Liberty Newsprint Nov-23-09

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22/11/09 - 23/11/09

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The First Draft: US healthcare reform as a tale of two cities

By David Morgan (Front Row Washington) Submitted at 11/23/2009 5:57:37 AM

“…it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way…”

Charles Dickens never met U.S. senators Chuck Schumer of New York and Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas. But he may have inadvertently captured the partisan spirit of the U.S. healthcare reform debate when he published his novel, “A Tale of Two Cities,” with its famous introduction, 150 years ago.

Democrat Chuck and Republican Kay made clear on NBC’s Today show how many in their respective parties see the sweeping overhaul legislation that reached the U.S. Senate floor over the weekend. And by the sound of things, Washington could be two different cities.

Chuck seemed to present

healthcare reform as a vehicle for economic salvation: “The future of the country depends on getting something done or the government will go broke, private businesses will go broke and people will go broke.”

Or could reform lead in that other direction?

Here’s Kay: “We are in a jobless situation in our country, an

economic crisis. You are going to put taxes and mandates on business that are going to make that situation even worse. One in 10 people in America today do not have a job. Now you’re putting mandates and taxes on every individual who doesn’t have healthcare and every business that we want to ask to hire people. And yet you’re

putting taxes and mandates on them that makes this unaffordable. This is a terrible idea at this time.”

Of course, partisan differences will mean little if Democrats can retain the same 60-vote, Republican-filibuster-proof sense of community that got the bill to the floor in the first place.

Chuck seems confident: “We will come together for this reason. The healthcare system is broken in this sense: Medicare will be broke in seven years, private insurance doubles every six years (and) tens of millions will lose it. If we don’t do anything, that is the worst situation. And we have a good bill that cuts costs, reduces the deficit and covers more people.”

Either way, it’s bound to be one dickens of a debate.

Photo credits: Reuters/Chip East (Schumer); Reuters/Jonathan Ernst (Hutchison)

ADVERTISEMENT: (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 11/23/2009 8:30:00 AM

Ringz: First (free) Android app with in-app purchase

By Serkan Toto (CrunchGear) Submitted at 11/23/2009 4:20:31 AM

Apple made it possible for iPhone developers to offer in-app purchase five weeks ago, an option Android devs currently don't have. But now Shanghaibased mobile technology company Urbian found a workaround to enable in-app purchase, saying they're the first developers that did. The app in question is Ringz, a puzzle game that's available for free on the Android market (the iPhone version is in review by the way).

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The sacred social contract | Adrian Tippetts

By Adrian Tippetts (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk) Submitted at 11/23/2009 7:01:36 AM

Loving couples should have access to marriage, regardless of their sexuality: this is one institution that has never been static Tom Freeman and Katherine Doyle, from Holloway, London, hope to make history tomorrow morning by becoming the first straight couple to apply for a civil partnership in Britain. Their application is a protest against discriminatory UK laws that segregate couples by their sexuality, banning same-sex couples from marrying and heterosexual couples from forming civil partnerships.

The 2005 law enabling civil partnerships was a milestone, as it finally gave legal recognition to gay and lesbian relationships.

But getting it through parliament required a deal to be struck with religious and conservative lobbyists: "Call it what you like, just don't call it marriage!"

While the legislation gave gay couples almost the same rights as straight couples, it reinforced separation and exclusion and legitimised differential treatment on account of sexual orientation.

It also attacked the faith of religious gay couples by denying them the right to include any

religious content in the ceremony.

It may sound absurd to complain about something as seemingly trivial as the official name of a relationship. After all, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. It hardly affects the quality of life, so why make such a fuss?

But we attach meaning and value to such names. Society generally considers marriage to be the gold standard relationship; anything else is counterfeit. While this view is arguably unfair, it is equally unjust to decree that gay people, no matter how committed, faithful or enduring their relationships may be, are unable to attain this standard. As a result, this legislation denied the one benefit to gay people that is cherished above all: social acceptance.

The arguments against gay marriage are flimsy.

Traditionalists argue that marriage is a sacred institution, which can only be entered into by couples with complementary, rather than matching genitalia.

This is the way it has always been. But just because that institution has served society so well, it is a fallacy to suggest that heterosexual marriages are devalued by the existence of gay marriages.

First, marriage has never been a static institution. In Biblical

times, women were regarded as possessions. Historically, polygamy was the norm, even from a Biblical perspective. In the book of Genesis, for instance, Jacob, the father of all Israel, had two wives, and another two sexual partners. Abraham was richly rewarded for pimping his wife (who also happened to be his cousin) to the Pharoah.

Marriage transformed from a patriarchal system to secure property rites, to an egalitarian one based on love and commitment. The definition has evolved, in tandem with our ideal of morality, and we should be thankful for this.

Another misconception is that marriage is a special institution for bringing children into the world. Yet we are happy to celebrate to unions of those who are too old, infertile or simply unwilling to have children.

Furthermore, ever more same-sex couples have children of their own, and make excellent parents, too.

It is ironic that the greatest obstacle in the fight for marriage comes from religious quarters, especially the Church of England, which owes its existence to Henry VIII's serial womanising. Even so, there is no need to force churches to hold gay weddings against their will.

Religious institutions should be able to allow or deny gay

marriages according to their interpretation. The church is welcome to its own view of morality, but that definition must stay within the church gate and not be imposed on the rest of society.

The current divisive law no more than tolerates gays and lesbians.

To create a cohesive society, government should be promoting wellbeing, not determining the value of personal relationships.

Research clearly shows that people in stable, committed relationships are happier, healthier, wealthier, more productive and less likely to place demands on the state.

Marriage is not just a contract of rights and responsibilities between two people. The contract also involves a relationship between the couple and the rest of the community. We are all social animals, and society's wellbeing depends on everyone's mutual support and participation.

That is why, on wedding days, we invite almost everyone who is special to us in our lives.

Regardless of our orientation, we depend not on their tolerance, but on their approval, their acceptance and encouragement.

Our relationships define us, and they should be recognised for their true value. For that reason especially, all couples, regardless of sexuality, deserve equal access to the most sacred of institutions.

In reality, gay people have been undermining institution of "civil partnership" from day one.

Practically all gay couples in civil partnerships call themselves married – phrases like "civilly partnered" or "just partnered" sound ridiculous.

The best solution is to let all couples decide the type of partnership that is suitable for them. If people wish to not to call their relationship "marriage" it is for no one else to judge. But everyone in society should have the right to aspire to it if they so wish. Rather than devaluing an institution, it would be a great step towards creating the kind of society which values inclusion and solidarity, instead of division, prejudice and exclusion.

Therefore, I say to Gordon Brown: "Tear down this imaginary wall!"

As for the couple in question, I'm buying them a beer, and so should the nation.

• Marriage • Gay rights • Law Adrian Tippetts guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

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About medical malpractice | Michael Tomasky

By Michael Tomasky (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)

When Barack Obama informed congressional Republicans last month that he would support a controversial parliamentary move Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:46:31 AM to protect health-care reform There's a lot of dispute about from a filibuster in the Senate, whether "medmal" reform really they were furious. That meant the produces significant cost control. bill could pass with a simple I'm told that in Michigan, where majority of 51 votes, eliminating these reforms are law, it hasn't the need for any GOP support. really changed much. Last Where, they demanded, was the month, at the request of Orrin bipartisanship the President had Hatch, the CBO issued a report promised? So, right there in the o n e s t i m a t e d s a v i n g s o f a Cabinet Room, the President put medmal reform package that a proposal on the table, according would cap real damages at to two people who were present. $250,000 and punitive damages Obama said he was willing to a t $ 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 , a m o n g o t h e r curb malpractice awards, a move provisions. Result: a savings of long sought by Republicans that $54 billion over 10 years, $41 i s c e r t a i n t o b r i n g s t r o n g billion of that from savings and opposition from the trial lawyers $13 billion from increased who fund the Democratic Party. revenues.

What, he wanted to know, did That's hardly nirvana. But it's not the Republicans have to offer in nothing, either. Those are awfully return? Nothing, it turned out. low damage figures, though, Republicans were unprepared to especially the punitive number. make any concessions, if they It's about nine years of an had any to make. average US wage, maybe 10. If There's pretty clearly no reason s o m e o n e h a s t r u l y b e e n to think the Senate Republicans incapacitated to the point that she would be any different. They're can't work anymore, is that really just voting no, and that's all there a fair number? is to it, and they've known from But alas, substance isn't the the beginning they're voting no. problem here. The following is Obama could probably push the from a piece that appeared way recent House GOP alternative bill back in May by Time magazine's word-for-word, and they'd be excellent Karen Tumulty: against it because he put his

name it. That's where we are. If you don't think that's where we are, I'm sorry to say you're being delusional.

Nevertheless, I continue to believe it might make political sense for Obama to insist on a more modest medmal package.

It's not aimed at the Republicans.

They're hopeless. I mean, it might help get him Snowe, but no one else.

To me, medmal inclusion would be aimed at the media and all the officially nonpartisan close observers of this process. It would give the Democrats high and dry rock to stand on in the coming p.r. war over cost control. Democrats are already taking on unions (taxing the Cadillac plans). If they do this, and take on trial lawyers, they can say: look, we're taking on two of our most valued constituencies here for the sake of the national interest. An argument like that might persuade the Broders of the world, and it will be important to get them on board to the extent possible.

Speaking of Broder, I see some of you mentioned his column over the weekend. It was misleading about cost. He took spending into account but not revenues. Ezra sliced and dices it

here. The poll he cites does present a problem for reform, in that it shows that few people believe the government is capable of spending money that will in the long run save money.

Liberals hate Broder, and while I have real respect for his overall career, I would say this. He pines for the days when legislators really did work across party lines from time to time to do big things. As I've written several times, so do I. The problem with Broder's analysis is that, at least to my reading, he blames both parties equally for our current rot. It's simply objectively wrong. The Democrats aren't blameless by any means. They play games too, on judgeships and things. But the permanent campaign culture of Capitol Hill, the politics-aswarfare-by-other-means mentality, is something the GOP is at least three-quarters responsible for.

• US healthcare • US Congress • United States Michael Tomasky guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

Another iPhone worm, but this one is serious

By Don Reisinger (Webware.com)

A n e w i P h o n e w o r m i s unlike the previous one, is impacting jailbroken iPhones and extremely serious. iPod Touch devices. The threat, Originally posted at The Digital

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Options Update: JP Morgan volatility near 15-month lows

By Paul Foster (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 11/23/2009 8:00:00 AM

Filed under: JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Options JP Morgan(NYSE: JPM) closed at $42.46. December option implied volatility is at 39; December is at 37; below its 26week average of 44, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

UltraShort Financials ProShares(NYSE: SKF) is an exchange-traded fund seeking daily investment results that correspond to twice (200%) the inverse (opposite) of the daily performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Financials Index. SKF is recently down 59 cents to $24.12 in pre-open trading. Overall option implied volatility of 62 is below its 26-week average of 73, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Options Update: JP Morgan volatility near 15-month lows originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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High School Musical gets Chinese remake

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

plans for a theme park in Shanghai.

High School Musical, the first film in the series, was launched as a made-for-TV movie by Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:50:59 AM Disney in January 2006 and has Disney co-production said to be been seen by an estimated 225 inspired by original High School million viewers in about 100 Musical, rather than a direct countries and in more than 30 translation languages. It has spawned two One has millions of devoted successful sequels and a vast adherents, a doctrine of clean-cut array of merchandising. conformity and an unstoppable, The Chinese movie is said to culture-changing momentum; the have been inspired by the other is communist China. Now, original, rather than being a in a particularly fitting match, s t r a i g h t t r a n s l a t i o n o f i t s two of the most persuasive screenplay. It will focus on an ideologies of recent times are to unlikely couple from seemingly unite: the Disney franchise High opposite school cliques – a School Musical is being remade basketball jock and a science for a Chinese audience. nerd – brought together in an Four years after the first film in entirely chaste romance by their the series ushered in its own love of singing. cultural revolution, achieving a Although the US film features a staggering popularity among pre- song urging teenagers not to t e e n s w o r l d w i d e , t h e U S "stick to the status quo", its brand e n t e r t a i n m e n t g i a n t h a s of rebellion encourages nothing announced that it is remaking the more risque than auditioning for film with Chinese partners for the end-of-term school musical, release next summer. The news with the doctrine "We're all in comes weeks after Disney said this together". It seems unlikely Chinese authorities had approved that Disney's Chinese partners

will attempt anything more edgy.

Jason Reed, general manager of Walt Disney Studios international production, told Variety that Disney had initially contemplated making martial arts the main sport in the film, rather than basketball. Its Chinese partners pointed out that basketball was vastly more popular among Chinese teenagers.

Disney said the Chinese version, featuring six newcomers, would be shot in Shanghai. The company is working with the Shanghai Media Group and Huaiyi Brothers Media Corporation on what will be its third co-produced film in China, and its sixth international coproduction.

The director, New York-based Chen Shizheng, is best known for his stage work. In 1999 he mounted a 20-hour production of the classic Chinese opera piece The Peony Pavilion, and more recently he created the opera Monkey, persuading Damon Albarn to write the music.

His first feature film was Dark

Matter, loosely based on the true story of a troubled Chinese astrophysics student studying in the US. It starred Meryl Streep and China's Liu Ye. Disney announced last year that a fourth English-language film in the series was being written, featuring none of the original characters. Provisionally titled High School Musical: East Meets West, the film will not feature a controversial interracial romance or explore the challenges of clashing cultures in a globalised world, but instead centre on the interschool rivalry between East High Wildcats and West High Knights.

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

Must-have: Illuminated JetBib Feeding System

By Matt Burns (CrunchGear) Submitted at 11/23/2009 7:01:56 AM

My son never really cared if his baby food was inbound on a plane or train. That doesn’t mean I won’t try the same trick on my

daughter. Maybe this illuminated bib and airport spoon will complete the illusion and allow me to feed her therefore making me feel like an accomplished parent.

The “system” isn’t available

right now, but some are expected

within 1-3 weeks according to Think Geek’s website. Little Lillian isn’t on solid food yet, but as soon as she is, she’s going to start her pilot lessons. That’s for sure.

China Mobile starts selling Dell Mini 3i

By John Biggs (CrunchGear) Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:12:45 AM

Dost thou desire an Android phone in Red Passion or Oiled Bronze? Begin thy journey, brave Sir Knight, to China where you will be able to purchase the Dell Mini 3i with 3.5-inch touchscreen for a few coins of the realm. The Mini 3i, as you'll recall, is Dell's first smartphone in almost half a decade and runs the Ophone platform, an Android -based system that will eventually brand most of China Mobile's phones.

Nov. 23, 1963: Doctor Who Materializes on BBC

By John Scott Lewinski (Wired Top Stories) Submitted at 11/22/2009 9:00:00 PM

Doctor Who's on first this date in 1963. Who can explain it. Who can tell you why.

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Man in coma for 23 years was conscious

By Kate Connolly (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk) Submitted at 11/23/2009 5:13:59 AM

Paralysed patient could not move or communicate with doctors until Belgian neurologist tested new brain scanner For 23 years Rom Houben was trapped in his own body, unable to communicate with his doctors or family. They presumed he was in a vegetative state following a near-fatal car crash in 1983.

But then doctors used a state-ofthe-art scanning system on the brain of the martial arts enthusiast, which showed it was functioning almost normally.

"I had dreamed myself away," said Houben, now 46, whose real "state" was discovered three years ago and has just been made public by the doctor who rescued him.

Steven Laureys, a neurologist at the University of Liège in Belgium, has published a scientific paper saying Houben could be one of many falsely

diagnosed coma cases around the world.

Houben is being cared for at a facility near Brussels and now communicates via a computer with a special keyboard activated with his right hand, which is capable of minimal movement.

He said his body was paralysed when he came round after his accident. Although he could hear every word his doctors spoke, he could not communicate with them.

"I screamed, but there was nothing to hear," he said, via his keyboard.

Houben then suffered years of being effectively trapped in his own body as care personnel and doctors at the hospital in Zolder tried to communicate with him, but eventually gave up hope that he would ever come round.

The moment it was discovered he was not in a vegetative state, said Houben, it was like being born again. "I'll never forget the day that they discovered me, it was my second birth."

Experts say Laureys' findings are

likely to reopen the debate over when the decision should be made to terminate the lives of those in comas who appear to be unconscious but might have almost fully-functioning brains.

Belgian doctors used an internationally accepted scale to monitor Houben's state over the years. Known as the Glasgow Coma Scale, it requires assessment of the eyes, verbal and motor responses. But they failed to assess him correctly and missed signs that his brain was still functioning.

Laureys, who is head of the coma science group and neurology department at Liège University hospital, concluded coma patients are diagnosed falsely "on a disturbingly regular basis". In around 40% of cases diagnosed as vegetative, more careful examination shows there is still some level of consciousness. He examined 44 patients believed to be in a vegetative state, and found that 18 of them responded to communication.

"Once someone is labelled as being without consciousness, it is very hard to get rid of that," he told Spiegel magazine, calling for a systematic overhaul of the methods of diagnosis.

Laureys said patients who are not fully unconscious can often be treated and are capable of making considerable progress.

Around a fifth of patients who suffer serious head and brain injuries spend more than three weeks in a coma. Of those, between 15% and 25% are, technically speaking, still alive but remain in a state of unconsciousness, never to wake up.

• Belgium • Doctors

Drobo S: A Faster, Fatter Storage Robot With eSATA [Storage] By matt buchanan (Gizmodo) Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:11:52 AM

What's the 'S' stand for in Drobo S? Speed. Uh, more speed. And more storage. Specifically, a fifth drive bay for more redundancy, faster FireWire and a new eSATA port. As always, it's not cheap—$800 sans drives. [ Drobo]

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

Swine flu tests after death of boy aged five (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk) Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:40:31 AM

Emberton school in Buckinghamshire temporarily shuts after death of pupil who may have contracted swine flu A primary school closed today

after the death of a pupil who may have contracted swine flu.

Tests were being carried out to determine whether the five-yearold boy died from the H1N1 virus. He died early yesterday at Milton Keynes hospital.

Emberton school, near Olney, Buckinghamshire, a village school for children between the

ages of four and seven, placed a message on its website this morning informing parents of the temporary closure.

Dr Diane Gray, deputy director of public health for Milton Keynes, said: "My sympathies go out to his parents, family and friends. We don't yet know the cause of this boy's death. At this

stage, there is no need to change normal behaviour you should continue to go to school, work and any social activities."

Steve Dunning, the school's headteacher, told the BBC the boy's death had come as a shock.

• Swine flu • Primary schools • Schools

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

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Albums of the decade No 9: Salif Keita – Moffou

By Charlie Gillett (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)

led to expectations that perhaps Keita could be something more than the most famous singer in west Africa – what about Submitted at 11/23/2009 7:13:06 AM conquering the rest of the world?

West Africa produced many I n 1 9 8 7 , t h e a l b u m S o r o , outstanding releases during the expensively and elaborately noughties, but the Malian singer's produced in Paris, announced stark and haunting album was the Keita's arrival in the Englishmost remarkable speaking world.

By normal industry standards, For the following 15 years, it waiting until you're 53 to make was almost as if he wilfully the best album of your career is defied the hopes and expectations perhaps leaving it a bit late. But of those who had supported him, then not much about Salif Keita's insisting on electric guitarists and story is normal. synthesiser players in his Was it a blessing or a curse for recordings and for his live shows, this Malian teenager – already despite entreaties that his music singled out for being albino, and should sound less like Phil of royal descent – to find that he Collins and Peter Gabriel and had one of the most remarkable more Malian. v o i c e s a n y b o d y i n t h e Finally, astonishingly, in 2002 neighbourhood had ever heard? Keita relented and delivered the On the one hand, it set him apart a l b u m M o f f o u , w h i c h w a s and ahead of the competition to exactly what his fans had been be invited to sing with two praying for. First impressions leading west African bands were that this change of tack was during the 1970s. On the other, it mostly acoustic, but there are

many subtle interventions of electric guitar and electronic effects. Moffou might feel like a natural, spontaneous recording, but clearly a lot of thought went in at every stage, from songwriting to arrangements and post-production – and, of course, the singing. If the plan was to deliver a classic album, it succeeded.

One of Keita's distinctive qualities as a songwriter is to set his own voice against female vocalists, and virtually every track here showcases this skill, starting with Yamore, a duet with the Cape Verdean singer Cesária Évora. The combination of the two voices seemed counterintuitive, with Keita being typically extravagant and Évora being laidback. But it works brilliantly, and behind them both, those gorgeous backing vocals answer and comment.

Two other tracks stand out as the high points of a consistently

lovely record. On Moussolou, Keita's tribute to women, his gentle vocal is carried along by rippling guitars and percussion.

On the haunting Baba, a traditional instrument plays an echoing melody in the background.

Moffou signalled what was to become a hugely successful 10 years for Malian music – in fact, the decade would end with a raft of pop and indie acts looking to the country for inspiration. West Africa provided several outstanding albums during the noughties, but most musicians would surely tip their hat to Keita's album as being the pinnacle.

• World music Charlie Gillett guardian.co.uk© Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions| More Feeds

The Cell Processor Is Going Extinct [Processors] By matt buchanan (Gizmodo) Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:34:19 AM

IBM's shitcanning the Cell processor line—you know, the chip that's in the PS3 and uh, Toshiba laptops and TVs— according to their VP of Deep Computing, making the current PowerXCell 8i the last of its ilk. [ Fudzilla via MaxConsole]

Odds'n'ends (lost time is not found again) | Michael Tomasky

By Michael Tomasky (World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk) Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:27:07 AM

Here is a rather vicious attack on Rich Rod from a cbssports.com analyst. It seems that Michigan's worst back-to-back seasons in nearly 50 years are ... Lloyd Carr's fault!

Here is a video of one of the more interesting trick plays you'll ever see, from a Nov. 14 game between two small colleges. The no-look pass. And yes, this is football, not basketball.

Apropos the headline, you are aware by now I assume that Bob Dylan is releasing a Christmas album. I haven't been able to bring myself to listen to any of

the released track snippets.

Please don't tell me.

As one of you pointed out last re my Fox News doctored-footage video, I misspoke when discussing which events Fox had fibbed about. I said the 9-12 tea party march and a recent Palin book-tour event. It was actually the Michelle Bachmann Capitol Hill event and a Palin book-tour

stop. Sorry about that. As for our joke footage, we were originally hoping to use footage of girls screaming at the Beatles, which I think would have been pretty hilarious. But we weren't allowed. The redoubtable Glenn, our video man, did quite nicely under the circumstances with the "soccer" footage.

• US sport

• • • •

Bob Dylan Pop and rock Fox News United States

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

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Cramer on BloggingStocks: Sanofi has lots of upside catalysts

By Jim Cramer (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 11/23/2009 10:00:00 AM

Filed under: Analyst reports, Pfizer (PFE), Market matters, Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY), Merck and Co (MRK), Lilly (Eli) (LLY), Deere and Co (DE), Stocks to Buy, Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (POT) From TheStreet.com Network • Dollar Store: Early Volume Plays • Dollar Could Steer Stocks in Coming Week TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says it looks like the patent worries aren't so dire after all.

Now that we see that health care reform is not going to bring price caps or socialization of medicine, we are beginning to see some real

- Sanofi Aventis ( SNY) ( Cramer's Take), the French vaccine and pharmaceutical maker run by Christian Viehbacher. The resistance is obvious, as his biggest two drugs are coming off patent very soon, and his hope is that by 2013 the company might again reach 2008 levels.

Sounds like there's no reason to buy this one. Sounds like its 4% dividend isn't safe.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Sanofi has lots of upside catalysts Cramer on BloggingStocks: expansion in the drug stocks, Sanofi has lots of upside catalysts including Merck ( MRK) ( originally appeared on Cramer's Take), Bristol-Myers ( BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Nov BMY) ( Cramer's Take) and Lilly 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see ( LLY) ( Cramer's Take). But our terms for use of feeds. there is one drug stock that is Permalink| Email this| Comments continually met with skepticism -

Onion: Boy Finds Own E.T. (Little Green Footballs) Submitted at 11/22/2009 12:33:28 PM

“Today Now!” is one of the Onion’s more brutal media parody shows, and this is one of

their more brutal episodes.[Video]

Before the bell: Stock futures higher as gold sets another record, dollar slumps

By Melly Alazraki (BloggingStocks) Submitted at 11/23/2009 7:45:00 AM

Filed under: Before the bell, International markets, Market matters, Economic data, Commodities, Oil U.S. stock futures rose Monday morning as investors reacted to rising commodity prices, including a new record for gold, and the dollar's retreat. Further, economists expect job losses to peak in the first quarter. It seems Wall Street is about to join the world markets rally.

The U.S. dollar fell against the euro and the yen Monday, following some escalating tensions with Iran and after Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard said the central bank should continue its asset-buying program beyond its current cutoff date. The Dollar Index fell for the first time in three days.

Three-iPhone Ocarina Much More Expensive Than No-iPhone Ocarina [Instruments]

By Adam Frucci (Gizmodo) Submitted at 11/23/2009 7:10:36 AM

Do you have three iPhones

kicking around that you aren't using? If so, you could make an insanely expensive ocarina out of them using some laser-cut

why you would do such a thing. [ Make] plastic. But the real question is

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What's more, forecasters predict that it will continue sliding, even when the Fed begins to raise interest rates based on supply and demand forces.

Continue reading Before the bell: Stock futures higher as gold sets another record, dollar slumps Before the bell: Stock futures higher as gold sets another record, dollar slumps originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this| Comments

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Microsoft and News LDK Solar posts Corp talk about pushing stronger-than-expected, Google aside third-quarter earnings

By Tom Johansmeyer (BloggingStocks)

By Mark Fightmaster (BloggingStocks)

Submitted at 11/23/2009 9:00:00 AM

Submitted at 11/23/2009 9:30:00 AM

yanking its news sites from Filed under: Internet, Google Google ( GOOG) ... for a fee, of (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), course. This would cost the News Corp'B' (NWS), Media search engine giant -- which is also a news aggregation giant -World Often, we confuse winning with a c c e s s t o s o m e h e f t y being the best. This isn't always publications, including the Wall the case. There are plenty of Street Journal, the Sun and the ways to get ahead when you don't New York Post. have the top product on the Continue reading Microsoft and m a r k e t . T h e s m o k e - f i l l e d News Corp talk about pushing backroom meetings may be a Google aside thing of the past, but the net Microsoft and News Corp talk effect lingers. This is exactly about pushing Google aside what went down, according to a o r i g i n a l l y a p p e a r e d o n Reuters report, when Microsoft ( BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Nov MSFT) had a chat with News 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Corp ( NWS).

M i c r o s o f t s u g g e s t e d a Permalink| Email this| Comments relationship with News Corp which would involve the latter's

Filed under: Earnings reports Talk about stocks that have fallen far and fast. LDK Solar ( LDK) was looking to add a bit of momentum with its earnings report, as the stock is battling overhead resistance from its 20week moving average. This trendline has pushed the stock lower for a majority of 2009 and 2008, during which LDK has dropped from its late-2008 high of $52.40 to its current perch near the $8 level.

The good news is that a news event like an earnings report could lend momentum to any squandering stock, so let's see what LDK reported. The solar panel producer earned 27 cents

per share in the third quarter, far worse than last year's samequarter earnings of 77 cents per share. Quarterly revenue was nearly halved, as LDK brought in $281.9 million compared to $542 million.

Continue reading LDK Solar posts stronger-than-expected, third-quarter earnings LDK Solar posts stronger-thanexpected, third-quarter earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Astronaut Self -Portrait [Image Cache]

By Mark Wilson (Gizmodo) Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:00:00 AM

Some time during a six-hour space walk last week, astronaut Robert Satcher managed to capture this shot of himself...via himself. Today, the STS-129 will be completing their third and final space walk. [ NASA]

New 'Twilight' movie dominates weekend box office

By Steven Mallas (BloggingStocks)

Twilight Saga: New Moon would be the number one movie this weekend, there was just a Submitted at 11/23/2009 8:30:00 AM question about how much the Filed under: Time Warner movie would gross. We now (TWX), Walt Disney (DIS), have the answer: a real, real lot.

Sony Corp ADR (SNE), Film, According to early estimates at Lions Gate Entertainment (LGF) Box Office Mojo, New Moon There was never any question made $140 million at domestic perspective, this means that the that Summit Entertainment's t h e a t e r s . T o p u t t h i s i n vampire flick now occupies the

third spot on the chart of best opening weekends(behind Dark Knight and Spiderman 3). Truly impressive, especially when you consider that we're not in the summertime.

Continue reading New 'Twilight' movie dominates weekend box office New 'Twilight' movie dominates

weekend box office originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email this| Comments

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Roku announces Roku Channel Store, adds Facebook and Pandora (and maybe porn!)

By John Biggs (CrunchGear) Submitted at 11/22/2009 5:59:05 PM

Your Roku box just got a whole lot more interesting. Roku, if you remember, makes the Roku player, a small device that sits next to your TV and plays Netflix, Amazon Video, and MLB selections. Roku has just added ten new channels to that line-up and built a fascinating platform for adding more down the line.

The current channels will include: blip.tv, Facebook Photos, Flickr, FrameChannel, Mediafly, MobileTribe, Motionbox, Pandora, Revision3 and TWiT. More channels will be available here shortly.

The channels require you to authenticate with the service provider – you don’t enter any passwords on the Roku box, at least in most cases – and will eventually allow protected and pay-per-view access to channel providers. Roku spokesperson, Brian Jaquet, also mentioned at some providers could protect their content behind a hidden pay wall, like Netflix, and offer delightful content like distance learning and pornography. While both of those are self explanatory, it behooves us to note both modes of content are He said: the interface between or among While the Roku Channel Store two or more individuals centered won’t distribute porn publicly, on a shared goal. there are some hidden channel

features whereby partners can make a channel available using a code. This could be used for things like distribution to vertical

markets like education and training videos that can be pushed to private groups for viewing on the TV on demand

instead of having to set up a satellite feed or send DVDs. ROKU page 10

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ROKU continued from page 9

The upgrade will hit in the next two weeks and will work on all Roku boxes including the SD, HD, and HD-XR. How does it work? I tried the Facebook was request a token from Facebook for login. You then typed the token into the Roku box and all of your photo albums appeared on the browser, available for playback in whatever resolution you uploaded.

Roku Creates Open Platform for Delivery of Content to the TV; Announces 10 New Content Channels Blip.tv, Facebook Photos, Flickr, FrameChannel, Mediafly, MobileTribe, Motionbox, Pandora, Revision3 and TWiT all now available on the Roku player Saratoga, Calif. – November 23, 2009 – Roku, Inc., maker of the popular and award-winning family of Roku players, announced today the Roku Channel Store and the addition of 10 new FREE channels for Roku customers to enjoy on their TVs. From internet audio to video podcasts; professional web content to photo sharing; personal video content to

children’s entertainment, the Roku Channel Store provides an open platform for delivering quality content to the TV. The new channels now available for customers to add to their Roku experience via the Roku Channel Store include: blip.tv, Facebook Photos, Flickr, FrameChannel, Mediafly, MobileTribe, Motionbox, Pandora, Revision3 and TWiT. For a complete list of channels and specific channel descriptions and features, please g o t o www.roku.com/channelstore.

“Our customers now have more choice in content and even greater control over their Roku player experience with the introduction of the Roku Channel Store and our 10 new content partners,” said Anthony Wood, founder and CEO of Roku, Inc. “The Roku Channel Store already includes a robust offering of content that will appeal to a wide variety of customer tastes, which in turn will open new customer acquisition avenues for Roku.

Because we have created an open platform for development, customers can expect even more new content channels in the near

future making the Roku player an even more valuable component of a customers’ home entertainment system.”

To access the Roku Channel Store and subsequently add or remove channels from the home screen, customers will need to create a Roku account. With a Roku account, customers now also have the ability to manage their channels and personalize their entertainment options in a way that has not been possible before. Roku customers can add as many channels as they want.

Conversely they can also remove all channels that do not interest them, leaving only the channel or channels they access on a regular basis. And because it is a channel store, new channels will arrive all the time for customers to consider.

All Roku players, including the Roku SD, Roku HD and Roku HD-XR, are compatible with the Roku Channel Store. Our flagship content partners, Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) Video On Demand and MLB.TV, will continue to be available to existing customers regardless of

whether or not they set up a Roku account. However, in order to browse the Roku Channel Store and add and remove channels from the Roku player, customers first must create a Roku account.

