Liberty Newsprint Nov-2-09 Edition

Internet News Record

31/10/09 - 02/11/09

LibertyNewsprint.com U.S. Edition

Obamas turn White House into Halloween central

By Jim Wolf (Front Row Washington) Submitted at 10/31/2009 3:17:27 PM

The White House glowed pumpkin orange on Saturday when the Obama family turned 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue into Halloween central, complete with a giant stuffed spider dangling from a web above its front door.

More than 2,000 local area children and their families were invited for the traditional trick-or -treat event.

The Obamas spent about 30 minutes handing out cellophane bagfulls of boxed red, white and blue M&M’s. The boxes bore the presidential seal. Also tucked in was a home-baked orange-glazed cookie and, in a nod to Michelle Obama’s efforts to promote healthy food, dried apricots and cranberries.

The president didn’t wear a costume for his first Halloween in the White House. Michelle Obama went as a cat woman, complete with leopard-print top and furry ears on a headband.

Daughters Malia and Sasha were

there for the fun, but were not stuck with any candy line duties.

The scene was worthy of a Hollywood extravaganza. Bubble machines blanketed the North Portico, the ceremonial entrance to the White House. Pumpkins, some carved and candle lighted, lined the marble steps. Behind Obama stood a white-helmeted storm trooper character from “Star Wars,” along with the film’s Chewbacca, the hairy, apelike “wookie.”

flood-lit through orange filters.

Giant pumpkins weighing as much as 1,000 pounds (450-kg) dotted the 18-acre (7-hectare) grounds. And the big, black spider hung hauntingly between the tall white columns framing the front door.

After handing out the treats, the president welcomed the children of military families chosen by the armed services along with the kids of White House staff in the East Room.

Then Susan Rice, Obama’s ambassador to the United Nations, caught his eye. She was decked out as the Disney Entertainers from the Chicago- character Goofy. “Can people based Redmoon Theater and please not take a picture of my other companies wove their own a m b a s s a d o r t o t h e U n i t e d thrills and chills for those in line. N a t i o n s , ” O b a m a j o s h e d A brass band clad in skeleton photographers gathered to one suits belted out a free jazz-style side. He fretted aloud that U.S. funeral stomp. Outsized figures diplomatic efforts might be on stilts simulated moving trees. spooked by the sight of her.

W o m e n i n b u t t e r f l y s u i t s Photo credit: Reuters/Jonathan maneuvered inflatable, 10-foot (3 Ernst (Halloween at the White -meter) snow-globe-like spheres House) on the White House lawn.

To heighten the Halloween effect, the White House was

T-Mobile UK Gets the HTC Touch HD2 November 9, Now What About the U.S? [TMobile]

By Danny Allen (Gizmodo) Submitted at 11/2/2009 5:15:19 AM

Current rumors suggest the HD2 won't hit the States until early next-year, probably on T-Mobile.

But now that T-Mo UK has locked-in November 9, will the uber WinMo 6.5 handset arrive sooner? Update: HD2 launch event in Taipei this week...

As you can see on the invite, the HD2 will be getting all official like on Wednesday. No doubt we'll hear something about U.S availability and pricing then. Stay tuned. [ T-Mobile UK and PocketNow]

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The First Draft: Elections East-West Options Update: Kraft Foods volatility flat into EPS and Cadbury buyout clarity

By Tabassum Zakaria (Front Row Washington) Submitted at 11/2/2009 5:46:18 AM

Elections in the East, elections in the West.

Hot off the wire: Afghan President Hamid Karzai has been declared re-elected.

Afghanistan’s election commission made the declaration after Karzai’s opponent, Abdullah Abdullah, withdrew and a run-off election was canceled. “The Independent Election Commission declares the esteemed Hamid Karzai as the president,” the commission’s chief said.

This will no doubt increase the pressure on President Barack Obama to roll-out his new Afghanistan strategy earlier rather than later, now that he knows who the United States will be dealing with.

Matthew Hoh, the former State Department employee who quit last month in protest over U.S. policy in Afghanistan, told NBC’s “Today” show that the Karzai news was “disappointing” and despite the investment of a lot of U.S. resources, “we didn’t get what we put our troops there for.”

Closer to home (just over the bridge from Washington) it’s the day before the election for

By Paul Foster (BloggingStocks)

Virginia governor and (up the highway a bit) the election for New Jersey governor.

Like it or not, Tuesday’s elections will be seen by some as a referendum on the policies of Obama, who has attended campaign events for the Democrats running in the two governor races.

Republican Bob McDonnell is leading in Virginia over Democrat Creigh Deeds. In New Jersey, incumbent Democratic Governor Jon Corzine is in a close race against Republican

recently up $1.30 to $43 in preopen trading. FXI is an index fund that seeks investment results Submitted at 11/2/2009 9:00:00 AM that correspond generally to the Filed under: Options, Kraft price and yield performance of Foods'A' (KFT) the FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Kraft Foods(NYSE: KFT) is Index. FXI overall option implied expected to report Q3 EPS on volatility of 38 is near its 26November 3. KFT's $16.7 billion week average according to Track bid for Cadbury PLC(NYSE: Data, suggesting non-directional CBY) was rejected by CBY in price movement.

S e p t e m b e r . K F T f a c e s a Option Update is provided by November 9 deadline set by the Stock Specialist Paul Foster of U.K. Takeover Panel to make a theflyonthewall.com. formal offer for CBY. KFT Options Update: Kraft Foods N o v e m b e r o p t i o n i m p l i e d volatility flat into EPS and volatility is at 25, December is at Cadbury buyout clarity originally 24; versus its 26-week average of appeared on BloggingStocks on 25, according to Track Data, Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:00:00 C h r i s C h r i s t i e , w i t h t h e suggesting non-directional price EST. Please see our terms for Independent candidate, Chris movement. use of feeds. Permalink| Email Daggett, playing a spoiler role. iShares Trust FTSE/Xinhua this| Comments What do you think? Should the China 25 Fund(NYSE: FXI) is two governor elections be seen as a judgment on Obama’s policies? Did You Wake Up Click here for more Reuters Basked in the Warm political coverage Glow of Wimax?

Photo credit: Reuters/Ahmad (Little Green Footballs) Masood (Karzai in Kabul on [WiMax] Submitted at 11/1/2009 5:02:50 PM Nov. 2), Reuters/Jim Young By matt buchanan (Gizmodo) (Obama at campaign rally for This very inventive, very creepy Submitted at 11/2/2009 6:11:12 AM Deeds on Oct. 27) short film is by Tim Bollinger, There's a pretty good chance you titled “Between.”[Video] did, especially if you live in the Carolinas: Sprint just flipped the switch on Wimax in a bunch of cities, from Chicago to Raleigh.

They may yet hit that 80 market target. [ Sprint via Phone Scoop]

Sunday Night Video: 'Between'

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Palestinians condemn Hillary Clinton over settlements (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)

"Calling for a resumption of negotiations despite continued settlement construction doesn't help because we have tried this Submitted at 11/2/2009 1:27:49 AM way many times," Khatib said.

Call for return to peace talks "Negotiations are about ending rejected after secretary of state the occupation and settlement praises Israel for offer to curb expansion is about entrenching settlement construction the occupation."

The Palestinian government has Palestinians expressed accused the US secretary of state, disappointment and frustration at Hillary Clinton, of undermining Clinton's words, which signalled progress towards Middle East a departure from past US calls for peace talks after she praised a complete freeze on settlement Israel for offering to curb activity. construction of some Jewish "If America cannot get Israel to settlements. implement a settlement freeze, After meeting Israeli and what chance do Palestinians have Palestinian leaders during a visit of reaching agreement with Israel on Saturday, Clinton called for an on permanent status issues?" the unconditional resumption of Palestinian negotiator Saeb peace talks and welcomed Israel's Erekat said. offer of a slowdown in settlement Similar sentiments were voiced activity.

by Jordan and Egypt, the only But Palestinians rejected the idea two Arab countries to have peace of resuming talks, reiterating agreements with Israel. The two their demand that Israel must first countries said most of the blame freeze all construction of Jewish lay with Israel, but signalled their settlements in the West Bank and unhappiness with the American east Jerusalem – lands they claim shift. for a future state.

Jordan's King Abdullah II "I believe that the US condones travelled to Cairo for talks with continued settlement expansion," the Egyptian president, Hosni the Palestinian government Mubarak. After the meeting, a spokesman Ghassan Khatib said royal palace statement released in in a rare public criticism of Jordan said both leaders "insisted Washington. on the need for an immediate halt

of all Israeli unilateral actions, which undermine the chances of achieving peace, especially the settlement construction".

Clinton is set to meet Arab foreign ministers in Morocco in the coming days.

After taking office at the start of this year, the US president, Barack Obama, buoyed Palestinian hopes with his efforts to reach out to the Muslim world and an initially tough stance urging a full freeze on all settlement construction.

But after making little headway with the Israelis in recent months, Clinton urged the Palestinian leader in a face-to-face meeting on Saturday to renew talks, which broke down late last year, without conditions.

Later that day, at a joint news conference with the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, she praised Netanyahu's offer to curb some settlement construction.

"What the prime minister has offered in specifics on restraints on a policy of settlements ... is unprecedented," Clinton said. "I want to see both sides as soon as possible begin negotiations."

Netanyahu has said he will not create any new settlements in the West Bank and indicated he

would temporarily suspend any plans for future construction. But he has insisted Israel would not limit building in east Jerusalem, which it annexed after capturing it. He has refused to call off the construction of 3,000 apartments in the West Bank that have already been approved.

The Palestinians say the settlements are undermining their desire for independence by taking up large chunks of territory they claim as part of a future state.

Some 500,000 Israeli settlers now live in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967.

Israel promised to halt all settlement activity in a 2003 peace plan, but construction has never stopped.

The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, has been badly weakened by the perception that he has repeatedly buckled under US pressure. With Palestinian elections scheduled for January, Abbas is wary of again caving in to Washington.

Abbas's rival, the Hamas militant group, urged the president to resist American calls to restart peace talks. "The Arab and Muslim people know well that the US position is biased," said Mohammad Nazzal, a top

member of the group's exiled leadership in Syria.

Senior Palestinian officials are waiting to see what comes out of Clinton's talks with Arab foreign ministers. While disappointed with the US stance, Abbas wants to avoid a confrontation with Washington.

Encouraged by the US backing, Netanyahu yesterday urged the Palestinians to "come to their senses" and restart peace talks.

"The peace process is in the Israeli interest and also in the Palestinian interest. It is important and we are committed to it and we hope that as we are prepared to begin talks without delay, we shall find the Palestinians sharing the same attitude," he told his cabinet.

• Palestinian territories • Israel • Hillary Clinton • United States • US foreign policy guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

Saturday Afternoon Music: Jimmy Wahlsteen, 'Tranquility' (Little Green Footballs) Submitted at 10/31/2009 1:12:56 PM

Here’s another nice track from Jimmy Wahlsteen, playing a steel string acoustic guitar called a

“concert” model, which has a Jimmy’s new album, “181st smaller body than the more Songs” is now available at common “dreadnought” style. A m a z o n a n d t h e i T u n e s

Store.[Video]

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Russia snubs Miliband request

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

prepared to accede to the UK's long-standing request. "Our position hasn't changed. Our British colleagues understand Submitted at 11/2/2009 6:32:01 AM that," Lavrov said, adding that Moscow rules out extradition Russia's constitution prevented during British foreign secretary's the extradition to the UK of 'fence-mending' trip Lugovoi, a former agent with the Russia snubbed the latest British Federal Security Service (FSB), request for the extradition of the post-KGB spy agency.

Andrei Lugovoi, the prime Lavrov said Russia would be suspect in the murder of the prepared to try Lugovoi in its former Russian agent Alexander own courts, but he said that Litvinenko in London three years British prosecutors had so far ago. Russia made clear that there failed to supply "sufficient" is no prospect of Lugovoi being evidence to make this possible. handed over for trial.

Miliband countered that the During talks this morning in Crown Prosecution Service had Moscow, the foreign secretary, a l r e a d y h a n d e d " f u l l " a n d D a v i d M i l i b a n d , r e p e a t e d "substantial" information to its Britain's demand that Lugovoi be Russian counterparts. extradited. "We continue to seek Russia hailed Miliband's visit as j u s t i c e f o r [ L i t v i n e n k o ] , " an important opportunity for both M i l i b a n d s a i d , d e s c r i b i n g sides to "reset" their battered Litvinenko's poisoning with relationship. Writing in today's r a d i o a c t i v e p o l o n i u m a s Guardian, Russia's ambassador to "horrific". the UK, Yuri Fedotov, said that Sitting next to his Russian Moscow was prepared to build a counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, new relationship with Britain but Miliband said: "We did discuss implied that Gordon Brown's this issue in some detail. I government had overreacted to emphasised the importance we Litvinenko's murder. continue to attach to the request Today, Miliband set out his own m a d e b y o u r i n d e p e n d e n t vision of the UK's partnership prosecuting authorities in respect w i t h M o s c o w , d u b b i n g i t of the murder of Mr Litvinenko." "principled, clear and hardMiliband is the first British headed on both sides". foreign secretary to visit Russia " W e d o n ' t p a p e r o v e r o u r for five years. differences. But we don't allow L a v r o v s w i f t l y c r u s h e d them to block co-operation where speculation that Russia might be possible," he declared, citing

areas of common concern including Iran's nuclear programme, Afghanistan and the Middle East.

Miliband also praised Russia's president, Dmitry Medvedev, although he appeared to have problems pronouncing Medvedev's name correctly, calling him "Midvidiv". The foreign secretary said he supported Medvedev's call for human rights and the rule of law.

"It's something we take seriously at home and abroad," he said.

The talks did not lead to any serious breakthroughs, however.

British officials have characterised Miliband's visit as a mundane working trip amid criticism from the Tories that Brown has deliberately avoided Vladimir Putin, now Russia's prime minister, and allowed bilateral ties to "ossify". Brown and Putin have not met during Brown's premiership.

In the wake of Litvinenko's murder Britain tightened its visa regime for top-ranking Kremlin officials and suspended cooperation with the FSB. Diplomats said that the first measure caused "disproportionate irritation" to Russia's ruling elite, which enjoys shopping in London and often educates its children in British private schools.

Fedotov hinted Russia would like to see both measures lifted.

"Unfortunately the British government allowed political differences to spill over into the granting of visas, which is making it harder to encourage cultural and business exchanges," he complained.

Miliband was scheduled this afternoon to meet human rights activists, businessmen and the former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev. He is also due to have a cup of tea this evening with Sofia Miliband, a long-lost 87-year-old Russian relative who phoned in to a Moscow radio station last month during a broadcast by Miliband's brother Ed, the climate change secretary.

The foreign secretary also gave an interview to Echo Moskvy, Russia's liberal opposition radio station, in which he brushed aside suggestions that the UK had tightened up its visa policies for ordinary Russians. Referring to Arsenal football club's Russian striker Andre Arshavin, he said: "There are 250,000 Russians working in London, not just Arshavin, but also including businessmen." • Russia • David Miliband Luke Harding guardian.co.ukŠ Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

Healthcare, tech and energy to outperform in next 12 months

By Tom Johansmeyer (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 11/2/2009 9:40:00 AM

Filed under: Microsoft (MSFT), Stocks to Buy For the first half of 2010, almost two thirds of money managers are bullish, according to Barron's.

In fact, 54% are bullish, and 5% are "very bullish." Responses suggest that the Dow Jones Industrial Average is expected to gain another 5% by the end of the year.

According to Barron's, "Today's bullish investors see the major stock indexes making steady progress through next June, amid signs the U.S. economy is on the mend after a searing recession."

Continue reading Healthcare, tech and energy to outperform in next 12 months Healthcare, tech and energy to outperform in next 12 months originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

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Hamid Karzai declared winner of Afghan presidential poll

By Jon Boone, Mark Tran (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)

seen as essential to western war aims, and the lack of a credible result has prevented the US president, Barack Obama, from being able to make a decision on Submitted at 11/2/2009 6:40:55 AM whether to send up to 40,000 I n d e p e n d e n t E l e c t i o n more troops to Afghanistan.

Commission ends uncertainty by Britain and the US both declaring Hamid Karzai president welcomed the cancellation of the after Abdullah Abdullah drops r u n o f f . A D o w n i n g S t r e e t out spokesman said Gordon Brown Afghan officials today declared h a d t e l e p h o n e d K a r z a i t o Hamid Karzai the winner of the congratulate him on his victory. country's disputed presidential "They discussed the importance poll after cancelling a planned of the president moving quickly runoff election. to set out a unifying programme The announcement came after for the future of Afghanistan," K a r z a i ' s m a i n c h a l l e n g e r , the spokesman said.

Abdullah Abdullah, dropped out The UN secretary general, Ban of the race on the grounds that Ki-moon, who is on a surprise the vote would not be free or fair. visit to Kabul, congratulated "The Independent Election Karzai, but said the president Commission [IEC] declares the should move fast to form a new esteemed Hamid Karzai as the administration. president … because he was the " A f g h a n i s t a n n o w f a c e s winner of the first round and the significant challenges and the only candidate in the second new president must move swiftly r o u n d , " t h e c o m m i s s i o n ' s to form a government that is able chairman, Azizullah Ludin, told to command the support of both reporters. the Afghan people and the "The constitution of Afghanistan international community," he does not require any sort of said in statement. turnout parameters for the second Abdullah announced his round," he said, adding that not d e c i s i o n t o s i t o u t t h e 7 holding a second round would November vote yesterday after save money. almost all his demands for The IEC has come under intense changes to the IEC and the western pressure to swiftly name s u s p e n s i o n o f g o v e r n m e n t Karzai the winner and end the ministers – which he said would political uncertainty. have reduced the risk of major A legitimate Afghan leader is fraud in the next round of voting

– were rejected.

Abdullah's announcement threw the election into disarray, with some analysts describing the situation as "a shocking failure" of efforts by the west and other international communities to build a democracy in Afghanistan.

Abdullah told thousands of supporters he had no choice but to bow out "because of the action taken by this government and the action taken by the IEC".

Both Karzai's campaign and the commission initially said Saturday's runoff should go ahead because there was no other legal method for choosing the president.

However, the IEC's chief electoral officer said he was concerned about security risks and the legitimacy of the next government if Karzai was the only candidate.

"If we go for a runoff and it did not give much legitimacy to the president and many lives are lost, it is also a concern for us," Daoud Ali Najafi told Reuters.

Karzai faced unenviable choices after Abdullah's withdrawal.

Either he went ahead and won a mandate based on a second round which was likely to attract even fewer participants than the first vote in August, or he could be appointed as leader without the 50% of votes the constitution says are required.

Senior diplomats had privately said they did not want to risk troops' lives to protect another election. They said there was enough ambiguity in Afghanistan's constitution to allow the country's supreme court to rule a second round unnecessary and that Karzai should be elected on the basis that he received the highest number of votes in the first.

The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, said Abdullah's decision to withdraw from the election would not affect the vote's legitimacy.

But Nadjib Yussufi, a senior Abdullah campaign member, said that if Karzai had any "political wisdom" he would back the establishment of an interim government and reform of the IEC, allowing Abdullah to participate in elections in the spring.

Abdullah hinted he would consider re-entering the race if conditions for a runoff were made fairer.

• Afghanistan • Hamid Karzai • Abdullah Abdullah Jon Boone Mark Tran guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

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Ford (F) posts surprising profit for its third quarter

By Michael Fowlkes (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 11/2/2009 8:20:00 AM

Filed under: Before the bell, Earnings reports, Forecasts, Good news, Ford Motor (F) American auto maker Ford Motor(NYSE: F) gave investors a reason to smile this morning when it posted a surprising $1 billion profit for its third quarter.

Going into this morning's earnings release, analysts had expected to see the Dearborn, Michigan-based auto manufacturer to lose 12 cents per share. But Ford had other ideas, posting a profit of 29 cents per share, or $997 million.

Continue reading Ford (F) posts surprising profit for its third quarter Ford (F) posts surprising profit for its third quarter originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

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US plans to question Sri Lanka general

By Randeep Ramesh (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk) Submitted at 11/2/2009 2:42:43 AM

Immigration authorities want to speak to General Sarath Fonseka over alleged offences in conflict against Tamil Tigers Sri Lanka today objected to attempts by the US to question the chief of its army over allegations of war crimes during the final stages of the conflict with the Tamil Tigers.

US immigration authorities told General Sarath Fonseka, who is currently visiting his daughters in Oklahoma, that they would like to interview him before renewing his green card.

The Sri Lankan government said it was "worried" about the questions he might have to face because the US state department had made "allegations of crimes committed by the Sri Lankan armed forces".

Officials in Colombo are concerned that the US could also seek to ask the army chief about the involvement of the defence secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa – the brother of the Sri Lankan

president and a US citizen – in the war.

The Sri Lankan embassy in Washington has retained lawyers from Patton Boggs, a leading law firm, to make the case that Sri Lanka could resist US attempts to question Fonseka over the defence secretary's conduct.

Fonseka and Rajapaksa are seen as the brains behind the government's bloody victory in May, which saw the Tamil Tiger leadership wiped out on the Indian Ocean island's northeastern beaches.

Tamil groups have long urged the US to prosecute both the general and the defence secretary for what they describe as "genocide".

Bruce Fein, a lawyer for the USbased group Tamils Against Genocide, has argued that the political justification for a genocide investigation was strengthened because the "United States has been vocal with Serbia, Bosnia and other nations about policing and punishing their own citizens or residents for genocide".

There have been persistent allegations of war crimes

committed during the final months of the 25-year Sri Lankan civil war.

Last month, the US state department's leading war crimes official, Stephen Rapp, called on Sri Lanka to conduct a "genuine" investigation into allegations of war crimes by both government troops and the Tigers.

Rapp's statement came as the state department released a 68page report, based on US embassy findings, satellite imagery and aid agencies accounts, that painted a bleak picture of civilian life in a war zone under constant bombardment and where the death toll was rising. According to the UN and human rights groups, between 7,000 and 20,000 civilians were killed in the north-east between January and May. The report blamed both the government and the Tigers. It said rebels had shot people trying to flee from their territory, forcibly recruited child soldiers and used suicide bombers.

But it also alleged that government forces shelled civilian populations, hospitals

and schools in rebel-controlled territory, often in areas that had been described by the authorities as no-fire zones.

The Democratic senator Patrick Leahy, who wrote the legislation requiring the report, said it "eliminates any reasonable doubt that serious violations of the laws of war were committed by both the LTTE [Tamil Tiger] rebels and Sri Lankan government forces".

Sri Lanka dismissed the document as "unsubstantiated and devoid of corroborative evidence" .

Since then, Colombo has promised to investigate the final stages of the war, but many observers have raised doubts over its commitment to investigating itself.

• Sri Lanka • United States

xkcd charts characters from LOTR, Star Wars, Jurassic Park & more, I waste my morning

By Matt Burns (CrunchGear) Submitted at 11/2/2009 5:19:54 AM

Damn, xkcd comics. I got up early this morning – with a little help from the time change – with good intentions. That was until I saw the new xkcd comic that charts character grouping throughout some of the most epic movies. I wasted my morning looking at this damn thing and you probably will too. Don’t blame me though. I warned you.

Randeep Ramesh guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

Cute speaker with built-in MP3 player in retro-design

By Serkan Toto (CrunchGear) Submitted at 11/2/2009 6:40:42 AM

Japan-based design and gadget company fu-bi has announced the so-called“Retro Cube Mini Speaker With MP3 Player”[JP]

today, and as the name of the device suggests, it’s a one-unit speaker (3W×2ch) with a built-in MP3 player. You can connect it to your iPod or PC via USB 2.0 and listen to three hours of music after charging the internal battery

for about an hour.

It’s possible to listen to music coming directly from a USB stick, MMC card or SD/SDHC card (up to 4GB), too. You can choose the tracks with a mini remote control that comes with the device.

fu-bi started selling the Japanonly retro cube speaker today (price: $50). I suggest you contact the Japan Trend Shop or Geek Stuff 4 U in case you live outside Japan and you’re interested in getting one.

World/ Finance/ Gadgets/

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Nature helped as snow hits Beijing

By Tania Branigan (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)

Its workers fired 186 doses of silver iodide into the air between 8pm on Saturday and 11.25am yesterday to prompt precipitation, Submitted at 11/2/2009 4:52:56 AM causing an extra 16m cubic Earliest snowfall since 1987 metres of snow to fall on the city. boosted by weather modification Zhang Qiang, the deputy director o f f i c e i n a t t e m p t t o s o l v e of the weather modification problems caused by drought office, told state media: "We When snow blanketed the won't miss any opportunity of Chinese capital, Beijing, over the artificial precipitation since weekend, residents expressed Beijing is suffering from the surprise as they admired the lingering drought." picturesque drifts along the She told the Guardian: "In terms streets and temple roofs. of the influence on crops, since Not only was it unusually early – the temperature will get warmer the earliest snowfall since 1987 – again soon it causes less harm but the amount of snow far than benefit to farming. Water exceeded most of the sparse melted from snow just meets the sprinklings seen in recent years. demands of winter irrigation in Now it has emerged that nature agriculture." had a helping hand from local The north of China, a naturally o f f i c i a l s . A l t h o u g h t h e dry area, has suffered from water plummeting temperature was s h o r t a g e s d u e t o s o a r i n g solely due to an advancing cold consumption in recent years. front, the deluge of snow owed Around 800,000 hectares of much to the city's weather farmland were affected by modification office. drought by the end of October,

official sources said.

But while farmers may have been pleased by the snowfall, it proved less welcome to passengers waiting for around 100 planes that were delayed – and, in a few cases, cancelled – at Beijing airport.

The temperature in the capital reached 13.5C on Saturday but plummeted overnight, remaining below zero for the whole of Sunday morning.

Elsewhere, the cold snap was even starker, with state newspapers reporting that temperatures had fallen by 20C in some places overnight.

In Yanji, in the north-eastern Jilin province, storms closed the airport and damaged farmland, local media said.

And in south-west China, authorities warned that two Russian tourists who have been missing since an avalanche on Wednesday had "virtually zero" chance of survival.

Lin Li, the secretary general of the Mountaineering Association of Sichuan Province, said rescuers had been unable to reach the site – 5,100 metres above sea level on the Siguniang mountain – because a storm had made paths impassable. He added that rescue efforts would continue.

An official said two Russian tourists had contacted the authorities on Saturday, saying they had survived an avalanche but two companions had been buried.

The official added that rescuers had not been able to communicate well with the survivors because of the language barrier.

• China Tania Branigan guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

CIT files for prepackaged bankruptcy

By Connie Madon (BloggingStocks)

Sunday.

According to the terms of the bankruptcy, bondholders will Submitted at 11/2/2009 8:00:00 AM hold new CIT Group Inc. Filed under: Press releases, (NYSE: CIT) debt worth about Management, Industry, Annual 70% of the face value of the old meetings, Live coverage, Market d e b t . P r e f e r r e d c r e d i t o r s , m a t t e r s , H e a d l i n e n e w s , including the U.S. government, Recession, Financial Crisis will get money only after other Century-old CIT Group Inc filed creditors are paid back. Common government invested $2.33 for bankruptcy in the Southern shareholders will receive nothing. billion dollars in CIT under the District Court of New York on In December 2008, the U.S.

Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).

Continue reading CIT files for prepackaged bankruptcy CIT files for prepackaged bankruptcy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Whole Baby Wiimote Peripheral Confirms I'm Trapped in Bizarro World [Wii]

By Mark Wilson (Gizmodo) Submitted at 11/2/2009 5:40:00 AM

I'd suspected so for years, but this baby doll Wiimote add-on proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that something is just not right with this Earth.

Bundled with the upcoming Wii game Baby and Me(in Australia), this doll-mote uses the Wiimote's speaker to make the baby cry or laugh. Turn on the Wii Balance Board, and the simulation is taken to the next level, allowing you to burp the baby, rock the baby and teach "her" to walk.

(Spoiler alert: the muscle-less, brain-less baby doll can never learn to walk.)

Personally, I could do without all the diaper changing, but I can't wait to score headshots in CoD with my new infant gun. [ aussie-nintendo via GoNintendo via Kotaku]

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Fire delays bid to stop Timor Sea oil Before the bell: Stocks futures point to a solid start after leak CIT's failure, Ford's earnings (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)

the fire, which was sending massive plumes of smoke into the sky. But the company said it was mixing 4,000 barrels of Submitted at 11/2/2009 4:24:01 AM heavy mud, and would not be Blaze breaks out as workers ready to pour it down the well attempt to plug leak with heavy until Tuesday. mud to stop oil slick which is On Sunday, PTTEP Australasia threatening marine wildlife chief financial officer Jose A massive fire has broken out on Martins said the company doesn't an Austalian oil rig and delayed know how the blaze started. plans to plug the leak that has " P r e s e n t l y t h e r e a r e m a n y been spilling oil into the Timor unanswered questions, including Sea since August. what caused the fire," Martins The blaze started on Sunday told reporters in Perth. "Our sole when workers began pumping focus now is the safety of all heavy mud into a leaking well personnel, bringing the fire under casing. An estimated 400 barrels control and completing the well of oil a day have escaped from kill." t h e h o l e s i n c e 2 1 A u g u s t , Federal resources minister threatening marine wildlife over Martin Ferguson said that once an area ten times the size of the spill is contained he would London. launch an official inquiry. "Our Australia's government today requirement is to assess the cause promised an investigation, the of the accident and any lessons to latest drama in a 10-week saga to be learnt, and that could lead to a plug the hole. change in the regulatory PTTEP Australasia, which environment," he told Australian operates the rig, said no one was Broadcasting Corporation radio. injured and nonessential workers Ferguson later told reporters in were evacuated after the fire Melbourne that if PTTEP was broke out on the West Atlas rig "found to have been at fault with and Montara wellhead platform. r e s p e c t t o a n y o f t h e i r Officials had planned to pour r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s , t h e n a n y more mud into the leak on p o t e n t i a l a c t i o n w i l l b e M o n d a y i n t h e h o p e s o f appropriately considered at the removing the source of fuel from time."

The oil slick from the rig, about 150 miles off Australia's northwest coast, now stretches across thousands of milesof remote ocean. Indonesia said last week that thousands of dead fish and clumps of oil have been found drifting near its coastline.

Prime minister Kevin Rudd said today he was "deeply disturbed" at the latest turn of events on the rig, signalling the government's rising frustration that fixing the spill is taking so long.

"Do I think this is acceptable?

No, I don't," Rudd told Fairfax Radio Network. "Are we angry with this company? Yes we are.

Are were trying to do everything we can to get this under control?

You betcha."

• Oil spills • Marine life • Oil • Oil and gas companies • Australia • Oceans • Wildlife • Conservation • Oil guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

By Melly Alazraki (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 11/2/2009 7:35:00 AM

Filed under: Before the bell, International markets, Ford Motor (F), Market matters, CIT Group (CIT), Economic data, Oil, Financial Crisis U.S. stock futures were significantly higher Monday morning, with Wall Street ready to start November on a solid note following Friday's sharp selloff. This morning is indicative of the week ahead full of earnings and economic data. In addition, this week also features the Federal Reserve policy meeting.

On Friday, markets skidded some 2.5 percent as the fate of CIT Group(NYSE: CIT) hung in balance and the strength of the economic recovery, and with it the markets' rally, questioned.

And after seven months winning streak, which took Wall Street

Nov. 2, 1895: Cars Can't Get to First Gasoline Race

By Tony Borroz (Wired Top Stories) Submitted at 11/1/2009 9:00:00 PM

Just getting to the starting line

Surgery Museum Makes You Grateful for Modern Healthcare

By Matthew Shechmeister (Wired Top Stories)

O l d h e m o r r h o i d t o o l s , saws. Your comfy, reclining trepanation devices and bone dentist's chair doesn't look so bad

over 50 percent higher from March lows, October finished in a down note.

Continue reading Before the bell: Stocks futures point to a solid start after CIT's failure, Ford's earnings Before the bell: Stocks futures point to a solid start after CIT's failure, Ford's earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

anymore.

was more than most cars could handle. Eventually, the fittest survived, and the race produced a winner.

World/ Finance/ Gadgets/

Internet News Record

9

Taliban blamed for Rawalpindi blast Manufacturing, economic growth in China

By Declan Walsh (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk) Submitted at 11/2/2009 3:23:33 AM

At least 30 people killed in explosion near Pakistani army headquarters An explosion near the Pakistani army headquarters in Rawalpindi has killed at least 30 people, officials said today.

The explosion came soon after the government had announced £3m in rewards for the capture of the Taliban leadership.

It happened close to a bank and a hotel on Mall Road near the entrance to army headquarters, which was subjected to a 22-hour siege by militants last month.

Many of the victims were military personnel or elderly people who had gathered at a bank to withdraw their pensions.

The windows of a nearby shopping mall were blown out.

Mohammad Mushtaq, a soldier who suffered a head injury in the attack, said: "I was sitting on the pavement outside ... the bomb went of with a big bang. We all

ran. I saw blood and body parts everywhere."

All hospitals in Rawalpindi declared an emergency as rescue services rushed to help the dead and injured, with the death toll expected to rise. Schools across the city were closed.

Ali Babar, a rescue official at the scene, told the Associated Press: "The bodies were lying all over.

This is a terrible thing. It is happening again and again."

The Pakistani foreign minister, Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, condemned the attack, saying: "Such barbaric, inhuman and un-Islamic terrorist acts only strengthen our resolve to fight terrorism with more vitality."

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but suspicions fell on the Taliban, who are resisting a huge army assault on their South Waziristan stronghold at the southern end of the tribal belt.

Militants have retaliated by attacking security and civilian targets in major cities with suicide blasts, sometimes on a daily basis. A bombing at a

Peshawar market last week killed more than 100 people.

Newspapers carried advertisements offering a £360,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the Taliban leader, Hakimullah Mehsud, or his top lieutenants, Wali-ur Rehman and Qari Hussain.

The advertisement, which featured photos, offered smaller amounts for 16 other Taliban commanders. "These people are definitely killers of humanity and deserve exemplary punishment," it read.

The UN today said it was halting all development works in projects in the North-West Frontier province and the tribal areas, citing security concerns.

• Pakistan • Taliban • United Nations Declan Walsh guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

By Tom Johansmeyer (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 11/2/2009 8:40:00 AM

Filed under: China, Economic data, Financial Crisis Export orders were on the rise in October in China, suggesting a strengthening recovery and an opportunity to cut back on stimulus spending. The manufacturing measure grew at its fastest rate in the past year and a half, according to the HSBC(NYSE: HBC) purchasing managers' index. It increased to a seasonally adjusted 55.4 from 55 in September.

If you're looking for a reason behind the gain, it's all in the flow of capital. In addition to the government's economic stimulus package, $1.27 trillion in new loans were written to help deliver

the country from the global financial crisis.

Continue reading Manufacturing, economic growth in China Manufacturing, economic growth in China originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

In Soviet uTorrent, bandwidth throttles you!

By Devin Coldewey (CrunchGear) Submitted at 11/1/2009 8:15:30 PM

Apologies for the headline, but it was too appropriate to resist. It seems that there is a feature of uTorrent 2.0 now in beta that automatically detects network

congestion and self-limits bandwidth to lessen it. This might provide some muchneeded relief to ISPs that feel a disproportionate amount of traffic is P2P. I’m not sure whether to call this self-policing action capitulation or accommodation, but either way it

probably needed to happen.

The uTP protocol is an extension of the bittorrent protocol, and essentially times packets being transferred and calculates if there is any serious delay. The idea is that this would only kick in when the network is being stressed.

We’ll see how this turns out, but who knows what other

implementations of this sort we’ll be seeing. The net neutrality battle is likely to be marked by compromises on both sides.

Expect to see measures taken in other areas like VoIP. It’s progress… I guess.

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Michael Jackson wins Maingear unveils Core i7-packin' Halloween box office race, SHIFT, your own 'personal 'Saw VI' continues to suffer supercomputer'

By Steven Mallas (BloggingStocks)

By Darren Murph (Engadget)

Submitted at 11/2/2009 9:20:00 AM

Submitted at 11/2/2009 9:00:00 AM

Filed under: Viacom (VIA), Sony Corp ADR (SNE), Film, Lions Gate Entertainment (LGF) It was a triumphant weekend for Michael Jackson. And how fitting it was that the man who gave us the Thriller masterpiece saw victory during a weekend devoted to all things Halloween.

According to early estimates at Box Office Mojo, Michael Jackson's This Is It, distributed

by Sony(NYSE: SNE), grossed about $21 million at domestic theaters, good for the top slot.

The total tally for the film is over $32 million once the Wednesday opening is taken into account.

Continue reading Michael Jackson wins Halloween box office race, 'Saw VI' continues to suffer Michael Jackson wins

We'll be straight with ya -- we're betting these " personal supercomputer" claims are just a bit out of line with reality, but even still, there's no denying that Maingear has shoved an insane amount of horsepower beneath the (admittedly large) hood of its newest rig. The beastly SHIFT does away with copious LED lighting and blinging accents found on many modern gaming PCs and instead opts for a classier, more ominous tower.

Within, you'll find a vertical airflow system, a Core i7 processor, your choice of ATI or NVIDIA graphics, 8GB (and up) of DDR3-1600 RAM, up to 6 HDDs or 12 SSDs, DVD and Blu -ray options, an Asetek liquidcooling solution, Razer peripherals, an optional Killer NIC Xeno Pro and Windows 7 running the show. The Intel P55 rig gets going at $2,199, while the X58 model starts $400

Halloween box office race, 'Saw VI' continues to suffer originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

higher; for those in creative design fields, Maingear's expected to unveil a SHIFT just for you in the near future. Head on past the break for the full release.

Gallery: Maingear unveils Core i7-packin' SHIFT, your own 'personal supercomputer' Continue reading Maingear unveils Core i7-packin' SHIFT, your own 'personal

supercomputer' Filed under: Desktops Maingear unveils Core i7packin' SHIFT, your own 'personal supercomputer' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

City Council Can't Take Blogger Criticism And Resigns?

By Mike Masnick (Techdirt) Submitted at 11/2/2009 1:40:53 AM

Dave W alerts us to a story in the UK of how (allegedly) 11

city council members in a small rural town resigned from the council after getting annoyed by a local blogger criticizing them.

Dave notes that the blog in

question isn't too bad, but also notes that such city councils are often staffed by people who do the job because no one else wants to do it. Still, if you're going to

hold some sort of public office, at some point you would think that you would learn how to take some criticism. It makes me wonder if there's really more to

this story beyond just a critical blogger and thin-skinned council members.

Permalink| Comments| Email This Story

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11

Review: EOS wireless speaker system

By Scott Merrill (CrunchGear) Submitted at 11/2/2009 5:30:51 AM

To paraphrase my favorite Jack Handy quote, “If the Vikings were around today, they would probably be amazed at the number of wireless audio solutions we have.” Hopefully said Vikings would read reviews of said wireless audio solutions here at CrunchGear, since we’ve covered a fair number of these things. Today we’re taking a look at the Eos wireless audio solution. “Named for the Greek goddess of dawn, Eos lets you put great music all over your house — without the hassle of wires.”

The Core System The Eos core bundle contains a speaker with integrated iPod dock, a remote control, and an additional wireless speaker. You can buy wireless speakers individually, and pump music to up to four speakers from a single base station, for a total of five rooms filled with music. The base station is not too big, with ample room in the dock for the entire gamut of iPods and iPhones. On the front of the unit are plus and minus buttons for volume control, a wireless on/off toggle, a source input button, and a mute button. There are two LEDs on either side of the base: the one on the left is labeled “iPod” and the one on the right is labeled “AUX”. Obviously, pressing the “Source” button will toggle the audio source between

a docked iPod and the line-in connection on the back of the unit.

Aside from the line-in jack, the back of the base station has a power port, a toggle switch for the Range Extended feature, and a link button which is used to set a unique ID for your Eos base

station. In the unlikely event that your neighbor also buys an Eos, you can use the link button to make sure that your wireless speakers only play music from your base station.

The remote control is small, and the kind of thing I’d lose pretty quickly. I confirmed that the

remote would operate a docked iPod, and then never touched it again. Maybe I’m an anomaly, but I usually just listen to my music on “shuffle”, and don’t have any need to interact with the iPod once the music starts playing.

The speakers in the base station

were good. Speaker reviews are always a little tricky, because listening to music is such a subjective experience. So I won’t linger too longer here other than to say that I was entirely satisfied with the audio quality and the REVIEW: page 12

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REVIEW: continued from page 11

richness of the sound produced.

Expansion Adding speakers is super easy.

Just plug the speakers in and turn them on: they should find the base station automatically. Each speaker has its own volume control, so you can set sound levels on a per-room basis.

Unfortunately, this is an entirely manual process: you need to turn the knob for each speaker on the speaker. There’s no centralized volume control, a la the Sonos system.

The speakers sounded as good as the base station: no complaints on audio quality.

The wireless speakers are billed as an all-in-one design, such that you plug the whole thing into the wall. You can certainly do that, but I find them to be a little too big for that kind of use. The power plug can be removed from the speaker, allowing you a little more flexibility with placement. I found that to be a really handy feature, though the power cord was, in most cases, just a little too short to allow me to place the speakers where I wanted. Also, removing the power plug from the speaker is a somewhat daunting process. The instructions — and a sticker on the speaker itself — says to “press down hard”. They’re not

kidding. You have to really exert some force to get the plug free.

Also, the power plugs are gigantic wall warts. Don’t expect to share an outlet with any other device, regardless of whether you use the all-in-one design or remove the plug from the speaker.

GigaWave Technology The secret sauce in the Eos system is the GigaWave technology: To avoid interference, Eos™ GigaWave uses proprietary frequency hopping digital spectrum technology (FHDSS).

The special communications algorithm used in our GigaWave technology will not interfere with WiFi networks or digital products like Bluetooth and cordless telephones. This same technology allows Eos to stay clear of interference cased by with by other products that communicate in the 2.4 GHz , 5.8 GHz and the new Dect 6.0 cordless telephone frequency range.

I didn’t notice any interference or static, despite the countless WiFi and Bluetooth devices I have on at any one time. The speakers inside the house all worked fine, and it was fun to rock out to music through my abode without having to make

any single source obscenely loud.

The range is listed as 150 feet. I put a speaker in my garage, which is maybe 75 feet from where I had the base station. In the default configuration, the signal would drop out pretty frequently. There was no static, and no faded signal: either it played, or it didn’t. I then enabled the Range Extender feature, which was surprisingly well-explained in the user manual: To maintain a solid, interference free link the Eos system incorporates an advanced proprietary error correction scheme. Error correction is done by creating a slight delay between the transmitter and Wireless Speaker. Using this delay, Eos can confirm that the audio packets arrived at the Wireless Speaker/receiver. If the audio packet is not received, the Eos base station can resent it.

Eos’ default delay (Range Extender Off) is 20 ms.

Turning on the Range Extender Switch increases the delay to 64ms. The increased delay allows Eos to resend more audio packets due to distance from the transmitter or ambient interference.

The Range Extender feature didn’t make for a perfect

The Halloween/Photoshop Convergence (Little Green Footballs) Submitted at 10/31/2009 7:21:15 PM

Halloween and Photoshop are

made for each other at

Worth1000.com: Chop a Worthian - Halloween Edition 2009.

transmission to my garage, but it did make it noticeably better.

There were still brief outages in my music playback, but there were far less and they were far shorter than when the Range Extender was off.

Uses The intended primary use for the Eos is clearly to play music from an iPod or iPhone. Alas, this device isn’t specifically for iPhones, so you get that annoying screen: “This accessory is not made to work with iPhone” and are then prompted to turn on Airplane mode. Even though the Eos system is WiFi-friendly, I was repeatedly unable to stream last.fm music to my iPhone while it was in the base station.

If you want to manage your music, you’ll either need to deal with the ergonomics of using an iPod in the dock, or use the remote control. And remember, there’s no volume control with an iPod. As the manual states, “iPod volume jog wheel changes the headphone volume only and has no effect on the Eos base station volume.” So you’ll need to manually adjust volume on a perroom basis.

Perhaps a better solution is to connect the Eos base station to your Apple TV, or that home media PC that stores all your

music. If you’re using iTunes, you can use the iPhone Remote app to control the music and the master volume from your phone.

The Bottom Line I’m not the kind of guy who regularly wants to listen to the same music in more than one room of my house. I usually want music in only one room, anyway.

If you’re the kind of person who would like to listen to the same music in multiple rooms, then the Eos may be a good choice for you. Or, if you can’t (or won’t) run speaker wire through your walls, the Eos would be worth considering. The Eos plays extremely well with other wireless devices, so you ought not have anything to worry about.

The retail price for the Core system (base station + one speaker) is $249 USD. That strikes me as a little much. It looks like there’s a sale going on right now, though, making that Core bundle only $199. I’m still not sure that’s a good price, but hey, it’s $50 you get to keep.

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NSA to store yottabytes of surveillance data in Utah megarepository (update: not so much)

By Devin Coldewey (CrunchGear) Submitted at 11/1/2009 6:28:47 PM

There’s an interesting article in the current New York Review of books (predictably, a book review) detailing the history of the National Security Agency, that shadowy power-behind-thepower to which we surrender much of our privacy. That in itself is interesting, but I found the introduction a bit shocking: the NSA is constructing a datacenter in the Utah desert that they project will be storing yottabytes of surveillance data.

