Hot & Spicy

HP Elite Book Folio 9470m Ultra Book Review: Ultra Books in Enterprise

2013-03-29T01:46:00.000-06:00

Introducing the HP EliteBook Folio 9470m

Something funny happened when a lot of us weren't really paying attention last year: Intel's nascent "ultrabook" specification and definition quietly expanded and, in the process, sort of redefined what a notebook was. In their own circular way, Intel created a brand and changed the way notebooks were built (with ULV Ivy Bridge leading the way); I'm sure it's no coincidence that this trademarked product name has only squeezed AMD further. Ultrabooks that were 14" and larger weren't as rigidly confined by the definition as ones below that threshold, but they're still smaller creatures than the notebooks of old.

EliteBook Folio 9470m

If you haven't been paying attention, thin is in. That's great for the consumer space, where certain enterprise level accoutrements aren't as important, but in enterprise, there are features that are more heavily demanded. It goes beyond the basic mil-spec testing: users want true docking stations and longer battery life. And IT departments demand user serviceability. When you're trying to develop a thin chassis, finding some way to include these features can complicate things. HP seems to think they've gotten the balance right with their EliteBook Folio 9470m.

EliteBook Folio 9470m

HP EliteBook Folio 9470m Specifications

Processor     Intel Core i5-3427U
(2x1.8GHz + HTT, Turbo to 2.8GHz, 22nm, 3MB L3, 17W)
Chipset Intel QM77
Memory 1x4GB Hynix DDR3-1600
Graphics   Intel HD 4000 Graphics
(16 EUs, up to 1.15GHz)
Display    14" LED Matte 16:9 1366x768
AU Optronics AUO253C
Hard Drive(s) 180GB Intel 520 SATA 6Gbps SSD
Optical Drive -
Networking Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235 802.11a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
Intel 82579LM Gigabit Ethernet
Audio    IDT 92HD91BXX HD Audio
Stereo speakers
Single combination mic/headphone jack
Battery    Long Life 4-Cell, 14.8V, 52Wh (integrated)
Front Side -
Right Side 2x USB 3.0
DisplayPort
SD/MMC Reader
VGA
Docking port
Ethernet
Left Side AC adaptor
Vent
USB 3.0 charging port
Mic/headphone combo jack
SmartCard reader
Back Side -
Operating System Windows 8 Pro 64-bit
Dimensions 13.3" x 9.09" x 0.75"
338mm x 231mm x 18.9mm
Weight   3.6 lbs
1.63kg
Extras    Webcam
SSD
mSATA slot
Bluetooth
Backlit keyboard
SmartCard reader
Fingerprint reader
Optional 60Wh slice battery
Optional docking station
Optional WWAN
Warranty 1-year limited, 3-year available
Pricing Starts at $1,349
As configured: $1,349

Despite the overall larger chassis, HP has opted to stick with ULV Ivy Bridge with the Intel Core i5-3427U. The 3427U is similar to the newer 3337U, but has an extra 100MHz on the turbo clocks and another 50MHz on the GPU. This enterprise class notebook makes a very interesting counterpoint to Dell's own XPS 13, reviewed here recently; Dell's XPS notebooks are essentially designed to bridge the gap between consumer and enterprise laptops.

The Folio 9470m sports two user-accessible DIMM ports, but HP only populates one with a paltry 4GB of DDR3-1600, typical of the traditional enterprise tax. Thankfully there's a 180GB Intel SSD standard, as well as room to add an mSATA SSD later. There's also a WWAN slot included, the battery is removable, and HP continues to include a SmartCard reader.

Of course, things being what they are, HP only includes a 1366x768 TN panel display in the basic model of the 9470m and I don't have to tell you that it's spectacularly crappy, even by bad notebook display standards. It's hard to believe in 2013 that I can have 1280x720 on my 4" smartphone, but HP can't somehow do better than that in a stock notebook configuration. Thankfully the 9470m can be ordered with a 1600x900 panel, but that's still a far cry from the 1080p IPS goodness being found on many consumer notebooks.

A Real Natural LAndscape Scene

2013-01-31T23:03:00.001-06:00

A Real Natural Landscape Scene with Waterfall through Hills.

A Natural Scene

2013-01-31T21:43:00.000-06:00

An abstract art. A Beautiful Natural art in which birds are flying over Lake.

Apple (AAPL) Announces it sold 47.8 million iPhones but investors disappointed

2013-01-24T03:04:00.000-06:00

Apple stock has a hit after its first quarter earnings were released on Wednesday afternoon, topping profit forecasts, but with a lower-than-expected iPhone sales.

Shares of Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) has more than 5 percent in after-hours trading. Apple stock was 1.86 percent to $ 514.17 in New York at the end of the matter.

"No technology company ever reported these kinds of results," said Tim Cook, Apple CEO, said on the earnings call.

The company reported that it sold 47,800,000 iPhones in the quarter, compared with 37 million in the same quarter a year ago. Many investors hoped the company 50 million iPhones, which drives Apple's earnings would sell.

Investors eagerly awaited Apple to report its earnings, seeking clarity to a number of rumors about iPhone parts and sales.

Earlier this week there were reports about the next iPhone is released in June.

"Certainly a new product line," said Brian Colello, Morningstar senior equity analyst. "It remains to be seen what Apple will eventually come out and when it is definitely factors to keep an eye on."

Last week, a report that Apple his order for iPhone partsmay decreased contributed to a decline in its share price to close to $ 500.

"It will be interesting to see if Apple really push the envelope in terms of innovation and shortening the product cycle," Colello said.

Colello said Apple faces growing competition from Samsung. Last summer, when Apple released the iPhone 4S, Samsung released its Galaxy S 3, which has a strong sales.

On Wednesday, Apple Inc., based in Cupertino, Calif., said it was a "record" 22,900,000 iPads sold in the quarter, compared to 15.4 million a year ago. The company also sold 4.1 million Mac computers, compared to 5.2 million in the same quarter last year.

On Apple's earnings call CFO Peter Oppenheimer Mac slide attributed to the refreshed Mac products not be released until December. Its new iMac desktops were sold to early December.

