts We're back live tonight with the usual gang of ruffians, this time (partially) live from San Francisco as we warm up for Macworld Expo 2010! So what if the iPad isn't out for a few more weeks? We're revved up for the show -- it's our first year with a booth of our own, and our first year livestreaming video directly from the expo floor -- so what we need now is to hear from you.

What coverage do you want to see, which products do you want reviews, who are the pundits and industry veterans you want to hear from? C'mon & call the show to let us know.

We'll kick things off at 10pm Eastern (7pm Pacific); hopefully the Superbowl will be over by

then, and if not, we'll vamp.

Once you sign in on Talkshoe, you'll be able to call in with your own phone and chat live with TUAW bloggers and listeners.

See you then!

To participate on TalkShoe, you can use the browser-only client, the embedded Facebook app, or the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum

fun, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the"TalkShoe Web" button on our profile page at 10 pm Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (take advantage of your free cellphone weekend minutes if you like): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8.

If you've got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac, you can connect via the free Gizmo or X-Lite SIP clients; basic instructions are here. Talk with you then!

TUAW Talkcast tonight, 10 pm ET: Macworld Expo preview originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

and debt buildup to persist. By 2013, it forecasts that deficits will bring about a debt-to-GDP Message from fivefilters.org: If ratio of 72%, unprecedented in you can, please donate to the full our experience except during a -text RSS service so we can major war. continue developing it.

The problem is spending.

Moody's Investors Service's Despite Mr. Obama's words warning last week that the AAA about restraint, the new budget credit rating of the United States proposes more spending--1.8% is in jeopardy raises fresh of GDP for 2011 to be precise-concern about the nation's fiscal and a higher level, roughly one health. The question to ask about percentage point of GDP higher, the president's eye-popping in subsequent years. budget, also rolled out last week, Click here to view the full is whether it prepares the country article from the Wall Street for its future--or shackles it to Journal. past decisions that our leaders R. Glenn Hubbard is a visiting would rather not confront. scholar at AEI. President Obama's blueprint P h o t o c r e d i t : gave us a federal budget deficit i S t o c k p h o t o / A n d y d for fiscal year 2010 of $1.6 Five Filters featured article: trillion, about 10.6% of GDP. Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: While one expects bigger budget PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, deficits in a downturn, the Term Extraction. administration expects the deficit Submitted at 2/7/2010 3:00:00 PM

Koreans watch Avatar in “4D”

by Serkan Toto (CrunchGear) Submitted at 2/8/2010 6:40:56 AM

One important factor that can explain Avatar’s success at the box office is certainly the 3D experience viewers can have when they walk into the right movie theater. But what about watching Avatar in “ 4 D”? In

Korea, you can.

The nation’s leading multiplex chain, CJ-CGV, runs a handful of so-called “4D plexes” where the experience includes moving seats, laser lights or wind. In the case of Avatar, CJ-CGV uses a total of 30 different “real-life” effects to add some excitement to the movie.

The company’s PR representative is quoted as

saying their 4D theaters are the only ones in the world offering a “five-sense experience” when watching a movie. One 4D ticket costs $15.80 (more than double the price of an average movie ticket in Korea).

Via Variety

Tech/ Politics/ Gadgets/

E-reader News Edition

TUAW Giveaway: iCamcorder for iPhone EDGE, 2G, 3G

The Significance of the A4

by Steven Sande (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))

(Little Green Footballs)

• To enter, leave a comment telling us what you'd like to record with iCamcorder.

• The comment must be left before Tuesday, February 9, 2010, 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time.

• You may enter only once.

• Twenty winners will be selected in a random drawing.

• Prize: One promo code for a copy of iCamcorder (Value: US$0.99) • Click Here for complete Official Rules.

35

the early ’90s, the company migrated its Macs to the PowerPC architecture when Here’s an interesting article at Motorola couldn’t deliver a 68k Submitted at 2/8/2010 9:00:00 AM MacWorld on the Apple A4 processor as fast and as energy Filed under: iPhone, App Store microprocessor, the CPU for the efficient as Intel’s Pentium If you don't have an iPhone 3GS, iPad and the first Apple-branded series. Then, when the major there are now apps available to system-on-a-chip: Apple inside: vendors behind the PowerPC enable video recording the significance of the iPad’s A4 couldn’t keep pace with Intel’s capabilities on the older phones. chip.

Pentium IV and AMD’s Athlon One of those apps, Drahtwerk's With the A4, Apple still series, Apple switched its Macs iCamcorder[US$0.99, iTunes maintains its long-standing once more—this time to Intel’s Link], has a ton of features that relationship with ARM while own Core series. might make 3GS owners jealous. delivering on performance, with Today, Macs remain beholden Some of those features include: a design that no competitor can to Intel’s specifications. If Intel use in its own products. More to can’t keep pace, Apple will have • Quad-cam, mirror, pop-art, old the point, the A4 puts a very to find yet another vendor for Good luck, TUAW-ites! movie,color-flip and four more TUAW TUAW Giveaway: critical part of Apple’s iPad CPUs. But now, with the iPad’s special effects iCamcorder for iPhone EDGE, under its very own control. And A4, Apple has demonstrated a • Twitter, Facebook, and some promo codes for this app, 2G, 3G originally appeared on that move is unprecedented. new option: It has the ability to YouTube sharing of recorded a n d n o w 2 0 l u c k y T U A W The Unofficial Apple Weblog Going back to the earliest days t a k e e x i s t i n g d e s i g n s a n d readers are going to walk away (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 o f t h e M a c , A p p l e c h o s e repurpose them to give its own videos • Adjustable recording frame with a free copy of iCamcorder. 09:00:00 EST. Please see our Motorola’s 68k series of chips to products better performance than Here's how to enter: rate power its Macs because they the competition. terms for use of feeds.

• Bonjour sharing for Read| Permalink| Email this| offered better performance than downloading videos from your • Open to legal US residents of Comments Intel’s equivalent technology. In the 50 United States and the iPhone District of Columbia who are 18 Drahtwerk wanted to give away and older.

Submitted at 2/7/2010 8:29:20 PM

How the Air Force Biomorphic Micro Air Vehicles Will Spy and Kill Unnoticed [Weapons]

by Jesus Diaz (Gizmodo) Submitted at 2/8/2010 9:40:00 AM

I thought the Micro Air Vehicles would be small hovering robots but, according to this video from

the Air Force Research Laboratory, they will be more like robotic birds with spy and attack capabilities, capable of blending with the environment.

Not only these things would be

able to position themselves to even explosives. The future is perform long-term surveillance going to be a lot of fun. [ Design duties, but they would be enable World Online] to engage enemies individually, attacking humans with incapacitation chemicals and

36

Politics/

E-reader News Edition

The Way of the Whigs?

(AEI.Org: Articles)

liberals by nearly two to one, a figure that has remained roughly stable since the mid-1970s.

Message from fivefilters.org: If "America is a center-right you can, please donate to the full nation," elephantine apologists -text RSS service so we can say, and since the GOP is a continue developing it. center-right party, the political Scott Brown's improbable win implications are supposedly in the Massachusetts Senate clear. They argue that the GOP's election is the latest and most poor standing doesn't matter in a d r a m a t i c e v i d e n c e o f t h e two-party system; anger at Republicans' greatly improved Democrats inevitably leads to electoral outlook. As polls have GOP votes. Once Republicans shown dissatisfaction with are back in power, they can President Obama rising and reestablish the center-right D e m o c r a t i c l e a d s i n majority and return to congressional generic-ballot d o m i n a n c e . polls shrinking or gone, GOP I'm not so sure. I see the current operatives have started 2010 s t a t e o f a f f a i r s a s a n with visions of 1994 dancing in intensification, perhaps even a their heads. culmination, of four interrelated But a closer look at the data 25-year political trends: a rings alarm bells. Recent polls growing distrust of conservative also show that voters' ratings of and liberal ideologies, a growing t h e R e p u b l i c a n p a r t y a n d movement away from the two R e p u b l i c a n m e m b e r s o f parties and toward political Congress have barely budged independence, increases in the and remain sharply negative: racial-minority (which usually G r e a t e r s u p p o r t f o r G O P means Democratic-voting) share candidates has not meant greater of the population, and a growing support for the GOP in general. inability of the Republican party I n d e p e n d e n t s c o n s i s t e n t l y to bridge the gap between its outnumber both Democrats and populist and elite wings.

Republicans, and GOP party Together, these trends raise the identification remains at or close specter of a serious independent, to 70-year lows, with some polls populist presidential candidacy showing less than a quarter of for the first time in a century.

Americans saying they are And if the GOP doesn't adapt to Republicans. the shifting political terrain, there It's tempting to dismiss these is even a remote possibility that negative signs. Conservatives are the identity of America's two fond of citing polls that show dominant parties will change for self-described conservatives the first time since the 1850s, outnumbering self-described which saw the death of the Submitted at 2/7/2010 3:00:00 PM

Whigs and birth of the Republicans.

Consider the first trend, a retreat from ideology. Despite the party polarization in Congress, it's clear from polls and election results that the public has been seeking a middle ground for quite some time. On fiscal issues, polls show a desire for less government and lower taxes in the abstract, but support for most specific (and expensive) government programs. On cultural issues, polls show that people want abortion with serious restrictions, and gay rights without gay marriage.

Even conservatives' much-touted voter-identification advantage can be exaggerated. While selfdescribed conservatives do significantly outnumber selfdescribed liberals, the largest group during the modern political era has always been self -described moderates.

Further, election results since 1980 suggest unwillingness to accept rule by either party's base.

Left-leaning Democrats like Michael Dukakis and John Kerry were rejected even when facing Republican nominees with strong disapproval ratings.

Successful candidates of either party relied on overtly centrist appeals. Both Bushes made clear breaks with the GOP's base, Bush 41 by invoking a "kinder and gentler nation" (which infuriated Nancy Reagan: "Kinder and gentler than who?" she famously quipped) and Bush

43 by embracing a "compassionate conservatism" that envisioned a strong role for government. Clinton spoke of "ending welfare as we know it" and infuriated the Left by signing a welfare-reform bill. And Obama rocketed to public acclaim with his 2004 Democratic-convention address, in which he spoke of one America, neither red nor blue.

This trend toward pragmatic centrism can perhaps be most clearly seen in the rise of something that is now almost commonplace, the independent campaign for governor or president. Between 1928 and 1968, third-party presidential candidates represented ideological splinters from either the left (Henry Wallace in 1948, Socialist Norman Thomas in 1928 and 1932) or the Jim Crow South (Strom Thurmond in 1948, George Wallace in 1968). Thirdparty candidates at the state level were rare and, when victorious, represented a wing of a fractured party, like James Buckley, who was elected senator from New York on the Conservative-party ticket in 1970. Truly independent candidates, people who ran without the backing of any established party, were virtually nonexistent.

Since 1988, however, this has changed, with third-party candidates running against rigid ideology instead of espousing it.

Independent centrists have won governorships in Connecticut,

Maine, and Minnesota; others have run strong but losing races.

Ross Perot did well for a thirdparty candidate when he ran for president in 1992 and 1996, and speculation about independent candidates such as Colin Powell and Michael Bloomberg is now a staple of the presidential season.

Candidates of this type have different personalities and biographies but are cut from the same political cloth: They invariably run against special interests and for the people, as fiscal but not social conservatives, and promise the sort of pragmatic problemsolving of which party-backed candidates are said to be incapable.

One might be tempted to dismiss these trends as products of the candidates' particular strengths rather than expressions of mistrust of ideology, but our second trend--growing voter self -identification as political independents--provides evidence against that interpretation. In 1964, according to Gallup polls, 51 percent of Americans identified themselves as Democrats, 25 percent as Republicans, and 23 percent as independents. But as Democrats showed themselves unable to solve the nation's problems, and with Republicans mired in seemingly permanent minority status, both parties dropped in WAY page 37

E-reader News Edition

37

WAY continued from page 36

public esteem. In 1980 the breakdown of voters' political affiliations was 45 percent Democrat, 23 percent Republican, and 29 percent independent, and despite Republican electoral successes over the next three decades, the proportion of Americans who say they are independent has continued to rise. In every year since George H. W. Bush's defeat in 1992, the number of Americans identifying themselves as independents has equaled or exceeded the number identifying themselves as Republicans, according to annual polls by the Pew Research Center.

The political stasis that characterized the 1992-2008 period, an era that Michael Barone famously called "50-50 nation," was in fact not 50-50 but a roughly equal three-way split between a liberal Democratic base, a conservative Republican base, and an independent third group that switched or divided its allegiance depending on which party seemed responsive to its concerns.

Republicans who see the party's underlying weakness and want to address it, however, must also address our last two trends, both of which are harmful to the GOP. The first is America's changing demography. Since 1980, immigration and larger black turnout have created an electorate that is increasingly non-white, which means

increasingly Democratic. In 1980, 88 percent of the voters were white; in 1988, 85 percent were. By 2008, the number had dropped to 74 percent, and McCain lost non-white voters 81 -18. Meanwhile, whites are becoming wealthier and more educated. Such voters, who increasingly vote Democratic, tend to be concentrated in nonsouthern suburbs. Reagan and Bush 41 were able to win majorities of them, but in 2008 Obama carried non-southern whites earning over $80,000 a year.

These shifts have changed the electoral landscape. Political journalist Ron Brownstein has calculated that if six demographic groups (blacks, Hispanics, Asians, other minorities, college-educated whites, and all other whites) had voted in 2008 as they actually did but had composed the shares of the electorate that they did in 1992, McCain would have beaten Obama by 2.3 percent.

Demographics are projected to get even worse for the GOP in coming years. Census estimates show that 34 percent of the American population is nonwhite, with the number rising to 44 percent among children. Even if immigration is halted, an unlikely event, the non-white share of the electorate will grow.

Under those circumstances, a Republican who does not raise his or her share of the non-white vote well above the record highs

recorded by George W. Bush in 2004 will by 2016 need to carry 60 percent or more of the white vote to get a majority.

And that will not be possible if Republicans do not heal their divisions. That brings us to our fourth trend: the growing rift between the two major wings of the party, the populists and the elite.

Modern conservatism started as a revolt against the eastern, liberal, urban wing of the Republican party. Goldwaterites made common cause with the easterners' old adversaries, Republicans from the party's midwestern wing, which was pro -business and suspicious of government intervention both at home and abroad.

But by the early 1970s, the conservative movement had grown beyond its old base to incorporate many former Democrats. They were economically conservative, although often not as conservative as the Goldwaterites; they were internationally interventionist; and they added a culturalconservative component to GOP campaigns. They were disproportionately from areas where the GOP had not done well in generations: the South and the ethnic Catholic wards of big and medium-sized cities.

Ronald Reagan united all wings of the movement on the basis of populist style as much as ideology. From his casual brown

suits to his folksy demeanor, Reagan sought to portray himself as a humble representative of what he called in a prescient 1964 National Review article "the forgotten American--that simple soul who goes to work, bucks for a raise, takes out insurance, pays for his kids' schooling, contributes to his church and charity and knows there just 'ain't no such thing as a free lunch.'" The character of his following was obvious. The journalist Theodore H. White remarked to Reagan aide Lyn Nofziger that Reagan's 1980 victory party was "the frowsiest crowd of frumps" he had ever seen. Nofziger replied, "Yup, that's us. We're the middle class."

Since 1980, intra-GOP fights have increasingly been waged between candidates who are comfortable with this new movement and those who are not. Reagan's nearly successful 1976 challenge to incumbent president Gerald Ford united what remained of the old eastern and midwestern wings in opposition to it. And Reagan's presidency shifted the ground so much that by 1988, Bob Dole-who twelve years earlier, as Ford's running mate, had been seen as an arch-conservative-was viewed by many conservatives as a moderate because of his willingness to raise taxes. With liberal Republicans leaving the party in droves, and with conservative former Democrats joining by the

day, Dole was easy pickings for George H. W. Bush, who ran as a populist conservative and clinched his nomination with a win in a state previously unimportant to GOP hopefuls, South Carolina.

Once in office, however, Bush governed in a manner reminiscent of the country-club Republicans. On issue after issue, he sided with the old elites over the new majority, and the 1992 elections are best seen as two consecutive populist revolts against him. First Pat Buchanan challenged Bush in the primaries on an anti-tax theme, doing quite well in initial heats. Then Ross Perot launched a populist campaign that split the ReaganBush coalition, leading to the election of Bill Clinton even though Clinton received a smaller share of the vote than Michael Dukakis had four years earlier.

The GOP's electoral fortunes since have depended in large part on the ability of its leaders to unite populists and elites behind a shared goal. President Clinton's missteps would have made 1994 a good year for Republicans in any event, but Newt Gingrich's uniting of populist fervor (term limits, an end to congressional corruption) and elite concerns (balanced-budget amendment, fiscal probity) through the Contract with America turned a good year into a historic one.

WAY page 39

38

Politics/

E-reader News Edition

The Substitute

by Bradford Plumer (The New Republic - All Feed)

finding. The agency is already using its power to draft new fueleconomy rules for cars and light Submitted at 2/7/2010 9:00:00 PM trucks. The next step will be to Message from fivefilters.org: If s t a r t r e g u l a t i n g s t a t i o n a r y you can, please donate to the full sources like power plants and -text RSS service so we can factories, a task that's much more continue developing it. fraught.

It was always going to be tricky For a long time, no one thought for Congress to pass a big it would come to this. The Clean climate-change bill this year. Air Act, after all, was designed And now, post-Scott Brown, the to handle conventional air odds are looking even bleaker. A pollutants like lead or sulfurl o t o f p a n i c k y D e m s a r e dioxide. Using it to address blanching at the thought of global warming would likely be another knockdown legislative clunkier than a climate bill brawl before the midterms, and specially crafted by Congress. If there's even been talk of a anything, the EPA option was smaller "energy-only" bill that mainly seen as a spur to stubborn would dish out subsidies for lawmakers: Surely they'd work various technologies but to pass their own climate wouldn't impose hard limits on legislation, so that the agency greenhouse gases. Yes, cap-and- didn't have to crack down with trade still has its backers in the rules that polluters were really Senate, but getting 60 votes going to hate. As Arkansas looks increasingly daunting. Democrat Mark Pryor put it last So is that it? If the Senate year, "I've always been reluctant falters, are there no other options on cap-and-trade, but [the EPA's for cutting carbon pollution? Not authority] might put that in a e x a c t l y . T h e r e ' s s t i l l t h e different light."

E n v i r o n m e n t a l P r o t e c t i o n But now that climate legislation Agency (EPA). Recall that, back is drifting in limbo, things are in 2007, the Supreme Court ruled looking different. The EPA that the agency had to regulate really might end up being the last greenhouse gases under the resort for reining in greenhouse existing Clean Air Act, if it gases. Which means it’s time to found those gases posed a threat ask: Can the agency actually to public health and welfare handle the job? (which, most scientists agree, EPA officials have stayed fairly t h e y d o ) . T h e B u s h tight-lipped on their exact plans administration put off making going forward, but here's a that call, but Obama's EPA head, sketch of how many experts Lisa Jackson, went ahead last think the agency would go about year with a formal endangerment regulating greenhouse gases. In

March, the EPA will propose its new fuel-economy rules for cars and light trucks (the goal is an average of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016). As soon as that happens, the agency would be legally obligated to begin the process of regulating stationary sources, too—though the timeline here is still fuzzy.

The first wave of regulations would involve the EPA's "Prevention of Significant Deterioration" program. Anyone who wanted to build a new power plant or factory—or upgrade an existing facility—would need to apply for a state permit and adopt "best available control technology" for greenhouse-gas emissions. The EPA hasn't specified what technologies that might entail, but it could mean anything from more efficient processes for cement kilns to forcing coal-fired plants to switch to cleaner natural gas. The technologies required would be decided on a plant-by-plant basis. Since this would only apply to new plants—or plants undergoing significant upgrades—it wouldn't affect the vast majority of existing polluters. (There will also, no doubt, be messy disputes over what counts as a "significant" upgrade, a Clean Air Act battle that's been raging for decades.) Still, this first step would make a splash almost immediately. "No one in their right mind is going to propose a new coal-fired plant after this,"

says David Bookbinder, the Sierra Club's chief climate counsel.

Now, here's where the headaches start. The EPA has proposed a "tailoring rule" to make sure that this program only applies to very large polluters emitting more than 25,000 tons of carbon-dioxide per year. That way, the regulations wouldn't affect, say, individual buildings burning heating oil or small businesses. But this is a rather significant revision to the original Clean Air Act, and the Chamber of Commerce and other industry groups are likely to challenge the tailoring rule in court. In essence, they'd prefer that the EPA rules hit everyone and cause chaos, forcing the Obama administration to back off entirely.

If the EPA can survive that challenge, it would then have to figure out how to regulate existing polluters. This part is crucial: The original Clean Air Act ended up grandfathering in existing coal plants, which perversely gave utilities incentives to keep their oldest and dirtiest boilers chugging along for as long as possible.

The agency has a variety of options here. According to Jason Burnett, a former EPA official who helped craft greenhouse-gas rules during the Bush years, one plausible scenario would see the agency setting pollution targets for different industrial sectors under section 111 of the Clean

Air Act, the "New Source Performance Standards" program. Cement kilns and nitric -acid plants would get regulated first, possibly as soon as this year. After that would come oil and gas refineries, and—perhaps by 2011—fossil-fuel power plants. These rules could involve anything from inflexible limits (i.e., kilns have to emit no more than a certain amount of carbondioxide per ton of cement) to a carbon-trading program, although the latter would be much dicier, legally speaking.

So could all these EPA regulations actually do as much as a cap-and-trade bill to rein in greenhouse gases? Yes and no.

Some environmentalists argue that, if combined with an ambitious energy bill from Congress that promoted cleaner power sources and had ample incentives for efficiency, the EPA approach could at least help the United States meet the nearterm emissions targets many scientists think are necessary to stave off the worst effects of global warming. "A good energy bill combined with regulations might get us there," says Bookbinder. But, he adds, the EPA alone can't bring about sweeping long-term reductions: "The only way to cut emissions 80 percent by 2050 is to put a price on carbon, and the only folks who can do that are in SUBSTITUTE page 43

E-reader News Edition

39

WAY continued from page 37

Similarly, the domestic and international stresses of the past few years would have hurt Republicans in the 2006 and 2008 elections regardless. But the GOP's congressional leadership exacerbated these problems through its failure to offer a comprehensive governing agenda. This led to wild gyrations in emphasis to satisfy populist and elite demands, an inconsistency that ultimately hurt the Republican image among both groups.

More recent elections have shown the importance to the GOP of getting this balance right. Doug Hoffman in New York's 23rd congressional district had many flaws, such as his lack of familiarity with local issues and his non-residence in the district. But surely his campaign style, a brand of fiery populism that excited grass-roots conservatives, contributed to his final defeat. Many moderate Republicans who were backing the establishment GOP candidate, Dede Scozzafava, ended up voting for the Democrat, Bill Owens, whose campaign was languishing below 40 percent in the polls before she dropped out and endorsed him.

On the other hand, candidates like Scott Brown have shown it is possible simultaneously to satisfy the populist desire for an ordinary person who opposes Obama's agenda and the elite desire for someone thoughtful and willing to work with

reasonable people from all parties.

Seen against this backdrop, the continuing debate over the proper role of tea-party conservatives in the 2010 elections is merely the latest flashpoint in a multi-decade war.

Each side in this war should recognize that it needs the other to win, as a recent Rasmussen poll demonstrates. This poll showed that the Republicans led the Democrats by seven points in a generic congressional ballot, but that if a third "Tea party" was added, the Democrats won handily, pulling 36 percent versus the hypothetical party's 23 percent and the GOP's 18 percent.

Where does this leave us?

Republicans should first remember that politics is like tennis, and the Democrats are serving. It's very hard to break service against a competent player, and there is still time for Obama and his party to regain their game. Obama's slide in the polls has been steep, but his year -end standing was eerily similar to Ronald Reagan's in December 1981. Back then, Reagan had 49 percent approval; Obama had 50 percent in the late-December 2009 polling average on RealClearPolitics. Reagan's numbers slid throughout 1982 as the economy worsened, reaching their nadir at 35 percent in January 1983.

But Reagan recovered nicely, relying on issues that unified his

coalition, like hard-line positions against the Soviets. The fastrecovering economy also helped, and as his numbers recovered-and with Democrats unable to overcome their own intra-party divisions during their presidential primaries--Reagan swept to an epic reelection win that placed the GOP on the path toward the continued power it would wield for another 20 years.

If both of today's parties continue their missteps, however, it is not at all inconceivable that a serious third-party presidential candidate could arise. In this scenario, by early 2012 independents would make up a record-high 40 percent or more of the electorate. President Obama would be discredited, blamed for governing from the left and failing to improve the economy while saddling our nation with previously incomprehensible deficits. The GOP would be viewed as the party of incompetence and narrow-mindedness, simultaneously alienating elites and populists. It's easy to envision the rallying cry for this candidate: "Republicans are for the rich, Democrats are for the government, I'm for you."

One should not overestimate the odds of such a candidate's success. Independent campaigns must spend many months and millions of dollars simply qualifying for the ballot in 50 states. They lack the fundraising

and volunteer infrastructures that a major party can provide, and without a primary campaign or any presence in the White House or Congress, they must fight extremely hard to receive the free media coverage that majorparty campaigns command. But in a scenario where both major parties are discredited and the electorate is looking for a third way, one would be foolish to dismiss the possibility of an independent win.

Such a victory would be historic enough, but it need not end there.

Current trends, if left unchecked, will produce a political situation quite similar to that of the early 1850s, which led to the demise of the Whig party. The Whigs collapsed under the pressures of immigration and issue-driven populism. Largely Anglophile, they could not make common cause with the Irish and German immigrants who streamed into the country starting in 1848, and their affluent southern wing could not make common cause with the burgeoning anti-slavery movement, which launched three successive third-party campaigns between 1844 and 1852. Yet the Democrats could not reconcile their southern, slaveholding base with these constituencies either, and this created fertile ground for a new party--the Republicans--to grow in.

A more recent example of a major party's destroying itself by immobility and inaction took place in Canada. The Progressive

Conservative party, one of the two founding parties of modern Canada, imploded because of its inability to appeal to Canada's Asian immigrants or unite its western, populist wing and its eastern, elite wing. In the 1993 election, the PCP went from 150odd seats in Parliament to two, and after a decade of confusion, a new party, the current Conservatives, arose to reunite the Right under the leadership of an immigrant-friendly westerner, Stephen Harper.

The path the original Republican party took can be followed by its modern descendant. The Republican party of Lincoln (a former Whig) was diverse and contained many groups seemingly opposed to the others.

German immigrants broke bread with anti-immigration KnowNothings; abolitionists shared space with anti-abolition unionists; pro-slavery, anti-tariff former Democrats partnered with pro-tariff former Whigs. They were unified by a common cause --opposition to the extension of slavery into new territories, including the vast swath that had been won in the Mexican War-and a spirit of cooperation led them to compromise on their differences in pursuit of that goal.

