LNP Oct-21-09 by Liberty Newspost

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20/10/09 - 21/10/09

Democrat: believers of 2010 Republican majority in “la la land” By Tabassum Zakaria (Front Row Washington)

"So we told our members to be prepared, no one's going to be surprised," Van Hollen said. Submitted at 10/20/2009 12:29:26 PM "I would say that anyone who Congressman Chris Van Hollen, thinks this is going to be a 1994 chairman of the Democratic redux is in la la land. The Congressional Campaign Democrats are not going to lose Committee, says the November control of the House," he said. 2010 midterm elections will be In the midterm elections in difficult, but anyone who believes 1994, when Democratic President Republicans will wrest majority Bill Clinton was in the White control of the House of House, Republicans gained seats Representatives is living in "la la and won control of both the land." House and Senate for the first The midterm elections will be time in 40 years. viewed by many as a referendum Van Hollen engaged in a little on the policies of Democratic name-calling, saying the President Barack Obama. Republican Party these days was "It is going to be a very volatile, "the party of pessimism" and "the political environment," Van party of no" that did not want to Hollen said at the Reuters be part of the solution to Washington Summit. "So other than those two times, A m e r i c a ' s p r o b l e m s . He pointed out that since the the president's party has lost seats For more Reuters Washington days of President Abraham and the average losses are fairly Summit news click here Lincoln, only twice has a new dramatic," averaging about 35 Photo credit: Reuters/Jonathan president's party picked up seats seats, Van Hollen said. Ernst (Congressman Chris Van in the first midterm election -- in Right now there are 256 Hollen at Reuters Washington 1 9 3 4 ( w h e n F r a n k l i n D . Democrats and 177 Republicans, Summit) Roosevelt was president) and and two vacancies in the 4352002 (when George W. Bush was m e m b e r U . S . H o u s e o f president). Representatives.

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Cocaine kingpin jailed for 45 years (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)

Authorities say Montoya, known as "Don Diego," headed the North Valley cocaine cartel from 1990 to 2004. In that time, Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:04:13 AM the cartel exported 1.2m pounds US judge also orders Diego of cocaine worth $10bn. Montoya Sánchez to pay Montoya said he started down $500,000 (£301,000) in restitution the wrong path after his family The kingpin once responsible abandoned him at age 14. He for sending more Colombian apologised to families of those cocaine into the United States killed by drug violence and said than anyone has been sentenced to he now hopes to live "a life of 45 years in prison. peace and purpose". A federal judge in Miami also • Drugs trade ordered 48-year-old Diego • United States Montoya Sánchez to pay • Colombia $500,000 (£301,000) in restitution guardian.co.uk© Guardian today. In August he pleaded guilty News & Media Limited 2009 | to conspiracy to import cocaine, Use of this content is subject to racketeering conspiracy and our Terms & Conditions| More obstruction of justice. Feeds

'Whiter Teeth' Products Stained by Dismal Advertising Practices By Eliot Van Buskirk (Wired Top Stories)

on at least one teeth-whitening vendor in what could be the first shot across the bow for an Submitted at 10/20/2009 1:58:00 PM industry that’s spawned a webO v e r - t h e - c o u n t e r d e n t a l wide advertising eyesore to rival whitening products are drawing the X10 wireless video cam, scrutiny as rival vendors carpet Viagra and penis enlargement bomb the web with graphic ads. products. Now fraud busters are zeroing in

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The Geithner approach: make the best of bad choices

Madoff swaps high life for prison pizza

By Tabassum Zakaria (Front Row Washington)

By Peter Walker (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)

track at night. Among his companions are Carmine Persico, the convicted boss of the Submitted at 10/21/2009 8:00:38 AM Colombo crime family known in Submitted at 10/21/2009 10:03:43 AM Ever wonder how the U.S. his professional life as "The Treasury Secretary gets through Legal papers reveal spartan life Snake", and Jonathan Pollard, some of the most economically of disgraced US financier who jailed for life in 1987 for selling stressful times this country has shares cell with mafia boss and military secrets to Israel. seen in a while -- does he go for convicted spy The lawsuit filed by Cotchett long runs? Sleep two hours a Bernard Madoff, the disgraced c o n t r a s t s M a d o f f ' s c u r r e n t night? US financier who carried out one existence with details of what the Timothy Geithner has been in of Wall Street's biggest-ever legal papers claim was a prethe job less than a year, and came frauds, has swapped a life of prison life awash with cocaine in after the economy had slumped luxury and drug-fuelled excess for and financed by investors' cash. into recession. Now a spartan life in prison where his It alleges that Madoff employed unemployment is approaching 10 main companions are a mafia boss a member of staff from 1975 to percent, he's had to navigate and a convicted spy, according to 2003 to acquire cocaine for his through an economic stimulus legal papers. workplace, an office known by co package, and on top of all that the Madoff – who is serving a 150- -workers as "the north pole". weakness of the U.S. dollar has (Remember, before this job, going to debate when there's a year sentence for masterminding Saying the claims are based in other countries questioning Geithner was president of the problem anymore, we're not going an elaborate Ponzi scheme, which part on interviews with people whether it should still be the New York Federal Reserve to like hope it takes care of itself, cost investors around $65bn associated with the his firm, the reserve currency. Bank). we're going to commit to fix it," (£39bn) – has swapped his vast p a p e r s a l l e g e t h a t t o p l e s s Enough problems, we imagine, His general approach, Geithner Geithner said. "And we're going penthouse in New York for the waitresses were common at office to give anyone a big giant said, is to "focus on trying to to do what it takes to fix it." lower bunk of a prison cell, parties, while Madoff kept a list headache and more than a few make sure you're making the best For more news from the Reuters underneath a drug offender, and of his favourite masseuses in a sleepless nights. dines on pizza cooked by a child personal phone book. "Employees of a bunch of bad choices." Washington Summit, click here. So what does Geithner do under described it as a wild, fast-talking, And to make sure "you are Photo credit: Reuters/Jonathan molester. the weight of it all? The insight into the 71-year- drug-using office culture," the helping the president make E r n s t ( G e i t h n e r a t R e u t e r s "I've been in the middle of this sensible decisions," he said. W a s h i n g t o n S u m m i t ) old's new life comes in papers lawsuit says. for quite a long time," he said in filed by Joseph Cotchett, a lawyer • Bernard Madoff "I think the basic imperative in an interview at the Reuters these things is just to make sure who is representing about a dozen • United States Washington Summit on Tuesday. people understand that we're not of Madoff's thousands of victims. Peter Walker He interviewed Madoff at the guardian.co.uk© Guardian Time Warner Cable Exposes 65,000 Customer B u t n e r f e d e r a l p r i s o n n e a r News & Media Limited 2009 | Routers to Remote Hacks Raleigh, North Carolina, in July. Use of this content is subject to According to Cotchett, Madoff's our Terms & Conditions| More By Kim Zetter (Wired Top tinkerer discovered the companymain leisure activity is taking Feeds Stories) supplied Wi-Fi routers all have walks around the prison's running the same administrative password Submitted at 10/20/2009 3:20:00 PM -- and the admin panels are Mozilla Throws Its Weight Behind New Free Font Format Time Warner Cable is pushing exposed to the web. By Michael Calore (Wired Top later this year, will support the use web authors, who are currently out an emergency patch to 65,000 Stories) of Web Open Font Format files, restricted to using a handful of broadband customers, after a Mozilla has announced. This well-worn fonts in their designs. Submitted at 10/20/2009 1:45:00 PM opens up some new options for The next version of Firefox, due

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Scientists play down Ida connection By Ian Sample (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk) Submitted at 10/21/2009 10:03:48 AM

US palaeontologists dismiss initial claims about the 47millionyear-old fossil found in Germany's Messel Pit Her arrival was announced with unrestrained razzmatazz. She was the "eighth wonder of the world", "our Mona Lisa" and an evolutionary "Rosetta Stone", according to the researchers who unveiled her. The female in question was Ida, a 47million-year-old primate, whose exquisitely preserved fossil was touted as the remains of our earliest human ancestor. She was, they said, the "link" between us and the rest of the animal kingdom. Or maybe not. Writing in the journal, Nature, a team of palaeontologists from New York claim that Ida is not related to humans at all. Instead, they conclude, the $1m fossil looks more like a small lemur or maybe a loris. The challenge is being seen as the opening salvo in what is shaping up to be a hearty academic slugging match. At stake is not only the significance of one of the most extraordinary fossils unearthed, but the reputations of some of the world's leading researchers. So far, relations between the two sides are strained but courteous. "Our analysis and results have convinced us that Ida was not an ancestor of monkeys, apes, or

humans, and if anything has more relevance for our understanding of lemur and loris origins," said Erik Seiffert, a fossil hunter at Stony Brook University in New York who led the Nature study. Researchers behind the Ida fossil, known formally as Darwinius masillae, immediately defended their own interpretation, which is based on two years of meticulous measurements of the remains. "We expected a challenge like this and it's interesting it has taken five months for the first attack to come," said Jørn Hurum, a palaeontologist at Oslo University's Natural History Museum. "What we claim about Ida is really quite controversial." "Seiffert and his team claim Darwinius didn't have much anatomical detail to study because it is so crushed, but none of the authors have ever seen the original specimen. She's not that crushed, there's a lot of information in the fossil. We really trust and stand by our interpretation," Hurum said. Hurum bought Ida for $1m after agreeing to meet a private dealer in a vodka bar in Hamburg where he was shown a series of photographs of the fossil. At the time, its exact place in evolutionary history was unclear. What Hurum did know was that Ida came from a time when the primate lineage that led to monkeys, apes and humans split from another group of animals that became lemurs and lorises. Hurum took a gamble. "It would have been quite an expensive

lemur," he told the Guardian at the time. The Ida fossil, which was found in the Messel Pit on the outskirts of Hamburg, was revealed to the public in what amounted to the greatest publicity coup in modern science. The mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, appeared alongside the fossil, wearing a Tshirt carrying the TV tie-in logo, "The link." A book about Ida was already coming off the presses. Ida was an immediate media sensation. The fossil received blanket coverage around the world and newspapers hailed her as the "missing link" between humans and animals. The Guardian even gave away free wallcharts of "humanity's long lost ancestor." The controversy erupted after Seiffert's team unearthed the fossilised remnants of a similar, but much younger primate in northern Egypt. Analysis of the 37million-year-old lemur-like fossil showed it was a close relative of Ida and had several dental features that are commonly seen in apes and humans. Seiffert's team fed information from the new fossil and 117 living and extinct primates into a computer model to find out where the new species sat in the tree of life. Writing in Nature, Seiffert explains that while the new fossil, named Afradapis, is related to Ida, both emerged along the evolutionary path that led to lemurs and lorises. Their anatomical similarities with later primates evolved independently from those seen in monkeys,

humans and apes, he explained. "They are trying to explain all of the traits we see in Darwinius in terms of parallel evolution," said Hurum. Parallel evolution is when two groups of animals evolve similar features without being related to one another. In an email, Philip Gingerich, a leading paleontologist at Princeton University who worked on Ida, said both fossils were almost certainly part of the lineage that led to monkeys, apes and humans. He wrote that it was "puzzling" to see Seiffert's team claim they were related to a group that became lemurs and lorises "with which it shares no resemblance". Further work by Seiffert's team appears to add insult to injury. According to their study, neither Ida nor Afradapis have any living descendants, meaning they became extinct at the end of a sidebranch of the evolutionary tree. "This will be part of a discussion that will run for weeks and months to come," Hurum said. • Fossil Ida • Fossils • Evolution • Taxonomy • Zoology • Animals • Wildlife Ian Sample guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

Netlix announces Best Buy as latest instant movie streaming partner By Brian White (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 10/21/2009 12:30:00 PM

Filed under: Competitive strategy, Netflix, Inc. (NFLX), Best Buy (BBY) One thing you can say about Netflix Inc.(NASDAQ: NFLX), the DVD rental pioneer doesn't stand still. It has been innovating for years in bringing video content to consumers over as many mediums as it can. DVDs and Blu-ray discs are still the staple of its business, but Netflix can now be found embedded in newer Blu-ray disc players and even TVs. No more waiting for discs to show up -- it can stream thousands of movies instantly to that living room flat screen television. So, it stands to reason that a house brand of leading consumer electronics retailer Best Buy Inc.(NYSE: BBY) will now come with Netflix technology built-in. Continue reading Netlix announces Best Buy as latest instant movie streaming partner Netlix announces Best Buy as latest instant movie streaming partner originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

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Europe offers to cut emissions by 95% By Ian Traynor (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk) Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:31:22 AM

EU sends 'clear message' to the world with ambitious target Europe attempted to reassert its international leadership in the fight against global warming today, offering to slash its greenhouse gas emissions by up to 95% by 2050 and by 30% by 2020 if a climate change pact is sealed in Copenhagen in six weeks' time. "This should be seen as a clear message to the world," said Andreas Carlgren, the Swedish environment minister who chaired the Luxembourg meeting. "We expect to reach an agreement in Copenhagen," he added, after environment ministers from 27 countries finalised a common EU negotiating position. But his optimism contrasted with the increasing doubts around the world enough time remains to deliver a binding agreement in Copenhagen. The EU also still has to settle disputes over the EU's carbon trading scheme and how the developing world will be paid to cope with the impacts of global warming.

Yesterday, European finance ministers failed to agree on a funding package for developing countries, with Poland and other poorer eastern European countries unhappy at being asked to subsidise action in countries such as China and India whose economies are growing strongly. Poland is also leading the dissent on the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS). The EU negotiating position offers to slash greenhouse gas emissions by between 80-95% by 2050 and to deepen cuts from 20 to 30% by 2020 if other world powers sign up for similar action. The ministers said they also reached accord on tough action on deforestation and agreed that aviation would have to cut its emissions by 10% by 2020 compared with 2005 levels and shipping by 20%. However, reluctance from the big players – the US, China, and India – to unveil targets or specific figures for a climate change pact, the EU was divided over tactics ahead of the UN conference in Copenhagen in December. Germany and Italy were reluctant to name a figure publicly so early, believing this could

weaken the European bargaining position. "I've heard arguments about tactics," said Stavros Dimas, the European commissioner for the environment. "But by telling the decision now, we encourage other countries to come with their proposals. We don't gain anything by not reaching a decision." Britain, Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands supported this view, believing that Europe had more to gain from playing pioneer and seizing the leadership in the run-up to Copenhagen. "Environment ministers are determined that the EU maintains its leadership position on climate change in order to promote an ambitious deal at Copenhagen," said Ed Miliband, the UK energy and climate change secretary. Carlgren said Warsaw's proposal for changes to the ETS, which Poland thinks unfairly penalises its coal-dependent economy, was "unacceptable" to many members. Dimas added that without a breakthrough, there could be a "collapse" of the ETS, which the Europeans see as the vanguard of a potential worldwide carbon cap-and-trade system. Leaders will meet at a summit in Brussels next week to hammer

out the finances package for the developing countries, expected to total €15bn a year from the EU. Despite today's agreement, environmental campaigners denounced the EU accord as inadequate. "The level of ambition demonstrated by environment ministers will not deliver a fair and just global climate agreement in Copenhagen," said Sonja Meister, climate campaign coordinator for Friends of the Earth. "Europe must go much further than this and live up to its historical responsibilities by committing to cut emissions by 40% domestically by 2020." The EU's position is not strong enough to unlock the stalled negotiations," said Greenpeace. • Climate change • Carbon emissions • Copenhagen climate change conference 2009 • Emissions trading • European Union Ian Traynor guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

Can Dell be changed enough to be seen as innovative again? By Brian White (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 10/21/2009 1:30:00 PM

Filed under: Competitive strategy, Dell (DELL) Michael Dell of Dell, Inc.(NASDAQ: DELL) has confirmed the launch of a Dell-branded smartphone sometime in 2010, one has to wonder this: why? Now that Dell has slipped to third place globally in terms of PC shipments, the computer direct selling pioneer now appears to be rather noninnovative, save for the Adamo paper-thin laptop PC that it keeps touting. Continue reading Can Dell be changed enough to be seen as innovative again? Can Dell be changed enough to be seen as innovative again? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Earnings Preview: PNC Financial (Financial Sector and Stocks Analysis from Seeking Alpha) Submitted at 10/21/2009 10:10:52 AM

PNC Financial( PNC) is expected to report Q3 earnings before the market open on Thursday, October 22 with a conference call scheduled for 8:30 am ET. Guidance Analysts are looking for EPS of

31c on revenue of $3.78B. The consensus range is 10c-65c for EPS, and $3.47B-$3.91B for revenue, according to First Call. Analyst Views UBS recently warned that PNC Financial faces significant credit headwinds in the near term, and disappoint investors, the firm the firm initiated the bank with a warned. Last month Oppenheimer Sell rating. The bank's 2010 and initiated PNC with a Perform 2011 earnings will probably

rating. The firm thinks that the bank's stock should be valued in line with its peers until it builds

up its capital levels. On a positive note, the firm thinks that PNC's diversified revenue stream is attractive, while it believes that the acquisition of National City will help the bank build up its franchise over time. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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US man charged with plotting terror attacks By Daniel Nasaw (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk) Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:10:49 AM

• Tarek Mehanna arrested at home today • Allegedly tried to attend alQaida training camps US authorities have charged a 27-year-old Massachusetts man with plotting terrorist attacks against shopping malls and government figures after seeking weapons training at camps in the Middle East. Tarek Mehanna is charged with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, and was arrested at his home today. He was already under indictment for allegedly making false statements to federal investigators in a separate terrorism case. "Today's arrest, done in conjunction with a search of his home, involves broader and more serious charges," said Michael Loucks, acting US attorney in Boston. According to the US justice department, Mehanna and accused co-conspirator Ahmed Abousamra discussed whether to attack a shopping mall from multiple

entrances and whether to attack police and emergency medical technicians who arrived on the scene. The alleged conspirators planned attacks on two unnamed members of the US executive branch, Louck said. He said the unnamed targets were never in serious danger and have since left government. According to the US justice department, Mehanna, Ahmed Abusamra, and Daniel Maldonado became close in 2002, and watched "jihadi" videos showing footage of people being killed. The three then discussed dying for God on the battlefield and said they wanted to fight Americans in Iraq, approved of the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks, and cheered when US troops died in Iraq, according to a criminal complaint in the case. The justice department said Mehanna, a US citizen and pharmacy school graduate, and Abousamra travelled to Yemen in 2004, seeking training in weapons and tactics at a terrorist camp. Abousamra also travelled to Iraq, later telling US investigators he had been looking for a job. Abousamra also sought training in

Pakistan, but the groups there would not accept him because he was Arab, not Pakistani, and was deemed too inexperienced. He is now believed to be in Syria. Mehanna and Abousamra apparently believed Maldonado had gang contacts and could obtain automatic weapons, but Maldonado said he could only obtain handguns were told all they could obtain were handguns, Loucks said. Maldonado soon moved to Egypt, then to Somalia, and is now serving a 10-year prison term in the US for training alongside al -Qaida members to overthrow the Somali government. FBI agents questioned Mehanna in the 2006 investigation into Maldonado. Federal prosecutors said Mehanna told investigators Maldonado was in Egypt, knowing he was in fact in Somalia. Mehanna was arrested last year and charged with lying to investigators in the case. Louks said the men were inspired by a series of 2002 sniper attacks in Washington that paralysed the US capital. Mehanna is the latest in a string of accused home-grown terrorists arrested in recent months.

This summer prosecutors won indictments of seven North Carolina men whom they said intended to carry out terror attacks overseas. Last month, authorities in New York arrested Najibullah Zazi, an Afghan immigrant and permanent US resident, accusing him of purchasing bomb-making ingredients at beauty supply shops. Zazi has pled not guilty to a charge of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction. This summer prosecutors won indictments of seven North Carolina men whom they said intended to carry out terror attacks overseas. Last month, authorities in New York arrested Najibullah Zazi, an Afghan immigrant and permanent US resident, accusing him of purchasing bomb-making ingredients at beauty supply shops. Zazi has pled not guilty to a charge of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction. • United States • Global terrorism Daniel Nasaw guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

Bang & Olufsen BeoCom 5 Home Phone Also Does VoIP [VoIP] By Danny Allen (Gizmodo) Submitted at 10/21/2009 8:55:00 AM

Though many of us ditched landlines long ago, B&O still pushes out cordless phones for those who can afford its designer wares. The BeoCom 5 handles two-landlines plus PC-based VoIP calls, and its portable speaker can double as a charger. When "docked" on the speaker (or its second, smaller charger), the phone is held in place via magnets. An aluminum scroll wheel control also adds to the metallic chic. It's all very elegant and European, but no word on the price yet. A (not so) wild guess: it won't be cheap. [ Bang and Olufsen]

Altria (MO) lower as 3Q revenue disappoints By Brent Archer (BloggingStocks)

morning 48 cents per share, topping analysts' forecasts by a penny. However, shares of the Submitted at 10/21/2009 12:50:00 PM stock are declining in today's Filed under: Earnings reports, trading, as the company's thirdBad news, Altria Group (MO), quarter revenue fell to $4.32 Options, Technical Analysis b i l l i o n , m i s s i n g a n a l y s t s ' Altria(NYSE: MO- option chain) projections of $4.66 billion. After stock is trading lower Wednesday the stock moved up strongly into after the company reported an earnings, traders needed the adjusted third-quarter profit this results to be really strong to

sustain the upward momentum. If you think this stock won't be rising too far in the coming months, then it could be a good

time to look at a bearish hedged play on MO. This morning, MO opened at $18.37. So far today the stock has hit a high of $18.43 and a low of $18.11. As of 11:50, MO is trading at $18.26, down 40 cents ( -2.1%). The chart for MO looks bullish and S&P gives MO a positive 5 STARS (out of 5) strong buy ranking.

Continue reading Altria (MO) lower as 3Q revenue disappoints Altria (MO) lower as 3Q revenue disappoints originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

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Hawaii schools to move to four-day By Ed Pilkington (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)

entire education budget is paid for by the state which is labouring under a $1bn deficit. Education accounts for about a quarter of the Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:29:27 AM state's overall resources. • All 256 public schools in state Most of its 13,000 public school to close for 'furlough Fridays' teachers approved the furlough • Up to 171,000 children to be Friday plan because although they affected must swallow an 8% reduction in Thousands of working parents their pay packages, their time off in Hawaii are scrambling to make for holidays and teacher planning childcare arrangements ahead of days is left untouched. A proposal the closure on Friday of all public to bring in random drug testing schools, in a bid by the state's for teachers has also been pushed education authorities to cut costs. back. All 256 of Hawaii's public The first of the furloughs, schools will be closed in the first however, are likely to be greeted of 17 "furlough Fridays" that will by widespread protests from see a drastic cut in school time for parents angered that a state that is up to 171,000 children. The already towards the bottom of reduction of the school week from America's league table for schools five to four days will last for at performance is further slashing least the next two years. facetime in the classroom. The The furloughs are the most Hawaiian school year is the draconian measure yet taken in shortest across the country. Yet the US, where the recession has the cuts will reduce the number of forced many states to slash public teaching days in the academic services. At least 25 states have year to 163 compared with 180 in forced teachers to take unpaid most US school districts. Hawaii days off, but most of the cuts have is ranked 47th out of 50 in reading f a l l e n o n h o l i d a y s o r o n and mathematics among its 13preparation days rather than on year-old public school students. actual school days. A further paradox is that the Hawaii's cuts have been Hawaii cuts come at a time when particularly punishing because President Obama - himself a unlike other parts of the US, the product of the Hawaiian education

system, though he attended a private school in his later years is trying to increase the amount of time American children spend in school. "The challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom," he said recently. Parents at Noelani Elementary, the primary school Obama went to, will be staging one of many "walk-in" protests culminating with a rally at the state Capitol in downtown Honolulu. A Noelani parent, Vernadette Gonzalez, told the Honolulu Advertiser: "Since education is being taken away, we thought it would be symbolic when the schools are being shut down by the state to say, 'We want to learn'. My daughter doen't understand why she has no school on Friday." At least one legal action is likely to be lodged with the federal courts in an attempt to stop the furloughs on behalf of the children and parents affected. • United States Ed Pilkington guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

Governor King Steps Out of the Way of the Pound (Financial Sector and Stocks Analysis from Seeking Alpha)

once again free to join the rest of the industrialized world in beating up on the U.S. dollar. This change Submitted at 10/21/2009 8:14:25 AM of events has not changed my bias Moments like these remind me against the pound, but it does how swiftly the tides can change leave me without a clear catalyst in foreign exchange. for aggressively shorting it. When The minutes from the Bank of I get that catalyst I will continue England’s meeting in October my approach of riding downside showed that all members now moves and closing out positions support leaving quantitative when momentum swings upward; easing at its current level of 175 I will also need to lean more on billion pounds. This unified the euro and maybe the yen as the support marks a change in basis for shorting the pound particular for Governor Mervyn instead of the U.S. dollar. King who earlier argued for In the meantime, it appears that increasing the amount quantitative currency traders are betting easing and has been quoted as h e a v i l y o n m o r e p o s i t i v e essentially supporting a weaker economic news from the United currency. On this news, the pound Kingdom and are providing added to its rally from recent days support even as the pound is now a g a i n s t n e a r l y a l l m a j o r very extended to the upside. Some currencies. For example, at the alert traders also took early note time of writing the pound is of the chart technicals that closing in on September’s high of indicated the pound was switching 1.67 vs the U.S. dollar. As of back to an upside bias. yesterday’s U.S. close, the pound Be careful out there. was up as much as much as 4% Full disclosure: no positions from recent lows of around 1.57. This content has passed through With King stepping out of the fivefilters.org. way of the pound, the currency is

Galleon to shutter its hedge funds, is anyone surprised? By Mark Fightmaster (BloggingStocks)

company is going to wind down all of its hedge funds. In a Wall Street Journal article(subscription Submitted at 10/21/2009 1:10:00 PM required), a person familiar with Filed under: Rumors, Law, Galleon said that one of the Scandals alternatives the company is On Wednesday, Galleon Group exploring is selling out to another founder Raj Rajaratnam told firm. employees via letter that the These alternatives were

approached by Rajaratnam in his letter, as he told employees that it

is "in the best interest of our investors and employees to conduct an orderly wind down of Galleon's funds while we explore various alternatives for our business." Continue reading Galleon to shutter its hedge funds, is anyone surprised?

Galleon to shutter its hedge funds, is anyone surprised? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

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Charlie as a Too Big to Fail Bank (Financial Sector and Stocks Analysis from Seeking Alpha)

But, one day a new headmaster comes to the school. He doesn’t believe much in the need for Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:17:46 AM teachers to monitor the children. You are a teacher at a local T h e c h i l d r e n c a n m o n i t o r primary school. Each school day t h e m s e l v e s . U n f o r t u n a t e l y , you and some of your colleagues Charlie has a bit of a following at watch over the children at the school and before you know a lot school playground to make sure o f t h e k i d s a r e l i g h t i n g all of the children follow the rules firecrackers on the schoolyard. No a n d k e e p t h e i r h a n d s t o one gets seriously hurt – just a themselves. Your role is to keep few minor burns here and there. the children safe. Mind you, this So Charlie ups the ante to M-80s is a Montessori School where the like he saw in the video. There philosophy is to let children was a serious close call when he explore within set boundaries. put the frog in a jar with the MBut, if a child hurts another or a 80, but self-monitoring has c h i l d ’ s b e h a v i o r p o s e s a n worked pretty well and there have immediate risk to others, you still been no major casualties. always step in. That’s when little John comes In fact, one child, Charlie has up to you and asks, “Ms. Watkins, been a bit of a problem recently. w h y d o e s C h a r l i e h a v e l i t Charlie is one of the biggest kids d y n a m i t e ? ” at the school, a boisterous sixth In case it’s not obvious: grader who likes to push and play • Charlie is a too big to fail bank. with matches. Last July 4th, it • The matches are debt, the seems he got a hold of a video on firecrackers are derivatives, the M t h e I n t e r n e t b l o g C r e d i t -80s are asset-backed securities Writedowns on how not to use a n d t h e d y n a m i t e i s O T C fireworks. Contrary to the video’s d e r i v a t i v e s . intention, he rather liked seeing • You (Ms. Watkins) are things blow up and courting Brooksley Born danger. You see Charlie is a bit of • The headmaster is Alan a p y r o m a n i a c . Y o u h a v e Greenspan repeatedly had to stop Charlie • Little John is another smaller from bringing matches to the community bank playground and lighting things on • The other children are banks fire. But, recently you have had to and citizens of the broader c o n f i s c a t e f i r e c r a c k e r s a n d economy suspend him from school. • The frog-glass incident was

LTCM’s collapse • The lit dynamite incident was Lehman Brothers ( LEHMQ.PK) In the past, I have likened regulators to referees or playground monitors to illustrate why the concept that markets are self-regulating is absurd. In the last post, “ Frontline – The Warning: Who Knew About the Looming Financial Crisis?” Alan Greenspan was at war with regulator Brooksley Born over this concept of self-regulation. Born believed that regulation was a necessity in any financial market. Greenspan believed that markets are inherently selfregulating. Even fraud was selfregulating through market discipline in his view. I believe he has now repudiated this. However, Born lost that battle with ugly consequences when the market she wanted regulated, OTC derivatives, blew up via AIG. Self-regulation is to regulation as self-importance is to importance. Note: Even though I am pointing to Buiter’s piece here, I am not a believer in regulationheavy in the least. Nevertheless, his ideas do merit consideration. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Barnes & Noble reveals e-reader plans By Tom Johansmeyer (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 10/21/2009 12:10:00 PM

Filed under: Google (GOOG), Amazon.com (AMZN) As expected, Barnes & Noble(NYSE: BKS) has announced its entry into the ereader market. The top bookseller, with green stores all over the country (and, for that matter, my neighborhood) is eager to get a taste of of the success Amazon(NASDAQ: AMZN) has realized with the Kindle. The Barnes & Noble e-reader, which will be called the Nook, will be available at the company's

more than 750 locations in the United States at a price of $259. Essentially, it's coming in at the same spot as the Kindle, which currently owns 60% of the U.S. market. Continue reading Barnes & Noble reveals e-reader plans Barnes & Noble reveals ereader plans originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

Morgan Stanley gets a profit and top spot for M&A By Tom Taulli (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 10/21/2009 11:50:00 AM

Filed under: Earnings reports, Goldman Sachs Group (GS), Morgan Stanley (MS) During the past year, Morgan Stanley(NYSE: MS) went from Margaret Atwood, Speculative Fiction's Apocalyptic Optimist near-death to profitability. Yes, By Scott Thill (Wired Top the Flood, the Canadian writer troubled times. Yet Atwood Wall Street can be extremely Stories) dreams up an environmental remains hopeful that science can resilient. In its latest quarterly report, c a t a s t r o p h e t h a t m a k e s f o r save the world before it's too late. Submitted at 10/20/2009 1:48:00 PM Morgan Stanley posted a profit of compelling reading in these $757 million, or $0.38 per share. In her new novel, The Year of This was far below the company's

results in the same period a year ago, which came to $7.7 billion, or $6.97 per share (keep in mind there was a large one-time gain for this quarter). Continue reading Morgan Stanley gets a profit and top spot for M&A Morgan Stanley gets a profit and top spot for M&A originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

