China sentences two Tibetans for "inciting" self-immolations

BEIJING (Reuters) - A court in China has handed down heavy sentences to a Tibetan monk and his nephew for inciting eight people to set themselves on fire in anti-Chinese protests, media said on Thursday, the first time punishment has been meted out over such protests.

Nearly 100 Tibetans have set themselves on fire to protest against Chinese rule since 2009, with most of them dying from their injuries.

Lorang Konchok, 40, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve in the Aba prefecture in Sichuan province, while his nephew, Losang Tsering, 31, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, the Xinhua state news agency said.

In practice, a death sentence with a two-year reprieve is commuted to life imprisonment or reduced to a fixed-term later.

"The two incited and coerced eight people to self-immolate, resulting in three deaths," Xinhua said, citing the Intermediate People's Court in Aba prefecture.

Last December, Xinhua reported that Lorang Konchok, who was detained with his nephew in August, confessed to police that he had followed instructions from exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and his followers.

Lorang Konchok and his nephew passed on information about each self-immolation, including photographs, to overseas contacts belonging to a Tibetan independence organisation with mobile telephones, Xinhua said.

China has repeatedly denounced the Dalai Lama and exiled Tibetan groups for fomenting the self-immolations.

Beijing considers Nobel peace laureate the Dalai Lama, who fled from China in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule, a separatist. The Dalai Lama says he is merely seeking greater autonomy for his Himalayan homeland.

He has called on China to investigate the self-immolations. He has said he is not encouraging them has called them "understandable".

China has defended its iron-fisted rule in Tibet, saying the remote region suffered from dire poverty, brutal exploitation and economic stagnation until 1950, when Communist troops "peacefully liberated" it.

Tibetan areas in China have been largely closed to foreign reporters, making an independent assessment of the situation there impossible.

Chinese police arrested a Tibetan man last week for allegedly encouraging a monk to burn himself to death, as part of a new tactic to discourage suicide protests against Chinese rule.

(Reporting by Sui-Lee Wee; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-sentences-two-tibetans-inciting-self-immolations-054011821.html

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A Long Lasting Cooling System For Toledo Ohio Driving ? Smitty's ...

Our vehicles operate in a wide range of outside temperatures in Ohio. That?s why vehicle manufacturers use testing grounds from the frozen tundra to the blistering desert. Your engine coolant must be able to perform in these extreme temperatures, even if we don?t always get the extremes in Toledo, Ohio.

Coolant has to move heat away from the engine to prevent costly damage. Water does a very good job of holding heat, but it freezes at thirty two degrees (Fahrenheit).

That?s why we mix anti-freeze with water ? it lowers the freezing point of the coolant, and raises the boiling point as well. A fifty/fifty blend of water and antifreeze is the usual recommendation from Smitty?s Automotive & RV.

And on top of that, coolant has to protect the components of the cooling system from corrosion. Your owners? manual will tell you what kind of coolant you should use. Of course, your Smitty?s Automotive & RV service representative in Toledo Ohio will know what to put in your car.

Coolant system failure is the most common mechanical problem people have. Much of that can be avoided by following factory scheduled service intervals. Check your owner?s manual or with your service advisor at Smitty?s Automotive & RV for recommendations. We can also conduct a cooling system inspection to look for leaks, weak hoses or bad connections.

Give us a call at 419.478.1309, or stop by Smitty?s Automotive & RV at 5750 Jackman Rd Toledo, Ohio 43613.

At Smitty?s Automotive & RV in Toledo Ohio (43613) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 419.478.1309. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 29th, 2013 at 6:57 pm and is filed under Cooling System. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Source: http://smittysautomotiverv.mynapasa.com/2013/01/29/a-long-lasting-cooling-system-for-toledo-ohio-driving/

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SEO content marketing roundup, week ending ... - SEO Copywriting

January 30, 2013 ? posted by Laura

Going mobile? In this week?s latest and greatest online marketing news, content marketers share success tips and discuss mobile challenges, SEO and search pro?s talk unique content and advanced topics, while the social media marketing community chirps up Twitter?s new Vine mobile app. Enjoy this week?s web gems!

Content Marketing

Mauro D?Andrea posts ?101 Experts Share Their Tips for Online Success,? segmented by marketing category, at Blog Growth.

Lee Odden lists 50 ?Top UK Online Marketing Influencers & Bloggers in 2013? at Top Rank.

Isla McKetta posts ?The Viral Video Manifesto: How to Make Content Shareable? at Portent.

Patricia Redsicker posts ?Findable Content Marketing: 3 Google Keyword Tool Tips? at Content Marketing Institute.

Bob Geller posts ?Social Media Moment of Zen: 4 Non-intuitive Ways to Boost Content Marketing Effectiveness and Results in 2013? at WindMill Networking.

Carolyn Goodman posts ?If Content Is King, Grammar Is Queen? at Target Marketing Magazine.

Bryan Eisenberg talks marketing ROI with ?Why You Won?t Crush It This Year!? at ClickZ.

Zach Bulygo posts ?How to Keep Email Marketing Manageable? at KISSmetrics.

Citing a study by ExactTarget, Matt Kapko posts ?Marketers, Consumers Favor Email Over Social Media [Report]? at Search Engine Watch.

Marketing Sherpa?s weekly research chart looks at the ?Top mobile marketing challenges.?

Citing Marketing Sherpa?s Mobile Marketing Benchmark Report, Shelly Kramer posts ?Mobile Marketing: 50 Percent of Marketers Have No Idea? at V3 Integrated Marketing.

Heidi Cohen posts ?How Social Media and Mobile Change Pricing Strategies.?

Heather Lloyd-Martin tackles content creation, client relations, and pricing strategy with ?Discount your copywriting rates? No way! Try this instead.? and via video with ?Promises, promises: the copywriting client carrot & stick(y) situation? at SEO Copywriting.

Continuing the client relations theme, Sian Killingsworth posts ?How to fire a writing client: it ain?t me, babe? at SEO Copywriting.

