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abeyance: Dictionary.com Word of the Day

abeyance: suspension; temporary cessation.

Watch The Olympics 

USA's Wagner leads after short program at NHK Trophy

Ashley Wagner of the United States finished first in the women's short program at the NHK Trophy on Friday, edging Miki Ando of Japan.

Davis wins World Cup 1,000 in course record in Berlin

Shani Davis of the United States shattered the course record in winning the 1,000-meter race at the season-opening speedskating World Cup on Friday.

U.S. beats Canada in Four Nations Cup; rematch Saturday

Meghan Duggan scored the winner in the second period and the United States beat Canada 3-2 in their final group game of the Four Nations Cup.

Jamaican bobsledders look to bring a little heat to the Winter Olympics

More than two decades later, the story hasn't changed for the fabled Jamaican bobsled team.

South Africa track chief suspended

South Africa's top sports body says it has suspended the track chief who lied about his role in a world champion runner's gender tests.

Crafty Canadians allegedly ensuring home-ice advantage

With Wednesday marking 100 days out from the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the Canadians' attempts to protect their home-turf advantage as they try to top the medal chart are ruffling Olympic officials internationally.

USA, Canada win to set up Four Nations final

Natalie Darwitz scored twice to help the United States beat Sweden 3-2 Wednesday and set up a final against Canada in the Four Nations Cup.

Olympic looks mix patriotism and the Polo pony

Ralph Lauren's affinity for Americana will be on full display on athletes at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia complete with red, white and blue, stars-and-stripes flags and, of course, polo ponies.

Vancouver 2010 news and notes

See the latest news and notes ahead of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

USA women beat Finland 4-0 in Four Nations opener

United States beat Finland 4-0 Tuesday in the opening round of the women's Four Nations tournament behind a goal and two assists from Hilary Knight.

GapingVoid Cartoon 

BBC News 

Brown urges new banks 'contract'

UK PM Gordon Brown tells a G20 summit there should be a new social contract with world banks to make them more responsible.

Seven killed in 'Nato air strike'

Seven members of the Afghan security forces are killed in a Nato air strike, the Afghan defence ministry says.

Obama praises army base heroism

President Barack Obama praises the "valour" of those who responded to the deadly attacks at a US army base in Texas.

Lebanon government accord reached

Lebanon's Hezbollah says its opposition alliance has agreed to join a national unity government under PM-designate, Saad Hariri.

ICC seeking speedy Kenya trials

The ICC's top prosecutor says perpetrators of Kenya's post-poll violence could face trial as early as next July.

Leaders 'likely' to go to climate summit

At least 40 world leaders are likely to attend December's UN climate summit in a bid to secure a new global treaty.

Madagascar rivals reach agreement

Madagascar's rival political leaders agree to form a power-sharing government after months of wrangling.

Jackson's father seeks allowance

Joe Jackson asks for an allowance from the estate of his late son Michael, saying the star supported him before he died.

Call for tests after sudden death

British doctors call for human tissue to be routinely kept for genetic testing when young people die without explanation.

From oldest, to newest - Ashmolean reopens its doors

The UK's oldest public museum, the Ashmolean, reopens after a £61m redevelopment.

CNet News 

Video: A new workout for the Wii

Ubisoft's upcoming fitness game, YourShape, promises an experience a step up from Wii Fit. In the process, can it help revitalize the Nintendo console?

Popular iPhone movie app flops on BlackBerry

Flixster's Movies app just isn't up to snuff on BlackBerry.

Mobile: Still waiting to see what sticks

As businesses try to capitalize on the growing mobile software market, open source can offer a way to encourage adoption and build products in the image of the prospective buyer.

Reporters' Roundtable 9: The business of app stores

The App Store business model, nearly perfected by Apple, has changed the way software is made, sold, distributed, and priced. Join Rafe Needleman in discussion with CNET's Maggie Reardon and GigaOm's Sebastian Rupley.

EMI to offer instant concert recordings

An initiative called Abbey Road Live will enable concert attendees to buy CDs, DVDs, or flash cards with recordings of the show they just heard.

Sesame Street, Droid get Google's love

The search king has given much of its front page love this week to honor Sesame Street's 40th anniversary, but it did save some space to tout the new Droid smartphone.

Microsoft launching health tech video show

Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu is among the guests in the first episode of the Web video show, which debuts next week.

Astronauts prep for not-so-close encounter with space debris

Space debris had prompted NASA to make plans for the station crew to seek shelter aboard their Soyuz lifeboats, but additional analysis now shows the junk poses no threat to the lab.

Going rogue? Palin bans gadgets, reporters from speech

The former Alaska governor joins a tradition of controversial politicians stoking up more press criticism by attempting to avoid it in the first place.

What integrated compute stacks mean for storage professionals

EMC and Cisco have Vblocks. HP has Consolidated Infrastructure. Is the world changing for enterprise IT storage professionals?

Music Videos 

At The Movies With Peter Travers: "Precious," "The Men Who Stare at Goats" and "Disney's A Christmas Carol"

Rihanna on Good Morning America

Eminem Drops a Controversial Rhyme

New Music Report: Devendra Banhart, Plus Nirvana

Off The Cuff With Peter Travers: Jane Lynch

Rain Machine: "Give Blood" Video Premiere

The Onion, Daily 

[audio] Scientists Dissect Coworker To Find Out More About Scientists

Onion Radio News - with Doyle Redland

In Focus: Kids Excited Mom Learning To Swear

PESHTIGO, WI--After a lifetime of assiduously avoiding the use of foul language, Helen Chernak, 59, is finally learning to swear, her delighted offspring reported Monday.

Sports: 95-Year-Old Yankees Fan Afraid He'll Never Get To See Team Win 27 More World Series

NEW YORK—Michael Grippo, a 95-year-old Bronx native, told reporters Wednesday that he is "worried sick" that he won't live to see the Yankees win another 27 World Series titles.

Just Area Man's Luck

KENOSHA, WI—Amid questions as to why this kind of shit always happens to him, area resident Patrick Kennedy told reporters Monday it was...

Ohio Legalized Casinos

Voters in Ohio approved a plan to open casinos in the state's four largest cities. What do you think?

Entire Office Unsure What To Do About Bawling Coworker

FINDLAY,OH—The entire office staff of Altman & Hanson Accounting remained utterly baffled as to what, if anything, should be done in response to the prominent sobbing coming from the cubicle of 36-year-old clerk Jack Underwood, sources reported today.

[audio] Dept. Of Defense Locked Out Of Pentagon Again

Onion Radio News - with Doyle Redland

Sports: Brett Favre Avenges Storied 16-Year Career With Packers

GREEN BAY, WI—Brett Favre beat the Green Bay Packers on Sunday for the second time this season, his decisive 38-26 victory exacting some...

In Focus: Idiom Shortage Leaves Nation All Sewed Up In Horse Pies

WASHINGTON—Authorities expect the shortage to subside by April, but until then, urge citizens to skip shy the rickshaw until the flypaper marigolds can waterfall.

Ask The Online Reviews Of A New Tex-Mex Restaurant

Dear The Online Reviews Of A New Tex-Mex Restaurant, For the past six weeks, my husband and I have been remodeling our master...

Scientific American 

NASA-funded monkey-radiation experiment raises hackles

A nonprofit group that promotes animal rights in medical research has taken issue with a NASA grant funding an assessment of the long-term effects of radiation on monkeys. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), based in Washington, D.C., sent an appeal Thursday to NASA administrator Charles Bolden, urging that the radiobiology study, intended to test the effects of radiation encountered in long-range spaceflight, be suspended. [More]

What will it take to force political action on climate change?

As utilities fire up their "clean coal" machines and international negotiators haggle over the precise definition of a tree , only one entity has the courage to stand and deliver the hot air the world so desperately craves on climate change: the U.S. Senate. After a hectic couple of weeks, filled with Republican walkouts and Democratic intransigence, the Senate's Environment and Public Works committee has pushed a bill to the Senate floor that would cut carbon dioxide. [More]

Google Droid is here: Can it go toe-to-toe with Apple's iPhone?

The flood of Google Droid mobile phone reviews in the past week suggests that if the two devices stepped into the ring together, it would end like the first Rocky movie . Like Apollo Creed, the iPhone would still be the champ by a split decision by virtue of its status as the smooth-stepping veteran in the marketplace (not to mention its friendship with iTunes), but the Droids that debuted Friday on Motorola and HTC devices have come out swinging and win a few key rounds. [More]

First Look at Carbon Capture and Storage in a West Virginia Coal-Fired Power Plant [Slide Show]

NEW HAVEN, W.Va.--A 100-story smokestack belches a roiling, white cloud of water vapor, carbon dioxide and other leftover gases after burning daily as much as 12,000 tons of coal at the Mountaineer Power Plant --a total of 3.5 million tons a year. The facility just outside the town of New Haven boasts a single 65-meter-high boiler capable of generating enough steam to pump out 1,300 megawatts of electricity--enough to power nearly one million average American homes a month--continuously. And now roughly 1.5 percent of the CO 2 billowing from its stack is being captured in an industrial unit rising from the concrete in its shadow and then pumped underground for storage. In case you were wondering, this last phase is called "clean coal". [More]

Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite: Pest Management Proves More Effective than Pesticides

In a large apartment building, it's impossible to avoid the neighbors. You can hear the Bruce Springsteen that the tenant in 7B cranks while vacuuming, the kids in 8A directly above tromping around, and if someone decides to paint, the fumes reach everyone on the floor. So when a building supervisor notified owners in a sixty-unit co-op building in Brooklyn that one of the apartments had a bedbug infestation, Eddie Rosenthal feared that it was only a matter of time until the bugs spread to his home. [More]

Earliest Pollinator?

[More]

Babies Already Have An Accent

[The following is an exact transcript of this podcast.] How can you tell the difference between a French baby and a German baby? No, it's not that one is wearing a saucy little beret while the other is tucked into tiny pair of lederhosen. Well, maybe that's part of it. But a new study in the journal Current Biology shows that the babies actually sound different. Because the melody of an infant's cry matches its mother tongue. [More]

MIND Reviews: The Human Spark

TELEVISION The Human Spark [More]

Last chance to save the vaquita porpoise from extinction?

This is a crucial time for the critically endangered vaquita porpoise ( Phocoena sinus ). Despite conservation efforts, the vaquita population has dropped more than 50 percent in the past three years as hundreds of porpoises have died in commercial fishing nets. Now just 150 vaquitas remain in their sole habitat, a portion of the Gulf of California off the coast of Mexico, and the species exists at the razor's edge of extinction. [More]

Hot Spot Hot Rod: The Internet Invades the Automobile

With U.S. commuters spending an estimated 500 million hours per week in their vehicles , carmakers, software companies and content providers are trying to figure out how to take advantage of new high-speed wireless network technologies to help drivers have better Internet access during this often idle time. [More]

Buzz Machine 

Gadget of the Month Club

Hey, Verizon (& Google & Apple & Dell & BestBuy….).
I want to try the Droid but I am already in indentured servitude to AT&T for my iPhone (and have no particular desire to lose it). As much of a gadget geek as I am (I'm no Leo Laporte – my wife would't let me [...]

Tough love for media

Here in a bit more friendly video format is the keynote I gave to the Munich Media Days (in English) a week ago, which I linked to earlier. I decided to be blunt and tough and tell them I was worried about the protectionist talk I've been hearing from Germany and that they need to [...]

