Saturday, December 31, 2011

Griffin, Baylor win record-breaking Alamo Bowl (AP)

SAN ANTONIO ? If that really was Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III's final college game, what an incredible way to go out.

Just ask him.

"We went out in style!" Griffin shouted to his teammates.

It was amazing the Baylor quarterback had any breath left at all. Not after a record-shattering Alamo Bowl that might not only be remembered as the highest-scoring regulation bowl game in history, but also possibly as Griffin's last addition to his legacy in Waco.

The AP Player of the Year wasn't dazzling Thursday night, but he didn't need to be as No. 15 Baylor still pulled out an incredible 67-56 victory over Washington.

If it was RG3's final showcase before jumping to the NFL, it was a gripping goodbye to watch. One of the nation's most electrifying players was upstaged by an even more exciting nail-biter that shattered the previous record for points in regulation set in the 2001 GMAC Bowl.

Fans showered Griffin with chants of "One more year! One more year!" as he paraded the Alamo Bowl trophy around the field. He stopped at the front-row stands and showed off his prize to his mother, who has already been looking at her son's NFL draft prospects.

Griffin said he'll start looking, too, soon enough.

For now, there was still the craziness of this game to sort through.

"I want Baylor nation to enjoy this," Griffin said. "It's not about me. I've got about two weeks. I'll enjoy this the next day, and then the next day, and then I'll make it."

The previous bowl record for a regulation game was 102 points in the 2001 GMAC Bowl between Marshall and East Carolina. That game went to double overtime and ended with a combined 125 points, which still stands as the overall bowl record.

Baylor, which a bowl game for the first time since 1992, and Washington (7-6) also set a bowl record for total offense with 1,397 yards.

"We just knew we needed to score," Washington quarterback Keith Price said. "We needed to score fast, just to give our defense a boost."

Griffin had an unremarkable night, throwing just one touchdown pass and running for another score. But Terrance Ganaway starred ably in his place, rushing for 200 yards and five touchdowns. His last was a 43-yard run with 2:28 left to seal Baylor's first 10-win season since 1980.

Price outplayed his Heisman counterpart, going 23 for 27 with 438 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for another three scores.

"I think we'll have a hard time this bowl season to see a quarterback play as well as he did," Washington coach Steve Sarkisian.

Griffin was 24 of 33 for 295 yards ? and his only touchdown throw came on the game's opening drive.

Blown out in four other games against ranked opponents this season, the Huskies finally made one interesting. Not that it started that way after Baylor ran up 245 yards of offense alone in the first quarter ? awful even by the standards of Washington's defense, which is among the nation's worst.

Price, a sophomore who threw a school-record 29 touchdown passes in his first year as the starter, began cutting into a 21-7 deficit with a 12-yard scoring strike to James Johnson. Seven minutes later, Washington tied it when Devin Aguilar somersaulted over the goal line after catching a 1-yard lob.

The overwhelming crowd of Baylor fans ? decked in green-and-gold Heisman shirts and armed with signs such as "Superman wears RG3 socks" ? stood in stunned silenced. That gave way to disbelieving gasps on the next series, when the typically sure-handed Griffin fumbled after getting popped by Andrew Hudson.

After that, it was practically a free-for-all of big plays.

A 56-yard touchdown dash by Chris Polk. An 80-yard touchdown catch by Washington's Jermaine Kearse two plays into the second half. An 89-yard scoring rumble Ganaway. Kearse again, catching and darting for 60 yards before getting dragged down, setting up Price's fourth touchdown toss the next play.

Back and forth, back and forth. One after another. In all, five plays covered 50 or more yards, three of them for scores.

"That was crazy," Baylor coach Art Briles said.

For an Alamo Bowl short on drama and light on matchups in recent years, it was a thrilling scoring spree that overshadowed the mere novelty of featuring the Heisman winner. And that in itself was a rarity for a bowl of this stature. Not since Ty Detmer took BYU to the Holiday Bowl in 1990, had a Heisman winner played in a bowl before New Year's Day.

Plenty came to see this one.

Anticipating a surge of Heisman gawkers, Alamo Bowl officials added 800 temporary seats and opened up others with obstructed views that required ticket-buyers to sign a form acknowledging the poor sightlines. Those seats sold, anyway, and the announced attendance of 65,256 was the fifth-largest in the bowl's history.

Others had better seats.

That includes Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland, who kicked for Baylor in the late 1980s but was here on business scouting Griffin in case the fourth-year junior enters the draft. Griffin's parents, two sisters and fiancee watched from front-row seats.

Griffin acknowledged this week his parents are looking at his draft prospects but denies having any substantial talks with them.

Win or lose, it was an impressive finale for Washington after stumbling into the postseason losing four of its last six. Particularly against a ranked team after then-Top 25 opponents Nebraska, Stanford, Oregon and USC all crushed the Huskies by an average of 24 points.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111230/ap_on_sp_co_ga_su/fbc_t25_alamo_bowl

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NBC poll: Romney, Paul close in Iowa; Gingrich 5th

In the past two weeks, support has fallen sharply in Iowa for Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich. NBC's Chuck Todd reports.