"We believe that Mac sales would have been much higher without the restrictions," Oppenhimer to the call.

Colello said the iPhone unit sales was "a bit of a disappointment."

And despite a record number of iPad sales, he said they were still lighter than Wall Street's expectations.

The company failed to beat Wall Street's expectations on revenues, but it beat forecasts for profit. Apple's own estimate was $ 52 billion in revenue.

"We are excited about record revenues of more than $ 54 billion and sales of over 75 million iOS devices in a single quarter," Cook said in a statement. "We are very confident in our product pipeline as we continue to focus on innovation and creating the best products in the world."

In light of the company's "relatively weak" quarterly earnings, Colello said Apple's forecast for $ 41 billion to $ 43 billion in revenue in the future "light."

The company can still boast about the amount of cash accumulated: $ 137,000,000,000.

On Tuesday, some investors have their hopes to Verizon reported a stronger-than-expected number of new iPhone subscribers during the conference call.

Colello warned that Verizon's iPhone sales were strong, but they also have a large number of older iPhone models sold.

"It is clear that the iPhone is the biggest driver, but there are a few factors, such as the types of units and at what price," Colello said. "Was it the phone 5 or 4S?"

Apple does not break the type of iPhones sold.

Raaz 3

2012-09-08T01:12:00.000-05:00

The first Indian film to receive an R rating from the MPAA, this third installment in the "Secret" series offers up relatively tame sexual content and campy violence.

A fading actress resorts to black magic to exact revenge on a promising debutante in Raaz 3 (Secret 3), the latest offering from India’s risqué Vishesh Films.
Although director Vikram Bhatt’s approach leans more toward a bludgeon than a scalpel, the film is saved by the beguiling Bipasha Basu as Shanaya Shekhar, an actress so desperate to stay on top that she’s willing to do anything -- up to and including making love to a demon -- in order to curse the career of Sanjana Krishna (Esha Gupta).

Vishesh Films’ releases nearly always make a healthy profit, due to the production house’s skill at keeping costs low and selling their films’ music and satellite rights high, and Raaz 3 will be no exception, in India at least. Overseas Indian audiences are bound to be curious, thanks to Raaz 3’s promise of sex and violence -- Vishesh’s last film was Jism 2, after all -- but even though Raaz 3 is the first Indian film to receive an R rating from the MPAA, its sex is pretty tame and the violence cartoonish.
Like most of Vishesh’s other recent titles, this film, which was shot in 3D, has been released on a limited number of screens outside of India (this review is based on the 2D version).

Shanaya (Basu) has it all: a hot movie career and a devoted boyfriend who happens to be a movie director, Aditya (Emraan Hashmi). But when Shanaya is passed over for an industry award in favor of ingénue Sanjana (Gupta), the older actress is cut to the core. Complicating matters is the fact that the two women are half-sisters, and that they competed for the love of their father while growing up.
Shanaya’s sadness turns to rage; she tracks down a black magician who makes a potion that will make Sanjana suffer, and enlists Aditya to give it to her. But as Aditya becomes closer to Sanjana, he comes to realize that she doesn’t deserve the pain that Shanaya is trying to inflict on her and turns on Shanaya to protect her. This makes Shanaya so furious that she raises the stakes, and all three become caught in a bloody supernatural battle in the zone between life and death.
Although the film is the third in Vishesh Films’ hit Raaz series, and Basu also starred in the first film, it’s not a sequel in the strict sense. Bhatt has made a number of scary movies, but here he doesn’t offer much that’s new or original, relying instead on a blaring soundtrack and standard-issue fright elements such as a crazed clown, buckets of blood and a maggoty corpse on the loose.
The script (Sagufta Rafique) has a few good lines, and the story keeps the viewer’s interest, though the film drags at well over two hours. The swarthy Hashmi, the nephew of Raaz 3’s producer Mahesh Bhatt, does a forgettable job; while Gupta, a former Femina Miss India, conveys an innocent charm.
If there is a reason to see this film at all, it’s to bask in the glow of Bipasha Basu.
Basu was born fabulous — and in this film, she rocks it with fierce black eyeliner, three-inch red-and-orange nails, and a famously toned body which she shows off in some memorable dance numbers (her exercise videos are understandably hot sellers in India). As Shanaya, Basu, no stranger to villainous roles, seems to relish the opportunity to get as bad as she can get, and here, she uses her husky voice and feline grace to great effect.

Production companies: Vishesh Films, Fox Star Studios
Cast: Bipasha Basu, Emraan Hashmi, Esha Gupta
Director: Vikram Bhatt
Screenwriter: Shagufta Rafique
Producers: Mahesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt
Executive producer: Kumkum Saigal
Director of Photography: Pravin Bhatt
Music: Jeet Gannguli
Rated R, 139 minutes

China earthquake prompted massive evacuations

2012-09-07T23:30:00.000-05:00

Beijing - At least 80 people were killed Friday when a pair of earthquakes shook a mountainous region of southwest China, triggering landslides, thousands of buildings damaged and forced thousands of residents from their homes, the official New China News Agency said.

The first earthquake, a magnitude of 5.7, shook the border area of Yunnan and Guizhou provinces at 11:19 an hour later, the second earthquake hit, had a magnitude of 5.6.

The temblors destroyed or damaged 20,000 homes and injured more than 700 people in the largely poor, rural area. State media reported that 100,000 people were evacuated.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao toured the area Saturday to coordinate rescue efforts, state media said.

A local official in hard hit Yiliang county, Yunnan province, told the Associated Press that many houses had collapsed.

"The emergency number is still made," said the official, who refused to give his name. "I do not know what it was like for the other towns, but my town has been hit hard."

Gang Huangfu, director of Yunnan's seismological bureau, told state media that houses and buildings in the region are not built to withstand the earthquake.

Building standards remains a sensitive topic in China's countryside. In 2008, Sichuan province devastated by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake that killed nearly 90,000 people. Shoddy construction in underdeveloped disaster is blamed for the high toll.

Miley Cyrus Haircut Platinum Mohawk Look at MTV VMA 2012

2012-09-07T11:40:00.000-05:00

Miley Cyrus's haircut looks very fluffy and felt at this year's MTV VMA 2012. It can almost be a platinum mohawk. Cyrus also showed off her lean body at the Video Music Awards rocking a long black body-hugging dress with a low neckline revealing cleavage.

