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Divers explore sunken ruins of Cleopatra's palace

2010-05-26T07:41:00.000-07:00

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt – Plunging into the waters off Alexandria Tuesday, divers explored the submerged ruins of a palace and temple complex from which Cleopatra ruled, swimming over heaps of limestone blocks hammered into the sea by earthquakes and tsunamis more than 1,600 years ago.

The international team is painstakingly excavating one of the richest underwater archaeological sites in the world and retrieving stunning artifacts from the last dynasty to rule over ancient Egypt before the Roman Empire annexed it in 30 B.C.

Using advanced technology, the team is surveying ancient Alexandria's Royal Quarters, encased deep below the harbor sediment, and confirming the accuracy of descriptions of the city left by Greek geographers and historians more than 2,000 years ago.

Since the early 1990s, the topographical surveys have allowed the team, led by French underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio, to conquer the harbor's extremely poor visibility and excavate below the seabed. They are discovering everything from coins and everyday objects to colossal granite statues of Egypt's rulers and sunken temples dedicated to their gods.

"It's a unique site in the world," said Goddio, who has spent two decades searching for shipwrecks and lost cities below the seas.
Click the image to see photos of the excavation of Cleopatra's sunken temple

The finds from along the Egyptian coast will go on display at Philadelphia's Franklin Institute from June 5 to Jan. 2 in an exhibition titled "Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt." The exhibition will tour several other North American cities.

Many archaeological sites have been destroyed by man, with statues cut or smashed to pieces. Alexandria's Royal Quarters — ports, a cape and islands full of temples, palaces and military outposts — simply slid into the sea after cataclysmic earthquakes in the fourth and eighth centuries. Goddio's team found it in 1996. Many of its treasures are completely intact, wrapped in sediment protecting them from the saltwater.

"It's as it was when it sank," said Ashraf Abdel-Raouf of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, who is part of the team.

Tuesday's dive explored the sprawling palace and temple complex where Cleopatra, the last of Egypt's Greek-speaking Ptolemaic rulers, seduced the Roman general Mark Antony before they committed suicide upon their defeat by Octavian, the future Roman Emperor Augustus.

Dives have taken Goddio and his team to some of the key scenes in the dramatic lives of the couple, including the Timonium, commissioned by Antony after his defeat as a place where he could retreat from the world, though he killed himself before it was completed.

They also found a colossal stone head believed to be of Caesarion, son of Cleopatra and previous lover Julius Caesar, and two sphinxes, one of them probably representing Cleopatra's father, Ptolemy XII.

Divers photographed a section of the seabed cleared of sediment with a powerful suction device. Their flashlights glowing in the green murk, the divers photographed ruins from a temple to Isis near Cleopatra's palace on the submerged island of Antirhodos.

Among the massive limestone blocks toppled in the fourth century was a huge quartzite block with an engraving of a pharaoh. An inscription indicates it depicts Seti I, father of Ramses II.

"We've found many pharaonic objects that were brought from Heliopolis, in what is now Cairo," said Abdel-Raouf. "So, the Ptolemaic rulers re-used pharonic objects to construct their buildings."

On the boat's deck, researchers displayed some small recent finds: imported ceramics and local copies, a statuette of a pharaoh, bronze ritual vessels, amulets barely bigger than a fingernail, and small lead vessels tossed by the poor into the water or buried in the ground as devotions to gods.

Alexandria's Eastern Harbor was abandoned after another earthquake, in the eighth century, and was left untouched as an open bay — apart from two 20th century breakwaters — while modern port construction went ahead in the Western Harbor. That has left the ancient Portus Magnus undisturbed below.

"We have this as an open field for archaeology," Goddio said.

'Viagra' for women to hit the shelves soon

2010-05-26T07:38:00.001-07:00

Washington, May 24 (ANI): Good news for women who want to perk up the action in their bedroom-the Food and Drug Administration committee is thinking of endorsing the first pill designed to do for women what Viagra does for men-boost their sex lives.

A German pharmaceutical giant wants to sell a drug with the decidedly unsexy name "flibanserin," which has shown prowess for sparking a woman's sexual desire by fiddling with her brain chemicals.

The FDA's Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee will meet on June 18 to consider the request.

But the prospect of the drug's approval has already triggered debate over whether the medication, like others in the pipeline, represents a long-sought step toward equity for women's health or the latest example of the pharmaceutical industry fabricating a questionable disorder to sell unnecessary and potentially dangerous drugs.

"Achieving a happy and healthy sex life can be a real and important problem for some women. But we have lots of questions about the 'pink Viagra,'" the Washington Post quoted Amy Allina of the National Women's Health Network, a Washington-based advocacy group, as saying.

Viagra's catapult to blockbuster status after its 1998 approval set off a flurry of interest in me-too medications for women.

However, drugmaker Pfizer's hopes that its "little blue pill" would also ignite female libido fizzled, making it clear that a woman's sexuality is more complicated than a man's.

But, Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim is optimistic that flibanserin is on the verge of becoming the first prescription medication to tap what some have estimated could be a 2 billion dollar market in the United States alone.

"We believe women deserve options and we're hoping flibanserin may represent a safe and effective option for many women," said Michael Sand, who heads the company's clinical research on flibanserin.

Scientists found that flibanserin, developed as an antidepressant, was ineffective for treatment of depression.

But the drug appeared to produce an unexpected side effect: boosting women's libido.

This prompted the company to study it for hypoactive sexual desire disorder, or HSDD, an otherwise unexplained loss of sexual thoughts, fantasies and desire that can cause significant emotional distress.

Some research suggests 10 percent of women may suffer from HSDD.

"It's not that they are averse to sex. It's just that they don't care about it. They just stop thinking about it. It's like a switch has been flipped. It's a loss for them. They miss it. And they want it back," said Anita H. Clayton, a professor of psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences at the University of Virginia who has studied the drug for the company. (ANI)

Fat People and Smokers Actually Save You Money on Health Care

2010-05-26T03:06:00.000-07:00

As our nation stands poised to usher in some sort of health care reform thingy, I can’t help but be reminded of some simple facts:

* Better health care makes people live longer.
* People living longer makes the Earth more crowded.
* The Earth more crowded means even longer lines at the DMV.

So it could be argued that providing health care to people who don’t have it is detrimental to people who do have it. Having grown up on a healthy diet of dystopian sci-fi movies, I was quite looking forward to this problem solving itself, but I guess the unwashed, unhealthy masses have spoken. Fine, poor people, have your fancy doctors and your prescription medications. See if I care.

Okay, so I did care until I found an article from last year that made me change my way of thinking. Apparently those who have lifestyle-inflicted health problems are less taxing on our health care system. Specifically, the article talks about how smokers and those with high-end weight issues (that’s what we’re supposed to call the fatties now, right?) end up costing less money to provide medical care for over the course of their lives versus healthy Joe Lives-to-90. The reason: smokers and the obese die younger and quicker of things like heart attacks and choking on a Big Mac, while the healthy people who stick around longer usually go out slowly due to more costly diseases.

So when your workplace tells you that your health care costs are going up because of people who can’t lay off the cancer sticks and Krispy Kremes, you can let them know that those who choose to indulge in more reckless dietary and, uh, smoketary habits are actually saving you and your company big bucks. And then they roll up those big bucks and try to smoke them or eat them because they’re fatty fat smokeheads.

BP low-balling flow-rate estimates for legal reasons

2010-05-23T14:16:00.000-07:00

For weeks many have wondered why BP wouldn't allow outsiders to view the uninterrupted underwater video feed of the busted well that's been pumping oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The well came loose after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig the company leased from Transocean.

Experts on oil spills have cited satellite images of the Gulf slick to charge that BP's estimates of the volume of oil spewing out of the well into the Gulf's waters have been much too low. And they've contended that the surest way to find a reliable estimate is to get an extended look at the well's flow via live video footage. It took a month, but yesterday the company gave in to the chorus of cries from the public and lawmakers and allowed a live feed of the well to be placed on a congressional website.

So what the heck took them so long?

Well, a McClatchy report out today by Marisa Taylor, Renee Schoof, and Erika Bolstad suggests that the lagging response likely grew out of the same concern that may also have led BP to cut corners in enforcing safety measures on the Deepwater rig: in short, money. Legal experts told the McClatchy team that a sounder, agreed-upon estimate of the spill's reach would jumpstart costly court cases against the company, attracting droves of new plaintiffs. In other words, the bigger the oil spill, the bigger the damage awards the culpable company will have to cough up.