Pricing and availability The Roku Channel Store will be delivered as an automatic and free upgrade to all existing Roku customers over the course of the next two weeks. New customers will automatically be upgraded when they first install their Roku player. To browse and use the Roku Channel Store, existing customers will be prompted to create a Roku account. Existing customers who do not want to wait for their Roku player to update automatically can manually update their Roku player immediately. Detailed instructions can be found in the Help section of Roku’s website under the Roku Channel Store t a b a t http://www.roku.com/support/faq s.

ESPN Writer Suspended From Twitter

By Mike Masnick (Techdirt) Submitted at 11/23/2009 4:20:44 AM

Earlier this year, we noted that ESPN had come out with rules on how its staff could (and could

not) use Twitter. Apparently, Bill Simmons broke those rules, and has been suspended from Twitter for two weeks. His crime? Apparently calling radio station WEEI, a partner of ESPN,

deceitful scumbags. That does seem a bit over the top, but why should ESPN have a say in how Simmons uses a totally unrelated service in which he speaks his mind? If he's going to say

something dumb, isn't that his decision?

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Spotify Now Works on Symbian Smartphones

By Stan Schroeder (Mashable!)

Submitted at 11/23/2009 12:30:56 AM

Spotify, the European music service that attracted attention by launching the first streaming music app for the iPhone, now has a version for Symbian smartphones. Spotify is a fantastic app, offering access to over 6 million tracks; unfortunately, it’s available only in certain European countries, with the US version pending.

Some of the smartphone models Spotify now works with are Nokia 6220 Classic, E71 and 5800 XpressMusic models, as well as some non-Nokia phones, like the Samsung GT-I8910 Omnia HD and Sony Ericsson Satio.

Spotify’s Symbian application is available on m.spotify.com; alternatively, Symbian smartphone owners can enter their phone number on this page to receive SMS installation instructions. Reviews: Spotify Tags: spotify, Symbian

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Data Robotics introduces 5-bay Drobo S, enterprise-ready DroboElite

By Darren Murph (Engadget)

2.0 port. Users will also be able to switch between single- and dual-drive redundancy via the Data Robotics has been quietly software control panel, though raking in the dough (and trying to you should be warned that the match up supply with demand) DroboShare NAS adapter will ever since it launched its 8-bay not work on the Drobo S. We DroboPro back in April, and now spoke with Mark Fuccio, the the company is making yet firm's senior director of products another bold move: doubling its and marketing, who told us that product line. Starting today, the the functionality was left off due traditional 4-bay Drobo will be to the possibility of a "bad joined by the quicker Drobo S, customer experience." In essence, and the DroboElite will be added the network throughput would at the high end for those in the crawl compared to a direct enterprise. The Model S ups the connection, so the company ante by adding a fifth drive bay simply opted to avoid the in order to allow for two drives to headaches rather than cater to fail without any data being lost -- those of you who demand NAS a feature that was previously functionality on every external reserved for the aforesaid Pro. It's HDD to hit the market. also boasting an ARM chip with Moving on, the DroboElite is a 5 0 p e r c e n t f a s t e r c l o c k carving a new path for the ( c o m p a r e d t o t h e D r o b o ) , company, one that caters to highenabling the FireWire 800 maintenance enterprise users performance to see a 20 to 25 looking to serve up to 16 hosts percent boostt; moreover, an while providing up to 255 smart eSATA socket has been added volumes. The Elite is basically a alongside the tried-and-true USB Pro on steroids, with room for 8 Submitted at 11/23/2009 8:30:00 AM

hard drives, single- or dual-drive redundancy and an all-new connection method. If you'll recall, the Pro provided a single gigabit Ethernet port (iSCSI), FireWire 800 and USB 2.0; the Elite ships with two gigabit Ethernet sockets and nothing

more (aside from a USB port used only for device management), so it's pretty clear that this one isn't looking to satisfy the home consumer market.

Both devices are shipping out today, with the Drobo S starting

at $799 (with no HDDs) and being sold at the same outlets as the Drobo (which isn't vanishing, by the way). The DroboElite gets going at $3,499, though it'll only be sold through outlets such as CDW and the like who specialize in medium-to-large business sales. Oh, and just in case you're curious, the existing Drobo will continue on at its$399 price point(MSRP), though we're told that smart shoppers should find it for less near Black Friday and throughout the holiday season.

Gallery: Data Robotics introduces 5-bay Drobo S, enterprise-ready DroboElite Filed under: Storage Data Robotics introduces 5-bay Drobo S, enterprise-ready DroboElite originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink| Drobo S Data Sheet [PDF], DroboElite Data Sheet [PDF]| Email this| Comments

Apple Announces Special Black Friday Shopping Event

By Stan Schroeder (Mashable!)

beginning of the Christmas shopping craze.

Capitalizing on one of the Submitted at 11/23/2009 5:34:36 AM busiest shopping days of the The day after Thanksgiving, year, Apple has announced a w h i c h t h i s y e a r f a l l s o n “special Apple one-day shopping November 27th, is also known as event” on November 27. The Black Friday, and it marks the company posted a teaser saying

the following: “Come back to the Apple Online

Store this Friday for a special one -day-only shopping event. You’ll find lots of great iPod, iPhone and Mac gift ideas — all with free shipping.”

So there you have it; if you don’t know what to do with your extra cash, here’s a chance to blow it

all on Apple’s gadgetry (hopefully at a good discount).

Tags: apple, black friday

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It's Official: Samsung Omnia II Is $200 on Verizon [Samsung]

By Danny Allen (Gizmodo) Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:00:01 AM

Last Friday's tipster was right on the money: The Omnia II lands December 2 for $200 on contract (after $100 mail-in rebate). It runs WinMo 6.5, but that sweetlooking 3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen gets the 3D cube TouchWiz 2.0 UI. As we noted when we first saw the ai.rs video below, the TouchWiz 2.0 UI looks nice, but the resistive touch lag is a shame given the 800Mhz processor.

Key features: • 3.7-inch ultra-brilliant (Wide Video Graphics Array ActiveMatrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode) responsive touch screen • Virtual QWERTY keyboard with Swype technology: input text faster and easier with one continuous finger or stylus motion across the screen keyboard • Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional, which keeps customers connected with corporate and personal e-mail and synchronization of schedules

Email and Corporate Email • Access to social networking applications, including YouTube, Facebook and MySpace, with Samsung's TouchWiz 2.0 user interface • 5-megapixel camera with flash and auto-focus and camcorder and decoder with DNSe technology and on-device editing capabilities • 802.11b/g Wi-Fi (no N) • Support for Divx and Xvid movie files • 8 GB internal memory and expandable memory of up to 16 GB with microSD memory card (card sold separately) • Bluetooth® profiles supported: headset (mono and stereo), hands -free (car kits), object push for and contacts widgets vCard, basic imaging, phonebook • Microsoft Office Mobile: • Supports Verizon Wireless access profiles. Also supports m a n a g e W o r d , E x c e l a n d services, including V CAST serial port, dial-up networking, PowerPoint documents Music with Rhapsody, V CAST object push for vCalendar, file • E n h a n c e d 3 D c u b e u s e r Video on Demand, V CAST transfer, basic printing and interface Song ID, Visual Voice Mail, human interface device profiles • Full HTML Web browsing VZW Tones, VZ NavigatorSM, Available Colors: Black with red capabilities with Opera 9.5 Mobile IM and Mobile Email accents on the battery cover enhanced browser Additional specifications: • One-touch access to social • Full messaging suite, including networking sites via shortcut SMS, MMS, Mobile IM, Mobile

The LGF 2010 Photo Calendar (Little Green Footballs) Submitted at 11/22/2009 5:22:41 PM

Now available at Lulu.com in time for Christmas and the New Year — the Little Green Footballs 2010 Calendar, featuring 13 beautiful high resolution versions of photographs I’ve posted at LGF. It's $24.99, Lulu.com handles all the printing and shipping, I get 10 bucks, and they get the difference. Not a bad deal for all involved.

Lulu.com also has excellent tools for publishers; for example, this embedded preview of the LGF 2010 calendar: Senate Video

Dems Get Votes Needed to Begin Health Care Debate (Little Green Footballs) Submitted at 11/22/2009 9:41:14 AM

An interesting development in the health care reform battle, as the Democrats get the 60 votes

they need to begin the debate after Thanksgiving: Sen. Blanche Lincoln also on board, 60 in hand.

Sen. Blanche Lincoln is a yes for debating health reform, but a no

for the public option, and she and fellow centrists are making clear they expect Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to scrap his current plan for a governmentrun insurance program.

Lincoln (D-Ark.) announced Saturday that she’d deliver the deciding vote to push forward with a sweeping health reform plan, ending days of speculation over whether President Barack

Obama’s signature priority would proceed to the Senate floor or suffer a debilitating blow.

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Sergey Brin: Android and Chrome OS 'will likely converge over time'

By Thomas Ricker (Engadget) Submitted at 11/23/2009 7:59:00 AM

When it comes to nerd obsessions, the only thing that can trump a fictional tablet developed by battling left-coast legends is the promise of a revolutionary OS from Google that relies upon nothing but a browser and the dreams of a young Larry Ellison. Don't even start with your Korean product waifs as we're trying to keep the discussion in the realm of possibilities. Now, with the weekend over, you've probably experienced the same sense of ennui we've all felt at having downloaded and tested a copy of Chrome OS. To be fair, that mehness is kind of what you'd expect

from a browser-based OS that's meant to get out of your way.

Still, it's hard not to wonder where Android and its growing application base fits into Google's long-term OS strategy especially after seeing several ARM-based smartbook prototypes running Google's smartphone OS. Fortunately, Google co-founder Sergey Brin shed some light on this topic in a candid statement following the Chrome OS event. According to CNET, Brin said that Android and the Chrome OS "will likely converge over time," noting the common Webkit and Linux foundation of both operating systems. It's unclear when this might occur however. In fact, listening to Google CEO Eric

Schmidt attempt to downplay the difference between Google's operating systems in a recent CNET interview leaves us wondering if Google has a clear idea of its target markets as smartphone and laptop

functionality continues to converge across devices. Schmidt concedes that it's too early to tell how the OSes will be used and prefers not to "prejudge the success" of each. "The future will unfold as it does," he says, and

Monday Giveaway: Viper SmartStart iPhone Kit, Brought to you by Gas Cubby

By John Biggs (CrunchGear) Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:35:09 AM

Using the Gas Cubby iPhone app to increase your fuel economy and keep your vehicle properly maintained can save you money and help the environment… but, if you’ve learned anything from CrunchGear, it’s that saving money isn’t much fun unless you can blow it on something cool

and completely over the top.

Well, one lucky CrunchGear reader gets to have their cake and eat it too. App Cubby, the developer of Gas Cubby, is giving away a Viper SmartStart kit to one lucky CrunchGear reader. If you own a car and an iPhone, surely you’ve heard about and have been lusting after Viper’s new technology that allows you to lock/unlock, open the trunk, and even start your car

right from your iPhone.

And for those still behind the curve on using your iPhone to improve fuel economy and keep track of maintenance, Gas Cubby will be on sale for only $4.99 until Cyber Monday.

To enter, leave a comment below with your vision of “car 2.0.” How can mobile apps better integrate with vehicles to make your driving experience more fun, safe, efficient, and

economical?

Note: CrunchGear and App Cubby will be awarding the winner a $500 gift certificate (the retail price of Viper’s SmartStart kit) to Best Buy. The winner will be have to handle compatibility, installation, etc.

We’ll pick a winner on Wednesday.

the open-source community will determine the natural fit. Check the interview after the break -the Android vs. Chrome OS waffling begins at the 16:30 remaining mark of the 19 minute and 11 second interview.

Continue reading Sergey Brin: Android and Chrome OS 'will likely converge over time' Sergey Brin: Android and Chrome OS 'will likely converge over time' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Download Squad| CNET| Email this| Comments

Celebs Go Glam for American Music Awards (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 11/22/2009 8:00:00 PM

ET is at the AMA's! The "2009 American Music Awards" are underway and we have all the red -hot red-carpet arrival pics, including Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, Rihanna, Adam Lambert and more!

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Engadget Podcast 172 - 11.23.2009

By Trent Wolbe (Engadget) Submitted at 11/23/2009 9:40:00 AM

It's been a crazy weekend, and we'll have the latest episode of The Engadget Show up to prove it soon enough, but for now we thought you might still be interested in the podcast we did live on Friday from within the hazy mist of show prep and Chrome OS assessment. Sure, you might not be used to getting a new podcast on a Monday morning, but we've heard that a technology podcast replete with bizarre exchanges with live audience members via chat and many vitamins and minerals can be a vital part of a healthy, wellbalanced breakfast.

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller Producer: Trent Wolbe Song: Bit.shifter- The World Has Turned And Left Me Here Hear the podcast 01:38 - Google's Chrome OS revealed 26:52 - AT&T loses request for injunction against Verizon's Map for That ads 30:28 - AT&T 'hits' back at Verizon's Map for That campaign with an 'ad' of its own 34:20 - Welcome to the next Engadget Subscribe to the podcast [ iTunes] Subscribe to the

Chrome OS and Android Are Destined to Merge, Somehow [Google]

By John Herrman (Gizmodo) Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:49:55 AM

"Android and Chrome will likely converge over time," says Google's Sergey Brin, echoing the cryptic sentiment first mentioned by a reluctant Eric Schmidt back in July. Today, it's exactly as confusing as it was four months ago.

Google, asked how on earth this slow-motion, oddly-planned scenario would play out, gives mixed responses. The official PR line, when asked about the merger: [W]e're reaching a perfect storm Podcast directly in iTunes 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast of converging trends where (enhanced AAC). (at) engadget (dot) com. computers are behaving more [ RSS MP3] Add the Engadget like mobile devices, and phones Podcast feed (in MP3) to your Twitter:@joshuatopolsky@future are behaving more like small RSS aggregator and have the paul@reckless@engadget computers. Having two open show delivered automatically. Filed under: Podcasts source operating systems from [ RSS AAC] Add the Engadget E n g a d g e t P o d c a s t 1 7 2 - Google provides both users and Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) 11.23.2009 originally appeared device manufacturers with more to your RSS aggregator. on Engadget on Mon, 23 Nov choice and helps contribute a [ Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast 2009 09:40:00 EST. Please see wealth of new code to the open directly in the Zune Marketplace our terms for use of feeds. source community.

Download the podcast Permalink| | Email this| There, perfect: acknowledge that LISTEN (MP3) Comments your boss's sentiment is true, but LISTEN (AAC) deny any specific plans. But what LISTEN (OGG) about when CNET asks Schmidt Contact the podcast directly? Observe: The future will unfold as it does.

There it is! When these guys are talking about Chrome and Android merging, they're not

talking about any kind of roadmap, they're just speaking in obvious, unusually long-term truisms, like they've been doing an awful lot lately: Two Linuxbased operating systems from one company are bound to develop similarities; eventually, our computing usage will be totally centered around the web; in a decade, our notebooks and cellphones will probably be one device; the future is awesome; etcetera.

This Zen futurism is charming and all, but Chrome OS and Android aren't uncontrollable entities—they don't need to be crudely estimated, or attributed some kind of autonomy, especially by the people that make them. Specifically, they need to be planned. [ CNET via Download Squad via Engadget]

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British surgeons using radiation beams to halt macular degeneration

By Darren Murph (Engadget)

Missouri GOP Calls for Revolution

Submitted at 11/23/2009 7:28:00 AM

We've seen more eyesight restoration efforts than we could easily count, but rather than tooting their horn about some theoretical discovery, boffins at Kings College Hospital in London are actually putting their hard work to use on real, live human brings. The new process, which goes by the name brachytherapy, is a one-off treatment for macular degeneration. In essence, surgeons carefully light up a beam of radiation within the eye for just over three minutes, which kills harmful cells without damaging anything else. A trial is currently underway in order to restore eyesight in some 363 patients, and everything thus far leads us to believe that the

process is both safe and effective.

As for costs? The procedure currently runs £6,000 ($9,889), but that's still not awful when you consider that existing treatments involving injections run £800 per month. Hop past the break for a video report.

Continue reading British surgeons using radiation beams to halt macular degeneration British surgeons using radiation beams to halt macular degeneration originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Astronauts take spacewalk No. 3 after suit snag (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News) Submitted at 11/23/2009 5:52:53 AM

Kris buzzed up: Kennedy dispute reveals divide among

Catholics (AP) 29 seconds ago 2009-1123T07:19:50-08:00 This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

(Little Green Footballs) Submitted at 11/22/2009 10:05:57 AM

Missouri’s Lafayette County Republican Central Committee has put up a billboard proudly advising citizens to prepare for the violent overthrow of the US government: Lafayette County Politics: New I-70 billboard

By Darren Murph (Engadget) We're also hearing that this same r e p l a c e s f a m e d handheld has surfaced elsewhere OBAMANATION sign. Reads: Submitted at 11/23/2009 10:03:00 AM as the Digicube Z8, but it's tough Vote Out Incumbents. Live Free Eking's S515 has been trumpeted to say if either will be shipping or Die! for a small while now, but we stateside in the near future. Hop UPDATE at 11/22/09 11:28:16 weren't exactly eager to bite on past the break if you're am: before seeing this thing in the curious to see what a Touch Pro2 More billboard bad craziness: flesh. Today, UMPC Portal has would look like on 'roids.

And an oldie but not a goodie managed to procure one of these Continue reading Eking's tilting, from 2008:[Video] tilting, sliding handhelds, and s l i d i n g S 5 1 5 U M P C g e t s (Hat tip: LGF readers.) thankfully for all of us, they've unwrapped on video, looks like a h o s t e d u p a n i n f o r m a t i v e giant Touch Pro2 unboxing video to show it off. Eking's tilting, sliding S515 Packing a 4.8-inch display, UMPC gets unwrapped on video, 1.2GHz Atom Z515 processor, looks like a giant Touch Pro2 1GB of RAM, a 16GB or 32GB originally appeared on Engadget S S D a n d a f u l l Q W E R T Y on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:03:00 keyboard, the device honestly EST. Please see our terms for looks like a giant HTC Touch use of feeds. Permalink| UMPC Pro2 at first glance -- particularly Portal| Email this| Comments once you prop the display up.

Eking's tilting, sliding S515 UMPC gets unwrapped on video, looks like a giant Touch Pro2

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A Safety Primer for Thanksgiving Turkeys [Thanksgiving]

By Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker) Submitted at 11/23/2009 7:00:00 AM

Nintendo Japan launches (paid) on-demand video service for Wii

By Serkan Toto (CrunchGear) Submitted at 11/23/2009 3:40:06 AM

Nintendo started offering a video distribution service for Japanese Wii owners this May, attracting about 800,000 customers by late September in this country. In the same month, Nintendo promised their free channel will be made available to Non-Japanese Wii owners next year, at the same

time announcing they’ll start offering paid content (in Japan) very soon. And since the weekend, we have that fee-based streaming video service[JP] over here.

A lot of the content is still free, but the new service makes it possible to view popular TV programs and some Wiiexclusive content on your console. Wii users can now

watch Disney and Pokemon anime, Sesame Street, movies, soccer games and other content.

Wii-exclusive content includes a bunch of educational programs.

Nintendo initially managed to gather 15 content providers, for example Warner Entertainment and Disney, that will deliver about 250 different programs by next month. By next year, Wii owners are supposed to be able to

choose between a total of 1,000 titles. Prices vary heavily, with titles costing between $0.11 and $11 (10 yen and 1,000 yen).

It’s not yet clear whether Nintendo will offer those paid services outside Japan next year as well.

Planning on doing the big turkey thing this week? Cooks Illustrated, a prime source of heavily-tested recipes and tips, offers a quick (1:38) video primer on safely cooking your bird. You don't even have to skip the stuffing—just heat it in a microwave to a prep temperature of 120-130 degrees before putting it inside the bird, just before cooking. [ Cooks Illustrated]

Certain Digital Readers In Short Supply (NPR) (Yahoo! News Search Results for e-readers) Submitted at 11/23/2009 4:13:59 AM

November 23, 2009 • Add to Playlist • Download This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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Verizon announces Samsung Omnia II: December 2 for $200

Google Maps Navigation hacked for extra-American use

Help save a BusinessWeek blog

By Chris Ziegler (Engadget)

By Vladislav Savov (Engadget)

Submitted at 11/22/2009 7:39:26 AM

Submitted at 11/23/2009 9:00:00 AM

As expected, Verizon has chosen December 2 as the Samsung Omnia II's date with destiny, bringing an interesting full-touch WinMo alternative to the HTC Imagio that launched back in October alongside Windows Mobile 6.5. Speaking of 6.5, there were some early concerns that Verizon's version of the Omnia II would launch on stale 6.1 code, but fear not -- it's now confirmed that you'll be looking at Microsoft's latest and greatest stuff when you gaze upon that 3.7-inch AMOLED WVGA display. It's also got a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash, WiFi, and 8GB of internal storage along with microSD expansion -- good news for anyone who plans on making much use of that cam, especially in video mode. Verizon's site and retail locations both take delivery of the device on the same 12/2 date, pushing it for $199.99 after

Submitted at 11/23/2009 9:19:00 AM

Guess what, prospective Milestone owners, the Droid's one major advantage over its Euro cousin has just been coded out of existence by those proactive, un-American XDA Developers. The free Google Maps Navigation service, whose US announcement was so shocking as to decimate the stock prices of satnav purveyors Garmin and TomTom, has now been ported to work outside the land of the free as well. Not only that, but you can use the app on other Android devices, meaning a $ 1 0 0 m a i l - i n r e b a t e . your old G1 can get a breath of Considering the pricing, we've fresh air for absolutely free. That gotta ask: Droid or Omnia II? is if you don't count the time it Verizon announces Samsung takes you to learn how to insert Omnia II: December 2 for $200 all the code properly and the risk originally appeared on Engadget of bricking your device. But we on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:00:00 know our readers eat iron nails EST. Please see our terms for f o r b r e a k f a s t a n d f a s h i o n use of feeds. Permalink| Verizon Wireless| Email this| Comments

(Scripting News)

Jay Rosen sent a link to a post on a BusinessWeek blog: "Does anyone know how to preserve and store our four and a half years of blog posts and comments?"

Not sure what kind of blog it is, but saving the posts to a PDF (as mentioned on the site) isn't much of a solution.

We hope each of us is creating a record. The time to think about how your words will last over time is before you're leaving the elegantly optimized code before job. Think about it and do lunch, so we expect all of you to something while you're writing. be using this by day's end, you Choose software that's easy to hear? archive. Ideally you should just Google Maps Navigation hacked have to make a copy of a folder for extra-American use originally to back it up. Most bloggiong appeared on Engadget on Mon, software is nowhere near that 23 Nov 2009 09:19:00 EST. simple.

Please see our terms for use of If you have any ideas how to feeds. Permalink Gadget Venue| creat a backup of that blog please XDA Developers Forum| Email post a comment here or there. this| Comments Update: The blog is in archive.org.

Jon Gosselin Brings Kate a Peace Offering (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 11/22/2009 4:08:00 PM

Jon Gosselin arrived at his and Kate’s divorce arbitration

meeting in Pennsylvania on Saturday bearing an apparent peace offering for his estranged wife.

ET special correspondent Diane

Dimond says that Jon, who's back from his solo vacation in Hawaii, arrived to the meeting site at 9:45 a.m. with a bouquet of red roses in hand. “The

flowers are to end this war of roses,” his lawyer Mark Heller said.

Jon told Diane he hopes he and Kate can iron out their financial

issues, and added that he’ll be spending Thanksgiving with his parents.

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Phil Schiller Grants Interview About Apple’s App Store, Claims Devs Actually Like Approval Process

Carrie Underwood, Kate Hudson & Celebs Honor CNN's Everyday Heroes

By Jason Kincaid (CrunchGear)

Submitted at 11/22/2009 6:16:00 PM

Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:22:07 AM

The Internet Weighs About 1,098,868,920,000 Pounds [Internet]

By Mark Wilson (Gizmodo)

Blackberries/iPhone/iPod touches to worry about. Plus, there's a Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:40:00 AM 9,320-mile transatlantic cable How did Crave UK ever come connecting one half of the digital u p w i t h t h a t n u m b e r ? world to the other (it in itself Multiplication and addition, of weighs 191,802,168 pounds) to course. account for.

570,937,778 computers are Anyway, the final number they online, with the average weight c o m e up with is of 88 pounds, with monitors, 1,098,868,920,000 pounds (or p r i n t e r s , a n d a n y o t h e r just over a trillion pounds, for peripherals. Ehhh...I'm still a bit those too lazy to count commas). skeptical of that number, given To put that number in better the popularity of laptops, but let's perspective, it's about the same keep coming because this is fun! w e i g h t a s 2 5 , 0 0 0 c l o n e d T h e r e a r e a n a d d i t i o n a l Sears/Willis Towers. [ Crave UK 175,480,931 servers, and about and image] 1 0 0 m i l l i o n

Phil Schiller, Apple's SVP of Worldwide Product Marketing, is back on his one-man crusade to defend the App Store from the latest wave of criticism pointed in its direction. This time, Apple is having to battle the news of Facebook's all-star developer Joe Hewitt quitting the platform, more high profile app rejections, and the rise of Android as an increasingly viable alternative to the iPhone. Schiller has granted BusinessWeek's Arik Hesseldahl what the publication says is his first " wide-ranging interview on the matter". Unfortunately, Schiller doesn't really say anything to quell the growing unrest in the developer community — instead, he's

offered some finely-tuned PRspeak that will placate the vast majority of iPhone users, who are only vaguely aware of the App Store controversies and just need a reminder that Apple is still one of the good guys. But it may only make developers angrier.

(ETonline - Breaking News) The "CNN Heroes: All-Star Tribute" recognized those that inspire and impact others on an everyday basis. ET's Kevin Frazier joined celebs Carrie Underwood, Neil Patrick Harris, Kate Hudson, Eva Mendes and many more as they honored these influential men and women.

"These are the people that make the world better, they inspire," Underwood told ET Saturday night.

"There's an award show every month it seems now in Hollywood. So, it's nice to be involved in one that introduces the world to people that really, really truly deserve awards, that are sort of unsung heroes," Harris said of the honorary evening.

Night of 'American Idol' Alumni on AMA Red Carpet (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 11/22/2009 11:21:00 PM

As a testament to the success of many "American Idol" contestants since the show's inception, artists from a wide range of seasons descended upon the "2009 American Music Awards"' red carpet in Los

Angeles on Sunday night.

Carrie Underwood took notice of the "Idol" presence at the awards show. She told ET, "'American Idol' and the people that have come off the show have had a huge impact on the music industry and I am so thankful and so glad to see so many people doing well and we're all here and

it's just about the 'Idol' show tonight…"

She was joined by fellow winners Kris Allen and Kelly Clarkson, along with runner-up Adam Lambert and finalist Chris Daughtry. Lambert took the stage to perform his single "For Your Entertainment" off his debut solo album.

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Alternate-reality games flourish at the grassroots (CNET News.com) Submitted at 11/23/2009 4:00:00 AM

A photo of a meeting between a participant in Must Love Robots, a small-scale alternate-reality game put on recently by the New York duo, Awkward Hug, and the game's signature robot.(Credit: Flickr user Tim Scribbles) For Kiaya Steele, the men in suits and dark glasses who appeared suddenly through the raindrops of a New Hampshire morning were the first sign that something very unusual was going on.

One of the men stood under an umbrella next to the car Steele and her friend Kellin had been riding in moments earlier and delivered a message. As Kelli's sister Jenna was brought out of a second car that had pulled up mysteriously behind them, Steele was told that if she couldn't quickly prove that she was "the real Kiaya," the bomb planted inside Jenna would explode.

And this was just the tip of the iceberg of a day spent driving all around the countryside, complete with vans, staple guns, cameramen in trees, threats, red phone booths, and a series of hidden clues.

But this wasn't a situation for the FBI. Rather, it was a very smallscale--and low-tech--version of what is known as an alternatereality game, an entertainment genre that has grown in popularity in recent years,

especially because its traditional use of mixed-media--the Web, cell phones, social media, and others--can allow large numbers of people to play together

collaboratively.

Over the years, the games have become a favorite marketing tool of large companies like Microsoft, which has

commissioned huge ARGs, as ARG was called The Beast, and they're known, for the launches was used as a promotion for the of things like the video game release of the Steven Spielberg Halo 2 and Windows Vista.

20 page Indeed, the first widely known ALTERNATE-REALITY

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ALTERNATEcontinued from page 19

film "AI: Artificial Intelligence."

Those versions of ARGs have seven-figure budgets and allow thousands of people to participate. Yet while they get most of the ink written about ARGs, there has long been a steady stream of games built for very small audiences or, as in the case of Steele and the friend with a "bomb" insider her, an audience of one. It turned out that the intrigue was all part of a day-long mystery concocted by Steele's boyfriend, and involving several of their friends, as part of an elaborate marriage proposal.

"We use a lot of fictional analogies in our lives--gangsters in an alley (and) later in the quest there was a Soviet scientist, all themes that had played out in our courtship," Steele recalled. "We would write stories of sorts to one another before we dated.

We'd take an image and run with it until it was too tired to move anymore. The whole thing was kind of a collaboration of our lives together."

Given that the game Steele's new fiance planned for his proposal had such a small audience, it was, to be sure, at the extreme end of the size and complexity spectrum for ARGs. But at any given moment, there are several ARGs being played that have slightly larger, yet still very small, numbers of participants. And it is these games, usually carried out at minimal expense and with no deep-pocketed sponsor, that may well be the true lifeblood of the increasingly popular world of

ARGs. And while there are practical limits to the kinds of interactions that are possible between the people running the larger games-the so-called puppetmasters--and the players, these smaller adventures offer everyone involved a much greater chance at direct communication.

"There are quite a few people making [small] ARGs, either without profit in mind or marketing [who are] saying, 'Look at me, I can do this,'" said Michael Andersen, who runs ARGNet, the leading source for news and information about the genre. "The motivations for a lot of these things vary. [One] advantage of doing these grassroots games is working for yourself. [And], it becomes a lot easier to have those one-on-one interactions [and the] feeling that not only can you communicate, but you can change what's going on" for fans.

Robot love Earlier this year, a New York duo calling themselves Awkward Hug built and pulled off a smallscale ARG called Must Love Robots, which was centered around the idea of helping make love connections between people and robots.

Through a series of Web sites, social media, YouTube videos and more, Awkward Hug founders Jim Babb and Tanner Ringerud turned a $3,000 budget into a 3-month-long game with at least 300 participants.

Babb said that the project, which

was entirely self-funded, came out of an original desire to create a Web series about a robot. But when the two realized that they could "make it so much more" by adding the various multimedia elements, they set out to build a bona fide ARG, one that would allow them to communicate directly with almost anyone who wanted to talk with them, even to the point of playing online games of Scrabble. And, of course, there were real-world meetings between prospective "dates" and the game's signature robot (see video below).

Given the huge gap in size between a large-scale ARG and something like Must Love Robots, it might be surprising that many of the ultimate goals are the same. It certainly was to Babb.

"What surprised me the most," Babb said, was that "players want more and they want to do things with you. It becomes a collaboration. The audience becomes characters."

And while it's not always possible for everyone to participate in person--Must Love Robots attracted players from around the world--one of the great things about the ARG genre is how many people who play do participate directly in one way or another. In Babb and Ringerud's game, for example, 20 people created costumes related to the story line and sent in pictures of themselves wearing the outfits, all of which were intended to be folded into the larger story line.

Kids creators A different kind of small-scale ARG was Find Chesia, a project put on by the Finksburg, Md., library on behalf of its local schoolchildren and their summer reading program.

The story, said organizer Heather Owings, was centered on the story of Chesia, a 14-year-old girl whose parents have gone missing on an archaeological dig and who sets out to find them.

The game was designed by five small teams of 11- to 15-yearolds.

Like with many small-scale ARGs, Find Chesia encountered a series of structural problems, most notably, Owings said, the fact that the kids turned out to be resistant--mainly due to regular conditioning about the dangers of online anonymity--to the idea of posting information in character to the game's Web site. In addition, there was the unforeseen problem that almost none of the kids were old enough to drive to the game's real-world locations.

This bracelet is an important element in the ARG, Finding Chesia, which was put on by a Maryland library on behalf of a town's schoolchildren and their summer reading program.(Credit: Finding Chesia) Still, the game was successful enough for Owings to want to run the game again next summer, incorporating some of the lessons they learned this year. And despite the problems, Owings said that she came away with an

appreciation for what the ARG genre can offer its organizers and participants.

