Monday, November 28, 2011

Twitter Nabs The Two Guys Behind Mobile Security Startup Whisper Systems

Screen Shot 2011-11-28 at 11.09.37 AMThe team behind security startup Whisper Systems has been acq-hired by Twitter, they have?announced on their company blog this gorgeous Cyber Monday morning.
"We started Whisper Systems with the goal of improving security and privacy for mobile devices. We were attracted to this not only because we saw it as an opportunity to reinvent the security solutions that never really worked in the PC environment to begin with, but also because the stakes are much higher ? due to the nature of mobile devices themselves ? and we didn't like the way that things were looking."
As Whisper Systems consists of just two employees, Moxie Marlinspike and Stuart Anderson, this has talent acquisition written all over it. In their year of being in the business, the startup has built a variety of encryption products for Android phones and the web including WhisperCore, a product that encrypts all data on your phone and TextSecure, a product that encrypts text messages.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/EQEMSsQi1bY/

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Sunday, November 27, 2011

Sunday Media Notes (Powerlineblog)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/166990472?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Gunfire erupts at NC mall as early shoppers arrive (AP)

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. ? Authorities say gunfire erupted at a North Carolina mall as holiday shoppers gathered, though there are no reports of any injuries. No evacuation was ordered, but several shoppers left the mall and some smaller stores closed.

The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office says detectives are looking for two suspects after gunfire rang out at Cross Creek Mall in Fayetteville early Friday.

The first shots were fired around 2 a.m. outside the mall near a food court entrance. Investigators say several more shots were fired after one of the suspects ran inside the mall.

Investigators say no one with gunshot wounds has shown up at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.

Black Friday kicks off the holiday shopping season, when merchants can make 25 to 40 percent of their annual revenue.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111125/ap_on_re_us/us_black_friday_mall_shooting

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Friday, November 25, 2011

Pillow Pets As Low As $7.99 Shipped | Faithful Provisions

pillow-pet

Amazon has some select Pillow Pets for as low as $7.99 right now. ?Here are the ones that are available:

Plus, you can get FREE Super Saver shipping with order of $25 or more.

*Note: Some of these are Pillow Pets and some are Pet Pillows! ?

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Source: http://faithfulprovisions.com/2011/11/25/pillow-pets-as-low-as-7-99-shipped/

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Oil hovers above $96 amid light holiday volume (AP)

SINGAPORE ? Oil prices hovered above $96 a barrel Thursday in Asia amid light trading volume ahead of a U.S. holiday.

Benchmark crude for January delivery was up 1 cent at $96.18 a barrel at midday Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell $1.84 to settle at $96.17 in New York on Wednesday.

Brent crude for January delivery was steady at $106.70 a barrel on the ICE Futures Exchange in London.

Markets in the U.S. are closed Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Crude has fallen from above $103 last week amid investor concern the Europe debt crisis will undermine global economic growth and oil demand.

However, crude inventories have dropped in recent months in the U.S. and Europe. Crude supplies fell by 6.2 million barrels last week and are about 8 percent below year-ago levels, the Energy Department's Energy Information Administration said Wednesday.

"The low inventory situation has prevented oil prices from falling sharply," Bank of America Merrill Lynch said in a report. "But eventually, deteriorating financial conditions could start to impact economic activity and bring oil prices somewhat lower."

Bank of America said it expects Brent crude to average $104 in the first quarter of next year.

In other Nymex trading, heating oil rose 1 cent to $2.98 per gallon and gasoline futures gained 1.2 cents to $2.53 per gallon. Natural gas was steady at $3.61 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111124/ap_on_re_as/oil_prices

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Thursday, November 24, 2011

Snowy landing for first Soyuz return since shuttle

Chelsea Whyte, contributor

POD2211.jpg(Image: NASA/Bill Ingalls)

As the sun rose over the snowy fields outside Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, it greeted three returnees from the black of space.

Surrounded by steam, the Soyuz capsule looks otherworldly as it rests on the tundra. After the landing at 8:26 am local time on November 22, workers helped the crew out of the cramped-looking capsule.

Its passengers were NASA astronaut Mike Fossum, Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergei Volkov, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, who spent five months aboard the International Space Station serving as crew for ISS Expeditions 28 and 29.

The Soyuz is the first spacecraft to return astronauts to Earth since the space shuttle was retired in July. These astronauts leave the ISS in the hands of a crew that arrived just one week ago, amid fears that the space station would be left unmanned due to safety concerns after the failed launch of a Soyuz rocket in August.

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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Think Klout Is For Suckers? Flout.me Wants You To Set Your Own Social Influence Score.

Screen shot 2011-11-22 at 8.44.27 PMSome people love Klout, while others are in doubt. But, the fact of the matter is that, in the end, all this talking about Klout is ... good for Klout. Apparently, in 100 million ways. At the very least, when it comes to social media influence and reputation, Klout is hard to ignore. Even if, like Alexia, one believes that no one really gives a damn about your Klout score. Well, thanks to Josh Constine's legwork and research, we bring you another solution. Enter the snark-ily named Flout.me, founded by Pat Nakajima and Anoop Ranganath. In the duo's own words: "Sites like Klout try to tell you how important you are. That's ridiculous! Only you know how important you are. Flout lets you flaunt it to the world."

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/dIV0OhNv0o4/

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Paul stays out on limb, frustrating rivals (Politico)

Ron Paul got more speaking time Tuesday night than he has at most of the other debates, and he used it to point out even more differences that set him far apart from his rivals and the Republican mainstream.

Turned to repeatedly by moderator Wolf Blitzer, Paul detailed his disagreements on renewing the Patriot Act, attacking Iran, supporting Israel and giving foreign aid. Those answers aren?t surprising ? he?s said most of the lines he delivered Tuesday many times before ? but with Paul?s core of support likely to keep him in the debates for months to come, they were a reminder of just how much of a thorn he has the potential to be in the side of the eventual nominee.

Continue Reading

Paul started the evening taking on former House speaker Newt Gingrich, who?d argued about the importance of preserving the Patriot Act to more effectively fight terrorism.

?I think the Patriot Act is unpatriotic because it undermines our liberty,? Paul responded. ?Today it seems too easy that our government and our congresses are so willing to give up our liberties for our security.?

As the other candidates sided with Gingrich, Paul became visibly agitated, waiting for his opportunity to respond.

?You can prevent crimes by becoming a police state,? Paul aid. ?So if you advocate the police state, yes, you can have safety and security and you might prevent a crime, but the crime then will be against the American people and against our freedoms.?

