Internet News Record 09/09/09 - 10/09/09 LibertyNewsprint.com U.S.

Edition

After a year’s respite, lipstick-wearing pig returns to US

politics
By David Alexander (Front The line prompted people to government takeover of our
Row Washington) jump to their feet and cheer — healthcare system,” Boehner said.
Submitted at 9/9/2009 1:21:02 PM apparently taking it as a direct “But it appears,” he said, “that
slam at Governor Sarah Palin, the the president’s going to double
The lipstick-wearing pig is back, newly minted Republican vice down tonight and try to put
making its annual appearance in presidential candidate. lipstick on this pig and call it
the political discourse of the A few days earlier, Palin had something else.”
country. introduced herself to the So that’s Boehner’s view. What
The last time it was out and Republican National Convention do you think of Obama’s
about, eerily enough, was a year as a hockey mom. healthcare plan? Lipstick on a pig,
ago Wednesday , tripping from “You know they say the or change we can believe in?
Barack Obama’s tongue as the difference between a hockey mom For more Reuters political, click
U.S. senator campaigned for the and a pit bull: Lipstick,” she told here.
presidency. the convention. Photo credits: Reuters/Kevin
Republicans don’t know what Obama’s pig remark riled the Lamarque (Obama at a healthcare
real change is, he told a crowd in Republican camp and set the tone event in August); Reuters/Rick
Lebanon, Virginia. for an increasingly nasty White leader John Boehner. plan with a speech to a joint Wilking (Women hold up lipstick
“You know, you can put lipstick House campaign. The target was Obama’s session of Congress at 8 p.m. to greet Palin at a campaign rally
on a pig, but it’s still a pig,” The pig has mostly been in healthcare reform plan, which is “I hope he’s been listening to the Sept. 15, 2008)
Obama said. “You can wrap an hiding since then. Now it’s back in a spot of trouble after a round American people because I think
old fish in a piece of paper called again, making an anniversary of Republican criticism during over the course of August they’ve
‘change.’ It’s still gonna stink appearance Wednesday, this time Congress’s August recess. raised their voices loud and clear
after eight years.” on the lips of House Minority Obama will try to revive the that they don’t want this massive
Live blog of the Obama healthcare speech
By Tabassum Zakaria (Front President Barack Obama is
Row Washington) making a speech to Congress on
healthcare at 8 p.m. tonight and we will live blog it here.
Space shuttle may need to dodge debris on way home (AP) An Insider's Guide to the Large Hadron Collider
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News) Jaimel buzzed up: Cards' Pujols 2 seconds ago 2009-09- By Betsy Mason (Wired Top inside the past, present and future
Submitted at 9/10/2009 5:36:32 AM homers twice, Wainwright wins 10T06:35:46-07:00 Stories) of high-energy particle physics,
18th Submitted at 9/9/2009 9:00:00 PM and the world's biggest scientific
instruments. Read an exclusive
The new book Collider, by excerpt on Wired.com.
physicist Paul Halpern, takes you
2 Politics/ Top News/
Ex-House Republican aide pleads not Venezuela 'tackling
guilty to corruption charges
By Jeremy Pelofsky (Front
Row Washington)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 1:00:33 PM
An aide to former House
Majority Leader Richard Armey
pleaded not guilty on Wednesday
to charges of receiving valuable
sports and concert tickets as well
as free meals in a corruption case
related to disgraced U.S. lobbyist
Jack Abramoff.
Horace Cooper, through his
lawyer, pleaded not guilty during
a brief arraignment in U.S.
District Court, and while he will
have to surrender his passport,
Cooper won’t have to post any
bail and will still be able to travel
around the country giving
speeches.
Wearing a pink dress shirt, sport
coat and slacks, Cooper hastily
put on a necktie as he appeared
before Judge John Facciola who
informed him of his rights to a
speedy trial and to counsel if he
could not afford one.
Cooper was indicted last month
on five counts of conspiracy,
making false statements,
concealment and obstruction of
justice from his time working
with Armey as well as later at the
Voice of America and the Labor
Department.
Apple iPod touch (3rd Generation) - PC Magazine
(Most Popular - Google News)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 5:55:21 AM
So, how do you improve the
mighty iPod touch? Hmm. That's
a question that seems to have
Apple stumped. The third
generation of iPod touches looks
drugs trade'
In one titillating detail in the
indictment, Cooper complained to
Abramoff that he was charged
$141 at the lobbyist’s restaurant
Signatures, saying “I think there
may have been a little glitch at the
restaurant.”
Cooper’s attorney, white collar
crime defense lawyer Sol
Wisenberg, asked the court to
permit his client to continue
traveling throughout the United
States without advance court
approval so he can give speeches
which is one of his current
identical to the 2nd generation
models, but the capacities and
prices are improved: 8GB ($199),
32GB ($299), and 64GB ($399).
There's no built-in video camera,
as had been rumored, which is a
bit of a surprise, considering the
less-expensive and much-tinier
Internet News Record
(BBC News | Americas | World the US Drug Enforcement
Edition) Administration (DEA) some four
Submitted at 9/10/2009 3:27:38 AM years ago, accusing DEA agents
of spying.
Venezuela's top anti-drugs He said figures showed that
official has roundly rejected more than 44 tonnes of drugs had
recent US criticism that his been seized so far this year.
country is failing to tackle The government had succeeded
international drug trafficking. i n d i s m a n t l i n g 1 9 c o c a i n e
Col Nestor Reverol's comments factories in Venezuela, he added.
come weeks after a US report said A July report by the
Venezuela was one of the major Government Accountability
drug transit nations in the Western Office (GAO), which is an arm of
Hemisphere. the US Congress, said there was a
He said Venezuela was co- " p e r m i s s i v e e n v i r o n m e n t "
operating internationally in the towards trafficking in Venezuela.
drugs fight. The GAO report said corruption
The US figures about the in the Venezuelan government
quantity of Colombian drugs and military was allowing the
passing through Venezuela were transport of drugs from Colombia
simply wrong, he said. through Venezuela to the US to
sources of income. He said that Col Reverol, who heads flourish.
Cooper was “not in any way a Venezuela's national anti-drugs But Col Reverol said that
flight risk.” office (ONA), said land and air Venezuela was co-operating with
Facciola approved the request, routes from Colombia via the a wide range of countries.
but ordered that Cooper give a Pacific were the main source of He said that Venezuela
week’s advance notice of his cocaine traffic to the US, not ones m a i n t a i n e d a " w o r k i n g c o -
travel plans. through Venezuela. operation" with the US which still
Click here for more Reuters "Venezuela doesn't have a had two DEA agents working out
political coverage. Pacific coastline," he said. of the US embassy.
- Photo credit: Reuters/Carlos Col Reverol said the Col Reverol also rejected
Barria (Abramoff outside a government of President Hugo suggestions that any of his top
Florida courthouse.) Chavez had made significant officials were involved with drug
inroads into tackling the drug gangs.
supply from Colombia since it Print Sponsor
ended official co-operation with
nano got one. With the touch, there's no exciting surprise with
Apple's focus remains firmly on this touch iteration, after three
music, and, more so than ever, long years, there's still not a better
portable gaming. Along with a portable media player out there.
nice speed bump come some app
organization improvements and
new Genius features, all of which
are welcome additions. Even if
Internet News Record Politics/ Finance/ Tech News/ 3

Congress thanks Sept. 11 air travelers who may

have saved them
By Andy Sullivan (Front Row
Washington)
Francisco bound plane and
pointed it toward Washington that
“You know how people say
sometimes, ‘Oh, move on,’ but
Expect profitable
Submitted at 9/9/2009 1:47:38 PM morning as part of a coordinated
attack that also crashed three
I’m happy that people know that
this was a great accomplishment.
days with
Congress paused on Wednesday jetliners into the World Trade
to thank the air travelers who Center and the Pentagon.
… We know that our loved ones
will never be forgotten,” she told
Schlumberger
possibly saved their lives on Sept. The plaque, mounted near the Reuters. By Joseph Lazzaro
11, 2001 by fighting back against Capitol rotunda, notes that those Lawmakers later gathered in a (BloggingStocks)
the al Qaeda hijackers who had aboard the plane “not only saved nearby hall to sing “God Bless Submitted at 9/10/2009 9:30:00 AM

taken over their plane. countless lives but may have America,” the song that also
I n a b r i e f c e r e m o n y , saved the U.S. Capitol from provided a brief moment of unity Filed under: Schlumberger
congressional leaders unveiled a destruction.” when they sang it on the Capitol Limited (SLB), Stocks to Buy
plaque inscribed with the names House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, steps in 2001. True, Schlumberger's stock has
of those aboard United Airlines Senate Majority Leader Harry “We stand in a building that meandered in the past three
F l i g h t 9 3 , w h o f o r c e d t h e Reid, House Minority Leader might not be here but for these months, but that's just a disguise.
hijackers to crash the plane in a J o h n B o e h n e r a n d o t h e r heroes,” Reid said. Oilfield and energy services
P e n n s y l v a n i a f i e l d b e f o r e lawmakers read out the names of Marilyn Johnson, a relative of Photo credit: company Schlumberger(NYSE:
reaching its target, presumed to be the 40 passengers and crew, the plane’s co-pilot LeRoy Homer REUTERS/Jonathon Ernst (A flag SLB), first recommended on May
the Capitol or the White House. occasionally stumbling over the Jr., said she was pleased by the flies in front of the U.S. Capitol)6, 2009 at a price of $56.05,
Hijackers diverted the San- pronunciation of their names. recognition. remains well-positioned to benefit
from the secular trend of
increased oil and natural gas
Obama, honoring Cronkite, yearns for old style exploration and development.
Continue reading Expect
profitable days with
journalism Schlumberger
Expect profitable days with
By Jeff Mason (Front Row of you have committed your Obama said Cronkite – known Schlumberger originally appeared
Washington) careers,” Obama told the as “the most trusted man in on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10
Submitted at 9/9/2009 2:21:50 PM audience, which included many of America” — would have found a Sep 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please
the U.S. media elite. way to navigate the changing see our terms for use of feeds.
NEW YORK - He called him “It’s a standard that’s a little bit media landscape if he were alive. Permalink| Email this| Comments
“Mr. Cronkite” and wished they harder to find today.” “Would he have been able to cut
had been friends. Is it? Has journalism changed through the murky noise of the Sept. 10, 1846: Sewing
But more than anything, for the better or the worse since blogs and the tweets and the Machine Starts New
P r e s i d e n t B a r a c k O b a m a , Cronkite’s day? soundbites to shine the bright Thread
speaking at Walter Cronkite’s Obama acknowledged the light on substance?” Obama
memorial service, honored the t r o u b l e d s t a t e m a n y n e w s asked. “Somehow, we know that By Randy Alfred (Wired Top
standards the veteran CBS organizations face. the answer is yes.” Stories)
anchorman used as a journalist — “Even as appetites for news and What about today’s crop of Submitted at 9/9/2009 9:00:00 PM
and seemed to long for them information grow, newsrooms are journalists? Is substance taking a
again. closing. Despite the big stories of beating? Let us know what you Elias Howe patents a sewing
“ W e a l s o r e m e m b e r a n d our era, serious journalists find think. machine that doesn't make him
celebrate the journalism that themselves all too often without a gossip and the softer stories that Photo credit: Reuters/Jim much money ... until others
Walter practiced - a standard of beat, ” he said. Walter disdained, rather than the Young (Obama at memorial improve the design.
honesty and integrity and “Too often, we fill that void with hard news and investigative service for Cronkite)
responsibility to which so many instant commentary and celebrity journalism he championed.”
4 Politics/ Top News/ Finance/
After death, Kennedy’s words still
ring in healthcare debate
By Tabassum Zakaria (Front
Row Washington)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 7:42:02 PM
Two weeks after his death,
Senator Edward Kennedy’s words
on healthcare rang out before a
joint session of Congress
when President Barack Obama
quoted from a letter that he
received from the liberal
Democrat posthumously.
Obama in seeking to turn public
opinion his way in a primetime
speech to Congress referred to
Kennedy’s letter before an
audience that included the late
senator’s widow, Vicki, and two
sons. The White House released it
publicly after the president’s
address.
The letter was written in May
shortly after Kennedy was told
that the brain cancer he was
battling was terminal. The
senator called healthcare reform
“the cause of my life” and said he
was optimistic that it would be
achieved.
“When I thought of all the years,
all the battles, and all the
memories of my long public life, I
felt confident in these closing
days that while I will not be there
Obama shifts healthcare to moral ground
(Financial Times - US
homepage)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 8:40:42 PM
President Barack Obama on
Wednesday night appealed for
when it happens, you will be the
President who at long last signs
into law the health care reform
that is the great unfinished
business of our society,” Kennedy
wrote to Obama.
The senator also made a
comparison to when his brother,
John F. Kennedy, was president.
“I entered public life with a
young President who inspired a
generation and the world,”
Kennedy wrote. “It gives me great
hope that as I leave, another
bipartisan reform of the US
healthcare system, recasting the
debate as a moral one and saying
it was “part of the American
character” to ensure that people
who needed help did not go
young President inspires another
generation and once more on
America’s behalf inspires the
entire world.”
Click here for more Reuters
political coverage
Photo credit: Reuters/Joshua
Roberts (Obama at start of
healthcare speech); Reuters/Larry
Downing (Vicki Kennedy and
Michelle Obama at president’s
healthcare speech to Congress)
without.
After a summer of acrimonious
disputes – during which some
Republicans accused him of
planning a government takeover
of medicine – the president used a
Internet News Record
Lawmakers Denounce
'You Lie' Outburst at
Obama - ABC News
(Most Popular - Google News) the chamber.
Submitted at 9/10/2009 6:05:28 AM After the speech, House
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-
Democrats and Republicans Md., said, "There'll be time
alike are denouncing Rep. Joe enough to consider whether or not
Wilson for shouting "You lie" at we ought to make it clear that that
President Barack Obama during action is unacceptable in the
his speech to Congress, an House of Representatives."
extraordinary breach of decorum "Let's see what he does," Hoyer
for which the South Carolina told WTOP radio before Wilson
Republican swiftly apologized. issued an apology. "Then there's
"I was embarrassed for the time enough to consider further
chamber and a Congress I love," action."
Vice President Joe Biden said Wilson's behavior caused a
T h u r s d a y o n A B C ' s " G o o d political hangover for him and
Morning America." "It demeaned possibly for the Republican critics
the institution." Obama had cast as shrill and more
House Minority Whip Eric interested in killing any health
Cantor, R-Va., told ABC on care overhaul than finding a way
Wednesday: "Obviously, the to provide it.
President of the United States is Later, Wilson was contrite.
always welcome on Capitol Hill.
"This evening I let my emotions
He deserves respect and decorum. get the best of me," he said in a
"I know that Congressman statement. "While I disagree with
Wilson has issued an apology and the president's statement, my
made his thoughts known to the comments were inappropriate and
White House, which was the regrettable. I extend sincere
appropriate thing to do," Cantor apologies to the president for this
said. lack of civility."
Wilson's outburst came after
He then tried to call Obama to
Obama said extending health care apologize personally, but ended
to all Americans who seek it up talking with White House
would not mean insuring illegal Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel
immigrants. instead, Wilson's office said.
"You lie!" Wilson shouted from
his seat on the Republican side of
prime-time address to both houses
of Congress to emphasise the
benefits of healthcare reform to
all Americans.
Internet News Record
Diagnoses vary on Obama health-care speech (AP)
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 5:57:13 AM
While some were moved to tears
by the president's soaring rhetoric,
others were moved not at all.
Where some saw a new clarity,
others saw more vagueness. And
while some praised him for
reaching out to Republicans, there
were those who felt he was
overreaching in some ways and
not reaching far enough in others.
Americans listened intently to
President Barack Obama's much-
anticipated speech on health care
reform Wednesday night, and not
surprisingly, their reviews varied.
Few said they had changed their
minds.
Matt Petrovick set his treadmill
at a leisurely 2.8 mph pace so he
could pay full attention to the
television on the wall in front of
him. He's not sure the president's
words boosted his heart rate, but
the speech certainly got him
going.
"There were definitely certain
times where I got tingles down
my arms and just felt like we
might actually accomplish
something with this generation
and this presidency that's never
been done before, and hopefully
will be for the better and won't
blow up in our faces," the 24-year
-old insurance agent said as he
worked out at a Planet Fitness
gym in Raleigh, N.C. "Only time
will tell."
At the Winter Park Towers, a
residential assisted living
community in the Orlando, Fla.,
suburb of that name, 25 senior
citizens skipped the facility's
Wednesday night movie "The
Soloist" to watch Obama's speech
on a large, flat-screen TV in a
multipurpose room that resembled
a small auditorium.
There was applause at several
points during the speech, and
several people dabbed at moist
eyes when Obama mentioned the
late U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, who
died last month of brain cancer.
"I thought the speech had
strengths, and some very severe
soft spots," said Don Meckstroth,
an 89-year-old retired executive.
"The strengths are that, I believe
Mr. Obama spoke tonight as an
elected president rather than a
person campaigning for the
presidency. He had some specific
proposals, and I thought the
highlight of his speech was when
he said, 'I intend to be the last
president that will be attempting
to reform health care that fails.'"
The weaknesses? "It's a terribly
complex structure that he
proposed. ... the assumptions were
less than convincing, at least they
were to me on the lower costs we
were going to achieve, and how
we were going to achieve them,
how we are going to pay for it
without any additional expense.
`Not one dime more?'"
Meckstroth rolled his eyes when
his wife Wanda said cost "is
something that can always be
worked out." But she insisted that
the "most important thing here
was security. He really made me
feel this thing was going to be
workable."
Across the country at San
Francisco's Women's Community
Clinic, doctors, nurses and
volunteers crowded together with
cookies and popcorn to watch
Obama's speech streaming live
through an office computer. Many
of the clinic's clients hold part-
time jobs that don't offer
insurance, and the staff are
increasingly seeing the recently
unemployed.
The president's call for a health
care system that wouldn't leave
patients without lifesaving care
was met with calls of "amen."
And when Obama mentioned a
provision that would bar
insurance companies from
denying coverage because of pre-
existing conditions, the women
clapped and cheered.
"That's everyone in that room
every single person in that room,"
said Tara Medve, 31, the clinic's
development director.
Katie McCall, 35, who
volunteers as a policy director at
the clinic, said the speech was
reassuring and should inspire
confidence in doubters.
"If he says this isn't going to
increase the deficit, I believe
him," she said. "If he says we're
not going to cover people who are
undocumented, I believe him."
But some skeptics remained
skeptics.
Earlier in the day, Mark
Hutchinson drove from his home
in Mays Landing, N.J., to
participate in a rally near
Philadelphia's Independence Hall
against the health care bill. A
member of the group Liberty and
Prosperity, which takes its name
from the New Jersey state motto,
Hutchinson carried a sign that
said, "A Trillion Times No."
He said Obama's speech did
nothing to convince him that the
so-called "public option" a
government-run health program
that would compete with private
insurers would be truly voluntary.
"I thought there was a lot of
inaccuracies in there and
falsehoods," he said. "If we're
taxpayers, we're paying for it. Can
I opt out of paying for it?"
In the Minneapolis suburb of
Plymouth, Steve McCulloch,
owner of Linsk Flowers, took
notes as he watched the speech.
McCulloch provides high-
deductible health insurance and
health care savings accounts to his
nine employees, and he was
happy to hear the president talk
more specifically about the plan
he wants.
He just wishes Obama had
backed down on the notion of a
public option.
"If he's going to get something
done, you don't make those kinds
of statements," he said.
Michael Berglund, a 41-year-
old high school English teacher,
watched the speech at his Tulsa,
Okla., home. Berglund said his
domestic partner, Kevin, a 43-
year-old hair stylist, has to buy his
own health insurance, which
comes with high costs and
deductibles.
"There are times he has not gone
to the doctor because he knows
he'll need an X-ray or an MRI,"
Berglund said.
Berglund said before Obama's
speech he was "skeptical" of
health care reform, but "It seemed
a lot clearer to me now."
Not so for Phillip Friesen, a 23-
year-old medical student from
Enid, Okla. While he was pleased
that Obama hit on a few specifics
like preventive medicine and how
Top News/ 5
the massive overhaul would be
paid for, he still would like more
information on how the new
system would affect physicians in
their practices and how Medicare
would be handled.
"I'm a Type-A medical student at
heart," he said. "I still need to see
the details of it."
Back at the gym in Raleigh,
patrons working out before the
row of 15 big-screen televisions
could have watched U.S. Open
tennis, MTV's "Pranked," the
game pitting the Tampa Bay Rays
against the New York Yankees, or
"So You Think You Can Dance?"
But many chose to tune the
headphones to Obama.
From what he heard of Obama's
plan, Petrovick said the insurance
industry for which he works is
likely to lose a "lot of business" in
coming years. Still, he couldn't
help wishing the president well.
"Everything that comes out of
his mouth sounds like gold," he
said. "He always has done a very
good job at getting his points
across. Whether they're right or
wrong, he makes you feel good
about it usually."
___
EDITOR'S NOTE: Associated
Press writers Juliana Barbassa in
San Francisco, Todd Lewan in
Winter Park, Dan Robrish in
Philadelphia, Chris Williams in
Plymouth and Justin
Juozapavicius in Tulsa also
contributed to this report; Allen
G. Breed reported from Raleigh.
6 Top News/ Finance/ Internet News Record

Biden: Health care bill may be in by Thanksgiving (AP)

(Yahoo! News: U.S. News) out more aggressively to minority percent in a survey days before affordable coverage if they get Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont.,
Submitted at 9/10/2009 5:36:12 AM Republicans. the president spoke. About one in laid off or decide to start a announced he will move forward
Asked if he thinks there should seven speech-watchers changed business. Insurers would not be on legislation by the end of the
WASHINGTON – Vice be health care overhaul their minds on Obama's proposal, able to deny coverage for pre- month. The Finance Committee is
President Joe Biden asserted l e g i s l a t i o n , t h e A r i z o n a but the audience was more existing conditions. considered pivotal because it
Thursday that a health care bill Republican replied, "I really hope Democratic than the U.S. For the millions who lack mirrors the composition of the
will be done by Thanksgiving so. ... It's good for America. We population as a whole, so the insurance or have trouble getting Senate. Baucus had delayed
because President Barack Obama need to do it, but it has to be results do not reflect the views of it Obama's plan would set up a action for months, hoping to win a
has "re-centered debate" and bipartisan. We can't lay another all Americans. new marketplace in which bipartisan agreement. But
there's an emerging bipartisan trillion dollars of debt on the next Moderate Democrats responded consumers could pool together. Wednesday, he said he would
consensus for change despite generation ... It's generational positively, while Republicans said Government subsidies would be press ahead with or without a
fights over details like the theft." Obama came up short, even if he available to make premiums more deal.
government-run option. Obama on Wednesday night showered them with attention. affordable. But individuals would Obama said he remains ready to
"I think the most important thing addressed Washington insiders Liberals seemed to take it in stride be required to get coverage, and listen to all ideas but added, in a
he did, he also debunked a lot of and Americans with and without that Obama signaled flexibility on employers would have to clear reference to Republicans, "I
the myths out there, the idea of health insurance, in addition to the the government-sponsored plan contribute. will not waste time with those
death panels, that we were going lawmakers arrayed before him in they want to create to compete Asked Thursday if Obama who have made the calculation
to insure undocumented aliens," the cavernous House chamber. He with private insurers. should have taken the public that it's better politics to kill this
said Biden, touring the morning spelled out where he stands on "If the details live up to the option off the table in the interest plan than to improve it."
network news shows a day after key issues. And while some of his quality of the speech, then it's a of furthering chances of In an unusual outburst from the
Obama delivered what he hopes explanations notably on costs good plan," said Rep. Jim Cooper, agreement on a bill, Biden said he Republican side of the House
was a game-changing appeal to a were incomplete, he left no doubt D-Tenn., one of the fiscally didn't think so. chamber, Rep. Joe Wilson, R-
joint session of Congress. he's taking ownership. conservative "Blue Dog" "He laid out the underlying S.C., shouted out "You lie" when
Obama went to Capitol Hill "To this date, the health care Democrats. principles as to why there is a the president said illegal
determined to sweep away a debate has looked like a tennis Senate Republican leader Mitch need for a public option," the vice immigrants would not benefit
summer of gridlock on his top m a t c h b e t w e e n l e a d e r s i n McConnell of Kentucky said he president said. "He will not yield from his proposals. The president
domestic priority, and his vice Congress, with the president sort believes Obama is still out of step on the basic principle: If paused briefly and smiled, but
p r e s i d e n t a r g u e d t h a t h e ' d of watching as it goes back and with the kind of health care Americans cannot find affordable from her seat in the visitor's
accomplished just that in the forth," said Robert Blendon, a changes most Americans want insurance, he will offer them a gallery, first lady Michelle Obama
nationally broadcast, prime-time public opinion expert at the because his plan entails too much choice." shook her head from side to side
address. Harvard School of Public Health. government. "He is willing to sign a bill, any in disapproval of the interruption.
"I believe we will have a bill," "He's taken control of this issue "The White House changed its bill, by whatever mechanisms you Wilson later apologized for "this
Biden said. "I've been in the for now, and into the future it sales pitch tonight," McConnell call it, that in fact guarantees that lack of civility."
Congress for a very long time, looks like there's a plan, and he's said. "But Americans weren't there is in fact a choice for people Biden appeared on ABC's
eight presidents. I believe we will leading it." looking for a new sales pitch. that is affordable," Biden added. "Good Morning America," CBS's
have a bill before Thanksgiving." A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. They're looking for a new "We think the competitive option " The Early Show" and NBC's
Sen. John McCain, also snap poll of people interviewed proposal." is competitive ... It would have to "Today" show. McCain was
interviewed Thursday morning, before and after the speech Obama said his plan would give be paid for by its own premiums interviewed on the "Today" show.
said he agreed that something indicated that the president shifted the majority of people who have ... If they have a better idea about ___
needs to be done about health public opinion in his favor. After health insurance greater security. how to accomplish that principle, Associated Press writer David
care. But he also said that if the the speech, two-thirds said they Their policies could not be we'll listen to it." Espo contributed to this report.
administration wants to see supported Obama's health care canceled if they get sick. And The president's speech came as
legislation realized, it must reach proposals, compared with 53 they would be able to find Senate Finance Committee
Wall Street buoyant on jobs data
(Financial Times - US Wall Street stocks were set for a The weekly jobless claims unemployment benefits last week, to approximately 560,000.
homepage) higher open on Thursday, as report from the Labor Department down from 570,000 in the
Submitted at 9/10/2009 6:05:37 AM investors mulled encouraging data showed that 550,000 Americans previous week. Economists had
on jobs. filed for their first week of been expecting claims to only fall
Internet News Record Top News/ 7

Assemblyman Mike Duvall resigns after his sex comments are

broadcast - Los Angeles Times
(Most Popular - Google News) legislative year, with unfinished major utility with business before Some GOP leaders were measures opposed by Sempra
Submitted at 9/9/2009 3:16:54 PM work on such major issues as the Duvall's committee. In the video, relieved by the resignation. Energy. The measures would
prison crisis and the state's Duvall says her birthday is July 6. "Sticking around for a while require utilities to derive
Reporting from Sacramento - An wobbly water infrastructure. That matches the birth date of a would have just prolonged the significantly more electricity from
Orange County lawmaker who And the speed with which Sacramento lobbyist for the San agony, and he would have had the solar, wind, geothermal and other
inadvertently broadcast explicit Duvall was pushed out the door Diego-based energy firm Sempra. same result," said Scott Baugh, renewable energy sources by
r e m a r k s a b o u t h i s s e x u a l was small comfort to Capitol- Sempra issued a written Orange County Republican Party 2020.
c o n q u e s t s o v e r a n o p e n watchers who say the case shows statement saying that it is chairman. In Orange County on
microphone abruptly resigned the persistence of anything-goes investigating the matter, but that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Wednesday, Duvall's constituents
from office Wednesday after behavior in the Legislature. its "employee has denied the now has 14 days to call a special expressed shock.
legislative leaders stripped him of "The use of sexual favors is just speculative media reports." election to fill Duvall's seat, Placentia Councilwoman
his committee posts and launched one more example of the tactics On the tape, Duvall describes which could be held as soon as Constance Underhill said Duvall's
an ethics probe of his actions. that energy companies and the "little eye-patch underwear" the first week in November. behavior was outrageous,
Assemblyman Michael Duvall lobbyists have used to win worn by one of the women. He Orange County officials say that especially if his dalliances were
(R-Yorba Linda), whose remarks favorable laws from lawmakers," refers to the age gap between her election will cost taxpayers with lobbyists who had business
were videotaped in July during a said Kathay Feng, president of and him, after a recent birthday between $330,000 and $440,000. with his committee. "If that's
lull in a Sacramento hearing, California Common Cause. made them 18 years apart. "Now, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass true," she said, "he sold out for
stepped down less than 24 hours As TV camera crews chased you're getting old, man, I am (D-Los Angeles) said the sex."
after the tape spread online l a w m a k e r s t h r o u g h C a p i t o l going to have to trade you in," he Legislature plans to aggressively Bob Bowdish, 62, who said he
Tuesday night. corridors for comment on the said he told her. investigate Duvall and any was once Duvall's letter carrier
In the video, the married family- scandal Wednesday, the place was And he mentions a second conflicts of interest that may have and has for years crossed party
values crusader from Yorba Linda a b u z z w i t h g o s s i p : o t h e r woman, in less detail. resulted from affairs he boasted lines to vote for the assemblyman,
talks in graphic detail about l a w m a k e r s w i t h l o b b y i s t "Cher, Shar, Shar -- oh, she is about. One member of the said, "The public deserves more. .
women he said he slept with -- at m i s t r e s s e s , i n a p p r o p r i a t e hot. I talked to her yesterday. She legislative ethics panel that will . . The fact of the matter is, what
least one of whom appeared to be invitations to romantic dinners, goes, 'So are we finished?' " oversee the inquiry said privately he did was wrong. This will ruin
a lobbyist with business before married legislators and industry Duvall says, adding that he that there may be efforts to more than his political career."
the utilities committee on which officials canoodling at fundraisers replied no. He continues: "And I broaden it to include other At least one resident saw
Duvall sat as vice chairman. and after-hours mixers. go, 'You know about the other lawmakers alleged to have opportunity in the mess, however.
"I am deeply saddened that my Duvall, some said, just one, but the other one doesn't intimate relations with lobbyists. "He did the right thing under the
inappropriate comments have happened to get caught. know about you.' " California Atty. Gen. Jerry circumstances," said Orange
become a major distraction for my His remarks were videotaped The Capitol Resource Institute, Brown declined to comment on County Supervisor Chris Norby.
colleagues in the Assembly," during a July hearing of the a conservative, self-described calls from consumer advocates "He did it quickly. And I'm going
Duvall said in a written statement A s s e m b l y A p p r o p r i a t i o n s "pro-family" advocacy that he launch a criminal to do the right thing. I will be
Wednesday afternoon. "It would Committee and aired on a KCAL organization that had given investigation. Duvall's "votes on seeking the seat."
not be fair to my family, my television news program Tuesday Duvall a 100% score for his utility issues should be shane.goldmacher@latimes.com
constituents or to my friends on night. In the video, the socially voting record on issues of concern investigated to determine whether patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com
both sides of the aisle to remain in conservative Duvall tells fellow to the group, denounced the they were compromised," said Times staff writers Eric Bailey,
office. Therefore, I have decided Assemblyman Jeff Miller (R- lawmaker in a statement. Doug Heller, executive director of Dana Parsons and My-Thuan Tran
to resign." Corona) in uninhibited detail "It is always disappointing when Consumer Watchdog in Santa contributed to this report.
The sudden scandal was one about trysts with two women, a champion of traditional values Monica.
more bruise for Sacramento as it neither his wife. does not practice the same in his Duvall joined other Republicans
lurches toward Friday, the end of The KCAL report says one of private life," said Karen England, in voting several times this year
a particularly unproductive the women is a lobbyist for a executive director of the institute. against renewable energy
8 Top News/ Finance/ Gadgets/ Tech News/ Internet News Record
Bank of England
Ellen DeGeneres as the fourth judge: Is this the holds rates at 0.5%
end of 'American ... - Entertainment Weekly (Financial Times - US
homepage)
(Most Popular - Google News) feedback. By ignoring her dismal, air today. People love Simon David Cooks, the Jorge Nuñezes Submitted at 9/10/2009 4:00:24 AM