"I like that ARGs use tools that were set up to do something else, and they're used to create something new," Owings said.

"It's the taking of something and changing it and using it for something it wasn't intended [for] in a new and creative way."

Plus, she said, Finding Chesia turned out to be a perfect way to get the kids in on the enjoyment of building their own game, even though they lacked many of the skills generally considered necessary for such a task.

"It's a way for teens to create their own game," Owings said, "and we really enjoyed that aspect of it...They don't need to be computer programmer [and] here is a way for them to take ownership for creating a game on a fairly small level. [As well, it] helps them to realize how much the Internet does facilitate networking within the community, as well as outside the community."

These days, said ARGNet's Andersen, there are at least as many small, grassroots ARGs being produced as the larger, corporate-backed games. And those numbers could grow as an increasing number of people become versed in the tools for building them. According to Andersen, teachers at the University of Texas at Dallas and the University of Mary ALTERNATE-REALITY 21 page

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Pearltrees Visualizes How You Organize the Web

By Ben Parr (Mashable!)

favorite websites, organizing what you find interesting, and even seeing what others are This post is part of Mashable’s s a y i n g a b o u t s p e c i f i c w e b Spark of Genius series, which d e s t i n a t i o n s . highlights a unique feature of Signing up for Pearltrees is startups. If you would like to simple, but getting used to the have your startup considered for interface and all of its features is inclusion, please see the details not as easy. Once you add your here. The series is made possible personal information, you are

by Microsoft BizSpark. presented with a display Name: Pearltrees connecting you to a web of Quick Pitch: Pearltrees is a new circles, which are called pearls. visual way to organize content on In this system, you add websites the Web and connecting people’s you find interesting (either interests. manually, via a browser Genius Idea: How do you e x t e n s i o n , o r t h r o u g h organize the web on the browser? bookmarklets) into your profile.

Since the time of Netscape, You also have control over where we’ve been using bookmarks and the pearls are placed on the page. a wide series of folders to Now for the organization part: manage our favorite websites and you can create complex systems web pages. Perhaps in some of pearls, known as pearltrees. instances you use something like These complex trees are like your Google Reader to organize your bookmark folders and subfolders, articles and favorite things on but visually represented. If you YouTube, but the result is the create a pearl for YouTube, you same: it’s a messy affair. could create a tree filled with Pearltrees is nothing less than a n o t h i n g b u t y o u r f a v o r i t e reinvention of how we organize YouTube videos. The same goes the web. The service provides a for articles or any other type of completely unique and visual web content. You can collapse e x p e r i e n c e t o s a v i n g y o u r or expand trees at will.

Submitted at 11/22/2009 10:01:39 PM

understands what users want and need. Spark of Genius Series Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark BizSpark is a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide Clicking on a pearl gives you a n e t w o r k o f i n v e s t o r s a n d range of options that go beyond incubators. There are no upfront visiting your favorite website. It costs, so if your business is provides a preview of the page privately owned, less than three and offers options to share it via years old, and generates less than social media. The most unique U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, aspects are the connections and you can sign up today. discussions, however. You can Entrepreneurs can take see how others have organized advantage of the Azure Services any website within the pearltrees, platform for their website hosting along with their notes on that and storage needs. Microsoft website. In a way, it’s like recently announced the“new Delicious, but more in-depth and CloudApp()” contest– use the visually rich.

Azure Services Platform for P e a r l t r e e s t a k e s a t i m e hosting your .NET or PHP app, investment to make it useful. and you could be the lucky Once you’ve spent some time winner of a USD 5000* ( please with it though, it’s easy to get see website for official rules and addicted. It’s more intuitive than guidelines).” Reviews: Delicious, bookmarks and provides a social Google Reader, PHP, YouTube context comparable to Delicious. Tags: bizspark, Pearltrees It’s still in Alpha too, meaning that you can expect it to evolve significantly as its team better

21

Adam Lambert Locks Lips with Dancer During AMA Performance (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 11/22/2009 11:09:00 PM

Adam Lambert joined ET backstage after his lip-locking performance at the "2009 American Music Awards" on Sunday night.

In his performance of his single "For Your Entertainment," Adam shared a kiss with one of his male back-up dancers. He said, "We were all just kind of expressing ourselves."

"We just wanted to really honor the lyrics of the song and I feel like we did that," explained the break-out star of his choreography.

ALTERNATEcontinued from page 20

Washington are both teaching classes about ARGs. But the real upside in the genre's growth will come naturally, as more people in more local communities get exposed to ARGs and discover the joy of

playing something truly interactive and truly collaborative.

And while it's true that most small ARGs quickly peter out as players and organizers discover that they don't have the time or

energy to follow through, there are those who feel that the ultimate payoff of participating is there for anyone with the stamina or commitment to grab it.

"For an independent ARG, the most successful thing you can do

is complete it and have your core audience go all the way through," said Awkward Hug's Babb. "It's such a cool format, and the people who can make it through a whole one of these get an experience that no other media

can provide."

This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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Dear Rupert: You Don't Succeed By Another iPhone worm, Making Life More Difficult For but this one is serious Users (CNET News.com)

Sophos wrote that the worm attacks users on several ISPs, including UPC in the will signal incredibly short- aggregates both Microsoft and Another iPhone worm has been Netherlands, Optus in Australia, sighted thinking on the parts of Google results (2) technology spotted in the wild. and T-Mobile in several countries everyone who participates. The hacks that will allow you to Unlike the previous exploitation, worldwide. Worse, the worm i n i t i a l r e a c t i o n w o u l d b e combine the two results in one or w h i c h m e r e l y c h a n g e d a s p r e a d s f a s t e r o n a W i - F i significantly less traffic to any (3) Google realizes that it has jailbroken iPhone's wallpaper to connection than a 3G connection. site that agrees to participate, copyright law fair use on its site a picture of Rick Astley of Users with affected devices considering that Google still a n d k e e p s i n d e x i n g s i t e s "Rickrolling" fame, this new might notice extremely short drives a ton of traffic to most anyways. I'm not sure Google threat allows hackers to steal battery life while on Wi-Fi. major sites. Simply giving that would take that last step, but if sensitive information.

According to Sophos, that's up for a chunk of cash is a very things go nuclear, it might make According to security firm mainly due to the worm engaging risky proposition. Second, in the most sense.

Sophos, which wrote about the in "so much network activity." factionalizing the web, it harms But the key thing is that none of exploitation after a Dutch ISP When a device is infected, it's everyone. No one wants to have this does anything to help users. spotted it late last week, the assigned a unique number so that to think about which sites are And that's the problem. It's not worm attacks jailbroken iPhone the attackers can easily pinpoint a included in which search engine, adding even the tiniest sliver of and iPod Touch devices only. single device. It also looks for and if the battle begins in earnest, additional benefit to users. And The worm "uses command-and- authentication systems that use then you have a situation where these days, that's a strategic error. control, like a traditional PC SMS, better known as mTANs. you end up in an inevitable If your business is focused on botnet," Sophos wrote in a blog mTANs are frequently used by stalemate, with certain sites in making life more difficult for a post on Saturday to warn users banks that send an SMS message Google's search engine, but not competitor, rather than adding about the exploit. "It configures with a password to mobile in Microsoft's, and others in just more value to users, you're doing two startup scripts, one to phones, allowing people to log in Microsoft's but not Google's -- the wrong thing. Microsoft and execute the worm on boot-up, to their online accounts, Sophos and no one wins. Third, the cost News Corp. should be trying to a n d t h e o t h e r t o c r e a t e a wrote. of this program to a company provide more value to users, and connection to a Lithuanian server In essence, this threat is serious. l i k e M i c r o s o f t t o m a k e i t instead, they seem to be plotting to upload stolen data and cede Sophos recommends that people meaningful is huge. It's much ways to make consumers' lives control to the bot master." with infected iPhones and iPod bigger than the numbers that m o r e a n n o y i n g a n d m o r e Jailbreaking, which has been Touch devices restore them back were being tossed out before. difficult. They may think that's around for about two years, is a to Apple's most recent firmware Finally, all this would really do is smart, but in the long term, such hack that enables iPhone and update. For now, there is no other open up new opportunities for strategies always backfire. iPod Touch users to download way to fix the problem. o n e o f t h r e e t h i n g s ( o r a Permalink| Comments| Email applications unavailable through This content has passed through combination) to happen (1) a new This Story Apple's App Store. fivefilters.org. meta search engine shows up that Submitted at 11/23/2009 7:09:25 AM

By Mike Masnick (Techdirt) Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:06:00 AM

Well, look at that. Last week it was just a silly suggestion from some netheads, and now come reports that Rupert Murdoch is at least in the early stages of considering opting out of Google, with Microsoft paying it to be "exclusive" on Bing. Apparently, Microsoft has actually approached a few publications about doing similar deals. It's no surprise that Microsoft and Murdoch would explore this.

Microsoft has experimented for years with programs to bribe people to use its search engine over Google's -- but it hasn't done much to help. Meanwhile, Murdoch continues to not actually understand how the internet or copyright law works, and has some oddly misplaced dislike for Google (despite the fact that Google alone is pretty much what kept Murdoch-owned MySpace alive for years, and Murdoch owns a bunch of sites that aggregate info just like Google).

Still, if this does go forward, it

Twitter launching paid business accounts - Telegraph By twitter:@mclayson (TweetMeme)

Twitter's cofounder Biz Stone said the microblogging service would start charging companies

for using the platform from next www.telegraph.co.uk year.

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Dell Mini 3i smartphone ready for China launch (CNET News.com)

netbook for the Chinese market.

With more than 500 million customers, China Mobile is the Dell and China Mobile on world's largest mobile service Monday offered up more details provider, according to Dell. about the Dell Mini 3i Dell was initially mum on details smartphone, which will be going when it first mentioned the Mini on sale in China later this month.

3i about 10 days ago. But the Dell's Mini 3i company did reveal that China smartphone(Credit: Dell) Mobile and Brazil's Claro would The Android-based device, be the first global providers to Dell's first smartphone, will carry its new smartphone. support e-mail, instant Like China Mobile, Brazil's messaging, and both MMS and Claro boasts a huge subscriber SMS messaging. It will include base, with 42 million customers Bluetooth and GPS capabilities in Brazil alone. By selling the and a Mini USB connector, and Mini 3i through both providers, will accommodate Micro SD Dell can potentially capture a cards up to 32GB. much larger mobile audience The quadband GSM/EDGE than it could through any U.S. phone weighs 105 grams and Mini 3i will provide access to an carriers. includes a 3-megapixel camera online store, in this case, China Arriving in China Mobile stores with zoom, auto-focus, flash, Mobile's Mobile Market, where by the end of November, the video capture, and photo-editing people can download apps, Mini 3i will shortly thereafter be capabilities. The touchscreen has games, wallpaper, and ringtones. sold directly from Dell. For those a 640x360 resolution. Dell had Users will be able to run different interested in color schemes, the already confirmed earlier this widgets on the home screen to Mini 3i will be available in Red month that the Mini 3i would keep on top of the news, weather, Passion and Oiled Bronze--the have a 3.5-inch high-definition stock prices, and sports scores. image below shows the Red D e l l s a i d i t h a s b e e n Passion treatment: screen.

Under the hood, the device is collaborating with China Mobile Dell Mini 3i smartphone(Credit: running China Mobile's OPhone f o r a b o u t a y e a r o n t h e Dell/China Mobile) software, a customized version of development of the phone. The This content has passed through Google's Android operating two companies teamed up earlier fivefilters.org. in the year to integrate a 3G data system.

Like other Android phones, the card for Dell's Inspiron Mini 10 Submitted at 11/23/2009 7:09:46 AM

23

Roku Adds Channel Store with Facebook, Flickr, Pandora, and More

By Barb Dybwad (Mashable!)

Submitted at 11/22/2009 7:53:33 PM

Internet-enabled set-top box makers Roku (who we wrote about in our top 10 gadgets for social media addicts feature recently) have some welcome announcements today about 10 new, free content partners being added to the platform in an also new Roku Channel Store section.

Coming to the new “App Store”style store are popular video providers blip.tv, independent netcasters Revision3 and This Week in Tech, photo browsing from both Flickr and your Facebook photos, music from recommendation engine Pandora, plus content FrameChannel, Mediafly, MobileTribe, and Motionbox.

As internet-based television and other video content marches into the living room, we’re seeing a number of different approaches to bringing online video to the big screen. Some, like Boxee, began as a software interface that makes hooking up your computer to your TV an easier experience and later began pursuing a dedicated hardware solution.

Roku began initially as a hardware solution — an alternative to (or addition to) the set-top box that powers your cable subscription.

Roku has several different players available including a standard definition model and two flavors of high-definition boxes. Existing content partners will of course remain, with Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand and MLB.TV also available for streaming video to the devices. The new Channel Store represents a shift towards building an open platform model to allow new channel partners to more easily make their content available via the Roku box.

How do you watch internet video in the home? Do you have a setup that brings online television to your actual television? Reviews: App Store, Boxee, Facebook, Flickr, Pandora Tags: facebook, flickr, ONLINE VIDEO, pandora, revision 3, roku, Twit, video

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Nintendo launches paid video content for Wii (CNET News.com) Submitted at 11/23/2009 4:00:00 AM

The Nintendo Wii remains a force to be reckoned with in the video game world and new survey statistics along with new revenue streams suggest that Nintendo has still has something up it's sleeve.

Wii 'Theater no Ma'(Credit: Nintendo) New survey data from Lottay, an online wish-list and gift giving site, shows that the Wii and its associated accessories will regain momentum during this year's holiday season.

The Wii and Wii-related gear were wished for twice as much as the Sony PS3 and Xbox 360 combined though 38 percent of people wanted something other than products--namely cash, and in one case, Satan (I assume for a visit, not as a full-time family member.)

And while a wish, or a request for a gift, is no guarantee that a product will actually sell, there is a dearth of exciting gifts for this holiday season, leaving room for the Wii and other less-new products to be successful.

Just a few weeks ago, Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello commented that the "Wii platform has been a little weaker than we had anticipated" but Nintendo of America's executive

Microsoft and News Corp in Discussions to Remove Newspaper Content from Google

By Pete Cashmore (Mashable!)

Submitted at 11/22/2009 4:51:19 PM

Yes, really. Rupert Murdoch’s crusade to blame Google for the failing newspaper business model continues today, as it emerges that News Corp has conducted talks with Microsoft about deindexing the company’s sites from Google and (presumably) being paid to include them in Bing instead. vice president of sales and directly to their front door.

The concept makes sense only if marketing Cammie Dunaway This weekend Nintendo added to you buy Murdoch’s claims that was extremely positive about the the Wii's variety of interactive Google is “stealing” content current sales and the future offerings, with a paid video rather than simply helping people growth. download service for Japan. find it.

But, the focus in the U.S. "Theater no Ma" will offer a The revelation comes from the remains on selling more titles and range of movies, anime and other Financial Times, which has a accessories, not branching out paid content from providers strong track record for accurate into additional services such as including Walt Disney and reportage – this is unlikely to be we've seen with Microsoft's Sesame Workshop. a fluffy rumor. The piece reads, Xbox Live, which provides Downloading rental content onto in part: access to Facebook, Twitter, and game consoles and set-top boxes Microsoft has had discussions Last.fm through the console. has been common in the U.S for with News Corp over a plan that Services supporting the Wii are awhile, but the reason this service w o u l d i n v o l v e t h e m e d i a much more sophisticated in could prove meaningful in Japan company’s being paid to “deNintendo's home country of is because Nintendo researchers index” its news websites from Japan, where the company previously found that 87 percent Google, setting the scene for a p r e v i o u s l y l a u n c h e d a n of Wii users use the console on search engine battle that could advertising program to turn the biggest screen in the house, offer a ray of light to the family time into a commercial which is still the one in the living newspaper industry. endeavor and a catering channel room.

The impetus for the discussions that lets users order food from a This content has passed through came from News Corp, owner of variety of vendors directly fivefilters.org. newspapers ranging from the through the console, delivered

Wall Street Journal of the US to The Sun of the UK, said a person familiar with the situation, who warned that talks were at an early stage.

However, the Financial Times has learnt that Microsoft has also approached other big online publishers to persuade them to remove their sites from Google’s search engine.

News Corp and Microsoft, which owns the rival Bing search engine, declined to comment.

I say go for it. So, I’m sure, do all the other web publishers who see that removing many of the major news sites from Google will provide even more traffic for the upstarts. News Corp is merrily making itself irrelevant to web consumers, while continuing to use Google as its punch bag rather than addressing the radical transition of media into the online world. Reviews: Bing, Google

Tech/ Sports/

E-reader Newspaper

Drobo supersizes product line with the new, faster Drobo S and DroboElite

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

interface provides data transfer up to 50% faster than what was available with FireWire 800, or about 90 MB per second.

Submitted at 11/23/2009 8:30:00 AM Earlier in 2009, the DroboPro Filed under: Enterprise, brought even more expandability Hardware, Peripherals, Xserve to the Drobo line with eight This morning, Data Robotics available drive bays and an iSCSI doubled the size of their Drobo (Gigabit Ethernet) interface. storage line with two new While the DroboPro had products equipped with the immediate success in locations p r o p r i e t a r y B e y o n d R A I D capacity, the Drobo S has five with a single server, it couldn't technology -- the Drobo S and drive bays instead of the four on multi-host -- in other words, it the Drobo Elite. the original device, while still couldn't be used by multiple The Drobo S (at right) is a maintaining a small desktop servers simultaneously. performance storage device f o o t p r i n t . T h e d u a l - d r i v e Continue reading Drobo designed to answer the question r e d u n d a n c y o p t i o n c a n b e supersizes product line with the "Why isn't there a Drobo with an switched on or off at any time. n e w , f a s t e r D r o b o S a n d eSATA interface?" Not only does As with the DroboPro, the new D r o b o E l i t e the Drobo S have the eSATA member of the Drobo family has TUAW Drobo supersizes i n t e r f a c e t h a t m a n y h a v e self-healing technology built-in. product line with the new, faster requested, but the device is now The device constantly examines D r o b o S a n d D r o b o E l i t e equipped with an even faster the blocks and sectors of all originally appeared on The ARM processor for enhanced drives, and flags questionable U n o f f i c i a l A p p l e W e b l o g FireWire 800 connectivity. areas. By scrubbing the drives, (TUAW) on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 Like the DroboPro, the Drobo S data is only written to "healthy" 08:30:00 EST. Please see our can offer protection from two areas on drives in the array. terms for use of feeds. simultaneous drive failures. To Mark Fuccio of Data Robotics Read| Permalink| Email this| do this and still offer a large told TUAW that the eSATA Comments amount of protected storage

25

School Can't Handle Critical Community Message Board; Sends Legal Nastygram

By Mike Masnick (Techdirt)

board operator).

But, really, this is why lawyers still send bogus cease-and-desist PopeHilarius writes in to alert us letters: all too often they work. to an unfortunate situation. Having been on the receiving end Apparently the private school of a few such letters, it's pretty Adelphi in Bay Ridge, New damn scary to know you might York, couldn't handle the fact get sued, and even if you know that there was a Bay Ridge you're right, the whole concept of messageboard that had a critical having to fight it can be scary t h r e a d a b o u t t h e s c h o o l , (and expensive) unless you can including links to some news find a good lawyer to represent articles that were highly critical you pro bono -- which isn't easy of the school. for many to do. It's legal Rather than respond to those bullying at its finest, but it works claims, the school sent the way too often. This is one messageboard owner a cease and reason, by the way, that we really desist letter, demanding the entire could use a strong, federal, antithread be removed. Tragically, SLAPP law, that would help sites t h e m e s s a g e b o a r d o w n e r understand that they can't be apparently was unfamiliar with silenced just because someone Section 230 of the CDA and the doesn't like what they say, and rights of a service provider to gives those sites an easy, clear resist such efforts, and just took and inexpensive way to get any down the whole thread. This is such cases dismissed quickly. unfortunate, though, commenters Permalink| Comments| Email on the thread appear to be This Story reposting the same articles (and explaining section 230 to the Submitted at 11/23/2009 2:10:30 AM

Bengals' fumble hands Raiders last-second win

By Associated Press (ESPN.com) Submitted at 11/23/2009 4:53:37 AM

Fast Facts • The Raiders tied the game on a

5-yard TD pass from Bruce Gradkowski to Louis Murphy with 33 seconds left, then won it 18 seconds later on a gamewinning field goal by Sebastian Janikowski.

• Oakland scored 10 points in the fourth quarter after scoring a combined 6 fourth-quarter points in their previous seven games.

• Gradkowski finished 17 for 34 for 183 yards with an INT and

two touchdowns, his first TD passes since 2006.

• Filling in for an injured Cedric Benson, rookie Bernard Scott rushed for a game- and careerhigh 119 yards on 21 carries.

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

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The Barcodescan Pro app helps you find the best price

By David Winograd (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)) Submitted at 11/23/2009 9:30:00 AM

Filed under: iPhone, App Review Barcodescan Pro[ iTunes Link] is an app that uses the autofocus camera of an iPhone running OS 3.1 or better to scan a bar code and provide a variety of information on the product including pictures, high and low prices and more depending upon how much information is in the Barcodescan database.

To scan a barcode, you just hold the iPhone so that the barcode appears in a highlighted window and as soon as the image is steady enough, the app automatically takes a picture, compares it to its database, and renders your results. Another way of getting information into the app is typing in the numbers of the barcode into an oversized numeric keyboard.

I had it scan the CD of Tommy and it came back with a picture of the album cover, a prices line showing the lowest to highest found price which when tapped

upon, showed the underlying five vendors, another tap gets you to the selected vendor's site to buy it. You can also choose a tab to get to Google for a standard search and another for Amazon where you can log-in and put it on your wish list or purchase the item. The vendors in the low to high price list never included Amazon, which I thought odd since Amazon was a persistent button on each search.

You can check If the item is

found on iTunes. If so, you are presented with a contextual service option which brings in iTunes information. Instead of giving me one entry for the album of Tommy, it gave me many instances that contained the word Tommy.

Results are saved to lists. The Recent list shows the last thing you searched for, the History list shows everything you've searched for. You can create custom lists and easily move any searches between lists. Results can also be shared allowing you to email the search.

So, is it any good? Read on...

Continue reading The Barcodescan Pro app helps you find the best price TUAW The Barcodescan Pro app helps you find the best price originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A New iPhone Worm is Here, And This Time it’s Malicious [WARNING]

By Stan Schroeder (Mashable!)

Submitted at 11/23/2009 3:15:37 AM

A couple of weeks ago, the first iPhone worm appeared, spreading on jailbroken devices with the SSH application installed (vulnerability being the fact that many users haven’t changed the default root password). As far as worms go, this one was quite benign, merely “rickrolling” users; i.e., changing the background image on the device to an image of Rick Astley.

Now, according to early reports of strange activity by Dutch ISP XS4ALL, and later confirmed by Sophos, there’s a new worm in the wild, and this one is far more malicious.

The new worm is called “Duh” or “Ikee.B”, and it uses the exact same vulnerability as the first one. The fix is thus identical – change the root password in the SSH application to something other than the default, which is “alpine”.

Street Chic: New York

By ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog) Submitted at 11/23/2009 4:00:00 AM

A slouchy blazer adds polish to shorn denim shorts.

Photo: Kelly Stuart Think you are Street Chic? E-

mail us your photo and you could

appear in ELLE.com's Street Chic Daily.

Follow ELLE on Twitter.

Become our Facebook fan!

Failing to do so might result in very serious consequences.

According to Sophos, Ikee.B is “designed to connect to a server in Lithuania and to follow orders from remote hackers.” It can find vulnerable iPhones on a wide range of IP addresses, including IPs in several different countries, for example the Netherlands, Portugal, Australia, Austria, and Hungary. Furthermore, it changes the root password on the iPhone to “ohshit” (as discovered by Paul Ducklin, head of technology in Sophos Asia Pacific.)

Users who haven’t jailbroken their iPhone or haven’t installed the SSH application are not affected by this vulnerability.

Reviews: Australia

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27

Roku adds Flickr, Facebook, Pandora, and more video channels (CNET News.com) Submitted at 11/23/2009 4:49:00 AM

The new Roku Channel Store now has 13 free content channels.(Credit: Roku) Aiming to expand beyond movies and baseball, set-top box maker Roku is adding 10 new content channels ranging from social networking to music and podcasts.

Roku, which makes a small, wireless device that can stream content from the Web direct to any TV screen, is expanding from 3 channels to 13, as expected. Channels for Blip.tv, Facebook Photos, Flickr, FrameChannel, Mediafly, MobileTribe, Motionbox,

Pandora, Revision3, and TWiT will join the current lineup of Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, and, more recently, MLB.TV. All of them will be available in the newly christened Roku Channel Store.

Similar to the app stores currently popular among mobile platform providers, Roku users can choose what apps they want on their home screen of their Roku via the Channel Store.

Content is sortable by "new," "most popular," and "top-rated."

But unlike most app stores, these are all free. Access to the Channel Store and the new content will be rolled out automatically to existing Roku box owners over the next two

weeks. New customers will need to sign up for a free Roku account to be able to download and manage their chosen channels.

Roku representatives say that 13

channels in the store is just a start and that there will be a steady stream of new channels showing up between now and the Consumer Electronics Show in January. While this is a good

start to compete with the growing wave of Web-connected home gadgetry (HDTVs, Xbox, PS3, Blu-ray players, TiVo, and more), the sweet spot for Roku would be a Hulu channel or even dedicated content channels from cable and broadcast networks.

Until then, the main selling point of Roku over those other devices is its price: of the three models, the lowest starts at $80, significantly cheaper than a new TV or Xbox, and all but the most baseline model Blu-ray players.

Be sure to check back later this week for CNET's official review.

This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Gameloft backs iPhone and backs away from Android

By Ken Ray (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)) Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:00:00 AM

Filed under: iPhone To iPhone or not to iPhone? That is the question on which a number of high-profile app developers are weighing-in. A couple of weeks ago it was Facebook app developer Joe Hewitt and software maker Rogue Amoeba saying they'd had enough of jumping through hoops to be on the iPhone and that they'd be working on other things.

Last week, Instapaper webservice and iPhone app [ iTunes link] developer Marco Arment said, "Go if you want to, but there are more than enough people in the App Store to keep me fat and happy and not nearly enough in any other mobile app ecosystem to draw me away." I'm paraphrasing of course.

Now, French mobile phone game developer Gameloft has given its two cents. According to a company exec, Gameloft and other software developers are drawing down the resources

Rochefort, like Instapaper's Arment, says the people just aren't there for the Android. "It is not as neatly done as on the spent on developing applications iPhone," says the exec. "Google for Google's Android platform. has not been very good to entice Gameloft finance director customers to actually buy Alexandre de Rochefort said at products. On Android nobody is an investor conference late last making significant revenue." week, "We have significantly cut Meanwhile on the App Store, our investment in Android money flows like water for platform, just like ... many Gameloft and the water's fine.

Games for Apple's handhelds others."

Did he say what others? No. Did generated 13% of Gameloft's revenue last quarter. According he say why? Yes. to Rochefort, Gameloft is selling

400 times as many games for the iPhone and iPod touch as it is for the various Android powered phones. [via Reuters] TUAW Gameloft backs iPhone and backs away from Android originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mobile shopping's first Christmas

By Mike Schramm (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))

see how much this changes the experience. When I was a kid, you planned out your route ahead of time and hit what few stores Submitted at 11/23/2009 7:00:00 AM you could, but between Twitter, Filed under: Software, Odds and apps, and all the other ends, Freeware, Deals, iPhone, information available on a phone, App Store I don't know that I shopping during the holiday completely agree with this article season might be very different over at Business this year.

Week(technically, last year was Although you can be sure there our first Christmas with the App will still be lines, parking Store), but I think the concept is frustrations, and lots and lots of fascinating. Lauren Sherman and people buying junk just because her interviewee Retails Systems it's cheap. Then again, maybe it's Research managing partner Paula Christmas. You'll see people better to use that slightly older Rosenblum reason that this sending texts to each other, piece of technology, the desktop coming Christmas season -- playing games while in line, and browser, and just do the shopping surprise, we're only five days even scanning coupons in at the from home. away from Black Friday 2009-- register -- all with their phones. [via MacBytes] will be the first where mobile As I said, this was all possible TUAW Mobile shopping's first s h o p p i n g a p p s ( a n d t h e last Christmas, but since then, Christmas originally appeared on smartphones that can run them) we've seen non-iPhones like the The Unofficial Apple Weblog Pre and the Droid drop, and the (TUAW) on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 will be generally ubiquitous.

Not only will people have access iPhone itself has claimed a lot 07:00:00 EST. Please see our to apps on their iPhone that help more customers than Black terms for use of feeds. them find deals, stores, and Friday 2008. These people won't Read| Permalink| Email this| prices, but they'll all have 'net- be out buying smartphones, Comments connected phones as well, which obviously, but they will be using many of them actually got last them, and it'll be interesting to

American Music Awards Pre-Show Streaming Live on Facebook Now [AMAs]

By Pete Cashmore (Mashable!)

Submitted at 11/22/2009 3:58:11 PM

For those who’d like to turn the American Music Awards into a more social experience, don’t forget that the pre-show is streaming live on Facebook today, with full integration of Facebook status updates.

As a viewer, you can post your own live commentary into your Facebook news feed and read status updates on the event from everybody or just your friends.

As we wrote of the event earlier this week: Facebook is teaming with Ustream and fans at home will have a chance to post questions for the hosts — which include Facebook’s Randi Zuckerberg and Brandee Barker — to ask the music artists as they prepare to enter the award show.

The AMA’s air Sunday night on ABC from 8-11 EST. The preshow will start at 6 p.m. EST. You can tune in at Facebook’s

Chiefs stun Steelers; Big Ben suffers hit to head

By Associated Press (ESPN.com) Submitted at 11/22/2009 9:52:48 PM

Fast Facts • Ryan Succop's 22-yard field goal in overtime lifted the Chiefs

and helped them pass their win total from last year.

• The Steelers allowed the opening kickoff to be returned for a touchdown and have now allowed a return TD in an NFLrecord eight straight games.

• Kansas City snapped a 10-game home losing streak.

• Ben Roethlisberger threw for 398 yards, the third-highest total of his career.

• Kansas City's Chris Chambers had 119 receiving yards, his 1st

100-yard game since Week 3 of the 2007 season.

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

Celebs Page, the AMAs Facebook Page or via Ustream or ABC.com.

What do think of Facebook’s latest live streaming partnership?

Let us know in the comments. value="autoplay=false&brand=e mbed&cid=1600110"/> value="always"/> h e i g h t = " 3 2 0 " allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" i d = " u t v 3 2 8 2 5 7 " name="utv_n_927150" src="http://www.ustream.tv/flash / l i v e / 1 / 1 6 0 0 1 1 0 " type="application/x-shockwaveflash" /> Reviews: Facebook, ustream Tags: facebook

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29

The cow says mooooo! Zoowawa, an Finder icon birthday app for toddlers and their parents cake will make your day

By David Winograd (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW))

big things and dividing the screen to make each animal half of the screen size was probably not the best idea. Even at full size, a Submitted at 11/22/2009 7:00:00 PM picture may not attract the Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, attention of a toddler for too App Review Zoowawa[US$0.99, long. iTunes Link] is a cute app I also had a bit of a problem with targeted for toddlers between the the quality of the animal sounds. ages of two and three. Your child Most are not digitized animal is presented with a split screen sounds, but rather a recording of displaying two animals. Tapping someone making the sound with on one of the animals plays the his voice. Since for many kids sound that the animal makes. this app might be their first Each half of the screen can be introduction to animals, I think swiped individually to reveal 14 that sound accuracy should be animal pictures per half, or 24 important. animal pictures in all. The Continue reading The cow says pictures are brightly colored and of the animal should be shown. mooooo! Zoowawa, an app for the app has a very clean look to My daughter told me that for toddlers and their parents it. Zoowawa runs on any iPhone most kids in the targeted age TUAW The cow says mooooo! or iPod touch using OS 3.1.2 or range, adding the text would be Zoowawa, an app for toddlers better. too complex since reading often and their parents originally My daughter is finishing a doesn't start until a child is three appeared on The Unofficial masters in education and has years old or older.

Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, familiarity with very small She did have few problems with 22 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST. children, so I asked her about the the size of the pictures, saying Please see our terms for use of appropriateness of this app. My that they may not hold a child's feeds. first impression was that along interest for very long. Kids like Read| Permalink| Email this| with the sound, the printed name Comments

By Mike Schramm (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)) Submitted at 11/22/2009 8:00:00 PM

Filed under: Humor, Cult of Mac, Odds and ends, Found Footage If there's one thing I like better than pie, it's cake. And if there's a best kind of cake, it's definitely one that's shaped in the form of something geeky. Which means the video above, which shows what seems to be a tasty confection in the form of Apple's Finder icon, hits the spot perfectly. David B.'s wife made it for him for his birthday earlier this week, he says over on his Twitter account. He doesn't say what kind of cake it is, but given that it's Finder, I'm going to guess chocolate. An iTunes icon

Download Google Chrome OS and Run it from a USB Drive

Celebs Support Michael J. Fox's Charity for a Night of Music & Comedy (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 11/22/2009 7:21:00 PM

Stars collided with rock n' rollers on Saturday night for a night of

comedy and music to benefit The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

"It's like Thanksgiving or a holiday, you always look forward

to it," Fox said of the evening.

TV star Denis Leary came out for the event and talked to ET about his friend's charity. "It's obviously a great cause and a lot

cake would give off a more "vanilla" vibe to me.

We've also, you'll remember, seen this Finder icon parading around on pillows as well. Which isn't too surprising -- who could pass up a face like that? Not only is he a handsome dude with a mischievous smile, but he's got access to all your files and passwords. That's the kind of guy you'd better get along with.

Thanks to Chris Pirillo for the tip!

TUAW Finder icon birthday cake will make your day originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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By twitter:@deepikasuren (TweetMeme) Submitted at 11/23/2009 3:02:08 AM

How To Run Google Chrome OS From A USB Drive [Windows] http://bit.ly/8GptNz of fun. ... One of the highlights, 0 comments Source: generally speaking, is when Mike w w w . m a k e u s e o f . c o m Fox gets up on stage to play with the rock n' roll hall of famers."

30

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Talkcast tonight: Holiday gift suggestions

By Michael Rose (The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)) Submitted at 11/22/2009 6:30:00 PM

Filed under: TUAW Business, Podcasts You can catch last week's show, the deep dive on the Psystar summary judgment with Lauren, via iTunes or Talkshoe. Granted, it was a bit single-minded compared to our usual attention deficit-driven topic hop, but I enjoyed it!

Tonight, we're going to cover the week in review as we often do; plus we'll take your calls and suggestions for our holiday gift guide choices. It's a great time to drop hints to family and friends about what you're hoping to get

(for the record, the entire TUAW staff looks good in cashmere).

Do join us.

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

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

and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 - during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *-8.

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

TUAW Talkcast tonight: Holiday gift suggestions originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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QuirksBlog: Apple is not evil. iPhone developers are stupid.

By twitter:@ppk (TweetMeme) Submitted at 11/23/2009 4:36:19 AM

In his “Apple’s mistake” essay Paul Graham makes an unwarranted assumption; an assumption everybody who’s currently involved in the Great App Store Debate seems to be making.The fundamental problem on the iPhone is not Apple’s App Store approval policies, but the iPhone developers’ arrogant disdain for Web technologies.It was only last Friday I told a roomful of Web developers that…

0 comments Source: www.quirksmode.org

Glenn Beck's Racist Friends (Little Green Footballs) Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:19:34 AM

If you want to know if someone’s blowing a dog whistle, ask the dogs.

Beck insists his critics are imagining things, that he does not engage in racial fearmongering, that a string of guests with ties to hate groups do not form a meaningful pattern, and that he’s not a racist. It occurred to me the other day that if you really want to know whether Beck and his guests are blowing racial dog-whistles, it’s best to ask a dog.

I decided to reach out to Don

Black, the avowed white nationalist who runs the Web site Stormfront.org, the country’s leading “Discussion board for pro-White activists and anyone else interested in White survival.” But Black hung up on me. I next tried to get in touch with David Duke, the former gubernatorial candidate and current head of the European American Unity and Rights Organization. Duke, too, had little interest in talking to me, likely because of my past association with the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks the activities of white supremacist groups.

Unable to get through to the highest-profile spokesmen of the racist grass roots, I took a page from the other side and trawled their Web sites for insight. I scanned Davidduke.com and Stormfront.org to see what they had to say, if anything, about Beck. Admittedly, this method is not scientific, and certainly folks on the left don’t like it when righties cherry-pick an extreme comment from Daily Kos or the Huffington Post and pretend the whole site can be summed up by such extremism.

On the other hand, Stormfront.org isn’t a media organization but a self-described

discussion board. And when it comes to Beck, the discussions are fairly positive. On both David Duke’s Web site and Stormfront, Beck’s July 28 claim that President Obama harbors a “deep -seated hatred of white people, or the white culture” was met with attention and appreciation.

Duke was heartened by the discussion it generated, and placed it in a larger context. “A lot of stuff is happening in the world of race relations and little of it points towards a post-racial society,” Duke noted. “Beck is steadily losing advertisers, but his viewers seem to be sticking with him … White desperation is

manifesting itself in various forms.”

Beck’s charge that the president hates white people sparked a more expansive discussion at Stormfront.org. Some participants saw Beck as an important ally in the White Nationalist cause. Others were skeptical, viewing him as a clueless conservative version of Lenin’s “useful idiot.” But some of Stormfront’s most active members generally agreed that, whether he was fully conscious or not, Beck was nudging his audience toward an embrace of racial consciousness.

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The Scientific Scandal of the Millennium (Little Green Footballs) Submitted at 11/22/2009 5:02:50 PM

A new release of private scientific correspondence reveals an astonishing conspiracy to manipulate and suppress evidence by top researchers in the field of Newtonian physics: Newtongate: the final nail in the coffin of Renaissance and E n l i g h t e n m e n t &##x2018;thinking&##x2019;.

If you own any shares in companies that produce reflecting telescopes, use differential and integral calculus, or rely on the laws of motion, I should start dumping them NOW. The conspiracy behind the calculus myth has been suddenly, brutally and quite deliciously exposed after volumes of Newton’s private correspondence were compiled and published.

When you read some of these letters, you realise just why Newton and his collaborators might have preferred to keep them confidential. This scandal could well be the biggest in Renaissance science. These alleged letters – supposedly exchanged by some of the most prominent scientists behind really hard math lessons – suggest: Conspiracy, collusion in covering up the truth, manipulation of data, private admissions of flaws in their public claims and much more.

But perhaps the most damaging revelations are those concerning the way these math nerd scientists may variously have manipulated or suppressed evidence to support their cause.

Read the whole sorry tale of Newtonian malfeasance.

Use Oats to Make Great Faux-Meat Veggie Burgers [Health]

31

Police Use Pepper Spray to Break Up High School Fight (FOXNews.com) Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:32:18 AM

OVERLEA, Md. Baltimore County police say two girls are in custody after an officer used

By Sarah Rae Trover one that truly succeeded, I turned pepper spray to break up a fight (Lifehacker) to this recipe from weblog Food at Overlea High School.

Police spokeswoman Susan Wishes.

Submitted at 11/22/2009 3:00:00 PM Hunt says the fight between the The key to the recipe is two girls started around 7:45 a.m.

Turkey's traditional, but it's oats—their main purpose to smart to have a meat-free absorb excess moisture from the Monday and an officer used alternative on the backburner at mix, without stealing any from pepper spray to break up the Thanksgiving. Veggie burgers the mushrooms that are added in. fight. are quick and easy, but also If you're looking for a pre- or Hunt says the two girls were typically dry or mushy. Try even post-Thanksgiving snack taken into custody and five other adding oats to keep things moist that doesn't involve turkey, give students are complaining of and meaty. these a try. The oats make things discomfort from exposure to the Although I live in Kansas City, hearty without a sign of beef, pepper spray.

She says county schools usually Missouri—home to the best meat pork, or lamb in sight. options around—I'm not a huge D o y o u h a v e a p o s t have one or two school resource meat eater, truth be told. Still, Thanksgiving snack that takes it o f f i c e r s o n c a m p u s , b u t vegetarian fare always leaves me easy on the turkey? Share your additional officers are at the feeling unsatisfied. I've tested recipe in the comments. Meaty school Monday to make sure more than my share of veggie Mushroom Veggie Burger - The everything stays calm. burger recipes, all promising to Least Terrible Veggie Burger This content has passed through create something that has the heft Ever![Food Wishes via Social fivefilters.org. and tenderness of a proper Workout] hamburger. Never having found

Opera 10.10 with Unite Media Server Released [Downloads]

By Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker) Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:00:00 AM

Windows/Mac/Linux: Opera's out with a 10.10 final release, and this one includes the Opera Unite personal media server we've previously toured in beta. A few other features, like built-in

BitTorrent, make Opera 10.10 worth a look.

Unite is an intriguing step forward for Opera, bringing an entirely new sub-set of powers to a platform that's already known for its built-in email client and FTP package. While some may question why you'd use a browser

-to-browser connection to share

pictures, videos, documents, or chat in the age of ubiquitous web services that do the same or similar things, Opera's always been about doing things a bit differently. And if you want a better sense of security, it's bets to let your own system do the sharing, rather than another firm's

servers.

Opera 10.10 is a free download for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. If you're running it and see something we missed that's new, tell us about it in the comments. Opera Web Browser[via Kabatology]

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Tech Tips/ TV/ Twitter Trend/

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White Space and LEDs [Featured Workspace]

By Jason Fitzpatrick (Lifehacker) Submitted at 11/22/2009 4:00:00 PM

Today's featured workspace is an example of how you don't have to spend a fortune to have a fun and functional workspace with a solid dose of style.

Obviously Apple products don't come cheap, so we'll discount the presence of a gorgeous and pricey Apple screen as part of the total cost of the space. The rest of the space is composed of simple and inexpensive items, like $89 IKEA Vika Gruvan desktop and a comically large clothespin for temporally stashing important papers.

A bedroom corner that serves as my home office. IKEA's VIKA GRUVAN lets me keep my tools of the trade for easy access under the glass desktop. The farther half holds type specimen books and magazines. The large clip is

for bills/papers that need urgent attention. The fliptop picture holder holds a monthly calendar and my various cheat sheets for easy flipping.

The unified color scheme and the attention to personal details

like the inclusion of artwork and personal effects highlighted by small LED spotlights really make the small space appear interesting and larger than it is.

If you have a workspace of your own to show off, throw the pictures on your Flickr account and add it to the Lifehacker Workspace Show and Tell Pool.

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

White Spaces and LEDs[Lifehacker Workspace Show and Tell Pool]

Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:30:00 AM

Storing hoses and cords can pose a challenge. They're long, prone to kinking and retaining the "memory" of how they were stored, and consistently storing them in an improper manner hastens their demise. Store them properly with these three techniques.

Carpenter Tucker Windover has

a guide at Fine Homebuilding to storing your electrical cords, heavy-guard cords, and air hoses properly. While geared towards someone working in construction who would be frequently packing and unpacking gear, the principles of proper storage apply for any cords or hoses you put into storage around the home.

The some of the same techniques Tucker advocates make their used to keep your headphone appearance in less bulky places cord kink-free and undamaged. too. The under-over wrap can be For step by step instructions you

What designers think of AOL's new logo | Technology | guardian.co.uk By twitter:@guardiantech (TweetMeme)

What designers think of AOL's new logo http://bit.ly/4OabBB

1 comment Source: www.guardian.co.uk

By Robert Seidman (TVbytheNumbers) Submitted at 11/23/2009 2:57:01 AM

You’ve probably already seen it on Sunday Night Football or one of about 13,586 other blogs, but just in case.

With under 2 minutes left in last night’s game between the Eagles and Bears, Devin Hester had his pants pulled down by Eagles cornerback Dimitri Patterson in what wound up an incomplete pass.

Here’s a still and a YouTube can check out a video of the three video. And no, views of the different techniques here—sorry, YouTube video will not be it's non-embeddable!—or visit counted in the Nielsen ratings!

Fine Homebuilding at the link If there is an Emmy Award for below to see the steps laid out in nonchalance during a sports a photo tutorial. broadcast, Chris Collinsworth Have a technique for storing and Al Michaels deserve it. awkward stuff like cabling or This content has passed through Christmas lights? Let's hear fivefilters.org. about it in the comments.

Wraping Cords and Hoses[via Unclutter]

Wrap Hoses and Cords Properly to Avoid Tangles and Damage [Household]

By Jason Fitzpatrick (Lifehacker)

Devin Hester gets pantsed; has wardrobe malfunction during Sunday Night Football

Tech Tips/ Popular News/

E-reader Newspaper

33

Op/Tech Wraps Protect Any Size Camera or Other Gadgets [Stuff We Like]

By Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker) Submitted at 11/23/2009 5:30:00 AM

When you've got a decent DSLR or video camera, it's tempting to shell out notable bucks for single -use bags and covers to protect them. As an alternative, Op/Tech makes soft, protective, easily secured wraps for just about any gear.

The intended use is for cameras, long lenses, and other gear with fragile glass and electronics inside, and for those items, Op/Tech's wraps seem like a cheap and clever solution. They wrap around your gear like a burrito, fasten with Velcro and latches, and can be used to make smaller lenses and cameras fit inside bags and cases intended for bigger and wider items.

But given their open-ended nature, these wraps seem like they could work around just about anything that needs a little extra padding—an external hard drive with sensitive data, laptops that don't fit right inside certain bags—your imagination, or gadget needs, can fill out the rest.

The wraps come in 12, 15, and

Back Up Any Smartphone's Contents [Backup]

19-inch sizes, with $10-$13 price tags at Amazon and elsewhere.

Op/Tech 15" Velcro Soft Wrap with extra 5" removable Pad[Amazon.com via Cool By Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker) Tools] Submitted at 11/23/2009 4:30:00 AM

A lot of contacts, documents, text messages, games, and other data live on your smartphone, but manufacturers and service carriers aren't going out of their way to make backing up easy.

Gizmodo, however, has you covered on nearly any platform. organizations from covering John Herrman runs down the Palin's appearance, though the best, easiest, and cheapest restrictions were later dropped. methods for backing up iPhones, Fort Bragg spokesman Tom Android units, BlackBerries, McCollum tells WTVD-TV that Windows Mobile, and Palm sales of Palin's book at the post smartphones. Some involve backing up right to your store have been weak so far.

This content has passed through computer's hard drive (which you can then back up to an online fivefilters.org.

Army Asks Palin Not to Make A Speech at Book Signing (FOXNews.com) Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:14:31 AM

FORT BRAGG, North Carolina Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin promises to limit her enthusiasm during her visit to North Carolina's Fort Bragg.

The former Republican vice presidential candidate planned to sign copies of her new memoir at

a post store Monday. Army officials say Palin will not make a speech, pose for photos, or personalize notes in the books she signs.

The Army worried Palin's appearance would prompt political grandstanding against President Barack Obama. That fear initially led post commanders to keep news

service or elsewhere), while others drop your data onto SD cards or onto free or cheap web cloud storage space. Not every platform supports every kind of data backup, but most allow you to put enough aside that a lost, stolen, or memory-wiped phone wouldn't cost you a whole day's worth of re-configuring.

Hit the link for Gizmodo's full guide. Got a better solution not mentioned there or around here?

Tell us about it in the comments.

How To: Back Up Any Smartphone - How to back up your smartphone - Gizmodo[Site via Source]

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Check Out the Companies That Make ReadWriteWeb Possible

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registrar | Codero: Managed hosting | Groupsite: Social collaboration | NaviSite: Our mission at ReadWriteWeb is Managed hosting | Faroo: Realt o e x p l o r e t h e l a t e s t W e b time search | Search Engine technology products and trends. S t r a t e g i e s : C o n f e r e n c e | We're fortunate to have a great M y D o m a i n . c o m : D o m a i n group of sponsors who support registrar | Backupify: Online this goal. So, once a week, we backup | Media Temple and write a post about them; about SixApart: our hosts and blogging who they are, what they do, and software what they've been up to lately. Crowd Science Pay them a visit and show your Crowd Science gives online appreciation of their sponsorship p u b l i s h e r s r e p o r t s o n t h e of this site. Pay them a visit or demographics and attitudes of tweet them a "Thank you" (see t h e i r a u d i e n c e . W e a t link below each sponsor) to show ReadWriteWeb have signed up to your appreciation for their t h i s n e w s e r v i c e , b e c a u s e sponsorship of this site. Or you demographic data is something can follow all of our sponsors at we've struggled to get in the past. once using our Twitter list.

It's important for any online I n t e r e s t e d i n b e i n g a business to know their audience, R e a d W r i t e W e b s p o n s o r ? so Crowd Science is a welcome ReadWriteWeb is one of the addition to the stats armory that most popular blogs in the world most of us in the Internet biz use. and is read by a sophisticated Sign up to get demographic data audience of thought leaders and from Crowd Science. decision-makers. We have Thank Crowd Science on several innovative new features T w i t t e r f o r m a k i n g in our sponsor packages that we'd R e a d W r i t e W e b p o s s i b l e . love to tell you about. Email our M a s h e r y COO Bernard Lunn for all the Mashery is a platform for Web details. services, allowing companies to Sponsor manage their APIs using Ready to learn more about the Mashery's expertise. At the smart companies that support this "Business of APIs" conference, site you love to read? Read on...

Mashery CEO Oren Michels Skip to info about: Mashery: explained to the audience that API management services | while APIs are a technology, Rackspace: cloud computing their use is a business decision. experts | Aplus.net: Web hosting | He went on to say that Mashery Crowd Science: demographic has helped customers such as data | Hakia: semantic search | WhitePages.com, Thumbplay, D o m a i n . M E : . m e d o m a i n Compete.com, and Calais. Check Submitted at 11/22/2009 10:00:45 AM

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

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

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

Explore Rackspace's hosting and cloud computing solutions.

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

You can register for Aplus.net here.

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

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

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

Learn more about Contexa.

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Domain.ME .Me is a true phenomenon among

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

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

Codero is a dedicated and managed hosting company focused on the real needs of today's small and mid-sized businesses. The company believes in supporting robust websites, storefronts and online communities that will grow and CHECK page 36

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35

Don't Assume China Mimics US-Style Social Media

By Guest Author (ReadWriteWeb) Submitted at 11/22/2009 12:00:55 PM

China enjoyed center stage this week thanks to President Obama's visit. Naturally, trade relations were on the agenda.

For Internet companies sitting in the US, news reports that chronicled the President's every move in China were a visible reminder of the business opportunity that may seem a click away.

Sponsor This guest post was written by Wei Wang.

So, why not export social media to China just like KFC and American Idol? After all, seeing Yao Ming, arguably China's grandest international star, on Facebook and Twitter, one naturally figures, aside from the language and periodic blocking of websites, "What's the diff?"

But Facebook has gained little traction in China (with only 390,000 users), and tweets have virtually ground to a halt since the government started blocking Twitter, and these factors point to the "diff."

Simply flinging an American product into the Chinese market won't succeed, because every social media category has a Chinese equivalent that is tuned

to the particular needs of the mainland Chinese market.

One of China's "Facebooks," Kaixin001.com, has already secured over 40 million users since launching only last year.

The platform gained its initial popularity through applications that you would recognize from the real Facebook, such as "Friends for sale" and "Parking wars" - but with a Chinese twist.

Take, for example, the application called "Xingming Yuanfen," in which you type in a friend's name to test your " yuanfen" (i.e. your predetermined relationship with that person).

Another application explains who you were in your previous life. It turns out I was a bandit, much to the chagrin of my parents.

These "fortune-telling" applications enjoy incredible popularity on computers and mobile phones. While fortunetelling jars Western sensibilities, it remains a part of Chinese culture. The B-B-what?

But the best example of China walking to the beat of its own drummer is the continued popularity of the BBS. That's not a typo.

That is the same bulletin board system that went by the wayside in the US with dial-up modems and US Robotics. Chinese students - who, like their

counterparts in the US, are more open to experimentation than other segments - established the foundation for BBS' to flourish in China.

All major universities operate their own BBS. Peking University and Tsinghua University (which are the Harvard and MIT of China) host the Weiming BBS (named after Weiming Lake at Peking University) and Shuimu Tsinghua BBS, respectively.

With 10+ years' worth of graduates who grew up on BBS' now driving the Chinese Internet market, these same people have fueled a range of BBS sites tied to their interests and professions.

According to the latest CINIC (China Internet Network Information Center) report, roughly 30% of Chinese Web users spend a significant amount of time on a BBS. So, these sites

certainly transcend geekdom.

55BBS, for example, is an online community where users share discount information, coupons and other creative ways to land a good deal. Users also share news of what they got from their latest shopping spree, showing off a photo of skin care products as if it were a trophy.

Perhaps the most unique phenomenon in China is Tianya, the #1 BBS, with almost 30 million users.

What is Tianya? Think of it as a gathering place for an eclectic blend of intellectuals, journalists, freelancers, professors, researchers, gadflies, etc. Users write on and comment about sensitive social issues that may be off-limits to mainstream media. People also head to this forum to gossip about celebrities (okay, some things don't change between cultures).

A Chinese word has been coined for BBS evangelists: "Da'rens," which roughly means "people who really know how to do something." We're now starting to see some "Da'rens" parlay their popularity into commercial success. The famous makeup Da'ren known as Arora started out writing about cosmetics on a BBS before launching a blog for the mega-portal Sina.com.

From a Chinese perspective, the

fundamental difference between a blog and BBS is that a BBS allows for anonymity, which appeals to the introversion of many Chinese. Blogging is also more of a solitary activity, with readers chiming in with comments later. The BBS, on the other hand, is more of a collaborative undertaking, which also appeals to the Chinese.

This all means that Internet companies from the US looking to crack the mainland Chinese market need to do their homework and tailor their products accordingly.

Here's an easy litmus test when planning your market entry in China: "What's the difference between the US and Chinese version of your product?"

If the answer takes more than 60 seconds to explain, then you've got a fighting chance.

Wei Wang is a digital consultant with The Hoffman Agency, a communications consultancy with offices in Beijing (where Wei is based) and Shanghai, as well as throughout Asia, the US and Europe. She can be reached at WWang@Hoffman.com.

Discuss

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

Sign up and create a free Groupsite in minutes.

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NaviSite NaviSite is a leading provider of enterprise hosting and application services for a diverse client base.

Leveraging a diverse network of 16 enterprise-class data centers across the US and UK, NaviSite offers a predictable technology environment and a complete suite of infrastructure and application solutions.

NaviSite's product and service offerings include: • Vast custom application development capabilities, including SOA solutions,

eCommerce, and Web 2.0 applications.

• Full stack of enterprise hosting services for mid-market companies, including shared, dedicated, and complex hosting, SaaS enablement, and colocation.

• Best in class managed hosting, such as virtualization and utility computing.

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Faroo Faroo is a peer-to-peer Web search engine that has no centralized index and crawler.

Each web page visited by users is automatically included into the distributed index. Search results are ranked based on distributed usage statistics of Web pages visited by Faroo users, which leads to more democratic, usercentric ranking.

Faroo protects the privacy of users by encrypting search queries and anonymizing its distributed architecture. The decentralized peer-to-peer architecture scales with Internet growth and requires no infrastructure or operational cost.

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MyDomain.com MyDomain is a leading ICANNaccredited provider of domain name registration and online business solutions. For over 10 years, MyDomain has offered low-cost domain names and free

domain services including complete DNS management.

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

Search Engine Strategies is the pioneer of educational conference series in search engine marketing. It's the venue where the industry visionaries and thought leaders gather each year to discuss the newest trends, share insights and present the strategic action plans you need to grow your business.

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

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

If you've ever wondered what ReadWriteWeb looks like behind the scenes, or if you've never seen the Movable Type publishing interface - that's it on the left. We recently upgraded to MT 4.23, which is the latest version. We got onto this release as soon as it was available - in fact our contacts at Six Apart emailed the actual code to us before it was up on their website.

That's customer service for you!

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

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

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

Discuss

Fergie, Rihanna & Whitney Houston Storm AMA Stage with Triumphant Performances (ETonline - Breaking News) Submitted at 11/22/2009 8:55:00 PM

The "2009 American Music Awards" boasted many amazing performances by the biggest musicians of the year, including headline-grabbing ladies Fergie, Rihanna and Whitney Houston.

ET has all the AMA details after the jump...

Tonight was a good night for Fergie's group the Black Eyed Peas, as they won the first award of the evening for best Pop Rock Group. The awards show featured performances by Janet Jackson, Daughtry, Kelly Clarkson, Shakira, Timbaland, Nelly Furtado, Adam Lambert and Keith Urban.

Kate Hudson and her boyfriend Alex Rodriguez took the AMA stage separately. The New York Yankees player introduced Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' performance of their hit song "Empire State of Mind." Jay-Z won his second AMA of his career for Rap/HipHop Male later in the evening and thanked the great city of NYC. "Men lie, women lie, numbers don't," he said when accepting the award.

Tech News/ Sports/

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Top Internet Trends of 2000-2009: E-commerce

By Richard MacManus (ReadWriteWeb) Submitted at 11/22/2009 7:36:29 PM

Over the past decade, Amazon.com and eBay have continued to dominate the online retail market in the United States.

However, there have been signs that more social and distributed forms of online shopping are gaining traction. eBay, in particular, is beginning to lose ground.

In this post, we review the past decade of e-commerce and the key trends. Advances in recommendations technology, together with the emergence of social media and mobile commerce, have combined to change the way e-commerce is transacted.

Sponsor This is the third in a ReadWriteWeb series looking back at some of the key trends of the past 10 years. We previously covered the online music industry and the democratization of news media. Recommendations Technology Advances Over the past decade the online retail industry has seen great strides in the use of recommendations technology.

Amazon has consistently led the field in this, with its sophisticated blend of personalized, social and item recommendations.

Many of the retail recommendations in use today

rely on implicit user data. These systems typically track user data, which is then analyzed with a set of usually proprietary algorithms.

T h e e n d r e s u l t : recommendations for users.

Earlier this year we looked into Baynote's recommendation system: "Baynote observes real-time user behavior on a site and looks for implicit, emergent patterns. It uses collective intelligence and an affinity engine to analyze the data. Common behaviors which it tracks include page refers, queries, mouse movement, time spent on a page, peer behavior."

Other similar recommendation technologies we've profiled include MyBuys, ATG and richrelevance. Social Media Takes Retail to Blogs, Social Networks As with nearly every other industry, shopping sites have increasingly used social media to promote their wares.

According to Shop.org's recent eHoliday Study, 47.1% of retailers surveyed will be increasing their use of social media this holiday season.

Specifically, more than half of retailers have "added or improved their Facebook page (60.3%) and Twitter pages (58.7%)" this year. Nearly twothirds (65.6%) have "added or enhanced blogs and RSS feeds" over the same time period.

One result of this has been a big

mobile commerce will finally gain traction in the coming decade. Mobile payments firm Billing Revolution found that onthe-go consumers are happy to purchase small ticket items like pizza and movie tickets, for example.

One market that has shown increase in implicit social recommendations data across strong signs of mobile commerce growth is Japan, according to social networks and blogs.

Another trend with ecommerce Morgan Stanley. sites is distributed sales. Anyone See also our analysis of mobile can embed an Amazon store into payments. Conclusion New recommendations their blog or social network these days. As Kurt Collins of social technologies make it easier every commerce vendor Cartfly told us year for consumers to find what in December, this won't replace they want, social media has "end destination e-commerce" - driven a lot of retail activity to but it will "augment sales s m a l l w e b s i t e s a n d s o c i a l tremendously" at the edge of the networks, and mobile commerce network. Mobile Commerce has slowly but surely gained a foothold in e-commerce.

Arrives, Albeit Slowly...

The growth of mobile phones These are just some of the trends has been a big trend this decade. in e-commerce over the past 10 However, as Sarah Perez wrote in years. While Amazon.com and September, mobile commerce in eBay continue to be the giants of the U.S. market has struggled for online retail, the Social Web and advances in web technology have momentum.

A c c o r d i n g t o d a t a f r o m both had a big impact this eMarketer, more than 70 million decade.

U.S. mobile phone users will See also: access the internet from their • Top Internet Trends of 2000devices this year. Despite this, 2009: Online Music the m-commerce market remains • Top Internet Trends of 2000immature. In an April 2009 2009: Democratization of News survey by RIS News, privacy and Media security concerns are still at the forefront of both shoppers' and Discuss retailers' minds.

There is some promise that

37

Colts overcome TOs, Ravens to climb to 10-0

By Associated Press (ESPN.com) Submitted at 11/23/2009 5:03:12 AM

Fast Facts • Ed Reed's fumble on a punt return with less than 30 seconds on the clock sealed the game for the Colts, who improved to 10-0.

• Indy recorded its 19th straight regular-season victory, the second longest streak in NFL history.

• Peyton Manning threw for 299 yards and a touchdown, but had two INTs for the second straight game. He recorded his 41st career game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or OT, tying Brett Favre for the most among active quarterbacks.

• The Ravens had 354 total yards, including a season-high 9 catches and 142 yards for Derrick Mason, but settled for five Billy Cundiff FGs as they went 0 for 4 in the red zone.

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

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Love it or Loathe It? AOL Reveals New Branding (POLL)

By Sarah Perez (ReadWriteWeb) Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:11:26 AM

Late last night, AOL revealed a sneak peek at their new branding campaign for their soon-to-be standalone content-focused business. The rebranding effort will officially launch on December 10th when AOL begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange as a separate company from Time Warner, its current owner. The new logosyes, there are more than one feature a lowercase "aol" on top of various colorful images that range from an orange goldfish to a green scribble. The odd designs are definitely different than AOL's "running man" or "triangle with swoosh" logos of years past - logos that became synonymous with the service that a large part of America once used to go online. But are the new logos any good? Or do they look more like the joke that AOL hopes it's not becoming?

Sponsor

In order for AOL to survive, they've had to focus on becoming a content business instead of an internet provider and that's exactly what the new branding is designed to reflect. Gone are the all-capital letters ("AOL") which remind people of what they stand for ("American Online"). Now, there's an uppercase "A" followed by lowercase letters and a period. This is meant to remind people that "there's always something behind AOL," says CEO Tim Armstrong in an interview with PaidContent. "The AOL brand is composed of many different things. The nomenclature of the dot is what comes after the dot." In other words, AOL no longer stands alone. It's Aol.music, Aol.Mapquest, Aol.Shopping, etc.

The new logos are just a preview of AOL's revamped look and are meant to replace AOL's swoosh triangle for good. The AOL "running man," however, will stick around the brand in some form, although the company isn't

shouts the logo, but it reminds us more of a middle-aged heavy metal fan reminiscing about their youth than the young, hip company AOL desperately hopes to become.

Then there is the pink glob. The best way to describe this logo is a fluffy wad of bubble gum. A green scribble looks like saying exactly where he will someone had trouble getting their ballpoint ink pen going and a show up.

But the updated logos are a little generic blue swirl seems to off-putting to some. Noted signify nothing but a lack of technology blogger Om Malik of imagination. What content sites GigaOM posted his gut reaction are these logos even associated Sunday night, calling them out as with? Your guess is as good as "lame," "ambiguous at best," and ours. "as sexy as the obese, shapeless CNET calls the goldfish logo humans living on Axiom, the "cute"(sarcastically?), but AOL flagship of the BnL fleet in Pixar isn't trying to build the next LOLcats empire, so maybe they movie WALL-E." Ouch!

But it's easy to see where he's should have forgone "cute" for coming from. After all, some of s o m e t h i n g a l i t t l e m o r e the logos look more like the sorts m e a n i n g f u l a n d m o d e r n .

But that's just our opinion. of doodles you would find g r a c i n g h i g h - s c h o o l e r s ' What's yours? Let us know in the notebooks - like the hand doing poll below. the " sign of the horns" hand What do you think of AOL's gesture. Really. "Rock on!," new branding?( survey) Discuss

Splits widen for Democrats over health reform (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 11/22/2009 10:44:34 AM

President Barack Obama’s mission to reform US healthcare vaulted another legislative hurdle over the weekend, but the scramble to secure his own party’s votes sheds light on the messy compromises that may be needed to get it to the finish line.

Fissures between liberal and centrist Democrats cracked open on Sunday in the aftermath of a procedural vote, which paved the way for the estimated $848bn (€570bn, £514bn) draft Senate bill to be debated on the floor.

Leaders hope there will be a vote on the bill by Christmas. If passed, the House and Senate versions will have to be mashed together.

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Three Mile Island Radiation Leak Called Not Significant (FOXNews.com)

Mile Island nuclear power plant is not significant.