The temporary web

I'm fretting about forgetting things, not just because I'm getting older (on top of middle-aged surgery and its inconveniences and a dicky ticker I now have sciatica; I am a parody of age). I'm fretting about us all forgetting things because we're using Twitter.
Twitter is temporary. Streams are fleeting. If the future of the [...]

Podcast mania

Podcasts, podcasts, everywhere…..
This month's MediaTalkUSA for the Guardian is up with guests Jay Rosen of NYU and Michael Tomasky of the Guardian. We talk about Politico's rear-guard action against the Washington Post with its new local service; the election; the White House and Fox; and government support of journalism.

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return "guardiangu-media,guardiangu-network,guardiandev2";
}
function getAudioOmnitureData_355092113() {
var [...]

The future of news is entrepreneurial

The future of news is entrepreneurial.
There's a lot in that statement. It says: The future of news is not institutional… The news of tomorrow has yet to be built…. The structure – the ecosystem – of news will not be dominated by a few corporations but likely will be made up of networks of [...]

Why I’m voting for Chris Daggett

Actually, I already voted for Chris Daggett. Sent in my absentee ballot the other day.
To my New Jersey friends, I urge you to take the pledge, vote for Daggett, and declare independence from the corrupt and incompetent party politics of this state.
I'm a life-long Democrat but this time, in the race for governor [...]

Editor as star

Kai Diekmann, the head of Bild, the gigantic German newspaper, is a journalistic celebrity of a sort we don't have here: utterly charming, lustily egotistical, brashly opinionated, infuriating to those he infuriates (a friend of mine calls him Germany's Roger Ailes), beloved to his fans, witty, quick, clever, innovative, and never afraid of the spotlight. [...]

Howard Stern 3.0: The future of entertainment

We just got a glimpse of Howard Stern's next life, I think. I was running errands today listening to a repeat of the show from this week when I heard Stern talk with a caller about what he could do on the internet. Thanks to my handy Sirius Satellite radio, I was able to – [...]

Small c: Stats and odds

My prostate cancer was caught with multiple PSA tests that weren't out of the normal range but that were rising fast. That led to a biopsy, which found cancer in 1 of 12 samples, meaning it apparently was caught early. That led to surgery, which confirmed my malignancy but also that it was contained to [...]

Giving up on the news business

Before reaching their dangerous conclusion – recommending government supported journalism in a report called the Reconstruction of American Journalism – former Washington Post editor Leonard Downie and Columbia journalism prof Michael Schudson make some basic and, I believe, profoundly mistaken assumptions, namely: "That journalism is now at risk, along with the advertising-supported economic foundations of [...]

Slashdot 

Antimatter In Lightning

AMESN writes "The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, launched last year, detects gamma rays from light years away, but recently it detected gamma rays from lightning on Earth. And the energy of the gamma rays is specific to the decay of positrons, which are the antimatter flavor of electrons. Finding antimatter in lightning surprised researchers and suggests the electric field of the lightning somehow got reversed." Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Radar Beats GPS In Court — Or Does It?

TechnologyResource writes "More than two years ago in California, a police officer wrote Shaun Malone a ticket for going 62mph in a 45-mph zone. Malone was ordered to pay a $190 fine, but his parents appealed the decision, saying data from a GPS tracking system they installed in his car to monitor his driving proved he was not speeding. What ensued was the longest court battle over a speeding ticket in Sonoma county history. The case also represented the first time anyone locally had tried to beat a ticket using GPS. The teen's GPS pegged the car at 45 mph in virtually the same location. At issue was the distance from the stoplight — site of the first GPS 'ping' that showed Malone stopped — to the second ping 30 seconds later, when he was going 45 mph. Last week, Commissioner Carla Bonilla ruled the GPS data confirmed the prosecution's contention that Malone had to have exceeded the speed limit and would have to pay the $190 fine. 'This case ensures that other law enforcement agencies throughout the state aren't going to have to fight a case like this where GPS is used to cast doubt on radar,' said Sgt. Ken Savano, who oversees the traffic division. However, Commissioner Bonilla noted the accuracy of the GPS system was not challenged by either side in the dispute, but rather they had different interpretations of the data. Bonilla ruled the GPS data confirmed the prosecution's contention that Malone had to have exceeded the speed limit." Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Skype's Legal Situation Clears

chill writes "Skype's co-founders, Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom, have agreed to transfer ownership of the remaining Skype technology that eBay didn't own, paving the way for eBay to complete its sale of a majority stake in Skype to an investor consortium. In exchange, Friis and Zennstrom will join the investor consortium and obtain a 14 percent stake in Skype. The other consortium partners, led by Silver Lake, will own a 56 percent stake in Skype, and eBay will hold on to 30 percent, eBay said Friday." Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Norwegian Court Rules ISP Doesn't Have To Block The Pirate Bay

C4st13v4n14 writes "In a sudden outbreak of uncommon sense yesterday, a Norwegian District Court handed down the decision that Telenor, Norway's largest ISP, will not have to block access to The Pirate Bay. Telenor was sued earlier this year by the IFPI after being threatened and not backing down. 'The court ruled that Telenor is not contributing to any infringements of copyright law when its subscribers use The Pirate Bay, and therefore there is no legal basis for forcing the ISP to block access to the site. ... In making its decision, the court also had to examine the repercussions if it ruled that Telenor and other ISPs had to block access to certain websites.'" Read more of this story at Slashdot.

KDE Founder Receives Highest German Honor

Jiilik Oiolosse writes "KDE founder Matthias Ettrich was decorated today with the German Federal Cross of Merit for his contributions to Free Software. The Federal Cross of Merit is both the most prestigious as well as the only general decoration awarded by the Federal Republic of Germany. It is awarded by the Federal President for outstanding achievements in the political, economic, cultural, and other fields. Matthias was awarded the medal in recognition of his work spurring innovation and spreading knowledge for the common good." Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Sony Demos Natal-Like Control System

An anonymous reader writes "It's not just Microsoft investigating full body, markerless motion capture. Sony has enlisted the help of Swiss firm Atracsys to develop similar technology. Sony has openly discussed the technology with New Scientist, and has realistic expectations for the new system — it can capture broad body gestures but not individual fingers. That's just one trade-off needed in order to develop a real-time system that anyone can use, according to a markerless motion-capture expert." It's still in the early stages of development, but the accompanying video shows the use of face-recognition software as well. The demo game has players moving their heads left or right to position their character, and then smiling to "catch" an object. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

AMD Graphics Chip Shortage Hits PC Vendors

CWmike writes "An offshore AMD foundry is having trouble ramping up production of a new 40-nanometer GPU, forcing PC makers to delay shipments of desktop and laptop computers, AMD confirmed today. TSMC is struggling to get up to speed manufacturing AMD's 5800 series, 40-nm GPUs, according to Jim McGregor, an analyst at In-Stat. He added that the foundry is in full production, but so far yields are below expectation. Matt Davis, a spokesman for AMD, confirmed that TSMC is having issues with production of the chips. He added that it's not clear how far behind the foundry is on production expectations. 'The design is sound. It's just a matter of trying to get TSMC to a point where they can yield. They're feeling the manufacturing crunch,' said Davis. 'We're a little bit under yield but we're working back into a manufacturing schedule we want for these parts. TSMC can only kick them out so fast at this point.' He said that PC vendors are being affected but declined to say how many vendors are feeling the pinch or which ones. 'It's the end of the whip,' he added. '[The vendors] are going to have a hard time.'" A post at Anandtech suggests we'll see price hikes for the 5800-series Radeons until this situation sorts itself out. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

China Bans Physical Punishment For Net Addicts

gimmebeer writes to tell us that months after a teen was beaten to death in an Internet boot camp, China has banned the use of physical punishment to help teens kick their net addiction. "The death of 15-year-old Deng Senshan, just hours after he checked into an Internet bootcamp in the southwestern Guangxi region in early August, caused a media storm in China. Days later, another teenager, Pu Liang, was taken to hospital with water in the lungs and kidney failure after a similar attack in Sichuan Province. The government in July had already banned electroshock therapy as a treatment for Internet addiction, after media reports about a controversial psychiatrist who administered electric currents to nearly 3,000 teenagers. The latest guidelines suggest officials in Beijing do not think that those with unhealthy Internet habits should be forced offline permanently." Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Telecoms Announce "One Voice" Initiative To Promote LTE Wireless Broadband Stand

suraj.sun writes to mention that Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks may have just gotten a boost over WiMax in the battle for wireless broadband dominance. A group of telecom companies has created the "One Voice" initiative, designed to promote a standard that will provide interoperability for broadband voice and SMS. "LTE has been fine at supporting data, which uses IP-based packet switching. But it's faced challenges trying to incorporate traditional circuit-based switching voice and SMS services onto IP-based networks. One Voice is the group's attempt to resolve that issue. The new specification will use existing functionality known as IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), which already defines how to provide data, voice, and other content over an IP-based network. IMS was established by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), a group comprised of telecom industry associations trying to set standards for 3G mobile networks." Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Drupal Multimedia

coder4hire writes "Of the leading content management systems used by developers for creating websites, Drupal is highly regarded for many characteristics, including a much smaller initial footprint, compared to Joomla and other CMSs. Yet some developers find this a disadvantage as well, because one of the most common criticisms leveled against Drupal is its lack of built-in support for images and multimedia elements — thereby forcing new Drupal developers to choose from the thousands of contributed Drupal modules those that would be optimal for implementing their websites' multimedia functionality. Aaron Winborn's book Drupal Multimedia is intended as a guide to help such developers." Keep reading for the rest of Michael's review. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Guardian Unlimited 

Police unit faces calls to end 'culture of impunity'

