transducer bemused: December 2011

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Can Apple survive without Steve Jobs? A friend e-mailed me recently, complaining about his new iPhone 4S. He'd been trying to set up a shared calendar with his wife and ended up so confused he had to consult the product manual. 'I've never had to do that w

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This weekend's MacUpdate Promo offers 30% off Defense Grid: The Awakening 1.0.3, the "definitive Defense Strategy game that's easy to pick up, engrossing to play, and hard to set down. Strategically place your towers on the map to prevent alien enemies from stealing your power cores."

Will 2012 be better for Apple than 2011? Cast your vote in "Today's Poll..." in the left column below or go straight to the results here.

Friday Highlights: Jony Ive is now Sir Jonathan Ive!; Apple searching for renewal following Steve Jobs' passing, says Financial Times' Chris Nuttall, expressing concern that the company has lacked innovation over the past 12 months; similar sentiments expressed by Timothy Taylor who asks "can the brand's core attributes be protected without [Jobs]?"; Macworld's Dan Moren is a bit more optimistic expecting 2012 to look "smart, savvy, and, above all, successful"; Android is the hare, iOS the tortoise; Investanomics details how they think Apple's "iTV" will revolutionize the TV industry; in the war of patents, are the "spoils of war" likely to "outweigh the casualties"; Apple reseller in France filing suit against Apple over unfair competition; Kirkville on how to make a personal "dropbox" but using iCloud; while The Next Web reviews Insync, a Dropbox alternative; New York Times Q&A on how to keep your Safari reading list in sync between your iDevices, Macs, and Windows; The Lamp finds a pretty cool car decal: OS X Dock for your back window; Wired's biggest stories of 2011: Oct 5, Steve Jobs dies; Macworld UK's top stories of 2011 feature iPhone 5?more top stories of 2011 in our General Interest section; Wired goes inside SRI's R&D, from which came Siri; WSJ article on how churches are using custom apps for their congregants, and the Catholic confession app a "surprising success"; new Apple Store coming to Masonville Place Mall in London, ON; from the bizarre files, a 12 year old boy told by Siri to shut up; fake Apple Store in Kunming China changes name again; cool 1983 Apple phone prototype had touch-screen interface; new IGZO panels to be used in Apple products, Jack Purcher details the patent.

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Welcome to MacSurfer's Headline News! Is this the headline you are looking for?	Fri Dec 30
"Can Apple survive without Steve Jobs? A friend e-mailed me recently, complaining about his new iPhone 4S. He'd been trying to set up a shared calendar with his wife and ended up so confused he had to consult the product manual. 'I've never had to do that with an Apple product before,' he wrote."" The Globe and Mail	11:01 AM





"Apple Mojo Shows No Signs of Slowing"?CNBC?7:04 PM
"Apple's 2012 Will Be Awesome, It Has No Other Choice"?Forbes?8:43 PM


"2011 in review: Apple's financial performance"?Macworld?8:43 PM
"Apple and the year ahead"?Macworld?11:11 AM
"Apple's Terrific And Tumultuous 2011"?TechCrunch?9:42 PM

"Samsung still dominates mobile phone market, but Apple is gaining"?CNET News?8:16 AM


"Federal Circuit ordered Apple to correct appeal against denial of preliminary injunction against Samsung"?Foss Patents?4:40 PM
"Apple to appeal Italian warranty fine: Apple will appeal against the fine imposed by the Italian regulator for failing to respect the legal warranty requirements, and (astonishingly) we know this because Apple told us."?The Register?7:38 AM
"France Reseller Files Complaint: Unfair Competition"?ifoAppleStore?7:52 AM
"French reseller sues Apple, claiming unfair competition"?MacNN?7:52 AM

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"Tech 2011: Biggest News Stories of the Year" ["Oct. 5: Steve Jobs Dies The timing was eerie. And, in a poignant twist of fate, it showed that Steve Jobs completed his life as he comported his life: as a consummate showman."]?Wired?11:21 AM
"2011"s top stories: iPhone 5/iPhone 5 has been a hot topic of 2011, what with lost prototypes, leaked specifications and the iPhone 4S debacle"?Macworld UK?7:54 AM
"Looking back at 2011: iPhone 4S and Galaxy Nexus cap off the year of the smartphone"?BGR?11:02 AM
"Enterprise Mobility: Apple's 2011 Saw New iPhone, iPad, Mac OS X, Steve Jobs' Death" [Slideshow]?eWeek?11:02 AM
"New Year Honours for Corbett, Bonham Carter and golf champions" ["Apple's Jonathan Ive, the designer behind the iPod and iPhone is made a Knight Commander (KBE). Now living in the US, the East London-born 44-year-old began working for the company in 1992. He said: 'I am keenly aware that I benefit from a wonderful tradition in the UK of designing and making. 'To be recognised with this honour is absolutely thrilling and I am both humbled and sincerely grateful.'"]?BBC?7:02 PM
"Jonathan Ive is knighted in New Year Honours list"?The Register?8:43 PM
"Will That Be Sir Jonathan, or Sir Jony?"?AllThingsD?9:50 PM
"Apple designer Jonathan Ive knighted"?MSNBC?9:19 PM
"Apple's Jonathan Ive knighted in UK"?The Verge?7:44 PM

