E-reader News Edition - 25/03/10 http://www.LibertyNewspost.

com

Obama transport security pick avoids Iraq contract pothole

Jeremy Pelofsky (Front Row Army’s chief of intelligence and stay engaged with my determination on the
Washington) director for operations in the employees and take care of nomination, however, I want to
Submitted at 3/24/2010 1:50:23 PM Defense Intelligence Agency. them, in an effort to take care of review additional information in
After retiring, he set up his own my stakeholders, which is the order to ensure that all relevant
President Barack Obama’s pick security consulting firm which Iraq support group, I lost sight data regarding the nominee have
to oversee U.S. transportation he sold last year. of the fact that I also had to be been thoroughly examined,” she
security appears to have dodged The top Republican on the cognizant of what was going on said.
a major pothole on the road to panel, Maine Senator Susan in my back room, in the In response to another question
being confirmed by the Senate Collins, grilled Harding about a accounting shop, in the contract from Collins, Harding said none
after assuaging concerns about a $6 million contract his former shop,” Harding told the panel. of his interrogators or debriefers
government contract his old company, Harding Security He said that afterwards he hired had been accused of abusing or
f i r m w o n t o p r o v i d e Associates, won from the a chief financial officer, mistreating prisoners amid some
i n t e r r o g a t o r s i n I r a q . Defense Intelligence Agency in installed accounting software reports there had been such
Retired Major General Robert 2004 to provide interrogators and hired more staff. Harding cases at a base in Iraq.
H a r d i n g w a s u n d e r t h e and debriefers in Iraq — the added that his experience with A spokeswoman for the
m i c r o s c o p e a t t h e S e n a t e company had to reimburse the the contract would be useful in chairman of the committee,
H o m e l a n d S e c u r i t y a n d government nearly one-third of t o g e t a b o u t $ 8 0 0 , 0 0 0 the TSA job to ensure taxpayer Independent Senator Joe
G o v e r n m e n t a l A f f a i r s that amount. reimbursed for severance he money is used appropriately. Lieberman, said that he “was
Committee on Wednesday for Harding told the committee that paid to the employees. “Based on today’s hearing and satisfied with the General’s
his nomination to head the he hired 40 people, but three The two sides settled the case my review of the record, I responses to multiple questions
T r a n s p o r t a t i o n S e c u r i t y months into the contract the and Harding’s firm paid back believe General Harding has about the contract that were
Administration, a job that has government decided that it no about $1.8 million. adequately addressed my posed to him at today’s
been filled on a temporary basis longer needed the outside “I’m convinced that I made a concerns regarding his former hearing.”
since Obama took office. interrogators and debriefers and mistake. This was our largest, firm’s contract with the Defense - Photo credit: Reuters/Mike
Harding spent more than three terminated the contract. One and our most important contract. Department,” Collins said in a Segar (A TSA screener searches
decades in the U.S. military, concern raised during an audit And in an effort to stay engaged statement after the hearing. a traveler at Newark airport.)
including a stint as deputy to the of the contract was that he tried with my client, in an effort to “ B e f o r e m a k i n g a f i n a l
Why the IMF changed its mind about capital controls | Kevin Gallagher
Kevin Gallagher (World news: Kevin Gallagher: Video: The developing countries. The US
United States | IMF has endorsed the use of must also come on board Kevin
guardian.co.uk) capital controls to mitigate the Gallagher
effects of the financial crisis in
2 Top News/ World/ Tech/
Palin using her star power against
selected House Democrats
David Morgan (Front Row
Washington)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 8:39:41 AM
Sarah Palin really has the 2010
congressional elections in her
cross hairs now.
As President Barack Obama
signed healthcare reform into
law, the potential 2012
Republican White House
wannabe was out on Facebook
with her own campaign
to unseat 20 House Democrats
who voted for the
legislation. The page identifies
targeted congressional
districts via a map of the United
States dotted by white and red
cross hairs.
“We’re going to fire them and
send them back to the private
sector, which has been shrinking
thanks to their destructive
government-growing policies,”
she says in a rallying note to
supporters that also seeks
donations for her political action
committee, SarahPAC.
Palin’s aim is to go after House
Democrats who voted for
Obamacare and represent
districts that she and John
McCain carried in the 2008
presidential race.
It’s also an opportunity for
Palin to demonstrate some of the
political nous and muscle
E-reader News Edition
Swedish prisoner
warned over flatulence
followed up by more action.
But Palin has real star power
when it comes to conservative
protests
(Latest news, breaking news, The apparent motive came to
grass-roots activists including current news, UK news, world
Tea Party members whose voter light a couple of weeks ago
news, celebrity news, politics when the prisoner was playing
turnout could tip a close-fought news)
election into the cards with fellow inmates.
Republican camp. Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:57:46 AM "I had an upset stomach while I
By Bruno Waterfield was playing cards but did not
Even if Congress remains under
Published: 1:57PM GMT 25 want to fart there. So I went
Democratic control, Republican
Mar 2010 over to the guards instead," the
victories in November could
Guards at the Kirseberg prison, 21-year-old convict told the
shift the national dialogue
she’ll need in two years, if the about Obama to the right — and in Malmo, have accused the prison authorities.
former Alaska governor intends the outright bizarre. A new unnamed prisoner of When challenged over his
to make a credible run for Harris poll shows that two- deliberately breaking wind in a behaviour and summoned for
president. Since the 2008 thirds of Republicans think dirty protest against prison life. q u e s t i o n i n g , t h e p r i s o n e r
election, her biggest rise as been Obama is a socialist while 57 Anders Eriksson, the prison's claimed that his "farts were all
as a media celebrity with a best- percent see him as a Muslim. w a r d e n , r e a l i s e d t h a t t h e noise and no fragrance".
selling book, a TV gig as Fox And 24 percent — let’s call it inmate's repeated episodes of He has been served with an
News analyst and a possible an even one in four — say flatulence were "a series of official warning that future
reality TV show deal. She has he could be the proverbial concerted attacks" on staff. flatulent conduct towards prison
made campaign appearances on Antichrist, that diabolical rabble "I have worked within the guards will be punished.
behalf of Republican candidates rouser of biblical prophecy and prisons and probation service Five Filters featured article:
up to now. But her new Hollywood fiction whose since 1986 and I have never Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
initiative would be her highest rule heralds The End of the experienced a situation where PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
profile effort yet. behaviour of this sort has led to Term Extraction.
World.
Weighing in on the 2010 Now that really would be a big punishment," he told Sweden's
elections also poses risks for f#%!ing deal. Metro newspaper.
Palin, who could lose credibility Photo credits: Reuters/Joe
if the candidates she backs fail. Skipper (Palin at the Daytona Digg's belated iPhone app
A U S A T o d a y / G a l l u p 500); Reuters/Jim Young
poll suggests that 49 percent of (Obama’s healthcare reform
Americans think the healthcare signing); Reuters/Phil McCarten
brings native goodness
Josh Lowensohn site, which adds a handful of
reform bill’s passage was a good ( T e a P a r t y a c t i v i s t s i n (Webware.com)
thing, vs. 40 percent who see it C a l i f o r n i a ) useful features its mobile Web
as bad. Forty-eight percent Click here for more political Submitted at 3/24/2010 12:45:00 PM version never had.
called the legislation “a good coverage from Reuters Originally posted at Web
first step” that needs to be Digg's coming out with an Crawler
iPhone application of its news
E-reader News Edition
Reid to Republicans: healthcare reform is now law of the land
Donna Smith (Front Row
Washington)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 12:07:20 PM
Senate Majority Leader Harry
Reid proudly proclaimed on
Wednesday that the “historic
healthcare reform is now no
longer a bill it is the law.”
Someone please tell
Republicans.
They are planning a flurry of
amendments to try to stall a
package of changes being
considered by the Senate that
Democrats want to make to the
legislation signed into law by
President Barack Obama.
House Democrats demanded
the changes, which among other
things would close the Medicare
prescription drug coverage gap
for the elderly.
Republicans want to change the
new law too. They want to
repeal it. Some of their
amendments would do just that.
It is unlikely Senate Democrats
will reverse course and undo the
hard fought victory for Obama.
But other proposed Republican
amendments could force
Democrats to take politically
unpalatable election-year votes
on measures such as one that
would strike Medicare spending
cuts from the bill.
One amendment would bar
insurers from covering erectile
dysfunction drugs for rapists
and child molesters. It’s unclear
how that would be enforced, but
who wants to vote for giving
Viagra to pedophiles?
Republicans can’t block the
package of revisions. It has been
brought before the 100-member
Senate using special budget
rules that limit debate and allow
Democrats to pass it with a
simple 51-vote majority.
Usually it takes 60 votes to pass
controversial bills in the Senate
and with 41 members,
Republicans could have blocked
the bill.
But Republicans can try to
change it and any changes
would force another debate and
vote in the House on the
Top News/ 3
healthcare package.
Even if they fail to change the
bill they will have plenty of
fodder for the mid-term
congressional election
campaigns where they said they
would make repealing the
healthcare overhaul a major
issue.
Wait a minute. Senator Charles
Grassley who joined his fellow
Republicans in voting against
the healthcare overhaul just
REID page 4
4 Top News/ World/
So how’s he doing now? New polls on Obama
healthcare
Tabassum Zakaria (Front Row
Washington)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 11:02:10 AM
The White House (whether its
occupant is Obama or Bush) has
a tendency to be dismissive of
public opinion polls, shrugging
them aside as inconsequential to
the president’s decision-making
and basically to be brushed off
like dandruff on a shoulder.
That is unless the polls are
going their way.
White House spokesman
Robert Gibbs, amid the glee of
the healthcare bill signing
Tuesday, tweeted @PressSec “
In the polling obsessed town of
Washington, DC this will give
the nattering nabobs of
negativity something to chew
on” with a link to a story about
the USA Today/Gallup poll that
said 49 percent vs. 40 percent
saw passage of the bill as “a
good thing.”
But while early post-healthcare
polling data show a bump in
President Barack Obama’s
favorability ratings, it remains to
REID
continued from page 3
issued a press release touting a
tax provision that he succeeded
in getting into the new law.
The measure would hold
charity hospitals accountable for
the tax break they get. So if the
be seen whether there’s a trend
in the making.
A CBS News poll based on re-
interviewing 649 adults after the
Sunday House vote and
comparing their responses to
before the vote found a 6-point
jump to 47 percent of those
saying they approve of the job
that Obama is doing on
healthcare. But there were 48
percent who disapproved,
offering a mixed result.
The Rasmussen Reports daily
new healthcare law is repealed,
wouldn’t that go too? It is
confusing. But after all this is
Washington.
For more Reuters political
news, click here
presidential tracking poll
showed a 7-point gain from a
week ago in the approval index
rating on Obama’s performance
as president. “The bounce
comes entirely from increased
enthusiasm among Democrats,”
it said.
Political blogs the day after the
bill signing were cautious on
whether the tide was turning for
Obama and how long it might
last, see The Washington Post’s
The Fix and NPR’s Political
Photo credit: REUTERS/Jason Reuters/Larry Downing (House
Reed (President Obama, Republicans heading to
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and h e a l t h c a r e v o t e ) .
Senate Majority Leader Harry
Reid celebrate healthcare reform
bill signed into law),
Junkie.
Indisputable is that the 2010
mid-term elections are nearly
eight months away — which in
political time is even longer than
dog years and anything can (and
often does) happen.
That vote will determine
whether Democrats and
Republicans gain or lose seats in
Congress and will be seen as
THE gauge of public opinion on
Obama’s leadership, even
though the president himself is
not up for election. And that’s
one poll which will be difficult
to dismiss by either side.
Has your opinion of Obama
changed or stayed the same
since the healthcare vote?
For more Reuters political
news, click here
Photo credit: Reuters/Larry
Downing (Obama returns to
Oval Office after rally on
signing of healthcare bill),
Reuters/Jason Reed (Obama
family’s dog Bo)
E-reader News Edition
Neill Cameron's A to
Z of Awesomeness - a
comic book alphabet
(Latest news, breaking news,
current news, UK news, world
news, celebrity news, politics
news)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:36:55 AM
Neill Cameron, a British
freelance illustrator specialising
in manga and comic-book
influenced artwork, created the
A-Z of Awesomeness. Each day
he posted a new drawing,
based on suggestions from
followers of his blog, Facebook
and Twitter. He did 26
drawings over 26 days, one for
each letter of the alphabet.
There were no rules as to what
people could suggest, merely
that it be... Awesome Picture:
Neill Cameron's A to Z of
Awesomeness
Five Filters featured article:
Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
Term Extraction.
E-reader News Edition
Is McCain taking his toys and going home?
Patricia Zengerle (Front Row
Washington)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 12:47:20 PM
Is Republican Senator John
McCain bringing
playground logic to
Washington’s bitter partisan
divide?
White House spokesman
Robert Gibbs seems to think so.
McCain, defeated by President
Barack Obama in the 2008
presidential election, vowed that
R e p u b l i c a n s
furious after passage of
Obama’s historic healthcare
overhaul, will not work with
Obama’s Democrats this year.
“There will be no cooperation
for the rest of the year,” McCain
told an Arizona radio program,
criticizing the way Democrats
steered the healthcare bill
The Hidden Cost of Living in the Suburbs: Transportation
Ariel Schwartz (Fast
Company)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 7:39:13 AM
Some of the cost benefits of
living in a city are obvious--
walkability, easy access to
public transportation-- but the
high price of housing and other
amenities often overshadow any
benefits. But GOOD points us to
a tool from creative think tank
CNT showing that it's actually
more expensive to live in many
through Congress. “They have
poisoned the well in what they
have done and how they have
done it.”
Gibbs likened those comments
to how a furious child might
respond after losing at
hopscotch or kickball.
suburbs and exurbs once
transportation costs are taken
into account.
CNT's tool analyzes 337 metro
areas covering 161,000
neighborhoods and 80% of the
U.S. population. The
overwhelming result: It's
cheaper or just as cheap to live
in cities when transportation is
factored in..Transportation costs
can range from 15% of
household income in location
efficient neighborhoods to over
“I find it curious that not getting
your way on one thing means
you decided to take your toys
and go home,” Gibbs said at his
daily press briefing on
Wednesday.
“It doesn’t work well for my 6-
year-old. I doubt it works well
28% in inefficient locations. So
for example, while housing
costs will suck up at least 30%
of your income in San
Top News/ Business/ Tech/ Gadgets/
in the United States Senate,” he
said. “We have issues that are
important for his
constituents and for all of
America.”
So was Gibbs comparing the
senior senator from Arizona to a
6-year-old? The White House
Press Secretary responded with
his own gloves off.
“I think the notion that if you
don’t get what you want, you’re
not going to cooperate on
anything else, is not a whole lot
different than what I might hear
from a 6-year-old,” he said.
Photo credit: Reuters/Jason
Reed (Senators McCain and
Alexander during bipartisan
meeting on healthcare reform,
Feb. 25)
Click here for more Reuters
political coverage
Francisco, transportation will
cost less than 15%. In
comparison, housing in nearby
Richmond costs under 30% of
5
How to share
ridiculously large
files (the video)
Josh Lowensohn
(Webware.com)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 2:33:00 PM
CNET's Tom Merritt walks you
through a few picks from our
popular post "How to save and
share ridiculously large files" in
a video how-to guide.
Originally posted at Web
Crawler
Motorola DEVOUR
now on sale at
Verizon for $149.99
Robin Wauters (CrunchGear)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:37:01 AM
residents' income, but
transportation uses up to 28% of
all income.
The numbers vary depending
on location, but as oil prices
increase, cities will only start to
look more affordable. Perhaps
our own Michael Cannell's
prediction that suburbia is
permanently on the decline is
starting to come true.
6 World/ E-reader News Edition

Funding a Global Health Fund | Jeffrey Sachs

Jeffrey Sachs (World news: million lives. crisis. It needs around $6bn per and deployment of community up primary health services, yet
United States | The Global Fund's remarkable year in the next three years to health workers, construction and the specific budget proposals
guardian.co.uk) successes result from its cover expansion of programmes operation of local health from his administration are not
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:51:45 AM operational procedures. Disease- for the three diseases, but it has facilities, and other components yet satisfactory. The worst of it
The fund that fights killer specific committees, called the only around $3bn per year from of primary health systems could is that the Obama
diseases such as TB and Aids C o u n t r y C o - o r d i n a t i o n donor countries. Unless this is ensure the development of these administration's budget for the
needs to build on its success, but M e c h a n i s m ( C C M ) , a r e corrected, millions of people local systems. 2011 provides just $1bn per year
it is facing a fiscal crisis constituted in each developing will die unnecessarily. Many countries – including to the Global Fund. This small
World leaders will come country. Each CCM is chaired The second challenge is to France, Japan, Norway, the sum is unworthy of US
together at the United Nations in by the national government, but broaden the Global Fund's United Kingdom, and the United leadership.
September in order to accelerate incorporates input from non- mandate. So far, the Global States – have recently If the US would expand its
p r o g r e s s t o w a r d s t h e government organisations to Fund has addressed MDG 6, recognised the need to move annual support to the Global
Millennium Development Goals formulate national-scale, disease which is focused on the control beyond the financing of control Fund to around $4bn per year, it
(MDGs). Three of the eight -specific plans for submission to of specific killer diseases. Yet of Aids, TB, and malaria to would likely induce the rest of
MDGs involve bringing primary the Global Fund. control of these three diseases financing improvements in the world's donors to put in
health services to the entire Once the Global Fund receives inevitably involves primary health systems more $8bn per year, keeping the US
world's population. A small these plans, they are sent to a improvement of basic health generally. But they seem to share at around one-third of total
amount of global funding, if Technical Review Panel (TRP) services – community health view the issue of health-system funding. To raise these extra
w e l l d i r e c t e d , c o u l d s a v e to check that the plans are workers, local clinics, referral financing as an either/or choice: amounts, the Obama
millions of lives each year. The scientifically sound and feasible. hospitals, emergency transport, scale up control of Aids, TB, administration could levy an
key step is to expand the Global If the TRP approves, the plan is drug logistics – that play a and malaria, or scale up excess-profit tax on Wall Street
F u n d t o F i g h t A i d s , sent to the board of the Global fundamental role in achieving financing of primary health to make up the budget gap. Wall
Tuberculosis, and Malaria into a Fund, which then votes to MDG 4 (reduction of child systems. The truth, of course, is Street bankers, whose poor
Global Health Fund. approve financing. Once the mortality) and MDG 5 that both are needed, and both performance did so much
The Global Fund was created in programme gets underway, the (reduction of maternal are affordable. damage to the world economy in
2002 to help the world battle G l o b a l F u n d f o l l o w s i t s mortality). All three health The annual cost of specific recent years, and who still are
three killer diseases, and its implementation, undertaking MDGs are interconnected; all disease control in the next three reaping excessive bonuses,
accomplishments have been a u d i t s , m o n i t o r i n g , a n d are feasible with an appropriate years is perhaps $6bn, and would also begin to make
spectacular, making it arguably evaluation. Since 2002, the scaling up of primary health another $6bn per year for health amends by seeing their new tax
the most successful innovation Global Fund has approved services. -system expansion. The total, payments contribute to saving
in foreign assistance of the past around $19bn in total funding. The obvious step to address $12bn per year for an expanded the lives of millions in the
decade. As a result of Global There are two huge challenges MDGs 4 and 5 is to explicitly Global Fund, might seem coming years.
Fund programmes, an estimated now facing the Global Fund, expand the Global Fund's unrealistically large compared to • Copyright: Project Syndicate,
2.5 million people are on a n d e s p e c i a l l y t h e d o n o r financing mandate. Many the $3bn spent now. But total 2010
antiretroviral Aids therapy. No countries that support it. The programmes, such as those in annual funding of $12 billion is • Aids and HIV
fewer than 8 million people first is lack of financing. The the Millennium Villages project, really very modest, representing • Malaria
have been cured of TB. And G l o b a l F u n d h a s b e e n s o already show that a scaling up around 0.033% (three cents per • Tuberculosis
more than 100 million long- successful that countries are of primary health systems at the $100) of the donor countries' • International aid and
lasting insecticide-treated bed s u b m i t t i n g i n c r e a s i n g l y village level can play a decisive GNP. This is a tiny sum, which development
nets have been distributed in the ambitious programmes for role in reducing child and could be easily mobilised if • United States
fight against malaria. In total, consideration. maternal mortality. Expanding donor countries were serious. • Charities
studies suggest that Global Fund Unfortunately, the Global Fund the Global Fund's mandate to Barack Obama has been FUNDING page 7
programmes have saved 5 is already in a state of fiscal include financing for training outspoken in support of scaling
E-reader News Edition
A Republican problem with the law | Afua Hirsch
Afua Hirsch (World news:
United States |
guardian.co.uk)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:08:43 AM
The Bush administration had
contempt for international law
and many healthcare opponents
even seem to be domestic
outlaws
American healthcare reform
just got a lot easier to grasp.
Like most non-Americans, I'm
still perplexed by the
controversy over reforming a
system that denied healthcare to
people with pre-existing
conditions, provided the major
cause of bankruptcy and drove
people into poverty, not to
mention consistently bypassing
those who were already there,
including hugely
disproportionate numbers of
African-Americans.
While I'm still in the dark as to
why every single Republican
opposed this change, it's been
crystal clear that in the
aftermath of the bill passing,
ordinary rules of decorum,
courtesy and general observance
of criminal law seem to have
gone out the window for a
significant minority of
Republican opponents. Good
old Sarah Palin has produced a
variation on a familiar theme of
no-nonsense politics by
illustrating democratic
congressional districts with rifle
crosshairs and suggesting that
fellow Republicans "Don't
retreat. Instead RELOAD!"
Republican minority leader
John Boehner told Democrat
Steve Dreihaus that he would be
a "dead man" if he voted for the
bill. He later apologised but who
knows whether his deranged
supporters stuck around for that
part. Steve King, another
charming Republican, held up a
poster of House speaker Nancy
Pelosi and made a slapping
motion across her face. Hitting a
woman. How low can you go?
This is not to mention the
numerous members of the
public who have taken it upon
themselves to throw bricks
through windows or make
abusive phone calls to
Democrats who supported the
bill. These guys are the
lawmakers – you know, the ones
who are supposed to make the
law, rather than breaking it with
incitement to violence and
barely frivolous death threats.
The reason all this is
illuminating, rather than just
plain bonkers (it's that too) is
that the ability to put aside law
and convention in pursuit of a
short-term political frenzy is
something we've all seen before
in US politics. Just down the
road from where Democrats are
sharing tales of their death-
threats, the American Society of
International Law annual
conference is discussing the
willingness of American
politicians to ignore
international law, too, in pursuit
of wars that are hard to justify
under the existing rules.
Bush claimed that the threats of
a post-9/11 world required an
entirely new set of rules –
something Professor Antony
Anghie, who gave the opening
speech at the ASIL conference –
described as a "Grotian
moment". Hugo Grotius, a 16th-
century contender for the title of
"founding father of international
law", said something similar
about the demands of a world
with increasingly interdependent
trade, commerce and diplomacy.
It's one of many things that
were regressive about Bush's
approach to international law.
Anghie, who is an expert on
international law from a
developing world perspective,
went on to compare Bush's
concept of an "axis of evil" to
19th-century sociological
approaches to the sovereignty of
states – they were either
civilised or uncivilised. In Bush
terms, they were either
democracies or "rogues". The
influence that a state's
democratic nature should have
in determining its ability to
command the respect of other
states is a whole other can of
worms. The US under Bush was
a democracy, but transparency
and observance of international
law were not exactly core
characteristics. A democracy
exercising emergency powers
World/ Tech/ Tech News/
can be guilty of the most rogue
behaviour of all.
The Obama administration – for
all its flawed implementation so
far – has put international law
back into US government
decision-making. The novelty of
that development may be
wearing off, as international
observers re-adjust to the
expectation that such things are
basic. But judging by the
stunning inability of Obama's
opponents to stay within the
realms of even their domestic
law – such as not threatening
healthcare reformers with
violence and assault – keeping
America within the boundaries
of international law is as big a
deal. As profound, perhaps, for
the rest of the world as
healthcare reform is for
Americans.
• US healthcare
• Law
• Barack Obama
• US foreign policy
• Obama administration
• United States
Afua Hirsch
guardian.co.uk© Guardian
News & Media Limited 2010 |
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7
FUNDING
continued from page 6
Jeffrey Sachs
guardian.co.uk© Guardian
News & Media Limited 2010 |
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Foursquare
coming to
Bing Maps
Caroline McCarthy
(Webware.com)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:36:48 AM
Tips and recommendations
from the hot location-based start
-up will be searchable in the
Microsoft mapping tool later
this spring.
Originally posted at The Social
Found Photoshop
Contest: The Future
of Medical Bills
Wired Magazine (Wired Top
Stories)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 9:00:00 PM
Show us what you think
medical bills will look like in
the days to come.
8 World/ Business/
Darling attacked for silence over 'stealth tax' in
Budget speech
(Top stories from Times
Online)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 4:35:13 AM
Alistair Darling was accused
today of failing even to mention
in his pre-election Budget
speech a measure that will mean
higher tax bills for an estimated
30 million workers.
The Chancellor announced last
year that he would be freezing
personal allowances — the
amount of earnings free from
income tax — because the
country was experiencing
negative inflation.
Yesterday, as he unveiled a
Robin Hood-style raid on
million-pound house sales, Mr
Darling did not bother to remind
MPs that personal allowances
would remain frozen at £6,475
for a person of normal working
age despite a subsequent sharp
rise in the cost of living.
But George Osborne, the
Shadow Chancellor, described it
as a "stealth tax" designed to
pay for "Gordon Brown's
mistakes".
He told Sky News: “That is an
effective tax rise on 30 million
working people, because when
he said he was going to freeze it
last autumn, inflation was
negative. Now inflation is 3.7
per cent on the RPI [retail prices
index].
“What that means, in effect, is a
tax rise for millions of working
people and, if you’re someone
on the basic rate, that’s around
£50 extra tax a year, if you’re a
couple, around £100 extra tax a
year, and of course that’s not
including the National Insurance
tax on people’s incomes which
is coming down the track.
"So one of the largest tax
measures in the Budget was not
even mentioned in Alistair
Darling's speech."
Mr Darling said that the
allowances had been frozen only
because they were set at a time
of negative inflation in
September last year and to
increase them as the Tories
suggested would cost the
Treasury billions.
"If that really is their policy,
they need to say where the
money is coming from,” he told
GMTV.
Mr Darling accused the Tories
of being “conspicuously silent”
on their own plans for taxes and
spending cuts.
The Chancellor also defended
himself against allegations that
his decision to raise the stamp
duty threshold to £250,000 for
first-time buyers was “stolen”
from the Conservatives, saying
that parties often came up with
similar ideas in politics.
Mr Osborne said: “If you’ve
got good ideas you don’t
actually mind seeing them
implemented by someone else
because in politics it’s about
changing your country, so
therefore if someone else is
going to take up my good ideas,
fine.
“But you’ve got to be a little
sceptical when you hear Labour
politicians saying Tory
politicians have nothing to
offer.”
Vince Cable, the Liberal
Democrat Treasury spokesman,
said that the stamp duty holiday
would help a small number of
people to get on the property
ladder but would do nothing to
ease the housing shortage.
“It is certainly helpful for a few
people at the bottom," he said.
"But the thing to remember is,
this doesn’t create a single
affordable home.
"That is the underlying problem
— it is the supply of property
that people can buy or rent, and
he hasn’t done anything about
that.”
Asked whether he would have
raised the personal allowances,
Mr Osborne said: “I would
have got to grips with the waste,
the bloat, the excessive spending
that got Britain into the problem
it faces today.
“I would have set out a credible
plan to deal with the debts, that
would have protected our
country’s credit rating, kept
interest rates lower for longer,
and avoided the ever-increasing
spiral of taxes which seem to
come from this Government to
working people.”
Asked whether he would raise
taxes, including VAT, he said:
“No Chancellor or Shadow
Chancellor, including Alistair
Darling or indeed Gordon
Brown before him, would ever
rule out tax rises in the future —
that would be a totally
irresponsible thing to do.
“What I am saying to you is
telling you about my priorities
and values, which are about
trying to avoid tax rises on
working people by dealing with
bloated government waste that
has caused this debt problem,
that threatens higher interest
rates, that costs jobs and puts
taxes up on working people.”
Five Filters featured article:
Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
Term Extraction.
E-reader News Edition
Options Update:
Proshares UltraShort
Barc 20-Year Treasury
ETF Volatility Stays
Low on Bond Sell-Off
Paul Foster (BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 8:00:00 AM
Filed under: Options, Genzyme
(GENZ)
Proshares UltraShort Barc 20-
Year Treasury ETF ( TBT)
closed at $48.95. TBT April,
May and June option implied
volatility is at 22, below its 26-
week average of 30, according
to Track Data, suggesting
decreasing price movement.
Two stocks with IV rise on
March 24: Genzyme ( GENZ)
+4%, Annaly Mortgage
Management ( NLY) +6%,
according to IVolatility.
ISE Sentiment Index-ISEE
closed at 155 on 3/24/10. ISEE
10-day moving average is 131.
Options Update is by Stock
Specialist Paul Foster of
theflyonthewall.com.
Options Update: Proshares
UltraShort Barc 20-Year
Treasury ETF Volatility Stays
Low on Bond Sell-Off
originally appeared on
BloggingStocks on Thu, 25 Mar
2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see
our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink| Email this|
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E-reader News Edition
'Marry me, not my millions', said wife in
prenuptial court battle
(Latest news, breaking news, no legal advice and had no idea
current news, UK news, world how much his wife, now 40,
news, celebrity news, politics was really worth.
news)
Richard Todd QC, representing
Miss Radmacher, said when the
Submitted at 3/25/2010 5:56:13 AM
By Caroline Gammell 1998 document was signed,
Published: 12:56PM GMT 25 Mr Granatino was an investment
Mar 2010 banker with JP Morgan earning
Katrin Radmacher, who is considerably more than his wife.
worth £100 million, is battling “At the time the prenup was
her ex-husband Nicolas entered into, it was on the basis
Granatino, the son of a French of him shortly to be earning
millionaire, after eight years of £320,000 a year. He thought he
marriage. would be a billionaire.
He initially received £5.85 “He wanted to protect his assets
million in their divorce from the wife. She, for her part,
settlement, but this was wanted to protect her wealth.
reduced to £1 million by the “It was not the case at the time
Court of Appeal in London last that the wife was worth £100
year million, she was worth
In the landmark decision, the somewhere over one million
appeal court ruled the couple’s Deutschmark (£460,000) and
prenuptial agreement should had some shares.”
be recognised, even though such Mr Todd said both parties had
a contract is not legally agreed the prenuptial agreement
binding in English law. of their own “free will” and
Mr Granatino, a 38-year-old had been happy to live off their
investment banker turned individual means which were
student is now challenging the “far above average”.
decision in the Supreme Court. “She says ‘I want you to marry
He claims he did not me for me and not for my
understand the prenup because it money and it’s important for
was written in German, he had me emotionally’,” said the
Coming to Fring for iPhone: Two-way video calls
Jessica Dolcourt We got a chance to preview two
(Webware.com) iPhone features in the works for
VoIP calling and chatting app
barrister.
“He says ‘I don’t want to marry
you for your money, I will sign
the prenup’.”
In 2003, Mr Granatino went
back to university as a
biotechnology researcher,
earning £30,000 a year, the
court heard.
“He chose to give up the world
of being a banker and embrace
an easier life, firstly by being
a student and ultimately a
researcher,” said Mr Todd.
“It was less stressful and
certainly less well
remunerated.”
In 2005 his money ran out and
the couple, who have two
daughters – now aged seven
and 10 - divorced in 2006.
Since then, Mr Granatino has
“deployed every skill he has to
avoid his bargain” and tried to
ensure that his former wife
funds his “lavish lifestyle”,
said Mr Todd.
On Monday, Nicholas Mostyn
QC claimed his client would
face bankruptcy and
destitution if he loses his
Supreme Court battle.
Mr Todd said: “We don’t
Fring.
Originally posted at CTIA 2010
World/ Business/ Tech/
believe that at all.”
Under the appeal court ruling,
Mr Granatino has access to a
£2.5 million home in England
while the girls are under 21, an
annual income of £146,000 to
help him care for the children, a
holiday home in the south of
France and £25,000 for a car.
Mr Todd said his client had no
wish to see her ex-husband
“destitute” and had offered to
pay £484,000 in legal costs if
Mr Granatino dropped the
Supreme Court case in 2009.
“He has chosen to throw the
dice and has never even had the
courtesy to reply to the offer,”
said the barrister.
“This does rather suggest that
this is a man who is backed by
multi-million parents who is
not going to be destitute.”
The nine justices sitting at the
Supreme Court have reserved
their judgement.
Five Filters featured article:
Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
Term Extraction.
9
Oracle Third Quarter
Earnings Preview: Is
Tech on the Rebound?
Michael Fowlkes
(BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 10:00:00 AM
Filed under: Earnings Reports,
Analyst Reports, Forecasts,
Oracle Corp (ORCL),
Technology, Recession Tech
giant Oracle Corp. ( ORCL) will
be reporting its fiscal third
quarter numbers Thursday after
the market close, and analysts
are looking for a strong quarter
from the company.
The company is expected to
report earnings of 38 cents per
share. During the same period
last year, the company had
earnings of 35 cents a share.
Continue reading Oracle Third
Quarter Earnings Preview: Is
Tech on the Rebound?
Oracle Third Quarter Earnings
Preview: Is Tech on the
Rebound? originally appeared
on BloggingStocks on Thu, 25
Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please
see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink| Email this|
Comments
10 World/ Popular News/ Tech/ E-reader News Edition

Family holidays push school truancy to record

level
(Top stories from Times parents going away during term. missing school, such as all possible half days, a total of
Online) David Laws, the Liberal oversleeping or a day’s holiday, 52 sessions, or 26 days.
Submitted at 3/25/2010 4:57:57 AM Democrat schools spokesman, are no longer accepted, so it’s Of these, 51,960 were in
said: “These figures are no surprise that with this primary schools and 147,630
The number of primary school d i s g r a c e f u l . tougher approach there is a were at secondaries. The rest
children playing truant rose “It’s obvious that Labour’s top- slight rise in unauthorised were attending special schools.
Survey: 53% of email
sharply last year as official down approach has failed. We absence. Christine Blower, general marketers thinks social
figures indicate that some pupils need a more effective local “Ultimately it is down to secretary of the National Union media increases ROI
are missing more than a term a approach involving parents, parents, not schools. Parents of Teachers, said: “There are no
year. schools and the police. have a clear duty to ensure that magic solutions to tackling (Holy Kaw!)
Pupils under 11 missed 12 per “The Liberal Democrats will their child is in school and are hardcore truanting. All the Submitted at 3/24/2010 9:22:00 PM

cent more days of school give schools extra money to not simply allowing them to evidence shows that, despite
without permission last year allow teachers to work with miss their education.” schools’ very best efforts, hard- Ad Week pulls up some
than in 2007/08. individual children and make The statistics also reveal that to-reach families will remain interesting statistics that suggest
Overall, 67,000 pupils of all sure that they are engaged in the hundreds of thousands of pupils hard to reach. that social media may work
ages skipped part of school on a classroom.” are still skipping six weeks of “The Government should quite hand-in-hand with email
typical day because of truancy, Primary pupils truanted on 0.64 school, making them “persistent simply recognise that engaging marketing instead of replacing
family holidays, illness and per cent of all days, an increase absentees”. with families whose children it. It lists a bunch of facts from
other reasons, the statistics of 12 per cent on the previous The overall rate of absence for are persistent truants is a long an eMarketer survey of e-mail
suggest. year, when the figure was 0.57 persistent absentees is 34.7 per hard slog involving cross-local- marketers about social media.
Apart from sickness the most per cent. cent, which is more than five authority service responses and For instance:
popular reason for absence, Unauthorised absence in state times higher than the rate for all support. • 78% of respondents said they
authorised and unauthorised, secondary schools remained pupils and equates to 13 weeks “Any other promise about believe social media increases
was for family holidays. Six constant at 1.49 per cent. of school, or an entire term, reducing truancy will simply be brand reputation and awareness.
million school days were lost as Overall authorised absence missed. a promise that can’t be kept.” • 53% said they thought social
parents took their children out of dropped to 5.21 per cent in Girls are slightly more likely to Five Filters featured article: media increases the ROI of
class to go away outside of term 2008/09, down from 5.28 per be repeatedly absent, with 3.3 Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: email programs.
when travel costs are lower. cent in 2007/08. per cent across all school levels PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, • 81% said social media extends
One in five holiday days was Vernon Coaker, the schools compared to 3.2 of boys. Term Extraction. the reach of email content to
t a k e n w i t h o u t p e r m i s s i o n minister, said: “Schools are, Across the school year, 208,380 new markets.
despite a government edict to quite rightly, cracking down on primary and secondary pupils
headteachers to get tough on absence. Weak excuses for missed more than 20 per cent of Read the full story at Ad Week.
More on social media.
BlackBerry e-mail utility Bccthis helps you talk about Photo credit: Fotolia
Permalink| Leave a comment »

people behind their backs

Jessica Dolcourt Bccthis can add a private one.
(Webware.com) message to select recipients at Originally posted at CTIA 2010
the same time you send a public
E-reader News Edition World/ Business/ 11

Pakistan police arrest 'mastermind' of

Sahil Saeed kidnap
(Top stories from Times
Online)
started searching for valuables
and cash.
explosive jacket on the boy and
“blow him to pieces”.
If it Ain't Broke
Renee Oricchio (Inc.com) shower in need of making a note
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:02:46 AM “But they couldn’t find much so He said the kidnappers - four that I have a job interview next
Submitted at 3/24/2010 2:03:00 PM
they decided to take the boy and men with guns and grenades - Tuesday. Who needs that? I
The alleged mastermind behind make a demand for ransom. ambushed the family as they You know the rest; don't fix it! want more steps involved. I
the kidnapping of a five-year- “They are very much connected prepared to travel to the airport I'm thinking about the quest for want to wait for things to boot
old British boy in Pakistan has (with the kidnapping). They by taxi at the end of their the perfect digital calendar. up, click on some icons, as well
been arrested, police said today. have admitted that they have holiday. Some people keep track of their as type in several fields of
A n o t h e r m a n w a n t e d i n done this. They are professional Mr Saeed, from Oldham, said: appointments with their iPhone information (and preferrably
connection with the kidnapping criminals. “They said, ’We’re going to or other mobile device. with a little plastic stylus, if
as well as 22 murders was also “We are still in search of two take your son. We know you’re Some people use Microsoft possible).
arrested, Pakistan police said. others. We are after them and a businessman and we know you Outlook or Google Calendar or I long for a solution that means
The two suspects were captured very soon we will catch them.” have lots of money’. whatever their corporate combining my business
during a series of raids last night He said one of those arrested “My heart pounded. I pleaded calendaring client may be. obligations with my personal
in the city of Jhelum, where was the alleged “mastermind” of with them, telling them I was I confess; I still use a pen and life obligations in a place that
Sahil Saeed was taken on March the kidnap group and the other not a rich man and had no the back of my checkbook. compromises my privacy (like
4. was already wanted in money. I was completely I was with a friend of mine m y e m p l o y e r ' s c o r p o r a t e
R e g i o n a l p o l i c e c h i e f Rawalpindi, where his gang had helpless.” yesterday arranging a time to get network). Who wouldn't want
Muhammad Aslam Tareen, who a l l e g e d l y c o m m i t t e d 2 2 A man from the gang initially together. She still uses a that?
is leading the investigation, said m u r d e r s . demanded £200,000 as a Dayplanner (You know; those Even better; I want
the men had admitted taking The men were arrested at ransom, which was slowly things that come in three ring "collaboration" calendaring.
part in the kidnapping. different locations in Jhelum negotiated down to £110,000. binders with the calendars Naturally, I want my co-workers
He said the men decided to take during raids across the city Sahil was eventually released printed on real paper). We had a put on notice to adapt our
the boy and demand a ransom involving 200 officers. unharmed on March 16. moment while shrugging off our meetings around my next gyno
d u r i n g a n o p p o r t u n i s t i c The police chief said a “huge Three people - two Pakistani mutual luddite methods. appointment.
burglary. quantity” of arms and men and a Romanian woman - But hey, if it ain't broke... Here's why I think I haven't
The police chief said the house a m m u n i t i o n w a s a l s o have already appeared in court The truth is that I've tried for f o u n d a p e r f e c t d i g i t a l
where the boy was kidnapped r e c o v e r e d , i n c l u d i n g in Spain accused of involvement years to make the jump to calendaring solution yet. One
was targeted after a door was K a l a s h n i k o v s , a u t o m a t i c in the kidnapping. Two others organizing my time in a way does not exist.
left open. weapons, hand grenades, rocket were arrested in France. that wastes electricity and/or Until then, I have the back of
He said: “It was random. They launchers and explosive devices. Five Filters featured article: battery time, too. It just hasn't my checkbook and what's
went to rob a house and when At the weekend, Sahil’s father, Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: happened for me. written there is between me and
they were on the move they saw Raja Saeed, described how the PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, I've tried for years to reverse my God.
the door was open. heavily armed gang who took Term Extraction. the simplicity of just writing my Sometimes, it pays to be a
“They entered the house and his son said they could put an committments on paper on the luddite. See you you-know-
fly, whether I'm sitting in a when, Janice.
business meeting or on the
phone while dripping from the
12 World/ Popular News/ Politics/
Monte Rico Rejoices
LWI Editor (LWI News Center)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 7:00:57 AM
EL SALVADOR – Monte Rico
Omar Garcia, Missions Pastor
at Kingsland Baptist Church in
Katy, Texas, traveled to El
Salvador in February to help
bring the gift of clean water to a
village called Monte Rico. Here
are his reflections and photos
from the trip.
Monte Rico is a small village of
about three hundred close-knit
neighbors hidden away in the
lush green hills of western El
Salvador. You have to be going
there to see it because it’s well
off the beaten path. Very few
homes have electricity, none
have running water, and most
are in some state of disrepair.
But, the great thing is that
everybody knows everybody.
The people of Monte Rico enjoy
spending time talking and
interacting with one another.
The presence of our Living
Water team stirred lots of
excitement. For five days the
local folks, including school
kids, stopped by the drill site to
chat or to just sit and watch the
activity. Their smiles, laughter,
questions, and conversations
made each day enjoyable and
The Latest Anti-Health Care Death Threat
(Little Green Footballs)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 9:17:17 PM
Racial slurs, gas lines cut, death
memorable.
On two days, we worked very
late into the night. Motivated by
the faces and smiles of our new
friends, we didn’t mind the extra
hours at all. Meeting the folks of
Monte Rico transformed this
into more than a project for us.
Monte Rico became a
purposeful mission to provide
our new friends with clean
drinking water and with a clear
presentation of the story of
Jesus, the living water. Our team
worked with determination,
unwilling to allow anything to
stop us from giving the gift of
threats against children, and
now this: Coffin placed on
Carnahan’s lawn.
A coffin was placed on a
E-reader News Edition
came up from the depths a man
behind me whispered in
Spanish, “Blessed be the name
of our great God.”
At the end of the week, every
member of our team was 75% of teenage girls use
physically tired, spiritually phones/texts to alert
refreshed, and much more friends about sales,
grateful for the access to clean
water that we all enjoy. I am
while 5% use Facebook
especially grateful for the (Holy Kaw!)
Living Water staff and my Submitted at 3/24/2010 10:41:00 PM
fellow team members for a great
week of service. And, I rejoice A new, unscientific study by
with and for the people of Euro RSCG Worldwide shatters
Monte Rico – people loved by the popular vision of social
God and deserving of a cup of media as a marketing magic
clean water in Jesus’ name. bullet for teens. According to its
Editor’s note: After Omar’s recent findings, 75 percent of
water and the Word to our new teenage girls said they would
Living Water trip to Monte
friends. close friends about sales on their
Rico, he returned home and
Once we completed the water- favorite brands using phone
immediately planned another
well, the folks of Monte Rico calls or texts—a contrast to the
trip for his church—and
showed up to help us dedicate it 5 percent of teenage girls who
requested four additional trips
to God. Our Living Water team said they would spread the same
next year. Want to get your
gave more than the gift of clean news using Facebook. The same
church involved? Visit
water to this community. The group also reported that they
www.water.cc/trips for more
water-well we provided were more likely to buy things
information.
represents the redemption of in shops rather than on the
Five Filters featured article:
time for those who spend Internet.
Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
several hours fetching water for Full story at the New York
PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
their households every day — Times.
Term Extraction.
time that can now be invested in More on teens.
family and education and other Photo credit: Fotolia
pursuits. One man summed it up Permalink| Leave a comment »
best. As the first stream of water
Missouri Democrat’s lawn, overhaul. Wednesday evening.
another in a string of incidents Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.)
against lawmakers after their had a coffin placed “near his
vote Sunday on a health care h o m e , ” a s p o k e s m a n s a i d
E-reader News Edition World/ Business/ Tech News/ 13

'Osama bin Laden' threatens revenge

for 9/11 trial
(Top stories from Times channel. then, and since, almost
Online) “Your friend at the White House definitely inadmissible.
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:00:46 AM is still walking in the footsteps Mr Mohammed admitted to
of those before [him] in many
Osama bin Laden has warned important matters,” including in
that Americans would be killed e s c a l a t i n g t h e w a r i n
interrogators that he was the
mastermind behind the attacks.
He said he proposed the idea to
Managing IT Through
in retaliation if a US court Afghanistan and “oppressing
s e n t e n c e s K h a l e d S h e i k h our prisoners that you are
bin Laden as early as 1996
before obtaining funding for the SaaS
Mohammed to death, according holding, beginning with the attacks, training the hijackers in Curt Finch (Inc.com) An Entrepreneur article notes
to an audio recording broadcast mujahid hero Khaled al-Sheikh Afghanistan and Pakistan and Submitted at 3/24/2010 8:06:17 AM the following benefits: “No
today. Mohammed,” he said. then overseeing the operation. upfront infrastructure cost, less
Mr Mohammed, the self- The self-styled founder of the al The Pentagon says he has SaaS continues to grow in risk of data security and
confessed mastermind of the -Qaeda movement said US admitted to being responsible popularity for a number of reliability issues, and
September 11th attacks, is politicians have “oppressed us "from A to Z" for the attacks reasons. Even IT folk are ubiquitous authorized access
expected to stand trial in a and still do, especially by against Washington and the catching on, as a recent article that the business owner can
civilian court in America next backing Israel, which occupies World Trade Center in New highlights: “IT departments control.”
year. The O b a m a the land of Palestine". York. benefit from this trend because The way forward according to
Administration has already The controversial civilian trial He also reportedly claimed that it relieves them of many of the one enlightened CIO I
indicated that the toughest of Mr Mohammed was due to be he had personally decapitated hassles associated with interviewed is to "Focus on
sanction is likely to be imposed. held in Manhattan but the cost Daniel Pearl, an American implementing and administering doing things in-house that are
An audio message, apparently of security arrangements is journalist, in 2002 and admitted traditional, on-premise software related to the core sustainable
recorded by bin Laden, threatens likely to mean the case is heard to a role in 30 plots, including and supporting the application differentiators of your company
t o a v e n g e h i s d e a t h b y in a less metropolitan area. one carried out by British shoe end-users. In addition, there is a - everything else should be SaaS
murdering US citizens who are The case against Mr bomber, Richard Reid. growing array of SaaS-based if it can be. It should be
taken hostage by al-Qaeda. Mohammed and his four co- He was captured in Pakistan in management solutions aimed at validated by IT, with security
“The White House has declared a c c u s e d w i l l b e b e s e t b y March 2003 and sent to making it easier and more cost- processes wrapped around it.
i t s w i s h t o e x e c u t e evidence problems because Guantanamo in Cuba in 2006. effective for IT professionals to Make sure it's not on a shaky
[Mohammed]. The day the Mohammed was tortured by the Five Filters featured article: do their own jobs.” The fact is power grid in some unstable
United States takes such a CIA soon after his capture in Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: that traditional locally hosted country for example."
decision, it would be also taking Pakistan. He was subjected to PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, software becomes less practical Good advice I think.
the decision that any of you s i m u l a t e d d r o w n i n g Term Extraction. as the world increasingly shifts Curt works for Journyx, which
falling into our hands will be (waterboarding) 183 times in towards mobile devices and has solutions for project
executed,” said the message M a r c h 2 0 0 3 , m a k i n g a n y remote work teams. It also has a management and execution.
broadcast by the al-Jazeera news evidence obtained from him lot of value during tough times.

