Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Victims of Tsunami in South Pacific (Samoa)



Victims of the tsunami that swept across the South Pacific had only minutes to escape the deadly waves and in some cases didn't receive alerts of danger, despite years of work to upgrade early-warning systems across the region.

At least 99 people were killed and dozens left missing by the tsunami, which inundated tourist resorts and local villages after a massive 8.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Samoa early Tuesday morning local time. Disaster authorities warned the death toll could rise significantly over the next few days as the full scale of the disaster – much of which occurred in remote areas – is assessed.

AUDIO

WSJ reporter Patrick Barta discusses the damage from the Tsunami that hit Samoa and the surrounding islands, and the difficulty of assessing the situation in remote areas.

WSJ Topics

Tsunamis
View Slideshow

Associated Press
A boat from Malaloa Marina is seen on the edge of the main highway in the village of Fagatogo in American Samoa.
More interactive graphics and photos

News Hub: Tsunami Hits Samoa, Wipes Out Village
1:50
Reporting from Wellington, New Zealand, Dow Jones Newswires' Simon Louisson tells The News Hub at least one village in Samoa was wiped out by a tsunami wave. The wave followed a massive earthquake that struck close to the Pacific Island group.
Fears of further waves generally abated late in the day as relief workers set about treating victims and recovering bodies that were washing up along the shores. Although small waves were measured as far away as Japan, that country withdrew its tsunami warnings by afternoon and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii, which monitors possible tsunami threats in the region and issued its own temporary warnings earlier, didn't raise fresh alerts.

The warnings appeared to help prevent injury in some areas. Residents in the Samoan capital of Apia said emergency officials fanned out across the city to warn of the Tsunami Warning Center's first alerts, while staff at Aggie Grey's, a historic hotel along the waterfront, said they quickly moved guests to upper levels to escape danger.

"There were sirens and emergency workers all over the place, pestering people to walk up the hill," said Cherelle Jackson, a resident. But much of the worst danger "was on the other side of the island," she said, and informing residents in those areas, which are less densely populated, was much harder. In some places, she and others said, the messages didn't get through.

Indeed, the fact that many people died in the Samoan islands underscores the most vexing element of planning for tsunamis: Often the biggest challenge isn't knowing when a tsunami is coming, but getting the information out to everyone once the risk arises.

Although Samoa has a system to alert residents by text message, it was unclear if messages went sent out to all parts of the country and residents said some radio stations never interrupted their music. Mobile-phone service is spotty in some rural parts of Samoa, which may have complicated matters. Calls to Samoan government officials were not answered by day's end.

Morison McGregor, a 47-year IT consultant who lives in Denmark, says he and his girlfriend received no official warning after they felt the earthquake while at a resort along the Samoan coast, so they assumed everything was okay. Within ten minutes, though, his girlfriend saw a wave coming and started signaling for the two of them to flee, he said.

"When you looked back you could see a three- to four-meter wall of water behind you," he said. They ran to a hill about 100 to 150 meters away and escaped without major injury, though they lost their passports, laptops and other possessions.

Several other guests were killed, he said, including a Brazilian woman who was staying in an adjacent villa and a three-year old child of a British man there. More than a dozen other residents in the area were killed as well, and the resort was largely destroyed, he said.

"It's easy for us because we can go back home, we can replace our laptops, but people there have nothing," he said.

Experts generally agree that tsunami detection methods have improved significantly over the years through the use of high-tech buoys and other equipment that measure changes in water pressure. Such information is used by scientific centers like the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center to alert governments, which then must notify their citizens.

Governments in the South Pacific, meanwhile, have taken their own steps, especially since a massive tsunami hit South and Southeast Asia in December 2004, killing more than 200,000 people. Their efforts have included boosting training of disaster-preparedness staff and identifying more evacuation routes, experts say.


Tsunamis Sweep Samoa
1:28
A series of tsunamis smashing into American and Western Samoa in the Pacific have killed possibly more than 100 people, according to officials. Courtesy Reuters
But many people in Asia and the South Pacific live in remote areas that may not have been listening for radio or phone warnings. The problem was compounded in the case of the latest tsunami because the earthquake occurred so close to land, about 125 miles (200 kilometers) from Samoa and American Samoa, meaning there was only a matter of minutes before the waves began sweeping ashore.

Many people "did get a warning, as I understand it, but it was a very short time because the earthquake wasn't far offshore," said Bob McMullan, Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance in Australia. At least one Australian woman was killed, and six others were missing. "I don't think the tsunami warning failed; I just think there wasn't time for it to have effect," he said, though he added, "we'll have to have a look at whether there was a planning or information problem."

In cases involving earthquakes that are so close to the shore, "the propagation of warnings from official sources" can be "useless," added Sanny Ramos Jegillos a regional crisis prevention and recovery coordinator for the United Nations Development Program in Bangkok. What may be needed, he said, is more training of local communities to teach residents and tourists that they must evacuate to higher ground even without official warnings whenever a strong earthquake occurs.


It remained difficult to get a full reading of the damage due to problems in reaching remote areas by phone or by road. On one Samoan island, a giant boat was found washed ashore alongside a highway, while wetlands were filled with trash and debris. Several tourist resorts reported partial or total destruction.

Hundreds of people in Samoa were being treated for injuries, the Associated Press reported, with many continuing to straggle into treatment centers late in the day, and the Samoa Red Cross said it had opened five temporary shelters to help with the 15,000 people who were affected by the tsunami. At least 63 people were dead in Samoa, and 30 were killed in American Samoa, the AP said, citing local police and other officials.

Authorities in Tonga confirmed at least six people were killed in that nearby island nation, the AP said.

At the Sinalei Reef Resort and Spa, a posh retreat of white sand beaches and bungalows along Samoa's southern coast, a restaurant and pier were severely damaged or destroyed, along with the resort's presidential suite and honeymoon villa, according to a note from management posted on the resort's Web site. The resort said that all guests and staff were safe and relocated to other undamaged resorts and that Sinalei is now closed until further notice. An employee who answered the phone at the resort said staff were too busy to answer additional questions.

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EU sends aid to Asian typhoon victims


Ketsana (Ondoy) ravage in Philippines Killing nearly 250 people

The European Union is sending aid and rapid response teams to several Asian-Pacific countries stricken by a tsunami and a typhoon.

The European Commission has announced 150,000 euros ($219,000) in emergency aid to the Samoan Islands which were hit by a deadly tsunami on Tuesday.

"This initial funding will be disbursed to the International Red Cross Federation ... to assist with primary emergency needs in Samoa," the EU's executive said on Wednesday.

The death toll from the tsunami, which was triggered by an 8.0 magnitude quake off American Samoa in the Pacific Ocean, rose above 100 on Wednesday. At least 77 died in Samoa, over 25 in neighbouring American Samoa and at least six people were killed in nearby Tonga.

"Thankfully the alarm sounded on the radio and gave people time to climb to higher ground. But not everyone escaped," said Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi.

Amateur video footage from Samoa showed demolished villages and cars stuck in treetops where they had been hurled by the force of the wave.

Later on Wednesday, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre cancelled a tsunami watch for Indonesia, India, Thailand and Malaysia after a second 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

In a separate move, the European Commission announced two million euros ($2.9 million) of emergency humanitarian aid to help the victims of typhoon Ketsana in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
This comes on top of a similar sum provided for the Philippines, the country that was worst hit by the typhoon.
"These initial fast-track funds are for basic emergency needs but we recognise that people may need humanitarian support for some time after this tragedy. We are ready to boost our support further, if required," said EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Karel De Gucht.