Events:

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SEO & Search

Neil Patel posts ?The Advanced Guide to SEO? at Quicksprout.

Alistair Dent posts ?How to Use Google Analytics Advanced Segments? at Search Engine Watch.

Eric Ward plays SEO psychiatrist with ?The Link Shrink Is In: 3 Crazy Linking Assumptions? at Search Engine Land.

In a ?mozinar? supplemental Q & A post, Justin Taylor answers questions about SEO and web design with ?Designing for SEO? at SEOmoz.

Nathan Safran discusses ?Competitive Analysis: How to Become an SEO Hero in 4 Steps? at Search Engine Watch.

SkilledUp interviews Heather Lloyd-Martin about the art of SEO copywriting and more with ?Direct from the Ultimate SEO Copywriter Herself (Part 1).?

Doc Sheldon discusses ?Building Authority in 2013? at Level 343.

Lyena Solomon posts ?How To Really Be Less Reliant On Google Search Traffic? at Search Engine People.

Like Solomon, Uri Bar-Joseph discusses diversification with ?Google, I Think I Love You ? So What Am I So Afraid Of?? at Search Engine Watch.

Rand Fishkin posts ?How Unique Does Content Need to Be to Perform Well in Search Engines?? via SEOmoz?s Whiteboard Friday.

Events:

• If you happen to be in Seattle, take advantage of this low-cost, high-value meet-up, ?Seattle Information Architecture & User Experience,? featuring Ian Lurie of Portent and Ruth Burr of SEOmoz. It?s on February 12^th at 7 p.m.
• SES London is on for next month, February 18^th thru the 21^st.
• SMX West?is scheduled for March 11th thru the 13^th?in San Jose, CA. Register by February 1^st for early bird savings!
• SMX Toronto is scheduled for March 20^th and 21^st.
  
• SES New York?will return to The Big Apple March 25^th thru the 28^th. Register by February 21^st for early bird rates!

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Social Media Marketing

?Twitter Mobile Video? headlines Social Media Examiner?s weekly news.

More on Twitter?s Vine: Doug Antkowiak opines that ?Twitter?s Vine App Looks Awesome? at Portent, and Nick Cicero reports ?15 Brands already using Twitter?s New Vine App? at SocialFresh.

Andrew Lipsman reports ?Facebook Vaults Ahead of Google Maps to Finish 2012 as #1 U.S. Mobile App? at comScore.

Citing a new report from Vizu, Matt McGee posts ?64 Percent Of Digital Marketers Plan To Spend More On Social Ads In 2013? at Marketing Land.

Stephan Duggan looks at 2013 social media trends with ?What?s Next? Better Engagement and a Marketplace Without Boundaries? at Social Media Today.

Jason Del Rey reports ?YouTube Set to Introduce Paid Subscriptions This Spring? at AdAge | digital.

Jay Baer posts ?Social Media Strategy in 8 Steps? at Convince & Convert.

Miranda Miller discusses content targeting with ?Social Media Marketing Fatal Attraction: When Content Earns Your Brand the Wrong Type of Attention? at Top Rank.

Jordan Kasteler discusses ?Why You Need To Treat Your Social Media Strategy Like Your Content Strategy? at Search Engine Land.

Ashley Zeckman posts ?Make the Most of Your Social Media Interactions: 9 Tips? at Search Engine Watch.

Somini Sengupta discusses ?How Facebook Taught Its Search Tool to Understand People? at the New York Times (NYTimes.com).

Sianessa Killingsworth posts ?How To Be Found in Facebook?s Graph Search at her small business marketing blog.

Events:

• Social Media Marketing World is scheduled to take place in San Diego from April 7^th thru the 9^th.
• For an all-in-one listing and description of social media, content & inbound marketing events, check out Neal Schaffer?s ?The 12 Best Social Media Conferences to Attend in 2013? at Social Media Today.

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photo thanks to Milica Sekulic

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Learn how to grow a happy, healthy copywriting business from 12 of the world?s leading experts: register for the Copywriting Business Boot Camp before classes start on February 11^th!

Source: http://www.seocopywriting.com/content-marketing/seo-content-marketing-roundup-week-ending-january-30th/

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Islamists trash Timbuktu's historical sites as they flee

(Reuters) - The burning of a library housing thousands of ancient manuscripts in Mali's desert city of Timbuktu is just the latest act of destruction by Islamist fighters who have spent months smashing graves and holy shrines in the World Heritage site.

The United Nations cultural body UNESCO said it was trying to find out the precise damage done to the Ahmed Baba Institute, a modern building that contains priceless documents dating back to the 13th century.

The manuscripts are "uniquely valuable and testify to a long tradition of learning and cultural exchange," said UNESCO spokesman Roni Amelan. "So we are horrified."

But if they are horrified, historians and religious scholars are unlikely to have been surprised by this gesture of defiance by Islamist rebels fleeing the ancient trading post on the threshold of the Sahara as French and Malian troops moved in.

"It was one of the greatest libraries of Islamic manuscripts in the world," said Marie Rodet, an African history lecturer at London's School of Oriental and African Studies.

"It's pure retaliation. They knew they were losing the battle and they hit where it really hurts," she told Reuters.

Turban-swathed Tuareg rebels first swept into Timbuktu back in April 2012 to plant the flag of their newly declared northern Mali homeland.

Before the occupation, Timbuktu and its ancient mosques and burial grounds had become an obligatory stop for budget backpackers seeking the desert experience and scholars looking for historical wisdom from rare Islamic texts.

Written in ornate calligraphy, these manuscripts form a compendium of learning on everything from law, sciences, astrology and medicine to history and politics, which academics say prove Africa had a written history at least as old as the European Renaissance.

For years, people came to experience what locals called "the mystery of Timbuktu". They also came for camel rides at the gates of the desert, boat rides on the Niger river to spot hippos, and to visit the city's famous mud-built mosques with their distinctive turrets and protruding timber beams.

But soon after the Tuareg invasion, the city of the 333 Saints fell under the sway of Islamist radicals. Bars and hotels closed and the tourists, already spooked by earlier incidents of abduction and murder by al Qaeda linked militants, stayed away.