Even Mitt Romney got drawn in to the Paul orbit. Though Romney?s avoided much direct confrontation with this rivals, on Tuesday he challenged Paul on his position that foreign bases are provoking the nation?s enemies. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani used this as a tactic in the 2008 primaries, pitting himself against Paul to enhance the impression of his foreign policy strength.

On border security, Paul took issue with fellow Texas Rick Perry recommending ending the ?war on drugs? to curtail violence created by Mexican drug cartels.

?That?s another war we ought to cancel,? Paul said. ?And that?s where the violence is coming from.?

Paul made his usual comments about ending all foreign wars, which he?s kept firing hard on, even in a field comprised of several hawks who advocated hardline responses to Iran and Pakistan.

?I am convinced that needless and unnecessary wars are a great detriment,? Paul said. ?They undermine our prosperity and our liberties.?

The rest of the Republican field has positioned itself as strong supporters of Israel, but Paul said he?d be against helping if the country decided to go to war with Iran to halt nuclear proliferation.

?No, I wouldn?t do that,? Paul said when asked, prompting laughter from the audience.

Paul argued that it?s unlikely Israel would even opt to attack Iran.

?And if it did ? you?re supposing that if it did, why does Israel need our help?? he said. ?We need to get out of their way.?

While the other Republicans bemoaned possible cuts in defense spending, Paul argued the reductions aren?t as deep as others were making them out.

?There?s nothing cut against the military,? he said. ?And the people on the Hill are nearly hysterical because they?re not going ? the budget isn?t going up as rapidly as they want it to.?

And with the topics and questions continuously coming back to Paul, Rick Santorum ? who?s repeatedly locked horns with the congressman ?instead tried to insert himself into the discussion with a joke.

?I agree with Ron Paul,? Santorum said, pausing to the let the audience respond to how he?d framed his answer about how ?war on terrorism? was a misnomer.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories1111_69024_html/43691213/SIG=11mpdlt71/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/69024.html

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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Rob Kardashian tops 'Dancing' leaderboard (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Rob Kardashian swung to the top of the "Dancing with the Stars" leaderboard Monday.

The 24-year-old reality TV star and his professional partner, Cheryl Burke, waltzed ahead of the competition on the ABC ballroom contest's final dance-off. Kardashian and Burke nabbed a combined 57 out of a possible 60 for a breezy waltz and dizzying swing-era freestyle routine that garnered Kardashian his first perfect 30 of the season.

"Never would I ever have thought that I'd get a perfect score, and we did it with the hardest freestyle," he said.

U.S. Army veteran J.R. Martinez and TV personality Ricki Lake tied for second place with 54. Lake remained consistent with a 27 for both her cha-cha and a freestyle number that incorporated everything from quickstep to salsa moves, while Martinez earned a 24 for a so-so cha-cha before winning a perfect 30 for his high-energy salsa-inspired freestyle.

"It was a like a jungle tribal hypnotic experience," judge Bruno Tonioli told Martinez.

Lake and partner Derek Hough have been front-runners throughout the show's 13th season, consistently earning high marks from the judges. Martinez and partner Karina Smirnoff have also ranked high with the panel, occasionally topping the leaderboard. Kardashian has experienced steady growth under Burke and may have peaked at just the right moment.

"You're like the male version of Cinderella who made it to the ball," judge Carrie Ann Inaba told him.

The scores will be combined with viewer votes to determine the champion Tuesday.

Previously dismissed contestants include actor David Arquette, activist Chaz Bono, soccer player Hope Solo, singer Chynna Phillips, actress Elisabetta Canalis, basketball player Metta World Peace and TV personalities Kristin Cavallari, Carson Kressley and Nancy Grace.

___

ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co.

___

AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen contributed to this report. Derrik J. Lang and Sandy Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang/ and http://www.twitter.com/APSandy.

___

Online:

http://abc.go.com/shows/dancing-with-the-stars

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111122/ap_en_tv/us_tv_dancing_with_the_stars

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EPA Delays Proposal for Greenhouse Gas Standards Again (ContributorNetwork)

According to Reuters, the Environmental Protection Agency has announced it will delay its proposal of greenhouse gas limits on oil refineries. Following a court settlement with both states and environmental organizations, the EPA had been given until mid-December to propose these limits on refineries.

However, the delay in the presenting of the proposal is due to the fact the agency needs more time to develop the greenhouse gas standards and construct plans on how oil refineries can cut down on emissions. Here are some facts about the events leading up to the recent proposal delay and the criticism the EPA is facing:

* The EPA initially announced its plans to set standards for power plant and oil refinery greenhouse gas emissions in December 2010, according to Scientific American.

* Collectively the country's 500 fossil fuel power plants and 150 oil refineries emit about 2.4 billion metric tons, or 40 percent of the nation's total emissions, of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases every single year.

* The decision was the result of two major proposed settlement agreements and EPA agreed to set new source performance standards for industrial categories.

* The Tucson Citizen reported that in March, House Republicans attempted to strip the EPA of its ability to use the Clean Air Act from regulating carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and oil refineries.

* The Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011 would bar the EPA from imposing these rules, causing President Barack Obama to most likely veto it since it goes against his climate agenda.

* The GOP noted that one of the reasons it was seeking to push this bill is because of rising gas prices in the U.S., noted USA Today.

* Another Reuters article reported that environmental organizations that originally sued to the EPA to enforce the emissions standards have given the agency several extensions for its proposal.

* The most recent extension was in October, but other delays were issued in June and September as well.

* The EPA made the delays in order to gain more time to develop and outline the specific plans after speaking with numerous businesses, states that would be affected by the changes, and environmental organizations in support of the rules.

* Other lawsuits have been filed to prevent the EPA from imposing standards, according to the Dallas Business Journal.

* Additionally, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott and Republican Gov. Rick Perry have spoken out against the rules, saying that the changes and stricter standards would kill jobs for Americans.

Rachel Bogart provides an in-depth look at current environmental issues and local Chicago news stories. As a college student from the Chicago suburbs pursuing two science degrees, she applies her knowledge and passion to both topics to garner further public awareness.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111121/us_ac/10497543_epa_delays_proposal_for_greenhouse_gas_standards_again

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Monday, November 21, 2011

Natalie Wood detectives face conflicting accounts (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Natalie Wood's drowning death nearly 30 years ago came after a night of dinner, drinking and arguments but the question remains ? was it anything more than a tragic accident?

Conflicting versions of what happened on the yacht shared by Wood, her actor-husband Robert Wagner and their friend, actor Christopher Walken, have contributed to the mystery of how the actress died on Thanksgiving weekend in 1981.