Ketsana has killed over 300 people since Saturday, with the Philippines worst hit with up to 246 dead, according to figures released on Wednesday.

The European Commission's humanitarian aid department has deployed a rapid response team to Vietnam where Ketsana has destroyed or damaged an estimated 190,000 homes.

"We need to get help to the affected people as quickly as possible which is why we are mobilising more financial and human resources," de Gucht said.

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Despite tsunami tragedy, Survivor: Samoa to air as scheduled



The Survivor: Samoa cast -- Ashley Trainer, Monica Padilla, Brett Clouser, Natalie White, Jaison Robinson, Marisa Calihan (bottom row, L-R), Erik Cardona, Betsy Bolan, Mick Trimming, Dave Ball, John Fincher, Laura Morett, Russell Swan, Kelly Sharbaugh, Ben Browning, Russell Hantz, Shannon “Shambo” Waters, Elizabeth Kim and Mike Borassi (top row, L-R).

Every so often, harsh reality intrudes on reality TV.

That was never more true than Tuesday afternoon, as word emerged from the South Pacific that a tsunami triggered by a strong undersea earthquake killed at least 28 people on the island nations of Samoa and American Samoa.

Survivor was filmed this past summer on the major island of Upolu, and so the tsunami did not have a direct effect on the program’s production. Upolu was reported to be one of the hardest-hit regions, however.

There was a chance early Wednesday that CBS might pull the episode, out of respect to the tsunami victims, or else broadcast a public service announcement for flood relief.

Survivor: Samoa is broadcast in Canada by Global TV, and is one of this country’s most watched prime-time entertainment programs, with an estimated weekly audience of more than 2.5 million viewers, according to BBM Canada.

Earlier this summer, CBS replaced a repeat episode of CSI: New York set in Athens during the same week out-of-control brush fires threatened much of southern Greece.

In Survivor’s 10-year, 19-edition history, the program’s producers have had a history of supporting charitable causes and relief operations throughout the developing world in countries where the popular reality series was based.

Proceeds from the sale of clothing and artifacts from last year’s Survivor: Gabon were donated to The Alliance for Children’s Rights and Survivor host Jeff Probst’s Serpentine Project. Similarly, proceeds from a commemorative organic cotton Survivor: Gabon T-shirt, designed by U2 singer Bono and his wife Ali Hewson for their socially conscious clothing line Edun Live, were directed to a program promoting sustainable employment throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

Survivor: Samoa is scheduled to air weekly throughout the fall and early winter, until the program’s live finale and reunion show in mid-December. It is possible that, depending on the seriousness of reports emanating from the South Pacific late Wednesday, the production will become actively involved in raising funds for those displaced by the tsunami.

Reports say an 8.3-magnitude earthquake struck the South Pacific region some 190 kilometres southwest of the main Samoan town of Apia at 1748 GMT, generating 4.5-metre waves across both Samoa and American Samoa.

Many of the more remote, far-flung island areas are only a metre or two above sea level. The Red Cross reported that at least 14 people had been killed in both Samoa and American Samoa, according to Agence France-Presse.

There were unconfirmed reports of “bodies everywhere” in a regional hospital on Upolu, according to the BBC.

Despite the apparent seriousness and loss of life from Tuesday’s tsunami, early reports from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggested that the quake contained just three per cent of the energy generated by the December 2004 earthquake that caused the Indonesian tsunami which killed more than 200,000 people in 11 countries.

Barring a last-minute change, Survivor: Samoa is scheduled to air Thursday at 8 ET/PT on both Global and CBS.

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Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Robot obeys its Master’s thoughts



Of course, I was completely mesmerized when I saw this particular item of interest: a robot that obeys your thoughts.

Stop right there. Is this serious? Apparently so. Inventor Taku Ichikawa of the University of Electro-Communications in Tokyo is creating this robot for the Robo-One contest in Toyama, Japan.
The Robo-One is sort of a battlebots style competition, and I suppose that thoughts really are the best interface for that. Unfortunately, this is about all the information my sources have about this.
In other words, I have no idea if the user has to “think real hard” in order to get this robot to move, or if thinking about other things will distract the robot as well as the user.
A thought based interface is probably the best choice for any type of robot manipulation. It’s a lot better than that keyboard that the bad guy used to control Deadpool in at the end of that Wolverine movie. I mean, he has to type in “DECAPITATE” for crying out loud.
However, robots that are controlled by our thoughts? That seems a little too science fiction for me. And if there is one thing that science fiction has taught us is that mind and robots don’t mix.

Source1 and Source2

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Hands on Review of 19-Key USB Numeric Keypad and Optical Mouse



For those who have notebooks or netbooks, you may have noticed a lack of numeric keypad with your particular model. You could probably get a USB numeric keypad if you really wanted one of those, but you are probably going to also have to purchase a mouse.

Why not combine those purchases with the Adesso 19 Key USB Numeric Keypad? In addition to having the number pad, the mouse has 1000 dpi resolution. When I tried it out, it was a lot smoother than my usual mouse.
The keypad has a transparent cover that flips up when in use, and closes conveniently when not needed. The keypad is perfect for quick calculations on the Calculator program, or for more complex accounting calculations for Quicken or Microsoft Money. There is a video of it after the jump if you want to see it in action.
As an added bonus, it has a glowing scroll wheel. The Adesso Keypad mouse is completely driver-free, so it plugs right in, and it is easily recognized.
My only complaint is that I’m not certain why Adesso has a “000″ button on the keypad, as I would have put a “00″ button there. I used to work at a bank, and if you can hit “00″ instead of one zero, it saves time. However, I rarely had to input three zeroes. Clearly, this keypad is made for some big money makers.
The Adesso 19 Key USB Numeric Keypad can be purchased from the Adesso site for about $27.99. More information about it can be obtained here.


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Iran Test-Fires Missiles That Put Israel in Range



PARIS — Locked in a deepening dispute with the United States and its allies over its nuclear program, Iran said Monday that its Revolutionary Guards had test-fired missiles with sufficient range to strike Israel, parts of Europe and American bases in the Persian Gulf.

“Iranian missiles are able to target any place that threatens Iran,” a senior Revolutionary Guards official, Abdullah Araqi, was quoted as saying by the semiofficial Fars news agency.

The reported tests of the medium-range, liquid-fueled Shahab-3 and the solid-fueled Sejil-2 missiles on Monday, as well as short-range missiles on Sunday, came just days after President Obama and the leaders of France and Britain used the disclosure of a previously secret nuclear processing plant under construction in Iran to threaten Tehran with a stronger response to its efforts to enrich uranium.

Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but many in the West say it is seeking to develop a nuclear weapon. The Obama administration is now working to assemble a package of tougher sanctions, which could include a cutoff of investments to the country’s oil and gas industry as well as restrictions on many more Iranian banks, senior administration officials said Sunday.

The first direct contact in decades between the United States and Iran is scheduled to take place Thursday at international talks in Geneva. Analysts said the launchings might have been intended to give Iranian negotiators the appearance of a stronger hand at the talks.

A spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said at a news conference that the missile tests had been planned for some time and were not linked to the nuclear dispute, the state-run, English-language Press TV reported. The report said the tests were part of an effort to improve Iran’s defenses.

Concern about Iranian hostility toward Israel is matched by frequent speculation that Israel might carry out a strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons.

Hassan Qashqavi, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, said Monday that the just-disclosed enrichment facility was in Fordo, a village about 115 miles south of Tehran, and 60 miles from Natanz, the site of Iran’s other enrichment plant, The Associated Press reported. That would place it, as United States officials have said, close to the holy city of Qum.