CAMPAIGN OF DESTRUCTION

It was not long before the Islamists imposed severe Sharia law and set about a campaign of destruction of centuries-old Sufi sites that prompted international outrage.

Shrines, graves and mausoleums were attacked with pick-axes, shovels and even bulldozers. The bones of Sufi saints were dug up, and the hard-liners tore down a mosque door that locals believed had to stay shut until the end of the world.

The militants from the Malian Ansar Dine militant group that occupied Timbuktu (the name means Defenders of the Faith in Arabic) espouse an uncompromising version of Islam that rejects what it sees as idolatry and aims to destroy all traces of it.

In Timbuktu, their targets have been sites revered by Sufis, a mystical school of popular Islam which honours its saints with ornate shrines. At least half of 16 listed mausoleums in the city have been destroyed, along with a substantial part of the history of Islam in Africa.

A spokesman for Ansar Dine, asked to comment last year on the smashing of Sufi mausoleums in Timbuktu, said their actions were ordained by faith. "We are subject to religion and not to international opinion," the spokesman said.

Similar episodes have been recorded in Libya following the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, when Islamists used a bulldozer to dig up Sufi graves in a cemetery in the city of Benghazi.

Most notoriously, Afghanistan's ruling Taliban blew up two giant 6th century statues of Buddha at Bamiyan in 2001, despite outcry from around the world.

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova has made appeals for the warring parties to spare "Timbuktu's outstanding earthen architectural wonders". These include the Sankore, Sidi Yahia and Djingarei-ber mosques, the last Timbuktu's oldest, built from mud bricks and wood in 1325.

The origins of Timbuktu - the name is believed to derive from the words Tin-Boctou (meaning the place or well of Boctou, a local woman) - date back to the 5th century.

The site on an old Saharan trading route that saw salt from the Arab north exchanged for gold and slaves from black Africa to the south, blossomed in a 16th century Golden Age as an Islamic seat of learning, home to priests, scribes and jurists.

A 15th century Malian proverb proclaims: "Salt comes from the north, gold from the south, but the word of God and the treasures of wisdom are only to be found in Timbuctoo."

RUMOURS OF GOLD

It was rumours of gold that drove European explorers to cross the trackless sands of the Sahara to search for the legendary city, already known for centuries to local inhabitants who traversed the deserts on camelback and navigated the muddy brown waters of the Niger by canoes.

Some of these foreign explorers died of thirst in the desert or were robbed and slain by fierce Tuareg warriors, while Timbuktu's mirage-like renown - no doubt enhanced by thirst-crazed, feverish imaginations - reached glittering proportions in the consciousness of 19th century Europe.

Scottish explorer Gordon Laing was the first European to arrive in Timbuktu in 1826, but he did not live to tell the tale, perishing at the hands of desert robbers.

It was not until two years later that Frenchman Rene-Auguste Caillie became the first European to see Timbuktu and survive to recount what he saw. "I have been to Timbuktu!" he is said to have breathlessly told the French consul in Tangier after he staggered back from his epic Saharan journey.

But after all his dreams of glittering minarets and palaces filled with gold, Caillie was disappointed to find in Timbuktu what it has largely remained for centuries: a dun-coloured town in a dun-coloured desert.

"I had a totally different idea of the grandeur and wealth of Timbuctoo," he wrote. "The city presented, at first view, nothing but a mass of ill-looking houses, built of earth. Nothing was to be seen in all directions, but immense quicksands of yellowish white colour," he added.

This initial sense of disappointment for outsiders, the myth not matching reality, seems to have traversed the centuries.

Normally loquacious Irish rocker and anti-famine campaigner Bob Geldof is reported to have been somewhat underwhelmed when he arrived in Timbuktu during the 1980s. "Is that it?" he said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fleeing-islamists-leave-legacy-destruction-timbuktu-073255120.html

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Quantum communication: Each photon counts

Monday, January 28, 2013

The detector combines near-unity detection efficiency with high timing resolution and has a very low error rate. The results have been published by Nature Communications(doi:10.1038/ncomms2307).

Ultrafast, efficient, and reliable single-photon detectors are among the most sought-after components in photonics and quantum communication, which have not yet reached maturity for practical application. Physicist Dr. Wolfram Pernice of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), in cooperation with colleagues at Yale University, Boston University, and Moscow State Pedagogical University, achieved the decisive breakthrough by integrating single-photon detectors with nanophotonic chips. The detector combines near-unity detection efficiency with high timing resolution and has a very low error rate. The results have been published by Nature Communications(doi:10.1038/ncomms2307).

Without reliable detection of single photons, it is impossible to make real use of the latest advances in optical data transmission or quantum computation; it is like having no analog-digital converter in a conventional computer to determine whether the applied voltage stands for 0 or 1. Although a number of different single-photon detector models have been developed over the past few years, thus far, none have provided satisfactory performance.

Several new ideas and advanced developments went into the prototype developed within the "Integrated Quantum Photonics" project at the DFG Center of Functional Nanostructures (CFN). The new single-photon detector, tested in the telecommunications wavelength range, achieves a previously unattained detection efficiency of 91%.

The detector was realized by fabricating superconducting nanowires directly on top of a nanophotonic waveguide. This geometry can be compared to a tube that conducts light, around which a wire in a superconducting state is wound and, as such, has no electric resistivity. The nanometer-sized wire made of niobium nitride absorbs photons that propagate along the waveguide. When a photon is absorbed, superconductivity is lost, which is detected as an electric signal. The longer the tube, the higher is the detection probability. The lengths involved are in the micrometer range.

A special feature of the detector is its direct installation on the chip, which allows for it to be replicated at random. The single-photon detectors built thus far were stand-alone units, which were connected to chips with optical fibers. Arrangements of that type suffer from photons being lost in the fiber connection or being absorbed in other ways. These loss channels do not exist in the detector that is now fully embedded in a silicon photonic circuit. In addition to high detection efficiency, this gives rise to a remarkably low dark count rate. Dark counts arise when a photon is detected erroneously: for instance, because of a spontaneous emission, an alpha particle, or a spurious field. The new design also provides ultrashort timing jitter of 18 picoseconds, which is 18 times 10-12 seconds. The novel solution also makes it possible to integrate several hundreds of these detectors on a single chip. This is a basic precondition for future use in optical quantum computers.