Specialist John White has told MIDDLETOWN, Pa. The U.S. ABC News that there is no Nuclear Regulatory Commission indication that radiation at the says the small amount of p l a n t e x c e e d e d o r e v e n radiation detected at the Three approached regulatory limits.

Submitted at 11/23/2009 9:56:34 AM

The commission sent investigators to the central Pennsylvania plant after a small amount of radiation was detected.

About 150 employees were sent home Saturday afternoon, but officials say there is no public

health risk.

Exelon Nuclear spokeswoman Beth Archer says the radiation was quickly contained.

The unit has been shut for refueling and maintenance since Oct. 26. Workers are being tested

for radiation exposure.

A partial meltdown occurred in Three Mile Island's Unit 2 reactor in 1979.

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Taptu Brings Real-Time Search to Android

By Sarah Perez (ReadWriteWeb)

the 20 million or so who have downloaded the toolbar to date.

Meanwhile, they're indexing Submitted at 11/23/2009 7:06:15 AM around 20,000 links from Digg Having just launched a new realand 5 million from Twitter. time mobile search engine in It's this data which powers conjunction with OneRiot only Taptu's "buzz" section where you w e e k s a g o , m o b i l e s e a r c h However, nearly everything else can find breaking news and other c o m p a n y T a p t u i s n o w a b o u t t h e n e w A n d r o i d currently "hot topics" being expanding their revamped service application is the same as its discussed on the web. And unlike to the Android platform. Today, mobile counterpart, including its Twitter's trending topics, for t h e y ' r e l a u n c h i n g a n e w s e a r c h v e r t i c a l s o f " w e b , " instance, OneRiot doesn't link to application designed specifically "images," and "buzz" which sit raw tweets but to the actual news for Android phones running above Taptu's search box on the stories and blog posts that are version 1.5 and above. Like their app's main screen. sharing the information. brand-new mobile website, Taptu The "buzz" section contains real- The main Taptu homepage also for Android includes real-time time results pulled from sites like links to these trending items by search results thanks to OneRiot Twitter and Digg as well as from way of a tag cloud whose integration. It also offers a other social sharing websites, colorful blue bubbles take you touchscreen interface for viewing blogs, and data pulled from select directly to the buzz section when the results without having to panel of internet users who have tapped. pinch, resize, or refocus the downloaded the OneRiot toolbar If you're interested in trying the screen. and are anonymously sharing new Android application, you Sponsor their web-browsing data with the can download a free copy from The new application is the first c o m p a n y . T h i s a g g r e g a t e the Android Market on your Taptu app for Android which is information is actually the most mobile phone. If you don't own why it doesn't include the social prominent source of real-time an Android device (or iPhone), sharing features (share to Twitter data for OneRiot's search service. you can still use Taptu via its and Facebook) that the iPhone As of September of this year, mobile website available at app currently offers. Those will OneRiot claimed to have 3 www.taptu.com. Discuss be added in a future release, million active toolbar users out of notes the company.

JPMorgan hires Linklaters lawyer to head China unit (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 11/23/2009 12:16:25 AM

JPMorgan on Monday announced the hiring of one of Asia’s leading corporate lawyers

to head its China business and expanded the role to lead the bank’s ambitious plans in the country.

The US financial services group has recruited Zili Shao, Asia managing partner of Linklaters,

the international law firm, who will become chairman and chief executive at the end of January.

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Cartoon: Head Count

By Rob Cottingham (ReadWriteWeb)

Sponsor One of the reasons social media can be so challenging is that it Submitted at 11/22/2009 10:30:40 AM often challenges hierarchies...

A few weeks ago, I spoke to and people at the top of those someone who had finally reached h i e r a r c h i e s h a v e g r o w n the end of her rope with an comfortable there. Some see the obdurate boss. Having suggested potential advantages of an a s e r i e s o f s o c i a l m e d i a engaging, open online presence, initiatives, only to see them but others feel threatened and wither on the vine as he refused vulnerable. They have a wide to either push them forward or range of hostile responses at their cancel them, she was ready to disposal: from the passivemove on - not just to another job, aggressive (my friend's boss) to b u t a w h o l e d i f f e r e n t the outright belligerent (see organization. (Possibly the mob. below).

She has recently dreamed up What's your experience? Have s o m e i n n o v a t i o n s o n t h e you found yourself inadvertently homicide front that she's eager to threatening the powers that be? try.)

More Noise to Signal. Discuss

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Zoho Makes Another Move to be the TLC Orders New IT of the Small Business Market Series, “Mall Cops: Mall of America

By Alex Williams (ReadWriteWeb)

Submitted at 11/23/2009 5:30:28 AM

Zoho is making another move to serve as the IT department for the small business market. Its latest offering is a service for staffing agencies and human resources to automate the process for hiring people.

The new service, available now, is an applicant tracking system that helps staffing agencies and recruiting departments track job openings, resumes and candidates. The enterprise is stil heavily dependent on email and manual processes for any number of practices with human resources being no exception to the rule.

Sponsor Zoho's strategy is to create a level of automation that makes a human resources functions manageable, a model they have used for the services they offer for sales, marketing and other functions in the enterprise.

Zoho Recruit has a number of features including web forms; the ability to aggregate resumes from social sites and ways to track the status of a client within the application.

Activity streams are emerging as a standard for new social enterprise products. In Zoho Recruit, though, the activity streams look more like simple views into the status of a job opening, profiles of other people on the team and the interviews on schedule for the day.

Here's an overview of Zoho Recruit: It's clear that Zoho s gunning for the enterprise market with a focus on the small business sector. The company is increasingly perceived as a

competitive threat to larger, more established companies. This is illustrated by a Microsft executive's remark earlier this month that Zoho is a"fake" Microsoft office.

Zoho responded with FakeOffice.org, featuring a video they made in September, renaming it "Fake Office - the Movie."

Zoho is a challenger to Salesforce.com in the small business market, whic has moved up market in the past few years.

That approach has worked for Salesforce but in these markets the company faces deep pressures from larger competitors such as Oracle.

Zoho faces its own competition but it has a unique approach. Its products are varied, giving customers the feeling that they are using a service that is customized for their particular needs.

Plus, we like their videos. :) They explain their products. How about that? Discuss

Microsoft and News Corp eye web pact (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 11/22/2009 3:01:48 PM

Microsoft has had discussions with News Corp over a plan that would involve the media company being paid to “de-

index” its news websites from Google, setting the scene for a search engine battle that could offer a ray of light to the newspaper industry.

The impetus for the discussions came from News Corp, owner of newspapers ranging from the

Wall Street Journal of the US to The Sun of the UK, said a person familiar with the situation, who warned that talks were at an early stage.

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By Robert Seidman (TVbytheNumbers)

performance secured the series order.

Mall of America in Submitted at 11/22/2009 10:59:33 PM Bloomington, Minnesota, is, at via press release: 4.2 million square feet, the TLC ORDERS NEW SERIES largest mall in the U.S. With over ‘ M A L L C O P S : M A L L O F 500 stores, a 7-acre indoor theme AMERICA’ park, a 1.2 million gallon TLC today confirmed that it has aquarium, a secondary school, a started production on the new w e d d i n g c h a p e l a n d h u g e series MALL COPS: MALL OF celebrity events, Mall of America A M E R I C A . P r o d u c e d b y is a mini city – and needs to be September Films, the series protected as one. Cameras will shares the story of the men and take viewers behind the scenes as women who work the security the mall’s cops handle the tasks team at Mall Of America Ò, both routine and extraordinary as which welcomes more than 40 t h e y w o r k i n g i n s u c h a million visitors a year. remarkable setting.

Twelve half-hour episodes have MALL COPS: MALL OF been ordered.

AMERICA is produced by DCD Earlier this fall, the network Media-owned September Films. premiered a one-hour special, Executive producers are Peter also titled MALL COPS: MALL Davey and Sheldon Lazarus.

OF AMERICA, which achieved This content has passed through an average HH rating of 1.0 and fivefilters.org. was viewed by an average of 1.2 million P2+ viewers. This strong

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Apple Speaks: Schiller Defends App Store Approval Process

By Liam Cassidy (TheAppleBlog)

Most [apps] are approved and some are sent back to the developer. In about 90% of those Submitted at 11/23/2009 7:03:32 AM cases, Apple requests technical In what BusinessWeek is fixes—usually for bugs in the describing as “his first extensive software or because something interview on the subject,” Phil d o e s n ’ t w o r k a s e x p e c t e d .

Schiller, everyone’s favorite Developers are generally glad to S e n i o r V i c e P r e s i d e n t o f have this safety net because Worldwide Product Marketing usually Apple’s review process for Apple, has defended Apple’s finds problems they actually want application approval process. to fix.

I’ve read through it a few times, Here’s what TechCrunch’s Jason and I’d hardly call it “extensive.” Kincaid had to say about that: I think it’s more accurately This is a laughable statement. described as “PR spin” more than Developers may like the concept anything else. Schiller’s opening of having an external QA safety s a l v o i s a c t u a l l y a n net that helps catch bugs, but not advertisement. one that’s incredibly inconsistent We’ve built a store for the most and penalizes them with extended part that people can trust. You delays and notoriously bad and your family and friends can communication. download applications from the Schiller does manage to admit store, and for the most part they that Apple has made mistakes. do what you’d expect, and they Sadly, he doesn’t say it loudly get onto your phone, and you get enough. In a Social Networking billed appropriately, and it all just era when transparency is not only works. beneficial to a company but It’s obviously going to transmit almost essential to maintaining a good vibes to the majority of happy customer base, Apple still BusinessWeek readers (who c a n ’ t m a n a g e g e n u i n e likely weren’t even aware of an “openness” where it most counts. application approval process in I’m sure Misters Jobs and the first place, never mind a Schiller grudgingly decided this problem with it) but it’s unlikely interview was a necessary (if t o s m o o t h t h e f e a t h e r s o f bitter-tasting) step in damagefrustrated, angry developers. See, control. But it’s dripping with Mr. Schiller not only defended c o n v o l u t e d a n d d o w n r i g h t the approval process, but said unfriendly corporate-speak. that developers actually like it. Here are Schiller’s comments on

the matter of Apple’s recent inconsistent approach to trademark protection (brief recap; Rogue Amoeba’s Airfoil Speakers app displayed a tiny icon of the remote computer to which the app was connected — Apple initially approved the app, and it proved very successful.

Then someone noticed the icons were of Macs, and Apple pulled it for trademark violation).

[Schiller] says Apple is trying to make trademark guidelines more sophisticated. “We need to delineate something that might confuse the customer and be an inappropriate use of a trademark from something that’s just referring to a product for the sake of compatibility,” he says.

“We’re trying to learn and

expand the rules to make it fair for everyone.”

In a twist I didn’t see coming, BusinessWeek’s Arik Hesseldahl adds that Rogue Amoeba “…will soon submit a version of the app with the Apple images intact.”

That’s good to know, since it was almost universally agreed (except perhaps by the most fundamental fanbois) that Apple’s actions were not only inconsistent and hypocritical — they were just plain stupid.

Kincaid summarises: Schiller’s interview highlights how badly Apple is underestimating the negative impact the App Store is having on its reputation in the developer community… Apple may not care about losing a handful of developers to Android, but their shortsighted strategy of answering developer complaints with PR spin rather than transparency and action may hurt them in the long run.

I’ll give Apple this; it’s learning.

Slowly, painfully slowly, continental-drift-slowly, but remember that the iPhone is not yet three years old, the application store even younger.

In a sense, Apple is making this up as it goes, and it’s bound to take some wrong turns along the winding path toward approval process nirvana. Developers don’t expect Apple to be perfect;

they will tolerate and forgive occasional missteps, but only if the channel of discourse between them significantly improves beyond where it stands today; which, so far as I can see, is a slightly updated status page on the Apple Dev Center website and, when developers get rowdy enough, the occasional intervention by Phil Schiller.

Do we need Apple to act, as Joe Hewitt put it, as Gatekeepers?

Apple doesn’t vet the quality and functionality of applications built for the Macintosh; though, I wonder — were the Mac to be invented today, would Apple insist on an Application Store for the desktop Mac OS X? If so, would it offer the same reasoning for its draconian regulation of its software ecosystem?

Everyone has an opinion on how best to solve the problem; I suspect it’s all about balance. An approval process is fine so long as Apple’s rules are fair, practical and consistently applied across all apps, all the time. And if or when it screws up, Apple should admit it instantly and correct its error. So, riddle me this… if it’s so easy for the community to offer reasonable solutions, why is it proving so hard for Apple?

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Rumor Has It: Camera Still Bound for iPod Touch

By Darrell Etherington (TheAppleBlog)

in the current iPod nano, not that found in the iPhone. Presumably, that means that the new touch Submitted at 11/23/2009 7:08:31 AM won’t be able to shoot still At the Apple iPod event this past photos, which is something the September, the iPod nano got a nano camera isn’t able to do. video upgrade, but despite This newest claim about the iPod rumors to the contrary, the iPod touch are backed up by earlier touch didn’t get a similar reports of production problems treatment. The internet was just ahead of the September ablaze with expectation thanks to event, which were said to have the appearance of a number of frustrated Apple’s launch plans. iPod touch cases with camera The nature of the problem wasn’t holes built-in, all positioned the specified, but it was reported to same, which seemed like a fair have affected “the first dozen of indicator that video was coming thousands units produced” by to the touchscreen iPod. French Apple news site Even after the newest touch HardMac. model was released, teardowns Spring 2010 makes sense as a revealed what looked like a space launch time frame, too, because reserved for the camera Apple did upgrade the iPod touch internally. Apple seemed to be alongside the other iPod models holding back for some reason, in September, even without the and recently reports have been source who claims the camera addition of a camera. Even if it made that that is indeed the case, version of the iPod Touch 3G resolved production issues and that a camera-wielding iPod will be released this Spring. The quickly, because it went ahead touch will appear in Spring of source confirms to us that the and launched the product without iPod Touch 3G with camera had the component, the Mac-maker 2010.

The news comes via The actually been planned for release will have to wait a decent amount Examiner, which ascribes the this past September, but had of time before introducing information to sources within problems passing quality control. another new model in order to Apple. They claim that as most Unlike Samsung, Apple actually clear on-hand stock and defer people suspect, a camera was h a s a Q u a l i t y C o n t r o l u n n e c e s s a r y p r o d u c t i o n indeed planned for release this d e p a r t m e n t . reconfiguration costs. fall, but the product failed to The article goes on to say that meet Apple’s exacting standards: the camera going into the iPod We have heard from an inside touch will be the same as the one

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American Music Awards: J.Lo falls, Adam Lambert freaks out parents

By Kona Gallagher (TV Squad) Submitted at 11/23/2009 10:04:00 AM

I had the American Music Awards on last night in the background, and for the most part it looked like a pretty standard awards show: People wore pretty dresses, played pianos suspended by wires, wore more makeup than their wives (I'm looking at you, Keith Urban), and simulated oral sex.

Wait-- what?

Yeah, so for once, Lady Gaga's performance, which involved smashing a plate-glass window and setting a piano on fire wasn't the most interesting performance of the night. Instead, everyone is talking about two people: Jennifer Lopez and Adam Lambert. Lopez's unfortunate fall during her performance of "Louboutins" probably mortified her, but it wasn't the most awkward thing to happen during the ceremony. That distinction

goes to American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert's decidedly nonfamily-friendly performance.

You can check out both videos after the jump.

Continue reading American Music Awards: J.Lo falls, Adam Lambert freaks out parents Filed under: American Idol, Video, Watercooler Talk, Celebrities, Alumni, Awards, Reality-Free Permalink| Email this| | Comments

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Reporters accepting freebies (Scripting News) Submitted at 11/22/2009 8:55:33 AM

A few notes about the propriety of reporters accepting free followers from Twitter.

1. On Friday, in an interview with Twitter COO Dick Costolo at a TechCrunch conference, Mike Arrington observed that when TechCrunch ran a piece about Twitter Corp they didn't like, they were taken off the Suggested User List. I wrote this up here on Scripting News.

Costolo didn't comment, but the issue is clearly on Arrington's mind, as it should be. They're back on the list. Does this influence their coverage and if so how? (TechCrunch people should note this is a question, not a statement.)

2. Will a NY Times columnist be more likely to write about Twitter, if they've got a million followers from placement on the SUL? Is there an appearance of impropriety? Is appearance enough of a reason to opt out? In an article in today's NY Times, they say that Times reporters are not allowed to accept free trips to cover production of a television show in Bora Bora. "The New

York Times and many other media outlets ban the acceptance of these freebies on ethical grounds, because there could be an appearance of buying favorable coverage." To me, the free placement on the SUL and the benefits it bestows, are exactly equivalent. Elsewhere in the Times, and in many other media outlets, the number of followers is treated as a measure of relevance.

Pieces like this always provoke challenges from people at the publications such as the Guardian and the Times. So be it. I think they are clearly wrong in

accepting the free boost from an important and growing media network like Twitter. In the old days they were gatekeepers and could suppress a story like this if they didn't like it. Thankfully we don't live in the old days.

Further, I think political candidates who accept promotion from Twitter are going to have problems down the road. They operate under special rules, and I'm sure that there will eventually be a monetary value placed on SUL placement and it will count as a campaign contribution. Imho there will be even more serious consequences for incumbents who accept free followers from Twitter and other networks.

Think about how handicapped the news organizations are going to be in covering this story when they have their own issues around placement on the SUL. The only ones who will be able to cover this story without the appearance of being in Twitter's pocket are ones who opted out.

As far as I know, no reporters, columnists or news organizations have opted out.

Jeana says goodbye to Real Housewives of Orange County

By Allison Waldman (TV Squad) Submitted at 11/23/2009 9:03:00 AM

I haven't been as interested in The Real Housewives of Orange County this season, and now I'm about to check out permanently.

My favorite wife has left the show. Jeana Keough said an on screen "adios" to the Real Housewives of Orange County.

She's not actually moving, but she's off the show by choice.

Jeana Keough has always impressed me as the smartest, most normal and down-to-earth housewife of the bunch. She had a completely insane marriage to Matt Keough, an ex-Major League Baseball pitcher for the Oakland A's, but she worked to keep it together. Her kids were a handful.

They were all grown up and in high school or post-high school life, but Jeana was supportive and interested and tried to be a positive role model. In her finale, she was able to show her kids

Gold hits fresh high amid rising political tension (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:47:11 AM

14:45 GMT. Gold powered to another high on Monday as

softness in the dollar and raised tensions between Iran and the west encouraged traders to opt for the vehicle with strong momentum.

A tentative session on Asian

equity markets, following a global stall over recent days, had earlier added to the view that the trend higher in bullion faced the least resistance among major assets in a week that may feature

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lighter, holiday-affected trading.

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pursuing their lives and bringing her pride. I think Jeana's "pal" Vicki Gunvalson wishes her children were as loving to her as Jeana's are to her.

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How Hollywood portrays bloggers (Scripting News)

but it seems that if it did she would have used it.

Julie used blogging, but Julia I've now seen two movies that was a natural-born blogger. had bloggers in leading roles.

The dishonesty in the story was 1. State of Play. A remake of a how they portrayed Julia Child's brilliant BBC series that was so reaction to Julie Powell's writing. bad, that portrayed the blogger in They didn't explain why she such a superficial and humiliating disapproved. If you just went by fashion, that I actually walked what the movie said you could out in disgust. (A movie has to be easily think she was bitter or very bad for me to walk out on closed-minded or jealous of it.) young Julie. Luckily the archive 2. Julie and Julia. I saw it last is still on the web, and a simple night, and stayed to the end. I Google search turned up the was just as angry at the way they answer. Julia Child considered portrayed the blogger, but it turns The Julie/Julia Project a stunt. out for an opposite reason. In this She said of Powell: "She would case the dishonesty was reversed, never really describe the end the blogger wasn't at all heroic, results, how delicious it was, and and they misrepresented the hero, what she learned." There's a lot Julia Child, who was, in many more in a Publisher Weekly ways more of a true blogger than interview with Judith Jones, the blogger! Kind of funny how Child's editor at Knopf. Now, that works. begs to be solved, and because that makes sense!

A blogger isn't just someone the tools are so inexpensive that I'd love to see a movie that who uses blogging software, at they no longer present a barrier, captures the heroic spirit of least not to me. A blogger is they are available to the heroic blogging. Like all inspiration, it's someone who takes matters into individual. As far as I can tell, rare, but that's why it's worth his or her own hands. Someone Julia Child was just such a making a movie about. The story who sees a problem that no one is person. Blogging software didn't of the nobility of blogging t r y i n g t o s o l v e , o n e t h a t exist when she was pioneering, largely remains, imho, untold. desperately needs solving, that Submitted at 11/22/2009 2:54:52 PM

Lloyds draws strong demand for hybrid debt (Financial Times - US homepage) Submitted at 11/23/2009 12:43:04 AM

Lloyds Banking Group is to issue £7bn in enhanced capital notes (ECNs), a new form of hybrid debt, it announced on

Monday, as the first part of its plans for a £22.5bn ($37.1bn) capital raising. The group also increased the amount it said it would raise from US investors in the hybrid debt from $800m to $986m.

Demand for the new credit notes

was high, with Lloyds receiving offers to exchange in excess of £12.5bn.

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Review: Curb Your Enthusiasm - Seinfeld (season finale)

By Jonathan Toomey (TV Squad)

for me and write up last week's penultimate ep and I actually waited until last night to see that Submitted at 11/23/2009 8:38:00 AM one as well -- I watched them ( S07E10) "It's the Seinfeld back to back. I was struck by reunion! That's a big deal!" - how well it all flowed together; Cheryl how much it actually felt like we Yes, it is a big deal. A little over were watching a real episode of eleven years after we saw Jerry, Seinfeld, even during the table Elaine, Kramer, and George read. However, seeing it play out, behind bars, the reunion we've all scene by scene, in the finale? been waiting for has finally Talk about nostalgia. arrived. I'm not sure if this even Continue reading Review: Curb counts as a category to classify Your Enthusiasm - Seinfeld TV shows, but last night's Curb (season finale) Your Enthusiasm season finale Filed under: OpEd, Curb Your was easily the best "show within Enthusiasm, Episode Reviews, a show" episode I've ever seen... Reality-Free of any show.

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Week-long coverage of MLS Cup 2009 Culminates tonight on ESPN with Real Salt Lake FC vs. Los Angeles Galaxy

By Robert Seidman (TVbytheNumbers) Submitted at 11/22/2009 12:48:40 PM

via ESPN press release: ESPN at MLS Cup 2009: Los Angeles vs. Salt Lake City Beckham and Donovan lead Los Angeles vs. Kyle Beckerman and Real Salt Lake Sunday on ESPN HD Week-long Coverage Across ESPN Media Platforms Western Conference Finals Set MLS Viewership Record on ESPN2 ESPN’s week-long coverage of MLS Cup 2009 will culminate with the live, high definition telecast of Real Salt Lake FC vs. the Los Angeles Galaxy Sunday, Nov. 22, at 8:30 p.m. ET, from the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field in Seattle. The title match, available on ESPN360.com, will feature a Los Angeles team, led

by Landon Donovan and David Beckham, in his first U.S. title match since joining Major League Soccer in 2007 from soccer powerhouse Real Madrid FC, vs. Real Salt Lake FC, captained by U.S. national team player Kyle Beckerman.

Veteran soccer play-by-play commentator JP Dellacamera will call the match with soccer Hall of Famer and former captain of the U.S. Men’s National Team John Harkes providing analysis, and Allen Hopkins and Rob

Stone on the sidelines.

Stone will also host on-site studio segments before and after the match and at halftime, joined by former U.S. Women’s National Team captain Julie Foudy and former U.S. Men’s National Team player Alexi Lalas as analysts. Lalas is a former president and general

manager of the Galaxy – at the helm when Beckham arrived at the team.

MLS Cup 2009 TV highlights: • 19 cameras, including two super slo-mo cameras, steadicam, and skycam; • ESPN Axis, a U.S. domestic soccer virtual replay technology that allows analysts to use the

telestrator to highlight the locations and movements of players on the field; and the Offside Line, which displays a virtual line affixed to the last defender to show viewers whether the referee’s offside decision is accurate on replays; • Unique graphic“heat maps” tracking star player movement

during the match, measuring speed and total distance run by every player on the field; • With the MLS Cup in Seattle, the home of one of the most vibrant MLS fan-bases, ESPN’s telecast will pay homage to MLS “Supporter Groups,” a WEEK-LONG page 46

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WEEK-LONG continued from page 45

celebration of the fans who passionately follow their teams throughout the season. Using “Follow your Heart” as the theme, highlights and footage of the Seattle FC Alliance, the host club’s supporters group marching into the stadium on match days, will be interspersed into the event telecast.

ESPN Digital Media • T h i s w e e k , ESPNSoccernet.com, the leading English-language soccer news and information site in the world, features daily MLS Cup stories, matchup analysis and previews through post-match reports Monday by writers Ives Galarcep, Steve Davis and Jeff Carlisle. In addition, there will be extensive video highlights and analysis leading up to and after the match.

For ESPNSoccernet.com’s coverage, c l i c k h e r e : http://soccernet.espn.go.com/sect ion?id=mls&cc=5901 • ESPNdeportes.com features daily MLS Cup stories, matchup previews and post-game reports.

In addition, chats with players, blogging and columns by Fernando Palomo; video preview and post-match reports; MLS Cup gamecast; and more. For ESPNdeportes.com coverage, c l i c k h e r e : http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/f utbol/liga?league=USA.1

Additional ESPN News and Information Programming • The 2009 MLS Most Valuable Player will be announced exclusively on ESPNEWS, the nation’s only 24-hour television sports news network, Thurs., Nov. 19. The top-three finalists: Jeff Cunningham (Dallas FC), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy) and Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution). In addition, the network will air segments previewing the 2009 MLS Cup matchup as well as the presentation of Friday’s pregame press briefings by the teams; • News and information programs such as SportsCenter(ESPN) and First Take(ESPN2, 10 a.m. – 12 noon) ESPN International will feature MLS Cup news and ESPN International will televise highlights. the MLS Cup 2009 in 122

countries via coverage on ESPN Dos/Dos Mexico, ESPN+, ESPN+ Andina, Australia HD, ESPN Atlantic, ESPN Middle East, ESPN Pacific Rim, Latin North/South; Latin/Caribbean and Latin/Brasil regions.

ESPN Classic Presents History of the MLS Cup, Saturday at 6 p.m.

For the first time, ESPN Classic will feature a special presentation of the History of the MLS Cup, a star-studded documentary that travels from the birth of the league in North America through 2008. The two-hour program, which takes viewers onto the field for the best action from the first 12 MLS Cup matches, includes never-before-seen footage, off-the-field and insidethe-locker room access with players and coaches, exclusive interviews, and more. Interviews include players and coaches who have starred on the biggest stage of the premier soccer league in the U.S., the MLS Cup, such as Landon Donovan, Brian Ching, Bruce Arena, Cobi Jones, Dwayne De Rosario, John Harkes, Jeff Agoos, Pat Onstad, and Eric Wynalda.

Beckham and Donovan Propel

ESPN2 to Record MLS Viewership ESPN2’s live coverage of the 2009 MLS Western Conference Finals Friday, Nov. 13, a 2 – 0 extra time victory by the Los Angeles Galaxy over the Houston Dynamo, was seen in an average of 538,000 television homes (700,000 people 2+), based on a 0.5 rating, making it the most-watched MLS telecast ever on the network.

The previous record was on Thurs., Aug. 23, 2007, in a regular-season match between Chivas USA and Los Angeles, seen in an average of 532,000 television homes (658,000 P2+), a 0.6 rating.

Additionally on ESPN Deportes, the match was seen in an average of 73,000 Hispanic television homes (121,000 Hispanic P2+), a 1.6 Hispanic coverage rating.

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Around the Net In Media: 'St. Pete Times' Sells Magazine to Scientology Publisher (MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 11/22/2009 7:24:30 PM

The St. Petersburg Times in Florida is in the midst of selling a magazine they own in Washington, D.C., to a Scientology publisher located in Folsom, Calif. The St. Pete's title, Governing, is being acquired by e. Republic, which has four publications, including one called Government Technology.

The Web site that included the story about the sale in last week's St. Petersburg Times also included a video ad for Scientology that cost an estimated $1 million.

Interestingly, the St. Petersburg Times has been running several hard-hitting exposes about abuses in Scientology this year.

"What the heck is going on here?" asks The Hollywood Reporter. "Are publishers so hard up for cash that they'll take money from the subjects of their exposes?"

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Around the Net In Media: Vivendi Holds Up Comcast Takeover of NBCU (MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 11/22/2009 7:18:34 PM

Comcast's plan to take control of NBC Universal this month has encountered a roadblock. The cable operator's acquisition of a

51% stake in NBCU is being held up because Vivendi and GE, the joint owners of NBCU, are $500 to $900 million apart in agreeing on a value for Vivendi's stake.

General Electric owns 80% of

the company, and France's Vivendi owns 20%. GE needs to reach an agreement with Vivendi before it can sell majority control to Comcast. GE has placed a value on NBC Universal of $27 billion to $30 billion, say

insiders.

Negotiations could drag on until Dec. 10, when Vivendi's window to exercise its option to sell its stake officially closes. After that time, Vivendi wouldn't have the opportunity to sell, perhaps even

through an public offering, for another year.

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TLC Orders Eight Episodes of New Series “Craving Comfort”; Hosted by Oprah Chef, Art Smith

By Robert Seidman (TVbytheNumbers) Submitted at 11/22/2009 10:06:07 PM

via press release: TLC ORDERS NEW SERIES ‘CRAVING COMFORT’ TLC today announced that it has ordered the new series CRAVING COMFORT (wt), which explores the obsessions, triumphs, and secrets behind some of America’s favorite comfort foods. The series is produced by True Entertainment, and has already begun shooting.

TLC has ordered eight half-hour episodes.

Hosted by chef Art Smith, each episode of CRAVING COMFORT will travel the country, exploring variations of the simple, sumptuous dishes that everyone craves. Not just a cooking series, CRAVING COMFORT is about the experience shared with favorite foods, and the stories they embody. Each episode will focus on one specific comfort food from fried chicken to apple pie – and uncovers three different tales

that reveal the passion behind the plate.

“CRAVING COMFORT celebrates the great personal stories behind America’s classic comfort foods. Art Smith’s passion for great food and its ability to bring people together makes him the perfect host for this journey,” said Nancy Daniels, SVP of Production & Development, TLC. Art Smith is a two-time James Beard Award-winner and bestselling cookbook author, who has devoted his life to bringing back the symbolism and meaning of the “kitchen table” in the family home, and is a believer that food should unite families and friends through the sharing of meals.

In addition to hosting CRAVING COMFORT, Art continues his role as specialty chef for many of Oprah Winfrey’s most talked-about events, and runs his restaurant, Table Fifty-Two, serving locallysourced and seasonal home cooking inspired by his family’s farm on the Florida-Georgia

border. He also recently opened the Washington DC-based restaurant Art and Soul.

The chef devotes much time to community service through his nonprofit organization Common Threads that teaches low-income children to cook wholesome and affordable meals as a way to prevent childhood obesity and reverse the trend of generations of non-cookers, while celebrating the things people all over the world have in common.

CRAVING COMFORT adds to TLC’s slate of food programming, joining fanfavorite CAKE BOSS, currently airing its second season, ULTIMATE CAKE OFF, currently in production on its second season, and the upcoming BBQ PITMASTERS, which premieres December 3.

True Entertainment, an Endemol company, was founded by Glenda Hersh and Steven Weinstock.

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Live-action Ben 10: Alien Swarm on Cartoon Network is part of network’s plan to attract older viewers

By Robert Seidman (TVbytheNumbers) Submitted at 11/22/2009 12:39:32 PM

I know live-action on a network called the Cartoon Network rubs some people the wrong way.

But, it’s just more of the ratings grab we have seen from almost all the cable networks. In this case Variety suggests it’s the rare case of network attempting to attract an older audience(older boys and teens): Further milking and aging the “Ben 10 franchise into teen territory, Cartoon Network has churned out a second live-action movie infused with a slick comicbook feel while at times

feeling more like product placement for cars and motorcycles than a movie. Still, “Ben 10: Alien Swarm” has upped “Ben 10’s” game in terms of visual effects, and it races along briskly enough that it should connect with the older boy/younger-teen audience that the Turner-owned channel is cultivating (actually, pandering to) with a slew of live-action reality shows. Read the whole review on Variety.