Less than two weeks ago Mr. Obama canceled a plan from the administration of George W. Bush to station a radar facility in the Czech Republic and 10 ground-based interceptors in Poland as part of what had been described as a shield against potential missile attacks from Iran.

The Obama administration now plans to deploy smaller SM-3 interceptors by 2011, first aboard ships and later in Europe, possibly in Poland or the Czech Republic.

On Sunday, Iran test-fired three short-range missiles with a range of 90 to 125 miles as part of a military exercise named the Great Prophet IV, the state-run television said. Press TV said the tests of the Shahab-3 and Sejil-2 on Monday were also part of the exercise.

An “optimized” Shahab-3 missile has a range of 800 to 1,250 miles, it said. The Sejil-2, a two-stage missile, is more sophisticated than the Shahab-3, although it has a similar range. Parts of western Iran lie some 650 miles from Tel Aviv.

Iran first acquired the Shahab-3 from North Korea. Because the Sejil-2 is powered by solid fuel, experts said, it can be stored in mountains, transported, reassembled and fired on shorter notice, and thus could be harder for Israel or other nations to target.

The military exercise and escalating tensions with the West coincide with a period of political uncertainty in Iran, in the aftermath of Iran’s disputed June 12 election.

On Monday a protest erupted at Tehran University, the first of the new school year and the first since the demonstrations that followed the vote, when opponents accused President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of falsifying results.

The Revolutionary Guards were essential to safeguarding the president’s victory and led the violent crackdown after the election that opposition leaders say killed at least 72 people.

The force, which also runs the country’s missile program, remains close to Mr. Ahmadinejad and accountable only to the supreme religious leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

On Sunday, in a deal that underlined its expanding economic and political power, the Revolutionary Guards purchased just over 50 percent of Iran’s Telecommunication Company in a $7.8 billion deal.

The Revolutionary Guards, in addition to being part of Iran’s military complex, has in recent years become one of the largest conglomerates in the country. It has been awarded more than 750 construction, oil and gas contracts and has its own ports.

Its political influence has also increased, with many of its members elected to Parliament in 2003 or appointed as cabinet ministers in 2004.

Now, the Revolutionary Guards’ hold on the country’s telecommunications systems will give it further control over land-line, Internet and cellphone services. On election day, the country’s text messaging service was cut off; the cellphone network was disconnected during the unrest that followed. Opposition leaders accused the government of misusing state-run services.

The deal announced Sunday was part of the government’s plan to privatize business sectors. But critics have complained that the government is awarding institutions close to it while the real private sector is excluded. The Revolutionary Guards’ unit involved in the deal competed only with a company affiliated with the Basij, a paramilitary organization that assisted the Revolutionary Guards in putting down the postelection protests.

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Monday, September 28, 2009

Epson Address Expert printer



What you are looking at here isn’t some miniature all-in-one desktop computer with printer, but the Epson Address Expert.

This is a printer that is set up to postcards, and that looks like all it can print. I have to admit that it has been a while since I have sent a postcard, but they are still popular in Japan, so I’m told.
The Epson Address Expert series come in two forms: the E-800 and E-600. Each of them have a 7-inch LCD display with 5760 x 1440 dpi resolution, and are PC and Mac compatible. The E-800 includes a wireless keyboard so you can compose your well-wishing messages.
I wouldn’t mind having one of these myself, because I think I should start a new habit of sending postcards to people. I guess in the age of email, nobody really uses them when you can just send a JPG. That, or post pictures of your vacation on your blog.
Yeah, we’ve just about phased postcards out of our technological online society. Perhaps this is why we should bring them back, they would be so old that they would be new.
Unfortunately, I have no word of availability or price, but I am guessing it will probably be released only in Japan.

Source

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Toshiba Qosmio X500 notebook



Toshiba is back with a brand new notebook for the masses which will be powered by the new Intel Core i7 processor. Known as the Qosmio X500 Series, it will be placed under the “enthusiast-class line of performance notebooks” that will target folks who thrive in high definition multimedia and gaming. On the outside you will notice a striking design which pleases the senses, where it will come loaded with premium technologies while the chassis will hold its fair share of impressive features within, offering hardcore gamers and digital content creators a portable, well-equipped “pro-class” notebook.

With the use of Intel’s Core i7 processor, the Qosmio X500 Series notebooks will take advantage of four cores of intelligent processing power, where it is aided by Intel’s Turbo Boost Technology while running on the latest Windows 7 operating system (which will be released sometime in October, of course). Intel’s Turbo Boost Technology will automatically enable the processor cores to run faster compared to the base operating frequency whenever it is operating below power, current and temperature specification limits, making it eke out maximum performance at all times. Apart from that, the use of ultra-fast DDR3 system memory, dual hard-drive configurations and NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250M graphics with 1GB of GDDR5 video memory makes this one drool-worthy computing companion that is able to handle just about any game you throw at it, where the Qosmio X500 will churn out lightning-fast frame-rates and spew hi-definition video and audio faster and more efficiently than ever with smooth rendering and encoding.
Expect the Qosmio X500 Series notebook to arrive in store shelves from October 22nd onwards, although there is still no word on pricing. Don’t think this will be cheap though as it ought to hold its own against other equally powerful notebooks that are powered by the Intel Core i7 processor. You will be able to pick this up in Omega Black with stylish red chrome accents that will definitely turn heads no matter where you go.

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Dell unveils new range of computers



Dell’s acquisition of Alienware all those years ago does not seem to have hampered the latter’s build quality and performance, as the company has just announced a new range of Alienware computers that will satisfy most, if not all who are into the world of high performance computers.

In fact, the new fleet of high performance gaming machines from Alienware will comprise of four factory overclocked liquid-cooled desktop systems as well as what is touted to be “the most powerful 15″ gaming laptop” in the universe – no wonder aliens from Jupiter can’t contact us – they don’t have the technology to do so! Built by Dell and Alienware teams, these new machines will sport the latest technologies, aggressive designs and unmatched customization and personalization. We’ll take a brief look at each of these machines right after the jump.
Alienware M15x – The most powerful 15″ gaming laptop in the universe, where it will feature a mobile Core i7 processor that debuted recently, accompanied by a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M GPU and is able to carry up to 8GB DDR3 1333MHz memory. With those specifications, you’re able to crank out framerates on the go like nobody’s business – just make sure to remain within reach of a power outlet if you plan to get plenty of gaming time in on your travels. Prices start from $1,499 upwards.
As for the Alienware Aurora and Aurora ALX, the former is the most upgradeable Aurora to date while the latter is the most powerful MicroATX desktop from the Alienware stable ever. Both of them will be powered by the new Intel Core i7 processor, where you can opt for the Extreme Edition 3.6GHz overclocked processor if you have the dough. Features include dual 1GB ATI Radeon HD 5870 graphics cards, up to 24GB DDR3 1333MHz memory or 12GB DDR3 1600MHz memory and a maximum of 2TB of hard drive storage space. Despite cramming all that in, you will see that they’re pretty happy in a compact, MicroATX chassis with prices starting from $1,299 upwards.
The Alienware Area-51 and Area-51 ALX will target extreme gamers and tech enthusiasts who want nothing but the best. These lines will boast factory overclocked Intel Core i7 processors of up to 3.86GHz for peak performance at all times. Other features include dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 graphics cards, up to 12GB DDR3 memory clocked at 1333MHz or 1600MHz, cable-free hard drive bays and RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 10 configurations. Expect to fork out at least $1,999 for the most basic model.
Last but not least is the Alienware M17x laptop that will sport the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4870 in either single or ATI CrossFireX configurations, allowing you to achieve another 145% increase in graphical performance.