"If they put off measuring, then it's going to be a battle of dueling experts after the fact trying to extrapolate how much spilled after it has all sunk or has been carried away," Lloyd Benton Miller, one of the main plaintiffs' lawyers in the Exxon Valdez case, told McClatchy. "The ability to measure how much oil was released will be impossible."

For their part, BP officials announced this afternoon that they plan to release new flow-rate estimates on Saturday — and they also claim that the company can stop the flow of oil entirely by next week.

Brett Michael Dykes is a national affairs writer for Yahoo! News.

Thai military 'to surround red-shirt protesters'

2010-05-13T00:20:00.000-07:00

The Thai military says security forces plan to surround a protest encampment in Bangkok with armoured vehicles.

A spokesman said that routes into the sprawling encampment would be closed at 1800 (1100 GMT). Protesters would be free to leave but not enter, he said.

The move comes a day after the government announced and then cancelled a plan to cut off water and power supplies to the protesters.

The group have been occupying key parts of the capital since 14 March.

They want Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to dissolve parliament and call fresh elections.

He had offered polls on 14 November - but the two sides failed to agree a deal because of divisions over who should be held accountable for a deadly crackdown on protests last month.

The BBC's Rachel Harvey in Bangkok says the fear is that more blood may be spilled before this crisis is brought to an end.

'Restore normalcy'

The military urged businesses around the protest camp to close by 1800 and stay shut.

"The authorities will seal off the protest area at all routes at 6 p.m. today with armoured personnel vehicles. No one would be allowed in," a spokesman, Colonel Sunsern Kaewkumnerd, said.

The camp stretches from Bangkok's shopping hub south to the business district. Protesters have built large barricades from tyres and bamboo, behind which they have stockpiled food supplies and generators.

The military's announcement comes as hopes of a political solution to the crisis fade.

Mr Abhisit told journalists that he had withdrawn his offer of early elections in November.

"I have cancelled the election date... because protesters refuse to disperse," he said. "I have told security officials to restore normalcy as soon as possible."

A few days ago a deal had appeared within reach. But protest leaders demanded that charges be laid again the deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban over the 10 April crackdown.

Mr Suthep oversaw the failed operation to clear protesters which left 19 protesters, one journalist and five soldiers dead.

Ahead of the military's announcement red-shirt leaders appeared defiant.

"We urge that our supporters come and help us here because the more people we have, the harder it is for them to hurt us," Nattawut Saikua, a protest leader, told a cheering crowd.

"We are ready for any attempt to forcibly disperse us. Our guards are ready to protect the site."

The protesters are a loose coalition of left-wing activists, democracy campaigners and supporters of ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

They say the government is illegitimate because it came to power through a parliamentary deal rather than an election.

BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8679218.stm

Was Apple right? Adobe Flash crashes twice during mobile demo

2010-05-12T03:28:00.000-07:00

Nothing sucks more than being on stage in front of a bunch of techies and having your demo crash on you twice. Actually, the only way that sucks more is if you’re Adobe and it’s Flash that’s crashing on a mobile device, forcing folks to wonder if Steve Jobs was right about the stability of Flash.

This incident happened last week at FlashCamp Seattle, according to a blog post by Jeff Croft, a Seattle developer who also moderated a panel at the event. Flash Platform evangelist Ryan Stewart was demoing Flash Player 10.1 on a Nexus One phone during the opening keynote when things went bad and then got worse. Croft wrote in his blog:

Here’s what happened: On his Mac, Ryan pulled up a site called Eco Zoo. It is, seemingly, a pretty intense example of Flash development — full of 3D rendering, rich interactions, and cute little characters. Then, he pulled up the same thing on his Nexus One. The site’s progress bar filled in and the 3D world appeared for a few seconds before the browser crashed. Ryan said (paraphrasing), “Whoops! Well, it’s beta, and this is an intense example — let’s try it again.” He tried it again and got the same result. So he said to the audience, “Well, this one isn’t going to work, but does anyone have a Flash site they’d like to see running?” Someone shouted out “Hulu.” Ryan said, “Hulu doesn’t work,” and then wrapped up his demo, telling people if they wanted to try more sites they could find him later and he’d let them play with his Nexus One.

Ouch.

To be fair, Croft notes that the problem with Hulu may not be the fault of Adobe and may be more with Hulu - but no one knows for sure. Also, he notes that Flash on Android is beta, which means it’s expected to be “crashy and buggy” at this stage.

Still, the natives are getting restless, he says, and are anxious to see a full Flash player that works well on mobile. A demo that crashes does little to help build confidence around a product or to prove that it’s almost ready for prime time.

Under normal circumstances, a crash at during an on-stage demo at a techie conference might have been no big deal. But the public sparring between Adobe and Apple over Flash has put the topic into the spotlight.

The pressure is on for Adobe. Croft is right in suggesting that Adobe avoid any more demos until it’s really solid.

Update: Ryan Stewart posted a comment on the talkbacks that’s worth reading. In addition, he also posted a response about what went wrong and an update - as well as a video - on how it’s supposed to work. That, too, is also worth checking out.

How to Make Money With Twitter

2010-05-09T14:40:00.000-07:00

Everyone seems to like twitter these days which is a really cool way of staying in touch with your customers, friends & colleagues. Basically twitter has presented itself as a micro-blogging platform where a user can shout out anything they want to his ‘followers’ within the limit of 140 characters.

I have just started twittering since last month (*yes I’m pretty late starter!) because initially by looking at it for the very first time, I couldn’t find any ‘value’ that it has for my work & my social life. However after reading a convincing post by Aaron Wall, I thought of giving twitter a try. Since then onwards I have been using twitter all day long, just to keep track of some of the leading experts in the Internet & Search Marketing field as well as to have some ‘fun’ with my online buddies.

Anyway the whole point of doing this post is to highlight some of the key monetization elements that an individual can explore using twitter. I assume you have the basic knowledge of what twitter is and how it works, so I will directly deep into some ideas which can make you earn money from your twitter.

make money with Twitter

* Direct Advertisement – If a lot of people are following you in ‘twitter’ or in other words if you have a ‘wide reach’ to a large number of twitter users, you can probably look into direct advertisements for monetization.

* Recommendation – You can recommend a particular product or service on behalf of your advertisers & peruse your followers to take an ‘action’.
* Promotion – You can help your advertiser to promote a new product or service to your twitter followers.

It works pretty much like niche marketing because, say if you are an Internet Marketer, It is very likely that most of your followers in Twitter are also from the same area which is why they have ‘followed’ you in the first place.
# Affiliate Marketing – I was listening to Shoemoney’s podcast yesterday where he talked about how affiliate marketing can actually be blended within Twitter.

* Affiliate Links – If you are recommending a Product or a Service to your followers, you can always embed your affiliate link in your tweet. (e.g. Using a service like TinyUrl.com)
* Sales Pages – Instead of taking your followers to another website using your affiliate link, you might just want to promote your own product & services and sell them directly via your sales / landing page.

This is an area where every one can really look into. For instance say when one of your followers is asking for suggestion to choose a web host, you can always suggest him the best one from your experience but at the same time use your affiliate link which can earn you some quick cash.
# Paid Review– This is pretty much like the direct advertisement, however the only difference would be, instead of blindly suggesting a product or a service to someone, you can actually do some ‘paid reviews’.

* Product – You can do a paid review about a particular product (e.g. Internet Marketing software)
* Services – You can do a paid review about services that your advertiser offers. (E.g. SEO Services, Web Hosting Services etc.)
* People – You can also do a paid review about people. For instance, maybe you can review someone’s web design skills, or you may promote someone’s ‘twitter’ account for instance.

# Sponsored Contest– An advertiser may want to run a contest via a popular twitter user to get feedback about his product & services or just to create some brand awareness.

* Feedback – Example – “What New features would you like to see in Product X”?
* Brand Awareness– Example- “Describe product X in 140 Characters” or “Tell us why you like product X within 140 Characters”. The best answer can be given a cool prize sponsored by the advertiser.

