LNP Oct-26-09 by Liberty Newspost

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Woman joins Obama golf entourage for first time By Caren Bohan (Front Row Washington) Submitted at 10/25/2009 3:53:57 PM

President Barack Obama’s weekend outings to play golf have become regular events, especially when the weather cooperates. But Sunday afternoon, an almost picture-perfect fall day, marked the first time in Obama’s presidency that a woman joined the golf game. White House domestic policy aide Melody Barnes was among those who headed out to the Fort Belvoir army installation in Virginia to play golf with the president. White House aides of varying levels of seniority typically play golf with the president but until Sunday, the games were all male. “He golfed with women on the campaign trail but not until Melody this year,” White House spokesman Bill Burton was

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quoted as saying by Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times/Politics Daily. Sweet was part of the pool of reporters who covered Sunday’s golf outing. The golf game came on the same day that The New York Times featured on its cover a story looking at whether Obama’s White House was too much of a

“man’s world.” The Times article cited complaints that arose after Obama hosted a high-level basketball game that included no female players. It also quoted some women Democrats raising concerns that women advisers to Obama do not seem to be as visible as their male counterparts

or wield as much influence. Women voters are a crucial part of the Democratic base because they tend to support the party in greater numbers than men. During his presidential campaign last year, Obama made a concerted effort to court women voters by emphasizing issues such as pay equity and telling how he was raised by a single mother with considerable help from his grandmother. For more Reuters political news, click here. Reuters photo by Jonathan Ernst (Melody Barnes and White House Trip Director Marvin Nicholson walk up the White House driveway for a golf outing with President Obama).

This Mouse Costs $1200 [Peripherals] By Jesus Diaz (Gizmodo) Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:59:00 AM

Get your $1200 ready, because after you learn this Bluetooth mouse is made with grade 1 titanium, high-quality resin, and has a neodymium scroll wheel, you are so going to want it. Come on, you know you want it. And you thought that the Magic Mouse was expensive. Seriously, who the hell spends $1200 in a mouse? [ Intelligent Design via The Design Blog]

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Briton gets re-trial over wife's death By Haroon Siddique (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)

turn around," he told the court with his head bowed. "At this point, I believe, she had an accident and the car fell into Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:06:32 AM the lake." Appeal against manslaughter Her body was discovered when a charge heard by Toulouse court horse rider spotted her car after a eight years after body was found severe drought had caused the in lake water level of Lake Bancalie to A British man convicted of fall by 30ft. killing his wife in France and then The couple's relationship had dumping her body in a lake to b e c o m e e x t r e m e l y s t r a i n e d make it look like an accident following the move to France in returned to court today in a bid to 1 9 9 7 , w i t h E v e l y n L u n d prove his innocence. struggling to adjust to her new life Evelyn Lund went missing from and drinking heavily, the court the farmhouse she shared with her heard. husband Robert in the remote Robert Lund, originally from village of Rayssac, south-west Darwen, in Lancashire, said his By Deborah Zabarenko (Front t h e t o p s p o t , w i t h S e n a t e France, on 29 December 1999. wife drank because she had not Row Washington) Democrats reportedly close to Her badly decomposed body was come to terms with the death of securing enough votes to move a found almost two years later, her first husband and would Submitted at 10/26/2009 6:47:33 AM national healthcare plan forward. slumped on the back seat of her become "very violent" when President Barack Obama heads to A proposed bill could be sent to Toyota Landcruiser in a lake, 15 intoxicated. Florida today to thank members the Congressional Budget Office miles away. "When she had not been drinking, of the military for their service — for an official cost estimate. A Robert Lund, 57, was cleared of she was the most kind, generous but given the deadly violence in Thomson Reuters report indicates m u r d e r b u t c o n v i c t e d o f person you could imagine … But Afghanistan, the commander-in- the U.S. healthcare system is just involuntary homicide, akin to when she drank she was the most chief might use the opportunity to as wasteful as Obama says it is, manslaughter, by a French jury in t e r r i b l e p e r s o n y o u c o u l d reflect on strategy in the region. but reforms could be paid for by October 2007. He was jailed for imagine," he told the court. Before Obama takes off, he’ll fixing inefficiencies, preventing 12 years but days later launched He claims she stormed out of the meet with his foreign policy and mistakes and fighting fraud. an appeal.Lund told the French house, named Fin Voyage – national security team to discuss In Washington, it’s the day after appeal court in Toulouse that his Journey's End, after an argument the situation and troops on the the Marine Corps Marathon, a wife's death had been a "tragic on 29 December 1999 and went to ground. visit mutual friends. massive road race that this year accident". Afghanistan will also be on the drew more than 20,000 finishers. "I believe she made a bad turn and But several hours later, and after agenda at the State Department, Click here for more Reuters when she found out she had made drinking wine, she got back where Deputy Secretary of State political coverage the bad turn, I believe she tried to behind the wheel to make her way Jack Lew will talk about progress Photo credit: REUTERS/stringer made in hiring civilians there. The (U.S. military personnel watch as topic could come up at the a U.S. helicopter flies over a Council on Foreign Relations too; military base in Ghazni province, Sen. John Kerry’s speaking there October 26, 2009) around midday. But domestic matters could take

The First Draft: Afghanistan and Obama

home. Lund claims she never returned and he reported her missing two days later. The former tree surgeon said he "would not do any harm to her or desert her". "I'm a pacifist, I hate violence, I try to help people, I put other people before myself," he said. But examining magistrate Gisele Seban accused him of telling "manifest lies". Traces of blood found on his wife's clothing and the back seat of the 4x4 showed she had died as a result of violence, said the prosecutor. "Evelyn Wilkinson (Lund's maiden name) returned to her own home on the evening of 29 December 1999, as she had told her friends she would do, to feed her animals," said Seban. "This is explained by the fact that she changed her shoes and put on a jacket which was not part of her earlier outfit. "Evelyn Wilkinson died from violence, something which is shown by significant traces of blood found on her clothes." The case continues. • France Haroon Siddique guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

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Karadzic boycotts opening of war crimes trial By Ian Traynor (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)

"This is nothing but dirty, dirty politics," said Zumraca Sehomerovic, from the eastern town of Srebrenica, who travelled Submitted at 10/26/2009 4:59:22 AM for two days by bus from Sarajevo Judge adjourns first day of to witness the appearance of a prosecution statements after ex- hated figure in the dock. "I'm Bosnian Serb leader says he needs totally shocked by this. We've more time to prepare defence been waiting for this for 14 years, Radovan Karadzic, the Bosnian demanding justice. But instead of Serb leader charged with genocide b e i n g p u n i s h e d , h e ' s b e i n g for the worst mass murders in r e w a r d e d . " Europe since the Nazis, called the Her husband and son were among bluff of the special UN war the almost 8,000 Muslim males crimes tribunal today by massacred by the Serbs at boycotting the opening of his trial. Srebrenica in an act that the court Presiding over the trial in has already established was one of courtroom number one of the genocide. Yugoslav war crimes tribunal in Bakira Hasecic, one of the The Hague, the judge, O-Gon thousands of Bosnian Muslim Kwon, of South Korea, sparked rape victims of a systematic u p r o a r i n t h e g a l l e r y b y Serbian campaign of sexual adjourning the keenly awaited assault during the war, said that if case after a brief 20-minute the international court was hearing. incapable of delivering justice, Dozens of Bosnian Muslim Karadzic should be handed over victims and survivors of the to a local court. "Let him come to S e r b i a n m a s s m u r d e r a t Sarajevo. We've got courts. We'll Srebrenica in 1995 howled and deal with him," she said. wailed as the judge adjourned the The Karadzic trial is arguably the proceedings and pleaded with biggest and one of the last to be Karadzic to appear in court held at the tribunal. He was tomorrow afternoon. arrested last year in Belgrade after Karadzic faces 11 charges of 13 years on the run under a new genocide, war crimes and crimes identity and heavy disguise as a against humanity for allegedly new age healer. orchestrating a systematic He is insisting on defending campaign of murder, terror and himself in the trial, allowing him deportation in the 1992-95 war to play for time and delay the aimed at seizing half of Bosnia proceedings. and ridding it of all non-Serbs. The prosecution team used

today's short hearing to insist Karadzic have defence lawyers imposed on him and be forced to attend the chamber. Giving in to Karadzic's delaying tactics meant that "the trial can only start if the accused says it should," argued Hildegard Uertz-Retzlaff, a prosecutor. "There is no reason today not to start the trial." The same tactics were used by the late Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic and the Serbian warlord Vojislav Seselj to politicise their trials and drag them out interminably. Judges have been criticised by lawyers, victims' associations and human rights activists for allowing the war crimes suspects to set the agenda and manipulate the court. Judge Kwon said a recording of this morning's brief proceedings would be made available to Karadzic in his cell in the nearby detention unit and that the accused should appear tomorrow afternoon. Karadzic last week described his long-awaited trial as "the biggest, most complex, important and sensitive case ever before this tribunal", and argued that he needed a lot more time to plough through around 1 million pages of prosecution evidence. "My defence is not ready," he said. "I will not appear before you on that date [today]." This threat appeared in the English version of a 10-page letter from Karadzic.

The original, in Serbian, contained no explicit threat of a boycott. Karadzic was the political leader of the Bosnian Serbs during the 1992-95 war, which left 100,000 dead – mainly Bosnian Muslims – and divided the country into Serbian and Muslim-Croat halves. He has been indicted on two counts of genocide, the gravest charges possible, for allegedly overseeing the mass murder and deportation of tens of thousands of Bosnia's Muslims in the northwest of the country in 1992 and at Srebrenica, in the north-east, in 1995. He faces a further nine charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for the 44-month Serbian siege of the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, in 1992-95, and for taking more than 200 UN peacekeepers hostage in 1995 in order to deter Nato from launching bombing raids. • Radovan Karadzic • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Serbia • War crimes • United Nations Ian Traynor guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

An Apple e-reader could overshadow Amazon's Kindle and B&N's Nook By Brian White (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 10/26/2009 12:00:00 PM

Filed under: Competitive strategy, Apple Inc (AAPL), Amazon.com (AMZN) Barnes & Noble Inc.(NYSE: BKS) recently announced an electronic e-reader to compete with the likes of the Amazon.com's (NASDAQ: AMZN) Kindle and Sony Corp.'s (NYSE: SNE) Reader. In perfect holiday fashion, the ereader is set to become the "must have" gadget for the gift-giving season almost upon us. The newer Nook device has a small color screen that allows easier content locating (but no keyboard), the ability to "lend" digital books to a friend and built-in wireless internet. Continue reading An Apple ereader could overshadow Amazon's Kindle and B&N's Nook An Apple e-reader could overshadow Amazon's Kindle and B&N's Nook originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

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Afghan copter crashes kill 14 Americans By Haroon Siddique (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)

The Taliban said they shot down a helicopter in Badghis province in north-western Afghanistan, but it was unclear if this was the same Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:17:13 AM incident and the claim could not • Hostile fire ruled out in collision be verified. that killed three civilians It was the heaviest loss of life in • US engages in war games for a single day since 28 June 2005, exit strategy when 16 US troops on a special Fourteen Americans were killed forces helicopter died when their today in a series of helicopter MH-47 Chinook helicopter was crashes in Afghanistan, in the shot down by insurgents. deadliest day for the US mission US forces also reported the death in the country in more than four of two other American troops a years. day earlier: one in a bomb attack Seven US troopers and three US in the east and another who died civilians working for the of wounds sustained in an government died when their insurgent attack in the same helicopter went down in western region. Afghanistan, a US statement said. The deaths bring to at least 46 the Eleven American troops, one US number of US troops killed in civilian and 14 Afghans were also October so far. It has been the injured. In the south of the deadliest year for international country, two US helicopters and US forces since the 2001 collided, killing four American invasion to oust the Taliban. troops and wounding two others. The casualties came as President US authorities have ruled out Barack Obama prepared to meet hostile fire in the collision but his national security team for a have not given a cause for the sixth full-scale conference on the other crash in the west. The joint future of the conflict and the force had "searched a suspected Washington Post reported that the compound believed to harbour US has been engaging in war insurgents conducting activities g a m e s , t e s t i n g t h e v a r i o u s related to narcotics trafficking in proposals presented to Barack western Afghanistan," Nato said Obama to end the eight-year war. in a statement. "During the The Obama administration has o p e r a t i o n , i n s u r g e n t f o r c e s been re-evaluating its strategy engaged the joint force and more amid falling public support for the than a dozen enemy fighters were conflict and a request by the US killed in the ensuing firefight." commanding officer in

Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, for tens of thousands more troops. The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, oversaw a secret war game this month to evaluate two of the leading military options being assessed by the White House, the Washington Post reported. Senior military officials told the paper the exercise examined the likely impact of increasing troop numbers by 44,000 to conduct a full-scale counter-insurgency effort and an alternative strategy of inserting 10,000 to 15,000 soldiers and marines as part of an approach that the military has labelled "counterterrorism plus". Both are based on options presented by McChrystal. Military officials told the Washington Post that the war game did not result in one option being endorsed over the other. "One of the exercise's key assumptions is that an increase of 10,000 to 15,000 troops would not in the near future give US commanders the forces they need to take back havens from the Taliban commanders in southern and western Afghanistan," the paper reported. McChrystal has warned of possible "mission failure" unless more Nato forces are deployed immediately and new tactics are adapted to win local support.

The White House has said it is awaiting the outcome of the presidential run-off between incumbent Hamid Karzai and challenger Abdullah Abdullah before making any decision on troop numbers. Abdullah today called for the election commission chairman, Azizullah Lodin, to be replaced within five days, accusing him of having "no credibility". Lodin has denied accusations he is biased in favour of Karzai, and the election commission's spokesman has already said Lodin cannot be replaced by either side. Abdullah made the demand in a news conference during which he spelled out what he said were "minimum conditions" for holding a fair second round of voting, including the firing of any workers implicated in fraud and the suspension of several ministers he said had campaigned for Karzai in the first round before the official campaigning period began. • Afghanistan • US foreign policy • Obama administration • Taliban Haroon Siddique guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

Call buyers LEAP into Microsoft (MSFT) By Beth Gaston Moon (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 10/26/2009 11:20:00 AM

Filed under: Microsoft (MSFT), Options Microsoft Corp.(NASDAQ: MSFT), one of the equities consistently seeing the heaviest daily option volume, saw some heavy options activity right out of the gate Monday morning. The January 2012 37.50-strike call is easily the site of heaviest call volume so far, with 39,660 contracts trading on open interest of just 521. Eleven minutes after the opening bell sounded, a block of 38,563 contracts crossed the tape, trading one penny off the ask price at $1.55 per contract. Continue reading Call buyers LEAP into Microsoft (MSFT) Call buyers LEAP into Microsoft (MSFT) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

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Juanita Castro reveals CIA role By Alexandra Topping (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)

they had interesting things to tell me and interesting things to ask of me," she said. "I was left halfshocked, but in any case I told Submitted at 10/26/2009 7:09:46 AM them yes.'' Juanita Castro broke with Cuban In her book, Fidel and Raúl, My revolution and collaborated with Brothers: The Secret History, US intelligence in 1960s, she tells Juanita admits to collaborating television interviewer with the CIA both inside Cuba Juanita Castro, sister of Cuban and after she went into exile in leaders Fidel and Raúl Castro, co- 1964. operated with the CIA in the Throughout the early 1960s, the 1960s when the US agency was CIA was involved in dozens of plotting to assassinate Fidel and plots to assassinate Fidel Castro – o v e r t h r o w h i s r e v o l u t i o n , the man himself claimed there according to her book, published were more than 600 – and today. overthrow his government. Juanita, who broke with her Juanita, the fifth child of Angel brothers' revolution in 1964, hid C a s t r o a n d L i n a C r u z , h a s government opponents in her publicly and repeatedly criticised home. She incurred the wrath of her brothers' government since Fidel, who refused to visit her she left Cuba in 1964. Calling a house, saying it was "surrounded press conference 10 days after her by worms". Her mother also defection, she explained why she intervened with Raúl to help could no longer stay in Cuba. "I jailed or fugitive opponents of the cannot longer remain indifferent Castro regime, the Miami Herald to what is happening in my reports. country," she said. "My brothers Juanita's revelation of her link Fidel and Raúl have made it an with the CIA came as a short enormous prison surrounded by teaser at the end of an interview water. The people are nailed to a w i t h t h e M i a m i t e l e v i s i o n cross of torment imposed by channel Univisión-Noticias 23, international communism." broadcast yesterday. "The CIA In yesterday's broadcast, Juanita, wanted to talk with me ... because now 76, said that hers was "just

one more Cuban family'' until Fidel and Raúl led the 1953 attack on the Moncada army barracks, now recognised as the beginning of the revolution. After the dictator Fulgencio Batista was overthrown in early 1959, she worked on building health clinics and hospitals in the country, but her faith in the regime failed as the brothers started cracking down on opponents and confiscating private properties. "I begin to lose the enthusiasm when I see so much injustice and I say, this is not possible, they are wrong. Someone here is doing things badly,'' she said on the programme. "We tended to blame the people lower down, but the orders did not really come from the people lower down. They came from the upper levels, from Fidel, from Che, from Raúl." Juanita added that her mother, Lina Ruz, also often helped government critics. "My mother got help from whoever could help, especially Raúl because he was always very generous with her … she appealed to Fidel in some cases," she said. When Ruz died in August 1963,

Juanita began to feel her life was in danger, she said. "When she died, I had a very delicate situation in Cuba because of my activities against the regime. Of course, with my mother, I always felt more protected ... I thought it would be harder for them to take drastic measures against me.'' Juanita last spoke to Raúl in person on 18 June 1964, the day before she left for Mexico, she told the report. Her 432-page book was co-written by Maria Antonieta Collins, a journalist who first began interviewing her for a book on her life in 1999. Univisión-Noticias 23 negotiated the world exclusive on Juanita's tale with the publisher Santillana. She was forbidden from giving other interviews until the book was published. • Cuba • Fidel Castro • Raúl Castro

Windows 7 Launches in Japan [Image Cache] By Mark Wilson (Gizmodo) Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:40:00 AM

I swear, Japan is just fucking with us at this point. [ YouTube via SirAshcraft]

Who Wore it Best? Celebs Sport Identical Styles (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 10/26/2009 6:45:00 AM

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

It's a fashion face-off for stylesavvy celebs! From Kourtney Kardashian and "90210" star Shenae Grimes to Shakira and Pink, see which stars are working the red carpet in similar styles.

InPulse Smartwatch for BlackBerry: All the BlackBerry you could want in a wristwatch, coming next February By Nicholas Deleon (CrunchGear) Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:30:45 AM

Real, and available to pre-order. I refer to that BlackBerry wristwatch that was rumored for so, so long till it was “made

official” several days ago. Created

by Allerta (and not RIM), the watch, officially named the inPulse smartwatch for BlackBerry, will set you back

$150 when it's released in February, 2010.

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Star's confession draws court crowds Clashes in Jerusalem at al-Aqsa mosque By Justin McCurry (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)

opening day in the trial of Shoko Asahara, the cult guru whose followers carried out a fatal gas attack on the Tokyo subway in Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:11:45 AM 1995. Tears flow as Japanese singer Sakai's brand of saccharine pop Noriko Sakai offers to swap made her a household name in the saccharine stardom for geriatric 1990s and earned her a huge n u r s i n g t o e s c a p e j a i l f o r following in China, Taiwan and amphetamine use Hong Kong. The chances of success stood at She was arrested for allegedly roughly one in 300. But even using amphetamines during a those odds weren't enough to stop f a m i l y h o l i d a y i n J u l y ; thousands of people from braving investigators also found minute heavy rain in Tokyo today for the traces of the drug in her Tokyo chance to see one of Japan's best- apartment. known celebrities take the stand Dressed in a black suit and on drugs charges. clutching a white handkerchief, The case against Noriko Sakai Sakai admitted the charges and has gripped Japan ever since the said she had been persuaded to 38-year-old actress and singer take drugs by her husband, Yuichi went into hiding in early August, Takaso, who describes himself as on the day she was called in for a professional surfer. questioning after the drugs-related His arrest prompted her to arrest of her husband. disappear for several days, Tabloid tales of the couple's prompting a hunt that at times amphetamine use have been seemed to be led by the media lapped up by an enraptured public rather than the police. in a country where celebrity drug Prosecutors are seeking an 18use still counts as a genuine month jail term for a crime that scandal. carries a maximum sentence of 10 Today, 6,600 people lined up for years, although most first-time the 20 seats in the public gallery offenders get off with a suspended at the Tokyo district court, a sentence. number topped only by the 12,000 Whether she serves time in who applied for a place at the prison, Sakai, who appeared in an

anti-drugs campaign in the early 1990s, has been amply castigated by an unforgiving entertainment world. The media have characterised her alleged drug habit as a betrayal to the legions of fans drawn to her wholesome image as a twentysomething pop idol and, more recently, by her devotion to her 10-year-old son. Toyota stopped showing a commercial featuring Sakai on its website and her clothing line was pulled from stores across Japan. She was later ditched by her agency, Sun Music, and Victor Records withdrew her CDs from stores. In what appeared to be a plea for leniency, she tearfully told the court she would divorce her husband and swap showbusiness for a career in geriatric nursing. A ruling is due on 9 November. • Japan • Pop and rock • Drugs trade Justin McCurry guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

Statistics experts reject global cooling claims (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News) Submitted at 10/26/2009 9:32:02 AM

HECTORB buzzed up: Hotel

owner tells Hispanic workers to change names (AP) 9 seconds ago 2009-1026T09:45:04-07:00

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By Rory McCarthy (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)

Israel. David Cohen, the head of Israel's national police, accused Muslim extremists of inciting violence. Submitted at 10/26/2009 7:50:19 AM "The police will act with a strong Demonstrations at holy shrine hand against anyone who disrupts erupt into violence as youths fight order on the Temple Mount and battles with riot police against those who incite to riot," Israeli riot police firing stun Cohen said. grenades and crowds of young Palestinians, however, have been Palestinians throwing stones increasingly concerned about clashed in the compound around right-wing Jewish settlers entering the al-Aqsa mosque in the heart of the compound and about rumours Jerusalem's Old City today. - denied by Israel - of excavations It was the latest flare-up in near the site. The Old City, in east several weeks of protests around Jerusalem, was captured by Israel the site, known as the Temple in the 1967 war and later annexed, Mount or the Haram al-Sharif. a move never recognised by the Around two dozen people were international community. injured, mostly Palestinians, but Palestinian officials accused the none were seriously hurt. Israeli police of provoking the Israeli forces stormed up into the violence. Nabil Abu Rdainah, a compound behind riot shields and spokesman for Abbas, condemned crowds of Palestinians fled, some "the storming of Haram al-Sharif taking sanctuary in the al-Aqsa by Israeli forces". He added: mosque. "Jerusalem is a red line that Israel The second intifada of 2000 should not cross." There have began with protests in the same been protests over the incident area, but these latest clashes have from the Islamic Conference and been less violent and so far seem the Arab League. u n l i k e l y t o t r i g g e r a m o r e • Israel widespread uprising against the • Palestinian territories Israeli occupation. • Religion Several Palestinians were arrested by Israeli police, among Rory McCarthy them Hatam Abd al-Qadir, a guardian.co.uk© Guardian News senior Palestinian adviser on & Media Limited 2009 | Use of Jerusalem, and Ali Abu Sheikha, this content is subject to our a senior leader from the Islamic Terms & Conditions| More Feeds Movement, an organisation within

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Inflation vs. Deflation Battle Hits Key Inflection Point (Financial Sector and Stocks Analysis from Seeking Alpha) Submitted at 10/26/2009 9:15:07 AM

I think we're at a key inflection point in the financial markets at this juncture. The direction that things head next could decide the winner, at least for the next few years, of the inflation vs. deflation battle. So I spent the morning revisiting and rereading many of my favorite arguments from both sides of the debate, and came up with three key metrics for us to revisit. First, let me lay a little groundwork and list my preexisting assumptions: • My timeframe is defined as the next 3 years. After that, we may well see hyperinflation and/or a true crash in the dollar - but for the sake of this argument, I want to look at the next 3 years only (reason being, if you misplay the next 3 years, you could be toast anyway).

arguments for both sides, I noticed that three central themes were the focus of much of the debate: • Inflation will occur when the banks start lending again. • The demand for money, or prevailing social mood, will determine if consumers trade in their cash for anything (leading to inflation), or if they hoard their cash to pay down debt (leading to debt deflation. • Stock prices will reflect a goosing of the money supply.

Checkpoint 1: Inflation requires an increase in bank lending Thanks to the wonders of our fractional reserve banking system, where banks are only required to have a fraction of the money they lend out, bank lending has a tremendous multiplier effect on the money supply. During times of expanding credit (2002 - 2007 most recently), this effect was felt in full force, as loose credit led to a bubble in nearly all asset markets. Since the credit crisis began, • I accept the Fed's ability to banks have significantly curtailed "print" money. their lending. While the Federal government has boosted the balance sheets of the big banks, • I also believe that inflation is there has not been a proportionate preferable to the government, and growth in loans (see chart below). given the choice between inflation Source: The Daily Reckoning and deflation, they will inflate (or Herein lies the rub - bank lending at least attempt to) every time. has not picked up, at least not yet. Also, massive government deficits Check out the graph below, certainly make inflation all the courtesy of the St. Louis Fed: more tempting. Conclusion: As long as bank lending continues to decline, it's When revisiting my favorite difficult to make an argument for

inflation. However, if and when this chart begins ticking up once again, that will be a strong indicator that inflation may be on the way. Checkpoint 2: The demand for money and prevailing social mood From World War II until 2007, the world was a place of expanding credit. This growth was driven by consumer demand for credit, which was particularly strong in the US. That is the key point - that the growth was driven by from the demand side, which in turn, resulted in increasing supply. While many blame Alan Greenspan for creating a housing

bubble this decade with artificially low interest rates, it's important to consider the role that consumers played in that spectacle. Greenspan was only giving the populace what it wanted - more credit. He may have spiked the punch bowl, but only at the insistence of the drunken party goers. Today, with mortgage rates still near historic lows, we have no housing bubble any longer. In fact, we have a plummeting housing market. Why? Because there's no demand for credit. Consumers are choking on debt - they are screaming "No Mas."

Can the Fed inflate the asset markets one more time? They are trying like hell, but they'll only be successful if the social mood in the United States permits it. One of the major reasons Japan was never able to reignite another bubble after 1989 is that the mood of consumers permanently shifted. The demand for money increased - consumers wanted to hoard it. They did not want to speculate, or trade it in for assets. Did the social mood of the US permanently change in 2007? One tea leaf worth paying attention to is the demographics card. By 2007, the US had some noteworthy demographic parallels with Japan of 1989 (ie. we're getting old). Though we are not "as screwed" as Japan in terms of demographics, thanks to immigration and somewhat higher birth rates, we've peaked demographically as a country, at least until further notice. Conclusion: Demand for money, and social mood, are admittedly challenging to measure in an objective manner. There may have been a permanent shift in 2007 - if so, the Fed may find that, like Japan, it's "pushing on a string" in terms of trying to change consumer behavior and attitudes towards debt. Checkpoint 3: Monetary goosing will show up in stocks, especially financials, first According to Milton Friedman, the script for inflation roughly goes like this: INFLATION page 10

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Are Big Banks Better? (Financial Sector and Stocks Analysis from Seeking Alpha) Submitted at 10/26/2009 9:23:44 AM

By James Kwak Last week, Charles Calomiris wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal arguing that big banks are better for various reasons. Simon wrote last week saying that Calomiris underestimated the political dimension, and that his proposed solution — a crossborder resolution mechanism for large institutions — is the policy equivalent of assuming a can opener. I wanted to look at Calomiris’s specific claims. I think I’ve already dealt with the myth that banks “need to be large to operate on a global scale—and they need to do so because their clients are large and operate globally.” Calomiris also argues that there are economies of scope (it’s better to be big because you can play in multiple businesses). Here’s his evidence: True, some empirical studies in the field of finance have failed to find big gains from mergers. But those studies measured gains to banks only, and measured only the performance improvements of recently consolidated institutions against other institutions, many of which had improved their performance due to previous consolidation. Yet even unconsolidated banks have improved their performance under the pressure of increased competition following the

removal of branching restrictions, which permitted the consolidation wave in banking. And when an entire industry is involved in a protracted consolidation wave, the best indicator of the gains from consolidation is the performance of the industry as a whole. One study of bank productivity growth during the heart of the merger wave (1991-1997), by Kevin Stiroh, an economist at the New York Federal Reserve, found that it rose more than 0.4% per year. Note that Calomiris concedes that you can’t find benefits from mergers by looking at merged banks directly; this is why he falls back on an industry average. First of all, there must be a joke to be made here about correlation and causality. Wait, here it is. Second, 1991-97 was only the beginning of the merger wave; The Riegle-Neal Interstate Banking Act wasn’t passed until 1994. Let’s assume that mergers after 1995 wouldn’t show up in the 1991-97 data. That includes Nations-Boatmen’s, NationsBarnett, Nations-Bank of America, B of A-FleetBoston, Chemical-Chase, Bank One-First Chicago, J.P. Morgan-Chase ( JPM), Wells-First Interstate ( WFC), Wells-Norwest, and Wachovia-First Union ( WB). Third, I was interested by that statistic, because 0.4% annual productivity growth from 1991 to 1997 seems like nothing to write home about – labor productivity growth(the figure you usually read about) over that period was

about 1.7% per year for the economy as a whole. So I tracked down the source: Kevin J. Stiroh, “ How did bank holding companies prosper in the 1990s?,” Journal of Banking & Finance, Volume 24, Issue 11, November 2000, Pages 1703-1745. (I’m not sure if anyone can download the paper or I could only do it because I’m on the Yale VPN.) I found out that Stiroh is measuring total factor productivity, not labor productivity, so 0.4% is better than average for the nonmanufacturing sector. (The economy average was 0.3%, but the manufacturing sector was 1.9%, so by implication the nonmanufacturing sector was less than 0.3%.) So far, so good. But what does Stiroh say about this productivity growth? His main explanation for the productivity growth is not consolidation, but information technology: “The finding of steady productivity growth, in particular, is important since it is consistent with the idea that the massive investment in new technology is working to improve the performance of the banking industry.” This is not proven in this paper, but Stiroh went on to write a bunch of other papers on the link between information technology and productivity. For example, this paper(on the entire economy, not just banking) concludes: IT-producing and IT-using industries account for virtually all

of the productivity revival that is attributable to the direct contributions from specific industries, while industries that are relatively isolated from the IT revolution essentially made no contribution to the U.S. productivity revival. Thus, the U.S. productivity revival seems to be fundamentally linked to IT. That second paper also finds (Table 2) that productivity acceleration — the difference between productivity growth in the 1995-99 period relative to the 1987-95 period — was lower in finance, insurance, and real estate than in the economy as a whole, including the services sector. I don’t know exactly what this means, but at first glance it doesn’t look good for banking consolidation. Going back to the first paper (the one Calomiris cites), what does Stiroh say about bank size? “Despite the strong overall performance, roughly 10% of costs were due to inefficiency and 30-40% of potential profits were missed. Moreover, efficiency does not significantly increase with bank size as one might expect if economies of scale are an important determinant of success. Rather, there are efficient and profitable BHCs in every size class and increased size does not guarantee success.” Figures 6 and 7 show that there is no difference in cost efficiency across size classes and that the largest banks actually seem to have lower profit efficiency.

