Saturday, December 31, 2011

Google Plus 'will have more than 400m users by the end of 2012' - will ...

Coordinates40?26?30?N80?00?00?N
nameMark Zuckerberg
birth nameMark Elliot Zuckerberg
birth dateMay 14, 1984
birth placeWhite Plains, New York, U.S.
ethnicityJewish
alma materHarvard University (dropped out)
occupationCEO/President of Facebook (24% shareholder in 2010)
networth US$13.5?billion (2011)
relativesRandi, Donna and Arielle (sisters)
awardsTIME Person of the Year 2010
residencePalo Alto, California
known forCo-founding Facebook in 2004; becoming world's youngest billionaire as of 2008
websiteFacebook.com/MarkZuckerberg }}

Mark Elliot Zuckerberg (born May 14, 1984) is an American computer programmer and Internet entrepreneur. He is best known for co-creating the social networking site Facebook, of which he is chief executive and president. It was co-founded as a private company in 2004 by Zuckerberg and classmates Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin, and Chris Hughes while they were students at Harvard University. In 2010, Zuckerberg was named Time magazine's Person of the Year. , his personal wealth was estimated to be $13.5?billion.

Personal life

Zuckerberg was born in 1984 in White Plains, New York to Karen, a psychiatrist, and Edward Zuckerberg, a dentist. He and his three sisters, Randi, Donna, and Arielle, were brought up in Dobbs Ferry, New York. Zuckerberg was raised Jewish and had his bar mitzvah when he turned 13, although he has since described himself as an atheist.

At Ardsley High School, Zuckerberg had excelled in the classics before transferring to Phillips Exeter Academy in his junior year, where he won prizes in science (math, astronomy and physics) and Classical studies (on his college application, Zuckerberg listed as non-English languages he could read and write: French, Hebrew, Latin, and ancient Greek) and was a fencing star and captain of the fencing team. In college, he was known for reciting lines from epic poems such as The Iliad.

At a party put on by his fraternity during his sophomore year, Zuckerberg met Priscilla Chan, a Chinese-American fellow student originally from the Boston suburbs (Braintree, Massachusetts), and they have dated continuously, except for a brief period, since 2003. In September 2010, Zuckerberg invited Chan, by then a medical student at the University of California, San Francisco, to move into his rented Palo Alto house. Zuckerberg studied Mandarin Chinese every day in preparation for the couple's visit to China in December 2010. , Facebook is blocked by that country's Internet firewall.

On Zuckerberg's Facebook page, he listed his personal interests as "openness, making things that help people connect and share what's important to them, revolutions, information flow, minimalism". Zuckerberg sees blue best because of red?green colorblindness; blue is also Facebook's dominant color.

In May 2011, it was reported that Zuckerberg had bought a five bedroom house in Palo Alto for $7?million.

Software developer

Early years

Zuckerberg began using computers and writing software as a child in middle school. His father taught him Atari BASIC Programming in the 1990s, and later hired software developer David Newman to tutor him privately. Newman calls him a "prodigy," adding that it was "tough to stay ahead of him." Zuckerberg also took a graduate course in the subject at Mercy College near his home while he was still in high school. He enjoyed developing computer programs, especially communication tools and games. In one such program, since his father's dental practice was operated from their home, he built a software program he called "ZuckNet," which allowed all the computers between the house and dental office to communicate by pinging each other. It is considered a "primitive" version of AOL's Instant Messenger, which came out the following year.

According to writer Jose Antonio Vargas, "some kids played computer games. Mark created them." Zuckerberg himself recalls this period: "I had a bunch of friends who were artists. They'd come over, draw stuff, and I'd build a game out of it." However, notes Vargas, Zuckerberg was not a typical "geek-klutz," as he later became captain of his prep school fencing team and earned a classics diploma. Napster employee Sean Parker, a close friend, notes that Zuckerberg was "really into Greek odysseys and all that stuff,? recalling how he once quoted lines from the Latin epic poem Aeneid, by Virgil, during a Facebook product conference.

During Zuckerberg's high school years, under the company name Intelligent Media Group, he built a music player called the Synapse Media Player that used artificial intelligence to learn the user's listening habits, which was posted to Slashdot and received a rating of 3 out of 5 from PC Magazine. Microsoft and AOL tried to purchase Synapse and recruit Zuckerberg, but he chose instead to enroll at Harvard University in September 2002.

Harvard years

By the time he began classes at Harvard, he had already achieved a "reputation as a programming prodigy," notes Vargas. He studied psychology and computer science and belonged to Alpha Epsilon Pi, a Jewish fraternity. In his sophomore year, he wrote a program he called CourseMatch, which allowed users to make class selection decisions based on the choices of other students and also to help them form study groups. A short time later, he created a different program he initially called Facemash that let students select the best looking person from a choice of photos. According to Zuckerberg's roommate at the time, Arie Hasit, "he built the site for fun." Hasit explains:
We had books called Face Books, which included the names and pictures of everyone who lived in the student dorms. At first, he built a site and placed two pictures, or pictures of two males and two females. Visitors to the site had to choose who was "hotter" and according to the votes there would be a ranking.

The site went up over a weekend, but by Monday morning the college shut it down because its popularity had overwhelmed Harvard's server and prevented students from accessing the Internet. In addition, many students complained that their photos were being used without permission. Zuckerberg apologized publicly, and the student paper ran articles stating that his site was "completely improper."

Around the time of Facemash, however, students were requesting that the university develop an internal website that would include similar photos and contact details. According to Hasit, "Mark heard these pleas and decided that if the university won't do something about it, he will, and he would build a site that would be even better than what the university had planned."

Facebook

Founding and goals

Zuckerberg launched Facebook from his Harvard dormitory room on February 4, 2004. An earlier inspiration for Facebook may have come from Phillips Exeter Academy, the prep school from which Zuckerberg graduated in 2002. It published its own student directory, ?The Photo Address Book,? which students referred to as ?The Facebook.? Such photo directories were an important part of the student social experience at many private schools. With them, students were able to list attributes such as their class years, their proximities to friends, and their telephone numbers.