# Sponsored Advertisements– There isn’t must difference between this & the direct advertisement. However when I was creating the mind map, this ‘branch’ did somehow pop in, so have decided to include it. I guess the main difference would be that all the tweets which are actually sponsored advertisements can get a predefined prefix which will help your followers to identify them as ads.

* Auto Ads – There can be a mechanism or a ‘new’ 3rd party service which can actually help you to distribute or Tweet the “Ads” when you are ‘not’ tweeting or say when you are idle. An ad interval can also be set so that your frequent sponsored ads don’t annoy your followers.
* Sponsored Actions– Well this might sound like a weird idea but, I feel that some aggressive marketers might like it. Example – “I Love #Google. Re-tweet this message and WIN yourself a GPhone”. Since a hash-tag is used, all the massages can be tracked using that and a lucky winner can actually be picked from the pool.

Some of you may think that all these ‘monetizing’ options can actually turn twitter into an ‘evil’ place and slowly reduce its value. But let’s face it, if you aren’t fully utilizing all the areas of twitter today, somebody else will – tomorrow. But of course you should set a ‘limit’ on how many ‘such tweets’’ you are going to do on a day, so that your followers still consider you as a valuable contact rather than a commercial junkie.

So that’s all folks, if you like my article, you are welcome to add me in your Twitter – fitil4ik. Happy Twittering!

http://www.searchenginejournal.com/twitter-monetization-how-to-make-money-with-twitter/6867/#ixzz0nYrqDCcp

iPad global launch date confirmed by Apple

2010-05-07T12:22:00.001-07:00

Apple has announced that its iPad tablet computer will go on sale in nine countries outside the US on 28 May.

The new markets are Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK.

The cheapest model will retail at £429 in the UK. The same version in the US costs $499 (£337).

Part of the difference in price is due to British VAT and US sales tax. The same model before tax costs £37 ($55) more in the UK.

The consumer gadget was launched in the US domestic market on 3 April, but Apple had to delay deliveries to international consumers.

Apple says that since the device went on sale it has already sold more than 1m iPads in the US.

In the UK, the device will range in price from £429 for the entry-level model, to £699 for the maximum capacity 64GB model, which also has built-in access to third-generation (3G) mobile networks.
IPAD PRICES

* 16GB, wifi only - £429 inc vat
* 32GB, wifi only - £499 inc vat
* 64GB, wifi only - £599 inc vat
* 16GB, wifi/3G - £529 inc vat
* 32GB, wifi/3G - £599 inc vat
* 64GB, wifi/3G - £699 inc vat

Customers will be able to pre-order the device in the different markets from 10 May.

Many other companies, including Dell, Nokia and Toshiba, are planning to release tablet computers in 2010.

On 4 May, Intel unveiled the family of chips it hopes will be used in tablet computers that will go on sale towards the end of the year.

The international launch comes after a challenging month for Apple.

In addition to iPad delivery delays, the US technology website Gizmodo published details of Apple's next generation iPhone.

Apple is known for keeping product announcements secret. The company immediately requested the return of the phone. Gizmodo complied with the request.

But after a police raid at the home of the editor of Gizmodo, Apple came in for criticism from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which argued the website's journalists were simply disseminating newsworthy information.

BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10103059.stm

Turkey MPs back key constitutional changes

2010-05-07T12:13:00.001-07:00

Turkey's parliament has approved all but one of 27 controversial changes to the constitution, which critics say could undermine the secular courts.

The main secular opposition accuses the ruling AK Party of trying to seize control of state institutions. The AKP's roots are in political Islam.

The AKP did not get a two-thirds majority, so the amendments will still have to go to a referendum.

The AKP says the reforms will help the country's application to join the EU.

The package was passed after a marathon four-day session.

But the AKP's attempt to make banning political parties more difficult was unexpectedly defeated on Tuesday.

The current constitution dates back to 1982, and was drafted after a military coup.

The government wants to restructure a judiciary which is frequently criticised by human rights groups.

The package includes limits on the jurisdiction of military courts. In addition, more judges would be appointed to the Constitutional Court and the powerful Higher Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) - with the president having a big role in their selection.

The main opposition CHP says it will challenge the package in the Constitutional Court - one of the institutions which would be most affected.

The AKP has clashed repeatedly with Turkey's highest courts, which see themselves as guardians of the secular values that were at the core of the political system established by Turkey's founding father Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8667995.stm

UK set for hung Parliament with Tories largest party

2010-05-07T02:53:00.000-07:00

With more than 500 general election results in out of 650, the BBC is predicting a hung Parliament with the Tories as the largest party.

Labour cannot now win a majority, but it is not clear which party will be in a position to form a government.

Tory leader David Cameron said it was "clear that the Labour government has lost its mandate to govern".

Gordon Brown may start coalition talks with the Lib Dems, who, Nick Clegg admitted, had a "disappointing night" .

The BBC projection suggests David Cameron's Conservatives will have 306 seats. If there are 10 Unionists elected in Northern Ireland then Mr Cameron might be able to command 316 - probably still slightly too few for him to be sure of winning a Queen's Speech.

But Labour and the Lib Dems together would have 317 seats, according to the BBC figures, which even with three SDLP MPs would still leave them at 320 - again probably just a few votes short.

'Be patient'

Senior Labour figures have said that under the rules of Britain's constitution, the sitting prime minister in a hung parliament makes the first attempt at forming a ruling coalition.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said Mr Brown had returned to Number 10, and was going to rest and "catch his breath" adding: "We have to be patient for some time more."

"It's not possible to make definite claims or reach final conclusions about the outcome of the election because there are results still to come in," he said.

"You could say the electorate have voted for change but what they haven't done is voted decisively in favour of the Conservatives."

But shadow schools secretary Michael Gove said voters would not be "entirely happy" if Mr Brown "after a defeat like this, were to try to cling on and try to form some sort of coalition of the defeated, some sort of alliance of the dispossessed".

In other election night news:

* Northern Ireland's first minister and DUP leader Peter Robinson has been defeated in East Belfast by the Alliance party
* The Greens have gained their first MP at Westminster - party leader Caroline Lucas in Brighton Pavillion
* Education secretary Ed Balls hung on in Morley and Outwood by just over 100 votes but former Home Secretary Charles Clarke narrowly lost to the Lib Dem candidate in Norwich South
* Jacqui Smith, who stood down as home secretary over her expenses, lost her Redditch seat to the Conservative but Hazel Blears retained her seat in Salford
* Labour's Margaret Hodge beat the BNP's Nick Griffin in Barking and Dagenham, with a 5% increase in her vote
* Esther Rantzen came fourth in Luton South, which went to the Labour candidate
* Lib Dem frontbencher Lembit Opik has lost his Montgomeryshire seat after suffering a 13.2% swing to the Conservatives
* There were angry scenes and calls for an inquiry after people were turned away from polling stations as long queues formed ahead of the 2200 BST voting deadline.

With most results in, the Lib Dem vote is up 0.9% on 2005, Labour down 6.5% and the Conservatives up 4%.

Turnout is running at 65.2%, a modest increase on the 2005 general election.

'New leadership'

After winning his Witney seat with an increased majority, Mr Cameron said it was clear from the results announced that the country wanted "change" and that would require "new leadership".

Promising to put the "national interest first", Mr Cameron said he would aim to bring about "strong, stable, decisive and good government".

Despite being on course to lose 90 Labour MPs, and with the party's lowest share of the vote since 1983, Gordon Brown vowed to play his part in Britain "having a strong, stable and principled government".

After winning his Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath seat, Mr Brown said he wanted that government to be able to lead Britain into "sustained recovery".

Foreign Secretary David Miliband said it was "reasonable and right" that parties attempted to work together to form a government in the event of a hung parliament.

'Too early'

He told BBC News: "As far as I can see, the exit poll projection suggesting that no party would win this election is being borne out.

"If indeed no party has won an absolute majority then it seems to me perfectly reasonable and right that parties should talk to each other to see if they can find common ground to establish a strong and stable government. There's no harm in that.

"It's a good thing to do when the voters have clearly not embraced any of us and given us the absolute majority that we are all seeking."

Mr Brown's spokesman said it was "too early to say" what he would do, but sources have indicated he is ready to embark on talks aimed at piecing together a coalition.