Submitted at 9/10/2009 6:02:02 AM one-episode track record as a Cowell not for his taste in Hanes from the Kris Allens? I sure hope
reality-show judge, Idol’s v-neck undershirts, but because he so. But based on her SYTYCD The Bank of England’s monetary
Chalk me up as one of those producers once again expose three often has the courage to express performance, I can’t shake the policy committee agreed to keep
people who greeted the news that deadly blind spots that continue to on national television the exact — deep fear that American Idol is interest rates at a record low of
Ellen DeGeneres is joining the put at risk the short- and long- and not always polite — thoughts adding creampuff to the menu 0.5 per cent on Thursday and to
judging panel for season 9 of term health of television’s top- they’re having on their couches at when we really need some bitter proceed with the current £50bn
American Idol with the sudden rated show. home. Simon Cowell is the voice lemon. planned purchases of gilts over
urge to drive a fork into my thigh 1) American Idol is, always has of the people. And my deepest Of course, only time will tell the next three months, as outlined
and wake up from a strange and been, and always will be about the fear is that in her new role, Ellen how (and how much) Ellen’s in August.
horrible nightmare. (Side note: contestants. The day the show DeGeneres will be the voice of a presence on the panel will affect The effectiveness of the Bank’s
We all do dream about Idol on a stops churning out future Carrie beloved talk-show host and Idol. At the very least, I’m hoping quantitative easing programme,
regular basis, right? Right.) Underwoods, Fantasia Barrinos, comedian who’s too concerned that Simon and Ryan will once under which it is purchasing most
Now don’t get me wrong. I a n d C h r i s D a u g h t r y s — about damaging her public image and for all ditch their regularly gilts from the market using newly
adore Ellen DeGeneres. As a performers who’ve reached to provide the kind of niceties- scheduled homophobic banter created central bank reserves, has
comedian, that is. I’ve seen her superstar status in concert, on free feedback that the audience — now that they’ve got a (powerful) been criticised as ineffective
live in concert twice. I watched Broadway, and on radio — then it and yes, the contestants lesbian colleague in their because it appears to have done
every episode of The Ellen simply becomes another cog in themselves — need and deserve. presence. And even if Ellen’s Idol little to stimulate lending to
Show(her short-lived 2001 series the low-stakes reality-television 3) Credibility counts — or at tenure yields little more than households and businesses.
with Cloris Leachman, not to be wheel. So why have a fourth least it ought to — when it comes corny punch lines — “Are you A Tale of Two iPods,
confused with the groundbreaking judge at all? Why take away to the judges panel. Which isn’t to two carpenters? ‘Cause you nailed
sitcom Ellen, which I also loved). precious screen time from the true say that Randy or Paula (or at this it!” she blathered during her And Why The Touch
H e c k , I ’ d e v e n t u n e i n t o stars of the show? I don’t know
something as hein as the People’s about you guys, but I’d have
point Kara) necessarily
represented a dream team of
SYTYCD run — perhaps it’ll
awaken a dormant-yet-skilled
Has No Camera
Choice Awards if they brought traded a thousand of Randy’s “for stimulating, high-minded critic deep inside Randy or Kara. By Charlie Sorrel (Wired Top
her in as host. But as a permanent me, for yous” last season for just a feedback. Nor is it to say that an Hey, maybe that’s crazily Stories)
replacement for Paula Abdul as few more seconds of singing from Idol judge needs to bandy about optimistic, but the alternative — Submitted at 9/10/2009 6:05:00 AM
the fourth judge on my very most Kris, Adam, and Allison. Those terms like legato or crescendo or that my very most favorite
favorite television show? Can I kids — the ones who you’d never “package artist” to do his or her television show is standing at the Apple’s decision to not include a
get a “hell to the no” up in here? heard of in January, but whose job well. But look at the panel on edge of a gasoline lake with lit camera in the new iPod Touch is
If you caught Ellen sitting in as music you can’t wait to buy in Project Runway, for example. matches beneath its toenails — is somewhat surprising. After all,
a guest panelist a couple months November — are the only A-list Even when I vehemently disagree simply too much for me to there is already a perfect camera
ago on So You Think You Can talents Idol should be worried with Nina Garcia, Michael Kors, contemplate. for the job, and it sits inside the
D a n c e , t h e n y o u p r o b a b l y about pimping. and Heidi Klum, I never stop What do you think of Idol’s iPhone. That Apple included a
understand my dismay. Ellen 2) Until (or unless) Ellen drops respecting them, nor do I find decision to add Ellen DeGeneres video camera inside the iPod
treated the gig like an extended the “nice gal” persona, then she myself questioning their to its panel? Share your thoughts Nano makes this more
(and extremely strained) standup will not be representing the credentials, or their ability to spot in the comments section below, inexplicable still.
routine, essentially making the “people’s point of view,” which is a shoddy seam or bunky tailoring and be sure to follow me on
focus all about herself while how she described her Idol role or an insane crotch. Is it possible Twitter@EWMichaelSlezak for
f a i l i n g t o p r o v i d e e v e n a n while taping an episode of The Ellen has the ability to separate all my Idol updates.
A b d u l l i a n l e v e l o f c r i t i c a l Ellen DeGeneres Show that will the Ramiele Malubays from the
Daily Crunch: Playing Catch Edition
By Bryce Durbin (CrunchGear) mix between robot and phone handheld console prototype
Submitted at 9/10/2009 12:00:54 AM Hands-on with the new iPod Microsoft’s new keyboard is
nano Please observe the ‘Xbox 1080 thin enough to shave with
Video: The iida Polaris is a cool Happy 40th birthday, Nerf!
Internet News Record Top News/ Finance/ Tech News/ 9
GM chooses
Lawmakers denounce 'You lie' outburst at Obama Magna, Sberbank
(AP) for Opel
(Financial Times - US
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News) enough to consider whether or not next year's midterm elections, Wilson's eruption. "It was just homepage)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 6:20:33 AM we ought to make it clear that that according to Lachlan McIntosh, something that nobody had ever Submitted at 9/10/2009 6:26:00 AM
action is unacceptable in the Miller's campaign manager. witnessed before. We all felt
WASHINGTON – Democrats House of Representatives." In the eight hours since Wilson's embarrassed." General Motors’ board has
and Republicans alike are "Let's see what he does," Hoyer outburst, his Democratic Republicans froze; several chosen Canada’s Magna
denouncing Rep. Joe Wilson for told WTOP radio before Wilson opponent, former-Marine Rob glanced in Wilson's direction. International and Russia’s
shouting "You lie" at President issued an apology. "Then there's Miller, has received nearly 3,000 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Sberbank as investors in its
Barack Obama during his speech time enough to consider further individual grassroots directed a fierce frown at him; European Opel and Vauxhall
to Congress, an extraordinary action." contributions raising first lady Michelle Obama pursed businesses, four people briefed on
breach of decorum for which the Wilson's behavior caused a approximately $100,000, the her lips and shook her head from GM’s decision told the FT on
S o u t h C a r o l i n a R e p u b l i c a n political hangover for him and Democratic Congressional side to side. Biden looked down Thursday, although one of the
swiftly apologized. possibly for the Republican critics Campaign Committee said. and shook his head too. people said the deal would come
"I was embarrassed for the Obama had cast as shrill and more Wilson, a conservative Obama, meanwhile, looked “with conditions.”
chamber and a Congress I love," interested in killing any health Republican who promotes a toward the outburst and replied, GM is due to announce the
Vice President Joe Biden said care overhaul than finding a way strong national defense and "That's not true" before going on decision at a press briefing in
T h u r s d a y o n A B C ' s " G o o d to provide it. reining in the size of government, with his speech. Berlin at 4:15pm German time.
Morning America." "It demeaned Later, Wilson was contrite. won a special election to the Wilson appeared to consult his Magna, Sberbank, and the state
the institution." "This evening I let my emotions House in 2001, succeeding the Blackberry for much of the rest of trust managing GM’s European
House Minority Whip Eric get the best of me," he said in a late Rep. Floyd Spence, R-S.C. Obama's speech. He shook his arm are also expected to make
Cantor, R-Va., told ABC on statement. "While I disagree with Wilson had worked on Spence's head defiantly after several of the statements.
Wednesday: "Obviously, the the president's statement, my staff on Capitol Hill and also president's statements. When
President of the United States is comments were inappropriate and
always welcome on Capitol Hill. regrettable. I extend sincere
previously been an intern on the
staff of venerable Sen. Strom
Obama finished, Wilson bolted
from the chamber.
US foreclosure
He deserves respect and decorum. apologies to the president for this Thurmond, R.S.C. Wilson's behavior was "totally filings remain near
"I know that Congressman lack of civility." Wilson, who is the only disrespectful," Sen. John McCain,
Wilson has issued an apology and He then tried to call Obama to Republican who serves on both R-Ariz., who had been Obama's record high
made his thoughts known to the apologize personally, but ended the House Armed Services and rival in the 2008 presidential (Financial Times - US
White House, which was the up talking with White House Foreign Affairs committees, is a election, said on CNN. "There is homepage)
appropriate thing to do," Cantor Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel familiar face on the floor of the no place for it in that setting, or Submitted at 9/10/2009 5:29:35 AM
said. instead, Wilson's office said. chamber, often going there after any other, and he should
Wilson's outburst came after Biden said Thursday that he regular legislative business to apologize for it immediately." Foreclosure activity among US
Obama said extending health care hadn't spoken with Obama, but, make announcements, ___ properties slipped last month for
to all Americans who seek it "knowing the president, I'm sure observations and political points Associated Press writers David the first time since May, but
would not mean insuring illegal he accepted the apology." in the so-called "one minutes," a Espo and Ben Evans in remains near a record high as
immigrants. By late Wednesday, though, the special free-wheeling speaking Washington and Jim Davenport in homeowners continue to default
"You lie!" Wilson shouted from congressman's Web site had period given lawmakers, usually Columbia, S.C., contributed to in spite of government measures
his seat on the Republican side of crashed, he had taken a beating on in the after hours. this report. to stabilise the market.
the chamber. his Twitter page and Democrat Wilson has been a staunch The number of default notices,
After the speech, House Rob Miller had raised thousands supporter of the war in Iraq. auction sales and bank
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D- of unexpected dollars online for a "Everybody was stunned," Rep. repossessions fell by 0.5 per cent
Md., said, "There'll be time possible rematch with Wilson in Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said of from July to 358,471 in August. It
Last Days of Big American Physics: One More Triumph, or Just Another Heartbreak? was the sixth straight month with
more than 300,000 filings and one
By Betsy Mason (Wired Top The Tevatron, king of particle Hadron Collider steals the show. out of every 357 homes received a
Stories) colliders and pride of U.S. If the Tevatron detects the Higgs foreclosure filing last month,
Submitted at 9/9/2009 9:00:00 PM physics, races to make one more boson, it will cushion the blow of RealtyTrac said on Thursday.
major discovery before the Large losing the crown.
10 Top News/
Obama demands healthcare action
(BBC News | Americas | World
Edition)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 3:05:15 AM
Please turn on JavaScript. Media
requires JavaScript to play.
Obama cheered and heckled
US President Barack Obama has
made one of the most important
speeches of his presidency, as he
faced Congress over his plans for
healthcare reform.
Mr Obama said that failure to
introduce reform had led the
country to breaking point and it
was now time to act.
He said he planned to improve
health insurance for those who
have it and to create an insurance
exchange to extend cover to those
who do not.
Republicans said Mr Obama's
plans would make healthcare
much more expensive.
Mr Obama told Congress that
the US was the only developed
country that allowed millions of
its people to endure the hardship
of going without healthcare.
"Everyone understands the
extraordinary hardships that are
placed on the uninsured, who live
every day just one accident or
illness away from bankruptcy," he
said.
"These are not primarily people
on welfare. These are middle-
class Americans."
But Mr Obama said the current
system did not serve well those
Americans who do have health
insurance either.
"Those who do have insurance
have never had less security and
stability than they do today.
"More and more Americans
worry that if you move, lose your
job, or change your job, you'll
lose your health insurance too."
He said the US spent one-and-a-
half times more on health
insurance than any other country
but Americans were no healthier
than other people.
Heckled
Mr Obama set out details of his
plan to reform the system.
He said that nothing in his
proposal would require
Americans who already have
health insurance to change their
coverage or doctor.
But he said he would make the
insurance work better for
individuals by prohibiting insurers
from dropping coverage for sick
patients or by capping it. He
Internet News Record
healthcare much more expensive."
Our correspondent says Mr
Obama was clearly not looking
for right-wing Republican support
- he knows he will not get it.
He says the speech was another
strong performance from Mr
Obama and an attempt to turn the
tide in the healthcare debate.
But our correspondent adds the
speech may have also come too
late as positions are already
entrenched and some of Mr
Obama's supporters wonder why
he did not do this months ago.
Healthcare reform has been the
central issue of his change agenda
but has divided both the US
public and the country's political
establishment.
President Obama said that
Congress agreed on about 80% of
the reforms that are needed.
But he said months of partisan
bickering had only hardened the
would also require insurers to he remained open to other ideas if
cover the cost of routine check- they had the same effect. disdain many Americans have
ups and preventative care. When Mr Obama said illegal towards their own government.
For the millions of uninsured immigrants would not benefit He is facing almost unanimous
Americans, he said he would from his plan, the Republican opposition from Republicans, who
create an insurance exchange - a ranks showed signs of near are uneasy about the idea of
market place where individuals mutiny, says the BBC's Jonathan government-run healthcare and
and small business will be able to Beale in Washington. who have accused Mr Obama of
shop for health insurance at One Republican representative a t t e m p t i n g t o i n t r o d u c e a
competitive prices. shouted: "You lie", and the " s o c i a l i s t " p o l i c y .
Mr Obama said a public president paused briefly. There are, in theory, enough
Democrats in Congress to approve
insurance option could help keep In the official Republican
the private health insurance response to Mr Obama's speech, the changes.
c o m p a n i e s h o n e s t a n d Representative Charles Boustany, But in practice, the party is
deeply divided between those that
competitive. a heart surgeon, urged a fresh start
But he said it would not be on "a commonsense, bipartisan want a publicly-run insurance
subsidised by the government, so plan". scheme and those alarmed by the
would not create unfair He added: "Replacing your borrowing necessary to fund it.
competition for the private sector. family's current healthcare with Print Sponsor
He added that the public option government-run healthcare is not
was only a means to an end, and the answer. In fact, it'll make
Internet News Record Top News/ Gadgets/ Tech/ 11

Recorded sex comments cost Calif. lawmaker his

job (AP)
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News) "We have such big issues before woman that she was getting old investigation will be conducted to
Submitted at 9/10/2009 6:25:11 AM the Legislature and to have this after turning 36 and told her, "I ensure not only that our policies Niveus steps up Media
become a distraction, he felt his am going to have to trade you in." on employee conduct are strictly
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Mike responsibility was to step aside," The lawmaker then brags about adhered to, but also that our Centers with SSD,
Duvall's second term as a member she said. an affair he is having with another employee is treated fairly," the RAID and white gloves
of the California Assembly was Duvall, 54, lives in Yorba Linda woman. company said.
progressing pretty much like his with his wife when he is not in "Oh, she is hot! I talked to her Duvall was elected in 2006 to By Ben Drawbaugh
first in relative obscurity, with Sacramento, and has two adult yesterday. She goes, 'So are we represent an Orange County (Engadget)
f e w n o t a b l e l e g i s l a t i v e children. finished?' I go, 'No, we're not district that includes Fullerton, Submitted at 9/10/2009 9:16:00 AM

accomplishments. He made the comments about finished.' I go, 'You know about Anaheim, Placentia, Orange, Brea
The Orange County Republican the affairs to Assemblyman Jeff the other one, but she doesn't and Yorba Linda. Before that, he Today is officially the first day
is now a YouTube hit after KCAL Miller during a break in a know about you!'" Duvall can be served six years on the Yorba of CEDIA Expo 2009 and now
-TV aired his racy comments committee meeting inside the heard saying in an apparent Linda City Council. He also owns that Microsoft has announced its
about sexual conquests that were Capitol on July 8, apparently reference to his affair with the an insurance agency. Media Center news, it's the
caught by an open microphone in unaware that the microphone at lobbyist. In stepping down, Duvall said it partner's turn. Up first is Nevius
a Capitol hearing room. Several the desk was on. The unseemly remarks also would not be fair to his family, which is of course releasing new
media outlets said the comments "I'm getting into spanking her," raise questions about the constituents or friends to remain Media Center PCs with Windows
referred to Duvall's affairs with a Duvall is heard saying on the relationship between lawmakers in office. 7, so of course the new looser
female lobbyist and another videotape, which was made as a and lobbyists. The Assembly "I am deeply saddened that my DRM and other features are
woman. He resigned Wednesday. matter of routine by a legislative Ethics Committee is investigating inappropriate comments have included. Niveus is stepping up
California's legislative leaders office. Duvall's comments, in part to become a major distraction for my the hardware though too by
have been trying to focus on a Miller asks if she likes it too. determine whether the affair colleagues in the Assembly, who adding RAID and SSD drives to
number high-profile issues from Duvall responds: "She goes, 'I might have influenced his votes. are working hard on the very the Pro Series, and also a new
w a t e r p o l i c y t o p r i s o n s t o know you like spanking me.' I He was vice chairman of the serious problems facing our Windows Home Server
renewable energy during the said, 'Yeah, that's 'cause you're Assembly Utilities Committee. state," he said. "Therefore, I have requirement for its full system
waning days of their legislative such a bad girl.'" Several media outlets reported decided to resign my office, restoration capabilities. The other
session. On Wednesday, they Duvall also describes the the woman Duvall refers to in his effective immediately, so that the new offering is the aptly named
i n s t e a d f o u n d t h e m s e l v e s woman's "eye-patch underwear" comments works as a lobbyist for Assembly can get back to work." White Glove service, which
answering questions about a and the age difference between Sempra Energy, a San Diego- The lawmaker had received a basically means the services to
lawmaker who bragged about a h i m s e l f a n d h i s m i s t r e s s , based energy services company 100 percent rating from Capitol integrators is getting an upgrade.
spanking fetish, the type of identified in some media reports that operates San Diego Gas & Resource Institute, a conservative Prices are promised before the
underwear worn by a mistress and as a lobbyist for an energy Electric Co. and Southern advocacy group, for his votes on official launch on October 22nd,
his apparent ability to carry on company. He tells Miller, a fellow California Gas Co. Sempra issued legislation considered pro-family but based on the existing offering,
two extramarital affairs at once. Republican from Corona, that the an e-mail statement saying it was during the 2007-08 legislative we'd bet we still won't be able to
Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, woman's birthday was two days investigating the claims. session. afford it.
D-Los Angeles, called it "a very earlier. "The employee has denied the Continue reading Niveus steps
sad day." Duvall said he joked with the speculative media reports. Our up Media Centers with SSD,
RAID and white gloves
Mozilla patches holes in Firefox 3.5, 3.0 Filed under: HDTV, Home
Entertainment, Media PCs
By Stephen Shankland patch three critical security holes the 3.0 version, it's pushing JavaScript engine for running Niveus steps up Media Centers
(Webware.com) and fix assorted other bugs. people to the 3.5 version, and Web-based programs. with SSD, RAID and white gloves
Submitted at 9/9/2009 6:29:00 PM The updates can be fetched support for the 3.0 series will end Interested folks can read the originally appeared on Engadget
through the Help menu's Check in a few months. Version 3.5, release notes. on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:16:00
Mozilla on Wednesday released for Updates option, or can be released in June, supports a Originally posted at Deep Tech EST. Please see our terms for use
two new versions of its browser, downloaded directly. variety of new Web page of feeds. Permalink| Email this|
Firefox 3.5.3 and 3.0.14, that Although Mozilla still supports technologies and includes a faster Comments
12 Top News/ Gadgets/ Tech News/
Mexican police end hijack drama
(BBC News | Americas | World
Edition)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 2:07:15 AM
Please turn on JavaScript. Media
requires JavaScript to play.
Passengers rush off the plane
and are escorted onto the runway
by troops
Mexican police have freed more
than 100 people unharmed after a
jet flying from Cancun to Mexico
City was hijacked by a man
claiming to be on a divine
mission.
Bolivian-born Jose Flores
Pereira threatened to blow up the
plane unless he could warn
Mexican President Felipe
Calderon of an "impending
earthquake".
Mr Flores told flight attendants
that a canned drink he had was a
bomb.
Police stormed the Aeromexico
plane after it had landed in
Mexico City and women and
children were allowed off.
Several people were initially
arrested and taken away in
handcuffs as Mr Flores said he
had accomplices, but police later
said there had been only one
hijacker and no bombs on board.
'Divine revelation'
Public Safety Secretary Genaro
Garcia Luna said Mr Flores, who
told police he was a Protestant
pastor, carried out the hijacking
after having "a revelation that
Mexico was facing a great danger,
and was threatened by an
earthquake".
For Sale: $20 Million Ring Particle Accelerator, Never Used
By Paul Berger (Wired Top
Stories)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 9:00:00 PM
Mr Flores told reporters after his
arrest that he had used "a juice
can with some little lights I
attached" to seize control of the
plane as it was coming in to land.
Some of the passengers, who
included French and US nationals,
said they were not initially aware
of what was happening.
Flores had told flight attendants
that he had three accomplices,
"the Father, Son and Holy Ghost".
He said that he acted on 9
September 2009, because the
numbers 9/9/9 were the inverse of
6/6/6, the number linked to the
Anti-Christ.
"Christ is coming soon," Mr
The Superconducting Super
Collider in Texas, once the
shining hope of American
science, is now a physics
Internet News Record
Motorola's USBw 200
WiMAX adapter takes
less power, packs more
drivers
By Tim Stevens (Engadget)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 8:26:00 AM
If you're inhabiting one of the
few but increasingly common
localities with WiMAX internets
beaming through the airwaves,
you're probably looking for the
least bulky and most efficient way
to get connected. Motorola's latest
doesn't look particularly more
svelte than its previous USBw
100, but the USBw 200 is more
efficient, requiring less than 1.5
watts of power despite the new
"power boost" mode to connect
more quickly to networks. Like its
predecessor, it supports 2.3, 2.5,
and 3.5GHz bands, and now
includes Windows XP and Vista
drivers on the device itself, so no
pesky installation CD is required.
Flores told journalists. that President Calderon had been N o w o r d o n p r i c i n g o r
Mr Garcia said that Mr Flores on his way to the airport.
availability, but those figures will
was a former drug addict, with a Mexican media broadcast live be largely be left to the discretion
conviction for armed robbery in images of the drama unfolding as of wireless providers anyhow.
his native Bolivia, who has lived the plane sat at the end of the
[Via jkOnTheRun]
in Mexico for 17 years. runway and passengers were seen Filed under: Wireless
Mr Flores, who is also a singer, disembarking and being led away.
Motorola's USBw 200 WiMAX
said he had gone to Cancun to Passenger Rocio Garcia told the adapter takes less power, packs
preach. Televisa TV network that the more drivers originally appeared
"I was a despicable drug addict, crew announced the plane was on Engadget on Thu, 10 Sep 2009
but Christ freed me a few years being hijacked when it landed in 08:26:00 EST. Please see our
ago," he sings in one video posted Mexico City.
terms for use of feeds. Read|
on YouTube. "These were scary moments," Permalink| Email this| Comments
Other videos show him shooting she said.
at a coin he throws in the air. "My whole life flashed before
'Scary moments' me," said another passenger,
An official told the BBC while Maria Fernanda Vega.
the hijacking was taking place Print Sponsor
graveyard looking for a new
purpose. Visit the place in this
Wired.com photo gallery.
Internet News Record Top News/ Tech/ 13

Chavez recognises Georgia rebels Waste Of Money: Pro-Linux

(BBC News | Americas | World
Edition)
Ossetia, but it was repelled by
Russian forces.
The two presidents were also set
to discuss major arms and energy
Group Has To Buy Microsoft
Submitted at 9/10/2009 3:35:24 AM Russia then built up its presence
in both South Ossetia and
deals at the Kremlin.
Venezuela has been a major
Patents
Venezuela will recognise the Abkhazia, and recognised their customer for Russian arms By Michael Masnick (Techdirt) patents any more and isn't
breakaway Georgian regions of independence. exports in recent years. Submitted at 9/9/2009 5:43:23 PM planning on doing anything with
South Ossetia and Abkhazia, The move was condemned by Russian press have reported this them, why not sell them to a pro-
President Hugo Chavez says. the West, and snubbed by the week that Venezuela could be A bunch of folks have been Linux group?
Venezuela will become the third international community, with about to buy up to 100 T-72 and T submitting the news that the "pro- • If Microsoft had no problem
c o u n t r y t o s u p p o r t t h e i r only Nicaragua following suit. -90 tanks worth $500m (£300m), linux" group the Open Invention getting rid of them, I'm guessing
controversial independence But analysts say Venezuela's three diesel-powered Kilo-class Network recently purchased some they're not among the couple of
declarations, after Russia and move will be a boost for Russia, submarines, as well as armoured former Microsoft patents via a hundred patents Microsoft keeps
Nicaragua. which has made no secret of its vehicles, helicopters and missiles. third party. A few quick thoughts: insisting Linux violates, without
M r C h a v e z m a d e t h e wish to see an end to what it calls Mr Chavez arrived on • It seems like a shame that ever actually naming any specific
announcement during a visit to the "regime in Georgia" of Wednesday and gave a speech at money had to be spent by these patents.
Russia. President Mikhail Saakashvili. Moscow's People's Friendship groups just to protect themselves All in all, this is a pretty
Most of the world still considers Russian President Dmitry University. from lawsuits for developing depressing story, showing money
the territories to be part of Medvedev thanked Mr Chavez for Characteristically, it lasted two useful software. being wasted, rather than put to
Georgia. They were the subject of his announcement, adding: "We and a half hours and included a • Microsoft apparently refused to good use doing actual innovation.
a w a r b e t w e e n R u s s i a a n d think that it is a sovereign affair tirade against the United States as let OIN bid directly on the Permalink| Comments| Email
Georgia last year. of states whether to recognise well as a singalong, with Mr patents, leading to the middleman. This Story
Georgia launched an assault to their independence." Chavez on maracas. This seems rather petty. If
try to regain control of South Maracas Print Sponsor Microsoft really doesn't want the

New Hubble instruments take dramatic images - TG Daily

(Most Popular - Google News) equipped to last well into the next solar system, observing the birth
Submitted at 9/10/2009 2:08:25 AM decade," said Ed Weiler, associate of planets around other stars and
administrator for NASA's Science probing the composition and
NASA has released its first Mission Directorate at NASA structure of extrasolar planetary
images from the newly-serviced Headquarters. atmospheres.
Hubble Space Telescope, and A dramatic golden explosion There are also ambitious plans
jolly impressive they are too. shows a star bursting to life in the to take the deepest-ever near-
The new pictures include Carina nebula, while a dying star infrared portrait of the universe to
c o l o u r f u l m u l t i - w a v e l e n g t h releases superheated gas in a reveal for the first time infant
pictures of distant galaxies, a butterfly-like formation. galaxies that existed when the
densely packed star cluster and a A densely packed star cluster universe was less than 500 million
butterfly-shaped nebula. inside Omega Centauri is one of years old.
Hubble's new instruments are the first images taken by the new Other planned observations will
more sensitive to light, and cover Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). Sapce Telescope Sci Institute phase of full science observations. attempt to shed light on the
the spectrum from ultraviolet right Galactic wreckage can be seen (STScI) and the Goddard Space There's a lot of work to get behaviour of dark energy, a
through to near infra-red. "The in Stephan's Quintet, also known Flight Center have been focusing, through. On the to-do list are repulsive force that is pushing the
telescope was given an extreme as Hickson Compact Group 92. testing and calibrating the studying the population of Kuiper universe apart at an ever-faster
makeover and is now significantly For the last three months, instruments. Hubble now enters a Belt objects at the fringe of our rate.
more powerful than ever well scientists and engineers at the
14 Top News/ World/ Entertainment Internet News Record

Photos of '9/11 plotter' Women rescued from fake Big

hit web Brother house in Turkey
(BBC News | Americas | World the Red Cross said it took the (World news and comment They were made to sign a have the chance of becoming
Edition) most recent photos in July. from the Guardian | contract which stipulated that they famous if she took part in the
Submitted at 9/10/2009 5:00:01 AM It said the pictures were sent to guardian.co.uk) could have no contact with their contest," one captive's mother is
Mr Mohammed's family and were Submitted at 9/10/2009 5:12:55 AM families or the outside world, and quoted as saying. "But they have
The first images of alleged al- not intended for public release. would have to pay a fine of duped us all."
Qaeda mastermind Khalid Sheikh But the images have appeared in Captives tricked into believing 50,000 Turkish lira (£20,000) if She said the women were not
Mohammed at Guantanamo Bay recent days on extremist websites, they were reality TV show they left the show in the first two abused or harassed sexually, but
have appeared on the internet. according to Jarret Brachman, contestants and filmed naked, say months, the agency reported. that they were told to fight each
Mr Mohammed appears with a former research director at the reports Dogan and HaberTurk other, to wear bikinis and to dance
long beard and wearing a white Combating Terrorism Center of Turkish military police said newspaper both reported that the by the villa's pool.
robe in the photos, taken in July the West Point US Military today that they had stormed an women realised they were being HaberTurk said police had
by the Red Cross at the US Academy. Istanbul villa to rescue nine duped and asked to leave the villa. detained four people who lived
detention centre in Cuba. He said the images - which women held captive after being According to Dogan, they were with the women at the villa at all
In February the US military emerge on the eve of the eighth tricked into believing they were told they could not leave unless times. They were released from
began to allow the Red Cross to anniversary of the 9/11 attacks - reality TV show contestants. they paid the fine. Those who custody pending the outcome of a
take pictures of inmates to send to could inspire extremists. The women were rescued on insisted were threatened. trial. Their identities were not
their families. "What's problematic for me is it Monday from the villa in Riva, a There were conflicting reports released and it was not known
Mr Mohammed had admitted really humanises the guy," Mr summer resort on the outskirts of as to how the raid occurred. The what charges were brought.
planning the 9/11 attacks, the US Brachman told AP news agency. I s t a n b u l , a c c o r d i n g t o a Dogan agency said that police It is not unusual for Turkish
military says. Mr Mohammed's trial is spokesman for the military police stormed the villa after family courts to release suspects from
Apart from courtroom sketches currently on hold while President in the region who carried out the members complained to police custody if the charges brought do
made during Mr Mohammed's Barack Obama, who has said he raid. He said the women were that they were being prevented not carry long prison sentences,
hearings, these are the first images wants to close the Guantanamo held captive for around two from contacting the women. The and the suspects are not likely to
of him to emerge since a widely detention centre by January, months, but refused to provide women cried for help when the escape or tamper with evidence.
distributed picture taken upon his decides how to continue military further details. military police arrived at the villa, HaberTurk said the police were
capture in Pakistan in March prosecutions for some detainees. The women were led to believe it reported. still looking for the gang's leader
2003. Print Sponsor they were being filmed for a Big HaberTurk said, without who, according to the report, sold
The International Committee of B r o t h e r - t y p e t e l e v i s i o n providing sources, that one of the images of the women on the
programme, according to the women managed to contact a internet.
'Grey's Anatomy': One Will Live Dogan news agency and other family member and ask for help. Police refused to comment on
news reports. Instead, their naked There were also conflicting the suspects or the charges.
and One Will Die images were sold on the internet accounts concerning the age of • Turkey
(ETonline - Breaking News) her son's organs. by their captors. the teenager. Dogan said she was • Reality TV
In part two, the staff of Seattle The women had responded to an 16, while HaberTurk newspaper • Big Brother
Submitted at 9/10/2009 4:15:00 AM
Grace Hospital has to deal with ad seeking contestants for a gave her age as 15. guardian.co.uk© Guardian
It is the year that will change their grief. Meredith ( Ellen reality show which would be aired HaberTurk reported that the News & Media Limited 2009 |
everything on "Grey's Anatomy" Pompeo) and Derek's ( Patrick on a major Turkish television girls were models from the Use of this content is subject to
when the series returns for its Dempsey) way is to consummate station, Dogan said. The nine Mediterranean resort of Antalya our Terms & Conditions| More
sixth season with a two-hour their marriage wherever and captives, including a teenager, and the Aegean port city of Izmir. Feeds
event. whenever they can, while Cristina were selected from other "We were not after the money
It is no secret that T.R. Knight ( Sandra Oh) and Owen ( Kevin applicants following an interview. but we thought our daughter could
has left the hit ABC series, so in McKidd) have been instructed by
the first hour, the staff deals with Owen's therapist to abstain from
the passing of George (Knight). sex!
His mother returns and has to
decide whether or not to donate
Internet News Record World/ 15

Musharraf's new life in London

By Declan Walsh (World news headline The Toughest Job in the with his confidante, Brigadier talks will focus on his expertise damaging allegations against his
and comment from the World; a model cruise ship from a Niaz Ahmed, a retired arms about Islamic militancy, but also arch-nemesis, Sharif.
Guardian | guardian.co.uk) recent holiday; a biography of dealer, and insists on protocol. seek to redress Pakistan's poor Last month a former ISI general
Submitted at 9/10/2009 4:53:07 AM London. A senior Pakistani official said international image. "Pakistan is a said the spy agency gave Sharif a
The question is how long he that Musharraf pays £450 to hire most misunderstood country," he large cash bribe to help scupper
Retired military ruler living in will stay. The retired ruler, an official VIP lounge every time said. "I enjoy the opportunity to Benazir Bhutto's chances in the
unassuming flat amid the kebab looking relaxed in a cardigan and he flies from or to Heathrow clear up misperceptions." 1990 election. Two days ago
joints of Edgware Road with his black hair newly dyed, airport, and travels in a In particular, he is expected to came the Osama allegation.
From the sweeping presidential declined to comment on the furore bulletproof vehicle. However, it is be critical of Washington's close "This is a character assassination
p a l a c e o f I s l a m a b a d t o a n surrounding him in Pakistan. But the nature and cost of his taxpayer relationship with India – campaign," said a Sharif
unassuming three-bedroom flat he was clear about one thing: "I -funded protection that is most reflecting a view widely held in spokesman, Asif Kirmani, who
behind the shisha bars and kebab am not in exile." controversial. Pakistani military circles. Some denied the accusations. "It could
joints of London's Arabic quarter Back home in Islamabad, the Lord Nazir Ahmed, a trenchant journalists have already dubbed be those forces who do not want
– one might have expected Pervez opposition is baying for his blood. critic in the House of Lords, Musharraf the "army ambassador" Musharraf on trial."
Musharraf to do better. Nawaz Sharif, the former prime tabled a parliamentary question to London. Many see the hand of the
But retirement has been an minister Musharraf ousted in a about the cost of these security The 16 lectures are organised by military, which wants to avoid a
u n s e t t l i n g e x p e r i e n c e f o r coup in 1999, wants him tried for arrangements in July. The the Harry Walker Agency, whose Musharraf trial, behind the
Pakistan's former military ruler treason, a charge that carries the government replied that it was other speakers include publicity. Others blame the rivalry
who, hounded by the threat of death penalty. The supreme court "established Home Office policy Musharraf's erstwhile partner in with President Asif Ali Zardari,
prosecution at home, finds is also controlled by an enemy, not to comment on protective the "war on terror", former US who is deeply unpopular.
himself living in the traditional t h e c h i e f j u s t i c e , I f t i k h a r security arrangements and their vice-president Dick Cheney. Either way, Musharraf enjoys
bolthole of Pakistan's political C h a u d h r y . related costs". Among the organisations he will the protection of powerful allies –
class. Yet few pundits believe Nazir said: "Our old age address is the Young Presidents' some outside the country.
His simple apartment in a red- Musharraf will face trial in the pensioners don't get security, so Organisation, a forum for putative During a visit to Pakistan last
brick complex off Edgware Road near future. The army, led by how can we pay for an old general American leaders. month, a senior British diplomat,
is a sobering change from the General Pervez Kayani, opposes a who wants to enjoy himself in Musharraf will certainly have Sir Mark Lyall Grant, issued a
pomp of Musharraf's nine-year treason charge. So does the London?" some insider tips for the power- statement denying press reports
rule. Gone are the legions of civilian president, Asif Zardari, The Pakistan-born peer said he hungry students – although that he had been "meddling" in
political acolytes; gone, too, are who fears it could upset fragile was collecting evidence for a whether his method constitutes Musharraf's future.
the liveried soldiers who snap to c i v i l - m i l i t a r y r e l a t i o n s . possible war crimes prosecution best practice is likely to trigger Last week the king of Saudi
attention. Nevertheless, they consider it through Bindmans solicitors, who debate. Allegations, intrigue and Arabia, Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz
But security remains tight. The wiser if the general, who resigned pursued the retired Chilean al-Qaida Al Saud, sent a private jet to
retired general is guarded by a 13 months ago, stays away for dictator Augusto Pinochet through Did the Pakistani opposition London to collect Musharraf and
small team of retired Pakistani now. the British courts in the late leader Nawaz Sharif meet the al- bring him to the kingdom for a
commandos, which he pays for The general finds himself in a 1990s. Qaida leader, Osama bin Laden, three-day visit. The unspoken
h i m s e l f , a n d – m o r e city where he once banished rivals Perhaps recognising that a five times in 1989? So says message, Pakistani analysts say,
controversially – a protection such as Sharif and Benazir prolonged stay in London could Khalid Khawaja, a retired spy was clear: don't mess with
detail from Scotland Yard. Bhutto. His three-bedroom be problematic, government with Pakistan's Inter-Services Musharraf.
The retired dictator's digs are apartment is a far cry from the officials do not want Musharraf to Intelligence (ISI) agency. • Pakistan
not cheap – the apartment, Park Lane penthouses owned by remain for long. A senior official "I should know," he told the • London
thought to cost over £1m, is Sharif – proof, supporters say, said he was on a visitor's visa and Guardian. "I arranged those Declan Walsh
furnished with fine silk carpets that he did not greatly enrich predicted he would take up meetings." guardian.co.uk© Guardian
and leather sofas – but neither are himself in office. permanent residence in the The prospect of Pervez News & Media Limited 2009 |
they large. A modest living room Still, he lives well, dining at the Middle East or in the US, where Musharraf being tried for treason Use of this content is subject to
overlooks rain-laden skies. A Dorchester hotel, playing golf and his son Bilal lives. has stirred a storm of spicy our Terms & Conditions| More
small study contains mementoes hosting musical evenings at home. For now, though, Musharraf is political allegations in Pakistan. Feeds
of past and present: a framed A recent YouTube video revealed polishing his public speaking: he While the retired general has few
Time magazine cover picturing him to be an accomplished Urdu starts a 40-day lecture tour of the public supporters, his side has
the bluff general under the singer. He regularly plays bridge US next Tuesday. He has said the been bolstered by a series of
16 World/ Gadgets/ Entertainment Internet News Record

Taliban had plans to move journalist into Pakistan

By Declan Walsh, Jon Boone, mounted today amid suggestions They were kidnapped the to the cutoff point, but if we left
Julian Borger, Richard Norton- that a negotiated settlement might following morning as they immediately we could do it. We
Taylor (World news and still have been possible. interviewed villagers on a left within minutes."
comment from the Guardian | Some military officers have riverbank near the burned out Farrell admitted they lingered at
guardian.co.uk) rebuked the reporter for going to tankers. the site, shooting video and
Submitted at 9/10/2009 6:18:41 AM such a volatile area and putting Munadi fell in a hail of gunfire interviewing witnesses for an PlayStation Eye
his rescuers' lives at risk. as he led Farrell out of the Taliban "uncomfortably long" period.
Deaths of translator and soldier Meanwhile, a group of Afghan -held compound as British forces "I am comfortable with the Research Paves the Way
continue to raise questions about journalists blamed Nato for the stormed in. "He was trying to decision to go to the riverbank, for Auto Generated
whether all avenues of negotiation death of the translator, Sultan protect me up to the last minute," but fear we spent too long there,"
had been properly explored Munadi, and criticised Farrell wrote. he said. Avatars, Augmented-
Fears that the Taliban was about international troops for not Brown hailed the helicopter As armed Taliban fighters Reality Porn [PS3]
to move the British hostage retrieving his body. assault, carried out by the approached from across the river,
Stephen Farrell across the border They said the rescue mission Parachute Regiment and the he said, local villagers scattered in By Danny Allen (Gizmodo)
into Pakistan may have prompted had been launched without Royal Marines, as an act of panic. But the men could not Submitted at 9/10/2009 4:45:00 AM