Two sheriff's detectives are now diving into the mysterious events on the yacht Splendour, although whether they reach any different conclusions than their predecessors remains to be seen. They recently received new, seemingly credible information and heard from potential witnesses who weren't included in the original investigation of Wood's death, sheriff's Lt. John Corina said Friday.

But he said nothing has happened to changed the official view that Wood's death was originally an accidental drowning. Wagner, the star of "Hart and Hart" is not considered a suspect, he added.

Corina released few details about who investigators have contacted or plan to re-interview, but the inquiry will certainly lead them to speak with the three survivors of the trip ? Wagner, Walken and skipper Dennis Davern.

Wood's sister, Lana, was not on the boat, but told CNN's Piers Morgan on Friday that she has spoken with Davern many times and believes her sister did not fall off the boat.

"I don't think she fell, I don't know if she was pushed, I don't know whether there was an altercation and it happened accidentally but she shouldn't have died and that does stay with me and hurt," Lana Wood said.

"I would prefer to always believe that RJ (Wagner) would never do anything to hurt Natalie and that he loved her dearly, which he did, and I don't believe that whatever went on was deliberate. I've always cared about him. I always will care about him," she said.

The captain said on NBC's "Today" on Friday that Wagner is to blame for the Oscar-nominated actress' death in the chilly waters of Southern California in November 1981, but didn't offer many specifics. For years he has maintained that he heard the famous couple arguing on the boat before Wood went missing and Wagner refusing to immediately search the waters nearby for his wife.

Davern's account is dramatically different from what he told investigators after Wood's body was found in 1981, when no mention of an argument between the couple was made. Wood was wearing a nightgown, wool socks and red down coat when she was found floating off Santa Catalina Island.

The renewed investigation comes at a time when plenty of attention was sure to be focused on Wood, whose beauty and acting in films such as "West Side Story" and "Rebel Without a Cause" made her Hollywood royalty. Her death stunned the world and CBS' "48 Hours Mystery" has been looking into the case for a special airing on Saturday.

Sheriff's officials denied the renewed attention prompted their review, which could take months.

"We're not concerned with the anniversary date," Corina said. "It may have jarred some other people's memories."

Davern and Wagner agree on one point about the fateful night ? there was a heated argument on the yacht after the group returned from dinner on Catalina. All had been drinking, and here is where the three men's accounts begin to differ.

Davern said he heard Wagner and Wood arguing and its outcome had horrific consequences.

Was that fight "what ultimately led to her death?" Davern was asked by "Today" show host David Gregory.

"Yes," Davern replied.

"How so?"

"Like I said, that's going to be up to the investigators to decide," Davern responded after a long pause.

Wagner acknowledges a fight took place on the Splendour, but in his best-selling 2008 memoir "Pieces of My Heart," he wrote that the fighting was between him and Walken. The disagreement began over the acting profession and led to Wood retreating to her cabin, while the dispute raged on between Wagner and Walken. Later Walken went to bed, according to Wagner, who, after staying up with Davern for a while, went looking for his wife and couldn't find her on board. He then noticed that a dinghy attached to the boat _and his wife ? was gone.

Walken, who has rarely spoken about the events that led to Wood's death, denied in a 1982 interview on "Good Morning America" that he and Wagner quarreled.

"No, that's not true," Walken said when asked if a fight was the reason Wood left the yacht. "They were very good to me, that family, and that's not true.

"We were having a Thanksgiving weekend, a good time," he said.

But Walken told sheriff's detectives that there was an argument, according to a 2000 Vanity Fair piece that included statements from a report by the investigating detective. It also included comments from Davern, who told the magazine that he heard Wagner and Wood fighting before she went missing.

The detective, Wagner and Walken and coroner's officials all have maintained that Wood's death was an accident, possibly caused by her trying to secure the dinghy to the side of the yacht.

"The people who are convinced that there was something more to it than what came out in the investigation will never be satisfied with the truth," Walken was quoted in the Vanity Fair piece as saying during an interview in the 1980s. "Because the truth is, there is nothing more to it. It was an accident."

Wagner too addressed the uncertainty about what happened in his book.

"Nobody knows," he wrote. "There are only two possibilities; either she was trying to get away from the argument, or she was trying to tie the dinghy. But the bottom line is that nobody knows exactly what happened."

Wagner said through a spokesman that his family trusts the sheriff's department to conduct a fair investigation into Wood's death.

The couple were married twice, first in 1957 before divorcing six years later. They remarried in 1972.

___

Associated Press writer Denise Petski contributed to this report.

___

Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111119/ap_on_en_mu/us_natalie_wood_investigation

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Sunday, November 20, 2011

Liverpool beats Chelsea 2-1 in Premier League

Glen Johnson, Dirk Kuyt

updated 6:08 p.m. ET Nov. 20, 2011

LONDON - Glen Johnson sent Chelsea to a second straight home loss in the English Premier League with a late winner at Stamford Bridge on Sunday as Liverpool took a 2-1 victory to reignite its chances of finishing in the top four.

Galloping onto Charlie Adam's raking pass in the 87th minute, the England right back cut inside international teammate Ashley Cole, burst into the area before curling home left-footed into the bottom corner.

Not only did Johnson's superb solo goal extend Liverpool's unbeaten run in the league to seven matches and lift the team above Arsenal into sixth place, it also dealt a major blow to Chelsea's hopes of reeling in unbeaten leader Manchester City.

City is 12 points clear of Chelsea after nearly a third of the season, which will pile the pressure on the London club's inexperienced manager Andre Villas-Boas, especially given the notorious impatience of Chelsea's billionaire owner Roman Abramovich.

"The situation in the league isn't good for us but it's not impossible to turn it around," said Villas-Boas, whose team has lost three of its last four matches.

Former Argentina midfielder Maxi Rodriguez had given Liverpool a deserved lead in the 33rd minute on his first league start of the season, before Daniel Sturridge equalized from close range 10 minutes after coming on as a halftime substitute and adding some urgency to Chelsea's sterile attacking play.

If either side looked likely to nick a winner in the dying stages, it was Chelsea. But up popped Johnson to decide the game against the team he played for between 2003-07.

Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal are all level on 22 points, as is Tottenham, which has two games in hand starting with a home match against Aston Villa on Monday.

___

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) ? Athletic Bilbao beat Sevilla 2-1 on Sunday to extend its unbeaten run to eight games in the Spanish league.

Andoni Iraola gave Bilbao an early lead in the sixth minute with a sharply taken strike from outside the area to put the visitors on their way to their first win at Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in 18 years.

Jesus Navas equalized for Sevilla in the 15th, but Bilbao never lost its attacking verve and Oscar de Marcos put the Basques back ahead for good in the 71st when the left back stole the ball, raced onto Iker Muniain's through pass and rolled home his own rebound.