And what is a yottabyte? I’m glad you asked.

There are a thousand gigabytes in a terabyte, a thousand terabytes in a petabyte, a thousand petabytes in an exabyte, a thousand exabytes in a zettabyte, and a thousand zettabytes in a yottabyte. In other words, a yottabyte is 1,000,000,000,000,000GB. Are you paranoid yet?

The more salient question is, of course, what are they storing that, by some estimates, is going take up thousands of times more space than all the world’s known computers combined? Don’t think they’re going to say; they didn’t grow to their current level of shadowy omniscience by disclosing things like that to the public. However, speculation

isn’t too hard on this topic. Now more than ever, surveillance is a data game. What with millions of phones being tapped and all data duplicated, constant recording of all radio traffic, 24-hour high definition video surveillance by satellite, there’s terabytes at least of data coming in every day. And who knows when you’ll have to sift through August 2007’s

overhead footage of Baghdad for heat signatures in order to confirm some other intelligence?

As for the medium on which the data might be stored on, that’s anybody’s guess. Whoever’s making the estimates is probably playing a bit fast and loose with exponential curves, but if any of the alternative storage technologies we cover here on

CG are any indication, yottabytes won’t seem so big a few years from now. We can be sure, however, that despite their better dollars-per-gigabyte cost, spinning hard disks won’t be in use as a main medium. The electricity required, mean time before failure, and other maintenance issues are probably unacceptable for an economy-

minded government agency — interestingly, it seems that lack of electricity is one of the NSA’s primary concerns.

The article mentions that the NSA’s equivalent in the UK, the Government Communications Headquarters, asked that all telecoms providers store and NSA page 14

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NSA continued from page 13

hand over a huge amount of customer data for an entire year.

They refused, citing “grave misgivings” and noting that at any rate the level of data collection expected was “impossible in principle.” Tut tut! Those Brits lacked the American can-do spirit. Thus it was that AT&T and other telecoms instantly complied with US mandates following September 11. The extent of the government’s meddling with switches, routers, antennas, and so on may never be fully known, but I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone reading this article isn’t on the record somewhere.

Storage capacity of this magnitude implies a truly unprecedented amount of subjects for monitoring.

There is talk of the NSA shutting down altogether or being rolled into another agency, but I suspect that the “too big to fail” idea, as

well as the “our safety is worth any price” dogma, will prevent that eventuality. It’s more reasonable to ask when or if its expansion will cease being sustainable. These datacenters, and the yottabytes they will hold, are extremely expensive as well as practically having bulls-eyes painted on them to the enemy (whoever he is) — though at under $10bn the NSA’s budget is a footnote compared to other programs and agencies. So is the increasingly (to use a semi-word that is only rarely usable) tentacular NSA a necessary evil of the digital age, or a cancerous money sink born from the colossal intelligence competition of the Cold War? The answer will only be visible in retrospect years from now, perhaps when a sequel to the book being reviewed ( The Secret Sentry: The Untold History of the National Security Agency, by

Matthew M. Aid) is released covering the heavily-redacted records of the early 2000s. In the meantime, it’s probably best to assume that the walls have ears.

(Updated with a note on storage medium) Update 2: A commenter points out that in the study cited, yottabytes are only one possible estimate for total storage requirements. The more realistic estimates are in the hundreds of petabytes, which is much easier for a datacenter to accommodate.

That said, I’m leaving the post as it is because the speculation still stands with “only” hundreds of petabytes being stored in these datacenters. However, adjust your tinfoil hats accordingly. By Tim Stevens (Engadget) [via Metafilter] Submitted at 11/2/2009 7:58:00 AM

T-Mobile nabs HTC's Touch HD2, schedules release for November 9

What’s the Future of Twitter? 30 Tweeting Predictions [VIDEO]

By Pete Cashmore (Mashable!)

Submitted at 11/1/2009 4:14:34 PM

What’s next for Twitter?

According to Seesmic founder Loic Le Meur, it’ll be a hub of hyperlocal news, be used more by devices than humans (eg. cars that Tweet their location) and replace chat applications for

many people.

Le Meur, answering the questions for last week’s 140conf Twitter Conference in LA, also predicts that Google and Bing will become the main ways to

search Twitter, although Google will build its own version of Twitter rather than buying the service.

What do you think? What are your predictions for the future of Twitter? Let us know in the comments.

Reviews: Bing, Google, Twitter Tags: twitter

bumbling marketeer rather than to expect some sort of crossplatform app marketplace love WinMo folks, we wouldn't fest -- groovy as that may sound. blame you for getting a bit of Update: We've also just learned Android envy after last week's that HTC is going to officially DROID onslaught, but if there's launch the HD2 on November 4 one thing that could make people ahead of a November 11 release pine for your OS it's HTC's HD2, elsewhere. We're not entirely and T-Mobile has just confirmed sure what there is left to learn it's coming on November 9 -- a about the thing, but we're always mere weekend after Moto's new game for another press event. hotness hits Verizon. Mind you, [Via WMPoweruser.com] there is some confusion going on Filed under: Cellphones here, as the picture on T-Mo's T-Mobile nabs HTC's Touch site is of the old Touch HD, not HD2, schedules release for the HD2 we met and loved, and November 9 originally appeared t h e m e n t i o n o f " l o a d s o f on Engadget on Mon, 02 Nov applications to download from 2009 07:58:00 EST. Please see Android Market" is particularly our terms for use of feeds. Read| perplexing. But, we've been told Permalink| Email this| Comments to go ahead and blame a

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Mio MiBuddy GPS units to trade Windows CE for Android

By Joshua Topolsky (Engadget)

Apple killing Atom support, dreams of netbook hackintoshers in next Snow Leopard release?

By Tim Stevens (Engadget) Submitted at 11/2/2009 6:59:00 AM

Submitted at 11/2/2009 9:22:00 AM

If you're keeping tabs on Mio Technology's GPS happenings, you'll be interested to dip into some facts that PC World has uncovered about the company's upcoming offerings. According to the mag, the next version of the electronics-maker's MiBuddy satnav unit will dash the underlying Windows CE architecture for Google's newer and far more suave Android platform. The new device will be pushing into MID territory, boasting a 4.7-inch touchscreen along with a hardware slider keyboard, the ability to browse the internet, and WiFi and Bluetooth onboard. Call us crazy, but it seems possible that devices like dedicated PNDs running Android could easily adapt Google's new turn-by-turn

15

system as their primary mode of operation. Alternately, you could switch between Mio's proprietary version and Google's variation... or they could axe the big G's altogether, though that awkward situation makes far less sense to us. No word on timing or price just yet, but we'll keep you posted.

[Via NaviGadget]

Filed under: GPS Mio MiBuddy GPS units to trade Windows CE for Android originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Nobody said running a netbook hackintosh would be easy -- but nobody said they'd make it this hard. Apple is currently engaged in a war of compatibility with Palm and, if the developer build of Snow Leopard version 10.6.2 is any indication, the Atom processor is next on the smack down list. Word on coder street is that the upcoming revision of OS X will kill support for Intel's little powerhouse. That could certainly change before it hits the world at large, but we wouldn't bet on it.

So, if you're viewing this on an netbook install of your own devising, you may be stuck at version 10.6.1 (or earlier) for awhile -- or you may need to do a little custom kernel building.

Either way, we're thinking that if Apple ever gets around to

making a netbook it probably won't be an Atom-powered one.

[Via OS X Daily] Filed under: Laptops, Software Apple killing Atom support, dreams of netbook hackintoshers in next Snow Leopard release? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Video: Strange Japanese hamburger vending machine

By Serkan Toto (CrunchGear) Submitted at 11/2/2009 3:01:05 AM

Everybody knows Japan loves them vending machines. And even though machines selling panties don’t exist over here, you can still find strange models from time to time. Case in point: A hamburger vending machine in

Tokyo[JP] that sells one burger at a time because it’s operated manually.

The machine is owned by a guy running a restaurant right behind it. Insert a 100 Yen coin ($1.10) and you’ll get a so-called “Tateishi Hamburger”, but don’t expect a second coin to get you another one. In that case, you

need to walk into the restaurant and directly order from the owner

who says all of his burgers are handmade.

Here’s how the machine looks from behind: There’s also a “Royal Tateishi Burger”, which costs 300 Yen and comes out of a second vending machine that stands right next to the 100 Yen model.

According to the owner, 20-30

people order a burger through the machines per day.

This picture shows the 100 Yen burger: This video shows how the mechanism works: Via Japan Probe

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Maingear Shift's Spartan Case Belies Meaty High Scozzofava Officially Performance PC Line [Desktops]

By Jack Loftus (Gizmodo) Submitted at 11/2/2009 6:00:00 AM

Maingear, the custom PC maker and purveyor of tramp stamp laptops, has let loose a duo of simplistic-looking desktop towers this morning designed to "shed the bling" and focus instead on what's going down inside the case.

Both the the Shift: Intel P55 and the Shift: Intel X58 are powered

by Intel Core i7 900 processors running Windows 7. ATI Radeo HD and NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards are featured, and I'm sure the discerning gamer expects nothing less.

Storage options include up to six mechanical or 12 SSD drives.

The two diverge on memory specs, with the P55 containing up to 8GB DDR3-1600 low latency 1600. DVD or Blu-Ray drives RAM and the X58 up to 12GB are options for both rigs while a DDR3-2000 or 24GB DDR3- standard Asetek closed-loop

liquid cooling system keeps things chilled.

Pricing begins at an optimistic $2,199 and $2,599, respectively, although with all the options listed above that can (and probably will) climb much, much higher. Since Shift is the only PC that Maingear going's to focus on selling from now on, I hope it works it out for them.

XM SkyDock now available for iPod touch and iPhone drivers

By Thomas Ricker (Engadget)

a built-in XM tuner and PowerConnect FM transmitter than bungs into the ol' cigarette We know what iPhone owners lighter / power adapter socket to want: Rosie O'Donnell talking on charge your Apple device while their car radios from coast-to- holding it in portrait or landscape coast. Good, 'cause the $120 XM m o d e s d e p e n d i n g o n y o u r SkyDock is now available for preference. While XM keeps p u r c h a s e g i v i n g y o u f u l l , things simple by making the App touchscreen control and tagging a free download from Apple's capabilities over your in-car App Store, you'll still have to satellite radio. SkyDock features thread the antenna cable along Submitted at 11/2/2009 6:07:00 AM

the inside of your vehicle's weather stripping in order to attach the magnetic antenna to

your car's roof (just above your front windshield) for optimal results. Sounds messy.

XM SkyDock now available for iPod touch and iPhone drivers originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Backs Owens (Little Green Footballs) Submitted at 11/1/2009 9:42:55 PM

It’s official: Republican Dede Scozzofava has endorsed Democrat Bill Owens in the NY23 special election.

Doug Hoffman’s camp is calling her a traitor, but they were doing that already.

Those in the camp of the Conservative candidate Douglas L. Hoffman called Ms. Scozzafava a turncoat.

“This afternoon Dede Scozzafava betrayed the GOP,“ Senior Communications Advisor Rob Ryan said in a statement. “She endorsed a Pelosi Democrat who will spend more, tax more, and push the liberal agenda that is dragging down this nation.”

YouTube Down: It’s Not Just You

By Pete Cashmore (Mashable!)

with the site first becoming unresponsive over two hours ago, and now experiencing limited Submitted at 11/1/2009 12:10:04 PM uptime for many users.

A s o c i a l m e d i a s e r v i c e We’re seeing YouTube embeds announcement: YouTube is on Mashable occasionally fail to frequently slow or displaying a suffering some downtime today, load, while the site itself is maintenance message. We’re not

aware of any planned downtime Facebook Wonky Reviews: for the site, which currently Mashable, YouTube serves a miraculous 1 billion video views per day.

Is YouTube down for you? Let us know in the comments.

Related: YouTube Down,

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MAINGEAR ups its game, announces the SHIFT high performance line

By Matt Burns (CrunchGear) Submitted at 11/2/2009 6:16:09 AM

Everyone, Maingear has created a beast in its new SHIFT series.

These systems are massive towers of gaming and computing powering. You won’t find any design nonsense here. Every aspect of these boys were designed with performance in mind and it shows.

The Shift line has two slightly different systems available. the Intel P55 line comes with a Core i7 800 series, up to 8GB of RAM, a Intel

By Tim Stevens (Engadget) unlimited everything and you'll Kingsberg P55 Extreme Series g e t a 3 2 G B 3 G S g r a t i s . motherboard, and your choice of Submitted at 11/2/2009 8:29:00 AM Meanwhile, on a pay as you go graphics card. Customizing starts We're just about a week away plan that same 8GB 3G will cost at $2,199 for this line. from the Orange iPhone launch, you £343 ($561), while the 32GB Got a little more disposable and if you folks across the pond 3GS is a rather more painful income, eh? The Intel X58 line were wondering what the deal £539 ($881 -- haven't you figured starts at $2,599 but it comes was going to cost you, you now out the conversion rate yet?). have your answer thanks to a You know what that means: dizzying but thoroughly helpful contract ahoy. series of tables that lay out the Filed under: Cellphones costs of the phones, plans, and Orange UK's iPhone contract & the various accoutrement to be pay as you go pricing plans included. Those willing to sign detailed originally appeared on (ETonline - Breaking News) up for 24 months can get an 8GB Engadget on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 i P h o n e 3 G f o r f r e e f o r a 08:29:00 EST. Please see our Submitted at 11/2/2009 12:07:00 AM minimum of £29.36 ($48) per terms for use of feeds. Read| We're with Kelly Osbourne and month, but step up to the £122.34 Permalink| Email this| Comments her pro partner Louis Van Amstel ($200) monthly plan with as they rehearse the salsa for tonight's "Dancing with the Stars" on ABC! "We have dancing secrets," says

Orange UK's iPhone contract & pay as you go pricing plans detailed

Xbox 360 Bundle With Star Trek and Transformers 2 Movies [Xbox 360]

By Mark Wilson (Gizmodo) Submitted at 11/2/2009 5:06:55 AM

packing a Core i7 900 series, an X58 SLI motherboard and up to 12 GB of RAM. Both options of course come with the standard optical drive options, Razer speakers, liquid cooling, and Windows 7.

Yeah, these computers are serious. We just can’t wait to see how serious they are once the benchmarks start rolling in.

Kelly Osbourne's 'DWTS' Secrets Louis. "Only for you, ET," adds Kelly.

"We have a lot to prove if we want to stay in this competition because everybody is so good," says Kelly. "It's fun because I'm really pushing myself -- I'm working my skirt work."

The Xbox 360 may or may not be getting that Blu-ray drive, but a new marketing strategy bundles the console with Star Trek or Transformers 2.

Confirmed exclusively for the UK at the moment, the packages include an Xbox Elite, an extra controller and the related movie on USB (not DVD). You may also score some extra Microsoft points.

The offer is strange, not just because of the Hollywood branding or the lack of optical media. The offer is strange because Microsoft isn't promoting the free download of either movie through Xbox Live.

USB sticks? Really? [ MCV and VideoGamer via Kotaku]

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Is Apple Trying to Kill the Hackintosh Netbook? Snow Leopard 10.6.2 Ditches Atom CPU Support [Apple]

By Danny Allen (Gizmodo) Submitted at 11/2/2009 4:37:29 AM

Only 3 Percent of Americans Slinky Lenovo laptop Think It Should Be Legal to prototype outed by FCC Text and Drive [Cellphones] By Tim Stevens (Engadget) with no mention of processor or By matt buchanan (Gizmodo)

Newsflash, morons, a bunch of studies show it's just as Submitted at 11/2/2009 5:47:24 AM distracting if you're using a I didn't think 97 percent of Bluetooth headset. It's the Americans were in agreement conversation that's distracting, about anything, but apparently not your hands being up near they are about texting while your head. Personally, I think we driving: They think it should be should also ban eating, drinking, illegal. A mere 3 percent don't using combs or makeup, overly care, or didn't answer cause they talkative passengers, any kind of were busy texting. music, talk radio, GPS And half think it should have the navigators, and small children same penalty as drunk driving. from being in cars, period. Only Steeeep. then can we drive completely What's fascinating is that while safely, since then we won't ever 80 percent think phones should be distracted by anything ever be a no-no, they deem it kosher if again. [ NYT] you're going hands-free.

storage there's still some room to hope for something equally small Ooh, what's this? A new netbook but with a bit more chutzpah. from Lenovo, or some other Yeah, we're optimists. flavor of tiny laptop? Little is [ V i a w i r e l e s s g o o d n e s s ; known about the subject of this W a r n i n g : P D F r e a d l i n k ] F C C f i l i n g f r o m h a r d w a r e Filed under: Laptops assembler (and resurrector) Slinky Lenovo laptop prototype Wistron, other than it will have a o u t e d b y F C C o r i g i n a l l y 10.1-inch screen, a 3-in-1 media appeared on Engadget on Mon, reader, and plenty of wireless 02 Nov 2009 07:31:00 EST. options including Bluetooth, Please see our terms for use of W i F i , a n d H S D P A d a t a . feeds. Read| Permalink| Email D i m e n s i o n a l l y t h e d e v i c e , this| Comments referred to as the 0251, would fit into the IdeaPad category, but Submitted at 11/2/2009 7:31:00 AM

Coders have confirmed that the developer build of OS X 10.6.2 kills support for netbook Atom processors. Nothing's final yet, of course, but given Apple's lame fight with Palm over iTunes compatibility, are hackintosh netbooks next in the firing line?

The current recommendation is to stick with 10.6.1 if you're running Snow Leopard, or 10.5.8 if your Hackintosh has Leopard.

You could also try upgrading to 10.6.2 using an older or modified kernel.

If this is a conscious strike by Apple, it's likely the Hackintosh community will find a work around, but it's definitely something to watch before your next update. [ OS X Daily]

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Nokia exec talks Ovi platform (CNET News.com) Submitted at 11/2/2009 4:00:00 AM

Nokia, the world's largest cell phone maker, is under assault as companies like Apple challenge it in the increasingly popular smartphone market.

The Finnish device maker says it's fighting back with its own cool phones and an Internet services platform called Ovi that will allow consumers to buy digital content, such as music and videos, get maps for navigation service, and manage contacts and photo files online.

Niklas Savander, Executive Vice President, Services(Credit: Nokia) The Ovi storefront is now up and running in eight countries: Australia, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Russia, Singapore, Spain, and the United Kingdom. And as of May it was available on an estimated 50 million Nokia devices across more than 50 Nokia phone models, including the flagship Nokia N97.

In available countries, customers can access the Ovi Store by selecting the Ovi Store icon in the "Download" folder on their device. The mobile client is available in English, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish.

In May, Nokia said that AT&T plans to make Ovi Store available to its customers in the U.S. later this year. So far, it hasn't come yet.

CNET News recently sat down with Niklas Savander, Nokia's

executive vice president of services, to get the latest scoop on Ovi and to hear more about Nokia's services strategy. In a candid interview, Savander shared his thoughts on everything from lessons learned from Apple to why the Ovi store still isn't available on AT&T's network.

Q: Nokia has had a services business for a long time. But with all the hype around the iPhone and Apple's App Store, you'd think that Apple was the first to have an application storefront.

What do you think about that?

Savander: Actually, we had our own application store three years before Apple did. But I have to give Apple credit. They taught the industry a painful lesson.

First, you need discoverability.

The App Store is right there on the iPhone. It's not hidden in some menu. It's very prominent.

Also the billing is done automatically through the iTunes account. Apple already knows who you are when you come to the App Store because you have to activate it through iTunes. And the third thing is that it is a very good implementation of an app store. And it works very well.

So are you saying that Nokia didn't do these things?

Savander: We were falling short on all three. Take our download service. Every carrier had one, too, and the stores and the applications were not easy to discover. It was cumbersome to register. And the implementation was limited by the device

software platforms. Believe me, I've had long discussions about this with my team. It's disappointing that we needed a company external from the industry to shake us off our

comfortable path. The App Store came along and we had to accelerate our own plans.

I have to admit I wasn't really sure what Ovi was when Nokia first talked about it over a year

ago. It seemed a bit confusing.

Can you briefly explain what it is?

Savander: There was a reason to go out with the Ovi story early, but in hindsight we probably went out too early.

Ovi is the umbrella for all of our services. Two years ago we decided to combine our different service initiatives into one. The first year was all about cleaning up our portfolio and deciding which businesses we should be in and which we shouldn't. At the same time we needed consistency in our road map. Then we had to put it all together and give it a consistent look and feel. To accelerate the road map we have bought about 20 companies.

How far along are you on getting all this done?

Savander: We had all the businesses already. But we originally went to market with these services in silos, and it's not a trivial task to combine them into a consistent look and feel. It has taken us a while to get single sign-on for every service, for example. But now we have one billing integration system and one payment gateway. And we're starting to see commonality emerge across the services. We had gotten a lot of criticism last year and some this year, depending on the market, about the consistency of the services.

The Ovi store is offered in some countries as simply the Ovi store.

NOKIA page 20

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NOKIA continued from page 19

And in other countries it's combined with a carrier's application store. And in some places like the U.S., there is no Ovi access. Why? Savander: There are three types of markets. There is the totally independent distributed market, where wireless carriers are either a little present or not present at all. The price of the phone is not subsidized by anyone. The biggest challenge in this market is how you present yourself in a simplified manner. There are 5,000 phones to pick from, so why choose my phone? We can put Ovi directly on these devices.

And maybe someone will choose the Nokia device because of the services it comes with. Maybe they want access to Ovi. We see this model mostly in relatively low income markets, such as in Asia, primarily India and China, as well as in some Eastern European countries.

Then there is a middle ground, which is how most Western European markets are. And 50 percent of phones are sold through operators and 50 percent are sold independently. The same device may cost 99 euros with a carrier contract, or it could cost 555 euros with no contract.

In this mid-ground market, carriers can't risk not having a service on their phone because they know people can go down the street and get the very same phone with all the services. So the independent channel forces the carriers to be more open.

France Orange offers our phones

with the Nokia Ovi services plus they offer a co-branded service.

The third market category is totally operator controlled. And those markets are mainly, South Korea, Japan, U.S., and smaller markets. The independent channel is nonexistent. The only way to do business is to cooperate with the carrier.

None of these types of markets is good or bad. They are just different. In hindsight, as a company, we have struggled in the market where the carrier driven dynamic is the strongest.

We've been very successful in the more open markets where we are taking queues from consumers.

But that is masked in an operatordriven market. Still, in operatordriven markets, we are seeing more and more signs of consumers wanting to choose.

They want to configure their devices the way they want to.

So does that mean you have to give the carrier a piece of the action if you work with them to co-brand the service?

Savander: Yes, in exchange they market and handle the point of sale. They integrate their billing with the Ovi services. It's just good business for us.

How much of a cut do they usually get?

Savander: I can't say specifically what it is. It's often different. The split equals the work they put in.

So if a carrier wants to do more, then it gets a bigger share. There are no free rides on the other's coattails.

Is this why Ovi is not yet on

AT&T? Have you not been able to come to an agreement?

Savander: You might be able to look at this and say that perhaps the business conditions have not been attractive enough to AT&T. It's hard to dispute that. You can't say it's because the device is not good enough or the service is not good enough.

Nokia is the largest cell phone maker in the world, and yet it has very little presence in the U.S. Can you explain why this is?

Savander: Yes, we've been lacking here in the U.S. In other parts of the world, we've done a better job capturing the consumers' needs and closer to what they want. Here is a good example. Look at touch screens.

We went with a resistive touch screen first, not because we didn't think of using capacitive technology, but because we thought people would rather use a stylus to write Asian characters and send SMS messages. It wasn't like "Oh Gee, we hadn't thought of that." Rightly or wrongly the decision was to put consumers' needs first.

But the argument gets kind circular here, because when you are strong in one market and not strong in another market, you tend to favor inputs from the market where you are strongest.

For us that was Asia. And we heard it loud and clear from our Asian consumers that they needed a stylus. In hindsight, I guess we didn't do a good enough job balancing the value of what each market needs.

That's what the San Diego facility is for, right? Are there any new phones you can point to where you've tailored it more to an American consumer?

Savander: One tends to forget that the cycle to develop phones is quite long, about 12 months or more from the time you think of an idea until it lands on a store shelf. Most times, it's longer, maybe 18 months. Therefore, when we look at San Diego and the impact that facility has had on our business, most of it is not visible yet.

What does it take to be successful in the U.S. market Savander: There are really three things you need to be successful in the market. Having the right device is one. And the second is developing relationships with the carriers in offering services. And with subsidies so high here in the U.S., it's necessary to have service relationships with the major carriers. The third thing you need to be successful is magic in the service. The service needs to be really, really good.

And you can't avoid that. It's a three-legged stool. And without one missing, it will tip over.

How is Nokia doing in terms of meeting these three criteria?

Savander: You'll have to talk to Kai Oistamo (Nokia's executive vice president for devices) to get a full picture of what new devices we have planned for the market.

But when it comes to the relationships, the CEOs from the major wireless operators are really wanting to work with us.

And why wouldn't they? It makes good business sense for them to have a relationship with largest cell phone manufacturer in the world. And it makes bad business sense not to.

It's more a question of how transparent the relationship is so you know what's needed to get the technology right. That's what San Diego has been helpful in doing. Sometimes we'd submit a phone for testing at a carrier and it wouldn't meet specifications.

Somehow what they were asking for from us here in the U.S. got lost in translation when it made it China or Espoo (Finland) or wherever the device was developed or manufactured. So in some cases, we were not able to get through the certification process.

But we've improved our carrier relationships, especially with Verizon and AT&T. We haven't seen the fruits of that cooperation yet. The U.S. is definitely an important market and it's having a bigger influence on our products. You look at the QWERTY keypad and touchscreen devices we have in the market now.

AT&T is already selling one of your smartphones, the E-71x. But the Ovi service isn't yet available for that device. What will the Ovi service look like on AT&T when it eventually arrives?

Savander: It will be a co-branded service. The brands are not in any way conflicting, but they're NOKIA page 27

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Tilera's balancing act: 100 cores vs. market realities (CNET News.com)

these chips will likely, eventually, help carry traffic over the public Internet and through While we're all familiar with the larger corporate networks. But steady increase in the number of they do provide an excellent cores in mainstream PC and example of the issues facing PC server processors, the processor vendors as core counts corresponding progress in the continue to grow. embedded-processor market has Consider the Tile-Gx100 block been anything but steady. diagram shown above. It's easy to With mainstream PC imagine that this chip can get a microprocessors standardizing on lot of work done. Every core can four-core designs such as Intel's run up to three instructions per Core i7 and leading-edge server cycle at up to 1.5GHz. It has chips ranging from 8 to 16 cores, dedicated hardware accelerators single-core chips are no longer for cryptography and network competitive. For embedded packet processing. The network systems, however, one core may interfaces can implement up to still be the right answer; if more eight 10Gb Ethernet ports. The are needed, the choices range up chip also has four DDR3 memory into the hundreds. interfaces; to reduce DRAM The Tilera Tile-Gx100 combines accesses, every core has 320KB 100 independent 64-bit integer of local cache memory. (The total processor cores and amount of cache memory in the cryptographic accelerators with Tile-Gx100, about 32MB, memory, network, and PCI matches that of IBM's Power7 Express interfaces.(Credit: Tilera processor, which has only eight Corporation) cores.)

The latest announcement in the The need for balance many-core embedded processor It's not so easy to keep all these market is Tilera's Tile-Gx family, resources busy, however. The which combines 16 to 100 64-bit more complicated a chip gets, integer processor cores with generally speaking, the more cryptographic accelerators and competing in its target markets. this way, one chip can operate as Clearspeed and Xelerated have difficult it becomes to make full off-chip interfaces for memory, U n l i k e m o s t e m b e d d e d like a cluster of multiprocessor previously made similar claims use of its resources. This is what networking, and PCI Express. I processors with high core counts, systems. for their chips. Even more we often call the balance between met with Tilera before last week's for example, Tilera's design Between this distinction and the significantly, the Tile-Gx100 hardware and software. announcement to discuss the allows its cores to operate truly fact that cores in the Tile-Gx doesn't exist yet. It won't be a Tilera will offer four products in technical and business issues independently, even to the extent family are a full 64 bits wide, real product until early 2011, the Tile-Gx family with 16, 36, related to the Tile-Gx. of running different operating Tilera claims the Tile-Gx100 is according to Tilera's current 6 4 , a n d 1 0 0 c o r e s a n d The technical details corresponding differences in s y s t e m s i f n e e d e d . M o r e the " world's first 100-core schedule.

San Jose, Calif.-based Tilera is commonly, groups of tiles will be processor." I think that's just a Tile-Gx processors aren't memory and networking support. eager to set itself apart from the combined to run a single task that l i t t l e t o o b r o a d a c l a i m , something most CNET readers TILERA'S page 25 many other chip companies is part of a larger workload. In personally, since companies such will ever knowingly use, though Submitted at 11/2/2009 5:45:00 AM

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Tweet Humor: 10 Twitter Users That Crack Us Up

By Jennifer Van Grove (Mashable!)

Submitted at 11/1/2009 10:21:42 AM

Twitter can be a very educational place, whereby following the right individual or brand, you can learn from their tweets. In fact, we’ve already highlighted usability experts, entrepreneurs, authors(fiction and nonfiction), environmentalists, foodies, and musicians that we think are must follows.

But Twitter can also be a medium ripe with humor and capable of making the masses laugh with a single tweet that resonates throughout the Twittersphere. So now it’s time to a take a more comedic turn, and point out 10 LOL-inducing Twitter accounts that break the monotony of our work days, add spice to our weekends, and make Twitter a more entertaining place to be with their colorful characters.

This is by no means a scientific list of the most hilarious Twitter users, or simply a collection of those that have a large following, these Twitter accounts are just a few of our hand-picked favorites.

We encourage you to use the comments to share Twitterers that crack you up.@Broslife Who: Barney Stinson What: A full in-character Twitter impersonation of the chauvinistic male character that Neil Patrick Harris plays on How I Met Your Mother.

Why: These tweets reek of male

machismo, which makes them totally infuriating and hilarious at the same time. You don’t need to be a fan of the show to enjoy t h e s e p i t h y wisecracks.@awkwardfamily Who: Awkward Family Photos What: This Twitter account is an extension of the blog AwkwardFamilyPhotos, and it delivers on what it promises: real family photos that are just plain awkward to look at. The site and Twitter account use crowdsourced photos, so you too can submit your own glaringly inappropriate family photos for the world to laugh and/or cringe at.

Why: Who doesn’t like to laugh at bad decisions caught on film?

In a recent smattering of completely jaw-dropping images, you can see what appears to be a family portrait with misleading make-out partners, one man’s family watching him sit on the pot, and a bride and groom kissing a donkey. Does it get any better?@FakeAPStylebook Who: Fake AP Stylebook What: This Twitter account is dedicated to sharing “style tips for proper writing” — if it were opposite day. As the Twitter background clearly spells out, if you actually put these style and writing tips into practice for your professional writing assignments, you will get fired.

Why: Sure this one is a bit nerdy, but as bloggers and prolific writers, we love that the account constantly pokes fun at

the serious nature of prose and proper form. Each tweet is like an excuse to be bad, even it is just living vicariously through t h e i r T w i t t e r account.@TheBloggess Who: Jenny, The Bloggess What: By day she’s a blogger who tackles everything from being a mom to writing colorful and comedic content for a sex blog (which has her currently on location in Japan), by night she’s doing the same with a cocktail in hand. Jenny’s even taken on both William Shatter ( part 1) and Joan Walsh(Editor-in-Chief of Salon.com), and won … well sort of, you really need to read her tweets and blog posts to understand what the heck I’m talking about.

Why: She tweets with no fear, so it’s an uncensored, sometimes sensationalized, raw barrage of information in 140 character snippets. Yes, she’s not usually suited for work (bad words, sex terms, and worse), but she gives such good tweet that you won’t mind if you get caught.@ShitMyDadSays Who: ShitMyDadSays What: The bio says it all, “I’m 29. I live with my 73-year-old

dad. He is awesome. I just write down shit that he says.”

Why: Already a Twitter star, ShitMyDadSays is soon to be a pop culture phenomena once the book hits shelves. Yes this Twitterer, who goes by the real name of Justin Halpern, got a book deal just for tweeting the random and hilarious musings of his unsuspecting elderly father, who also happens to be very opinionated and not one for niceties. That’s some good tweet.@OHnewsroom Who: Overheard Newsroom What: The companion Twitter account for the Overheard in the Newsroom blog, which attempts to publish the best overheard conversations in newsrooms anywhere. It’s also crowdsourced and you can reply to the account on Twitter to submit your overheards.

Why: In general, overheards (typically identified by an “OH: + comment” on Twitter) are usually off-the-cuff comments that are often said by folks not thinking that their words would be heard by larger audiences.

That’s what makes them awesome. So having a single Twitter account dedicated just to curating overheards, especially one’s from typically stressful newsroom environments, makes for an entertaining read.@gordonshumway Who: Jelisa Castrodale What: Regular tweets that poke fun at stupid people, mock silly celebrities and news, and express

in 140 characters what most of think but never say aloud.

Why: Castrodale is both a freelance writer and a standup comic. That combination seems to work nicely to produce cleverly crafted tweets that are sometimes self-deprecicating and always amusing. If there is such a thing as a brilliant comedic Twitter user, Castordale is it.@PeopleofWalmart Who: People of Walmart What: Attention Walmart shoppers, this Twitter account is mocking you with photos of you looking silly.

Why: Unfortunately there’s almost nothing funnier than seeing photos of unfortunate individuals wearing or doing completely ridiculous things at Walmart. It just doesn’t get old.

Here’s to hoping none of us ever appears on that Twitter account.@TomBodett Who: Tom Bodett. He’s the guy who ad-libbed the now famous Motel 6 tag line, “We’ll Leave the Light on for You,” and he’s been lucky enough to be the spokesperson for the hotel chain ever since.

What: Certainly not the official tweets of Motel 6, but instead dry and witty humor from a recognizable face.

Why: You can tell that Bodett pens a majority of his tweets with purposeful creative flair, so they have the artifice and spunk of a true wordsmith. Plus, it’s a trip to TWEET page 25

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The Top Internet Memes of 2009

By Christina Warren (Mashable!)

Boyle appeared on “Britain’s Got Talent” and mesmerized the audience (and the judges) with Submitted at 11/1/2009 2:04:38 PM her jaw-droppingly awesome The instantaneous and shareable voice. nature of the Internet is one of Once the video hit YouTube, the the things that separates it from rest of the world took notice and other mediums. Viral videos and a true phenomenon was born.

Internet memes can take hold and With an estimated 100 million spread quickly. Thanks to social views in the first few weeks, networking, the speed in which Boyle’s performance is one of the latest phenomena can spread the top Internet video phenomena is lightning fast. More and more of all time. frequently, Internet memes are Sadly, we can’t embed her making appearances in other fantastic debut performance from more traditional media like TV Les Miserables, but you can and film. watch it here.

With only two months left of #3 United Breaks Guitars 2009, we thought we would look In 2008, United Airlines broke back at some of the biggest Dave Carroll’s Taylor Guitar.

Internet memes of the year. Most After battling with the airline for — if not all — of these memes months and making no progress, have inspired spin-offs and Carroll decided to take action. He secondary memes, and in the wrote the song and shot the process, become a part of our video“United Breaks Guitars” Internet cultural history. and released it on YouTube in Did we miss any of your mid 2009. The video earned favorites? Let us know in the more than 3 million views in just comments!

10 days. #1 David After Dentist In August, Carroll One of the first big memes of released“United Breaks Guitars 2009 was the YouTube video 2,” but it failed to generate the “David After Dentist.” The story same buzz as the original. is exactly like it sounds. Young #4 Three Wolf Moon T-Shirt David went to the dentist to get a At the beginning of Summer tooth pulled and was treated with 2009, an interesting t-shirt some pretty heavy sedatives. a p p e a r e d o n A m a z o n . c o m .

Armed with a Flip Cam and a Called “Three Wolf Moon,” the good sense of humor, David’s shirt featured an awesomely Dad decided to videotape the awful emblem of three wolves aftermath. howling at the moon, the shirt Watch here: garnered over-the-top reviews on #2 Susan Boyle Amazon.com, rating it as the best In April 2009, 47-year old Susan shirt ever and making outrageous

Office” paid homage to the dance by re-creating it with cast members for Jim and Pam’s fictional TV wedding. The result? The original video had a h u g e u p t i c k i n popularity(probably aided by people who missed it the first time). claims about its power.

Another winner in this meme, The shirt became a best-seller e m b a t t l e d R & B s t a r C h r i s and the creators of the shirt are Brown, who saw sales for his even shopping around a book single “Forever” (which is based on the topic. featured in both videos) climb the In an October episode of NBC’s charts after the video’s release.

“The Office,” Dwight K. Schrute # 7 C h r i s t i a n B a l e ( S t r o n g wears the shirt and ends up L a n g u a g e ) getting pretty lucky with the Even before February 2009, ladies. there were rumors that all had not #5 Baby Dancing to Beyonce gone well on the set of This is one of our favorite “Terminator: Salvation.” Then in memes of the year. Featuring February, someone leaked an baby Cory from New Zealand audio recording of actor Christian (then just 13 months old), this Bale going off on a crewvideo became viral after the member. The audio took off VMAs. Little Cory dances to online and in the mainstream Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” with press. such a level of engrossment and DJ RevoLucian created “Bale with so much obvious enjoyment, Out – RevoLucian’s Christian how could it not be a huge hit?

Bale Remix” from the audio and Watch: a NSFW meme within a meme #6 JK Wedding Dance was born. Not to take anything Jill and Kevin’s wedding dance away from Bale, but he still has is the rare Internet meme that has nothing on David O. Russell(link two waves of popularity. When has very explicit language). the video first hit the web in late #8 Balloon Boy J u l y , t h e a w e s o m e l y Two weeks ago, a helium filled choreographed dance by the weather balloon was launched in wedding party down the aisle Colorado, supposedly with a 6during Jill and Kevin’s wedding year old boy trapped inside. In became a huge hit, especially under 24-hours, the Internet went after being featured on the Today from shared bafflement, to fear Show. for the boy’s safety, to relief that Then in October, NBC’s“The he was OK (and hiding in a box

the whole time), to questioning if the whole event was a hoax to full-blown Internet meme.

That’s breaking news to Internet in-joke in under 10 hours.

Amazing. ( Photo courtesy of ImaLetYouFinish.com) A week later, the meme came full-Internet circle with the video“I’m in a Box”(a riff of “I’m on a Boat”), which you can watch below (note NSFW language): #9 Kanye West at the VMAs We can all thank Kanye West for providing us so much endless entertainment. After pulling an ODB and hijacking Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the 2009 VMAs, a full-on meme was born. The outburst gave MTV.com a record number of unique video views.

The barrage of parodies and jokes started almost instantaneously. Even President Obama opined on Kanye’s behavior, calling him a “Jackass.”

We won’t lie, we were a little obsessed with the Kanye-meme here at Mashable. Unless something REALLY spectacular happens, this is sure to be the meme of 2009.

If you missed the clip that started it all, watch it below: MTV Shows Your Favorites So what did we miss? What memetastic event is your TOP page 24

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Tech/

Internet News Record

Inside one of the world's largest data centers (CNET News.com) Submitted at 11/2/2009 4:00:00 AM

CHICAGO--On the outside, Microsoft's massive new data center resembles the other buildings in the industrial area.

Even the inside of the building doesn't look like that much. The ground floor looks like a large indoor parking lot filled with a few parked trailers.

It's what's inside those trailers, though, that is the key to Microsoft's cloud-computing efforts. Each of the shipping containers in the Chicago data center houses anywhere from 1,800 to 2,500 servers, each of which can be serving up e-mail, managing instant messages, or running applications for Microsoft's soon-to-be-launched cloud-based operating system-Windows Azure.

Upstairs, Microsoft has four traditional raised floor server rooms, each roughly 12,000 square feet and consuming, on average, 3 megawatts of power.

It's all part of a data center that will eventually occupy 700,000 square feet, making it one of the world's largest.

"I think, I'm not 100 percent sure, but I think this could be the

largest data center in the world," said Arne Josefsberg, general manager of infrastructure services for Microsoft's data center operations.

Even with only half the site ready for computers, the center has 30 megawatts of capacity-many times that found in a typical facility.

On a hot day, Microsoft would rely on 7.5 miles worth of chilled water piping to keep things cool, but general manager Kevin Timmons smiled as he walked in for the facility's grand opening in late September. It was around 55 degrees outside.

"When I stepped out, I said 'what good data center weather'," he said. "I knew the chillers were off."

Although Microsoft is open about many of the details of its data centers, there are others it likes to keep quiet, including the site's exact location, the names of its employees, and even which brand of servers fill its racks and containers.

The software maker also won't say exactly which services are running in each facility, but the many Bing posters inside the upstairs server rooms in Chicago offer a pretty good indication of

TOP continued from page 23

favorite? What do you think the YouTube next big meme will be about (I’d Tags: balloon boy, internet put money on puppies, kittens or memes, kanye west, Meme, babies — but that’s just me)? Let memes, susan boyle, viral video us know! Reviews: Mashable,

what is going on there.

Microsoft originally intended to open the Chicago facility last year, but the company has slowed its data center pace some amid the weaker economy and an array of cutbacks companywide.

Instead, the facility had its grand opening in late September.

Within a month, though, Microsoft's data centers were attracting attention for a wholly different reason. A massive server failure at an older facility-one that Microsoft acquired as part of its Danger acquisition-left thousands of T-Mobile Sidekick owners without access to their data as part of an outage that is now stretching into its second month.

Although Sidekick uses an entirely different architecture, the failure represented a tangible example of the biggest fear of cloud computing--that one will wake up one day to find their data gone.

Microsoft is quick to highlight the differences between the Sidekick setup and what Microsoft is building in Chicago and elsewhere. "We write multiple replicas of user data to multiple devices so that the data is available in a situation where a

single or multiple physical nodes may fail," Windows Azure general manager Doug Hauger said in a statement after the Sidekick failure.

As for Azure, Microsoft is expected to talk about its commercial launch at this month's Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles, including offering more details on how the system will provide its redundancy. Microsoft has already announced some new Azure details, noting last week that it will begin charging for Azure as of February 1.

Microsoft is still trying to figure out just how much capacity at Chicago and elsewhere it needs to assign for Azure.

"Azure is incredibly hard to forecast," said Josefsberg. "We're probably erring toward having a little more capacity than we need in the short term."

What is clear is that, over time, Microsoft will need even more capacity. That's what has Josefsberg returning to a custom "heat map" that figures out the best place to build data centers based on factors including cheapness, greenness, and availability of power, political climate, weather, networking

capacity, and other factors.

Choosing the right spot is critical, Microsoft executives say, noting that 70 percent of a data center's economics are determined before a company ever breaks ground.

Josefsberg said he already has the next spot picked out.

"We know exactly where it is going to be but I can't tell you right now," he said.

But Microsoft has indicated how the next generation of data center will improve upon the Chicago design.

Moving to containers allows Microsoft to bring in computing capacity as needed, but still requires the company to build the physical building, power and cooling systems well ahead of time. The company's next generation of data center will allow those things to be built in a modular fashion as well.

"The beauty of that is two-fold," Josefsberg said. "We commit less capital upfront and we can then accommodate the latest in technology along the way."

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Entertainment/

Internet News Record

TILERA'S

TWEET

continued from page 21

This range of products helps meet the needs of different applications, but each product still needs a particular balance of application requirements for maximum efficiency.

So here lies Tilera's great challenge--finding software applications that need a large amount of CPU performance and that also: 1. Are highly parallel, so they can keep many cores busy.

2. Don't need much (if any) floating-point math, since the Tile-Gx doesn't do that.

3. Can benefit from cryptographic acceleration.

4. Consume large amounts of network bandwidth.

Tilera wants customers to think of its chips as "general-purpose" processors, but as this list shows, they're better for some purposes than for others. As PC processors reach higher core counts and integrate more functionality, they too will become more sensitive to application requirements.

Integration eventually reaches a point where additional complexity adds no practical value. And the closer PC processor vendors approach that limit, the more difficult it will become to sell their latest, greatest, most complicated chips.

Network processing is the most

continued from page 22

natural fit for Tilera's capabilities, particularly highlevel services like virus scanning as I discussed in September (see " Insatiable demand for mobile data challenges industry").

Internet service providers rarely provide such services for PC users, since PCs can do their own scanning--but mobile phones and other Internet appliances often can't, so these services are seeing increasing demand.

The networking market, unfortunately, is not large enough to support a company like Tilera.

Although there is a lot of networking equipment sold each year, each company in the business has its own ideas about how this processing should be done. A single chip design could never capture the majority of this potential demand.

Further, the larger equipment vendors often have policies in place against relying too heavily on individual suppliers, especially small start-ups. They will commonly design different products using different chiplevel technology so that the failure of a single supplier--or the purchase of a supplier by a competing equipment vendor-will have only a limited effect on their bottom line.

New business opportunities

Tilera is working to develop new markets for its current TilePro and future Tile-Gx parts. The most significant of these new markets is cloud computing, which may favor solutions like Tilera's that offer higher performance per watt.