The detector demonstrated in this study was designed to work at wavelengths in the Telekom bandwidth. The same detector architecture can also be used for wavelengths in the range of visible light. This would allow the principle to be employed in analyses of all structures that emit little light, i.e., photons, such as single molecules or bacteria.

###

Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres: http://www.helmholtz.de/en/index.html

Thanks to Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126479/Quantum_communication__Each_photon_counts

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Woman eats cat fur on 'My Strange Addiction'

TLC

By Ree Hines, TODAY contributor

Clingy cat fur -- it's the bane of many cat lovers' lives. It gets on clothes, sticks to upholstery and gathers in corners. But there's one feline enthusiast who has no problem with those wispy strands. In fact, Lisa -- the subject of the next episode of "My Strange Addiction" -- just can't get enough of the fluff her cat leaves behind.

In a clip from the upcoming season-four premiere of the show, Lisa explained the appeal of eating cat hair.

"Just chewing it is relaxing," she assured. "It's a comforting feeling. (My cat's) fur is such an interesting texture. It's so soft and puffy and like cotton candy ... almost."

But not quite. Still, the 43-year-old finds it so soothing, she's compelled to ingest some every two hours.

As for how it tastes, she said the "relatively clean" fur packs "much less of a flavor than even human hair."

Lisa harvests much of the hair she eats off the floor or furnishings in her home, but sometimes, she goes straight to the source.

"I groom my cat with my tongue, like a momma cat would do with her kitten," she said. "I don't get as involved as another cat would. I'm not licking her butt."

There's that.

See if Lisa is able to kick the cat fur addiction when "My Strange Addiction" returns to TLC on Feb. 13.

Discuss this story with other readers on our Facebook page!

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Source: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2013/01/28/16740588-woman-eats-cat-fur-on-my-strange-addiction?lite

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VirnetX, Siemens Enterprise Communications Sign Patent License ...

VirnetX Holding (NYSE: VHC) and Siemens Enterprise Communications GmbH & Co. KG, and Siemens Enterprise Communications Inc., today announced they have signed a Patent License Agreement, which will allow VirnetX to license certain of its patents to Siemens Enterprise Communications, for a one-time payment to VirnetX and an ongoing reasonable royalty for future sales. The agreement will extend through the expiration of the licensed patents with respect to certain current and future IP-encrypted products.

(c) 2013 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Posted in: News, Contracts, Global, Pre-Market Outlook, Movers

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Source: http://www.benzinga.com/news/13/01/3283433/virnetx-siemens-enterprise-communications-sign-patent-license-agreement

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Yahoo Ends 2012 With A Solid Q4: $1.22 Billion Ex-TAC Revenue, Non-GAAP EPS 32 Cents

Yahoo today released its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2012, marking the end of a key year for the long-running web portal. Q4 2012 was Yahoo’s second full quarter with Marissa Mayer at the helm as CEO, and investors are no doubt looking for real validation that she is steering the company in a positive direction toward recapturing its former status as a web giant to be reckoned with. The results Yahoo reported today should be some encouragement that things are indeed on the right track. Yahoo said that its fourth quarter revenues excluding traffic acquisition costs (ex-TAC) were $1.22 billion, and its non-GAAP earnings per share was 32 cents (Wall Street analysts generally evaluate Yahoo’s performance using ex-TAC and non-GAAP figures.) That’s a sequential increase from its third quarter 2012 revenues of $1.2 billion, but down from its 35 cent EPS from that quarter (which, it’s important to mention, were heavily impacted by the Alibaba sale.) Year-over-year, the quarterly results showed an increase both at the top and bottom lines from the $1.17 billion revenue and 24 cent EPS the company posted in Q4 2011. For the full year 2012, Yahoo’s ex-TAC revenue was $4.468 million and its earnings per share was $1.17. That’s a boost from 2011, when Yahoo’s annual revenue ex-TAC was $4.381. Here are the Q4 results compared to Yahoo’s past quarters in handy dandy visual form, thanks to TechCrunch designer and illustrator Bryce Durbin: Both the quarterly and annual results released today bested what Wall Street had expected. On a quarterly basis, analysts projected that Yahoo’s fourth quarter revenues would be $1.21 billion, with EPS of 28 cents. For the full year, analysts projected that Yahoo’s revenue would be $4.46 billion and its EPS would be $1.13. In a press release accompanying the earnings figures, Mayer had the following to say about Yahoo’s performance: ?I’m proud of Yahoo!’s 2012 and fourth quarter results. In 2012, Yahoo! exhibited revenue growth for the first time in 4 years, with revenue up 2 percent year-over-year. During the quarter we made progress by growing our executive team, signing key partnerships including those with NBC Sports and CBS Television, and launching terrific mobile experiences for Yahoo! Mail and Flickr. At the same time, we achieved tremendous internal transformation in the culture, energy and execution of the Company.” Yahoo’s stock price seems to be reacting favorably to the news.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/CWMYNd1JcPM/

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Learn How Deal With Home Improvements Beneath

Learn How Deal with Home Improvements Beneath

Boosting your house may be the best way to appreciate your residing surroundings. Do your very best to discover as much as possible before starting. This will help make sure you do it properly at the first try. With the help of this article, you can be certain you will get your money?s well worth and be pleased.

When your living room area is carpeted you must near the curtains every evening. The sun rays can certainly chlorine bleach your carpets and rugs, making lighter locations where the gentle in most cases reaches the fabric. Wide open your drapes whenever direct sunlight isn?t straight from the type of site.

If you have selected to perform something key to your residence, make certain it suits the development and design of your respective entire home. By way of example, adding the garden, gemstone walkway or outdoor patio that clashes with the appearance of your home appears to be if it was haphazardly thrown jointly, whilst the one that is well prepared and supporting to your home gives your home a set-together appearance.