Atletico Madrid beat fourth-place Levante 3-2, a third straight loss for the unheralded club after a memorable start to the season that had taken it to the top of the table for the first time in its history.

The match between Granada and Mallorca was suspended in the 63rd minute after a linesman was hit in the face with an umbrella thrown from the stands at Los Carmenes stadium. Granada was winning 2-1.

Sporting Gijon rallied to beat 10-man Getafe 2-1, while Osasuna-Rayo Vallecano and Real Sociedad-Espanyol both ended in scoreless draws.

___

ROME (AP) ? Juventus showed no signs of rustiness after a three-week layoff on Sunday, reclaiming the Serie A lead with a dominating 3-0 win over Palermo, as previous leader Udinese lost 2-0 at Parma.

Simone Pepe put Juventus in front with a header in the 20th minute following a well-placed cross from Giorgio Chiellini, and then celebrated by imitating a golf putt into the corner flag.

Juventus midfielder Andrea Pirlo hit the post in the 31st but Alessandro Matri doubled the lead with a sharply angled shot that went under Palermo goalkeeper Alexandros Tzorvas in the 48th.

Claudio Marchisio sealed the victory in the 65th after Matri faked a shot to leave him wide open, as the Bianconeri remained unbeaten ? with a game in hand.

Juventus and Lazio are level with 22 points each but Juventus holds the edge on goal difference ahead of the two clubs' meeting next weekend ? with head-to-head results being the first tiebreaker in the Italian league.

AC Milan and Udinese are next with 21 points each.

In the late match, Roma beat Lecce 2-1 as Miralem Pjanic and Fernando Gago each scored their first Serie A goals, moving the capital club into fifth place, five points back.

___

BERLIN (AP) ? Hamburg SV beat Hoffenheim 2-0 Sunday to climb out of the Bundesliga relegation zone and give coach Thorsten Fink his first win since taking over.

"We believed in it and we fought for it," Fink said.

Jose Paulo Guerrero scored against the run of play in the 25th minute, when the Peru striker was lucky to receive the rebound after his initial shot hit the right post.

Hamburg kept pressing in the second half and Marcell Jansen added the second goal in the 65th, when he ran at the visiting defense before unleashing a low shot past Tom Starke at the near post.

Hamburg players danced before fans at the final whistle after claiming their first win at home in 10 attempts since a 6-2 win over Cologne in March.

"It's a fantastic feeling, of course, but I must say it was just a question of time," said Hamburg sporting director Frank Arnesen. "Today was just reward for all the guys work over the last four of five weeks. If we keep playing like we did today we'll have many more wins."

Hamburg, which spent several weeks bottom of the Bundesliga, is unbeaten since Fink took over on Oct. 17.

Earlier, Martin Harnik scored twice to give Stuttgart a hard-fought 2-1 win at home over Augsburg.

___

PARIS (AP) ? Paris Saint-Germain lost 1-0 to Nancy but stayed first in the French league on goal difference over Montpellier.

Nancy defender Jean Calve with a curling shot into the top corner in the 49th minute. The result made PSG coach Antoine Kombouare's position more fragile after the club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said anything other than the league title would be a failure.

___

AMSTERDAM (AP) ? John Guidetti scored twice to guide Feyenoord to a 4-0 win at Vitesse Arnhem in the Dutch league on Sunday, while leader AZ Alkmaar and American forward Jozy Altidore were hit by thick fog which forced officials to abandon its game at Excelsior Rotterdam.

Sekou Cisse and Jordy Clasie netted the other two for Ronald Koeman's side as Feyenoord moved up to fifth in the standings with 21 points from 13 games.

Alkmaar has 31 points from 12 games after its match was called off at halftime following a goalless 45 minutes.

"The assistant referees couldn't see anymore," referee Kevin Blom said. "The players and the coaches gave their consent to this decision."

PSV Eindhoven, which beat De Graafschap 3-1 on Saturday, is second on 28 points. FC Twente is two points further back after a 1-1 draw at Heracles Almelo.

Ajax, which drew 2-2 against NAC Breda in another Saturday fixture, is fourth on 21 points.

___

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) ? American defender Clarence Goodson scored the first goal on the game, helping Brondy beat visiting Copenhagen 2-1 in the Danish league.

Goodson headed in a free kick in the 17th minute. After Dame N<Doye tied it in the 41st, Thomas Rasmussen scored a go-ahead goal in the 81st.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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FDA revokes approval of Avastin for breast cancer (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? Drug regulators withdrew their approval of Roche's Avastin for breast cancer, saying the drug was not effective enough to justify its risks even if patients believe it has helped them live longer.

Reversing course on a drug that was approved for the disease in 2008, U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said subsequent research did not confirm hopes that Avastin would help patients with advanced breast cancer live longer or improve quality of life.

The drug will remain on the market for other uses, such as treating types of colon, lung, kidney and brain cancer.

"This was a difficult decision," Hamburg said. "With so much at stake, patients and their doctors count on the FDA to ensure the drugs they use have been shown to be safe and effective for their intended use. Sometimes, the results of rigorous testing can be disappointing."

While doctors still have discretion in using Avastin for breast cancer off-label, the FDA move may lead health insurers to drop coverage of a medicine that costs $88,000 a year.

An estimated 17,000 women are being treated with the drug, and patient advocates insist there are enough examples of survival to justify its use.

"The bottom line is that they are throwing out the baby with the bathwater," said Dr. Elisa Port, co-director of the Dubin Breast Center of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. "There absolutely may be subsets of carefully chosen breast cancer patients who benefit from Avastin."

Roche said it will pursue a new Phase III study of Avastin in combination with the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel to look for biological clues about which breast cancer patients may benefit from the drug, clinically known as bevacizumab.

The Swiss drugmaker still expects Avastin, its top medicine, to generate peak annual sales of 7 billion Swiss francs ($7.6 billion), despite the FDA's decision. Analysts have said a withdrawn FDA approval for breast cancer could cost nearly $1 billion in sales.

Roche stock ended 0.5 percent lower at 142.60 Swiss francs in Switzerland on Friday. Its decline was in line with a 0.7 percent fall in the European healthcare index.

MEDICARE STILL PLANS TO COVER

The FDA determined in December 2010 that it should revoke its approval of Avastin for breast cancer, but an appeal from Roche and the outcry from patients led it to convene a hearing of advisers in June.

Some insurers have already started pulling back on Avastin coverage for breast cancer. But the U.S. government's Medicare insurance program will continue covering Avastin for the use, said a spokesman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.