That's the metric Tilera touts most heavily for the Tile-Gx, promising 10 times the performance per watt of Intel's Westmere-EP, a six-core 32nm processor that Intel will begin shipping in 2010, which is aimed at high-efficiency servers.

(Incidentally, I commend Tilera for making this comparison; Westmere-EP is exactly what they'll be competing against. Too often, chip companies will try to make themselves look better by comparing next year's products with last year's competition.)

Although 10x is a critical multiplier in this business (see my post " The factor factor"), such an advantage doesn't necessarily guarantee success.

Tilera has done everything it can to minimize the difficulties associated with software development by adopting industry-standard development tools such as GCC and Eclipse, but its Tile chips still can't run Windows and it just can't match the developer relationships that

companies like Advanced Micro Devices and Intel have established.

Fortunately, Tilera is small and relatively efficient for a chip company. Last month, Tilera announced that Quanta Computer invested $10 million in the company based on Quanta's interest in cloud computing.

Tilera said it has enough funding to reach cash-flow breakeven in 2011, assuming the Tile-Gx reaches market and achieves the kind of success Tilera predicts.

I remain skeptical, but hopeful. I think there's no question that in the long run, there will be plenty of demand for complex, manycore processors like Tilera's. But will Tilera still be around by that time? And in the long run, once this demand develops, larger companies such as Intel will have their own offerings.

Can Tilera carve out a market niche that it can defend against such strong competition? I just don't know, but I'm always glad to see people trying new ideas.

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Celebs Fright & Excite with Halloween Costumes (ETonline - Breaking News)

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The stars were out on Halloween night and ET has the pics of the

celebrity costume craze!

read the tweets aloud in the style of Bodett’s iconic and grandiose Motel 6 voice.@badbanana Who: Tim Siedell What: Tweets that taste better than bad bananas. It’s a smart humor meets bad taste Twitter account.

Why: We like Siedell’s description from his blog best, “Bad bananas. Sour milk. Mix them together and you’re well on your way to banana bread, my friend. The same principle works with ideas. A seemingly worthless chunk of information here. An old, bad idea there. Mix them up and you just might end up with something tasty.”

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, McKevin. Reviews: Twitter, iStockphoto Tags: comedy, humor, Lists, twitter

First Lady Michelle Obama Dresses Up for White House Halloween Party (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 11/1/2009 3:46:00 PM

President Barack Obama and the cat-like First Lady Michelle Obama joined in on the Halloween festivities by hosting a reception for military families and children of White House -ET has the pics!

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Tech/

Internet News Record

Phishing, worms spike this year, say Microsoft and McAfee (CNET News.com) Submitted at 11/2/2009 6:00:00 AM

Scammers are targeting social networks with phishing scams and relying more heavily on worms and Trojans to attack computers, according to security trend reports to be released Monday by Microsoft and McAfee.

Phishing attacks saw a big spike in May and June, primarily because of campaigns targeting social-networking sites, according to Microsoft's report covering the first half of 2009.

Gaming sites, portals, and Web sites of banks and retailers were also popular targets for phishing attacks, the report said.

Trojans top the list of threats to computer security, according to Microsoft's latest Security Intelligence Report.(Credit: Microsoft) Trojans, including rogue security software, remained the most prevalent category of threats, while Microsoft statistics show that worms rose from fifth place in the second half of last year to become the second most prevalent category, led by Conficker and followed by Taterf, which targets multiplayer online role-playing games.

During the first half of the year, Microsoft detected and cleaned rogue security software--which displays false antivirus warnings to trick people into paying for software they don't need--from

13.4 million computers. That was down from 16.8 million computers in the second half of last year.

Most of the drive-by download pages are hosted on legitimate Web sites that have been compromised by attackers through intrusion or malicious code posted to a poorly secured Web form, such as a blog comment field. The Trojan Downloaders & Droppers category was the type of malware most often delivered in drive-by attacks, according to Microsoft.

The number of total unique vulnerability disclosures across the industry was down sharply

from a year ago. While browser vulnerabilities increased slightly, application vulnerabilities dropped and operating system holes were flat, Microsoft said.

Microsoft software accounted for 6 of the top 10 browser-based holes attacked on Windows XP computers, compared with only one on Vista computers. Of the top 10 browser-based holes exploited on computers running Vista, 2 targeted Adobe Reader and the most significant one targeted Adobe Flash Player. In the third spot was an exploit aimed at Internet Explorer.

Infection rates for Windows Vista were significantly lower

than Windows XP, while the rate for Windows Server 2008 was less than Server 2003.

Microsoft released 27 security bulletins in the first half of the year, addressing 85 individual vulnerabilities. Of those, 11 were exploited within the first 30 days after the release of the security bulletin.

As far as computer security consciousness, the U.S. is in the middle, according to George Stathakopoulos, general manager of Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing Group. Japan is at or near the top of the list and Germany is high up too, he said.

"We are average," he added. "We

are not one of the cleanest countries, we are dead on in the middle."

McAfee's report showed the U.S. as the top country when it comes to the number of compromised computers that are zombies used in botnets to do things like send spam, followed by China and Brazil. The U.S. also is the top distributor of spam and has the most servers hosting malware, McAfee said.

Spam comprises 92 percent of all e-mail. It jumped 24 percent from a year ago, McAfee said.

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Tech/ Popular News/

Internet News Record

Time to upgrade open source perceptions of Gartner

NOKIA continued from page 20

complimentary. They will be visible on the devices, so we can create a setup where both parties' (CNET News.com) Gartner responded to such MQs. ( Disclosure: I work for assets are being valued and there attacks, defending the integrity of Alfresco and am an adviser to is a fair exchange. But you never Submitted at 11/2/2009 6:06:33 AM know how it will eventually turn its research. Yet its blind spot to MindTouch and JasperSoft.)

G a r t n e r h a s h a d a r o c k y open source seemed to persist.

Gartner also recognizes the out until you have the ink on the relationship with open source in Not anymore. Whatever the broad adoption of open source in paper. the past, but recent research r e a s o n f o r t h e e r s t w h i l e the enterprise and how open We already have co-branded suggests that its views on open overlooking of open source, s o u r c e i s a f f e c t i n g e v e n stores in Europe. And in some s o u r c e h a v e e v o l v e d . I t ' s Gartner analysts' current views proprietary software vendors. cases there is specific content in therefore time for the open- on open source have changed, in This isn't to suggest that Gartner the carrier store or the content source world's views on Gartner some cases dramatically. finally "gets it" because it's might be tagged within the to evolve, too.

It used to be that open-source writing favorably about open carrier store. But the biggest Gartner hasn't historically been companies and projects never source. In fact, some of Gartner's thing is that it's integrated into much of a friend to open source. made it into Gartner's Magic best, most interesting analysis is the carriers' billing. So it adds a While Forrester, Redmonk, the Quadrant (MQ), which have available for free on the blogs level of convenience in buying.

451 Group, IDC, and other t r e m e n d o u s p o w e r f o r , i f section of its Web site, not all of After you launch this co-branded analyst firms long ago began somewhat limited utility to, which is positive about open Ovi store with AT&T, will unlocked phones that were not recording the rise of open source enterprise buyers. source. within enterprise computing, Now, you'll find that Gartner It is, however, balanced and bought through AT&T be able to Gartner seemed to side with the lists Drupal("Drupal is in the often quite insightful, particularly access the AT&T co-branded proprietary vendors in steadfastly Visionaries quadrant because of the work of Gartner analyst Brian store?

Savander: No, they won't. The arguing that open source's impact its use of the open source model Prentice. store will be preloaded on the was negligible. to drive adoption and popularity, Given all this, it's time for open This resulted in some suggesting while providing enterprise sorcerers to stop using Gartner as phones, and there will be an that Gartner's research was services via organizations such as a straw man for poor analysis on identifier on the SIM card. But simply a reflection of which A c q u i a " ) , L i f e r a y , a n d open source. This isn't helpful you can download the generic companies paid it the most MindTouch in its newest "Social a n d , i n c r e a s i n g l y , i t ' s n o t Ovi store client on a Nokia phone. money (and recently netted the Software in the Workplace" MQ, r e m o t e l y a c c u r a t e . analyst firm a lawsuit). w h i l e A l f r e s c o , M y S Q L , This content has passed through What about the third leg of this stool. Is the Ovi service ready for I made similar accusations JasperSoft, Pentaho, and others fivefilters.org. prime time? myself. are listed in a variety of other Savander: I'd say that the magic isn't quite there yet. For example, we are getting feedback that the services need to be more intuitive. But every version has (Yahoo! News: U.S. News) more magic than the previous (AP) 15 seconds ago 2009-11Submitted at 11/2/2009 6:40:51 AM 02T06:50:04-08:00 Vee buzzed up: Limbaugh calls This content has passed through Obama 'immature, inexperienced' fivefilters.org.

Ground beef recalled over E. coli illnesses (AP)

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one. For example, Ovi Maps 3.0 is better than the 2.0 version.

And we have single sign-on between services.

We are still dealing with the basics rather than the magic. But we are working on it. And we've recruited lots of talent from companies, such as Yahoo and Microsoft and many of the content companies. We have a very user-driven team. We can release updates when we need to, so we don't need to wait for a 24month cycle. So we are updating about every three months.

It seems like Nokia sees services becoming a big part of its strategy. Is it going to contribute a lot to the bottom line? Or is the company still mostly focused on selling devices?

Savander: We are on target for $2 billion in revenue for services in 2010. But out of the total revenue for Nokia, that's not really enough to make a difference. The biggest contribution Ovi will make is making our devices better and more attractive. If you look to the future, devices will be sold in combination with services.

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Tech/ Politics/

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Microsoft Remote Desktop Magic Mouse unboxing Connection Client for Snow Leopard video: Man vs. Tape

By TJ Luoma (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))

Halloween prank, I wondered if maybe I had an outdated version of the app, since I hadn't used it Submitted at 11/1/2009 4:30:00 PM since Snow Leopard came out. I F i l e d u n d e r : S o f t w a r e took a quick look around and Microsoft's Remote Desktop found that version 2.0.1 had been Connection Client is a free utility r e l e a s e d i n m i d - A u g u s t . I which allows you to connect to downloaded the new version, ran Windows computers running the installer (I'm not sure why it W i n d o w s f r o m c o m p u t e r s needs an installer for what seems running Mac OS X (versions like a self-contained application, 10.4.9 or later). but it does) and the app launched For those of us who help manage as expected.

Windows computers, it's a handy The release notes don't say much tool to have around, much like about what is new in this version, Screen Sharing (or Apple Remote and I didn't notice any new Desktop) for connecting from features (other than not crashing one Mac to another. Fortunately I on Snow Leopard, which is a don't have to use it all that often, significant plus). If you ever need but last night when I tried it for to connect to computers running the first time in a while, it Windows, this 7.8MB download crashed. I relaunched it, and it is a good addition to your crashed again. Since I'm a slow toolbox. learner, I tried it one last time. Not all versions of Microsoft Yup, crashed a third time.

Windows support Remote Assuming this wasn't some D e s k t o p C o n n e c t i o n s . F o r

example, Windows XP "Professional" does, but the "Home" does not. Also, even for those versions of Windows which do support it, it is not enabled by default. If your version does not support it, you will need to find a VNC application which has a Windows 'server' and a Mac 'client'.

[If you prefer an open-source alternative to the Microsoft client, check out the versatile and free CoRD. --Ed.] TUAW Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client for Snow Leopard originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Doug Hoffman: The Glenn Beck Candidate (Little Green Footballs) Submitted at 11/1/2009 10:02:19 AM

What exactly does Doug Hoffman stand for? And who is he standing with? Would you believe … Glenn Beck?

At the endorsements page of

Doug Hoffman For Congress, we find a link to the “Gold List” at

912candidates.org, consisting of politicians who have “ pledged their sacred honor” to uphold the Glenn Beck 9/12 Project’s “ 9 Principles and 12 Values.”

(Hat tip: simoom.)

By Kent Pribbernow (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))

One thing I would like to clarify: in the video I mentioned having rebooted my Mac in order to pair with the Magic Mouse via Submitted at 11/1/2009 8:00:00 PM Bluetooth. This is NOT required.

Filed under: Hardware, Video Simply launching the Bluetooth Let me disclose straight away Setup Assistant will begin that I've opened packaging on partnering the mouse with your just about every major Apple Mac. I chose the former option product released over the past because a) I prefer a fresh start five years and never exerted such when introducing new hardware, effort in opening a little plastic and b) I roll that way. container -- which by the way I'm still experiencing lots of resembles something you would unpleasantness with two-finger find sitting on a shelf at Pottery page swiping though. Apple Barn. But seriously, Apple, what really needs to allow the user to is with the tape? adjust swipe speed settings by As I stated in the video, certain including a slider for that gesture multi-touch gestures require a i n t h e M o u s e p r e f e r e n c e s . great deal of repetitive use in Perhaps that will come in a future order to acclimate to the Magic update.

Mouse. I am pleased to say, Stay tuned for more hands-on however, now that I'm on on Day with the Magic Mouse in the 2, the problems I initially coming days. experienced with touch-scrolling TUAW Magic Mouse unboxing have largely been alleviated video: Man vs. Tape originally simply by adjusting scroll speed appeared on The Unofficial settings in S y s t e m Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, Preferences>Mouse, which is set 01 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. at 25% by default. Cranking this Please see our terms for use of up to 50% and beyond made feeds. page scrolling must smoother and Read| Permalink| Email this| easier, though upward scrolling is Comments still proving to be a hemorrhoidinducing experience.

Tech/ Sports/

Internet News Record

Putting an SSD upgrade in a 24" iMac

By Tim Wasson (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))

had to be made to allow for installing a 2.5" drive in the space of a 3.5" drive, and some finagling of the drive due to a too Submitted at 11/2/2009 8:00:00 AM -short SATA cable.

Filed under: Desktops, Hacks, The result is a pretty satisfying iMac SSD s, or solid-state drives, speed increase when it comes to are all the rage in portables these opening up applications, and days. They come in MacBook especially when running a virtual Pros and MacBook Airs directly machine. Check out the from Apple (with the appropriate installation instructions and first upgrades, of course), and we've impressions on Jason's website. seen people upgrade their oldAny upgrades like this should be school mechanical drives, hack in performed only by skilled users, a second drive to take advantage and of course it mayvoid your of the speed of a shiny new SSD, warranty. Proceed at your own oreven put one in an AppleTV. machine makes sense. For Jason risk.

Desktop computers are usually Siebert, this was one of those TUAW Putting an SSD upgrade left out of the solid-state love- times. When the drive on his 24" in a 24" iMac originally appeared fest. After all, 3.5" drives are iMac started showing the tell-tale on The Unofficial Apple Weblog usually less expensive than a 2.5" signs of a drive on the brink of (TUAW) on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 drive of a similar capacity, and death, he decided to tear the 08:00:00 EST. Please see our desktop machines are less prone machine apart and throw in a terms for use of feeds. to damage to the disk since they smaller & faster SSD, and use his Read| Permalink| Email this| are usually stationary when Drobo for external storage. Comments running.

Installation was simple for the However, there are times when a most part, but some adjustments solid-state upgrade to a desktop

A-Rod, Yanks rally in 9th, on verge of 27th title

By Associated Press (ESPN.com)

writes Gene Wojciechowski.

Story Johnny Damon's hustle in the Submitted at 11/2/2009 12:31:14 AM ninth inning may be the defining More from ESPN.com moment of this World Series, The Yankees are turning the Fall writes Jayson Stark. Story Classic into an autumn sleeper, • Crasnick: A-Rod answers

critics • Caple: Lee the right call • Series page This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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NJ Gubernatorial Candidate Using Monty Python Video Without Authorization In Campaign Commercial

By Mike Masnick (Techdirt)

television commercials (which were also placed online). The chaps who make up Monty Politicians almost always push Python insist that Christie had no for stronger copyright laws or permission to do so and they copyright law enforcement -- and don't like it (they're considering yet, time and time and time again suing). Now, I tend to think that we see that when it comes to using a clip in such a manner their own use, they often violate should be perfectly legal, but copyright law themselves. I tend given that it is not, it does look to give them the benefit of the pretty bad for a long-term lawyer, doubt: most people who don't pay current US Attorney and now attention closely simply buy the candidate for governor to be industry's line about copyright: c a u g h t f l a t - o u t i g n o r i n g that it's property and that it's c o p y r i g h t l a w . important to keep the industry One could hope that this would functioning. Neither is true, of be a "teachable moment" to a course, but if you don't think politician, letting him know that about it or pay attention to how copyright is an issue that isn't copyright really works, you can quite as clear cut as many see how people would believe politicians make it out to be. that.

And yet, somehow, I doubt that So here we are again, with yet will happen. It's not yet clear if another politician -- this time US Christie has much of a record on Attorney and current New Jersey copyright issues (I can't find gubernatorial candidate Chris much), but somehow I doubt he'll Christie -- caught red handed suddenly become a fair use making use of content he most crusader. likely had no permission to use. Permalink| Comments| Email In this case, he used clips from This Story old Monty Python skits in his Submitted at 11/2/2009 5:39:30 AM

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Tech/ Popular News/

Internet News Record

Mac 101: How to manually enable menu extras

By Josh Carr (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))

At some point I thought to myself, "There's gotta be a better way to do this." Having to restart Submitted at 11/2/2009 3:30:00 AM my computer when a disc doesn't F i l e d u n d e r : H o w - t o s , want to eject is not exactly userProductivity, Tips and tricks, friendly. After pondering the Mac 101 More Mac 101, our tips possibilities for quite some time, and tricks for novice Mac users. I remembered that you could For some reason, I tend to come e n a b l e s o m e m e n u e x t r a s across times when my optical (including an eject button) from drive doesn't want to eject the the CoreServices folder.

CD or DVD that's in it. I found Go to the root of your hard myself having to restart the d r i v e , e i t h e r b y c h o o s i n g System > Library > computer and try again... in more "Computer" from the Go menu or CoreServices > Menu Extras serious instances, I have to restart by clicking it in the sidebar of a Once in that folder, you'll see a and force-eject the disc by Finder window (my hard drive is lot of different extras that you holding down the mouse button the icon labeled 'Server' in the can put into your menu bar. Just during the boot process. screenshot), and follow this path:

double-click the ones that look appealing to you and they will appear in your menu bar. Go ahead and give them a try. If you decide that you don't want

POLL: Illegal Downloaders Buy the Most Music

By Pete Cashmore (Mashable!)

found that those who admit illegally downloading music spent an average of £77 a year on Submitted at 11/1/2009 7:33:08 PM music – £33 more than those who T h e U K ’ s I n d e p e n d e n t claim that they never download newspaper picks up on a curious music dishonestly…The poll, s t u d y t o d a y : p e o p l e w h o which surveyed 1,000 16- to 50download music illegally also year-olds with internet access, b u y m o r e m u s i c l e g a l l y , found that one in 10 people admit according to a poll’s results. The to downloading music illegally. study comes as the UK plans a We see a few caveats here, the controversial “three strikes and main one being that Internet you’re out” rule that would users were simply asked whether disconnect copyright infringers they download content illegally from the Internet – it’s set to or not: given that this would be become law in April 2010. admitting to a crime, that metric The Independent writes: could be under-reported.

The survey, published today, Frankly, this self-reporting of

illegal activity seems like a dubious measurement. The data doesn’t necessarily undermine the plans, either: 61% of illegal downloaders said they’d be dissuaded from downloading illegally if doing so resulted in being disconnected for one month.

The debate is a legitimate one: some UK ISPs are concerned about essentially becoming Internet watchdogs, and point out that enforcement would take significant effort on their part.

Others point to over-regulation of Internet access. There’s a case to be made, too, that consumers seem willing to pay if the price is low enough and the process effortless (eg. iTunes).

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, cogar Reviews: iStockphoto Tags: music

something in the menu bar, just hold down the command key and drag it off the bar.

The eject button doesn't always fix a stuck CD, but it's one more option to try before restarting my computer.

TUAW Mac 101: How to manually enable menu extras originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Imam due back in court to face NYC terror charges (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News) Submitted at 11/2/2009 6:39:15 AM

AlexS buzzed up: Elton John recovering in hospital from flu, ecoli (AP) 2 seconds ago 2009-1102T06:52:47-08:00 This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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So, You Think You’re Better Than Michael Phelps…at Speed Putting?

By Stan Schroeder (Mashable!)

foot for two minutes and 30 seconds.

What you need to is record a Submitted at 11/2/2009 3:54:45 AM video of yourself doing one of I’ve been swimming for a couple the feats described above of summers now, working (hopefully, faster and better than ardently on my technique and these famous athletes), and cardio, and I’m still incredibly upload it somewhere between slow. So slow, in fact, that now and Sunday, November 15.

Michael Phelps could swim 500 t r i p f o r t w o t o t h e Y o u t h Other rewards as well as T-shirts, m, get out of the water, order a Olympic Games in Singapore in video games and posters; if hamburger, and read the morning August 2010. you’re interested, you can find news before I cross the same It’s a part of YouTube’s detailed instructions on how to distance. competition called “ The Best of create and submit your video Speed putting, however, is US Challenge“, where famous here. another matter. Not that I, athletes go out of their area of Check out the video of mustache personally, would be any better at expertise and try themselves at -sporting Phelps doing his record it, but perhaps some of you could somewhat unorthodox activities. speed putting performance beat Phelps in that particular For example, gymnast Shawn below. discipline. And if you do, you Johnson tapped her ears, while Reviews: YouTube could win a trip for two to the doing a handstand, 54 times in 30 Tags: competition, michael Vancouver Winter Olympic seconds, while sprinter Asafa phelps, youtube Games in February 2010 and a Powell balanced a stick on his

Tech Note: The Retweet Button (Little Green Footballs)

“RT’ for ReTweet, followed by the ‘@’ symbol and the username of the original tweetist: ‘RT Our latest addition to The Blog @lizardoid’. codebase is a button to let you The code is basically John “ r e t w e e t ” a n L G F a r t i c l e . Resig’s Easy Retweet Button, “Retweeting” is a common way with the CSS styles extracted into for people to spread interesting my main CSS file instead of content around on Twitter. Since embedded in the Javascript. This e a c h a r t i c l e i s a l r e a d y retweet function uses the LGF automatically posted to Twitter, account with bit.ly, a URL your tweet is prefaced with the shortener that tracks statistics; the standard Twitter syntax to show number shown above the green that it’s a retweet from the LGF Retweet button is the number of Twitter account, with the letters incoming clicks from the bit.ly Submitted at 11/1/2009 1:22:30 PM

URL for that article — in other words, the Twitter traffic for that article.

Right now, the Retweet button is only visible on the individual page for an article (either with or without comments) at the lower left of main article, next to the rating buttons.

UPDATE at 11/1/09 6:45:11 pm: Retweet buttons are now on the front page, too, unless bit.ly lets me know the server load is too much.

31

I went to an Apple Store on Halloween and they gave me... a bookmark

By Steven Sande (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)) Submitted at 11/1/2009 3:30:00 PM

Filed under: Retail, Apple Several TUAW readers have tipped us to the fact that many Apple Stores were in the Halloween spirit last night, handing out treats for ghouls, goblins, and Mac nerds who wandered by.

However, it sounds like Apple was playing the anonymous homeowner to Charlie Brown, who always got a rock instead of candy in his bag. The Apple Stores were not giving out sugary treats to the tots with their parents in tow, but they did get bookmarks. Yay. The bookmarks are pretty cool, though. Printed in a beautiful turquoise color, the iPod nanosized bookmarks have magnets on the inside tips so you can fold them around a page and they'll stick. Apple design savvy strikes again!

Apple fans apparently "ate up" the bookmarks; the post on iPhone Savior mentioned that one store was out of them by 7:30 PM. I'm thinking that we should use Apple's use of a

bookmark as a giveaway as a hint about the legendary iTablet / ebook reader...

What do you think Apple should have given out to the costumed crowds last night instead of bookmarks? Leave your comments below. [via iPhone Savior] TUAW I went to an Apple Store on Halloween and they gave me... a bookmark originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Talkcast tonight: Apple TV 3 reactions and Halloween candy hangovers

By Michael Rose (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)) Submitted at 11/1/2009 6:30:00 PM

Filed under: TUAW Business, Podcasts Assuming that your Mac isn't still bogged down from the switch back to Standard Time, you should c'mon out tonight and join us for the talkcast. Tonight we'll be talking Apple TV 3.0; if you've upgraded already, we want to hear about your experience, and if you haven't upgraded yet, we want to know which hacks, patches or media players are holding you back.

We'll also chat about the Motorola Droid, the latest cellphone challenger to iPhone

hegemony. We'll be live at 10 pm ET, so call on in.

To participate on TalkShoe, you can use the browser-only client, or you can try out the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in. For the web UI,

just click the"TalkShoe Web" button on our profile page at 10 pm Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (take advantange of your free cellphone weekend minutes if you like): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -

- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *-8.

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

TUAW Talkcast tonight: Apple TV 3 reactions and Halloween candy hangovers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Newsday Columnist Quits Over Paywall, Wants To Be Read

By Mike Masnick (Techdirt)

knowing that locking up their own content isn't a good thing in terms of career advancement.

One of the reasons why the NY So, with Cablevision deciding to Times eventually did away with put Newday behind a paywall, it its old "paywall" was that its big didn't take long for some of its n a m e c o l u m n i s t s s t a r t e d columnists to start to bailing. complaining that fewer and fewer The NY Times is reporting that people were reading them. N e w s d a y c o l u m n i s t S a u l We've suggested in the past that Friedman quit and did so while newspapers who decide to put up publishing an open letter on why a paywall may find that their best paywalls are a bad idea, while reporters decide to go elsewhere, also telling the NY Times that he Submitted at 11/2/2009 3:32:31 AM

knew his column was popular with people outside of Newsday's footprint, and he was upset that those people would not be able to read his column and that he wouldn't be able to send out links to his columns.

Oh, one other thing? Mr. Friedman is 80 years old and worked for newspapers for over 50 years. In other words, he's not just some "young kid who thinks everything online should be free"

as we're so often told is the real problem. News organizations that lock up their content are increasingly going to discover that it's more and more difficult to attract top talent when compared to publications that actually help raise the journalists' profiles.

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Don't Upgrade Your Hackintosh Netbook Just Yet [Hackintosh]

By Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker) Submitted at 11/2/2009 6:00:00 AM

If you're running Leopard or Snow Leopard on a "hackintosh" netbook, don't allow it to upgrade to Snow Leopard 10.6.1, or Leopard 10.5.9. The core kernels in those update kill off support for Atom-based netbook CPUs, which is almost certainly the processor inside your netbook.

There are likely fixes in the works by the hackintosh community, and you might be able to retain your current kernel and upgrade, if that's something you know how to do. Still, for the time being, it seems like sticking with what you've got is a pretty wise move. [ OS X Daily via Gizmodo]

Tech/ Tech Blog/ Entertainment/

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Hunting down 10 iPhone apps for the outdoorsman

iPhone and Windows 7 Don’t Play Nice, No Fix in Sight

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

By Stan Schroeder (Mashable!)

Submitted at 11/2/2009 1:56:08 AM

Submitted at 11/1/2009 5:30:00 PM

Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch At least here in Colorado, the big game hunting season is mostly over for another year, except for a few late-season licenses. While many hunters may be nursing deer camp hangovers, maintaining their firearms, or telling yarns about the ones that got away, those who own an iPhone or iPod touch can still be blasting away at Bambi.

There are a huge number of hunting-related apps in the App Store, ranging from various deer and duck hunting simulations to duck and deer calls. Let's take a look at a ten-pack of apps: Go out and blast at virtual deer, elk, caribou, grizzly bears, and black bears with 3D Hunting Trophy Whitetail[US$0.99, iTunes Link]. Four weapon types

Over the weekend, reports have been piling up saying that iPhone syncing with iTunes doesn’t work for some users on Windows 7. The official Apple forums (Lever-Action Rifle, Bolt-Action have several threads related to Rifle, Scoped Bolt-Action Rifle, the issue, so it’s quite safe to or Bow & Arrow) are available assume the issue is real. for your shooting enjoyment, and Looking for a common you get to use calls and scents to denominator, it seems that having attract your prey. a motherboard with an Intel P55 Continue reading Hunting down chipset is the key cause, but I 1 0 i P h o n e a p p s f o r t h e personally have a similar issue outdoorsman (iPhone starts syncing, then TUAW Hunting down 10 iPhone reports an error) on a laptop with a p p s f o r t h e o u t d o o r s m a n another chipset, with freshly originally appeared on The installed Windows 7.

U n o f f i c i a l A p p l e W e b l o g Some of the suggested fixes (TUAW) on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 include using a USB hub or a 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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33

Donny Osmond Shirtless for 'Dancing with the Stars'?

(ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 11/2/2009 12:05:00 AM

On Monday night's "Dancing with the Stars" competition show, Donny Osmond and his partner Kym Johnson will be dancing the quickstep. Then they will be doing a team tango with Kelly Osbourne and partner Louis Van Amstel and Derek Hough and Joanna Krupa. So how steamy will this week's tango get?

PCI USB card for connecting "I guess I am going to announce I your iPhone, and disabling Power am going to be shirtless," Donny Management for each of the USB tells ET. "I have to keep up with ROOT HUBs on your computer.

Derek and Louis. Plus, we are But none of these seem to fix the taking our jackets off. I am out problem for everyone. there pumping iron because I What’s your experience? Have have to look good next to these you had problems with guys." iPhone/iTunes syncing on Donny tells ET that despite his Windows 7? If so, have you been hectic schedule, which includes able to fix it? Please share your his Las Vegas show with sister thoughts in the comments.

Marie, he told Kym from the getTags: iphone, Windows 7 go that he wanted to be a part of the process, not a part of the scenery.

Housekeeping (Scripting News)

away from the distortion field of Silicon Valley, made it a lot more Submitted at 10/31/2009 9:07:24 AM interesting and less of a festival First, thanks to Jeff Pulver for a of wiener-boys. I fell in love at fantastic conference earlier this least five times in 24 hours, that's week and thanks for letting me pretty good. First time I spoke at keynote it. Putting it in L.A., a tech conference since LeWeb in

2007.

Technorati rolled out a new version and completely lost track of Scripting News, so I took its icon off the home page of the site. I used to check it every couple of days to see if it found

anyone talking about something I wrote here. Nowadays it comes up with nothing. So goodbye Technorati.

I added links to my newest projects in the right sidebar.

Makes them easier for us to find

and of course adds juice to them in the search engines.

That's all!

Happy Halloween! (And Let's go Phillies. Teach the Yankees about philosophy.)

34

Politics/ Tech Tips/ TV/

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Scozzofava Endorsing Former Opponent?

Save Big by Having a Winter Wedding [Saving Money]

(Little Green Footballs)

By Jason Fitzpatrick (Lifehacker)

inflexible positions, Northern New York will suffer. This rural district depends on the federal The Watertown Daily Times, in government for an investment in New York’s 23rd congressional Fort Drum and its soldiers, d i s t r i c t , s w i t c h e s t h e i r environmental protection of our endorsement from Republican international waterway and the Dede Scozzofava to Democrat A d i r o n d a c k P a r k , a n d t h e Bill Owens — and they report livelihood of all our dairy that Scozzofava is doing the farmers across the district, among same. other support. Our representative During the day Saturday, she cannot be locked into rigid began to quietly and thoughtfully promises and policies that would encourage her supporters to vote jeopardize these critical sectors for Democrat William L. Owens. of our economy. …

The editors of the Watertown It is frightening that Mr. Daily Times don’t think much of Hoffman is so beholden to rightcypher Doug Hoffman, new hero wing ideologues who dismiss of far right politicians and N o r t h e r n N e w Y o r k e r s a s bloggers: parochial when people here Mr. Hoffman is running as an simply want to know how Mr. ideologue. If he carries out his Hoffman will protect their pledges on earmarks, taxation, interests in Washington. labor law reform and other Submitted at 11/1/2009 8:47:26 AM

Submitted at 11/1/2009 2:00:00 PM

Weddings are rarely cheap, but you can stack up some serious savings by opting to have a winter wedding and getting creative to make it work. Photo by pdbreen.

Why is the winter so much cheaper? The law of supply and demand works in your favor in the winter months. A scant 5 percent of U.S. couples get married in January, which puts vendors largely at your mercy.

MSN Money Central details the perks and pitfalls of planning a winter wedding. How much can one potentially save? Thousands of dollars, as one of their examples illustrates: Couples who get married in the Meeting House Grand Ballroom, a banquet facility in Plymouth, Mich., will see big price differences. For weddings between January and March, couples will pay Friday prices for a Saturday wedding, says Randy Lorenz, the owner and general

manager. For a party of 200 adults, that's a discount of $2,000; the banquet facility also waives its $300 ceremony fee.

That's $2,300 right out of the gate, just for having a winter wedding. One thing to keep in mind when planning a winter wedding is you'll need to be flexible in regard to your flowers—or willing to pay a premium for the kind you want.

Winter isn't the cheapest time to

be choosy about your arrangements. For a rundown on which services are cheaper—most of them!—and which to watch out for, check out the full article at the link below.

Have you own tips and tricks for saving on a wedding? Let's hear them in the comments. Save Big with a Winter Wedding[via FreeMoneyFinance]

Review: The Venture Bros. - Perchance to Dean

By Annie Wu (TV Squad) Submitted at 11/2/2009 8:35:00 AM

(S04E03) I swear to you, dear reader, that I do my best to stay somewhat objective when

reviewing The Venture Bros. It's tough, though, when the writers keep knocking them out of the park like this. We're only a few episodes in, but I'm already enjoying things more than I did

with season three, and it's not just

because this episode had mindblowing prog rock and UPS guys with the Shining.

Continue reading Review: The Venture Bros. - Perchance to Dean

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35

Avoid Car Troubles By Using a Reliability Index to Car Shop [Cars]

By Jason Fitzpatrick (Lifehacker) Submitted at 11/2/2009 6:30:00 AM

Aside from home purchases, automobiles are some of the most expensive personal purchases we make. Nobody wants to find out after signing on the dotted line that their new purchase is a money-pit. Check Consumer Report's reliability index before shopping.

Photo by Beige Alert.

Consumer's Report conducts an annual survey where they poll their millions of paper-based and virtual readers on the reliability of their products and purchases.

They compile this data into a massive reliability index and make it easy for you to find where your potential future purchase sits. If you're in a hurry and you want to buy a car right now, here's the single sentence summary for the best reliability: Buy a Honda Insight, barring that buy anything with a Toyota logo, if you must buy domestic buy a Ford. Consumer Reports writes: Of the 48 models with top reliability scores, 36 were Asian.

Sherlock Holmes will save Seth MacFarlane

By Allison Waldman (TV Squad) Submitted at 11/1/2009 4:03:00 PM

Toyota accounted for 18; Honda, eight; Nissan, four; and Hyundai/Kia and Subaru, three each.

On the whole, Japanese vehicles are consistently good. All Hondas and Acuras were average or above. Toyota, with its Lexus and Scion brands providing a broader product range, had just one vehicle that was below average in reliability, the Lexus GS AWD. Check out the article below for

more information about the survey, where vehicles fell on the scale, and other insights. If you want direct access to the actual charts and graphs as in addition to the article talking about the data you'll need to be a Consumer Reports subscriber. It's $6 for a month or $19 for a year subscription to the magazine and a c c e s s t o ConsumerReports.org—I got a subscription to do research before buying an HDTV and an

Street Chic: New York

By ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog) Submitted at 11/2/2009 4:00:00 AM

A statement necklace and chic

tote dress up a denim buttondown and skinny jeans.

Photo: Stylesight Think you are Street Chic? Email us your photo and you could

appear in ELLE.com's Street

Well, Apple didn't take my suggestion to replace Microsoft as the new sponsor of Seth MacFarlane's comedy special. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stepped up. elliptical machine, given how Actually, it's Warner Bothers much I saved there I'd most Pictures' Sherlock Holmes that'll definitely get a subscription sponsor the MacFarlane variety before buying a car. special.

Have your own insights into car Microsoft backed out of Family shopping or another measuring Guy Presents: Seth & Alex's stick you like to use when Almost Live Comedy Show assessing a new purchase? Let's when they caught a run through hear about it in the comments. of the program and objected to C o n s u m e r R e p o r t s - M o s t the humor. Goodness only knows Reliable C a r s [ v i a what they thought they were FiveCentNickel] getting with Seth, but it's all water under the bridge now.

Continue reading Sherlock Holmes will save Seth MacFarlane Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, OpEd, Animation, Chic Daily.

Celebrities, Reality-Free Follow ELLE on Twitter.

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Use Good Credit to Your Advantage Cartoon: Java-Enabled [Saving Money]

By Rob Cottingham (ReadWriteWeb)

By Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker)

Submitted at 11/1/2009 1:49:11 PM

Of all the technologies powering the social Web, few are as underYou pay your balances on time appreciated as the espresso every month, keep only the most machine. necessary cards open, and We go gaga over great mashups, steadily paid through your we drool over high-powered student debt. The Consumerist hardware, and we lust for private blog suggests a few ways you beta invitations to Google's latest can earn a little cash with your whatever-the-hell-it-is. But none great credit. of these would be possible Like any money move, without machines to blast steam benefiting from your good credit through finely ground coffee requires a bit of negotiation, as beans, and baristas with the skill well as the boldness to ask for to pull a perfect espresso shot. something you're probably due.

Sponsor I n a g u e s t p o s t , t h e against non-payment of rent. If Remember, folks—the free, once It's more than just caffeine, Bargaineering.com team suggests your score was lower, the -a-year credit score is available formidable as that drug is. a few relatively low-risk ways to landlord probably asked for a from AnnualCreditReport.com, There's something about a really, benefit from a pretty stellar score, larger deposit. Now that you've not those other sites with the really good cup of coffee including freeing up some improved your score, ask if you annoyingly catchy jingles (and Americano, latte, clover-press, investment cash: can have some of the money $15/month opt-out "services"). siphon or even drip - that can If you're renting and put down a back. This works better with How to Cash In on Your Good nudge your day in a happier, security deposit, ask for some of individual landlords rather than Credit[Consumerist] more productive direction. (Or it back. There are two main management companies because maybe that's just the caffeine reasons why landlords retain a of the red tape. (while you're at it, talking.) security deposit - to protect you can always try to negotiate So, the next time you start your against damage and to protect your rent) Submitted at 11/2/2009 5:30:00 AM

day with a smashing cup of coffee, look your barista in the eye and say, "Thank you. Thank you for fueling the social media revolution. And - yes, I know people are behind me, but this is important - thank you for the example you set with your attention to detail. Thank you for - no, there's no need to call security. I'm just saying a simple thank-you for everything you're doing for Web 2.0 and - fine, FINE, I'll go."

So where does coffee fit into your dev process? Are you in more of a spiritually grounded green-tea kind of office? Or have you managed to kick the caffeine habit altogether?

More Noise to Signal. Discuss

Shark Tank gets an order for more episodes?

By Robert Seidman (TVbytheNumbers) Submitted at 11/1/2009 12:16:37 PM

Courtesy of commenter “RJ”, according to Robert Herjavec’s Twitter account there will be more Shark Tank: Great news – ABC has ordered

more episodes of Shark Tank !!!!

No air date yet – but it’s coming. http://twitter.com/robertherjavec/ statuses/5328661113 Robert’s Twitter account isn’t a verified account, but it seems legitimate enough, and this isn’t something I’m going to try and

Shark Tank wasn’t exactly a ratings juggernaut, averaging a 1.7 (blended Live+7/Live+SD results) adults 18-49 rating for the episodes after September 21.

But Shark Tank did have some critical acclaim and it could be get confirmed over the weekend. that the show also has a higher percentage of high income

viewing relative to other shows, and apparently the foreign versions of the show (like Dragon’s Den in Canada) were slow ratings starters.

This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Tech Tips/ TV/ Economy/

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37

Handcrafted and Free Floating: The Wraparound Workspace [Featured Workspace]

By Jason Fitzpatrick (Lifehacker) Submitted at 11/1/2009 4:00:00 PM

We'll simply never get tired of diving into the Lifehacker Workspace pool and finding hand-crafted gems like today's featured workspace.

One of the best ways to cut down on cable clutter is to get all your equipment and cables right off the floor, so cables can never drape across the floor in the first place. Louis' workspace uses a

system of shelves to keep everything in a position where the cords travel the shortest distance possible. His computer and accompanying gear, save for the printer, are on a shelf right below his floating desk and directly beside the outlet they pull power from. In most places the cables have to travel mere inches to get where they are going and can stay tucked out of site easily.

For a closer look at this spacious and leg-less workspace, check

and add it to the Lifehacker Workspace Show and Tell Pool.

Include some details about your setup and why it works for you, and you just might see it featured on the front page of Lifehacker.

Handcrafted and Free Floating: T h e W r a p a r o u n d Jonathan Toomey (TV W o r k s p a c e [ L i f e h a c k e r By Squad) Workspace Show and Tell Pool]

Review: Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Black Swan Submitted at 11/2/2009 1:10:00 AM

out the photos below: If you have a workspace of your own to show off, throw the pictures on your Flickr account

( S07E07)"Look, it may have been an accident, but you're a murderer." - Marty Blame is a funny thing. In the absence of facts, the owner of the blame (i.e. the person at fault), is about one thing and one thing only -- public perception. Spin a good yarn and you can make 'em believe whatever you want. lake view?

Visit the link below to see However, when you're Larry listings in the US and around the David, getting past the hurdle of world. If you have a trick or your own reputation can be an r e s o u r c e o f s c o r i n g c h e a p issue. If you listen to even half vacation accommodations, let's the stuff that Larry says, why hear about it in the comments. would anyone want to believe a Vacation Rentals By Owner[via guy like him?

Continue reading Review: Curb CoolTools] Your Enthusiasm - The Black Swan Filed under: OpEd, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free Permalink| Email this| | Comments

VRBO Finds Economical Rentals For Your Next Vacation [Vacation]

By Jason Fitzpatrick (Lifehacker) Submitted at 11/1/2009 3:00:00 PM

Looking to vacation on the cheap with space to spare? Check out VRBO to find thousands of vacation rentals at great prices.

If you're not looking for a hotel experience and would settle for some temporary local shelter for a lot less than you'd pay for a hotel suite, Vacation Rentals By

Owner indexes thousands of rentals around the world. You can find cottages, condos, and second homes in locations from rustic to urban settings. Prices range from $400 a week for a tiny rustic cottage on Lake Michigan to $4000 a month and up for amenity-laden houses on the Pacific coast. Most of the locations sleep anywhere from 420 people, making the cost of rental astoundingly low for a

family or group of friends. Why stay in a dive hotel when you can be renting a full-out house with a

US Senate to introduce draft financial bill (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 11/1/2009 2:42:50 PM

US Senate to introduce draft

financial bill

By Tom Braithwaite in Washington Published: November 1 2009 22:42 | Last updated: November

1 2009 22:42 This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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Tech Tips/ TV/ Entertainment/ Picture/

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Nikon Learn and Explore Keeps Photo Tips in Your Pocket [Downloads]

By Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker) Submitted at 11/2/2009 4:30:00 AM

iPhone: There are scads of photography resources on bookstore shelves and on the web, but they're not always available when you're about to shoot a birthday cake scene in pitch black. Nikon's got an app stuffed with portable photography advice.

Of course, if you're somewhere in cellular range, the web's photography resources are, in fact, available on your iPhone.

Chances are, though, they're not

as organized and immediately ontopic as the information held inside Learn and Explore. Read up on adjusting depth of field, shutter speed, ISO levels, and

other fancy-schmancy settings for your digicam or DSLR, and check out examples of what can be done in the situation you're shooting. If you've got a bit of idle time, you can also read the last four issues of Nikon World magazine, and check out the slideshows normally linked to the mag's features on the web.

Neat, free stuff, and it obviously helps any brand of camera. Learn and Explore for the iPhone[Nikon USA]

'Precious' Hoping to be a Diamond in the Rough (ETonline - Breaking News)

'I need you to be a monster.

When I say action, you need to become a monster.'"

Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe is A powerful message is making her big screen debut in communicated through the film, t h e m u c h - a n t i c i p a t e d f i l m which follows an overweight 16'Precious: Based on the Novel year-old girl as she is the victim Push by Sapphire.' ET's Kevin of abuse and is going through her Frazier spoke with Gabby and co second pregnancy. By portraying -star Mo'Nique about the impact this role, Gabby hopes to set an this movie will likely have on example for her teenage sisters. audiences.

She told ET, "When I was To get into the character of an growing up, I had very few abusive mother, Mo'Nique said, people to look at who look like "We really trusted [director] Lee me to look up to and Monique of Daniels. Once I read the book, course was one of those people." once I got the script and he said, Submitted at 11/1/2009 10:16:00 PM

Review: Desperate Housewives - Don't Walk on the Grass

By Isabelle Carreau (TV Squad)

accurate.

I've had to teach a teen who was in such a denial a few years back Submitted at 11/2/2009 1:30:00 AM -- he was making up all sort of (S06E06) "Aren't you glad I'm lies to hide the fact that things not crazy anymore?" - Katherine weren't going well at home, so he to Susan made up this "other and better" To our pleasure and amusement, life. I can tell you that it's Katherine is still crazy and extremely difficult to help the maybe even more than before. person come back to reality and their world is accurate. It needs a She is so deeply in denial that she also to differentiate if what they lot of therapy to help someone can't see the truth anymore and tell us is true or false, since they like that come back to reality. thinks her make-believe world is are really convincing as, to them, Since Katherine is not getting

the help she needs to deal with her denial, fantasies and problems, she will keep plotting to get Mike back and hurt people

in the process, including herself.