However, Stiroh also says that continuing consolidation seems to offer the possibility of reducing these inefficiencies, so on balance I would say he is slightly positive about size. Stiroh also has a paper on banks in Switzerland which I didn’t read, but whose abstract says: We find evidence of economies of scale for small and mid-size banks, but little evidence that significant scale economies remain for the very largest banks. Finally, evidence on scope economies is weak for the largest banks that are involved in a wide variety of activities. These results suggest few obvious benefits from the trend toward larger universal banks. I wish I had more time to read more of these papers. It seems to me that Stiroh has done a lot of serious empirical research on banking productivity and finds the evidence mixed — consolidation should be good, but it doesn’t really show up in the data. I haven’t read much of his work (or talked to him) and I certainly don’t want to imply that he is against big banks. I just think that citing a study he did of the 199197 period to back up a claim that banking mergers are good is a bit of a stretch. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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Can FDIC Proceedings Help Solve Problems with Money Center Banks? (Financial Sector and Stocks Analysis from Seeking Alpha)

they are preparing, with their lobbyists and PR people, to fight banking regulation, tooth and nail, Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:31:50 AM especially the salary and bonus Money center banks have had caps. But is all this what we some big losses recently. They would like to see our money still carry a lot of putatively bad center banks do? Especially paper. While we are probably inasmuch as over 109 smaller finished with subprime problems, banks have failed this year and the we are waist deep in prime big banks covetously view the problems, and jumbos, resets and new turf made available to them. commercial problems probably lie If they can just survive what is more ahead of us than behind us. ahead, with the U.S. Treasury As for the traditional lending propping them up, but staying too practice of banks, the money much out of their way. center banks have not stepped up It is not hard to dislike money to the plate. After years of loaning center banks, but even if we bring money to any creature that a less jaundiced eye to their barked, they now hardly know a problems, the question remains good prospect when they see one is what we have done very these days, few though they may effective and, if so, at achieving be. So what are those banks doing what? Our efforts have surely beyond loaning their excess been expensive. To be sure, their reserves back to the Fed? doors are still open. Big bank runs Actually, they are doing a good have been avoided. The help we bit, mostly along four lines: (1) have provided has improved their they are better learning how to balance sheets. These are not hedge their mortgage service fees small matters. But the fact valuations and play with the remains, properly viewed, these GAAP rules in those regards, (2) banks truly remain insolvent. they are inventively finding new Worse, more write-offs are ahead fees and charges to levy on their even if GDP does materially customers, (3) they are rapidly improve over the next few learning to trade, wheel and deal quarters. So what, if anything, like Goldman Sachs ( GS) to help should we do? their bottom line, and finally, (4) My suggestion is that we give the

market mechanism a hand and consider initiation of FDIC insolvency proceeding for each of the big money centered banks. Why, you ask, should we do a crazy thing like that? First off, not all insolvency proceedings before the FDIC result in bankruptcy like reorganizations. Banks can go in for a serious review or what amounts to a major tune up, all without a major reorganization. A whole range of putative actions are possible by the FDIC. Secondly, while in FDIC insolvency proceedings, the banks are under the oversight and general jurisdiction and supervision of the FDIC. That is no small matter in our circumstances. While in FDIC insolvency proceedings, it is much harder because of the oversight to play misleading games with the GAAP rules. At least without more, major and probably FDIC mandated disclosures, assuming the FDIC were to even permit a fast and loose game here. Secondly, while in FDIC proceedings or even while being threatened with them, it would be much harder for those banks to mount an effective campaign

against banking and financial reform. We would have a hammer over their heads. Third, their desire to “Be Like Mike” and emulate Goldman Sachs money winning ways would likely be seriously dampened while in or threatened with FDIC insolvency proceedings. This would allow us a great opportunity to get an amended and updated GlassSteagall bill through Congress. Finally, FDIC proceedings might actually help the money center banks to better get on their feet, in one manner or the other. The downsides of public panic and the vacuum created on Wall Street can be dealt with; the first, by a good public information campaign and the second, by the realization those banks are presently only barely engaged in traditional banking anyway. They could continue much as they are while in FDIC proceedings, but only with more serious oversight. The public and the banks’ depositors should rejoice if they understand. Much good might come from the idea of putting the money center banks through FDIC insolvency proceedings. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Jordanian pleads not guilty in Dallas bomb plot (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News) Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:43:09 AM

HECTORB buzzed up: Hotel owner tells Hispanic workers to change names (AP)

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Lenovo All-in-One IdeaCentre B500's Got Cyborg Chic [Lenovo] By Dan Nosowitz (Gizmodo) Submitted at 10/26/2009 9:01:00 AM

Lenovo introduced a few new computers today, most interesting among them (visually, at least) being the B500 all-in-one with a crazy angular design. But they've also got their first Core i7 notebook and a pretty nicelooking ultraportable. Lenovo is fleshing out their all-in -one lineup (which already includes the cheaper C100) with the terrifyingly angular IdeaCentre B500. It's got pretty decent specs, if you don't want to wait until the new Intel procs take over. The 23-inch 16x9 B500 offers (at its best and most expensive configuration) up to a Core 2 Quad proc, 4GB memory, a 1TB hard drive, DVD or Bluray, and an optional TV tuner with remote, in case you want to turn it into a media center. [ Lenovo]

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Chubb Q3: Earnings Beat, Despite Decline in Premiums Written (Financial Sector and Stocks Analysis from Seeking Alpha)

reflecting reduced demand due to the global recession. On the basis of net written Submitted at 10/26/2009 9:01:43 AM premiums by business segments, Chubb Corporation( CB) third C h u b b P e r s o n a l I n s u r a n c e quarter earnings came in at $1.56 d e c l i n e d 5 % y e a r - o v e r - y e a r , per share, ahead of the Zacks Chubb Commercial Insurance Consensus Estimate of $1.29 per declined 8% year-over-year and share. Last year, the company C h u b b S p e c i a l t y I n s u r a n c e reported earnings of 93 cents. The declined 6% year-over-year. results were helped by a mild Underwriting profits rose to $423 h u r r i c a n e s e a s o n , w h i c h million from $69 million in the o v e r s h a d o w e d d e c l i n e i n same quarter last year. Last year, premiums written. the company recorded huge Net income spiked to $596 catastrophe losses. million or $1.69 a share from The quarter’s combined loss and $264 million, or 73 cents a share, expense ratio improved to 85.4% in the year-ago period. from 98.1% last year, mainly due T h o u g h t h e c o m p a n y h a s to a low catastrophe loss. improved its profits, its total net During the quarter, Chubb written premiums declined 7% to repurchased 8.7 million shares at $2.7 billion from $2.9 billion, a total cost of $412 million. As of

Sep 30, 2009, there were 7.0 million shares remaining under the current repurchase authorization. Book value per share for the quarter was $45.43, up 19% from $38.25 in the yearago quarter. For the fourth quarter, the company expects earnings to lie in the range of $1.41–1.51 per share. For the full year, the management has increased its guidance to $5.90–6.00 from the $5.20–5.50 per share previously. Peer Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV) also benefited from the weak hurricane season, boosting its earnings in the quarter to $1.65 per share from 36 cents per share. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

OWLE Launches Bubo; Ultimate iPhone Video Rig By Daniel Brusilovsky (CrunchGear) Submitted at 10/26/2009 9:11:31 AM

With the iPhone 3GS, the possibilities are endless. In July 2009, Harold Smith and Graham Mcbain took the iPhone 3GS, and made the first prototype of the OWLE Bubo, which we covered on CrunchGear. Now, just four months later, the OWLE Bubo is ready to ship to the public. OWLE, which stands for Optical Widgets for Life Enhancement, is aiming to making mobile video much easier, by taking the parts you use on your camcorder, and enabling you to use them on the

iPhone. The Bubo comes standard with a hotshoe mount on top for LED lights, four tripod mounts and standard 37mm lens threading so that you can put your own lenses on it, in addition to the lens that the Bubo comes with.

INFLATION continued from page 7

• Increase the money supply • The new money goes into stocks first, increasing stock prices • Then economic activity increases (a false boom) • Then the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rises Sure appears like the script is playing out to a tee. With regards to stocks, we've seen that financial stocks have been the strongest performers, which you'd probably

expect in an inflationary boomlet. But this market rally has, thus far, only qualified itself as a stellar bear market bounce. We are still in typical retracement territory. Bounces usually retrace roughly half of their losses - often even more. The 2009 bounce is currently eerily similar to the 1930 bounce in terms of magnitude. Conclusion: The jury is still out on what has actually driven this stock market rally. We could be at

an important inflection point. If the market continues to head higher, the case that it's being driven by inflation will strengthen. If it makes new highs, that would probably seal it. On the flip side, if the market turns down from here, then all we saw this summer and autumn was a classic bear market bounce. Bottom Line: The coming months will be very interesting, and hopefully quite insightful, in terms of illuminating which side

is winning the inflation/deflation battle. It's too close to call just yet in my opinion, as both scripts have been fulfilled thus far. But we could be near a fork in the road. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Consumers dislike web tracking, but not enough to change behavior By Tom Johansmeyer (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 10/26/2009 11:40:00 AM

CONSUMERS page 11

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CONSUMERS continued from page 10

Filed under: Industry, Consumer experience, Internet, Competitive strategy, Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon.com (AMZN) Traditional retailers haven't exactly embraced online sales channels. Sure, they all have websites, and they sell varying amounts of merchandise through them, but they've been slow to tap into the potential. When I was watching the space as an analyst at a major consulting firm (admittedly, back in 2007), many retailers equated a website to a new store opening. Finally, however, this industry is starting

to see the potential of this venue, particularly when it comes to tracking consumer behavior. When the CEO of Macy's(NYSE: M), Terry Lundgren, says that online sales are only good for 6% of last year's total sales, it's a hint. The translation: "We focus on where the revenue is" is much different from "We focus on where the revenue could be." Aeropostale(NYSE: ARO), on the other hand, sees the upside of playing in the online space, which is where it saw revenues spike 85% last year. Aeropostale has seen increases in traditional venues too, but nothing like what

it's realized on the web. So, maybe there's something to this internet, after all. Continue reading Consumers dislike web tracking, but not enough to change behavior Consumers dislike web tracking, but not enough to change behavior originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Nokia's new CFO thinks company can compete with Apple's iPhone By Brian White (BloggingStocks)

company's most recent quarterly results don't speak highly of its efforts as of late. Submitted at 10/26/2009 12:40:00 PM And, when you start suing F i l e d u n d e r : C o m p e t i t i v e competitors, your back must be strategy, Apple Inc (AAPL), against a pretty hard wall. What is Nokia Corp. (NOK) Nokia going to do? Try to Nokia Corp.(NYSE: NOK) has innovate again and manufacture been losing market share in the wireless handsets that carrier mobile phone business to faster partners are glad to have on and more innovative companies shelves and customers seek to l i k e A p p l e I n c . ( N A S D A Q : purchase? Sorry, the iPhone AAPL) and Korea's Samsung already has beaten you -- for a Electronics. Although Nokia is few years now -- to the punch. A still the world's largest mobile potential $1 billion judgment phone maker by volume, the against Apple is proof in the

Goldman Stockholders What Chumps (Financial Sector and Stocks Analysis from Seeking Alpha)

called a hedge fund, and they would be paid 20% of profits plus 2% of equity assets under Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:34:31 AM management. At Goldman, it's What group of hedge fund 50%. On the other services side investors pay their managers 50% of the firm, I assure you that the of profits? Goldman ( GS) people running these businesses stockholders, that's who. Over w o u l d b e n o w h e r e n e a r a s 50% of the profits generated at successful if they didn't have G o l d m a n c o m e f r o m t h e Goldman Sachs on their business e m p l o y e e s ' u s e o f t h e cards. Yet, the stockholders still stockholder's equity capital. The pay them 50% of the profits. other 50% comes from leveraging Goldmans return on equity has the Goldman brand name to plummeted in the past year and provide services like M&A was only as high as it was in the advisory, IPOs, Prime brokerage, past due to excessive leverage and etc. And yet, the employees risk taking. For the employees, it have convinced the stockholders is the classic heads I win, tails you that they are darned lucky to have (the stockholder) lose. Who them. wouldn't want to work there with What chumps the stockholders such chumps for owners? are. If these people were risking This content has passed through firm capital and didn't enjoy the fivefilters.org. Goldman moniker, it would be

pudding. But if Nokia thinks some of its newer phones can compete with Apple as easy as other competitors, Nokia is dead wrong. Continue reading Nokia's new CFO thinks company can compete with Apple's iPhone Nokia's new CFO thinks company can compete with A p p l e ' s i P h o n e o r i g i n a l l y (ETonline - Breaking News) appeared on BloggingStocks on Submitted at 10/26/2009 12:27:00 AM Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, and feeds. Read| Permalink| Email Jesse McCartney shared the this| Comments spotlight on Sunday at the Nokia Theatre at L.A. Live to benefit City of Hope. Demi tweeted, "City of Hope concert tonight was INcredible. I had a blast and Jesse and Miley

Disney Stars Sing for Hope rocked it... So amazing." The second annual Concert for Hope raised funds for and awareness of cancer research and treatments. Cyrus is very involved in this organization, donating $1 per ticket sold for her World Wonder Tour. The teen pop star raised more than $2 million through her last tour for the cause.

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Teradata (TDC) ripe for a bullish trade? By Brent Archer (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 10/26/2009 12:20:00 PM

Filed under: Major movement, Good news, Magazines, Options, Technical Analysis Teradata(NYSE: TDC- option chain) shares are rising today after the stock received positive coverage in Barron's(subscription required) over the weekend. An analyst wrote in the magazine that the stock could rise by as much as 80 percent over the next two years, helped by the company's high cash reserves, good client roster, and technical advantages. This could be a good sign for TDC. If you think that the stock won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish

hedged trade on TDC. TDC opened this morning at $29.58. So far today the stock has hit a low of $29.11 and a high of $29.75. As of 11:25, TDC is trading at $29.36 up $1.03 (3.6%). The chart for TDC looks neutral and S&P gives TDC a neutral 3 STARS (out of 5) hold ranking. Continue reading Teradata (TDC) ripe for a bullish trade? Teradata (TDC) ripe for a bullish trade? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

Kate Gosselin a NoShow at Court Hearing (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 10/26/2009 6:10:00 AM

The attorney for Jon Gosselin said on their way into court that he'd be "shocked" if his client's estranged wife didn't show, but that's exactly what happened this morning. Inside the courtroom, the scene was less dramatic -- as Kate Gosselin was not required to attend the proceedings. Her

attorney was present. The two sides met after filing contempt motions against each other because of money missing from a joint bank account. On October 13, the judge ordered them both to put all of the money back into the account and show any other money withdrawn was done according to a divorce arbitrator's guidelines.

Lenovo gets official with Win7powered IdeaPad and IdeaCentre machines By Darren Murph (Engadget) Submitted at 10/26/2009 12:01:00 PM

Lenovo already got official with a couple of its Windows 7powered machines last week, but it looks like the rest of the crop is landing today. Of course, we've already seen the 11.6-inch IdeaPad U150 and 15.6-inch U550 pop up in various corners of the globe this month, and the IdeaPad U350 has been around since the summer. That said, we'll take the OS refresh and minor spec bumps any day of the week (along with new colors on the S10 -2), and that's exactly what we're

getting. We'll spare you the rehash (it's all there in the read link if you need a refresher), but over on the desktop front, we're pretty stoked about the stylish (and previously rumored) all-inone IdeaCentre B500. Packing a Core 2 Quad CPU, 1TB of HDD space, up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM and a 23-inch LCD, this thing may actually perform fairly well in tasks more strenuous than checking email. The businessminded K300 and bargain-priced H230 ($299 starting point) are less thrilling from a hardware perspective, but they'll certainly fit their respective molds quite

well. The whole lot should be available to order soon directly from Lenovo, and there's bound to be plenty of options for those not content with base configurations. Gallery: Lenovo gets official with Win7-powered IdeaPad and IdeaCentre machines Filed under: Desktops, Laptops Lenovo gets official with Win7powered IdeaPad and IdeaCentre machines originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

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Palm Pixi coming to Sprint on November 15 By John Biggs (CrunchGear) Submitted at 10/26/2009 7:23:32 AM

Get out your buying wallets because the Palm Pixi is coming to Sprint stores on November 15. Pricing details are as follows: It will cost just $99.99 with a two -year service agreement, after a $50 instant rebate and $100 mailin rebate and be available at Sprint stores, online at www.sprint.com, through telesales at 1-800-SPRINT1, and at Best Buy, RadioShack and select Wal-Mart stores. To refresh your memory, the Palm Pixi is the second WebOS phone, this time with a Treoesque keyboard. The current WebOS device, the Pre, now costs $79. Palm Pixi Available Nov. 15 for just $99.99 Exclusively from Sprint Application development for Palm webOS devices powered by America’s most dependable 3G network will be a leading topic at Sprint’s Open Developer Conference starting today OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Oct. 26, 2009 – Sprint (NYSE: S) today announced Nov. 15 as the first day of nationwide availability for Palm® Pixi™, exclusively available on America’s most dependable 3G network1 from Sprint2. It will cost just $99.99 with a two-year service agreement, after a $50 instant rebate and $100 mail-in rebate and be available at Sprint stores, online at www.sprint.com, through telesales at 1-800-

SPRINT1, and at Best Buy, RadioShack and select Wal-Mart stores. “We are excited to offer the new Palm Pixi to our customers in

time for the holiday season, and it’s a great addition to Sprint’s industry-leading device portfolio,” said Kevin Packingham, senior vice president

– Product Development, Sprint. messaging and social networking “Simply put, this phone is fun and at a price everyone can enjoy, and easy to use; with its multi-touch delivers so many of the great screen and full QWERTY PALM page 14 keyboard, it’s a great device for

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PALM continued from page 13

features people love about Palm Pre™ in a fantastic new form factor, making it a huge hit for consumers.” Running the Palm webOS™ mobile platform, Palm Pixi lets the user keep multiple activities open and move easily between them, like flipping through a deck of cards, using natural gestures. This allows for easy movement between messaging and email or searching the Web while listening to music, and items are rearranged simply by dragging them. Universal search also makes finding things easy, providing results from both the device and the Web. Palm webOS brings together the user’s most important information from their phone, at work or on the Web into one logical view. In addition to linking information from Google™, Facebook®, Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync® and LinkedIn®, Palm Pixi adds Yahoo!® integration to Palm Synergy™3. Palm Synergy offers: •Linked contacts – A single view that links contacts from a variety of sources, so accessing them is easier than ever. •Layered calendars – Calendars can be seen on their own or layered together in a single view, combining work, family, friends, sports teams or other interests, and the user can toggle to look at one calendar at a time, or see them all at a glance. •Combined messaging – See all

the conversations with the same person in a chat-style view, including MMS, even if it started in IM and switched to reply with text messaging. The user can also see who’s active in a buddy list right from contacts or email, and start a new conversation with just one touch. A new Facebook application will be available with Palm Pixi, so users can see and comment on all the latest news from friends and easily update their status. Palm Pixi features an exposed full QWERTY keyboard, multi-touch screen and a durable, removable rubberized back cover. While Palm Pixi comes with a charger included in the box, Palm recently introduced the Touchstone™ charging dock, the first inductive charging solution for phones. Touchstone, along with the Touchstone compatible back cover (both sold separately), allows Palm Pixi to be set on top of the dock without worrying about connection, orientation or fit. The device remains active while charging, allowing access to the touch screen, movies or video, or the speakerphone option. Touchstone is available in Sprint stores nationwide for $79.99 and includes a Touchstone charger and USB wall charger. The Pixi Touchstone back cover is also available for $19.99 (plus taxes). Palm Pixi requires activation on a pricing plan including unlimited data, such as Sprint’s Everything Data plans with Any Mobile,

AnytimeSM, which give customers unlimited mobile calling on the Sprint network to and from any U.S. wireless carrier, unlimited nationwide texting, email, Web browsing and much more, starting at just $69.99. The Simply EverythingSM plan from Sprint offers a truly unlimited experience for only $99.99 per month, a savings of $1,200 over two years versus a comparable AT&T iPhone® plan4. (All price plans exclude surcharges and taxes. Other exclusions apply.) Customers who subscribe to an Everything Data plan are also automatically enrolled in Sprint Premier, the industry-leading loyalty program. The Premier program provides customers with great benefits such as annual upgrades, discounts on accessories, anniversary rewards, rate plan checkups and “first to know” information about the latest at Sprint. Palm Pixi will take advantage of the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network (inclusive of data roaming), which reaches more than 269 million people, 18,652 cities and 1,838 airports. The Sprint Networks (inclusive of data roaming) have more than twice the coverage of AT&T’s current 3G network and more than 15 times the coverage of T-Mobile’s current 3G network, both based on square miles5. Sprint is also the only wireless carrier to offer Ready Now with

trained retail associates to work one-on-one with customers to personalize their Palm Pixi, set up features and demonstrate how it works before the customer leaves the store. Customers have the choice of sitting down with a Sprint retail associate at the time of purchase or they can schedule an appointment for a later time at www.sprint.com/storelocator. Application developers will have a chance to learn more about Palm webOS at Sprint’s ninth annual developer conference beginning today in Santa Clara, Calif. The Sprint Open Developer Conference is open to all developers and will feature information through speaker sessions and coding camps on developing applications for a range of platforms, including webOS. Palm is a premier sponsor of the conference, and Ben Galbraith and Dion Almaer, directors of Developer Relations for Palm, will be giving a keynote address in addition to running several breakout sessions and coding camps focusing on the webOS platform. For details, go t o http://developer.sprint.com/devco n2009. Customers who would like to register to receive additional information about Palm Pixi can register at www.palm.com/pixi.

TomTom Car Kit for iPhone now selling in the U.S. for $120 By Doug Aamoth (CrunchGear) Submitted at 10/26/2009 7:30:00 AM

TomTom’s iPhone car dock is now available from the U.S. Apple Store for $120 with a shipping time of 2 to 3 weeks. You’ll recall that the actual TomTom iPhone app runs for $100 on top of that. Aside from secure windshield docking, the kit also includes a secondary built-in GPS chip for “a truly reliable signal – even in high-rise urban areas,” according to the product description. There’s also a built-in speaker and microphone for hands free calling and a 3.5mm audio out connector that allows you to feed it directly into your car stereo’s audio-in jack. TomTom Car Kit for iPhone[Apple Store via SlashGear]

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Norman Rockwell: The Original King of the Photoshop [Photography] By Wilson Rothman (Gizmodo) Submitted at 10/26/2009 9:20:00 AM

Back when Norman Rockwell ruled Saturday evenings, Adobe wasn't even a gleam in some nerd's eye, but a new book shows that the painter was, nevertheless, a photoshop god. Very few Gizmodo readers were even born when Rockwell painted his last Saturday Evening Post cover, but we all know them. You hear that name and suddenly you can picture those overly detailed, cartoonishly dramatic but ultimately kinda corny depictions of American life. Well, Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera, written and compiled by Ron Schick, has given me immense newfound respect for the man, for the meticulous photography, the real people and the unintentionally hilarious DIY props and sets that he required to make his painted fantasies of Americana come true. The book is not about painting. Rockwell's oil-on-canvas work feels like an afterthought for Schick, who mostly documents Rockwell's photography and art direction. Throughout the book, you see a painting, then you see the photographs he took to make that painting. In most cases, many shots comprise the different elements, and are joined together only in paint. It's almost sad: Vivid interactions between people, remembered jointly in the

country's collective consciousness, may never have taken place. Even people facing each other at point blank range were photographed separately, and might never have even met. The photos are as memorable as the paintings: There's a little boy whose feet are propped up on thick books, a walking still-life; there's a naked lady who ended up a mermaid in a lobster trap; there are men and women in various states of frustration, concentration and bliss, whose facial expressions defined Rockwell's style. These were mostly not

agency models, but friends and neighbors who were pleased to help out, but not always thrilled by the finished product. Since Rockwell was one of the most commercially successful artists of all time, you can imagine the rights to all of his images (paintings and photos) are carefully managed. The publisher was kind enough to let us show you the book cover plus two additional pairings, below. I encourage you to buy the book ($26.40 at Amazon)—what you see here is just a quick lick of the spoon:

looked as cool.) Circus, 1955 What I liked about this picture is that you get to see how ridiculous Rockwell's sets could often be. He needed real faces, but he could fill in the rest. Hence piling chairs up on top of an old desk to simulate bleachers at the circus. Good thing nobody fell off the back and sued ole Rocky for millions—that twine used to hold the little girl's chair in place doesn't look OSHA certified. If the geeky looking fellow in the front looks familiar, it's because Rockwell himself served as a model for his paintings all the time. The Final Impossibility: Man's Tracks on the Moon, 1969 Yep, here's proof that the moon landing was faked. At least, Rockwell's commemorative portrait of it was. NASA loved his work, so they loaned him Going and Coming, 1947 spacesuits and helmets whenever You'll notice the book jacket he wanted, and for this, he got shows a painting of a family permission to photograph his e m b a r k i n g o n a s u m m e r models moonwalking around an vacation—Granny, Spot and Apollo Lunar Lander, with a all—coupled with a photo of a black tarp doubling for infinity similar scene with far less action. and beyond. Remember, this is There's a kid sticking out of the when Apollo was new and the car in both, but many family Cold War was in full swing, so members are missing. This is getting access to the latest NASA because they were photographed toys took clout. separately, in Rockwell's studio, Behind the Camera covers many and painted in where needed. aspects of Rockwell that I had not (You'll also notice that the photo known about previously. He was on the jacket is reversed—the car an outspoken civil rights activist, was pointed in the other direction but I suppose that wouldn't have NORMAN page 16

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Behold, the BlackBerry* Watch: $150, Coming in February [Blackberry Watch] By John Herrman (Gizmodo)

band * Vibrating motor * Micro-USB port (for charging) * Over-the-air firmware updates * Dimensions: 51mm height x 38mm width x 12mm depth Allerta, which totally sounds like a prescription mood drug, says the watch'll last for four days on a single charge, which is respectable considering that it

can't we see a picture of this thing? UPDATE: About that! Eric from Allerta shot me an email: Ah, it's your right to talk vapour because we don't have tech demos ready yet...I'm actually quite sorry about that. We're a new CE startup, so it's tough going from the get go. We actually have nearcomplete prototypes, but they're made out of brass right now (easier to CNC mill). We're currently in the month-long process of making molds for casting stainless steel. We didn't want to publish too many pictures of the brass watches, in case it confused people. Which is fair enough. They've doesn't look too hideously large. p o s t e d a f e w o f t h e e a r l y The InPulse will communicate prototype pictures here, in case with any BlackBerry running OS you're curious. This is what they 4.3 or above by means of a free look like now—just keep in mind, companion app. The watch, these aren't meant to look nice, though, isn't quite as cheap: It'll yet: ship for $150 in February, though [ InPulse via CrackBerry] it's available for preorder now. One thing though: This is a nice render and all and the product doesn't smell like vapor, but why

carpet. There's another painting of a little black girl being walked to school by US Marshals, and the many different closeup shots Rockwell required to paint the extreme detail of the tense, potent—and fabricated—moment.

I wish I could run a gallery of 100 shots from this book, because each page startled me in a different way. Meeting the real people behind the paintings, and learning that every painting was composed of masterfully planned

Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:54:39 AM

Turns out those leaks about a BlackBerry Bluetooth companion watch were dead on: The Allerta InPulse Bluetooth companion watch—not a watchphone—isn't actually a RIM product, and should ship in February for $150. So what does it do? Think of it as an extender for your BlackBerry, or a wristmounted dashboard. It won't place calls or compose texts; it's really just there to give you a heads-up and preview whenever your BlackBerry mothership gets a call, receives a message, or has some other, being-a-BlackBerryrelated news to share with you. Also, yes, it's a watch, for telling time. It may not do a whole lot, but the hardware sounds nice: * 1.3" full colour organic lightemitting-diode (OLED) display * Bluetooth® v2.0+EDR * 150 mAh lithium-ion polymer battery * Glass lens and full metal body * 22mm interchangeable wrist

Get Facebook's "Old" News Feed Back [Facebook Tip] By Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker) Submitted at 10/26/2009 7:25:00 AM

Are you already feeling some ill will toward Facebook for splitting up your Facebook home page with a split "News Feed" and "Live Feed"? Web PR consultant Steve Rubel posts a sorta-kinda fix: Click "More" in your lefthand News Feed panel, then drag the "Status Updates" to the top of the update stack. Refresh your home page, and you'll notice your default feed is a bit more like how it looked two weeks ago: Friends' status updates take priority over network happenings, events, and other real-time updates. The "Live Feed" is still there, though, if you feel like you're just getting too much done today. [ The Steve Rubel Lifestream]

NORMAN continued from page 15

and many of his paintings dealt with race relations. There is a painting of two murdered men, one black and one white, accompanied by an almost absurd photo of two very alive guys lying side by side, eyes closed, on a

photographs—always black and white, since the artist let his imagination add the color—I will no longer take Norman Rockwell for granted. In fact, I'm gonna kinda worship him from now on. [ Amazon sales page; Little, Brown

product page]

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inPulse Smartwatch for BlackBerry up for pre-order, Palm Pixi on sale November ships in February 2010 15 exclusively at Sprint for By Darren Murph (Engadget) for around four days of "normal use." inPulse users will have to install a special BlackBerry $100 on contract Submitted at 10/26/2009 10:51:00 AM

Just as we'd heard, RIM decided to outsource the production of the planet's first BlackBerry watch, but that doesn't mean that devoted BB Messenger users won't be hankerin' for one. The inPulse Smartwatch for BlackBerry is being produced by Allerta, and now that it's official, we can safely say that it'll rely on Bluetooth in order to bring incoming emails, text messages and other alerts from your handset to your wrist (or your ankle, if you roll like that). As for specs, you're looking at a 1.3-inch OLED display, glass lens, full metal body, vibrating motor, microUSB port and a rechargeable battery that's good

application in order to pass along information, but those hoping to use their watch to actually send messages will be sorely disappointed. It's up for pre-order now at $149, and if all goes well, the first ones will ship out in February. Filed under: Cellphones, Wearables inPulse Smartwatch for BlackBerry up for pre-order, ships in February 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

By Darren Murph (Engadget)

downright depressing. The Palm Pre can be had right now for just Submitted at 10/26/2009 10:27:00 AM $150(also on contract), and Just as we'd heard earlier this beyond that, both webOS devices morning, today's the day that are being offered on the exact Palm and Sprint come clean with same network. Throw this thing their undercover plans for the on Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile, former's second-ever webOS and you've got a whole new wave device. The Pixi, which we toyed of Palm customers; as it stands, with back on our first Engadget who's really buying this with the Show, is slated to hit Sprint Pre just $50 away? stores, Best Buy, RadioShack and Filed under: Cellphones select Walmart locations on Palm Pixi on sale November 15 November 15th for $99.99, but exclusively at Sprint for $100 on that's after a $50 instant rebate contract originally appeared on and a $100 mail-in rebate that Engadget on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 you'll be waiting ages for. 10:27:00 EST. Please see our Nothing here is all that surprising terms for use of feeds. Read| -- after all, we knew it'd be on Permalink| Email this| Comments shelves before the holiday season -- but the $100 price point is

Vivitar DVR 150: Infrared Night Vision Waterproof Pocket Camcorder [Pocket Camcorders] By Jesus Diaz (Gizmodo) Submitted at 10/26/2009 9:15:00 AM

I don't know how the new Vivitar DVR 150's quality will stack up against the Flip, but being waterproof down to 16 feet and having infrared night vision is a promising start. At least, for amateur submarine night porn filmmakers. The Vivitar DVR 150 has a 1.8inch LCD screen, 2GB of built-in memory expandable using Secure Digital cards, USB male prong built-in, TV out, webcam mode, and comes in four different colors for $50. [ Vivitar via ChipChick]

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HTC Dragon coming to Verizon as the Passion? By Nilay Patel (Engadget) Submitted at 10/26/2009 12:21:00 PM

We've been hearing about a 1GHz Snapdragon-based Android handset called the HTC Dragon ever since the HD2 came out, but now it looks like some pieces are falling into place -- apparently this mystery HTC set we spotted over the weekend is a CDMA version of the Dragon headed for Verizon as the HTC Passion sometime in Q4. Apparently

Verizon's trying to unify the hardware UI of its Droid lineup, which is why the Motorola Droid, the HTC Droid Eris, and the Passion share a set of buttons along the bottom edge of the screen, and some people are also claiming that the white notification bar is further sign of similarity. As for us, well, we'll wait to hear more before we start when it hits, as HTC's big new ad to get too excited -- and we can't push is all about personalization. help but wonder if this thing will Still, it's looking like a hell of a run Sense or stock Android 2.0

year for Android (and Verizon), no? Filed under: Cellphones HTC Dragon coming to Verizon as the Passion? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Quickdev16 SNES developers cart: now you too can make games no one will ever play By Joseph L. Flatley (Engadget) Submitted at 10/26/2009 11:13:00 AM

If homebrew SNES development was an obscure affair in the days that the platform reigned supreme, undertaking such a project almost two decades later can be nothing left than a labor of true geek love. But if you've always dreamed of writing the next great first-person shooter for a retired game platform you're in luck: the Quickdev 16 is a cartridge that

includes everything necessary for bringing your creations to the Super Nintendo, including the Atmel AVR ATmega644 with boot loader, USB connection for

as you know your way around a command line (and if you've read this far, you just might). Available now for $120 including shipping. [Via Hack-A-Day] Filed under: Gaming Quickdev16 SNES developers cart: now you too can make games no one will ever play originally appeared on Engadget placing your code on the cart, 16 on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:13:00 megabits of SRAM, and an EST. Please see our terms for use RS232 converter for a debugging of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email terminal. Works with Windows, this| Comments Mac, and Linux systems as long

New Video: Jon Gosselin Reacts To Kate's No-Show (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 10/26/2009 6:49:00 AM

ET has the latest... Our Diane Dimond was there as Jon Gosselin entered court today, where Jon's lawyer compared the reality show dad's estranged wife Kate to the "lady who lived in the shoe." While Kate's lawyer would not reveal why Kate did not show up at court, Jon told Diane he was not surprised that Kate was not there. His lawyer also had something to say about the noshow. "Kate Gosselin reminds me of the lady who lived in a shoe that had so many children she didn't know what to do," Jon's lawyer Mark Heller told Diane as they were entering court. "The difference is that Kate Gosselin doesn't live in a shoe, she lives in a glass house and one thing you should know if you live in a glass house is to not throw stones.