DVDStyler Burns Virtually Any Video to DVD [Downloads]

Adam Pash (Lifehacker) Windows/Linux: Burning any always liked using DVD Flick option with a bit more focus on
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:00:00 AM old video file to a playable DVD for tackling the task, but nice menus. More »
is a bit of a hassle. We've DVDStyler is another great
14 World/ Business/ Tech News/ E-reader News Edition

Osama bin Laden threatens US Before the Bell: Futures

soldiers over Khalid Sheikh Higher After
Mohammed trial Employment Data
Adam Gabbatt (World news: would be tried in a civilian court holding the trial in New York, Melly Alazraki
United States | in New York. while the debate continues over (BloggingStocks)
guardian.co.uk) The speaker in the tape whether the suspects could be Submitted at 3/25/2010 8:55:00 AM
Submitted at 3/25/2010 7:02:16 AM broadcast today said Obama was guaranteed a fair trial in a
Al-Qaida leader purportedly "following the footsteps of his civilian court. Filed under: Before the Bell,
recorded saying execution of predecessor". Legal experts predicted the International Markets, Market
9/11 suspect would prompt the "The politicians in the White suspects would plead guilty in Matters, Best Buy (BBY),
capture and killing of American House were practising injustice order to win execution and ConAgra Foods (CAG),
troops against us and still they are. martyrdom. Economic Data U.S. stock
O s a m a b i n L a d e n h a s Especially by supporting Israel The last communique futures climbed Thursday as receive jobless benefits
threatened to kill American in its continuous occupation of purporting to be from Bin Laden data showed yet another decline decreased 54,000 in the week
soldiers if the US executes Palestine." was released in January. In that in jobless claims figures. ended March 13 to 4.65 million,
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the The recording continued: "They audio tape the al-Qaida leader Investors are also awaiting a the lowest since Dec. 20, 2008.
P a k i s t a n i a l l e g e d t o h a v e used to think that America claimed responsibility for the meeting of European leaders Continue reading Before the
masterminded the 9/11 attacks. across the oceans is protected attempted bombing of a plane with Greece's debt problems in Bell: Futures Higher After
An audio tape, purportedly by from the rage of the oppressed over Detroit on Christmas Day. mind. A testimony from Federal Employment Data
t h e a l - Q a i d a l e a d e r , w a s until our reaction was loudly • Osama bin Laden Reserve Chairman Ben Before the Bell: Futures Higher
broadcast on the al-Jazheera heard at your home on the 9/11, • al-Qaida Bernanke is also in focus After Employment Data
news channel today. with God's help." • US military Thursday. originally appeared on
"The day America will take The US president has already • Global terrorism Initial jobless claims fell BloggingStocks on Thu, 25 Mar
such decision [to execute f a c e d c r i t i c i s m o v e r t h e • United States declined by 14,000 to 442,000 -- 2010 08:55:00 EST. Please see
Mohammed and any others] it t r e a t m e n t o f M o h a m m e d , the lowest level in six weeks -- our terms for use of feeds.
would have taken a decision to although so far it has come from Adam Gabbatt as the rebound in the economy Permalink| Email this|
execute whoever we capture," closer to home. His decision to guardian.co.uk© Guardian encourages companies to make Comments
the speaker said. put the alleged 9/11 organiser on News & Media Limited 2010 | fewer cuts in payrolls. The
The US is understood to be trial in central New York has Use of this content is subject to number of people continuing to
seeking the death penalty seen the president come under our Terms & Conditions| More
against Mohammed and four pressure, with Republicans Feeds
other men accused of planning saying al-Qaida will use the trial
the 9/11 attacks. President for propaganda.
Barack Obama announced in Others have criticised the
November last year that the five security threat represented by

Taurus Concept Is Like Hot Segway Bike From the Future

Charlie Sorrel (Wired Top The Taurus is pretty much a and back. This alone puts it way
Stories) Segway with a seat -- you even closer to a Tron light-cycle than
control it by leaning forward the stand-on dork-mobile.
E-reader News Edition World/ Business/ Popular News/ 15

Pagani Zonda S was driven by racing Lloyd's of London

driver when it crashed, owner reveals Turns in Record Year
(Latest news, breaking news, prepared to say that the driver and it’s only a car. It's of no Tom Johansmeyer
current news, UK news, world was “an internationally famous consequence." (BloggingStocks)
news, celebrity news, politics racing champ” and the crash last He bought the Zonda for Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:30:00 AM
news)
September was not his fault. £400,000 a few years ago, but
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:17:56 AM He added: “A magazine was they are so rare that they Filed under: Earnings Reports
By Auslan Cramb, Scottish doing an appraisal of the car for appreciate in value. The Last year was a good one for
Correspondent an article and it was being businessman is understood to Lloyd's of London. Profits more
Published: 1:17PM GMT 25 d r i v e n b y a p r o f e s s i o n a l . have made more than £30 than doubled, surging to a
Mar 2010 There’s no way I’d have given million when he sold the record $5.81 billion, thanks although we were certainly
The accident in Aberdeenshire the keys of my car to anyone Aberdeen-based firm, Dominion largely to strong investment helped by a low level of
has resulted in one of the who wasn’t qualified to handle Gas, in 2007. gains and a quiet catastrophe catastrophe losses." In
biggest motor insurance pay- it. The vehicle has been sent for year. Investment gains last year particular, a quite hurricane
outs in Britain, but Mr Jones, “We were travelling at speed. repair to Pagani in Modena, amounted to $2.66 billion, an season in the Atlantic and Gulf
58, the multi-millionaire owner He was driving the car in such Italy, and is expected to be increase of 84.8%. But, it wasn't of Mexico was kind to Lloyd's
of the vehicle, is philosophical fine balance that he never ready by May. Meanwhile, Mr all just a rising tide in the balance sheet.
about the expensive accident. once triggered the traction Jones has already consoled financial markets. Lloyd's did Continue reading Lloyd's of
H e s a i d t h a t h i t t i n g a n control. It was the state of the himself by buying a £900,000 pick up a gain of more than 20% London Turns in Record Year
e l e c t r i c i t y p o l e w a s a n road that caused the crash. We Pagani Zonda F Club Sport. in premium volume -- and Lloyd's of London Turns in
“ a p p r o p r i a t e l y h u m b l i n g ” hit mud, which is constantly A spokesman for the insurer currency fluctuations played a Record Year originally appeared
experience for the driver, but the being dragged on to the main Aviva said: ''This is the biggest role. on BloggingStocks on Thu, 25
d a m a g e w a s “ o f n o roads by tractors coming out of insurance pay-out we have had Says Lord Peter Leven, Lloyd's Mar 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please
consequence”. the fields.” for repairs to a private car in the chairman, the increase in profits see our terms for use of feeds.
He has refused to say who was Mr Jones, speaking at Arnage UK. This is out of the ordinary "has been achieved despite the Read| Permalink| Email this|
behind the wheel but was once C a s t l e , h i s h o m e i n for an insurer.” economic turbulence that Comments
photographed next to the car Aberdeenshire, said the driver Five Filters featured article: characterized most of 2009,
with Sir Jackie Stewart, the was “mortified”, adding: “He Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
former Formula 1 champion, was extremely upset and very PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
who was forced yesterday to sorry. But my main reaction Term Extraction.
deny local rumours that he was was sheer glee that neither of us
involved. had been injured.
Mr Jones, a retired oil industry “There are far worse things
tycoon, said he was only happening in the world today

Tip: All the magazine and media mobile apps in one place
(Holy Kaw!) when you really just wish there mobile apps made by magazine More on the iPhone.
Submitted at 3/24/2010 10:18:00 PM were an easier way to find it in and media companies, totaling Permalink| Leave a comment »
the first place? Well, the some 120 applications with the
Tired of smart alecs who tell Magazine Publishers of America links to download them.
you “There’s an app for that” has created a cool site called “mapps”—a listing of all the Full story at Folio.
16 World/ Business/ Popular News/ E-reader News Edition

Glenn Beck apologises for publicly General Mills Reports

insulting James Cameron Impressive Income
(World news: United States |
guardian.co.uk)
show in 2007 that "only pure
evil could have directed the
movie Titanic", he was only
into the street at high noon and
shoot it out with those
boneheads."
Increase in Q3
Submitted at 3/25/2010 7:19:57 AM
Steven Mallas
referring to the Céline Dion Said Beck, back in the studio: (BloggingStocks)
US TV commentator Glenn song, My Heart Will Go On, "Since he took my antichrist
Beck has apologised for which he maintained was joke so seriously, I guess I have Submitted at 3/25/2010 8:30:00 AM

likening James Cameron to the " h o r r i f i c " . to ask James to stop threatening
antichrist, but queried the Beck expressed surprise at the Filed under: Earnings Reports,
to shoot people in the street.
director's claim that he'd like to enduring nature of Cameron's Campbell Soup (CPB), Kellogg
Seventy-nine percent of
kill climate-changed deniers Co (K), General Mills (GIS),
bitterness about the quip. "The Americans aren't convinced
US TV commentator Glenn guy's making a billion dollars on Kraft Foods'A' (KFT)
greenhouse gases were the most
General Mills ( GIS), whose commodity costs weren't as
Beck yesterday claimed he was a Smurf-murdering movie and important factor in the planet
colleagues at the food markets expensive as they previously
speaking in jest when he said he's stewing about a joke warming."
include Kellogg ( K), Kraft had been. It's always good when
the director James Cameron was nobody heard on a network that "Why must you kill all of
Foods ( KFT), and Campbell that happens.
"running for antichrist". This nobody watched. them?" he continued, apparently
Soup ( CPB), performed well in Continue reading General Mills
s e m i - a p o l o g y c o m e s a f t e r "I don't think he's upset with me weeping on his desk.
the fiscal third quarter. On an Reports Impressive Income
C a m e r o n b r a n d e d B e c k a through. He's also upset with • James Cameron
adjusted basis, net income Increase in Q3
"fucking asshole" earlier in the you because you're a global- • Glenn Beck
increased 23% to 97 cents per General Mills Reports
week. warming denier." • News Corporation
diluted share. This beat Impressive Income Increase in
The latest in the high-profile Beck then introduced an audio • Fox News
estimates by four pennies. Q3 originally appeared on
spat came from an appearance clip from Tuesday's press • United States
General Mills was able to BloggingStocks on Thu, 25 Mar
by Beck on his Fox News conference • CNN
expand the gross margin by 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see
programme. Beck said he had promoting the forthcoming • Climate change
keeping an eye on efficiency our terms for use of feeds. Read|
only met Cameron once in a release of Avatar on DVD
opportunities and optimizing the Permalink| Email this|
makeup chair and couldn't release at which Cameron had guardian.co.uk© Guardian
overall quality of the inventory Comments
remember the details. "If I did made his rebuttal to Beck. News & Media Limited 2010 |
say anything to you, James, in Cameron had gone on to talk mix. Of course, there was a little
Use of this content is subject to
person, I'm sorry." luck involved, too, as
about his film's environmental our Terms & Conditions| More
He added that when he'd message. "I want to call those Feeds
claimed on his former CNN [climate-change] deniers out

USA Today one of the first sites to run ads on iPad

(Holy Kaw!)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 9:41:00 PM
It seems that some traditional
media outlets see the iPad as not
only a new conduit for
news—but also as one for
advertisements, the bread and
butter of most media business
models today. Gannett’s USA
Today, reports ClickZ, is
jumping into the fray as one of
the first sites to launch on the
iPad with ads for the new Apple
device. While the tablet doesn’t
support Flash, an ad firm
executive on the project
promises a fresh way to interact
with promotions using the
gadget’s new technology.
Read the full story at ClickZ.
More on advertising.
Photo credit: Fotolia
Permalink| Leave a comment »
E-reader News Edition Business/ 17

A Is for App: How Smartphones, Handheld Computers

Sparked an Educational Revolution
Anya Kamenetz (Fast
Company)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 8:36:37 AM

From Left: Angel Taylor, 6,

Jose Becerra, 7, and Julissa
Munoz, 6. | Photograph by
Danielle Levitt
As smartphones and handheld
computers move into classrooms
worldwide, we may be
witnessing the start of an
educational revolution. How
technology could unleash
childhood creativity -- and
transform the role of the teacher.
Gemma and Eliana Singer are
big iPhone fans. They love to
explore the latest games, flip
through photos, and watch
YouTube videos while waiting app called First Words, which now spend 7.5 hours a day fastest growth in Africa. Mobile changed the prevailing mind-set
at a restaurant, having their hair lets them move tiles along the absorbing and creating media -- broadband is forecast to top about a new technology's
done, or between ballet and screen to spell c-o-w and d-o-g. as much time as they spend in access from desktop computers potential. With its diverse cast
French lessons. But the They sing along with the Old school. Even more remarkably, within five years. and stoop-side urban setting, the
Manhattan twins don't yet have MacDonald app too, where they they multitask across screens to As with television, many show was aimed especially at
their own phones, which is can move a bug-eyed cartoon cram 11 hours of content into people are wondering about the giving poor kids a head start on
good, since they probably sheep or rooster inside a corral, those 7.5 hours. More and more new technology's effect on education.
wouldn't be able to manage the and they borrow Mom's tablet of these activities are happening children. "The TV set was pretty Today, handheld and networked
monthly data plan: In computer and photo-editing on smartphones equipped with much a damned medium back in devices are at the same turning
November, they turned 3. software for a 21st-century audio, video, SMS, and the '60s," says Gary Knell, CEO point, with an important
When the Singer sisters were version of finger painting. hundreds of thousands of apps. of Sesame Workshop. But difference: They are tools for
just 6 months old, they already "They just don't have that The new connectedness isn't where others railed against the expression and connection, not
preferred cell phones to almost barrier that technology is hard or just for the rich. Mobile "vast wasteland," Sesame Street just passive absorption. "You
any other toy, recalls their mom, that they can't figure it out," adoption is happening faster founders Joan Ganz Cooney and put a kid in front of a TV, they
Fiona Aboud Singer: "They Singer says. worldwide than that of color TV Lloyd Morrisett saw a new kind veg out," says Andrew Shalit,
loved to push the buttons and Gemma and Eliana belong to a a half-century ago. Mobile- of teacher. "They said, Why creator of the First Words app
see it light up." The girls knew generation that has never known phone subscribers are expected don't we use it to teach kids and father of a toddler son.
most of the alphabet by 18 a world without ubiquitous to hit 5 billion during 2010; letters and numbers and get "With an iPhone app, the
months and are now starting to handheld and networked more than 2 billion of those live them ready for school?" Sesame
read, partly thanks to an iPhone technology. American children in developing countries, with the Street, from its 1969 debut, FOR page 18
18
FOR
continued from page 17
opposite is true. They're figuring
out puzzles, moving things
around using fine motor skills.
What we try to do with the game
is create a very simple universe
with simple rules that kids can
explore."
For children born in the past
decade, the transformative
potential of these new universes
is just beginning to be felt. New
studies and pilot projects show
smartphones can actually make
kids smarter. And as the search
intensifies for technological
solutions to the nation's and the
world's education woes --
"Breakthrough Learning in a
Digital Age," as the title of a
summit at Google HQ last fall
had it -- growing sums of money
are flowing into the sector. The
U.S. Department of Education
has earmarked $5 billion in
competitive school-reform
grants to scale up pilot programs
and evaluate best practices of all
kinds. Major foundations are
specifically zeroing in on
handhelds for preschool and the
primary grades. "Young kids
and multisensor-touch
computing are a huge area of
innovation," says Phoenix
Wang, the head of a startup
philanthropic venture fund
called Startl -- funded by the
Gates, MacArthur, and Hewlett
foundations -- that's entirely
focused on educational
investing. Google, Nokia, Palm,
and Sony have all supplied
handheld devices for teaching.
Thousands of new mobiles --
not just smartphones but also
ever-shrinking computers --
have come into use at schools in
the United States and around the
world just in the past year.
Photograph by Danielle Levitt
Angel Taylor, Jose Becerra,
Julissa Muñoz(Click for
slideshow)
To understand the
transformative potential -- and
possible pitfalls -- of this device
-driven instructional reboot, you
can look at the impact of one
machine, the TeacherMate, that
is getting educational futurists
excited. It has the total package
of appropriate design, quality
software, and an ability to
connect kids with teachers and
technologists. And while it will
have to leap huge hurdles --
systemic, bureaucratic, cultural -
- to be widely adopted, it does
pre-sent the tantalizing prospect
of revolutionizing how children
are educated by drawing on their
innate hunger to seize learning
with both hands and push all the
right buttons.
When I walk into the first-grade
classroom at Henry Clay
Elementary School on Chicago's
South Side, the lights are off and
the room is silent. Three-
quarters of the 20 children are
plugged into headphones,
staring into little blue machines.
The TeacherMate, as it is called,
is a handheld computer with a
four-hour battery life. It runs
full-color Flash games on a
platform partly open to
volunteer developers worldwide,
and it can record and play back
audio. Julissa Muñoz shyly tells
me that she likes this device
better than her PlayStation 2 at
home. "They have lots of
games," she says. "I like the
fireman game," where exciting
music plays as you choose the
right length ladder, which
sneakily teaches simple addition
and subtraction.
Julissa's teacher, the
delightfully named Kelly
Flowers, explains that the
software on her laptop lets her
track each student's
performance. Once a week,
when she plugs each student's
TeacherMate into her docking
station, she downloads a record
of their game play and generates
reports for herself as well as for
parents. Then she sets the
precise skills, levels, and
allotted time for the upcoming
week. The programs are synced
with the reading and math
curricula used in the school --
right down to the same spelling
words each week.
Most important, says Flowers,
the TeacherMate works. She
privately sorts her kids into
three groups based on their
reading skills -- green (scoring
at or above grade level), yellow
(borderline), and red
(underperformers). "This year,
with TeacherMate, I started with
11 greens, 2 yellows, and 7 reds.
By the middle of the year, I had
just 2 reds. I can move a red to a
yellow on my own, but this is
my first year moving a red
directly to a green. I've never
seen that much growth in that
short a time." Flowers's
observations are backed up by
preliminary University of
Illinois research that suggests
that reading and math scores in
classrooms with TeacherMates
are significantly higher than in
those without.
Flowers says the kids like the
TeacherMate because it gives
them a feeling of freedom. "It
doesn't feel like homework," she
says. "They can choose from a
whole list of games. They don't
know that I decided what [skills]
they'd be working on." And
during the time her class spends
with TeacherMates each day,
Flowers can devote more
focused time and attention to
small groups of students.
TeacherMate is the brainchild
of a bearded technology lawyer
turned social entrepreneur from
Evanston, Illinois, named Seth
Weinberger, who punctuates his
verbal volleys with waving
hands and liberal profanity. He
says he's on year 15 of a 30-year
personal life plan to transform
schooling in America using
technology.
When Weinberger's daughter
and son, now college-age, were
toddlers, he and his wife helped
start a preschool. "I donated
some computers and was going
to donate some reading
E-reader News Edition
software," he says. "I went to
Best Buy in 1993 and I couldn't
see how any of the stuff they
had could teach a kid anything."
At his law firm, Weinberger
happened to have some video-
game designers as clients; he
asked them to create a game-
based reading program. It was a
hit. "The school loves it, I love
it. To me, this is the future of
education. I go back to the
clients and say, 'This is a great
beginning!' They say, 'No, this
is the great ending. There's no
market for educational
software.' "
Weinberger disagreed, and
decided to teach himself how to
program. He would work from 8
a.m. to 8 p.m. at the law firm, go
home, and work from 9 p.m. to
2 a.m. at his computer -- his
obsession with education
making him a near-absentee dad
to his own kids. Eventually, he
licensed the software, which
allowed him to "hire real
developers who rewrote
everything, laughing
hysterically," he says.
For the next 12 years,
Weinberger continued to
develop K-2 level reading and
math software through his not-
for-profit, Innovations for
Learning, coordinating the work
of programmers in India and
Argentina with teachers at a
dozen schools in Chicago. Three
years ago, Weinberger and his
FOR page 19
E-reader News Edition
FOR
continued from page 18
team realized handheld mobile
devices had gotten sophisticated
enough to be ideal for classroom
use. They were cheaper and
more durable than laptops, and
teachers found their smaller size
proved less distracting in class.
Moreover, he says, kids seemed
to intuitively understand how to
use the simpler machines. "We
encourage teachers not to do any
pretraining," he says. "Pass
them out, turn them on, and
have the kid start."
Existing PDAs such as the
PalmPilot and Dell Axim, on
initial testing, proved a little too
delicate and expensive for
classroom use. So Innovations
for Learning worked with a
Chinese company to cheaply
design and develop the
TeacherMate, which debuted in
2008. Currently, it sells for
$100, bundled with games
customized to match each of the
major K-2 reading and math
curricula.
The name was chosen carefully:
Weinberger says he has realized
that educational innovation is
useless if the teachers don't find
it helpful -- it can't be a
distraction, an additional burden
on their time, or a threat to their
authority. Innovations for
Learning is partnering with
Chicago's Academy for Urban
School Leadership, a not-for-
profit that focuses on
professional development,
emphasizing that helping
teachers learn to work with
TeacherMate is their priority.
With the backing of the
JPMorgan Chase Foundation
and Arne Duncan, then the
superintendent of the Chicago
Public Schools and now the
secretary of education, IFL took
the TeacherMate from its
longtime cluster of 12 Chicago
schools to 500 schools in 14
states as of the fall of 2009.
Weinberger can't stop talking
about the TeacherMate's
untapped possibilities. It
seemingly has a solution for
every educational buzzword out
there: differentiated instruction,
English-language learners, class
size. It can let a Spanish-
speaking parent help a student
with his homework in English.
(In addition to Spanish, software
is being developed in Arabic,
Hebrew, and Tagalog, with a
goal to get to 100 languages.) It
can help a teacher track exactly
how much reading is going on at
home. And it can allow a math
whiz to speed ahead several
grade levels.
While the TeacherMate doesn't
yet sport wireless connectivity,
that should be coming within the
next year or two. Weinberger
envisions porting the software to
the iPod Touch and iPad and
then a next-generation of more-
sophisticated machines running
Android, Google's open-source
operating system. Content could
expand to include science-
experiment demos and
immersive historical
environments for social studies.
For longtime school reformers,
the sales pitch for the
TeacherMate may sound
familiar. When it comes to our
nation's public schools, the
Miracle Man's wagon pulls into
town every week with some
magical intervention or other.
What feels different about
Innovations for Learning is that
it isn't wedded to any particular
gadget. While his organization
has put significant resources
into developing the
TeacherMate, Weinberger says
his true investment is in the
concept. What matters is the
development of new teaching
and learning practices built
around an idea: affordable,
portable machines paired with
constantly updated,
collaboratively designed, open-
platform software. "It's about
the system," he says, "not a
device."
At the same time, even as he's
careful to note that the
TeacherMate is just one stage in
an ongoing, deliberate process,
Weinberger can't restrain a tone
of geeklike glee at what his
team has produced -- a
convergence of compelling
features, a reasonably affordable
price, and demonstrated results -
- which is winning converts
under its own momentum.
"There's no stopping it," he says.
"These devices are just too
freaking good."
Late on Thanksgiving night, I'm
in a van bumping over gravel
roads in Baja California,
Mexico, with Paul Kim, the
chief technology officer of
Stanford University's School of
Education; a field team of four
students; and two boxes of
TeacherMates. Stray dogs prowl
in front of roadside taquerias,
their eyes glowing red in our
passing headlights. Noah
Freedman, a 19-year-old
Princeton sophomore, is on his
laptop in the front seat doing
some last-minute debugging of
an interactive storytelling
program, while Ricardo Flores,
a Stanford master's student,
translates the software's
directions into Spanish -- giving
a new meaning, Freedman
jokes, to "mobile development."
We spend the next two days
meeting with Mixtec and
Zapotec children at campos,
farm workers' camps with rows
of corrugated-steel-roofed
barracks set on packed mud. We
roll into the compounds in the
back of a truck driven by a local
missionary and hand out bags of
rice and beans to the mothers,
who tell me that the youth here -
- clad in the international
uniform of hoodies, jeans, and
sneakers -- are struggling with
borderlands issues of drugs and
violence on top of rural poverty
and isolation. And though
schools here are supposed to run
in half-day sessions, we find
schoolhouses empty and locked
both morning and afternoon.
19
Photograph by Danielle Levitt
Eliana Singer, Gemma
Singer(Click for slideshow)
Kim is devoted to using cell
phones to provide poor children
with the basics of education and
with access to all of the world's
information. "Kids love stories,"
he says. "In places with no TV,
no Internet, no books, when they
are given these devices, these
are like gifts from heaven." He
has long dreamed of a machine
that is cheap, powered with a
solar or bicycle charger, and
equipped with game-based
learning content -- a complete
"Pocket School." For the past
four years, he has been testing
phones from a dozen different
manufacturers, but the
TeacherMate, which he
discovered in March 2008,
comes closer than anything to
the Pocket School ideal.
The Mexico trip is one of a
whirlwind of small user-testing
and demonstration projects that
Kim has undertaken in the past
12 months. He has personally
brought TeacherMates to
Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, India,
South Korea, Costa Rica, the
Philippines, Palestine, and
several sites in Mexico, in most
cases working with local not-for
-profits, trying them out for a
few hours and on a few dozen
children at a time. He brings
along programmers, like
Freedman, so they can get
FOR page 20
20
FOR
continued from page 19
feedback and tweak the software
accordingly. In South Korea,
Mexico, and the Philippines,
schools and community centers
continue to use the devices and
collect data.
Kim's TeacherMate strategy,
like Weinberger's, is to let the
kids figure it out by themselves.
In Baja, I watch children aged 6
to 12 pick the machine up and
within a few minutes, with no
direct instructions, they're
working in groups of three,
helping one another figure out
the menus in English by trial
and error, playing the same
math games as the students in
Chicago, and reading along with
stories in Spanish. The children
agree that the TeacherMates are
bonitas -- "cute." An 11-year-
old named Silvia asks me
hopefully, "Son regalos?" ("Are
these gifts?") I have to say that
they are only for borrowing. The
missionary, Pablo Ohm, will
keep the TeacherMates at the
community center he runs in the
town of Camalu, but access
won't be regular.
One of Kim's inspirations was
George Washington Carver,
who brought a "movable
school" -- a horse-drawn wagon
full of agricultural exhibits -- to
poor black communities in rural
Alabama in the 1920s. Kim is
targeting especially the kids
whose circumstances make it
impossible to attend school
regularly: refugees, migrants,
the homeless. "Unesco reports
that there are 150 million street
children and another 250 million
who will never see a book," he
says. "Donating books is great,
but think about it. When you
mail a book from here to
Rwanda, the shipping will cost
you way more than the cost of
the book, and maybe nobody
there can read the book."
Whereas Weinberger wants to
improve teaching practices at
existing schools, Kim focuses
overwhelmingly on empowering
kids to teach themselves. He
sees technology as a liberating
force, helping kids in rich and
poor countries alike bypass
schools, with all their waste,
bureaucracy, and failures,
entirely. "Why does education
need to be so structured? What
are we so afraid of?" he asks.
"The more you expect from a
kid, the smarter they're going to
get."
Kim is drawing on his own
painful experience with formal
education. In postwar South
Korea, Kim found school a
conformist "assembly line." As
a "bottom 2%" performer, he
was beaten regularly for major
and minor infractions. "Other
kids, when they were punished,
would go home and tell their
parents, and their parents would
come to school and give the
teachers white envelopes, and
the treatment would get better,"
he says. "But I never wanted to
tell my parents what happened
at school." At the age of 19,
Kim taught himself English in
the library using middle-school
textbooks before escaping to
college in rural Americus,
Georgia. Returning to Korea, he
became a teacher with a passion
for fostering people's innate
capacity to learn.
As I watch him kneel in the
Mexican dirt, surrounded by
eager kids, his face wreathed in
a broad smile, he seems to
delight in the way that the
TeacherMate puts the kids in
charge. "That's a phenomenon
I've found even in Rwanda --
where only 1% have electricity,"
he says. "With these devices,
what the kids pick up in two
minutes, the teachers need two
hours to learn. The kids explore
by themselves and figure it out.
When you work with those kids
directly, no matter where they
are, they're so innovative."
Photograph by Danielle Levitt
Jordan Shakeel, Jocelyn
Mines(Click for slideshow)
For all his infectious passion,
Kim would be the first to admit
he has no specific plan for how
the Pocket School might come
to scale. His "development
team" is an ad hoc group of
volunteers -- like Freedman and
his 15-year-old brother, Aaron,
who composed the music for the
fireman game. They have
altruism and lots of heart, but
they don't have a business plan.
Enter a self-described Iowa
farm boy named Richard Rowe,
who founded and leads an
organization called the Open
Learning Exchange, which is
spreading educational
technology by working closely
with governments worldwide.
Teaching is in Rowe's blood --
his mother once taught in a one-
room schoolhouse in a town
called Buffalo Wallow. He has
spent a lifetime at the
intersection of technology and
education. In 1964, while
working for the American
Institutes for Research, Rowe
helped oversee the automation
of secondary-school entrance
exams across English-speaking
West Africa. Until then, blue
books traveled by train and
steamship to England, taking an
entire year to be graded and
returned. "We flew an IBM 360
from Frankfurt to Lagos and
brought in some scanners and
introduced multiple-choice
testing," he says. "That
increased accuracy, cut the cost
dramatically, and reduced the
lag time from 12 months to one,
transforming the lives of
literally millions of kids almost
overnight. That's a use of
[technology] to transform
education completely, and it's
not even all that clever."
Rowe once headed the One
Laptop Per Child Foundation,
but came to believe that the
much-hyped $199 computers --
funded by eBay, Google, and
private donors for supply to the
developing world, with the next,
flashiest Yves Béhar -- designed
E-reader News Edition
version coming in 2012 -- were
too clever by half. The OLPC
project has been widely
criticized for delays, cost
overruns, and limitations in its
software. Rowe says he had a
more serious problem with it:
He and OLPC founder Nicholas
Negroponte "fundamentally
disagreed about the approach to
basic education. It was his belief
that if you have a really neat
technology, if you build it, they
will come. I had been around a
lot longer than he in this field
and knew from my own
experience that it's far more
complicated than that."
(Negroponte was unavailable for
comment; Matt Keller of One
Laptop Per Child says, "We
provide the technology. That's
who we are. At the same time,
we're an organization that cares
about supporting the writing of
poetry, not about the pens.")
Taking a leaf from the
burgeoning open-education
movement -- like MIT's Open
CourseWare site, which
provides all of the university's
courses online for free -- Rowe
started the Open Learning
Exchange with the redoubtable
aim of providing quality basic
education to 1 billion children in
100 countries by 2015. The
OLE is structured as a global
network of centers led by local
social entrepreneurs who share
materials, best practices, and
FOR page 21
E-reader News Edition
FOR
continued from page 20
new technologies. Already
active in seven countries and
setting up in several more, they
are building a free "billion kids
library" of open-source
educational software and
working with an eye toward
adoption of technology-based
educational "accelerators" by
each country's government.
Rowe, who calls Innovations
for Learning "one of our great
partners," says, "Content is king,
and too often little attention is
paid to content, as with One
Laptop Per Child. TeacherMate
is a shining exception to that
rule. What makes it so good is
the software: it actively engages
the student and frees up the
teacher to be more of a mentor."
OLE Rwanda has launched a
demonstration project with 500
TeacherMates supplied by
Innovations for Learning; the
project will compare them to
OLPC's XO laptop for
effectiveness and cost-
effectiveness. OLE Rwanda
director Jacques Murinda says,
"I think that the use of mobile
phones in education has a great
future even in developing
countries. Teachers are being
capacitated to use them, but
children are already very
creative in using them." Another
of the seven OLE centers, an
organization in Andhra Pradesh,
India, called the Rishi Valley
Institute for Educational
Resources, is also trying it out.
Use of the TeacherMate, if
successful, is likely to spread to
other OLE centers; that's what
the exchange is designed to do.
However, Rowe says the
TeacherMate software probably
has a brighter future than the
hardware. It could easily run on
the next generation of cheap
mobile phones as soon as an
open, free platform like Android
becomes more standard.
"Mobile phones used offline
have virtually the same features
as the TeacherMate -- screen,
speaker, mic, buttons. Mobile
phones will continue to be more
iPhone/iPad-like in the not-too-
distant future. And they can
communicate two-way, which
the TeacherMate does not."
Rowe sees low-cost,
appropriate mobile technology
as just one piece of a greater
educational strategy that also
pays plenty of attention to
fostering local leadership and
collaboration. "The history of
educational technology, which
goes way, way back, is just full
of graveyards," he says. "Now
can be different -- maybe.
Technology is getting smarter
and cheaper. Software is getting
more powerful and effective.
The open-source movement is
making content more widely
available at much lower cost.
But we need to recognize that
the technology itself is only a
very small part of the solution
for ensuring highly effective
education."
The OLE's business plan is to
prove both the cost-
effectiveness and teaching-
effectiveness of these tools and
strategies through research, so
that governments around the
world will be moved to take
them up on a grand scale. "We
have to be far more creative
about appropriate information
technology in the developing
world," Rowe says. "Our job is
to enable a given country to take
what is available and adapt it
and try it out."
Mobile phones have
transformed communications,
especially in the developing
world, more swiftly than anyone
could have imagined. The
prospect of doing the same for
education -- putting best-of-
breed learning software in kids'
hands anytime, anywhere -- is
tantalizing. Yet not everyone is
so excited about what might be
called the iTeach future.
While a $100 curriculum-in-a-
box may seem like a good value
even by developing-country
standards, wide distribution
would still be costly. Many
experts maintain that
educational interventions in the
poorest countries should stick to
even cheaper technologies that
have already proven their value,
like chalkboards and paper.
"Before one can make use of a
computer, reading and writing
are fundamentals," says Erin
Ganju, CEO of the social
enterprise Room to Read, which
has built and stocked 9,000
developing-world libraries over
the past decade with plain old
paper books. "For as little as $5
a year per child, we can create a
well-stocked library with a
trained librarian."
And then there is the
anticommercialization camp.
Skeptics are wary about the
motives of cell-phone makers
and telecom-service providers,
which would reap a windfall
should governments embrace
mobile learning -- Unesco has
estimated educational spending
worldwide at $2.5 trillion
annually. And as with the boob
tube before it, there's worry that
wide adoption of mobile
technologies for learning will
give marketers direct access to a
very impressionable
demographic. "Cell phones are
increasingly a way for
advertisers to target children,"
says Josh Golin of the
Campaign for a Commercial-
Free Childhood. "We've seen
branded Burger King games
downloaded to cell phones and
text-message advertising sent to
kids."
But the biggest challenge to
Pocket School -- style learning
may not be the business model.
The same possibilities that make
these technologies so exciting --
the sight of Gemma, Eliana,
Julissa, and Silvia pushing the
buttons, controlling their own
learning and their own destiny --
make them threatening to the
educational status quo. A system
21
built around tools that allow
children to explore and figure
things out for themselves would
be radical for most developing-
world schools, which emphasize
learning by rote. In the United
States, which is currently so in
love with state curriculum
benchmarks and standardized
tests, it could be just as hard a
sell.
What's at issue is a deep
cultural shift, a fundamental
rethinking not only of how
education is delivered but also
of what "education" means. The
very word comes from the Latin
duco, meaning "to lead or
command" -- putting the learner
in the passive position. Rabi
Kamacharya is an MIT
engineering grad who returned
to his native Kathmandu from
Silicon Valley to found a
software company and started
OLE Nepal, the network's most
established branch, in 2007.
Kamacharya talks about
technology putting "children in
the driver's seat" -- to overcome
the limited skills of teachers:
"Even in urban areas, teachers
who teach English, for example,
do not know English very well.
Children are at the mercy of the
teachers, who may not be
motivated or have sufficient
materials to work with. We want
to enable them to go forward
with self-learning and
assessment."
FOR page 28
22 Business/ Popular News/ Tech News/ E-reader News Edition

Small Business Web: Leverage and Cooperation

Howard Greenstein (Inc.com) Small Business Web co- it was time a consuming applications. Several of the
Submitted at 3/24/2010 12:11:00 PM founders Michelle Riggen- process. A colleague turned me Small Business Web companies
Ransom, Director of on to ShoeBoxed at the same are now available in the Google
Many start-up or small business Communications for BatchBlue time we were having accounting Apps Marketplace. This allows
owners look for partners to a n d S u n i r S h a h , " C h i e f software upgrade problems. a single sign on for a small Unemployed
leverage their business. Whether Handshaker" of Freshbooks sat From them we came across business – logging into their
the butcher recommends the down with me at the South by
b a k e r o r t h e p r o g r a m m e r Southwest(SXSW) Interactive
Freshbooks and Outright.
Freshbooks let us do online
mail also permits login and
connection to their marketplace
man hands out
r e c o m m e n d s a d e s i g n e r , Festival to talk about this many-
businesses work on connections. company integrated solution.
invoicing, and integrate the
receipt scanning from
apps. (Note: My Inc. colleague
Renee Oricchio has some
$10 every day
The Small Business Web is a “We want to work towards an (Holy Kaw!)
ShoeBoxed, which imports to concerns about the
group of software companies Open Web platform because our Outright financials,” said marketplace.) Submitted at 3/24/2010 10:52:57 PM

whose programs are connected Open is the fastest way to build Dunlap. After conferences, There are several categories in
to each other via a set of the biggest market,” said Shah. instead of sending materials on the directory where competitors Reed Sandridge’s mom taught
communication channels. These You can find out more about CD ROMs, BrightFly started are listed – such as online form him a valuable lesson growing
APIs (Application Programming t h e s e c o m p a n i e s i n t h e i r emailing folks with links. But builders FormSpring and up: tough times are the moments
Interfaces) in and out of the directory, which was announced keeping track of who was sent WuFoo. However, the when you most need to give
s o f t w a r e p l a t f o r m s o f 7 0 last week at SXSW. what was difficult. "Now we philosophy of the leaders is back. Sandridge embraced this
companies let them pass data The Small Business Web’s send cards to ShoeBoxed, “Hug it Out.” Riggen-Ransom message recently when he lost
from one program to another – “Most Connected Customer” is they’re scanned and uploaded to of BatchBlue ran into the CEO his job and began handing out
giving small business solutions Brandon Dunlap, Managing BatchBook. We can send people of another online CRM $10 every day and documenting
the capabilities of an integrated Director of BrightFly, a research mail messages based on contact company while with Shah of the handouts in a small
enterprise suite of applications based consulting company, lists from BatchBook using Freshbooks. Shah suggested notebook. By Day 94, Reed’s
at a small business price. focused on business MailChimp. Batchbook keeps that in the spirit of the open giving journey had cost him
As a startup owner, you m a n a g e m e n t o f a u d i t a n d track of whom we contacted, web, the competitors hug and nearly $1,000, but paid him
probably don’t care about APIs information security. Dunlap did when, and where we met them." talk business. Riggen-Ransom back ten-fold in the sense of
– but you might care that putting about 100K miles in air travel Contact emails come back to told me “We have a lot in satisfactionhe has received from
y o u r i n v o i c i n g d a t a i n t o last year, going to conferences him, and he can use CRM in common with people making helping others.
Freshbooks will let it flow into and working with professional BatchBook to track connections. competitive products, and the Full story at Neatorama.
bookkeeping and tax solution associations as well as clients. He’s now using Survey Gizmo friendly competition is going to More heart-warming good
Outright. Or that sending your As someone who is never “in for data collection and make all the products better for news.
business cards to ShoeBoxed the office,” he uses software Eventbrite for some of their our customers.” Permalink| Leave a comment »
means that you can add the data from 7 of the Small Business upcoming live web events. Are you using integrated
you get to CRM provider Web companies. Google’s Apps program solutions from the Small
BatchBlue’s BatchBook “We’re a decentralized recently announced a Business Web, or other
database as well as send it organization, a virtual team. I marketplace where companies cooperating vendors? Let us
through sales lead provider was using another solution to using Google’s mail and other know in the comments below.
Jigsaw. scan business cards and receipts; programs can also purchase