It won't be pretty when she'll hit rock bottom.

Continue reading Review: Desperate Housewives - Don't Walk on the Grass Filed under: OpEd, Desperate Housewives, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free Permalink| Email this| | Comments

Let’s play

By Zack Sheppard (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

fivefilters.org.

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ReadWriteWeb Events Guide, 31 October 2009

By Andrew Lobo (ReadWriteWeb) Submitted at 10/31/2009 8:28:11 PM

Time for this week's events guide. You can download the entire event calendar in iCal format or import it into your Google Calendar. You can also import individual events using the link beside each entry. This events guide is a weekly feature here on ReadWriteWeb. We publish it every weekend, as good a time as any to review your conference plans.

Know of an event taking place that should appear here? Let us know in the comments below or contact us.

Sponsor 2 – 5 November 2009: San Francisco Enterprise 2.0 Conference The Enterprise 2.0 Conference is the largest gathering for people ready to connect teams and harness collective intelligence with social tools and 2.0 technologies. Enterprise 2.0 includes visionary keynotes, informative sessions, case studies and an Expo Pavilion featuring the latest technologies. Register today and save 20% (code: CNGXES07) or get a free Pavilion Pass (code: CNGXES01).

4 – 5 November 2009: Raleigh, North Carolina Internet Summit 2009 Internet Summit '09 will feature over 75 speakers, including representatives of major Internet

brands such as Twitter, Pandora, Google, Salesforce.com, Digg, Technorati, CBS Interactive, Huffington Post, Blogger, Tree.com, and many more.

Topics will include social media, blogging, real time, mobile, video, search, online advertising, e-commerce, analytics, the cloud, and more.

Join over 1200 entrepreneurs, senior marketers, and executives in the conversation about the future of the industry and how to capitalize on the shifting dynamics of the Internet and tap into its unlimited business potential.

5 – 6 November 2009: Sydney Media140 Sydney: Future of Journalism in the Social Media age News broadcasting is evolving.

Citizen journalists are coming to the fore, saving lives by tracking brush fires and changing the course of history at elections.

Media140 Sydney addresses the changing face of journalism.

Partnered by ABC, we bring together Australia's leading lights in journalism, broadcasting, blogging and citizen journalism.

Are Twitter and the real-time Web truly shaking up traditional media?

Tickets from $165. Register at www.media140.com/sydney using promo code "readwrite" for a 20% discount.

6 November 2009: New York City TEDxEAST - Developing World Ideas

TEDxEast is the first TEDx conference in New York City.

New York has long embodied the motivated, independent spirit of TED- and now we're harnessing that spirit in a unique TEDx event. The inaugural TEDxEast event will bring together remarkable people and ideas from the NY metropolitan area and beyond. Our "Developing World Ideas" theme is an exploration of the people and processes that drive "world ideas" - as told through stories that resonate on a global stage.

The invite-only, half-day program will inspire and educate with a roster of today's thought leaders and tomorrow's innovators. Speakers include Dr. William Duggan, Wendy Kopp, Suzy Welch, Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa and John Wood (for bios click here). The program will also include music & dance, short talks and TEDTalks video screenings. The day is designed with breaks within the program for those attending to talk and connect surrounding these ideas.

This event is being held on

November 6, 2009 from 1:00 to 6:00 pm in New York City.

Refreshments will be served during the event with a hosted wine-tasting afterward. Details surrounding location and logistics will be sent once the guest list is finalized.

To apply for this TEDxEast event, please click here.

6 – 8 November 2009: Savannah, Georgia Geekend 2009 Geekend 2009 is an interactive conference that brings together geeks from all walks of life for three days of cutting edge speakers, expert panels, afterparties, networking and mash-up opportunities. Speaker highlights include Major Nelson of Xbox Live, renowned designer David Carson, Eric Snowden of Atlantic Records, Joey Hasty of Disney, and Matias Corea of Behance, among many others.

Get your geek on and enter "RWW" for $30 off the full price weekend badge.

9 – 10 November 2009: Santa Clara, California Social Networking World Forum — California This event taking place at the Santa Clara Convention Center actually consists of three conferences: two days dedicated to social networking, one day dedicated to enterprise social media, and one day dedicated to social TV. Key speakers include social networking publishers, advertising agencies, industry analysts, software developers and

equipment manufacturers, payTV and network service providers, mobile operators, and more.

• Joint exhibition combining social networking and enterprise social media formats • Pre-show online meeting planner for delegates • Discount for early booking (expires September 25th) • Free pass for exhibition only 10 – 13 November 2009: Las Vegas PubCon Vegas PubCon Las Vegas is a multitrack educational conference hosted by SearchEngineWorld & WebmasterWorld. PubCon events are for thought leaders and professionals in search engine and Internet marketing to gather and to share best practices in the design, development, promotion and marketing of their Internet businesses and brands. PubCon London 2009 is a social networking event.

11 – 12 November 2009: Denver, Colorado Defrag 2009 Conference As online data is growing and fragmenting at an exponential pace, individuals, groups and organizations are struggling to discover, assemble, organize, act on and gather feedback from that data. In the largest sense, we're all looking to augment the pace at which we achieve insights on raw data -- to accelerate the "A-ha" READWRITEWEB page 40

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moment.

Defrag explores the intersection of topics like: • Business intelligence • Business process management • Social computing and analytics • Next-level discovery • Enterprise 2.0 • Next-gen email • The semantic Web 18 – 19 November 2009: San Francisco GreenBeat 2009 VentureBeat, the leading innovation-focused business blog, will host the seminal conference on The Smart Grid, November 18-19 in San Francisco. GreenBeat 2009 brings together the nation's 500 leading entrepreneurs, investors, utility and technology executives, policymakers and press to affect accelerated development of a leaner, more efficient electrical grid. With participation by Al Gore, former Vice President and Nobel Prize Winner; John Doerr of Kleiner Perkins; and industry leaders, including from Cisco, Tendril, PG&E, expect lively discussion and power networking. The program will highlight new technologies and explore the opportunities afforded by the stimulus package.

F o r m o r e , v i s i t www.greenbeat2009.com.

ReadWriteWeb readers, save 20% on regular price tickets with discount code GREENRWW09 here.

19 November 2009: Mountain View, California

Under the Radar Featuring the most cutting-edge mobile startups from around the globe, Under the Radar will get you dialed in to what the 2010 mobile innovation marketplace will look like. It's a must-attend event for dealmakers from global carriers, brands, media companies, and handset manufacturers responsible for helping their companies leverage new mobile technology and innovation in the fast-evolving digital landscape.

Save $200: book by 2 October 2009, and get the early-bird rate.

30 November 2009 New Way to Work Do you have a great story about your work environment? Job marketplace Elance and Vator.tv have partnered to host the "New Way to Work" competition, with a grand prize of $10,000 in cash or health insurance for the most compelling story. You can tell your story on Vator.tv, the premier platform for entrepreneurs to broadcast their voice, by uploading a video, posting an update, linking to a blog entry, or sharing a photo.

Hurry, the competition ends on 30 November 2009.

1 – 3 December 2009: London, England Online Information & IMS 2009 Online Information and IMS together create the largest event dedicated to the information industry. Consisting of an exhibition delivering over 9,000 visitors from 70 countries, a conference and a show-floor

seminar program, the event provides an annual meeting place for the global information industry.

Online Information is once again set to play host to thousands of information professionals, information end-users and publishers from around the globe, meeting suppliers of online content, e-publishing, and library management solutions. IMS provides a forum for IT, business, and information management professionals to find unlimited, relevant advice, educational content and compare solutions under one roof. Attend IMS and meet suppliers of content management, search solutions, and Web 2.0 technologies.

1 – 3 December 2009: Boston, Massachusetts Gilbane Conference Boston Join us at the sixth annual "Gilbane Conference Boston: Content, Collaboration and Customers."

Your content is your business, and you need to make your Web content part of an integrated platform for customers. You need to know solutions and technologies that are ready to be implemented today. Gilbane Conference Boston is built around the four major areas of how enterprises use Web and content technologies: • Web business and engagement; • Managing collaboration and social media: internal and external; • Enterprise content: searching,

integrating and publishing; • Content infrastructure.

Visit www.gilbaneboston.com for conference details.

ReadWriteWeb readers, use the discount code "GILBANE" to save an additional $200. Register today!

1 – 3 December 2009: San Francisco Supernova The Supernova Conference is the thought-leadership forum for the network age. It brings together over 500 business, government and technology influencers to understand how decentralization and pervasive connectivity are changing our world. It's the only conference to focus on how networks have become the main instruments of change from both business and social perspectives. An everevolving network itself, the conference has become the place for highly interactive and spirited debates, making significant business connections and revelations on new innovation.

ReadWriteWeb readers get a discount of $700 off the regular price when registering by 16 October 2009. Use code "RRW09". After October 16th, the discount changes to $200 off the regular price. Register here.

7 December 2009: San Francisco SF MusicTech Summit The SF MusicTech Summit brings together 600+ visionaries in the music/technology space, along with the best and brightest developers, entrepreneurs,

investors, service providers, journalists, musicians and organizations who work with them at the convergence of culture and commerce. We meet to discuss the evolving music/business/technology ecosystem in a proactive environment, highly conducive to deal making. Register with a great ReadWriteWeb 15% discount.

7 – 11 December 2009: Chicago, Illinois Search Engine Strategies 2009 From social media to local search to video SEO, Search Engine Strategies Chicago puts you in front of the experts who will help you sort which technologies and channel will take you to the next level and which are just hype.

Search Engine Strategies is the pioneer of educational conference series in search engine marketing. It's the venue where the industry visionaries and thought leaders gather each year to discuss the newest trends, share insights and present the strategic action plans you need to grow your business. Sessions include: • SEO Through Blogs and Feeds • Duplicate Content and Multiple Site Issues • What's the Link Between Search and Social?

• Online PR: Where to Next?

• Search Analytics S e e m o r e a t READWRITEWEB page 45

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Check Out the Companies That Make ReadWriteWeb Possible

By Admin (ReadWriteWeb)

data | Hakia: semantic search | Domain.ME: .me domain registrar | Codero: Managed Our mission at ReadWriteWeb is hosting | Groupsite: Social t o e x p l o r e t h e l a t e s t W e b collaboration | Search Engine technology products and trends. S t r a t e g i e s : C o n f e r e n c e | We're fortunate to have a great M y D o m a i n . c o m : D o m a i n group of sponsors who support registrar | Backupify: Online this goal. So, once a week, we backup | Media Temple and write a post about them; about SixApart: our hosts and blogging who they are, what they do, and software what they've been up to lately. Crowd Science Pay them a visit and show your Crowd Science gives online appreciation of their sponsorship p u b l i s h e r s r e p o r t s o n t h e of this site. Pay them a visit or demographics and attitudes of tweet them a "Thank you" (see t h e i r a u d i e n c e . W e a t link below each sponsor) to show ReadWriteWeb have signed up to your appreciation for their t h i s n e w s e r v i c e , b e c a u s e sponsorship of this site. You can demographic data is something also start following some or all of we've struggled to get in the past. our sponsors on Twitter with a It's important for any online few clicks on this TweepML business to know their audience, page. so Crowd Science is a welcome I n t e r e s t e d i n b e i n g a addition to the stats armory that R e a d W r i t e W e b s p o n s o r ? most of us in the Internet biz use.

ReadWriteWeb is one of the Sign up to get demographic data most popular blogs in the world from Crowd Science. and is read by a sophisticated Thank Crowd Science on audience of thought leaders and T w i t t e r f o r m a k i n g decision-makers. We have R e a d W r i t e W e b p o s s i b l e . several innovative new features M a s h e r y in our sponsor packages that we'd Mashery is a platform for Web love to tell you about. Email our services, allowing companies to COO Bernard Lunn for all the m a n a g e t h e i r A P I s u s i n g details.

Mashery's expertise. At the Sponsor "Business of APIs" conference, Ready to learn more about the Mashery CEO Oren Michels smart companies that support this explained to the audience that site you love to read? Read on... while APIs are a technology, Skip to info about: Mashery: their use is a business decision.

API management services | He went on to say that Mashery Rackspace: cloud computing has helped customers such as experts | Aplus.net: Web hosting | WhitePages.com, Thumbplay, Crowd Science: demographic Compete.com, and Calais. Check Submitted at 11/1/2009 1:40:28 PM

out the white paper " Five steps to scaling your business development using Web services" to discover how you can use APIs for your business.

You can find out more about APIs and their business use at www.mashery.com.

Thank Mashery on Twitter for making ReadWriteWeb possible.

Rackspace Rackspace is one of the world's largest hosting providers, but it's also competing in the cloud computing arena. Rackspace Cloud Hosting offers a suite of services which combines a scalable web and application hosting platform (Cloud Sites) with a cloud storage solution (Cloud Files) and on demand server instances (Cloud Servers).

The addition of SliceHost a popular cloud computing and hosting provider and JungleDisk, a favorite online backup service that supports Cloud files, makes the Rackspace Cloud a powerful cloud hosting solution.

Explore Rackspace's hosting and cloud computing solutions.

Thank Rackspace on Twitter for

making ReadWriteWeb possible.

Aplus.net Aplus.net offers a variety of services relating to Web hosting, including shared hosting, Web design, marketing and online advertising services, search engine optimization, e-commerce solutions, and domain registration.

You can register for Aplus.net here.

Thank Aplus.net on Twitter for making ReadWriteWeb possible.

Hakia Hakia is a semantic search engine. It delivers a new search experience based on focus, clarity, and credibility. You can compare Hakia to Google and Bing here.

Hakia currently powers the contextual advertising link engine at ReadWriteWeb with its semantic advertising module, Contexa. Contexa provides pagelevel contextual analysis (in this case, of blog posts) on the fly and outputs keywords that represent the meaning of the page along with their meaning score. The Contexa system then matches ReadWriteWeb sponsors' requirements with the contextual representation of the page to provide relevant ads for readers.

Contexa is offered as a service and can be integrated into any ad system.

Learn more about Contexa.

Thank Hakia on Twitter for making ReadWriteWeb possible.

Domain.ME .Me is a true phenomenon among

TLDs. With its unforgettable meaning and limitless word combination possibilities, .Me gives a truly personal tone to your domain name. If you are looking for a name that speaks for itself .Me is your best choice.

Let .Me speak for your online business or personal blog. .Me potential is enormous and it simply asks for you to be creative and coin the name that suits you best. If you have a great, original idea for a domain name, register .Me before it's taken. To check out other ideas, explore the world of .Me. Thank Domain.ME on Twitter for making ReadWriteWeb possible. Codero Codero is a former division of Aplus.net. Codero became a separate entity focusing on dedicated and managed hosting solutions after the acquisition of Aplus.net's shared hosting, web design, and domain registration services by Hostopia. "Codero" stands for collaboration, engagement, focus, reliability, and flexibility. It means a more secure computing experience for email, shopping, and data transfer.

Codero is a dedicated and managed hosting company focused on the real needs of today's small and mid-sized businesses. The company believes in supporting robust websites, storefronts and online communities that will grow and CHECK page 44

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Weekly Wrapup: The Web in 5 Years, Hulu's Plans, Google Wave Use Cases, And More...

By Richard MacManus (ReadWriteWeb)

bandwidth in real time. Figuring out how to rank real-time social content is "the great challenge of Submitted at 10/31/2009 6:00:00 AM the age," Schmidt said in an In this edition of the Weekly interview in front of thousands of W r a p u p - o u r n e w s l e t t e r CIOs and IT Directors at last summarizing the top stories of w e e k ' s G a r t n e r the week - we analyze how Symposium/ITxpo Orlando 2009.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt thinks Mobile Web's Explosive Growth the Web will evolve, review Mobile ad firm AdMob has Hulu's latest plans to make revealed the dramatic changes the money, investigate use cases for mobile industry has seen in their Google Wave, ask why VCs latest Mobile Metrics Report. It aren't investing in Augmented was only a year ago that the Reality, review the latest Mobile Motorola RAZR scored as the Web statistics, and more. We number one phone in America. also check in on our two main One year later and half of the top c h a n n e l s : ten are touchscreen devices, six ReadWriteEnterprise(devoted to include Wi-Fi capabilities, and ' e n t e r p r i s e 2 . 0 ' t r e n d s a n d six have mobile application p r o d u c t s ) a n d stores. And as you would expect, ReadWriteStart(dedicated to this new crop of super-powered p r o f i l i n g s t a r t u p s a n d phones are making heavy use of entrepreneurs). the mobile web.

Sponsor Why Aren't VCs Backing Subscribe to Weekly Wrapup Augmented Reality?

You can subscribe to the Weekly Some people believe that W r a p u p b y R S S o r b y Augmented Reality (AR), the email(form below). class of technologies that place RWW Weekly Wrap-up Email images or data on top of other Subscription form: views of the physical world, Web Trends could be the web browser of the Google's Eric Schmidt on What future. AR has rocketed out of the Web Will Look Like in 5 the research labs and is catching Years mass market interest fast - e.g.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt m o b i l e p h o n e s d i s p l a y i n g envisions a radically changed restaurant reviews when you look internet five years from now: through your phone's camera. dominated by Chinese-language Why then are VCs not investing a n d s o c i a l m e d i a c o n t e n t , more in Augmented Reality? d e l i v e r e d o v e r s u p e r - f a s t Here are three reasons why we

ReadWriteStart Our channel ReadWriteStart, sponsored by Microsoft think investment in this sector B i z S p a r k , i s d e d i c a t e d t o has been slow so far. profiling startups and Facebook Announces Roadmap e n t r e p r e n e u r s . for Developers Paul Graham: Priority Access to This week Facebook published a Twitter Is Practical Necessity developer roadmap outlining If hardcore hackers had any upcoming relevant changes and a doubts whether the real-time web rough timeline for each. Changes was a legitimate development include developer access to user environment, Y Combinator coemails, more prominent app f o u n d e r P a u l G r a h a m i s displays on user profiles, all-new dispelling them. In an interview homepage dashboards for apps with Graham, ReadWriteWeb and games, and improvements to learned that the entrepreneurOpen Graph and Analytics APIs. turned-investor issued a "Request R e a d o n f o r d e t a i l s a n d for Startups" (RFS) asking for screenshots of the new faces of ideas from companies utilizing Facebook apps.

Twitter and Justin.tv's live video SEE MORE WEB TRENDS API. Groups who are accepted to COVERAGE IN OUR TRENDS Y-Combinator and fall under CATEGORY these categories will be given ReadWriteEnterprise "priority access" to Twitter and O u r c h a n n e l Justin.tv.

ReadWriteEnterprise, devoted to SEE MORE STARTUPS 'enterprise 2.0' and using social C O V E R A G E I N O U R software inside organizations.

READWRITESTART Calendaring, Scheduling CHANNEL Web Products Meetings: Timebridge CEO Google Wave Use Cases: Interview Reveals Strategic E d u c a t i o n Importance of This Space Google Wave is a much hyped We have looked at Calendaring n e w Internet-based many times (such as in our round c o m m u n i c a t i o n s a n d -up of 10 players). In our own collaboration platform. It was work, we have started working announced at the end of May, with both Tungle and Doodle. To released as a 'Preview' product understand more about why this shortly after and 100,000 more market is strategically interesting, invites were made available at we recently spoke with Yori the end of September. Early users Nelken, CEO of Timebridge (see reported mixed feelings. But one our previous coverage here).

month after Google Wave was opened to tens of thousands of people, how are people using it now? What use cases are being discovered? We started this series by looking at the education sector.

What are Hulu's Mysterious Plans?

Everyone is looking to Hulu as the future of Internet TV. A joint venture between several major networks, Hulu delivers free, adsupported programming via online streams - an untested model for long-term profitability, at least when it comes to television. While consumers have been enjoying the service since its launch in 2007, recent statements by a News Corp exec have people wondering: can Hulu make the ad-supported model work? Or does the company have other plans?

Google Launches Music Search: Partners with MySpace, Lala, Gracenote and Others This week Google announced the launch of Google Music. This new service is powered by Lala and MySpace's iLike. Other partners include Gracenote, iMeem, Pandora and Rhapsody.

Google has also partnered with the major music labels: EMI, Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Music.

Through Lala and iLike, Google WEEKLY page 44

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With Firefox 3.6, Mozilla Aims to Speed up Web Browsing

By Sarah Perez (ReadWriteWeb)

• Plugin alerts: Firefox will now alert users if their plugins are outof-date, a useful addition since Submitted at 11/2/2009 6:03:49 AM older plugins can lead to The latest update to the Firefox performance problems and even web browser has now been made security issues. available. Released Friday • Open native videos can now be evening, Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 viewed full-screen promises a number of new • Drag-and-drop features: In the features, including built-in theme beta, you can drag and drop files support and drag-and-drop file from your computer into the uploads, but perhaps most browser allowing you to easily importantly, there is a renewed upload files from your PC to web f o c u s o n b r o w s e r s p e e d . sites.

Claiming improved JavaScript • Support for the WOFF font performance, better overall format responsiveness, and faster startup • Support for CSS, DOM, times, there's no doubt Firefox's HTML5, and other developer development in these areas has features been fueled, at least in part, by • Improved JavaScript the speed increases achieved by performance, overall browser its rivals, Google Chrome, Safari, responsiveness and startup time and Opera.

Sponsor Why Speed Matters What's New in Firefox 3.6 Although Firefox and its rival In the latest edition of the web browsers are all fighting to Firefox browser, the team has best Internet Explorer in terms of introduced the following new i n s t a l l b a s e , t h e y s t i l l p i t features: themselves against each other • Built-in support for Personas, with their unique features, being Firefox's themeing system which first to offer support for new lets you browse through a gallery standards, and of course, web of skins and apply different ones browser performance. with just a click It's in this last area that Firefox

has struggled recently. Past builds showed Firefox beaten by the up-and-comer Google Chrome in boot-up, pageloading, and JavaScript performance. Despite Chrome's low market share of only around 4%, no company can safely ignore the competition when that competition is Google(just look at what Google did to the GPS market last week!).

Chrome may be a relatively unknown browser among mainstream users for now, but if Google holds true to their promises to launch their netbook operating system, Google Chrome OS, which uses the Chrome browser to run applications, there could be a whole new user base of Walmart shoppers who rapidly make a browser switch without even realizing it. And with Chrome's primary focus on browser speed, designed from the ground-up with the idea of running intensive web applications, Mozilla knows that one day Chrome could end up being serious competition...at least once the large majority of

Happy Hallowe’en

By Zack Sheppard (Flickr Blog) Submitted at 10/31/2009 7:31:40 PM

• About Flickr

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

computing moves to the cloud. In fact, that day may have already arrived for some of today's web users.

To improve browser performance, Mozilla introduced a new JavaScript engine called TraceMonkey in Firefox 3.5.

Many of the speed increases in 3.6 can now be attributed to this technology. However, TraceMonkey has to go up against Chrome's own proprietary system, V8, which Google optimized earlier this year to give their browser a 30% speed bump.

Of course, we'll need to see some formal tests completed before determining where the browsers stand today, but it's likely going to be a situation where the engines are neck-andneck in terms of performance.

While this aspect to the browser war may go unnoticed by most web surfers, it's the sort of situation where everyone wins.

And the prize will be a faster web surfing experience, no matter which browser you choose to use. Discuss

Review: Mad Men - The Grown-Ups

By Bob Sassone (TV Squad) Submitted at 11/2/2009 12:52:00 AM

(S03E12) "The whole country's drinking." - Pete, to Trudy When Joel talked to Mad Men creator and writer Matthew Weiner last month, he wouldn't say when or how the show would deal with the assassination of John F. Kennedy. We all knew it was coming, since last week's episode was set on Halloween, but I actually thought it would happen in the season finale. But they addressed it tonight.

They say November 22, 1963 is the day America changed, and I would say that the lives of the people in and around Sterling Cooper changed too, in various ways and for various reasons.

Continue reading Review: Mad Men - The Grown-Ups Filed under: OpEd, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free, Mad Men Permalink| Email this| | Comments

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adapt. Groupsite Groupsite.com is a self-serve platform for creating social collaboration communities called Groupsites. Groupsites combine the most useful features of social networking and collaboration tools enabling groups large and small to communicate, share and network. Groupsites are currently in use by more than 30,000 groups as user communities, intranets, member communities, team workgroups and social networks. Each Groupsite can be branded and customized and includes discussion forums, calendaring, file sharing, member profiles (professional or social), activity feeds and full-featured sub-groups among other groupcentric features.

Sign up and create a free Groupsite in minutes.

Thank Groupsite on Twitter for making ReadWriteWeb possible.

MyDomain.com MyDomain is a leading ICANNaccredited provider of domain

name registration and online business solutions. For over 10 years, MyDomain has offered low-cost domain names and free domain services including complete DNS management.

Today, sub-$10 domains without the constant upsells you'll find at some competitors are the norm at MyDomain. MyDomain's complete range of solutions include Web hosting and VPS hosting, email, SSL Certificates and more. Search Engine Strategies From social media to local search to video SEO, Search Engine Strategies Chicago puts you in front of the experts who will help you sort which technologies and channel will take you to the next level and which are just hype.

Search Engine Strategies is the pioneer of educational conference series in search engine marketing. It's the venue where the industry visionaries and thought leaders gather each

year to discuss the newest trends, share insights and present the strategic action plans you need to grow your business.

Thank Search Engine Strategies on Twitter for making ReadWriteWeb possible.

Backupify Backupify provides reliable online backup services for a range of products, including Twitter, WordPress, Facebook, Delicious, Basecamp, Google Docs, Gmail, Zoho, Flickr and Photobucket. Backups are secure, automatic and easy to set up Thank Backupify on Twitter for making ReadWriteWeb possible.

Our Gracious Hosts and Blogging Software ReadWriteWeb is hosted by Media Temple and is published using SixApart's Movable Type.

If you've ever wondered what ReadWriteWeb looks like behind the scenes, or if you've never seen the Movable Type publishing interface - that's it on

the left. We recently upgraded to MT 4.23, which is the latest version. We got onto this release as soon as it was available - in fact our contacts at Six Apart emailed the actual code to us before it was up on their website.

That's customer service for you!

Thank Media Temple and SixApart on Twitter for making ReadWriteWeb possible.

The companies above pay our rents or mortgages and we appreciate it. We hope you'll stop by their sites and see what they've got to offer.

Have you got a smart company that could use some more visits by the sophisticated readers of a blog like ReadWriteWeb's? Drop us a line and let's talk.

Thanks to all our sponsors and our readers for your support!

Discuss

social network profiles and displays relevant links and status updates that members of a user's own social network have shared at the bottom of the default search results page. According to Google, Social Search will enhance the search experience on Google by providing users with more personally relevant search results.

Brizzly Adds Facebook - Aims

to be The Blogger.com of Social Media Brizzly wants to be to microblogging what Blogger.com was to blogging five years ago.

Currently, Brizzly offers a userfriendly browser-based interface for Twitter and Facebook. The Facebook integration went live this weekand more social media applications will be added as the product evolves. Brizzly shares

much of the same philosophy as Blogger. It's simple to use and aims to make microblogging easy to understand and use by a mainstream audience.

Currently Brizzly is in private beta, but ReadWriteWeb has scored 2000 invites for our readers to test it out! (see the post for the code).

SEE MORE WEB PRODUCTS COVERAGE IN OUR

Vikes roll Packers in Favre's return to Lambeau

By Associated Press (ESPN.com) Submitted at 11/1/2009 8:57:10 PM

Fast Facts • In his 129th career start at Lambeau Field (including playoffs), but first against the Packers, Brett Favre completed 17 of 28 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns.

• This was Favre's 21st game with four TD passes, which ties with Dan Marino for the most in NFL history.

• Minnesota swept the season series vs. Green Bay for the first time since 2005.

• The Vikings improved to 7-1 for the first time since 2000.

• Rapid Reaction -- ESPN Stats & Information This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

WEEKLY continued from page 42

will also be able to feature music from a large number of independent labels.

Google Search Gets Personal: Social Search Launches in Google Labs Social Search went live in Google Labs this week. Google announced that it was working on this Social Search feature at the Web 2.0 Summit last week.

Social Search taps into a user's

PRODUCTS CATEGORY That's a wrap for another week!

Enjoy your weekend everyone.

Discuss

TV/ Economy/

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READWRITEWEB continued from page 40

www.SearchEngineStrategies.co m/chicago. ReadWriteWeb readers receive a 15% discount when registering here using RWW15 code.

11 December 2009: Mountain View, California Add-on-Con Add-on-Con is a single-day conference focused on the future of the browser and its emergence as a platform.

Developer sessions will cover best practices, cross-browser development and mash-ups.

Marketing sessions will focus on monetization opportunities, distribution strategies and stats.

Join 200+ individuals involved in add-on development to help define an emerging new market in the Web's eco-system.

ReadWriteWeb readers save $50 by using the discount code "addoncon09RRW." 27 – 28 January 2010: Amsterdam, The Netherlands Enterprise Social 2.0: Rip or ROI? This senior executive event will bring together decision makers from the Top Fortune companies to discuss innovative strategies on how to maximise business performance through social

media engagement. The event will include keynote speeches, best-practice presentations as well as interactive discussion sessions.

The summit will provide excellent opportunities for you to hear international experts discuss best practices on how to drive business performance using Web 2.0 and social media. Key issues to be discussed include: • How to integrate social media programs successfully into business strategies?

• Building business momentum, visibility and market growth through social media • Measuring success and influence using metrics and analytics: what are the tools and techniques • Integrating viral marketing and social media into traditional marketing mix • Developing and activating audiences using social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook, blogs

Networking World Forum takes place at the Olympia Conference Centre in London. The two-day event features four dedicated conference streams: • Social Networking World Forum • Enterprise social media • Social TV World Forum • Mobile Social Networking Forum

The event features key speakers from global brands, organizations, social networking publishers and developers, pioneering social media leaders, top agencies, content producers, and more.

• Full workshop program within exhibition area • Evening networking reception • Pre-show online meeting planner for delegates

By Bill Gorman • Free pass for exhibition only (TVbytheNumbers) Download this entire events Submitted at 11/1/2009 3:50:17 PM calendar in iCal format. Discuss Glenn Beck vs. The Combined Competition TV Ratings Since He Moved To Fox News: 15 – 16 March 2010: London, The trend lines above are 30 day England moving averages. These charts 2nd Annual Social Networking are a collaboration between two World Forum — London of our readers. Reader Dave The 2nd Annual Social created the chart using the data patiently assembled by reader MikeS. century, on Sunday filed for support from its debt holders and For complete information on all bankruptcy after attempts at a on Friday received backing from cable news ratings check our restructuring or bail-out failed. Carl Icahn, the billionaire daily cable news ratings posts.

Anybody else wanting to In a statement, CIT said it had investor. asked the bankruptcy court to This content has passed through produce trend charts of any of our other data, drop me an email. quickly confirm its prepackaged fivefilters.org.

Nielsen Cable Network bankruptcy plan, which has broad

CIT files for bankruptcy protection (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 11/1/2009 4:09:18 PM

CIT Group, the troubled US commercial lender that has been in business for more than a

Glenn Beck vs. Chris Matthews vs.

Situation Room vs. Prime News TV Ratings Through October 29 Coverage Estimates(as of September, 2009) CNN/HLN: 99.10 million HHs CNBC: 96.78 million HHs FNC: 96.26 million HHs MSNBC: 92.64 million HHs Nielsen TV Ratings Data: ©2009 The Nielsen Company.

All Rights Reserved.

Personal attacks in the comments will be deleted.

Political comments will be deleted. If I have to delete your comments more than once I will just block you from commenting.

If you find the comments to be unpleasant, please just don’t read them. – Bill This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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Tech News/ TV/

Apple Will Soon Overtake RIM in Consumer Smartphone Market

By Richard MacManus (ReadWriteWeb)

More people are undoubtedly using the iPhone to surf the Mobile Web, but more people Submitted at 11/1/2009 9:09:42 PM still own a blackberry device.

A new report by ChangeWave Perhaps the most telling statistic Research provides yet more in the ChangeWave report, also evidence of the surge in happens to be the most consumer interest in qualitative. 74% of the iPhone smartphones; and of Apple's owners that ChangeWave polled iPhone in particular. Last week saw Apple gain 5% since June. reported that they're "Very we reported statistics from Meanwhile Palm's fortunes Satisfied" with their iPhone. Less AdMob stating that smartphones continue to sag - they're at a than half of RIM device owners are now edging out feature dismal 7% according to this said that. phones as the device of choice report.

Given what these latest AdMob for consumers. In the race for the 39% of the 4,255 people polled and ChangeWave reports found, h i g h l y l u c r a t i v e c o n s u m e r by ChangeWave Research said it's clear that smartphones are smartphone market, blackberry that they own a smartphone. This poised to hit the mainstream in a devices still hold the lead over is an increase of 2% since June big way in 2010 and beyond. iPhone - but ChangeWave's data and nearly double the level of AdMob had reported that of the shows that the gap is rapidly two years ago. 11.6% now say top 10 mobile phones in the US closing. t h e y p l a n o n b u y i n g a currently, half are touchscreen, 6 We predict that it won't be long smartphone in the next 90 days. have Wi-Fi capability and 6 have until Apple overtakes RIM as the AdMob's report was particularly mobile app stores. Apple's leader in this hotly contested (and bullish on Apple, reporting that iPhone led the way on all of vitally important, in context of iPhone traffic now accounts for those fronts. Android, RIM and the Web's shift from PC to n e a r l y h a l f ( 4 8 % ) o f a l l the likes of Nokia are all putting phones) market. smartphone requests in the out similar smartphone devices Sponsor United States. The ChangeWave now.

RIM's market share is creeping report adds some much-needed RIM still holds sway over the down, while Apple's surges up. c o n t e x t i n t o s m a r t p h o n e workplace, but Apple definitely ChangeWave puts RIM at 40% statistics, by reporting that RIM - h a s t h e m o m e n t u m i n t h e of market share, but Apple is the makers of the blackberry - c o n s u m e r m a r k e t . now just 10% points behind at remains the market leader in Photo credit: Andy Mihail 30%. This was mainly due to the terms of number of devices. Discuss the iPhone 3GS release, which

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What's Hot on SlashControl: Preview of this week's Biggest Loser

By Jane Boursaw (TV Squad) Submitted at 11/1/2009 8:01:00 PM

This season of The Biggest Loser has to be one of the most emotional of them all. When Abby went home last week (no spoiler griping - it was last week), it was truly inspiring to see how she's been able to move ahead with her life and let people in again. If someone whose been through one of the worst tragedies you can imagine can do that, it gives you hope that anything is possible.

This week, the remaining contestants head to Washington D.C., for a fun adventure that will take them from the Lincoln Memorial to the inside of the White House kitchen. The players also learn that they'll be competing as individuals rather than teams. Their first challenge: race around the National Mall

and try to bring as many people as possible back to the Washington Monument for a public workout with trainers Bob and Jillian.

Continue reading What's Hot on SlashControl: Preview of this week's Biggest Loser Filed under: Video, The Biggest Loser Permalink| Email this| | Comments

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Weekly App Store Picks: October 31, 2009

By Olly Farshi (TheAppleBlog)

to jump into the action with three other friends. Alongside guns, zombies and survivors, the game As another week passes, the throws in experience points too. seams of Apple’s App Store have C o m p l e t i n g a s t a g e e a r n s been stretched even further with experience points, these precious a deluge of new releases. Digging points go towards upgrading your through the latest apps, I’ve character. In effect, you’re able selected four fresh picks for you to become the ultimate undeadto check out. destroying warrior.

It’s Halloween and so my top TowerMadness Zero(Free) pick for this week is Alive 4- Earlier this month, our own ever, a top-down zombie shooter Alfredo Padilla took a look at 49 with plenty of guts and gore to go different tower defense games for around. I’ve also been checking the iPhone. Owing to the epic out TowerMadness Zero, NASA nature of his list, days later and WordPress 2. Alive 4- Alfredo distilled the document ever($1.79) down into five tower defense As it’s Halloween, I thought that games worth owning. All of at least one of my top picks this Alfredo’s picks costs a few bucks week should be themed for the though and, in this cash-strapped occasion. Despite the clumsy climate, some of us don’t have sounding name, Alive 4-Ever is a much money to burn on iPhone surprisingly polished top-down games. shooter. The plot is simple and That’s where TowerMadness disgustingly cliché: for whatever steps in. The game is available in reason, a zombie apocalypse two monetary flavors. You can happens, you take to the streets to purchase it for a couple of bucks, rescue other survivors. or you can download the Zero The game takes its inspiration edition: a totally unrestricted adfrom some of the best zombie supported version of the game for t i t l e s o u t t h e r e , i n c l u d i n g free. The ads are unintrusive and Resident Evil and Left 4 Dead. targeted in such a way that, for There’s a battalion’s worth of the most part, they feel relevant. weaponry on offer, including Of course the iPhone doesn’t zombie-slaying classics like the need another tower defense AK-47. Plus, if you’re after more game. Aside from being free, firepower you’re able to purchase TowerMadness is a pretty good bigger, stronger, faster guns in r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f t h e b e s t the shop after each level. qualities of the genre. All the T h e r e ’ s a l s o a B l u e t o o t h usual TD staples are there — multiplayer mode, allowing you waves of enemies, upgradable Submitted at 10/31/2009 8:00:57 AM

towers, strategic play — but it’s all wrapped up in excellent graphics too. NASA(Free) National organizations seem to be slowly switching on to the iPhone. Last year, the BBC decided to create an iPhonespecific version of its excellent iPlayer site. Canada’s National Film Board just released a wonderful app for viewing its content on the go. And now NASA has released its very own app, allowing us earthlings to keep up-to-date with space mission news.

The app is essentially like having a tiny mission-control in the palm of your hand. There’s a listing of all NASA Missions, all of which have awesome names

like Mars Express and Mars Odyssey. Tapping through to a mission section provides a mission briefing, photos, videos and an ever-so-slightly ominous countdown timer.

For me, the best part of the app is the video section. Rather than attempt to visualize the various space happenings described in the app, the videos bring these extraordinary happens closer to home. You can observe spacecraft launches, see astronauts float around in zero gravity, listen to people in space describe their experiences, and watch history in the making.

WordPress 2(Free) The original WordPress app just wasn’t so hot. With a clunky and

convoluted interface that was all function and no form, it immediately felt dated. And, for writers and bloggers alike, it certainly wasn’t the most inspiring environment in which to attempt to pen a post.

The user interface has been updated but still, on first look, the app looks worryingly basic.

In fact, it’s disconcertingly similar to its clunky counterpart, WordPress 1. I appreciate that the WordPress app is here to serve a function, but, discounting features, surely it could have been executed with a little more pizazz?

Anyway, looks are not the most important thing with WordPress 2. This version introduces several new features to the mix. There’s automatic saving and restoring of posts. A new comments interface which includes author URL and Gravatars. The app even stores password in the keychain. If you’ve got your own WordPress blog, this is certainly an app worth checking out.

That’s all the picks for this week. I’ll be back in seven days with a fresh selection of App Store recommendations.

In the meantime, what apps have you been using this week?

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FOX NFL Sunday Heads to Afghanistan

By Robert Seidman (TVbytheNumbers)

military put themselves in harm’s way to protect everything we hold dear, and none more so than Submitted at 11/1/2009 5:18:09 PM those who are stationed in the FOX NFL SUNDAY HEADS Middle East, ” said FOX Sports TO AFGHANISTAN Chairman David Hill. “It is our FOX SPORTS & ARMED privilege and honor to take FOX FORCES ENTERTAINMENT NFL SUNDAY to them in AIR UNFORGETTABLE TWO November, right before Veteran’s -HOUR SPECIAL ON NOV. 8 Day. Amidst the fun and New York & Los Angeles — f o o t b a l l , i t ’ s o u r h o p e t o M o m e n t s a g o , d u r i n g t h i s showcase the dedication of these evening’s edition of THE OT, men and women who have to America’s No. 1 NFL postgame defend against a lot more than the s h o w , F O X S p o r t s , i n Wild Cat.” conjunction with Armed Forces “Armed Forces Entertainment E n t e r t a i n m e n t , p r o u d l y brings our men and women in a n n o u n c e d t h a t i t w o u l d uniform serving overseas a piece broadcast an unprecedented two- home-to give them support h o u r s p e c i a l F O X N F L during deployment,” said Armed SUNDAY on November 8 (11:00 Forces Entertainment Chief and AM ET/8:00 AM PT) from an Air Force Col. Edward Shock. undisclosed military installation “And during football season, in Afghanistan. there’s no better slice of The Emmy Award-winning team Americana to bring to our troops o f C u r t M e n e f e e , T e r r y overseas than the guys on FOX Bradshaw, Howie Long, Michael NFL SUNDAY. It’s going to be Strahan, Jimmy Johnson and Jay one heck of an event and we Glazer make this exciting trans- salute FOX for their dedication global journey just three days and support of the US military.” before Veteran’s Day as a tribute This is not the first time FOX to the dedication and sacrifice of NFL SUNDAY has originated our country’s servicemen and from a military setting. In women.

December 2000, the FOX NFL “Our men and women in the SUNDAY broadcast two shows

from the flight deck of the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), one of America’s newest and most sophisticated nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, then on patrol in the Mediterranean Sea. Armed Forces Entertainment — Armed Forces Entertainment is the lead Department of Defense agency for providing entertainment to U.S. military personnel serving overseas, with priority given to those in contingency operations and at remote and isolated locations.

The Department of the Air Force is the executive agent of Armed Forces Entertainment. Founded in 1951, Armed Forces Entertainment brings a touch of home to more than 500,000 troops annually, embracing the best of Americana that stretches across all genres of entertainment.

Visit www.armedforcesentertainment.c om for more information.”

FOX Sports — As America’s top-rated network for sports for the 12th-straight year (19972008), FOX Sports, recipient of the Sports Business Journal’s 2008 Sports Media Award, boasts rights agreements with each of the nation’s highest-rated

sports. FOX Sports is the exclusive national over-the-air television rights holder of Major League Baseball, including the All-Star Game, alternating League Championship Series and World Series (2007-2013); the National Football League’s NFC package, including the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowls XLII and XLV (20062011); NASCAR’s Sprint Cup racing from February through May, including the Daytona 500 (2007-2014); the Bowl Championship Series, featuring the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, FedEx Orange Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl from 2007 through 2010 and the BCS National Championship Game from 2007 through 2009; and the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic. Since its inception in 1994, FOX Sports has earned 81 Emmy Awards for production excellence. David Hill and Ed Goren are the Executive Producers of FOX Sports. For the latest sports news, opinion and video, log on to www.FOXSports.com.

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“solidly profitable” by 2011.

The only one of the “big three” US carmakers to avoid bankruptcy this year, the company’s performance was boosted by cost-cutting,

increased market share and the US government’s“cash-forclunkers” programme.

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Ford returns to profitability (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 11/2/2009 5:31:10 AM

Ford surprised Wall Street on Monday by reporting that it had

made a $1bn profit in the third quarter – with its North American arm returning to profitability after four-and-a-half years – and raising its outlook, saying it was on course to be

Review: The Amazing Race - This is Not My Finest Hour

By Jackie Schnoop (TV Squad) Submitted at 11/2/2009 12:41:00 AM

(S15E07) Poor Ericka. In tonight's episode of The Amazing Race, she didn't look quite like Miss America. Stress will do that to you. It seems each week a team or two make what might be a fatal error in the game. Oh, not something that could kill them -just one which could lead to being Philiminated. This leg wasn't only tough on Brian and Ericka. One of the Globetrotters had to don a dress. Thankfully, it seemed to be specially tailored to fit him.

Continue reading Review: The Amazing Race - This is Not My Finest Hour Filed under: OpEd, The Amazing Race, Episode Reviews Permalink| Email this| | Comments

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NY Times Sucked In By Broadcast PR Again, DVR Confusion Awaits

By Bill Gorman (TVbytheNumbers) Submitted at 11/1/2009 9:42:39 PM

The broadcast network PR machines have been talking to Bill Carter at the NY Times again, and after his article today on how broadcasters love DVRs, I can guarantee massive confusion will ripple across the TV press (not to mention some segments of TV fandom) about the effects of DVR viewing on TV shows.

Two years ago, in a seismic change from past practice, Nielsen started measuring television consumption by the socalled commercial-plus-three ratings, which measure viewing for the commercials in shows that are watched either live or played back on digital video recorders within three days. This replaced the use of program ratings.

At the time, network executives fiercely resisted the change, fearing that they would never get credit for recorded shows because viewers would skip through all the commercials. But the figures show otherwise. “ I t ’ s c o m p l e t e l y counterintuitive,” said Alan Wurtzel, the president of research

for NBC. “But when the facts come in, there they are.”

Almost across the board, the gains for playback are growing.

The best preseason estimate for the current season, said David F. Poltrack, the chief research officer for CBS, was about a 1 percent increase from playback over the live program for the networks combined. Instead, many are in the range of 7 to 12 percent, with some shows having increases of more than 20 percent when DVR ratings are added.

