Apple CEO Steve Jobs wrote a rare, 29-paragraph open letter on Apr. 29, panning Adobe Systems’ Flash video software as having “major technical drawbacks”—and deepening a rift between the companies.

Jobs used the posting on Apple’s (AAPL) Web site to outline six reasons Flash shouldn’t be used for mobile devices and to say his company has “few joint interests” with Adobe (ADBE). He said the decision to bar Flash from Apple’s devices stems from concern over the technology, not to keep from losing business.

Apple’s exclusion of Flash from the iPad and iPhone reflects the company’s aim to control the way games and other applications are created for its devices, says Charlie Wolf, an analyst at Needham & Co. who has a buy rating on Apple shares. Wolf says Apple’s decision “makes sense.” The company wants developers “on the same page and using Apple’s development tools.”

By urging programmers to adopt other tools, Apple threatens the dominance of Flash, used in 75% of online video. “The conflict between Apple and Adobe has been a very big deal,” says Chad Bartley, an analyst at Pacific Crest Securities who has an outperform rating on Adobe. “The Flash platform and ecosystem is obviously critical to Adobe and to the success of its creative tools business.”

Adobe shares closed down 51¢, or 1.4%, to $34.96 on Apr. 29. Apple rose $7.04, or 2.7%, to $268.64.

Developer Rules

This month, Apple released new rules that force application developers to write programs directly for the iPhone operating system, rather than use intermediary software such as Adobe’s products. That may have made Adobe less appealing to developers, many of whom view Apple’s products as platforms they can’t ignore.

HTML5, a standard Apple uses instead of Flash, is a “completely open” technology, Jobs said. HTML5 lets Web developers create graphics and animations without relying on third-party browser plug-ins, such as Flash, he said. “Perhaps Adobe should focus more on creating great HTML5 tools for the future, and less on criticizing Apple for leaving the past behind,” he said.

Adobe responded to Jobs’ letter with a statement that said Flash “is one of the most pervasive technologies on the planet. …Apple’s moves to block Flash and other technologies are designed to protect a business model that locks developers and consumers into a single, proprietary stack.” The e-mailed statement from Adobe spokeswoman Holly Campbell also said, “Any attempt to position this solely as a technology issue is a smokescreen.”

Michael Gartenberg, a partner at technology consulting firm Altimeter Group, says the onus is on Adobe to respond to criticisms of its product. “The best thing that Adobe can do at this point is not respond with words,” he says. “They need to show Flash as a great mobile experience, and show Apple customers what they are missing.”

source: businessweek.com

• New smartphones, faster networks, and consumer acceptance: “The perfect storm is here”

Ever since a mid-level engineer at Apple (AAPL) left a prototype iPhone in a Silicon Valley bar on Apr. 18, the tech world has been consumed with the ensuing drama. Will the person who sold the gadget to the blog Gizmodo go to jail? Were the police justified in seizing the blog editor’s home computers? Getting less attention is the little dot just above the touchscreen on the device. It’s a front-facing camera, and in all likelihood it’s there for one reason: video phone calls.

Apple wouldn’t comment for this story, and there’s no way of knowing whether the prototype will ever get to market. Yet the device has generated excitement about mobile video communications. “With its size, market share, and influence, Apple could help move video calling to the mainstream,” says Eric Kintz, a general manager at Logitech (LOGI), the computer-peripheral maker.