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Reading Rates: MBA Application Survey, October 21, 2009 (Financial Sector and Stocks Analysis from Seeking Alpha) Submitted at 10/21/2009 8:20:58 AM

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) publishes the results of a weekly applications survey that covers roughly 50 percent of all residential mortgage originations and tracks the average interest rate for 30 year and 15 year fixed rate mortgages, 1 year ARMs as well as application volume for both purchase and refinance applications. The purchase application index has been highlighted as a particularly important data series as it very broadly captures the demand side of residential real estate for both new and existing home purchases. The latest data is showing that the average rate for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage increased 5 basis points since last week to 5.07% while the purchase application volume decreased 7.6% and the refinance application volume declined 16.8% compared to last week’s results. It’s important to recognize that

Government Bailout of Banks as a Percentage of GDP (Financial Sector and Stocks Analysis from Seeking Alpha) Submitted at 10/21/2009 8:43:02 AM

while the Federal Reserve’s “quantitative easing” measures have worked to push down fixed rates and resulting in two separate booms of refinance activity earlier in the year and what appears to be a third one shaping up now, purchase activity still appears to have been only lightly effected. Even with historically low lending rates both refinance and purchase application volume appears lackluster and possibly even still in an overall declining trend. The following chart shows how the principle and interest cost and

estimated annual income required to cover the PITI (using the 29% “rule of thumb”) on a $400,000 loan has changed since November 2006. click to enlarge The following chart shows the average interest rate for 30 year and 15 year fixed rate mortgages over the last number of weeks. The following charts show the Purchase Index, Refinance Index and Market Composite Index since November 2006. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Western governments bailed out their large troubled banks in the credit crisis in order to protect the financial system. The following chart shows the government bailout funds for recapitalization of banks as a percentage of GDP in 2008: click to enlarge Source: The Wall Street Journal The US government spent the most amount of money to save the financial system by bailing out

troubled banks such as Citibank ( C) and Bank of America ( BAC). 5.2% of 2008 GDP was spent on saving the banks. The UK spent 3.9% of GDP. Italian banks were the most stable and did not require large government bailouts. So just 0.7% of GDP went into bailouts. Unlike British and American banks, Italian banks were very conservative and did not indulge in exotic derivatives trading or sub-prime lending. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Marvel's Comic Book Creator Is $&@#ing Brilliant [Software] By Mark Wilson (Gizmodo)

favorite (mini) Marvel heroes into each panel. Of course can also add text, sound effects Marvel's Create Your Own objects—whatever you need to Comic service is designed for flesh out that 4-part series you've kids, but that shouldn't stop you. always wanted to see in which a The free online app allows you prepubescent Wolverine struggles to select between a slew of page to uncover the roots of his layouts, then drag and drop your inexplicably persistent five Submitted at 10/21/2009 8:40:00 AM

o'clock shadow. But the best part is that the

whole system is vector based, meaning that you can enlarge any element (like characters) as much as you'd like before exporting your comic to a fairly high rez PDF (that's free from watermarks or any other stuff that could sour the experience). Though, I must admit, I fear to

see what your minds come up with in the comments. Please keep in mind that none of these superheroes are of age. [ Marvel via GeekDad]

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Unibody Apple MacBook Review [Review] By Jason Chen (Gizmodo) Submitted at 10/21/2009 10:00:00 AM

It was inevitable that Apple would take their unibody manufacturing prowess from their MacBook Pros and focus it on the MacBook line. We just never expected the new MacBook to be as enticing as the 13-inch Pro. It's Basically a White Macbook Pro To illustrate just how good the internals are on the MacBook, just compare them to the current base 13-inch MacBook Pro. Both have a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo with a 3MB L2 cache, a 1066 MHz frontside bus and a 2GB default RAM. They also have a really similar LED backlit display, which eliminates the problem of narrowed viewing angles that we docked the first generation unibody MacBooks for, and both now have the same contrast ratio. The only difference is that the Pro has a 60% greater color gamut. The new body The rounded edges and a reduced number of seams make the new MacBook appear to be a flattened marshmallow. A glossy, rubber-bottomed marshmallow. It's an immediately more appealing shape than the previous generation of white MacBooks, marking the end of the transition of Apple laptops to unibody construction. That rubber bottom is also pretty satisfying, both in the fact that it grips surfaces better to not slide around, and because it's a more thigh-friendly material when the machine heats up. The whole body is more solid, thanks to an aluminum sheet and some more structural supports found in the teardown. Otherwise, there are many other small design changes you'll

sticky feel when you're typing. It's not a huge deal, but it is less usable when compared to previous generations or the MacBook Pro line. 窶｢ Again, like the Magic Mouse, the white polycarbonate (plastic) will get scratched easily, and will show scratches if you look at it from a certain angle. It doesn't diminish performance, but it is annoying if you're anal about your stuff. Where does that leave us? Right now is the brief window in time when MacBooks just got bumped up in specs to match the low-end MacBook Pros, in order for the MacBook Pros to have room to grow without leaving the entry-level machines too far appreciate. The trackpad is now between the three models. The can only get better. Our testing is behind. If you're in the market for a MacBook, this could be the best the standard glass multitouch type small discrepancies fall inside the processor-intensive. found on the Pros, the screen has margin of error, and some change W h a t ' s a l s o i n t e r e s t i n g , time for you to buy and feel good a more prominent bezel and the can probably be attributed to the according to the teardown, is that about your purchase, knowing iSight is circular instead of fact that the first two machines the battery is only 60 watt-hours t h a t y o u ' l l g e t t h e s a m e square. Keyboard layout is the were running Leopard, whereas vs. 55 on the old one, yet it gets a performance as a machine that same, but on-key shortcuts have the machine we have now is lot more battery life. This is costs $200 more. But keep in mind, this b e e n u p d a t e d t o t h e l a t e s t running Snow Leopard. probably due to internal standards. It also comes with Point is, this MacBook isn't optimizations that Apple made, development basically implies Apple's new 60W power adapter, really that much faster or slower not just because there's a fatter that the MacBook Pros will be getting the Core i5 and i7 which has a tip that looks more than the one last year. battery. Some new problems like the MacBook Air than any of Just as the transition to non窶｢ A consequence of having an processors some time in the next the previous chargers. replaceable batteries increased improved, unibody construction is year. The unibody construction was In general, the build quality is MacBook Pro runtime, so too has that you can no longer replace the an inevitable upgrade to the more solid and more "Pro" than the transition benefited the battery yourself. It also means that ever before, despite the material Macbook. Except for the fact that native battery life will be longer, MacBook line, and one that brings being polycarbonate instead of there's no external battery display as demonstrated in the testing many more benefits than it does aluminum. It's like trading up on this unit for some reason, and a b o v e . I n f a c t , u n l i k e P r o faults. There shouldn't be a drastic f r o m a T o y o t a Y a r i s t o a that there's no infrared port for machines where people really do change in the MacBook design Camry窶馬ot luxury, but it's a Apple Remotes. w a n t t o s w a p b a t t e r i e s f o r any time soon, so now is probably noticeable difference. The new MacBook ran 4 hours extended field use, an improved the furthest away from the next Benchmarks and Battery Life and 12 minutes, longer than the internal battery will serve regular generation as you're going to get. [ Apple] C o m p a r i n g t h e 1 3 - i n c h two most recent MacBook Pros, users much better. Polycarbonate unibody aluminum unibody MacBook of using the same metrics as we did 窶｢ For some reason, Apple 2008 to the 13-inch aluminum before: Wi-Fi on, keyboard decided to make the entire area construction looks, feels great Has just about the same specs as unibody MacBook Pro to the 13- backlight on low, non-stop H.264 surrounding the keyboard as the 13-inch MacBook Pro, so inch MacBook now shows that movie playback. In real-world glossy as the outer shell, meaning there really isn't a big difference circumstances, that battery life that your wrists have a more UNIBODY page 18

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Windows 7 launches tomorrow. Are you going to bite? By Matt Burns (CrunchGear) Submitted at 10/21/2009 8:45:17 AM

Windows 7 has been a long time coming. In some ways it’s what Windows Vista was supposed to be back in 2006. It’s fast, super stable, but also clean and sleek. I love it and switch from OS X because of Windows 7. It has restored my faith in Microsoft and it feels good to be back on a Windows system after a five year hiatus. I don’t think I’m alone either. Reviews and previews of Windows 7 have been posted ever since the first public beta in January of 2009. Everyone seems to love it. I haven’t seen or heard of any major bugs or flaws in the operating system. Microsoft nailed this one and should be proud. Tomorrow, October 22, is the official launch date of Windows 7. Preorders are already shipping out from online retailers and I wouldn’t be surprised if the retail boxes are already on the shelves in some brick and mortar stores.

In fact, TG Daily is reporting that Windows 7 has dethroned Harry Potter as Amazon’s most successful preorder item of all time. It’s clear that people want Windows 7. But do you? Seriously, I’m asking. Do you plan on purchasing Windows 7? I’m not saying you should pay full retail for the system as there have already been a few deals for the

OS including a student discount and the Signature edition found in the Windows 7 Launch Party packs landing on eBay for cheap. Or you can snag an OEM version on the cheap too if you can manage without the retail box and documentation. But if you do have to pay full retail, at least Windows 7 rings up at a lot lower price than previous editions of Windows 7 with the

most expensive Ultimate edition costing only $319, which is slightly less painful than Vista’s $399 MSRP. That’s still a good chunk of change though. I can tell you that Windows 7 does provide a significant usability boost over Windows 7, but besides that, even I have a hard time justify the price. I know Microsoft and Apple’s business model are totally

different, but Apple wins people over when it prices new operating systems for $29 while Microsoft charges more than a cost of a netbook. Apple also doesn’t have 17 different versions of the same operating system. Its K.I.S.S. strategy obviously means hardware and software. You already know how I feel about the OS. I’m using it right now and have enjoyed the free beta versions the entire time. I doubt anyone will actually line up at Best Buy for the chance to be the first tomorrow to purchase the OS. (Okay, maybe a few will) There’s a good chance that savvy Windows users already have the OS either through one of the beta programs or from one of those “torrent” sites I hear about occasionally… So what’s your plan? Is your computer getting a Windows 7 upgrade sometime soon or are you still going to live in the depths of hell that is Windows Vista.

Presenting the Gucci App for the App Store by Gucci By John Biggs (CrunchGear)

iPod! Which one is this? The iPhone? Can you make calls on it for me? Really? No, darling, the Claudia, darling, you come in green one. The doctor said my here. I need you to put more face would fall into my salad if I electricity into this iPod. No, don’t inject the green bottle. Call miss, I don’t want to wear those Tom Ford for me. Oh! He’s in my pumps to Anna’s party. Let’s get favorites? some heels in here. Good, good, Can we do something darling? you little pork pie. Lose a bit of Can we make a techno thing for weight. Ah, my iPod. I need more the iPod, branded Gucci? So techno on here. It’s what my people can listen to music and lovers listen to. think about Gucci? Tell Paolo to What’s this? This isn’t my white stop raking those leaves and to Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:02:00 AM

take off his shirt and clean the pool or else he doesn’t get into the glossies. That’s right. Mmmm… he’s a delicious bite of

watermelon wrapped in thinly sliced cheese, isn’t he. Don’t poke so much with that need, Claudia, or it’s back to Stuttgart with you.

An app you say? Is that like a starter? Oh! A program! Roger must have had something to do with that sort of thing when we married. There’s quite a bit of money in it. Well do it, then. Spare no expense. Now where is my colostomy attachment? I need to get rid of breakfast. Ah, wonderful, Claudia. Wonderful. The app is free on the App Store, darlings.

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AT&T Sues the Pants Off of Price-Fixing LCD Manufacturers [At&t] By John Herrman (Gizmodo) Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:39:11 AM

Acer Aspire 3D laptop shipping this week By Doug Aamoth (CrunchGear) Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:00:00 AM

Oh, right, 3D laptops. I almost forgot. If you like 3D so much that you want to have it with you wherever you go, then 3D laptops may or may not soon be all the rage. No need to wait, though, as Acer’s 15.6-inch Aspire 5738DG will be available this week. As previously reported, you’ll need to use special glasses but – BUT! – even standard 2D stuff

can be converted to 3D. How is this possible? Glad you asked: “The notebook features a 15.6inch Acer CineCrystal HD display coated with a special 3D film which clings to the panel pixel by pixel, enabling the LCD technology to deliver a 3D image. Users slip on a pair of included 3D polarizer eyeglasses, which filter 2D images to 3D, and enjoy eye-popping, true cinematic high def playback of movies, video and games. Customers can use the TriDef Media Player for playback

of videos and photos in 3D, while the TriDef Ignition tool to enables 2D to 3D conversion for games and applications supporting DirectX 9 and above.” Other features include the following: • Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 CPU at 2.2GHz • Windows 7 Home Premium 64 -bit • 15.6-inch LED-backlit 3D screen at 1366×768 resolution • ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 with 512MB of RAM (expandable

to 2304MB via system memory sharing) • 4GB DDR2 RAM • 320GB hard drive (5400RPM) • Card reader, b/g/n Wi-Fi, DVD burner, webcam, four USB ports • Six-cell battery, system weighs 6.16 pounds Starting MSRP of $780, it’ll (likely) be available starting tomorrow. [ Full press release]

AT&T and the LCD industry make for strange courtfellows, but wait'll you hear what for: AT&T claims that due to LCD price fixing by LG, Sharp and other, they've overpaid for 300 million handsets. Interestingly, they're not thrilled about this. Between a general leeriness towards AT&T and spectacularly huge numbers involved, the whole thing sounds a little conspiratorial. Thing is, the pricefixing definitely happened: South Korea's LG Display Co., Sharp Corp. and Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd. agreed last November to pay $585 million in criminal fines in a U.S. Justice Department probe of illegally price fixing on LCDs used in flatscreen televisions, cellphones and other devices. This lawsuit is less about AT&T proving that some of the biggest LCD manufacturers in the world have been gouging them (and in turn, their customers) than it is about getting some kind of compensation for said gouging, which has been driving up prices of phones for quite a while now. I mean, probably not by more than a few cents apiece, but still! Outrage! As a bonus, this is a rare chance to earnestly root for the Death Star. [ WSJ]

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Google Audio music service launching soon? (update: seems it!) By Thomas Ricker (Engadget) Submitted at 10/21/2009 12:05:00 PM

So TechCrunch has it from multiple sources that a US (at least) music service launch from Google is imminent. Possibly named Google Audio, it's unclear whether the service will stream music from the major labels and/or offer it as downloadable tracks. Scuttlebutt says that the By Darren Murph (Engadget) swimming pool before being service will differ from Google's apprehended soaking wet, and free, search and download music Submitted at 10/21/2009 11:29:00 AM even though OnStar took just 16 offering available in China since So, picture this. You get the itch minutes to return the vehicle to its 2008. Now go ahead, kick back to start some chaos at around rightful owner, at least you'll go and imagine a Google music 3AM local time. You snatch up down in history as the first one to By Donald Melanson across the board (think Celeron or service tightly integrated with your stolen shotgun, load a few fall victim to the system. Here's to (Engadget) Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM, and a Android while we dig for more slugs in there and roll out with a you, unfortunate carjacker -- next Submitted at 10/21/2009 1:24:00 PM 250GB or 320GB hard drive). details. mind to come home in a shiny time, go for a lawnmower. [Via Pocket-lint] Still no word on a release over new vehicle. As fate would have Humiliating video is after the Update: Looks like Google's Viewsonic's already announced a h e r e , b u t i t l o o k s l i k e t h e it, you choose to carjack a 2009 break. few new laptops in advance of ViewBook Pro will set you back planning to dive on in with iLike Chevy Tahoe, and while Continue reading OnStar's that little Windows 7 launch, but $999 or $1,099 depending on the and LaLa, and the whole shindig everything seems kosher at first Stolen Vehicle Slowdown used to it looks like it's saved its biggest configuration, with most of the may end up being called One (look, there's even a half-full recover carjacked vehicle, baffle guns for the last minute, with it rest running well under the $1,000 Box. bottle of Coke Zero over there!), carjacker (video) Filed under: Portable Audio now introducing a whole range of mark. Head on past the break for a the mighty V8 just seems to be F i l e d u n d e r : G P S , new models in Taipei. The stand- hands-on look at the Pro. Google Audio music service struggling all of a sudden. As the T r a n s p o r t a t i o n launching soon? (update: seems out of the lot is the company's [Via TweakTown] horrifying reality sets in (you OnStar's Stolen Vehicle new ViewBook Pro (pictured Continue reading Viewsonic i t ! ) o r i g i n a l l y a p p e a r e d o n know, the one that involves the S l o w d o w n u s e d t o r e c o v e r above), which packs a 13.3-inch debuts new range of ViewBooks, Engadget on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 accelerator not functioning any carjacked vehicle, baffle carjacker display, low-power Core 2 Duo ViewBook Pros 12:05:00 EST. Please see our longer), you're left with no choice (video) originally appeared on processor, and a fairly unique terms for use of feeds. Read| Filed under: Laptops but to curse OnStar's Stolen Engadget on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 interchangeable optical drive / Viewsonic debuts new range of Permalink| Email this| Comments Vehicle Slowdown feature, which 11:29:00 EST. Please see our s e c o n d b a t t e r y i n t o a s l i m ViewBooks, ViewBook Pros has just nabbed its first-ever terms for use of feeds. Read| aluminum enclosure. Rounding originally appeared on Engadget criminal. As the Tahoe slowly Permalink| Email this| Comments out the lot are the ViewBook 120, on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:24:00 grinds to a halt, you make a 130 and 140, which expectedly EST. Please see our terms for use fruitless dash and topple into a boast 12-inch, 13.3-inch and 14- of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email inch screens, respectively, and this| Comments some low-end to mid-range specs

OnStar's Stolen Vehicle Slowdown used to recover carjacked vehicle, baffle carjacker (video)

Viewsonic debuts new range of ViewBooks, ViewBook Pros

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Three-wheeled eRinGo car concept: no thanks By Laura June (Engadget)

AT&T sues LG, Samsung, others alleging LCD price-fixing 'conspiracy' By Chris Ziegler (Engadget)

display pricing recently must've spooked AT&T, because they've gone ahead and filed a lawsuit in A cellphone without an LCD San Francisco today alleging that isn't much of a cellphone. Alright, LG, Samsung, Chunghua, AU yes, there are exceptions to the O p t r o n i c s , a n d o t h e r s a l l rule, but generally speaking, conspired to boost component LCDs still rule the industry, prices during a period in which which makes it a ripe target for the carrier bought some 300 nefarious price-fixing schemes to m i l l i o n h a n d s e t s . T h a t ' s a take root -- something that LG boatload of phones -- several and Sharp are well-acquainted times AT&T's total subscriber with coming off a stinging half- base -- and we're guessing the billion dollar verdict last year. All result could be a significant cash the talk of artificially inflated outlay if they're successful with Submitted at 10/21/2009 12:32:00 PM

Submitted at 10/21/2009 12:55:00 PM

It's hard to hold the designers of concept cars accountable -- so few ever come close to seeing the light of day, and they are, after all -the suit. Does this mean free concepts. That said, the eRinGo Mythics for everyone? car is one design we seriously [Via Phone Scoop] hope never comes to fruition. A Filed under: Cellphones, two-seater that's capable of Displays converting back and forth AT&T sues LG, Samsung, between one and three-wheeled others alleging LCD price-fixing driving, depending on the curves 'conspiracy' originally appeared of the road ahead, the eRinGo on Engadget on Wed, 21 Oct looks like a half-crushed can of 2009 12:32:00 EST. Please see Heineken. Not a good thing, in our terms for use of feeds. Read| our opinion. That said, we like the Permalink| Email this| Comments two steering wheel concept -wherein the passenger on either side can take over driving duties -

- great if your friends are the agreeable sort willing to hand over the keys at any moment. There isn't much more meat as to how this dude would work, but that's what your imagination is for, right? There's one more shot of this bad, bad boy after the break. Continue reading Threewheeled eRinGo car concept: no thanks Filed under: Transportation Three-wheeled eRinGo car concept: no thanks originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

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Blackberry Storm 2 Dummy Units Arrive At Best Buy and Verizon Stores [Storm 2]

Screen Grabs: Nokia N96 preserves the evidence on Dexter

By Sean Fallon (Gizmodo) Submitted at 10/21/2009 8:34:00 AM

By Joseph L. Flatley (Engadget)

him as a BlackBerry guy. Then again, times are tough, and as a new father he has to make... Submitted at 10/21/2009 12:01:00 PM sacrifices. Screen Grabs chronicles the uses Update: We originally identified (and misuses) of real-world this one as the N81. Thanks to all gadgets in today's movies and TV. you raving Nokia fanatics who Send in your sightings (with pointed out the error. screen grab!) to screengrabs at Gallery: Screen Grabs: Nokia engadget dt com. N96 preserves the evidence on No this isn't the first Nokia- Dexter wielding fictional character or Filed under: Cellphones celeb that we've seen in this Screen Grabs: Nokia N96 space, but the N96 recently preserves the evidence on Dexter spotted in the hands of our originally appeared on Engadget favorite psychopath has us on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:01:00 wondering: would Dexter Morgan EST. Please see our terms for use try N-Gage? And wouldn't he of feeds. Permalink| Email this| p r e f e r s o m e t h i n g w i t h a Comments QWERTY keyboard? Come to think of it, we always thought of

Finemini720: New mini LCOS projector By Serkan Toto (CrunchGear) Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:30:29 AM

Tokyo-based home electronics company Lancerlink[JP] has announced the Finemini720 today, a palm-sized LCOS projector. Sized at just 50×150×125mm, the device weighs 800g. It’s equipped with a 25W LED, produces 55 lumens of brightness and produces 1,280×768 resolution images.

Barnes & Noble's Nook eBook Reader Is Willing to Share By Eliot Van Buskirk (Wired Top Stories)

The new Nook e-book reader sports a color touchscreen display

and lets users share books for a limited time.

The Finemini720 features a 200:1 contrast ratio, supports 1080p and also offers an HDMI interface. The device will go on sale in Japan in December, but Lancerlink hasn’t announced a price yet. People living outside Japan might want to ask if the Japan Trend Shop or Geek Stuff 4 U can get one for them. Via AV Watch[JP]

As this spy shot confirms, Blackberry Storm 2 dummy units have started to arrive on Best Buy shelves—and word is that Verizon has received them as well. In other words, the launch is imminent. How iminient? Well, If you believe earlier reports, there is a good chance that the launch could take place as early as October 25th. [ Crackberry via MobileCrunch]

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UNIBODY continued from page 12 you're getting a good deal Finally get Pro stuff like the multitouch glass trackpad Glossy wrist area is slightly too sticky Can't swap out batteries, but you do get longer life in return Firewire port is gone

New to the Nest: Meet Nicole Richie's Baby Sparrow (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:22:00 AM

Baby Sparrow James Midnight Madden posed for his first People magazine cover with mom Nicole Richie, and his adorning, sleep deprived parents talk about raising their two young children. "I'm glad I had a girl before I

had a boy," Richie tells People magazine of Sparrow's older sister Harlow. "She just loves him so much." Richie's musician boyfriend and father of Sparrow and Harlow, Joel Madden, says of his daughter, "She's very gentle with [the baby]."

Google announces Analytics updates (CNET News.com) Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:18:26 AM

Google announced on Tuesday that its Google Analytics Web site -tracking tool has been improved with a slew of new features for enterprise-class users. To start things off, Google Verizon Stores & Best Buy have BlackBerry announced that it has added the option for users to measure user Storm 2 dummy units, launch imminent? engagement and branding success. By Matt Burns (CrunchGear) should mean that the Storm 2's The company said users will be l a u n c h d a t e i s q u i c k l y able to "to set thresholds for Time Submitted at 10/21/2009 8:13:28 AM approaching. November has been on Site and Pages per Visit." With the help of a new feature We just got word that Verizon the target date for a while now, Stores are now receiving their but with stores already prepping called Advanced Table Filtering, BlackBerry Storm 2 dummy units for the launch, availability will Analytics users will now be able and training is finally available probably be early in the month. to filter content more effectively and view that content in a table. for retail associates. All that According to Google, users can Life Ingredients Found "filter thousands of keywords" to find, for example, "just the on Extrasolar Gas Giant keywords with a bounce rate less By Alexis Madrigal (Wired Top than 30 percent and that referred Stories) at least 25 visits." Submitted at 10/20/2009 1:31:00 PM Going mobile Google is also looking towards Water, carbon dioxide and mobile phones. Analytics will methane have been found in the track traffic to the user's mobile atmosphere of a second exoplanet, Web site. According to Google, suggesting that the ingredients for whether or not the device visitors life could be widespread in a use to access the mobile site has variety of star systems. JavaScript running won't matter,

which means most mobile phones will be supported. That said, users who want to track mobile traffic will need to add "a server-side code snippet" to their mobile site. Google said the code will be made available in the coming weeks. Continuing on its mobile focus, "iPhone and Android mobileapplication developers can now also track how users engage with apps, just as with tracking engagement on a Web site," Google said. For those users who want more capable usage data than simple page views and unique visitors, Google has added a Multiple Custom Variables option. Users can now "define and track visitors according to visitor attributes, session attributes, and by pagelevel attributes. This feature isn't currently available to Analytics users. It will be making its way to all user accounts "in the coming weeks," Google said. Intelligence, anyone? Perhaps the most interesting announcement coming from Google is the company's contention that Analytics can now "tell you what to pay attention to." Dubbed Analytics Intelligence,

Google's new tool will analyze traffic data and alert users when there is a "significant" change in data patterns. Although the company didn't define "significant," it did say that if it sees a "300 percent surge in visits from YouTube referrals" or "bounce rates of visitors from Virginia dropped by 70 percent two weeks ago," users would be alerted. Since so-called "intelligent" tracking can get a little annoying at times, Google has also implemented a Custom Alerts feature, allowing users to tell the service what to watch for. According to Google, users can set "daily, weekly, and monthly triggers on different dimensions & metrics, and be notified by e-mail or right in the user interface when the changes actually occur." Like many of the other features Google announced, Analytics Intelligence will make its way to Analytics accounts in the coming weeks. If you're interested in learning more or seeing some of these features in action, click here. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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An Inside Look at 4 Developer Ecosystems By Ben Parr (Mashable!)

developer ecosystem. That actually occurred in May 2007, with the announcement of the This series is supported by Facebook Platform. PayPal X Innovate 2009, PayPal’s Since then, tens of thousands of f i r s t d e d i c a t e d d e v e l o p e r apps have been built on top of the conference. Register for $49 with Facebook Platform. And, along the code ppblog3 or join us at $50 with Facebook Connect, it has if you are a student. become a very enticing ecosystem As a developer, you have a lot f o r d e v e l o p e r s . H e r e i s a n of choices when it comes to how o v e r v i e w o f t h e p l a t f o r m : you attack a project. From - Active since: August 2006 programming languages, like (launch of the first Facebook API) Ruby and Python, to development - Number of applications: frameworks, such as Rails and 350,000+ Apps (on top of that, D j a n g o , t o d e p l o y m e n t there are 15,000+ websites environments, like Amazon EC2 utilizing Facebook Connect) or Google App Engine, there is a - Interesting stat: FarmVille, the wide range of options to get the most popular app on Facebook job done. currently, has over 60 million But over the last few years, monthly active users social media sites and their Reasons to develop Facebook a p p l i c a t i o n p r o g r a m m i n g apps: According to Jesse Stay, a interfaces (API) have spawned w e l l - k n o w n s o c i a l m e d i a what we like to call “developer d e v e l o p e r a n d f o u n d e r o f e c o s y s t e m s . ” T h e s e a r e SocialToo, the big reason to communities centered around develop apps for Facebook is its building applications on top of sheer size: 300 million users and more popular services, such as counting. And since Facebook is Twitter or Facebook. Social built on personal connections, media APIs have been responsible personalized games and apps are f o r a d d i n g a n e w l a y e r o f appealing to users. functionality to popular services Tip for developing Facebook and have spawned a new era of apps: Get to know Facebook innovation. Connect. It’s quickly become a Which developer ecosystem very powerful platform for should you program and hack for, integrating Facebook data with though? In order to help you your web app, as well as a new answer that question, we’ve way to create viral distribution. written up a brief overview of You can learn more on the four different ecosystems, from Facebook Developers website. Facebook to Google Wave. This The most difficult issue knowledge will hopefully help developing for Facebook: Jesse you better understand your believes that one of the most options. 1. Facebook difficult issues to overcome when In 2006, Facebook launched an developing for the Facebook API to allow developers to platform is figuring out how your interact with the social network, preferred programming language but that wasn’t the point at which integrates with the Facebook API. F a c e b o o k r e a l l y b e c a m e a Some APIs won’t be available for Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:29:12 AM

that’s why it’s quickly becoming one of the most popular gaming platforms around. Tip for developing iPhone apps: Instead of one tip, we have 6 tips some languages, so get to know on developing better iPhone apps. your specific language’s library. Narrow your focus, build a better user experience, choose your 2. iPhone It’s been barely over a year, but approach, use the right tools for the iPhone app ecosystem has the job, test incessantly, and exploded. Maybe it’s the fact that understand the app store process people are willing to pay for so you successfully ship. The most difficult issue applications, maybe it’s the billions of apps sold, or maybe developing for the iPhone: There it’s that so many unique things is a lot of uncertainty dealing with c a n b e c r e a t e d u s i n g t h e Apple. Apps can be rejected for accelerometer, GPS, camera, and seemingly random reasons, and other iPhone features. Regardless, you can rarely pinpoint when building iPhone apps has become you’ll be approved or launched. Building an app also doesn’t wildly popular. Still, even popularity doesn’t guarantee success – it takes a lot mean that it’s the right platform of luck and promotion to get to for all developers. Apple has the top of the app store and stay some specific and stringent rules there. 3. Twitter In a few short years, the Twitter about apps, and it can take weeks – if not months – to get an app development ecosystem has approved. Even then, there is the exploded from a small niche to a mainstream phenomenon. Part of issue of the race to the bottom. So what are the pros and cons to it is due to the nature of Twitter: it developing iPhone apps? Is it lacks many features in its pursuit something you should do? Let’s for simplicity. This has created an opening for thousands of take a look. developers to fill the holes. - Active since: July 2008 Now there are Twitter apps that - Number of applications: Over 65,000 as of August 2009. do everything from let you Estimated to surpass 100,000 by manage your Twitter account onthe-go to analyze tweets for real the end of 2009. - Interesting stat: There have world trends. First, here are some stats on the been more than 2 billion iPhone apps sold as of September of this Twitter development ecosystem: - Active since: Near the launch year. Reasons to develop iPhone of Twitter itself - Number of applications:“Tens apps: There is money to be made in the iPhone app market. Unlike of thousands of apps,” according most other applications, users are to Twitter - Interesting stat: Nearly 80% of willing to pay for their apps (even if it’s only $0.99). It also provides Twitter usage is through third y o u w i t h p o s s i b i l i t i e s n o t party Twitter Apps (data via available in almost any other TwitStat) Reasons to develop Twitter developer ecosystem. Perhaps

apps: Unlike Facebook, Twitter doesn’t have 300+ million users. Instead, it has momentum, excitement, and virility, which Jesse Stay believes is the best reason to develop an app for Twitter. It’s a “great opportunity” to build and promote an app in a very short amount of time, and because of that momentum, a Twitter app can go from zero to millions of users in a matter of days or weeks. Tip for developing Twitter apps: Prepare for Twitter to go down at any time. Twitter has had stability issues for a while now, so making sure that your app isn’t a broken heap of code when there’s an issue with the API is key. The most difficult issue developing for Twitter: Twitter is fast-growing, which means that it’s fast-changing. New features, such as Project Retweet and Twitter Lists, are being launched all the time, requiring you to adapt. 4. Google Wave Some have declared it the successor to email. Others believe it is an overhyped mess. That’s right, I’m talking about Google Wave, the search company’s new real-time communication platform. It has captured the attention of millions with its wikilike features and its ability to embed apps within waves. It is by far the newest developer ecosystem around (meaning there are a lot of risks and unknowns surrounding it), but it is generating a lot of excitement. I’ve even had the chance to play around with some of my own gadgets and extensions. Here’s a quick outline of developing for Wave: INSIDE page 26

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Firefox's crossroads: Cutting-edge or mainstream? By Stephen Shankland (Webware.com)

Indeed, in the months after Chrome's arrival, these priorities appeared in Mozilla's Firefox Submitted at 10/21/2009 4:00:00 AM planning: "Observable MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.-- improvements in user-perceptible John Lilly wants it both ways. performance metrics such as startWorking at Mozilla Corporation up, time to open a new tab, and since 2005 and as chief executive responsiveness when interacting since early 2008, he helped with the user interface. Common o v e r s e e a r e m a r k a b l e user tasks should feel faster and achievement. Mozilla has built the more responsive." And future Firefox browser from a largely versions of Firefox likely will unsuccessful remnant of the look more like Chrome embracing Netscape era of the 1990s into the some of its less obtrusive framing browser that nearly a quarter of of Web content and applications. people on the Web use. Now the 'Web-native' Google challenges are different. Mozilla's biggest rivals before, Mozilla Corp. CEO John Microsoft's Internet Explorer and L i l l y ( C r e d i t : S t e p h e n Apple's Safari, came from Shankland/CNET) companies firmly rooted in the era First, for new growth, Mozilla o f d e s k t o p c o m p u t e r s a n d must make its open-source operating systems. Not so Google, browser appeal to an even more which not only has Web-based mainstream crowd, one that's applications such as Google Docs more interested in working and and Gmail to support, but also a playing online than in sticking it browser-based operating system to Microsoft or being part of a called Chrome OS. cause. Second, it's got to keep the "Competing was hard but at loyalty of the technically savvy some level simple. Google is e a r l y a d o p t e r s a n d W e b much more Web-native," Lilly developers that Google now has said. been courting with its Chrome Google is an unusual rival. Even browser. as Google and Mozilla vie for "We have to do both," Lilly said popularity, they're tight allies in i n a n i n t e r v i e w a t M o z i l l a the "Open Web" movement to headquarters here. "We have to be augment Web standards to today's a better browser for your standard static pages into tomorrow's everyday user of the Web who applications. And Google almost uses IE now, but I think we have singlehandedly funds Mozilla by to redouble our efforts to be good sending back a portion of searchfor Web developers." ad revenue that originates from The world changed for Mozilla Google searches within Firefox. when Chrome burst onto the In 2007, the last year for which scene in 2008. Mozilla didn't see Mozilla has released figures, itself as complacent, but Chrome Google supplied 89 percent of was a wake-up call that "clarified Mozilla's $75 million in revenue. some of our priorities," Lilly said, Although the Mozilla-Google including snappy performance. revenue-sharing deal is set to "It made some things real crisp," expire in 2011, realistically, it's Lilly said. probably safe.