In one way, losing a father is a relief (Scripting News) Submitted at 10/25/2009 11:14:49 AM

I've been amusing myself with illogic this last week, at times giggling with the relief I feel at the passing of my father. I finally

found a way to explain it in words. When I was a kid, like every other kid, when the parents went out and left me alone, I'd do stuff that I wasn't normally allowed to do. But I had to be sure to cover

my tracks so my mischief wouldn't be discovered. The lessons learned from the failures were incorporated into my future exploits, I'd never get caught the same way twice! So all through my life I've been

preparing for my father to come forever. But now it has a different h o m e a n d c a t c h m e d o i n g ending. He's never coming home. whatever it is is I'm doing. Whether I was aware of it or not, I was always covering my tracks. My subconscious can't get rid of this. It's a program I'll be running

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SPARC No Fun At All; Threatens SparkFun By Mike Masnick (Techdirt) Submitted at 10/26/2009 6:33:00 AM

The Future: 3.3mmthick Samsung TV By Doug Aamoth (CrunchGear)

hanging experience to be as smooth as possible or if you have a habit of bolting down fire Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:00:00 AM escapes in the middle of the night, If you think about it, you’ll then Samsung’s recently-unveiled probably only need to hang your 3.3 millimeter thick 40-inch LED flat panel TV on the wall once. TV might be right up your alley. Maybe twice. Maybe three times There’s not a whole lot of info if you really move around a lot, other than that the TV contains a like in the middle of the night 40-inch, 120Hz panel, a total when you hear a knock on your thickness of just 3.3 millimeters, door and thank god you slept in and a contrast ratio of 5000:1 – your clothes because there’s only pricing and availability (and enough time to put on a pair of weight) are unknown, although Velcro shoes and grab your 40- Akihabara reports that Samsung is inch TV. looking to get the TV on the Basically what I’m saying is if market as soon as possible. you want your one-time TV [via Akihabara]

John Fenderson was the first of a few of you to send in a link (via Slashdot) to the story of how SPARC, the computer architecture company owned by Sun, is threatening SparkFun over trademark infringement claims. SparkFun is an electronics shop, which sells components and kits and the like. The two are pretty different. This whole situation apparently was "sparked" (heh heh) when SparkFun applied for its own trademark, at which point SPARC sought to block the a long way since the old anaglyph trademark application. From red and blue glasses that come in there, they went on to sending a cereal boxes, so before you knock cease & desist. The folks at the new technology before it's SparkFun do a nice job breaking even out, click through and read down why the two marks are about the technologies that might entirely different, and why even Sun employees seem to have no bring us a real 3D revolution. Continue reading Ready or not, t r o u b l e u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h e the latest 3D technology is difference between the two. This seems like yet another case of coming home Filed under: Home Entertainment overly aggressive trademark Ready or not, the latest 3D enforcement, just because some technology is coming home lawyers feel the need to oppose originally appeared on Engadget anything that might conceivably on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:36:00 be considered even close to EST. Please see our terms for use similar. Permalink| Comments| Email of feeds. Permalink| Email this| This Story Comments

Ready or not, the latest 3D technology is coming home By Ben Drawbaugh (Engadget) Submitted at 10/26/2009 11:36:00 AM

Now wait one second before you start on the whole "I'm not wearing any stupid looking glasses," because no matter what you say, there are more people paying extra to go 3D movies than ever and the reason is simple; it's because this isn't like the crappy 3D you saw during the Super Bowl last year -- or that our parents grew up with. No, the 3D that Sony, Panasonic, and others are promising next year is like nothing you've seen. We've come

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NEC apparently plans to Students find problems with roll out touch screen Windows 7 upgrade business hand-held (CNET News.com)

In order to purchase the Backup DVD service, you will first need to be By Serkan Toto (CrunchGear) I am also having problems with logged into the Windows 7 Offer Microsoft regarding this problem. online store with your registered Submitted at 10/26/2009 9:00:01 AM The ad for the product clearly email Not much info on this yet, but states that you CAN do clean address and the system generated NEC is apparently preparing a installs when going from XP to 7. p a s s w o r d . P l e a s e u s e t h e mobile PC that’s reportedly as I have a netbook and the FIRST f o l l o w i n g “capable as a personal computer” problem is the file they send you instructions to access the for business customers. The yet to is NOT an ISO, but the little s t o r e . . . . . . . . be named device features three p r o g r a m t h e y a s k y o u t o Sincerely, main buttons and a 7 to 8-inch download to make your flash Joanna A. LCD display (which appears to be Eventually NEC hopes it can sell drive boot-able REQUIRES, an Windows 7 Offer online store a touch screen). Sorry, the small more than 1 million of the hand- ISO. Here is an email regarding Customer Service picture is all that’s available at helds each year. this problem.. NEC has lost the top spot among Dear Jon Curtis, this point. studentwindows.us@digitalriver.c NEC says the device boots up Japan’s PC makers to Fujitsu in Thank you for contacting the om quickly and lets users boost August (16.2% market share to Windows 7 Offer online store. They want THE STUDENTS TO productivity through accessing 16.0%). The company announced We understand that you are PURCHASE more product. They files and software through cloud a whopping 48 new models last having difficulties with the are trying to increase their sales computing. The company plans to week. downloaded file. rather than help. If i wanted to start selling the device in Japan Via Nikkei[registration required, We sincerely apologize for the wait 2 weeks to install windows i this autumn and wants to sell paid subscription] inconvenience that this issue would have purchased a dvd and 100,000 to 200,000 units yearly. might have not bothered with the download. caused you. It doesn't end here I got another As of now, we are still upgrading email... the .ISO file generator. That is Dear Jon Curtis, why, Thank you for contacting the (Financial Times - US Democratic Party of Japan to a we are suggesting you to add a Windows 7 Offer online store. We apologize for the homepage) historic victory over the long- backup media for your order. We will contact you immediately i n c o n v e n i e n c e t h a t y o u ruling Liberal Democrats in Submitted at 10/26/2009 5:35:54 AM August, acknowledged that the regarding the update for the .ISO encountered. We understand In his first policy address to "most important topic" for his generator as soon as we have it that you require the ISO file of Windows 7. parliament as prime minister of administration was safeguarding fix. W e a p o l o g i z e f o r t h e The ISO profile can only be Japan, Yukio Hatoyama on Japan's current recovery from the Monday vowed to revolutionise fierce recession into which it i n c o n v e n i e n c e t h a t y o u obtained by purchasing the e n c o u n t e r e d . P l e a s e f o l l o w backup dvd of how the world's second-largest plunged last year. t h e i n s t r u c t i o n s b e l o w t o your program. economy is governed by ending This content has passed through purchase the Backup DVD service In order to purchase the Backup bureaucratic control of budgets fivefilters.org. for an DVD service, you will first need and cracking down on waste. existing order: to be Mr Hatoyama, who led the Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:20:00 AM

Hatoyama vows to safeguard recovery

logged into the Windows 7 Offer online store with your registered email address and the system generated password. Please use the following instructions to access the store.......... If you have placed an order for the Backup DVD, the order will arrive within two weeks via Postal Service. If you do not receive the Backup DVD within that time, please contact us. Sincerely, John Patrick S. Windows 7 Offer online store Customer Service studentwindows.us@digitalriver.c om I then recieved another email this morning stating that they are still working on the situation. I wish they would get their crap together and stop trying to up-sell all of the students who are having to deal with their errors. Oh yea...if you do "find" an iso file "somewhere", good luck activating your copy of windows 7, cause the student versions keys will give you an error stating your key "is for upgrades only" , and not for CLEAN installs. Again not as advertised. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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Mashable’s Weekly Guide to Events in Social Media By Tamar Weinberg (Mashable!) Submitted at 10/26/2009 7:58:33 AM

It’s a brand new week, which means it’s time for Mashable’s guide to upcoming social media and web events, parties, and conferences. For more upcoming event listings, check out Mashable’s Events section. Is your event not on this list? Contact us at least one month before your event and let’s establish a media partnership. Mashable’s Weekly Social Media and Marketing Event Guide is proudly supported by Eventbrite, the Web’s Event Marketplace. October 26-27, Philadelphia, PA: Join hundreds of fellow healthcare marketing and communication professionals at e-Patient Connections 2009. It’s the one conference you need to attend to make sense of the radical changes taking place in health marketing, including social media marketing, web conversations, and mobile health. For the first time in history, more people are searching the Internet for health information than asking doctors. Discover new ways to connect, educate, and engage these digital health consumers. Use the code MASH10 to receive 10% off conference registration. October 27, 2009, San Francisco, CA: SNAP Summit introduces their 4th installment, the first event to focus on failure: FailCon! Why would you want to hear this? They’re bringing together the biggest players in the Web 2.0

industry to talk about the failures they’ve had, what went wrong, how they got over it, and what they learned. These are mistakes we all will make as entrepreneurs, missteps we’ll all see. And this is the best way to be prepared. This conference is also the cheapest of the October season, and looks to be informative and fun. Pick up 15% off tickets at snapsummit4.eventbrite.com/?dis count=Mashable15 October 27-28, 2009, Los Angeles, CA: At the 140 Characters Conference, we explore “The State of NOW.” The State of NOW looks at the effects of the real-time Internet on business. The core focus started by looking at the effects of twitter as a platform and what that meant to: Celebrity, The Media, Advertising and Politics. Over time the scope expanded to look at the effects of twitter on topics including: Sports, Music, Education, Public Safety. Public diplomacy and more. Given the location of #140conf:LA, this event will have a special focus on the use of twitter in the Entertainment Industry. October 27-28, 2009, Chicago, IL: Forrester’s Consumer Forum 2009 connects you with analysts, peers, and industry leaders who will help you create profitable relationships by meeting the needs of three-dimensional consumers — consumers who weave in and out of channels, bringing their interests, needs and past experiences along with them. Keynote speakers include CMOs

and marketing VPs from Best Buy, Pizza Hut, Microsoft, InterContinental Hotels Group, and more. Call 888-343-6786 and save $405 with VIP code CF9MSH! Discount applies to new registrations only and cannot be combined with other offers. October 28-29, 2009, Kyiv, Ukraine: Investor Day Central & Eastern Europe 2009 aims to bring together innovative start-ups from all over CEE, and worldwide investors, and lay the solid ground for their further collaboration. The 2 day event consists of Expo day and of a conference day. Participation for investors is free. Terms and conditions for startups participation in Expo day includes basic registration fee (EUR 50,-) paid by every participating startup (that allows startup to be included into conference’s catalogue) and general participation fee (EUR 500,-) for selected startups that will participate in expo and in a contest. A half of the collected registration fees together with goodwill donations will form a Prize Fund for the winners of a contest. Participation in expo allows 2 companies’ representatives to participate both expo and conference days. Use code MSH-45K2D46TE9 to get 10% discount on registration as a startup. October 28-30, 2009, Amsterdam: The Emerging Communications ( eComm) Conference & Awards was

created to promote and accelerate communications innovation across Telecom, Mobile & Internet Communications. Telecom is in the process of being re-written. You either stand on the side to be written into the past or instead join with the growing community to write the future. Opportunities to profit from the radical restructuring and in accelerating the development of how humanity connects, communicates and collaborates have never been so great. Use the code Mashable when registering to save 20% (can only be applied for new registrations). October 29, 2009, New Orleans, LA: TribeCon is a one day conference focused on harnessing the passion of your communities to achieve meaningful offline goals. We have a diverse lineup of panelists spanning industry and endeavor with a keynote by Tara Hunt, author of “The Whuffie Factor.” Meet successful start-ups who have built businesses by leveraging authentic community support. Connect with the people behind cutting edge technologies like enhanced reality. Learn to create a community of brand advocates and create an authentic message that inspires people to care about your mission. Use the discount code MASHABLE for a 25% discount. November 2-5, 2009, Washington DC: Attend the Advanced Learning Institute’s Forum on Social Media for Crisis Communications in Government: How To Integrate The Latest Web

2.0 Technologies To Maximize Effectiveness Before, During, And After A Crisis to learn how to incorporate the power of social media into your organization’s crisis communications strategy. Hear from FEMA; CDC; U.S. Department of Defense; City and County of San Francisco; U.S. Forest Service; U.S. Department of Homeland Security; U.S. Department of Transportation; City of Owasso, Oklahoma, and more, on how you can capture the power of social media in your organization, along with helpful tools, tips and techniques to get started. Mention “Mashable” when registering to save $200. November 3, 2009, New York City: The Winning with Social Media: Industry Leader Forum is an interactive event to help advertisers, agencies, media and research companies determine how to use social media and digital behavior for their listening strategies. Learn from Chris Brogan, one of social media’s most influential forces, Google, IBM, ESPN, Crispin Porter + Bogusky and more. Network with Johnson & Johnson, Kraft, Novartis, Colgate-Palmolive, Fidelity Investments, Procter & Gamble and other industry leaders. Mashable readers can use promo code ILFMASH to save $100. November 3-4,2009, San Francisco, CA: Come to PayPal X Innovate 2009, PayPal’s first dedicated developer conference. MASHABLE’S page 22

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Here you’ll have the absolute inside track on how to capitalize on all of PayPal’s products. Learn from hands on tutorials about PayPal APIs and listen to keynote from industry luminaries including Tim O’Reilly and see showcase of cool developers. Get 50% off if you register with code MASH or join us at $50 if you are a student. November 4-5, 2009, Raleigh, NC: Internet Summit 09 will feature over 75 speakers including major internet brands such as Twitter, Pandora, Google, Salesforce.com, Digg, Technorati, CBS Interactive, Huffington Post, Blogger, Meebo 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. Use registration code MASH for 20% off. November 4-6, 2009, New York City: Looking to advance your social or mobile strategy? In need of branding insight? Ready to make industry connections? Join Mashable at ad:tech New York – the event for digital marketers. Register now with code BRNYX9 and save $200 off the current online price! Visit ad-tech.com/ny for the latest details on speakers, sessions and exhibitors. November 5, 2009, Chicago, IL: Join us for a Gary Vaynerchuk Crush It Bash! We’ll enjoy amazing food and wine and hear Gary talk about his latest book,

Crush It. Every attendee will take home a brand new copy of Gary’s book, and we’ll have fantastic prize giveaways. Mashable readers, use the code MASHABLE to get your ticket for only $30, a savings of $9 off the public pricing. Get your tickets now, as this event is anticipated to sell out quickly. November 5-6, 2009, Berlin, Germany: The European Venture Market is a platform for investors, service providers and entrepreneurs to meet, network and further develop business ideas and projects, in a relaxed yet professional atmosphere. During the event the participating entrepreneurs will be able to pitch their business projects for around 5 minutes to a crowd of interested investors and service providers. The two conference days will also feature keynote speeches, specific industry presentations, coffee and lunch breaks, a large dinner reception on the Thursday night and, finally, a themed club party on the Friday night. Get 10% off by using code evm_mashable November 5-6, 2009, Los Angeles, CA: The Independent Game Conference West is a 2 day, 5 track conference for game developers in the tradition of the devcons of old where speakers are accessible and connections are key. Now in its 4th year, the IGC series is coming to the West coast with tracks on Programming, Design, iPhone/Mobile, Social G a m i n g , a n d Business/Production, with a variety of sessions that will

benefit game companies of all sizes. With a day one keynote by Sanrio Digital VP Robert Ferrari, and sessions by leading developers and industry experts from around the industry, attendees will get practical tips and tactics that they can use immediately in their development and company. In addition, any attendee can sign up to bring their game or technology to IGC’s GAME DEMO NIGHT, which has lead 25% of participants in 2007-2008 to financial deals directly related to their participation. Use code MASHABLE to get 20% off 1 or 2 day advance regular admission. November 6, 2009, Arcadia, CA: The Tweeters’ Cup will be held during the first day of races at Santa Anita Park for the 2009 Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The Tweeters’ Cup will be held in an exclusive area at the track, Seabiscuit Court, and will include a designated seating area (frontside) for all participants. A ticket to the event also includes a betting voucher, 2009 Breeders’ Cup gift, buffet and a chance to win prizes. The day will feature a handicapping session, Q&A with prominent jockeys, appearances by ESPN personalities and stars from Animal Planet’s show “Jockeys.” The best Tweeter onsite will win a VIP trip for two to the 2010 Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs (including airfare and hotel). Purchase your tickets here and use the code mashableLA for a $5.00 discount.

November 6-8, 2009, Savannah, GA: 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, and Matias Corea of Behance, among many others. Get your geek on and enter Mashable for $30 off the full price weekend badge. November 7, 2009, Douala, Cameroon: BarCamp Cameroon brings together technologists and experts for the Cameroon first Barcamp. The theme for this edition is digital dreams, with some big names on the guest list and an open agenda that any attendee can contribute to, the organizers aim for tough talking and innovative thinking . Attendance is free; all you need to bring is a willingness to share your ideas and opinions. November 9-10, 2009, Santa Clara, CA: At Social Media World Forum California, learn from social networks, brands, advertisers and analysts. Hear from leading social networks on their strategy, revenue models and how they are approaching the future. Worldwide case studies from global brands and corporations on their use of social media. Examine the current market conditions, future forecasts and predictions from leading analysts. Mention you are

a Mashable reader to receive 15% discount. November 10-13, 2009, Las Vegas, NV: PubCon is a multitrack educational conference hosted by SearchEngineWorld & WebmasterWorld. PubCon events are for thought leaders and professionals in search engine and Internet marketing and advertising to gather and to share best practices in the design, development, promotion and marketing of their Internet businesses and brands. Mashable readers can take off a 15% discount with code ma-77815. November 12, 2009, Phoenix, AZ: If you think there isn’t a vibrant entrepreneurial community in Phoenix, guess again. We bring Silicon Valley to Phoenix to share best practices. The theme for this year’s conference is “ Bright Spots in the Recession: four entrepreneurial growth segments you need to know about” and showcases Digital Media Entrepreneurship, Health 2.0, Cloud Computing, and Sustainability. Use code AZEC09 for a discount! November 12, 2009, New York City: This conference will showcase the best case studies that demonstrate how leading brands use social communications to achieve tangible business goals. Case Studies will be presented by McDonald’s, JetBlue, Intuit, Allstate Insurance, Roger Smith Hotel & more. 2 interactive roundtable sessions will follow MASHABLE’S page 23

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the case studies. Register at bdionline.com/socialconsumer.ht ml using promo code MASH for a discounted rate of $155. November 12-13, 2009, San Francisco, CA: The CMO Club is bringing together the preeminent CMOs in business today for the CMO Thought Leadership Summit, a two day event that will be a platform for the world’s best CMO conversations. A coterie of the country’s leading Chief Marketing Officers have been assembled to lead workshops at the event, including Michael Mendenhall of HP, Porter Gale of Virgin America, Guy Kawasaki of Garage Technology Ventures, Scott Lutz of SAP, Susan Linton Smith of Red Robin Restaurants, Evan Greene of The Recording Academy (Grammys), Joe Rooney of Cox Communications, Randall Beard of UBS, Terri Graham of Jack in the Box, and more. 75-100 CMOs expected to address industry issues, share ideas, and help each other be better CMOs. Heads of marketing interested in attending the Summit visit thecmoclubsummit.com. Get a $100 discount by using code mashablecmo. November 14-15, Tempe, AZ: Explore the world of new and relevant media at PodCamp AZ, the southwest’s premier destination for bloggers, podcasters, social media butterflies, photographers, video pros and more! It’s a chance to enhance your skills while learning from those in the trenches every day. This is the third year of the

event and promises to bring in over 1,000 people hungry to learn — and to share! It’s an unconference, so everyone is encouraged to lead a session. The event is always free, and you can’t beat the weather in Phoenix in November. So get registered, and we’ll see you then! November 15-17, 2009, Las Vegas, NV: At the Social Media Summit: Social Media & Billionaire Boardroom Experience. Join Peter Shankman (@skydiver) and Nick Nanton (@nicknanton), along with Tony Hsieh (@zappos), David Bullock (@davidbullock) and Andrew Lock (@andrewlock) for this unique event that will take you inside the minds of entrepreneurs who have built million dollar businesses on the back of social media. As a bonus, go inside Zappos corporate headquarters to learn why Zappos has become such a phenomenon (recently sold for nearly a BILLION dollars to Amazon.com) and pick the brain of CEO, Tony Hsieh to learn how he has used social media to create a culture that led to a $900 million sale. Register today at www.TheSummitOfTheYear.com and save $250 using code mashable. November 16, 2009, New York City: The upcoming Gravity Summit NYC event will provide richer-level and best practice insights on how businesses are using social media to give relevance and meaning to their marketing. Bing is the Title Sponsor and will join speakers

from Current TV, the SyFy Channel, VML, Adweek, Columbia Records, Business Week, and Deep Focus. The event will also feature case studies from TurboTax, Domino’s, Operation Smile, The Roger Smith Hotel, and LA’s Roxy Theater on Sunset. Following the event will be a TweetUp to benefit Operation Smile. Mashable readers: get a discount by clicking here. November 16-19, 2009, New York City: Web 2.0 Expo New York brings together the designers, developers, entrepreneurs, VCs, marketing professionals, product managers, and business strategists – from start-ups to enterprises – that are building the next-generation web. Along with a dynamic Expo Hall and plenty of networking opportunities, ten main topic areas discussing a spectrum of Web 2.0 topics from business strategy to web design, user experience, developer hacks, community building, security, mobile, web ops, user-generated content, and more. Register today and save 25% (code: webny09bd5) or get a free Expo Pass (code: w e b n y 0 9 b d e ) a t w e b 2 e x p o . c o m / n y . November 18, 2009, London, UK: The 4th Annual GREEN AWARDS™ for Excellence In Communicating Sustainability Calls for Entries. Now in its 4th Year the GREEN AWARDS™ are firmly fixed on the global eco calendar as the leading industry awards for sustainability in

marketing and communications. The GREEN AWARDS™ recognises excellence in 16 categories in 2009 from Best Green International Campaign open to global entrants to Best Green Campaigner for individuals and small groups championing sustainability. The winner will be announced at a reception in London on 18th November with guest speaker Jonathon Porritt CBE. The deadline for GREEN AWARDSTM 2009 entries is 18th September. For further details on categories and submission guidelines visit greenawards.co.uk. November 18th, 2009, Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Cool Twitter Conference s will be holding its eighteenth event in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on November 18th, 2009 at the Media Rotana Hotel –Barsha, Dubai. The Cool Twitter Conference provides an environment for developers, people in business, and enthusiasts from multiple disciplines, who seek to understand and maximize the power of Twitter, the chance to contribute to the discussion and tap into this real-time use of the web. This forum is ideal for advertising, marketing professionals and business owners looking to increase visibility and improve customer experience. Use the code: mashable to save 25% on registration. November 19, 2009, Mountain View, CA: Featuring 30 of 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. November 20, 2009, New York City: Join a select number of PR, marketing and communications professionals at PR Camp™ New York for a full day of highly interactive discussions on social media — complete with marshmallows and a virtual campfire. It will explore how to market, measure and manage the opportunities and challenges that social media presents. Our “unconference” format avoids panels or PowerPoint demonstrations. Top agency and brand executives serve as moderators to help participants find solutions to their social media questions. Mashable readers get a ten percent discount with promo code MASHPRCAMPNYC. November 23-25, 2009, Berlin, Germany: IIR’s Mobile 2.0 – Content & Services Conference provides a dynamic networking and information-sharing business environment, bringing together key stakeholders within the mobile web 2.0 value chain to discuss current trends and revenue MASHABLE’S page 24

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generation possibilities, successful business strategies and the future opportunities that exist within this space. Receive a 10% discount by quoting I08LFMASH when registering. Significant price cuts also available to Operators, online communities, and content providers November 30-December 1, 2009, Toronto, Ontario: nextMEDIA Toronto is an intensive two day event of networking, learning and strategizing with the top minds in the fields of broadcasting, digital media and advertising. nextMEDIA is an unparallel opportunity for our community to understand and interpret the evolution of digital media and how cross-platform content is funded and produced. Also, the event boasts the CNMAs, Canada’s only national new media awards. Tap into the digital economy and navigate your way to new revenue sources, network with a multi-disciplinary audience reflective of the emerging new world of media. Use this link for a 20% registration discount. December 1-3, 2009, Boston, MA: The 6th Annual Gilbane Boston Conference will offer sessions tied to competitive business and productivity issues surrounding a company’s content, collaboration & customers. You will learn about content solutions that are ready to be implemented today! The conference tracks have been organized around the four major areas of how enterprises use web and content technologies and where they are most likely to

invest, including: Web Business & Engagement, Managing Collaboration & Social Media: Internal & External, Enterprise Content: Searching, Integrating & Publishing, and Content Infrastructure. Session topics focus on managing enterprise social & mobile content; SharePoint & Office 2010; Egovernment & transparency. Save an additional $200 by using the discount code Mashable. December 1-3, 2009, London, UK: Online Information & IMS 2009 Exhibitions will host more than 200 international exhibitors, covering Web 2.0 Technologies, Content Management, Search Solutions, Online Content Resources; ePublishing Solutions and Library Management Systems. There is also a wide range of free seminars looking at, among others, Marketing Through Social Media, Content Management and Enterprise Search. Free to attend if you preregister, it is the perfect place for marketing professionals to equip themselves with the information, skills and knowledge to succeed in the digital world. December 2, 2009, Toronto, Ontario: The Canadian Innovation Exchange (CIX) is a must-attend conference for participants in the innovation economy. CIX is a gathering of key players in the innovation economy which will showcase and accelerate the development of the great technology-based innovation emanating from Canada and will be attended by entrepreneurs,

inventors, investors, corporations, service providers, government and media. Participants can expect an International who’s who of investors, innovative corporations and entrepreneurs and a nexus of multiple meeting and networking opportunities enabling discovery of Canada’s next great innovations and the people behind them. Use this link for a 20% registration discount. December 4, 2009, London: At Social PR Forum, learn from global PR companies who have successfully embraced social media. Understand what products and services you should be using, and how to use them well. Learn how to seamlessly introduce social media into your way of thinking and into your employees. Mention you are a Mashable reader to receive 15% discount. December 6-9, 2009, Dubai, UAE: Are you harnessing the power of social media marketing? Do you know what it is and how to use it effectively to market your product and increase ROI? Join international social gurus and hear from regional corporations, who are already using social media marketing successfully in December at this two day event. Through practical examples and case studies detailing successful campaigns and their results you’ll leave with the tools you need to use social media marketing to grow your business. Mashable users can save 10% by using code Mash09. December 7, 2009, San Francisco, CA: The SF

MusicTech Summit brings together more than 600 of the best and brightest developers in the Music/Technology space, along with the musicians, entrepreneurial business people, press, investors, service providers, and organizations who work with them at this exciting convergence of culture and commerce. We’ll discuss the evolving music/business/technology ecosystem in a proactive environment, conducive to deal making, and connect with friends and business partners old and new. Get your Mashable 15% Discount tickets at sfmts5.eventbrite.com/?discount= 15Mashable December 7-10, 2009, Washington DC: Attend the Advanced Learning Institute’s Forum on Social Media for Government: How To Engage Your Employees And Citizens By Using The Latest Web 2.0 Technologies To Drive Communication Results to learn how to capture the power of social media in your organization, along with helpful tools, tips and techniques to get started. Hear from DoD; Forest Service; U.S. Department of the Interior; City of Chesapeake, VA; IBM Center for the Business of Government; U.S. Department of Energy; Charlotte Fire Department, NC; U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and more, on how to engage your employees and citizens by using social media. Mention “Mashable” when registering to save $200.

December 9, 2009, San Francisco, CA: Tech professionals by day, rockers by night, they’ll pick up their instruments and venture onto the big stage to let their alter egos shine… for a good cause and the love of music. Silicon Valley Rocks 2009 will bring together the Valley’s tech community – from VCs and entrepreneurs to bloggers and software developers – to raise money for Music in Schools Today (MuST), a Bay Area nonprofit that seeks to rescue music programs from budget cuts. The second annual showcase will once again feature Silicon Valley bands and original rockers who will entertain and amuse your entire social graph. Mashable readers can get a special discounted ticket rate by clicking here. December 14th & 15th, 2009, Washington, DC: The Government 2.5 conference aims to bring various participants and stakeholders within all aspects of government at the local, state and federal levels together to learn how best to apply social media toward improving government services and allowing the public to participant in policy debate and the spending of tax dollars. If you have an interest in making government more efficient through applied information technology and social media, then this conference is for you. Use the code: mashable to save 25% on registration. January 14-16th, 2010, Sedona, MASHABLE’S page 25

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AZ: Join us at #SMML for a Social Media Mastermind Conference. We are going to get personal. As you seek to glean more information about social media, how it works and how you can use it to gain more customers. You’ll see more results in 2 days than you will have in six months working alone! If you are ready to be energized, engage with your audience, work with the best and take home real solutions in developing your own social media strategy, then join us. Speakers include: Robin Harris, Raliegh Pinskey, Frances Flynn Thorsen, Shannon Evans and more. Use event code SMMLBiz to save 15% on your registration fee. January 20-22, 2010, Washington DC: Social Media for Defense and Government is a unique forum on the embracement, implementation and utilization of new media platforms that meet the Governments goals of transparency that allow for more efficient internal and external communication. As the public develops their use of online tools for their personal, career and business development goals, DoD & Gov’t have made it their mission to reach the public via these new forms of media. The forum will provide insight into technologies including Twitter and Facebook as well as advanced elements such as the Governments general information page, blogs, and closed social media suite. Mashable readers get an exclusive 20% discount off the standard

pricing with special code IUS_MASH_SMTM_#1 when registering! January 23, 2010, Virginia Beach, VA: Social Media @ The Beach is a place for anyone looking to “get their feet wet” and explore social media. It’s an interactive conference with the laid-back atmosphere of a meetup. The January event will focus on two main goals: boosting personal social networking skills and developing professional social media marketing strategies. The event is open to everyone, drawing community members of all ages, backgrounds and levels of social media experience. Enter mashable for the discount code to receive 15% off ticket price. January 27-28, 2010, Amsterdam, 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 maximize business performance through social media engagement. The event will include keynote speeches, best-practice presentations as well as interactive discussion sessions. Use promo-code MASH14 for a €100 (Euros) discount for the 2 day conference registration fee (maybe also be applied on top of the Early Bird offer valid until October 1st). February 10, 2010, New York City: The Online Community Unconference East is a gathering

of online community professionals – managers, developers, business people, tool providers, investors – to discuss experience and strategies in the development and growth of online communities. As we have found with our past events, the best source of information on all of these challenges is other knowledgeable practitioners. Mashable readers are entitled to a discount by registering here with code mashable. March 4-5, 2010, Chicago, IL: At SOHO’s 2-Day, “The CoAlignment of the Corporate and Personal Brand,” a Strategy Framework, develop your exclusive copy of “The Draft,” SOHO’s 16-page social communications policy workbook for businesses and corporations. The focus in 2010 is co-aligning the corporate brand with internal and external communications. SOHO brings to you presentations, case studies and Town Hall meetings with Chris Brogan and Dave Armano, and other experienced practitioners. For more information and to register, please visit http://www.Sohobiztube.com. Use discount code MashableChi for a 20% discount on a 2-day “The Draft” ticket. March 30-April 1, 2010, San Jose, CA: We’re looking for people pushing the boundaries of location-enabled technology. If you are working on cutting-edge mobile projects, rich data, analysis tools, or augmented

reality we want to hear from you. Geo programmers, researchers, early stage startups, garage hackers, social media mavens, CTOs, entrepreneurs, and product developers are invited to submit proposals to speak at Where 2.0. Proposals are due by October 13, 2009; registration opens December 2009. Be part of the Where 2.0 2010 program, submit your proposal now: en.oreilly.com/where2010/public/ cfp/78 May 4-5, 2010, New York City: The Internet Show is a series of seminars and a showcase. It is the only event that brings together Big, Medium and Small business, all eager to find new ways of doing internet business. It is a business, not a technology, show. The Internet Show is a place where innovation is showcased, solutions are found and learning is done. Identify and evaluate new technologies, Understand new business methods, Learn to deliver ROI. Create new business and revenue streams. Learn how to generate cost savings. Learn how to risk and project manage. Purchase the latest solutions. There will be 72 seminars running over the two days of the show, themed around the following: Digital advertising and marketing; Web 2.0 and social networking; ecommerce and payments; Content management and streaming; Hosting and infrastructure. Find out more and register to attend for F R E E a t theinternetshows.com/2010/ny.