Dreams of video phones have been around since before Dick Tracy swapped his 2-Way Wrist Radio for a 2-Way Wrist TV in 1964. These days the technology is vastly improved. Forget tiny screens with fuzzy picture quality and voice-synchronization reminiscent of old Godzilla movies. Thanks to powerful microprocessors and luminous screens, smartphone video can look as good as standard TV.

source: businessweek.com

Iron Man 2, Jon Favreau’s much-anticipated follow-up to his breakthrough 2008 blockbuster, is less a comic book flick than it is a superhero version of Arthur, the Oscar-nominated 1981 comedy that starred Dudley Moore as a drunken, wise-cracking dilettante. In his second turn as Tony Stark, Robert Downey Jr. recasts the billionaire inventor as the Dean Martin of industrialists, strutting from one star-studded event to another on a bacchanalian victory tour, dishing out choice one-liners and stirring up minor controversies for his exasperated babysitters, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle), to quell. Whether gloating about his achievements at a defense industry expo, upbraiding Senators during a congressional hearing, or getting wasted and donning his armored powersuit to play DJ at his birthday party, there’s no telling what kind of madcap mischief Tony Stark will get himself into next!

The Tony Stark Comedy Tour, for what it’s worth, is a supremely entertaining ride (credit screenwriter Justin Theroux at the very least with crafting the genre’s most quotable film of all time), but I’m fairly certain Iron Man 2 is supposed to be an action film, not the Marvel Follies Variety Show. Surely there must be a supervillain lurking in the shadows, a frighteningly powerful menace preparing to unleash its destructive might upon the world?

There is — well, kind of. The primary antagonist of Iron Man 2, Mickey Rourke’s hulking Ivan Vanko (aka Whiplash), is certainly a fearsome beast, baring his blinged-out grill and electrified tentacles, but he gets all of five minutes of meaningful screen time in the sequel — hardly enough to establish him as a worthy foe for the great Iron Man. Perhaps producers found Rourke’s chosen dialect, learned from John Malkovich’s Rounders School of Exaggerated Russian Accents (“I vant my bort!” he furiously declares when separated from his pet parrot), to be less compelling in post-production.

More likely they became enamored with Sam Rockwell in the role of Justin Hammer, Stark’s resentful business rival and Whiplash’s principal financial backer. It’s certainly understandable. Exuding the hubris and insecurity of a sardonic Mark Cuban (but capable of amusing us with more than just an underachieving basketball team), his performance is easily the best of the film, surpassing even that of the great Downey. (Which makes perfect fodder for conspiracy theorists who wonder why Rockwell was the only member of the main cast not to get his own poster.)

The only problem is, Rockwell’s Hammer is a venture capitalist, not a comic book supervillain, and every second he spends on the screen — as enjoyable as it is — is a second that could have been devoted to dimensionalizing Rourke’s character or crafting a badly-needed action sequence to enliven the talky second act.

It’s little wonder, then, that Stark continues with his feckless, self-destructive ways, unconcerned with the threat posed by the Hammer/Whiplash collaboration. He’s got bigger problems to worry about — namely, his inability to find a suitable replacement for palladium, the substance inside the Arc Reactor that powers both his suit and his heart, and which also happens to be slowly killing him.

source: Hollywood.com

The history of data storage and backup is littered with the corpses of dead formats. Seven years ago I wrote about the beginning of the end of 3.5-inch floppy disks. At the time, it was still a popular portable storage medium, and I was derided as a heretic. Now, Sony has finally decided to stop making 3.5-inch floppy disks, which pretty much marks the end of the format.

It’s worth noting the demise of any popular format because it has a ripple effect on the technology world. In 2003, when Dell decided to stop putting 3.5-inch floppy drives in its computers, we were already seeing the proliferation and use of USB drives. Back then, they had capacities that, while many times greater than the best floppy disk, were still miles away from where they are now (these days, it’s not unusual to carry around a 4-GB USB drive).

Personally, I don’t know anyone who still uses 3.5-inch floppies, but I bet if I asked you or anyone else, you’d admit to still having a box or two stashed somewhere. Most are probably filled with data that you always promised yourself you’d migrate to another medium. You probably did the same thing with the old truly “floppy” 5.25-inch disks. That data is trapped on its obsolete format as well.