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By NBC's Mark Murray

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Rep. Ron Paul are running neck-and-neck in Iowa, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum is surging and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich collapsing just four days before the state's Jan. 3 caucuses, according to a new NBC News-Marist poll.

Romney drew the support of 23 percent of likely caucus-goers in Iowa ? identified based on interest, chance of voting and past participation ? ahead of Paul, at 21 percent.


They are followed by Santorum at 15 percent, Texas Gov. Rick Perry at 14 percent, Gingrich at 13 percent and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann at 6 percent.

The Republican presidential hopefuls are in high gear with just days left until the Iowa caucuses. NBC's Peter Alexander reports.

The poll numbers, which are similar to those published in a recent CNN/Time survey, represent a reversal of fortune for Gingrich, as well as an improvement for Santorum and (to a lesser extent) Perry. The NBC-Marist poll conducted in late November had Gingrich in the lead among likely caucus-goers at 28 percent, Romney and Paul tied at 19 percent, Perry at 10 percent, Bachmann at 7 percent and Santorum at 6 percent.

?More than half of [Gingrich?s] support has evaporated,? said Lee Miringoff, the director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, which conducted the survey.

Negative advertising hits Gingrich 'on the chin'
Miringoff adds that the millions of dollars in negative TV ads targeting Gingrich?? from a pro-Romney Super PAC and the Paul campaign?? have played a major role in this erosion, with 35 percent of likely caucus-goers now saying he?d be unacceptable as the GOP?s nominee. That?s a 19-point increase from last month.

"The fight I'm in with Romney is exactly the fight that Reagan was in with the establishment in '80," GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich tells NBC's Chuck Todd in a one-on-one interview.

What?s more, only 6 percent in the survey identify Gingrich as the ?true conservative? in the Republican contest.

?He took it on the chin,? Miringoff says of the negative advertising campaign, which has questioned Gingrich?s conservative credentials and tied him to Washington.

Splintered Tea Party support
Although just 7 percent of likely Iowa caucus-goers believe that Romney is the true conservative in the GOP field, he has two variables working in his favor, according to the poll. One, only 21 percent of likely caucus-goers say he?s unacceptable as the Republican nominee (compared with 35 percent for Gingrich and 41 percent for Paul).

And two, the conservative vote appears to be splintering between the various candidates, and is no longer coalescing around a single Romney challenger.

The wild card in this race has been and continues to be Ron Paul, the Libertarian who has a growing following inside the Republican Party. NBC's Chuck Todd has more.

Last month, Gingrich had a large lead over Romney (and the other GOP rivals) among Tea Party supporters.

But in this new poll, Tea Party supporters ? who make up about half of all likely caucus-goers ? are divided.

Santorum gets 20 percent from them, Romney and Paul 17 percent, Gingrich 16 percent, Perry 15 percent and Bachmann 10 percent.

?This is the Romney dream scenario,? Miringoff says. ?When you look at the Tea Party and conservatives, they are all splintered.?

Obama?s approval rating ticks up in Iowa
The poll also shows an improvement in President Barack Obama?s approval rating in Iowa.

Forty-five percent of registered voters in the state approve of him, while 43 percent disapprove.

Last month, those numbers were upside down, with 43 approving and 46 disapproving.

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum vaults past Newt Gingrich and into third place in the GOP presidential race in Iowa, according to a new poll. Santorum talks to TODAY's Savannah Guthrie about the surge, his conservative values and why he can beat Barack Obama in the general election.

The Iowa NBC-Marist survey was conducted Dec. 27-28 of 2,905 registered voters (margin of error of plus-minus 1.8 percentage points) and of 425 likely GOP caucus-goers (plus-minus 4.8 percentage points).

Also, unlike the recent CNN-Time poll, the likely voter model in the NBC-Marist survey included independents and a few Democrats, and it measured some respondents by cell phone.

Follow Mark Murray (@mmurraypolitics) on Twitter.

More from First Read:

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Source: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/30/9822616-nbc-poll-mitt-romney-ron-paul-neck-and-neck-in-iowa-newt-gingrich-in-5th

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A-Rod fine after treatment on knee, shoulder

(AP) ? The New York Yankees say star third baseman Alex Rodriguez is totally fine after having special treatment on his right knee and left shoulder in Germany earlier this month.

The 36-year-old Rodriguez had plasma-rich platelet injections following a recommendation from Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Wednesday that the team gave its permission after vetting the process.

Rodriguez's treatment was first reported by the New York Post.

Cashman says the therapy is in "complete compliance" with WADA and Major League Baseball regulations. He also said the treatment is performed in the United States. The Yankees say Rodriguez went to the doctor in Germany because he's at the top of this field.

Rodriguez had surgery on his right knee last July and saw his power drop in the second half and postseason. He played in 99 games and hit 16 home runs. He has 629 career homers.

Cashman says Rodriguez is "100 percent" right now and that there are "no red flags" going into spring training. Cashman says he expects Rodriguez to be able to play every day.