For one thing, Firefox sends a large amount of search traffic to Google--traffic it could easily send to another search engine with the flip of a default setting switch. Second, Google's browser enemy is Internet Explorer, especially the slow and limited IE 6 that's still in widespread use eight years after its release. If Google wanted to cripple Mozilla, the time to do it would have been 2008, when the search-ad deal was up for renewal, but Google renewed it. New standards One big part of Mozilla's effort to remain in the vanguard is support for new Web standards. Mozilla is among those trying to renovate Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) to make it a richer, more capable foundation for programming as well as display. And its significant if not dominant share of usage makes it a major force bringing those "Open Web" technologies to fruition. "There are still a lot people who think the Web is done--there's this big mission accomplished banner. It's not true," Lilly said. "There are many proprietary technologies, many walled gardens with respect to video and offline technology. There is still is a lot of the Open Web fight to fight," Lilly said. "Getting to Firefox--a quarter of the Web-shows these technologies are real." One thorny one is Web-based video. Today most online video is sent using Adobe Systems' Flash browser plug-in, which is free; video is encoded with the H.264 standard, which must be licensed. But fees could increase in 2011 with the possibility of new

royalties for streaming H.264 video over the Internet. Mozilla headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET) Perhaps not coincidentally, Google announced plans to acquire On2 Technologies, which has other video encoding and decoding software--or codec-including a new version under development called VP8. "If VP8 is an open codec and unencumbered (by patent licensing considerations), it's something we'd implement. That changes the whole landscape," Lilly said. The first update in a decade to the HTML standard used to describe Web pages is under way, and one major feature is a video tag that builds video directly into the Web rather than relying on a plug-in such as Flash, Microsoft's Silverlight, or Apple's QuickTime. Though Mozilla, Google, Apple, and Opera all like the tag, they don't see eye to eye about what format video should be encoded in, which complicates how well the technology works in practice. Mozilla and Opera urge use of the Ogg Theora video format, which may be implemented in open-source software without licensing complications, and Firefox has had Ogg support since version 3.5 of the browser arrived earlier this year. But Apple's Safari has H.264 support built in. Google's Chrome supports both standards, but YouTube supports only H.264. Microsoft hasn't said what it plans to do. So for now, video plug-ins appear unthreatened. Microsoft in the wings At the other end of the

competitive spectrum is the incumbent. Although Microsoft's browser development crept nearly to a standstill after IE won the first browser wars of the 1990s, there's evidence the sleeping giant is awakening. IE 8, released earlier this year, attempts to conform to existing Web standards rather than setting its own. And though IE still doesn't support many of the latest technologies to make the Web into an application foundation, Microsoft now is actively engaged in discussions over those technologies and their standardization. Finally, Microsoft is working on Web applications of its own in the form of an online version of Office 2010, giving the company a strong new incentive to improve its technology. So far, though, Microsoft's effect is more theoretical than actual. "They've given notice they will engage. We haven't seen them influence it a lot," said Mike Shaver, Mozilla's vice president of engineering. He's eager about the possibility that Microsoft will embrace new Web standards. "They represent a large user base-some by choice, some not. Those technologies mean a lot more when they make it to more people." Something of a wild card factor in today's browser wars is Apple, which has released a Windows version of its browser. The company rarely ventures out of its home turf of Mac OS X unless there's a strong incentive-releasing iTunes for Windows to boost the iPod business, for FIREFOX'S page 34

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5 Small Businesses Successfully Using Social Media By Lauren Fisher (Mashable!) Submitted at 10/21/2009 7:53:56 AM

Lauren Fisher is the co-founder of Simply Zesty, an online PR and social media agency based in Dublin. She blogs regularly on Simply Zesty on social media and online communications. New research by Citibank reveals that social media has yet to penetrate the small business world, finding that 76% of the 500 organizations surveyed have not found social media useful in generating business. Maria Veltre, Executive Vice President of Citi’s Small Business Segment says, “Our survey suggests that small business owners are still feeling their way into social media, particularly when it comes to using these tools to grow their businesses.” On the surface, that’s not very encouraging news for small businesses, however there are plenty of small businesses doing some amazing things with social media. The five companies profiled in this post show that making a splash using social media isn’t about the size of your budget and that the only limit is your creativity. Kogi BBQ Kogi BBQ is a mobile Korean BBQ trust that travels around Los Angeles selling Korean tacos. They’ve built up an impressive 45,000 follower base on Twitter by tweeting where their truck is going to roll up next. The company also recently ran a crowdsourced t-shirt competition, with fans voting on their favorite t -shirt design. The story behind Kogi BBQ is decidedly home-grown, showing that with a personality and a good product you can build up a loyal

community. The now-famous taco truck has basically reached cult status and is an excellent ‘how-to’ for any business who wants to get involved with Twitter. Lesson: Kogi have shown that social media is about taking the mundane and making it remarkable. On the face of it, a mobile food truck isn’t all that innovative. But a mobile food truck that tweets its way through Los Angeles? That gets people engaged and importantly, the end result is boosted real-world sales. The Marsh Cafe With a simple poster in their window, The Marsh Cafe in San Francisco, have seriously demonstrated that they’re ahead of the social media curve. This summer they put up a sign that promoted ‘Foursquare mayor drinks for free!’ The cafe has received lots of coverage for their innovative marketing campaign, including on mainstream media outlets, such as CNN. Cari Turley, the manager of The Marsh who runs their social media presence, explains that she is an active user of social media including Foursquare, which is how she came up with the idea for the promotion. She says, “Already, a dozen or so people have written to me about how ‘cool’ the offer is, and really, in the Mission District, cool is the best thing you can be.” As for the impact on business? Since starting the offer, The Marsh cafe has a seen a surge in demand and has hired extra staff and extended opening hours to meet it. Denis Crowley, co-founder of Foursquare, even contacted the cafe after the promotion and worked to develop a special box application that promotes the

interaction with followers, as well as links to film teasers, exclusive announcements and special offers. Amidst all this work, Jon also finds the time to run the Splendor Cinema blog, which has also gained national recognition. Lesson: The Duke of York’s show that they are committed to regularly engaging with their community and keeping the focus offer. Lesson: By being right at the o n t h e i r p r o d u c t . T h e y ’ v e forefront of new technology, The integrated different social media Marsh has demonstrated how c h a n n e l s w h i c h a r e a l l something as simple as an offer consistently communicating the for a drink can garner attention Duke of York’s brand. They’re and create conversations around using their expertise around your brand. Because the staff at different films to generate a The Marsh are heavy social media conversation around the brand users themselves, they know what with content that is always fresh. works and what doesn’t work — Wiggly Wigglers Wiggly Wigglers is an excellent and this is invaluable. Duke of example of a real local company York’s Cinema The Duke of York’s is an making it big online. Wiggly independent cinema tucked away W i g g l e r s i s a r u r a l s t o r e in Brighton, England with a cult specializing in garden equipment following. They’ve successfully and worm composters, which on brought this following online, the face of it, is not the sexiest of through actively engaging with products. But the store has key social media channels. Their demonstrated how to make their Twitter account has grown to over content come alive online. In 1,200 followers and they have a addition to an impressive social regularly updated Facebook Page media presence, they’ve also with over 700 fans. Jon, the integrated social media into their m a n a g e r a t t h e c i n e m a i s site. Their “ cinema” page hosts responsible for their social media activity and is concentrating on great video demos showcasing Twitter as a channel that is their latest products, and they’ve g a i n i n g m o m e n t u m f o r t h e gone even further by recording a business. He explains that it is regular podcast, where each week important to “remain a living you can settle in on the ‘wiggly presence in people’s lives no sofa’ and listen to the program. The company is also using matter where they go.” They’ve recognized that a lot of Twitter to post garden tips and t h e i r c l i e n t e l e a r e y o u n g updates from the farm, with a p r o f e s s i o n a l s u s i n g n e w distinctive personal touch. Heather Gorringe from Wiggly technology, so they adapted their m a r k e t i n g t o s u i t t h a t Wigglers is active across the demographic. Their Twitter company’s social media accounts, account contains a good mix of sharing her expertise on topics

like worm composting, and posting ‘wiggly deals of the day.’ They’re sharing a vast amount of specialist information both on and off their site, which has established them as experts in the area. Their social media activity has brought credibility to their brand and this is priceless for any company. Lesson: In the case of Wiggly Wigglers, it’s clear that it is ultimately the people that are the face of the company online. Customers engage with a faceless Wiggly Wigglers business account on Twitter, but with Heather herself and it is this which keeps people talking about them. Howies Howies is a UK clothing company specializing in activewear. By any standards their site is incredibly social and packed full of sticky content. Howies has succeeded in giving their brand a real personality by making sure visitors get to know the individuals within the company. The howies blog is regularly updated by staff members Tim, Ruben, Ben, Pete, and Jon, and each of the authors has a distinct personality which comes through their posts, The blog’s content includes the right mix of product updates, such as tshirt of the month, and quirky posts, such as Pete’s decision to sell his BMX. There’s barely a social network that Howies doesn’t have a presence on — they’re even on Last.fm, maintaining an active company playlist. And they’re sharing an impressive amount of content on these channels, having built up over 2,000 fans on SMALL page 31

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Firefox's future features: 3.6, 3.7, and 4.0 By Stephen Shankland (Webware.com) Submitted at 10/21/2009 4:00:00 AM

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.-Some new fruits of Mozilla's effort to speed Firefox development are about to arrive. Mozilla plans to release the first beta version of 3.6 this weekend or early next week. But what exactly is coming in the new version and its successors? Mike Shaver, Mozilla's vice president of product development, and John Lilly, Mozilla's chief executive, detailed some of the browser's future in an interview at the corporation's headquarters here. And the company has an aggressive schedule, with three releases due within about a year. Mike Shaver, vice president of engineering at Mozilla(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET) The present version of Firefox was to have been called 3.1, but with significant new features, it became Firefox 3.5--and arrived later than 3.1 had been planned. Version 3.6 is slated for release in final form this year, with 3.7 in the first half of next year and 4.0 about a year from now, Lilly said. "We're trying to shrink these development cycles down," Shaver said. Getting personal One of the big changes with 3.6 is building in the Personas add-on that lets people customize the

appearance of the browser. It's about as cosmetic as a change can be, but reskinning software often is popular among users who want to personalize their computers. Under the covers but more noticeable is prioritized networking that gives the active tab the lion's share of network capacity to speed its loading. The goal is to speed up multipage restarts of the browser. Tabs behavior will get a significant change that could throw some people off. New tabs generally will appear immediately to the right of the active tab when opened from a link, rather than at the far right of the tab strip. Finally, Firefox 3.6 will support Open Web Font, a font format that supports compression and metadata to let the origins of a typeface be tracked down. Support for new Windows 7 interface features, though, mostly will have to wait. "Aero Peek has landed in 3.6, but Jump Lists and download status in the Windows 7 task bar will have to wait for 3.7," according to this week's update. Aero Peek lets people see miniature versions of applications from the Windows task bar; Jump Lists spring up from applications on the task bar to let people take quick actions such as opening a recently used document or Web page. A mock-up of Firefox 3.7 shows merged reload-stop button, the

home tab, and the missing menu bar option.(Credit: Mozilla) Firefox 3.7 For 3.7, the big change will be under the covers: plug-ins such as Flash will be moved to computing processes that are separate from the main browser operation, protecting the latter from problems with the former. "We've seen more crashing since 3.5 came out, especially in last month or so," Lilly said, pointing to problems from Web-based malware attacks and from issues with Flash. The new design also should help split Firefox up into separate tasks that can take better advantage of all the computing threads offered by multicore processors. Also coming in 3.7 will be new graphical animation work using Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), two Web standards. And pushing the direction in which Chrome and Safari have been so aggressive, there will be new JavaScript work. With version 3.0, Mozilla introduced Firefox's "awesomebar," officially but infrequently called the Smart Location Bar, which can be used not only to type addresses but also to retrieve the URLs of previously visited sites. With 3.7, expect an upgrade that lets people switch among active tabs by typing in the bar.

Firefox 3.7 also will mark the arrival of some significant changes to the user interface, though final details remain under discussion. Among the likely changes: a combined stop and reload button, a home tab instead of a home button, and the ability to run with the menu bar hidden. One superficial change Mozilla hopes will make Firefox look less "dated" is work to make the browser fit in better with Windows Vista and Windows 7. There will be some corresponding changes to Firefox's Mac OS X interface, too. This mock-up of Firefox 4.0 shows the 'tabs-on-top' option, the side-mounted menu buttons, combined address-search bar--all Google Chrome-like features.(Credit: Mozilla) Firefox 4.0 Bigger changes come with version 4.0. There each browser tab will get its own process. "In Firefox 4 we'll have a more fully multiprocess architecture for stability and increasingly to take advantage of multiple cores," Lilly said. Another big change will be with add-ons. One of Firefox's biggest assets is the rich array of these customization options--but a corresponding frustration is how those add-ons often break with each update to the browser. Firefox 4 will introduce a new add-on framework under

Windows 7 Amazon's Most Popular Preorder Ever [Upgrades] By Adam Pash (Lifehacker) Submitted at 10/21/2009 8:35:00 AM

According to tech news site TG Daily, Windows 7 is Amazon UK's biggest pre-ordered product of all time, which would indicate

to us that the 86% of Lifehacker readers upgrading to Windows 7 aren't alone. (Not sure how it

ranks on Amazon US.) The previous title holder: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. [ TG

Daily via Gizmodo]

development today called Jetpack that, like Chrome's, uses Webbased technologies for add-on construction. Today's Firefox uses a foundation called XUL. Among the other perks besides compatibility, as Mozilla sees it, Jetpack extensions are easier to write and share, and they can be updated as the browser runs without a restart. Still, it will mean a big discontinuity for programmers. "We want for developers to want to get onto Jetpack and the Jetpack application programming interface," Shaver said, and the current plan is to drop the older add-on technology with Firefox 4. Finally, there will be more changes to the browser's appearance. Some have called it a Chrome copy--features include a merged location bar and search bar, removing the status bar across the bottom, and adding an option to put the tabs at the very top of the browser, all features introduced with Chrome. Lilly, though, bridles at the Chromecopy idea. "We're trying to get as much window space as possible for content," he said. "I don't think it's a move toward Chrome. We're trying to give space to the content." Originally posted at Deep Tech

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HP can't save print industry, but big props for trying By Rafe Needleman (Webware.com) Submitted at 10/21/2009 12:01:00 AM

Hewlett-Packard is announcing two projects Wednesday at the Web 2.0 Summit that it hopes will give new life to print--books and magazines in particular. BookPrep and MagCloud let content that's been too expensive or difficult to print reach readers more easily. Andrew Bolwell, director of new business initiatives at HP, told me these products are based on an understanding that the publishing industry is undergoing a fundamental shift--which he sees as the move away from printing items ahead of time, distributing them to locations in the hopes that people will buy them, and then disposing of the products that are unsold--into the more contemporary model of printing on demand. Each year in the U.S., 2 billion magazines, or 62 percent of all those printed, end up unsold and in landfills, Bolwell said. Books are printed in advance in the same way, for the most part, and unsold copies are likewise destroyed. Furthermore, most of the books ever printed are unavailable to buy: Bolwell said only 4 percent of the 90 million books ever printed are available to purchase. BookPrep HP is set to rescue old books, making them fit to print

again.(Credit: Screenshot by Rafe Needleman/CNET) HP's BookPrep is built to address that. The service takes in scans of book pages, cleans them up automatically, and preps them for sale as print-on-demand paperback editions. The service, which has been in testing for about a year at a university library, is getting some high-profile partners and a business model. The service now gets scanned books from Google and from the Internet Archive, and sells its books on Amazon.com. The books are printed by various on-demand book printing houses. The covers are done on HP Indigo printers, but the book pages themselves are created on who-knows-what printer. Bolwell doesn't care, as the revenue comes from the sale of the books via Amazon royalties. HP said it will share a portion of its revenue with the source of each book's scan--in most cases, a library. Unlike the Archive's more disruptive Book Server project, which is about making current books available online, BookPrep is about older, public-domain books. And the BookPrep service does not index the actual text in books--it leaves that to Google, Amazon, and the Internet Archive. All BookPrep does is take crufty scans of old books and make them presentable enough for print. It also can create nice covers for print editions.

So if you want a print edition of the 1887 White House Cook Book, this is how a surviving, aging copy of the book can appear new again. MagCloud The company also has a way for today's magazine publishers to print for less.(Credit: Screenshot by Rafe Needleman/CNET) The MagCloud business addresses magazine printing. It's a custom magazine printing site, like Lulu but for glossy magazines, that's been live since February. The service lets people create their own print publication and customize single copies for users based on location or other factors. When a reader buys an issue, MagCloud prints a copy at a printer as close to the person's location as possible to save shipping costs and time. The new addition to the product is a link into Wikia blogs. Users can now print "magazines" of Wikia pages, and the service will format them so they look nice. It reminds me of Offbeat Guides to an extent. MagCloud isn't a complete magazine publishing system in the sense that it helps people create periodical publications. It doesn't do subscription management nor does it automate print advertising. But it does look like a nice way to get a fancy-looking color magazine-like publication created and distributed easily. MagCloud publications are printed on HP's Indigo printers,

but HP said it's agnostic to printing engine. Taping up old pages Bolwell has a modern yet conflicted appreciation for print, which is not surprising for someone who works at a one of the largest printer manufacturers. He believes that people will continue to love and want printed products and that, "especially for rich four-color content, the experience of the printed page is the preferred way of reading content." However, he also believes that the process for creating a printed product must change: "It's only a matter of time until the entire (magazine) industry moves to print on demand," he adds. Both BookPrep and MagCloud seem to be Band-Aids for likely terminal patients. The demand for printed books and magazines won't vanish tomorrow. Nor will the demand for newspapers evaporate suddenly, though that's an industry even Bolwell doesn't think printing technology should try to fix. The question is to what level the book and magazine printing industries, even streamlined, will decline, and how fast they will get there. I hope Bolwell has exit plans for this business, and I don't mean selling it to Google. Originally posted at Rafe's Radar

Show Us Your Best Unlaunched iPhone Apps [Contest] By Marshall Kirkpatrick (ReadWriteWeb) Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:54:20 AM

IPhone app sharing service AppsFire( our review) has announced a contest to highlight the best still-unlaunched iPhone apps under development and ReadWriteWeb will be part of the judging. Called the App Star Awards, the contest will evaluate 30-second videos about apps under development. The iPhone app environment is absurdly overcrowded and hard to navigate - AppsFire is one of my favorite solutions to that problem. The service lets you email links to apps you want to share on your phone. It's simple but so useful! A contest to start the hype for apps before they get buried in the app store is smart. Sponsor Below are my favorite iPhone apps right now, shared in an AppsFire widget. I hope this contest will expose me to all kinds of new apps that will eventually land on this list as well. We'll get to learn about great apps and the app makers will get a small amount of cash and a large amount of publicity. You can register to participate at the page for the AppStar Contest. Discuss

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Ask TUAW: Emptying the trash, migration assistant, Safari bookmarks, Mac mini server and more By Chris Ullrich (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))

plan on transferring my data via the "Migration Assistant" but being that this is the first time I Submitted at 10/21/2009 12:00:00 PM perform this type of operation ... I Filed under: Software, Features, want to make sure that I do not How-tos, Ask TUAW Welcome run into any issues. back to Ask TUAW, our weekly Are there any precautions I troubleshooting Q&A column. should take? My other concern is This week we've got questions that I backup my current 2007 about the Trash, Migration MBP via Time Machine to my By Dennis Yang (Techdirt) legal action may be taken." listed. Yes, even though it's Assistant, Safari Bookmarks, Mac Time Capsule. What will happen Clearly, Nanda has a gross Nanda who issued the incorrect mini Server, Windows and Mac to that data once I switch over to Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:44:00 AM misunderstanding of the right of takedown in the first place. So file sharing and more. the 2009 MBP? Will I still have It looks like more tangible people to re-sell their own much for frictionless commerce. As always, your suggestions and access to that data? Will it be product companies are trying to property. While it's true that it is The even bigger problem is in questions are welcome. Questions rendered useless? pretend they can restrict what you against the law to sell counterfeit the process in which such listing for next week should be left in the Migration Assistant has been d o w i t h l e g a l l y p u r c h a s e d copies of a product, re-selling takedowns are handled. Under the c o m m e n t s . W h e n a s k i n g a around for several years now and products post-sale (perhaps your own goods and representing guise of rooting out counterfeit question please include which has evolved and become better t h e y ' r e j e a l o u s o f c o n t e n t them as "real" is completely products, Nanda is able to unfairly machine you're running and with each successive update. companies). Case in point: my within the bounds of the law, and reduce the number of its own which version of Mac OS X(we'll There was a time when I would brother received the Nanda eBay policy. To make matters s e c o n d h a n d g o o d s i n t h e assume you're running Snow never consider using it and did Clocky as a gift awhile back -- it's worse, the condescending tone of marketplace. Other manufacturers Leopard on an Intel Mac if you things the manual way by copying a pretty novel alarm clock, when the email also suggests that:"You have tried to do this in the past for don't specify). And now, on to the each and every thing I needed it goes off, its wheels turn on, and may need to take a tutorial. The everything from shampoo to radar questions. individually from an old Mac to a it jumps off your dresser, forcing next time you sell, you may be detectors. And, much like the CL asks: new one. Now, Migration you to climb out of bed to turn it asked to take the tutorial, if it's DMCA process, this "guilty until Is there any way to just delete a Assistant is good enough and, off. Since he already had an alarm required. Once you've completed p r o v e n i n n o c e n t " a p p r o a c h single item in the trash can? I only more importantly, reliable enough clock that worked for him, he the tutorial successfully, please ultimately hurts the consumer, see options to empty the entire to be used on its own. So, migrate decided to sell it on eBay. A few review your account status for any who now has unfairly reduced trash can? away. days before his auction was other possible concerns. If there access to many products that were Unfortunately, as they say in Continue reading Ask TUAW: supposed to close, he got a notice are no other issues, you should be to be sold completely legally. computer parlance "That's a Emptying the trash, migration that his listing was removed for a able to sell again." Or, perhaps That said, my brother followed feature, not a bug." At the assistant, Safari bookmarks, Mac " T r a d e m a r k V i o l a t i o n - Nanda and eBay should take a the eBay process to get his Clocky moment, Apple only allows you mini server and more Unauthorized Item." Yes, for a tutorial on the right of first sale. In relisted. They sent him an email to go for an "all or nothing" TUAW Ask TUAW: Emptying legitimately owned product. The the aforementioned tutorial, eBay apologizing for their error and approach to emptying the trash. the trash, migration assistant, email stated:"Nanda Home Inc. is clearly understands the right to re- authorizing him to relist, which he Of course, the best solution is to Safari bookmarks, Mac mini the owner of the intellectual sell (in fact, a huge part of its did. Guess what? In an effort to only put things in the trash you s e r v e r a n d m o r e o r i g i n a l l y property rights pertaining to these business relies upon this fact). punctuate how ridiculous this want to delete. But I'm sure you appeared on The Unofficial Apple listings. By listing the 'Clocky' Yet, to make matters worse under policy is, one day later, he got an already thought of that. Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 21 Oct product you are in serious eBay policy it's still a laborious email, "Trademark Violation Lamdavidortez asks: 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see violation of the company's rights. process to get the item relisted -- Unauthorized Item." I will be upgrading from my our terms for use of feeds. Additionally, Nanda Home does even with the bogus takedown Anyone want to buy a Clocky? current February 2007 Macbook Permalink| Email this| not permit the re-sale of any of n o t i c e . A s a s e l l e r o f a n Permalink| Comments| Email Pro that is running Leopard to a C o m m e n t s their brand product on eBay. incorrectly taken down Clocky This Story new October 2009 MacBook Pro There are no authorized Nanda listing, you have to contact Nanda that is running Snow Leopard I Home re-sellers on eBay. If you and have them specifically continue to list our items, further authorize your product to be re-

Nanda's Alarm Clock Not Only Runs Away From You, It Runs Away From eBay Too

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As The FTC Goes After Bloggers, Doctors Making Millions Promoting Drugs With Little Oversight

Sequoia Accidentally Reveals (Potentially Illegal?) E-Voting Code By Mike Masnick (Techdirt)

what a Linux user could do with the "strings" command: strip out unreadable characters and leave For years, the big e-voting firms everything left as readable plain have refused to share their source text. This in turn revealed code, repeatedly insisting all sorts thousands of lines of Microsoft By Mike Masnick (Techdirt) consultants, speakers at company- supplying patients and collecting of awful things would happen if SQL code that appear to control sponsored meetings, ghost- data according to instructions the code was revealed. Of course, the logical flow of the election. So Submitted at 10/21/2009 8:34:00 AM in the few instances where people now there's a project underway to authors of papers written by drug from the company. Clay Shirky points us to a companies or their agents, and In view of this control and the actually did get access to the analyze the code, which can't column from a few months back ostensible "researchers" whose conflicts of interest that permeate code, the only "awful things" that make Sequoia very happy. But by Marcia Angell, which explains contribution often consists merely the enterprise, it is not surprising turned up were pretty massive w h a t m a y b e e v e n m o r e why clinical research on drugs of putting their patients on a drug that industry-sponsored trials s e c u r i t y h o l e s a n d w e a k interesting is that the folks hosting isn't even remotely trustworthy, as and transmitting some token published in medical journals programming. However, it looks the code are suggesting that the it all-too-often seems to involve information to the company. And consistently favor sponsors' drugs l i k e S e q u o i a m a y h a v e way Sequoia buried its code in d o c t o r s w h o h a v e s e r i o u s as the relationship between --largely because negative results inadvertently revealed its source data files may violate federal conflicts: Or consider Dr. Alan F. doctors and pharma has gotten are not published, positive results code(found via Slashdot) due to election law concerning e-voting Schatzberg, chair of Stanford's deeper and deeper, it means that are repeatedly published in a n i n c o m p e t e n t a t t e m p t t o systems. It violates the federal p s y c h i a t r y d e p a r t m e n t a n d the results of those all important slightly different forms, and a "remove" trade secret info: The rulebook on voting systems on president-elect of the American "clinical trials" -- which the positive spin is put on even Election Defense Alliance filed a several levels: the rules require Psychiatric Association. Senator pharma supporters always insist negative results. A review of public records request under that code be hash-checked to Grassley found that Schatzberg are so important -- are highly seventy-four clinical trials of California law for a copy of the prove authenticity in the field for controlled more than $6 million suspect: Because drug companies antidepressants, for example, final election databases from obvious reasons. If the real w o r t h o f s t o c k i n C o r c e p t insist as a condition of providing found that thirty-seven of thirty- recent elections in Riverside working code is buried in with the Therapeutics, a company he funding that they be intimately eight positive studies were County California. Riverside data, no such hash-checks are c o f o u n d e d t h a t i s t e s t i n g involved in all aspects of the published. But of the thirty-six coughed them up, after sending possible. The federal rulebook is mifepristone--the abortion drug research they sponsor, they can negative studies, thirty-three were t h e m f i r s t t o S e q u o i a f o r also clear that code can't be otherwise known as RU-486--as a easily introduce bias in order to either not published or published "redaction of trade secrets" and interpreted, apparently to avoid t r e a t m e n t f o r p s y c h o t i c make their drugs look better and in a form that conveyed a positive forcing EDA to pay a substantial modification "in the field" (generally county or city election depression. At the same time, safer than they are. Before the outcome. It is not unusual for a amount for this "service." As near as we can tell, instead offices). There is also a rule Schatzberg was the principal 1980s, they generally gave faculty published paper to shift the focus i n v e s t i g a t o r o n a N a t i o n a l investigators total responsibility from the drug's intended effect to of stripping out proprietary stuff barring "machine generated code" Institute of Mental Health grant for the conduct of the work, but a secondary effect that seems of any sort, Sequoia simply and since these data files are t h a t i n c l u d e d r e s e a r c h o n now company employees or their more favorable. And yet the FTC c o m m i t t e d v a n d a l i s m : t h e y allegedly created (and managed) mifepristone for this use and he agents often design the studies, is more worried about a mommy stripped the Microsoft SQL by the WinEDS application, the was coauthor of three papers on perform the analysis, write the blogger recommending a book header data off the top, expecting code in these files has to be the subject. Angell notes that this papers, and decide whether and in that a publisher sent her for free? that this would ruin access to the "machine generated"? That can't is pretty common: Indeed, most what form to publish the results. Permalink| Comments| Email data under any possible database be good. Though it might further utility and making the contents explain the resistance to ever doctors take money or gifts from Sometimes the medical faculty This Story unreadable. [Note: confirming this sharing the code. drug companies in one way or who serve as investigators are is a high-priority task!] Permalink| Comments| Email a n o t h e r . M a n y a r e p a i d little more than hired hands, While they succeeded in ruining This Story the files as data, they didn't realize Submitted at 10/21/2009 7:22:00 AM