Once at college, Zuckerberg's Facebook started off as just a "Harvard thing" until Zuckerberg decided to spread it to other schools, enlisting the help of roommate Dustin Moskovitz. They first started it at Stanford, Dartmouth, Columbia, New York University, Cornell, Penn, Brown, and Yale, and then at other schools that had social contacts with Harvard.

Zuckerberg moved to Palo Alto, California, with Moskovitz and some friends. They leased a small house that served as an office. Over the summer, Zuckerberg met Peter Thiel who invested in the company. They got their first office in mid-2004. According to Zuckerberg, the group planned to return to Harvard but eventually decided to remain in California. They had already turned down offers by major corporations to buy out Facebook. In an interview in 2007, Zuckerberg explained his reasoning:

It's not because of the amount of money. For me and my colleagues, the most important thing is that we create an open information flow for people. Having media corporations owned by conglomerates is just not an attractive idea to me.

He restated these same goals to Wired magazine in 2010: "The thing I really care about is the mission, making the world open." Earlier, in April 2009, Zuckerberg sought the advice of former Netscape CFO Peter Currie about financing strategies for Facebook. On July 21, 2010, Zuckerberg reported that the company reached the 500 million-user mark. When asked whether Facebook could earn more income from advertising as a result of its phenomenal growth, he explained:

I guess we could ... If you look at how much of our page is taken up with ads compared to the average search query. The average for us is a little less than 10 percent of the pages and the average for search is about 20 percent taken up with ads ... That?s the simplest thing we could do. But we aren?t like that. We make enough money. Right, I mean, we are keeping things running; we are growing at the rate we want to.

In 2010, Steven Levy, who authored the 1984 book Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution, wrote that Zuckerberg "clearly thinks of himself as a hacker." Zuckerberg said that "it's OK to break things" "to make them better." Facebook instituted "hackathons" held every six to eight weeks where participants would have one night to conceive of and complete a project. The company provided music, food, and beer at the hackathons, and many Facebook staff members, including Zuckerberg, regularly attended. "The idea is that you can build something really good in a night", Zuckerberg told Levy. "And that's part of the personality of Facebook now ... It's definitely very core to my personality."

Vanity Fair magazine named Zuckerberg number 1 on its 2010 list of the Top 100 "most influential people of the Information Age". Zuckerberg ranked number 23 on the Vanity Fair 100 list in 2009. In 2010, Zuckerberg was chosen as number 16 in New Statesman's annual survey of the world's 50 most influential figures.

Wirehog

A month after Facebook launched in February 2004, i2hub, another campus-only service, created by Wayne Chang, was launched. i2hub focused on peer-to-peer file sharing. At the time, both i2hub and Facebook were gaining the attention of the press and growing rapidly in users and publicity. In August 2004, Zuckerberg, Andrew McCollum, Adam D'Angelo, and Sean Parker launched a competing peer-to-peer file sharing service called Wirehog, a precursor to Facebook Platform applications.

Platform and Beacon

On May 24, 2007, Zuckerberg announced Facebook Platform, a development platform for programmers to create social applications within Facebook. Within weeks, many applications had been built and some already had millions of users. It grew to more than 800,000 developers around the world building applications for Facebook Platform. On July 23, 2008, Zuckerberg announced Facebook Connect, a version of Facebook Platform for users.

On November 6, 2007, Zuckerberg announced a new social advertising system called Beacon, which enabled people to share information with their Facebook friends based on their browsing activities on other sites. For example, eBay sellers could let friends know automatically what they have for sale via the Facebook news feed as they list items for sale. The program came under scrutiny because of privacy concerns from groups and individual users. Zuckerberg and Facebook failed to respond to the concerns quickly, and on December 5, 2007, Zuckerberg wrote a blog post on Facebook taking responsibility for the concerns about Beacon and offering an easier way for users to opt out of the service.

In 2007, Zuckerberg was named to the MIT Technology Review TR35 as one of the top 35 innovators in the world under the age of 35.

Legal controversies

ConnectU lawsuits

Harvard students Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss, and Divya Narendra accused Zuckerberg of intentionally making them believe he would help them build a social network called HarvardConnection.com (later called ConnectU). They filed a lawsuit in 2004 but it was dismissed on a technicality on March 28, 2007. It was refiled soon thereafter in federal court in Boston. Facebook counter sued in regards to Social Butterfly, a project put out by The Winklevoss Chang Group, an alleged partnership between ConnectU and i2hub. On June 25, 2008, the case settled and Facebook agreed to transfer over 1.2?million common shares and pay $20?million in cash.

In November 2007, confidential court documents were posted on the website of 02138, a magazine that catered to Harvard alumni. They included Zuckerberg's social security number, his parents' home address, and his girlfriend's address. Facebook filed to have the documents removed, but the judge ruled in favor of 02138.

Saverin lawsuit

A lawsuit filed by Eduardo Saverin against Facebook and Zuckerberg was settled out of court. Though terms of the settlement were sealed, the company affirmed Saverin's title as co-founder of Facebook. Saverin signed a non-disclosure contract after the settlement.

Pakistan criminal investigation

In June 2010, Pakistani Deputy Attorney General Muhammad Azhar Sidiqque launched a criminal investigation into Zuckerberg and Facebook co-founders Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes after a "Draw Muhammad" contest was hosted on Facebook. The investigation also named the anonymous German woman who created the contest. Sidiqque asked the country's police to contact Interpol to have Zuckerberg and the three others arrested for blasphemy. On May 19, 2010, Facebook's website was temporarily blocked in Pakistan until Facebook removed the contest from its website at the end of May. Sidiqque also asked its UN representative to raise the issue with the United Nations General Assembly.

Paul Ceglia

On June 30, 2010, Paul Ceglia, the owner of a wood pellet fuel company in Allegany County, upstate New York, filed a lawsuit against Zuckerberg, claiming 84% ownership of Facebook and seeking monetary damages. According to Ceglia, he and Zuckerberg signed a contract on April 28, 2003 that an initial fee of $1,000 entitled Ceglia to 50% of the website's revenue, as well as an additional 1% interest in the business per day after January 1, 2004, until website completion. Zuckerberg was developing other projects at the time, among which was Facemash, the predecessor of Facebook, but did not register the domain name thefacebook.com until January 1, 2004. Facebook management dismissed the lawsuit as "completely frivolous". Facebook spokesman Barry Schnitt told a reporter that Ceglia's counsel had unsuccessfully sought an out-of-court settlement.