Perhaps that’s the real story today: Another once-popular format plays Dodo and we start worrying about what happens when there are no more drives available to read the medium.

source: yahoo news

Myth #1: Carbs are the Enemy

Maybe we can blame Dr. Atkins and other proponents of the low-carb diet craze for this one. Experts suggest that carbohydrates play a star role in keep you energized and your organs functioning properly. The carb bad rap should rest squarely on the shoulders of “white carbs” like white bread, white rice, and sugar. These refined carbs, dietitians suggest, are more likely to pack on the pounds. Stick with whole grains like whole wheat pasta and brown rice for a healthier diet.

Myth #2: Never Eat After 8PM

The habit of under-eating all day only to overdo it at dinner time is likely where this myth came from. Eating excess calories at any hour of the day will lead to weight gain. Just remember: It’s not when you eat, it’s what you eat.

Myth #3: It’s Not a Workout Unless You Sweat

A cardio workout that gets you huffing and puffing is vital for a healthy ticker, but that’s only half the picture. Low-impact workouts, like weight-lifting and yoga, might not leave you drenched in sweat, but they’re equally important to keeping your muscles strong and your body burning calories all day long. Work cardio and resistance training into your exercise regimen and you’ll be seeing the full picture of health.

Myth #4: Weight-Lifting Bulks You Up

Most women don’t have the necessary testosterone levels to transform them into the spitting image of Conan the Barbarian-era Arnold Schwarzenegger. But if you integrate weight-lifting into your workouts and find you’re getting a little too cut, switch to lighter weights and more reps.

Myth #5: Muscle Weighs More than Fat

Here’s the deal: a pound of muscle and a pound of fat weight exactly the same amount. A pound! The difference between muscle and fat is an issue of density and volume. Muscle is denser than fat and takes up less space in your body which can give you a leaner look overall.

source click here

A new study ranked all the world’s professional sports teams by salary and, indeed, the Yankees came out on top globally. The United States is well-represented as well. Seven American teams are in the top 10, six of which qualified for the playoffs last year. In fact, nine of the teams on the list that qualified for the playoffs of their respective leagues. Maybe spending does matter.

The list is courtesy the Annual Review of Global Sports Strategies, as published by sportingintelligence.com. Dollar amount given is an approximation of the average annual salary of a first-team player on the team.

1. New York Yankees — Major League Baseball (USA) — $7,000,000

Critics say the Yankees buy championships. Yet the 2009 World Series title was the team’s first since 2000, despite the fact that George Steinbrenner’s crew has outspent other Major League teams every year since then. The gap between the Yankees payroll and that of the second-highest MLB team (appx. $70 million) was more than the total payroll of 11 other clubs.

2. Real Madrid — La Liga (ESP) — $6,333,591

Last year, Real Madrid paid a $120 million transfer fee to British powerhouse Manchester United for the rights to Cristiano Ronaldo (pictured). It was part of a summer spending spree which saw Real dole out more than $250 million in salary and fees.

3. Barcelona — La Liga (ESP) — $6,082,940

Spending a little less than Real Madrid didn’t seem to hurt Barca last year. Behind FIFA World Player of the Year Lionel Messi, Barcelona won La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.

4. Chelsea — English Premier League (GBR) — $5,361,957

Chelsea’s recent spending has led to two FA Cup titles in the past three years but the club is still looking for its first Premier League title since 2006. Saturday’s matchup with first-place Manchester United will help decide this year’s champ.

5. Dallas Mavericks — National Basketball Association (USA) — $5,315,097

Mark Cuban’s Mavs recently qualified for the playoffs for the 10th straight season. If not for a bizarre collapse in the 2007 finals, Dirk Nowitzki and company would have a title too.

6. Los Angeles Lakers — NBA (USA) — $5,098,920

Kobe Bryant and the Lakers are one of three teams on this list to have won a title in 2009.

7. Detroit Pistons — NBA (USA) — $4,995,573

Having the third-highest payroll in the NBA didn’t help the Pistons get over .500 last season. The Motor City’s team did sneak into the playoffs though but were promptly swept by the next team on our list.