"First Siri, Now Threat Detection: Inside SRI's Amazing R&D"?Wired?11:24 AM
"Churches Bring Custom Apps to Their Flocks"?WSJ.com [Paid Membership Required]?7:36 AM
"Someone Is Selling An Apple 'Five Year Employee Award' On eBay, For $2K"?TechCrunch?7:34 AM
"Passwords 'nightmare' solved storing logins with Passpack"?Forbes?7:39 AM

"Apple Store to Open at Masonville Place Mall in London, Ontario?"?iPhoneinCanada?7:46 AM
"Winds Blow, Doors Shatter, Life Goes On"?ifoAppleStore?4:39 PM
"iPhone Crushes Android at AT&T Corporate Stores in December"?The Mac Observer?8:52 PM
"Apple sends 'take down' notices to cracked iOS apps creator AppTrackr"?9 to 5 Mac?4:41 PM
"iPhone Siri software tells boy, 12, to 'shut up' in Tesco: A 12-year-old boy was subjected to an obscene tirade by a new iPhone when he tested out its new voice technology in a supermarket, according to Reports."?Telegraph?7:41 AM
"iPhone 4S gets offensive with 12-year-old boy after pranksters tweak Siri"?The Next Web?8:18 AM
"Apple's Siri gets sweary with British child"?The Register?12:05 PM
"Apple's Siri curses out 12-year-old"?CNET News?4:20 PM

"Kunming Fake Apple Store Changed its name for Second Time (Video)"?M.I.C. Gadget?7:54 AM
"The surprising success of the Confession app"?The Globe and Mail [Free Registration Required]?8:57 AM
"Simulating traditional painting with the iPad: Digital art doesn't have to look sterile and cold. Digital artist Kyle Lambert shows us how to create a painting that looks like it was made the old-fashioned way." [Slideshow]?Macworld?8:19 AM
"Steve Jobs Talks About Future of the TV in 1998 (Video)"?MacTrast?7:53 AM
"Picture This: Steve Jobs Gets Bronzed" [Slideshow]?Network World?10:55 AM
"Apple Produced 'Ghostbusters' Ad, Apple Boogie Album in 80s"?PC Magazine?10:53 AM
"Discovering The 1983 Apple Art Steve Jobs Forgot"?iPhone Savior?4:16 PM
"Apple phone prototype from 1983 shows an all touchscreen interface"?TiPb?8:17 AM
"Rare Photo Shows Steve Jobs's Rebellious Spirit As He Flips The Bird To IBM"?Cult of Mac?8:07 AM
"Cat Plays Fruit Ninja On iPad [Video]?Redmond Pie?7:04 PM

Non-Apple News

"Facebook Messenger embeds network into Windows"?ZDNet UK?11:24 AM
"How Tetris became the world's favourite computer game"?BBC?11:19 AM
"Report: Wii U will have its own 'app store'"?TG Daily?11:09 AM
"First LTE Windows Phone will be on AT&T"?TG Daily?11:09 AM
"Casio's New G-SHOCK Connects To Smartphones, Shows Incoming Calls, Emails, SMS"?TechCrunch?11:06 AM
"Two New Tools Exploit Router Security Setup Problem"?IDG News Service?10:55 AM
"Need Wi-Fi? Find a Vending Machine"?PCWorld?10:55 AM
"Siri for Android? New App Fools Users in Android Market"?Techland?12:32 PM
"'Official' Siri App Lands In The Android Market"?Cult of Mac?12:32 PM
"Siri Knock-Offs Invade Android Market"?PCWorld?10:54 AM
"Google: The New Vampire Squid"?Forbes?11:31 AM
"Google, Facebook rivalry to heat up in 2012"?Computerworld?10:31 AM
"Google Backs Israel Entrepreneurs as Local Financing Drops"?Bloomberg?10:19 AM
"Hackers, IT units focusing on smartphone security"?Reuters?10:09 AM
"Happy New Year from Skype! Free Wi-Fi in NYC for New Year's Eve"?CNET News?10:02 AM
"Christy Wyatt on How Motorola Plans to Stand Out From the Android Pack"?AllThingsD?9:49 AM
"Computer Sciences Narrows CEO Hunt"?WSJ.com [Paid Membership Required]?9:47 AM
"Verizon Drops Plan for New $2 Fee"?WSJ.com [Paid Membership Required]?7:03 PM
"Verizon retreats on 'convenience fee' for online bill payment: Public outcry causes backpedaling in 24 hours"?The Register?5:23 PM
"Verizon Drops Plan for New $2 Fee"?WSJ.com [Paid Membership Required]?4:25 PM
"Verizon's on-contract Xyboard is now $50 cheaper"?ZDNet?11:22 AM
"Verizon explains 4G outages: Parsing the IT failure transparency"?ZDNet?11:22 AM
"Verizon Attributes 4G LTE Service Disruptions to 'Growing Pains'"?PC Magazine?10:53 AM
"Verizon Outages, New $2 Fee Irk Customers"?WSJ.com [Paid Membership Required]?9:42 AM