Of more than 5,000 complaints against squad, less than 0.18% were upheld Scotland Yard faced calls for an "ethical audit" of all officers in its controversial riot squad tonight after figures revealed that they had received more than 5,000 complaint allegations, mostly for "oppressive behaviour". Details of all allegations lodged against the Metropolitan police territorial support group (TSG) over the last four years reveal that only nine ? less than 0.18% ? were "substantiated" after an investigation by the force's complaints department. The figures, released under the Freedom of Information Act, were described as evidence of a "culture of impunity" that makes it almost impossible for members of the public to lodge successful complaints against the Met's 730 TSG officers. The TSG is a specialist squad that responds to outbreaks of disorder anywhere in the capital. It is under investigation for the most high-profile cases of alleged brutality at the G20 protests, including the death of Ian Tomlinson. The unit came under renewed criticism this week after one of its officers was identified as a member of a team implicated in a "serious, gratuitous and prolonged" attack on a Muslim man. PC Mark Jones, 42, was one of six officers involved in an attack on Babar Ahmad, 34, who was punched, kicked, stamped on and strangled during his arrest at his home in Tooting, south London. The Met paid Ahmad £60,000 in damages earlier this year and accepted its officers were responsible for the attack, during which Ahmad, a terror suspect, was forced into the Muslim prayer position and told: "Where is your God now? Pray to him." A former Royal Marine, Jones has had 31 complaints lodged against him since 1993. Twenty-six were assault allegations, most of which had been lodged by black or Asian men, but none were substantiated. They included a complaint from a man detained in a drug search in 2007 who, Ahmad's lawyers told the high court, accused Jones of forcing him into a TSG van, placing him on his knees, grabbing his neck and spraying CS gas into his face. Despite being identified in court by Ahmad's lawyers as the officer who placed him in an "extremely dangerous" neck-hold, Jones faced no disciplinary action and returned to duty on Wednesday after being cleared in another case of alleged racially aggravated assault. The TSG has been the subject of 5,241 allegations since August 2005. They include 376 allegations of discrimination and 977 complaints of "incivility". More than 1,100 of the allegations concerned what members of the public said were "failures in duty". However by far the largest number of complaints ? 2,280 ? were categorised as "oppressive behaviour". Just over 2,000 (38%) were "unsubstantiated" by the Met's department for professional standards, while the rest were resolved at the police station, dismissed, discontinued or dealt with in other ways. Senior Met officers say the TSG's work, involving drug raids and demonstrations, means they are more likely to face complaints than other officers. Jenny Jones, a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA), the force's watchdog, said tonight the figures revealed TSG officers were "practically immune" from criticism in the force. "The fact that less than 0.2% of complaints about the TSG succeed, suggest its officers are protected within the Met to the extent that there is a culture of impunity for their actions," she said. "It's time for an ethical audit and a thorough overhaul. They desperately need better training, rotation of personnel, and reduction of duties to make them fit for purpose." Fiona Murphy, Ahmad's solicitor, said: "The figures either mean thousands of members of the public are taking the trouble to make fabricated complaints against the TSG, which seems unlikely, or there is a systemic problem with the complaints procedure that means it is virtually impossible for officers in the unit to be held to account for their actions." A high court order prevented identification of Jones as an officer involved in the Ahmad assault until the end of his separate criminal trial. On Tuesday jurors at Kingston crown court cleared Jones of racially and physically attacking two 16-year-old boys in a police van in June 2007. The teenagers said they were racially taunted in front a team of TSG officers who had stopped them near Edgware Road, west London. One of the teenagers said Jones punched him several times in the head and placed him in a neck-hold while calling him an "Arab cunt". Five other TSG officers who were in the van at the time were also cleared of charges of misfeasance in public office. A seventh, PC Amechi Onwugbonu, acted as a whistleblower during the trial, saying he saw Jones attacking the boys. The jurors were not told about Jones's involvement in the Ahmad assault in 2003, which his lawyers said bore "striking similarities" to the teenagers' allegations. An IT support worker, Ahmad was assaulted at his home and then in a TSG van, where Jones is alleged to have put him in the neck hold. One officer said: "You'll remember this day for the rest of your life." Another officer grabbed his testicles and he was also deliberately wrenched by his handcuffs - a technique known to cause intense pain. PolicePaul LewisMatthew Taylor guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Obama calls for calm after Fort Hood

President joins calls for calm across the US in wake of Fort Hood shooting spree that left 13 dead Barack Obama today joined calls from across America for calm amid fears of a backlash in the wake of the shooting spree by a Muslim soldier at the Fort Hood that left 13 dead and 28 wounded. Obama, speaking in the White House Rose Garden after being briefed by the FBI, sought to dampen tensions, as did politicians from both the Democratic and Republican parties, the military, Muslim associations and the family of the alleged shooter, Major Nadil Malik Hasan. "I would caution against jumping to conclusions until we get all the facts," Obama said. The risk of a witchhunt rose today when the commander at the Fort Hood base, Lieutenant-General Robert Cone, disclosed that wounded soldiers said Hasan had shouted "Allahu Akbar" before opening fire on unarmed soldiers at the Texas base. The troops, from 12 different units across the US, had been receiving final medical checks before deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. Hasan, 39, was initially reported by the military to have been killed but hours later officials confirmed he was still alive, though wounded. He was on a ventilator today. The trained military psychiatrist had been due to be deployed to Afghanistan later this year and had been desperately trying to get out of it. As the initial shock of the massacre began to wear off today, a bout of national soul-searching began about the mental strain caused to troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, in particular as a result of multiple tours of duty. Although the vast majority of Muslims in the US are fully integrated, websites on major newspapers sites quickly filled with hate mail questioning their loyalty. There have been only a few incidents since 9/11 of troops from a Muslim background killing comrades, and nothing near this scale. Obama's call for patience, saying there were still too many unanswered questions, was echoed by Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress, and by the Pentagon. In a statement, Hasan's family said his actions were "despicable and deplorable". "His actions did not reflect how they were raised in the US," they said. Janet Napolitano, the homeland security secretary, joined the calls for patience. "That investigation is under way by law enforcement authorities, and let's let that be the number one priory in terms of ascertaining what motivations he had," she said in a television interview. Obama ordered flags across the country to be flown at half-staff in tribute to the dead. The president was scheduled to visit Walter Reed military hospital today, where coincidentally Hasan previously worked as a psychiatrist. Twelve of the dead were soldiers, with one lone civilian. Dozens of grief counsellors were being sent to Fort Hood to help the families of the dead. The FBI was today going through Hasan's apartment and office to see whether there is a clue to his motivation on his computer, as well as from his phone records. Investigators were by his bedside, hoping to interview him when he regained consciousness. He took four bullets from a policewoman, Kimberly Munley, 34, who was wounded in the encounter. "She happened to encounter the gunman. In an exchange of gunfire, she was wounded but managed to wound him four times," Cone said. "It was an amazing and aggressive performance by this police officer." Soldiers said that Hasan had two handguns, including a semi-automatic, and shot down troops in clusters. Cone said one soldier who had been shot told him: "I made the mistake of moving and I was shot again." Hasan had been in uniform at the time. Questions were raised about why the FBI had not pursued postings on a website from a person identified as Hasan who appeared to express sympathy for suicide bombings. Hasan, a Virginian whose parents were Palestinians, worked as a psychiatrist at the Fort Hood base and before that at Walter Reed counselling troops suffering psychological problems after returning from war zones. He heard both what they had suffered and the violence they had inflicted on Iraqis and Afghans. Video footage at a grocery store showed him relaxed, buying goods as normal. But his behaviour then changed, going home to clear out his flat and the usually reclusive figure went round his neighbours distributing groceries from his kitchen and handing out Qur'ans. Colonel Steven Braverman, a hospital commander at Fort Hood for whom Hasan worked, said: "He took care of soldiers with behavioural health problems and evaluated people with disabilities." He said there was no indication prior to the shooting that Hasan was unable to provide those services. "We had no problems with his job performance while he worked at Darnall," Braverman said. A definitive figure for the number of Muslims in the US military is unknown, as recruits are not obliged declare a religious affiliation. There are only 3,526 declared Muslims in a military force totalling 1.4 million. Fort Hood shootingsUnited StatesEwen MacAskill guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Euromillions pair win £45m each

Ticketholders come away with record prize, each of which eclipses previous biggest jackpot by £10m Two British ticketholders have each won a record-breaking jackpot of more than £45m in the latest EuroMillions draw. They will each receive £45,570,835.50 ? making them the UK's biggest ever lottery winners, exceeding by far the previous record of £35.4m. A National Lottery spokeswoman said: "This is fantastic news. These two ticketholders have just banked the largest lottery prizes ever paid out in the country." The holders of the winning tickets for last night's draw now have 179 days to claim their fortunes. The three largest National Lottery prizes won in the UK so far are all from the EuroMillions game. They went to Angela Kelly, who won £35,425,411.80; an unnamed winner the same month with £26,533,767.50; and Brian Caswell of Bolton, who won £24,951,269.40 in June. National LotteryDavid Batty guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Kelly's proposals may be overruled

The man appointed to oversee the future expenses regime for MPs will not necessarily implement the proposals published by Sir Christopher Kelly, but will instead conduct a wide-ranging review of his own. The three leaders of the main political parties and Kelly, chairman of the committee on standards in public life, had this week said the proposals should be implemented as a whole. But Sir Ian Kennedy, appointed this week as chairman of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa), believes he has the statutory powers to look at many of the essential issues again. MPs' pay is currently set by the Senior Salaries Review Body, but Kennedy can see a case for looking at MPs' allowances, pensions and pay as a whole. Ipsa was set up by parliament in the middle of the expenses scandal, and is due to take over responsibility for administering expenses as well as discipline. Kennedy aims to have his proposals ready by the time of the new parliament, on the assumption of a spring general election. He has pointed out that lawyers may yet seek a judicial review of some of Kelly's central proposals, including his recommendation that spouses should not be employed by MPs. He also fears that there may be legal challenges to debarring MPs from making capital gains on any taxpayer-funded second home. It is not clear if Kennedy has consulted widely on his decision to have a review, but he is under a statutory duty to consult. His approach is bound to lead to accusations that MPs are being given a fresh opportunity to water down the Kelly proposals. Kennedy became Ipsa's chairman at the beginning of the week, following a rapid selection process. He hopes to appoint the other members of his board by the end of next month. The Daily Telegraph today claims Kennedy, a former Reith lecturer, is a close friend of Tony Blair's former No 10 spokesman Alastair Campbell, even acting as his "phone a friend" in a celebrity edition of the quiz show Who Wants to be a Millionaire. But there is no suggestion that Campbell was involved in his appointment and there will be many in the Labour government that will not welcome Kennedy's belief that he is entitled to reopen the issues that the Labour frontbench hoped had been settled by Kelly. Kennedy has not yet met Kelly to discuss his proposals, but Kelly is likely to question why his blueprint should be radically reshaped. Kelly regarded his report as definitive after taking evidence from 732 individuals and organisations. On Wednesday at prime minister's questions, the Tory leader David Cameron said: "Is it not important that today we accept in full Sir Christopher Kelly's report?" Gordon Brown replied: "We should accept the Kelly recommendations and make sure that they are implemented as quickly as possible." The Lib Dem leader, Nick Clegg, said: "We must implement the report in full, without further delay." Kennedy, believes MPs are having to accept massive constitutional change. But he is clear that what his body decides will prevail over parliament. MPs' expensesGordon BrownDavid CameronNick CleggPatrick Wintour guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

'I'll kill 10 people for every IED'

Sean Smith documents methods used by Afghan police in the arrest and questioning of a group of Pashtuns after an insurgent bomb went off Guy GrandjeanSean SmithAlex Healey