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TinkoMatic: Simultaneously Search Craigslist, eBay, Oodle, and More By Christina Warren (Mashable!)

looking for real estate or hard to find items. Next time you’re hitting up eBay or Craigslist for Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:02:07 AM an item, you might want to try This post is part of Mashable’s TinkoMatic and see if you get Spark of Genius series, which more results! highlights a unique feature of What is your favorite online startups. If you would like to have classifieds service? Let us know! your startup considered for Spark of Genius Series Sponsored inclusion, please see the details by Microsoft BizSpark here. The series is made possible even more results. You can search BizSpark is a startup program by Microsoft BizSpark. for items for sale, cars, rental that gives you three-year access to Name: TinkoMatic properties, real estate, and jobs. the latest Microsoft development Quick Pitch: The tool you use to You can then personalize the tools, as well as connecting you to snake out the competition on just different services to get more a nationwide network of investors about any classified item – custom results. and incubators. There are no whether it’s a classic car, bike, So if I search for something upfront costs, so if your business house, job – you name it g e n e r i c l i k e “ D i e s e l J e a n s is privately owned, less than three Genius Idea: The death of print Women” I can add specific years old, and generates less than is in-large part tied to the death of information pertaining to size to U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, classified ads. Thanks to places search for in the description or in you can sign up today. like eBay and Craigslist, finding the title of the listing on a perEntrepreneurs can take good deals on new, used, or rare service basis. You can share your advantage of the Azure Services items involves clicking on a results via Twitter or Facebook platform for their website hosting search box rather than squinting at a n d a l s o s a v e r e s u l t s f o r and storage needs. Microsoft newsprint. recently announced the“new rechecking later. The only problem with the Everything appears in one CloudApp()” contest– use the online classified ads market is that window — except for Craigslist, Azure Services Platform for there are so many different which opens in its own tab and hosting your .NET or PHP app, services that it can be difficult to hovering over an item shows you and you could be the lucky winner keep track of what is listed where. the items picture, so you can get of a USD 5000* ( please see This is where TinkoMatic comes an idea of what you are looking at website for official rules and into play. Tink serches Oodle, before clicking. guidelines).” Reviews: Craigslist, KiJiJi, eBay, and Craigslist and Searching multiple services at Facebook, PHP, Twitter, eBay displays the results in one once and having the ability to Tags: classified, classifieds, window. refine and save searches makes a craigslist, ebay, oodle, tinkomatic You can also add in RSS feeds lot of sense, especially for people from other sties like Trulia for

INSIDE continued from page 19 - Active since: May 2009 - Number of applications: No official numbers have been released – it’s just too new - Interesting fact: Wave is the only platform out of these four that will be completely open source Reasons to develop Google Wave apps: There are a few good reasons to develop for Wave. One is for the experimentation: it’s simply a new platform with new possibilities. It’s also simple to port over OpenSocial apps to Wave. However, if you’re looking to build a viable business with revenue, Wave isn’t the answer, at least not yet. Tip for developing Wave apps: Get familiar with the Google App Engine, because you need it in order to develop Wave apps. The most difficult issue developing for Wave: As developers have told us before, it’s just so new. It’s still in the “preview” phase, meaning there will be a lot of changes to Wave before any public product makes its appearance. Be prepared for a very tumultuous environment with no guarantee that it will succeed as a platform at all. Other Developer Ecosystems While these four developer ecosystems may have the size and/or momentum, they are clearly not the only ones. Flickr, MySpace, Yahoo, Google Android, and many others have

their own extensive set of APIs that allows you to reach millions of users. This means you have a lot of choices when it comes to development. Choosing the one best suited for you really comes down to your passion. If you aren’t a fan of Twitter, then don’t try to create a Twitter app – you won’t put in the effort necessary to make it great. On the other hand, if you’re beyond excited over the possibilities of the iPhone, then just dive right in and see where it leads you. Series supported by PayPal X Innovate 2009 PayPal X Innovate 2009 is PayPal’s first dedicated developer conference. Here you’ll have the absolute inside track on how to capitalize on all of PayPal’s products. Learn from hands on tutorials about PayPal APIs and listen to keynote from industry luminaries including Tim O’Reilly and see showcase of cool developers. Register for $49 with the code ppblog3 or join us at $50 if you are a student. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, strmko Reviews: Facebook, Flickr, Google Wave, MySpace, Twitter, Yahoo!, iStockphoto Tags: api, facebook, Google Wave, innovate 09, social media, twitter

Audio: Heene Parents' 911 Call Made During 'Balloon Boy' Incident (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 10/21/2009 8:31:00 AM

ET has obtained the audio to the frantic 911 call made by Richard and Mayumi Heene, saying that

their six-year-old son Falcon might be flying inside their experimental aircraft. Richard is the first to speak with the Fort Collins Police Department dispatcher, sounding

hysterical and crying, explaining what has happened. "My family made an experimental saucer. It wasn't supposed to fly," he says. "I think my six-year-old boy, he got inside and it took off. ... Can

anybody rescue him?" The father of the so-called "Balloon Boy" also admits that 911 wasn't the first number he dialed. "I called the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). They

told me to call you guys. ... Is there a helicopter or something?"

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Google announces Analytics updates Report: Bing nails search deals with Twitter, Facebook By Don Reisinger (Webware.com)

Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:18:26 AM

Google announced on Tuesday that its Google Analytics Web site -tracking tool has been improved with a slew of new features for enterprise-class users. To start things off, Google announced that it has added the option for users to measure user engagement and branding success. The company said users will be able to "to set thresholds for Time on Site and Pages per Visit." With the help of a new feature called Advanced Table Filtering, Analytics users will now be able to filter content more effectively and view that content in a table. According to Google, users can "filter thousands of keywords" to find, for example, "just the keywords with a bounce rate less than 30 percent and that referred at least 25 visits." Going mobile Google is also looking towards mobile phones. Analytics will track traffic to the user's mobile Web site. According to Google, whether or not the device visitors use to access the mobile site has

JavaScript running won't matter, which means most mobile phones will be supported. That said, users who want to track mobile traffic will need to add "a server-side code snippet" to their mobile site. Google said the code will be made available in the coming weeks. Continuing on its mobile focus, "iPhone and Android mobileapplication developers can now also track how users engage with apps, just as with tracking engagement on a Web site," Google said. For those users who want more capable usage data than simple page views and unique visitors, Google has added a Multiple Custom Variables option. Users can now "define and track visitors according to visitor attributes, session attributes, and by pagelevel attributes. This feature isn't currently available to Analytics users. It will be making its way to all user accounts "in the coming weeks," Google said. Intelligence, anyone? Perhaps the most interesting announcement coming from Google is the company's contention that Analytics can now "tell you what to pay attention to."

Dubbed Analytics Intelligence, Google's new tool will analyze traffic data and alert users when there is a "significant" change in data patterns. Although the company didn't define "significant," it did say that if it sees a "300 percent surge in visits from YouTube referrals" or "bounce rates of visitors from Virginia dropped by 70 percent two weeks ago," users would be alerted. Since so-called "intelligent" tracking can get a little annoying at times, Google has also implemented a Custom Alerts feature, allowing users to tell the service what to watch for. According to Google, users can set "daily, weekly, and monthly triggers on different dimensions & metrics, and be notified by e-mail or right in the user interface when the changes actually occur." Like many of the other features Google announced, Analytics Intelligence will make its way to Analytics accounts in the coming weeks. If you're interested in learning more or seeing some of these features in action, click here.

Natalie Coughlin: I wasn't ready to go home (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 10/21/2009 7:34:00 AM

Sink or swim? Natalie Coughlin was forced to trade in her dancing shoes for her flippers. The Olympic swimmer's dancing aspirations sunk when she was voted off"Dancing with the Stars"

Tuesday night. Upset about the outcome, she told ET, "I wasn't ready to go home and I was really looking forward to doing a ballroom dance next week and working on the waltz." She plans to translate the rigorous work ethic from the

dance studio to the pool as she trains for the 2012 Olympics in London. She said, "Any time you do something physical that's challenging, it makes you a better athlete, which makes you a better swimmer."

(CNET News.com)

Rumors started swirling earlier this month that Twitter was looking to make big search-results Microsoft executive Qi Lu will partnerships with Google and r e p o r t e d l y m a k e a b i g Microsoft. announcement onstage at the Web Microsoft already has a stake in 2.0 Summit in San Francisco later Facebook, which it obtained when on Wednesday morning: that its it invested $240 million in the search engine, Bing, has inked social network--allegedly beating deals with both Twitter and Google to the punch then, too-Facebook to bring real-time status two years ago. updates and tweets into search While Twitter is far smaller than results. That's something you can't Facebook, it's already a step ahead find on Google. in searchability: it acquired thirdAccording to AllThingsD's Kara party Twitter search app Summize Swisher, neither partnership will last year and built it into the actually turn into a product for powerful, real-time Twitter "weeks, if not months," and that Search. Facebook used to keep all both Twitter and Facebook have of its data behind a log-in wall, also been talking to Google about but two years ago started to make similar deals. the first steps toward becoming When asked about the deal more accessible to search engines a n n o u n c e m e n t e a r l i e r o n when it gave members the option Wednesday at Web 2.0 Summit, to let their profiles show up in Microsoft director of search "people search" queries on the S t e f a n W e i t z d e c l i n e d t o likes of Google. comment, saying, "I have no More recently, it's been making idea." additional small moves toward Facebook's mum, too. "We don't opening profile content to the comment on speculation," a Web, like redefining its privacy statement e-mailed on Wednesday controls so that members can m o r n i n g b y F a c e b o o k specify which of their information spokeswoman Kathleen Loughlin and updates can be made public. read. "Later today, COO Sheryl This post was updated at 9:53 Sandberg and VP of Engineering a.m. PT. Mike Schroepfer will be speaking This content has passed through at Web 2.0 at which time they will fivefilters.org. be available to answer questions regarding Facebook." Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:17:00 AM

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Find My iPhone: Questions, answers, and suggestions By TJ Luoma (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)) Submitted at 10/21/2009 11:00:00 AM

Filed under: TUAW Tips, iPhone Mobile Me's Find My iPhone is a wonderful (relatively) new feature which can help track down your iPhone if it is lost or stolen, but it is not foolproof, and it must be configured before you need it. Q:"Is it true that Find My iPhone does not work if you have 3G turned off or lose your iPhone where there is no 3G service available (EDGE only)?" A: False. Find My iPhone works with the original iPhone, which did not even have 3G or GPS capabilities, so it does work with EDGE. If you have a 3G-capable iPhone and disable the 3G (Settings > General > Enable 3G > OFF) to save battery life, "Find My iPhone" will continue to work. Q:"Will find my iPhone work over WiFi?" A: True... sort of... Maybe... Not really. In my home I have very little or no AT&T service (or Sprint, or Verizon, or any other cell provider). I do have WiFi all over the house, and Find My

iPhone has never failed to help me locate my iPhone when it is "lost" in my house. In order to test it purely over Wi-Fi, I put the iPhone into Airplane Mode (meaning that both EDGE and 3G were both disabled) and enabled Wi-Fi. I asked "Find My iPhone" to locate my iPhone and was told that it was near Orlando, Florida. It was, in fact, in Ohio. I repeated the test and it came back with the

same information. Later, I tried the "Wi-Fi only" test from my home, and Find My iPhone could not find my location at all. However, even in Airplane + Wi-Fi mode I was able to use the "Display a Message" and "Remote Passcode Lock" features. So you may not be able to locate it on a map, but you still may be able to connect to it. Proper setup is your first crucial step

All of this is a moot point if you don't have three crucial settings enabled on your iPhone. Without any one of these, Find My iPhone will not work. • Settings > General > Location Services has to be on (this one is obvious, right?) • Under Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > (Your Mobile Me account), you must set "Find My iPhone" to ON. This is not enabled by default. • Under Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Fetch New Data, you must either enable Push OR have fetch set to Every 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or Hourly. If you disable Push and set Fetch to "Manually" Find My iPhone will not work. Continue reading Find My iPhone: Questions, answers, and suggestions TUAW Find My iPhone: Questions, answers, and suggestions originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Echo Creator Khris Loux on the Ties That Bind the Real-Time Web By Jolie O'Dell (ReadWriteWeb) Submitted at 10/20/2009 9:50:15 PM

JS-Kit CEO Khris Loux sees the Internet as a digital brain, a network of nodes and synapses firing signals through pathways in relays of ever-increasing speed

and intelligence. At the ReadWrite Real-Time Web Summit, he talked to us about how the synaptic web, as he calls it, relies on real-time communication and distributed networking to tie together our c o m m u n a l b o d y o f o n l i n e Loux talks about the new school knowledge. In this interview, of online reputation management,

the essence of distributed social networks, and how the synaptic web shapes and heals itself as users collectively contribute to the dataset. Sponsor Discuss

View Your Google Tasks in Actual FullScreen [Google Tasks] By Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker) Submitted at 10/21/2009 7:00:00 AM

We pointed to an iGoogle interface for Google's Tasks to-do manager yesterday that gave users a pretty big view inside their custom home page. Want a totally full-size Tasks view without launching iGoogle? Bookmark the "Canvas view" page. Google Operating System provides the magic link: https://mail.google.com/tasks/can vas Make it a bookmark, open it in its own tab, and you've got a much more manageable system for completing and adding items to multiple lists. Using Google Apps? Replace the/tasks/ portion with/tasks/a/your_domain/. It remains a mystery why Google doesn't just add Tasks to the "More" button on Google app pages, but this is a fairly good work-around for now. Fullscreen Google Tasks[Google Operating System]

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Utilities vow to prep infrastructure for plug-in cars (CNET News.com)

After years of debate, the electric vehicle is ready for prime time." In a DOE-sponsored program, a DETROIT--There's a great deal number of utilites are testing the of interest from consumers in plug mileage improvements and impact -in vehicles but electricity utilities on the grid of plug-in electric say they need to prepare even v e h i c l e s . ( C r e d i t : M a r t i n before electric cars start to plug L a M o n i c a / C N E T ) in. The statement underscores the Industry association the Edison growing interconnectedness Electric Institute on Wednesday between the auto and utility issued a pledge that its members industries that's occurring as a will take steps to smooth the wave of plug-in electric cars transition to electrically fueled approach car dealerships. vehicles. The chairman of the Plug-in hybrid or pure-electric Institute and CEO of utility DTE cars promise to be cheaper to fuel Energy, Anthony Earley, voiced up--the equivalent of $1 per the industry's support for plug-in gallon, Earley said. But there are a vehicles here at the Business of number of barriers to widespread Plugging In Conference. adoption, including higher upfront "The industry's challenge will be costs and the potential impact on t o e f f e c t i v e l y m a n a g e t h i s the electricity grid. transition," Earley said. "We Utility executives say that recognize that now is the time. adding just a few plug-in electric Submitted at 10/21/2009 10:07:27 AM

vehicles to an area could overload the local distribution circuit, particularly if drivers install faster 220-volt chargers at home. There have also been concerns that fueling millions of vehicles from the grid will require construction

of more power plants to meet the added demand. Utilities and auto executives say there is sufficient demand to charge vehicles in the near term with existing power plants if cars are charged at off-peak times,

typically overnight. But there needs to be some products and policy changes to ensure that offpeak charging takes place en masse. In its pledge, the Edison Electric Institute said that they will seek to install more charging stations in public places. Also, it will encourage development of policies that give consumers cheaper electricity rates at offpeak times. Utilities are now working in a department of Energy-sponsored program to test the impact of plug -in electric vehicle, which it will continue to do. The Institute also said that utilities will establish customer support and education. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Report: Bing nails search deals with Twitter, Facebook By Caroline McCarthy (Webware.com) Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:17:00 AM

Microsoft executive Qi Lu will reportedly make a big announcement onstage at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco later on Wednesday morning: that its search engine, Bing, has inked deals with both Twitter and Facebook to bring real-time status updates and tweets into search results. That's something you can't find on Google. According to AllThingsD's Kara

Swisher, neither partnership will actually turn into a product for "weeks, if not months," and that both Twitter and Facebook have also been talking to Google about similar deals. When asked about the deal announcement earlier on Wednesday at Web 2.0 Summit, Microsoft director of search Stefan Weitz declined to comment, saying, "I have no idea." Facebook's mum, too. "We don't comment on speculation," a statement e-mailed on Wednesday

morning by Facebook spokeswoman Kathleen Loughlin read. "Later today, COO Sheryl Sandberg and VP of Engineering Mike Schroepfer will be speaking at Web 2.0 at which time they will be available to answer questions regarding Facebook." Rumors started swirling earlier this month that Twitter was looking to make big search-results partnerships with Google and Microsoft. Microsoft already has a stake in Facebook, which it obtained when it invested $240 million in the

social network--allegedly beating Google to the punch then, too-two years ago. While Twitter is far smaller than Facebook, it's already a step ahead in searchability: it acquired thirdparty Twitter search app Summize last year and built it into the powerful, real-time Twitter Search. Facebook used to keep all of its data behind a log-in wall, but two years ago started to make the first steps toward becoming more accessible to search engines when it gave members the option to let their profiles show up in

"people search" queries on the likes of Google. More recently, it's been making additional small moves toward opening profile content to the Web, like redefining its privacy controls so that members can specify which of their information and updates can be made public. This post was updated at 9:53 a.m. PT. Originally posted at The Social

once again. Mesnick asked Malaney to marry him Tuesday night while on a romantic vacation in New

Zealand, People.com reports. dumped his fiancĂŠe Rycroft, Audiences were shocked when, instead deciding to be with his in March's "The Bachelor: After second choice, Malaney. the Final Rose" on ABC, Jason

'Bachelor' Jason Mesnick Gets Engaged (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 10/21/2009 7:16:00 AM

The controversial "Bachelor"

Jason Mesnick-- who dumped Melissa Rycroft for Molly Malaney after the finale of the show -- is hearing wedding bells

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The Perils Of Extrapolation: Who Knows What The Next Disruptive Innovation Will Be By Mike Masnick (Techdirt) Submitted at 10/21/2009 3:40:41 AM

Investor: Green tech vital to U.S. competitiveness (CNET News.com)

position the country for long-term growth. He spoke at the Business of A panel considers whether Plugging In conference here on cleaner tech boost the auto Wednesday, where many speakers industry. From left, Center for emphasized the benefits of Automotive Research CEO David electric vehicles to reduce oil Cole, venture investor Ray Lane, imports, cut carbon emissions, Ford Motor Chairman Bill Ford, and revitalize the ailing auto and Michigan Governor Jennifer industry. Granholm.(Credit: Martin But Lane made the case that LaMonica/CNET) there are implications to national DETROIT--Venture investor economic competitiveness as and former Oracle president Ray well. There are technology Lane argued on Wednesday that disruptions happening in energy U.S. is losing out to other that will shake up a number of countries in emerging energy industries, but the U.S. is being technologies. outpaced in investing in this area Lane, now a partner at famed by other countries. venture capital firm Kleiner, "We can expect to live in the Perkins, Caufield & Byers, said next 10 years where China will that the U.S. needs to view clean- outspend us in order to invent the energy technologies as a way to technologies," Lane said. "We rebuild a shaky economy and may be buying their technology if Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:23:00 AM

we do not ramp up our seriousness. We led electronics, we led biotech, we led the Internet. We are not leading in this arena." Lane said that other countries, including Germany and China, have policies that are more conducive to technology innovation and manufacturing. Auto efficiency standards are one third more efficient than the U.S. in China, which spends a higher percentage of economic output on research and development and has set aggressive goals for wind power adoption. "Engineering must come back to be our number one priority," Lane said. "This is wrong time to cut R & D." This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

There are all sorts of "lessons" that you hear concerning entrepreneurship, but the one that has always struck me as being the most reasonable and valuable is: Be adaptable People who haven't built a company think that it's "the plan" or "the idea" that matters. That's almost never the case. Look at nearly every successful startup, and their business has little (if anything) to do with their initial plan. Google was going to sell search appliances as the core of its business. YouTube was supposed to be a dating service. Things change -- and the only thing that matters is how well your company adapts and executes. That's why it's silly to be too protective of a plan or idea or to focus on things like patents or NDAs. Most of that doesn't matter. Separately, projecting out more than a year may be a fun exercise, but is generally meaningless. Clay Shirky had a great Twitter message this past weekend that puts that point into perspective nicely: Why I ignore all "5 year plans": 5 years ago, YouTube and

Twitter didn't exist, and Facebook was only for college kids If you go back and look at plans or predictions from 2005, of where web content would be in 2010, it's unlikely that "micromessaging" like Twitter or online video like YouTube was considered quite as central. Certainly some folks thought video was on the cusp back then, but they expected it to come from professional offerings like BrightCove, rather than a user -generated setup like YouTube. It's always difficult to predict which innovation is actually going to hit -- and plenty of companies, especially in the media space, have had to change and adjust their strategies due to things like Twitter, YouTube and Facebook - just like how a decade ago, companies quickly started adjusting their strategy to deal with Google. Five years from now, plenty of startups will be adjusting their strategy for some other service as well... And the only way you can do that is by being adaptable. Permalink| Comments| Email This Story

'The Office' Actress Amy Ryan's Baby News (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:49:00 AM

Actress Amy Ryan-- who most recently appeared on "The Office" as Michael Scott's girlfriend -- has a new addition to her family! Amy and fiancĂŠ Eric Slovin welcomed a baby girl on Oct. 15

in New York City, People.com reports. The new parents named their daughter Georgia Gracie Slovin. "All are doing well and so happy," the actress' rep tells People.

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Proloquo2Go: Assistive communication for the iPhone and iPod touch By David Winograd (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)) Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:00:00 AM

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review Proloquo2Go[ iTunes Link] is not your usual iPhone/iPod touch app. It turns the mobile device into a full augmentative and alternative communication ( AAC) device. According to the AAC Institute, an estimated 2.5 million Americans are speech disabled to the extent that they experience significant difficulty being understood by other people. Reasons vary, but are often the result of congenital illness or ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease). 75% of people using AAC devices have ALS. One alternative is learning how to use sign language, but that requires both adequate sensory motor ability of the user and a knowledge of sign language expected in the listener. It's a solution that helps some, but not all. When signing is not available or appropriate, using an AAC device may well be. AAC devices use combinations of symbols, words, sounds and technology to allow people without functional vocal abilities to communicate. The cost of such devices range from around US$3,500 to US$8,500 for

something about the size of a Speak and Spell. In contrast, the Proloquo2Go app has a price of US$189.99. If someone is in the market for an AAC system, it is one of the biggest bargains in the entire App Store for any iPhone or iPod touch running OS 2.1 or higher. Proloquo2Go took the uncommon route of using existing hardware to run a complex AAC system. It's nearly impossible to describe the use of the system through words, though I'll try, but I'd suggest you check out some

detailed videos walking you through the process in some depth. Continue reading Proloquo2Go: Assistive communication for the iPhone and iPod touch TUAW Proloquo2Go: Assistive communication for the iPhone and iPod touch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

SMALL continued from page 21 Facebook. They’re also clearly communicating expertise in their area, by joining niche social networks such as Rumplo, where members share artistic t-shirts from around the web. There isn’t an inch of their site that isn’t communicating their quirky personality and it’s certainly working to connect people to the brand. Lesson: By creating an incredibly social website, Howies demonstrates an understanding of the full social media landscape. It’s one thing to work hard at building an external community on social networking platforms, but the key is retaining this traffic on your own site and creating a social experience for the user that will (hopefully) lead to sales. These examples hopefully show that it’s not about the monetary investment you make in social media, but how you use these channels to communicate and build a community. Find what it is you have that can add something of value to the conversation

online. In today’s connected world, it is the story and personality of a company that will stand out and small businesses are in a great position to take advantage of that. More business resources from Mashable: - 5 Advanced Social Media Marketing Strategies for Small Business - Top 5 Business Blogging Mistakes and How to Avoid Them - 4 Ways Social Media is Changing Business - 6 Must-Follow Steps for Selling in Any Economy - 5 Easy Social Media Wins for Your Small Business Image courtesy of iStockphoto, mattjeacock, The Marsh Cafe photo via: superamit @ Flickr/ CC BY-NC 2.0 Reviews: Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter, iStockphoto Tags: business, List, Lists, small business, social media

HTV: La Toya Jackson After 'Dancing with the Stars' (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 10/21/2009 7:43:00 AM

La Toya Jackson and her mother Katherine are spotted by HTV after "Dancing with the Stars" paid tribute to Michael Jackson. Stepping out of Hollywood

eatery Boraan in a beautiful blue dress, La Toya says the "Dancing" tribute was wonderful. Asked about her late brother, she says she "absolutely" agrees that Michael is happier in heaven.

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Prevent Google, Bing, and Yahoo from Tracking Your Clicks [Privacy] By Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker) Submitted at 10/21/2009 8:05:00 AM

Every time you click results in Google, Yahoo, or Bing, a special URL tracks your clickâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and makes it annoying to copy and paste. The CyberNet blog runs down click-track-preventing tools for all three search engines. On the Google side, CyberNet recommends a familiar Greasemonkey Script and extension, both of which we've covered before. CyberNet's post goes the extra mile, though, in covering tools that remove click tracking and block HTTP referral sniffing on Yahoo, Bing, and Google, offering up some clever News) specified to get about 100 miles yoke, a piece of sculpture that tricks to pull off with AdBlock In putting together the FT-EVII, range, Toyota only proposes 56 supports an instrument cluster, Plus and privacy lessons along the Toyota used its own off-the-shelf miles for the FT-EVII, and a top n a v i g a t i o n d e v i c e , a n d a way. technologies, such as the iQ speed of 62 mph. These figures c u p h o l d e r . Hit the link for a good read on platform and components from its l i m i t i t s u s e t o s p r a w l i n g The FT appellation, which we being a bit more anonymous when Synergy hybrid system. Although metropolises, such as Tokyo, previously saw when Toyota you're searching the web. How to not on sale in the U.S., gasoline London, and New York. announced the FT-86 concept, Stop Google, Yahoo & Bing from and diesel-powered Toyota iQs Toyota modified its hybrid also on display at the Tokyo Tracking Your Clicks[CyberNet are sold in Japan and the U.K. For badge, replacing the blue inset Motor Show, stands for Future News] the powertrain, Toyota went to w i t h a y e l l o w o n e . ( C r e d i t : Technology. We expect to see lithium-ion batteries for the FT- A u t o m o t i v e N e w s ) many more FT concept cars from EVII, as opposed to the nickelToyota also wanted to break Toyota in the coming years. metal-hydride power pack from away from traditional notions of This content has passed through its current hybrid vehicles. automotive performance, so did fivefilters.org. Where many electric cars in away with a convential steering development, such as the Nissan wheel or foot pedals. Instead, the Leaf and Mitsubishi iMiev, are FT-EVII gets a weird-looking

Toyota looks to electric car business (CNET News.com) Submitted at 10/21/2009 10:24:26 AM

The Toyota FT-EVII is a new electric concept car based on the iQ platform.(Credit: Automotive News) Although a leader in hybrid cars, generally conservative Toyota has seemed uninterested in developing electric cars. Until now. At the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota unveiled the FTEVII, an electric car concept. Toyota does away with a traditional steering wheel in favor of modern art.(Credit: Automotive

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GE shows off pocket-size ultrasound scanner By Rafe Needleman (Webware.com)

keys. "This is Moore's law," he said, saying that the device had the Submitted at 10/20/2009 6:04:00 PM same power as a console Jeff Immelt holds the GE Vscan ultrasound from two to three years ultrasound scanner.(Credit: Rafe ago that would cost $250,000. Needleman/CNET) The price of the device was not SAN FRANCISCO--In a wide- revealed, but Immelt asked the ranging interview at the Web 2.0 audience to imagine these devices Summit, Jeff Immelt, CEO of going to Africa and helping health General Electric, announced a low care providers there determine "if -cost and very portable ultrasound a baby is breech," for example. scanner called the Vscan. "This could be the stethoscope of "It's about the same size as a the 21st century," he said. BlackBerry," Immelt said, holding Immelt also gave a demo of an up a white device that appeared to enhanced online medical records fold in the middle like a flip- system, in which patient data is phone. The top of the device combined with clinical outcome showed an ultrasound image (of a d a t a a n d r e s e a r c h t o h e l p patient's liver, we were told), caregivers apply effective and while the bottom showed control current treatments to patients.