Publications/Podcasts

"iPhone & iPad Live 186: Untethered"?TiPb?9:44 PM
"Gene Steinberg wraps 2011 with commentator Kirk McElhearn, author Bob 'Dr. Mac' LeVitus, and The Loop's Jim Dalrymple this week on The Tech Night Owl LIVE"?The Tech Night Owl LIVE?4:17 PM

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"Apple, Amazon Lead '5 Most Admired' Tech Companies"?Forbes?8:43 PM
"iOS developers still battling Lodsys"?TUAW?5:34 PM

"Steve Jobs Was The Modern-Day John Galt"?Forbes?5:22 PM
"Apple's 100 -Tester Rule for iOS Apps Not Enough"?PadGadget?4:39 PM
"Lions and Tigers and Kittens Playing on Tablets? Oh, My!"?AllThingsD?4:26 PM
"Apple accused of giving resellers short shrift again, this time in France"?Ars Technica?4:20 PM
"iPhone 4S Contributes To Growth In App Downloads"?HotHardware?4:20 PM
"Holiday Gifting Drives Apple iOS 12x Higher; Android Leads in More Countries"?MacPrices?4:18 PM
"Rumor: Thinner, Low-Power Retina Display For iPad 3"?AppleBitch?12:04 PM
"Samsung now takes to copying Apple's iPad commercials"?Edible Apple?11:33 AM
"iPad online shopping (mis)adventures"?AppleTell?11:27 AM
"Will 2012 bring a challege to the iPad? While Apple's iPad dominated the tablet market in 2011, there are signs the competition is heating up for 2012." [Audio Report]?MarketWatch?11:20 AM
"iPad 3 Rumor Roundup: New Display Tech, Lots of Contradictions"?Wired?4:25 PM
"Rumors of new iPads heat up as 2012 arrives"?CNN?10:39 AM

"My Predictions For 2012: The Apple TV And ITV"?MacNews?9:03 AM

"Looking Forward to 2012: Credible iPad Threats"?Techland?8:18 AM

"Top 5 Apple Rumors From 2011"?TheStreet?7:42 AM
"Study Claims Android Is For Apps, iOS For Games"?MobileMag?7:42 AM

Non-Apple

"The curious case of slowing US growth for Android"?asymco?4:40 PM


"Another 'Honor' For Hewlett-Packard"?WSJ Blogs?11:30 AM
"Symbian grows mobile dominance in 2011"?ZDNet UK?11:23 AM
"Motorola DROID XYBOARD 8.2, 10.1 hands-on review"?ZDNet?11:22 AM
"2011 Year in Review - Android's year"?ZDNet?11:22 AM
"Google's SOPA press stunt: Can we truly hold them liable?"?ZDNet?11:21 AM
"Anonymous 101 Part Deux: Morals Triumph Over Lulz"?Wired?11:20 AM
"Do You Speak Robot?"?Wired?11:19 AM
"4 Reasons Verizon's $2 'Convenience' Fee Is Harsh, Unfriendly and Wrongheaded"?Techland?11:12 AM
"TVs are top CE energy user"?TG Daily?11:09 AM
"Amazon Democratizes Supercomputing: Got a big question? Willing to spend $1,279 an hour?"?Technology Review?11:07 AM
"When Will LG's 84-Inch 4K TV Go Mainstream? Maybe Never"?PCWorld?10:55 AM
"The best game of the year" [Video Report]?MSNBC?10:50 AM