The contract itself says that Ceglia agreed to pay Zuckerberg $1,000 for StreetFax and $1,000 for another project called PageBook. The contract also mentions an expanded project called The Face Book to be completed by January 2004, saying ?an additional 1% interest in the business will be due the buyer for each day the website is delayed from that date?. Ceglia has proffered a $1,000 receipt from his checkbook, dated six months after the contract as evidence that he paid Zuckerberg for his work. But it wasn't the full $2,000 amount, and the agreement doesn?t describe what happens if there is a default.

In an interview with ABC World News, Zuckerberg stated he was confident he had never signed such an agreement. At the time, Zuckerberg worked for Ceglia as a code developer on a project named "StreetFax". Judge Thomas Brown issued a restraining order on all financial transfers concerning ownership of Facebook until further notice; in response, Facebook removed the case to federal court and asked that the state court injunction be dissolved. According to Facebook, the injunction would not affect their business and lacked any legal basis.

Depictions in media

The Social Network

A movie based on Zuckerberg and the founding years of Facebook, called The Social Network was released on October 1, 2010, and stars Jesse Eisenberg as Zuckerberg. After Zuckerberg was told about the film, he responded, "I just wished that nobody made a movie of me while I was still alive." Also, after the film's script was leaked on the Internet and it was apparent that the film would not portray Zuckerberg in a wholly positive light, he stated that he wanted to establish himself as a "good guy". The film is based on the book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich, which the book's publicist once described as "big juicy fun" rather than "reportage." The film's screenwriter Aaron Sorkin told New York magazine, "I don't want my fidelity to be to the truth; I want it to be to storytelling", adding, "What is the big deal about accuracy purely for accuracy's sake, and can we not have the true be the enemy of the good?"

Upon winning the Golden Globes award for Best Picture on January 16, 2011, producer Scott Rudin thanked Facebook and Zuckerberg "for his willingness to allow us to use his life and work as a metaphor through which to tell a story about communication and the way we relate to each other.? Sorkin, who won for Best Screenplay, retracted some of the impressions given in his script: :"I wanted to say to Mark Zuckerberg tonight, if you're watching, Rooney Mara's character makes a prediction at the beginning of the movie. She was wrong. You turned out to be a great entrepreneur, a visionary, and an incredible altruist."

On January 29, 2011, Zuckerberg made a surprise guest appearance on Saturday Night Live, which was being hosted by Jesse Eisenberg. They both said it was the first time they ever met. Eisenberg asked Zuckerberg, who had been critical of his portrayal by the film, what he thought of the movie. Zuckerberg replied, "It was interesting." In a subsequent interview about their meeting, Eisenberg explains that he was "nervous to meet him, because I had spent now, a year and a half thinking about him. . ." He adds, "Mark has been so gracious about something that?s really so uncomfortable....The fact that he would do SNL and make fun of the situation is so sweet and so generous. It?s the best possible way to handle something that, I think, could otherwise be very uncomfortable."

Disputed accuracy

Author Jeff Jarvis, of the forthcoming book Public Parts, interviewed Zuckerberg and believes Sorkin has made too much of the story up. He states, "That's what the internet is accused of doing, making stuff up, not caring about the facts."

According to David Kirkpatrick, former technology editor at Fortune magazine and author of The Facebook Effect:The Inside Story of the Company That Is Connecting the World, (2011), "the film is only "40% true. . . he is not snide and sarcastic in a cruel way, the way Zuckerberg is played in the movie." He says that "a lot of the factual incidents are accurate, but many are distorted and the overall impression is false," and concludes that primarily "his motivations were to try and come up with a new way to share information on the internet."

Although the film portrays Zuckerberg's creation of Facebook in order to elevate his stature after not getting into any of the elite final clubs at Harvard, Zuckerberg himself said he had no interest in joining the final clubs. Kirkpatrick agrees that the impression implied by the film is "false."

Karel Baloun, a former senior engineer at Facebook, notes that the "image of Zuckerberg as a socially inept nerd is overstated . . .It is fiction. . ." He likewise dismisses the film's assertion that he "would deliberately betray a friend."

Other depictions

Zuckerberg voiced himself on an episode of The Simpsons, "Loan-a Lisa", which first aired on October 3, 2010. In the episode, Lisa Simpson and her friend Nelson encounter Zuckerberg at an entrepreneurs' convention. Zuckerberg tells Lisa that she does not need to graduate from college to be wildly successful, referencing Bill Gates and Richard Branson as examples.

On October 9, 2010, Saturday Night Live lampooned Zuckerberg and Facebook. Andy Samberg played Zuckerberg. The real Zuckerberg was reported to have been amused: "I thought this was funny."

Stephen Colbert awarded a "Medal of Fear" to Zuckerberg at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear on October 30, 2010, "because he values his privacy much more than he values yours."

Philanthropy

Zuckerberg donated an undisclosed amount to Diaspora, an open-source personal web server that implements a distributed social networking service. He called it a "cool idea."

Zuckerberg founded the Start-up: Education foundation. On September 22, 2010, it was reported that Zuckerberg had arranged to donate $100?million to Newark Public Schools, the public school system of Newark, New Jersey. Critics noted the timing of the donation as being close to the release of The Social Network, which painted a somewhat negative portrait of Zuckerberg. Zuckerberg responded to the criticism, saying, "The thing that I was most sensitive about with the movie timing was, I didn?t want the press about 'The Social Network' movie to get conflated with the Newark project. I was thinking about doing this anonymously just so that the two things could be kept separate." Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker stated that he and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie had to convince Zuckerberg's team not to make the donation anonymously.

On December 9, 2010, Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and investor Warren Buffett signed a promise they called the "Giving Pledge", in which they promised to donate to charity at least half of their wealth over the course of time, and invited others among the wealthy to donate 50% or more of their wealth to charity.