The singer happened to the idol of one of the U.S. gymnastics team ferocious five members, McKayla Maroney who also attended the VMAs this year.

When asked about who Maroney wants to offer to the most she replied, "For me, probably Miley Cyrus I'm very excited to meet her. I have looked at her on TV since I was very little and I love her music, and I'm just super excited to get to even meet her, "

Cyrus was not the only one a blonde cropped look at the sport. Her fellow "twins" presenter was none other than Pink. Pink's signature complimented her locks very well.
What do you think of Cyrus's mohawk style?

Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens em cena the Spring Breakers

2012-08-30T16:38:00.001-05:00

It was released a scene from the movie "Spring Breakers", directed by controversial filmmaker Harmony Korine, responsible for the screenplay of "Kids" (1995) and the direction of "Lives Easy Rider" (1997).

The preview does not show much of the film's plot, which revolves around teenagers who rob a restaurant to pay for your vacation and get involved with a drug dealer (James Franco, "127 Hours"), who convince them to kill his arch-enemy . Instead, the girls appear complaining about the sameness of life, perhaps indicating that it is boredom that lead to the path of crime.

The main female roles are played by Selena Gomez (series "Wizards of Waverly Place"), Vanessa Hudgens ("Journey 2: The Mysterious Island"), Ashley Benson (series "Pretty Little Liars") and Rachel Korine, the director's wife and actress in several of his films.

Although not yet release date in the U.S., "Spring Breakers" will be displayed on the 5th of September at the Venice Film Festival and two days later at the Toronto Film Festival.

Sindh chief minister for strict check on pillion riders

2012-07-04T00:33:00.001-05:00

KARACHI: A high-level meeting on law and order situation presided over by Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Tuesday decided to strictly check pillion riders as they had been found involved in most targeted killings in Karachi.

“It was decided that vehicles, particularly the motorcycles/bikes, will be properly checked as it was observed that mostly the motorcycles carrying two passengers were involved in target killing incidents”, an official handout issued after the meeting stated.
The meeting was held at the CM House where high-ups of the police and other law enforcement agencies were present.
It was also decided that criminals indulged in killings would be properly interrogated and kept in jails of interior Sindh. The meeting also decided that cases lodged against criminals and extortionists will be fully pursued and punished by the courts.
The chief minister in his remarks stressed the need to further improve the performance, vigilance and monitoring besides fully controlling criminal activities in Karachi - the largest city of Pakistan and economic hub of the country.
Shah said that the city of Karachi is very sensitive and important for people of Pakistan and as such, it was very essential to eradicate all evils, eliminate all criminals, root out all anti-social elements and curb the menace of target killings and extortionists from Karachi on top priority.
The CM, quoting his recent surprise visit of old Karachi city, trade and business centres said that he was surprised to see that in contrast to figures shown, there was meager force available at police stations, pickets, roads, various trade points, commercial centres and markets. He added that no force was on patrolling but the people were happy that someone had come to meet them. He said that he had asked the IG Sindh to take action against absent police personnel. He said that small time traders and pushcart men were requesting for strict measures against criminals and anti-social elements for continuous and permanent peace in the city.
The Sindh chief minister added that one of the office-bearers of Small Traders Organisation had said that the media was also responsible for unnecessarily highlighting minor incidents. On this occasion, ACS (Home) Syed Sohail Akbar Shah, AIG Karachi, DIGs Karachi South, Karachi East and Karachi West, AIG Special Branch, AIG CID, and other heads of law enforcement agencies gave detailed performance reports.

Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys dies at 47: Veteran musician also co-founder of Oscilloscope Laboratories

2012-05-05T13:02:00.001-05:00

Adam "MCA" Yauch, rapper, musician, activist, filmmaker and film distributor who pioneered hip-hop trio the Beastie Boys, and indie film production company Oscilloscope Laboratories was founded on Friday died in New York after a three-year battle with cancer.

He was 47. For the first time Yauch's death was announced by Def Jam founder Russell Simmons, and was later confirmed by Oscilloscpe. Yauch announced his illness in 2009, it appears that he is a cancer partoid gland, which caused the Beastie Boys a number of scheduled performances canceled as he sought treatment. Yauch was absent from the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier last month. As a founding member of the Beastie Boys, Yauch's impact on hip-hop as both a commercially and artistically appropriate genre is hard to drive.

The group's 1986 debut, "Licensed to Ill," was the first rap album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Album Chart, and with LL Cool J, then effective sail-emerging label Def Jam. Later attempts by the Beasties were among the first to equally successful in both rap and rock radio, and the second album "Paul's Boutique" remains a landmark of the genre. The group has more than 40 million albums sold worldwide. In the group's later years, would Yauch increasing the Beasties a political conscience. A practicing Buddhist, Yauch organized the Tibetan Freedom Concert benefits in the late 1990s, and was an outspoken critic of George W. Bush administration. Later in the film production venture would Yauch a number of music videos directed by Nathaniel Hornblower aka Helmed and later the full-length basketball documentary "Gunnin 'for the # 1 position." The latter was released by Yauch's Oscilloscope shingle, which would go to Kelly Reichhardt's "Wendy and Lucy" and "meek's dark," Lynne Ramsay's "We Shall talk about Kevin" and Oscar-nominated documentary "Exit Through the gift shop to release . "Yauch is survived by his wife and his daughter Dechen Tenzin Losel, and parents Frances and Noel Yauch.