The monstrous deficits being created today could play the same role for the modern GOP (or its replacement) that slavery WAY page 45

40

Politics/

E-reader News Edition

Fairness Doctrine

by Jonathan Cohn (The New Republic - All Feed) Submitted at 2/7/2010 9:00:00 PM

Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full -text RSS service so we can continue developing it.

The idea that Republicans haven’t had a chance to present their ideas on health care reform is a bit mind-boggling. Five separate congressional committees had hearings; each chamber had floor debates.

That’s hundreds of hours the GOP had to talk about health care, all of it in public view and televised on C-SPAN. And that’s not even including all of the unofficial channels at the Republicans’ disposal. Generally speaking, the party of Rush Limbaugh and Fox Television doesn’t struggle to get across its message.

But if President Obama is determined to give Republicans one more public forum for presenting their health care agenda, as he will do when he meets with GOP leaders on Feb. 25, maybe that is just as well.

For most of last year, Republicans spent their time attacking Democratic plans for reform, rather than describing their own. But now they’ve put a plan on the table. Showcasing that plan--and comparing it to what the Democrats have proposed--might help clarify a few things.

The Republican health care plan

is part of the " Roadmap for America's Future." Its chief architect is Paul Ryan, ranking Republican on the House Budget Committee and a rising star in the party. Republicans boast that the Roadmap is serious plan to get the federal budget under control, which turns out to be a fairly large exaggeration. As Howard Gleckman of the Tax Policy Center has observed, the Roadmap doesn't account for trillions of dollars in lost revenue from its tax cuts. Yes, that's trillions with a "t" at the front and "s" at the back.

The health care portions of the plan, though, really would reduce what the government spends on health care. And they would do so, primarily, by extracting money from Medicare. Instead of continuing to provide coverage directly, the government would issue vouchers that seniors could use to buy private insurance. The value of the vouchers would rise far more slowly than Medicare spending is expected to grow if nothing changes.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, Medicare will soak up more than 14 percent of gross domestic product by 2080.

If the Roadmap were to be adopted, CBO says Medicare would take up less than 4 percent. As Ryan explained during an illuminating interview with the Washington Post’s Ezra Klein, the hope is that converting Medicare into a voucher scheme

would prod seniors to shop around to find the best value-that is, the best insurance policies, the best hospitals, the best doctors--and, in so doing, get health care that is as good if not better than they would have otherwise.

That all sounds perfectly innocuous: Who wouldn’t want seniors taking the initiative and hunting around for the best bargains? But it’s not clear how many seniors really have the ability to navigate the world of health care with the sort of sophistication to really hunt down the most cost-effective care, even if, as Ryan promises, they’d have more information at their disposal. At the very least, you'd want to give seniors ironclad protections when it comes to the design of insurance products--making sure a wide array of services were covered and that out-of-pocket spending were limited.

The Roadmap includes only vague protections along those lines. Combine that with the magnitude of the spending reductions--those cuts are very big--and it's easy to envision a world where seniors simply couldn't afford their medical care. As a preliminary (and still unpublished) analysis of the Roadmap by the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities concluded, “elderly and disabled people with significant medical conditions could encounter serious difficulty securing

adequate coverage.”

But wait a minute--don’t the Democratic reform plans also take money out of Medicare?

They sure do. But there are several key differences. For starters, the Democrats’ reductions don't appear to be as large as what’s envisioned in the Roadmap. Also, under the Democratic plan, most seniors would still be getting their coverage directly from the government, which has lower overhead than private sector insurers. So every dollar the Democrats spend on seniors would actually go a little further.

No less important, the Democratic plans wouldn't simply slash spending and let the market sort itself out. Instead, the Medicare cuts are part of a broader package of reforms designed to change the way Medicare pays for services.

These reforms are designed to reward efficiency (by, for example, paying more to doctors that join integrated group practices) while penalizing inefficiency (by, for example, paying less to hospitals with high rates of infection or, eventually, paying less money for drugs that don’t work that well). They are also designed, quite frankly, to push down the prices that providers charge.

This is a critical difference. If you simply reduce the money flowing into Medicare, relying only on the wits of beneficiaries to figure out how best to spend

what’s left, seniors are bound to end up with less care. That's the Republican method. But if you also introduce system-wide changes that reward more efficient care and force down provider prices, the dollars in the program really might go farther-so that spending less doesn't always mean getting less. That's the Democratic approach.

"The slowdown in the Reid [Senate] bill is predicated on specific policies which, according to MedPAC and others, shouldn't reduce beneficiaries' access to care," says Paul Van de Water, a senior fellow at the Center on Budget.

"The Ryan bill just gives every beneficiary a voucher and makes them fend for themselves in a poorly regulated private market."

The irony is that, for much of the last year, Republicans have been scaring the bejeezus out of seniors by telling them that Democrats were out to destroy Medicare. But the Roadmap makes clear that it’s not Democrats who seek massive, disruptive changes to the program. It’s the Republicans. If the coming engagement between the Republicans and President Obama help the public to understand that reality, extending the debate might actually be worth it.

Jonathan Cohn is a senior editor of The New Republic. This FAIRNESS page 41

Politics/ Economy/

E-reader News Edition

FAIRNESS

'Finish the Kitchen'

by E.J. Dionne Jr. (The New Republic - All Feed)

pain." In politics, he told his colleagues, assuming the "fetal position" can be the most Submitted at 2/7/2010 9:00:00 PM dangerous thing to do.

Message from fivefilters.org: If And then he recounted all the you can, please donate to the full grief he and his family went -text RSS service so we can through while work on their continue developing it. kitchen renovation dragged on WASHINGTON -- If President and on and on. "During that time, Obama gets to sign a health I had bloodlust against my reform bill, as I believe he will, contractor," Inslee said. "Six one reason may be Rep. Jay months went by, and he was still Inslee's difficult experience arguing with the plumber. Eight renovating his kitchen. months went by, and there were He told his kitchen story at a s t i l l w i r e s h a n g i n g d o w n House Democratic caucus held everywhere, and he was having after Republican Scott Brown's t r o u b l e w i t h t h e b u i l d i n g victory in Massachusetts sent i n s p e c t o r . " I n s l e e ' s c o l l e a g u e s i n t o But eventually, the job got done. paroxysms of dismay, chaos and "And now I love that kitchen," fear. Brown's triumph reduced Inslee recalls saying. "I bake the Democrats' majority in the bread in that kitchen. My wife Senate to "only" 59, and this led cooks great meals in that kitchen. many in both houses to want to The contractor's now a buddy of g i v e u p o n h e a l t h r e f o r m mine, and I've had beers with altogether. Even Obama was him in that kitchen." sounding an uncertain trumpet. Inslee looked at his colleagues This made no sense to Inslee, a and declared: "We've got to Democrat from Washington finish the kitchen." His point was state. First elected to the House that Americans won't experience in 1992, he was swept out of any of the benefits of health care office in the 1994 Republican reform until Congress actually landslide that followed the puts a new system in place. collapse of Bill Clinton's health I called Inslee about his kitchen care efforts. Four years later, oration after Rep. David Wu, DInslee returned to Congress.

Ore., told me it was one of the "I introduced myself as a fella t u r n i n g p o i n t s i n c a l m i n g who was defeated in 1994, the Democrats' nerves. "Now," Wu l a s t t i m e w e d i d n ' t p a s s says, "people run into him in the meaningful health care reform," hallway, smile and say, 'Finish Inslee recalls saying. "I said it the kitchen.'" was a painful event, and I didn't There is only one plausible way want them to go through that to finish the kitchen. The House

41

continued from page 40

needs to pass the Senate bill and both chambers need to approve amendments to it. At least two amendments are essential to getting the bill through the House. They involve reducing the burden of the tax on so-called Cadillac health care plans, which is wildly unpopular with House members and voters; and getting rid of the special Medicaid subsidy deal for Nebraska, which just about everyone hates. Even Nebraska's Ben Nelson, the senator for whom that deal was put together, wants it out.

The House and Senate disagree over the order in which these things should be done, but they can resolve this. The real problem is that some Senate Democratic moderates are petrified that Republicans will make terrible trouble if the amendments are passed through the "reconciliation process," which is fancy congressional talk for majority rule. Reconciliation bills require a simple majority of the Senate, not the 60 votes that, wrongly, have come to be necessary to get any bill through.

But if Democrats are that intimidated by Republicans, they should just give up their majority. And this fear is (BEG ITAL)politically(END ITAL) shortsighted. Right now, every Democrat in the Senate has to defend a vote for the health care bill anyway, with nothing to show for it -- and this includes defending the Nebraska deal.

By contrast, voting for amendments to the original Senate bill would be a sign that Democrats heard the message from Massachusetts. Brown won in part because the Nebraska buy -off became a symbol of unseemly legislative logrolling.

And many voters would welcome a reduction in a tax on health plans.

Moreover, as Inslee points out, if democracy's new rule is that nothing gets done without 60 percent of the available votes, Scott Brown, who got 52 percent in Massachusetts, would not be sitting in the Senate.

Democrats can finish the kitchen. Or they can face the wrath of voters who will wonder why the contractors they sent to Washington left all the wires hanging, and the plumbing disconnected and useless.

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.

column is a collaboration between TNR and Kaiser Health News. KHN is an editorially independent news service and is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization, which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

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.

Ailing securitisation market hits Citi asset sales (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 2/7/2010 3:05:52 PM

Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full -text RSS service so we can continue developing it.

By Francesco Guerrera, Henny Sender and Aline van Duyn in New York Published: February 7 2010 23:05 | Last updated: February 7 2010 23:05 Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

42

Politics/ TV/

E-reader News Edition

Palin Stumps for TX Gov. Perry in Suburban Houston (Newsmax - Politics)

the longest-serving governor in Texas history.

Palin said Texas and Alaska had Message from fivefilters.org: If some "really sweet connections, you can, please donate to the full ... independent pioneer-spirited -text RSS service so we can people and big wide open continue developing it. spaces."

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin "A lot of us in our states proudly stumped for Gov. Rick Perry at a cling to our guns and religion," r a l l y S u n d a y i n s u b u r b a n she told a cheering crowd.

Houston, adding some national She also said Alaskans and Republican star power to Perry's Texans "pretty much want the re-election campaign. same things —a good job in our "I doubt there is another public hometown, safety and security figure in our country who gives for our loved ones and we just liberals a bigger case of the hives w a n t a s m a l l a n d s m a r t e r than our special guest today," government that'll kind of get out Perry said. "At the very mention of our way." of her name, the liberals, the "And no one understands that progressives, the media elites, better than my good friend Rick they literally foam at the mouth." Perry."

Palin appeared with Perry a day An 8,500-seat arena northwest after the GOP's most recent vice of Houston in Cypress was filled presidential nominee addressed to about three-fourths capacity. the first national convention of Country-western music played the anti-establishment "tea party" over speakers as people who had coalition in Nashville, Tenn. been passed over with metal Perry is firmly establishment in detectors at entrances slowly Texas but has campaigned as anti filed in. Some had waited outside -Washington in his March 2 for hours before the doors GOP primary race against U.S. opened. Aging rocker Ted Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. He N u g e n t , w e a r i n g a c a m o is seeking a third four-year term d e c o r a t e d c o w b o y h a t , that would add to his tenure as performed an earsplitting guitarSubmitted at 2/7/2010 10:29:51 AM

riffed version of the national anthem.

The arena was decked out with red, white and blue posters and a giant Texas flag as a backdrop over the stage. Campaign staffers distributed hundreds of handmade signs extolling Perry.

Nevertheless Palin clearly was the star in the eyes of many and she had the final speaker's spot on the program. Cameras flashed by the hundreds as she entered the arena with Perry to a huge ovation.

"Oh, is it a Super Sunday or what?" Perry shouted. "They say there's a ball game somewhere today but the real action is right here in Texas."

He told the crowd 10 years from now they wouldn't remember who won the Super Bowl "but you'll never forget the time you got see one of America's superstar conservative leaders."

"We drove for her, not Rick Perry," said Jan Heard, 50, a registered nurse who drove with a friend some 200 miles from San Antonio to see Palin. "I want to hear her say she's running in 2012."

Pat Shirling, 61, a retired

Houston man, said he supported Perry and Palin because they wanted to "stop people in Washington from spending all that money."

"Maybe she'll take the lead and show Obama how to run things," he said.

Hutchison, asked about the Palin appearance, pointed to her own support from the likes of former Vice President Dick Cheney and former President George H.W. Bush, who she said would be campaigning for her.

"I'm just running my campaign, and I'm very proud of my endorsements," she said.

Her campaign released a statement Sunday that said "despite today's theatrics, there's no covering up Rick Perry's decade long record of cronyism in office that brought us the Trans-Texas Corridor and HPV mandate."

"When she ran, Sarah Palin took on an incumbent Republican governor and his cronyism," Hutchison spokesman Joe Pounder said. "Today, Kay Bailey Hutchison is doing the same and will clean up Austin, strengthen education and

improve transportation."

Perry said Palin "literally inspires millions of people with her values, her spunk," and presented her with a framed certificate making her an honorary Texan.

"The stakes are so high in America today," said Palin, who brought her youngest daughter, Piper, to the event. "I look forward to Texas sending Washington a message because you're doing it right in Texas.

"This election will send an important message how Washington can solve the problems: the Texas way or the Washington way... Washington is broken but your state, under Rick Perry, is setting an example that a lot of others want to follow." 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.

Stouffer's Should Be Doing Product Placement in 'The Middle'

by Allison Waldman (TV Squad) Submitted at 2/8/2010 9:00:00 AM

How's this for an odd occurrence of non-product

placement? On Wednesday night, during the ABC sitcom block -- actually during'Modern Family'-- there was a commercial for Stouffer's Family Size dinners. The commercial referred

to'The Middle,' making the case

for how positive it is for families Filed under: Other Comedy to sit down and share a meal Shows, OpEd, Reality-Free, together.

Modern Family Continue reading Stouffer's Permalink| Email this| | Should Be Doing Product Comments Placement in 'The Middle'

TV/ Entertainment/

E-reader News Edition

SUBSTITUTE continued from page 38

Congress.” After all, EPA rules are a relatively blunt instrument—having regulators suggest, for example, that polluters adopt specific technologies would limit the potential for innovation.

There's also the cost question.

EPA regulations would, in all likelihood, be pricier for polluters than a flexible cap-andtrade system from Congress. For a utility that owns a lot of creaky old coal-fired plants, it may be cheaper to pay $12 per ton of carbon-dioxide under cap-andtrade—or to lobby Congress for free permits—than to implement millions of dollars worth of equipment upgrades per an EPA mandate. That's why most industry groups would prefer that Congress come up with its own system.

Then again, that's also a reason why many environmentalists prefer the EPA approach, or at least see it as a good complement to a congressional bill. "We don't want to see a cap-and-trade bill give life to a whole new generation of coal plants on their

last legs," says Steven Biel, the clean energy campaign director for MoveOn.org, which has been active in defending the EPA's authority. (A number of congressional staffers say that the EPA's authority over greenhouse gases would likely be overridden by any climate bill, although, thanks to pressure from groups like MoveOn, some members are now backing away from this view.)

Another problem with going the EPA route is that there are plenty of legal uncertainties involved.

Industry groups are certain to sue the agency at every turn, which could bog down the regulatory process. Still, say some experts, as long as the agency takes care in drafting its rules, it can probably survive the flurry of legal challenges. "The EPA has a good track record here," says Burnett. "Even during the last eight years, the record wasn't always stellar, but the courts still upheld most of the agency's rules. That's something within EPA's control: They can decide how much legal risk they want to

take." Lawsuits might be able to slow down the EPA for a few years, but probably not much more than that.

The biggest potential pitfall with the EPA approach is that Congress can always put a stop to it, if it chooses. In the Senate, Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski is proposing a bill that would strip the agency of its authority over greenhouse gases.

She has the support of 36 Republicans and three conservative Democrats. That's clearly not enough to enact a law (let alone overcome an Obama veto), but things could change if the GOP picks up more seats this fall. Likewise, Congress could block the EPA from getting the funds it needs to regulate greenhouse gases (Obama asked for about $43 million for this purpose in his latest budget).

"That's the problem with this notion that the EPA is somehow holding a gun to Congress's head, forcing us to pass legislation," says one Democratic Senate aide. "Because the first thing that occurs to people here

is, 'Hey, I know a way to get out of that.' " That means that, in the coming months, many climate advocates may have to switch gears.

Instead of talking about the EPA's authority as some terrifying prospect that only the passage of a cap-and-trade bill can stop, the EPA option may increasingly get framed as something worth defending in its own right. Especially since it may be one of the few viable options left for tackling climate change.

Bradford Plumer is assistant editor of The New Republic.

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.

43

Sandra Bullock Talks Oscar Fashion and Her Newest Honor (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 2/8/2010 12:01:00 AM

ET was front and center at the 25th Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) on Friday night, and our Lawrence Zarian dished with Oscar nominee Sandra Bullock!

Sandra, who's nominated for Best Actress for her role in 'The Blind Side,' revealed whether she's been contacted by designers about an Oscar-night dress -- and she got candid about her preparations for glamorous events like the Academy Awards.

"JCPenny called me and I said, 'Give me some sketches and I’ll see what I can do.' K-Mart, bring it on. I want Walmart, K-Mart, JCPenny," divulged the star who now has an Oscar "prefix" leading into her already household name.

Michael Chiklis to Star in Pilot About Superhero Family

by Bob Sassone (TV Squad) Submitted at 2/8/2010 9:26:00 AM

The season finale of'Heroes' is on NBC tonight (yup, in February), and no knows yet if the show is coming back for another season or not (though Greg Grunberg is hopeful). If the

show is canceled, there are a couple of shows that are rushing to fill that hole in the superhero genre. One is an NBC show titled'Cape,' and another is'No Ordinary Family.' a pilot that ABC has picked up.

This one is a drama from Greg Berlanti ('Brothers & Sisters,' 'Eli

'Everwood,' and 'Dirty Sexy Money') and focuses on a family (headed by dad Chiklis) who finds that they have super powers. And by "super powers" I'm sure they mean things like strength, speed, and invisibility S t o n e , ' ' D a w s o n ' s C r e e k , ' and not other powers a family could have, like being a great

cook, being able to fix leaky faucets, and organizing closets like no ordinary human.

Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Programming, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free Permalink| Email this| | Comments

44

Politics/ Tech News/ Entertainment/

E-reader News Edition

CRU Scientist Got Death Threats (Little Green Footballs)

year in July alone the unit received 60 FoI requests from across the world. With a staff of Embattled climate scientist Phil only 13 to cope with them, the Jones talks to the Times Online: demands were accumulating The leak was bad. Then came the faster than they could be dealt death threats - Times Online. with. “According to the rules,” At the worst possible time, in says Jones, “you have to do 18 the days immediately before the hours’ work on each one before Copenhagen climate summit in you’re allowed to turn it down.”

December, it enabled sceptics It meant that the scientists would across the globe to claim that have had a lot of their time climate science was fatally diverted from research. flawed and its practitioners a A further irritation was that shifty gang who twisted the facts most of the data was available to suit their agenda and shut out online, making the FoI requests, anyone who disagreed with in Jones’s view, needless and a them. vexatious waste of his time. In Jones insists that is not the way the circumstances, he says, he it was, but concedes it was the thought it reasonable to refer the way it may have looked. He now applicants to the website of the accepts that he did not treat the Historical Climatology Network FoI requests as seriously as he in the US. should have done. “I regret that I He also suspected that the CRU did not deal with them in the was the target of a co-ordinated right way,” he told The Sunday attempt to interfere with its work Times. “In a way, I misjudged — a suspicion that hardened into the situation.” certainty when, over a matter of But he pleads provocation. Last days, it received 40 similar FoI Submitted at 2/7/2010 2:04:35 PM

requests. Each applicant asked for data from five different countries, 200 in all, which would have been a daunting task even for someone with nothing else to do. It was clear to Jones that the attack originated from an old adversary, the sceptical website Climate Audit, run by Steve McIntyre, a former minerals prospector and arch climate sceptic.

“We were clearly being targeted,” says Jones. “Only 22% of the FoI enquiries were identifiably from within the UK, 39% were from abroad and 39% were untraceable.” What irked him was that the foreign applicants would all have had sources closer to hand in their own countries.

“I think they just wanted to waste our time,” he says. “They wanted to slow us down.”

It was pure irritation, he says, that provoked him and others to write the notorious emails apparently conspiring to destroy

or withhold data. “It was just frustration. I thought the requests were just distractions. It was taking us away from our day jobs. It was written in anger.”

But he insists that no data were destroyed. “We have no data to delete. It comes to us from institutions around the world.

We interpret data. We don’t create or collect it. It’s all available from other sources.”

If the leak itself was bad, the aftermath was the stuff of nightmares. Even now, weeks later, Jones seems rigid with shock. “There were death threats,” he says. “People said I should go and kill myself. They said they knew where I lived.”

Two more death threats came last week after the deputy information commissioner delivered his verdict, making more work for Norfolk police, who are already investigating the theft of the emails.

ET Exclusive: Will Melissa Rycroft Wipe Out on 'Wipeout'?

(ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 2/8/2010 6:22:00 PM

ET special correspondent Melissa Rycroft has bravely decided to take on the wacky TV challenge that is "Wipeout," but has she bitten off more than she could chew?

"I was really nervous," admits Melissa. "I knew there was a potential to get hurt even though everybody said there wasn't."

The ABC competition pits 24 thrill-seekers against each other in the world's largest extreme obstacle course designed to provide the most spills, face plants and, of course, wipeouts!

The winner earns the title of "Wipeout Champion" and a grand prize of $50,000. The hit summer series returns on Wednesday, May 27.

Learn to Use Windows 7's Compatibility Mode with Older Apps [Windows 7]

by Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker)

though, take a dive into the Compatibility Mode's deeper settings for a solution.

Windows 7 does a pretty good Mysticgeek writes at the Howjob of detecting applications To Geek's home away from m a d e f o r o l d e r W i n d o w s Lifehacker about the ins and outs versions and offering a of Compatibility Mode, compatibility fix. If you've got W i n d o w s 7 ' s h i d d e n - b u t - older programs work more an app that just won't run, awesome feature for making s e a m l e s s l y i n s i d e i t s e l f .

Submitted at 2/8/2010 6:00:00 AM

Mysticgeek includes a fix Windows 7's overeager installation checking in his review, but also shows how to find online patches and fixes for apps that Windows 7 claims not to support, and fine-tune how certain apps are run.

For Windows 7 users requiring

access to older apps, it's a fine guided tour of a feature that doesn't just jump out at users and explain itself. Using Program Compatibility Mode in Windows 7[the How-To Geek]

Consumer Reports/ Entertainment/

E-reader News Edition

WAY continued from page 39

extension played for its founders.

Independents and moderate Democrats are increasingly frightened by the deficits but oppose large tax increases on the middle class. Like antebellum southern intransigents, however, the modern progressive Democratic base seems unwilling to accommodate these concerns in its rush to expand the government, a rush that ultimately can be financed only by high taxes on the middle and upper-middle classes like those seen in Canada and Western Europe. In the 1850s the Democratic party drove away many of its northern members who had reluctantly tolerated slavery, because the party's raucous southern base rejected any compromise. Today, the raucous progressive blogosphere is already trumpeting the song of no compromise, sending shivers down the spines of moderate and elite Democrats.

While we should not overemphasize the parallel between Lincoln's times and ours, the political analogy is on point. Any issue or concern that is widely believed to be of

crucial importance by large majorities of swing and base voters can be used to create new and lasting political coalitions. It is not inconceivable that a new party arising to combat Obama's deficits could be as diverse as the original Republicans, including immigrants and anti-illegalimmigration activists, social conservatives and agnostic professionals, populist Blue Dogs and traditional Republicans. Whether this coalition would be gathered under a new party founded by an independent president seeking a congressional base, or would be merely a reborn Republican party, is one of the political questions that would face GOP leaders.

Certainly the recent victories of Brown, Bob McDonnell, and Chris Christie demonstrate a possible way forward, but it is much easier to campaign than it is to govern, as Obama is now learning to his dismay. An opposition party can hold together and rally the public against an unpopular opponent, but once it takes power, internal fissures grow more prominent

and a skeptical public becomes much less indulgent. The ongoing trends mentioned above will make the task of governing even tougher for the Republicans, should they regain power, than it now is for the Democrats.

This long-term lesson must not be lost on the GOP. Relying on Obama and the Democrats to double-fault may win one election, but is unlikely to produce a lasting majority. If the Republicans do not resolve their internal tensions and adjust to demographic shifts and changing public attitudes, they could easily resume their decline and perhaps even go the way of the Whigs.

Henry Olsen is a vice president at AEI and the director of the National Research Initiative.

Photo credit: iStockphoto/Larry Cole Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

The Gold Rush [Beautiful Awards]

by Richard Lawson (Gawker)

in this week's New York. Learn why Jeff Bridges will win and Colin Firth won't. Plus: the Mo'Nique backlash.

Submitted at 2/8/2010 10:40:00 AM

Mark Harris, former Entertainment Weekly editor and partner of Tony Kushner, has a

long and engrossing cover-story about crazy Oscar campaigning

45

In this big chill, Ice House Detroit nears completion

by Consumer Reports Shopping Blog (Consumer Reports)

cross breeze in the attic that quickly dropped the interior temperature of the home from 42°F to 24°F. (A Weather.com Submitted at 2/7/2010 9:00:59 PM 10-day-range forecast for the cit In this big chill, Ice House shows temperatures staying Detroit nears completion As we below 30°F.) reported last fall, the Ice House Holm and Radune have also Detroit project was conceived by developed a warm relationship a r c h i t e c t u r a l p h o t o g r a p h e r with the local inhabitants, as the Gregory Holm and architect house has served as an icicleMatthew Radune as a way to draped catalyst for fund-raising d r a w a t t e n t i o n t o w h a t ' s projects, including a recent happening in the Motor City as a volunteer meal drive that helped result of the devastating blow feed 250 homeless people. suffered by the housing market — Gian Trotta there.

Essential information:" As detailed on the Ice House Buzzword: Reburbia" details Detroit blog, the duo has been how other distressed residential wielding water hoses and properties, like those in battling the winter sun as they A m e r i c a ' s worked to encase one of the boomburbs/boomburgs, might city's thousands of abandoned being transformed. Our weekend houses completely in ice, what project on attic insulation can they label "an architectural help your own home from installation and social change feeling icy on winter days or a project." Holm and Radune say sweat box over the summer. they're on track to complete the Subscribe now! project on schedule. You'll find S u b s c r i b e t o photos of the project on the blog. ConsumerReports.org for expert It was no small feat to turn the Ratings, buying advice and house into a supersized igloo. To r e l i a b i l i t y o n h u n d r e d s o f keep the top portion of the roof products. Update your feed from melting on sunny winter preferences days, for instance they created a

46

Politics/ Consumer Reports/ TV/

E-reader News Edition

Dem. Lieutenant Governor Candidate Exits Ill. Race

Daily electronics deals

(Newsmax - Politics)

Submitted at 2/8/2010 7:29:54 AM

"For the good of the people of the state of Illinois and the Submitted at 2/7/2010 1:35:49 PM Democratic Party, I will resign," Message from fivefilters.org: If a clearly emotional Cohen said in you can, please donate to the full a rambling remarks made as the -text RSS service so we can S u p e r B o w l h a l f t i m e continue developing it. entertainment blared in the The Democratic nominee for background.