References

External links

;Document list
  • Mark Zuckerberg's patents at ip.com
  • ;Interviews Video of interview, Leslie Stahl, Sixty Minutes
  • Video of Interview, Rick Stengel, Time Magazine December 2010
  • Category:1984 births Category:American atheists Category:American billionaires Category:American computer businesspeople Category:American computer programmers Category:American Internet personalities Category:American Jews Category:Businesspeople in information technology Category:Child businesspeople Category:Facebook employees Category:Harvard University alumni Category:Jewish atheists Category:Living people Category:People from Westchester County, New York Category:Phillips Exeter Academy alumni Category:TR35 winners

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    Source: http://article.wn.com/view/2011/12/30/Google_Plus_will_have_more_than_400m_users_by_the_end_of_201/

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    Friday, December 30, 2011

    Traver Rains: Feel the Love: Celebrities Rock T-Shirts to Help Prevent LGBTQ Teen Suicide (PHOTOS)

    I was inspired to start the "Feel the Love" campaign in direct response to the continued wave of bullying and suicides happening in this country involving LGBTQ youth. I was especially touched by the story of 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer, who took his life this year after being relentlessly bullied by his peers because of his sexuality. As a designer, I wanted to do my part to help raise awareness, support, and money for LGBTQ teen suicide prevention, as well as promote tolerance, acceptance, and love amongst gay youth and the people who love them.

    The graphic and slogan for the shirt were inspired by the notion that no matter how bad things get, we all have the ability overcome adversity. It symbolizes our ability to mend the emotional wounds inflicted on us as well as the resilience of the human spirit. It represents hope, strength, and, most of all, love.

    Proceeds for from t-shirt sales are donated to the Trevor Project, the nation's leading organization for suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth.

    Join the growing list of supporters, which already includes Margaret Cho, Alan Cumming, Scissor Sisters, Taylor Dayne, Raja, Kaya Jones, Mike Manning, and CariDee English.

    PHOTOS:

    Actor Alan Cumming

    1?of?11

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    Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/traver-rains/feel-the-love-t-shirts_b_1173374.html

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    LG Kicks Off CES 2012 Early With New TV Tech

    CES is nigh on two weeks away, but apparently LG can't wait that long to start dishing about its 2012 products for the TV space. On deck: a huge OLED TV and lighter, more stylish 3-D glasses.

    Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/Ml1IhZkgsOQ/

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    Thursday, December 29, 2011

    Cranky croc steals Aussie zoo worker's lawn mower (AP)

    SYDNEY ? A giant saltwater crocodile named Elvis with an apparent affinity for household machinery charged at an Australian reptile park worker Wednesday before stealing his lawn mower.

    Tim Faulkner, operations manager at the Australian Reptile Park, north of Sydney, was one of three workers tending to the lawn in Elvis' enclosure when he heard reptile keeper Billy Collett let out a yelp. Faulkner looked up to see the 16-foot (5-meter), 1,100-pound (500-kilogram) crocodile lunging out of its lagoon at Collett, who warded the creature off with his mower.

    "Before we knew it, the croc had the mower above his head," Faulkner said. "He got his jaws around the top of the mower and picked it up and took it underwater with him."

    The workers quickly left the enclosure. Elvis, meanwhile, showed no signs of relinquishing his new toy and sat guarding it closely all morning.

    Eventually, Faulkner realized he had no other choice but to go back in after the mower.

    Collett lured Elvis to the opposite end of the lagoon with a heaping helping of kangaroo meat while Faulkner plunged, fully clothed, into the water. Before grabbing the mower, however, he had to search the bottom of the lagoon for two 3-inch (7-centimeter) teeth Elvis lost during the encounter. He quickly found them and escaped from the pool, unharmed and with mower in tow.

    Though many may question the wisdom of going after a couple of teeth with a massive crocodile lurking just feet away, Faulkner said finding them was critical. "They clog up the filter systems," he said.

    And, perhaps more important, he said, "They're a nice souvenir."

    Elvis has a history of cranky behavior and has occasionally lunged at staff before, though this is the first time he has stolen something from one of the workers. The croc was initially captured in the northern Australian city of Darwin, where he had been attacking fishing boats. He was then moved to a crocodile farm, where he proceeded to kill his two crocodile girlfriends.

    In 2008, he was moved to the reptile park, where he has enjoyed solitary confinement in his own enclosure.

    "When they are the dominant croc, they're just full of testosterone," Faulkner said. "He's got his beautiful own yard, he wants to be a solitary creature. He's happy."

    Despite having to give up the lawn mower, Elvis was clearly pleased with himself, Faulkner said.

    "He's beaten us today ... he's kingpin," Faulkner said. "He's going to be walking around with his chest puffed out all day."

    As for the staff at the reptile park?

    "I can't lie, the bosses are not going to be happy about the cost of a new lawn mower," Faulkner said with a laugh. "(But) we love it. No one's injured ... and when you get scared and it all turns out to be good, it's actually quite enjoyable."

    Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111228/ap_on_re_as/as_australia_klepto_crocodile

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    Justin Bieber Gives Pal A Mustang Convertible For Christmas

    Justin Bieber Gives Pal A Mustang Convertible For Christmas

    Justin Bieber treated his childhood friend, Ryan Butler, to an awesome Christmas present this year! Justin gave Ryan a Ford Mustang convertible! The singer surprised [...]

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    Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2011/12/26/justin-bieber-gives-pal-a-mustang-convertible-for-christmas/

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    Wednesday, December 28, 2011

    Yuan hits all-time high, on track for over-4 percent gain in '11 (Reuters)

    SHANGHAI (Reuters) ? The yuan closed up against the dollar on Monday after hitting an all-time high in intraday trading, guided by a stronger mid-point by the People's Bank of China, and looks set for an over-4-percent appreciation for 2011, traders said.

    The yuan is expected to remain stable or rise slightly in the last week of the year to close 2011 near 6.30 versus the dollar, in line with market expectations.

    The currency is likely to continue to appreciate next year as China continues to post big trade surpluses despite a slowdown in exports and amid pressure from the United States to let the yuan rise to balance bilateral trade, traders said.

    But the yuan's appreciation is likely to slow to around 3 percent in 2012, with much of the rise seen in the second half of next year as China may keep the yuan relatively stable in the first half to assess the impact of the euro zone crisis, they said.

    "The PBOC has recently set a slew of strong mid-points and pumped dollars into the market via state banks, giving the market a clear signal that the government won't let the yuan depreciate," said a trader at a major Chinese bank in Shanghai.