Murder hunt over house fire

Cornwall mother Mary Fox was trapped in burning house after saving her son, who may have been target of attack Police have launched a murder inquiry after a woman died in a house fire caused by a firework pushed through the letterbox. Mary Fox, 59, became trapped in the house in Carpenter Court, Bodmin, Cornwall, after pushing her 17-year-old son to safety from an upstairs window on Thursday. The boy, Raum, was taken to Treliske hospital where he was treated for smoke inhalation and released. Devon and Cornwall police said they were looking into whether Raum had been bullied at school. He is reported to have learning difficulties. Police said they did not have any police reports of the family as a whole being harassed. Superintendent Martin Orpe said he was confident the people responsible for would be found. "As a result of a firework that was found late yesterday behind the door within the premises, and as a result of information from the public, this is being treated as a murder investigation," he said. "I am appealing to those people involved in this to do the decent thing and come forward to the police. If not, I am confident from what I have seen that we will be knocking on their doors shortly. "I would ask them to come forward, and anyone who knows fact in relation to this incident, not rumour, because there is a lot of rumour going around Bodmin, to come forward and give us that information." Orpe said police were "following up leads that the family were being targeted" but said the home was not an address known to police. "This was not an address that we were called to a number of times and we do not have any evidence within police systems to corroborate that the family were being bullied and that this was reported to the police, but that is something that we will be looking at," he said. "We will be talking to partner agencies to tell us what they know about this family." Orpe said officers would be speaking to Raum's school over allegations that he was being bullied. "The neighbours have picked it up from somewhere, that there may have been concerns that there was bullying of the boy at the school." Officers are investigating reports that a gang of youths was seen around the area using fireworks. Detective Chief Inspector Paul Burgan, the senior investigating officer, said they were trying to identify the firework used. "We are keeping an open mind at the moment, there are names being bandied around on social networking sites but this is innuendo. We need to deal with factual evidence and get the information direct," he said. A passer-by spotted the front door of the house was on fire at about 7.15pm and alerted the emergency services. Crews arrived in six minutes but the fire had already taken hold. Witnesses said Fox pushed her son to safety from the window but police said it was unclear whether Raum jumped or was pushed by his mother before she was overcome. Raum ran to a neighbour's house to call 999 and said his mother was still inside. He is being treated as a crucial witness and is being spoken to by specialist officers. He is said to be very distressed and is staying with his family. Doreen Rowe, 59, a neighbour, told the Western Morning News: "I'm devastated about what has happened, Mary was a dear old soul and a hero. "There was loads of kids on the street armed with fireworks. She was not the only one targeted because my next door neighbour had one thrown at her house too." Brett Millington, 17, said Raum had recently moved from Bodmin College to St Austell College because of bullying. "He was badly bullied. It wasn't all physical but a lot of psychological abuse he suffered," he told the Western Morning News. "When he was at Bodmin his mum would walk him to school every day because the bullying was so bad. But if anything that just made it worse." Messages have been left for Raum on the social networking site Facebook. One from Aimee Cavanah said: "Sorry to hear about your mum's death. I lived near her and she was such a lovely lady." CrimeDavid Batty guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Student dares to criticise Khamenei

? Poll crackdown and state broadcaster denounced ? Supreme leader says he welcomes such comments He may be the bravest student in Iran or an unwitting stooge of the Islamic regime ? or both. Either way, Mahmoud Vahidnia has gained instant fame after breaking a taboo by criticising the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to his face. The 25-year-old maths student has been lauded by opposition websites after reportedly telling Khamenei that he had been turned into a "grand idol" who was above criticism. But in a twist demonstrating the inscrutable nature of Iranian politics, the incident has been used by Khamenei's supporters to show how he embraces criticism. Vahidnia has remained unmolested since his 10-minute critique, which condemned the recent brutal post-election crackdown and denounced the state broadcaster, IRIB, for biased coverage. But his most remarkable comments were reserved for Khamenei himself. "I don't know why in this country it's not allowed to make any kind of criticism of you," he told Iran's most powerful cleric, who has the final say in all state matters. "In the past three to five years that I have been reading newspapers, I have seen no criticism of you, not even by the assembly of experts [a clerical body with the theoretical power to sack the leader]. I feel that if this doesn't happen this situation will lead to discord and grudge." Vahidnia, who achieved nationwide recognition two years ago by winning Iran's annual mathematics Olympiad, made his remarks at a meeting between Khamenei and the country's scientific elite. They came after the supreme leader asked at the end of a question-and-answer session if anyone else wanted to speak. He chose Vahidnia after seeing him being pushed down by officials when he stood to ask a question. Referring to the post-election crackdown sanctioned by Khamenei, he asked: "Wouldn't our system have a better chance of preserving itself if we were using more satisfactory methods and limited the use of violence only to essential circumstances?" Although state TV cameras were present, the criticisms only came to light when they were highlighted on Khamenei's own website and by Alef, a fundamentalist site. Both carried accounts showing Khamenei responding calmly. "Don't think that I'll be unhappy to hear such statements. No, I would be unhappy if such statements are not made," he said. "About lack of criticism of the leader, you go and tell them to criticise. We have not said that no one should criticise us ? I welcome criticism. There is criticism and there is a lot of it. And I receive it and I understand the criticism." The exchange has been seized on by pro-regime media as a demonstration of the leader's tolerance. The hardline Keyhan newspaper, whose editor-in-chief is appointed by Khamenei, reported it under a headline reading, The Revolutionary Leader's Fatherly Response to Critical Youth. Some opposition websites suggested that Vahidnia had been arrested by intelligence agents while other reports asked whether he had been a plant set up by regime officials. Vahidnia scotched both suggestions in an interview with Alef, in which he asked "society and elites not to spread rumours". Under Iranian law comments deemed insulting to the supreme leader carry possible prison sentences, although in practice critics are often not arrested immediately. Ahmad Zeidabadi, the head of Iran's leading student movement, Tahkim-e Vahdat, published an open letter critical of Khamenei in 2007 but was only arrested in the round-ups that followed last June's disputed presidential election. IranRobert Tait guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Honduras power-sharing deal fails

? De facto regime sought to form 'unity' government ? Ousted president refuses to continue 'charade' A power-sharing deal between the de facto government of Honduras and the ousted president, Manuel Zelaya, has collapsed, reigniting the country's political crisis. Zelaya refused to join a new "unity" government on Friday after it became clear he would not be heading it. "The accord is dead," he told Radio Globo. "There is no sense in deceiving Hondurans." The leftist leader, toppled and exiled in a coup four months ago, signed up to a US-brokered pact last week thinking it would be his ticket back to power. But opponents in the Honduran congress delayed a decision on Zelaya's reinstatement and the de facto president, Roberto Micheletti, went ahead with forming a new administration without his rival. The accord had set a Thursday midnight deadline for the new government and left the decision over Zelaya's return to power in the hands of congress. "It's absurd what they are doing, trying to mock all of us, the people who elected me and the international community that supports me. We've decided not to continue this theatre with Mr Micheletti," Zelaya said. He urged Hondurans to boycott a presidential election slated for 29 November in which neither he nor Micheletti are candidates ? raising the spectre of a discredited poll and continued crisis. The de facto regime appeared to be bracing for fresh street demonstrations in the capital, Tegucigalpa. Local television showed soldiers, tanks and military vehicles reinforcing positions around the Brazilian embassy where Zelaya has holed up since slipping back into the country last month. In a televised speech Micheletti said the new caretaker administration would rule until the January swearing-in of the election winner. "We've completed the process of forming a unity government. It represents a wide spectrum despite the fact that Mr Zelaya did not send a list of representatives." The de facto authorities have the support of many middle class and conservative Hondurans as well as the supreme court, congress and military. They mistrusted Zelaya's leftward tilt and alliance with Venezuela's president, Hugo Chávez. Curfews, media curbs, teargas and mass arrests have been used to suppress protests by Zelaya's mostly poor supporters. Several have died. Foreign condemnation of the coup has been near universal, leaving the impoverished coffee exporter isolated but defiant. European and Latin American governments said they would not recognise the looming election unless Zelaya was first reinstated. US negotiators clinched last week's agreement by apparently reinforcing that message. The Obama administration appeared to have scored a significant diplomatic victory. But since congress stymied Zelaya's reinstatement the US has said it will recognise the election regardless, which could deepen Latin American frustration that Washington has not done more to pressure the Honduran regime. A state department spokesman said the pact did not demand Zelaya's return. "The only deadline was to form a government of national unity, which was done." Washington's decision to recognise the new government gave the Honduran congress little incentive to bring back the ousted leader, said Michael Shifter, an analyst with the Inter-American Dialogue thinktank. He suggested there was still hope for a negotiated settlement. Two small bombs have exploded in different parts of Tegucigalpa, causing slight damage but no casualties. HondurasUS foreign policyUnited StatesRory Carroll guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Train service renationalised

? Train service taken over from next Saturday ? Public ownership will last for at least 18 months Back in the day, British Rail was synonymous with soggy sandwiches, late trains ? or no services at all. Deserved or not, it was a reputation that became immortalised in the comedy, the Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin ? every morning, his train to Waterloo was reliably late, but always for a different reason. From next Saturday, though, the government will get a chance to make some amends, when it returns as a long distance train operator for the first time since privatisation in the mid-90s. Passengers on the prestigious London to Edinburgh route have been promised punctuality, good food and clean loos. The Department for Transport has seized control of the failed £1.4bn National Express East Coast franchise. Apart from a stint running the Southeastern service earlier in the decade, the government has ducked complaints over fare hikes and poor catering by letting the private sector take the flak ? and the profits. That will change when the DfT launches the frugally titled East Coast franchise with the aim of keeping the route under public ownership for at least 18 months while funnelling the proceeds into its coffers. Elaine Holt, the head of East Coast, said the 18 million annual passengers will soon notice improvements to facilities and complimentary first class meals. "There are areas where customers are not satisfied when they should be, like toilets. There is a whole raft of things that can be improved." Holt said the free food for premium passengers ? "they just get a biscuit really" ? will be beefed up, although the upgrade might extend to pastries and peanuts only. The trolley for passengers in standard class will also get a makeover, with Holt pledging that any changes will reflect a specially commissioned passenger survey. "Customers told us they want different things," she said. Punctuality is already strong, with nearly 90%services on time but Holt pledged further improvements. With the reassuring tag line of "business as usual" the most noticeable changes will be cosmetic, with the National Express logo excised from all trains and station signs by the end of next month. The DfT is banishing the name of a company that defaulted on its contract just two years into a decade-long deal after it said it could not afford franchise payments, leaving ministers with a £1.4bn hole in the rail budget. It was the second time that the route had been handed back in three years, following in the footsteps of GNER in 2006, prompting calls from Labour backbenchers and trade unions to scrap the rail franchise system. Next week's launch of East Coast has given some hope to privatisation's critics but Holt warned rail nostalgists not to expect a return to the days of BR. She won plaudits at the private train operator FirstGroup and pledged a commercially aggressive approach in her new role. "I don't see this as a step backwards into some sort of BR or public sector-type environment," she said. "It is a commercial company that happens to have the government as its owner." BR was replaced by the ill-fated Railtrack when the network was sold off, while train franchises were carved out of individual routes such as east coast and auctioned to private operators. Railtrack's chaotic demise in 2002 is seen by many within the industry as an indictment of privatisation, amid fierce criticism of the steep fare increases regularly imposed by franchise owners. Holt admitted that East Coast will impose the above-inflation fare hikes that National Express was planning for January, even though the new business will not have to meet the franchise payment of around £180m next year that helped derail the route's former owner. "I am not going to sit here and say that just because we are a government-owned company we are going to slash fares." She added: "Like any train company, we will be making the equivalent of premium payments to the DfT. They will not be in the order of £180m per year. If we were to make the same payments as National Express the franchise would be in trouble again next year." East Coast is expected to increase the price of some advance and off-peak fares that are not protected by price caps, drawing criticism from green groups who see the East Coast transfer as a chance for the government to wean long-distance travellers away from planes and cars. Cat Hobbs, of the Campaign for Better Transport, said: "We want the government to make sure it runs the franchise in passengers' interests and does not go ahead with fare increases. We also want the DfT to keep the franchise in the public sector beyond 2011 as a benchmark to see whether other franchises provide value for money." The transport secretary, Lord Adonis, is determined to strip National Express of its remaining franchises, the Essex commuter services National Express East Anglia and c2c. The RMT, the largest rail union, believes all 16 major franchises should be brought under public ownership. "The failure of the east coast franchise for the second time should kill off the rail privatisation policy which has been an expensive disaster," said Bob Crow, RMT general secretary. Transport policyNational ExpressRail transportDan Milmo guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Search for baby exposes clinic kidnap ring

