Internet News Record 24/09/09 - 25/09/09 LibertyNewsprint.com U.S.

Edition

A world without nuclear weapons: Obama’s pipe dream?

By Louis Charbonneau (Front powers -- the United States, British Prime Minister Gordon
Row Washington) Britain, China, France and Russia. Brown and Sarkozy filled in the
Submitted at 9/24/2009 4:26:00 PM Some diplomats from countries blanks and called for tougher
without nuclear weapons said the sanctions against Iran for defying
U.S. President Barack Obama lack of mandatory disarmament U.N. demands to halt sensitive
says he wants a world without moves is not just a weakness, but nuclear work.
nuclear weapons. But will that a loophole the five big powers -- The resolution didn't mention
ever happen? which have permanent seats and Pakistan, India, Israel and North
Obama showed he's serious this vetoes on the Security Council -- Korea, the four others known or
week. He chaired a historic deliberately inserted into the assumed to have nuclear weapons.
summit meeting of the U.N. resolution so that they wouldn't But it did politely ask "other
S e c u r i t y C o u n c i l w h i c h have to scrap their beloved states" to sign the 1970 nuclear
unanimously passed a U.S.- nuclear arsenals. Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)
drafted resolution that envisages An official from one of the five and get rid of their atom bombs.
" a w o r l d w i t h o u t n u c l e a r big powers appeared to confirm Libya's Muammar Gaddafi was
weapons". this in an "off-record" email to the only leader of a council
It was the first time a U.S. Reuters explaining the language member state that stayed away
president chaired a meeting of the in the resolution: "I would from the meeting. Several council
Security Council since it was u n d e r l i n e t h a t c r e a t i n g t h e diplomats expressed relief at his
established in 1946. conditions for a world free of absence, saying they had been
John Burroughs, executive nuclear weapons is not the same with no nuclear weapons said this not today, but someday.
was typical of the "cynicism" of China's President Hu Jintao said afraid the long-winded Gaddafi
d i r e c t o r o f t h e L a w y e r s as calling for a world free of would have exceeded the five-
Committee on Nuclear Policy, an nuclear weapons." He added that some permanent Security Council China was not planning to get rid
members. He added that the U.S. of its nuclear arsenal anytime minute limit for statements.
advocacy group, identified serious "the spirit of the resolution is (Photos by Mike
weaknesses in the resolution, m u c h m o r e a b o u t n o n - delegation had made very clear soon. So did French President
that the use of the word Nicolas Sarkozy. Segar/REUTERS)
i n c l u d i n g t h e a b s e n c e o f proliferation than disarmament."
mandatory disarmament steps for "disarmament" meant total The resolution didn't name Iran
A diplomat and disarmament nuclear disarmament -- perhaps and North Korea. However,
the world's five official nuclear expert from a European country

Today is MMS On iPhone Day. Did Yours Kick In Yet? - Washington Post
(Most Popular - Google News) best Nintendo handheld the world happens to be the same year AT&T's iPhone has found this many sips of the fanboy juice.
knew had one screen and looked
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:51:09 AM MMS, otherwise known as futuristic feature. We loves us Update: The update seems to have
vaguely like a clam, and smart "Multimedia Messaging Service" some iPhone around these parts - just gone live.
It's time to go back, folks. phones cost upwards of $600 - on or "How people send but anybody who thinks its
Waaay back. Back to a simpler contract.We're talking, of course, inappropriate pictures to each acceptable that it took AT&T this
time; back when the government about 2002. Why are we having other when they're drunk", made long to get a feature found on
was busy with Enron and leaving this little time travel adventure, its big debut. Today, just 819 days every dumbphone since 2003 onto
No Child Behind. Back when the you ask? Because 2002 also and 3 models after launch, their flagship handset is taking too
2 Politics/ Top News/
The First Draft: No Shortage of High FBI payout for Egyptian
-Powered Advice for Obama
By David Morgan (Front Row
Washington)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 7:18:40 AM
All week long, the U.S. media
have been treating President
Barack Obama to a morning
drumbeat of high-powered
opinion about what to do in
Afghanistan.
First came Bill Clinton, who
told NBC that he thinks Obama
should do nothing yet about his
top Afghanistan commander’s call
for more troops. Why not?
Because the U.S. succeeded in
Iraq only because it had support
from the locals and lost in
Vietnam because it didn’t.
Meanwhile, the jury of local
Afghan sentiment is still out and
probably will stay out until doubts
about the country’s recent election
are resolved in a manner that
enhances credibility. To Clinton’s
way of thinking, if the U.S. pours
in more troops without true
popular support, Humpty Dumpty
could very likely fall, and all the
best forces and all our armed men
… well, you get the idea.
Then there was Pervez
Musharraf, the former dictator of
Pakistan, using the royal “we” on
ABC to describe what he thinks
Obama should do. It’s quite
simple, really. Decide at once to
send more troops and tell the
voters to get used to the idea of
higher casualties. The former
general dismissed the danger of
the U.S. following the Soviet
Union and the British Empire
down the road to defeat,
over 9/11
suggesting victory is more likely
in the 21st Century. “There’s
always a first time and we are
better equipped,” he said.
This morning came news of the
most high-powered opinion of all:
that of the American public — or
from the standpoint of
Washington, the American voter.
More than 50 percent of
Americans, as determined by
pollsters for CBS News and the
New York Times, say the war in
Afghanistan is going somewhat or
very badly. Fewer than one in
three say Obama should send
more troops, about one-third favor
a decrease in forces and just over
one-quarter suggest keeping the
number of troops where it is now.
Will it be A, B or C? Only time
and Obama can tell.
But the mix of public opinion
may be slightly more favorable
for the president, should he decide
to back a troop increase. In
August, a larger percentage of
Americans — 41 percent —
wanted a decrease in forces and
slightly fewer backed an increase.
The CBS/New York Times poll
also showed Obama to be more
popular than Ronald Reagan at
this point in his presidency, with a
56 percent overall job approval
rating — though that’s down
from 68 percent last spring.
Reagan, who attracted substantial
bipartisan support among voters,
had an approval rating of 53
percent nine months into his first
term, according to the Times.
For more Reuters political news,
click here.
Photo Credits: Reuters/Finbarr
O’Reilly (Afghan landscape);
Reuters/Molly Riley (U.S.
Afghanistan casualty);
Reuters/Richard Clement (Advice
for Obama)
Internet News Record
(BBC News | Americas | World Egyptian Air Corps and had
Edition) expertise in communications.
Submitted at 9/25/2009 7:37:59 AM The aviation radio found at the
hotel could be used to
An Egyptian man has received a communicate with planes and
$250,000 payout from the FBI monitor pilot conversations.
because of the way he was treated He was freed in January 2002
following the 11 September 2001 after another hotel guest, a pilot,
terrorist attacks. told hotel officials the radio
Abdallah Higazy, 38, sued the belonged to him.
bureau, saying he had been Mr Higazy's lawsuit against the
unjustly criminally charged and FBI agent that questioned him
imprisoned for 34 days. was initially thrown out by a
He had been accused of lying to l o w e r c o u r t j u d g e b u t w a s
investigators about an aviation reinstated in 2007 by the Court of
radio found in his hotel room in Appeals in Manhattan.
New York. When he was released he
Mr Higazy said he told married an American and returned
conflicting stories about the radio to Egypt, where he lives in Cairo
because he had been intimidated and works at a school, according
by an FBI agent. to his lawyer Jonathan Abady.
He asserted that the agent "He was entirely innocent and
shouted at him, lied to him and was coerced to the point where he
threatened to endanger his family. confessed to participation in the
A judge approved the settlement crime of the century. Had the pilot
payment in July 2009. not returned to retrieve the radio,
Mr Higazy was studying at the he [Higazy] might still be in
P o l y t e c h n i c U n i v e r s i t y i n prison," Mr Abady said.
Brooklyn on a US government- He said that Mr Higazy was
funded scholarship and staying at pleased to put the ordeal behind
the Millennium Hilton Hotel near him but that the ordeal was a
the Twin Towers. "traumatic memory that will never
He was detained in December leave him completely".
2001 when he returned to reclaim An admission of liability or
his belongings from the hotel fault was not part of the FBI
which he had left when the hotel agreement.
was evacuated during the attacks. US government lawyers on the
'Traumatic memory' case have declined to comment.
Mr Higazy had acknowledged Print Sponsor
in court that he had served in the
Internet News Record
Healthcare reform debate: Is it “czar” Terror Suspect's Ties to
or “czarina”?
By Donna Smith (Front Row
Washington)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:32:57 AM
It is day four of the Senate
Finance Committee consideration
of a sweeping overhaul of the
$2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare
system in an effort to rein in
soaring costs and expand medical
coverage to millions of uninsured
people. The debate has turned to
White House czars.
This is a hot topic among
conservatives who complain that
these White House positions
wield great power but are not
subject to public scrutiny or
Senate confirmation. As advisers
to the president they also cannot
be called to testify before
Congress.
Republican Senator John Ensign
proposed an amendment to the
healthcare legislation that requires
Senate confirmation of any White
House health czar, in this case
Nancy Ann Deparle, counselor to
the president and Director of the
White House Office of Health
Reform. The problem with
requiring Senate confirmation is
that there is no government
position called “czar,” argued
opponents to the measure.
“The concept of czar is a term of
fiction,” said Democratic Senator
John Kerry.
The term is basically a creation
of the media not wanting to spell
out the long titles given to these
positions by presidents.
Democrats also argued that
Senate confirmation of
presidential appointments often
takes months if not years and
dozens of positions go unfilled
Politics/ Top News/ 3
Canada Investigated -
ABC News
(Most Popular - Google News) Federal Magistrate Judge Craig
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:43:35 AM Shaffer began by dismissing the
charge of making false statements
Authorities say that terrorism and then advised Zazi of his rights
suspect Najibullah Zazi has made in the New York terrorism case
several trips to Canada, raising that accuses him of conspiracy to
concern among investigators that use weapons of mass destruction--
Zazi may have tried to organize a bombs and other explosives--
terror cell in that country. Canada against persons or property in the
has been the target of several United States.
alleged al Qaeda plots. The judge asked Zazi if he
The information was revealed at understood the charges, including
a court hearing for Zazi today in the potential sentence of life in
D e n v e r . M e a n w h i l e , Z a z i ' s prison if he is convicted.
lawyers say he will be transferred "Yes, your honor," Zazi
to New York City tomorrow to r e s p o n d e d .
face terrorism charges at the The hearing then turned towards
E a s t e r n D i s t r i c t C o u r t i n the issue of whether Zazi should
Brooklyn. be released pending trial.
CLICK HERE FOR Government prosecutor Tim
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF Neff argued to have Mr. Zazi kept
THE NEW YORK TERROR in custody until trial. Folsom
PLOT AND O T H E R objected.
TERRORISM STORIES. "We are operating under the
w e l l i n t o a n y p r e s i d e n t ’ s Senate confirmation would create At today's hearing, the charge of assumption that the defendant is a
administration. a new layer of bureaucracy as the lying to a federal agent in a danger," Neff said. Neff said that
Just this week Republicans said president would appoint people to terrorism investigation was Zazi has few ties to the country,
they would hold up Health and do the job while the person with dropped, but the 24-year old has been fired from his job,
Human Services appointments the title awaited confirmation. former airport shuttle driver will evicted from his home, and has
until the Centers for Medicare and The committee defeated the now face more serious terrorism only $1,000 in cash and a
Medicaid Services rescinded a amendment in a strictly party-line charges in New York. bankruptcy on his record. That,
“gag order” over a Humana Inc. vote. The real question here, Zazi was brought into a combined, with frequent overseas
letter to its Medicare beneficiaries though, is would Nancy Ann courtroom on the second floor of trips to Pakistan and across the
saying that proposed spending Deparle be called a “czar” or a the Alfred J. Arraj federal border to Canada make Zazi "a
cuts in the bill would reduce their “czarina”? courthouse just before 9 a.m. significant flight risk."
benefits. Click here for more Reuters Mountain time in handcuffs and "He's not a good candidate to
Democratic Senator Tom Carper political coverage wearing a jail-issued white t-shirt remain in the community," said
as a former governor of Delaware Photo credit: Reuters/Alexander a n d t a n c o l o r e d p a n t s . H e Neff.
remarked about how important it Demianchuk (sand sculptures of conferred with attorneys Arthur
was for a chief executive to have Russian czars in St. Petersburg) Folsom and Michael Dowling.
advisers who can coordinate
polices with the various agencies.
Making those positions subject to
4 Politics/ Top News/ Finance/
The other G20 news: Obama
Olympics, White House honey
By Tabassum Zakaria (Front
Row Washington)
Submitted at 9/24/2009 4:05:55 PM
Olympics intrigue broke out in
the middle of all the U.N., G20,
world leader stuff with the rumor
that perhaps President Barack
Obama might go to Copenhagen
after all to pitch his hometown
Chicago as the site for the 2016
Summer Games.
White House spokesman Robert
Gibbs fanned the flames further
when asked whether it was
possible Obama may go.
“Absolutely,” he told reporters on
Air Force One headed to
Pittsburgh for the G20.
In Washington speak that’s
about as close to saying he’s
going without announcing he’s
going.
“I think it would be a very quick
trip, yes,” Gibbs said.
So what happened since the
announcement that First Lady
Michelle Obama would be the one
going to Copenhagen next week
to push for Chicago against the
competition: Madrid, Rio de
Janeiro and Tokyo?
We’re thinking perhaps the
Chicago set at the White House
— Michelle Obama, Rahm
Emanuel and David Axelrod —
did a little pushing of their
own….
NYC terror attack may have been set for Sept. 11 (AP)
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 11:05:42 AM
jayesue buzzed up: US, UK,
French heads demand Iran nuke
It might also mean that
healthcare legislation is moving at
such a snail’s pace that there’s no
need for the president to forego
the trip.
The other breaking news is that
one of the gifts for foreign
dignitaries in Pittsburgh was
actually made by some very
buzzzy workers at the White
House.
We discovered this nugget
while reading this very important
summit document: “The G20
Pittsburgh Summit Spousal
Program Addendum.” Among the
site opened (AP)
10 seconds ago 2009-09-
25T11:29:02-07:00
Mackenzie Phillips' Half
Sister Chynna Believes
Incest Story - ABC News
(Most Popular - Google News)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 9:48:09 AM
Mackenzie Phillips is
discovering what many who claim
they are victims of incest have
learned when they come forward -
- their families don't always
believe them.
The former child star of "One
Day at a Time" returned to the
Oprah Winfrey Show today to
defend her decision to write her
bombshell book "High on
Arrival," in which she confessed
to engaging in a 10-year
consensual sexual relationship
with her father, rock star John
Phillips, the lead singer for the
gifts to visiting G20 dignitaries '60s group the Mamas and the
was White House honey produced Papas.
from the first-ever beehive on "It's been heartening and
White House property, located heartbreaking at the same time
near the first lady’s vegetable …with the way my family's
garden.
reacting," she said about the
Sweet… response to her appearance on
Photo credit: Reuters/Ruben Wednesday.
Sprich (International Olympic Mackenzie, 49, spoke to
Committee president in June), Winfrey Friday by satellite. Her
R e u t e r s / T o r u H a n a i ( b e e half sister Chynna Phillips, whose
collecting pollen from flower in
Tokyo) World leaders to expand G20 powers
(Financial Times - US
homepage)
Submitted at 9/24/2009 10:24:21 PM
World leaders will agree to sustainable and balanced growth”
expand the role of the Group of which will represent a new way of
20 leading economies on Friday, coordinating economic policies
p u t t i n g i t a t t h e c e n t r e o f around the world.
international economic policy
making in future.
Internet News Record
mother is actress Michelle
Phillips, appeared live in
Winfrey's studio. Chynna, an
actress and singer who is now half
of the Christian duo Chynna and
Vaughn, said she wanted to
appear separately so that her
words would not be "convoluted."
Asked about her reaction to her
sister's confession on the show,
Chynna responded: "I was
praying for her the whole time.
It's very taboo. Many people were
repulsed, horrified, for her to
come out and talk about
something no one wants to hear
about, she had the courage. I'm
proud of my sister."
When asked if she believed her
older sister, Chynna laughed at
first.
"How can the details be perfectly
accurate, when you're on drugs?"
she said.
"I do know there was a
consensual relationship between
my father and sister," she
continued. "I've known that for
about 12 years."
Following what G20 sources
said was a successful dinner on
Thursday night, the group will
agree a “framework for strong,
Internet News Record Politics/ Top News/ Finance/ 5

Iran’s nuclear plant and the definition US census worker

of covert
By Tabassum Zakaria (Front
Row Washington)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:56:29 AM
Western powers are blasting Iran
today for building another nuclear
plant.
President Barack Obama,
flanked by the leaders of France
and Britain, said to reporters in
Pittsburgh for the G20 meeting
that “Iran has been building a
covert uranium enrichment
facility near Qom for several
years.”
Iran, which revealed the
existence of the uranium
enrichment plant to the U.N.
nuclear watchdog on Monday,
unsurprisingly had a whole
different take on the idea of
covert.
“If it was a covert plant, we
would not have informed the
(International Atomic Energy)
Agency,” a senior Iranian official
told Reuters at the United
Nations.
A U.S. official responded: “The
very cursory admission to the
IAEA years after the
commencement of construction of
such a facility whose use is
undeniable does not constitute
living up to its obligations.”
hanging probed
Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad told Time
magazine“we have no secrecy, we
work within the framework of the
IAEA.”
So there’s the latest in the long-
running dispute over Iran’s
nuclear capabilities. The West is
concerned that Iran is trying to
build nuclear weapons, Tehran
says it only wants nuclear power
for civilian purposes.
Dictionary.com defines covert
at “concealed; secret; disguised.”
So who got it right?
(BBC News | Americas | World policeman who knew Mr
Edition) Sparkman, and had warned him to
Submitted at 9/24/2009 4:26:56 PM "be careful" when carrying out the
census.
US police are investigating the Mr Acciardo runs an after-
death of a man who was found school programme at a school
hanged from a tree in rural where Mr Sparkman was a regular
Kentucky with the word "Fed" supply teacher.
scrawled on his chest. He became suspicious and went
Bill Sparkman, 51, had been to police when Mr Sparkman did
going door-to-door in Clay not show up for work for two
County collecting census data. days.
The FBI is investigating Mr Sparkman's body was found
whether Mr Sparkman was victim on 12 September in a remote area
of anti-government sentiment. of Daniel Boone National Forest.
The Census Bureau has The assistant director of the
s u s p e n d e d d o o r - t o - d o o r Census Bureau's southern office
interviews in the area until the in Charlotte, North Carolina, said
investigation is complete. police had told the agency the
"Even though he was with the m a t t e r w a s " a n a p p a r e n t
The United States, which Census Bureau, sometimes people homicide" but had given no
tracked the project for years, can view someone with any further details.
calling the plant covert? Or Iran, g o v e r n m e n t a g e n c y a s ' t h e Governor Steve Beshear gave
w h i c h h a d t h e p l a n t u n d e r government'. I just was afraid that his condolences to Mr Sparkman's
construction for years and only h e m i g h t m e e t t h e w r o n g family.
just now informed the IAEA, character along the way up there," Print Sponsor
saying it’s not covert? said Gilbert Acciardo, a retired
Photo credit: Reuters/Jim Secret Iranian nuclear plant revealed
Young (Obama, Brown, Sarkozy
at news conference on Iran), (Financial Times - US By Edward Luce in Pittsburgh
Reuters/Shannon Stapleton homepage) and James Blitz in London
(Ahmadinejad at U.N.) Submitted at 9/25/2009 7:00:44 AM Published: September 25 2009
10:16 | Last updated: September
Secret Iranian nuclear plant 25 2009 15:00
revealed

The Fed's plans to drain liquidity from the banking system, prevent inflation
By Connie Madon repos" to drain liquidity from the leaves the primary dealers with an liquidity from the banking system,
(BloggingStocks) banking system. inventory on hand; that is, unless prevent inflation originally
Submitted at 9/25/2009 12:10:00 PM What's a reverse repo? It is quite they then can resell it to other appeared on BloggingStocks on
simple. Let's start with the regular investors. Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:10:00 EST.
Filed under: Forecasts, Market Treasury auctions. The primary Continue reading The Fed's Please see our terms for use of
m a t t e r s , F e d e r a l R e s e r v e , dealers (dealers approved by the plans to drain liquidity from the feeds. Permalink| Email this|
Recession, Financial Crisis Fed) and indirect bidders, usually banking system, prevent inflation Comments
The Fed plans to use"reverse foreign and other investors, bid on Treasury notes and bonds. That
The Fed's plans to drain
6 Politics/ World/ Finance/ Tech News/
Sotomayor: getting lost on way to
Supreme Court nomination
By James Vicini (Front Row
Washington)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 11:30:51 AM
When Sonia Sotomayor got THE
CALL, she says her heart started
racing and she started crying.
President Barack Obama had
called on her cell phone to say she
was his first pick for the U.S.
Supreme Court.
“I actually stood by my balcony
doors, and I had … my cell phone
in my right hand and I had my left
hand over my chest trying to calm
my beating heart,” Sotomayor,
now a Supreme Court Justice, said
in an interview with the cable
television network C-SPAN.
On that evening in late May,
Sotomayor said, “I caught my
breath and started to cry and said,
‘Thank you, Mr. President’.” Her
public admission of emotion was
uncharacteristically candid for a
sitting Supreme Court Justice.
And then she faced her first
hurdle on the road to confirmation
— getting to Washington.
A friend drove her from New
York for Obama’s announcement
the next day. The trip to
Washington, which usually takes
Unilever to buy Sara Lee personal care business
(Financial Times - US
homepage)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:23:28 AM
Radox bubblebath and
Brylcreem hair gel will join
Unilever’s brand portfolio after
test
(Wired Top Stories)
about four hours, “took us a little
longer,” she said. “A torrential
rain started on the drive and it
knocked out our GPS, and so we
got lost.”
Sotomayor had been writing her
remarks during the drive and
realized at one point they were in
Virginia going away from
Washington.
“So we pulled over on a road
and I started calling up a friend
and saying please get on the
the Anglo-Dutch multinational
agreed to pay €1.27bn ($1.9bn) in
cash for Sara Lee’s personal care
business to strengthen its
competitive position in Europe.
The acquisition, the first one
made with the direct involvement
"Remember, I gave you the
Internet, and I can take it away."
computer and figure out how we
get back to where we have to go,”
she said.
One of her law clerks gave her
directions to the hotel. “It was a
very eventful night,” Sotomayor
added.
Click here for more Reuters
political coverage
Photo credit: Reuters/Jim
Young (Obama and Sotomayor at
White House reception in August)
of new chief executive Paul
Polman, gives Unilever Sanex
handwashes, shower gels and
deodorants as well as the Dutch
personal care brand Zwitsal and
German brand Duschdas.
Internet News Record
No to deal with
Honduras coup leaders
By Haroon Siddique (World embassy and partial curfews were
news and comment from the declared in border areas and the
Guardian | guardian.co.uk) northern industrial city of San
Submitted at 9/25/2009 3:15:44 AM Pedro Sula, the country's second-
largest city, from last night until
Ousted president say terms this morning. Despite the threat of
o f f e r e d b y m i l i t a r y - b a c k e d arrest hanging over Zelaya,
government are 'totally outside Micheletti said yesterday he was
any possibility of agreement' "willing to establish dialogue
The ousted Honduran president, wherever and whenever to try to
Manuel Zelaya, said after talks find a solution".
last night that there was no Armed soldiers toppled Zelaya
possibility of a deal with the and sent him into exile in his
military-backed government that pyjamas on June 28 after the
ousted him. supreme court endorsed charges
Zelaya has been threatened with of treason and abuse of authority
arrest by the coup leader Roberto against the leader for repeatedly
Micheletti if he steps outside the ignoring court orders to drop
Brazilian embassy, where he has plans for a referendum on whether
been sheltering with his family t h e c o n s t i t u t i o n s h o u l d b e
and dozens of supporters since r e w r i t t e n .
sneaking back into the country on The Brazilian president, Luiz
Monday. Inácio Lula da Silva, and the US
He told the country's Channel president, Barack Obama, are
36 television last night that an among world leaders who have
o f f i c i a l f r o m M i c h e l e t t i ' s called for Zelaya's reinstatement.
administration had taken "an The UN security council is due
extremely hard" stand and the to meet today to discuss the
government's positions were political crisis in Honduras and
"totally outside of any possibility Zelaya's future.
of agreement". Micheletti has said the conflict
Zelaya, who upset conservative will be resolved when Hondurans
elites by allying himself with the elect their next leader on 29
socialist Venezuelan president, November. The US and other
Hugo Chávez, is insisting on his countries have said they may not
reinstatement while the de facto recognise the vote unless Zelaya
government has said he faces is reinstated first.
arrest and elections will be held in • Honduras
November. Haroon Siddique
Earlier, Zelaya had said talks guardian.co.uk© Guardian
were at an early stage and News & Media Limited 2009 |
expressed hope at the outcome, Use of this content is subject to
but he had changed his tune by our Terms & Conditions| More
the end of the day. Feeds
Troops continue to surround the
Internet News Record Top News/ Finance/ 7

Iran Nuclear Site Could Pose Test to US, Israel Ties -

FOXNews
(Most Popular - Google News) Security Council. grave consequences and would Obama -- along with British But he also indicated that
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:42:22 AM But Israel views Iran as the not be clear-cut, since some Prime Minister Gordon Brown economic sanctions could work.
world's greatest threat and facilities are near densely and French President Nicolas For instance, Gardiner said, a
• Photos continues to keep a military populated areas. But he said the Sarkozy -- demanded Iran allow complete European freeze on
Iranian President Mahmoud option on the table. If push comes consequences of a nuclear-armed international weapons monitors to investment in Iran would have a
Ahmadinejad addresses the to air strike, can Obama step in Iran would be worse than the inspect the facility. "devastating impact" on its
United Nations General Assembly the middle? consequences of Israeli military But Iranian President Mahmoud economy.
Sept. 23. (AP Photo) Nile Gardiner, director of the action. Ahmadinejad remained defiant. In Jim Walsh, an international
Iran's disclosure that it has been Margaret Thatcher Center for The Israeli embassy in an interview Friday with Time security analyst at MIT, said that
building a secret nuclear site Freedom at the conservative Washington, D.C., had no magazine, he warned the United in a "bizarre way" the disclosure
ratchets up already simmering Heritage Foundation, said the comment on the newly disclosed States not to pressure Iran on the of the nuclear site could actually
tensions between the Islamic U.S. president is on weak ground Iranian nuclear site. issue. temper Israel.
Republic and Israel, raising as the revelation over the nuclear A U.S. official confirmed to "This does not mean we must He said it could give Israel
questions about whether President site makes an Israeli strike appear FOX News that Washington has inform Mr. Obama's confidence that Western
Obama retains enough influence more likely. known about the second Iranian administration of every facility intelligence is strong enough to
to prevent Israel from launching a "He will strongly urge Israel nuclear facility since the Bush that we have," he told Time. He identify such covert facilities, and
preemptive military strike should against military action, but Israel administration but wanted to be warned that pressing the issue could give the West a strong
P r i m e M i n i s t e r B e n j a m i n will do whatever is in the best certain of the intelligence on the "simply adds to the list of issues enough negotiating position to
Netanyahu's government turn to interest of Israeli security, and I facility before revealing its to which the United States owes extract meaningful concessions
its last resort. don't think that Barack Obama existence. Washington wanted a the Iranian nation an apology from Iran.
Polls show Obama's popularity will have the political capital to "slam dunk case," the official over. Rest assured that this will be "One would hope they'll realize
is waning in Israel, where some prevent an Israeli strike if Israel said. the case. We do everything that the jig is up, so to speak," he
say his administration is too chooses to go down that route," There had been no plans to go transparently." said. "Cooler heads are going to
c o n c i l i a t o r y t o w a r d t h e Gardiner said. public with the information this It's unclear how Israel's prevail on this, presumably."
Palestinians. He also took a Dan Gillerman, former Israeli week, in the middle of the U.N. government will react to the Walsh said that despite strained
beating in the Israeli press for his ambassador to the United Nations, General Assembly session in New disclosure, as well as relations between the U.S. and
speech at the U.N. on Wednesday, told FOX News Friday that Israel York City. But Iran revealed the Ahmadinejad's unrepentant Israel currently, Israel will have to
when he warned that "America is prepared to take military action existence of its covert uranium response. weigh its long-term relationship
does not accept the legitimacy of if sanctions don't work -- and enrichment site to the Netanyahu used his address at with the United States in pushing
continued Israeli settlements," suggested that it was prepared to International Atomic Energy the United Nations Thursday to ahead with a military strike
though Israeli officials continued act alone. Agency after it discovered the assail Ahmadinejad for his denial without U.S. consent. He
to publicly praise him for his "Israel is always close to a strike, project's secrecy had been of the Holocaust, as well as the suggested that a desire to retain
efforts at restarting peace talks. because Israel cannot afford to be breached by Western intelligence. United Nations for giving him a that relationship would trump any
The president made clear Friday asleep," Gillerman said. "Taking Officials said the "heavily platform to speak. itch to pull the trigger on a
that he remains committed to words from your president, yes protected, heavily disguised" Shortly before he was sworn in, military strike.
"serious, meaningful engagement w e c a n . A n d i f a b s o l u t e l y facility was not operational, but the Israeli prime minister told The FOXNews.com's Judson Berger
with Iran" to deal with the nuclear necessary, and if all other options with about 3,000 centrifuges was Atlantic that Obama must prevent and FOX News' Greg Palkot
issue through upcoming talks are exhausted, yes we will. Israel a "few months away" from going Iran from developing nuclear contributed to this report.
among Iran, Germany and the five cannot live with a nuclear Iran." live. weapons or Israel may have to
permanent members of the U.N. He said a strike could have After Iran told the IAEA, resort to military force.
US durable goods orders in surprise drop
(Financial Times - US goods fell in August, as commerce department said on climbed last month and that
homepage) companies held back on purchases Friday. consumer sentiment rose in
Submitted at 9/25/2009 8:30:51 AM out of concern that demand will Separately on Friday, figures September.
continue to remain weak, the showed that new home sales
New orders for US durable
8 Top News/ Finance/
Burning down the house? IRS nixes tax
deductions (AP)
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 11:21:52 AM
UPPER ARLINGTON, Ohio –
The battered house on Sherwin
Road was put to good use before
the fire department burned it to
the ground.
SWAT teams barged through
the front door in an exercise on
dealing with domestic violence.
Rescue crews scattered
mannequins around the house and
blew smoke through the halls to
simulate a meth lab explosion.
Firefighters set fires in one room
after another and practiced putting
them out. Then, in one last drill,
they torched the whole place.
Five years later, though, a
dispute still smolders over the
homeowner's attempt to claim a
$287,000 charitable tax deduction
for donating the house to the fire
department, which has burned
down at least 32 such homes in
Upper Arlington since 1988.
The Internal Revenue Service is
trying to stop homeowners from
claiming such deductions.
Lured by the prospect of free
demolition, homeowners around
the country sometimes offer their
houses to the local fire department
for training purposes. The
department burns down the house,
clearing the way for the owner to
build a bigger and better home.
In court cases in Ohio and
Wisconsin, the IRS is arguing that
because such houses are already
slated for demolition, donating
them for fire training isn't an act
of charity.
The dispute adds a new element
of controversy to the decades-old
debate over whether the risks
associated with "live burns" more
than a dozen firefighters have
been killed in the past two
decades outweigh the training
benefits.
Fire chiefs say live burns supply
invaluable training for volunteer
departments, which make up the
bulk of the nation's firefighters.
And some fear that the tax
disputes will discourage donors
from coming forward.
Nobody tracks the number of
live burns each year, but fire
officials say they are increasingly
rare because of mounting safety
and environmental restrictions
and because fewer homes are up
for demolition in this slumping
economy.
"We need to keep our skills
current. Those opportunities are
going to become fewer and farther
between," said Fire Chief Mitch
Ross in Upper Arlington, the
wealthy Columbus suburb where
the Sherwin Road home owned by
James Hendrix burned down in
2004.
Churches, corporations and
cities with vacant properties also
donate buildings for fire training.
Sometimes it is a dilapidated old
barn, other times a sprawling
suburban house. (The Hendrix
home, not including the land, was
appraised at $287,400).
It's impossible to know exactly
how many people have tried to
claim such deductions; the IRS
would not comment.
Steven Willis, a professor at the
University of Florida who studies
income tax law, said a charitable
deduction can be no greater than
the value of whatever was
donated, and a house given to a
fire department has negative
value, since the owner was going
to have to pay somebody to get
rid of it.
"The whole idea of a charitable
deduction is that you give
something to charity and you
don't get anything back, right?"
said Paul Caron, a tax scholar at
the University of Cincinnati.
"When you give $100 to the
Catholic Church, you don't get
anything for that $100."
The IRS maintains in court
papers in the Wisconsin case that
the homeowners do not qualify
for a deduction because they are
donating only a "partial interest"
in their home, rather than the
entire property. The agency also
says homeowners are letting
firefighters only use the property,
not donating it in full.
But a lot of work goes into
preparing a house to be burned
down, including a detailed
inspection by environmental
authorities, said Terry Grady, a
lawyer representing Hendrix, who
wants the IRS to refund him
$100,590 in "erroneously
collected" taxes. Hendrix built a
new house on the property.
"They have to, in fact, pay their
mortgage off. They have to make
sure there's no asbestos in the
house," Grady said. "And you
know, conversely, the benefits to
the fire department are just
immense."
Although the demolition is free,
the homeowner is responsible for
clearing away the debris.
ESPN commentator Kirk
Herbstreit, who also lives in
Upper Arlington, let firefighters
burn his home in 2004. The
former Ohio State football star's
claim of a $330,000 tax deduction
was rejected a year later.
Herbstreit declined to comment.
A case similar to the Hendrix
dispute has also unfolded in
Chenequa, Wis., where Theodore
Rolfs filed for a $76,000 tax
deduction on his lakefront home
that was burned in 1998. The trial
concluded in 2006. Rolfs is still
waiting for a verdict.
Rolfs, who had been told it was
common practice to receive the
deduction, was taken aback when
the IRS rejected his.
"Their arguments didn't make
any sense," he said.
At Rolfs' house, firefighters
wheeled a truck down to the shore
and practiced pumping lake water
onto the flames, a crucial training
exercise in Chenequa, which has
no fire hydrants, said Rolfs'
attorney, Michael Goller.
Environmental laws in some
states ban live burns. In other
states, most fire departments
adhere to safety guidelines that
say windows should be boarded
up, floors inspected for sturdiness
and shingles and carpets stripped
away.
Three firefighters were trapped
by flames and perished in a 100-
year-old farmhouse in Milford
Township, Mich., during a
controlled burn in 1987. In
February 2007, a fire recruit was
killed in a training exercise in a
Baltimore rowhouse.
___
On the Net:
http://www.nfpa.org
Internet News Record
Gilead (GILD):
'A stock for all
seasons'
By Steven Halpern
(BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 1:00:00 PM
Filed under: Newsletters, Gilead
Sciences (GILD), Stocks to Buy
" Gilead Sciences(NASDAQ:
GILD), one of the world's largest
biotechs, is a stock for all
seasons," say growth expert
Alexander Green.
The investment director for The
Oxford Club explains, "It's a fine
company with a solid balance
sheet, a recession-proof business
and excellent growth prospects."
"Gilead focuses on three main
areas, including cardiovascular
conditions and respiratory
diseases. (Many may have taken
its anti-influenza drug Tamiflu,
Letairis to treat hypertension, or
Macugen to treat macular
degeneration.)
Continue reading Gilead
(GILD): 'A stock for all seasons'
Gilead (GILD): 'A stock for all
seasons' originally appeared on
BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Sep
2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see
our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink| Email this| Comments
ADVERTISEMENT:
(BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 11:50:00 AM
Internet News Record
Greater role for emerging powers
(BBC News | Americas | World
Edition)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 11:13:18 AM
The G20 group of leading and
emerging economies is to take on
a new role as a permanent body
co-ordinating the world economy,
a White House statement said.
It will take on the role
previously carried out by the
developed powerhouses of the G8
group.
The G20 is meeting in the US
city of Pittsburgh for a two-day
summit.
EU officials also announced a
deal to shift the balance of voting
in the International Monetary
Fund (IMF) towards growing
nations such as China.
But there will be no formal
announcement that the G20 will
replace the G8 until 2011, said the
BBC's economics editor
Stephanie Flanders.
"The leaders would have liked
formally to announce the
handover today in Pittsburgh, but
the Canadians - who are chairing
the G8 next year - kicked up such
a fuss that they had to fudge it,"
she said.
There will now be a G20
meeting on the sidelines of
Canada's G8 Summit next June,
where most of the economic
business of the day will be
discussed. But, formally at least,
the economic side of the G8 will
live on another year.
Members are: Argentina,
HSBC chief to be based in Hong Kong
(Financial Times - US
homepage)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 11:14:40 AM
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China,
EU, France, Germany, India,
Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico,
Russia, Saudi Arabia, South
Africa, South Korea, Turkey, UK,
USA
BBC business editor Robert
Peston said that the rich nations of
North America and Europe
formally acknowledging that they
no longer have a monopoly of
wisdom on what's good for the
global economy would be the
most important thing to come out
of this summit.
'Distrust'
The IMF has 186 member-
states. It lends money to countries
that are facing problems, but in
return economic changes have to
be made by those countries.
Currently, China wields 3.7% of
IMF votes compared with
France's 4.9%, although the
Chinese economy is now 50%
larger than that of France.
The IMF has been criticised in
the past as being a group of
developed countries trying to lay
down the law to struggling,
developing countries, which is
why the decision to give growing
nations more votes is important.
"If you talk to the Chinese or
talk to anyone from emerging
markets they say the IMF doesn't
have legitimacy and... we don't
trust the IMF to come and rescue
us in a crisis," Simon Johnson,
former chief economist at the IMF
told the BBC.
"They don't trust it because it's
HSBC signalled on Friday* its
determination to expand in China
and across Asia by moving
Michael Geoghegan, its chief
US and West Europe-dominated.
That's not fair... and the IMF
doesn't function properly as a
result."
Nobel prize-winning Economist
Amartya Sen welcomed the
change in voting rights, but said
that, "on their own, they won't be
able to achieve much... It's not
just a question of voting rights,
but also a question of broadening
the dialogue."
Reports also suggest that the US
is seeking a reduction in the
number of seats on the IMF board
from 24 to 20, which could mean
the UK and France lose their
seats.
'New systems'
UK Prime Minister Gordon
Brown hailed the agreements that
will be announced at the end of
the summit.
"The old systems of international
economic cooperation are over,
new systems... have begun," he
told a news conference.
"I believe that is a very
important development that will
reassure people that the world
economy will be better prepared
for all future events and will work
in harmony to create the jobs and
growth and prosperity that is
needed for the future."
He said that the eventual
communique would include the
following agreements:
• The action taken at the London
summit worked in avoiding a
depression
• The G20 will be the premier
executive, from London to be By Randy Alfred (Wired Top
based full-time in Hong Kong. Stories)
Top News/ Finance/ Tech News/
organisation for dealing with
issues of economic management
• It will agree that a growth
strategy is needed and it is too
early to remove stimulus
measures
• The G20 will also act as an
early-warning system to prevent a
future crisis
• The rules on bankers'
remuneration will be tougher than
had been expected.
A White House statement
announced the new role for the
G20.
"The G20 leaders reached a
historic agreement to put the G20
at the centre of their efforts to
work together to build a durable
recovery while avoiding the
financial fragilities that led to the
crisis," it said.
"Today, leaders endorsed the
G20 as the premier forum for their
international economic
cooperation."
US Treasury Secretary Timothy
Geithner said G20 countries had
reached a consensus on the "basic
outline" of a proposal to limit pay
and bonuses by the end of 2009.
Each country would set their
own standards, he said, but that
these would be overseen by the
G20's Financial Stability Board -
made up of central bankers and
regulators.
But there are G20 members that
would like to see the agreement
going further.
Print Sponsor
Sept. 25, 2002: Mystery Meteorite Dazzles Siberia
Submitted at 9/24/2009 9:00:00 PM
9
First Solar - Stopped-
out, due to solar
sector's fits and starts
By Joseph Lazzaro
(BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 2:00:00 PM
Filed under: Green Stocks Any
one who trades or invests knows,
'they don't all work out." First
Solar(NASDAQ: FSLR) is one
that didn't work out, as the stock
tripped the Sell/Stop Loss at $115,
after a $184.50 Buy
recommendation issued on June 2,
2009.
The ride down below $115
closed out a wild summer for
FSLR, which saw shares lose 50%
of their value, basically. Simply,
First Solar is a volatile stock that's
only suitable for high-risk
investors who can tolerate
repeated 20-30% stock swings.
Continue reading First Solar -
Stopped-out, due to solar sector's
fits and starts
First Solar - Stopped-out, due to
solar sector's fits and starts
originally appeared on
BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Sep
2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see
our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink| Email this| Comments
A huge fireball lights up the
skies and causes a tremendous
explosion. But where's the crater?
10 Top News/ Finance/ Tech News/
2 men charged in unrelated Ill., Texas bomb plots
(AP)
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 11:14:34 AM
DALLAS – A Jordanian man
living outside Dallas and an ex-
convict who wrote letters to John
Walker Lindh were in custody on
Friday after each tried to blow up
what they thought were vehicles
packed with explosives outside a
Texas skyscraper and an Illinois
courthouse, authorities said.
The two cases are unconnected
to each other and to the
investigation that set off the most
intense flurry of national terrorism
warnings since the aftermath of
Sept. 11, authorities said.
Hosam Maher Husein Smadi,
19, who is a Jordanian national,
appeared in court Friday in Dallas
after federal officials said he
parked what he thought was an
explosive-laden truck in a parking
garage beneath the 60-story
Fountain Place office tower.
Smadi mostly looked down as he
was led into the courtroom in
handcuffs, and when asked
whether he understood his rights,
he softly answered, "Yes."
Michael C. Finton, 29, who also
went by the name Talib Islam and
idolized Lindh the American-
born Taliban fighter was arrested
Wednesday in Springfield, Ill.,
after federal officials said he
attempted to detonate what he
believed to be explosives in a van
outside a federal courthouse in the
Illinois capital.
Terminal Man Crash Lands a (Simulated) Jet Airliner
By Brendan Ross (Wired Top
Stories)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 6:52:00 AM
In both cases, decoy devices
were provided to the men by FBI
agents posing as al-Qaida
operatives. Both are charged with
trying to detonate a weapon of
mass destruction and face up to
life in prison if convicted. Finton
also is charged with attempting to
murder federal officers or
employees.
Smadi, who federal prosecutors
said lived and worked in the north
central Texas town of Italy, came
to the United States in 2007 with
his brother, Hussein, on student
visas, their father Maher Hussein
Smadi told The Associated Press
in Jordan. The father said Hussein
Smadi, 18, was arrested in
California, but would not
elaborate. That arrest could not
immediately be confirmed by
officials in the U.S.
"The issue is completely
fabricated and in our family we
never condoned terrorism," the
father said.
Richard Anderson, the public
defender appointed to Smadi in
Dallas, said after Friday's hearing
that he had "little to say" until he
figures out more about the case.
He said his client is scared and
has no family nearby.
The FBI had been keeping tabs
on Smadi since an undercover
agent discovered him in an online
extremist group, according to an
affidavit in the case. Undercover
agents communicated and met
with Smadi over several months,
By flying around more than even
S.R. Hadden I've become a
somewhat unlikely member of the
media, for whatever that’s worth.
posing as members of an al-Qaida
sleeper cell, the affidavit said. The
agents provided Smadi with what
he believed was a car bomb but
was actually an inert device, it
said.
Smadi on Thursday parked a
vehicle containing the device in a
garage beneath the Dallas office
tower and set the device's timer,
the affidavit said. Smadi then met
with an agent, who drove several
blocks away and Smadi dialed a
cell phone in an attempt to
detonate the bomb, according to
the affidavit, which said he picked
the Fountain Place because it
housed banks.
A similar scenario played out
the day before in Illinois. Finton
also had been closely monitored
by federal agents including in the
months leading up to his arrest,
according to an affidavit in that
case. It said an FBI agent who
posed as an al-Qaida operative
presented Finton on Wednesday
with a van containing materials he
described as explosive but which
actually were harmless.
The two men parked the van at
the courthouse and close to the
office of U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock,
R-Ill., which Finton allegedly
hoped also would be damaged.
They then drove a short distance
to where Finton twice used a cell
phone to try to detonate the
explosives, the affidavit said. He
was arrested immediately.
The affidavit traced two years of
Here's some of it's worth: multimillion dollar flight
journalists are often allowed to simulator. Crash, meet burn.
experience things that the general
public isn't. Like flying a
activities by Finton. It said
Finton's parole on a previous
conviction was revoked in August
2007 and writings found at the
time included reference to a letter
to Lindh, who is now in prison.
Public records show Finton was
in an Illinois prison from 1999
until 2005 aggravated robbery and
aggravated battery convictions.
After getting out, Finton told his
parole officer he had converted to
Islam, the affidavit said.
Finton appeared in federal court
in Springfield on Thursday and
said he was an unmarried, part-
time cook at a fish and chicken
restaurant in the central Illinois
city of Decatur. A message was
left for his attorney, federal
defender Robert Scherschlight.
Both Finton and Smadi were
ordered held in jail pending
further hearings.
Authorities said the Texas and
Illinois cases are not connected to
that of Najibullah Zazi, a 24-year-
old airport shuttle driver who
federal officials allege received
explosives training from al-Qaida
and bought large quantities of
hydrogen peroxide and nail-polish
remover in a plot to build bombs
for attacks on U.S. soil.
___
Associated Press writers Mike
Robinson in Chicago, David
Mercer in Champaign, Ill. and
Shafika Mattar in Amman, Jordan
contributed to this report.
Internet News Record
New home sales
rose less than
expected last month
By Michael Fowlkes
(BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 1:30:00 PM
Filed under: KB HOME (KBH),
Housing, Recession
The housing market got two
pieces of bad news Friday. The
first being weaker-than-expected
earnings for KB Home(NYSE:
KBH) and the second being a less
-than-expected rise in new home
sales last month.
First, the good news. New home
sales did rise last month. In the
current economic environment,
that by itself is good news.
Unfortunately the rise was less
than analysts had been expecting
to see.
Continue reading New home
sales rose less than expected last
month
New home sales rose less than
expected last month originally
appeared on BloggingStocks on
Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:30:00 EST.
Please see our terms for use of
feeds. Permalink| Email this|
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Internet News Record Top News/ Finance/ Economy/ 11