"10 Ways to Clean Up Your PC and Digital Life Before the New Year"?PC Magazine?10:53 AM
"How to Prevent a New Year's Eve Tech Hangover: From embarrassing photos to lost phones to inebriated texting, learn how to prevent tech-related regrets in the first hours of 2012."?Techland?11:12 AM

"Big data, analytics get even bigger, hotter in 2012"?IDG News Service?10:45 AM
"How a Montreal company won the race to build the world's cheapest tablet"?The Globe and Mail [Free Registration Required]?10:41 AM
"Toshiba Thrive 7 a Solid, Smaller Android Tablet: Toshiba's Thrive 7' is a solid, middle-of-the-road Android tablet, but its higher price-points could drive some consumers to look elsewhere."?eWeek?10:37 AM
"Tech 2011: Biggest News Stories of the Year"?Wired?11:19 AM
"2011: Biggest tech stories of the year"?Washington Post [Free Registration Required]?9:50 AM
"RIM's Share of the U.S. Smartphone Market Slips Again"?AllThingsD?9:48 AM
"Windows 8 tablets: Microsoft's 'think different' moment has arrived"?Tech.Blorge?8:58 AM
"If HTML5 Kills the Blog Format, I Won't Shed a Tear"?ReadWriteWeb?8:19 AM



"Microsoft Launches Native Lync Client For iPad"?RazorianFly?5:24 PM
"Rock out with your friends with Rockmate for iPad"?TiPb?4:38 PM

"60Beat, a Proper Game Controller for iOS"?Wired?11:24 AM
"SwitcherLyrics adds music lyrics to the Fast App Switcher [Jailbreak]?TiPb?11:20 AM
"The iPod Nano Pill Speaker: Good for What Ails You"?Gizmodo?11:11 AM
"Cirque du Mac 9 Scheduled for Friday, January 27 at Macworld \| iWorld"?The Mac Observer?10:38 AM
"'iPhoned Erie:' Shot and edited on the iPhone"?FairerPlatform?8:40 AM
"Tipard Released Mac iPhone SMS Transfer: A Powerful SMS Manager"?PRNewswire-Asia?8:15 AM
"iTattoo Cases Make Excellent Use Of Your iPhone, iPad or Mac Apple Logo"?prMac?8:40 AM
"TheDataManager releases Raghavan's Indian Flavors 1.0 for iPad"?prMac?8:07 AM
"Dirty Hip Hop mini for iPod and iPhone released by Digifilm"?prMac?8:07 AM
"Mindshapes Releases Tap-A-Tune App For iPad, iPhone and iPod touch"?prMac?8:07 AM
"Letters App - Version 1.0 - educational ABC iPad game"?prMac?8:07 AM
"PhatWare Releases WritePad for iPhone, Offering Multilingual Handwriting"?prMac?8:06 AM
"The Ultimate Stain Removal Tips App is Out"?prMac?8:06 AM
"Move your files from your computer to iOS freely with SyncMeApp"?prMac?8:06 AM
"MEJJI Puzzle Arrives on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad"?prMac?8:06 AM
"intelli-Diet App - Don't count calories, eat them"?prMac?8:06 AM
"Plush Ninja 1.0 Free for iOS - Slice Plush, Toy, Zombie Bears to Pieces"?prMac?8:06 AM
"Soldier's Tactical NAV iOS App Provides Help to Veterans in Need"?prMac?8:04 AM
"intelli-Diet App - Don't count calories, eat them"?prMac?8:03 AM

Source: http://www.macsurfer.com/redirr.php?u=652382

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China reveals its space plans up to 2016 (AP)

BEIJING ? China has released its next five-year space plan to help it on its way to its eventual goals of building a space station and putting a man on the moon.

The white paper released Thursday says that by the end of 2016, China will launch space laboratories, manned spaceships and ship freighters, and make technological preparations for the construction of space stations.

It says the country will carry on exploring the moon using probes, start gathering samples of the moon's surface, and "push forward its exploration of planets, asteroids and the sun."

China places great emphasis on the development of its space industry, which is seen as a symbol of national prestige.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111229/ap_on_re_as/as_china_space

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Friday, December 30, 2011

China: First Foreign Nation to Develop Afghanistan's Oil Reserves

China has become the first foreign nation to win the rights to search for oil in war-torn Afghanistan.

Afghanistan's Ministry of Mines gave the Chinese state-owned National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) the go-ahead to work on oil reserves in the north-eastern provinces of Sari Pul and Faryab.

The Amu Darya River basin reportedly boasts about 87 million barrels equivalent of oil reserves.

Northern Afghanistan may hold more than 1.6 billion barrels of crude, 16 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 500 million barrels of natural gas liquids, according to the ministry.