A mother's desperate year-long search for her missing baby has revealed a group of doctors and nurses who allegedly tricked patients into believing that their newborns had died, and then sold the children for a few hundred pounds. The gang was allegedly headed by the owner of a small private hospital in a working class neighbourhood in the east of Mexico City, where Vanessa Castillo gave birth to a girl by caesarean section on 25 October 2008. Castillo says she saw the newborn and heard her healthy cries before the baby was whisked away from her for routine tests. The next day one of the doctors who had attended the delivery came to her bedside to inform her that the baby had died and had been cremated. Castillo said that after she was sent home she kept going to the hospital in search of her baby's death certificate and her ashes, but was repeatedly brushed off. A few months later, however, she received an email from the son of the owner of the clinic, saying that her baby was alive but had been sold by his father for 15,000 pesos (about £700). The police investigation that followed led to the arrest this week of the owner of the hospital, two doctors, a nurse and a receptionist, as well as a psychologist who has admitted to buying the child and who apparently looked after her well. Once tests had confirmed that Castillo was the mother of the child, she was reunited with her baby girl at an emotive press conference yesterday. "This is the first time I have seen her since she was born," a tearful Castillo told reporters. When she was asked about the woman who had bought her baby, she added, "I would like to thank her for looking after my daughter for the last year, but this is not the way to obtain a child." Police say they have hard evidence of at least one other similar case involving the clinic, and that they are now going through hospital records in an effort to track down more. "It could be an important number of babies," Mexico City's chief prosecutor, Miguel Mancera, told the Televisa TV network. "They didn't just steal babies and give them up in illegal adoptions. They also issued false registrations of births at the clinic for babies born without papers elsewhere." The arrested doctors have denied the charges, claiming that Castillo had gone to the hospital for a very late abortion, and that they gave the baby away for adoption to safeguard its life. During the past year, Mexico City's authorities have been under fire for not doing enough to track down child trafficking rings. Local newspapers reported this week that staff from the same clinic had been arrested in 2005 after another mother reported that her baby had been stolen in very similar circumstances. The prompt release of the staff on that occasion has now raised suspicions of past complicity within the prosecutor's office. In another high profile case involving older children, at least five wards of court from dysfunctional families placed in a private shelter run by an evangelical church have disappeared without trace. MexicoJo Tuckman guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

ComputerWorld 

Stimulus for tech and telecom $3B, but jobs still guesswork

The U.S. government has spent about $700 million on IT and telecommunications products and services under its economic stimulus program, part of a total of $3 billion that's in the spending pipeline, according to a private analysis of this data. But how many jobs have been created is not as clear.

Update fixes iPhone sync problem with Windows 7 for some

Gigabyte Technology issued a BIOS update on Friday that fixes a problem for some Windows 7 users who have been unable to sync their iPhones.

Elgan: Online publishing for the cheap and lazy

I'm a lazy cheapskate. And I'm often on the move. What to do? I've found out how to publish just about everywhere online -- social media, a blog and a newsletter -- at very low cost and with almost no effort.

Q&A: isoHunt founder says P2P can help create post-piracy world

isoHunt's Gary Fung talks about how isoHunt has evaded legal trouble so far, why he holds out hope of working together with Hollywood and the music industry, and how he's launched a new P2P site for just that purpose.

Introducing Speedmark 6

Back in August, Apple entered the era of Snow Leopard. Today, Macworld's Speedmark test suite enters the Snow Leopard's den.

Four reasons to buy (and one reason to avoid) the Droid

The general consensus on the Motorola Droid is that while it's a very strong device, it still doesn't match the iPhone. Here are four reasons to buy (and one reason to avoid) this new entry in the smartphone market.

Motorola Droid: A visual tour

At long last, the much-anticipated Motorola Droid is storming Verizon stores across the nation. Before you go out and buy one, check out the good and the bad about this exciting smartphone.

Lawmakers propose changes in telecom subsidies

Two U.S. lawmakers have proposed legislation that would allow money from a huge fund that subsidizes telephone and mobile service to parts of the U.S. to also go for broadband deployment.

Cisco undervalues Tandberg, investment firms say

Two investment consulting companies laid out objections to Cisco Systems' $3 billion offer for Norwegian videoconferencing vendor Tandberg, saying in an open letter to Cisco and a press interview that the bid undervalues Tandberg.

Add more effects to Photo Booth and iChat

As you know, Photo Booth includes a collection of image-altering effects you can use to distort your photos; just click the Effects button to see the collection of 24 effects, and to apply them to your photos. A subset of these effects (16 in all) are available in iChat, too, for use in creating some truly strange looking iChat image icons. But in case that's not enough effects for you, here's a way to add over 20 additional effects to both iChat and Photo Booth.

Christian Science Monitor 

Palestinian President Abbas, critical of peace process, says won't seek reelection

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas says he won't run for reelection, complaining of Israel settlement growth, insufficient US support, and domestic criticism.

Extreme Makeover Home Edition? UN gets a 21st-century update.

The UN headquarters in New York are being renovated from top to bottom to make the facilities more energy-efficient. Calling Ty Pennington of television's 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.'

Agreement on climate change looks unlikely ahead of Copenhagen

A European Union agreement last week was short on specifics. US commitments on reductions may not be forthcoming, making Chinese commitments also unlikely.

Goldstone report: UN votes for probe into Gaza war crimes

The UN General Assembly passed a resolution Thursday calling for a probe into alleged war crimes by Israel and Hamas in last winter's fighting in Gaza. The resolution is based on the UN Human Rights Council's Goldstone report.

Report: GPS parole monitoring of Phillip Garrido failed

A California Inspector General report Thursday slammed the state parole system for failing to track Phillip Garrido, the convicted sex offender who kidnapped Jaycee Dugard.

Church Of The Customer 

Kicking out unwanted customers

Twitter: the killer app for customer service

Fees are penalties. Always.

4 questions with author Jeanne Bliss

A social media truism

How to create a killer conference

Facebook fan pages are the future

David Letterman, part 2

The social media ban

Yes on the FTC's disclosure rule for bloggers

Wired News 

The Answer Factory: Demand Media and the Fast, Disposable, and Profitable as Hell Media Model

A fiendishly clever startup knows what we are Googling &mdash! then churns out thousands of cheap videos and articles to meet our every whim and wish.

2010 Superfly Will Make You Say 'My Oh My'

Conventional wisdom says a mountain bike with 29-inch tires is an ungainly ride. Conventional wisdom can suck it. Meet the 2010 Superfly.

After 5 Years on Web, Firefox Preps for Next Round

The Firefox web browser celebrates the fifth anniversary of its debut Monday. With IE humbled and Chrome on the rise, the next five years are going to look totally different than the first five.

Replace Your MacBook's Hard Drive Yourself

It may not seem like it, but your MacBook hard drive is no different than that of any other laptop. Replacing it without Apple's help might void your warranty, but it sure is a lot cheaper if you do it yourself.

National Data Breach Laws Move Through Senate

The nation is closer to a national data-breach notification law and setting security standards for handling sensitive data. After legislation aimed at the problem languishes on Capitol Hill for four years, two bills make it out of Senate committee.

Review: Military Dudes Abide in Funny 'The Men Who Stare at Goats'

George Clooney, Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey play psychic "Jedi Warriors" in a movie improbably inspired by a real Army program.

Lawsuit Accuses Facebook of Conspiring to Break Video-Privacy Law

A lawsuit filed in Texas accuses Facebook of conspiring with Blockbuster to violate a federal law protecting records related to the sale and rental of videos.

Glow-in-the-Dark Shark Turned on by Hormones

Scientists discover how the lantern shark controls its luminescent glow.

Creepy, Cool Ghosts of 'Christmas Carols' Past

From Patrick Stewart to Vincent Price, an odd array of actors and directors have tackled Charles Dickens' holiday classic. Disney's 3-D animated version hits theaters this weekend, prompting a head-trip down memory lane.

4 Ways Live and Digital Music Are Teaming Up

Music webcasting is setting the stage for an online live-music renaissance.

CNN Live 

First responder: 'As soon as we got there, it was game on'

The first people who came across Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, suspected in a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, told tales of quick, calm efforts in the face of danger.

Victims: Sons, daughter, mom-to-be

Thirteen people were killed at Fort Hood Army Post, a sprawling facility in Texas.

Treating victims can cause own trauma

They listen to tales of life's worst moments, but they can't go home and tell their spouses about what they've heard. Sometimes no amount of schooling is enough to shield them from taking on some of their patients' suffering.

Anti-abortion Dems win round

Anti-abortion Democrats will be allowed to offer an amendment during the House health care debate today that would ban most abortion coverage.

Police: Fla. shooting suspect apologizes

A man accused of killing one and wounding five in a shooting at his former workplace was charged with murder, police said. "I'm sorry," he allegedly said when arrested.

4th body at Cleveland home ID'd

Authorities on Friday released the name of a fourth victim found last week in or around the home of registered sex offender.

Iran: Deal to ship out uranium 'called off'

A senior Iranian politician said Saturday the country would not ship low-enriched uranium out of the country, which is a major part of a pending nuclear deal between Iran and international powers, according to semiofficial state media.

MDs accused of stealing, selling babies

Mexican authorities have arrested three doctors, a nurse and a receptionist accused of stealing newborns at a private hospital and selling them, authorities say.

Home of soldier in Afghanistan robbed

Police are looking for burglars who hit the home of a soldier deployed in Afghanistan twice within a week.

$180M take buoys hope for art market

A recent sale of Impressionist and modern art at Sotheby's auction house exceeded sales estimates and raised the hopes of industry insiders that a rebound is under way.

ESPN 

• LeBron, Cavs show off against Knicks in MSG
• No. 7 Boise St. withstands upset bid by La. Tech
• Kobe reaches milestone in win over Grizzlies
• Manny Ramirez sticks with Los Angeles Dodgers for $20 million option
• HSBC Champions: Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods in final pairing at HSBC
• Richardson, Suns rebound, hand Celtics 1st loss
• Report: San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum has deal to settle drug charge
• Cornerback Ty Law agrees to contract with Denver Broncos
• New York gives Yankees keys to city in Series fete
• Life Is Sweet gets out of Zenyatta's shadow with Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic victory; Oak Tree, Santa Anita, Pam and Marty Wygod, Garrett Gomez, John Shirreffs
• Florida Gators coach Urban Meyer fined $30,000 by SEC for criticizing officials
• Milwaukee Brewers trade SS J.J. Hardy for Minnesota Twins' CF Carlos Gomez
• Elizabeth Lambert of New Mexico Lobos women's soccer suspended for rough play
• Miami Dolphins' Joey Porter on New England Patriots' Tom Brady: 'He got his own rules'
• Jeff Gordon wins pole at Texas, his first of season

Cool Tools 

Contigo Autoseal Mug

Far and away the best travel mug I've used is the Contigo Autoseal Stainless Steel Mug. The Autoseal mechanism is the most leak-proof design I've found; it seals automatically when you're not actively drinking from it, so there's no worry about knocking it over with the top open. This is the only mug I'll use around my computers now.

I had a terrible experience with the Oxo mug. It was impossible to clean due to the enclosed design of the lid, and eventually accumulated way too much gunk inside for me to be comfortable using it. The lid on Contigo's mug is fairly open and easy to clean, and the entire thing is dishwasher safe, though they also sell a model with a colored body that isn't. They sell replacement lids for $7 if you have a problem, but I've been using four of them for over a year in heavy rotation with no issues.