Illinois' lieutenant governor Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn, dropped out of the race Sunday who would have been paired night, less than a week after with Cohen on the November winning the nomination, amid a ticket, U.S. Rep. Danny Davis political uproar about his past. and Sen. Dick Durbin all had In announcing his decision at a urged Cohen to leave the race.

Chicago bar packed with people Quinn has said he knew nothing watching the Super Bowl, Scott about the allegations against Lee Cohen said the Democrats Cohen until after Tuesday's were not certain they could win primary. with him on the ticket.

Surrounded by his two sons, his S i n c e C o h e n w o n t h e fiancee and his fiancee's sons, Democratic nomination on Cohen apologized to his family, Tuesday, it has become widely his supporters and anyone he known that he was accused of may have let down. abusing his ex-wife and holding "The last thing I wanted to do a knife to the throat of an ex- was put the people of Illinois in girlfriend — a woman who was jeopardy," Cohen said. herself charged with prostitution. Until his nomination, Cohen He also admits using steroids in w a s a p o l i t i c a l u n k n o w n . the past.

Democratic leaders had not

considered him a threat to win and didn't highlight his past during the campaign.

The pawnbroker and owner of a cleaning supplies company ran against several veteran politicians, spending $2 million — mostly his own money — on his campaign, more than twice as much as all his opponents combined. He gained strong name recognition with a flurry of advertising featuring people who said they got jobs at employment fairs he held.

—— Associated Press Writer Deanna Bellandi contributed to this report. © 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.

by Nicholas Kolman-Mandle (Consumer Reports)

Daily electronics deals Today's deals courtesy of The Consumerist: • Newegg: Samsung 1TB SATA Hard Drive + Thermaltake SATA Docking Station for $75.89 w/ Free Shipping • Dell Small Business: Dell Wasabi PZ310 Mobile Photo Printer (Blue or Pink) w/ 48Pack of Paper $28 Free Shipping • Amazon: FLO TV 3.5-inch Personal Television (PTV 350) + 6 month subscription $199.99 + free shipping • Amazon: LG 42LH50 42-inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV w/ Broadband $779.99 + free shipping Related: TV Ratings and buying tips; Printer Ratings and buying tips.

Neither Consumer Reports nor The Consumerist receive anything in exchange for featuring these deals; the posts

are intended to be purely informational. These deals are often fleeting, with prices changing or products becoming unavailable as the day progresses.

These posts are not an endorsement of the featured products or the Web sites that sell them—though some of the sites may be included, and recommended, in our Ratings of retailers for computers and other major electronics(both available to subscribers). Price shouldn't be your only criterion. Be wary of lower-priced deals that seem too good to be true, and check return policies for restocking fees and other gotchas.

For general buying advice for many of the products on sale above, check out our free Buying Guides. Subscribe now!

S u b s c r i b e t o ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products. Update your feed preferences

Call Barney Stinson!

by Brad Trechak (TV Squad) Submitted at 2/8/2010 10:29:00 AM

The Super Bowl had no shortage of clever ads. Some of the most surprising were the ads for CBS shows, particularly'The Late

Show with David Letterman'.

However, there was also an ad starring Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson, his character from'How I Met Your Mother'.

Using an ad campaign that can be ironically described as cerebral and abstract, the ad had

Barney in the crowd of the Super Bowl showing a sign with an 877 number and telling the ladies to call him. Supposedly there will be a follow-up to this situation on the next episode.

Continue reading Call Barney

Stinson!

Filed under: Programming, OpEd, How I Met Your Mother, Celebrities, Reality-Free Permalink| Email this| | Comments

Consumer Reports/

E-reader News Edition

47

Coming this spring: Four new Canon point-and-shoots

by Terry Sullivan (Consumer Reports)

this month, except the SX210 IS, which will be available next month.

—Terry Sullivan Next Steps • Digital Camera Buying Advice: • Types of Digital Cameras| • Digital Camera Features| • Digital Camera Brands

Submitted at 2/8/2010 8:10:58 AM

Coming this spring: Four new Canon point-and-shoots Canon Powershot SX210 IS Photo: Canon With the PMA camera trade show two weeks away, Canon just introduced four new PowerShot digital cameras—a superzoom and three subcompacts.

The priciest, the 14-megapixel PowerShot SX210 IS superzoom, $350, includes a 14x zoom, 3-inch LCD and dedicated video record button. The subcompacts are the 14megapixel PowerShot SD3500 IS Elph, $330, which has a very large 3.5-inch touchscreen LCD and 5x zoom with wide-angle capability; the 14-megapixel

PowerShot SD1400 IS Elph, $280, which has a 4x zoom; and the 12-megapixel PowerShot SD1300 IS Elph, $230, with a 4x zoom and wide-angle capability.

Canon Powershot SD3500 IS Elph Photo: Canon All models include a new FE

flash exposure feature that not only automatically adjusts the aperture, shutter speed and ISO settings, but also changes the strength of the flash's illumination. All but the SD1300 Elph include new scene modes, including fish-eye and miniature effects, and can shoot HD-

resolution video. Plus, like the newly announced Panasonic point-and-shoots, the PowerShots will support the new higher capacity, SDXC memory cards, which will eventually be able to store as much as 2 terabytes of data.

All cameras will be available

All Digital Camera Ratings Subscribers can view and compare all Digital Camera Ratings. Recommended Digital Cameras Look at the ones that we chose as the best of the best.

Subscribe now!

S u b s c r i b e t o ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products. Update your feed preferences

Q&A: Does lemonade help prevent kidney stones? by rss@consumerreports.org (Consumer Reports)

way to prevent kidney stones is to drink plenty of fluids, particularly if you have a history Submitted at 2/8/2010 2:59:59 AM of stones. Avoiding excessive Q&A: Does lemonade help sodium and eating plenty of prevent kidney stones? fruits and vegetables can also My urologist says that the water help. If those steps fail, raising and citric acid in lemonade help the level of citrate (citric acid) in prevent kidney stones. Is he the urine can also impede stone right? — D.M.L., Wiley Ford, formation. But while lemonade probably don’t provide enough W.Va. and other citrus juices can to reduce the risk of stones; in Yes, about the water. The best increase urinary citrate, they f a c t , g r a p e f r u i t j u i c e m a y

increase it, for unknown reasons. However, citrate pills, such as prescription potassium citrate (Urocit-K), are effective.

Or your doctor may suggest another drug, such as allopurinol(Zyloprim) or hydrochlorothiazide(Esidrix, Hydro-DIURIL), that prevents stones in other ways.

Read more on the treatments for kidney stones and find out which

3 treatments work best(subscribers only). Subscribe now!

S u b s c r i b e t o ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products. Update your feed preferences

48

Tech News/

Verizon Blocks 4chan

by Jolie O'Dell (ReadWriteWeb)

AT&T's temporary blocking of the site in July 2009. Eventually, AT&T said the block was due to Submitted at 2/7/2010 10:00:23 PM a DDoS originating from 4chan According to 4chan's Twitter IP addresses, to which Poole account and status update blog, Poole posted, "After an hour and responded, "We're glad to see they have been "explicitly a half on the phone, we've this short-lived debacle has blocked" by the Verizon wireless received confirmation from prompted renewed interest and network.

V e r i z o n ' s N e t w o r k R e p a i r debate over net neutrality and If you're unfamiliar with 4chan Bureau (NRB) that we are Internet censorship - two very a n d w h y a n I S P / w i r e l e s s 'explicitly blocked.'" important issues that don't get company would block it, read In the past, we've held a nearly enough attention - so more about it on Wikipedia. The generally negative view of ISP perhaps this was all just a high-traffic image board of censorship and traffic-shaping, blessing in disguise." mostly anonymous users was regardless of site content. It'll be UPDATE: A Verizon NRB rep created by Christopher Poole in interesting to see how this battle said their center has been 2003 and has been the subject of shapes up, as Poole is calling for deluged with phone calls but was a fair amount of negative media 4chan users to file complaints unable to relate the specific and legal attention over the past with Verizon's Network Repair reason the site has been blocked. six years. But why would Bureau.

We are continuing to call other Verizon choose to block the site We are contacting Poole and Verizon numbers at this time, but now? Does this put Verizon on Verizon to figure out specifically we've been alerted that Verizon par with foreign ISPs that block why the site is being blocked and has not yet set up any process for torrent sites and social networks? will update this post as more dealing with media calls on this Or is there more to the story? information becomes available. issue as no other media outlets Sponsor W h i l e w e ' v e p e r s o n a l l y have yet contacted them.

Poole wrote this afternoon, confirmed that the image boards UPDATE: Multiple Verizon "Over the past 72 hours, we've are not accessible from the FIOS/DSL customers have let us been receiving reports from Verizon wireless network, we're know that the boards are still Verizon Wireless customers not certain that Verizon as an accessible from other devices not having difficulty accessing the ISP is blocking the site or on the Verizon wireless network. i m a g e b o a r d s . A f t e r whether they plan to in the near However, we're confused as to investigating, we found that future. Again, a move of this why Verizon wireless would Verizon is dropping traffic... magnitude would have to have block a website and still allow only on port 80 (HTTP). No s o m e p r e t t y c o m p e l l i n g access on other parts of its other subdomain/IP/port is justifications, and we can't wait network. Discuss affected, which leads us to to find out Verizon's reasons. believe this block is intentional."

This incident calls to mind However, a couple hours ago,

E-reader News Edition

Chinese Black-Hat Hackers Arrested

by Jolie O'Dell (ReadWriteWeb) Submitted at 2/7/2010 11:23:25 PM

According to reports from China Daily, what is believed to be the largest illegal hacker training and recruitment entity in China has been shut down by police.

Three people were arrested and the equivalent of a quarter of a million dollars in assets frozen.

The accused, who ran a nowshuttered site called Black Hawk Safety Net, are suspected of offering online attacking programs, disseminating viruses and recruiting almost 200,000 members. Police have confiscated nine servers and five computers and completely closed all associated websites.

Sponsor Over the past 5 years, the site owners had collected more than the equivalent of $1 million in membership fees. Reportedly, paying members were able to download trojans and were coached on writing programs designed to steal accounts for profit.

According to China Daily's police sources, Black Hawk

Safety Net was the subject of research and scrutiny from a team of around 50 police officers ever since 2007, when suspected hackers in another attack were found to be members of the site.

There is no word yet as to whether this site or its members of owners were affiliated with the recent attacks on Google accounts and other international entities. To read more related news, check out our evergrowing archives on China's Internet exploits. Discuss

Tech News/ Entertainment/

E-reader News Edition

49

iPad Gets No Consumer Love? (POLL)

by Sarah Perez (ReadWriteWeb) Submitted at 2/8/2010 6:56:44 AM

A new survey from Retrevo finds that consumers' interest in the Apple iPad died down after they heard what the new tablet PC actually had to offer.

According to the company, "not only did Apple fail to convince new buyers, it may have lost many potential buyers who now say they don't think they need an Apple tablet computer." Ouch!

While it's true that the poll results do support these findings, they contradict what tech analysts have been saying about the device's potential. With sales expectations that range anywhere from one million to six million units over the course of this year, the iPad is predicted to do quite well. So is the survey wrong? Or is it the analysts?

Sponsor iPad Reality Disappoints?

The Apple iPad has the dubious glory of being one of the most over-hyped, hotly anticipated tech products of the year.

Rumors surrounding the device prior to its launch had the tablet computer offering everything

from OLED to multiple cameras to an innovative multi-touch enabled back. The reality was a much simpler device that looked more like a big iPod than the revolutionary product so many had built up in their minds.

But will this let-down in expectations actually lead to fewer sales? If you believe the Retrevo survey, that could easily be the case. The percentage of consumers who had heard about the iPad but were not interested

shelter, and clothing. Once our basic needs are met, we then focus on obtaining other "needs" like a job, a car, an education, etc. The iPad, however, is something we want. We already have a computer. Maybe even a computer, a netbook and an iPod or iPhone. We can't in all honesty say we need an iPad. It may seem like a simple turn of phrase, but when crafting survey questions, word choice is important. Will You Buy an iPad? So instead of going by Retrevo's findings, we'll ask you instead.

Will you buy the iPad? Will you rush right out and get one as soon as it hits store shelves? Or will you wait patiently for iPad in buying one jumped from 26% materialistic and fickle people. 2.0? Or are you not interested at prior to Apple's announcement to (Who couldn't write about that?) all? Now's your chance to weigh 52% afterwards. Also, people We probably should just ignore in and prove Retrevo's numbers who claim they don't need an t h e s e p u b l i c i t y s t u n t s . . . wrong...or right, as the case may iPad went from 49% to 61%. err...surveys, but this one was be. Just answer the question in That certainly sounds like bad begging to be shot down...or the poll below: news for Apple, doesn't it? shored up, we suppose. After all, Will you buy an iPad?( polls) Survey Says: Marketing Stunt! their survey phrases questions in Discuss Well not so fast. Let's keep in a way that almost guarantees a mind that Retrevo likes to put negative response. Case in point: out these sorts of link-baiting "do you need an iPad?" No one surveys from time to time. For really needs an iPad. Not example, a prior survey found surprisingly, many people said t h a t i P h o n e o w n e r s w e r e "no." We need water, food,

Warren Sapp Leaves Court (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 2/8/2010 12:44:00 AM

After being apprehended by authorities in the early hours of

Saturday morning, "Dancing with the Stars" finalist Warren Sapp appeared in court on Sunday.

Sapp was in Miami Beach to

offer commentary for the NFL cable network during Super Bowl XLIV. While out with his girlfriend at the Shore Club Hotel, the two were allegedly

involved in an incident according ET followed Sapp as he left his to the Miami Beach Police. The court appearance and drove away footballer was arrested at 5 a.m. in a waiting vehicle. and charged with misdemeanor domestic battery.

50

Tech News/ Gadgets/ Sports/

Survey: How Kids 12 & Under Use Web Technology

by Richard MacManus (ReadWriteWeb) Submitted at 2/8/2010 5:00:00 AM

Yesterday we posted a video from the Teens in Tech conference, looking at how teens perceive technology. Today we're co-launching a survey which aims to find out how children 12 years and younger use web technology. We've partnered with Boston research firm Latitude, who provided the survey tool and will help us analyze the data. The survey will be open for 2 weeks, after which ReadWriteWeb and Latitude will list and analyze the results.

If you're the parent of a child 12 and under, then we invite you to participate in the survey by clicking here.

Sponsor The study is open to all children aged 12 and under. It's important to note that you DO NOT need to reveal the identity of your child. We're super conscious of the privacy issues

post by Latitude's Kim Gaskins, the survey aims to discover how children use and understand Web technology, the environmental factors that contribute to these understandings, and the extent to which children can think 'innovatively' about web technology. The study also intends to deduce real-world applications from the drawings that the kids create. regarding children on the Web, Click here to begin the survey so you may enter a nickname process. into the survey instead of your Latitude is a research-driven consultancy for technology and child's real name.

In a nutshell, here's how the media companies. It works with survey works. With you (the clients to discover and develop parent) always at the controls, opportunities for next-generation the survey will ask your child to c o n t e n t , s o f t w a r e , a n d draw his or her response to a communications technologies question. There is a special tool through a combination of webfor you to upload the resulting b a s e d a p p l i c a t i o n s a n d drawing, in JPEG format. The innovative research methods. survey will then gather some Visit life-connected.com for general information about the other Latitude studies, or email child's computer use, which ischulte@latd.com to learn more should only take 5-10 minutes. about working with Latitude.

As explained in a background Discuss

Submitted at 2/8/2010 4:55:26 AM

Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full

InPhase out of business, assets seized for back taxes

by Joseph L. Flatley (Engadget) Submitted at 2/8/2010 10:36:00 AM

It's been something like five years that we've been eagerly waiting for InPhase to finally release that revolutionary holographic storage solution, and while there has been plenty of drama in the way of release dates promised and pushed back, and even some layoffs to keep things interesting, the company has been pretty, pretty quiet lately.

As it turns out, this has been due to the fact that employees have been busy enough updating their resumes. "We were expecting it for a long time," said one employee, among the sixty or so who picked up their final paychecks last week. "So it wasn't a big surprise." To put a finer point on things, it's been announced that the Colorado Department of Revenue has seized the company's assets for non-payment of taxes. According to The Register, the state has changed the locks and -text RSS service so we can 9 Ast, 3 Stl continue developing it.

Five Filters featured article: announced that everything on the Top Performers Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: premises will be auctioned off, Orlando: V. Carter 20 Pts, 3 PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, d o w n t o t h e f i x t u r e s a n d furniture. This is certainly an Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Blk Term Extraction. ignominious end to a once great Boston: R. Rondo 17 Pts, 8 Reb,

Magic put away Celtics with third-quarter surge

by Associated Press (ESPN.com)

E-reader News Edition

idea, but as you know every cloud has a silver lining: If you're looking to get into the holographic storage business, drop us a line. We've heard that some equipment is becoming available soon -- and at a great price.

InPhase out of business, assets seized for back taxes originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink The Register| Longmont Times-Call| Email this| Comments

Tech News/ Gadgets/ Entertainment/

E-reader News Edition

51

Google Rebuilds the Tower of Babel Google working on with Real-Time Language voice translator phone, Translation redefining synergy

by Mike Melanson (ReadWriteWeb)

such as Mandarin or Cantonese, which are tonally based. In Mandarin, for example, the word Submitted at 2/8/2010 7:13:00 AM "ma" can have four different If our attempts at getting such meanings according to the tone simple information as bus includes a number of languages used. If the speaker uses the first schedules or account balances w i t h c o m p l e t e l y d i f f e r e n t tone, a constant high pitch, then f r o m a u t o m a t e d v o i c e alphabets. the word means "mother". If they recognition systems are any The Times UK spoke with Franz use the third tone, a dropping indication, then we imagine Och, head of Google's translation then rising pitch, however, the Google has a lot of work to do in services, who said that this new meaning changes to "horse". its latest endeavor - real-time, service should be up and running The fun doesn't stop there, the and "work reasonably well in a Times UK article points out, as spoken-language translation.

According to the Times UK, few years' time." handling the vast number of Google is working on developing "Everyone has a different voice, accents and dialects is also an software for a mobile phone that accent and pitch," said Och. "But immense task. Much like the would translate what you were recognition should be effective web-based translation that saying into the language of the with mobile phones because by Google does, though, the system speaker on the other end of the nature they are personal to you." would become more accurate Och is referring to the fact that over time, essentially learning line and vice versa. the software would have the from its experience.

Sponsor As you may have noticed, opportunity to learn your accent, We hope that one of the first Google already has a hand in the dialect and general manner of things it learns is not to call our translation business, with its web speaking over time, becoming new Chinese friend's mother a page translation service. Google more accurate. But we can only horse. Discuss Translate currently translates imagine the difficulty of the task between 52 languages, which ahead, especially with languages

by Vladislav Savov (Engadget) Submitted at 2/8/2010 10:13:00 AM

Okay, so Google has this expansive online translation service, which we all know, use, and sometimes even love.

Google also has its own branded phone, with a voice recognition function that we frankly adore.

So what's a brave new age company with bottomless pockets to do but try to splice the two together into some kind of omnilingual instant translator?

Speech-to-speech translation -long the exclusive plaything of fanciful sci-fi writers -- is said by Franz Och, Google's head of translation services, to be a viable possibility within a measly couple of years. The Mountain View approach to overcoming the inherent problems of variable pitch, tone and accents in speech will be to use each person's phone to

accrue data on his or her linguistic idiosyncrasies, so that the more the phone's voice recognition is used, the more accurate it becomes. Sounds tres bien to us.

Google working on voice translator phone, redefining synergy originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink| Times Online| Email this| Comments

Obama Wants to Starve Your Kids [Outrage]

by Hamilton Nolan (Gawker) Submitted at 2/8/2010 10:51:24 AM

NObama's latest plan to curtail America's freedom is to deny our obese, no-attention-span-having

schoolkids the option of gorging on Hot Fries and Snickers out of school-sponsored vending machines. Why won't our nation's soft drink conglomerates stand up for the children?

"Industry opposition to the new

legislation has softened in part because the Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo now sell far more than Coke and Pepsi. So instead of having to yank vending machines from schools, the

companies could replace offerings with bottled water or juice." Oh. That's why. [ NYT]

52

Tech News/ Gadgets/ Entertainment/

E-reader News Edition

Retire Sooner by Banking Labor, Not Just Income [Money]

Sam Worthington Goes From Oz to Lone Star State

by Jason Fitzpatrick (Lifehacker)

(ETonline - Breaking News)

Submitted at 2/8/2010 6:30:00 AM

Nearly everyone has heard the glory of compound interest sung—how if we all saved from our first day in the workforce until our last we'd have an enormous nest egg. Get that egg faster by investing your labor, too.

Photo by wili_hybrid.

Over at the aptly named Early Retirement Blog, they argue in favor of not just focusing on investing some of your income for retirement but also investing your time and labor. While they don't argue with the conventional wisdom that you should be socking away some of your income towards your retirement goals, they suggest that in addition to that you should be using your labor and time during

your working years to increase your available income: It is often said a person's earning power, that is, the ability to earn an income, is by far the biggest asset anybody has. This is entirely true, but what this doesn't tell you is that you can magnify your earning potential

several times over working for yourself rather than somebody else. This means finding a lowmaintenance side gig and banking the earnings. This is what Tim Ferriss refers to as a muse in his book The Four Hour Work Week. If you do it right, you can net an additional

$15,000-20,000 per year per muse, each requiring only a few hours per week (or month, if you choose wisely) to maintain.

The goal, by their measure, is to invest not just money in an interest-bearing vehicle, but to invest your time in securing new i n c o m e opportunities—essentially diversifying your income sources like one diversifies an investment portfolio. You can read their whole take on the process at the link below. Have your own experiences scoring extra cash with side gigs, freelancing, or other kinds of outside-the-9-5 money making?

Let's hear about it in the comments. Set Aside 10% of Your Work for Retirement, Not 10% of Your Income[via GetRichSlowly]

Submitted at 2/8/2010 12:05:00 AM

Aussie actor Sam Worthington is getting plenty of screen time.

According to Variety, the quickly budding star has signed onto 'Texas Killing Fields,' a murder mystery. Based on a true story, the plot centers on two police officers trying to solve 20 years worth of disappearances and homicides in the industrial wastelands surrounding refineries. This is quite an undertaking because they are investigating up to 60 victims.

Sam landed the role of a homicide detective who, working with a detective from New York, embarks on a mission to find the killers. Filming begins in April in Louisiana, Variety reports.

Corsair readying Nova and Reactor 2.5-inch SSDs for release

by Darren Murph (Engadget) Submitted at 2/8/2010 9:53:00 AM

Corsair has kept quiet on the SSD front here recently, but it looks as if it's about to ruffle a few feathers with two new laptop -centric drives. Fudzilla has dug up pricing information on two heretofore unreleased solid state drives from the company, with the 64GB / 128GB Nova and

60GB / 120GB Reactor both featuring the Indilinx Barefoot controller, MLC NAND and at least 64MB of cache. The Nova series is purportedly capable of hitting read speeds of up to 215MB/sec on both the V128 and V64, while write speeds are locked at 130MB/sec for the V64 and 195MB/sec for the V128. As for the Reactor range? Those feature 128MB of cache and a

Reactor 2.5-inch SSDs for release originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Hot Hardware| Fudzilla| Email this| Comments nice boost in transfer speeds, more details, but don't get your though the €151 ($206) starting hopes too high for a near-term tag doesn't do much for bargain release in the US. shoppers. Hit the source link for Corsair readying Nova and

Tech News/ Gadgets/ Economy/

E-reader News Edition

53

Clean Up Long Email Threads with Clear Language [Email Overload]

by Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker) Submitted at 2/8/2010 5:40:00 AM

By the time an email missive makes the rounds and comes back to the manager, it can be a cluttered, confusing mess. The Wall Street Journal recommends a few solutions for cutting down and cleaning up an email with a succinct reply.

Hard-to-follow email is one of Google Wave's best use cases, but unless the corporate world adopts Wave en mass tomorrow, we're all going to get lots of >>>> in our inbox for a while to come. If you're a team manager, or just the person in charge of putting a multi-reply, multiforward email thread to bed, the Journal suggests some syntax and message massaging that might do the trick: • State your position clearly, even if context follows below in the email string. "Yes" helps less than "Yes, you can have the extra funding to hire 5 temporary workers."

• Summarize the discussion to

date: "See below: R&D is looking for more time but Sales risks losing customers if we don't act now."

• Force focus when necessary: "Let's focus on cost now and revisit the morale and equity issues at our staff meeting next week."

• Change subject lines cautiously. Tighter, more relevant subject lines work best, but even one letter's difference

upsets inbox sorting mechanisms.

• Cut extraneous or repetitive information.

Submitted at 2/8/2010 7:16:59 AM

Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full

-text RSS service so we can continue developing it.

By Jamie Chisholm, Global Markets Commentator Published: February 8 2010 08:31 | Last updated: February 8

by Jesus Diaz (Gizmodo)

Science—obtained 29 melanosomes samples from all Hit the link for nine more ideas over the body of the Anchiornis, in being a better email manager, Readers, meet Anchiornis comparing them to the feathers and share your own wild email huxleyi in its true colors, of modern birds. The result was taming tips in the comments. discovered by an international an accurate map of the animal's Top Ten Mistakes Managers team lead by Li Quanguo of the colors, the first true-to-life Make With Email[WSJ.com] Beijing Museum of Natural picture of a dinosaur.

History. Anchiornis huxleyi, Now, I only wonder how you here are some readers. And no, taste like, Anchiornis, properly you can't eat them, you oversized brined and cooked slowly in a chicken, you. thick pan, with some carrots, The paleontologists team—who potatoes, and shallots. [ National 2010 15:16 published the results of their Geographic] Five Filters featured article: study in last issue of Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Traders cautious as contagion fears linger (Financial Times - US homepage)

The Real Colors of a Dinosaur Revealed for the First Time [Image Cache] Submitted at 2/8/2010 11:00:00 AM

54

Gadgets/

E-reader News Edition

Canon launches the Rebel T2i for $899

by John Biggs (CrunchGear) Submitted at 2/8/2010 6:31:42 AM

If you just bought a Canon Rebel T1i, get thee to the camera store. The company just launched the T2i with 1080p video recording, an 18MP sensor, and 3-inch LCD. It also has a 63-point metering system and takes 3.7 fps continuous.