Italië Ferrari-styl hoëspoed-trein te begin

2012-04-27T13:04:00.001-05:00

Making its debut next week, Italo has a top speed of 186 km and will connect Milan, Rome and Naples in high style.

ext time you're in traffic on the highway stuck - keep them happy Italians. Some will ride in style next week when the services on the smooth Italo high speed train start.
Management by Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori (NTV), the Italo-debuted April 28 and will connect Milan, Rome and Naples. It is considered the most advanced trains in Europe.
It has a top speed of 186 km - not the fastest in the world, but still respectful. The record for the fastest commercial service depends on several factors, but Shanghai's maglev train can run at 268 mph.
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemoto is a major shareholder in (and chairman) NTV, as French Railways (SNCF). The cars are Ferrari-style painted red and a stylized almost to the end.
The 25 trains in the fleet are manufactured by France's Alstom AGV based on his model (Automotrice Grande Vitesse). They will make use of traction as the AGV, TGV train, a speed record of 574.8 km (357 mph) in 2007, as seen in this video.
Italo trains to 11 cars with a capacity of 460 passengers. The first, business and economy classes called Club, Prima and Smart - will feature leather seats, free Wi-Fi, and ceiling panels in some cars. The cheapest ticket from Milan to Rome (about 300 miles) costs about $ 60.
Services will compete with TRENITALIA, a monopoly on high speed rail in Italy until now, both airlines. NTV hope 9 million annual passengers up at the end of 2014.

Kentucky lands Erlens Noel concludes No. 1 recruiting class

2012-04-12T00:59:00.000-05:00

Now that Kentucky has wrapped up its fourth consecutive No. 1 recruiting class, what if Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Terrence Jones, etc. decided to come back for a shot at a second consecutive national championship?
Nah, not going to happen.
But given the Wildcats’ track record under coach John Calipari, they’re going to be heard from again next March. Davis and Gilchrist will go off to become the first two players taken in the June NBA Draft and Jones will fall somewhere in the lottery. Kentucky, though, will be back.
That much was all but assured on Wednesday night when Nerlens Noel—the No. 1 or No. 2 prospect in the class of 2012, depending on what recruiting analyst you subscribe to—appeared on ESPNU to announce he was signing with Calipari and the Cats.

If you don’t bleed Kentucky blue or follow the crazy world of college hoops recruiting, Noel is painted as the second coming of Anthony Davis. Some analyst say he’s an even better shot blocker than Davis, which boggles the mind given the records Davis shattered in his only college season.
At 6-foot-10 and 210 pounds, Noel is thinner than Davis. He may not be the offensive player Davis turned out to be, but he will anchor Kentucky’s defense, which will once again lock down opponents. He’s a Bill Russell-type shot blocker who uses his long arms and perfect timing to send back shots and keep them in play so teammates can corral them.
Despite Noel's commitment, Kentucky fans didn’t quite get the bountiful recruiting harvest they were hoping for Wednesday. Shabazz Muhammad, who would have been the heir apparent to Kidd-Gilchrist, opted for UCLA.
Even without Muhammad, the Cats cleaned up. Joining Noel in Lexington are three fall signees—6-8 Alex Poythress from Clarksville, Tenn., Archie Goodwin, a scoring machine from Little Rock, Ark., and 7-0 Willie Cauley from Kansas.
Poythress is a combo forward and McDonald’s All-American who can score inside and out. Goodwin can put the ball on the floor and make threes. Cauley is probably the least advanced of the Kentucky recruits, but has loads of potential.
Noel, Poythress and Goodwin are all consensus five-star recruits. ESPN rates Poythress the No. 13 player nationally and the No. 3 small forward, Goodwin the No. 15 player in his class and the No. 4 shooting guard, and Cauley the No. 40 player and the No. 11 center.
Kentucky is still in play for Anthony Bennett, the No. 7 player in the class of 2012, and UConn transfer Alex Oriahki, a junior power forward scheduled to visit Lexington. Oriahki recently trimmed Duke from his list but also likes Missouri, which joins the Southeastern Conference in the fall, and North Carolina. But UNC is also courting South Carolina transfers Anthony Gill and Damontre Harris, who both left the program after coach Darrin Horn was fired and replaced by Frank Martin.
Other than No. 1 Kentucky, only one other SEC school was ranked among ESPN’s top 25 recruiting classes. Florida landed firmly at No. 25. The Gators signed two four-star guards in the fall—6-4 Michael Frazier of Montverde (Fla.) Academy and 6-1 Braxton Ogbueze of United Faith Christian Academy in Charlotte, N.C.
Florida is still hoping to sign Bennett and recently gained some scholarship room when freshman Walter Pitchford decided to transfer to a school closer to his Michigan home.

Instagram fans moan over slap in the Facebook

2012-04-12T00:51:00.000-05:00

NEW YORK — Facebook's $1 billion gobbling up of Instagram has sent disgruntled fans of the quirky photo-sharing app to the delete button.
Twitter and other online platforms buzzed Wednesday with depictions of Facebook as a corporate monster trampling over a defenseless community of creative, free-spirited types.
"Guess it's time to delete my instagram app before Facebook ruins it," Twitter user Charlie Robinson griped.
In another tweet, Jay El Nino Garcia moaned: "Nice facebook just bought instagram. Another thing to delete."
According to analysts at Crimson Hexagon, which studies social media content, just 12 percent of 201,000 relevant Twitter mentions of the takeover were positive. Ten percent registered "disgust" with Facebook and another 10 percent promised to quit Instagram.
Why the outcry?

Facebook is wildly popular and has the same basic mission as Instagram -- encouraging people to build virtual networks on which to share their lives.
But for Instagram's 30 million users, the cult-status app has a very different identity to the mass market Facebook.
Unlike Facebook, there is no advertising, and certainly no selling of users' personal details to advertisers. It's single-minded, pure.
Sure, the main point is to share snaps, which can be made to look cool with filters, but Instagram's mobile-to-mobile traffic is seen as safe from the privacy problems said to plague Facebook's advertiser-friendly pages.
"Its ability to let its users delicately toe the line between public and private gave us a little breathing room from the all-pervasiveness of Facebook, and to see it whisked away feels like a tangible loss," wrote Jenna Wortham on The New York Times tech blog.
"The sale of Instagram brings a harsh reality into focus, the realization that the secret rooms or private spaces online where we can share, chit-chat and hang out with our friends are fading. The few safe havens that do exist are quickly being encroached upon or are next on the shopping list for a company like Google, Apple or Facebook."
New York magazine compared Facebook to an alien spaceship and said that for "some users, this looks like a sellout. And that's because it is."
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg went out of his way to reassure Instagram purists that they needn't get their hands dirty.
On his own Facebook page, Zuckerberg noted that users can maintain their Instagram photos off Facebook and also keep their Instagram followers separate.
"We need to be mindful about keeping and building on Instagram's strengths and features rather than just trying to integrate everything into Facebook," Zuckerberg said.
Zuckerberg may not be popular in all quarters of the global online world, but his announcement notched up over 140,600 "likes."
Among the many positive comments were "great decision" and "congrats!"
But even on Zuckerberg's virtual doorstep there were dissenters mourning the arrival of mega money into a cozy hipster world.
"A picture's worth a thousand words," wrote Peter RonPaul Kallman, crossing out "thousand

Mega Millions: 3 important tips for your office pool

2012-03-31T04:11:00.001-06:00

More money, more problems: That’s one of the pitfalls of entering the now record-breaking Mega Millions jackpot, which has swelled to $540 million. (Update: Now $640 million!)