Fetish: Exoskeletal Glove Gives Motorcyclists an Iron Fist

Joe Brown (Wired Top This motorcycle gauntlet of steel and thermoplastic will help pavement if you ever fall.
Stories) Kangaroo hide, Kevlar, stainless you brace for that smack on the
E-reader News Edition
How Apple Got Its Name
Max Chafkin (Inc.com)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 8:40:12 AM
Obamacare is the law. It's
official: After decades of debate,
a universal health care reform
package was signed by
President Obama yesterday.
There's still wrangling in the
Senate over the reconciliation
package, but the basics are a
done deal. Inc. contributor Robb
Mandelbaum has a nice blog
post over at the New York
Times that explains why most
businesses probably don't have
much to fear about the new law.
Meanwhile, there's an
interesting debate going on
about what the health care
reform package means for
entrepreneurs who have yet to
start a business. Some argue it
will encourage people to quit
their jobs and get started, since
they won't have to worry about
not having health insurance.
Others say health insurance
wasn't a barrier to
entrepreneurship in the first
place. What do you think?
How Apple and Intel got their
names. Business Insider looks
at 13 technology powerhouses
to find out how the companies
got their names. After running
three months late to file its
trademark, Steve Jobs told his
co-founders to come up with a
better name by the end of the
day or he'd go with Apple.
Intel's co-founders really
wanted to call their baby Moore
Noyce (after their names), but
a hotel chain had already
trademarked it. Sony was meant
to appeal to Americans--a nod
to "sonny boy," which was a
phrase that was popular in Japan
during the 1950s.
Y Combinator start-ups attract
the rich and almost-famous Paul
Graham's business school cum
investment fund, Y
Combinator, just held its tenth
demo day. Twenty-four start-
ups strutted their stuff before
Google executives, VCs, and
Ashton Kutcher. The Twitter
video entrepreneur and star of
That 70's Show says he came to
see "what the future looks like,"
according to the San Jose
Mercury News. To judge from
the start-ups that presented, the
future includes Web video,
social games, and organizing
digital data.
Curt Schilling plays hard ball
over business tax breaks. Ex-
Red Sox pitcher and--who
knew?--video-game
entrepreneur, Curt Schilling, is
making waves in Boston.
Schilling has threatened to move
his four-year-old company out
of Massachusetts to any other
state that puts together the most
attractive tax-incentive program.
According to the Boston Globe,
Schilling has confirmed that he's
in preliminary talks with Rhode
Island officials to move his
company, 38 Studios, to the
Ocean State. Schilling is also
testing the free-agency market
with a number of other
economic-development officials
who are eager to woo the 167-
employee company to their
state. As Schilling states, "We're
hearing from states that don't
have programs talking about
putting programs in place for
us." Of course, like every free
agent in the midst of contract
negotiations, Schilling says he
would prefer his company to
stay in Massachusetts...as long
as the money's right. As he says,
"This is where we started. This
is where we want to be."
Inside an acquisition. For years,
Darryl Ohrt, the founder of the
ad agency Plaid, turned down
offer after offer to buy his
business. But, as he writes for
AdAge, this time was different.
Here's the inside look at why
this offer was right and what
he's learned in the process.
(Which reminds us of this
classic Bo Burlingham feature
on the sale of our own
magazine in 2005.)
Tumblr gets a business model.
Pop the Champaign and buy
yourself a custom theme.
Tumbler's first attempt to make
some money off of its wildly
popular blogging platform
involves a twist on Apple's
iPhone app store. The company
is allowing anyone to sell
premium designs to Tumblr
bloggers (prices range from $9
to $49). Valleywag is
impressed, but snarkily so.
More from Inc. Magazine:
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500|5000.
Business/ Tech/ 23
Failed Filmmakers
Pretend Piracy Group
'Stole' Film To Try To
Get Publicity
Mike Masnick (Techdirt)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 1:45:06 AM
We've talked about smart
filmmakers learning to embrace
file sharing to enlarge their
audience and to improve their
business model, but it appears
that some filmmakers are
getting the wrong kind of
message. TorrentFreak has the
story of how some filmmakers
in Denmark, who had a total
flop on their hands, pretended
that the local Piratgruppen
organization literally broke into
the studio, stole (used correctly,
for once) the film, and were
threatening to put it online. Of
course, the whole thing was
completely made up in a weak
attempt to get publicity. Little
actually came of it until it was
exposed as totally made up --
but it's a pretty serious issue.
The studio was blatantly lying
and accusing people of out-and-
out criminal behavior, knowing
that it was false. And this is in
Denmark, where the local anti-
piracy group has been quite
aggressive in going after anyone
for copyright infringement.
Shameful.
Permalink| Comments| Email
This Story
24 Business/ Politics/ Tech News/
Small Businesses Grapple with New Health Care Britain Expels
Law
Courtney Rubin (Inc.com)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 8:44:00 AM
For small businesses, it may be
a case of the best of times and
the worst of times. A group long
distrustful of government stands
to benefit early and often from
the health care reform
legislation President Barack
Obama signed into law on
Tuesday. But as 14 states
challenges the legislation in
court and Republicans make its
repeal a 2010 campaign theme,
many entrepreneurs are
wondering what will come
next—and how they will be
affected.
The National Federation of
Independent Business, a
conservative interest group that
opposed the Democratic reform
bill, estimates that only about 12
percent of small businesses will
benefit from the tax credits.
Though a sliding scale of credits
is designed to help foot the bill,
there's a maximum rebate of 50
percent starting in 2014, and the
credit disappears after five
years.
Moreover, the 50-percent credit
is only available to firms with
fewer than 10 employees and
average annual wages of less
than $25,000. The federation's
New Jersey chapter has pointed
'Mossad
out that the average salary for its
8,000 members is $27,000. The
NFIB also claims some 5
million jobs will be lost in five
years, a casualty of small
business owners forced to
choose paying for healthcare
over keeping an employee.
"Small-business owners had the
highest rise in health insurance
costs, and nothing in this
legislation is going to change
that around," Bill Cron,
associate dean of the Neeley
School of Business at Texas
Christian University, told the
Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "I
saw nothing that's going to
reduce that.
"If there's any good news,
implementation is staggered,"
Cron continued. "A lot will be
stretched over the next three-to-
five years. I think for the most
part, this legislation had to do
with the availability of health
care and not as much as cost."
Less than half of businesses
with between three and nine
workers offered health insurance
in 2009, according to the
nonprofit Kaiser Family
Foundation. That figure jumped
above 70 percent for companies
with 10 to 24 employees and to
nearly 90 percent for those with
25 to 49 workers.
Gail Lindley, owner of Denver
Bookbinding Company,
employs 13 people. Her family
has run the book restoration and
rebinding firm since 1946.
“When you’ve been in business
a while, you remember the old
days,” she told Denver's ABC
TV affiliate. “I remember when
health insurance used to be
considered a benefit. Now, it’s
considered an entitlement.”
She's concerned about the bill's
mandate that business foot more
of the health care bill.
“Why would government add
more burden on to you when it’s
tough enough to stay in
business?” she asked.
Other small businesses
confessed they weren't sure
exactly how the legislation
would affect them – not a
surprise considering that the 153
-page follow-up bill that will
iron out some of the reform
details is still being debated in
E-reader News Edition
Official'
(Little Green Footballs)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 9:57:43 AM
Britain has expelled an Israeli
diplomat said to be a “ a senior
the Senate. Mossad official,” as a response
Nancy Lurker, CEO of PDI, a to the use of forged British
New Jersey company that passports by the hit team that
outsources services to the assassinated Hamas commander
pharmaceutical industry, said Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in
she wasn't sure if the bill Dubai. Foreign secretary David
required extending coverage to Miliband also directly accused
the company's stable of 60 part- Israel of carrying out the killing,
time employees. (It doesn't saying the passports were
technically, but two part-timers copied from real UK passports
count as one full-time employee by Israeli agents.
for purposes of determining Al-Mabhouh was a murderous
whether a business has 50 terrorist, no doubt, and no one
employees – the threshold at should weep for him. But Israel
which a company is required to seems to have seriously
offer a minimum level of miscalculated the diplomatic
coverage or pay a per-employee fallout from this operation.
fine.)
Paying for part-timers' health
c a r e w o u l d s e t b a c k t h e Developers, Websites
company's plans for hiring. Respond to iPhone
“It’s very murky,” Lurker said.
“If there’s uncertainty, you App Payola Story
don’t hire.” Brian X. Chen (Wired Top
What are your biggest questions Stories)
about how healthcare reform Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:00:00 AM
will affect your business?
The iPhone community has
reacted strongly to Wired'com's
article exposing pay-to-play
policies among app review sites.
E-reader News Edition
Caveat emptor and vice versa
nospam@example.org (Scott
Jagow) (Marketplace Scratch
Pad)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 1:04:18 PM
I pointed out a new Bloomberg
poll today that contains mostly
expected results. Americans
have unfavorable views of Wall
Street, Congress, insurance
companies and business
executives. But a little
surprising were the answers on
consumer protection:
Almost seven out of 10 people
surveyed support using current
bank regulators for consumer
protection, backing positions
held by the financial industry
and Republicans over President
Barack Obama’s proposal to
establish an independent
agency…
Obama’s proposal for a stand-
alone consumer agency has been
a main sticking point in
negotiations between Senate
Democrats and Republicans on
broader legislation to increase
oversight of Wall Street.
“By creating a new consumer
agency, we will finally set and
enforce clear rules of the road
Eerie #16: 'A Strange Girl Called Sarah Gives You the
Chills'
(Little Green Footballs)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 4:44:02 PM
Cheap political snark via #Eerie
Magazine #16 (July 1968), from
the Lizard Collection of Creepy
across the financial
marketplace,” Obama said in a
March 22 statement. “I will
continue to fight to strengthen
the bill and against attempts to
undermine the independence of
this agency.”
But the current proposal has the
consumer protection agency
housed at the Fed. Bloomberg
also had this quote:
“People are generally satisfied
with the way consumer
protection has worked with
banks,” said Mr Ernie Patrikis, a
lawyer who specialises in
banking supervision. “Most
Americans could care less about
redoing the financial regulatory
structure.”
I seriously doubt the spirit of
that last comment, but he may
have a point. What people want
isn’t necessarily an independent
this or a supervising that. They
want some semblance of
fairness, and they want to see
repercussions for people who
take advantage of others and for
those who behave recklessly
with their own money or with
money that eventually comes
and Eerie mags. This is another
book in really good condition,
after being stored in a sealed
wooden crate for more than 40
years; because they were kept
ink and yellowing of paper is
away from light, the fading of
out of the taxpayer’s pocket.
They want to know what the
rules are and that they will be
enforced.
Scratch Pad reader Sam in
Texas asks important questions:
1) how does a Consumer
Protection Agency stay
independent, and 2) would the
proposed Consumer Protection
Agency have been able to
prevent the booking of bad
mortgages that led to our current
financial crisis?
Even under the Fed, the
consumer protection agency
would have an independent
budget, a somewhat independent
process for choosing leadership
and a somewhat autonomous
rule-making authority. How
that all would work in reality
inside the Fed’s walls is up for
debate. But independent
agencies have failed in the past,
too.
Who knows whether such an
agency could’ve prevented the
subprime crisis? Maybe that’s
part of the hesitation we’re
seeing in this poll.
I harken back to a 1933 FDR
Business/ Politics/ Tech News/
speech in which he proposed
disclosure requirements on stock
sales:
This proposal adds to the
ancient rule of caveat emptor,
the further doctrine “let the
seller also beware.” It puts the
burden of telling the whole truth
on the seller. It should give
impetus to honest dealing in
securities and thereby bring
back public confidence.
The purpose of the legislation I
suggest is to protect the public
with the least possible
interference with honest
business.
What’s interesting is that FDR
proposed the regulation without
a regulator in mind. The SEC
eventually took up the mantle,
but FDR started with the
regulation, not the regulator and
its independent qualities. It was
the principle that was important.
Perhaps that’s what Americans
are trying to say now.
minimal.
(Again, the reflections are
caused by the acid-free plastic
bags in which the books are
stored.)
25
$150 Kobo
eReader: The Real
Kindle Killer?
Charlie Sorrel (Wired Top
Stories)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:46:00 AM
The iPad is no Kindle-killer
(although buying the almost
$500 DX now seems a little
silly) because Amazon's single-
purpose device, with the
sunlight-friendly e-ink display
and the long, long battery life,
will continue to be great for just
reading books. The real Kindle-
killer will be a cheap e-reader,
and it has just arrived: The $150
Kobo.
Relaxed Minds
Remember Better
[Mind Hacks]
Adam Pash (Lifehacker)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 5:30:00 AM
If you're serious about getting
the most mileage from that brain
of yours, a new study points out
that people form stronger, more
lasting memories when they're
relaxed. More »
26 Business/ Politics/ Tech News/ E-reader News Edition

Your stimulus in action

nospam@example.org (Scott be close to getting a refund on said using federal tax receipts to Undoubtedly. One more thing:
Jagow) (Marketplace Scratch its purchase price. shore up corporate balance TARP recipients aren’t
Pad) That’s only the beginning. sheets amounts to “public supposed to qualify for this tax
Submitted at 3/24/2010 8:44:19 AM After analyzing SEC filings, the borrowing to pay off private break. JP Morgan received $25
The government’s generosity Journal says more than 250 debt…It’s not clear to me that’s billion from the government
toward big business in this companies are expecting a total a good use of money at all.” under TARP. WAMU
r e c e s s i o n h a s k n o w n f e w of $12 billion in refunds because Now, there is some anecdotal bondholders say it’s ludicrous
boundaries. Take, for example, of this deal. It was passed in the evidence that the tax breaks may that JP Morgan should get a AppBrain Manages
a little-known tax provision that name of “stimulus”: have saved a few jobs. Liz refund:
was slipped into the jobless Some critics have found the Claiborne says the refund will J.P. Morgan officials have told
Your Android Apps on
benefits extension bill last corporate-tax-refund technique help it expand this year instead other parties in the case that the the Web [Downloads]
November. JP Morgan is trying wanting as a stimulus or job- of closing stores, for instance. ban on TARP recipients using Kevin Purdy (Lifehacker)
to use the tax break to get back c r e a t i o n m o v e . P r i o r t o But it’s particularly the tax break is irrelevant,
Submitted at 3/25/2010 7:00:00 AM
most of the money it spent Congress’s passage of the $787 disconcerting, considering the because it was WaMu that paid
buying Washington Mutual. billion stimulus law in early glut of homes on the market, to the taxes on which the refund is Android: With more than
As the Wall Street Journal 2009, the Congressional Budget see that home builders are based. J.P. Morgan has noted 30,000 apps in the Android
explains, the provision allows Office looked at six possible getting the biggest boost from the refund wouldn’t go to it market, finding good apps and
companies to apply losses from stimulus approaches and ranked the tax provision: directly; it would sit in a filtering the cruft can be
2008 or 2009 against taxes paid this one least effective, saying Some companies intentionally receivership at the FDIC that challenging. AppBrain manages
in the previous five years. You e a c h c o r p o r a t e t a x d o l l a r took steeper losses last year to also houses the $1.9 billion J.P. your apps online, recommends
try getting that deal from the refunded would generate at most qualify for bigger tax refunds. Morgan paid for WaMu’s good stuff based on your
IRS. 40 cents of boost to gross KB Home sold land at a loss in banking assets and deposits. installs, and makes it easy to
Under the benefit, WAMU is domestic product. The corporate 2009, the Los Angeles home You gotta hand it to ‘em. share apps with friends. More »
apparently eligible for $2.6 -tax-refund approach wasn’t builder told investors in January. Getting $1.9 billion worth of
billion in refunds. JP Morgan, included in the big stimulus bill “We were able to dispose of assets for about $500 million —
which took over WAMU in fall early in the year but was part of lots, generate cash, take why, that’s a steal.
2008, is talking with the FDIC legislation in November that advantage of [the tax break],
and its bondholders about extended jobless benefits. improve our balance sheet,” KB
claiming more than half that as a Douglas Shackelford, a tax Chief Executive Jeffrey
refund this year. It paid $1.9 professor at the University of Mezgersaid. “It was a very nice
billion for WAMU, so it would North Carolina at Chapel Hill, move for us.”

FBI Investigates 'Suspicious Incident' in Virginia

(Little Green Footballs) Lee Catlin, community conducting the investigation in However officials are taking the he thought was the
Submitted at 3/24/2010 11:39:04 AMrelations director for the cooperation with the FBI,” incident very seriously and congressman’s address,
Albemarle County Fire Marshal, Catlin said. “While officials are conducting a vigorous encouraging tea party activists
The FBI is investigating a cut s a i d i n a s t a t e m e n t t o not willing to characterize the investigation,” the statement to “drop by.”
propane gas line at the home of POLITICO that the office is exact nature of the incident said. The address has since been
the brother of pro-health bill “investigating a suspicious because of the ongoing POLITICO reported on posted on websites of at least
Rep. Tom Perriello’s (D-Va.), incident” at the home of the investigation, it did not involve Monday that Mike Troxel, an one other local tea party activist.
after the address was posted on congressman’s brother. “The an immediate threat to organizer for the Lynchburg Tea Another word for this kind of
the web by tea party “activists.” F i r e M a r s h a l ’ s O f f i c e i s occupants of the residence. Party, posted on his blog what “activism” starts with a T.
E-reader News Edition Business/ Tech News/ 27

Morning Reading
nospam@example.org (Scott expenditures they used to fund on behalf of at least 6 million
Jagow) (Marketplace Scratch with debt—big-ticket items like drivers. Some say Toyota knew
Pad) factories, expensive equipment, about the sudden acceleration
Submitted at 3/25/2010 5:56:49 AM and new buildings. problems but failed to tell
Good morning. To start the Speaking of cash, big consumers. Others say Toyota’s
day, let’s talk about the merits companies are bathing in it(Los solution ignores the real
o f a c a s h e c o n o m y , t h e Angeles Times) problem — flawed electronics.
d r a w b a c k s o f t o o m u c h “The good news for America Whatever the reason, owners all Photo Tutor Teaches
corporate cash, and the vultures now is that companies are very claim the value of their cars has Basic Camera Exposure
— I mean, plantiffs — that are competitive, flush with cash and plummeted since last fall’s
circling Toyota. ready to expand,” said Joseph recall, and they want full
on the Go from Your
Credit is dead. Long Live Carson, an economist at money refunds. iPhone [Downloads]
Cash!(Newsweek) management firm Investigation. And now it’s GM’s unveils a networked mini Erica Ho (Lifehacker)
Texas electricity provider First AllianceBernstein in New York. Washington’s solution to the -car for the city streets
Submitted at 3/25/2010 5:00:00 AM
Choice Power in January But others worry that the failures of the Federal Reserve. As drivers await the arrival of
launched a prepaid service business giants’ clout has But this council wouldn’t G e n e r a l M o t o r s ’ s m u c h - iPhone/iPod touch: If you're
called Control First. “In Texas, increased significantly at the address the principal reasons for anticipated Chevy Volt plug-in interested in getting beyond
there are about a million expense of workers — the the failure of the Fed from 1997 hybrid car later this year, GM automatic mode on your camera
households who have slim credit millions in the ranks of the or so through 2007, when it unveiled an electric vehicle of but don't have a lot of time, the
or no credit at all,” says jobless as well as those who pressed for further financial an entirely different stripe on free versions of Photo Tutor
c o m p a n y p r e s i d e n t B r i a n remain employed but must work deregulation and ignored or Wednesday at the World Expo Module Lite 1 and 2 explain the
Hayduk. Without requiring a harder than ever. downplayed the warning signs 2 0 1 0 i n S h a n g h a i . T h e finer points of aperture and
deposit or credit, customers are The one provision that could of the dot-com and housing company’s Electric Networked shutter speed on-the-go. More »
permitted to prepurchase a set sink financial reform(The New b u b b l e s . W e k n o w w h a t Vehicle (EN-V) is a mini
amount of electricity—say $100 R e p u b l i c ) C o u l d n ’ t a g r e e happened next. electric vehicle built for two,
per month. The company installs m o r e … Lawyers jostle to lead the unless you are using it to go
a smart meter that lets people Whenever an agency doesn’t do charge against Toyota(NPR) shopping, in which case you
k n o w h o w m u c h t h e y ’ v e its job in Washington, the There are so many lawsuits, in might have room for yourself
used—which spurs customers to temptation is to create still fact, that a panel of federal and a bag of groceries.
manage their energy use more another agency to oversee it. judges in San Diego is meeting
intelligently. That was the proposed solution Thursday to sort out the timing,
The rise of the cash economy for the intelligence failures of location and logistics of the
has made businesses hesitant to the Central Intelligence Agency legal battle.
make the type of capital a n d F e d e r a l B u r e a u o f The suits each claim to be filed

Tame Clutter by Asking "How Much Is Enough?" [Clutter]

Jason Fitzpatrick (Lifehacker) It's easy to accumulate too today to find out where you're
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:30:00 AM much and often we don't ask wasting space with needless
"How much is enough?" often enough. Evaluate your stuff duplication. More »
28 Business/ Gadgets/ E-reader News Edition
FOR
Student loans and health care continued from page 21

Photograph by Danielle Levitt you've seen a tiny child eagerly

nospam@example.org (Scott vote for a lot of people, me student loan debate. They’re
Jagow) (Marketplace Scratch Srijani Dasararaju, Shalini embracing a device that lets her
included,” he said. “And the starting to cut out the Dasararaju(Click for slideshow) write, draw, figure out math,
Pad) more things that you can go middleman themselves. Students This idea, common among and eventually find an answer to
Submitted at 3/24/2010 10:00:08 AM home and say are in the bill that don’t have to get their these tech-driven educational any question she might ask, it's
If you’re wondering why the are sort of universally popular, government loans through the entrepreneurs, imagines a new hard not to feel the excitement
health care legislation is finally yeah, it helps. To say our banks. There’s already a direct role for teachers. "The main of the moment, or its
getting through Congress, you community colleges are going to government loan program. The transformational change that revolutionary potential. We're
might look no further than the benefit, there is going to be loans aren’t cheaper for the needs to happen is for the talking about leapfrogging over
part of the bill that overhauls the more Pell grant scholarships students, but they’re more teacher to transform from the massive infrastructure
nation’s student loan business. available for more people. convenient. And more schools purveyor of information to the limitations to unleash what Kim
Yes, part of the health care Institutions that serve African- have started offering them. coach," says Weinberger of calls "the only real renewable
package that has nothing to do Americans, Hispanics, Asian Questions: Is this overhaul Innovations for Learning. As resource" -- the inventive spark
with health care would end Americans, Native Americans actually necessary? Will it be Rowe puts it, "Up until very of 1 billion children. "They're
government subsidies to private are going to benefit from this. It better for students to have the recently, most communications creative, these children," he
student lenders. By cutting out cuts corporate welfare, which I government as the major — if were hub-and-spoke, one to says, "no matter where they
the middlemen, the government really think is the present not only — choice for loans? ( many. The Internet is a many-to are."
projects $61 billion in savings program.” Here’s a Q and A about aspects -many environment, which is in Photograph by Danielle Levitt
over 10 years. That money He continued, “It’s another set of the overhaul). the early stages of having a Logan Bailey, Madison
would go directly to more of deliverables that people like.” Democrats say this will end a major impact on education. It Richardson, Oscar Soto(Click
student loans like Pell grants. It The government’s takeover of piece of corporate welfare to involves a fairly major change for slideshow)
would also go toward reducing student loan programs means Sallie Mae and the banks. in the concept of what education Anya Kamenetz is the author of
t h e d e f i c i t a n d o f f s e t t i n g banks and lenders like Sallie Republicans see it as another is, which is one of the reasons the new book DIY U:
expenses of the health care bill. Mae will lose. That’s right — it piece of the government we use the term 'learning' as Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and the
The overhaul appealed to many appears the financial industry extending its power. Does this distinct from 'education.' It's Coming Transformation of
Democrats who were on the lobby isn’t going to win this deal sit well with you, knowing student-centered and student- Higher Education.
fence about the health care one. But in a story last week on that health care might’ve died empowered."
m e a s u r e s . C o n s i d e r t h e Marketplace, we pointed out without it? The challenge of putting such
c o m m e n t s o f N e w J e r s e y that colleges were already going ideas into practice -- and getting
D e m o c r a t R o b A n d r e w s : directly to the government: the kids into the educational
“This is a controversial, difficult …some schools are ignoring the driver's seat -- is so daunting it's
almost laughable. Still, when

Cell-Mate headset heads-on

Sean Cooper (Engadget) these but is surprisingly useful, agreed to put it through its paces Cell-Mate headset heads-on
Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:49:00 AM comfortable, and at $14.99, dirt including: assembly, a test call, originally appeared on Engadget
cheap. The box includes the and then a fast lap around the on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 09:49:00
CTIA always has its fair share wire headset and a couple press room here at CTIA. Please EST. Please see our terms for
of dodgy goods, from mildly Velcro adhesive pads that you join us after the break as we use of feeds. Permalink| |
quirky to downright laughable, apply to your set; slap one on to torture test the Cell-Mate. Email this| Comments
we see all kinds. The Cell-Mate your phone, attach to the wire handsfree. Our own Paul Miller Continue reading Cell-Mate
admittedly touches on all of frame and you're ready to talk headset heads-on
E-reader News Edition Business/ Gadgets/ 29

CBS.com: First Big Network to Embrace the iPad's HTML5

Video Mojo?
Kit Eaton (Fast Company) interest in the device that fans of
Submitted at 3/25/2010 7:49:38 AM CBS TV shows will drive
significant iPad-based traffic to
Whatever you may think about CBS's site. This is not a move to
the Apple-Adobe battle over be taken lightly--there's some
Flash on the iPad, it's clear that small expense involved in
Apple's not going to move on making the change-over, for a
the matter. And now CBS.com start--even while the re-coded
is trialling Web videos in iPad- site would be compatible with
friendly HTML5 format. the next-gen HTML5 system,
The guys at TheOtherMac blog which will eventually be the
noted this first, and then tech behind how most sites are
MacRumors did some digging, coded. We can certainly expect
and found out exactly what's other big online content players
going on. Basically CBS's Web to think about doing the same
site suddenly gained a few "iPad thing. Our stopwatch is already
- test" video links among its if it's an iPad Safari version, or is revealed when you peep at the though not quite as clearly counting until the next move
more usual Flash-based online access the relevant pages site's CSS code--HTML5- targeted at the iPad as this new like this hits the headlines.
content. Clicking on these using through the iPad SDK, CBS's specific and Webkit references CBS move. Which makes the [via MacRumors]
a "normal" device like a laptop secrets pop up. The pages are are dotted throughout. This is discovery somewhat important: To keep up with this news and
or PC just took you to a regular incomplete, and the video precisely the tech needed to A major network is going to the more like it, follow me, Kit
CBS-style video--using the playback simply wont work, make the things work on the trouble of building iPad-specific Eaton, on Twitter. That QR code
same core Flash technology that i n d i c a t i n g i t s s t i l l u n d e r iPad. versions of its online presence. on the left will take you to my
powers much of the current development. But the video is We know that Google's been CBS clearly believes that the Twitter feed too.
video footage online. being transmitted using HTML5 t r y i n g a f e w H T M L 5 iPad is going to be a success,
But the truth is revealed if you format rather than Flash, which experiments itself for YouTube, that there will be enough user
spoof your browser to appear as

Meizu partners with Karry Auto to sing KIRFer's Delight

Tim Stevens (Engadget) guessing you're a little more originally appeared on Engadget
Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:26:00 AM familiar with the history there. on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 09:26:00
The two companies have joined EST. Please see our terms for
K a r r y A u t o ( a p h o n e t i c forces in China, with Karry use of feeds. Permalink Meizu
mistranslation of the English Auto giving away a a Meizu M8 Me| Karry Auto| Email this|
word "carry") is a division of SE with every tiny truck or little Comments
the Chinese car maker Chery, van sold until April 30. Should
involved in this deal, just take a [Thanks, Etzer]
infamous for getting sued by you have any lingering doubts
long look at that guy up there on Meizu partners with Karry Auto
Chevy for knocking off its about the legitimacy of the
the right. Everything is A-OK. to sing KIRFer's Delight
designs. Meizu... well, we're designs of either cars or phones
30 Business/ Gadgets/ E-reader News Edition

China's Second Largest Mobile Network Drops Google Search

Engine on Its Cellphones
Addy Dugdale (Fast
Company)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 7:53:04 AM
The slow drip of the Google
backlash has started, it seems.
China Unicom, the country's
second largest cellphone
operator behind China Mobile,
is to remove the search engine
from its Android smartphones.
The cellphone provider, which
has suffered a 73% drop in
profits, due to its customers'
reluctance to use its 3G
network, following massive
investment in it, will leave the
choice of search engines to
handset manufacturers.
Earlier this week the network
provider was forced to drop a
brace of cellphones it had been
developing alongside Google,
due to the Internet giant's
ongoing tussle with China's
censorship laws. Although most
of the repercussions are not
going Google's way, it has
found two allies, in Go Daddy,
who announced yesterday that it
was pulling out of China, due to
the country's surveillance and
censorship issues, and Congress.
Senator Byron Dorgan (D,
North Dakota) praised Google
for its stance on the censorship
market, compared to the
american firm's 40%. What will
hit Google hard, however, is if
China Mobile and China
Telecom, the two telcos with the
most 3G subscribers, dispense
with Google's services. So, is
this when Microsoft muscles in?
A couple of weeks ago, it signed
a deal with Motorola to make
Bing the default search engine
for its Android phones in China.
Elsewhere in Googleland,
issue, while a New Jersey rather than enabling tyranny, yesterday's Chinese hack was
Representative, Chris Smith, which they're doing now," he not, it seems, a hack. It was a
dissed its search engine rival, said. bug. They're common this year,
Microsoft. "They need to get on Google's, big competitor in as Winter segues into Spring,
the right side of human rights China, Baidu, holds 65% of the apparently.

Windfall for Europe as GE Invests $450 Million in Offshore

Turbines
Addy Dugdale (Fast manufacturing, engineering and Sweden and Germany, who offshore wind sector this year,
Company) service facilities. The company already host offshore wind GE sees Europe as a big
Submitted at 3/25/2010 8:02:11 AM is taking its next-gen, facilities run by GE, have been opportunity for growth, as the
gearboxless, 4-megawatt Direct joined by Britain, which is European Union has pledged to
Four European countries are to Drive Wind Turbine to the hoping for the creation of 2,000 produce 20% of its energy via
benefit from G E ' s continent's shores. This is not jobs over the next decade, renewable resources by 2020.
announcement this morning that t h e f i r s t s n i f f o f t h e o l d thanks to a manufacturing plant [ GE Newscenter]
it is to invest 340 million euros c o n t i n e n t ' s a i r s t h a t G E ' s and service engineering
in the offshore wind business, turbines have had: a test site has over five years. resources. With an estimated
w h i c h w i l l i n c l u d e been operating in Norway for As well as the Norwegians, 70% increase in Europe's

Free Wi-Fi In NY for All Road Runner Users [Wi-Fi]

Jesus Diaz (Gizmodo) Time Warner Cable has opened Road Runner internet WiFi's hotspots, plus some new
Submitted at 3/25/2010 8:50:44 AM Wi-Fi hotspots in public places customers. They will be able to open space Wi-Fi areas: More »
all across New York for all their use thousands of Optimum
E-reader News Edition
Hoyer decries talk of reprisals against lawmakers (AP)
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 5:02:46 AM
WASHINGTON – House
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
voiced concern Thursday over
warnings of violent reprisals
against members of Congress
who voted for landmark health
care legislation, saying the
threats are being taken "very
seriously."
"The bottom line is, we need to
be very careful in public life that
our rhetoric doesn't incite to
violent acts," the Maryland
Democrat said on a network
morning news show. He said
dealing with difficult issues in a
civil and peaceful manner is "at
the core of our democracy."
The FBI is working with
lawmakers subjected to
menacing obscenity-laced phone
messages. In some instances,
bricks were hurled through
congressional offices, including
Rep. Louise Slaughter's district
headquarters in Niagara Falls,
N.Y.
At least four Democratic offices
in New York, Arizona and
Kansas were struck and at least
10 members of Congress have
reported some sort of threats,
congressional leaders have said.
No arrests had been made as of
late Wednesday, but the FBI is
still investigating.
Hoyer had said Wednesday that
lawmakers who felt at risk were
to get attention "from the proper
authorities." He declined to say
whether any were receiving
extra security. Normally only
those in leadership positions
have personal security guards.
Slaughter, a Democrat, is
chairwoman of an influential
House committee. She said
someone had left her a voice
mail that used the word
"snipers."
Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass.,
said "it's an effort to kind of
hijack the debate by coercive
elements. I'm glad the
Republican leadership
colleagues denounce it. But they
were very late to do that."
Hoyer on Thursday did not
single out any member of
Congress or political party as
having made statements that
could encourage such acts. But
he did say he thought some of
the rhetoric "has been far
beyond legitimate debate."
"In our democracy," he said,
"we resolve things, not through
violence, not at the point of a
gun. If we don't do that, we will
devolve into a society that we're
not going to like."
"It is unacceptable in America,"
said Sen. John McCain. The
Arizona Republican said angry
citizens should channel their
rage into voter registration for
the next election and efforts to
repeal the health care law.
House Republican leader John
Boehner of Ohio said in a
statement that while many
Americans are angry over the
bill's passage, "violence and
threats are unacceptable."
Some of the anger spilled over
in a flood of threat-filled phone
and fax messages to the office
of Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich.
Stupak vowed to oppose the
health care package unless given
greater assurance that it would
not allow federal funding of
elective abortions. He voted in
favor after the administration
agreed.
Stupak's office released some
of the messages, declining
further comment.
"I hope you bleed ... (get) cancer
and die," one male caller told
the congressman between
curses.
A fax with the title "Defecating
on Stupak" carried a picture of a
gallows with "Bart (SS) Stupak"
on it and a noose attached. It
was captioned, "All Baby
Killers come to unseemly ends
Either by the hand of man or by
the hand of God."
The vandalism and threats
surprised a researcher at a think
tank that monitors extremist
groups.
"I think it is astounding that we
are seeing this wave of
vigilantism," said Mark Potok of
the Alabama-based Southern
Poverty Law Center.
Hoyer said earlier that people
have yelled that Democratic
lawmakers should be put on
firing lines and posters have
appeared with the faces of
lawmakers in the cross hairs of a
target.
While not directly criticizing
Republicans directly, he said
"any show of appreciation for
such actions encourages such
action."
Gun imagery was used in a
posting on the Facebook page of
Sarah Palin urging people to
organize against 20 House
Democrats who voted for the
health care bill and whose
districts went for the John
McCain-Palin ticket two years
ago. Palin's post featured a U.S.
map with circles and cross hairs
over the 20 districts.
McCain defended Palin
Thursday, saying it was
commonplace practice and "part
of the lexicon" to refer to
"targeted" congressional
districts.
In Virginia, someone cut a
propane line leading to a grill at
the Charlottesville home of U.S.
Rep. Tom Perriello's brother
after the address was posted
online by activists angry about
the health care overhaul.
Perriello also said a threatening
letter was sent to his brother's
Popular News/ 31
house. The FBI and local
authorities were investigating.
Tea party activists had posted
the brother's address online
thinking it was the
congressman's home. The post
urged opponents to drop by and
"express their thanks" for the
Democrat's vote in favor of the
sweeping health care reform.
Nigel Coleman, chairman of the
Danville Tea Party, said he re-
posted the comment that
originated on another
conservative blog, including the
address, Monday on his
Facebook page. The posts were
taken down after the mistake
was discovered.
"We've never been associated
with any violence or any
vandalism," he said. "We're
definitely sorry that we posted
the incorrect address."
___
Associated Press writers Emily
Wagster Pettus in Jackson,
Miss., David N. Goodman in
Detroit, Dena Potter and Bob
Lewis in Richmond, Va., Ben
Dobbin in Rochester, N.Y.,
Mark Carlson in Phoenix and
Laurie Kellman in Washington
contributed to this report.
Five Filters featured article:
Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
Term Extraction.
32 Popular News/ Gadgets/ E-reader News Edition

US case raises new queries for Pope

(BBC News | Americas | personally. sufficient action against the factors in the decision not to
World Edition) They concerned the Rev priest. defrock him.
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:04:02 AM Lawrence Murphy, who worked One of the lawyers, Jeff But the Vatican's decision not
at a Wisconsin school for deaf Anderson, told the Associated to carry out its own
Questions are being raised children from the 1950s. Press news agency that the investigation is the question that
about whether Pope Benedict Three archbishops of documents they had obtained on brings the now Pope's own 8-bit hanger is a gravity-
was personally involved in Wisconsin were told Fr Murphy Fr Murphy, and shown to the involvement centre stage, says
covering up a case of child sex was sexually abusing boys but New York Times, showed the BBC religious affairs
defying, geek-gratifying
abuse by a Roman Catholic those allegations were not Vatican was more concerned correspondent Christopher implement of mass
priest. reported to civil authorities at about possible publicity than Landau. distraction
Documents seen by the New the time. about the abuse allegations. Victims of sexual abuse by Vladislav Savov (Engadget)
York Times newspaper allege Alleged victims quoted by the "Instead of removing him from priests have long argued that the
that in the 1990s, long before he New York Times gave accounts the priesthood, they just gave Church has been more interested Submitted at 3/25/2010 10:10:00 AM

became Pope, he failed to of the priest pulling down their him a free pass," he said. in protecting its reputation and
What's this you say, your
respond to letters about a US trousers and touching them in 'Tragic case' helping its priests than seeking
clothes would be better off if
case. his office, his car, his mother's The Pope's official spokesman, justice for victims, our
they weren't strewn all over the
Fr Lawrence Murphy, of c o u n t r y h o u s e , o n c l a s s Federico Lombardi, called it a correspondent adds.
floor, but you just don't know
Wisconsin, was accused of excursions and fund-raising "tragic case" but pointed out that Fr Murphy died in 1998, with -
how to maintain them airborne
abusing up to 200 deaf boys. trips, and in their dormitory the Vatican had become in the Church's view - no
sans magical abilities? Fear not,
Defending itself, the Vatican beds at night. involved only in 1996, after US official blemish on his priestly
we've finally found a hanger
said US civil authorities had "If he was a real mean guy, I civil authorities had dropped the record.
worthy of a true gadget geek in
investigated and dropped the would have stayed away," said case. But questions about why
the retro styled 8-bit pointer you
case. Arthur Budzinski, 61, a former "During the mid-1970s, some of Cardinal Ratzinger failed to
see above. There's not an
For more than 20 years before pupil of at St John's School for Fr Murphy's victims reported his respond to concerns being raised
overwhelming amount of
he was made Pope, Joseph the Deaf, in St Francis, in the abuse to civil authorities," the by American archbishops still
complexity to it -- hell, even the
Ratzinger led the Congregation Diocese of Milwaukee. Rev Lombardi said in a demand answers, our
one screw that holds the finger
for the Doctrine of Faith - the "But he was so friendly, and so statement. correspondent says.
to the wall is permanently
V a t i c a n o f f i c e w i t h nice and understanding. I knew "The Congregation for the And such questions mean that
attached -- but nothing
responsibility, among other he was wrong, but I couldn't Doctrine of Faith was not this sexual abuse crisis
communicates your tech
issues, for the Church's response really believe it." informed of the matter until continues to have an impact at
credentials quite like a pixelated
to child abuse cases. According to the New York some 20 years later." the very highest level in the
mouse cursor from yesteryear.
Allegations that the Church Times, Fr Murphy was quietly The Milwaukee diocese was Roman Catholic church, he
Available now for $19.99 a
sought to cover up child abuse m o v e d t o t h e D i o c e s e o f asked to take action by adds.
piece plus shipping.
by Catholic priests in Europe Superior in northern Wisconsin "restricting Father Murphy's Print Sponsor
8-bit hanger is a gravity-
have haunted the Vatican for in 1974, where he spent his last public ministry and requiring Five Filters featured article:
defying, geek-gratifying
months. 24 years working freely with that Father Murphy accept full Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
implement of mass distraction
'So friendly' children in parishes and schools. responsibility for the gravity of PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
originally appeared on Engadget
The documents seen by the He died in 1998, still a priest. his acts", the Rev Lombardi Term Extraction.
on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 10:10:00
New York Times suggest that in Two lawyers have filed added.
EST. Please see our terms for
1 9 9 6 , t h e t h e n C a r d i n a l lawsuits on behalf of five men He also said that Fr Murphy's
use of feeds. Permalink Wired|
R a t z i n g e r t w i c e f a i l e d t o alleging the Archdiocese of poor health and a lack of more
Meninos| Email this| Comments
respond to letters sent to him M i l w a u k e e d i d n o t t a k e recent allegations had been
E-reader News Edition Popular News/ Gadgets/ 33

Hearing set for Montana fugitive found in Ariz.

(AP)
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 5:59:21 AM
Corrections spokesman Bob
Anez. "It's imperative that
old newspaper clippings in
storage. He said the issue was
a different name and was
performing weddings, they Asus adding
individuals be held accountable never discussed in the family. would still likely be legal,
HELENA, Mont. – Frank for their actions."
Dryman first escaped hanging, Prosecutors in Arizona said
He said he was driven by a
sense of curiosity, and does not
according to two Phoenix-area
divorce lawyers.
USB 3.0 to
then he just escaped. He wasn't they did not know if Dryman
found for four decades until he had an attorney. A call to the
feel like he needs any revenge
since he never knew his
"They're probably valid if they
were otherwise performed as a
entire PC line
was discovered running a wedding chapel Wednesday was grandfather, and knew little legal ceremony in Arizona and Matt Burns (CrunchGear)
wedding chapel some 1,300 not answered. about the murder. recorded," Scottsdale family law Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:54:47 AM
miles south of the Montana Dryman initially received a Newspaper clippings from the attorney Alexander Nirenstein
town where he killed a man who hanging sentence for Pellett's time say that Clarence Pellett said. U SB 3.0 is quickly on the road
had offered him a ride in a death after a quick trial in 1955. stopped to pick up Dryman in The Montana Department of to becoming a standard issue
blizzard. His case became the focus of a 1951 during a spring blizzard Corrections said that Dryman item and Asus is helping it
Dryman, 78, was awaiting battle over the death penalty and near Shelby. Pellett, who ran a will be sent back to the state along in a big way. The
e x t r a d i t i o n p r o c e e d i n g s frontier justice, and he received cafe, was shot seven times in the prison. He will face a parole computer manufacturer just
Thursday for skipping out of a new sentence of life in prison back as he tried to run away, revocation hearing within the announced that its adding the
Montana 38 years ago while on with the help of the Montana according to the accounts. next few months — and possible faster interface to every PC
parole for the 1951 killing of Supreme Court. The private investigator hired resumption of his life in prison computer it makes. Yup, that
Clarence Pellett, who had In 1969, after just 15 years in by the grandson used scores of sentence. includes Eee netbooks and the
picked up Dryman as a 19-year- prison, he was paroled. The documents the family dug up Pellett, who only decided to Eee box.
old drifter caught in the snow M o n t a n a D e p a r t m e n t o f from old parole records, the hire a private investigator on a Of course not all of these
outside the northern Montana Corrections said that today, the Montana Historical Society and whim during a dinner party products will initial be able to
town of Shelby. soonest a person sentenced to Internet searches to trace conversation, said he is not take full advantage of USB 3.0’s
Dryman was arrested Tuesday life in prison could gain parole Dryman to the wedding chapel. driven to see Dryman punished. 5Gbps max throughput as other
after the victim's grandson hired is 30 years. Pellett told Montana corrections "The legal system will handle computer components might not
an investigator who tracked the Dryman disappeared three officials of the discovery. it," the grandson said. be able to keep up. However as
fugitive to the Cactus Rose y e a r s l a t e r . N o M o n t a n a Officials said Dryman "Whatever they decide is fine Moore’s law keeps marching on
Wedding Chapel, the Arizona offender had been missing acknowledged his identity to with me. I mean he is 78 years dragging chipsets and hard
City, Ariz., notary and chapel longer. officers. old." drives along with it, we’ll
business where he went by the "He just went into thin air in County officials said they didn't ___ eventually see netbooks and
name Victor Houston. 1972," said Clem Pellett, the know if Dryman was Associated Press writer Bob nettops transferring files quicker
Dryman had blended into local victim's grandson. "I don't think performing weddings. Under Christie in Phoenix contributed than eSATA today.
society and even cultivated that my grandfather's death was Arizona law, a couple must take to this report.
friendships with previous county well represented; it just got lost out a marriage license, have a Five Filters featured article:
sheriffs, Pinal County Sheriff in all the ideologic conversation ceremony performed by an Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
Paul Babeu said. of the time." ordained minister or a Justice of PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
"I think this sends a message to Clem Pellett, a surgeon in the Peace and then return the Term Extraction.
other fugitives that they are Bellevue, Wash., pursued the signed license to court for
never off the radar screen," said case after first learning details recording.
M o n t a n a D e p a r t m e n t o f last year while digging through If Dryman was ordained under
34 Popular News/ Gadgets/ Gallup Poll/ E-reader News Edition

Global forest loss 'slows markedly'

(BBC News | Americas | in the 1990s. president." assistant director-general of
World Edition) However, new forests were As deforestation has fallen, FAO's forestry department.
Submitted at 3/25/2010 4:21:34 AM being planted to the tune of there has also been an increase "Not only have countries
more than seven million in the planting of new forests, improved their forest policies
The world's net rate of forest hectares per year; so the net rate particularly in China, leading to and legislation, they have also
loss has slowed markedly in the of loss since the year 2000 has a net increase in national forest allocated forests for use by local
last decade, with less logging in been 5.2 million hectares per cover of three million hectares communities and indigenous
the Amazon and China planting year, compared to 8.3 million in per year. peoples and for the conservation
trees on a grand scale. the 1990s. But the programme - aimed at of biological diversity and other
Yet forests continue to be lost Globally, forests now cover preventing desertification, environmental functions.," he
at "an alarming rate" in some about 31% of the Earth's land reducing flooding and protecting said. iFixit pits the iPhone
countries, according to the UN surface. farmland - is due to end in 2020, "However, the rate of
F o o d a n d A g r i c u l t u r e The biggest losses of forest and if it does, the FAO points deforestation is still very high in
3GS against the Nexus
Organization (FAO). occurred in Brazil, Indonesia out, that will rapidly lead to an many countries and the area of One infograph style
Its Global Forest Resources and Australia. increase in the net loss of forest primary forest - forests Matt Burns (CrunchGear)
Assessment 2010 finds the loss Australia's reduction of half a figure. undisturbed by human activity -
Submitted at 3/25/2010 7:30:39 AM
of tree cover is most acute in million hectares per year is India and Vietnam have also continues to decrease, so
Africa and South America. principally down to the drought mounted significant forest- countries must further iFixit is known for its gadget
But Australia also suffered conditions that have covered planting programmes, the FAO strengthen their efforts to better teardowns and self-help repair
huge losses because of the most of the country in recent notes. conserve and manage them." services. Now we can add large
recent drought. years, thought to be a UN agencies hope the net rate The FAO is conducting another infographs to the mix as well
"It is good news," said the consequence of global climate of loss will be slowed further in survey using satellite with this large iPhone 3GS vs
report's co-ordinator Mette change. coming years if the climate observations that they hope will Nexus One graph comparing
Loyche Wilkie, a senior forestry The Indonesian and Brazilian change-related initiative on provide a much more detailed everything from the hardware to
office with FAO. figures were not such a surprise, Reducing Emissions from assessment, and should be the manufacturing cost to sales.
"This is the first time we've been with both countries possessing Deforestation and forest published at the end of next Our favorite part, however, is in
able to say that the deforestation vast tracts of forest and major Degradation (REDD) comes to year. the middle where the steps
rate is going down across the l o g g i n g i n d u s t r i e s ; a n d fruition. R i c h a r d . B l a c k - required to replace each phone's
world, and certainly when you d e f o r e s t a t i o n i s s l o w i n g . Diverse roots INTERNET@bbc.co.uk battery is compared. Well
look at the net rate that is "Both Brazil and Indonesia are The Global Forest Resources Print Sponsor played, iFixit, well played. Click
certainly down. reporting a significant drop in Assessment is principally based Five Filters featured article: through to embiggen.
"But the situation in some the loss of forests," said Dr on data submitted by Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
countries is still alarming," she Loyche Wilkie. governments. PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
told BBC News. "In Brazil it's spectacular, and Details also include how forests Term Extraction.
The last decade saw forests that's largely because there is a are regulated and how they are
being lost or converted at a rate p o l i t i c a l g o a l t o r e d u c e used; and here, there are also
of 13 million hectares per year, deforestation by 80% by 2020 some encouraging trends,
compared to 16 million hectares and that's supported by the according to Eduardo Rojas,
Underemployed Report Worse Health Than Employed
(All Gallup Headlines) [ fivefilters.org: unable to more likely than the fully physical pain. They also miss counterparts.
Submitted at 3/24/2010 8:00:00 PM retrieve full-text content] employed to report being in fair more days of usual activities
Underemployed Americans are or poor health and experiencing than their fully employed
E-reader News Edition
Dozens of cars pulled from Alaska auto graveyard
(AP)
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 2:54:01 AM
ANCHORAGE, Alaska –
When Anchorage had to dispose
of thousands of cars and trucks
damaged in a powerful 1964
earthquake, it dumped them off
a 350-foot bluff near the
outskirts of town.
The car dumping didn't end
there.
Over the years, the bluff
remained a convenient place to
get rid of stolen or unwanted
vehicles, as evidenced by the
2006 Dodge amid the heap of
crumpled, rusted car frames and
muffler pipes poking out at odd
angles.
But now an effort is under way
to pull some of the more than
2,000 vehicles from the bluff
and clean up the wildlife refuge
below that was established in
1971. So far, workers have
removed 60 to 70 cars, 2,000
tires and about 25 tons of other
debris in an all-volunteer effort
that began 2 1/2 years ago.
Organizers of the cleanup have
come to the realization that the
post-quake dumping wasn't such
LG's LX9500 3DTV Will Go On Sale May [3dTv]
Kat Hannaford (Gizmodo)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 8:43:08 AM
a great idea after all.
"I'm sure they were just
overwhelmed by all the debris
they had to take care of," said
Shawn Crouse, an employee of
a construction company. "At the
time, it probably seemed like a
logical place to put it."
The vehicles damaged in the
quake are packed into the side
of the bluff overlooking Cook
Inlet, barely concealed under a
wind-swept layer of snow and
sand topped with wispy strands
of grass.
"That whole bulge in the hillside
is where we think there are at
least 2,000 vehicles and all sorts
of debris," said Joe Meehan,
refuge manager for the Alaska
Department of Fish and Game.
"It is just all solid cars in behind
that."
On a recent cold morning, a
bulldozer with a hydraulic claw
picked up mangled cars and
other debris, including a child's
bicycle. Another piece of heavy
equipment hauled the junkers
away.
Part way down the bluff, two
cars remained embedded in the
bank. The bulldozer just spun its
Panasonic and Samsung already
have their 3DTV sets on store
shelves in the US, and Sony will
wheels and snapped two cables
attached to the cars as it
struggled to pull them out.
Curt Abbas, a 62-year-old
retired construction supervisor,
had to smile when he heard
work was under way to remove
some of the cars.
"A long time ago, I pushed them
over that bank," he said.
Back then, the flat land atop the
bluff was a gravel pit and dump.
Abbas said he and another guy
used bulldozers to push several
hundred vehicles over the edge
in 1970, when officials wanted
the site cleared to build a dirt-
bike course.
Sand left over from the gravel
operation was mixed with soil to
bury the cars. But Abbas said
there wasn't enough soil. Now,
the sand is eroding, exposing the
crushed cars.
Meehan said at least one person
has tried to commit suicide by
driving off the bluff, going over
the edge in a pickup truck.
"He survived the descent down
to the bottom and spent the
night in the vehicle and the next
morning climbed back up the
bluff in his underwear, bloodied
they did launch a set in Korea
last year, but their new LX9500
launch theirs in June. LG? Well, will debut this May. More »
Popular News/ Gadgets/ 35
head to toe," Meehan said.
The dump operated from 1965
until the late 1970s, when the
community realized that
dumping stuff over the side
Scientific Test: The
wasn't exactly environmentally
responsible. All sorts of Most Accurate
household items were discarded Smartphone
along with autos: wheelchairs, Touchscreen
empty beer kegs, lawn mowers,
refrigerators, couches,
[Smartphones]
snowmobiles. Jesus Diaz (Gizmodo)
Many of the junked cars will Submitted at 3/25/2010 8:36:18 AM
have to remain where they are
because pulling them out will Some people said that Moto
further erode the bluff. Development Group's original
Most of the tires that were cast touchscreen accuracy tests were
over the edge ended up in the unreliable because there were
Anchorage Coastal Wildlife done by a human. Their
Refuge, an important stopping solution? Use an industrial robot
point for migrating shorebirds, with precise constant pressure
ducks, geese, swans and cranes. and speed. And the winner is...
It's been hard work during the More »
summer pulling the tires out of
the marsh.
"Unfortunately, with tires they
tend to roll long distances,"
Meehan said.
Five Filters featured article:
Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
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Term Extraction.
36 Popular News/ Gadgets/ E-reader News Edition