But as he was returned as MP for Sheffield Hallam Mr Clegg - whose popularity after the live TV debates has not been reflected in votes - said: "This has obviously been a disappointing night for the Liberal Democrats."

He said they "simply hadn't achieved what we hoped" but he was "proud of the way we conducted the campaign".

Amid speculation about whether the Lib Dems would side with Labour or the Conservatives in a hung parliament, he said politicians should not "rush into making claims or taking decisions which don't stand the test of time".

But he said his party would be "guided by the values and principles on which we fought this election".

The other big story of the night has been disturbances at polling stations in some parts of the country after higher than expected turnout led to lengthy queues.

Even before Houghton and Sunderland South became the first seat to declare there were widespread reports of people being unable to vote.

There could be legal challenges from candidates who have fallen a few votes short of victory and the Electoral Commission have launched an investigation.

In Sheffield, police were called to move people on when voters staged sit-in protests after waiting hours to vote. The city's returning officer apologised but said he had to close the polls at 2200 BST.

BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8666128.stm

Versace wins $20m compensation

2010-05-06T15:38:00.001-07:00

Italian fashion house Versace has been awarded $20m (£13.4m) in damages by a court in the US city of Los Angeles for wilful counterfeiting.

Following a complaint from Versace, police charged 110 people in southern California and Arizona in 2003 for selling fake Versace goods.

The award is the highest ever given to an Italian company defending its brand, Versace says.

More than 70 retail shops were seized during the case.

"We have won a historic judgement," Versace's chief executive, Gian Giacomo Ferraris, was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

The effects of the ruling would benefit all of the luxury Italian brands, he added.

Versace had revenues of $359.6m (£241m) in 2009, according to Reuters.

But the company cut a quarter of its workforce last year, blaming a slump in demand for luxury goods and designer items.

The brother of the late Gianni Versace, Santo Versace was a key witness in the case, Reuters adds.

BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8665755.stm

Russian forces storm tanker seized by Somali pirates

2010-05-06T15:33:00.000-07:00

Russian forces have freed the crew of a Russian oil tanker seized by Somali pirates off the coast of Yemen, in a dramatic rescue operation.

Forces based on the warship Marshal Shaposhnikov approached the tanker with 23 Russian crew on board.

The Russian forces then boarded the Moscow University tanker, freeing the crew who had locked themselves in a safe room after disabling their ship.

As they did so, the pirates opened fire, sparking a shoot-out.

BBC map

Before boarding the tanker, the Russian forces carried out reconnaissance from a helicopter, RIA-Novosti reports.

Ten pirates have been arrested, and one was killed during the gun battle. They are being held aboard the tanker, Russian defence ministry spokesman Col Alexei Kuznetsov said.

They will be transferred to Moscow to face charges.

"Pirates have released the tanker... All crew on board the tanker are alive and well," a spokeswoman for the Russian shipping company that owns the tanker, Novoship, told Reuters news agency.

Novoship praised the operation as one carried out "in the best traditions of the Russian naval mariners".

The decision to free the ship was made knowing "that the crew was under safe cover inaccessible to the pirates", Novoship added.

Although there are dozens of warships patrolling the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, it is rare for rescue efforts to be launched once pirates have boarded a vessel as it is often felt that intervening would endanger the hostages, says the BBC's Will Ross in Nairobi.

But in this case, the crew switched off the engine and locked themselves in a strong room with a reinforced door.

It also helped that the warship was less than a day away, says the BBC's Richard Galpin in Moscow.

So while the idea of having a secure room in all commercial ships sailing the route near Somalia is a good one, it can only work in very specific circumstances, he says.

The Moscow University was seized on Wednesday in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Yemen, as it sailed for China, carrying more than 80,000 tonnes of crude oil worth some $50m (£33m).

The Gulf of Aden is one of the world busiest shipping routes, and the Russians, Europeans and Americans have all deployed navy forces in the region after a growing number of attacks by pirates on commercial vessels, our correspondent adds.

Even so, pirates are reported to be holding more than 20 foreign ships with almost 400 sailors.

The Marshal Shaposhnikov was sent on Wednesday to rescue the hijacked tanker.

BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8664011.stm

UK Pirates Allowed to Vote in Costumes

2010-05-06T11:23:00.000-07:00

The UK Pirate Party is just over one year old, but already it’s participating in the General Election with candidates in nine constituencies. Pirate Party voters who go to the polling booth today can be assured that, contrary to recent rumors, it is okay to wear a pirate costume.

pirate partyThe General Election is dominating the news in Britain today.

Westminster Council’s Nigel Tonkin, who has been organizing elections for 35 years, has been commenting to the BBC on the do’s and don’t at the polling station. He confirmed that party insignia and emblems are not allowed, but that Pirate Party voters are free to show up in a pirate costume.

“There’s a candidate standing in Westminster as a pirate. And if he comes in to vote in a pirate costume as is likely, we won’t turn him away. The same goes for any supporters coming to vote as pirates.” Parrots and other pets are also welcome at the polling stations, Tonkin said.

In all seriousness, the UK Pirate Party is no joke. They stand for real issues that are dear to the hearts of voters but are often overlooked by other politicians. The passing of the Digital Economy Act is a prime example of where the public opinion differs from that of the lawmakers.

As with the Swedish party in last summer’s EU elections, not all the candidates are fresh faced youngsters. Quite a few are definitely middle-aged, including party leader Andrew Robinson (41) who’s confident that his party can make a difference if given the chance.

“Today we can strike fear into the hearts of our enemies, Andrew Robinson says. “Today we can show them that we will no longer sit idly by as they take away our rights, as they take away our privacy, as they force greater and greater burdens and costs on us while lining their own pockets.”

“Today, we show them what can be achieved by real men and women, scattered across the country, connected by technologies the other parties still struggle to understand,” Robinson added. The polling stations will close 10 PM local time, the first results are expected to come in later in the evening.

The Pirate Party candidates are:

* Andrew Robinson – Worcester
* Graeme Lambert – Bury North
* Alexander van Terheyden – Bethnal Green and Bow
* Tim Dobson – Manchester Gorton
* Luke Leighton – South West Surrey
* Shaun Dyer – Leicester West
* Finlay Archibald – Glasgow Central
* David Geraghty – Derby North
* Jack Nunn – Cities of London and Westminster

Greek parliament votes in favour of austerity measures

2010-05-06T11:19:00.000-07:00

Greece's parliament has voted in favour of the hefty cuts and reforms proposed by the government to address the country's financial crisis.

With 172 of 300 votes in favour, one report said a second vote would have to be passed for the bill to become law.

The vote comes a day after three bank workers died in a petrol bomb attack as demonstrations over the planned austerity measures turned violent.

The finance minister said the measures were the only way to avoid bankruptcy.

But as the vote was held demonstrators gathered outside parliament to protest against the measures.

Wednesday's deaths have shocked many in Greece. Bank workers have gone on strike in anger at the loss of their colleagues.

Speaking in parliament ahead of the vote, Prime Minister George Papandreou said violence was "not a solution".

"The future of Greece is at stake," he said. "The economy, democracy and social cohesion are being put to the test."

He expelled three Socialist deputies from his parliamentary team for abstaining in the vote.

The expulsions still leave Mr Papandreou with a majority of members in the house (157 out of 300).

'Avoid bankruptcy'

Greek finance minister George Papaconstantinou has warned Greece is two weeks away from defaulting on part of its debt; bonds worth 8.5bn euros ($12bn; £7.2bn) fall due on 19 May.

"The state's coffers don't have that money," he told parliament earlier. "Because today... the country can't borrow it from the international market.

"And because the only way for the country to avoid bankruptcy and suspension of payments is to take the money from our European partners and the International Monetary Fund."

But in order to receive the 110bn euro ($142bn; £95bn) bail-out, Greece must agree to a three-year austerity programme, he said.

The measures include wage freezes, pension cuts and tax rises.

The aim is to achieve fresh budget cuts of 30bn ($38bn; £25bn) euros over three years, with the goal of cutting Greece's public deficit to less than 3% of GDP by 2014. It currently stands at 13.6%.

'Fair demands'

Wednesday's deaths - the first such fatalities in protests in nearly 20 years in Greece - have shocked many people in Greece.
The Marfin bank branch where the two women - one pregnant - and a man died has become the focus for grieving, with a steady stream of flowers being placed at the front door by people paying their respects, the BBC's Duncan Kennedy in Athens reports.