The Yankees also said they've reached agreement with 37-year-old lefty Hideki Okajima for a nonroster invite to spring training. Once a staple of the Boston bullpen, he spent most of last year in Triple-A for the Red Sox. The Yankees envision him as a possible lefty specialist.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-28-BBA-Yankees-Rodriguez/id-6fd4361fa03a41e592e3aa7fcc95a6b2

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Researcher finds vulnerability in WPS protocol, looks for manufacturers to offer fix

On the plus side, your router's mostly secure. Security researcher Stefan Viehbock has just discovered a major security hole which allowed him to use a brute force technique to access a WPS PIN-protected network in about two hours. According to Viehbock, a design flaw allows the WPS protocol's 8-digit PIN security to fall dramatically as additional attempts are made. With each attempt, the router will send a message stating whether the first four digits are correct while the last digit of the key is used as a checksum and then given out by the router in negotiation. As a result, the 100,000,000 possibilities that the WPS should represent becomes roughly to 11,000.

The US-CERT has picked up on this and advised users to disable WPS on their routers. Viehbock, in turn, claims to have attempted to discuss the vulnerability with hardware vendors such as Buffalo, D-Link, Linksys, and Netgear, but says he has been roundly ignored and that no public acknowledgement of the issue has been released. As a possible final step, Viehbock has promised to release a brute force tool soon, thereby pushing the manufacturers to work to resolve the issue. In other news, that evil supercomputer from the movie War Games just got a few more digits of the nuclear launch codes -- maybe one of Stefan's pals can look into that one.

Researcher finds vulnerability in WPS protocol, looks for manufacturers to offer fix originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Verge  |  sourceStefan Viehbock, US-CERT  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/28/researcher-finds-vulnerability-in-wps-protocol-looks-for-manufa/

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Rumor: Apple to use Sharp IGZO panels for Retina display iPad 3

Randomly accurate rumor site Digitimes is reporting from “industry sources” that Apple plans to utilize Sharp’s IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) technology in the iPad 3, which


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/C1sChOJhCrE/story01.htm

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Friday, December 30, 2011

Priests Brawl In Bethlehem?s Church Of Nativity

BLRanch ? December 28th, 2011 - 1:27 pm

They make it about them personally and miss the point entirely.

_42_ ? December 28th, 2011 - 1:27 pm

Religion?.

Bill_Lumbergh ? December 28th, 2011 - 1:27 pm

Lovely?the Prince of Peace must surely be proud!

PushHereToFlush ? December 28th, 2011 - 1:28 pm

Don't they keep score? Surely one of them has won by now.

Richie_Rich_ ? December 28th, 2011 - 1:30 pm

So these are all men of God? Oh, wait ? it's ABC News & the agenda is to make all religion look bad.

EOD ? December 28th, 2011 - 1:31 pm

Christians fighting Christians?? And that they have no Suicide Vests on makes the Christians look like Sub-human Savages in the eyes of the Muslims?

When will the Christians of the World learn to act civilized, like Muslims do, and blow up innocents when there is the slightest disagreement?

How about reporting on the real Attacks On Christians around the Globe by Muslims?

gunnyginalaska ? December 28th, 2011 - 1:35 pm

Maybe they're gearing up for Ramadan or any of those kooky "let's riot and murder a few Christians and Jews day" did ABC ever think about that?

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Nightfly24 ? December 28th, 2011 - 1:48 pm

Jesus would throw them all out. He threw the money changers out of the temple and he'd do the same here.

WorldclaZZ ? December 28th, 2011 - 1:48 pm

Well, December 26th IS Boxing Day?

my nay Buh-whee ? December 28th, 2011 - 1:52 pm

Control issues?(sigh).

S_Elliot_Rodax ? December 28th, 2011 - 1:53 pm

MMA is alive and well in the Holy Land.

H2K ? December 28th, 2011 - 2:03 pm

They probably go out afterward, have a beer and a laugh.

yossarian22 ? December 28th, 2011 - 2:07 pm

Well played.

yossarian22 ? December 28th, 2011 - 2:07 pm

In a world turned upside down, this makes sense.

yossarian22 ? December 28th, 2011 - 2:08 pm

Not all religions mind you, just one.

Bullonay ? December 28th, 2011 - 2:26 pm

Politics ruins everything?

duh_swami ? December 28th, 2011 - 2:35 pm

They do this all the time?it's good exercise and stress relief?

samwise007 ? December 28th, 2011 - 2:44 pm

Fighting over who owns what? Wasn't it this kind of behavior that caused Jesus to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and then knock over the money changers' tables?

Shameful.

rockon11 ? December 28th, 2011 - 2:47 pm

old footage wheres the new one? hum just cause chaos of course. the place where jesus was born yeah ok. sure it was.

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Source: http://www.breitbart.tv/priests-brawl-in-bethlehems-church-of-nativity/

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Museum workers exposed to asbestos: union

AAP

Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art must be thoroughly tested for asbestos before workers return to continue renovations, a union says.

But the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) fears it may be too late for the 400 builders already potentially exposed to the carcinogenic fibre.

Asbestos has been discovered in the mortar of the sandstone building at Sydney Harbour during its $53 million makeover.

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"There was asbestos fibro cement right across the eastern side of this site," the union's NSW secretary, Brian Parker, told reporters on Wednesday.

The union claims the workers could have been exposed to deadly airborne fibres after hacking into the building and says they were informed of the risk only in letters sent just before Christmas.