The four networks together are averaging a 10 percent increase.

That’s correct as far as it goes.

The problem is you probably haven’t seen a number for LIVE program viewing or ratings in the NY Times or anywhere else for

more than two years*.

Pretty much all the “next day” ratings you’ve seen in the press since the fall of 2007 have been LIVE+SD(Same Day) ratings which measures live viewing plus DVR viewing through 3am the next day. No mention of that by Carter. And that’s what’s going to confuse people.

All those increases for commercial viewing touted by Carter (via broadcast PR flacks) are all vs. LIVE viewing, not vs.

LIVE+SD viewing.

Everyone is used to program ratings increases from “DVR viewing” being defined as the increase from Live+SD program ratings (which is available the day after a show airs) to Live+7 day program ratings (available

about two weeks after a show airs), so people will point to this article by Carter and claim “See that increase from DVR viewing really *does* boost commercial viewing, it must be helping my show!” Sadly, that’s mostly wrong.

In fact there is almost no increase in commercial ratings after the Live+SD period.

In a recent conversation with a researcher at a broadcast network, I asked him “Given the fact that the public (and us) sees only Live+SD and Live+7 program ratings on a regular basis, how much of the increase between those two numbers could be assumed to benefit C+3 commercial ratings?”

His answer? 10%

So that 40% increase in program ratings from Live+SD to Live+7 for Dollhouse? It helped advertising revenue by 4%.

Not exactly time to break out the champagne.

Don’t be confused that additional DVR viewing beyond the Live+SD period is going to be a big help to your show, because it isn’t. *Except perhaps our posts prior to this season specifically on DVR viewing where we did include LIVE ratings.

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World Series game 3 averages 15.4 million viewers after 80 minute Halloween rain delay

By Robert Seidman (TVbytheNumbers)

(ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 11/2/2009 12:30:00 AM

Submitted at 11/1/2009 2:02:27 PM

2009 series now 46 percent ahead in average viewership of where the 2008 series was after three games via FOX Sports release: RAIN CAN’T DAMPEN ENTHUSIASM FOR WORLD SERIES Game 3 Up +49% in Ratings and +57% in Audience Over 2008 2009 World Series Up +42% and +46% in Rating, Audience, Respectively WORLD SERIES GAME 3 HIGHLIGHTS: Game 3 of the 2009 WORLD SERIES averaged a 9.1/18 household rating/share with an average audience of 15.4 million viewers last night on FOX according to fast national ratings issued by Nielsen Media Research. These figures make Game 3 the highest-rated, and most-watched prime-time Saturday broadcast on any network since FOX’s NFL Playoff Game on 1/10/09 (13.8/23, 23.8 mill). It also ranks as the highest-rated and mostwatched Game 3 since 2006 (10.2/17, 15.6 mill), the highestrated Saturday World Series Game since 2005 (9.5/17), and the most-watched since 2004

Tonight on ET: Jon Gosselin and Hailey Glassman Over?

(23.2 mill).

Rain had an impact on World Series Game 3 in Philadelphia for the second straight year. Last night’s 9.1/18 rating for Game 3 of Yankees-Phillies is +49% better than last year’s 6.1/13 for Rays-Phillies, and +57% in audience (15.4 mill. vs. 9.8 mill.)

Last night’s +49% ratings increase is the single largest in the history of the World Series for a prime-time game.

Last night’s game was delayed by rain for 80 minutes. When play got underway at 9:17pm, tune-in was a solid 6.9/13, and

peaked at a 10.1/18 (17.2 mill) at 10:30 PM ET. As prime time in the Eastern and Central Time zones ended, the game was in the top of the fifth inning.

PHILADELPHIA topped all markets for Game 3 with a 36.0/57, a +28% gain over their Game 3 rating a year ago (28.2/49). NEW YORK notched a 26.1/44.

2009 WORLD SERIES TO DATE The first three games of the Fall Classic have averaged a 10.9/19 with an average audience of 17.9 million, a +42% ratings gain and

In a new exclusive one-on-one interview with ET's Mary Hart, Hailey Glassman is asked directly, "Are you and Jon [Gosselin] breaking up?" The answer is not so simple, especially since Jon surprised everyone by coming to the interview with Hailey and sitting just a few feet away.

Glassman, tearful at times, confided, "This has taken a massive toll on me Mary, I'm only 22!" says the woman in the middle of TV's messiest divorce.

"I've tried to move on in all honesty. He and I need to sit down and talk."

Upon returning to New York, +46% audience surge over last J o n r e l e a s e d a n e x c l u s i v e year’s first three games (7.7/14, statement to ET confirming that 12.3 million.) This marks the best indeed he would be taking some three-game average for the World time apart from Glassman.

Series since 2004’s 15.0/25 (24.3 "Hailey says she thinks it's a million). The World Series is a good idea that we both take some powerful force in prime time as time right now and focus on each the first three games would rank of our individual lives. It is as the No. 5 show season-to-date important for me to go back to in households, and No. 10 in Pennsylvania and be with my children and get through this Adults 18-49.

This content has passed through divorce and decide what I truly want out of life." fivefilters.org.

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Jon Gosselin: Hailey Thinks It's a Good Idea We Focus on Our Individual Lives

Florida Gators hold top spot in BCS; Texas Longhorns new No. 2

(ETonline - Breaking News)

By Associated Press (ESPN.com)

she has said to me 'Jon, actions speak louder then words' and she has continuously told me that, In a revealing new statement to which she is right. She has been ET, Jon Gosselin candidly shares my best friend and I admire her his feelings for Hailey Glassman, as a person. I need to be honest the stress and anger he says he not only for myself, but also for feels and what the status of his my children. I will forever love relationship with Hailey is at the Hailey. I see how all this has moment. truly hurt her. She has not been Jon declares, "I will forever love happy and hates the media light Hailey." His entire statement to that she has been put in. She is in ET reads: no way a home wrecker. That's "I have been overly stressed, absolutely ridiculous and false d i s t r a u g h t a n d a n g r y w i t h when the world calls her that! everything going on in my life. It She has given up her happiness has been overwhelming, and at the last 7 months and taken the times I have taken it all out on brunt of my anger and the world's Hailey. She has been unfairly disappointment of Kate and I treated by the world. She has separating for my well-being. always been there for me and She has been selfless and never with no judgment. She has been ever asked me for anything or the one to tell me how I need to anything of me. She's been the not only talk the talk but also best friend I have ever had and I walk the walk. When we first met only wish the world could get to Submitted at 11/1/2009 2:02:00 PM

know her and see what an amazing person she is, instead of constantly judging her of lies and things that are NOT true. Hailey says she thinks it's a good idea that we both take some time right now and focus on each of our individual lives. It is important for me to go back to Pennsylvania and be with my children and get through this divorce and decide what I truly want out of life. I do love her and care deeply. She has made me realize I can love myself and just need to be more honest. I am taking things day by day. She tells me 'honesty is the best policy' and I started to embrace that saying and want to live by it.

I thank Hailey her family and my fans for support and always being there."

Karzai elected as Afghan poll called off (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 11/2/2009 4:12:33 AM

Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan’s president, was declared the winner of the country’s presidential elections on Monday

by the election commission following the decision of his main rival to withdraw from a planned run-off.

Abdullah Abdullah, Mr Karzai’s main rival, effectively handed Mr Karzai victory on Sunday when he said he would not participate

in a planned second round on November 7 because he could not be sure the vote would be free and fair.

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lead over the Broncos in the race to be this season's BCS buster.

Both teams had lopsided victories Submitted at 11/1/2009 10:58:34 PM on Saturday.

Texas Inching Closer In BCS Oregon moved up two spots Standings Texas Inching Closer from 10th to eighth place after a In BCS Standings 47-20 victory against Southern NEW YORK -- Texas took a California. small step forward in the Bowl USC dropped seven spots to Championship Series standings 12th place.

Sunday, and the remaining Notre Dame, which needs nine unbeaten teams held down the victories and a top-14 finish in first seven spots. the BCS standings to be eligible The Longhorns (.9227) jumped for an at-large bid, is 22nd. from third to second place, ahead Florida holds the top spot and is of Alabama(.9166) and behind ranked first in both polls used by Florida(.9918). It's a cosmetic the BCS -- the Harris and move. Texas was already in coaches' polls. The Gators are control of its destiny in the BCS also tops among the compilation championship race. of six computer ratings used by The Crimson Tide and Gators, if the BCS. they both remain undefeated, will Texas is No. 2 in both polls and have to play each other in the tied with Alabama for third in the Southeastern Conference title computer ratings. The Crimson game.

Tide is third in both polls.

Behind the top three were Iowa is second in the computers, Iowa(.8407), Cincinnati(.8033), though only seventh in the Harris T C U ( . 8 0 0 8 ) a n d B o i s e poll and sixth in the coaches' State(.7863), all unbeaten and poll. hoping for the Gators, Crimson Copyright 2009 by The Tide or Longhorns to slip up.

Associated Press Alabama faces a stiff test This content has passed through Saturday when LSU travels to fivefilters.org.

Tuscaloosa.

The Horned Frogs hold a slim

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Sports/

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World Series Diary: Yankees 7, Phillies 4 (WSJ.com: The Daily Fix) Submitted at 11/1/2009 4:30:31 PM

The Journal provides minute-byminute analysis of the New York Yankees’ 7-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in tonight’s Game 4 of the World Series.

Guest blogger Jonah Keri offers commentary on the game and the Fox telecast, while Journal staffer Matthew Futterman adds insight from Citizens Bank Park. Journal staffer Bill Power (Phillies) and guest blogger Nando Di Fino (Yankees) give a fan’s perspective as New York moved within one win of its first World Series title since 2000 and 27th overall. Reuters Johnny Damon (right) had three hits, scored twice and drove in a run in the Yankees’ Game 4 win.

11:52: Rollins popout, Victorino groundout. Ballgame. Yankees win 7-4.

What can you say about the Yankees? The Phillies have battled them tooth-and-nail in this series, and New York has had an answer every time.

Rivera’s unbeatable at the end, sure. But look at the long list of big Yankees contributors in this World Series: Damon, Matsui, A -Rod, Sabathia, Posada, Marte…the list goes on and on.

Brian Cashman went out last offseason and got the players he needed to get. This is a loaded team with very few weaknesses and a million ways to beat you.

They’re one game away from claiming a World Series. The

Phillies do get stopper Cliff Lee to try to prolong the series.

Coming back to win three straight will be an incredibly tall order, though.

We’ll see you tomorrow for Game 5!* * * The Yankees have Burnett going tomorrow in Game 5 against Cliff Lee. I think they’d be better off pitching Hideki Matsui and saving Burnett to throw on full rest in Game 6, but I guess you don’t want to give anyone a free game.

Meanwhile there’s enough Yankees fans here to hear an audible “Let’s Go Yankees” cheer as the place clears out.

That’s disturbing no matter who your team is.– Futterman* * * Seeya, was a great game, wrong ending for Phils fans of course.– Power* * * Johnny Damon won this game for the Yankees. That turn around second base is going to just be iconic, I think. Scott Boras is going to make a T-shirt on Zazzle.com with the image of Damon glancing up before he bolted for third and send it to every member of the Yankees front office before contract negotiations begin in the offseason (if they, in fact, negotiate). And now we’re up two games, and there’s a world of difference between 2-2 and 31.– Di Fino 11:47: Pinch-hitter Stairs grounds out to start the ninth.

Rollins up, Mo needs two more to end it.

11:46: The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham wins the centaur reference title on Twitter. “@ PeteAbe Just spoke to Wade Boggs, he’s coming tomorrow to ride Alex around the warning track if Yankees win.”

11:44: It’s happening. Phillies fans are actually leaving the ballpark. Not in droves but enough to leave some patches of blue seats in this sea of red that has felt like an old Nebraska Cornhusker crowd all night. It’s hard to blame them with Rivera on the hill for the ninth, and it’s one in the morning in real time, and it’s now seriously cold here.

But still…– Futterman* * * As a Yankees fan who is hugely fired up after that top of the ninth, I do feel for Brad Lidge. I would’ve gone to bed much happier having gotten those runs off Madson, considering all the heartbreak that has followed Lidge around the past few years.

And this has nothing to do with me badly having wanted Jonah’s “beard=success” theory to be alive for the rest of the Series.– Di Fino 11:43: And Posada just put this game to bed. Big two-run single to left-center scores two runs.

Posada pegged out at second on

the throw, but that just gave the Yankees a 7-4 lead, with Rivera coming in.

Just a reminder: Jorge Posada belongs in the Hall of Fame.

11:39: When you have the cojones to put a picture of yourself as a centaur over your bed, you can certainly handle a game-on-the-line situation in the ninth inning of a World Series game. A-Rod smokes a double to left, scoring Damon. 5-4 Yankees.* * * Then again, winning a World Series in any stadium…– Di Fino 11:37: Tex hit by a pitch. First and third, two out.

A-Rod vs. Brad Lidge, World Series on the line. This is unbelievable.

11:35: Just a fantastic at-bat by Johnny Damon. Tremendous.

Amazing that he even made contact with Lidge’s 1-2 slider.

Worked the count all the way to 3-2, then lashed a single to left to keep the inning alive for Tex. And now Damon steals second!

And Damon keeps running to third, after Feliz covers second with the shift on! JD just took three bases by himself in about a minute. Wow.* * * One of the great at-bats in Johnny Damon’s Yankee career.

To foul off that many pitches and battle back from 1-2 is impressive. Not sure it’s worth $52 million, but if he scores from third here it might be.– Futterman* * * Sweet baserunning by Damon, have to admit that.– Power* * *

Johnny Damon is a genius daredevil. How he figured out there was nobody on third base in that split-second is beyond me.

Did he realize it was Feliz trying to tag him? Did he remember there was a Teixeira shift on? Did he just see the base was open and hoped Feliz was more than an arm’s length away?– Di Fino 11:31: Another monster slider by Lidge, just barely fouled off to stay alive.* * * For the rest of the country, this Series probably just officially got must-see good. The Northeast U.S. kids are mostly sleeping, of course….– Power 11:30: Brad Lidge punches out Jeter on a vintage Lights-Out Lidge Slider on 3-2. Two down.

Lidge is poised to join the ranks of wildly successful bearded Phillies playoff heroes.

11:27: It’s pure Charlie Manuel, though. He’ll stick by guys like Lidge, if they’re showing a glimmer of returning to the form that got it done for him before.

Sure is a good story either way…– Power 11:26: Sure enough, Matsui pops out to start the inning.

Also, Fox is running a Brad Lidge montage and they’re not showing this?!

11:24: Matsui pinch-hitting vs. combustible Brad Lidge. Do NOT like this match-up for the Phils.

Then again, Pedro Freaking Feliz just hit a game-tying homer.

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Anything’s possible.

11:23: If you’re Charlie Manuel, your bet on Blanton and against Sabathia has officially paid off.

At 7:30 this evening he would have signed for a tie game in the ninth inning with his unhittable ace going on full rest tomorrow.

One swing from a weak-hitting third baseman and this suddenly feels like a game the Yankees must win. Yankee fans have to be thinking Jeff Weaver in Florida in 2003 all over again.– Futterman 11:21: Ruiz retired. But we’re tied at 4 going to the ninth!

Based on the sample of Chan Ho Park and Pedro Feliz, I’m going to say that beards are the key to MLB playoff success.* * * The silver lining to the Series possibly being tied is that we could see the Yankees win at home instead of the awkward pile -up in a silent stadium the road.

That’s always weird and uncomfortable, like seeing a 32 year-old (without kids) at the pediatrician’s office.– Di Fino 11:19: Two strikeouts on unhittable fastballs. Weak-hitting Pedro Feliz up. One out away from Rivera time. And it’s gone.

Tie game.

Nothing beats playoff baseball.

Amazing.

11:16: Joba throwing gas!

Another high fastball, no chance for Ibanez. Two up, two Ks. Now Feliz, who’s a lousy hitter vs. righties.

11:15: High fastball out of the zone whiffs Werth. Big one. One down for the slumping Ibanez.

11:13: Joba’s in to start the eighth. Coke the lefty standing by in the bullpen. Werth’s a much more dangerous hitter vs. lefties, if that’s any comfort to Chamberlain-concerned Yanks fans.* * * Need some annoying insects to bite Joba.– Power 11:09: Two true outcomes for Swisher tonight: Two walks, two Ks. And Gardner with a predictable weak flyout (he’s a second pitcher in the lineup) ends the inning. Big escape by Madson, still 4-3 going to the bottom of the eighth.

11:07: Pedro Feliz and Raul Ibanez with a horrendous job of chasing down a popup by Cano.

Falls just inside the line for a one -out “single.” First and second, one out, Swisher up. Danger time, especially with Rivera looming.* * * Cano has the wind to thank on that one. It’s blowing wickedly from center to left and took the ball out of the reach of Rollins and Ibanez.– Futterman 11:05: Posada works a one-out walk. For all his quirks as a catcher, the guy was, is and always will be an on-base machine.

11:04: Matt wins the comedy championship of the world. We can all go home now.

11:03: Posada calls time with two strikes. He wants to talk to Madson.– Futterman 11:02: Ryan Madson into the game, pitches A-Rod backwards.

Starts him with change-ups, then

finishes him off with a low-inside fastball. One down, top of the eighth.* * * Well, it’s ALMOST justifying what I suspect Manuel’s thinking was. Something like Blanton gave up three or four runs in six innings, but a less-than-full-tank Sabathia gives up similar amount and gives way to some nonMariano relievers. But not much time left for Phils. Also, the cheers you heard on Howard’s pop-out was because it seems that every time Howard takes a full rip the opposite way he drives it; we’ve seen that swing hundreds of times. In this case, a popgun.— Power 11:01: I actually have an answer on Utley’s hair. The thinking is that he thinks his “hat hair” caused by his cap looks bad, so he gels it only when he plays.– Power 10:57: The no-depth-perception Phillies fans cheer wildly as Ryan Howard pops out to shallow left to end the inning.

Damaso Marte coming through in high-leverage World Series situations. Whoulda thunk it.

10:56: Maybe Bill Power can help me and the rest of Yankees fans out out here. Or Futterman: Is that just a ridiculous amount of gel in Chase Utley’s hair, or does he do that move Jason Giambi perfected last year — constantly fills up a cup with water and pours it over his head?

– Di Fino* * * The Phillies right now have no doubt in their minds that they will win this game. I’ve never

come across a group of players so convinced in their ability to come back until the final out. The issue is whether they can get a baserunner or two on in the eighth to get the top of their order back to the plate in the ninth.

That’s where all their production has come from tonight and where it would seem a lot of the drama would be later in the game.

Anyone who doesn’t want to see Mariano Rivera against the top of the order in the ninth inning should go to sleep now.– Futterman 10:54: Into the Yankees bullpen.

This is where the fun begins.

Now it becomes a war of attrition. At this point, no one would be surprised if either team wins this game 9-4.– Futterman 10:53: Love ya, Nando, but purposely bringing the tying run to the plate in the seventh inning of Game 4 of the World Series is probably not at the top of the old win-expectancy chart.

Utley’s homer notwithstanding.

10:52: Not enough stamina to get Utley out, though. Third homer by the Phillies’ second baseman in two World Series games against Sabathia. And that’s all for CC. Damaso Marte in to face Howard with two outs and nobody on. 4-3 Yanks.

10:49: Sabathia sets down Rollins on a grounder to third and Victorino on a liner to right.

CC’s corpulence apparently gives him incredible stamina.

10:47: You know, if Sabathia is a little fatigued, and there are two

outs, and someone is warming up in the bullpen, and the big guns in Philly’s lineup are up… wouldn’t it be the perfect situation to hit a batter in retaliation for A-Rod’s three HBPs? If he’s fearing a possible ejection, so what? He would’ve been yanked for a reliever anyway.– Di Fino 10:41: Tex grounds out to first to end the inning. Top of the order up for Philly against a possibly fatigued but probably not Sabathia.

10:40: Park with a nasty splitter that dives off the table and whiffs Damon. Two down. Amazing how Park has reinvented himself as a strike-throwing machine out of the bullpen.* * * I stand corrected! Reader Mike Navarra points out that Girardi would have to visit the mound twice in the same inning for Sabathia to be yanked, not in the entire game: 8.06 A professional league shall adopt the following rule pertaining to the visit of the manager or coach to the pitcher: (a) This rule limits the number of trips a manager or coach may make to any one pitcher in any one inning; (b) A second trip to the same pitcher in the same inning will cause this pitchers automatic removal; I stand by my earlier comment that there are five balls to a walk, though…–Di Fino WORLD page 56

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World Series Diary: Yankees 8, Phillies 5 (WSJ.com: The Daily Fix) Submitted at 10/31/2009 2:18:57 PM

The Journal provides minute-byminute analysis of the New York Yankees’ 8-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of the World Series at Citizens Bank Park. Guest blogger Jonah Keri offers commentary on the game and the Fox telecast, while Journal staffer Bill Power (Phillies) and guest blogger Nando Di Fino (Yankees) give a fan’s perspective as New York took a 2-1 lead in the best-ofseven series. Getty Images Alex Rodriguez hits a ball that was ruled a two-run home run in the fourth inning. It was the first use of instant replay in World Series history.

12:43: Rollins breaks his bat, pops up softly to A-Rod, ballgame. Yankees 8, Phillies 5.

We talked about catching a break at the start of the game for Cole Hamels. He didn’t get any.

A-Rod’s homer barely clears the wall, and only gets confirmed upon replay. Lousy scouting leads to two bloop hits in front of Victorino that were crucial in the game’s decisive inning. Couple those plays with a miserable night for the Phillies’ lefty hitters, Utley, Howard and Ibanez, and it wasn’t the home team’s night.

As we head to Game 4, food for thought for Charlie Manuel: Does he really want to go to his fourth-best starter with the season on the line, or roll the dice on

short rest with a guy who twirled one of the best games in World Series history? You HAVE to go Cliff Lee, from where I’m sitting.

We shall see! See you then.* * * Disappointing for Phils fans but we’ll see what happens Sunday night. (Jonah, book it, it’ll be Blanton. Charlie Manuel would consider it panicking to go to Lee. I’m sure he figures the team will pull one out, then be sitting pretty on Monday night.) Good blogging with everyone. See ya– Power 12:42: Stairs grounds out weakly to second for the second out.

Rollins trying to extend the game.

12:40: Well, glad Rivera being used again, at least. No twoinning saves tomorrow night, I guess.– Power 12:38, part two: Of course just as I write that, Chooch Ruiz goes deep to left-center. 8-5 Yanks.

Still up three, with two outs to go.

The great Matt Stairs in to pinch -hit. And Girardi immediately summons Rivera.

12:38: Feliz grounds out to third to start the ninth. Just amazing how much the scene shifted, from raucous ballpark to absolute silence in a span of a few innings.

12:32: Yankees go down quietly.

Hughes faces Feliz, Ruiz and a pinch-hitter in the ninth.

12:30: Hey, did I miss it earlier, or why didn’t they show a replay of what it looked like through the “home run camera” when the ball hit it?– Power

12:28: A-Rod on for the fourth time tonight, draws a two-out walk. Posada with a chance to tack on more insurance.

Stadium’s so quiet, you can hear chants of “Hip, Hip Jorge!” from Yankees faithful.

12:27: Teixeira breaks his bat, flies out to center.

12:25: Damon grounds out to short to start the ninth.

So here’s the question: Do you go to Rivera to start the bottom of the ninth? I say no. Getting three outs, up four runs, is a pretty easy task. Normally I’d favor any move that helps now, never mind later. But in this case, it’s not necessary. Save Mo for possible two-inning outing in Game 4, if needed.

12:21: Make it a 1-2-3 inning, turned in by nominal mopup man Damaso Marte. Well done. 8-4 NY going to the ninth.

12:20: Two straight Ks by Marte, this one against Werth.

Boy, everything has gone NY’s way since the camera-home run.* ** As a man who enjoys the under four-hour game, I love how Joe Girardi eschewed the matchup thing and kept lefty Damaso Marte in to face righty Jayson Werth. And it’s a strikeout!–Di

Fino 12:15: Make it seven strikeouts in the past two games for Ryan Howard. Ouchie.

12:13: Marte in to face Howard to start the eighth.

12:10: Myers fans Jeter to end the inning. Still, two big insurance runs last two innings for the Bombers. 8-4 NY going to the bottom of the eighth for Philly.* * * The “We need to bring back Matsui on a one-year contract” talk has already begun here He’s the 25-to-1 MVP underdog (unofficially) of the World Series if the Yankees eventually win this…– Di Fino 12:08: That homer came after McCarver reeled off about 80 bowling puns in a row, including the value of throwing strikes in both sports. I’m thisclose to becoming the first live-blogger ever to launch himself off the roof in the middle of a game.

12:07: Hideki Matsui: Still royally underrated. Oppositefield job. 8-4 Yankees.* * * Perfect. Setting up the 9-8 game I semi-predicted. Phillies still working on the 9.– Power 12:06: Vicious slider by Myers way inside, ties up Melky for strike three. Two out, Matsui in to pinch-hit. Hughes in the eighth, apparently.

12:03: Swisher flies out to left, actually shakes his head that he didn’t go deep again. The man has confidence.

12:01: Utley flies out to center to end an impressive 1-2-3 inning

for Joba. 7-4 after seven.

12:00 a.m.: Another dream-state for East-coast kids who like baseball.– Power 11:59: Melky faked the “I’ll throw the last-out ball to the fans” throw again. Swisher alllllmost did it a few innings ago, but he just gave a head nod instead and kept the ball. Melky is actually doing a decent job of ball-faking to the fans before tucking it back into his glove and trotting back to the dugout.– Di Fino 11:58: Rollins flies out to left to start the seventh. Victorino follows with a groundout to second. Quite uneventful by Joba standards here.

11:55: Chamberlain in for the Yanks. This could get interesting.

11:54: An emailed question from reader Michael Alcamo in New York, who asked about’s Pettitte’s stats in interleague play this year. He was 1 for 5 with a double and RBI, according to baseball-reference.com. So he had a 20% chance of wowing everyone with that big hit, based on that past performance.– Di Fino 11:51: Cano, actually taking a pitch for once, watches strike three sail by. But Yankees add a big insurance run. Now 7-4 Yanks going to the bottom of the seventh.

11:50: Undaunted, Jorge bloops a single to left for the big two-out RBI. 7-4 Yanks. If I’m Durbin, WORLD page 57

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NFL Diary: Vikings 38, Packers 26 (WSJ.com: The Daily Fix)

lines were virtually identical: Favre going 17 of 28 for 244 yards and four touchdowns, and The Journal provides minute-by- Rodgers completing 26 of 41 for minute analysis of the return of 287 yards and three TD’s. As Brett Favre with the Minnesota always, though, the difference Vikings to Green Bay’s Lambeau wasn’t evident in the numbers. It Field. Guest blogger Steve was when and how Favre made Kornacki offers commentary of his completions — one key the game and the Fox telecast, crowd-deflating completion at while Journal staffer Timothy W. another, spread evenly over four Martin sends dispatches from a quarters. Rodgers’ performance, Packers bar in Chicago. by contrast, alternated between Getty Images Brett Favre stellar and zombie-like. He was celebrates after Adrian Peterson’s uneven. first-half touchdown against the It’s tempting to declare the Packers.

Vikings champions of the NFC Post-game: Well, there was a North after this. At 7-1 halfway riveting 6:28 stretch of the third through the schedule they are quarter when the Packers put up now three games in front of both 1 7 u n a n s w e r e d p o i n t s a n d Green Bay and Chicago. And seemed to be plowing their way now that they’ve swept the toward an inspiring comeback P a c k e r s , t h e y c o n t r o l t h a t v i c t o r y . B u t t h e V i k i n g s tiebreaker. But let’s not be too recovered quickly with (yet hasty. They still have to play the another) big kickoff return by Bears twice, and it was just a Percy Harvin, a few efficient year ago that we saw the Broncos passes from Brett Favre, and a blow a four-game division lead in game-saving touchdown by little- the last four weeks of the season. used tight end Jeff Dugan. That Plus, this wouldn’t be the first pretty much summed up this time Favre has led a team to a game for Green Bay: They fast start, only to stumble and played from behind virtually the bumble in the stretch. So yes, the whole way, and even when Vikings are in great shape and things started to go right for l o o k l i k e a c h a m p i o n s h i p them, Minnesota would come up contender. But let’s check back with an answer. in another month or so.

At least the Packers preserved 7:23: And that does it. 38-26 is some dignity with their second the final. Instead of showing us half rally. At halftime, the Favre leave the field, Fox rushes ballyhooed Favre-Aaron Rodgers us off to the the last 51 seconds showdown was about as one- of the Arizona-Carolina game — sided as you could imagine. But which the Panthers are leading by by the end of the game, their stat 13. Odd decision. Maybe they Submitted at 11/1/2009 12:08:03 PM

pass (thanks, inexcusable third down holding penalty) misses everyone, and the last bit of hope for the home team is stomped out. Green Bay has no timeouts left (except the two minute warning) so Minnesota can run the clock down under a minute here. Game, set, match.

7:12: Now Green Bay receiver Greg Jennings is shaken up. It’ll be third and 10 for the Packers from their own 37. We’re inside of three minutes to play now.

7:07: Bernard Berrian just put the game away. It’s 38-26 now with 3:48 to play with a 16-yard reception. Bet the Packers wish just want all of America to enjoy they had Percy Harvin returning a few seconds of Brian Billick’s kicks right about now.

7:05: 3rd and 11 from the 16 commentary. coming up. Packers take their last 7:22: The Vikings turn it over on downs and Favre shakes hands timeout. Here’s Favre’s chance with some of his old teammates to put his old team away. His stat as he makes his way to the line for the game: 16 of 28 for sidelines. Just 27 seconds left 228 yards and three touchdowns. now. Brennaman is talking up a 7:04: Peterson breaks free on a screen pass and carries it down to Saints-Vikings NFC title game.

7:22: As the clock rolls down, the Green Bay 15 — a 44-yard two women stand up from a table gain. Green Bay must hold and head for the exit at Will’s. Minnesota to a field goal here, would keep it a One of the remaining fans asks w h i c h (theoretical) one-possession them: “Leaving so soon?” — game. Vikings still lead 31-26.

Martin 7:17: A friend emails to note the 7:02: Grant’s botched two-point uncanny resemblance between conversion comes back to haunt Brad Childress and Tony the Pack. After Rodgers’ thirdKornheiser, which Kornheiser down pass goes incomplete, apparently played up on Friday’s Crosby trots out to try from 51 Had the Packers PTI. I definitely see it, although y a r d s . converted the earlier two-pointer, I wonder if Childress also knows this kick would be for the tie. how to make those ridiculously large tie-knots. Instead, it will only trim the lead 7:14: Rodgers: fourth-and-20 to two — if he makes it. Which

he doesn’t. So this post is sort of irrelevant. Vikings ball.

7:01: Theory: The Packers secretly replaced Rodgers with Drew Brees at halftime.

6:58: Where was this Aaron Rodgers in the first half? A bad snap doesn’t bounces on the turf, but it doesn’t faze No. 12, who scoops it up and finds Driver downfield for a first down.

Driver is shaken up, though, and being tended to. There was also a roughing the passer penalty on Minnesota, so tack on another 15 yards. The Packers are at the Viking 35 now.

6:54: The pressure on Favre has been much more effective this half. He’s nearly sacked on second down and is rushed again on third down, resulting in a poor pass to Harvin that falls incomplete. The Packers take over at the 18 with 8:31 to play — 82 yards away from taking the lead. Remember when the idea of the Packers moving even half that distance would have made us laugh?

6:52: Just when I was about to do a post about how quiet Peterson has been today, he breaks free for 21 yards to the Packer 46.

6:50: Rodgers has now completed 21 of 30 passes for 238 yards and three touchdowns.

Not bad for a quarterback whose team moved the ball under 150 feet in the first half.

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10:39: Jeter walk gives Damon another RBI opportunity. Two hits so far tonight for JD, after the game-winning double last night.

10:38: Sabathia flies out to right to start the seventh. He’ll come back out to pitch, obviously, sitting on 95 pitches for the game.

10:36: Surprised they’re not PHing for CC to start the seventh. I could see both sides of the argument. Girardi doesn’t trust set-up men, though, that’s for sure.

Also…a Chan Ho Park sighting!

Love the beard.

10:33: Francisco flies out to center to end the sixth. With the pitcher’s spot due up first in the seventh and the Yankees wanting Sabathia available for a potential Game 7, he’s likely done for the night. Great job on short rest. 4-2 Yankees after six.

10:30: And one final note on the Blue Claws — I’m fairly certain the same group owns that team and the Trenton Thunder, a minor league affiliate of the Yankees. Who are those guys rooting for?– Futterman 10:29: Ibanez strikes out yet again. Feliz follows with a sharp single to right. Ruiz up, simultaneously a prime doubleplay threat and a terrifying sight to Yankees fans, the way he’s been swinging the bat (sample sizes be damned).

Chooch weakly grounds out to second. Two outs. Ben Francisco to pinch-hit for Blanton.

10:28: Note to Joe Blanton

defenders: He gave up four runs in six innings. That’s not keeping your team in the game. That’s a 6.00 ERA. Should’ve been Cliff Lee. 10:27: Cabrera breaks his bat on an inning-ending groundout. And he’s holding his hammy as they go to commercial. Not good.* * * By the way, the BlueClaws sure try hard. Their Web site currently ties the team into the World Series with this wonderful spin: It is promoting games in 2010 with the BlueClaws (a Phillies minor-league team) playing the Yankees’ equivalent as “World Series affiliate rematch games in Lakewood.”– Power 10:23: Leave it to Nando to wrap a bow around the Lakewood Blue Claws.

Swisher, patient as ever, works a full-count walk to extend the inning. Cabrera up, two out, man on first. Durbin and Eyre warming in the pen, though Phils would ideally like to pinch-hit for Blanton in the bottom of the inning.

10:20: Howard scoops up a onehopper from Cano, two down.* * * Just to chime in on Lakewood here; they were the center of one of my favorite bits of minorleague writing this season, from “Ben’s Biz Blog” on mlb.com– Di Fino 10:19: Sounds like typical Phanatic fare for a regular-season game. Might be part of the Phillies’ “no panic” philosophy.– Power 10:17: Matt, you say that like a

Lakewood Blue Claws game isn’t a rip-roaring good time.

Blanton rings up yet another strikeout, a few pitches after Posada narrowly misses a double down the right-field line. One down.

10:15: Folks watching on television just missed a midinning phony boxing match between the Phillie Phanatic and a guy in a Yankees cap with Joe Frazier as the ref. Is this the World Series between New York and Philadelphia or a Sally League game of the Lakewood Blue Claws?– Futterman 10:13: Sabathia’s diving slider whiffs Werth to end the inning.

Three knockout sliders retire Utley, Howard and Werth after the first two batters reach base.

And that’s why the Yankees are paying CC Sabathia the GDP of the Maldives.

10:11: And here comes Posada to the mound! This is riveting action, folks!

10:09: I think the “trip to the mound” counter has to be at double digits for the game by now. One from Girardi, two from Jeter, and a bunch from Posada.

And here’s a related fun baseball fact: The rules state that if the manager makes a second trip to the mound, Sabathia has to pulled from the game. So this is either set-up for a colossal error on Girardi’s part if he has to trot out to see how tired his ace is, or we may be seeing Dave Eiland as a proxy as the pitch count piles up.–Di Fino 10:08: Another killer slider by

CC nets another popout to short by a big Phillies bat, this time Howard. Two down.

Jorge Posada out to the mound for the 87th time tonight.

10:07: The Phillies hitters are still baffled by Sabathia’s slowmoving slider. Utley checks his swing and pops out to short for a big first out. CC’s slider has to rank among the best in baseball.

10:05: The New York Post’s Mike Vaccaro on Twitter: “@MikeVacc: Would it kill Robinson Cano to get his uniform a little dirty once in a while?” Apparently it would, yes.

10:04: Weird scene in the Yankees bullpen a moment ago.

Lost of guys wandering around but no one throwing. It’s as if they’re trying to remind Girardi that there are actual relief pitchers out there. Girardi can only ignore this so long. CC is on three days rest and has thrown nearly 80 pitches without getting an out in the fifth inning.– Futterman 10:03: Victorino draws a fivepitch walk. Utley coming up with two on, none out. Fifth-inning drama.

10:02: Matt, the Phillies never let things get desperate!

Otherwise they might do something crazy like start their best pitcher for the most important game of the season.

Rollins rolls a grounder under Cano’s glove for a leadoff single.

Not a steal situation down two with Victorino-Utley-Howard coming up, though.

9:57: A-Rod flies out to center, 4

-2 Yanks heading to the bottom of the fifth.* * * Two overswings (and two lazy flies) later, I’m coming around to the idea that plunking A-Rod in the first inning was a good move.

He doesn’t look uncomfortable anymore, but he seems so determined to punish Blanton for the shot to the shoulder blade that the pitcher has gotten into his head. I’m not much for psychological discourse when it comes to baseball, but A-Rod insists so often how important it is for him to keep things simple at the plate, and anything an opponent can do to complicate matters is probably a step in the right direction. Maybe Chooch Ruiz ought to think about giving him a Varitek-style lovetap with his glove if things get desperate.– Futterman 9:55: Tex flies out to center for the second out. A-Rod with two ducks on the pond here, chance to blow it open.

9:52: The suddenly hot Johnny Damon flares a single to right to cash Cabrera. Just like that, the Yankees are back up two, 4-2.

Cabrera ran right through the stop sign, and read the blooper as a hit all the way. Tim McCarver’s praise is actually justified.

9:50: Smackdown by Mr. Futterman! Indeed, that “bunting” display by Sabathia was awful.

Jeter makes up for it with a seeing-eye single through the left WORLD page 59

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no way would I have caught that much plate with that pitch, given the Eric Greggian strike zone being granted.

11:49: Posada just took “strike two” on a pitch that was roughly in Jersey. No need for technology, though. Really.* * * You can only hit A-Rod so many times until he comes around for a run scored.

But seriously, Joba is warming up, and he’s not afraid to strike back. Pettitte may not be the best retaliator; in fact, he may be the worst of all-time (but best pickoff move!). I know it’s not the time to be thinking retaliation, but the Phillies have hit the would-be ALCS MVP twice in the game. It’ll be an interesting bottom of the seventh, at the very least.– Di Fino 11:46: Durbin bonks A-Rod with a pitch, which is certainly one way to deal with him with first base open. Second HBP of the game for the first-ballot AllCentaur-y team member.

11:44: Biting curve punches out Teixeira, but Damon just does beat the throw to second. RBI chance for Rodriguez. I’d walk him here, but they aren’t.

11:40: Chad Durbin in, issues a one-out walk to Damon. Tex and A-Rod coming up. Don’t want to give it up right after cutting into the lead.

11:39: Good test for Phils. They had very few up-against-the-wall tests in playoffs last year, especially at home — where they were undefeated — though they’ve weathered tons of them

during regular-season stretch drives.– Power 11:36: Bruntlett pops out to end the inning. Shocker. 6-4 Yanks after six.

11:34: Pettitte loses Ruiz with two out. The Phillies, apparently with an inanimate carbon rod as the only other option, tap Eric Bruntlett to pinch-hit.

11:30: Ibanez, who’s looked awful all night, whiffs again. 0 for 9 with six Ks for Utley, Howard and Ibanez, the Phillies’ three non-Hamels lefty swingers.

11:29: Jayson Werth: Dreamboat (or so I hear). Two homers for the underrated Phillies right fielder. Now 6-4 Yankees.

Ballpark’s rocking.* * * Phillies always fight back, that’s for sure.– Power 11:25: Cabrera lines out to left for out number two. Happ fans Pettitte to end the inning. But after 5 1/2, 6-3 Yankees.

It’ll be interesting to see if Girardi taps Rivera for two innings tonight if the Yankees are still leading. Up one, I would.

Not up three or more.

11:22: Nick Swisher’s battingpractice prophecy comes true!

Bombs a homer to left, second extra-base hit of the game.

Finally out of the slump. 6-3 Yanks.* * * If a Halloween party could explode, it just happened. Joe Buck was right! A guy dressed as “Sloth” from the Goonies just jumped up and down, cheering.

We’re loving it here in Hoboken — you can hear the cheers from the entire town in unison. Joe

Girardi is going to look like a genius for sitting him last night, letting him clear his head, and then coming back tonight with the game of his career.– Di Fino 11:19: Robinson Cano, as patient as a 3-year-old on a Pixie Stix bender, waves at the first pitch of the sixth and grounds out to second.

11:16: Pettitte has REALLY settled down here. Sets down the Phils in order in the fifth. 5-3 NY going to the sixth.* * * Pettitte has five strikeouts through five. He’s not really a strikeout pitcher: He had 148 in 194 2/3 innings this year, and has never had one per inning at any point in his career. Fun fact from the Yankee side: We don’t know what it means (outside of the lefties chasing his pitches), but it’s something of note.–Di Fino 11:13: Teixeira flashes the leather for the umpteenth time this postseason, ranges far to his right, flips to Pettitte to get Utley for out number two.

11:11: Victorino hits a line drive to shallow center. Cabrera, properly positioned, makes the play with no problem. Just sayin’.

11:09: Hamels was doomed from this moment.– Fitzgerald 11:08: Nice job by Happ, gets Posada on a popout to end the inning. 5-3 Yanks.* * * Glad it’s only the fifth inning, at least. Been wondering when the first 9-8 game will be and hopefully for Phillies, this could be the one.– Power 11:05: J.A. Happ in, gets A-Rod

on a low liner to center. Two out.

11:01: Sure enough, that’s it for Hamels. This game completely turned around in a big hurry.* * * Story of Hamels’s season. Looks dominating on many hitters but can lose it quickly especially after a quirky hit or two.– Power 11:00: And now Teixeira walks.

Two on for A-Rod. Hamels should probably be pulled here.

Back to the Jeter bloop for a second. I never understand why more CF, especially those with decent range, don’t play more shallow, the way B.J. Upton does. You save a lot more runs preventing all those cheap singles than you’d lose on the occasional ball over your head.

10:56: Victorino playing way too deep, forced to dive for another blooper to center, falls in front of him. first and second, one out.

And Damon smokes the first pitch he sees into the gap for a two-run double. Just like that, 5-3 Yanks. Wow.* * * Pettitte looks like a rec-league softball player trotting to home, but we don’t care. The game is far from over, but now we’re talking about J.A. Happ instead of Chad Gaudin. And my, how a game can change in just half of an inning.– Di Fino* * * Random observation from my wife, Kathleen, who walked by during Pettitte’s at-bat: “Why were they playing him deep?”– Fitzgerald 10:55: Andy Pettitte, clutch hitter! Fourteen career RBI, on a flair to center, cashes Swisher on

a close play at the plate. Why Hamels would throw a curve to Pettitte, and not a bunch of hardas-you-can fastballs, is beyond me.

Game’s tied at 3.

10:54: Cabrera strikes out on a change-up…normally Hamels’s best pitch, but it’s been almost all fastballs tonight.

Pettite will bat here with one out.

Makes sense.

10:51: A Nick Swisher sighting!

Waits really well on a hanging curve, slashes it down the leftfield line for a big leadoff double.

Melky’s up, then Pettitte.

Interesting decision ahead.* * * Swisher’s hit has the room clapping and shouting. If there’s such a thing as psychic energy, New York’s metropolitan area focused it all on that ball being fair. I doubt Wilson Betemit (the man he was traded for) would stir up the same feelings. Maybe due to the lack of Betemit shaving a mohawk?– Di Fino 10:47: Rollins flies out to right for the third out. Still 3-2 Phils after four.

10:46: Yanks now 1 for 2 on fielding bunts, Posada throws out Hamels. Sacrifice sends Chooch to second with two out. Would love to see another confrontation of Ruiz’s blazing speed and Damon’s rocket arm at the plate here.

10:43: Ruiz with a slow roller to short, Yanks get the force. One out, another Hamels bunt coming up.

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Rodgers connects with Jennings for six — even after was passinterfered-with by Viking cornerback Karl Paymah.

Aikman calls it one of the best catches he’s ever seen. Now, the Packers go for two. But Ryan Grant drops the pass. 31-26 with 10:36 to go.

6:45: Rodgers eludes the pressure and chugs his way down to the Viking 15 — a 35-yard run for thr drop-back passer!

6:43: Pam Oliver is reporting from the Vikings sideline. Fox could have saved money and had her stay home and watch the Favre Cam. 6:39: Well that did nothing.

Favre matter-of-factly hits tight end Jeff Dugan for the score. It’s back to an 11-point game, 31-20, with 13:35 to go. Your move, Rodgers.

6:37: Chester Taylor carries it to the 2, setting up a crucial third and goal. Packers call timeout.

Huge difference between 31-20 and 27-20.

FOURTH QUARTER 6:33: Johnny Jolly Part II: B.J. Raji is flagged for a face mask, turning a two-yard Peterson run into a first and goal at the Packer 9. The quarter ends. Who would have thought it: the fourth quarter will actually be fun!

6:33: As Rogers rolled out of the pocket, some fans yelled “Run it!

Run it!” After the touchdown pass, Packers fans taunted the once-boisterous Vikings fans.

One fan, wearing his Packers baseball cap backwards, screamed, “Why so silent now?”