The new model, called the 550D in Euro-land, doesn’t have an availability yet but, as is their wont, Canon sprung this so it could appear in time for the upcoming PMA show.

THE NEW CANON REBEL T2i DIGITAL SLR TAKES A S P I R I N G PHOTOGRAPHERS BEYOND THE STILL WITH ADVANCED VIDEO FEATURES The Family Camera is Back, Introducing the EOS Rebel T2i Featuring a Large 18-Megapixel CMOS Sensor and Full HD Video Recording with Selectable Frame Rates up to 30 fps LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., February 8, 2010 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today introduced the new flagship model for the Company’s highly popular Rebel DSLR line: the Canon EOS Rebel T2i Digital SLR camera.

Today’s photo enthusiast is looking for a camera that will grow with them as they learn, and that is a perfect description of the new EOS Rebel T2i Digital SLR camera. Retaining

various lenses and accessories they are already familiar with to create amazing video footage,” stated Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A. “Taking that HD video quality and putting it in the hands of entrylevel photographers with cameras like our new EOS Rebel T2i, we are seeing a new generation of creative digital artists emerge.”

Lights, Rebel, Action – EOS HD Video Canon’s EOS HD video capture has helped spark a major movement in digital imaging, empowering still photographers with the ability to experiment, learn and capture stunning highdefinition video through a variety of creative lenses.

Continuing this imaging revolution, the new EOS Rebel T2i puts entry-level a l l o f t h e t r a d i t i o n a l including: 3.7 fps shooting, an with manual exposure control, photographers on the frontline characteristics that have made I S O r a n g e o f 1 0 0 - 6 4 0 0 selectable frame rates and a new equipped with all the latest EOS the EOS Rebel series beloved by (expandable to 12,800), a 63- external microphone input. There HD video features including full entry-level photographers and an zone Dual Layer Metering is also a new feature for standard H D v i d e o a t 1 9 2 0 × 1 0 8 0 industry best-seller, the new System, and Canon’s DIGIC 4 definition recording, Movie resolution, selectable frame rates, Rebel T2i succeeds in bridging Imaging Processor. There are C r o p , w h i c h p r o v i d e s a n full manual exposure control and the gap between an entry-level some moments in our lives approximate 7x additional zoom t h e v i s u a l o p t i o n s o f camera and a true pro-sumer where video helps capture the with no loss of image quality interchangeable lenses. Manual camera. moment better than a still image, when shooting SD quality video. video exposure control provides The Rebel T2i Digital SLR and the Rebel T2i offers the best “There is no question that HD novice filmmakers with the camera includes a variety of new of both worlds with Full HD video is the biggest trend in i m a g e c o n t r o l t h e y a r e f e a t u r e s f o r p h o t o g r a p h i c 1080p video as well as 18- DSLR technology and because accustomed to in a still camera, a s s i g n m e n t s a s v a r i e d a s megapixel still images. The o f t h i s w e a r e s e e i n g t h e all while shooting professionalgrabbing that action shot from Rebel T2i DSLR continues creativity of still photographers l e v e l c i n e m a t i c v i d e o . t h e s i d e l i n e s o r c r e a t i n g Canon’s industry-leading trend transferring to the moving image.

CANON page 56 memorable family portraits, in Full HD DSLR video capture Still photographers are using the

Gadgets/

E-reader News Edition

55

Canon keeps the PowerShot line alive with the SX210, SD3500, and SD1400 IS

by Matt Burns (CrunchGear) Submitted at 2/8/2010 6:46:59 AM

Canon knows how to make quality cameras and these latest pocket cams clearly show that off. The PowerShot SX210 IS leads the charge with a 14.1 MP sensor, 14x optical zoom, and a 720p video capture mode. Of course Canon’s loaded with a image stabilizer and DIGIC 4 processor to ensure the pics produced are worthy of the Canon name. $349 this March.

The SD3500 brings something else to the table though: sex appeal. This little pocket camera packs the same 14.1 MP sensor but forgos the large 14x optical zoom for a more modest 5x option. This of course allows Canon designers a bit more artistic freedom and it shows. the IXUS 210 is a looker. Oh, and it has a rear touchscreen. $329 later this month.

Finally the PowerShot SD1400 IS and SD1300 IS rounds out the new PowerShot models. The SD1400 IS brings the same 14.1 MP sensor along with a 4x optical zoom and HD video mode to the party while the SD1300 IS only has a 12.1 MP sensor. $249 and $199 later this month.

New PowerShot SX210 IS and ELPH Cameras Offer Improved Features For Increased Image Capture Control

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., February 8, 2010 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today announced the addition of four new PowerShot Digital cameras, the PowerShot SX210 IS, PowerShot SD3500

IS, PowerShot SD1400 IS and PowerShot SD1300 IS, offering today’s photographer a compelling blend of cutting-edge photo capture technology and superior styling. The new PowerShot cameras offer

increased shooting flexibility in a number of settings through advancements to the Smart Auto mode while offering greater photo personalization and enhanced creativity with new Scene Modes and Image effects.

The addition of Fish-eye and Miniature Effect modes help photographers add a creative element or lend a humorous look and feel when capturing images CANON page 57

56

E-reader News Edition

CANON continued from page 54

Professional photographers utilize creative lighting, adjustable depth-of-field and a variety of lenses to create powerful still images and video footage, and these are exactly the tools that the new Rebel T2i gives to budding photo and video enthusiasts. Adding a new professional-level feature for EOS cameras, the Rebel T2i includes an Auto ISO function that works in all Creative Zone exposure modes including Manual where users can set a limit to the highest ISO the camera will use, enabling them to retain the lighting and look they desire for a scene. By setting an Auto ISO range, videographers can retain dark shadow areas and avoid blowing out highlight areas in a scene while still retaining the benefit of automatic ISO adjustments. The Rebel T2i DSLR captures video in both NTSC (National Television System Committee) and PAL (Phase Altering Line) standards at selectable frame rates including Full HD 1920 x 1080 at 30 (29.97), 25 or 24 (23.976) fps, and HD 1280 x 720 or Standard Definition 640 x 480 quality video, at 60 (59.94) or 50 fps.

For easier video recording operation and familiar functionality for beginners, the Rebel T2i’s autofocus can be operated before or during video recording by pressing the shutter button half-way down in video mode. Another feature debuting

in the Rebel T2i is Canon’s new Movie Crop mode, where the user can achieve 7x magnification when shooting SD video for a significantly increased “telephoto” effect.

Unlike the digital zoom feature found in many compact digital cameras, Canon’s new Movie Crop mode actually crops the image directly from the CMOS sensor at full SD resolution to preserve maximum image quality and provide additional zoom power. The new Movie Crop feature is especially helpful for achieving extra full resolution zoom power when filming youth sports, such as a child running to the furthest end of a field. For better sound quality when shooting video, the Rebel T2i DSLR includes an external stereo microphone jack, a first for an EOS Rebel model, in addition to its built-in monaural microphone. These audio and video features supplement a tremendous range of additional must-have video features in an entry-level Digital SLR camera.

For enhanced viewing pleasure and easy video sharing at home, the HDMI video-out capability of the Rebel T2i DSLR includes a new Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) compatibility which allows users to play back still or video files on a CECcompliant HDTV, using the TV remote to control the camera when connected via HDMI interface.

Camera Feature Set

The EOS Rebel T2i DSLR features a newly developed 18million-pixel Canon CMOS imaging sensor providing outstanding resolution and light sensitivity for amazing postersized prints with fine detail and stunning color. The camera exhibits exceptional low-noise performance incorporating many of the same technologies used to reduce noise in professional cameras such as the EOS 7D. The Rebel T2i camera’s basic ISO range is an amazing 100~6400, and via a Custom Function, it can be extended to ISO 12,800. The outstanding ISO range combined with its noise reduction technology allows the Rebel T2i to capture outstanding low-light pictures at events such as candlelit birthday celebrations or recitals where flash photography may be prohibited.

The camera provides 3.7 fps continuous shooting for still photos, making it the fastest shooting Rebel model to date and enabling users to capture that great image of a little leaguer’s first swing. The camera features Canon’s proprietary iFCL 63zone dual-layer metering system offering intelligent Evaluative metering with much finer segmentation than any previous EOS Rebel model. The new Rebel T2i also has an expanded ± 5 EV exposure compensation range allowing for much more versatility when shooting in extremely bright or dark

environments; or when shooting HDR (high dynamic range) images.

The Rebel T2i DSLR includes a number of professional-level user-selectable Canon image processing features to enhance the image quality of in-camera JPEG files, and to tag RAW images for processing later through Canon’s Digital Photo Professional software (included with the camera). These features include Canon’s Auto Lighting Optimizer to enhance shadow detail and add contrast to “flat” scenes, Highlight Tone Priority adding up to one stop of detail in bright highlight areas, Peripheral Illumination Correction for automatic correction of vignetting, High ISO Noise Reduction with four userselectable settings, and Long Exposure Noise Reduction applied to exposures one second or longer. These Canon image enhancements provide new photographers with professional quality automatic image correction on JPEG files right out of the camera.

The EOS Rebel T2i digital camera includes a new enhanced 3-inch LCD monitor featuring 1.04 million dots with a wide 3:2 aspect ratio, wider than previous EOS models. The Rebel T2i camera’s LCD monitor can display a full-screen video image utilizing the entire screen during playback. For maximum storage capacity the new EOS Rebel T2i Digital SLR camera is the first

EOS model to support SDXC memory cards. With all the new and exciting features of the EOS Rebel T2i, the Rebel series continues to provide great Canon features such as Live View, a built-in pop-up flash, and the EOS integrated cleaning system, as well as compatibility with Canon EX-series Speedlites and Canon EF and EF-S lenses allowing users to fully explore multiple creative photographic possibilities. The new EOS Rebel T2i Digital SLR camera is also compatible with Canon’s new BG-E8 battery grip and new RC-6 wireless remote control for both still images and video capture.

Pricing and Availability The Canon EOS Rebel T2i Digital SLR camera is scheduled to be delivered to U.S. dealers in early March, and will be sold in a body-only configuration at an estimated retail price of $799.99.

It will also be offered in a kit version with Canon’s EF-S 1855mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens at an estimated retail price of $899.99.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc. Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, businessto-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. Its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), a top patent holder of technology, ranked fourth overall in the U.S. in 2009†, with global revenues of US $35 CANON page 59

E-reader News Edition

57

CANON continued from page 55

of their favorite household pet or landscape scene.

From untimely blinks and awkward smirks to hard to shoot back-lit situations, the compact PowerShot SX210 IS, PowerShot SD3500 IS and PowerShot SD1400 IS cameras offer a variety of technologies to secure the best pictures under the most challenging conditions. In addition to the Face Detection self-timer, the new Smart Shutter scene mode now has Smile and Wink self-timers where the camera looks for a wink or smile which will act as the trigger and release the camera’s shutter.

The advances to Canon’s Smart Auto mode increases the number of shooting scenarios where each PowerShot camera can automatically adjust to different lighting or movement levels to obtain the best image possible. In addition, Canon’s Smart FE (Flash Exposure) function improves image quality by automatically adding the optimum level of flash illumination, aperture, ISO and shutter speed while the Low Light Mode features a wide ISO range (up to 6400), allowing more light to be captured creating sharper more vivid images and further enhancing the overall quality.

“The new Canon PowerShot Digital cameras are designed for consumers seeking a blend of eye-catching style and advanced

image capture technology in a compact, easy-to-use form,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A. “Offering a unique blend of features and functionality including new Scene Modes, Smart FE and Smart Shutter, Canon once again brings image-taking and personal photography expression to new levels.”

For users interested in expanding beyond still images, three of the four new PowerShot cameras announced today have the ability to shoot 720p High Definition (HD) video offering extraordinary resolution and clarity when capturing moments such as a child’s dance recital or the latest trip to the local zoo.

Also, the built-in HDMI miniconnector allows play-back of video and photos on an HDTV. With the camera tethered to a computer and the included software, movies can be uploaded directly to YouTube via the Camera Window. To further enhance a users ability to capture images and video, all of the new Canon PowerShot Digital cameras will support the high-spec SDXC memory cards with a maximum storage capacity of two terabytes (TB) in SDA standard.

Canon PowerShot SX210 IS Digital Camera: The Canon PowerShot SX210

IS is designed for the photographer seeking HD video and brilliant image quality in a stylish, compact camera.

Featuring a 28mm wide-angle lens with 14x Optical Zoom and Optical Image Stabilization, the PowerShot SX210 IS allows users to capture dramatic closeups or broad landscapes with ease, while the 14.1-Megapixel resolution ensures stunning image quality. Available in three bold color variations, black, purple and gold, additional features include a 3.0-inch wide LCD screen for improved visibility and glare reduction with enhanced Control Dial with Hints and Tips. For shooting video, the PowerShot SX210 IS has the ability to zoom optically, shoot in stereo sound and has Dynamic Mode Image Stabilization for improved image clarity. Users embracing the freedom of wireless data transfer can connect directly to PCs through Eye-Fi memory cards1.

The PowerShot SX210 IS is scheduled to be available in late March for an estimated retail price of $349.99.

Canon PowerShot SD3500 IS Digital Camera: The Canon PowerShot SD3500 IS represents a significant milestone in the evolution of the ELPH series through the combination of superior image capture functionality and Canon’s touch screen

technology. The camera’s large 3.5-inch wide LCD touch screen enables intuitive operation as users can customize their photo settings by simply dragging icons to their preferred on-screen location, then utilizing “tap” operations to switch between images during playback. A 24mm ultra-wide angle lens with 5x Optical Zoom gets more in your shot, like that family vacation at the Grand Canyon or the Empire State Building while Optical Image Stabilization ensure blur free images at full telephoto. The 14.1-Megapixel resolution delivers stunning images and the HD quality video further adds to the overall allure of this new PowerShot Digital camera. Available in three elegant color variations, black, silver and pink, the PowerShot SD3500 IS is also compatible with Eye-Fi memory cards for wireless transfer of video and photo files to PCs1. The PowerShot SD3500 IS is scheduled to be available in late February for an estimated retail price of $329.99.

Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS Digital Camera: The Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS is the ideal choice for the onthe-go, spontaneous photographer seeking outstanding performance in a super-slim camera. Measuring less than one inch in thickness, the sleek PowerShot SD1400 IS

features a 28mm wide-angle lens with 4x Optical Zoom lens and Optical Image Stabilization and 14.1-Megapixel resolution for outstanding photo and HD video quality. Available in four vibrant color variations, pink, orange, silver and black, the PowerShot SD1400 IS is scheduled to be available in late February for an estimated retail price of $249.99.

Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS Digital Camera: The Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS delivers outstanding value for the consumer seeking a stylish, highly functional digital camera.

The PowerShot SD1300 IS features a 28mm wide angle lens with 4x Optical Zoom lens and Optical Image Stabilization, 12.1 -Megapixel resolution, and enlarged 2.7 -inch PureColor System LCD screen offering superior visibility. Available in five color variations, silver, pink, green, blue and brown, the PowerShot SD1300 IS is scheduled to be available in late February for an estimated retail price of $199.99.

For more information about the new Canon PowerShot cameras, g o t o www.usa.canon.com/powershot.

58

Gadgets/

E-reader News Edition

B&N says the Nook will be available in stores nationwide this week conveniently in time for Valentine’s day

by Matt Burns (CrunchGear)

Day gift for anyone who loves reading. Demand for nook continues to be very high, and The Nook has seen its fair share we’re pleased our customers will of delays but Barnes & Noble is be able to try and buy nook in now saying that it will be our stores and online and enjoy it available online and in the in time for the holiday,” said majority of stores mid-week — William J. Lynch, President of just in time for Valentine’s Day, Barnes & Noble.com. “In Barnes guys! That’s actually right on & Noble stores, nook owners schedule according to the will enjoy exciting nook-only timetable the bookseller set back content from their favorite in December. But please, unless authors and other valuable offers, your spouse has specifically along with fast and free in-store asked for an ebook reader, don’t Wi-Fi, which nook customers give him or her a Nook or Kindle have been accessing in droves this Sunday. over the last few weeks.”

B&N’s is clearly using Saint New Barnes & Noble in-store Valentine’s holiday to sell their content will be updated weekly wares with a special edition nook and available for a four-week preloaded with a short story from period. nook users can stay at least they can play with one out of nook stock online over the newspapers and enjoy exclusive Adriana Trigiani and recipe for apprised of upcoming exclusive first. There are demos in most holidays due to unprecedented “More In Store” content and red velvet cupcakes. That’s More In Store content at locations. customer demand. Since then the promotional offers, officially really not out of place. After all, www.bn.com/nook/moreinstore.

Barnes & Noble Launches c o m p a n y h a s r a m p e d u p launching in February, which the holiday is mostly a shame Also in February, nook users in Exclusive In-Store Content and production and is shipping stock include: anymore, but elaborate electronic Barnes & Noble stores can enjoy Promotions to the majority of its stores, – A short story by bestselling gifts such as the Nook or an 10 percent off any CD. nook Barnes & Noble, Inc., the beginning this week. Customers f a v o r i t e A d r i a n a T r i g i a n i under-the-counter TV (I gave customers need only show the world’s largest bookseller, can visit the Barnes & Noble featuring characters from her one a few years back) aren’t special offer on their nook to the announced that its popular nook n o o k I n - S t o r e L o c a t o r a t newest blockbuster, Brava, great Valentine’s gift. cashier to redeem. eBook reader — the ultimate gift w w w . b n . c o m / n o o k / i n s t o r e , Valentine.

In fact an ebook reader is Barnes & Noble has continued for book lovers — is in stock u p d a t e d d a i l y b e g i n n i n g – A Valentine’s Day recipe for something that a person should to optimize nook software for an online at nook.com and will be February 10, to find local stores red velvet cupcakes from Anne probably buy themselves. It’s a improved reading experience rolling out in the majority of with devices in-stock.

Byrn, the Cake Mix Doctor. tad pricey and is something that with the newly updated nook Barnes & Noble stores beginning Enhanced in-store connectivity – “Read Between the Wines,” a runs the risk of not being used. v1.2. Automatic over the air mid-week, just in time for a l l o w s n o o k c u s t o m e r s t o regular feature by renowned For instance my wife and I both (OTA) updates, which do not Valentine’s Day. While in-store, seamlessly access fast, free Wi- wine expert Kevin Zraly, guides read a lot of books but neither of require any action from nook nook customers will enjoy Fi in Barnes & Noble stores. readers and wine lovers through us want an ebook reader. If you customers, are underway and exclusive holiday-themed online There, they can browse the the mystery of pairing books really think an ebook reader is a will be conducted seamlessly content, kicking off this month. extensive library of more than a with the perfect vintage. good bet, take your significant Barnes & Noble quickly sold million eBooks, magazines and “nook is the perfect Valentine’s B&N page 60 other to your local B&N store so Submitted at 2/8/2010 7:30:43 AM

Gadgets/ Entertainment/

E-reader News Edition

From Wiiitis to Wii Fractures: A Guide to Nintendoid Medical Conditions [Medicine]

59

CANON continued from page 56

billion, is listed as number four in the computer industry on Fortune Magazine’s World’s

by John Herrman (Gizmodo) Wii Sports? And anyway, fake Most Admired Companies 2009 sport/real injury humor is l i s t , a n d i s o n t h e 2 0 0 9 Submitted at 2/8/2010 9:45:02 AM BusinessWeek list of “100 Best universal.

A British doctor was so kind as • Head Injuries: Wiimote straps Global Brands.” Canon U.S.A. is to write a letter to the New may save your HDTV, but they committed to the highest levels England Journal of Medicine, won't save your kid sister from of customer satisfaction and handily summarizing what is getting clocked in the skull while loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and known about Nintendo-related you're playing Zelda. injuries. The gist: Your Wii • Wii Fracture: This is the new support for all of the products it distributes. At Canon, we care wants you dead. one: The point of the letter was to In the United Kingdom, a because caring is essential to highlight a new case, in which a h e a l t h y 1 4 - y e a r - o l d g i r l living together in harmony. girl hurt her foot playing Wii Fit. presented to the emergency Founded upon a corporate But in the process, it provides a department at Horton General philosophy of Kyosei – “all tidy little history of ways people Hospital in Banbury (near people, regardless of race, have managed to injure Oxford), having sustained an religion or culture, harmoniously themselves playing video games. injury to her right foot with living and working together into • Nintendinitis: This is the a s s o c i a t e d d i f f i c u l t y i n the future” – Canon U.S.A. classic videogame injury, and mobilization. She had been supports a number of social, one you've probably heard of playing on her Wii Fit balance youth, educational and other before. This is a repetitive stress board and had fallen off, p r o g r a m s , i n c l u d i n g injury in the "extensor tendon of sustaining an inversion injury. environmental and recycling [the] thumb," which you can get or physical exercise recently. He sounds terrifying, you probably Apparently, rolling your foot off i n i t i a t i v e s . A d d i t i o n a l from pretty much any game c o n s u l t e d a r h e u m a t o l o g y did well in Latin class. Doctors t h e s i d e o f t h e b a l a n c e i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e s e programs can be found at console. colleague. The Patte's test was have apparently documented the board—which, really, anyone • Wiiitis: Sounds like something positive, consistent with acute cavities around patients' lungs who's played Wii Fit has done www.usa.canon.com/kyosei. To a lot of people have probably just tendonitis isolated to the right filling with blood after Wii- multiple times—can be enough keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for slept off: infraspinatus. related falls. This can kill you. to crack a bone in your foot.

A healthy 29-year-old medical After just a day with the Wii, • Dislocations: This one is the So basically your Wii is actively the Company’s RSS news feed v i s i t i n g resident awoke one Sunday this kid was out of commission most predictable of the lot, since trying to maim you and your b y morning with intense pain in the for a week. What does Nintendo honestly, who hasn't gotten c h i l d r e n , t h e e n d . [ w w w . u s a . c a n o n . c o m / r s s . right shoulder. He did not recall have against healthy tendons? carried away trying to Happy- NEJM—Thanks, Michael from any recent injuries or trauma and • Traumatic Hemothorax: If this Gilmore-bowl their way through Medgadget!] had not participated in any sports

Allen St. Pierre — [Pullquote]

by Gabriel Snyder (Gawker) Submitted at 2/8/2010 11:05:29 AM

executive director of NORML, on the $700 pot smoking device called the Volcano Vaporizer that's shown up in Weeds and

Bored to Death, to The Daily Beast. Apples still cost around 25 cents.

60

Gadgets/ Entertainment/

E-reader News Edition

B&N

PMP Brief: ViewSonic VM-MB7001 MovieBook, ONN V10, Onda VX595, Yinlips V900HD

by Tablet (BestTabletReview.com)

MKV, TS, MOV, MP4, AVI and FLV (plus a few others). It can also stream HD through its Submitted at 2/8/2010 7:50:05 AM HDMI output. There is also Message from fivefilters.org: If Flash support for this device so you can, please donate to the full you can download SWF files and -text RSS service so we can Flash games. Finally it has USB continue developing it.

OTG for faster data streaming.

The ViewSonic VM-MB7001 No word on capacity, price or MovieBook ViewSonic VM- date yet.

MB7001 MovieBook Source: Cloned in China ViewSonic has been introducing The Onda VX595 PMP Onda new PMPs into the market like VX595 wildfire recently. Their latest Onda is another company that MovieBook is VM-MB7001 keeps churning out the PMPs. which has a 7-inch 1366 x 768 We just recently talked about resolution display and can output their VX575 and now they’ve HD video via its HDMI port. It released their next model, the also can be used as a picture VX595. The Onda VX595 has a viewer and TXT eBook reader. 4.3-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen For now, there’s little spec with HDMI output for 1080p information surrounding this unit HD. It supports RM, RMVB, including music file support, H.264, MKV, AVI, FLV, MOV, price and availability.

MPG, VOB and DAT. It also Source: Cloned in China features games and music The ONN V10 PMP ONN V10 playback. No release date or The new ONN V10 has a 5-inch price specified at this time.

800 x 480 touchscreen that is Source: Cloned in China capable of playing 1080p videos. The Yinlips V900HD PMP It supports H.264, MPEG, RM,

continued from page 58

through this week. nook customers currently using the previous version can also immediately download v1.2 at www.nook.com/support, where additional update and technical support information is available. nook marries innovative Yinlips V900HD We’re used to PMP makers only technology and sleek minimalist releasing the base specs, but design with access to the Barnes surprisingly Yinlips didn’t even & Noble’s digital store of over release the screen size in their one million eBooks, newspapers spec sheet. We do know it’s a and magazines. nook’s color 720p screen with 1280 x 720 touch screen for navigation along resolution and that the V900HD with a best-in-class E Ink display can play AVI, RM, RMVB, offer an immersive, enjoyable eMKV, MP4, MOV, DAT, FLV, reading experience. It offers both 3GP and VOB video files and 3G wireless and Wi-Fi access WMA, APE, FLAC, AAC, MP3 and OGG audio formats. It also has a TXT eBook reader, FM radio, recording capability and multi-tasking support. There’s no internal storage listed, but it does have a SD card slot for expansion. Rounding out its specs are a USB and HDMI port. (ETonline - Breaking News) Price and availability, you guessed it, not listed at this time. Submitted at 2/8/2010 12:30:00 AM Source: Cloned in China Leave Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt a Reply joined their eldest son Maddox Five Filters featured article: in Miami, Florida to cheer on the Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: New Orleans Saints.

PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Jolie and Pitt reside in New Term Extraction.

Orleans with their six children.

Photographed leaving the Sun Life Stadium after the Saints big

and is the first to offer digital lending for a wide selection of eBooks through its LendMe(TM) technology.

To learn more and experience nook, visit www.nook.com.

Follow our eBooks and other updates on www.bn.com/twitter.

To learn more about the free Barnes & Noble eReader software and Barnes & Noble eBookstore apps, visit www.barnesandnoble.com/ebook s.

Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt Step Out Together on Super Bowl Sunday win, their son Maddox showed his support for his home team by wearing quarterback Drew Brees' No. 9 Saints jersey.

Pitt was spotted with his son Sunday morning departing from Los Angeles and arriving in Miami. The Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in the Super Bowl XLIV.

E-reader News Edition

Gadgets/ Picture/

Canon rolls out four new colorful PowerShot compact cams

Snowpocalypse

by Laura June (Engadget)

Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full -text RSS service so we can continue developing it.• About Flickr Flickr is a revolution in photo storage, sharing and organization, making photo management an easy, natural and collaborative process. Get comments, notes, and tags on your photos, post to any blog, share and more!