Mr Parker says there have been three asbestos scares at the site, with the latest happening on December 2.

He is calling for a comprehensive report on the building, including sampling and laboratory testing, before work resumes next week after the Christmas break.

"If the company continue to rip down walls, take windows out, take pipes out and take down asbestos fibro cement ... then the fact is it is going to continue to expose people."

Construction company Watpac's managing director, Greg Kempton, said the company was aware of a "small amount of asbestos" in the museum before renovations began in August 2010 and drew up work plans accordingly.

"When additional asbestos was discovered, we acted immediately by isolating the area and further engaging independent specialists to review the site and develop an approved work plan," he said in a statement on Wednesday.

Ric Wang from Watpac Construction told ABC Radio on Wednesday the company was staggered that more asbestos had appeared in the building.

"I'm flabbergasted that ... reports that indicate the area is clear and the building is clear can be wrong."

WorkCover acting chief executive John Watson told Fairfax Radio that allegations asbestos fibres were drifting around weren't "necessarily founded in fact" and that the union's claims were alarmist.

However, he told the ABC that it didn't come as a surprise that asbestos was present in the museum, given the age of the building.

Barry Robson, from the Asbestos Diseases Foundation, said comprehensive tests should be compulsory before any construction.

"We have been trying to get governments for many, many decades to make it compulsory," Mr Robson told reporters.

Workers on the site may not know for decades whether they have been exposed, he said.

"It's 10, 20, 40 years from now will determine whether you are exposed or not.

"It only takes one fibre of asbestos lodged in your lungs to sit there for decades and it causes mesothelioma, asbestosis," Mr Robson said.

Construction of the former Maritime Services Board building was completed in 1952, when asbestos was a common building material.

It officially opened as the MCA in 1991.

Source: http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/museum-workers-exposed-to-asbestos-union-20111228-1pc94.html

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AmazonWatch: #Stand4TheAmazon Day for the Achuar of Peru & their epic struggle to keep Talisman from oil-drilling on their lands. http://t.co/lswVAQva

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Thursday, December 29, 2011

Sony Ericsson Xperia Ion: Un nuovo Android Top Gamma con Ampio Display

27 dicembre 2011 - Fonte: http://blog.tecnospazio.org Lascia il tuo commento ? E' la tua prima volta qui? Allora iscriviti GRATIS ai nostri feeds!?
Si chiamer? Xperia Ion la tanto discussa versione dell?Xperia Arch HD caratterizzata da un ampio display con risoluzione HD. Il dispositivo era gi? stato avvistato nel corso dei precedenti giorni, ma solo oggi sono arrivate nuove e dettagliate informazioni riguardo il comparto hardware e la data di presentazione ufficiale. Il......

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Source: http://www.ilbloggatore.com/2011-12-27/sony-ericsson-xperia-ion-un-nuovo-android-top-gamma-con-ampio-display/

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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Who will win this year's NBA championship?


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Chevron to Sell Stake in Yinka Folawiyo Oil Block

As indigenous oil firm Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum Company (YFP) continues in its quest to commence oil production from its Aje field, in Oil Mining Lease 113, one of its joint venture partners Chevron Nigeria Deepwater H Limited, a subsidiary of US oil giant Chevron Corporation, has moved to sell its stake in the oil block, THISDAY (Lagos) reported Sunday.

The Aje field was discovered in 1996, in water depths ranging from 328 - 4,921 feet (100 - 1,500 meters) off the coast of Nigeria, about 40 miles southwest of Lagos.

When it is brought on stream, Lagos State will join the league of oil producing states in Nigeria, and could entitle the state to 13 percent derivation based on the?Onshore/Offshore Dichotomy Abolition Act of 2004, which entitles littoral states to derivation from crude oil produced on offshore locations within water depths of less than 200 meters isobaths.

YFP holds 60 percent interest in the block, while Chevron Nigeria Deepwater Ltd, Vitol Exploration Nigeria Ltd, Panoro Energy ASA, and Providence Resources Oil and Gas, an Irish firm hold the remaining 40 percent.

It was learnt that Chevron as technical advisor and operator of the block, owns 45 of the 40 percent interest in the oil field, but now plans to sell the 45 percent to Energy Equity Resources Limited (EER) which was once a joint venture partner to Panoro Energy.

Panoro is an international independent oil and gas company with offices in Oslo, London and Rio de Janeiro, and has a 6.502 percent stake in the OML 113.

Industry sources told THISDAY at the weekend that part of the deal could see EER take over operatorship of the block in place of Chevron.

EER is a London-based oil and gas company with Nigerian ownership. It currently has operations in the Joint Development Zone between Nigeria and Sao Tome and Principe, in Block 1, as well as in OML 115, an offshore block near the giant Zafiro and Alba field bordering Equatorial Guinea, and OPLs 281 and 233 in the Niger Delta.

However, YFP sources said that the transfer of operatorship is not possible, stating that while Chevron is at liberty to sell its stake in OML 113 to a third party, the operatorship will revert to YFP because the JV agreement stipulates that in the event the technical partner (Chevron) withdraws or sells its interest to a third party, operatorship shall be retained by Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum.