"CMS will monitor the issue and evaluate coverage options as a result of action by the FDA but has no immediate plans to change coverage policies," spokesman Don McLeod said.

European regulators actually relaxed curbs on the use of Avastin in breast cancer this summer to allow its use with Xeloda, another type of chemotherapy drug that is also made by Roche. It was first approved for use with paclitaxel both in Europe and the United States.

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation, the world's largest breast cancer organization, said the decision should lend urgency to the need for research showing whether specific patients are likelier to benefit from Avastin.

"We know that this decision was a difficult one for the FDA and respect the length of time they spent deliberating the many issues that impact patients," Komen foundation president Elizabeth Thompson said in a statement.

The FDA's decision could also prompt a review of industry guidelines from groups including the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, which represents leading cancer treatment centers. NCCN has so far not strayed from its earlier guideline, approving use of Avastin with paclitaxel for some patients.

Breast cancer is the second-most common type of cancer among women after skin cancer. One in eight U.S. women are expected to develop invasive breast cancer during their lives.

Avastin won U.S. clearance for the disease based on a study showing it stalled breast cancer growth by 5.5 months when used in combination with standard chemotherapy.

Later studies found only a one-to-three-month delay in breast cancer growth. None of the studies showed Avastin extended the lives of patients with advanced breast cancer.

Some patients also had severe side effects, including holes in the stomach and intestines, severe bleeding and blood clots. The company says the incidence of these serious side effects was just under 3 percent greater for those taking Avastin.

$1 = 0.9165 Swiss franc

(Additional reporting by Ben Hirschler in London, editing by Michele Gershberg, John Wallace and Matthew Lewis)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/cancer/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111118/hl_nm/us_fda_avastin

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Saturday, November 19, 2011

Nanoparticles used as additives in diesel fuels can travel from lungs to liver

ScienceDaily (Nov. 17, 2011) ? Recent studies conducted at Marshall University have demonstrated that nanoparticles of cerium oxide -- common diesel fuel additives used to increase the fuel efficiency of automobile engines -- can travel from the lungs to the liver and that this process is associated with liver damage.

The data in the study by Dr. Eric R. Blough and his colleagues at Marshall's Center for Diagnostic Nanosystems indicate there is a dose-dependent increase in the concentration of cerium in the liver of animals that had been exposed to the nanoparticles, which are only about 1/40,000 times as large as the width of a human hair. These increases in cerium were associated with elevations of liver enzymes in the blood and histological evidence consistent with liver damage. The research was published in the October 13 issue of the peer-reviewed research journal International Journal of Nanomedicine.

Cerium oxide is widely used as a polishing agent for glass mirrors, television tubes and ophthalmic lenses. Cerium oxide nanoparticles are used in the automobile industry to increase fuel efficiency and reduce particulate emissions. Some studies have found that cerium oxide nanoparticles may also be capable of acting as antioxidants, leading researchers to suggest these particles may also be useful for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease and radiation-induced tissue damage.

Blough, the center's director and an associate professor in the university's Department of Biological Sciences, said, "Given the ever-increasing use of nanomaterials in industry and in the products we buy, it is becoming increasingly important to understand if these substances may be harmful. To our knowledge, this is the first report to evaluate if inhaled cerium oxide nanoparticles exhibit toxic effects in the liver."

Dr. Siva K. Nalabotu, the study's lead author and a Ph.D. student in Blough's lab, said, "The potential effects of nanomaterials on the environment and cellular function is not yet well understood. Interest in nanotoxicity is rapidly growing.

"Our studies show that cerium oxide nanoparticles are capable of entering the liver from lungs through the circulation, where they show dose-dependent toxic effects on the liver. Our next step is to determine the mechanism of the toxicity."

The research was supported with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, grant DE-PS02-09ER09-01.

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Journal Reference:

  1. Siva Krishna Nalabotu, Kolli, Triest, Ma, Manne, Katta, H Addagarla, Rice, Blough. Intratracheal instillation of cerium oxide nanoparticles induces hepatic toxicity in male Sprague-Dawley rats. International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2011; : 2327 DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S25119

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117141157.htm

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Friday, November 18, 2011

CRTC rules against traffic-based internet billing, touts 'flexibility' for small ISPs

Chalk one up for the little guy, because Canada's telecom regulator has finally come down in favor of independent ISPs -- ostensibly, at least. Earlier this week, the CRTC ruled that major providers will not be able to bill smaller operators based on bandwidth usage, effectively reversing a controversial policy it implemented (and eventually rescinded) back in February. Under the ruling, heavyweights like BCE and Rogers will be able to sell their bandwidth to smaller ISPs on a monthly basis, with rates pre-determined according to the network capacity each independent operator requires. Large companies can continue to charge flat monthly fees, as well, but they won't be allowed to impose the same traffic-based billing that many apply to individual consumers. The regulator explained the decision thusly: "This wholesale billing model, which is based on capacity, will give independent ISPs added flexibility in offering competitive and innovative services to Canadians." For more details, surf past the break for a dose of PR.

[Image courtesy of Jeff Myers/Flickr]

Continue reading CRTC rules against traffic-based internet billing, touts 'flexibility' for small ISPs

CRTC rules against traffic-based internet billing, touts 'flexibility' for small ISPs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/kYi86BXuF0g/

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In NYPD spying, a Yippie legal battle echoes again (AP)

NEW YORK ? Barbara Handschu had tried to remove her name from the agreement that is her legacy.

More than a quarter century ago, after New York's police were caught spying on Americans who were exercising their right to free speech, she and others filed suit to stop it. The outcome was an agreement to place limits on surveillance ? the Handschu rules.

But then, in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001, police said they needed more flexibility to protect the city. When the judge agreed to weaken the rules, Barbara Handschu tried unsuccessfully to strip her name from the guidelines.

Now, she sees the fruit of the weakened Handschu rules: the New York Police Department's secret surveillance program targeting Muslims, detailed in a months-long Associated Press investigation. And she finds echoes of an earlier time in reports of police infiltrating student groups, of detectives inventing excuses to snoop in people's homes.

"It's not that different than what happened back in the `60s, except that somebody's being targeted because of ethnicity and before we were targeted because of political belief," Handschu says. "I mean, this is worse. This is racial profiling."

The AP stories revealed that that over the last decade, the NYPD built a wide-ranging program to map and monitor Muslim communities, recording everything from where they pray to the restaurants they eat in. Without evidence of wrongdoing, officers have infiltrated student groups, eavesdropped on people and documented what they heard in daily reports.