Mass. judge rejects bid to delay Kennedy

successor (AP)
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News) ruling was issued.
Connolly also granted the state's
25 of brain cancer.
Legislative Republicans, as well
the judge asked.
O'Brien said the irreparable
T. Rowe Price, Insight
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:57:20 AM
request to dismiss the case. as a host of Democrats, objected harm was the abuse of the Venture Partners in
BOSTON – A Massachusetts "The (Republican) Party has not
judge on Friday rejected a shown that it has a chance to
to the change, and after it was
approved, they defeated a separate
constitutional process by allowing
one person the governor to
Twitter deal
Republican request to delay the succeed on the merits and, request to attach an emergency supersede the authority of the By Tom Johansmeyer
s w e a r i n g i n o f E d w a r d M . therefore, any risk of harm to the preamble to the bill. Patrick added Legislature. (BloggingStocks)
Kennedy's temporary replacement party will not outweigh the risk of the emergency preamble to the Patrick put the law into effect Submitted at 9/25/2009 12:30:00 PM
in the Senate. harm to the governor and the bill just moments before he immediately by declaring it was
The state GOP had argued that commonwealth," Connolly wrote named Kirk, the former chairman subject to a citizen referendum. In Filed under: Private equity
Gov. Deval Patrick a Democrat in his decision. of the Democratic National that case, a governor is allowed to Twitter is on the brink of
exceeded his constitutional The GOP did not immediately Committee, to succeed Kennedy. declare an emergency and make nabbing another $100 million in
authority by appointing Paul G. say if it would appeal. Instead, it "The governor's power to declare the law effective immediately. financing, according to the New
Kirk Jr. on Thursday. Lawmakers issued a statement saying the an emergency is not absolute," The intent of that constitutional York Times. This would value the
passed a bill this week giving governor's action and its fight attorney James O'Brien argued on provision is to prevent a group of company at $1 billion, bringing
Patrick the power to choose an should convince voters of the behalf of the Republicans. "By angry citizens from pre-empting a back memories of outrageous
interim senator, but laws usually need to restore partisan balance in granting the governor the power law during the 90-day enactment valuations without corresponding
take effect in 90 days. the state. Only 21 Republicans are to appoint by way of an period. revenue.
Patrick got around that delay by in the 200-member Legislature. unconstitutional maneuver, this "We believe the irreparable harm Insight Venture Partners and T.
signing a letter that declared the "It is up to the voters of establishes a dangerous is the misuse of the constitution," Rowe Price are said to be
bill emergency legislation. The Massachusetts to finally decide precedent." O'Brien told Connolly. involved in the transaction, which
appointment is critical to his enough is enough and to refuse to Connolly sounded a skeptical Assistant Attorney General would put them with Spark
fellow Democrats, who need r e - e l e c t t h e e n t r e n c h e d note, foreshadowing his eventual Peter Sacks, representing the Capital and Institutional Venture
Kirk's vote to restore their 60- incumbents responsible for raising decision, by asking O'Brien to governor, said the GOP confused Partners as investors in the
vote, filibuster-proof margin in our taxes in the middle of a define the irreparable harm the the referendum process. Patrick popular microblogging site.
the Senate. President Barack recession, turning a blind eye to party would suffer one said the emergency the state faced Continue reading T. Rowe
Obama and his staff lobbied for p u b l i c c o r r u p t i o n a n d requirement for granting an was lack of representation during Price, Insight Venture Partners in
the change as they try to win manipulating the law to keep their injunction. the health care and other debates Twitter deal
approval this year for their top g r i p o n p o w e r , " s a i d G O P "The net effect of the motion is under way in Washington. T. Rowe Price, Insight Venture
legislative priority, overhauling Chairwoman Jennifer Nassour. that the commonwealth would not "The urgency is not to escape the Partners in Twitter deal originally
the nation's health care system. On Wednesday, the Legislature have two senators in Washington complaint," Sacks said. "There is appeared on BloggingStocks on
Suffolk Superior Court Judge amended the state's Senate for 90 days?" Connolly asked simply no reason to delay it and Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:30:00 EST.
Thomas Connolly denied the succession law so the governor O'Brien. every reason in the world, your Please see our terms for use of
party's request to delay Kirk's could appoint an interim senator "That is correct," the attorney honor, to make it as quick as feeds. Permalink| Email this|
swearing in. Vice President Joe during a five-month special replied. possible." Comments
Biden was slated to do so at the election campaign to fill the seat "How does that affect the
U.S. Capitol two hours after the permanently. Kennedy died Aug. Massachusetts Republican Party?"

Freddie Mac's Shrinking Portfolio

(Financial Sector and Stocks
Analysis from Seeking Alpha)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 8:06:08 AM
The retained mortgage portfolio
at Freddie Mac( FRE) is declining
with alacrity. It peaked in March
of this year at $867 billion and
was down to $780 billion at the
end of March.
The portfolio has declined at a
particularly rapid rate in July and
August as it fell $31 billion in
July and $20 billion in August.
I believe that the failed giant is
under orders to shrink its portfolio
by 10 percent in 2010 and it looks
as though they have gotten a
runing start on that concept.
Total delinquencies are also
rising. In August 2008
delinquencies stood at 1.11
percent of the portfolio.
Delinquencies a year later are at
3.13 percent.
Along with the shrinkage
(sounds like a topic for a Seinfeld
episode) in the portfolio is the
total amount of outstanding debt
supporting the portfolio. Total
debt peaked in March at $ 932
billion and was down to $854
billion at the end of August.
12 Top News/ World/ Gadgets/
Gadhafi tent taken down at NY Trump estate (AP)
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 11:11:05 AM
BEDFORD, N.Y. – An elaborate
tent for Moammar Gadhafi that
prompted stop-work orders and
public indignation has been taken
down at Donald Trump's
suburban estate.
The white-topped tent lined
with a tapestry of camels and
palm trees and outfitted with
leather couches and coffee tables
had been dismantled and was
being packed into a moving truck
Friday morning at the bucolic
property, said Bedford Town
Attorney Joel Sachs.
As a result, he said, the town
would not be going to state court
Friday for an injunction.
Alison Bradley, of the public
relations firm representing the
Libyan leader, said Gadhafi and
most of his delegation would be
leaving the country Friday.
"That would be welcome news,"
said Bedford Town Supervisor
Lee Roberts.
Bradley wouldn't say where
Gadhafi was going, but he is
expected Saturday at a meeting of
Five US troops killed in Afghanistan
By Haroon Siddique (World
news and comment from the
Guardian | guardian.co.uk)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 2:30:53 AM
Three die in roadside bombing in
deadliest year for international
forces since invasion
Five US troops have been killed
in attacks in southern
Afghanistan, the military said
today.
Three troops died in a roadside
bombing, one was shot by
African and South American
leaders in Venezuela, where
President Hugo Chavez said
Gadhafi is more than welcome to
put up his tent.
The tent had been pitched for a
second time Thursday, one day
after being dismantled when town
officials declared it an illegal use
of a residence.
Roberts said the town won't go
to court "as long as there is no
move toward re-erecting the tent."
Late Thursday night, Sachs,
escorted by two police officers,
moved onto the property and
handed fresh stop-work orders
and criminal summonses to
representatives of the landowner
Trump's Seven Springs LLC and
the tenant of record.
Sachs said he was unsure
"exactly which entity" had rented
the property to the Libyans.
Because the tent was down by
Friday, Sachs said, the state court
injunction was not needed, but the
criminal summonses stand. They
are answerable next week in
Town Court and could result in
fines of $1,000 a day, he said.
Khalifa Khalifa, a Libyan
insurgents and another died in an
attack while on patrol. All five
died yesterday.
Roadside bombs now account
for most US and Nato casualties
in what has been the deadliest
year for international forces since
the 2003 US-led invasion. They
have been especially deadly in the
south, which is largely controlled
by the Taliban. In July, the
number of incidents involving
improvised explosive devices was
828, the highest level of the war
official, insisted Thursday that the
tent was legal. He said it was
meant to honor the Libyan leader,
although Gadhafi apparently
never made it to Bedford.
"The tent is a symbol for the
country and the president. It goes
up everywhere they go," he said.
Khalifa, speaking through a
translator, said the Trump
property was rented "specifically
to have a space for a tent." He
said he didn't know if Trump was
aware the tent had been re-
erected.
Khalifa also said he was
unaware that Gadhafi's anticipated
visit to the suburbs had gotten a
"chilly reception."
Reporters had been invited to
the estate Thursday night for a
possible meeting with Gadhafi,
who was in New York for the
United Nations General
Assembly. They were served tea
and allowed to examine the tent
but then were ordered off the
property after the town officials
stormed in. Khalifa said Gadhafi's
plans had changed.
Sachs said he began to suspect
the tent had been rebuilt when a
and more than twice as many as in
July 2008.
Barack Obama has been urged
to send more troops to
Afghanistan by the Nato
commander in the country,
General Stanley McChrystal, but
he has held back from committing
more troops as political support
for the war weakens. Concern that
the war may be unwinnable is
growing as US casualties rise
sharply. A recent Washington
Post poll showed that 51% of
State Department attorney called
to say a Gadhafi visit was possible
and the department might not
back up the town's fight against
the tent.
Westchester County Executive
Andrew Spano said through a
spokeswoman that the Libyans
were "thumbing their noses" at the
county and the town.
Trump had been praised by
Roberts for "defusing the issue"
on Wednesday. He said he had
asked his unidentified "tenant" to
take the tent down and the tenant
had complied.
Roberts also said Trump told
her that he "had no idea" when the
rental deal was made that it would
involve Gadhafi.
The Libyan leader has had a
difficult time finding a place to
spend time while in the New York
area. Requests for space in
Central Park, Englewood, N.J.,
and Manhattan's Upper East Side
were all rejected. Gadhafi stayed
at the city's Libyan Mission after
arriving Tuesday.
Americans thought the war "not
worth fighting".
• Afghanistan
• United States
• Taliban
Haroon Siddique
guardian.co.uk© Guardian
News & Media Limited 2009 |
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our Terms & Conditions| More
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Internet News Record
JVC Picsio GC-FM1
video camera flips
out for its debut
By Donald Melanson
(Engadget)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 2:02:00 PM
Sure, JVC's new Picsio GC-FM1
pocket video camera has the specs
to complete with the likes of Flip
Video's Ultra HD and other
similar offerings(1080p video, 8-
megapixel stills, a 2-inch LCD,
and HDMI out), but it also has a
little something extra, something
rarely seen in the world of
anthropomorphized products since
they heyday of the California
Raisins: showmanship. Still no
word on a North American
appearance just yet, unfortunately
but it looks like the camera will
run around ¥20,000 (or about
$220) when it hits Japan by the
end of the month. In the
meantime, we're sure the video
after the break will more than tide
you over.
[Via Akihabara News]
Continue reading JVC Picsio
GC-FM1 video camera flips out
for its debut
Filed under: Digital Cameras
JVC Picsio GC-FM1 video
camera flips out for its debut
originally appeared on Engadget
on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:02:00
EST. Please see our terms for use
of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email
this| Comments
Internet News Record
Biscuits only in Honduras mission
(BBC News | Americas | World
Edition)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 4:15:12 AM
Deposed Honduras President
Manuel Zelaya and his supporters
have had to live on biscuits and
are unable to wash, a Brazilian
diplomat says.
Mr Zelaya has been holed up in
Brazil's embassy in the Honduran
capital Tegucigalpa since making
a surprise return to his country on
Monday.
About 50 people are believed to
be with him, including family and
supporters.
Diplomat Francisco Rezende
Catunda told the BBC that the
situation inside the embassy was
"precarious".
"We have survived a few days
eating biscuits, a very irregular
diet," he told the BBC's Brazilian
service, adding that the group had
their first proper meal on
Thursday.
"I wouldn't say that we are
starving, but the situation is
extremely precarious."
Mr Catunda said the people
inside had no soap or towels and
no changes of clothes.
He said the military, which is
surrounding the building, had
allowed only eight of the
embassy's 12 staff to leave.
"Many of us have family
obligations and need to leave, but
are being prevented from doing
so."
Please turn on JavaScript.
Media requires JavaScript to play.
People holed up in the Brazilian
embassy cheer as food arrives
He said the troops were not
respecting passes issued to people
on the outside to allow access to
the compound.
"They have not stated
categorically that entry is
forbidden, they just aren't
responding to anything," he said.
'Inhuman'
The embassy building has been
surrounded by police and troops
since Mr Zelaya first appeared
there on Monday, saying he had
slipped back into Honduras on
foot to restore democracy.
He had been in exile for nearly
three months, after being driven
from the country at gun point.
At least one person has died in
protests around the embassy - Mr
Zelaya's supporters put the figure
at 10. A curfew order on
Tegucigalpa was lifted on
Thursday.
Mr Catunda said that in the
early days, about 300 people were
in the embassy with Mr Zelaya.
He said 50 or 60 people now
remain, including Mr Zelaya's
wife and other relatives, who are
receiving food deliveries from the
UN.
"It is a delicate situation," said
Mr Catunda.
"We support Mr Zelaya, but we
are unable to accommodate so
many people."
Milton Benitez, a Zelaya
supporter inside the embassy, said
the deposed leader was sleeping
on an inflatable mattress while
many people were spending the
nights on the floor.
"We are living in inhuman
conditions," Mr Benitez told the
AP news agency.
But he said Mr Zelaya had been
encouraging everyone to "stay
calm and be patient".
Top News/ Gadgets/ 13
CANCELLED:
Laptopburka closed
down, cites bad press
By Dave Freeman
(CrunchGear)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:30:18 AM
Well, it looks like we won’t have
the infamous “Laptop Burka” to
kick around anymore. The owner
of the company contacted us to let
us know that they are pulling the
plug, due to being “murdered” in
the press. Their website is down
as of this posting.
Before Marc shut down the
On Friday, Mr Zelaya and the
interim government, led by company however, he sent us one
Roberto Micheletti, held informal of his products to review. We are
talks in a bid to end the stand-off. still going to do a review of the
Mr Zelaya said the meeting was product, just to be fair to Marc.
a positive first step, but the Perhaps it was a great concept that
interim government has stressed everyone made fun of? There was
the talks are not about returning another great idea that people
him to power. made fun of. It’s called the
The crisis erupted after Mr airplane. And those two boys at
Zelaya tried to hold a non-binding Kitty Hawk went ahead with their
public consultation in July, asking i d e a , d e s p i t e t h e f a c t t h a t
people whether they supported everyone told them that man
moves to change the constitution. wasn’t supposed to fly. So maybe
His opponents said the move we made fun of Marc, and maybe,
was unconstitutional and was just maybe, man is meant to sit
aimed at removing the current one under a sheet and use his laptop
- t e r m l i m i t o n s e r v i n g a s after all.
president, so paving the way for So watch for our upcoming
video review, where we’ll give
Mr Zelaya's possible re-election.
He has denied this. you our honest opinion of the
LaptopBurka or “Geeksheet” as is
Print Sponsor
was going to be known. And give
innovation a chance.
14 Top News/ World/ Gadgets/ Internet News Record

Judge delays Google books hearing Olmert defiant as

(BBC News | Americas | World
Edition)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 1:02:14 AM
In a 32-page filing, the DOJ said
the settlement needed to be
reworked so that it complied with
Google claimed at the time it
was protected by the "fair use"
principle because its book search
corruption trial begins
US copyright and antitrust laws. engine showed only short snippets By Rory McCarthy (World by taking cash-stuffed envelopes
A New York judge has put It was revealed earlier this week of text for the books it had news and comment from the from an American businessman
Google's vision of creating the that publishers, authors and scanned without permission. Guardian | guardian.co.uk) and long-time supporter. He is
world's biggest digital library on Google have been working to Microsoft, Amazon and Yahoo Submitted at 9/25/2009 12:44:50 AM also accused of double-billing for
hold. modify the agreement, which was have filed objections to the flights booked through his travel
Judge Denny Chin postponed a completed last year. settlement with the court, along Former Israeli prime minister agency and of committing fraud
fairness hearing set for next "Under all the circumstances, it with the French and German faces charges of secret campaign by giving personal favours to his
month that was meant to address a makes no sense to conduct a governments, privacy advocates funding, fraud over travel costs former legal partner.
settlement between Google and hearing on the fairness and and consumer watchdog groups. and personal favours Olmert stood down at a
authors and publishers. reasonableness of the current "Clearly voices such as ours had Ehud Olmert, the former Israeli leadership election in September
The $125m agreement, worked settlement agreement, as it does an impact on Judge Chin," wrote prime minister, has appeared in a last year but under Israeli law
out last year, has effectively been not appear that the current consumer watchdog advocate Jerusalem court at the start of a stayed on as a caretaker prime
sent back to the drawing board by settlement will be the operative John Simpson in an email to BBC high-profile corruption trial, minister until the rightwing
the judge. one," Judge Chin wrote. News. insisting he will be acquitted. Binyamin Netanyahu formed a
The class action case would let He noted that objectors to the "There was no way the proposed Olmert, 63, resigned his party government in March after
Google distribute and sell digital settlement include "countries, settlement could go forward. We leadership in September 2008 as general elections.
v e r s i o n s o f o u t o f p r i n t , states, non-profit organisations, believe that the proper place to the pressure of several corruption A conviction at this trial would
copyrighted books. and prominent authors and law solve many of the case's thorniest investigations mounted against probably end Olmert's hopes of
It has been criticised because professors". problems, such as that of orphan him. Last month he was charged returning to political life.
some say it would give Google "Clearly, fair concerns have been books, is in Congress because it is with crimes including fraud and He is not the only Israeli
too much power to set book raised. It would appear that if a important to build digital breach of trust in three separate politician to run up against the
prices. fair and reasonable settlement can libraries." cases dating back to when he was law this year. In June a former
Judge Chin's decision comes be struck, the public would Orphan books - of which there Jerusalem mayor and then a f i n a n c e m i n i s t e r , A v r a h a m
after the American Association of benefit," said Judge Chin. are thought to be five million - are government minister. Hirchson, was jailed for five years
Publishers and the Authors Guild 'Status conference' titles where the authors cannot be He is the first Israeli leader to and five months for corruption;
asked the court to delay the final In 2001, book authors and the found. face such serious corruption and a former welfare minister,
fairness hearing on the proposed Authors Guild filed a class-action Judge Chin has called for a charges and could face up to five Shlomo Benizri, was jailed for
agreement, which needs court lawsuit, as did publishers, alleging "status conference" to be held on years in jail on each of four four years for taking bribes. In
approval to go ahead. that Google had violated 7 October - the original date for counts. March the former Israeli
'Fair concerns' copyright laws by scanning books the hearing - to determine "how to As he walked into the Jerusalem president, Moshe Katsav, was
The move follows objections from the libraries of major proceed with the case as district court today, Olmert charged with rape and other
filed by the Department of Justice universities without always expeditiously as possible". c o n t i n u e d t o p r o t e s t h i s sexual offences.
last week. It said the deal should getting permission from the Print Sponsor innocence. "I came here as an • Ehud Olmert
not go through in its current form. copyright owners of the books. innocent person and I believe my • Israel
innocence will be proven," he • Middle East
Hey, disco party people, how about some Windows 7 said. Rory McCarthy
Olmert had been the target of an guardian.co.uk© Guardian
commercials? "unfair" legal witch-hunt over News & Media Limited 2009 |
three years, Olmert said. Use of this content is subject to
By John Biggs (CrunchGear) low-paid actors apparently commercials for Windows 7 itself In one case he is accused of our Terms & Conditions| More
Submitted at 9/25/2009 11:01:11 AM preparing to get it on in the worst – that’s important, especially in breaking campaign finance laws Feeds
Cinemax late night movie ever. general adoption – and thankfully
It’s not a Windows 7 Party Enduserblog has all of the they’re not using the same video
without some tunes, right? videos for your perusal but I team that they use for internal,
Thankfully Microsoft has created picked out a few more good ones informal videos.
a set of commercials with catchy after the jump.
beats, nice visuals, and no stilted, It’s nice to see good
Internet News Record Top News/ Economy/ Tech News/ 15

Randy Quaid free on bail after arrest IMF Reform, and Why
on Calif. warrant - Los Angeles It Should Move to
Times Europe
(Most Popular - Google News) than $10,000 due to a local hotel, Vacation" movies, "Independence (Financial Sector and Stocks as may be prescribed by the Board
Submitted at 9/25/2009 9:40:06 AM according to a release from the Day" and "Kingpin." Analysis from Seeking Alpha) of Governors. These terms,
Santa Barbara County Sheriff's He also played a hard-nosed Submitted at 9/25/2009 9:12:44 AM including the terms for
Actor Randy Quaid was given a Department. sheep rancher in "Brokeback subscriptions, shall be based on
ride from a small West Texas jail The warrant was issued after Mountain," then sued Focus By Simon Johnson principles consistent with those
to get bail money from a bank sheriff's detectives filed a case Features and the film's producers The headline news from the applied to other countries that are
after he and his wife were arrested with the district attorney. Santa in 2006, claiming he was G20 summit in Pittsburgh is that already members.”
for allegedly skipping out on a B a r b a r a C o u n t y s h e r i f f ' s compelled to work cheaply when progress has been made on “IMF Ultimately, this kind of decision
$10,000 California hotel bill, spokesman Drew Sugars said told the film -- which earned $82 reform,” meaning increased is more about high politics than
according to the sheriff who drove Thursday that detectives had not million at the domestic box office voting power for emerging international law. The only part of
him. yet spoken with the actor and the -- had no prospects of making markets relative to rich countries the world where the IMF
Quaid and his wife, Evi, each department said it would not money. – remember that West Europeans currently has the legitimacy to
posted $20,000 Thursday night immediately release further A native Texan, he is the older are greatly overrepresented at the make a difference is in Eastern
after spending several hours in the details. brother of fellow actor Dennis IMF for historical reasons. But Europe, and most of the additional
jail in Marfa, Presidio County A message left for Randy Quaid. further change in a sensible resources for helping that region
Sheriff Danny Dominguez told Quaid's commercial agent, Steven Marfa, a remote West Texas direction is being blocked by the should come from Western
The Associated Press. Arcieri, was not immediately town, is no stranger to Hollywood UK and France – because they Europe – after all, Brussels had
Dominguez said he drove the returned. attention. have figured out that this logic the not-so-good idea that
actor to a bank to obtain the bail The Quaids were arrested More than 50 years ago, implies they would lose their “convergence” through EU
money. Quaid remained in his Thursday afternoon after a deputy filmmaker George Stevens settled individual seats on the IMF’s accession meant that running
custody during the trip but was spotted the couple driving in on the area for his epic Texas oil executive board. massive current account deficits
not handcuffed. The sheriff said Marfa, where they had been tale "Giant," which starred Rock The way to break this impasse is was somehow a good idea.
the actor received no special staying at a hotel, Dominguez Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor and (1) for the European Union to Europe still insists on the right
treatment. said. James Dean. (Stevens won a best consolidate into a single seat or to nominate one of its own to be
"I like to help everybody out," Evi Quad "resisted a little bit, it director Oscar for "Giant" in membership, and (2) for the managing director of the IMF,
Dominguez said. "It's a small wasn't too much," the sheriff said. 1957, the only win of that film's Union to assert its right to be the which is an awful anachronism at
town." "She calmed down quickly." 10 nominations). headquarters of the IMF (under this point. The New IMF could be
A felony warrant for burglary, Quaid won a Golden Globe More recently, "There Will be the Articles of Agreement: “ The based in London with a French
defrauding an innkeeper and Award and was nominated for an Blood" and "No Country for Old principal office of the Fund shall boss, or in Paris with a British
conspiracy was issued out of Emmy for his portrayal of Men" were filmed in the desolate be located in the territory of the boss. The EU would have a
Santa Barbara, Calif., for the President Lyndon Johnson in town of 2,100, founded as a member having the largest powerful voice and the US would
couple after authorities received a "LBJ: The Early Years"; but he's railroad stop in 1883. quota…”). keep its veto. The emerging
complaint in early September that perhaps best known for his roles The US will push back hard – markets, outside of Eastern
they had not paid a bill of more in the "National Lampoon's arguing that only countries can be Europe, would still be annoyed
members of the IMF. But what’s a and with good reason – but they
Behold: The World's First Laser Microphone (Video) country for these purposes? The should really stop complaining
By Eliot Van Buskirk (Wired foundation for MP3 with his variations in air pressure the rest UK, for example, has elected and just set up their own fund
Top Stories) undergraduate and PhD work in of us call "sound." His invention assemblies in constituent parts of (building on the Asian Chiang
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:07:00 AM the eighties, has another big idea: appears to be the world’s first its union (and different soccer Mai initiative); China, India,
a microphone that uses lasers and laser microphone. teams), but can still belong to the Russia, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia
David Schwartz, who laid the smoke to detect the minute IMF: “Membership shall be open have more than enough financial
to other countries at such times firepower to make this happen.
and in accordance with such terms
16 World/ Tech News/ Internet News Record