Shops and businesses have been clearing up after the riots. Many are boarded up, others are burnt out shells, he adds.

Bank workers took to the streets on Thursday to demonstrate their outrage at the deaths.

President Karolos Papoulias has warned Greece is on the "brink of the abyss".

"We are all responsible so that it does not take the step into the void," he said in a statement.

However, unions have been undeterred by Wednesday's events, urging members to continue demonstrating.

The GSEE private sector union condemned the "fires, blind violence, vandalism", but added: "We are determined to pursue and extend our struggle to meet our fair demands."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8664161.stm

Three dead as Greece protest turns violent

2010-05-05T07:05:00.000-07:00

At least three people have been killed in the Greek capital as protesters set fire to a bank during a general strike over planned austerity measures।

The fire brigade said three bodies were found inside the Marfin Bank in Athens. Two other buildings are also on fire.

Petrol bombs were thrown at police who responded with pepper spray, tear gas and stun grenades.

Protesters are angered by spending cuts and tax rises planned in return for a 110bn euro (£95bn) bail-out for Greece.

Parliament is to vote on the measures by the end of the week.

Measures include wage freezes, pension cuts and tax rises. They aim to achieve fresh budget cuts of 30bn euros over three years, with the goal of cutting Greece's public deficit to less than 3% of GDP by 2014. It currently stands at 13.6%.

Outside parliament, a group of protesters rushed up a flight of steps, taunting MPs to come out and calling them "thieves".

Riot police forced them back, but right next to parliament, others groups set buildings on fire - including a tax office.

The Greek protesters' ire is aimed against symbols of capitalism, says the BBC's Malcolm Brabant in Athens.

Our correspondent says the deaths will change the equation, increasing pressure Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou who has spoken of "great sacrifices" needed.

But it may also create a backlash against violent protesters, our correspondent says.

The general strike is the third to hit Greece in as many months.

Quite simply Europe's future is at stake. Europe is at a fork in the road

German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Merkel urges support for Greece

Meanwhile, the German parliament has begun considering the bail-out plan for Greece.

Chancellor Angela Merkel urged MPs to back the emergency loan package agreed by European finance ministers at the weekend.

It requires Germany to pay the largest proportion of the loans.

"Quite simply, Europe's future is at stake," she said.

The EU has agreed to provide 80bn euros (£69bn) in funding - of which around 22bn euros would come from Germany - while the rest will come from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

'Concern'

Flights in and out of Greece stopped at midnight, and trains and ferries were not running. Schools, hospitals, and many offices are shut.

The government has appealed to demoralised staff in the military, police, schools and hospitals not to retire, fearing the surge in demand for benefits could further drain treasury resources.

I'm feeling more and more angry every day, because those who got us into this mess are not held responsible

Thrasyvo Paxinos
Teacher

Foreign governments and investors are watching events in Greece with concern.

Chris Lowe of FTN Financial in New York told the BBC that the US financial community had been shocked by the violent protests.

"The [US] reaction is that [Greek] people will simply refuse to accept the austerity plan," he said.

"If the Greeks are this upset, then maybe we need to worry about the Portuguese and Spanish and Italians being upset with the cuts they're going to have to make."

Union leaders say the cuts target low-income Greeks.

"There are other things the [government] can do, before taking money from a pensioner who earns 500 euros (£430) a month," Spyros Papaspyros, leader of the public servants' union ADEDY, told Greek private television.

What went wrong in Greece?

: Greece's economic reforms that led to it abandoning the drachma in favour of the euro in 2002 made it easier for the country to borrow money.

In Athens, Greeks spoke of their anger at the tough economic measures.

Businessman Dmitris Mentis told the BBC that wealthy Greeks had to pay their "fair share of the burden".

"The rich class has been evading taxes for decades now," he said.

Athens-based journalist Christos Michaelides told the BBC: "There is a big fear in the whole of society - a sense of injustice in most of the measures.

"There is a fear that things could get very, very ugly if people don't feel that what they are doing now, in these austerity measures, is going to be worthwhile."

On Tuesday, several thousand teachers and students marched to parliament carrying black flags and banners.

The demonstration was largely peaceful but some scuffles broke out near the parliament building।

Original

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8661385.stm

Kyrgyz lawlessness drives ethnic tensions

2010-05-04T17:08:00.000-07:00

Standing behind a large table at his restaurant, Daniyar is giving instructions to a group of young men with red armbands।

After the recent uprising, the restaurant is now the headquarters of the Patriot vigilante team.

"We had a phone call about skirmishes in the Bchka area, reportedly a fight between a gang of unknown men and locals," Daniyar tells them.

"When you arrive try to resolve the issue without getting involved."

The vigilantes set off in private cars and vans to patrol the streets of Bishkek and its suburbs.

They race through the town in convoy, red Kyrgyz flags attached to the rears of their vehicles attracting the attention of passers-by.

Clinging to his seat as the van jumped and bumped over the potholed road, vigilante member Bakhtiyar said public trust in police had faded.

Many people blame them for shooting at protesters on 7 April, the day of violence in the city centre that forced President Kurmanbek Bakiyev from power.

I don't know how we will go on, what's going to happen to us?

Djalyali Agaziyev, ethnic Turk

"We get lots of phone calls, perhaps people trust us more," said Bakhtiyar.

In post-crisis Kyrgyzstan, restoring law and order has proved the biggest challenge for the country's new interim authorities.

There were problems with the police, as many appeared not to support their new leaders. Several protests were staged by police officers in the south of the country and in the capital.

Morale among officers has been running low - some of them feel they have been made scapegoats by the politicians.

An independent investigation into the events of 6 and 7 April in Kyrgyzstan, carried out by a group of local human rights experts, said police officers had been outnumbered by protesters.

Officers were attacked by the crowd and badly injured, especially during the riots in the city of Talas.

Angry mob

Sitting in his office, Bishkek's deputy police chief said the police were ready to perform their duties.

Behind him, dirt marked the spot on the wall where until only a few weeks ago hung a portrait of the deposed Mr Bakiyev.

The violence in Mayevka left at least five people dead

"We do not serve the interest of one political group or another, we take the oath to serve people," he said. "We want to reassure the public that we can protect them."

But some who tried to seek help from the police and did not get a response quickly enough are unconvinced.

They are the residents of Mayevka, a village near Bishkek populated mainly by people of Russian and Turkic origin.

On 19 April, almost two weeks after the anti-government protests, an angry mob numbering in their thousands overran this village. Five people were killed and several homes were destroyed.

Most of the houses belonged to Meskhetian Turks - originally from Georgia, they were deported to Central Asia by Joseph Stalin in 1944.

Djalyali Agaziyev's home was the first to be attacked. The father of four had been working all his life on nearby farmland and all his efforts had gone into building his house.

Now only the walls remain. The building was looted and set on fire. As he pointed to scraps of cherished family photographs, Mr Agaziyev sobbed.

"I think they tore these photos to send us a message that the same will be done to us," he said.

"They've already killed one of us," he said, referring to Kaptan Karibov, an ethnic Turk who was brutally murdered by the crowd.

We are the sons of Kyrgyzstan. Turks have seized our land, but the land is ours

Syimyk

"But why did they torture his body so much? They poked his eyes out, they pulled out his teeth, his arms were stabbed all over, his head was unrecognisable.

"It's very difficult for us. When they see us they can tell by they way we look that we are Turks and threaten us.

"Now we are afraid to go outside. I don't know how we will go on, what's going to happen to us?"

Local police chief Kanat Dzhumagaziyev said that his unit was trying to stop the crowd from attacking the village, but his force was simply outnumbered.

"My unit of over 150 men were in Mayevka, but the crowd was difficult to control, many of them were drunk. I had to ask for reinforcements, later we returned to the village and detained 130 people."

But Mr Dzhumagaziyev denied the violence was ethnically motivated, and said the security services were now investigating the case.

Land grabs

The roots to the violence may lie in long-term economic deprivation.

Prior to the incident in Mayevka, thousands of rural poor had been gathering on the outskirts of the village laying claim to small plots of land on private property.

The government says the security situation is under control

Dozens of men and women are still occupying land near the village.

They have demanded that the interim government, led by Roza Otunbayeva, give them land.