Medical records, he said, don't win only because they give patients portable electronic files, but rather, "it's about making better clinical decisions faster." On the topic that the Web 2.0 audience was expecting to learn more about, the potential sale of GE's NBC Universal, Immelt said, "An IPO would be fine." Also: "You've got to think a couple of years head in this space and think, there might be other partnerships. We've got all the options." See also: Comcast CEO: We are not a dead duck. See also: Smallest ultrasound system for fast diagnoses.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia to air on Comedy Central By Jonathan Toomey (TV Squad) Submitted at 10/21/2009 12:42:00 PM

This was bound to happen, wasn't it? In a TV first, a sitcom from a basic cable network has been syndicated on another basic cable network: Comedy Central has nabbed the rights to FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. According to the press release, the gang from Paddy's Pub will make an appearance for the first time on Comedy Central for a limited run next summer with the long-term license window starting after the first of the year in 2011. Continue reading It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia to air on

World Of Goo Tries A Donation Model, Publishes Results By Mike Masnick (Techdirt)

name your own price experiment to see what would happen. While I'm still not enamored by such We've mentioned the video game pure "give it away and pray" type World of Goo a couple times in models, we do keep hearing the past. First, when its creators success stories of people who got upset about silly regional have used them, combined with a restrictions that were put on the strong and loyal fanbase. sale of the game, and later when Now they've released some they noted that releasing a game preliminary data, showing that without DRM showed no change they got about 57,000 new sales, in the piracy rate. Yes, the game with an average price of about $2 was widely shared, but at no (so, over $100,000 sales in a week different a rate than when they'd -- though, that's the gross number, o f f e r e d g a m e s w i t h D R M . the net is less, due to Paypal Recently, they decided to try a transaction fees). They also added Submitted at 10/21/2009 6:02:16 AM

a survey, and found a key point: Few people chose their price based on the perceived value of the game. How much the person feels they can afford seems to play a much larger role in the decision than how much the game is worth. This is another good point that highlights the separation between price and value-- which too many falsely assume are the same thing. There were also a significant number of people who said they paid because they liked the "pay what you want model, and wanted to

support it." So they were paying to support the model, rather than the game itself, which is interesting. I wonder if that component would fade over time as these sorts of models become more popular. Either way, another case study in business model experimentation. Permalink| Comments| Email This Story

Comedy Central Filed under: Programming, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Pickups and Renewals, RealityFree Permalink| Email this| | Comments

Cadbury raises targets in face of Kraft bid (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 10/21/2009 3:23:41 AM

Cadbury, the UK confectionery group that is a takeover target for US food group Kraft, on Wednesday increased its full-year financial targets on the back of stronger revenue growth but said declines in sales volumes had worsened. Cadbury reported sales revenue growth of 7 per cent for the third quarter, compared to growth of 4 per cent in the first half, as the company raised prices and sold more products with high profit margins, like sugar-free gum. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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TomTom car kit appears in Apple's store - but it's not yet shipping

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example--but evidently deemed Safari for Windows a high enough priority to fund development and support efforts if not much in the way of marketing. Going mobile Apple, though, has a big head By Mel Martin (The Unofficial start when it comes to the new era Apple Weblog (TUAW)) of mobile browsing that's just Submitted at 10/21/2009 1:36:00 PM beginning to mature with highpowered devices such as the Filed under: Hardware, iPhone iPhone. Like it, Palm's Pre The long-awaited TomTom car kit handset and Google's Android for the iPhone has finally arrived operating system for mobile at the Apple store. The hardware phones use a browser based on the software combination sells for US open-source WebKit project. $119.95. Firefox is moving more slowly The cradle is designed to into mobile, though. Its mobile enhance the TomTom GPS app [ iTunes link], which has been b i t b e h i n d t h e b e s t - s e l l i n g browser project, called Fennec, is slated to emerge later this year available since July. Navigon application which The kit provides secure docking includes a text-to-speech feature under the Firefox brand name for and enhanced GPS performance and has received generally better Nokia's Maemo mobile operating system, and Lilly has said Firefox w i t h i t s o w n b u i l t - i n G P S reviews from consumers. will be available for Google's receiver. The car kit will charge According to the Apple Store, Android operating system as well. your iPhone and give you for the car kit is not yet available, and "I do more browsing than ever in hands-free calling. The unit also there is no time estimate of a ship mobile. The boundaries between has an audio out connector so you date. can play your music through your [Thanks to all our readers for car audio system, however, the tipping us to this story] cable that enables this is not TUAW TomTom car kit included. appears in Apple's store - but it's By Mel Martin (The Unofficial The TomTom solution has been not yet shipping originally Apple Weblog (TUAW)) criticized by some for being too appeared on The Unofficial Apple Submitted at 10/21/2009 10:00:00 AM expensive because the car kit plus Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 21 Oct t h e c o s t o f t h e T o m T o m 2009 13:36:00 EST. Please see Filed under: iPhone, App Store navigation application is more our terms for use of feeds. Our friends at Microsoft have than $200. One could easily buy a Read| Permalink| Email this| produced a video[YouTube link] standalone GPS for less than that, Comments making fun of the iPhone app although you have more hardware store. Well, it's not that funny. In to carry. the video, two supposed MS The TomTom has also fallen a employees talk about all the apps they have rejected for the new Windows Marketplace, including a Sun Dial app, a virtual handshaking app, and a mustache app. The point is that the Windows Mobile store won't be offering frivolous apps, just the serious stuff. Of course it's true that

desktop and mobile are going to blur," Lilly said. "We will release (Fennec) as a product called Firefox later this year." Lilly likes to look at the bright side of this fluid landscape. "In most ways the world as a Web user is better than it's ever been. There's real choice, not just from Apple and Microsoft but from Google and Opera," he said. "We're a unique organization. Compared to open-source projects, we look rather wealthy. Compared to the people we're competing with--Apple, Microsoft, Google--$50 million, $60 million, $100 million in revenue that to them isn't really meaningful," Lilly said. "We're competing in a low-expense, scrappy way." Originally posted at Deep Tech

Galleon to unwind hedge funds (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 10/21/2009 6:38:09 AM

Galleon, the hedge fund at the centre of insider trading allegations involving its founder and president Raj Rajaratnam, is winding down its funds. Mr Rajaratnam, who was last week accused of insider trading, told clients in a letter sent on Wednesday morning that it was in the “best interest” of investors and employees to conduct an ”orderly wind down” of Galleon’s funds while exploring ”various alternatives” for the business. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Microsoft: Worried about the App Store? of a drought compared to the Apple app store, I guess that old comparison will be ignored. By the way, there are fart apps for Windows Mobile. Anyway, take a peek at the video, and see if you can follow the logic. plenty of the iPhone apps on offer [via TechCrunch] are games, but there's no shortage TUAW Microsoft: Worried of serious apps for business, about the App Store? originally p h o t o g r a p h y , a s t r o n o m y , appeared on The Unofficial Apple navigation, and so on. Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 21 Oct It's all a little strange; MS has 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see always dinged the Mac on the our terms for use of feeds. issue of software choice, because Read| Permalink| Email this| there were far more programs for Comments Windows than Mac OS. Now that the tables have turned and Windows Mobile users have a bit

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HUGE: Microsoft Inks Deals Amazon: Windows 7 is Bigger Than Harry Potter With Twitter and Facebook

Muhammad and Larry: A Story of a Fight That Never Should Have Happened

By Stan Schroeder (Mashable!)

By Michael David Smith (FanHouse)

to Put Status Updates in Bing By Adam Ostrow (Mashable!)

Submitted at 10/21/2009 8:32:36 AM

Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:00:00 AM

Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:04:14 AM

How can Windows 7 be bigger than Harry Potter, you ask? That box can’t be more than 15 inches tall, while Daniel Radcliffe is at least 58”! Well, what Amazon meant when they said that was this: Windows 7 is the biggest grossing pre-order product of all time on Amazon.co.uk. Even Amazon UK’s MD Brian McBride sounds a bit surprised: “The launch of Windows 7 has superseded everyone’s expectations, storming ahead of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as the biggest grossing pre-order product of all-time at Amazon.co.uk, and demand is still going strong.” We’re not; we wrote earlier that Windows 7 is being preordered a lot more than Vista, and that trend obviously hasn’t changed until the very last day. I’ve been testing Windows 7 since the first beta and while I

have my qualms about it, one can’t deny that it’s better than Vista: it feels faster, looks nicer, the unnecessary fat*cough* sidebar *cough* was trimmed and it has a whole lot better hardware and driver support. And one also cannot deny that Windows XP was released in October 2001, which means that Windows users have been waiting eight long years for a decent replacement for their operating system. Tomorrow, they’ll be getting one; no wonder they’re excited. Reviews: harry potter Tags: amazon, harry potter, Windows 7

Microsoft’s latest effort to gain relevance in the search wars is about to get a whole lot more interesting. According to All Things Digital, the company is set to announce deals with both Twitter and Facebook to integrate status updates into its Bing search engine. Details are expected to be announced later today at the Web 2.0 Summit, but the stage has been building for this for some time. Microsoft invested $240 million in Facebook back in 2007, and has since signed search and advertising deals with the social network. Meanwhile, Twitter has been known to be exploring search partnerships for at least the past month, though it’s long been suspected that the company would eventually eye significant revenue

in this space. Although Twitter has been said to be willing to offer a full stream of tweets to search providers on a nonexclusive basis, it would appear that Microsoft has beaten Google to the punch in making it happen. In All Things Digital’s latest report, both of the leading social sites are said to be talking to Google, so Bing’s advantage may be short lived, though it will be “weeks, if not months” until we see any actual integration go live. More to come … Reviews: Bing, Facebook, Google, Twitter Tags: bing, facebook, Google, microsoft, Search, search engines, twitter

by Michael David Smith Filed under: ESPN, TV and Movies Howard Cosell's angry voice punctuates the opening of Muhammad and Larry, the documentary that will premiere on ESPN Tuesday, and the rest of the film serves to explain Cosell's anger: The documentary focuses on the 1980 fight between Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes, and it argues that Ali never should have been permitted to walk into the ring that night. Muhammad and Larry: A Story of a Fight That Never Should Have Happened originally appeared on Fanhouse Backporch on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Linking Blogs| Comments

BlackBerry Bold 9700: Coming Soon to T-Mobile and AT&T By Christina Warren (Mashable!) Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:03:11 AM

RIM has just officially announced its newest flagship “traditional” BlackBerry (meaning it has the BlackBerry keyboard crackberry addicts know and love): the BlackBerry Bold 9700.

The 3G, Wi-FI capable GSM phone will be heading to carriers around the world in the next few weeks, making stops at both AT&T and T-Mobile in the United States. The BlackBerry Bold basically combines all the features of the BlackBerry Curve, but adds 3G and a new touch sensitive trackpad. The new BlackBerry

Bold also has a faster processor and more memory than other

models, plus a 3.2MP camera and GPS. AT&T users can use the new BlackBerry Bold 9700 at all AT&T hot-spots — including Starbucks — just like you can on the iPhone. AT&T will also be offering a separate tethering plan for users who want to use the BlackBerry Bold 9700 as a 3G modem.

If you want to know more about the Bold 9700, CrackBerry.com has all the details and even a production-unit review. What do you think about the new BlackBerry Bold? Do you prefer QWERTY keyboards or touchscreens? Let us know! Tags: blackberry, blackberry bold 9700

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House as a young boy in deleted scene from "Brave Heart"

UK Newspapers Threatening Aggregator: Like Donkeys Suing The Inventor Of The Wheel

By Jonathan Toomey (TV Squad) Submitted at 10/21/2009 1:34:00 PM

This past Monday's episode of House, " Brave Heart," showed us By Mike Masnick (Techdirt) using it, because without RSS, it a side of House that we've seen just didn't fit into my daily bits of this season, but finally got Submitted at 10/21/2009 1:02:13 AM method of following the news, no proof of - he is getting better. Mathew Ingram points us to the matter how useful the site is. Granted, a healthy House means a news that some UK newspapers However, it's really difficult to see return to many of his old are apparently threatening UK- what sort of complaint any shenanigans but apparently it also based news aggregator NewsNow. newspaper could have with such a means trying to forgive the past. I've used NewsNow in the past, service whose sole purpose is to House's military brat upbringing and I can't see what the complaint drive more traffic. It is, as the link was brought to light in season is -- at all. NewsNow provides above so colorfully describes: the five's " Birthmarks" where we headlines and links. That's it. At equivalent of a herd of donkeys saw House say good-bye to his least when I was using it, it didn't filing a class action suit against father - a man he didn't seem to even provide summary text. I the inventor of the wheel.... have too much love for. In this actually discovered a lot of useful Unless there's something more to past Monday's episode, House new sources when I used it, and t h e s e l e g a l t h r e a t s - - a n d , took a cue from Wilson (who'd that's because NewsNow always admittedly, only one side is been conversing with Amber) and struck me as one of the best weighing in on what happened before dozing off to sleep, he aggregators out there. It found a here, the whole thing just seems spoke to his late father admitting lot more than most of the others. like a stretch by at least some UK that maybe he'd been focusing on and designed to provide users the wrong things because there To be honest, my big complaint newspapers to try to intimidate By Kent Pribbernow (The Unofficial Apple Weblog with a guide for upgrading, had been some good times. with NewsNow is that they limit online sites into paying them. repairing, and otherwise their free feeds significantly -Permalink| Comments| Email (TUAW)) Well... what good times? There disassembling the hardware (in was no context to back up House's and there's no RSS or anything. This Story Submitted at 10/21/2009 12:15:00 AM hopes the process is reveresable). claim. Now we have it. House After a while, I just gave up on Filed under: MacBook You have And judging from the looks of producer Greg Yaintanes has to admire, and fear, the eager things, this MacBook is very easy p o s t e d a d e l e t e d s c e n e , a curiosity of the folks at iFixit. to upgrade, once the bottom plate flashback, where young Greg (Financial Times - US financial advisers. recalls some of those good times. homepage) The bank reported third-quarter When they come across a cool is removed. If you're curious to learn what I never pegged House as an iceearnings of $757m, a turnaround new product, they immediately Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:58:10 AM from a loss of $159m the previous tear it into bits and pieces -- I just makes this MacBook tick, check cream cone fan. Take a look. [Watch full episodes and clips of Morgan Stanley on Wednesday quarter. Revenues jumped to pray they never launch a site out iFixit's detailed teardown. TUAW iFixit shamelessly House, as well as other shows, reported its first quarterly profit in $8.7bn in the quarter from $5.4bn devoted to domestic pet care. iKilledit. molests the new White MacBook over at SlashControl.] a year, led by a rebound in income the second quarter. This time they've taken their with screwdriver originally Filed under: House, Video, from underwriting debt and equity This content has passed through scalpels and screwdrivers to appeared on The Unofficial Apple Reality-Free issues as well as an infusion of fivefilters.org. Apple's newly released white Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 21 Oct Permalink| Email this| | new revenues from its Morgan MacBook polycarbonate unibody 2009 00:15:00 EST. Please see Comments Stanley Smith Barney network of laptop and posted photos of every our terms for use of feeds. gory detail. Read| Permalink| Email this| Like all iFixit teardowns, the Comments process is thoroughly documented

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M Stanley reports $757m in earnings

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Gen Y Says: You Can Take Facebook, but Please Don't Take our Email! By Sarah Perez (ReadWriteWeb)

responded with "social networks." However, 26% responded "email." Another 26% said they Submitted at 10/21/2009 8:29:48 AM wouldn't give up texting, although A recent study by industry group that finding is less surprising and the Participatory Marketing f i t s i n w i t h o t h e r k n o w n Network has unearthed some behavioral traits of this particular s u r p r i s i n g d a t a o n G e n Y demographic. behavior. Apparently, the The report also notes that the m e m b e r s o f t h i s y o u n g time spent on social networks is demographic (ages 18-24) would now nearly the same as the time r a t h e r g i v e u p t h e i r s o c i a l spent emailing. Panelists reported networking accounts before they spending 33 hours per month on would abandon their email. Given social networks and 31 hours per that this generation is typically month on email. The difference of viewed as "plugged in" digital 2 hours per month is somewhat natives who don't have any use negligible. What's unexpected is for email, the study raises many how close those two numbers are questions. Have the previous to each other. Questionable reports about Generation Y's Findings? disdain for email simply been According to Michael Della wrong? Or has Gen Y grown up a Penna, PMN co-founder and bit now and has learned the Executive Chairman, Gen Y finds necessity of the medium? email more critical because it Sponsor remains the central hub for "social Gen Y Chooses to Keep Email, networking updates, including Text Messaging over Social alerts around new followers, Networks discussion updates and friend PMN asked 203 panel members requests." While that may be true about their day-to-day behavior to a point, if the only reason Gen including the time they spent Y desired email access was for the visiting social networks, reading social networking updates, it and writing email, texting, talking seems they would just go to the on the phone, watching TV, s o u r c e i n s t e a d : t h e s o c i a l reading magazines and surfing the networks themselves. Given a w e b ( v i s i t i n g n o n - s o c i a l choice between the two, it would networking sites). be likely that they would have When asked what activity they chosen to give up email and not would be least willing to give up t h e i r F a c e b o o k a c c o u n t s . for an entire week, only 9% Something else must be going on

antiquated medium. So Why Would Gen Y Give Up Facebook, but Not Email? The answer to that question could be something as simple as how the survey question was here. These findings also somewhat worded. After all, the survey contradict a wider study done by asked which activity they would Pew Internet and American Life give up for a week. Ask them earlier this year which more again which one they could give d e e p l y e x a m i n e d h o w t h e up permanently and you may get a different generations use the different answer. Another theory is that all the Internet. At that time, the study showed that email was still "for hype about how Generation Y old people," so to speak, and doesn't care for email is just an email usage among teens had overblown stereotype about a dropped from 89% in 2004 to demographic that, in reality, isn't 73% in 2009. Meanwhile, Pew all that different from the rest of also found that out of all the us...at least when it comes to our demographic groups surveyed, inbox addiction. Or perhaps Gen Y is starting to Gen Y was the most likely to use grow up a bit. Now that a large social networks. Then last month, the Online majority of them have exited their Publishers Association revealed "teen" years and have entered the that web surfers' use of social job market, they have begun to networking sites like Facebook learn the importance of email had become so rampant that it was communications. And no, they actually causing a decline in email aren't just for receiving Facebook updates and friend requests. Email use. While neither study specifically may now involve business-critical compares Gen Y's use of email messages which jobs depend against that of social networking upon. Finally, it could be that Gen Y sites, both seem to imply that email use is trending down thanks has just a touch of Facebook t o t h e i m p a c t o f s o c i a l ennui. The network, which used networking. That's why it's odd to to be an exclusive hang out, has f i n d t h a t o n e o f t h e m o r e now been overrun by Baby "connected" generations would be Boomers and other "old folks" quicker to abandon those social including bosses, parents, and s i t e s i n f a v o r o f t h e m o r e sometimes even grandparents.

Street Chic: Paris By ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog) Submitted at 10/20/2009 4:00:00 AM

Leg-lengthening pumps perfectly

offset a voluminous skirt. Photo: Jean Claude Galli Think you are Street Chic? Email us your photo and you could

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Meanwhile, many have "aged out" of MySpace, finding themselves no longer as interested in the glittery profiles and loud music that seemed much more attractive in their high school days. In addition, although we don't have any hard data yet, there are reports that Gen Y users are finding solace in alternative, niche social media sites like FML, Failblog, TextsFromLastNight, and Sporcle. Though not typical "social networks," these timewaster sites skew heavily towards young, college-aged adults says Carol Phillips, president of Brand Amplitude, a marketing firm that focuses heavily on the millennial demographic. In any event, there's no need to take the PMN's study as gospel, especially given its relatively small sample set. Still, it raises the question whether this purported change in behavior deserves further study. Has Gen Y succumbed to email addiction like the rest of us? Or have they always felt this way? We hope some more in-depth research will reveal those answers in the future. Image credit: Mac guy via Apple Discuss

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Office Web Apps Expands, More Invited to Join Technical Preview By Sarah Perez (ReadWriteWeb) Submitted at 10/21/2009 7:15:05 AM

Office Web Applications, the browser-based versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, are now being made available to more users according to a post on the Windows Live Team blog. The online office suite, which began its initial alpha testing (in Microsoft terms, it's called a "Technical Preview") in midSeptember, was originally made available to only a limited number of users. Today, the Technical Preview is opening up, allowing more people to try the Web Apps, Microsoft's first attempt at porting their desktop Office software to the cloud. Sponsor About the Web Apps and the Technical Preview Although still limited to users in the U.S. and Japan, participants in the Technical Preview are able to access the web versions of the Office programs through Windows Live SkyDrive, Microsoft's online cloud storage service and a part of their Windows Live suite of tools and services. SkyDrive, which provides each user with 25 GB of online storage,

is used to host the documents created using the Office Web Applications. For now, the service is entirely free. However, during our earlier interview with Takeshi Numoto, the corporate vice president of the Microsoft Office Product Management Group, we questioned him about future monetization plans for the online suite. He wouldn't confirm any details, only saying that Microsoft was "experimenting" with several options. To date, nothing has changed on that front. At the moment, the Technical Preview is not offering full access to all the Office programs - only Word, Excel and PowerPoint are currently available. There is a placeholder for OneNote, but it displays a message reading"Still to come..." when clicked. We're told that OneNote support is due later this fall. That should be relatively soon, considering that it's already October. The web version of Microsoft Word is also incomplete at this time, allowing you to view files but not create or edit them. Only Excel and PowerPoint allow for

both read and write access at the moment. According to Microsoft, the Technical Preview program is designed solely for the purpose of collecting user feedback prior to the broader beta release of the service. No date has been given for the beta launch as of yet but the online suite is due to ship next year alongside Office 2010, the next version of the company's desktop software suite. How to Join If you're interested in signing up for the Technical Preview, you'll need to establish a Windows Live ID if you have yet to do so. Hotmail and Windows Live Mail users should already have one it's your @hotmail.com or @live.com email address. You can then sign up for the Technical Preview program via this link. As noted above, you will need to select either the United States or Japan during signup, as those are the only two countries supported at this time. After completing the sign up process and accepting the license agreement, your Windows Live ID will have access to the Web Applications by way of SkyDrive. Disclosure: Sarah Perez also freelances for Microsoft's Channel 10. She is not a Microsoft employee. Discuss

Google Releases API for Website Optimizer: A/B & Multivariate Testing for All By Jolie O'Dell (ReadWriteWeb)

product and the process: According to a post by Googlers Gary KamarĂk and Erika Rice Submitted at 10/20/2009 7:05:28 PM Scherpelz, "Creating experiments Google Website Optimizer, a with Website Optimizer usually powerful tool that allows website involves a lot of back and forth owners to split traffic and test the between your website and the effectiveness and conversion rates Website Optimizer interface. for an array of variables, has Using the API, you can integrate traditionally required a lot of back Website Optimizer into your -and-forth between any given site platform. In short, you can create and the Website Optimizer and launch experiments from interface. whatever tool you use to edit your With the release of a new API, site." announced today, Google is The GWO API does not provide allowing site owners to conduct access to testing results. To see multivariate and A/B testing from the experiment results, users must their own platforms. Part of visit the experiment report page. Google Analytics, Google In addition to simplifying the Website Optimizer (GWO) is a site optimization process, the API free tool that "handles splitting a might also make it simpler for website's traffic, serving different companies to conduct in-house variations and crunching the testing, reducing both the cost and n u m b e r s t o f i n d s t a t i s t i c a l time of optimization. Site owners significance." For site owners, and others can register for the these minute variations can widen GWO API webinar, which will conversion funnels and lead to take place on October 28th at 10 exponentially greater engagement a.m. PDT. During the webinar, and profit if changes are executed Website Optimizer engineers will correctly. walk users through how the API Sponsor works, and two platforms that For an overview of how GWO have already integrated GWO and A/B or multivariate testing using the API will demonstrate work, take a look at this Google- their products. Discuss produced video explaining the

Street Chic: Milan By ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog) Submitted at 10/21/2009 4:00:00 AM

Scarlet sandals give a black-and-

white ensemble a stylish jolt. Photo: Kelly Stuart Think you are Street Chic? Email us your photo and you could

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Yahoo! To Come Full Circle With News Link Curation Site

Enjoy the Orionid Meteor Showers Tonight [Astronomy]

By Marshall Kirkpatrick (ReadWriteWeb)

Submitted at 10/21/2009 10:00:00 AM

By Jason Fitzpatrick (Lifehacker)

Catching an occasional shooting star is one thing, but with the right timing you can see dozens to Yahoo! started out as a handhundreds of them in a single curated directory of links and will night. We're in the peak season now recognize the value of for the Orionid Showers, read on manual curation again in a new to catch a glimpse. project to be run by respected Photo by V. Winter. online journalist Andrew Golis. October 17th to October 25th is That according to Golis himself, who comes from Talking Points feeling many people have about the viewing window for the Memo- a site widely recognized the fast-flowing real-time river of Orionid Showers, an annual as one of the best examples of news: it's best navigated with a meteor shower created by debris combination of machine and kicked off of Halley's Comet. The new journalism online. "The site will be a combination h u m a n e d i t o r i a l i n p u t . absolute peak of the show was in o f c u r a t i o n a n d o r i g i n a l Information curation is hot the early morning today, but reporting," Golis wrote this already and will probably only get tonight will still offer excellent morning on his personal blog, hotter as a (great) job in the near viewing. The best viewing time is early morning before sunrise, "with gregarious linking and future. Golis is currently the Deputy you'll still see meteors if you stay sharp, smart writing. In other words... I'm going to be building a Publisher of Talking Points up late to catch them but early team to bring the most popular Memo. He joined the company in morning is optimal. Some advice news site in the United States into 2006, has a Harvard degree and from NASA on catching the lives in Sunnyside, New York. show: the news link economy." Some of those counts come in He's married to prominent Sponsor flurries, so skywatchers should feminist author Jessica Valenti. We assume the new site will be News found via the fabulous find a comfortable spot with as enabled by all kinds of news research technologies to unearth N i e m a n J o u r n a l i s m L a b a t wide a view of the sky as possible. Lie back and allow 15 hot content, but in creating this H a r v a r d . D i s c u s s minutes for your eyes to adjust to kind of site Yahoo is acting on a the darkness, then give the show Submitted at 10/21/2009 10:14:01 AM

at least a half hour to play out through spurts and lulls. Meteors could appear anywhere in the sky, though traced back they will appear to emanate from the constellation Orion. Telescopes and binoculars are of no use, because meteors move too quickly. Extra warm clothing is a must, and a blanket and pillow or lounge chair allows comfortable positioning so you can look up for long stretches. You'll also, of course, want to

get as far away from city lights as possible. This is also a great time to photograph the nighttime sky. Don't feel too bad if you won't have a great time in the next few days to enjoy the showers, schedule in a viewing for next year. The Orionid showers are a consistent and showy night sky feature every year in October. Get Out: Orionid Meteor Shower Peaks Overnight[Yahoo! News]

current season of So You Think You Can Dance. His biggest credit is Hairspray, one of the few movie musicals that has made it to the big screen and was a bit hit in the last decade. Shankman should bring movement, energy and -perhaps -- dance to the Academy Awards? Continue reading Adam

Shankman, the dancing Oscar producer Filed under: OpEd, Celebrities, Awards, Reality-Free, So You Think You Can Dance Permalink| Email this| | Comments

Adam Shankman, the dancing Oscar producer By Allison Waldman (TV Squad)

Adam Shankman has been assigned to produce the Oscar broadcast... with Bill Mechanic. Submitted at 10/21/2009 11:29:00 AM The Bill Mechanic part is almost Maybe they'll change the name like fine print. (Or that cute kid of this year's Academy Awards to B r i c k o n T h e M i d d l e w h o So You Think You Can Win An whispers under his breathe in a Oscar? Or maybe it'll be Oscar, funny, creepy way. "Mechanic...") You Should Be Dancing. What The story here is Adam d i r e c t o r / c h o r e o g r a p h e r a n d else can we expect now that S h a n k m a n . He's a dancer. He's a judge on the

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The Power User's Guide to Google Chrome, 2009 Edition [Google Chrome] By Gina Trapani (Lifehacker) Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:00:37 AM

Google Chrome has come a long way in the past year, steadily adding subtle but useful features for power users. Let's take a fresh look at Chrome's current offerings—especially for those willing to brave its early developer builds. Not long after Chrome's release, our 2008 Chrome Power User's Guide covered its best features for savvy surfers, such as keyboard shortcuts and startup switches. We won't rehash those here; instead we're going to round up the new stuff that's come out since in both the stable and developer build of Chrome. (For reference, as of writing, the stable build of Google Chrome is version number 3.0.195.27, and the developer release is version 4.0.222.12.) Turn Chrome into a Site-Specific Browser with Application Shortcuts If webapps like Gmail have replaced desktop apps like an oldschool email client for you, you'll like Chrome's ability to act as a site-specific browser(SSB) with Application Shortcuts. Chrome's minimal interface makes it a great candidate to get the heck out of your webapps' way, and just act as a window to it. To put a Chrome Application Shortcut to Gmail, Google Reader, Twitter, Facebook, or any other webapp you like to keep open in a separate window, open the site in Chrome. From the Page menu, choose "Create application shortcuts." From there decide to put your shortcut on the desktop,

quick launch bar, and/or Start Menu. You can create as many Application Shortcuts as you like to all your favorite webapps or sites. When you open your webapp from the Application Shortcut icon, you won't see Chrome's address bar, or tabs, or your bookmarks bar. Any link that you click inside the application window will open in a different window in a full-on instance of Chrome. Assign Keywords to Your Search Engines One of Chrome's most touted features is how you can search the web by just typing into its address bar (a.k.a, the "omnibox"). To search specific sites, you can even type certain domain names (like "youtube.com") and then press

you can switch to a list view by clicking on the view buttons on the upper right. Get to Know New Chrome Startup Switches Last year we covered several Chrome startup switches that let you do things like use multiple user profiles, always start Chrome in a maximized window, and disable certain features like Flash or JavaScript. Today there are three more startup switches worth mentioning. The--bookmarkmenu switch adds a bookmark button to Chrome's toolbar. Theincognito switch starts up Google Chrome in private, incognito mode. Finally, Greasemonkey fans will want to try the--enableuser-scripts switch to see if their favorite scripts work in Chrome. (A few other steps are required; here's how to get Greasemonkey user scripts going.) Choose Your Chrome Theme As if ad-heavy web sites weren't T a b t o s e a r c h t h a t s i t e http://google.com/search?q=site:li specifically. However, power f e h a c k e r . c o m + % s a n d t h e enough, web browser themes can users want to configure custom keyword to lh. Then, to search add even more visual distractions searches to happen in as few Lifehacker's archives in Chrome, to your surfing experience. keystrokes as possible. Like type lh "your search here" into the However, since Chrome's—well, Firefox's keyword bookmark address bar.) Customize the "New chrome—is so minimal, its themes are less annoying than in capabilites, you can assign a Tab" Page keyword to a search engine Chrome's other slick headliner other browsers. I prefer Google's bookmark in Chrome, which uses feature is its "New Tab" page, more muted in-house themes, but the%s variable to pass parameters w h i c h d i s p l a y s a g r i d o f there are more vibrant artist to the URL. f r e q u e n t l y - v i s i t e d w e b s i t e themes as well. To activate a To do so, right-click in thumbnails that help you get to theme, from the Wrench menu, Chrome's address bar and choose where you're most likely to go choose Personal Options, click "Edit Search Engines." There, you when you create a new tab. That "Get Themes." Choose the theme can add, edit, or remove searches list is more customizable than you like from the Themes Gallery and assign keywords in the ever, with options to rearrange the and click the "Apply Theme" Keyword field. thumbnails (just drag and drop) button under it. Master Mouse and Using this technique you can, and pin thumbnails to specific Keyboard Shortcuts for Managing for instance, update Twitter with a locations on the grid (hover over a Tabs Every power user has a few keyword as well as search t h u m b n a i l a n d p r e s s t h e Lifehacker.com via Google. (Set thumbtack button to do so). If you t h e U R L t o don't need so much eye candy, POWER page 41

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POWER continued from page 40 essential keyboard shortcuts in their arsenal, and Chrome offers some mouse-and-keyboard combinations for managing tabs, too. Like Firefox, you can middlemouse-button click any link to open it in a background tab(or Ctrl+click for the same result). Shift+Click opens a link in a new window, Shift+middle+click (or Shift+Ctrl+click) opens a link in a new tab and switches to it, and Alt+click saves the contents of al link to your computer. Switch to the Dev Channel Release for Extensions (and More) Brave devotees to Google Chrome want to take advantage of its open development, and subscribe to the developer channel of early Chrome releases to get a preview of new features. Using Chrome's Channel Changer tool you can switch from the stable release to the no-guarantees-onstability beta or developer build. The risk you take in running into unexpected bugs is worth it for features the early builds offer. In the current Developer build version 4.0.222.12, you can sync your bookmarks, test extensions, and pin tabs. (Also, Mac and Linux users can finally try out Chrome via the developer channel, as a stable release is not yet available.) (Dev Build Only) Synchronize Your Bookmarks You use Chrome at home and at

the office, and you want your bookmarks synced in both places, In the dev build of Chrome, from the Wrench menu, choose "Sync my bookmarks" to save your Chrome bookmarks in your Google account. (You'll have to sign in to start syncing.) If you're already using the Xmarks extension for Firefox or IE, you can use that in the dev build of Chrome, which includes the foundation of extension support with a few alpha add-ons ready for testing. (Dev Build Only) Install Extensions Chrome's extension support is still young, but several alpha/beta extensions give you a glimpse of Firefox-like extension goodness in Chrome. Here are a few of our favorite Chrome extensions. • Gmail Checker: While it doesn't appear to work for Google Apps accounts (someone? prove me wrong?), the Gmail checker puts the number of unread messages in your inbox on Chrome's bottom toolbar. • Xmarks: Our favorite bookmark syncing extension for Firefox and IE is available for Chrome dev build testers as an alpha version. You must sign into Xmarks and sign up for the alpha test to get the Chrome extension. • AdSweep and Adblock+: Scrub annoying flashing ads from your favorite web sites.