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

the SD1300 IS will arrive in late February (that's this month!) for Submitted at 2/8/2010 9:35:00 AM $329.99, $249.99 and $199.99, Canon's just gone and busted out respectively. Full press release is four new cameras in its point and after the break. shoot PowerShot line. Up first Gallery: Canon PowerShot the PowerShot Sx210 IS boasts a compact cameras 14.1 megapixel sensor, a 28mm Continue reading Canon rolls wide-angle lens with 14x optical out four new colorful PowerShot zoom, a 3-inch LCD, and can compact cams shoot HD video. The SX210 IS Canon rolls out four new will come in black, purple and colorful PowerShot compact gold. The PowerShot SD3500 IS cams originally appeared on also packs a 14.1 megapixel sensor, with 28mm lens and 4x 28mm wide angle lens and 4x Engadget on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 sensor, with a 24mm ultra wide optical zoom, but this little guy is optical zoom, and a 2.7-inch 09:35:00 EST. Please see our angle lens with 5x optical zoom, less than an inch thick, and will LCD. It'll be available in silver, t e r m s f o r u s e o f f e e d s . and a 3.5-inch touchscreen LCD. be available in pink, orange, pink, green, blue and brown. The Permalink| | Email this| The PowerShot SD3500 IS will silver and black. Finally the SX210 will be available in late Comments come in black, silver and pink. PowerShot SD1300 IS has a 12.1 March for $349.99, while the The PowerShot SD1400 IS megapixel resolution, with a SD3500 IS, The SD1400 IS, and similarly has a 14.1 megapixel

61

by Kevin Collins (Flickr Blog) Submitted at 2/7/2010 1:02:50 PM

Canon's new Rebel T2i shoots 18 megapixel stills, ups the video options

by Paul Miller (Engadget) Submitted at 2/8/2010 9:22:00 AM

We'd heard inklings, but Canon's brand new Rebel T2i (also known as the EOS 550D outside the US) is newly official and oh-so-desirable. The camera takes quite a few features from Canon's EOS 7D, including an almost identical sensor, the selectable frame rates, and the stereo mic jack. There's also a

new widescreen LCD and button layout to differentiate it from its T1i sibling-- which will stick around on the market to pick up the poorer Canon lovers among us. The shooter can capture 18.7 megapixel stills at 3.7 fps, with better, 7D-style light metering and an expanded ISO range of 100 to 6400. Video is even more thrilling, with the addition of 30 / 25 / 24 fps 1080p (the T1i was limited to a silly 20 fps at that

resolution), along with 720p at 50 / 60 fps and VGA at similar

rates. The camera can also do an ultra-zoomed "movie crop" function that actually does the cropping on the CMOS sensor to provide about 7x of additional zoom without losing quality in SD. The T2i will hit retail in March for $800, with a EF-S 1855mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens kit at $900. PR is after the break.

Gallery: Canon Rebel T2i press shots Continue reading Canon's new

Rebel T2i shoots 18 megapixel stills, ups the video options Canon's new Rebel T2i shoots 18 megapixel stills, ups the video options originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink| | Email this| Comments

62

Gadgets/ TV/ Apple/

E-reader News Edition

Even at 4-inches, The Qisda QCM-330 Dwarfs the iPad's Resolution [Smartphones]

by Mark Wilson (Gizmodo)

discrepancy between the spec resolution and the general wideness of the screen: you're You hear the 9.7-inch iPad has a right to do so.) screen resolution of 1024x768, The Qisda (you also know them and you think to yourself, that's as BenQ) QCM-330, expected to not so bad! And it's not. But debut at the upcoming CeBIT when you later hear that a new 4- tradeshow this March before inch smartphone will feature a b e i n g a v a i l a b l e t h r o u g h resolution of 1280x1024, well... Vodafone, features a 4-inch, We don't know much else, other ...it's just tough to be floored by 1280x1024 screen that could be than that it will most likely run anything less. sharper than life itself, along Android given the Home key ( T h o s e o f y o u n o t i n g t h e with HSDPA and Wi-Fi. Submitted at 2/8/2010 10:06:29 AM

(which makes the prospect of importing a phone for its hardware alone so much more appealing). But if you're one of those people who doesn't like to use the same phone as other people, the QCM-330 might be a decent handset to watch. [ Unwired View via SlashGear]

Why Not to Buy a Mac (Now) by Charles Jade The simple if unsatisfying WHY page 63 (TheAppleBlog) answer to the question of when to buy a new Mac is when you

WikiReader update boasts better scrolling, keyboard, and navigation

by Doug Aamoth (CrunchGear) Submitted at 2/8/2010 8:00:40 AM

The WikiReader (portable Wikipedia reader — see previous coverage here) is in the midst of

its “Spring 2010” update, which includes new and updated Wikipedia entries, animated key presses a la the iPhone, more fluid scrolling, and “a highly requested back feature for a quick way to return to previously

searched articles.”

Tech-savvy WikiReader owners can download the updates for free online, or there’s a $29-peryear upgrade plan that’ll be available for purchase sometime in the future wherein WikiReader will mail out

updated microSD cards semiannually.

W i k i R e a d e r – Updates[theWikiReader.com] Press Release

Six Reasons Why '24' Has Jumped the You-Know-What

by Allison Waldman (TV Squad)

because we'd be seeing a lean, mean, older Jack who has been through the wringer and knows Submitted at 2/8/2010 11:00:00 AM all the tricks and turns of the What is going on with Jack business. Comparisons were Bauer? Have you been watching made to Jason Bourne, but with '24' this season, the first time set the Bauer edge. in New York City? There were Unfortunately, we're not seeing high expectations that this might the vim and vigor of'The Bourne Bourne pictures. We're not even be the best season yet for'24' Identity' or any of the other seeing the quality of'24' from

seasons past. Instead, '24' has turned into something else entirely -- an empty shell of its former self. It's time to call it a day for '24.' The show has definitely jumped the you-knowwhat.

Continue reading Six Reasons Why '24' Has Jumped the YouKnow-What

Filed under: 24, Ratings, TV Squad Lists, Emmys, RealityFree Permalink| Email this| | Comments

Sports/ Fashion/

E-reader News Edition

WHY continued from page 62

need one.

There’s nothing a Mac bought a year ago can’t do today, and nothing a Mac bought today won’t be able to do a year from now, just not as well.

That’s the problem for those seeking to maximize the value of their next purchase. If one believes the hype from none other than Steve Jobs himself, Macs are going to “take Apple to the next level” in 2010, and who doesn’t want to level up with Steve?

But even without the hype, there are three–well, really, two good reasons and one forlorn hope–to wait a while before purchasing your next Mac. While Steve Jobs just pronounced Apple a “mobility” company at the iPad event, it’s actually been one for awhile.

More than two out of three Macs sold are laptops, and if you are in that majority you should definitely wait for Arrandale.

That’s the mobile CPU from Intel launched at CES under the Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 variants. Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost technologies for improved parallelization and increased speed on demand have resulted in double-digit

performance increases without a decrease in battery life.

Regarding performance, the desktop Core i5 and Core i7 can already be found in the high-end iMac, which admittedly are quad -core versus dual-core for the mobile versions. Nonetheless, Macworld found the that the “2.66GHz Core i5 iMac is the fastest standard configuration Mac we’ve ever tested,” and can be as fast as Xeon-based Mac Pros.

This is the kind of upgrade worth waiting for, and the wait shouldn’t be long. The MacBook Pros and the MacBook Air were last updated in June, meaning they are due for an update even without significant new technology. Keep in mind the MacBook, last updated in October, may continue to use a Core 2 Duo for market segmentation purposes. Since the iPad is set for launch in late March, and companies like HP are already selling Arrandale laptops, expect an update within weeks, possibly even sooner.

There’s something else HP is selling, the Envy 15 laptop with USB 3, and that’s the second reason not to buy a Mac right now. USB 3 has transfer rates of

up to 4.8Gbps, though real world rates won’t be nearly that high, but then USB 2 doesn’t reach its theoretical maximum of 480Mbps, either.

We can expect that USB 3 will be multiple times as fast as USB 2, which is the kind of benefit instantly recognizable to anyone downloading images from a camera or backing up to a USB drive. While there are very few USB 3 devices available today, that will change quickly this year.

As to when to expect USB 3 Macs, a recent rumor in DigiTimes suggested Genesys Logic is sampling device controllers for Apple now, a claim which the company denied. Whether there’s truth in the rumor or the denial, Apple is undoubtedly working on USB 3 for Macs. The new bus could conceivably be part of the next round of updates in the spring, but if not then expect USB 3 Macs in the fall.

Something not to expect this spring, and that is suspect this year, would be Macs with Bluray. Just last month, it was attributed to Steve Jobs that Bluray is still a “mess,” and that Apple is waiting until Blu-ray

sales “take off.”

According to market researcher In-Stat, that could be about 2013, if by “take off” one means exceeding sales of DVD players.

Unfortunately, the predicted adoption rate for Blu-ray in PCs is even worse. Metrics firm iSuppli projects that by 2013 only 16 percent of PCs will come with Blu-ray drives.

If, like me, you are waiting for a Mac mini with Blu-ray, you probably won’t be buying this year. However, for those who plan on keeping their next Mac for one to three years, a Mac mini with Core i5 and USB 3 can likely be had this year.

The same can be said for every other Mac, too. While 2010 may or may not take Macs to the “next level,” both Intel’s new Core processors and USB 3 are significant upgrades. That’s why if you need a Mac today, buy one, but if not, tomorrow is definitely worth the wait.

Saints pick off Manning, Colts to win Super Bowl

by Greg Garber<br>ESPN.com (ESPN.com) Submitted at 2/8/2010 4:19:32 AM

Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full -text RSS service so we can continue developing it. More from ESPN.com This game shows the NFL is too good to risk a stoppage for labor issues, writes Gene Wojciechowski. Story That Drew Brees outplayed a quarterback legend in Peyton Manning is just one of the things we learned about this Super Bowl, writes John Clayton. Story It was the uncannily accurate Brees and the ability of his receivers to break open that made the difference in the end, writes Len Pasquarelli. Story • Yasinskas: Huge gambles • Kuharsky: Manning's legacy hurt • Seifert: Jumping the Colts • Graham: Colts look unprepared Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Beauty Poll: Carrie Underwood's Super Bowl Hairstyle

by ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog) Submitted at 2/7/2010 9:45:00 PM

Country music siren Carrie

Underwood opened last night’s Super Bowl with a rousing and heels, Underwood styled her rendition of the national anthem. blond strands in a wispy low Clad in Rock & Republic’s white pony. Would you wear her coif?

“Cary” jacket, matching jeans,

Vote now! —Emily Hebert Would you wear Carrie Underwood's Super Bowl hairstyle?( polls) Photo: Getty Images

63

Follow ELLE on Twitter Become our Facebook fan

64

Apple/ Sports/ Game/

E-reader News Edition

Alleged Core i7 MacBook Pro Benchmarked

by Charles Jade (TheAppleBlog) Submitted at 2/8/2010 7:33:56 AM

A sharp-eyed MacRumors forum member spotted what is either a hoax or the highly inappropriate use of a nextgeneration MacBook Pro this weekend.

Processor and memory benchmarks for a computer identified as “MacBookPro6,1 were posted at Geekbench, but that model identifier does not currently exist in the MacBook Pro lineup, nor does a MacBook Pro sporting Intel’s brand new Core i7 CPU. While Apple’s secretive nature and tight security would suggest these benchmarks are a fabrication, the benchmarks could also be the latest circumstantial evidence supporting an imminent MacBook Pro update.

Intel introduced the new Core i3, i5, and i7 CPUs for laptops at CES on Jan. 7, which was followed by announcements of new laptops from companies like Dell and HP. A few days later a

leaked memo of an internal incentive program aimed at Intel employees was revealed, one that offered a Core i5 MacBook Pro as a prize. While Intel admitted the incentive program was real, the company asserted the reference to the Core i5 was a typo.

That bring us to the Geekbench results, which appear to be typo-

free. The specs for the Core i7 are correct, and the results are in keeping with expected performance gains, about 20 percent, over Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros at the same clock speed. While the most current shipping version of 10.6.2 is build 10C540, 10C3067 conforms to a non-shipping build. The new model identifier

has also been noted in recent builds of 10.6.2 as well.

It’s unfortunate that Geekbench doesn’t report GPUs. While the integrated GPU for the Core i5 and i7 is significantly faster than that of the Core 2 Duo, significantly faster junk is sill junk. Specs including a 9800 series GPU from Nvidia would make a good hoax into a great one.

However, true benchmarks or hoax, the launch of the new Core family of CPUs from Intel a month ago and counting is the real pressure on Apple to update the MacBook Pro lineup, that and the launch of the iPad in March. For the MacBook Pros, the update window is closing, and that means the odds of the familiar yellow sticky note at the Apple Store are increasing every day. If you are considering buying a new MacBook Pro, seriously consider waiting just a little longer.

Time Was Right for Saints' Gutsy Call

by David Whitley (FanHouse Main)

he were, he would have waited a little longer before dropping a bomb on his kicker.

Submitted at 2/7/2010 5:15:00 PM "Hey, we're running it," he told Filed under: Saints, NFL Thomas Morstead.

Coaching, Super Bowl MIAMI - It was the Onside Kick Heard - Contrary to what you'll be 'Round The World. The only hearing for the next few years, thing wrong with the call was Sean Payton isn't that smart. If that there were still 20 minutes

left in halftime.

"I wish he'd told me at the end,"

Morstead said.

Instead, Morstead had an entire performance by The Who to get nervous. But like almost everything else Payton did Sunday night, it worked to near perfection.

Amazon: 360 Platinum Hits are buy 2, get 1 free for a limited time

by Richard Mitchell (Joystiq) Submitted at 2/8/2010 3:00:00 AM

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Amazon is now offering a special buy two, get one free deal on Xbox 360 Platinum Hits titles. The deal is fairly straightforward: just pop three Platinum Hits games into your cart and the cheapest of the three will be knocked down to the wallet-friendly price of zero dollars. It's really the perfect excuse to pick up some great games you might have missed, especially considering many of them have sequels out this year - notably Fable II, Halo 3, Fallout 3, Mass Effect, BioShock and Dead Rising. You'd better do it quick though, as the offer is only valid through February 13 and only while supplies last.

[Thanks, Goldenchild] Amazon: 360 Platinum Hits are buy 2, get 1 free for a limited time originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Tech Blog/ TV/ Fashion/

E-reader News Edition

Hypercamp, revisited (Scripting News)

The idea developed -- let's put two podiums at either ends of the room with vendors paying to David Weinberger asks: "After make presentations. There's an press conferences, what?"

EIC for each open newsroom Imho: A hybrid of newsroom who can also give time to open and press conference. And it source projects in all these fields must be open, unlike newsrooms (open source sports and fashion and press conferences of the - interesting). past.

Big high bandwidth pipes collaborative writing that A few years ago I wrote about happened, that usually doesn't emanate from the room, all kinds an idea called Hypercamp, a way happen in the blogosphere of video flow in and out. It's a of distributing ideas and news because we all write holed up in work place and an event space. that I felt would come into isolated cubbies.

I called these open newsrooms existence in what we now call It dawned on me that this was a Hypercamp and drew a diagram the "rebooted news system." hybrid press conference and to illustrate.

The idea became real for me at a newsroom.

I'd love to start one in NYC Microsoft press event at the So imho what happens in the and/or SF. It has to be operated Palace Hotel in 2005. Ray Ozzie rebooted news system are open by someone other than me, I'm introducing himself as the new newsrooms. I'm not talking about strictly editorial. Not good at the CTO. After the event we all went virtual (online) newsrooms. A logistics involved in putting upstairs to a small ballroom couple in SF, one for tech and these things together. where there was all kinds of food another for biotech (different In the age of realtime networked and refreshment and a mix of people, different issues). In news this is the new CNN, video bloggers, developers, reporters NYC, you'd have an open would flow out of these facilities and Microsoft execs. The party newsroom for tech, and one for 24 hours a day. If you have an went on for a couple of hours finance, fashion, perhaps sports. event to host, you'd pay to put it with people reporting live from In every geographic center, you'd in the appropriate Hypercamp. the event out through their blogs. have one or more such facilities.

The coolest thing was the Submitted at 2/7/2010 9:44:33 AM

'Lost's' Daniel Dae Kim tapped for 'Hawaii 5-0' remake

by Allison Waldman (TV Squad) Submitted at 2/8/2010 10:00:00 AM

CBS's new incarnation of'Hawaii Five-0' to a huge step towards becoming a reality with one casting move. Daniel Dae Kim will be playing one of the 'Hawaii Five-0' team. The 'Lost' veteran, who is available for work because the ABC drama ends on May 23, will be a cop on 'Five-0.'

No, they're not making Steve McGarrett, the lead detective.

Kim has been cast as Detective Chin Ho Kelly, the second or third guy, depending on the episode. In the original series, Kam Fong played the role, and James MacArthur as Dano was perceived more of the second guy on the team. But in today's more diverse era, Kim may have a more prominent role than Fong

Street Chic: Amsterdam

by ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog) Submitted at 2/8/2010 4:00:00 AM

A leopard-print scarf and fur

topper add a feminine touch to menswear trousers.

Photo: Stylesight Think you are Street Chic? Email us your photo and you

Street Chic Daily.

Follow ELLE on Twitter. could appear in ELLE.com's

65

did.

Continue reading'Lost's' Daniel Dae Kim tapped for 'Hawaii 5-0' remake Filed under: OpEd, Lost, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free Permalink| Email this| | Comments

66

Entertainment/ Game/

E-reader News Edition

David Paterson Has Not Resigned Today [Scandals]

by John Cook (Gawker) Submitted at 2/8/2010 10:53:32 AM

New York Gov. David Paterson consulted with "key Democratic leaders" over the weekend to discuss either a) his imminent resignation pending a New York Times report that he is a corrupt snuggling swinger or b) just talk about stuff.

Paterson has been battling maddeningly vague rumors that the Times is on the verge of publishing a career-ending story detailing either previously undisclosed marital infidelities or some sort of official corruption that will cause him to immediately resign. Today the Associated Press reports that Paterson spent the weekend in meetings and on phone calls with Democratic leaders, apparently prepping them for the fallout: A Democrat close to the situation, though, said the meetings included discussions about whether Paterson would resign or announce he will not run because of the unsubstantiated claims in the whisper campaign surrounding the governor's behavior. The Democrat spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Paterson's spokeswoman told the AP that the calls were routine

fundraising and strategy sessions. She also told Gawker yesterday that the mythical Times story does in fact exist, and that it's a perfectly normal boring profile for Metro.

In the exceedingly likely event that Paterson's spokeswoman is lying while desperately trying to forestall the inevitable, several possible scenarios have emerged: There's the swinging thing, which is buttressed by recent stories in the New York Post

about a state trooper on the governor's security detail discovering Paterson"snuggling together" with an unidentified woman in a closet and Paterson being spotted"neck-kissing" a young lady in a New Jersey restaurant. There's also a rather run-of-the-mill corruption angle: Paterson recently delivered a contract to run a casino at the Aqueduct racetrack in Queens to a company that Queens politico Rev. Floyd Flake partly owns,

after which Flake met with Paterson to discuss a possible endorsement for Paterson's reelection bid. The Post's Fred Dicker writes today that many of Paterson's aides consider the Aqueduct deal "corrupt" and are threatening to quit over it, and that Paterson's "poor work habits and late-night, booze-fueled 'disappearances' at trendy nightclubs and undisclosed locations" have wrecked his staff's confidence.

Meanwhile, GOP gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio can't stand the suspense anymore, and has issued a statement calling for the Times to—as the Albany TimesUnion puts it—"print or get off the pot": "The rumors about the Governor are a sad reflection of Albany politics," Lazio said. "No public official deserves to be the subject of over a week of innuendo and nasty speculation. If the New York Times is working on or has a story then they should confirm or print it. If they do not, then they have an obligation to stop this rumor mongering right now.

Common decency demands it."

NintendoWare Weekly: Blaster Master Overdrive, Princess Tomato, Fieldrunners

by JC Fletcher (Joystiq) Submitted at 2/8/2010 10:00:00 AM

There's a wide selection of downloads available on Wii and DSi this week -- including stuff that people might have heard of before and/or be interested in!

Two days after its reveal, the new Blaster Master game is available on WiiWare, along with Hudson's Princess Tomato, a somewhat forgotten NES oddity. And DSiWare has the iPhone hit Fieldrunners and a new puzzle game by Intelligent Systems. Read about all ten (!) new games after the break.

Gallery: Blaster Master: Overdrive (WiiWare) Continue reading NintendoWare Weekly: Blaster Master Overdrive, Princess Tomato, Fieldrunners NintendoWare Weekly: Blaster Master Overdrive, Princess Tomato, Fieldrunners originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Entertainment/ Sports/ Economy/

E-reader News Edition

David Letterman Resorted to Extreme Measures to Land Jay Leno for His Super Bowl Gag [Kiss And Make Up]

by Brian Moylan (Gawker)

corporate jet to fly to New York.

It was done in the Ed Sullivan theater in Midtown, but Leno You think it's easy getting had to wear a hoodie, sunglasses Oprah Winfrey, Jay Leno, and and a mustache to get into the David Letterman in a room theater undetected. This is more together to tape a 15-second gag cover than Valerie Plame ever for the Super Bowl? Then you're got. Apparently the two men got wrong! This thing took private on well and the filming took only jets, corporate rescheduling, even 30 minutes then Oprah sprinkled espionage! crushed pepper from Mariella's According to Bill Carter's Media on everyone and chanted some Decoder blog today, Letterman magic words and made them hug came up with the idea for the and all was forgiven. Well, for promo himself and then his team five minutes at least until Leno pitched it to Oprah who agreed took off his disguise and Jeff immediately (due to his studio's Zucker screamed at him for proximity to Mariella Pizza, her racking up a huge bill while favorite slice in the city) but unsuccessfully trying to repair Leno had to clear it with NBC, his image by filming a promo for r e a r r a n g e d t h e p r i m e - t i m e a competing show. Oprah hugs schedule so that he could have aren't as powerful as they used to last Tuesday evening free to tape be. the spot, and borrow the Submitted at 2/8/2010 10:27:56 AM

67

Florida State Seminoles vacate 12 football wins, 2007 NCAA men's track title

by ESPN.com news services (ESPN.com)

involving an online music course. The vacating of wins was the only penalty Florida State Submitted at 2/8/2010 7:02:10 AM appealed.

Message from fivefilters.org: If The football team vacated five you can, please donate to the full wins from the 2006 season, -text RSS service so we can including the Emerald Bowl at continue developing it. the end of that season, and seven Florida State will vacate athletic wins from 2007. victories from 2006 and 2007, Bowden retired after the 2009 including 12 credited to former season with 389 wins over a 57football coach Bobby Bowden, year career, the second-most in as part of its penalty for an major college football behind academic fraud scandal in 2006- Penn State's Joe Paterno. The 07 involving 61 student-athletes, penalty leaves him with 377 the school announced. wins.

ACC blog The university also gave up its ESPN.com's Heather Dinich 2 0 0 7 N C A A D i v i s i o n I writes about all things ACC in championship in men's track and her conference blog. field as well as NCAA • Blog network: tournament victories in women's College Football Nation basketball and baseball. It Last month, the NCAA rejected vacated 22 men's basketball wins F l o r i d a S t a t e ' s a p p e a l o f from 2006-07, including two in sanctions that affected Bowden the NIT; 16 women's basketball and the football team plus nine wins in 2006-07 and six more other teams. The sanctions from 2007-08; and wins or meet stemmed from a cheating scandal placings in men's and women's

cross country, men's and women's track and field, men's and women's swimming and diving, and men's golf.

Under the penalty, the NCAA said it was up to Florida State to determine which wins were to be vacated.

Among the other victories vacated: • Softball: 32 wins from 200607, including two from the ACC tournament.

• Baseball: four wins from 200607, including one NCAA tournament win.

• Men's indoor track and field: dropped from second to fourth place at NCAA championship.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Keycorp’s Hancock to oversee AIG risk (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 2/7/2010 10:07:11 PM

Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full -text RSS service so we can

continue developing it.

Peter Hancock, one of the inventors of the credit derivatives that later became the epicentre of the financial crisis, is to join AIG in a new powerful role overseeing risk, finance and

strategy at the US governmentowned insurer, according to people close to the situation.

The appointment of a respected financial expert such as Mr Hancock, currently vicechairman at the regional lender

KeyCorp, underlines AIG’s PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, determination to survive as a Term Extraction. viable company and repay the $80bn-plus it owes the US authorities.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:

68

Sports/

E-reader News Edition

Super Bowl XLIV Diary: Saints 31, Colts 17 (WSJ.com: The Daily Fix) Submitted at 2/7/2010 12:41:05 PM

Getty Images The Saints’ Tracy Porter (front) returns an interception of a Peyton Manning pass for a fourthquarter touchdown.

The Journal provides minute-byminute analysis of Super Bowl XLIV as the New Orleans Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 for their first National Football League championship. Journal staffers Reed Albergotti and David Kozo and Daily Fix emeritus Jason Gay are at Sun Life Stadium to offer commentary on the game, while Speakeasy editor Christopher Farley comments on the pregame and halftime musical performances. Guest blogger Brittany Hite (Colts) and Journal staffer Alex Martin (Saints) give a fan’s perspective from the teams’ home cities.

For a WSJ live blog of the Super Bowl ads and music, click here.

3:36 pm | Pregame | by Reed Albergotti After a week in South Florida (read: Fort Lauderdale), the part of the Super Bowl where they actually play a football game is finally upon us. The Wall Street Journal team will be at Sun Life Stadium, where the New Orleans Saints will try to upset the Indianapolis Colts, a five-point favorite.

Itâs not raining like it was three years ago when Peyton Manning crushed the Chicago Bears in the

same location. Itâs worse than that -- itâs windy. The palm trees outside my hotel window are swaying violently and the conditions are no different at the stadium. This could put a damper on the high-scoring fireworks display we were all promised should the coaches opt for the ground attack to avoid errant, wind-blown passes.

The questions are many: Can the Saints defense stop Peyton Manning, who is having one of the best seasons of his career?

Will the Saints opt for their highoctane passing attack, or will they try to keep Manning off the field using their running attack?

If Manning wins, will the Hall of Fame just induct him on the spot? If the Saints win, will the French start charging the NFL

royalties for use of the fleur de lis?

Whatever happens, weâll liveblog all the action. Weâll be there during warm-ups to let you know whether injured Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney is hobbling on the field. Weâll tell give you the mood of the stadium and critique the pregame and halftime shows. Weâll even have people on the ground in Indianapolis and New Orleans, where the party of the century is no-doubt already beginning.

Tune in and enjoy.

3:42 pm | Pregame | by David Kozo Itâs a sunny, cool day here in Sun Life Stadium, and having just arrived at our seats in the media area in the corner of the end zone, just about the only

thing you can hear are the helicopters overhead and the noisy video screen showing highlights of the season (set to some surging music straight out of a Michael Bay movie). There are a few balls being thrown around on the field, but most of the activity is on the sidelines, with camera people and other media types milling about. Our media space is on the Coltsâ sideline, which, for now, is where most of the activity is.