Ben 10: Alien Swarm premieres Wednesday, November 25 at 7pm.

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Mall Cops coming to TV

By Brad Trechak (TV Squad) Submitted at 11/23/2009 9:29:00 AM

Review: Dexter Hungry Man

By Danny Gallagher (TV Squad)

Passenger," this week's episode dove head first into his family who aren't as Norman Rockwell Submitted at 11/23/2009 4:59:00 AM as Arthur Mitchell might want (S04E09) "Everything is exactly Dexter and the rest of the world the way it should be. Perfect." - to believe. It turns out they are Rita Morgan probably the most interesting The season is almost over and aspect of Mitchell's twisted life that means things are bound to and could turn out to be a huge ramp up as Dexter moves in asset to bringing the man down, closer to kill the Trinity Killer. now that he no longer has them But this week, we get treated to a in his upper hand. special Thanksgiving episode.

Continue reading Review: Think of it as a sordid cross Dexter - Hungry Man between the "Thanksgiving Day" Filed under: Dexter, Episode episode from Father Knows Best Reviews, Reality-Free mixed with the director's cut of Permalink| Email this| | any episode of Twin Peaks.

Comments After explaining his identity, background and own "Dark

I am sorry to report that Kevin James in Paul Blart: Mall Cop and Seth Rogen in Observe and Report have started a phenomenon, because a new reality series called Mall Cops: Mall of America is coming to TLC. This is what happens when two movies that are superficially related to each other get released in close chronological proximity.

Granted, the Mall of America is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) malls in America and there is likely more than a fair share of crimes that go on there during any given day. I just wonder if the show is going to hire its own criminals to commit felonies in the mall just to keep things interesting.

I can see it now: the season deals with standard problems like shoplifters and lost children until the season finale which ends in a

Valve selling Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead -themed greeting cards

By Ben Gilbert (Joystiq) Submitted at 11/22/2009 11:59:00 PM

We know how boring most holly jolly holiday cards can be, so we were glad to see that a handful of Valve-ified greeting cards are now available for purchase at the game maker's online store.

Featuring characters from Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2, and Team Fortress 2 in compromising holiday situations, there's no doubt that we'll actually - finallysend out greeting cards this year hostage situation cliffhanger. to everyone in our little black Want to see the footage of how it book. We're quite partial to the turns out? Wait until season two. handful of TF2-themed images Filed under: Programming, you see above (just look at The OpEd, Pickups and Renewals, Spy, back with The Scout's Reality-Free mother!), but we're sure there's Permalink| Email this| | something for everyone in your Comments list of Source Engine-loving holiday card receivers.

[Via Big Download] Valve selling Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead-themed greeting cards originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NintendoWare Weekly: Bit.Trip Void, Super Mario Kart, A Boy and His Blob

By JC Fletcher (Joystiq) Submitted at 11/23/2009 10:00:00 AM

Nintendo celebrates Thanksgiving by dropping a massive feast onto the table of every Wii and DSi owner in North America. The next Bit.Trip game is now available on WiiWare, DSiWare receives another heaping serving of

By Allison Waldman (TV game-changing episode and he Electroplankton, and Virtual Squad) delivered it with a whopper of a Console welcomes ... Super wrap up. Actually, nothing was Submitted at 11/22/2009 4:03:00 PM Mario Kart. We guess when really wrapped; it was more like By Jackie Schnoop (TV c l u e s , a n d h o w w e l l t h e y Nintendo said " by year's end" it Thanksgiving is coming and for the cards have been dealt and Squad) complete the tasks. While getting meant "next week." See the full, many of us it's time to eat, drink we're still waiting to see how the Submitted at 11/23/2009 1:25:00 AM along with the other teams is seasonally appropriate bounty and watch football. It's also a hands are played. always a good thing, there's no after the break. time to reflect on the things Continue reading What Allison (S15E10) I mentioned last week popularity vote at the finish line. Continue reading NintendoWare you're grateful for and since TV is thankful for that the remaining teams on The B u t t h e y a r e c o m p e t i n g . Weekly: Bit.Trip Void, Super Squad is all about television, Filed under: Other Comedy Amazing Race are really feeling Sometimes some sneakiness just Mario Kart, A Boy and His Blob here's what I'm grateful for this Shows, Programming, OpEd, the pressure as they're getting sneaks on in.

NintendoWare Weekly: Bit.Trip holiday season, with regard to the The Closer, Friday Night Lights, closer to the win. Well, there Continue reading Review: The Void, Super Mario Kart, A Boy tube.

Breaking Bad, Reality-Free, Mad were no fisticuffs, no elbowing, Amazing Race - We're Not and His Blob originally appeared Mad Men season finale Men, Burn Notice, Glee but there was an underhanded Working With Anybody, Ever, on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 There was really nothing as P e r m a l i n k | E m a i l t h i s | | incident ... or two or three.

Anymore!

10:00:00 EST. Please see our satisfying in the entire year for C o m m e n t s Unlike Survivor, this show F i l e d u n d e r : O p E d , T h e terms for use of feeds. me. Matt Weiner promised a doesn't depend on sneakiness or Amazing Race, Episode Reviews Read| Permalink| Email this| scheming. In the end, it's how P e r m a l i n k | E m a i l t h i s | | Comments well they run the race around the C o m m e n t s world, how well they read the

What Allison is thankful Review: The Amazing Race for - We're Not Working With Anybody, Ever, Anymore!

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NFL Diary: Colts 17, Ravens 15 (WSJ.com: The Daily Fix) Submitted at 11/22/2009 8:51:04 AM

Associated Press Derrick Mason (85) had a game-high nine catches for 142 yards for the Ravens, who were held without a touchdown by the Colts.

The Journal provides minute-byminute analysis of the Indianapolis Colts’ 17-15 victory over the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. Journal staffer Peter Sanders offers commentary on the game and the CBS telecast.

11:45 am | Pregame | by Peter Sanders The last time I visited Baltimore, sometime around the beginning of this decade, the city put a beating on me after a bit too much fun wining and dining at various establishments around the Inner Harbor.

The last time Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts visited Baltimoreâin December 2007 -they put a beating on the Ravens, with Manning throwing for four touchdowns. Final score: 44-20.

The birds didnât fare much better last year against the ponies in Indianapolis, where Manning led the Colts to their first win at their new stadium in a 31-3 drubbing.

Today, when the erstwhile Baltimore Colts take on the Ravens, they do so with a 9-0 record after barely squeaking by New England last week, helped by the Patriotsâ patriarch -- Bill Belichick -- miscalculating on a late fourth-down play call.

Belichickâs folly was all Manning needed to rally the Colts for a come-from-behind one-point win and the preservation of an unbeaten record.

Now, the Colts are trying to stay a few steps ahead of the AFC rival Cincinnati Bengals to determine home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Meantime, the Ravens (5-4) are looking for a big-time upset even though they havenât beaten the Colts since 2001. Look for Manning to try to dominate, Ray Lewis to entertain and make some big hits and look for me rooting around my cabinets for some Old Bay seasoning and a few crabs that need steaming.

1:07 pm | First quarter | by Peter Sanders

OK...here we go. For starters, Dan Dierdorf looks about how I feel this morning. The loss of Terrell Suggs last week is what is going to doom the Ravens, say Greg Gumbel and Big Dan. Also, Peyton is a genius, they say.

The sun is shining in Bawlmer.

CBS is ready and so am I. 1:08 pm | First quarter | by Peter Sanders Manning takes the ball around his own 13 yard line. On third down, he gets himself out of a jam by completing a first-down pass to Reggie Wayne. Ray Lewis got his first lick in and hammered Peyton after the pass got off. Colts take it at their own 29.

And then...first and goal. Just.

Like. That. Long bomb to Pierre Garcon that almost went all the

way. Colts trying to push it into the end zone on their first series.

1:12 pm | First quarter | by Peter Sanders An unreal one-arm catch....Dallas Clark wide open in the corner of the end zone. Clark reels it in for a 3-yard touchdown and, in the process, passes John Mackey for the alltime Colts record for receptions by a tight end. That didn't take long as the Colts go up 7-0 less than four minutes in.

1:15 pm | First quarter | by Peter Sanders The Ravens return the kickoff back to about their own 20 but Lardarius Webb appears to have fumbled the ball as he was tackled. Colts recover. But it's a close call and like a dutiful coach, John Harbaugh threw the

challenge flag. Let's hope Webb's knees were down, otherwise Peyton is going back to business at the Ravens' 20.

1:16 pm | First quarter | by Peter Sanders And the play is reversed after review. Harbaugh keeps a timeout and Joe Flacco takes over with 11:14 left in the first quarter.

1:20 pm | First quarter | by Peter Sanders Flacco, like Peyton before, gets out of his first third-down jam.

Ray Rice is already carrying a load for the Ravens as Flacco tries to move them downfield to answer the Colts' first score.

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Flacco and the Ravens get confused in the bright sunlight, which is probably why Peyton is wearing a baseball cap on the sidelines. The Ravens' efficient drive downfield is getting a bit jammed up by the Colts defense.

Timeout Ravens with just under seven minutes in the first.

1:29 pm | First quarter | by Peter Sanders Joe Flacco was 4-for-4 in the air until just now, when Colts rookie Jacob Lacey broke up a pass intended for Derrick Mason.

Then on third down, Flacco overthrows to Mason...here comes the field-goal unit. Billy Cundiff snuck one in on a 46yard FG attempt. 7-3 Colts with under six minutes left in the first.

1:30 pm | First quarter | by Peter Sanders You know what you get as a reward for a Ravens' field goal?

You get to watch a dude talk to himself in a series of officebuilding windows. His alter ego is convincing him to talk to his doctor about Viagra. The mirror says it is. But the dude in the voiceover is talking about all the bad things that can happen to you when you take it. Clearly, the man in the mirror can't hear the voiceover.

1:33 pm | First quarter | by Peter Sanders Manning and the Colts take over at their own 24. Manning throws and it's popped up and grabbed by the Ravens. One play, one interception. Dawan Landry with the pick. Flacco takes over at the Colts' 29. Eighth pick for

Manning of the season, according to Greg Gumbel.

1:36 pm | First quarter | by Peter Sanders Solid Colts defense batting and swatting footballs out of the air.

Flacco can't convert the pick into a TD. Cundiff back in the game and nails another 40+ yarder. It's a 7-6 game with four minutes left in the first.

1:39 pm | First quarter | by Peter Sanders Apparently, the word "Colts" isn't used in Baltimore. Indy, is the preferred nickname. Hard feelings last decades up there.

After a penalty on the kickoff return, Colts start at their own 11 with under four minutes to play.

1:41 pm | First quarter | by Peter Sanders That interception? Yeah, that's ancient history. Two passes to tight end Tom Santi and the Colts are on the move again. At the Ravens' 45 with just over a minute to play in the quarter.

1:43 pm | First quarter | by Peter Sanders Colts go for it on fouth and 1 but Manning can't get things sorted out with his audibles. He's forced to take a timeout and we're forced to watch another commercial.

1:48 pm | First quarter | by Peter Sanders Colts center Jeff Saturday gets flagged for holding and will bring back Joseph Addai's firstdown effort, turning the Colts' fourth down into a punt. Fair catch for the Ravens. Sidenote, Gumbel and Dierdorf gave

Saturday's hold high marks for an open-field tackle. Ravens take over and get one play off before the quarter ends with Indianapolis up 7-6.

1:54 pm | Second quarter | by Peter Sanders I'm no ref, but even I saw Ravens right tackle Michael Oher jump that ball. Flacco and Ray Rice can't get things going.

Ravens will have to punt from their own end zone at the start of the second quarter. T.J. Rushing doesn't get much on the return and a 10-yard penalty will push the Colts back to about the 50 when they take over.

1:55 pm | Second quarter | by Peter Sanders Even though he sounds like he should be waiting tables at some bistro in Paris, Pierre Garcon is pulling down balls tossed his way

by Manning. But so far, the Colts haven't been able to get much going on the ground. That Baltimore defense can still bring the stifle.

2:01 pm | Second quarter | by Peter Sanders Manning just went over the 3,000 yard passing mark for the season. The rest of the Colts must have been digesting that because Manning again took a timeout as his audible wasn't getting processed fast enough.

Third and 1 and Donald Brown gets the short-yardage first down with nine minutes left in the half.

2:05 pm | Second quarter | by Peter Sanders Another big INT by the Ravens.

Manning went deep for Reggie

Wayne, but Ed Reed stepped in and picked it off around the 10 yard line, returning it back towards midfield. Meantime, Ray Lewis gets off the field three plays after his right ankle appeared to get caught in the scrum and dialed him down a notch or two.

Manning's gonna need the time to get his head straight. Lewis will try to get his ankle straight.

8:33 left in the half.

2:07 pm | Second quarter | by Peter Sanders After grinding out a dozen or so runs, Ray Rice finally breaks one open -- if just a bit. Gets Baltimore another first down. At the Colts 22, Flacco will try to move the Ravens into the end zone for the first time today with 5:40 left in the half.

2:12 pm | Second quarter | by Peter Sanders Third and 7 and the Colts bring the blitz. Flacco dumps one over the middle and Billy Cundiff comes out for his third kick of the day. So the Ravens take the lead 9-7(all on field goals; this time a 38-yarder ) with a little over four minutes left in the half.

Volkswagen really wants to sell cars. Also, Sony dropped some serious cash on its HDTV commercials. Justin Timberlake and Peyton Manning in the same spot. Funny, my Sony HDTV doesn't really make the commercial all that much better.

2:16 pm | Second quarter | by Peter Sanders The Colts bright spot so far today is their tight ends: Dallas

Clark and Tom Santi. Santi has pulled in three receptions today, including a body-twister just now to put the Colts well into fieldgoal range. No good deed goes unpunished, however, as Santi is doubled over on the sidelines trying to get some air.

Reggie Wayne grabs a diving catch inside the Ravens' 20 yard line. Colts get a first down as we approach the two-minute warning. But Harbaugh goes and spoils the fun, he throws the challenge flag as........wait. No, he takes it back. First down, Colts.

2:21 pm | Second quarter | by Peter Sanders The NFL has an official air freshener. It's Febreze, if you were wondering.

2:23 pm | Second quarter | by Peter Sanders Joseph Addai charges five yards into the end zone with 1:30 remaining in the half. Extra point is good and it's 14-9 Colts. Ray Lewis gets juked hard, by the way.

Ravens are pushing hard as the half winds down. Flacco airing it out and giving the ball to Ray Rice, as they try to push things into field-goal range, once again.

Nice strike just now to Derrick Mason to get the ball within range. Timeout with 29 seconds left.

Poor Billy Cundiff. He's stretching again. Reminds me of that awesome Keanu Reeves movie, "The Replacements." I've NFL page 52

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never met Billy Cundiff, but I like to think he's like the Rhys Ifans character. You know, the cranky English footballer called on to kick the football between smoke breaks.

2:31 pm | Halftime | by Peter Sanders And Cundiff is 4-for-4 after a 36 -yarder. Makes it 14-12 Colts and Cundiff will go for the old onsides kick with two seconds left. Colts recover and after a bunch of dancing the Ravens bring down the kick returner and they head for the locker rooms.

2:47 pm | Third quarter | by Peter Sanders Second half gets underway and Flacco and Ray Rice go to work.

We'll see if either team can break something out, or if we're gonna grind it out for another two quarters. Looked like Gary Brackett picked it off from the first camera angle, but it clearly bounced off the ground before he picked it up.

Ravens go four-and-out. T.J. Rushing takes a fair catch at the Colts' 32-yard line and Manning will try to redeem his shaky firsthalf performance.

2:51 pm | Third quarter | by Peter Sanders Not gonna say I understand the GoDaddy.com commercials. But I am also not going to say I don't like them. I do cringe a tiny bit for Danica Patrick every time though.

2:52 pm | Third quarter | by Peter Sanders Tom Santi found his wind again and grabs another pass from

Manning for a Colts first down.

So far, it's been the Wayne-Addai -Santi show. "It's an orchestra and in every chair sits someone who has to play and play well," says Dierdorf.

First and 10 with 10:54 left in the third quarter.

2:57 pm | Third quarter | by Peter Sanders Ouch. That is one for SportsCenter. Tom Santi, we come to praise thee, not to bury thee. But Ray Lewis buried his helmet right into Santi's shoulder, spinning him around and knocking the ball loose. What was almost a guaranteed Colts touchdown turned into a fumble and Ravens recovery.

That's three turnovers for the Colts today and Flacco gets the ball back around his own 7-yard line.

3:02 pm | Third quarter | by Peter Sanders Flacco nearly gets sacked in his own end zone, but lofts a bomb to Derrick Mason, who pulls it in and the Ravens get a 45-yard gain. But on the very next play.....CONFUSION! Willis McGahee appears to get stripped after a solid first-down run and the Colts recover, but it's out of bounds. So, it's ruled Ravens ball. But Harbaugh challenges the entire play saying McGahee was down before he got stripped.

Gumbel is confused, Dierdorf is very confused...that means I am totally lost.

3:04 pm | Third quarter | by Peter Sanders Harbaugh gets another big

decision. McGahee was ruled down before he got stripped and it's like all those shenanigans never even happened. Ravens go first and 10 on the Colts 32 with 7:10 left in the third.

Ray Rice breaks through, gets inside the 20 on a quick run and the Ravens make a charge for their first end-zone visit of the day.

3:08 pm | Third quarter | by Peter Sanders The Ravens just can't seem to find the end zone today. Even with being gifted three turnovers.

Poor Billy Cundiff. Apparently, four field goals is his limit. He kicks his fifth attempt "juuuuuuust a bit outside," as Bob Uecker would say. Score stays 14-12 Colts and Tom Santi apparently tweaked his neck on that nasty hit. So we'll see if he comes back today.

3:11 pm | Third quarter | by Peter Sanders Scratch that. Santi is back in the game. Dallas Clark lets one slip through his hands and it nearly turned into Manning's third INT. Colts go four-and-out. Ed Reed gets nothing. Ravens take over at their own 32 with about three minutes left in the quarter.

3:16 pm | Third quarter | by Peter Sanders Derrick Mason. You know you should never take your eyes off the ball. Even if Colts rookie Jacob Lacey is bearing down on you like a derailed freight train.

Especially if you're that wide open. You'll drop the ball every single time.

You redeemed yourself on the next play, Mason, a nice first down reception. It had the distinction of exciting Gumbel and the Dorf because they could hear the ball striking your shoulder pads. Hard.

3:20 pm | Third quarter | by Peter Sanders That's the end of three. Colts still holding on, 14-12. Manning looks sad and frustrated. He knows he's got one more quarter to break this thing open or risk his unbeaten season. The Ravens, well, you can tell they smell blood, but they need to find that big open space of grass that sits just beyond the 1-yard line.

Old Billy Cundiff looks like he's ready for a pint or two.

3:26 pm | Fourth quarter | by Peter Sanders Greg Gumbel welcomes us all back to crab-cake country. Joe Flacco and Rice are slowly moving the ball downfield. The Dorf read my mind when he said "we're reaching that magical point on the field" where the Ravens drives come to "a screeching halt."

Mason probably heard the Dorf too. Mason burns Jacob Lacey and grabs a nice ball just inbounds. Ravens march on down from the Colts 13-yard line with 12:30 left in the fourth quarter.

3:27 pm | Fourth quarter | by Peter Sanders Flacco can't quite sneak it in on first and goal. Willis McGahee can't sneak it in on second and goal. Gary Brackett turns into a 5

-foot-11-inch brick wall. Third and goal, even worse than second.

Dorf says it was a busted play.

Whatever it was, Cundiff is back on field for his sixth try. And a 20-yarder is good. Cundiff is 5for-6 and Ravens take the lead 15 -14.

3:35 pm | by Editor We're having a technical problem. The live blog will resume once we get it worked out.

3:40 pm | Fourth quarter | by Peter Sanders Ravens nose tackle Haloti Ngata may have just caught a lucky break. After his unnecessaryroughness penalty against Pierre Garcon, it looked like Manning was going to march the Colts right into the end zone. But the Ravens D held tough, limiting the Colts to only a 25-yard field goal for former Raven Matt Stover. 17-15 Indy with about seven minutes to play.

3:42 pm | Fourth quarter | by Peter Sanders Between Viagra and Flomax and a ton of old-people CBS shows I don't ever watch (except for Big Bang Theory on airplanes), I do not feel that I'll be watching more CBS anytime soon.

3:45 pm | Fourth quarter | by Peter Sanders With just over six minutes left, Flacco and Ray Rice are trying to get something going. Cundiff could be the hero here if he gets another shot at the uprights. It's NFL page 55

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Jimmie Johnson claims historic fourth straight Sprint Cup title

By ESPN.com news services (ESPN.com) Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:30:01 AM

SC Highlight Of The Night SC Highlight Of The Night VIDEO PLAYLIST • SC Highlight Of The Night SC Highlight Of The Night • The Year That Was In NASCAR The Year That Was In NASCAR • Jimmie Johnson Makes NASCAR History Jimmie Johnson Makes NASCAR History • Chad Knaus Celebrates Four In A Row Chad Knaus Celebrates Four In A Row HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Jimmie Johnson was chasing much more than a championship.

He was also chasing NASCAR history.

The most dominant driver of this decade won a record fourth consecutive championship Sunday night at HomesteadMiami Speedway, where he raced hard to finish fifth when 25th-place would have gotten the job done.

RAREFIED AIR Jimmie Johnson's record fourth straight Sprint Cup title moved him into a tie with teammate Jeff Gordon on the list of all-time champions.

In doing so, Johnson joined Richard Petty (7), Dale Earnhardt (7) and teammate Jeff Gordon(4) as the only drivers to win more than three titles.

"The cool thing is, we're not done yet," he warned.

All he ever wanted was a chance to race against the very best.

Maybe even win a race or two.

Never did he expect to be a champion.

Especially four times over.

"I grew up on two wheels in the dirt," the 34-year-old Californian said. "I had no clue I was going to end up here racing stock cars and doing something that had never been done before. To do something that's never been done in the sport, and love the sport like I do and respect it like I do and the greats -- Petty, Earnhardt, Gordon -- to do something they have never done is so awesome.

"And to win four championships in eight years, what this team has done -- this is unbelievable."

Johnson bulldozed his way into the record books, pouncing when the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup championship began to pull team owner Rick Hendrick into the record books with him.

Johnson's title gave a record 12th overall championship to Hendrick, who was in North Carolina with a niece who was undergoing an emergency liver transplant.

Mike and Mike in the Morning NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson describes the joy and relief of winning his fourth consecutive championship.

Johnson says he's truly humbled by what his team has accomplished and he's honored to represent the sport.

More Podcasts » In his absence, Johnson, Mark Martin and Gordon celebrated a 1 -2-3 finish in the final points standings, the first time in NASCAR history a team owner has swept the standings with cars he has solely owned the entire season.

"Heavy hearts and prayers with the boss man and the family," Martin said, paying homage to Hendrick. "That sort of takes a little bit of the shine off of it. But congratulations to Hendrick Motorsports, to Jimmie Johnson - Superman -- and to my team."

Superman, indeed.

Johnson now stands atop NASCAR as a one-man dynasty, much like Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Lance Armstrong in their sports.

Only Johnson hasn't been feted under a blizzard of confetti by himself. His mighty Hendrick team rules NASCAR the way UCLA Bruins once dominated the hardwood or Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls reigned supreme.

There's seemingly plenty of chances left for Johnson's tagteam with crew chief Chad Knaus to keep Hendrick and the No. 48 in the title hunt for another decade.

Johnson signed a five-year contract extension to drive for Hendrick through 2015, and Knaus has insisted the No. 48 team can keep this pace for the next several years.

Johnson doesn't want to take

anything for granted along the way.

"I don't know if we'll win another championship," he said. "I feel in my heart we'll be competitive, but at some point in time, we won't be that team."

That's why Johnson never let up in pursuit of the championship.

He raced hard for wins in nine of the 10 Chase races, and for all 400 miles at Homestead, where he threatened to try to run down the leaders to better his eventual fifth-place finish.

It made for a sometimes testy drive into history for Johnson, who was at times annoyed at rival drivers and even Gordon, the mentor and teammate who helped him land his job with Hendrick Motorsports.

Nobody gave Johnson anything, either. The other drivers raced hard around him all day, making Johnson earn every point in a race won by Denny Hamlin, who established himself as a driver to watch in 2010 by winning a career-high four races this season.

Hamlin also managed to keep pace with Johnson at times but fell out of contention with three DNFs. "We're going to be there, I promise you," Hamlin said. "I promise you, the next couple years, we're going to win the championship. But right now, there's no one more deserving than Jimmie."

Johnson won seven races this season, four after the Chase

began in September. In fact, since the Chase format began in 2004, Johnson has won 18 of 60 Chase races.

Homestead Results Denny Hamlin won at Homestead, his fourth victory of the year, and put his name atop the list of 2010 challengers for Jimmie Johnson's crown.

Complete results He's done it by almost never choosing the safe route. He did it just once this year, at Talladega when he ran near the back of the field most of the day to avoid the trouble at the Alabama track.

Only the joke was on him when his problems popped up a week later, at Texas, where he was wrecked on the third lap and lost 111 points from his cushion over Martin. It still left him with a cozy 78-point margin headed into last weekend's race at Phoenix, where he probably could have laid back and protected his lead.

Instead, he pounced and earned a dominating victory that set the stage for an easy Sunday.

"The pressure of winning the fourth didn't really hit me until hitting the wall at Texas," he admitted. "And then it was like 'Oh, man.' It was a great reality check."

Of course, he couldn't get off the gas.

After several tense laps chasing Gordon for fifth place -- Johnson at one point complained over his radio "I let him go, now why JIMMIE page 56

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Charlie Weis says indeed, 6-5 not good enough for Notre Dame Fighting Irish

By Associated Press (ESPN.com)

had of returning to the sideline next year, writes Brian Bennett.

Blog Submitted at 11/22/2009 9:54:45 PM • Big East blog Weis Won't Step Down Weis At the time, Weis said: "You are Won't Step Down what you are, folks, and right SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Charlie now you're a 6-5 football team.

Weis wouldn't blame Notre And guess what? That's just not Dame for firing him. good enough. That's not good "If they decide to make a change, enough for you, and it's certainly I'd have to say I'd have a tough not going to be good enough for time arguing with that. If they me." decide to make a change, I'd have Weis' 35-26 record gives him a a tough time arguing that because .573 winning percentage. That's 6-5 is not good enough," the worse than the .583 winning Fighting Irish coach said Sunday. percentage that got Notre Dame's "Especially when you've lost five t w o p r e v i o u s c o a c h e s , games by a touchdown or less Willingham and Bob Davie, and several three-point games fired. that went right down to the wire. Weis declined to answer most "My intent is to be here. But if questions about how the Irish that were the rationale, I mean it have done in his five years, would be tough for me to argue saying he's too busy getting ready with that point," he said. for Stanford (7-4) to think about Notre Dame lost its third straight that. He said he'll answer those game and fell to 6-5 on Saturday questions in the future. with a 33-30 loss in double "I'm going to need significant overtime to Connecticut on time to get to that point," he said. senior day in South Bend.

Athletic director Jack Swarbrick He made the comments after said again Sunday, after Weis being asked about his quote when spoke, that he will decide on he was hired five years ago after Weis' future after Saturday's Tyrone Willingham was fired game at Stanford, saying nothing with a 6-5 record.

Weis said had changed that.

Bennett: This is It for Weis "It's still status quo. That's not to Everything after this will be a say something couldn't happen, mere formality. Don't make any but I don't foresee it," he said. mistake: Notre Dame's loss to When asked to characterize his Connecticut on the Irish's senior relationship with Swarbrick, who day ended any hope Charlie Weis was hired in July 2008, Weis said

it has been "fair and cordial the whole time we've worked together."

Weis, who has a contract that runs through the 2015 season, said he couldn't envision any scenario where he would resign.

"No, that's not happening," he said.

Weis conceded that he's responsible for any shortcomings of the program.

"Who else is responsible? Now, I could sit there and try to blame everybody else, but ultimately, it falls on my shoulders," he said.

Weis was generally in an affable mood Sunday. A reporter was talking about his tie when Weis came in and Weis quipped: "a Kmart special." When asked if he was gong to be the whipping boy on Sunday, Weis joked: "Welcome to my world."

He also pretended to be ignorant when first asked about his 6-5 quote from five years ago, saying: "I might have short-term memory here, if you're going to reminisce at this point."

He did get terse when a reporter asked whether coaches or players were to blame for the team's poor defensive play, an area where the Irish have struggled since Weis arrived.

"Do you really expect me to come up and throw people under the bus. Is that what you think?" he said.

Irish players said after the game that they were at a loss to explain how they've gone from being a team with Bowl Championship Series aspirations and two players, Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate, being talked about as potential Heisman candidates, to losing three straight.

"You kind of step back and look at it all and you don't think this is where we should be. But it is," linebacker Harrison Smith said.

"We can't change anything now."

The Irish players say they support Weis. The captains stood beside Weis as they led the team out of the tunnel Saturday with their arms linked in a show of support.

Tate said he wants Weis back because they have such a good relationship on and off the field, saying he wouldn't be the receiver he is without Weis.

"But it's not up to me," Tate said.

Swarbrick said he couldn't speculate on whether Notre Dame will go to a bowl until he knows the team's final record and what bowls are available.

"There's a myriad of factors," he said.

Swarbrick said what players want to do "will play a big role in our decision."

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Around the Net In Media: Bill Moyers To Retire From Weekly TV (MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 11/22/2009 7:23:08 PM

Bill Moyers will be retiring from regularly weekly reporting on TV next year. Moyers, 75, received the highest award bestowed by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2006 -- it's Lifetime Achievement Emmy. His weekly show on PBS, "Bill Moyers Journal," will end on April 30, 2010.

Early in his career, Moyers worked as press secretary for fellow Texan Lyndon Johnson when Johnson was president.

Since then, he has done thousands of hours of TV programming, many of them focusing on various aspects of the humanities, such as his famous interviews with Joseph Campbell about the power of mythology that first ran on PBS, Moyers' home for many years.

During the summer of 2007, Moyers delivered a prophetic speech about the importance of journalism at a conference about education. In the speech, he said, "The job of trying to tell the truth about people whose job it is to hide the truth is almost as complicated as trying to hide it in the first place. One of my mentors told me that 'news is what people want to keep hidden; everything else is publicity.' " This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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second and 10 from the Ravens own 45.

Rice peels off a big one, gets to the Colts 35 yard line on a 22yard carry.

3:46 pm | Fourth quarter | by Peter Sanders Ray Rice has 138 combined yards so far and both sides get a quick breather as Colts DB Tim Jennings leaves the field after getting shaken up.

It's third and long for the Ravens and Flacco connects with Mason at the Colts' 17. First and 10.

Manning looks concerned from the sidelines.

3:54 pm | Fourth quarter | by Peter Sanders Rice just gets pushed way back and the debate is on: How much time do you give Manning?

That's assuming Cundiff makes his kick or Flacco gets a TD in the next two plays.

Uh oh. Flacco throws it right to Gary Brackett and the Colts get the INT. There was a false start that went uncalled and now they're wishing it had. First Ravens turnover at the worst time.

Manning takes over with 2:42 and a two-point lead.

3:56 pm | Fourth quarter | by Peter Sanders Manning appears to have gotten

the first down after a nice catch

by Reggie Wayne. The officials bring out the chains...this could be the game if the Colts get the first down...and by a nose, it's a first down. Refs will review the spot....Harbaugh's gotten a lot of use out of that red flag today.

3:57 pm | Fourth quarter | by Peter Sanders The Dorf and Gumbel are making french jokes about Garcon and the word "derriere." I like it.

3:59 pm | Fourth quarter | by Peter Sanders Harbaugh's first failed challenge of the day, and it's costly. Ravens lose their final timeout of the game and Manning gets the ball again for at least four more downs. 2:19 left in the fourth.

Colts take it at their own 31.

Quick false start on the offense and the Colts will back it up.

That one is on Santi.

4:01 pm | Fourth quarter | by Peter Sanders Two minutes to go. Manning gives it to Addai and keeps it on the ground. The Colts are going to "slow-play" them, my friends.

4:03 pm | Fourth quarter | by Peter Sanders Ack! Now there's a Lipitor commercial on. After the game, I'm going to run a 10K and

maybe swim a few miles....Is CBS trying to give me a heart attack AND a small bladder AND erectile dysfunction? I thought when I woke up this morning I was perfectly healthy.