y e s t e r d a y ' s c o n t r o v e r s i a l exhausting other options. The Red "breathtaking heroism" and said move because their driver had
commando raid in which his Cross had been negotiating with the bravery of the soldier who disappeared with the vehicle keys, Sony Labs has demoed some
translator and a soldier were M u l l a h S a l a m , t h e T a l i b a n died would not be forgotten. and they were caught. advanced facial recognition that
killed. "shadow governor" of Kunduz But military insiders have There has been sharp criticism it's researching for the PlayStation
As Downing Street confirmed province, and believed a deal was questioned why Farrell ignored from Munadi's home area in the Eye. The system figures-out
today that Gordon Brown was close. police advice about the hazardous Panjshir Valley. gender, knows where you're
given updates about the pre-dawn One western official said: "He security in the area, where anger Panjshiris hold influential facing, and even tracks mouth
assault, Farrell, a New York was out of money and open to against the west was running high positions in the security services, movement. And eventually, the
Times correspondent, said his doing a deal. The plan was to because of the civilian deaths in and some officials have tech will make its way into new
captors had become increasingly keep negotiations local and appeal the Nato strike. threatened to declare Farrell, PS3 games.
menacing and appeared to be to the decency of Afghans to do One army source was currently staying at the British Sony Labs has been researching
preparing to move him to a the right thing and release a particularly scathing, telling the embassy, persona non grata, this technology for a while. I
neighbouring district. civilian journalist. Telegraph: "When you look at the effectively banning him from think most people are familiar
A senior Afghan official, quoted "But then MI6 charged in and, number of warnings this person Afghanistan. with it from Smile Shutter in the
by the paper, said the ultimate with next to zero knowledge of had, it makes you really wonder The journalist is due back in Sony CyberShot, and autofocus
destination was Pakistan. the local situation, decided to whether he was worth rescuing, Britain today. with face detection. But now,
A British official yesterday told launch an operation." whether it was worth the cost of a • Afghanistan we've migrated this technology to
the Guardian the journalists' lives But a senior Afghan official soldier's life. • Pakistan PS3, and made it available as an
had been in imminent danger. "An insisted there was little choice: the "In the future, special forces • Military SDK.
opportunity arose and it was Quetta shura, which Nato believes might think twice in a similar Declan Walsh Jon Boone Julian Through its various points of
seized," he said. directs the Taliban from the situation." Borger Richard Norton-Taylor detection, the system can
A spokesman for the prime western province of Baluchistan, Police had warned the pair that guardian.co.uk© Guardian recognize individual faces and
minister said the decision to had given an order that the men the area was crawling with News & Media Limited 2009 | overlay a different model for each
rescue Farrell was made by David should be brought to Pakistan. Taliban. But on his blog in the Use of this content is subject to person. And that's where things
Miliband, the foreign secretary, Farrell and Munadi travelled to New York Times, Farrell our Terms & Conditions| More get a little more interesting. Aside
and Bob Ainsworth, the defence the northern city of Kunduz on defended his decision. Feeds from augmented-reality uses,
secretary, and that Brown was Friday to investigate reports that He wrote: "The drivers made a Sony imagines the tech being
k e p t " i n t h e l o o p " o v e r US warplanes had dropped two few phone calls and said the road used to generate virtual world
developments. bombs on a convoy of hijacked oil north appeared to be safe until avatars on the fly...[ DigInfo]
But criticism of the raid tankers, killing at least 70 people. mid to late afternoon. It was close
Stars Serve Up Fun at the 2009 US Open!
(ETonline - Breaking News) Since Aug. 31, celebs have been favorite tennis stars battle it out New York heat to watch today's National Tennis Center in
Submitted at 9/10/2009 4:08:00 AM rockin' sunscreen, summer styles on the court during the 2009 US biggest tennis stars serve up aces Flushing, NY.
and sporty shades to watch their Open. See which stars braved the at the USTA Billie Jean King
Internet News Record
'You lie': Obama heckler under fire
By David Batty (World news
and comment from the
Guardian | guardian.co.uk)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 5:38:59 AM
Congressman apologises after
interrupting presidential address
to Congress on reform plans
A Republican congressman is
under fire for shouting "You lie"
during Barack Obama's speech to
Congress on healthcare reform.
In an extraordinary breach of
political protocol, Joe Wilson, a
Republican representative for
South Carolina, shouted at Obama
as the president told the joint
sitting that his plan for a universal
healthcare system would not
cover illegal immigrants.
Obama looked in the direction
of the shout, said "It's not true"
and went on with his speech. But
the outburst stunned both
Democrats and Republicans and
drew condemnation from the
public. Republicans froze, with
several looking in Wilson's
direction.
Telltale stat: U.S. now has 6 unemployed people
for every job opening
By Joseph Lazzaro
(BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 6:00:00 PM
Filed under: Bad news,
Employees, Economic data It's a
stat for the era, and probably for
the ages: the number of open jobs
declined 50% in the past two
years, to a seasonally-adjusted 2.4
million in July, Marketwatch.com
colleague Rex Nutting reported
Wednesday. Read the full
government report by clicking
here.
Equally sobering, in July there
Wilson later tried to call Obama
to apologise in person but ended
up speaking to the White House
chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel.
The congressman "expressed his
apologies", Wilson's office said.
By that time, Wilson's website
had crashed and he had been
fiercely criticised on Twitter for
breaching protocol and good
manners.
"This evening I let my emotions
get the best of me," Wilson said.
"While I disagree with the
president's statement, my
comments were inappropriate and
regrettable. I extend sincere
apologies to the president for this
lack of civility."
Democrats said his outburst
showed a lack of respect for the
office of the presidency and was
reminiscent of Republican
activists' heckling at recent public
forums to discuss the president's
healthcare reforms.
John McCain, Obama's
Republican rival for the
presidency, said Wilson's
were 6.05 applicants for every job
opening. To show you how much
the U.S. job market has
deteriorated, and how much slack
World/ Finance/ 17
Hijacker 'wanted to
behaviour was "totally
disrespectful". The Arizona
senator told CNN: "There is no
warn president of
place for it in that setting, or any
other, and he should apologise for
it immediately."
earthquake'
The House majority leader, By Jo Tuckman, Matthew The hijacker then kept the 103
Steny Hoyer, said Wilson's Weaver (World news and passengers and crew on the
outburst was "a shameful act" and comment from the Guardian | tarmac for more than an hour as
he would work with Republicans guardian.co.uk) the plane was surrounded by
in deciding whether to punish Submitted at 9/10/2009 5:22:00 AM heavily-armed police.
him. He agreed to release women and
"I have never in my 29 years Man claiming to be on divine children before, minutes later,
heard an outburst of that nature mission used fake bomb to take police stormed the aircraft and
with reference to a president of control of flight heading towards escorted several handcuffed men
the United States speaking as a Mexico City away without firing a shot.
guest of the House and Senate." More than 100 airline Officers later said there was
• Barack Obama passengers were today released only one hijacker and the other
• Obama administration unharmed after their plane was men had been briefly detained
• US Congress hijacked by a man who claimed to because the suspect had told a
• Republicans be on a divine mission to warn the flight attendant he had three
• United States M e x i c a n p r e s i d e n t o f a n accomplices.
David Batty earthquake. Flores later said his three
guardian.co.uk© Guardian The Aeromexico flight was companions were "the Father, the
News & Media Limited 2009 | seized as it came in to land at Son, and the Holy Ghost" and he
Use of this content is subject to Mexico City after a flight from had taken control of the aircraft
our Terms & Conditions| More the resort city of Cancun. with "a juice can with some little
Feeds José Mar Flores, a 44-year-old lights I attached". "Christ is
Bolivian preacher, used a fake coming soon," he added.
bomb to carry out his hijacking The pilot told reporters Flores
and said yesterday's date – 9/9/09 "said he had tried to speak to the
– was the number 666 turned president for three months and
upside down.
since there hadn't been an answer
He said had been told by God to he decided to use this type of
there is in the labor force, in w a r n t h e p r e s i d e n t , F e l i p e threat with an airline".
December 2007 there were just Calderòn, of an impending • Mexico
1.72 unemployed people for every earthquake, and ordered the pilot Jo Tuckman Matthew Weaver
job opening. to circle the city seven times, guardian.co.uk© Guardian
Continue reading Telltale stat: demanding to speak to Calderòn. News & Media Limited 2009 |
U.S. now has 6 unemployed The passengers were initially Use of this content is subject to
people for every job opening n o t t o l d a b o u t w h a t w a s our Terms & Conditions| More
Telltale stat: U.S. now has 6 happening as the pilot negotiated Feeds
unemployed people for every job with Flores, who eventually
opening originally appeared on allowed him to land the plane.
BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Sep
2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see
our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink| Email this| Comments
18 World/ Finance/ Tech/
Nato faces war crimes inquiry
(World news and comment
from the Guardian |
guardian.co.uk)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 6:21:37 AM
International criminal court
prosecutor studying evidence of
alleged crimes in Afghanistan
The prosecutor of the
international criminal court is
collecting information on alleged
war crimes committed by Nato
and the Taliban in Afghanistan, he
said today.
The details emerged at a
briefing on the emerging
international criminal justice
system, where Luis Moreno
Ocampo, prosecutor of the ICC
since June 2003, confirmed that
he was conducting inquiries into
Before the bell: Futures flat after jobs
data, after TI raised guidance
By Melly Alazraki
(BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 7:35:00 AM
Filed under: Before the bell,
International markets, General
Motors (GM), Market matters,
Texas Instruments (TXN),
Economic data, Oil, Federal
Reserve U.S. stock futures drifted
lower Thursday morning, unable
to keep Wednesday's momentum
aided by comments from the
Federal Reserve saying economic
activity is stabilizing or improving
in most of the U.S. This morning,
as investors digest President
Obama's health care speech, they
also await several reports,
including trade and employment
data.
possible criminal acts by both
Taliban and Nato forces.
He said he had collected
information from a variety of
sources in the country, including
human rights groups and the
Afghan government, but was
"very open" to additional
information that foreign
governments could provide.
US soldiers acting for Nato are
being investigated for alleged
torture of prisoners and use of
excessive force. A dispute over
whether US soldiers can be tried
by the ICC is under way at the
court's headquarters in the
Netherlands; in 2002 the Bush
administration rescinded the US
signature from the Rome statute,
the document that legally binds
[Update: Jobless claims fell last
week.]
The Federal Reserve released
the Beige Book of economic
anecdotes late in the session
Wednesday. Economic activity is
stabilizing or improving in most
of the U.S., the survey said. While
the recession may be over
according to the Fed and several
109 states to compliance with the
ICC.
Ocampo said he was also
conducting preliminary
investigations on possible war
crimes in Georgia, Colombia and
Kenya, and by Israeli forces in
Gaza.
• War crimes
• Torture
• Nato
• Taliban
• Afghanistan
guardian.co.uk© Guardian
News & Media Limited 2009 |
Use of this content is subject to
our Terms & Conditions| More
Feeds
other economists, albeit with a
cautious outlook, the U.S.
employment picture will stay
bleak well into next year long
after the recession ends, even if
the worst of the labor market
crisis is over, a poll of private
economists conducted for the
Blue Chip Economic Indicators
September survey said.
Continue reading Before the
bell: Futures flat after jobs data,
after TI raised guidance
Before the bell: Futures flat
after jobs data, after TI raised
guidance originally appeared on
BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Sep
2009 07:35:00 EST. Please see
our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink| Email this| Comments
Internet News Record
GlaxoSmithKline
downgraded by SocGen
By Mark Fightmaster
(BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 8:00:00 AM
Filed under: Analyst upgrades
and downgrades trendline, it could act as support.
Early this morning, Societe The problem is that this trendline
Generale cut GlaxoSmithKline( is in a sharp descending pattern.
GSK) to "sell" from "hold." The It isn't all bad news for GSK,
brokerage blamed the downgrade the good news is that the equity
on the "looming threat" of should find some support from its
generics to GSK's respiratory 10-week moving average. With
drug Advair. SocGen believes the this trendline providing support,
market is "underestimating" the any potential drop from this
chances for a generic competitor morning's news could be limited.
to Advair in the U.S. by 2011. Continue reading
Technically, the stock is facing GlaxoSmithKline downgraded by
resistance at the $40 level -- a SocGen
level that has provided a hurdle in GlaxoSmithKline downgraded
the past. Along with this potential by SocGen originally appeared on
resistance is the possibility that
the equity may slip back below its
BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Sep
2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see
our terms for use of feeds.
20-month moving average. This
trendline has acted as resistance in
the past, and now that the shares
Permalink| Email this| Comments
are positioned north of this
Argentian News Report Worries
About Kids Drinking GrogXD
By Michael Masnick (Techdirt) acid, rum, acetone, red dye no. 2,
Submitted at 9/9/2009 3:59:28 PM scumm, axle grease, battery acid,
and/or pepperoni." The source of
Last week, in the comments on the story? An ingredients list
our post about a story in The found on Facebook. Apparently,
Onion fooling newspapers in the reporters were unfamiliar with
Bangladesh, a commenter named The Secret of Monkey Island-- the
Esteban pointed out that down in popular game from which the
Argentina, news reporters recently recipe was taken, but thankfully
did a typical moral panic-style some folks have put together a
piece about teens drinking an nice video comparing the two:
alcoholic concoction called Grog Permalink| Comments| Email
X D w i t h t h e i n g r e d i e n t s : This Story
"kerosene, propylene glycol,
artificial sweeteners, sulphuric
Internet News Record
National Semiconductor to
post a profit for Q1?
By Trey Thoelcke
(BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 9:00:00 AM
Filed under: Earnings reports,
Forecasts
National Semiconductor
Corp.(NYSE: NSM), which will
hold its annual shareholder
meeting later this month, is
scheduled to discuss its fiscal first
-quarter 2010 results Thursday in
a conference call at 4:30 PM ET,
featuring CEO Brian Halla,
President Don Macleod, and CFO
Lewis Chew. See the company's
website to find out how to dial in
to the call or to catch the live
webcast of it.
For the three months that ended
in August, analysts surveyed by
Thomson Reuters expect the
Santa Clara, California-based
company to report that its
SEC vs. BofA: Will Judge Rakoff Call Another Hearing?
(Financial Sector and Stocks
Analysis from Seeking Alpha)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 5:33:25 AM
The latest briefs are in in the
SEC/Bank of America case and
it’s more of the same. BofA
claims it didn’t mislead investors
because they should have known
Merrill’s people would be
bonused. The SEC says that’s
ridiculous, that the disclosure
statement laying out the bonuses
earnings fell 78.8% from a year
ago to 7 cents per share, but
swung from a smaller-than
expected net loss in the previous
quarter. Revenue for the first
quarter is expected to have fallen
35.5% from a year ago to $300.5
million.
Continue reading National
Semiconductor to post a profit for
Q1?
National Semiconductor to post
a profit for Q1? originally
appeared on BloggingStocks on
Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST.
Please see our terms for use of
feeds. Permalink| Email this|
Comments
should have, ya know, been
disclosed. The fact that it wasn’t
means BofA misled shareholders.
The bottom line is that these
filings break no new ground. The
reason Judge Rakoff ordered
BofA and Merrill to file
additional briefs on the 24th and
again today was because he was
dissatisfied with the settlement to
begin with. He wanted names.
What’s the point of fining
shareholders if they were the ones
Men's Wearhouse demolishes
expectations in Q2 -- time to
take profits?
By Steven Mallas
(BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 8:30:00 AM
Filed under: Earnings reports,
Wal-Mart (WMT), Target Corp.
(TGT)
Men's Wearhouse(NYSE: MW)
issued second-quarter results after
the bell on Wednesday. In terms
of bottom-line performance, the
retailer passed with flying colors.
Earnings per share increased to 75
cents per share from the adjusted
72 cents per share observed a year
ago. Granted, that's only a three-
penny difference, but when it
comes to expectations, well, they
were blown out the door.
According to Reuters, Wall Street
was only preparing for 60 cents
per share.
Unfortunately, the top-line
picture wasn't so pretty. Total
sales fell 3.5%, and same-store
sales for all of the company's
brands declined. The flagship
misled by company executives?
Shouldn’t those executives be
held responsible?
Since neither side gave Rakoff
what he asked for, I imagine he
may order them back to court for
another hearing.
In the meantime, Andrew
Cuomo will pick up the SEC’s
fumble and run with it. Yesterday
his office wrote a letter to BofA’s
lead lawyer Lewis Liman
complaining that BofA is
Finance/ Economy/ Gadgets/
Men's Wearhouse concept saw a
comps dip of 2%.
Continue reading Men's
Wearhouse demolishes
expectations in Q2 -- time to take
profits?
Men's Wearhouse demolishes
expectations in Q2 -- time to take
profits? originally appeared on
BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Sep
2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see
our terms for use of feeds. Read|
Permalink| Email this| Comments
obstructing its investigation.
The key dispute has to do with
attorney-client privilege, which
Cuomo’s office says can’t be used
as both “sword and shield.” Since
BofA executives are claiming
they relied on their lawyers to
determine what was published in
public filings — it’s the lawyers’
fault if anything was misleading
— they can’t simultaneously hide
the details of those discussions
behind attorney client privilege.
19
CrunchDeals:
Unlocked Nokia
5800 for $240
By Doug Aamoth
(CrunchGear)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 6:36:00 AM
Dell’s got a handsome deal on an
unlocked Nokia 5800
XpressMusic phone at just $240
with free shipping. The offer is
good for two days only, from
today until Saturday the 12th at
5:59 AM Central Time.
It’s a GSM phone with a
640×360 touchscreen, 3.2-
megapixel autofocus camera,
Symbian OS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,
and assisted GPS. The 5800 is
built for music, too, with a 35-
hour playback time (according to
Nokia).
NOKIA 5800 XpressMusic
Unlocked Smartphone[Dell.com]
Cuomo is giving them till next
Monday to reconsider their
strategy, otherwise his office will
proceed with “charging
decisions.” What that means isn’t
clear and today Cuomo’s office
declined comment.
In the meantime, we’ll wait for
Judge Rakoff to weigh in on the
latest filings.
20 Economy/ Internet News Record

Health-care reform in America: Fired up and ready to go

(The Economist: News denounced the right’s “bogus from South Carolina, even suppose that this claim is not eyes are now on the Senate
analysis) claims” bluntly, insisting that shouted out “You lie!” when Mr complete bunk. The first is the Finance Committee, where a
Submitted at 9/9/2009 10:48:27 PM such talk was “laughable if it Obama insisted that his reforms White House’s support for “Gang of Six” led by Mr Baucus
weren’t so cynical and would not cover illegal empowering an independent panel has been working to forge a
Health-care reform in America irresponsible. It is a lie, plain immigrants. (He later apologised.) of experts to cut costs in Medicare moderate bill that could provide
Sep 10th 2009 | NEW YORK andsimple.” The speech positioned Mr and other government health the backbone for any final health
From The Economist print The most powerful part of his Obama as a moderate in style and schemes. This matters, because law this year. Mr Baucus this
edition The president weighs in, speech was his invocation of substance. He pointed out that Congress has shown it is week unveiled his own $900
successfully, on health-care Senator Edward Kennedy, the while some on the left are incapable of making such difficult billion proposal (also a moderate
reform liberal giant who had championed demanding a single-payer system cuts. More impressive is his vow approach without the public
“THE time for bickering is over. health reform for decades before and some on the right want to this week that any final bill must option), and announced plans to
Now is the time for action.” With he died last month. Reading from abolish the system of employer- include provisions for mandatory finalise a bill next week.
those fiery words, delivered to a a letter he had received from him provided insurance, he considers spending cuts that would kick in if Earlier this week that effort
special joint session of Congress posthumously, as his widow both options too radical. He also budgeted cost savings do not seemed to be flagging, as two of
on September 9th, Barack Obama listened from the gallery, Mr announced a surprising idea to use materialise. the Republicans in the gang,
made his case for reforming Obama made the moral case for executive authority to encourage Will this speech be enough to Charles Grassley and Mike Enzi,
America’s troubled health system. change: “At stake are not just the state-level experiments in curbing get the president’s reform agenda appeared to be undermining its
Coming after a legislative recess details of policy, but fundamental malpractice abuses. back on track? It just might be. efforts. That leaves Olympia
i n w h i c h h i s e f f o r t s w e r e principles of social justice and the Mr Obama also unveiled the One reason to think so is the deft Snowe, the free-spirited
demonised at town hall meetings character of our country.” main elements of his own centrist way Mr Obama signalled a Republican from Maine, as the
across the country, this speech During this passage, he cleverly reform plan for the first time. He willingness to compromise on the most courted legislator in recent
was widely seen as his best, and reminded Americans that leading wants to expand coverage to some “public option” this week. The memory. Mr Obama’s speech and
perhaps last, chance to rescue his Republicans currently hostile to 30m Americans without left has insisted on a government- sensible proposals, which are
most important domestic policy Democratic efforts at health insurance, principally by run insurance scheme, but this ill- similar to those drafted by Mr
initiative from failure. reform—including Senators Orrin introducing an individual mandate founded idea is strongly opposed Baucus, and his openness to the
The speech was a success on Hatch and John McCain—had for cover, insurance exchanges, by the health-care industry and by trigger option favoured by Ms
s e v e r a l m e a s u r e s . I t w a s worked hand-in-hand with Mr subsidies for the less well-off and Republicans. It also has no hope Snowe, can only boost efforts at
passionate, which is essential if he Kennedy on earlier, smaller heavy regulation of insurers. He of passing the Senate, as Max compromise.
i s t o w i n o v e r a s c e p t i c a l efforts at health reform. That also accepted an important Baucus, the head of its Finance Whether it is enough to keep Ms
American public and energise his points to the second reason to proposal to tax the most lavish of Committee, confirmed this week. Snowe and perhaps one or two
liberal base. Mr Obama has think that Mr Obama’s speech insurance plans. Mr Obama voiced theoretical other Republicans firmly on board
s e e m e d p r o f e s s o r i a l , e v e n may yet succeed in kick-starting Crucially, he made it plain that support for the idea, but by also remains to be seen. But even if it
pedantic, during recent town hall reform this autumn: it managed to he would not accept a health- s u p p o r t i n g o t h e r does not, the next few weeks
meetings on health reform. This position the president as a reform bill from Congress that options—including, crucially, the could yet produce a bill that is
week, though, he seemed to have reasonable and moderate adult in raises the deficit—not now, not idea that such a plan could be better than anything seen thus far
fire in his belly. For weeks, right- a room full of petty and partisan ever. He also vowed that most of triggered only if necessary and which would be worth
w i n g c r i t i c s h a v e m a d e ideologues. the $900 billion his plan will later—he has, in effect, dealt it a passing. He was not the first
nonsensical but alarming claims The Republicans did not help cost—again, the first time he has death blow. president, Mr Obama said, to take
that his reforms will lead to their cause with their behaviour given a firm figure for his Several committees in the up health-care reform; but he was
“death panels” and other during his speech. Some, initiative—will come not from House have already passed determined to be the last.
travesties. Mr Obama’s efforts to including their whip in the House, taxes on the rich, as the current versions of health bills, but all Back to top ^^ Readers'
deflect such attacks by taking the were caught fiddling with their bills in the House envision, but contain the public option and are comments
high road have left many on the BlackBerrys. Others rudely waved from internal savings to be seen as too far to the left of the The Economist welcomes your
left cold, and confused the general hand made signs or copies of realised within the health system. Senate—and now, it is clear, of views.
p u b l i c . I n h i s s p e e c h , h e Republican health bills. And one, He offers two reasons to where Mr Obama stands. So all
Internet News Record Economy/ 21

Fed Manipulation of Mortgage Rates Continues

(Financial Sector and Stocks rates at around 6 to 6.5% with just $41 billion a year earlier, housing prices and oceans of
Analysis from Seeking Alpha) depending on credit and loan to according to a Wall Street Journal defaulted mortgage debt. The Fed
Submitted at 9/10/2009 4:31:32 AM value (obviously, the non agency analysis of bank financial is now inviting a similar disaster
lenders are not doing much disclosures. It is the largest in the mortgage market, again
Mortgage rates continue their conforming loan business). amount that banks have reported with super easy monetary
downward trend with the perfect Fed Price Fixing Efforts With holding since at least 1994. policies.
borrower now able to obtain a rate Mortgages Will Fail Banks, sometimes with the The massive purchases by the
of 4.75% with a two point buy- So what’s the problem with blessing of federal regulators, Fed and the banks of mortgage
down on a 30 year fixed rate having low mortgage rates? The have been loading up on Ginnie backed securities is artificially
mortgage. As expected, with government manipulations in the securities for one main reason: inflating the prices of mortgage
mortgage rates now back in the m o r t g a g e m a r k e t a l l o w They make their balance sheets backed securities, consequently
4% range, mortgage applications homeowners to refinance and buy look healthier. Since the securities curtailing purchases by private
have increased. The latest stats at low rates. If mortgage rates are guaranteed by the investors. This leaves the Fed and
from the The Mortgage Bankers drop low enough, perhaps the government, federal banking the banks as the only (irrational)
Association show large increases government will succeed in its regulators have deemed them risk- buyers.
i n m o r t g a g e a c t i v i t y , w i t h objective of re-inflating housing free, meaning that adding them to At some point mortgage rates
refinances accounting for almost prices. There just might be a few a bank’s investment portfolio, or will rise regardless of the Fed’s
6 0 % o f t o t a l m o r t g a g e problems with the government’s replacing assets deemed riskier, manipulations. The taxpayers will
applications. manic quest to keep mortgage lowers the overall risk of the be stuck with massive losses on
The Market Composite Index, a rates low. portfolio in the eyes of regulators. the Fed’s mortgage backed
measure of mortgage loan • How long will investors Some banks have used securities as yields climb and
application volume, increased continue to buy securities backed Banks Load Up On Mortgages government cash infusions under prices plunge. Banks, as always,
17.0 percent on a seasonally by mortgages on which payments Theoretically, the Federal the Troubled Asset Relief will be heavily invested in the
adjusted basis from one week a r e g u a r a n t e e d b y t h e Reserve can buy every mortgage Program to buy Ginnie Mae wrong asset at the wrong time.
earlier. On an unadjusted basis, government? Perhaps forever, but backed security in existence but at bonds. Due to the magic of FASB
the Index increased 15.8 percent perceptions of the value of a what point does the bond market Holding Ginnie bonds help accounting rules, the banks won’t
compared with the previous week “government guarantee” may react with higher rates based on banks look better because federal have to take losses if they do not
and 64.5 percent compared with diminish as the financial condition the risk that the Fed is going to bank-capital guidelines give the sell their mortgage backed
the same week one year earlier. of the US Government continues monetize debt on a colossal scale? Ginnie securities a “risk securities; but neither will they be
While fluctuations in mortgage to erode. At some point, rational Fed purchases of mortgage weighting” of 0%. That means able to increase lending with
rates are historically based on buyers will give little credence to backed securities are fast banks don’t have to hold any cash capital frozen in underwater
many factors, the biggest factor the guarantee of a government approaching the announced goal in reserve to protect against mortgages.
affecting mortgage rates today are that needs to borrow 40% of its of $1.25 trillion. losses. The government’s obsession
the manipulations by the Federal year outlays while running multi As it turns out, the Fed has a At the same time that the banks with housing has resulted in the
Reserve. With the mortgage trillion dollar yearly deficits. willing and able partner in the are choking on defaulted misallocation of untold trillions of
market dominated by the • How long can the Federal purchase of mortgage backed mortgages and reluctant to lend, dollars. Meanwhile, urgent human
government, it is difficult to Reserve continue to purchase securities. With the banking they are purchasing vast quantities and infrastructure needs of the
determine where rates would be in mortgage backed securities and industry facing massive losses on of government guaranteed country are left unfunded. With
a free market but indications are treasury debt with printed money? defaulting mortgages, how is this mortgages to shore up their the mortgage markets now
that rates would be much higher. It may not seem to be causing a for irony? - Banks Load Up On capital ratios, sometimes using completely dominated by the
For example, non agency lenders problem in this country (yet) but Mortgages: TARP funds. government, we can look forward
who do not sell mortgage loans to some of the USA’s largest foreign As of June 30, the roughly The Great Unwind to a continuation of the same
the government agencies but creditors are getting very nervous 8,500 federally insured banks and The Fed fostered the bubble in failed policies.
portfolio them instead, are - See China Alarmed By US thrifts were holding $113.5 billion the housing market with easy
currently quoting 30 year fixed Money Printing. of Ginnie securities, compared money, leaving us with collapsed
22 Economy/ Gadgets/ Tech Tips/ Internet News Record

Headed for re-election

(The Economist: News political parties, and the Unidad established opposition has adviser to foreign non-
analysis) Nacional (UN), the political encouraged new leaders to emerge governmental development
Submitted at 9/10/2009 12:20:00 AM vehicle of a cement magnate, (or re-emerge) in order to organisations. Her public profile
Samuel Doria Medina. A second challenge Mr Morales. A new has been raised by her sometimes Pigeon transmits data
Sep 10th 2009 opposition front is comprised of faction describes itself as non- vitriolic critique of numerous faster than leading South
F r o m t h e E c o n o m i s t four eastern departments (Tarija, populist-socialist, in an effort to government policy initiatives and
Intelligence Unit ViewsWire Evo Santa Cruz, Beni and Pando) that distinguish their leftist policy she could play a key role in a African internet provider
Morales expects to be re-elected have solidly opposed the radical stance from Mr Morales's united opposition. First-round By Thomas Ricker (Engadget)
in Bolivia in December socialist agenda of Mr Morales personalistic populist style. They victory likely Submitted at 9/10/2009 7:45:00 AM
The political focus in Bolivia is and the ruling MAS party. Yet reject the lack of institutional Still, the Economist Intelligence
now firmly fixed on presidential both factions have roundly failed checks and balances on the power Unit expects Mr Morales to Here's a sure-fire way to get
and legislative elections to be held to derail the government's plans or of the presidency and accuse Mr maintain sufficient support to be noticed: take an overly trite
on December 6th, at which the f o r c e i t t o w a r d s a m o r e Morales of having hijacked the re-elected during the first round of expression and apply it literally to
i n c u m b e n t p r e s i d e n t , E v o consensual form of governing. cause of improving indigenous voting, keeping him in office until your complaint. Case in point:
Morales, and vice-president, Both opposition fronts have rights to bolster his own 2014. Opposition candidates for Unlimited IT, so exasperated by
Álvaro Garcia Línera, both of the been fragmented and demoralised popularity and grip on power, Congress will do well in eastern South Africa's leading supplier of
M o v i m i e n t o a l S o c i a l i s m o by the durability of Mr Morales's rather than to empower Bolivia's departments, their main base of slow internet connectivity that it
(MAS), will stand for consecutive strong popularity—his approval indigenous poor. support. However, the vast pitted a Telkom ADSL line
re-election—a first in Bolivian ratings have rarely dipped below The best supported members of campaign resources now against a real-live homing pigeon
political history. Their victory 50% and recent polls show that 45 this political tendency are the controlled by MAS—which in a 60-mile data transmission
seems a foregone conclusion, -50% of voters intend to vote for former vice-president, Victor include an expanding state-run race. The pigeon arrived with the
g i v e n t h e w e a k n e s s o f t h e him—and by their inability to Hugo Cárdenas, an educationalist media and more than US$1.8bn 4GB memory stick in just over an
opposition and the lack of a rival stop the adoption of a new and indigenous rights campaigner, (10% of GDP) in planned hour with another hour required to
strong enough to challenge Mr c o n s t i t u t i o n o r h a v e t h e and the socialist mayor of the city investments and handouts—mean load the data onto the computer.
Morales. president's mandate revoked in of Potosí, René Joaquino, both of that the opposition is in danger of As for Telkom? Well, after 2
The fragmented opposition is national ballots. Presidential whom scored well in recent polls. losing its Senate majority, which hours it had barely reached 4%.
comprised of a mixture of old contenders emerge They will fight for support against would remove its current ability Point made.
faces attempting to revive their Opposition candidates have Manfred Reyes Villa, the former to veto legislation. [Thanks, Ugotamesij]
political careers, regional leaders been seeking to build alliances mayor of Cochabamba; Mr Doria There are rising concerns about Filed under: Networking
seeking to project themselves with groups with strong regional Medina of the UN; and a former the fairness of the voting process, Pigeon transmits data faster than
nationally and newcomers hoping bases in order to mount a broader president and leader of Podemos, including accusations of leading South African internet
to gain from public fatigue and national campaign and encourage Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga (2001-02). gerrymandering and registration provider originally appeared on
scepticism about the traditional others into their camp; but even if Of these, Mr Doria Medina is fraud. Serious inconsistencies in Engadget on Thu, 10 Sep 2009
political opposition. None seems this happens general support for currently leading in the polls, voting or tabulation could spark 07:45:00 EST. Please see our
poised to dent the governing the opposition is low. A recent scoring 43% among those who violence and raise doubts about terms for use of feeds. Read|
party’s hold on power. Ipsos poll taken in July in major say they will vote for an the government's legitimacy. Permalink| Email this| Comments
Over the past four years the urban centres, shows that only opposition candidate. A recent Back to top ^^ Readers'
opposition inside Congress has 33% of those polled said they latecomer with the potential to comments
b e e n h e a d e d b y P o d e r would back an opposition draw votes from both opposition The Economist welcomes your
Democrático Social (Podemos), a candidate while 10% remained camps is a rare female candidate views.
loosely affiliated grouping largely undecided and a further 9% and political independent, Jimena
comprised of former members of intended not to vote. Costa. Ms Costa is a well-
Bolivia's discredited traditional The perceived failure of the regarded political analyst and
Mozilla Releases Firefox 3.5.3 with Security and Stability Fixes [Updates]
By Adam Pash (Lifehacker) servers this afternoon, fixing using the most stable and secure the full changelog here. [ Mozilla
Submitted at 9/9/2009 6:30:00 PM several security and stability release, so go to Help -> Check Firefox 3.5.3 Release Notes]
issues. There's nothing terribly for Updates to upgrade to 3.5.3. If
Mozilla pushed Firefox 3.5.3 to exciting in this release, but it's always good to make sure you're you're really curious, check out
Internet News Record
Securitizing Life Insurance: An Interesting
Concept
(Financial Sector and Stocks
Analysis from Seeking Alpha)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 4:48:55 AM
By James Kwak
I wasn’t planning to write about
last weekend’s New York Times
article about the securitization of
life settlements after reading Felix
Salmon’s post saying there was
no new news there. But I was
thinking about it some more and
thought it was an interesting
concept, whether or not it gets off
the ground.
Life settlements already exist.
The idea is that someone has a
whole life insurance policy with a
death benefit of, say, $1 million.
The insured bought it when he
was 35 and had two kids; now
he’s 70, the kids are working on
Wall Street and don’t need the
death benefit, but they’ve cut him
off and he needs some cash to fill
the prescription drug donut hole
and pay his Medicare co-pays.
The insurance company will give
him a cash settlement value of,
say, $100,000.
I don’t know what this actual
number is, but the key point is
that it is less than $1 million at the
insured’s expected date of death,
discounted back to the present
(let’s call that the current actuarial
value of the policy). In a life
settlement, an investor pays the
insured a lump sum that is greater
than $100,000 – say, $200,000 –
'Big Brother' Returning for Twelfth Season?
(ETonline - Breaking News)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 1:45:00 AM
Will the hit CBS reality series
and makes the premium payments
(if any are left to be made) on his
behalf; in return, the investor
becomes the beneficiary on the
policy.
Again, this already happens,
although there are concerns about
churning, misrepresentation, the
whole deal.
In a securitization, an
investment bank would buy a
whole lot of life insurance
policies, pool them, and issue
bonds in tranches (just like a
CDO) to fund the purchase of the
policies. The idea is that investors
would get an asset that is
uncorrelated or only loosely
correlated with other assets, while
insureds would get higher prices
for their policies because there
would be greater demand for
them. This is not happening,
although the Times articles makes
it seem like it is going to start.
I think this is conceptually
interesting because basically it is
just securitizing an arbitrage
trade. The obvious thing to
compare it to is residential
mortgages. When you securitize
residential mortgages, you are
expanding the pool of people
willing to invest in buying houses,
which spills over quite
significantly into construction of
new houses or improvement of
existing houses.
That is, you are moving capital
to places where it is
"Big Brother" be back for another scheduled to debut in the summer
season? Read on to find out! of 2010.
ET can confirm that the show
will return for a twelfth season, hour live finale and reunion show
(theoretically) being productively
invested. I’ve written several
times about how this went too far,
but the basic point is that
securitization is promoting value-
generating investment.
A life settlement, by contrast, is
pure arbitrage: the ultimate thing
you are investing in is just a
financial product. Today, insurers
make money because the cash
settlement value is less than the
current actuarial value; some
people alternatively let their
premiums lapse, and then they
lose their death benefit, which is
even better for the insurer.
Expanding the market for life
settlements would help those
insureds because they would get
the current actuarial value (less
fees) instead of the cash
settlement value. So the first order
effect would be a transfer of
money from insurers to insureds.
But life insurance is a
reasonably competitive industry;
insurers will predictably raise
premiums on everyone since they
can’t count on people taking the
paltry cash settlement values or
letting their policies lapse. So the
second order effect will be a
transfer of money from insureds
who keep their policies until death
to insureds who sell them prior to
death, with the insurers just as
well off as before.*
So at the end of the day, all
we’ve done is pushed cash around
Meanwhile, the special two-
Economy/ Gadgets/ Entertainment
– except for those fees! So the
people involved in originating,
packaging, and selling the
securitized life settlements take
home their 4%, and the rest is a
zero-sum game. I’m not sure any
value has actually been destroyed,
since investment bankers are
people, too. It’s just that there
used to be $100 shared among
insureds and their beneficiaries,
and now there are only $96 to
share between insureds, their
beneficiaries, and investors, and
$4 to share among the brokers and
the bankers.
Now arguably the way the $96
is being shared is more efficient
than the way the $100 was being
shared, since you no longer have
the people who take cash
settlements subsidizing the people
who collect death benefits like in
the current system. But I don’t
think that we’ve gotten any
aggregate social welfare in
exchange for those $4 in fees. I
suppose there might be third-order
benefits from efficiency here
(might the insurance market
function better in some sense?
would this increase demand for
life insurance? and is that a good
thing?), but I’m skeptical.
* I got in an argument about this
yesterday with someone who
thought premiums could go down,
but I can’t tell you the details
because it was off the record.
of"Big Brother 11" airs Tuesday, and Natalie-- are vying for the
S e p t e m b e r 1 5 a t 9 p . m . $500,000 grand prize.
ET/delayed PT on CBS. The final
three contestants -- Jordan, Kevin,
23
HAL Robo-Suit
Exoskeleton Hits the
Streets of Tokyo
[Exoskeletons]
By Danny Allen (Gizmodo)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 4:15:00 AM
Remember that HAL ( Hybrid
Assistive Limb) exoskeleton from
the real-life Cyberdyne? Ahead of
plans to rent the suit to those with
mobility issues (or Iron Man
fantasies), it's now being tested on
the streets of Tokyo. Here's the
video:
The full suit comes in three
sizes, with the largest weighing
50lbs (though it seems you don't
notice that when you're wearing
it). It now looks like single and
two leg versions will rent for
about $1570 and $2300 per
month.
Despite the tests, Cyberdyne
still won't say when the HAL suit
will reach the greater public.
Check out the vid, the future
looks super strange. [ HPlus
Magazine]
24 Economy/ Tech/ Tech Blog Internet News Record

Outstripped
(The Economist: News past 12 months have been Mali, highest in the world). In country is perceived to be highly
analysis) down 13 places, Ghana (-12) and particular, there is a strong corrupt. It also scores very poorly
Submitted at 9/9/2009 2:38:45 AM Botswana (-10). perception that the police are for infrastructure, and health and
Burundi is the lowest-placed unable to provide protection from primary education. Ghana’s 12-
Sep 9th 2009 African state, just behind crime. The country also has a very place decline in the index is
F r o m t h e E c o n o m i s t Zimbabwe. At the other end of the poor score for rates of blamed mostly on its worsening
Intelligence Unit ViewsWire scale South Africa remains top of communicable diseases and health macroeconomic situation,
Africa needs to become much the regional league table in 45th indicators in general. characterised by large fiscal
more competitive, if the continent position (effectively down one
is to prosper place), followed by Mauritius,
Mauritius, the second-highest-
ranked Sub-Saharan economy,
deficits, rising public debt and
high inflation. My code is a blog
Sub-Saharan Africa is tending also down one place at 57. also scores poorly on university Zimbabwe's institutional (Scripting News)
to fall behind other regions in According to the WEF there has education and labour markets. e n v i r o n m e n t Submitted at 9/9/2009 7:42:26 AM
terms of competitiveness. Human been “a notable improvement” in Botswana—which has fallen ten is—unsurprisingly—ranked
capital deficiencies—whether in South Africa’s ranking as regards places in the rankings, losing the among the worst in the world, Here's a screen shot of one of the
t e r m s o f e d u c a t i o n o r the efficiency of its financial gains made last year—is rated as while it is bottom of the global objects that makes up the River2
health—infrastructure and high markets, with the country jumping the least corrupt country in Africa league table for macroeconomics. aggregator.
crime levels tend to be deterrents 19 places from 24th to fifth--very (and 22nd in the world), but also Corruption is seen to be high, The top of the script is a blog.
as far as investors are concerned. high for an emerging-market scores poorly for human capital, with a complete absence of We've always done it this way.
Sub-Saharan economies have economy. This indicates “strong as regards both health and property rights, while health There are scripts in the system
become more competitive in the confidence” in the country’s education rankings. rankings are also very low. that are still in use with "posts" at
past year, according to the World financial markets at a time when In contrast, Kenya scores well However, whatever the the top that date back to the mid-
Economic Forum (WEF)’s Global trust has been eroded in many for education standards, although movements within the African 90s. From lots of team members,
C o m p e t i t i v e n e s s R e p o r t , other states, the WEF says. its system caters for only a small positions, Sub-Saharan states as a most of whom have gone on to
published on September 8th. However, South Africa’s overall proportion of the population, but whole have slipped down the other things. I imagine they've
Adjusted for the fact that there is ranking continues to be held back public institutions are deemed global rankings since they were taken some of our practices with
one less country ranked in the b y w h a t t h e F o r u m c a l l s very poor, with the country's first listed in the early 2000s. them, as we inherited practices
2009/2010 report, 13 of the 26 “enduring weaknesses”, including ranking dropping 17 places (to With newly listed states coming from teams we came from and
Sub-Saharan economies rated labour market efficiency; South 117th) in the past year alone. The in ahead of African nations (or code we used to work on. There's
have improved their standing, Africa is ranked 125th in the country also scores poorly on non-African nations moving a culture to programming that's
while three are unchanged from world in terms of inflexible hiring issues such as corruption, crime above them), it is clear that the mostly invisible to non-
last year and ten have slipped and firing practices, and 121st and violence, and for the potential region’s competitiveness relative programmers.
back. The greatest improvement when it comes to labour-employer for terrorism. to all others remains poor. Another example of Narrate
by far is registered by Uganda, up relations. Other risk factors Nigeria, in 99th place overall, Back to top ^^ Readers' Your Work, the philosophy of the
20 places at 108th (out of 133 include a university enrolment scores very highly for its comments blogger and reporter.
overall), while Lesotho jumps 16 ratio of only 15% (94th in the macroeconomic environment The Economist welcomes your
places and Tanzania 13. The world), and the business costs of (20th in the world). However, its views.
worst African performers over the crime and violence (which are the institutions are weak and the