The three "blocks" to be developed by CNPC may contain 80 million barrels of crude, Jawad Omar, spokesman for the Afghan mines ministry, said.

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"This is the first big contract for exploration and extraction of oil in Afghanistan," a statement from the office of President Hamid Karzai in Kabul said.

Under the deal, CNPC is required to form a joint venture with a local partner, the Watan Group. Seventy percent of profits from the operation must be paid to the Afghanistan government.

"The 25-year oil project will create thousands of jobs," Wahidullah Shahrani, Afghan Minister of Mines, said. "Eventual investments in the Amu Darya basin are expected to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars and will spur improvements in roads and other infrastructure."

The provinces of Sari Pul and Faryab are hundreds of miles from the centres of fighting in the east and southeast and are considered relatively safe, the Washington Post reported.

The Afghan government, eager to rebuild its nation as well as attract investment, claims it holds an estimated US$3 trillion in natural resources. The deposits, which could yield copper and iron ore, oil and gas, niobium, cobalt, gold, molybdenum, silver and lithium, could lift the country's coffers by some $3.5 billion a year.

CNPC agreed to pay a 15 percent royalty on oil from the blocks and a corporate tax rate of 30 per cent.?

In 2007, China won the extraction rights into the Aynak mine south of Kabul. According to Soviet-era data and a newer study by the United States Geological Survey, the mine could yield over 11 million tonnes of copper. It is by far the largest foreign investment in Afghanistan at $3.5 billion.

To report problems or to leave feedback about this article, e-mail:
To contact the editor, e-mail:

Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/273339/20111228/china-first-foreign-nation-develop-afghanistan-s.htm

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Saturday, December 24, 2011

GOP Rep. Sensenbrenner On Michelle Obama: ?She Lectures Us On Eating Right While She Has A Large Posterior?

Wisconsin?s GOP Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R) has a beef (and a side of mash potatoes) (with extra butter) (tip your waitress) with First Lady Michelle Obama, particularly with her attempts to promote healthier eating and exercise habits.

According to a ?Democratic operative? who shared his or her story with Fishbowl DC, Sensenbrenner, speaking loudly on his phone at Reagan National Airport?s Delta Crown lounge, relayed a story that happened following a church auction: After he?d bought a bunch of ?crap,? a woman came up to Sensenbrenner and praised the First Lady, prompting him to muse that ?she lectures us on eating right while she has a large posterior herself.?

RELATED: First Lady Michelle Obama Booed At NASCAR Race

Fishbowl DC reached out to Amanda Infield at Sensenbrenner?s Washington press office, asking ?1. Does the Congressman realize that he, also, has a large behind? 2. Does he always speak so loudly on the cell phone??

Ms. Infield responded thusly:

Hi Betsy, I am not going to comment on my boss? ?behind.?

Mr. Sensenbrenner was referring to the First Lady?s healthy food initiative. He doesn?t think the government should be telling Americans what to eat. While he may not agree with all of her initiatives, he plans to contact the First Lady?s office to apologize for his comments.

Amanda

My two cents? These two should each bring a dish of their choice to a potluck lunch and discuss the government?s role in public health.

h/t FishbowlDC

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Source: http://www.mediaite.com/online/gop-rep-sensenbrenner-on-michelle-obama-she-lectures-us-on-eating-right-while-she-has-a-large-posterior/

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Friday, December 23, 2011

US rep apologizes to first lady on 'big butt' quip (AP)

MILWAUKEE ? Wisconsin Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner has apologized to first lady Michelle Obama for reportedly saying she has a "big butt."

Sensenbrenner's press secretary says the Republican sent the first lady a personal note and released a statement Thursday saying he regrets his "inappropriate comment."

Sensenbrenner's office would not release the note.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ( http://bit.ly/s1kBwP) reports Sensenbrenner referred to Michelle Obama's "big butt" while talking to church members at a Christmas bazaar at St. Aidan's Episcopal Church in Hartford earlier this month.

Church member Ann Marsh-Meigs told the newspaper that she heard Sensenbrenner's remarks. She said the 16-term congressman was speaking about the first lady's efforts to combat childhood obesity, and added, "And look at her big butt."

Michelle Obama's press office didn't immediately return a request for comment Thursday.

___

Information from: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, http://www.jsonline.com

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111222/ap_on_re_us/us_sensenbrenner_first_lady_apology

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Italy gov't wins confidence vote on austerity plan (AP)

ROME ? Italian Premier Mario Monti easily won a vote of confidence in the Senate on Thursday, signaling parliamentary approval of the government's euro30 billion ($39 billion) package of tax hikes and pension changes.