Calif. voters could legalize pot in Nov. election

(AP)
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News) the economic downturn, are measuring up to 25 square feet. people, could lead them to try
Submitted at 3/25/2010 3:35:03 AM considering a plan to The proposal would ban users other, harder drugs. They worry
decriminalize possession of an from ingesting marijuana in that legalization would persuade
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – ounce or less by anyone 18 or public or smoking it while more people to try it, worsening
When California voters head to older. minors are present. It also would the nation's drug culture.
the polls in November, they will A proposal to legalize the sale make it illegal to possess the "We are quite concerned that by
If You Use IE8, Firefox,
decide whether the state will a n d u s e o f m a r i j u a n a i n drug on school grounds or drive legalizing marijuana, it will and Safari, Today Is a
make history again — this time W a s h i n g t o n w a s r e c e n t l y while under its influence. definitely lower the perception Bad Day [Security]
by legalizing the recreational d e f e a t e d i n t h a t s t a t e ' s Local governments would of risk, and we will see youth Jesus Diaz (Gizmodo)
use of marijuana for adults. legislature, though lawmakers decide whether to permit and tax use go through the roof," said
The state was the first to there did expand the pool of marijuana sales. Aimee Hendle, a spokeswoman Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:10:00 AM

legalize medicinal marijuana medical professionals that could Proponents of the measure say for Californians for Drug Free
No browser is safe: Internet
use, with voters passing it in prescribe the drug for medicinal legalizing marijuana could save Youth.
Explorer 8, Firefox, and Safari,
1996. Since then, 14 states have use. the state $200 million a year by The initiative is the second
all of them have been hacked at
followed California's lead, even And a group in Nevada is reducing public safety costs. At proposal to qualify for the
2010 Pwn2Own, and used to
though marijuana remains pushing an initiative that marks the same time, it could generate November ballot. The other is
take full control of a Windows 7
illegal under federal law. the state's fourth attempt in a tax revenue for local an $11.1 billion water bond
machine (Chrome wasn't
"This is a watershed moment in decade to legalize the drug. governments. measure championed by Gov.
targeted). [ Zdnet, Zdnet, Zdnet]
the decades-long struggle to end The California secretary of A Field Poll taken in April Arnold Schwarzenegger and the
More »
failed marijuana prohibition in state's office certified the found a slim majority of state Legislature.
this country," said Stephen initiative for the general election California voters supported ____
Gutwillig, California director ballot Wednesday after it was legalizing and taxing marijuana Associated Press Writers Lisa
for the Drug Policy Alliance. determined that supporters had to help bridge the state budget Leff and Marcus Wohlsen in
"We really can't overstate the g a t h e r e d e n o u g h v a l i d deficit. San Francisco contributed to
significance of Californians s i g n a t u r e s . Those who grow and sell it this report.
being the first to have the The initiative would allow illegally fear legalization would Five Filters featured article:
opportunity to end this public those 21 years and older to drive down the price and force Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
policy disaster." possess up to one ounce of them to compete against PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
California is not alone in the marijuana, enough to roll dozens corporate marijuana cultivators. Term Extraction.
push to expand legal use of o f m a r i j u a n a c i g a r e t t e s . Other opponents view
marijuana. Legislators in Rhode Residents also could grow their marijuana as a "gateway drug"
Island, another state hit hard by own crop of the plant in gardens that, when used by young

Kobo eReader Looks Pretty Nice for $150 [EReaders]

Mark Wilson (Gizmodo) Kobo, who you know from the first semi-premium option
Submitted at 3/25/2010 10:13:24 AM their relationship with Borders, for those too thrifty to buy a
has revealed their own eBook reader. And for $150, it may be Kindle or Nook. More »
E-reader News Edition Popular News/ Tech/ Sports/ 37

New House vote on US health bill iPhone, Firefox, Safari,

(BBC News | Americas |
World Edition)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 5:29:34 AM
process known as budget
reconciliation, where
amendments have to relate to
change required another House
vote.
One of the changes was
IE8 Hacked at
The landmark US healthcare issues.
budgetary rather than policy technical, and the other involved
a provision to prevent Pwn2Own Contest
reform bill must be sent back to On Wednesday, Senate reductions in the federal Pell Stan Schroeder (Mashable!)
the House of Representatives for Republicans submitted 30 Grant student aid programme, Submitted at 3/25/2010 2:57:37 AM
approval after two issues were amendments - which were all Associated Press reported.
raised by Republicans. rejected by Democrats during President Barack Obama signed The annual Pwn2Own contest
During an all-night voting the marathon overnight voting the healthcare bill into law at the CanSecWest security
session, two points relating to session. without delay after the House show in Vancouver gives
student loans were found to Democrats 'confident' vote, as he did not need to wait hackers and security experts a
violate Senate procedure, said However, Senate for the Senate vote on the chance to demonstrate their
an aide to the Senate majority Parliamentarian Alan Frumin reconciliation bill. ability and try to breach the
leader. upheld two Republican He is due to travel to Iowa on security of various devices and security analyst at Independent
T h e y w e r e d e s c r i b e d a s challenges on points of order Thursday to promote the software, and boy, were they Security Evaluators, managed to
"relatively minor provisions". under budget reconciliation benefits of the health care successful this year. hack Safari on a MacBook Pro
They will have to be deleted, rules, Senate Democratic aides reform. Nearly all major browsers – without physical access, which
approved by the Senate and then said. Some supporters of the bill had Firefox, Safari, IE8 – were won him $10,000. Nils (no last
sent back to the House for Jim Manley, spokesman for the received threats and abusive hacked at the contest. A non- name given), head of research at
approval. Senate Majority Leader Harry messages, prompting them to jailbroken iPhone was also UK-based MWR InfoSecurity,
The bill was passed in the Reid, said: "After hours of call police and the FBI. hacked and its SMS database won $10,000 for hacking
House of Representatives by trying to find a way to block Democratic House Majority stolen. Firefox, and independent
219 votes to 212 on Sunday, this, they (Republicans) found Leader Steny Hoyer said more Vincenzo Iozzo and Ralf security researcher Peter
with no Republican backing. two relatively minor provisions than 10 Democratic politicians Philipp Weinmann sent an Vreugdenhil won the same
It extends coverage to 32 that are violations of Senate had reported incidents since iPhone to a web site they’d set amount for hacking IE8. All the
million more Americans, and procedure which means we're Sunday's vote, some of which he up, crashing its browser and browser attacks were done by
marks the biggest change to the going to have to send it back to described as "very serious". then stealing its entire SMS having the browser visit a
U S h e a l t h c a r e s y s t e m i n the House." Print Sponsor database (including some erased malicious web site; although full
decades. He added that he was Five Filters featured article: messages). It is possible, details aren’t disclosed, Cnet has
As part of the package, on "confident that the House will Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: however, to set up a similar some more technical info on the
Sunday the House also approved be able to deal with these and PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, attack to work without crashing attacks.
a separate set of amendments. pass the legislation". Term Extraction. the browser, hackers claim, and For more technology coverage,
That package returned to the Mr Manley said 16 lines will be set up different attack payloads. follow Mashable Tech on
Senate for a vote, under a deleted from the bill, but any Iozzo and Weinmann won a Twitter or become a fan on
$15,000 prize for successfully Facebook
Hot Hawks clinch third straight trip to playoffs demonstrating the attack. Tags: Firefox, hack, hackers,
IE8, iphone, Pwn2Own, safari,
Associated Press Orlando: D. Howard 19 Pts, 24 Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: Details about the attack will be trending
(ESPN.com) Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl, 4 Blk PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, released once Apple is notified
Atlanta: J. Johnson 17 Pts, 6 Term Extraction. and the security hole is patched.
Submitted at 3/24/2010 9:24:15 PM
Reb, 8 Ast, 1 Stl Charlie Miller, principal
Top Performers Five Filters featured article:
38 Popular News/ Tech/ Entertainment/
'Bin Laden's 9/11 trial threat'
(BBC News | Americas |
World Edition)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:54:41 AM
A message said to be from
Osama Bin Laden threatens to
kill Americans if the alleged
mastermind of the 9/11 attacks
is executed by the US.
Al-Jazeera news channel
broadcast an audiotape
reportedly from the al-Qaeda
leader talking about Khalid
Sheikh Mohammed and four
other suspects.
The tape said that if the US
made the decision to execute, al-
Qaeda would also "execute"
anyone it captured.
The five suspects are due to be
tried in New York for the 2001
attacks.
Trial criticism
The taped message said: "The
White House has declared its
wish to execute (Mr Mohammed
and the other suspects). The day
the United States takes such a
decision, it would be also taking
the decision that any of you
falling into our hands will be
executed."
The White House has been
Sarah Palin Lands TV Series
(ETonline - Breaking News)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:32:00 AM
Former Alaska governor Sarah
Palin, who went from
Republican vice presidential
candidate to best selling author
criticised for planning to put the
five suspects on trial in New
York. Critics say the trial near
the Ground Zero will be
expensive and disruptive.
White House officials have yet
to decide if the trial will take
place in a federal courtroom, or
in a military commission.
Prosecutors are expected to
seek the death penalty, while
White House Press Secretary
Robert Gibbs said in January
that Mr Mohammed was going
to "meet his maker" if found
guilty.
The Pentagon says Mr
Mohammed has admitted to
being responsible "from A to Z"
for the attacks in New York and
Washington.
Following his capture in
Pakistan in 2003, Mr
Mohammed was held at a CIA
secret prison, where he was
subjected to harsh interrogation
techniques and a practice known
as "waterboarding", which
simulates drowning, until he
was moved to Guantanamo Bay
in 2006.
'Rage of the oppressed'
In the tape broadcast on
to FOX News correspondent, is
now getting her own TV show.
Produced by reality show heavy
w e i g h t M a r k
Burnett("Survivor"), the show
will be a series of stories told by
Palin about her home state of
Thursday, the speaker said to be
Bin Laden also accused US
President Barack Obama of
"following the footsteps of his
predecessor".
"The politicians in the White
House were practising injustice
against us and still they are -
especially by supporting Israel
in its continuous occupation of
Palestine," he said.
"They used to think that
America across the oceans is
protected from the rage of the
oppressed until our reaction was
loudly heard at your home on
the 9/11 with God's help."
In a previous recording said to
be of Bin Laden, broadcast by al
-Jazeera in late January, he
blamed the US for global
warming.
A day earlier he praised the
attempted bombing of a US
airliner on 25 December.
Print Sponsor
Five Filters featured article:
Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
Term Extraction.
Alaska, the Associated Press
confirms.
The eight-part series will air on
TLC and will be called "Sarah
Palin's Alaska."
Mysterious Monkey of
Tampa Bay is a
Facebook Phenomenon
Adam Ostrow (Mashable!)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 8:24:56 PM
A monkey has gone viral … on
Facebook. The story dates back
more than a year, when
numerous sightings of a
mysterious monkey were first
reported around the state of
Florida.
Since then, the local media has
latched onto the case, with the
St Petersburg Times devoting a
microsite to the primate. In
recent days, the story has
garnered national attention, and
the most recent update to a
Facebook Page for the creature
indicates that there have been
15,000+ new fans added in the
past day thanks to coverage on
the Today Show and in USA
Today.
Like other infamous Facebook
fugitives, fans are posting wall
comments in droves,
encouraging the elusive monkey
to continue to fight the good
fight when it comes to evading
authorities. There are also the
requisite mock campaign posters
and lolcats knock-offs. Of
E-reader News Edition
course, this is all made
considerably more humorous by
the fact that the subject of the
Fan Page is, after all, a monkey.
Facebook’s favorite primate
lists his personal interests as,
“Bananas, swinging through
trees, messing with the popo,
flinging feces, screeching at the
top of my lungs, and basically
hanging out with my peeps. I am
also interested in the theory of
relativity, and post modern art. I
also like the warm sun, a cold
cervesa, and a nice grouper
sandwich.”
For more social media
coverage, follow Mashable
Social Media on Twitter or
become a fan on Facebook
Tags: facebook, internet
memes, social media
E-reader News Edition Tech/ 39

Inspired by bugs, start-up seeks night vision

(CNET News.com) To cope, NocturnalVisioin One difficulty with the
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:52:43 AM takes an approach they call company's process is its
spatiotemporal summation. In a computational requirements. It
Henrik Malm o f nutshell, it analyzes what's works by a mathematical
NocturnalVision speaks at the going on across each frame of analysis of a multi-frame
I m a g e S e n s o r s E u r o p e an image--the spatial component sequence, working its way
conference.(Credit: Stephen --and what's going on from one through an entire video. That
Shankland/CNET) frame to the next--the temporal means for real-time work,
LONDON--Every researcher c o m p o n e n t - - t o t r y t o there's a delay of about six
from Isaac Newton on knows intelligently direct the noise frames before the image
well the advantages of seeing reduction process. processing can kick in.
farther by standing on the So, for example, with a man In addition, the mathematics
shoulders of giants. Some walking across a videocamera's involved take some processing.
Swedish researchers, though, are field of view, the company's Right now, the company can
seeing better by standing on the process detects his motion. That produce five frames of video per
shoulders of tropical bees. information can help inform second at a resolution of
A Swedish start-up called whether one pixel is changing 640x400 pixels, Malm said--
NocturnalVision wants to help from dark to light because of the well slower than the frame rate
cameras see in the dark better. random fluctuations of noise, cameras today employ.
To do so, it took inspiration which which case it should be However, the process can get a
from Megalopta genalis, the suppressed, or the arrival of the helping hand from a graphics
bee, and other insects active at man into that part of the frame, chip; the company is currently
night, said Henrik Malm, of in which case the change should using an Nvidia GForce
Lund University and now the be preserved. 880GTX for its work.
start-up, in a talk at the Image The comparison of a frame "This algorithm is well-suited
Sensors Europe conference here. t a k e n r e c o r d e d w i t h a for parallel programming on a
The researchers are working on videocamera a night shows the GPU or on other parallel
addressing common problem original frame at left, the architectures," Malm said. With
with digital image sensor amplified signal at the center, newer hardware, it's likely the
technology: the image- a n d t h e i m a g e w i t h into another area. tropical bee that inspired
algorithm could work in real
degrading speckles called noise N o c t u r n a l V i s i o n ' s n o i s e Trying to discern dim details N o c t u r n a l V i s i o n ' s
time--in other words, for video
that show up in low-light r e d u c t i o n a p p l i e d a t while avoiding the blinding approach.(Credit: Henrik Malm,
cameras that shoot at the
conditions. effects of bright lights sounds L u n d U n i v e r s i t y a n d
right.(Credit: Henrik Malm, ordinary rate of 30 frames per
Image sensors work better with L u n d U n i v e r s i t y a n d like a problem nighttime drivers N o c t u r n a l V i s i o n )
second.
more light, but people want to N o c t u r n a l V i s i o n ) have, and indeed, Toyota is The start-up is interested in
Five Filters featured article:
take photos and videos in dim "I think the noise reduction is interested in the researchers' consumer cameras, camera
Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
conditions such as a party in a pretty strong," Malm said. approach. phones, surveillance cameras,
PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
restaurant. Cameras can amplify The technique also adjusts The carmaker has rights to the a n d p e r h a p s m i l i t a r y
Term Extraction.
the information they record, a u t o m a t i c a l l y t o l o c a l technology for automotive a p p l i c a t i o n s , h e s a i d .
transforming a dark image into differences across the frame, so applications, Malm said, and The company is seeking
one that shows what's going on for example details in a dim area NocturnalVision has rights venture capital and also is in
in the scene, but doing so also can still be seen even after a elsewhere. talks with Sony Ericsson, Malm
amplifies the noise. Megalopta genalis, a small said.
very bright light source intrudes
40 Tech/ Entertainment/ E-reader News Edition

On Apple's $40 billion, and the question of dividends

David Winograd (The preparation for the next big
Unofficial Apple Weblog recession. This doesn't seem to
(TUAW)) hold much water, however,
Submitted at 3/25/2010 8:00:00 AM since analysts predict that Apple
Filed under: Apple AAPL has will grow by 18% per year for
been hitting new highs just the next five years. That should
about every day. Yesterday the provide more than enough cash,
stock price hit an intra-day high predicting that Apple will report
of $230.20, a lofty height net income of around $21 billion
indeed. We pointed out earlier in 2014.
that Apple now has the fourth Of course, predictions are often
largest market cap of any wrong, but Apple has been
p u b l i c l y t r a d e d d o m e s t i c excellent when it comes to
company, so maybe it's time to beating expected earnings
revisit the question of Apple numbers for some time. 77% of
declaring dividends on its stock. informal Motley Fool poll
Apple has not declared a respondents think that Apple
dividend since December of should declare dividends. After
1995. After the last shareholder all, that cash is really owned by
meeting, Steve Jobs stated that the stockholders and it seems
the money was best left in the that a good number of them
bank so there would be no would like to get some of it
question of loans if something back.
big was to be bought. "The cash Read on for another view.
in the bank gives us tremendous Some contrary opinions were
flexibility," explained Steve. voiced on CNN Money. One
The Motley Fool makes an reason cited for issuing no
interesting case in favor of dividends is to keep the Apple
dividends. Apple has no history legal war chest fat, since Apple
of massive acquisitions, and has a history of being litigious.
keeping $40 billion around for That seems reasonable, but then
just that reason sounds less than again, $40 billion is well over
reasonable. A case is also made the amount Apple would need to
for keeping the money as pay for endless lawyers.
the same percentage of the
company they started with, but
that percentage is worth less.
I bought AAPL when dividends
were declared, but that didn't
enter into my decision to buy.
When dividend distribution was
stopped, it didn't faze me one
bit, since I bought for growth,
not periodic income, and that
strategy has paid off
handsomely. If Steve and the
board feel more comfortable
rolling around in money, that's
just fine with me. I don't see any
With huge amounts of cash at along with the other stores positive outcome of declaring
its disposal, Apple can tie up the planned around the world. dividends at this point. If you
best component prices. Due to As a long time AAPL owner, see differently, please let us
the success of the iPod and my take on it is fairly simple: If know in the comments.
iPhone, Apple has become the it ain't broke, don't fix it. Not TUAW On Apple's $40 billion,
biggest customer for flash declaring a dividend certainly and the question of dividends
memory in the industry, and to hasn't hurt Apple one bit. It sure originally appeared on The
get the best prices the company hasn't restrained investors from U n o f f i c i a l A p p l e W e b l o g
often pre-pays vendors, as it did buying the stock, and so issuing (TUAW) on Thu, 25 Mar 2010
with Samsung last summer with dividends doesn't seem to be an 08:00:00 EST. Please see our
a half billion dollar order. incentive for getting the stock terms for use of feeds.
Another reason is real estate: sold. But the worst reason I can Read| Permalink| Email this|
A p p l e h a s s p o k e n a b o u t think of for declaring dividends Comments
building a second Cupertino is that that by doing so, the
campus which, if it happens, value of my stock will be
won't be cheap. Also not cheap diluted, thereby making it worth
is the plan to open 25 stores in less. It is true that after a
China over the next two years dividend, everyone still owns

Lawsuit: TMZ a Hotbed of Annoying Drug Use [Scandals]

Hamilton Nolan (Gawker) TMZ producer, went on medical complained. He was fired. Now
Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:35:16 AM leave for depression, he's suing. Might TMZ lack
unsurprisingly. When he came were using drugs on the job. He professionalism? More »
Christian Shostle, a former back, he says, his colleagues
E-reader News Edition
WordPress Founder: Open Source Is About
People, Not Technology
Ben Parr (Mashable!)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 5:40:00 PM
Tech/ Entertainment/ Economy/ 41
A 'Hot Tub Time
Machine' '80s
Fashion Flashback!
(ETonline - Breaking News)
source. The birth of Linux was prominent proponents of open
one of the major turning points source. It promotes innovation Submitted at 3/25/2010 12:20:00 AM

for open source. because it allows developers to

We’ve discovered a lot of great WordPress’s founder then share ideas and code to build John Cusack goes back to the
ideas here at The Economist focused on his own story of better ideas for less of a cost. '80s with his pals in the 'Hot
I n n o v a t i o n C o n f e r e n c e i n starting WordPress: he didn’t WordPress’s founder said that Tub Time Machine,' a campy
Berkeley, California. Pixar’s build the software from the the city of San Francisco this comedy receiving rave reviews,
President spoke on how the ground-up, but looked to the year will spend more on and the stars of the movie find
company creates great films and open source software that he software than WordPress has themselves re-living their '80s
Paola Antonelli of the Museum was using at that time to blog. fundamentally changed, fashion memories for ET!
spent in its entire time of
o f M o d e r n A r t ( M o M A ) That software was b2/cafelog. Mullengweg said. There is no "I think there was the 'uplift
existence. He hopes that
discussed the history of the @ When he and his partner Ryan such thing as a “killer feature” people' crowd, and then there
eventually that kind of spending
s y m b o l , a m o n g o t h e r Boren realized that it was anymore because of extensions were the people who 'can't
will go away as open source
presentations and workshops. abandoned, they decided to and plug-ins — if an app like remember,' and I was in the
becomes a more integral
Now one of the biggest forces build on top of it to create a Firefox or WordPress doesn’t 'can't remember' crowd," says
component of our lives. Your
in social media, founder of b e t t e r o p e n s o u r c e b l o g have the feature you want, you John about his '80s heyday,
Thoughts
WordPress Matt Mullenweg, software, the beginnings of can add it with an API or a plug- recalling, "I had the Tiger
What do you think of the open
has taken the stage to speak WordPress. in. It means that everybody has sneakers, which I thought were
source movement? Is it
a b o u t t h e o p e n s o u r c e A few years after he built a different, unique version of really cool."
essential to the future of
movement, the origins of WordPress, he built the WordPress, and thus it changes "My shoes used to glow in the
software? Is it monetizable and
WordPress, and how it has company that now surrounds it: how he builds on his platform. dark," says Craig Robinson. "I
sustainable? Is Matt right when
fostered innovation. The audience got a chance to actually had a hi-top fade
Automattic. The Automattic he says open source is about
Here are my notes on his talk: e m p i r e n o t o n l y i n c l u d e s ask questions; the big one was [hairstyle] for a while there -- it
people, not technology?
Open Source and the Origins of WordPress and WordPress.com, about how WordPress makes was pretty high, just like in the
Let us know your thoughts in
WordPress money. The answer: Back-up movie. I think they at one point
but Gravatar, Akismet, blo.gs, the comments.
M u l l e n w e g o p e n e d b y IntenseDebate, and PollDaddy. services, hosting, anti-spam, and asked me what my hair was like,
For more technology coverage,
remarking that open source is He also built his company to be other paid upgrades make the so I wonder if that was the
follow Mashable Tech on
not about technology, but about an international, telecommuting majority of revenues. While not inspiration."
Twitter or become a fan on
people. He focused a little on company, because he wanted to many users buy these features,
Facebook
the history of open source — he get the best talent, no matter when you have millions of users
Tags: innovation, Inovation
believes it started in 1984 at where they were. In fact, only it adds up. He also is happy that
Conference, matt mullenweg,
MIT. Since then, there has been six WordPress employees are in its revenue model isn’t
The Economist, Wordpress
a slow transformation of how the Bay Area. Software Has overwhelming its users.
w e v i e w s o f t w a r e , f r o m Changed Overall, Matt Mullenweg is one
proprietary to free and open- of the biggest and most
Software design has

China Unicom ditches Google on mobiles

(Financial Times - US By Kathrin Hille in Beijing and 18:52 | Last updated: March 24 Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
homepage) Justine Lau in Hong Kong 2010 18:52 PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
Published: March 24 2010 Five Filters featured article: Term Extraction.
42 Tech/
Microsoft hopes Bing users pick up the tab
(CNET News.com)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:00:00 AM
When it released Bing last year,
Microsoft hoped that users
would be willing to click on a
host of additional options
presented in a column along the
left side of Bing search results.
It turns out, though that
disappointingly few users
clicked on the added options.
The low click rate meant that
some of the pages that Microsoft
invested the most in--topic
pages, articles, and custom data
feeds--were being overlooked
by lots of users.
Aiming to try to get more
attention for its special pages,
Microsoft is testing a new look
that will add a series of tabs in
the center of its Bing results
pages, prominently identifying
when there are additional types
of content.
A subtle change to Bing will
move options such as video
results and reference articles to a
series of tabs in the center of the
result page(Credit: Microsoft)
Although the change is subtle,
Microsoft's Brian MacDonald
says that the tabs could have a
significant impact on the way
users interact as compared with
the current options on Bing's
results pages.
E-reader News Edition
like related searches, search
history and other refinements
that a user might want to make
to their query. The changes to
Bing's look will also include
more prominent labeling of
official sites and other smaller
tweaks.
Not all of the updates Microsoft
is planning are cosmetic,
though. The software maker is
also looking to pull in more of
the kinds of structured data it
already offers for things like
weather and recipes, as well as
changes that make the engine
more "social."
For example, a Bing search for
the New York Times will soon
pull up not only a link to the
main page, but also a list of the
most popular New York Times
links being shared on Twitter.
It's part of Microsoft's effort to
"When you see a list like that, it percent of U.S. visitors will start Microsoft user experience continue to gain share in the
tells people, hey, choose one to see the tabbed look, with manager Paul Ray showed some search market. The company has
from this list," MacDonald said plans to make those pages the of the early Bing designs earlier gained share almost every
i n a t e l e p h o n e i n t e r v i e w . standard view over the coming this month in a session at the month since Bing debuted,
"Whereas tabs kind of mean, weeks. It's the most visible of Mix10 event in Las Vegas. although much of that gain has
hey, check out what's behind several changes Microsoft is Microsoft spent months testing come not against Google but at
door No. 2, check out what's making as part of its spring all manner of tabs as well as left the expense of others in the
behind door No. 3, and, hmm, refresh for Bing. -side and right-side navigation m a r k e t , i n c l u d i n g Y a h o o ,
what's behind door number Interestingly, the tabbed look is panes before ultimately deciding Microsoft's soon-to-be-partner
four? You're expected a little not really that new. It's actually on the left-side navigation in the search business.
more to engage with all of one of the user interface ideas system that debuted last year. Five Filters featured article:
them." that Microsoft had considered With the new look, Bing isn't Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
Well, that's the hope anyway. but rejected when it first scrapping the left navigation PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
Starting Thursday, roughly 5 introduced Bing last year. altogether, keeping it for things Term Extraction.
E-reader News Edition
Bogus DMCA Takedown Is Not Copyright
Infringement And Not Libel
Mike Masnick (Techdirt)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 10:52:00 PM
We've had a few discussions
concerning the available
damages awards for bogus
DMCA takedown notices.
Unfortunately, if you've had
your content taken down
incorrectly, the damages you
can get from those who sent the
takedown, are greatly limited.
This is a big problem, because
bogus takedowns are regularly
sent for a variety of reasons,
including attempts to silence
speech and because a copyright
holder is taking a machine gun
approach to dealing with
infringing content. The case
that's received the most attention
on this has been the Lenz vs.
Universal Music case, involving
Universal Music's failure to take
fair use into account in taking
down a short video of a baby
dancing to music.
However, Michael Scott points
us to Marty Schwimmer's blog
post detailing a content creator's
Sun Sets on MTV Show 'The Hills'
(ETonline - Breaking News)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:20:00 AM
The show that made Heidi
Montag, Spencer Pratt and
Lauren Conrad household
attempt to claim a bogus DMCA
takedown was both copyright
infringement itself as well as
libel, two rather interesting legal
claims... both of which got
dismissed pretty quickly. The
case involved Actors' Equity
Association (AEA) which
apparently has some sort of
setup where it has the right to
alert YouTube to any videos that
violate the copyright of its
members. How it knows
whether those videos are
authorized or not is not at all
clear -- and, in this case, AEA
screwed up. It issued a
takedown on a video that was
posted by the copyright holder
who was pretty pissed off. AEA
apologized, but the guy sued,
and beyond just using the
DMCA's 512(f) clause on
dealing with bogus takedowns,
tried some other claims as well -
- including the copyright
infringement and libel claims
mentioned above.
The claim of copyright
infringement claim is quite
names, "The Hills," is coming to
an end after six seasons.
“I think we’ve told the story of
struggle and of finding yourself
in L.A.,” creator Adam DiVello
tells Entertainment Weekly. “A
creative. It was based on the
fact that copyright gives you the
exclusive right to distribute and
display your works, and the
bogus takedown interfered with
those exclusive rights. Of
course, there's a pretty big
problem with this theory, which
the court was quick to point out:
just because copyright law gives
you that exclusive right, it
doesn't mean that everyone has
to automatically let you
distribute or display your works,
which is effectively what the
guy was claiming. If this theory
won out, then no one could stop
someone else from displaying
their works or it would be
considered copyright
infringement. So it's good that
the court rejected this. Related
to this, the court also rejected
the 512(f) claim, by noting that
only applies to situations where
the takedown issuer had actual
knowledge of the fact that the
takedown was bogus, which
greatly limits its applicability.
The libel claim stems from the
lot of these kids have found
themselves and have certainly
embarked on different careers
and different paths.”
Montag recently underwent 10
plastic surgery procedures in
Tech/ Entertainment/ 43
Celebs Spring
into Spring with
Floral Fashions!
idea that he was falsely labeled (ETonline - Breaking News)
for infringing copyrights when
Submitted at 3/25/2010 5:10:00 AM
he had not done so -- and the
court ties that to the same 512(f)
Spring is here!
claim, pointing out that this
Celebs are putting away the
would only apply if there were
black and daring to bare their
actual knowledge that the
most colorful floral prints! Take
takedown notice was bogus.
a look at all the celebs who have
The ruling here certainly makes
been donning dozens of
sense, but still highlights a
blooming floral creations this
massive problem with the
spring!
DMCA -- which is that those
issuing takedowns have
absolutely no incentive to
determine if those takedown
notices are valid. This would
seem to seriously violate what's
supposed to be a fine balance
between copyright law and the
First Amendment, in that it
allows individuals or companies
to stifle the speech of others,
using the law, even if they're
Naked Apartments
doing so incorrectly. This Strips the Hassle out
seems like a massive problem in of Real Estate Hunting
how the DMCA is constructed.
Permalink| Comments| Email Brenna Ehrlich (Mashable!)
This Story Submitted at 3/24/2010 4:16:47 PM
NAKED page 44
one day and DiVello reveals And our cameras are there that
how the upcoming season will minute the mother opens the
address the transformation, door and sees her daughter for
telling EW, "We tell the whole the first time."
story. We pick right up where
Heidi goes and sees her parents.
44 TV/ Entertainment/ E-reader News Edition
NAKED
continued from page 43

This post is part of Mashable’s
Spark of Genius series, which
highlights a unique feature of
startups. If you would like to
have your startup considered for
inclusion, please see the details
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Quick Pitch: The Match.com
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Apartments pairs ideal brokers
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Genius Idea: If you live in New
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apartment. Well, Naked
Apartments ain’t gonna find you
a husband (unless you end up
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Naked Apartments soft
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and there are already 15,000
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— 5,000 with no fee, which is a
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broker’s fees can cost more than
rent.
The site is pretty easy to use.
Just sign up by creating a profile
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preference for 5-7 children, fill
in all the usual apartment-
hunting info: preferred
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You can also indicate how dire
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you’re good to go (this is a cool
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The cool part of the site comes
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neighborhood of Williamsburg)
all by your lonesome, brokers
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listings. Your interaction will be
completely anonymous until you
choose to exchange information.
We at the New York Mashable
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new digs in the big city easier,
and we like the anonymity and
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Apartments expands to other
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Naked Apartments also made a
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For more social media
coverage, follow Mashable
Social Media on Twitter or
become a fan on Facebook
Sponsored by Microsoft
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BizSpark is a startup program
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Entrepreneurs can take Johnny Maestro, '16
advantage of the Azure Services Candles' Singer [And
platform for their website
hosting and storage needs. Now He's Dead]
Microsoft recently announced Hamilton Nolan (Gawker)
the“new CloudApp()” contest–
Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:12:56 AM
use the Azure Services Platform
for hosting your .NET or PHP Johnny Maestro, the doo wop
app, and you could be the lucky singer who led the group
winner of a USD 5000* ( please Brooklyn Bridge, died yesterday
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Facebook, PHP, Twitter singing with The Crests in the
Tags: MARKETING, online 1950s. That was the jam. More
dating, real estate »

'American Idol' - '1 of 11 Eliminated' Recap

Jane Boursaw (TV Squad) Bowersox, Michael Lynche, and Urban's Zac Efron vibe, and Filed under: American Idol,
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:27:00 AM Siobhan Magnus -- but all of the Siobhan's edgy pop-rock. Lee Judges, Reviewcaps,
contestants have their moments. DeWyze, Didi Benami, and Contestants, Predictions and
Last night, we learned the Top What I love about this season is Andrew Garcia don't really pop Trends, Celebrity Commentary
T e n w h o ' d b e g o i n g o n there's such a diverse group of out at me, but there's still time. Permalink| Email this| |
the'American Idol' tour this singers, each with their own fan Did the right person go home Comments
s u m m e r . O u t o f a l l t h e base. We've got Crystal's bluesy last night? Let's talk about it
contestants who made it into the -folksy vocals, Katie Stevens' after the jump.
Top 24, I'm ok with who's left. teen pop, Michael Lynche's vocals (I'm convinced he can Continue reading'American
There are really only a handful soulful blues, Casey James' s i n g a n y t h i n g w e l l ) , T i m Idol' - '1 of 11 Eliminated'
of standouts for me -- Crystal guitar rock, Aaron Kelly's mad Recap
E-reader News Edition
Foursquare comes to Bing Maps
(CNET News.com)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:36:48 AM
Foursquare on Bing Maps,
which will be coming out this
spring.(Credit: Bing)
Microsoft's Bing Maps tool will
soon feature tips and comments
from location-based networking
service Foursquare.
Don't panic: This won't
broadcast your location to
anyone hunting around on Bing
Maps. It will, however, pull up
the quick "tips" that Foursquare
users can attach to a given
business or other venue, like the
one I saw when I "checked in"
to a restaurant last night and was
greeted with "Love, love, love
the Brussels sprouts."
A new Silverlight-based tool
will pull in the Foursquare
features to Bing Maps. This and
other Bing updates will be
launched over the course of the
spring.
Microsoft announced the
upgrade Thursday morning in
New York at the SES
'Justified' - 'Riverbrook' Recap
Danny Gallagher (TV Squad)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 8:23:00 AM
(S01E02)"I gotta ask, why the
hat?" - Rachel
"I tried it on one time and it fit."
- Raylen
It's been a long time since I've
conference, which also saw the
preview of a new Bing user
interface.
A Bing blog post offers further
explanation: "Let's say you're
traveling to New York City for
the week, but you don't know
what's hot in Greenwich
Village. Selecting the
Foursquare Map App in Bing
Maps, and zooming into to
been itching to catch up on a
show. I mean, the kind of
frustrating nervousness that
makes your gut ache and wish
you had control over time and
space.
It got even worse my TiVo
decided not to record Tuesday
Greenwich Village will get you
tips that show you what locals
are saying about the hot spots in
that area. It's like an interactive
day planner, designed to help
find the best things to do in that
area."
There is also a way to rank tips
based on Foursquare user
reputation--the users who have
unlocked specific "badges," for
night's episode, which means I
example, or who check in the
most frequently.
The location-based social
media market has been hyped
for a while but reached a fever
pitch earlier this month during
the South by Southwest
Interactive Festival, where the
tech community was eager to
figure out which of the half-
dozen-or-so start-ups in the
had to wait to find out what
happens next. This just made
my nerves twitch and convulse
more until my entire body lit up
like a Christmas tree of pain,
which didn't help since I'm
already fighting off a killer cold.
The weirdest part? It actually
Tech/ TV/ 45
space would emerge the
favorite. While it's still unclear
how far ahead of its close
competitors Foursquare is, if at
all, search deals like the Bing
partnership puts it in
competition with the likes of
Yelp. Meanwhile, Yelp
launched its own Foursquare-
like check-ins earlier this year.
Bing already has a "firehose"
deal in place with Twitter, a deal
that reportedly brought Twitter a
decent sum of cash in return.
Foursquare co-founder Dennis
Crowley declined to say much
about whether any money had
changed hands in the Bing deal
announced Thursday. "Bing
came to use with the idea of
creating a real-time map of
Foursquare check-ins," he said,
"and we were happy to share the
data."
Five Filters featured article:
Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
Term Extraction.
feels kinda nice.
Continue reading'Justified' -
'Riverbrook' Recap
Filed under: Other Drama
Shows, Episode Reviews,
Reality-Free, Episode Recaps
Permalink| Email this| |
Comments
46 Tech/ E-reader News Edition

Smart Phone Motion

Control Patented; Held
Bad Things Happen When By Shell Company
Mike Masnick (Techdirt) behind the patent, and who's

Politicians Think They Understand Submitted at 3/25/2010 5:43:43 AM funding the litigation. No
lawsuits have been filed yet, as
Aubrey Wells was the first of a far as we know, but with a
Technology lot of folks to send over John patent so broad, it seems likely
Paczkowski's excellent analysis that we'll see something soon.
Mike Masnick (Techdirt) such a plan. could have the unintended effect of a highly questionable patent Of course, this is the same old
Submitted at 3/25/2010 4:12:53 AM T h e n w e h a v e t h e b i g of hindering the development t h a t w a s i s s u e d r e c e n t l y story. The idea behind motion
cybercrime bill put forth by a n d u s e o f c u t t i n g - e d g e concerning motion control on a sensing in a mobile device is
With health care reform out of Senators Hatch and Gillibrand technologies, products, and smartphone. The patent ( hardly a new or non-obvious
the way, lots of politicians are S e n a t o r s R o c k e f e l l e r a n d services, even for those that 7,679,604) is incredibly broad, idea -- the problem was really
pushing out new legislative Snowe( updated, since there are would protect our critical and appears to cover technology just that the hardware wasn't
ideas, hoping that Congress can two separate cybersecurity bills, information infrastructure." that is in use in many current there yet. There were, certainly,
now focus on other issues -- so and its the Rockefeller/Snowe They added the bill might devices. What's odd, however, other motion sensing technology
w e ' r e s e e i n g l o t s o f b a d one that has people scared), that impose a bureaucratic employee is that the inventors on the out there, and there is absolutely
legislation proposed. Let's do a tries to deal with the "serious - c e r t i f i c a t i o n p r o g r a m o n patent appear to be Google and nothing in this patent that
two for one post, highlighting threat of cybercrime." But, of companies or give the president Apple engineers, but the patent furthered the art. This sort of
two questionable bills that many course, it already has tech t h e a u t h o r i t y t o m a n d a t e itself appears to be held by a interface was coming whether or
of you have been submitting. companies worried about the security practices. This is one of shell company, of which there is not it was patented. But that's
The first, proposed by Senators u n i n t e n d e d c o n s e q u e n c e s , those bills that sounds good for little available information. what happens with so many
S c h u m e r a n d G r a h a m , i s especially when it requires the headlines (cybercrime is This suggests (though, it's not patents these days -- the focus is
technically about immigration complying with gov't-issued bad, we need to stop it), but has definite) that it's a typical patent on patenting the obvious and
reform, which is needed, but security practices that likely the opposite effect in reality: litigation setup. It's pretty t h e n s u i n g e v e r y o n e w h o
what's scary is that the plan won't keep up with what's setting up needless "standards" common for patent holders to i m p l e m e n t e d i t .
includes yet another plan for a actually needed:"Despite all that actually prevent good set up shell companies to sue Permalink| Comments| Email
national ID card. Didn't we just [the] best efforts, we do have security practices. It's bills like others with -- in part because it This Story
go through this with Real ID, concerns regarding whether both of these that remind us that allows them to hide who's really
which was rejected by the g o v e r n m e n t c a n r a p i d l y t e c h n o l o g i c a l l y i l l i t e r a t e
states? Jim Harper, who follows recognize best practices without politicians making technology
this particular issue more than defaulting to a one-size-fits all policy will do funky things,
just about anyone, has an approach," they wrote. assuming that technology works
excellent breakdown of the "The NIST-based requirements with some sort of magic.
proposal, questioning what good framework in the bill, coupled Permalink| Comments| Email
a national ID does, while also with government procurement This Story
pointing to the potential harm of requirements, if not clarified,
E-reader News Edition
While biofuels sputter, green
chemicals attract cash
(CNET News.com)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:25:47 AM
After betting big on biofuels
with little success, investors
appear to be switching gears to
focus more on making
chemicals from plants.
Chemical company Genomatica
on Thursday said that it has
raised $15 million in series C
financing, which was led by
TPG Biotch, a venture capital
arm of private equity company
Texas Pacific Group. With the
money, Genomatica plans to
start building a demonstration
facility later this year to produce
the industrial chemical 1,4-
butanediol, or BDO, from sugar
and to expand its product line.
Working with bacteria to make
chemicals.(Credit: Genomatica)
Genomatica is one of several
biotechnology companies using
genetically modified organisms
to make fuels or chemicals from
plants. In biofuels, few
companies have been able to
produce fuels from non-food
feedstocks at large scale because
of technical challenges or
difficulty raising money from
risk-averse bankers.
Chemical companies face
similar challenges, but they
typically can charge more for
their products, said Christophe
Tech/ Entertainment/ 47
We Interrupt Our Regular
Programming: YouTube Is
Down [UPDATE: It's Back]
Stan Schroeder (Mashable!)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 4:20:13 AM
At the moment, YouTube is not
available, displaying only a
“500 Internal Server Error” or
an “Http/1.1 Service
Unavailable” message. Users all
over the world have noticed the to be affected.
*Update #2: We’ve received the
error, and Twitter and Facebook
are swarmed with messages following short message from
Google: “ YouTube is
related to the outage. At the time
of writing, according to user temporarily unavailable. Our
engineers are currently working
reports, the outage has been
going on for approximately 30 to restore the site.”
*Update #3: It’s back. The
S c h i l l i n g , t h e C E O o f completed next year, will be minutes.
Genomatica. "Fuels represent a used to test with partners the Currently, there’s no word from downtime lasted approximately
one hour.
significantly larger market in quality of BDO for making Google about the reasons for the
terms of volume, but it does products, such as spandex fibers outage; we have contacted For more technology coverage,
follow Mashable Tech on
have the challenge of delivering or plastics used in cars. Google and will update this post
at costs at points competitive Another biotech company, when we learn more. Twitter or become a fan on
Facebook
with fossil fuels," he said. A Codexis, plans to produce both *Update: Interestingly enough,
pound of BDO, for example, liquid fuels and chemicals the videos on YouTube seem to Tags: outage, video, youtube
costs several times more than a through its process. It's one of a work, only the front page seems
pound of ethanol. handful of green start-ups which
Genomatica has developed a plan to go public. Two other
strain of the e.coli bacteria to companies targeting the market
There Was a Great Gnashing
convert sugar water, either from for plant-derived chemicals,
sugar cane or sugar beets, into Segetis and Rennovia, recently of Teeth, and Then You
B D O . S c h i l l i n g s a i d t h e raised money from venture
c o m p a n y p r o j e c t s i t c a n capital companies. Were Gone [Open Caption]
undercut the cost of BDO made Five Filters featured article: Richard Lawson (Gawker)
from oil or natural gas on price Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:40:23 AM
alone. PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
The demonstration facility, Term Extraction. [ Real Housewife Kelly
which Schilling expects to be Bensimon in Miami yesterday, image via INF] More »
just before the whole of Florida
was swallowed by the sea;
48 Tech/ Entertainment/ Fashion/
Prevent iTunes web previews from opening
iTunes automatically
TJ Luoma (The Unofficial
Apple Weblog (TUAW))
Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:00:00 AM
Filed under: iTunes
Ever since Apple rolled out
web previews for iTunes links
several months ago, I've been
meaning to find a way to disable
those pages from automatically
opening iTunes, which I don't
usually have running. These
pages have a "View in iTunes"
link already, so if I want to open
iTunes, it's easy enough to do
manually. The Apple Blog
posted some instructions for
doing this, but that method
didn't seem to always work for
me. Some links still opened
iTunes. My best guess is that
Apple uses a variety of methods
of opening these links, but The
Apple Blog's instructions were
only addressing one.
Then I remembered
RCDefaultApp from Rubicode,
a freeware application which
allows you to easily set which
application will open files based
on filename extension (such as
the ".doc" in "review.doc") or
Street Chic: New York
ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 4:00:00 AM
Liquid leggings add a sleek
by the protocol in a URL, such
as http:// or itms://.
I went into the URLs section of
RCDefaultApp (which is a
preference pane), and disabled
the following protocols:
• itms:// (this seems to be the
most prevalent in my limited
testing)
• itunes://
• itmss://
Then I went to the "Extensions"
tab and disabled the "itms"
edge to voluminous layers.
Photo: Anne Ziegler
Think you are Street Chic? E-
mail us your photo and you
extension, based on The Apple
Blog's advice. I tested several
iTunes web preview links and
did not find any which still
automatically opened iTunes.
The other advantage to using
RCDefaultApp is that the
settings should work for all
browsers.
Speaking of iTunes links, the
folks over at Bjango have posted
an article dissecting iTunes links
and how to craft them. Great
reading.
could appear in ELLE.com's
E-reader News Edition
Terrifying Poop Gas
Bubbles Will Kill Us
All [Journalismism]
Hamilton Nolan (Gawker)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 10:13:21 AM
The Wall Street Journal has
published the best story in, I'm
guessing, its entire history,
pertaining to monster manure
gas bubbles threatening to
explode all over the US
TUAW Prevent iTunes web
heartland, with devastating
previews from opening iTunes
effects. More »
automatically originally
appeared on The Unofficial
Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu,
25 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST.
Please see our terms for use of
feeds.
Read| Permalink| Email this|
Comments
AutoSmiley uses the
iSight to turn your
face into an emoticon
Mike Schramm (The Unofficial
Apple Weblog (TUAW))
Street Chic Daily.
Submitted at 3/25/2010 7:00:00 AM
Follow ELLE on Twitter.
Become our Facebook fan!
Filed under: Humor This one's
AUTOSMILEY page 49
E-reader News Edition Tech/ Entertainment/ 49
AUTOSMILEY
continued from page 48

a little silly but I still really like
it -- AutoSmiley is a public
domain app that runs in the
background while you work,
quietly monitoring your iSight's
camera input. Whenever it
detects a smiling face on the
camera(so any time you smile
while working), it will send a
":)" emoticon to the keyboard.
It's probably not quite practical,
as there are a lot of times when
you might smile but don't want
to actually send an emoticon.
I do like the idea that it turns
emoticons into real expressions
of emotion. When you actually
see a ":)" or an "lol" in
someone's IM or email, you
never really know if they've
actually smiled or laughed at
what you've typed earlier, and a
program like this puts a little
more power behind the colon
and parenthesis. As the app's
description says, using it can go
a little farther towards
"enforcing honesty in your
online communication." The app
is a free download for US, UK,
and NL keyboards on the Mac.
The app was featured on
Wednesday's TUAW TV Live,
which you can watch to see
AutoSmiley in action.
TUAW AutoSmiley uses the
iSight to turn your face into an
emoticon originally appeared on
The Unofficial Apple Weblog
(TUAW) on Thu, 25 Mar 2010
07:00:00 EST. Please see our
terms for use of feeds.
Read| Permalink| Email this| Which Actor Is Giving
Comments Other Celebrities
Herpes? [Blind Items]
Brian Moylan (Gawker)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 10:20:00 AM
They'd call him Santa Claus if
he gave any more gifts. One
actress is obsessed with her