A few hours later, I'm questioning everything!

4:04 pm | Fourth quarter | by Peter Sanders The Ravens will get it back for one more shot....Cundiff might be the hero as the Colts ready to punt it away. Ed Reed will receive it for the Ravens. The punt will go off with around 25 seconds to go.

4:11 pm | Fourth quarter | by Peter Sanders Dear Ed Reed. That was really stupid. Tried to lateral it to a teammate but ended up with a fumble. Colts recovered. The Dorf agrees with me.

4:12 pm | Fourth quarter | by Peter Sanders Again, it's all about the knees.

Was he down, or not? Ruling on the field is a fumble, with the Colts recovering. Even if it's down and the Ravens keep it, they've still got to get Billy C. into field-goal range.

4:13 pm | Final | by Peter Sanders That's all she wrote, folks.

Manning gets it back and he'll

take a knee. The Ravens scored 15 points on field goals and the Colts' 17 weren't much prettier.

The Colts, who win 17-15 to squeak another one out, and the New Orleans Saints (Geaux Saints!) are the two remaining unbeaten teams in the NFL. 4:29 pm | Postgame | by Peter Sanders The Colts and their QB Peyton Manning (he of recent Sports Illustrated cover-story fame) came into Baltimore undefeated though shaky. Manning threw two picks but almost had 300 yards in the air. Manning can thank his defense for the win, as the unit kept the Ravens out of the end zone the entire game.

As for the Ravens, Joe Flacco was solid until the very end, when he threw a most inopportune interception. Ray Rice was tasked with carrying the load and did so, though he never found the end zone.

Apparently, the Ravens will have to wait another year to break their losing streak against Indianapolis, which now stretches back to 2001.

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Around the Net In Media: McClatchy Launches Digital Papers on the Kindle (MediaPost | Media News) Submitted at 11/22/2009 7:25:56 PM

McClatchy is announcing on Facebook that five of its papers are available on the Kindle: The Sacramento Bee, The Charlotte Observer, the Ft. Worth StarTelegram in Texas, the Anchorage Daily News and the News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C. The Kindle editions are delivered wirelessly once a day in the early morning, but will not be a complete version of the print edition or even the Web site of each paper. The editions will not have advertising and are free for a two-week trial. The monthly subscription price is $6.99 a month. Amazon is said to take a 70% cut of subscription revenue from newspapers.

This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Apple Announces Special Black Friday Shopping Event By twitter:@mashable (TweetMeme) Submitted at 11/23/2009 4:34:51 AM

The day after Thanksgiving, which this year falls on November 27th, is also known as Black Friday, and it marks the

beginning of the Christmas shopping craze. Capitalizing on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, Apple has announced

a “special Apple one-day shopping event” on November 27. The company posted a teaser saying the following:“Come back

to the Apple Online Store this…

0 comments Source: mashable.com

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JIMMIE continued from page 53

won't he just go somewhere!" -he asked Knaus if he had enough time to catch Hamlin and the leaders.

Johnson didn't like being told no by his crew chief.

"Is that a dare?" he asked Knaus.

"No. That is a fact," Knaus replied.

So is Johnson's place in history, which seems to be undervalued despite 47 victories since 2002.

He's never finished lower than fifth in the final standings and actually had a shot at winning the championship in 2004 and 2005 - only to fall short in the finale.

Chase Standings Jimmie Johnson earned his fourth consecutive title, and took nothing for granted. He could have won by finishing at least

25th, but Johnson pushed to earn a top-five finish.

"Jimmie is an incredible, incredible talent. He is the most underrated driver in this garage," Knaus said. "That guy can do things in a race car that I've never seen before. I hope this proves it to everybody."

His competitors insist time will take care of Johnson's legacy, but they continue to marvel at his success.

"If you would have told me four years ago that someone would win four championships in a row, I would have told you you were crazy," said Jeff Burton, who finished second in Sunday's race.

Even Gordon, who won four quick titles early in his career but has been shut out since 2001, is

impressed.

"As a competitor, that Johnson ticks me off. As a friend, teammate, fellow car owner, they're amazing," Gordon said. "I never thought in my career, in my lifetime, I'd see somebody win four in a row. To see it happening right in front of your eyes makes it even more extraordinary."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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TechCrunch Homepage Design Gets Deconstructed

By ZURB By twitter:@TechCrunch (TweetMeme)

familiar names, regularly publishes insightful design deconstruction posts for Submitted at 11/23/2009 3:00:04 AM homepages of some of the most Z U R B , a w e l l - r e g a r d e d popular websites on the net, interaction design and strategy using its very own Notable app firm in the San Francisco Bay (also see our review of the Area that has in the past done website feedback tool). After‌ work for eBay, Facebook, 0 comments Source: Yahoo, Zazzle and many other w w w . t e c h c r u n c h . c o m

New 'Noveller' Allows People To Post Novels They Write During Course Of Their Day | The Onion - ...

Real Salt Lake Beats the Odds Again, Wins MLS Cup on Penalties

By Brian Straus (FanHouse)

there was any way the upstarts from Salt Lake City could find their way back into Sunday

by Brian Straus night's MLS Cup final.

Filed under: MLS SEATTLE -But Morales' replacement, Real Salt Lake's playmaker, American soccer's prodigal son, Javier Morales, was lost in the Clint Mathis, and striker Robbie 22nd minute, the victim of a hard Findley led the way. Real Salt tackle from David Beckham. Lake has been beating the odds Nineteen minutes later, Beckham for more than a month now, and Landon Donovan combined qualifying for the postseason on to create a goal by midfielder the final weekend despite an 11Mike Magee that put the favored 12-7 record and defeating two Los Angeles Galaxy ahead. It h e a v i l y - f a v o r e d p l a y o f f was hard to imagine then that opponents on the road. On Submitted at 11/22/2009 11:02:00 PM

Sunday they again made the impossible possible, tying the game at 1-1 on a second-half goal

by Findley and riding goalie Nick Rimando and Donovan's stunning

By twitter:@apluskFanGirlie (TweetMeme) Submitted at 11/23/2009 5:36:07 AM

SAN FRANCISCO—"I love it," said Sheena Wulf, a Novellist miss to a 5-4 win in the penalty from Kansas City, MO. "If I'm kick shootout. ever sitting in a coffee shop and Real Salt Lake Beats the Odds my sense of alienation and utter Again, Wins MLS Cup on detachment from contemporary Penalties originally appeared on life provides me with sudden Fanhouse Soccer Blog on Sun, insight into the world that helped 22 Nov 2009 23:02:00 EST . shape my family, I just grab my Please see our terms for use of phone and Novel it out to feeds. people."

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Miles Calls for Spike, Confirms Idiocy

By Clay Travis (FanHouse) Submitted at 11/22/2009 9:45:00 PM

by Clay Travis Filed under: LSU, Mississippi, SEC On Saturday, LSU's Jordan Jefferson made the inexplicable decision to spike the football with only one second remaining in the game. Spiking the football ended the game and negated two miraculous Milacles: first, Les Miles' Tigers recovered an onside kick and then they completed a 46-yard Hail Mary. In his postgame news conference Miles claimed that he didn't know who had instructed Jefferson to spike the football. "I do not know who told him to clock [spike] it," Miles said.

Except, you guessed it, Miles himself was displaying his uncanny acumen by calling for the ball to be spiked with one second remaining on the clock.

That's something that you can

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Drive for Five? Jimmie Johnson's Reign May Continue

By Holly Cain (FanHouse) Submitted at 11/22/2009 10:34:00 PM

by Holly Cain Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Chase for the Sprint Cup HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- With two laps to go, pop star Nick Lachey clearly see on this video after the began clapping and cheering on jump. And yet another reason his good friend. The back slaps why LSU fans are still staring and handshakes among crew, morosely at the waters on the family and friends started coming bayou, shaking their heads, like a slow wave picking up drinking Jax beers, and cursing speed as Jimmie Johnson slid his the day that Les Miles didn't Chevy out of the final turn and leave for Michigan. approached the last checkered Miles Calls for Spike, Confirms flag of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Idiocy originally appeared on season.

Fanhouse NCAA Football Blog His father, Gary, stood behind on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:45:00 the growing celebration in his EST . Please see our terms for son's pit stall at Homestead use of feeds.

Miami Speedway -- a huge smile Permalink| Email this| Linking on his face, a sparkling Blogs| Comments Superman pin attached over the logo of his Hendrick Motorsports cap.

Superman is the nickname

bestowed on Johnson, who on Sunday became the first driver in NASCAR's 61-year history to win a fourth consecutive Sprint Cup championship. More: Rick Hendrick Misses Finale| Stewart, Montoya Tangle| Final Standings Drive for Five? Jimmie Johnson's Reign May Continue originally appeared on Fanhouse Motorsports Blog on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A New Chapter in Classic Magic -Bird Tale

By David Steele (FanHouse) Submitted at 11/23/2009 2:15:00 AM

by David Steele Filed under: Michigan State, FanHouse Exclusive KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of NEW page 58

No Tears, Just Dismal Truth for Jets

By Thomas George (FanHouse)

go-wrong game for the Jets that revealed their warts and showcased the Patriots' muscle.

Submitted at 11/22/2009 11:30:00 PM Everything about this 31-14

by Thomas George Patriots victory here on Sunday Filed under: Jets, Patriots, NFL essentially pointed to one fact: A n a l y s i s F O X B O R O U G H , the Jets are frauds.

Mass. -- It was a what-else-can- They talked a big game before

the first snap of the season and more smack when they toppled the Patriots 16-9 back in Week 2.

They were throwing a rookie quarterback sensation at opponents, combined with a defense designed to growl and intimidate.

They sped to three straight victories -- but have since lost six of seven games. And those six losses have come in a pair of three-game losing skids, including the current one. They are a 4-6 team steamrolling to a 7 -9 or 6-10 season.

No Tears, Just Dismal Truth for Jets originally appeared on Fanhouse NFL Blog on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Top 25: Don't Chargers Nearly Drive Mess With Joe Broncos to Blows

By Brett McMurphy (FanHouse)

By Nancy Gay (FanHouse) Submitted at 11/22/2009 10:24:00 PM

Japanese hardware sales, Nov. 9 - Nov. 15: New direction edition

Submitted at 11/22/2009 8:30:00 PM

by Nancy Gay Filed under: Broncos, Chargers,

by Brett McMurphy AFC West, NFL Injuries, NFL Filed under: Bowl Games With Quarterbacks DENVER -- Four not many upsets -- outside of the consecutive losses have dropped Wild, Wild West Conference or the once impressive Denver better known as the Pac-10 -- the Broncos into the middle of the top nine teams in my Associated Press Top 25 ballot remained the pastime has already begun. No, AFC pack. same as last week. not figuring out who will be The San Diego Chargers(7-3) all So unless Alabama loses to Notre Dame's next coach, but but ensured they will win the Auburn, Florida loses to Florida lobbying for the best possible AFC West with a 32-3 rout Sunday at Denver's Invesco State or Texas loses to Texas bowl berth.

A&M this weekend, the BCS title FanHouse Top 25: Don't Mess Field, and only the secondgame seems pretty cut and dried With Joe originally appeared on quarter emergence of injured between the SEC champion Fanhouse NCAA Football Blog Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton (Alabama/Florida) against Texas. on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:30:00 off the bench sparked any life in That is, as long as the Longhorns EST . Please see our terms for the disillusioned home team.

Hobbling on a badly sprained don't lose to Nebraska in the Big use of feeds.

12 title game next week.

Permalink| Email this| Linking left ankle, Orton was a better option than struggling backup With the BCS title game Blogs| Comments Chris Simms, who started the participants pretty much locked in, college football's favorite

By Griffin McElroy (Joystiq) Submitted at 11/22/2009 10:00:00 PM

game but almost immediately lost the ball on a sack and fumble and ultimately failed to move Denver's offense effectively.

Chargers Nearly Drive Broncos to Blows originally appeared on Fanhouse NFL Blog on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NEW continued from page 57

Fame inducted eight new members Sunday night, and nearly half of the two-hour ceremony was devoted to two of them. Not that it wasn't deserved: from the moment the list of enshrinees for the Hall's fourth class was announced, it was universally known that it would be a Magic-Bird celebration.

Earvin "Magic'' Johnson and

Larry Bird did not disappoint, as they served up memories of the moment they shared 30 years ago in the NCAA championship game, spoke of the legacies they carved out in basketball at every level -- and remained in their easily-recognizable characters almost as if they were scripted for the event.

A New Chapter in Classic Magic

-Bird Tale originally appeared on Fanhouse NCAA Basketball Blog on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: November 16-22

By Joystiq Staff (Joystiq) Submitted at 11/23/2009 2:00:00 AM

Filed under: Mac, PC, Meta (about Joystiq) Was the past week good for BEST page 59

If you haven't noticed, just about every foreign sales post we do somehow references football (or, as our primitive North American minds have designated it, soccer) -- including the post you're reading right this hot second. The terrifically named, PSP-exclusive J. LEAGUE Football Club Tsukurou! 6 Pride of J took top honors in the Japanese charts this week, pushing the portable platform to a first-place finish over its ill-equipped, football-less competitors.

We know better than to stand in the way of progress -- so, from henceforth, Joystiq will be changing its focus from video games to the foot-centric sport which half of our posts tend to be about anyways. Yes, we know very, very little about the game, but we don't really think that's too important. You know what is important? Choosing a new name of our blog, which we've already done: Joykick. Or, in sticking with our current typographicallychallenged theme: Joyqick. Yeah, JAPANESE page 59

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BEST

JAPANESE

continued from page 58

you? It certainly was good for us.

As usual Big Download had a bunch of exclusive feautures, news items and downloads for any PC gaming fan. Let's take a look back at the last seven days: Exclusive Features • Left 4 Dead 2: Check out our review of the PC version of Valve's shooter. Plus you still have time to win one of five Steam download codes for the full game.

• Interviews: This week we chatted with the creator of the upcoming 8-bit version of Left 4 Dead along with the COO of

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Reality Gap about the new freeto-play title Battleswarm.

• Mac Monday: This week we focus on two Mac games: Drawn: The Painted Tower and New Star Soccer 2010.

• Boot Disk: This week our retro games feature looks at Interplay's Fallout 2.

• Big Ideas: Our weekly look at game themes examines what, if anything, could be considered taboo in games.

• All You Need To Know: Our weekly 411 on a game titles gives you the info you need on Assassin's Creed 2.

• Freeware Friday: Our popular

look at free PC games checks out the browser-based Captain Forever.

that's solid gold.

We know this transition will be extremely difficult, but as you probably already know, we've Continue reading The Best of always had a knack for achieving Big Download: November 16-22 o u r l o f t y The Best of Big Download: GOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLS! November 16-22 originally (See? It's already started.) appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 - PSP: 38,770 4,986 (14.76%) Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST. Please - PS3: 38,498 10,427 (21.31%) see our terms for use of feeds.

- DSi: 33,749 3,672 (9.81%) Read| Permalink| Email this| - Wii: 26,764 5,046 (15.86%) Comments - PSP Go: 6,427 7,565 (54.07%) - DS Lite: 5,036 479 (8.69%) - Xbox 360: 4,124 555 (11.86%)

- PS2: 2,031 35 (1.69%) [Source: Media Create] See: The foot-centric archives Japanese hardware sales, Nov. 9 - Nov. 15: New direction edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard says no Diablo 3 in 2010, 'who knows' when it'll be released

By Ben Gilbert (Joystiq) Submitted at 11/22/2009 8:00:00 PM

Remember that silly, insane rumor from back in 2008 about Diablo 3 being released by Blizzard before StarCraft 2?

Turns out that Blizzard's Rob Pardo thinks that's a bunch of hogwash. Rather, that's at least what we can infer from his recent conversation with Techland on the subject. "We always announce all of our games too

early," he says. "I think it's safe to say that, yeah, [ Diablo 3] is not going to be out next year."

Considering StarCraft 2's delay to 2010, we think it's fair to assume that Diablo 3 will in fact not be arriving before a StarCraft sequel. Pardo adds that it's not a question of lacking resources, as "each game has individual development teams; it's just that the way that we develop games, we develop them very iteratively." Worse yet, there

doesn't seem to be a finish line in sight for D3. "Now when we announce [a game] we just go, 'Here's the game we're working

on, we're going to start talking about it and who knows when it ships.'" If any of you were still holding your breath for Diablo

3's release, now might be a good time to exhale.

[Via Big Download] Gallery: Diablo 3 (9/5/09) Blizzard says no Diablo 3 in 2010, 'who knows' when it'll be released originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kennedy dispute reveals divide among Catholics (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News) Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:18:26 AM

Nintendo launching Limited Edition DSi bundles featuring Mario, 'brain teaser' DSiWare packs

By Alexander Sliwinski (Joystiq)

Left 4 Dead 2 gets patched on PC

E x p r e s s : M a t h , C l u b h o u s e By Griffin McElroy (Joystiq) Games Express: Card Classics, Submitted at 11/22/2009 6:30:00 PM Photo Clock.

Submitted at 11/23/2009 9:33:00 AM A few minor glitches which Left This Black Friday, November There is no altered price to go 4 Dead 2 players on Steam were 27, Nintendo will release DSi with the announcement of these experiencing have been squashed bundles containing pre-installed bundles, so we're guessing the by a recent patch. The update software to the value of $20. The units will retail at the normal includes fixes for an error which metallic blue DSi bundle (a new $170 price. Of course, it is Black i m p e d e d m a t c h m a k i n g f o r color for the States) will feature Friday, so check various retailers players looking for higher Mario-themed DSiWare, while for the best deals. difficulty games, for a bug which the white is for those with "a Nintendo launching Limited allowed special infected to team passion for brain teasers."

Edition DSi bundles featuring up on players who are being Mario, 'brain teaser' DSiWare pummeled by a Charger, and for • Blue version: Mario vs. packs originally appeared on performance problems which Donkey Kong: Minis March Joystiq on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 cropped up when the game Again!, D r. Mario Express, 09:33:00 EST. Please see our r e n d e r e d t o o m a n y d e c a l s , WarioWare: Snapped!, Mario terms for use of feeds.

Calculator and Mario Clock.

Read| Permalink| Email this| • White version: Brain Age Comments Express: Arts & Letters, Brain Age Express: Sudoku, Brain Age

"notably when fighting Tanks with shotguns."

Well, thank goodness for that. If there's a better way to kill a Tank than with a few well-placed shotgun blasts, we've yet to find it. Check out the full list of changes after the jump!

Continue reading Left 4 Dead 2 gets patched on PC Left 4 Dead 2 gets patched on PC originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A bitter dispute over abortion that prompted Rhode Island's Roman Catholic bishop to ask Rep. Patrick Kennedy not to receive Holy Communion has revealed the depth of the divide among Catholics over how politicians should reconcile their faith with their public duties.

Bishop Thomas Tobin on Sunday said he made the request because of the Democratic lawmaker's support for abortion rights. The news prompted debate among Catholics around the country and within Rhode Island, the nation's most Catholic state, about whether it was right for Tobin to publicly shame Kennedy for breaking with the church on what its leaders consider a paramount moral issue.

Angel Madera, 20, a Marine visiting his home in Providence for Thanksgiving, said before attending Sunday evening Mass that Tobin was wrong to assail Kennedy's faith.

"If they believe they're a true Catholic, who's to say that they're not?" he said.

Others, like Kay Willis, of Smithfield, applauded Tobin for calling Kennedy to account over the conflict between his KENNEDY page 62

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Program to help truckers attracts drug smugglers (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News) Submitted at 11/23/2009 3:22:48 AM

LAREDO, Texas – A U.S. program that offers trusted trucking companies speedy passage across American borders has begun attracting just the sort of customers who place a premium on avoiding inspections: Mexican drug smugglers.

Most trucks enrolled in the program pause at the border for just 20 seconds before entering the United States. And nine out of 10 of them do so without anyone looking at their cargo.

But among the small fraction of trucks that are inspected, authorities have found multiple loads of contraband, including nearly 13 tons of marijuana seized in a three-week period last spring.

Some experts now question whether the program makes sense in an environment where drug traffickers are willing to do almost anything to smuggle their shipments into the U.S. The trusted-shipper system "just tells the bad guys who to target," said Dave McIntyre, former director of the Integrative Center for Homeland Security at Texas A&M University.

The program works like this: Participating companies agree to adopt certain security measures in exchange for fast entry into the U.S. They are required to put

their employees through background checks, fence in their facilities and track their trucks.

They also must work with subcontractors who also have been certified under the program, which is run by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency.

The government keeps the list of participants secret, citing national security and trade secrets. But some of the 9,500 companies who are part of the system advertise their membership to drum up business, making them targets for smugglers, who can then threaten drivers or offer them bribes.

More than half of all U.S. imports now come from companies in the program, called the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, or C-TPAT. Mexican trucking companies make up only 6 percent of global membership in the system, but they account for half of its 71 security violations during the past two years.

Mexican trucking companies face higher scrutiny than others.

They get a full customs inspection every year, instead of every three years like other participating companies.

The most common contraband is marijuana, officials say.

In March, a driver from Tijuana, Mexico, offered inspectors at the U.S. border paperwork showing his truck was filled with toilet paper. But a drug-sniffing dog

alerted authorities to five tons of marijuana in a hidden compartment.

A week later, customs officers found three tons of marijuana in trucks carrying auto parts and racks. Five days after that, agents in El Paso, Texas, found more than four tons of marijuana in a tractor-trailer hauling another load of auto parts.

Stephen Flynn, senior fellow for Counterterrorism and National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said truckers do not feel safe rejecting bribes, no matter what agreements their companies have made with the U.S. government.

"The basic vulnerability for a truck driver remains the 'plata-orplomo' dilemma," Flynn said, using Spanish shorthand for taking a bribe or a bullet.

John Chaffin, a trade lawyer near San Diego, said he had worked with one Mexican trucking company that wanted to join the program, but then pulled out. He suspects participating companies feel pressure from drug gangs to help them smuggle drugs into the United States.

"Some Mexican truckers have figured out, 'I don't want someone thinking I'm a better target than someone else,'" Chaffin said.

Mexican authorities suspect a man who owned a participating trucking company in Aguascalientes, Mexico, was

killed by drug gangs in July 2008. The slaying of Gerardo Medrano Ibarra is unsolved.

In Laredo, the border's busiest crossing, nearly 700 trucks a day pass through the lane at the World Trade Bridge reserved for trucks that are certified by the trusted-carrier program, each one pausing only for a matter of seconds.

Trucking companies have to electronically submit a list of each vehicle's cargo to customs officials at least 30 minutes before arriving at the bridge.

Customs agents review them for risk factors that could trigger an inspection. Customs will not reveal those factors, but people familiar with the program say potential risks are judged based on the factory that is sending the goods, its location, the truck's route and other matters.

Required cable locks on the trailer doors are also checked, but smugglers have been known to cut them and carefully glue them back together or take the trailer doors off at the hinges without disturbing the locks.

Mexican trucking company owner Leonardo Varela Resendez joined the program because he did not want to lose clients.

At first glance, Autotransportes Varela Davila, a family trucking business with 54 tractor-trailers in Reynosa, Mexico, seemed the sort of low-tech operation

smugglers would target. Then Varela pointed out the security cameras surrounding the yard, the guard at the front gate who took down a visitor's license plate number and the woman who tracks his trucks' whereabouts by computer.

"I have learned good things from the U.S. like this, and we understand it benefits companies and the U.S. too," Varela said.

Nearby Varela is building a new yard for his trucks. It is larger, modern and will include 128 mounted security cameras, as well as an infirmary for giving drug tests to drivers.

Varela, the local delegate for the national trucking advocacy group, said he does not fear being targeted by drug smugglers.

"They dedicate themselves to their thing, and we do ours," he said.

Daniel B. Hastings Jr., owner of a customs house with offices at five ports of entry on the TexasMexico border, thinks the customs program works. He cited cases where a Mexican trucking company tracking a truck noticed an unscheduled stop en route to the bridge and phoned to alert U.S. customs.

"I think they're doing as good as they can with what they have to work with," he said.

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KENNEDY continued from page 60

professed faith and voting record.

"If you're going to be a Catholic, be a Catholic," she said.

The fight began escalating shortly after the death of Kennedy's father, Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, and came to a head on the 46th anniversary of the assassination of his uncle, President John F. Kennedy.

Tobin told The Associated Press in an interview Sunday that he's praying for the younger Kennedy, who has been in and out of treatment for substance abuse, and said Kennedy has been acting "erratically."

"He attacked the church. He attacked the position of the church on health care, on abortion, on funding," Tobin said. "And that required that I respond. I don't go out looking for these guys. I don't go out picking these fights."

Their simmering dispute escalated in October when Kennedy criticized Catholic bishops for threatening to oppose an overhaul of the nation's health care system unless lawmakers included tighter restrictions on abortion, which have since been added to the House version of the bill. Tobin said he felt Kennedy made an unprovoked attack on

the church and demanded an apology.

Since then, their feud has played out in public. Tobin, who has said he might have gone into politics were he not ordained, has written sharp public letters questioning Kennedy's faith and saying his position is scandalous and unacceptable to the church.

Kennedy has said his disagreement with the church hierarchy does not make him any less of a Catholic.

Two weeks ago, after a planned meeting between the two fell through, Kennedy said he wanted to stop discussing his faith in public. But then he told The Providence Journal in a story published Sunday that Tobin instructed him not to receive Communion. He also claimed the bishop had told diocesan priests not to give him Communion.

Kennedy and his spokespeople did not return repeated requests from the AP seeking comment.

Tobin said he wrote to Kennedy in February 2007 asking him not to receive Communion, but never formally banned Kennedy from receiving Communion nor instructed any priest not to give it to him.

Kennedy said this month that he receives Communion, but he did

not say whether his priest is in the Diocese of Providence. Tobin only has authority over priests in Rhode Island, which has a higher percentage of Catholics than any other state.

The bishop said he would probably not personally give Kennedy Communion and might have "a little conversation" with any priest who regularly gave Kennedy the sacrament.

Tobin would not say Sunday whether he had sent similar letters to other pro-choice Catholic politicians, including Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I. Reed said in a statement that he respected Tobin's authority on matters of faith but added that "any discussions we've had are between the two of us."

Catholics nationally have been spit over the issue.

Michael Sean Winters, author of "Left At The Altar: How the Democrats Lost the Catholics and How the Catholics Can Save the Democrats," said he found the public dispute unseemly, even though he opposes abortion and thinks Kennedy is wrong. He said bishops are not making appropriate distinctions when penalizing people over abortion.

There's "a difference between being an abortion doctor,

procuring an abortion for yourself or your spouse and saying, 'I don't think abortion should be illegal,'" he said.

Abortion is a major concern for Catholic bishops because opposition to the procedure is based on the church's earliest teachings on preserving human life, which have not changed. By comparison, church teaching on the death penalty is not as definitive and has changed over time, making it difficult for church leaders to demand that Catholic lawmakers agree.

A small number of prelates have publicly asked a Catholic politician to voluntarily abstain from the sacrament.

Mark Silk, director of the Greenberg Center for the Study of Religion in Public Life, said statements made in 2004 by St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke, who threatened to deny Communion to Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, intensified the debate.

"There's real disagreement as far as anybody can tell among the bishops, but they don't like to publicly criticize each other," Silk said.

Other Catholic politicians have wrestled with the same issue Kennedy faces.

In 1984, former Democratic New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, a Catholic who supported abortion rights and was at the time a potential presidential candidate, delivered a speech at the University of Notre Dame explaining that Catholic lawmakers shouldn't be pressured by church leaders to work for anti-abortion legislation. He said Sunday it's dangerous for the church to pressure politicians because of the potential for unintended consequences.

"If you're required (by the church) to make everybody follow your Catholic role, then nobody would vote for Catholics because it's clear that when you get the authority, you're going to be guided by your faith," the former governor told the AP. ___ AP Religion Writer Rachel Zoll in New York City and Associated Press writers Rik Stevens in Albany, N.Y., and Michelle R. Smith in Providence contributed to this report.

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Medical marijuana finds social outlet in Ore. cafe (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News) Submitted at 11/23/2009 5:51:09 AM

PORTLAND, Ore. – At the newly opened Cannabis Cafe, people sit around taking tokes from a "vaporizer" — a contraption with a big plastic bag that captures the potent vapors of heated marijuana. Glass jars hold donations of dried, milky-green weed, and the cafe serves up meals and snacks for the hungry.

It's all perfectly legal and, for cancer patient Albert Santistevan, it's about time.

"It's a very positive atmosphere.

We could use more places like that," the 56-year-old former jewelry shop owner said.

A few weeks ago, Santistevan would have had no place to go.

But with the Obama administration's decision last month to soften the federal stance on medical marijuana, the Cannabis Cafe and a lounge across town popped up, bringing a little bit of pot-friendly Amsterdam to this working class corner of Portland.

The idea could catch on in the roughly dozen other states with

medical marijuana laws. Allen St. Pierre, spokesman for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML, said the organization has already gotten inquiries from Washington state, Michigan, Montana and Maine.

Portland police have not received any complaints about the cafe and it is not under any special scrutiny, officials said.

Jan Clutter lives about a block from the cafe and knows the owners well. She said many neighbors would probably prefer it was somewhere else, but there has been no push to have it moved. For some, things could be worse than having a pot cafe.

"It's better than having a sex club, a strip joint or a bar full of drunks open down the street," neighbor Claudia Nix said.

Oregon became the second state to pass a marijuana law in 1998, following California. There are nearly 24,000 patients with medical marijuana cards in Oregon. Only state residents can obtain the card after registering as a patient in the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program with

a qualifying debilitating medical condition diagnosed by a doctor.

Even though they have a card, medical marijuana patients have had to confine their smoking to their homes for fear of getting busted.

"We have no place of our own.

So this is the place," said Madeline Martinez, executive director of the Oregon chapter of NORML, which operates and monitors the cafe.

Volunteers gave a reporter and a photographer a tour of the cafe.

No marijuana is sold in the cafe.

Patients bring marijuana grown by themselves or by their designated caregivers. They also donate marijuana for other patrons to use. The cafe has a pool table and comfy couches.

Martinez demonstrated the "Volcano," a vaporizer that collects marijuana fumes into a clear plastic pouch with a valve that releases the fumes for patients to inhale.

People who want to use marijuana at the cafe can't get inside until Martinez or other NORML members check their IDs to make sure they are

patients registered with the state.

The patients also have to be a member of Oregon NORML to use the cafe, pay a $20 a month fee, and a $5 coverage charge at the door. The money goes toward operating costs.

In another part of the city is Highway 420— a number pot users have used as code for marijuana — a small lounge in the back room of Steve Geiger's pipe shop. Rules for using the lounge are similar to those at the Cannabis Cafe. Geiger opened it in late October. Eight to 10 people come in on a given day.

People sit around, talk and watch TV while smoking marijuana.

Geiger said it's only fair for medical marijuana users to have a place where they can socialize and use their medicine.

"The truth is that nobody that takes medication every day would be told you have to take that at home," said Geiger, who spent about 30 years working with computers before opening the shop.

One of the state's staunchest law -and-order figures — Oregon Anti-Crime Alliance President

Kevin Mannix — said he wishes there had been more public discussion about the cafe before it opened. He worries Oregon's law could be stretched beyond the original purpose of personal use for relief from disease or chronic pain, and said lawmakers need to weigh in before more cafes open.

"I'm not going to cast judgment on whether or not there should be a cafe," Mannix said. "But I do think legislative policy makers need to take a good hard look at where we are headed."

St. Pierre, the national NORML spokesman, argued that the Cannabis Cafe and the Highway 420 lounge show that medical marijuana can be part of neighborhood community life.

"I can tell you had they done this three years ago, they'd be gone," he said. "If they'd done it 10 years ago, there would be yellow tape around them. If they'd done this 20 years ago, they might have gone in there with guns blazing."

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FBI wants public's help in civil rights killings (AP) (Yahoo! News: U.S. News) Submitted at 11/23/2009 3:38:33 AM

JACKSON, Miss. – Over the last three years, the FBI scoured faded documents, interviewed aging lawmen and tracked down witnesses from killings that occurred decades ago, many of them involving white police officers who shot black men or teenagers.

Now, the agency is at a dead end in the search for relatives in at least 33 civil rights-era cases, and the FBI needs the public's help.

Agents are appealing for relatives of the victims to come forward, the latest challenge in a threeyear-old effort to right historical wrongs.