Contigo also makes plastic smaller containers for kids and larger water bottles (both of which are BPA-free) with the same Autoseal design.

-- Adam Fields

Contigo Autoseal Stainless Steel Mug
$20

Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Contigo

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Mr. Bento Lunch Jar

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Lenspen

One way to keep fingerprints off of a quality lens is to keep a filter on the lens at all times. If you prefer not to, or get a print on a lens while changing filters, this small tool will come in handy. The Lenspen offers two cleaning options. On one end, there's a retractable dust brush. I just extend the brush, and sweep away any visible dust particles. I also use the brush every time I replace the lens. Dust particles almost always appear around the area where the lens and camera body meet. I make sure to clean up this area before removing and changing lenses, thus reducing the chance of getting dust on the sensor.

The Lenspen's other end, has "a special non-liquid cleaning element" that can be used for more aggressive cleaning. Wipe it over the lens and magically watch fingerprints disappear. The manufacturer explains that there's a carbon compound under the cap that cleans lenses much like the ink in newspaper works to clean glass. It does work. It can be used many times over, as long as every time you put the cap back on and rotate it, to clean and recharge the pad.

This has become my most used cleaning tool, second only to the Giottos Rocket Blaster. And the two complement each other: while the Lenspen works to clean the glass surfaces of the lens and the camera's lens mount, I use the Rocket to remove dust from the sensor.

-- Anthony Marty

[Some users may be more familiar with Nikon's Lens Pen, which is the same product under a different name. Note the difference in Amazon customer reviews between the Lenspen and Nikon's rebadged identical twin. ?es]

LensPen
$8

Available from Amazon

Manufactured by International Parkside Products

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Moby Wrap

There are so many baby carriers on the market right now, and I've tried a good deal of them: various slings, the Ergo Baby (previously reviewed), Baby Bjorn, and the like all tend to put the bulk of the baby's weight on one part of the back. While there is some distribution with shoulder or hip straps, the weight is still focused primarily on one area (shoulder/hips). I had seen the Moby Wrap and had decidedly avoided trying it, as it looked complicated and uncomfortable. A friend finally convinced me to try one, and I fell in love.

Not only is my baby securely snuggled up against my body, but it is incredibly comfortable to wear. It looks to be about 20 feet of fabric that you wrap around your body and slip the baby into. No doubt based on some age-old method of carrying babies, it is by far the most comfortable and versatile carrier I've seen. Because it crosses around your body so many times in different locations, it distributes the weight of the child to a variety of places: shoulders, upper back, lower back and hips. Plus, the baby can face forwards, backwards or sideways when worn on your front, and she can be worn on your hips or back as well.

While it does require an introduction on how to put it on, once you have figured out how it works, it could not be simpler to use. The basic concept is that you create a cross of fabric on your body and slip the baby between you and the cross, with her legs hanging out between. Also, because of the criss-cross over your shoulders you can nestle the baby's head under the wrap, allowing full protection from the sun or, more importantly for the new parent, a quiet zone in which to nap, even at a bustling market. For all its simplicity this is simply the best baby carrier available.

There are several variations on this idea -- one with rings, one made of more stretchy material, one with fancy patterns -- from various manufacturers, but the basic design is all the same -- wrap the fabric around your body, slide the baby in and enjoy.

-- Elizabeth Sendil

Moby Wrap
$40

Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Moby Wrap

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Garden Fork

Shovels get stuck turning thick compost piles. A garden fork, known also as a compost or spading fork, moves more freely through the debris, and is my favorite means of turning compost, a task that, with this tool, I enjoy. I've seen devices such as the Compost Crank, designed solely for aerating a pile of decomposing organic matter, but they're apparently not up for much else.

I value my garden fork because it's also the best tool I have for aerating soil without tilling it. It's good for lifting and moving stuff around the garden, some digging and uprooting, too. I bought mine from Seeds of Change a few years ago, recommended by a friend who's had one for many years. It has a hearty ash handle and a head of four pointy sharp carbon steel tines. There surely are other worthy versions of this essential garden tool. I'm more than happy with this one.

-- Elon Schoenholz

Heavy Duty Fork
D-Handle, 40"
$44

Available from Seeds of Change

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Really Right Stuff Ballhead

What got me started on the Really Right Stuff products was just the idea of committing to a system that would work with everything. Their tripod head consists of three components: an L-bracket custom made for your camera model; a standardized Arca-Swiss-style quick-release clamping plate; and the ballhead base, itself. Committing to this system is a big expense. The fact that each new piece continually adds more value makes it easier to justify. This system's advantages over something such as a simpler Manfrotto ballhead with a quick-release plate are increased stability and quicker changes from portrait to landscape mode.

RRS is big on system synergy. They are top-notch, beautifully made, perfect products. I have a BH-40 Ballhead on a Gitzo tripod as my main rig and a BH-25 on a Gitzo Traveler for an ultralight rig, perfect for backpacking. Each of my cameras -- Nikon D200 and Canon G9 -- has an RRS L-plate, which makes for a quick and solid connection atop both tripods, either in landscape or portrait mode.

Of the two ballheads, the BH-25 is my favorite for its super compactness. When I'm traveling or backpacking, I need a lightweight, minimal setup. The BH-25 paired with Gitzo's Traveler is it.

I've been using the RRS products for about five years now, and I have to admit that part of the appeal is simply the joy of using perfectly made gear. Sometimes the tools can inspire us.

-- John Breitinger

Really Right Stuff BH-25 Pro
$145

L-Plate for Nikon D200 w/ grip
$183

B2-40 LR clamp with 1/4-20 screw
$105

Manufactured by and available from Really Right Stuff

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Vacation Rentals By Owner

Traveling with my family, I prefer staying in houses to sterile hotel rooms. Eating out gets tired after a few nights, and I like to have a full kitchen to make a home-cooked meal. If we're visiting a city where friends live, we'll cook a meal and have them over. It's more comfortable and feels homier.

VRBO.com is an excellent means of finding reasonably priced accommodations, in the U.S. and abroad, that are often larger and more comfortable than hotel rooms, at a lower price. I've used it to find great short-term vacation rentals in California, Michigan and Florida. Making arrangements with the homeowners or property managers is easily handled through e-mail, and a deposit is usually required. You do have to clean up after yourself a little more than you would in a hotel room, but the savings and access to a city's residential neighborhoods rather than its commercial districts make it a worthwhile exchange.

-- J. V.

VacationRentalsByOwner

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Eagle Creek All-Terrain Money Belt

80/20

My work includes design and fabrication for an antenna measurement systems company. For years we had used a modular building product that was very expensive and not adequately flexible. It was also limiting in its lack of accessories. Worse still was its 6-8 week lead time for parts orders. I started looking and discovered 80/20, which not only eliminated all of the negative aspects of the old product, but even provided many new benefits. It isn't cheap, but it is a great value. We all know that for the most part, you really do get what you pay for. Cheap products usually aren't good, and good products usually aren't cheap.

Firstly, its modular design is fantastic. It allows prototyping of fixtures, stands, bases and many other items we need to build for in-house use or bring to market very quickly. The number of accessories available is mind boggling. They have wheels, handles, latches, panels, leveling feet, linear slides, hinges and many more components. You can build some pretty slick items and it all just bolts together with a few simple hand tools. The finished product looks very professional, as all of the individual components are designed to work together.

All components are pre-finished. Our in-house fabricated and/or machined assemblies require outside processing (anodizing, cadmium plating, painting or powder coating), which means additional time and cost. With the 80/20, all structural extrusions and components already come painted, powder coated or anodized -- simply assemble and ship.

While 80/20 certainly will find more applications in an industrial environment, where the cost is also offset by the utility, the possibilities for home use are limited only by your imagination. You could build things such as a work bench, bicycle storage system, cabinets, stands or many other home items that will likely last a lifetime.

As with anything, 80/20 has its limitations but they are far outweighed by its capabilities. I have discovered zero fault with this product. Many of our products require very large, product-specific and engineered weldments and machined assemblies. The 80/20 will never fulfill all of our needs, but for the smaller systems we frequently design and build this "Industrial Erector Set" is superb.

-- Chris Payne

80/20 Modular Solutions

Manufactured by and available from 80/20 Inc.

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VersaLaser

Quikrete Mortar Repair

I live in a 112-year-old brick house. Brick lasts a long time. Mortar does not. Most of my house's tuck pointing is in great condition, but a few isolated spots are almost completely devoid of mortar. Small spots, but bothersome. And bound to become bigger spots if I don't take care of them soon. So today I decided to take care of them.

I assumed that I would mix mortar for the repairs, but the prospect of carrying a 60-pound bag of dry mix inspired a change of heart. Scrounging around Home Depot's cement aisle I stumbled upon Quikrete Mortar Repair. It's sold in tubes for use in a caulking gun, but it's not caulking. It's a sanded acrylic designed to do the job of mortar, without the mess of mixing and applying the real stuff by hand.

The square applicator tip is supposed to make finishing the surface easier, and in fact it worked well. Although a wet finger did an equally nice job. Water is key to patching mortar, and with this stuff a wet sponge was extra helpful not only for smoothing the mortar as it cured but for wiping excess off the face of the bricks.

The 10-ounce tube cost me about $4; still a premium over dry mix. (It's also available in a 5.5-ounce hand-squeezable size.) But for the handful of single-brick-sized repairs I needed to make, I was very thankful to avoid the setup and cleanup that mortar mix would have required. Not to mention the hassle of effectively getting the mortar from my unskilled hands into the open joints.

It is neither practical nor advisable to use Quikrete Mortar Repair to cover a large area of wall. The acrylic isn't designed for structural tuck pointing so much as it is intended to fill in the gaps and keep water out—which is crucial if you want your brick wall to last a long time.

-- William Sawalich

Quikrete Mortar Repair
$5

Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Quikrete

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Built By Hand

Victorinox Chef's Knife

A really great chef knife will be insanely sharp, yet retain its edge easily, and be well balanced and welcoming to hold. These days a decent high-grade chef knife can cost between $100-$200. Several cooking publications (including Cook's Illustrated) recently identified a bargain $27 chef knife that in their tests rated just about as good as the $100 plus knives. This is the one we use.

The Forschner Victorinox is a hybrid of a thin Japanese blade with its 15 degree edge (western knives have a 20 degree edge) but with the longer, broader blade of European knives. It is lightweight, nicely balanced, and lethally sharp. It has a comfortable very grippy handle that won't slip even when wet. We have 5 cooks at our household and this is the knife they all grab first. It may not be as super great as the chef knives previously reviewed, but for the $27 price it can't be beat.

-- KK

Forschner Victorinox Chef's Knife, 8 inch
$27

Available from Amazon

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Andiamo Padded Skins

Bicycle saddles, like beds, should be firm, with pressure mainly on the sit bones. Lying down on a bed, the pressure is spread throughout our bodies, but on a bike, a good percentage of our upper body weight is bearing down on the saddle area. The problem with a soft bike saddle is that it can create pressure in places where it's not healthy to have pressure. Numbness and other problems can stem from that. A padded short, combined with a firm saddle that fits your dimensions, puts targeted cushioning only where you need it, and minimizes pressure in sensitive areas.