Apple seeds Mac OS X 10.6.3 build 10D573 to weight (and her bulimia)
another is obsessed with her
boyfriend's ex. This singer has
devs, release probably not imminent two boyfriends at once. Let's
hope one isn't Santa. More »
Michael Grothaus (The Safari 4.0.5 will be re-offered by seed notes.
Unofficial Apple Weblog Software Update after upgrading TUAW Apple seeds Mac OS X
(TUAW)) to 10D573 from a previous seed. 10.6.3 build 10D573 to devs,
Submitted at 3/25/2010 10:00:00 AM Last week a TUAW reader was release probably not imminent
Filed under: OS The saga of the a b l e t o d o w n l o a d a originally appeared on The
1 0 . 6 . 3 b u i l d s c o n t i n u e . *PRERELEASE** build of Unofficial Apple Weblog
Yesterday Apple seeded a new 10.6.3 on his iMac. We took the (TUAW) on Thu, 25 Mar 2010
build -- build 10D573 -- to Apple slip-up as a sign of an 10:00:00 EST. Please see our
developers. This latest build, imminent launch, but the builds terms for use of feeds.
similar to the others, asks just keep on coming. Is it going Read| Permalink| Email this|
developers to focus on Graphics to be released soon? Who the Comments
Drivers, Images & Photos, Mail, heck knows? But now my guess
Q u i c k T i m e , a n d S e c u r i t y is that Apple might be waiting it to your computer? I'll just be
Certificates. There is one known for the April 3rd launch of the happy to start seeing those
remaining issue, like in the iPad. Perhaps 10.6.3 and a new 10.6.4 builds. Jump on over to
previous two builds, in which iTunes will be required to sync World of Apple for 10D573's
50 Tech/ Politics/ Economy/
Apple releases Pro Applications,
Canon Printer Drivers updates
Michael Grothaus (The
Unofficial Apple Weblog
(TUAW))
Submitted at 3/25/2010 7:30:00 AM
Filed under: Software Update
Apple has released two new
updates. The first is Pro
Applications Update 2010-01.
The update is a revision to Final
Cut Studio (2009). It includes
Final Cut Pro 7.0.2, Motion
4.0.2, Color 1.5.2, Compressor
3.5.2, Apple Qmaster 3.5.2 and
Cinema Tools 4.5.1. Apple says
the software improves overall
stability and addresses a number
of other minor issues. The
update is recommended for all
users of Final Cut Studio, Final
Cut Server, and Logic Studio
and weighs in at 321.1 MB. It
requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or
later and QuickTime 7.6.2 or
later.
The second update is Canon
Printer Drivers 2.3 for Snow
Dubai unveils debt restructuring
(Financial Times - US
homepage)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 4:16:15 AM
Dubai announced a
restructuring proposal for
troubled conglomerate Dubai
World on Thursday, including a
Leopard and includes the latest
Canon printing and scanning
software for Snow Leopard. The
update weighs in at 281.16MB
and requires Mac OS X 10.6.1
or later.
The updates are available
through the download links
above or via Software Update.
TUAW Apple releases Pro
commitment to pump $9.5bn
into the company and Nakheel,
its development arm.
The government, which said the
plan would take several months
to implement through talks with
creditors, will fund the new
business plan with the $5.7bn
Applications, Canon Printer
Drivers updates originally
appeared on The Unofficial
Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu,
25 Mar 2010 07:30:00 EST.
Please see our terms for use of
feeds.
Read| Permalink| Email this|
Comments
left over from the $10bn bail-out
loans from Abu Dhabi last year,
and the remainder from internal
government resources.
Five Filters featured article:
Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
Term Extraction.
Jim Hoft (Gateway
Pundit) Staged the
Carnahan Coffin Stunt
(Little Green Footballs)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 11:05:29 PM
The coffin that was placed on
the lawn outside the private
home of Rep. Russ Carnahan (D
-Mo.) was a stunt organized by
the St. Louis Tea Party
Coalition and religious fanatic
blogger Jim Hoft (“Gateway
Pundit”), kicking his usual
insanity up a notch into actual
threatening behavior.
And he’s proud of it. Hoft sees
absolutely nothing wrong with
showing up outside the private
home of an elected official
carrying a coffin, in a week
during which there have been
numerous reports of threats and
violent incidents. Nope. Hoft
says the media and Russ
Carnahan are “lying.”
What they’re lying about, he
doesn’t say. He doesn’t deny
any of the facts of the story. He
did show up with the coffin at
Carnahan’s private home, and
he and his accomplices did put it
on Carnahan’s lawn.
Hoft’s twisted rationale is that
it’s a “lie” to see this kind of
creepy behavior as a threat. He
really believes he had a perfect
E-reader News Edition
right to stalk around outside
Carnahan’s home with a coffin
and terrorize Carnahan’s family
— but even more than that, Hoft
is angry with the media for not
reporting that he was right to do
it!
Here’s Hoft’s post at Father
Richard John Neuhaus’s First
Things website: Coward Russ
Carnahan Pushes Bogus Tea
Party Lie to Media– Claims
Prayer Service With Coffin Was
a Violent Threat.
We prayed for Russ Carnahan.
We prayed that God would
forgive him for taking away our
freedom. We prayed for the
babies who will never feel the
warmth of the sun or a gentle
spring rain. We prayed for the
elderly who will die waiting for
care because they couldn’t make
it past the Obama death panels.
We prayed for Russ Carnahan.
So obviously it came as quite a
shock tonight to see that the
Carnahan people and the
Democratic-media complex had
twisted this innocent prayer
vigil into some kind of threat
against Russ Carnahan.
E-reader News Edition Tech/ Tech News/ Economy/ 51

Syphilis (Or Was It Facebook?) Blamed Test Shows: iPhone

For People Not Understanding That Touchscreen Still the
Correlation Does Not Mean Causation Best
Mike Masnick (Techdirt)
Marshall Kirkpatrick
Submitted at 3/25/2010 7:10:00 AM (ReadWriteWeb)
I really really really wasn't Submitted at 3/24/2010 7:48:02 PM

going to write this post, but so

many people kept submitting it,
I figured it needed to be done.
The Telegraph has some
ridiculous story claiming,
without any actual evidence,
that Facebook is "linked to the
rise in syphilis." Quite a claim.
The evidence? Oh, that's not
included. There's just some
public health guy claiming that
there's evidence -- without
presenting any. About the only
thing in the article is that (a)
more people in this particular
area of the UK seem to be
reporting that they got syphilis
(b) people in that area are also
(marginally) more likely than in
other areas to use social
networking (c) at least some of
Merkel says summit will detail Greece aid
(Financial Times - US
homepage)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 4:03:42 AM
German chancellor Angela
Merkel said European Union
leaders were set to “specify”
what “combination of IMF and
the people who got syphilis
mentioned that they have met
sexual partners via Facebook.
So, yes, you have a bit of weak
correlation combined with self-
selected anecdotal bias. And
that proves what? Uh,
absolutely nothing. So, please,
for the sake of the sanity of
statisticians everywhere, please
bilateral aid could be given in
the eurozone” should Greece
ask for help.
But, addressing the German
parliament ahead of an EU
summit later on Thursday and
Friday, Ms Merkel stressed “no
concrete help” would be
learn to practice safe statistics,
where before you claim
something is linked to
something else, you actually use
"protection" in the form of some
real data.
Permalink| Comments| Email
This Story
discussed by heads of state and
government.
Five Filters featured article:
Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
Term Extraction.
If the future is all about
touchscreen interfaces, then
performance of the screen in
registering where it's been
touched is pretty important.
International design firm Moto
ran a robotic finger test on 6
leading touchscreen smart
phones to see how well they
registered a robot's loving touch.
Some of the phones did
remarkably poorly, like the
BlackBerry Storm and the
Motorola Droid. The iPhone,
Google Nexus One and HTC
Droid Eris all did quite well.
Check out the video below to
see the tests and marvel at the
apparent differences between
touchscreens and their
performances.
Sponsor
Robot Touchscreen Analysis
from MOTO Development
Group on Vimeo.
As Sadat Karim writes on
Neowin,"Hope is not lost
though, as Moto Labs concludes
that they do expect these
problems to be remedied in the
future as touchscreens mature
and gain further traction in the
industry. Commitment and
competition will ultimately
deliver seamless touch
experiences for all consumers
over time, since phone makers
are continuously perfecting their
products."
To see touchscreen hardware
nerds duke it out over the test,
check out the Moto Labs blog.
How about you, readers? Have
you felt the difference in
performance across some of
these handsets?
See also: User Interfaces
Rapidly Adjusting to
Information Overload
Discuss
52 Politics/
Trojan Horse
John B. Judis (The New
Republic - All Feed)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 9:00:00 PM
Much of the controversy over
financial regulatory reform has
swirled around the proposal for
a consumer financial protection
agency. But what I find most
controversial in the bill that
Senator Chris Dodd drafted and
that the Senate Banking
Committee recently reported out
on a party-line vote is the
provision for a new financial
oversight council that would
oversee the Federal Reserve and
other agencies. It’s not just
unnecessary. It could also have
a pernicious effect on
regulation. It is a Trojan Horse
for the status quo.
The proposed nine-person
council—dubbed a “Financial
Stability Oversight
Council”—would be chaired by
the Secretary of Treasury and
consist primarily of officials
drawn from the Securities and
Exchange Commission and
other federal agencies. Dodd’s
council appears to go beyond
the similar body that was part of
the House bill that was passed
last December. The House’s
Financial Services Oversight
Council would advise the
Federal Reserve and Congress
on threats to stability and issue
“formal recommendations” to
take action when a financial
company is in distress. But the
Finance Committee’s Oversight
Council would also approve and
devise regulations and have the
right of approval or disapproval
over key regulatory decisions
that the Fed makes.
Whenever an agency doesn’t do
its job in Washington, the
temptation is to create still
another agency to oversee it.
That was the proposed solution
for the intelligence failures of
the Central Intelligence Agency
and Federal Bureau of
Investigation. And now it’s
Washington’s solution to the
failures of the Federal Reserve.
But this council wouldn’t
address the principal reasons for
the failure of the Fed from 1997
or so through 2007, when it
pressed for further financial
deregulation and ignored or
downplayed the warning signs
of the dot-com and housing
bubbles. We know what
happened next.
Many liberals now blame the
ideological propensities of
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan
Greenspan, a former Ayn Rand
disciple, for the deregulatory
excesses of the period—but the
real problem was the “Dow
35,000” boom psychology that
afflicted liberals and
conservatives alike and that led
them to oppose any measures
that would restrain market
growth. Secretary of the
Treasury Robert Rubin and his
successor Lawrence Summers
joined Greenspan in opposing
the regulation of derivatives and
in backing the repeal of the
Glass-Steagall Act, which had
walled off commercial from
investment banking. Bill Clinton
reappointed Greenspan
twice—in 1995 and again in
2000.
Would an oversight council
have halted these measures and
instilled financial sobriety? The
question answers itself. Rubin
and then Summers would have
chaired the council. Or take the
Bush years. Federal Reserve
chair (and before that Bush
economic advisor) Benjamin
Bernanke has not really
explained why he downplayed,
or just plain missed, the housing
bubble, but his judgement was
probably clouded by a fear of
taking steps that would imperil a
tenuous recovery. Would
Secretary of the Treasury John
Snow and SEC chair
Christopher Cox have advised
Bernanke to put on the
brakes—or would they, as is
more likely, have either
acquiesced in what Bernanke
wanted to do or urged even
worse steps to be taken?
The other reason for the Fed’s
failure from 1997 to 2007 was
probably its proximity to the
people and institutions it was
supposed to regulate. Sandy
Weill of Citigroup had more
access to Greenspan or to the
chairman of the New York
Federal Reserve—the second
most powerful Fed
official—than a labor leader or
consumer advocate. When the
interests of the banking
community coincide roughly
with the national interest—as
they did when the Federal
Reserve was founded in
1913—that’s no problem. But
when Wall Street has special
interests in deregulation that
don’t coincide with the national
interest, its influence becomes
problematic. Would a council
address this problem? Was the
financial community less likely
to influence Snow or Cox than it
was Bernanke? Is the current
Secretary of the Treasury more
likely to listen to Goldman
Sachs’ Lloyd Blankfein or to
Mark Cooper of the Consumer
Federation of America?
There are several obvious
lessons that most economists
and policy-makers outside the
University of Chicago have
drawn from this financial crisis:
first, the need to include “non-
bank” financial companies like
AIG in the purview of the
government’s financial
regulatory agencies; second, the
need to break up, when
necessary, giant financial
corporations whose failure could
pose a systemic risk to the
system; third, the need to
prohibit commercial banks and
non-bank financial institutions
from engaging in proprietary
trading and investing in hedge
funds and private equity funds.
The latter is currently referred to
as “the Volcker rule.”
E-reader News Edition
If you look at Dodd’s proposal,
what you discover is that all of
these measures are not written
into law, but are to be carried
out at the discretion of—you
guessed it—the Financial
Stability Oversight Council. If
the Fed wants to break up a
“large complex company [that]
poses a grave threat to the
financial stability of the United
States,” it will have to obtain a
two-thirds vote of the council. If
it wants to regulate a non-bank
financial company, it has to
obtain a two-thirds approval of
the council. And the Volcker
rule will or will not be
implemented depending upon
the “recommendations” from a
“study by the Financial Stability
Oversight Council.”
In other words, Dodd’s council
could not only rubber-stamp bad
decisions by the Fed, but it
could also block good ones.
Think again of who would have
populated the council during the
George W. Bush administration
or even of the current
squabbling among the Fed, the
Federal Deposit Insurance
Commission, and other financial
regulatory agencies over who is
in charge of what. Washington
policy-makers need to listen for
once to the wise advice of
William of Ockham: “Entities
must not be multiplied beyond
necessity.” William, of course,
was talking about Platonic
TROJAN page 54
E-reader News Edition
Majorly or Radically?
Jonathan Cohn (The New
Republic - All Feed)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 9:00:00 PM
“There’s no fixing the
government health care takeover
Democrats forced through on
Sunday. It must be repealed.”
So said Jim DeMint, the
Republican senator and
presidential hopeful, speaking
one day after health care reform
passed the House of
Representatives, clearing the
final legislative hurdle to
enactment. And it’s a sentiment
you hear a lot on the right these
days. Over the last week or so,
as passage seemed ever more
likely, Republicans moved from
denial to anger: If they couldn’t
stop this bill from becoming a
law, they would stop the law
from taking effect.
A historical precedent for
repeal exists. In 1988, President
Ronald Reagan and the
Democratic Congress passed the
Medicare Catastrophic
Coverage Act. The bill promised
to fill in some key gaps in
Medicare coverage, chief among
them an overall limit on benefits
and a lack of prescription drug
coverage. But the bill proved
unpopular. Only a tiny fraction
of seniors ever experienced
catastrophic expenses that
surpassed the Medicare limits;
the drug benefit, although
helpful, didn’t start right away.
To pay for the benefit, the act
raised taxes on wealthy seniors.
Conservatives attacked that
future mercilessly, implying
(wrongly) that many more
seniors would end up paying the
tax. The public turned sharply
against the act and, within a
year, Congress had repealed it
by an overwhelming margin.
Democrats complacent about
their victory this week should
remember that example and
remember it well. But they
should also take comfort in the
fact that the situation is different
in several key respects.
Although most of health care
reform’s benefits won’t begin
until many years from now, the
architects of the bill understood
what happened with Medicare
Catastrophic. That is why they
front-loaded the bill with a
handful of tangible benefits.
Seniors will get additional
assistance buying drugs, young
adults under 26 will get to stay
on their parents’ policies, the
government will prohibit annual
and lifetime limits on benefits
and insurers will be prohibited
from rescinding policies without
good cause--all within the first
year.
The politics have changed too.
Precisely because Medicare
Catastrophic was a bipartisan
act, passed by a Democratic
Congress and signed by a
Republican president, neither
party really took political
ownership of it. Neither Reagan
nor congressional Democrats
had made it a defining issue of
their previous campaigns and
after enactment, neither was
going to expend huge political
resources defending it.
The situation today could not
be more different. President
Barack Obama and his allies
made health care reform a
centerpiece of the 2008
campaign. And over the last
year, they’ve made it the
signature cause of Obama’s first
term. Their political survival
depended on its passage and,
now, their political survival
depends on its implementation.
In short, they are going to keep
fighting for it.
Of course, the prospect of yet
more fighting over health care
won’t excite most Americans,
who at this point just want to
move on to other matters.
(Heck, even some of those who
write about health care for a
living are eager for something
new.) But there’s nothing wrong
with fighting about--or, at least,
debating about--health care. It’s
an argument about how we, as a
nation, want to set priorities. It’s
a discussion we’ve been having
for decades--over everything
from Medicare spending to
insurance regulation--and it’s a
discussion we were bound to
keep having, no matter what
happened to reform.
What’s changing this week,
with the enactment of the
Democrats’ bill, is the
boundaries of that discussion.
All societies have to make
decisions about how to allocate
resources. Broadly speaking,
there are two ways to make
those decisions. A society can
make those decisions
collectively, through
government, by imposing
regulations and spending
taxpayer dollars. And a society
can make those decisions
individually, through the
market, by simply allowing
individuals to spend money
according to his own
preferences and means.
It’s not a stark, either/or choice.
Instead, each nation finds its
own middle ground between the
two extremes. And, historically,
the U.S. middle ground has been
closer to the market side. Unlike
in the rest of the developed
world, government didn’t
guarantee access to coverage,
although it subsidized it for
some people who couldn’t
afford it. Government didn’t set
overall budgets for health care
spending, although it would
limit the money its own
programs spent for treatment.
For a long time, Americans
were comfortable with that
approach. But, over time, it
caused more and more people to
struggle. Millions had no health
insurance; millions more had
either insurance that was too
expensive or insurance that
didn’t cover enough.
Health care reform promises to
shift the middle ground between
government and market,
Politics/ 53
modestly, but in a way that will
have far-reaching effects. Now
government will guarantee that
all (or most) people have the
ability to get insurance that will
actually meet their needs. It
won’t do so by taking over the
insurance business--even if,
truthfully, that’s what some of
us would prefer. Instead, it will
do so by setting rules for how
the insurance industry behaves.
And it won’t make insurance
free for all people. But it will
provide financial assistance,
enough so that people of limited
means won’t have the same high
exposure to medical costs they
do now.
Minutes after the House
finished passing health care
reform, Obama described the
bill as a major, but not a radical,
reform. That about sums it up. It
will change the way people live
far more than it will change the
principles by which we govern.
Jonathan Cohn is a senior editor
of The New Republic. This
column is a collaboration
between TNR and Kaiser Health
News. KHN is an editorially
independent news service and is
a program of the Kaiser Family
Foundation, a nonpartisan health
care policy research
organization, which is not
affiliated with Kaiser
Permanente.
For more TNR, become a fan
on Facebook and follow us on
MAJORLY page 54
54 Politics/ E-reader News Edition
TROJAN
The New Nullifiers continued from page 52

forms, but his advice could

E.J. Dionne Jr. (The New government can require everyone else ends up paying His state, he declared in 1832,
Republic - All Feed) easily apply to the proposal for a
individuals to buy health the bill, either in higher was "inflexibly determined financial oversight council.
Submitted at 3/24/2010 9:00:00 PM insurance. The other is the insurance premiums or taxes." never to surrender her reserved Five Filters featured article:
states' rights question. In a suit He concluded: "Some of my rights, nor to suffer the Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
WASHINGTON -- Virginia separate from Cuccinelli's, 13 libertarian friends balk at what constitutional compact to be PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l K e n state attorneys general -- 12 looks like an individual converted into an instrument for Term Extraction.
Cuccinelli seems determined to Republicans and a conservative mandate. But remember, the oppression of her citizens."
use an attack on health care Democrat from Louisiana -- also someone has to pay for the Andrew Jackson's response to
reform to bring us back to the challenged the mandate. But health care that must, by law, be the nullifiers is classic. He
1830s. their main argument is that the provided: Either the individual denounced "the strange position
Cuccinelli, to cheers from the federal government cannot force pays or the taxpayers pay. A that any one State may not only
Tea Party crowd, went to court states to pay for an expanded free ride on government is not declare an act of Congress void,
this week to overturn the new Medicaid program and take libertarian." but prohibit its execution." He MAJORLY
law, which he says conflicts other steps the law requires. continued from page 53
That would be Mitt Romney. also wondered how a state could
w i t h a V i r g i n i a s t a t u t e It would take a rashly activist The former Massachusetts "retain its place in the Union, Twitter.
"protecting its citizens from a court to find the individual governor is now trying to insist and yet be bound by no other of Five Filters featured article:
government-imposed mandate m a n d a t e u n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l that the health plan with a its laws than those it may Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
to buy health insurance." because it is structured as a tax. mandate that he championed in choose to consider as PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
"Normally, such conflicts are No one will go to jail for not his state -- with the support of a constitutional." Term Extraction.
decided in favor of the federal buying insurance. Starting in legislator named Scott Brown -- OK, at least today the attorneys
government," he said, "but 2014, people who refuse will is oh-so-different from the bill general are going to court before
because we believe the federal have to pay a penalty to the President Obama signed this taking further action. But in the
law is unconstitutional, f e d e r a l g o v e r n m e n t , week. But Romney can't take case of Cuccinelli, the very law
Virginia's law should prevail." administered by the IRS. There back his own words. he is relying on to justify his suit
The Republican attorney are subsidies for those who
general's move reveals how far cannot afford coverage on their
Still, at least the quarrel over was passed by Virginia's Branstad Takes
the mandate is about something Legislature in direct defiance of
into the past America's New o w n , a s w e l l a s h a r d s h i p relatively new. The old states' a federal bill they knew might Wide Lead in
Nullifiers want to push the e x e m p t i o n s . rights argument, if successful, be coming. Call it Nullification
nation. They don't just want to The idea is simple: Most people could upend years of federal Light. It's no way to run a Iowa Gov's Race
abandon a more than seven- without insurance currently legislation. Will we have a serious country, and it's a (Newsmax - Politics)
decade-long understanding of receive at least some medical system where states can pick reckless approach to politics.
Submitted at 3/24/2010 8:22:55 AM
the Constitution's interstate h e l p , a n d t h e m a n d a t e i s and choose among federal laws? E.J. Dionne's e-mail address is
commerce clause that has designed to get everyone paying We want our elderly to get ejdionne(at)washpost.com. (c) This year's race for governor in
allowed the federal government into the system. One of the best Medicare, and give us more 2010, Washington Post Writers Iowa continues to be largely a
to regulate a modern, national defenses of a health insurance highway money, but forget this Group battle between two candidates
economy. They also want to mandate came in a Wall Street health care expansion. Five Filters featured article: who've already held the office.
resurrect states' rights doctrines Journal op-ed piece published in That sounds like the logic of the Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: The latest Rasmussen Reports
discredited by President Andrew April 2006. nullifiers of the 1830s, fighting PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, telephone survey of likely voters
Jackson during the nullification "By law, emergency care cannot to resist a federal tariff they Term Extraction. in the state shows former
crisis of the 1830s and buried by be withheld," this commentator thought was too high. Gov. Republican Governor Terry
the Civil War. wrote. "Why pay for something Robert Y. Hayne of South
There are two issues here. One you can get free? Of course, Carolina, their leader, sounded BRANSTAD page 55
i s w h e t h e r t h e f e d e r a l while it may be free for them, rather like today's Tea Partiers.
E-reader News Edition TV/ Fashion/ 55
BRANSTAD
continued from page 54

Branstad leading current
Governor Chet Culver by 16
points, 52 percent to 36 percent.
Six percent (6 percent) prefer
some other candidate, and six
percent (6 percent) are
undecided.
Branstad, who served as
governor from 1983 to 1999,
held virtually identical leads
over the Democratic incumbent
a month ago and in the first
survey of the race last
September.
Culver is doing better this
month, however, against another
Republican, Bob Vander Plaats,
a businessman and former high
school principal with failed runs
for governor and lieutenant
governor under his belt. Vander
Plaats led Culver by six points a
month ago but now holds a
narrow 42 percent to 40 percent
lead. Eight percent (8 percent)
favor another candidate, and 11
percent are undecided.
Culver also barely edges a
newcomer in the race, State
Representative Rod Roberts, by
40 percent to 38 percent margin.
Given this match-up, 10 percent
of Iowa voters favor another
candidate, and 13 percent are
undecided.
Republicans will pick their
gubernatorial candidate in a
June 8 primary.
Republican Charles Grassley
continues to hold a comfortable
lead over his three chief
Democratic challengers in the
U.S. Senate race in Iowa.
Clearly a problem for Culver is
that for the second month in a
row, just 41 percent of voters in
the state approve of the job he's
doing, with 11 percent who
Strongly Approve. Fifty-seven
percent (57 percent) disapprove
of his job performance,
including 33 percent who
Strongly Disapprove.
Male voters prefer the
Republican over Culver in all
three match-ups, but Branstad is
the only GOP hopeful who wins
female voters away from the
incumbent. Voters not affiliated
with either major party favor the
Republicans by double-digit
margins.
Nineteen percent (19 percent)
of all Iowa voters hold a very
favorable opinion of Culver,
while 30 percent view him very
unfavorably.
Branstad is viewed very
favorably by 26 percent and
very unfavorably by 18 percent.
For Vander Plaats, very
favorables and very
unfavorables both total 15
percent.
Roberts is regarded very
favorably by six percent (6
percent) and very unfavorably
by six percent (6 percent).
Just six percent (6 percent) of
voters in the state have no
opinion of either Culver or
Branstad. But 27 percent don't
know enough about Vander
Plaats to venture even a soft
favorable or unfavorable
opinion of him. Forty-two
percent (42 percent) have no
opinion of Roberts.
That's one reason why at this
point in a campaign, Rasmussen
Reports considers the number of
people with a strong opinion
more significant than the total
favorable/unfavorable numbers.
Barack Obama carried Iowa
with 54 percent of the vote in
2008, and now 50 percent of
voters in the state approve of his
performance as president.
Forty-nine percent (49 percent)
disapprove. These findings
include 26 percent who Strongly
Chloé Studded
Approve and 39 percent who
Strongly Disapprove.
Boots
This survey was taken prior to ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog)
the passage of the controversial Submitted at 3/24/2010 3:50:00 PM
national health care plan, so it's
not clear what impact, if any, Sarah Schussheim, Assistant
that will have on voters in Iowa. Fashion Editor, in Chloé
In the Senate, Grassley voted studded boots
against the plan, while Iowa's "These are the perfect pair of
other senator, Democrat Tom boots: They're embellished,
Harkin, voted in favor of it. super comfortable, and add a
- little height."
Five Filters featured article: Photo: Kelly Stuart
Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
Term Extraction.

'America's Next Top Model' - 'Let's Dance' Recap

Michael Pascua (TV Squad) sponsor Bluefly.com. Granted, for Bluefly.com with Anthony Continue reading'America's
Submitted at 3/25/2010 5:18:00 AMthis isn't the first time crossover announcing "Period" each time. Next Top Model' - 'Let's Dance'
has happened between the two Ren continued to self-eliminate Recap
(S14E03) I find it amusing when shows. Previous contestants like herself throughout the episode, Filed under: Other Reality
two shows start bleeding into Dani (Cycle 6), Bianca (Cycle and yet didn't have the guts to Shows, OpEd, Episode Reviews
each other. This week'America's 9), and Anya (Cycle 10) have actually quit. Tyra must be Permalink| Email this| |
Next Top M o d e l ' modeled for contestants on their that, I got several commercials annoyed that the person that she Comments
borrowed'Project Runway's' final runway shows. Because of hand picked didn't succeed.
56 Politics/ Gadgets/
Card 'Em
Linda Hirshman (The New
Republic - All Feed)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 9:19:45 AM
When Barack Obama signed
the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act into law
yesterday, it became official:
health care was not to be, as
certain Republicans promised,
the president’s Waterloo.
Republicans quickly swung to
predicting that health care
would instead be a deceptively
successful but actually
disastrous victory—more like
Napoleon’s conquest of
Moscow, say, which launched
his bloody winter march from
power. Obama and the
Democrats will realize the folly
of their health care
triumphalism, Republicans say,
when the midterm elections roll
around.
Should Democrats buy into this
narrative? No, and here’s why:
The solution lies right in my
wallet.
And the wallets of the millions
of other Americans who have
crossed the 65 year mark since
1965: a little red, white, and
blue Medicare card. The day
President Obama signed the
HCR bill into law every
American became eligible for a
little card of her own. I haven’t
seen the Obama message gurus
produce one, so I did it for them.
When Lyndon Johnson signed
the law that created Medicare,
he had two Medicare cards
ready: one for Harry Truman
and one for his wife, Bess
Truman. Nice gesture. But the
Trumans were already going to
vote Democratic. What a waste.
George W. Bush, whose record
on reelection is substantially
superior to that of Lyndon
Johnson, knew better. When he
achieved the record-setting tax
cuts in 2001, taxpayers received
not one, but two missives from
the Republican controlled
federal government. First they
got a letter, telling them they
were going to get a tax rebate.
And then they got a rebate
check (postmark: Austin, Texas,
the president’s campaign
headquarter city), printed with
the slogan “tax relief for
America’s workers,” which had
been a hallmark of the
Republican campaign.
Long ago, people who study
E-reader News Edition
political behavior noticed
something weird. When people
don’t have something, they are
pretty rational about what they’d
be willing to pay to get it. But
when they already have
something, they pay wildly
more not to lose it, even if it’s
the same thing. The Obama
folks should not need me to tell
them this; I learned it from one
of the president’s advisors, the
behavioral economics guru Cass
Sunstein. He wrote about it in
his book, Nudge. Put an Time Warner Cable
Americare Card in the hands of
every adult and parent in
America and then let the
enables city-wide WiFi
Republicans come for it. I’m
guessing, in the words of a great
Republican, Charlton Heston,
for NYC subscribers
Tim Stevens (Engadget) parks and rail stations across the
they’d have to pry it out of our city. Unfortunately TWC isn't
Submitted at 3/25/2010 8:29:00 AM
cold dead hands. opening this up to all of its
Linda Hirshman is a retired If you're a Time Warner Cable subscribers, just NYC-based
professor of philosophy. She is subscriber in the greater NYC ones, but if you have the
at work on a book about the gay area, your life just got a little bit requisite @nyc.rr.com suffix on
social movement. better this morning. TWC has your e-mail address hit that
Five Filters featured article: come to an agreement with source link and find yourself a
Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: Cablevision, allowing the hotspot.
PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, former's subscribers to tap in to Time Warner Cable enables
Term Extraction. the city-wide WiFi the latter city-wide WiFi for NYC
started rolling out way back in subscribers originally appeared
2008. No, we're not talking on Engadget on Thu, 25 Mar
unbroken coverage from the 2010 08:29:00 EST. Please see
Hudson to the East Rivers, but our terms for use of feeds.
there are thousands of Optimum Permalink GigaOM| Time
-branded hotspots all over Warner Cable WiFi, PRWeb|
boroughs that cover plenty of Email this| Comments
E-reader News Edition Tech News/ Game/ 57
WB announces
Bing Keeps Getting Smarter: Adds More Info multiplatform Legend
of the Guardians game
About Cars, Sports Teams JC Fletcher (Joystiq)
Frederic Lardinois specs instead of directing you to current location (based on your Submitted at 3/25/2010 4:55:00 AM
(ReadWriteWeb) another site with this info. This IP address). For popular artists,
Submitted at 3/25/2010 7:00:00 AM page will also include links to these boxes will now also Finally, your chance to play a
additional images and videos include information about heroic owl in an owl-focused
Bing now knows a lot more about the car, as well as the upcoming concerts and other game! WBIE announced that it's
about cars and will also give a ability to restrict the search Sports Comparison and UI relevant information. Sadly, this adapting Zack Snyder's new
select group of users the option query by different trims and Changes concert info is based on film, Legend of the Guardians:
to compare the performance of links to the specs of cars in the A small number of Bing users chronology and doesn't take a The Owls of Ga'Hoole, into a
different sports teams. Microsoft same class. will now also be able to user's current location into game for Wii, PS3, Xbox 360,
just announced these updates at In Microsoft parlance, these compare the performance of account. and DS, with release planned in
the Search Engine Strategies pages are called "domain task sports teams by simply typing Overall, these are interesting September. The PS3, 360, and
event in New York. The new pages" and chances are that - if the name of two teams in the updates - not necessarily Wii versions are developed by
comparison answers for sports successful - the company plans search form. As Stefan Weitz, because Bing now knows a lot Krome, with Tantalus Media in
will be rolled out to only about to roll out more of these for Microsoft's Director of Bing, more about cars and sports, but charge of the DS release.
5% of Bing's users at first. In additional topics in the near also told us during a briefing because they show the direction Legend of the Guardians puts
addition, Microsoft will also future. The task pages are part earlier this month, about 0.7% the Bing team is going in. As a the player in the role of a
begin to roll out some minor of Bing's efforts to provide users of all queries on Bing are "decision engine," the Bing Guardian, a member of a group
design changes to a small group with specialized answers for comparison searches and the team's intend is to give users of owls devoted to doing good.
of users today that will better popular queries in verticals like company hopes to capture more more information directly on the Which, judging by the trailer,
highlight Bing's assets like weather. According to a recent of these in the future and present site instead of just presenting means fighting with other owls
weather and travel search. job posting, other topics for the right answer in Bing instead them with a couple of links. and taking part in that flight
Sponsor these pages that Microsoft plans of sending users to multiple While these links can be game staple, flying through
Starting today, mobile users to launch in the future could sites. relevant (and Bing still shows rings. Perhaps you also get to
will also see improvements to include "movies, music, games The same number of users them most of the time, too), the estimate the number of licks
Bing's autosuggest feature, a n d o t h e r h i g h - v o l u m e (about 5%) will now also see a Bing team wants to reduce the required to reach the center of a
which will now include answers domains." Given that Bing bills new user interface for the boxes number of queries that result in Tootsie Pop, but that's not
for things like stock quotes right itself as a "decision engine," it at the top of the page that Bing links and increase the number of reflected in the trailer.
in the autosuggest box. only makes sense for Microsoft will often display for popular times the software can present WB announces multiplatform
Domain Task Pages for Cars to try to capture as many topics. For searches related to users with direct answers Legend of the Guardians game
Whenever a user searches for popular searches as possible and cities and towns, for example, Microsoft has sourced from its originally appeared on Joystiq
cars and car-related topics (" present its users with relevant these "Bing boxes" will now own databases or from sources on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 04:55:00
2010 Toyota Camry specs," for answers right on Bing.com include info about local weather, across the Internet. Discuss EST. Please see our terms for
example), Bing will now bring instead of sending them on to a relevant link to Bing Maps, as use of feeds.
up a page will all of the car's other sites. well as airfare info from your Read| Permalink| Email this|
Comments
58 Tech News/ Game/
Act Now. Amazon and Microsoft Launch
Windows Server License Mobility Pilot
Mike Kirkwood
(ReadWriteWeb)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 2:53:00 AM
Early this morning, we received
an announcement from Amazon
the company is launching a pilot
for EC2 customers to allow your
enterprise organizations to move
existing Microsoft Windows
Server licenses to Amazon and
receive a proper discount for the
new EC2 instance.
The offer is open until
September and is being called a
pilot by the companies to test
the waters and pattern for
hosting Windows within
Amazon.
Sponsor
The note from Amazon is on
the Windows Server license
mobility prompts immediate
action:"Dear Amazon EC2
Customer,
We are excited to announce the
immediate availability of the
Microsoft Windows Server®
License Mobility Pilot, which
enables customers with
Microsoft Enterprise
Agreements (EA) to migrate
their existing Windows Server
licenses to Amazon EC2. By
moving existing licenses to the
cloud, you can leverage licenses
that you have already purchased
to reduce your cost of running
Windows On-Demand or
Reserved Instances by up to
41%. Microsoft will stop
accepting new enrollments for
the pilot on September 23, 2010
so it is important to act quickly.
To participate in this pilot,
Microsoft requires that your
company meet the following
criteria:
* Your company must be based
(or have a legal entity) in the
United States
* Your company must have an
existing Microsoft Enterprise
Agreement (EA) that is valid for
a minimum of 12 months after
your entry into the pilot
* You must already have
purchased Software Assurance
from Microsoft for your EA
Windows Server Enterprise,
Datacenter, and Standard
licenses
* You must be an Enterprise
customer (Academic and
Government institutions are not
covered by this pilot)
Once you have enrolled in the
pilot, you will be eligible to run
E-reader News Edition
cause organizations look at old
hardware with a new rigor. If
Pixel art poster
this program grows, we could
see whole blocks of
celebrates arcade
your Windows Server licenses infrastructure move to Amazon games, helps kids
in Amazon EC2 for the next 12 and new Windows servers JC Fletcher (Joystiq)
months following your sign-up. materialize. Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:30:00 AM
You will still be responsible for Even if this license mobility is a
maintaining the appropriate low or no-revenue event to Artist Army of trolls (Gary
n u m b e r o f C l i e n t A c c e s s Microsoft in year one, the Lucken) has created a beautiful
licenses and External Connector company will win to see those poster featuring embellished
licenses needed to operate your servers in action. Each one, no pixel art versions of classic
EA Windows Server licenses. matter where it is hosted, arcade cabinets, including some
To learn more about this pilot r e p r e s e n t s v a l u e f o r t h e unlikely choices like Bomb Jack
o r s i g n - u p , p l e a s e v i s i t company and the ecosystem. and Giga Wing, available for
http://aws.amazon.com/ec2/win We think that Amazon wins purchase through the Poster
dows-license-mobility-pilot. We with Windows Server license Cause website. Not only is the
hope that you take advantage of mobility. We can see system $25 poster arguably an act of
this new pilot!" admins de-provisioning charity toward your wall,
By clicking that link, you are hardware adding a step to the purchasing it also contributes to
one form away from that script "fire up new instance at a for-real charity!
hardware in your closet moving EC2" and feeling even better All of the profits from sales of
to Amazon. Make sure your about tidying up your data the poster will be given to
license administrator is handy, it center. SpecialEffect, a UK-based
asks for the basics, and of License mobility seems to be charity that helps make
course the company agreement another sign of how the cloud computer games more
numbers with Microsoft. may just be more portable in its accessible to kids with
Microsoft is Going Big into nature. And faster that FedEx. disabilities. As if you really
Cloud. And Amazon, Deep Are your windows servers needed another reason to want
For the right license holders, licenses ready for EC2? Discuss to buy one of these.
this is could be a big Pixel art poster celebrates
opportunity to jump to arcade games, helps kids
Amazon's cloud. This could originally appeared on Joystiq
on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 09:30:00
EST. Please see our terms for
use of feeds.
Read| Permalink| Email this|
Comments
E-reader News Edition Tech News/ Game/ Economy/ 59

Augmented Reality Among Time's 10 Tech

Trends for 2010
Chris Cameron Postal Service's virtual box the application. One could argue
(ReadWriteWeb) simulator that helps customers that AR uses all of the other
determine what size box to use nine technologies featured on
Submitted at 3/25/2010 3:00:00 AM
by holding the item they are Time's list with the exception of King of Fighters
T h a n k s t o t h e g r o w i n g shipping up their webcam.
popularity of mobile augmented Unfortunately, Fletcher merely
most, if not all of them. the iPad, which unfortunately
Time's #1 tech trend for 2010 is has no camera with which to
XIII brings Mai
reality (AR) applications such as skims the surface of AR in his
Layar and Wikitude, as well as 1 0 p a r t a r t i c l e p u b l i s h e d
location, and it points out the augment our realities. back this summer
growing popularity of services On a related note, Layar co-
countless advertising campaigns Monday, and in doing so he like Foursquare and Gowalla. founder Claire Boonstra was JC Fletcher (Joystiq)
from corporate giants, AR is unintentionally labels players in Mobile AR applications have named to Laptop Magazine's list Submitted at 3/25/2010 10:05:00 AM

beginning to make its way out t h e m o b i l e A R s p a c e a s b e e n t a k i n g a d v a n t a g e o f of the most influential women in

of the shadows of obscurity and "gimmicky." I can see how it location data since day one and technology. Alongside Boonstra King of Fighters XII wasn't
into popular culture. Once an would be easy for someone it continues to play a crucial was Google's Marissa Mayer, quite the spectacular high-
experimental technology left for investigating AR iPhone apps to role. After location comes Caterina Fake of Flickr and definition debut the series
e x p e r t e n g i n e e r s , A R i s be overwhelmed at the plethora " b u i l d i n g p l a t f o r m s , n o t Hunch fame, and Melinda deserved. Sure, there were
b e c o m i n g m o r e a n d m o r e of apps that let you shoot things websites," which Layar has been Gates. This, as well as Time's problems with the netcode, but
accessible to both developers in an augmented first-person developing with their third-party inclusion of AR on their tech one problem with the roster
a n d c o n s u m e r s o f t h e perspective, but it is still irritated just as many fans: the
P O I d a t a - s e t s a n d t h e i r trends list, is great exposure for
experiences. Now, the greater disappointing that he failed to upcoming layer marketplace. augmented reality. omission of the scantily clad
AR community has another notice the quality apps in the G o o d t h i n g " f r i c t i o n l e s s If you'd like to learn more ninja, Mai Shiranui. So,
feather for its cap as Time space. payments" is another trend to about how companies are using naturally, SNK is leading with
Magazine has recognized it as But hey, it's still great for us watch for in 2010, otherwise augmented reality for marketing the bouncy character in its
one of its 10 Tech Trends for augmented reality fans to see Layar's marketplace would be in both desktop and mobile- promotion for King of Fighters
2010. our beloved emerging ahead of its time. based experiences, be sure toXIII.
Sponsor technology receive national Also on Time's list is social check out our latest premium A teaser site for the game,
"One challenge for 2010 will be notoriety in a publication such gaming, and social objects, report on the subject which was opened after a preview event,
harnessing the growing ubiquity as Time, so we'll take what we immediately reminding me of released earlier this week. features a picture of Mai with
of webcams and smart-phones can get. AR snagged the #4 Tonchidot's Sekai Camera app Discuss her trademark fan, along with a
to make augmented reality position on Time's list, but when which lets users leave AR note that the game will be
useful as a tool in day-to-day you look at some of the other objects in physical space for released in arcades this summer.
l i f e , " w r i t e s T i m e ' s D a n trends listed, you notice that AR people to interact with through [Via Andriasang]
Fletcher, pointing out the U.S. is already taking advantage of King of Fighters XIII brings
Mai back this summer originally
China comments add to sovereign debt fears appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25
Mar 2010 10:05:00 EST. Please
(Financial Times - US significant mouthpiece on telling the market we can solve Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: see our terms for use of feeds.
homepage) Thursday, when a senior this,” Zhu Min, a deputy PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Read| Permalink| Email this|
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:43:35 AM Chinese central banker warned governor of the People’s Bank Term Extraction. Comments
that the Greek crisis was just the of China, was reported as
13:40 GMT: Growing concerns beginning. saying.
about sovereign debt found a “We don’t see decisive actions Five Filters featured article:
60 Tech News/ TV/
IBM Partners To Offer $190 Cloud- Oprah Settles
Connected Netbook For Emerging
Markets
Alex Williams
(ReadWriteWeb)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 4:00:00 AM
IBM, Canonical and
Simmtronics will offer emerigng
markets a fully loaded, cloud-
connected Netbook for $190. It's
a clear example of how a cloud-
based approach fits with the
emerging Netbook market and
its importance in the global
marketplace as a channel for
enterprise collaboration
technologies.
The Simmtronics Simmbook
will initially be available in
South Africa and emerging
markets. In addition to African
countries, the Simmbook will
also be available in India,
Thailand and Vietnam.
Sponsor
The Simmbook will come
preloaded with IBM Client for
Smart Work, which includes
IBM software like Lotus
Symphony and access to IBM
LotusLive cloud collaboration
services. The Simmbook will
run Ubuntu from Canonical as
its operating system.
The Simmbook is one of the
first Netbook to provide direct
access to the cloud by offering a
package of online collaboration
tools. The OS is not cloud-based
Defamation Suit
but LotusLive is a robust
enough application suite to give
customers a cloud environment
that should prove useful and less
expensive than the costs of a
Windows-based operating
system.
Simmbook launched in India at
the beginning of the year.
Simmtronics is an electronics
company with a 20-year history
developing motherboards,
memory modules and graphic
cards. Leadership By Numbers
explains how Simmtronics
competes at such a low price
point:
"The Simmbook is where they
have put all the pieces together,
to enter the laptop market with a
low-cost netbook....Managing
Director, Indrajit Sabharwal of
Simmtronics pointed out that
"because the motherboard and
memory is 25% of overall cost,"
Simmtronics has a competitive
pricing edge. By removing the
expense of a Microsoft
operating system, and relying on
Ubuntu (Windows XP is an
option, at an increased expense),
Simmtronics has created a
mobile computing device with 1
G of RAM, Intel Atom
processor and a 160 HD that
will be selling in the
neighborhood of $250 US. "
Simmbook has another edge to
it. It's OS is open-source. The
IBM software is built on open
standards.
Earlier this week we discussed
LotusLive and its strong growth.
We got a little grief from our
commenters. So, how do you
view this? At this point it seems
plausible that Google Apps and
Lotus Live will compete to
some degree in the Netbook
market channel.
Part of the strategy here is to
convince IT managers in
emerging markets that the
Netbook is a legitimate
alternative to the PC, especially
when it comes pre-loaded with
Ubuntu and productivity
applications with no custom
work required.
Our biggest question concerns
the availability of broadband to
take advantage of cloud-based
collaboration services. A
Netbook is viable due its low
cost and capabilities compared
to a PC. Reliable broadband?
That seems to be a challenge
well out of the control of IBM
and its partners. Discuss
E-reader News Edition
Brad Trechak (TV Squad)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:02:00 AM
It looks like Oprah Winfrey
will not be going to trial. The
queen of day-time talk shows
settled a lawsuit out of court
with Nomvuyo Mzamane, a
former headmistress of her
South African school. The
lawsuit was based on statements
Winfrey made after allegations
of student abuse at the school
occurred.
In 1998, Oprah was sued by valid and her celebrity shouldn't
some Texas cattle ranchers due be taken into account, she
to a segment on her show about should have gone to South
mad cow disease. In that case, Africa to defend herself. The
she did go to trial and was other is that her time is way too
acquitted (even taping episodes valuable to waste on what seems
of her show from Texas). to be a frivolous lawsuit. What
However, it's difficult to know if do you think? Should Oprah
the same results can be obtained have defended her honor?
from a South African court. Filed under: OpEd, Celebrities,
There are two sides to this Reality-Free
settlement. The first is that if Permalink| Email this| |
Oprah feels her statements were Comments
E-reader News Edition
Time Warner Cable just gave New York free Wi-Fi
John Biggs (CrunchGear)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:51:17 AM
Live in New York? Pop over
here and register for your free
Wi-Fi! If you have a
RoadRunner cable account, you
can connect to free WiFi in
“several” locations around New
York including Bryant and
Madison Square Parks and some
parks in Queens. If you’re
thinking to yourself “Hey, a few
parks in Manhattan, some DMZ
out in the boonies, and some
spots in Port Washington
(probably where the uncles of
Time Warner executives live)
do not make overarching WiFi
access for the masses,” then
you’re probably right. But
when’s the last time Time
Warner Cable did anything nice
for you? Maybe you could be
appreciative?
Thankfully you also have
access to “thousands” of
Optimum Wi-Fi hotspots, so it’s
not THAT bad. But then
Optimum’s coverage isn’t
exactly in Manhattan.
Time Warner Cable Wi-Fi
Zones Now Available To New
York City Area Road Runner
High-Speed Online Customers
Time Warner Cable and
Cablevision’s Optimum WiFi
Partner to Provide Free
Seamless Wireless Internet
Connectivity to High-Speed
Internet Customers of Both
Companies
New York, NY
(Vocus/PRWEB ) March 25,
2010 — Time Warner Cable’s
NYC Region today introduced
Time Warner Cable Wi-Fi
service, giving its one million
local Road Runner residential
customers unlimited access to a
fast and free wireless Internet
connection at several locations
in the NYC area. Through a
partnership with Cablevision,
Time Warner Cable customers
will also have access to
thousands of free Optimum
WiFi locations throughout
Cablevision’s service area. Time
Warner Cable Wi-Fi is now
available at several Wi-Fi zones
in Manhattan and Queens,
including several parks and
some Long Island Railroad
platforms and their respective
parking lots in the company’s
service area.
High-Speed Internet customers
of both Time Warner Cable and
Cablevision will be able to
access free, unlimited Wi-Fi
services in each other’s New
York City metro service areas,
Gadgets/ 61
allowing for a fast Internet
connection at designated Wi-Fi
zones. Time Warner Cable Road
Runner customers will have
access to Cablevision’s
Optimum WiFi network, and
Cablevision’s Optimum Online
customers will have access to
Time Warner Cable Wi-Fi zones
when they travel out of their
service area. Time Warner
Cable’s New York City service
area includes Manhattan,
Queens, Staten Island, western
Brooklyn, Mt. Vernon, parts of
the Hudson Valley region, and
Bergen and Hudson Counties in
New Jersey. Cablevision’s
coverage area includes Long
Island, parts of New Jersey and
Connecticut, Westchester,
Rockland, Northern Hudson
Valley, the Bronx, and
Brooklyn.
“Our sophisticated network is a
combination of wireless and
wireline services, bringing a
wide spectrum of products and
services to our customers. This
free new Wi-Fi option adds
another dimension for Road
Runner customers, bringing
even more convenience,” stated
Howard Szarfarc, Executive
Vice President of the company’s
New York City Region. “Road
Runner customers can
experience a fast, simple and
easy connection from their
laptops or portable Wi-Fi-
enabled devices in Time Warner
TIME page 63
62 Gadgets/ TV/
i3D's glasses-free prototype screen aims to take on all of 3D's
problem areas
Joanna Stern (Engadget)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 8:58:00 AM
Uncomfortable, expensive
glasses and a lack of 3D content
-- that'd be the short list of stuff
we dislike about current 3D
TVs, but coincidentally it also
happens to be the exact issues
i3D is determined to wipe out
with its glasses-free technology.
We stopped by to meet with the
young, Los Angeles-based
company last week, and though
it obviously isn't the first to
develop spec-less displays, its
proprietary hardware and
software combo was really
impressive. The demo of a 7-
inch prototype really tells the
whole story -- and we encourage
you all to see it for yourself in
the video after the break, though
obviously you won't be able to
experience all three dimensions
from your standard LCD. Our
time screen-gazing was pretty
breathtaking, even though the
'At the Movies' Canceled
Bob Sassone (TV Squad)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 9:45:00 AM
This is rather sad, as far as TV
show cancellations go:'At The
Movies' is going away after 30
years on the air.
The show that Roger Ebert and
smaller display was far from
immersive. As for the viewing
angle issue that's the Achilles'
heel of the others, i3D claims its
technology allows for three-
dimensional viewing at close to
90 degrees, though it was hard
for us to really evaluate that on
such a small screen.
The coolest thing by far is the
software's ability to convert 2D
Gene Siskel started so many
years ago is a victim of the
modern age. People get their
movie reviews from so many
places now, half-hour
syndicated shows like this aren't
as plentiful as they used to be, many changes in the past few
and this show went through so years that it was easy to see that
to 3D content on the fly. One
second we were watching a two-
dimensional clip of Cars and
then with the tap of the 3D
button the car was driving off
the screen. While this isn't the
first company dabbling in 2D
conversion, we haven't seen any
others doing this without the
glasses, and i3D does claim it
can convert any resolution
programming. We'll have to see
it to believe it, but if it does
work and the quality lives up to
what's being promised there'd go
our lack of content issue!
Apparently the price of the
technology should add at most
20 percent to that of a current
HDTV, but here's where we tell
you that we wouldn't be
surprised if it took years for all
it would be gone soon.
It's actually a miracle that the Reality-Free
show survived the whole Ben
Lyons debacle, so we should be C o m m e n t s
glad that we got a year with
Michael Phillips and A.O. Scott.
Continue reading'At the
Movies' Canceled
E-reader News Edition
this technology to make into
Best Buy's Magnolia Home
Theater section. Given the fact
that we met with the company in
a backyard, we'd say that both it
and its technology are in the
early stages. But hey, it makes
you feel better that someone is
working on that 3D frustration
list, right?
Gallery: I3dtek prototype hands
-on
Continue reading i3D's glasses-
free prototype screen aims to
take on all of 3D's problem
areas
i3D's glasses-free prototype
screen aims to take on all of
3D's problem areas originally
appeared on Engadget on Thu,
25 Mar 2010 08:58:00 EST.
Please see our terms for use of
feeds. Permalink| i3dtek| Email
this| Comments
Filed under: Cancellations,
Permalink| Email this| |
E-reader News Edition Gadgets/ 63
TIME
Kobo releases a $149 eReader to continued from page 61