• Session Saver: As previously covered, this extension enables multi-tab saving and reloading. • WOT: Integrates web site reputation ratings ala Web of Trust into Google Chrome. • LastPass: Adds deeper auto-fill password management to Chrome. To view and manage what extensions you've got installed in Google Chrome, from the Wrench menu, choose Extensions to open the Extensions manager, where you can reload, disable, and uninstall extensions. (Dev Build Only) Shrink and Affix Tabs with "Pin Tab" Option Finally, a tiny little tab feature that everyone seems to love is available in the dev build of Chrome: the ability to shrink a tab down to only its favicon, and pin it to your tab bar. Right-click on any tab and choose "Pin tab" from the context menu to try it out. What other power tips for Chrome, stable or developer build, are out there? Share your best ones in the comments. Gina Trapani, Lifehacker's founding editor, strongly suspects 2010 will be a big year for Google Chrome. Her weekly feature, Smarterware, appears every Wednesday on Lifehacker. Subscribe to the Smarterware tag feed to get new installments in your newsreader.

Boeing loses $1.5bn as delays take toll (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 10/21/2009 5:48:53 AM

Boeing gave investors a bitter reminder of the price the aerospace company must now pay

for its mis-steps in developing its annual profit forecast by more b o t h t h e 7 8 7 a n d 7 4 7 - 8 than half. commercial aircraft programmes. This content has passed through The company reported a fivefilters.org. quarterly net loss of more than $1.5bn, missed Wall Street’s revenue expectations and slashed

New Mac mini Runs OS X Server for $999 By Charles Jade (TheAppleBlog) Submitted at 10/20/2009 12:08:10 PM

Calling it a “new, mightier mini,” Apple (s aapl0 updated its smallest desktop with special attention to the optical drive. No, Blu-ray wasn’t added, rather Apple now offers a model with no optical drive at all. However, contrary to rumors and wish-fulfillment on my part, Apple did not lower the price of the entry-level mini to $499. On the low end, the $599 Mac mini has a 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, up from 2.0GHz, and 2GB of RAM, up from a measly 1GB, and a 160GB hard drive, up from 120GB. You still get five USB ports and one FireWire, as well as NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics and a SuperDrive. The $799 model now has a 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB of RAM, and a 320GB hard drive. So, same price, a little faster, more memory, a bit more storage on the low-end. It’s not much of an update to talk about, if not for the Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server.

For $999, you lose the optical drive, but do get two 500GB hard drives (5400 RPM) on a Mac mini running OS X Server. The other specs match the $799 model. Essentially, for another $200 you are getting an additional 500GB of storage and OS X Server (upgrading the $799 model to one 500GB drive balances out against buying an external SuperDrive for the $999 model). But why? Apple advertises this curious machine as a “simple” server “perfect for any small business or group,” but how many of those types of customers are going to drop a thousand dollars on a server? It seems like Apple missed an opportunity here, no doubt on purpose, to offer a media and backup server, an iServer for the rest of us. Of course, that would have been competing with the beleaguered “hobby” that is the Apple TV, so instead Apple has extended its overpricing of the Mac mini into the sever market. In Q3, NewNet focus turns to business models and search. Read the, " NewNet Q3 Wrap-up."

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Get It Wrong Before You Google to Learn It Better [Study Hacks] By Adam Pash (Lifehacker) Submitted at 10/21/2009 10:30:00 AM

We live in an era where the answer to almost any fact-based question is no further than a Google search away, but Scientific American highlights a study suggesting subjects forced to get something wrong before being told the answer learn it better. Photo by John Althouse Cohen. In many ways the results don't s e e m t e r r i b l y surprisingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;everyone's had that one fact they remember better than all the rest because it was the one they kept getting wrong. But it also flies in the face of the way many schools teach their students and the way the internet has spoiled us. People remember things better, longer, if they are given very challenging tests on the material, tests at which they are bound to fail. In a series of experiments,

Submitted at 10/21/2009 12:05:00 PM

Reality is not relative when it comes to television. Reality television, my friends, is here to stay. So when I let you know that GSN will air Carnie Wilson: Unstapled, a new reality show starring the former singer from Wilson Phillips and the host of The Newlywed Game, you shouldn't be surprised. At least not about another celebrity reality program. The fact that it's going

Innovating outside the 140 (Scripting News)

or draw the menus. But that wasn't all you could do with resources -- because -- and I pitched a simple idea at this is the key point -- you could yesterday's GigaOm meetup, one define your own resources. You that is easy to explain verbally but didn't have to get anyone's I've not yet attempted to explain it permission (okay theoretically in writing. So here goes. you did, but we never bothered). When the Mac came out in 1984 So if I wanted to write a DAVE it had a file system that worked resource to my file I could. And much like a Unix or PC file then I could tell you what a system, it was hierarchic, had DAVE resource contains and your volumes, folders and files. But app could read and write them, files had two "forks:" 1. Data and and all of a sudden we've just 2. Resource. The data fork was enhanced the platform. Pretty like a regular file, but the resource cool! And we did this kind of they showed that if students make surprise you, but keep them in fork was really cool and different. stuff all the time. a n u n s u c c e s s f u l a t t e m p t t o mind next time you're about to It was like a file system within a So why shouldn't tweets also retrieve information before google something and consider file, but not quite. have resource forks? Then if I r e c e i v i n g a n a n s w e r , t h e y getting it wrong on your own Resources had a type and an id. wanted to attach a picture to a remember the information better before you go looking for the The type was a four-character tweet I'd just pack it up in a blob than in a control condition in quick answer elsewhere. Getting string, and the ID was a number. and shoot it up to Twitter as part which they simply study the It Wrong: Surprising Tips on How There were standard system types of a PICT resource along with the information. Trying and failing to to Learn[Scientific American] like WIND and MENU, and in 140 characters which would then retrieve the answer is actually them you put designs for windows be a description for the picture. Or helpful to learning. and menus. There was a resource why not have a menu go with a It's easy to understand the idea, editor that shipped with the OS tweet? Or a bit of HTML? Or whether or not the study's findings that had tools for the standard whatever the fuck. system types, the menu editor let This would get Ev and Biz out you add a command to a menu or of the loop, they could just kick Carnie Wilson. Kelly Goode, delete a command. The window back and run a storage system and GSN senior vice president for editor let you set the default size stop worrying about what features o r i g i n a l p r o g r a m m i n g a n d of the window, its initial title, and to add to the platform. You see development, gushed about CW, w h a t W D E F r o u t i n e w a s the users get to innovate inside the saying, "Carnie is incredibly responsible for drawing it. A big 140 characters, but there would be funny and earthy. ... She's a part of learning how to program so much more action if the personality the viewers have the Mac was learning what all the developers could innovate outside fallen in love with. And she's a hit resources were and how to set the 140. them up. Then you'd write C or on The Newlywed Game. Continue reading Carnie Pascal code to open the windows Wilson's reality show will be on... GSN? to be on GSN -- that's the Game Filed under: OpEd, Celebrities, Show Network -- however, that's Celebreality a bit of a shocker. Permalink| Email this| | GSN has fallen in love with Comments

Carnie Wilson's reality show will be on... GSN? By Allison Waldman (TV Squad)

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Submitted at 10/20/2009 2:45:26 PM

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Condé Nast Brings Titles to iPhone, Keeps Eyes On the iTablet By Liam Cassidy (TheAppleBlog)

counterpart, but cost appreciably less. It might also offer compelling extra content and rich Submitted at 10/21/2009 10:00:56 AM media at (and this is so very Newspapers and magazines — important to publishers) little-tothe entire news print industry to no extra cost. After all, an be honest — have been suffering e m b e d d e d v i d e o i s a n a long and torturous decline for i m p o s s i b i l i t y i n a p r i n t e d much of the last decade as more magazine, and a digital edition of us turn to the Internet and offers unlimited virtual columne l e c t r o n i c d e v i c e s t o g e t inches for expanded editorial. (increasingly personalized) news Condé hasn’t completely a n d o t h e r c o n t e n t . W h i l e abandoned its old methods for publishers have generally been generating profits. Indeed, it’s slow to adapt to shifting delivery relying on the fact its digital platforms, change is — finally — issues will be counted as paid afoot. Publishing supergiant e d i t i o n s b e c a u s e p r i n t a d s Condé Nast is now taking its first command higher rates than online tentative steps to embracing the ads. Size Matters digital realm with a series of So, will you buy GQ on your iPhone apps designed to deliver iPhone? I suspect there won’t be i t s m o s t p o p u l a r t i t l e s too many people who do. electronically. Seasoned iPhone users are keenly Adage reports that the first title aware that the device’s form will be GQ magazine, released factor makes for a dissatisfying this December in the app store reading experience of even and priced at $2.99 (the regular modest duration. The iPhone is print edition of the magazine costs hardly the most comfortable as much as $4.99). platform for reading anything Adage’s Nat Ives writes: more than email. Sure, apps like The new app platform could Stanza and Instapaper make h e l p t h e c o m p a n y s q u e e z e reading on the iPhone far more circulation and real ad revenue fluid and tolerable than, say, from digital. Because the apps reading lengthy web pages in will include all the editorial and Safari. But they can’t change the ads that the print editions do, the fact that you’re still peering at Audit Bureau of Circulations will tiny text on a 3.5 inch screen. consider the apps to be paid Only the most dedicated of circulation just like newsstand readers will suffer such eye-strain sales and subscriber copies. -inducing limitations, all the while T h a t ’ s i m p o r t a n t b e c a u s e dreaming of something just as advertisers only want to pay for light, just as thin, but much larger. ad space in issues that the audit Y’know… a tablet. bureau defines as paid. This is something Condé Nast So the digital edition of GQ will u n d e r s t a n d s v e r y w e l l . I t s be identical to its dead-tree upcoming app isn’t about bringing

its various print publications to the iPhone — it’s about the timely positioning of its product to take advantage of the upcoming tablet. Says Sarah Chubb, President of Condé Nast Digital: This iPhone is just one platform. We plan to be, and generally try to be, anywhere our consumers are. We think that the minute Apple is ready, if they ever are, to announce that they’re going forward with a tablet, that we’ll be ahead of everybody. I can’t say I’m a GQ reader, but that’s not meant as a judgement against that particular title. I just don’t buy newspapers or magazines. Practically no one I know my age (or younger) does. It’s not hard to see why; these days, most people enjoy regular, inexpensive access to the Internet. Services like Twitter and RSS feeds ensure we get only the news and content we want to read, when we want to read it — and what’s more, it’s usually free. $2.99 is too much for a magazine that exists only as pixels on a (small) screen. 99 cents seems far more appealing and most likely would shift more (virtual) copies. It’s more appropriate, too, since the traditional resource, print and distribution costs associated with a dead-tree publication don’t apply in the digital realm. Perhaps when Condé Nast’s printed magazines have finally gone the

way of the Dodo, its digital issues will hit that magic sub-dollar price. In the meantime, I’m excited Condé is doing this. No, not because I’m about to start buying GQ. I’m excited because I know it’s only a matter of time before other big print titles start appearing on digital devices. (And not just watered-down content portals like the New York Times.) It’s already happening, albeit quietly, behind closed doors. A few months ago word got out that Time was in talks with other publishers, collaborating on ereader standards. Around the same time, it was reported Apple was negotiating content deals with several media companies “rooted in print.” And while we’re still waiting for Apple’s tablet to arrive, e-readers are cropping up all over the place, jostling for a position in what is sure to become a massive new market. Print is dead. But, at long last, Digital Print is here to replace it, and it’s just around the corner. That’s welcome news for an ailing publishing industry finally starting to take electronic platforms seriously. Tell us in the comments if the new age of digital publishing is going to get you reading newspapers, and whether you think Apple’s gonna object to some of GQ’s more, um, “adult” front covers! Growing mobile data use turned up heat on carriers in Q3. Read the, " Mobile Q3 Wrap-up."

Steve Phillips-Brooke Hundley Affair Reportedly Leads to ESPN Suspension By Will Brinson (FanHouse) Submitted at 10/21/2009 10:30:00 AM

by Will Brinson Filed under: Sports Media ESPN baseball analyst Steve Phillips, embroiled in an affair with Brooke Hundley, has reportedly been suspended for a week by the network based on the public turn the affair has taken, including potential threats to Phillips' wife, Marni Phillips. Hundley is a 22-year-old production assistant with ESPN. According to the NY Post, she went off the deep end after the announcer dumped her, Phillips was forced to involve police in the situation, and the media caught wind of the news shortly thereafter. Steve Phillips-Brooke Hundley Affair Reportedly Leads to ESPN Suspension originally appeared on Fanhouse Backporch on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Linking Blogs| Comments

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Snow Leopard Still a Better Ride Than Windows 7, Even for the Not-Rich By Charles Moore (TheAppleBlog)

and having no interest in producing mass-market PCs, which is fair comment I suppose. Submitted at 10/21/2009 8:00:57 AM However I’m constrained to ChannelWeb’s Steven Burke observe that as Forbes’ Brian says that in the manifold Caulfield pointed out last comparisons of Windows 7 with weekend, over the past year, Snow Leopard burning up the banks have collapsed, PC sales Web, what all the reviewers and have plummeted, unemployment pundits seem to be forgetting is has soared, and Steve Jobs went that it’s not about the operating on mysterious medical leave for a system, which he maintains is liver transplant, but meanwhile simply the engine that runs the Apple has thrived through all this PC. As Burke puts it, you don’t with sales and earnings down less go into a car dealership and buy than everyone else in the industry an engine. You buy a car, and in and actually up year-over-year — his opinion, starting October 22, o n M o n d a y r e p o r t i n g t h e there will be no better ride company’s best quarter ever and a available for the money than net quarterly profit of $1.67 Windows 7. billion on revenues of $9.87 Burke leans heavily on the billion. Consequently the question initial purchase price angle, is begged as to who is and is not noting that an Apple Mac Pro considering economic reality. desktop he cites as an example is N e t b o o k S a l e s S o a r B u t nearly four times the price of an P r o f i t a b i l i t y F i z z l e s HP Pavilion, asking rhetorically NPD Group’s DisplaySearch Q2 whether anyone really believes ‘09 PC shipment data released last the Mac is four times better than week estimated that netbook sales the HP Pavilion? I think some of soared a whopping 264 percent us would argue that the value is year-over-year in the quarter, t h e r e u n d e r t h e r i g h t accounting for 22.2 percent of circumstances, but it would’ve overall PC sales, but woefully for been more relevant to compare a P C m a n u f a c t u r e r s a n d f o r mainstream Mac model such as Microsoft — only 11.7 percent of the iMac or MacBook to their still revenues. Overall PC laptop sales admittedly cheaper, but not so (excluding netbooks) declined 14 d r a m a t i c a l l y s o , W i n d o w s percent and PC laptop average competition. Apple Ignoring selling prices dropped to $688 in “Economic Reality?” Q2 2009 from $704 in Q1 2009 Burke accuses Apple and and from $849 in Q2 2008. company CEO Steve Jobs of not Apple, on the other hand, eased considering “economic reality,” prices somewhat on entry level

MacBook Pro models in all three sizes while holding the $999 price point for its price leader white MacBook, and is still enjoying healthy sales and profits on its laptops. Even the most substantial MacBook Pro price cut — $400 on the base 15 model — was partly compensated by substituting an SD Card slot for the preceding model’s ExpressCard slot, and leaving out the discrete NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT graphics processor unit with its 256MB of dedicated VRAM in the new price-leader model, so I doubt that Apple has taken a major profitability hit. It’s more about marketing refocus. Burke says Jobs wants to build “Rolls Royces,” not “Fords” and for him it was never about putting a PC on every desktop, while Microsoft has always had more of a Henry Ford style mass production bent. Again, partially true I suppose, although it doesn’t hold up particularly well in the iPod and iPhone context, and I don’t think Mr. Jobs has anything against growing market share provided he can do it without compromising quality standards or profitability, as his “there are some markets Apple doesn’t choose to serve” comment a year ago attests. Simplistic Fixation On Initial Purchase Cost I don’t gainsay that Windows Vista was a gift to Apple that just

kept on giving, or that Windows 7 will prove much stiffer competition for OS X, but I think Burke is overstating his case in contending that Apple’s market share gains over the past several years are now destined to evaporate. To borrow his own analogy, it’s the whole car, not just the engine, and many of us perceive the Mac as being not only a smoother, better-handling ride, but also a better value in a whole raft of contexts that transcend simplistic fixation on initial purchase cost. CNET’s Dong Ngo reports that Snow Leopard consistently beats Windows 7 in many general performance areas including boot up time and battery charge life in laptops, for example. Burke says PCs running Windows 7 are for “the masses” while Macs running OS X are for “the rich.” I’m not rich by the wildest stretch and neither are most of the other Mac-users I know. I do like to think that I appreciate value, a superior user experience, lower total cost of ownership, and elegance of form and execution, and that while Windows 7 will narrow the gap somewhat, it will fall well short of closing it. In Q3, NewNet focus turns to business models and search. Read the, " NewNet Q3 Wrap-up."

Cam Ward: The Best Goalie Hardly Anyone Knows By Christopher Botta (FanHouse) Submitted at 10/21/2009 12:30:00 PM

by Christopher Botta Filed under: Hurricanes, FanHouse Exclusive The Carolina Hurricanes will only go as far as Cam Ward takes them, so it's a good thing Ward has emerged as one of the top goaltenders in the National Hockey League. "He's our guy," said Carolina coach Paul Maurice, who did not want to rank his goaltender but said, "He gives us a chance to win as frequently as any goalie in the league." Cam Ward: The Best Goalie Hardly Anyone Knows originally appeared on Fanhouse NHL Blog on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Linking Blogs| Comments

Roll over… By Heather Champ (Flickr Blog)

• About Flickr making photo management an and tags on your photos, post to Flickr is a revolution in photo easy, natural and collaborative any blog, share and more! storage, sharing and organization, process. Get comments, notes, This content has passed through

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Apple Unveils the Magic Mouse By Liam Cassidy (TheAppleBlog) Submitted at 10/20/2009 12:04:26 PM

Today Apple revealed the Magic Mouse — the world’s first multitouch mouse. Inspired by the multi touch technology in the iPhone and trackpad on modern MacBooks, Magic Mouse is the zero-button, gesture-sensing, wireless pointing-device of your dreams. Its design is quintessentially Apple. The sleek, minimal lines of Magic Mouse definitely look like something straight out of Jonathan Ive’s workshop. Apple describe it as an “entirely new kind of mouse” that’s “Intuitive, smart [and] dynamic.” But unlike its distant (and illreceived) ancestor the Mighty Mouse, this new pointing device really does do things no other mouse has ever done before. Apple says “We’ve built a better mouse” and, if you hated the Mighty Mouse, you’ll be hoping Apple isn’t exaggerating, but have got things right this time! The top shell of Magic Mouse is one huge seamless multi-touch sensor that does away entirely with buttons and scroll-nubs. (Great news for those frustrated Mighty Mouse users with gunky nubs. You know what I mean.) Magic Mouse tracks and clicks like a regular mouse, but since the entire shell is touch-sensitive, it’s possible to click practically anywhere along its upper surface. That said, Secondary-click (right

click) functionality is achieved, as you’d expect, by clicking in the top-right area of the device. Click Anywhere Scrolling is achieved by sliding, or swiping, a finger along the surface, rather like you would on an iPhone or iPod touch. Magic Mouse even senses the speed at which you ‘scroll’ — Apple calls this “momentum scrolling.” Scrolling is also supported horizontally and also through 360 degrees. 360° scrolling Just like an iPhone or a MacBook’s trackpad, Magic Mouse detects and tracks the number of fingers you are using at any given time. So, two finger swipes allows a user to move between albums in iTunes, web pages in Safari, pictures in iPhoto…you get the idea. Two finger gestures

My immediate concern was room for misinterpretation; a dumb, regular two-button mouse can’t get all clever and start deciding it knows what I want to do. Those clunky buttons have to be pressed. That’s the only option. It might be dumb, but it’s predictable. However, Apple assures us Magic Mouse is smart enough not to be too clever. Inside Magic Mouse is a chip that tells it exactly what you want to do. Which means Magic Mouse won’t confuse a scroll with a swipe. It even knows when you’re just resting your hand on it. If, for some unfathomable reason, you don’t like your fancy new multi-touch mouse offering multi-touch functionality, you can choose to disable some, or all, of those features. Magic Mouse supports all the old mousey tricks you’ve come to

expect on the Mac; for example, holding Control and “scrolling” vertically will zoom in and out just as it always has with a wheel or nub-wielding mouse. Like the wireless Mighty Mouse before it, this one connects to your Mac via Bluetooth, enjoying a 33 foot radius. Unlike the Mighty Mouse, this one uses laser tracking technology which is far superior to the old optical tracking method. This provides far higher tracking resolution, which means far higher tracking accuracy across almost any surface. Bluetooth wireless, laser tracking, and multi-touch goodness sucks down a lot of juice. Apple says Magic Mouse makes the most of its two standard AA batteries by employing power management features, making it more energy efficient. But Apple also doesn’t

say how much life you can expect from your batteries. I’m not sure yet whether that ought to be cause for concern, but in any case, no one really takes Apple’s batterylife claims seriously, particularly on a first-generation device. Magic Mouse requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later. Starting today it comes as standard with the new iMac, or for $69 is now available to order on its own via Apple’s online Store. Get all the juicy details, and watch a video demonstration here on Apple’s Mighty Mouse website. In Q3, Uncle Sam was the green IT king maker. Read the, " Green IT Q3 Wrap-up."

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Facebook 3.1 Highlights All That’s Wrong With Push Notifications By Liam Cassidy (TheAppleBlog) Submitted at 10/21/2009 7:13:00 AM

In a tweet on Monday, Joe Hewitt, developer of the iPhone Facebook app, announced that the next major update (version 3.1 to be precise) will finally bring Push Notifications to the popular application. Facebook is easily one of the most popular free apps available in the iTunes App Store. I think you’d be hard pressed to find an iPhone without it. Version 3.0 was a mammoth update to earlier, functionally limited releases, and was eagerly anticipated and reported widely in the tech press. And yet, the lack of support for Apple’s Push Notification Services was, and remains, conspicuous. Adding Push Notifications is the no-brainer icing on the cake function for endusers who don’t spend every second in the app but value being kept in-the-loop with timely updates. It’s also the last major hurdle to making the social networking app practically perfect. (Probably.) However, TechCrunch’s MG Siegler has suggested that the long-awaited introduction of Push Notifications in the Facebook app will also make it the unwitting

poster child for illustrating all that is wrong with Push, and more directly, how Notifications are handled on the iPhone. Siegler writes: The Push Notification management system beyond a certain threshold is basically useless. That is to say, when you’re getting a large number of Push Notifications on your iPhone, it’s almost laughable how bad the built-in system is for trying to figure out what you just

got notified about beyond the most recent message. If you’re an iPhone owner you probably already know exactly what this is about. Let’s say your iPhone is locked. You receive an important SMS. That familiar blue pop-up box appears on the screen. A moment later, you also receive a Push Notification from one of your apps. The blue box is replaced with another. The next time you hit the Sleep/wake button and look at

What Siegler is saying – and many iPhone owners are likely to agree – is that the iPhone needs a more sophisticated notification system. He adds, The Push system is such a mess right now, that many of the most popular developers are letting others deal with it. Loren Brichter, the guy behind the excellent Twitter app Tweetie, tells us that he’s tabled Push Notifications for the time being, letting others like Boxcar handle it, because it’s a potential headache. To date, applications are forbidden to run as background processes on the iPhone. It’s important to remember that Push was created to provide application developers with an elegant solution to the challenges they faced due to that functional your screen (just look, don’t limitation. Even so, I find agree unlock) you’ll see only the latest with Siegler – the iPhone OS notification. You’ll have no way d e s p e r a t e l y n e e d s a m o r e of knowing that important SMS is sophisticated way to handle l u r k i n g i n t h e b a c k g r o u n d , multiple unread notifications, waiting for your attention, unless because if nothing changes, the you unlock and check for that advent of Facebook 3.1 (not to little red notification badge on the mention the growing number of Messages icon. If you’re in a other push-enabled apps) brings hurry (or in a meeting) and can’t with it a future filled with those spend more time on the phone little blue popup boxes. than is absolutely necessary, In Q3, Uncle Sam was the green you’re not going to see that IT king maker. Read the, " Green important SMS until much later. IT Q3 Wrap-up."

NFL Coaches Fight Club: Jack Del Rio (1) vs. Dick Jauron (8) By Mark Hasty (FanHouse) Submitted at 10/21/2009 11:30:00 AM

by Mark Hasty Filed under: NFL NFL Coaches Fight Club: the

Tournament. Because we have nothing better to do than predict what might happen if head coaches started punching each other in the face. More Coverage: Fight Club

Introduction, 1st Round Seeds

NFL Coaches Fight Club: Jack Del Rio (1) vs. Dick Jauron (8) originally appeared on Fanhouse Backporch on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple Europe VP Talks Macs, iPhones, iPods and Surprises By Charles Jade (TheAppleBlog)

What's On Tonight: Old Christine, Glee, Cougar Town, Top Chef

Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:26:03 AM

By Bob Sassone (TV Squad)

Pascal Cagni, Apple vice president and general manager for Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa, did in an interview with Katie Allen of the Guardian. Speaking after Apple’s earnings report for the fourth fiscal quarter, Cagni was optimistic on the Mac in Europe, guarded about the iPod, and enigmatic about “surprises” in the future. Questioned on Apple’s success in Europe during the recession, Cagni responded that the Mac is “typically above 20-25 [percent] market share in each of the countries.” That’s about twice the market share in the U.S., and you have to wonder how the numbers add up to worldwide figures that put the Mac under 5 percent. Still, at Monday’s conference call, it was noted that Mac growth was around 40 percent in Spain, Germany and France, so the Mac is doing very well indeed in Europe. Less so, the iPod. On declining sales, Cagni stated that Apple needs “to carry the message out there much better” regarding the new iPod nano, and that the decline has not yet hit Europe. Again, this is in keeping

Submitted at 10/21/2009 12:19:00 PM

with comments from the conference call, in which it was stated that the iPod is gaining market share year over year in nearly every country tracked. While Apple does not break out iPod sales by geographic region, 40 percent of all revenue comes from North America, so it would seem then that the decline is largely in the U.S. It’s possible the iPod has hit a saturation point, though another possibility would be cannibalization of iPod sales by the iPhone. As for the iPhone, the question was whether multiple carriers in the UK will affect pricing in the future. Again, the response lined up with the conference call. Apple does not “dictate” price. Personally, I wonder if AT&T feels that way.

• At 8, ABC has a new Hank, followed by new episodes of The Middle, Modern Family, Cougar Town, and Eastwick. • CBS has a new Old Christine at 8, then new episodes of Gary Unmarried, Criminal Minds, and CSI: NY. • NBC has new episodes of Besides a non-response to the Beatles for Christmas at the Mercy, Law and Order: SVU, and iTunes Store — “nothing to The Jay Leno Show. • FOX has a new So You Think announce” — the most interesting comment was another oblique You Can Dance at 8, followed by reference to new products in a new Glee. • The CW has a new America's 2010. While Apple executives routinely talk about the great and Next Top Model at 8. • PBS has a new Great mysterious “product pipeline,” P e r formances at 8. chief Steve Jobs elevated that • G4 has a new 2 Months $2 hype in Apple’s press release for the fourth fiscal quarter. Cagni Million at 8. • At 9, Discovery has a new echoed that in the interview: And guess what, as Steve stated, Mythbusters at 9, then a new we are going to continue to Time Warp. • IFC has a new Monty Python: surprise you in the year to come. It doesn’t take 20 questions to Almost The Truth (The Lawyer's get to the tablet, the only question Cut) at 9. • History Channel has a new now is when? In Q3, Uncle Sam was the green Nostradamus Effect at 9, followed IT king maker. Read the, " Green by a new MysteryQuest. • Showtime has a new Inside IT Q3 Wrap-up." The NFL at 9. • At 10, Comedy Central has a new South Park, then a new Secret Girlfriend.

Dollar drops through $1.50 against euro (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 10/21/2009 10:29:14 AM

The dollar fell through $1.50

against the euro for the first time in 14 months on Wednesday as optimism over the prospects for global growth continued to weigh on the US currency.

The dollar dropped to a low of $1.5017 against the euro in afternoon trading in London, its weakest level since August 11 2008.