Press Release

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Cars You Can't Drive in the U.S.



From the boons of Ford's assembly line and Eisenhower's interstate highway system to the banes of suburban sprawl and oil dependence, U.S. history is closely tied to the automobile. But that doesn't mean Americans are privy to any ride they want. Carmakers like BMW, Ford, and Volkswagen design and manufacture all kinds of vehicles for consumers in different countries with separate needs and budgets. Here, gaze on internationally released cars you're unlikely to see in U.S.
showrooms any time soon.

1. Alfa Romeo Brera

Designer: Giorgetto Giugiaro
Available: Europe

More from BusinessWeek.com:

• The Cars You Won't See in the U.S.

• Best of the Frankfurt Auto Show 2009

• Carmakers' Cash-for-Clunkers Hangover
Famed Italian carmaker Pininfarina added some flair to this sporty two-door coupe. It has the front end of an old-school muscle car, but the lines and hatchback give it a more modern look.

2. Artega GT

Designer: Henrik Fisker
Available: Europe

Designed by the man who cooked up the Aston Martin V8 Vantage and the BMW Z8 , this sports car takes its cues from classic Ferrari and Porsche shapes. Its carbon-fiber reinforced body keeps the vehicle light and quick.

More from Yahoo! Finance:

• What the Future Holds for Legendary Car Brands

• Save Up to $1,500 per Year on Your Energy Bill

• The Most Expensive Cars on the Road
Visit the Family & Home Center
3. BMW E61 M5 Touring

Designer: Chris Bangle
Available: Europe

BMW isn't known for wagons in America, but that would undoubtedly change if the M5 Touring crossed the pond. The design retains pared down elegance of a traditional BMW, while long, smooth lines and even proportions lend a sharp, tasteful look.

4. Citroën C3 Picasso

Designers: Donato Coco and Jean-Pierre Ploué
Available: Europe


Getty Images
This perky supermini still has room to boast with its four doors and giant hatch. The curvy window, fenders, and head lamps are pure European design.

5. Ford Ka

Designer: Claude Lobo
Available: Britain, Latin America

The name Ford doesn't usually conjure images of tiny cars, but the Ka is an exception. Its designer said he was inspired by the original Mini.

6. Tata Nano

Designer: Girish Wagh, Justin Norek, Pierre Castinel
Available: India

Forget air conditioning, power steering, bells, or whistles; this very affordable machine, which currently costs around $2,500, is all about getting from point A to point B.

7. HSV Grange

Available: Australia

A full-size luxury sedan, the Grange is Australia's answer to BMW's 740i or Audi's S8. Its clean lines, LED tail lights, and understated spoiler are powerful but not flashy.

8. Lancia Delta

Designer: Lancia Centro Stile
Available: Europe

The Delta blends luxury stylings with the low, sleek body of a family hatchback. The rounded sidelines and trunk reflect traditional European car design.

9. Lotus Europa S

Designer: Russell Carr
Available: Europe

This is one of the few Lotus models not to make it to the U.S. With its stealth side air intakes, low overall height, large rims, and concave hood, the sports car reeks of speed.

10. Mini Cooper D

Designer: Frank Stephenson
Available: Europe, Australia

This is the classic Mini Cooper, which is available in the U.S., but a diesel version, which is not.

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Surprising Jobs that Pay $25 an Hour



Career websites typically compile a listing of jobs that pay $25 an hour. The list of professions -- and the career training you need to pass the muster of recruiters -- can be daunting. But you don't necessarily need a post-graduate degree to qualify for a job that pays several hundred dollars a day.

While it may be true that helicopter pilots, high-tech administrators, and civil engineers earn $25 an hour or more, so do many other professionals in careers that require only an associate or bachelor's degree to leap onto the playing field.

Of course, you add to your hourly earnings by continuing your education, taking certification courses or advanced degrees that ultimately boost on-the-job responsibilities along with earnings.

Seven careers you might have overlooked paid workers $25 an hour in 2008, meaning you may be able to earn more performing the same role today. These 2008 salaries may also rise by the time you complete an online degree or career training program to pursue future job openings. Let's look at the education you'll need to land a job:

Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technician
Companies that design, test, and sell electrical and electronics devices need professionals to staff their labs. You won't need a master's degree in engineering to earn good wages. Most engineering technicians complete associate degrees in engineering at trade schools or community colleges to prepare for the field. In 2008, the mean hourly wage for engineering technicians was $25.96, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Human Resources Recruiter
In many cases, you can earn more an hour placing people in jobs than the salaries they'll receive when hired. That's what you call economic irony. And, if you remain in your human resources (HR) job, you may be able to build a hefty network and open your own personnel consulting company. To get going, enroll in an associate's or bachelor's degree program in business or human resources. In 2008, HR recruiters took home $25.90 an hour.

Paralegal or Legal Assistant
Attorneys that represent clients in local, state, and federal courts are swamped with research and paperwork duties. Hence, jobs for paralegals are expected to grow by 22 percent during the 2006-2016 decade. You can prepare by attending an online associate's or bachelor's degree program in paralegal studies. In 2008, paralegals earned just below $25 an hour ($23.46). However, top earners took home $73,450 for the year, making this a solid investment in a two-year education.

Respiratory Therapist
Breathe easy. Depending on the employer, many a respiratory therapist can land a job with as little as a two-year degree. More often, however, hospitals are looking for a bachelor's or master's degree to advance in the profession. All states require licensing. Job openings are projected to grow by 19 percent from 2006-2016. In 2008, respiratory therapists earned $25.55 an hour.

Police Officer
The physical requirements for a police officer's job are now legendary, thanks to the entertainment media. But with most agencies requiring new recruits to take departmental training, the baseline classroom training provided by an online associate's degree in law enforcement or criminal justice can greatly improve your chances of landing a job. In 2008, police officers and sheriff's deputies earned $25.39 and hour. And that's not counting shift differential compensation or overtime.

Advertising Sales Agent
With Americans becoming more cautious about their spending, companies are relying more than ever on well-placed advertising. Advertising sales agents take jobs with agencies, media companies, and corporate promotions departments. If you love closing a deal and being compensated for it, then enroll in an undergraduate degree program in advertising, journalism, public relations, business, communications, or new media. In 2008, advertising sales agents took home $25.56 an hour.

Interior Designer
More than 25 percent of all interior designers are self-employed. You're the boss and set your own hours. Jobs for the other 75 percent of working interior designers are predicted to rise by 19 percent during the 2006-2016 decade. You can prepare for the role by enrolling in an associate's or bachelor's degree program at a college or professional trade school. Or shoot for the stars and take classes in interior set design to work in the entertainment industry. Hourly pay for interior designers in 2008 averaged $24.53, just below the $25/hr mark.


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Americas Best Dance Crew Season 4 Winner



Last night was the season 4 finale, of “America’s Best Dance Crew.” And after weeks and weeks, of watching some of the most amazing dance crews battle it out, whilst busting their moves, it was down to the winner being announced.

And according to danceruniverse.com, it was “We Are Heroes,” that got crowned the season 4 winners, making it the first time in “America’s Best Dance Crew” history, that an all-girl crew has won the dance championship.

The final two dance crews were We Are Heroes and Afroborike. But America voted We Are Heroes as their best dance crew on Sunday night. They delivered great performances throughout the show, proving that an all-girl crew can win.