4:01 pm | Pregame | by David Kozo Our media hotel was in Fort Lauderdale, which was definitely Colts country this week. Lots of blue and white could be seen yesterday along A1A by the beach, including a car that drove by with two Colts flags so big

they blocked our view of the ocean. But our hotel lobby this morning was pretty evenly divided, with plenty of black and gold everywhere, along with the attendant beads and other New Orleans craziness.

Overall I was very impressed with the fandom of both these teams for the couple of days I've been here -- passionate but not rude, wearing their colors proudly, coexisting peacefully.

Major sporting events that don't feature a team with a dedicated fan base lose a little something in my eye. But this is one Super Bowl that I feel like the losing fan base will be crushed, and that makes it more compelling.

4:03 pm | Pregame | by Reed SUPER page 69

E-reader News Edition

69

SUPER continued from page 68

Albergotti Have the Saints gained an early edge in Super Bowl XLIV by staying put? According to reports, the Colts followed an old Super Bowl tradition by switching hotels Saturday night to avoid any distractions. But the Saints stayed where they were, avoiding the hassle of moving and checking an entire football team into a new hotel the night before the game.

4:04 pm | Pregame | by David Kozo The pregame entertainment here in the stadium is a series of NFL Films shows recapping the highs and lows of every team in the NFL. How does NFL Films put together these programs so quickly? These teams stopped playing as little as two weeks ago. The guy who does the voice over must have destroyed his vocal chords by now.

4:05 pm | Pregame | by David Kozo The Colts all week have been calling the game a business trip, which is suddenly the "it" term in sports (following closely on the heels of walk-off home run, shut-down corner, and others.)

So far here in the stadium, it looks like their fans feel that way too. For the most part the only people to have taken their seats so far are in blue and white.

They're being mostly quiet, sitting watching the video board, which is just now showing highlights of the AFC Championship Game against the

Jets. We don't see many Saints fans here yet. We think they may be just waking up now.

4:58 pm | Pregame | by Reed Albergotti Drew Brees just jogged out onto the field wearing a gold, longsleeve shirt and black shorts.

Saints fans went nuts. Brees is doing jumping jacks, warmup drills and stretching, along with two dozen other Saints players.

4:59 pm | Pregame | by Reed Albergotti All week leading up to the Super Bowl, Colts fans have been getting blitzed by Saints fans yelling "Who Dat" in their direction. But like Peyton Manning against the blitz, Colts nation made a crucial adjustment. They've been countering "Who Dats" with the witty response "We Dat!" Have the Colts uncovered a blueprint for a way to beat Saints fans?

5:08 pm | Pregame | by Reed Albergotti Saints nation was overrepresented in Miami the last couple of nights, but it's becoming clear that the number of Colts and Saints fans will be more balanced in the stadium.

There is quite a lot of blue here, which stands out against the red seats. It's more difficult to spot the black and gold jerseys of the Saints fans.

5:13 pm | Pregame | by Reed Albergotti The wind is dying down here a bit in Sun Life Stadium. The wind socks on the goal posts are

not nearly as active. Place kickers Matt Stover of the Colts and Garrett Hartley of the Saints both look comfortable booting practice kicks from 50 yards out and the balls don't seem to be drastically affected by the breeze.

5:41 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite On Friday, in the midst of the season's heaviest snowfall, the Blue Crew Sports Grill on the city's north side was packed. A painted blue 1970 fire truck sits outside, while inside, a local musician sang an ode to Peyton Manning, to the tune of Don McLean's "American Pie." Most of the Indianapolis area was blanketed in a half-foot of snow over the weekend, but that certainly was not enough to keep the Colts crew at home. A circle through downtown Indianapolis found the entire area decked in blue and white with many mini-Mannings bustling about. Manning jerseys are so abundant you'd think they were a prerequisite to get into any bar downtown. Signs adorn virtually every business establishment, and the whole city is going to be zoned in come game time.

But this time, it's a different feeling. Having already secured a Super Bowl victory just three years ago, this is welcome territory, and most of Colts nation seems confident and more at ease. The rest of the country may be against Indy, but

that just makes the fan base more resolute.

I recently moved to China, where coverage of (American) football games is virtually nonexistent. As the only game I'll get to see live all year, I'm hoping the Super Bowl will have been worth that 7,000-plus-mile flight back home. We're ready to get started and see if Peyton can add another ring to his collection.

5:42 pm | Pregame | by David Kozo The stadium is quickly filling up with the scoreboard clock showing 25 minutes and counting until whatever comes at that point. That's not kickoff yet but rather the official opening ceremony/flyover/anthem, I'm guessing. Little roars go up every once and a while when one team's players take the field, but so far the players have run out just in clusters, not any single group.

5:43 pm | Pregame | by Reed Albergotti Drew Brees just did his pregame chant that he picked up from the U.S. Marines on a USO visit. If you've never heard it, it's an electrifying pump-up ritual.

5:43 pm | Pregame | by David Kozo I love the simplicity of the Colts' blue-and-white uniforms (just two colors--so elegant). But what really stands out on this field are the gold sweatshirts worn by the Saints who are hobbled and on the sidelines. That gold's a very

cool color.

5:47 pm | Pregame | by Reed Albergotti Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney is warming up now with the rest of the defensive line.

Freeney, who has a torn ankle ligament and is key to the Colts pass rush, did sit out some drills.

But he planted pretty hard on his injured right ankle in one drill.

He wasn't showing any signs of pain, but he did just go into the locker room early, possibly for some kind of treatment.

5:49 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin An hour or so before game time, traffic magically disappears from Decatur Street in front of Jackson Square. As Saints players and coaches appear on the screen inside The Corner restaurant/bar, Saints fans erupt.

Drew Brees. "Yeaaaahhhhhh!

Drew Dat!" Devery Henderson, a Louisiana guy. "Yeaahhhh. LSU! LSU! LSU!" Jeremy Shockey.

"Wooooooo."

And then Peyton Manning.

"Boo! Hissssss!" Then a fan nearby grumbles, "And now back to the 'Peyton Manning Show.'"

Folks here are more than a little tired of this particular program -even though people find Peyton, a New Orleans native, "dawlin'," as we'd say in the local dialect.

The restaurant's getting noisy, cheering even the sight of the Saints stretching.

SUPER page 70

70

E-reader News Edition

SUPER continued from page 69

Then, Katie Couric is interviewing Drew Brees on the TV, and the place goes quiet.

6:02 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite An hour or so before game time and streets in downtown Indianapolis are empty, but that's not uncommon for the city that never wakes up.

But Scotty's Brewhouse downtown has been packed for hours. The first shot of Peyton Manning and the bar erupts in cheers. A quick glance shows that most fans today are sporting his No. 18 jersey -â yet another sign that the game is resting on his shoulders.

Katie Couric is on the screen, talking to Brees (a Purdue grad, located about an hour north of here) about his move to downtrodden New Orleans, restoring hope to the city Katrina wrecked. Yes, it's unfortunate, but really, we've been hearing about it for weeks. As I recently saw it so succinctly summed up by a friend on Facebook, this game feels like Colts vs.

America.

Three of the four broadcasters just picked the Colts to win.

Today's special Super Bowl section of the Indianapolis Star showed similar results: Of all two dozen or so sports analysts quoted, only a single one picked the Saints. Fans here are confident -â let's just hope that confidence isn't a curse.

6:13 pm | Pregame | by Reed Albergotti

The Saints come marching onto the field first to a flood of "Who Dat" cheers. The Colts prance onto the field next through blue and white flags adorned with lucky horseshoes.

6:14 pm | Pregame | by Jason Gay Tonight's game: SOLD OUT. 5,000 seats were available at 5 p.m. and Reed  and I bought them with petty cash to prevent a TV blackout.

You're  welcome, America.

6:16 pm | Pregame | by Reed Albergotti The NFL and CBS have gone with a "Survivor" theme in a pregame video, making believe the NFL playoffs were actually a season of Survivor. If you think about it, it kind of is like Survivor, except these contestants are definitely not emaciated.

6:21 pm | Pregame | by Christopher Farley Early in the coverage, they played the song "Run This Town" featuring Rihanna and Jay-Z. It's a popular song, but does have some lyrics that aren't family friendly. It's a bit surprising that, for this broadcast, they didn't cut the line with the n-word.

6:21 pm | Pregame | by Christopher Farley Queen Latifah sang "America the Beautiful" accompanied by lots of strings and a large chorus.

She's known as a rapper and an actress, but has been singing

more in recent years.

6:25 pm | Pregame | by Christopher Farley Carrie Underwood, the country singer and "American Idol" star, sang the National Anthem.

Sports championships have been leaning on "Idol" winners more and more. As is traditional, she sang without musical accompaniment. She held the note for "Freeeeeeeeee" for an awfully long time. Say what you want about "Idol," they have produced some singers that have real pipes and she's one of them.

6:26 pm | Pregame | by David Kozo Wow, those fighter jets in the flyover are LOUD! 6:27 pm | Pregame | by Christopher Farley I wonder what Simon Cowell would have said about Carrie Underwood's performance of the National Anthem.

6:29 pm | Pregame | by Jason Gay Dave Kozo disappointed they didn't use new Bose noisecancelling flyover jets.

6:29 pm | Pregame | by Reed Albergotti Heads it is. The Saints win the toss and elect to receive the ball.

Can the Colts overcome this hurdle?

6:30 pm | Pregame | by Jason Gay Heads! I just won $500,000 at the MGM Grand!

6:31 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite We haven't even kicked off yet,

and the bar is already out of its specially blue-dyed Coors Lite.

Carrie Underwood is singing the national anthem, and the crowd here at the bar is up on its feet.

Colts fans are at least classy enough to not boo the Saints players shown during the national anthem. After the song ends, though, no such mercy will be extended.

6:32 pm | Pregame | by Reed Albergotti I wonder if all the other Saints receivers make fun of Adrian Arrington for being the only one with a number not in the teens.

Wide receivers typically have numbers in the 80s, but five of the Saints six receivers in their depth chart have numbers in the teens. It seems like all the cool, young receivers in the NFL want a number in the teens these days.

6:33 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin After the coin toss, Who Dats 1, Indy 0.

6:36 pm | 1st quarter, 0-0 | by Reed Albergotti The Saints go three and out, but it was a promising three and out.

On third and short, Brees went deep to Robert Meachem and just missed him. They punt to the Colts.

6:39 pm | 1st quarter, 0-0 | by Reed Albergotti The Saints are trying an interesting tactic against Manning: They're hanging back and not bringing pressure. It's not working. The Colts are marching down the field.

6:40 pm | 1st quarter, 0-0 | by Reed Albergotti Manning can kill you when you blitz him. But he can really kill you if you don't get any pressure at all. And that's what's been happening on this first Colts drive of the game. But the Colts still need to establish the run.

6:47 pm | 1st quarter, 3-0 Colts |

by Reed Albergotti The impressive Colts drive stalled on a false start (perhaps due to a surprisingly large amount of crowd noise coming from Who Dat nation) and ended with a Matt Stover field goal.

Now the oldest person to score in a Super Bowl. It's 3-0 Colts with 7:22 in the first quarter. After the kickoff, Saints ball on their own 26 . First and 10.

6:48 pm | 1st quarter, 3-0 Colts |

by Reed Albergotti Itâs amazing how much football fashion has changed in less a decade. Saints backup quarterback Mark Brunell still wears his old-school jersey and shoulder pads, which makes him look like he was just beamed here from the early 90s. While starting quarterback Drew Brees has sleek shoulder pads and fitted sleeves, Brunell wears bigger pads and looser sleeves that jut out well past his arms.

Weâll check the locker room later to see if he uses one of those old-school straight-edge razors, too.

6:49 pm | Indianapolis | by SUPER page 71

E-reader News Edition

71

SUPER continued from page 70

Brittany Hite The Saints may have won the coin toss, but the Colts are the first on the board. Peyton looks like his usual self -â in the zone, totally focused, prepared and ready for this. Indy fans clearly wanted that drive to go all the way, but for now they'll take the FG. Kicker Matt Stover's parents will surely be glad to see him score the first points of the game.

His mother recently had brain surgery and is watching him from a hospital in Dallas, where she's recovering.

6:52 pm | 1st quarter, 3-0 Colts |

by Reed Albergotti The Saints are driving now at midfield on a big pickup by Reggie Bush after a catch over the middle. Dwight Freeney has been a non-factor and looks to be gimpy on his right ankle.

6:54 pm | 1st quarter, 3-0 Colts |

by Reed Albergotti The Saints drive stalls with stellar play from the Colts defensive backfield. A Thomas Morstead punt pins Peyton Manning and the Colts offense inside their own 5-yard line with 5:12 left in the first quarter.

6:55 pm | 1st quarter, 3-0 Colts |

by Reed Albergotti The Saints fans are winning the "loud" battle. There may indeed me more Saints fans. But as one Saints fan told me earlier in the parking lot: "We're louder."

6:59 pm | 1st quarter, 3-0 Colts |

by Reed Albergotti Saints cornerback Tracy Porter

has been covering Reggie Wayne on the left side and Jabari Greer has been covering receiver Pierre Garcon on the right. The cornerbacks have been doing well, but Manning is finding the open guy consistently.

7:01 pm | 1st quarter, 3-0 Colts |

by Reed Albergotti Big gain by Joseph Addai, who takes a handoff up the middle to the Saints 24-yard line.

7:04 pm | 1st quarter, 10-0 Colts | by Reed Albergotti Touchdown Pierre Garcon, who finds room over the top of safety Roman Harper, who should have been able to stay deeper than the receiver in a shortened field. The 19-yard throw from Manning and XP puts the Colts up 10-0 with 36 seconds left in the first quarter.

7:05 pm | 1st quarter, 10-0 Colts | by Jason Gay This quick Colts start is seriously cutting into Kim Kardashian's camera time.

7:06 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin And the Nation wept. Well, more like Who Dat Nation got very, very quiet.

7:07 pm | 1st quarter, 10-0 Colts | by Reed Albergotti The Saints got to the Super Bowl by hiring an aggressive defensive coordinator in Gregg Williams, who blitzes like crazy.

They relied on the arm of a sharp -shooter quarterback in Drew Brees. They don't look like the Saints today. They haven't been blitzing. They have been trying

to establish a running game.

Don't be surprised if, down by 10, they don't go back to their old ways and start throwing and blitzing again.

7:07 pm | 1st quarter, 10-0 Colts | by David Kozo Manning has completed his nine passes to six different guys. Now that's spreading it around.

7:08 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite The Colts may be the worst rushing team in the league, but that isn't because of a lack of talent but rather a lack of necessity. The rushing game begins to come to life here, and then as Peyton connects with Garcon, I think the entire of downtown Indy just went wild.

(Though to be fair, that only encompasses about 10 square blocks.)

7:10 pm | 1st quarter, 10-0 Colts | by Reed Albergotti The Colts said all week that this was just a business trip for them.

They've been here before. Their fast start is testament to that. The Saints look a little jumpy. Brees missed a big throw to Meachem.

Marques Colston dropped a big one. The Saints do not look like they've been here before.

7:11 pm | End of 1st quarter, 100 Colts | by Reed Albergotti End of the first quarter. Colts 10. Saints 0.

7:13 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-0 Colts | by Reed Albergotti This is my third Super Bowl and it's the least amount of seat schwag I've ever seen. There are

plastic bags attached on the seats. Inside, white towels. What, no Super Bowl glow sticks for the halftime show? No seat cushions? Usually, there are loads of giveaways.

7:21 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-0 Colts | by Jason Gay Sitting in press box, eating baby carrots, Marv Albert whispering in my ear. Bliss.

7:21 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-0 Colts | by Reed Albergotti The Colts are playing cornerbacks Jacob Lacey and Tim Jennings off the ball, and that is allowing Saints receivers to get open for short routes. They are typically only rushing four defensive linemen and Brees is getting time.

7:23 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti Wow, Dwight Freeney bullrushes his way directly to Brees and takes him down! A huge play for the injured defensive end many people didn't think would even play. The Saints are held to a 46-yard Hartley field goal, but they get on the board.

It's Colts 10, Saints 3 with 9:34 in the second quarter.

7:25 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin I can't be certain, but I believe water pressure in the city of New Orleans dropped precipitously low after the Saints' field goal as all of a relieved Who Dat Nation went to seek, well, relief.

7:28 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti As I suspected, the Saints came

out blitzing on that drive. On third down, the Saints sent everyone after Manning. He found Pierre Garcon open over the middle, but Garcon drops the ball. Colts punt. Saints ball on their own 28 with 8:14 left in the 2nd quarter.

7:30 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti Free safety Antoine Bethea just dropped what should have been an interception throw by Brees.

Apparently, the Colts didn't work on catching during their weeklong "business trip." Two costly drops in a row.

7:35 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti Big gain for Saints receiver Lance Moore. On third and short, the Saints line up in shortyardage run formation and find Moore underneath, bringing the ball to the Colts 30.

7:36 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti The Saints are sniffing end zone with a chance to tie the game here. Second and goal on the 2.

7:37 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by David Kozo Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey was just jawing with Colts safety Antoine Bethea after that pass play to Marques Colston.

Something to keep an eye on.

Shockey made some kind of gesture to Bethea; something to keep an eye on.

7:38 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti SUPER page 72

72

E-reader News Edition

SUPER continued from page 71

Huge mistake! backup tackle Zach Strief false-starts, backing the Saints up.

7:39 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti Pierre Thomas makes up for much of that penalty, taking the handoff inside the 1 yard line.

The Saints are a foot away from tying the game.

7:44 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti The undersized Colts defense makes a miraculous stand on the goal line, stopping running back Mike Bell, who slips on this immaculate Miami turf. Fourth and goal Saints. 1:55 left in the second.

7:45 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Jason Gay This is getting interesting. The Who needs to be back to the Seabreeze Condos in Boca by 9.

7:45 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti A lot of tension here. The Saints look to be going for it.

7:46 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti Stop! One of the great Super Bowl defensive stops there. The swarming Colts defense forces a turnover on downs. Colts ball.

1:45 left in the half. Two-minute drill for Manning?

7:47 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti Peyton Manning has a reputation for using opportunities like these to march down the field and get his team in field-goal range. Will they try it?

7:51 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti Saints are shooting for a lastsecond kick. Hartley comes on the field. He came up big with an overtime kick in the NFC championship to get them here.

Let's see if he can do it again.

7:53 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts |

by Reed Albergotti Hartley's 44-yard kick with five seconds to go is good with plenty of distance.

The Colts take a 10-6 lead into half time.

7:54 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts |

by Reed Albergotti It's halftime and the Saints, down 10-6, are looking like themselves again. They still haven't gotten in the end zone, but their offense seems to be looking like itself.

7:55 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts |

by Jason Gay The Who just arrived in their Oldsmobile Cutlass.

7:56 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts |

by David Kozo One thing you don't see on TV Is the quick work of the roadies installing the halftime stage.

There are about a dozen teams each trotting out giant devices that almost resemble bicycle spokes. After plugging them in, they're illuminated within seconds. And the instruments are up on the stage. It's a very impressive display. Meanwhile, the house lights are dimming...

7:57 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts |

by Jason Gay As WSJ ace reporter Dave

Biderman would say, that's 5.5 minutes of action in the books!!

7:58 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin The last time the Saints were in this stadium it had a different name (LandShark), they fell behind early, and they scored just before half time. They owned the second half and won going away. Who Dat Nation believes.

And, another round of Abita Amber for this table, please, waitress.

7:59 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts |

by Christopher Farley Finally, the Who are coming up.

The halftime show is usually more about spectacle than great music. But some of the acts that have played the Super Bowl in the past have set a high bar -Prince, U2 and Bruce Springsteen among them. I really hope none of the Who have a "wardrobe malfunction."

8:00 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts |

by Jason Gay The Who appear to be playing on a giant upturned wok.

8:04 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts |

by Christopher Farley The Who start off their set with âPinball Wizardâ from their 1969 rock opera âTommy.â 8:05 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts |

by David Kozo Unlike many recent halftimeshow acts, there are no throngs of young fans surrounding the stage. Daltrey, by the way, looks so much younger than Townshend, and they're only a

year apart in age.

8:05 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts |

by Christopher Farley They slide right into "Baba O'Riley."

8:06 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite Colts fans seem relaxed at halftime. The Saints may have pulled closer, but we see no reason to worry. Everyone's refilling their beers, ordering more wings and singing along to The Who. 8:07 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts |

by Jason Gay RED ALERT: TWITTER IS OVER CAPACITY. TWITTER IS OVER CAPACITY. 8:08 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts |

by Jason Gay Folks, that's WSJ's Reed Albergotti on drums. Dude is AMAZING! 8:08 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts |

by Jason Gay Man, this makes me want to go watch Gary Sinise dust some fingerprints.

8:09 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts |

by Christopher Farley With only two of the original members, is this band still The Who? Or The What? A philosophical question to consider as they sing âWho Are You,â first issued in 1978.

Younger readers may know it as the CSI theme song.

8:12 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts |

by David Kozo After the stage was set for The Who, the stage appears to be set for a classic second half between

two quarterbacks that are just getting going. Peyton Manning has been quiet since his 19-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon. (Actually a key drop by Garcon didn't help matters.)

After 88 yards passing in the first quarter, Manning had just 9 in the second. Drew Brees, on the other hand, had 137 yards in the second quarter after 27 in the first. So he's getting warmed up, but you know that Peyton likely will, too.

In retrospect it was probably good that the Saints went for that fourth down, because the last thing teams want to do is kick off to Peyton very late in the first half. They didn't make it, and most people were scratching their heads, but the Colts couldn't engineer anything from deep in their own end. So Saints coach Sean Payton played the fieldposition game, and his team got the ball back and got the field goal. Should be a great second half.

8:12 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts |

by Christopher Farley They sing a bit of âSee Me Feel Me,â another song from âTommyâ before going into âWonât Get Fooled Again.â Younger readers may know that last song as the âCSIâ Miamiâ theme song.

8:13 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin As the geriatic halftime act belts out "Who are you," the equally SUPER page 73

E-reader News Edition

73

SUPER continued from page 72

geriatric fans in The Corner answer, "who dat, who dat."

8:15 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin Outside The Corner, fans are kicking a stuffed blue horse around. Ah, the spirit of sportsmanship.

8:16 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts |

by Christopher Farley "Meet the new Boss/ Same as the old Boss," Roger Daltrey sang at the close of the set.

Meet the new Who, not quite the same as the old Who -- but they did fine.

8:19 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts |

by Jason Gay Here in the stadium -- I'm not making this up -- they just started cranking the Arcade Fire, as if it was air freshener.

8:20 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts |

by Reed Albergotti Kozo is right on. This game is up for grabs. I think the Saints will unveil their most complicated and confusing blitzes in the second half. Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Willaims was laid back in the first half, when most teams blitz the living daylights out of Manning. By the second half, most teams have used up all their ammunition and Manning has figured them out. By keeping the game close, the Saints are in position to go after Manning in the second half, when it's too late to go into the locker room and make adjustments. Expect the Saints on defense to look like bees whose hive just got bashed

in with a baseball bat.

If the Colts stick with their conservative approach on defense, keeping their safeties way off the ball, Saints quarterback Drew Brees may just pick them apart.

8:24 pm | 3rd quarter, 10-6 Colts | by Reed Albergotti That's one way of not allowing Peyton Manning to come on the field. Just onsides kick it. Saints ball! Unbelievable. You don't usually see those kinds of trick plays in the Super Bowl. Sean Payton needs to go to Gambler's Anonymous.

8:25 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite A drunken fan keeps trying to start a C-O-L-T-S chant, a lĂƒÂĄ JE-T-S. But Colts fans don't seem to be having any of it.

8:25 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin And the Nation roared. Sean Payton -- in it to win it.

8:27 pm | 3rd quarter, 10-6 Colts | by Reed Albergotti Freeney's getting his ankle taped now. The Colts are still playing their bend-don't-break defense and Drew Brees is lighting.

Them. Up. 8:31 pm | 3rd quarter, 13-10 Saints | by Reed Albergotti Touchdown Pierre Thomas, as he catches a short Brees pass and goes in from 16 yards out. The Saints just stole the momentum.

Sean Payton looks like a genius with the onsides kick, and Larry Coyer's defense is looking very porous. The Saints kick the XP

to go up 13-10 with 11:41 left in the third quarter.

8:31 pm | 3rd quarter, 13-10 Saints | by Reed Albergotti You can't hear any Colts fans right now, but you can hear a LOT of Saints fans. It's like they're multiplying. "Who Dat" chants abound.

8:33 pm | 3rd quarter, 13-10 Saints | by Jason Gay One last blast from halftime.

Here's the take on The Who's performance from a Rolling Stone editor and serious Whoologist Andy Greene, who emailed in his review: I was nervous because Daltrey's voice was on the fritz during his recent solo tour, but he pulled it together and sounded great (assuming he didn't lip-sync). I normally hate medleys, but they made it work -- even if i question the need for three seconds of "See Me, Feel Me." It didn't come close to the brilliance of their Concert For New York set in 2001, but doing a great job in 12 minutes is tough. For a band that is literally half dead and the survivors are pushing 70, they did a pretty great job. Also, Daltrey hit the wail in "Won't Get Fooled Again" better than I've heard in a very long time.

8:34 pm | 3rd quarter, 13-10 Saints | by David Kozo OK, Peyton Manning has to be super antsy. Since his TD pass at the end of the first quarter, he's had the ball for two three-andouts, and during that time his team has gone from 10-0 up to

trailing 13-10. Fascinating to see how he responds. This next possession is key. He needs to get back into a rhythm.

8:35 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin The screen pass has worked in that part of the field all year for the Saints. I guess the Colts missed that.

8:35 pm | 3rd quarter, 13-10 Saints | by Reed Albergotti The Colts offense comes out strong. Joseph Addai with another good run. Why aren't they running him more? He's averaging about 10 yards a carry.

8:36 pm | 3rd quarter, 13-10 Saints | by Reed Albergotti The Saints defense actually has a home-field advantage here. I'ts not Metrodome loud, but it is definitly hard to hear. Jason Gay had to ask me three times to pass the popcorn.

8:37 pm | 3rd quarter, 13-10 Saints | by Reed Albergotti Peyton threads the needle with a deep pass to tight end Dallas Clark. Ball on Saints 20.

8:39 pm | 3rd quarter, 17-13 Colts | by Reed Albergotti Manning finds Clark again, who comes off the end of the line for a dump over the middle. First and goal at the 5. And hand-off to Joseph Addai who breaks three tackles for a 5-yard touchdown run. Colts regain the lead. 17-13. 6:15 to go in the third quarter.

8:41 pm | 3rd quarter, 17-13 Colts | by Jason Gay Oh, I'm sorry, what part of MY

NAME IS PEYTON MANNING did you not hear?