"We have done everything we can to find those families and we've run out of leads," said Cynthia Deitle, unit chief for the FBI's civil rights division.

"Whether it's a spouse, child or parent. We've even gone as far as locating cousins who are the next of kin."

In some cases, the FBI is looking for family members to provide any evidence or details about the crimes. In others,

agents want to give a status update or simply tell the relatives the FBI's investigation has ended.

Among the cases is Johnny Robinson, a black teen shot by police in 1963 in the aftermath of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Ala. Another case is the killing of John Earl Reese, a 16-year-old who died in 1955 when two men fired shots on a black cafe in Gregg County, Texas.

The Civil Rights-Era Cold Case Initiative began in 2006 with a solemn charge: Reopen long dormant cases from a period in America's history when blacks and whites were killed in the South's bloody fight to maintain a segregated society.

The unit had 108 cases under investigation, including the infamous Ku Klux Klan slayings of three civil rights workers found buried in an earthen dam in Mississippi in 1964. A parttime Mississippi preacher was convicted of manslaughter in 2005 in the case, and the investigation continues.

The FBI said those identified as suspects in nearly half of the homicides are now dead. Federal

officials also have determined about 20 cases were not racially motivated homicides.

Successful prosecutions cited by the FBI include the 2003 conviction of Ernest Avery Avants, found guilty of federal charges of aiding and abetting in the 1966 Klan killing of Ben Chester White, a black handyman shot to death to possibly lure Martin Luther King Jr. to Natchez, Miss.

Another was the 2007 kidnapping conviction of James Ford Seale, a reputed Klansman.

Authorities said Charles Moore and Henry Dee were kidnapped, beaten and thrown, possibly still alive, into a Mississippi River backwater in 1964.

Charles Moore's brother, Thomas Moore, was instrumental in getting that case reopened.

Thomas Moore said he took FBI records he obtained to Mississippi U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton, who then looked into the case.

Though the FBI's effort has been applauded, some believe the pursuit comes too late.

"I think the window has been closing for a couple of years

because many of the potential defendants are dying or have died. This was an effort that would have been wonderful about 15 years ago," said Susan Glisson, director of the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation at the University of Mississippi.

Southern Poverty Law Center president Richard Cohen said his organization has turned over information to the FBI in hopes someone will be prosecuted in at least a few of the remaining unsolved killings.

"The justice that is achieved in those few is going to have to serve as symbolic justice for the whole," Cohen said.

Deitle said the investigations are "incredibly labor intensive."

Agents who can't get in touch with relatives seek sheriffs or deputies and comb neighborhoods where the crimes occurred. If that fails, they turn to grand jury dockets.

"We've dug that deep to just find anybody," she said.

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Hasan Won't Plead Guilty, May Use Insanity Defense (FOXNews.com) Submitted at 11/23/2009 12:19:04 AM

The defense attorney for the Army psychiatrist charged with killing 13 people at Fort Hood reportedly has said his client will probably plead not guilty and that an insanity defense is possible.

"I anticipate that the plea will be not guilty," Retired Army Col. John Galligan told ABC News.

Maj. Nidal Hasan will be confined until his military trial, initially staying in a hospital where he is recovering from gunshot wounds, the attorney said. Hasan has no feeling from the chest down and has limited movement in his arms.

When asked if he would enter an insanity plea for Hasan, Galligan said, "I'm fairly confident that that's going to have to at least be examined. And that's problematic. But we haven't reached that stage yet."

During a hearing in Maj. Nidal Hasan's room in a Texas hospital on Saturday, a magistrate ruled that there was probable cause that Hasan committed the Nov. 5 shooting spree at Fort Hood, said his civilian attorney, John Galligan.

Hasan has been at Brooke Army Medical Center since the shooting, and his attorney said Hasan has been told he has permanent paralysis.

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Indian PM Singh begins US visit (BBC News | Americas | World Edition) Submitted at 11/22/2009 8:47:34 PM

Indian PM Manmohan Singh has begun a visit to the US for talks expected to be dominated by Afghanistan, climate change and nuclear energy cooperation.

Mr Singh has said that a victory for the Taliban in Afghanistan would be a catastrophe for South and Central Asia.

He said he was concerned about the spread of Taliban and alQaeda terrorism to Pakistan's heartlands.

India hopes the summit talks will see the finalisation of the civilian nuclear deal with the US. During his visit, Mr Singh will hold meetings with business leaders and foreign policy scholars.

He will meet US President Barack Obama on Tuesday.

"It is very important that both the US and the global community

stay engaged in Afghanistan," Mr Singh told The Washington Post newspaper and Newsweek magazine ahead of his arrival on Sunday.

Mr Singh urged the Obama administration to put pressure on Pakistan to crack down on militants in the country.

'Nothing to fear' "We have been the victims of Pakistan-aided, abetted and inspired terrorism for nearly 25 years. We would like the United States to use all its influence with Pakistan to desist from that path," Mr Singh said in the interview.

"Pakistan has nothing to fear from India. It's a tragedy that Pakistan has come to the point of using terror as an instrument of state policy."

Mr Singh expressed doubts over whether Pakistan and the US had similar objectives in Afghanistan.

"I don't see Pakistan wholeheartedly in support of action against the Taliban in

Afghanistan. They of course are taking action against the Taliban, but only when it threatens the supremacy of the army," he said.

In a separate interview, Mr Singh also said that he hoped that the Obama administration would complete the finalisation of the deal on nuclear energy which Delhi struck with former President Bush.

India and the US have forged closer defence and economic ties in recent years.

Last year they signed a civilian nuclear co-operation accord to end 34 years of US sanctions.

India gains access to US civilian nuclear technology and fuel in return for inspections of its civilian, but not military, nuclear facilities.

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Four US soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan in the past 24 hours, military forces say.

Three of the Americans were said by Nato to have died in southern Afghanistan on Sunday and the other in the east in a bomb explosion on Monday.

Three Afghan soldiers were also

killed in a separate incident on Sunday by a roadside bomb in Helmand province.

This has been the deadliest year for foreign troops since the USled invasion overthrew the Taliban.

In a statement released on Monday, Nato's International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said that of those who died in southern Afghanistan, two US soldiers had been killed by a

Morphine 'might spread cancer' (BBC News | Americas | World Edition)

MNTX inhibited the apparent tumour-promoting effects of opiates, and reduced the spread Submitted at 11/22/2009 5:40:55 PM of cancer in the mice by 90%.

L a b o r a t o r y t e s t s s u g g e s t "If confirmed clinically, this morphine could in fact encourage could change how we do surgical the spread of cancer, for which it anaesthesia for our cancer is routinely prescribed to relieve patients," said Dr Singleton, pain from surgery and tumours. assistant professor of medicine at US scientists say the opiate t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f C h i c a g o promotes the growth of new Medical Center and principal blood vessels which deliver author of the research. tumours oxygen and nutrients. "It also suggests potential new Speaking at a meeting of the applications for this novel class American Association for Cancer o f d r u g s w h i c h s h o u l d b e Research in Boston, they also e x p l o r e d . " claim to have found a drug which The tests were started after his counters this effect. colleague, anaesthetist Jonathan Cancer Research UK said more Moss, noted that several patients tests were needed before any receiving this kind of opiate changes in treatment. blocker survived longer than Dr Patrick Singleton from the might be expected after surgery.

University of Chicago told the Dr Laura Bell of Cancer meeting of experts that in Research UK said the drugs had a laboratory tests, morphine not l o n g h i s t o r y o f p r o v i d i n g only strengthened blood vessels e f f e c t i v e p a i n r e l i e f . but also appeared to make it "Research in this area is in the easier for cancers to invade other early stages, so it's too early to tissues and spread. tell whether opiate-based bomb attack and the other in a But he said this could be painkillers have an effect on separate firefight with insurgents. o v e r c o m e b y a d r u g - cancer growth.

Revised strategy methylnaltrexone or MNTX - "Much more research would be Afghanistan's Ministry of developed in the 1980s to prevent needed to justify changing the Interior said two other Afghan morphine-related constipation but way opiates are used to treat National Army soldiers had been only recently approved in the US. people with cancer." wounded in the Musa Qala It appears to work without Print Sponsor district by the same roadside i n t e r f e r i n g w i t h t h e p a i n - This content has passed through bomb that had killed their three relieving properties of the opiate. fivefilters.org. colleagues on Sunday.

'Long history' It also said six soldiers in Kunar In mice with lung cancer, FOUR page 66

Four US soldiers die in Afghanistan (BBC News | Americas | World Edition)

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HASAN continued from page 64

"In the 36 years I've dealt with military justice cases," Galligan told ABC, "this is the first time I have ever had to go to an ICU to conduct a hearing. We could have conducted this hearing next week. He is paralyzed. He is not going on leave."

Galligan told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that the judge also ordered Hasan to pretrial confinement, which usually means jail, until his court -martial. The military justice system does not have bail for defendants.

The magistrate ruled that Hasan will initially remain in the hospital, where he is in intensive care, Galligan said.

Saturday's hearing was closed to the media. Officials at Fort Hood declined to comment.

Hasan was shot by civilian members of Fort Hood's police force after the shooting spree in a crowded building where soldiers must go before they are deployed to finalize wills, update vaccinations and get vision and dental screenings.

Hasan has been under guard at the hospital, Galligan said, and military officials have not told him how the pretrial confinement status will change anything.

"I don't know what rights and privileges he had that will now be changed, such as visitors of if they'll open his mail," Galligan

said. "There are still many issues that haven't been addressed. I feel like I just wasted a day."

Hasan has been charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder.

Authorities have not said whether they will seek the death penalty, his attorney said.

Galligan said he is concerned about where Hasan will be moved once he's released from the hospital, but he does not know when that will happen.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Menezes family do deal with police (BBC News | Americas | World Edition)

Menezes family are pleased to announce that all litigation between them arising out of the Submitted at 11/23/2009 7:06:01 AM tragic death of Jean Charles de The Metropolitan Police has Menezes has been resolved," it reached a compensation deal with said. the family of Jean Charles de "The members of the family are Menezes, mistakenly shot dead pleased that a compensation by officers in July 2005. package has been agreed which Relatives of the Brazilian, who enables them to put these events was gunned down at Stockwell behind them and move forward Tube station in south London, with their lives." had been locked in a legal battle It said in the best interests of the with the force. family, there would be no further The amount of compensation the statements about the settlement family will receive has not been a n d w e n t o n t o a p o l o g i s e disclosed. "unreservedly" for the death of Firearms officers from the Met's Mr Menezes.

CO19 unit thought Mr Menezes, "The commissioner would like...

27, was failed suicide bomber to reiterate that he (Mr Menezes) was a totally innocent victim and (BBC News | Americas | protested on Sunday. "lending legitimacy" to Mr Hussain Osman.

In a joint statement, the family in no way to blame for his World Edition) 'Lends legitimacy' Ahmadinejad.

It is the first visit by an Iranian Israel too called it a "mistake" and Scotland Yard said "all untimely death."

Submitted at 11/23/2009 6:12:05 AM president to Brazil, which for Brazil to host him, AFP litigation" between them had now Print Sponsor been resolved.

This content has passed through Iranian President Mahmoud maintains close ties to the US, reports.

Ahmadinejad has arrived in Israel and other countries trying Since coming to power in 2005, "The commissioner of police... fivefilters.org.

Brazil, where he will lead a to block Iran's nuclear ambitions. Mr Ahmadinejad has sought to and representatives of the de delegation of business leaders. But Brazilian President Lula has build ties with leftist south FOUR He is due to meet President Luiz said he opposes further sanctions American leaders. continued from page 65 Inacio Lula da Silva and sign on Iran, and called for diplomacy His five-nation tour also takes province and one in Kandahar more troops to Afghanistan, trade deals before visiting instead. him to Venezuela and Bolivia, had been injured in incidents in following a report by General Congress and speaking at a US State Department spokesman with stops in the West African the past 24 hours.

Stanley McChrystal, the university in Brasilia.

R o b e r t W o o d d e c l i n e d t o countries of Senegal and Gambia The ministry did not give any commander of Nato forces there, Brazil backs Iran's right to a comment on the meeting, but said on the way home. details of how the soldiers had which outlined a revised military peaceful nuclear programme. The he hoped Brazil would raise Print Sponsor been hurt. strategy for the country. day-long visit has already drawn some of the US concerns with the This content has passed through As yet there has been no Soldiers from more than 40 c r i t i c i s m f r o m I s r a e l a n d Iranian leader. fivefilters.org. confirmation of any connection countries make up Nato's force of members of the US Congress. New York congressman Eliot between the US and Afghan nearly 110,000, two-thirds of Around 500 people from gay, Engel said President Lula was deaths. them from the US. Jewish and Christian groups making "a serious error" by US President Barack Obama is FOUR page 67 still considering whether to send

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The biggest contingents operating in the west of the country are from the United States and Italy.

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US health-care reform: Proceed with caution (The Economist: News analysis)

November 7th, although there are differences. The Senate bill, for instance, relies much more on Submitted at 11/22/2009 10:14:53 PM expanding Medicaid, the system US health-care reform of provision for the poor. As in Nov 23rd 2009 the House, the Senate legislation From Economist.com A health- creates insurance “exchanges” care reform bill gets to the floor and a government-run insurance of the Senate. A rowdy debate scheme that would compete with will follow private plans, but it allows for DEMOCRATS in the Senate states to opt out. Ms Landrieu defeated a Republican attempt to and others would like to go Research Brief: block their health-care bill on further and adopt a “trigger” that Saturday November 21st, just would implement a public plan in Measurement: days after Harry Reid, the Senate five years, but only if private Newspaper Readers or majority leader, unveiled the long plans are no more affordable by Circulation?

-awaited legislation, which t h e n . J o e L i e b e r m a n , a n amalgamates proposals from independent Democrat, has (MediaPost | Media News) various Senate committees. insisted he will vote against any Submitted at 11/23/2009 5:15:06 AM R e p u b l i c a n s t r i e d , w i t h a final bill that contains a public A c c o r d i n g t o t h e l a t e s t filibuster, to stop the measure o p t i o n “ a s a m a t t e r o f Integrated Newspaper Audience from even proceeding to the c o n s c i e n c e ” . f i n d i n g f r o m S c a r b o r o u g h floor, providing an early test of The Senate bill would raise the Research, in its recently released Democratic resolve. To get the payroll tax for Medicare paid by Scarborough USA+ Study, 74% 60 votes he needed, Mr Reid had the wealthiest Americans from of U.S. adults, or nearly 171 t o c a j o l e t h r e e w a v e r i n g 1.45% to 1.95%, put a tax on million people, read a newspaper, Democrats—Mary Landrieu of “Cadillac” insurance plans (the in print or online, during the past Louisiana, Blanche Lincoln of most expensive policies) and levy week. The study examined Arkansas and Ben Nelson of a 5% charge on non-essential newspaper readership, which Nebraska—and their support c o s m e t i c s u r g e r y . T h e captures media patterns and other came at a price. Republicans are Congressional Budget Office consumer behaviors of adults calling an extra $100m doled out (CBO) estimates that the bill across the country. Newspapers i n f e d e r a l m o n e y f o r M s would cost $848 billion, less than are still read in print or online by Landrieu's state “the Louisiana the $1 trillion price-tag it a critical mass of adults in the purchase”. All three have since attached to the House bill, and U.S. on a daily and weekly basis, pointed out that a final “yea” is would yield a net reduction to the far from certain. federal deficit of $130 billion says the report The Senate bill is similar in between 2010 and 2019. On Gary Meo, Scarborough Research's Senior Vice President scope to the measure passed by Friday the CBO revised its earlier of Print and Digital Media the House of Representatives on estimate of the House bill and Services, notes that "While our data does show that print RESEARCH page 68

forecast that it would cut $138 billion from the deficit, rather than the $109 billion it estimated two weeks ago.

Republicans insist that the health reforms would end up costing more. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a former director of the CBO and an adviser to John McCain, told Congress recently that every “budget gimmick” in the book is being used to dampen the estimated fiscal damage: “leave out inconvenient spending, backload spending to disguise the true scale, front-load taxes, let inflation push up tax revenues, promise spending cuts that have never materialised…the list goes on.”

Republicans will use his words to chip away at hesitant Democrats when the Senate debate begins after Thanksgiving.

Polls show that Americans are becoming more wary of increased government spending, and do not think current proposals are helping.

Conservatives are preparing for a rowdy fight in the Senate and millions of dollars are being spent on advertising in the states of wavering Democrats.

Conservative groups are shrill in their contention that health care will be rationed. They have sought to link the debate about government “interference” in health to recent controversial

advice from a quasigovernmental panel that said women should delay having a mammogram until into their 50s, reversing long-standing guidance that they are screened for cancer in their 40s. Another contentious issue will be abortion, as the Senate bill does not include the amendments to restrict the procedure that were inserted into the House bill.

The Senate debate is likely to last until Christmas, at least. Mr Reid stresses that “the road ahead is a long stretch”. It is hard to say how much the legislation will change during that time, but amendments are bound to come.

Some think it will compare to the debate in the 1960s when civilrights legislation was passed, with senators arguing about the essence of the American republic. Whether they reach that standard, and whether Mr Reid will be able to give Barack Obama an early Christmas present, will become clearer after the Thanksgiving turkeys have been digested.

Back to top ^^ Readers' comments The Economist welcomes your views.

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newspaper readership is slowly declining... given the fragmentation of media choices, printed newspapers are holding onto their audiences relatively well... " The analysis of Scarborough audience data not only indicated that newspapers are being read by a majority of adults in print and online, but also that these Integrated Newspaper Audiences continue to attract educated, affluent readers. In an average week: • 79% of adults employed in white collar positions read a newspaper in print or online • 82% of adults with household incomes of $100,000 or more read a printed newspaper in print or online • 84% of adults who are college graduates or who have advanced degrees read a printed newspaper in print or online

which is audited and reported by Integrated Newspaper Audience the ABC, refers to the number of is the percentage of adults in the printed newspaper copies sold. market who have read the printed John F. Sturm, president and newspaper over 5 week days or C E O o f t h e N e w s p a p e r on Sunday, or visited the A s s o c i a t i o n o f A m e r i c a , newspaper's website(s), or did concludes that "For media both during the past seven days. buyers, analysts and others who " P r i n t e d n e w s p a p e r s h a v e evaluate the health of newspapers continued the tradition (as trusted and the value of (the) medium's sources of news and information) advertising, audience is a far by successfully extending their more meaningful way to measure brands into the digital space," newspapers' ability to attract a said Mr. Meo... "(the recent growing audience across multiple study) is noteworthy in the wake platforms... (and) this data... also of... reported significant declines provides further evidence that in weekday and Sunday printed newspapers reach a highly newspaper circulation... (as) educated, affluent audience." circulation and audience do not For more information from always march in lockstep as they Scarborough about this study, are two different measurements." please go here.

Audience, which is measured by This content has passed through Scarborough and accredited by fivefilters.org. the Media Rating Council (MRC), refers to the percentage or number of adults who actually read the newspaper. Circulation,

A Kindle, Gentler Nation (Forbes) (Yahoo! News Search Results for e-readers) Submitted at 11/23/2009 3:18:15 AM

Like many other forms of technology, the Kindle has changed the game for book publishers and media outlets. The evolution will likely continue, with book-selling companies getting their own e-readers, publishers and media outlets adjusting to the change and new technologies emerging. Buy Amazon, Apple and Microsoft.

Amazon.com( AMZN- newspeople) is advertising the Kindle as the No. 1 "best- selling, most wished for and most gifted item" on its Web site. The Kindle, which was created about three years ago, did face some backlash at its outset from people who preferred paper books and feared straining their eyes. Since then, the e-reader has become more of a mainstay especially for travelers and commuters. Article Controls email print reprint newsletter comments share del.icio.us Digg It! yahoo Facebook Twitter Reddit

rss "One need only see what transpired with the iPod and its impact on CD purchases as well as other historical transformations such as digitizing records, Internet sales, online media, et cetera, for pre-existing protocol," says Matt Lloyd, chief investment strategist of Advisors Asset Management. The Kindle's readability has recently improved and its priced has been lowered.

(See"The Coming E-Book Boom"). Forrester Research( FORR- news- people), a technology analysis firm, recently projected that 1.2 million digital readers would be sold in the U.S. in the fourth quarter. That would bring total sales for this year to about 3 million e-readers.

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Some are worried that these ereaders and the Internet will markedly change the newspaper, magazine and book industries, if not make them extinct altogether.

"Newspapers, books and DVDs will eventually become obsolete," says Gerard Klingman, head of Klingman & Associates.

Ronald Roge, chief executive officer of R.W. Roge & Co., agrees. "It is really an instrument KINDLE, page 69

E-reader News/

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E-readers: The price might entice readers, author notes (The Sacramento Bee) (Yahoo! News Search Results for e-readers)

and feel and smell of a book, but U.S. consumers are increasingly willing to commit to the expense Submitted at 11/22/2009 6:38:48 PM of the technology.

You won't catch New York "For every 100 books we sell in Times best-selling author and physical, we sell 48 Kindle Davis resident John Lescroart books," said Cinthia Portugal, a reading an electronic book spokeswoman for Amazon.com. anytime soon.

"This is up from 35 books for "I'm a hold-a-book-in-your-hands e v e r y 1 0 0 i n M a y . O u r kind of guy and likely will customers tell us they read more remain that way," Lescroart said with Kindle because they never in a recent interview. have to worry about running out Yet that doesn't mean this of books." technological revolution and the Gayle DeForest of Sacramento a economics of it are lost on him. retired computer trainer for the "Hardcover sales of my last book state is one of them. were down 20 percent, while e- "I bought a Kindle e-reader last book sales were up 300 percent," year and really love it," she said he said. Of course, Lescroart via e-mail. "I can adjust the text explains, that doesn't necessarily size, (the screen) causes no eye mean a huge jump in royalties. strain, it's lightweight and very He receives $1 to $1.50 from a portable. And it's almost too easy $10 electronic download and to buy a new book. I will never a b o u t $ 2 . 5 0 f r o m a $ 2 5 go back to paper books." hardcover purchase.

Retired librarian Nancy Pifer of Lescroart and several other R o s e v i l l e , t h o u g h , i s i n authors interviewed by The Bee L e s c r o a r t ' s c a m p . haven't embraced electronic "I cannot bear the thought of readers, but they and their technology to read a book," she e publishers are definitely using the -mailed. "I love bookstores and technology to attract and build an libraries too much. Ingesting the a u d i e n c e t h r o u g h s p e c i a l words off the pages and enjoying promotions, sales of out-of-print even the smell of books are works, and links to their Web- wonderful sensations. Truly, based content. books rule!"

Many of these authors do not Yet market researchers expect own a Kindle e-reader, finding it electronic readers to attain a difficult to leave behind the heft break-out success this holiday

season.

In a recent holiday outlook report, Sarah Rotman Epps of Forrester, a research and business -consulting firm, predicted yearly sales of 3 million e-readers by the end of 2009, noting that e-reader sales reached 1 million in 2008.

"With 30 percent of sales occurring in the holiday season," Forrester's report added, "we expect sales in 2010 to double."

Potential buyers of e-readers can choose from Kindle (the latest model, the DX, retails for $489), the Sony Digital Reader Touch Edition ($300) and the brandnew Nook ($259) from Barnes & Noble.

As numbers fly and statistics mount, a realistic Lescroart sees the trend as a logical step from the Internet.

"Much of my advertising has shifted from print to Net-based," he said. "I think the jury is still out on which is more effective.

But certainly, publishers and authors who ignore the Internet do so at their own peril."

Cara Black of San Francisco, author of the AimĂŠe Leduc mystery series, set in Paris, saw the power of Kindle when her publisher offered her first book, "Murder in the Marais," along with her latest book, "Murder in the Latin Quarter," in a special promotion.

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of creative destruction. Out with the old books and newspapers and in with the new e-ink," he " 'Marais' shot to No. 3 on the says.

Despite these notions of Amazon Kindle List of Movers and Shakers best-sellers," she newspapers and magazines disappearing because a said. "It was amazing."

Still, Black doesn't have an e- technological competitor came to reader. "I have so many things town, these companies are that need recharging, I don't need holding their own. For instance, another one," she explained. "I'm The McClatchy Company( MNIr e a d i n g b o o k s I b u y i n news- people), the third-largest independent bookstores, and U.S. newspaper company, had have a huge to-be-read pile at my $23.6 million in net income for bedside. Very comforting in a the third quarter, up from $4.2 special way, knowing I can just million in the third quarter of 2008. The Kindle hasn't put these reach out and grab a book."

Although there have been media outlets or book publishing doomsday reports that e-books companies out of business yet; will result in paltry advances for instead, many of these companies authors, Eileen Rendahl of Davis a r e b e g i n n i n g t o e m b r a c e producing content in a variety of isn't seeing the results.

"Based on what I see on my ways, including for the e-readers. royalty statements, (e-books) Newspapers have a love-hate aren't exactly putting traditional relationship with the Kindle as books out of business yet," said the larger, broadsheet-readable Rendahl. "E-readers make it a version of the e-reader isn't as little more affordable to purchase p o p u l a r a s i t s s m a l l e r a book that would otherwise have counterpart, says Seth Jayson, to be purchased in hardcover or analyst at The Motley Fool. trade paperback. Also, they might Without the broadsheet style, the make it more tempting (for newspaper looks very different readers) to try a new author or than its print sister and it doesn't offer all of a physical paper's new genre."

Call The Bee's Allen Pierleoni, design aesthetics. These e-readers also can't run advertisements in (916) 321-1128.

This content has passed through the same way that they can run online, Jayson adds. fivefilters.org.

For book publishing companies, e-readers present another way to sell their products and a way to get things to print faster, as an ebook can be distributed faster KINDLE, page 70

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than a paper copy.

E-readers have been gaining traction because they're easier to maneuver and carry than a book or broadsheet newspaper. Roge was sold on the Kindle after recently taking a long flight and struggling to manage 12 magazines and two books on the plane. He likes the e-reader because of the vast number of newspapers and magazines available on the Kindle, which means no more trips to the "out of town" newspaper stand, and "you can even close your eyes, plug in your headset and it will read the book or article to you."

The Kindle isn't just affecting newspapers and your favorite books; it's also reaching into your kid's backpack. The Kindle Store has more than 30,000 textbooks and case studies. There's a pilot program at seven universities and colleges this school year, with more than 600 students and professors participating. Arizona State University, UVA's Darden School of Business, Reed College, Pace University, Case

Western Reserve University, University of Washington and Princeton University are participating in the pilot program with classes in political science, business and biology, among other subjects.

Mickey Cargile, managing partner at Cargile Investments, notes that the e-book revolution is continuing through an Apple( AAPL- news- people) iPhone application, called Books.app, which is an e-reader. He foresees the iPhone application really taking off, as the iPhone is already popular.

Barnes & Noble( BKS- newspeople) launched its own e-reader called the Nook last month.

"Barnes & Noble feels like they have to get into this market before they become irrelevant," Jayson says.

Jayson recommends buying Amazon stock based on the Kindle's success. He says the Kindle has made him change his mind about the stock, which he otherwise says is expensive.

Amazon is trading at about $129.

Because of the Kindle, Jayson classifies Amazon as "a good investment even when it's expensive."

The real future of book and media could be in Microsoft's( MSFT- news- people) Xbox, Jayson says. Though he says the gaming system was a "money burner" for Microsoft for a while, Twitter, Facebook and Netflix( NFLX- news- people) are now available on it. Having Netflix through your Xbox is easier than getting videos streamed on your television or in the mail, Jayson says. "Game consoles will be the media hub of the future," he says.

If you believe that's the case, buy Microsoft.

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earlier this week.

Amazon started selling the first version of the Kindle in late 2007. The latest version appears to still be in stock.

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Some Nook e-readers won't make it for the holidays either (ARNnet) (Yahoo! News Search Results for e-readers)

prices, more content and plenty of attention are contributing to higher-than-expected sales for eSubmitted at 11/22/2009 5:48:18 PM readers, according to a recent Just two days after Sony said Forrester report. The report, that its wireless e-reader, the issued in early October, boosted Daily Edition, might not make it projections that analysts there set to buyers before the end of the earlier this year for e-reader year, Barnes & Noble said its sales. Forrester expects sales of Nook e-reader is sold out.

900,000 units during November T h e N o o k h a s n ’ t s t a r t e d and December for a new 2009 shipping yet, but the bookseller total of 3 million units, more than now says that preorders have the initial 2 million projection. consumed stock available for the While Sony and others have holidays. Anyone ordering the been selling e-readers for years, Nook now will have to wait until Amazon jump-started the market after Jan. 4, when Barnes & when it added wireless access to Noble expects to ship additional its Kindle. Users don’t pay a readers. monthly fee or a transaction Anyone who has already ordered charge but can buy and download the device will get it in time for b o o k s o v e r t h e w i r e l e s s the holidays, said Mary Ellen connection. Sony's Daily Edition Keating, a Barnes & Noble and the Barnes & Noble Nook spokeswoman. adopted a similar model.

Hoping not to miss out on Sony’s Daily Edition, its first potential sales, Barnes & Noble with a wireless connection, is encouraging people to preorder o p e n e d f o r p r e o r d e r s o n the Nook to give as a gift Wednesday. Sony said it couldn’t anyway. The bookseller promises guarantee a delivery date and that to send an “elegant Nook holiday devices would ship Dec. 18 certificate” that will arrive by through Jan. 8.

Dec. 24 and that buyers can give More people than expected as a placeholder until the real signed up to find out about the Nook arrives.

Daily Edition’s availability, and Although neither company is the company will deliver as many saying how many preorders as it can in time for the holidays, they’ve gotten for their devices, a company spokesman said analysts have been expecting SOME page 70 healthy sales of e-readers. Lower

Gallup Poll/

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“Most Urgent U.S. Health Problem” Still Access to Healthcare (All Gallup Headlines) Submitted at 11/22/2009 8:00:00 PM

PRINCETON, NJ -- For the third straight year, access to healthcare leads the list of issues Americans name as the "most urgent health problem" facing the U.S., now cited by 32%. At 18%, the cost of healthcare is also widely mentioned, but to a lesser degree than it was a year ago. As a result, after many years when healthcare costs ranked as the bigger top-of-mind health problem, access now leads costs by 14 points, its widest margin.

Gallup first asked Americans to name the "most urgent health problem facing this country at the present time" in 1987, and has repeated the question annually since 1999. The latest findings come from Gallup's 2009 installment of its annual Health and Healthcare poll, conducted Nov. 5-8.

Amid the worldwide H1N1 flu pandemic, Americans' mentions of flu as the nation's most urgent health problem have zoomed to 16%, up from minimal percentages citing it each of the last several years. The flu thus roughly ties healthcare costs for second on the list this year, followed by cancer and obesity.

No other issue is named by more than 2% of Americans.

Several previous health scares -such as the bird flu in 2005 and bioterrorism in 2001-- resulted in those specific issues' appearing prominently one year on the list of "most urgent health problems," only to nearly disappear the next. On the other hand, AIDS received widespread mentions for a sustained period.

A striking 68% of Americans perceived AIDS as the most urgent problem in 1987. While mentions of the disease tapered off in subsequent years, they remained high through 2000, dropping below 10% in 2001.

Today's 1% is the lowest on record.

This year's increased focus on flu may be displacing public concern about cancer and obesity

-- both of which show slight declines since 2009. However, at 9% and 8%, respectively, today's mentions of cancer and obesity still outnumber mentions of other leading public health problems, including heart disease (2%), diabetes (1%), and smoking (named by less than 0.5% of Americans).

Bottom Line Media reporting on healthcare

issues in 2009 has focused heavily on two very different types of concerns: the policy issues around healthcare reform, and the medical issues around the H1N1 or swine flu. Both sets of concerns are evident in Americans' top-of-mind responses to the "most urgent health problem" facing the “MOST page 72

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country today. Healthcare access and costs are perennial public concerns that have dominated the Gallup "most urgent health problem" list since concern about AIDS dropped off in the early 1990s. More recently, mentions of healthcare costs have ebbed -a finding consistent with separate Gallup research showing increased public satisfaction with the cost of healthcare-- while concern about access has remained high.

Sign up for Gallup e-mail alerts or RSS feeds Get Gallup news on Facebook and Twitter Survey Methods Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,008 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Nov. 5-8, 2009. For

results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is Âą4 percentage points.

Interviews are conducted with respondents on land-line telephones (for respondents with a land-line telephone) and cellular phones (for respondents who are cell-phone only).

In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

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