I ride in different ways at different times. Slow, less slow, with groceries, out to dinner at a nice restaurant, for a three-hour stretch or for a quick 15 minutes away from my computer. It's been my experience that the longer I spend on a ride, and the harder I'm exerting myself, the more I appreciate highly technical clothing, commonly referred to as Lycra or a pro kit. The skintight stuff. The contoured, articulated padding (or chamois) in high-end cycling shorts by makers such as Pearl Izumi, Castelli and Assos, can go a long way toward increasing comfort for those who ride road and mountain bikes for hours at a time.

However, a lot of people don't like the look of Lycra, and not everyone can get away with skintight bike clothing. And not everyone needs to. Some riders like to have padded shorts, but also to appear civil when they dismount their bikes and enter a business or their office for the day's work. There are plenty of padded shorts intended to be worn under regular clothing, but I've found them to be generally flawed. They're designed as scaled-down versions of the aforementioned Lycra style and are uncomfortably underventilated.

Andiamo's garment design approaches the problem from the opposite, um, end. It's lightweight underwear, with a pad added. I wouldn't attempt a century in these, or even half that, but I've found them excellent for commutes, errands and other plainclothes spins, less likely to make me miserable if I don't get a chance to change as soon as I'm off my bike. They're more breathable and lightweight than anything similar I've tried.

-- Elon Schoenholz

Andiamo Padded Skins
$20

Available from Amazon

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Digg Frontpage News 

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Wall Street's Real Corporate Criminals are Going Unpunished

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What Reagan Was Really Trying To Do At The Berlin Wall

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Geo-engineering a last-ditch solution for Climate Change?

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Badass Anti-Whaling Stealth Boat [PICS]

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The 10 Most Beloved and Unhealthy Gaming Snacks

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Gene Therapy Using Modified HIV Virus Slows Brain Disease

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Want to buy 5,000 leftover Beijing Olympics condoms?

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Wall Street bonuses to rise 40%

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Wonkette 

Tom Tancredo Will Not Sit And Let This Communist Blogger Insult Him!

There is no reason, ever, to invite racist ex-Congressman failure Tom Tancredo onto any television show, or at least the political ones. So thank you Tom Tancredo for graciously acknowledging your unimportance and leaving the set mid-interview!
The fun starts around 2:45 when Tancredo suggests that everyone in the military past or present hates their [...]

DC-Area Male Pines For The Tender Lips Of Ezra Klein

Knock-knock! Ezra Klein, are you there? So. There is sexual predator that rides the same bus as you. He knows your name. He likes you. In a sexual way. Next time you take the bus, look around you. Is there a strange man staring at you as he touches himself? THAT'S HIM! [DCist]

Three [...]

Here's The Most Fun Aspect Of John Boehner's Health Plan!

Now now, liberals, you can no longer smugly declare in political arguments, "the Republicans don't even have a health care plan," because they do! John Boehner released the GOP alternative plan a few days ago, and the CBO scored it, to much fanfare. It is but a modest (Very Responsible Centrist) plan to save America [...]

Europe Shows Off And Photos Take Over DC

Saturday, November 7 through Sunday, November 29: Lost In Yonkers, a play about a very dysfunctional Jewish family, will make you 1) regret your decision to go home for Thanksgiving and 2) crave a delicious corned beef sandwich. [Theater J]

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Sarah Palin Giving Extremely Secretive Speech Tonight

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America's Television Channel: What The Dickens Do We Do About These Muzzies?

Fox News' in-house eugenicist Brian Kilmeade had a provocative suggestion this morning, on his network's A.M. comedy show: "KILMEADE: Do you think it's time for the military to have special debriefings of Muslim Army officers — anybody enlisted?…Because if I'm going to be deployed in a foxhole, if I'm going to be sticking in an [...]

The Pentagon Sewer Monster Is Watching You, And Joe Wilson Is Hired As A Male Escort

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Engadget 

ASRock ION 330HT-BD nettop gets unboxed and cracked open on video

ASRock's family of nettops may not be anything special when it comes to design, but the ION 330HT-BD can definitely handle its fair share of multimedia. The Atom CPU could unquestionably use a bit lot more oomph, but the NVIDIA Ion GPU and the integrated Blu-ray drive make this little fellow quite the entertainer. Care to see what it looks like inside and out? Hop on past the break and mash play, then.Continue reading ASRock ION 330HT-BD nettop gets unboxed and cracked open on video Filed under: Desktops ASRock ION 330HT-BD nettop gets unboxed and cracked open on video originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ford's inflatable seat belts headed to Explorer in 2010, other whips in due time (video)

Inflatable seat belts. At a glance, that doesn't seem like such a bad idea after all, particularly for those rear seat passengers who aren't blessed with two huge bags or air right in front of their chest. We're guessing the top brass at Ford feel pretty much the same way, as the outfit has just announced that these very devices will be making their debut in the next-generation Ford Explorer before rolling out across the fleet. Of course, Lexus is also planning to shove these into its ultra-luxurious LFA (which will probably make a grand total of 14 wealthy owners feel really, really safe), but it's tough to tell which vehicle will hit the showroom first. Jump past the break for a vid.Continue reading Ford's inflatable seat belts headed to Explorer in 2010, other whips in due time (video) Filed under: Transportation Ford's inflatable seat belts headed to Explorer in 2010, other whips in due time (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Safa Xing LED features MP3 playback, 27 pixel resolution

Safa is a Korean firm that has put out quite a few forgettable DAPs in its day, and while this one isn't going to win any awards for technological advancement, it does look like "fun," for whatever that's worth. The Xing LED is a none-too-shabby 12mm thin and boasts 12 hours of playback time on a single charge. The company fails to mention little things like storage capacity and file format support, but that ain't why we're here: the face of the device features 27 LEDs that can be either programed to display the icon of your choice or used for a rousing game of Rock / Paper / Scissors. Sort of makes that Zune HD of yours look like overkill, eh? Price and availability yet to be announced.

[Via PMP Today]Continue reading Safa Xing LED features MP3 playback, 27 pixel resolution Filed under: Portable Audio Safa Xing LED features MP3 playback, 27 pixel resolution originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Managed Copy hits Blu-ray Discs December 4th, but you still can't use it

The egg had to come before the chicken right? Well either way, one of 'em came first and in the case of the latest Blu-ray feature, Managed Copy, the Blu-ray Discs will come before the hardware. Less than five months since AACS was finalized and the details of Managed Copy were revealed and so far we've only seen one demo and not a single product announcement. This doesn't surprise us, but AACS-LA is apparently surprised because although all Blu-ray Discs sold after December 4th have no choice but to allow at least one copy to be made, the requirement to label the packaging as such has been postponed until Spring of next year. We'd expect at least a few products that support Managed Copy to be announced at CES and although we highly doubt any stand-alone Blu-ray players will sport this feature anytime soon, we do have our hopes on PC software and expect a few movie jukebox devices like Kaleidescape -- that we won't be able to afford -- will be announced at the big show in Vegas.Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment Managed Copy hits Blu-ray Discs December 4th, but you still can't use it originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

How would you change Windows Mobile 6.5?

We know, today is totally Android 2.0's day to shine, but what would a Friday night be without a little diversity? Windows Mobile 6.5 officially landed on a gaggle of Windows Phones back in early October (a month ago to the day, in fact), but by and large, all of 'em have seemingly drifted off into some forgotten corner while Motorola's DROID has taken over the hype. Still, we've got a feeling at least a few of you loyalists went out and gave Sir Ballmer a few more of your nickles, and now we're eager to hear if you're loving or regretting that choice. Is 6.5 really a worthy update over 6.1? Are you waiting for WinMo 7 instead? What would you change about 6.5 in order to make 7 the best mobile OS of all time? Sound off in comments below!Filed under: Cellphones, Software How would you change Windows Mobile 6.5? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The daily roundup: here's what you might've missed

Netflix instant streaming demoed on PlayStation 3
We've got to admit -- the whole thing looks exceptionally sleek, but given the PS3's multimedia prowess, we didn't really expect anything less

HTC Hero / Eris mega faceoff on video
Any way you lean it's a pretty good handset with some perhaps overly bulky software, a wonderful pricepoint and probably a limited time in the sun with upcoming Android 2.0 devices rolling on in.

DROID mania sweeps the nation, so to speak
And if riffraff like us can waltz into the store and get them, you should certainly be able to. Good luck being assimilated out there today.
Other news of import

Poll: Will the DROID have you in its clutches?
OpenOfficeMouse isn't free, isn't pretty
Unused Adamo XPS prototypes reveal touchscreen trackpads, key-less keyboard

Microsoft emancipates Digital Cable Tuners with second Media Center update today
This half should enable all Windows 7 PCs to work with the CableCard tuners, sans-OEM requirement or inconvenient hacking.

Verizon confirms DROID tethering cost, will ask subscribers to double-down on their data plan
$60 monthly for "unlimited" data, here meaning 5GB of data per, a total of 10GB split between the two $30 plans.

ATI DCT Firmware update pops up on Windows Update, DRM-free MCE recordings & are a go
Orb for Mac finally arrives, streams media from OS X to any internet-connected device
Boxee shows off its new look at Beta Unveiling jam December 7

LG to announce Snapdragon-boasting Android phone, Korea-bound in 2010
Nokia's latest batch for emerging markets includes its cheapest phone ever
Google breaks from tradition, posts DROID ad on home page

The daily roundup: here's what you might've missed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Microsoft emancipates Digital Cable Tuners with second Media Center update today

Scant hours after the SDV tuning, DRM-relaxing firmware update for Vista and Windows 7 Digital Cable Tuner users became available, Missing Remote let us know Microsoft has come through on the other half of its CEDIA promise by pushing the Digital Cable Advisor to Media Center Extras galleries everywhere. This half should enable all Windows 7 PCs to work with the CableCard tuners, sans-OEM requirement or inconvenient hacking. Sure we could ask for more from Windows 7 Media Center, but for now Netflix and these two (in less than 100 days) will have to do. Read - MCE: Digital Cable Advisor Tool Available Now! Read - ATI DCT Firmware update pops up on Windows Update, DRM-free MCE recordings are a goFiled under: Home Entertainment, Media PCs Microsoft emancipates Digital Cable Tuners with second Media Center update today originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Guitar Hero and Rock Band drums combine for ultimate MIDI kit (video)

We've seen our fair share of Guitar Hero / Rock Band drum kit mods, but without exception, this one is our fav. Tipster (and tinkerer) Jordan has taken the time to wire up a Guitar Hero kit and a Rock Band kit in order to create the most bodacious set of MIDI skins this planet has ever seen. Using a combination of Osculator, JunXion Lite and Logic, he was able to rig up the Rock Band pedal to operate as a high-hat pedal, while reprogramming some of the heads to act as cymbals. We'd bother explaining more, but we'll just point you past the break and advise you to watch (head to 2:20 if you're short on time!).

[Thanks, Jordan]Continue reading Guitar Hero and Rock Band drums combine for ultimate MIDI kit (video) Filed under: Gaming Guitar Hero and Rock Band drums combine for ultimate MIDI kit (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

iPhone coming to The Shack: Dallas and NYC this month, nationwide in 2010?