Do you think the right dance crew won?

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Friday, September 25, 2009

Karaoke Tube



I was so excited when I heard there was a site that turned YouTube videos into karaoke magic. KaraokeTube! (http://karaoketube.vipinnova.com/) Imagine my weekend! I thought, dreaming of belting Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera jams out to my heart's content as a record exec walks by my apartment, decides he should sign me and I become a super star and travel the world, yada yada yada…

But my dreams were squashed immediately upon visiting the site. Enjuto Mojamuto 2×13 – "El Musical"? The Killers- "Somebody Told Me"? Els Pets – "Bon dia"? What kind of songs do they think I want to sing? This isn't karaoke, this is my weird roommate from college's "studying" playlist. No thanks. Plus, the database didn't have any Britney Spears or Lady Gaga songs in it.

But- but- but- what was I going to do now? I was so disappointed. Where would I find karaoke videos ever again on the web? How would I sing? How would I get famous and get one of those limos with a pool in the back of it!?!?!

Oh, yeah. I can get karaoke songs right on YouTube. Like, thousands of them. How did I forget that?
Phew. That was a close one.

http://www.comedycentral.com/tosh.0/2009/09/24/karaoke-tube/

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Useful Online Alarm Clock



Useful Online Alarm Clock Does What It’s Supposed To Do

Today I had to wake up earlier cause I had to do something that required more attention. Well, I failed to do that probably because I was very tired from last night. So I decided to look for an online alarm clock that would ring loud enough to wake me up when I really need to get up very early in the morning. I found some very interesting alarm clock online websites that also give you the opportunity to choose from several sounds.
First of all you should setup your speakers as loud as possible, meaning enough to wake you up and to keep the rest of the family in the dreamland. The first one is called Klokoo, the online alarm clock that allows you to choose between a rooster sound, bip bip sound, electro, hip hop, rock, trance, and French songs. You just have to set the date, hours, minutes, seconds, click “set the alarm clock” and that’s it. If you don’t want the alarm to go off then just click “stop the alarm.” What’s great is that the website provides you a feed so that you can read the latest news when you wake up. The feed consists of Digg.com popular stories, but you can add your preferred RSS feed.
The other website that I found is called Kuku Klok. It sounds a little bit racist, but once you go past prejudices then you can set the clock to wake you at at any hour you want and you can choose and preview sounds like cockerel, classic clock, electronic, slayer guitar, and military trumpet.
It’s your call which one to choose!

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Bundle of Joy 19.2 Pound baby



Attention moms! Can we have your attention please? To everyone who likes to brag about giving birth to 8, 9, even 10-lb. babies, we advise you keep quiet around Ani from Indonesia. The woman recently delivered a 19.2-lb. bruiser, the heaviest newborn ever recorded in the country.

Ani's epic delivery scored a lot of attention in the Search box. After the "Today" show ran a segment and Al Roker and Matt Lauer made some lighthearted jokes, lookups on "19 pound baby," "indonesian baby," and "heaviest baby ever" all spiked immediately.

And pictures? Oh my, the baby's pictures were also hugely popular. Queries for "19 pound baby photos" jumped from nil into the thousands, and photos within Yahoo! News are drawing big clicks. Not surprisingly, the baby is said to require "near constant feeding."

For those wondering if this baby boy (as of yet unnamed, but we suggest "Hulk") is the heaviest newborn in history, the answer is no. The record belongs to an American infant born in 1879. He weighed 23 pounds, 12 ounces. Sadly, he died a few hours after being born. An ABC station reports that the heaviest baby to survive weighed 22 lbs., 8 ounces. We sure hope the big guy was always extra-nice to his mother.

Below, check out the segment from "Today."

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Tricks to Improve Your Memory



Memory, an intricate and complex function of the brain, requires millions of neurons to operate in perfect harmony. As we age, we experience memory glitches in which spontaneous memory loss occurs, such as when you can't recall something that is at the tip of your tongue.

Aging causes neuron loss, which can impact your memory of recent events. You might forget where you left your keys or the name of a person you just met. While this is a normal slip due to aging - or even due to an overtaxed mind, there are more serious non-age related types of memory loss. One is when you forget how to do things that you've done many times before or are unable to learn new things. Memory loss that gets progressively worse is also serious. Possible causes of memory loss include depression, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and other neurodegenerative brain disorders, side effects from certain drugs, stroke, trauma, and alcoholism.

If you're experiencing less serious memory loss, like having a few more senior moments lately or you are more forgetful than usual, try these memory-improving tips and tricks. (These tips and tricks for less serious memory loss. If you think you might be experiencing a more serious kind, see your physician.)

1. Don't forget to be aware
We do so many things automatically: We come home, we throw the keys down, we sit down on the couch, we flip on the television — and many of these actions are done without thinking. Then, the next morning, halfway out the front door, we may suddenly realize we have no idea where the keys are.

This exercise is a helpful memory device: Become aware and be observant of everything. Wherever you put your keys, be aware of it. Be conscious of every little action that you do. And as you're doing each thing, you can reinforce it by making a mental note to yourself: "I just put my keys on the kitchen table." When you do this on a daily basis, this will increase your ability to remember things. Sometimes it is not so much that you're aging, it's just that you're too busy to pay attention.

2. Organized in life, organized in mind
When you are organized in your house, you are organized in your mind. Designate a special area for all items. If you take the tool out of the toolbox, always put the tool back in the toolbox where it belongs. Choose a space where you will collect bills or checks — and put them in the same place every time. Having this organization will not only help you remember, it will save precious memory space for you to fill with more important things.

And if you want to not forget to do certain things, make sure you write it down — list-making is another organizational device that helps your memory. Better still, do what you need to do now and don't procrastinate, because memory is fleeting even to the most brilliant, vital person.

3. Seeing is remembering
Another trick to help you to remember things is to see them. Many people are visual and remember better with a visual reminder. If there are certain things that you need to work on, put the document out where you're going to see it and remember to work on it. Or leave yourself a note on the breakfast table where you will be sure to see it. Keep what you need within your visual field and you won't forget!

4. Herbal teas to remember
Many herbs and supplements have been researched and found to help improve your cognitive capabilities. Sit back and let these herbs keep your brain young and your memory sharp:

Green tea prevents an enzyme found in Alzheimer's disease and is also rich in polyphenols, antioxidants that help prevent premature brain aging. Drink two cups a day to get the brain benefits.
The leaf of the ginkgo tree is shaped like a human brain, and some believe this is why, in Asia, it has always had a reputation of benefiting the mental processes. A dwindling memory and decreased concentration is largely caused by decreased blood flow to the brain and loss of brain cells; ginkgo has been confirmed to boost circulation to the brain and other organs, improving memory and cognitive functions. If you are taking medications, consult your doctor before taking ginkgo.
Western medicine has recently become aware of a nutrient extracted from Chinese club moss that helps to improve learning, memory retrieval, and memory retention. The moss, Huperzia serrata, yields a substance called Huperzine A that is similar to drugs used to control Alzheimer's disease. The Chinese have used it to boost memory, and it is usually brewed as tea and given at a dose of one or two cups per day. Look for it in a health food store or Asian grocery. You can steep the moss itself in hot water, one teaspoon per cup, and drink as a tea, or you can take 50 mcg twice a day in capsule form. Because of its potent actions, you should only take Huperzine A under the supervision of your doctor.
A customized blend of Chinese herbs, featuring some of the herbs listed above, that promotes a clear and focused mind and a sharp memory is Super Clarity.
You can find more information about improving memory — and many other tips for living healthy and happy — in my book Second Spring.