Obama condemns Iran over secret nuclear plant

By Ian Traynor, Julian Borger, Obama's ultimatum "simply adds an exhaustive, strict, and rigorous weapons inspector in Iraq and weapon. The plant is understood
Ewen MacAskill (World news to the list of issues to which the investigation." head of the Washington-based to be equipped with around 3,000
and comment from the United States owes the Iranian Brown said Iran was guilty of Institute for Science and centrifuges.
Guardian | guardian.co.uk) nation an apology over." "serial deception" and it was time International Security, said that Iran told the agency "that no
Submitted at 9/25/2009 8:56:57 AM Western leaders, increasingly for the international community to the west could simply stop buying nuclear material has been
exasperated at Iran's nuclear draw a line in the sand. Iranian oil. "It has consequences introduced into the facility",
Iran's president, Mahmoud truculence, were little assuaged by "On 1 October, Iran must now for us but it would be devastating Vidricaire said. "In response, the
Ahmadinejad, warns the US Iran's belated admission of the engage with the international for Iran," he said. IAEA has requested Iran to
president his ultimatum on site's existence, which appears to community and join the If sanctions fail, Israel has provide specific information and
nuclear programme is a mistake have come after Iran learned that international community as a hinted it is prepared to order air access to the facility as soon as
The US, Britain and France western intelligence services were partner," Brown said. "If it does strikes against Iranian nuclear possible."
i s s u e d a s t r o n g l y w o r d e d on to its secret establishment. not do so, it will be further facilities. According to Reuters, an Iranian
ultimatum to Iran today after US Obama said: "This site deepens isolated." Iran sent details of its latest news agency quoting an
officials disclosed the existence of a growing concern that Iran is Russia's president, Dmitry nuclear facility to the IAEA on "informed source" said the second
a secret nuclear plant which the refusing to live up to those Medvedev, was reportedly Monday, saying it had established plant was similar to Iran's first
Iranian authorities have kept international responsibilities, concerned at the development, a second "pilot" enrichment plant, facility near Natanz.
hidden from UN inspectors for including specifically revealing saying the revelation of a new parallel to the one monitored by "Reports by some foreign news
years. all nuclear-related activities. As Iranian nuclear site was the IAEA near the city of Natanz. agencies that Iran has launched its
Days ahead of a showdown the international community disturbing. But US and French intelligence second enrichment centre are
meeting with Iran in Geneva, knows, this is not the first time Iran denies it is pursuing a services have been aware of the correct and Iran has informed the
Barack Obama demanded that the t h a t I r a n h a s c o n c e a l e d nuclear weapon and insists its plant for some time, and western [UN nuclear watchdog] about
U N n u c l e a r w a t c h d o g , t h e information about its nuclear programme is solely for the officials said that the Iranian letter this," the ISNA news agency
International Atomic Energy programme." generation of electricity. But was only sent after Iran quoted its source as saying. "The
Agency (IAEA) be allowed access He added that the size and western experts question why a discovered that its adversaries second enrichment centre is
to the plant, which is built inside a configuration of this facility was legitimate operation would need already knew of the plant. similar to the enrichment
mountain near the ancient city of inconsistent with a peaceful to be concealed in a facility in a IAEA officials reported that the installations at Natanz."
Qom, one of the holiest Shia nuclear programme. "Iran is clandestine, underground site. Iranian letter claimed the site was • Iran
cities. breaking rules that all nations Iran also argues that the under construction and that no • Nuclear weapons
Obama described the site, must follow," he said. reported scale of the facility is too nuclear material had yet been put • Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
apparently a second Iranian Both Gordon Brown and the small to be suitable for a civil into its centrifuges – the machines • Barack Obama
facility for enriching uranium, as F r e n c h p r e s i d e n t , N i c o l a s nuclear programme. that can be used to enrich uranium • G20
a "disturbing revelation". Iran S a r k o z y , s i g n a l l e d a m o v e If Iran does not comply with its for nuclear power or bombs. • Gordon Brown
denied it was clandestine and said towards new United Nations demands, the US will lead a push An IAEA spokesman, Marc • US national security
it had informed the IAEA about sanctions being imposed against to impose new United Nations Vidricaire, confirmed the receipt • Nicolas Sarkozy
the plant earlier this week. Iran, a move that will heighten sanctions. Russia, which has a of the letter and said the agency Ian Traynor Julian Borger Ewen
Iran's president, Mahmoud tensions in the already volatile veto on the UN security council, had been informed "that a new MacAskill
Ahmadinejad, fired a warning region. has previously opposed sanctions pilot fuel enrichment plant is guardian.co.uk© Guardian
back at Obama saying: "If I were "We cannot let the Iranian but appears to be shifting. China under construction". The letter News & Media Limited 2009 |
[President] Obama's adviser, I leaders gain time while the motors is still opposed but could abstain said the plant would not enrich Use of this content is subject to
would definitely advise him to are running," Sarkozy said. "If by rather than exercise its veto. uranium beyond the 5% level our Terms & Conditions| More
r e f r a i n f r o m m a k i n g t h i s December there is not an in-depth There are sanctions in place suitable for civilian energy Feeds
statement because it is definitely a change by the Iranian leaders, against Iran at present but they production. That would be
mistake." sanctions will have to be taken." have been largely ineffective. substantially below the threshold
He told Time magazine that "I am expecting from the IAEA David Albright, a former UN of 90% or more needed for a
Top 10 Unanswered Questions in Geeky Movies
By Matt Blum (Wired Top GeekDad’s list of the ten best are fun to talk about, but that
Stories) unanswered questions from geeky aren’t so significant as to
Submitted at 9/25/2009 6:28:00 AM movies. What do we mean by seriously detract from the movie’s
'best?' Well, these are ones that quality.
Internet News Record World/ Gadgets/ Tech News/ 17
Steve Ballmer Up Close,
Charles Manson follower dies in prison Sipping Coffee, Talkin'
Bout Phones and Stuff
(World news and comment year before she died. mercy requested was "minuscule" "I was stoned, man, stoned on
from the Guardian | Tate, the 26-year-old actress because Atkins was on her acid," Atkins testified during the [Steve Ballmer]
guardian.co.uk) who appeared in the movie Valley deathbed. trial's penalty phase. "I don't know
of the Dolls and was the wife of Atkins and her co-defendants how many times I stabbed [Tate] By matt buchanan (Gizmodo)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 8:58:59 AM
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:25:38 AM
famed director Roman Polanski, were originally sentenced to death and I don't know why I stabbed
Susan Atkins, 61, was denied was one of seven murdered in two but their sentences were reduced her," she said. "She kept begging
parole just weeks ago despite her Los Angeles homes during the to life in prison when capital and pleading and begging and There's something disarming,
battle with brain cancer Manson cult's bloody rampage in punishment was briefly outlawed pleading and I got sick of humanizing even, about sitting
Susan Atkins, a follower of cult August 1969. by the US supreme court in the listening to it, so I stabbed her." Steve Ballmer in front of a
leader Charles Manson whose Atkins was the first of the 1970s. She said she felt "no guilt for webcam, sipping a giant iced
r e m o r s e l e s s w i t n e s s s t a n d convicted killers to die. Manson During the sensational 10- what I've done. It was right then coffee from Starbucks (which
confession to killing pregnant and three others involved in the month trial, Atkins, Manson and and I still believe it was right." explains so much), talking about
actress Sharon Tate in 1969 murders, Patricia Krenwinkel, co-defendants Krenwinkel and Asked how it could be right to how Apple can only dominate
shocked the world, has died. She Leslie Van Houten and Charles Van Houten maintained their kill, she replied in a dreamy voice, "niche" categories, like media
was 61 and had been suffering "Tex" Watson, remain imprisoned innocence. But once they were "How can it not be right when it's players, not something bigger.
from brain cancer. under life sentences. Thornton convicted, the so-called "Manson done with love?" He says that uberlarge
Atkins' death comes less than a said that at the time of Atkins' girls" confessed in graphic detail. The matronly, grey-haired categories—"non-niche" ones,
month after a parole board turned death she had been in prison They tried to absolve Manson, the Atkins who appeared before a like PCs and phones that sell over
down the terminally ill woman's longer than any woman currently ex-convict who had gathered a parole board in 2000 cut a far 300 million units a year—won't
last chance at freedom on 2 incarcerated in California. "family" of dropouts and different figure than that of the be dominated by a single player.
September. She was brought to Atkins, who confessed from the runaways to a ranch outside Los cocky young defendant some 30 There'll be multiple guys in the
the hearing on a gurney and slept witness stand during her trial, had Angeles, where he cast himself as years earlier. "I don't have to just game, and he still thinks "the
through most of it. apologised for her acts numerous the Messiah and led them in an make amends to the victims and software that's gonna be most
California department of times over the years. But 40 years aberrant lifestyle fuelled by drugs families," she said softly. "I have popular in those phones is gonna
corrections spokeswoman Terry after the murders, she learned that and communal sex. to make amends to society. I be software that's sold by
Thornton said that Atkins died few had forgotten or forgiven Watson had a separate trial and sinned against God and somebody who doesn't make their
late last night. She had been what she and other members of was convicted. everything this country stands own phone."
diagnosed with brain cancer in the cult had done. One night in August 1969, for." She said she had found Yes, this is the same Steve
2008, had a leg amputated and Debra Tate, the slain actress's Manson dispatched Atkins and redemption in Christianity. Ballmer who admits Microsoft
was given only a few months to younger sister, told the parole others to a wealthy residential The last words she spoke in boned Windows Mobile hard and
live. commissioners on 2 September section of Los Angeles, telling public at the September hearing is about to come out with some
She underwent brain surgery, that she "will pray for [Atkins'] them, as they recalled, to "do were to say in unison with her Microsoft-branded phones for
and in her last months was soul when she draws her last something witchy". husband: "My God is an amazing youngsters. That's just a small of
paralysed and had difficulty breath, but until then I think she They went to the home of Tate God." part of an interview that covers
speaking. But she managed to should remain in this controlled and her husband. He was not • California lots of ground and is definitely
speak briefly at the 2 September situation". Debra Tate noted that home, but Tate and four others • United States worth watching—it's a view of
hearing, reciting religious verse she would have a 40-year-old were killed. "Pigs" was scrawled guardian.co.uk© Guardian Ballmer you probably haven't
with the help of her husband, nephew if her sister, who had on a door in blood. The next News & Media Limited 2009 | seen before. [ TechCrunch]
attorney James Whitehouse. been pregnant at the time of her night, a wealthy grocer and his Use of this content is subject to
She had been transferred to a death, had lived. wife were found stabbed to death our Terms & Conditions| More
skilled nursing facility at the Atkins' prosecutor, Vincent in their home across town. "Helter Feeds
California Central Women's Bugliosi, had spoken out earlier in Skelter" was written in blood on
Facility at Chowchilla exactly one favour of release, saying the the refrigerator.
How to Moonwalk Like MJ
By Steven Leckart (Wired Top The death of the Gloved One technique, explains how to burn
Stories) caused an epidemic of bad this disco out.
Submitted at 9/25/2009 6:00:00 AM moonwalking. Cooley Jaxson, the
choreographer who taught MJ the
18 World/ Economy/ Gadgets/ Internet News Record

Google Books deal postponed Spin at the FDIC

By Bobbie Johnson (World said on Thursday that the parties despite only theoretically (Financial Sector and Stocks supplemental levy. It is the banks’
news and comment from the would be granted their request to applying to the US. Analysis from Seeking Alpha) obligation to keep the FDIC fund
Guardian | guardian.co.uk) return to the negotiating table to Google had tried to head off Submitted at 9/25/2009 9:42:47 AM topped up.
Submitted at 9/25/2009 8:55:36 AM work out more details. those criticisms by assembling its And here’s Jonathan Weil:
"The current settlement own alliance of supporters, No one seems to be a fan of the The question Bair posed should
• The Google digital library row agreement raises significant including Japanese electronics trial balloon which went up on be a no-brainer. Borrowing
explained issues, as demonstrated not only giant Sony and a number of Tuesday, suggesting that the taxpayer money to bail out the
• The Google Books deal forces by the number of objections, but groups who backed the wider F D I C b o r r o w m o n e y f r o m FDIC should be an option of last
us to rethink copyright also by the fact that the objectors availability of information “healthy” banks. No one, that is, resort reserved for unforeseen
The judge overseeing Google's include countries, states, non- promised by the book scanning except for Jamie Dimon, who emergencies.
controversial agreement with p r o f i t o r g a n i s a t i o n s a n d project. jokingly told Sheila Bair at the Borrowing from banks instead
American publishers to digitise prominent authors and law The Californian internet Clinton Global Initiative this of Treasury, of course, is just as
millions of books has delayed a professors. Clearly fair concerns company said that it intended to morning that he thought she was a bad, or possibly even worse, since
hearing into the $125m deal - have been raised," he wrote in a continue pursuing a deal, while good a credit and that he would it only serves to take an explicit
effectively shutting down the two-page order. the Authors Guild - which was probably be willing to lend her loan, on which Treasury receives
settlement and sending it back to He added, however, that there one of the groups that agreed to some money if she needed it. interest, and replace it with an
the drawing board. was substantial public benefit to the settlement - said the details What’s becoming increasingly implicit government guarantee,
Instead of proceeding with the be gained from the deal and that would eventually be thrashed out. clear, though, is that the point of for which Treasury doesn’t get
internet giant's plans to make future tweaks would be dealt with "We'll continue to work on the idea is to capitulate to the paid at all.
millions of in-copyright books as quickly as possible. amending the settlement to banking system generally, by At the moment, the banks are
available online and take a slice of "The proposed settlement would address the Justice Department's multiplying the alternatives to the happily sitting on artificially
the proceeds - a deal first offer many benefits to society, as concerns," it said in a statement first-best solution — a simple inflated capital ratios, a function
announced last year- the groups recognised by supporters of the on its website. FDIC special assessment on the of the fact that they never had to
will now go back and renegotiate s e t t l e m e n t a s w e l l a s t h e • Google banks. The banks probably pay much money into the FDIC
the settlement in way that satisfies Department of Justice. It would • Libraries wouldn’t mind very much if the insurance fund and the fact that
c r i t i c s i n c l u d i n g t h e U S appear that if a fair and reasonable • Digital media FDIC tapped its line of credit at the FDIC is seemingly reluctant to
Department of Justice. settlement can be struck, the • European commission Treasury instead of borrowing ask them to pay, today, the real
A hearing into the existing deal public would benefit." • Amazon.com from JP Morgan ( JPM) and and present cost of its multiple
had originally been scheduled for The case had proved one of the • Microsoft others. What they would mind is bailouts. Rather than address the
early October, as the court most controversial in recent • Law and technology taking a direct hit to their equity issue straight on, the FDIC is
prepared to rule on whether the memory, creating a tidal wave of • United States and capitalization ratios by having trying to come up with clever
settlement was fair or not. criticism from a wide variety of Bobbie Johnson to pay unrefundable cash to the financial solutions which only
However, following objections g r o u p s , i n c l u d i n g a u t h o r s , guardian.co.uk© Guardian FDIC. really serve to kick the problem
posed by Washington, the groups publishers, advocacy groups and News & Media Limited 2009 | Here’s Taunter: down the road. Unfortunately,
involved in the deal had said they Amazon and Microsoft opposing Use of this content is subject to The plan, to put it in plain given that the FDIC seems to be
needed more time to re-work the the deal as "susceptible to abuse". our Terms & Conditions| More language, makes no sense. on exactly the same page as the
agreement. In Europe, concerns were raised Feeds Why would the FDIC borrow at banks it nominally regulates,
New York district judge Denny s i n c e t h e d e a l c o u l d h a v e all? The FDIC – the Federal there’s very little chance that the
Chin, who is overseeing the case, significant global implications, Deposit Insurance Corporation – correct answer to the question —
is funded by a levy charged to all a special assessment — will
banks. When the insurance fund happen.
runs low, the banks have a
iPhone MMS is now live!
By Paul Miller (Engadget) run the teensiest of updates, live on AT&T at last. on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:33:00
Submitted at 9/25/2009 1:33:00 PM restart the phone, and you can at [Thanks to everyone who sent EST. Please see our terms for use
last make that fashionably late this in] of feeds. Read| Permalink| Email
All you've gotta do is plug that entrance into the 21st century iPhone MMS is now live! this| Comments
iPhone 3G or 3GS into iTunes, you've always dreamed of. That's right folks, MMS on the iPhone is originally appeared on Engadget
Internet News Record
Fed's Next Move on Bank Compensation Limits
(Financial Sector and Stocks
Analysis from Seeking Alpha)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 8:29:58 AM
Chairman Frank, Ranking
Member Bachus, and other
members of the Committee, thank
you for the opportunity to offer
some perspectives on the subject
of incentive compensation in
banking and financial services.
Recent events have highlighted
that improper compensation
practices can contribute to safety
and soundness problems at
financial institutions and to
financial instability.
Compensation practices were not
the sole cause of the crisis, but
they certainly were a contributing
cause…
…As the events of the past 18
months demonstrate,
compensation practices
throughout a firm can incent even
non-executive employees, either
individually or as a group, to
undertake imprudent risks that can
significantly and adversely affect
the risk profile of the firm….
…the Federal Reserve is
developing enhanced and
expanded supervisory guidance in
this area to reflect the lessons
learned in this financial crisis
about ways in which
compensation practices can
encourage excessive or improper
risk-taking….
…Compensation arrangements
are critical tools in the successful
management of financial
institutions. They serve several
important and worthy objectives,
including attracting skilled staff,
promoting better firm and
employee performance,
promoting employee retention,
providing retirement security to
employees, and allowing the
firm’s personnel costs to move
along with revenues…
…It is clear, however, that
compensation arrangements at
many financial institutions
provided executives and
employees with incentives to take
excessive risks that were not
consistent with the long-term
health of the organization. Some
managers and employees were
offered large payments for
producing sizable amounts of
short-term revenue or profit for
their financial institution despite
the potentially substantial short-
or long-term risks associated with
those revenue or profits. Although
the existence of misaligned
incentives surely is not limited to
financial institutions, they can
pose special problems for
financial institutions given the
ability of financial institutions to
quickly generate large volumes of
transactions and the access of
some institutions to the federal
safety net…
…in some cases, the incentives
created by incentive
compensation programs to
undertake excessive risk appear to
have been powerful enough to
overcome the restraining
influence of these processes and
risk controls…
…in many instances, risk-
management frameworks did not
adequately take account of the
potential for compensation
arrangements themselves to be a
source of risk for the firm. The
risk-management personnel and
processes at financial institutions,
thus, often played little or no role
in decisions regarding
compensation arrangements. It is
possible that aggressive pursuit of
highly skilled financial specialists
in recent years caused some
financial institutions to relax or
forego usual safeguards and
controls in the interest of hiring
and retaining what they believed
to be the best talent…
…These weaknesses were not
limited just to financial
institutions in this country. These
types of problems were
widespread among major
financial institutions worldwide, a
fact recognized by the
governments comprising the
Group of Twenty, international
bodies such as the Financial
Stability Board (FSB), and the
industry…
…Correcting these weaknesses
will require improvements in both
corporate governance and risk
management at financial
institutions. Boards of directors
and senior management of major
financial institutions must act to
limit the excessive risk-taking
incentives within compensation
structures and bolster the risk
controls designed to prevent
incentives from promoting
excessive risk-taking. In many
cases, boards of directors that
have analyzed the connections
between incentive compensation
and risk-taking have focused only
on a handful of top managers.
However, incentive problems may
have been more severe a few
levels down the management
structure than for chief executive
officers (CEOs) and other top
managers. Indeed, recent
experience indicates that poorly
designed compensation
arrangements for business-line
employees–such as mortgage
brokers, investment bankers, and
traders–may create substantial
risks for some firms. Thus, boards
of directors must expand the
scope of their reviews of
compensation arrangements…
…The Federal Reserve also is
actively working to incorporate
the lessons learned from recent
experience into our supervision
activities. As part of these efforts,
we are in the process of
developing enhanced guidance on
compensation practices at U.S.
banking organizations. The broad
goal is to make incentives
provided by compensation
systems at bank holding
companies consistent with
prudent risk-taking and safety and
soundness…
…First, shareholders cannot
directly control the day-to-day
operations of a firm–especially a
large and complex firm–and must
rely on the firm’s management to
do so, subject to direction and
oversight by shareholder-elected
boards of directors. Incentive
compensation arrangements are
one way that firms can encourage
managers to take actions that are
in the interests of shareholders
and the long-term health of the
firm. However, compensation
programs can incentivize
employees to take additional risk
beyond the firm’s tolerance for, or
ability to manage, risk in the
course of reaching for more
revenue, profits, or other
measures that increase employee
compensation. Second, where
managers have substantial
influence over compensation
arrangements, they may use that
influence to create or administer
incentive arrangements in ways
that primarily advance the short-
term interests of managers and
other employees, rather than the
long-term soundness of the firm…
…Since 1995, the Federal
Reserve and the other federal
banking agencies have had in
Economy/ 19
place interagency standards for
safety and soundness (Standards)
for all insured depository
institutions. These Standards,
which were adopted pursuant to
the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation Improvement Act of
1991 (FDICIA), prohibit as an
unsafe or unsound practice both
excessive compensation and any
compensation that could lead to
material financial loss to the
insured depository institution. The
Standards provide that
compensation will be considered
excessive if the amounts paid are
unreasonable or disproportionate
to the services performed by the
relevant executive officer,
employee, director, or principal
shareholder and set forth a variety
of factors that will be considered
in determining whether
compensation paid in a particular
instance is unreasonable or
disproportionate. Importantly,
FDICIA specifically prohibits the
agencies from using the Standards
to prescribe a specific level or
range of compensation
permissible for directors, officers,
or employees of insured
depository institutions…
…More recently, in November
2008, the Federal Reserve, in
conjunction with the other federal
banking agencies, issued an
interagency statement reminding
banking organizations that they
are expected to regularly review
their management compensation
policies to ensure that they are
consistent with the longer-run
objectives of the organization and
sound lending and risk-
management policies. This
statement provides that
management compensation
FED'S page 25
20 Economy/
Tech.view: If Skype should fall
(The Economist: Daily
columns)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 2:26:59 AM
Tech.view
Sep 25th 2009
From Economist.com There are
now plenty of able-bodied
alternatives
SEVERAL years ago, your
correspondent found his telephone
bill was getting out of hand and
vowed to halve it. The obvious
answer was to sign up for a free
Skype account—and get the
benefit of computer-to-computer
phone calls around the world for
nothing plus calls to conventional
landline phones for little more
than two cents a minute.
At the time, he was paying his
landline carrier (Verizon) five
cents a minute for local calls, 11
cents for cross-country calls and
an average of 16 cents a minute
for international calls. Overseas
calls accounted for half his
monthly bill.
Before deciding to hang up his
landline, he looked at a number of
alternatives to Skype—including
Gizmo Project (now called
Gizmo5), SightSpeed,
GrandCentral, TalkPlus, iSkoot,
Mobivox, ooVoo, Jajah, Jangl and
others with even sillier names. At
the time, none came close to
challenging Skype in terms of
features, convenience and
popularity.
One special attraction for a
roving correspondent was Skype’s
videoconferencing facility, which
was simplicity itself to use. Also,
with almost 200m users (now
480m) signed up for the service,
there was a fair chance that many
colleagues and acquaintances
would already have Skype
accounts and be readily
accessible. The clincher was that
Skype also ran on dozens of
mobile phones, portable game
consoles and other internet
appliances. Today, that includes
Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch.
That was not to say Skype was
without its problems. The lack of
adequate security had been a
concern since the day it was
launched in 2003. Enthusiasts are
quick to point out that Skype has
some of the best encryption
technology around for preventing
eavesdroppers from listening into
conversations. That is true. But
Skype’s ability to evade
wiretapping is of little concern for
most users. For business users
especially, the main concern is
that Skype provides an ideal
vehicle for delivering malware
into the inner sanctum of an
organisation, as well as for
sneaking corporate secrets out.
Remember, Skype was designed
by the same Estonian whizz-kids
who created the all but
unblockable KazAa file-sharing
network that rocked the music
industry a decade ago and
provided the same proprietary
“peer-to-peer” architecture
capable of tunnelling through
firewalls. With traffic forwarded
from one computer to another via
an inner circle of some 20,000
super-nodes, Skype has no central
servers directing the traffic flow,
logging the calls and preventing
viruses, Trojan horses and
spyware from piggybacking on
the flow of encrypted data. That
can be a serious concern for small
firms and home users who lack
the professional means to protect
themselves.
Another worry has been the way
anyone can join Skype’s network
without proof of identity. In fact,
users can set up numerous
accounts under different fictitious
names and go wholly
unchallenged. That makes it a
jungle where antisocial behaviour
is common.
Despite such reservations, your
correspondent has found Skype a
handy way of staying in touch
with friends and family, and
having business meetings. Over
the past few years it has saved
him literally thousands of dollars
in travel costs alone. He has had
countless video conferences using
his office PC or laptop while on
the road. He also carries a slick
little Belkin handset that can
make Skype calls over Wi-Fi
networks without the need for a
computer. With free Wi-Fi
hotspots in public places
throughout California, the Skype
phone gets more use than its
owner’s mobile.
But now, suddenly, storm
clouds are gathering over Skype.
In a flurry of lawsuits, the
investment group that recently
agreed to acquire 65% of Skype
from eBay for $1.9 billion is
being sued by the original
founders, Janus Friis and Niklas
Zennstrom, who sold the
company to eBay for $2.6 billion
in 2005.
Back then, eBay was granted a
licence to use the founders’
proprietary peer-to-peer
software—but not the right to
open it up for developers to tinker
with. Among other things, eBay
and Skype’s new would-be
owners are being sued for breach
of this licensing agreement,
copyright infringement and theft
of trade secrets. Meanwhile, their
licence to use the so-called Global
Index Software has been
terminated by Joltid, the
Stockholm firm the founders set
up to license their proprietary
software.
Whatever the motives behind
these messy legal wranglings, the
threat to Skype’s future is real
enough to cause concern among
those who use it. It was bad
enough two years ago when
Skype fell silent for 36 hours after
the mass downloading of a
Microsoft “Patch Tuesday”
release, which unexpectedly
brought the peer-to-peer network
to its knees. The scurry by
worried Skype users to get a
backup plan in place crippled a
number of other internet
telephony services as traffic to
them suddenly rocketed.
As a precaution, your
correspondent has been taking a
fresh look at some of the
alternatives he dismissed last time
round. He has opened accounts
with a couple of the more
desirable ones in case they are
overwhelmed by another sudden
rush to sign up if Skype goes
offline again. Most of the
alternatives are now far more
competitive than they were three
years ago. A few are every bit as
good as (or even better than) the
latest version of Skype, though
none has anything like the mass
appeal.
For Macintosh users, iChat is
everything you would expect of
Apple—slick, simple and with
stunning graphics. Its voice
quality is even better than
Skype’s. The video chat feature
lets you set up multi-person
conferences on the fly. And it is
less of a bandwidth hog than
Skype. All you need is an internet
connection and a video camera,
plus an account with one of the
more popular instant-messaging
Internet News Record
services, such as AIM, Google
Talk, Jabber or MobileMe—and,
of course, a Macintosh computer
running Mac OS X.
The choice for Windows users
is wider, though few of the
products are as polished as iChat.
SightSpeed comes close. It is
delightfully simple to set up and
use, and provides excellent 30
frames-a-second video with crisp
audio and little delay. You can
also send video e-mail and text
chat with its built in instant-
messaging service. And it works
on Macs as well as PCs.
One drawback: the SightSpeed
software (called Logitech Vid) is
free only to those using a video
camera made by Logitech;
otherwise, all you get is a 30-day
free trial. If you are planning to
buy a stand-alone video camera
for your computer, the SightSpeed
service is reason enough to chose
a Logitech device. Those with
laptops that have a video camera
already built in are better off
looking elsewhere.
If making “SkypeOut” calls to
landline and mobile phones—as
well as making free voice and
video calls from computer to
computer—is important to you,
then look no further than Gizmo5.
This is identical to Skype in most
respects save one: it uses open
standards for managing calls,
though its compression algorithms
and client software are as
proprietary as Skype’s. However,
by embracing the popular internet
-signalling standard called
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP),
Gizmo5’s free software can work
seamlessly with other SIP-based
networks, including the phone
companies’.
TECH.VIEW: page 21
Internet News Record Economy/ Gadgets/ Entertainment/ 21
TECH.VIEW:
This week's top stories [25 September 2009] continued from page 20
Depending on the carrier and
(The Economist: News eastern Europe. Allies who took which is seeking to engage Iran) that the earliest Iran could the handset used, that can mean
analysis) the risk to back the project, and as well as Germany. Iran has develop long-range free—or, at least, much
Submitted at 9/25/2009 6:00:35 AM tried to convince their sceptical steadfastly refused to halt its missiles—which Mr Bush’s shield cheaper—calls to landline and
publics of its value, have been left nuclear-enrichment programme, was designed to defeat—is 2018 mobile phones, as well as free
The West and Russia exposed. The potential costs of which it says is to make fuel for rather than 2015 as previous voice and video calls between
Sep 18th 2009 Mr Obama’s move are apparent. civil reactors but which the West reckoned. Until then, the real computers. For many, that is
From Economist.com A slightly But what might he get in return? and others suspect is a cover to Iranian threat comes from enough to make Gizmo5 an even
warmer relationship between the For now, little that is concrete: the develop nuclear weapons. Russia hundreds of short- and medium- better deal than Skype. Should
West and Russia hope that the gesture would help and China have been most range missiles. Skype goes silent (or even if does
GEORGE BUSH'S planned improve relations with Russia and resistant to tightening economic So instead of having a large not), Gizmo5 could well pick up
missile-defence system in eastern unlock a host of foreign-policy sanctions against Tehran. radar in the Czech Republic and much of the running.
Europe was always contentious: i s s u e s , f r o m a r m s - c o n t r o l Sanctions will not be on the powerful interceptors in Poland, Back to top ^^ Readers'
would it provoke Russia into an agreements to enhanced sanctions agenda next month, but Western Mr Obama says he will comments
arms race, was the threat of against Iran and co-operation over diplomats will be looking for reconfigure the missile shield to The Economist welcomes your
Iranian missiles real and would Afghanistan. signs of a change in Russia’s establish smaller radars closer to views.
the proposed shield even work? President Dmitry Medvedev “mood music”, particularly Iran (perhaps in Turkey) and to
But President Barack Obama’s said there was no “primitive” whether it shares the same sense deploy smaller interceptor
decision to scrap it, arguably his bargain with America, but he of urgency about the need to stop missiles on board Aegis warships.
biggest break yet with the foreign dropped a tantalising hint: “The Iran’s nuclear work quickly. By 2015, more capable
policy of his predecessor, is fact that they are listening to us is “What I would expect is that interceptors would be deployed at
proving controversial too. an obvious signal that we should Russia will join us in putting unspecified sites on land and by Test Your Celeb
Allies in eastern Europe and also attentively listen to our maximum political and diplomatic 2018 these would be replaced by Knowledge! Can You
Republican critics at home have partners, our American partners.” pressure on Iran to stop Iran’s even more capable ones that
been quick to cry treason and Yet Mr Medvedev’s may not be nuclear aspirations,” declared would provide coverage for all of Guess the Celebrity
appeasement. “Betrayal! The the voice that matters. Vladimir NATO’s Secretary-General, Europe. Moreover, improvements Tattoos?!
USA has sold us to the Russians Putin, the Russian prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen on in sensor technology and
and stabbed us in the back,” and still the real power of the Friday. He said that the world computer networks mean that the (ETonline - Breaking News)
screamed one Polish tabloid, Fakt. land, suggested that he wants may be at a “nuclear tipping system would not need a large Submitted at 9/25/2009 8:00:00 AM
Senator John McCain, who lost more concessions. “I do anticipate point”. Iran’s unchecked radar in central Europe. Instead
the presidential race to Mr Obama that this correct and brave enrichment work, along with the sensors would be mobile and Think you know your star stats?
l a s t y e a r , c a l l e d t h e m o v e decision will be followed by North Korea’s nuclear test this dispersed on land, at sea, on Take a look at the Hollywood's
“seriously misguided”. John others,” Mr Putin said, pointing in year, means that many other aircraft and in space. Their most sizzlin' tattoos! Put your
B o l t o n , A m e r i c a ’ s t o u g h particular to the joint bid by countries could soon seek to information would be linked up celeb knowledge to the test and
ambassador to the UN under Mr Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan acquire nuclear weapons. by computer systems that could guess which famous name goes
Bush, declared: “Russia and Iran t o j o i n t h e W o r l d T r a d e Still, the Obama administration guide the interceptors. This, said with the body art! Some ink is
are the big winners. I just think O r g a n i s a t i o n . has been at pains to say there was Mr Obama, would offer “stronger, demure, some funny, some wild --
it’s a bad day for American An early chance to gauge no bargain with Russia, and the smarter and swifter defences”. do you think you have what it
national security.” Russia’s response will come on decision to abandon Mr Bush’s Back to top ^^ Readers' takes to figure out who's who!?
In the view of Mr Obama’s October 1st, at talks in New York missile-defence scheme was taken comments Click on each tattoo to find out
critics, America retreated in the between Iran and the permanent on its own merits. The Economist welcomes your which celeb's skin you are staring
face of Russian bullying, and its members of the UN Security Firstly, an unspecified fresh views. at!
threats to aim nuclear missiles at Council (including America, intelligence assessment concludes
Notepods Are The Saddest iPhone Knock-Offs Ever [IPhone]
By Sean Fallon (Gizmodo) say enough is enough when you for one thing and one thing iSpazio via OhGizmo]
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:20:00 AM have to draw in your own apps. only—taking notes. At least it's
Indeed, the only way you are double sided—one half for regular
There have been some pretty going to make a phone call on this These paper iPhones are designed notes and the other half for
horrible iPhone knock-offs, but I is if you use your imagination. technical sketches. [ Notepod via
22 Economy/ Gadgets/ Tech Tips/ Internet News Record

Germany's federal election: The final furlong

(The Economist: News candidate is cornered by a woman “personalised proportional to her; the ex-communist Left
analysis) clutching a small dog who wants representation” people in each Party is mainly pursuing second
Submitted at 9/24/2009 12:32:20 AM to know if the CDU will let state have two votes. With the votes. “When it is clear from the
nuclear power stations be built in first they choose representatives beginning that the losers in a
Germany's federal election the Black Forest. Ms Maag in some 299 geographical district can also get into
Sep 24th 2009 | STUTTGART reassures her. districts, including Stuttgart parliament you cannot talk of a
From The Economist print Voters are in an anxious mood. North. But it is the second personalised election,” complains
edition The voting system could Stuttgart North, one of two vote—for a party, not a a critic.
have a decisive effect on the electoral districts in Baden- person—that is more important. It A quirk in the system could cast
election in Germany Württemberg’s capital, is a allocates the rest of the seats to doubt over the poll’s overall
AMONG the candidates relatively poor area in a rich state. candidates drawn from party lists, fairness. If a party wins more
contesting the Stuttgart North It makes engines for Mercedes- topping up the totals to make districts in a state than the number
constituency in Germany’s federal Benz and car parts for Bosch. But them match the parties’ shares of of seats it ought to get according
HTC HD2 inches closer
election on September 27th, Karin t h e w e l l - p a i d w o r k e r s a r e second votes. to its share of second votes, it to reality, hitting Europe
M a a g , o f t h e C h r i s t i a n outnumbered by poorer craftsmen, Under this system the keeps these “overhang seats”. in October for around
Democratic Union(CDU), is shopkeepers and office workers, Bundestag is meant both to link This could happen in Baden-
unique: she could win, but she many of them immigrants. In a voters’ to a local representative Württemberg. The constitutional 600 Euro?
might also lose. In contrast, the recession they suffer first: rather and to reflect their overall court has demanded changes to By Paul Miller (Engadget)
fate of the other candidates looks t h a n s a c k i n g w o r k e r s , b i g political preferences. The reality this part of the electoral law by Submitted at 9/25/2009 12:27:00 PM
certain. Even if defeated, three of companies are cutting purchases is messier. Ute Kumpf has won 2011. But this weekend, the CDU
her four main competitors are from suppliers. “Everyone is Stuttgart North three times and could win as many as 20 overhang We already heard about a
likely to re-enter the Bundestag worried about his job”, says Fatih expects to do so again. But if she seats, which might be enough to potential October 12 launch for
because they have high spots on Soylu, owner of the Café In near loses to Ms Maag she will still tip the balance away from a the HTC HD2 (Leo) on O2 in the
their party lists. The fourth, t h e M e r c e d e s f a c t o r y i n return to the Bundestag thanks to renewed grand coalition and UK, and now we're hearing
Marion Hess of the Free Untertürkheim. her number seven ranking on the towards a CDU-FDP coalition. October for the Netherlands as
Democratic Party(FDP) has little Ms Maag’s bid to unseat SPD list. Ms Maag, probably too These are not “second-class well -- with a 550 to 600 Euro
hope: she is low on her party list. S t u t t g a r t N o r t h ’ s S P D far down the CDU list to be seats”, Ms Merkel insists. But price range. Of note, the tipster
Ms Maag, on her maiden representative in the Bundestag elected this way, says she is some of her opponents disagree. who dropped this knowledge on
campaign, gives herself an even strikes few sparks in part because fighting harder. Not so, counters Jürgen Trittin, a senior Green, has pocketnow.com also says that
chance of winning Stuttgart the CDU and SPD are partners in Ms Kumpf. She still rises at dawn muttered darkly about her Pocket IE on the phone won't
North, which the CDU lost G e r m a n y ’ s p r e s e n t “ g r a n d to hand out leaflets. And as a governing with an “underhanded, have multitouch gesture support,
narrowly to the Social Democratic coalition”. The CDU wants to end district representative, she reckons unconstitutional majority”. After despite the capacitive screen's
Party(SPD) in 2005. But the air t h a t a w k w a r d m a r r i a g e o n to have more independence than election day, that rhetoric might support for multi-finger input--
hardly crackles with suspense at a September 27th. Angela Merkel, do those who get in only through come to seem mild. though with Microsoft's own
forlorn information stand she has who looks likely to be re-elected the party list. Back to top ^^ Readers' Zune HD sporting a multitouch
s e t u p a t t h e G r i e g s t r a s s e as chancellor, would prefer to The incentive to fight for first comments version of Pocket IE, we have to
Shopping Centre in Botnang, a govern with the liberal FDP. But votes is weaker for candidates The Economist welcomes your believe it's in the works. Just like
p r o s p e r o u s , C D U - f r i e n d l y if she fails, the two biggest parties from the three smaller parties, views. everything good and decent
neighbourhood. She and her are likely to have to rule together since they almost never win planned for Windows Mobile.
young retinue outnumber the few again. districts. Ms Kumpf says the [Via All About Phones]
passers-by, most of whom dodge The electoral system itself is Green Party is informally nudging Filed under: Cellphones
the proffered pamphlets. The p a r t l y a t f a u l t . U n d e r supporters to give their first votes HTC HD2 inches closer to
AT&T Selling Refurbished 3G iPhones for $49 [Dealhacker] reality, hitting Europe in October
for around 600 Euro? originally
By Azadeh Ensha (Lifehacker) still have to pay full price for the appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:30:00 AM privilege of a data plan. iPhone Sep 2009 12:27:00 EST. Please
3G Refurb Devices[via Gizmodo] see our terms for use of feeds.
If you're looking to get your Read| Permalink| Email this|
hands on an iPhone 3G, AT&T is (8 GB) and $99 (16GB) while Comments
offering refurbished ones for $49 supplies last. Not bad, but you'll
Internet News Record
AIDS vaccines: Double, not quits
(The Economist: News
analysis)
Submitted at 9/24/2009 1:46:56 AM
AIDS vaccines
Sep 24th 2009
From Economist.com A big
AIDS-vaccine trial reports
encouraging results
SOME good news about AIDS.
After more than two decades of
research those labouring to find a
vaccine against HIV, the virus
that causes the disease, have
found a method that might
actually work.
This method, known as “prime-
boost”, has been tested on more
than 16,000 volunteers in
Thailand. The volunteers were
drawn from the general public,
rather than specifically from
groups at particular risk such as
gay men, recreational-drug
injectors or prostitutes. The
preliminary results of the trial,
which was called RV144 and was
organised by Thailand’s Ministry
of Public Health, were announced
on Thursday September 24th.
The upshot is that the technique
on trial seems to reduce the risk of
an uninfected individual
contacting the virus by about
31%. That is below the 50%
reduction rate defined as showing
“unequivocal clinical benefit”,
and the margin of error is wide, so
it does not suggest that the
experimental vaccine should now
be deployed for general use. It is,
The AT&T iPhone MMS update is now live
By Greg Kumparak
(CrunchGear)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:42:49 AM
W e l c o m e t o t h e f u t u r e , iTunes and click the "Update"
everyone! As we mentioned button for hours on end, go check
however, enough to justify putting
effort into improving this
approach.
Traditional vaccines work
mainly by priming the immune
system so that it knows how to
make antibodies to a particular
infectious agent. Antibodies are
proteins that stick onto a pathogen
and gum up its works. The active
principle of the vaccine, known as
an antigen, is the bit of the
pathogen that the immune system
recognises and that the antibody
sticks on. Prime-boost techniques,
which are also being developed to
attack malaria, work mainly by
stimulating another part of the
immune system—one that kills
infected body cells rather than
“naked” pathogens. This cell-
killing system, too, recognises
antigens, but it finds them on the
surface of an infected cell.
The experimental evidence
suggests that a particularly good
way of activating the cell-killing
arm of the immune system is to
use two vaccines based on
different antigens. One primes the
response and the other boosts
it—hence the technique’s name.
In the case of RV144 the boosting
vaccine, AIDSVAX, had been the
subject of a previous trial in
Thailand, and also of one in North
America and Europe. Those two
trials, intended to raise a
traditional antibody-based
response, were regarded at the
time as the best hope for an
earlier this morning, AT&T is
rolling out MMS for the iPhone
today. If you're one of those folks
who couldn't be bothered to sit in
effective vaccine. They were a
bitter disappointment. When they
reported in 2003 they showed no
benefit whatsoever. They did,
however, show that AIDSVAX
was safe, and although it was
abandoned by its commercial
backers at the time, it was picked
up by a Californian charity called
Global Solutions for Infectious
Diseases.
The antigen in AIDSVAX is a
genetically engineered version of
gp120, a protein that HIV uses to
lock onto the cells it subsequently
infects. By contrast the priming
vaccine, called ALVAC and made
by Sanofi Pasteur, a French firm,
contains synthetic versions of
three HIV genes. It, too, had been
tested for safety in previous trials,
but none of those trials were
designed to see if it was also
efficacious. Unlike AIDSVAX,
ALVAC is made of highly
engineered viruses into which the
antigenic genes have been
incorporated. These viruses are
versions of canarypox, which is
nothing like HIV (so there is no
risk of someone contracting AIDS
from them) and, in any case, they
have been tinkered with so that
they cannot reproduce. A full
course of the RV144 regime
lasted six months and consisted of
four shots of ALVAC and two of
AIDSVAX.
One criticism of RV144 is that
the versions of the antigens it used
came from subtypes B and E of
now. We just got hit by an
onslaught of reports saying that it
Economy/ Gadgets/ 23
HIV. These are the most common
forms in, respectively, North
America and Europe, and in South
-East Asia (including Thailand).
Given where the trial was carried
out, that makes sense. But the
place crying out for a vaccine is
sub-Saharan Africa, where two-
thirds of the world’s HIV-infected
people live, and two-thirds of new
infections are happening. This Callpod's Fueltank Uno
continent, the place where HIV Charges One Thing On
originated, has the greatest variety
of subtypes. Subtypes B and E, the Go [Callpod]
though, are not common there. By Jason Chen (Gizmodo)
There is also some doubt about Submitted at 9/25/2009 11:00:00 AM
how much actual boosting is
going on. AIDSVAX, after all, The Callpod Fueltank Uno is
failed the first time round and basically the same as the previous
since ALVAC has, until now, Fueltank we reviewed, except that
been tested only for safety and not
it charges one device instead of
for efficacy, how well it would two. Not to call it the poor man's
work by itself (and thus how version, but it's cheaper and holds
much contribution the AIDSVAX less charge.
is making) remains unknown. The upside is that it's $40, and
But these are minor quibbles you don't always have to charge
about what was intended as an two devices simultaneously. The
experimental proof of principle.advantage to using this over a
The RV144 trial suggests that anspecialized charger, like an
AIDS vaccine can indeed work in iPhone battery pack, is that you
principle. Now it is time to getcan also take advantage of
down to the nitty-gritty of making
Callpod's various tips for their
it work in practice. Chargepod adapter. It should fit
Back to top ^^ Readers' almost all devices out there now.
comments The Fueltank Uno will be
The Economist welcomes your available at Best Buy starting Sept
views. 27. Callpod's mobile password
app, Keeper, is also being pushed
out to Vodafone customers as
well. Basically, it's a desktop
password management that can
also sync to your cellphone so you
can take your passwords with you.
had gone live and, sure enough, You can get that now for $15. The
we just got our update. phone part is free. [ Callpod]
24 Economy/ Gadgets/ Internet News Record
Apple's 1987
Europe.view: Happy holidays Knowledge Navigator
Makes New Tablets
(The Economist: Daily Some big dates are also national more bad news for Poland, it dismembered old imperial
columns) holidays, but many others are not. should at all costs avoid giving it Hungary. Hungarians are also Look Bad [Tablets]
Submitted at 9/24/2009 12:52:10 AM So here is a handy guide to days between February 4th and 11th. particularly sombre on November
that carry heavy emotional Those are the dates of the 4th, when a Soviet invasion By Mark Wilson (Gizmodo)
Europe.view baggage. infamous Yalta conference in crushed their anti-communist Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:40:00 AM