The revelations have brought attention to the 40-year-old lawsuit filed by Handschu, "Steal This Book" author Abbie Hoffman and a motley assortment of Yippies, hippies, anarchists, computer geeks and Black Panthers. In justifying the surveillance, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has repeatedly cited the rules that emerged from the Handschu case as proof that police are acting lawfully; civil rights advocates, in turn, have pointed to the fate of the Handschu rules as a prime example of how privacy rights have crumbled in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

Handschu's story begins in the late 1960s, when anti-war protests swept through New York and the NYPD's intelligence arm began compiling detailed reports on activists.

The police file on Joel Sucher, a former film student at New York University, includes a list of the demonstrators at an Oct. 15, 1971 rally and the messages on their placards. "The rich set the bail, the poor go to jail," said one sign. No detail was considered irrelevant.

"Joel Sucher of the Pacific Street Film Collective was operating a 1968 Mustang," one page notes.

"I loved that car," Sucher recalls, 40 years later.

But other surveillance was much more menacing, and after the killing of protesters at Kent State University activists became increasingly worried about their safety.

In May 1971, Handschu ? who was then a civil rights lawyer ? sued the NYPD along with Hoffman, Sucher and members of the War Resisters League, the Gay Liberation Front, Computer People for Peace, the Black Panther Party, and other groups.

Hoffman, who was already famous as one of the "Chicago Seven" protesters arrested during the 1968 Democratic Convention, joined the lawsuit representing the Youth International Party, or Yippies. He was about to become a bestselling author with a counterculture how-to guide, "Steal this Book."

Together they argued the NYPD had created a landscape of intimidation and fear: groups infiltrated, families harassed, careers threatened.

Steven Tullberg, a law student at Columbia University, said he was baffled when the New York Bar Association's Committee on Character and Fitness questioned him in February 1971 about his membership in the Coalition for an Anti-Imperialist Movement ? a group he had never heard of. The allegation was leaked from his secret NYPD file, the lawsuit alleged.

"I was stunned," says Tullberg, now living in Maryland. "You're getting on with your life, and then you get hit by something like this."

The leftists argued that police surveillance was so oppressive that it was threatening free speech.

One NYPD informant joined Veterans and Reservists Against the War in Vietnam, known as V&R, and began urging group members to break the law during demonstrations. Detectives visited the homes of two members and warned one that he should drop out of the group.

The infiltration "created such fear among the members of V&R, and so chilled their interest in the exercise of their rights of free expression and association, that V&R disbanded as a group shortly thereafter," the Handschu lawsuit alleged.

"They had so much going on, so much surveillance of us," says Keith Lampe, a Korean war veteran and one of the group's organizers.

In 1985 the police and plaintiffs reached a settlement: The NYPD agreed to a set of surveillance rules and oversight by a three-member panel. In return, Handschu and the others dropped their lawsuit.

"We thought we had accomplished something," Handschu said. "Everybody felt like it was a good thing we had been able to do."

The Handschu Guidelines, as the rules were known, barred police from starting a surveillance file purely because of the religion or political leanings of a person or group. It also required detectives to have "specific information" about a future crime and barred them from keeping notes on political or religious activities.

The lawsuit was declared closed. The court files were packed into boxes and sent to a vault deep inside a former mine in Lee's Summit, Mo.

Then came the attacks on the World Trade Center. The NYPD's new head of intelligence, a former CIA official named David Cohen, worried that the Handschu Guidelines were holding back the city's police. One day after the first anniversary of the attacks, Cohen asked Judge Charles Haight to loosen the Handschu rules.

"The counterproductive restrictions imposed on the NYPD by the Handschu Guidelines in this changed world hamper our efforts every day," he wrote.

He proposed rules similar to those used by the FBI, and the judge agreed.

The changes did away with the three-member panel. Under the new rules, known as the Modified Handschu Guidelines, Cohen can act alone to authorize investigations for a year at a time. He can also authorize undercover operations for four months at a time.

While the original rules called for "specific information" that a crime was about to be committed, the revised rules say only that facts should "reasonably indicate" a future crime.

Handschu, Sucher and the other plaintiffs were shocked.

"It's all been watered away," Handschu said. She wrote a letter to the judge, asking that her name be taken off the rules, but he said no.

In defending the secret program to monitor Muslims the police commissioner has repeatedly cited the modified rules as proof that the NYPD was within its bounds.

"By operating within the framework of the modified consent decree, we ensure that our investigations comport with the U.S. Constitution," Kelly told a city council committee last month. "The protection of civil liberties is as important to the Police Department as the protection of the city itself."

Handschu and Sucher disagree.

"Things are probably worse than they were 40 years ago," Sucher said. "They're cops. They're not going to change their ways."

As the years ticked by, the original Handschu plaintiffs went on to start careers, raise families, grow old.

Barbara Hanschu became a divorce lawyer. Joel Sucher made a movie about NYPD surveillance with fellow plaintiff Steven Fischler, and they went on to become successful documentary filmmakers. Michael Zumoff of Computer People for Peace became a software developer.

Hoffman, the clown prince of anti-war activists, became a fugitive from drug charges and spent seven years on the lam in the 1970s. He committed suicide in 1989, downing a handful of barbiturate pills and liquor.

But the Handschu case lives on.

The plaintiffs' longtime lawyers have done battle with the NYPD over police videotaping of protesters in 2004 and 2005. And on Oct. 3 Jethro Eisenstein ? the lawyer who co-wrote the original class-action complaint in 1971 ? filed another motion with Haight, the judge who has handled the case from the beginning. It cites the AP investigation and demands that the NYPD open its files regarding the surveillance of Muslims in order to determine if they violate the Modified Hanschu Guidelines.

The plaintiffs, meanwhile, say they worry the NYPD is broadening its surveillance beyond counterterrorism. Sucher says he's concerned about reports of the so-called "Hipster Cop" who wears plainclothes at Occupy Wall Street protests, and of pictures showing police videotaping the demonstrators.

"I've seen this go full circle," Sucher said, as he sat in a cramped back room of his office beside boxes filled with his FBI and police files. "There was this outcry, there was this anger at what the NYPD was doing."

"Now after 9/11, it's gone the other way."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111117/ap_on_re_us/us_nypd_intelligence_the1960s_problem

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Thursday, November 17, 2011

What Stephen Chu Does and Doesn't Know About Solyndra (The Atlantic Wire)

We expected a number of uncomfortable questions to be raised during Energy Secretary Stephen Chu's first testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee today and House Republicans did not disappoint. Chu was grilled on everything from the initial approval of Solyndra's $535 million loan to emails suggesting political pressure from the White House to the restructuring of the Solyndra loan in February to whether he even knew of the existence of Obama fundraiser George Kaiser. Some of his responses were thoughtful. Others were cagey. Here's what Chu does and doesn't know about Solyndra, according to today's testimony.