May 14-15, 2010, Milwaukee, WI: At SOHO’s 2-Day, “The CoAlignment of the Corporate and Personal Brand,” a Strategy Framework, develop your exclusive copy of “The Draft,” SOHO’s 16-page social communications policy workbook for businesses and corporations. The focus in 2010 is co-aligning the corporate brand with internal and external communications. SOHO brings to you presentations, case studies and Town Hall meetings with Chris Brogan and Dave Armano, and other experienced practitioners. For more information and to register, please visit Sohobiztube.com. Use discount code MashableMke for a 20% discount on a 2-day “The Draft” ticket. The Mashable Weekly Social Media and Marketing Event Guide is proudly supported by Eventbrite, the Web’s Event Marketplace. Eventbrite is an online events marketplace where tens of thousands of individuals, businesses and organizations of all sizes manage, promote and sell tickets to their events. Make your event a success on Eventbrite. Tags: conferences, Events, mashable

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On The Media Takes On The Music Industry By Mike Masnick (Techdirt)

Live Nation folks), but that segment was incredibly one-sided. The other thing that I found WNYC's excellent radio program incredibly telling was that the On The Media this week decided person who sounded most out of to spend an hour discussing the date and most in denial was not music industry. It's quite well the RIAA representatives (who done, in that it highlights how this a c t u a l l y s o u n d e d a t l e a s t is actually a great time in the somewhat circumspect on how the music industry for musicians and music industry was changing), but fans-- with the only party really in Rob Levine from Billboard trouble being the old record Magazine, who still insists that it labels. The program talks to makes no sense to pay attention to numerous knowledgeable people, "those who steal music." He including James Boyle, Amanda brushes aside the band Ok Go for Palmer, Greg Kot and others. The just doing "ok" as if you don't one section, however, that I count unless you go platinum in thought was a bit weak, was the record sales. He dismisses things section on live shows. That done "as a hobby" as simply not s e c t i o n o n l y f o c u s e d l a r g e mattering. He is, of course, stadium/amphitheater shows -- the defending Billboard's obsolete kind that only a very small "charts" which are still based number of bands deal with. It mostly on CD sales and radio doesn't even mention the much play, but just comes across as more common forms of touring someone who doesn't even realize and live shows. Furthermore, that what he's measuring (at 43:15 on section only seemed to talk to one the podcast):"Right, okay, the one individual -- a smaller concert thing that does skew our ratings is promoter who used the part to that older people buy more music. basically bash Live Nation. Now They steal less music.... So like, there are things you can complain you know, a Bruce Springsteen or about with Live Nation (though, a Madonna might overperform on I'd argue that they've got a much the album sales chart relative to better understanding of where the some more subjective measure of market is heading than most their popularity. But as far as like people give them credit for based who's stealing what... I mean, on conversations I've had with what use is that?" And that, right Submitted at 10/26/2009 9:06:00 AM

there, is why Billboard has become so obsolete. It's lead by people who think that file sharing is "stealing" and that it's meaningless in figuring out where the money is in music. It ignores the studies that have shown that people who download also end up buying more music. It ignores the studies that show people who download are more likely to attend a show or buy merchandise (things that Billboard doesn't appear to think matter at all in the industry). It's as if Billboard wanted to judge the popularity of the transportation industry by judging how many buggy whips are sold. Yes, as automobiles became more popular, buggy whip sales declined. Sucks to be you if you're focused just on measuring buggy ship sales, but the problem is that you're measuring the wrong thing. Instead, the guy who sounds like he's really looking to the future is Duncan Freeman, of the site Band Metrics, who shows that the really important thing is not figuring out how many CDs are being sold, but how much fans are devoted to an artist (disclosure: I've met Duncan a few times at events, and talk to him occasionally about the music industry -- he's also given me an account on Band Metrics to

check it out, even though it's not yet fully public -- though, I actually haven't used it yet). The program shows how a band can actually figure out where their biggest fans are, where they're getting the most buzz, and actually helps bands better connect with fans in multiple ways -- not just on the old model of selling them more CDs. Oh yeah, one other point. Some Hollywood lawyers were getting on my case earlier this year, every time I claimed that the RIAA announced last year that it was no longer suing end users, even though it did keep suing. Those lawyers insisted that the RIAA said no such thing (even though that's what all of the press reported). In this podcast, the RIAA's Jonathan Lamy repeats: "Last December, we officially announced that we would end the litigation program against end users." Except it hasn't. Overall, the program is a really great hour's worth of discussion on the types of things we regularly talk about here, and well worth a listen if you're interested in these things. Permalink| Comments| Email This Story

Memory Lane: XKCD Pays Tribute to GeoCities By Stan Schroeder (Mashable!) Submitted at 10/26/2009 2:09:07 AM

Ah, you kids that were born after 1990 probably have no idea what horrors us geeks of old had to endure in the early days of the Internet. Of course, what was painful then is nothing but a fond memory now, so I’m sure many folks will shed a tear when they see today’s issue of popular online comic XKCD. The execution is perfect: the awful background, the annoyingly blinking text, the barely readable blue links and the horrible HTML. This is what 90% of sites hosted on GeoCities looked like (and there were a lot of them, believe us), and yes, it’s all imprinted forever in the collective memory of Internet users from 1995 – 1999. Kudos to XKCD for the effort, and if you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, GeoCities closes down today, with all its data being erased. Nice knowing you, we’ll never forget you, unfortunately. Tags: geocities, xkcd

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A Look Behind The Curtain: How A Web addresses may Patent Hoarder Makes Money adopt non-English characters By Mike Masnick (Techdirt)

percent of that amount, $271,817, went to Niro Scavone, which also billed $46,568 in expenses. A few months back, someone Nearly $40,000 went to someone sent over some details about a identified as "Ward"--most likely legal battle involving Peter Johnny Ward Jr., who served as Boesen, who is both a convicted local counsel to SPT in the case. felon in jail and a patent hoarder Of what was left, almost $109,000 who licensed his patents to a went to SP Technologies, then "patent troll" firm to assert against owned by investor Courtney tons of tech companies, and Niro Sherrer, and $311,400 went to S c a v o n e , t h e l a w f i r m Boesen. representing the patent company Also noteworthy: a full 10 (and the law firm famous for, p e r c e n t o f A p p l e ' s p a y o u t , among other things, having been $86,500, is marked as going to the inspiration for the term "patent "LG"--an apparent reference to troll"). There wasn't much to LG Electronics, which, according write about directly, but it looks to the Boesen receipt, paid like Joe Mullin has been keeping $834,964.01 to settle a separate on top of things (as always) and SPT suit in 2006. Why would LG has found that via this lawsuit be getting a cut of the settlement Boesen has exposed some of the in a suit to which it was not a underlying details of how much party? And was Apple aware that money patent trolls get: Most a piece of that settlement might intriguing is the sum paid by w i n d u p w i t h o n e o f i t s Apple to settle an SPT suit competitors? Representatives brought over the iPhone in the from Apple and LG did not Eastern District of Texas in 2008: immediately respond to requests $865,000. Without any motions for comment. There's a lot more being filed after the intial in Mullin's post. Not sure how complaint or any substantive much is worth commenting on, discovery, a bit more than 30 but given that such patent holders Submitted at 10/26/2009 4:34:09 AM

and patent hoarding companies tend to be incredibly secretive about all of this stuff, it's still an interesting peak behind the curtain. Oh yeah, as for Mullin's question about LG receiving 10% of the payout from Apple, that might not be all that surprising really. Last year, we covered how it was becoming increasingly common for patent hoarders to play this neat trick where they sue a bunch of companies and promise the ones who settle quickly a cut of what they can get from the others. This sets up a little an interesting game theory situation, whereby companies have extra incentive to settle quickly, which makes the patent holder very happy, and which they use to tout how "legitimate" their patents must be (yeah, right). It sounds like, perhaps, that's what happened here. Since LG settled earlier, perhaps part of the settlement was the right to 10% of a cut against others. Permalink| Comments| Email This Story

South Korean growth at seven-year high (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 10/26/2009 12:03:31 AM

South Koreaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy grew in the third quarter at the fastest pace in seven years, increasing expectations that the central bank

may soon raise interest rates to rein in rising property prices and household debt. Gross domestic product during the July-September period expanded 2.9 per cent from the second quarter, when it grew 2.6 per cent, the Bank of Korea said

on Monday. That was the most rapid pace since the first quarter of 2002. GDP grew 0.6 per cent from a year ago, beating market expectations. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

(CNET News.com)

the internationalization of the Internet, which means that eventually people from every The Internet may be getting corner of the globe will be able to friendlier for a significant chunk navigate much of the online world of the world. A proposal is up for using their native language a vote to let Web addresses use scripts." non-English characters. IDNs are not a new concept. The proposed change(PDF), They've been debated for at least a k n o w n a s I n t e r n a t i o n a l i z e d decade. Some doubted whether Domain Names (IDNs), will such a system could work. But allow the use of non-Latin countries like China have taken characters in the entire address. the lead in pushing for this Currently, such characters are change. allowed only in part of the Of the 1.6 billion Internet users address. IDNs will let people who worldwide, more than half use write in Chinese, Korean, or languages with character sets Arabic use their own languages to other than Latin. Beckstrom sees surf the Web, and is expected to the change as necessary, not just jump-start Internet use in many now, but for the future as Internet regions across the globe. use continues to grow. ICANN, the Internet Corporation One of the challenges behind for Assigned Names and IDNs has been the use of Numbers, which is responsible for translation technology to convert managing domain names on the one character set to another to Net, will review the historic, hot- deliver the right address. But button proposal on Friday at its ICANN seems to have covered six-day 36th International Public that base. Meeting in Seoul. If approved, "We're confident that it works IDNs could kick in as early as because we've been testing it now mid-2010. for a couple of years," Peter "This is an extremely important Dengate Thrush, chairman of meeting for ICANN, since the I C A N N ' s b o a r d , s a i d i n a IDN program is moving one step statement. "And so we're really closer to reshaping the global ready to start rolling it out." Internet landscape," ICANN CEO This content has passed through R o d B e c k s t r o m s a i d i n a fivefilters.org. statement. "In Seoul, we plan to move forward to the next step in Submitted at 10/26/2009 9:14:00 AM

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The Cost of Social Media The New, New, New Facebook: Hundreds of Thousands Organize in to Worker Productivity: $2.25 Billion [Survey] Protest By Adam Ostrow (Mashable!)

the previous iteration by re-adding information like new friends of Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:27:53 AM friends and changes in Although the latest Facebook relationship status into the feed, homepage changes seem and by moving events and relatively minor compared to birthdays back above the fold. some of the more drastic moves However, those issues seem like the company has made in the past, content is available, but that’s not they were light years ago and there are once again hundreds of immediately clear. mostly forgotten. thousands (if not millions) of 2. The “News Feed” isn’t very The problem here seems to be users voicing their frustration. good. The goal of the feature is to that Facebook didn’t add much in The most visible group to emerge be a digest of what’s important in the way of new and exciting, but so far: “ PLEASE GIVE US OUR y o u r n e t w o r k , m u c h l i k e r a t h e r j u s t m a d e a f e w OLD NEWS FEED BACK!” “Highlights” in the previous incremental changes that make (caps and exclamation point iteration. My own opinion: I’d sense from a UI perspective, but included). The group will likely give it a B- … most of the stories once again frustrate and confuse cross 500,000 members this seem interesting, though nearly 24 those that are resistant to change morning, as more users catch hours old at this point. Given the (and don’t read Facebook’s blog wind of their friends joining it via “Live Feed” now includes more … or Mashable). information and is hence more Will it blow over? You have to the News Feed. While much of the frustration cluttered, it would seem the think so given Facebook’s history seems like the usual anger and “News Feed” should be more up- of surviving far more significant resistance to change you always to-date to emphasize important revolts. Further, the issues with see when any major website happenings. this latest change seem fairly easy pushes a redesign, I have heard a 3. Facebook didn’t give much for the social network to address few valid complaints about the warning about the changes. with small tweaks to the product. Unlike previous iterations where How do you feel about the latest new Facebook: 1. The “Live Feed” isn’t all that announcements were prominently i t e r a t i o n o f t h e F a c e b o o k live. Seemingly, you need to placed on member homepages, homepage? Share your thoughts refresh to see new stuff, as there Facebook seemingly just flipped in the comments. Reviews: are no alerts when new content is the switch on this change without Facebook, Mashable available. That’s not completely doing much to prepare users. Tags: facebook true: if you’re viewing the “News Facebook did address a number Feed,” you’ll get alerts when new of issues that members had with

By Stan Schroeder (Mashable!)

Submitted at 10/26/2009 6:53:21 AM

Every now and then an analysis pops up claiming that this or that online activity is costing businesses millions or billions of dollars because employees are doing them instead of work. The latest scapegoat: social networking and media sites. IT services group Morse conducted a survey, questioning 1,460 office workers, and came to the conclusion that use of Twitter and other social networking sites is costing UK firms £1.38 billion(approximately 2.25 billion dollars) every year. “When it comes to an office environment the use of these sites is clearly becoming a productivity black hole,” says Philip Wicks from Morse. According to the study, employees spend 40 minutes every week, on average, on social networking sites. We can point out many similar studies and surveys that popped up over the years. One claimed that Facebook is costing UK firms over £130m a day, with 233 million hours “lost” every month. Another study came to the conclusion that merely web surfing costs US corporations about US$63 billion each year.

If you take all those numbers and put them together, you’d probably get the result that employees are spending 10 out of 8 hours doing nothing at work. But with a little common sense it’s easy to remember that employees are never 100% productive; before Facebook and Twitter, there was coffee and chitchat around the watercooler. Converting hours spent on social networks into dollars lost is walking on slippery ground; I’d rather have happy employees who sometimes go to Facebook and Twitter than unhappy ones who never do anything personal or fun online. What do you think? Are social networking sites bad for productivity? Are they really costing businesses millions? Please share your opinion in the comments. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Pertusinas Reviews: Facebook, Twitter, iStockphoto Tags: productivity, social media, social networking

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Vrooooom! Start your car (and more) With 'memorialized' from your iPhone or iPod touch profiles, Facebook sees dead people By Steven Sande (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))

compatible Viper starting systems, and a fully loaded package ( SmartStart VSM4000 System, US$499.99) for the rest Submitted at 10/25/2009 9:30:00 PM of us. Filed under: Accessories, iPhone, Some of the app reviewers have Holidays, iPod touch TUAW noted that you're not only paying reader Ethan pointed us in the for the system and your iPhone direction of something new, cool, bill, but there's also a US$29 and available only for iPhone and monthly annual GSM service bill iPod touch (take that, Palm Pre that you'll have to pay (the first and Android phones!) year of service is complimentary BestBuy has an exclusive on the with your purchase). However, if It uses a free iPhone app [ iTunes new Viper SmartStart System, the money isn't an object and link] to give you that remote love, which can do a number of things you're already clueless about what like when you are visiting friends for your wheels: to get a loved one for Christmas, overseas and want to scare people this might be an idea to consider. by starting your car up while it's • Start your car with virtually TUAW Vrooooom! Start your sitting by itself in the airport unlimited range car (and more) from your iPhone parking lot. The developers also • Warm your car in winter; cool or iPod touch originally appeared note that in the near future, a new your car in summer on The Unofficial Apple Weblog release of the app will give you • Unlock your car or truck (TUAW) on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 push notification if your car alarm • Arm the alarm to protect your 21:30:00 EST. Please see our goes off. car terms for use of feeds. There are two versions available: • Activate panic alarm to protect Read| Permalink| Email this| a module ( SmartStart VSM100 yourself Comments Module, US$299.99) for cars that • Receive push-button status are already equipped with notifications

(CNET News.com)

feedback form that asks for some proof of a relationship to the person in question (knowledge of With over 300 million active an e-mail address and birthday, users around the world, it's a for example), as well as a link to legitimate concern for social proof of death (like a news article network Facebook to come up or obituary). When a profile has with a solution for what happens been memorialized, "sensitive" when members die. The company information, like phone numbers, has now spelled out the process are removed, and the profile is on its official blog(in a post that's locked up to anyone who was not a little bit awkwardly close to already a confirmed friend (nonHalloween, considering the friends can't find the profile in sensitivity of the subject matter). search queries, either). Facebook's Max Kelly explains But for those who were in the blog post: "Obviously, we confirmed friends of the deceased, wanted to be able to model they can continue to leave "wall" p e o p l e ' s r e l a t i o n s h i p s o n posts in remembrance. Facebook, but how do you deal Memorialized profiles are also with an interaction with someone locked to future log-ins to prevent who is no longer able to log on? h a c k i n g - - s o m e t h i n g t h a t When someone leaves us, they highlights how Facebook will don't leave our memories or our have to be very vigilant about social network. To reflect that making sure that mean-spirited reality, we created the idea of m e m b e r s d o n ' t t r y t o 'memorialized' profiles as a place "memorialize" one another's where people can save and share profiles as a macabre prank. their memories of those who've This content has passed through passed." fivefilters.org. To "memorialize" a profile, members are encouraged to use a Submitted at 10/26/2009 9:06:00 AM

Backstage with Barry Manilow Live at the Hollywood Bowl! (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 10/26/2009 6:30:00 AM

ET is with backstage and behind the scenes with Barry Manilow as

he performs at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles for the very first time! "I've been to the Hollywood Bowl, but I never played on the

stage," Barry told ET before the big event. Before Barry stepped on stage to be accompanied by a 60-piece orchestra, he donated $100,000

worth of instruments to the L.A. half-million dollars for the cause. Unified School District! Proceeds benefit the Grammy Foundation and the Manilow Music Project– and Barry has already raised a

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AOL names its post-Time Warner board (CNET News.com) Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:39:00 AM

In preparation for its upcoming spin-off from parent company Time Warner, AOL has named nine members to its board of directors--and from what it sounds like, more additions to the board could be coming. The current lineup includes former Amazon Chief Information Officer Richard Dalzell, Plainfield Asset Management partner Karen Dykstra, financial services exec William Hambrecht, Paley Center for Media Director Patricia Mitchell, former FCC Chairman

Michael Powell, former CBS Chief Financial Officer Fredric Reynolds, former Procter & Gamble exec James Stengel, and ex-William Morris Agency CEO James Wiatt. "AOL is very fortunate to have an exceptional group of proven leaders to serve on our board of directors," CEO Tim Armstrong, who took over the reins of the company this spring, said in a release. "AOL is on a mission to help create the future of media and content and the AOL board will play a central part in helping us focus the strategy and also operate the company with the highest ethical standards."

The majority of the board members don't hail from Armstrong's own Silicon Valley turf: the CEO served as Google's director of sales up until his hire at AOL. But most of them are veterans of traditional media, which presumably will give the onetime dial-up king an advantage as it attempts to shape itself into a digital-content power player--at least on the surface. (Disclosure: One of AOL's new board members has a past affiliation with CBS Corp., which publishes CNET News.) This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Joanna Krupa & Derek Hough Reveal Recipe for Success with their Waltz (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 10/26/2009 12:10:00 AM

Derek Hough has been working with Joanna Krupa on mastering the basic technique of the waltz in preparation for Monday night's "Dancing with the Stars." The master chef of the dance floor told ET he is ready to "add

BlackBerry Storm2 Arrives at Verizon on October 28th By Christina Warren (Mashable!) Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:09:21 AM

Are you excited about the upcoming BlackBerry Storm2? If you’re a Verizon Wireless customer, you won’t have to wait much longer, as Verizon and RIM have officially announced that the Storm2 will be released on October 28th. The newest iteration of the touchscreen BlackBerry includes Wi-Fi, a software-based clickable display (no more mechanical weirdness) and a faster processor

with more device memory. Other features include: 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus Built-in GPS V Cast Music with Rhapsody BlackBerry OS 5.0 Support for Verizon Wireless’ Broadband Connect tethering service Original BlackBerry Storm Owners Existing BlackBerry Storm customers can upgrade their devices to OS 5.0 beginning today v i a e i t h e r www.verizonwireless.com/storm or www.blackberry.com/update

for free. That will bring all the new OS-based enhancements to your existing phone. Pricing and Availability The Blackberry Storm2 will be available online, in Verizon retail stores and through Verizon

business channels on Wednesday. The Blackberry Storm2 will be priced at $179.99 after a $100 mail-in-rebate with a new twoyear agreement (on a plan that either offers Email and Web or Email and Web for BlackBerry). What do you think about the new BlackBerry Storm? How do you think it measures up against the iPhone or the upcoming Motorola Droid? Tags: blackberry, blackberry storm, blackberry storm 2, blackberry storm2, verizon

the sizzle, the paprika, the flavor, the spices on top of it." The intense practice schedule is tiring Joanna out, but she finds the energy to carry on once she reaches the dance studio. Derek said, "It's like a marathon, except for you're not jogging. You're sprinting the entire way."

Now Playing: October 26 November 1, 2009 By James Ransom-Wiley (Joystiq) Submitted at 10/26/2009 12:15:00 PM

Wiki-wiki-wikee! Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list: Last updated: Monday, 12:15 PM Continue reading Now Playing: October 26 - November 1, 2009 Now Playing: October 26 November 1, 2009 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

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Apple Tablet “Impending” … And It Yahoo Mail outages Might Have Something to Do With plauge some users Newspapers By Tom Krazit (Webware.com) Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:49:00 AM

By Stan Schroeder (Mashable!) Submitted at 10/26/2009 7:44:06 AM

Yes, it’s more Apple Tablet rumors, but this time the rumor comes from an unlikely source: New York Times’ executive editor Bill Keller. Gawker found an interesting detail in a speech he held last week (the video is below): at one point he says that they’re planning to bring New York Times on a multitude of platforms, including the Apple Tablet. Has Keller been reading too many Apple Tablet rumors, or does he know something that we don’t? One can speculate either way, but I’m leaning towards the

latter; there may not be an official release date yet, but the Tablet is most probably real, and Apple is already making hush-hush deals with content creators such as the Times. Looking at what Apple (and Steve Jobs) likes to do, it makes a lot of sense. First, Apple has transformed the way we listen to (and purchase) music with the iPod and iTunes; then, it changed

the way we use our cellphones with the iPhone. Perhaps now Apple is interested in changing the way we consume news and read magazines (among other things)? We’ve already explored that avenue; if Keller meant what he said, it seems even more likely. The exact quote from Keller is “I’m hoping we can get the newsroom more actively involved in the challenge of delivering our best journalism in the form of Times Reader, iPhone apps, WAP, or the impending Apple slate…” It comes at about 8.30 in the video; you can see it below. Tags: Apple Tablet, new york times

Yahoo Mail users reported some problems with the service Monday morning, with the service unaccessable for some and spotty for others. Techcrunch noticed a Twitter spike in reports of problems with Yahoo Mail, and another company called Downrightnow also reported problems accessing the service over the last several hours. Several CNET employees reported that they were able to access their inboxes, but mine is unavailable. Yahoo Messenger and Yahoo's home page appeared to be working fine. Please let us know if you're having trouble in the comments below, and we'll update this post with more information as we go.

Yahoo Mail is the most widely used Web e-mail service in the world by a wide margin, with over 100 million unique users in July 2009 according to Comscore. Gmail, Google's Web e-mail service, is growing fast as the third most-used e-mail service behind Microsoft's Hotmail but has suffered a few high-profile outages this year. Updated 8:58 a.m. PDT: Yahoo released a statement confirming the problems, but downplayed the breadth of the issues. "A small fraction of Yahoo! Mail users are experiencing intermittent email issues today, October 26. We are actively working to resolve the issue and apologize for any inconvenience this causes." Originally posted at Relevant Results

Amazon Refuses To Give In; Appeals One-Click Patent Rejection In Canada By Mike Masnick (Techdirt) Submitted at 10/26/2009 7:48:00 AM

Amazon's infamous "one-click" patent is quite often rolled out as an example of how ridiculous our patent system has become. At times, even Jeff Bezos has indicated he realizes this... and yet, the company still keeps on fighting for control over the "one click" concept. In the US, the

patent is still involved in a reexam, but up in Canada, the patent was rejected this summer, along with a rejection of pretty much all software/business model patents in Canada -- saying that without specific new laws from the government, such things would be considered unpatentable in Canada. Michael Geist points out that Amazon, rather than leaving well enough alone, is

appealing the rejection in Canada. I have to admit that I don't understand why Amazon is fighting for this patent any more. The management there has to realize that this patent is case study #1 in the problems of the patent system. And, while it did try to enforce the patent against Barnes & Noble in the past, as far as I'm aware, it hasn't bothered to enforce the patent against anyone

else in many years (anyone have any info to the contrary?). Continuing to fight for this patent in both the US and Canada doesn't seem to add any value whatsoever Talkcast reminder: to Amazon, but just highlights Macs that go bump in how the company appears to be abusing the patent system with the night! 10 pm ET ridiculous patents. By Michael Rose (The Permalink| Comments| Email Unofficial Apple Weblog This Story (TUAW)) FiledTALKCAST under: TUAW pageBusiness, 32

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Yahoo Mail outages plague some users (CNET News.com) Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:49:00 AM

Yahoo Mail users reported some problems Monday morning, with the service inaccessible for some and spotty for others. Techcrunch noticed a Twitter spike in reports of problems with Yahoo Mail, and another company called Downrightnow also reported problems accessing the service over the last several hours. Several CNET employees reported that they were able to access their in-boxes, but mine is unavailable. Yahoo Messenger and Yahoo's home page appeared to be working fine. Please let us know if you're having trouble in the comments below, and we'll update this post with more information as we go. Yahoo Mail is the most widely

used Web e-mail service in the world by a wide margin, with over 100 million unique users in July 2009, according to ComScore. Gmail, Google's Web e-mail service, is growing fast as the third most-popular e-mail service behind Microsoft's Hotmail but has suffered a few high-profile outages this year. Update at 8:58 a.m. PDT: Yahoo released a statement confirming the problems, but downplayed the breadth of the issues. "A small fraction of Yahoo Mail users are experiencing intermittent email issues today, October 26. We are actively working to resolve the issue and apologize for any inconvenience this causes." This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

TALKCAST continued from page 31

Podcasts It's the Sunday before Halloween, and that can mean only one thing! No, not that you should have set your clocks back an hour -- that's next weekend. Tonight is about scary tech and the users that love it: Apple's most frightening products of all time. Whether the fuzzy-scary iPod Socks or the just -plain-scary Performa series, there are plenty of bonechillers out there... pick your favorites over at Apple History, the Apple Museum or Wikipedia and bring your nominations to our chamber of terrors tonight! 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. Talk with you then! TUAW Talkcast reminder: Macs that go bump in the night! 10 pm ET originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Did an NYT editor let the 'Slate' slip? By Michael Rose (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)) Submitted at 10/26/2009 10:15:00 AM

Filed under: Rumors There's a loud buzzing this morning, and it's not just the hangover from late -night celebrations of the Yankees' pennant win; quite a few tech and Mac sites (we heard it first from Edible Apple, although it's really everywhere now) are reporting on week-old remarks

from the New York Times executive editor, Bill Keller, that were supposed to remain off-the record -- and of course are now playing on video all across the web. If you look at the transcript of his chat, or the 8:20 mark in the video, you'll see him refer to

delivery of journalism to mobile platforms, and then he mentions the "impending Apple slate." Is this a simple moment of wishful thinking for Keller, or is it linked to the presumptive starring role that daily newspapers would play on the hypothetical Apple wundergadget? I can't wait to find

out. Read on to see the video. Continue reading Did an NYT editor let the 'Slate' slip? TUAW Did an NYT editor let the 'Slate' slip? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Last night's Mad Men twist: brilliant or risky (or both)? By Bob Sassone (TV Squad) Submitted at 10/26/2009 11:40:00 AM

I continue to be amazed by Mad Men. I don't mean the overall quality of the writing, the acting, the direction, the production. It's easy to be amazed by all that. I'm talking about where Matthew Weiner and his writing staff are taking us. I think we can all agree that, beyond the bigger picture of how the 1960s changed America, the big story on the show has been "Who is Don Draper?" It's the big secret that he's been keeping since episode one and it has really been the driving force of the show. But last night Weiner and Co. blew the show wide open by having Betty confront Don about the box in the drawer. And when she did, Don actually told the truth! And this wasn't even the season finale! Continue reading Last night's Mad Men twist: brilliant or risky (or both)? Filed under: Watercooler Talk, Reality-Free, Mad Men Permalink| Email this| | Comments

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Is the MacBook Pro about to receive a quadcore speed bump?

Guy Who Signed 'XYZ Corp.' Astroturf Letter... Worked As Telco PR Person For Nearly 3 Decades? Review: The By Mike Masnick (Techdirt)

Sells in Little Rock). Southwestern Bell, of course, Submitted at 10/26/2009 2:18:31 AM became better known as SBC. So, remember last week when we SBC, of course, became AT&T w r o t e a b o u t h o w a n t i - n e t after it bought the old AT&T and neutrality lobbyists from AT&T took on its name. So, if you're an By John Burke (The Unofficial some talk on 9to5Mac that Apple had crafted astroturf letters for AT&T lobbyist and you want to Apple Weblog (TUAW)) Store geniuses are starting to various "special interest groups" convince the FCC that "seniors" work with the new Core i5 and i7 to sign -- but someone forgot to are against net neutrality -- and Submitted at 10/26/2009 11:30:00 AM Quad-Core processors that may remove the boilerplate"XYZ you don't want it to appear to Filed under: Hardware, Rumors, m a k e t h e i r w a y i n t o t h e O r g a n i z a t i o n " i n t h e f i r s t come from AT&T employees-paragraph? We also noted that who better to go to than an exMacbook Pro notebooks. With all the news circulating While nothing is definite, it's there was little evidence that the employee? Still, next time you around about updated Apple looking like the release of OS X group -- the Arkansas Retired get a former employee to shill for hardware, you might be asking 10.6.2 and the refresh of the Seniors -- actually existed. you, remember to replace the y o u r s e l f " W h a t a b o u t t h e MacBook Pro might come in However, Matt Cutts did a bit of bogus XYZ Organization you left MacBook Pro?" Apple certaintly tandem, and sooner than we think. digging and found that the name for him in the text of the letter you hasn't forgotten about its high-end Thanks to everyone who sent this of the guy who signed the letter -- sent him. Bob Sells -- appears to have Permalink| Comments| Email notebook computer, and details in. are starting to slip out that the TUAW Is the MacBook Pro worked in PR for Southwestern This Story MacBook Pro might be receiving about to receive a quad-core Bell for 28 years(there appears to a speed boost sooner than anyone speed bump? originally appeared be only one Bob Sells or Robert might have predicted. on The Unofficial Apple Weblog Applesfera is reporting that some (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 information about unreleased 11:30:00 EST. Please see our MacBook Pro models has been terms for use of feeds. found in support files of the latest Read| Permalink| Email this| developer build of Mac OS X Comments 10.6.2. In addition, there's been

Street Chic: New York By ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog) Submitted at 10/26/2009 4:00:00 AM

A leather jacket, leggings, and platforms give a sweet print an edgy makeover. Photo: Jonathan Alpeyrie

Think you are Street Chic? E-

mail us your photo and you could appear in ELLE.com's Street Chic Daily. Follow ELLE on Twitter.

Venture Bros. Handsome Ransom By Annie Wu (TV Squad) Submitted at 10/26/2009 12:08:00 PM

(S04E02) First things first. If you are not a connoisseur of '90s superhero cartoons or a huge nerd that has been closely following Venture Bros. news all the way through production, you may have missed out on the full "Handsome Ransom" experience. That is not to say the unaware couldn't have a good time, but things were made ten times funnier if a viewer knew that the not-so-pure Captain Sunshine was voiced by Kevin Conroy, aka Batman. Continue reading Review: The Venture Bros. - Handsome Ransom Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, OpEd, Animation, Adult Swim, Episode Reviews, RealityFree Permalink| Email this| | Comments

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Found Footage: iPhone Facebook Settlement Gets Judge's costumes are either genius OK or deeply misguided By Sarah Perez (ReadWriteWeb)

By Michael Rose (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)) Submitted at 10/25/2009 12:30:00 PM

Filed under: Humor, Cult of Mac, iPhone, Holidays You have to hand it to Reko and Bobby John for their stick-to-itiveness; they were behind a similar set of iPhone costumes in 2007, but those didn't have the fully-functional power of these new outfits. Yes, those are LCD TVs on the front (not touchable, sadly) showing content from the (almost certainly) jailbroken iPhones mounted on top; yes, each getup weighs 85 pounds because it includes a car battery to power the display. I can see how the illusion would be broken by a 500-foot charging cable trailing

through, Facebook would then be relieved from liability from any future lawsuits regarding the same Submitted at 10/26/2009 7:10:12 AM complaint and even those still behind them as they trick-or-treat Proposal Would Kill Beacon, Damages, Non-Profit Foundation pending like the their way around the subdivision. Have Facebook Paying $9.5 The case has been in litigation Facebook/Blockbuster class There's a part of me that wants to Million since last year, but now looks like action suit brought in April 2008. tell these guys to apply their wild, Late last week, a federal judge in it's drawing to a close. U.S. S e t t l e m e n t Sounds i n v e n t i v e e n e r g y t o m o r e California gave preliminary District Court judge, Richard Great...Especially for Facebook productive pursuits. And yet... approval to a settlement of the Seeborg in San Jose, has approved On the surface, the proposed there's another bit of reptile brain class action lawsuit regarding the proposed Facebook settlement settlement sounds fair enough to that simply sits and watches, in Facebook's Beacon program. The that would have the company all parties involved. Damages are awe. controversial program, launched paying out $9.5 million, two- paid and Facebook has to promote Thanks to John for the tip! back in November of 2007, thirds of which would go to online privacy. However, as [via MacRumors Forums] allowed Facebook users to share setting up a non-profit foundation David Johnson points out on the TUAW Found Footage: iPhone online purchases made on third- to fund "projects and initiatives Digital Media Lawyer Blog, costumes are either genius or party affiliate websites with their that promote the cause of online Facebook is already required by deeply misguided originally social networking friends. The privacy, safety and security." The law to promote online privacy and appeared on The Unofficial Apple problem with the program was remaining money would then be the safety and security of its users' Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 25 Oct that it was opt-out instead of opt- split among the lawyers and the information per FTC mandates. In 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see in, angering many Facebook users plaintiffs, each of whom would addition, Facebook would get to our terms for use of feeds. w h o u n k n o w i n g l y s h a r e d receive damages of $1000-15,000, nominate one and have say over Read| Permalink| Email this| information they wished they according to MediaPost. the other two board members on Comments The other major part to the the proposed Privacy Foundation's wouldn't have. Facebook settlement is the board of directors. Sponsor One such victim was Sean Lane, r e q u i r e d t e r m i n a t i o n o f Says Johnson: "Facebook now the lead plaintiff in the Facebook's Beacon program in its effectively gets most of its money lawsuit. He was especially angry entirety. Although Facebook had back to fund projects that it is a f t e r t h e n e w s o f a n quickly reacted to the Beacon already has an obligation to Overstock.com purchase was outcry after its launch, changing perform." $3.57bn, or 60 cents a share, posted to his Facebook profile. the system over to opt-in and even Sounds like the real winner here compared with $3.4bn, or 66 The purchase, a diamond ring he issuing a formal apology, the may be Facebook. cents in the same quarter a year bought for his wife, was meant to program still exists today. (You You can read the Settlement a g o . T h i s b e a t a n a l y s t s â&#x20AC;&#x2122; be a surprise. After that incident, can check your settings by going Agreement here, courtesy of e x p e c t a t i o n s , a l t h o u g h t h e Lane, along with eighteen other to Settings -> Privacy Settings -> CircleID. The settlement was company produced profits of 41 plaintiffs, filed a class action Applications -> Settings tab. Then proposed last month, but only cents when including charges l a w s u i t a g a i n s t F a c e b o o k , scroll down to the bottom to see if received preliminary approval on r e l a t e d t o l a y o f f s a n d i t s claiming that Beacon's opt-out "Beacon websites" is checked or Friday. The affected parties have acquisition of Alltel in January. o p t i o n w a s " i n a d e q u a t e , unchecked. Checked will ensure until February 1st to object to the This content has passed through m i s l e a d i n g a n d d e c e p t i v e . " no Beacon stories get posted to proposed settlement. Discuss fivefilters.org. D e t a i l s o f t h e A g r e e m e n t : your profile). Shutting Down Beacon, Paying If the proposed settlement goes

Verizon profits slip on restructuring costs (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 10/26/2009 6:41:08 AM

Verizon said on Monday that its third quarter profits fell by 9 per cent but sales rose as the company lured more wireless subscribers but absorbed the cost of job cuts and restructuring. Excluding one-time charges, Verizonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s net income was