I hope you find your days more memorable for many years to come! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!


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NJ woman celebrates 100th birthday



PARSIPPANY, N.J. – Astrid Thoenig got dressed, went to work and sat at her desk smiling Thursday as she slid her finger gently under the envelope flap of yet another identical birthday card. They don't make that many that say "Happy 100th."

hoenig was interrupted by a steady stream of deliverymen bringing bouquets, chocolate-dipped strawberries and stacks of cards to the Thornton Insurance Co. in Parsippany where she's been answering phones, keeping financial records, handling payroll and typing up documents for more than 30 years.
"It's another day — it's hard to explain," Thoenig said of turning 100. "I don't feel old, and I don't think old."
Born Sept. 24, 1909, in Bloomfield, N.J., Thoenig's earliest memories start in 1918, when she witnessed something so traumatic, "it erased all memories of my childhood before that."
"I remember coming down the stairs from my bedroom and saw these two coffins in the living room: one white, for my sister, and the other for the grown person," she said, recalling how the flu pandemic of 1918 killed her father and her 10-year-old sister within hours of one another. "To see my father and sister — of all the things I can't remember — that's very vivid in my mind."
Thoenig, her remaining sister, and her mother also were infected but survived. Her mother lived until 101 and her sister, who suffered permanent hearing loss from the illness, was 95 when she died. A few years ago, scientists tracked Thoenig down and took blood samples from her as one of the few remaining survivors of the pandemic of 1918-1919 that killed an estimated 30 million to 50 million people worldwide, including thousands in New Jersey.
As Thoenig turns 100, her grandson, 43-year-old Peter Thornton, said she couldn't have picked a better era.
"If you had to pick a dramatic century to live, it has to be Astrid's," he said. "The invention of the automobile and the airplane, television and computers, the moon landing and two world wars. 1780 to 1880 would have seen changes from a musket to a rifle."
Thoenig says "thinking young" has helped her take a century's worth of technological changes in stride. The daughter of Swedish immigrants, she credits her strong constitution, a wonderful family and getting up every day to get dressed and go to work with keeping her mind sharp.
Thoenig once sewed all her own clothes and still dresses elegantly, accenting with gold jewelry, colorful glasses and a full head of blond hair that makes her look decades younger. Her strong, agile hands come from a lifetime of typing, knitting and embroidering.
Married twice — her first husband died from injuries that earned him a Purple Heart in World War II — Thoenig started working shortly after high school, and has held positions at banks, lawyer's offices and for the borough of Caldwell.
Her current job is her favorite — working alongside her son, John Thornton, and grandson Peter at the family-owned insurance company.
"I'm 67, and one of our jokes is: 'How can I retire before my mother does?'" John Thornton said. He says his mother is a meticulous worker, reviewing contracts, preparing the payroll, making sure bills are paid, and is always pleasant company.
Thoenig credits her son for giving her the job, taking her to work — although she still drove until age 98 when a botched hip operation made it difficult to get around — and always being patient.
The growing stack of birthday cards may have identical motifs, but the messages inside them each touched her in their own way. Some, sent by people she's never met, were from seniors who continue to work and are inspired by her example: "I'm at my job 37 years and still love it," someone wrote.
She took special delight in a bouquet from her dentist with the message: "This is only the beginning!"

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Thursday, September 24, 2009

Pregnant Women Pregnant again?



In an extremely rare case, an expectant woman conceives another child..


http://gmy.news.yahoo.com/vid/15718290/

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Hope Diamond Goes Naked



WASHINGTON – For the first time, the famed and feared Hope Diamond is on display au naturel.

The doors were locked.

Tense looking security guards took their positions.

In rolled a cart, a white cloth covering its contents.

Smithsonian Institution officials lifted the cloth. "The Hope Diamond naked," proclaimed Jeffrey Post, curator of the National Gem Collection.

The world's largest blue diamond went on public display Wednesday, for the first time without its ornate setting.

Perched atop a light gray display post, the 45.5-carat, walnut-size diamond will be on view by itself for several months while a new setting is prepared.

Called "Embracing Hope," the new setting will surround the star gem in a ribbon of white diamonds. It was chosen from three proposals in an online vote, winning 45,000 out of a total 110,000 votes cast, said Cristian Samper, director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

The new display is part of a celebration of the Hope Diamond's half-century at the museum. It was donated in 1958 by jeweler Harry Winston, whose firm is preparing the new setting.

Long rumored to carry a curse, the diamond has brought the museum "nothing but good luck," said Post, noting that it inspired many other gifts and forms the basis of the National Gem Collection.

That was Winston's plan, he added, noting that the jeweler once commented that even though the United States doesn't have a king or queen, it should have crown jewels.

Previously the Hope Diamond has been shown in a platinum setting, surrounded by 16 white pear-shaped and cushion-cut diamonds, suspended from a chain containing forty-five diamonds. The Hope will return to this original setting in late 2010.

Formed more that a billion years ago, the diamond was mined in India and later is believed to have been part of the French crown jewels, having been stolen during the French Revolution. It later came into the possession of Henry Philip Hope, whose name it carries.

It's blue color comes from the element boron included in the stone itself. Exposed to ultraviolet light, the Hope Diamond glows red-orange.

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It's not lunacy, probes find water in moon dirt



WASHINGTON – The moon isn't the dry dull place it seems. Traces of water lurk in the dirt unseen.

Three different space probes found the chemical signature of water all over the moon's surface, surprising the scientists who at first doubted the unexpected measurement until it was confirmed independently and repeatedly.

It's not enough moisture to foster homegrown life on the moon. But if processed in mass quantities, it might provide resources — drinking water and rocket fuel — for future moon-dwellers, scientists say. The water comes and goes during the lunar day.

It's not a lot of water. If you took a two-liter soda bottle of lunar dirt, there would probably be a medicine dropperful of water in it, said University of Maryland astronomer Jessica Sunshine, one of the scientists who discovered the water. Another way to think of it is if you want a drink of water, it would take a baseball diamond's worth of dirt, said team leader Carle Pieters of Brown University.

"It's sort of just sticking on the surface," Sunshine said. "We always think of the moon as dead and this is sort of a dynamic process that's going on."

The discovery, with three studies bring published in the journal Science on Thursday and a NASA briefing, could refocus interest in the moon. The appeal of the moon waned after astronauts visited 40 years ago and called it "magnificent desolation."

The announcement comes two weeks before a NASA probe purposely smashes near the moon's south pole to see if it can kick up buried ice. Over the last decade, astronomers have found some signs of underground ice on the moon's poles. But this latest discovery is quite different. It finds unexpected and pervasive water clinging to the surface of soil, not absorbed into it.

"It is drier than any desert we have here," Sunshine said.

The water was spotted by spacecraft that either circled the moon or flew by. All three ships used the same type of instrument that looked at the absorption of a specific wavelength of light that is the chemical signature of only two molecules: water and hydroxyl. Hydroxyl is one atom of hydrogen with one atom of oxygen, instead of two hydrogen atoms in water.

Because of the timing during the daylight when some of that wavelength disappears and some doesn't, it shows that both hydroxyl and water are present, Sunshine said.

This light wavelength was first discovered by an instrument on the Indian lunar satellite Chandrayaan-1, which stopped operating last month. Scientists initially figured something was wrong with the instrument because everyone knew the moon did not have a drop of water on the surface, Pieters said.