The Aje field was discovered in 1996, in water depths ranging from 100 -1,500 metres off the coast of Lagos. Unlike most concessions which are tertiary sandstones, Aje has multiple oil, gas and gas condensate reservoirs in the Turonian, Cenomanian and Albian sandstones, and as such has more affinity with the recent Jubilee and Tweneboa discoveries offshore Ghana.

Four wells have been drilled to date in the Aje field. Aje-1 and 2 tested oil and gas condensates at high rates. Aje-4, drilled in early 2008, logged significant pay and confirmed the presence of four productive reservoirs. The Aje field has full 3D seismic coverage.

There is a unique gas sales opportunity available to the partnership, which also includes Vitol and Providence Resources, via access to the West Africa Gas Pipeline project ("WAGP").

The WAGP was commissioned in May 2009 to provide Nigerian gas to end-users in Benin, Togo and Ghana, and is routed directly through OML113, only 5 kilometres from the Aje field.

The location of the Aje field, lying 26 miles (43 kilometers) south west of Lagos, may also provide a ready market for gas and associated LPG.

Copyright 2011 AllAfrica Global Media. All Rights Reserved.

Generated by readers, the comments included herein do not reflect the views and opinions of Rigzone. All comments are subject to editorial review. Off-topic, inappropriate or insulting comments will be removed.

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Source: http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=113705&rss=true

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Monday, December 26, 2011

Five ways to get started with your new Android phone

THe Motorola Droid Bionic (left) and the Samsung Galazy S II

Did you unwrap your gifts this Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Festivus to find that you're the proud new owner of an Android? If so, welcome to the world of Google-powered smartphones.

Millions of others around the globe own phones running Google's Android operating system, across dozens of devices with varying screen sizes and specs. These phones might be from one of more than a dozen hardware makers, running on just about every wireless network out there.

Given the variation, Android can be a bit fragmented, but no matter what your Android looks like, here are a few basics that can help you get started if you're new to smartphone ownership.

1. Set up your Google Account: To use an Android phone you'll need to have a Google Account, which means you'll have to set up a Gmail.com email address if you don't already have one. Your Google Account is, of course, the login identity that follows you as you use all things Google -- Gmail, YouTube, Google Docs, Google Maps, Google Calendar, Blogger and anything else Google produces. This can add some convenience to your life by automatically syncing your contacts and calendars across your computer and your smartphone if you make use of Google's services for keeping track of all that information.

2. Get yourself some apps: The major differentiator between smartphones and other cellphones, aside from the ability to send and receive email, is the mobile app. Android phones have the second largest app store, behind only Apple's App Store for its iPhone/iPod/iPad lineup. Unlike Apple's i-devices, Android users have the option of getting their apps from Google or from third parties. The top two places to find apps currently are Google's official Android Market and the Amazon Appstore for Android. Both stores offer a wide selection of apps and games that have been tested and vetted before being sold, to help prevent apps filled with viruses and other malware from making it out to Android users. Amazon also allows you to test many apps, which can be helpful before downloading. Some basic apps we really like for Android: Pulse is a great news reading app if you like to read news from multiple websites and Cut the Rope is a fun game that can be a bit tougher than Angry Birds but is just as fun.

3. Social networking: Android phones are among the best choices for staying on top of your social networks. The official Twitter app is thoughtfully designed and can help you keep up with the fast-paced social network. Path is a social network that is by default private and designed for easily sharing what's going on in your life with close friends, but you can also share to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Foursquare from Path as well. And, of course, there is Google+. The Google+ Android app isn't the greatest social networking experience in mobile apps, and falls far below Twitter, Path and Facebook in terms of looks and usability, but if you were lucky enough to receive the Galaxy Nexus smartphone this holiday, which runs Ice Cream Sandwich (the latest version of Android) this might not be as big of a problem. In Ice Cream Sandwich, Google has baked-on Google+, allowing for automatic photo sharing and the ability to even read emails in your Gmail inbox by circles of friends on the network.

4. Check out Google Music: For many, the smartphone is also a portable music player, and if you're not already a big iTunes or Amazon customer for music, Google's own Google Music is worth a serious look. Google Music on a PC isn't as easy to use as iTunes, but it does allow you to sync your purchases and music library to the cloud for streaming or easy downloads on the go. Also, Google so far has done a great job on pricing, with hundreds of songs as low as 49 cents and albums as low as $4.99.

5. Talk to friends: As suggested by my colleague Deborah Netburn in her "Five Ways to Get Started With Your New iPad" post, talking to others who own and use Android on a daily basis is a good call. This shouldn't be too tough considering that Android is the most widely used mobile operating system worldwide.

Do you have any other suggestions for new Android owners? Feel free to sound off in the comments.