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What are Hulu's Mysterious Plans? By Sarah Perez (ReadWriteWeb)

makes you pay - except in their case, you're paying with your eyeballs, not your credit card. Submitted at 10/26/2009 9:03:39 AM Using video ads, Hulu has been Everyone is looking to Hulu as attempting to monetize its service, the future of Internet TV. The but those efforts have been joint venture between several difficult at times. This spring, for major networks, Hulu delivers instance, Screen Digest analyst free, ad-supported programming Arash Amel claimed that Hulu via online streams - an untested had only sold about 60% of its ad model for long-term profitability, inventory. "What we've seen is a t l e a s t w h e n i t c o m e s t o rapid growth in consumption, but television. the advertising isn't keeping up," While consumers have been he said. enjoying the service since its While these figures, if accurate, launch in 2007, happily watching could be reason for concern, many free TV shows and movies over feel that the profitability of an their PCs and even their TV sets online video venture of this nature thanks to Media Center plugins takes time to develop. Eventually, and other unofficial hacks, the the ad-supported model would company itself is still trying to work for Hulu as it has worked n a v i g a t e t h i s n e w o n l i n e for numerous other websites and l a n d s c a p e a n d e f f e c t i v e l y services, supporters claim. monetize their content. Now Besides, more recent deals seem recent statements by a News Corp to bode well for the site. Case in exec have people wondering: can point, this month the Publicis Hulu make the ad-supported Groupe announced a mulitm o d e l w o r k ? O r d o e s t h e million dollar ad deal that company have other plans? involved targeted advertising to Sponsor particular Hulu demographics. Is Hulu Working? The deal is said to represent a One of the primary objectives "significant increase" in spending behind Hulu was to put free on Hulu. Hulu to Charge? programming on the Internet to Despite the promises ad deals combat the rampant pirating of like this hold, there is still debate TV content that took place on as to whether or not Hulu is going sites like the popular file-sharing to stick to the ad-supported model destination, The Pirate Bay. As or try something new. At a iTunes did with music, the idea is conference last week, News Corp. to make using Hulu's service deputy chairman Chase Carey easier than having to go out and made a pronouncement regarding seek the illegal downloads. this point that raised more than a Although iTunes charges for few eyebrows: music on a per-file basis, Hulu, "I think a free model is a very too has a business model that difficult way to capture the value

of our content. I think what we need to do is deliver that content to consumers in a way where they will appreciate the value," Carey was quoted as saying by Broadcasting & Cable. "Hulu...needs to evolve to have a meaningful subscription model as part of its business." This seems to jive with earlier reports where News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch had also hinted at the site's plans to add premium services. "Are we looking at it with a view toward adding subscription services and pay per view? Yes we are," Murdoch had said. But "looking at" and "doing" are two very different things - where does Hulu stand now? Has their core philosophy - that is, their belief in the ad-supported model changed? According to AdWeek, it has not. In the article, the company claims their ad-supported free service is still the one that "resonates with the largest group of users" and that any additional models would just serve to complement that. However, when we reached out to Hulu to ask about their plans regarding charging for content, the company wouldn't go on record with any such statement. Why So Cagey? Hulu's current decision to clam up could be taken in a few different ways. Perhaps they

simply haven't decided what they're going to do about adding new premium services to Hulu and therefore don't want to discuss it at all. Yet the quote they provided to AdWeek seems innocuous enough - so why not just stick with it? Why now choose to say nothing at all? Maybe they're hoping that with no quote, there is no story, and that will allow them to quell the impending panic among some users who are worried about Hulu's plans to make customers pay. Because some people are so opposed to paying for online content, just hearing reports that Hulu might change to a pay-tostream model could dissuade them from continuing to use the service. Then again, it could be that the opposite is true. Hulu wants to keep everyone wondering about what's coming next, generating excitement without providing any details. This means people can speculate wildly and give their opinions, allowing Hulu to tap into that online conversation about what people want before making any official decisions or announcements. What We Think: Hulu Will Launch Value-Added Services Despite any official confirmations from the company, we think it's pretty clear that Hulu has intentions to launch valueadded services on top of its free, ad-supported model in the coming months. These may include payper-view options and some sort of subscription model. However, that

subscription model would be there to provide users with value-added services that you couldn't get from the free model alone. Perhaps behind the scenes interviews? Sneak peeks? Actor interviews? Who knows...but the possibilities are endless. As to why we think that, it comes down to simple math. We've now seen three different statements about these premium services: Carey's recent remarks, Murdoch's quote from earlier this year, and anonymous sources quoted by Dan Rayburn who hinted that Hulu's iPhone app won't launch until "Hulu rolls out a subscription based service."...And They'll be Tied to the iPhone The iPhone app, in fact, may be the real secret the company is trying to hide. Imagine if the much-rumored and highly anticipated application was linked to a subscription-based model. That could downright revolutionize the way people watch TV. Providing streaming content over the popular Apple smartphone would easily bring in additional revenue and that new source could quickly outperform the profits made by the adsupported model. Yet launching a Hulu iPhone app would be a challenge, as the company is undoubtedly aware. And, of course, Hulu wouldn't want to say anything about it, especially considering how difficult Apple is when it comes WHAT page 36

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How Moms Use Their iPhones By Frederic Lardinois (ReadWriteWeb) the sole decision makers. Eighty percent have attended at least According to a new survey by some college and are slightly mobile advertising network more likely to have received a Greystripe, mothers with iPhones Graduate degree than the rest of regularly let their children use the iPhone user base. The age of their phones, download games the children in these families specifically for their children and skews slightly older, with 29% of often use their phones at grocery t h e m o m s h a v i n g c h i l d r e n stores to compare prices and between 0 and 4, while 43% have children between 15 and 17. check their grocery lists. Not too long ago, mothers were How iPhone Moms Use Their still considered to be a hard group Phones: Shopping and Keeping t o r e a c h t h r o u g h m o b i l e the Kids Entertained applications because they tend to What is more interesting, though, be late adopters. The iPhone's is how these moms use their mainstream success has changed iPhones. Fifty-nine percent of all this, however, and iPhone moms iPhone moms let their children have now become a desirable u s e t h e i r p h o n e s a n d 4 1 % target demographic for marketers. download games specifically for their children. Twenty percent Sponsor Greystripe is a brand-focused a l s o d o w n l o a d e d u c a t i o n a l a d v e r t i s i n g n e t w o r k a n d content for their kids. obviously has an interest in With regards to shopping, 79% of making this group attractive for all iPhone moms use their phones advertisers, but the statistics in for 'shopping related activities.' this report seem pretty solid. The majority of these activities Greystripe found the 1,294 consist of locating stores (60%). respondents who filled out this Thirty-nine percent also use the survey through house ads on its p h o n e t o c o m p a r e p r i c e s . own network. The iPhone Mom Nineteen percent of iPhone moms According to Greystripe, 96% of download coupons, 23% look for m o t h e r s w i t h i P h o n e s a r e items on sale and 37% use their i n v o l v e d i n t h e i r f a m i l y ' s phones to learn about products. When it comes to using the purchasing decisions and 40% are Submitted at 10/26/2009 7:00:00 AM

phone in stores, 42% of the mothers who responded to the Greystripe survey said that they regularly use their phones at the grocery store. Grocery list applications - or just the Notes app on the iPhone and iPod touch - are the most popular uses for the iPhone and 19% of all moms use these. Thirteen percent of moms also use the phone to look up prices in the store itself - which explains the popularity of apps like Red Laser. As Greystripe's founder and CEO Michael Chang told us last week, this data shows how the iPhone has become a tool for everyday life for this demographic. This group tends to have a large influence over everyday purchase decisions in their families and these iPhone moms often use their phones to make a good number of these decisions, which make them an attractive target for marketers. This study also shows that there is a large market for apps that are specifically geared towards this demographic, including mobile price comparison apps or apps that can deliver mobile coupons and a lot of iPhone dads will probably be interested in these apps as well. Discuss

WHAT continued from page 35

to applications that compete with their core services. Apple may not even approve such an application, claiming (rightly so) that it competes with iTunes. However, Apple may be loosening up on that front, with no small thanks going to the FCC who recently questioned the company's rejection of the Google Voice application- a VoIP dialer that Apple rejected because it competed with what the iPhone does natively. (Apple claims they're "still reviewing" it, but no one really buys that.) Since the FCC's involvement, however, Apple has gone on to approve a streaming music app called Spotify, an application that many had feared would be rejected

because it, even more so than Google Voice, competed with iTunes. That leaves us hopeful that a similar application launched by Hulu could also make it through the approval process. Still, we wouldn't blame Hulu if they wanted to keep that extremely quiet. And that would certainly explain why Hulu won't comment on their plans. Of course, this is all just speculation at this point, but we hope it turns out to be true. Discuss

Steelers' defense punishes Vikings with two TDs By Associated Press (ESPN.com)

most in a game without a touchdown pass. It was also Favre's most passing yards in a Submitted at 10/25/2009 5:24:20 PM loss since 2006. Fast Facts • Sidney Rice had 11 catches for • A p a i r o f f o u r t h q u a r t e r 136 yards and has 312 receiving defensive touchdowns led the yards in his last two games. Steelers over the Vikings, who • The Vikings lost for the first lost for the first time this season. time this season and were unable • Lamarr Woodley returned a to eclipse their 6-0 start from Brett Favre fumble 77 yards and 2003. The loss also ended the K e y a r o n F o x r a n b a c k a n Vikings' six-game road win interception 82 yards, both for streak. scores. • Rapid Reaction • The Steelers have won 10 -- ESPN Stats & Information straight at home since last season, This content has passed through including the playoffs. fivefilters.org. • Favre threw for 334 yards, his

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Salesforce.com and Adobe: Anonymous Mobile Applications Enriching The Platfom Browsing: Tor for Android By Alex Williams (ReadWriteWeb)

Submitted at 10/26/2009 2:15:08 AM

Salesforce.com and Adobe have entered a partnership that allows developers to create rich Internet and desktop applications in the cloud. The partnership is just one more example of how an ecosystem is developing between Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) vendors and application developers. In recent weeks Salesforce.com has partnered with a host of companies, including Box.net last week and an integration with Cisco earlier this month. Sponsor The partnership with Adobe means that users may create enterprise applications on the Force.com platform. Developers may create applications that are launched through a browser using Adobe Flash technology or on the desktop using Adobe Air. This is intriguing. We've seen a number of consumer application developed using Adobe Air,

including Tweetdeck, the rich Twitter application that has grown immensely in popularity. The partnership with Salesforce.com means that developers may create similar applications through the integration of third-party API's that may provide another means for enterprise customers to create their own social applications. We know there are any variety of ways to create applications for the enterprise but the relationship between Adobe and Saleforce.com demonstrates how easy it is becoming to create rich applications for specific, business purposes. The simplicity is evident in the way developers create applications using Adobe Flash Builder. It's a as simple as drag

and drop to add such features as calendars, grids, charts, buttons and all the other elements to make the user interface compelling for the user. On the desktop, the data is synced to the Salesforce.com environment via an API, creating an integrated platform for users. Remember how third-party applications accelerated Facebook's growth? A similar model is emerging in the SasS world. Applications are making SaaS platfoms rich integrated environments, tailored to the business user. Development is far easier than ever before, making it possible to create tools that can enrich the experience for the user by viewing data in ways that helps them take faster action without the need for an IT administrator or analyst to present it in a way that makes sense. The release preview for Adobe Flash Builder is available at force.com. The product will be fully available in the first half of 2010. Discuss

By Jolie O'Dell (ReadWriteWeb) Submitted at 10/25/2009 3:51:24 PM

Thanks to mobile developer Nathan Freitas and the teams behind Tor and the Guardian Project, secure, anonymous mobile browsing is on its way. On his blog, Freitas writes, "We have successfully ported the native C Tor app to Android and built an Android application bundle that installs, runs and provides the glue needed to make it useful to end users.... secure, anonymous access to the web via Tor on Android is now a reality." Sponsor The most recent Tor release uses toolchain wrapper scripts to run Tor without requiring root access. Orbot manages the installation, bundles the Tor binary, and furnishes the UI. The app is falls

under the Tor license and contains a built-in HTTP proxy. However, the developers who are currently preparing anonymous mobile browsing for its premiere are seeking volunteers for the app and for preparing the privacyfocused Android browser, Shadow. Interested parties should contact Freitas. Discuss

Good API design at Twitter (Scripting News)

usual, with the API. The project -- convert the page of Berkeley people's tweets to run I ' v e b e e n p u t t i n g o f f off a list instead of a special programming with Twitter lists, Twitter account. It turns out but I shouldn't have. there's an API call that retrieves They did a really good job, as the timeline for a list, and it works Submitted at 10/25/2009 10:49:58 AM

exactly like the API call that

retrieves the timeline for an account. So much so that I didn't even have to change the glue script, I pass in a different URL and it just worked. It Just Workedâ&#x201E;˘. That's the Holy Grail of APIs.

I am happy to criticize Twitter when I think they made a mistake, and I'm even happier to applaud when something works incredibly simply, and well. Thanks!!

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IBM Debuts Food Traceability iPhone App By Richard MacManus (ReadWriteWeb)

detailed manner. Breadcrumbs is a glimpse of what we'll see in the near future, Submitted at 10/26/2009 4:19:26 AM when information will literally camera. The consumer simply Today at the IBM Information on points their iPhone at a food item finally- be at the consumer's Demand event, IBM will demo a and gets back relevant data. Other fingertips when they're shopping new app that will bring the than product recall details, the for groceries or any other goods Internet of Things to the iPhone. information returned to the user is where data is plentiful. Up till The as yet unreleased iPhone app mostly the same as what's on food now, data such as product recall is called Breadcrumbs and it will labels - only it is pulled from the information has largely been g i v e c o n s u m e r s a c c e s s t o Web. inaccessible to consumers - at information about grocery food IBM told ReadWriteWeb that least when at the grocery store. items. The app will be able to when 4G becomes common place In the long term expect to see scan barcodes and deliver a in mobile phones, then apps such apps like Breadcrumb provide summary of the ingredients in a as Breadcrumbs will become data on where and when food food item, along with when it was more powerful and be readily items get consumed, together with manufactured. That data is usually used on-the-fly by consumers how long they were on the shelf o n t h e f o o d l a b e l , b u t when grocery shopping. before being consumed. Apps like Breadcrumbs goes a step further The larger trend here is the Breadcrumbs may even be able to it can provide extra information convergence of smart phones with tell who consumed the items such as product recall data. If a the Internet of Things(i.e. Internet (privacy advocates, start your product has been recalled in the -connected real world objects). engines!). These apps will also be past, this app will tell the Devices such as the iPhone useful in determining counterfeit consumer all of the relevant essentially become sensor and items, for example when buying details. RFID readers, which allow an expensive luxury good. Sponsor consumers to interact with real The date that Breadcrumbs will Breadcrumbs is able to scan world objects in a much more be launched on iPhone has not yet barcodes using the iPhone's been announced by IBM. Discuss

ING to split as part of deal with Brussels (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 10/26/2009 4:37:50 AM

ING, the Dutch financial services group, announced on Monday that it would sell its insurance and investment management businesses to focus solely on

banking in a move prompted by intense pressure from the European Commission over state aid. The group had already signalled that it was abandoning a bancassurance model by saying it planned to split the management of banking and insurance at board

level. But Mondayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s announcement goes substantially further than expected and also includes a requirement that ING sell ING Direct USA, its US direct bank. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

uTorrent Portable Puts BitTorrent on a USB Drive [Downloads] By Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker)

for stand-alone installation on your USB drive, or integrate it into your existing Windows (Portable): You've P o r t a b l e A p p s . c o m U S B a l w a y s b e e n a b l e t o g r a b installation. All the same features uTorrent's program folder and that you've come to love about drop it onto a thumb drive for uTorrent, like remote web control portable BitTorrent handling. and organized downloads, are Now the PortableApps.com suite present in the portable version. In has packaged our favorite torrent short, you'll never be stuck at client and integrated it with their mom's house without a means to application menu. access crucial content again. If you wanted to try out uTorrent uTorrent portable is a free with no commitment, this portable download, runs from anywhere on download would be a handy Windows systems. ÂľTorrent download for any Windows Portable[PortableApps.com via system. More likely, however, is Download Squad] that you'll grab uTorrent Portable Submitted at 10/26/2009 7:00:00 AM

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The Master List of New Windows 7 Shortcuts [Windows 7] By The How-To Geek (Lifehacker) Submitted at 10/26/2009 9:05:00 AM

Windows 7 adds loads of great shortcuts for switching between apps, moving windows around your screen, moving them to another monitor altogether, and much more. Here's a quickreference master list of the best new Windows 7 shortcuts. We're nuts for keyboard shortcuts here at Lifehacker, and Windows 7 brings a handful of great new ones to add to your muscle memory. It's also got a few handy mouse-based shortcuts you'd do well to add to your repertoire. So let's get shortcuttin'. Window Management Shortcuts One of the best changes in Windows 7 is the ability to "snap" windows to the side of the screen, maximize them by dragging to the top of the screen, or even move them to another monitor with a shortcut key. Check out the video for a demonstration of how some of the keys work. The full list of keyboard shortcuts includes: • Win+Home: Clear all but the active window. • Win+Space: All windows become transparent so you can see through to the desktop. • Win+Up arrow: Maximize the active window. • Shift+Win+Up arrow: Maximize the active window vertically. • Win+Down arrow: Minimize the window/Restore the window if it's maximized.

for the program (like XP does). • Shift+Right-click on a grouped taskbar button: Show the window menu for the group. • Ctrl+Click on a grouped taskbar button: Cycle through the windows of the group. More Useful Hotkeys You Should Know The new hotkey goodness didn't stop with the taskbar and moving windows around—one of the best new hotkeys in Windows 7 is the fact that you can create a new folder with a hotkey. Just open up any Windows Explorer window, hit the Ctrl+Shift+N shortcut key sequence, and you'll be rewarded with a shiny "New Folder" ready for you to rename. Here's a few more interesting • Win+Left/Right arrows: Dock I n W i n d o w s 7 , u s i n g t h e • Ctrl+Win+number (1-9): Cycles hotkeys for you: the window to each side of the Windows key along with the through open windows for the • Ctrl+Shift+N: Creates a new monitor. numbers 1-9 will let you interact application pinned to the taskbar folder in Windows Explorer. • Alt+Up: Goes up a folder level • Shift+Win+Left/Right arrows: with the applications pinned to the is that position. Move the window to the monitor taskbar in those positions – for • Alt+Win+number (1-9): Opens in Windows Explorer. on the left or right. example, the Windows key + 4 the Jump List for the application • Alt+P: Toggles the preview pane in Windows Explorer. c o m b i n a t i o n w o u l d l a u n c h pinned to the taskbar. You can also interact with Outlook in this example, or • Win+T: Focus and scroll • Shift+Right-Click on a file: windows by dragging them with Win+Alt+4 can be used to get through items on the taskbar. Adds Copy as Path, which copies the mouse: quick access to the Outlook Jump • Win+B: Focuses the System the path of a file to the clipboard. • Win+P: Adjust presentation • Drag window to the top: List from the keyboard. Tray icons settings for your display. Maximize You can use any of these shortcut • Drag window left/right: Dock combinations to launch the In addition, you can interact with • Win+(+/-): Zoom in/out. the window to fill half of the applications in their respective the taskbar using your mouse and • Win+G: Cycle between the Windows Gadgets on your screen. screen. position on the taskbar, or more: a modifier key: • Shake window back/forth: • Win+number (1-9): Starts the • Shift+Click on a taskbar button: Minimize everything but the application pinned to the taskbar Open a program or quickly open Windows 7 definitely makes it a lot easier to interact with your PC current window. in that position, or switches to that another instance of a program. • Double-Click Top Window program. • Ctrl+Shift+Click on a taskbar from your keyboard—so what are Border (edge): Maximize window • Shift+Win+number (1-9): Starts button: Open a program as an your favorite shortcuts, and how do they save you time? Share your vertically. a new instance of the application administrator. pinned to the taskbar in that • Shift+Right-click on a taskbar MASTER page 40 Taskbar Shortcuts position. button: Show the window menu

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Use Petroleum Jelly To Keep Your Pumpkins Fresher, Longer [Halloween] By Sarah Rae Trover (Lifehacker) Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:30:00 AM

So you found the perfect design to adorn your soon to be jack-olantern, but as soon as you take the first plunge with your knife, your pumpkin starts to loose precious moisture. Keep it from rotting before this weekend with petroleum jelly. Photo by Mr. Herb "MF" Real Pumpkin carving is a Halloween tradition in many households, and naturally, you want them to look their best at least until the trick-or -treaters arrive. If you want your

R2D2 cut out to stay fresh until All Hallow's eve, web site Pumpkin Carving 101 suggests that petroleum jelly can help. Coat all cut surfaces of the pumpkin with petroleum jelly

immediately after they have been carved. This includes a light coating of the entire inside of the pumpkin. If you can't do the whole inside, at least try to coat the design that you've cut into the

pumpkin. The petroleum jelly acts as a barrier to seal in the pumpkins internal moisture to help slow down the dehydration process of the pumpkin. Now your pumpkin should be fine through the weekend—if it can survive a smashing from the neighborhood teenagers, that is. I've been road testing this suggestion on our own front porch for a few days, and things seem to be going well. If you've got another DIY remedy for keeping your pumpkins looking their best, let's hear 'em in the comments. The Lifespan of a Jack-oLantern[Pumpkin Carving 101]

Affordable and Non-Permanent Winterizing for Apartments [Winter Upgrades] By Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker) Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:00:00 AM

You might have a hunch that your apartment will be all kinds of drafty this winter, but you're not in a position to start replacing insulation. A valuable Ask MetaFilter thread offers many temporary heat fixes and DIY draft fixes. Photo by Muffet. The question comes from a couple in Nova Scotia who spent a winter packed in outdoor clothes in a ground floor apartment, yet

ceiling covers in rooms where the heat truly seems to escape. Other tactics, like installing a precise electronic thermostat, might require some landlord approval or subsidizing, but can probably be rationalized vis-a-vis energy savings when there's no tenants present. If you have your own hit list for apartment still felt the chill. They've pulled more ideas. Some of the more winterizing, share your help in the off the basics that a tenant can get novel answers are easily do-able: comments. How to improve our away with—plastic window pick up insulated curtains, move efforts to winterize our drafty, old covers, caulking, draft dodgers, big furniture pieces to outside- apartment?[Ask MetaFilter via an and the like—but needed a few facing walls, and using temporary old Ask MetaFilter roundup]

MASTER continued from page 39

experience in the comments. The How-To Geek is quickly wearing out the keyboard on his new Windows 7 laptop. His geeky articles can be found daily here on Lifehacker, How-To Geek, and Twitter.

Imo.im Provides a WebBased Portal to Messaging and Social Networks [Instant Messaging] By Jason Fitzpatrick (Lifehacker) Submitted at 10/26/2009 6:30:00 AM

When you're away from your home terminal and without your favorite portable cross-service IM application, imo.im can help you get all your messages back into one window again. Imo.im is a web-based tool to help you log in to multiple messaging and social networks. It currently supports MSN Messenger, Yahoo, AIM, ICQ, Google Talk, Skype, MySpace, and Facebook. You can log in to IMO.IM page 41

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IMO.IM continued from page 40

one or all of the supported services and access your contact lists. Messaging windows are all displayed within the imo.im site and denoted by service type and the user name of your contact. In addition to the spartan but effective chat interface, imo.im also has a photo sharing tool and a whiteboard system. Using imo.im requires no special login, you access each account with the login

you're already using. Have a webbased chat solution you love? Just tried out imo.im and want to share your opinion? Let's hear about it in the comments. imo.im[via TechCrunch]

Mac OS X 10.6.2 Update Points to New MacBook Pros By Liam Cassidy (TheAppleBlog)

technology to a more powerefficient mobile chip. The last time Apple refreshed the Submitted at 10/26/2009 7:32:47 AM MacBook Pro line was in early Two Spanish Apple sites are June at the Worldwide Developers reporting that the latest build of Conference. Hefty Update Apple’s upcoming update to its 10.6.2 is a significant update to M a c O S X S n o w L e o p a r d Snow Leopard, bringing a raft of software contains references to as- bug fixes and performance yet unreleased new models of i m p r o v e m e n t s t o e x i s t i n g MacBook Pro. functionality. Nothing has been Build 10C531 lists “MacBook said about new features, however, Pro 6,1” and “MacBook Pro 6,2”, the user guide for Apple’s new an indication of major revisions of M a g i c M o u s e m a k e s t h e the MacBook Pro lineup. The following reference to Mac OS X current family of MacBook Pro’s 10.6.2: range from 5,1 to 5,5. To use your Apple Magic Mouse Last week’s introduction of and its full range of features, refreshed iMacs brought Intel’s update your Mac to Mac OS X new Core i5 and i7 (Nehalem) version 10.5.8 or later and install processors to Apple’s most the Wireless Mouse Software popular desktop machines, but the Update 1.0; or update to Mac OS refreshed product lineup didn’t X version 10.6.2 or later. include any new MacBook Pros. Apple’s developers have been Applesana suggests that the new working hard. For those keeping MacBook Pro models will likely count, this is 10.6.2’s fourth feature quad core processors developer build in less than a b a s e d o n I n t e l ’ s A r r a n d a l e month. The first, 10C514f, was architecture which brings i5/i7 seeded on Oct. 5. Only four days

these areas: Address Book, AppleScript, AppleScriptObjC, ATS, ColorSync, Component Manager, Core Animation, Core Audio, Core Chinese Engine, Core Data, Core Graphics, Core Text, File Manager, Garbage Collection, Graphic drivers, Help Viewer, ImageKit, IOHIDFamily, Networking, NS Image, OpenCL, OpenGL, OSA, QT Kit, Speech Recognition, Sync Services, and Xtype. There is no indication yet as to when 10.6.2 will be released, though the speed at which these builds are being developed — and the urgent need for that datawiping bug fix — mean we probably won’t be waiting much later, on Oct. 9, Apple produced Leopard. Most notably, this longer. build 10C519f. Developers were update is expected to fix a serious As Q4 begins, online video is treated to build 10C527f just one bug that can result in users losing now mainstream. Read the, " week after that. And finally, a l l t h e i r p e r s o n a l d a t a . Connected Consumer Q3 Wrap10C531 brings us to today. MacRumor’s Doctor Q lists other up." At nearly 500MB, 10.6.2 is a fixes. hefty update, addressing an The seed is said to contain equally hefty assortment of bugs dozens of minor bug fixes and a n d i s s u e s a f f e c t i n g S n o w performance improvements in

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Cult Hit Settlers of Catan Comes to the iPhone By Darrell Etherington (TheAppleBlog) Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:59:30 AM

If you are or ever have been the board gaming type, you may have run across Settlers of Catan, or at least heard of it from a fanatic friend. The game, which is a bit like Risk but without the war (at least in its basic incarnation), is all about resource gathering, trading, and colonization. Fans of the series (and there are many) will be pleased to know that Settlers is now playable on your iPhone thanks to Catan ($4.99, iTunes link), an app that faithfully recreates the experience on your mobile device. If you aren’t yet a fan, Catan for your iPhone or iPod touch might just be the thing that converts you. Gameplay If you’ve played Settlers the board game, or if you’ve played it on your PC or Xbox 360, then you’ll already be familiar with the gameplay in the iPhone version, since it uses the standard rule set. Expansions are available for the board game which add more tiles or new gameplay elements, but for now, Catan on the iPhone doesn’t offer any of these additional modes of play. The board consists of 19

hexagonal tiles, themselves laid out in a hexagon pattern. Each tile represents one resource, either Sheep, Wheat, Ore, Lumber or Brick. Each player gets to place settlements at the corners of these tiles, and collect resources from them when the number on the tile is rolled. Each tile has a number from 1 to 12, and each player rolls two six-sided die at the beginning of their turn. Some tiles, like those with a 6 or an 8, come up more frequently, statistically speaking, and are strategically advantageous because of this. The goal in the game is to amass resources, which you can use to buy more settlements, roads, and other things to earn victory points. In traditional play, the first person with 10 victory points is the winner. Catan on the iPhone lets you play with between three and four players. You can either play against computer opponents, or play hot seat multiplayer mode, in which you pass the iPhone off to other players when it’s their turn. It’s not an ideal multiplayer situation, since you have to trust your partner not to glance at your resource distribution, but without a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth option, it at least works well enough to be

playable. Sights and Sounds Clearly, Catan wasn’t rushed out to the masses on the iPhone. Developer United Soft Media (USM) took its time in refining the look and feel of this cult sensation before its release, probably predicting correctly that fans of the game would be sticklers when it came this version’s faithfulness to the

original. The board is viewed from a topdown perspective, and you can zoom in or out using touch controls. Your resource count is displayed at the bottom of the screen in a convenient and nonobtrusive status bar. All of your controls are nested in a pop-out tab interface usually hidden at the right side of the screen behind an

arrow button. Sound is great, with a nice, fitting soundtrack running in the background, and appropriate sound effects for things like trades, resources, and standard button presses. In fact, I’d say it compares favorably even to the console version on the Xbox 360. Conclusion Whether you’ve heard of Settlers of Catan before or not, the iPhone port is an awesome time-waster. It’s engrossing, rich, and carefully tailored to the handheld touchcontrolled platform. I will say that I found the difficulty to be rather on the challenging side, even when playing against a stacked line up of all the weakest computer players. The Xbox version has both a universal difficulty switcher and different AIs, allowing for greater versatility, and I would recommend Catan for iPhone adopt that in future, too. Still, for $4.99, you couldn’t ask for a better or more challenging pocket strategy game. Growing mobile data use turned up heat on carriers in Q3. Read the, " Mobile Q3 Wrap-up."

Apple/ TV/

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NYT Editor Hints at Upcoming Apple Slate By Liam Cassidy (TheAppleBlog) Submitted at 10/26/2009 7:27:32 AM

The new week begins with a new Tablet-related rumor that’s bouncing its way cheekily around the tubes. This one comes to us courtesy of New York Times executive editor Bill Keller. According to Nieman Journalism Lab, “…the digital staff gathered for an ‘all hands’ meeting at TheTimesCenter to hear updates on various initiatives in advertising, business development, and content.” Sounds riveting. Anyway, Keller delivered a lengthy monologue (you can watch the whole thing here) but, around eight minutes in, he says: “I’m hoping we can get the newsroom more actively involved in the challenge of delivering our best journalism in the form of Times Reader, iPhone apps, WAP, or the impending Apple slate, or whatever comes after that.” Is that simply speculation on

Keller’s part, or is he a man in possession of privileged information? As I mentioned last week, Apple is said to have recently been in secret talks with publishers about content delivery via a new platform, and given Apple’s long relationship with the New York Times, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility Keller would be in on the inside track of those talks.

usual pinch of salt. The speculation fun doesn’t end there. Engadget is reporting the availability(via wholesaler China Ontrade Limited) of the snappilytitled “Apple iTablet iPhone 4 Generation SIM Tray.” The product description for the diminutive plastic-and-metal widget reads: Original Apple iTablet iPhone 4 Generation (Probably iTablet) SIM Tray OEM This part came from Foxconn to our warehouse at 10.23.2009. China Ontrade’s website provides this visual comparison of the 4G tray with its 3G/3GS predecessor; So there you have it. A bit Lingering a little longer on the So, they wouldn’t call it a unusual to start the week with a “slate” moniker, Edible Apple Tablet… but perhaps they’d call it Tablet rumor roundup, but hey, reminds us of a series of tweets a Slate, yes? Kevin Rose has been it’s better than reading another from Kevin Rose a few weeks wrong oh-so-many times before. Windows 7 review. ago, who, while enjoying a few But sometimes he’s right. So In Q3, Uncle Sam was the green recreational beverages at a bar, these two threads of discourse IT king maker. Read the, " Green met an inebriated lady claiming to may be contextually connected in IT Q3 Wrap-up." be an Apple employee: just the right way to lead to Omg just met a drunk girl from conclusions (and the “jumping to” apple “no apple tablet coming… thereof)… or they’re really a big well, we wouldn’t call it a tablet” fat nothing. Whichever you haha leak!! choose, I still recommend the

Review: Californication - Slow Happy Boys By Danny Gallagher (TV Squad)

Remember when Rob's old Army buddy came to town in that one episode of The Dick Van Dyke Submitted at 10/26/2009 9:29:00 AM Show or that one time when Don (S03E05)-"Once upon a time's Rickles met up with his old pal gotta count for something." - Zloz Maxwell Smart on Get Smart? to Hank Those were some good times. Ah, the old friend from back Imagine those episodes with a lot home trick. It's been done so of hookers and copious amounts many times before in television. of beer, whiskey and vodka. Now

they are twice as better, even if the hangover isn't as warm and

friendly. Zloz's one episode appearance felt like the makings of another "Guys Gone Wild" episode where the boys do some drinking, make with the smoking and then get into some fighting, but it turned into something much deeper and helped you appreciate the characters more for what they are.

The ride was fun, even if you didn't really want to get back in line for it. Continue reading Review: Californication - Slow Happy Boys Permalink| Email this| | Comments

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iPhone 3GS Bound for Orange November 10

Who or what will be the BitTorrent of Realtime?