Have your collection ready before going shopping for redecorating goods. Checklist the things you need to have so you simply will not need to go to the retailer too many occasions.

Having fun is an important a part of any home remodeling project. Although the undertaking must be very carefully and really performed, there exists nonetheless place for having enjoyable as you may comprehensive it. Errors are more likely should you hate the process you are carrying out. If you think you should, employ a licensed contractor.

Are you presently looking for some home remodeling concept that is incredibly inexpensive, but contributes curb appeal as well as worth for your residence? Enhance your scenery with wall space of rock. The larger rocks might be obtained for free. There are lots of internet sites on-line that will teach you the way to design and style your backyard pathway and make great-seeking floral mattresses that have rock slabs.

Consider setting up heat retaining material when you intend on renovating your home. Doors and windows ought to all be weather conditions-stripped. Your air conditioning solutions are often more effective when you can minimize the quantity of outdoors air flow coming into your house. That may also decrease your electricity bill.

Painting your surfaces can provide a fast and refreshing switch to a room without spending a lot of funds! Travel in your nearest home improvement center and pick-up some color potato chips! Seek out those you enjoy and practice it. When you don?t like it, fresh paint it again.

An exceptional and eye-catching front door and doorway can add up to a 10 percent improve to your home benefit. A current door can be easily enhanced with new tresses and knobs.

Using a light colored shingle or roof structure fabric will assist save some costs in vitality costs. This will represent many of the heat and may keep the attic room colder. This will help save lots of money on your cooling and home heating bills.

Except when you know what you?re carrying out, you?re unprepared. There are no two ways all around it. And it?s when you?re unprepared that stuff start to go very improper. Hopefully, you may have identified a lot of advice in this article which get you on your way to productive and satisfying home improvement assignments right now.

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Source: http://www.remodeling24hours.com/learn-how-deal-with-home-improvements-beneath.html

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LINDSAY LOHAN TO GIVE BIRTH TO NEANDERTHAL | Weekly ...

Scientists were searching for a woman willing to give birth to a Neanderthal child. Lindsay Lohan volunteered.

Scientists were searching for a woman willing to give birth to a Neanderthal child. ?Lindsay Lohan ?has volunteered.

Scientists wanted a??woman to offer her body as a way to test the abilities of modern science to clone a caveman.

American geneticist George Templar?said that he was ?ready to clone a Neanderthal, but he needed a woman for the project, who could bear and deliver the unusual baby.

Lindsay Lohan read about the idea and said she would do it. ?Templar was ecstatic that she wanted to take a change. ?Then, Lohan?s agent demanded seven figures for using her body ? and the scientists agreed to pay her.

So, Lindsay Lohan will be the mother of a neanderthal.

Some think the Lohan Neanderthal will look like this:

Others think the baby will look more like this:

Lohan will receive an embryo with the Neanderthal DNA, ?placed in stem cells. Templar told WWN that the actual birth would be significantly different from what women usually experience. The birth canals of Neanderthal mothers were significantly wider than those of modern women, so their babies did not have to turn to get in the canals. In addition, the head of the Neanderthal baby is expected to be larger than that of normal children.

But Lohan, feels that she is ?big? enough to have the baby.

It?s a risk, but one Lohan is willing to take in order to keep her fame and ? dwindling fortune.

?If it works out ? ok, if it doesn?t ? ?and it?s disgusting ? well, at least I?ll have money and will keep my name in the press.?

Templar said that this could be the greatest scientific expert ever done.??We may see the creature ? I do not even want to call it a human being ? that will have a poorly developed left part of the brain. It will understand that it was born in this society, to this mother, Lindsay.?

If medics find abnormalities in the fetus of a woman, they will recommend that Lindsay terminate the pregnancy. ? But Lindsay will still get her millions. ?So, she?s ?good? either way.

The Lohan Neanderthal is expected to make its debut in January 2014.

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Source: http://weeklyworldnews.com/headlines/54269/lindsay-lohan-to-give-birth-to-neanderthal/

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Obama lauds Clinton as she prepares to leave

FILE - In this Jan. 25, 2013 file image taken from video and provided by CBS, President Barack Obama, center, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speak with ?60 Minutes? correspondent Steve Kroft, left, in the Blue Room of the White House in Washington. The interview will air Sunday, Jan. 27 during the ?60 Minutes? telecast on CBS. (AP Photo/CBS, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 25, 2013 file image taken from video and provided by CBS, President Barack Obama, center, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speak with ?60 Minutes? correspondent Steve Kroft, left, in the Blue Room of the White House in Washington. The interview will air Sunday, Jan. 27 during the ?60 Minutes? telecast on CBS. (AP Photo/CBS, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama lauded Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as one of his closest advisers and said their shared vision for America's role in the world persuaded his one-time rival ? and potential successor ? to be his top diplomat while he dealt with the shattered economy at home.

During a joint interview that aired Sunday, Obama and Clinton chuckled as they described their partnership and stoked speculation that Obama may prefer Clinton to succeed him in the White House after the 2016 elections. Clinton is leaving Obama's Cabinet soon, and speculation about the former first lady and senator has only grown more intense after a heated appearance last week on Capitol Hill.

Both Obama and Clinton batted away questions about future campaigns, but the joint interview ? the president's first with anyone other than first lady Michelle Obama ? was only likely to increase the fascination with Clinton's future.

"The president and I care deeply about what's going to happen for our country in the future," Clinton said. "And I don't think, you know, either he or I can make predictions about what's going to happen tomorrow or the next year."

Obama, who suggested the joint interview as Clinton prepared her exit from the State Department, lavished praise on his rival for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. He called her a friend and an extraordinary talent, and praised "her discipline, her stamina, her thoughtfulness, her ability to project."

It teetered on an endorsement of a 2016 presidential bid that is still an open question. Clinton advisers say she has not made a decision about a run, while Democratic officials suggest Clinton would be an early favorite if she decided to mount another campaign.

Obama and Clinton laughed when asked about the political future.