RELATED:

Five ways to get started with your new iPad

Review: Gift ideas for your tech-savvy toddlers

Google's Andy Rubin: Over 700,000 Android devices activated daily

-- Nathan Olivarez-Giles

Nathan Olivarez-Giles on Google+

Twitter.com/nateog

Photo: The Motorola Droid Bionic from Verizon Wireless, left, and the Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch from Sprint. Credit: Armand Emamdjomeh/Los Angeles Times

Source: http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/TheTechnologyBlog/~3/jFWAuSbbJjM/new-android-phone-get-started.html

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More problems for RIM as BBM Canada sues over abbreviation of BlackBerry Messenger

For as long as many can remember, BlackBerry Messenger has been known by the abbreviation BBM. Now, a broadcasting trade body known as BBM Canada, is suing RIM for using the BBM abbreviation. RIM has already responded to the suit by saying that it cannot be allowed to continue because both firms are in different industries. RIM told Canadian paper The Globe and Mail that "The services associated with RIM?s BBM offering clearly do not overlap with BBM Canada?s services and the two marks are therefore eligible to co-exist under Canadian trademark law."

BBM Canada dates back to 1944 and sells data analysis to broadcasters. The company says its employees are always confused with RIM employees because of the use of the BBM abbreviation for BlackBerry Messenger. And because the company uses smartphone apps to collect? some of its data, BBM Canada says that its business is not that far off from RIM's business.

RIM, which does promote its messenger service as BBM, attempted to get a trademark for the BBM abbreviation in October 2009. BBM Canada says that the smartphone manufacturer was rejected. And perhaps this wouldn't seem like such a big deal if it weren't for the fact that the BlackBerry Messenger service is one of the few features on BlackBerry phones that keeps certain users from jumping to the competition like Android or the Apple iPhone. RIM has even allowed developers to integrate the free service with some apps.

This is the second legal action taken against RIM for three letters of the alphabet. Recently, RIM had to change the name of its new OS from BBX to BlackBerry 10 as the BBX name was being used by Basis International and the latter's complaint was upheld in court. If you're Mike Lazaridis or Jim Balsillie, the ball can't fall in Times Square fast enough.

source: MocoNews

Source: http://www.phonearena.com/news/More-problems-for-RIM-as-BBM-Canada-sues-over-abbreviation-of-BlackBerry-Messenger_id25083

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Sunday, December 25, 2011

Perry Criticized for Taking Texas Salary, Pension

Texas Gov. Rick Perry is one of just two Texas state officials who have the right combination of age and work experience to collect, simultaneously, a state salary and pension, the Houston Chronicle reports.

Perry, 61, joins Jerry Patterson, the 65-year-old Texas Land Commissioner, who appears qualified to collect a state pension under a law that allows only members of the so-called ?elected class? to transfer credits for previous public service.

The Chronicle sent requests for the information to the 27 statewide office holders. Most did not admit to doubling up with a salary and pension. The Chronicle said the Employees Retirement System of Texas declined to supply information on individual retirements for confidentiality reasons.

Perry has a $150,000 annual salary and will collect about $85,000 in pension income in 2011.

"The state law that allows certain elected officials who have held multiple offices or have previous experience in the military or state government to transfer credits and collect retirement pay before leaving public life," the paper reports. "To take advantage of the loophole, however, even older elected officials must have accumulated enough years of experience in more than one government job."

Perry has been in public office most of his adult life.

As of Jan. 30, 2011, he was able to transfer 26 years and 1 month of time accumulated. He served as an elected official as governor, agriculture commissioner, lieutenant governor and legislator and his military service also counts.

A Perry spokesman said the decision was part of the governor?s ?standard financial planning.?

The move has angered some of Texas' employee unions.

Rank-and-file Texas employees can sometimes return to state employment after retirement, but only after a 90-day waiting period and with frozen pensions, Mike Gross, vice president of the 12,000-member Texas State Employees Union, told the Chronicle.

?Whether the thing?s legal or not, the governor is locked arm in arm with a whole group of conservatives who are attacking our pension fund and then he is taking advantage of a loophole that only he and a few others have access to. It?s outrageous,? he said.

? Newsmax. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/perry-texas-salary-pension/2011/12/24/id/422069

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Analysis: Isolated on tax cut, House GOP blinks (The Arizona Republic)

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Pope laments Christmas consumerism, glitter (AP)

VATICAN CITY ? Pope Benedict XVI decried the increasing commercialization of Christmas as he celebrated Christmas Eve Mass on Saturday night, urging the faithful to look beyond the holiday's "superficial glitter" to discover its true meaning.

Benedict presided over the service in a packed St. Peter's Basilica, kicking off an intense two weeks of Christmas-related public appearances that will test the 84-year-old pontiff's stamina amid signs that fatigue is starting to slow him down.

The Christmas Eve Mass was moved up to 10 p.m. from midnight several years ago to spare the pope a late night that is followed by an important Christmas Day speech. In a new concession this year, Benedict processed down the basilica's central aisle on a moving platform to spare him the long walk.

Benedict appeared tired by the end of the Mass and a dry cough interrupted his homily.

In his homily, Benedict lamented that Christmas has become an increasingly commercial celebration that obscures the simplicity of the message of Christ's birth.

"Let us ask the Lord to help us see through the superficial glitter of this season, and to discover behind it the child in the stable in Bethlehem, so as to find true joy and true light," he said.

It was the second time in as many days that Benedict has pointed to the need to rediscover faith to confront the problems facing the world today. In his end-of-year meeting with Vatican officials on Thursday, Benedict said Europe's financial crisis was largely "based on the ethical crisis looming over the Old Continent."