So we knew a select number of authorized resellers would start stocking iPhones soon, and thanks to a tipster, it looks like we might be getting a glimpse at a none-too-surprising recipient of the new order. As these pics from an anonymous tipster show, "big hug for your mobile life" retailer The Shack will be getting AT&T's flagship device soon, with a letter supposedly from EVP of store operations Bryan Bevin (found after the break) adding that the 3G and 3GS rollout will begin this month at some company-owned locations in the Dallas Forth Worth and New York City areas, with a nationwide rollout in 2010. Not that you necessarily needed more places to tempt you with the device, but it's always fun to have options.Continue reading iPhone coming to The Shack: Dallas and NYC this month, nationwide in 2010? Filed under: Cellphones iPhone coming to The Shack: Dallas and NYC this month, nationwide in 2010? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Myka ION brings Hulu, Boxee and other web content to your TV

It's been almost a full year since we heard a peep from the fine folks at Myka, but it looks like we could be talking about 'em a lot more often judging by the specs list on its latest contraption. The simply-titled ION is an Atom-based media PC that relies on NVIDIA's Ion graphics set and a customized interface that brings Hulu, Boxee and pretty much any other web content you can stumble upon to your television. Within, you'll find a 1.6GHz dual-core Atom 330 CPU, up to 4GB of RAM, ten USB 2.0 ports, VGA / DVI / HDMI outputs, an eSATA connector, Ethernet and plenty of audio outputs. The fanless design ensures that things remain quiet, and for those oozing cash, a Blu-ray drive, HDD and WiFi module can be implanted. It's up for order right now starting at $379, but you'll be stuck waiting four to six weeks for delivery.
Gallery: Myka ION brings Hulu, Boxee and other web content to your TV Filed under: Home Entertainment Myka ION brings Hulu, Boxee and other web content to your TV originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Motley Fool 

Your Best Chance to Profit in 2009

This investment idea offers both safety and great returns.

Why We Love Wild Penny Stocks

It's not what you think. We swear.

Walk of Shame: You Be the Judge

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The Fool's Look Ahead

Flights, flicks, and food will decorate the week that lies ahead.

Get Ready to Buy

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A Fool Looks Back

Buyouts and blowouts took a brisk walk down Wall Street this week.

3 Reasons to Be Scared of These Stocks

Danger! China! Get out!

"Big Coffee" Turns Around, Maybe

Investors loved Starbucks' rich quarter. Should you refill your cup?

2 Stocks and 1 Hotel On Our Radar

We discuss. You decide.

Salon 

Jonathan Safran Foer's beef with factory farms

The polarizing author and vegetarian discusses his new book, "Eating Animals," and the hefty cost of cheap food

Fort Hood, written on the body

A revealing documentary on the lives of soldiers at the Army base goes more than skin deep

Sources: Shooter used "cop killer" gun

Sources: Suspect remains in coma

Neighbor: Suspect emptied his apartment

We are what we trade (and how we trade it)

International trade affects our healthcare, the economy and the environment -- in other words, everything

Army: Wounded officer ended rampage

Commander lauds "amazing and an aggressive performance"

Michele Bachmann's army marches on Washington

The Tea Party crowd descends on the Capitol to fight socialism, healthcare and President Obama

The creepy suspense inside "The Box"

"Donnie Darko" director Richard Kelley delivers at least one-half of a sophisticated, old-fashioned thriller

Disney's "A Christmas Carol": Bah, humbug!

Robert Zemeckis' 3-D, motion-capture masterwork is oddly flat. And isn't one Jim Carrey enough for any movie?

Scobleizer 

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEW BLOG

Hello, we know you're still subscribed to this blog (9,000 of you are on Bloglines, for instance). So, please unsubscribe from this blog and come over and visit me in my new home at http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/
My new RSS feed is here: http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/feed/
I have permanently moved over there, so please do come and visit!

Come visit me on my new WordPress blog

I should have been clearer. My new blog is over on WordPress's new hosted service, which is still in beta. I've been posting frequently over there. http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/
I'm still playing around, though, and learning the new system. I'm also setting up a separate blog over on TypePad to learn that blog tool. And have yet another one over on DABU too.
Oh, and of course, there's our book blog (which is also on TypePad) and the Channel 9 video blog, done on modified version of Community Server. So, I'm getting around to a variety of blog tools and services. I find I don't like a lot about all the tools. It's interesting to me that no one has really come out with a big blog breakthrough lately.
I'm getting another demo of Flock tomorrow, too.
Oh, and ou might check in on Channel 9. I just uploaded three videos, including my first Xbox 360 one, an interview with a Vice President in charge of half of our developer division (we're shipping Visual Studio "within days" I hear).

Slate 

Slate V: Fort Hood Wtiness

A doctor at Fort Hood in Texas describes the scene as the injured starting flooding into the emergency room after a mass shooting on the Army post.

Why Arby's is so low on the restaurant food chain.

Some companies came through the recently ended recession with flying colors. In the fast-food realm, we've argued, McDonald's was a victor. But in a time of pinched consumer spending, business has frequently been a zero-sum game. In every sector, it seems, if there's a winner, there's got to be a loser. And in the fast-food industry, it sure looks like Arby's has been one of the losers of this recession. [more ...]

McDonald - Business - Fast food - Restaurant - Hospitality

How does the government keep track of job-loss numbers?

The Labor Department announced Friday that the unemployment rate hit 10.2 percent in October, the first time since 1983 that it has been in the double-digits. Two government surveys suggested that the month's job losses reached 190,000 and 558,000, respectively. That's not far off from the results back in August, when the economy lost about 300,000 jobs. In an "Explainer" column first published two months ago, and reprinted below, Brian Palmer goes over where these numbers come from. [more ...]

Government - Unemployment - Economy - Employment - United States

Profit not Satanic, says wealthy banker.

A summary of what's in the major publications. [more ...]

Research - Education - Colleges and Universities - Canada - Simon Fraser University

On Denialism and the role of science in America.

Let Truth and Falsehood grapple. [more ...]

Educational Resources - Denialism - Philosophy - Philosophy of Logic - Truth Definitions

Can you carry a concealed weapon on military bases? And other Fort Hood questions answered.

Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the only suspect in Thursday's lethal spree at the Fort Hood, Texas, military base, reportedly killed 13 people and wounded 30 before a civilian police officer shot him four times. The incident raises many questions, a number of which we try to answer here. [more ...]

Fort Hood - Military base - Army - Police officer - United States

The Slatest: Evening Edition

Fort Hood suspect emptied apartment before rampage; Orlando gunman kills one, injures five in Orlando; piece of bread stalls $6 billion particle collider. [more ...]

Slate's Farhad Manjoo answers your questions about Facebook, Gmail, and more.

If you've got a tech problem you want solved, please send a note to farhad.manjoo@slate.com, with "I've got a tech question!" as the subject line. (Your question may be edited.) [more ...]

Farhad Manjoo - Facebook - Slate - Gmail - Business

A Christmas Carol reviewed.

Robert Zemeckis may have found the way to spend his late career: making 3-D motion-capture versions of literary classics that, while they threaten to vulgarize their sources, wind up remaining curiously true to them in spirit. His adaptation of Beowulf wasn't perfect, but it barreled along with admirable energy, fueled by Zemeckis' notion that the oldest poem in the English language was a predecessor of the superhero comic. With A Christmas Carol (Disney), though, Zemeckis (who also wrote the screenplay) treads on more perilous ground. Rollicking though it is, Beowulf is known to most of us as a high-fiber offering in high school or early college English classes. Dickens' A Christmas Carol is one of the most-read and best-loved short stories in the English language, adapted for the screen some 20 times (depending on whether you're counting Ghosts of Girlfriends Past), and its iconic phrases?"I wear the chain I forged in life." "Bah, humbug!" "God bless us, every one!"?are as familiar to speakers of English as the 23rd Psalm. [more ...]

Christmas Carol - RobertZemeckis - Motion capture - Ghosts of Girlfriends Past - The Walt Disney Company

What do "stable," "critical," and other medical conditions mean?

Maj.  Nidal Malik Hasan, a U.S. Army psychiatrist, killed 13 people and injured 30 yesterday at Fort Hood before a civilian policeman shot him four times. An Army spokesperson has announced that Hasan is in "stable" condition while of some of the victims are listed as "critical." But what does that mean? In July 2001, the Explainer probed vague medical conditions after an 8-year-old boy was listed as "critical but stable" following a shark attack. [more ...]

Fort Hood - United States Army - United States - Military - Psychiatrist

SquidooCool Blog 

#1 Most Important Thing… About Guestbooks

If you've put Guestbook modules on your lenses, and you have 10+ published, you'll be very familiar with the kind of comments I'm talking about here.
If a guestbook comment doesn't say anything interesting, and add to the conversation, DON'T FEEL BAD ABOUT DELETING IT.
Don't think just because someone left you a comment you have to [...]

Pinging Your Lenses

WHAT IS A PING?
Any time you update certain webpages or publish a new blog post or lens, you can send a Ping for it.
A Ping is a little signal your new updated page sends to various search engines and directories. A ping is the online equivalent of your new lens running up to Google's doorstep [...]

New Squidoo Job – More Money For Lensmasters $

According to Seth Godin's blog, Squidoo is hiring a sales pro.
Here is what the official lens says:
"Squidoo is one of the largest websites in the world, with millions of pages, half a million members, more traffic than cbs.com and more than 20,000,000 page views a month. We're hiring someone to run our ad and promotion [...]

Tags Are Back!

Good news ladies and gentlemen
Squidoo Tags are back in the game! They are now indexable by search engines once again!
I have been meaning to write this post for about two weeks, so here we go!
Very simple:
A while ago Squidoo HQ made some changes that made squidoo tags pretty useless. The tags pages were ranking very [...]

Free SEO Lens Content: Words From YouTube!

Tiffany Dow, Social Media Smarty and my business partner at BuildMyLens.com, has posted a great tip on her blog.
How to get free [and easy] content for your lens from YouTube:
"Many marketers are being taught that video is a required element of their online success (and I agree). So if you go to YouTube you'll [...]

The New Text Link Ads VS Your Own Intro Link Ads

Cashing In On The Lessons Learned

The Bad:
Have you seen the new Text Ads that appear automatically on all your lenses?
If you haven't go now and take a look at one of your lenses. There will be 3 links on your lenses in green, and hovering over them will pop up an ad box. Personally [...]

Automatic Twitter Posting: Automate Your Twitter Account

Squidoo and Twitter have quite a nice little relationship going.
You can feature your latest Tweets in your lens, you can build a Twttrlist list lens, or a Twttrstrm lens, and of course just promote your latest lenses on Twitter!
So I thought I would put together a nice and easy list of….
Some ways to automate your [...]

Could you run an Offline Squidoo Business?

Here's an interesting idea. Do a google search right now for driving lessons + your city 
For example, for me it's Driving Lessons Cardiff.
Stick yours into Google and see what comes up. Knowing what you know about how Squidoo lenses rank in google, do you think you could rank in the top 5?
Try something else. Maybe Personal [...]

The Best Squidoo Advice Ever

Want to be a successful lensmaster?
Be unique.
Want to earn money on Squidoo?
Be honest.
Want to rank well in Google?
Genuinely help your readers.
Want to be a Giant Squid?
Don't give up.
Want to be in the Top 100 Lists?
Learn from the best.
Want a lens that earns $hundreds per month?
Make a LOT of lenses.
Want your lenses [...]

Getting More Star Ratings With The Magic Of Tim

Tim ‘thefluffanutta‘, has made many great Squidoo tools. Every one of his creations has a dear place in all our hearts…
And they just keep getting better!
His latest creation is the Lens Love Module.
How many times have you visited a lens, got to the bottom of it, and forgotten to rate it? If you're like me, [...]