Related: Stephen Chu's Toughest Solyndra Questions

Did you pressure Solyndra to delay the announcements of layoffs? This question stems from uncovered emails of a Solyndra investor saying that the Department of Energy "pushed very hard" for Solyndra to hold off on announcing layoffs until after the Nov. 2010 midterm elections. Chu said he was dismayed to see the emails but was unaware that officials were doing that. ?I don?t know. I just learned about that,? he said. "I was not part of that decision, and I certainly would not have been in favor of that decision. I don't believe it's a proper way to do business."

Related: House Votes Down Light Bulb Efficiency Standard

Did you know who George Kaiser was? A seemingly easy question from Rep. Joe Barton?got a strange response: "I know now."

Related: Hot New Trend in Congress: Fasting

How much will taxpayers get back? ?That remains to be seen. Not very much,? Chu said.

Related: Rhode Island Passes Same-Sex Civil Unions Law

Why did you restructure Solyndra's loan? This question garnered a rather thorough response. In February, when there were a number of signs Solyndra was not on sound financial footing, the DOE agreed to restructure its loan. Chu said "at that point, we had a half-completed factory, and we had two choices ? we either had to stop the loan, which would?ve put Solyndra into immediate bankruptcy, or we could continue on contract of the loan to build the factory ... It was a difficult decision."

Related: Mixed Reactions to Moody's Downgrade Threat

Did the White House put pressure on you to approve the loan? ?We did not communicate with the White House on whether we should approve a loan, and especially the Solyndra loan,? he said. ?That was our responsibility."

Was the loan restructuring legal? As The Washington Post's Brad Plumer notes, "Democrat. Rep. Gene Green (D-Tex.) tore into Chu over the fact that the Energy Department restructured Solyndra?s loan guarantee so that outside investors would get paid before" taxpayers. Green said that restructuring may have violated Congress's 2005 Energy Policy Act.? ?We believe there was no violation of the law,? Chu said. ?That seems like a tortured legal reading of a fairly straightforward law,? responded Republican Congressman Michael Burgess.

Why did Solyndra ultimately fail? "The price of solar panels dropped precipitously, in a single year dropped by 40 percent,? he said. Accoridng to the Post, "He chalks this up to two factors?ramped-up production in China and decreasing subsidies in Europe that softened the market."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/atlantic/20111117/pl_atlantic/whatstephenchudoesanddoesntknowaboutsolyndra45134

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Wal-Mart's 3Q results show US turnaround

Shopping carts are photographed outside the Wal-Mart store in Mayfield Hts., Ohio on Monday, Nov. 14, 2011. Wal-Mart is reporting that the third-quarter profits slipped 2.9 percent and offered a conservative fourth-quarter outlook. But the world's largest retailer announced its first quarterly gain in its U.S. namesake business, reversing a more than two year sales slump. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

Shopping carts are photographed outside the Wal-Mart store in Mayfield Hts., Ohio on Monday, Nov. 14, 2011. Wal-Mart is reporting that the third-quarter profits slipped 2.9 percent and offered a conservative fourth-quarter outlook. But the world's largest retailer announced its first quarterly gain in its U.S. namesake business, reversing a more than two year sales slump. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

This photo taken Nov. 14, 2011, shows the rain-soaked handle of a shopping cart outside the Wal-Mart store in Mayfield Hts. Wal-Mart is reporting that the third-quarter profits slipped 2.9 percent and offered a conservative fourth-quarter outlook. But the world's largest retailer announced its first quarterly gain in its U.S. namesake business, reversing a more than two year sales slump. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

(AP) ? Wal-Mart Stores Inc. got an early Christmas gift: its strategy of offering the lowest prices and shoppers' favorite goods is starting to work just in time for the holiday shopping season

Wal-Mart on Tuesday reported its first quarterly gain in revenue after nine consecutive quarters of declines at its branded U.S. stores by focusing on low pricing and stocking the brands and products that people care most about.

That the world's largest retailer is turning a corner is a positive sign for the retail industry and the U.S. economy as a whole. Its core low-income shoppers have been particularly hard hit by joblessness and the other challenges of the nation's weak economy. The results indicate that those most hurt by the economic downturn are willing to spend if you offer them rock-bottom pricing.

"The plan is working," said Mike Duke, CEO of Wal-Mart, in a pre-recorded call released Tuesday. "Customers are responding favorably."

Wal-Mart said Tuesday it earned 97 cents per share, or $3.33 billion in the three-month period ended Oct. 31. That compares with 95 cents per share, or $3.43 billion, in the year-ago period. The year-ago results included a tax benefit of a nickel. Net revenue rose 8.2 percent to $109.5 billion.

Analysts had expected 98 cents per share on revenue of $108.86 billion, according to Factset.

Wal-Mart's U.S. namesake division's revenue at stores opened at least a year ? an indicator of a retailer's health ? rose 1.3 percent, excluding fuel sales. That's above Wall Street estimates for a 0.3 percent increase and reverses nine straight quarters of declines in the measure, its longest streak ever.

Overall, revenue at stores in its U.S. business opened at least a year rose 1.9 percent, including a 5.7 percent increase at Sam's Club stores. Analysts had expected a 4.9 percent gain at the Sam's Club division. Wal-Mart said that the gains in revenue at stores opened at least a year were fueled by an increase in the average ticket.

Sales of food and health and wellness products, sporting goods, and crafts fared well. Clothing sales remain a challenge, and posted another decline, but business is improving.

Wal-Mart has been working to turn around sales at stores open at least a year at its U.S. business, which have been hurt by the economic downturn and missteps the retailer made in its pricing and selection. The business is particularly important to Wal-Mart because it accounts for 62 percent of its total revenue.

The company, based on Bentonville, Ark., has been restoring thousands of popular products it ditched during an overzealous bid to de-clutter its stores. Wal-Mart, which had strayed by offering low prices only on select items, also has been working to reclaim its reputation as the lowest-price leader by going back to the "everyday" low pricing strategy that was made popular by its founder, Sam Walton.

Although Wal-Mart's strategy seems to be working, it comes with a cost. The company said that all three areas, including its Wal-Mart U.S. division, Sam's Club and its international division, saw a decline in profit margins from the impact of its low price focus and inflationary pressures.

Going forward, Wal-Mart executives hope that the company's campaign to turnaround its business will continue to improve results. But they are cautiously optimistic because Wal-Mart's core low-income customers are still reeling from the economic downturn. Wal-Mart officials noted that some shoppers have been trading down to lower-priced brands or abandoning products altogether like dairy and meat because they can't afford it.