Benedict officially kicked off Christmas a few hours before the evening Mass, lighting a candle in his studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square in a sign of peace, as crowds gathered to witness the unveiling of the Vatican's larger-than-life sized nativity scene.

Security was tight for the evening Mass, as it has been in recent years. There were no repeats of the 2008 and 2009 Christmas Eve security breaches, in which a woman with a history of psychiatric problems and wearing a telltale red sweat shirt jumped the wooden security barrier along the basilica's central aisle and lunged for the pope.

In 2008, the pope's security detail blocked her from getting to Benedict. But in 2009, she managed to grab Benedict's vestments and pulled him to the ground. The pope was unhurt and continued along with the service, but a French cardinal who was nearby fell and broke his hip.

On Sunday, Benedict will deliver his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" speech, Latin for "to the city and the world," from the central loggia of St. Peter's overlooking the piazza. Usually, the speech is a survey of sorts of the hardships and wars confronting humanity. He's also due to deliver Christmas greetings in dozens of languages.

Next weekend, he'll preside over a New Year's Eve vespers service, followed by a New Year's Day Mass. A few days later he'll celebrate Epiphany Mass followed by his traditional baptizing of babies in the Vatican's frescoed Sistine Chapel.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111224/ap_on_re_eu/eu_vatican_christmas_eve

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Saturday, December 24, 2011

China tightens rules for microblog publishers: Xinhua (Reuters)

BEIJING (Reuters) ? China further tightened rules on microblogs on Thursday, requiring new authors on seven websites in southern Guangdong province to register their real names, state-run Xinhua news agency reported, in a move users decried as ineffective.

Microblogs such as Sina's Weibo allow users to issue messages of a maximum of 140 Chinese characters that can course through tens of millions users everyday, defying censors with posts on sensitive topics such as human rights and the foibles of the top leadership.

The new rule was quickly mocked by microbloggers whose posts in many cases have sparked off national online protests against official corruption and reported events such as the deadly collision of a bullet train this year quicker and more accurately than official media.

"I say a couple of things, and they're going to come get me?" said one, using the name Pan Gui. "China has more than a billion people; if a few hundred million complain are they going to have a place to put them all away?"

"What's this about?" wrote another, posting as Wang Weijin. "They want to control our freedom of speech???"

It is not clear how many microbloggers there are among China's nearly half-billion Internet users. Some estimates say 300 million.

But Xinhua quoted Tong Liqiang, executive deputy director of the Beijing Internet Information Office, as putting the number at 63 million -- with 600 million microblog IDs in Beijing alone. But many are unused dummy accounts.

Websites in Guangzhou and Shenzhen cities in Guangdong including Tencent Holdings Ltd, China's biggest Internet company by revenue, will only require newly registering users to provide their real names, the report said.

Users will continue to be allowed to post using their real names or pseudonyms.

The new regulation is intended to "foster healthy Internet culture" and "strengthen management and guide social networking services and instant-messaging tools," Xinhua quoted a statement from Guangdong province as saying.

"Experts claim the new rules will purify the Internet environment, as fake and fraudulent information is often seen spreading through microblogs, which are gaining popularity among users."

Last week Beijing authorities gave all Weibo users 90 days to register their real names or face unspecified consequences.

(Reporting by Terril Yue Jones)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111222/wr_nm/us_china_microblogs

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Paul Forecast a "Race War" (Taegan Goddard's Political Wire)

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Friday, December 23, 2011

Sony Classics nabs Woody Allen's "Nero Fiddled" (omg!)

Director Woody Allen walks on the set during the shooting of his next movie "The Bop Decameron" in downtown Rome July 25, 2011. REUTERS/Remo Casilli

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Coming off the success of "Midnight in Paris," Sony Pictures Classics has acquired North American and UK rights to Woody Allen's next picture, "Nero Fiddled," the company said Wednesday.

Sony Classics plans a summer release.

"Nero" is Allen's fifth film with Sony Classics and Allen's first movie shot in Rome.

The romantic comedy originally was titled "The Bop Decameron." It is told in four vignettes.

Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penelope Cruz, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig and Ellen Page star.

Letty Aronson, Steve Tenenbaum, Giampaulo Letta and Faruk Alatan produced the Medusa Film and Gravier production.

Sony helped make Allen's last comedy, "Midnight in Paris," into the biggest hit of the director's career. In a surprise summer breakout, "Midnight" grossed nearly $50 million at the North American box office and received four Golden Globe nominations.