A few feet away, a woman in an Rodgers jersey used both hands to high-five a fan in a yellow Packers “Titletown” T-shirt, exclaiming, “We might win!” — Martin 6:31: After another clutch Harvin return, Favre finds him for a big third-down conversion at the Green Bay 20. The Vikings are doing a nice job of answering the last Packer drive — so far.

6:30: Maybe I should start checking the Favre cam again…

6:27: Big third and four coming up for Green Bay at the Minnesota 5. And Rodgers find Havner again for another TD … and another Lambeau Leap! They kick the extra point, even though the two-point conversion would have made it a three-point game.

24-20 now, just under two minutes left in the third.

6:23: Ahman Green takes a quick dump-off pass, breaks a tackle and picks up a first down near the 39. Then Rodgers connects with James Jones on a crossing pattern. He takes it down to the Vikings’ 30. Green Bay is already in field-goal range — and even if that’s what they have to settle for on this drive, it will make it a one possession game.

6:21: Favre has only thrown three picks this year, but he just had two near-misses. His third and 10 pass goes incomplete.

Packers get the three-and-out they wanted and needed. They also managed to get real pressure on Favre on the first two downs.

Packers take over at their own 15

with 5:57 left in the third.

6:20: Todd Rundgen’s “Bang the Drum All Day” blares in the background at Will’s, as the Packers touchdown results in strangers high-fiving, couples kissing and the bar erupting to the loudest it has been all day. — Martin 6:15: And they do! Rodgers hits big Spencer Havner in the end zone on third and seven, leading to our first Lambeau Leap of the day. Now it’s 24-13 with 6:13 left in the third. The cheeseheads are starting to come back to life.

So am I. 6:13: I’ll state the obvious: The Packers must come away with a TD on this drive.

6:11: The old squib kicks strikes again. The Vikings misplay it and Green Bay comes away with the fumble. Rodgers immediately hits Grant at the Viking 28, then Driver at the 18. See, I wasn’t kidding about the comeback being on.

6:09: Crosby makes a 26-yard field goal to make it 24-6 with 8:28 left in the quarter. The comeback is on.

6:06: OK, I finally gave in (and possibly violated state and federal stalking laws) and checked the Favre cam on Fox’s Web site. It’s exactly what you’d expect: a camera on Favre as he … sits on the bench, talks to a teammate and reads something.

The Fox audio feed is playing (and it’s a few seconds ahead of my television). Maybe it would be more interesting in a close game.

6:03: Rodgers calls a timeout with the Packers facing a first and 10 at the Minnesota 24.

“We’ve got a long way to go in this one,” Brennman says. Not sure if he’s saying that out of hope or dread.

6:03: Favre’s arching touchdown pass, over a trio of Vikings players, brought back a strange nostalgia for Packers fans, even as they stood in shock at Will’s. As the television showed the replays, the fans didn’t boo but were silenced.

“That’s so Favre,” one fan wearing a No. 80 Donald Driver jersey said as he exited the bar for a cigarette break. – Martin 5:59: Rodgers finds Greg Jennings for 30 yards — or 64 percent of the Packers’ total offensive output for the first half.

5:55: More great protection and Favre hits Harvin at the Packer 20, whereupon the three Green Bay defenders in the area immediately and comically collide with each other and fall to the ground, freeing Harvin to scamper into the end zone.

Vikings go up 24-3. Needless to say, it’s pretty quiet in Lambeau right now. 13:08 left in the third.

5:51: Favre hits Berrian for a first down on third and 17. That’s just demoralizing — and as Aikman and Brennaman note, it’s baffling why the Packers aren’t trying to put more pressure on Favre. First for the Vikings at their own 49.

5:50: During half-time at Will’s, manager Kevin Kruse walks around the bar shouting out three

-digit raffle ticket numbers. Mr. Kruse hands out a cheese-andsausage necklace, Packers hardhat helmets and Will’s winter hats with wool ear flaps. Mr. Kruse, wearing a green T-shirt commemorating former Packers Hall of Fame center Frank Winters, a frequent customer, handed out a pair of Packer overalls as the final item, just as the second half was kicking off.

5:49: Interesting graphic: Green Bay’s 47 first half yards are their worst for a first half since Oct. 17, 1999.

THIRD QUARTER 5:32: The half ends and the booing is very loud as the teams leave the field. Almost sure it’s all directed at the home team, though. The good news for Green Bay is that it’s only 17-3. It could have been much worse if the Vikings hadn’t gotten inexplicably conservative in the red zone on their last two possessions. Then again, the Packers have just three first downs and 47 yards of total offense. So far, they’re not giving Minnesota much to worry about.

5:30: I don’t get the second down hand-off to Chester Taylor.

And I really don’t get why the Vikings didn’t use their final timeout when Taylor was stopped for just two yards. The clock ticks down and after a third down incompletion, Ryan Longwell boots a 41-yarder. 17-3 Vikings with nine seconds left.

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side to break the tie. 3-2 Yankees.

9:49: And to think CC actually looked good bunting in batting practice three hours ago…– Futterman* * * As the appointed Yankees fan here, I feel it is my duty to inform the readers that we aren’t being lazy with no periods in “CC”–he actually prefers it that way (it’s still short for “Carsten Charles,” though)– Di Fino 9:46: Cabrera slaps a sharp grounder up the middle. Great play by Utley to spear it, tries to flip it out of his glove, but the ball shoots into the air instead.

Infield hit for Cabrera, though Utley did prevent Swisher from getting to third.

9:44: Swisher draws a four-pitch walk to start the fifth. Cool split screen by Fox shows the adjustment Swisher made in his batting stance to avoid getting fooled on breaking balls. That was pretty sweet, actually.

9:42: Sabathia strikes out Blanton to end the inning after intentionally walking Ruiz. 2-2 tie after four. We got us a ballgame.* * * Yeah, if this was the NFL, right before Sabathia threw the next pitch, there would have been a delay as the Yankees called for the replay. Then everyone would see Howard didn’t touch home.

But the call would stand due to some interpretation that no one ever heard of — like “home plate can’t cause a fumble.”– Power 9:40: Lost in all this hullabaloo about Howard not touching home

plate was Sabathia throwing a dead-on bullet to second base to try and get Feliz on the advance.– Di Fino* * * I wouldn’t want to be a catcher with Howard coming in. Gave him the neighborhood play on tagging home, but….– Power* * * All things considered, Matt, I’ve seen much worse Damon throws.

If we had instant replay, that would be an out.

9:39: Feliz singles to left!

Noodle-arm Damon fields the short hop…makes a pretty darn good throw…and Howard jars the ball loose! Feliz to second on the throw, and we’re tied at 2!

Watching the replay…Howard never touched home plate!

Phillies bench was yelling at Howard to go back and touch home. Doesn’t matter, though, no one else saw it.

One again: Instant replay, please.* * * There is a silver lining in all this for Yankee fans: Johnny Damon will only be paid $13 million a year to play left field like that and throw like he’s using the wrong hand for possibly another three-and-a half games.– Futterman 9:36: Ibanez, jammed, pops out to right for the second out.

Looked like he jammed himself.

There’s a difference between fixating on small sample-size failures and deeper concerns.

Ibanez got hurt mid-season, and hasn’t been the same since. Not that we should have expected him to maintain a 1.000 OPS

pace. But he’s a below-average hitter right now.

9:35: Nice play by A-Rod gets Werth for the first out, and Howard can’t advance.

9:33: A Ryan Howard stolen base!!!!!! Apparently anyone can steal second when the other team’s not expecting it. Though he did steal eight this season.

Still, not even a throw for Posada. I’d say he read the pitcher there.* * * Howard has stolen bases a few times this year, especially after losing weight in offseason. Don’t let the body fool you, he can run OK when he gets going. And Davey Lopes, the first-base coach, does great coaching. He has pitchers stealing too.– Power 9:32: A Ryan Howard sighting!

Slashes a single up the middle to start the fourth. Good spot for Philly here with Werth up.

9:30: Can we get a message down to the Yankee dugout, particularly to Swisher and Posada, that they should not linger in the batter’s box looking dismayed when the umpire has the audacity to call strikes on them. It represents the Empire at its most obnoxious — as if anyone dares to suggest that pitch that a Yankee doesn’t swing at might actually be in the strike zone.– Futterman* * * Feels like a typical Phillies midseason game now: decent pitching by a non-ace, solid defense, maddening at-bats by the home team…In the regular season, it then has one out-ofnowhere inning for the offense,

including a bit hit by — yes — Rollins. Well, Phillies fans can hope, anyway.– Power 9:26: Cano chases a pitch in the dirt for strike three. Eleven in a row retired by Blanton. Still 2-1 Yankees, going to the bottom of the fourth.

9:25: Looked like Blanton got his third overly generous called third-strike call, but replay shows his curve nipped the absolute edge of the outside corner, kneehigh. Terrific pitch. Blanton’s definitely looking good after his first-inning adventure.

9:20: My favorite line of the night from Twitter so far: “@vegaswatch Nice job by CC getting Utley there, now the pitcher has to lead off for PHI next inning.”

(He means Ryan Howard.)

9:18: Utley pops out to end the third. Seven straight set down by CC, eight straight by Blanton. 21 Yanks after three.

9:16: Hot shot from Victorino, but right at Teixeira for the second out.

9:14: Rollins flies out to left to start the bottom of the third.

Lots of talk from Joe Buck about Jimmy Rollins needing to get on base for the Phillies to be successful. Buck does know that Rollins is a wildly overrated offensive player with a .329 lifetime OBP, right?* * * Fun side note to that RBI commercial and the Large Check ceremony: CC Sabathia is an alum of that program. And their “Diamond Ball” for the Harlem Chapter (I’ve been a few times; I

somehow won the prize I donated in the blind auction two years ago) is this Thursday night in Manhattan.– Di Fino 9:10: Teixiera caught looking on another pitch below the knees to the second straight 1-2-3 inning

by Blanton. Low strike zone tonight, hitters have to be ready to swing at anything above the ankles.

9:08: Huge diving play by Feliz gets Jeter to start the third.

Blanton absolutely needs to keep the leadoff hitters off base, and he doesn’t have swing-and-amiss stuff, so he really needs his defense to make plays tonight.

9:03: CC gets Blanton on a slider in the dirt. 2-1 NY after two.

9:01: Chooch grounds out to Jeter for out number two. Much easier for both pitchers against the bottom of the lineups.

8:58: Feliz flies out to right to start the bottom of the second.

Carlos Ruiz earns “Chooooooooooooch” chants aplenty as he steps to the plate.

8:55: Blanton induces a flyout to left by Cabrera, then catches Sabathia looking to end a much needed 1-2-3 inning.* * * Building off Jonah’s pseudo trivia question from before, this Joe Blanton (6 3, 252 pounds)CC Sabathia matchup is only four total pounds and one inch less than the CC Sabathia-Ryan Howard (6 4, 256 pounds) matchup.– Di Fino* * * It’s easier to look good against WORLD page 62

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10:41: Feliz grounds to A-Rod. Throw to first…oh, did Teixeira stay on the bag? NEIGH!* * * Maybe A-Rod isn’t a mudder.– Power 10:38: Cano pops out to Ruiz to end the inning. 3-2 Phils going to the bottom of the fourth.

10:36: Posada grounds out to short for the second out. The ARod homer definitely changed the complexion of the game, though. Maybe you think about sticking with Pettitte a little longer, though, since you’re less desperate for runs down 3-2 instead of 3-0. Crowd’s very quiet now too.* * * Ahh, Jeffrey Maier grew up and became a cameraman. Grrrr. Still seems lame to have the thing protruding into fair play.– Power 10:35: Ruled a home run. Go technology!

Yanks within 3-2.

10:33: Controversy in Philly! ARod with a slicing shot to right…hits the camera overhanging the wall and bounces back into play. Ruled a double. Should clearly be a home run.

And we’re going to the replay.* ** Why the heck is a camera hanging over the wall?– Power* ** The view from here, for what it’s worth, is that it hit the camera and it should be a home run.

Even Johnny Red Sox fan agrees.— Di Fino 10:31: Hamels JUST misses on a fastball low and inside. One-out walk, here comes A-Rod.

10:29, part two: Damon, who’s looked strangely overmatched for much of the playoffs, flies out to right to start the fourth.

10:29: Former Expos coach Pete Mackanin getting some face time in the World Series! Not pictured: John Boccabella.

10:29: From ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick: “@ jcrasnick Cole Hamels has thrown 10 balls in the first three innings. Hard to beat that.”

10:26: Journal staffer and Yankee fan Brian Fitzgerald writes in on how the Yankees played the Hamels bunt that became a base hit in the second inning: “No one was prepared for a bunt we all saw coming. Pettitte should have had it. He takes a bad angle, almost like he was headed home. Posada shouldn’t have been out there. And even ARod came in, and stopped, so he was caught in no-man’s land.

That could have been an out if Andy just goes for it. And, it was to the side he was falling to postpitch.”

10:25: Raging debate #2 in Hoboken: The Red Sox fan feels that Melky’s “fake throw to the fans after the last out” was because he turned and quickly realized there was a huge wall there. The other 90% of the party seems to think it was just him messing with the Phillies fans.

Red Sox fan is a lawyer, so his arguing is making this go on a little longer than normal, but my official position: Young player in one of the biggest games of his career still finds time to have fun

with the fans. Wall not a factor.– Di Fino 10:24: Werth flies out to right for out number two. Ibanez quick flyout to center ends the inning.

It’ll be interesting to see what Girardi does next time Petttitte’s spot is due up, assuming he continues this much more efficient pace.* * * A Phillies flaw during the season was sitting on early leads, so I hope next inning or two they do something.– Power 10:23: That’s six straight strikeouts for Howard in this World Series by the way. Wow. 10:21: Four ABs for Utley and Howard, four Ks. It’s the righties that have killed him tonight.

10:17: Heartthrob Jayson Werth can play D too. Good jump on a sinking Jeter liner for the third out.

10:14: Absolutely, Nando. Of course the best formula for the Yankees is to use only four pitchers all postseason: sevenplus innings by each of their top three starters, then Rivera. But the bullpen’s pretty deep, some struggles by Joba and Hughes aside.

Two quick outs by Hamels to start the third, groundouts by Cabrera and Pettitte.

10:13: To work off Jonah’s point, I was tuned into New York’s ESPN Radio affiliate this evening around 5 p.m., and the host was just trashing Chad Gaudin, saying he hadn’t pitched in a month and that a $200 million roster shouldn’t have to rely on him. But if Pettitte gets an

early hook, and Aceves turns out to be ineffective (or if Girardi doesn’t want to use him), we could see him doing a little long relief tonight. Which excites me: I’ve liked Gaudin since seeing him pitch in Tampa Bay’s bullpen about six years ago. He’s not as much of a punchline as people think.– Di Fino 10:12: Fifty-one pitches by Pettitte through two, by the way.

10:11: Ginormous curve drops right into the strike zone to freeze Utley for his second strikeout of the game. Inning over. Pettitte was precariously close to getting yanked, desperately needed that out.

3-0 Phils after two.

10:09: ESPN’s Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) notes that Pettitte hadn’t issued a bases-loaded walk all season before Rollins’ base on balls.

10:08: Victorino jammed on an inside fastball, but gets enough bat on it for a sacrifice fly. 3-0 Phils, though a big second out for Pettitte.

10:07: Pettitte bounces one in the dirt for ball four. Run scores, 2-0 Phillies. Pettitte looks awful right now. Wonder how quickly Girardi will get the bullpen cranking.

10:05: 3-0 on Rollins. Ruh-roh.

10:03: Just a fantastic bunt by Hamels. So well-placed, confuses both Pettitte and Posada, everyone’s safe. Bases loaded, one out. Trouble time for Pettitte.

10:02: Chooch Ruiz, who might be more beloved than any other Phillie right now, draws a one-

out walk. Hamels sacrifice imminent.* * * Swisher mighta been burned by being unfamiliar with stadium.

That’s a hard, unforgiving wall out there — I know, since I have Sunday-plan tickets above it.

You have to go straight back to it, if you can, and then look up….– Power 9:59: Feliz nearly cranks another one, deep fly hits the right-field wall on the fly for a one-out double. Phillies are taking a good approach against Pettitte so far.

Well, the right-handed hitters are, anyway.

9:58: Three lefty batters, three Ks against Pettitte. Credit the veteran for not being afraid to go back to the sinking breaking ball after the Werth bomb.

9:57: WOW. Jayson Werth just reached to his ankles to golf an off-speed pitch deep into the leftfield bleachers. Crazy to think he was a token major league fourth outfielder a few short years ago.

1-0 Phils.* * * Werth has tremendous power.

And has become the No. 1 heartthrob of many female Phillies fans, actually, since Utley got married. That’s inside info, there.— Power* * * Raging debate here in Hoboken: Could Swisher have caught that ball? After 3-4 DVR rewinds, the consensus is… maybe.– Di Fino 9:52: Joe Buck: If batting practice is any indication, Nick Swisher will break out of his slump tonight. Next pitch: Inning WORLD page 63

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to his favorite target, Sidney Rice, for a first down at the Packer 22. Minnesota calls a timeout with 48 seconds left.

5:28: Vikings inching toward field goal range as the clock hits one minute. But shouldn’t they take a shot at the end zone here?

5:24: This is the kind of day it’s been for Green Bay so far: By starting at their own 40 on this drive, Minnesota actually has some of its worst field position of the game.

5:23: Rodgers is sacked again, this time by Pat Williams, setting up another third and forever.

Rodgers’ pass sails out of bounds. Minnesota will get one more chance to inflict damage.

They’ll take over at their own 40 with 2:20 left in the half.

5:20: Rodgers gets some good protection on third and three and hits Donald Driver for a first down at the Packer 21. The end zone is still a very long way off, considering that Green Bay doesn’t even have 50 yards of total offense yet.

5:17: Too bad they’re not checking this blog in the Vikings’ booth. Childress elects to go for it, but sticks with the obvious call: hand-off to Peterson. Which the Pack — and every single human being watching this game — was expecting. He comes up short and Green Bay takes over at its own 8 with just under seven minutes to play in the half.

5:14: Another potential huge break for Minnesota, as Green Bay is flagged for a neutral-zone

infraction as the Vikings were preparing to kick a field goal.

Childress is calling for a measurement to find out exactly how close to a first down the penalty moves his team. Is it just a foot or two? Or is it more than a yard? I say go for it no matter what. Everyone will be expecting a hand-off to Peterson — so it would be a great spot for a play action pass to the end zone that would break the Packers’ backs.

5:10: From the Packer 49, Peterson breaks into the open field and carries the ball all the way to the Packer 16. Minnesota is pretty much dominating right now.

5:09: QB stat watch. Favre: 8-9 for 64 yards and a TD. Rodgers: 4-9 for 32 yards and no TDs (plus that sack a minute ago).

5:05: Jared Allen sacks Rodgers on first down and Ahman Green goes nowhere on second and 18, setting up an impossible third down. Here comes Kapinos, the pride of Penn State, for another punt. Very dangerous spot here for the Packers. If Favre can lead the Vikings down for another TD, the rout will be on.

5:05: The Minnesota touchdown provokes a mixed response at Will’s. A small contingent of Vikings fans, sitting in the corner under a deer antler chandelier, cheers loudly. One female fan yells, “Go Favre!”

A few feet away a Packers fan shoots a long glare. “If they want to cheer like that, they should be at Redmond’s,” he says, the fan next to him looking confused.

“It’s a Vikings bar.” During the replay, a couple of frustrated Packers fans gesture to the TV that Mr. Favre is No. 1. — Martin 5:02: My NFL pet peeve of the day: The kickoff and return are defined as a separate possession, meaning that we get a commercial break before and after it.

4:59: That was a nice, efficient drive. Favre finds Visanthe Shiancoe in the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown pass. Favre hit three different receivers on that 51-yard drive and the Vikings now lead 14-3 with 10:42 left in the half. I think I heard some booing after that TD, but this time it wasn’t directed at Favre …

4:59: At Will’s, a Packers fan who still “loves Favre” laments after another third-down completion, “He went 13-3 the last year and we let him go.”

Instead of the boos, he thinks Packer fans should give favre a standing ovation to mess with his head. — Martin 4:56: Off another Packer punt, Favre & Co. take over near midfield. And on third and four, Favre hits Harvin for a first down at the Green Bay 35. The crowd and its booing is having no impact on No. 4. (Or if it is, it’s not the impact the crowd is intending.)

4:54: Man, it really is a crazy NFL day: The Titans are winning.

SECOND QUARTER 4:51: A juggling five-yard catch

by Ryan Grant ends the first quarter. 7-3 Minnesota. Time for the first Wanda Sykes Show promo of the afternoon.

4:48: I wonder what would have happened if Favre had instinctively performed the Lambeau Leap after that touchdown.

4:44: Adrian Peterson takes it inside the one on third and goal.

Go for it? Childress says yes.

Here we go … touchdown!

Peterson gets the call and, after his body is stopped short of the goal, reaches his arms out and breaks the plane. 7-3 Vikings now, 1:17 to go in the quarter.

4:42: Now it’s the Vikings turn to catch a big break. After Chester Taylor is stopped cold on third and five, the Pack’s Johnny Jolly turns around and head butts him. Half the distance to the goal. First down.

4:39: Nice set-up on the kickoff return by Fox’s Thom Brennaman. As the kick arrives in Percy Harvin’s hands, Brennaman calls him “electrifying” — and the reciver/kick returned promptly runs it all the way back to the Packer 14.

4:37: That could — and should — have been a lot worse for Minnesota. Rodgers and the Pack fail to move the ball. Green Bay settles for a 37-yard Mason Crosby field goal for a 3-0 lead with 5:05 left in the quarter.

4:34: There’s the first big break of the game. Favre is in the shotgun, trying to communicate with his line, but center Jon

Cooper snaps it anyway and the ball bounces off Favre’s leg. The Pack recovers after an ensuing scramble for a first down at the Viking 20. Aikman notes that the Vikings are using a silent count — no excuse for that ball being snapped.

4:32: I can’t say the Pack was timid and restrained on that possession. Rodgers went deep on first down, but no Packer receiver was close. His thirddown attempt misfired, too, forcing Jeremy Kapinos to make his second punt of the day.

7:20 left in the quarter and the Vikings will get it at their own 39.

4:29: Dear Lord. Fox is hyping the “Favre cam,” which is available on the Web and is trained on No. 4 for every second of the game. Doesn’t this violate some kind of anti-stalking law?

4:28: The crowd comes right back to life as Favre’s third and nine pass to Bernard Berrian drops incomplete. Punter Chris Kluwe boots it into the end zone, setting up the Pack with a first and 10 at their own 20. 8:15 left in the quarter. Terry Bradshaw was calling for a shootout before the game, but so far both offenses seem a bit tentative and restrained.

4:27: Cheering below mounted moose heads, Packers fans, nearly all of them standing at Will’s, are intermittently shouting, “Go, Pack, Go!” and booing. One fan in a yellow NFL page 64

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Cabrera, Swisher and Sabathia, especially the way things have been going the first three games, but Blanton seems to have settled in nicely, clearly finding a rhythm in the second inning.

Question is can he survive the second run through the Yankees lineup, which was Hamels’ undoing last night. This series seems more than any in recent memory to be a race to the other team’s bullpen. It’s hard to remember a time when everyone seemed so fixated on pitch counts and how far each starting pitcher could make it.– Futterman 8:52: Swisher caught looking on a sinker that was just barely at the knees, and may have been low. Swish was none too pleased at the call.

8:50: Sabathia’s getting about 15 mph of separation between his fastball and slider tonight, and he’s spotting his slider anywhere he wants. You can have a heckuva lot of success as a twopitch pitcher with that formula.

8:49: Game on. If Blanton has a good second inning, Phils fans will feel they have a shot here in the “One Ace and a Joe” game.– Power 8:48: Another looping breaking ball, Ibanez waves at it for strike three. Nice escape by Sabathia. 2 -1 Yanks after one.

8:45: After further review, we figure unless Frank Howard faced some monster back in the day, Howard vs. Sabathia probably wins for biggest matchup in World Series history.

Werth gets an intentional pass

after CC fell behind. Ibanez with two on and two out.

8:44: I will give Philly fans credit for this: Instead of just electing for the run-of-the-mill, banal “Yankees suck!” chant, they actually personalized it to “CC sucks!” Just before he strikes out Ryan Howard.

Again.– Di Fino 8:43: Another slow breaking ball, dives low and away out of the zone to get Howard. Looked like Howard had no idea how to react to a non-fastball in two straight fastball counts. Two out, Utley on second, Sabathia will pitch Jayson Werth carefully here given how he smokes lefties.

8:42: Has there ever been a matchup of two bigger players in a World Series than CC Sabathia vs. Ryan Howard?

8:41: CC Sabathia just pulled the string in a big way on Howard.

Off-speed slider kind of pitch at 81. Way out in front, 3-2 count now.

8:40: The great Chase Utley, the best player on the Phillies even though two of his teammates have been MVP winners, lashes a double off the wall in right-center that just misses being a two-run homer. Victorino scores, 2-1 Yanks now.

8:39: That’s cold Matt — showing Joe Carter’s home run in Philly?! Also, Joe Carter’s home run is indirectly responsible for me meeting my future wife.

Long, complicated story that starts with “Buck A Blue” night at the campus pub.

8:36: Victorino’s Texas Leaguer

eludes Damon’s dive, after JD misjudged the ball off the bat.

One-out double.

8:35: Getting Nick Swisher’s bat in the lineup is a good thing.

He’s not even a terrible fielder.

But man, he seems to turn more plays into adventures than almost anyone else, doesn’t he?* * * During the half-inning, the jumbo screen in centerfield played a promo for Fox that showed a series of great moments in World Series history — including Reggie’s homers from 1977 and Joe Carter’s blast against the Phillies in 1993. Not sure I’ve ever seen the Yankees’ screen in centerfield ever show highlights of Boston in 2004.

Hard to imagine the Steinbrenners allowing such blasphemy.– Futterman* * * No surprise A-Rod draws Phils fans’ ire, Matt. A player who can hurt you, who also annoys you (ego/cheating) is the combo that will get you the Bronx cheer here — or Broad Street cheer, should say.– Power 8:33: Cano flies to center to end the top of the first. Phillies down two against the Yankees’ best pitcher before they’ve taken a single swing.

8:31: Posada cashes run number two with a sac fly to left. Ibanez compounds matters by throwing the ball away for an error, allowing A-Rod to move up to second. 2-0 Yankees.

8:28: Gotta love the Phillies’ strategy against A-Rod with first base open. Intentional walk? Bah. Might as well plunk him with the

first pitch. Third HBP in the past two games.

And then the umps go and spoil a delightful ploy by warning both benches. As if the Yankees did something to warrant them being warned. A robot ump would appreciate the awesomeness of saving three pitches.* * * A few too many cheers and too much celebration for A-Rod getting plunked in the back. Too much beer in the parking lot perhaps? I thought last year’s World Series had moved Philly fans beyond that sort of thing.

Come on, City of Brotherly Love, you’re better than that.– Futterman 8:26: Teixeira grounds one to first, Howard makes a diving stop, gets the out at first. Run scores, 1-0 Yankees. That was fast.* * * How many times is Philly going to hit A-Rod in this series?

Before the umps warned both benches (thus making retaliation nearly impossible), I’m sure Ryan Howard was wondering how much Charmin he’d have to stuff under his uniform before he came up to bat against Sabathia.– Di Fino 8:25: The recently slumping Johnny Damon gets ahead of Blanton 2-0, then crushes a double to right. Second and third, nobody out. I’m sure in Charlie Manuel’s mind, Cliff Lee’s already given up two homers.

8:24: Jeter starts the game with an 18-hopper in the hole on the right side. Utley dives, smothers the ball, slips and has no play.

Leadoff man’s on.

8:22: First pitch from Joe Blanton is a fastball right down Broadway for strike one. Let the record show Cliff Lee should be starting this game. Charlie Manuel might think it seems desperate to start Lee here.

Makes perfect sense! May as well save him for January, when they really need him.

8:00: I’d gladly trade a New York win over Philadelphia tonight for that football loss at their city’s hands today, but here’s a bit of a worrisome nugget: Since 1999, the cities competing in the World Series have met in the NFL in six of those ten seasons. The eventual World Series winner took four of the games. New England beat Denver in 2007, St. Louis beat Detroit in 2006, New England beat St. Louis in 2004, and Miami beat the New York Giants (I used the Jets for the Mets) in 2003. The exceptions to the rule?

The Giants beat Arizona twice in 2001 (one each for mystique and aura), and the Jets beat the Giants in 2000.

It’s obviously a small sample size and there’s no direct correlation, but, hey…fun trivia to throw at your boss tomorrow.– Di Fino 7:52: What a difference 24 hours can make. An absolutely perfect fall night for baseball here in Philadelphia. There’s a crispness in the air that says it’s the middle of the World Series.

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-ending popout to right by Nick Swisher.

Scoreless after one and a half.* * * It’s amazing how every Yankees fan here wanted that Swisher popup to drop. A girl dressed as the devil was screaming, “DROP! DROP!” as three Phillies converged under the ball.– Di Fino 9:51: Oh Robinson Cano…is there ANY pitch you won’t swing at?

Strikeout on a ball eight inches inside and low. Two down.

9:48: Jorge Posada, a terrific hitter his whole career who’s also a huge double-play threat, avoids a DP thanks mostly to a bobble

by Feliz. Force at second, one away.

9:46: A-Rod on his horse to first base after getting plunked on the first pitch

by Pettite.

9:43: Sweeping breaking ball completely fools Howard for strike three. Two straight terrific Ks to end the inning. No score after one.

9:42: Tyler Kepner of the NY Times tweets: “@ TylerKepner Philly fans are chanting “You Took Steroids” at Andy Pettitte.

We can only guess how they’ll greet the leadoff man in the top of the 2nd.”

9:40: Cole Hamels looks half asleep on the bench. Must have the same Zen consultant as Cliff Lee. 9:37: Ooof! What a slider by Pettitte to Utley on 3-2. Made him chase out of the zone, big

strikeout of Philly’s best player.

9:36: Since we’re so harsh on Joe Girardi all the time ’round these parts (with good reason), let’s give him credit for NOT doing something colossally stupid: Johnny Damon starting in left is a much, much, much better idea than Hideki Matsui hauling his carcass around out there.

Godzilla’s still a very good hitter, but he’s not even close to a passable fielder at this stage.

9:33: HUGE jump by Rollins.

Not even a throw by Posada; he read Pettitte perfectly on that steal. 3-1 count on Utley too, big opportunity here.

And Pettitte just made a pickoff throw to Jeter — with Jeter 10 feet off the bag. That was funny.

9:32: Gracious of you, Di Fino.

I’m nervous though, if a Yankees fan uses up the “one” nice remark in the first inning. I’ll say one nice thing, too. Hmmm: I admire Lou Gehrig. Oh, and yeah: The Yankees always cause grief for the Mets, that’s good.– Power 9:29: Victorino pops out for the first out. Pettitte working a lot harder here than Hamels did in his half of the inning. Trying to keep Rollins close here — he’s got a great move to first, interesting chess match.

9:28: Just to give maybe the one and only concession to Phillies fans and Power tonight… I thought it was pretty cool how Victorino wore #50 in the WBC, in honor of his home state, Hawaii.– Di Fino 9:26: Rollins hits a one-hopper that ticks off A-Rod’s glove for a

base hit. Alex needs to get on his horse to make that play.

9:22: Hamels induces a Damon groundout, then gets ahead in the count again against Teixeira.

And to finish an inning of almost exclusively fastballs, Hamels’s heater ticks the outside corner to get Tex looking. 1-2-3 go the Yanks.

9:21: Another tough inside fastball to Damon for strike two.

And the fans are LOUD as they exhort Hamels for a strikeout.

9:20: Hear those “Yankees (stink)” chants? Phillies fans started doing them early, during the NLCS; that’s how much NY animosity there is.– Power 9:19: Good pitch location by Hamels against Jeter. Fastball up and away for strike one, fastball down and in for strike two, fastball on the hands induces a groundout back to the mound.

9:17: In case anyone wonders, how those “rally towels” work is they give you one at the turnstiles when you walk in. I have about 10 at home. I guess Yankees fans tonight can use them to towel off their seat.— Power 9:15: For the record, I HATE the decision to start the game so hastily, and maybe to play tonight at all. Has MLB really forgotten the debacle that was last year’s rain-soaked World Series game, and images of B.J. Upton hydroplaning through the outfield?!

But for better or for worse, we’re about to start.

9:06: Interesting debate going on during the rain delay here in

Hoboken, as to why so many people love Pettitte yet dislike Jeter. The essence: Jeter has stayed with the Yankees his entire career while Pettitte hasn’t; Jeter never got tied up in the Mitchell Report, while Pettitte did; Jeter is affable and mediafriendly, Pettitte is dark and mysterious. Yet people still embrace Pettitte and hate Jeter.– Di Fino 8:48: Terrific hour-by-hour Citizens Bank weather forecast(via @ gtheel on Twitter). Rain through 9:45ish apparently.

8:33: Come on, play ball! We sat through worse in Game 5 last year. Flyballs looked like a Wiffle Ball being tossed toward a ceiling fan.– Power 8:32: My Phillies friend in Jersey says: “Was hysterical here trick-or-treating in south central Jersey, the crossroads of sports.

Literally walk up one side of street get high fives and cheers, Walk down the other side of street and a little girl dressed in fairy wings gives you a ‘go yankees,’ ‘boo phillies’…she got guts.”– Power 8:22: MLB.com’s Noah Coslov has the latest on Twitter: “@ mlbCoz Groundskeeper just told me that there’s another band of rain to get through, but then we’ll play. Could be 45 minutes.”

8:09: It’s stopped raining, they’re just assessing the field conditions and the weather patterns. Meanwhile, they’re showing late-inning action from Game 2. I’m guessing Phillies

fans have changed the channel to college football or televised root canals or anything that isn’t Game 2.

8:05: The start of the game is being delayed by light rain in Philadelphia. A Major League Baseball official tells Fox that he expects to get the game in tonight. We’ll keep you posted.– Editor 7:57: So much could happen in tonight’s game. This could be the night Nick Swisher gets off the schneid. Maybe Brad Lidge returns to the Lidge of old in a big spot. Jeter, Howard, Posada, Utley, Pettitte, Hamels…so many possible heroes and goats.

Only one thing is certain. In honor of Alex Rodriguez’s portrait of himself as a Centaur over his bed, there will be a ton of man-beast hybrid humor. A Minotaur a minute, if you will.

7:55: I am here at a party in Hoboken, N.J., (”Birthplace of Frank Sinatra and baseball”) with a bunch of Yankees fans, one poor, poor Phillies fan, and two admitted Sox fans. The Sox fans (one dressed as a character from the Karate Kid and the other as Geppetto) claim they have no rooting interest in this Series.

Their Yankee hatred has turned to more indifference and resignation at the pinstripes “buying another championship.”– Di Fino 7:00 p.m. ET: As a baseball and Halloween fan, I can already tell this night will be memorable.

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Packers T-shirt yells at a Vikings fan, “No, he stabbed us in the back!” One female fan wearing an Aaron Rodgers jersey says as the commercial break comes, “Oh, Brett Favre I still love you.

I do.” — Martin 4:24: That’ll quiet the crowd.

Favre connects with Chester Taylor — last seen letting a completion slip through his hands and into those of a Steeler defender, who returned it all the way to the end zone in the fourth quarter last week — on third and five for a nice first down.

4:21: The Pack’s opening drive conks out around midfield and the punting unit comes on and pins Minnesota back at the 17. Which means it’s Favre time.

The Fox announcers dutifully stop talking for about 45 seconds to let us hear the boos.

4:17: Wow, the Pack just got away with one there. The refs whistle a Ryan Grant run dead, saying forward progress had stopped — thus negating an obvious fumble that would have given the Vikings a first down inside the Green Bay 30.

4:15: Troy Aikman uses his pregame comments to dial up the pressure on Aaron Rodgers.

Packers win the toss and want the ball. Rodgers will start at his own 22.

FIRST QUARTER 4:12: This might be the biggest day in the history of Fox Sports.

The NFL regular season game of the year, followed by a World

Series game featuring the top television draw in Major League Baseball. Oh, and they also had Lions-Rams at 1:00…

4:11: A glimpse of Favre inside the bar at Will’s Northwoods Inn on the North Side of Chicago brought a chorus of boos. A few fans cheered. Moments later, a splitscreen of Mr. Favre and Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers brought applause.– Martin 4:06: We’re a few minutes away from kickoff, which is set for 4:15. “Did you ever think you’d see the day when Brett Favre returned to Lambeau as a visiting player?” Kenny Albert, calling the gruesome Giants-Eagles game on Fox, just asked. And Favre’s return is actually only the second weirdest thing to happen in the NFL today: the Lions were actually favored to win a game.

(But they lost, 17-10 to the Rams.)

3:47 ET: A few minutes ago, Fox took a quick break from the latest ugly Giants loss to Philadelphia to show Brett Favre taking the field for warm-ups.

Not surprisingly, the crowd received him with boos. At least I think the boos were coming from the crowd. It could also be my Giant fan neighbors, who have been cursing and shouting at their TV all afternoon.

Pregame: At Will’s Northwoods Inn on Chicago’s North Side, three hours before the afternoon game with the Vikings and Brett

Favre, Packer fans sit at the bar wearing jerseys of Donald Driver, Aaron Rodgers and Bart Starr.

Only 47-year-old Remy Billups has the courage to wear a green No. 4 Favre jersey. Unlike the majority of Packers fans, Mr. Billups believes both Mr. Favre and the Packers organization are at fault for the star quarterback’s separation two seasons ago. So Mr. Billups views his jersey choice as an homage to Mr. Favre’s long tenure. “I appreciate what he did for 15 years,” says Mr. Billups, who hasn’t worn the No. 4 jersey since the 2007 NFC Championship game - Mr. Favre’s final game as a Packer. “I root against him, sure, but I dont hate the guy.”

That is, until the game starts. Mr. Billups is wearing a yellow Packers hat, and Packers tennis shoes, but once today’s game starts, Mr. Billups will shed the Favre jersey for a green T-shirt with the Packers logo. “Once the game starts, Favre’s the enemy,” he says. — Martin Intro: Maybe you dont like the Yankees or the Dodgers, but admit it: Part of you was hoping theyd both make it to the World Series this year, just to witness the spectacle of Joe Torre leading an enemy team into Yankee Stadium.

It may be the most delicious storyline in sports local hero gets the boot, finds new team, then comes back with revenge in his

eyes. So it goes with todays Packers-Vikings game, which maybe youve heard features Brett Favres first trip to Lambeau Field since his exile from cheese country after the 2007 season.

Lets give Favre his due: he understands, appreciates, and revels in the soap opera atmosphere that surrounds this game. The chance to play in Green Bay is one of the reasons he pushed so hard for a purple jersey. This isnt always the case in sports remember Bob Knight buying his way out of a return visit to Indiana while coaching at Texas Tech?

What no one could have expected in August, though, is that the Minnesota team invading Lambeau today would have an opportunity to effectively clinch the NFC North. But here they are. With a win, the Vikings would stretch their mark to 7-1 and complete a season sweep of Green Bay, which would fall three games behind in the division race. Its hard to believe that just over two months ago, the consensus was that Favres return was an act of selfishness on his part and desperation on Minnesotas and that a disastrous season would ensue.

The Vikings lost at Pittsburgh last week, 27-17. But they still gained a measure of respect through their performance. Twice in the fourth quarter, Favre brought his team into the red zone with a chance for a go-

ahead TD; and twice the opportunistic Steeler defense forced turnovers and ran them back for touchdowns. Otherwise, Minnesota played a very solid game on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions.

Green Bay is still waiting for such a performance. They posted a decent win at home against the Bears in week one, but otherwise theyve feasted on cupcakes St. Louis, Detroit and Cleveland.

And, of course, there was that 23 -20 loss to Favre and the Vikings Oct. 5.

That said, Aaron Rodgers is putting up numbers every bit as good as Favres (and maybe slightly better): 1,702 yards, 11 touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 110.8 quarterback rating.

And the Packer defense is rated third in the league (while the Vikings are just 17 th). Add in the home-field advantage and the desperation factor (theres a big difference between trailing the division by one game and three games) and it makes sense that the Packers are a three-point favorite.

How will the locals treat Favre?

How will Rodgers handle the pressure? And will we have a real race in the NFC North this year?

Were going to learn a lot this afternoon.

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Ford earnings boost Wall St sentiment

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No apparent panic from the Phillies, who aren’t sending Cliff Lee to the mound on three days rest in favor of Joe Blanton. In the pregame interview, Lee said he told manager Charlie Manuel he was fine to try, but he’s never done it in his career and Manuel is going with Blanton with no regrets, at least not yet. As Manuel goes, so go the Phillies, who were their usual loose selves during warmups, chatting with the press, and joking around with one another.

The Yankees, meanwhile, are maintaining their own sort corporate distance. Always interesting to see CC Sabathia taking batting practice. The big boy can give the ball a ride, though he’s more likely to play small ball of course and was doing plenty of bunting during batting practice. On the other hand, Derek Jeter either isn’t planning on bunting with two strikes again or figures the other night’s failures were a fluke. No bunting practice for Derek this evening. No surprise here, but Mark Teixeira wowed the crowd with a shot into the second deck near centerfield in warmups, no

small feat, as Nick Swisher pointed out to him when he left the cage.

At the risk of generalizing about 45,000 people, fans here don’t seem too optimistic at the moment, but there was mayhem in the parking lot after the Eagles pasted the Giants a few hours ago. Maybe Philly has one more party in store.– Futterman 7:45 p.m. ET: Philly fans are hoping this is a double-dip Sunday — the football Eagles already beat the N.Y. Giants this afternoon. Now, a little baseball game. Was surprised by the amount of red in the Lincoln Financial Field stands during the Eagles game, and even a “Let’s Go Phillies” chant. The ultimate day in Philly is going to the big football game and walking across the parking lot to the Phillies game (in this case, with a fourhour break between them; time for a beverage).– Power Pregame: In the playoffs, every event is magnified. Reputations are built, or torn down, based on one series, one game, one at-bat, one pitch. Alex Rodriguez was a playoff choker, until he wasn’t, until he was again, until he

wasn’t again. Cliff Lee was an uncertain commodity — until he pitched one of the best games in World Series history.

The most egregious recent example of this small sample size overreaction was Nick Swisher. Heading into Saturday night’s Game 3, Swisher was 4 for 40 in this year’s playoffs.

Was there something wrong with Swisher? Was he a choker? Did he not fit the ridiculous label that is “True Yankee”, wilting under the expectations of the spooky ghosts of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Miguel Cairo? Joe Girardi apparently thought so earlier this series. Girardi pulled a rarely seen Double Small Sample Size Overreaction, benching Swisher in Game 2 for his slump, and replacing him with Jerry Hairston, who’d had some success against Pedro Martinez in his career — never mind that the sum of that history was 27 atbats, and that he’d last faced Pedro five years ago.

Girardi came to his senses in Game 3, and was rewarded for going back to his everyday right fielder: Swisher went 2 for 4 with a double and a long homer last

night, reminding people that this is the same guy who racked up a .371 on-base average and .498 slugging average this season, to go with his 29 home runs.

You’ll surely hear a lot more of this nonsense tonight. Ryan Howard has gone 0 for 8 in his last two games with seven strikeouts; Johnny Damon’s hitting .222 with a .263 OBP (though the overreaction to his rough postseason may have ended last night on the strength of one at-bat — a game-winning two-run double). If you’re a fan, a member of the media, or especially a manager of one of these two teams, you might want to tattoo these words on your forehead, so you don’t forget them every time you see yourself in the mirror: Good players are good players, and lousy players are lousy players. Forget aura, mystique, ghosts, clutch hitting and choking. Put your best players in the game and let them win it or lose it for you. Period.

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(Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 11/2/2009 6:01:50 AM

US equity index futures were modestly firmer early on Monday, buoyed by hopes of better economic data this week and an earnings surprise from Ford that may offset a poor October for the market.

Less than an hour before the opening bell, S&P 500 futures were up 5.2 points at 1,038 and were trading above fair value of 1,032.92. The December contract traded at a high of 1,041.50 and a low of 1,027.20 earlier in the session.

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Ovechkin Hurt in Loss to Columbus

By Adam Gretz (FanHouse)

and Columbus Blue Jackets played an overtime thriller on Sunday afternoon, with the

by Adam Gretz Jackets picking up the 5-4 win Filed under: Blue Jackets, thanks to R.J. Umberger's gameCapitals, NHL Injuries, NHL winner (and second goal of the Videos The Washington Capitals game) at the 1:45 mark of the Submitted at 11/1/2009 8:40:00 PM

extra frame.

Perhaps the biggest concern for Capitals fans isn't the outcome on the scoreboard, but the status of the league's leading scorer and back-to-back MVP winner, Alex Ovechkin, who left the game after playing just 7:43.

Ovechkin Hurt in Loss to Columbus originally appeared on Fanhouse NHL Blog on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Boston Celtics, Rajon Rondo have an agreement in principle on contract extension

By ESPN.com news services (ESPN.com)

become a restricted free agent on July 1. The Celtics have not confirmed that any deal has been Submitted at 11/2/2009 6:51:15 AM struck.