"We are the sons of Kyrgyzstan. Turks have seized our land, but the land is ours, is it not?" said Syimyk, one of the protesters.

"I've been renting a flat in Bishkek for so many years but I want the government to give me land here."

Political analyst Medet Tulegenov said the incident in Mayevka might have been provoked by supporters of the ousted government.

"Such events are quite beneficial for groups that stand behind the Bakiyev family," he said.

"It gives them certain negotiation grounds to talk to the provisional government, because the more unstable the state is the weaker the government becomes, therefore it is easier for them to escape from the current situation."

Many people say they trust vigilantes more than police now

In multi-ethnic Kyrgyzstan there are many villages like Mayevka where people of different nationalities have been living side by side. But there are fears that the events in Mayevka could happen again.

Ethnic clashes are particularly feared in the south of the country - home to a large Uzbek community.

Whether or not the violence was triggered by those taking advantage of temporary lawlessness to seize property, or those who want the present administration to fail, ordinary people want reassurances that they will be protected.

The interim government of Kyrgyzstan says that the security situation is now under control. But when dusk falls, the streets of Bishkek and its suburbs empty. Residents fear more violence - especially at night.

The de facto government of Kyrgyzstan has a difficult job ahead to deliver on its promises of a better life for its people।

BBC News, Bishkek , http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8651518.stm

Avatar boost for News Corporation

2010-05-04T17:03:00.000-07:00

Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation saw net profit drop by 69% in the third quarter to $839m (£554m) but the figure was better than had been expected।

It said improved advertising revenue, strong cable network performance, and success of its Avatar movie all helped.

News Corp includes Fox broadcast and cable networks, 20th Century Fox film studios, and newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal and the Times.

It said third-quarter revenue was up by 19% on a year before to $8.8bn.

The fall in net profit was affected by the fact that a year earlier News Corp enjoyed $2.4 bn in gains and tax benefits on its partial sale of technology company NDS Group.

'New platforms'

"Today's earnings confirm that no content company is stronger than News Corporation at building both fiscal and operational momentum," said Rupert Murdoch, News Corp's chairman and chief executive.

"Our global portfolio of sought-after content is ideally situated to benefit from the increase in consumer spending, advertising and access to new platforms we are seeing across our regions."

Operating income at News Corp's filmed entertainment unit jumped 76% to $497m.

In January, Avatar - directed by James Cameron - became the highest-grossing movie of all time, overtaking the $1।843bn taken by Cameron's 1997 movie Titanic.

Original: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/10097624.stm

Volcano ash: EU ministers agree air travel action

2010-05-04T16:57:00.000-07:00

EU transport ministers have agreed measures they say will help prevent further disruption to air travel as a result of volcanic ash।

The measures include speeding up current plans to integrate Europe's air space, creating a "single European regulator for a single European sky".

The European Commission will also draw up guidelines to allow national governments to compensate airlines.

Airlines are estimating losses of tens of millions of pounds due to the ash.

The disruption last month grounded planes in Europe for six days, leaving millions of passengers stranded.

Speaking after the meeting, the European Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas said it was important to ensure that "millions of people and businesses never have to re-live the crisis of the last few weeks".

"This is going to continue to happen. It might be next week. It might be in 20 years. But it will happen again; and volcanoes do not obey rules," he said.

The extraordinary meeting of European ministers follows criticism from the airline industry that governments took an over-cautious approach to the crisis, grounding flights unnecessarily.

State aid considered

It is hoped that creating a single regulator responsible for all of Europe's airspace will provide a faster and more coherent response to similar situations in the future.

The plan was already scheduled for 2012, but will now be brought forward to this year.

Millions of passengers were left stranded by the ban on flights

Airlines have also complained about the complexity of the current system, arguing that they currently have to negotiate 27 different air spaces across the EU.

The commissioner also said the EC would "stand ready" to draw up guidelines to allow governments to compensate their airlines for losses incurred as a result of air space closures.

No money from the EU itself will be committed, but in earlier comments Mr Kallas said he was open to the idea of compensation despite the strict EU rules on state aid.

Aer Lingus is the latest airline to quantify the effect of the disruption. It estimated that it lost about 20m euros ($26.3m; £17.2m) as a result of the stoppages.

Meanwhile airlines including Ryanair have called for EU compensation for money they have paid out to accommodate and feed stranded passengers.

In the UK, the Association of British Insurers estimates that travel insurers will pay out about £62m to passengers hit by the disruption.

Mr Kallas also indicated a desire to build "pan-European" transport networks that will be able to take over from the airlines should flights be grounded again.

But he added that the commission "would never compromise on safety"।

original:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/10095479.stm

North Korea’s ‘Human Torpedoes’: Myth, or Military Threat?

2010-05-03T03:24:00.000-07:00

Last month, the South Korean warship Cheonan was ripped in half by an explosion, not far from the disputed maritime boundary with North Korea. The incident claimed the lives of at least 40 crew members, and speculation continues about what, exactly, brought down the ship.

The latest theory: An elite squad of North Korean naval kamikazes, working on direct orders of Dear Leader Kim Jong-il. “‘Human Torpedoes’ are the North’s secret naval weapon,” claims South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo. “A unit of 13 specially trained commandos and modified midget submarines” brought down the ship, writes the U.K. Telegraph.

So what, exactly, is a “human torpedo?” According to a rather breathless account in the Chosun Ilbo, these elite combat swimmers are from North Korea’s 17th Sniper Corps. Quoting the blog (!) of a North Korean poet who defected to South Korea, the paper said Kim’s torpedo units “are treated better than submarine crew and their training centers around suicide bombing attacks.” The paper even doctored up a priceless image — shown here — of a suicide-bomber riding a torpedo to its target.

Mmmkay. The sourcing on these articles is a bit dubious: several of them rely on unnamed “experts” or “intelligence sources.” As the Los Angeles Times notes, South Korea’s defense minister, Kim Tae-young, has been publicly doubtful about whether a commando could manage to steer a small submersible like a SEAL Delivery Vehicle into a ship that was moving at speed. “SDVs are very slow and there is a low possibility that such vessels were used in an attack,” Kim reportedly told lawmakers.

Still, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak is vowing to find the culprit. A multinational team is investigating the incident, and the United States thus far is erring on the side of caution . However, CNN yesterday quoted an unnamed U.S. military official who said a North Korean torpedo attack likely caused the sinking.

Smartphone sales jump 50%, Apple 3rd largest vendor globally

2010-05-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

Global sales of smartphones surged by 50%, growing from 35.9 million units in the year ago quarter to 54 million units in the first quarter of 2010, the strongest growth rate in several years.

A report by MarketWatch cited figures released by Strategy Analytics, which said smartphones now make up 18% of all mobile phone sales.

Strong sales of smartphones are "driven by healthy operator subsidies, competition between vendors, and a rising number of cheaper models," the report noted, citing Android and Symbian specifically as operating system platforms fueling growth in low cost handsets.

Smartphone makers are not all competing in the same markets however. Strategy Analytics said that "some smartphone vendors, such as Nokia, will chase growing mid-tier volumes in emerging markets such as China and India," while "brands, such as Motorola will focus on mature markets like the US."

Motorola has returned to profitability after giving up high volumes of mobile phone sales to focus on higher-end smartphones like the Android-based Droid/Milestone, which is often described as the closest rival to Apple's iPhone.

Meanwhile, Nokia is struggling to retain its leadership position by focusing on emerging markets. The company sold a record 21.5 million smartphones in the first quarter, but it largely sold cheaper models "in regions including China and South America, while North America remained a 'problem child' for the company," the report stated.

Behind Nokia, RIM sold 10.6 million BlackBerries, keeping Apple in third place globally with its record 8.8 million iPhone sales for the quarter. Apple's share of smartphone sales for the quarter, at 16.4%, is up from the 14.4% share it earned in general during 2009 and up from 10.6% in the year ago quarter.

Apple's growth in the first quarter made it the number one mobile vendor among all US phone makers. Globally, Apple reached a record high of 3% global market share among all mobile phone makers.

RIM's second-place share, at 19।7%, remained relatively static, falling slightly from its 20.3% of the smartphone market in the year ago quarter. Nokia's smartphone sales are up from 38.2% in the year ago quarter to 40% this year. Nokia's definition of smartphones includes a variety of simple, low cost phones that mostly run Symbian.