Cable Wi-Fi zones, meeting Flushing Main Street, Murray

support their eBook marketplace their growing need for
mobility.”
Hill, Broadway, Auburndale,
Bayside, Douglaston, Little
Tablet According to Kevin Curran, Neck;
(BestTabletReview.com) Cablevision’s Senior Vice Manhattan: Bryant Park,
Submitted at 3/24/2010 11:00:31 AM
President of Wireless Madison Square Park and 79th
Development, “Optimum WiFi Street Boat Basin;
The Kobo eReader has become a valuable and Four parks in Queens: Bowne
Back in December we stared popular enhancement for our Park and Kissena Park in
into the crystal ball we bought high-speed Internet customers, Flushing, Baisley Pond Park and
from the crazy homeless gypsy who appreciate the ability to Railroad Park in Jamaica.
woman and predicted a few take their Internet connection ‘to Road Runner customers will
things about the Kobo/Borders go’ when they are out of the also have access to thousands of
partnership. First, we said that home or office. We are very Cablevision’s Optimum WiFi
Borders would use this pleased to help mark the launch zones. For a complete listing of
partnership to bring an eReader of Time Warner Cable Wi-Fi by Time Warner Cable Wi-Fi
to the market in order to better linking our networks and z o n e s , v i s i t
compete with the Kindle and expanding our customers’ TimeWarnerCableWiFi.com. A
Nook. However, we also warned access to fast and free wireless user-friendly Q+A is available
that Borders and Kobo needed Internet, especially as demand on the site too. For a complete
to do their homework and come for mobile data continues to listing of Optimum WiFi
out with an eReader that took increase.” l o c a t i o n s , v i s i t
advantage of the burgeoning Time Warner Cable Wi-Fi Optimumwifi.com.
color display technology before and Borders is banking on is the s a l e i n C a n a d a t h i s M a y zones include:
Kindle 3.0 and Nook 2.0 could. eReader being the cheapest out followed by a Borders-only Eight commuter rail platforms
We finished the article by of the bunch at $149. The small release in the U.S. this Summer. on the Long Island Railroad Port
saying “realistically we’re price tag will allow you to read By the way, that crystal ball Washington line: Woodside,
probably looking at another E- eBooks purchased on the Kobo turned out to be a much better
Ink eReader or some variation marketplace in ePub or PDF purchase than the monkey paw.
thereof.” formats. The Kobo also has If you ever use your wish on
Kobo has introduced another E- Bluetooth connectivity (no WiFi universal health care coverage
I n k e R e a d e r t o b e s o l d or 3G naturally), five font sizes, make sure to include a few
e x c l u s i v e l y i n B o r d e r s . 1GB of internal storage and an caveats.
Unfortunately this eReader expandable SD card slot. The Source: MobileRead
didn’t do its homework and battery is rated for 8,000 Five Filters featured article:
features a 6-inch E-Ink screen pageturns. Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
and the guts of a four year old So nothing new, but something PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
eReader (the Netronix eBook borrowed and something blue Term Extraction.
reader to be exact). What Kobo for Kobo. The unit will go on
64 Gadgets/ Entertainment/ E-reader News Edition

Making the Magic of

'Clash of the Titans' in
3D
(ETonline - Breaking News) 'Avatar' and 'Terminator
Submitted at 3/25/2010 12:16:00 AM Salvation.' "That's something
that I like about movies -- when
S a m W o r t h i n g t o n d e f i e s the lights go down you get
demons and gods in the all-new transported into these epic
'Clash of the Titans,' in theaters tales."
April 2, and the English-born, ET was first on the set of the
Aussie star tells ET of his new Louis Leterrier-directed movie,
3D extravaganza, "It brings you in which Sam plays Perseus,
into the action a bit more; it raised as a man but born of a
brings you into the dynamics of god, who leads a mission to
the movie, and when people sit d e f e a t t h e g o d o f t h e
down in that dark cinema, they underworld, Hades ( Ralph
want to get their 16 bucks' worth Fiennes), before he can usurp
and be transported, and I believe Zeus ( Liam Neeson), the king
that's what 3D as a tool can of the gods, and unleash hell on
help." Earth. Along the way, Perseus
Meet robot Hanako, the dental "I like doing big movies; I like fights all manner of monsters
doing movies that I would like and demons in order to save his
to see, in worlds and stories that love, Andromeda, played by
patient simulator (video) are larger than life," says the 'Defiance' star Alexa Davalos.
star of such blockbusters as
Serkan Toto (CrunchGear) mouth, etc. human patients (at Showa
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:40:34 AM Standing 157cm tall, Hanako’s University, dental students
body is the work of Tmsuk, actually have to take tests using
Three Japanese universities ( while the “medical features” Hanako). This actually makes a
Waseda, Kogakuin and Showa) were developed by the dental lot of sense, I would say.
and robot maker Tmsuk have faculties of the universities Hanako reacts to mistakes by
developed Hanako, a robotic involved in the development of verbally expressing pain, rolling
dental patient who can behave the robot. There are nine joints her eyes or even simulating a
like a human patient (to some in her body, for example in her vomiting reflex, thanks to the
extent). The robot, who is jaw, tongue and even in her touch sensors in her mouth.
supposed to be female, can eyelids. Watch Hanako in action in the
converse with doctors (“Please The main goal is to offer video embedded below:
examine me!”, “That hurts!” dentists or dental students a way Via Node[JP]
etc.), discharge robotic saliva, to practice “real-life” procedures
sneeze, open and close her on a robot before taking care of
E-reader News Edition
Why Apple’s iPad Can’t Succeed in Schools (Yet)
Liam Cassidy (TheAppleBlog)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 7:49:47 AM
Apple has started making the
iPad available on its online
education store in packs of 10
with an appallingly–stingy
discount of only $20 per iPad. If
Apple wants to start a
computing revolution with the
iPad, it absolutely must get the
device into schools. But in order
to do that, it’s going to have to
try a lot harder, and generous
discounts are the easiest
problem to solve. There are
much bigger hurdles standing in
the way.
Let’s start with costs alone.
Assume a school wants to buy
an iPad for each of its students.
Assume the school is small with
only 300 children enrolled.
Assume also that the school
wants to buy the cheapest iPad
without AppleCare. At a little
more than $450 per iPad, that’s
a cost of almost $144,000. I
imagine the average state-
funded school enjoys less than
half that in its annual I.T.
budget.
“Aha!” you might argue, “Many
schools in underprivileged areas
get subsidies from the state and
provide laptops for their pupils.”
And, of course, you’d be right.
Many schools do provide their
students with free or ‘nearly-
free’ laptops. But not decent
laptops. We’re talking cheap,
disposable netbooks that cost far
less to insure against loss or
damage. (Let’s be realistic – the
younger the student, the greater
the chance of laptop-death!) No
Competition
I graduated from High School
back in the early 90s, and even
then my school was considered
ahead of the curve when it came
to the adoption of computer
technology in class. Even so,
there were no Macs in my
school. They were just too
expensive. Here in the UK, the
fierce battle in the 1980’s
between Acorn, Sinclair, Atari,
Amstrad and Commodore meant
that there were many perfectly
capable, cheap microcomputers
available to schools. The Mac
was superior to those machines
in almost every way, but it
couldn’t compete on price.
It has been 16 years since I
graduated from high school.
And while I’m happy to report
that my old school now has
iMacs in most classrooms, sadly
they only run Windows XP.
The reason for this comes down
to two simple factors; Cost, and
What’s Best for the Kids. It
seems more educational titles
are available at lower prices on
Windows than on Mac OS X.
And, outside school, the kids
encounter more Windows PCs
than Macs.
Apple/ 65
Issues update from Apple itself!
You see, tablets-as-books is a What happens when Apple does
great idea until the battery dies, the same thing with the iPad?
and then the student has no Even the most diligent students
textbook and no computer. She who take the greatest of care
will have to plug-in to a power with their always-charged-in-
outlet if she wants either of time-for-class iPads will suffer
those things back. But consider if an update from Apple proves
the delicate health and safety flaky.
issues associated with cable- And, finally, there’s the matter
safety in a classroom of crime. No one ever wanted to
environment. Not to mention the rob a kid from my school. The
maintenance costs (that’s a lot only thing we ever carried in our
of power outlets being used bags was biology books and the
So I look at the upcoming iPad more than ever before) and occasional Thundercats pencil
and, even though I can see the don’t forget the school will case. But what if my school
p o t e n t i a l i t o f f e r s t o suddenly incur higher energy handed-out iPads to its pupils?
schoolchildren (and the wider bills. Say what you will about a Overnight, the school uniform
education market), I can’t help paper-textbook, at least it would become an advertisement
but wonder if it has any real doesn’t need plugging-in. to any would-be criminal; “mug
chance of making a dent at this And then there’s the issue of this kid – expensive computer
time. HP’s upcoming slate PC damage. What happens if an on-board.”
has more chance of being iPad screen is cracked? A I’d dearly love to see all school
adopted by my old school damaged book cover doesn’t kids and college students
simply because it works with all render the book’s contents everywhere take-up iPads as
their existing software and runs inaccessible, nor is it likely to their favorite learning tools.
Windows — the platform the slice into fingers. Plus, the cost Sadly, I just don’t see how that
school believes the pupils are of a replacement book is trivial. can happen as long as they
better served knowing, rather Remind me how much the remain significantly more
than Mac OS X, which they cheapest iPad is? expensive than textbooks, more
have concluded is just too Oh, and let’s not forgot that sophisticated than simple e-book
Apple isn’t perfect. Remember readers and less resilient than
obscure and “specialist.”
And as though these fiduciary w h e n t h e i P h o n e O S w a s the existing, proven toolset —
and policy-driven decisions updated to 3.1 in September last traditional, dead-tree textbooks.
aren’t bad enough, there’s year? I wrote about it here, and Related GigaOM Pro Research:
another glaring challenge to the comments quickly ran to Forecast: Tablet App Sales To
getting the iPad widely accepted over 100. iPhones everywhere Hit $8B by 2015
in schools; at the end of the day, were freezing, crashing, and
it’s just not a book. Delicate generally just refusing to work,
and all as a result of an official
66 Apple/
Instapaper Coming to the iPad
Liam Cassidy (TheAppleBlog)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 2:17:41 PM
“Read Later – 4”. I live my life
by it. I find an interesting article
but have no time to read it – 4.
A crazy-long message in Gmail
that’s just perfect for, um,
‘bathroom reading’ – 4. Pretty
much anything that demands
attention but can wait until I’m
curled up in bed at the end of
the day? 4.
What’s all this 4 stuff about?
Why, that’s my browser shortcut
to Instapaper by Marco Arment.
Instapaper strips the text out of
almost any browser page and
stores it for later reading; for
me, that’s usually via the
Instapaper Pro app on my
iPhone.
And now Arment brings us
Instapaper for the iPad. I’ve
never been more excited! On the
Instapaper blog yesterday,
Arment wrote;
I’m probably supposed to keep
this secret and build everyone’s
anticipation to hype this up. Oh
well. Maybe I’ll do that for the
Instapaper edition for Apple’s
next revolutionary computing
platform.
First: Instapaper is definitely
coming to iPad.
Second: Instapaper is coming to
iPad very soon. Possibly even
on day one — yes, I’m going for
it — but that’s optimistic.
Third: Instapaper Pro will be a
universal iPhone/iPad
application. That means that you
only have to buy Instapaper Pro
once to have it on both devices,
and the iPad edition will be
available to all Pro purchasers at
no additional charge when it’s
released.
You know that joy we all felt
when Apple announced Snow
Leopard would be super-duper-
cheap? Remember the way you
smiled when you heard the
news, and felt a warm glow
inside? That’s how I feel about
Instapaper Pro on the iPad. I
think I even went “Squee!”
when I read Arment’s post. (I
was alone, so no one knows I
made a fool of myself. Oh,
wait…)
Arment adds;
It looks like Instapaper Pro, but
bigger, and with slight interface
tweaks and redesigns where
appropriate.
When everyone else was
stalling their iPhone
development for months in
order to redesign entire
applications for the iPad, I made
the obligatory cardboard
prototype and mocked up a
bunch of radical interface
departures.
E-reader News Edition
may not work in ‘real’ life, on conservative option and waited
an actual hold-it-in-your-hands- until a month or two after the
and-swipe-with-your-fingers iPad’s release before launching
iPad. There’s a big difference Instapaper for it, an iPad
between how we interact with a without native Instapaper Pro is
computer monitor, and how we not a device I want to own.
interact with a magazine – and Me neither. And, if early
the iPad is the mongrel offspring reports are accurate, neither will
lovechild of the two. (You know a lot of other people for whom
what I mean.) Truth is, no the iPad is, for the most part, a
amount of cardboard dummy reading device. According to a
iPads and on-screen simulations report today on TUAW, a
Ultimately, none of them were will provide the same tactile comScore poll of prospective
very practical. Some worked feedback and degree of first- iPad customers revealed that 37
well, but only with ideal content hand quality control offered by percent said it’s likely they’ll
(which, in practice, is rarely the an actual iPad. read books on the device; 34
case except in the Editor’s Picks Some developers are no doubt percent were more certain,
folder). And I didn’t want to hoping that the iPad’s super-size saying that they would use the
commit to any huge risks f u n c t i o n ( b y w h i c h a p p s iPad for reading magazines and
because I don’t have an iPad to designed for the iPhone are newspapers.
test them on. displayed at more than double For those of you, like me, who
And that’s the hurdle many their original size on the iPad) are using Instapaper heavily
iPad developers currently face. will keep customers happy until every day, the iPad is like a
Any developer will agree it’s they can get a real iPad and dream come true and I can say
important to be in the iPad app s p e n d t i m e p r o p e r l y with certainty that catching up
store as close to Day One as (re)developing their apps for it. on all those 4’d articles and web
p o s s i b l e , b u t a l l a p p So why didn’t Arment just let pages will be what my iPad is
development and testing is Instapaper Pro run in that used for most often. And for the
horribly crippled by the ‘little’ supersize, double-pixel mode? 34 percent of iPad customers-in-
fact that no one has an iPad yet. After all, content in Instapaper waiting, Instapaper (and the
Emulators and simulations are is mostly text. No worries about inevitable copycat apps that
all very well and good, but pixelated graphics there, right? follow) will make the iPad just
nothing beats having the real Wrong. Arment fired up about the only screen from
thing to hold in one’s hands. Instapaper in his iPad simulator. which we’ll want to do any
Supersize The result? reading, ever again.
What might seem like a great It sucked, and it was completely Related GigaOM Pro Research:
design decision or function unusable by my standards… Evolution of the e-Book Market
implementation in a simulator While I could have taken the
E-reader News Edition Apple/ 67

iPhone Gains Gaming Market Revenue Share

Darrell Etherington
(TheAppleBlog)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 8:54:58 AM

Software market research firm

Flurry Analytics has posted
some interesting information
about where Apple’s iPhone
stands in regards to the gaming
market at large. The report also
includes details about how the
iPhone is stacking up in the
mobile market against its two
major rivals, the Nintendo DS
and the Sony PSP.
In 2008, Apple’s iPhone OS
accounted for only one percent
of the overall gaming market,
compared to 20 percent for other
portable games, and 79 percent
for console. 2009 saw a definite
swing towards portable gaming
overall, with Apple alone
reaping about half of the benefit
of that shift.
Apple’s overall share of video
game software sales climbed to
five percent in 2009, which the lion’s share. opened up to App Store gaming. percent in 2009, but that still wasn’t very well received, and
represents an impressive 500 According to Flurry Analytics’ Zooming in on how the iPhone represents a fall of 5 percentage no plans have been announced
percent growth rate for the year. estimates, using information is doing relative to its two points from 2008. about the device’s next iteration
The general portable market, from the NPD group, which strongest competitors in portable The PSP is in big trouble, but it as of yet.
which seems to include not only details gaming revenue, the gaming, the Nintendo DS and also looks like Nintendo may Apple’s iPhone platform, on the
the Nintendo DS and PSP, but market overall took in $11 the PlayStation Portable, we see only be doing better because it other hand, is set to make some
also other mobile gaming billion in 2008, and had a lightly an even more dramatic picture had such a hefty head start to major leaps forward this year.
platforms like cellular devices, less lucrative 2009, taking in of tremendous growth. Where begin with. Recently, Apple There’s the very concrete and
grew by five percentage points only $9.9 billion. That means the iPhone accounted for only announced that its next tangible benefit the iPad will
as well, taking 24 percent of the Apple’s take grew from $115 five percent of the revenue share generation portable console, the have when it comes out early
market in 2009. The home million in 2008 to somewhere of the three platforms in 2008, Nintendo 3DS, is set for release next month, compared to
console market, by comparison, around $500 million in 2009. in 2009 it took 19 percent. That in the not-too-distant future, so Nintendo’s vague plans
dropped to just 71 percent. The With the introduction of the means that it surpassed the PSP, that could help its prospects. regarding a new device
numbers seem to indicate a iPad in 2010, that number stands which fell from 20 percent to 11 The PSP, on the other hand, had somewhere on the horizon. Then
growing portable market, of grow at an even faster rate as a percent market share year over a very disappointing year with IPHONE page 68
which Apple is currently taking whole new market segment is year. The DS stayed strong at 70 the release of the PSP Go, which
68 Apple/ E-reader News Edition
IPHONE
How-To: Image Snow Leopard to a Hard Drive continued from page 67

there’s the near-certainty that

for Quick Install Apple will be releasing a new
iPhone in late Spring/early
Dave Greenbaum versions easily. Getting Started “Restore Failure: Could not find Summer, which should bring at
(TheAppleBlog) To start, you’ll need a copy of any scan information. The the very least better processor
Submitted at 3/24/2010 10:00:55 AM Snow Leopard (or whatever OS source image needs to power and graphics rendering
version you want to install). imagescanned before it can be for more impressive and
Whether your hard drive has Open Disk Utility, which is restored.” If you get this ambitious games.
failed or your OS has become t y p i c a l l y f o u n d i n message, go ahead and go to the Therein lies Apple’s main
corrupt, you may occasionally /Applications/Utilities. On the Images menu and choose “Scan advantage, besides its appeal to
have to reinstall the Mac OS. left-hand side you see your disk Image for Restore.” Choose the casual gamers: new hardware
Fortunately, Apple does a appear as “Mac OS X Install disk image you are using as every 12 months, at least. The
b e a u t i f u l j o b o f m a k i n g DVD.” Go ahead and click the source. Now click Restore; it iPhone, iPod touch, and
installing or reinstalling your New Image icon to make a copy shouldn’t ask again. presumably the iPad, too, all get
operating system relatively of the DVD. Save the file at In my example, I’ll do the same annual refreshes at the very
p a i n l e s s c o m p a r e d t o o u r your preferred location (I have a GUID Partition is selected. I’m for the second partition and put least. And those refreshes often
Windows b r e t h r e n . Archive folder on my hard drive making the partitions 10GB, but Leopard on it. Both partitions mean more muscle under the
Unfortunately, it’s still a for installer disks). you can choose any size above will be named Mac OS X Install hood, which translates to more
painfully slow process running Prepare the Drive 8.5GB to play it safe. You could DVD. That can be confusing on for game developers to work
off a DVD. Not to mention, Now that you have a digital also use a USB flash drive, but boot, so I suggest you copy the with. Significant performance
optical media can get scratched copy of your installer, the next those can be slow. I suggest icon from each installer CD and updates to Sony’s and
easily (one of the reasons for the step is to prepare the hard drive sticking with a hard drive-based paste it onto the respective hard Nintendo’s platforms are few
long install times is Apple’s you will use for the restoration. solution for speed reasons. disk volumes. You’ll easily be and far between.
optical media verification). In this example, I connected an Restore the Image able to tell from the icon alone The iPhone platform is still
To solve this problem, I old 160GB hard drive from my After preparing your drive, which OS you are installing. If struggling to find purchase with
recommend backing up your MacBook into an external case. you’ll need to restore the image you hold down Option during core gamers, but I think the
Mac OS installation DVD to a I’m dividing this particular one to your hard drive partition. the startup of your Mac, you’ll iPad, especially with its support
hard drive. Doing so protects it into three partitions: one for Click the Restore tab in Disk be presented with those icons as for Bluetooth keyboards, might
and allows you to install the OS Leopard, one for Snow Leopard, Utility. For Source, click w e l l s o y o u k n o w w h i c h finally make significant inroads
quickly, as well as run Disk and one for other installers such Image… and choose that image installer will boot, and you can with that crowd. Watch for 2010
Utility on your main drive or as iLife. I could put Tiger on it, y o u c r e a t e d e a r l i e r . F o r go ahead and install the Mac OS to be the year Apple dominates
reset a password. I keep a hard but I get few requests for that Destination, drag the partition the normal way. portable gaming.
drive with Leopard and Snow OS. Since I want this to boot you want to restore the OS to,
Leopard installers so I can Intel-based Macs, I’m going to then click “Restore.”
reinstall or repair multiple OS click options and make sure You might get an error saying,
E-reader News Edition Sports/ 69

Future MBAers vs. Future NBAers

(WSJ.com: The Daily Fix) Darren Everson explains why Penn fired last week, and why is is generally known as
Submitted at 3/24/2010 8:11:10 AM this study in on- and off-court Pritchard himself rumored to be “Tuesday.” The Warriors have
contrasts is especially worthy of on the chopping block? It’s a been among the most
After a brief break in which a few hours of couch-based complicated story, but what we dysfunctional teams in the NBA
fans and players alike caught study. “There hasn’t been a know of it thus far offers a for most of owner Chris
their respective breaths, the college basketball matchup in fascinating look into NBA front Cohan’s tenure, so the rumors
NCAA tournament is slated to some time that better defines office politics. that Cohan is considering selling
start up again Thursday. If the this sport’s extremes,” Everson “It is unfathomable that the man the club has been greeted with
Sweet 16 is nearly as amazing writes. “Or, for that matter, one Washington, or 10th-seeded St. who played a major role in tears of joy by the Warriors’
as the first two rounds, about six that will render so many verdicts Mary’s, or 9th-seeded Northern transforming the Blazers from surprisingly large group of die-
of those eight games should be on its future. Given all their Iowa — have to work so hard to the NBA’s worst team on and hard followers. At Yahoo, Marc
very close, maybe three will be differences, these two teams are get to the Final Four, it’s natural off the court, into what is today J. Spears reports that the
near-classics, and another break hardly even playing the same for fans to pull for them to make one of the best examples in pro Warriors have hired a company
to catch our collective breath sport.” it. But at CBS Sports, Gary sports of a franchise that can to “spearhead the sale” of the
after the weekend will be very Despite Cornell’s impressive Parrish warns that an all- win while valuing character, is team — very Silicon Valley,
necessary. And of course just showing in the tournament’s underdog Final Four could be in jeopardy of losing his job,” that — and are courting a bid
about every one of Thursday’s first two rounds, most hoops summed up thusly: “Woof.” the Oregonian’s Jason Quick from tech mega-billionaire
Sweet 16 games comes with a prognosticators have the Big “That’s the strange truth about writes. “Something is terribly Larry Ellison.
distinctive and interesting Red as the underdog by a large- the NCAA tournament,” Parrish amiss with this franchise. At Deadspin, Barry Petchesky
b a c k s t o r y . G e t t y I m a g e s ish margin in this one. Vegas writes.“We like upsets early but Anyone under Kevin Pritchard provides a quick gloss on both
According to published reports, oddsmakers favor Kentucky by want powers there in the end.” in this organization loves him the outsize Ellison and his
John Calipari’s salary is more n i n e p o i n t s . B u t i n t h e Parrish speaks for himself on and swears by him. Anyone Nimitz-class ego that begs the
than triple Cornell’s total men’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Ron this. What your Fixer really over him appears uncomfortable question of whether this would
basketball budget. Cook reports that while Cornell likes is watching basketball. with him or threatened by him.” be good news. “This guy
A t t h e t o p o f t h e l i s t ? beating Kentucky would be an Results notwithstanding, At CBS Sports, Ken Berger practically invented the
Thursday’s matchup between u p s e t , i t w o u l d n ’ t b e Thursday can’t come soon writes that the now-public arrogant, kooky billionaire,”
Kentucky and Cornell. With the unprecedented, given Cornell’s enough.* * * power politics behind this Petchesky writes.
shocking departure of Kansas in 92-77 blowout road win over Kevin Pritchard played for five strange, slow-mo crisis make the There are crises and then there
the second round, Kentucky has UK at Rupp Arena back in teams over parts of four NBA organization look bad. “The are crises, though. Back in
been anointed the new favorite 1966. seasons, never averaging more secret is out,” Berger writes. February, Denver Nuggets
t o c l a i m t h e n a t i o n a l In the New York Times, Pete than 12.5 minutes per game. But “Working for the Blazers isn’t coach George Karl revealed to
championship. Cornell, a 12 Thamel profiles Cornell backup given a turn in the spotlight as a all it’s cracked up to be.” his team that he has throat
seed, is the first Ivy League Mark Coury, who joined the Big NBA general manager, he has Dave, the lead blogger at cancer and would be undergoing
team to advance this far in the Red as a transfer after starting enjoyed notably more success. Blazer’s Edge, writes that the an aggressive regimen of
tournament since 1979. 29 games as a sophomore walk- His Portland Trail Blazers are most painful part of the whole radiation therapy. “Every day
“Now Cornell, the team with on at Kentucky. How Coury ensconced in the eighth spot in experience is knowing that fans since then has been shaded by
five guys who plan to get went from being a starter on an the ultra-competitive Western will never hear the whole truth Karl’s health — his presence,
MBAs, gets Kentucky, the team admittedly mediocre Kentucky Conference as of Wednesday, about what’s going on with their his absence, his battle for
with four guys who could get team to being a reserve in the and his extreme makeover of the Blazers. survival and the uncertainty of
drafted in the first round by the Ivy League isn’t even the most disgraced “Jail Blazer” teams The strange, strained goings-on his future with the team,”
NBA,” Rick Bozich writes in interesting part of his story. that he inherited has generally in Portland have fans using Howard Beck writes in the New
the Louisville Courier-Journal. Because long-shot teams such been regarded as a triumph. So words like crisis. For the Golden FUTURE page 74
In the Wall Street Journal, as Cornell — or 11th-seeded why was Assistant G.M. Tom State Warriors, this sort of thing
70 Sports/ E-reader News Edition

Cornell or Kentucky? A Fan’s Existential Crisis

(WSJ.com: The Daily Fix)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 12:58:28 PM

Associated Press/Getty Images

Can Matt Atlas choose between
Ryan Wittman and John Wall?
On one side, crazed bumpkins
wearing Richie Farmer jerseys.
On the other, a group of yuppies
-in-training who’d rather watch
hockey, if not spend the
weekend at the library.
Kentucky and Cornell.
Thursdays best Sweet 16
matchup represents two
basketball worlds that couldnt
be further apart. Except in the
chosen body of one person: My
best friend, Matt Atlas. He is a
rabid Kentucky fan and a
Cornell graduate.
Matt grew up in Louisville and
came to love Kentucky after a
still unforgivable defection from
the hometown Cardinals. He
followed the legendary Pitino
teams to Florida and Hawaii.
His Cornell degree also helped
shape him into a brilliant,
unflappable lawyer. He can
argue persuasively on any issue
from David Paterson’s
governing style to John
Calipari’s cruel treatment by the
NCAA. hear from Richard Williams, them. duck-walking John Wall and Final Four and win a
But I’ve never seen him father of tennis-playing sisters Sports unlock our emotions. It’s petulant DeMarcus Cousins are championship. It is not an
flummoxed like this. Kentucky Serena and Venus: “I’m very not something we should have a lethal inside-outside overstatement to say this would
or Cornell? Cornell or happy with whoever wins.” to think about. We just feel the combination. Even I, a be one of the greatest moments
Kentucky? How lame. How answer. disappointed Louisville fan, of Matt’s life, especially since
He laughs nervously over the unacceptable. Life gives us Refusing to budge, Matt walks marvel at Wall’s speed and he could share it with his twin 5-
phone. Which one, Matt? plenty of opportunities to through his existential dilemma. poise. year-old boys. He has already
He gives the kind of wishy- muddle along. To duck. To Choosing Kentucky is The odds say that Kentucky
hedge. Sports is not one of obviously the safer bet. The will beat Cornell, cruise to the CORNELL page 74
washy answer you’d expect to
E-reader News Edition Sports/ 71

Pittsburgh Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger case: Nightclub unable

to obtain video
ESPN.com news services deo")); } system recorded over footage the footage from the output of Willie Colon, a Coraopolis, Pa.,
(ESPN.com) I.setLinkBack("http://sports.esp from March 5, attorney Carl those cameras from the night in police officer and a
Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:46:30 AM n.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=502 Cansino told the Pittsburgh question before the GBI Pennsylvania state trooper.
6596"); if Tribune-Review for Thursday's requested the footage from him, Roethlisberger has a home about
(jQuery("#videoInfo").length > editions. The Georgia Bureau of but said it was hard for Duncan 30 miles from the nightclub.
• Email 0 ) { Investigation was unable to to determine much from the The investigation is entering its
• Print I.setDescription(jQuery(".article retrieve the footage as potential footage because there were a third week. Roethlisberger has
• Comments p:not(div.beta-opt evidence, he said. couple of hundred people in the not been charged and his
p):first").text()); } else { "The DVD system overwrote club and the footage is in black lawyer, Ed Garland, said this
'); document.write(''); } I.setDescription(jQuery("p:first" itself," Cansino told the Tribune and white. week that he hoped the
else if ( show_gigya ) { ).text()); } if -Review. "Had it just been Duncan did not return a call investigation would wrap up
document.write('• '); (jQuery(".article .image, deleted, they might have been from ESPN for comment. within a month. Garland said he
document.write(' .headshot").length > 0) { var able to save some of it." The source added that the GBI believes Roethlisberger will not
'); function theimage = (jQuery(".article A source familiar with the initially had trouble getting the be charged.
showShareUI(){ var H = . i m a g e , investigation told ESPN's Kelly footage from the club's DVR but On Wednesday, the GBI
{APIKey:"2_B48MVBl19K9C .headshot").find("img").attr("src Naqi that there was no camera ultimately was successful in withdrew its request for a DNA
Qj72UVrAqLh7VSAyZDfMkcl ")); I.addMediaItem( { type: inside the Milledgeville doing so. A call to GBI Public sample from Roethlisberger.
kt8foSSRaAbdWu36H_N3Ky_ 'image', src: theimage, href: nightclub that was pointed Information Officer John The Steelers start offseason
ERWhDG", enabledProviders: 'http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/ne toward the bathroom where the Bankhead was not immediately practices and training sessions
"facebook,twitter", ws/story?id=5026596' }); } 20-year-old woman claims the returned. for regulars beginning Monday,
cid:"ESPN.Story"}; var I = A.userAction = I; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback A member of Roethlisberger's and coach Mike Tomlin said he
n e w gigya.services.socialize.showSh "sexually assaulted or sexually entourage shot his own video expects Roethlisberger to attend.
gigya.services.socialize.UserAct areUI(H,A); return false; manipulated" her -- many of the inside the club, where Kelly Naqi is a reporter for
ion(); var A = {}; } } ESPN.com news services club's security cameras are Roethlisberger had gone to ESPN.
I.setUserMessage(""); if The attorney representing the focused on the main dance floor celebrate his birthday. Five Filters featured article:
(jQuery(":header:first").length > Georgia nightclub where Ben area. The value of any footage According to Cansino, the video Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
0 ) { Roethlisberger is accused of obtained from those recordings shows the accuser with the 28- PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
I.setTitle(jQuery(".article").find( sexually assaulting a college would be to see the demeanor of year-old Roethlisberger, but the Term Extraction.
":header:first").text()); } else student said the club cannot the accuser and her friends as attorney described the footage
{ salvage recorded video footage they made their exit from the as your standard home video.
I.setTitle(decodeURIComponent of the night the alleged incident club, the source told Naqi. Among the people who arrived
("Nightclub%20fails%20to%20r took place. The source also maintains club at the club with Roethlisberger
ecover%20Roethlisberger%20vi The Capital City nightclub's manager Rocky Duncan viewed on March 5 were teammate
72 Sports/ Game/
The Fitzkrieg Triplets Still Have a Shot
(WSJ.com: The Daily Fix)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 1:58:47 PM
I was in eighth grade when I
won my first OK, only NCAA
tournament bracket pool. The
information at my disposal, back
then, came via the odd college
hoops game on television and
the AP roundups in the Bergen
Record’s sports section. In the
years since, every bit of
information one could
conceivably funnel into an awe-
inspiring bracket has become
easy to find. Getty Images
Could a certain set of three
youngsters have picked Butler
because the first syllable of that
word gave them the giggles?
Dozens of ostensible experts
proffer their opinions on a daily
basis. College basketball games
in conferences big and small are
on TV with a frequency
matched only by reruns of
“Scrubs.” The most arcane of
advanced stats are easy to find,
if not always easy to understand,
at sites such as KenPom.com.
All great stuff, for the most part.
Just not of any great help.
Some of us here at the Fix
wondered if all this information
might have been as much the
problem as the solution. And so
we took it upon ourselves, in the
least scientific way possible, to
test this hypothesis in the Daily
Fix’s online NCAA tournament
bracket. This doesn’t mean that
the bracket is some sort of grand
experiment. It’s just that mixed
in among those of us who take
this sort of thing (entirely too)
seriously are a few wild cards
who took unique approaches to
picking their brackets.
The lowest score among
finished brackets in the pool
belongs to Kate Dorr of
Tacoma, Wash., a college friend
of mine. She is, as her team
name “iknowlessthannothing”
suggests, not a big college
hoops fan. “I was going to pick
by [team's] uniforms, then I
realized looking them up would
be a pain,” she says.
“Conveniently, when I dragged
the team name the logo popped
up, so I chose by that.
Sometimes the decision was
hard: Mincing devil? Angry
chicken? Pirate-themed
restaurant? But in the end I went
with superbear (Maryland)
triumphing over confused
bulldog (Wofford).” That said
“superbear” is actually a turtle
doesn’t much perturb Dorr, who
has picked 17 of 48 games
correctly.
Tennessee-born Julie Culver,
who now lives in New York
City, took a pastiche approach
to building her bracket
something of a necessity, given
that she has never watched a
college basketball game. “When
I didn’t have a sibling’s school
to pick, I went with mascots,”
she writes. “And when I got
bored of that I hit the auto-fill
button.” As with many people,
Kansas’ loss in the second round
hit Julie’s bracket fairly hard.
Unlike many people, she picked
Kansas because the Jayhawks
logo “looks a bit sassy.”
Still, with 36 correct picks,
Julie sits in 132nd place, fairly
comfortably ahead of the Daily
Fix bracket’s only true
collective, The Fitzkrieg
Triplets. The Triplets are indeed
triplets, age 5, who made their
picks by telling their mother
which team they preferred.
While their choice of 15th-seed
Morgan State for the Final Four
hasn’t worked out, their other
three Final Four teams are still
in the hunt. If Butler does
indeed wind up beating Duke in
the final, their position in the
standings will improve
significantly. It will also
probably crack the triplets up
their mother reports that they
laughed every time she said
“Butler.”
In some cases, though, an
unconventional approach has
paid dividends. Jonathan
Kaminsky, for instance, lives in
Palau. Which means that he
lives 4,450 miles southwest of
Hawaii, 565 miles southeast of
the Philippines and well out of
range of Saturday afternoon Big
Ten games on ESPN2. He has,
however, watched the Aussie-
heavy St. Mary’s Gaels on
ESPN Australia with some
regularity. He picked them to go
to the Elite Eight, and so far the
upstart Gaels have made him
look pretty good. Kaminsky
enters the Sweet 16 tied for 21st
out of 183 entrants. His 42
correct picks put him well above
the triplets, Kate Dorr, Julie
Culver and me. Despite all my
careful study, Im in a 21-way tie
for 68th place, with 39 correct.
If there’s a lesson to be learned
from Jonathan’s success, I can
only hope that the Journal will
fly me to the South Pacific so
that I can discover it.
E-reader News Edition
Amazon offering
$20 gift card
with Halo: Reach
David Hinkle (Joystiq)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 5:55:00 AM
Hot on the heals of Walmart's
very sweet deal on Halo: Reach,
Amazon has gone ahead and
matched it, offering patrons of
the pre-order arts a $20 gift card
to sign up for Bungie's latest.
Based on some very high-brow
mathematical calculations,
we've deduced that the gift card
is actually a 47 percent savings
on the title's $59.99 price tag --
a damn decent deal, to be frank.
... what? Oh, you think our math
is off? What, did you go to some
math college or something? You
did? Well, uh, we're ... uh --
look, jet packs!
[Via Slick Deals]
Amazon offering $20 gift card
with Halo: Reach originally
appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25
Mar 2010 05:55:00 EST. Please
see our terms for use of feeds.
Read| Permalink| Email this|
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E-reader News Edition Sports/ Economy/ Fashion/ 73

Tiger Woods to conduct April 5 news conference

at the Masters
Bob Harig (ESPN.com) %20Masters%20news%20confe four months April 5 at the time he is skipping the Borghese Nail
rence")); } Masters, according to an tournament as a pro, as he
Submitted at 3/25/2010 5:20:42 AM
I.setLinkBack("http://sports.esp interview schedule released announced last week that he Polish's Ultra-Chic
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• Comments 0 ) { conducted his first interviews room full of reporters was Submitted at 3/24/2010 3:44:29 PM

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{ ORLANDO, Fla. -- Tiger defending champion of the PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, —Jodi Belden, Accessories
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James Surowiecki speaks with Michael Mauboussin

Barry Ritholtz (The Big
Picture)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 5:00:44 AM
James Surowiecki speaks with
Michael Mauboussin, the Chief
Investment Strategist at Legg
Mason Capital Management and
the author of “Think Twice:
Harnessing the Power of
C o u n t e r i n t u i t i o n , ” a b o u t market woes. They met last PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
common investment mistakes, week in New York City. Term Extraction.
how to improve decision- Read more
making, and what investors can Five Filters featured article:
learn from the recent stock- Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
74
CORNELL
continued from page 70
indoctrinated them into the
warped ways of Big Blue
Nation. One of them cried after
Kentuckys last loss.
So there’s the answer, right?
It’s about forging lifelong bonds
with his boys. About reminding
them of their roots in the
bluegrass from their home in
New Jersey. This is heavy stuff.
Dynasty stuff.
“Nothing would be better than
an eighth national
championship,” he says.
Then I hear a grimace. “Except
maybe a Cornell Final Four.”
Even Matt must admit there is
something mechanically
professional about Kentucky.
Calapari has a “special”
relationship with player adviser
William “Worldwide” Wesley,
who has reportedly helped
deliver him Wall and former
Memphis star Derrick Rose.
And don’t forget the new
Wildcat Coal Lodge an
ultraluxe dorm for the basketball
team built with $7 million from
the state’s coal moguls.
Contrast that to the sadsack
state of Cornell hoops through
the years. During his time in
Ithaca in the mid-1990s, Matt
regularly played pick-up games
with players on the Cornell
team. He claims to have held his
own, in part, because the team
was so bad. “They keep
referring to Cornell as mid-
major,” Matt says. “But there’s
nothing mid-major about the Ivy
League. It’s about the lowest of
the low.”
Could he picture himself
running late-night games at the
UK rec center? “I don’t think
they’d let John Wall near a pick-
up game,” he says.
Matt had no problem trudging
through brutal Ithaca winters to
attend Cornell home games.
Problem was, only 25 other
people would bother to join him.
And for good reason. Since
1955, Cornell had won the Ivy
title only once before the
breakout season of 2007-08.
During Matt’s stay in Ithaca, the
team was a collective 16-35 in
Ivy competition.
Simply put, the odds say that 35
-year-old Matt will die before
Cornell reaches another Sweet
16, much less an Elite Eight.
“We’ve been really terrible for
40 years. And now we’re really
good,” says Matt’s friend Brad
Hopper, a banker and former
fraternity brother. “We might be
really terrible again for 40 more
years.”
So, Matt. Which one?
He keeps hedging.
“My problem is if you could
guarantee me the next game,
I’m definitely pulling for
Cornell. My worst fear is that
Cornell beats Kentucky and then
loses to West Virginia.”
On Thursday night Matt plans
to watch the game at a Cornell
bar in Manhattan. Hes hedged
himself for that, too: He plans to
wear a Cornell sweatshirt over a
UK T-shirt.
Maybe when the game starts
Matt will finally make a choice.
Or, rather, the choice will find
him.
“It’s almost like he rehearsed it.
He claims he’s agnostic, which I
don’t think is even applied
right,” Hopper says. “You can’t
be. You can’t be. Doesn’t your
heart have to move one way or
the other when you’re watching
the game?”
FUTURE
continued from page 69
York Times. Karl suffered a
setback in his treatment Sunday,
leaving the Nuggets to face the
unpleasant prospect of entering
the postseason without their
coach on the bench. In an
unusually restrained column at
ESPN, Rick Reilly wrote about
Karl’s punishing medical
treatment and his determination
to beat cancer for a second
time.* * *
The Sweet 16 is also set in the
women’s draw of the NCAA
tournament, but the unexpected
results of the men’s side are
nowhere to be seen. Connecticut
continues to steamroll everyone,
top seeds generally lord it over
lower seeds, and 11-seed San
Diego State is the only truly
unexpected entrant. In other
words, sort of like the regular
season, but in a different month.
And yet the women’s college-
hoops season has not been
without its surprises.
In the New York Times, Jere
Longman addresses the most
unexpected of these: a marked
uptick in on-court violence —
that is, punch-you-in-the-face
violence, not clear-path-foul
violence — in the women’s
game. “What is going on?”
Longman asks. “Experts say
they cannot be precisely sure.
Little research has been done on
excessive behavior of elite
female athletes.”
At Jezebel, Katy Kelleher
colors herself unsurprised.
“Given our society’s obsession
E-reader News Edition
with sports, dominance, and
aggression, it shouldn’t be
remotely surprising that women
entering into a male-dominated
space will begin to measure
their success in similar forms,”
Kelleher writes. “And lash out
in similar ways.”* * *
Some items appear in the Daily
Fix because they’re legitimately
excellent pieces of writing.
Others are here because their
subject is topical, or appeals to
my biases (hint: Mets). But the
only reason we’ve included this
link to a MLB.com article about
Ichiro Suzuki’s spectacularly,
ridiculously excellent Willie
Mays-ian catch in an exhibition
game on Tuesday is that Ichiro’s
catch is so spectacularly,
ridiculously excellent. Yes,
there are some nice quotes from
the players who witnessed the
catch — “[Ichiro] has GPS,”
according to Mariners manager
Don Wakamatsu — but really:
watch the video. It’s why these
words are here.
— Tip of the Fix cap to readers
Don Hartline and Fixer emeritus
Garey Ris.
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
David at droth11@gmail.com.
E-reader News Edition Sports/ 75