By Darrell Etherington (TheAppleBlog)

(Scripting News)

Submitted at 10/26/2009 9:09:46 AM

UK folks interested in the iPhone 3GS only have mere weeks to wait before they can shop around and escape the tyranny of O2, according to a report from The Guardian this past weekend. In fact, in only two short weeks, Orange will begin offering the coveted Apple handheld, on Tuesday, November 10. That’s the very next day following the end of O2’s exclusivity contract with Apple, so it literally couldn’t begin offering it any earlier. No word yet on when specifically Vodafone will begin offering the device, though it will eventually join its two rivals in selling the 3GS sometime in the new year. According to The Guardian, despite the iPhone’s strong performance to date, interest in the device in the UK isn’t showing signs of stopping anytime soon. Certainly interest in the iPhone among UK consumers shows no signs of abating. Already Orange has had over 200,000 customers register their interest in getting the

device, before the company has even said what it will charge for it. While the timing seems ideal in terms of sparking a holiday price war for Christmas consumer dollars, that scenario is actually fairly unlikely, since Orange UK has made statements to the contrary, claiming that instead of offering a lower price on the device than O2, it will try to attract customers with added value. That might take the form of accessories, temporary contract incentives, or pre-loaded applications, which is the mobile equivalent of bloatware, if you ask me. It’s a disheartening sign for those who were expecting a more open field with regards to the sale of

the iPhone to result in more affordable prices, but remember that this is only the beginning. Vodafone will enter the fray in 2010, as will the smallest UK carrier, 3, according to recent statements by the company’s CEO Kevin Russell. I would expect the iPhone to be on the 3 network sometime during 2010. At the moment, we don’t have the iPhone. We don’t really have any smartphones but if we improve our range of smartphones and introduce the iPhone then our data traffic will grow massively. If networks want to use the iPhone to do more than just retain existing subscribers, they’ll have to begin offering clearly defined advantages, and nothing attracts attention more than lower prices. Remember that the iPhone is already among the most heavily subsidized devices on the market, though, so it isn’t clear how much further providers can go without seriously affecting profitability. What was the big news that happened in your sector in Q3? Catch up with GigaOM Pro's, " Quarterly Wrap-ups."

Submitted at 10/25/2009 2:17:53 PM

A market develops, a bunch of people get it started, then someone at a big company discovers it, changes its name (sometimes they don't even do that) and relaunches it as if it were something wholly new. The press, many of whom were aware of the earlier efforts, goes for it. "Everyone knows" that it only matters when a big company does it. However, if you look at history that's often not true, it's often the small guy who ends up defining the market, despite what the press thinks. A classic case is P2P. Ten years ago there were all kinds of early efforts, some remarkably popular (thinking of Napster) and the industry launched a huge hype balloon. Conferences, white papers, press tours, alliances, books, VC, startups, etc etc. Billions of dollars thrown at it. What ends up taking the prize? BitTorrent! An open source project launched by a bunch of

nerds, without much PR. I don't know if it was the best technology, but it certainly was good enough. It wasn't glitzy or even particularly easy to to use. It worked, and most important, you could get the music and movies and TV shows you wanted. It's a good bet that in five years we'll look back and most of the companies staking out realtime today will be forgotten and something like BitTorrent will rule this space, gently of course.

TV/ Sports/

Internet News Record

Buffalo Bills to stick with Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB over Trent Edwards

Tracy Morgan: The TV Squad Interview

By Associated Press (ESPN.com)

By Joel Keller (TV Squad)

Submitted at 10/26/2009 9:29:20 AM

Submitted at 10/26/2009 11:00:00 AM

As my Thursday afternoon time slot to interview Tracy Morgan came closer, I knew I was in for an interesting twenty minutes. As most people have seen and heard over the years, interviewing Tracy is an amusement park ride that even Busch Gardens couldn't conceive. He's blunt. His emotions rise and fall quicker than a roller coaster. And you never know what he's going to say. When I got to talk to him, he had been interviewing all day in support of his surprisingly emotional and inspirational memoir I Am The New Black, and he was tired. But there was a lot of stuff I wanted to ask him about, only some of which involved his well-publicized smackdowns of SNL co-stars Cheri Oteri and Chris Kattan. There was also his criticism of David Israel and Jim O'Doherty, the creators of The Tracy Morgan Show, and just the general details about his rough upbringing in the Bronx and Brooklyn in the '70s

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -Buffalo Bills backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will make his second straight start this weekend while Trent Edwards continues to recover from a concussion. AFC East blog ESPN.com's Tim Graham writes about all things AFC East in his division blog. â&#x20AC;˘ Blog network: NFL Nation Coach Dick Jauron made the announcement on Monday, a day after Fitzpatrick helped the Bills (3-4) to their second straight honestly, who in their right mind victory, 20-9 at Carolina. would think a short shirt like that Buffalo hosts Houston (4-3) on was work appropriate attire? It Sunday before entering its bye wasn't believable, that Maureen week. Edwards was knocked out in thought her shirt was OK for the office. Fortunately, if you were Buffalo's 16-13 victory over the willing to look past the absurdity New York Jets on Oct. 18. of the issue, it paid off with Jauron sidestepped a question arguably one of Curb's top five about whether Edwards will regain the starting job once he's endings ever. Continue reading Review: Curb fully recovered. The coach said Edwards is Your Enthusiasm - The Bare improving and has been cleared to Midriff Filed under: OpEd, Curb Your work out. Copyright 2009 by The Enthusiasm, Episode Reviews, Associated Press Reality-Free P e r m a l i n k | E m a i l t h i s | | This content has passed through fivefilters.org. Comments

Review: Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Bare Midriff and '80s. Tracy didn't disappoint. So, buckle up folks, and get ready for a fun ride. Audio and a transcript is after the jump. Continue reading Tracy Morgan: The TV Squad Interview Filed under: Saturday Night Live, Interviews, Celebrities, 30 Rock, Reality-Free Permalink| Email this| | Comments

By Jonathan Toomey (TV Squad) Submitted at 10/26/2009 10:15:00 AM

( S07E06)"Larry?! You sprayed on Jesus??" - Maureen For as good an episode as "The Bare Midriff" was, it still had one huge problem that has plagued many past episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm as well. The central conflict -- Maureen's exposed stomach -- was just too much of a stretch (no pun intended). Why's that? The beauty of Curb is how well it sheds light on awkward situations we all relate to. Not so much on this one, because

TV/ Sports/

Internet News Record

Bravo orders from the Dessert menu

Tony La Russa will return to St. Louis Cardinals in 2010

By Allison Waldman (TV Squad)

By ESPN.com news services (ESPN.com)

Cardinals -- plus a mutual option for 2011, meaning he or the Cardinals can walk away after Submitted at 10/26/2009 10:02:00 AM Submitted at 10/26/2009 9:38:20 AM next year, sources told ESPN The If you're a fan of Top Chef, McGwire Returning To The Magazine's Buster Olney. there's nothing tougher for the Cardinals McGwire Returning To La Russa managed McGwire on contestants than desserts. Just this The Cardinals both the Athletics and Cardinals. past week during 'restaurant wars,' ST. LOUIS -- Tony La Russa is McGwire did not attend did you notice that one team r e t u r n i n g t o t h e S t . L o u i s Monday's news conference to decided to have no desserts on Cardinals as manager on a one- a n n o u n c e t h e m o v e s . T h e their menu at all. They just didn't year contract, but there will be Cardinals said they wanted to want to risk blowing it. one change to his coaching staff. treat the situation like they would Well, Bravo noticed, not just last Mark McGwire, the former with any other new hitting coach. down the road, aren't you? week but all through the Top Chef Cardinals slugger, will replace "We are going to make Mark Continue reading Bravo orders series. Bravo's creating a Top Hal McRae, who was fired as available," general manager John from the Dessert menu Chef spinoff called Just Desserts hitting coach, La Russa said Mozeliak said. "How he is going Filed under: Food/Home/DIY, in which chefs will have no Monday. to answer questions is up to him." OpEd, Pickups and Renewals, choice, they'll have to deal with "I don't know how many years I McGwire hit 70 home runs in Top Chef sugar, icing, cakes and struedels. have left to manage, and I wanted 1998 to break Roger Maris' 37Permalink| Email this| | Top Chef: Just Desserts is the to take this opportunity to invite a year-old record, a mark since Comments second Top Chef spinoff, after guy who I think has a very special topped by Barry Bonds, and Top Chef Masters. I'm t a l e n t , " L a R u s s a s a i d o f retired after the 2001 season. anticipating Top Chef: Maitre D's McGwire. McGwire has largely been out of La Russa's new contract is for the public eye since. one year -- his 15th with the He attended congressional

hearings on steroid abuse but said little in testimony, saying "I'm not here to talk about the past," and has fallen far short in balloting for the Hall of Fame despite hitting 583 homers. The 65-year-old La Russa had been mulling his future since the NL Central champion Cardinals were swept in the division series by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Oct. 10. His two-year, $8.5 million contract was set to expire at the end of the month. He's led the Cardinals to eight postseason appearances and a 2006 World Series title, and he's third on the career victories list, trailing only Connie Mack and John McGraw. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Finally, Yankees Earn Their Pinstripes By Jay Mariotti (FanHouse) Submitted at 10/26/2009 2:15:00 AM

by Jay Mariotti Filed under: MLB NEW YORK - On a pleasant, Doppler-free evening made for bare, brawny forearms, Alex Rodriguez continued his postseason awakening without even swinging a bat. This was in the fourth inning, when the Angels were unable to employ their desired

intentional walk because the bases were loaded. So as 50,000 fans stood and shrieked and awaited magic in the new Stadium -- all except Kate Hudson, who sat like she was waiting for Matt Dillon in Y ou, Me and Dupree-- A-Rod stepped in and sought a pitch to rip into the galaxy. The fat one never came. Joe Saunders walked him, forcing in the Yankees' third run when it was apparent that the Angels

wouldn't score more than that off two Doctor Octobers, Andy

Pettitte and Mariano Rivera. All that awaited were the police to ring their field, and when they arrived nearly at the stroke of midnight, the Yankees were celebrating their 40th American League pennant and first World Series trip in six years, which in these parts is an eternity. Olson: Loss Will Haunt Angels| Price: Pettitte, Rivera Deliver Again Playoff Pulse: CC vs. Cliff a

Dream Matchup| World Series Schedule Finally, Yankees Earn Their Pinstripes originally appeared on Fanhouse - Jay Mariotti on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Linking Blogs| Comments

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MLB Playoff Diary: Yankees 5, Angels 2 (WSJ.com: The Daily Fix)

Jeter scored a run. Its a movie that has been playing on and off since 1996. Now theyll try to finish it The Journal provides minute-by- for their 27th championship.– minute analysis of the New York Futterman Yankees’ 5-2 victory over the Los 12:03 a.m.: Final 5-2 Yankees. Angeles Angels that clinched the Congratulations to the New York American League Championship Yankees for their 40th American Series in six games. Guest blogger League pennant. Love the long Jonah Keri offers commentary on hug by Posada and Rivera instead the game and the Fox telecast, of the usual crazy dogpile. Those while Journal staffer Matthew two have been through a few of Futterman adds insight from these. Yankee Stadium. This was anything but a pretty Reuters Derek Jeter, Alex game. The Yankees left an army Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira (left and a half on base. The Angels to right) celebrate the Yankees’ made a litany of baserunning and ALCS victory. defensive errors. All it took was about a billion But in the end, the better team dollars and six years, and one won. We’ve got a terrific World humiliating choke to the archrival Series match-up on tap starting Red Sox, but the Yankees have Wednesday, with the defending finally made it back to the World World Champion Phillies going Series. against the top team in baseball When it finally ended with Gary this year. Matthews, Jr. striking out as One final thought: CC Sabathia flashbulbs popped throughout this vs. Cliff Lee in Game 1 of the $1.5 billion stadium, Mariano World Series. Thanks Mark Rivera delivered a calm pump of Shapiro! his fist and a relaxed hug to 11:59: Gary Matthews Jr., who’s catcher Jorge Posada while the awful and batting left-handed, rest of the team bounced around pinch-hitting for the rightyAlex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter, swinging Mike Napoli against two guys who it appeared would Rivera, who’s always been better never learn to play well enough against lefties. together for the post-Paul ONeill 11:58: Juan Rivera flies out to Yankees to make it back to the right. One out to go. Fall Classic. 11:56: Kendrick starts the ninth But just after midnight, 50,000 with a weak groundout to first. fans were standing at the new Two outs away.* * * Yankee Stadium singing Frank Not for nothing, but the Yankees Sinatra and looking forward to have left the bases loaded three Game 1 of the World Series here times so far tonight. Assuming Wednesday night. Mariano can get three outs before Pettitte started, Rivera saved it, he gives up three runs, the Phillies Submitted at 10/25/2009 2:30:52 PM

11:42: Kazmir walks Damon. Bases loaded for Teixeira, one out. And now a 1-0 count. This won’t end well for the Angels. 11:38: Kazmir flawlessly tosses the ball to first for the first out. Crowd mocks him. They can smell it in the Bronx. are really good. Cliff Lee and 11:35: HOLY BLEEP! Kazmir Cole Hamels don’t give a lot of fields the bunt and throws the bases-loaded opportunities. routine toss to first over Prevailing in the World Series is Kendrick’s head for an error. Run going to take some more-timely scores, everyone’s safe. And hitting than what the Bombers that’s the end of the Angels’ h a v e s h o w n h e r e t o n i g h t . – season, folks. 4-2 Yanks.* * * I was talking to Scott Kazmir in Futterman 11:55:@ed_price: “For Angels to the locker room 10 days ago and have a chance, they need 3 R off he was pretty confident about Rivera — same number he had performing in New York and at allowed in previous 31 postseason Yankee Stadium, said it was a place where he felt very gms (47 IP) before tonight.” 11:53: Weaver strikes out Posada comfortable, where he’d had on a fastball on the inside corner success with the Rays and that the Angels would benefit from that to end a really long inning. The greatest closer in major- experience in the heat of the battle league history has a three-run in the Big City. So just where did that throw to first — err, right lead going to the ninth. 11:50: A-Rod draws a walk, field — come from?– Futterman 11:33: And the bunt works! based loaded. Posada relieved there are two out, so he can’t hit Swisher not only lays down a perfect sacrifice, Howie Kendrick into a third double play. 11:48: 3-0 on A-Rod. This game incredibly drops a throw right in is death by a thousand cuts for his glove for the error. Two on, nobody out. Halos fans.* * * The Angels continue to do Weird concept to consider as Awhatever the opposite of playing Rod once again walks to first: For everything A-Rod has done and the game the right way is. been through in his career, he’s 11:30: Swisher trying to bunt! never had an at-bat in the World Don’t like that move either. Swisher has a grand total of Series.— Futterman 11:45: Teixeira with a deep fly to seven sac bunts in his career, with center, caught by Hunter, sacrifice a career-high three this season. fly scores Gardner. 5-2 Yankees, Tries to bunt even on 2-0, two out, Jered Weaver coming in botches it foul.* * * Give the Angels a ton of credit to face A-Rod.

here. The Yankees have nine hits and six walks and a mere three runs to show for it. It’s a one-run game in the eighth inning — again. Now go back to those bases -loaded chances the Yankees had earlier in the game. A hit here or there and this is a five-run lead, and yet somehow the Angels are a swing or two and six outs away from Game 7.– Futterman 11:28: Cano reaches to start the eighth. Interesting move by Scioscia, brings in the lefty Kazmir to turn Swisher around. 11:24: Rivera gets Morales on a groundout to second to end the threat. 3-2 Yankees. From @ ed_price on Twitter: “Last ER allowed by Rivera in a postseason home game: Oct. 11, 2001.” 11:23: You have to send Reggie Willits here. You want the runner in scoring position, and Posada rarely throws runners out. 11:22: Big Bad Vlad with a seeing-eye single to right cashes Figgins. 3-2 Yankees. Willits in to pinch-run for Vlad. This is getting good. 11:17: Big break for the Yankees. Cano standing right at the secondbase bag to keep Figgins close. A sure single up the middle by Hunter becomes a routine groundout. 11:16: Mark Teixeira with an ENORMOUS diving stop on a ball in the hole by Abreu. What should have been first and third nobody out is instead a man on second with one out. Wow. MLB page 49

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Internet News Record

NFL Diary: Steelers 27, Vikings 17 (WSJ.com: The Daily Fix)

should have caught. If this Brett Favre shows up every week for the rest of the year, Minnesota The Journal provides minute-by- will be just fine. minute analysis of the Pittsburgh Perhaps more noteworthy, Steelers’ 27-17 victory over the though, was the play of the Minnesota Vikings at Heinz Field Viking defense, which lacked in Pittsburgh. Guest blogger Steve standout cornerback Antoine Kornacki offers commentary on Winfield (who may not be back the game and the Fox telecast. until December). True, Pittsburgh Associated Press The Steelers’ didn’t really try to test the corners Mike Wallace scores on a 40-yard who replaced him, but the fact touchdown reception late in the remains that Minnesota gave up first half. very few big plays today, and also The cliche about the game being forced a key turnover by Rashard closer than the final score Mendenhall. The 14 fourthindicates really does apply to this quarter points that sealed the game. Minnesota was threatening game for Pittsburgh had nothing to take the lead twice in the fourth to do with the Viking D. quarter, with crowd-silencing As for Pittsburgh, this is its first drives deep into Steeler territory. truly impressive win of the year, One ended with a pick-six, the with the other victories coming other with a 77-yard fumble a g a i n s t a v e r a g e - t o - d r e a d f u l return for a touchdown by the competition. Steelers fans can feel Steelers’ LaMarr Woodley. The very good about their team’s Vikings really were close to defense (as always), which won winning the game, even if the the game today. The offense Steelers ended up covering the six wasn’t quite as impressive, - p o i n t s p r e a d w i t h a l i t t l e struggling to move the ball and breathing room. convert key third-down plays. Before the game, I wrote about Roethlisberger finished with just this being a chance for Favre and 175 yards on 14 completions; the Vikings to prove that their fast he’d been averaging close to 300 start is no fluke. I think they did, passing yards per game coming even though they lost. First, Favre into today. Still, after its 1-2 start himself played a tremendous this year, Pittsburgh, at 5-2 now, game, completing 34 of 51 passes is in pretty good shape as it hits its for 334 yards. Included in that bye week. were some very clutch fourth- 4:14: Game ends on a Favre sack. quarter throws that brought the 27-17 is the final. The Vikings are Vikings to the edge of victory. undefeated no more. Yes, he threw a costly pick, but he 4:12: 14 seconds left and the actually deserves the benefit of Vikings are at the Pittsburgh 35. the doubt on this one — it was a Favre stays in. Why not just try quick screen that Chester Taylor the long field goal? If it’s good, Submitted at 10/25/2009 8:52:54 AM

view. We’re at the two-minute warning, with a third and four coming up for the Vikings. Fourdown territory, obviously. 3:58: You could see that ball being stripped from Roethlisberger by Asher Allen long before it happened. you’ll still have time for the Steelers catch a break, though, as onside kick and — if it works — a it bounces out of bounds. The Hail Mary. Instead, Favre throws Vikings get it at their own 26 with to Peterson for about 10 yards, 3:21 to go. 45 yards or so would and the clock ticks down to four put the Vikings in position for a game-tying field goal, but seconds. 4:10: Twice this quarter the obviously Minnesota fans are Vikings made it into the Steeler thinking bigger right now. red zone needing only a field 3:55: The Steelers’ third and goal to tie. And twice they three play is whistled dead — committed turnovers that were delay of game on the defense. A first down for Pittsburgh. returned for touchdowns. 4:07: Well, there’s the game- Childress looks confused. So am I k i l l i n g B r e t t F a v r e I N T and so are the Fox announcers. everyone’s been waiting for. Not Penalties might end up being the sure he should get all of the blame difference, though: The Steelers on that. He was trying to find can burn some serious clock now. Chester Taylor on a quick screen. 3:53: The Steelers take over at Taylor didn’t seem ready, and the their own 30 with six minutes to ball went through his hands — go. If you believe in momentum, and right into Keyaron Fox’s. The the Vikings have it right now. Steeler linebacker then took it 3:49: We had an official down, back 82 yards for the game- after he was hit during Harvin’s clinching score. 27-17 Steelers touchdown. It’s 20-17, after the Vikings make the extra point, with under a minute left. 4:05: A 29-yard pass play to with 6:09 to play. Peterson and the Vikings are in And the official was helped off the field before the XP, but seems field-goal range. 4:04: Message of that Tostitos ad: to be OK. If you buy our chips, your mother 3:48: Let me clarify that. When I will stop bugging you to make said “That’s probably the game,” I meant to say, “Percy Harvin will babies? 4:01: Favre tries to find Rice with probably take the ensuing kickoff the long ball. But as Moose back 88 yards for a touchdown.” correctly notes, the sliver of Vikings get within 20-16. sunlight still shining on the Heinz 3:44: Holy potatoes. The ball is Field turf was blocking Rice’s stripped from Favre on third and

goal, LaMarr Woodley scoops it up — and then the beefy linebacker rumbles 77 yards to other way for a touchdown. Before that play, the worst case for Minnesota seemed to be a game-tying field goal. Instead, they’re now down 20-10 with 6:23 left. That whole drive, which began all the way back at the Viking 3, netted Minnesota a total of minus-seven points. That is probably the game. 3:42: Apparent go-ahead 10-yard touchdown pass to Rice is nullified by a tripping penalty on Jeff Duggan. Moose doesn’t like the call. Oddly enough, the Heinz Field crowd does. 3:38: Peterson’s done very little today, but he comes through with a big run here — 19 yards, to the Steeler 21. Then he takes a short second down pass near the 10. Vikings are well within field-goal range. 3:36: After going to the booth and checking with the patrons at a local Buffalo Wild Wings, the ref reports that it was, in fact a catch, and awards the Vikings a first down at the Pittsburgh 46. 9:54 left in the game now. 3:31: Vikings intent on killing themselves with penalties. Holding, illegal shift, and now a false start bring up a third and 18. Favre’s pass to Rice is caught, but the receiver is ruled out of bounds. Childress is going to challenge this, and he should: The replay seems to show that (barely) both feet hit the ground NFL page 50

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11:14: Figgins with a little bloop….JUST out of Jeter’s reach. Leadoff single. Big opportunity here with Abreu coming up to start a stretch for the Angels’ best bats.* * * That standing ovation that filled the stadium a moment ago when Mariano Rivera ran in from the bullpen was a collective sigh of relief that the Yankees had finally gotten to this point. For all the glory though, Rivera has had his moments. Cleveland in 1997. Arizona in 2001. Boston in 2004. He’s human, and after Figgins’s bloop single this is far from over. The final six outs never came for the Yankees last game. Let’s see if they do here or if the Angels prove to be as tough an out as they seem to be.– Futterman 11:13: And Rivera starts Figgins with…a spitball. Just kidding. Fastball down Broadway for strike one. 11:10: Matsui flies out to left to end the seventh. And here we go: Two innings for Rivera, with the Yankees up by two. Go to your best, good move. The process is absolutely right here, no matter how the results go. 11:08: Two double plays by Posada tonight. Fortunately for the Yankees and their legion of LOB, the Angels’ bats have been silent. 11:07: Really nice double-play turned by the Angels. Morales scoops a short hop, fires a strike to second, back to Morales for the out. Impressive. 11:05: Santana throws a pitch that hits the inside corner, but it’s

called a ball anyway. 2-0 count now on Posada. 11:03: Looks like Rivera will get the eighth inning for the Yankees, despite a talk he had with Hughes after last game. Before today’s game, Girardi made it clear how pleased he was with Mariano for taking the time to pull the young Hughes aside to speak with him after Hughes let up the crucial hit to Guerrero in Game 5. “Mo did it on his own, that’s the great thing about having the veteran players we have. They’re not afraid to speak.” Whatever advice Rivera gave Hughes, from the looks of the Yankee bullpen right now, it looks like it will have to wait for the World Series — or perhaps Game 7 tomorrow night — for Hughes to put it into effect.– Futterman 11:02: A-Rod slams a single up the middle, his fourth time on base tonight. Playoff monster. 11:01: Rivera’s up in the pen; we may well see him to start the eighth. 11:00: Ervin Santana comes on to face Rodriguez as we start the bottom of the seventh. 10:56: The stinky Joba is no match for the stinkiness of the bottom of the Angels lineup. Two groundouts, inning over. 3-1 Yanks. No reason we shouldn’t see Rivera for the last six outs, unless the Yankees put up a bunch of runs in the bottom of the seventh. 10:55: Jeter blocks a short hop, bounces off his chest…and the Yankees catch a gigantic break, as the ball bounces right to Cano

for the force. Two out, Aybar up.* * * There was a time when Joba coming in set off huge rounds of applause and excitement in the stadium. Now it just makes the place nervous. Lots of fans with their hands over their mouths right now. The way Joba has pitched the past month, there isn’t a ton of faith in him.– Futterman 10:53: Maicer Izturis pinchhitting for Mathis, works a 2-1 count. Joba looks shaky. 10:52: And here comes Joba Chamberlain. Apparently the seven hits allowed in 2 2/3 postseason innings, combined with pitching almost entirely in the rotation all season, was enough to prompt Girardi to go to Joba in the biggest relief spot of the season. 10:49: Rivera loops his second single of the night. Tying run up in the form of Jeff Mathis. And that’s all for Pettitte. Terrific ovation by the Yankee Stadium crowd. 10:47: Pettitte’s nibbling and nibbling at the outside corner. Missed to go to 3-1 on Kendrick, hits the corner to get to 3-2…then gives up a line drive to Kendrick, but right at Swisher for a big first out. Rivera and Mathis up. 10:43: And Houdini Oliver escapes again! Grounder to third, Figgins steps on the base, throws a one-hopper to first, scooped out by Morales for the 5-3 double play. 3-1 Yanks after six. 10:41: Damon nets his second hit of the game, a bloop single over second on a ball at his toes.

Payback for Vlad’s Texas Leaguer, and a big rally-setter here. First and second, one out, Teixeira up, Oliver still pitching. 10:37: Jeter draws a one-out walk. With uncertainty surrounding the seventh and the Overmanaging Girardi at the switch, the Yankees could surely use an insurance run. 10:34: Cabrera pops out to left to start the bottom of the sixth. Lots of speculation on when the Yankees might go to Rivera. Pettitte’s got 91 pitches through six innings, has a chance to get through the seventh. If he does, no reason to use Joba or Hughes. Rivera’s perfectly capable of going two innings; lots of rest would be available before Wednesday, when the World Series starts. 10:31: Kendry Morales gets a 3-1 count in his favor…and taps back to Pettitte to end the inning. Huge letdown for the Angels, huge escape for the Bombers. Still 3-1 NY. 10:30: You were starting to get to the point in the game where Pettitte might only have had to give the Yankees three more outs. It was nearly a situation where Pettitte hands the ball to Mariano Rivera to get six outs, bypassing the weakest part of the Yankee team — the bridge to the ninth inning. But two pitches changed everything — not getting Hunter on the checked-swing and Guerrrero’s 3-wood to right. Now, Joba Chamberlain or Coke or Robertson or Hughes seem inevitable. There isn’t a Yankee

fan out there that wants to see them.– Futterman 10:28: The amazing Vladimir Guerrero reaches for a pitch at his shoetops and dumps it down the right-field line for a double. I once saw Vlad hit a one-hopper in the dirt off the wall in leftcenter at Olympic Stadium. Even with his diminished skills, he’s still amazing. Second and third, two out, HUGE chance for Kendry Morales. 10:24: Torii Hunter still has some wheels, beats out a slow chopper to third for an infield hit. Vlad up, representing the tying run. 10:21:…instead, weak groundout to second. Pettitte’s in control tonight, with an assist from some boneheaded Angels baserunning. 10:20: Abreu slaps at an outside pitch and nearly gets a cheap foulpole homer. Instead, it’s full count as he tries to get on for a second straight time. 10:18: If you’re keeping score at home, that’s another fundamental error by the supposedly fundamentally sound Angels, following a litany of similar errors by the supposedly fundamentally sound Twins. 10:17: Figgins tries to bunt his way on, called out after the ball hits him in fair territory. You don’t see that very often. 10:15: Looked like Darren OIiver was wearing earplugs by the way. Let’s just hope he never has to hear a teammate yell for a base to throw to on a bunt. MLB page 51

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in bounds. 3:29: Has Fox ever explained why Siragusa isn’t allowed in the booth, and instead roams the sidelines for the whole game? 3:27: Favre airs it out for Harvin, who can only get his fingertips on it. But then comes a clutch thirddown completion to (who else?) Rice. Viking are now out at their own 37. 3:25: Moose and the Goose both want pass plays here, to get the Vikings away from the goal line. Favre finds Rice out at the 14 on second down. Now they have some breathing room. 3:23: So much for that. Mendhenhall coughs up the firstdown carry and the Vikings come up with the ball. Huge, huge break for Minnesota. Favre takes over at his own 3. 14:08 to play. 3:21: Woah, there’s a potential game-breaker. Roethlisberger hits Holmes, who eludes tackle after tackle and takes it all the way down inside the Viking 10. A TD here would make it a twopossession game. 3:21:“Don’t go away, everybody,” says Moose. OK, you talked me out of it…. FOURTH QUARTER 3:19: Quarter over. 13-10 Steelers. Time for more “Lie To Me” promos! 3:18: Another nice run for Mendenhall, this time for 17 yards. Something tells me that Zook, his old college coach, will have plenty of time next fall to catch his old star in person… 3:15: Favre’s third-down pass slips out of Harvin’s hands, which

means it’s time for Chris Kluwe Fun Fact #4: He “has immersed himself into the MMORPG World of Warcraft” and “plays a troll named Loate,” according to our good friends at Wikipedia. This time, the punt is good for 52 yards. Pittsburgh takes over at its own 24 with under a minute left in the third. 3:11: Vikings force a three-andout (there’s that surprisingly good defense again!) and will get it at their own 24. Just under three minutes left in the third. 3:09: Minnesota is now ready for the end-around. Time for a new gimmick, Tomlin. 3:07: Looks like we might have a very fun fourth quarter, one worthy of the buildup for this game. Maybe one of these teams will still self-destruct, but the story so far is how strong they’ve both been on defense. This isn’t a huge surprise for Pittsburgh, but Minnesota’s D has only been average this year — and was supposed to take a big hit today with the absence of Winfield. 3:03: The Vikings ignore Adrian Peterson on second and third downs, so out comes Longwell, who connects from 18 yards. 1310 Steelers now with 4:44 left in the third. That drive ended very well for the Steelers. I think we all expected Peterson would be running it in to the end zone after that long completion to Rice. 3:02: Favre misses Rice on second and goal, but it raises an interesting rules question, since his throw actually bounced off the crossbar on the goalpost. I

wonder if it would have been a legal catch if Rice had somehow come down with that. 2:58: Interesting fourth-down decision coming up here. Fourth and 1 at the Pittsburgh 35. Childress doesn’t blink. They’re going for it, and….what a great call! Play action, a pump fake, and a wide-open Sidney Rice, who takes it all the way down inside the Steeler 5. 2:56: Favre finds Harvin on a third and 7 near midfield. It was a free play, though, since Pittsburgh jumped offside. Minnesota refuses the penalty and the Vikings are now at the Steeler 44. 2:53: Love these NFL/United Way ads about discouraging childhood obesity. How about slapping a maximum weight on linemen? 2:49: Sapp nearly redeems himself with a pick on third and goal. He doesn’t come away with the ball, but he keeps Ward from making the catch and forces Jeff Reed to make another appearance. His 27-yard field goal puts the Steelers up 13-7 with just over 11 minutes left in the third quarter. Big sigh of relief for Viking fans here. That drive could have ended a lot worse. 2:47: Wow, another stupid, costly penalty on the Vikings — personal foul against cornerback Benny Sapp, who pointlessly lunged at Roethlisberger, who was on his way out of bounds after finding the marker on a third and one carry. Now the Steelers are inside the 10.