Sony Classics also released Allen's "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger," starring Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts, Josh Brolin and Frieda Pinto; "Whatever Works," starring Larry David, Patricia Clarkson and Evan Rachel Wood; and "Sweet and Lowdown," starring Sean Penn and Samantha Morton.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_sony_classics_nabs_woody_allens_nero_fiddled015655774/43978539/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/sony-classics-nabs-woody-allens-nero-fiddled-015655774.html

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ultrasn0w bumped to version 1.2.5, now unlocking even more iOS 5.0.1 devices

Given that you're out on Christmas break and all, isn't it about time you finally tried out that whole "unlocking" thing you've been hearing about? A new build of ultrasn0w just hit the Cydia app store, with v1.2.5 adding more support for iOS 5.0.1. Of note, novice jailbreakers may want to reach out to more experienced pals before embarking, as you'll need a a compatible baseband in order for the unlock to work. The iPhone 3GS (running iOS 5.0.1.) is supported with the following basements: 04.26.08 - 05.11.07 - 05.12.01 - 05.13.04 - 06.15.00. The iPhone 4 is supported if your baseband checks in as 01.59.00. If you're looking to upgrade from a dustier firmware, make sure you preserve your baseband before unlocking. Hit the source link for a few tips, and remember: friends don't let friends jailbreak before completing a backup.

ultrasn0w bumped to version 1.2.5, now unlocking even more iOS 5.0.1 devices originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/21/ultrasn0w-bumped-to-version-1-2-5-now-unlocking-even-more-ios-5/

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Thursday, December 22, 2011

Clinton urges stable transition in NKorea (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The Obama administration called for a peaceful and stable leadership transition in North Korea on Tuesday, after the death of the reclusive nation's leader Kim Jong Il.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the United States is still looking for better relations with the North Korean people despite the "evolving situation" there and on the rest of the Korean peninsula. She did not mention if or how Kim's death or the "evolving situation" on the peninsula would affect the U.S. approach to his country.

However, U.S. officials have said Kim's passing and assumption of power of his son, Kim Jong Un, will likely delay anticipated developments on resuming nuclear disarmament talks with the North and supplying the nation with food aid.

"We both share a common interest in a peaceful and stable transition in North Korea as well as ensuring regional peace and stability," Clinton told reporters at the State Department after a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Kemba. "We reiterate our hope for improved relations with the people of North Korea and remain deeply concerned about their well-being."

Kemba said the U.S. and Japan "shared the recognition that it is important to make sure that the latest events would not negatively affect the peace and stability on the Korean peninsula."

Neither Clinton nor Kemba took questions from reporters.

The administration had been expected to decide, possibly as early as Monday, whether to try to re-engage the reclusive country in nuclear negotiations and provide it with food aid, U.S. officials said Sunday. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, said Kim's death would likely delay the effort.

The officials said the U.S. was concerned about any changes Kim's death might spark in the military postures of North and South Korea, but were hopeful calm would prevail, despite the test of a short-range missile by the North just hours after the announcement of Kim's death.

The top U.S. military officer, Gen. Martin Dempsey, told reporters in Germany the United States and its allies had not seen any change "in North Korean behavior of a nature that would alarm us," according to the American Forces Press Service. The Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman said there had been no changes to the alert readiness for U.S. forces on the peninsula although South Korea has put its military and police on alert.

The White House said it was in constant contact with allies South Korea and Japan, but it offered no substantive comment on the implications of Kim's death. President Barack Obama spoke with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak at midnight and the two leaders agreed to stay in close touch.

"The president reaffirmed the United States' strong commitment to the stability of the Korean peninsula and the security of our close ally, the Republic of Korea," the White House said in a statement early Monday.

Obama and Clinton were both briefed on Kim's death, the White House and State Department said.

Kim's death was announced by state media in a "special broadcast" from Pyongyang late Sunday. The report said Kim died of a heart attack on a train due to a "great mental and physical strain" on Dec. 17 during a "high intensity field inspection." North Korea will hold a national mourning period until Dec. 29. Kim's funeral will be held on Dec. 28, it said.

The U.S. officials stressed that North Korea's past behavior has been notoriously erratic, making predictions about its intentions difficult. However, they said they believed there would not be significant changes in North Korean policies under Kim's son and heir apparent Kim Jong Un until at least after the mourning period ends.

Kim's death came as the Obama administration was debating whether to go ahead with a new round of nuclear disarmament talks with the North and whether to provide food aid to the country, which has been struggling with crippling food shortages.

The administration had been poised to announce a significant donation of food aid to North Korea this week, the first concrete accomplishment after months of behind-the-scenes diplomatic contacts between the two wartime enemies, according to sources close to the negotiations. And, an agreement by North Korea to suspend its controversial uranium enrichment program was expected to follow within days, the sources said.

Suspension of uranium enrichment by North Korea had been a key outstanding demand from both the U.S. and South Korea of the North, which has tested two atomic devices in the past five years. Recent food talks in Beijing yielded a breakthrough on uranium enrichment, the sources said.

The food aid announcement, which could have come as early as Monday, would have not only been welcome news for North Korea, but also pave the way for a crucial U.S.-North Korea meeting in Beijing on Thursday. That meeting in turn could lead to the resumption of nuclear disarmament talks that would also include China, Japan, Russia and South Korea.

The so-called six-party talks were last held three years ago, and resuming them would amount to a foreign policy coup for the Obama administration.

Two senior U.S. diplomats were in North Korea's lone ally China last week to discuss the issues. They were due to meet Obama's top national security aides on Monday to discuss the way forward. Those meetings will go ahead in the wake of Kim's passing but decisions will almost certainly be delayed as it is not clear if North Korean officials will be in position to handle any engagement with the outside, the U.S. officials said.

__

AP writer Richard Lardner contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/usmilitary/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111219/ap_on_re_us/us_us_nkorea

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