Apple releases video of today's event

By Dave Caolo (The Unofficial Apple.com (as of this writing - new features of iTunes 9 over the on The Unofficial Apple Weblog
Apple Weblog (TUAW)) though you can find it here), it has next 24 hours, so check back (TUAW) on Wed, 09 Sep 2009
Submitted at 9/9/2009 9:30:00 PM been added to Apple's official often. Until then, launch the 21:30:00 EST. Please see our
podcast. Even if you were stream and succumb to the Reality terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, u n d e r w h e l m e d b y t o d a y ' s Distortion Field. Read| Permalink| Email this|
Apple Corporate, iTS, Software, announcements, you don't want to Thanks to everyone who sent Comments
Other Events, iTunes, Steve Jobs, miss Steve's return or the ovation this in!
iPod nano Though the video of he received. The video of today's and fourteen minutes long. TUAW Apple releases video of
today's event is not yet on press event is just over one hour We'll be diving deep into the today's event originally appeared
Internet News Record Economy/ Tech/ Entertainment 25
Kennedy Center to
A Windy Credit Market Overview Honor Robert DeNiro,
Bruce Springsteen and
(Financial Sector and Stocks it non-compliant [with WTO building a renewable-energy no one ever hopes to see again.
Analysis from Seeking Alpha) rules] and take retaliatory facility, to be awarded 60 days Morgan Stanley’s CDS are a Mel Brooks
Submitted at 9/10/2009 4:30:33 AM measures”. While that might not after an application is approved. fraction of their March levels and
provide a tailwind for BA it could Accelerated depreciation trading very close to their lows for (ETonline - Breaking News)
Wind. It can be as gentle as the h e l p t a m e t h e t e m p e s t t h e deductions are included in the the year. The stock is in about the Submitted at 9/10/2009 4:10:00 AM

tropical breeze that keeps you company appears to be caught in. package. middle of a trading range bounded
cool as the “Girl From Ipanema” Boeing makes the planes but GE GE has been at the center of the by the 6/8 $31.39 close and the The John F. Kennedy Center for
walks by or, as Dorothy is well ( GE) makes the engines so any storm for most of the credit crisis. 7/8 $$25.50 close. the Performing Arts will
aware, strong enough to suck you progress BA makes will also help Hopefully, with these At some point, when this is all a c k n o w l e d g e t h e
right out of Kansas! propel GE forward. GE is also in developments, the winds of behind us a few years and we can accomplishments of Robert
A tailwind can be very useful the enviable spot of benefiting change have shifted to a more have that laugh that survivors of DeNiro, Bruce Springsteen, and
when flying from one spot to from another blowing breeze and favorable direction. horrific events have, someone Mel Brooks by presenting the
another and that is exactly what that is yet another of Uncle Sam’s When speaking about GE, the should give Citigroup an award entertainers with the esteemed
Boeing ( BA) received recently stimulative derivations which CDS market focuses on GECC, for finding the most different Kennedy Center Honors.
w h e n t h e W o r l d T r a d e offers cash rebates on renewable the company’s finance arm but as ways to dip their card into Uncle Kennedy Center Chairman
Organization (WTO) ruled that energy investments. everyone knows if you want to Sam’s ATM and pulling the most Stephen A. Schwarzman describes
the European Union illegally After a short lull, Wall St. is figure out what’s going on all you out. the honorees as "five
subsidized the Airbus during the thinking enough of the storm has have to do is follow the money so C’s CDS closed last night at extraordinary individuals whose
design and construction of a few blown over and is beginning to GECC is a good proxy for 248bps in between a very recent unique and abundant artistry has
of its planes. Most specifically finance wind farms again. Morgan checking in on GE’s balance high/low range of 293bps and contributed significantly to the
BA is hoping the ruling helps stop Stanley ( MS) and Citigroup ( C) sheet. GECC’s CDS closed at 25 224bps. The stock, having broken cultural life of our nation and the
the EU from making loans have each invested $100MM in bps last night; way down from the buck for a short time on world."
totaling E2.9 billion ($4.1 billion) separate ventures recently, taking 1037bps top ticked in March and March 5 th managed to close that Since 1978, the organization
to Airbus to support their new advantage of the new government not so far away from the 225 bps day at $1.02 and is now closer to annually recognizes a select group
long-range A350. programs which are expected to seen on 8/10. The stock had made it’s post March high of $5.23 of individuals from various
The A350 is Airbus’ answer to total approximately $3 billion. GE a new high for the year on 8/7 having closed last night at $4.66. professions. This latest inductee
BA’s 787 Dreamliner which has E n e r g y F i n a n c i a l S e r v i c e s closing at $14.70 but exceeded For the record, C’s high for the class will join personalities such
been contending with some fairly division is also a big provider of that yesterday with a $14.87 year is $7.46 set on 1/6. as Morgan Freeman, Barbra
strong head winds during its capital in this area and Kevin close. I think I’ve passed enough wind Streisand, Steven Spielberg, and
d e s i g n , d e v e l o p m e n t a n d Walsh, the units MD says, “We BA’s CDS closed last night at your way for one day. Elizabeth Taylor, who have each
p r o d u c t i o n . “ I f t h e W T O see opportunities and we are 103bps; up from 71bps on 8/7 but Enjoy the holiday shortened been recognized in recent years.
addresses launch aid as a program pursuing them pretty actively”. down from its interim high of week.
it could cover A350 launch aid”, For anyone interested in how 134bps on 7/16. Like any other
Theodore Austell, BA’s VP of their tax dollars are being spent; name you mention the March
government operations said; the government will give a cash levels were the high for the year
continuing, “The U.S. could deem rebate for 30% of the cost of and I think we can all agree levels

Apple introduces new iPod shuffle colors, adds a new $59 2GB model
By Joachim Bean (The updates, Apple today also 4GB colors. appeared on The Unofficial Apple
Unofficial Apple Weblog introduced 3 new colors of the Finally, there's a new 2GB Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 10 Sep
(TUAW)) iPod shuffle, a special stainless model of the 3rd generation 2009 02:00:00 EST. Please see
Submitted at 9/10/2009 2:00:00 AM steel edition, and a 2GB model for shuffle, available for $59, and our terms for use of feeds.
$59. also comes in black, sliver, green, Read| Permalink| Email this|
Filed under: Apple, ipod shuffle, The new colors are green, pink pink and blue. Comments
Music and blue, and are available for TUAW Apple introduces new
Along with the new iPod nano, both the 2GB and 4GB models. stainless steel model, available for iPod shuffle colors, adds a new
iPod touch and iPod classic Also, there's a new $99 4GB $99, $20 more than the regular $59 2GB model originally
26 Economy/ Tech/ Entertainment Internet News Record
Ioan Gruffudd and
Art.view: A cabinet of wonder Alice Evans
(The Economist: Daily
columns)
windows lends the space a
theatrical air.
questions.
Exhibits such as “ Tell the
can act as a vehicle to open
people's minds.” With his horn-
Welcome Baby Girl
Submitted at 9/9/2009 11:42:19 PM One of the first display cases Bees...Belief, Knowledge and rimmed glasses and Amish-style (ETonline - Breaking News)
houses something that looks like a Hypersymbolic Cognition” and “ facial hair, Mr Wilson looks the Submitted at 9/10/2009 12:58:00 AM
Art.view walnut or a fruit pit; the The Eye of the Needle: The part of the quirky mastermind. He
Sep 10th 2009 accompanying text states that the Microminiatures of Hagop is often found on the premises, 'Fantastic Four' star Ioan
From Economist.com A Los stone features the detailed carving Sandaldjian” dote on the either lingering in the rooms or Gruffudd and his wife, actress
Angeles museum filled with curio of a bearded man with an array of preoccupations of soft-spoken tooling away in the large and Alice Evans, have welcomed their
and mystery animals in the background: “an scientists and tubercular late- rustic work studio in the back. (In first child!
THERE is something uniquely elephant ridden by a monkey, a blooming inventors. In the case of 2001 he was named a MacArthur Evans gave birth to daughter
disorienting about the Museum of boar, a dog, a donkey, a stag, a the “ Micromosaics of Henry Fellow, earning a so-called Ella Betsi Evans Gruffudd in Los
Jurassic Technology. Amid the camel, a horse, a bird a goat...” Dalton”, nearly a full room is “genius grant” for his work here.) Angeles on Sunday, says
gritty sprawl of Los Angeles, The list goes on, and the carving dedicated to the work of a man When wandering from room to People.com. The bundle of joy
tucked behind a nondescript sounds amazing. Yet the stone who had “gained renown among room, twisting up stairs and weighed in at 6 pounds, 3 ounces
storefront on Venice Boulevard, a looks ordinary, despite the European naturalists for his around unexpected bends, it and was 21 inches long.
dark maze of rooms houses a dramatic spotlight. Alas, the text intricate preparations constructed becomes hard to gauge just how Evans, who recently appeared
“repository of relics and artefacts explains that these etched details entirely from diatoms and the big the museum is. The building on "Lost," wed her '102
from the Lower Jurassic, with an have been more or less worn away scales of butterfly wings.” seems modest, yet browsing often Dalmatians' co-star Gruffudd in
e m p h a s i s o n t h o s e t h a t by time. We are left with an odd Visitors must peek into yields unexpected new sections. 2007.
demonstrate unusual or curious and possibly fictional story: what microscopes to examine these Around 6,000 people visit the
technological qualities.” This we see, after all, is a plain old remarkable iridescent flowers and museum annually, though it is not
description of the museum's fruit pit. birds (pictured at top). Yet the uncommon to have the run of the
collection, intoned in the scratchy Like early natural history question itches: was there ever a place to yourself. When visitors
film that greets visitors upon museums, which collected the Henry Dalton? do cross paths, the exchange is
entry, captures the mix of inquiry, detritus of phenomena both “One of the things that we are often marked with a knowing
i n t r i g u e a n d a n a c h r o n i s t i c fascinating and only vaguely greatly interested in is helping smile, a wry bewilderment. And
romance that defines this rare understood, the Museum of people to achieve states of also a sense of wonder.
place. Jurassic Technology is a wonder,” explained David Back to top ^^ Readers'
The atmosphere is much like the celebration of the fruits of hungry, Wilson, the museum's eccentric comments
curio library of a Victorian curious minds. It captures a time founder, to Lawrence Weschler, The Economist welcomes your
gentleman scholar, full of elegant chronicled in Richard Holmes's who examined the collection in views.
glass-and-wood vitrines, dimly r e c e n t b o o k “ T h e A g e o f his book “ Mr. Wilson's Cabinet
ornate wall coverings, velvet Wonder”, when science mingled of Wonder”. “We feel that
curtains and engagingly stuffy with poetry in its pursuit of confusion can be a very creative
w a l l - t e x t . T h e a b s e n c e o f answers to life's mysterious state of mind. In fact, confusion

Doing More With eBooks

By Michael Masnick (Techdirt) technology allows something new interesting ebook experiment in it. The pricing still seems a bit least some of the middlemen
Submitted at 9/10/2009 3:29:27 AM that couldn't be done before. involving singer and novelist Nick expensive ($25), but it's great to at providers are looking to step up
Simply mimicking the old on a Cave, who has created an ebook least see some experimenting with and take charge, rather than just
While I can understand some of new platform isn't a recipe for for the iPhone, that involves a what the technology should allow. leaving it all to the content
the interest in ebooks, one of the widespread success. And, sure, whole lot more. Beyond just the One other interesting tidbit: it creators.
things I haven't quite understood ebooks can let you store a lot of text, there are both the audio and wasn't Cave who came up with Permalink| Comments| Email
was the effort to focus on making books on a single device, or take video versions of Cave reading the idea, but his publisher who This Story
ebooks more like regular books. notes, but they haven't really along -- and that includes some really pushed to make the ebook
In the history of "killer apps," the taken advantage of what the music that goes with the book as into something more, and roped
one thing that tends to stand out is technology could enable. well. Plus, it includes a "news Cave into agreeing to add the
that they show up when the new David Thomson points us to an feed" though it's not clear what's extra stuff. It's nice to see that at
Internet News Record Economy/ Gadgets/ Entertainment 27

Why Bank Overdraft Fees Merit

Some Regulation
(Financial Sector and Stocks seek out payday loans, and the customers’ well-being.
Analysis from Seeking Alpha) terms and conditions are all laid So what to do? I actually think
Submitted at 9/10/2009 5:52:21 AM out immediately prior to the the bill proposed by my
transaction. In contrast, the Representative, Carolyn Maloney,
The NY Times had an article effective APR on a typical is quite sound. It doesn’t ban
W e d n e s d a y d e c r y i n g b a n k overdraft transaction can exceed overdraft fees, or even cap the
overdraft fees. While I believe 1000% (it varies by type of amount, but does require much
much recent press coverage of the transaction – check/ATM/debit) better disclosure, including
bank industry has been unjustly and disclosure, while excellent at disclosure of a fee prior to
impugning legitimate practices, in some institutions, is broadly far approving a transaction that
this case I think the complaints inferior to that of the payday loan would incur one, and the ability to
are justified. industry. cancel the transaction instead.
The interesting thing to me is The pro-overdraft fee argument Critically, this would be required
that payday lenders are routinely is not without merit - the fees even for debit transactions, which
vilified while bankers are often allow banks to offer free checking tend to be smaller and thus the
r e g a r d e d a s p i l l a r s o f t h e services to many customers, and most costly to consumers. Her bill
community, despite the fact that the fees are frequently the product would also preclude banks from
standard bank overdraft practices of customers paying insufficient pursuing fee-maximization
are far less consumer-friendly a t t e n t i o n t o t h e i r f i n a n c e s .
than payday loans. The debate H o w e v e r , w e a k d i s c l o s u r e
strategies, even if a more benign-
sounding justification for them Video: Crafthouse's Melissa
over payday lending is relevant coupled with the common bank can be found.
because bank overdraft charges practice of batching each day’s
effectively form the umbrella d e b i t s a n d p a y i n g t h e m i n
As a practical matter, this might
spur many banks to stop offering
robotic hand sounds sweet,
under which payday lenders can descending order of size does tend
function. Far more than banks t o e x p o s e e c o n o m i c a l l y
care to admit, overdrafts and vulnerable customers to cascades
“free checking” and move to
annual fees or much higher looks menacing
minimum balances, so each By Tim Stevens (Engadget) can spring for the so-called God
payday loans are substitute of overdraft fees. The standard customer’s fee load would be Submitted at 9/10/2009 8:53:00 AM Hand, a custom-made model that's
products. In fact, the biggest bank justification for this practice more closely tied to his own value a bit smaller (45mm wide) and
difference is that payday lenders - that larger payments are more as a customer, rather than being Is your poor robot getting by costs a whopping ¥180,000 -- just
offer consumers a better deal than likely to be more important ones - subsidized by fees paid a small without digits? Without them the shy of $2,000 for a set of left and
banks do. is sometimes true but frequently subset of customers that includes poor thing can't greet others, catch right. For that kind of money we
The typical payday loan costs a not, and based on my discussions a disproportionate number of low- ping pong balls, or dial up its expect something a little more
fee equal to 15% of the amount with bank managements, is much income and unsophisticated cyber-shorties. You need the impressive.
borrowed for a two-week loan, more of a fig leaf for fee- customers. Melissa Hand from Crafthouse, a [Via Boing Boing Gadgets,
which equates to an APR of maximization strategies than a servo-driven mitt that's just Impress]
391%. Borrowers must actively genuine reflection of concern for perfect for your little overlord-to- Continue reading Video:
Katherine Heigl and Hubby to Adopt Baby Girl be. All five fingers open and close Crafthouse's Melissa robotic hand
at the same time, so it's not ideal sounds sweet, looks menacing
(ETonline - Breaking News) Katherine made the a baby girl that she is calling for rude robo-gestures, but the Filed under: Robots
Submitted at 9/10/2009 4:00:00 AM announcement on an episode of Naleigh from Korea "really very videos after the break should give Video: Crafthouse's Melissa
"The Ellen DeGeneres Show" that soon." you an idea of what kind of robotic hand sounds sweet, looks
Katherine Heigl and hubby Josh will air on Friday, September 11. trouble you can get into with the menacing originally appeared on
Kelley are about to become first- She tells Ellen in the interview 60mm wide paw. The price? Engadget on Thu, 10 Sep 2009
time parents! that she and Josh will bring home ¥60,000, or about $600. If that's 08:53:00 EST. Please see our
too rich you could always buy a terms for use of feeds. Read|
single finger for around $50, but Permalink| Email this| Comments
those who need the absolute best
28 Economy/ Gadgets/ Tech/ Internet News Record

Speculators and the oil price: Data Tata DoCoMo launches per-
character SMS pricing, and this
drilling headline just cost us close to a rupee
(The Economist: News classified traders as “commercial” overriding market fundamentals By Chris Ziegler (Engadget)
analysis) or “non-commercial” in its to drive prices. New quarterly Submitted at 9/10/2009 7:36:00 AM
Submitted at 9/9/2009 3:56:30 AM weekly report on the overall long data also released by the CFTC
and short positions in the market. show that money flows to Never mind "nickel and diming"
Speculators and the oil price Now it has started to disaggregate exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in -- Indian joint venture Tata
Sep 9th 2009 | NEW YORK them further, into producers and commodities failed to correlate DoCoMo is now rupee and
From The Economist print b u y e r s , s w a p d e a l e r s a n d strongly with last year’s price paising (a paise is a hundredth of
edition A little more light is shone “managed money”. The third surge. a rupee) customers who sign up
on the oil markets category includes hedge funds. There are more disclosures to for its new "Diet-SMS"
BASHING “speculators” is a What do the new data show? On come. The CFTC says it will soon messaging plan. Unlimited and
popular pastime for American t h e N e w Y o r k M e r c a n t i l e release the newly disaggregated ultra-high-allowance messaging
politicians trying to explain high E x c h a n g e ( N Y M E X ) s w a p data going back three years. If plans are now commonplace in
and volatile oil prices. But dealers and managed money were those numbers, like the quarterly some parts of the world, but on
whether speculation has really both long on oil in the week to ETF data, are equally the other end of the spectrum,
been responsible for spiking September 1st—the former by unconvincing on the role of Diet-SMS is actually a regression
prices is a controversial issue. In m o r e t h a n a 2 - t o - 1 r a t i o . speculation, the case for limiting from the old practice of charging
2008 the Commodity Futures Producers and users, by contrast, positions will be weakened. And a by the message -- you get charged
Trading Commission (CFTC) are net short on oil by similar strong counter-argument remains: by the character. The good news
issued a report dismissing the role margins. And the swap dealers that speculators provide crucial is they don't charge for spaces and [Via textually.org]
of speculators in last year’s and managed-money players are liquidity. Even if they also have characters are just a single paise Filed under: Cellphones
startling run-up in prices. But bigger in the market, both in some effect on prices, taking them each, which works out to about Tata DoCoMo launches per-
banks, hedge funds and others terms of the contracts they hold out of the game could well do two-hundredths of a US cent at character SMS pricing, and this
who bet on oil (without a use for and their own sheer numbers. more harm than good. It is current conversion rates -- but headline just cost us close to a
the stuff itself) still face limits on But analysts at Barclays Capital tempting to look for scapegoats still, the fact remains that a 160- rupee originally appeared on
the positions they can take, if note that long swaps accounted when high prices hurt consumers. character SMS costs Tata Engadget on Thu, 10 Sep 2009
Gary Gensler, the new CFTC for just 6.4% of total futures and But the real culprits for oil-price DoCoMo exactly the same to 07:36:00 EST. Please see our
h e a d , c a n s h o w t h a t t h e i r options contracts, not enough to volatility may be much more handle as a 1-character one. terms for use of feeds. Read|
influence in markets does harm. drive prices up on their own. familiar: supply, demand and What's worse, you just know this Permalink| Email this| Comments
On September 4th the CFTC Physical traders held more of the global instability. is going to give rise to a new ultra
added more evidence to the o u t s t a n d i n g l o n g p o s i t i o n s Back to top ^^ Readers' -efficient shorthand notation that
debate by releasing what it said (10.3%) and held even more short comments makes "LOL" look like a novella.
were more transparent data on p o s i t i o n s . T h i s o n e s e t o f The Economist welcomes your
market positions. Before this numbers, in other words, does views.
m o n t h , t h e C F T C s i m p l y little to prove that speculators are

Google Logo on 09/09/09 09:09:09

By Stan Schroeder somewhat interesting: September added below. Google logo probably doesn’t
(Mashable!) 9th, 2009, or 09/09/09. Google’s logos have become have anything to do with the last
Submitted at 9/10/2009 3:31:08 AM Furthermore, if you’d looked at quite interesting lately; recently, one, but it’ll fit nicely into the
Google’s homepage at exactly Google has displayed an odd logo “Google is run by a bunch of
If you’re the type that knows 09:09:09, you’d notice another that, together with a cryptic aliens” conspiracy theories.
which date and time it is (I’m not, new Google logo, which appeared Twitter message, formed a puzzle Reviews: Google, Twitter
so I haven’t), you might have only briefly; it was the same as that proved quite a tough nut to Tags: Google, logo
noticed that yesterday’s date was the regular Google logo, but with inscription 09/09/09 09:09:09
crack. This latest numerological
Internet News Record
Some new consumer-friendly products from Avid coming mid-
September
By Jay Donovan (CrunchGear)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 3:42:53 AM
Avid, makers of a wide range of
digital video/audio software and
hardware have a couple of new
product updates coming your way
mid-September. The first to note
is an updated version of their
consumer-friendly family of
products know as Pinnacle Studio.
The new Pinnacle Studio meets
the needs of a wide range of
consumers, from novices to video
enthusiasts and semi-
professionals. The family of
products includes Pinnacle Studio
HD, Pinnacle Studio Ultimate and
Pinnacle Studio Ultimate
Collection, which offer a
complete HDV & AVCHD
workflow and allows consumers
to export movies to Flash,
QuickTime, PS3, Nintendo Wii,
Xbox, Apple iPod and more.
Pinnacle Studio Ultimate and
Pinnacle Ultimate Collection also
offer Blu-ray authoring with
motion menus.
Other new features include:
• A stop-motion capture for
animated and fast-motion effects.
• New content and enhancements
for Pinnacle Montage.
• Dynamic Motion Titler tool
that includes a number of new
templates.
• A new stabilizer effect –
leveraging the same technology
D-backs slash Dodgers' lead to 2 1/2 games
By Associated Press
(ESPN.com)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 12:17:30 AM
Fast Facts
used in Avid’s professional
editing products to fix shaky
camera shots.
Also, those who purchase
Pinnacle Studio Ultimate
Collection will receive the most
complete solution, including a
green sheet for Chroma key
effects and six highly acclaimed
professional plug-ins from Red
Giant:
• Shine ultra-fast light ray effects
• ToonIt turns video into cartoon
style animation
• Knoll Light factory creates lens
flares, sunsets & more
• Magic Bullet Looks generates
advanced video styles
• 3D stroke creates glowing
lines, swirling shapes, and 3D
camera effects
• Particular smoke, explosion,
and abstract effects
Did I get that right? You get a
green screen? COOL!
The price of Pinnacle Studio
HD, Pinnacle Studio Ultimate and
Pinnacle Studio Ultimate
Collection remains the same as
previous version: US$49.99,
$99.99 and $129.99, respectively.
However there will be upgrade
price breaks of $30 for Studio
Ultimate and $40 for Studio
Ultimate Collection made
available to existing customers.
Pinnacle Studio is compatible
with Windows Vista SP2 (Both
32-bit & 64-bit), Windows XP
• Ramon Troncoso walked Mark
Reynolds with the bases loaded to
give the Diamondbacks the win.
• Dan Haren (7.1 IP, 3 ER) threw
a quality start for Arizona and
SP3 & Windows 7.
Also coming soon are three new
Pro-Tools bundles that aim to
give experienced consumers and
first-time hobbyists alike,
affordable access to the classic
digital editing toolset for audio–
ProTools. The bundles which are
named Pro Tools Vocal Studio,
Pro Tools Recording Studio and
Pro Tools KeyStudio™, have
both software and hardware
components. The distinct software
portions are known as Pro Tools
M-Powered™ Essential software,
which is a specific version of
ProTools that works natively with
M-Audio hardware (which
incidentally Avid owns). The M-
Audio hardware within these
packages sounds compelling too:
a studio quality USB mic,
FastTrack USB interface and an
M-Audio KeyStudio USB
keyboard, respectively.
Here are some more detailed
descriptions from Avid:
Pro Tools Vocal Studio turns
the computer into a complete
vocal recording studio. This
bundle includes the Producer USB
microphone, a studio-quality mic
that lets people capture vocals, as
Miguel Montero (14) and Chris
Young (12) homered.
• Manny Ramirez (18) moved
within three homers of tying Mike
Schmidt on the all-time HR list.
well as record acoustically played
instruments. The Producer USB
mic lets people record with
stunning clarity, whether they’re
singing a future hit song or
narrating a family biography. And
with Pro Tools M-Powered
Essential, it’s easy to remix vocals
to produce professional-quality
soundtracks and podcasts with
ease.
Pro Tools Recording Studio
enables people to craft
professional-sounding songs and
remixes — no experience needed.
With the included Fast Track®
USB audio interface plugged right
into the computer, music
enthusiasts can capture pristine
digital sound for any recording
project, whether from a guitar or a
standard microphone. With Pro
Tools M-Powered Essential
software, consumers can dub,
mix, remix, edit, blend, restore,
hone and more to create audio
projects that will sound like they
came from a pro — even if
someone’s never recorded a note
before.
Pro Tools KeyStudio features
the M-Audio KeyStudio USB
keyboard, a simple, yet high-
quality 49-note velocity-sensitive
keyboard that also functions as a
MIDI interface. With Pro Tools
KeyStudio, users can record a
single keyboard track or create a
complete orchestral recording
• The win ended a six-game skid
for Arizona, which has scored five
runs or less in 11 straight.
-- ESPN Stats & Information
Gadgets/ Sports 29
using the KeyStudio to input any
of the 60+ virtual instruments that
come loaded with Pro Tools M-
Powered Essential.
Each Pro Tools Essential bundle
is, as of this writing, available at
an MSRP of $129 and works on
mac or windows.
All of this is good news for the
people out there looking for
reasonably priced entry products
of this nature. It makes sense for
both the Pinnacle and ProTools
offerings to be released together
as they are meant to work together
to help people craft “slicker-than-
you-thought-I-could-do” home
movies and more. I wonder how
seamlessly they interact?
It’s also a good strategy on
Avid’s part to offer these less
expensive products to compete
with FinalCutPro, Premiere,
GarageBand and the many other
pro-sumer type software packages
out there these days. I seem to
always remember Avid as an
expensive, “for-professionals-
only” platform back in the day
when I was doing all my FCP
work in agency-life, but clearly
their acquisition path and
continued development of some
consumer-friendly apps shows
that they are trying to cover more
than one side of the quickly
evolving world of digital media.
30 Gadgets/
Who Has an Extra $175,000 for a Movie Theater Quality
Projector? [Projectors]
By Mark Wilson (Gizmodo)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 6:00:00 AM
We know, we know. You don't
think the bank will support your
$175,000 "projector mortgage"
request. But JVC's highest end 4K
projector isn't going to buy itself.
Spewing a 10 megapixel, 4,096
x 2,400, 12 to 21-foot image onto
your wall, the DLA-RS4000 LCD
projector could never live up to its
cost, but then again, it manages to
produce a bright, 3500-lumen
image while still maintaining a
10,000:1 contrast ratio (granted,
those specs still might be
mutually exclusive, each
appearing only during optimal
adjustments...but at this price,
we're going to give JVC the
benefit of the doubt).
So you can watch movies at 4K,
assuming you can make a deal
with the devil and acquire digital
cinema files that hover in the
resolution range (good luck, even
JVC could only show us a 2K
Hellboy clip). Or you could allow
your 1080P Blu-rays to be
unconverted. Or—and JVC
actually endorses this use—you
could watch four 1080P signals at
once. (4K is 4x the quality of
1080P, after all).
But hey, if you have this much
to spend on a home theater
projector, no one is questioning
your judgment. They've already
deemed you crazy.
JVC INTRODUCES DLA-
RS4000 HIGH-END 4K
HOME CINEMA PROJECTOR
AT CEDIA EXPO 2009
WAYNE, NJ (September 10,
2009) – JVC Visual Systems
Division introduces its new DLA-
RS4000 Reference Series 4K
home cinema projector at CEDIA
Expo, September. 10-13 at the
Georgia World Conference Center
in Atlanta. The system is being
showcased in the JVC D-ILA
Theater in the Omni Hotel North
Tower throughout the duration of
the CEDIA Expo. Based on the
same projection engine used in
advanced simulation systems, it
provides the superior imagery as
well as installation flexibility
required by uncompromising
home theater consumers. This
system is ISF and THX* certified.
Three newly developed ultra
high definition 4K2K D-ILA
devices allow the DLA-RS4000 to
deliver a 10 megapixel image
with a native resolution of 4,096 x
2,400—more than four times the
resolution of HD. Up to four
screens with full HD or WUXGA
resolution images can be
displayed simultaneously .
A new optical design provides
3500 ANSI lumens from a Xenon
lamp and delivers excellent color
rendering. Lamp power can be
adjusted in eight steps for the
ideal brightness for a variety of
home theater settings and screen
sizes. In addition, new Wire Grid
polarizers in the optical engine
that minimize light leakage are
combined with new liquid crystal
technology and a novel liquid
crystal orientation to significantly
reduce off-state light, resulting in
a 10,000:1 native contrast ratio.
The RSVP4 custom digital
video processing unit serves as a
signal switching, scaling and
processing hub for virtually any
video source, including Blu-ray
and gaming systems, cable and
satellite receivers, and DVD
players. The RSVP4 has a special
feature enabling certified
calibration specialists to calibrate
either of two custom gamut
memories based on the
installation's specific
Internet News Record
requirements. This enables each
system to achieve an accurate
color space for the source material
being shown. Other features
include audio delay
compensation, and three separate
gamma tables for customization
of various image sources and
viewing environments. The DLA-
RS4000 is shipped complete with
a JVC high quality projection
zoom lens to maximize
performance in almost any home
theater setting.
Despite its advanced
performance, the 110-pound DLA
-RS4000 achieves a 65 percent
reduction in size compared to
conventional projectors in the
same class. Generous horizontal
and vertical lens shift capabilities
permit flexible projector
positioning, and its stackable
design allows for applications
such as 3D. Ethernet and RS-
232C interfaces allow projector
installation and adjustment from a
PC-based Web browser for
multiple units, plus an e-mail
function can send out status
messages and lamp replacement
reminders.
"The DLA-RS4000 4K projector
is the ultimate projector for
discerning home theater
enthusiasts," said Jack Faiman,
vice president, Visual Systems
Division, JVC U.S.A.. "Not only
does it produce amazing images
for movies, sports, and video
games, but its smaller footprint
and incredible flexibility make it
the ideal premium home theater
projector for custom installations.
Plus, despite all its high-end
WHO page 31
Internet News Record
Western Digital refreshes external drives, adds auto backup
and security
By Jeremy Kessel
(CrunchGear)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 2:00:49 AM
Western Digital has announced 5
new external hard drives of
various shapes and sizes. The
refreshed lineup represents WD’s
shift towards “smaller, smarter,
and safer” storage solutions. As a
result, all of these new drives
come standard with built-in
automatic backup software,
password protection, and 256-bit
hardware encryption.
There are 3 new My Passport
drives (My Passport Essential, My
Passport Essential SE, and My
Passport for Mac) and 2 new My
Book models (My Book Essential
and My Book for Mac). Each of
these will ship with WD’s new
Mac / PC-friendly backup
solution, SmartWare, which
provides an “[e]asy, visual way to
protect, store and manage your
important data.”
One of WD’s goals was to make
the software easy for everyone to
use and help users avoid making
mistakes with their precious data.
To cut down on problems,
SmartWare relies on user-friendly
visual aids and simple,
straightforward options to backup
and/or retrieve files. In the demo I
saw, the software appeared to be
very intuitive and included some
nice touches like a search function
WHO
continued from page 30
features, its user-friendly interface
makes it easy to sit back and
enjoy the view."
The DLA-RS-4000 projector
has a suggested list price of
and real-time backup status
reporting.
After configuring the software
the very first time you boot up the
drive, SmartWare will run
automatically (if you allow it),
providing an automatic and
continuous “backup and drive
management” solution. The
software comes built-in, i.e. it
resides on a separate partition on
the hard drive, but the auto-
backup can be disabled.
As for the “safer” attributes of
the new drives, each one comes
equipped with WD Drive Lock –
password protection + 256-bit
hardware encryption. Once the
password is set, the owner (or
anyone who knows the pw) is the
only person who can access the
data. If the password is lost, there
is NO way to retrieve it because
the password is never shared with
Western Digital in any capacity.
Beyond the password, every bit
of data stored on the drive is
protected by 256-bit AES
encryption. In other words,
without the password, the data is
basically impossible to access.
Might sound a bit over the top,
but WD said they wanted to err on
the side of total security.
The drives come in two basic
flavors: portable or stationary.
The smaller, USB-powered My
Passport Essential, My Passport
Essential SE, and My Passport for
$175,000 and will be available
October 2009 .
Gadgets/ Sports 31
• USB 2.0
• 320 / 500 GB
• MSRP $99-$139
• HFS+JournaledFile system
optimized for Mac
• 2-year limited warranty
Both the larger, outlet-powered
My Book Essential and My Book
for Mac feature an “Illuminated
Capacity Gauge” on the spine of
the “book.” Here are the rest of
the specs:
My Book Essential:
• WD GreenPower eco-friendly
drive
• Cool, quiet, fan-less design
• USB 2.0
• 500 GB & 1 / 1.5 / 2 TB
• MSRP $99-$249
• NTFS File system optimized
for PC
• 2 -year limited warranty
My Book for Mac:
• WD GreenPower eco-friendly
Mac encompass the “ultra-small, My Passport Essential SE: drive
ultra-portable” segment. And now • Midnight Black • Cool, quiet, fan-less design
for the details • Docking station (optional – • USB 2.0
My Passport Essential: available end of November) • 1 TB
• comes in 5 color options • USB 2.0 • MSRP $139
(Midnight Black, Arctic White, • Capacities 750 GB & 1 TB • HFS+JournaledFile system
Pacific Blue, Cool Silver and Real • MSRP $179-$249 optimized for Mac
Red) • NTFS File system optimized • 2 -year limited warranty
• Docking station (optional) for PC So there you have it folks. More
• USB 2.0 • 2-year limited warranty info about 5 new WD external
• 320 / 500 / 640 GB My Passport for Mac: hard drives, backup software, and
• MSRP $99-$149 • Charcoal Matte security measures than you ever
• NTFS File system optimized • Docking station (optional) knew you wanted. Hands-on
for PC • Compatible with Apple Time review coming soon.
• 2-year limited warranty Machine
Pujols homers twice as Wainwright wins 18th
By Associated Press
(ESPN.com)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 5:39:49 PM
memories today with ESPN's and share your memories!
Did you attend this game? If so, Sports Passport. Enter the games I was there »
start chronicling your sports you attend, upload your photos
32 Gadgets/ Tech Tips/ Sports Internet News Record

HTC Touch Pro2 Gets Its First Reasonable Price

Tag, Courtesy of Verizon [Smartphones]
By John Herrman (Gizmodo)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 6:03:07 AM

The HTC Touch Pro2 is a

manifestly decent phone, which
has been priced into oblivion by
every carrier that's touched it.
Until today, that is, when Verizon
announced that their variant of the
3.6-inch-screened QWERTY
smartphone will come in at $200,
after a mail-in rebate.
Quick experiment: Take this
review of the Touch Pro2, and
remove all the whining about
price. What do you get? A pretty
good review! They've even opted
for the 3.5mm jack that some
other carriers inexplicably didn't.
Smart moves, Verizon. Smart
moves.
VERIZON WIRELESS
INTRODUCES THE HTC
TOUCH PRO2
3G Smartphone Offers Global
Capabilities
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and
BELLEVUE, Wash. – Verizon
Wireless and HTC Corporation
introduce the HTC Touch Pro2™,
a global-capable smartphone
designed for the busiest
professionals and world travelers.
The HTC Touch Pro2 features an
extra-large 3.6-inch touch screen
that tilts to an optimal viewing
angle, an ergonomic slide-out
QWERTY keyboard, and an
advanced speakerphone with
Jeter ties Gehrig for Yanks all-time hits in win
By Associated Press
(ESPN.com)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 11:27:29 PM
memories today with ESPN's
Did you attend this game? If so, Sports Passport. Enter the games
start chronicling your sports you attend, upload your photos
asymmetric speakers and
advanced noise suppression to
deliver customers a robust
productivity experience. Created
with the intuitive TouchFLO 3D
user interface, data on the HTC
Touch Pro2 can be easily
accessed with just the touch of a
finger.
Available color: Black
Key specifications and features:
· High-speed connectivity over
Verizon Wireless' Mobile
Broadband network (1x/EV-DO
Revision A 800/1900 MHz)
· Global connectivity to allow
customers to access e-mail and
data in more than 180 destinations
and to use the phone for voice
calling in more than 220
destinations (GSM/GPRS/EDGE
850/900/1800/1900 MHz
WCDMA/HSPA 2100 MHz)
· Wi-Fi capabilities (802.11 b/g)
· 3.6 inch WVGA resolution
(480 x 800) tilting touch screen
· Advanced speakerphone with
noise-cancelling technology
· 3.2 megapixel auto-focus
camera with video capture
· Touch-sensitive zoom bar
· Seamless connectivity with
Microsoft® Exchange, Outlook
and Office applications with
Windows Mobile® 6.1
Professional
· Bluetooth® 2.1 with EDR and
A2DP stereo
· Processor: Qualcomm MSM
7600A, 528 MHz
· Memory: 512 MB ROM, 288
MB RAM
· Dimensions: 4.57" x 2.33" x
.68" (length x width x height)
· Weight: 6.3 ounces (with
standard battery)
· Extended 1500 mAh battery for
longer operation times
· Up to 5.3 hours of talk time
(CDMA) or up to 13.5 days of
standby time (CDMA)
Lifestyle features:
· Linked contact view delivers e-
mail, text message, call history,
and even Flickr images and
Facebook® updates to a single
location
· Push Internet technology
ensures that favorite Web sites are
always ready for viewing at a
moment's notice
· 3.5 mm audio jack and stereo
Bluetooth support to enjoy
multimedia content through a
variety of audio equipment
· Optional expandable
and share your memories!
I was there »
microSD™ memory with up to 16
GB to store music, video, images,
applications and other content
· Built-in GPS for VZ
NavigatorSM, VZ NavigatorSM
Global and other location-based
services and applications
Price and availability:
· The HTC Touch Pro2 will be
available for $199.99 after a $100
mail-in rebate with a new two-
year customer agreement on a
voice plan with an e-mail feature
or e-mail plan. Customers will
receive the rebate in the form of a
debit card; upon receipt,
customers may use the card as
cash anywhere debit cards are
accepted.
· Beginning Friday, customers
can order the HTC Touch Pro2
o n l i n e a t
www.verizonwireless.com, in
business sales channels and in
Verizon Wireless
Communications Stores. For
additional information on Verizon
Wireless products and services,
visit a Verizon Wireless
Communications Store, call 1-800
-2 JOIN IN or go to
www.verizonwireless.com.
Use a Microplane
Zester to Trim Sticking
Doors [Clever Uses]
By Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 4:30:00 AM
Wooden doors and windows
tend to stick inside their frames in
summer because they're swollen
with the summer's humidity. If
you've got a Microplane-style
zester handy, a few quick swipes
can scrape away the sticking.
Photo by tokyofoodcast.
The legend behind Microplane-
brand zesters is that they were
turned into kitchen tools by a
woodworker tired of seeing his
lemons and oranges get mangled
in graters, realizing that a fine-
toothed rasp in his shop could do
a much better job of it. Knowing
that, a blogger at the New York
Times' Bitten blog ran his
Microplane along part of a
kitchen cabinet door, just enough
so that a "thirty-second of an inch
or so" was worn away and the
door swung open and closed more
gracefully.
After running the Microplane
through the washer again, it was
ready to return to culinary duty. If
you're not fond of scraping along
your small doors, consider using
candle wax to keep doors and
windows from sticking. The
Always-Useful Microplane[Bitten
Blog]
Internet News Record Gadgets/ Tech/ 33