    "But the central bank appears not in a hurry to let the yuan appreciate amid global economic uncertainties resulting from the euro zone debt crisis. So the yuan is likely to move largely sideways in coming months."

    Spot yuan closed at 6.3198 against the dollar, up from Friday's close of 6.3364, after hitting an all-time high of 6.3160. Its previous peak was 6.3294 hit on December 16.

    The PBOC set the dollar/yuan mid-point at 6.3167 on Monday, stronger than Friday's 6.3209 and near the record-high fixing of 6.3165 on November 4.

    FIGHTING SPECULATORS

    The yuan has appreciated 4.27 percent so far this year, with most of the gain being recorded in the first 10 months of the year as China tries to rebalance trade and use the currency to help fight high inflation.

    While the government has recently halted yuan appreciation amid slowing exports, it also seems to be wary of a weaker yuan that may lead to capital outflows.

    Some overseas investors appear to have been shorting the yuan in recent months amid signs that China's growth is slowing under the double weight of a global slowdown and the country's monetary tightening policy in place since October last year.

    The PBOC, in addition to using strong mid-points to signal government intentions to keep the yuan stable, has also acted to inject dollars into the market via state-owned banks whenever there are signs that the yuan is set to weaken sharply.

    The yuan has thus been effectively kept in a range of 6.3 to 6.4 against the dollar since early November -- a trend traders say they believe to continue well into 2012.

    In contrast, offshore benchmark one-year non-deliverable forwards (NDFs) have largely been forecasting a yuan depreciation in a year's time since late September, reversing a general trend of predicting an appreciation since the yuan's revaluation in July 2005.

    One-year NDFs fell slightly to 6.3790 on Monday against 6.3810 at the close on Friday, implying that the yuan will depreciate 0.97 percent in 12 months from Modnay's PBOC mid-point, compared with a 1.01 percent fall implied on Friday.

    Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111226/bs_nm/us_markets_china_yuan

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    DesignObserver: John Foster: Merry Christmas from Accidental Mysteries, 12.25.11: A Gallery of Old Soviet Union Christmas Cards http://t.co/sdTdEEp1

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    Source: http://twitter.com/DesignObserver/statuses/151019639843995650

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    Tuesday, December 27, 2011

    Harrods reportedly nabs Porsche Design P'9981 BlackBerry as UK exclusive, costs a princely ?1,275

    The department store Harrods is no stranger to exposing Londoners to some of the finer -- and more eccentric -- things in life, and so after learning that it'd be bringing RIM's Porsche Design P'9981 BlackBerry to its shelves as a UK exclusive, we couldn't help but smile with curiosity. While we've yet to see anything official come across the wires, it's reported that this sexy slab of unlocked goodness will retail for £1,275 and hit stores before the month's end. We've attempted to confirm these details with RIM's UK group but, as it turns out, Brits like going home early on Friday, too.

    Harrods reportedly nabs Porsche Design P'9981 BlackBerry as UK exclusive, costs a princely ?1,275 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Dec 2011 23:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Permalink   |  sourceT3  | Email this | Comments


    Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/RYr_iq5jLS0/

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    Monday, December 26, 2011

    Dekaney football coach plowed by golf cart after state title game

    by Associated Press

    kens5.com

    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 1:17 PM

    Updated Sunday, Dec 18 at 2:11 PM

    ARLINGTON, Texas -- A runaway electric cart raced unmanned from an end zone to midfield at Cowboys Stadium and ploughed into several people, bowling over the winning head coach and others after a Texas high school championship game Saturday night.

    (Watch video below.)

    An emergency medical technician who declined identification by name told The Associated Press that one man who was conscious and talking was taken to a hospital with an apparent leg injury. The Arlington medical technician said he had no further information on the man's condition but he said others hit or grazed by the cart were checked out by emergency workers onfield as a precaution.

    Separately, a Texas sporting league official said a male staffer also was injured, not seriously, when the pilotless cart raced across field after the Texas 5A Division II football championship game. That official also declined identification.

    The electric-powered cart toppled Spring Dekaney coach Willie Amendola, who was being interviewed near the Cowboys midfield star, along with several others clustered about moments after Dekaney had beaten Cibolo Steele 34-14. Hundreds of people were scattered about the field or were still in the stands at the time.

    Televised footage showed a stunned Amendola falling backwards into the cart's passenger seat as it continued racing across the field -- near the end of an unmanned trajectory that lasted merely seconds.

    He apparently tried unsuccesfully to gain control of the cart, spinning the steering wheel with his left hand, before rolling out onto the artificial turf. As he tumbled out, a pursuing field worker finally hopped aboard and gained control, stopping the cart swiftly.

    "We have a disturbance down the field. Apparently one of the carts on the field got loose and I think there have been some folks injured in this. Oh my! That's like a runaway cart there. And it finally took someone to stop it," a shaken announcer is heard commenting on air during the sequence. "That's a scary thing."

    Others are seen laying on the ground afterward as emergency personnel rushed to their aid. One man sprawled motionless was comforted by an emergency technician while, nearby, a police officer helped another stunned man to his feet.

    It was unclear why or how the cart began moving under its own power. Stadium workers were picking up fluorescent orange sideline yard markers and pylons in one of the end zones after the game when the cart unexpectedly took off.

    During its race across the field, the cart appeared to roll over the legs of some of those onfield. Afterward, televised broadcasts showed Amendola conducting another interview with a small streak of blood on his left forearm.