8:42 pm | 3rd quarter, 17-13 Colts | by David Kozo Classic Manning drive. The way he looked off his guys, checking down repeatedly to Clark, and not being afraid to use the ground game. It didn't look beautiful, but that's what makes it classic Manning. And Addai looks young and spry for a relatively old running back.

8:43 pm | 3rd quarter, 17-13 Colts | by Reed Albergotti I just read Saints coach Sean Payton's lips on the sideline.

"OK, we're never kicking off to them again. Onside kicks for the rest of the game!"

8:44 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite High-fives all around. A wave of relief floods the place. Let's see if we can hold the lead.

8:44 pm | 3rd quarter, 17-13 Colts | by Reed Albergotti Why does that CBS cable camera keep hovering over the cheerleaders during the comercial breaks?

8:49 pm | 3rd quarter, 17-13 Colts | by Reed Albergotti Colts linebacker Clint Session trying to cover Reggie Bush in the open field is a total mismatch.

8:49 pm | 3rd quarter, 17-13 Colts | by Reed Albergotti I'm getting sympathy pain in my right ankle watching Dwight Freeney run all over the field. He SUPER page 74

74

E-reader News Edition

SUPER continued from page 73

is literally everywhere on every play.

8:53 pm | 3rd quarter, 17-16 Colts | by Reed Albergotti Garrett Hartley with a 47-yard field goal to make it 17-16 Colts with 2:01 left in the third quarter.

8:54 pm | 3rd quarter, 17-16 Colts | by Jason Gay Garrett Hartley is a laid-back dude. Spent a bit of time talking to him the other day, and if he didn't have the Saints uniform on, you'd think he was serving smoothies on a beach in Santa Cruz. Unflappability, of course, is a key to a successful field-goal kicker. That -- and being able to kick the football far, and accurately.

8:59 pm | End of 3rd quarter, 17 -16 Colts | by Reed Albergotti That's the end of the third quarter. Colts getting a goodlooking drive started. Colts up 17 -16 going into the fourth.

9:00 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by Reed Albergotti Notice that nobody on the Colts has fumbled yet. You can see the Saints have been trying to strip it, but every ball carrier and receiver on the Colts seems to be overprotective of the ball. They all put two hands over it, sometimes even at the expense of gaining more yards. Seems like they watched some of that fumble fest two weeks ago when the Saints played the Vikings.

9:01 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by Reed Albergotti You know, I'm sure people are saying that the Saints have no

chance, going into the fourth quarter down against one of the greatest quarterback who's ever lived. But it doesn't feel that way. The Saints seem like they should be able to score at will against the Colts defense.

9:04 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by Reed Albergotti Colts get a huge fourth-andshort to burst into Saints territory. Reggie Wayne with a little slant play.

9:04 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by David Kozo Fast-moving game, surprising given the passing nature of these teams. We shouldn't have been surprised. These aren't chuck-and -duck quarterbacks. Peyton especially, with all his short passes, doesn't throw many incompletions. And Brees has also only missed on seven passes.

9:05 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite Cheers of "Reg-gie! Reg-gie!

Reg-gie!" after converting on that fourth down.

9:06 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by Reed Albergotti The Colts hot drive stalls when the a Saints blitz finally works, and Manning is forced to give it up.

9:08 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by Reed Albergotti There is one big-name free agent the Colts have on their roster: kicker Adam Vinatieri.

Now you know why Colts owner Jim Irsay went out and got him -their backup kicker, Matt Stover,

just missed a big one from 50 yards out.

9:09 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by David Kozo Jason Gay bet me $20 that Stover would miss the kick. I don't think I ever technically agreed to the bet...

9:10 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by Jason Gay You don't ever see this on TV, but if you are live in the stadium, there are women in funny outfits dancing on the sidelines.

9:10 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by David Kozo Take one, pass it down. A bit after each quarter, the helpful NFL PR people come around with the quarter summaries, with all the stats and plays. They're still warm when you get them, like the mimeographed copies your teacher used to pass out. No one stops to smell these, however.

9:11 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by Reed Albergotti What is the play of this game?

Last year had James Harrison's interception return and the catch

by Santonio Holmes. The year before had David Tyree's helmet catch. There have been good ones tonight. But have their been any great ones?

9:12 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin And the Nation sighed. Who Dats rejoice as Matt Stover, who kicked at Louisiana Tech in the last ice age, puts the kick wide.

God is invoked, and the Who Dat cheer rains from the

heavens. Drew Brees with a short field.

9:13 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by David Kozo I've been writing a lot about Manning tonight, but Brees is having a whale of a game. Most of these throws, from where I'm sitting, appear to be off his back foot with a guy three inches taller in his face.

9:13 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by Reed Albergotti Keyunta Dawson is rotating in for the injured Dwight Freeney and the Saints are yet again moving. First and goal at the 5.

9:14 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by David Kozo Question: Do Saints go for 2 if they get this TD? 9:16 pm | 4th quarter, 22-17 Saints | by Reed Albergotti Two-yard touchdown throw to Jeremy Shockey. Saints take the 22-17 lead with 5:42 left in the game.

9:18 pm | 4th quarter, 22-17 Saints | by Jason Gay Peyton Manning sitting on sideline, cooly smoking a cigarette...

9:19 pm | 4th quarter, 22-17 Saints | by Reed Albergotti Lance Moore can't hold onto a two-point conversion throw, making it 22-17 Saints. Pretty good game here.

9:20 pm | 4th quarter, 22-17 Saints | by David Kozo Brees is one completion away from Tom Brady's record 32 in a Super Bowl (the Patriots' 32-29 win over the Panthers in Super

Bowl XXXVIII).

9:20 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite The tension is palpable. Let's just get Peyton back out on the field.

9:21 pm | 4th quarter, 24-17 Saints | by Reed Albergotti Upon further review, the Saints do get the two points for a 24-17 lead. So now there's 5:42 on the clock. Let's say the Colts drive down the field and score and burn 3:45 off the clock and tie the game. That gives the Saints about two minutes to kick a field goal. Garrett Hartley, their kicker, has been great all night.

This is not looking good for the Colts at all.

9:26 pm | 4th quarter, 24-17 Saints | by Reed Albergotti Now the Colts need to score quickly so if the Saints score, there is still time for a lastminute Peyton Manning drive.

9:29 pm | 4th quarter, 24-17 Saints | by David Kozo Another great Manning drive, but if they don't convert after the injury timeout they face another tough call. I feel like they have to go for it. They're not stopping the Saints right now. A FG doesn't help them.

9:29 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin Who Dat Nation wants a challenge. Of course, the Nation has been guzzling beer.

9:30 pm | 4th quarter, 24-17 Saints | by Reed Albergotti SUPER page 76

Sports/

E-reader News Edition

75

Why Everybody’s Picking the Colts to Win (WSJ.com: The Daily Fix)

Indianapolis Colts winning. Even an avowed Peyton Manning agnostic like ESPN’s Bill When it comes to the Super Simmons has seen the light on Bowl, everybody’s an expert. the supremely locked-in passer.

No, seriously, everybody. It’s “If you’re trying to talk yourself not so much that one doesn’t into the Saints on Sunday, you need to look hard to find Super k e e p c o m i n g b a c k t o o n e Bowl predictions from people question,” Simmons writes. only tangentially related to the “‘Has Manning reached that game of football as it is that it’s h a l l o w e d almost impossible to avoid MJ/Montana/Bird/Federer Don’t stumbling across seemingly Bet Against Me, It’s Just a Bad everyone in the world’s Super Idea level?’” As usual with Bowl picks online. Getty Images Simmons, it takes some time to Peyton Manning has become get to the answer, but (spoiler hard to pick against in big alert) it’s, “yes, he has.” In the games.

Boston Herald, Karen Guregian Thus we have predictions from argues that the comeback win George W. Bush’s famous Manning engineered against the former FEMA head and an New England Patriots in the impeached former governor of AFC Conference Championship Illinois, as well as, in no three years ago keyed his ascent particular order, poet Maya to can’t-bet-against primacy.

Angelou, former CIA head The sports commentariat does Michael Hayden, Ed Asner, John not seem terribly conflicted Stossel and the Grateful Dead’s about betting on Manning and Bob Weir. Oh, and an orangutan the Colts. “It comes with the in the Oregon Zoo. Should any plaid sport coat and the Olivetti of these predictions matter to typewriter: If youre a sports you? Absolutely not. Are they writer, youre duty-bound to pick interesting? Kind of, at least the Super Bowl,” the Atlanta relative to the reliably dull Journal-Constitution’s Mark certitude of sportswriters in Bradley writes. “Some years its prediction mode. But while hard — take it from a guy who seemingly every sport-pundit has picked the Rams to beat the a take on how the Super Bowl is Patriots 42-3 in 2002 — and going to shake out, some takes other years its easy. This time its were notably more interesting easy.” than others.

In the New York Times, Of course, most all of these William C. Rhoden writes that prognosticators — though not Tony Dungy — who coached B o b W e i r , i f y o u w e r e Manning to a Super Bowl win w o n d e r i n g — h a v e t h e three years ago — expects a Submitted at 2/7/2010 8:17:15 AM

lopsided Indianapolis win. In the Boston Globe, Albert R. Breer agrees with the coach. In the Washington Post, Michael Wilbon also agrees with Dungy on the victors, but sees the game as a bit more closely matched.

And that is about as diverse as the opinion gets.

So, do the underdog Saints have a chance at all? At Yahoo, Mark Pesavento writes that New Orleans definitely has a chance provided they lose the coin toss.

In Sports Illustrated, Don Banks takes a less-quirky tack on that question, offering five reasons why the Saints could win. ( Jim Trotter holds down Indy’s half of the point/counterpoint) In the Salt Lake Tribune, Gordon Monson finds himself having to make the most of being in the same position as Banks — that is, arguing on behalf of an extreme underdog in a debate with a colleague. “There is no good conclusive reason [why the Saints will win],” Monson writes. “There are, however, plenty of sort of spotty, goofy, cosmic ones. Without much doubt, the Colts on paper are the better team, with the better quarterback and the better

defense. So, where is it written that the better team always wins?”

At the usually Mets-centric blog Faith and Fear in Flushing, Fixer emeritus Jason Fry makes his unabashedly emotional case for the Saints. At ESPN, Pat Yasinskas writes that the Saints’ future is bright, whatever happens on Sunday. “These Saints arent some kind of oneyear wonder,” Yasinskas writes.

“Theyre for real and what has been the season of a lifetime for fans all around the Gulf region might only be the start of something bigger. This team has the chance to be very good for a very long time.”

Given the near-unanimity on the Colts’ behalf, it’s hard to see the Super Bowl itself as promising much drama. In the Miami Herald, Jeff Darlington offers another reason: both teams are just so darned admirable. “As much as the Saints have gripped the nation with their story, as much as it would be impossible to despise anything this organization has stood for, it has been equally difficult to treat the Colts as a team of bullies,” Darlington writes. “It might simply come down to this: Two of the classiest teams in football also happen to be two of the best.” In the Chicago Sun-Times, Mark Potash concurs.

The Washington Post’s Norman Chad, as per usual, is more interested in comedic riffage than actual nuts-and-bolts

prognostication, but “The Couch Slouch” gets in some good jokes in his pre-Super Bowl column.

And then he, like everyone else — or at least like Rod Blagojevich and Maya Angelou — picks the Colts, too.* * * At MarketWatch, Mark Hulbert brings news of a prediction that will doubtless be good news to the Journal’s readership. The Super Bowl Indicator — a bit of stock-market superstition dictating that a Super Bowl champion with roots in the original National Football League will lead to a bull market in the year ahead — suggests that investors are in for a good year, whichever team wins. Both the Saints and Colts have their origins in the NFL, as opposed to the old AFL. In the New Orleans TimesPicayune, original New Orleans quarterback Billy Kilmer remembers his days with the expansion Saints. In the Baltimore Sun, Kevin Van Valkenburg looks back on the Colts’ early days in Baltimore and compares Colts juggernauts past and present.* * * For the players involved in the Super Bowl, Sunday will doubtless seem like one of the most important days of their lives. From a football perspective, it’s hard to argue with that point. But life, of course, is not most sensibly WHY page 78

76

E-reader News Edition

SUPER continued from page 74

Man, that onsides kick is looking like a better and better idea as this game wears on. I'm not sure the Colts can come up with a defensive stop, assuming the Colts score.

9:32 pm | 4th quarter, 31-17 Saints | by Reed Albergotti And the Saints defense wins the game! Cornerback Tracy Porter picks Manning and returns it 74 yards for a touchdown with 3:12 left. the XP makes it 31-17. That should end the game.

Unbelievable upset. CBS got their money's worth on this game.

9:33 pm | 4th quarter, 31-17 Saints | by Jason Gay Five years ago, I came to Reed Albergotti with an idea. I wanted to open a bar on Bourbon Street called Tracy Porter's Interception. Reed said no. True story.

9:34 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite I can't actually repeat the phrases uttered after that play.

Tracy Porter gets the pick on Manning for the score.

Ironically, Porter played at Indiana in Bloomington in college, just south of here.

9:36 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin Peyton who? Meet Tracy Porter, America. Who Dat Nation already knows him. He grew up in Port Allen, La.

9:37 pm | 4th quarter, 31-17 Saints | by Reed Albergotti Gotta hand it to Manning. He really never thinks the game is over.

9:38 pm | 4th quarter, 31-17 Saints | by Reed Albergotti Random thought. What ever happened to that Brees guy the Chargers cut loose a few years back? You know, that guy with the torn up shoulder?

9:39 pm | 4th quarter, 31-17 Saints | by Reed Albergotti By the way, pretty obvious what the play of the game was. Does Tracy Porter deserve Super Bowl MVP? 9:40 pm | 4th quarter, 31-17 Saints | by David Kozo Look at these reception totals for Saints receivers. Colston 7, Henderson 7, Thomas 6, Bush 4, Shockey 3, you get the idea.

9:49 pm | Final, 31-17 Saints |

by Editor And that's it. Saints win 31-17 for their first NFL title.

9:50 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite Perhaps Colts Nation was too overly confident coming into this game. Today, we've simply been outplayed. The Saints have played one heck of a game and rightfully earned this win, as much as it hurts.

9:50 pm | Postgame | by Jason Gay So wish I was Alex Martin's

waitress right now.

9:51 pm | Postgame | by David Kozo Ballgame. Saints take a knee, and they upset the Colts 31-17.

Reed has gone downstairs to the locker rooms. I think only the Colts will be in theirs for a while. This is a mad scene here.

The confetti -- actually little rectangles of tissue paper -- are hitting my computer as I type this. I thought perhaps they'd be color coded to the team that won, but no, they're the official Super Bowl XLIV colors of blue, red and orange.

9:52 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite The bar is silent. No one knows what to do. Everyone is waiting for Peyton to go back in and run a one-minute scoring drive. But that's not going to happen today.

They're trying to finish off a raffle of some autographed helmets, but no one is interested in that right now.

Well, at least we'll always have Super Bowl XLV. If this was the Colts vs. America, it looks like America won... I guess at least it wasn't Tom Brady.

9:55 pm | Postgame | by David Kozo Sincere congratulations to New Orleans and the Saints' fans, not to mention the team itself, for this win. The stadium's starting to thin out, as we can see some

orange seats in the upper reaches. But the Saints fans clearly aren't going anywhere.

No one's saying anything from that big scrum at midfield. We're getting a video presentation of Saints' highlights from this season. I guess they have to get everyone in place before the CBS television trophy presentation.

9:56 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin And the Nation danced. It's what we do. Cop cars blared sirens in joy. Horns honked. And screams rose to the sky. Who Dat is an exclamation. As a question, it has no answer.

9:59 pm | Postgame | by David Kozo How long before we get the questions again about the decision to pull the starters in those last two weeks of the season. The fact that the Colts got to the Super Bowl seemed to close that argument for many people, but now the story line could be, well the Colts lost that feeling of invincibility, making tonight possible.

9:59 pm | Postgame | by David Kozo I have to say, very well done by the NFL. Len Dawson walking the trophy up through the scrum of the players is very cool.

10:04 pm | Postgame | by David Kozo

There are some Colts fans sticking around watching the ceremony. Nice to see. Guess they figured, I shelled out five grand, I'm getting my money's worth.

10:05 pm | Postgame | by David Kozo Manning finishes 31-45 for 333 yards, but with the key pick.

Brees ends up tying that Brady 32 completions record. Drew goes 32-for-39 for 288 and, of course, gets the MVP. He's being congratulated now. Still more confetti hits my computer.

10:10 pm | Postgame | by Reed Albergotti The mood is obviously somber in the Colts locker room. Peyton Manning has his head hunched over. He's talking to brother Eli in a low voice. Players are in a hurry to leave.

10:16 pm | Postgame | by David Kozo Meanwhile, back in the stadium, there are still tons of people on the field. Not so many in the stands. Confetti still falling down. Some cleanup going on.

Most of the Saints fans still here are gathered down at the bottom, by the rail.

E-reader News Edition

Sports/ Economy/

Danica Patrick to race in Daytona Nationwide event

Thain back from wilderness to head CIT

by David Newton (ESPN.com)

Blount: No Easy Task For Danica Danica Patrick faces an uphill Message from fivefilters.org: If climb Saturday, going from a you can, please donate to the full weak Class A league to a Triple-text RSS service so we can A game with almost all bigcontinue developing it. Danica leaguers in the lineup. Blog Finishes Sixth In ARCA Debut "The ARCA race was a blast, Danica Finishes Sixth In ARCA and I'm not ready for my first Debut Daytona Speedweeks to end just DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- yet,'' Patrick said. "I want more The Danica Patrick circus at racing.''

Daytona International Speedway Said co-owner Kelley will continue with the IndyCar Earnhardt: "Danica proved to S e r i e s d r i v e r m a k i n g h e r everyone she can compete in NASCAR debut in Saturday's stock cars at a high level, and Nationwide Series race. right now seat time is extremely "To be the one driving that important. She has worked [GoDaddy.com] car at Daytona extremely hard during the past means a lot to me,'' Patrick said two months for this opportunity.

Monday in a news release. Her dedication and work ethic is "Racing in the Nationwide Series infectious." was my goal during this entire Crew chief Tony Eury Jr., who two-month preparation process, initially was against Patrick but we wanted to make sure it b e g i n n i n g h e r l i m i t e d was the right thing to do.''

Nationwide schedule at Daytona, Patrick made the decision after didn't hesitate to give a yes vote finishing sixth in her ARCA after the ARCA event. debut Saturday at Daytona. She "Me and Rick [Hendrick] told will be guaranteed a spot in the her the first time we ever met field using the points from CJM her, that Daytona might not be Racing's No. 11 team that the place you want to do it,'' Eury finished 15th in points last said of starting her part-time season.

Nationwide schedule. "It's ESPN.com reported Patrick's basically a [Sprint] Cup race. decision Sunday.

You don't want to put her in a Submitted at 2/8/2010 7:09:36 AM

situation where she is going to fail. We told her to come down, run this race, get her feet wet and if you're comfortable do it.

"I would love for her to come back and run next week.''

Sponsor GoDadddy.com also was for it, according to multiple sources.

Not everybody was, though.

Several crew chiefs in the Sprint Cup garage said Patrick would be better off waiting until the second race at California to jump into Nationwide, pointing to the potential for disaster running nose-to-tail in large packs.

Despite her performance in the ARCA race, Patrick still hesitated to run close to the car ahead of hers, a necessity in restrictor plate racing to remain competitive.

"That's the kind of thing that is going to take gradual time, to get used to bump drafting,'' Eury said. "We just keep talking. This tonight is the most homework we can do.''

Patrick's biggest reservation about Daytona was keeping JR Motorsports teammate Kelly Bires out of the event and perhaps costing a driver competing for the championship valuable points if she makes a

mistake.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will enter a second JR Motorsports car and the cost of a third one, according to the co-owner of the organization, was prohibitive.

Patrick's only major scare in the ARCA race came with less than 30 laps remaining when she lost control and spun through the trioval and through the grass. But she made a nice recovery and rallied from last to sixth.

"I couldn't ask too much more,'' Eury said. "She was put in a predicament, her and her spotter worked good together. I was very impressed those last 20 laps. I was, 'All right, she's getting it done now.'

"Are you going to run in the top five in a Nationwide race?

You're going to have to have a lot of luck. But I think she showed right there at the end she's very capable of running in the draft.''

David Newton covers NASCAR for ESPN.com. He can be r e a c h e d a t dnewtonespn@aol.com.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

77

(Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 2/7/2010 6:09:12 PM

Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full -text RSS service so we can continue developing it.

John Thain has been named chief executive of the CIT Group, the troubled middlemarket financial company that emerged from bankruptcy in December under the control of its primary creditors.

For Mr Thain, 54, the appointment is an opportunity to rehabilitate his career after a oneyear stint as chief executive of Merrill Lynch resulted in a lastminute sale of the 94-year-old company to Bank of America, followed by his own dismissal a short time later.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

78

Sports/ Media/

E-reader News Edition

WHY continued from page 75

viewed from a football perspective.

In several ways, Dexter Manley is something of a poster boy for this fact. Manley was an ace pass -rusher on a pair of Washington Redskins Super Bowl champions and a hero of the ‘Skins’ Super Bowl XVII win. He was also one of the most baroquely starcrossed NFL players of his or any era: Manley didn’t learn how to read until he was 30 years old, earned a lifetime ban from the NFL for cocaine problems in 1991, and ultimately lost nearly everything in his struggle with addiction. In the Washington Post, Mike Wise tells the story of how Manley reclaimed the Super Bowl ring he’d pawned for drug money, and eventually reclaimed his dignity, thanks to his friendship with the late Houston attorney John O’Quinn.* * * Finally, a couple of longer reads

to fill the time between now and when you need to start putting that seven-layer dip together.

The first comes via the late Hunter S. Thompson. While it’s hard not to admire his wild-eyed commitment and prose, Thompson has never really been a favorite of your Fixer’s. Still, I really enjoyed reading “Fear and Loathing at the Super Bowl,” Thompson’s 1973 missive from Super Bowl VII for Rolling Stone. It’s predictably druggy and self-indulgent and occasionally kind of hard to follow, but it paints a vivid (almost too-vivid) portrait of the weird vibes surrounding the first post-Watergate Super Bowl.

By the same token, Dan Le Batard’s sharp, funny account in the Miami Herald of a late night out with Minnesota Vikings tackle Bryant McKinnie in Super Bowl-week Miami is a colorful

portrait of the state of the Super Bowl circa now. In place of Thompson’s Nixon-era demianarchy is an eruption of VIProom conspicuous consumption; standing in for Thompson’s drug -addled Samoan attorney is plastic surgerized rap starlet Lil’ Kim. The fear and loathing, of course, remain.

— Tip of the Fix cap to readers Don Hartline and Terri Lipton and fellow Fixer Garey Ris. Found a good column from the world of sports? Don’t keep it to yourself — write to us at dailyfix@wsj.com and we’ll consider your find for inclusion in the Daily Fix. You can email David at droth11@gmail.com.

Praying for Saints in the French Quarter (WSJ.com: The Daily Fix) Submitted at 2/7/2010 11:28:07 AM

Six hours before game time and Who Dat Nation begins to stir.

It’s a game most everywhere else, but here it is a civic event, a duty almost. It’s why I came home. Associated Press Parishioners wearing New Orleans Saints gear attend Mass on Super Bowl Sunday at St. Rita’s Catholic Church in Harahan, La., a New Orleans suburb, Sunday.

Small black-and-gold clumps move through the streets of the French Quarter toward its heart.

New Orleans, very Catholic and very football crazed, is headed toward St. Louis Cathedral on Jackson Square for 11 a.m.

Mass. A baby is to be christened into the church today. He’s also unintentionally being baptized a Who Dat. The lector announces it is the fifth Sunday in ordinary time.

(MediaPost | Media News) Rubens, worked at NBC for A memorial service will be Clearly this is no ordinary time, more than 35 years, rising to the Wednesday morning at The however. The old church is Submitted at 2/8/2010 4:30:22 AM rank of vice president in charge Theater at Lake Worth Gardens packed: dozens of Drew Breeses (including an usher), Reggie Message from fivefilters.org: If of research, and a member of the in Lake Worth, Fl. you can, please donate to the full network's president's council, Five Filters featured article: Bushes and Jeremy Shockeys; a -text RSS service so we can also served in important roles at Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: couple of Darren Sharpers, a continue developing it. Bill several important advertising and PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Scott Fujita, and, going old school, a Dalton Hilliard.

Rubens, who oversaw research at media research organizations, Term Extraction.

NBC during some of the peacock including chairman of the network's most colorful years, A d v e r t i s i n g R e s e a r c h died Jan. 29. He was 82.

Foundation.

MediaDailyNews: Obit: Former NBC Research Chief Rubens, Dead At 82

Former Archbishop Alfred Hughes welcomes various groups to the service. When he welcomes “of course, all of those in black and gold,” the church erupts in unchurchly applause.

To close out the service, Archbishop Hughes suggests a patron saint “for all of those interested in the outcome of tonight’s game” to pray to: St. Joan of Arc. “As a saint,” the archbishop says, “she rode a colt to victory.” Louder applause.

A minute later, two friends greet each other in the back of the church. “You do this often?” the first asks. “Yeah, every time the Saints are in the Super Bowl.”

And off they go outside the cathedral, past the archbishop in his mitre and a priest in his Saints NFC championship hat, blending into a foaming sea of black and gold.

Sports/

E-reader News Edition

79

The Play That Turned the Super Bowl (WSJ.com: The Daily Fix) Submitted at 2/8/2010 6:07:23 AM

With all that happened in the second half of the Super Bowl, its almost difficult to remember what changed the course of the game and gave the momentum to New Orleans: Saints head coach Sean Paytons bold decision to go for an onside kick at the beginning of the second half.

The short kick by Saints kicker Thomas Morstead was recovered by third-string Saints linebacker Jonathan Casillas. The Colts never saw it coming. Getty Images The Saints’ Anthony Hargrove reacts after a onside kick to start the second half against the Colts.

They caught us with our pants down, said Colts running back

the Saints to drive down the field and score on a Pierre Thomas touchdown reception.

Essentially thats a turnover. So yeah, thats important, said guard Jamey Richard, who was also on the field at the time. Mr. Richard was too far back to get there in Chad Simpson, who was too far time to make a play, but he said away to try and fall on the ball. he tried. When I got there, They got us. Mr. Simpson said people were still jumping on the h e n o t i c e d t h e a w k w a r d pile and I jumped on too and it approach to the ball by Mr. turned into a little bit of a scrum, Morstead. I knew something was I guess. up, he said. Mr. Simpson tried to Defensive end Fili Moala said by Jay Mariotti (FanHouse get to the ball, but it was too late. the kick caught the tea team off Main) He couldnt even dive into the guard, but the Colts should have Submitted at 2/7/2010 5:13:00 PM pile to help his teammates fight won anyway. Its not an excuse, Filed under: Super Bowl he said. for possession.