Sep 24th 2009 If modern Russia wants to reach 1945, when Stalin bamboozled uprising in 1956.
From Economist.com When to out to Estonia, or if western Franklin Roosevelt into accepting Every other country in eastern Whether it's Microsoft's Courier
give good and bad news to east countries want to offer support, the Sovietisation of Poland. The Europe and plenty elsewhere, or Apple's own inevitable tablet,
Europeans February 2nd would be a good Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (signed have similar dates: they are left it's hard to imagine any product
HISTORY was a long time ago, day. That is the anniversary of the between Soviet and Nazi foreign out this article merely because of besting this 1987 simulation demo
unless it happened to you. Anyone 1920 Tartu peace treaty, when ministers on August 23rd 1939) reasons of space. Readers are of the Apple Knowledge
with bad news for eastern Europe Soviet Russia recognised the has similar echoes. welcome to complete the calendar Navigator.
forgets that at his peril. The newborn republic. It is still legally For the Czechs and Slovaks, by adding their comments. The Navigator is sort of like a
A m e r i c a n a d m i n i s t r a t i o n valid but presently ignored by the August 20th and 21st are the But the big question is why the Microsoft Courier in terms of its
stumbled this month when it K r e m l i n . F o r L a t v i a , t h e miserable anniversary dates of the anniversaries still matter so much. formfactor and project sharing
cancelled a planned missile- counterpart is the Riga peace Soviet invasion of One reason is the feeling of capabilities, while it unfolds more
defence base in Poland on treaty signed on August 11th of Czechoslovakia in 1968. Other suffocation during communist like a Surface on the table. But
September 17th. That is the that year. bad days for Czechs include rule, when marking the real ultimately, what's really drives
anniversary of the Soviet attack Poland and Lithuania could November 8th, when Bohemian version of history was risky. this concept is the incredible Star
on Poland in 1939, which sealed s e t t l e t h e i r s t i l l - f e s t e r i n g nobility and Protestantism were Another is the sense that historical Trekish AI and database search.
the country’s fate for the next 50 d i f f e r e n c e s ( m a i n l y a r c a n e defeated at the Battle of the White wrongs are not yet put right. No In other words, the hardware
years. wrangles about spelling) on Mountain in 1620; and February outsider intervening in a wrangle (touchscreen, camera, etc) looks
Poland produces more history February 2nd. On that date in 25th, when a communist putsch in between Denmark or Germany feasible for both Microsoft and
than it consumes, so almost any 1386, the Polish parliament 1948 extinguished a brief period would worry about avoiding Apple right now, but the
day will be an anniversary of elected Jogaila, Lithuania’s Grand of post-war freedom. Be August 1st, which in 1860 marked software...well, someone's going
something—usually something Duke, to be king, immediately particularly nice to any Czech a turning point in the bitter row to develop a system this powerful,
miserable. But this was a blooper: after he renounced paganism and foreign ministers you meet on about the Schleswig-Holstein but not in this generation...and
it would be a bit like giving married his Polish counterpart, March 10th. In 1948 the most Question. As you go east, the probably not the next either. [
America bad news about its J a d w i g a , s t a r t i n g a m i g h t y famous of them, the much-loved wounds are rawer. BusinessWeek via Fast Company]
security in the Pacific region on dynastic union. May 3rd would Jan Masaryk, died in a mysterious Back to top ^^ Readers'
December 7th. That (as many also work: in 1791, the Polish- suicide. comments
Poles probably don’t know) is the L i t h u a n i a n c o m m o n w e a l t h Tread carefully with Hungarians The Economist welcomes your
anniversary of the Japanese adopted Europe’s first modern on June 4th. That is the views.
surprise attack on Pearl Harbour national constitution. anniversary of the treaty of
in 1941. Conversely, if the west has Trianon which in 1920

Output video as ASCII art in VLC on this lazy Friday

By Matt Burns (CrunchGear)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:00:48 AM
It’s Friday. You probably have
loads of work but no motivation. I
know that feeling. So why not fire
up VLC and watch videos Matrix-
style.
Here’s how you do it in version
1.0.1
• Click on Tools and then
Prefrences all the way at the
bottom
• Click the Video icon on the left
• Click on the drop down box
next to output
• Restart VLC this mode. It’s very entertaining
Older versions might require and ate my time while the site was
you to go into advance or “all” down this morning. Fun times.
settings in order to select this [via Reddit]
option. It still should be under the
Output option though.
• Select “Color ASCII art video Let me suggest watching
output Futurama and the Simpsons in
Internet News Record
FED'S
continued from page 19
policies should be aligned with
the long-term prudential interests
of the institution, should provide
appropriate incentives for safe and
sound behavior, and should
structure compensation to prevent
short-term payments for
transactions with long-term
horizons. In addition, it states that
management compensation
practices should balance the
ongoing earnings capacity and
financial resources of the banking
organization, such as capital
levels and reserves, with the need
to retain and provide proper
incentives for strong
management…
… Broad Review of
Compensation Practices. First,
care must be taken to properly
align the incentives of
compensation paid to employees
throughout an organization. It is
not sufficient to focus only on
compensation paid to senior
executives…
… Making Compensation More
Sensitive to Risk. Second,
compensation practices should not
reward employees with
substantial financial awards for
meeting or exceeding volume,
revenue, or other performance
targets without due regard for the
risks of the activities or
transactions that allowed these
targets to be met. One key to
achieving a more balanced
Artcoustic vomits bling allover its Crystal line of wall-mounted speakers
By Laura June (Engadget)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 1:33:00 PM
I t ' s a b i t h a r d t o t e l l i f Well, let's just say that adding a
Artcoustic's latest wall-mounted, bunch of Swarovskis to any
ultrathin loudspeakers, the Crystal product won't necessarily make it
line, are incredibly horrid or better. Regardless, these bad boys
insanely awesome. There's no are customizable and if you're into
approach between compensation
and risk is for financial
institutions to adjust
compensation so that employees
bear some of the risk associated
with their activities as well as
sharing in increased profit or
revenue. An employee is less
likely to take an imprudent risk if
incentive payments are reduced or
eliminated for activity that ends
up imposing higher than expected
losses on the firm…
… Risk Management and
Corporate Governance. Third,
more can and should be done to
improve risk management and
corporate governance as it relates
to compensation practices. Our
discussions with market
participants and supervisory
experience suggest that risk
controls are a necessary
complement to–and not a
substitute for–prudent
compensation systems in
protecting against excessive risk-
taking…
…Review of a firm’s
compensation practices also must
involve the board of directors.
The board of directors provides an
important link between the
shareholders of a firm and its
management and employees.
Active engagement by the board
of directors or, as appropriate, its
compensation committee, in the
design and implementation of
denying that high-end loving
audiophiles are enticed by the
brand -- but the Crystal line?
Gadgets/ 25
compensation arrangements
promotes alignment of the
interests of employees with the
long-term health of the
organization…
…Boards of directors will need
to take a more informed and
active hand in making sure that
compensation arrangements
throughout the firm strike the
proper balance between risk and
profit, not only at the initiation of
a compensation program, but on
an ongoing basis…
…Improving compensation
practices at financial institutions
is important. Compensation
arrangements must continue to
allow financial institutions to
attract, retain, and motivate
Engadget HD reviews what's new
talented employees, but they also
must not provide incentives for in Windows Media Center after
managers and employees to take
excessive risks. And while the CEDIA
issues and concerns associated By Richard Lawler (Engadget) on what did and didn't happen in
with improperly designed Submitted at 9/25/2009 1:01:00 PM Media Center news from Atlanta,
compensation practices are and what Microsoft's next plans
common, no single compensation Yet another CEDIA has come for Windows Media Center could
system will address all types of and gone, and while some of our (& should) be.
risks or work well in all types of greatest hopes for Media Center Filed under: HDTV, Home
firms. Each firm ultimately must came true ( CableCard is no Entertainment
determine how to address these longer OEM onl y, Switched Engadget HD reviews what's
matters in a way most suited to Digital Video support for the new in Windows Media Center
that firm’s business, structure, and tuning adapter is coming) several after CEDIA originally appeared
risks… more did not (Zune HD on Engadget on Fri, 25 Sep 2009
integration and any new 13:01:00 EST. Please see our
CableCard announcements from terms for use of feeds. Read|
ATI.) Peep the recap post on Permalink| Email this| Comments
Engadget HD for the full rundown
matching iPod dock available, and 13:33:00 EST. Please see our
it'll run you about $3700 to get terms for use of feeds. Read|
one, speaker included. Permalink| Email this| Comments
Filed under: Peripherals
Artcoustic vomits bling allover
its Crystal line of wall-mounted
ostentation, they probably belong speakers originally appeared on
in your apartment. There's also a Engadget on Fri, 25 Sep 2009
26 Economy/ Gadgets/ Tech/ Internet News Record
This is how you transport a 510 ton
Could Securitization of Debt Be object (slowly and with a giant land
Unraveling on Legal Grounds? barge)
(Financial Sector and Stocks its name without having sold to a third party without the By Matt Burns (CrunchGear)
Analysis from Seeking Alpha) ownership, a legal standing does contractual endorsement of the Submitted at 9/25/2009 11:10:49 AM
Submitted at 9/25/2009 9:39:01 AM not exist for representing a mortgagor (homeowner). To do so
financial interest, according to the otherwise means that the third Simply amazing. I had no idea
The Kansas Supreme Court has Kansas ruling. Furthermore, the party and the mortgagor do not that such a transportation
ruled that a company named court has found that mortgage have a legally binding agreement. vehicle existed for standard roads.
Mortgage Electronic Registration originators, once the mortgage is Perhaps an attorney But sure enough, Fagioli
Systems has no standing to file for sold, also has no financial interest knowledgeable in contract law manufactures the beast and calls it
foreclosures. MERS acts as a or liability. can clarify this point. a Self Propelled Modular
front for banks and investors, Brown states: Could this situation be simply Transporters (SPMTs).
registering mortgages "MERS, as straw man, lacks corrected by changing the The SPMTs uses hydraulic
e l e c t r o n i c a l l y a n d t r a c k i n g standing to foreclose, but so does wording of mortgage contracts? drive motors mounted on the
changes in ownership, according original lender, although it was a Could these contracts simply axles and cruises along at an
to Ellen Hodgson Brown, JD at signatory to the deal. The lender identify the mortgagee and all average of 5km/hr. The modular net. Impressive, but it still doesn’t
Web of Debt.com. lacks standing because title had to successors as signatories to the platform can be configured to have anything on the NASA
Brown reports that 60 million pass to the secured parties for the mortgage agreement? Would this meet just about any task. If you crawler-transporters that moves at
securitized mortgages are tracked arrangement to legally qualify as then maintain liability for the need more capacity, just hook one mile per hour and weighs
by MERS. She writes: a “security.” The lender has been mortgage originators? Again a more together. Each axel – and 2400 tons alone.
"That is the number of American paid in full and has no further contract law expert is welcome to there are a lot of ‘em – can hold
mortgages currently reported to be legal interest in the claim. Only weigh in. 36te gross and 32te
held by MERS. Over half of all the securities holders have skin in Taking this issue to another
new U.S. residential mortgage the game; but they have no
loans are registered with MERS standing to foreclose, because
level, does this ruling have
implications for all securitized
New iMacs: Cheaper, Thinner,
a n d r e c o r d e d i n i t s n a m e . they were not signatories to the
Holdings of the Kansas Supreme original agreement. They cannot
debt? Does a direct contract need
to exist between the holder of a
Equipped With Blu-ray?
Court are not binding on the rest satisfy the basic requirement of debt security and the debtor? Are By Stan Schroeder
of the country, but they are dicta contract law that a plaintiff suing Wall Street smoke and mirrors (Mashable!)
of which other courts take note; on a written contract must about to be blown away on the Submitted at 9/25/2009 5:53:20 AM
and the reasoning behind the produce a signed contract proving basis of simple contract law?
decision is sound." he is entitled to relief." Sifting through the pile of
Because MERS has registered The way I read this, the ruling rumors concerning Apple’s next
mortgages and recorded them in holds that a mortgage can not be move when it comes to its iMac
lineup, one can only be certain
Video: In case you (somehow) missed the Halo that nothing is certain. But,
although it’s all totally unofficial,
Legends clip most of the blogs devoted to
Apple report the same thing: new
complex. But, there’s a time for
everything, right?
By Nicholas Deleon once when I was around 16-years- less than “okay” probably would iMacs are going to be cheaper, The new iMacs could appear on
(CrunchGear) old. It didn’t change my life.), so have been a disappointment. and they’ll feature a thinner the market as early as this month,
Submitted at 9/25/2009 11:30:50 AM pardon my inability to critique it So yeah, the series should be industrial design. AppleInsider claims, although it’s
with any degree of competence. somewhere this fall. I guess I’ll The same sources claim that the quite possible that Apple will wait
So, this is what that Halo anime Geekologie says it “look[s] give it a shot. It’s not like there’s new iMac line will feature a Blu- a bit to spoil the party for the
series, Halo Legends, looks like. okay,” which I think is good, anything particularly interesting ray drive; a logical move, Windows 7 October launch.
It needs to be said that my right? I mean, Microsoft did hire a on TV these days. although a bit surprising Reviews: Blu
knowledge of anime is more or lot of those “name” studios to put considering that Steve Jobs had Tags: blu-ray, iMac
less non-existent (I saw Akira this thing together, so anything once said its licensing is too
Internet News Record
ArcAttack: Lightning-Proof Musicians Share Their Tesla Coil
Secrets [Giz Gallery 09]
By Adrian Covert (Gizmodo)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 11:20:00 AM
When Nikola Tesla invented his
coil in 1891, He probabaly never
imagined the ominous structures
taking the place of the violin or
French horn. But with time,
anything's possible. Music trio
ArcAttack adds its own spin to
Tesla's dream machine.
We gather around the group in a
circle, about 8 or 10 feet away
from the Tesla coils as the band
performs. This is not some "don't
want to dance in front of the
stage" kind of teenage
awkwardness—if you stand too
close when the band plays, you
might actually get electrocuted.
When the lights go down, a loud
buzz generates, followed by
streaks of lighting into the air.
Then the music begins, followed
by the sound of drums that are
precise as can be. What follows is
an overload of light and sound
that is pure amazing, a melange of
familiar melodies from our
favorite video games (Mario and
Zelda themes), TV shows (
Airwolf) and pop songs
("Sexyback").
Once the band stops playing, we
still can't roam freely. First, they
must discharge the coils, ridding
them of any stray lightning bolts
that might be trapped inside.
/ the execution of the live show. He
Consisting of a pair of Tesla
coils—plus a pair of LED-
equipped robotic drums and an
Open Labs sound console—the
ArcAttack experience is largely
automated, suggestive of a future
era when a musical performance
isn't about the people playing the
instruments, but rather the
technology involved.
ArcAttack hails from Austin,
Texas and certainly don't fit the
mold of what most consider a
band should be. But that's a good
thing.
John Di Prima is the man
behind the boards, responsible for
controls the coils and drums, plus
mixing in a few new sounds
during the set. He's also
responsible for most of the
songwriting and drum
programming.
Patrick Brown, aka Parsec, is
the master of ceremonies, decked
out in steampunk-esque attire
consisting of a Faraday Suit with
a string of lights that react with
the Tesla coils, plus the requisite
lightning-proof goggles. He's the
link between the crowd and the
show. He found the Di Prima
brothers at an Austin Burning
Man event and jokes that he's
managed to not get kicked out yet.
Joe Di Prima designs, builds
and maintains everything for the
group, serving as the technician
when the show is on the road.
When they're composing and
recording, he plays guitar. With a
background in electronics repair,
Joe eventually linked up with the
engineering department at the
University of Texas, where he
first learned about the magic of
Tesla coils.
I took a few minutes to
interview ArcAttack—what
makes them who they
are—besides the Tesla coils, of
course...
——-
Gizmodo: What does your setup
consist of?
Joe: It would be two DRSSTC
(Dual Resident Solid State Tesla
Coil) units which are MIDI
controlled. There's a fiber optic
cable running to some digital
logic boards that are in the Tesla
Gadgets/ 27
coils.
John: The Open Labs MiKO
MIDI console hosts the PC
Software (Fruity Loops) that we
use to actually sequence the
music.
The MiKO is just a Windows
machine with a bunch of nice
MIDI interfaces, cased in
metal—which is nice because we
have a lot of EMF emitted from
the coils. I actually used to run it
off my laptop, but it would crash
all the time.
Patrick: The drum machine has
a solenoid for every drum, and
they're MIDI controlled
also...from the MiKO.
Gizmodo: How did you get the
idea to create a musical show
using Tesla coils? Had it been
done before this?
Joe: When we did it originally,
it was the first time it had been
done in this manner. There are a
few ways that you can audio
modulate a Tesla coil—this way
is known as PRM modulation.
Now there are a few dozen people
that picked up on it, but nobody
does it to the scale that we do. It's
still fairly new, and surprisingly
still fairly unknown.
When I first saw a solid state
Tesla coil in operation, I
understood how it worked. After a
few minutes of playing with it, I
got the idea that, many years later,
I put into practice.
Gizmodo: Who are some of
your musical and tech influences?
John: Well obviously Nikola
Tesla. For music, we all have
pretty different tastes. But the
cool thing with our project is that
ARCATTACK: page 28
28 Gadgets/ Tech/
ARCATTACK:
continued from page 27
we can do anything from Pantera
to the Chicken Dance and people
would dig it. I listen to electronic
rock, Kraftwerk, Daft Punk...if I
could do a show with Daft Punk,
you could shoot me afterward.
Joe: I didn't know what music
was until three years ago. For tech
influences, hard to say, but
Faraday, all my mentors at all the
repair shops, my dad (who was a
biomedical engineer) and Steve
Ward, the father of the DRSSTC,
who I met at the University of
Texas.
Gizmodo: What are some of the
weirdest/favorite/disastrous shows
you've played?
John: Joe had to tackle a cop
once.
Joe: Yeah the cops had come
shut down this rave we were
playing at, and the Tesla coils
were still running. He was coming
over to shut our stuff off, not
knowing exactly what it was, and
he was walking straight into the
Tesla coils. So I grabbed him and
pushed him back. Amazingly he
did not Tase me. He was actually
kinda grateful. Funniest part is,
after they kicked everyone out,
they walked around and asked if
we could turn the stuff back on.
Patrick: My favorite show so far
was when we played DragonCon
in Atlanta a few weeks ago. We
did the Mad Scientist Ball. We
had our big Tesla coils and a
Faraday cage, and revealed our
new stage show, which assisted
people in transforming themselves
into true joy...by being bathed in
the Tesla coil rays.
During our stage performance,
there were about 15 people that
we put into the cage, and this one
guy named Dr. Satan had big
metal wings that he put onto his
back. We get him up there, but the
cage is kinda small, and he has
metal sticking out all over his
body. So we tell him "don't
move." Soon the entire crowd
started chanting along. That was
pretty cool. [And obviously Dr.
Satan lived through it.]
John: We were in the
Netherlands for two weeks, and
we played a heavy metal fest
where they put us in front of this
church that was lit all demonic
looking. On our stage, there were
these big glass viewing areas
where you could see the deceased
founders of the town. I think that's
pretty much the most epic thing
ever. Heavy metal music through
lightning over visible graves.
Q: What is the one gadget you
can't live without?
Joe: My iPhone.
Patrick: My Dell laptop.
John: The Open Labs MiKO
console. If it was human, I'd
marry it.
Internet News Record
Facebook Sued Over Patent
On Distributing Personal
Info On A Network
By Michael Masnick (Techdirt) a tiny company, WhoGlue, who
Submitted at 9/25/2009 3:59:00 AM holds a patent 7,246,164 on
"Distributed personal relationship
As you probably know by now, information management system
as a company gets bigger and and methods." And, of course,
more successful it means that they W h o G l u e h a s d e c i d e d t h a t
will certainly be sued for patent Facebook infringes and needs to
infringement. This isn't because pay up. There are all sorts of
they somehow "took" or "copied" problems with this kind of
someone else's ideas. But because lawsuit. You have a patent on an
there are so many ridiculous and obvious concept, that Facebook
overly broad patents out there that clearly developed independently
some jealous patent holder will (as have many others). And now
seek to make some easy money Facebook will need to go spend
with a lawsuit against a much on a legal defense. What a waste
m o r e s u c c e s s f u l c o m p a n y . of resources.
Facebook is already facing a few Once again, we see that those
such lawsuits, including one who can't compete, sue.
where it's been ordered to reveal Permalink| Comments| Email
its entire source code. This Story
The latest such lawsuit involves

Why Verizon's Probably Still Getting the Pre [Palm Pre]

By John Herrman (Gizmodo) all over Sprint's fancy phone carrying mostly un-tampered-with
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:30:41 AM party, still stands. And since then, BlackBerrys, by the way—and
evidence of a Verizon launch has softened by the fact that it
A report from TheStreet is been slowly mounting, seemingly basically contradicts itself:
getting everyone all worked up, to the point of no return. One Sources did say that Verizon
and rightly so: Dropping the Pre analyst: could be more delicate about the
would be an idiotic move for Palm reiterated its FY2010 decision and order just a small
Verizon, and a lame turn for their guidance, which we believe amount of Pre phones with no
customers. But hey, don't fret too REQUIRES a launch at Verizon intention of lending much
hard! At least, not yet. (you just can't get there with just marketing support.
It's important to remember the Sprint and AT&T) Verizon might not want the Pre;
context here, because before In other words, Palm just also, Verizon might want the Pre,
T h e S t r e e t ' s r o g u e r e p o r t , restated—like, a day ago—an a little! Gotcha.
everything was awfully clear: official full-year estimate for their So, stubborn Verizon holdouts:
Back in May, Verizon's CEO company which, according to people to Verizon, it might anonymously-sourced claim that keep holding out. [ AllThingsD,
specifically said they'd be offering analysts, can't be anywhere near actually break financial reporting Verizon's dropping the Pre, CNBC]
the Pre in " six months or so," accurate if a Verizon deal isn't regulations. justified only by a flimsy VCast
which, despite some waffling on happening. Dropping their Pre To put it another way, the only integration and software
dates, and speculation that plans at this point wouldn't just be thing that's changed is that one modification conflict—which
Verizon was just trying to poop a bad move in terms of attracting publication has run an hasn't stopped Verizon from
Internet News Record Gadgets/ Tech/ 29

Can Trent Reznor

Reinvent The Video
Game Business, Too?
By Michael Masnick (Techdirt) gamers there. It's business guys
Submitted at 9/25/2009 8:28:00 AM who want to turn the company
into a profit making machine.
By now, plenty of people have They look at it in terms of
understood the details of how numbers, like a Hollywood studio.
Trent Reznor embraced new If it costs "X" amount to make a
business models and has thrived game, to compete, then it has to
online by doing so. But could he be a proven franchise or it has to
do the same thing in an entirely be similar enough to something
different industry as well? A few they know is going to sell. They
folks have sent in an interview don't want to take the risk. It
with Reznor and long-time certainly sounds like they're still
collaborator Rob Sheridan on just tossing around ideas -- not
Joystiq, discussing how they heavily committed to making a
wanted to create a video game. v i d e o g a m e ( s o d o n ' t s t a r t
While Reznor admits that he rumors!) -- but they do appear
hasn't done enough research to interested in experimenting with a
Steve Ballmer talks 'three screens fully understand the video game variety of different concepts once
ecosystem, something did strike Reznor is finally done touring. It
him in his first few meetings: And would be neat to see if Reznor can
and a cloud' and more with as first time people in a pitch take his success and experiences
m e e t i n g , i t w a s k i n d o f with the music industry, and
depressing. Depressing to see that translate it to video games. There
TechCrunch the people in control of those have been some companies that
studios and publishers are much have started to figure this out,
By Donald Melanson a n d a B a b y ) , a s w e l l a s somebody who doesn't make their the same as the people sitting at such as Stardock, who takes a
(Engadget) Microsoft's "fun year" with things own phone." Head on past the record companies. very pro-gamer stance that
Submitted at 9/25/2009 11:57:00 AM like Bing, Windows 7, and Project break to see the whole thing for In a record company, they aren't focuses on providing more value,
Natal, and Microsoft's future yourself. musicians or people who love rather than trying to stop people
S t e v e B a l l m e r ' s t a l k a t acquisition strategy (it'll probably Continue reading Steve Ballmer music, they're people who want to from doing bad stuff. And not
Microsoft's Venture Capital buy about another 15 companies talks 'three screens and a cloud' sell plastic discs. They think they surprisingly, Stardock has seen
Summit yesterday may have only next year). Of particular note, and more with TechCrunch have a formula where if they can quite a lot of success in doing so.
been open to a select few, but non Ballmer also went some way to Filed under: Cellphones, eliminate the artist from that In the meantime, for you Reznor
-VCs can now get the next best dampen any talk of a Microsoft- Software equation, even better. You see fans, apparently the trick to
thing courtesy of TechCruch, banded phone, saying that while Steve Ballmer talks 'three that in the case of the Pussycat getting him to hang out with you
which got a chance to sit down an Apple or RIM can "do just screens and a cloud' and more Dolls and some of the other is to have an old time arcade set
with Ballmer following the event. fine," Microsoft still thinks a with TechCrunch originally fabricated crap that's out there. up with Robotron.
In the wide-ranging interview, software play is right for them in appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 What we tended to notice in the Permalink| Comments| Email
Ballmer discusses Microsoft's such a high volume market -- Sep 2009 11:57:00 EST. Please video game meetings was that it This Story
new "three screens and a cloud" noting that, "when 1.3 billion see our terms for use of feeds. didn't seem that there were
strategy, which he describes as a phones a year are all smart, the Read| Permalink| Email this|
" f u n d a m e n t a l s h i f t i n t h e software that's gonna be most Comments
computing paradigm" (and can't popular in those phones is gonna
help but compare to Three Men b e s o f t w a r e t h a t ' s s o l d b y
30 Tech/
TC50 vs. DemoFall 2009: What can you use?
By Josh Lowensohn
(Webware.com)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 4:00:00 AM
In the last three years, September
has become a busy time for Web
start-ups and other new
companies looking to make their
mark. Warring start-up
conferences TechCrunch50 and
DemoFall take place within mere
days of one another, leaving a
wake of more than 100 companies
that are launched within just a
week's time, all vying for media
and consumer attention.
Last year it was even worse, as
both conferences happened at the
exact same time.
This scramble to get things
ready often leaves companies not
ready for the users they hope will
flock to use their product. So, as a
service to you, we've gone
through and sorted out which of
the products you can use right
now. These are sites with open
registration, and no special beta or
invite requirements.
We've also sorted out which
ones are aimed at business users
versus consumer use. All of this
information can be found in a
spreadsheet embedded at the end
of this post. But before we get
there, let's take a look at the
makeup of launches that were
open versus closed:
Note: We considered sites that
were listed as having "private" or
"invite only" betas as closed. This
is because there is no guarantee
that you could get immediate
access once you signed up to use
them. For physical products, we
counted whether or not you could
purchase or download them. All
data was gathered Thursday.
This year, there were slightly
less products launching at Demo,
although that's not including the
14 "alpha pitch" companies,
which are neither part of the main
program, or by definition
supposed to be live at the time of
presenting. That said, there was a
higher percentage of companies
that were live and ready to go in
the days following the show than
the year prior, which came in at
75 percent compared with last
year's 67 percent.
TechCrunch50, on the other
hand, stayed around the same as
the year before. Last year's show
had just 42 percent of the 52
launching companies open for
public use, compared with this
year's 48 percent.
Worth noting is that there are a
few sites that are on the verge of
being open but that were not
ready to go in time of this article
going live:
• HealthyWage, a company that
launched at TechCrunch50 will be
opening up to beta users on
Monday.
• Spawn Labs, the video game
place-shifting service that demoed
at TechCrunch50 will be available
in November. We played with a
demo unit at the show and
everything worked great. The
company is just working on
production ramp-up to get it ready
for the holiday season.
• Twirl TV, a DemoFall launch
is currently open, but will close
after the first 10,000 users sign-
up. We marked it in this list as
open, since we were able to
register.
• Weels' site said it would launch
on Thursday, however it was
having problems with Amazon's
EC2 service, and was expected to
launch later in the evening.
Consumer vs. Business
Also of interest, and something
we didn't do when comparing
open and closed companies for
last year's shows, is the make-up
of products that launched at the
show. Were they for consumers or
businesses?
Not surprisingly, TechCrunch50
Internet News Record
had a better showing of consumer
-oriented products and services.
That's to be expected though. The
show is pitched at this audience
and as a place for companies to
pitch new software and services.
Very little hardware is chosen to
present--and what is has
historically been for consumers.
Demo on the other hand had more
than a third of the companies
aiming their products at
businesses, or business users.
How important is being open?
Tech trade shows are never
likely to have a 100 percent live at
launch factor, nor should they.
Many of the companies that made
their debut at these shows are
coming out of stealth mode and
have worked very carefully to
keep information about their
service secret, both for a
competitive advantage and to iron
out last-minute kinks. Others have
services that just plain aren't ready
for big audiences and need a small
and eager test group to help see if
their creation scales.
What's often more impressive is
how quickly some of these
companies that aren't live, go on
to sort things out and open up.
Although last year that wasn't
necessarily the case. Just seven
months after the conferences
many of the companies that were
not yet live or open were still
shut(including a few that shut
themselves down). Will it be the
same with this year's crop? Check
back here in six months.
Previously:
Post-launch frenzy: What can
you actually use?( from 2008's
show)
TC50/Demo revisited: What's
alive, what's dead?( seven months
TC50 page 32
Internet News Record Tech/ 31

New Zealand Author Claims Libraries Are

Involved In Grand Theft By Loaning Books
By Michael Masnick (Techdirt) figure in the New Zealand market. library buys a book and lends it to "There is no intellectual property
Submitted at 9/25/2009 9:41:49 AM So I got $40,500 before tax for thousands of other people to read, in a chainsaw." Win Or Lose, This
my six month's work. it's grand theft copyright and Edwards also seems fully Video Game Deletes
Via Family Holloway, I came I'm not complaining about that really no different from illegally enamored with the myth that
across a short opinion piece by either. But... downloading music or movies or copyright law is based on some Files On Your Computer
Brian Edwards bitching about Every public library in New copying CDs or DVDs on your sort of "labor theory" -- that the By Michael Masnick (Techdirt)
how libraries are facilitating book Zealand bought at least one copy computer. For someone who more time you put in, somehow Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:43:53 AM
theft. At first, I honestly thought it of Helen. And they lent each of positions himself as an expert, he the more money you deserve to
was a joke or a parody, to make those copies to other people to seems to have almost no get out. While I'm unfamiliar with Well, here's a fun one.
fun of those who complain about read for... nothing. Last year there understanding of the purpose of New Zealand copyright law, in Apparently someone has created a
online "piracy," but I actually were still 227.4 copies of the book copyright law or of the public the US, such theories have been space invaders type video game...
think he's serious. I'd never heard in New Zealand public libraries. If library systems. In the end, he widely discredited in the courts where every "alien" is randomly
of Edwards, but apparently he's a each of those copies was taken out says that libraries should pay him repeatedly. And, of course, they associated with a file (any file) on
big media personality and author by one person a month, that's 1/4 of the usual book sale royalty make no sense when viewed your hard drive. If you kill the
in New Zealand. And, boy, does 2,729 people who read but didn't per loan of his book. So, in his alongside the actual purpose of alien... or the alien kills you, the
he hate the fact that libraries don't pay for my book -- my six case, $1.13 every time the book is copyright law. Edwards seems to game will delete that particular
pay him every time someone month's work. At $4.50 per loaned out. Apparently, he doesn't believe that copyright is welfare file. It's like playing Russian
checks out a book: What pisses unsold copy, that's a theoretical quite realize that he's basically for creators, rather than an Roulette with a fully loaded gun. I
me off as an author is that for loss of income to me in one year asking the public libraries, funded incentive to create. imagine no one is stupid enough
every person who buys your book, of $12,280. While he later admits by public tax dollars, to subsidize In the meantime, perhaps the to actually play... though I'm a bit
dozens of other bludgers get to that not all of those people (and him. The original Holloway link public libraries of New Zealand disappointed that they didn't make
read it for nothing. Let me give h e m a d e u p t h e n u m b e r s above does a nice job schooling can do Mr. Edwards a favor next a version where killing the aliens
you an example. A few years back anyway...) would have bought the Edwards, and then discusses time he publishes a book: don't at least saves some files. That
I wrote a biography of Helen book, but them immediately things in more detail with buy it. Ditto for anyone who way, at least, you'd have more
Clark. It took about six months to follows that statement up with this Edwards in the comments -- might think of lending it... er... I incentive to play well...
write and during that time I had doozy: But there's a principle though Edwards seems unwilling mean, being an accessory to a Permalink| Comments| Email
effectively no other income. The here: when one person buys a to budge on his claims of libraries crime in distributing copyrighted This Story
book retailed at $45. On the book and lends it to another being theives, or to understand materials.
standard author's royalty of 10%, person to read, they effectively basic common sense. Someone Permalink| Comments| Email
I got $4.50 for every copy sold. become an accessory to theft. points out to him that if he bought This Story
H e l e n , P o r t r a i t o f a P r i m e Their generous act amounts to a chainsaw, it would be ridiculous
Minister sold 9,000 copies, a little more than stealing the to stop him from lending it to
reasonable if not spectacular author's work. When a public someone, and his response is:

TomTom announces iPhone car kit pricing

By Steven Sande (The TUAW readers have told us retail price of US$119.95 or short order.
Unofficial Apple Weblog they're holding off on a €99.95. [via GPSTracklog]
(TUAW)) purchasing decision until they can Several GPS blogs are already TUAW TomTom announces
Submitted at 9/25/2009 1:00:00 PM see how the announced iPhone car questioning the pricing, noting iPhone car kit pricing originally
kit enhances the use of the app. that the total price for the kit and appeared on The Unofficial Apple
Filed under: Accessories, The car kit, which includes a app will be US$219.94, more than Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 25 Sep
Hardware, Peripherals, Odds and secondary GPS receiver and some much more capable personal 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see
ends, iPhone The TomTom speaker as well as a mount for navigation devices. On the other our terms for use of feeds.
navigation app[iTunes link] for holding the iPhone, is scheduled hand, the car kit isn't patented, so Read| Permalink| Email this|
iPhone has been available since to ship in the U.S. in October. announced the pricing for the other companies may come out Comments
August of this year, but many TomTom International B.V. has mount, which has a suggested with less expensive options in
32 Tech/ Entertainment/ Internet News Record
TC50
The most promising launches at DemoFall 2009 continued from page 30
later)
By Rafe Needleman rocked and the business is files with participants--which is Originally posted at Web
(Webware.com) straightforward: Sell technology valuable for people in business as Crawler
Submitted at 9/25/2009 4:00:00 AM licenses to Sony, Panasonic, well. The product lacks sufficient
Apple, etc. Great demo, great security layers for the workplace
Before the DemoFall start-up tech, great business. Read more.
conference kicked off, I wrote a " fee (in the $1 to $2 range) for at the moment, but layer that in
The most disruptive business each transaction. Read more. and you've got a fun, easy, and
What to watch" story covering was Cortera, which I called
More television viewing is capable tool for real-time sharing
what I thought would be the hot "dullest of Demo" in my writeup
products at the show. As usual, I on Tuesday. This company does moving to the Web, and Twirl TV and conversation. Read more Going Toe-to-Toe
identified a few of the interesting credit ratings for business. Stay adds a social layer to that activity. from TechCrunch. with 'Dancing with the
A compelling and simple viewer Some of the most popular
companies, missed some others, awake, though: it's a $42 billion
and misidentified some that I global business dominated in the for streaming available online TV products at Demo are not in my Stars'' Michael Irvin
thought would be hot but weren't. U.S. by Dun & Bradstreet. shows, it also makes it easy to list. I left out Datecheck, for (ETonline - Breaking News)
Now that the show is over and Cortera's system is cheaper to run start conversations on Facebook example. This was a very fun
about those shows. You can also demo of a free public records look
Submitted at 9/25/2009 8:02:00 AM
I've spent time with almost all the a n d m a k e s f o r m u c h l e s s
products introduced there, I've expensive reports for users. It s e e w h a t y o u r f r i e n d s a r e -up service from Intelius. From a If it had been solely up to the
picked out my top winning could expand the market for credit watching and if they haven't marketing perspective it's a hit, judges' scores on last Monday's
p r o d u c t s , c o m p a n i e s , a n d reporting to more businesses and watched the latest show you like, but technologically it's just a coat "Dancing with the Stars," former
concepts. I paid no attention to the win a financially significant and give them a hard time about it of paint on the Intelius system-- Dallas Cowboys' football champ
wisdom of the crowds nor to the portion of the market, too. Read either way. It's the selection of and, if you want deeper data than Michael Irvin and his pro partner
official Demo God awards handed more. content combined with a user Datecheck provides, you have to Anna Demidova might have gone
out at the show. In my mind, e x p e r i e n c e t h a t ' s n o m o r e pay for it. Other clever products home with a lowly score of 13
Point of Wealth: Your money complicated than it needs to be seemed more like features than
perhaps uniquely, these were the c h e c k s i n . ( C r e d i t : R a f e points for their cha cha.
five most interesting Demo N e e d l e m a n / C N E T ) that makes it work. Read more s t a n d a l o n e c o m p a n i e s ; Now ET is inside Irvin and
from Venture Beat. TrafficTalk comes to mind.
launches: Another financial play, Point of DemoFall 09 was a strong Demidova's private rehearsal to
Emo Labs makes good sound Wealth makes a "reverse ATM" Zorap was one of several video find out how they plan to win the
from clear plastic.(Credit: Rafe that lets people who are paid in chat services introduced at Demo, conference with a wide range of judges over.
Needleman/CNET) but it looks like the easiest and clever ideas. Despite my criticism The pro dancer told ET's Kevin
cash deposit their money to cover most of the bunch. While the of the Demo conference itself, it
Emo Labs has invented a way to bills, pay into retirement funds, Frazier that she is going to make
send high-quality sound through a and top up prepaid credit cards. demo showed the product being is always great fun to see the their quick step more
clear, flat panel that can be place It's a good service for the used as a fun family chat room, it innovation that gathers at this "complicated" to please the
on top of a flat-screen TV or a "unbanked," as they say, and a also showed how it made it very show twice a year. judges.
easy to share pictures, videos, and Originally posted at Rafe's
computer monitor. The demo solid business. It will take a small Radar

Twitter Funding Confirmed, Amount Dubbed “Significant”

By Stan Schroeder
(Mashable!)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 9:55:35 AM
News broke yesterday about a
huge new round of financing for
Twitter. Word has it Twitter has
received around$100 million in
new venture capital from multiple
investors. Although the number is
unofficial, valuations of Twitter
went wild and quickly rose to $1
billion.
Now, Twitter has officially Venture Partners, T. Rowe Price, I’m confident in the future we’ll
confirmed they’ve received Institutional Venture Partners, build together.”
financing; without disclosing the Spark Capital and Benchmark So there you have it. Twitter has
actual amount, they claim it’s Capital. put on a poker face, looking at
“significant”. If the $100 million It was important to us that we that 1 billion dollar valuation right
figure is correct, “significant” is find investment partners who in the eyes. Something tells me
quite an understatement, but we’ll share our vision for building a they’re already looking way, way
forgive them for being modest. company of enduring value. past it.
Here’s what the folks at Twitter Twitter’s journey has just begun Image courtesy of iStockphoto,
have posted on the official blog: and we are committed to building tforgo Reviews: Twitter,
“There’s a lot of talk today about f u n d i n g w i t h a g r o u p o f the best product, technology, and iStockphoto
our financing. A few hours ago investment firms that we’re company possible. I’m proud of Tags: financing, twitter
we closed a significant round of excited to publicly thank: Insight the team we’ve built so far and
Internet News Record
LUNCHTIME POLL: What’s Your
Favorite Internet Meme?
By Barb Dybwad (Mashable!)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 9:50:42 AM
This week on the Lunchtime Poll
we want to deal with an issue near
and dear to our hearts here at
Mashable: internet memes.
From crasher squirrels to Kanye
West interruptions, from LOLcats
to dancing babies— there’s no
shortage of wacky viral trends
floating about the internets. We
want to know your favorites after
the break!
But first, let’s take a look at a
recap of last week’s poll results,
when we asked your favorite
Twitter client. A couple of things
were abundantly clear from that
poll: there are a lot of Twitter
clients out there, and many of you
use more than one client across
platforms or even on a single
platform.
TweetDeck was the overall
winner, with over twice as many
mentions as the next favored
client, Tweetie for the Mac. Neck
and neck with Tweetie was
browser-based HootSuite, and
closely behind both was Seesmic
Desktop. In the next pack of
results with about 10 mention
each were DestroyTwitter,
Twhirl, Twitterrific, Echofon,
UberTwitter for the BlackBerry,
and the classic Twitter.com home
page.
Other clients with 5 mentions or
less included TweetFox for
Firefox, Landscape Tweeting for
iPhone (warning: iTunes link),
SimplyTweet for iPhone, Vim,
Ada, TwitterGadget, Digsby,
Mixero, Yoono, Nambu,
Twittelator for iPhone, Gwibber
for Linux, SocialScope for
BlackBerry, Pocketwit for
Windows Mobile, Twitterena+,
Spaz, Streamy, TwInbox,
CoTweet, BirdFeed for iPhone,
TwitBin for Firefox, TwixTreme
for BlackBerry, PeopleBrowsr,
BlueBird, TwitJump, Flock, Dabr,
Slandr, and Twidroid for Android
phones.
Phew! And now on with this
week’s question:
What’s your favorite internet
meme of all time? Mashable
Faves
Adam Ostrow: Hitler downfall
videos – especially for obscure
stuff like the Chicago Cubs winter
meetings. Honorable mention to
Chuck Norris facts.
Ben Parr: My favorite classic
meme is All Your Base. My
favorite ongoing meme is
LOLcats.
Pete Cashmore: Imma let you
finish, but the O RLY owl is the
best Internet meme of all time.
The only acceptable response to
those stating the blindingly
obvious.
Josh Catone: Dramatic Prairie
Dog FTW! (intentionally
ambiguous response)
Jennifer Van Grove: I’m on a
Boat. It changed the way I
experience boats forever.
Christina Warren: Ellen Feiss,
hands-down. [Runners up] either
Dancing Hamsters circa 1999,
Peanut Butter Jellytime circa
2001, or Rick Rolling.
Stan Schroeder: I second the
ORLY owl. I also loved the
Hunter Weapon meme back when
I played WoW, but that’s
probably too narrow. I love what
the folks at reddit and 4chan do to
these memes, by themselves they
aren’t really that funny to me (:.
Barb Dybwad: LOLcats are
genius. Also Numa Numa, Leroy
Jenkins, Ninjas vs. Pirates, Yo
Dawg, Dramatic Chipmunk,
Crasher Squirrel (why are funny
animals irresistable?)… and now
it’s time for Keyboard Cat to play
this feature off!
Image courtesy of iStockphoto,
ericsphotography Reviews:
Android, Birdfeed,
DestroyTwitter, Digsby, Echofon,
Firefox, Flock, HootSuite,
Mixero, Seesmic Desktop,
SocialScope, Streamy,
TweetDeck, Twhirl, Twidroid,
Twitbin, Twittelator, Twitter,
Twitterrific, Yoono, gwibber,
iStockphoto, linux, tweetie
Tags: all your base, dancing
hamsters, ellen feiss, internet
memes, lolcats, lunchtime poll, on
a boat, peanut butter jellytime,
rick rolling
Tech/ Entertainment/ 33
Texas Instruments Goes Legal On
Calculator Hackers: How Dare
You Make Our Product Better!
By Michael Masnick (Techdirt) companies to prevent innovation,
Submitted at 9/25/2009 7:11:00 AM not to stop copying. Notice that
there is no "copying" of any TI
I have to admit that I cannot software going on here. It's just
remember where (perhaps it was that in being able to run this
in the comments on Techdirt?), software, apparently you need to
but I recently saw a discussion bypass some protection measures
among a few people discussing that TI installed. Thus, TI claims,
how odd it is that computers and i t ' s a c i r c u m v e n t i o n a n d a
mobile phones have advanced so violation of the DMCA. Of
much... but scientific calculators course, as the article (and various
still are nearly identical as to what experts) note in the article, both
they were decades ago. The state the Copyright Office and the
of the art seems to have frozen courts have often looked down on
somewhere in the 1980s. Perhaps such blatant misuses of the
it's because Texas Instruments, DMCA, but for now the legal
one of the major calulator makers threats worked. The people
out there, goes around threatening contacted have removed the code.
people who hack their calculators Frankly, I can't fathom how this
to run additional software on makes any sense at all for TI.
them. Apparently, the company is Making its calculators more
sending DMCA takedown notices useful and interesting should only
to people who have posted code i n c r e a s e d e m a n d f o r t h e
for running other software on calculators. TI makes its money
their TI calculators. This is clearly selling the physical product, not
against what the DMCA was the software on the calculators. So
d e s i g n e d t o d o , b u t i s a what possible business rationale is
consequence of the overly broad there for stopping such hacking?
(and, frankly, ridiculous) anti- It seems only sure to decrease the
circumvention clause found in the market, not increase it.
DMCA. Permalink| Comments| Email
This is a perfect example of This Story
how the DMCA is used by
The Randy and Evi Quaid Mug Shot Gallery
(ETonline - Breaking News) $10,000 hotel bill in California.
Submitted at 9/25/2009 1:19:00 AM Evi wrote a handwritten letter to
defend their innocence.
Actor Randy Quaid and his wife The Presidio County Sheriff's
Evi had their mug shots taken Office provided ET with these
after their Thursday arrest in photos.
Texas for allegedly not paying a
34 Tech/ Picture/
Mozilla coders join Palm, apparently Google Books hearing
jabbing Apple
By Stephen Shankland
(Webware.com)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:34:00 AM
Two prominent Web-based
programming advocates have left
Mozilla for Palm, arguing that the
time has come to use browsers to
bypass Apple's controlling role in
mobile applications.
Dion Almaer and Ben Galbraith,
who help run the Ajaxian site for
elaborate Web interfaces and who
worked on Mozilla's Web-based
Bespin tool for collaborative
programming, announced their
move to Palm on Friday.
Palm is a logical place for them
to go. The Palm Pre has won
accolades as a competitive mobile
phone, and its foundation for
applications is a WebKit-based
browser, meaning that Palm
programs are essentially Web
programs.
"I will be joining Ben, my best
friend, partner in crime, and
fellow Ajaxian, as we take a new
role as directors of the Palm
Developer Relations team. We
will have the responsibility of the
developer experience with Palm.
We will be trying to create a rich
connective tissue between the
company and the Web developer
community that we love," Almaer
wrote on his blog.
Web-based programs are
typically slower and less capable
than alternatives that run natively
on a computing device. But they
have one big potential advantage:
written once, they can run on any
device with a browser and
officially delayed
hardware up to the task.
Although Galbraith and
Dalmaer are excited by the
possibilities of Web applications
and the new era of mobile
computing ushered in most
notably by Apple's iPhone,
Galbraith appears to be concerned
about the control Apple exercises
over the applications people can
use on their phones.
"Clearly, a revolution in
hardware is taking place, and it
doesn't take a prophet to work out
that the future of computing lies
along this new trajectory,"
Galbraith said. "However, my
enthusiasm for this amazing new
world is tempered by some
unfortunate decisions made by
some of the players in this space.
It seems that some view this
revolution as a chance to seize
power in downright Orwellian
ways by constraining what we, as
developers, can say, dictating
what kinds of apps we can create,
controlling how we distribute our
apps, and placing all kinds of
limits on what (we) can do to our
computing devices."
He didn't mention Apple by
name, and I don't want to put
words in his mouth, but who else
besides Apple could Galbraith be
referring to? The programmers
and Apple didn't immediately
respond to requests for comment.
Apple exerts its control to try to
give iPhone users a simple, stable,
and useful experience. But that
control can be at odds with what
programmers and users want, as
was most clearly illustrated in
Apple's rejection of the Google
Voice application--though Apple
said it hasn't actually rejected the
application.
Meanwhile, as it did with its
Latitude location application for
the iPhone after Apple rejected a
native version of that software,
Google is working on a Web-
based interface for Google Voice.
It also offers a Web-based Gmail
application for the iPhone.
What's curious is that the Palm
Pre, the Google Android
operating system, and the iPhone
OS all use a browser based on the
WebKit project, and Apple is
among those working hard to
advance the state of the art for
Web application programming
through its WebKit work. So there
is some philosophical agreement
along with the differences.
Originally posted at Deep Tech
Internet News Record
By Tom Krazit (Webware.com)
Submitted at 9/24/2009 3:33:00 PM
The judge overseeing Google
Books settlement has agreed to
the plaintiffs' request for a delay
of the final hearing scheduled to
approve the controversial
settlement, which is being
reworked by the parties.
Judge Denny Chin of the U.S.
this week. "Under all the
District Court for the Southern circumstances, it makes no sense
District of New York had been
to conduct a hearing on the
scheduled to oversee a October 7 fairness and reasonableness of the
hearing about whether to approve
current settlement agreement, as it
a 2008 settlement between Google does not appear that the current
and several groups representing
settlement will be the operative
authors and publishers. However, one," Chin wrote in a letter sent to
the settlement, which gives
both parties.
Google sweeping rights to digitize Instead, the parties will hold a
out-of-print but copyright
status conference on the 7th to
protected books, has drawn figure out what to do next. Chin
staunch opposition from many
noted that this case has been in
corners of the literary world as the works for over four years,
well as the U.S. Department of
when groups representing authors
Justice. and publishers sued Google in
As a result, the settlement is in
2005 for digitizing books without
the process of being reworked, explicit permission.
and Judge Chin agreed to give the
Originally posted at Relevant
parties more time to rework the Results
settlement following a request
from the plaintiffs filed earlier
Flickr at Oktoberfest
By Heather Champ (Flickr
Blog)
Submitted at 9/24/2009 10:05:43 AM
• About Flickr
Flickr is a revolution in photo
storage, sharing and organization,
making photo management an
easy, natural and collaborative
process. Get comments, notes,
and tags on your photos, post to
any blog, share and more!
Internet News Record
San Francisco Launches City App
Store
By Gavin Newsom (Mashable!)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 6:00:44 AM
This guest post was written by
San Francisco Mayor Gavin
Newsom, who was elected to the
position in 2003 and reelected in
2007. In this guest post, Mayor
Newsom details the launch of a
City App Store, the DataSF App
Showcase, a new web site that
highlights and centralizes
software applications created
from City data.
Last month, at WordPress
headquarters with leaders from
the technology community, we
launched DataSF.org. This new
web site is designed to improve
transparency in government,
increase access to City data, and
engage our highly skilled
workforce to create apps from that
data.
After the kick off there was a
discussion about next steps for
Gov 2.0 in San Francisco with
Tim O’Reilly, Matt Mullenweg
and other technology innovators.
One idea was to create a City App
Store to highlight and centralize
programs created from City data.
This has worked for Apple and
Facebook, at last check; there are
60,000 apps available in the
Apple App store and more than
350,000 different Facebook apps.
Why not create a government app
Chynna Phillips Tells Oprah Why She Believes Sister's Shocking Incest Claims
(ETonline - Breaking News)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 8:49:00 AM
Former Wilson Phillips singer
Chynna Phillips says she believes
store as well?
Today, I’m pleased to announce
the launch of the DataSF App
S h o w c a s e (
www.datasf.org/showcase). The
site will celebrate the innovators
and innovations from a more
collaborative and open
government. On the site the public
can browse examples of new
ways in which Bay Area
constituents are using City data to
improve San Francisco.
A number of apps have already
been created from government
data and are featured in the
Showcase with others in
development. Check out an
interactive crime map with San
Francisco Crimespotting, or
EcoFinder, an iPhone app that
helps residents recycle based on
their location or Routesy, an app
that helps people find their way
around the Bay Area’s transit
systems in real time.
This is just the beginning. We
that her father had an incestuous
relationship with her sister,
Mackenzie Phillips.
In Mackenzie’s first interview
that aired on Wednesday on "The
Tech/ Entertainment/ 35
hope creative developers will
build countless more apps never
dreamed of in City Hall.
We understand the key to
creating more apps is making
more City data available to the
public. The initial phase of
DataSF includes more than 100
datasets, from a range of City
departments, including Police,
Public Works, and the Municipal
Bioshock for Mac on
Transportation Agency. This is
just scratching the surface. We are
working with departments to free
October 7th
as much city data as possible. By Mike Schramm (The you can run out to Best Buy, pick
Unofficial Apple Weblog up a copy for $20 and run it in
In San Francisco we are trying
to turn government into an (TUAW)) Boot Camp, it's up to you.
Submitted at 9/24/2009 8:35:00 PM If you are going for the Mac
organizing platform for civic
engagement by giving our version, however, you should
Filed under: Gaming, Humor, know that the game doesn't
residents the tools to build the
kind of government that works for Software, Odds and ends, support the Intel GMA integrated
Developer video cards, so you'll need a
them.
If you are using or have created I can personally attest to dedicated video card in your Mac
Bioshock being a terrific game, to play it. Bioshock is a great
an application based on City data
that is not in our showcase, we but the problem is that probably, game, as I've said, and if you
many of you can as well. Let's be really stretch it out, it might give
would like to hear from you.
Join Mayor Newsom on honest -- it actually came out for you a good six months of free
PC and consoles a full two years time entertainment -- just in time
Facebook or follow him on
Twitter. ago. At this point, a Mac port is for you to pick up the Mac port of
probably useless, but it's coming Hellgate: London, a game
Image courtesy of iStockphoto,
SamValtenbergs Reviews: out anyway. Feral Interactive has released in December of 2007. Oh
announced that they'll be releasing wait.
Facebook, Twitter, WordPress,
iStockphoto the port on October 7th of this TUAW Bioshock for Mac on
year, so those of you Mac October 7th originally appeared
Tags: app showcase, datasf,
gavin newsom, San Francisco-San diehards who refuse to play on The Unofficial Apple Weblog
games on any other platforms can (TUAW) on Thu, 24 Sep 2009
Jose
finally get your fix. The game will 20:35:00 EST. Please see our
be released for $49.95 in the US, terms for use of feeds.
and can be preordered on Feral's Read| Permalink| Email this|
store right now. Or, you know, Comments
Oprah Winfrey Show," the former years. consensual relationship over
actress made claims of having an "It didn't happen every day, time."
incestuous relationship with her didn't happen every week, but it
father, The Mamas and the Papas did happen many times," the
lead singer John Phillips, for 10 actress told Oprah. "It became a
36 Tech/ Tech Tips/ Internet News Record

First Look: 12mail Video Messenger STUDY: Time Spent on

for iPhone Social Networks Has
By Steven Sande (The
Unofficial Apple Weblog
returning a video message to a
person who had just been added to Tripled
(TUAW)) my Twitter "following" list. A By Christina Warren
Submitted at 9/25/2009 12:00:00 PM query to 12mail's tech support got (Mashable!)
me a quick response, and I found Submitted at 9/25/2009 9:18:57 AM
Filed under: Software, Odds and out that I just needed to tap the
ends, iPhone, App Store, App refresh button in the top left Social networking usage by
Review The first time I saw the corner of the list of Twitter users Americans continues to soar.
classic movie " 2001: A Space to get the latest people that I'm According to a new report from
Odyssey," I was 10 years old. If following. One other little bug The Nielsen Company, Americans
the story and the underlying seems to be that the "tilt iPhone to spent 17% of all their Internet
meaning were confusing to me as start recording" function doesn't time using social networking
a kid, the futuristic technology work, at least not for me. If you sites. This was nearly triple the users based on location, age and
wasn't, and I liked the video don't have an iPhone that supports time spent a year ago. relationship-status by virtue of
communications devices and the video recording, you can still As users spend more time on having accessible profile
flat Newspad. record audio and take one picture social networks, advertisers are information. Companies can also
It's almost 9 years late (2010), to illustrate what's going on. starting to take notice and move communicate directly with
but we finally have a cool way to If you're a Twitter or Facebook their campaigns to social potential customers using social
communicate with video, and it user, particularly one with an networking sites. According to media channels.
doesn't require using a wall- iPhone 3GS, installing 12mail is a Nielsen, the online advertising Do you spend more time on
mounted AT&T pay phone. no-brainer. It's fun, it's free, and spending on top social networks Twitter and Facebook than you
12mail Video Messenger[iTunes funny, or inviting them to join it's a taste of the future. Check out and blogs was estimated at $108 did a year ago? Have you noticed
Link] for iPhone brings clear, fast you for a drink. Since 12mail uses the gallery for some screenshots million for August 2009, a 119% any changes in how you respond
video messaging to your device in geolocation, your friends will of 12mail. increase over August 2008 to advertisers? Let us know in the
12-second chunks. know just where you sent your Gallery: 12mail Video figures. comments.
An offshoot of 12seconds.tv, message from. Messenger for iPhone Check out the chart above, you (Photo Courtesy of
12mail Video Messenger grabs up Some folks may wonder about TUAW First Look: 12mail can see that although online ad Intersection_Consulting on Flickr)
to a 12 second video on the the advantages of 12mail over Video Messenger for iPhone spending across all sites is down Reviews: Facebook, Flickr,
iPhone 3GS and delivers it to your MMS, particularly since AT&T is originally appeared on The in many sectors, it is up in every Twitter
Facebook and Twitter pals with supposed to finally "flip the U n o f f i c i a l A p p l e W e b l o g sector for social media sites. Tags: Nielsen, social media
push notification. If your buds switch" on that service today. (TUAW) on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 Social networks offer usage, stats
don't have 12mail, they can view T h o s e a d v a n t a g e s a r e t h e 12:00:00 EST. Please see our advertisers several key advantages
the video on their Facebook wall integration with Facebook and terms for use of feeds. over regular sites. They can target
or through Twitter. Twitter, as well as the fact that Read| Permalink| Email this|
While there's not a lot you can this won't use up your text Comments
say in 12 seconds, the app is great message allotment.
for sending friends short video 12mail is fairly simple to use,
blips, showing them something although I had some issues
Treat Yourself in This Week's Open Comment Thread [Open Thread]
By Adam Pash (Lifehacker) work and enjoy some friendly life comments, disregarding all some great conversation. All we
Submitted at 9/25/2009 9:30:00 AM -hacking conversation in this concerns for on-topic ask is that you keep it
week's open comment thread. conversation. Ask for help, offer friendly—and that you've got a
That's right, it's Friday. Give Photo by Sarah_Jones. advice, talk about MMS support commenter account. Happy
yourself a well-deserved pat on The open thread is our once-a- on your iPhone (it's supposed to Friday!
the back for another week of solid week invitation to readers to talk about whatever they want in the happen very soon), or just enjoy
Internet News Record
GPush for iPhone versus Google's Gmail push
By Jessica Dolcourt
(Webware.com)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:35:00 AM
GPush on iPhone now has a
Gmail in-box within the
app.(Credit: Screenshot by Jessica
Dolcourt/CNET)
In mid-August, the GPush app
came into iPhone's App Store,
promising to send push
notifications of Gmail messages
when new mail came in. Just last
week, Google offered its own
push solution for Gmail messages,
one that pushes e-mail down from
the server into the native iPhone
in-box. Did that spell the end of
GPush? Not quite.
First, Google's push service,
which is handled by Google Sync,
can vibrate the phone and sound
an alert chime when it pushes a
new message down from the
server, but it lacks GPush's alert
bubble that helpfully displays the
sender and subject.
Second, GPush and Google are
neck and neck when it comes to
performance, at least as far as our
iPhone is concerned. GPush sniffs
out the new message faster about
half the time, perhaps even more
Canadian University Has Court Order Google To Reveal Anonymous
Critics
By Michael Masnick (Techdirt)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 5:42:00 AM
While we sometimes get
annoyed at US courts for
revealing anonymous
commenters, the truth is that
courts in the US seem to be much
better than just about anywhere
often. The bottom line: Google's
push isn't necessarily faster or
better.
Although Google's official push
option is free and GPush is a
premium app (whose price
ratcheted up from 99 cents to
$1.99), you still pay a price going
Google's route. You're allowed to
have one e-mail account sync
over Microsoft Exchange. If you
else in the world at respecting a
right for anonymous comments.
Case in point: a bunch of folks
have been sending in versions of a
story happening up in Canada,
where the publicly funded York
University got a court to force
Google to reveal the names of
faculty members who were
use Google Sync, you've used
your shot. This is poor news for
those who also access their work
mail from their iPhone over
Exchange. For this set, GPush is
the better way to go. You can still
use a standard Gmail account that
pulls e-mail from the server at
regular intervals, and use GPush
to let you know when a new
message trickles in, who sent it,
criticizing the university
anonymously via email.
Amazingly, the court agreed and
ordered the info revealed. Even
more ridiculous is what the
"complaint" was about. The
University had announced the
hiring of a new dean and
exaggerated that dean's
and what it's about.(Credit:
Screenshot by Jessica
Dolcourt/CNET)
An update to GPush adds a
Gmail in-box to the application
interface and a "View" button to
the notification alert. Press that
button and GPush can now open
your in-box within its application.
Since GPush is giving you access
to Google's mobile Gmail site for
iPhones, you'll be able to do
anything with that e-mail that you
could do from the Safari browser.
In other words, with its proactive
notification alert, Gpush has just
one-upped Google, using
Google's mobile site.
While the new Gmail in-box
feature is exactly what we asked
for, having Gpush open to the
Gmail in-box tab took longer than
it should. We hope to see this
speed up in a future release.
What do you think about the
GPush app versus Google's
official Gmail push? Share your
thoughts in the comments.
Originally posted at iPhone
Atlas
accomplishments. As many of the
articles on this story are noting,
what better way to create a
chilling effect than to try to out
anonymous critics. The university
claims that this went "beyond free
speech" and even though the
complaints were supported by the
very guy who was hired, the
Tech/ TV/ 37
What You Missed
Last Night: Jon
and Blago
By Bob Sassone (TV Squad)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 11:32:00 AM
It must be odd for someone who
has been ridiculed and talked
about so much on a talk show to
then be on that talk show as a
guest. Whether you're Bill Clinton
on The Late Show with David
Letterman or Rod Blagojevich on
The Daily Show last night, it must
be weird for both the guest and
the host.
In this clip (which Jon Stewart
gives a special introduction to
because the interview went long
and got weird), Jon and Blago talk
about a range of issues, starting
with his hair. ( Unedited interview
here.)
[Watch episodes and clips of
The Daily Show and other shows
at SlashControl.]
Filed under: Late Night, Video,
The Daily Show, Watercooler
Talk, Celebrities, Reality-Free
Permalink| Email this| |
Comments
university still insists it was
"damaging." I would think that
outing your own professors is a
lot more damaging than some
squabble about over-inflating a
new dean's resume.
Permalink| Comments| Email
This Story
38 Tech/ Entertainment/
Mac 101: Create a wireless network
between Mac and iPhone
By Josh Carr (The Unofficial
Apple Weblog (TUAW))
Submitted at 9/25/2009 11:00:00 AM
Filed under: How-tos,
Productivity, Tips and tricks,
iPhone, Mac 101, iPhone 101,
iPod touch Many applications
require your Mac and your iPhone
to be on the same wireless
network in order to communicate
properly or sync. Apple doesn't
advertise the ability to use such
applications without a wireless
router... nor do many developers.
It's not only possible, it works
great in a pinch or even as a
standard. A few quick examples:
• Be a makeshift DJ. I have a lot
of music on in my iTunes Library.
If there's something I or my
friends want, I'll buy it and add it
to the collection. Because of that,
I get asked "Can you bring your
music to the party tonight." I used
to say no, because I didn't want to
play DJ all night and miss out on
the party. Now, I can setup a
network anywhere I go and
control my iTunes Library
directly from my iPhone with
Remote.app -- even play requests
during a conversation.
• Keynote presenters unite!
Creating a wireless network on
your Mac frees you to worry
about your presentation not the
availability of wireless in the
lecture room. Setup a network,
connect and you're swiping
through your slides.
• Sync applications anywhere,
anytime. Victor just pointed this
out today... if you're in an airport
and need to sync some
information from a desktop app to
your iPhone, you don't need to
pay for the airport wireless.
Syncing apps like Bento,
MacGourmet, Things,
TextExpander or any other apps
that sync over the network can
update whenever you want
without issues.
I'm sure there are many more
uses for this idea... those just
name a few. Please read on for a
step-by-step, illustrated guide to
create a wireless network between
your Mac and your iPhone (or
iPod touch).
Continue reading Mac 101:
Create a wireless network
between Mac and iPhone
TUAW Mac 101: Create a
wireless network between Mac
and iPhone originally appeared on
The Unofficial Apple Weblog
(TUAW) on Fri, 25 Sep 2009
11:00:00 EST. Please see our
terms for use of feeds.
Permalink| Email this|
Comments
Internet News Record
Twitter confirms new round
of funding
By Caroline McCarthy
(Webware.com)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 9:50:00 AM
share our vision for building a
Yes, Twitter's megacash infusion company of enduring value,"
is real. CEO Evan Williams Williams wrote in the blog post.
confirmed on the company blog "Twitter's journey has just begun,
Friday that Twitter has raised a and we are committed to building
new round of investment from the best product, technology, and
Insight Venture Partners, T. Rowe company possible. I'm proud of
Price, and existing investors the team we've built so far, and
Institutional Venture Partners, I'm confident in the future we'll
Spark Capital, and Benchmark build together."
Capital.
Williams says it's "a significant
round." He didn't say just how
Before the end of the year,
Twitter is expected to start rolling
out paid corporate accounts to
close it was to the roughly $100
million that The Wall Street
Journal reported Thursday. Nor
businesses that use the service for
marketing, promotion, and
customer service.
did he say whether this values
Originally posted at The Social
Twitter at $1 billion.
"It was important to us that we
find investment partners who
Family Movie Night for Bruce
Willis at Premiere of 'Surrogates'
(ETonline - Breaking News) out there who likes to see an older
Submitted at 9/25/2009 4:48:00 AM man, like myself ... in the movie,
looking really young with this
It was a family night for Bruce weird little blond wig on."
Willis as he premiered ' Surrogates' is about a
'Surrogates' Thursday in Los technology that allows people to
Angeles. Daughter Rumer Willis live their lives by way of a
showed her dad love and support surrogate. The robotic surrogates
as they posed for photos together. are improved versions of one's
Bruce discussed getting into self. Bruce joked that if such
character for his role of FBI surrogates existed in real life, he'd
Agent Greer. He told ET, "I had want his to "work on the car" and
some hair. I have been told "go to the dentist."
recently that there's a big audience
Internet News Record Tech/ Tech Tips/ 39

TechTracker Scans Your

Computer for Outdated
Software [Downloads]
By Jason Fitzpatrick
(Lifehacker)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:00:00 AM

Windows: There's no reason to

rely on individual applications to
tell you when they need an
update, when you've got a handy
tool like TechTracker.
You'll need to create a free
account or use Facebook connect
to login to CNet and download the
TechTracker application. Once
downloaded and installed finding
the out of date applications on
your system is as simple as
running the application.
TechTracker compares the
software versions of your
Save a little on your existing AT&T iPhone plan applications to the vast database
of applications at Download.com
and shows you a list of which
By Erica Sadun (The Unofficial the corporate discount. your rollover minutes by AT&T warns that you may not be
Apple Weblog (TUAW)) Note that this discount only converting to the new plan price. able to view your yet-unbilled applications need to be updated
Submitted at 9/24/2009 5:15:00 PM applies to the voice plan and not So check the fine print before you usage for the remainder of the and a link to Download.com or
to the iPhone data plan. Nor does click Submit. Any existing billing cycle, but you can call and the publisher's site where you can
Filed under: iPhone it apply to the additional lines in a corporate or student discounts talk to an AT&T representative if download the update.
Update: It appears that this post family plan. remain unaffected. If you're you need that information. You can also tell TechTracker
describes a sponsorship discount Looking to save a little on your already receiving a 15% discount, [ Thanks, Dale Gattis] to email you when a new version
(business/school/etc). Those users monthly iPhone rates? AT&T just for example, you'll continue to do TUAW Save a little on your of an application you have comes
get a percentage off of their announced a price break but you so after the change. The iPhone existing AT&T iPhone plan out, so you'll get an email update
monthly plan ($29.99 voice plan do have to opt-in. It's not data plan for $30 is not altered in originally appeared on The before the next scan even takes
and iPhone data charge excluded). automatic. You can save from any way. Unofficial Apple Weblog place. TechTracker is freeware
Those who do not see this as an $6/month on the Nation 450 with The rate change takes effect (TUAW) on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 and works wherever Windows
o p t i o n l a c k t h e c o r p o r a t e rollover up to $12/month on the immediately. Your current month 17:15:00 EST. Please see our does. TechTracker[via Digital
discount; those who do are seeing Nation 1350. The Unlimited plan will be pro-rated up to the date of terms for use of feeds. Inspiration]
what the monthly service cost is remains unaffected. change, the old charges affecting Read| Permalink| Email this|
after the discount is applied. So what's the downside of all everything up to your change Comments
Go here to see if you qualify for this? You may lose some or all of date, the new charges thereafter.
40 Tech/ Tech News/ Tech Tips/ Internet News Record