    Source: http://www.kens5.com/sports/football/135826553.html

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    Saturday, December 24, 2011

    New Air Jordans cause US-wide shopping frenzy

    A newly-purchased Air Jordans sneaker is shown in front of a line of customers at the Nike Store at Union Square Friday, Dec. 23, 2011 in San Francisco. The release of Nike's retro Air Jordans caused a frenzy at stores across the nation early Friday, with hundreds of people lining up for a chance to buy the classic basketball shoes and rowdy crowds breaking down doors and starting fights in at least two cities. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

    A newly-purchased Air Jordans sneaker is shown in front of a line of customers at the Nike Store at Union Square Friday, Dec. 23, 2011 in San Francisco. The release of Nike's retro Air Jordans caused a frenzy at stores across the nation early Friday, with hundreds of people lining up for a chance to buy the classic basketball shoes and rowdy crowds breaking down doors and starting fights in at least two cities. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

    Kristopher Rush, 14, shows off the Nike Air Jordan shoes he got for Christmas from his parents Friday, Dec. 23, 2011, outside the Lafayette Square Mall in Indianapolis, where he waited in line with his father and brother for over three hours. Police were called in to control crowds of shoppers flocking Lafayette Square and Castleton Square malls in Indianapolis to control the crowds waiting for the shoes. The release of Nike's retro Air Jordans caused a frenzy at stores across the nation early Friday, with hundreds of people lining up for a chance to buy the classic basketball shoes and rowdy crowds breaking down doors and starting fights in at least two cities. AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star, Danese Kenon) NO SALES

    Police officers make their way through the crowd waiting to buy Nike's newly released Air Jordan 11 Retro Concords to "back up" outside the Trax shoe store Charlotte, N.C. Friday, Dec. 23, 2011. The release of the new basketball shoes caused a frenzy at stores across the nation Friday as scuffles broke out and police were brought in to stamp out unrest that nearly turned into riots in some places. (AP Photo/The Charlotte Observer, Todd Sumlin)

    Kristopher Rush, 14, shows off one of the Nike Air Jordan shoes he got for Christmas from his parents Friday, Dec. 23, 2011, outside the Lafayette Square Mall in Indianapolis, where he waited in line with his father and brother for over three hours. Police were called in to control crowds of shoppers flocking Lafayette Square and Castleton Square malls in Indianapolis to control the crowds waiting for the shoes. The release of Nike's retro Air Jordans caused a frenzy at stores across the nation early Friday, with hundreds of people lining up for a chance to buy the classic basketball shoes and rowdy crowds breaking down doors and starting fights in at least two cities. AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star, Danese Kenon) NO SALES

    Kristopher Rush, 14, stands near a door that was taken off its hinges as a large crowd rushed in to buy the newest Air Jordan shoes at Lafayette Square Mall in Indianapolis Friday, Dec. 23, 2011. Rush waited in line at the mall with his father and brother for over three hours to get his shoes. Police were called in to control crowds of shoppers flocking Lafayette Square and Castleton Square malls in Indianapolis to control the crowds waiting for the shoes. The release of Nike's retro Air Jordans caused a frenzy at stores across the nation early Friday, with hundreds of people lining up for a chance to buy the classic basketball shoes and rowdy crowds breaking down doors and starting fights in at least two cities. (AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star, Danese Kenon) NO SALES

    SEATTLE (AP) ? Fights, vandalism and arrests marked the release of Nike's new Air Jordan basketball shoes as a shopping rush on stores across the United States led to unrest that nearly turned into rioting.

    The outbursts of chaos stretched from Washington state to Georgia as shoppers ? often waiting for hours in lines ? converged on stores Friday in pursuit of the shoes, a retro model of one of the most popular Air Jordans ever made.

    In suburban Seattle, police used pepper spray on about 20 customers who started fighting at the Westfield Southcenter mall. The crowd started gathering at four stores in the mall around midnight and had grown to more than 1,000 people by 4 a.m., when the stores opened, Tukwila Officer Mike Murphy said. He said it started as fighting and pushing among people in line and escalated over the next hour.

    Murphy said no injuries were reported, although some people suffered cuts or scrapes from fights. Shoppers also broke two doors, and 18-year-old man was arrested for assault after authorities say he punched an officer.

    "He did not get his shoes; he went to jail," Murphy said.

    The mayhem was reminiscent of the violence that broke out 20 years ago in many cities as the shoes, endorsed by former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan, became popular targets for thieves. It also had a decidedly Black Friday feel as huge crowds of shoppers overwhelmed stores for a must-have item.

    In some areas, lines began forming several hours before businesses opened for the $180 shoes that were selling in a limited release.

    As the crowds kept growing through the night, they became more unruly and ended in vandalism, violence and arrests.

    A man was stabbed when a brawl broke out between several people waiting in line at a Jersey City, New Jersey mall to buy the new shoes, authorities said. The 20-year-old man was expected to recover from his injuries.

    In Richmond, California, police say crowds waiting to buy the Air Jordan 11 Retro Concords at the Hilltop Mall were turned away after a gunshot rang out around 7 a.m.

    No injuries were reported, but police said a 24-year-old suspect was taken into custody. The gun apparently went off inadvertently, the Contra Costa Times reported.

    Seventeen-year-old Dylan Pulver in Great Neck, New York, said he's been looking forward to the release of the shoes for several years, and he set out at 4:30 a.m. to get a pair. After the first store he tried was too crowded, he moved on to a second location and scored a pair.

    "I probably could have used a half a size smaller, but I was just really happy to have the shoe," he said.

    The frenzy over Air Jordans has been dangerous in the past. Some people were mugged or even killed for early versions of the shoe, created by Nike Inc. in 1984.

    The Air Jordan has since been a consistent hit with sneaker fans, spawning a subculture of collectors willing to wait hours to buy the latest pair. Some collectors save the shoes for special occasions or never take them out of the box.

    A new edition was launched each year, and release dates had to be moved to the weekends at some points to keep kids from skipping school to get a pair.

    But the uproar over the shoe had died down in recent years. These latest incidents seem to be part of trend of increasing acts of violence at retailers this holiday shopping season, such as the shopper who pepper-sprayed others at a Wal-Mart in Los Angeles on Black Friday and crowds looting a clothing store in New York.

    Nike issued a statement in response to the violence that said: "Consumer safety and security is of paramount importance. We encourage anyone wishing to purchase our product to do so in a respectful and safe manner."

    The retro version of the Air Jordan 11 was a highly sought-after shoe because of the design and the fact that the original was released in 1996 when Jordan and the Bulls were at the height of their dominance.

    Pulver said they were a "defining shoe in Jordan's career."

    Other disturbances reported at stores in places like Kentucky and Nebraska ranged from shoving and threats to property damage.

    In Taylor, Michigan, about 100 people forced their way into a shopping center around 5:30 a.m., damaging decorations and overturning benches. Police say a 21-year-old man was arrested.

    In Toledo, Ohio, police said they arrested three people after a crowd surged into a mall.

    In Lithonia, Georgia, at least four people were apparently arrested after customers broke down a door at a store selling the shoes. DeKalb County police said up to 20 squad cars responded.