Report: Celtics/Rondo Contract Duffy said he called Celtics Extension Report: Celtics/Rondo president Danny Ainge on Contract Extension Sunday to inform him Rondo was Facing a Monday deadline, the prepared to play out his contract Boston Celtics and Rajon Rondo and become a restricted free have reached an agreement in agent next summer because they principle on a contract extension, weren't satisfied with the team's his agent confirmed to ESPN The offers. Ainge, according to Magazine's Ric Bucher.

Duffy, then gave ground to finish The deal is for five years and off the deal. will be worth at least $55 million, Before the Celtics played host to a source confirmed to Bucher.

New Orleans on Sunday night in "As much as we were willing to a testy showdown with Hornets wait his contract out, the Celtics g u a r d C h r i s P a u l , R o n d o stepped up to the plate to meet reiterated his monthlong stance the original request," Rondo's that he wasn't thinking about the agent, Bill Duffy, told Yahoo! deadline and hadn't spoken to his Sports, which first reported the agent recently. deal. "This is a really fair More on the Celtics contract. We wanted him to be Chris Forsberg has the Celtics paid like one of the top five point covered for ESPNBoston.com. guards around. It also allows the Check in for constantly updated Celtics to maintain continuity to coverage. Blog continue to be one of the best "I ain't called him at all," Rondo teams at this time." told reporters of Duffy. "He calls The Celtics and Rondo were me. I don't call him. If he has faced with a Sunday night anything, he'll call me. I'm deadline at midnight to work out focused on the season. It's not a deal. Had the sides not been like I'm worried about the able to come to an agreement on contract. I had a tough first week. an extension, Rondo would have I can't really be selfish and focus

on myself when I've got Mo Williams, Raymond Felton, Chris Paul and Derrick Rose. It wouldn't be fair to my team if I was thinking about that right now."

Rondo's camp appeared prepared to scrap the idea of further talks and consider the matter of an extension closed as recently as last Monday. Yet a meeting Tuesday before Boston's first game in Cleveland between Ainge and Duffy resuscitated talks, with Boston making unspecified improvements to its previous offer.

Rondo is earning $2.3 million this season in the last year of his rookie contract. He averaged 11.9 points, 8.2 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game last season but pushed those averages to an impressive near triple-double in the playoffs with star forward Kevin Garnett sidelined.

Information from ESPN.com NBA senior writer Marc Stein and ESPNBoston.com was used in this report.

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WORLD continued from page 63

Here in suburban Philly (but only a few minutes from New Jersey), it has been little clowns, mobsters and ghouls showing up at the door — and occasional little Yankees kids (they get candy too). The parents have quick baseball-talk with each other, pretty cool. The main theme: Will Hamels be a treat or trick?

Most Phils fans are OK with Girardi relying so much on Sabathia, because the assumption is he’ll be lights-out two more times, but that’s a lot to assume.– Power Pregame: Despite Thursday night’s loss, the Phillies return home for tonight’s Game 3 with home-field advantage in hand and a chance to take command of the World Series. For that to happen, they’ll need to get an appearance from Good Cole Hamels. Or more precisely, Not Unlucky Cole Hamels.

Conventional wisdom has it that Hamels has taken a big step back this season, straining under a 2008 workload that saw him throw 262.1 innings between the regular season and three rounds of playoffs, not to mention all the pitches thrown in spring training, in warmups, tosses to first base, Nintendo Wii strain, and whatever other motions his left arm went through. In fact, the only thing separating 2008 Cole Hamels from 2009 Cole Hamels

is luck. His strikeout, walk, home -run, groundball, flyball and linedrive rates all look remarkably similar from one year to the next.

The biggest difference? Batters have found more holes this season: Hamels’ batting average allowed on balls in play in ‘09 was an abnormally high .325; last year, it was a low .270. In fact, Hamels’ Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP), a figure that runs along a similar scale to ERA but strips out factors a pitcher can’t control (including team defense and ballpark effects) was an identical 3.72 both this year and last year.

On top of all that, Hamels matches up well against a Yankees lineup that’s more dangerous against right-handers than left-handers, with a total of seven lefties/switch-hitters. But after a masterful 2008 playoffs, observers are still waiting for Hamels to come through with his first dominant start of this postseason. With the Yankees sending out Andy Pettitte, himself an underrated pitcher for consistent excellence in his usual role as second (or third) banana, a fascinating battle of lefties awaits.

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Video shows Florida Gators linebacker Fantasy Football Sunday Brandon Spikes in apparent eyeWrap: Ominous Day for gouging play vs. Georgia Bulldogs Steve Slaton Owners

By ESPN.com news services (ESPN.com)

gouge Ealey's eyes as the Georgia player lie at the bottom of a pile-up after a play. A flag Submitted at 11/2/2009 6:11:05 AM wasn't thrown on the play, which Brandon Spikes' fourth-quarter was captured clearly on CBS' interception for a touchdown national broadcast of the game.

Saturday punctuated top-ranked The incident was news to coach Florida's 41-17 victory over the Urban Meyer on Sunday during a Georgia Bulldogs. conference call with reporters.

With the Gators on top of the "If that's the case, I'll have a very BCS standings for another week, serious talk with him," Meyer though, it's another Spikes play said. that has resonated -- for all the Spikes led Florida with a gamewrong reasons. high 10 tackles as the Gators held A v i d e o f r o m S a t u r d a y ' s the Bulldogs scoreless in the first broadcast shows the senior, All- and fourth quarters, bookends to America linebacker shoving his a futile effort by quarterback Joe hand into the top of Georgia Cox, who finished with 165 running back Washaun Ealey's yards passing, two touchdowns facemask at some point during and three interceptions. the game.

That performance included It appears to be an attempt to Georgia's team-wide celebration

following Cox's 26-yard TD pass to Aron White that cut Florida's lead to 14-10 in the second quarter.

In 2007, the Bulldogs used a similar celebration -- an end-zone stomp that drew flags and Florida's ire -- to propel them to a rare victory in the series.

On Saturday, Florida responded by taking a 24-10 into halftime and essentially putting the game out of reach by the second possession of the second half.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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By Matt Snyder (FanHouse) Submitted at 11/1/2009 7:45:00 PM

by Matt Snyder Filed under: Sunday Wrap-Up, NFL Value Machine Sunday Evening Wrap checks out players who increased or decreased their value during the Sunday afternoon games.

Faller of the Week: Steve Slaton was most likely a first-round pick, the centerpiece of your fantasy football squad.

Obviously, his being benched after just three touches and a lost fumble had a huge impact on your fantasy game this week, but looking to the future, it's much more scary. Ryan Moats was impressive with Slaton out, which does not bode well for Slaton's future. The Texans are in the midst of chasing their firstever playoff berth, so they aren't going to run someone out there who repeatedly gives the ball away. It's entirely possible Slaton

loses his job at some point this season. Thus, he easily takes the biggest hit in fantasy value for this week. More Fantasy Football: Sunday's Top Performers| Waiver Wire Wonders Fantasy Football Sunday Wrap: Ominous Day for Steve Slaton Owners originally appeared on Fanhouse Fantasy Football on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Behnaz Sarafpour's Sleek Fall Staple for Under $200

By ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog) Submitted at 11/2/2009 5:29:00 AM

Behnaz Sarafpour’s fall runway collection was filled with sexy

dresses, sleek second-skin leggings, and sumptuous fur chubbies. Adding shape and a bit of shine to 9 of the 30 looks was a wildly-versatile black leather belt with silver closure(Sarafpour

herself even took her end-of-

show bow wearing one). The adjustable 2 ½ inch-wide belt is just the thing to dress up jeans and a tee, or to wear over leather jackets, wool coats, even cocktail dresses.

—Violet Moon Gaynor Photos: Imaxtree Follow ELLE on Twitter.

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Wings on Pigs, Icicles in Brett Rogers: Jaws Will Hell, A-Rod a World Drop When I Fight Series Hero ... Yet Again Fedor Emelianenko

By Dan Graziano (FanHouse)

By Michael David Smith (FanHouse)

Submitted at 11/2/2009 1:28:00 AM

by Dan Graziano Filed under: Yankees, MLB Playoffs, World Series PHILADELPHIA -- If the Phillies were trying to get into Alex Rodriguez's head by hitting him with pitches, they're going to need to find another tactic, and fast. Something very strange has happened here in late 2009, and the inside of that particular head is no longer the mushy, insecure, vulnerable place it once was.

Matter of fact, when Cole Hamels hit Rodriguez with a pitch in the second inning on Halloween night, the Yankees' All-Star third baseman and would-be centaur says, it had the opposite effect.

"Kind of woke me up a little bit," Rodriguez said early Monday morning, after his ninth-inning double had broken a Game 4 tie and moved the Yankees within

Submitted at 11/2/2009 7:12:00 AM

by Michael David Smith Filed under: Strikeforce, FanHouse Exclusive Brett Rogers has the toughest task in sports ahead of him on Saturday in Chicago: Stepping into the one game of a championship. cage with the best fighter in "Just reminded me, 'Hey, this is m i x e d m a r t i a l a r t s , F e d o r the World Series. Let's get it E m e l i a n e n k o . going a little bit.' " FanHouse But Rogers, a 6-foot-4, 265World Series Coverage: Price| p o u n d h a r d - p u n c h i n g Fletcher heavyweight, says he has a Game 4: Yankees 7, Phillies 4| surprise in store for Fedor and for Box Score| Series Home MMA fans. Rogers insists that Wings on Pigs, Icicles in Hell, A Fedor has never fought anyone -Rod a World Series Hero ... Yet with his combination of size, Again originally appeared on speed and power, and he's Fanhouse MLB Blog on Mon, 02 e x p e c t i n g t o b e c o m e t h e Nov 2009 01:28:00 EST . Please heavyweight champion of MMA see our terms for use of feeds. on Saturday.

Permalink| Email this| Linking In an interview with FanHouse, Blogs| Comments Rogers discussed the fight with Fedor, growing up in the projects in Chicago and how his life has changed since beating Andrei

Arlovski in June. The full interview is below.

Brett Rogers: Jaws Will Drop When I Fight Fedor Emelianenko originally appeared on Fanhouse MMA Blog on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Around the Net In Media: Ad Agency Cliff Freeman Shuts Down (MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 11/1/2009 7:19:36 PM

Cliff Freeman & Partners, a onetime creative hotbed, is shutting its doors. The New York agency's only major client, Baskin-Robbins, says it is searching for a new shop.

Agency founder Cliff Freeman is known for creating Little Caesar's "Pizza, Pizza" ads and Wendy the Snapple Lady ads.

The shop had trouble emerging from the dot-com bust and by 2003, was leaking crucial talent.

One trio of former executives started the boutique Amalgamated. In 2005, Freeman brought in CEO Jeff McClelland, a big agency executive with time at Dentsu and Ogilvy. The idea was to help the firm adapt to changes in the ad environment and move into more multidisciplinary integrated work. McClelland had some new -business success, but he left the agency last year.

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Murder Trial Begins in Ark. Anchorwoman's Murder (FOXNews.com) Submitted at 11/2/2009 5:46:39 AM

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. A man accused of killing a popular Arkansas television personality is going on trial.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday in Little Rock in the trial of Curtis Lavelle Vance.

He has pleaded not guilty to capital murder, rape and burglary.

Click here for photos.

KATV-Little Rock anchorwoman Anne Pressly was found brutally beaten in her bed in October 2008. She died days later without regaining consciousness.

Prosecutors say they plan to use

DNA evidence and taped confessions from Vance.

Defense lawyers say police coerced Vance into providing a DNA sample before his arrest.

Vance said he was confused by "police trickery."

Vance is from Marianna, about 100 miles east of Little Rock. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

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Favre Quiets Haters, Gets Last Laugh

Brett Favre Brilliant in Return to Lambeau

By Jay Mariotti (FanHouse)

By Chris Burke (FanHouse)

Submitted at 11/1/2009 10:30:00 PM

Submitted at 11/1/2009 7:40:00 PM

by Jay Mariotti Filed under: NFL GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Shame on them for booing him, mocking him, staging funerals for him, wearing flip-flops and eating waffle fries to ridicule him. The hostility toward Brett Favre was an embarrassment to a community that never looked smaller, an affront to the idea that the publicly owned Packers and their fans form a unique family bond amid the greed and sleaze of 21st -century sports. If the Cheeseheads truly had perspective, they would have stood and applauded the man whose swaggering presence defined a franchise and state for 16 years, and then they'd have rooted like hell for their boys to

by Chris Burke Filed under: Packers, Vikings Most of the Packers fans tried their hardest to make Brett Favre feel unwelcome in his return to Lambeau Field on Sunday -booing him from the moment he emerged from the tunnel in pregame warmups until the final snap. All Favre did in response was play exactly like he always has at Lambeau.

The 40-year-old was spectacular in his first game back in Green Bay, leading the Vikings to a 3826 win that puts Minnesota in complete control of the NFC North.

"It was emotional," a slightly

beat the old dude and the despised Minnesota Vikings.

More Coverage: Packers in Pain After Another Loss to Favre, Vikings Favre Quiets Haters, Gets Last Laugh originally appeared on Fanhouse - Jay Mariotti on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:30:00 EST .

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Nintendoware Weekly: Sparkle Snapshots, Fighting Street, Carnival King & more

By JC Fletcher (Joystiq) choked-up Favre said to Fox's Pam Oliver once the game ended.

"I had a lot of years here, a lot of great years. It was pretty special."

Brett Favre Brilliant in Return to Lambeau originally appeared on Fanhouse NFL Blog on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rudy Gay Seeks Five-Year, $50 Million Contract Extension

By Chris Tomasson (FanHouse) Submitted at 11/1/2009 10:24:00 PM

by Chris Tomasson Filed under: Grizzlies, FanHouse Exclusive DENVER -- With Monday the deadline to sign a contract extension, Memphis forward Rudy Gay said it will

take a deal of about $50 million over five years to get his signature.

"I think I should be in that range,'' Gay told FanHouse before his team's 133-123 loss to Denver on Sunday night at the Pepsi Center.

However, Gay said the Grizzlies have yet to offer a deal worth as

much as $50 million over five years.

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"Yeah, you're right,'' he said.

Rudy Gay Seeks Five-Year, $50 Million Contract Extension originally appeared on Fanhouse NBA Blog on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Submitted at 11/2/2009 9:44:00 AM

Nintendo actually released a respectable number of downloadable games this week: 8 games across Virtual Console, WiiWare and DSiWare. You may have even heard of some of them!

As far as we can tell, the highlights of the week are a DSiWare photo decoration app and the embarrassing parent of the Street Fighter series. Hit the post break and find out if any of the many offerings are what you were looking to drain your Nintendo Points on.

Continue reading Nintendoware Weekly: Sparkle Snapshots, Fighting Street, Carnival King & more Nintendoware Weekly: Sparkle Snapshots, Fighting Street, Carnival King & more originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: October 26 - November 1

By Joystiq Staff (Joystiq)

released a new Halloween themed update to Team Fortress 2 and we have the skinny on the Wow. We had a ton of original five new achievements added to features this week and it doesn't the game. look like it will let up anytime • How 10 US cities would fare in soon. Let's take a look at what the zombie apocalypse: Left 4 transpired on Big Download in Dead 2 is set in New Orleans, but the past seven days: what if it was set in other major Exclusive features metropolitan areas? We speculate on what might happen.

• Reviews: We give our final • An Open Letter to Infinity verdicts to Tropico 3, Eufloria Ward: We give the Modern a n d C i t i e s X L a l o n g w i t h Warfare 2 developer our feelings impressions of the Left 4 Dead 2 o n h o w w e t h i n k t h e P C PC demo community has been • Orson Scott Card Interview: marginalized by their recent The best selling novelist talks actions. about his love of games and • The Top 10 PC Game News reveals a dream game project he Stories for October 2009: We would like to make. look back in the past 31 days for • Natural Selection 2 Interview: the big stories that affected the We chat with Unknown Worlds PC game industry. about their upcoming and long • Mac Monday: Our weekly Mac awaited FPS-RTS game on the game feature this week looks at occasion of the release of the two titles: Grappling Hook and game's first screenshots.

The Three Musketeers.

• Guide to Team Fortress 2 • Playing for Free: Our latest S c a r e c h i e v e m e n t s : V a l v e look at a free-to-play online Submitted at 11/1/2009 11:30:00 PM

game is with the RPG La Tale.

• Boot Disk: Our latest retro PC game column takes a look at the FPS title Uprising.

• Big Ideas: Our weekly look at game themes checks out if games are less challenging now than they were in the past.

• All You Need to Know: Our latest 411 article on upcoming games gives all the info on EA's By Griffin McElroy (Joystiq) WWII action game The Saboteur. Submitted at 11/1/2009 3:30:00 PM • Freeware Friday: Our popular weekly look at free PC games Capcom's recently published checks out the odd platformer financial report for the first half of the current fiscal year contains We Want YOU!. some fairly gutsy estimates for Continue reading The Best of s a l e s e x p e c t a t i o n s o f t h e Big Download: October 26 - developer's upcoming titles -- for instance, the report anticipates November 1 The Best of Big Download: s e l l i n g 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 c o p i e s o f O c t o b e r 2 6 - N o v e m b e r 1 Resident Evil 5 Alternative originally appeared on Joystiq on Edition by March 31, 2010.

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:30:00 EST. However, the company expects Please see our terms for use of one game to be its biggest blockbuster by a fairly enormous feeds.

Read| Permalink| Email this| sales margin: Lost Planet 2, which, according to the report, Comments will sell 3.7 million copies in the second half of FY 2010.

That's a fairly monumental increase compared to the sales statistics for the original Lost

Capcom expects Lost Planet 2 to sell 3.7 million units in second half of fiscal year Planet, which has sold 2.28 million units life-to-date according to VGChartz. Don't get us wrong -- we've enjoyed what we've seen from the game thus far. However, if Capcom's hoping to approach that target, it may want to consider tossing some Pokémon in there. Perhaps a cameo by Master Chief, too, for good measure.

Read: Capcom Results of Operations and Strategies report(.PDF) Capcom expects Lost Planet 2 to sell 3.7 million units in second half of fiscal year originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Japanese hardware sales, Oct. 19 - Oct. 25: Time travel sugar rush edition

By Griffin McElroy (Joystiq) Submitted at 11/1/2009 9:30:00 PM

Hey, guys! How was your Halloween? Good to hear! Well, we've been up eating candy for roughly two days straight now, and whoa man do we love Whoppers. The malted milk chocolates, not the burgers, which are okay, but that malted milk chocolate is the jam. Some dude came up to us yesterday, and he was like, "Hey! Stop eating so much candy! You're an adult!" You should've seen us, we just opened up a new carton of Whoppers -- they come in cartons, remember -- and just slammed them in like four seconds.

Unfortunately, our fructose binge caused our particles to vibrate at a frequency which dislodged us from the timestream, and kept us from experiencing linear time like the rest of the world for about 60 minutes. It was a pretty terrifying experience, but to The Hershey Company's credit, it says right there on the box: "Warning: Shotgunning an entire carton of Whoppers may dislodge the consumer from the timestream for one hour." Well maybe next time you shouldn't make such a delicious product. Think about that. Mister Hershey.

So. Anyways. We've been trying to read about String Theory and stuff all day, but it's hard to turn

the pages of a book that's one hour in the future. Luckily, we're really slow readers. Well, we can't feel our hands anymore, so it's probably time to put the ol' Whopperoonis down, and tell

you about the Japanese hardware sales figures for this week before we go into a coma. See, both of those PokĂŠ mon gamjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj

- DSi: 42,199 7,945 (15.84%) - PSP: 32,865 7,235 (18.04%) - PS3: 29,977 919 (2.97%) - Wii: 25,917 4,824 (15.69%) - DS Lite: 6,550 1,096 (20.10%) - Xbox 360: 4,470 1,144 (34.40%) - PS2: 1,951 182 (8.53%) [Source: Media Create] See: The malted archives Japanese hardware sales, Oct. 19 - Oct. 25: Time travel sugar rush edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Five Minutes to Kill (Yourself) with your iPhone

By JC Fletcher (Joystiq)

means that you can now kill yourself with one finger!* Submitted at 11/2/2009 9:05:00 AM The iPhone game, like the Adult Swim's Five Minutes to original, gives you an office Kill (Yourself), a browser game building full of potentially deadly about using the tools in your office furniture and supplies, and office to end your apparently five minutes to punish yourself miserable cubicle-bound life, can until you actually expire through n o w b e p l a y e d o n t h e g o . some combination of stapling Artificial Life, Inc. has ported the yourself, smashing your head in morbid action-puzzle game to copy machines, provoking coiPhone and iPod Touch, which workers, etc. The new version

adds Wi-Fi and Bluetooth multiplayer, for death races. It's available now in the App Store for $2.99.

*In the game. Please don't kill yourself.

Five Minutes to Kill Yourself ($2.99):

Gallery: Five Minutes to Kill (Yourself) (iPhone) Five Minutes to Kill (Yourself) with your iPhone originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Infinity Ward pulls 'Fight Against Grenade Spam' ad in light of backlash

By Griffin McElroy (Joystiq)

viewers.

This wasn't due to the light swearing featured in the video, After having their game leaked but rather, because of the name to the planet's pirating populace of the PSA's sponsor: Fight and catching flak for some of the Against Grenade Spam, which, controversial secrets revealed when acronym-ized, spells out an therein, one could say that the offensive slur. Following the folks at Infinity Ward are having i n e v i t a b l e b a c k l a s h w h i c h a fairly rough week. However, occurred when the gaming they brought their latest batch of community realized the slur's hardships upon themselves. A i n c l u s i o n , I n f i n i t y W a r d recent viral video for Modern community manager Robert Warfare 2, which featured Bowling responded by Tweeting, Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels "I think the core gag is great, the delivering a PSA(video NSFW) end is a bit too far from the intent about overzealous grenade use, of the joke & can appreciate the drew the ire of many of its concerns. Pulled." True to his Submitted at 11/1/2009 5:30:00 PM

word, the video was soon yanked from the developer's YouTube channel.

The complaints from those who viewed the offending ad were

was catering to the sensibilities of the foul, hateful underbelly of the online gaming community.

What did you think of the video, dear readers? Let us know in the comments section, but please -keep it civil.

Infinity Ward pulls 'Fight Against Grenade Spam' ad in light of backlash originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please two-fold: First, they didn't like see our terms for use of feeds. that the slur (even in its spelled- Read| Permalink| Email this| out state) was used at all. Comments However, the bigger complaint seemed to be that Infinity Ward

Ubisoft not planning to release Assassin's Creed 2 demo

By Griffin McElroy (Joystiq) Submitted at 11/1/2009 7:30:00 PM

Much like that other highly anticipated Q4 blockbuster, it seems Assassin's Creed 2 won't receive a pre-launch playable preview. According to Connected

Consoles, a Ubisoft representative recently confirmed at the Eurogamer Expo that the company has no plans for a demo. We've contacted Ubisoft to try and corroborate this report, and to see if the company has a sneak preview of the title. You good reason for not putting out a know, a reason better than "you

guys already know what stabbing Please see our terms for use of people is like." feeds.

[Via Kotaku] Read| Permalink| Email this| Gallery: Assassin's Creed 2 Comments Ubisoft not planning to release Assassin's Creed 2 demo originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:30:00 EST.

Jackson film tops US box office (BBC News | Americas | World Edition) Submitted at 11/2/2009 12:54:21 AM

Michael Jackson film This Is It has topped the North American box office in its first weekend of release.

The film, which was released

worldwide on 28 October, took $21.3m (£13m) over the weekend, taking its five-day haul to $101m (£61.5m).

Columbia Pictures said it now plans to extend the film's twoweek limited run in North America until 29 November.

Low-budget horror Paranormal

Activity slipped from first-place to number two with $16.5m (£10m).

The sleeper-hit has now taken $84.8m (£51.8m) in its sixth week of release.

Gerard Butler action film Law Abiding Citizen and romantic comedy Couples Retreat both

rose one place to four and five respectively.

Horror sequel Saw VI and Spike Jonze film Where The Wild Things Are both fell three spots to five and six.

There were no other new releases in the chart as film companies shied away from

competing with the Halloween weekend.

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Tribes claim wind farm would destroy sacred ritual (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News)

profits of one single group of investors," Green said.

The Mashpee and Aquinnah MASHPEE, Mass. – From a Wampanoag claim Nantucket blustery perch over a Cape Cod Sound is eligible for listing on beach, Chuckie Green gestures the National Register of Historic toward a stretch of horizon where Places as a Traditional Cultural he says construction of the Property. The tribes say the nation's first offshore wind farm designation, which would come would destroy his Indian tribe's with new regulations for activity religion. on the sound, is needed to The Wampanoag— the tribe that preserve not only their pristine welcomed the Pilgrims in the views but ancestors' remains 17th century and known as "The buried on Horseshoe Shoal, People of the First Light" — where the turbines would be practice sacred rituals requiring built. an unblocked view of the sunrise. Cape Wind supporters say the That view won't exist once 130 tribes' claim for a National turbines, each over 400 feet tall, Register listing for the sound is are built several miles from shore baseless and was sprung late, in in Nantucket Sound, visible to league with the project's most Wampanoag in Mashpee and on v o c i f e r o u s o p p o n e n t s , t h e Martha's Vineyard.

Alliance to Protect Nantucket Tribal rituals, including dancing Sound. and chanting, take place at secret "I think this is clearly a tactic for sacred sites around the sound at delay, for delay's sake," said various times, such as the Mark Rodgers, a spokesman for summer and winter solstices and Cape Wind. "I think it's fair to when an elder passes. say, looking at the past eight T h e W a m p a n o a g f i g h t t o years, that opponents to Cape preserve their ceremonies has W i n d h a v e t r i e d e v e r y become the latest obstacle — conceivable strategy to slow some say delay tactic — for a down or stop the project." pioneering wind energy project Green bristles at the notion that that seemed at the cusp of final the tribes, prodded by the approval.

Alliance to Protect Nantucket "We, the Wampanoag people, Sound, are jumping in late just to w h o o p e n e d o u r a r m s a n d gum up the works. Green and allowed people to come here for Audra Parker, the alliance's religious freedoms, are now executive director, said the being threatened with our a l l i a n c e s u p p o r t s t h e religion being taken away for the Wampanoags' claim, but didn't Submitted at 11/2/2009 6:18:09 AM

engineer it.

Cape Wind, proposed in 2001 and expected to cost $1 billion, aims to provide up to 75 percent of Cape Cod's power. Other offshore wind farm proposals are in earlier stages of development in several states, including Rhode Island, Delaware and Texas.

Cape Wind opponents say it would be a hazard to aviation, harm the environment — including fish and bird life — and mar historic vistas. The late Sen. Edward Kennedy, whose family compound would be in view of the project, fought the project until his death, saying it was a triumph of special interests over state interests.

A major decision on the Wampanoag claim is due within two weeks.

The U.S. Minerals Management Service, the lead agency reviewing the proposed wind farm, has recommended that the sound is not eligible for the National Register to Brona Simon, head of the Massachusetts Historical Commission.

Simon must decide by Nov. 12 if she disagrees. If so, the claim would be sent to the National Parks Service for a final ruling within 45 days.

A parks service decision that the sound should be listed a Traditional Cultural Property wouldn't kill Cape Wind, but it could add months to the approval

process by forcing developers to comply with the designation's various standards.

Simon declined comment through a spokesman for the Massachusetts Secretary of State, which has jurisdiction over her office.

Earlier this year, in a letter to the minerals service, Simon criticized federal review of the project, saying it appeared to value Cape Wind's profitability and schedule over "effects to historic properties."

Barbara Hill of Clean Power Now, an advocacy group that supports Cape Wind, said the entire offshore wind industry would suffer if Simon decides more review of the tribal claim is needed.

"If there is going to be an allowance to this type of viewshed issue, as far as the eyes can see, what are we going to build?" she said.

Cape Wind appeared close to final approval in January when the minerals service concluded the project posed no major environmental problems. If the tribes win their claim, say project supporters, there would be a host of unintended consequences.

Two Massachusetts environmental and economic development officials, Ian Bowles and Greg Bialecki, produced a list of commercial activities — from commercial fishing to sand mining — they

said would be hurt by the ensuing new regulations. They also argued the Supreme Court has ruled that a vast, unenclosed body of water such as the 560square mile Nantucket Sound isn't eligible as a Traditional Cultural Property.

"It seems clear that this request for such a designation, coming at this time, is an attempt to block or further delay renewable energy development in Nantucket Sound," their letter said.

Rodgers said the tribes' concerns have always been taken seriously, and noted borings were taken at the project site to determine if an Indian burial ground is there — though Green says they don't go deep enough.

In a September letter to the tribes, the minerals service listed numerous times in the last three years when it met, or tried to meet, to discuss their concerns.

Green said despite the years of review, regulators have never truly met requirements to thoroughly address their concerns — including the pending claim about the sound.

"I don't expect anything from this, except for due process," Green said. "And I have not received due process."

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Indian Tribe Claims Wind Farm Would Destroy Sacred Rituals (FOXNews.com) Submitted at 11/2/2009 5:38:18 AM

MASHPEE, Mass. From a blustery perch over a Cape Cod beach, Chuckie Green gestures toward a stretch of horizon where he says construction of the nation's first offshore wind farm would destroy his Indian tribe's religion.

The Wampanoag — the tribe that welcomed the Pilgrims in the 17th century and known as "The People of the First Light" — practice sacred rituals requiring an unblocked view of the sunrise.

That view won't exist once 130 turbines, each over 400 feet tall, are built in Nantucket Sound, visible to Wampanoag in Mashpee and on Martha's Vineyard.

Tribal rituals, including dancing and chanting, take place at secret sacred sites around the sound at various times, such as the summer and winter solstices and when an elder passes.

The Wampanoag fight to preserve their ceremonies has become the latest obstacle — some say delay tactic — for a pioneering wind energy project that seemed at the cusp of final approval.

"We, the Wampanoag people, who opened our arms and allowed people to come here for religious freedoms, are now

being threatened with our religion being taken away for the profits of one single group of investors," Green said.

The Mashpee and Aquinnah Wampanoag claim Nantucket Sound is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places as a Traditional Cultural Property. The tribes say the designation, which would come with new regulations for activity on the sound, is needed to preserve not only their pristine views but ancestors' remains buried on Horseshoe Shoal, where the turbines would be built.

Cape Wind supporters say the tribes' claim for a National Register listing for the sound is baseless and was sprung late, in league with the project's most vociferous opponents, the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound.

"I think this is clearly a tactic for delay, for delay's sake," said Mark Rodgers, a spokesman for Cape Wind. "I think it's fair to say, looking at the past eight years, that opponents to Cape Wind have tried every conceivable strategy to slow down or stop the project."

Green bristles at the notion that the tribes, prodded by the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, are jumping in late just to gum up the works. Green and

Audra Parker, the alliance's executive director, said the alliance supports the Wampanoags' claim, but didn't engineer it.

Cape Wind, proposed in 2001 and expected to cost $1 billion, aims to provide up to 75 percent of Cape Cod's power. Other offshore wind farm proposals are in earlier stages of development in several states, including Rhode Island, Delaware and Texas.

Cape Wind opponents say it would be a hazard to aviation, harm the environment — including fish and bird life — and mar historic vistas. The late Sen. Edward Kennedy, whose family compound would be in view of the project, fought the project until his death, saying it was a triumph of special interests over state interests.

A major decision on the Wampanoag claim is due within two weeks.

The U.S. Minerals Management Service, the lead agency reviewing the proposed wind farm, has recommended that the sound is not eligible for the National Register to Brona Simon, head of the Massachusetts Historical Commission.

Simon must decide by Nov. 12 if she disagrees. If so, the claim would be sent to the National Parks Service for a final ruling

within 45 days.

A parks service decision that the sound should be listed a Traditional Cultural Property wouldn't kill Cape Wind, but it could add months to the approval process by forcing developers to comply with the designation's various standards.

Simon declined comment through a spokesman for the Massachusetts Secretary of State, which has jurisdiction over her office.

Earlier this year, in a letter to the minerals service, Simon criticized federal review of the project, saying it appeared to value Cape Wind's profitability and schedule over "effects to historic properties."

Barbara Hill of Clean Power Now, an advocacy group that supports Cape Wind, said the entire offshore wind industry would suffer if Simon decides more review of the tribal claim is needed.

"If there is going to be an allowance to this type of viewshed issue, as far as the eyes can see, what are we going to build?" she said.

Cape Wind appeared close to final approval in January when the minerals service concluded the project posed no major environmental problems. If the tribes win their claim, say project supporters, there would be a host

of unintended consequences.

Two Massachusetts environmental and economic development officials, Ian Bowles and Greg Bialecki, produced a list of commercial activities — from commercial fishing to sand mining — they said would be hurt by the ensuing new regulations. They also argued the Supreme Court has ruled that a vast, unenclosed body of water such as the 560square mile Nantucket Sound isn't eligible as a Traditional Cultural Property.

"It seems clear that this request for such a designation, coming at this time, is an attempt to block or further delay renewable energy development in Nantucket Sound," their letter said.

Green said the tribes have objected for years to the effect the project would have on their culture. Regulators, he said, have never met requirements to thoroughly address those concerns — including the pending claim about the sound — or to seriously consider an alternative site for the wind farm, which the tribes and the alliance favor.

"I don't expect anything from this, except for due process," Green said. "And I have not received due process."

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Convicted Ohio Rapist's Brother Speaks Out (FOXNews.com) Submitted at 11/2/2009 5:11:27 AM

Convicted rapist Anthony Sowell's neighbors said they were both relieved and appalled by the allegations against him, but few were as shocked as Sowell's half brother, Fox 8 Cleveland reported.

"I never would think that anyone would do anything like this, let alone a half brother," Allan Sowell said, according to Fox 8.

"It's just devastating."

Allan Sowell did admit to being concerned about his disabled stepmother living in his half brother's home, Fox 8 reported.

"When (Anthony Sowell) initially came home he had a job and he was paying her rent," Allan Sowell said, according to Fox 8.

"After a while he stopped (paying) and he started threatening her."

"It's a tragedy for the families of the other missing people, the victims...and it's also a tragedy for my family," Allan Sowell said, Fox 8 reported.

As a registered sex offender, Anthony Sowell checked in regularly with law-enforcement authorities, who also monitored him by making home visits.

But since Sowell wasn't on parole or probation, they didn't have the right to enter — until

Thursday when they had search and arrest warrants after a woman said he had raped her there. That's when they discovered badly decomposed bodies in the house.

By Sunday, authorities had determined there were six bodies, all of them women, and each was the victim of a homicide.

Officers had last visited Sowell at home as part of his sexoffender monitoring on Sept. 22, just hours before the woman reported being raped there.

The three-story house with neat white siding is in a crowded inner-city neighborhood of mostly older houses, some boarded up, and small corner stores. The windows on the third floor, where the first two bodies were found, were wide open Sunday as a slight breeze blew.

Some neighbors said a bad smell came from the house several months ago, but they thought then that it might be natural gas.

At least five of the women apparently had been strangled, said Powell Caesar, a spokesman for the Cuyahoga County coroner. Decomposition made it difficult to determine how the sixth died, he said.

The bodies "could have been there anywhere from weeks to months to years," Caesar said.

None of the victims has been identified. Two were black, but

the race of the others hadn't been determined, Caesar said.

Sowell, 50, previously spent 15 years in prison for choking and raping a 21-year-old woman who was lured to his bedroom in 1989, police said. He was arrested Saturday when officers spotted him walking down the street in his neighborhood.

The first bodies were found Thursday night when police went to arrest Sowell on new charges of rape and felonious assault, but he wasn't home. The woman in that alleged attack said she knew Sowell, and he raped her at the house.

Court records and jail officials had no information about whether Sowell had an attorney.

No charges have been filed regarding the bodies.

The gruesome discovery left some in the community concerned about women who hadn't been seen in a long time.

Ida Garrett, 72, who walked to church Sunday just one block from Sowell's house, said she was worried that a friend who went missing six months ago might be among the dead.

The friend, 43-year-old Nancy Cobbs, lived one street away from Sowell. She was reported missing in April, and her family told police they fear she is among the victims.

"She seemed to be a very nice,

quiet girl," Garrett said. "I've known her since she was a teenager."

Clovice Ramsey, minister at All Nations Deliverance Ministries in nearby Maple Heights, held a "PEACE" sign on a corner within sight of the Sowell house and said the discovery of the bodies had damaged people's trust in law enforcement.

"They don't see the system working for them," Ramsey said.

"They are not keeping a watch on him."

Sowell often walked around his neighborhood asking for money and looking for scrap metal to sell, neighbors said.

He returned to the family home in 2005 after his release from prison. The house was owned by two of Sowell's relatives, including a woman — described by neighbors as either Sowell's stepmother or aunt — who maintained it.

Neighbors said the woman moved into a nursing home after Sowell was released from prison.

Teresa Hicks, a neighbor, said people feared that she might be dead. Police were looking into her status.

Click here for more from Fox8.com.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Around the Net In Media: Judge to Nix L.A.'s Digital Billboard Deal (MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 11/1/2009 7:16:37 PM

In the ongoing saga of Los Angeles' digital signs, a Superior Court judge says he will invalidate a 2006 settlement between the city of Los Angeles and CBS Outdoor and Clear Channel Outdoor. The pact allowed the companies to convert 840 conventional billboards to a digital format.

Bowing to the public outcry against the signs, the City Council passed a temporary sign moratorium last year and banned the construction of digital billboards in August. Judge Terry A. Green is still weighing whether he will void the permits for the 101 signs that were digitized after the settlement or nullify the agreement and allow citizens to challenge individual signs.

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Logging caused Nazca collapse (BBC News | Americas | World Edition)

moisture and underpinning the floodplain with one of the deepest root systems of any tree Submitted at 11/2/2009 3:04:33 AM known," Dr Beresford-Jones The ancient Nazca people of says.

Peru are famous for the lines they The tree was also a useful drew in the desert depicting resource. strange animal forms.

"This remarkable nitrogen-fixing A further mystery is what tree was an important source of happened to this once great food, forage timber and fuel for civilisation, which suddenly the local people." vanished 1,500 years ago.

Researchers have previously Now a team of archaeologists found evidence that suggests the have found the demise of the disappearance of the Nazca Nazca society was linked in part society was a due to catastrophic to the fate of a tree. flooding event as a result of El Analysing plant remains they Nino around 500 AD. reveal how the destruction of El Nino is a cyclical event that forests containing the huarango occurs as a result of a change in tree crossed a tipping point, ocean temperatures that can causing ecological collapse. cause a change in climate and The team have published their severe flooding to the the west findings in the journal of Latin coast of South America.

American Antiquity.

The researchers have now found " T h e s e w e r e v e r y s p e c i a l new evidence that suggests the forests," says Dr David Beresford society would not have been so -Jones from the McDonald easily destroyed if they had not Institute for Archaeological cut down the forests around R e s e a r c h , U n i v e r s i t y o f them.

Cambridge, UK who led the Analysing plant remains and team. pollen in soil 1.5m deep, the team The huarango tree ( Prosopis was able to trace an important pallida) is a unique tree with sequence of events which show many qualities and played a vital the clearing of woodland for role in the habitat, protecting the agriculture. fragile desert ecosystem, the "At the bottom of the profile scientists say. there is a lot of huarango pollen "It is the ecological keystone and little evidence of human species in the desert zone impact," explains Dr Alex enhancing soil fertility and Chepstow-Lusty from the French

Institute of Andean Studies in Lima, Peru who also took part in the study.

"Then, at 80cm deep, maize pollen becomes common, showing the importance of this crop, suggesting a greater need for food and an increasing population," he says.

"It is now we notice a big impact on the huarangos and a major decrease in their pollen."

"Then suddenly corresponding with the El Nino event at AD 500 or shortly afterwards, the pollen is dominated by weeds in the family Chenopodiaceae, which are adapted to salty conditions and this landscape is now the desert seen today."

The Nazca are famous for creating complex line drawings that can only be seen from the air in the Nazca desert, Peru 400km south of Lima.

They were created between 500BC and 500AD and depict animals such as monkeys and whales as well as geometric figures several kilometres long.

As well as the lines, the Nazca also formed a sophisticated society, constructing complex irrigation systems for agriculture.

However, despite their skills and expertise, the researchers say the Nazca society inadvertently contributed to their own demise through the removal of the tree species.

"The landscape only became exposed to the catastrophic effects of that El Nino flood, once people had inadvertently crossed an ecological threshold," explains Dr Beresford-Jones.

"Such thresholds or 'tippingpoints' are sharply defined in these desert environments."

"Our research contradicts the popular view that Native American peoples always lived in harmony with their environment until the Spanish Conquest," Dr Beresford-Jones says.

Dr Beresford-Jones explains that with sufficient huarango cover, El Nino's were in fact not great disasters and actually created years of abundance replenishing water aquifers.

Once too much clearance had occurred the landscape was exposed to the effects of the El Nino floods.

"The river down cut into its floodplain and that floodplain narrowed hugely, irrigation systems were left high and dry," he says.

"Human induced gradual change is just as important to the full story of Nazca collapse as the major climatic impacts that eventually precipitated them."

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Around the Net In Media: 'BusinessWeek' President Keith Fox Exits Mag, Stays With McGraw-Hill (MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 11/1/2009 7:14:11 PM

BusinessWeek President Keith Fox is stepping down from the magazine, which is being sold to Bloomberg. He will remain at the title's parent company, McGrawHill in an unspecified role. Fox was named president of BusinessWeek Group back in April 2007, after overseeing marketing strategy at the magazine years before.

Fox says he will take on new responsibilities in 2010, after assisting the BusinessWeek team with the transition to Bloomberg.

The sale is expected to close in early December. BusinessWeek editor-in-chief Stephen J. Adler, announced Oct. 22 that he is also stepping down.

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Ford Reports Surprise $1 Billion 3Q Profit (FOXNews.com)

reported third-quarter net income of $997 million, or 29 cents per share. Ford also forecast a DEARBORN, Mich. Ford, the " s o l i d l y p r o f i t a b l e " 2 0 1 1 . only Detroit automaker to dodge Previously the automaker said it direct government aid and would be break-even or better. bankruptcy court, surprised Its key North American car and investors with net income of truck division posted a pretax nearly $1 billion in the third profit of $357 million, the quarter and forecast a "solidly company's first quarter in the profitable" 2011. black since early 2005. Ford cited The automaker said Monday higher pricing, lower material earnings were fueled by U.S. costs and increased market share market share gains, cost cuts and for the improvement. the Cash for Clunkers program, Excluding one-time items, Ford which drew flocks of buyers to earned 26 cents per share, showrooms this summer. Ford's b l o w i n g a w a y a n a l y s t s ' stock rose 40 cents, or 5.7 expectations of a loss of 12 cents. percent, to $7.40 in pre-market The earnings came despite an trading. $800 million revenue drop. But The latest results signal that Ford said it cut costs by $1 Ford's turnaround is on more b i l l i o n d u r i n g t h e q u a r t e r , solid ground. The company lost accomplished through layoffs in more than $14.6 billion last year North America and Europe, and hasn't posted a full-year reduced pension and retiree profit since 2005. While it made h e a l t h c a r e c o s t s a n d a profit in the second quarter, that improvements in productivity w a s m a i n l y d u e t o d e b t and product development. reductions that cut its interest Chief financial officer Lewis payments.

Booth said the company took in Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford $1.3 billion more than it spent in Submitted at 11/2/2009 5:25:58 AM

the quarter, an improvement over its $1 billion cash burn in the second quarter.

"That's a huge deal," Booth said.

Ford's plan to create demand and get better prices for its products, coupled with cost cuts, gives the company confidence that it will make money in 2011, Booth said.

But Ford still faces obstacles in its turnaround. Last week, workers overwhelmingly rejected an agreement with the United Auto Workers that would have brought Ford's labor costs in line with rivals General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC. Workers objected to clauses limiting their right to strike and freezing entrylevel wages, and felt the company was healthy enough and didn't need further concessions.

Ford also has $26.9 billion in debt, up $800 million from the second quarter.

Ford didn't quantify the impact of Cash for Clunkers, which offered buyers rebates to trade in their vehicles. The program helped Ford cut costly incentives

MediaDailyNews: Report: GE, Comcast Closer To An NBC U Deal (MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 11/2/2009 4:30:54 AM

General Electric is close to a deal that would give Comcast a 51% stake in its NBC Universal unit, according to a report in

today's New York Times. Citing anonymous sources, the paper said the deal would result in GE retaining a 49% stake in the media division. GE currently owns an 80% stake in NBC Universal, and is in talks with

minority stake-holder Vivendi to sell its 20% share, which is key to making the Comcast deal happen.

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and raise production. It also won buyers; the Ford Focus and Ford Escape were among the top five sellers in the program. Ford sales were up 17 percent in August thanks to the program.

Ford's revenue fell $800 million for the quarter, to $30.9 billion, due mainly to its financial services arm, Ford Motor Credit, making fewer loans.

But the division still posted a pretax profit of $677 million, and revenue from auto operations rose slightly to $27.9 billion.

Ford also has benefited from consumer goodwill after it declined government bailout money and didn't go into bankruptcy over the summer as GM and Chrysler did. Ford grabbed sales from its rivals, posting the largest increase in market share of any automaker in September. Ford expects an overall gain in U.S. market share in 2009, a feat it hasn't accomplished since 1995.