5 apps for the radio lover IT’S HERE: AT&T iPhone

By Sang Tang (The Unofficial
Apple Weblog (TUAW)) MMS Update Released
Submitted at 9/25/2009 9:30:00 AM By Ben Parr (Mashable!)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:13:09 AM
Filed under: Audio, iPhone, App
Store, iPod touch Apple made your heart flutter
Radio just isn't the way it used when they announced iPhone 3.0
to be. It's not that "this ain't your would support Multimedia
Chrome Dev Channel
father's radio." This isn't even the Messaging Service. Then it sank Updates, Improves
radio you knew five years ago. A
loosening of media ownership
when you found out that it Extension Support, Mac
wouldn’t launch in the U.S. so
rules (via the 1996 that AT&T could prepare its and Linux Releases
Telecommunications Act) has network for the stress. That was [Downloads]
transformed what was once a audio content while also aligning will not be able to handle the
with our mobile lifestyles, and I'll back in June. stress of millions of iPhone users
local medium into more of a Now, after an entire summer of By Adam Pash (Lifehacker)
national one, one that put playing highlight a few of my essentials. sending pictures to their friends
Submitted at 9/25/2009 8:30:00 AM
Continue reading 5 apps for the waiting (and of complaints), via MMS for the first time.
more "safe" mainstream material MMS for the iPhone in the U.S.
repeatedly in place of diverse radio lover If you’re an iPhone user and Last night Google pushed out an
TUAW 5 apps for the radio has arrived. The highly download the update, tell us if update for all platforms running
content. And while Internet anticipated update, which AT&T
streaming has opened our ears to lover originally appeared on The MMS and AT&T are working for the dev channel, adding various
Unofficial Apple Weblog pushed out on-time, is now you. Bonus points if you post fixes for all platforms and a good
specific tastes that align with our available via iTunes for most
listening palettes, it didn't align (TUAW) on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 your funny pictures and videos in amount of small improvements to
09:30:00 EST. Please see our AT&T customers. Just install the the comments below. Chrome's extension capabilities.
with our increasingly mobile update and reboot your phone.
lifestyles. The advent of the App terms for use of feeds. Tags: apple, iphone, itunes, The Mac version saw the most
Permalink| Email this| As we noted yesterday though, MMS action this time around, including
store, however, has created an this feature is long overdue. There
ecosystem of apps that stream Comments the addition of keyboard shortcuts
is legitimate worry that AT&T (Cmd+0 through Cmd+9) for
jumping to specific tabs, search
Twones: Delicious for Streaming Music engine manager updates, Find bar
tweaks, and more small but nice-
By Dana Oshiro Firefox toolbar, it will also track whatever they like and the tracker to-have fixes and improvements.
(ReadWriteWeb) where you're going. will automatically update If you want to hear all the details,
Submitted at 9/24/2009 8:00:09 PM Sponsor sidebars, home pages and you can check out the full
Upon downloading the toolbar, Last.fm-style recommendation Facebook walls. Other future changelog.
If you're the kind of music lover users are given the opportunity to system to suggest new artists for plans include expanding the To update if you're already
with playlists strewn across bookmark their favorite music on exploration. If you'd like to find number of services that Twones running the dev channel release,
multiple web services, then the sites that they already use. new music from community pulls from and exploring the go to About Google Chrome from
Twones is the tool for you. F r o m h e r e , f i l e l i n k s a r e members, you can also click on possibility of importing 3rd party the Customize menu and let it
Twones is best described as automatically created within the "On Air" or "Popular" buttons playlists created prior to Twones check for updates. Otherwise join
Delicious or Friendfeed for Twones and listeners can revisit to get a taste of what's being toolbar installation. the dev channel here. [ Dev
streaming music. The early beta the same bookmarks for streaming played across the web. Only 500 lucky ReadWriteWeb Channel Updated: Bug fixes]
site allows users to bookmark and playback. In addition to offering Says co-founder Tim readers will get a chance to check
organize music from more than 23 the ability to play back songs, the Heineke,"In the next month out this invite-only site. To try the
music services including Last.fm, site also offers a variety of Twones will release a real time service, visit Twones.com and
Hype Machine, MOG and even information on your favorite activity gadget where users can enter the code: RWW09. Discuss
MySpace. The company offers an bands including news, YouTube embed their playlists into social
audio footprint of where you've clips, upcoming gigs, articles and networking sites and blogs." Once
been and once you install the photos. Another feature is a this happens, users can listen to
Internet News Record
The Best of DEMOfall 09: Five Companies to
Watch
By Sarah Perez
(ReadWriteWeb)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 7:38:11 AM
Now that the DEMOfall 09
conference has wrapped, we can
look back to see which companies
have the most potential out of the
70+ exhibitors. Despite what the
DEMOgod awards crowned as
king, we can't say we agree with
the judges' every pick. For
example, award winner
DateCheck from Intelius, a
mobile app that lets you search for
dirt on that new guy or gal you're
seeing, had one of the best
onstage demos of the week.
However, they don't deserve to be
in a "best of" list because the app
is really just a front for Intelius's
paid (and sketchy) background
checking service. That being said,
there were still plenty of
companies worthy of notice at this
fall's conference.
Which companies did we think
made the grade? Read on to find
out.
Sponsor
80Legs
80Legs, a web crawler service,
publicly launched at DEMO. For
a small fee, anyone can rent out
this "mini-Google" to do their
bidding. A number of markets
will be impacted by making web
crawling an affordable option,
including media analysis, IP
protection services, market
researchers, and more. In
addition, the company announced
a new "app store" concept that lets
developers build and share
applications that run on top of the
service. Now, not only is web
crawling itself made simple, but
also what you want to do with it.
Read more: 80Legs: A Web
Crawler as a Service Cortera
The best way to understand
Cortera's potential is to read the
tweets about it. People were
calling it "dull" and "unsexy," but
also "smart" and "addressing a
real need." Essentially, what this
B2B service wants to do is
reinvent credit reporting. By
combining traditional credit data
like what Dun & Bradstreet offers
with crowdsourced payment
experience reviews from Cortera
members, the company offers a
modern and much less expensive
option for small business owners.
The end result is that mom-and-
pop shops will have access to the
same business intelligence that
previously only large companies
could afford.
Read more: Cortera helps you
see whether small businesses are
credit worthy(VentureBeat) Twirl
TV
Twirl TV initially looked like a
Hulu competitor, considering that
its focus is delivering online
streaming TV to your PC.
However, where Hulu is a joint
effort from media companies
NBC Universal, FOX, and ABC
to put their TV shows on the net,
Twirl TV is simply a search
engine for what's already out
there. That means that you can
use the service to find all the TV
content on Hulu along with the
streaming media from companies
like CBS who have yet to
participate in Hulu, choosing to
keep their content on their own
site. While that alone makes Twirl
TV an interesting alternative for
online TV watching, it's the focus
on "social TV" which really
makes Twirl TV stand out. Like a
social network for TV viewing,
you can share episodes with
friends, see what others have
viewed, and discover new shows.
If that doesn't interest you, then
maybe you're just not in the right
demographic. Twirl TV claims
they don't care about anyone over
25 - they're marketing only to
today's digitally connected youth.
Emo Labs
Emo Labs had the honor of
walking away with not one, but
two awards from DEMO: a
DEMOgod award and the people's
choice award from IDG which
gave the winners up to $500,000
of free advertising. They certainly
deserved it. When chatting among
fellow attendees about their favs,
Emo's name kept coming up.
While not the sort of tech we
typically cover here at
ReadWriteWeb, Emo Labs has
created something incredible.
Their "invisible" speaker systems
made out of clear, thin sheets of
Tech News/ Tech Reviews/
plastic can be overlaid on TV
screens where they vibrate to
produce sound. Unbelievably, the
sound is actually sharp, crisp, and
clear. Currently, the technology is
more expensive than traditional
speaker systems, but that's always
the case with new hardware it
seems. One day, though, we may
see external speakers as relics
from the past and we'll have Emo
Labs to thank for that.
Liaise
It wasn't just hype when we
proclaimed Liaise to be " possibly
the coolest email add-on ever."
This smart tool automatically
extracts information from the
content of your emails and creates
"to do" lists when it finds items
requiring action. You can then
manage these items right within
your inbox where Liaise provides
summaries, reports, and even
calendar integration. For now,
Liaise only supports Outlook
users, but that makes sense given
its enterprise focus. While inbox
management services aren't
always the sexiest of
technologies, either, it's an area
that undoubtedly needs the most
help. The people must agree, too,
since Liaise won the other IDG
media prize for best enterprise
product.
Read more: Liaise: Possibly the
Coolest Email Add-on Ever
Discuss
41
Twitter confirms
new round of
funding
(CNET News.com)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 9:50:00 AM
Yes, Twitter's megacash infusion
is real. CEO Evan Williams
confirmed on the company blog
Friday that Twitter has raised a
new round of investment from
Insight Venture Partners, T. Rowe
Price, and existing investors
Institutional Venture Partners,
Spark Capital, and Benchmark
Capital.
Williams says it's "a significant
round." He didn't say just how
close it was to the roughly $100
million that The Wall Street
Journal reported Thursday. Nor
did he say whether this values
Twitter at $1 billion.
"It was important to us that we
find investment partners who
share our vision for building a
company of enduring value,"
Williams wrote in the blog post.
"Twitter's journey has just begun,
and we are committed to building
the best product, technology, and
company possible. I'm proud of
the team we've built so far, and
I'm confident in the future we'll
build together."
Before the end of the year,
Twitter is expected to start rolling
out paid corporate accounts to
businesses that use the service for
marketing, promotion, and
customer service.
42 Tech News/ Game/ Internet News Record

Social Networking Use Triples from More Ads Are Coming

Only a Year Ago
By Sarah Perez
(ReadWriteWeb)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 9:00:44 AM
Obsessed with Facebook? You're
not alone. The hours you spend
logging on to update your status,
post photos, and make comments
on friends' walls is not simply a
"phase" you're going through
which will end sometime soon.
It's a ongoing trend affecting
everyone these days and it has
serious implications for the online
advertising industry.
According to new figures from
Nielsen, the amount of time spent
surfing social networking and
blogging sites had tripled since
last year, suggesting "a wholesale
change in the way the Internet is
used," says Jon Gibs, VP of media
and agency insights at the
company's online division.
Sponsor
As of August 2009, the time
spent on social networking and
blogging sites accounts for 17%
of the total time spent online, a
number up 6% from a year ago.
This change reflects a growing
desire for people to stay
connected with each other,
communicate and share, reports
Nielsen. Advertisers Taking
Notice
While for consumers, hitting up
Facebook for a daily dose of
socializing is just par for the
to Google Maps
industry increased spending by By Frederic Lardinois
364%. (ReadWriteWeb)
When it comes to which sites Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:36:53 AM
advertisers choose, there's no where logos for companies like 7-
doubt that Facebook is currently Soon, you may start seeing Eleven and McDonald's appear on
the king. Ten out of thirteen company logos dotting the the maps. Kit Eaton from Fast
industries analyzed by Nielsen landscape on Google Maps. While Company wonders if the new ads
listed Facebook as advertisers' Google has experimented with will be contextual and generated
number one choice when ranked different types of ads in Google based on user input. Judging from
by display ad impressions. The Maps on and off over the years, it the ads that appear on the maps in
only industries where MySpace now looks like Google is going to Japan, these logos will appear on
still ruled were Entertainment, make another push to monetize the map, no matter what the user
Financial Services, and Hardware Google Maps. While the details is looking for. At least on the
& Electronics. about this project are still quite maps in Japan, these logos are
Those findings seem to mostly hazy, it seems like Google plans very small and don't get in the
support what a study from earlier to launch this program in at least user's way - though they definitely
this year said about MySpace's the US and Australia in the next add more clutter.
course nowadays, this change in demographics. Namely, MySpace few weeks.
consumer behavior has had users are more focused on Microsoft's Bing Maps already
Sponsor offers a slightly more
dramatic impact on the online entertainment than those on other A Google spokeswoman told
advertising industry. Where networks and have the lowest sophisticated advertising package
the Sydney Morning Herald today where certain sponsored listings
b e f o r e , a d v e r t i s e r s w e r e average income (hence the need that "one area in which we are
somewhat wary of social media for financial services). However, are highlighted with a business'
looking to experiment is showing logo when a user performs a
properties, they're now spending it's LinkedIn users who are the some easily recognizable brands
more than ever for prominent most interested in gadgets said the relevant search.
and logos on the map to help Just yesterday, Google also
spots on social networking sites. study, so the Hardware and people more easily find what they
Even as companies decreased Electronic ad spend on MySpace launched a new layout for the
are looking for, but this is still in Place Pages on Google Maps that
their overall ad expenditures, they is a bit surprising. We suppose experimental form and we don't
increased their spend on top social that's simply because the number shows details about a business
have any further details to share such as opening hours, images,
networks and blogs - up 119% of MySpace users dwarfs that of right now."
from last year. ($108 million in LinkedIn. Well that, and the fact and reviews. Discuss
Currently, as far as we can tell,
August 2009 up from $49 million that these days "Entertainment" the only market where Google
in August 2008). And when means TVs, game consoles, and already offers these ads is Japan,
broken down by category, the other techie gadgets.
increases are even more dramatic. For a full look at the dollars
The entertainment industry, for spent by category, check out
example, has increased spending Nielsen's full report. Discuss
by 812% year-over-year on social
network sites and the travel

Find out what Ezio's deal is in this Assassin's Creed II trailer

By Richard Mitchell (Joystiq)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 2:05:00 PM
Ever wonder what makes
someone become an assassin? It's
really not the kind of job one
finds at a career fair. No, it's
really more of a vocation that one
is compelled to do. For one Ezio
Auditore di Firenze, lead
character of Assassin's Creed II,
the reasons are very, very
personal. We'd hate to spoil it for
you, so go ahead and watch the
latest trailer, fresh from the Tokyo
Game Show. Please see our terms for use of
Find out what Ezio's deal is in feeds.
this Assassin's Creed II trailer Permalink| Email this|
originally appeared on Joystiq on C o m m e n t s
Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:05:00 EST.
Internet News Record
Twitter Confirms New Investment
Round, But Has It Already Peaked?
By Frederic Lardinois
(ReadWriteWeb)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 11:10:58 AM
Twitter just announced that the
rumors were indeed true and that
it has just closed a "significant
round of funding" from a group of
five investment firms. While
Twitter didn't disclose the actual
amount it received today, the Wall
Street Journal reported yesterday
that Twitter was going to close a
$100 million round which would
put Twitter's valuation at around
$1 billion. At that time, however,
the assumption was that up to
seven firms were going to be part
of this deal. Chances are that
today's round is slightly smaller
than the rumored $100 million.
Sponsor
Has Twitter Peaked?
At the same time, though, the
latest data from Hitwise shows
that visits to Twitter's main
domain have slowed down
markedly over the last few weeks.
This number doesn't take users
into account who access the site
from third-party applications, but
it does show that a smaller
number of users are going to the
main site, which indicates a
slowdown in new user adoption.
Hitwise's Bill Tancer also found
that fewer users are searching for
The NHL's Top Goal Horns
By Bruce Ciskie (FanHouse)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 1:07:00 PM hockey arenas. Most junior,
by Bruce Ciskie
Filed under: Blackhawks, some sort. It blares at a usually
Capitals, Flames, Oilers, Rangers, high volume whenever the home
NHL Fans In recent years, goal team scores. At some rinks, the
Twitter on search engines.
Hitwise's Clickstream report also
shows a drop-off in new users that
are coming to Twitter since April.
In April, of course, Oprah
famously joined Twitter and the
hype cycle around the service was
in full swing. It looks like
normality might be setting in now
and growth is indeed slowing.
The question, of course, is if
this is just a temporary slowdown
or part of a larger trend. Maybe
everybody who was going to join
Twitter has already joined and the
horns have become all the rage at
college, minor league, and
professional arenas have a horn of
rest of the potential users are
simply happy to use Facebook
instead?
For now, we want to
congratulate Twitter on closing
this round, which will give it a
chance to improve its technology
and grow its team. At the same
time, though, we also hope that
Twitter will finally release some
details about how it plans to make
money in the long run and
validate this valuation. Discuss
horn also goes off when the home
team takes the ice, or when they
win a game.
Since the goal horn has become
as much a part of the arena
atmosphere as the organ used to
be, it seems like a good time to
Tech News/ Sports/ Game/
Google Sites API Aims For
Data Liberation
By Dana Oshiro
(ReadWriteWeb)
Submitted at 9/24/2009 6:08:13 PM
In 2008, Google acquisition
JotSpot announced that it
would"expand upon the Google
Page Creator already offered
within Apps." The idea was that
JotSpot would power a system to
help businesses set up their own
collaboration, project
management and customer
extranets. After 3 years of sitting
quietly in the Google arsenal,
JotSpot has now reemerged in the
form of a Google Sites Data API.
Sponsor
Scott Johnston, Senior Product
Manager for Google Sites spoke
to ReadWriteWeb about the
benefits of this new API. In
addition to offering users the
ability to share and edit user
Joystiq vs. TGS 2009: Day Two
By Xav de Matos (Joystiq)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 1:29:00 PM
Another day, another video of
Joystiq on the streets of Chiba!
Day Two of TGS 2009 proved to
be more eventful than the first as
our gaggle of bloggers split up to
tackle the laundry list of titles
available to play on the show
floor -- and some that weren't!
rank the best of the best around
the NHL. The top five, with
obligatory YouTubes, are after the
jump.
The NHL's Top Goal Horns
originally appeared on Fanhouse
NHL Blog on Fri, 25 Sep 2009
43
content across Google Sites, all of
your content can be accessed
using the Google Data Protocol.
In other words, as per Google's
Data Liberation Front, users can
import and export apps from
Microsoft SharePoint sites into
Google Sites or vice versa.
One advantage over SharePoint
is that Google Sites does not
require users to maintain software
on PCs. Google Sites builds on
the company's already well-
established strengths - including
cloud-based office tools and
impeccable search. With the new
API, if users choose to switch
from SharePoint to Google Sites,
they've now got an easy way to
migrate their content. Discuss
You wanna know what it feels
like to be Joystiq staff? It's
murder on your feet!
Joystiq vs. TGS 2009: Day Two
originally appeared on Joystiq on
Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:29:00 EST.
Please see our terms for use of
feeds.
Permalink| Email this|
Comments
13:07:00 EST . Please see our
terms for use of feeds.
Permalink| Email this| Linking
Blogs| Comments
44 Tech Tips/ Apple/
DIY Water Bottle Carrying Strap [DIY]
By Dustin Luck (Lifehacker)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 9:00:00 AM
Looking for a better way to carry
your water bottle? Instructables
user hpstoutharrow shows how to
make a clever carrying strap using
camp cord, ingenuity, and some
knot-tying skills.
Whether on the trail or on the
Do You MMS? [Reader train, being able to hang your
bottle so your hands are free, but
still have it within reach is a
Poll] convenient way to take your water
on the go. Store-bought water
By Adam Pash (Lifehacker) had a data plan with email and no slings can get pricey, but with
Submitted at 9/25/2009 11:00:00 AM one sent MMS messages to the
iPhone. Unsurprisingly that's not
Today, after years of providing the case, and for the last two years
service for one of the world's iPhone users have been stuck with
There’s a Bounty On Your Mac: 43
most sophisticated cellphones AT&T's horrific excuse for an
lacking the most basic features, alternative: a webapp requiring an
A T & T f i n a l l y t u r n e d o n auto-generated username and
Cents Per Malware Infection
multimedia messaging (MMS) for password—that literally only By Darrell Etherington
iPhone users. (It's live now!) w o r k e d a f t e r t h r e e l o g i n (TheAppleBlog)
We're wondering, iPhone user or attempts—for every MMS sent to Submitted at 9/25/2009 8:00:24 AM
not: Do you MMS? the iPhone.
To get the update, just plug in Think affiliate programs are
That was obviously no good, solely the province of SEO firms
your iPhone, fire up iTunes, and but still, as more and more of us
click Check for Update. iTunes get smartphones and data plans, and experts? Think again. There’s
should download some new we're curious: such a thing as a malware affiliate
carrier settings and you should be program, and a very recent one
Do You MMS?( trends) targets Mac users specifically. It’s
good to go. Give us the finer points of how
Apple's story from the get-go you do or don't use MMS, a sign that cyber-crime is
with MMS was that users didn't celebrate the arrival of MMS on beginning to target Apple more
really need it—if they wanted to your iPhone, or commiserate aggressively than it has in the
share a picture with someone, about how awful AT&T's MMS past.
they could simply do it via email. r e t r i e v a l s i t e w a s , i n t h e ZDNet.com reports that a group
That would be fine and dandy, I c o m m e n t s . called the “ Partnerka,” which
suppose, if every cellphone user consists of Russian spam and
malware affiliates, have begun to
focus on the Mac. Their tactics
involve using social engineering
tricks (read: preying on human
weakness) to install fake codecs
and scareware programs (the kind
that pressure you into installing
and paying for bogus single
material you may already have on
hand or a small investment if you
don't, you can make a capable
carrier yourself.
purpose anti-malware software).
The plans and methods of the
“Partnerka” were revealed at the
Virus Bulletin Conference 2009,
where Sophos Labs researcher
Dmitry Samosseikko talked about
a site called Mac-codec.com
which has since been taken down,
that offered a bounty of 43 cents
for each successful installation of
malicious software on a Mac
computer. According to
Samosseikko, that’s a high price,
and indicates that the Mac
malware game is becoming more
attractive to online crime
organizations.
Even though the site is gone, the
threat is not. These malware
schemes work because they offer
something many Mac users might
be looking for. Partnerka’s Mac-
codec.com was offering video
Internet News Record
Hpstoutharrow recommends
camp cord, but also mentions that
shoelace could also work (almost
any cord or twine of a reasonable
size and strength should do).
Beyond the basic knot tying
required, the instructions also
include modifications for adding a
tethered cork stopper and a full
bottle sling.
Got your own clever method for
bringing your water with you? Let
us know in the comments. Carry
any Bottle with a JUG KNOT
Handle[Instructables]
players and fake video codecs that
attempt to draw in people trying
to playback video they’ve
downloaded somewhere on the
web. Previous DNS-changing
trojan malware attempts depended
on porn video lures.
Focus on the Mac platform
might be growing for online
criminals, but most malware plots
still require you to make the first
move. To help protect yourself
from fake and harmful codecs, use
Perian and VLC, and if your
video still won’t play back, just
give up altogether. No video
content is worth the theft of your
private data, after all. Read our
latest analysis piece, " Will
Apps.gov Raise the Bar for Cloud
Providers?" Only on GigaOM
Pro.
Internet News Record Tech Reviews/ TV/ Sports/ 45
Miami Heat get
Free software is dead. Long live open source apology from
(CNET News.com) the market has been made by open that Microsoft must support those open source: choice. Sometimes,
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:42:49 AM -source backers. Free software
makes for great headlines ("
that "for whatever crazy reasons
don't want to be on Windows,
after all, an open-source project is
absolutely the wrong choice for a
Michael Beasley
One of the most inspiring things Miguel de Icaza is basically a might want to be on Linux.") customer (just as sometimes a By Associated Press
I've witnessed in my 10-plus years traitor to the Free Software For that reason, Perlow further proprietary product may not be a (ESPN.com)
in open source is its gradual community"), but it is far too writes: good fit). There is no one-size-fits Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:56:35 AM

embrace of pragmatism. By demanding, and of largely the But some people, particularly -all for either software approach.
"pragmatism" I don't mean w r o n g t h i n g s , t o c a p t u r e our free software leaders, are so Mark Shuttleworth, founder of MIAMI -- Michael Beasley is
"capitulation," whereby open m a i n s t r e a m i n t e r e s t . mired in their hatred of Microsoft Ubuntu and a staunch proponent apologizing to the Miami Heat,
source comes to look more like To go mainstream, free software and proprietary systems that they of open source, with a penchant and calling his stay in a Houston
the proprietary world it has sought needed to become open source. will use only free and open source for free software, suggested as rehab facility his "lowest hour."
to displace. Rather, I would Open source also makes for software for the sake of much in his LinuxCon keynote in Speaking out for the first time
suggest that the more open source great headlines (" Open Source ideological reasons which he argued that Linux since returning from spending
has gone mainstream the more it Code Worth US$ 387 Billion"), alone....Stallman and the FSF 'desktop' developers need to be far more than a month getting treated
has learned to make compromises, but its real value is not in [Free Software Foundation], like better at meeting real customer for substance abuse and other
c o m p r o m i s e s t h a t m a k e i t generating controversy but rather his Cretaceous ancestors 65 requirements, not simply issues, the second-year Miami
stronger, not weaker. in alleviating it, turning the focus million years ago, isn't evolved scratching their own, developer- Heat forward says that he spent
Let me explain. from open-source personalities to enough to see that his reign is focused "itches" (to use the Eric the offseason "evaluating my
There have long been two open-source code, and the value about to come to an end. The open Raymond-inspired vernacular). life." He also revealed that he
camps within what we typically that companies and individuals world needs interoperability, not The path forward is open does not expect to be subject to an
r e f e r t o a s " o p e n - s o u r c e can derive from it. shut itself off from other source, not free software. NBA suspension.
software." The first is led by free- Free software demands one standards just because they Sometimes that openness will Beasley also acknowledged an
software advocates like Richard way. Open source encourages originate from proprietary mean embracing Microsoft in awareness that "I messed up."
Stallman (who, importantly, many ways. sources. order to meet a customer's needs. Beasley will be with the Heat
largely eschew the term "open To get there, open source has Hard-hitting, but true. Open After all, fierce partisanship and for training camp, which formally
source" as not being sufficiently softened its elbows and opened its source embraces interoperability, an unwillingness to compromise opens Tuesday.
concerned with freedom), while arms. Jason Perlow recently wrote whereas free software takes a hard in software accomplishes is just as Copyright 2009 by The
the latter is led by no one, but was on ZDNet that he, like most of the line that even Microsoft, despite pointless, distasteful, and useless Associated Press
formally organized in 1998 by world, has to work with both open its preference that customers use as it is in government.
Tim O'Reilly, Eric Raymond, and -source and proprietary software, its complete software portfolio Free software has lost. Open
others in Silicon Valley. and can't afford to dogmatically exclusively, won't take. source has won. We're all the
While free-software advocates cling to one or the other. (It's a It's certainly not a line that open better for it.
provided the early backbone of message that even Steve Ballmer -source advocates should take, as
the larger open-source movement, begrudgingly repeats, suggesting it cuts against the very idea of

Executive producer Al Jean talks about 20 years of The Simpsons

By Nick Zaino (TV Squad) from its beginnings on The Simpsons, how do you find that are fresh and interesting.
Submitted at 9/25/2009 11:05:00 AM Tracey Ullman Show. something new to do with the Continue reading Executive
Now he's an executive producer show? How do you generate ideas producer Al Jean talks about 20
Al Jean started out with The and showrunner, staring down the you haven't done before? years of The Simpsons
Simpsons 20 years ago as a writer twentieth anniversary of the Well, it's the best of both Filed under: The Simpsons,
working a couple of days a week. official start of the series, which worlds. If something happens to Interviews, Reality-Free
He was there when the series happens in January. I spoke with you in your life or to the world, Permalink| Email this| |
started, and even before it was him this week about this Sunday's you can satirize it but you get to Comments
officially a series, working on the s e a s o n p r e m i e r e , a b i t o f use these characters that people
Christmas show in 1989, when Simpsons history, and just how making people laugh. love and that you're very familiar
The Simpsons first broke away long the Simpsons can keep After 20 years of doing The with. To me, there's a lot of topics
46 Tech Reviews/ Apple/ Fashion/ Internet News Record

Mozilla coders join Palm, apparently Quick Tip: Adding

jabbing Apple Photo Albums to Any
(CNET News.com) typically slower and less capable He didn't mention Apple by
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:34:00 AM Page in iWeb
than alternatives that run natively
on a computing device. But they
name, and I don't want to put
words in his mouth, but who else
Two prominent Web-based have one big potential advantage: besides Apple could Galbraith be By Charles Jade
programming advocates have left written once, they can run on any referring to? The programmers (TheAppleBlog)
Mozilla for Palm, arguing that the device with a browser and and Apple didn't immediately Submitted at 9/25/2009 7:18:12 AM
time has come to use browsers to hardware up to the task. respond to requests for comment.
bypass Apple's controlling role in Although Galbraith and Apple exerts its control to try to Having finally gotten around to
mobile applications. Dalmaer are excited by the give iPhone users a simple, stable, upgrading to iWeb ‘09, I’ve found
Dion Almaer and Ben Galbraith, possibilities of Web applications and useful experience. But that the best new feature to be an old
who help run the Ajaxian site for and the new era of mobile control can be at odds with what trick that stopped working in
elaborate Web interfaces and who computing ushered in most programmers and users want, as iWeb ‘08. It’s a simple method
worked on Mozilla's Web-based notably by Apple's iPhone, was most clearly illustrated in for inserting photo albums onto
Bespin tool for collaborative Galbraith appears to be concerned Apple's rejection of the Google other pages, like blogs — and for
programming, announced their about the control Apple exercises Voice application--though Apple iWeb ‘09 users it’s a hidden
move to Palm on Friday. over the applications people can said it hasn't actually rejected the feature that shouldn’t be missed.
Palm is a logical place for them use on their phones. application. The greatest strength of iWeb, on non-album pages. For the
to go. The Palm Pre has won "Clearly, a revolution in Meanwhile, as it did with its its ease of use, is also its greatest above example, I created a photo
accolades as a competitive mobile hardware is taking place, and it Latitude location application for weakness. Through themes and page with a few images of an
phone, and its foundation for doesn't take a prophet to work out the iPhone after Apple rejected a templates, iWeb rigidly controls antique desk.
applications is a WebKit-based that the future of computing lies native version of that software, the fundamental design of web You then create the non-photo
browser, meaning that Palm along this new trajectory," Google is working on a Web- pages. While you can create page for the album, in this case a
programs are essentially Web Galbraith said. "However, my based interface for Google Voice. custom pages with the use of blog entry about the antique
programs. enthusiasm for this amazing new It also offers a Web-based Gmail HTML, iWeb offers templates for secretary desk.
"I will be joining Ben, my best world is tempered by some application for the iPhone. essentially two types of web Going back to the photo page,
friend, partner in crime, and unfortunate decisions made by What's curious is that the Palm pages: photos and blogs. select the rectangular frame that is
fellow Ajaxian, as we take a new some of the players in this space. Pre, the Google Android Creating a photo page in iWeb the album and copy it. As you can
role as directors of the Palm It seems that some view this operating system, and the iPhone is as easy as dragging an iPhoto see, it’s now in the clipboard.
Developer Relations team. We revolution as a chance to seize OS all use a browser based on the album from the Media Browser. Finally, you simply paste it into
will have the responsibility of the power in downright Orwellian WebKit project, and Apple is Creating blog entries is also easy; another web page, in this case at
developer experience with Palm. ways by constraining what we, as among those working hard to just start typing over the the bottom of the blog entry.
We will be trying to create a rich developers, can say, dictating advance the state of the art for placeholder text in a new entry Upon publishing, there is now an
connective tissue between the what kinds of apps we can create, Web application programming template. Adding individual inline photo album on a blog
company and the Web developer controlling how we distribute our through its WebKit work. So there photos to a blog entry is drag-and- page. The inline album can have
community that we love," Almaer apps, and placing all kinds of is some philosophical agreement drop simple as well, but drag an all the features of the one on the
wrote on his blog. limits on what (we) can do to our along with the differences. album into a blog entry and iWeb actual photo page, too, including
Web-based programs are computing devices." will only create a separate photo the option of a slideshow and
page. What iWeb doesn’t tell you image downloading. You can see
Runway Visions: Rag & Bone, Rad Hourani and Alexander Wang is that’s the first step to adding a the actual page here.
By ELLE.com (ELLE News Rag & Bone photo album to any page in iWeb. When you want photos in iWeb,
Blog) Alexander Wang Actually, the first step is to but not a photo page, remember
Rad Hourani create an Albums Page, a web
Submitted at 9/25/2009 9:34:47 AM
Rag & Bone Alexander Wang that an inline album is only a few
Rad Hourani page that’s acts as a directory of a steps away. Read our latest
Alexander Wang Rad Hourani group of photo albums, and one
Alexander Wang Alexander Wang analysis piece, " Why Startups
All Photos: Kelly Stuart Rag & Bone that’s left out of your web site Aren’t Changing the World."
Rag & Bone Rad Hourani map. I named mine “Misc” and
Rad Hourani Rag & Bone Only on GigaOM Pro.
Rad Hourani use it to keep photo albums I use
Internet News Record
GPush for iPhone versus Google's
Gmail push
(CNET News.com)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:35:00 AM
GPush on iPhone now has a
Gmail in-box within the
app.(Credit: Screenshot by Jessica
Dolcourt/CNET)
In mid-August, the GPush app
came into iPhone's App Store,
promising to send push
notifications of Gmail messages
when new mail came in. Just last
week, Google offered its own
push solution for Gmail messages,
one that pushes e-mail down from
the server into the native iPhone
in-box. Did that spell the end of
GPush? Not quite.
First, Google's push service,
which is handled by Google Sync,
can vibrate the phone and sound
an alert chime when it pushes a
new message down from the
server, but it lacks GPush's alert
bubble that helpfully displays the
sender and subject.
Second, GPush and Google are
neck and neck when it comes to
performance, at least as far as our
iPhone is concerned. GPush sniffs
out the new message faster about
half the time, perhaps even more
often. The bottom line: Google's
push isn't necessarily faster or
better.
Although Google's official push
option is free and GPush is a
premium app (whose price
ratcheted up from 99 cents to
$1.99), you still pay a price going
Google's route. You're allowed to
have one e-mail account sync
over Microsoft Exchange. If you
use Google Sync, you've used
your shot. This is poor news for
Tech Reviews/ TV/ 47
What's On Tonight:
Brothers, Law and Order,
Medium, Smallville
By Bob Sassone (TV Squad)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 12:04:00 PM
• IFC has a marathon of The
Prisoner all night.
• At 8, CBS has the season
premiere of Ghost Whisperer,
followed by the season premieres
of Medium and Numb3rs.
• NBC has the season premiere
of Law and Order at 8, then new Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
episodes of Dateline and The Jay at 9.
Leno Show. • At 10, HBO has a new Real
• FOX has the series premiere of Time with Bill Maher.
Brothers at 8, the the season • History Channel has a new
premiere of Dollhouse. Lock 'N Load with R. Lee Ermey
• There's a new Smallville on at 10.
The CW at 8. • E! has a new episode of The
• PBS has new episodes of Soup at 10.
Washington Week, NOW, and Check your local TV listings for
Bill Moyers Journal. more.
• MyNetwork TV has a new After the jump, the late night
Smackdown! at 8. talk shows.
• Nickelodeon has a new episode Continue reading What's On
of The Troop at 8. Tonight: Brothers, Law and
those who also access their work iPhones, you'll be able to do Order, Medium, Smallville
mail from their iPhone over anything with that e-mail that you • Also at 8: Disney has a new
Filed under: Late Night,
Exchange. For this set, GPush is could do from the Safari browser. Phineas and Ferb, followed by a Programming, Celebrities, Talk
the better way to go. You can still In other words, with its proactive new Suite Life on Deck. Show, What To Watch Tonight,
use a standard Gmail account that notification alert, Gpush has just • At 8:30, Cartoon Network has
Reality-Free
pulls e-mail from the server at o n e - u p p e d G o o g l e , u s i n g a new Ben 10: Alien Force. Permalink| Email this| |
regular intervals, and use GPush G o o g l e ' s m o b i l e s i t e . • At 9, USA has a new Monk,
Comments
to let you know when a new While the new Gmail in-box then a new Psych.
message trickles in, who sent it, feature is exactly what we asked • BBC America has a new
and what it's about. for, having Gpush open to the
An update to GPush adds a Gmail in-box tab took longer than
Gmail in-box to the application it should. We hope to see this
interface and a "View" button to speed up in a future release.
the notification alert. Press that What do you think about the
button and GPush can now open GPush app versus Google's
your in-box within its application. official Gmail push? Share your
Since GPush is giving you access thoughts in the comments.
to Google's mobile Gmail site for
48 Tech Reviews/ TV/ Fashion/ Internet News Record

Dexter season four -- An

early look
By Danny Gallagher (TV
Squad)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:00:00 AM