Co-workers around the country are entering their office pools in droves, contributing money toward buying dozens of tickets, with the intention of splitting the winnings if one of them were to have the lucky numbers. But because the chances of winning are slim (1 in 176 million), few consider the legal pitfalls they could encounter if one ticket in the pool were to hit the jackpot.

If you and your family, friends or co-workers are pooling together for your chance at a piece of nearly half a billion dollars, here’s what you need to know to protect yourself from future lawsuits.
1. Choose a leader. The LA Times’ Rene Lynch says that office pools work better when one person — someone trustworthy, of course! — is in charge. This person should collect the money, buy the tickets and facilitate the pool. He or she should also let the group know beforehand about any personal lottery ticket purchases. This is important, because many lotto-winning lawsuits come from poolers who bought tickets with a pool, but then said they bought the tickets on their own.

2. Make sure the agreement is in writing. Be sure to articulate who is in the pool. The bigger the pool, the better the odds — but if more people are included, each takes away less. Be sure to also decide on provisions for people who may be regular office pool contributors, but may be on vacation or out sick — are they included?

“You really want to eliminate any possibility of someone saying, ‘I should have been included and was not,’ ” attorney Eric Kahn, who represented construction workers who sued a co-worker for a cut of $38.5 million in lottery winnings, told SmartMoney.

3. Make sure that everyone who put in cash gets a copy of the tickets. This is the most important step, and the best way to ensure that any personal ticket purchases are separate from the pool. The pool leader should make copies of all tickets, and distribute them to the entire pool before the drawing. This includes the front and back of the tickets, where the serial numbers are.

After that, all that’s left to decide is what you’ll do with the cash if you win. Perhaps consider taking the co-workers who didn’t enter the pool out for a drink — they’ll be having a bad week.

Firefighters took three days to find body of obsessive hoarder buried under 3ft of rubbish

2012-03-31T03:56:00.000-06:00

An inquest heard they were called out to a blaze at Linda Parkes’ home and found every room filled with rubbish
Firefighters took three days to find an obsessive hoarder, whose body was buried beneath 3ft of debris.

An inquest heard they were called out to a blaze at 59-year-old Linda Parkes’ home and found every room filled with rubbish.

Along with police officers they had to squeeze through gaps in the waste and crawl over bags of human excrement, rotting food and rodent droppings to get to Linda.

Her appalling living conditions prompted the coroner to call for councils to get powers to enter the homes of obsessive hoarders.

David Paul, the station manager, told the Derby hearing: “Access to the building was very restricted. We had to crawl through the top of the doorways to get in the rooms.

“The living room was a solid mess, you’d just be crawling and your back would be touching the ceiling. In the kitchen, the mass was about 5ft deep.

"There was rubbish bags, human excrement in carrier bags, rotting food and rodent droppings.”
The fire last January started in the kitchen of Linda’s Derby home after waste near the oven fell on to a lighted hob.

A postmortem showed she died of smoke inhalation.

Recording a verdict of death by misadventure, the coroner said: “Local authorities should have the power to enter a house if they... believe hoarding is going on, that poses a fire risk.”

Keith Olbermann is out at Current TV, Eliot Spitzer is in

2012-03-30T21:18:00.000-06:00

Current TV becomes the latest television network to sever a stormy relationship with famously fractious Keith Olbermann.

Current TV founders Al Gore and Joel Hyatt said in a letter to viewers that they decided to cut bait because the relationship no longer represented “the values of respect, openness, collegiality, and loyalty to our viewers.”
Olbermann’s prime-time show, “Countdown” has been replaced, effective immediately, by a new show anchored by former New York governor/former CNN show anchor Eliot Spitzer.

Olbermann issued his own statement Friday: “It goes almost without saying that the claims against me implied in Current’s statement are untrue and will be proved so in the legal actions I will be filing against them presently.”

Olbermann’s humdinger of a statement continues:

“In due course, the truth of the ethics of Mr. Gore and Mr. Hyatt will come out. For now, it is important only to again acknowledge that joining them was a sincere and well-intentioned gesture on my part, but in retrospect a foolish one. That lack of judgment is mine and mine alone, and I apologize again for it.”

Olbermann had been back on Current TV, if unhappily, since a wild week of public brawling back in January. The feuding erupted Jan 3. slightly less than a year after he joined the network for what was to have been a five-year deal. That day, Current TV preempted “Countdown,” with coverage of the Iowa caucuses — the important first vote of the GOP primary season.

“Keith was asked to be the sole anchor and executive producer of our primary and caucus coverage. He declined,” Current TV President David Bohrman said in a memo to staffers that day.

Olbermann fired back with a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, a trade paper, in which he insisted he was “never given a legitimate opportunity to host under acceptable conditions. They know it and we know it.”

Speculation seemed to fall into two camps:

●The “Current TV is too low-rent for Olbermann” camp. His New York-based show has been plagued by tech problems, satellite feeds dropped out, and in early December a blown fuse caused the lights to go out while Olbermann was on the air.

●The “Hello? They hired Keith Olbermann” camp. No explanation required.

But, after a week-long spitting match, Olbermann issued a statement saying he was pleased that he would be running the election coverage on Current, following the New Hampshire primary.

Current TV is not the only network that’s learned it needs to fasten the seat belts when in business with Olbermann, because it was going to be a bumpy ride.