Original: http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/04/30/smartphone_sales_jump_50_apple_3rd_largest_vendor_globally.html

5 Things You Should Never Tell Investors

2010-04-30T12:07:00.000-07:00

Are you hoping to raise some capital to get your business off the ground? Are you anxiously waiting for the day when your bank account is flush with newly-injected investor cash? Are you thinking about presenting your business plan to a group of Angel Investors or Venture Capitalists?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this is something you need to hear. According to Scott Shane's book The Illusions of Entrepreneurship, not very many startup companies receive funding from formal investors. His research indicates that less than one-tenth of one percent of all start-ups receives VC money, accounting for less than 2 percent of all small business financing. And, only 13.4 percent of the angel investors are actually accredited, meaning most angels are actually informal investors, not high-profile sophisticated investors who mandate fancy presentations, well-coiffed business plans, and attractive 10X returns. (10X refers to a return of at least 10 times the investor's initial investment.)

This data is not meant to scare you away from seeking the funding you need, but it should clarify that a very small minority of new businesses ever find themselves in front of sophisticated investors. In case you ever find yourself trying to convince one or more of them that your business is worthy of their cash, here are five common faux-pas you should never say in your presentation.

1. What do you mean by cap table?

First of all, this refers to your capitalization table. It defines all of the current shareholders/members of your company and projects how that will change with this and future rounds of financing. It was not too long ago that an up-and-coming business received a coveted invitation to present to an angel group. Upon investigation, the company had sold some stock to friends and family in the early days, but had no idea how much stock each investor currently held. To make matters worse, there were no legal documents formalizing these transactions. If a potential investor learns of this, they will most likely turn and run the other direction.

2. If we could just capture 1 percent of the market...

Hopefully you have never heard anyone say this about the potential of their business. If a sophisticated investor hears it, they will shut down any further interest in your business. They may appear to be listening, but they are not. Why? If an entrepreneur has not bothered to do enough research to figure out what a realistic market penetration would be, then investors will draw the conclusion that it is not worth their time or their money. Trying to justify the potential of your business with such a statement is really saying that you are going to short-cut in every other aspect of your business, and that is not an attractive quality to someone who is going to trust you with their money. Know your market, segment it into as much detail as possible, and show them some realistic assumptions and why you think you will achieve them.

3. The first thing we plan to do with your investment is hire a bunch of attorneys and really expensive consultants.

Oh, this will make them cringe. They may even get a little red in the face as they recall the amounts of their money that have been wasted on non-growth-oriented expenditures. Investors want their money to be used to grow the company. They want their money to help develop new products or improve the penetration of your company's current products. Sure, some legal and other professional fees are necessary and value-added, and you may even need to use a little of the investment to handle those things. But ultimately the investors need to see how their money will help the company grow and increase the value of their investment.

4. I'm not planning on hiring a management team. I will do it all myself.

Why would you ever say this? Do you have a big ego? You can't let go of control? Or, perhaps you have so little vision of your company that you cannot even imagine the days when you will need help running your business? This last question is exactly what potential investors think when they hear this statement. Besides being the most common mistake made, I have never seen a company with this attitude get funded. Every company that breaks free from their startup roots gets to a point where it is too much for one person to manage. Show some vision, humility, and savvy by thinking about your company at 10 to 20 times its current size. Then build an organization chart of what experience and talent you will need around you to build that successful business. This is not a sign of weakness – it is actually what the investors need to hear and see from you!

5. I'm not sure what my company is worth.

When you walk into Wal-Mart you don't see price tags that say: "We're not sure how much to charge you for this." So why would you want to say this about your business? You have something to sell: equity in your business. Know what it is worth (implying you do some homework and have some logic behind your number) and ask for that price. Sophisticated investors will always do their due diligence to see if they agree with your asking price (and they never will), but they will lose interest if you haven't put enough thought into your company to try and figure out what it is worth.

Ken Kaufman, Founder & CEO of CFOwise®, serves as the Chief Financial Officer for a dozen startup, emerging and medium-sized businesses। With almost two decades of experience and as an adjunct professor and published author, Ken focuses his professional efforts on helping entrepreneurs maximize cash flow, improve profits, and obtain clarity.

Original: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/money/article/5-things-you-should-never-tell-investors-ken-kaufman

Phone Finder ID-ed - Regrets His ‘Mistake’

2010-04-30T03:25:00.000-07:00

The person who found and sold an Apple iPhone prototype says he regrets not doing more to return the device to its owner, according to a statement provided by his attorney Thursday in response to queries from Wired.com.

Brian J. Hogan, a 21-year-old resident of Redwood City, California, says although he was paid by tech site Gizmodo, he believed the payment was for allowing the site exclusive access to review the phone. Gizmodo emphasized to him “that there was nothing wrong in sharing the phone with the tech press,” according to his attorney Jeffrey Bornstein.

Wired.com identified Hogan as the finder of the prototype by following clues on social network sites, and then confirmed his identity with a source involved in the iPhone find.

Hogan has been interviewed by law enforcement investigators but has not been charged with a crime. His attorney says he is willing to cooperate with authorities.

It’s generally considered theft under California law if one “finds lost property under circumstances that give him knowledge of or means of inquiry as to the true owner” and yet appropriates the property for his own use “without first making reasonable and just efforts to find the owner and to restore the property to him.”

The person who found the phone “is very definitely one of the people who is being looked at as a suspect in theft,” San Mateo County Chief Deputy District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe told Wired.com Wednesday. “Assuming there’s ultimately a crime here. That’s what we’re still gauging, is this a crime, is it a theft?”

On April 19, Gizmodo, which is owned by Gawker Media, published a bombshell story about the iPhone prototype, which had apparently been left at the Gourmet Haus Staudt in Redwood City. It was left behind by an Apple engineer named Gray Powell.

According to the statement from his lawyer, Hogan was in the bar with friends when another patron handed him the phone after finding it on a nearby stool. The patron asked Hogan if the phone belonged to him, and then left the bar. Hogan asked others sitting nearby if the phone belonged to them, and when no one claimed it, he and his friends left the bar with the device.

“Brian opened the phone onto a Facebook page but then the phone shut down,” attorney Bornstein writes. “From that time on, the phone was inoperable the entire time Brian had it.”

Hogan didn’t know what he had until he removed a fake cover from the device and realized it must be a prototype of Apple’s upcoming next-generation iPhone, according to Gizmodo’s account of the find.

A friend of Hogan’s then offered to call Apple Care on Hogan’s behalf, according to Hogan’s lawyer. That apparently was the extent of Hogan’s efforts to return the phone.

After the friend’s purported efforts to return the phone failed, several journalists were offered a look at the device. Wired.com received an e-mail March 28 — not from Hogan — offering access to the iPhone, but did not follow up on the exchange after the tipster made a thinly veiled request for money. Gizmodo then paid $5,000 in cash for it.

The owners of the bar told reporters that Hogan didn’t notify anyone who worked at the bar about the phone. They also said Powell returned several times after losing the phone to see if anyone had found it and turned it in. Powell and Apple’s outside counsel contacted the San Mateo County District Attorney’s office last week to report the phone stolen, according to reports.

“He regrets his mistake in not doing more to return the phone,” says Bornstein’s statement. “Even though he did obtain some compensation from Gizmodo, Brian thought that it was so that they could review the phone.”

Shortly after Gizmodo published its story, people identifying themselves as representatives of Apple appeared at Hogan’s home seeking permission to search the premises, according to a source involved with the iPhone find. A roommate turned them away.

Records show a Redwood City address for Hogan about a mile from the bar where he found the phone. Nobody was at home when Wired.com knocked on the door earlier this week. Hogan previously lived in Santa Barbara, where he attended Santa Barbara City College as recently as 2008, according to his Facebook profile, which was deleted last week.

His attorney says he recently transferred schools and will resume his college education in the fall. He has been working part time at a church-run community center giving swimming lessons to children and volunteered at a Chinese orphanage last year while he was enrolled in a study-abroad program.

“He also volunteers to assist his aunt and sister with fundraising for their work to provide medical care to orphans in Kenya,” his attorney says. “Brian is the kind of young man that any parent would be proud to have as their son.”