The introduction of a baby into

the plot is usually a sure fire sign
that a television show has jumped
the shark with a pair of Acme
rocket powered water skis.
But things are different for a
twisted little space of pay cable
called Dexter. The mere thought
of putting a cute, adorable and
affable little tyke into the mix
sounds like something that would
inspire the furious typing of a
thousand angry Parents Television
Council members' Selectric
typewriters.
The latest addition to the
Morgan clan is just a small appetite of his mysterious "dark
addition to the newest season of passenger," and it's not all dark
Showtime's seriously macabre and drenched in blood.
Volvo promises a plug-in drama. It doesn't overtake the
show and turn its serious moral
tone into something ridculously
Continue reading Dexter season
four -- An early look
Filed under: Dexter, Early
(CNET News.com) car. The announcement describes kilometer. At that level, some
a parallel hybrid, meaning drive European countries will offer psychotic like Three Madmen and Looks, Reality-Free
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:36:00 AM
power is provided by electric buyers a 5,000 euro discount on a Baby. It's just one of many Permalink| Email this| |
This V70 model is a research motors, an internal combustion the price of the car, according to obstacles the world's most Comments
vehicle for Volvo to develop a engine, or both. Volvo would use Volvo. huggable serial killer has to deal
p l u g - i n h y b r i d p o w e r a diesel engine with the capability Volvo also seeks to allay fears with to feed the John Pinette sized
train.(Credit: Volvo) to run on synthetic fuel in this that the electricity used to charge
Jumping in on a growing trend application. The car would be up the batteries in these cars will And meanwhile, on Savile Row...
a m o n g a u t o m a k e r s , V o l v o designed to run under electric make an excessive impact on the By blogeditor1 (Material E. Tautz, the historic (and
announced that it will offer a plug power for about 30 miles, making grid. The company points out that Interest on Men.style.com) occasionally Churchill-
-in hybrid car as early as 2012. it suitable for city errands and a medium-size wind power station Submitted at 9/24/2009 9:54:22 AM frequented) house revived of late
Although a picture of a V70 plug- commutes, after which the diesel could provide the electricity by dapper tailor Patrick Grant. No
in hybrid concept was included engine would kick in. Volvo says required for 1,000 to 2,000 plug- Much of the action in London popcorn for yesterday's debut
with the announcement, Volvo the total range of the vehicle will in hybrids. Drivers would benefit yesterday was at MANday, where s c r e e n i n g , a s y o u m i g h t
hasn't confirmed which model it be 745 miles. from lower operating costs, as the the city's most forward-thinking expect—the flick was shown to
would use for this technology. In European environmental amount of electricity used to drive exhibited their Spring collections. editors and buyers with a proper
the past, the company has also regulations give Volvo ample the car over a mile costs But the august suit makers of English cup of tea. You can have
shown a C30 concept with a plug- incentive to develop the car. significantly less than the diesel Savile Row were showing their a look (with or without the tea)
in hybrid power train. Under European emissions fuel that would run it over the wares, too. Over at The Q, below.
But Volvo did specify the type testing, the car would produce same distance. Michael Williams calls out the MATTHEW SCHNEIER
of power train it would use for the under 50 grams of CO2 per Spring 2010 video presentation by
Internet News Record
AT&T iPhone MMS Launches
Today
By Darrell Etherington
(TheAppleBlog)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:21:28 AM
According to the Twittersphere,
AT&T has begun flipping the
switch on MMS across the U.S.
today. Sources say that AT&T
will be sending out text messages,
beginning at 10 A.M. EST today,
to notify customers when MMS
service is available for their use.
Customers and industry
watchers alike are waiting
anxiously to see how AT&T’s
network will cope with the
increased demand MMS will
cause. AT&T spokesman Seth
Bloom doesn’t expect any
problems, however, noting in an
email that:
SMS and MMS messages are
carried differently than other
network traffic. This is one of the
reasons why when there’s a
natural disaster or other large
scale emergency situation (e.g.,
earthquake or something like that)
that causes a huge and sudden
spike in voice calls, wireless
carriers suggest that people send
text messages. They’re likely to
get through when the voice
circuits are busy.
Stacey at GigaOM goes into
more detail about how MMS and
SMS work compared to regular
voice calls. She concludes that the
true linchpin factor in today’s
launch will be the strength of
AT&T’s servers. Clearly, the
carrier must be fairly confident in
Apple/ TV/ 49
on social media networks for
AT&T iPhone users to
simultaneously send out MMS
messages at 5 P.M. EST to
attempt to crash the network on
purpose. I wonder if AT&T
accounted for organized attempts
to destabilize its network in
preparation for today’s launch.
To activate MMS on your
iPhone, plug your device into
your computer. Click on it in the
source list in iTunes, and then
click the “Check for Update”
button. You should see a dialog
Dexter the Game -- video
that says, “An update to the
carrier settings for your iPhone is
available. Would you like to
game review
By Danny Gallagher (TV special because it's on the iPhone
download it now?” Click Squad) and iPod Touch.
“Download and Update” and wait
Submitted at 9/25/2009 2:05:00 PM That's right, the touch screen
for the process to finish. Carrier manna from Steve Jobs' heaven
their ability to handle the strain, settings updates are normally very
or we’d likely still be waiting for fast. Once it’s finished, the Fans of TV's Dexter have been now lets you cut up evildoers with
clamoring for the release of the
the company to announce a start camera icon should appear in your a bone saw with the flick of your
date. video game version for quite finger. Now you can fulfill the
text messaging dialog, and new awhile, ever since news of the
Some, like Twitter user Connor menu options should open up in needs of your own "Dark
Stanton, are hoping that AT&T your other native apps for sending game's development first hits the Passenger" without having to max
stands. But just like the show's
won’t be equal to the task and that various types of media. out your Home Depot card on
its failure to meet the demand will title character would say, patience visqueen and power tools or thin
Once activated, you’ll be able to and preparation pays off when
result in a breakdown of the send photos, video, audio, map the pet population of your
exclusivity deal between the locations, and contact information you're trying to execute the neighbors' backyards.
perfect kill.
carrier and Apple. Stanton writes, v i a M M S t o o t h e r e n a b l e d Continue reading Dexter the
“Come on AT&T. I want to crash devices. Very handy for making Dexter the Game would feel like Game -- video game review
just another run-of-the-mill TV to
your infrastructure when MMS sure the sofa color you’re looking Filed under: Dexter, Software,
rolls out so Apple will kill at is OK with your significant video game translation if it hit the Reality-Free
Xbox Live Arcade or the
iPhone’s exclusivity in US. other before making a purchase, Permalink| Email this| |
Kthnxbye.” In theory, if Apple for example. Read our latest Playstation Network. But this Comments
slice and dice retelling of the
thinks AT&T network woes are analysis piece, " Mobile Sites
having a significant impact on its Show Little Improvement." Only Showtime show's first season is
iPhone sales, we could see it take on GigaOM Pro.
its business elsewhere.
There’s even a plan circulating
50 Apple/ TV/ Media
Wacom Updates Bamboo Line With
Multi-Touch
By Darrell Etherington
(TheAppleBlog)
Submitted at 9/24/2009 11:00:11 AM
This news isn’t specific to
Apple, but it definitely affects
Apple users. As a longtime Mac
user and amateur digital artist,
I’ve also owned many a Wacom
tablet over the years. Most
recently, I graduated to a Cintiq
12WX, but the Graphire was my
primary workhorse for many
years. The Bamboo is the
successor to that mantle.
Now, the Bamboo line is getting
a much-needed update, and part of
that update includes multi-touch
gesture support. That’s right, the
staunchly stylus-oriented Wacom
is releasing touch-enabled
devices, available today.
Gradually, Wacom has
introduced customizable buttons,
scrolls, rockers, and touch strips
to make them easier to use
without the aid of a keyboard and
mouse. And they’ve made great
strides. My 12WX has 10
customizable keys and two touch-
sensitive scroll strips, all of which
result in a much less clumsy
drawing experience than I ever
had using any of my Graphire
tablets. Still, it can’t help but feel
somewhat awkward and counter-
intuitive.
The new multi-touch controls so
closely resemble those already in
use on Macs with trackpads that
experienced Mac laptop users will
likely feel right at home with
them. Judging by the promo
video, in fact, having a Bamboo
with touch could actually
Internet News Record
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia:
The Gang Hits The Road
By Annie Wu (TV Squad) decision-making seems to escalate
Submitted at 9/25/2009 12:22:00 PM faster when they're feeding off
each other's bad intentions, which
completely eliminate the need of the Bamboo Pen, which doesn’t (S05E02) Although it's means more laughter and
using a mouse at all, which allow finger input at all. Maybe interesting to see the individual delighted points-at-the-screen for
represents a massive technical good for digital artists who only characters play in their own us bozos.
leap for the tablet maker. need the very basics, or for storylines and schemes every once Continue reading It's Always
Pinch to zoom and spread to business people who only use it to in a while, there's a lot to be said Sunny In Philadelphia: The Gang
expand, two-finger swipe left and digitally sign documents, but I about the chemistry and rapid-fire Hits The Road
right to scroll or move backwards don’t see this one being a hot i n t e r a c t i o n s w h e n a l l f i v e Filed under: OpEd, It's Always
and forwards, two-finger swipe up seller. members of the gang are stuck Sunny in Philadelphia, Episode
and down to scroll, and two-finger The Bamboo ($99), Bamboo together for an entire episode. Reviews, Reality-Free
rotation are all included as usable Fun ($199), and Bamboo Craft Doubly so when it's an episode Permalink| Email this| |
gestures, and more besides. ($129) all offer both pen and that mainly takes place in a tiny Comments
The new Bamboo line now m u l t i - t o u c h i n p u t . P r i c e car or cramped U-Haul.
includes five distinct products, differences account for size, In addition to this, their poor
including one that doesn’t support mostly, since every device
touch at all, so if you’re thinking includes the same ExpressKeys
MediaDailyNews: Ling Heads Global
about getting one, think carefully and pressure levels sensitivity. If
about what you want out of the you manage to get your hands on
Solutions For Mediaedge:cia
device. Since I already have a one of these, let us know how the (MediaPost | Media News) London-based pst, Ling will lead
drawing tablet, I’m thinking about multi-touch experience stacks up. Submitted at 9/25/2009 9:53:30 AM the agency's multinational
picking up the Bamboo Touch Check out the following video for business team and drive strategic
($69), which doesn’t allow pen more info. Mediaedge:cia named Ed Ling leadership across its global client
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b r i n g s m u l t i - t o u c h t o y o u r gain access to our Webinar, " solutions, the agency's division of Ericsson, Novartis, Paramount,
desktop. Could come in handy for Biggest Opportunities in the international media specialists. Visa, Star Alliance, Colgate
browsing through large photo Smart Grid," on Oct. 7, 2009. Previously, Ling was with Palmolive, Accenture.
libraries, for example. AnalogFolk, a full-service digital
For the same price, you can get agency he co-founded. In his new,
Internet News Record
TomTom iPhone GPS Kit Debuts in Bijou Phillips: 'The Life I
Apple Store Had With My Father Was
By Darrell Etherington
(TheAppleBlog)
Submitted at 9/24/2009 9:30:22 AM
Those of you hoping to augment
your TomTom GPS iPhone
experience shouldn’t have to wait
too much longer. As Engadget
reports, the TomTom iPhone Car
Kit page on Apple’s online store
temporarily went live earlier
today in the UK, with an asking
price of £99.95 (around $162). It
also later went live for the rest of
mainland Europe. Briefly.
It was set to ship in about two or
three weeks, according to Apple’s
web site. I say “was,” because it
isn’t there anymore. At all. The
device has been pulled from the
product listings for the time being,
and Apple isn’t saying why.
Many suspect that the real
reason Apple has temporarily
stopped taking pre-orders is
because TomTom was offering
the car mount and GPS signal
booster bundled with its actual
navigation app, the one that was
released awhile ago with its own
nearly $100 price tag — the one
which many people already
purchased, not suspecting that
TomTom would offer the
software free with purchase of
this new hardware. This was
Controversy Pays: Flip Out and Cash In
By Kevin Blackistone
(FanHouse)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 11:30:00 AM
by Kevin Blackistone
Filed under: Tennis If there is
one truth about outrageous
behavior it is that the only people
apparently generating complaints.
So alienating your No. 1 target
user base for a product at launch
probably isn’t the best possible
marketing strategy. How
TomTom and Apple decide to get
around this is going to be
interesting to see. On the one
hand, they could offer rebate
vouchers towards the hardware to
any customers who’ve already
purchased the navigation app on
its own. But that would probably
result in them taking a huge bath
on at least this round of mount
sales.
On the other hand, they could
simply remove the part in the
blurb about the Car Kit including
software, and not bundle anything
with the device. It’s the solution
that makes the most fiscal sense,
who really wind up paying for it
are companies seeing an
opportunity to cash in, like
Volkswagen with a screaming
Bob Knight or American Express
with an apologetic John McEnroe
or, fresh off Madison Avenue, a
ballistic Serena Williams firing
but as I’m sure TomTom is
painfully aware, the cat’s already
out of the bag, so it’ll look like
the company’s just backpedaling,
with customers losing out in the
end.
My advice to TomTom: Take
the hit and offer the hardware
with a discount for existing
navigation app customers. Sure,
it’ll probably result in a fair size
loss until the market of people
who already have your app are
sated, but you’ll retain customer
confidence and good will, and it
won’t make you look incompetent
and dishonest, which is what will
happen if you try to say the bit
about the app being included was
just a typo.
Those interested in the hardware
itself, regardless of selling
conditions, will be interested to
find that while the Car Kit dock is
said to be compatible with all
iPhone models, the navigation app
only works with the 3G and the
3GS. Looks like the brave claims
of iPod touch compatibility have
yet to be substantiated. We’ll see
if TomTom redacts that particular
claim, too. Read our latest
analysis piece, " Mobile Sites
Show Little Improvement." Only
on GigaOM Pro.
away at Mother Nature.
Apple/ Entertainment/ Sports/
Very Different'
(ETonline - Breaking News)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:24:00 AM
Actress Bijou Phillips, the half-
sister of Mackenzie Phillips, is
speaking out to ET about
Mackenzie's explosive claims that
she had a sexual relationship with
their father, John Phillips.
Bijou tells ET the following
about her older sister's claims:
"When I was 13, Mackenzie told
me that she had a consensual
sexual relationship with our
father. This news was confusing
and scary, as I lived alone with
my father since I was 3, I didn’t
know what to believe and it didn’t
help that shortly there after
Mackenzie told me it didn’t
happen. Mackenzie's history with
But why stop at just a few
athletes gone wild? There are a lot
of other stars of our games whose
personalities would do wonders
for some other hawkers of
products and ideas.
Controversy Pays: Flip Out and
Cash In originally appeared on
51
our father is hers, but also clouded
with 30 years of drug abuse. I
hope she can come to terms with
this and find peace. The life I had
with my father was very different.
He was Mr. mom, encouraging
and loving. The man that raised
me would never be capable of
doing such things, and if he was,
it is heartbreaking to me to think
that my family would leave me
alone with him. I understand
Mackenzie’s need to come clean
with a history she feels will help
others, but its devastating to have
the world watch as we try and
mend broken fences, especially
when the man in question isn’t
here to defend himself."
Fanhouse - Kevin Blackistone on
Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:30:00 EST .
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feeds.
Permalink| Email this| Linking
Blogs| Comments
52 Apple/ Sports/ Fashion/
Rumor Has It: New iMacs Already in
Production, Could Sport Blu-Ray
By Darrell Etherington
(TheAppleBlog)
Submitted at 9/24/2009 1:53:58 PM
Lately, rumors have been
popping up that new iMacs could
well be on the way. Well now
AppleInsider is reporting that
they’re not only real, but that
they’re already here. Or, “here” in
the sense that they exist in
physical space, at least.
The Apple rumors site is
reporting that according to
reliable sources (in this case, “two
people familiar with the matter”),
new dual-core iMacs have been in
production since early September,
in preparation for an October
launch. One of the two familiars
cited also added that the new
computers will sport new,
slimmer aluminum enclosures,
and that they will indeed be
cheaper than their predecessors.
AppleInsider goes on to suggest
that the revised all-in-one
desktops will likely resemble the
recently released LED Cinema
Displays, although that doesn’t
necessarily appear to be based on
information from their sources.
They also cite “people familiar
with Apple’s thinking” as
claiming it’s possible the new
What makes a pair of A.P.C. x Supreme jeans different from a pair of A.P.C. jeans?
By blogeditor1 (Material
Interest on Men.style.com)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 9:23:06 AM
This embroidered invective
models could include Blu-ray, a
technology Steve Jobs once
referred to as a “ bag of hurt,” and
one which has yet to really catch
on with the mainstream buying
public.
The site also dangles the
tantalizing possibility of an
enhancement to something related
to audio, and one other
unspecified improvement, both of
which are according to separate
sources who didn’t go into further
detail because they weren’t
supposed to. Which suggests they
were supposed to dangle a couple
carrots, I guess.
(inset). And for those keeping
score, they're the New Standard
cut.
$198, available October 1 at
A.P.C. stores and Supreme stores; for locations, visit apc.fr and
Bruce Pearl, coach of Tennessee
Volunteers, apologizes for joke
he made at fundraiser
By ESPN.com news services
(ESPN.com)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:40:00 AM
Tennessee men's basketball
coach Bruce Pearl has apologized
for an off-the-cuff joke he made
about a rural area of the state at a
charity fundraiser Thursday,
calling it "inappropriate."
Pearl, speaking without notes,
was addressing Tennessee Valley
Authority employees about the
challenges he and his staff face in
getting players from diverse
backgrounds to play as a team.
There’s no doubt Apple will "I've got a tough job. I've got to
refresh its iMac line, which put these guys from different
continues to be a strong seller. worlds together, right?" Pearl
The only question is when. If said. "I've got guys from Chicago,
AppleInsider’s information is Detroit ... I'm talking about the
correct, and if Apple intends to try 'hood! And I've got guys from
and spoil Microsoft’s Windows 7 Grainger County, where they
release party and bolster its wear the hood.''
holiday sales, we likely will see Later Thursday, Pearl issued an
new machines sometime in apology for the remark, which
October. Read our latest analysis came in front of television
piece, " Mobile Sites Show Little cameras and was aired by WBIR-
Improvement." Only on GigaOM TV of Knoxville.
Pro. "This morning while speaking at
a private kick-off event for a great
organization that benefits many
local charities, I made a statement
in jest to describe the diverse
group our staff recruits year-in
and year-out, " Pearl said.
"Unfortunately while I was
trying to excite the crowd and
supremenewyork.com
[via High Snobiety] MATTHEW
SCHNEIER Photo: A.P.C.
Internet News Record
encourage employees to give, I
made an inappropriate joke. I
certainly did not intend to offend
anyone and I apologize to
everyone, especially the people of
Grainger County.
"In no way am I trying to justify
what I said, but I'm disappointed
that the focus has been placed on
me rather than the charities I was
there to help. My only hope is that
the visibility of this mistake will
encourage those who can to give
to those in need during these
difficult times.''
But Doug McBee, a Grainger
County resident and the father of
Tennessee freshman guard Skylar
McBee, said Pearl should not be
misunderstood, according to The
Tennessean of Nashville.
"There's no hard feelings at all,''
Doug McBee said, according to
The Tennessean. "We are country
up here, but we're not prejudice. It
was a joke, and that's how I took
it.''
According to data from the U.S.
Census Bureau Web site, the
population of Grainger County,
which is northeast of Knoxville in
eastern Tennessee, is 98 percent
white. The county's population is
22,333, according to recent census
estimates.
Tennessee announced in April
that it had renegotiated a six-year
contract with Pearl.
Internet News Record
$10 Million FedEx Cup Prize Has PGA Tour Players Paying
Attention
(WSJ.com: The Daily Fix)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 8:47:09 AM
Professional athletes are used to
the extreme stress that comes with
bearing the weight of millions of
pairs of eyes, but this weekend’s
PGA Tour Championship
promises to dial the usual stress
quotient up — just to pick a
number — roughly ten million
percent. OK, full disclosure: That
number didn’t come out of a hat.
With numerous players within
striking distance of the FedEx
points title this season, any of five
players could claim the $10
million FedEx Cup prize simply
by winning the PGA Tour
Championship at Atlanta’s East
Lake golf course. Associated
Press Jim Furyk could capture the
FedEx Cup title–and its $10
million prize–without winning a
tournament on the PGA Tour this
year.
“During the final round, there’s
the distinct possibility that a
player will face a gut-churning
putt on the final green for a
staggering $11.35 million, the
biggest payday in PGA Tour
history,” Steve Elling writes at
CBS Sports. “Mostly, players at
this level don’t think about
paychecks, but this week, their
heads not only have been turned,
but are spinning Even to rich
folks, this much money attracts
attention.”
While Sean O’Hair claimed an
early lead on Thursday, he’d have
to win the tournament and have
Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker
finish no higher than fourth place
to claim the FedEx Cup prize.
Besides Woods and Stricker,
Heath Slocum, Jim Furyk or Zach
Johnson could pocket the $10
million bonus by winning the
tournament. Of those five, only
Woods is within striking distance
of the lead after the first round,
with Stricker and Johnson tied for
ninth and Furyk and Slocum over
par. The whole thing is pretty
confusing, but the Boston Globe’s
Michael Whitmer argues that that
undifferentiated tension is the
whole point. “While the eventual
FedEx Cup winner might not have
the most victories this year —
[Padraig] Harrington or Jim Furyk
could actually win the FedEx Cup
without any victories — the third
version of the season-long
competition should provide the
kind of unpredictability the PGA
Tour was seeking,” Whitmer
writes.
Wait, did he Jim Furyk can win
$10 million without winning even
one event over the course of the
entire protracted PGA Tour
season? It’s complicated, but Golf
Digest’s John Hawkins — in a
terrific piece that takes the whole
weird FedEx Cup to task in
impressive fashion — isn’t
terribly interested in doing the
math. “If Woods wins twice as
many tournaments as anyone else
and still doesn’t claim the $10
million jackpot, can he file a
grievance with the Better
Business Bureau?” Hawkins asks.
“We’ve finally found a rival for
Woods: the tour mathematician.”*
**
The NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes
have had about as eventful an
offseason as could be imagined,
but few of those events fall under
the rubric of what most might call
“good.” The team flirted with
bankruptcy back in May — this
Fix covered that story — and head
coach (and part-owner) Wayne
Gretzky stepped down as the
team’s coach and director of
hockey operations on Thursday.
Phoenix replaced him with former
Dallas Stars bench boss Dave
Tippett, but Gretzky’s departure
was just another blow for an
exceedingly troubled franchise.
While he’s obviously not to blame
for all the team’s problems,
Gretzky’s undistinguished
Arizona tenure did his sterling
legacy no favors, the Arizona
Republic’s Dan Bickley writes.
In the Los Angeles Times, Lisa
Dillman argues that Gretzky’s
unsuccessful tenure beyond the
‘Yotes bench won’t tarnish his
legend, and Wes Goldstein writes,
at CBS Sports, that he was never
the right man for the coaching gig
in Phoenix.
Bruce Arthur, in a strong
column for Canada’s National
Post, isn’t quite as sanguine on
the effects of Gretzky’s Arizona
sojourn. “It was the end of a
humiliating turn in which most
people agreed that The Great One
was overpaid and unwanted and
past his expiration date,” Arthur
writes. “The greatest player who
ever lived was, a decade after he
retired, a toxic liability.”
It’s enough, almost, to make
you forget just how dazzling a
player Gretzky actually was. Of
course, nicknames like “The
Great One” don’t accrue to
middling talents, but this 1978
Sporting News assessment of the
16-year-old Gretzky is a nice
reminder of just how brilliant
number 99 was when he still wore
skates.* * *
By just about any standard,
Arizona Diamondbacks third
baseman Mark Reynolds has had
a brilliant season — his 43
homers are second-most in the
majors, and his 100 RBIs and 24
stolen bases are both ninth-most
in the National League. But only
one of his statistical tallies has set
a big-league record this season,
and it’s not mentioned above.
Reynolds struck out in the fourth
inning on Tuesday, which gave
him a Major-League record 205
strikeouts on the season. That
moved him past oh, this is odd,
Mark Reynolds, who set the mark
last season. With two more
strikeouts on Wednesday,
Reynolds is well into the
undiscovered territories of
whiffland. To which Reynolds,
when asked about the strikeout
record on that night, answered,
“So what?”
At Fanster’s Arizona
Diamondbacks Community,
Vince Marotta echoes Reynolds’
sentiments. “Going into a season,
you know any given baseball
player is going to get out roughly
70% of the times he steps to the
plate. Its what you do in the other
30% of your at-bats that defines
you,” Marotta writes. “So, would
it be better if Reynolds popped up
Sports/ 53
206 times in a season? Or how
would you feel if Reynolds cut his
strike outs in half, and grounded
into 103 double plays? An out is
an out.”
ESPN’s Rob Neyer concurs,
kind of, with Marotta. At the
Sporting News, Chris Bahr argues
that strikeouts are baseball’s most
overrated stats. (No, not this Chris
Bahr) Meet the Three True
Outcomes, people.* * *
Anyone who has followed the
struggles of print media over the
last couple of years knew this day
was coming, but it’s still strange
to see it actually arrive. After
cutbacks at the Los Angeles
Times and Los Angeles Daily
News, the NHL’s Los Angeles
Kings found themselves without a
full-time beat writer covering
their team as the 2009 NHL
season approached. (Both papers
chose to pick up Associated Press
copy instead of sending a writer
on the road with the Kings) And
so the Kings made a move that,
however logical it may seem, is
pretty thoroughly unprecedented
— they hired Rich Hammond of
the Los Angeles Daily News as
their beat writer. Yes, the team
hired the writer.
“In markets with little or no
coverage of a franchise, we may
now see veteran print reporters go
to work directly for the team,”
blogger Paul Oberjuerge writes.
“Of course, this may not be
entirely felicitous, which is
another reason why this is an
interesting development.” The
post is a must-read for anyone
interested in how sports might be
$10 page 55
54 Sports/
Tigers, Twins Provide MLB’s Only Divisional Drama
(WSJ.com: The Daily Fix)
Submitted at 9/24/2009 8:34:19 AM
The pennant race might better be
described as a pennant stroll this
year, with all but one of the
division winners basically
crowned as they head towards
Major League Baseball’s final
regular-season week. It’s enough
for many fans without a horse in
the race to turn their attention to
football. Reuters Who cares if
Justin Verlander’s Tigers have
seven fewer wins than any other
division leader?
But Detroit qualifies as an
outlier. The Lions are redefining
losing, while the Tigers have
surprised many people and lead
the AL Central by 2½ games over
Minnesota. Detroit routed
Cleveland Wednesday to maintain
its lead over the Twins, who beat
the Chicago White Sox 8-6. The
AL Central title might be decided
when the Twins and Tigers meet
for four games next week at
Comerica Park. A year ago the
Tigers finished last in their
division, 14 ½ games behind
Chicago.
Detroit, a city roiling from high
unemployment, economic
uncertainty and urban blight, can
take a measure of satisfaction
from its Tigers, who rank among
the better draws in baseball.
“Comerica Park may be located
in the heart of the majors’ most
depressed market, but you
wouldn’t know it on game days,”
Sports Illlustrated’s Lee Jenkins
writes. “Former Tigers outfielder
Willie Horton, who used to
deliver newspapers as a boy on
Woodward Avenue, walks the
street before games and gets chills
as he sees buses full of fans
rolling in from as far away as
Toronto, Toledo and Michigan’s
Upper Peninsula. At CZ’s Sports,
a souvenir shop bordering the
stadium, part-owner Ernest Carr
estimates that his profits are up
almost 40% from last year due to
the team’s improved record.”
In the Detroit Free Press, Drew
Sharp isn’t too pleased about SI’s
cover story, which usually equals
the kiss of death. His advice: just
enjoy the ride, Tiger fans. “It’ll
have no effect on city coffers
collecting cobwebs, three out of
10 people looking for work or a
decaying public-school system,”
Sharp writes. “But it creates a
diversion from the real worries of
economic strife — paying bills
and wondering when the next
paycheck’s coming.”
While the Tigers might be a
bright spot in the Motor City,
metro high-school football is
suffering from a lack of funding,
coach resignations and player
defections to the suburbs, the
Detroit News’s Tom Markowski
and Vincent Goodwill write.* * *
Bobby Cox will return for one
more season as manager of the
Atlanta Braves, the team he led to
14 straight division titles and a
World Series championship.
Atlanta has struggled since its last
division crown in 2005. Still, the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s
Jeff Schultz agrees with Cox’s
return. “This isnt about giving
him a retirement present,” Schultz
blogs. “The rocking chair will
come later. This is about giving
one of baseballs most able
managers the tools he deserves to
have in his toolbox. When the
Braves announced Wednesday
that Cox will manage for one
more season and then retire, it
was the right move for him and
for them.”* * *
The NFL’s offenses seem to
prefer air delivery so far this year.
As the NFL prepares for Week 3,
only seven running backs are
averaging more than 100 yards
per game, led by Adrian
Peterson’s 136-yard average for
the Minnesota Vikings.
Conversely, we’ve already seen
13 300-yard passing games,
including two each by New
Orleans’s Drew Brees and
Indianapolis’s Peyton Manning.
“Yeah, I know, there are more
spread offenses,” Clark Judge
writes at CBS Sports. “Rule
changes have given receivers and
pass blockers more freedom.
There are more high-percentage
passes. And there is more passing,
period, with Philadelphia’s Andy
Reid routinely criticized for
throwing more than he runs the
ball.”
With Michael Vick eligible to
play this weekend, The
Philadelphia Inquirer’s Phil
Sheridan writes that the Eagles
signed the quarterback because of
coach Andy Reid’s love of the
wildcat offense.
The 1-1 Washington Redskins
are tied for 30th in scoring and are
only 18th in passing yards and
rushing yards, but the Washington
Post’s Mike Wise writes it’s too
early to panic.* * *
Most retired athletes enjoy life
away from the spotlight. If they’re
secure financially, many travel the
globe, play golf, maybe work to
improve their communities. But
Michael Jordan may still have
some competitive fire left. While
a lot of people thought he was
joking during his recent induction
into basketball’s hall of fame
about another return to the NBA,
TrueHoop’s Henry Abbott
investigates whether Jordan could
play basketball at age 50. It’s not
as far-fetched as you might think,
Abbott writes.* * *
It’s been a quarter-century since
the New York Islanders’ glory
days of winning four straight
Stanley Cups. They’ve been an
economic and competitive basket
case for so long that they’re
hoping this year’s No. 1 draft
pick, John Tavares, can fill the
seats and get the Islanders a new
Internet News Record
building. While it was only a
preseason game, only about 4,000
showed up Wednesday for his
first game on Long Island,
Newsday’s Arthur Staples
writes.* * *
Staying motivated athletically
can be a challenge. If that’s the
case, you might consider taking
up Mojo Kickball, one of a
number of bizarre sports created
in the past few years, the
Journal’s Anjali Athavaley writes.
One sport that’s been around for a
half-century but still pretty rare is
underwater hockey, the Miami
Herald’s Christina Veiga writes.*
**
Many players love to give back
to their communities after retiring.
James Forrest, the Georgia Tech
basketball player whose biggest
claim to fame was hitting a buzzer
-beater against USC in an opening
-round upset in the 1992 NCAA
tournament, has returned to
Atlanta after a career in Europe.
Now he’s trying to improve sports
for kids living in a city that’s
closed 22 rec centers in the past
year, ESPN’s Dana O’Neil writes.
– Tip of the Fix cap to reader
Don Hartline and to fellow Fixer
David Roth.
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/ 55

Seattle Seahawks receiver T.J. Houshmanzadeh $10

continued from page 53
covered until/unless print media to forget, sometimes, that sports is
says if the Chicago Bears want to make an gets back on track.* * *
Basketball is a game, but it’s a
not merely a industry, but a
business — one that employs
issue out of his recent remarks, so be it very serious affair in its NBA
iteration. All of which makes it
plenty of semi-anonymous drones
who are simply doing what they
By ESPNChicago.com show him Sunday," "Lance didn't want to be in more interesting that the reliably do best in pursuit of a living. In
(ESPN.com) Houshmanzadeh said Wednesday. Chicago at one point. forward-thinking Houston the Newark Star-Ledger, Andy
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:57:08 AM "I didn't hear from Chicago, I "Hey, you know what, though, R o c k e t s , a s t h e H o u s t o n McCullough offers a fine profile
don't think my agent did, I know I Lance is a good player. When you Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen of Josh Pressley, a 29-year-old
Seattle Seahawks receiver T.J. didn't. watch Lance on tape, man he's a reports, are getting ready for the slugger who is the 2009 Most
Houshmanzadeh said on Friday "It is what it is, they got good beast. He knows it. He can say upcoming NBA season by playing Valuable Player in the unaffiliated
that if the Chicago Bears want to receivers there. Devin Hester is what he wants to say if he plays well, a game. “Sometime during Atlantic League and one such
put some remarks he made earlier going to develop into a pretty like that." today’s workouts at Toyota working-class athlete.
in the week on their bulletin good receiver. He has great Houshmanzadeh went on to Center, Rockets players will play — Tip of the Fix cap to fellow
board, so be it. quickness, great lateral praise the Bears' secondary and tag,” Feigen writes. That’s only Fixer Garey Ris.
ESPN 1000, Chicago movement, great speed, great quarterback Jay Cutler. part of an innovative training Found a good column from the
Seahawks Wide Receiver T.J. hand-eye coordination. So, he "I can't do too much talking, regimen instituted by training world of sports? Don’t keep it to
Houshmandzadeh joins "Waddle should be able to develop into a because I haven't had the ball guru Darryl Eto. If you were yourself — write to us at
& Silvy" to preview the Bears- pretty good receiver, if he has the thrown my way much this year," curious, capture the flag is not dailyfix@wsj.com and we’ll
S e a h a w k s a n d b a c k u p h i s coaching and they open up the Houshmanzadeh said. "So you mentioned.* * * consider your find for inclusion in
comments made about the Bears pass game for him." have to get the ball before you can Most sports coverage revolves the Daily Fix. You can email
earlier in the week. Bears linebacker Lance Briggs talk." around mega-rich mega-stars — David at droth11@gmail.com.
More Podcasts » responded on Thursday. Houshmanzadeh said he doesn't worshipful appreciations of,
"I didn't think it was a big deal, "Sounds like a bitter guy," know if Matt Hasselbeck or schadenfreude over, snarky
but hey, if they want to make it a Briggs said. "If he's going to show Seneca Wallace will start at dissections of, and so on. It’s easy
big deal I'm fine with it," what he's going to do on Sunday, quarterback.
Houshmanzadeh said on the tell you what, so are we, so am I. "I'm anxious to find out myself,"
"Waddle & Silvy" show on ESPN I've been playing against T.J. he said. "You know, when you
1000. since college, so I know what type have a fractured rib, you wait to
The Bears play in Seattle on of competitor he is, the guy can the end of the week to see if you
Sunday. play." can go."
During a teleconference with Houshmanzadeh denied that "It depends on your pain
t h e C h i c a g o m e d i a o n he's bitter about not going to the tolerance," Houshmazadeh said
Wednesday, Houshmanzadeh -- Bears, and he took a jab back at when asked if it might be better
who was a free agent this summer Briggs, who was upset in 2007 for Hasselbeck to sit out. "If you
-- talked about how he wasn't that he was designated with a can tolerate it, you can play with
pursued by Bears general manager franchise tag and wanted out of it. Some guys have a high level of
Jerry Angelo. Chicago. pain tolerance and some don't. So
"Jerry Angelo probably didn't "That ain't the case [that he's will see where Matt fits in."
think I could play, so I'm going to bitter]," Houshmanzadeh said.