JVC's LT-32WX50 Is Insanely Thin, Insanelier

Expensive [Displays]
By Mark Wilson (Gizmodo) the recreational chemical and LED backlight system, the LT-
Submitted at 9/10/2009 6:00:00 AM escort industries. Trust me. 32WX50 is stunningly thin - just
JVC Announces Super Slim & 1/4-inch* (6.4mm) deep at its
I'm not sure you could ever call a Light Flat Panel Monitor thinnest point, with a slim module
32-inch monitor portable, but if 32-inch LED backlit monitor inset along the bottom third that
you could, the JVC LT-32WX50 measures just ¼-inch deep houses the monitor's inputs and
fits the bill. Aside from the LCD's ATLANTA, September 10, other connections;
1/4-inch (6.4mm) depth, the 2009 – JVC today announced a • Six picture settings: home,
display weighs but 12.5 pounds. super slim LCD monitor for home retail, movie, monitor, SLR photo
And with a 4000:1 contrast ratio theater use that measures a mere mode, game; Did The Beatles
along with a 90 percent of Adobe ¼-inch (6.4mm) deep across most • It covers a wide color gamut –
RGB color gamut, the picture of the panel and weighs just 12.5 100 percent of sRGB and 90 just screw up by not
should be pretty great, too, fed pounds (5.7kg). The new 32-inch percent of Adobe RGB;
into 2 HDMI inputs along with a c l a s s L T - 3 2 W X 5 0 w i l l b e • It uses approximately 50 going to iTunes?
VGA if you'd prefer. available in the U.S. in percent fewer material resources By Nicholas Deleon
Of course, there's always a N o v e m b e r . and eliminates the use of mercury; (CrunchGear)
catch. The new monitor's super slim • JVC's high definition picture Submitted at 9/10/2009 6:00:46 AM
For one, we don't know the profile is made possible by the use engine is designed for
r e s o l u t i o n b e y o n d t h a t i t ' s of JVC's edge LED backlighting reproducing both video and still Did Apple swerve us, or are we
"exceptionally high." That could system. images; just a bunch of nincompoops? (I
mean 1080P. That could mean 4- It offers a 4000:1 contrast ratio • It includes two HDMI vote for the latter.) So, so many
b a j i l l i o n - K . T h a t c o u l d and wide color gamut for connections along with analog people were expecting to see The
mean...you know, it's not defined. exceptionally high resolution of RGB (D-Dub, 15-pin); the display Beatles finally show up on
Plus, it's $3,000 this November. both video and still images. can be controlled externally via iTunes, if not the event itself,
I'm can't know the precise amount The monitor's shallow depth RS-232C; yesterday. Nearly 24 hours later,
of satisfaction you receive after makes it ideal for consumers who reducing the product's * When measured from the front you’re still unable to buy “Help!”
inviting friends into your office want the design flexibility such a environmental impact. surface of LCD panel to the rear from Steve Jobs’ little store. Huge
only to turn your monitor on its slim design allows. It also lends Key features of the LT- surface of the cabinet. deal, or should we all just move
side so that your guests can itself to a variety of commercial 32WX50 are: The JVC LT-32WX50 will be on with our lives? And is the band
pretend to ooh and ahh at your applications. Another attribute is • Taking advantage of JVC's available in November for less
extravagance, but it can't be better that fewer material resources are unique LCD panel edged-light than $3,000.00.
than what $3,000 can buy you in used in making the monitor,

Facebook Ordered (Again) To Turn Over Source Code

By Michael Masnick (Techdirt)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 11:41:12 PM
Last year, we wrote about an odd
patent lawsuit brought against
Facebook by a company called
Leader Technology. What was
odd was that Facebook didn't
seem like an obvious target for the
patent ( 7,139,761) about
associating a piece of data with
multiple categories (and, actually
why the idea that associating a
piece of data with multiple
categories should be patentable is
another of life's mysteries). We
actually thought it was more of a
publicity stunt by Leader
Technologies, rather than a
serious lawsuit. But, we were
surprised last month when a judge
actually ordered Facebook to turn
over its source code as a part of
the lawsuit. This didn't make
much sense to us. The source
code really should only matter if it
was a copyright infringement suit,
not a patent one. Besides, why
should Facebook turn over all of
its source code over such a minor
issue of associating a piece of data
with multiple categories. At the
very least, it should just be
whatever part of the code that
Leader believes is infringing.
Facebook objected to the ruling,
but Ravish lets us know that the
judge has denied Facebook and
once again demanded the
company hand over its entire
source code. Even though Leader
will only be able to view the
source code under the watchful
eye of Facebook representatives,
it still seems quite extreme that a
judge would require that
Facebook reveal its entire source
code to a company that is a
competitor.
Permalink| Comments| Email
This Story
34 Gadgets/
DID
continued from page 33
making a mistake in ignoring the
largest music store on Planet
Earth?
You all know my opinion when
it comes to The Beatles and the
iTunes Store: it doesn’t matter to
me (and I’d imagine to many of
you, too) because I could very
easily rip Revolver(or download it
from What.cd) and put it on my
device of choice. That’s what I
said in our live podcast yesterday,
that the move to the iTunes Store
would be done merely to get a
mention on NBC Nightly News at
6:30pm. “In other, non-healthcare
news, The Beatles are now
available on iTunes. Ask your
children and grand-children what
that means. We’ll be back, after
these messages.”
So, personally, The Beatles not
WD's Ever-Smaller External Hard Drives Bring Better
Security and Incremental Backups [Storage]
By Dan Nosowitz (Gizmodo)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 5:00:00 AM
Western Digital's new line of
hard drives have the expected
upgrades (higher capacity, smaller
size) but also feature tough-as-
nails hardware security and
incremental backups.
The lines are still separated by
size, with the My Passports being
portable 2.5-inch drives and the
My Books taking the larger-
capacity 3.5-inch size. My
Passport now goes up to a 1TB
capacity in a portable, USB-
being on iTunes doesn’t affect me
in the least. Again, I’m not anti-
Beatles, it’s just that I’ve known
how to rip a CD for at least 10
years now. (And look, if you’re
considering buying The Beatles
off iTunes, then you’re obviously
not too concerned with sound
quality, as you listen on your
iPhone in the subway or at the
gym. So what if the CDs were
terribly processed, you’ll be
listening on a cheap portable
device on cheap headphones. Real
audiophiles would have ponied up
for the vinyl ages ago.)
What I would be concerned
about, though, is: Is the band
making a mistake? The Beatles
probably are never going to be
hotter than they are this week
(save some sort of tragedy), what
powered drive, and because of a
few innovations they're
remarkably small. Essentially,
WD removed the USB-to-SATA-
to-drive connection and made
them direct to USB, which saves
space—and WD promises there've
been no compromises on speed.
Other changes: Security has
been bumped up several notches.
The security is now hardware-
based, rather than merely software
-encrypted, so WD actually has to
warn users that if they forget their incremental backups, so if for
passwords, even WD can't access example you want to save a
t h e d r i v e s . T h e y a l s o d o couple versions of a document
Internet News Record
with the release of The Beatles:
Rock Band and that super
awesome re-mastered collection.
Why not score the hat trick, and
put your albums up for sale on
iTunes to go along with those
other two major releases? My
guess is that the band didn’t want
to cannibalize sales of the
physical album by finally going
digital. How horribly short
sighted.
Picture this: some 15-year-old
kid plays The Beatles: Rock Band
with his friend. Do you think this
kid has $180 (or $260 at retail) to
spend on that re-mastered
collection? Nope, but I bet he
received an iTunes gift card or
two for his birthday.
and accidentally overwrite one of • My Passport Elite: 320/500GB
them, these drives will have saved at $120/$160, adds lighted
all versions of your progress. capacity gauge and dock.
My favorite has to be that teeny Available October 2009.
1TB 2.5" My Passport Essential • My Book Essential:
SE. The triple platter drives (plus 0.5/1/1.5/2TB from $99 to $250,
the direct-to-USB connection) with lighted capacity gauge and
make it much smaller than I equivalent Mac version
expected. It'll cost $250 when it's We'll let you know when we
released later this month (the have precise release dates, but you
750GB version will cost $180). can expect all of these drives to be
Others: showing up in stores very soon. [
• My Passport Essential: WD]
320/500/640GB ranging from
$100 to $150, released this month
with equivalent Mac version
Internet News Record Gadgets/ Tech Tips/ 35

Archive Binge Steadily

Catches You Up on
Web Comics [Reading]
By Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 6:00:00 AM

Discovering a new web comic,

and realizing you must read
through all its archives, is a
dangerous proposition. Free
service Archive Binge breaks up
web comics' backlogs into a
customized RSS feed, delivered
exactly when and how you want.
Archive Binge only allows feed
creation for comics whose authors
have agreed to allow the
service—a righteous move, but
somewhat limiting, at least at
first. Still, the selection is quirky
and growing, and, if nothing else,
geek favorite xkcd is included in
the collection.
After registering at the Irregular
Webcomic forums, you can click
on a comic in Archive Binge's
Sprint changes the game, offers up unlimited collection, then specify how many
comics should be delivered to
your RSS reader on which days,
everything for $69 per month and whether they arrive as links or
images. It's a great way to dig into
a web comic you're totally geeked
By Matt Burns (CrunchGear) access, unlimited Direct Connect, ridiculous amount each month for too because the hardware is an
Submitted at 9/10/2009 5:47:11 AM unlimited text, picture, and video, mobile service. My $149 plan on amazing piece of technology. But out on, but without crashing hours
and unlimited weekend minutes Verizon includes BIS and 1200 times are tough and not everyone at a time parsing through it.
Let’s just say it: Sprint is back. start at 7pm. Plus, the plan minutes, but only a small text can afford that type of plan every Archive Binge[via The Red Ferret
First the carrier nabs the hottest includes all the little extras like messaging package for both lines. month. An unlimited plan for only Journal]
handhelds with the Palm Pre, GPS Navigation, Music Premier, With Sprint, I can spend $20 less, $70 is a lot easier and there will
BlackBerry Tour and soon the TV Premier, NFL Mobile Live, but have unlimited everything and be a good amount of quality but
HTC Hero and Palm Pixi. But and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile. more minutes. affordable hardware to choose
that’s just the start. Wowsers. Maybe Sprint realizes that from soon anyway.
Now, it’s offering up the $69 Hopefully Sprint is successful people buy into plans more than Well done, Sprint. Well done.
Any Mobile, Anytime plan which with this latest push. If it is, then the handsets. Sure, the iPhone is
includes – get this – unlimited other carriers will have to follow cool, but the monthly plan is
calls to any mobile phone, suit which means everyone wins. damn expensive which probably
unlimited web surfing, Blackberry Right now most of us pay a turns some folks off. It’s a shame
36 Gadgets/ Tech Tips/ Internet News Record

Embed PDFs and

PowerPoint Files for No
-Software Viewing
[PDFs]
By Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 5:30:00 AM

Want to show off a PDF or

PowerPoint presentation on a web
space without having to include
an obligatory link to Adobe's PDF
viewer for the link-doesn't-work
crowd? You can embed those
documents anywhere using
Google's document viewer.
Google Operating System points
out an embed code that works for
any PDF or PowerPoint file that's
hosted somewhere, anywhere
online, and can be pasted into just
about any web space that tolerates
frames. Here's an example of what
that embedding looks like with an
old 1040 tax form:

Samsung's LN65B650 LCD takes a 65-inch bite out of Hit the link for the cut-and-
replace embed code, and check
out the previously mentioned
CEDIA, no LEDs harmed Scribd iPaper embedding for
another no-software-needed
By Steven Kim (Engadget) Motion Plus frame interpolation, mark in the " Energy Star harmed document sharing solution.
Submitted at 9/10/2009 8:00:00 AM Medi@2.0 connectivity, and qualified" box. The $6,000 price Filed under: HDTV Embeddable Google Document
Samsung's Touch of Color (and we'd guess ultimate picture Samsung's LN65B650 LCD Viewer[Google Operating
P l a s m a T V ' s h a v e b e e n treatment in grey. All the latest quality, too) means that biggie- takes a 65-inch bite out of System]
retreating from LCDs to the safety wizardry, you say? Not quite -- sized plasmas are safe for now, CEDIA, no LEDs harmed
of sizes larger than 50-inches, but it's CCFL backlit; but even but we know how prices and originally appeared on Engadget
emboldened LCDs are striking without LEDs -- the LN65B650 is performance go with time. Full on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:00:00
i n t o t h a t t e r r i t o r y a s w e l l . probably too big for edge-lighting details on this beast after the EST. Please see our terms for use
Embarking on recon from CEDIA to cover, and would take roughly break. of feeds. Permalink| Email this|
is Samsung's LN65B650, a 65- a gazillion LEDs to backlight Continue reading Samsung's Comments
inch behemoth sporting a 4ms directly -- the real plasma killer LN65B650 LCD takes a 65-inch
response time, 120-Hz Auto here might be the little check bite out of CEDIA, no LEDs
Internet News Record
Recurring problems with Google Checkout
By Tom Krazit (Webware.com)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 4:00:00 AM
An important feature in Google
Checkout has now been
unavailable for almost a month,
and some merchants are getting
fed up with Google's automated
approach to their concerns.
Google's ability to handle
recurring payments, such as
monthly subscriptions to a service
that are automatically billed once
a month, has been impaired since
around the middle of August with
little notice by the outside world.
A customer first reported the issue
in a Google Checkout forum in
August, and others, such as Katie
Braband, sales director at storage
company Datto, are still unable to
rely on Google to process
anything other than one-time
payments.
Braband went into Datto's
offices on September 2 to a
nightmare for any small business
owner: the monthly revenue from
subscriptions to Datto's off-site
data backup services did not
arrive as scheduled in its Google
Checkout merchant account.
Making matters worse, there was
no way to contact a live human
being at Google directly; Datto
was directed to an online forum
and support page where they
received this response: "Our
engineering team is working to
resolve this as quickly as possible,
though I'm not able to provide a
specific timeline at the moment."
Google confirmed there are still
problems with Google Checkout
on Wednesday but provided no
time frame for a fix. "We're
currently looking into some
service disruptions to Google-
handled recurring payments.
Merchant-handled recurring
payments are functioning
normally," the company said in a
statement. Merchant-handled
payments are when the merchant
submits a request for payment on
the day of the recurring period, a
burden that services such as
recurring payments processing are
designed to avoid.
Google Checkout has been
around since 2006. Designed in
part as a competitor to PayPal and
Bill Me Later-- the far-more
common online payment
processors--Google Checkout
offer Internet merchants the
ability to accept payments online
without having to invest time and
money into building and
maintaining their own payment
processing system, in exchange
for a cut of each transaction.
That's a familiar strategy at
Google, which offers budding
application developers hosting
resources at Google App Engine
and other businesses the ability to
bypass more expensive office
productivity software with Google
Apps. But while Google is quick
to respond when problems knock
services like Gmail or Google
App Engine offline, the delay in
responding to problems with
Google Checkout has cost it at
least one customer.
Datto's problems with Google
began when the company
surprisingly placed a 15 percent
reserve on its account following a
review of Datto's finances, which
the company insists were in order
and evidence of a healthy balance
sheet. Payment processors will
often hold a portion of all money
slated to wind up with the
merchant in cases where
merchants have a higher-than-
normal number of chargebacks or
appear to be going through a
rough patch as a hedge.
For several days, Datto was
unable to reach anyone at Google
to confirm that its financial
statements had been received as
part of that review, which made
the company worried because the
request for its finances came with
a warning that all payments would
be stopped if Google didn't
receive a response within five
business days. Google doesn't
offer phone support for Google
Checkout; instead it maintains a
Web site called the Merchant
Help Center for customers to get
support and lodge complaints.
Confirmation eventually arrived
with the reassurance that the
account was working properly and
everything was in order, but six
days later Google told Datto that
it would be holding 15 percent of
all payments processed through
Google Checkout "based on a
recent review of your business,"
and with no further explanation.
At this point, Datto decided to
build its own payment processing
system and move off Google
Checkout.
However, before the new
system could be completed the
company discovered the issues
with recurring payments. "We
received no notification
whatsoever that the recurring
payment system was broken and
now we have no guidance as to
when it will be fixed," Braband
wrote in an e-mail. "In addition to
having 15 percent of all Google
Checkout disbursements held in a
reserve account (completely
inaccessible to us) for 90-180
days, we now have no way of
collecting our monthly recurring
payments."
Google declined to comment on
the specific circumstances
involving Datto, saying that it
does not comment on individual
accounts.
In an interview, Braband said
Datto was lucky that it had
already made so much progress
toward developing its own
payment processing system but
the outage caused problems with
customers who thought their data
was not being backed up when the
payments went awry, and has
forced them to re-evaluate their
impression of Google in general.
"As a young technology
Tech/ 37
company we always admired
Google. Their many free tools and
applications are amazing and the
support that comes with them is
great too. It's disappointing to all
of us at Datto Inc. that these
fixable occurrences regarding
Google's payment processing has
tainted our admiration of the
people who changed the web, and
that Google has chosen to provide
no support to the many businesses
paying to use Google Checkout,"
Braband wrote in an e-mail.
And that could be a real
problem for Google as it attempts
to build paid services around
products like Google Apps. Even
small businesses are accustomed
to developing relationships with
their suppliers that can help
smooth over the inevitable
problems that occur in any
business relationship.
Nieman Journalism Lab
reported Wednesday that Google
has offered its services with
micropayments as a possible
solution to the woes of the
newspaper industry, allowing
them to charge news consumers
small amounts for individual
stories or recurring subscriptions
through Google Checkout. Before
that happens, some serious
problems with Google Checkout
and customer support will need to
be addressed.
Originally posted at Relevant
Results
38 Tech/
Swine flu apps you'll want on your iPhone
By Don Reisinger
(Webware.com)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 4:10:00 PM
The H1N1 Influenza, better
known as the swine flu, is a real
concern for just about everyone
this year, making keeping up to
date on the latest news paramount.
But considering we're all so
busy, remembering to visit
government Web sites can be
difficult. Installing some basic
apps onto your iPhone isn't.
Check out some of these apps that
will keep you abreast of all the
latest news about the swine flu.
Swine Flu apps
CDC News Reader If you want
the latest and most up-to-date
information on the swine flu,
CDC News Reader is probably a
good place to start.
The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention provides all the
latest information available on the
swine flu. And since it also
provides information on other
outbreaks the organization is
tracking, you're likely to find
some of the best health data of
any app in this roundup. For 99
cents, it might be worth it.
The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention is your primary
source.(Credit: Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention)
H1N1 Cases by State If you
want daily updates on how the
swine flu is spreading, H1N1
Cases by State will fill you in.
H1N1 Cases by State
automatically downloads daily all
the new instances of swine flu in
each state in the U.S. When you
click on a new outbreak, you'll be
brought to a page detailing it. You
can also see how many deaths
have occurred because of the
outbreak. For 99 cents, it's not a
bad app to have with you when
you need some updates.
H1N1 Cases by State will help
you determine where the
outbreaks are.(Credit: Screenshot
by Don Reisinger/CNET)
Outbreaks Near Me Outbreaks
Near Me is clearly one of the
most useful applications in this
roundup.
With the help of Google Maps,
Outbreaks Near Me maps all the
known swine flu outbreaks in
your area. The app also lets you
report outbreaks if you find
someone who has swine flu and
isn't included in the map listing.
This free app even supports push,
so it can alert you whenever a
new incidence of swine flu has
affected your area. Check out our
full review here.
Outbreaks Near Me shows you
where outbreaks are in your
area.(Credit: Outbreaks Near Me)
Swine Flu--Breaking News and
Information If you're only looking
for the latest news on the swine
flu and you don't need with a map
showing where the outbreaks are,
Swine Flu--Breaking News and
Information might be for you.
Swine Flu--Breaking News and
Information gives you access to
the swine flu's Wikipedia page.
From there, it searches for
breaking news each day to update
the app. When there's some news,
you can simply reload the
application and view it. It's
nothing special, but if you want a
simple, free app to consult
quickly, it might be worth trying
out.
Swine Flu--Breaking News and
Information is for information-
seekers.(Credit: Swine Flu--
Breaking news and Information)
Swine Flu Tracker Swine Flu
Tracker is a simple application
Internet News Record
Swine Flu Tracker Map first
alerts you to changes in the swine
flu warning level. So if it has
moved to a level five, the app will
explain what that means, how to
protect yourself, and more. Swine
Flu Tracker Map also features an
assortment of articles to educate
you on the swine flu. How does it
affect humans? What are its
chances of survival? All those
questions are answered by the
app. Even better, it's free.
If you're looking for basic
information on the Swine flu, this
app is for you.(Credit: Swine Flu
Tracker)
Swine Flu Upto-the-Minute
Swine Flu Upto-the-Minute aims
at becoming your daily source for
everything related to the swine
flu.
To do so, it starts out by telling
you where the worldwide alert
level is. It then explains what each
level means to you. The app also
features the world's "status" to let
you know whether it's safe to
travel to certain countries. If you
want to learn more about the
swine flu or influenza in general,
Swine Flu Upto-the-Minute has
some documents for you to read.
Even if you're looking for the
latest headlines, you'll find it with
this app. It's full-featured and
designed to keep track of where available for free. affordable at 99 cents.
outbreaks of the swine flu are Swine Flu Tracker helps you Swine Flu Upto-the-Minute has
occurring all over the world. find all the outbreaks.(Credit: s o m e n i c e f e a t u r e s . ( C r e d i t :
When you start using Swine Flu Swine Flu Tracker) Screenshot by Don
Tracker, you'll find a series of Swine Flu Tracker Map Not to R e i s i n g e r / C N E T )
maps that lets you see each be confused with Swine Flu My top 3
instance of swine flu outbreaks. Tracker, Swine Flu Tracker Map 1. Upto-the-Minute: With so
You can check around your area provides you with information far many nice features, Upto-the-
or elsewhere around the world. beyond what its name might Minute seems like a fine choice.
T h e a p p a l s o f e a t u r e s a n suggest. Aside from mapping 2. CDC News Reader: What
information pane, providing where outbreaks have occurred, better way to learn about the
detailed data on the swine flu, the app also provides some swine flu than to hear about it
where it comes from, and how to valuable information on H1N1
prevent it from affecting you. It's Influenza. SWINE page 40
Internet News Record
HOW TO: Organize Your iPhone
Apps with iTunes 9
By Jennifer Van Grove
(Mashable!)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 7:10:23 PM
The curtain has closed on
Apple’s big event. While we’re
still recovering from all the big
news surrounding Jobs’ return,
the new and improved Nanos, the
arrival of iPhone OS 3.1, and the
fact that iTunes 9 comes with
sharing, we’re now able to
actually play with our new toys
and we’ve discovered something
remarkable.
Amid all the hype around
iTunes 9 was one new
instrumental feature for iPhone
owners — app management. We
were thrilled by the possibilities
of finally being able to organize
and manage our apps via iTunes,
and now we’re even more
impressed by the reality.
After toying with the new
feature, we can officially say that
the iTunes 9 application
management features are
fantastic. Gone are the days of
painstakingly moving apps one-by
-one on our iPhones. Today we
welcome effortless drag and drop
app management and syncing, and
here we’ll walk you through how
to create application harmony
between iTunes and your iPhone.
Getting Started
First things first: download the
new iTunes, install it and fire it
up. You should also update your
iPhone to OS 3.1 for a smooth
transition (a word to the wise:
sync your iPhone one last time
before you update to the new OS).
That process might not be quick,
but it should be rather painless.
Once your software updates are
complete, connect your iPhone to
your computer via the USB cable.
Select your iPhone from the
Devices section in iTunes, and
then click on the Applications tab.
You should be greeted with an
electronic view of your entire
installed app catalog and your
iPhone’s existing application
screens. Application Sync
All the applications you’ve
installed using iTunes will now
appear in the Sync Applications
portion of the page. You can now
search applications by name, or
sort them by name, category, or
date.
You’ll notice that checked
applications coincide with the
ones you have on your iPhone,
while unchecked ones can be
checked to be virtually added to
the digital iPhone interface. You
can also uncheck apps you no
longer want on your phone to
have them instantly removed from
the iPhone mock up.
Of course any and all changes
won’t be made until you hit
“Apply” and sync your iPhone
with iTunes. Drag and Drop Apps
The real beauty of the new
application management feature is
the addition of an electronic
model of your iPhone’s various
screens, with proper pagination,
and easy drag and drop
functionality so that you can
move apps around with speed and
simplicity. You can even remove
apps from your virtual iPhone, in
the same manner that you would
remove them from the physical
version, by selecting an app and
clicking the X.
You can configure your apps in
any way you’d like by dragging
them around on the current
screen, or moving them from your
existing view onto one of the
screens in the right-hand column.
You can also use the command
key (use control key for PCs) to
grab multiple apps to drag them
all at once, or pick up a full page
of apps and drag that up or down
to alter page order. Changes are
instantaneous, and don’t forget
that you can select and deselect
applications from the left-hand
menu to add and remove them
from your mock up. Pretty cool
right?
Hit “Apply” when you’re good
and ready to apply your
application changes to your actual
iPhone, and you should be just a
few minutes away from reaping
the benefits of application
management bliss.
Tags: app management, apple,
apple app store, iphone, itunes,
iTunes 9
Share Groups of Twitter
Users in One Click with
TweepML
By Barb Dybwad (Mashable!)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 8:59:17 PM
If you’re already familiar with
OPML, the open standard format
used to share groups of RSS
feeds, then this analogy will
explain the concept well:
TweepML is like OPML for
Twitter users.
The simplest use case for
TweepML is to allow sites or
individuals to create a
downloadable file that contains a
list of Twitter users, allowing
others to import the file and
follow all those users easily in one
fell swoop. Imagine for example
the popular Follow Friday
tradition on Twitter — instead of
trying to cram a big list of tweeps
into 140 characters, you could
simply create a TweepML file and
point your followers to that.
Like OPML, TweepML is based
on XML, a textual data format
and open standard in wide usage
on the web. Companies and
individuals will be able to take the
simple and extensible architecture
of TweepML and build extra
functionality and applications on
top of it, all without having to pay
hefty licensing fees or get
anyone’s permission to do so.
TweepML.org Service
The TweepML format has been
officially approved by Twitter and
launches today, with a companion
service at TweepML.org that
Tech/ 39
provides a basic TweepML editor
for creating your own files with
groups of Twitterers, and a
Follow tool that takes a
TweepML file as input and allows
you to easily select which users
from the list you’d like to add as
followers.
You can either create and save
TweepML files and save them on
the TweepML.org site itself in
order to get access to list
management tools and statistics
about your list usage, or simply
save the TweepML files you
create to your own desktop for use
on your own server or site. You
can see some of the lists already
created so far, and if you’re
curious about the syntax, you can
check out some examples here.
If you like, you can also add the
entire Mashable team in one go
via our TweepML list.
What do you think: does the
TweepML format address a need
as the Twitter userbase continues
to grow? Do you see yourself
using TweepML.org to find and
share lists of Twitter users you
might like to follow? Reviews:
Mashable, Twitter
Tags: open standards, opml,
TweepML, twitter, XML
40 Tech/ Internet News Record

TimeBridge: No place to hide from With the iPhone 3.1

our meetings update little things mean
By Rafe Needleman should help reduce the annoyance
(Webware.com)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 12:01:00 AM
that people may feel when they
Messages come with short URLs get TimeBridge invitations but
that direct to response page that aren't familiar with the service.
a lot
By Mel Martin (The Unofficial lock activates unless you turn the
The meeting scheduler utility includes quick-reply options such And there's an improved way for Apple Weblog (TUAW)) feature off in your iPhone
TimeBridge is growing up and as "Be there in 5 minutes" or people to set up one-on-one Submitted at 9/10/2009 7:00:00 AM settings. I tested the remote lock
expanding its mission. No longer " S o r r y I c a n ' t m a k e i t . " meetings; it appropriately allows a function, and it worked as
just a schedule helper, the service Unfortunately, "Sorry but I have little more schedule sharing than Filed under: Software Update, advertised.
is getting more tools to keep to vacuum my cat" is not in the many-person meetings. iPhone, MobileMe Sometimes it's Another worthwhile addition in
meetings that have already started quick list, but you can type CEO Yori Neklin told me these the smallest thing in a software the iPhone 3.1 software is the
running on time. whatever you want as a reply changes reflect his belief that update that means the most to ability, finally, to use Bluetooth
The company is still selling an instead. The ping feature will "TimeBridge solved scheduling, some users. This latest iPhone voice commands with a Bluetooth
online meeting product, based on eventually be part of the paid but meetings themselves are still update contains a few little gems headset. This feature should have
DimDim. It's adding now a tool to TimeBridge Plus service for $8.95 screwed up." I'm not so sure that should not be lost in all the been included in the iPhone 3.0
let attendees collaborate on the a month, but it's free at the scheduling is indeed solved, but I e x c i t e m e n t o v e r n e w i P o d software, but I am glad to see
agenda beforehand (I doubt it will moment. do agree that most meetings are hardware. Apple address this obvious
ever get used, people are too The iPhone and other mobile awful. I believe the new features One of the nicest additions is shortcoming,
lazy), and more importantly, it's interfaces for TimeBridge let you will help more meetings start on the ability to remotely lock your With my Jabra Bluetooth
getting a nag feature that will let a gracefully (or not) bow out of a time, and might just make a tiny iPhone if you're a MobileMe headset I could initiate a voice
meeting organizer set the service meeting.(Credit: TimeBridge) dent in the content of meetings subscriber. It could be very call without any problem. I also
to ping people via SMS or e-mail There's also a very interesting themselves. But that's fine. Every helpful if you've left it somewhere asked the phone what song is
right before a meeting starts. Once new iPhone app for TimeBridge little bit helps. and are not sure where, or you playing and got the correct
a meeting is underway, there's currently pending approval at See also Tungle launches non- know it's stolen but don't want to answer, but the voice responded
also a new option to nag laggards Apple. It lets you scan your annoying scheduling service and wipe all your content in case the through the phone and not the
to show up, again via SMS or e- agenda (with a time line for your B e y o n d f r e e m i u m : T h e phone is quickly recovered. This headset. No big thing.
mail. meeting), or ping the late people. Timebridge business model doesn't replace the very welcome It's nice to see Apple cleaning
The TimeBridge Web and e- You can also use the iPhone app works. remote wipe feature, but it is a up some of these little issues as
m a i l U I s a r e c l e a n e d u p a to dial in to a TimeBridge Originally posted at Rafe's nice add-on. the iPhone moves forward.
l i t t l e . ( C r e d i t : T i m e B r i d g e ) conference call directly. Radar The place to activate the remote Wonder where it will be in a
The ping features have a The service gets a cleaned-up lock is on your MobileMe settings year?
feedback mechanism as well. user interface overall, which page, which you can access from TUAW With the iPhone 3.1
a web browser. You can give a update little things mean a lot
SWINE
continued from page 38
four digit code, and if your phone originally appeared on The
is turned on it will immediately U n o f f i c i a l A p p l e W e b l o g
from the CDC? l o c k . Y o u w i l l a l s o g e t a (TUAW) on Thu, 10 Sep 2009
3. Outbreaks Near Me: If you confirmation e-mail from Apple. 07:00:00 EST. Please see our
want to know how close One item to note, once you have terms for use of feeds.
outbreaks are to you, Outbreaks done this, it is not a one-time Read| Permalink| Email this|
Near Me is the place to start. thing. When you get your phone Comments
back and you unlock it, it will
lock up again when your auto-
Internet News Record Tech/ Sports 41

CARRIER PIGEONS: Still Faster Box goes mobile with

Than ADSL new OpenBox API
By Stan Schroeder homing pigeons to a destination By Josh Lowensohn
(Mashable!) about 100 kilometers away, with (Webware.com)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 4:00:19 AM each carrying 20-22 memory Submitted at 9/10/2009 6:00:00 AM
cards. The total amount of data
The news that everyone sent me transfered was 4 GB, and it took Storage provider and
today (thanks, everyone) is that a the pigeons below 4 hours, on collaboration service Box.net is
South African company called average, to transfer it. launching a mobile extension to
The Unlimited has managed to Finally, yesterday the folks from its OpenBox platform of
send data using a carrier pigeon The Unlimited had sent a single application programming account.
faster than by using Telkom’s 11-month-old pigeon, called interfaces on Thursday. The What's missing here are Box's
(largest South African ISP) ADSL was written by D. Waitzman and Winston, from their offices near updated platform will enable servers, which are doing all the
line. released on April 1st, 1990. The Pietermaritzburg to the coastal iPhone app developers to make heavy lifting. But the idea is the
While interesting, this is not the basic idea behind the “protocol” is city of Durban with a data card better use of the service's cloud same--your data flows freely
first attempt at sending digital strapping some kind of data strapped to his leg. The result? storage, giving users access to between mobile and desktop apps,
data via carrier pigeons; in fact, medium (such as a memory card) Two hours, six minutes and 57 their files across mobile all through Box.(Credit: Box)
this type of data transfer has been on a carrier pigeon’s leg and seconds; by that time, only four applications on the iPhone and Beyond productivity apps, the
defined (albeit humorously) as IP sending it to a remote destination. percent of the same 4 GB was soon other platforms. new APIs allow for any kind of
over Avian Carriers(IPoAC). IPoAC was first “implemented” transfered over the Telkom line. The idea is that users will be data to be sent over, which opens
Here’s a bit of background on the (meaning: they actually did it) by The lesson? The Internet lines able to save whatever they're up transfers from generic things
story. the Bergen Linux user group; may be getting faster, but the doing on the phone to Box's cloud like text files, photos, and videos
IPoAC was described in RFC they’ve sent nine pigeons, each memory card capacity is getting storage service, as opposed to into things like game saves and
1149 (RFC, or Request for carrying a single ping over the bigger even faster. If you need their servers or the device itself. user settings. A Box
C o m m e n t s , i s a d o c u m e n t destination of about three miles, your data to travel fast, use a It's similar to the way the representative told me that while
describing some part of the inner but they’ve received only four carrier pigeon. smartphone can natively send gaming would not be a focus of
workings of the Internet. In short, responses; quite a poor result. Image courtesy of some files to places like Apple's the API, a developer's
it’s a very technical FAQ for the Then, in 2004., a group of i S t o c k p h o t o ( ) , s y k o n o MobileMe service and Google's implementation of it would not be
entire Internet) by the Internet Israeli enthusiasts have sent three Tags: adsl, carrier pigeon, YouTube. Users can then make discouraged.
Engineering Task Force(IETF); it internet edits to those files using other Considering the heavy
applications, subsequently saturation of cross-platform
Billy Gillispie in Rehab, Source Confirms syncing back up the next time
they launch the iPhone app.
games on the iPhone, it could
quite easily give developers a way
By Terrance Harris "He didn't have a whole lot of As part of the new program, for gamers to continue the game
(FanHouse) c h o i c e s , " t h e s o u r c e t o l d Box has already given a handful they were playing on another
Submitted at 9/9/2009 8:10:00 PM FanHouse. "Either [go to] Lucas of developers access to the new device, making Box a valuable
or go to Betty Ford or somewhere. APIs. These include Pixelpipe, storage locker.
by Terrance Harris This is the best PR move Billy JotNot, iRec, and iThoughts, all of
Filed under: Kentucky, SEC, Originally posted at Web
Clyde can make." which are releasing new versions Crawler
FanHouse Exclusive Former Billy Gillispie in Rehab, Source of their apps that will be able to
Kentucky and Texas A&M coach Confirms originally appeared on access and save to a user's Box
Billy Gillispie has checked Fanhouse NCAA Basketball Blog
himself into the John Lucas After on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:10:00
Care Program in Houston to help EST . Please see our terms for use
fight his alcohol addiction, a the Wildcats coach after last of feeds.
source close to the former head season, was arrested on his third Permalink| Email this| Linking
coach confirmed to FanHouse on known DUI charge last month in Blogs| Comments
Wednesday. Kentucky
Gillispie, who was dismissed as
42 Tech/ TV
Ask TUAW: Backing up photos, Ochocinco to NFL: I
remove Boot Camp partitions, Snow Found Twitter
Leopard and Windows 7 and more Loopholes!
By Chris Ullrich (The Unofficial
Apple Weblog (TUAW))
Submitted at 9/10/2009 8:00:00 AM
Filed under: Features, Bluetooth,
Ask TUAW, iPhone, Snow
Leopard Welcome back to Ask
TUAW, our weekly Mac
troubleshooting Q&A column.
This week we've got questions
about backing up photos,
removing a Boot Camp partition,
Snow Leopard and Windows 7,
Bluetooth menus, iPhone search
results and more.
As always, your suggestions and
questions are welcome. Questions
for next week should be left in the
comments. When asking a
question please include which
machine you're running and
which version of Mac OS X(we'll
assume you're running Leopard
American Idol shocker: Ellen DeGeneres
replacing Paula...permanently
By Allison Waldman (TV
Squad)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 9:38:00 PM
There is big news in the world of
television tonight. Multiple Emmy
winner and talk show host Ellen
DeGeneres has joined American
Idol as a judge. She will
essentially be the permanent
replacement for Paula Abdul, so if
any of you were holding out hope
that Paula was standing by to
resume her post, forget about it.
The bigger story here is that a
star of Ellen's stature, someone
on an Intel Mac if you don't
specify). And now, on to the
questions.
Han asks:
What is the best way to archive
photos without using iPhoto? I
have about 100 GB of original
photos and I have been saving
them on my NetGear ReadyNAS
Duo. Sometimes I leave the
photos in the folder and just copy
it to the NAS or sometimes zip
them before I put it in the NAS.
What I am worried about is if I
zip the folder and somehow the
zip file itself gets corrupted, is it
harder to recover them? Is it better
to just not zip and leave it as a
folder then copy it to the NAS?
Because photos are pretty
important and almost impossible
to recreate I take my photo
workflow and backup seriously.
who has high visibility and is
beloved by the public, has decided
to become a member of America's
number one rated prime time
First, I never import photos
directly into iPhoto and instead,
using a card reader, copy the files
to a folder I have labeled
specifically for these photos
which resides in my main
"Photography" folder.
Continue reading Ask TUAW:
Backing up photos, remove Boot
Camp partitions, Snow Leopard
and Windows 7 and more
TUAW Ask TUAW: Backing
up photos, remove Boot Camp
partitions, Snow Leopard and
Windows 7 and more originally
appeared on The Unofficial Apple
Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 10 Sep
2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see
our terms for use of feeds.
Read| Permalink| Email this|
Comments
show.
Ellen DeGeneres on American
Idol as a guest star would be a
rating boost, so it's safe to say that
her weekly presence will ensure
that Idol's numbers will continue
to be top of the chart.
Continue reading American Idol
shocker: Ellen DeGeneres
replacing Paula...permanently
Filed under: OpEd, American
Idol, Celebrities, Judges
Permalink| Email this| |
Comments
By Jennifer Van Grove
(Mashable!)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 9:45:25 PM
When Ochocinco tweets, the
NFL listens.
In fact, we have a sneaking
suspicion that the Cincinnati
Bengal’s Wide Receiver’s
nonchalance about in-game
tweeting inspired the NFL’s no
fun social media policy that
prohibits tweeting by players and
their representatives before,
during, and after games.
The rules are pretty strict. But
when Ochocinco tweeted about
deleting his Twitter account, we
weren’t convinced. After all, just
a few days earlier he was tweeting
about bringing a mariachi band to
games. And now we have
confirmation from the player
himself — there’s a Twitter storm
brewing come Sunday.
According to NBC Sports,
Ochocinco has found loopholes in
the NFL’s tweeting and social
media policies. What these
loopholes are, and what it means
for his Twitter account, we don’t
know. But, Ochocinco talks of a
“quiet before the storm” saying:
“I’ve been really, really quiet,
and there’s a storm coming
Sunday … That’s one of the
things that I do when I’m back: I
have something. I keep you on
the edge of your seat.
Internet News Record
NFL, I would like to apologize
to you guys early. I understand. I
read all the fine print in the letters
you sent, but I did find loopholes.
I found loopholes.”
Loopholes and storms? Now
this sounds interesting. We’re
anxiously awaiting Sunday’s
Bengals game against the
Broncos. Kickoff is at 1:00PM
ET, and we plan to keep our eyes
peeled on Twitter for Ochocinco’s
calculated maneuver. If we didn’t
know better, we would think that
the NFL and Ochocinco are in
cahoots together and just trying to
capture our attention for the big
season-opening weekend. That’s
an unlikely scenario, but we’re
still on pins and needles.
See also: Sports and Social
Media: Where Opportunity and
Fear Collide
*Storm image from slack12 on
Flickr Reviews: Flickr, Twitter
Tags: chad ochocinco, nfl,
ochocinco, twitter
Internet News Record Tech/ TV 43