The austerity package is intended to save the country from financial disaster and follows rising concerns in the markets that Italy will find it difficult to pay off its massive debts, which stand at around euro1.9 trillion ($2.5 trillion).

The vote passed 257-41, following passage in the lower Chamber of Deputies last week.

Had it been defeated, Monti and his government of technocrats would have been forced to resign. The new government is tasked with making sure that Italy did not become the next victim of Europe's debt crisis.

In remarks to lawmakers prior to the vote, Monti said the package was "of extreme urgency and will allow Italy to face the European crisis with its head held high."

Among the most disputed measures in the legislation is a reform to Italy's generous pension system, which will require Italians to work longer. Many of former premier Silvio Berlusconi's loyalists, who make up Parliament's largest party, also opposed Monti's decision to revive a home property tax that Berlusconi had eliminated.

Unions staged strikes and demonstrations last week to protest the measures.

Monti has said his package of tax hikes, reforms and growth-boosting measures was the only way to save Italy financially and give young Italians a foundation for economic recovery and growth.

Data released Wednesday showed that Italy, the eurozone's third-largest economy, contracted 0.2 percent in the third quarter, furthering predictions of a mild recession in 2012.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111222/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_italy_financial_crisis

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Thursday, December 22, 2011

[OOC] Assassins in Chains

Forum rules
This forum is for OOC discussion about existing roleplays.

Please post all "Players Wanted" threads in the Roleplayers Wanted forum!

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Assassins in Chains?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

Topic Tags:

Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.
Welcome to Blood Lust City.

The Capital of the world; made by the vampires, who now rule it and have become the merciless dominant race of earth. Humans are slaves and treated like animals, used for food and fun. We no longer hold the position as rulers, now, we are the primitive species.

You have been chosen, out of four others, to have your final mission. You have served long with the rebellion; to slay and assassinate vampires, and you have deemed yourself worthy. You and three other hunters will be sent into the dangerous city of Blood Lust, where you will be assigned a royal vampire and submitted as a servant.

Suicide? No. This is the only way.

You will assassinate the royal you have been assigned. Many before you have tried, but none have succeeded. Many hunters have been killed or turned; found out and executed. But now, you, our greatest hunters yet, will be given a chance to damage the vampire's control over the world.

You must be cunning and quick; you must be smart, you must not let your emotions be the death of you.

And if you back out... well, I'm afraid your job with us will be terminated and the protection and money for you and your family will be terminated. You signed up knowing the consequences, its your choice to let it happen.

I wish you best results. You will recieve your files and your vampire, and you will be shipped out in the morning.

Good luck and may god be on your side. Because the devil sure won't be.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

The Plot;

So this roleplay basicially is about four hunters who are disguised as servants and are assigned to a noble or royal vampire, powerful ones, who obviously are dangerous and one of the reasons the vampires at in control. The hunters are supposed to assassinate the royal they are assigned to; and basically, if they don't... they will be fired fro the job and their families will no longer be protected.

There will be 8 main characters in all, we can add side characters like other vampires or servants if needed.

If you don't understand something, pm me.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Nightmares: Member for 0 years

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Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Women say they were injured when Suh crashed car (AP)

PORTLAND, Ore. ? Two women say they were injured when Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (ehn-DAHM'-uh-kehn soo) crashed his car into a tree in downtown Portland over the weekend.

Portland police had originally said there were no injuries in the accident early Saturday. But police said Monday that two passengers later came forward to say they were hurt and left the scene before officers arrived.

Sgt. Pete Simpson says one woman reported bruises and soreness, and the other reported a cut to her forehead and a black eye. Their names were not released.

Suh told police he was trying to avoid a stopped taxicab when he lost control of the 1970 Chevrolet Coupe. The car hit a curb, light pole, drinking fountain and tree.

Police say Suh was not impaired and was not cited. They are not re-opening the investigation.

Suh declined to comment to KGW-TV.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111206/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_suh_car_crash

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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Many kids at gold mine paid in bags of dirt

By Jessica Hopper
Rock Center

Samba Diarra, 15, journeyed 200 miles to live in a plastic hut alone and work in an artisanal gold mine in Mali. The teen came to the mine to help support his five younger brothers and sisters.

?The main reason I left home is to help my parents and sending them money is my main goal,? Diarra said.

Diarra?s parents can?t afford? to send him to school because he has to support his younger siblings.? He is one of at least 20,000 children working in Mali?s artisanal mines.

Mali is Africa?s third largest gold producer. Artisanal mines rely on heavy human labor and little mechanization.? People throughout West Africa are flocking to work in the primitive pits.?