8. Cleveland Cavaliers — NBA (USA) — $4,940,707

Cleveland currently has the best record in the NBA, but fans just as concerned with what will happen in July when LeBron James becomes a free agent. If he re-signs with his hometown club, look for Cleveland to stay on this list for the better part of the next decade. If not … go Browns?

9. Boston Celtics — NBA (USA) — $4,885,055

The nucleus of the Celtics is aging quickly, but Boston fans can’t mind too much. They got a title out of this team in 2008.

10. New York Knicks — NBA (USA) — $4,881,952

Finally, our first lesson in the perils of overspending. The 2009 Knicks weren’t as much of a disaster as other recent editions (the 32 wins were nine more than NY had the year before), but it’s never good when a team’s highest paid player is more known for sitting on the bench in street clothes and making bizarre rants on the Internet.

Source: Yahoo Sports | Chris Chase

Manila Today - 6.1 Magnitude Earthquake

MANILA, Philippines- A magnitude 6.1 earthquake has hit near the capital of the Philippines, Manila Thursday March 25 2010.

The strong earthquake hit early afternoon on the Philippine Islands at location 13.700°N, 119.900°E.

The 6.1 Philippines quake shook the most heavily populated area of the Philippine Islands, just offshore south-east from Manila. Many millions of people live in this part of the Philippines across several large cities and towns.

The earthquake hit just 154 kilometers or 96 miles from the heart of Manila, the USGS reported. The quake however, was very deep at around 72 kilometers, meaning the impact would be less if it had been a shallower quake.

At least one person on social networking site reacted to the Manila earthquake: ‘MANILA EARTHQUAKE MAKES ME FEEL DIZZY,” one user wrote on Twitter.

No word from local media on injuries or damage from the 6.1 Manila earthquake

Source [ click here ]

Alfa Romeo Pandion concept | John Lamm

The last three years have been tough for Bertone. After stunning the automotive world with exceptional concepts for decades, the Italian design think tank struggled and fell on hard times, largely due to missed orders. Ermelinda “Lilli” Bertone, the widow of former CEO Nuccio Bertone, was forced to sell the production plant in Grugliasco to Fiat, although she kept the design and R&D facilities in Caprie (which led to an unpleasant fight with her two daugthers). But, the result of her perseverance could finally be seen at the Geneva Auto Show—a fully functional design study called the Alfa Romeo Pandion.

The Alfa Romeo Pandion is a 2+2 sports coupe, and like the eagle it is named after, this concept car folds up its scissor doors like wings. How high? Try 12 ft. Why? “Glamour,” stated Bertone design director, Mike Robinson. The 53-year-old U.S.-born Robinson, who previously worked for Fiat, just stepped into his new position last autumn. He motivated his young and talented team to create a true Bertone concept for Alfa Romeo in less than five months. And not only does this concept look fabulous, but it also incorporates some remarkable details.

The Pandion’s mission is to shift Alfa Romeo into the future as the brand celebrates its 100th birthday this summer. For as beautiful (and dynamically superb) as the Alfa 8C sports car might be, stylistically it’s old fashioned, as it refers back to the Giulietta Sprint that Bertone once produced. With the Pandion, the typical Alfa face gets an LED shape of the future. The rear, on the other hand, which is made up of hundreds of blades, is for show only.

Styling is one thing, new technologies another. While the Pandion uses a shortened Maserati GT chassis and its 444-bhp V-8 drivetrain as its backbone, many of the body parts are made out of carbon-fiber. With the Pandion’s claimed curb weight of less than 2645 lb., it’s easy to imagine the performance improvement, along with fuel mileage and emissions.

The Pandion’s cabin is spacious, with ultra-thin bucket seats and no dashboard—all controls are arranged around the long steering column, while only the infotainment touch screen is placed between driver and passenger.

Will the Pandion become a reality like the Alfa Romeo Montreal, which transformed from study to production car? Robinson uses a metaphor: “One can lead a horse to the water. But it needs to drink itself.”

Article Source [ Matthias Pfannmüller | click here ]