He feuded with ESPN, where he anchored “SportsCenter” for years, followed by a contentious relationship with MSNBC, which he dumped for Current TV.

Back in February 2011 when Current TV announced it was getting into bed with Olbermann, Hyatt hailed the hire as “the best investment that Current has ever made.”

UC leaders cancel executive pension program

2012-03-29T22:45:00.001-06:00

The University of California's governing board took steps Thursday to limit the pensions of top-earning executives who had threatened to sue the college system over what they claimed was a promise to increase their retirement packages.
UC's board of regents voted to rescind a policy, adopted in 1999, that would have based the system's share of pension contributions on the executives' full salaries instead of a $245,000 cap allowed under federal tax rules.

UC President Mark Yudof said the university received IRS permission to apply the new formula in 2007 but never implemented it because the go-ahead came as its campuses already were grappling with budget cuts and the need to increase spending on pensions for all employees.
Under the canceled program, financing bigger pensions for about 200 vice chancellors and deans who make more than $245,000 would have cost the university $61 million, according to the San Francisco Chronicle ( http://bit.ly/GYDMps).
Thirty-six senior UC managers notified Yudof in December 2010 that they expected the university system to honor its 1999 commitment. But Yudof argued at the time that the system was not obligated to implement the proposed formula because doing so required final approval from him, the board's chairman and the chair of the regents' finance committee.

UC spokesman Steve Montiel said Yudof asked the board to withdraw the policy "to close the loop and make sure everyone is clear that as far as the regents are concerned, no benefits have accrued and no benefits will accrue in the future."
The Chronicle reported that three protesters were arrested at the regents' meeting Thursday when the chairwoman tried to end the public comment period. Several students had criticized Yudof's efforts to prevent further tuition increases and the regents for meeting during students' spring break.
The board left the meeting room when the protesters refused to stop speaking, and when riot police came in to clear them, many in the crowd stripped down to spring break gear of bathing suits and flower leis, the newspaper reported.
The three people arrested, all UCLA students, were booked on suspicion of obstructing an officer and failure to disperse.

Read more: http://www.lompocrecord.com/news/state-and-regional/uc-leaders-cancel-executive-pension-program/article_cf0bb918-bc43-579a-82a4-0978a3be19b3.html#ixzz1qZWmFVrE

Baylor Women’s Basketball Coach Kim Mulkey Has Bell’s Palsy

2012-03-29T22:39:00.002-06:00

Coach Kim Mulkey, who is taking undefeated Baylor University into the Final Four of the national women’s basketball championship in two days, has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, the school said.
Bell’s palsy is a form of facial paralysis caused by a nerve dysfunction that results in the inability to control muscles. The condition usually has a rapid onset, often occurring overnight.

“I noticed while we were in Des Moines last week that my tongue felt strange,” Mulkey said yesterday in a statement. “Yesterday I noticed when I smiled, only the left side of my mouth was working. Also, my right eye was drooping and I couldn’t hear properly out of my right ear.”
Mulkey said she missed practice two days ago and went to the doctor after consulting with the team’s trainer, Alex Olson.

“Coach Mulkey is being treated with an anti-viral medication along with oral steroids to reduce the inflammation of the facial nerve,” Olson said.
The Lady Bears are two wins from their second national championship under Mulkey and the NCAA’s first 40-win season. Baylor meets Stanford on April 1 in Denver, while Connecticut and Notre Dame play in the second National Collegiate Athletic Association national semifinal contest.
The championship game is April 3.

Zimmerman police video in Trayvon case raises questions

2012-03-29T22:24:00.001-06:00

Forensic experts say newly released video by police of the man who shot Trayvon Martin raises more questions than it answers — but that's not stopping droves of amateur sleuths on TV, Twitter and Facebook from scrutinizing it anyway.
"I think the public should not draw any conclusions from this at all," said Grant Fredericks, a former police officer who headed the forensic video unit for the Vancouver Police Department.

The video should be just a fraction of the evidence available to police as they investigate George Zimmerman's claim that he shot and killed Trayvon, 17, after the teenager allegedly punched the neighborhood watch volunteer in the nose and slammed his head against the ground, Fredericks said.
The Feb. 26 shooting in Sanford, Fla., has brought national attention because Trayvon's family claims Zimmerman killed the unarmed youth after racially stereotyping him. Trayvon was black. Police say Zimmerman is white; his family says he is Hispanic.
Zimmerman's brother, Robert Zimmerman Jr., told CNN Thursday that reports his brother was chasing the teen are "absolutely false" and that he "was not patrolling the neighborhood. He was going to a store, Target."

Robert Zimmerman said the voice heard screaming on 911 tapes is that of his brother, who acted to save his own life. He said George Zimmerman "was very disappointed that none of the neighbors had come out" to help him. He said his brother would have been dead "if he had not acted decisively and instantaneously.''
The police security camera video shows Zimmerman exiting a patrol car and entering the Sanford Police Department about 35 minutes after the shooting. Images of Zimmerman's head and face reveal no obvious cuts or gashes, but at one point, a police officer inspects the back of his head. Zimmerman's lawyer, Craig Sonner, told NBC's Today the video supports his client's story because the officer may have been looking at an injury.

The public weighed in on social media sites. Many expressed disbelief at Zimmerman's claim that he fired in self-defense, and pointed to the grainy video as proof.
Trayvon's family and supporters say Zimmerman's lack of apparent injury in the video shows he lied about the teen attacking him.
Forensic video expert David Notowitz, founder of the National Center for Audio and Video Forensics, says much work remains before investigators can draw evidence from the video. "Right now, people are jumping to frantic conclusions," he said.

Kim Kardashian strips for lingerie line

2012-03-29T22:16:00.000-06:00

Kim Kardashian flaunts her hour glass figure in a navy-blue two-piece from her Kardashian Kollection- the fashion line she started with her sisters Khloe and Kourtney.

Kim took to Twitter to promote the shoot and posted the snap with the caption: "Kourt, Khloe and I put on our favorite bikinis for our new #KardashianKollection swimwear shoot!"