?Globally, we?ve seen an increase with the number of artisanal gold miners because of the rise of gold prices, but that doesn?t necessarily translate to better living conditions,? said Juliane Kippenberg who helped author a forthcoming Human Rights Watch report on Mali?s mines.?

The skyrocketing price of gold has led to a rush on the precious metal in the United States and throughout the world, but some of the mining that?s helping feed the world?s craving involves child labor and a dangerous process involving mercury.

Approximately 100,000 to 200,000 people in Mali are working in artisanal mines, according to the Human Rights Watch report which will be released Tuesday.? Kippenberg told NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel that 20 to 30 percent of the workforce in African artisanal mines is child labor.

The report entitled, ?A Poisonous Mix: Child Labor, Mercury and Artisanal Gold Mining in Mali,? details abysmal working conditions.

??There couldn?t be a bigger contrast between the situation of a 7-year-old or a 14, 15-year-old working day in and day out in the very harsh conditions of these mines and the beautiful world of jewelry somewhere in Switzerland or the U.S. or elsewhere,? Kippenberg said.

The children working in the mines, some as young as six years old, help dig shafts with pickaxes, lift and carry heavy bags of ore and pan the gold with an amalgamation process involving mercury.?

?Not only is it hard work and then you?re tired from it, but it is hard work that everyday gives you pain: headaches, back pain, joint aches and it will create long-term spinal injury for some of these children who are carrying very heavy loads and they are very small,? Kippenberg said.

Diarra spent his first day pulling up gold ore that was mined by men working deep underground.? At the end of his first day, he was paid with a bag of dirt.? Gold is currently trading at around $1742 an ounce.

?After I wash and refine it, I?ll get paid for the gold that might be inside,? he said.

Some children working in the mines never get paid. Those who do, get just a few dollars a week.

Diarra still has dreams of a life away from the mines.

?I would like to study if I have the opportunity, I would also like to be a footballer,? he said.

Kippenberg said that it will be hard for Diarra to leave the mines.

?The sad news is that he is not going to be able to realize his dreams.? In almost all of these situations where children come here to work by themselves, they are terribly exploited and will probably end up working in artisanal gold mines for the rest of their lives or for very long periods, making, eking, out a living,? Kippenberg said.

Malian law actually bans child labor in artisanal mines, but the law is not heavily enforced. One miner told Rock Center that he simply can?t afford the fees to send his children to school so instead they work with him.

Diata Lissoko, the traditional? leader of one of the mines said, ?With this kind of physical labor, life is short.?

Lissoko said that just two days prior to Rock Center?s visit, a young man had suffocated deep in the mine.

?It was 30, 40 meters deep.? When you descend a mine that deep, there is no oxygen down there, so if you breathe in the gas, you are killed immediately,? Lissoko said.

Others are dying slowly from toxic mercury vapors.? To speed up the refining process, workers are mixing mercury with the crushed ore.? The mercury adheres to the gold flakes.? Then the mixture is burned. Those vapors are the most toxic.? Women and children often are in charge of panning the gold and often use the mercury in their backyards in the middle of their villages.

??Working with mercury in a residential area is a particularly bad practice because it affects so many people,? said Kippenberg of Human Rights Watch.? ?They will be exposed to mercury poisoning.? Just to give you an idea, it?s not something that happens very quickly, but people will begin to have coordination problems, memory problems in high doses. It can lead to kidney failure, heart problems and it can even kill people.?

Approximately 12 percent of the world?s gold is born from the grueling process of artisanal mining, Kippenberg said.

?It?s not the majority of the gold, but at the same time, it?s a significant proportion,? Kippenberg said.

The gold is sold to middlemen and eventually ends up in places like Dubai and Switzerland where it is melted? and mixed with gold from large scale mines before it?s turned into jewelry worn throughout the world.

?Even if it is a long, long supply train, at the end of the day, it is the gold from these artisanal mines in Mali and other parts of the world that is exported and then goes to the world?s markets and is turned into jewelry,? Kippenberg said.? ?So, yes, there is a direct link between the people who wear the jewelry and buy it and the refiners, the big international companies who trade the gold globally and those who work in these mines, the depths of these shafts, who risk their lives in doing so.?

Editor?s Note: Richard Engel?s full report, "The Price of Gold," airs Monday at 10pm/9c on NBC's Rock Center With Brian Williams.

Source: http://rockcenter.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/05/9213056-digging-for-gold-children-work-in-harsh-conditions-paid-with-bags-of-dirt

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Monday, December 5, 2011

2 small quakes rumble in Lincoln County, Oklahoma (AP)

PRAGUE, Okla. ? Two small earthquakes have shaken central Oklahoma.