2:44, part two: Oh dear. Vikings hurt themselves with a facemask call against Paymah, which moves the Steelers inside the 30. Then Mendenhall carries it down to the 18 on first down. Pittsburgh is now in the red zone, and we’re not even two minutes into the half. 2:44: Just like in the first half, Mendenhall takes the handoff on the Steelers’ first play and runs to the outside for 16 yards. Pittsburgh already in Minnesota territory. THIRD QUARTER 2:28: Favre takes a knee to end the half. Very tough way to go into halftime for the Vikings, who were looking at building on a 7-3 lead just a few minutes ago, but who now trail by three heading into the lockerroom. And a big confidence boost for Roethlisberger and the Steeler offense, which will get the ball first coming out. 2:24: Big completion to Mike Wallace, who is wide open at the Viking 40. Roethlisberger spikes the ball to stop the clock, then finds him again on the next play — and the prunish old newsman does a celebratory flip as he reaches the end zone. Steelers go up 10-7 with 23 seconds left in the half. 2:23: Neither QB has thrown an INT yet — but Big Ben has come closer, twice so far on this drive alone. 2:22: Mewelde Moore carries for six yards on third and one, bringing the Steelers out to their own 38 with 54 seconds left in the

half. Now they’re thinking field goal. 2:19: But he doesn’t. Kluwe boots it to the Steeler 9, where Big Ben takes over with 1:39 left in the half. He finds Holmes for 14 yards on first down — and Holmes is able to get out of bounds, too. 2:18: Well, so much for that field goal. Our man Kluwe will come on to punt on fourth down. But first, Mike Tomlin takes a timeout, Not a bad move, given the possibility that Kluwe will screw this up royally. 2:16: Steeler fan Nina, a commenter in Atlanta, emails: “Does Brett Favre ever throw interceptions?” It’s funny. You’d never know he’s thrown 312 in his career based on his performance so far this year. 2:13: Nice third-down catch by Visanthe Shiancoe. Vikings now set up with a first down at their own 40 at the two-minute warning. A field goal would be very nice here, especially with Pittsburgh getting the ball to start the second half. 2:10: Roethlisberger is rushed on third and five and nearly throws a pick. Minnesota takes over with 3:30 left in the half. 2:08: Did the Patriots also pay for their videotaping equipment with Visa debit? 2:07: Finally, Ryan Longwell comes on for the XP to make it 73 Vikings, with 5:12 to play in the half. 2:05: On third and goal, Moose NFL page 52

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10:12: Make it 1-2-3 (4-5) by Oliver, after a strikeout of Swisher on a sweeping curve. Most impressive. 10:10: Oliver gets two quick outs to start the fifth. Manna from heaven for the Angels after a shell-shocked fourth. 10:07: And right on cue, Aybar taps into an inning-ending double play. Still 3-1 Yanks. 10:06: Did Mathis really just make an out?– Futterman* * * The bottom of the Angels’ lineup is just much weaker than the Yankees’.– Keri 10:05: Pettitte whiffs the momentarily mortal Jeff Mathis for the first out. Aybar up, one out, one on. 10:02: Juan Rivera leads off the fifth, lines a single to center. This game is far from over, especially with at least three innings ’til Rivera and Joe Girardi in the dugout. 10:00: Give Joe Saunders some credit. Jeter has wrecked him in his career. A-Rod has wrecked everyone this postseason, so even though those walks got him taken out of the game, they may have limited the damage. If it costs your team a run to walk A-Rod instead of costing you four if you pitch to him is that such a bad thing? It’s a two-run game and the Angels still have 15 outs to play with. It’s not a position they like, but could be much, much worse.– Futterman 9:59: Darren Oliver faces Posada, best-case scenario for the Angels is a groundball by the slowfooted catcher…and that’s just

what happens. 4-6-3 double play, Angels escape very lucky to be down just 3-1. 9:55: Saunders throws a fastball that appears to catch the inside corner…and he doesn’t get the call. Ball four. A-Rod walks, 3-1 Yankees, still only one out. Scioscia pulls Saunders, one batter too late.* * * 50,000 people on their feet for ARod’s at bat. It’s no fun being Joe Saunders right now.– Futterman 9:53: A-Rod swung for the downs on a fastball right down the middle and JUST missed it. Fouled it off. Everyone in the TriState area just said OOOOOOOHHHHHH!!! at the same time. 9:51: Teixeira with a slow roller to short, Damon gets a great jump, beats the force try by Aybar. Bases loaded, one out, A-Rod up, season on the line for the Angels. And Scioscia elects NOT to go to Jepsen, the hard-throwing righty. Tim McCarver and I agree — lousy decision. 9:50: Grabbing the lead was big for the Yankees, but more importantly this isn’t going to be a long night for Saunders. He’s nearly 80 pitches into his outing and still in the fourth inning. The Yankees are going to get into the Angels bullpen before long. That hasn’t been a pretty sight in this series.– Futterman 9:49: Jepsen and Oliver up in Angels pen. Scioscia won’t wait long here. 9:47: Redemption for Damon! Second time with the bases loaded, slashes a single to left-

center to score two. 2-1 Yankees. 9:44: Saunders with a terrific fastball right on Jeter’s hands, but Morales can’t track down the popup. 9:43: Jeter has now worked the count full. First base open, Saunders might go off speed off the plate here, try to get Jeter to chase or take his chances with Damon with the sacks full. 9:40: In case that wasn’t clear — this is incident No. 1 of Joe Girardi overmanaging. And the end won’t justify the means if Jeter knocks ‘em in. It’s about the process. 9:39: Swisher and his haircut finally off the schneid! An eighthopper through the left-side hole makes it first and second, nobody out. Buck and McCarver speculating on a bunt. And indeed, Cabrera bunts. Second and third, one out, top of the order up. But it’s the fourth inning, Cabrera’s a decent hitter, plenty more runs likely to be scored tonight. I don’t like that decision. 9:37: Cano draws an extremely rare (for him) walk to lead off the fourth. Swisher-Cabrera-Jeter coming up with a chance to knot it at 1. 9:34: Kendrick takes a fastball right down the heart of the plate for strike three for some strange reason. 1-2-3 go the Halos.* * * Pettite is darn sharp, despite the double to Mathis. 56 pitches through four innings; the Yankees couldn’t ask for more than that. Saunders is at 53 through three innings. Flirting with danger more

than Pettitte with runners on base in every inning and in scoring position twice, but he’s made the right pitches when he’s had to and with the bottom of the Yankees’ order coming up may be able to breeze into the fifth.– Futterman 9:32: Morales grounds out to second for the second out. Lots of talk about Pettitte hanging a curve on the pitch Abreu smacked to right to score the first Angels’ run. Didn’t look like that bad a pitch to me. Abreu just waited on it and pulled it. Mark of a good hitter. 9:30: Vlad called out on a curve that missed by about three inches. Robots please! 9:27: Matsui with his second weak groundout to first in two atbats. Yankees have now stranded six in three innings. Still 1-0 Angels. 9:24: Posada with a flyball to right. Caught at the wall by Abreu. Wow. Abreu makes a catch at the wall at Yankee Stadium and a flyball to right doesn’t land in Connecticut. 9:22: Saunders continues to keep Yankees hitters off-balance, setting down Teixeira to start the third. Looks like an unintentional intentional walk to A-Rod here with one out and the bases empty, though. 3-0 count. 9:17: Pettitte throws a wicked fastball on the outside corner to catch Hunter looking to end the inning. 1-0 Angels going to the bottom of the third. 9:13: And now 6 for 44! Abreu strokes a single to right to cash

Jeff Mathis, the Mark Lemke of 2009. Angels up, 1-0.* * * You know baseball is a strange game when Angels catcher Jeff Mathis becomes the thorn in the side of the Yankees this series. A little perspective: Mathis hit .211 this season. He’s 7-for-11 in this series, has doubled and scored a run tonight and is on the verge of getting his visage carved in those rocks out in centerfield of Angel Stadium. 1-0 Angels after two and a half innings. A lead for Saunders. Yankees have been a hit away all night but haven’t gotten it, much to the delight of the 11 Angels fans who seem to be in the stadium. They are seated together in the front row of the mezzanine above third base. When Abreu’s single scored Mathis from third a few minutes ago, they were the only audible voices in the ballpark. Angels Nation?– Futterman 9:12: Fox graphic: Figgins and Abreu 5 for 42 this series. No wonder the Angels are trailing. Make it 5 for 43 on a nifty play by Cano in the hole. 9:11: Erick Aybar, displaying the worst plate discipline in the history of Western Civilization, whiffs on a pitch a foot inside, in the dirt. His new haircut’s about as effective as Swisher’s so far. 9:09: Mathis has five doubles in 11 at-bats this series. He hit eight in 237 regular-season at-bats. 9:08: Improbable playoff hero Jeff Mathis starts the top of the third with a double to rightMLB page 53

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frantically shouts for a pass play. Vikings inexplicably ignore him and hand the ball to Peterson who scampers into the end zone virtually untouched for a 6-3 lead. Long delay for no apparent reason on the extra-point attempt…. 2:03: Fox robot update: He/she/it had a football coming back from that commercial. 2:02: Childress runs on the field to make sure a timeout gets called on second and goal. I must say, he was wise to grow that beard. 2:00: Third and 1 from the 12. Peterson gets the call and takes it to the 3. That’s his second-best run today. Vikings in good shape to take the lead here. 1:58: Favre seems to be finding a rhythm here. Three short passes to the outside here, two to Bernard Berrian, move Minnesota to the Steeler 21. 1:55: A 28-yard completion from Favre to Harvin on third down puts the Vikings in Pittsburgh territory, at the 39-yard line. Moose responds by excitedly reciting a cliche. 1:53: It’s still been 11 years since Favre has been past his own 33yard line in Pittsburgh. 1:50: So far, the absence of Winfield doesn’t seem to be hurting Minnesota at all. Karl Paymah delivers a hit that forces Hines Ward to drop what would have been a big third-down conversion. Steelers punt and the Vikings get it back at their own 24. 1:46: The drive immediately conks out, and here comes our old friend Chris Kluwe. Fun Fact #3:

Kluwe is “well known as an avid Guitar Hero 2 player,” according to infallible source Wikipedia. This time, by the way, he punted well: a 54-yard kick that sets the Steelers up at their own 23. 12:27 to go in the half. 1:45: Moose is calling for the nohuddle offense! 1:44: Best offensive play of the day so far for the Vikings: Peterson on a 15-yard carry on first down, bringing the ball out to the Viking 33– their deepest drive so far. SECOND QUARTER 1:40: That’s the end of the quarter. All things considered, the Vikings have to be happy. They’ve done nothing with the ball (have they even been past the Pittsburgh 30?) and twice the Steelers started in Minnesota territory — but all they have to show for it is three points. 1:38: Actually, it was a 39-yard kick. Jeff Reed nails it and with 51 seconds left in the quarter, the Steelers are up 3-0. 1:36: Big Ben finds Santonio Holmes in the end zone on third and five. But the celebration is short-lived: Heath Miller is flagged for offensive pass interference. Now it’s third and 15 from the 18 — and Big Ben is taken down by Jared Allen back at the 23. Now the Steelers are looking at a 40-yard kick. 1:34, part two: Wallace gets the call again, this time on a reverse. He takes it down to the Viking 13. Top that, Morley Safer! 1:34: Call stands. Moose can’t

figure out why Childress would challenge that one. Maybe he just wanted to burn a timeout? 1:30: On third down, Roethlisberger finds rookie wide receiver/longtime “60 Minutes” correspondent Mike Wallace for a first down. Or is it? Coach Childress is challenging this one. 1:26: Since it looks like we’re going to see him a lot today, I think I’m going to start providing a series of Fun Facts about Vikings punter Chris Kluwe. Fun Fact #1: He was born on Christmas Eve! Fun Fact #2: He doesn’t appear to be a good punter. That one just went for 19 yards. Pittsburgh gets it at the Minnesota 39 with 4:26 left in the first. 1:24: Peterson goes for minusthree on first down. He has now carried three times for minus-two yards. Harrison takes down Favre on second down for a loss of six. Third and 19 coming up here. 1:22: Favre finds Percy Harvin on third-and-five for a first down. I thought there might have been movement on the right side of the Vikings’ line on that one, but whatever. 1:20: Another three-and-out, and the Steelers waste terrific field position. Minnesota gets it at its own 17, with just over 8 minutes left in the quarter. Imagine how excited Moose will get if the Vikings produce positive yardage on this drive! 1:18: Back in the studio, Curt Menefee informs us that the Patriots, playing in London, have taken a 7-0 lead over the

Buccaneers. But with the exchange rate, I think that works out to 9-0. 1:14: Favre is sacked by James Farrior on first down and the Vikings go three-and-out, with minus-four net yards. Moose Johnston, in the booth with Albert, calls it “a real confidence boost for Favre.” Because he could have been sacked twice, I guess? Steelers take over at the Minnesota 49 after the punt. 9:45 left in the first quarter now. 1:12: As Fox displayed its sponsors’ names after that commercial, the Fox robot was taking batting practice. Hmmm…why would Fox be trying to make us think about baseball right now? 1:09: Good job by the Vikings D here. After the Mendenhall run, they managed a sack of Roethlisberger and, despite good protection by the Steeler line, covered the downfield receivers well and left Roethlisberger with no good options on third and long. Vikings get the ball back on the punt. 1:07: Rashard Mendenhall carries for 15 yards on first down. I credit the training he received from his college coach, genius tactician Ron Zook. 1:05: There’s that second-rankedagainst-the run Steelers D. James Harrison trips up Adrian Peterson for a loss on second down. Favre is forced to throw on third and four, and it goes incomplete. Steelers take over at their own 26 after forcing a three-and-out. 1:03: Vikings win the toss and

take the ball. Favre trots out on the field. It’s his first visit to Pittsburgh in 11 years, Albert tells us. FIRST QUARTER 12:58: The most important pregame note is that Antoine Winfield, the Vikings’ all-pro cornerback, will be out at least for the next month. Winfield was injured during last week’s game against Baltimore. He didn’t practice this week, so the fact that he’s not playing today isn’t news. Still, his absence could make Ben Roethlisberger a very happy man: With Winfield out last week, Baltimore’s Joe Flacco came alive, leading the Ravens’ to three fourth-quarter TD’s and nearly stealing the game. 12:56: Yesssss! We get Marv Albert’s son calling the game for Fox. Unfortunately, that also means we get Tony Siragusa. 12:55 p.m. ET: Were getting close to kickoff, so lets look a little closer at whats at stake for both teams today. The game is being touted, not surprisingly, as a “Possible Super Bowl Preview”, and maybe thats what it will end up being. But Pittsburgh probably needs a win more than Minnesota does. At 4-2, the Steelers would be the fifth seed in AFC if the playoffs were to start right now. Their schedule after today isnt that imposing, and as one of the leagues most consistent teams over the last six seasons, no one really thinks theyll have trouble NFL page 57

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center. Mike Scioscia already favors Mathis over Mike Napoli, who’s normally a much better hitter. Wonder if Napoli will see the light of day if the Angels survive past tonight. 9:06:@PeteAbe says: “ Yankees are 10 of 58 (.172) with RISP in this series.” 9:04: That last groundout really took the life out of The House That Mafia Contractors May Or May Not Have Built. 9:03: There they go again. This time, bases loaded with two out, the crowd practically begging for a hit, and Damon grounds softly to first. There is plenty of talk about the fearsome Yankee lineup but at least in this postseason there are holes in it that are allowing the Angels to survive. Saunders pitched around Jeter, who is .444 in his career against him, while Damon is hitting .211 in the series. Farther down in the lineup, Swisher is hitting about .100, and Cano .212 heading into the game. Three runners left in scoring position after just two innings.– Futterman 9:02: Damon mistimes a curve out over the plate and taps out to first. Two innings, five left on base for the Bombers. Ruh-roh. End of two, scoreless. 9:00: Jeter walks on five pitches after home plate umpire calls the first ball four as strike one. Damon up, bases loaded. Pitching coach Mike Butcher’s out to the mound. More sinkers coming up. 8:57: Another weakly hit ball, but this one’s a seeing-eye hopper

that scoots past Figgins. Two on, two out for Jeter. Another big two -out spot for a Yankees hitter here. 8:55: Make it 3 for 30 for Swisher after a flyout to center. Joe Buck notes his struggles; haircut subterfuge didn’t work. Cabrera’s up, two out, man on first. Saunders inducing a lot of weakly-hit balls by changing speeds and locations so far. 8:52: Cano singles to center, bringing up the newly fauxhawked Nick Swisher. Savvy move by Swisher, if there’s one thing announcers will harp on more than meaningful small sample sizes, it’s haircuts that don’t date from 1955. 8:49: Saunders gets Matsui on a weak groundout to first on the first pitch. Tim McCarver just compared Saunders to a freethrow shooter taking deep breaths to steady himself (in this case against the pressure of pitching in Yankee Stadium). 8:46: The sizzling Howie Kendrick draws a two-out walk, but Juan Rivera flies out to center to end the inning. Two baserunners and no runs for either team in consecutive stanzas. No score going to the bottom of the second. 8:43: The Angels win when they play good defense and run hard and smart. They did neither in Games 1 and 2. And Guerrero getting erased after a leadoff single is no way to begin.– Futterman 8:42: And Vlad gets doubled off first on a routine flyout to right.

These baserunning blunders against the Yankees this postseason are just unbelievable. Visiting clubhouse staff must be administering lobotomies. 8:40: Jeter nearly made an unbelievable play on a ball up the middle, after he was playing deep in the hole. Which shows two things: 1) Jeter’s range has improved with age. 2) Vlad Guerrero, who started his career running like Clemente, now runs like Steve Balboni. 8:37: Saunders throwing tons of sinkers, including against Posada, induces a popout to right. No score after one. 8:35: And sure enough, Rodriguez rips a single to left. Two on, two out, Posada up. Look for junk, junk and more junk by Saunders here. 8:34: Saunders sets down Jeter and Damon, then yields a linedrive single to center by Teixeira. Scioscia’s already holding out four fingers for A-Rod. OK, not really. But wouldn’t have been a surprise. 8:32: Shoutout to my good buddy from elementary school and high school, Ron, who flew into New York from Chicago, bought a single ticket in the nosebleeds to see the game live, paid the GDP of Peru for the privilege, and is drunkenly texting me excited updates. Dollars to donuts the stadium is filled with a lot more diehards like Ron and fewer suits tonight, hence the great early noise. 8:27: Pettitte throws a fastball

right by Hunter for strike two, then induces a soft lineout to end a 1-2-3 top of the first. No score heading to the bottom of the first. 8:25: Tight, spinning, diving curve whiffs Abreu for out number two. And Pettitte starts Torii Hunter with a strike right on the outside black. He’s got his A stuff so far.* * * It’s as loud early here as it’s been the whole series. Three up threedown is a bad way for these Angels to start. Remember, for all their success in California, they haven’t won here in the postseason yet this year and were basically out of synch in the first two games, in part due to the cold. You wonder if they don’t get to Pettitte early will they begin to lose confidence as the innings pass. The Yankees were 35-8 here in the second half, and are undefeated here in the postseason.– Futterman 8:23: Pettitte starts the game by going 2-2 on Chone Figgins, then induces a groundout to third. Mark Grace is standing by with an “I told you so” if anything goes wrong. 8:18: Fox’s Mark Grace on Andy Pettitte, via @BenBadler on Twitter: ““Pettitte is a big-game pitcher, except in Game 6s when the Yankees lead 3 games to 2…big risk by giving him the ball tonight.” Sabathia’s pitching in one of the series’ final two games, if it goes seven. Can’t understand why it’s a risk to start him in Game 7 (or Game 1 of the World Series) and not tonight. This is part of the

whole, “You don’t want to have a Game 7, anything can happen” myth in sports. The Yankees could have gone with PettitteSabathia or Sabathia-Pettitte. Fine either way. 8:08: Thank goodness that vapid NFL On Fox postgame coverage is done. Time for vapid MLB On Fox pregame! 8:03: First great Tweet of the night, from former Yankees blogger turned Boston Globe writer Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe): “By the time the 1st pitch is thrown, 68 hours and 49 minutes will have elapsed since the last one.” 7:57: Good news-bad news on the weather front as we await the start of Game 6. The good news: No rain in the forecast, amazing weather up and down the East Coast today. Bad news: In its desperate quest for prime-time coverage, we’ll get another cold night instead of a perfect sunny afternoon for baseball. Then again, this is probably a bigger problem for those at Yankee Stadium tonight than the rest of us who got to watch Brett Favre, then the Dolphins choke, followed by three and a half hours of playoff baseball goodness. 7:40 p.m. ET: There are a few things you begin to notice when you watch the Angels go through their pregame routine night after night. Vladimir Guerrero finishes his batting practice by trying to crush the ball as hard as he can to the nether reaches of the ballpark. MLB page 58

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Yanks Are Four Games From Ending World Series ‘Drought’ (WSJ.com: The Daily Fix) Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:46:51 AM

Let’s take a moment to think of the fans — waiting, worrying, wondering: when would it happen? Would it ever happen again? It had been five long seasons since the New York Yankees last made the World Series, and fans had to be afraid that OK, sorry, I can’t do this. There is nothing surprising about the Yankees — stacked with future Hall of Famers, wellcompensated up and down the roster and seemingly inevitable since late July — making it to the World Series. Their 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday night made it official, setting up a Fall Classic matchup between the Bombers and the Philadelphia Phillies. Whether it was a victory for loosey-goosey shaving-cream-pie jollity or just another trip around the block for the $200-million-plus steamroller depends on your perspective. But it wasn’t surprising. Reuters Who says money can’t buy happiness? “Vestiges of the old Yankee attitude — that they’re better than everyone — still exist and probably always will,” Yahoo’s Jeff Passan writes. “It’s not bragging if it’s true, right? [CC] Sabathia signed here for a reason, and so did [Mark] Teixeira and [A.J.] Burnett and all of the others since 2004: To a baseball player, being a Yankee remains the ultimate. For the money and the prestige and the challenge. Nowhere else is greatness an

obligation.” That obligation had seemed to weigh especially heavily on Alex Rodriguez, by dint of his actual postseason struggles and (more enduringly) the media narrative that he just couldn’t get it done in the clutch. Note the past tense there. After two postseason rounds, Rodriguez owns a .438 batting average, .548 on-base percentage, five homers and 12 RBIs, and has seemingly wriggled free of what had proven to be a particularly weighty and illtempered monkey on his back. “Finally, A-Rod is going to the World Series, and going in a manner he probably never even allowed himself to dream after his past failures in October,” John Harper writes in the New York Daily News. “Finally he found a way to play through all the expectations, found a way to stop trying so hard that he got in the way of his own talent, and once again he said it all goes back to re -committing to baseball after his steroids admission in the spring and playing for the team after hip surgery.” While A-Rod’s offense was a big part of the win, it’s worth remembering the Angels for all they contributed to the Yankees’ trip to the Series. The top of the Angels’ order struggled terribly. Their pitchers issued 38 walks. Players made several painful baserunning miscues. And, after two more errors Sunday, the Angels finished the series with eight errors in six games after committing a club-record-low 85

in 162 regular season games. “At a very critical time they were just awful,” the Orange County Register’s Mark Whicker writes. “The 5-2 loss, and 4-2 series loss, was absorbed by the more tentative team.” In the Los Angeles Times, Mike DiGiovanna outlines the Angels’ collapse. Elsewhere in the Times, Bill Dwyre bemoans the protracted, very un-baseball shape forced upon the postseason by Fox’s television scheduling demands.* * * I got many things wrong in last week’s Fix NFL Picks, but few of my predictions proved quite as resoundingly wrong as my halfjoking burial of the Cincinnati Bengals. It was something of a reflex, considering that the Bengals have had one winning season since 1990. But the Bengals thrashed the Chicago Bears 45-10 on Sunday and now share space with the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers atop the AFC Central. “They are Bungles no more,” Dennis Dillon writes in The Sporting News. “Let’s just say it: The Bengals are among the best teams in the league.” The Steelers kept pace with the Bengals by handing the Minnesota Vikings their first loss

of the season in a 27-17 decision. It might’ve been closer had Brett Favre not tossed a late-game pick, with the Vikings in field-goal range that was returned 82 yards for a touchdown. At CBS Sports, Pete Prisco wonders whether Favre’s shaky showing signaled the start of a late-season slide for the second consecutive season for the 40-year-old gunslinger. The New England Patriots thrashed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as thoroughly as anticipated Sunday. The Pats’ 357 win was more notable for its venue — London’s Wembley Stadium — than anything that happened in the game. Plenty of fans were on hand, but the Times of London’s Nick Szczepanik thinks the NFL still hasn’t demonstrated that American football will ever truly be at home in the U.K. “It was a great occasion if not a great game, and the NFL piled on the razzmatazz,” Szczepanik writes. “But it failed to prove its point. Of course NFL fans were going to flock to see the best team in the sport’s recent history. So what? The NFL may only know that they have reached the limits of Britain’s potential when it fails. … If there is a full house to see the Carolina Panthers take on the Buffalo Bills, the NFL can take over the world, never mind Wembley.”* * * The teams at the very top of college football didn’t budge over the weekend, and likely won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. After a dramatic 15-13 win at Michigan State, though, the

University of Iowa has forced the game’s biggest boys to make some extra room at the top. The Hawkeyes jumped to fourth in the BCS standings after the Michigan State win — sealed by a late touchdown pass from Ricky Stanzi to Marvin McNutt on a trick play — and are undefeated and seemingly cruising towards a Big Ten title. This is doubly impressive considering that Iowa has proven more proficient at piling up offfield infractions than wins in recent years. At CBS Sports, Dennis Dodd marvels at the gutty, gritty team’s ability to just keep on winning. “Ferentz’s team is the sum of some very rusty and questionable parts,” Dodd writes. “Iowa has never started 8-0. Four of those victories have come by a total of eight points. … The Hawkeyes are undefeated this deep in the season for the first time and are trying to figure out how.”* * * A great many people have lost a great many dollars over the last couple of years, and anyone who reads the business section of the newspaper (this paper has a decent one) should at least have some rough idea why. The fall from grace of former Boston Celtics star Antoine Walker, though, seems better suited for the gossip pages. His unpaid debts total some $4 million, despite career earnings of over $110 million during his 12-year NBA career. In a sobering Boston YANKS page 55

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Oklahoma Sooners' Sam Bradford plans to enter NFL draft after surgery By ESPN.com news services (ESPN.com) Submitted at 10/26/2009 5:27:29 AM

Bradford To Undergo Surgery, Enter Draft Bradford To Undergo Surgery, Enter Draft ST. LOUIS -- Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford will have season-ending shoulder surgery and expects to enter the NFL draft in April. Big 12 blog ESPN.com's Tim Griffin writes about all things Big 12 in his conference blog. • Blog network: College Football Nation The Oklahoma quarterback injured his right, throwing shoulder twice this season, most recently against Texas on Oct. 10. The school announced Sunday that Dr. James Andrews will perform the operation Wednesday in Birmingham, Ala. Bradford was expected to address reporters after the Sooners' practice on Monday in Norman, Okla., where he was to hold a news conference at 7 p.m. ET. "I dreamed about coming to Oklahoma my whole life," Bradford said Sunday in a statement. "That's the reason I came back for this season. And I came back to play, not sit on the bench. That's the reason I tried to

play after the injury. I'm very disappointed that it didn't work out differently. "Under these circumstances, and after talking to several people, this is the right thing for me to do at this point." Bradford Worst In NCAA In Red Zone Sam Bradford struggled in 2009 when Oklahoma was trying to punch the ball in the end zone. Bradford's completion percentage from the 20-yard line and in is the worst in the FBS among passers with at least 15 attempts. Here's how he fared deep in opponents' territory the past two seasons: Bradford passed up the chance to be a first-round NFL draft pick this year -- he was projected as high as No. 1 overall -- to play another season with the Sooners, who he grew up following as a child in Oklahoma City. After he was hurt against the Longhorns, reaggravating a sprain of the AC joint in his shoulder, Bradford initially said he was going to wait until the end of the season to make a decision about his future. He then called a news conference for Wednesday on campus, then canceled it about two hours before it was scheduled to take place. He accompanied Oklahoma to its 35-13 road win at Kansas on

Saturday. According to his statement, Bradford expects his recovery time to be four to six months. As of Sunday, the April 22 draft was about six months away. "I'll be up to the challenge," Bradford said in the statement. Bradford led the Sooners to the BCS championship game last season as a sophomore, setting school records with 4,720 yards passing and 50 touchdowns while throwing only eight interceptions. Oklahoma lost to Florida 24-14 in the championship game, and Bradford announced less than a week later that he intended to return for his junior year -- along with classmates and fellow NFL prospects Gerald McCoy, Jermaine Gresham and Trent Williams -- for another chance at the title. It ended up being the exact opposite of what he expected. He broke 2003 Heisman Trophy winner Jason White's school record for passing yards in a career one play before he was hit by BYU linebacker Coleby Clawson just before halftime in the season opener. The Sooners ended up losing that game and again at Miami without Bradford before he returned to throw for 389 yards in a win against Baylor. On the second series against

archrival Texas, Bradford fell on the shoulder again when he was sacked by Texas cornerback Aaron Williams in what will likely be the last play of his college career. The Sooners, now ranked No. 22, lost for the third time this season to fall out of the national championship race and jeopardize their chances at a fourth straight Big 12 title. Bradford also holds several other school records, including career touchdown passes (88) and yards passing in a game (468). "We want Sam to pursue the best option for his recovery and future," coach Bob Stoops said in a statement. "We obviously feel this is best for his long-range future. Sam has led us to two Big 12 championships and an appearance in the national title game, and has demonstrated uncommon leadership skills. He is an absolute role model as a student-athlete and loyal teammate. "We appreciate the incredible contributions he has made to this program and university." Information from ESPN's Joe Schad and The Associated Press was used in this report. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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Globe feature that walks the line between well-reported exposé and shameless schadenfreude, Shira Springer reveals how the threetime All-Star lost so much. While ‘Toine is facing jail time for his debts, fellow former NBA star J.R. Rider is in a prison of his own devising. While Rider has spent some time in actual literal jail, he’s currently doing time with the North Texas Fresh of the (very) minor league American Basketball Association and staring at the end of what should have been a much better hoops career. The winner of the 1994 NBA slam dunk contest put up good numbers during his nine NBA seasons, but also earned a reputation as one of his era’s defining knuckleheads. (Imagine this piece, by the Marin Independent Journal’s Dave Albee, written dozens of times with different datelines, infractions and courtrooms subbed in.) At Yahoo, Marc J. Spears finds Rider not exactly chastened, but not ready to quit, either. — Tip of the Fix cap to fellow Fixer Garey Ris. Found a good column from the world of sports? Don’t keep it to yourself — write to us at dailyfix@wsj.com and we’ll consider your find for inclusion in the Daily Fix. You can email David at droth11@gmail.com.

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Florida remains in top spot, Iowa moves to No. 4, USC No. 5 By Associated Press (ESPN.com)

Cincinnati was eighth, the lowest of the unbeaten teams, with LSU and Oregon rounding out the top Submitted at 10/25/2009 7:05:22 PM 10. Iowa Makes Leap In Latest BCS The big swing between the Standings Iowa Makes Leap In undefeated Broncos and Horned Latest BCS Standings Frogs came after TCU won 38-7 NEW YORK -- Boise State got at Mountain West Conference bumped. TCU is now in position rival BYU (6-2) and Boise State to be this season's BCS buster -- won 54-9 at Western Athletic for now. Conference rival Hawaii (2-5). The Horned Frogs passed the Those games caused a major shift Broncos on Sunday in the Bowl in the computer rating and that put Championship Series standings, TCU ahead of Boise State, said with TCU jumping two spots BCS analyst Jerry Palm. But the from last week and Boise State Horned Frogs lead over the falling three. Broncos is far from safe. Florida (.9726), Alabama (.9450) "If those two teams keep winning, and Texas (.8927) held onto the it's going to go down to the wire," top three spots. All are on course Palm said in a telephone interview t o r e a c h t h e n a t i o n a l Sunday. championship game if they can Neither the WAC or MWC has remain undefeated. The Gators an automatic BCS bid for its and Crimson Tide, Nos. 1 and 2 in champion, but in each of the last the AP poll, could meet in the three seasons a team from one of Southeastern Conference title t h o s e l e a g u e s h a s e a r n e d game. automatic entry by finishing in the Unbeaten Iowa (.8249) moved up top 12 of the final BCS standings. two spots to fourth place after Only one team from an nonbeating Michigan State 15-13 automatic qualifying league can with a last-play touchdown pass earn an automatic bid and it's by Ricky Stanzi. unlikely either would be taken as Fifth-place USC (.7944) also an at-large selection. moved up two spots. So while the Broncos and Horned TCU (.7890) is sixth, a spot Frogs don't meet on the field this ahead of Boise State (.7752). season, they are competing

against each other in the BCS standings. "We'll see how the votes and the computers and all those people do that stuff and see how it turns out," TCU coach Gary Patterson said after the Frogs' ninth straight victory Saturday. Boise State is ranked fifth in both the Harris poll and USA Today coaches' poll. TCU was seventh in the Harris poll, sixth in the coaches' poll. The Horned Frogs made up the difference in the computer ratings, which accounts for a third of the BCS average. A compilation of six computer ratings had TCU fourth in the country, Boise State eighth. Palm said the computer ratings are volatile early in the season. "Boise took a beating for playing Hawaii and Cincinnati took a beating for playing Louisville. At the end of the year, TCU is not going to be four spots ahead of Boise in the computers," he said. Ultimately, Palm said, the poll voters will decide between Boise State and TCU. "Nobody should be making travel plans yet," he said. "TCU is there this week but long-term they have to get better in the polls or they're not going to stay."