"We argued literally for months amongst ourselves to find out where the problem was," Pieters said. Sunshine, who was on the team, had a similar instrument on NASA's Deep Impact probe, headed for a comet but swinging by the moon in June. So Deep Impact looked for the water-hydroxyl signature — and found it.

Scientists also looked back at the records of NASA's Cassini probe, which is circling Saturn. It has the same type instrument and whizzed by the moon ten years ago. Sure enough, it had found the same thing.

The chance that three different instruments malfunctioned in the same way on three different spaceships is almost zilch, so this confirms that it's water and hydroxyl, Pieters said.

"There's just no question that it's there," Pieters said. "It's unequivocal."

Scientists testing lunar samples returned to Earth by astronauts did find traces of water, but they had figured it was contamination from moisture in Earth air, Pieters said.

Three scientists who were not part of the team of discoverers said the conclusion makes sense, with Arizona State University's Ron Greeley using the same word as Pieters: unequivocal.

Lunar and Planetary Institute senior scientist Paul Spudis called it exciting and said it raises the logical question: Where did that water come from?

Pieters figures there are three possibilities: It came from comets or asteroids that crashed into the moon, those crashes freed up trapped water from below the surface, or the solar wind carries hydrogen atoms that binds with oxygen in the dirt. That final possibility is the one that Sunshine and Pieters both prefer.

If it is the solar wind, that also means that other places without atmosphere in our solar system, such as Mercury or asteroids, can also have bits of water, Sunshine said.

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Able Planet Sound Clarity Wireless Headphones use Infrared Transmitter



There is really no reason why headphones or earbuds should have wires, especially in an age of Bluetooth. Able Planet’s Sound Clarity has that capability, only it goes the Infrared route.

In fact, the headphones come with an Infrared Transmitter that is small enough to fit on the desk, but not big enough to get in the way. Just think of it as a mouse the doesn’t need to move. This transmitter has to be plugged into an outlet to work, and it must be connected to your laptop, MP3 Player, or anything else that has a compatible headphone jack.

The headphones themselves have cushioned earpads for extra comfort, and run on 2 AAA batteries. It has a volume control and power switch. Once turned on, the wireless headphones recognized the Infrared transmitter signal right away.

So how do they sound? Terrific. I have included a YouTube video to show them in action, and you can click here for more info about the technical aspects of Able Planet’s Linx Audio.

In short, Able Planet’s Sound Clarity Infrared Wireless Headphones capture the great sound of the Clear Harmony Noise Canceling Headphones, but without the burden of wires. This CES Innovations award-winning headphones are available now on the Able Planet website for $129.99.



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Audiovox offers rear-seat entertainment with PS2



Holidays in the form of road trips can be fun if they’re well planned and if you happen to have generally well behaved passengers and a loving co-pilot who won’t get upset at you even though you don’t want to stop and ask for directions, preferring instead to rely on your navigational instincts (or rather, the lack of it), especially after the GPS system has died due to the lack of battery power.

Audiovox could come in handy to defer the dreaded question, “Are we there yet?” for the umpteenth time by your once-bundles of joy in the back seat, thanks to their VOD10PS2 Mobile Video PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system.

While most parents might have already installed an LCD display and a DVD player to keep passengers at the back quiet and mesmerized by the latest Teletubbies or Barney episode, the VOD10PS2 Mobile Video PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system offers something different, as it will integrated an actual PS2 into the Audiovox overhead video system in a seamless manner without the need to throw in additional hardware or drape even more wires across the back seat passengers. This is handy, as it allows folks behind to enjoy one of many hundreds of quality titles that are available on the PS2, while they can always pop in a DVD once they get bored of a game or can’t quite get pass a certain level without the gaming prowess and assistance of dad.

You will find that the VOD10PS2 comes with a generous 10.2″ LCD screen with built-in dome light and an aspect ratio of 16:9, where it will also include just about everything you require to start gaming right out of the box – these include a couple of wireless game controllers, two fold-flat IR wireless headphones and two PlayStation 2 game titles (Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando and Hot Shots Golf 3). Each $949.99 purchase will come with a remote control and a built-in 16 channel FM Modulator with FM transmitter function.

Press Release

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Bluetooth Sony Stereo Headset Receiver for PSPgo



Sony has your PSPgo’s best interest at heart by announcing that it will roll out its latest Bluetooth Stereo Headset receiver this Christmas Eve in Japan, although folks living in North America, Europe/PAL territories and Asian regions will have to wait until January 2010 to get their hands on it. Something tells me that import stores will make sure those arrive in time for some frantic last minute Christmas shopping outside of Japan, but I could be wrong. Here’s what the Sony Bluetooth Stereo Headset receiver is all about.

With a sleek design that matches perfectly with PSPgo, users will be able to enjoy a variety of entertainment content sounds comfortably through the Bluetooth wireless technology with the combination of a commercially available head-phone and head-set (head-set not included). The Bluetooth Stereo Head-set Receiver pairs easily with PSPgo by simply holding the power button of the Receiver, and operation buttons on the Receiver will also enable users to instantly play, stop, pause, forward, rewind, and adjust the volume of music and videos. Additionally, the receiver can be paired with up to eight Bluetooth devices by using the Multi Pairing Feature.

There is no word on pricing, but it ought to last for up to 6 hours of continuous talktime when used.

Press Release

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A Box of Memory, Available Anywhere



Netgear’s new Stora network-attached storage device (NAS, in geek speak) comes with a terabyte (1,000) of hard drive space and software to help manage your files for $229. For another $20 a year, Netgear’s Stora service lets you access your content and play media files from any Internet-connected computer or smartphone.

The Stora is basically a box the size of a small toaster with slots for two hard drives, one of which comes pre-filled with the terabyte disc. (The case also has a USB port to which you can attach a USB hard drive for even more space.) As with any NAS, you connect the Stora to your router with an included Ethernet cable. Then run the setup CD on any PC or Mac on your network to give the Stora a unique name, set up a user account, and install optional desktop applications (for backup and other chores).

Without the Stora service, you can create two additional user accounts for others on your network to maintain their own backups and media libraries; with the service, you can create as many as you wish.

The Stora appears in a Windows PC’s network folder (and the Mac’s computer folder under “Shared”) as another computer, with various folders for storing data and media. The easiest way to move your media files is to drag and drop from their current location to the appropriate Stora folder: This takes about 15 minutes per gigabyte of material copied over a fast Wi-Fi connection.

At home, you can play your music and view files by clicking on the Stora Agent icon that appears in the Windows taskbar. With the $20 service, when you’re away, you simply point a browser to www.mystora.com and log in with the name you gave your box during setup, your user ID and password.

You won’t be able to play music a device doesn’t support–for example, an iPhone won’t play music encoded in Windows Media Audio (.wma) format. But otherwise, the Stora offers a relatively simple way to access your media from anywhere, while avoiding worries about entrusting it to the many Web-based storage services that may or may not last out the recession.

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Vietnam Finds Itself Vulnerable if Sea Rises



CAI RANG, Vietnam — For centuries, as monsoon rains, typhoons and wars have swept over them and disappeared into the sunshine, the farmers and fishermen of the Mekong Delta have drawn life from the water and fertile fields where the great river ends its 2,700-mile journey to the sea.

The rhythms of life continue from season to season though, like much of the country, the delta is moving quickly into the future, and industry has begun to pollute the air and water.

But everything here, both the timeless and the new, is at risk now from a threat that could bring deeper and longer-lasting disruptions than the generations of warfare that ended more than 30 years ago.