Rockets Sign GM Daryl Morey to Two-Year Extension

By Matt Moore (FanHouse)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 11:22:00 AM
by Matt Moore
Filed under: Rockets, NBA
Transactions The biggest free
agent on the market this year just
got inked. Kind of. Though he
wasn't going anywhere, Daryl
Morey's been working without a
contract since the end of last
season. And today, the Houston
Chronicle reports, the Rockets
have finalized a deal that will
keep him with the team through
2013.
So given the new timeline for
Morey and his prior success, what
are the odds Morey nabs an feeds.
Executive of the Year award by Permalink| Email this| Linking
the time his next contract is up? Blogs| Comments
Rockets Sign GM Daryl Morey
to Two-Year Extension originally
appeared on Fanhouse NBA Blog
on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:22:00 EST
. Please see our terms for use of
56 Sports/ Internet News Record

Source: Dallas Cowboys leaning Cubby Occurrence: Angel

toward holding Marion Barber out Guzman's celebratory slap to
of game against Carolina Panthers the head sidelines Derrek Lee
By Matt Mosley (ESPN.com) believe they have enough depth
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:57:24 AM with Felix Jones and Tashard By Bruce Levine (ESPN.com) the ninth.
Choice to be able to rest him for Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:46:28 AM Lee has missed numerous
NFC East blog one week. games over the years with neck
ESPN.com's Matt Mosley writes Barber While celebrating a come-from- and back spasms, after initially
about all things NFC East in his Barber has responded well to behind, ninth-inning win over the suffering the injury in a home-
division blog. treatment and the Cowboys are
• Blog network: NFL Nation optimistic that he'll be ready for
San Francisco Giants on
Thursday, the Chicago Cubs
plate collision in 2006.
After the game Thursday, Lee
Reports: Danica
Dallas Cowboys starting running their game Oct. 4 against the couldn't avoid yet another "Cubby told team personnel that he'd be in Patrick Signs 3-Year
back Marion Barber is desperately Denver Broncos. Occurrence." the lineup Friday night, but the
trying to return from a left Barber hurt his left thigh at the First baseman Derrek Lee team's training staff could insist IndyCar Extension
quadriceps injury in time for end of a 35-yard run on his final scored the game-tying run ahead that he sit out a game or two. By Holly Cain (FanHouse)
Monday's game against the carry of the Cowboys' 33-31 loss of Jeff Baker, whose two-out, two Manager Lou Piniella coined Submitted at 9/25/2009 11:36:00 AM
Carolina Panthers. to the New York Giants on -strike home run off San the term "Cubby Occurrence" to
But the Cowboys are "leaning Sunday night. He appeared to Francisco closer Brian Wilson put explain strange happenings that by Holly Cain
t o w a r d " h o l d i n g h i m o u t , stumble on his own just before the team in line for the win. may have factored into the Filed under: NASCAR Rumors,
according to a source. being tackled at the 7-yard-line. As Lee and Baker were mobbed organization going more than 100 IRL Danica Patrick has signed a
Coach Wade Phillips announced Barber had 18 carries for 124 by teammates in the dugout, relief years without winning a World multi-year deal to stay in the
that Barber would participate in yards and a 2-yard touchdown. pitcher Angel Guzman slapped Series. IndyCar Series, according to a
practice Friday on a limited basis, Matt Mosley covers the NFC the side of Lee's helmet, causing Bruce Levine covers baseball pair of published reports on
something he has been doing East for ESPN.com. Information Lee to experience neck spasms for ESPNChicago.com. Friday.
since Wednesday. from The Associated Press was that forced him to come out of the According to the Indianapolis
Barber has been pleading his used in this report. game for defense in the bottom of Star and SI.com, Patrick signed a
case to play Monday, according to three-year contract extension with
the source, but the Cowboys Andretti Green Racing (AGR).
Patrick, nor the team, have
Cowboys Offer Party Pass Holder Worst Apology in Recorded confirmed the deal. There is
nothing on her personal website
History addressing the situation.
"I think we'd all welcome her (to
By Ryan Wilson (FanHouse) a very thoughtful response. For NASCAR), but I'm really happy
Submitted at 9/25/2009 1:00:00 PM the most part, anyway. for Michael (cousin Michael
Cowboys Offer Party Pass Andretti) and for his team,'' said
by Ryan Wilson Holder Worst Apology in NASCAR driver John Andretti.
Filed under: NFL Recorded History originally "That is great for them and maybe
The grand opening of the shiny, appeared on Fanhouse Backporch Danica can still try some of this
new Cowboys Stadium didn't go on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST stuff too and see what she thinks."
off without a few hitches. The . Please see our terms for use of Reports: Danica Patrick Signs 3
team lost, for starters. And some feeds. -Year IndyCar Extension
Giants players took issue with the that, 30,000 fans holding Party however. According to NBC Permalink| Email this| Linking originally appeared on Fanhouse
lack of amenities in the visiting Passes probably felt like they Dallas-Fort Worth's Blue Star Blogs| Comments Motorsports Blog on Fri, 25 Sep
locker room. The New York were in a refuge camp instead of blog, Michael, one of the unlucky 2009 11:36:00 EST . Please see
Times' architectural critic wasn't the $1.3 billion Jerry Dome. Party Pass holders, wrote the our terms for use of feeds.
impressed, either. But more than This story has a happy ending, Cowboys to complain. And he got Permalink| Email this| Linking
Blogs| Comments
Internet News Record
UFL Exec at Home in Any
Jersey
By Anthony Olivieri
(FanHouse)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 1:08:00 PM
by Anthony Olivieri
Filed under: UFL Rick Mueller,
vice president and general
manager of all four UFL
franchises, brings years of NFL
experience to the table as the UFL
opens its inaugural season on Oct.
8. He spent eight years with the
New Orleans Saints, with whom
he was the vice president of
player personnel.
He also spent six years with the
Jacksonville Jaguars, serving as a
college scout before being
promoted to Director of College
Scouting. Mueller also evaluated
talent in the CFL and World
League.
On Thursday, he spoke with
FanHouse about a myriad of
subjects, including the UFL's
growth potential, outlook and
mission. Mueller also spoke of his
role as the league's lone general
manager and, yes, his wardrobe.
UFL Exec at Home in Any
Jersey originally appeared on
Fanhouse Main on Fri, 25 Sep
2009 13:08:00 EST . Please see
our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink| Email this| Linking
Blogs| Comments
Sports/ Game/ 57
Rock Band Weekly:
250GB PS3 Slim Alice in Chains,
Breaking Benjamin, Just
bundles also coming to Kait, Kula Shaker
By Alexander Sliwinski
Europe (Joystiq)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 12:40:00 PM
By Griffin McElroy (Joystiq) October 1, United Kingdomites Alice in Chains and Breaking
Submitted at 9/25/2009 1:01:00 PM will have their choice of a 250GB Benjamin (pictured doing their
PS3 bundled with Infamous or best Twilight pose) contribute
Earlier this week, we got our two unnamed Platinum Hits. several new tracks to the Rock
h a n d s o n a f e w E u r o p e a n Their options will be further Band Music Store next week. We
GameStop listings for 250GB PS3 expanded on October 16 with the ... sorry, we're just getting lost in
bundles. Earlier today, SCEE and release of an Uncharted 2 bundle, those eyes and pale skin. It's
SCE UK confirmed the hardware and once more on October 19 mesmerizing.
packages and included games. with a bundle that includes the X- There are also some additions
Earlier this hour, we went to Men Origins: Wolverine and The from English psychedelic band,
Whole Foods and purchased some Dark Knight films on Blu-ray and Kula Shaker, and a value-priced
really crisp bok choy. (Sorry. We a film-friendly remote control. track called "U Suck" by Just Kait
got into a rhythm there.) SCE UK has graciously -- which, knowing how the
Europeans will have their provided a price for its bundles -- comments for RBW tend to lean,
choice of two bundles, both of £284.99 ($450) -- making it our could very well be how many of
which will be made available certified favourite European Sony you feel about the artist.
throughout October. One of the chapter of the day. That's as legit Check out the full Rock Band
collections includes Need for as being knighted by the Queen, Weekly update, along with the
Speed: Shift, while the other you know. update for Rock Band Unplugged,
includes FIFA 10. Needless to 250GB PS3 Slim bundles also after the break.
say, both bundles come with the coming to Europe originally Select a platform below to view
recently GB-boosted console. A appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 complete DLC listing:
price point for these two bundles Sep 2009 13:01:00 EST. Please Continue reading Rock Band
has not been specified, but we've see our terms for use of feeds. Weekly: Alice in Chains,
contacted Sony for clarification. Read| Permalink| Email this| Breaking Benjamin, Just Kait,
Bizarrely enough, the UK's Comments Kula Shaker
getting a different set of bundles Rock Band Weekly: Alice in
than the rest of the continent. On Chains, Breaking Benjamin, Just
Kait, Kula Shaker originally
appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25
Sep 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please
see our terms for use of feeds.
Read| Permalink| Email this|
Comments
58 Game/ Fashion/
Sony America scraps
UMD-to-PSP Go
conversion plans
By Griffin McElroy (Joystiq)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 12:21:00 PM
Sony director of hardware
marketing John Koller mentioned
shortly after the E3 "reveal" of the
PSP Go that the company was
considering a "good will
program," which would allow
UMD owners to trade in their
physical games for digital
versions. However, yesterday at
the Tokyo Game Show, an SCEA
spokesperson told Kotaku, "We
were evaluating a UMD
conversion program, but due to
legal and technical reasons we
will not be offering the program at
this time."
That's quite a blow to the base
of American PSP owners with
large libraries of UMD titles
looking to upgrade to a PSP Go --
a blow significantly worsened by
the European"PSP Go Rewards"
initiative, which grants three free
games to PSP Go purchasers who
register for the promotion using
an older PSP model. This same
promotion will not be coming to
the US. "SCEA region will not
offer a UMD rewards program at
this time," due to the fact that the
company has a "dual-platform
strategy," an SCEA spokesperson
has explained to IndustryGamers.
Ironically enough, we have a
"we'd rather not purchase our PSP
games again to play them on a
new version of your handheld"
strategy going for us. It's working
out pretty well so far.
Sony America scraps UMD-to-
PSP Go conversion plans
originally appeared on Joystiq on
Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:21:00 EST.
Please see our terms for use of
feeds.
Read| Permalink| Email this|
Comments
Internet News Record
Fashion
Smartens Up for
Don't expect old 360 games Spring
By ELLE.com (ELLE News
to add Natal support Blog)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 5:43:00 AM
By Richard Mitchell (Joystiq) hope for a full-fledged re-release
Submitted at 9/25/2009 2:30:00 PM from the publisher.
That's definitely a blow for
S p e a k i n g t o D e s t r u c t o i d , those hoping to enjoy some of
Clever clothes with an arty twist
made a refreshing appearance on
the runway in New York and
Microsoft's Kudo Tsunoda had their favorite games with motion London. For her lingerie-turned
some bad news for gamers hoping control, especially considering ready-to-wear line, Araks
to see old Xbox 360 game Sony can patch motion control Yeramyan showed sexy-librarian
updated with Natal controls. The into older PS3 titles. Here's dresses and separates (shown
Natal team has been able to hoping Namco sees the light and below on the three models at
effectively implement motion releases Beautiful Natal-amari right), made for the woman who,
controls in older titles -- like once Project Natal hits retail Araks explains, “loves clothes,
B e a u t i f u l K a t a m a r i S p a c e shelves. but is not a fashionista”. While
Invaders Extreme and -- but Don't expect old 360 games to across the pond, Nicole Farhi
Tsunoda intimated that it required add Natal support originally displayed her knack for creating
large portions of code to be appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 sumptuously-textured daywear,
changed. According to Tsunoda, Sep 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please showing an art-inspired collection
it's not something that developers see our terms for use of feeds. perfect for work and play (shown
could easily patch into older titles. Read| Permalink| Email this| below on three models at left).
In other words, if you want your Comments Ladies seeking brainy-gal-chic
favorite pre-Natal title to support styles come spring will have
motion control, you'll have to options aplenty.
—Violet Moon Gaynor
Nicole Farhi images: Imaxtree;
Araks images: Courtesy of the
designer
Follow ELLE on Twitter.
Internet News Record Fashion/ 59

Itinerary: LFW to Saint Martins to Paris Fashion

Week
By ELLE.com (ELLE News
Blog)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 9:13:20 AM

London Fashion Week lived up

to everything is was supposed to
be: it was a big blast, and was its
usual offbeat self (plus some high
-gloss shine and attendance by
international editors as never
before seen).
Yesterday also marked another
important day on my personal
fashion calendar: the return to the
MA Fashion program at Central
Saint Martins. While we filled
out forms, waited in lines, and
met the requisite people during
enrollment, it gave us students a
chance to catch up with each other
after the summer. But not
everyone who started with us was
there. Why? Well, that's how the
A town
MA at Saint Martins works.
While you may be one of the
few to be accepted to the program cheerleading team, every day, for weekly commissions and are working only helps our mutual
about
and pay your tuition and fees,
after the first year, there is a big
cut. If you are a designer who
two years, and despite all the
investment, there is never a
guarantee you will make the team.
expected to fulfill them by the
deadline. Our work, like that of
the design students, is about
causes.
It may sound like a fabulous
cakewalk, but don't let the
MAN
Cutthroat doesn't even begin to critique, not tests and classes and glamour fool you: Easy it is not, By blogeditor1 (Material
simply didn't meet the standards Interest on Men.style.com)
that Louise Wilson is looking for, describe what designers have to grades. It's about tightening and it's only getting more difficult
then you are released from the endure. But if you make it, the everything you do under the most to enter the program. In the new Submitted at 9/24/2009 8:10:08 AM

program.
And just because you make it to
the second year, that doesn't
guarantee you get into the big
LFW show at the end of term,
where another cut is made. Being
left out of the LFW show (which
is the most difficult ticket to
obtain during the London shows)
well, let's just say the future is
less promising than if you do. It's
sort of like trying out for the
possibilities are endless.
As for me, I have my first class
on Monday and then I go to Paris
for to finish the show season. The
number one question people ask
me is: "How do you do the
shows, your school work, and
classes without failing?" It's not
easy, but thankfully, the MA is all
about independent study.
We have major projects over the
course of the year plus smaller
scrutinous eye. And since our
lectures are mostly one-offs by
people like Emanuel Ungaro and
Tim Walker, if you miss it, you
miss it. There is no make-up or
second chance.
As journalists, though, we are
encouraged to work and go to
fashion weeks. Ultimately it is the
goal of the school and the students
that we are respected
professionals in the field, and
class of journalists, we have a
Fulbright scholar and a Cornell
grad who was a former America's
Next Top Model contestant.
Anyone interested in applying?
—Rebecca Suhrawardi Austin
Preparing a presentation from
last term
Follow ELLE on Twitter.
It's only the second time that
London fashion week has devoted
a full day to menswear, but
already it feels less like a kid
brother to the womenswear and
more like a studly date. British
menswear has hit critical mass,
kicked into gear by a healthy new
wave of talent and a lot of support
from Topman and Fashion East,
Lulu Kennedy's incubator for the
up-and-coming. There are now

TOWN page 60
60 Fashion/
TOWN
continued from page 59
tent poles for the men's fashion
scene, designers who are
generating the kind of anticipation
that we've seen for years in
women's fashion in London.
One of those is James Long,
first out of the block on MANday
at the British Fashion Council's
new tent in the courtyard of
Somerset House. His "acid army"
looks, inspired by—among other
v e r y p a r t i c u l a r
interests—Warhol's oxidation
paintings and Mapplethorpe's
photos, were an intense, coherent
statement about men at war
(pictured). At another extreme
was knitwit trio Sibling. Their
trompe l'oeil technical feat this
season was a frayed denim jacket
re-created in knit. Equally
irresistible were their
Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Radio City Music Hall
By ELLE.com (ELLE News
Blog)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 9:43:08 AM
It always makes me chuckle
when certain bands take the stage
at Radio City Music Hall. I mean,
it works for things like the Tonys
or an orchestra or Rufus
Wainwright (not a dig, Rufus.
You know I love you.) but when I
hear that groups such as Metallica
or, as was the case last night,
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, are
performing, the kind of glitzy,
kind of schmaltzy venue just
doesn’t fit. Nevertheless, I wasn’t
going to miss Karen O, Nick
Zinner, and Brian Chase do their
best to turn the Rockettes' home
collaborations with artist Noah
Scanlin and the Smiley Company:
optical skulls on one hand, happy-
face sweaters on the other.
The breadth of individual,
expertly crafted stuff pointed to a
bright future: Martine Rose's
shirts, Joe Casely Hayford's suits,
Husam el Odeh's jewelry, Mr.
Hare's new Hot Steppers shoe
collection (connoisseur alert: the
whole-cut wingtip brogue in an
unsealed, vegetable-tanned leather
will age like heaven). Jordan
Askill is as much a sculptor as he
is a jeweler—for his presentation,
he draped a pendant over a
stunningly sculpted wave of white
horses.
Somerset House itself is a
neoclassical building with
dramatic river views and a choice
into an indie-rock dance party
complete with fog, loads of
confetti, and huge inflatable eye
balls. And let’s not forget Miss
O’s wild stage outfits complete
with headdresses, vinyl bodices,
some tentacles (I think), and
capes.
While the main concert itself
was rip-roaring with alternated set
of numbers form It’s Blitz, Fever
to Tell and Show Your Bones, the
real punch came at the end in
YYY’s encore. We didn’t really
get a word from Karen all night,
but when they re-took the stage
she open-heartedly dedicated the
final set to not only their opener,
ESG, but also the bandmates'
parents. It was a tender moment
Internet News Record
of venues: high-ceilinged rooms,
atmospheric vaults, plus that
courtyard. That was where the
actual Topman-sponsored MAN
show, where in the past designers
like Long got their start, was
staged. The buzz this year was
Christopher Shannon, the latest
heir to Kim Jones' sportswear
throne. His clothes looked to me
like the kind of wardrobe a 200 reasons to
national team might wear if
England were to compete in the see Sam Haskins'
America's Cup. But I expect I'll be
backtracking on my reservations
in six months.
Japandroids retrospective
By blogeditor1 (Material
Click here for a slideshow of
highlights > TIM BLANKS
Photo: Getty Images
at Mercury Interest on Men.style.com)
Submitted at 9/24/2009 2:56:44 PM
Lounge Take it from Tommy: "Sam has
Only twice since I left the rainy a refreshing sense of fun in his
By
greenELLE.com
shores (ELLE News
of Vancouver, photography, and manages to
capture the balance of a woman's
inner and outer beauty." Both
types of beauty (especially the
outer kind) are on view in Fashion
voice their first hit “Maps,” Etcetera, Sam Haskins' Hilfiger-
referring to it as “a New York s p o n s o r e d , 2 0 0 - p i e c e
love song.” It hit me hard as an retrospective at NYC's Milk
almost-seven-year New Yorker Gallery, but especially the outer
always longing for something or kind. The designer has been an
someone. And though, yes, I’m admirer since the sixties, when
typically inclined to indulge in H a s k i n s ' a r t f u l , i r r e v e r e n t
t h a t s a p p y s i d e o f , w e l l , nudes—like the sly-eyed Gill
everything, I was pleased they from Five Girls(above), or the
ended the concert on a rager note iconic Cowboy Kate, which
with “Y Control” and “Date With featured the titular (heh) Wild
the Night,” even smashing guitars West-styled Kate often naked but
and slinging microphones before f o r h e r g u n h o l s t e r a n d
exiting the stage. That was accompanying pony—brought the
probably cathartic, too. South African photographer to
that was made even moreso when, —Seth Plattner, Assistant Editor fame. The 200-piece exhibition,
in an ode to their home city and Photo: Getty Images which is accompanied by a
crowd, she cathartically sang Follow ELLE on Twitter. special-edition hardcover sold in
through tears and a choked up Tommy stores, strikes a nice
balance between hsi more recent
fashion work (for the likes of
Vogue and Harper's Bazaar) and
200 page 61
Internet News Record
JAPANDROIDS
continued from page 60
Canada for the glitzy garbage
barge of New York City a year
ago have I felt truly, blissfully at
home. The first was when I saw
Joshua Jackson in the West
Village and had what the doctors
tell me was a “mild stroke” (I call
it “love”), and the second was
when my venerable national
doughnutier, Tim Hortons, finally
opened its doors to Manhattan’s
calorie-deprived masses. And
tonight, my third time will be a
charm.
Blog buzz band and local
Vancouver darlings, Japandroids
are playing the Mercury Lounge
in what will undoubtedly be a
noisy, sweaty, sock hop of a good
time. And if you miss them
tonight, they’ll be playing an
encore show on Sunday–so
you’ve a second chance, and no
excuse. The two-man outfit plays
some of the most genuinely fun
ELLE News Quiz: 9/25
By ELLE.com (ELLE News
Blog)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:45:03 AM
How well do you know this
week's most stylish happenings?
1. What chic celebs were
spotted in the front row of
Burberry's much-anticipated
London Fashion Week show?
A) Victoria Beckham
B) Emma Watson
C)Gwyneth Paltrow
D) All of the Above
2. What's the title of director
Sally Potter's new film, which
stars Jude Law, Judi Dench, and
Steve Buscemi as fashion-
industry personalities?
3. What fragrance recently
celebrated its tenth anniversary?
4. What fashion-icon biopic hits
theaters today?
noise pop this side of the Rockies,
with Dave Prowse’ bursting
drums, Brian King’s catchy guitar
riffs, and the duo’s simple but
endearing lyrics. Remember when
all boys ever wanted to do was
sing rock songs about girls? Well,
these are those boys, and that’s
still all they want to do. It makes
me miss less complicated times,
and I’ll be damned if it doesn’t
make me miss home, too. But as
Japandroids holler during one of
my personal favorites, the
crackling garage rock homage
“Sovereignty”: “It's raining in
Vancouver, but I don't give a
fuck, 'cause I'm far from home
tonight!"
—Nojan Aminosherei
Follow ELLE on Twitter.
5. Blake Lively wore a plunging
gown by what designer to the
Emmy Awards?
ELLE page 61
"Rosebud."
By blogeditor1 (Material
Interest on Men.style.com)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 7:09:22 AM
One guy's last word—my first.
The air around here is starting to
get chilly, and when a colleague
asked what was the first thing I'd
be buying for fall (well, aside
from the Dries suit I picked up
last month), I told him it was a no
-brainer: lip balm. Specifically,
Smith's Rosebud Salve. Sexy, it's
not; but then, neither are bleeding,
cracked lips. Okay, they're sort of
bad-ass-looking after a bar fight
(make that a bar fight you won),
but otherwise it's just not a great
look. Rosebud's been around for
over a hundred years, and it's
made of natural ingredients right
ELLE
continued from page 61
here in the U.S.A. More
importantly, the shit keeps the old
kisser chap-free no matter how
cold it gets outside. For years it
flew under the radar, and I'll
admit the indie snob in me was
bummed to see it had been picked
up by places like Urban Outfitters
and Sephora a while back. But
when you're talking about
something this essential, I'll take
accessibility over coolness any
day.
$6 to $8, available at
s e p h o r a . c o m a n d
urbanoutfitters.com(note: Urban
Outfitters stocks only the mint
version; I prefer the original
flavor) JOSH PESKOWITZ
Photo: sephora.com
Fashion/ 61
200
continued from page 60
the swinging-sixties cheesecake
stuff (call it the etcetera). And it's
a show that almost wasn't:
Haskins, 82, suffered a stroke just
hours before the opening, but
we're happy to report he's
recovering nicely and hasn't let a
minor setback like that keep him
from attending to the details.
"Even in the emergency room, he
was issuing instructions about the
lighting in the gallery," his son
Ludwig reports.
Sam Haskins: Fashion Etcetera
runs through October 26 at Milk
Gallery, 450 W. 15th St., NYC,
(212) 645-2797, milkstudios.com;
special-edition hardcover catalog,
$100, available at Tommy
Hilfiger stores and tommy.com
MICHAEL SLENSKE Photos:
Sam Haskins
ELLE
continued from page 61
—Erin Clements
Answers:
1: All of the Above
2. Rage
3. Dior J'Adore
4. Coco Before Chanel
5. Versace
Photo: Getty Images
ELLE page 61
62 Media Internet News Record

Research Brief: Data Details On the Ad Expenditure Decline

Through June of 2009
(MediaPost | Media News) June 2008) -15.7% 18.0% service providers boosted
Submitted at 9/25/2009 6:15:59 AM Media sector & Sub-Type (in FSIs 5 Telecommunications category
rank order of 2009 spending) 4.6% General Motors Corp spending.. Financial Services
According to data recently % Change Total $773.1 advertising sank as consumer
released by TNS Media Television media -14.3% $1,043.5 lending seized up and credit card
Intelligence, total measured -10.0% Source: TNS Media -25.9% companies and loan providers
advertising expenditures in the Network TV Intelligence, September 2009 6 severely curtailed their marketing
first six months of 2009 fell -5.5% The top 10 advertisers in the News Corp programs. Consumer-packaged
14.3% versus a year ago, to Cable TV first six months of 2009 spent a $672.3 goods, traditionally looked to as a
$60.87 billion,. Ad spending -3.6% combined total of $7,866.4 $722.4 pillar of strength in advertising
during the second quarter of 2009 Spot TV 2 million, a 3.5% decrease from last -6.9% recessions, performed better than
was off 13.9% compared to last -27.1% year. Across the top 100 7 the overall ad market but still
year, the fifth consecutive quarter Syndication - National companies, a more diversified Sprint Nextel Corp wound up in negative territory.
of year-over-year declines. -0.7% group of marketers representing $631.1 Top Ten Advertising
Jon Swallen, SVP Research at Spanish Language TV almost one-half of total ad $406.5 Categories(Jan-June 2009 vs. Jan-
TNS Media Intelligence, notes -12.7% expenditures, spending fell by 55.3% June 2008)
that "...the market has been Magazine media 6.2%. Media companies rounded 8 Rank
steadily tracking at around 14% -20.9% out the Top 10. At each of these Time Warner Inc Category
declines for several consecutive Consumer Magazines advertisers, results were primarily $574.3 Jan-June 2009 (Millions)
months... (but) early data from -20.1% shaped by their movie studio $645.7 Jan-June 2008 (Millions)
third quarter hint at possible B-to-B Magazines divisions. -11.1% % Change
improvements for some media -26.7% Top Ten Advertisers(Jan-June 9 1
due to easy comparisons against Sunday Magazines 2009 vs. Jan-June 2008) General Electric Co Automotive
distressed levels of year ago -18.6% Rank $548.3 $4,449.5
expenditures..." Local Magazines Company $521.5 $6,462.0
Internet display and FSI's were -25.7% Jan-June 2009 (Millions $) 5.1% -31.1%
the only media to achieve Spanish Language Magazines Jan-June 2008 (Millions $) 10 Manufacturers
expenditure growth in the first -27.3% % Change Walt Disney Co $3,168.7
half of 2009. Print media Newspaper media 1 $517.6 $4,039.7
continued to suffer large rollbacks -24.2% Verizon Communications Inc $585.9 -21.6%
in ad pages from key categories Newspapers (Local) $1,188.4 -11.7% Dealers
and this resulted in aggregate -24.1% $1,152.6 Total $1,280.9
spending declines for Newspaper National Newspapers 3.1% $7,866.4 $2,422.3
media and Magazine media. -24.9% 2 $8,153.3 -47.1%
Within these broad sectors, there Spanish Language Newspapers Procter & Gamble Co -3.5% 2
was little difference in the -20.5% $1,178.4 Source: TNS Media Telecom
performance of individual media Internet(display ads only) $1,472.9 Intelligence, September 2009 $4,276.4
sub-types. Total spending in 6.5% -20.0% The ten largest advertising $3,976.9
Radio media was down due to Radio media 3 categories in the first half of 2009 7.5%
ongoing weakness in automotive, -24.6% AT&T Inc spent a total of $33,588.8 million, 3
retail and local services. Among Local Radio $976.8 a drop of 14.5% from a year ago. Financial Services
Television media, ad spending on -25.5% $919.3 Automotive barely held on to the $3,752.1
Network TV declined as did National Spot Radio 6.3% top spot after expenditures $4,955.0
Cable TV slipped in the first half -29.2% 4 plunged. Dealer spending was off -24.3%
of 2009. Network Radio Johnson & Johnson more sharply than manufacturers. 4
Percent Change in Measured Ad -8.7% $805.9 Heightened competition among
Spending(Jan-June 2009 vs. Jan- Outdoor $683.1 wireless phone companies and TV RESEARCH page 64
Internet News Record
MediaDailyNews: ABC Wins In A 'Flash'
(MediaPost | Media News)
Submitted at 9/25/2009 10:58:18 AM
ABC continues its winning ways
in the first week of the new
season: New sci-fi drama "Flash
Forward" did big numbers on
Thursday, while "Grey's
Anatomy" big premiere crushed
everyone.
Highly marketed "Forward" did
what it was supposed to: Garner
huge sampling among viewers for
its series debut -- a Nielsen
preliminary 4.1/12. It won the
time period over CBS' stalwart
"Survivor: Samoa," which reigned
in a 3.7/11 and easily bested
"Ugly Betty" numbers in the time
slot of a year ago.
At 9 p.m., ABC's big "Grey's
Anatomy" two-hour premiere
took over where it left off last
year -- a monstrous 6.7 rating/18
share, crushing all comers. CBS's
"CSI" premiere could only
manage a 4.1/10 and NBC's "The
Office" with a low-ish 3.8/10.
NBC's new critically acclaimed
comedy "Community" at 9:30
p.m., ducking for cover, could
only get to a humble 2.8/7.
In the 10 p.m. hour "Grey" also
took care of CBS' "The
Mentalist," which moved into the
time period this year. "Mentalist"
did a respectable 3.4/9. It could
improve some when ABC's other
good, but not great, rated medical
drama "Private Practice" starts up
later. CBS said "Mentalist"
Media 63
Magazine
numbers were higher than what
the time period did in ‘'08.
While results are still
week ago.
For the night, ABC was the easy
leader among 18-49 viewers a
5.85
ABC
Grey's Anatomy (season
Rack:
preliminary, "Anatomy" looks to
tie Fox's "House" as the best -
rated broadcast TV show of the
5.8/16; CBS was at a 3.7/10; Fox, premiere)
a 2.5/7; NBC, a 2.3/6; Univision,
a 1.5/4; and CW a 1.4/4.
6.6/17
17.06
Bookmarks
new season. Time CBS (MediaPost | Media News)
NBC struggled throughout, Network CSI (season premiere) Submitted at 9/25/2009 11:41:29 AM
especially early on: "SNL Show 4.1/10
Weekend Update Thursday got to 18-49 Rating/Share 15.72 Wow, even the letters are
a 1.8/5 and returning "Parks & Viewers (Millions) NBC interesting in Bookmarks. That
Recreation" did the same 1.8/5. At 8:00 The Office tagline -- "For Everyone Who
10 p.m., "The Jay Leno" show ABC 3.8/10 Hasn't Read Everything" -- seems
drifted to its lowest numbers in its FlashForward (series premiere) 7.33 to attract the best and the
two weeks on the air: 1.7/5. That 4.1/12 CW brightest. A previous column on
said, network and media agency 12.41 Supernatural "Books I Didn't Finish" generates
executives estimated the "Leno" CBS 1.2/3 a whole page of responses in the
season average to be in the 1.7 to Survivor: Samoa 2.62 September-October issue
1.8 rating range. 3.7/11 9:30 (admittedly, I have to add myself
Fox came in with some 11.87 NBC to the list for "Love in the Time of
predictable results: "Bones" with FOX Community Cholera.") And one reader even
a 2.7/8, in third place at 8 p.m. Bones 2.8/7 expands the dialogue to include
with "Fringe," in its new 9 p.m. 2..7/8 5.36 "Books I Finished but Wish I
Thursday time period, coming in 8.80 10:00 Hadn't."
lower than its average of a year NBC ABC In an age of quick reads,
ago: 2.3/6. SNL Weekend Update Thursday Grey's Anatomy (season Bookmarks is for those who take
CW's strongest new show, 1.8/5 premiere) reading seriously. The bulk of the
"Vampire Diaries" at 8 p.m., 4.66 6.7/18 book is devoted to summaries of
generally maintained its numbers CW 16.52 published reviews, gathered and
versus a week ago, its series debut The Vampire Diaries CBS synopsized into neat bundles.
grew a bit to 6% among 18-49 1.7/5 The Mentalist (season premiere) Thinking of buying "Pygmy," the
viewers to a 1.7/5. It stayed the 3.81 3.4/9 newest from Chuck Palahniuk?
same against its more core women 8:30 14.33 Well, here on page 38 is a brief
18-34 viewers, still a healthy NBC NBC plot outline, excerpts of six
2.6/9. Among all 18-34 viewers, it Parks & Recreation The Jay Leno Show reviews ranging from the U.K.'s
did a 1.8/6. 1.8/5 1.7/5 Guardian to The New York
At 9 p.m., things were tough for 4.22 4.99 Times, and -- most useful of all --
CW's "Supernatural," slipping a 9:00 Source: The Nielsen Company a "Critical Summary" that slices
bit among 18-34 viewers to a FOX and dices and aggregates the best
1.2/3, but staying the same among Fringe of the informed opinions.
18-49 viewers: a 1.2/3 versus a 2.3/6 Just as Orbitz pulls together 10
hotel deals onto a single screen,
so Bookmarks amasses and
catalogues current literary
criticism. It's a niche that many
readers clearly believe needs to be
filled. In fact, no less a fan than
the late Kurt Vonnegut is quoted
MAGAZINE page 64
64 Media Internet News Record
RESEARCH
continued from page 62
MAGAZINE
continued from page 63
Local Services & Amusements Total -16.6% on the magazine's Web site, The "Contemporary Authors"
$3,723.2 $33,588.8 Total gushing in part, "nowhere else feature in this issue focuses on the
$4,423.3 $39,291.8 $3,033.9 have I found such thoughtful and novelist Lisa See, and provides
-15.8% -14.5% $4,297.5 literate reporting on the state of detailed summaries and reviews
5 Source: TNS Media -29.4% the American soul." of her collected works, as well as
Direct Response Intelligence, September 2009 Source: TNS Media There are rules to this scheme. a Q&A about her latest,
$3,277.4 Elsewhere, the impact of the Intelligence, September 2009 Bookmarks pledges not to give "Shanghai Girls." A similar but
$3,824.2 housing market slowdown was Branded entertainment tracking away crucial plot points, and goes shorter profile focuses on Martin
-14.3% reflected in sharply lower ad identifies brand appearances and to great lengths to explain its Clancy, the Canadian author of
6 spending from housing-related measures their duration and editorial reluctance in providing a the debut novel "How to Sell."
Miscellaneous Retail1 categories. attributes. The report concludes collective rating system for new So is there any reason to find
$3,142.1 Housing-Related Advertising that duration is a more relevant books. But there's a caveat: fault with Bookmarks? Well, yes.
$3,833.1 Categories(Jan-June 2009 vs. Jan- metric than a count of occurrences "There is no substitute for reading The big names and the big books
-18.0% June 2008) for quantifying and comparing the the book yourself and forming get plenty of ink, from Alice
7 Category gross amount of brand activity your own opinion." Hoffman to John Updike to Anita
Food & Candy Jan-June 2009 (Millions) that viewers are potentially Up in the front of the book is a Brookner. But what Bookmarks
$3,031.9 Jan-June 2008 (Millions) exposed to in the program versus cool section dubbed "Have You does so well it should do more
$3,181.2 % Change in the commercial breaks. Read?," in which subscribers send often: namely, exposing lesser-
-4.7% Home & Building Retailers In the second quarter of 2009, in their own reading lists and mini known authors to a wider
8 $1,696.7 an average hour of monitored -reviews. Yet can it really be audience. Many writers complain
Restaurants $2,220.6 prime time network programming coincidence that the two readers the major book reviews and chain
$2,866.4 -23.6% contained 9 minutes, 51 seconds selected for this issue -- from San bookstores have something of a
$2,848.0 Real Estate of in-show brand appearances, Pedro, Calif. and Corydon, Ind. -- stranglehold on the industry, and
0.6% $551.3 and 14:05 per hour of network are both retired librarians? funnel a relatively select few
9 $1,118.2 commercial messages. The Similarly, "Book Group" provides works through the distribution
Personal Care Products -50.7% combined total of 23:56 per hour in-depth profiles, in this case of chain. To its credit, Bookmarks
$2,662.5 Home Furnishings & of marketing clutter represents the Smarty Pants Book Club, so offers insights into books that
$2,947.6 Appliances 40% of a prime-time hour. named because its members otherwise might remain below the
-9.7% $428.7 To read the complete report, actually get together and discuss, radar -- but bumping up the ratio
10 $530.3 please visit TNS Media you know, the book at hand. of pages devoted to unknown
Travel & Tourism -19.2% Intelligence here. But Bookmarks isn't all bite- authors would give readers
$2,407.3 Building Materials sized and anecdotal. The four- something they won't find in any
$2,840.6 $357.2 page feature on Jorge Luis other magazine.
-15.3% $428.4 Borges, definitively and aptly And therein lies the rub.
described as "the master of the Ultimately Bookmarks induces its
postmodern short story," is a own sort of ennui. Ironically, you
TV Watch: Where Will New TV compelling read in which Andrew
Benedict Nelson makes a
come to realize there are so many
books. Heck, there are so many
convincing case that magazines. And you've got
Programming Ideas Come From? postmodernism itself is best
expressed in the shorter form --
absolutely nothing saved for
retirement, so you'll finally have
(MediaPost | Media News) Television Network (RTN)-- the programmers were pleading for what he terms "a powerful the time to read them all.
Submitted at 9/25/2009 9:45:23 AM local digital-TV signal based TV more time periods because the intellectual kick at 20 pages." MAG STATS
network -- believes there is much very strong business of local Readers of Bookmarks no doubt Published by: Bookmarks
The future of TV seems to be -- more programming to come, at broadcast television was like a will find added metaphorical Publishing, LLC
of all places -- Chattanooga, least locally anyway. money-printing machine. meaning in reading about Frequency: 6 times per year
Tenn. Two decades ago (when cable Now, a couple of decades too "Library of Babel," a Borges story W e b s i t e :
Forget about your West Coast TV networks weren't really late, TV programmers get their "where the sheer quantity of www.bookmarksmagazine.com
and East Coast-centric ideas. The s u c c e s s f u l i n t h e o r i g i n a l added shelf space. But guess books has deprived them of all
man who gave you the programming business) meaning." Indeed.
Chattanooga-based Retro syndication and other TV WATCH: page 65
Internet News Record
WATCH:
continued from page 64
what? So has everyone else. In
addition to local digital TV
platforms, there are a plethora of
other strong distribution points --
cable and the Internet, for
example.
Local TV digital networks are
still a work in progress.
Interestingly, many are starting
out as many cable networks did --
running classic old TV sitcoms
and dramas, as RTN does.
Henry Lukens, the founder of
RTN, believes you could have as
many as 25 local and thriving
digital networks per market. But
other executives believe for this to
happen, local digital networks
would need to evolve --
drastically -- from what is
currently offered over the air now.
These local digital signals need
65
to be very different from their
local mothership TV stations, or
that of national cable networks.
Programmers would have to
find micro-niche networks,
perhaps targeting certain parts of
markets/cities where viewers have
specific interest. For example, one
local TV group is focusing on
regional high school events.
So it's really not just about TV
programming ideas from
Chattanooga, the home of RTN.
It's actually about developing
programming from and for
Portland, Ore; French Lick, Ind.;
Spokane, Wash.; Dothan, Ala;
Watertown, NY; Bixby, Okla; and
other places.