TCU has home games remaining against UNLV, Utah and New Mexico and road games left against San Diego State and Wyoming. The Frogs will be favored to beat all their MWC rivals, and heavily favored against all but Utah, which is 16th in the latest BCS standings. That Utah game is key for TCU because Boise State has no opponent left on its schedule as good. The Broncos have six games left against WAC foes San Jose State, Louisiana Tech, Idaho, Utah State, Nevada and New Mexico State. TCU and Boise State did meet on the field last season and the Horned Frogs handed the Broncos their only loss with a 17-16 victory in the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego. Boise State played in the BCS after the 2006 season, beating Oklahoma 43-42 in overtime in a classic Fiesta Bowl. Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

DraftWatch 2010: Kirill Kabanov Embraces North American Style By Christopher Botta (FanHouse) Submitted at 10/26/2009 12:00:00 PM

by Christopher Botta Filed under: NHL Draft, FanHouse Exclusive, Junior Hockey When he's not pursuing his goal of becoming the first overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft, 17-yearold Kirill Kabanov helps out with renovations on the home of his host family in Moncton, New Brunswick. "They treat me like a son," Kabanov said of his billets. "I want to help out any way I can. This is my home." It will likely be for just one year. The super-skilled left wing is a certain top-10 pick in the draft next June. His decision to move from his native Russia to play in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this season has elevated his already-lofty status in the NHL scouting community. DraftWatch 2010: Kirill Kabanov Embraces North American Style originally appeared on Fanhouse NHL Blog on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Linking Blogs| Comments

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NFL continued from page 52

making the playoffs. After all, theyre just two near-misses (three -point road losses to Chicago and Cincinnati) from 6-0. Still, a loss today would make the defending Super Bowl champs an underwhelming 4-3 heading into their bye week. And their four wins this year (against hideous Tennesse, Detroit and Cleveland teams and a middling San Diego squad) really shouldnt impress anyone. So a loss to the Vikings — the best team, by far, that the Steelers have yet faced — could raise some questions. A solid win, though, will affirm everyones assumption: This years team is at least as good as last years. Minnesota, meanwhile, has exceeded everyones expectations so far. Thats not saying much, since everyone seemed to expect that the Vikings, after Brett Favres last-minute unretirement, would be a bastion of disunity, infighting, and backstabbing. Instead, theyre undefeated and two-and-a-half games ahead in the NFC North. The question, as I wrote before, is how long Favre can maintain his torrid early season pace. Theres a sense that the Vikings

success is built on a flimsy, fluky foundation. So, actually winning today isnt the most important thing for Minnesota: At 6-0, they can absorb an L. Playing a tough, close game on the road against the defending champs will earn them respect. Getting blown out on the other hand. Pregame: The subject of Brett Favre and the 6-0 Minnesota Vikings recently came up in a Gchat exchange between me and my friend Jeff. Remember when everyone just knew that it was going to be a train wreck? I asked. It wont end well, he assured me. Hell break down. YeahBreak down in tears of joy after leading them to a Super Bowl triumph! Like the proverbial half-full or half-empty glass, there are two ways to treat the 1,347 yards, 12 touchdowns, 109.5 quarterback rating, and six wins that Favre has produced in the seasons first six games: Either hes reestablished himself as a championship-caliber gunslinger, or hes proven absolutely nothing. Certainly, theres ample reason to be cynical. Just think back to last year, when Unretired Brett 1.0 led

the Jets to an 8-3 start — only to throw nine picks in a hellish fivegame closing stretch in which the Jets squandered a once-certain playoff berth. Or to the three seasons before that, when he threw a combined 25 interceptions (with just 11 touchdowns) over the final five games of each campaign. So why get excited about another quick start? The reason, Favre partisans would respond, is that Unretired Brett 2.0 seems to be playing with more focus and discipline than weve seen from him in years: His 12-to-2 touchdown-tointerception ratio is the best hes ever posted in a six-game stretch. And this year, hes aided by Adrian Peterson — hailed this week by Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin as arguably the best football player in the world — whose mere presence in the backfield puts defenders on edge. Todays Vikings-Steelers game will be the stiffest test yet of Minnesotas grand Favre Experiment. The Steelers rank third in the NFL in total defense — and second against the run. Before today, the best defense Favre faced was that of his old

team, Green Bay, which is now eighth in the league. (And the second best he faced was San Franciscos 15th-ranked D.) If Favres sterling TD/INT ratio can survive the trip to Heinz Field, he should win over skeptics. That said, even if the Vikings manage to put some points on the board, theyll still be in trouble, since their 18th-ranked defense was exposed in last weeks 33-31 escape job against the Ravens. The Vikings surrendered 448 yards in the game, allowed three fourth-quarter touchdowns, and survived only because Steven Hauschka missed a 44-yard field goal as time expired. That kind of performance wont cut it in Pittsburgh, where Ben Roethlisberger is averaging nearly 300 passing yards a game — and the entire offense is churning out more than 400. For all the attention that Favre has attracted, it may be that Minnesotas defense actually has more to prove today.

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Bobby Abreu often sprays line drives across the infield on his final half-dozen swings. A lot of the guys step into the batters box and begin laying down bunts. Then there is the manager, Mike Scioscia, who has his own routine. Most managers spend batting practice hanging on the rail of the batting cage, seemingly thinking deep thoughts. Scioscia, the longtime Dodgers catcher, grabs a bat and hits infield practice, banging groundballs to Erick Aybar and Howie Kendrick, even directing them when to turn double plays, and when to throw straight to first base. “It keeps him in tune with the game,” said Tony Reagins, the Angels general manager. “It’s what he’s always done.” Reporters who cover the Angels said the manager is downright religious about the practice, stopping pregame interviews virtually in mid-sentence when the time to hit arrives. Whether Scioscia’s infield hitting is enough to help the Angels shock the Yankees by winning the final two games of this series, no one knows, but a half-hour before the first pitch, he was loose, they were loose, and the stadium is

filling up with a fans who have waited 24 hours for this game to get underway. It’s perfect night for fall baseball. “Very inviting,” Reagins called it. Before Game 1 nine days ago, played in a drizzle and 40-degree temperatures, Reagins had a different description of the environment. “Damn cold,” he said back then.– Futterman Pregame: An intriguing pairing of lefties pitting the old veteran Andy Pettitte against the upstart Joe Saunders. A match-up of sluggers, with Kendry Morales and Vladimir Guerrero squaring off with Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira. Another chance for umpires to either redeem themselves or make us again pine for more technology. But the storyline to watch in Game 6 of the ALCS is the battle of managers, with the Yankees’ Joe Girardi going up against the Angels’ Mike Scioscia. Girardi has made a series of perplexing moves, drawing the ire of New York’s media and confused stares from Bombers’ fans. Most notably, Girardi has replacing same-handed pitchers against same-handed hitters to ill effect, including his removal of

David Robertson in favor of Alfredo Aceves, a decision that cost the Yankees Game 3 of the series. Girardi’s pinch-running fetish has also come back to haunt him; subbing in Brett Gardner and Freddy Guzman and not running with either of them crippled the middle of the Yankees lineup to no good effect. When Gardner’s gotten the green light, he’s been gunned down. Meanwhile, Scioscia’s decision to pull John Lackey in Game 5 (and replace him with suspect lefty Darren Oliver) nearly ended the Angels’ season, and his handling of the pitching staff has been suspect. Then again, given this is nowhere near the Angels’ bullpens of old, perhaps Scioscia simply lacks good options. With three of the five games in this series decided by a single run, don’t be surprised if one at-bat decides the game; and that a manager’s decision influences that at-bat, and maybe decides the series.

Suddenly Slumping Giants Slip Back to NFC East Pack By Dan Graziano (FanHouse) Submitted at 10/26/2009 12:05:00 PM

by Dan Graziano Filed under: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, NFL Analysis EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- This was to have been the Giants' get-right game. Sure, New Orleans beat them up last week, but the Saints are an undefeated team that was coming off a bye week and playing at home. The Giants spent the week shrugging off that loss and promising to be better this week at home against the Cardinals. The defense promised more blitzing and less trepidation. The offense promised to be sharper. To a man, the Giants were certain they'd come up with a big win Sunday night over the reigning NFC champs...and then they lost. "For whatever reason, we've had two weeks in a row now where one area has not performed very

well," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "So, back to the drawing board." And back, whether they like it or not, into a three-team NFC East tussle where there's no clear favorite -- not even them. Suddenly Slumping Giants Slip Back to NFC East Pack originally appeared on Fanhouse NFL Blog on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Linking Blogs| Comments

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Cardinals Flip Script on Clearing Up the Big Ten Giants Picture By Dan Graziano (FanHouse)

By Mark Hasty (FanHouse)

Submitted at 10/26/2009 1:18:00 AM

Submitted at 10/26/2009 7:30:00 AM

by Dan Graziano Filed under: Arizona Cardinals, Giants, NFL Quarterbacks, NFL Analysis EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- They flew all over the field all night, racing to the ball, harassing the opposing quarterback with a variety of aggressive blitzes. The defense was disruptive, deep and energetic, and the main reason its team won the game. All of this was to be expected, of course...just not from this particular team. On this night, it was the Arizona Cardinals beating the New York Giants at the latter's own game, forcing four turnovers and outmuscling Big Blue 24-17 on

by Mark Hasty Filed under: Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Big 10 While most of the world is still trying to figure out how the Iowa Hawkeyes stole the cheese out of the mousetrap-- again -- the conference title race is beginning to take a little more shape. Since neither Iowa nor Ohio State lost this past weekend, there's no shakeup at the top. Both teams remain equally in control of their respective destinies. But what about the rest of the league? Is anybody new out of the hunt this week? Who's still alive

national TV in the swamps of Jersey. "We definitely fed off our defense tonight," Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner said. More: Check Box Score| Standings Cardinals Flip Script on Giants originally appeared on Fanhouse NFL Blog on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Linking Blogs| Comments

Unbeaten Saints Seem Parity-Proof By Dave Goldberg (FanHouse) Submitted at 10/25/2009 9:30:00 PM

by Dave Goldberg Filed under: Saints This piece was supposed to be about parity. About two of the NFL's four remaining unbeaten teams losing and about why New England's 160 2007 regular season was so remarkable. In other words, about why no one will match that soon. Or ever. That's still probably true. But the Saints are making a lot of

believers after falling behind 24-3 Sunday, then outscoring Miami 43-10 in the last 30 minutes and two seconds to win 46-34. How

many interceptions does Darren Sharper, who will turn 34 in nine days, have to return for touchdowns before we'll starting wondering if New Orleans can emulate the Patriots? Unbeaten Saints Seem ParityProof originally appeared on Fanhouse NFL Blog on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Linking Blogs| Comments

Multiplayer Excitebike World Rally heats up WiiWare November 9 By JC Fletcher (Joystiq) Submitted at 10/26/2009 12:50:00 PM

Turn on your Wii and check out the Nintendo Channel right now: but barely breathing? And where do things go from here in this on the weekly "Nintendo Week" program, the hosts revealed a new crazy conference? Clearing Up the Big Ten Picture WiiWare version of Excitebike, originally appeared on Fanhouse called Excitebike World Rally, NCAA Football Blog on Mon, 26 due out November 9. It looks like Oct 2009 07:30:00 EST . Please a 2.5D version of the original Excitebike redone in polygons, see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Linking with the classic track editor. But this version has online Blogs| Comments multiplayer! Take that, Vs. Excitebike. There's also footage of Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth! It looks fantastic. That comes pretty early in the show. The Excitebike reveal comes only after a Frag Doll appearance and a Scooby-Doo style fast-motion chase sequence. And a zombie his way through a Developer claims 80 grunting description of Zombies Ate My percent piracy rate for Neighbors. Excitebike World latest iPhone release RMultiplayer ally heats up WiiWare By Andrew Yoon (Joystiq) November 9 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 Submitted at 10/26/2009 12:30:00 PM 12:50:00 EST. Please see our Apple's iPhone/iPod Touch is a terms for use of feeds. lot like Sony's PSP in many ways: Permalink| Email this| Comments DEVELOPER page 60

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DEVELOPER continued from page 59

they both play games, movies and music -- and now both can struggle with the effects of piracy. According to iPhone developer Smells Like Donkey, about 80 percent of all downloads of TapFu were illegally downloaded. The developer notes that learning how to pirate games off the iPhone is surprisingly easy, thanks to "a kernel patch that bypasses Apple's DRM system" that "would take an average person 5 minutes in Google to find." Additionally, the developer discovered that an average of zero percent of pirates end up purchasing a legitimate copy of

Tap-Fu-- it seems marking the game down to $1.99 didn't discourage anyone from taking a free ride. "It is kind of depressing," the developer admits. However, other iPhone developers are encouraged to take a proactive approach in lieu of Apple's slow response to the piracy situation. "Detecting a pirated app is quite simple to do," the developer notes. "Probably the first thing we'll try is popping up a message reminding people that they really should buy the game if they like it and conveniently provide links to do so." An alternate plan to generate

revenue? DLC. "This forces the pirates to change their strategy significantly and it might be a while before it becomes feasible to attack this system." [Via Develop] Developer claims 80 percent piracy rate for latest iPhone release originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2's changes in excruciating technical detail By JC Fletcher (Joystiq) Submitted at 10/26/2009 11:00:00 AM

There are a few extremely obvious differences between Ninja Gaiden 2 and Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2. They work in different consoles, and one's got the word "Sigma" in the title. Oh, and there's the boob thing. Beyond that, however, we must turn to the experts. Digital Foundry reports that the resolution has changed between the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3

games. Sigma runs at 1280x718, effectively 720p, while the Xbox version ran at 1120x585. The resolution boost comes with some cuts: DF says the PS3 version loses some polygons, or rather some whole collections of polygons: Sigma 2 maintains a limit of six enemies or fewer in most situations, while Ninja Gaiden 2"revels in throwing advanced in the PlayStation 3 seven or eight opponents at you at game. any given point." Things that DF also has a video didn't get cut: The lighting effects, demonstrating a stress test of sorts which are noticeably more

(forcing as many enemies onto the screen as possible). For some reason, we don't mind the idea of having slightly fewer ninja

enemies stabbing us in the back at any time. These games are at their best when Ryu is juggling a few enemies, not when he's buried in them. Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2's changes in excruciating technical detail originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

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LA Noire characters revealed by mocap casting call By Andrew Yoon (Joystiq)

crook. The casting call is looking for a face similar to actors Gary Cooper Rockstar's LA Noire has been or Gregory Peck (pictured above) shrouded in so much mystery that for the protagonist -- Cole Phelps. its very existence has been called Co-stars and supporting roles, into question. A recent casting s u c h a s j a z z s i n g e r E l s a call for actors not only confirms Lichtmann, will only be required t h e g a m e ' s c o n t i n u e d to perform for 10 days or less. development, but also reveals the However, the actor chosen to play many (if not all) characters to be Cole Phelps will work for three featured in the game. The call months, from November to asks for "STRONG ACTORS, J a n u a r y , t o r e c o r d h i s able to handle LOTS OF dialog" p e r f o r m a n c e f o r t h e g a m e . for a cast of supporting characters, It's evident from the large roster comprised mostly of detectives, of characters and the use of police officers and the occasional Hollywood actors that LA Noire Submitted at 10/26/2009 11:30:00 AM

is intended to be quite the cinematic game. However, with only three months of mocap, it still pales in comparison to the upcoming Heavy Rain-- which demanded nine months of motion capture work. [Via Superannuation; Image Source] LA Noire characters revealed by mocap casting call originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

Tropico 3 publisher aiming for 10 games a year By Alexander Sliwinski (Joystiq)

enough profit if it had done another installment. She notes Tropico's figures are "a pittance Submitted at 10/26/2009 12:00:00 PM compared with many millions of Publisher Kalypso Media USA unit sales for every new GTA and its recently released debut game." title, Tropico 3, have something in The Germany-based Kalypso common: both are trying to build plans to release about 10 games a an empire from the ground up. year, most of which will be indie S p e a k i n g w i t h t h e T h e titles that couldn't make the trip Washington Post, Kalypso's El across the Atlantic. Tropico 3, a P r e s i d e n t e D e b o r a h T i l l e t t sunny, stylish reboot of the series, describes the current economic was developed by a team in climate as a good time to start Bulgaria and is getting respectable something up, because "you can't marks from the critics. get worse than zero." Tropico 3 publisher aiming for 10 Tillett explains that Kalypso had games a year originally appeared the opportunity to buy the Tropico on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 rights from Take-Two because the 12:00:00 EST. Please see our previous games sold "hundreds of terms for use of feeds. thousands of copies." That's great Read| Permalink| Email this| for Kalypso, but Take-Two Comments wouldn't have been able to make

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End of an era for early websites (BBC News | Americas | World Edition) Submitted at 10/26/2009 3:33:28 AM

Go Chic, Not Scary, This Halloween By ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog) Submitted at 10/26/2009 5:36:00 AM

Growing up, I always dressed as actual people for Halloween (I was never a tree, lamppost, or pencil). From age five to 15, I was Madonna, though I’d switch things up every so often by dressing as Madonna dressed as Marilyn Monroe (long gloves

with diamond bracelets stacked high à la Material Girl). In more recent years, my costumes have included everything from Tom Cruise in Risky Business to a winged angel. For 2009, I’m looking to some chic Halloweenlovers for inspiration. Here, my top five favorites. Tell me, what or who are you going to be this Halloween? Which is your favorite from the photos below?

—Violet Moon Gaynor Karolina Kurkova Alexa Chung Molly Sims, Heidi Klum, and Audrey Marnay Devon Aoki Lydia Hearst All photos: Getty Images Follow ELLE on Twitter.

A service that gave many people their first taste of building and owning a web page is set to close. Yahoo-owned GeoCities once boasted millions of users and was the third most popular destination on the web. The free site has since fallen out of fashion with users, who have switched to social networks. Yahoo, which acquired the site for $3.57bn (£2.17bn) in 1999 at the height of the dotcom boom, said sites would no longer be accessible from 26th October. 'Fascinating experiment' However, many of the pages have been archived and will still be available to view via the nonprofit Internet Archive project. The giant digital library, which has been archiving the public web since 1996, has set up a special project to archive GeoCities before it is lost forever. "We've collected a lot of GeoCities sites over the years but might not have every site and every page," the Internet Archive said. It is asking for GeoCities users to check whether their site has been archived before Yahoo pulls the plug. "GeoCities has been an important outlet for personal expression on the web for almost 15 years," it said.

A number of firms - including Yahoo - have also tried to woo GeoCities users to move their pages to paid-for hosting services. GeoCities started life in 1995 as Beverly Hills Internet, a small web-hosting firm. The company allowed users to host their web pages in themed cities. For example, "WallStreet" hosted business related sites, whilst "SiliconValley" was used to host computer and technology sites. Users, known as homesteaders, could build and host their own sites in these online spaces. At its peak, the site had millions of users. In April this year, Yahoo said that it was closing the site and would now focus on helping "customers build new relationships online". When Yahoo announced the end of the site earlier this year, Rupert Goodwins, editor of the ZDNet website, said it was the end of an era. "I think GeoCities was the first proof that you could have something really popular and still not make any money on the internet. "It was a fascinating experiment in the pre-industrial era of the internet." Print Sponsor This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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AP IMPACT: Immigration agents mishandle informants (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News)

In the case involving one informant charged with murdering another, Jose Daniel Gonzalez E L P A S O , T e x a s â&#x20AC;&#x201C; O n e Galeana, a smuggling manager for immigration agent was accused of the Juarez cartel, was gunned running an Internet pornography down this spring in his upscale El b u s i n e s s a n d e n j o y i n g a n Paso neighborhood. El Paso improper relationship with an police say ICE delayed its i n f o r m a n t . A n o t h e r l e t a n investigation, steering detectives informant smuggle in a group of away from the man now charged illegal immigrants. And in a third with arranging the contract hit. case, an agent was investigated Kelly Nantel, an ICE for soliciting sex from a witness spokeswoman in Washington, in a marriage fraud case. said in an e-mailed statement that These troubling misdeeds are a t h e a g e n c y " w o r k s w i t h sampling of misconduct by c o n f i d e n t i a l i n f o r m a n t s i n federal Immigration and Customs accordance with established best Enforcement personnel as the practices and guidelines of federal agency seeks to carve out a bigger law enforcement agencies." role in the deadly border war The statement noted that ICE against Mexican drug gangs. fired an agent last year for According to documents obtained "negligence in performing his by The Associated Press under the duties, misdirecting funds and Freedom of Information Act, ICE submitting false documents" in agents have blundered badly in relation to his work with an their dealings with informants and informant. Also, an agent in other sources, covering up crimes Miami was sentenced to two years and even interfering in a police in federal prison and resigned investigation into whether one from ICE earlier this year as part informant killed another. of a plea deal for accepting gifts At least eight agents have been from an informant. investigated for improper dealings ICE officials in El Paso have with informants since ICE was repeatedly declined to comment created in 2003, and more than on the Gonzalez case, but John three dozen others have been Morton, Homeland Security's i n v e s t i g a t e d f o r o t h e r assistant secretary for ICE in wrongdoing, the records show. Washington, said, "I'm aware of The heavily redacted documents that situation and it is under detail how one agent failed "to review." He declined to answer r e p o r t m u r d e r s . . . t o h e r other questions. supervisor" and how another Problems with ICE informants failed "to properly document are not a new phenomenon. information received from a According to a Feb. 24, 2004, confidential source in violation of letter from the head of the DEA ICE policy and procedure." office in El Paso to the head of the Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:33:54 AM

ICE office there, a man described as "a homicidal maniac" was allowed to continue working as an ICE snitch even after he "supervised the murder" of an associate of the Juarez cartel. In a recent AP interview, the informant, Guillermo "Lalo" Ramirez Peyro, now confined to an ICE detention facility, denied participating in any homicides. Even when not working with informants, ICE agents have gotten in trouble. The documents show that agents in field offices all over the country, and in several foreign posts, have been investigated for offenses including drunken driving in government cars, lying to other investigators in ongoing cases, and misusing their position for personal gain. In one case, an agent was probed for having an inappropriate relationship with the target of an ICE investigation. Another agent was investigated for using his government position to ask questions from Texas about his mother-in-law's eviction in New Mexico. El Paso, which sits on the Rio Grande across from the virtually lawless Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, is populated with numerous law enforcement agencies that try to work together on stopping the northbound flow of drugs, immigrants and violence and the southbound flow of weapons and cash. ICE was spun off from the Immigration and Naturalization Service to become the

investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security when DHS was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. ICE also handles the processing and detention of illegal immigrants and miscellaneous tasks like oversight of security at federal buildings. The agency has long been interested in joining the border drug war, and has been stepping up its efforts as drug-related violence has killed more than 13,500 people in Mexico and threatens to spill into the United States. Some local and federal authorities in El Paso are hesitant to work closely with ICE because of the way it operates, said law enforcement officers who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the issue. In the 2004 DEA letter, inaction by ICE officials was blamed for "allowing at least 13 other murders to take place in Ciudad Juarez" and for endangering the lives of DEA agents and their families. The murder of informant Gonzalez is another example of concern. "It is interesting that an agency like ICE would be handling a cartel hit man, especially when you consider the other types of agencies in El Paso," said Stephen Meiners, a senior analyst for Stratfor, an Austin-based global intelligence company. "There's probably more than 50 agencies there who might be the more

natural handler for that type of informant." Law enforcement officers say agents follow general rules on informants: Federal investigators are supposed to keep close tabs on informants, approve any criminal activity that might be necessary to complete an investigation, and cut loose an informant who gets caught violating his agreement with the agency. But it's not always easy, considering the kind of people involved in organized crime. "You are automatically dealing with bad guys," said Phillip Lyons, a criminologist at Sam Houston State University. "It's a dirty business from the outset." In the Gonzalez case, El Paso police were outraged by what appeared to be a deliberate attempt to steer them away from the prime suspect. They laid out their complaint in an interview with the AP. As Gonzalez bled to death on the cul-de-sac in front of his house, his wife, Adriana Solis, made two phone calls, as her husband had instructed her to do if anything happened to him. First, she called ICE, then 911, said Lt. Alfred Lowe, the lead investigator. Gonzalez, a Mexican national, had been living in the U.S. on an ICE-issued visa given to him as a perk for his informant work. The ICE official his wife called, who remains unidentified, called El Paso police a bit later to tell them their murder victim worked IMPACT: page 66

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Jury selection begins in 1st polygamist sect trial (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News) Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:30:18 AM

ELDORADO, Texas â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Prospective jurors lined up in a cold rain Monday outside a municipal building that will serve as a makeshift courthouse for the first of a dozen polygamist sect members charged with abuse of underage girls. Raymond Jessop, 38, is set to stand trial Monday, 18 months after agents raided the group's remote ranch in West Texas and carted off more than 400 children in the largest child custody case in American history. At least 10 people in the jury pool clearly belonged to the Fundamentalist Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints. The women wore traditional ankle-length prairie dresses with their hair in braids, and the men wore buttoned -up shirts. Sect members had vowed to register to vote after the April 2008 raid on the Yearning for Zion ranch in Eldorado. Jury pools are pulled from voter registration rolls.

Jessop faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of sexual assault of a child, a charge stemming from his alleged marriage to an underage girl in FLDS, a breakaway Mormon sect that is not recognized by the mainstream Mormon church. He will be tried later on a separate count of bigamy related to a second alleged underage bride. In all, 12 sect members have been charged with crimes ranging from failure to report child abuse to sexual assault and bigamy. Attorneys must cull from a pool of 300 people to try to seat 12 jurors and two alternates. Seating an impartial jury in this community of fewer than 1,900 voters may prove difficult, because most residents know one another and the raid drew intense media coverage. Images of the quaintly dressed women dominated the cable news networks for weeks after the raid. If lawyers can't come up with a jury from the initial pool, the trial could be moved to an adjoining county. Jessop's trial is expected to last

two weeks, said Assistant state Attorney General Eric Nichols, who is prosecuting the case. The prosecution's witness list has 59 people, including law enforcement and child welfare officials, two of Jessop's alleged wives and former FLDS members. Authorities have said little about the allegations against Jessop, but documents seized from the ranch indicate the assault charge stems from his alleged marriage to an underage girl. The girl later became pregnant and was in labor for several days in August 2005. But after Jessop consulted with sect leader Warren Jeffs, the girl wasn't taken to the hospital, allegedly out of fear that hospital authorities would discover her age and turn in Jessop. "I knew that the girl being 16 years old, if she went to the hospital, they could put Raymond Jessop in jeopardy of prosecution as the government is looking for any reason to come against us there," Jeffs wrote in a journal seized from the ranch. Jeffs was arrested in 2006 and

later convicted as an accomplice to rape in Utah for arranging an underage marriage there. He faces similar charges in Arizona and is charged with bigamy and sexual assault of a child in Texas. One of Jeffs' daughters allegedly married Jessop the day after she turned 15. The bigamy charge against Jessop pertains to that alleged marriage. Under Texas law, generally, no one under 17 can consent to sex with an adult. Sect members, who believe polygamy brings glorification in heaven, historically have lived around the Arizona-Utah line, but the sect bought a ranch on the outskirts of Eldorado about six years ago. Hundreds of FLDS members, including many of the 439 children initially taken by child welfare authorities, have returned to the log cabin-style homes there. The Mormon church renounced polygamy more than a century ago. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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Net set for 'language shake-up' (BBC News | Americas | World Edition) Submitted at 10/26/2009 7:06:38 AM

The internet is on the brink of the "biggest change" to its working "since it was invented 40 years ago", the net regulator Icann has said. The body said it that it was finalising plans to introduce web addresses using non-Latin characters. The proposal - initially approved in 2008 - would allow domain names written in Asian, Arabic or other scripts. The body said if the final plans were approved on 30 October, it would accept the first applications by 16 November. The first Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs) could be up and running by "mid 2010" said the president of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann). "Of the 1.6 billion internet users today worldwide, more than half use languages that have scripts that are not Latin-based," said Rod Beckstrom at the opening of Icann's conference in Seoul, South Korea. "So this change is very much

necessary for not only half the world's internet users today but more than half, probably, of the future users as the internet continues to spread." Relaxed rules Plans for ILDs were approved at a meeting in June 2008. However, testing of the system has been going on for much longer, said Peter Dengate Thrush, chairman of the board in charge of reviewing the change. "You have to appreciate what a fantastically complicated technical feature this is," he said. "What we have created is a different translation system." The changes will be applied to the net's Domain Name System. This acts like a phone book, translating easily understood domain names such as bbc.co.uk into strings of computer readable numbers known as IP addresses. The tweaks will allow this system to recognise and translate the nonLatin characters. "We are confident that it works because we have been testing it for a couple of years," said Mr Dengate Thrush. "We're really ready to start rolling it out." Some countries, such as China and Thailand, have already

introduced workarounds that allow computer users to enter web addresses in their own language. However, these were not internationally approved and do not necessarily work on all computers. The meeting in South Korea will also discuss its plans to introduce generic Top Level Domains (TLDs), such as .uk or .com. Last year, the body voted to relax rules on TLDs meaning companies could turn brands into web addresses, while individuals could use their names. Icann, set up by the US government, was founded in 1998 to oversee the development of the net. Last month, after years of criticism, the US government eased its control over the nonprofit body. It signed a new agreement that gave Icann autonomy for the first time. The agreement came into effect on 1 October and puts it under the scrutiny of the global "internet community". Print Sponsor This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Afghan crashes kill 14 Americans (BBC News | Americas | World Edition)

"enemy fighters". "After they were flying away, that's when the crash actually Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:16:53 AM happened," he said. "We did go... At least 14 Americans have been and remove an insurgent who was killed in a series of air crashes in working with the drug trade in Afghanistan, military officials that particular area." say. The three dead civilians worked Four US soldiers died and two for the US Drug Enforcement were hurt when two helicopters Administration, news agencies collided mid-air in the south, Nato reported. -led forces said. The deaths were the first for the In a separate helicopter crash, in DEA in Afghanistan since it western Badghis province, seven began operations there in 2005, US soldiers and three US civilians Associated Press reported. died. Bad year for troops The US said hostile fire was not The exact location of the crash in believed to be to blame for either the south of the country has not incident, but the Taliban said it b e e n c o n f i r m e d b y t h e U S was behind the Badghis crash. military. Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf This year has seen the highest Ahmedi told the AFP news death toll of international troops agency that militants had shot in Afghanistan since the Taliban down the US helicopter in the were overthrown in 2001. Darabam district of the province. There have been dozens of Drugs operation American soldiers among those Another 12 Americans and 14 killed, making up more than half Afghans were also reported to the total foreign troop deaths in have been injured in that crash. the country. Col Wayne Shanks, a spokesman The worst single loss of US life f o r t h e N a t o - l e d f o r c e i n in Afghanistan occurred in June Afghanistan, said the authorities 2005, when a Chinook helicopter were still investigating the was shot down in eastern Kunar incident in Badghis, but "do not province, killing 16 military believe that enemy action was personnel. responsible". Print Sponsor He said the crash happened as This content has passed through troops were leaving an area where fivefilters.org. they had carried out an anti-drugs trafficking operation and killed 14

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Castro's sister says she collaborated with CIA (AP)

IMPACT: continued from page 63

for the Juarez cartel, but also was an ICE informant. They promised to help. (Yahoo! News: U.S. News) Castro says in the book, "My "Enrique," whom Castro says she Solis told police that her husband Brothers Fidel and Raul. The later learned was a CIA officer in believed a Juarez cartel assassin Submitted at 10/26/2009 9:33:48 AM Secret Story," that she traveled to Cuba named Tony Sforza, then nicknamed "El Dorado" was MIAMI â&#x20AC;&#x201C; One of Fidel Castro's Mexico City under the pretense of asked her to smuggle messages, hunting him down. According to Lowe, the ICE sisters says in a memoir released visiting her younger sister Enma. documents and money back into official didn't contact police again Monday that she collaborated There she also secretly met a CIA the country hidden in canned for three days. When he did, he with the CIA against her brother, officer who identified himself as goods. starting shortly after the United "Enrique" at the elegant Camino He told Castro she would receive gave police a photo array of States' failed Bay of Pigs invasion Real hotel. information through shortwave Gonzalez's known associates. A of Cuba in 1961. D u r i n g t h e m e e t i n g , s h e radio communications. Castro Texas Ranger noticed that the Juanita Castro, 76, initially expressed her concerns that those chose a waltz and a song from the array contained one less photo supported her brother's 1959 w h o s u p p o r t e d B a t i s t a ' s opera Madame Butterfly as the than the last time he'd seen it. The o v e r t h r o w o f t h e B a t i s t a o v e r t h r o w b u t w e r e n o t signals her handlers would use to ICE agent said he couldn't explain dictatorship but quickly grew communists were being pushed l e t h e r k n o w i f t h e y h a d the discrepancy, Lowe said. A few days later, the agent said disillusioned. In a Spanish- out of the new government. i n f o r m a t i o n f o r h e r . the missing person was a man he language memoir published by Castro writes she agreed to help Castro said she remained on the Santillana USA and co-written by the CIA gather information but island while her mother was alive, called "Mayer," an ICE informant j o u r n a l i s t M a r i a A n t o n i e t a refused to accept money for her believing she was protected from who might have information Collins, she says the wife of the efforts and said she wanted no the full wrath of her brother. Her about the Gonzalez killing. Brazilian Ambassador to Cuba part in any violence. mother died in 1963 and she fled But ICE had given the police a persuaded her to meet a CIA "I want to be very clear that C u b a t h e f o l l o w i n g y e a r , false name and a false lead. Mayer was really Ruben officer during a trip to Mexico in agreeing to collaborate with you eventually settling into a quiet life 1961. does not signify that I will in Miami, where she ran a Rodriguez "El Dorado" Dorado, a By then, her house had already participate in any violent activity pharmacy until 2007 and is twist police discovered when the become a sanctuary for anti- against my brother, nor any generally well regarded by other man was arrested along with a U.S. Army solider and two other communists, and Fidel Castro had official in the regime," she told Cuban exiles. warned her about getting involved the agent. "This is my most This content has passed through teenagers trying to steal a trailer full of televisions. Lowe said with the "gusanos," or worms, as i m p o r t a n t c o n d i t i o n . A n d fivefilters.org. police recognized the photo of those who opposed the revolution moreover, I would say it is the Rodriguez in the El Paso Times as were called. only condition."

that of the man identified to them as Mayer. Nearly two months later, they charged informant Rodriguez with arranging the hit on informant Gonzalez. The soldier, the alleged triggerman, the teens and another man also are charged in the case. Neville Cramer, a retired INS special agent, said ICE was obligated to turn over Rodriguez to police as soon as they thought he might be a murder suspect. "If ICE knew ... this individual was involved in any manner whatsoever, they had better not have kept the information from the police, no matter what the circumstances were," Cramer said. Added Lowe: "Some agencies don't take murder as seriously as drugs." __ Associated Press writer Eileen Sullivan contributed to this report from Washington. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Caterpillar to axe 2,500 workers (BBC News | Americas | World Edition) Submitted at 10/26/2009 8:40:27 AM

Caterpillar, the world's largest construction and mining equipment maker, says it will permanently cut 2,500 jobs in the US.

But the news comes even as signs of economic recovery have allowed it to rehire 550 workers it had previously laid off. The company has cut about 34,000 full-time and contracted workers globally during the downturn. Caterpillar shares rose 2.1% to

$58.85 in New York. Hiring and firing The 2,500 staff who are losing their jobs had previously been laid off, but will now be offered severance packages. The company has started to notify the affected employees. "It's important to remember that

we are not close to the recordbreaking demand we experienced from 2004 to 2008," chief Jim Owens said. Last week, Caterpillar reported a stronger-than-expected profit of $404m (ÂŁ245m) for the third quarter, still down 54% from a year earlier.

The company predicted that sales next year would rise by 10-25%. Print Sponsor This content has passed through fivefilters.org.