In a worse-case projection, a Vietnamese government report released last month says that more than one-third of the delta, where 17 million people live and nearly half the country’s rice is grown, could be submerged if sea levels rise by three feet in the decades to come.

In a more modest projection, it calculates that one-fifth of the delta would be flooded, said Tran Thuc, who leads Vietnam’s National Institute for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Sciences and is the chief author of the report.

Storm surges could periodically raise that level, he said, and experts say an intrusion of salt water and industrial pollution could contaminate much of the remaining delta area.

The risks of climate change for Vietnam go far beyond the Mekong Delta, up into the Central Highlands, where rising temperatures could put the coffee crop at risk, and to the Red River Delta in the north, where large areas could be inundated near the capital, Hanoi.

Climate experts consider this nation of an estimated 87 million people to be among the half-dozen most threatened by the weather disruptions and rising sea levels linked to climate change that are predicted in the course of this century.

If the sea level rises by three feet, 11 percent of Vietnam’s population could be displaced, according to a 2007 World Bank working paper.

If it rises by 15 feet, 35 percent of the population and 16 percent of the country’s land area could be affected, the document said.

The government report emphasizes that the predictions represent the threat, based on current models, if no measures are taken in the coming decades, like building dikes.

But the potential disruptions and the tremendous cost of trying to reduce their impact could slow Vietnam’s drive to emerge from its postwar poverty and impede its ambitions to become one of the region’s economic leaders.

Once again, this nation, which has spent much of its history struggling to free itself from foreign domination, finds itself threatened by an overpowering outside force.

“Climate change isn’t caused by a developing country like Vietnam, but it is suffering the consequences,” said Koos Neefjes, a policy adviser on climate change with the United Nations Development Program in Hanoi.

In addition to rising seas in the Mekong Delta, climatologists predict more frequent, severe and southerly typhoons, heavier floods and stronger storm surges that could ultimately drive hundreds of thousands of people from their homes.

Climate refugees could swell the population of Ho Chi Minh City, on low-lying land just north of the delta, as war refugees did when it was known as Saigon.

But the city itself is also at risk, says the government study, prepared by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Up to one-fourth of the city’s area would be threatened by rising floodwaters if the sea level rose by three feet.

“Ho Chi Minh City could have a double impact if sea levels rise and living conditions in the delta are not sustainable,” Mr. Thuc, the lead author of the government report, said in an interview.

His report assesses only the climatological risks, he said, and a great deal more work needs to be done to try to determine their social and economic impacts and the probable effect on population displacement.

Because of the uncertainties of climate change and the variables of mitigation measures, it is impossible to rank nations precisely on a scale of risk, Mr. Neefjes said.

However, the 2007 World Bank working paper studied 84 coastal developing countries and found Vietnam to be the most threatened in terms of percentage of population affected, and second only to the Bahamas in terms of percentage of land area affected, if no mitigating measures are taken.

“Among all of the indicators used in this paper, Vietnam ranks among the top five most impacted countries,” the paper says. It did not include some small island nations like the Maldives and Tuvalu that are also threatened with severe inundation.

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Taliban Widen Afghan Attacks From Base in Pakistan



WASHINGTON — Senior Taliban leaders, showing a surprising level of sophistication and organization, are using their sanctuary in Pakistan to stoke a widening campaign of violence in northern and western Afghanistan, senior American military and intelligence officials say.

The Taliban’s expansion into parts of Afghanistan that it once had little influence over comes as the Obama administration is struggling to settle on a new military strategy for Afghanistan, and as the White House renews its efforts to get Pakistan’s government to be more aggressive about killing or capturing Taliban leaders inside Pakistan.

American military and intelligence officials, who insisted on anonymity because they were discussing classified information, said the Taliban’s leadership council, led by Mullah Muhammad Omar and operating around the southern Pakistani city of Quetta, was directly responsible for a wave of violence in once relatively placid parts of northern and western Afghanistan. A recent string of attacks killed troops from Italy and Germany, pivotal American allies that are facing strong opposition to the Afghan war at home.

These assessments echo a recent report by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top military commander in Afghanistan, in portraying the Taliban as an increasingly sophisticated shadow government that sees itself on the cusp of victory in the war-ravaged nation.

General McChrystal’s report describes how Mullah Omar’s insurgency has appointed shadow governors in most provinces of Afghanistan, levies taxes, establishes Islamic courts there and conducts a formal review of its military campaign each winter.

American officials say they believe that the Taliban leadership in Pakistan still gets support from parts of the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, Pakistan’s military spy service. The ISI has been the Taliban’s off-again-on-again benefactor for more than a decade, and some of its senior officials see Mullah Omar as a valuable asset should the United States leave Afghanistan and the Taliban regain power.

The issue of the Taliban leadership council, or shura, in Quetta is now at the top of the Obama administration’s agenda in its meetings with Pakistani officials.

At the same time, American officials face a frustrating paradox: the more the administration wrestles publicly with how substantial and lasting a military commitment to make to Afghanistan, the more the ISI is likely to strengthen bonds to the Taliban as Pakistan hedges its bets.

American officials have long complained that senior Taliban leaders operating from Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan Province, provide money, military supplies and strategic planning guidance to the Taliban in the south of Afghanistan, where most of the nearly 68,000 American forces are deployed.

But since NATO’s offensive into the Taliban-dominated south this spring, the insurgents have surprised American commanders by stepping up attacks against allied troops elsewhere in the country to throw NATO off balance and create the perception of spreading violence that neither the allied military nor the civilian Afghan government in Kabul can control.

“The Taliban is trying to create trouble elsewhere to alleviate pressure” in the south, said one senior American intelligence official. “They’ve outmaneuvered us time and time again.”

The issue has opened fresh rifts between the United States and Pakistan over how to combat the Taliban leadership council in Quetta. American officials have voiced new and unusually public criticism of Pakistan’s role in abetting the growing Afghan insurgency, reviving tensions that seemed to have eased after the two countries worked closely to track and kill Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, in an American missile strike in Pakistan’s tribal areas last month.

General McChrystal said in his assessment, which was made public on Monday, “Senior leaders of the major Afghan insurgent groups are based in Pakistan, are linked with Al Qaeda and other violent extremist groups,” and are reportedly aided by “some elements” of the ISI.

The United States ambassador to Pakistan, Anne W. Patterson, said in a recent interview with the McClatchy newspapers that the Pakistani government was “certainly reluctant to take action” against the leadership of the Afghan insurgency.

Pakistani officials take issue with that, adding that the United States overstates the threat posed by the Quetta shura, possibly because the American understanding of the situation is distorted by vague and self-serving intelligence provided by Afghanistan’s spy service.

A senior Pakistani official said that the United States had asked Pakistan in recent years to round up 10 Taliban leaders in Quetta. Of those 10, 6 were killed or captured by the Pakistanis, 2 were probably in Afghanistan and the remaining 2 presented no threat.

“Pakistan has said it’s willing to act when given actionable intelligence,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. “We have made substantial progress in the last year or so against the Quetta shura.”

Pakistani officials also said that a move against militant leaders in Quetta risked inciting public anger throughout Baluchistan, a region that has long had a tense relationship with Pakistan’s government in Islamabad.

Mullah Omar, a reclusive cleric, recently rallied his troops with a boastful message timed for the Muslim holiday of Id al-Fitr.

In the message, he taunted his American adversaries for ignoring the lessons of past military failures in Afghanistan, including the invasion of Alexander the Great’s army.

And he bragged that the Taliban had emerged as a nationalistic movement that “is approaching the edge of victory.”

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