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• Bravo has a new Top Chef: Las Vegas at 10. • FX has a new Nip/Tuck at 10. • Food Network has a new Dinner: Impossible at 10. • TCM has The Third Man at 10. • Also at 10: Travel Channel has a new Man vs. Food. Check your local TV listings for more. After the jump, the late night talk shows. Continue reading What's On Tonight: Old Christine, Glee, Cougar Town, Top Chef Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free Permalink| Email this| | Comments

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thoughts have never been more ephemeral. Yesterday at Om's we wasted Good morning. Getting back to (imho) a time talking about work after a half-day at a seredipity. The time could have conference followed by a fivebeen better used working on more hour baseball game. The mundane topics like maintaining a conference was at Om Malik's and memory that lasts more than a was the first tech conference I'd year at a time. We love the latest been to since the disaster at and greatest stuff, but don't Gnomedex in 2007. This one was recognize the patterns, we've seen much better. I got to talk with a this before. It's like the recurring number of people I'm working theme in BSG, it's happened with on RSS-related projects, and before. But we threw out the met a few developers with archive! Oy gevilt. interesting projects. Om gathers I refuse to solve the problem an interesting group, that's for regulars at Scripting News as my only for Scripting News, because sure. And the mood at Om's place guest, so if you'd like to come, I don't want future generations to is respectful and collegial. We got send me an email or post a think I was the only one writing in comment, and I'll send you a link the early part of the 21st century. some work done. Nice. I told Om I'd like to try out the that gets you free admission. Jeff One of our bloggers is the next flash conference idea at his new was very kind to let us party on Ernest Hemingway or William 2nd St office. Great location and a his dime in LA. Faulkner, Willa Cather or Emily M e a n w h i l e , t w o r e a l l y Dickinson. Let's make sure we good size. So next time there's a rush to get people's ideas on some interesting articles you all should have their earliest emails, Flickrnew tech development maybe we read: ings and tweets. 1. Wired: How Users Took can get together to talk about it at BTW, this guy at Yahoo is Over Twitter. Om's place. surprisingly funny. I didn't know 2. Mediate: We Keep Finding they were allowed to hire people The baseball game was the third in the ALCS between the Angels Historically Significant Photos. with a sense of humor. Hate to say and the Yankees. I'm really liking Will Our Grandchildren? it, but I've never seen anyone at a The latter question was the big tech company, Microsoft, the way the Angels are playing, and of course I'm always up for p u n c h l i n e o f y e s t e r d a y ' s Google, Apple, Facebook or rooting against the other New Rebooting The News podcast, whatever that had a sense of which has yet to appear in the humor. I have an idea, they should York team. There will be more baseball and feed. The irony is that we could make being funny one of the I'm speaking at Jeff Pulver's 140 be doing a better job at archiving requirements to work at the Bigs. c h a r a c t e r c o n f e r e n c e n e x t our thoughtstream, but we're Who knows the software might be Tuesday, a week from today. It's actually doing a worse job. Our more er uhhh you know -- fun. in Los Angeles. I can invite the pictures, movies, recordings, Submitted at 10/20/2009 11:39:35 AM

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What's Hot on SlashControl: Criss Angel Mindfreak Halloween Special By Jane Boursaw (TV Squad) Submitted at 10/21/2009 1:03:00 PM

I'm kind of mesmerized by Criss Angel. He's definitely one freaky guy -- or is that mindfreaky? -and every time I surf by him, I have to back up and watch whatever unbelievable, deathdefying stunt he's performing. For one thing, he looks like a vampire. But a very polite vampire. I can see how all the female stars fall in love with him. I got involved in a Criss Angel Mindfreak marathon not too long ago, and am still stumped as to how he does those levitations, his signature magic trick. I'm not kidding, he took an entire room of people and levitated them, some in bizarre positions that could never be done, even if the person was wide awake and as flexible as an Olympic gymnast. We're talking backward bends,

leaning to the point of toppling over and, of course, 20 feet off the ground. Someone tell me how he does that?!! I'm such a sucker for magic tricks. Continue reading What's Hot on SlashControl: Criss Angel Mindfreak - Halloween Special Filed under: OpEd, Video, Celebrities Permalink| Email this| | Comments

L.A. Fashion Week's Chic Standouts By ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog)

Goth-inspired separates, redcarpet-ready gowns, and surfergirl staples. One collection I can Submitted at 10/20/2009 8:29:51 AM see myself wearing right off the So far for spring 2010, L.A. runway is Maxine Dillonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fashion Week has delivered a mix California-casual-meets-polished- The sleek jumpsuits, crisp cotton of leather armor, lace dresses, East-coast-chic spring offering. shirt-dresses, and high-waist

trousers are just the thing for day/night/weekend dressing. Click here for a full roundup of all the shows so far from L.A. Fashion Week. Shop Maxine Dillon's fall collection here.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Violet Moon Gaynor Photo: Volker Corell

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Yankees 10, Angels 1, Umpires 0 (WSJ.com: The Daily Fix)

are simply no words for the ruling, other to say that one of the five other umpires should’ve The New York Yankees’ 10-1 offered his assistance, McClelland defeat of the Los Angeles Angels shouldn’t ump another game in o n T u e s d a y n i g h t o f f e r e d this series and that it’s time for everything but drama. There were Bud Selig to stop being stubborn transcendent performances from and expand the use of instant the locked-in CC Sabathia and replay in baseball past disputed Alex Rodriguez. There were a few home run calls,” Yahoo’s Kevin more howlers courtesy of the Kaduk writes. “Simply put, this snakebitten umpiring crew. There shouldn’t be happening,” was the restored sense that the The Philadelphia Phillies enjoy Yankees’ return to the World a 3-1 advantage in their own Series is inevitable. There just series, and could punch their was never any doubt about the World Series ticket with a win at Yankees’ winning it, and the home against the Dodgers on series now stands at three games Wednesday night. While it’s not to one in New York’s favor. Getty hard to remember the Phils’ Images Derek Jeter appears to be World Series run last year, Danny in the vicinity of second base as Knobler of CBS Sports writes that he forces Erick Aybar out at the franchise’s many losses — second during the fifth inning of Philadelphia is the only bigGame 4. league club with 10,000 career At ESPN, Eric Neel points out defeats — and the way it has that the narrative surrounding bounced back from that long line Alex Rodriguez has shifted during of lean years is what defines the his dominant postseason. A-Rod NL’s toughest club. “Losses now has homered in three straight m a t t e r h e r e . L o s s e s a r e and has five homers and 11 RBIs remembered, right along with the i n n i n e p o s t s e a s o n g a m e s . wins,” Knobler writes. “So when “Rodriguez is no longer the you ask when the Phillies became fragile psyche who has somehow the Phillies, when they went from learned not to press on the big being the franchise that never stage,” Neel writes. “He’s not the wins to one that is a win away g u y w h o l a b o r e d u n d e r from a second straight World expectations and finally got off Series, naturally they mention the the schneid. And he ain’t the losses.” cerebral hitter figuring out how to In the Journal, Matthew let it flow, either. He’s a thing Futterman suggests that the unleashed.” Phillies seem poised to become With some exceptions, the the first pro sports dynasty in umpiring has been as bad as A- Philadelphia’s star-crossed sports Rod has been great during this history.* * * postseason. But Tim Even those who don’t follow McClelland’s baffling blown call international soccer very closely on a strange should’ve-been are most likely familiar with Angels double play Tuesday may Spanish uber-juggernaut FC have been the worst and weirdest Barcelona and such big-name missed call of the playoffs. “There Barca stars as Lionel Messi, Submitted at 10/21/2009 8:59:09 AM

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Xavi Hernandez. FK Rubin Kazan, on the other hand, is a name that many ardent soccer fans are hearing for the first time. It’s a team, not a player, and it’s the little-known Russian side that scored a stunning upset win against the defending Champions League champs, at Barca’s Camp Nou no less, by the score of 2-1. Rubin Kazan aren’t exactly the Bad News Bears — they tied Italy’s Inter in Champions League play last week. But the unheralded club from the predominantly Muslim Tatarstan region were can’t-even-see-them-from-here longshots against Barca. “At home Kazan lead the Russian league, but their shock Champions League win had neutrals scrambling for their atlases to locate Tatarstan,” the BBC’s Mike Henson writes. In the New York Times, Rob Hughes sees Kazan’s stunning win as the fruit of UEFA president Michel Platini’s plan to diversify the Champions League with more national champs from more countries. “The former French star who rose to become president of the European Union of soccer nations had pledged that there would be more places in the UEFA tournaments for national champions, fewer for a closed community to the very rich,” Hughes writes. “We need to draw breath, to get out our gazetteer, to

look afresh on the sport we take for granted.”* * * After tough-guying the referees union and threatening to begin the 2009-10 NBA season with replacement officials, the NBA may wind up settling with its embattled refs in time for opening night after all. This is almost certainly good news, but whichever refs find themselves with whistles in their mouths this winter will have a new rule to remember. Well, sort of new. The NBA has belatedly amended the rulebook to replace the old, nevercalled two-step walk with a new, three-step traveling rule. At CBS Sports, Ray Ratto offers some qualified praise for the NBA’s attempt to bring the rules in line with on-court reality. “If we thought the new crop of officials could hold the line on two steps, maybe this would be a triumph for truth, justice and the American way,” Ratto writes. “Only the book isn’t reality, and it never has been, because the threesecond rule isn’t really three seconds, either, and the handcheck isn’t really a hand-check, and the goaltend isn’t really a goaltend. Basketball, more than any other sport, operates under the rules set by its best players — they establish the outer envelope, and their inferiors operate within those parameters.”* * * H.G. “Buzz” Bissinger wrote the all-time sportswriting classic “ Friday Night Lights,” which is to his credit. But he has, for his own reasons, rebranded himself as a seething proto-curmudgeon and sportswriting conservative. Bissinger’s rage for order — and against goofy frat-blog Deadspin and internet-based sportswriting in general — famously earned

him a measure of infamy back in 2008. His most recent attack on the non-establishment comes in The New Republic, where he penned a strange, strawman-laden diatribe against the data-oriented, sabermetric-friendly “Moneyball” style of baseball team management. It’s a tidy irony, then, that Bissinger’s piece receives a thorough, measured and decidedly internet-y dissection from Patrick Hayes, a blogger at MLive.com. “Bissinger is obviously a protector of the old-guard in baseball. He likes the romanticism of an old scout chewing tobacco and discovering some farm kid hurling 95 MPH at a tire swing out in the sticks,” Hayes writes. “Unfortunately, even in the most old-fashioned front offices, things rarely happen like that anymore. The legacy of ‘Moneyball’ is not that [Oakland GM Billy] Beane discovered a long-lasting way to beat an unfair system, he obviously didn’t. The book, however, has lasting relevance because it caused all front offices in baseball to start paying attention to better statistical measurements and to stop using flawed stats.”* * * Pretty much everyone with an opinion on the matter — from the U.S. Geological Survey to weekend anglers and boaters — agrees that the invasive, planktongobbling silver carp does not belong in the Illinois River. The indigenous-to-Asia carp’s voracious appetite has nearly destroyed other fish stocks in the river. In the New York Times, James Card describes the ingenious response of one Chris YANKEES page 51

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Pair of Walk-Off Doubles Bring Hope, Agony to L.A. (WSJ.com: The Daily Fix) Submitted at 10/20/2009 8:02:57 AM

Los Angeles fans lusting for a Freeway Series are about to hit a roadblock now that the Dodgers are one loss from elimination after Monday’s stomach-churning 5-4 victory by the Philadelphia Phillies. At least the Angels, thanks to a pulsating 11-inning, 54 win over the New York Yankees, seem to be a West Coast team with a pulse. Associated Press Jimmy Rollins has the temerity to mess with the preordained World Series meeting between Joe Torre and the Yankees. The Dodgers stood one out from tying the National League Championship Series at 2-2 when Jimmy Rollins crushed a Jonathan Broxton pitch into right-center to score two runs in Philadelphia’s comeback victory. Just like that the Dodgers are in a 3-1 hole they’ll have a hard time escaping against the defending World Series champs, the team that beat them in last year’s NLCS. “This is worse. Than losing 110. Than last year,” Ramona Shelburne fumes in the Los Angeles Daily News. “Worse, because it seemed like the Dodgers had learned their lessons from last season’s meltdown against the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Championship Series. Worse, because it seemed like destiny and luck and fortune had all been smiling on them this time around. Worse, because now you wonder whether this group has come as

far as it can go.” Sports Illustrated’s Ted Keith notes that this postseason has been rough on normally reliable closers, like Broxton Monday night. ESPN’s Jayson Stark delves into the history books to find that it’s extremely rare for a team to turn defeat into victory with two outs in the ninth. Also at ESPN, Gene Wojciechowski says Manny must start being Manny if the Dodgers are to have any hope of winning this series. Yahoo Sports’s Jeff Passan writes that L.A. manager Joe Torre is overrated. And the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Phil Sheridan says this postseason is proving a lot more heart-stopping than last year’s playoff run. While the Dodgers are all but finished, the Angels, playing in front of their fans in Anaheim, showed great resilience in bouncing back from an early 3-0 deficit and winning on Jeff Mathis’s two-out double in the 11th. A win Tuesday night and the Angels will tie the ALCS at 22. Besides inexplicably becoming a doubles hitting machine this postseason, Mathis, the normally light-hitting backup catcher, is stifling Yankee rallies with his arm. “He still knows why hes here. Its the part with the glove and the arm and the ball, the part that keeps you from losing games so you can win them,” the Orange County Register’s Mark Whicker writes. “In the eighth inning Jorge Posada homered off Kevin Jepsen to tie it, 4-4. It would have been 5 -4, Yankees, without Mathis. Two

pitches earlier, Mathis got a 1-1 pitchout sign and threw out Brett Gardner, trying to steal with Posada up.” At CBS Sports, Scott Miller writes that while the Angels still aren’t perfect, they’re gotten past their fielding yips in the Bronx. Newsday’s Wallace Matthews blames manager Joe Girardi for the Yankees loss, most notably for replacing a perfectly effective righty, David Robertson, with another righty, Alfredo Aceves, who surrendered the final hit. Not that Girardi was the one hitting 1-for-15 with men on base, the New York Post’s Joel Sherman writes. The StarLedger’s Steve Politi says that by burning through his best relievers, Girardi is forced to rely on his weakest ones in a game’s pivotal moments.* * * Denver fans (this Fixer included) can be forgiven if they thought the trade of strong-armed Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears for Kyle Orton would doom the Broncos to years of mediocrity. Few expected Orton make fans forget John Elway. But so far this season, Orton has thrown for nine touchdowns and only one interception. And Denver stands 6 -0 thanks to its 34-23 victory over

San Diego on Monday Night Football. Eddie Royal became the first Bronco to return both a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns in the same game. “There might be only one thing you can say more shocking about this NFL season than the Broncos are 6-0. Kyle Orton: Pro Bowl quarterback,” the Denver Post’s Mark Kiszla enthuses. “Try that unlikely statement on for size. Did your tongue go numb? See? The Earth did not stop spinning on its axis. And if you haven’t already forgotten Jay Cutler, maybe it’s time to burn that old No. 6 Broncos jersey at the bottom of your closet.” It’s too early to consider the Broncos Super Bowl contenders, but forget about the 2-3 Chargers even going to the playoffs, the San Diego Union Tribune’s Nick Canepa writes. Sports Illustrated’s Jim Trotter breaks down the Bronco-Charger game.* * * Everyone knows the Washington Redskins are a disaster, especially after their 14-6 loss to Kansas City, another terrible team, on Sunday. On Monday, the Redskins (2-4) took play-calling duties from coach Jim Zorn and handed them to Sherman Lewis, all in hopes of reviving a scoring offense ranked 29th in the NFL. In the Washington Post, Tracee Hamilton says the Redskins should make the coaching change everyone knows is coming. “So fire him already,” she writes. “It’s not like you can’t cover the severance check. And if you’re trying to force him to quit, so you

don’t have to pay the full freight on his remaining contract, then shame on you.”* * * A few hours after Jasper Howard and UConn celebrated their 38-25 victory Saturday over Louisville, the junior cornerback was dead from a stab wound he suffered in a fight outside a school dance. In the Hartford Courant, Jeff Jacobs recounts Howard’s life from the inner city of Miami to what should have been a safe, rural campus.* * * South Africa’s national soccer team is in turmoil less than a year before it plays host to the World Cup. The team’s Brazilian coach, Joel Santana, has resigned after a number of losses has sent the team hurtling down to 85th spot in the FIFA world rankings. Santana had been in his position only 16 months. In an editorial, South Africa’s The Times called the move “ vital if our soccer team is to go into 2010 with some credibility.” The Independent’s Enzo Coppola says South Africa’s football association should shoulder the full blame for the team’s problems. – Tip of the Fix cap to reader Don Hartline. 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 Garey at ris84rap@gmail.com.

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High School coach of Ohio State Buckeyes QB Terrelle Pryor says he's not being used effectively By Joe Schad (ESPN.com) Submitted at 10/21/2009 10:20:32 AM

The high school coach of Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor says that his former player could be utilized more effectively by Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel. "They need Terrelle to run more," former Jeannette (Pa.) High School coach Ray Reitz said. "They've put the reins on him and they need to let him go free. When I watch Terrelle play right now, I see a robot." Reitz, now the coach at Latrobe High, said Pryor was recruited on the premise of a more diverse offense. Big Ten blog ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg writes about all things Big Ten in his conference blog. • Blog network: College Football Nation "All I know is they promised him that they would teach him a pro-style system with both a shotgun and under center," Reitz said. "Jim Tressel is a great coach and he's been running his offense successfully for 30 years. But I'd like to see some zone-read plays where with one mistake [by the defense], he can be gone. With some zone-read plays, they wouldn't be able to take away all the outside runs because he'd being a threat to go between the tackles."

YANKEES continued from page 49

Brackett to the river’s silver-carp problem. That would be “extreme aerial bowfishing,” in which fishermen Pryor threw two interceptions Terrelle Pryor than what we've "There are people that are with compound bows seek to nail and lost two fumbles as Ohio been seeing.”-- Ray Reitz, Pryor's rooting for him to fail because airborne carp during their frequent State (No. 19 BCS, No. 18 AP) high school coach he's arrogant," Reitz said. "But it leaps from the water. It’s a was upset by two-touchdown Reitz said it would be a mistake was the college coaches who told fascinating article, if perhaps underdog Purdue last week. On to move Pryor to wide receiver -- him to take time after signing day inevitably overshadowed by the Tuesday, Tressel stood behind his a move which Tressel said does if he wasn't ready." awesome video piece that quarterback, deflecting fan not figure into his plans. "There is no question that Rich a c c o m p a n i e s i t . suggestions that he bench Pryor or "He would be a great wide Rodriguez's offense, for example, — Tip of the Fix cap to fellow move him to wide receiver. r e c e i v e r o r e v e n a g r e a t would be more apt to suit Fixer Garey Ris and Fixer Reitz said he believes that Pryor linebacker," Reitz said. "But that Terrelle's skills," Reitz said. "But emeritus Carl Bialik. is being affected by criticism -- doesn't mean you should move Ohio State sold him on the idea Found a good column from the though he would never admit it. him from quarterback. In fact, I that they would prepare him for world of sports? Don’t keep it to "It's gotten to the point where I don't think he'd agree to a move to the NFL and that they don't run y o u r s e l f — w r i t e t o u s a t turn the volume down when wide receiver. Give him time to 'zone-read' in the NFL. Jim dailyfix@wsj.com and we’ll watching TV now," Reitz said. "I grow. Put the ball in his hands and Tressel is a great coach. But I can consider your find for inclusion in believe the criticism has seeped if there is a breakdown let him tell you there is more to Terrelle the Daily Fix. You can email into his mind. I'm sure there are run. It doesn't look to me like he's Pryor than what we've been David at droth11@gmail.com. some mechanical issues. But all I relaxed. It doesn't look like he has seeing." know is he was accurate when he rhythm. It doesn't look like he's At his news conference was in high school." comfortable." Tuesday, Tressel was asked about During a news conference on Tressel said he doesn't plan to maximizing Pryor's skills. Tuesday, Tressel was asked about sit Pryor, either, despite the four "I don't know if anyone could w h e t h e r O h i o S t a t e w o u l d turnovers in the loss to Purdue. question the explosive potential consider changing or adding "He hasn't been perfect in both running and passing that wrinkles to its conservative practice, but he's come along in Terrelle brings and have we all offensive scheme. practice," Tressel said Tuesday. done everything to make sure that "There's debate all the time, "He hasn't been perfect in games, we magnify that?" Tressel said. should we be doing what Georgia but he's come along in games. "Probably not. Has he done Tech's doing, should we be doing Now, did we have three or four everything he needs to do to what Florida's doing, should we moments that were impactful? maximize that? Probably not. But be doing what whoever's doing, There's no question about it." it doesn't mean we won't stop that's a debate," Tressel said. Pryor was among the most working on it." "There's no right answer to that. highly-sought recruits in his Joe Schad is a national college There a right answer to whether or nation when he chose Ohio State football reporter for ESPN. not you should be turning it over, over Michigan, Penn State and This content has passed through regardless of what kind of system Oregon, after extending the fivefilters.org. you're using." process beyond signing day. But “ Reitz believes Pryor's high-profile Jim Tressel is a great coach. But recruiting process is hurting him I can tell you there is more to now.

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The Count: So Many Close Postseason Games

Mark Cuban, Dallas Mavericks owner: Supervised use of steroids for injury recovery could make sense

(WSJ.com: The Daily Fix)

By ESPN.com news services (ESPN.com)

exactly half of games with such late decisions, in 1914, 1939, 1950 and 1953. Three of five Maybe the Twins-Tigers World Series games in 1922 fit tiebreaker to decide the AL the bill, as did four of five in Central was contagious. The 1915. Both these series Tigers tied the game in the 8th, demonstrated that a postseason took the lead in the 10th and lost match-up that looks lopsided by it in the 12th. Since then, nine of games won can still feature many the 20 postseason games— or compiled by Phil Birnbaum from close games. And the nailbiters in 45% — have seen ties or lead the Retrosheet archives. They those series and the ones this year changes in the 8th inning or later, show that the playoffs have been suggest that a lot more than team making for an unusually thrilling getting more exciting, perhaps as superiority determines World postseason. Of 1,232 playoff baseball scoring has generally Series champions. games before this season, just risen over the years. Until 1969, Further reading: That Twins307, or 25%, were so close so when the playoffs expanded to Tigers game prompted several late. If this year’s playoffs four teams, just one in five games discussions about how to measure maintain their current rate, they featured a tie or lead change in the how exciting a game is. This will feature the highest proportion 8th inning or later (17 World year’s postseason has featured one of such games since 9 of 19 Series during that span didn’t of history’s few walk-off errors; games shared that feature in 1991, feature a single such game). From one of the few games extending and will threaten for the all-time 1969 to 1993, when the field past 12 innings; among the only record of 12 such tight games, set expanded to eight teams, that extra-inning, game-tying home in 1995, 1996 and 2003. (It also is proportion was 24%. And since runs; and among the only at bats tied for fifth in total blown saves, then, including this year, the to turn a deficit into a lead with behind those three years and proportion is 28%. two outs in the ninth inning. 2002.) It’s a welcome change Still, some postseason series Tommy Bennett explains how the from the last four postseasons, in past stand out for featuring a playoffs are neither a crapshoot which just 19% of games were surfeit of exciting games. Seven nor a surefire way to find the best decided so late. Associated Press of 14 games in 1980 were decided team. Jeff Mathis decided one of nine late, as were six of 11 games in postseason nailbiters this season. 1969. Four World Series featured These figures come from data Submitted at 10/20/2009 4:00:33 PM

supplement that included a banned substance. "I'll get killed for saying this . . . Submitted at 10/21/2009 8:45:44 AM but I'm not so against steroids if Dallas Mavericks owner Mark they're administered under proper Cuban says steroids could have a supervision and there is no longlegal and useful place in sports -- term damage," Cuban said. as long as they are administered "We do performance-enhancing under a doctor's supervision to things all the time, just not help athletes recover from injuries steroids," Cuban added. "If you and there's no risk of long-term administer them properly and health effects. fairly and set the rules strictly, as "I'm not an expert in the subject, long as in doing so we recognize but if we get to the point where there are no negative long-term there aren't long-term negative health-impact issues." health impacts, why wouldn't you "If somebody thinks it's do it?" Cuban said, according to controversial, fine. To me, it's just Pittsburgh-area media reports. common sense. I'm sure I'll hear “ about it [today] that 'Cuban is for We do performance-enhancing Steroids.' " things all the time, just not Later, speaking with reporters, steroids. .... If you administer Cuban stressed he would support them properly and fairly and set only the supervised use of steroids the rules strictly, as long as in if they were proven to not have doing so we recognize there are long-term health effects. no negative long-term health"You have to get to the point impact issues.”-- Mark Cuban where that risk isn't there, and Cuban, speaking at a University we're not there yet," he said. of Pittsburgh forum on Tuesday, Cuban, a Pittsburgh-area native, addressed the topic when asked led his discussion at the forum by about Orlando Magic forward addressing a question he said he is R a s h a r d L e w i s ' s 1 0 - g a m e asked every time he comes home. suspension during last season's "No, I'm not buying the playoffs. Pittsburgh Pirates," he said. "I Lewis, who was suspended after tried. [It's] not going to happen. testing positive for elevated We'll leave it at that." testosterone levels, said he had This content has passed through t a k e n a n o v e r - t h e - c o u n t e r fivefilters.org.

MediaDailyNews: Gotham Named Best Western AOR (MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:42:45 AM

Best Western International hotel chain named Gotham, a unit of IPG, agency of record for its

North America business. The chain has over 4,000 properties worldwide, with 2,200 located in the North American region. Gotham will manage integrated creative and strategic duties,

including major 2010-2011 initiatives and campaigns. Best Western's media business will continue to be handled by Initiative Media. Best Western spends approximately between

$45 million and $50 million in media annually. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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Court documents: New York Mets profited from Bernard Madoff By ESPN.com news services (ESPN.com)

forced to sell the Mets due to huge losses suffered in the Madoff swindle. Submitted at 10/21/2009 5:59:51 AM The Mets had said Arvedlund The owners of the New York has no knowledge of the team or Mets baseball team made about its finances and repeated previous $48 million in dealings with statements that the team was not swindler Bernard Madoff, court for sale. documents showed. "As has been stated previously, The Mets Limited Partnership, t h i s h a s n o e f f e c t o n t h e which is connected to the Wilpon operations of the New York family, led by Mets owner Fred Mets," the team said, according to Wilpon, deposited $522.8 million the Wall Street Journal. in two accounts with Madoff and Wilpon bought a stake in the w i t h d r e w $ 5 7 0 . 6 m i l l i o n , Mets in 1980, raised his share to according to a Monday filing by 50 percent six years later, and court-appointed trustee Irving purchased the rest with his family Picard. and others in 2002. The Mets could not be reached The case is In re Securities immediately reached for comment Investor Protection Corp. vs. by Reuters. Bernard L. Madoff Investment E a r l i e r t h i s y e a r , E r i n Securities LLC, U.S. Bankruptcy Arvedlund, author of "Too Good Court, Southern District of New to Be True," a book on Madoff, York, No. 08-01789. said the Wilpon family would be Picard, the liquidator appointed

by the court, has filed lawsuits against some Madoff investors who profited from the Ponzi scheme, seeking to recover approximately $15 billion. The Mets Limited Partnership hasn't been sued. Bradley Simon, a former federal prosecutor who is not involved with the case, told Bloomberg that he expects Picard to try to recover the money from the Wilpons. "It cannot be argued on Wilpon's behalf that these were legitimate investment returns," Simon told Bloomberg. "It would be a violation of his fiduciary duty for Picard to not seek the return of that money." Information from Reuters was used in this report. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Big East Notebook: Votes of Confidence By Brett McMurphy (FanHouse) Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:00:00 AM

by Brett McMurphy Filed under: Cincinnati, Big East When the Associated Press preseason poll was released, the Big East was blanked. The Big East had as many teams in the preseason Top 25 poll as the Sun Belt: zero, zip, nada. Since the league began in 1991, it was only the third weekly poll that the Big East did not have a team in the AP rankings and, on cue, prompted the annual "does the Big East deserve an automatic BCS bowl bid argument?" from out West. Seven weeks later, however, the Big East is back in the rankings in a big way. The Big East has three teams ranked among the nation's

top 22 schools -- no conference has more in the top 22 -- and a legitimate national title contender in Cincinnati. Big East Notebook: Votes of Confidence originally appeared on Fanhouse NCAA Football Blog on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Linking Blogs| Comments

Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher wears Indianapolis Colts Peyton Manning jersey at charity event By ESPN.com news services (ESPN.com) Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:21:57 AM

Jeff Fisher Wears Colts Jersey Jeff Fisher Wears Colts Jersey Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher's decision to don an Indianapolis Colts Peyton Manning jersey at a charity function has some Titans fans up in arms. Mike and Mike in the Morning ESPN NFL analyst Herm Edwards previews Week 7 of the

NFL and talks about what's wrong with Jeff Fisher and the Titans this season. Plus, Edwards talks about coaches on the hot seat. More Podcasts Âť Fisher wore the jersey Tuesday while appearing at a charity event for Rocketown at Lipscomb University in Nashville with former Colts coach Tony Dungy, among others. When he introduced Dungy, Fisher took off his jacket and shirt, revealing a Manning Colts jersey underneath, saying, "I just

wanted to feel like a winner." Rocketown is a 40,000-squarefoot entertainment complex in Nashville created for teens to gather in a drug- and alcohol-free environment. The Titans, who were expected to be an AFC playoff contender this season, are a disappointing 06. The Colts are 5-0. AFC South blog ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky writes about all things AFC South in his division blog. â&#x20AC;˘ Blog network: NFL Nation

The Titans' latest defeat was a 59-0 shellacking at the hands of the New England Patriots. During his weekly radio show on 103.3-FM in Nashville, Fisher apologized, but made it clear he didn't believe he did anything wrong. "It was for a very, very worthwhile cause, charity," Fisher said on his show, according to the Tennessean. "I was introducing Tony, just having fun with it and I really apologize if I offended anybody, but if you're offended

over the nature of that type of thing, then I think you need to rethink things. "This is a very worthwhile and needy benefit and I was honored to be there. & I'm sorry if I offended anybody but if I had to do it again, I would do it again." This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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South Carolina Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier accuses Alabama Crimson Tide of using tape on FGs By Associated Press (ESPN.com)

spot PATs and field goals. "I thought you just had to put it on the ground. But they had a Submitted at 10/21/2009 6:29:28 AM little piece of white tape or COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South something, and I looked at it on Carolina coach Steve Spurrier tape and I said, 'What's that little said Alabama used some tape piece of white there?' Then after trickery to spot field goals and the guy kicked it he grabbed it extra points last weekend and is and put it back in his pocket," a s k i n g t h e S o u t h e a s t e r n Spurrier said. Conference if that is legal. SEC officials received a formal SEC blog complaint from South Carolina ESPN.com's Chris Low writes officials Tuesday and are looking about all things SEC in his into the matter, league spokesman conference blog. Charles Bloom said. â&#x20AC;˘ Blog network: Alabama officials said its College Football Nation coaches have been reminded of While reviewing video of the the rule on placekicks. Gamecocks' (No. 24 BCS, No. 23 Crimson Tide kicker Leigh AP) loss, Spurrier said Tuesday Tiffin hit both extra points and that it looked as if the Crimson field goals of 25 and 35 yards Tide holder had put a small piece Saturday in the 20-6 victory. He of white tape on the ground to also missed a 49-yarder. The

Tip-Off Timer: Double 6's Defined Jordan By Tim Povtak (FanHouse) Submitted at 10/21/2009 8:00:00 AM

by Tim Povtak Filed under: Bulls Tip-Off senior is 9-of-11 on field goals Timer counts down the days until and 21-of-23 on PATs this season. the first game of the 2009-10 Spurrier said he has no idea if season. On Wednesday, there are what he thinks happened is legal. 6 days remaining. "I've never seen that before," As much as we like to get Spurrier said. "But I'm sure lathered up over today's talented they've probably been doing it all stars like Kobe Bryant, LeBron year." James and Dwyane Wade, it's The NCAA football rulebook sometimes good to step back and (Rule 6-3; Article 10; subsection put them in perspective. d) says: They still don't hold a candle to "Any device or material used to Michael Jordan. mark the spot of a scrimmage If you think they do, come back place kick or elevate the ball to us when they reach Double 6's, makes the kick illegal." which is the number that explains The penalty is "illegal kick" and Jordan's greatness as well as any is five yards from the previous statistic ever placed beside his spot. name. Copyright 2009 by The Tip-Off Timer: Double 6's Associated Press This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Defined Jordan originally appeared on Fanhouse NBA Blog on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Linking Blogs| Comments

Sony Australia flings a PS3 into a Bravia, technophiles cringe By Griffin McElroy (Joystiq)

been calling you around the office. I'm running to the stockroom right now, so I can Dear Mr. Larson, ship your console and television Congratulations! With your to you personally, along with a recent purchase of our 46-inch very heartfelt letter of gratitude. Bravia KDL46X 3100 LCD TV, Oh, crap. Listen, Mr. Larson -- I you're eligible to receive a free might have forgotten something ... PlayStation 3 -- provided you important. See, to promote this haven't changed your address, and offer, we may have flung the last still live in Australia. Funny story: PlayStation 3 into your Bravia You're actually the last person television at 50 mph. By "may that's eligible to receive the free have flung," of course, I mean console with the TV's purchase. "totally did fling." If it makes you "Lucky Number 25,000," we've feel any better, it was a really Submitted at 10/21/2009 11:30:00 AM

good ad (check it out after the jump)! Very thought-provoking, and even a little cheeky. Just know that your television and

video game console died for a worthwhile cause. (What? No! Of course there are no refunds. Don't be silly.)