"You guys in the press are incorrigible," Obama said when pressed on another Clinton presidency. "I was literally inaugurated four days ago. And you're talking about elections four years from now."

The possibility of a presidential campaign for Vice President Joe Biden did not come up during the interview, taped Friday at the White House.

Obama described why he insisted Clinton become his secretary of state.

"She also was already a world figure," Obama said. "To have somebody who could serve as that effective ambassador in her own right without having to earn her stripes, so to speak, on the international stage, I thought, would be hugely important."

It was a job she initially refused. But Obama kept pushing, Clinton said.

"The one thing he did mention was he basically said: 'You know, we've got this major economic crisis that may push us into a depression. I'm not going to be able to do a lot to satisfy the built-up expectations for our role around the world. So you're going to have to get out there and, you know, really represent us while I deal with, you know, the economic catastrophe I inherited."

It's a job she embraced during the last four years. She arrived on the job with a global brand she quickly lent to promoting U.S. interests. In return, the public rewarded her with high approval ratings that could come in handy if she runs in 2016.

But her tenure has had its blemishes. For example, the United States did not directly intervene in the civil war in Syria, where the United Nations says more than 60,000 people have been killed and more than 2 million people have been internally displaced since the start of the conflict in March 2011.

"There are transitions and transformations taking place all around the world. We are not going to be able to control every aspect of every transition and transformation," Obama said, saying his jobs are to protect the United States and engage where the U.S. can make a difference.

In a separate interview with The New Republic, also released Sunday, Obama said, "As I wrestle with those decisions, I am more mindful probably than most of not only our incredible strengths and capabilities, but also our limitations."

On "60 Minutes," he praised Clinton's State Department for helping him sort out what the United States can ? and cannot ? accomplish.

"It has been a great collaboration over the last four years. I'm going to miss her. Wish she was sticking around. But she has logged in so many miles, I can't begrudge her wanting to take it easy for a little bit," Obama said.

It's something of a turnaround from 2007 and 2008, as the two raced through Iowa and New Hampshire and onward. In increasingly bracing language, the two excoriated the other. At one point, a visibly angry Clinton seethed, "Shame on you, Barack Obama."

Obama now jokes about the rivalry.

"Made for tough debates, by the way, because we could never figure out what we were different on," the president said.

Both acknowledged disagreements continue but said they had common goals.

"Are there going to be differences? Yeah. Deep differences? Of course," Clinton said. "You had a lot of strong-willed, -minded people. But the president deserves our best judgment, our advice and then he deserves us to stand with him and to execute."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-01-27-US-Obama-Clinton/id-f28cfef4390d4639b603025fee0b20b4

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Google faces legal action over alleged secret iPhone tracking | The ...

By Josh Halliday, The Guardian
Sunday, January 27, 2013 13:40 EST

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Google is facing a fresh privacy battle in the UK over its alleged secret tracking of the internet habits of millions of iPhone users.

An estimated 10 million Britons could have grounds to launch a privacy claim over the way Google circumvented Apple?s security settings on the iPhone, iPad and desktop versions of its Safari web browser to monitor their behaviour.

At least 10 British iPhone users have started legal proceedings and dozens more are being lined up, according to Dan Tench, the lawyer behind the action at the London-based firm Olswang.

?This is the first time Google has been threatened with a group claim over privacy in the UK,? Tench told the Guardian. ?It is particularly concerning how Google circumvented security settings to snoop on its users. One of the things about Google is that it is so ubiquitous in our lives and if that?s its approach then it?s quite concerning.?

A letter before action has been sent to Google executives in the US and UK on behalf of two users, including Judith Vidal-Hall, the privacy campaigner and former editor of Index on Censorship. Another 10 are preparing to launch proceedings, and plans are afoot for a group to form an umbrella privacy action.

The legal action comes just months after Google was hit with a $22.5m fine in the US over a privacy breach between summer 2011 and spring 2012.

Google has admitted it intentionally sidestepped security settings on Apple?s Safari web browser that blocked websites from tracking users through cookies ? data stored on users? computers that show which sites they have visited. Security researchers revealed in February 2012 that Google?s DoubleClick advertising network was intentionally stored these cookies on users? computers without their consent.

Although the legal bill for Google is likely to be small compared with last year?s profits of $10.7bn (?6.8bn), the damage will be significant given the millions of iPhone users in Britain at the time. The exact figure for compensation is not known and will depend on a number of factors.

Alexander Hanff, a privacy campaigner working on the legal claims, said: ?This group action is not about getting rich by suing Google, this lawsuit is about sending a very clear message to corporations that circumventing privacy controls will result in significant consequences. The lawsuit has the potential of costing Google tens of millions, perhaps even breaking ?100m in damages given the potential number of claimants ? making it the biggest group action ever launched in the UK.?

Lawyers for claimants in the UK have ordered Google to reveal how it used the private information it secretly obtained, how much personal data was taken, and for how long. It is understood the claimants are suing Google for breaches of confidence and breach of privacy, computer misuse and trespass, and breach of the Data Protection Act 1998.

News of the legal action was first reported by the Sunday Times. Vidal-Hall, who could not be reached by the Guardian, was quoted as saying Google was guilty of ?electronic stalking?. She added: ?It angers me that our data is either being sold or passed on to third parties.?

A Facebook group called Safari Users Against Google?s Secret Tracking has vowed to hold Google to account for the tracking. It said: ?Google deliberately undermined protections on the Safari browser so that they could track users? internet usage and to provide personally tailored advertising based on the sites previously visited. There was no way to know that Google did this. In fact, they made it clear that they did not do this on the Safari browser.?

It continued: ?It could mean for many users that surprises such as engagements, presents and holidays were destroyed when partners looked at their computers and saw display ads based on sites previously visited. There are many examples of the inappropriate consequences of such intrusion.?

Google is no stranger to damaging privacy battles, having being censured for snooping on Wi-Fi users with its StreetView cars and the failed launch of its email social network, Google Buzz.