As a result, Wal-Mart expects revenue at its U.S. namesake stores opened at least a year to be between unchanged to up 2 percent at its namesake U.S. stores for the current quarter.

"Our core customer was still impacted by high unemployment and continued uncertainty over the economy, leading to declining consumer confidence," said Bill Simon, president of Walmart's U.S. division, in the pre-recorded call. "We believe it will be more difficult than ever to afford holiday meals for their families."

Wal-Mart said it expects fourth-quarter earnings results to be in the range of $1.42 per share to $1.48 per share in the fourth quarter. Analysts had expected $1.45 per share. For the full year, it expects a range of $4.45 per share to $4.51 per share. Analysts had expected $4.50 per share, according to Factset.

Like most retailers, Wal-Mart is counting on the upcoming holiday shopping season to help get cost-conscious shoppers spending.

Ahead of the season, Wal-Mart is pounding its low price message hard by guaranteeing customers will get the lowest price no matter when they buy during the season. With its new Christmas Price Guarantee program, shoppers who buy something at its store between Nov. 1 and Dec. 25, but then find the identical product elsewhere for less, can get a gift card in the amount of the difference.

It is also starting its Black Friday specials at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving, two hours earlier than many of its competitors like Kohl's Corp., Target Corp. and Macy's.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-11-15-Earns-Wal-Mart/id-fb7d06a4dcf84464a4987e57348c0baa

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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

HTC Rezound review

HTC Rezound

It's going to be a very busy holiday season for Verizon Wireless. With last week's release of the Droid RAZR, Big Red has made it very clear that it wants to be, at least for a few months, atop the Android heap. Now, with this week's release of the HTC Rezound, Verizon has upped the ante even further with a powerhouse of a device that skimps not on the specs. The Galaxy Nexus will close out the trifecta, leaving consumers with a pretty difficult choice. Of the three new releases, which one is worthy of your money? And which one is worth signing over the next two years of your life for?

I can't help but think of the HTC Rezound as the awkward middle child in Verizon's three-sibling family. If the RAZR is the oldest with a reputation of being able to take care of itself, and the Galaxy Nexus is the youngest who gets all the attention, where does it leave the Rezound? Is it the silent star who'll go on to outshine its siblings, or will it be the brother who lives with its parents till he's 40? I think it'll manage to avoid both extremes, and you should read on to see why. 

 


The Good

Jaw-dropping display. Beats Audio is the real deal and it sets a new bar for music on a smartphone. Verizon's LTE is still unbelievably fast.

The Bad

It's really, really hefty. HTC seems to have overlooked style for function. Battery life could be better. Oh, and did we mention it doesn't have Ice Cream Sandwich?

Conclusion

If the Galaxy Nexus weren't right around the corner, I'd be singing the Rezound's praises from the rooftops. If you are a music junkie and want a beautiful display atop a powerhouse device (with LTE!) right this instant, the Rezound is for you. For the next few weeks, it'll be the best Android device on the market. If you could care less about Beats and are even contemplating the Galaxy Nexus, I'd wait it out.

 

Inside this review

More info

read more



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/DOplZu2dPwc/story01.htm

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'Abduction' Exclusive VOD Trailer: Taylor Lautner Invades Your Home In December!

Taylor Lautner's espionage thriller "Abduction" hit theaters months ago, but the adrenaline ride is far from over. In December, the John Singleton directed action flick arrives on cable and digital VOD platforms including Movies on Demand, DirectTV / Pay-Per-View, iTunes and more ? but it won't be there for long.
"Abduction" will be available for [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/11/16/abduction-trailer-taylor-lautner-vod/

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Players file antitrust complaint against league (AP)

NEW YORK ? NBA players filed an antitrust complaint against the league in Minnesota and plan to file another complaint in California later Tuesday.

The first antitrust suit vs. the NBA was filed in Minneapolis, where NFL players had some level of success in a similar court proceeding this summer.

Timberwolves forward Anthony Tolliver, Pistons guard Ben Gordon, free agent forward Caron Butler and Derrick Williams, the second overall draft pick by Minnesota in June who has yet to sign a rookie contract because of the lockout, are listed as plaintiffs in the Minnesota case.

NBA players' association executive director Billy Hunter said another complaint will be filed in the Northern District of California. Those plaintiffs include Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Leon Powe.

According to the Minnesota complaint, the class-action lawsuit has been broken up into "subclasses" because they are "so numerous and geographically so widely dispersed that joinder of all members is impracticable."

The plaintiffs argue that the lockout "constitutes an illegal group boycott, price-fixing agreement, and/or restraint of trade in violation of the Sherman Act" and that the owners' final offer for a new CBA would have "wiped out the competitive market for most NBA players."

David Boies, an attorney for the players, said in a press conference Tuesday afternoon the lawsuit was an attempt to restore competitive free-market conditions.

"We hope it's not necessary to go to trial," he said.

The NBA already has filed a pre-emptive lawsuit in New York seeking to prove the lockout is legal and contends that without a union that collectively bargained them, the players' guaranteed contracts could legally be voided. During oral arguments on Nov. 2, the NBA asked U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe to decide the legality of its lockout, but he was reluctant to wade into the league's labor mess. Gardephe has yet to issue a ruling.

The league through its earlier lawsuit had tried to gain the legal home court.

Now, various judges will have to sort who which court or courts will decide the issues.

The Minnesota district court has been favorable to the NFLPA during litigation dating to the 1980s. The federal court in San Francisco is under the jurisdiction of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, considered the most liberal of the 13 circuit courts. Sixteen of the 25 active judges were appointed by Democratic presidents, and the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the 9th Circuit's Judge Stephen Reinhardt three times in just the last term.

In a sign of the importance of the court, U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson in Minneapolis issued a preliminary injunction ending NFL lockout on April 25, but her decision was overturned by the more conservative 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis.

Boies argued for the NFL in that case but has since decided to take up with the players in the NBA's labor struggle.

Attorney Barbara Berens represented some NFL players in their antitrust lawsuit as well. She wrote in the Minneapolis filing Tuesday that the NBA's antitrust exemption no longer applies after the players disclaimed interest in the union.

"The collective bargaining process and relationship have completely broken down, and the NBA players have exercised their labor law right not to be a union," Berens wrote.

Boies said players will not seek a preliminary injunction to lift the lockout. Because the lockout "arguably grew out of prior collective bargaining discussions," Boies said he believes it would be very difficult to get a preliminary injunction and could delay the case.

He added that it's in "everybody's interests to resolve this quickly," adding the longer it goes on, the greater the damages to the players, teams and fans.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111116/ap_on_sp_bk_ne/bkn_nba_labor

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