Patent Holder Takes A

Second Crack At Toyota
Over Hybrid Technology
By Michael Masnick (Techdirt) been asking for years: Here's a bit
Submitted at 9/9/2009 9:33:00 PM of a kicker: With the last suit,
"Paice said the market for hybrid
Earlier this year, we wrote about cars "did not take off" until
how Toyota had been stockpiling Toyota "revamped its vehicle
Google Voice and Gmail are sort of a ton of patents around hybrid
vehicle technology, such that
almost no other carmaker could
program" with technology Paice
patented almost a decade earlier."
So if a company has a technology
merging make hybrid vehicles without
paying up. Of course, there was
some history to that story, as
that could be a huge boon for
drivers and the environment and
they sit on it for a decade, does a
By Rafe Needleman you the text transcript of your could initiate a Google Voice
(Webware.com) message, but if you wanted to SMS conversation from within Toyota had lost a big lawsuit by a competing company that finally
Submitted at 9/9/2009 11:13:00 PM play the audio file, it would open Gmail even with the SMS feature patent holder named Paice a few does something with it and makes
a new browser window to do so. turned on. years back, requiring a fee to be it a success really need to be sued
Two new little Google Voice The Google Voice player is now I like where this is going. I'm paid on a bunch of Toyota repeatedly for using it? Paice
features just made their way into embedded in Gmail. This is a still not a been a huge fan of the hybrids. However, apparently that seems to be somewhat at fault for
Gmail. A new option lets text good thing, since the Gmail Gmail user interface, but it's great wasn't enough. Gary points out not being effective enough with a
messages sent to Google Voice voicemail transcription service is to be able to see and manage e- that, not only has Paice filed some smart technology. Indeed. This
show up as e-mail messages in woefully inaccurate.(Credit: mails, voicemails, and SMS new lawsuits over more recent isn't a case of patents being used
Gmail. You can reply to messages S c r e e n s h o t b y R a f e messages all in one place. It will hybrid Toyotas, it's also taking a to enable innovation. It's a clear
from Gmail, too, which makes it a N e e d l e m a n / C N E T ) be interesting to see if Google separate crack at the issue via the case of patents being used to
nice platform for carrying on a Small snags: Although the Wave gets similar Universal International Trade hinder innovation -- and the
text message conversation. features are thematically linked, Inbox features. Commission(ITC), an infamous patent holder seems to have no
Google Voice text messages can they're enabled differently. The Google announced these loophole used by patent holders to qualms about admitting that no
now be read and replied to from SMS feature is turned on within enhancements on the Google get multiple cracks at a company real innovation happened until
within Gmail.(Credit: Screenshot the Settings tab of Google Voice; Voice Blog ( the SMS feature) over the same patent. The link Toyota came along.
by Rafe Needleman/CNET) the Gmail voicemail player needs and the Gmail Blog ( voicemail above from Treehugger asks a Permalink| Comments| Email
Also, there's a new Labs feature to be enabled from withing the player). question that plenty of folks This Story
in Gmail that lets you play your Labs tab of Gmail. Also, while Originally posted at Rafe's following the patent world have
Google Voice voicemail messages receiving and replying to Google Radar
from inside the Gmail viewer. Voice SMS messages in Gmail is
Previously, Gmail would send now easy, I didn't see how one

Glee: Showmance
By Allison Waldman (TV
Squad)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 10:31:00 PM
(S01E02) After the terrific
premiere episode of Glee last
May, it was probably inevitable
that the second episode would
have a hard time recapturing that related to the euphoria. I love that Continue reading Glee:
euphoria. For the first few euphoria. Showmance
minutes, however, Glee had As the music to Dean Martin's Filed under: Other Drama
succeeded. As Will made his "Ain't That A Kick in the Head" Shows, OpEd, Episode Reviews,
entrance into McKinley High, played (sans vocal) in the Reality-Free
high on the joy that the New background, it seemed that Glee Permalink| Email this| |
Directions had brought back to his lives of the students in the club, I was sailing. More on the rest of Comments
life and seeing it reflected in the the show after the jump.
44 Tech/ Internet News Record

First Look: TUAW gives iPhone OS

3.1 the hands-on treatment
By Steven Sande (The
Unofficial Apple Weblog
(TUAW))
really don't want something called
The Most Useless App Ever.
The Genius lets you refine this
Conde Nast Discovers
Submitted at 9/9/2009 7:30:00 PM

Filed under: OS, Odds and ends,

iPhone iPhone OS 3.1 made the
scene today at the Apple event,
with a number of new features
and fixes that should make iPhone
owners happy (and iPod touch
owners -- although for them, the
version number is 3.1.1 instead).
After a slow start to the
download, I was able to get the
update loaded onto my iPhone
3GS and I gave some of the new
features a test drive.
The first big new feature is the
Genius for Apps. To turn it on,
you go to the Featured screen the
App Store, and click the Genius
button at the top of the display.
After approving the license
agreement, Genius is up and
running, and clicking on the
Genius button gives you a list of
what it considers to be good
suggestions based on what I have
purchased. I wasn't very happy
with the first list it produced (see
screenshot at right), since I don't
live in NYC, don't read Time, and
list by swiping items to remove
them. I did notice by the third
screen of suggestions that the
Genius was starting to pick apps
that were more my style, so I
think it's going to work out.
Read on for more impressions
of 3.1.
Continue reading First Look:
TUAW gives iPhone OS 3.1 the
hands-on treatment
TUAW First Look: TUAW
gives iPhone OS 3.1 the hands-on
treatment originally appeared on
The Unofficial Apple Weblog
(TUAW) on Wed, 09 Sep 2009
19:30:00 EST. Please see our
terms for use of feeds.
Read| Permalink| Email this|
Comments
That The Streisand Effect
Reaches Russia Too
By Michael Masnick (Techdirt) reports about how journalists who
Submitted at 9/9/2009 7:22:00 PM have been critical of Putin have an
odd history of dying young -- but
A bunch of folks have been it's not clear if the goal here was
submitting this positively bizarre to protect the reporter (who's
story of how publishing giant pissed off that this whole thing
Conde Nast (who publishes, happened, and doesn't want CN
among other things, GQ, Vanity protecting him). The bigger issue
Fair, the New Yorker and Wired) have been that the company
basically tried to completely bury feared how its Russian magazines
an investigative piece recently would be treated following the
published in GQ about Vladimir profile. But, if that's the case, why
Putin. Conde Nast basically tried do the report at all?
to do everything possible to make In the meantime, of course, with
sure that the article was not seen NPR breaking the story of how
in Russia. Beyond the obvious much trouble Conde Nast went to
things of not publishing it in hide the article, they've pretty
Russian editions, it didn't put the much guaranteed that the article
article online and basically buried gets just that much more attention
it within the US GQ issue it was in Russia.
published in. It's not mentioned Permalink| Comments| Email
on the cover at all. This Story
Now, there have been plenty of

Find Your Friends on YouTube, Facebook Style

By Stan Schroeder next few weeks that shows you which of your contacts have YouTube if they have my email
(Mashable!) the YouTube channels of people YouTube channels. address” option.
Submitted at 9/10/2009 12:12:40 AM who might be your acquaintances, Of course, not everyone likes None of this seems to be live
and lets you easily connect and this idea; on Facebook and yet, but the folks at YouTube
YouTube is planning to add a subscribe to them.” MySpace, you’re meant to be able claim it’s all “coming soon”.
feature that, by description, YouTube will choose your to connect with friends, but on Reviews: Facebook, Gmail,
sounds exactly like Facebook’s f r i e n d s - t o - b e b y u s i n g t h e YouTube some users would like Google, MySpace, YouTube
friend recommendation. information they already have: if to remain incognito. In that case, Tags: friends, youtube
From the official blog: “We’ll you’ve sent a video to someone’s you can log into your YouTube
start by launching a “You may email address (while being logged YouTube account linked to your account, open the “Privacy”
know these people” suggestions into YouTube), that person is a Gmail account, Google can see section, and uncheck the “Let
box on the homepage over the potential friend. Also, if you have others find my channel on
Internet News Record
NY Times asks, Steve answers: Why
no camera on the iPod touch and no
stills on the nano?
By Michael Rose (The
Unofficial Apple Weblog
(TUAW))
Submitted at 9/9/2009 7:00:00 PM
Filed under: iPod nano, iPod
touch Well, looks like we weren't
the only ones wondering about the
two big questions of the day -- the
New York Times sat down briefly
with Steve Jobs post-event this
morning and found out the whys
and wherefores on the following:
• Why doesn't the iPod nano take
still pictures? Jobs says that the
tiny teensy CMOS sensor in the
nano isn't up to the quality
standards needed for stills; it's too
thin. "The sensors for doing a still
camera... they are just way too
thick to ever fit inside the Nano."
• What about a camera for the
iPod touch? The product path for
the touch, apparently, is that it's a
great gaming device and it's the
lowest investment option for
getting access to the App Store;
given that, the push was to get it
down to a price point everyone
could afford instead of adding
new features like a camera. "So
what we were focused on is just
reducing the price to $199. We
don't need to add new stuff - we
need to get the price down where
everyone can afford it." Not to say
it won't ever happen.
So much for my idea of a
firmware update to the nano
enabling still images down the
road.
TUAW NY Times asks, Steve
answers: Why no camera on the
iPod touch and no stills on the
nano? originally appeared on The
Unofficial Apple Weblog
(TUAW) on Wed, 09 Sep 2009
19:00:00 EST. Please see our
terms for use of feeds.
Read| Permalink| Email this|
Comments
Tech/ Tech News/ 45
TweepML Launches
Twitter Groups Service
& OPML-like Format
By Richard MacManus
(ReadWriteWeb)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 6:28:57 PM
A new service called TweepML
just launched that makes it easy to
create and share groups of Twitter
users. It's more than just a
grouping service though,
TweepML is also an open
extensible format. What OPML is
to RSS, TweepML is to Twitter.
Groups are of course one of the
core features of social software,
homepage, showing how many
but up till now it's been relatively people have followed each group.
cumbersome to create groups of
In addition to the groups
Twitter users - even in otherwise service, TweepML is also
feature-packed Twitter clients like
announcing an Open Standard
TweetDeck and Peoplebrowsr. Extensible format. This is an
TweepML makes this process real
XML-based format, similar to the
simple. RSS grouping format OPML, for
Sponsor
applications and services to share
As an example, here is a group I lists of Twitter users. An example
created for the ReadWriteWeb
use is publishers adding a
w r i t i n g t e a m : "tweepml.tml" file to their site
http://tweepml.org/ReadWriteWe
listing its writers. We will look to
b/. Simply click on that link, do that for ReadWriteWeb, using
scroll to the bottom of the page,
the above file.
enter your Twitter login details While there are similar Twitter
(TweepML states that it doesn't group services on the Web, such
store that data) and click the as Twibes and Crowdstatus.com,
"Follow" button. Voila, you're TweepML's usability makes it
following all of the stand out. Plus the format is
ReadWriteWeb team! simply a great idea and well
As well as making it easy to implemented.
create groups, TweepML enables Follow the ReadWriteWeb team
its users to share them too. There on Twitter! Discuss
are 'follow' counts on the
46 Tech News/ TV
Top 5 Web Trends of 2009: Mobile Web &
Augmented Reality
By Richard MacManus
(ReadWriteWeb)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 6:30:00 AM
This week ReadWriteWeb is
running a series of posts
analyzing the 5 biggest Web
trends of 2009. So far we've
explored these trends: Structured
Data, The Real-Time Web,
Personalization. The fourth part of
our series is on Mobile Web.
We're including Augmented
Reality in this category, as we
think it's a key element of where
the Mobile Web is heading circa
2009.
In April we reported statistics
from browser company Opera
showing large growth on the
Mobile Web. According to Opera,
there was a 157% increase in
usage of their Opera Mini web
browser from March 2008 to
March 2009. What's driving that
growth is devices like the iPhone,
new mobile operating systems
like Android, and hot applications
like Augmented Reality.
Sponsor
Apple Dominates Mobile Web,
But Android on The Rise...
We named Apple our Best
Bigco of 2008, mostly due to the
success of the iPhone and
accompanying App Store. By
most statistics, Apple is in a fairly
dominant position in the Mobile
Web. At the beginning of the year
we reported data from AdMob(a
leading mobile advertising
marketplace) showing that Apple
has a 48% market share of
smartphone traffic in the United
States. That figure doesn't just
come from the iPhone, but the
iPod touch too.
By June 2009, Apple's share of
smartphone traffic in the U.S. had
surged to 64%. Perhaps more
significantly though, Apple's
share of worldwide smartphone
traffic had increased to 47%. This
is important, because
internationally other smartphones
were utilized much more than in
the U.S. before the iPhone
arrived.
However, Apple can't afford to
rest on its laurals. Google's
mobile OS Android has been
making rapid progress. According
to the latest Admob statistics
available, for July '09, requests
from the Android Operating
System increased 53% month
over month and Android now has
7% worldwide OS share. The
iPhone OS dropped slightly to
45% worldwide and 60% in the
U.S.
Bigco Initiatives & Trendy
Startups
All of the big Internet
companies have strong Mobile
Web initiatives. We discussed
Apple and Google above.
Yahoo continues to push Mobile
Web, which currently goes under
the OneConnect brand.
Microsoft has announced a
number of mobile initiatives this
year, including a mobile version
of Microsoft Office and MySpace
bringing its platform to Windows
Mobile phones.
Internet News Record
As we reported at the end of
August, the AR apps are starting
to flow into Android (the early
leader in this space) and iPhone
devices. We reported that the
Paris Metro Subway was America's Next Top
apparently the first AR-enabled
app to be accepted into iTunes. Model: How Short Can
Then came a new Yelp app with You Go / The Early Bird
AR, which any 3Gs owner can Gets A Makeover
turn on by shaking their phone.
Earlier this month Facebook Presselite, the company that made (season premiere)
announced a mobile expansion of the Paris Metro Subway app,
their Facebook Connect platform. followed up with a London Bus By Michael Pascua (TV
Squad)
"Facebook Connect for Mobile app for the App Store.
Submitted at 9/9/2009 10:32:00 PM
Web" enables developers to add a Conclusion
Facebook Connect button to their Clearly mobile devices are an
apps in order to make them more increasingly important way to (S13E01/S13E02) America's
Next Top Model's casting special
social. access the Web. Many of our
Probably of most interest is r e a d e r s h a v e s m a r t p h o n e s has always been a little ironic
because all the contestants have
watching the up and coming nowadays, a good proportion of
Mobile Web startups. We've had them being iPhones or Android been revealed on the official CW
website. Nonetheless, the girls
our eye on Brightkite for some devices (our statistics prove this).
time, but perhaps the trendiest And there is no shortage of arrived at a hotel to be sorted.
Instantly, we're given a snarky
startup right now is Foursquare. mobile web applications flowing
It's a location-aware social app for into the App Store and Android's gay man who takes the girls'
names. He never shows up after
the iPhone, but only available in a marketplace - not to forget Nokia
limited number of countries and other prominent mobile that scene.
Tyra wants to make sure that
currently. Augmented Reality manufacturers.
Augmented reality, the addition short models get a chance this
What's perhaps most year as she looks for the next
of a layer to the world on your encouraging however, is the
mobile device, has been a very entirely new class of mobile apps petite model. None of the girls are
taller than 5'7", but to give all of
hot trend this year. As we noted in we're seeing. Augmented Reality
August, it is in everything from is the most obvious example. It's the girls a shot, none of the short
girls are plus-sized.
mobile apps to kids toys. Many been a big year for mobile, with
people think that "AR" will soon much promise to come. Continue reading America's
Next Top Model: How Short Can
be talked about by everyone the • Top 5 Web Trends of 2009:
way they used to talk about The Real-Time Web You Go / The Early Bird Gets A
Makeover (season premiere)
"social media" and "Web 2.0" • Top 5 Web Trends of 2009:
before that. That remains to be Structured Data Filed under: Other Reality
Shows, OpEd, Episode Reviews
seen, but there's no denying there • Top 5 Web Trends of 2009:
is a lot of interest in AR right Personalization Permalink| Email this| |
Comments
now. Discuss
Internet News Record Tech News/ TV 47

Mr. Know-It-All on Spam Among Friends, Blog

Contests, Naked Babies
By Brendan I. Koerner (Wired
Top Stories)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 5:00:00 PM
My short film is about to hit the
festival circuit. Would it be cool
to email a heads-up to everyone in
my address book?
The Internet has a name for that,
Dear Reader: spam. Unless you
wish to join the spiritual ranks of
bootleg Viagra peddlers and
Nigerian "princes," indiscriminate
email blasts to one's
acquaintances is never copacetic.
Nobody wants to live in a world
where giving contact info to a
friend or colleague is tantamount
to checking the "Yes, please keep
me informed about exciting
product offers!" box.
That said, there's nothing wrong
with aggressive self-promotion.
Sift through your contacts to
identify people who might be
interested, even though they
haven't explicitly opted in. Focus
on folks with whom you've
enjoyed at least one warm
exchange. Then tailor the
messages. "Personalize each
email," says Chris Brogan,
president of New Marketing Labs,
a social-media consulting firm.
"Send them one at a time and say
one personal thing at the
beginning of each."
Keep in mind that no matter
how much care you take to avoid
the whiff of spam, there's a
chance that some of your
recipients will complain. If that
happens, be human enough to
apologize—something spambots
never do.
To boost my blog traffic, I held
a contest, awarding $50 gift cards
to readers I picked at random. My
husband says it was illegal. Am I
going to jail?
Technically, your giveaway
wasn't a contest but a sweepstakes
— à la Publishers Clearing House.
You picked the winners at
random, rather than as a reward
for, say, their knowledge of trivia.
As such, you are subject to the
laws of your home state regarding
sweepstakes. These generally
state that the rules must be clearly
posted and that entrants shouldn't
have to spend money in order to
win.
Unfortunately, the fine print in
some states can be annoyingly
specific. You may come across
detailed requirements governing
the font and type size for your
"No Purchase Necessary"
disclaimer or the exact odds of
winning.
Didn't dot those i's or cross
those t's? Don't fret. You're highly
unlikely to do time, especially
given your piddling payouts. (The
California attorney general's
office couldn't identify a single
case of a blogger being punished
for holding a sweepstakes.) But
next time you feel the need to
channel Ed McMahon(may he rest
in peace), do your best to obey the
law. It's a royal pain, but look on
the bright side—long legal
disclaimers give your blog an air
of authority.
I recently posted a photo on
Facebook of my 4-month-old son
taking a bath. My mom flipped;
she said I was creating child porn.
Is she overly paranoid?
Sounds like your mother has
seen one too many episodes of To
Catch a Predator. The legal test is
for the depiction of "sexually
explicit conduct" (including
"lascivious exhibition" of
genitalia). Neither the Feds nor
Facebook care about a cute bath-
time picture of your own kid. And
it means a lot if Facebook is cool
with it, because the company is
notoriously prim—it has been
known to delete images of
breastfeeding. "We've carved out
an exception in our policy to
allow photos of infants posted by
parents or other family members,"
says Simon Axten, a Facebook
spokesperson.
Mom also needs to understand
that Facebook can actually be
more private than a beach or
park—the photos can be viewed
only by trusted friends, assuming
you have the appropriate privacy
settings. (You do, right?) Unless
she has a blanket objection to her
grandson appearing naked in
public, including during
emergency diaper changes, her
anti-Facebook logic doesn't hold
water.
Need help navigating life in the
21st century? Email us at
mrknowitall@wired.com.
Google Launches
Internet Stat
Center
By Sarah Perez
(ReadWriteWeb)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 7:03:59 AM
Without any fanfare, Google has
launched a new resource called "
Google Internet Stats" which
brings together industry facts and
insights from across five different
industries. Using a number of
third party vendor as sources, the
stats tool parses through online
data to reveal Twitter-sized
snippets and factoids like:"Over
90% of online merchants are
planning to add rich media and
social networking functions in
2009 -Internet Retailing" or
"Runners have collectively logged
over 93 million miles on
nikeplus.com - BusinessWeek."
While the stat center is an

David Tutera gave up on The Apprentice, not just Joan Rivers

By Joel Keller (TV Squad) David Tutera, whose firm was to ease into things by asking him Continue reading David Tutera
Submitted at 9/10/2009 9:11:00 AM helping to plan both teams' about the show and its upcoming gave up on The Apprentice, not
parties, pulled out of the show season. Oh, and I asked him for just Joan Rivers
I'm starting to slog through my completely after Joan requested suggestions on how to throw a Filed under: The Apprentice,
backlog of TCA-related material, changes to his plans. relatively inexpensive wedding in Interviews, Celebrities, TCA
and I wanted to make sure this got After Tutera presented a panel New Jersey, but that was just for Press Tour
out there before it gets lost. When introducing the second season of personal reasons. Permalink| Email this| |
I interviewed Joan Rivers while I his WE show My Fair Wedding, I But Tutera seemed ready. He Comments
was in Pasadena, I asked her caught up with him outside the answered Joan's charges calmly
a b o u t t h e i n c i d e n t o n T h e ballroom to get his response to coming, because I had mentioned and without the same rancor she
Celebrity Apprentice finale where Joan. He knew the questions were them to his publicist, but I wanted used.
48 Tech News/ Internet News Record
GOOGLE
Sponsor Post: "Good Enough" Is the continued from page 47
excellent new resource, there is Retailing, Internetworldstats.com,

Bare Minimum one odd thing about it - it's hosted

on the google.co.uk domain even
though many of the sources used
JP Morgan, KMPG, Media &
Marketing, Mediascope Europe,
Mindshare, Motorola, Net
By RWW Sponsor counter" while visiting a Palm for stats have a global focus. Imperative, New York Magazine,
(ReadWriteWeb) facility in the 1990s. According to Sponsor Nielsen, NMA, Ofcom, Opsos
Submitted at 9/10/2009 6:25:20 AM Pogue, this person counted taps The collection of statistics is M e d i a C T ,
for each feature that Palm put into broken down into five main areas PriceWaterhouseCoopers,
Editor's note: we offer our long- its PDA. If a process took more of focus: Technology, Macro QuickPlay Media Inc., Retail
term sponsors the opportunity to than three taps, it had to be Economic Trends, Media Week, Reuters, TGI Net, Times
write 'Sponsor Posts' and tell their redesigned. Landscape, Media Consumption, Online, TNS, Verdict Research,
story. These posts are clearly On this point, Pogue and Capps and Consumer Trends. Within Wall Street Journal, WARC,
marked as written by sponsors, largely agree. Pogue, however, each topic are subcategories YouTube, ZenithOptimedia, GM
but we also want them to be wisely sidesteps the land mines of focusing on a particular aspect of It's strange that despite featuring
useful and interesting to our "lo-fi," "price," and any other that subject area. For example, global companies, Google has
readers. We hope you like the down-market connotation. within Technology, you can drill launched this valuable resource
posts and we encourage you to That's because "good enough" down into Broadband, Mobile, tucked away on the UK domain.
support our sponsors by trying out in technology means "accessible" Devices, and Speed. While that's Because of this choice, many of
their products. does. Take the computer market. and "easy to use." "Cheaper" is a obviously not a comprehensive the stats provided have a UK or
Senior Wired Magazine editor Sure, netbooks sell like hotcakes nice bonus, but millions of people look at all of technology, the stats European focus. However, mixed
Robert Capps penned an article while most of the rest of the continue to prove that they will available are compelling. in with the localized data are
t i t l e d " T h e G o o d E n o u g h market takes a beating. But there's pay a higher initial cost to make Of course, because it's Google, global stats as well as stats that
R e v o l u t i o n " f o r W i r e d ' s a fly in the ointment: Apple. sure that what they get is good this resource is a search tool. focus on the user base of just one
September 2009 edition. The print Apple hasn't lowered its prices enough. Capps stumbled only in Although you can just click company. For example, Twitter.
edition included the daring (and o r j u m p e d o n t h e n e t b o o k neglecting this price-elasticity around and scroll through the stats (e.g. Although men and women
perhaps intentionally provocative) bandwagon... yet (we'll keep our counter-argument. displayed, it's more useful to follow a similar number of
subtitle "Why lo-fi tech will rule ears open for any announcements Read his excellent article actually perform a search if you're Twitter users, men have 15%
the world." on that). Yet the company's anyway (and check out David looking for specific data. more followers than women -
This rings of an absolutism, and fortunes continue to soar in the Pogue at TED) and get inspired. The data for the stats comes HavardBusiness.org).
such rings set off our antennae. f a c e o f d e p l o r a b l e m a r k e t In any case, whatever you offer: from a variety of international We hope that Google is simply
Sponsor conditions, which Capps asserts • Make it easy to use, resources provided by the using the UK as the testing
Capps does make solid points. should make lo-fi tech spread • Make it accessible, following vendors: grounds for this new utility and
He holds up netbooks, Amazon's faster. • And above all, make sure it B2Bonline.com, BARB, they'll soon launch something
Kindle, and the Flip video New York Times columnist satisfies the needs of your BusinessWeek, Coke, with a more global focus for
recorder as examples of things David Pogue gave a convincing clientele. Commission of the European everyone. Or even better, we hope
t h a t s u p p l a n t t r a d i t i o n a l talk on this subject, which he Do all of this, and higher prices Communities, Comscore, Core they'll launch more regionalized
a l t e r n a t i v e s , t h a n k s t o a called " Simplicity Sells," and m i g h t n o t b o t h e r p o t e n t i a l Metrics, Datamonitor, Deloitte, versions of this same tool across
combination of ease of use, wider between rousing musical numbers customers as much as you fear. The Economist, eMarketer, all Google domains worldwide.
availability and lower cost. he returned several times to the Does this logic apply to your Enders Analysis, Eurostat, Film Thanks to Steve Rubel for
The best example, the Flip things Apple does right. business? Let us know. We'd love Distributors Association, sharing this new find.
video, "nail(s) all three of those... Pogue also mentioned a to hear your opinion. Discuss Financial Times, Forrester, GFK, Discuss
traits." But not every product discussion he had with a "tap Google Insights for Search,
Greenbee.com, Guardian,
HarvardBusiness.org, Hitwise,
IAB, IFPI, IMF, Internet
Internet News Record Tech News/ Tech Reviews 49

DataMasher: Get Freakonomic On Symbian to ease app

Government Data building for China
By Dana Oshiro the Federal Register and create
(ReadWriteWeb)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 10:30:00 PM
feeds on the most important
proposals and information. Users
Mobile
can browse the latest government- (CNET News.com) "Symbian Signed will be
If you're a lobbyist / advocate, related notices, respond to Submitted at 9/10/2009 5:54:14 AM simplified to make it easier for
conspiracy theorist or regulatory amendments and developers, by clarifying exactly
Freakonomics fan, then you'll comment on everything from The Symbian Foundation and what the tests will involve,"
love DataMasher. The map-based e a s y f e a t , a n u m b e r o f endangered species to homeland China Mobile have joined forces Wood said. "Some of the tests
mash up site just took the Sunlight government and semi-public security. to promote the development of were a bit subjective, in that (the
Foundation's $10,000 grand prize agencies have been criticized for Third Place: This We Know: Symbian-based software for the same) apps could be submitted
in the Apps for America 2: The refusing to standardize public T h i s a p p l i c a t i o n g i v e s y o u Chinese operator's app store. and pass or fail, which was
Data.gov Challenge. DataMasher data. This recent Apps for government-related info based on The partners will also promote frustrating for developers. We're
offers users with no programming America challenge is meant to y o u r z i p c o d e . I t o f f e r s the uptake of TD-SCDMA, the moving away from style questions
experience a chance to compare e n c o u r a g e g o v e r n m e n t information on the number of 3G standard developed in China to address core functionality."
government data sets on a state-by transparency on all levels for the factories within a 7 mile radius, as an alternative to WCDMA and The Symbian Signed process
-state basis. The tool is just one of purpose of creating new citizen- t h e n u m b e r o f p o u n d s o f o t h e r w i r e l e s s i n t e r f a c e will be added to China Mobile's
the 3rd party mash ups using driven solutions. Below are the pollutants released, violent crime technology. The collaboration submission process for Mobile
Data.gov's federal government winners of the challenge: rates, cancer rates and related bills a g r e e m e n t w a s a n n o u n c e d Market, meaning that developers
information. First Place: DataMasher: This in Congress. This would actually Wednesday. will be able to have their software
Sponsor site offers an easy-to-use interface be a great tool for environmental "The Symbian platform holds a tested, signed and approved in one
While the last Apps for America that allows regular citizens to health advocates looking to make strong position in China's mobile go.
c h a l l e n g e f o c u s e d o n combine and mix data sets the connection between cancer hot market, and we welcome the The signing process will also be
Congressional tracking, this new w i t h o u t a n y p r o g r a m m i n g spots and chemical pollutants. o p p o r t u n i t y t o b u i l d o u r more closely linked to Symbian's
challenge encouraged participants knowledge. From here, data is Best Data Visualization: relationship with the Symbian Horizon program, which assists
to use Data.gov's raw machine- displayed on a State-by-State Quakespotter: This site creates a Foundation," Lu Xiang Dong, a d e v e l o p e r s i n b u i l d i n g
readable data. Developers pulled basis in map format. Compare 3d visualization of earthquakes vice president at China Mobile, applications for the mobile OS
stats from a slew of Federal c a n c e r h o t s p o t s t o C O 2 and matches it to data taken from said in a statement. and helps them submit the
agencies including the Bureau of emissions, SAT scores to crime those areas on Twitter. China Mobile, which is China's software to app stores.
Justice, the Bureau of rates and even political For a complete list of entries largest carrier with about 497 In addition, the foundation plans
Transportation and the Agency for contributions to State spending. visit the Sunlight Labs contest million subscribers, launched its to launch a Chinese-language
Healthcare Research and Quality. Second Place: Gov Pulse: This page. Discuss Mobile Market app store in July. Symbian site, reflecting its user
Although this may seem like an application allows users to browse The alliance with the Symbian base. In August, 60 percent of
Foundation, the industry d e v e l o p e r s s u b m i t t i n g
organization behind the Symbian applications to be accredited by
open-source mobile operating Symbian were Chinese, according
system, aims to increase the to Wood.
number of Symbian developers Western operators are
contributing to the app store and increasingly collaborating with
broaden the range of software in Chinese companies. Telefonica,
it. the international telecoms
The first part of the program company behind O2 in the U.K.,
will involve the foundation announced Monday a$1 billion
streamlining its Symbian Signed share swap with China's No. 2
accreditation process for mobile carrier, China Unicom.
applications, Symbian Foundation Tom Espiner of ZDNet UK
founding director David Wood reported from London.
said.
50 Tech News/ Tech Reviews Internet News Record