Love, Sony Australia. Continue reading Sony Australia flings a PS3 into a Bravia, technophiles cringe Sony Australia flings a PS3 into a Bravia, technophiles cringe originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

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Datel 'disappointed' by Xbox 360's unofficial memory unit lockout By David Hinkle (Joystiq) Submitted at 10/21/2009 1:30:00 PM

Outlawed off-white accessory news now, with CVG relaying manufacturer Datel's unenthusiastic response to the the forthcoming Xbox 360 Dashboard update, which intends to kill support for unauthorized, thirdparty memory units. Datel has said that it's"disappointed" by Microsoft's decision, one that it feels will limit consumers in "exercising their freedom of choice." Specifically, their freedom of choosing a memory solution that doesn't come from Microsoft. What to do if you're the owner of one of these bad boys? Unless you want to stay offline forever, you'll have to back up your data and transfer it to an official memory unit or hard drive. eventually. Failing that, you could just lift [Via PSN Stores; thanks, anchor in protest and set sail for Kassatsu] Redmond, but we wouldn't Q? Entertainment: Music suggest doing that unless you're licensing, other issues keeping English and living in 1983. portable Lumines off PSN for Datel 'disappointed' by Xbox now originally appeared on 360's unofficial memory unit Joystiq on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 lockout originally appeared on 11:00:00 EST. Please see our Joystiq on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 terms for use of feeds. 13:30:00 EST. Please see our Read| Permalink| Email this| terms for use of feeds. Comments Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Q? Entertainment: Music licensing, other issues keeping portable Lumines off PSN for now By JC Fletcher (Joystiq)

was published by Namco, etc." However, " That said, we're obviously looking into it. :)" Q Lumines was one of the most went on to single out the songs popular launch titles for the PSP - " S h i n i n ' " a n d " L i g h t s " a s - but Q? Entertainment's puzzler requiring new licenses for digital is notably absent from the PSP distribution, and clarified that it Go's initial lineup. Q explained w o u l d b e B a n d a i N a m c o ' s t h e r e a s o n f o r t h e n o n - decision to publish the first downloadability succinctly in a L u m i n e s o n P S N , s i n c e i t Tweet. published the game on UMD (in " We would love to bring Japan). Lumines/Lumines II to the PSN While the licensed music in store," Q's rep said, " but there are Lumines makes it even harder to complications, music licensing, republish, this is starting to sound Submitted at 10/21/2009 11:00:00 AM

really familiar. As Sony's Eric Lempel told us, it's especially difficult for publishers of older PSP games to go to PSN, because licenses will have elapsed, and won't have covered digital distribution in the first place. And Sony isn't requiring third parties to pursue digital distribution, so unless they see significant revenue potential from, say, PSP Go sales, many publishers just won't. That said, it's hard to imagine a PSP without Lumines, and we're confident it'll happen

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New Saboteur trailer displays intolerable blimp cruelty

US workers, immigrants unite vs. work visa program (AP)

By Griffin McElroy (Joystiq)

(Yahoo! News: U.S. News)

Submitted at 10/21/2009 12:30:00 PM

Listen, Mr. Saboteur. We appreciate what you're going for here. Liberating France from Nazis is about as noble as goals get -- but your methods are questionable. Did you know that fewer than 100 zeppelins exist in the world today, placing them near the top of National Geographic's "Top 10 Most Endangered Means of Transportation" list? Well, it's true, and every time you buffet a blimp with a ballistic missile, that number dwindles even more.

Oh, don't try and deny it. We caught your latest act of blimp violence on camera, and placed it in the latest trailer for your selftitled video game, The Saboteur. We're fine with the street racing and the Nazi shooting -- but let's try to keep the rigid airship exploding to a minimum, okay? New Saboteur trailer displays intolerable blimp cruelty originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Submitted at 10/21/2009 10:20:16 AM

NASHVILLE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Toribio Jimenez says an asbestos removal company used a guest worker program to trap him in virtual servitude, then fired him when he complained, forcing him to work illegally. Robert Martin believes the same company kept him unemployed by hiring foreigners like Jimenez. The men have become surprising allies in a lawsuit that claims a long-standing guest worker program harms American and immigrant workers alike. The By Justin McElroy (Joystiq) to have our 5.1 audio replaced by program has issued visas for 22 a single Altec Lansing speaker. years amid steady complaints, and Submitted at 10/21/2009 1:00:00 PM Sure, you could buy two and have both sides of the immigration Ever have a musician friend over a really inconvenient stereo setup, debate say it warrants close to your house, only to find but we think it's safe to chalk up s c r u t i n y a s t h e O b a m a y o u r s e l f e v e r - s o - s l i g h t l y another victory for imagination. administration prepares to tackle embarrassed by the pile of fake [Via Engadget] comprehensive immigration instruments filling your den? Altec Lansing feeds rock reform next year. Well, you should probably never fantasies with mini monitor "I don't blame Latino workers let them catch you with the Altec originally appeared on Joystiq on for this at all," said Martin, 49. Lansing Stage-Gig, a replica Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. "Immigrants don't own the heavy monitor meant to give guitar Please see our terms for use of e q u i p m e n t , t h e t r u c k s , t h e heroes the sense of a real rock feeds. warehouses. You have to get mad show by blaring their audio Read| Permalink| Email this| at the people who own these straight up at them from the floor. Comments It's kind of a cute idea, but we're not sure we're willing to pay $99

Altec Lansing feeds rock fantasies with mini monitor

Romero remains head of Slipgate following layoffs By James Ransom-Wiley (Joystiq) Submitted at 10/21/2009 12:00:00 PM

Parent publisher Gazillion Entertainment has confirmed that John Romero will remain with Slipgate Ironworks following a

round of layoffs that struck the development studio this month, reports Joystiq sister site Big Download. As previously detailed, a smaller staff will be left intact to complete an unnamed MMO project, which "format," according to Gazillion. has undergone a change in

Co-founded by Romero in 2005, Slipgate Ironworks once boasted a staff of about 80 veteran developers -- now reportedly reduced to around 30 -- that had combined to work on 16 MMO titles. Their seventeenth, however, remains an elusive undertaking.

Romero remains head of Slipgate following layoffs originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

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Feds: Mass. man planned terror attacks on US malls (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News)

with Ahmad Abousamra, who authorities say is now in Syria, and an unnamed man, who is BOSTON – A pharmacy college cooperating with authorities in the graduate conspired with two other investigation. men in a terror plot to kill two The three men often discussed prominent U.S. politicians and their desire to participate in carry out a holy war by attacking "violent jihad against American shoppers in U.S. malls and interests" and talked about "their A m e r i c a n t r o o p s i n I r a q , desire to die on the battlefield," prosecutors said Wednesday. prosecutors said. But when they But their plans — in which the were unable to join terror groups men used code words like "peanut in Iraq, Yemen and Pakistan, they butter and jelly" for fighting in f o u n d i n s p i r a t i o n i n t h e Somalia and "culinary school" for Washington-area sniper shootings terrorist camps — were thwarted and turned their interests to in part when they could not find domestic terror pursuits while training and were unable to buy t h e y p l o t t e d t h e a t t a c k o n automatic weapons, authorities shopping malls, authorities said. said. Mehanna had "multiple Tarek Mehanna was arrested conversations about obtaining W e d n e s d a y m o r n i n g a t h i s automatic weapons and randomly parents' home in Sudbury, an shooting people in shopping upscale suburb 20 miles west of malls," Acting U.S. Attorney Boston. He worked with the men Michael Loucks said. Prosecutors from 2001 to May 2008 on the would not say which malls had conspiracy to "kill, kidnap, maim been targeted. or injure" soldiers and two Loucks said the men justified politicians who were members of attacks because U.S. civilians pay the executive branch but are no t a x e s t o s u p p o r t t h e U . S . longer in office, authorities said. government and because they are They refused to identify the "nonbelievers." politicians. The mall plan was abandoned Prosecutors said the 27-year-old after the men failed to track down Mehanna — a graduate of the automatic weapons, Loucks said. Massachusetts College of Mehanna's attorney, J.W. Pharmacy in Boston, where his Carney Jr., did not immediately father is a professor — conspired return calls for comment. Submitted at 10/21/2009 10:45:31 AM

Court documents filed by the government say that in 2002 or 2003, Abousamra became frustrated after repeatedly being rejected to join terror groups in Pakistan — first Lashkar e Tayyiba, then the Taliban. "Because Abousamra was an Arab (not Pakistani) the LeT camp would not accept him, and because of Abousamra's lack of experience, the Taliban camp would not accept him," Williams wrote in the affidavit. Mehanna and Abousamra traveled to Yemen in 2004 in an attempt to join a terrorist training camp. Mehanna allegedly told a friend, the third conspirator who is now cooperating with authorities, that their trip was a failure because they were unable to reach people affiliated with the camps. The men, who had allegedly received tips on whom to meet from a person identified in court documents as "Individual A," said half the people they wanted to see were on "hajj," referring to the pilgrimage to Mecca in Islam, and half were in jail. "They traveled all over the country looking for the people Individual A told them to meet," authorities allege in the criminal complaint. Abousamra was rejected by a

terror group when he sought training in Iraq because he was American, authorities said. The men later decided they were not going to be able to get terror training in Pakistan and "began exploring other options, including terrorist acts in the United States," the affidavit said. Mehanna, a U.S. citizen, was arrested in November and charged with lying to the FBI in December 2006 when asked the whereabouts of Daniel Maldonado, who is now serving a 10-year prison sentence for training with al-Qaida to overthrow the Somali government. Mehanna told the FBI that Maldonado was living in Egypt and working for a Web site. But authorities said Maldonado had called Mehanna from Somalia urging him to join him in "training for jihad." Authorities said Wednesday that Mehanna and his conspirators had contacted Maldonado about getting automatic weapons for their planned mall attacks. Carney, who represented Mehanna in the previous case, said at the time: "If this is the FBI's idea of a terrorist, they are using a net that is designed to catch minnows instead of sharks." After his arrest, Mehanna developed a cult following among

WORKERS, continued from page 56

US banks' earnings beat forecasts (BBC News | Americas | World Edition) Submitted at 10/21/2009 6:10:34 AM

Morgan Stanley has returned to profit after three quarterly losses in a row, with net income of $757m (£457m) in the July to September period.

Its investment banking division did well, it said, with underwriting revenues up 74% from 2008 levels. At the same time, the country's fourth-largest bank, Wells Fargo, reported a record $3.2bn profit for the quarter. Wells Fargo, which bought

Muslim civil rights groups and Web sites that believed Mehanna was wrongly arrested. Web sites like the London-based cageprisoners.com, a human rights group that advocates for prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and other detainees as part of the U.S. war on terror, asked supporters to write Mehanna in prison to keep up his spirits. The site MuslimMatters.org asked supporters to pray for his release and published a letter they said Mehanna wrote from prison. In the letter, Mehanna thanked supporters and said he was being treated well. "I can only think of the countless imprisoned Muslims in the jails of tyrants around the globe and hope that if it is not Allah's Decree to free them in the near future, that they taste the sweetness that Allah has placed them in prison to taste," Mehanna wrote. He signed the letter, "Your brother in the green jumpsuit." ___ Associated Press writers Jay Lindsay, Bob Salsberg and Russell Contreras in Boston and Devlin Barrett in Washington contributed to this report from Boston. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Wachovia last year, said revenues from mortgages and consumer credit had surged. Morgan Stanley announced its results two days after agreeing to sell its retail asset management business to investment manager Invesco in a deal worth $1.5bn. The sale of the loss-making

division will allow it to focus more on its institutional clients. Morgan Stanley's third-quarter profit followed a loss of $159m between April and June. Print Sponsor This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

business and take advantage." Jimenez, 32, said he was promised work as a janitor, only to be told on his arrival from El Salvador that he would be removing hazardous asbestos — work that Martin said he would WORKERS, page 58

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WORKERS, continued from page 57 have taken after 13 months of unemployment. Jimenez was fired after complaining, and losing the job meant he also lost his visa. He said that forced him to work illegally so he can pay back the money he borrowed to make the trip. "I feel terrible that I may have taken someone else's job," he said in Spanish, "only to end up being taken advantage of myself." Jimenez and Martin are among a dozen U.S. and immigrant workers who allege Cumberland Environmental Resources Company of Brentwood, Tenn., and Accent Personnel Services Inc. of Baton Rouge, La., discriminated against them by abusing the H2-B nonagricultural guest worker program. The U.S. Department of Labor issues 66,000 visas a year under the program, but only after certifying that there were no qualified domestic applicants for the jobs. Another requirement is that prevailing wages be paid to guest workers to ensure the program does not drive down salaries for the U.S. work force. The plaintiffs' federal lawsuit maintains that the companies lied in documents that stated the U.S. workers turned down job offers. It also contends the companies required workers from El Salvador and Peru to pay illegal fees and accept less than the prevailing wage. If they complained, the men said, they

lost the job and their visa. Both companies deny the charges, and have filed documents blaming each other in the case. Cumberland's Nashville attorney, Ben Bodzy, called the plaintiffs "disgruntled former employees and applicants." He has offered the guest workers partial settlements of about $10,000 each. Accent attorney Jeff Weintraub of Memphis said that firm has followed all of the program's rules. Not everyone does. The Economic Policy Institute, a Washington think tank, found in a 15-state survey last year that 98 percent of H2-B workers were paid less than the prevailing wage in occupations they commonly filled. Dan Stein of the Washingtonbased Federation for American Immigration Reform, which calls for strict immigration control, believes H2-B should be scrapped because U.S. workers are "incrementally squeezed out of their jobs and their livelihoods." Marielena Hincapie, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, a Los Angeles-based immigrant rights organization, said rules making the visas non-transferrable should be changed "to ensure guest workers can leave an abusive situation and do not take jobs U.S. workers have applied for." A spokesman for Sen. Charles Schumer, who is working on a

sweeping proposal for immigration reform, declined to comment on the future of H2-B. Schumer, D-N.Y., has said reform should include a commitment to "discourage businesses from using our immigration laws as a means to obtain temporary and less expensive foreign labor to replace capable American workers." President Barack Obama has said he expects to see draft legislation for an immigration overhaul by year's end, with changes to the system waiting until next year. It's unclear how many lawsuits have been filed over the H2-B visa program. Current cases include a claim that Kansas City businesses fraudulently obtained visas to fill hundreds of hotel cleaning jobs, allegations that 2,000 landscapers were not properly paid in Arkansas and a charge that a Utah law firm raked in fees by securing as many as 5,000 fraudulent visas. In the Nashville case, the Latin American workers say they borrowed $3,000 to $4,000 each to pay illegal fees for visa expenses and travel costs charged by recruitment companies in their homelands. They also faced fees of $350 for a training class and $200 a month for housing in a Madison, Tenn., apartment where half a dozen workers slept on the floor, according to the lawsuit. From mid-2008 through early this year, they said they were rarely given the full-time work

needed to pay their debts to family and friends who loaned them money for the fees. So Jimenez has gone underground, into the basement garage of a house outside Nashville shared by seven immigrants. He sleeps on a mattress on the concrete floor, suitcases piled at its head for privacy, and pressed shirts from a second hand store dangling in a makeshift closet. He wears the shirts to work at a sparkling restaurant where he wiped down tables on a recent Friday night ahead of fashionably dressed couples who never knew he was there. "After all of this, I just want to be back home," said Jimenez, who decided to take Cumberland's settlement offer of $9,191 but won't see the money for up to three months. After paying legal fees and back rent at the house, he plans to return home with just enough to repay the $5,000 he borrowed from his family. Martin, who is studying at a community college to become an electrician, said he is in even worse financial shape after borrowing nearly $15,000 from relatives during his job search. "To be doing what some companies are doing is just totally un-American," he said. "Just straight greed that doesn't care about anybody who needs work." This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Around the Net In Media: Most People Read a Local Weekly Paper (MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 10/20/2009 9:12:39 PM

For newspapers, it increasingly looks like local is golden. A new National Newspaper Association survey found that 81% of respondents read a local weekly paper each week, and those readers spend an average of 40 minutes with the paper. About three-quarters say they read "most or all of" the publication. The NNA survey, co-sponsored by the Missouri School of Journalism, surveyed 500 adults. Researchers also found that readers, on average, share their paper with 2.36 others and nearly 40% keep their community newspaper more than a week. Almost half say there are days they read the newspaper as much for the ads as for the news. How about online? Only 12% say they often read local news online. Among those going online often or irregularly, 63% got their local news fix on the local newspaper's Website, compared to 17% for sites such as Yahoo, MSN or Google. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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Woman in W.Va. torture case now says she lied (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News) Submitted at 10/21/2009 9:22:43 AM

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A black woman whose racially charged allegations of horrific abuse helped put several people in prison now says she lied when she alleged she was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and tortured in a ramshackle West Virginia trailer. West Virginia authorities said in 2007 that Megan Williams, now of Columbus, Ohio, had been stabbed, beaten with sticks, sexually assaulted, doused with hot water, forced to eat animal feces and taunted with racial slurs by seven white men and women. She later said that hot wax was poured on her and that two of her captors had forced to drink their urine. An unsigned statement released Wednesday by the office of her Columbus lawyer, Byron L. Potts, said simply, "Megan Williams is now recanting her story." Williams was scheduled to attend a news conference Wednesday in Columbus along with Potts. Brian Abraham, the former Logan County prosecutor who pursued the cases, expressed skepticism that the story was a lie. "If she's going to say that she made it all up, that's absurd," Brian Abraham told The Associated Press Wednesday.

"This looks like another attempt to generate more publicity." Abraham said police and prosecutors realized early in the case that they couldn't rely on statements from Williams, who tended to embellish and exaggerate details. Instead, he said, the seven people were convicted based on their own statements and physical evidence. All seven pleaded guilty, and all but one were sentenced to long prison terms. The Rev. Al Sharpton and Black Lawyers for Justice had urged prosecutors to pursue hate crime charges and held a rally and march in Charleston in 2007 to press their request. The state NAACP and other black leaders opposed the march. At the time, Abraham said that because Williams had had a relationship with one of the defendants — Bobby Brewster — it would be difficult to prove a hate crime occurred. Even so, one of the defendants, Karen Burton, pleaded guilty to a state hate crime charge. Those convicted were Brewster, his mother, Frankie Brewster; Danny Combs; George Messer; Burton; and Burton's daughter Alisha Burton and son Linnie Burton Jr. Linnie Burton Jr. was the only defendant not to serve jail time; he was convicted of a misdemeanor battery charge and

given a six-month suspended sentence. The assaults occurred at a trailer owned by Frankie Brewster in a rural area of Logan County, about 50 miles from Charleston. Calls to lawyers for the seven were either not immediately returned Wednesday or were met with refusals to comment. Abraham said none of the seven have appealed. "This was a very detailed criminal investigation," he said. The Associated Press generally does not identify suspected victims of sexual assault, but Williams and her mother, Carmen, agreed to release her name. Carmen Williams, who died in June, said she wanted people to know what her daughter had endured. Reactions from people who supported Williams were guarded Wednesday, as advocates talked cautiously about a young woman whose mother once described her as "slow." "We did have some concerns about what was being done at the time and how it was carried out by Megan and the family, because of her mental condition," said the Rev. Audie Murphy, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Logan and Boone counties. "We feel the legal system will handle it accordingly," Murphy

said. "We didn't rush to judgment then, and we're not rushing to judgment now." Sharpton, a national civil rights leader who addressed the 2007 Charleston rally against hate crimes and donated $1,000 to Williams' family as a Christmas gift, was contacted by Potts on Tuesday, who told Sharpton that Williams wanted to apologize for lying. Sharpton has sent a letter to Logan County prosecutor John Bennett asking him to look into Williams' new claims and has urged Potts and Williams to meet with Bennett. "If Ms. Williams has, in fact, fabricated her story, then I urge your office to vindicate any wrongfully convicted individuals," Sharpton wrote. In a phone call to The Associated Press on Wednesday, Sharpton said the matter should be handled delicately, citing "psychological issues" with Williams. "This isn't cut and dried either way," he said. "Right is right, but I have no idea if tomorrow her story will change back." Calls to Bennett were not immediately returned. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

AP Newsbreak: 1st sweat lodge survivor speaks out (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News) Submitted at 10/21/2009 10:17:30 AM

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – A woman who took part in an Arizona sweat lodge ceremony tells The Associated Press that the spiritual guru who led the event pushed participants too far in what was supposed to be a life-expanding experience that culminated with people vomiting and passing out on the floor. Texas resident Beverley Bunn is the first participant in the tragic incident to speak out publicly about the events that led up to the deaths. The 43-year-old tells the AP that by the time the sweat lodge ceremony began, the participants had undergone days of physically and mentally strenuous events that included fasting. In one game, guru James Arthur Ray even played God. Within an hour of entering the sweat lodge, people began vomiting, gasping for air and collapsing. Yet Bunn says Ray continually urged everyone to stay inside. The ceremony was broken up into 15-minute "rounds," with the entrance flap to the lodge opened briefly and more heated rocks brought inside between sessions. "I can't get her to move. I can't get her to wake up," Bunn recalls hearing from two sides of the 415square-foot sweat lodge. Ray's response: "Leave her alone, she'll be dealt with in the next round." By that time, Bunn had already crawled to a spot near the opening of the sweat lodge, praying for the door to stay open as long as NEWSBREAK: page 60

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Swiss admit US Polanski tip-off (BBC News | Americas | World Edition)

an event for the Swiss authorities to permit. Polanski was taken into custody Submitted at 10/21/2009 4:06:41 AM in Zurich after he travelled from Authorities in Switzerland have France to collect an award at the claimed they acted correctly in city's film festival. informing their US counterparts He has been wanted in the US that director Roman Polanski was since pleading guilty to unlawful travelling to Zurich. sex with an under-age girl and It was this tip-off that set in then fleeing in 1978. motion the 76-year-old's arrest Records request last month on decades-old sex Galli also addressed the charges. question of why Switzerland had S w i s s J u s t i c e M i n i s t r y decided to detain Polanski now, spokesman Folco Galli said: "An despite the director travelling to arrest is a big operation and we and from the country - where he needed to know if the warrant was owns a house - several times in still valid." the last 30 years. After receiving confirmation, he He said this was the first time said that Switzerland was obliged officials had had precise details to act. on the director's travel plans at the "The Americans immediately same time as an official American confirmed that was the case," Mr request to arrest him. Galli said. Galli's comments follow the The Swiss authorities say they e m e r g e n c e o f d o c u m e n t s were simply following normal revealed by AP following a public procedure in letting the US know records request - which shed light Roman Polanski was due in on how the US came to be aware Zurich, but questions remain. o f t h e f u g i t i v e d i r e c t o r ' s Mr Polanski has been a regular m o v e m e n t s . visitor to Switzerland for many After receiving the tip-off, US years and owns a holiday chalet in f e d e r a l o f f i c i a l s a l e r t e d the resort of Gstaad. But his prosecutors in Los Angeles who official presence at the Zurich drafted an arrest warrant. Film Festival - where he was due The US authorities had declined to be welcomed by the head of to say how they learned of Switzerland's office for culture - Polanski's trip to Zurich. may have been seen as too public Laura Sweeney, a spokeswoman

with the US Department of Justice, said: "We don't comment on matters of extradition unless and until an individual is on US soil." Earlier this week, Polanski lost an appeal to be released on bail from the Swiss jail where he is being held ahead of his possible extradition to the US. Switzerland's highest criminal court backed an earlier government ruling that there was a high risk of him fleeing the country if he was released. Polanski plans to appeal against the decision, but his lawyer told France's Europe 1 Radio that his client could conceivably end up in the US. "We could be heading towards an extradition if the Swiss justice system does not take into account arguments against it," Georges Kiejman said. "If the procedure drags on, it is not impossible that Roman Polanski could choose to go and explain himself in the United States, where there are some arguments in his favour," he added. The Paris-born Polish filmmaker has not set foot in the US for more than 30 years. Print Sponsor This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

NEWSBREAK: continued from page 59 possible between rounds so that she could breathe in fresh air. At one point, someone lifted up the back of the tent, shining light in the otherwise pitch-black enclosure. Ray demanded to know who was letting the light in and was committing a "sacrilegious act," Bunn said. Investigators are considering bringing charges in a case that has cast a harsh spotlight on Ray, a millionaire self-help guru who led dozens of people into the sweat lodge during a five-day retreat that cost more than $9,000. He has hired his own investigative team to try to determine what went wrong. Ray led the group in chants and prayers during the ceremony, Bunn said. People were not physically forced to stay inside but chided by Ray if they wanted to leave as he told them they were stronger than their bodies and weakness could be overcome. Bunn lasted the entire two hours, but nearly two dozen others suffered serious injuries that sent them to the hospital. Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, N.Y., and James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee, died upon arrival at a hospital. Liz Neuman, 49, of Prior Lake, Minn., lingered in a coma for more than a week before dying.

Sheriff's investigators in Arizona's Yavapai County are treating the deaths as homicides but have yet to determine the cause. Investigators are looking into the construction of the sweat lodge, the fact that people had fallen ill at previous sweat ceremonies led by Ray and questionable medical care on site as they try to determine whether criminal negligence contributed to the deaths and illnesses. Authorities have said a nurse hired by Ray was directing rescue efforts including CPR when emergency crews arrived. Ray is the primary focus of the probe but others also are being investigated, Sheriff Steve Waugh has said. "I too want to know what happened that caused this horrible tragedy," Ray wrote on his Web site Tuesday. He vowed to continue with his work. "I have taken heat for that decision, but if I choose to lock myself in my home, I am sure I would be criticized for hiding and not practicing what I preach," he wrote. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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Submitted at 10/21/2009 10:34:42 AM

A man has been charged with terrorism-related offences that include plotting to kill people in a US shopping centre, the US Justice Department says. Tarek Mehanna, 27, was held in Sudbury, a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts, and charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists. He is also accused of plotting to kill two US politicians and people overseas, and of seeking terrorist training. At least two other coconspirators were involved, officials said. One was named as Ahmad Abousamra, who the authorities say is now in Syria. Mr Mehanna, who is reported to be a US citizen, was arrested at his home on Wednesday morning. 'Violent jihad' Detailing the charge against Mr Mehanna, US prosecutors accused him and his alleged coconspirators of discussing how to obtain automatic weapons before "randomly shooting people in a shopping mall". Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Prosecutors said the alleged coconspirators had discussed an attack on a mall They allegedly discussed "the logistics of a mall attack, including co-ordination, weapons

Submitted at 10/21/2009 10:14:58 AM

needed and the possibility of attacking emergency responders", acting US Attorney Michael Loucks said. However, the plan was eventually abandoned, prosecutors said, because the conspirators could not get hold of the necessary weapons. The charge alleges that from about 2001 to May 2008, Mr Mehanna conspired with others, plotting to provide material support and resources for use in carrying out a conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim or injure persons or damage property in a foreign country and the killing of US

QUANTICO, Va. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A Marine Corps sergeant pleaded guilty Wednesday to faking posttraumatic stress disorder and pretending to be an injured hero to get in free to rock concerts and professional sporting events. Sgt. David Budwah pleaded guilty to nine charges, including making false statements, malingering and misconduct at a court-martial hearing on the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Va. Some of the charges may be condensed at his sentencing hearing Wednesday afternoon. Budwah faces up to 8 1/2 years in prison, a reduction in rank and a dishonorable discharge. nationals outside the US. finding one to join. Budwah acknowledged he was "They discussed their desire to A justice department document participate in violent jihad against said that while "some of these n e v e r d e p l o y e d t o I r a q o r American interests and that they plans involved no more than one Afghanistan, as he claimed. He would talk about fighting jihad or two conversations, at least one said he lied about having helped and their desire to die on the involved multiple conversations, with the 2004 tsunami relief effort and didn't earn eight medals and battlefield," he said. discussions and preparations". They allegedly attempted to Mr Mehanna was previously ribbons he wore on his uniform. "The truth of it is, I was never inspire each other and radicalise arrested in 2006, when he was o t h e r s b y w a t c h i n g a n d charged with lying to the FBI d e p l o y e d a n d I w a s n e v e r d i s t r i b u t i n g j i h a d i v i d e o s . about the whereabouts of Daniel injured," Budwah told Navy Capt. Mr Mehanna and two of his Maldonado, a man convicted of Bruce W. MacKenzie, chief judge associates also allegedly travelled training alongside al-Qaeda of the Navy-Marine Corps Trial to the Middle East in February m e m b e r s , A s s o c i a t e d P r e s s Judiciary. "Everything that I said was false." 2004 hoping to attend a terrorist r e p o r t e d . Budwah, 34, of Springhill, La., training camp, with the aim of Print Sponsor fighting US and allied forces in This content has passed through admitted to bluffing his way into 13 events last year, including Iraq, but did not succeed in fivefilters.org. banquets, rock concerts, a Washington Redskins football game and a Washington Nationals baseball game. He also admitted obtaining under false pretenses a laptop MARINE page 62