Syracuse Orange's Arinze Onuaku

won't play vs. Butler
ESPN.com news services I.setTitle(decodeURIComponent when the top-seeded Orange
(ESPN.com) ("Syracuse\'s%20Onuaku%20to play Butler in the West Regional
Submitted at 3/24/2010 11:28:59 PM %20miss%20third%20NCAA% semifinals of the NCAA
20game")); } tournament on Thursday.
I.setLinkBack("http://sports.esp "He's getting better, but he's not
• Email n.go.com/ncb/tournament/2010/ practicing," Syracuse coach Jim
• Print news/story?id=5025094"); Boeheim said Wednesday. "He
• Comments if (jQuery("#videoInfo").length will not play."
> 0 ) { Onuaku has not practiced since
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Big East tournament quarterfinal
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document.write(' I.setDescription(jQuery("p:first" Georgetown. He's missed
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Qj72UVrAqLh7VSAyZDfMkcl theimage = (jQuery(".article whether Onuaku would be Submitted at 3/24/2010 4:49:00 PM the puck over the Pittsburgh
kt8foSSRaAbdWu36H_N3Ky_ . i m a g e , available for a potential Elite Penguins goalie's glove to seal a
ERWhDG", enabledProviders: .headshot").find("img").attr("src Eight game if the Orange defeat Filed under: Capitals, Penguins 4-3 victory at Verizon Center
"facebook,twitter", ")); I.addMediaItem( { type: No. 5-seeded Butler. W A S H I N G T O N - - M i k e Wednesday night.
cid:"ESPN.Story"}; var I = 'image', src: theimage, href: "He will not play [Thursday's] Knuble didn't believe what he "He just went in and did what he
n e w 'http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/to game, that's it," Boeheim said. was feeling. does, which is shoot the puck
gigya.services.socialize.UserAct urnament/2010/news/story?id=5 "That's all I've got." "I didn't have a shift in the and he scored a goal," Boudreau
ion(); var A = {}; 025094' }); } ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach overtime and he's tapping me on sad. "I just felt that he was going
I.setUserMessage(""); if A.userAction = I; contributed to this report. the shoulder," said the 37-year- to score."
(jQuery(":header:first").length > gigya.services.socialize.showSh Five Filters featured article: old Washington Capitals It was one of the most
0 ) { areUI(H,A); return false; Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: forward. "I am glad he didn't tell anticipated games since the last
I.setTitle(jQuery(".article").find( } } ESPN.com news services PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, me anything either because it time these two teams met Feb.
":header:first").text()); } else SALT LAKE CITY -- Syracuse Term Extraction. didn't allow me time to get to 7, and it didn't disappoint. While
{ will be without Arinze Onuaku nervous." the Caps didn't come back from
While there were other younger three goals down like that game,
and likely more suitable options, and the Penguins didn't have to
Caps coach Bruce Boudreau drive through the aftermath of a
turned to his oldest player. blizzard to get here, Washington
Knuble, who scored the game's d i d c o m e b a c k f r o m t w o
first goal but had gone scoreless deficits: 2-1 after two periods
through his four career shootout and 2-0 in the shootout.
opportunities, proceeded to wait
76 Sports/ Media/
Why is Goodell So Sharp, Selig So Inept?
Jay Mariotti (FanHouse Main)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 3:30:00 PM
Filed under: NFL, MLB, Sports
Business and Media
In the same productive week
when the NFL improved its silly
overtime format, voiced
optimism that a labor stoppage
will be avoided, took more steps
to protect players' brains,
expressed concerns about a
marijuana problem among
draftees-to-be and passed other
rules that will enhance the
sport's popularity and safety,
guess what Bud Selig and the
boys did?
They slept. As usual, Major
League Baseball ignored the
alarm clock, pushed the snooze
button and rolled over, all
zonked out and oblivious to the
needs of fans and the game's
ultimate well-being.
If you ever wondered why
football is the American passion
and baseball is gradually sliding
into old-man oblivion, your
answers came with razor clarity
the last few days. Bravo to
Roger Goodell, the best
commissioner in sports, for
listening to public outcry about
the NFL's ridiculous overtime
system and lobbying the
league's notoriously stubborn
owners to accept a more
sensible solution. Instead of
placing too much emphasis on a
coin flip, allowing a team to win
E-reader News Edition
Around the Net In
Media: 'WSJ' Revamps
Sports Focus
(MediaPost | Media News)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 9:02:18 PM
The Wall Street Journal's New
York sports section will assign
beat reporters to the major local
sports teams, including the
Mets, Yankees, Jets, Giants and
the Knicks, sources said. They'll
be credentialed for home games,
and they'll travel to road games.
But the focus is features and
trends -- much like The New
York Timess.
The Journal has hired Jim
with an easy sudden-death field overtime games since 1994 were Baumbach from Newsday as
goal and not giving an opponent won by the team that was their lead Yankees reporter and
a chance to retaliate, the format victorious in the coin flip, a Mike Sielski of the Calkins
mercifully was modified. disproportionate-to-reality ratio Media newspaper chain as their
Now, it will take an immediate that cheapens the path to Mets reporter, said sources. Sam
touchdown to end the game, and victory, takes the ball out of the Walker, currently The Journal's
while that still isn't entirely fair hands of great quarterbacks ( sports editor, will oversee the
or right -- the other team should B r e t t F a v r e i n t h e N F C section, a source said.
have a possession to try and c h a m p i o n s h i p g a m e ) a n d Five Filters featured article:
score a touchdown -- it's better minimizes a grinding four- Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
than the traditional alternative. month regular season in a PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
As it was, almost 60 percent of violent sport. Term Extraction.

Florida's Meyer Rips Reporter in Defense of Player

FanHouse Newswire Florida coach Urban Meyer had issue with the Sentinel's story. a dozen or more people --
(FanHouse Main) harsh words for a reporter Reporter Jeremy Fowler quoted including several fans leaving
Submitted at 3/24/2010 6:39:00 PM following spring practice Thompson as referring to John spring practice.
Wednesday. Brantley as "a real quarterback,"
Filed under: Florida, General Meyer, speaking for the first in comparison to Tim Tebow.
CFB Insanity GAINESVILLE, time in a week, confronted an The exchange was caught on
Fla. (AP) -- With a stern look Orlando Sentinel reporter and Thompson. video, captured by a
and some finger pointing, d e f e n d e d r e c e i v e r D e o n t e It was unclear why Meyer took photographer and witnessed by
E-reader News Edition Sports/ Game/ 77

Butler Comfortable With 'Hoosiers' Image

Chris Tomasson (FanHouse
Main)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 2:58:00 PM

Filed under: March Madness,

NCAA Tournament, NCAA
Mafia II ready
Tournament - West Region to hit retail
SALT LAKE CITY -- You'd
think they'd be tired of the August 24, 2010
stereotype. Underdogs from Alexander Sliwinski (Joystiq)
Indiana. Fundamentally sound
Submitted at 3/25/2010 8:23:00 AM
guys who are supposed to have
crew cuts. Take-Two announced today
Aren't they just like small-town that Mafia II is ready to offer
Hickory High from the movie North American retail an
Hoosiers? After all, the climatic
Wednesday, he borrowed a line Utah,'' Mack said about having and won a game in 2001, they August 27, 2010, release date --
scenes from that 1986 movie, we doubt they'll refuse. We
from Hoosiers in which Hickory played last year for Team USA became a Cinderella story.
modeled after tiny Milan High
coach Norman Dale, played by i n t h e U n d e r - 1 9 W o r l d But now they're a fixture. When guess that leaves LA Noire or
winning the one-division
Gene Hackman, measures the Championships in New Zealand. fifth-seeded Butler faces top- Max Payne 3(we'll be shocked if
Indiana state final in 1954, were
baskets at 10,000-seat Hinkle to Butler, though, long has figured seeded Syracuse in an NCAA it's Civilization V) as the game
filmed in Indianapolis' Hinkle
show they're the same height as out baskets are 10-feet high in W e s t R e g i o n a l S e m i f i n a l that could potentially be delayed
Fieldhouse, where the Butler
the ones in Hickory's bandbox the NCAA tournament. After Thursday at EnergySolutions b y t h e p u b l i s h e r . ( U m m ,
Bulldogs actually do regularly
of a gym. the Bulldogs made the tourney Arena, it will mark the Bulldogs' assuming this final date doesn't
out-fundamental foes.
"The most important thing I in 1997 for just their second third Sweet 16 appearance since get gunned down at the last
But just when you think the minute.)
think I took from that is time ever and for the first time 2003.
Bulldogs are tired of all those
knowing that 10 feet in New in 35 years, they were a novelty.
clichés, up steps Butler guard MAFIA page 78
Zealand is the same as 10 feet in After they finally broke through
Shelvin Mack. On his own

EA Sports President Peter Moore Talks Tiger, Madden and

Gaming Culture
Jon Weinbach (FanHouse video games, notably John home computer.) announced that it would lay off
Main) Madden Football-- the No. 1 Over the last year, however, EA more than 1,500 employees, and
Submitted at 3/25/2010 12:50:00 AM sports title of all-time -- and has been hit hard by the broader last month EA issued a
FIFA Soccer, the industry's top- downturn in the video game pessimistic sales outlook for the
Filed under: Sports Business, selling sports game. (And as old sector -- in 2009, sales of game 2010 calendar year, which
FanHouse Exclusive, Sports -school gamers fondly recall, titles dipped 11 percent in the disappointed Wall Street and
Business and Media Electronic EA published one of the earliest U.S., and sales of the latest sent the company's stock
Arts is best known for its wildly sports hits in video game vs. Dr. J, for the Commodore 64 Madden title were far lower than tumbling.
successful and innovative sports history, One on One: Larry Bird expected. In November, EA
78 Fashion/ Economy/
MAFIA
continued from page 77
The game will also be playable
by the public for the first time at
PAX East, which starts
tomorrow in Boston.
Mafia II ready to hit retail
August 24, 2010 originally
appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25
Sanita Clogs: The Original Danish Clog
ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 8:10:02 AM
The clog took center stage as a
major trend on the runways for
spring—most notably at Chanel.
But for anyone looking for the
real deal, look no further than
Sanita. The makers of
handcrafted originals since
1907, Sanita can take credit for
inspiring the new generation of
wood platform. The Danish-
based clog maker has taken the
old world handcraftsmanship
Jessica Alba Puts a Ladylike Spin on Proenza
Schouler's Surfer-Girl Look
ELLE.com (ELLE News Blog)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 3:55:00 PM
Jessica Alba toughened up her
often demure look last night in
LA, wearing head-to-toe
Proenza Schouler for a Tribeca
Film Festival party. For spring
2010, Lazaro Hernandez and
Jack McCollough gave their
Mar 2010 08:23:00 EST. Please
see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink| Email this|
Comments
they’re known for and infused it
with modern flair—their newest
collection brings that decidedly
Scandinavian mix stateside.
Hearing the words “clog” and
fans a bright mix of surfer-girl
staples – tie-dyes, scuba details,
fringe, and plastic. Alba paired
the designers’ tie-dye mini and
strappy wedges with a delicate,
even ladylike, pair of Melissa
Joy Manning earrings and
upswept hair. On the runway, think of this chic catwalk look
hair hung long with an almost on the red carpet?
matte texture. What do you
quirkiness into something
genuinely fashionable—the
retailers’ pick is the “Vela”
platform, which includes an
artful grommet detail. Riding
the emerging wave of the clog’s
return, Sarita has indeed carved
a refreshingly modern sole out
of an offbeat trend. Whether it’s
nouveau or '70s retro, this
“comeback” might be a hard pill season’s humble clog will leave
t o s w a l l o w , b u t i n t h e i r your soul renewed.
Spring/Summer collection, — K y l e A n d e r s o n , S e n i o r
Sanita has turned the wooden A c c e s s o r i e s E d i t o r
shoe’s unconventional
Click here to shop the spring
runway look
—Violet Moon Gayn or
Photos: runway: Imaxtree; red
carpet: Getty Images
Follow ELLE on Twitter.
Become our Facebook fan!
E-reader News Edition
The ECB joins
the ‘Save Greece’
campaign
Peter Boockvar (The Big
Picture)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 5:27:57 AM
The ECB decided to chip in to
the ‘Save Greece’ campaign by
extending to year end 2011 their
altered eligibility requirements
for accepting collateral to repo.
Instead of expiring at year end,
the ECB will continue to accept
BBB- or higher rated collateral
instead of having it revert to its
previous cutoff of A-. With
Greece hanging by its A- rating
by a thread, it relieves pressure
on those banks that hold Greek
sovereign debt. The move is
helping European stocks, led by
the banks, Greek debt is also
rallying and the euro is up.
Another over levered situation is
getting a reprieve today as
Dubai’s government said they
will give Dubai World $9.5b to
help them restructure. Dubai
stocks are up 4%+ in response.
UK Gilts are down after a mixed
review of the new UK budget
release but the pound is rallying
after a better than expected retail
sales report. With yesterday’s
possible tipping point in global
bond markets, the US sells 7 yr
notes today.
Five Filters featured article:
Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
Term Extraction.
E-reader News Edition Economy/ 79

Homework Assignments for Monetary Policymakers

Guest Author (The Big financial crisis. A key part of economic consequences less with these securitizations, the window.” At their discretion,
Picture) the Federal Reserve’s response likely. Number three involves associated derivative banks could borrow overnight at
Submitted at 3/25/2010 12:30:05 AM was to fulfill its traditional role considering whether central instruments, and the structures an above-market rate against a
of providing backup liquidity to banks should use their that evolved to hold securitized broad range of collateral when
Vice Chairman Donald L. Kohn sound institutions during times conventional monetary policy debt were at the heart of the they had a need for very short-
At the Cornelson Distinguished of financial turmoil. In a break tool–adjusting the level of a financial crisis. Among other term funding.
Lecture at Davidson College, with tradition, we had to provide short-term interest rate–to try to things, the structures exposed But this structure proved
Davidson, North Carolina that liquidity to nonbank rein in asset prices that seem to the banking system to risks that inadequate in the crisis.
March 24, 2010 financial institutions as well as be moving well away from neither participants in financial Interbank markets stopped
* 50 KB PDF to banks. One assignment is to sustainable values, in addition to markets nor regulators fully functioning as effective means
The events of the past few years evaluate the implications of the seeking to achieve the appreciated. to distribute liquidity,
have raised many questions for changing character of financial macroeconomic objectives of The implications of these increasing the importance of
central bankers. Although markets for the design of the full employment and price changes are far reaching, but I direct lending through the
prompt and innovative actions liquidity tools the Federal stability. The fourth and final want to concentrate on those discount window. At the same
by the Federal Reserve and Reserve has at its disposal when assignment concerns whether that bear on the tools we use to time, however, banks became
other central banks helped panic-driven runs on banks and central banks should adjust supply liquidity to the financial extremely reluctant to borrow
prevent a severe economic o t h e r key financial their inflation targets to reduce system. Every central bank had from the Federal Reserve for
downturn from turning into intermediaries and markets the odds of getting into a to adapt its liquidity facilities to fear that the borrowing would
something even worse, our threaten financial stability and situation again where the policy some degree, but the Federal become known and thus cast
experience also highlighted a the economy. In addition to interest rate reaches zero. 1 Reserve had to adapt more than doubt on their liquidity
number of areas we need to p r o v i d i n g l i q u i d i t y o n a n Changes in Financial Markets most. Before the crisis, the condition. Importantly, the
study further to see whether we u n p r e c e d e n t e d s c a l e , w e and the Federal Reserve’s Federal Reserve adjusted the crisis also involved major
can improve the conduct of reduced our policy interest rate Liquidity Tools liquidity it provided to the disruptions of important funding
monetary policy. I’ve titled my (the target for the rate on Financial markets have evolved financial system through daily markets for other institutions.
p r e s e n t a t i o n “ H o m e w o r k overnight loans between banks) substantially in recent decades. operations with a relatively Commercial paper markets no
Assignments” because I don’t effectively to zero, and then we The task of intermediating small set of broker-dealers longer served as sources of
think the answers are clear, continued to ease financial between investors and against a very narrow set of funds to lenders or to
though I will venture some conditions and cushion the borrowers has shifted over time collateral–Treasury debt, agency nonfinancial businesses;
tentative thoughts. I have four effect of the financial shock on from banks, which take deposits debt, and agency mortgage- investment banks could not
assignments on my list; I could the economy by making large- and make loans, to securities backed securities. Those borrow for even a short term on
easily have more. And others scale purchases of several types markets, where borrowers and transactions had the effect of a secured basis when lenders
would have yet a different list. I o f s e c u r i t i e s . M y s e c o n d savers meet more directly, albeit changing the quantity of reserve began to have doubts about
recognize that the complexity of assignment involves improving with the assistance of balances that banks hold at some of the underlying
these questions could keep us our understanding of the effects investment banks that help Federal Reserve Banks, and that collateral; banks overseas could
profitably engaged for a whole of those purchases and the borrowers issue securities and liquidity was distributed by not reliably exchange their
semester, but let’s see if I can associated massive increase in then make markets in those interbank funding markets currency in swap markets to
outline some of the challenges bank reserves. securities. An aspect of the shift through the banking system in fund their dollar assets beyond
and possible responses in an The third and fourth has been the growth of the United States and around the the very shortest terms; and
evening. assignments relate to whether securitization, in which loans world. In addition, the Federal investors pulled out from
The first two assignments changes to the conduct of that might have been on the Reserve stood ready to lend money market mutual funds.
concern the policy actions the monetary policy in normal times books of banks are converted directly to commercial banks These disruptions posed the
Federal Reserve and other could make financial instability into securities and sold in and other depository HOMEWORK page 80
central banks took during the and its wrenching and costly markets. Serious deficiencies institutions at the “discount
80
HOMEWORK
continued from page 79
same threats to the availability
of credit to households and
businesses as did runs on banks
in a more bank-centric financial
system. Intermediaries unable
to fund themselves were forced
to sell assets, driving down
prices and exacerbating the
crisis; they were unwilling to
make markets necessary to
allow households and businesses
to borrow; and households and
businesses unable to borrow
were unable to spend,
deepening the recession.
The Federal Reserve responded
by providing funding when it
became unavailable to banks
and other intermediaries. We
reduced the spread of the
discount rate over the target
interbank rate, lengthened the
maximum maturity of loans to
banks from overnight to 90
days, and also provided
discount window credit through
regular auctions to overcome the
reluctance to borrow. In
addition, we created emergency
liquidity facilities to meet the
funding needs of key market
participants, including primary
securities dealers, money market
mutual funds, and other users of
short-term funding markets. 2
We did so while generally
adhering to time-honored central
banking principles for
countering a financial panic:
Lend freely to solvent
institutions at a penalty and
against good collateral. We also
lent dollars to other central
banks so that they could help
banks in their jurisdictions meet
their dollar funding needs, thus
easing pressures on U.S. money
markets.
Now that the financial markets
are functioning much better, we
have closed the emergency
facilities that we created to lend
to nonbanks. The homework
assignment is to think about the
design of liquidity facilities
going forward. I’ve tentatively
concluded that the recent crisis
has demonstrated that in a
financial system so dependent
on securities markets and not
just banks, we need to retain the
ability to lend against good
collateral to certain groups of
sound, regulated, nonbank
financial firms. I’m not
suggesting that we establish
permanent contingency
liquidity facilities, just that the
Federal Reserve retain the
authority to create the tools
necessary to meet liquidity
needs of groups of nonbank
institutions should a panic
impair the ability of securities
markets, as well as banks, to
function and the Board of
Governors find that the absence
of such functioning would
threaten the economy. 3 The
collateral would have to be of
good quality and the institutions
sound to minimize any credit
risk to the Federal Reserve.
Holding open this possibility is
not without cost. With credit
potentially available from the
Federal Reserve, institutions
would have insufficient
incentives to manage their
liquidity to protect against
unusual market events. Hence,
the emergency credit would
generally be provided only to
groups of institutions that were
regulated and supervised to
limit such moral hazard. If the
Federal Reserve did not directly
supervise the institutions that
would potentially receive
emergency discount window
credit, we would need an
ongoing and collaborative
relationship with the supervisor.
The supervisor should ensure
that any institution with implicit
access to emergency discount
window credit nevertheless
maintained conservative
liquidity policies. The
supervisor would also provide
critical insight into the financial
condition of the borrower and
the quality of the available
collateral and more generally
whether lending was necessary
and appropriate.
Large-Scale Asset Purchases
and the Buildup of the Reserve
Base
The Federal Reserve and other
central banks reacted to the
deepening crisis in the fall of
2008 not only by opening new
liquidity facilities, but also by
reducing policy interest rates to
close to zero. Such rapid and
aggressive responses were
expected to cushion the effects
of the shock on the economy by
reducing the cost of borrowing
for households and businesses,
thereby encouraging them to
keep spending. In addition, the
Federal Reserve and a number
of other central banks have
provided more guidance than
usual about the likely future
path of interest rates to help
financial markets form more
accurate expectations about
policy in a highly uncertain
economic and financial
environment. In particular, we
were concerned that market
participants would not fully
appreciate for how long we
anticipated keeping interest
rates low. If they hadn’t,
intermediate- and longer-term
rates would have declined by
less, reducing the stimulative
effect of the very low policy
rates.
Given the severity of the
downturn, it became clear that
lowering short-term policy rates
alone would not be sufficient.
We needed to go further to ease
financial conditions and
encourage spending. Thus, to
reduce longer-term interest
rates, like those on mortgages,
we purchased large quantities
of longer-term securities,
specifically Treasury securities,
agency mortgage-backed
securities, and agency debt.
Central banks have lots of
experience guiding the economy
by adjusting short-term policy
rates and influencing
expectations about future policy
E-reader News Edition
rates, and the underlying theory
and practice behind those
actions are well understood.
However, the economic effects
of purchasing large volumes of
longer-term assets, and the
accompanying expansion of the
reserve base in the banking
system, are much less well
understood. So my second
homework assignment for
monetary policymakers and
other interested economists is to
study the effects of such balance
sheet expansion; better
understanding will help our
successors if, unfortunately,
they should find themselves in a
similar position, and it will help
us as we unwind the unusual
actions we took.
One question involves the
direct effects of the large-scale
asset purchases themselves. The
theory behind the Federal
Reserve’s actions was fairly
clear: Arbitrage between short-
and long-term markets is not
perfect even when markets are
functioning smoothly; and
arbitrage is especially impaired
during panics when investors
are putting an unusually large
premium on the liquidity and
safety of short-term
instruments. In these
circumstances, reducing the
supply of long-term debt pushes
up the prices of the securities,
lowering their yields.
But by how much? Uncertainty
HOMEWORK page 81
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HOMEWORK
continued from page 80
about the likely effect
complicated our calibration of
the purchases, and the
symmetrical uncertainty about
the effects of unwinding the
actions–of reducing our
portfolio–will be a factor in our
decisions about the timing and
sequencing of steps to return
the portfolio to a more normal
level and composition. Good
studies of these sorts of actions
are sparse. Currently, we are
relying in large part on studies
that examine how much interest
rates dropped when purchases
were announced in the United
States or abroad. But such event
studies may not be an ideal
means to predict the
consequences of reducing our
portfolio, in part because the
economic and financial
environment will be very
different, and also because event
studies do not measure effects
that develop or reverse over
time. We are also uncertain
about how, exactly, the
purchases put downward
pressure on interest rates. My
presumption has been that the
effect comes mainly from the
total amount we purchase
relative to the total stock of debt
outstanding. However, others
have argued that the market
effect derives importantly from
the flow of our purchases
relative to the amount of new
issuance in the market. Some
evidence for the primacy of the
stock channel has accumulated
recently, as the prices of
mortgage-backed securities
appear to have changed little as
the flow of our purchases has
trended down.
A second issue involves the
effect of the large volume of
reserves created as we buy
assets. The Federal Reserve has
funded its purchases by
crediting the accounts that banks
hold with us. Those deposits are
called “reserve balances” and
are part of bank reserves. In our
explanations of our actions, we
have concentrated, as I have just
done, on the effects on the
prices of the assets we have
been purchasing and the
spillover to the prices of related
assets. The huge quantity of
bank reserves that were created
has been seen largely as a
byproduct of the purchases that
would be unlikely to have a
significant independent effect
on financial markets and the
economy. This view is not
consistent with the simple
models in many textbooks or the
monetarist tradition in
monetary policy, which
emphasizes a line of causation
from reserves to the money
supply to economic activity and
inflation. Other central banks
and some of my colleagues on
the Federal Open Market
Committee (FOMC) have
emphasized this channel in their
discussions of the effect of
policy at the zero lower bound.
According to these types of
theories, extra reserves should
induce banks to diversify into
additional lending and
purchases of securities, reducing
the cost of borrowing for
households and businesses, and
so should spark an increase in
the money supply and
spending. To date, that channel
does not seem to have been
effective; interest rates on bank
loans relative to the usual
benchmarks have continued to
rise, the quantity of bank loans
is still falling rapidly, and
money supply growth has been
subdued. Banks’ behavior
appears more consistent with the
standard Keynesian model of
the liquidity trap, in which
demand for reserves becomes
perfectly elastic when short-
term interest rates approach
zero. But portfolio behavior of
banks will shift as the economy
and confidence recover, and we
will need to watch and study
this channel carefully.
Another uncertainty deserving
of additional examination
involves the effect of large-
scale purchases of longer-term
assets on expectations about
monetary policy. The more we
buy, the more reserves we will
ultimately need to absorb and
the more assets we will
ultimately need to dispose of
before the conduct of monetary
policy, the behavior of
interbank markets, and the
Federal Reserve’s balance sheet
can return completely to
normal. As a consequence, these
types of purchases can increase
inflation expectations among
some observers who may see a
risk that we will not reduce
reserves and raise interest rates
in a timely fashion.
In fact, longer-term inflation
expectations generally have
been quite well anchored over
the past few years of unusual
Federal Reserve actions. And
we are developing and testing
the tools we need to remove
accommodative monetary policy
when appropriate. I am
confident the Federal Reserve
can and will tighten policy well
in advance of any threat to price
stability, and successful
execution of this exit will
demonstrate that these
emergency steps need not lead
to higher inflation.
Monetary Policy and Financial
Imbalances
The past few years have
illustrated two lessons about the
relationship between
macroeconomic stability and
financial stability. First,
macroeconomic stability doesn’t
guarantee financial stability;
indeed, in some circumstances,
macroeconomic stability may
foster financial instability by
lulling people into complacency
about risks. And second, some
shocks to the financial system
are so substantial, especially
when they weaken a large
number of intermediaries, that
decreases in aggregate demand
81
can be large, long lasting, and
not quickly or easily remedied
by conventional monetary
policy.
Given the heavy costs of the
financial crisis, the question
naturally arises as to how it
could have been avoided. My
third assignment is to
reexamine whether conventional
monetary policy should be used
to lean against financial
imbalances as well as aim for
the traditional medium-term
macroeconomic goals of
maximum employment and
price stability. One key question
is whether we are likely to know
enough about asset price
misalignments and the effects of
policy adjustments on those
misalignments to give us the
confidence to deliberately tack
away for a time from exclusive
pursuit of our macroeconomic
objectives. Obviously, reducing
the odds of financial crises
would be very beneficial, but we
need to balance that important
objective against the potential
costs and uncertainties
associated with using monetary
policy for that purpose.
One type of cost arises because
monetary policy is a blunt
instrument. Increases in interest
rates damp activity across a
wide variety of sectors, many of
which may not be experiencing
speculative activity. Moreover,
small policy adjustments may
HOMEWORK page 82
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HOMEWORK
continued from page 81
not be very effective in reining
in speculative excesses. Our
experience in 1999 and 2005
was that even substantial
increases in interest rates did not
seem to have an effect on dot-
com stock speculation in the
first episode or on house price
increases in the second. And
larger adjustments would incur
greater incremental costs. As a
consequence, using monetary
policy to damp asset price
movements could lead to more
variability in output and
inflation around their objectives,
at least in the medium term.
Among other things, greater
variability in inflation could
lead inflation expectations to
become less well anchored,
diminishing the ability of the
central bank to counter
economic fluctuations.
We simply do not have good
theories or empirical evidence to
guide policymakers in using
short-term interest rates to limit
financial speculation. Given our
current state of knowledge, my
preference at this time would be
to use regulation and
supervision to strengthen the
financial system and lean
against developing problems.
Monetary policy would be used
only if imbalances were
building and regulatory policies
either were unavailable or had
proven ineffective. The
homework assignment is to
improve our ability to identify
incipient financial imbalances
and understand their interactions
with changes in policy interest
rates.
A related issue, which I’ll
assign for extra credit, is critical
for the conduct of policy in the
future. Some observers have
attributed the bubbles observed
in some asset prices in recent
years to a decades-long
downward trend in real interest
rates. In this view, the decline
in interest rates has caused
investors to reach for yield by
purchasing riskier assets with
higher returns, driving the prices
on riskier assets above
fundamental values. Many
critics of central banks ascribe
the drop in real rates to
monetary policy decisions that
kept rates unusually low, on
average, over the business cycle
From my perspective, the
decisions the central banks were
making about their policy rates
were shaped by the underlying
determinants of the balance of
saving and investment,
including, in the past decade or
so, the high saving propensities
of the newly emerging Asian
economies and the sluggish
rebound in investment globally
after the recession early last
decade. Nonetheless, it is
important that we understand
the reasons for the decline in
average real rates and whether
low rates are likely to
persist–and that very tough
problem is the extra credit
assignment. For one thing, as
the economic expansion gains
traction and central banks back
off the current highly
accommodative stance of
policy, policymakers will need
to understand how the longer-
term trend in real rates has
influenced the point at which the
policy rate becomes restrictive.
For another, if rates are going to
continue to be low by historical
standards, regulators will need
to be especially alert to any
signs that a reach for yield by
investors is contributing to
excessive risk-taking.
Inflation Objectives
The final homework
assignment concerns the
inflation objectives of central
banks. Central banks have
widely chosen to target inflation
rates near 2 percent. The Federal
Reserve is required by law to
conduct monetary policy to
achieve maximum employment
and stable prices. We haven’t
announced an explicit inflation
rate target consistent with that
dual mandate, but the Federal
Reserve governors and Reserve
Bank presidents publish our
individual forecasts for inflation
over the longer run, conditional
on our individual views of
appropriate monetary policy.
Those forecasts indicate that
most of the FOMC participants
believe that inflation should
converge to 1-3/4 to 2 percent
over time.
Recently, some prominent
economists have called for
central banks to raise their
inflation targets to about 4
percent. Shifting inflation
targets up would tend to raise
the average level of nominal
interest rates and thus give
central banks more room to
lower interest rates in response
to a bad shock to the economy
before running against the zero
bound.
Although I agree that hitting the
zero bound presents challenges
to monetary policy, I do not
believe central banks should
raise their inflation targets.
Central banks around the world
have been working for 30 years
to get inflation down to levels
where it can largely be ignored
by businesses and households
when making decisions about
the future. Moreover, inflation
expectations are well anchored
at those low levels.
Increasing our inflation targets
could result in more-variable
inflation and worse economic
outcomes over time. First of all,
inflation expectations would
necessarily have to become
unanchored as inflation moved
up. I doubt households and
businesses would immediately
adjust their expectations up to
the new targets and that
expectations would then be well
anchored at the new higher
levels. Instead, I fear there
could be a long learning
process, just as there was as
inflation trended down over
recent decades. Second, 4
E-reader News Edition
percent inflation may be higher
than can be ignored, and
businesses and households may
take inflation more into account
when writing contracts and
making investments, increasing
the odds that otherwise
transitory inflation would
become more persistent.
For both these reasons, raising
the longer-term objective for
inflation could make
expectations more sensitive to
recent realized inflation, to
central bank actions, and to
other economic conditions.
That greater sensitivity would
reduce the ability of central
banks to buffer the economy
from bad shocks. It could also
lead to more-volatile inflation
over the longer run and
therefore higher inflation risk
premiums in nominal interest
rates. It is notable that while the
economic arguments for raising
inflation targets are well
understood, no major central
bank has raised its target in
response to the recent financial
crisis.
Another approach to this
problem is for central banks to
target a gradually rising price
level rather than a constant
inflation rate. Imagine a plot of
the consumer price index (CPI)
from today onward increasing 2
percent each year. Central banks
would commit to adjusting
policy to keep the CPI near that
HOMEWORK page 85
E-reader News Edition
Israel, America and the world: A wall of suspicion
(The Economist: News
analysis)
Submitted at 3/25/2010 12:43:40 AM
Israel, America and the world
Despite a rare dressing down
from America, Israel's leader
shows no sign of yielding
Mar 25th 2010 | JERUSALEM
AND WASHINGTON, DC |
From The Economist print
edition
GLUM Israelis likened the
event to thieves entering in the
night. When Binyamin
Netanyahu and his aides met
Barack Obama in the White
House on March 23rd, the
president forbade any media
coverage—not even a quick
photograph—in the Oval Office.
The encounter with Israel’s
prime minister did not seem to
lead to the jovial reconciliation
that politicians on both sides,
after a fortnight of angry mud-
slinging between Washington
and Jerusalem, had hoped for.
The format was as odd as the
extreme confidentiality. After
the two leaders had sat alone for
an hour-and-a-half, Mr
Netanyahu closeted himself to
“consult” his advisers, before
returning for another half-hour
discussion. Did Mr Obama,
riding high after his historic
victory over health care, choose
to confront the silver-tongued
Israeli prime minister with an
unequivocal challenge to lay out
his policy on peace with the
Palestinians—and to back down
over the controversial issue of
building Jewish houses in Israeli
-annexed East Jerusalem, which
Palestinians see as the capital of
their would-be state?
The need for such clarity was
illustrated by yet another Israeli
building project in East
Jerusalem, which was publicised
just hours before the White
House meeting. In Israel there
was speculation that someone
had issued news of this untimely
project, long in the works, in
order, once again, to “trip up
Bibi”, as the prime minister is
known, when he was about to
meet the president of Israel’s
most vital ally.
The crisis in American-Israeli
relations flared up a fortnight
ago when, just as the vice-
president, Joe Biden, was
visiting Jerusalem, it was
announced that 1,600 Jewish
homes would be built in East
Jerusalem. Mr Netanyahu
apologised fulsomely for the
bad timing but refused to
rescind the decision. The suburb
in question, Ramat Shlomo, is
one of several all-Jewish ones
built since 1967 in East
Jerusalem, where 250,000
Israeli Jews now live.
The latest scheme is much
smaller—just 20 units—but a lot
more incendiary. Whereas
Ramat Shlomo is built on a
rocky outcrop on the northern
rim of the Israeli-delineated
municipality, the new scheme
involves installing a score of
Jewish settler families in a
converted hotel in the densely
populated all-Arab suburb of
Sheikh Jarrah, close to the Old
City.
Mr Netanyahu contends that his
building policy in Jerusalem is
no different from that of all his
predecessors since 1967, when
Israeli forces conquered the
entire city. “The Jewish people
were building in Jerusalem
3,000 years ago,” he told 7,000-
odd delegates to the annual
conference of the influential
American Israel Public Affairs
Committee (AIPAC), a pro-
Israel lobby, in Washington on
March 22nd. “And the Jewish
people are building Jerusalem
today. Jerusalem is not a
settlement. It is our capital.” He
complains privately that Mr
Obama is needlessly picking on
him.
But American officials
complain privately that Mr
Netanyahu is dissembling. They
point out that two of his
predecessors, Ehud Barak (1999
-2001) and Ehud Olmert (2006-
09), negotiated with the
Palestinians over a peace plan
for Jerusalem proposed by
President Bill Clinton, who
suggested sharing out the city’s
sovereignty by districts: Jewish-
inhabited ones would go to
Israel, Arab-inhabited ones to
Palestine. The “holy basin” in
the middle, including religious
shrines, would fall under an
international or divine
protectorate.
Mr Obama now insists that
Jerusalem, along with the other
core issues of the conflict, such
as the question of redrawing
borders and the return of
refugees demanded by the
Palestinians, should be tackled
in the “proximity talks” he is
trying to launch between Israelis
and Palestinians. He hopes they
may lead to a resumption of
long-stalled direct negotiations.
Mr Obama also wants a series of
“confidence-building steps” to
bring the Palestinians back to
the table. These include a
release of Palestinian prisoners
and the dismantling of Israeli
military road-blocks that
frustrate Palestinians’ lives and
commerce on the West Bank.
Mr Netanyahu says he cannot
meet these demands because his
allies on the nationalist and
religious end of his ruling
coalition would rebel if he did.
But Mr Obama’s team may no
longer be willing to accept that
as a reason. Some observers in
Washington felt in his speech to
AIPAC Mr Netanyahu gave
unduly short shrift to Mr Obama
and ignored the president’s
insistence that fresh talks
between Israel and the
Palestinians should go straight
to the big issues, such as
adjusting borders. “Of course
the United States can help the
parties solve their problems,”
said the prime minister. “But it
cannot solve the problems for
Economy/ 83
the parties. Peace cannot be
imposed from the outside.”
It was even suggested that Mr
Netanyahu’s speech may have
been written before Mr Obama’s
health-care triumph in the
House of Representatives the
night before. It was said that
people in the White House had
been brooding with resentment
over Mr Netanyahu’s ill-
disguised pleasure when Mr
Obama’s political fortunes
seemed earlier to be sliding.
Mr Netanyahu has indeed had a
tough time keeping his coalition
together. Just before he left for
Washington, he and his extreme
nationalist foreign minister,
Avigdor Lieberman, both
secular Jews, persuaded a
cabinet majority to accept ultra-
Orthodox demands for a new
hospital emergency-room to be
moved, at high cost, because its
previously planned site might
contain ancient Jewish graves.
An ultra-Orthodox party that is
an important coalition partner
and holds the health ministry
threatened to secede unless this
was done.
A public outcry then ensued.
Already in Washington, Mr
Netanyahu had to backtrack by
setting up a committee to
“reconsider” the cabinet
decision. But for the time being,
he would rather compromise
with his Orthodox partners than
consider the prospect, much
ISRAEL, page 86
84 Economy/ E-reader News Edition

More Foreclosures, Please . . .