No doubt the curvy beauty looks ten on ten, however, her waistline seems unusually thin. Is this another case of airbrushing?

While Khloe (on Kim's right) is seen wearing a lace bikini with a sheer kaftan over the top, Kourtney dons a strapless bikini. Kourtney, who is preganant with her second child, shows no sign of a baby bump. Photoshop can certainly work wonders!
The shoot with the three beauties is done with a clouds and sea backdrop.

Kardashian Kollection Intimates line was launched two weeks back. During the launch, Kim had said: "My sisters and I are excited to reveal our new ad for our Kardashian Kollection Intimates! The intimates line is so gorgeous, comfortable and feminine and we are very proud of the line."

Earlier this month, the Kardashian sisters went topless in a racy photoshoot to promote their denim line for Sears.

Rashid Irani's review: The Hunger Games

2012-03-29T22:10:00.000-06:00

The Hunger Games
Direction: Gary Ross
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson
The past decade has witnessed the rise of tweenagers as a significant audience contributing to the success of The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and Twilight series.

Adapted from the first of three wildly-popular young-adult novels by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games taps into themes — courage in the face of adversity; struggle against oppressive regimes — with strong appeal for older viewers as well.

Cannily maintaining our involvement throughout its two hours and 20 minutes runtime, the post-apocalyptic thriller has us root for the resourceful young heroine in her fight for survival.

The fatherless girl (Lawrence) hunts and barters for food for her mother and fragile younger sister. Living in abject poverty in the coal-mining district of a dystopian nation, she clings to the one chance of hope by volunteering for the titular winner-take-all competition.

Every year, children from the ages of 12 to 18 are pitted against each other in an elaborately-controlled arena until there’s only one of them left standing. The fight-to-the-death conflict is broadcast live on television.

The Roman satirist Juvenal’s formulation, nearly two millennia ago, that bread and spectacle are all it takes to appease the populace, still resonates. The popularity of reality TV shows suggests that we haven’t come far from the ancient Coliseum era.

Aided by the sumptuous photography by Clint Eastwood’s regular collaborator, Tom Stern, as well as dazzling production values, director Ross (Seabiscuit) delivers large-scale excitement.

The first hour or so is especially splendid. Once the games kick off, the narrative does tend to lose momentum. The courtship with a fellow fighter (Hutcherson) is more cloying than convincing. On the other hand, the brief encounter with a pint-sized African-American girl packs an emotional punch.

Oscar-nominated Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone, 2010) brings heartbreaking soul to her character’s transformation from underdog to a symbol of revolt. Woody Harrelson as the alcoholic mentor and Elizabeth Banks as an outlandish escort are in fine fettle.

While the hideously coiffured Stanley Tucci provides some comic relief in the role of the talk-show host, old-timer Donald Sutherland is understatedly menacing as the president.

May the odds ever be in favour of The Hunger Games becoming a blockbuster new franchise.

Autism rates rise: Disorder affects 1 in 88 children, CDC study finds

2012-03-29T21:48:00.000-06:00

LOS ANGELES — Federal health authorities have significantly raised their estimate of the prevalence of autism in children, concluding in a new study of 8-year-olds that 1 in 88 has some form of the disorder.

For the analysis, released Thursday, researchers scoured tens of thousands of health and special-education records in 14 states, looking for an autism diagnosis or the symptoms that would add up to one.

It is the latest in a series of studies by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showing autism rates climbing substantially in the past decade.

The previous estimate, from 2006, was 1 in 110.

The new figure, based on 2008 data, is sure to fuel debate over whether a growing environmental threat could be at work. But autism researchers around the country said the CDC data suggest that rising awareness of the disorder, better detection and improved access to services can explain much of the surge, and perhaps all of it.

Washington was not one of the states included in the study, and autism is not tracked by state health officials. But Dr. Bryan King, director of the Seattle Children's Autism Center, said the report of growing numbers of children with autism spectrum disorder wasn't news to those who work in the field. "We're up against a tidal wave of need," he said.

More than 1,000 families are on a waiting list for diagnostic and therapy services from Children's, he said. "Families are having to confront the difficulties in accessing services and providers are trying to keep up with the press of humanity at the door."

Nobody knows what causes autism, and there is no blood test or other biological marker. It is diagnosed by its symptoms — social and communication difficulties starting in early childhood and repetitive behaviors or abnormally intense interests — and has come to include a wide range of symptoms.

Milder forms are now recognized. One, Asperger syndrome, describes behavior that in the past might have been seen as peculiar and abnormal but not evidence of illness. Ultimately, a diagnosis comes down to clinical judgment.

Some experts questioned the validity of relying on records to estimate the disorder's true prevalence.

David Mandell, an autism expert at the University of Pennsylvania, said the CDC's numbers primarily reflect the degree to which the diagnosis and services have taken hold in different places and among different groups.

"As the diagnosis is associated with more and more services, this becomes a less and less rigorous way to determine the prevalence of autism," he said, referring to the CDC's methods.

The federal agency found that Utah, which has widespread screening programs, had the highest rate: 1 child in 47. The state was closely followed by New Jersey, which prides itself on its autism services, at 1 in 49.

At the bottom was Alabama, one of the poorest states. Its autism rate fell 20 percent between 2006 and 2008: from 1 in 167 to 1 in 208.

CDC officials acknowledged the limitations of their analysis. In surveillance areas where researchers had access only to health records, and not school records, prevalence estimates were generally lower.

"Our study really is more of a study of demographic differences and population differences," said Jon Baio, a CDC epidemiologist and principal investigator on the report.

The researchers hope, however, that the study will draw attention to the need for more vigorous screening early in children's lives. Research shows that early intervention offers autistic children the best long-term prospects

More than one-fifth of children identified as autistic by the CDC had no autism diagnosis in their records.

Dr. Coleen Boyle, director of the CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, said children "still aren't being identified enough."

In response to rising concern over the skyrocketing diagnosis rates in the 1990s, the CDC set up a network of surveillance sites nationwide. Researchers do not examine children but instead periodically review records of 8-year-olds.

In its first analysis, using data from 2000, the CDC estimated that 1 in 150 children had some form of the disorder. The latest estimate of 1 in 88 is already being touted as evidence that something in the environment is driving up cases.