How Facebook Beat MySpace: From Symantec tool calculates

College Dorm to Platform your data's value to
By Dana Oshiro time line. As high traffic services
(ReadWriteWeb)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 8:03:45 PM
thieves like Disqus, Digg and WordPress
began using Facebook Connect,
members found cross-platform (CNET News.com) calculated to be $11.29. Those
Two years ago Danah Boyd's distribution with ease-of-use. Submitted at 9/10/2009 5:00:00 AM figures didn't change when I
article"Viewing visits in the social networking Facebook moved from being a modified the gender, age, and
American Class Divisions custom category, followed by College forum site to a full scale It's no secret that criminals are estimated value of the data.
Through Facebook and MySpace" MySpace with 31%." Dougherty lifestyle platform. Whereas stealing credit card and bank A recent Microsoft Research
mesmerized marketers and tech offers 3 reasons for Facebook's MySpace is still a website, account data and selling it report concludes that stolen data
j o u r n a l i s t s . F a c e b o o k w a s success including clean design, Facebook has become an entire underground. But most people offered for sale in underground
described as"hegemonic" while mobile applications and Facebook eco-system. would find it shocking to learn IRC channels is difficult to
MySpace was the haven of Connect. In early June Inside Facebook just how little their sensitive monetize because of all the--get
"subaltern" teens. Whether Boyd While it's true MySpace's reported that Americans spent personal information costs. this--con artists there.
intended it or not, Facebook c o m m i t m e n t t o m e m b e r 13.9 billion minutes per year on Symantec on Thursday is Regardless of whether the
became characterized as the c u s t o m i z a t i o n a l l o w e d t h e Facebook and 5 billion minutes launching its Norton Online Risk underground revenue figures are
privileged space of college kids community's lowest common o n M y S p a c e . W h e n y o u Calculator, a tool that people can overblown, the data is being
and MySpace was plagued with denominators to bring down the remember that Facebook doesn't use to see how much their online harvested, sometimes in huge
t h e p e r c e p t i o n o f l o w b r o w look of the site, Facebook's allow for time-consuming html- information is worth on the black batches, during data breaches at
tackiness. At the time it made aesthetic has also suffered with based profile customizations, you market. The tool also offers a risk large payment processors, and
sense that a site for the privileged 3rd party app integration. This is r e a l i z e t h e f e a t t h e y ' v e rating based on demographics, there is a market for it.
had less traffic. After all, isn't hardly a reason for such a mass a c c o m p l i s h e d . R a t h e r t h a n online activity, and estimated It's discomfiting to think a
privilege generally exclusive? migration. And because MySpace d e p e n d i n g s o l e l y o n i t s value of online information. criminal could pay as little as $11
According to a recent Hitwise a n d F a c e b o o k b o t h o f f e r employees, Facebook's success I tried the tool when I was to get access to my sensitive
blog post Facebook is not only B l a c k b e r r y a n d i P h o n e relies on the fact that it increases initially briefed on it a few personal data for identity fraud
beating MySpace's traffic, it's the applications, it's also unlikely that its value through its 15,000 months ago and was surveyed purposes, while I could end up
second ranked site overall in the mobile access played a huge part Facebook Connect members and about my gender and age range; spending lots of energy and time--
US behind Google. in MySpace's demise as market more than 50,000 app developers. online assets (including credit years even--reporting the crime,
Sponsor leader. Discuss card and bank account data, trying to fix my credit rating, and
Says Director of Research Dougherty's assessment about b r o k e r a g e a c c o u n t s , e - m a i l getting my life back to normal.
Heather Dougherty, "For the week Facebook Connect is likely the accounts, and social network Symantec isn't trying to scare
e n d i n g S e p t e m b e r 5 , 2 0 0 9 , key reason for such dramatic accounts) and an estimated value consumers with the Norton Online
Facebook captured nearly 58% of traffic growth given her enclosed of all that information; whether I Risk Calculator, but to raise
use security software; how awareness of the risks, said
cautious I am when online; and Marian Merritt, Internet safety
how much I think my information advocate at Symantec.
is worth. "We still find consumers who
I use security software (and do think using just antivirus is
my financial transactions mostly sufficient," she said.
on a Mac at home), am fairly Merritt recommends that people
cautious while Web surfing, and use security suites that offer
didn't put a high dollar figure on antivirus, firewall, and intrusion
t h e v a l u e o f m y d i g i t a l detection and prevention software,
information. My security risk as well as keep their operating
turned out to be 37 percent, or system and browsers updated.
medium, and the black market
worth of my online assets was
Internet News Record
Five Features We Want to See in Ubuntu [Lifehacker Wishlist]
By Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 5:00:00 PM
Ubuntu isn't the only Linux
operating system, but it's where
the dream of a usable, completely
free desktop is closest to reality. If
every Ubuntu developer were
assembled at one place, here are
five things we'd ask them to
accomplish.
Image by Andrew Mason.
Ubuntu's not a single service or
application developed by a single-
minded team, so our wish list is a
bit broader than just asking for
five features or tweaks we'd like
to see. Ubuntu is an open-source
distribution of Linux, improved
and developed for by thousands of
developers around the world, and
it incorporates the efforts of many
of the projects it relies on, like the
GNOME desktop, open-source
drivers, apps like Firefox and
Pidgin, and many more.
But let's say there were a
worldwide summit on how Linux
could become a viable,
convenient desktop for more
people, and let's pretend I had a
panel approved at said summit at
which I could present to all the
devs. I wouldn't argue about
hardware compatibility, or
pretend that games are an end-all
issue. I'd admit I'm biased toward
thinking about Apple computers
more than Windows, because
Apple has gained ground with a
surprisingly similar product, and
some corporate, locked-down
environments will never switch
from Windows.
Then I'd ask for these five
things: An App Store better than
Apple's
One of Linux's most touted
advantages over Windows and
Mac systems is that, on
distributed systems like Ubuntu,
you can install thousands of
applications right from your
system, without having to Google,
download, double-click, and Next,
Next, Next through installation
screens. That advantage is lost if
you put all your applications in a
big pile of searchable stuff labeled
"Graphics" or "Sound &
Video"—or, even worse, ask
users to copy-paste repository
sources and installation
commands into text files and
terminals. Those are great backup
and uber-geek solutions, but
terribly off-putting to those just
trying to get a system up and
working.
New users are coming to Linux
looking for their Windows or Mac
equivalents—Photoshop, iTunes,
Winamp, AIM—and they're
wondering what other users like
them recommend in very
particular areas. They're in a
position similar to that of a new
iPhone owner when it comes to
software. Only certain
applications will work on this
very particular software setup,
and they must be sought out.
Apple's iPhone App Store is an
utter mess when it comes to
organization, search, and layout,
but even its simple Top 10 Paid
and Top 10 Free are more
guidance than what Ubuntu users
are being offered. The default,
installed Ubuntu applications are
okay, maybe a little esoteric in
spots, but Ubuntu's builders and
coders shouldn't be the taste
makers.
Create a clean, tagged, search-
friendly database of everything
that runs on a standard Ubuntu
desktop. Offer wiki-style, group-
edited write-ups, reviews, and
(maybe) ratings of what the
applications do and what non-
Linux apps they are similar to,
Tech Tips/ 51
system installation options are.
Do your best to make something
like installing and running
VirtualBox easy for a beginner, or
break apart its open-source guts
and integrate it so tightly into
Ubuntu that an "Open in
Windows 7" right-click command
isn't some laughable dream. A
wave of right-brain rethinking
The achievements of a network
of left-brain-oriented, technical-
minded developers in creating a
Unix-based system that installs on
just about anything with a
processor can never be truly
appreciated. Apple created a Unix
-based OS that installs on a
smaller subset of computer
hardware, but has a history and
tradition of investing a whole lot
of right-brain thought into making
technically advanced features
and put it all on the freely look clean and simple. Projects
accessible web. This kind of thing like Mac4LIn are mimicry at its
is already possible with Ubuntu's f i n e s t , a n d i n t e r f a c e s l i k e
apt-url handler—all that's missing GNOME-Do Docky theme bring
is the common URL. Integrate both Quicksilver and Dock
dual-booting and virtualization functionality to Linux. What
Show up fresh-faced at an Linux and Ubuntu really need
Apple Store and ask how your now, though, is something new.
copy of WordPerfect would run Palm's Pre smartphone received
on a Mac, and a T-shirted Genius generally rave reviews for its
will gradually guide you into "deck of cards" interface, which
Parallels or VMWare Fusion, or was actually new and not hard to
possibly suggest using Boot Camp get used to. While it doesn't seem
to occasionally run Windows to be winning a sales war against
when needed. Ubuntu isn't really the iPhone, Ubuntu has a distinct
any different. If Ubuntu wants to advantage—it's free. Something
reach beyond the technical- free and designed to look kinda-
minded, it should eliminate the sorta like XP out of the box once
need to learn about partition did won't win hearts and minds.
t a b l e s t o f i t a W i n d o w s Something with a useful but new
i n s t a l l a t i o n n e x t t o L i n u x . look, with advantages in speed,
Create something less imposing openness, and hardware support,
and more visually appealing than will get notice. To paraphrase
the default GRUB menu. Keep what Mac guy John Gruber said
improving on the Ubuntu installer a b o u t the Android
to better explain what one's multi-
FIVE page 53
52 Tech Tips/
From the Tips Box: Gym Memberships, Coffee Tricks, and
Crayon Removal [From The Tips Box]
By Rosa Golijan (Lifehacker)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 4:30:00 PM
Lifehacker readers tell us how
they get cheaper gym
memberships, clean up spilled
eggs, and remove crayon from our
walls.
Don't like the gallery layout?
Click here to view everything on
one page.
About the Tips Box: Every day
we receive boatloads of great
reader tips in our inbox (tips at
lifehacker.com), but for various
reasons—maybe they're a bit too
niche, maybe we couldn't find a
good way to present it, or maybe
we just couldn't fit it in—the tip
didn't make the front page. From
the Tips Box is where we round
up some of our favorites for your
buffet-style consumption.
Wait Until the End of the Month
for a Cheaper Gym Membership
Photo by adifansnet
Tim shares how to get the best
deal on a gym membership:
Take it from someone who's
sold gym memberships for a few
years, it takes two visits and an
end of the month special to get the
best deal. What you need to do is
visit the facility once in the
middle of the month for a tour.
Don't purchase a membership that
day, but instead wait for one of
the sales people to call you at the
end of the month. They need to
make their quotas and will offer
you the best deal then!
Clean Up Eggs With Salt
Photo by TalAtlas
Clarissa shared a trick that I'll
definitely try the next time I fail at
juggling eggs:
My favorite kitchen clean up
trick is to shake some salt over
spilled eggs. If you do that and
leave things sitting for a few
minutes, you'll be able to wipe
egg off a floor or counter without
it slipping and sliding
everywhere. It'll practically stick
to the dishtowel.
Remove Crayon From Walls
With Vinegar
Photo by laffy4k
Sue shared how she gets her
kids' walls white again:
I've got artists in the family,
unfortunately the younger ones
use their walls as a canvas. I
struggled to scrub crayon marks
from the walls or paint over them
for months until my mother-in-
law shared a trick with me.
She told me that a bit of white
vinegar can be used to scrub
crayon marks off walls without
destroying the paint underneath
and 'lo and behold, it works. I
used a dish sponge soaked in
vinegar to rub the marks off
without any hassle.
We've also heard bread can do
the trick in a pinch.
Keep Your Coffee From
Spilling and Your Hands Free
While Grocery Shopping
Robin tells us about how she
keeps her coffee safe while
grocery shopping:
Don't know if you have the
same problem I do. I often found
myself holding my coffee in one
hand and trying to shop with
another at supermarkets. Today,
the light bulb hovering over my
head went off, I tied a plastic bag
Internet News Record
(the ones found in the vegetable
section) in a loop in the corner of
the shopping carts. Now both of
my hands are free and the coffee
is out of reach of my two year old.
Looks like Robin's grocery store
needs the cup holders built into
the carts at mine. Until that
happens, hers seems like a good
solution.
Know Which Class is Next
Without Constant Schedule
Checking
Marshal has a neat trick to avoid
looking like a Freshman every
semester:
College recently started again,
and since it's always a pain to pull
out your printed schedule, and not
to mention a little newbie-
seeming, I came up with the quick
idea to type up my schedule,
photograph it and set it as my
phone's background. That way if I
ever forget what time or room my
class is in, I can just peek at my
phone's home screen and be on
my way. I've showed a couple
people here how to do it and they
seemed genuinely pleased with
the results, so I figured I would
share and maybe help out a couple
more. I've attached a pic of my
home screen to give you the idea.
It has the class title, time, and
building/room number for each
class. Mine works with the left
being MWF and the right column
being Tu/Thu.
Internet News Record
FIVE
continued from page 51
opportunity—set your goals such
that you can claim victory with
just a fraction of Windows and
Apple's installation base.
Awesome cloud-based backup
When the Linux-based Chrome
OS drops, one thing we know it's
going to try for is starting up in "a
few seconds." Ubuntu's next
release, meanwhile, is aiming for
10 seconds. Unless they're both
pitched primarily for mayflies,
that's not an insurmountable
difference, but Chrome OS will
also offer no-worry backup of all
of a user's documents, emails,
SMS messages, and whatever
other webapps, because it all gets
done through a web browser, or,
more likely, a browser running
inside a stand-alone application
shell.
There are a significant number
of folks who aren't cool with
having everything they do in the
cloud, and might want hard copies
of everything. More likely, it's
probably wise not to use Google
as the linchpin of one's entire
productive life, because account
Tony Stewart Shows Who's the Boss in Prelude to
the Dream at Eldora
By Jerry Bonkowski
(FanHouse)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 11:55:00 PM
by Jerry Bonkowski
Filed under: Tony Stewart
Being the boss and racetrack
owner may give him a leg up, but
it was Tony Stewart's talented
right foot that once again proved
to be the difference in
Wednesday's Gillette Young
Guns' Prelude to the Dream at Prelude's five-year history,
Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Stewart won on his home turf in Blogs| Comments
Ohio.
Apple Sports 53
lock-outs and password hacks do Windows, there's the free
Welcome Back: Steve
happen. Backup, however, is one
of those things that's more
powerful when there's a copy far
Windows Movie Maker, which
has actually lost features since the
XP version, and then professional
Jobs Returns to the
away from your system. Ubuntu
already has Ubuntu One, but right
now it's a less convenient
packages starting at $450 dollars.
In Linux, there are a range of
options, almost none of them with
Stage
Dropbox look-alike, because it's a finished feel, and all of them By Mark Crump
accessible only through Ubuntu or front-loaded with codec, (TheAppleBlog)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 6:38:29 PM
the web. It's open source, so dependency, and interface
Windows and Mac headaches galore. OpenShot
synchronization tools may The punditry were divided on
seems like a step in the right
eventually show up, designed by whether Jobs would even show
direction. While Ubuntu isn't in
committee. But if a backup for today’s press event. Those
the video software business, the
service is getting accolades from opining he wouldn’t show
many folks who contribute time,
true geeks for being paradigm- claimed it was a nothing
thought, and sometimes money to
shifting and mind-freeing, you'd announcement — just a product
the project could consider this a
do well to learn its lessons, or refresh; no iTablet, why bother?
serious missing link in the Linux
potentially open talks in the He was done being the public face
application space. Our imaginary
interest of open-sourcing it. Good of Apple and was turning the
panel comments at the Worldwide
video editing software keynotes over to Phil Schiller, VP
Ubuntu Summit are now finished,
This one's a bit more fiddly, but of Marketing. He was still too
but we left some time for
definitely worth mentioning. weak to manage an event.
comments at the end. Tell us what
Trying to edit a video so that Jobs proved them wrong and
you think Ubuntu needs, or needs
continuous sound played over surprised everyone by not only
to change, to become a great
different clips, two Lifehacker making an appearance at the “It’s
alternative desktop in the
editors found themselves amazed comments. Only Rock and Roll” event, he
at how difficult, or at least hard to resumed his role as Master of
find out, iMovie '09 had made Ceremonies. at what, for all intents and
such a task on a Mac. On Looking thin and a tad gaunt in purposes, was a meaningless
his first appearance after a six- event.
month medial leave, Jobs said to a While Jobs makes products I
standing ovation, “I now have the
liver of a mid-20s person who
enjoy using — and am able to
pocket some coin writing about
died in a car crash and was
generous enough to donate their
— I’m just happy to see him alive
and well. It was nice to see him
crowd of more than 23,000, as organs, and I wouldn’t be here acknowledge the adoration of the
well as a national pay-per-view without such generosity.” Seeing Faithful and admit that he is
audience. how thin he is now — and human, and that had he not
Stewart's other Prelude wins assuming he’s put on some weight received the transplant, he would
came in 2006 and last year. since his transplant — I hate to
be dead. That’s a far cry from a
Tony Stewart Shows Who's the think about how thin he got. “hormone imbalance.”
Boss in Prelude to the Dream at While much has been said and
So, welcome back, Steve.
Eldora originally appeared on joked about Jobs being the Leader We’ve missed you. It’s good to
Fanhouse Motorsports Blog on of the Faithful, it was important
see you again.
Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:55:00 EST . for me to see him on stage again.
Please see our terms for use of It was important for me to see him
For the third time in the feeds. take the reins and show he’s back
Permalink| Email this| Linking
front of a standing room only
54 Tech Reviews
Recurring problems with Google Checkout
(CNET News.com)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 4:00:00 AM
An important feature in Google
Checkout has now been
unavailable for almost a month,
and some merchants are getting
fed up with Google's automated
approach to their concerns.
Google's ability to handle
recurring payments, such as
monthly subscriptions to a service
that are automatically billed once
a month, has been impaired since
around the middle of August with
little notice by the outside world.
A customer first reported the issue
in a Google Checkout forum in
August, and others, such as Katie
Braband, sales director at storage
company Datto, are still unable to
rely on Google to process
anything other than one-time
payments.
Braband went into Datto's
offices on September 2 to a
nightmare for any small business
owner: the monthly revenue from
subscriptions to Datto's off-site
data backup services did not
arrive as scheduled in its Google
Checkout merchant account.
Making matters worse, there was
no way to contact a live human
being at Google directly; Datto
was directed to an online forum
and support page where they
received this response: "Our
engineering team is working to
resolve this as quickly as possible,
though I'm not able to provide a
specific timeline at the moment."
Google confirmed there are still
problems with Google Checkout
on Wednesday but provided no
time frame for a fix. "We're
currently looking into some
service disruptions to Google-
handled recurring payments.
Merchant-handled recurring
payments are functioning
normally," the company said in a
statement. Merchant-handled
payments are when the merchant
submits a request for payment on
the day of the recurring period, a
burden that services such as
recurring payments processing are
designed to avoid.
Google Checkout has been
around since 2006. Designed in
part as a competitor to PayPal and
Bill Me Later-- the far-more
common online payment
processors--Google Checkout
offer Internet merchants the
ability to accept payments online
without having to invest time and
money into building and
maintaining their own payment
processing system, in exchange
for a cut of each transaction.
That's a familiar strategy at
Google, which offers budding
application developers hosting
resources at Google App Engine
and other businesses the ability to
bypass more expensive office
productivity software with Google
Apps. But while Google is quick
to respond when problems knock
services like Gmail or Google
App Engine offline, the delay in
responding to problems with
Google Checkout has cost it at
least one customer.
Datto's problems with Google
began when the company
surprisingly placed a 15 percent
reserve on its account following a
review of Datto's finances, which
the company insists were in order
and evidence of a healthy balance
sheet. Payment processors will
often hold a portion of all money
slated to wind up with the
merchant in cases where
merchants have a higher-than-
normal number of chargebacks or
appear to be going through a
rough patch as a hedge.
For several days, Datto was
unable to reach anyone at Google
to confirm that its financial
statements had been received as
part of that review, which made
the company worried because the
request for its finances came with
a warning that all payments would
be stopped if Google didn't
receive a response within five
business days. Google doesn't
offer phone support for Google
Checkout; instead it maintains a
Web site called the Merchant
Help Center for customers to get
support and lodge complaints.
Confirmation eventually arrived
with the reassurance that the
account was working properly and
everything was in order, but six
days later Google told Datto that
it would be holding 15 percent of
all payments processed through
Google Checkout "based on a
recent review of your business,"
and with no further explanation.
At this point, Datto decided to
build its own payment processing
system and move off Google
Checkout.
However, before the new
system could be completed the
company discovered the issues
with recurring payments. "We
received no notification
whatsoever that the recurring
payment system was broken and
now we have no guidance as to
when it will be fixed," Braband
wrote in an e-mail. "In addition to
having 15 percent of all Google
Checkout disbursements held in a
reserve account (completely
inaccessible to us) for 90-180
days, we now have no way of
collecting our monthly recurring
payments."
Google declined to comment on
the specific circumstances
involving Datto, saying that it
does not comment on individual
accounts.
In an interview, Braband said
Datto was lucky that it had
already made so much progress
toward developing its own
payment processing system but
the outage caused problems with
customers who thought their data
was not being backed up when the
payments went awry, and has
forced them to re-evaluate their
impression of Google in general.
Internet News Record
"As a young technology
company we always admired
Google. Their many free tools and
applications are amazing and the
support that comes with them is
great too. It's disappointing to all
of us at Datto Inc. that these
fixable occurrences regarding
Google's payment processing has
tainted our admiration of the
people who changed the web, and
that Google has chosen to provide
no support to the many businesses
paying to use Google Checkout,"
Braband wrote in an e-mail.
And that could be a real
problem for Google as it attempts
to build paid services around
products like Google Apps. Even
small businesses are accustomed
to developing relationships with
their suppliers that can help
smooth over the inevitable
problems that occur in any
business relationship.
Nieman Journalism Lab
reported Wednesday that Google
has offered its services with
micropayments as a possible
solution to the woes of the
newspaper industry, allowing
them to charge news consumers
small amounts for individual
stories or recurring subscriptions
through Google Checkout. Before
that happens, some serious
problems with Google Checkout
and customer support will need to
be addressed.
Internet News Record Tech Reviews Sports 55

Carnegie Mellon goes green with Gates-Hillman

complex
(CNET News.com) building (a couple having
Submitted at 9/10/2009 5:40:00 AM complex series of stairways
reminiscent of Hogwarts). There
Please raise your hand if you've is even an 'impluvium' that will Hypesman: Bradford
spent a lot of time in a basement
environment while attempting to
allow weather--including rain and
snow--to enter into the building,
Crashes, Bryant
master one computer-related art or all the way to the central Burns Georgia
another. 'collaborative commons' area,"
I'm referring to any room with a Peter Lee, head of the Computer By Clay Travis (FanHouse)
noisy ventilation system, windows Submitted at 9/9/2009 8:00:00 PM
Science Department and future
that don't open, and dim Office Director at DARPA,
fluorescents overhead. You know described in his blog. by Clay Travis
the one. It was either so Both buildings have individual Filed under: Heisman
sweltering that you ended up thermostats for each room that Three weeks ago, I wrote that
wearing shorts in January, or kept can be manually controlled, and the Big Three of Tim Tebow, Colt
so cold for the sake of the servers are additionally linked with McCoy, and Sam Bradford would
that you wore a scarf and motion sensors to detect when end up being the big two, and that
fingerless gloves year-round. they are empty so they can adjust the 2009 Heisman race would
Well, that universal rite of accordingly. feature several players that were
passage for computer lovers Gates-Hillman Complex.(Credit: created by that surrounding green While it's not officially open, just on the periphery of the
seems to be over for Carnegie Carnegie Mellon University) Heisman hunt in the preseason.
foliage because the Gates-Hillman professors and students have One week in, that's already
Mellon University students thanks In announcing the scheduled complex has over 310 windows, already moved in. Photos of the
to a $20 million gift from the Bill September 22 opening ceremony "most of which can be opened." actual building have not yet been happened. Following an
and Melinda Gates Foundation, a at which Microsoft Chairman Bill unfortunate shoulder sprain, Sam
The green roofs are each released, but some have appeared Bradford is out of the running.
$10 million gift from the Henry L. Gates will speak, CMU also equipped with heat exchange on The Tartan, CMU's student
Hillman Foundation, and several released updated information on system to limit energy loss in the newspaper. That leaves Tebow and McCoy as
other donors. As you would expect, there's the leaders in the clubhouse, but
the Green attributes of the Gates- ventilation system. They will also guarantees that a couple of guys
The Gates Center for Computer Hillman complex. collect rainwater and snow melt some nostalgia for the old
Science and the Hillman Center no one is talking about will snag
Through landscaping and a (gray water) that will be directed facilities. Mark Stehlik, professor invites to New York for the
f o r F u t u r e - G e n e r a t i o n series of five green roofs, the to the building's toilets. and assistant dean for
Technologies will officially open u n i v e r s i t y h a s m a n a g e d t o Heisman ceremony.
The nine-story Gates Center has undergraduate education at the Hypesman: Bradford Crashes,
on September 22. The linked "double the amount of green seven atria, and roughly 21,000 School of Computer Science, had
buildings will house research space that previously existed on square feet of interior glass to his dim, overcrowded office Bryant Burns Georgia originally
space, offices, conference rooms, the 5.6-acre site," according to insure plenty of natural light memorialized with a Gigapan appeared on Fanhouse NCAA
laboratories, an auditorium, and CMU. Professors and students throughout the building. snapshot, according to Lee. Football Blog on Wed, 09 Sep
classrooms for CMU's School of using the buildings will actually 2009 20:00:00 EST . Please see
"I was truly captivated also by our terms for use of feeds.
Computer Science. be able to breathe in the fresh air the many cuts and atria in the
Rendering of the completed Permalink| Email this| Linking
Blogs| Comments
56 Tech Reviews Game
Box goes mobile with new OpenBox API
(CNET News.com)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 6:00:00 AM
Storage provider and
collaboration service Box.net is
launching a mobile extension to
its OpenBox platform of
application programming
interfaces on Thursday. The
updated platform will enable
iPhone app developers to make
better use of the service's cloud
storage, giving users access to
their files across mobile
applications on the iPhone and
soon other platforms.
The idea is that users will be
able to save whatever they're
doing on the phone to Box's cloud
storage service, as opposed to
their servers or the device itself.
It's similar to the way the
smartphone can natively send
some files to places like Apple's
MobileMe service and Google's
YouTube. Users can then make
edits to those files using other
applications, subsequently
syncing back up the next time
they launch the iPhone app.
As part of the new program,
Box has already given a handful
of developers access to the new
APIs. These include Pixelpipe,
JotNot, iRec, and iThoughts, all of
which are releasing new versions
of their apps that will be able to
access and save to a user's Box
account.
What's missing here are Box's
servers, which are doing all the
heavy lifting. But the idea is the
same--your data flows freely
between mobile and desktop apps,
all through Box.(Credit: Box)
Beyond productivity apps, the
new APIs allow for any kind of
data to be sent over, which opens
up transfers from generic things
like text files, photos, and videos
into things like game saves and
user settings. A Box
representative told me that while
gaming would not be a focus of
the API, a developer's
implementation of it would not be
discouraged.
Considering the heavy
saturation of cross-platform
games on the iPhone, it could
quite easily give developers a way
for gamers to continue the game
they were playing on another
device, making Box a valuable
storage locker.
Internet News Record
Blades of Fury
brings high-'calibur'
fighting to iPhone
By JC Fletcher (Joystiq)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 11:45:00 PM
Sure, new iPods and iTunes and
whatever are great, but the best
Apple platform news for us this
week is the release of Gameloft's
Blades of Fury. Between the voice
acting, the idea of playing a 3D
fighter on iPhone, and, well,
Gameloft's willingness to openly
and unashamedly rip off Soul
Calibur, this is one of the most
entertaining iPhone releases yet,
and we haven't even played the
thing (which Touch Arcade says
is actually pretty good). You're
going to enjoy the trailer after the
break.
In fact, the only way to
approach Blades of Fury as
anything other than just a Soul
Calibur clone is to believe that
Gameloft released it this week as
an homage to Soul Calibur, ten
years after the Dreamcast release.
[Via Touch Arcade]
Continue reading Blades of
Fury brings high-'calibur' fighting
to iPhone
Blades of Fury brings high-
'calibur' fighting to iPhone
originally appeared on Joystiq on
Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:45:00 EST.
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Internet News Record
Today’s Game Parade
By Darrell Etherington
(TheAppleBlog)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 6:48:31 PM
Now that the iPod touch is a
tried and true gaming platform,
not an Apple event goes by that
we don’t see a smattering of
developers paraded up on stage to
show off their shiny baubles.
Today was no exception, with
reps from Ubisoft, Tapulous,
Gameloft and EA all making a
brief appearance.
Each studio showed off one of
its new titles. While not
particularly enthralling when
you’re watching mostly for the
thrilling possibility of
revolutionary software/hardware
announcements by Apple itself,
considered after the fact, there
were some impressive showings
from third party guests at today’s
presentation. Madden NFL 10
EA presented last, but
announced a title that’s nearest
and dearest to my heart. Just in
time for the start of the NFL’s
regular season, EA released
Madden NFL 10 ($7.99, iTunes
link) today, after demoing it
onstage at the event. It’s on sale
until the real kick-off this
Thursday, too.
The game features all 32 NFL
teams, real players, and real
stadiums. The playbook isn’t too
shabby either, with almost 300
plays available to choose from.
You can also draw your own
passing routes on the screen using
your finger and the iPhone or iPod
touch’s screen. Season play is
included, and roster updates will
be part of an upcoming feature
update. The game also auto-saves
the state on exit, so you never
have to worry about losing your
game when you take a call. Nova
Gameloft also got some
facetime at today’s event, and it
took advantage of the opportunity
to show off its new first person
shooter. Called Nova, it features a
space marine hero (original!)
blasting aliens, presumably in
space somewhere.
Nova makes use of Gameloft’s
powerful 3D graphics engine
that’s found in titles like Modern
Combat: Sandstorm, and has a
similar control scheme, with
movement on the left and firing
controls on the right. Multiplayer
via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi is
supported, as is iPod library
access. Is it Halo called something
else? Is Gangstar actually GTA?
Either way, Gameloft is very
adept at what it does, even if it’s
actually only what other people
have already done, except smaller.
Nova will be available later in
the year. No word on pricing yet,
but expect it to be somewhere
around the $10 mark. Riddim
Ribbon
Presumably pronounced
“Ride’em Ribbon,” this game puts
you in the DJ/driver’s seat. It’s by
Tapulous, makers of Tap Tap
Revenge, and it follows in the
popular rhythm game’s footsteps.
You race down a ribbon track,
and you have to follow the groove
and create a dynamic track in the
role of DJ in order to further your
progress.
You control your racer via tilt,
Apple Game 57
and use the accelerometer to jump
at certain points. The Black Eyed
Peas will provide featured music
for the game. Completing a track
essentially remixes it, and you can
then share that remix with others
online. Pricing and availability
have not yet been announced.
Arkham sells 2M,
Assassin’s Creed 2
French Studio Ubisoft showed
Warner gets serious
off the sequel to its flagship title, about DC licensing
Assassin’s Creed today.
Assassin’s Creed II: Discovery
By Justin McElroy (Joystiq)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 9:15:00 AM
puts new emphasis on the fighting
aspect of the game, featuring
You might have heard the news
more realistic combat. yesterday that Warner Bros. has
There are also some interesting
shaken up DC to better do battle
iPhone-exclusive features, like the with the now Disney-owned
ability to take a photo of yourself
Marvel. Part of that strategy,
and use it in wanted posters in the according to the L.A. Times, is
game. The iPhone and iPod touch
making better use of its IP in
version will be a puzzle and licensed properties like video
platform-based side-scroller,
games.
unlike its open world console While the move is definitely
counterpart. The game’s setting
Marvel-inspired, we have to
does match the console’s imagine part of the impetus comes
Renaissance-era backdrop,
from the success of Batman:
though. Expect it sometime later Arkham Asylum, which,
this year.
according to the article, moved
A lot of these games look like almost 2 million units in its first
they will be pushing the envelope
month. Taking games more
of iPod gaming, which is probably seriously is a smart move on DC's
why Apple chose to highlight
part ... lets just hope they leave
them today. The only one I’m the things that are working alone.
picking up for sure is Madden, but
Arkham sells 2M, Warner gets
that’s because I’m a degenerate serious about DC licensing
Madden addict, no matter the
originally appeared on Joystiq on
platform. Any of these catch your Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:15:00 EST.
eye today?
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58 Apple Game
iPhone OS 3.1 Brings More Ways to Give Apple
Your Money
By Darrell Etherington
(TheAppleBlog)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 1:10:05 PM
Sometimes I think to myself,
“How can I get more of my
money into Apple’s coffers?”
Apparently Apple knows this is a
concern of mine, so it introduced
direct ringtone purchasing in
iPhone OS 3.1. That’s not all
that’s there, but it is one of the
major changes in this incremental
update.
Also new in 3.1 is a relaxation
of the API limitations! Just
kidding. But there are some nice
user-side improvements that make
it easier to forget about all the
fuss surrounding the App Store
lately. Genius
Apple’s dubiously named
Genius recommendation engine
comes to the App Store in 3.1.
The service will check what
you’ve already installed on your
device and return results based on
those selections. Thus far, I’m
none too impressed with the
mental acuity of Genius for Apps,
which seems to be largely
keyword-based.
iPhone OS 3.1 also supports the
new Genius Mixes feature
available in iTunes 9. iTunes will
automatically create up to 12
playlists based on what’s in your
library, without you even having
to select a track as a starting point.
Home Screen
Finally, there’s a way to
organize your various iPhone and
iPod touch Home screens that
isn’t painfully slow and liable to
drive you completely nuts. With
iPhone 3.1 and iTunes 9, you’ll be
able to rearrange app icons
visually on your computer, and
then sync that arrangement to
your portable device.
You can even select and drag
multiple apps at once, and change
the order of entire Home screens
at a time, just like you should’ve
been able to do from the start.
Syncing and iTunes
With iTunes 9 and OS 3.1, you
should see improved syncing for
all media, including new sync
options like the ability to sync
Faces from iPhoto ‘09. Students
can organize their iTunes U
content, and you can now redeem
gift cards and promo codes in the
App Store application. You can
also see how much credit is
available in your account right on
your device.
As mentioned above, you can
now download ringtones
wirelessly from the iTunes store
on your device. That means it’s
far easier to spend $1.29 on
something that will give you at
best a week’s worth of pleasure
and those around you months of
agony and annoyance. Video
As seen in early builds of
iPhone OS 3.1, video editing is
now non-destructive thanks to a
new “Save as new clip” option
that preserves the original. You
can also save received videos
from email and MMS into your
Camera Roll, making them easier
to review and share with others.
Many Little Things
iPhone OS 3.1 also brings a
whole host of small changes and
adjustments, including a fix for
that nasty icon display issue, anti-
phishing measures in Safari,
Voice Control access via
Bluetooth headsets, phone number
pasting in the Phone app, and
maybe most impressive, the
ability to remotely lock your
iPhone with a passcode for
MobileMe users.
My early hands-on experience
with 3.1 also seems to indicate
that general performance is much
improved, resulting in much
snappier, tighter OS performance
overall. Bugs will no doubt raise
their ugly heads, but for now, it’s
all roses. Just plug your iPhone or
iPod touch in and click the
“Check for Updates” button in
iTunes to get rolling.
Internet News Record
Star Trek D-A-Cs
up on PS3 and PC
this November
By Alexander Sliwinski
(Joystiq)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 3:00:00 AM
Transported away from its "late
this summer" release window,
Star Trek D-A-C- the mediocre
movie cash-in tie-in - will finally
tribble the PS3 (via PlayStation
Network) and the PC (via Steam)
with its presence this November.
As previously noted, the latest
edition of the top-down pew-pew
fest will add new ship classes,
game modes, maps and pick-ups.
If you need a better idea of what
this game is like, we suggest
taking a look at our very polite
XBLA in Brief on the title.
Gallery: Star Trek DAC
Star Trek D-A-Cs up on PS3
and PC this November originally
appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10
Sep 2009 03:00:00 EST. Please
see our terms for use of feeds.
Read| Permalink| Email this|
Comments
Internet News Record Apple Sports 59

iPod Nano Gains Camera, Microphone and

Speaker, Larger Screen
By Darrell Etherington
(TheAppleBlog)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 11:54:34 AM
So it seems like case
manufacturers were only half
right when it came to their designs
for new iPods. The iPod touch
didn’t get a camera at today’s
special “Rock and Roll” Apple
event, but the iPod nano did.
Not only that, but it also got a
built-in mic and speaker, which
makes sense when you consider
that people will be using it to
record video. Yes, the camera it
received is not just for stills, and
is intended to position Apple’s
svelte media player as a direct
competitor with the Flip portable
video recorder. Video Camera
New nano owners will be able
to record up to eight or 16 hours
of video, depending on whether
they opt for the 8 or 16GB
version. You won’t have to squint
quite as much to review your
footage, either, thanks to the new
2.2-inch 240×376 pixel TFT
display. Video will record at
640×480 pixels, at up to 30 FPS.
It’ll be H.264 VGA formatted
with AAC audio.
It’s not HD, but it’s also much
smaller and cheaper than Flip’s
HD offerings. Flip’s SD cameras
offer similar quality to the new
iPod nano, at the same price as the
4GB model, but without the
media player functions, and with
far, far less onboard storage.
Video can also be recorded with
a variety of iSight-style special
effects and filters, including
Sepia, Motion Blur, Mirror, etc.
Once synced with your Mac via
iPhoto, it’s easy to share and
publish your recordings to
Facebook, MobileMe, and
YouTube automatically, without
any third-party conversion
required.
Voice Recording and
VoiceOver
Video isn’t the only new trick in
the nano’s bag, either. It gains the
VoiceOver functionality first
introduced by necessity in the
button-less and display-less iPod
shuffle, and gets a Voice Recorder
app like the iPhone and iPod
touch. FM Tuner and Tagging
There’s also a built-in FM tuner
that not only allows you to listen
to FM radio, but actually displays
track and artist information for
what you’re hearing. Plus, you
can Live Pause, which if you have
a PVR is like pausing, rewinding,
and fast-forwarding live
television, except with FM
broadcasts. The iPod nano
automatically stores up to 15
minutes of what you’re listening
to for rewind purposes.
You can also tag tracks using
iTunes 9: LPs,
the nano’s click wheel so that you
can preview or buy them the next
Home Sharing,
time you sync your device. Redesign and More
Beware, though, the tagging
feature is only available in the By Josh Pigford
U.S. as of now, and only on (TheAppleBlog)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 12:07:47 PM
stations that support it. Pedometer
Finally, there’s a new built-in
pedometer so you can track your Today Steve Jobs made a
daily steps. You can set a daily surprise appearance at the media
event and announced iTunes 9.
goal through the pedometer app,
or just set it to “Always On.” No It’s packed full of new features
including a major overhaul of the
word on how this will affect
battery life, but I can’t imagine it iTunes Store. Read on for details
on all the updates. iTunes LP
will help it.
The new iPod nano is available One of the downsides of digital
music has been the lack of
today in a variety of colors and in
8GB and 16GB formats, priced at interactivity that you once got
from handling album packaging.
$149 and $179 respectively. As of
this writing, all models are Apple has brought their own
version of this back and its calling
showing a 24-hour shipping
window. I’m definitely intrigued, it iTunes LP.
iTunes LP is a way to
but I think I’ll wait until reports of
camera performance start to roll interactive with new content
including videos, photos, lyrics,
in.
discography, liner notes and more.