In addition to Hogan, investigators have targeted Gizmodo editor Jason Chen, who received and reported on the phone. Last Friday, officers from California’s Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team raided Chen’s Fremont, California, home and seized computers and other equipment.

Gawker Media and others have said the search warrant violated state and federal shield laws protecting journalists from searches and seizures without a subpoena. The San Mateo County district attorney’s office said this week that investigators will not examine the seized materials until the legality of the warrant has been resolved.

Hogan’s attorney, Jeffrey Bornstein, is a former federal prosecutor, who is now a partner at the San Francisco law firm K & L Gates. As a defense attorney, Bornstein notably represented the captain who steered a container ship into the San Francisco Bay Bridge in 2007.

In an interview at his office Thursday afternoon, the lawyer said Hogan’s family has relocated to an undisclosed location in anticipation of a media frenzy. “This thing has gotten completely, completely out of control,” said Bornstein, referring to the public interest in the story.

“He made a mistake,” Bornstein added. “He should have just immediately turned that phone in.”

Story updated 19:45 to quote Bornstein.

Image: Brian Hogan in a 2008 blog photo.

Additional reporting by Evan Hansen, Kevin Poulsen, Dylan Tweney and Roselyn Roark

Original: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/04/iphone-finder/

Illegal immigrants plan to leave over Ariz. law

2010-04-30T03:21:00.001-07:00

PHOENIX – Many of the cars that once stopped in the Home Depot parking lot to pick up day laborers to hang drywall or do landscaping now just drive on by.

Arizona's sweeping immigration bill allows police to arrest illegal immigrant day laborers seeking work on the street or anyone trying to hire them. It won't take effect until summer but it is already having an effect on the state's underground economy.

"Nobody wants to pick us up," Julio Loyola Diaz says in Spanish as he and dozens of other men wait under the shade of palo verde trees and lean against a low brick wall outside the east Phoenix home improvement store.

Many day laborers like Diaz say they will leave Arizona because of the law, which also makes it a crime to be in the U.S. illegally and directs police to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are illegal immigrants.

Supporters of the law hope it creates jobs for thousands of Americans.

"We want to drive day labor away," says Republican Rep. John Kavanagh, one of the law's sponsors.

An estimated 100,000 illegal immigrants have left Arizona in the past two years as it cracked down on illegal immigration and its economy was especially hard hit by the Great Recession. A Department of Homeland Security report on illegal immigrants estimates Arizona's illegal immigrant population peaked in 2008 at 560,000, and a year later dipped to 460,000.

The law's supporters hope the departure of illegal immigrants will help dismantle part of the underground economy here and create jobs for thousands of legal residents in a state with a 9.6 percent unemployment rate.

Kavanagh says day labor is generally off the books, and that deprives the state of much-needed tax dollars. "We'll never eliminate it, just like laws against street prostitution," he says. "But we can greatly reduce the prevalence."

Day laborers do jobs including construction, landscaping and household work for cash paid under the table. Those jobs have been harder to find since the housing industry collapsed here several years ago.

Standing near potted trees and bushes for sale at a Home Depot in east Phoenix, Diaz, 35, says he may follow three families in his neighborhood who moved to New Mexico because of the law. He says a friend is finding plenty of work in Dallas.

Diaz says he has too much to lose by staying — he's supporting a wife and infant son back home in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, across the border from El Paso, Texas.

"They depend on me to survive," he says. "I'm not going to wait for police to come and arrest me."

Jose Armenta, a 33-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico's western coast, is already planning to move to Utah within the next 20 days because of a combination of the economy and the new law.

"A lot of people drive by," he says as he watched nearby cars speeding past, "and they yell, 'Hey, go back to Mexico!'"

Analysts say it's too soon to tell what lasting effects the law will have on the state's underground work force, which also includes baby sitters, maids and cooks.

A study of immigrants in Arizona published in 2008 found that non-citizens, mostly in the country illegally, held an estimated 280,000 full-time jobs. The study by researcher Judith Gans at the University of Arizona examined 2004 data, finding that they contributed about 8 percent of the state's economic output, or $29 billion.

Losing hundreds of thousands of unskilled laborers wouldn't hurt the state's economy in the short term, but it could limit the economy's ability to grow once it recovers, says Marshall Vest, director of the Economic and Business Research Center at the University of Arizona's Eller College of Management.

Legal workers who are willing to take any available job now will become more choosy if the unemployment rate falls back to low levels seen before the recession hit.

"That's really the question, as to whether the existing population is willing to work those (low-level) jobs," Vest says. "I think economics provides the answer. If job openings have no applicants, then businesses need to address that by raising the offered wage."

Some illegal immigrants, however, intended to stick around.

Natalia Garcia, 35, from Mexico City, says she and her husband — a day laborer — will stay so their daughters — both born in the U.S. — can get a good education and learn English. The couple have been living in Arizona illegally for the last 10 years.

"Mexico doesn't have a lot of opportunities," she says. "Here, we work honestly, and we have a better life."

Olga Sanchez, 32, from southern Mexico, lives in Phoenix illegally with her two brothers, who are 21 and 17. While the youngest boy is in high school, all three work and send money back home to their parents.

"This law is very bad for us," says Sanchez, who gets about $250 a week cleaning three houses. "I'm afraid of what's going to happen."

She says the family is going to wait and see if the law takes effect and what the fallout will be before deciding whether to leave. The law is certain to be challenged in court; Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff already are considering lawsuits.

"All I ask from God is a miracle for us to stay here and work," she says।

Original : http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100428/ap_on_re_us/us_immigration_day_labor

Google Confirms Android 2.2 Will Support Flash

2010-04-29T05:46:00.000-07:00

In an interview with The New York Times, Google’s Andy Rubin revealed that the upcoming version of the Android mobile operating system will fully support Flash technology. Code named Froyo, Adobe showed us Android 2.2 with Flash 10.1 on a Nexus One last month.

According to Rubin, Google’s definition of openness “means not being militant about the things consumers are actually enjoying.” This is pointed commentary about Apple’s HTML5-or-bust attitude toward supporting Flash — or even allowing developers to use Flash when making applications –on Apple mobile devices. Google — at least based on our perception of the company’s public face — seems more focused on the interoperability, compatibility and diversity of user experience.

Rubin also commented on Google’s commitment to keeping Android open — open for developers, open for porn, open for API access, simply and completely open.

And as far as “stolen” phones are concerned, Rubin said Google would have been flattered by the attention.

All in all, Rubin’s statement came across as a thinly — and we mean thinly — veiled “screw you” to Apple. As the platform continues to grow, both in end-user adoption and in developer interest, who can blame him? We can’t wait to see what happens when an Android tablet is released to challenge the iPad।

origina: http://mashable।com/2010/04/27/android-flash/

TorrentFreak To Buy Pirate Bay For $11 Million

2010-04-29T03:01:00.000-07:00

According to a press release yesterday, Business Marketing Services Inc. has agreed to pay $10 million for the name and assets of BitTorrent monster The Pirate Bay.

CEO Hans Pandeya, who most people know from his Global Gaming Factory fame, will relaunch the the site on June 30th this year as a “paid legal content site”.

“The technology out there to deliver entertainment is from the stone age,” Pandeya said.

Pandeya says that the new site will be just like the old site except that it will only offer content that has been licensed by Business Marketing Services Inc.

In an amazing similarity to last year’s announcement that GGF would buy The Pirate Bay, Pandeya says that the site will run on some new hot file-sharing technology.

Apparently, BMSV have assurances from a party that they will receive $10m to make the purchase, so that means that they absolutely have the money and everything is going legal at The Pirate Bay in 2 months time.

So, to make sure this doesn’t happen, TorrentFreak has spoken to the admins of a few torrent sites who, while assuring us they were absolutely serious and not at all drunk or having fun at our expense, promised they would give us $11 million so we can buy The Pirate Bay instead.

To come up with some cool new technology, the writers on TF have been studying Visual Basic since last night and can now assure our readers that we have some awesome things lined up for the site.

Of course, absolutely nothing you’ve read so far in this article has a single grain of truth in it.

A Pirate Bay insider told TorrentFreak that there is no deal with Pandeya and that the whole thing is a complete fabrication।

Original: http://torrentfreak.com/torrentfreak-to-buy-pirate-bay-for-11-million-100428/