"Autism is now officially becoming an epidemic in the United States," Mark Roithmayr, president of the advocacy group Autism Speaks, said at a news conference with CDC officials Thursday.

Others noted that as autism awareness has grown, health-care providers and school officials are more likely to label a child autistic or note autistic symptoms in the documentation that the CDC researchers rely on.

In all, the CDC identified 3,820 children with some form of autism, out of 337,093 in the surveillance areas.

As has been previously established, boys were much more heavily affected: The rate was 1 in 54, compared with 1 in 252 girls.

The rate for white children was 1 in 83, compared with 1 in 127 for Latinos and 1 in 98 for black people — but the data show those minorities have been closing the gap.

"What we're looking at is mostly due to practices and infrastructure and culture rather than some underlying biological phenomenon," said Dr. Daniel Geschwind, an autism expert at UCLA.

Autism often has devastating effects on families, and treatment requires time, skill and patience. Medical expenses for children with autism are six times higher than for children without the disorder. Behavioral therapy, often delivered one on one, can cost as much as $60,000 a year. The advocacy group Autism Speaks estimates autism spectrum disorders cost the United States $137 billion a year.

Raspberry ketone: Where can you buy it, and are there any studies on it?

2012-03-29T21:37:00.002-06:00

Wednesday's repeat episode of Dr. Oz has web surfers desperately hunting down information on the supplement raspberry ketone.

While some weight-loss supplements contain raspberry ketones, they also contain copious amounts of caffeine, which you don't want if you're already washing down your supplements with coffee or tea.

And when buying any sort of supplement, it's best not to buy in bulk, since what works for one person may be useless for another.

In the month since the Dr. Oz Show first aired, supplment manufacturers have ramped up production of raspberry ketones and they're much easier to find -- with or without other ingredients mixed in. Last month only a few places offered raspberry ketones and they were sold out in minutes. Some examples we've found today:

Vitacost.com has quite a few supplements offered, and like we said, some contain caffeine, which in small amounts can boost metabolism. But too much caffeine can leave you jittery and raise blood pressure -- never a good thing for people who already are overweight. Best deal: Vitacost Raspberry Ketones Featuring Raziberi-K, for $8.49. (There are no other ingredients in this product.)

Vitaminshoppe.com has some products that contain raspberry ketone but they also contain other ingredients. Best deal: Top Secret Nutrition L-Carnitine Plus Raspberry Ketone, for $23.99. L-carnitine is popular with bodybuilders, since the supplement claims to help turn fat into energy. But it can produce heartburn if you're sensitive.

GNC.com has some supplements that feature raspberry ketone, and many are bundled with other purported fat burners. Best deal: Hi-Tech Pharmeceuticals Raspberry Ketones, for $21.99, which is just raspberry ketone.

Hi-Health.com, which advertises toward the end of the Dr. Oz Show every day, seems to jump on the good doctors recommendations and features them on the front page of its website. The site features two products that contain it. Best deal: Ultra Plan Raspberry Ketone Plus Rhodiola, for $24.99. Rhodiola is a flowering plant that is said to improve mood and energy.

But should you even be taking raspberry ketone? The expert who was on his show, Lisa Lynn, is a fitness professional who also sells supplements on her LynFit website, and yes she also sells a weight-loss product that contains raspberry ketones, which she spells "keytones."

Have there been any credible, long-term studies on the effectiveness or safety of raspberry ketone? Well, if you're a mouse, you're in luck. In 2005, a Japanese study was performed on lab mice showing that raspberry ketone had similar properties to capsaicin and synephrine, two compounds that have been shown to boost metabolism and thus burn "white" fat, the type of body fat you want to get rid of. A similar South Korean study on lab mice in 2010 showed some fat-burning properties of raspberry ketones in the little critters.

But we're not mice and we haven't found any studies on humans for effectiveness or safety.

As for safety, raspberry ketone is used in the production of raspberry flavored foods and raspberry-scented products, and in 1965, the FDA labeled raspberry ketone "generally recognized as safe" or GRAS.

Bunnings Hardware to Open 6,000 New Jobs in Australia

2012-03-29T21:26:00.000-06:00

Hardware chain Bunnings Warehouse announced on Friday that it would create 6,000 jobs in Australia over the next three years as part of its $1.5-billion expansion plan. That would involve the setting up of 85 new stores across the country which would also create more than 11,500 construction jobs.
Bunnings is owned by Wesfarmers which also operates Coles. Bunnings Managing Director John Gillam said that by expanding its network, the retailer would be able to serve more communities.

Competitor Woolworths has opened the Masters hardware brand which is a direct rival of Bunnings. Masters recently opened eight stores and plans to open 12 more outlets before August 2012.

In turn, Bunnings will open its 200소 store in Greenace on Friday at Sydney's southwest, 18 years after the retailer opened its first outlet in Sunshine, Melbourne.
Despite the intense rivalry between the two hardware retailers, an analyst said there is enough room for expansion between Masters and Woolworths.

"When Masters go for national pricing next year, they will definitely go very hard on Bunnings' margins, which is why they really need to expand now," The Herald Sun quoted the analyst.

The analyst added that the hardware sector in Australia is worth $35 billion upwards and Bunnings accounts for only 20 per cent of the market share based on its $7.2-billion sales.

Madonna Poised To Make Another Number One Debut

2012-03-29T21:17:00.000-06:00

Madonna may have recently been banned by Piers Morgan’s talk shows but that’s not going to slow down the Material Girl and it seems inevitable that her new disc will make a number one debut on the Billboard charts next week.
.
According to Billboard Madonna’s fifth album MDNA, which came out on March 26th, is estimated to sell between 300,000 and 350,000 copies, making it Madonna’s fifth album to land at the number one spot.

.
In case you were wondering Madonna has had eight number one discs in her career and the estimated sales for MDNA will likely surpass the first week for 2008’s Hard Candy which sold 280,000 its first week. Hey, apparently collaborating with people like Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. has its perks.
.
So what do you think of Madonna hitting the top of the charts and do you think her hot streak will continue well into 2012? Let us know in the comments section below as you listen to Madonna Radio.