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Navy Ship Built With World Trade Center Steel Visits N.Y. (FOXNews.com) Submitted at 11/2/2009 6:02:49 AM

NEW YORK The new Navy assault ship USS New York, built with World Trade Center steel, arrived in its namesake city Monday with a 21-gun salute near the site of the 2001 terrorist attack.

First responders, families of Sept. 11 victims and the public gathered Monday at a waterfront viewing area, where they could see the crew standing at attention along the deck of the battleship gray vessel.

SLIDESHOW: USS New York Arrives in Namesake City The big ship paused. Then the shots were fired, with a cracking sound, in three bursts.

The bow of the $1 billion ship, built in Louisiana, contains about 7.5 tons of steel from the fallen towers.

"It's a transformation ... from something really twisted and ugly," said Rosaleen Tallon, who lost her firefighter brother, Sean, on 9/11. "I'm proud that our military is using that steel."

Tallon said her brother, who was also was a Marine, also would have been proud.

JoAnn Atlas, of Howells, N.Y., who lost her husband, fire Lt. Gregg Atlas, draped a flagthemed banner along the fence.

The names of emergency workers NAVY page 79

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Ship built with WTC steel comes to namesake city (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News)

Tallon said her brother, who was also was a Marine, also would have been proud.

NEW YORK – The new Navy JoAnn Atlas, of Howells, N.Y., assault ship USS New York, built who lost her husband, fire Lt. with World Trade Center steel, Gregg Atlas, draped a flagarrived in its namesake city themed banner along the fence.

Monday with a 21-gun salute The names of emergency workers near the site of the 2001 terrorist who died were written on the red attack. stripes.

First responders, families of "We have to remember. It's a Sept. 11 victims and the public way to honor them," she said. gathered Monday at a waterfront Members of the public included viewing area, where they could Nancy DiGiacomo, who came see the crew standing at attention from Huntington, N.Y., with her along the deck of the battleship husband, 9-year-old son, mother gray vessel. and sister.

The big ship paused. Then the "I just thought it was important to shots were fired, with a cracking see" the transformation of the sound, in three bursts. tragedy's wreckage, said The bow of the $1 billion ship, D i G i a c o m o . " F r o m t h a t , built in Louisiana, contains about something else can come of it."

7.5 tons of steel from the fallen Lt. Cmdr. Colette Murphy, a towers.

Navy spokeswoman, said she "It's a transformation ... from was excited for those serving on something really twisted and board to see the city's "aweugly," said Rosaleen Tallon, who inspiring" welcome. lost her firefighter brother, Sean, Of the 361 sailors serving on 9/11. "I'm proud that our aboard the ship, around 13 military is using that steel." percent are from New York state, Submitted at 11/2/2009 6:00:39 AM

which is higher than would normally be the case, Murphy said. There were many requests from Navy personnel to serve on the ship, which will carry some 250 Marines.

After the ground zero stop, the ship — ecorted by about two dozen tugboats and other vessels — headed up the Hudson River toward the George Washington Bridge. After a U-turn there, it was to head south to Pier 88. An official commissioning ceremony is scheduled for Saturday.

The New York will remain in the city through Veteran's Day and then head to Norfolk, Va., for about a year of crew training and exercises, Murphy said.

The ship is 684 feet long and can carry as many as 800 Marines. Its flight deck that can handle helicopters and the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.

It was scheduled to be built before the terrorist attacks. About a year later, the announcement came that the ship would bear the name New York to honor the

city, state, and those who died.

It's the latest in a line of Navy ships to bear that name. The others included a SpanishAmerican War-era cruiser, a battleship that served in World Wars I and II and a nuclear submarine retired from the fleet in 1997.

The ship is technically known as a San Antonio-class amphibious dock vessel. Four vessels in that class are in service, the USS San Antonio, USS New Orleans, USS Mesa Verde and USS Green Bay. Four others are being built. Of those, two also have been named in connection with the Sept. 11 attacks.

The USS Arlington was named to honor the attack on the Pentagon. The USS Somerset was named after the county in Pennsylvania where United Airlines flight 93 crashed.

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Man charged with killing 4 in Mayberry model town (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News)

town.

Authorities received information about his whereabouts around MOUNT AIRY, N.C. – Police 2 : 3 0 a . m . , a c c o r d i n g t o a arrested a convicted kidnapper statement. Details haven't been early Monday in the slayings of released. four men shot in a parking lot in Gonzalez, 29, was being held in a North Carolina tourist town. the Henry County jail, though it Marcos Chavez Gonzalez was wasn't clear whether he had an charged with four counts of attorney, jail workers said. murder in the shooting late Mount Airy Police Chief Dale Sunday outside a TV store in Watson said at a news conference Mount Airy, about 100 miles Sunday that the victims were shot north of Charlotte, Mount Airy outside Woods TV, less than a police said. mile from the police station. He The town with a population of said the victims and the suspect approximately 8,700 was the were at the store for a reason. i n s p i r a t i o n f o r t h e i d y l l i c "We don't feel this was a random community of Mayberry in event," Watson said. "We do television's " The Andy Griffith have an idea why (they were Show" and hometown of Andy shot), but we won't be releasing Griffith. It has built a tourist that." trade on nostalgia for the 1960s Alerts were issued in North show that continues to thrive in Carolina and Virginia to be on syndication. the lookout for Gonzalez after the Police said Gonzalez was shootings. arrested without incident at a State prison records show motel in Henry County, Va., Gonzalez was released two years about 50 miles northeast of the ago after serving more than four Submitted at 11/2/2009 6:29:21 AM

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who died were written on the red stripes.

"We have to remember. It's a years on a 2002 conviction for way to honor them," she said. kidnapping a minor. State records Members of the public included s h o w t h e f e l o n y r e q u i r e d Nancy DiGiacomo, who came Gonzalez to register as a sex from Huntington, N.Y., with her husband, 9-year-old son, mother offender.

Nursing supervisor Sue Coe at and sister.

Northern Hospital of Surry "I just thought it was important to County confirmed that two see" the transformation of the people died at the store around t r a g e d y ' s w r e c k a g e , s a i d 2:30 p.m. Sunday. She said two D i G i a c o m o . " F r o m t h a t , who were wounded died at the something else can come of it." hospital, just across the street Lt. Cmdr. Colette Murphy, a from the store. Woods TV sells Navy spokeswoman, said she televisions and satellite systems. was excited for those serving on Police said the victims' names board to see the city's "awewere being withheld because inspiring" welcome.

Of the 361 sailors serving their families have not been notified. Watson said all four aboard the ship, around 13 were from Surry County, which percent are from New York state, which is higher than would includes Mount Airy.

WXII-TV in nearby Winston- normally be the case, Murphy Salem reported that people who said. There were many requests knew the victims gathered near from Navy personnel to serve on the store Sunday and began the ship, which will carry some crying and collapsing to the 250 Marines.

After the ground zero stop, the ground. ship — ecorted by about two This content has passed through dozen tugboats and other vessels fivefilters.org.

— headed up the Hudson River toward the George Washington Bridge. After a U-turn there, it was to head south to Pier 88. An official commissioning ceremony is scheduled for Saturday.

The New York will remain in the city through Veteran's Day and then head to Norfolk, Va., for about a year of crew training and exercises, Murphy said.

The ship is 684 feet long and can carry as many as 800 Marines. Its flight deck that can handle helicopters and the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.

It was scheduled to be built before the terrorist attacks. About a year later, the announcement came that the ship would bear the name New York to honor the city, state, and those who died.

It's the latest in a line of Navy ships to bear that name. The others included a SpanishAmerican War-era cruiser, a battleship that served in World Wars I and II and a nuclear submarine retired from the fleet in 1997.

The ship is technically known as a San Antonio-class amphibious dock vessel. Four vessels in that class are in service, the USS San Antonio, USS New Orleans, USS Mesa Verde and USS Green Bay. Four others are being built. Of those, two also have been named in connection with the Sept. 11 attacks.

The USS Arlington was named to honor the attack on the Pentagon. The USS Somerset was named after the county in Pennsylvania where United Airlines flight 93 crashed.

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CIT Group files for US bankruptcy (BBC News | Americas | World Edition) Submitted at 11/1/2009 2:06:38 PM

The US lender, CIT Group, has filed for bankruptcy protection, after a debt-exchange offer to bondholders failed.

However, the majority of bondholders have agreed a reorganisation plan that will reduce CIT's debt by $10bn (ÂŁ6bn) while allowing it to go on operating.

The group's operating subsidiaries, including CIT Bank, were not included in the bankruptcy filing in New York.

CIT Group suffered as the credit crisis left it unable to fund itself, and the recession exposed it to many bad loans.

Under the reorganisation plan which has been approved by bondholders, creditors will end

up owning the company.

Most bondholders will also end up with new CIT debt worth about 70% of the face value of their old debt. Preferred shareholders, including the US government, will get money only after other creditors are paid back.

The government invested $2.33bn in CIT shares in December 2008 through the Troubled Asset Relief Programme (Tarp). It could have lost more, however, had it not declined to give more aid this year.

"The decision to proceed with our plan of reorganisation will allow CIT to continue to provide funding to our small business and middle market customers, two sectors that remain vitally important to the US economy," said CIT's chairman and CEO,

Jeffrey Peek, who will step down by the end of the year.

CIT's bankruptcy protection filing, showing $71bn in finance and leasing assets against total debt of $64.9bn, is the fifth biggest in US corporate history.

Many observers predict that if CIT is able to continue in business after emerging from bankruptcy protection, it will not be able to make anything like the same number of loans to small businesses.

That could mean that thousands of companies which are looking to raise money for investment will struggle to find the cash, they warn.

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'Twin Towers' warship to enter NY (BBC News | Americas | World Edition)

where it was built, nearly three weeks ago.

The bow of the boat contains 7.5 Submitted at 11/2/2009 4:29:32 AM tonnes of melted steel from the A warship built with steel fallen buildings. salvaged from the World Trade The ship's crest includes images Center is set to arrive in New of the Twin Towers and features York. the colours of the city The USS New York is due to departments that first responded sail up the Hudson River as far as to the terrorist attacks in which Ground Zero, where it will fire a nearly 3,000 people died.

21-gun salute.

'A transformation' It will be watched by relatives of The ship's 21-gun salute those killed in the 2001 attacks honouring those who died in the that destroyed the buildings, 11 September attacks is likely to along with rescuers and members trigger an emotional response of the public. among many in the city.

The US Navy is to hold an Rosaleen Tallon, whose official commissioning ceremony firefighter brother was among for the new warship on Saturday. those killed, said she would be The New York set off on its 'TWIN page 81 maiden voyage from Louisiana,

Mexico-US hold extradition talks (BBC News | Americas | World Edition) Submitted at 11/2/2009 2:53:55 AM

Mexico's attorney general is meeting his American counterpart in Washington, a day after the US announced a record number of extraditions from Mexico.

Arturo Chavez and US Attorney General Eric Holder are expected to discuss further co-operation in the extradition of suspected

criminals to the US. Eleven fugitives were transferred over the Mexican border on Sunday, bringing the total extradited this year to 100.

The US says this is a sign of increased co-operation between the two countries.

The US justice department said the 11 fugitives transferred across the border on Saturday brought the total for 2009 to "the highest yearly number of extraditions from Mexico to date".

The 11 had all been indicted or charged in the US for alleged crimes including sex offences, drug trafficking, money laundering and murder, the justice department said.

Serious punishment In a statement on Sunday, Mr Holder said: "By ensuring that alleged criminals are held accountable, we send a strong message that fleeing across the border does not mean you will escape justice."

The US attorney general said Monday's talks with Mr Chavez would focus on "additional ways we as law enforcement partners can work together to hold such defendants, particularly alleged leaders and associates of drug cartels, accountable".

The BBC's Stephen Gibbs in Mexico City says the record extradition figures reflect an increasing trend for Mexico to allow those accused of drug and other serious crimes to be tried in

the US. Drug traffickers in particular have been known to operate their business from inside Mexican prisons, our correspondent says, and escapes are commonplace.

That being the case, American prisons are thought to provide a more serious punishment for offenders, he says.

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watching the tribute and was pleased that the steel from the towers had been reused in the ship.

"It's a transformation of it from something really twisted and ugly," she told the Associated Press news agency. "I'm proud that our military is using that steel."

About one in seven of the 361 sailors serving on the ship are from New York state, a higher

percentage than would normally be the case, a Navy spokeswoman told AP. She said there had been many requests from Navy personnel to serve on the ship.

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CIT files for bankruptcy: A prepackaged pratfall (The Economist: News analysis) Submitted at 11/1/2009 9:08:22 PM

CIT files for bankruptcy Nov 2nd 2009 | NEW YORK From Economist.com CIT, a lender to thousands of small businesses, files for bankruptcy THE most gut-wrenching failures may be over, but the financial crisis continues to claim the occasional big victim. CIT, a lender to small and medium-sized (The Economist: News congressional district. With p r o m p t i n g M r A b d u l l a h ' s of concerns expressed by the b u s i n e s s e s , f r o m c l o t h i n g analysis) America's economy apparently decision. If the election is European Union’s competition retailers to Dunkin’ Donuts leaving recession in the third cancelled it is unclear whether watchdogs over German state aid franchisees, filed for bankruptcy Submitted at 10/31/2009 11:08:56 PM quarter, the next statistic to be M r K a r z a i w i l l r e t a i n t h e for the deal. The EU wants on Sunday November 1st after The coming days studied will be the monthly p r e s i d e n c y . S e e a r t i c l e assurances that the €4.5 billion failing to garner enough support Nov 1st 2009 report on unemployment, which • T H E B a n k o f E n g l a n d ’ s ($6.6 billion) made available by for a debt-restructuring plan.

From Economist.com Marking a is due to be published on Friday. monetary policy committee Germany to its preferred bidder, With $71 billion in assets, the year since Barack Obama's See article meets on Thursday November Magna, was on offer to other century-old firm is only onevictory in the presidential • AFGHANS are set to go back 5th to consider how to respond to i n t e r e s t e d p a r t i e s a n d n o t n i n t h t h e s i z e o f L e h m a n election to the polls to decide whether to Britain's ongoing recession. contingent on the Canadian Brothers, which collapsed in • THE first anniversary of the r e - e l e c t H a m i d K a r z a i a s Despite slashing interest rates to f i r m ’ s p l a n s t o s a v e September 2008. Nevertheless, general election that brought president for another five years 0.5% in March and embarking on disproportionate numbers of its Chapter 11 filing augurs ill for Barack Obama to the American on Saturday November 7th. The quantitative easing—injecting G e r m a n j o b s . O n e r u m o u r America’s corporate minnows, presidency will be marked on election may go ahead without newly created money into the suggests that GM may use the whose financing options have W e d n e s d a y N o v e m b e r 4 t h . Abdullah Abdullah, Mr Karzai's economy—GDP contracted by uncertainty as an excuse to hang narrowed dramatically over the Democrats and Republicans will only competitor, who withdrew 0 . 4 % i n t h e t h i r d q u a r t e r onto Opel now that its fortunes past year. have a chance to guage the public from the poll after demands he compared with the previous three have begun to revive. See article Financial-services firms have a mood in some states the day made about the running of the m o n t h s . A n o t h e r d o s e o f B a c k t o t o p ^ ^ R e a d e r s ' harder time than most bouncing before, when voters in 380 election were not met. Such was quantitative easing may be on the c o m m e n t s back from bankruptcy, because cities—including New York, the fraudulence of the first round way. See article The Economist welcomes your their business relies so heavily on Boston and Houston—elect that UN investigators threw out • THE board of General Motors views. trust, which has a tendency to mayors. Polls for governors will more than a million votes, meets on Tuesday November 3rd This content has passed through evaporate in such situations. CIT take place in Virginia and New enough to force Mr Karzai into a to reconsider the sale of Opel, its fivefilters.org. has improved its chances by Jersey and a special election is run-off. But little has been done European arm, to a consortium securing the support of the vast scheduled in New York's 23rd to prevent a repeat of the fraud, led by Canada’s Magna, in light majority of its bondholders for a “prepackaged” filing that will

The coming days: The week ahead

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Art.view: Out from storage (The Economist: Daily columns) Submitted at 10/31/2009 2:08:25 PM

Art.view Oct 31st 2009 From Economist.com A successful Romano sale in Florence proves there are exceptions to recessionary rules Sotheby’s recent four-day sale of the Salvatore and Francesco Romano collection in Florence contained more than 1,800 lots.

International interest in the auction was keen, even though there was not a single masterpiece among the antique statues, Old Master paintings, textiles, pieces of furniture or objets d’art. Many foreign dealers and collectors who had come to Italy for the sumptuous and lively Biennale dell’Antiquarioto (which ended on October 4th) crossed the Arno to the Palazzo Magnani Ferroni for a look even before the official public viewing began. (The auction, which went from October 12th to the 16th, was timed with the Biennale in mind.)

Once the sale started, as many as 22 employees worked the phones, taking bids from Italy and elsewhere in Europe, America and Russia. The firstfloor terrace of the palace was tented for the event, and rows of folding chairs were occupied by a changing cast of paddle wielders, many of them dealers. Others

loitered in the vast, art-filled, adjoining rooms waiting for their chosen lots to come up. By its end, the sale made more than €10.5m ($15.5m), exceeding the low estimate by a little more than €72,000. Sotheby’s says it is delighted and so are the consigners.

Though hardly breathtaking, the Romano outcome runs counter to the often repeated observation that in this difficult art market only works of outstandingly high quality sell. Why was this sale an exception? In a word: freshness.

It was very rare to offer so many objects that were new to dealers and collectors. Most of the lots in the Romano sale had not been on the market for half a century or more. Another reason for the sale's success involves a story in two parts: the first has to do with family history; the second with Sotheby's navigation of the sometimes turbulent seas of Italy's art export laws.

Salvatore Romano (1875—1955), born near Naples, became an influential antique dealer and collector in Florence.

After the second world war he gave the city some 70 works of art, which now form the core of the Santo Spirito Museum. He lived in a hotel, and bought the first floor of the handsome Magnani Ferroni to use as a warehouse for his stock. His only child, Francesco, continued in the trade but appears to have left the

warehouse stock largely untouched. Francesco died in 1981, and his nine children had no need to sell or even remove items for their personal use.

Almost everything left by Salvatore remained locked away, gathering dust as much had already been for decades. But those children went on to have 36 children of their own; the growing complexity of future distribution of Salvatore’s property perhaps encouraged the family to have this sale. Three years ago they began working with Filippo Lotti, the managing director of Sotheby’s in Italy.

Inventory was taken and estimates were agreed to. But then came the credit crunch.

“Altogether we decided to go on,” Mr Lotti said before the sale.

“The art market in Italy needs this...Dealers can renew their stock; collectors can buy work untouched for 70 years.” But for the market to react energetically, export licenses were necessary for the most internationally attractive lots.

Since 1939 Italian law has required that all antiques and works of art more than 50 years old must have an export certificate ( notifica) before they can leave the country. Relatively minor works often get a notifica easily, so sales often take place before one is requested.

However, if an item might be judged of national importance

and therefore denied a certificate, a notifica is sought before it is sold. A denied notifica can have a big effect on prices because it restricts bidding to nationals. Mr Lotti explained that he could have doubled the price of a big painting by Gianbattista Tieplolo that he recently sold in Milan if it had an export license.

After the Romano catalogue was prepared but before it was printed, Sotheby's asked for export licenses for 50 lots. The Italian cultural patrimony and export authorities were invited to the palace to view everything that was up for auction. When the sale started, they had given licenses TO 44 works, among them a powerful early-18th century white marble carving of Neptune by Francesco Maria Schiaffino (pictured), which sold for €228,750, just above the low estimate. The very top lot, a Roman gray and white column from the 6th century, sold for €276,750—nearly three times the low estimate. In this enormous Italian sale, fresh works with an export license made for a winning combination.

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Afghanistan's presidential election: Out of the running (The Economist: News analysis) Submitted at 11/1/2009 1:56:41 AM

Afghanistan's presidential election Nov 1st 2009 | KABUL From The Economist print edition Abdullah Abdullah pulls out of the presidential race, deepening the political crisis in Afghanistan TO THUNDEROUS applause Abdullah Abdullah announced yet another twist in Afghanistan’s convoluted path to finding a new leader. The second-placed candidate for the presidency announced on Sunday November 1st, to a tent full of thousands of his supporters, that he would not participate in a run-off vote set for Saturday.

Virtually all the conditions he set for reform of Afghanistan’s blatantly partisan Independent Election Commission (IEC) had been rejected out of hand. So had his requests for the suspension of some of Hamid Karzai’s cabinet ministers in the run up to the vote. But as his flag-waving audience roared approval, diplomats across Kabul groaned at the prospect of a run-off vote with just one candidate, Mr Karzai, in contention.

Up until Saturday night a deal to avoid yet another political crisis seemed possible. At one stage it AFGHANISTAN'S page 84

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Honduras: Back in his old hat?

(The Economist: News analysis)

Barack Obama, whose decision to send a high-level diplomatic mission to Honduras two days Submitted at 10/31/2009 1:01:33 AM earlier provided the decisive push Honduras to conclude the talks. It Oct 31st 2009 | MEXICO CITY establishes both a path for a From Economist.com A deal possible return to office for Mr brings hope of an end to the Zelaya and stops him from political crisis in Honduras calling a constituent assembly, a FOUR months after Manuel body with the job of rewriting the Zelaya was hauled out of bed at constitution. His opponents say gunpoint, flown to Costa Rica in this would have enabled him to a military plane, and replaced by eliminate the country’s ban on Roberto Micheletti as president presidential re-election. of Honduras, negotiators for the With Mr Zelaya’s approval of two sides have reached an the deal, the rest of the world will agreement to put an end to the b e a b l e t o r e c o g n i s e t h e country’s political crisis. On presidential elections set for T h u r s d a y O c t o b e r 2 9 t h , November 29th, and to begin representatives of both the restoring the diplomatic relations deposed and de facto presidents and financial assistance that were declared they would ask the cut off after the coup. But it is far Congress—which voted to name less clear whether the pact will Mr Micheletti president after Mr truly end the crisis or whether it Zelaya was exiled—to hold a simply shifts the venue for new vote on whether to reinstate addressing it from the negotiating him for the remaining three table to the the legislature. months of his term. They pledged Mr Zelaya’s supporters are to abide by the result. convinced that the arrangement The deal was hailed for its paves the way for his restoration importance in the consolidation to power in a matter of days. of democracy in the region. Although the deal does not set a There is no doubt that the date for a congressional vote or a g r e e m e n t r e p r e s e n t s a prejudge its outcome, the significant victory for foreign deposed president’s camp says leaders, and particularly for their leader would not have

accepted the proposal if he had not had strong informal assurances that he would be returned to office promptly.

Yet such confidence seems somewhat misplaced. Because Mr Zelaya’s Liberal Party is split over the coup—at least a third of its members are vehemently opposed to his reinstatement—he will need the votes of the rival National Party to obtain a majority. And the Nationals, whose presidential candidate, Porfirio Lobo Sosa, holds a comfortable lead in the polls, would be hard-pressed to vote to restore Mr Zelaya, since their supporters loathe him and they benefit from the Liberals’ split.

One leading National politician says the party will probably try to delay a vote on Mr Zelaya’s future until after the presidential election. It is unclear whether such a strategy would be seen as an act of bad faith that undermines the agreement, since the Nationals were not part of the discussions.

Moreover, Mr Zelaya’s legal status is yet to be determined.

Since both sides agreed not to include an amnesty for political crimes in the deal, the deposed president technically remains a

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fugitive, facing 18 different charges. He is still safe as a guest at the Brazilian embassy, where he holed up after sneaking into the country a month ago. But he could be arrested the minute he ventures outside. Having insisted for months that Mr Zelaya should be detained and tried as soon as he steps on Honduran soil, the de facto government and the courts will probably have to offer him an amnesty of their own—or at least a delayed prosecution—if they want to retain the support of the rest of the world.

Even if the agreement does not provide a definitive answer to Honduras’s political divisions, it should get foreign aid flowing again soon—a critical development for a poor country dependent on external assistance.

In that sense, it is a victory for the Honduran people, regardless of whom they call their president for the next three months.

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reduce its debt by $10 billion while allowing its subsidiaries to go on operating. Among those persuaded to come on board is Carl Icahn, a veteran corporate gadfly who had been trying to derail CIT’s restructuring in the hope of profiting by picking through its entrails; he has even offered a $1 billion back-up loan.

The firm’s advisers say it could emerge from bankruptcy by the end of the year.

The pain will be widely felt.

Bondholders will be handed new CIT debt worth about 70% of the face value of their old paper.

They include a group of distressed-debt funds that gave it rescue financing over the summer, then committed $4.5 billion more as the firm continued to totter. Even Goldman Sachs, Wall Street’s savviest and best-connected firm, is taking a hit of sorts. Perhaps mindful that it could do without more bad publicity of the “vampire squid” sort, it renegotiated the terms of a loan facility that would have triggered a $1 billion payment if CIT went bust. Goldman will now get only $535m, half of that in collateral.

The biggest losers, of course, are shareholders, who will be wiped out as creditors take the equity in the new company. Also likely to lose their shirts are preferred shareholders, including the hapless taxpayer, who handed over $2.3 billion of funds from the Troubled Asset Relief CIT page 84

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looked like Mr Karzai had been persuaded to accept that his rival should have some say over some important cabinet posts. But at the last moment Mr Abdullah decided that he could not take part.

Throughout the turmoil of recent weeks hopes had remained that the election process might run through to a conclusion. Now a run-off election could take place amid an ongoing insurgency, with just one candidate in contention. Both the IEC and the Karzai campaign were quick to agree that the vote should go ahead as planned. But Mr Karzai is in a bind. He does not want to be declared as president by unconstitutional means nor would he benefit much from being elected after a negligible turnout in a poll his main opponent has abandoned.

Kai Eide, the UN chief in the country, says he wants to bring the “electoral process to a conclusion in a legal and timely matter.” Many of his colleagues think the least disagreeable

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option is to simply to hand victory to Mr Karzai on the basis that he won the largest share of the votes in the first round of voting on August 20th.

But the legality of this course is dubious. the Afghan constitution says that the president must be elected with more than half the votes and that a second round must be called if no single candidate passes the 50% threshold. There may be enough wiggle-room in Afghanistan’s badly written and contradictory constitution to get round this problem, particularly if the Supreme Court rules on events.

But legal experts say that the court, which is stuffed full of Karzai loyalists, does not have the authority to rewrite the laws of the land.

“Whatever he does he will not be legitimate”, says Ahmed Wali Massoud, a leading Afghan politician and a senior member of Mr Abdullah’s campaign team.

People like Mr Massoud hope that the lack of a clear legal mechanism to declare Mr Karzai

the victor and the unattractiveness of running a second round will force some new, entirely different process that would favour their man.

That might include the appointment of an interim government until a new election can be held after the winter snows have melted and the IEC has undergone radical surgery to rid it of Mr Karzai’s cronies.

Another plan would be to call a loya jirga, the traditional grand gathering of Afghanistan’s power -brokers, which could chose a new leader and perhaps amend the constitution with an eye to holding fresh elections some time in the future.

Both plans would merely extend the country’s protracted period of political limbo. An interim government would not have the political authority necessary to give the sort of strong leadership necessary to deal with the country’s pressing problems.

Another option is to appoint Mr Karzai rapidly so he can later “earn” his legitimacy by tackling

corruption and delivering real improvements to the lives of Afghans. But Mr Karzai’s critics have grave doubts that the man who has led the country for eight years will suddenly become a reformed character.

“I don’t think such a government would last five years,” says Mr Massoud. “It will be very short lived and the security situation will deteriorate day by day. The whole country would disintegrate.” Amid the confusion there is one certainty—108 days after it officially started, Afghanistan’s election is still far from over.

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concerned with aiding big banks and their multinational clients than businesses on Main Street.

Whether pouring more money into CIT would ultimately have provided a better deal for taxpayers will never be known, but the politicians probably did the right thing. The market paralysis last year exposed serious flaws in CIT’s business

model. Not only had it expanded rapidly in subprime mortgages and student loans but it relied on bond markets for most of its funding. When these seized up, it was soon left scrambling for cash.

The economic effects of the bankruptcy will probably be muted. It hardly comes as a shock, and CIT’s lending has

already fallen to a shadow of previous levels. New loans this year have been running at a quarter of the level in 2007, when CIT handed out more than $35 billion (excluding trade financing).

Still, it is hardly cheering news for the thousands of small firms that rely on CIT and its kind for vendor financing, factoring,

flowing, the Treasury has loosened the requirements for loans backed by the Small Business Administration, a government agency, and has eased access to public funds for community banks. These moves are yet to show much benefit.

Nor can clients count on CIT’s stay in bankruptcy going to plan.

Filings by large financial firms, even those for which management and creditors have prepared, tend to throw up a host of unexpected complications.

Moreover, the company’s fate rests with regulators as well as with the courts. CIT hopes to move some of its biggest businesses to its Utah-based bank subsidiary, but this is currently subject to a cease-and-desist order by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and thus is unable to take new deposits.

Even if this is lifted, the company is likely to be kept on a tight leash. For all its efforts to get back on its feet, there is still CIT page 85

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Programme last December. After that bail-out, the Obama administration refused to inject more capital into CIT, or to guarantee its new debt issues, after concluding that the firm’s failure would not further destabilise the financial system.

This raised the hackles of some in Congress who accused the White House of being more

leasing, insurance and more.

Unlike large companies, for whom bond markets have reopened, the small fry find that capital remains scarce (though demand for loans has also dropped). Other small-business lenders, too, have pulled in their horns. To help keep credit CIT page 84

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much for customers and trading This content has passed through partners to worry about. And if fivefilters.org. they lose faith, CIT might not have a business worth saving.

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E-readers: To be open or not to be open -- that is the question (Network World) (Yahoo! News Search Results for e-readers) Submitted at 10/31/2009 1:59:48 AM

As e-readers grow in popularity, a debate is growing about how well proprietary formats such as Amazon.com uses with the Kindle will do against more open approaches that allow users to download e-books to just about any device.

LibreDigital Inc. is previewing (MediaPost | Media News) online targeting firms that are systems like PRIZM, they are neighborhoods and can get as its AllAccess content delivery incorporating offline databases effectively utilizing surrogate granular as zip codes-plus six, or platform to allow publishers, Submitted at 11/2/2009 4:00:24 AM and segmentation systems that data to define the behavior of even household level. authors and book resellers to In an ironic turning of the media correlate online users to offline online users, clustering them into Nielsen's Evans says this is an offer book readers the option p l a n n i n g t a b l e s , o n l i n e consumer behavior. c u t e - s o u n d i n g l i f e s t y l e important "bridge" between the of downloading and reading eadvertisers and agencies are "We've built a bridge that will descriptors such as "Blue Blood o n l i n e a n d o f f l i n e w o r l d s , books they purchase on virtually about to get access to one of the start a new phase of online Estates," "Young Digerati," and because it will enable marketers any device, such as a desktop primary methods used by their targeting," boasts Justin Evans, "Country Squires" that might and agencies that might be less computer, Apple iPhone, offline counterparts to target senior vice president-marketing make them the ideal targets for familiar and comfortable with Amazon Kindle or Sony Reader. c o n s u m e r s b a s e d o n t h e i r and strategy at Nielsen Co., who certain products or categories. online targeting techniques to AllAccess will be available lifestyles, media usage and struck the PRIZM deal with The method used by PRIZM, utilize the same ones they use to sometime in the first half of purchasing patterns. In a deal DataLogix. "The way marketers known as geo-demographic plan offline media such as TV, 2 0 1 0 , a s p o k e s m a n f o r with Nielsen Co., online targeting manage consumers in the offline segmentation, has been popular radio, print, outdoor and direct LibreDigital told Computerworld firm DataLogix will begin world can be ported online." among offline marketers and mail media. today. The offering online planners and The progression is ironic, agencies for decades, because it Ideally, he said, media planners company already provides a advertisers the ability to target b e c a u s e e n d e m i c o n l i n e enabled them to fine-tune their will utilize the PRIZM data to W e b - b a s e d w a r e h o u s e a n d users based on Nielsen's PRIZM advertisers and media planners targeting based on the likelihood "complement" behaviorally- distribution system for six of the segmentation system, which have always prided themselves that specific households would based online targeting data to top 10 book publishers, and more c l u s t e r s e v e r y A m e r i c a n on the ability to target users fall into desirable consumer gain more of a "360-degree view than household into discrete consumer based on their actual behavior, lifestyle groupings based on their of the consumer."

175 newspapers and lifestyles and purchase intents. albeit those exhibited online, via geography. The PRIZM system This content has passed through p e r i o d i c a l s .

The deal, which is not exclusive, b e h a v i o r a l a n d c o n t e x t u a l divides American households fivefilters.org.

Customers will pay for the is the latest in progression of targeting techniques. By adopting into 66 segments based on their books, textbooks and periodicals that they receive via AllAccess at prices set by publishers and

Online Media Daily: Nielsen To Refract Digital Media Planning, Brings PRIZM To Online Consumer Targeting

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Will E-readers save publishers? (Stuff) (Yahoo! News Search Results for e-readers)

ponies," an extra device with only one function, in contrast to multifaceted products such as Submitted at 11/1/2009 2:40:58 PM Apple Inc's iPhone.

Reuters So far, e-readers mostly provide Publishers hoping to halt a slide "static reproductions of the print in sales with new electronic version," minus the advantages of reading devices will struggle to hard-copy books that readers get consumers to embrace them have grown accustomed to over until the technology improves, the years, such as easily being experts say. able to pass a book on to a friend, T h e g a d g e t s - - s u c h a s Wikert said. The Nook, however, Amazon.com Inc's Kindle and lets users share books.

Barnes & Noble Inc's new Still, 2009 sales of e-readers are US$259 Nook -- have created an expected to reach 3 million units, enormous buzz in the publishing according to Forrester Research. world and marketers hope they Newer devices can store will become popular Christmas thousands of easily downloadable gifts. books at a time and allow access In some respects the new devices to certain websites, newspapers still compare unfavorably to the and magazines. tactile experience of the printed NEW TOOLS, PLEASE page and lack multiple functions But while most experts praise eof more advanced technology ink, a display technology that such as smartphones, industry strives to mimic printed text, the experts say. capacity for colors, embedded Joe Wikert of O'Reilly Media links, search options and video is Inc, a publishing company and still lacking. media consultant firm, said eThese devices are readers are mostly "one-trick "technologically not advanced

enough for most content," said Paul DeHart, president of BlueToad Inc, a digital publishing company, and do not yet make it worth the effort of lugging around another gadget.

Bob Stein, formerly of the Institute for the Future of the Book, said the technology was still too foreign for most consumers. Until consumers have the control of simple "new tools that enable the creation of multimodal content," digital publishing will face obstacles.

Publishers also need to increase the number and variety of ebooks on offer, said Ross Rubin at the NPD group.

"Content needs to expand beyond bestsellers," said Rubin, "Text books are a very good direction."

Amazon says there more than 350,000 books available for its Kindles, which come in a $259 and $489 models, while Barnes and Noble says it has more than 1 million books.

WHY WAIT FOR PRINT? But for some, this is the right

time for e-publishing to reinvigorate the industry, while also addressing shortcomings of the new products.

One venture, Open Road Integrated Media, is already seeking to publish electronic versions of backlist books -augmented with video -- as well as new titles on demand.

Meanwhile, news website the Daily Beast, which had 3.9 million unique visitors in September, has launched Beast Books to produce books on current subjects in a shorter time, with the e-version coming out first.

"You can crash out an e-book as soon as you've got the final text," said Caroline Marks of The Daily Beast. "I don't see the point of waiting for the print book."

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E-Readers: Is an Open Format Necessary for Success? (PC World) (Yahoo! News Search Results for e-readers) Submitted at 11/1/2009 6:35:58 AM

As e-readers grow in popularity, a debate is growing about how well proprietary formats such as Amazon.com uses with the Kindle will do against more open approaches that allow users to download e-books to just about any device.

LibreDigital Inc. is previewing its AllAccess content delivery platform to allow publishers, authors, and book resellers to offer book readers the option of E-READERS: page 88

E-readers may not solve publisher woes yet (CIOL) (Yahoo! News Search Results for e-readers) Submitted at 11/1/2009 8:07:51 PM

NEW YORK, USA: Publishers hoping to halt a slide in sales with new electronic reading devices will struggle to get consumers to embrace them until the technology improves, experts say.

The gadgets -- such as Amazon.com Inc's Kindle and Barnes & Noble Inc's new $259 Nook -- have created an enormous buzz in the publishing world and marketers hope they will become popular Christmas gifts.

In some respects the new devices still compare unfavorably to the tactile experience of the printed

page and lack multiple functions of more advanced technology such as smartphones, industry experts say.

Joe Wikert of O'Reilly Media Inc, a publishing company and media consultant firm, said ereaders are mostly "one-trick ponies," an extra device with only one function, in contrast to multifaceted products such as

Apple Inc's iPhone.

So far, e-readers mostly provide "static reproductions of the print version," minus the advantages of hard-copy books that readers have grown accustomed to over the years, such as easily being able to pass a book on to a friend, Wikert said. The Nook, however, lets users share books.

Still, 2009 sales of e-readers are

expected to reach 3 million units, according to Forrester Research.

Newer devices can store thousands of easily downloadable books at a time and allow access to certain websites, newspapers and magazines.

New tools, Please But while most experts praise eE-READERS page 88

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iPhone Beating E-Readers at Their Own Game? (Fast Company Magazine) (Yahoo! News Search Results for e-readers)

be in tune with the public).

Perhaps e-reader's aren't the future that Amazon and Sony and Submitted at 11/2/2009 6:54:20 AM even some publishing houses With the iPhone still the hottest would like them to be--a point smartphone, there's much being debated over at Reuters speculation about how it's future recently. With the iPhone still a will pan out. For some the hot-ticket news item, and fresh money's on gaming, but new data that expanding iPhone usage research from Flurry is is likely to soon see Apple surprisingly different: eBook beating RIM's BlackBerrys in apps are overtaking games in the smartphone marketshare, there App Store. could be massive implications for Flurry's analysis involved the nascent e-publishing game. tracking the number of That's because there are tens of applications submitted to the millions of the devices in use, iTunes App Store per month and though Amazon calls the since its inception. A simple Kindle best-selling (and won't comparison between the reveal the sales figures) it surely percentage of apps falling into hasn't sold tens of millions of the games category versus those That may be a surprise to many, compared to the way the industry much less satisfying experience. units--how many people do you under the books category reveals possibly even including Apple-- itself is trending. Its screen is It's why there's such a push know who have one, compared to that between launch and August whose current iPod Touch small, not too good in sunlight towards e-readers at the moment, iPhone-owning friends? It might of this year, games outnumbered advertising is extremely games- and it uses LCD technology, and why there's much excitement also go a long way to explainging book apps and dedicated books in centric. The iPhone (and Touch) which isn't the most relaxing on about the format from forward- why Amazon has its own Kindle the catalog, comprising some 16- is often seen as the biggest threat the eyeballs as well as being t h i n k i n g n e w s p a p e r a n d iPhone app. Maybe the future of 17% of all apps in July and to Sony and Nintendo in the comparatively power-thirsty. m a g a z i n e p u b l i s h e r s . e-books really does lie in Apple's August of 2009. But in late handheld gaming market, since Compared to large-screen e- But Flurry's data suggests that hands, not Amazon's or Barnes August of this year, book apps, it's a converged device and readers like the Kindle or the actually consumers do like using and Nobles. which had been growing all people would prefer to not haul Nook which have long battery the iPhone to access e-book texts [Via blog.Flurry, The New York along, overtook games, and by around extra gadgets. lifespans and easy-on-the-eye e- (or at least app makers think that Times] October games were just 13% of And the iPhone as an e-reader ink screens, reading a book on way, and the growing trend in the This content has passed through apps while books were 20% of seems like a clumsy solution, the iPhone would seem to be a books app data shows they must fivefilters.org. the total.

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downloading and reading ebooks they purchase on virtually any device, such as a desktop computer, Apple iPhone, Amazon Kindle or Sony Reader.

AllAccess will be available sometime in the first half of 2010, a spokesman for LibreDigital told Computerworld last week. The company already provides a Web-based warehouse and distribution system for six of the top 10 book publishers, and more than 175 newspapers and periodicals.

Customers will pay for the books, textbooks and periodicals that they receive via AllAccess at prices set by publishers and resellers. LibreDigital will take a percentage of that cost, an amount still not determined, the spokesman said.

AllAccess is also supporting a wide variety of open e-book publishing standards, including ePub. In addition, LibreDigital is offering the ability to enhance and optimize book art and text for all the devices it will run upon, the LibreDigital spokesman said.

E-READERS continued from page 86

ink, a display technology that strives to mimic printed text, the capacity for colors, embedded links, search options and video is still lacking.

These devices are "technologically not advanced enough for most content," said Paul DeHart, president of BlueToad Inc, a digital

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Anyone with Web access can get a preview of an actual book with the AllAccess tool through the Texas Book Festival Web site.

The book, a novel by David Wroblewski entitled "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle," can be viewed over a PC's Web browser, or from a Kindle, iPhone or Sony Reader device. The actual Texas Book Festival, one of the largest in the nation, takes place at the Texas State Capital on Saturday and Sunday.

Heidi Marquez Smith, executive director of the festival, said the AllAccess technology indicates how e-books are transforming reading. "We believe e-books ... can increase the audience of book readers and support many literacy efforts," she said in a statement.

The bookseller Barnes & Noble supports delivery of books from its e-book store to a variety of devices, but has also developed its own e-reader, the Nook, which runs on the Google-backed Android operating system and will allow wireless downloads via AT&T's wireless network.

The Nook is set to debut later in

November.

When it announced the Nook, Barnes & Noble also committed to the open ePub reading format, which Gartner Inc. analyst Allen Weiner has said will give consumers a wider of choices than with the Kindle.

The Nook will also allow those who buy e-books to lend them for two weeks at a time to other e -book readers on a variety of devices.

LibreDigital plans to let the publishers, resellers and authors determine what their individual lending policies should be, the spokesman said.

LibreDigital is already working on digital distribution with HarperCollins Publishers, Hachette Book Group, Simon & Schuster and a variety of textbook and newspaper publishers.

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resellers. LibreDigital will take a percentage of that cost, an amount still not determined, the spokesman said.

AllAccess is also supporting a wide variety of open e-book publishing standards, including ePub. In addition, LibreDigital is offering the ability to enhance and optimize book art and text for all the devices it will run upon, the LibreDigital spokesman said.

Anyone with Web access can get a preview of an actual book with the AllAccess tool through the Texas Book Festival Web site.

The book, a novel by David Wroblewski entitled "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle," can be viewed over a PC's Web browser, or from a Kindle, iPhone or Sony Reader device. The actual Texas Book Festival, one of the largest in the nation, takes place at the Texas State Capital on Saturday and Sunday.

Heidi Marquez Smith, executive director of the festival, said the AllAccess technology indicates how e-books are transforming reading. "We believe e-books ... can increase the audience of publishing company, and do not m o d a l c o n t e n t , " d i g i t a l book readers and support many yet make it worth the effort of publishing will face obstacles. literacy efforts," she said in lugging around another gadget. Publishers also need to increase a statement.

Bob Stein, formerly of the the number and variety of e- The bookseller Barnes & Noble Institute for the Future of the books on offer, said Ross Rubin supports delivery of books from Book, said the technology was at the NPD group. its e-book store to a variety of s t i l l t o o f o r e i g n f o r m o s t "Content needs to expand beyond devices, but has also developed consumers. Until consumers have bestsellers," said Rubin, "Text the control of simple "new tools E-READERS page 89 that enable the creation of multi-

its own e-reader, the Nook, which runs on the Google-backed Android operating system and will allow wireless downloads via AT&T's wireless network.

The Nook is set to debut later in November.

When it announced the Nook, Barnes & Noble also committed to the open ePub reading format, which Gartner Inc. analyst Allen Weiner has said will give consumers a wider of choices than with the Kindle.

The Nook will also allow those who buy e-books to lend them for two weeks at a time to other e -book readers on a variety of devices.

LibreDigital plans to let the publishers, resellers and authors determine what their individual lending policies should be, the spokesman said.

LibreDigital is already working on digital distribution with HarperCollins Publishers, Hachette Book Group, Simon & Schuster and a variety of textbook and newspaper publishers.

For more enterprise computing news, visit Computerworld. Story copyright Computerworld, Inc. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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books are a very good direction."

Amazon says there more than 350,000 books available for its Kindles, which come in a $259 and $489 models, while Barnes and Noble says it has more than 1 million books.

Why wait for print?

But for some, this is the right time for e-publishing to reinvigorate the industry, while also addressing shortcomings of the new products.

One venture, Open Road Integrated Media, is already seeking to publish electronic versions of backlist books -augmented with video -- as well as new titles on demand.

Meanwhile, news website the

Daily Beast, which had 3.9 million unique visitors in September, has launched Beast Books to produce books on current subjects in a shorter time, with the e-version coming out first.

"You can crash out an e-book as soon as you've got the final text," said Caroline Marks of The Daily Beast. "I don't see the point of waiting for the print book."

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