Google declined to comment. A statement released by the company at the time of the $22.5m fine in July claimed it had ?collected no personal information? with the cookies.

guardian.co.uk ? Guardian News and Media 2013

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Source: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/27/google-faces-legal-action-over-alleged-secret-iphone-tracking/

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'Hansel and Gretel' Movie Reviews -- What Critics Are Saying About ...

The Hansel and Gretel story from the Brothers Grimm is familiar to American as well as German children. A poor woodcutter and his wife abandon the starving brother and sister in the woods, the children stumble upon a house made of sweets; the witch who lives there tries to eat them; they burn her alive in her own oven. Laden with the witch's treasure, they return home to their now-widowed father, with whom they live happily ever after.

"Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters" picks up the story 15 years later, when the two are 20-something witch bounty hunters. You find 'em, we grind 'em, could be their motto--they use all kinds of witch-killing weapons the Brothers Grimm could never have imagined. When H & G arrive in Augsburg, they find a town in an uproar over the number of missing children, a so-called witch about to be killed, and, naturally, a lot of witches.

Here's what the critics are saying:

"Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters" is more Gatling guns and grenades than The Brothers Grimm. It takes the kidnapped kiddies into adulthood, where they've parlayed their fame at cooking a witch's goose into a business. Got a witch problem? Call H & G ? the extermination experts. High concept pitch or no, the movie doesn't really work. They were shooting for sort of a witch-hunting "Zombieland," an f-bomb-riddled "Van Helsing" packed with comical anachronisms ? a Bavarian forest past with witch trials, pump shotguns and primitive tasers, where bottles of milk have woodcut pictures of "missing children" on the labels. Roger Moore, McClatchy Tribune News Service

Recent years have seen numerous attempts to reinvigorate fairytales for an adult audience fall on their faces, with Terry Gilliam's The Brothers Grimm and Catherine Hardwicke's Red Riding Hood both notable failures that will understandably make audiences wary of Hansel & Gretel. And while Renner's performance here is merely adequate - Arterton fares way better - the film's real strength is Wirkola and his commitment to embracing the period and fantasy setting, rather than smugly mocking it. After all, this is a story about witches, trolls, magic and houses made of candy, and yet somehow Wirkola interprets that as an R-rated splatter fest, packed full of exploding bodies, crushed skulls, decapitations and even nudity. ?James Marsh, Twitch Film

Actor Jeremy Renner has been on a roll ever since his Academy Award?nominated performances in The Hurt Locker and The Town, which have translated into roles in franchises like The Avengers, the Bourne movies and Mission: Impossible. There's no telling whether the upcoming horror comedy Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters will be the next franchise for Renner, as audiences won't know until early next year whether the decision to delay the movie (twice!) was a red flag or savvy scheduling. Reelz TV about Movies

"Hansel and Gretel" stars Jeremy Renner as Hansel and Gemma Arterton as the brother and sister; Famke Janssen as an evil sorceress; and Pihla Viitala as the red-headed woman mistaken as a witch but saved by Hansel. It runs 88 minutes and is rated R.

Check out show times at Beechwood Cinemas 11 and Carmike Cinema 12.

You might also be interested in reading:

Source: http://oconee.patch.com/articles/hansel-and-gretel-movie-reviews

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Save Hundreds on Airfare by Pairing Two Unconnected Tickets

Sometimes buying two tickets is cheaper than buying one. Although it's more work and more inconvenient, building your own itinerary by buying a ticket to one city and then flying to your destination could save you a whole lot of dough?even half the price of a one-ticket trip.

The Wall Street Journal outlines this strategy and example savings. The reason fares are cheaper with this two-ticket strategy is often deals are only available from certain cities (usually international gateway airports):

The tactic can work best in summer when discount airfares are harder to find. For a June 11 to 18, the lowest round-trip airfare from Atlanta to Berlin was priced on Friday at $1,541. The New York to Berlin fare was $680. With discount competition between New York and Atlanta, the lowest round-trip are to JFK was $258. That is a savings of 39%, or $2,400 for a family of four.

As mentioned, the huge savings do come with a cost: You'll have to claim and recheck bags, go through security again, and make sure you have time enough to make your connection.

Still, this is something to consider if you want to save hundreds of dollars on your next trip.

A Trick for Cheaper Flights Hiding in Plain Sight | The Wall Street Journal

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/MqhxhWyFx04/save-hundreds-on-airfare-by-pairing-two-unconnected-tickets

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BlackBerry 10 To Star In RIM?s First Super Bowl Commercial

Waterloo-based RIM is gearing up to take the wraps off of BlackBerry 10 in just a few days, but a bit of showmanship in front of journalists and analysts won't be enough to convince the masses of the platform's worthiness. For that, RIM is gearing up for a big advertising push, including a 30-second spot due to run during Super Bowl XLVII.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/pRf4Nkg5JEg/

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'Contraception's been very, very good to me'

Foster Friess (Michael Bonfigli/The Christian Science Monitor)Republican Party donor Foster Friess, 72?Rick Santorum's backer in his bid to be president?made headlines in 2012 for joking that, in his day, "Gals put [aspirin] between their knees" as a form of inexpensive contraception.

When Yahoo News on Friday asked Friess about the GOP's relationship with women, he once again showed interest in the topic. Only this time, it was personal.

"Hugh Hefner said, 'This guy Friess wants to reverse the sexual revolution,'" Friess said. "Well, I have four kids, they're two years apart, and contraception's been very, very good to me."

Friess, speaking at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor?in which he discussed a range of topics, from get-out-the-vote efforts to the need for party cohesion?declined to offer further details about his personal choices. He did, however, credit Democrats for successfully controlling the "war on woman" dialogue?with the help of "The View" talk show host Joy Behar?and for spreading the idea that Santorum falsely wanted to ban contraception.

Republicans, he believe, would do well to imitate their efforts. "How the Democrats got away with this, I think, is another indication of a flaw of Republicans?no one confronted that and said this is bald-faced demagoguery," Friess said, adding that women were "seduced" into believing that "this was a war."