    In Northern California, two men were arrested at a Fairfield mall after crowds shoved each other to get in position for the Nikes, police said.

    In Stockton, Detective Joe Silva said a person was taken into custody at Weberstown Mall on suspicion of making criminal threats involving the shoes. Police also were investigating an attempted robbery in the mall's parking lot. The victim was wrongly believed to have just purchased Air Jordans.

    In Tukwila, Officer Murphy said the crowd was on the verge of a riot and would have gotten even more out of hand if the police hadn't intervened.

    About 25 officers from Tukwila and surrounding areas responded. Murphy said police smelled marijuana and found alcohol containers at the scene.

    "It was not a nice, orderly group of shoppers," Murphy said. "There were a lot of hostile and disorderly people."

    The Southcenter mall's stores sold out of the Air Jordans, and all but about 50 people got a pair, Murphy said.

    Shoppers described the scene as chaotic and at times dangerous.

    Carlisa Williams said she joined the crowd at the Southcenter for the experience and ended up buying two pairs of shoes, one for her and one for her brother. But she said she'll never do anything like it again.

    "I don't understand why they're so important to people," Williams told KING-TV. "They're just shoes at the end of the day. It's not worth risking your life over."

    ___

    AP Business Reporter Sarah Skidmore contributed to this report from Portland, Oregon. AP Writer Michelle Price contributed from Phoenix.

    Associated Press

    Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-24-Air%20Jordan%20Crowds/id-ba18bb46112c49e7b042467af85fd4ec

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    Ford Focus C-MAX (P), Manual Petrol, 12,046 miles

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    Friday, December 23, 2011

    Clinical research: Cancer drug could treat Angelman syndrome

    Light the way: Using a fluorescent assay, researchers screened for compounds that activate a silent version of the Angelman syndrome gene.

    A cancer drug shows promise as a treatment for Angelman syndrome, according to a study published today in Nature1.

    Angelman syndrome is a developmental disorder related to autism that is characterized by developmental delay, lack of speech, and seizures. It is caused by mutations in UBE3A, a protein that targets other proteins for degradation. As a result of a process dubbed imprinting, the paternal copy of UBE3A is normally silenced in neurons, and the protein is only expressed from the maternally inherited copy.

    At the 2011 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C., researchers described an assay to identify drugs that can activate the functional but silent paternal copy of UBE3A and potentially treat Angelman syndrome.

    Using their assay, the researchers identified a compound called topotecan that activates the expression of the paternal copy of UBE3A. UBE3A expression in spinal cord neurons persists for up to three months after drug treatment, they found.

    Topotecan is approved for treating ovarian, small-cell lung and cervical cancers. It inhibits topoisomerases, molecules that assist in the winding and unwinding of the DNA helix.

    Transforming effect: Bathing neurons in a series of compounds helped identify a potential treatment for Angelman syndrome.

    The drug is one of 16 topoisomerase inhibitors that rescue UBE3A paternal gene expression, but does so at low doses, the study found.

    When injected for two weeks into the brains of mice lacking the maternal copy of UBE3A, a nanomolar dose of topotecan induces UBE3A expression from the paternal copy in the hippocampus, striatum and the cerebral cortex, the study found. Only higher doses of the drug induce expression in the cerebellum, however, suggesting that more work is required to ensure that UBE3A expression is restored evenly throughout the brain.

    Also, because topotecan may alter the expression of other imprinted genes, the researchers caution, it should not be used to treat Angelman syndrome until it undergoes rigorous clinical testing.

    1: Huang H-S. et al. Nature Epub ahead of print (2011) Abstract

    Source: http://sfari.org/news-and-opinion/in-brief/2011/clinical-research-cancer-drug-could-treat-angelman-syndrome

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    GOP Cheat Sheet -- Four Things You Might Not Know About Gingrich, Romney and Perry

    With the first contest in early January, iVillage Chief Correspondent Kelly Wallace and iVillage contributor and Pundit Mom Joanne Bamberger do the work for you, revealing four things you might not know about three of the top candidates.

    Source: http://www.ivillage.com/2012-republican-candidates-newt-gingrich-mitt-romney-rick-perry-4-things-you-did-not-know/1-h-413087?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3A2012-republican-candidates-newt-gingrich-mitt-romney-rick-perry-4-things-you-did-not-know-413087

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    Sunday, December 18, 2011

    Roche gets key nod for targeted skin cancer drug en route to EU ...

    A standout drug for "personalized" skin cancer treatment has gained a key endorsement from European regulators. Roche ($RHHBY) said that the European Medicines Agency backed the targeted melanoma drug?for approval. The Swiss drug giant hopes to secure from the European Commission in February.

    The drug--developed by Daiichi Sankyo-owned biotech Plexxikon in Berkeley, CA--is intended to treat the aggressive forms of melanoma in which BRAF gene mutations are found, and Daiichi Sankyo's partner Roche is providing a companion diagnostic that screens patients for the mutation prior to treatment. The FDA approved the drug in August, after giving the market green light to Bristol-Myers Squibb's ($BMY) Yervoy for melanoma. Analysts expect sales of Zelboraf--which costs $56,000 for a six-month course of treatment--to reach nearly $1 billion in sales in 5 years, Reuters reported.

    Zelboraf combats the deadliest form of skin cancer, and, unfortunately, one that has been on the rise. Globally, there were 200,000 new cases of melanoma in 2008, up from 160,000 cases in 2002, and the cancer kills about 40,000 people per year, according to figures cited by Roche. With fewer than one in four patients with the cancer expected to live beyond a year, Roche impressed clinicians last year with data that the drug, known generically as vemurafenib, reduced patients risk of dying by 63% during treatment compared to those on standard chemo treatments.

    "The (Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use) recommendation to approve Zelboraf represents an important milestone for people with metastatic melanoma who until recently had limited treatment options," Dr. Hal Barron, Roche's chief medical officer and head, global product development, said in a statement. "We are working closely with health authorities worldwide to bring Zelboraf to people with this deadly disease as soon as possible."