MIAMI -- It was a convergence The onside kick took a crucial of voodoo and love and confetti, possession away from the Colts, all the things a visitor feels keeping the ball out of Peyton walking through New Orleans Mannings hands, and it allowed yet rarely felt by the good people who live there. Finally, on a Sunday night in south Florida that didn't happen unless you You're Peyton Manning, seeking believe in marriage and Santa to prove without a doubt that Claus and a world without taxes you're more than just a bunch of and war, something beautiful pretty numbers on your NFL blossomed for a pained city that resume. has experienced too much death Oh, well. and destruction and dearly He'll never live this down. needed a CARE package.

While this otherwise The good people were blessed in extraordinary quarterback for the the form of the Saints, a team Indianapolis Colts will reach the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday, he just moved closer to the city limits of the Chokers minutes of the Super Bowl, and PEYTON page 80 you're driving, driving, driving.

Peyton One of the Greats? Not Quite

by Terence Moore (FanHouse Main) Submitted at 2/7/2010 4:35:00 PM

Filed under: Colts, Super Bowl, NFL Quarterbacks, NFL Analysis MIAMI -- The great ones thrive in this situation.

Everything has gone against you for the longest time. The whole world is watching. Your opponents have admitted often that they are scared to death of your skills. You're trailing by a touchdown within the final six

Saints Win? Maybe Brees Is 'Breesus' once so rotten that fans called them the Aints and wore bags over their heads, a team once so embarrassing that two young children named Peyton and Eli Manning asked their mother if they could boo with the other fans in the Superdome, a team once so hopeless and pathetic that a local sportscaster named Buddy Diliberto said he'd wear a dress on Bourbon Street if they ever reached the Super Bowl.

A good guess is that dresses and all types of clothing were being removed on Bourbon Street until dawn. That's because the Saints, the pride of Who Dat Nation and a team that almost left town after Hurricane Katrina, won the Su ...

Sup ... Supe ...

80

Sports/

E-reader News Edition

PEYTON continued from page 79

For Joseph Addai, a Super Outing, but No Ring This Time

Saints March Right Through the Door

by Nancy Gay (FanHouse Main)

Submitted at 2/7/2010 4:11:00 PM

Peyton Manning. In Super Bowl XLIV, his MVP bid -- which seemed very legitimate at Submitted at 2/7/2010 4:11:00 PM halftime with his 80 yards from Filed under: Colts, Saints, NFL scrimmage and the Colts leading Playoffs, Super Bowl the Saints 10-6 -- was destroyed MIAMI -- There's something Sunday by a New Orleans about a Super Bowl stage that offense that dominated in the b r i n g s o u t t h e b e s t i n second half and was outscored Indianapolis Colts running back 15-0 in the fourth quarter.

Joseph Addai. He easily could Addai, meanwhile, was one of have been the MVP of Super t h e f e w h i g h l i g h t s f o r Bowl XLI three seasons ago at Indianapolis in what would be a this same South Florida stadium, 31-17 loss to the sentimental when the then-rookie gained 143 favorite Saints. The fourth-year total yards in a victory over the b a c k h a d 1 3 5 y a r d s f r o m Chicago Bears. scrimmage -- 77 rushing, and 58 In that game, Addai lost his y a r d s r e c e i v i n g o n s e v e n MVP trophy to quarterback r e c e p t i o n s .

by Thomas George (FanHouse Main)

Filed under: Saints, Super Bowl MIAMI -- The brash and bold attitude the freshly anointed New Orleans Saints displayed on Sunday night is a trait they have flaunted all season. There was nothing fluke or lucky or miraculous about what the Saints did to the Indianapolis Colts here well before "The Who'' appeared at halftime and well after the Colts wondered "Who Dat stole our thunder?''

You bet, the seeds for this whipping -- a 31-17 victory in

Super Bowl XLIV that began with the Colts scoring the game's first 10 points and then being blitzed 31-7 -- were planted when Sean Payton walked through the door at the Saints complex four years ago.

Instantly, he began whacking and whittling. Cutting wheat from shaft. Carving out whatever remnants of sulking, sorry losing mentality that remained, traits that had long helped strangle the franchise. Dumping grouchy players and lax coaches and overhauling the systems.

Payton had a hammer in one hand and a blueprint in the other.

Hall of Fame.

I mean, you're Peyton Manning, and you're so close Sunday against the New Orleans Saints to becoming Joe Montana, a truly great one, who produced magic 21 years ago down the stretch of a Super Bowl on this same field. Near the end of that one, Montana hit John Taylor in the end zone to push the San Francisco 49ers past the Cincinnati Bengals.

Game/

E-reader News Edition

81

The Best of Big Download: February 1-7

by John Callaham (Joystiq) Submitted at 2/8/2010 1:00:00 AM

Filed under: Mac, PC, Meta (about Joystiq) Apparently there's some "foot ball" match or something on today, but, ya know, you're already sitting there in front of your screen -- why not check out some of this week's features and news from Joystiq's PC sister site Big Download?

What's that? Because you're a heartless monster? No excuses!

We accept doting, loyal readers and heartless monsters alike. As always, features are below and downloads/news are after the break. Get to it!

Exclusive features • Reviews: We give our final

verdict to two BioWare games: Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age Origins: Return to Ostagar.

• Star Trek Online Stories We Want To See: The newly launched MMO has a ton of fictional history that we would love to see expanded in the game.

• The Top 10 PC Gaming News Stories of January 2010: We pick out the top news stories of the past month plus a couple of honorable mentions.

• Sins of a Solar: Diplomacy interview: We chat with Stardock's Brad Wardell on the upcoming space strategy expansion.

• Boot Disk: Our retro game feature checks out Return to

Castle Wolfenstein.

• All You Need to Know: We give you the 411 this week on Battlefield Bad Company 2.

• Freeware Friday: Our weekly free PC game feature looks at the rogue-like game Desktop Dungeons.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: February 1-7 The Best of Big Download: February 1-7 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars marching to multiple platforms this fall

by David Hinkle (Joystiq)

Seperatists the chance to construct their own "customized Submitted at 2/8/2010 11:00:00 AM bases and in-game battlefields."

And here we thought the well of You'll also be able to employ Lego Star Wars material had new tactics throughout the game, d r i e d u p . P e r h a p s w e ' v e such as "Squad command, underestimated TT Games, Lightsaber slicing, Lightsaber which has revealed that it's jumps, long distance Jedi attacks constructing a new armed and and Grapple Tie-Ups." fully operational entry in the Wait, lightsaber slicing? Does series: Lego Star Wars III: The that mean the obvious, or the Clone Wars. Destined for an radical ability to slice through Autumn 2010 release on the lightsabers?

Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, Nintendo Lego Star Wars III: The Clone DS and Wii, the game will focus Wars marching to multiple on the events of the Cartoon platforms this fall originally Network animated series, Star appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Wars: The Clone Wars.

Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please Expect "brand new battle see our terms for use of feeds. modes, giving players unique, Permalink| Email this| head-to-head combat" and an C o m m e n t s expanded level editor, allowing potential Padawans and

82

Game/ Media/ Economy/

E-reader News Edition

Around the Net In Media: ABC's Sawyer Cool, Sleek Newscasts Appeal To Viewers (MediaPost | Media News)

cultural elite as pundits and politicians might say.

During her first month in the big Message from fivefilters.org: If chair, she faced the Christmas you can, please donate to the full bombing attempt, the health-care -text RSS service so we can crisis, the earthquake in Haiti, continue developing it. Quietly she handled with seriousness and taking over as anchor from concern. While Couric often Charles Gibson at " ABC World comes off as perky, Sawyer News" at the end of last year, emits real intellectual gravitas. In Diane Sawyer may be able to an Oprah age, she is emotional succeed where Katie Couric and concerned, but smart and hasn't quite clicked. (Both still sleek. trail NBC News' Brian Williams Five Filters featured article: in the ratings.) If nothing else, Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: Sawyer's early success proves PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, that Americans are not as Term Extraction. disgusted with the media or

Ukraine's presidential election: Orange squashed (The Economist: News analysis) Submitted at 2/7/2010 10:53:49 PM

Submitted at 2/7/2010 9:41:06 PM

Apogee's Rise of the Triad getting ludicrous on iPhone

by Richard Mitchell (Joystiq)

iPad. Expect to see it hit the App Store in "early 2010."

Check out a video of the game Apogee -- it's not dead yet!-- has in action after the break. Tender announced that its cult classic viewers beware: The video first-person shooter, Rise of the contains ludicrous gibs.

Triad, is on its way to the iPhone Continue reading Apogee's Rise OS. The game is being ported to of the Triad getting ludicrous on t h e p l a t f o r m b y M o b i l i a iPhone Interactive, which has produced Apogee's Rise of the Triad a number of previous iPhone getting ludicrous on iPhone titles as well. The port actually originally appeared on Joystiq on surfaced over the summer last Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:30:00 year, though it's now clear that EST. Please see our terms for the company has been given use of feeds.

Apogee's blessing to sell the app.

Permalink| Email this| The game will work on every C o m m e n t s iPhone OS platform, including the iPhone, iPod Touch and the Submitted at 2/8/2010 10:30:00 AM

MediaDailyNews: AMR: B-to-B Online Marketing Will Grow 8% This Year (MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 2/8/2010 4:30:22 AM

Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full -text RSS service so we can continue developing it.

AMR International's latest survey says b-to-b online marketing was worth $3 billion in 2009 and will grow 8% in 2010. The growth is attributed to a shift from print, although twothirds of b-to-b marketers believe

that online must complement traditional marketing efforts. The survey's findings, noted in Folio:, concluded: b-to-b ad spend on social media and lead-generation sites will grow 21% and 17%, respectively, to 2013, and that online will reach 12% of the b-to -b marketing mix by 2013.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full -text RSS service so we can continue developing it.

Ukraine's presidential election Viktor Yanukovich seems the likely winner of Ukraine’s presidential election Feb 8th 2010 | From The Economist online UKRAINIANS expect little from their politicians. But some had hoped that the presidential election on Sunday February 7th might bring an end to the ruinous political turmoil of their country, whoever turned out to be the winner. Yet uncertainty, once again, rules.

With over 90% of votes counted, Viktor Yanukovich, the villain of the 2004 orange revolution, has a narrow lead of less than 3% over Yulia Tymoshenko, the prime minister and the princess of the orange drama. He had mustered 48.4% of the votes against her 46%. In absolute numbers, a gap of nearly 600,000 ballots looks somewhat more convincing. But Ms Tymoshenko dallied, refusing to accept defeat.

As she waited, a couple of thousand thuggish looking men gathered in front of the central UKRAINE'S page 83

E-reader News Edition

83

UKRAINE'S continued from page 82

election commission, offering to support Mr Yanukovich. This is a parody of the mass protests of five years ago: the enthusiasm and spirit which drove the orange revolution is long gone and protesters on both sides can only be enticed with a bribe. A repeat of the orange revolution is all but impossible. Ms Tymoshenko could, however, try to challenge the result in the courts which would lead to a prolonged legal battle and more uncertainty. Given the poor state of Ukraine’s economy, this is the last thing that the country needs.

International observers were expected to give their verdict on the election on Monday. Much depends on that, and on Ms Tymoshenko’s state of mind.

She had dismissed exit polls which indicated Mr Yanukovich’s victory by about 5% as “mere sociology” and said every ballot matters, yet she appeared dispirited and undecided about what to do next.

By contrast Mr Yanukovich, looking pleased with himself yet

somewhat surprised by the outcome, has declared victory.

Mr Yanukovich’s comeback should not be exaggerated, partly because he and his supporters never went away. The vast majority of his 48% of the vote comes from the Russianspeaking east of Ukraine, as it did five years ago when he also won over 40% but lost to Viktor Yushchenko, the hero of the orange revolution. He then served as Mr Yushchenko’s prime minister in 2006 and 2007.

If Mr Yanukovich now becomes president he will owe his elevation largely to the spectacular failure of the orange coalition.

The tongue-tied and hard-fisted Mr Yanukovich did little to win this election. He abstained from televised debates with Ms Tymoshenko to avoid making gaffes. But squabbling among former orange allies and the financial crisis did him favours.

Still, given the desperate state of the Ukrainian economy which is fast running out of money to pay

public wages and pensions, Ms Tymoshenko did better than might have been expected.

Mr Yanukovich gained mightily from Mr Yushchenko who failed to deliver on any of his election promises and developed an almost irrational hatred of Ms Tymoshenko. Mr Yushchenko won just over 5% in the first round of presidential elections on January 17th and called on his supporters in western Ukraine to vote against both candidates. It is this 4% of Ukrainian votes that probably deprived Ms Tymoshenko of victory.

Moscow is likely to celebrate a victory for Mr Yanukovitch as a belated vindication of Mr Putin’s backing five years ago and as a victory over the West. In fact, Mr Yanukovich is sympathetic to large industrial groups and will guard their business interests more zealously than Ms Tymoshenko may have done.

The relationship with the Kremlin will improve, but none of Ukraine’s mainstream politicians or tycoons sees any

future in a political or economic union with Russia.

In any event, this election was not about geopolitics but about Ukraine’s own governance and economy. The choice of Mr Yanukovich as president would be neither a disaster nor a breakthrough for Ukraine’s oligarchic political system. He would inherit a country with weak institutions, a struggling economy and a disillusioned population. He may not be able to deal with those. But at this stage it is less important than having a clear winner. Readers' comments The Economist welcomes your views.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

84

Media/

E-reader News Edition

Research Brief: African-Americans Major Influence in Tech, Media and Buying Power (MediaPost | Media News)

toward the purchase of computers, cell phones and electronics - a proportionally Message from fivefilters.org: If h i g h e r p e r c e n t a g e w h e n you can, please donate to the full c o m p a r e d t o n o n - A f r i c a n -text RSS service so we can A m e r i c a n s . c o n t i n u e d e v e l o p i n g i t . African Americans: According to a comprehensive • Spend more weekly time BET survey of the African- online (18 hours) than watching American community recently television (15 hours) released, African Americans in • 93% go online traditionally 2008 accounted for a 10% via their PC's, while 76% access increase in population from 2008 the web via their cell phones versus 2000, while African- • 60% have downloaded A m e r i c a n b u y i n g p o w e r music, a TV show, movie or increased more than 55% during ringtone in the previous month the same period to $913 billion. • 50% regularly update and By the year 2013 black buying access a social networking power will reach $1.2 trillion account dollars, a 35% increase versus 2008.

The included segmentation T h e " A f r i c a n A m e r i c a n s study revealed that AfricanRevealed" study of more than Americans are not a monolithic 8 0 , 0 0 0 A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n group but rather break down into consumers on multi-media seven distinct groups defined by e n g a g e m e n t a n d d i g i t a l similar characteristics, including applications, shows African- buying power and habits, media Americans are very tech savvy, consumption, and influences: with roughly 31% of African • The Strivers are mostly in American discretionary spending their late 20's to early 40's and dollars, or $39 billion, going are adventurous, fashionable, Submitted at 2/8/2010 6:45:35 AM

social mavens and opinion leaders who have their eyes on climbing the executive ladder • Conscious Sisters are selfless women that are spiritually connected and highly conscious of their culture • Tech-Fluentials are digitally savvy and travel in globally conscious circles • Bright Horizons are young adults in high school and college that are aware of all available technology and electronic gadgets • Inner Circle Elites are working women rich in their cultural, ancestral and spiritual roots • Urban Dreamers are young, urban adults who are social magnets and trend setters intent on and focused on living life to the fullest • Survivors are a group of risktaking teen and young adult males who are hustling to keep their existence in check A 2010 Census study, within "African Americans Revealed,"

predicts that the upcoming Census count will find that 42 million African-Americans reside in the U.S., a 13.4% increase from the 2000 Census a higher growth rate than the projected 9.8% increase for the total U.S. population.

Matthew Barnhill, Senior VP of Corporate Research at BET Networks, says "African Americans Revealed shows us that the black community should never be referred to as one homogeneous population... We hope this report will help organizations better connect with an audience and intimately recognize all of its complexities."

For additional information about African-American buying power, please visit here.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

E-reader News/

E-reader News Edition

85

Barnes & Noble says Nook e-readers back in stock (ZDNet) (Yahoo! News Search Results for e-readers) Submitted at 2/8/2010 7:18:21 AM

Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full -text RSS service so we can continue developing it.

Latest Post| Last 10 Posts| Archives Previous Post: Five gadgets for the ultimate Winter Olympics viewing experience Next Post: Report: Google developing on-the-fly translation software Barnes & Noble says Nook e-readers back in stock Posted in: • Barnes & Noble Nook • E-book Readers Barnes & Noble said on Monday that its popular but hard -to-find Nook e-book reader is now back on store shelves as of this week. The book retailer said the e-reader is in stock on the Nook website and will be rolling out in a majority of its brick-andmortar stores beginning midweek, "just in time for Valentine’s Day." You know, if your partner really digs V-day-themed digital books

instead of flowers and chocolate.

beginning February 10.

The company had depleted its Nook inventory over the holidays and it's been nothing but waitlists since. The company says it has ramped up production.

And if you're not sure if the Nook fits your needs, read Matthew Miller's hands-on review of the device.

To see if your local store has the Nook in stock, the company has provided an in-store locator tool that will update each day

The Nook firmware was recently updated to version 1.2 via an automatic over-the-air update. If you've already got a Nook, but can't wait, you can download the update on the

Nook support page. posted by Andrew Nusca February 8, 2010 @ 6:57 am Previous Post: Five gadgets for the ultimate Winter Olympics viewing experience Next Post: Report: Google developing on-the-fly translation software Last 10 posts: • HTC Incredible Android smartphone caught in the wild(02-08) • Report: Google developing on-

the-fly translation software(0208) • Barnes & Noble says Nook ereaders back in stock (02-08) • Five gadgets for the ultimate Winter Olympics viewing experience(02-08) • Dell upgrades Precision M6500 'beast' with USB 3.0, Core i5(02-05) • FCC clears the shiny LG X20 10.1" netbook(02-05) • Microsoft dropping Xbox LIVE service on original consoles, games(02-05) • Inbrics bringing ultra-thin, Android-based MID M1 slider phone to MWC 2010(02-04) • The Internet makes short list for 2010 Nobel Peace Prize nominees(02-04) • SlingPlayer for iPhone will be able to be streamed over AT&T 3G network(02-04) more Posts (Archives) WordPress Mobile Edition available at alexking.org. powered by WordPress.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

86

Gallup Poll/

E-reader News Edition

Economic Confidence: Wyoming, Michigan Most Negative (All Gallup Headlines)

Though the questions that constitute Gallup's Economic Confidence Index ask Message from fivefilters.org: If respondents to evaluate the you can, please donate to the full national economy, their local -text RSS service so we can experiences surely color their continue developing it. assessments. Many of the states PRINCETON, NJ -- In a that have been especially hurt by difficult economic year in which the recent economic downturn residents of all states rated r a n k a m o n g t h e 1 0 l e a s t economic conditions negatively, c o n f i d e n t s t a t e s . those living in the District of From a broad perspective, both Columbia and South Dakota the top 10 and bottom 10 states expressed a greater degree of are diverse groups regionally and confidence in the U.S. economy politically. However, half of the than did residents in other states. top 10 consists of states from the Economic confidence was lowest upper Midwest -- North and in Wyoming, Michigan, West South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Virginia, and Nevada. and Minnesota.

Gallup's Economic Confidence Current Conditions Versus Index is an average of two Future Expectations in the 50 m e a s u r e s - - o n e a s k i n g States respondents to rate current Looking at each component of e c o n o m i c c o n d i t i o n s a s the Economic Confidence Index excellent, good, only fair, or separately, only as many as 17% poor, and the other asking of residents in any state (North respondents to assess whether Dakota) rated current economic the economy is getting better or conditions positively last year, getting worse. The Index has a underscoring the poor shape of theoretical range of -100 to the economy as perceived by the +100, with negative scores average American. In 22 states a indicating respondents are more majority described economic negative than positive about the conditions as poor, including a economy. The results reported high of 59% in Nevada and here are based on Gallup Daily Michigan. t r a c k i n g d a t a f r o m 2 0 0 9 , Nebraska, South Dakota, and consisting of more than 170,000 North Dakota had the least interviews in all 50 U.S. states negative ratings of current plus the District of Columbia."In economic conditions last year, all but one state, the 2009 index based on the percentage in each scores were improved from state rating the economy as 2008, and in most of the states excellent or good minus the t h e i m p r o v e m e n t w a s percentage rating it poor. But substantial." even in these states, more than Submitted at 2/7/2010 8:00:00 PM

twice as many rated conditions poor as rated them excellent or good. Michigan and Nevada had the most negative ratings of current conditions by this measure.

In terms of a forward look at the economy, residents of the District of Columbia were the most likely to believe that economic conditions were getting better -- 46% said this, easily the highest in the nation.

Meanwhile, West Virginia and Wyoming residents were the least likely to say the economy was improving, with West Virginians having a slightly more negative view of the economy's direction because a higher percentage said the economy was getting worse.

Confidence Improves in 2009 Though Gallup's Economic Confidence Index remained in negative territory throughout 2009 (and was negative for the year in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia),

Americans were more optimistic about the economy in 2009 than they were in 2008. In fact, in all but one state (Wyoming), the 2009 index scores were improved from 2008, and in most of the states the improvement was substantial.

The average increase in consumer confidence across all states was 14 points.

The District of Columbia saw the greatest gains in economic confidence in 2009, 34 points, followed by Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maryland.

Perhaps not coincidentally, these states tend to be Democratically oriented in their politics, and their much-improved economic outlook could be partly the result of the switch from a Republican to a Democratic presidential administration last year. In addition to Wyoming, whose score fell from -43 to -47, Montana and Idaho showed the least improvement. These three states ranked among the 10 most Republican in 2009 according to Gallup, with Wyoming the most Republican.

Bottom Line Despite significant improvement last year, Americans remained downbeat in their economic evaluations. All states plus the District of Columbia had negative scores on Gallup's Economic Confidence Index in 2009, with the District of Columbia and South Dakota being more optimistic than other states. The new year does not

seem to have brought additional gains in consumer confidence thus far: a month into 2010, economic confidence remains in negative territory and similar to levels Gallup observed for much of 2009.

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 173,567 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Jan. 2-Dec. 30, 2009, as part of Gallup Daily tracking.

For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of error is ±1 percentage point.

Margin of error for most states is ±2 percentage points, but is as high as ±7 percentage points for the District of Columbia and ±6 percentage points for Delaware, North Dakota, and Wyoming.

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.

ECONOMIC page 87

PopSci/

E-reader News Edition

ECONOMIC continued from page 86

Polls conducted entirely in one day, such as this one, are subject to additional error or bias not found in polls conducted over several days.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Gray Matter: Batteries Out of Thin Air

by Theodore Gray (Popular Science - New Technology, Science News, The Future Now) Submitted at 2/8/2010 7:20:17 AM

A little oxygen is all a zinc-air battery needs to become a powerhouse A battery that runs on air? Why, that's almost as good as a car that runs on water! Those cars are fantasy, but batteries that run on air are actually quite common, especially among older people.

Tiny zinc-air batteries are widely used in hearing aids, where they have replaced toxic mercurybased batteries in providing a small but steady stream of power. They supply more energy for their size than any other battery, because they draw some of their power straight from the air.

Related Articles Gray Matter: Nickel Growing in Trees Gray Matter: DIY X-Ray Photos Gray Matter: The Hidden Uses of Everyday Explosives Tags DIY, Gray Matter, Theodore Gray,

batteries, february 2010, gray matter, How 2.0, projects, zinc, zinc oxide, zinc-air battery All batteries generate power with two chemical reactions: one that produces electrons at the anode (negative terminal) and one that absorbs them at the cathode (positive terminal). This creates a circulation of electrons-an electrical current-from the anode to the cathode. Most batteries contain all the chemicals needed for both reactions.

But zinc-air batteries contain only the anode-side chemical, zinc metal, which is converted to zincate ions and then zinc oxide.

This releases two electrons per atom of zinc, which are absorbed by oxygen on the cathode side.

Zinc-air batteries can pack more power into a smaller space than other batteries for the same reason that jets run for longer than rockets. Rockets, which must operate in the vacuum of space, have to carry both fuel and oxygen to burn it with. Jets need to carry only the fuel, since they can pull in oxygen from the

air.

The downside is that jets can't produce as much thrust as rockets, because there's a limit to how fast they can suck in air.

Zinc-air batteries have the same limitation. They can deliver a large amount of energy, but only relatively slowly; they're like endurance runners, not sprintersthe tortoise to Energizer's bunny.

Inside a Zinc-Air Battery: A. Cathode can with air holes B. Teflon air filter C. Graphite-andwire-mesh air cathode D. Dielectric filter paper E. Zincpowder anode F. Anode can G. Insulating ring Mike Walker What's Next Because zinc-air batteries must be open to the air, the water inside them eventually evaporates, limiting their life span. But future cells could use electrolytes made of ionic fluids, which do not evaporate. The potential exists for rechargeable zinc-air batteries with 10 times the capacity of today's cells.

87

88

PopSci/

E-reader News Edition

Canon T2i: Cinema-Grade Full HD Video in an Entry-Level DSLR

by John Mahoney (Popular Science - New Technology, Science News, The Future Now) Submitted at 2/8/2010 7:54:41 AM

It wasn't that long ago that the T1i first brought 1080p video to an entry-level digital SLR--albeit at a pokey 20 frames per second.

Today, Canon's latest digital Rebel, the T2i borrows the video capabilities of the far more advanced 7D in a sub-$1,000 package.

The T2i shoots 1080p video at the full range of frame rates desired by hobbyists and cinema pros alike--24, 25 and 30 frames per second. It also includes the same manual exposure controls during video capture--essentially every major video-shooting feature of the 7D.

The similarities continue: An 18 -megapixel APS-C sensor is inside that matches almost every feature of the 7D's own, differing only in its speed--a 4-channel readout as opposed to 8 means a slower burst mode, capturing 3.7 frames per second instead of 8.

ISO range is also similar, with a standard max of 6400 which boosts to 12,800.

The T2i also borrows the refined ergonomics and control scheme of the 7D, with a dedicated video button up top. A new highresolution 3-inch LCD (1.4

million dots) graces the back.

So what do you lose from downgrading from the $1,700 7D? The aforementioned speed, the tougher magnesium body alloy, the enhanced body shape (and thumb wheel), and the suite of still-photo enhancements like faster autofocusing and the 7D's extremely programmable and customizable control scheme.

Still, for savings of $1,000 (the T2i is $900 with a kit lens, $800 for the body only), matching the 7D in the feature areas most will care about--HD video capture and imaging sensor--is quite a nice looking package. And for those who are served just fine by 720p video, look for the otherwise-excellent T1i to come down in price.