US Survives vs. Trinidad and Tobago

By Michael Cardillo very much in international soccer. to be enough to secure the Fanhouse Soccer Blog on Wed,
(FanHouse) Wednesday night, in a must-win precious three points. The win 09 Sep 2009 21:45:00 EST .
Submitted at 9/9/2009 9:45:00 PM 2010 World Cup CONCACAF temporarily pushes the U.S. to the Please see our terms for use of
qualifier, the U.S. squeezed by top of the CONCACAF feeds.
by Michael Cardillo Trinidad and Tobago in Port-of- Hexagonal with 16 points, Permalink| Email this| Linking
Filed under: FIFA World Cup, Spain by the narrowest of 1-0 pending the result of Blogs| Comments
International Soccer, Soccer margins. Mexico/Honduras later
Posts, US Soccer, U.S. Men's Ricardo Clark's bending blast Wednesday night.
National Team It's a good thing from just outside the penalty area inspiration or brilliance for the US Survives vs. Trinidad and
that style points don't count for w a s t h e o n l y m o m e n t o f U.S. on the night -- but it proved Tobago originally appeared on
60 Apple Tech Blog
Apple Refreshes Prices On Entire
iPod Line
By Charles Jade
(TheAppleBlog)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 12:37:13 PM
At the Apple Event today, Steve
Jobs and company unveiled the
fall lineup of iPods. The biggest
change was the iPod nano, but
every iPod got a little bit of love,
be it increased capacity or
decreased price.
iPod touch: The new “magic
price point” of $199 has 8GB,
with two upsell models at 32GB
and 64GB for $299 and $399,
respectively. The 16GB model
disappears and the rumored
camera never appeared, but
according to Apple this is still the
“funnest” iPod ever.
iPod nano: Two models, 8GB at
$149 and 16GB at $179. Both
models have new features,
including: camera, FM radio, and
pedometer. All are available in
seven shiny, metallic colors:
silver, black, purple, blue, green,
orange, and pink. There are also
Phil Jones on how things connect
(Scripting News)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 4:23:58 PM
Phil Jones and I agree on how
bootstraps work.
He wrote a beautiful piece in
2006, and just re-ran it with links
to 2009 bits that illustrate his
points.
It's a case study in how Internet
bootstraps work. They're about 10
percent technology and 90 percent
working with people, trying to
figure out what they want and
the Apple Store exclusives,
Product RED, and a yellow/gold.
iPod shuffle: Two primary
models, a new 2GB at $59, and a
4GB at $79. There are five colors:
silver, black, blue, green, and
pink. There is also a 4GB
stainless steel model for $99. The
tiny music player with the creepy
voice—in my opinion—now
works with more headphones, too.
iPod Classic: 160GB, $249, two
colors, a grayish white and black.
The classic got a capacity increase
and kept its price. Apparently the
getting it for them. In the process
something builds out that has a
cohesive whole, and another layer
is formed.
A few years go by and we do it
again.
I'm certainly not the only person
who understands this process, I'm
a student, and I've learned from
many others that come before. I
love reading books about how this
works, and the latest inspiration
was the Connections series by
James Burke. He goes all the way
ITUNES
continued from page 59
Many of the LPs were created by
the artists themselves. Home
Sharing
Home Sharing makes home
networking work for you in that
you can now share music, shows,
and movies with up to five other
authorized computers on you
network. Secretly digging that
new Britney Spears album your
sister bought? Just grab it from
her iTunes library and move it to
yours. And then promptly punch
yourself in the face for every
digging Britney Spears. iTunes
Store Redesign
The iTunes store has been
rumored demise of the media
player with the mechanical hard needing a facelift for quite a
drive appears to have been greatly while. And a facelift it most
exaggerated, unless we’re talking certainly received!
about the Zune. Everything from the home page
to artist pages, album pages, TV
Clearly, the iPod nano will be
the gift to give and/or receive this shows, and movie pages all
Christmas, but once again Apple received a major redesign.
has managed to successfully In addition to the redesign is a
refresh the media player lineup. new feature (one that I’ve wanted
Expect the company to sell since the store debuted) called
between 20 and 25 million iPods
for the holiday quarter, same as
the previous three years.
interconnect and build on other
ideas.
In the end it really is all about
working together. And I'm glad
that Phil is there. It's nice to have
someone watching who sees how
it all fits together.
Then, this evening, a really
insightful Webmonkey piece
came out. It's the same insight that
William Mougayar had, in a
back to the beginning of comment here yesterday. When
civilization and shows how ideas this bootstrap plays out it will all
be seen to have happened at the
Internet News Record
Wish List…and it’s exactly what
you think it is. You can now add
albums, songs, movies, shows to
your Wish List to check out later
and possibly purchase.
Genius Mixes
The iTunes Genius got a bit of
an upgrade with a new featured
called “Genius Mixes.” Genius
Mixes automatically creates up to
a dozen mixes of songs that it
thinks would go great together.
App Organization
A much requested feature has
been the ability to organize apps
right in iTunes instead of
fumbling through a half dozen
screens trying to move tiny icons
around with your finger. Now you
can do just that.
Overall this is a much needed,
and much welcomed update to
iTunes and the iTunes Store.
What are your favorite updates so
far?
workstation. What Matt and
Wordpress did over the weekend
was the nuclear fuel that lit the
fire. But the big winners will be
the readers, skimmers and Twitter
clients that will, as Webmonkey
puts it so well: "We'll just have to
stop calling them Twitter clients
and start calling them what they
should be referred to as: news
clients." Amen.
Internet News Record Tech Blog TV 61

Am I a hypocrite? So You Think You Can

(Scripting News)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 8:08:12 AM
Sure. Of course. I am a totally
f*cked up human being.
Now that that's out of the way,
let me explain.
Last night on Twitter, Staci
Kramer of PaidContent asked
what's the difference betwen the
default list in River2 and Twitter's
suggested user list.
There's a qualitative difference
and a quantitative one.
I use the default list for two
purposes: 1. To provide an initial
user experience that isn't blank. In
this sense it is like Twitter's list. 2.
To highlight interesting uses of
RSS and clouds and reading lists,
things I want to encourage people
to support. By throwing them a bit
of recognition, I hope to create an
incentive to support the features
that River2 is leading the way
with. I did this with Radio too. I
do it with Scripting News. I'm
unabashed about it. It's how you
bootstrap new stuff. It's a good
thing.
No one has paid for position on
the list, but I don't guarantee that I
will never sell a position on the
list. But I will never put a feed on
the list that I wouldn't put there if
they didn't pay.
Now for the differences.
1. My list is like the default list
in Tweetdeck or Tweetie or
Google Reader. I don't have a
monopoly. I am not the only game
in town. If people dislike my
choices they can vote with their
feet. Twitter is the whole
ballgame. As I said yesterday, it's
as if Google favored their friends
in search results. Or if Tim
Berners-Lee made it so that 1/4 of
every web page had an ad for Om,
ReadWriteWeb, Tim O'Reilly or
TechCrunch.
2. I have a shopping list in my
pocket. On it I list products I'm
going to buy when I go to the
supermarket. That's also like the
Suggested User List. The products
on the list profit from being there.
But Chef Boyardee won't notice
whether or not he's on my list
(he's not). River2 is a teeny weeny
little product compared to the
mighty Twitter, which delivers
hundreds of thousands of
followers to people on its list.
3. I try not to influence editorial
content through my choices. I've
gone with big pubs like Reuters,
BBC, the Guardian, CNET, NYT.
Their techies hopefully will
appreciate the respect, but if it
influences the writers I will
remove it immediately. In
TwitterLand, the problem isn't so
much that Twitter tries to
influence, that's understandable,
it's that the reporters don't object.
There will continue to be a
default list in River2.
Dance: Los Angeles
Auditions (season premiere)
By Jason Hughes (TV Squad)
Submitted at 9/10/2009 1:23:00 AM
(S06E01) FOX is easing us into
this new fall season of So You
Think You Can Dance with only
one episode per week for the first
three. Then, the show will settle
i nt o i t s r egular
Tuesday/Wednesday timeslots;
keeping them warm for American
Idol in the winter.
Things kicked off in LA with
Adam Shankman joining Nigel
Lythgoe and Mary Murphy on the
dais. I wouldn't mind Shankman
taking that slot permanently, as went too deep into the bad dance,
but anyone can do that. What's
he's the most consistent of the
rotating "third judges." With the amazing is seeing people do
things you could never in a
shorter one-hour premieres, there
was little focus on the terrible; million years achieve.
Continue reading So You Think
instead they chose to show us
more of what was great -- a smart You Can Dance: Los Angeles
Auditions (season premiere)
move.
If SYTYCD is to be the Filed under: OpEd, Episode
Reviews, So You Think You Can
showcase for the most talented
amateur dancers on the planet, we Dance
Permalink| Email this| |
need to see how great they are.
Like American Idol, there have Comments
been seasons where SYTYCD

DC Comics is now DC Entertainment

By Brad Trechak (TV Squad) Entertainment to encompass more and the Bold), movies are where in 2013, so exciting things are
Submitted at 9/10/2009 8:17:00 AM forms of media, such as television the big bucks are. Granted, DC afoot.
and movies. Also the president of and Warner Brothers have had Filed under: Industry, OpEd,
Much like the Disney acquisition DC, Paul Levitz, has been major success with its Batman Reality-Free
o f M a r v e l E n t e r t a i n m e n t , replaced by a Time Warner movies, but it hasn't built any Permalink| Email this| |
television is only a part of what officer named Diane Nelson. other franchises. Comments
this change represents. However, While there are those that might And as with the Marvel
it does affect the television disagree with me, this move looks acquisition, we'll have to wait and
industry and should be mentioned like it's a response to Marvel's on television ( Smallville, plus see what the long-term effects of
on this blog. DC Comics has success with its movie franchises. various cartoons like The Brave this corporate change will be. DC
c h a n g e d i t s n a m e t o D C Even though DC has done better also loses the rights to Superman
62 Sports Internet News Record

The Count: Why Good Tennis Stats Are Hard to Find

(WSJ.com: The Daily Fix) mid-point adjustments. Knowing play log of each match. Some of with such experience would be
Submitted at 9/9/2009 11:28:35 AM opponents’ tendencies in advance this data is collected but not difficult.
is “more important now, because publicly shared, and some likely Having fuller stats “would be
A cadre of baseball fans have players don’t have a chance to will only become available if great,” said ATP Tour spokesman
painstakingly re-created the plays change their mind,” Cahill said. tennis fans band together for their Greg Sharko. However, “It would
of nearly every game in the But efforts to gather such tennis own data-collection project. take a lot of resources.”
majors since 1952, unlocking stats remain in their infancy The alphabet soup of the sport’s These numbers would hardly
such mysteries as the probability compared to other sports. The overseers is joined at the Slams by yield a perfect data set were they
of coming back from a one-run reasons are both structural and IBM, a sponsor which collects collected more fully. Unforced
deficit at the start of the bottom of philosophical. Away from the service game, and how does that and tabulates match stats. The errors are as subjective as errors
the ninth inning ( 19%) and television-ready courts at the U.S. compare to Andy Murray’s company’s slogan online and on- in baseball; my attempt to count
whether bunting is a good idea (it Open this week, and on most service games? site is “Smarter stats for a better these numbers independently
almost never is, unless the batter courts at the smaller tour events, Situational stats that break down Open,” but not all players and yielded small but consistent
is fast enough to get on base). no official scorer tallies even such performance on break points and matches get the same level of differences with the official
Football fans have taken a basics aspects of the match such in tiebreaks would help Tennis statistical breakdown. tallies. (The official numbers of
quantum leap beyond yards as winners and unforced errors. Channel analyst Ted Robinson do On each televised court at the unforced errors for the decisive
g a i n e d , d e v i s i n g s t a t i s t i c a l The individual nature of post- his job. “We all know all points Open, IBM enlists scorekeepers to set of John Isner’s upset of Andy
frameworks to quantify how much scholastic tennis means there are a r e n ’ t c r e a t e d e q u a l , ” s a i d break down winners by volley, Roddick were three and nine,
more valuable five yards are if no teams with big budgets and Robinson, who has access to far forehand and backhand for each respectively; the Journal counted
they’re gained on third down with innovative front offices with the richer stats in his duties outside set, and counts unforced errors. two and 11.) And in between
four yards to go rather than on resources and incentive to invest tennis as a baseball announcer. If (The press gets this detailed winners and unforced errors is the
third and six. Associated Press in analyzing potential trade more such stats were made information on paper, but only vast middle of forced errors, some
Chair umpires record basic acquisitions or minor-league call- available, “That’s the thing that summary stats are available of which are more forced and
statistics about every point of a ups. After all, Andy Murray can’t could change tennis.” online.) It also produces a DVD some of which are more errors.
match, such as this one featuring trade himself for Roger Federer if Tennis is also losing out on new of each match on those courts, Some coaches use software
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. advanced stats suggest he should. ways to glorify its players beyond available to each player within 15 systems for hand-held devices that
Tennis, though, is sneaking in Unlike baseball managers who the stingy measure of major to 20 minutes after the mid-court allow users to tap the screen to
late in the back of the remedial make mid-game adjustments, tournaments won — a category h a n d s h a k e . I n a d d i t i o n t o record the placement of serves,
stats classroom. The statistical tennis coaches can’t advise their dominated this year, like in many containing full video, the disc is winners and errors. Later the
leaderboards are based only on players during matches, and the recent years, by Roger Federer indexed by the match log. So, for match data can be used to analyze
basic elements of the match, such players see no more stats during and Serena Williams. Baseball instance, if Maria Sharapova how momentum shifted during the
as aces and total points won. matches than what are shown on p l a y e r s w h o d i d n ’ t w i n could stomach it, she could watch match, and where a player tended
Winners and unforced errors scoreboards. championships or excel in all all 21 of her double faults from to serve when facing a break
aren’t tabulated for many It’s an unfortunate situation for aspects of the game still have her third-round loss to Melanie point.
matches. Basic stats for the men’s the thinking player and fan, dozens of statistical leaderboards Oudin in rapid-fire succession. Or Basic play-by-play logs of all
and women’s tours before this because there are a host of they can strive to top. We a few Fernando Verdasco could savor matches do exist, but the tours
season aren’t online. questions worth answering. What clicks we can ascertain that Earl his 17 first serves, all of which he don’t routinely share them. These
“We’re aware tennis has more percent of the time does the player Webb hit 67 doubles, nearly half won, in the second set of his are generated from electronic
work to do overall to get stats on who serves first win the set? his career total, in 1931. Though round-of-16 match against John devices used by umpires that hook
par with other sports,” WTA Tour Which points have the most he was far short of Hall of Fame Isner. into software called Chump, for
spokeswoman Amy Binder said. influence on a match’s outcome material, his record stood until his On other courts, though, even chair umpire Systems. When the
“It’s definitely very important to — and therefore might be worth death 34 years later and has never winners and unforced errors aren’t chair umpire records, say, aces or
us and something we’ve been the expenditure of extra energy or been surpassed since. Tennis tallied — one reason there are no foot faults, Chumps immediately
working hard on.” a challenge? What is each could honor the woman who hit tour-wide leaderboards for putting update the scoreboards and the
Darren Cahill, a coach and player’s serving tendency when the most volley winners in a the ball away the most, or for stats. For other sports, the normal
former pro who analyzes matches facing break point — more aces, Slam, if it only knew her name. hitting it out without being operating procedure would be to
for ESPN, said statistical analysis or more serving and volleying, or To unlock these secrets would pressured to do so. Many of the allow Web users to click from a
is more important than when he fewer serves to the body? How require a database similar to the scorekeepers have been tracking boxscore to a more detailed
played, because the ball is often m a n y s t r o k e s c o m p o s e t h e one constructed by Project winners and unforced errors for a
struck too hard to leave time for average rally in an Andy Roddick Retrosheet for baseball: a play-by- decade or two, and finding people COUNT: page 66
Internet News Record
U.S. Open: Melanie Oudin's run ends as Caroline Wozniacki
reaches semifinals
By Associated Press
(ESPN.com)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 10:41:21 PM
ESPNews Highlight Of The
Night ESPNews Highlight Of The
Night VIDEO PLAYLIST
• ESPNews Highlight Of The
Night ESPNews Highlight Of The
Night
• Oudin Upbeat After Loss
Oudin Upbeat After Loss
• Wozniacki Talks After
Topping Oudin Wozniacki Talks
After Topping Oudin
• Williams Sisters Win In
Doubles Williams Sisters Win In
Doubles
NEW YORK -- Maybe it all
was a little too much, a little too
soon for Melanie Oudin.
The 17-year-old from Marietta,
Ga., kept erasing big deficits and
upsetting older, taller, higher-
ranked players at the U.S. Open,
generating more and more interest
in her magical ride.
Her gutsy play, aw-shucks
approach and those pink-and-
yellow sneakers with "BELIEVE"
on the heels carried Oudin all the
way to the quarterfinals at the
American Grand Slam
tournament. That's where her
surprising story ended Wednesday
night with a 6-2, 6-2 loss to No. 9-
seeded Caroline Wozniacki of
Denmark.
"It was a lot," Oudin conceded.
"These past two weeks have been
really different for me. I've gone
from being just a normal, like,
tennis player to almost everyone
in the United States knowing who
I am now."
Then, keeping a brave face,
Oudin added: "I don't think that
affected my tennis game tonight
at all."
Perhaps. Still, facing Wozniacki
in the sport's largest arena,
playing under the bright lights in
the big city, Oudin showed signs
of shakiness at the start, dropping
14 of the first 18 points. Even the
comeback kid couldn't recover
from that. Wozniacki-Oudin Box
Score
Here are the statistics from
Caroline Wozniacki's's 1-hour, 28
-minute quarterfinal match against
Melanie Oudin:
"This has been a great
experience for me. I had a great
run here," the 70th-ranked Oudin
told the crowd during an on-court
interview right after the match, an
honor usually reserved for the
winner. "I hope to come back next
year and do even better."
It'll be hard to top her 2009 U.S.
Open.
With impressive court coverage
and solid groundstrokes, the 5-
foot-6 Oudin knocked off four
more established players --
including three-time major
champion Maria Sharapova and
Beijing Olympic gold medalist
Elena Dementieva-- to become
the youngest quarterfinalist at
Flushing Meadows since Serena
Williams in 1999.
Making the tale even better:
Oudin's last three victories each
came after she dropped the first
set. Plus, there was her wide-eyed,
age-appropriate attitude:
Everything was "cool" and
"awesome," including meeting
Roger Federer for the first time
and finally getting to shake hands
with Sharapova -- only after
beating her, of course.
Away from the court, there was
heady stuff, too. Extra interviews
and photo ops. Greetings from
strangers on the street. Autograph
-seekers in the hotel lobby.
"She's just had so much other
activity going on that mentally
she wasn't quite as focused as she
should've been," said Oudin's
mother, Leslie. "All this comes
with experience, and she'll learn
how to handle this better."
As Oudin's coach, Brian de
Villiers, put it: "Yeah, I think,
over time, the distractions might
have gotten to her."
An additional distraction did not
come to light until Wednesday
night, when SI.com reported that
Oudin's father, John, filed for
divorce from Leslie in July 2008
on grounds of adultery. According
to the report, John Oudin alleged
in a sworn statement last month
that his wife had an affair with de
Villiers.
John Oudin was not in his
daughter's guest box Wednesday
night.
She made 43 unforced errors, 23
more than Wozniacki, who was
also playing in her first major
quarterfinal. In essence, Oudin ran
smack-dab into a version of
herself, a counterpunching
baseliner who was far steadier on
this night.
"She plays incredible defense
and makes me hit 1,000 balls,"
Oudin said. "I could have been
more consistent and more
patient."
Wozniacki leads the women's
tour in match victories this season
and, while all of 19, is a relative
veteran next to Oudin. Wozniacki
is tied for the tour lead with three
titles in 2009, including a hard-
court tournament in New Haven,
Conn., the week before the U.S.
Open began, meaning she is on a
10-match winning streak.
"I'm sorry that I won against
Melanie today," Wozniacki told
the partisan fans, some of whom
cheered when she double-faulted.
"I know that many of you wanted
Melanie to win."
Now the Dane will play her first
Grand Slam semifinal against
another 19-year-old, Yanina
Wickmayer of Belgium. The 50th
-ranked Wickmayer -- never
before past the second round at a
major tournament -- beat
Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine
7-5, 6-4.
The other women's semifinal
Friday features two far more
familiar names: defending
champion Williams against 2005
champion Kim Clijsters.
Wozniacki never appeared
intimidated by the hostile crowd
of 23,881, most of whom waited
and waited for a reason to roar for
their girl. While Oudin's twin
sister, younger sister and coach
were wearing black T-shirts with
"BELIEVE" in yellow lettering,
Wozniacki's personal cheering
section of about 15 strong had
many more chances to celebrate.
Their applause and yells of
encouragement were quite audible
in Arthur Ashe Stadium early on
as Oudin's error count mounted. It
took less than 10 minutes for
Wozniacki to seize a 3-0 lead,
cleverly constructing points.
After many of her mistakes,
Oudin would walk to the edge of
the court, her back to the net, and
fiddle with her strings. When she
Sports 63
did find success with her deep
groundstrokes, many of which
landed right near the baseline,
Oudin would turn toward Mom
with a raised fist and yell "Come
on!"
Wozniacki only really showed
some nerves after already leading
5-1. She missed a backhand, then
a forehand, and later double-
faulted to get broken for the only
time. Still, Wozniacki righted
herself right away, breaking back
to take the set when Oudin missed
a backhand.
To no one's surprise, Oudin
made bids to make things
interesting in the second set.
At 1-1, Oudin held two break
points -- and pushed a forehand
return of a 71 mph second serve
wide before sailing a forehand
long. Then, at 2-all, Oudin again
earned two break points -- and
sent a backhand wide on the first
and then a forehand long on the
second.
And that, essentially, was that.
Wozniacki won that game and
each of the next four.
While so much of the focus has
been on Oudin, Wickmayer's
story is quite intriguing and
inspiring.
When she was 9, her mother
died of cancer, and little Yanina
set out to find a fresh start,
researching tennis academies on
the Internet before settling on one
in Florida.
Talk about precocious,
ambitious and adventurous:
Wickmayer had only recently
started playing tennis. Neither she
nor her father spoke English.
U.S. page 65
64 Sports
Chaos Finally Hits Men’s Bracket at Open
(WSJ.com: The Daily Fix)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 7:44:21 AM
The U.S. Open has been full of
surprises on the women’s side,
most notably the success of
Melanie Oudin, the 17-year-old
wunderkind, and Kim Clijsters,
kicking butt after two years of
retirement. Associated Press Andy
Murray looks up as he is about to
be crushed by the weight of the
expectations placed upon him.
In the first week of the
tournament, the men’s side played
mostly to form, Andy Roddick’s
early exit aside. But the bracket
got a welcome dose of chaos
Tuesday when Scot Andy Murray
fell in straight sets. The No. 2
seed, whom many expected to
stand between Roger Federer and
a sixth consecutive U.S. Open
title in the final Sunday, fell to
16th-seeded Croatian Marin Cilic,
7-5, 6-2, 6-2.
“What this defeat reinforced is
that Murray has still to learn the
art of peaking for the big
tournament,” Barry Flatman
writes in the Times of London.
“Ask Roger Federer what really
matters, the build-up tournaments
or the Grand Slam events
themselves, and its obvious what
the answer would be. The same
could be said of Pete Sampras,
Agassi, McEnroe and Borg.”
Losing in the most prestigious
tournaments is nothing new for
Murray. This time out, he
complained of a sore wrist. “His
serve did little damage and his
returns were well below his usual
high standards,” the
Independent’s Paul Newman
writes. “… Above all there was a
flatness about Murray’s game.
Although he had felt a lack of
energy in his second-round
victory over Paul Capdeville, that
had lasted only for a set. Here,
even when he had looked in little
trouble in the early games, there
was a lack of zip about his play.”
At Real Clear Sports, Tim Joyce
sees another reason for Murray’s
lack of a Grand Slam title.
“There’s no question that Murray
has all the tools and is the owner
of one of the sharpest strategic
minds in the sport,” Joyce writes.
“But he is still prone to periods of
seeming detachment and appears
slow to techniques with more
power and the willingness to shift
tactics when falling behind. It’d
still be a surprise if Murray isn’t a
Slam champion in the near
future.”
Meanwhile, defending
champion Serena Williams is
cruising along in the women’s
draw. The No. 2 seed scored a
straight-set victory over Flavia
Pennetta, setting up a semifinal
showdown with Clijsters, who
ousted Venus Williams in the
third round. That Serena reached
the semifinals is no surprise.
She’s got 11 Grand Slam titles.
Still, she has something most
competitors lack, in the eyes of
Yahoo Sports’s Martin Rogers.
“The main difference between
Williams and the rest of the field
is that she is just better, stronger,
more consistent, more imaginative
and more forceful than everyone
else,” Rogers writes. “But then
there is the X-factor that comes
into play when she is tested, the
inner will and drive that breeds an
utter refusal to accept defeat, or
even the concept of it.”
In the Newark Star-Ledger,
Andy McCullough says depth and
a tough schedule have created a
wide-open women’s draw.
Writing for ESPN, Kamakshi
Tandon wonders why women are
struggling with their serves.
Check back here for all the U.S.
Open results, and return here for
updates from Journal staffers.* *
* the NFL after serving a prison
Tuesday ended like so many
other nights this season for the
Pittsburgh Pirates: with a loss.
The first eight Cub batters had
hits in Chicago’s 9-4 win, sending
the Pirates to their 11th loss in 12
games. On Monday, the Pirates
became the first team in the
history of the four major North
American sports leagues to record
17 straight losing seasons. For the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ron
Cook, bad management is the
culprit.
That’s not the problem in
Anaheim, where the Angels are
gunning for their third straight AL
West title, leading the Texas
Rangers by 4.5 games. Los
Angeles Times columnist T.J.
Simers finds the Angels pretty
boring to watch. “The Dodgers
are so much more interesting than
the Angels, the Angels players
handcuffed and muzzled by their
manager, a foregone conclusion
every year they’re going to win in
a subpar division and then lose to
the Red Sox in the playoffs,”
Simers writes.* * *
Colleges are places of higher
learning, of course, and also
havens of freedom of expression,
supposedly. But not always. Ohio
State quarterback Terrelle Pryor
found that out quickly enough
after he expressed support for
Michael Vick after the Buckeyes’
win over Navy on Saturday. Vick
was recently reinstated to play in
term for his role in a major
dogfighting ring. Pryor’s support
resulted in a fusillade of criticism
that Yahoo Sports’s Dan Wetzel
says is out of place on campus.
“Welcome to college athletics,
2009,” Wetzel writes. “Fans have
taken their cue from the partisan
politics of Washington and
overrun the Internet with
pitchforks. Heaven forbid a player
Internet News Record
or coach expresses an opinion on
anything that anyone, anywhere
disagrees with. Individuality is
dead. Groupthink (or, more
precisely, having no thoughts) is
demanded.”* * *
The Chicago Bears open the
2009 season against the Green
Bay Packers, and with a new
season comes optimism,
especially with franchise
quarterback Jay Cutler at the
helm. Sports Illustrated picked the
Bears to go to the Super Bowl, but
the Chicago Tribune’s Rick
Morrissey isn’t buying the lofty
prediction. “Is the galloping
optimism warranted?” Morrissey
asks. “No, but never
underestimate the ardor of fans
who have been deprived of a
newfangled thing called ‘the
forward pass.’ ”* * *
Wonderland’s dog-racing days
are winding down. The
Massachusetts track has hosted
greyhound races since 1935, but a
voter-approved ban means that the
last race will take place Sept. 18,
the Boston Globe’s Peter
Schworm writes, putting the
track’s long-term future in doubt.
Found a good column from the
world of sports? Don’t keep it to
yourself — write to us at
dailyfix@wsj.com and we’ll
consider your find for inclusion in
the Daily Fix. You can email
Garey at ris84rap@gmail.com.
Internet News Record Sports 65
U.S.
Cleveland Browns' Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn continued from page 63
But this is what had to be done.

told who will start, Eric Mangini says Her father closed his pool
construction company in Belgium,
and relatives supported the pair
By Associated Press By "the rest of us" Anderson By the time the Browns finished was no way to tell if Quinn or financially while they lived in
(ESPN.com) seemed to mean the Browns practice, word was beginning to A n d e r s o n h a d t a k e n o v e r Florida for 2 years.
Submitted at 9/9/2009 3:41:07 PM backups, a group it looks as if he leak that Quinn, who made three Cleveland's offense. "He just gave everything up for
belongs to once again. starts last season, was the winner. After stretching, Quinn worked me," Wickmayer said. "He just
Report: Quinn Named Browns Mangini met with his The Cleveland Plain Dealer, with the running backs and left. He listened to a girl that was
Starting QB Report: Quinn quarterbacks on Tuesday night, citing an anonymous league Anderson threw to the wide 9 years old and left his life, left
Named Browns Starting QB told them who would start and source, reported Quinn will start receivers. Reporters were asked to his dreams. I'm always going to
BEREA, Ohio -- Derek explained the reasons for his the opener. leave before the team began 11-on respect him for that."
Anderson stood in the middle of decision. He said both handled the Even Buffalo Bills wide -11 drills. Marc Wickmayer was in the
the media huddle in Cleveland's situation with class. receiver Terrell Owens offered Mangini doesn't feel that asking Arthur Ashe Stadium stands
locker room and then stepped "They both took it exactly the Quinn congratulations on his his players to keep the Vikings -- W e d n e s d a y , w a t c h i n g h i s
aside for Brady Quinn. way I expected them to take it -- Twitter page, posting: Congrats 2 and everyone else -- guessing the daughter play the biggest match
Perhaps for good. as pros, as good teammates," Brady Quinn 4 starting job w/ identity of Cleveland's starter puts of her career -- and win it.
AFC North blog Mangini said. "It was really not Cleveland Browns!! them in a difficult situation. "I have no words for what he's
ESPN.com's James Walker surprising." Vikings cornerback Antoine "I don't think anybody is in an done," Wickmayer said. "There is
writes about all things AFC North Quinn has been favored all Winfield shrugged off Mangini's a w k w a r d s p o t o f t r y i n g t o no way of thanking him in any
in his division blog. along to win the starting job, and cloak and dagger routine. m a i n t a i n a c o m p e t i t i v e way for what he did, but I hope
• Blog network: NFL Nation although it now appears to be his, "It doesn't make a difference to advantage," Mangini said. "We all with my semis here this week, I
The mystery surrounding the former first-round pick is me," he said. "I'm going to go do that, and that's all of our goals, can show him that I really thank
Browns coach Eric Mangini's playing along with Mangini's home and watch film on Quinn trying to do everything we need to him for everything."
choice as his starting quarterback wishes to guard his secret and and Anderson. It might just take do to win the game on Sunday." In other action, Serena and
became somewhat clearer on keep the Vikings guessing. me an extra half-hour at home to The competition between V e n u s W i l l i a m s w o n t h e i r
Wednesday when Quinn and Quinn confirmed that he and watch what they like to do, but Anderson, a Pro Bowler in 2007, doubles quarterfinal, beating Zi
Anderson were forced to answer Anderson met with Mangini, but nah, it doesn't bother me. I don't and Quinn went down to the wire. Yan and Zheng Jie of China 7-5, 6
questions about their recently said they weren't told who would really pay attention to it." T h e y f i n i s h e d w i t h s i m i l a r -4.
completed competition -- a battle take the season's first snaps from In the past, quarterback statistics, but Quinn may have Copyright 2009 by The
that carried through training camp center. controversies have divided teams gotten the nod after completing 11 Associated Press
and the exhibition season. "He talked to us about it, but he -- even good ones. The Browns, of 15 passes and throwing a
Anderson was asked if it would hasn't told us anything about a who collapsed under huge touchdown in the third exhibition
be difficult to keep the starting final decision for us," Quinn said. expectations last season, are game against Tennessee.
QB a secret until Sunday's kickoff Those seem to be carefully hoping to remain united as long as Mangini kept both players out
of the season opener against the chosen words since Mangini said possible. of last week's preseason finale in
Minnesota Vikings. he told his quarterbacks which "We've got to stay together," Chicago.
"No," Anderson said, "because one would open up against Brett running back Jamal Lewis said. The Browns are the only team
after this next two minutes are Favre and the Vikings. "We can't really worry about that in the league that hasn't
over I'm not going to be talking to Mangini said he did feel the or concentrate on that. We have to announced its Week 1 starting
y o u g u y s . I t ' s p r e t t y e a s y . need to make an announcement to concentrate on what we have to quarterback.
Obviously, the rest of us have to Cleveland's other players. do and our job and what we're Copyright 2009 by The
go about our regular preparations "I think they'll be able to figure it trying to accomplish no matter Associated Press
and continue to do what we out," he said. who's in there."
always do and just not talk to our It seems everyone is figuring it During the 30 minutes of
families." out. practice open to the media, there
66 Sports
COUNT:
continued from page 62
statistical summary like fans find
in other sports. For tennis, it’s to
not share the detailed stats to the
general public.
“What goes out to the Web is
perhaps a subset of the data —
what the tournament feels is most
relevant to the average fan,” said
IBM’s John Kent, who oversees
statistics-gathering technology for
the Grand Slam tournaments. He
added, “We have to make sure we
deliver something impactful and
meaningful.”
ESPN is seeking to expand
tennis’s statistical vocabulary in
this second week at the Open.
Scorekeepers who work for the
sports-media company’s Next-
Level Statistics group out of
Bristol, Conn., headquarters are
charting matches. The stats the
effort yields may be worked in to
ESPN’s coverage of matches
Wednesday and Thursday, and the
eventual goal is to collect them
for all the Slams. Among the stats
they’ll collect: Who does better in
longer rallies, and who excels on
the pressure points such as late-set
break points or tiebreakers. ESPN
Terrelle Pryor's Defense of Vick Is Dangerous, Dumb
By Jay Mariotti (FanHouse)
Submitted at 9/9/2009 10:00:00 PM
by Jay Mariotti
Filed under: NCAA Football
The eyeblack signage shouldn't
bother us. If Terrelle Pryor wants
to pay tribute to the
quarterbacking skills of Michael
Vick, to whom he has been
favorably compared as a turf-
burner and hip-slinger, then that is
life in the 21st century. In
America, a college athlete is
entitled to reasonable freedom of
speech, too, even via a "VICK"
can, after all, tell baseball viewers
how Johnny Damon does on 3-1
counts. The idea is to extend that
to Roger Federer at 30-30.
“We’re trying to dig down to the
second level of interpretation,”
said Jamie Reynolds, a vice
president in ESPN’s event-
production department who
oversees tennis. Fans and
announcers perceive certain
players’ strengths and confidence.
“Where are the quantifiable data
that back that up?” Reynolds
asked.
As for the other gaps, some
tennis fans are taking more of a
DIY approach. Some, like New
Jersey amateur tennis player
Kevin Rosero, back-fill the
sport’s statistical record by
watching videos of old matches
and recording winners. Rosero, a
39-year-old from New Jersey who
works as a word processor at a
law firm, works with a fellow
tennis fan he met online but has
never met in person. In Stefan
Edberg’s 1990 semifinal match at
the Australian Open against Mats
Wilander, the Swede finished
patch under his left eye during a
football game.
"I always looked up to Mike
Vick and I always will, because I
still think he is one of the best
quarterbacks," said the Ohio State
star, a 20-year-old sophomore. "I
love Mike Vick."
But where Pryor loses me -- and
does a flat disservice to a
university that prefaces itself with
an unapologetically pompous
"The" -- is when he supports
Vick's repulsive issues off the
field with a disturbing twist of
rationale. Regardless of what he
Internet News Record
35.4% of all points with a winner,
discrepancies between
the highest winner rate for any of
information from IBM and chair
the 158 matches Rosero has umpires.
recorded. Kevin Patrick, Rosero’s partner
Rosero started tracking the stats
in the historical match charting,
after he went looking for them insaid he’d love to get logs of
videos he’d purchased and online,matches and detailed stats. “IBM
and came up empty. “So I said, tracks it, but the fans can’t see it,
you know what, maybe I should which is kind of a shame,” said
just count them myself.” He has the 32-year-old based in Los
also started recording unforced Angeles who works on quality
errors for some matches, and he control for a Web site. “The sport
has videotaped his own play to can do a little better with keeping
tabulate stats afterwards. (The stats.”
numbers aren’t surprising. “The Sports Reference LLC has
major surprise is I don’t look ashelped jump-start the fan-driven
good as I think I do,” Rosero statistical revolution in other
said.) sports by tapping into databases
He’s frustrated by inconstant such as Retrosheet for baseball
definitions — can a winner glance
off an opponent’s racquet — and
and making the information
available in easy-to-use, free Web Oudin Rises,
by inconsistencies in the historical
record. For instance, the Web
sites for the men’s tour and for
sites. But there are no imminent
plans for tennisreference.com.
“We are a U.S.-based company
Falls in a New
Wimbledon don’t even agree on and at least in the U.S., tennis
certain serving stats for the Roger
seems to be dropping in
York Minute
Federer-Rafael Nadal final last popularity rather than rising,” By Greg Couch (FanHouse)
year, widely considered one of the
Sports Reference president Sean Submitted at 9/10/2009 12:51:00 AM
best matches in the sport’s Forman said.
history. ATP spokesman Sharko by Greg Couch
said that there are occasional Filed under: U.S. Open, WTA
NEW YORK -- Photographers
were fighting, actually fighting, to
try to get a photo of Melanie
Oudin a few days ago in Times
that mutilated dogs. He'll never be Square, a place that's basically a
excused, yet in his unique way, frantic rush of colors, shapes,
Pryor is trying to pardon his idol people and humanity anyway.
anyway. Every aspect of her life has
Terrelle Pryor's Defense of Vick already been analyzed. We know
Is Dangerous, Dumb originally about her boyfriend. She doesn't
appeared on Fanhouse - Jay go to prom because she goes to
Mariotti on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 school online. We know what's
22:00:00 EST . Please see our written on her shoes: Believe.
terms for use of feeds. She was such a hot ticket in
Permalink| Email this| Linking New York Wednesday at the U.S.
Blogs| Comments Open, that people couldn't quite
does the rest of his NFL career, funnel into Arthur Ashe Stadium,
Vick always will be known as the the biggest tennis stadium in the
sicko who bankrolled an
operation, Bad Newz Kennels, OUDIN page 67
Internet News Record Game 67
OUDIN
continued from page 66
PAX
continued from page 67
world, fast enough. for Game PAX 2009: Cosplaying in
Things got tense. It was a night Oudin Rises, Falls in a New Seattle originally appeared on
match on national TV, and when York Minute originally appeared Joystiq on Thu, 10 Sep 2009
Oudin lost the first set, ESPN on Fanhouse Tennis on Thu, 10 01:45:00 EST. Please see our
already had a poll up about Sep 2009 00:51:00 EST . Please terms for use of feeds.
whether she could come back. see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink| Email this|
Sixty-one percent yes, 39 no. Permalink| Email this| Linking Comments
More: Oudin's Father Reportedly
Filed for Divorce Last Year
Blogs| Comments
PAX 2009:
Olson: Believe it: Oudin Here to
Stay| Moore: Oudin Sisters Good Cosplaying in
PSP Firmware 6.00 goes live, hints at game rentals Seattle
By Andrew Yoon (Joystiq) video rentals. However, applying By Kevin Kelly (Joystiq)
the same rules to games hasn't Submitted at 9/10/2009 1:45:00 AM
Submitted at 9/10/2009 1:00:00 AM
been done before. Earlier in the
PSP Firmware 6.00 is now year, we discovered plans for a In the aftermath of PAX this
available for those adventurous potential games rental service for year, we almost forgot to post one
enough to click on Network PSP. Is firmware 6.00 preparing of our favorite event pastimes: a
Update from the XMB. The the hardware for a new expansion cosplay gallery. We've been too
changelog, copied in full below, to the PlayStation Store? busy slapping on facemasks and
may look rather uninspiring at [Thanks, Joshua H.!] hazmat suits to quell the nerd flu
first: PSP Firmware 6.00 goes live, outbreaks. There weren't nearly as
• Games can now be grouped hints at game rentals originally many people dressed up as last
and displayed in folders based on appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 year, but we're hoping that Tycho
their expire date under [Game]. • The number of colors that can (Internet Browser) Sep 2009 01:00:00 EST. Please and Gabe add a full-on costume
• Under [Settings], [Network be selected under [Settings] > While additional XMB colors see our terms for use of feeds. contest to the mix next year for
Update] has been changed to [Theme Settings] has been will excite few, the mention of Permalink| Email this| PAX East or West.
[System Update]. Under [System increased. "expire dates" for games sounds Comments Did you see that Big Daddy
Update], you can now choose how • Revisions to strengthen rather surprising. PSP currently costume we posted about? Well,
to update the system software. security have been added. supports time-based licenses for that guy wasn't at PAX ... but we
wish he would have been. Still,
there were some impressive
Square Enix near to announcing another Nier game efforts up in Seattle this year, and
you can take a gander at them in
By Ben Gilbert (Joystiq) The spread features a scantily Gestalt" -- known as to us as just the gallery below. And yes, we've
Submitted at 9/10/2009 12:15:00 AM clad white-haired lady with a Nier. It appears as though at least included a photo of War's horse
single line of text that reads, some of our questions will be Ruin from Darksiders, because he
It might not be the game we "Beyond revenge lies crazed answered in next week's issue. was a mechanical bull who just
were most excited by at E3 2009, desperation." Given the absolute Gallery: Nier happened to be wearing a giant,
but upcoming action game Nier is dearth of information we have on [ Image credit] killer horse skin. Cheater.
apparently already getting the the Nier franchise, we're sorry to Square Enix near to announcing Anyhow, knock yourself out in
franchise treatment. According to say we can offer little more than another Nier game originally the gallery below. After all, we
a two-page ad spotted by 1UP in our furrowed brow to assuage appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 braved a freakin' virus to get these
the most recent Famitsu, "Nier your confusion over Replicant's Western shores, as Nier was Sep 2009 00:15:00 EST. Please pictures for you.
Replicant" is set to be detailed in tagline. We do know that the recently announced in the same see our terms for use of feeds. Gallery: PAX 2009: The
next week's issue of the Japanese name could very well change edition of Famitsu as "Nier Read| Permalink| Email this| Costumes
magazine. before it's formally announced on Comments

PAX page 67