    - here's the release
    - read Reuters' coverage

    Related Articles:
    CHMP gives thumbs up to Roche melanoma drug
    Roche chief pushes productivity while waiting on new drugs
    Roche melanoma drug wins early FDA nod

    Source: http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/roche-gets-key-nod-targeted-skin-cancer-drug-en-route-eu-approval/2011-12-16

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    Saturday, December 17, 2011

    Riley: Heat coach Spoelstra gets new contract

    MIami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra watches the last minutes of an NBA basketball practice session while talking to media members in Miami, Friday, Dec. 9, 2011. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

    MIami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra watches the last minutes of an NBA basketball practice session while talking to media members in Miami, Friday, Dec. 9, 2011. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

    Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra gestures as he speaks to members of the media during the team's NBA basketball media day, Monday, Dec. 12, 2011, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

    (AP) ? Erik Spoelstra and the Miami Heat have agreed on a contract extension, ending any speculation that Pat Riley's protege would be a lame-duck coach this season.

    Riley, the team president, made the announcement Friday. The Heat typically does not release terms of deals for coaches and executives, and Riley did not divulge any details of Spoelstra's new deal. Spoelstra is beginning his fourth season as coach and his 17th season with the team overall.

    "We have one of the great young coaches in the league, an absolute member of this family and has been for a long time, so we want him to become a Hall of Famer," Riley said Friday. "So it's been taken care of."

    The 41-year-old Spoelstra was not available for immediate comment. The Heat had the day off Friday, and Riley spoke at his annual preseason availability.

    Earlier this week, Spoelstra said he did not expect his contract to be a distraction, noting that Riley and the Arison family have never given him any reason to be worried about his status with the organization.

    "It's a family here," Spoelstra said, "and I'm part of that."

    In his first three seasons, Spoelstra has gone 148-98 in regular-season games, 18-15 in playoff games. A year ago, he led the Heat to a 58-24 mark and a 14-7 record in the postseason, where Miami lost the NBA finals to Dallas in six games.

    "Me and Erik, our relationship will continue to grow," Heat forward LeBron James said this week. "It's much better today than it was the first day of practice last year. We didn't know each other at all. We were still learning each other. We'd seen each other from a distance. I'd seen him coach from the sideline ... he'd seen me play while he was coaching from the sideline. Our relationship is really good right now. I'm happy with where we are right now."

    Riley said the team has been working on Spoelstra's deal "for a while."

    Spoelstra came to the Heat in 1995, working his way up from the video room. Spoelstra was particularly close to Stan Van Gundy during his stint in Miami. When Van Gundy stepped down in 2005, Riley took over, and Spoelstra became the heir apparent.

    When Riley decided in 2008 that his coaching days were over again, he and Heat owner Micky Arison quickly agreed Spoelstra was the right one for the job. Clearly, that hasn't changed.

    "I think he's so much more comfortable his own skin," Riley said. "Contrary to what people might think, I am not a helicopter flying over the top of him all the time. I give him tremendous freedom and space, because I trust the fact that he's in there working every day. He is somebody who is very innovative, and he's not afraid to take some risks."

    Riley is a regular onlooker at practice, and he and Spoelstra talk just about every day. But Riley insists the coaching is done by Spoelstra and his staff.

    "He does a great job on the bench coming out of time-outs and being prepared for things," Riley said. "And I think the experience last year of also being in the finals and going down to the game that meant the difference in your season and going through that and that pain will help him. I think he's grown leaps and bounds, and he's the perfect coach for this team."

    The core of Heat players ? James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem, Mario Chalmers, Mike Miller and so on ? are all under contract for several years to come.

    Riley thought it was vital to have their coach be in the same position.

    "He never would have been a lame-duck coach even though (media) would have made him one," Riley said. "Guy in the last year in his contract, that wasn't the reason why we did it. The reason why we did it is because we wanted to extend him and keep him in the family and not have somebody come in and steal him away from us. I mean that sincerely ... and I think the players feel the same way."

    ___

    Follow Tim Reynolds on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ByTimReynolds

    Associated Press

    Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-16-BKN-Heat-Riley/id-f5fef149b7ab4048ba9630b8198951ee

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    Orange Amps upgrades OPC lineup, gives you the best of both worlds (video)

    What better way to combine your geeky and rhythmic sides than with a PC / amp fusion? We first spotted the OPC back in 2010, and although it preserves its glamorous outer shell, internally it's seen quite the overhaul. Aside from a visit to the specs doctor, the new OPC variants also come with lighter price tags. Essentially, you'll still have access to all expected traits: playing, recording, multi-tracking and mixing. The British company says it was able to slash prices by cutting out the middlemen, so what's the cores-to-cash ratio? $1300 will get you a dual-core i3 OPC, about $200 more for a quad-core i5 and the premium quad-core i7 will run you around $1600. One thing the company isn't promising is a record deal, but it's not like record deals have been all that promising of late. A video showing the machine in action is after the break.

    Continue reading Orange Amps upgrades OPC lineup, gives you the best of both worlds (video)

    Orange Amps upgrades OPC lineup, gives you the best of both worlds (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/16/orange-amps-upgrades-opc-lineup-gives-you-the-best-of-both-worl/

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    Friday, December 16, 2011

    Dana Carvey wants Regis Philbin for president

    By Ree Hines

    Comedian Dana Carvey delivered a sample of his typical stand-up bits to late night audiences on Tuesday's "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," and -- no surprise -- the routine was jammed packed with political impersonations.

    During Carvey's "Saturday Night Live" days, his best known presidential impression was that of George H. W. Bush, but since then he's added the current commander-in-chief to his repertoire, along with a slew of Republican presidential hopefuls.

    Between various takes on President Barack Obama, Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney and Ron Paul, Carvey focused on something familiar he feels certain is lurking under the surface when it comes to Rick Perry.

    "It's only a matter of time before Rick Perry does a 'Mission Impossible' thing with (pulling off) the mask and it's 'W'!" Carvey told host Leno. "'Hey, how ya' doing? I'm back!'"

    As for the candidate Carvey is rooting for when it comes time to cast a vote, the funnyman would like to see one more option.

    "We need a third party," he said. "Regis Philbin for president!"

    Would the semi-retired talk host get your vote? And what did you think of Carvey's latest political impressions? Share your comments below.

    ?

    Also in Entertainment:

    Source: http://entertainment.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/14/9443361-dana-carvey-wants-regis-philbin-for-president

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