The U.S. Geological Survey says both earthquakes were centered in Lincoln County and recorded between 10:42 p.m. and 11:05 p.m. Friday.

The first 2.7 magnitude earthquake was recorded about six miles west northwest of Prague. The second was a 2.3 magnitude tremor whose epicenter was five miles south southeast of Sparks and seven miles northeast of Meeker. No injuries were reported.

Several small earthquakes have been recorded recently in the area, including a 3.7 magnitude quake near Prague on Thanksgiving.

A 5.6 magnitude quake, the strongest ever recorded in Oklahoma, shook the state Nov. 5. That quake damaged dozens of homes, buckled a highway and caused other damage.

Geologists say earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 to 3.0 are generally the smallest felt by humans.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111203/ap_on_re_us/us_oklahoma_earthquakes

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[OOC] Kingdom Come

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Sunday, December 4, 2011

Pippa Middleton Tops Most Fascinating People 2011 List

Do you find Pippa Middleton fascinating? If so, you're not alone. The British party planner, who shot to popularity earlier this year as the world's most famous (and most lusted after) maid of honor, is one of a handful of individuals Barbara Walters will honor during her "10 Most Fascinating People of 2011" special, set to air Dec. 14 on ABC.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/most-fascinating-people-2011-pippa-middleton-kardashians-make-list/1-a-407113?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Amost-fascinating-people-2011-pippa-middleton-kardashians-make-list-407113

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Saturday, December 3, 2011

RIM Devalues Playbook Inventory by $485 Million (NewsFactor)

Research In Motion said Friday that it will record a $485 million charge on the inventory valuation of the company's BlackBerry PlayBook tablets when it reports results for its third business quarter later this month. "A number of factors have led to the need for an inventory provision in the third quarter," said RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis.

However, RIM has no intention of emulating HP, which quickly sold off its remaining TouchPad tablet inventory and abandoned the market last August. The BlackBerry maker's goal is to dramatically increase the number of PlayBooks in the hands of more customers by cutting prices.

The PlayBook inventory write-down is merely the first page in RIM's new playbook for more effectively competing with lower-priced tablet models such as Amazon's $199 Kindle Fire and the new $249 Nook Tablet from Barnes & Noble. RIM is also aware that delays in the release of the new PlayBook OS 2.0 software featuring more advanced capabilities has hindered the BlackBerry tablet's immediate sales prospects at the old price.

Lazaridis said RIM remained committed to the PlayBook platform and believed the tablet market was still in its infancy.

"We believe the PlayBook, which will be further enhanced with the upcoming PlayBook OS 2.0 software, is a compelling tablet for consumers that also offers unique security and manageability features for the enterprise," Lazaridis said Friday.

Low-priced Promotions

Retailers such as Staples began selling the BlackBerry PlayBook for $200 on Black Friday. According to Lazaridis, low-priced sales promotions like Staples' Black Friday deal have already driven a "significant increase in demand across most channels."

By reducing the PlayBook's retail price, RIM hopes to drive the development of a vibrant application ecosystem in advance of the launch of its upgraded BlackBerry smartphones. However, the PlayBook's sales prospects -- even at sharply reduced prices -- are limited because of the relatively few applications and multimedia entertainment options available for the current PlayBook platform.

Even with the special promotions, RIM said Friday that it only sold 150,000 PlayBook units to retailers and distributors during the business quarter which ended on Nov. 26. On the other hand, RIM said its own internal numbers indicate that the actual sell-through to consumers was even higher as distributors presumably moved to clear their store shelves.

Still, it remains unclear whether RIM's new PlayBook strategy will put into play enough units to encourage software developers to create more apps for the company's PlayBook OS 2.0 platform, which is expected to launch in February.

Outage Aftershocks

RIM's BlackBerry platform held an 11 percent share of the global smartphone market at the end of September -- down from 15.4 percent in September 2010, according to Gartner. What's more, RIM's mobile market prospects worsened in early October, when the BlackBerry platform suffered a four-day global outage. The timing was potentially disastrous for RIM.

"The same week of the outage, the iPhone 4S hit the stores and users coming to the end of their contracts will now have a reason to think beyond BlackBerry," said Francisco Jeronimo, IDC's research manager for European mobile devices. "This outage harms BlackBerry's brand reputation."

According to Net Applications, a significant number of former BlackBerry users switched to Apple's iPhone 4S and new Android handset models during October. So even if RIM's PlayBook is offered at heavily discounted prices, RIM will find it difficult to regain lost customers who are now using handsets running iOS or Android.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20111203/bs_nf/81227

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