Barry Ritholtz (The Big credit bubble. I estimate that 4) A weak overall economy have seen enormous upticks in The last thing these families
Picture) making mortgage requirements with a very slow, soft recovery. sales versus the lower need is a banking fee orgy,
Submitted at 3/25/2010 4:15:16 AM disappear brought between 10 Whether a function of populist foreclosure states. before they ultimate lose the
and 20 million marginal new politics or bad economics, the The process moves real estate house anyway.
I have been dismayed about the home buyers into the real estate proposals so far appear to holdings from weak hands to The HAMP programs have
latest actions out of Washington m a r k e t d u r i n g t h e 2 , 0 0 0 s address items one and three. But stronger ones. When someone been an enormous taxpayer
and Wall Street. The banks are decade. This drove prices to upon closer examination, they purchases a home they actually subsidized boondoggle for the
now pushing all manner of unsustainable levels, leading to do nothing of the kind. In fact, can afford, they end up spending banks, however.
mortgage mods and foreclosure a huge boom and eventual bust they are actually gaming the quite a bit of money on • Punishing the Prudent: The
abatements. These are little cycle in housing. system to help issue two — the additional goods and services. boom and bust saw irresponsible
more than “extend & pretend” Prices have fallen about 30% bad loans the banks are They do renovations, hire and reckless behavior by lenders
measures, designed to put off nationally from the 2005-06 carrying. contractors, make durable goods and home buyers alike. They
the day of reckoning. They are housing peak. As the artificial Even worse, they are making purchases, buy cars. They do overused leverage, disregarded
not only ineffective, they are demand created by free money issue #4 — the economy — lawn work, plant gardens, paint risk, ignored history. Having the
c o u n t e r - p r o d u c t i v e . T h e y and an accompanying gold rush increasingly problematic. and repair. They even hire baby taxpayers subsidize this
reward the reckless and punish mentality disappeared, the We should allow the real estate sitters, go out to diner and behavior presents a moral
the responsible, and create a housing market collapsed. market to experience a healthy movies, they spend money in hazard.
moral hazard. Worse yet, they Despite this, even down 30% or price normalization process. the local community. Worse than that, it punishes the
penalize middle America for the so, prices still remain elevated Even though home prices have The people who are hanging on people who behaved prudent
sake of giant Wall Street banks. by historical metrics. The net fallen dramatically, they have by their fingernails, however, do and responsibly. Those who
It may sound counter-intuitive, result has been 5 million yet to reach their historical almost none of these things. refused to buy a home they
but the best thing for the nation foreclosures and counting. One means relative to income or the They pay a vastly could not afford, chose not to
(but not necessarily the banks) is in four “Home-owers” are cost of renting. This is to say disproportionate amount of their over-extend themselves, and
to allow the foreclosure process underwater — meaning, they nothing of the usual careening incomes to service their have been saving for a down
to proceed unimpeded. We need owe more on their mortgages past the median towards under- mortgages. This is not payment are the net losers in
more, not less foreclosures. than their houses are worth. valuation that typically follows productive economic activity. this.
How did we get to this bizarre There are another 3-5 million a massive mis-allocation of • Helping Families: By working so feverishly to
place in history? A brief recap likely foreclosures coming over capital. Foreclosures, wrenching thought artificially reduce foreclosures
of our story so far: the next 5+ years. We own a home, and have a hey may be, move over- and prop up home prices, we
It started with the ultra-low The net results of the credit vacation property. Rooting for stretched families into housing punish the first time home
rates of 2001-04. It was aided bubble are as follows: falling prices is “talking against they can afford. They avoid a buyer, the newlyweds, the
and abetted by an abdication of 1) An enormous number of my own book.” steady stream of all manner of savers who want to buy a house
traditional lending standards, at families living in homes they Why is it so beneficial to allow excess fees. The banks squeeze they can actually afford.
first by non-bank lenders, but cannot afford. foreclosures to proceed whatever they can from The net result of all these
eventually, by nearly all. The 2) Bank balance sheets laden unimpeded? Consider the delinquent homeowners, who programs and subsidies for
Lend-to-Sell-to-Securitizer with current bad loans and lots following benefits of end up futilely tossing $1000s of recklessness is that we prevent
NonBanks pushed lending of potential future defaulting foreclosure: dollars down the drain. home prices from normalizing.
standards ever lower to the point loans. • Increasing Economic Activity: Worse, the HAMP programs The people who are punished
of non-existence. This increased 3) Real Estate Sales, despite The areas of the country with have been totally ineffective in the most are the group that was
the pool of potential mortgage being propped up with historic the greatest foreclosure rates keeping families in their homes. not reckless, speculative or
buyers, credit worthiness be low mortgage rates and tax have seen the biggest increase in The vast majority ultimately foolish.
damned. purchase credits, are continuing real estate activity. Look at default anyway. More fees paid, MORE page 87
The net result of all this was a to slide. California and Florida — they more debt accrued, for nothing.
E-reader News Edition
HOMEWORK
continued from page 82
line.
The advantage of this approach,
in theory at least, is that when a
negative shock drives prices
below the target level, people
will automatically expect the
central bank to increase inflation
for a while to get back to trend.
In principle, that expectation
would lower real interest rates
without the central bank
changing its inflation
commitment, even if nominal
interest rates were pinned at
zero. It could also make it
easier for people to make long-
term economic decisions
because they could anticipate
that inflation misses would be
reversed over time, reducing
uncertainty about the future
price level.
While I appreciate the elegance
of this price-level-targeting
idea, I have serious doubts that
it would work in practice.
Central to the idea is that the
Federal Reserve would be
committing to hit a price level
that was growing at a constant
rate from a fixed point in the
past. The specific inflation rate
that could be expected in the
future would change over time,
depending on the inflation that
had been realized up to that
point. You could know what
inflation rate to expect only if
you knew both the current
consumer price index and the
Fed’s target for the index in the
future. In addition, the inflation
rate that you could expect
would be different for different
horizons. Moreover, central
banks are able to control
inflation only with a
considerable lag and even then
only imprecisely, so the process
of hitting a target would likely
involve frequent overshooting
and correction and
consequently frequently shifting
inflation objectives.
Contrast this approach with the
communications required of
central banks when targeting a
specific inflation rate. For
example, central banks
targeting a 2 percent inflation
rate typically put that target
prominently on their webpage.
If those banks were instead
targeting a price level growing
at 2 percent, their webpages
would have to provide a table
of inflation rate targets for a
variety of horizons, and the
targets would change each
month. I fear that rather than
anchoring people’s expectations
about prices, it could leave them
perplexed.
As you can tell, I see
compelling reasons why central
banks should stick to their
current inflation objectives.
Those reasons relate most
importantly to the effect of a
central bank’s communications
and behavior on its credibility
and on the public’s expectations.
More study leading to a better
understanding of the linkage
between central bank actions
and expectation formation
should improve the ability of
central banks to achieve
society’s inflation and output
objectives more effectively
under a variety of
circumstances, including in a
severe negative shock of the
type we recently experienced.
Conclusion
Many central bankers and
economists, myself included,
were a little complacent coming
into the crisis. We thought we
knew enough about the basic
structure of the markets and the
economy to achieve economic
and price stability with
relatively minor perturbations.
And we thought we had the
tools necessary to deal with
liquidity shortages and
maldistributions. The reality is
that we didn’t understand the
economy as well as we thought
we did. Central bankers, along
with other policymakers,
professional economists and the
private sector failed to foresee
or prevent a financial crisis that
resulted in very serious
unemployment and loss of
wealth around the world. We
must learn from our experience.
The questions I’ve posed are
tough, but addressing these
issues successfully should
enable central banks to reduce
the odds of future crises and
respond more effectively to any
bouts of instability that still
might arise. 1. The views
expressed here are my own and
not necessarily those of my
colleagues on the Board of
Governors or the Federal Open
Market Committee. William
Nelson of the Board’s staff
contributed to these remarks.
Return to text
2. Primary dealers are broker-
dealers that trade in U.S.
government securities with the
Federal Reserve Bank of New
York. Return to text
3. I am not referring here to the
loans we extended to individual
troubled institutions like
American International Group,
whose disorderly failure would
have had catastrophic
consequences for the economy.
That sort of lending is more
appropriately done by the fiscal
authorities and conducted only
in association with the exercise
of new authority to regulate and
resolve systemically important
institutions. Return to text
Five Filters featured article:
Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
Term Extraction.
Media/ 85
Around the Net In
Media: 'Times T' Editor
Exits For 'W' Helm
(MediaPost | Media News)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 9:02:55 PM
Condé Nast Publications named
Stefano Tonchi, the editor of T:
The New York Times Style
Magazine, to be the editor in
chief of its fashion magazine W.
Tonchi wants to bring a more
accessible, general-interest
sensibility to W, a large-format
magazine with lavish
photography.
Ad pages at W fell almost 50%
in 2009, to about 1,050 pages,
according to Media Industry
Newsletter. That makes it one of
the hardest-hit magazines at
Condé Nast. Tonchi joined The
New York Times as style editor
for The New York Times
Magazine in 2003. He had
previously been a fashion and
creative director at Esquire and
the Condé Nast publications
Self and vL'Uomo Vogue.
Five Filters featured article:
Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
Term Extraction.
86 Economy/ E-reader News Edition
ISRAEL,
Europe.view: What's in a name? continued from page 83

favoured by Mr Obama’s team,

(The Economist: Daily enormous amount of diplomatic Delay means playing with fire: unlikely that the White House is
columns) of dumping them (and, by the
time and energy over the past 15 CTCBN is divided ethnically now buzzing with excited talk by, Mr Lieberman’s lot) and co-
Submitted at 3/25/2010 2:12:16 AM years. It has prevented CTCBN, and has weak national about this arcane dispute as its opting the more pragmatic
a small, poor country, from institutions. One of the things next big priority. Kadima party under Tzipi Livni.
Europe.view It is time for the joining NATO, and has blocked that keeps the country together The EU is a more hopeful After winning most seats in a
most tedious dispute in the the start of talks over its is the prospect of integration source of help. It is good at general election a year ago, she
Balkans to be settled membership of the European into international organisations, solving problems by being refused to join a coalition with
Mar 25th 2010 | From The Union. The details of the dispute chiefly the EU and NATO. boring. Faced with the prospect Mr Netanyahu partly because he
Economist online are so mind-bogglingly silly that CTCBN’s minority Albanian of a near-death experience in a would not negotiate over
IN THE headlines about they make the Polish-Lithuanian population has no dog in the meeting room in Brussels, Jerusalem. The world gangs up
Europe’s economic woes, one row over spelling seem serious. fight. But if the name dispute people often discover new on you
country stands out. Its public it is difficult to know what sort goes on long enough, they may possibilities for compromise. As if Mr Netanyahu had not
finances are a disaster. It has of adjective or other qualifier, in lose faith in CTCBN’s future as But the EU doesn’t want to get been discomfited enough by his
s y s t e m a t i c a l l y f i d d l e d i t s what language or languages, a country. Violence is not likely, involved. apparent dressing down from
s t a t i s t i c s . I t s o v e r p a i d , with or without a hyphen, in but is certainly possible. If it That’s a pity. Without getting Mr Obama, he faced yet another
underworked public-sector what documents and in what does break out, CTNH’s foot- into crude arm-twisting, it embarrassment when Britain’s
employees are a laughing stock contexts, would be enough to dragging will be largely to should be possible to suggest to foreign secretary, David
across Europe. Rigid labour and satisfy CTCBN's feeling of blame. CTNH that talks about the Miliband, publicly denounced
p r o d u c t m a r k e t s , a n d identity without prompting So a lot rests on the meeting of bailout might go faster if the Israel for forging 12 British
membership of the euro, have paranoia in CTNH. the two countries’ prime government showed a bit more citizens’ passports that were
imprisoned it in an economic- Neither side is blameless. ministers at an EU summit on flexibility. Sighs of relief would used in January in the
policy straitjacket. It urgently Politicians in CTCBN have March 25th. Matthew Nimetz, echo round the world. And the assassination of a senior Hamas
needs a big bail-out. Call it the p r o v o k e d t h e i r s o u t h e r n the American diplomat charged indefatigable internet man in a hotel in Dubai. An
“Country That Needs Help” neighbour. The controversial by the United Nations with propagandists insisting on either Israeli diplomat in London,
(CTNH). renaming of an airport and the mediating the issue, sees some unadorned Macedonia or Greece thought to be a member of
Its next-door neighbour in south erection of a prominent statue of signs of hope. (He deserves a -sanctioned FYROM would Mossad, the external
-eastern Europe is the “Country a historical figure claimed by Nobel prize for patience, if have to find something else to intelligence service, was asked
T h a t C a n ’ t B e N a m e d ” both sides are the main charges nothing else). do. Readers' comments to leave the country.
(CTCBN). The name it would (no kidding: this is Europe in What is missing is more The Economist welcomes your Palestinians have gleefully
like to have annoys CTNH, 2010 and people are getting muscular outside intervention. views. watched two of Israel’s main
which regards it as an implicit seriously cross about statues). America thought of getting Five Filters featured article: allies rebuking it. They have
territorial claim on its northern For its part, CTNH has been serious before the 2008 Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: rejoiced, too, as the
province with the same name. ridiculously obdurate: having Bucharest NATO summit, but PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, peacemaking Quartet (the
So the country is often called by said it would not let the name failed to push CTNH hard Term Extraction. United States, the European
a c u m b e r s o m e f i v e - l e t t e r issue stop CTCBN’s integration enough. Being realistic, even Union, Russia and the UN)
acronym. into Euroatlantic organisations, with health-care reform roundly condemned Israel’s
The dispute has consumed an it has done exactly that. successfully passed, it is building plans in East
Jerusalem. Earlier the EU’s
constitutional court had said that
Israeli products made in West

ISRAEL, page 87
E-reader News Edition
MORE
continued from page 84
• Rewarding Bad Banks:
Despite the helping families
rhetoric, it is not what these
mods are about. The various
foreclosure abatements,
mortgage mods and capital write
-downs are little more than a
game of kick the can down the
road. All of these programs are
part of a broad “Extend &
Pretend” mind set. They are an
extension of the FASB 157 rule
changes that allows banks to
hide their bad loans.
The entire set of proposals
canbe described as “ Whats
good for the banks is good for
America.” Only they are not.
The various foreclosure
programs are essentially a way
the banks don’t have to take
their write offs now. Avoid the
hangover, have another shot of
tequila, push the pain of into the
future, regardless of economic
cost.
Were the banks required to
report their mortgages
accurately and/or write them
down, they would be revealed as
insolvent.
~~~
Now we get to the ugly Truth:
The mortgage mods and
foreclosure abatement programs
are really all about propping up
insolvent banking institutions on
the taxpayer dollar and at the
expense of the middle class.
These programs are another
losing round of helping Wall
Street at the expense of Main
Street. It is the worst kind of
trickle down economics.
Herbert Spencer wrote, “ The
ultimate result of shielding men
from the effects of folly is to fill
the world with fools.” We have
done precisely that.
> http://economix.blogs.nytimes.c Four Palestinians have recently
Related:
It is time to stop punishing
prudence
John Plender
FT, March 24 2010 18
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/dacb
d320-376b-11df-9176-
00144feabdc0.html
Bank of America to Reduce
Mortgage Balances
DAVID STREITFELD and
LOUISE STORY
NYT March 24, 2010
87
ISRAEL,
continued from page 86
Bank settlements should not be for an Israeli assurance that
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/0 given EU preferential trade settlement-building in East
3/25/business/25housing.html tariffs. Jerusalem would cease while
Bank Launches Big Plan to Cut Mahmoud Abbas, the talks are under way, along with
Mortgage Debt Palestinian leader, echoed Mr an Israeli promise seriously to
JAMES R. HAGERTY And Obama’s demands for a negotiate borders and security
NICK TIMIRAOS settlement freeze in East straightaway. But Mr Abbas is
WSJ, March 25, 2010 Jerusalem, but he is wary of unlikely to risk re-embarking on
once again being left high and talks without the 22-country
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB dry if the Americans were to Arab League’s endorsement.
10001424052748703312504575 buckle over the issue, as they The league’s impending summit
141763259183050.html have done before. Moreover, he is to take place in Libya, whose
The Housing Crisis and the is nervous that the violence leader, Muammar Qaddafi, is
Resentment Zone between Palestinian protesters keen for Mr Abbas’s Islamist
CASEY B. MULLIGAN and Israeli security forces, that rival, Hamas, to attend—a sure
Economix March 24, 2010 has increased in the past few recipe for kiboshing a
weeks, may spin out of control. compromise plan to resume
talks. Readers' comments
om/2010/03/24/the-housing- been shot dead in the West The Economist welcomes your
c r i s i s - a n d - t h e - r e s e n t m e n t - Bank. So far Palestinian and views.
zone/#more-57981 Israeli forces have co-operated Five Filters featured article:
Five Filters featured article: rather effectively to contain the Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: unrest. Even so, Palestinian PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, leaders are worried that a wider Term Extraction.
Term Extraction. intifada(uprising) may erupt,
making it even harder to get
talks going again.
Some Palestinians might settle
88 Picture/ Media/
Welcome the National Archives UK to the
Commons!
Cris Stoddard (Flickr Blog)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 7:49:56 AM
Join us in welcoming the
National Archives UK as the
newest member of the
Commons on Flickr. Located in
Kew, in the west of London,
they are the UK government’s
official archive.
Holding over 900 years of
history, they bring a smattering
of images from parchment to
digital media. Churchill? Got
him! World War II archives?
Got them! Fun on the beach in
Around the Net In Media: Health-
Care Reform Advertising Outlives
Debate
(MediaPost | Media News)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 9:02:42 PM
The American Federation of
State, County and Municipal
Employees, which represents
more than 1.6 million union
workers, has begun airing ads in
the districts of 14 Democratic
members of Congress who
voted for health-care reform, but
whose seats may be at risk
because of that vote come
November. The campaign -- a
one-week, $1 million TV ad buy
Barbados? They’ve got it! Jane
Austen’s will? Yes!
The Commons on Flickr holds
the world’s public photography
archives that you can annotate
also backed by the group Health
Care for America Now -- is
titled "On Our Side." The ads
applaud the members of
Congress who were pro-reform
against what AFSCME calls
"the 2,049 health insurance
company lobbyists and the $86
million in misleading ads" that
were spent during the health-
care debate.
"We understand the courage it
has taken for these
Representatives to stand up to
the well-funded insurance
E-reader News Edition
RESEARCH
continued from page 88
the young Generation Y will
lead spending in the recovery.
When it comes to retirement
add the National Archives as a and savings, Boomers have lost
contact and make a few faves. the most, which means they now
T h e y w e l c o m e g e o t a g have very different spending
suggestions, too, which you can habits, according to Lisa Feigen
do by adding machine tags as Dugal, PricewaterhouseCoopers'
follows, if you know the U.S. retail and consumer
coordinates of where the images practice advisory leader. Now
were taken: it's the Gen X and Gen Y demos
geo:lat=1.2345 that have disposable income,
geo:lon=1.2345 and they spend very differently
Photos from the National and have different ways of
and access. These photos have seeking bargains.
Archives UK.
No Known Copyright
Five Filters featured article: Among Gen Y consumers
Restrictions.
Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: (those between 18 and 27 for
We hope you’ll tag them with
PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, RESEARCH page 89
information, comment on them,
Term Extraction.
Research Brief: GenX
and Millennials Driving
Recovery
industry and its allies and to (MediaPost | Media News) be driving the recovery.
stand up for everyday Submitted at 3/25/2010 6:15:26 AM And, the report notes, shoppers
Americans," AFSCME will be more deliberate and
President Gerald W. McEntee According to a new report from purposeful in their spending, as
said in a statement. "These PricewaterhouseCoopers and conspicuous consumption will
Representatives were there for Retail Forward, entitled The give way to more conscious or
us, and we're letting them know New Consumer Behavior p r a c t i c a l c o n s u m e r i s m .
that we'll be there for them." P a r a d i g m : P e r m a n e n t o r Rampant deal-seeking will be
Five Filters featured article: Fleeting?, for the first time in replaced by more purchase
Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: the last three recessions, it will selectivity and the use of
PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, not be Baby Boomers at the shopping techniques and tools
Term Extraction. heart of the economic recovery, discovered during the recession.
as the recession has taken a bite A d d i t i o n a l l y , t h e a f f l u e n t
of their savings and retirement segment of Generation X and
accounts. This time it is the Gen RESEARCH page 88
Xers and Millennials who will
E-reader News Edition
RESEARCH
continued from page 88
this report) just 25% say the
economy has significantly
changed their spending
behavior, while 36% of Gen
Xers say it has, and 37% of
Boomers say they have
significantly changed shopping
habits.
In the past two recessions, Baby
Boomers quickly led the
recovery. However, this group
has been hit hard by the
recession at a point in life when
their financial commitments
loom large and retirement is on
the horizon. Marketers will need
to look to the smaller Gen X
generation and large Gen Y
population to fuel growth in the
initial stages of the post-
recession recovery. Among Gen
X, one segment that will have a
meaningful positive impact on
spending is "up-market
affluents" given their life stage
needs and above-average
spending potential.
A higher proportion of Gen Y's
income is discretionary as a
result of fewer debts and a less-
urgent need to accumulate
wealth in the immediate term
relative to older shoppers.
Furthermore, as this generation
is accustomed to instant
gratification and demands the
latest gadgets, spending on
technology staples like MP3
players and smart phones will
remain a priority and create
unique opportunities for tech-
oriented retailers.
Feigen Dugal adds "... there
will not be a wholesale return to
previous shopping patterns and
behaviors. To succeed during
the recovery, (marketers) will
need to recognize that some
shopper segments will still be in
a 'recession' shopping mode... "
As shoppers' "wants" are
steadily reintroduced into the
equation, trading-down behavior
related to the choice of retailer,
product, or brand will lose some
traction in the recovery.
However, private label brands
will remain a significant factor
due to their increasingly higher
quality and low cost, since
retailers don't have to advertise
or promote them to the same
degree as national brands.
Findings included in study
indicate that one-fifth of
consumers will continue to
forgo buying items that seem
too expensive, resulting in a
contraction for the luxury and
gourmet foods markets. The
emergence of a more thoughtful
approach to spending on luxury
and non-discretionary goods
means shoppers will place a
premium on goods that have
qualities of timeliness,
usefulness, and versatility.
Mary Brett Whitfield, senior
vice president at Kantar Retail,
concludes that "... retailers and
suppliers can take advantage of
this "frugal fatigue" and offer
affordable do-it-yourself
alternatives to pricier products...
(shoppers) remain cognizant of
today's economic realities and
need to balance that with
personal desires... "
For the complete report from
PriceWaterhouseCoopers,
please visit them here
Five Filters featured article:
Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
Term Extraction.
Finance/ 89
Get More Time to Claim
the Home Buyer Credit
(Kiplinger Personal Finance) have to rush to sign a contract
before April 15. And you’ll
Time is running out to buy a have until October 15 to file
home and still qualify for either your return and claim the credit.
of the home buyer tax credits. File Form 4868 to request an
Time also is running out to file e x t e n s i o n . E v e n w i t h a n
your tax return to claim the extension, taxpayers could file
credit. To complicate matters, electronically and receive their
the tax-filing deadline precedes refund in as few as ten days with
the deadline for signing a direct deposit, according to the
contract on a new home to IRS.
qualify for the credit. If you’ve already filed your
To qualify for the $8,000 first- return but sign a contract on a
time home buyer credit or new home by April 30, be sure
$6,500 credit for longtime to file an amended return to
homeowners who buy a new claim the credit.
home, you must sign a binding For more information about
contract by April 30, 2010, and qualifying for the credits, see
close on the property by June FAQs on the New Home Buyer
30, 2010. As I’m sure you Tax Credits.
know, the tax-filing deadline is Five Filters featured article:
April 15. Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
What to do? Ask the IRS for a PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
six-month extension to file your Term Extraction.
2009 tax return. Then you won’t
90 E-reader News/ Energy/ E-reader News Edition

AT&T connects everything to its Green Agriculture—The

network (CNET) Next Hot Investment
(Yahoo! News Search Results
for e-readers)
the emerging device business.
The company is now branching
out and offering wireless
computing tablets to its network,
such as the upcoming Apple
iPad, which can connect to
Sector?
Submitted at 3/24/2010 7:03:16 PM
info@greentechmedia.com invest in a field they know
connectivity to a slew of AT&T's 3G wireless as well as (Greentech Media: Headlines)
LAS VEGAS--First it was e- products. This week AT&T the new OpenPeak tablet nothing about, and totally jam it
readers and Netbooks. Now announced a pet tracking collar computing device, which Lurie Submitted at 3/25/2010 4:00:19 AM up.
AT&T wants to connect dog that allows dog owners to locate said was "game-changing." That being said, and now that
collars and pill caps to its their lost dogs. VCs investing in agriculture? I've gotten that last bit of
Today, the emerging device
wireless network. A surprising number of Silicon snarkiness out of my system --
"There are 25 million people business doesn't contribute
AT&T's Glenn Lurie, who who say they treat their dog as Valley investors and bankers there are more than a few
much revenue to AT&T. And
h e a d s u p t h e c o m p a n y ' s well as their children," he said. gathered in the bucolic confines venture firms with experience in
service margins are low. But
emerging devices business, sees "I'm not one of them, but the of the Four Seasons Hotel off of these specialized fields and a
Ralph de la Vega, AT&T
a world in which any device can right type of product with the Highway 101 in Palo Alto, few investment professionals
Mobility's CEO and president,
be connected over AT&T's right business model is out there California to attend the with applicable domain
said that the company is taking a
wireless network. And for to develop a product for this Agriculture 2.0 Silicon Valley experience. And certainly,
long-term view when it comes
almost two years, he has been market." Event. I would hazard to say many of the investors speaking
to the business. And he predicts
working to get as many devices Indeed, there are countless that the closest many of these today have their heart in the
that emerging devices will
signed up on the AT&T network other gadgets that could be folks have gotten to agriculture right place. It was the first time
contribute $1 billion in revenue
as possible. and soil is the Whole Foods I heard pro-vegetarian views
"connected" to AT&T's wireless annually to AT&T in about five
The business is just beginning, network, including the top of a produce aisle or perhaps a and tales of yoga practices on a
years.
but at the end of 2009, AT&T pill container that senses when vineyard. (I actually had a brief VC panel.
"This is a long-range bet," he
reported it already had one s o m e o n e h a s t a k e n t h e i r but wildly successful stint as a Panelist and Kleiner Perkins
said. "In the short term it's not
million devices that were not medicine. Using the wireless commercial organic farmer, but partner Amol Deshpande
that significant to the financials.
cell phones connected to its network, it can alert people if that's another story.) actually worked for Cargill at an
But we look at this on a five-
network. It's a testament to the power of indoor tilapia aquaculture firm
they've forgotten to take their year horizion and it will
Initially, these devices were medication or it can inform a the greentech meme that more as well as at a company
contribute a billion dollars in
mostly Netbooks, e-readers, concerned doctor or family than 250 Silicon Valley types exploring garlic germplasm
revenue, which can be
digital picture frames, and GSM member, Lurie said. came out to learn about growth. He believes that there
significant even to a company
navigation devices. sustainable farming, water, is an investment opportunity in
Other devices that AT&T has the size of AT&T."
"Netbooks and e-readers are the announced, include cargo pallets GMOs, seeds and biodiversity. the agriculture space, but it is
Five Filters featured article:
low-hanging fruit," Lurie said used to track shipped containers In the audience were investors "painful and difficult to scale."
Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
during an event at the CTIA and a low-cost 3G gaming from Mohr Davidow, Greylock, Since coming to Kleiner Perkins
PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
trade show here this week, device. AT&T is also still Kleiner Perkins, USVP, he's been involved in two deals
Term Extraction.
where he provided an update on adding new Netbooks and Redpoint, Rockport, Khosla that are "notionally affiliated"
Ventures, DFJ, Foundation with sustainable agriculture --
Capital and many more. organic waste treatment by
It's possible that VCs can do for Harvest Power and APT which
agriculture what they've done is focused on water issues that
for online dog food delivery, are largely caused by
grocery delivery, and GREEN page 91
gyroscopic scooters. That is,
E-reader News Edition
GREEN
continued from page 90
agriculture. Deshpande
describes himself as "very
interested in this space."
Certainly the markets are huge.
Agriculture accounts for 4
percent of the California
economy according to Tom
Tomich of UC Davis'
Agricultural Sustainability
Institute(agriculture also
accounts for 8 percent of
California energy use, 20
percent of California's land area
and more than 40 percent of the
state's fresh water use). Tomich
also said, "The idea of the dumb
farmer is truly a myth -- don't
make that mistake," and,
"Agricultural innovation
responds to market forces."
Despite the size of the market,
the big question for investors is:
Are VC growth expectations
and scaling requirements even
feasible in the admittedly huge
agricultural markets? Limited
partners in VC firms aren't
going to lower their
expectations in order to invest in
farms simply because it's the
right thing to do. The hope is
just as greentech became
mainstream, so can green ag.
According to KP's Deshpande,
"At KP we try to be creative,
asking how can we change that
industry." Along those lines, he
mentioned in vitro meat
production. (See this article in
Beef Magazine and check out
the work of Jason Metheny.)
Other investors with a green
agriculture focus include Stu
Rudick of Mindful Investors.
Mindful invests exclusively in
the natural, organic and
sustainable consumer products
and services marketplace. One
of their portfolio firms, Organic
Girl, sells organic greens and
vegetables and had $150 million
in sales in their second year of
business.
And Jim Schultz of Illinois-
based Open Prairie Ventures is
also focused on agriculture with
offices actually located in the
middle of farmlands. One of
their portfolio firms, Vestaron,
is developing green pesticides
based on spider venom.
Issues that can be addressed by
green ag investors include
water, nitrogen, phosphorous,
synthetic fertilizer, local foods,
aquaculture, pests, and the move
towards organics.
Here is a small crop of
examples of green ag companies
that presented or exhibited at
Agriculture 2.0:
AeroFarm Systems: Calling
themselves "The Future of
Urban Agriculture," AeroFarm
is developing aeroponic
technology for growers of "leafy
greens" in the $4 billion bag
salad market. The design of
their farming systems uses no
soil, a minimum of fertilizers
and water, and can be stacked to
maximize space. The company
envisions using buildings in
NYC to grows salad greens with
enormous yields using LED-
based lighting. The firm is pre-
revenue, has raised $500,000
from The Quercus Trust and
21Ventures and is seeking a $5
million Round A.
Inka Biospheric Systems:
Vertical food growing systems
and "micro-farms" that support
hydroponics -- suitable for
urban gardens.
Local Dirt: An early-stage firm
that matches producers of
locally grown food with buyers.
Marrone Bio Innovations:
Environmentally responsible pro
ducts for weed, plant disease
and invasive pest management.
Marrone uses naturally
occurring microorganisms for
Integrated Pest Management --
insecticides, herbicides and
products for controlling invasive
mussels in waterways.
Open Blue Sea Farms: Open
ocean, caged "free-range" fish
farmers. Open Blue’s initial
species is Cobia, a sashimi-
grade, marine white fish,
targeted for the gourmet seafood
market, the upper 20% of the
seafood industry in the U.S.
Pasteuria Bioscience:
Nematodes, also known as
roundworms, are the most
numerous multicellular animals
on earth and many of them are
parasitic on human agricultural
products such as turfgrass and
strawberries. Chemical control
of nematodes is a multi-billion
dollar business and Pasteuria
Bioscience has developed a
cultivation method for naturally
occurring soil bacteria that
specifically attack plant-
parasitic nematodes.
PurFresh: 20 percent to 40
percent of fresh food is lost to
over-ripening or decay.
PurFresh has a family of
products that spans the food
supply chain in pre-harvest, post
-harvest, transportation and
retail to address this issue.
Their transport product "snaps"
into marine containers and kills
mold, bacteria, viruses as well
as eliminates ethylene, which
accelerates ripening. The unit
also measures atmospheric and
physical conditions of the food
environment, such as door
breach, CO2, and O2, and
communicates this information
via satellite. The firm has 500
customers and 41 direct
employees. They just closed a
$10 million Round D. Earlier
this month, they made our Top
50 Startups list.
Solum: Solum makes a field-
deployable measurement tool
that gives immediate answers
on soil nutrient needs. Fertilizer
amounts to 40 to 50 percent of
91
the operating expense for corn
but it is currently applied in an
inefficient manner based on
average values rather than per-
acre needs. Solum allows
farmers to apply fertilizer in the
right amount, at the right place,
at the right time.
Verdant Earth Technologies:
Developed at the University of
Arizona, Verdant’s system is a
controlled-environment high-
yield agriculture process that
will allow crops to be grown
anywhere, with no soil and
little water, in shipping-type
containers that provide a
growing environment for a
variety of foods. The system can
produce up to many times more
food per square foot than
conventional farming methods.
***
There was an immense amount
of innovation and
entrepreneurship at this event.
Still, it remains to be seen if this
sector will capture the
imagination and the wallets of
Silicon Valley investors.
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92 Energy/
Two More Car Companies To Buy EnerDel
Batteries
info@greentechmedia.com
(Greentech Media: Headlines)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 11:45:36 AM
The little battery company that
could has two more car
customers on the way.
EnerDel, which specializes in
lithium ion batteries for cars,
"has two more OEMs (original
equipment manufacturers) in the
hopper" in the auto industry,
says CEO Charles
Gassenheimer, who swung
through our offices today.
The company is already
producing batteries for Think,
the Norwegian car
manufacturer, and has signed a
deal to produce batteries for
Volvo's electric cars.
One of those new customers
could be Mazda, which has
adopted EnerDel batteries for
some experimental cars.
Think is currently
manufacturing five cars a day.
"By the end of the year we
expect to be at a run rate of 60
cars a day, which is 900 cars a
month," he said. Think has a
few thousand on its waiting list.
Volvo plans to produce 1,000
electric cars a year starting in
early 2011 and may bring out
more models of electric cars.
The company earlier had a
contract to produce batteries for
the Karma coming from Fisker
Automotive. Fisker switched to
adopt batteries from A123
Systems, which also invested
$23 million in Fisker. Fisker at
the time needed an injection of
investment, said Gassenheimer,
and EnerDel had its
commitments to Think.
We will be posting a video later
of our talk with Gassenheimer,
but here are some other
highlights:
--EnerDel currently produces
battery packs for cars at less
than $700 a kilowatt hour. The
industry average, roughly, is
closer to$900 per kilowatt hour,
according to sources.
--The Department of Energy has
a goal of driving down the price
to $500 a kilowatt hour and
$250 a kilowatt hour. The first
goal will be hit. The second one
will be tough.
"I don't see a path to $300 a
kilowatt hour," he said.
--The supply of batteries could
be tight. Even if you bought
every lithium ion battery in the
world and stuck it into electric
cars, you'd only have enough
batteries for 250,000 cars, he
said. In a way, though, that's
good news for battery
manufacturers because it
reduces the potential risks in
building new factories.
"It is not going to be that
challenging to soak up the
capacity that exists," he said.
EnerDel is taking a modular
approach to factory capacity. It
is currently building out a
factory capable of churning out
15,000 battery packs a year.
That factory will take the
company to being cash flow
positive. It will then build up to
a 60,000 and then a 100,000
pack a year capacity.
--The company has already
begun to draw on the grants it
won under the American
Recovery and Reinvestment
Act. It has also landed $70
million in grants from the state
of Indiana and has applied for
DOE loans.
If you didn't pick EnerDel as
one of the emerging lithium ion
battery makers in the U.S. a few
years ago, don't feel bad. The
company did not receive the
lavish amounts of VC funds like
Boston-Power or A123 Systems
did. Like others, it also had to
whistle past the graveyard in
2009.
"Twelve months ago things
were pretty dark," he said.
"Think was in Chapter 11 in
Norway."
Although based in the Midwest,
EnerDel is something of an
international affair. The
company's basic technology was
coined by Peter Novak, a
scientist and former member of
the Russian Academy of
Sciences. The batteries also rely
on technology from Japan and
packaging know-how from
Delphi.
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Home Energy:
Sungevity Guarantees
Solar Savings and Big
Boxes Go Green
info@greentechmedia.com
(Greentech Media: Headlines)
Submitted at 3/24/2010 3:44:12 PM
You will save money, orders
Danny Kennedy, founder of
Sungevity.
U.S. Bank will provide the
funds for Sungevity's leasing
program, Kennedy said in an
interview. The bank is also the
financial arm for the leasing
programs offered by SunRun
and Solar City. Sungevity,
though, says it will one-up the
other two competitors with more
competitive terms.
First, the term of the lease is
only ten years, versus 15 to 18
years. After the ten-year period
is up, consumers can extend
their leases under the same
terms or upgrade their solar
systems.
Second, Sungevity will
guarantee that customers save
money. "More than 60 percent
of customers will be cash-flow
positive or neutral from day
one," he said. For the remaining
40 percent, Sungevity will
provide cash rebates ranging up
to $800 for a limited time.
Sungevity will also give
customers payments between
the time from when the
customer signs the contract and
the solar panels begin to
HOME page 93
E-reader News Edition Energy/ Finance/ 93
HOME
Cisco Invests in Grid Net continued from page 92

generate energy. If an begun.

info@greentechmedia.com Grid Net is whether or not CEO John "Are You Ready?"
(Greentech Media: Headlines) installation is delayed two Select Lowe's outlets have
utilities really need this kind of Chambers. The full strategy got months, for instance, and the begun to offer retrofit services
Submitted at 3/24/2010 10:19:19 PM bandwidth. Smart homes will fleshed out in January 2009 with solar panels would have saved in conjunction with Recurve.
send persistent amounts of data, the release of EnergyWise, a $60 a month, Sungevity cuts a Lowe's performs the retrofits,
Cisco has made an equity but in relatively low amounts software layer designed to curb check for $120. but uses Recurve's software to
investment for an undisclosed compared to that used by power consumption in PCs, Business, he added, is plan and conduct the audit.
amount in Grid Net, a move that computers. Rival Silver Spring networking equipment, phones accelerating. Sungevity will Late last year, Lowe's also
will give a boost to both in the Networks has been winning and eventually buildings. After install 330 kilowatts this month. began to sell the all-in-one solar
grid. contracts in the U.S. by selling that, the compulsive shopping The company currently focuses panels from Akeena Solar and
Grid Net wants to build mesh networking equipment. spree was only a matter of time. on the California market. followed it up with a deal in mid
broadband networks to connect Grid Net, by contrast, has Cisco has already bought one Sungevity came to prominence -March in which Akeena will
utilities and their customers. argued that the flow of data will outfit in building energy with an application that allows serve as an installer for Lowe's.
R i g h t n o w , t h e c o m p a n y increase, so utilities should build management. Some of its installers to conduct solar Meanwhile, 92 Home Depot
primarily makes equipment and their networks in anticipation of partners in this effort include estimates over the internet. outlets in northern California
other technology based around needing more bandwidth. Last Verdiem and GridPoint. Online estimates eliminate the will begin to sell solar panels
W i M a x , t h e l o n g - r a n g e year, the company signed a deal Conceivably, the technologies need for the in-home visit and and installation services in
broadband protocol originally with Australian utility SP from the two companies will can cut the cost of a solar conjunction with Solar City
seen as a successor to Wi-Fi. AusNet. The utility plans to complement each other. system by 5 percent or more. starting April 2.
Grid Net, however, also has use the next-generation wireless Another common trait: both Sungevity will handle the Five Filters featured article:
plans to adopt high-speed technology to link about companies despise Silver financing and sales process, but Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools:
cellular networks. 680,000 household customers Spring. At least that will give it outsources installation. PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS,
Other investors include Intel, with smart meters. Recently, it them something to talk about Meanwhile, in the past few Term Extraction.
one of the early and persistent hired Andres Carvallo, one of during strategy meetings. weeks, the long predicted shift
promoters of WiMax, and the more prominent smart grid Five Filters featured article: of big box retailers and home
G e n e r a l E l e c t r i c . G e n e r a l execs in the U.S., from Austin Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: builders into the growing market
E l e c t r i c a l s o l i c e n s e s t h e Energy. PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, for energy efficiency services
company's technology for some Cisco began to actively pursue Term Extraction. and renewable energy has
of its meters. the green market in 2007 with a
The big debate surrounding set of rousing speeches from

Health Care Overhaul: What Happens When

(Kiplinger Personal Finance)
The 2,400-page health care bill
will gradually take effect over
the next eight years, with many
of the more popular provisions
kicking in now, and more of the
costs coming later. Here is a
year-by-year rundown of what
happens when:
In 2010:
• Provides tax credits to small
employers with no more than 25
workers and average annual
wages of less than $50,000 if
they purchase health insurance
for employees.
• Creates a temporary
reinsurance program for
employers that provide health
insurance coverage to retirees
over age 55 who are not eligible
for Medicare. Effective 90 days
after the bill’s signing.
• Establishes a temporary
national high-risk pool to
provide health coverage to
individuals with preexisting
medical conditions. Effective
within 90 days of enactment.
• Requires that all individual
and group policies offer
dependent coverage for children
up to age 26.
• Provides a $250 rebate to
Medicare beneficiaries who
reach the Part D coverage gap in
2010.
• Prohibits individual and group
health plans from placing
lifetime limits on the dollar
value of coverage; prior to 2014,
plans may only impose annual
limits on coverage as
determined by the Secretary of
Health & Human Services.
Prohibits insurers from
rescinding coverage except in
cases of fraud and prohibits
preexisting condition exclusions
for kids.
• Requires qualified health plans
HEALTH page 95
94 Finance/
Health Care Reform: What It Means for Retirees
(Kiplinger Personal Finance)
President Obama has signed the
landmark health-care overhaul
legislation into law, and the
Senate is taking up a bill with
proposed changes. Here are key
provisions that could affect you.
Medicare. The Part D
prescription-drug doughnut hole
will be gradually reduced by
2020. Seniors who reach the
doughnut hole in 2010 will
receive a $250 rebate. Starting
in 2011, drug companies will be
required to provide a 50%
discount on brand-name drugs
bought in the coverage gap. The
federal subsidy for Part D
premiums will be reduced for
higher-income beneficiaries.
Cost sharing for preventive-care
services is eliminated.
A new advisory board would
submit recommendations to
Congress to reduce the rate of
growth in Medicare spending.
The board is not allowed to
submit proposals that would
ration care or change benefits.
More Medicare beneficiaries
could be snared by the Part B
premium surcharge for high-
income seniors. The law freezes
the income thresholds for
income-related Part B premiums
from 2011 to 2019.
Medicare Advantage plans.
Studies have found that
Advantage plans cost the
government 14% more on
average than traditional
Medicare. To get costs more in
line with traditional Medicare,
the new law freezes federal
payments to private Medicare
Advantage plans at 2010 levels.
These plans will be required to
spend at least 85% of their
revenues on patient care. Plans
that prove they provide high-
quality efficient care will get
rebates from the government.
New taxes. The law would raise
the Medicare payroll tax by an
additional 0.9% (to 2.35%, from
the current 1.45%) on earned
income above $200,000 for
individuals and $250,000 for
joint filers. It would also impose
a Medicare tax of 3.8% on
investment income, such as
dividends and interest, for
individuals with adjusted gross
income above $200,000 and
joint filers with AGI above
$250,000. These taxes will go
into effect in 2013. Distributions
from pensions, IRAs, 401(k)s
and other qualified retirement
plans will be exempt. Self-
employed people will have to
pay the additional tax.
Medical tax deductions.
Beginning in the 2013 tax year,
the threshold for the itemized
medical deduction rises to 10%
of AGI, from the current 7.5%.
Individuals age 65 and older,
and their spouses, would be
exempt for the tax years 2013
through 2016.
Early retirees and self-
employed. For most workers
who receive employer-
sponsored coverage, the new
law is not likely to have much
impact. But the law provides a
number of protections for those
who need to buy insurance in
the individual market. Six
months after enactment, health
insurers cannot place lifetime
limits on the value of coverage
or revoke existing coverage.
Starting in 2014, insurers must
accept all applicants, including
anyone with preexisting medical
conditions.
Until then, individuals with
preexisting conditions who have
been uninsured for more than
six months will be eligible to
enroll in a national high-risk
pool and receive subsidized
premiums. Cost sharing will be
capped at $5,950 for individuals
and $11,900 for families. This
could be especially helpful to
early retirees in Arizona and
Nevada, which do not have state
high-risk pools. It could also
help Floridians, because
Florida's is not open to new
enrollees.
Exchanges and coverage
subsidies. Nearly everyone
would be required to buy
coverage, or pay a penalty.
Early retirees, the self-employed
and others without insurance
would be able to purchase
coverage through state-based
exchanges. Tax credits would be
available to individuals and
families with income between
133% and 400% of the poverty
level (that's $19,378 to $58,280
for a couple).
Private insurance companies
could sell policies through the
exchanges. Buyers would
choose among four benefit
categories.
Retiree health plans. If you are
55 or older and receive retiree
health benefits from your
employer, you could benefit
from a government reinsurance
program. The program will
E-reader News Edition
reimburse employers or insurers
for 80% of retiree claims
between $15,000 and $90,000.
Payments from the reinsurance
program will be used to lower
the costs for enrollees in the
employer plan. The program
will end on January 1, 2014. It
will not reimburse costs for
retirees who are eligible for
Medicare.
Long-term care. In 2011,
workers can enroll in a national
insurance program to cover non-
medical services in case of
disability. After a five-year
vesting period, the Community
Living Assistance Services and
Supports program will provide
individuals who become
disabled with a benefit of about
$50 a day. The program will be
financed with voluntary payroll
deductions.
For more authoritative guidance
on retirement investing, slashing
taxes and getting the best health
care, click here for a FREE
sample issue of Kiplinger’s
Retirement Report.
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Investors Are Missing the Bull Market
(Kiplinger Personal Finance)
Suppose they gave a bull
market and nobody came? That
pretty much sums up the
response of individual investors
to the past year’s run-up in share
prices. Left stunned and
frightened by the preceding
collapse of share prices,
individual investors have
lightened up on stock funds and
shoveled money into bond
funds.
Those who exited stocks have
missed a breathtaking rally.
Standard & Poor’s 500-stock
index returned 50% over the
past 12 months through March
18. During the same period, the
MSCI EAFE index of developed
-market foreign stocks galloped
61%, the Russell 2000 index of
small companies soared 66%,
and the MSCI Emerging
Markets index surged 89%. It
doesn’t get much better than
that.
But fear of more losses has
been a more potent
consideration for most investors.
The Leuthold Group, a
Minneapolis-based research
firm, computes that from the
start of 2009 through March 10,
2010, investors, in aggregate,
sold $6 billion in stock funds
and purchased $446 billion in
bond funds. Only in the past few
weeks, as major averages have
continued to rise, have stock
funds finally begun to see net
inflows (meaning more cash has
been coming in than going out).
To be sure, many investors
have simply stood still during
the bull market, which
celebrated its first birthday on
March 9. A total of $4.8 trillion
is invested in stock mutual
funds. But, as a group, investors
have been selling, not buying,
during one of the most powerful
rallies in history.
What’s more, investors rushing
into bond funds may well hit a
buzz saw. By keeping short-
term rates near zero and
pumping money into the
nation’s moribund economy, the
Federal Reserve may be
planting the seeds of a
significant jump in inflation at
some point in the future. When
that happens, bond yields are
likely to rise, pushing down
bond prices.
When it comes to making
decisions about mutual funds,
bad choices are standard
operating procedure. Whether
due to poor timing, poor fund
selection or both, the average
investor tends to earn a good
deal less in the stock market
than the reported returns of
funds would indicate.
How can that be? An example
will help. Suppose you have a
fund with $100 million in assets.
Over a 12-month period, it gains
40%, so its asset base climbs to
$140 million. The fund garners
a ton of positive media
attention, investors rush to buy,
and assets climb to $500
million. But in the ensuing year,
the fund loses 28.6%. The fund
itself has broken even at the end
of the two years. But far more
investors have lost money than
have made money.
That, in a nutshell, is what
happens in the real world.
Morningstar figures that over
the ten-year period through the
end of 2009, the average mutual
fund returned an annualized
3.2%. But the average dollar
invested in mutual funds earned
an annualized 1.7%. U.S. stock
funds returned an annualized
1.6% over this period. But
investors, on average, earned an
annualized 0.2% -- an average
of 1.4 percentage points per year
less. Foreign stock funds
returned an annualized 3.2%;
investors earned an annualized
2.6%, or 0.6 point per year less.
The bottom line: Investors
don’t do as well as mutual funds
by roughly 0.5 to 1 percentage
point per year. And, as we
know, over long periods two-
thirds of actively managed
mutual funds fail to match the
returns of the index they’re
trying to beat. Combine the two
factors, and investors are
earning a whole lot less than
what the market offers (see Why
Your Results Stink).
How to improve your returns
Do you see yourself in this
picture? We all make investing
mistakes. Even Warren Buffett,
in his annual reports, spends a
lot of time discussing the
mistakes he made over the
previous year. But, over time, he
has made far more smart moves
than dumb ones.
How can you invest more like
Buffett and less like the average
investor? He gives one
important clue: Analyze your
mistakes. Try to figure out what
went wrong and why so that you
can, perhaps, avoid making the
same error again. (See Learn
From the World's Great
Investors.)
A good deal of investing is
common sense. Keep your costs
low, invest small amounts
regularly, shun investments you
don’t understand. For more
ideas, see our Investor
Psychology special report and 5
Lessons From the Crash -- and
Recovery. Unless you plan to
spend serious time on investing,
stick to a portfolio of index
funds, such as the one provided
in Don't Abandon Stocks.
Perhaps most important, don’t
try to time the market’s short-
term moves. No one can, as the
numbers in this article so sadly
illustrate. Steven T. Goldberg is
an investment adviser in the
Washington, D.C., area.
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Finance/ 95
HEALTH
continued from page 93
to provide, at a minimum,
coverage without cost sharing
for preventive services rated A
or B by the U.S. Preventive
Services Task Force,
recommended immunizations,
preventive care for infants,
children and adolescents and
additional preventive care.
In 2011:
• Requires employers to disclose
the value of health benefits on
workers’ W-2 IRS forms.
• Provides free preventive
services to Medicare
beneficiaries, such as screenings
for colon, prostate and breast
cancer.
• Sharply cuts government
payments to Medicare
Advantage, the private plan part
of Medicare.
• Provides a 10% Medicare
bonus to primary care doctors
and general surgeons practicing
in areas with shortages.
• Offers grants for up to five
years to small employers that
establish wellness programs.
• Creates a national, voluntary
long-term care insurance
program to help seniors buy
services so they can continue to
live in their community rather
than a nursing home.
• Sets up a five-year
demonstration program with
grants to states to study
alternatives to malpractice
litigation.
• Requires chain restaurants and
HEALTH page 96
96
HEALTH
continued from page 95
vending machines to disclose
the nutritional content of each
food item available for sale.
• Bars Health Savings Accounts,
Flexible Spending
Arrangements and Health
Reimbursement Arrangements
from reimbursing participants
for over-the-counter drugs
unless they have a prescription
from their physician.
• Doubles (to 20%) the tax on
distributions from an HSA that
is not used for qualified medical
expenses.
• Provides Medicare Part D
beneficiaries who reach the
“doughnut hole” a 50% discount
on brand-name drugs.
• Imposes an annual fee on drug
companies based on market
share.
In 2013:
• Eliminates the deduction that
employers now take for
providing Medicare Part D Rx
drug coverage to their retirees.
• Increases the threshold, from
7.5% to 10% of adjusted gross
income, above which medical
expenses can be itemized on
Schedule A of the annual
income tax form. Taxpayers age
65 and older will be exempt
from this change through 2016.
• Limits contributions to an FSA
for medical expenses to $2,500
per year, increased annually by
the cost of living adjustment.
• Raises the Medicare Part A
(hospital insurance) tax rate on
wages by 0.9% on earnings over
$200,000 for individual
taxpayers and $250,000 for
married couples filing jointly.
There also would be a 2.9%
assessment on unearned income
for higher-income taxpayers.
• Imposes an excise tax on the
sale of medical devices, except
for items purchased at the retail
level by the public.
In 2014:
• Mandates that all U.S. citizens
and legal residents have health
insurance. There would be a
phased-in tax penalty for those
without coverage, starting at the
greater of $95 or 1% of income,
in 2014, and rising to the greater
of $695 or 2.5% of income in
2016.
• Mandates the start of
operations for state-based
Health Insurance Exchanges to
serve as a marketplace in which
individuals and small businesses
can buy health insurance.
• Imposes fines on employers
with 50 or more workers that do
not offer coverage. The fine will
equal $2,000 per worker,
although the first 30 workers
would not be counted.
• Limits any waiting period for
coverage to 90 days.
• Provides a refundable tax
credit to help low-income folks
buy coverage. To be eligible, a
person’s household income must
be between 100% and 400% of
the federal poverty level,
generally around $11,000 to
$44,000 for singles and $22,000
to $88,000 for families.
• Expands Medicaid to all
individuals under age 65 with
incomes up to 133% of the
poverty level.
• Allows employers to offer
employees rewards of up to 30%
of the cost of coverage (possibly
increasing to 50%) for
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participating in a wellness
program and meeting certain
health related standards.
• Establishes an Independent
Payment Advisory Board made
up of 15 members to submit
recommendations to Congress to
reduce the growth of Medicare
spending if spending exceeds a
target growth rate.
• Requires that health insurance
companies start paying fees to
the government based on market
share.
In 2018:
• Imposes an excise tax on high-
cost health plans, defined as
those providing coverage in
excess of $10,200 for
individuals and $27,500 for
families. For weekly updates on
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