He also faulted President Barack Obama for failing to give equal pay to women at the White House and for being someone who "bows to a leader of a country that doesn't allow women to vote or drive a car." (Friess did not say which leader.)

As for get-out-the-vote efforts, Friess suggested that the GOP would also do well to look to the Democratic Party: "I would basically have more on-the-ground activity; I would emulate what [Obama] did." He noted that he had early on questioned the effectiveness of his phone-banking for Santorum compared with Obama's making personal connections with voters at dinners and barbecues.

"It's once been said that for Democrats this is a blood sport," Friess said about politics. "For Republicans, this is a hobby. And that's why Democrats run the government and Republicans run the museums."

Friess also espoused Republican cohesion, calling on his party to end its divisiveness and come together for the good of the country. "Right now, the Republican Party has their tail between their legs," Friess said, even as he noted that Republicans occupy 30 governorships and won control of state legislatures across the country in 2012.

Asked if he believes he contributed to Mitt Romney's general election defeat by supporting Santorum and dividing the party, Friess was adamant that this was not the case. "We helped Mitt Romney," Friess said, explaining that Romney was able to court conservatives by learning from Santorum's successes. "I heard him paraphrase some of Rick's same vision." Additionally, "I don't believe any Republican can win without social conservatives," he said.

At one point, Friess expressed support for gays, noting that his brother-in-law is gay. But he stopped short of advocating gay marriage. Instead, he suggested that America needs to be wary of creeping Sharia law in the U.S. threatening gay Americans, as well as countries that "kill" gays.

Friess is already looking ahead to 2016 and said he would support a Santorum campaign. "Rick Santorum has so much potential," Friess said, adding that Santorum isn't "motivated by perks" or status.

Friess would not, however, confirm his reported interest in creating a super PAC, and suggested the form in which he chooses to donate is not an issue.

"It's exciting to be part of the 1 percent," said Friess, who noted it has given him the ability to get involved in things like disaster relief. He has no interest, he added, in making excuses for being wealthy. "I'm not going to give up my lifestyle," he said.

Asked if he has spoken with other millionaires and billionaires about future political endeavors, Friess, who lives in Wyoming, noted that he surrounds himself with the same people he knew in childhood. "I don't know that many millionaires and billionaires," he said.

As for the others in the richest 1 percent with political clout, he suggested Democratic donor George Soros is funding research in churches in an effort to force some to lose their tax-exempt status. "This may seem conspiratorial," he admitted, saying he "read it on the internet" and can't confirm the validity of the information.

Despite all his differences with the Democratic Party and specific criticisms of the president, however, Friess said everyone needs to support Obama's efforts to repair the nation's economy. "The excitement that I see going forward now for our country is that all of us need to kind of help President Obama create his legacy," said Friess, "which I'm sure he does not want to go down as the president [who] bankrupted America."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/billionaire-gop-donor-foster-friess-says-contraception-good-183448427--politics.html

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Parrot Zik

The Parrot Zik seems to do everything. Wireless Bluetooth audio? Check. Active noise cancellation? Yep. Integrated NFC and touch sensitive controls that auto-pause your music when you remove the headphones? Of course. There's even a free app from Parrot that's extremely useful. However, one reason it's useful is that it's the only way to balance out the Zik's highly-sculpted frequency response. With so many bells and whistles, the Zik, designed by Philippe Starck, risks being a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. It's not the best-sounding, nor best noise canceling pair out there, but at $399.95 (list), it's priced like it is. So many products would be a jumbled mess with such an array of features, however, and the Zik manages its arsenal gracefully. Above all else, it's a beautifully, thoughtfully designed headphone pair.

Design
First things first: These headphones are pretty stunning, with a luxurious combination of black leather, chrome, and a nice black matte surface. The ear pads are very plush, and for the first thirty seconds, they're the most comfortable headphones you've ever worn. Eventually, the underside of the headband, which can be precision adjusted and then locked in place, gets a little uncomfortable, putting some less-than-cushiony pressure on the scalp, regardless of adjustments. The awesome ear pads more than cancel out the headband's less-than-comfortable design, however.

Aside from a Power button on the right ear, there are no buttons, but there are plenty of invisible controls. Once you've paired your device via Bluetooth?a process that can be done swiftly via NFC on compatible devices, and fairly quickly using the standard pairing method, as well?you can control volume by swiping your finger up or down the right ear's outer panel. Swipe forward or backward, you skip a song or rewind. Tap once, and you pause or answer a call. It's all quite intuitive, and completely hidden from sight.

Then there's the sensor on the surface of the ear pads that detects when you're wearing the headphones. The aforementioned app lets you set the Zik up so the active noise cancellation switches on the moment the sensor detects they're on?a process that takes a split second. Your music also auto-pauses every time you remove the headphones, and starts up when you put them back on. Simply put, these are very impressive design functions?the kind that, at first, wow you a little bit with their simplicity and originality.

Occasionally, the sensor falters?after all, it's a filter that detects pressure from your skin, but not specifically your cheek. If you rest your headphones around your neck or place your fingers in the wrong spot while holding them, you might hear your music start up unexpectedly. It's easy to fix, however?just move the ear pads away from your skin.

I'd argue the convenient auto-pause feature is more than just a novelty, and worth this minor side-issue, though I do wish the app allowed you to shut this feature off if you so desired. You can override playback by using the controls on your source device. You can also fine tune volume settings and navigate playback on the source device, without issue, for those who don't want to use the blind controls on the right ear's surface.

The headphones also include a built-in mic for taking calls, and additional mics for the noise cancellation. A 3.5mm audio cable is also included for wired playback. A USB cable is included for charging and updates, though you can also wirelessly receive updates (via Bluetooth) to the headphones' firmware via the App.

Even the battery compartment is well-designed. The outside panel of the left ear cup pops off easily, in goes the included rechargeable battery, and a light magnetic force snaps it consistently back into place. I'd guess I could remove and replace the lid without much effort in less than two seconds on every try. Parrot rates the battery life at roughly 6 hours when you are using all the features, 18 hours when you use just the noise cancellation (it can be turned off in the app), and 24 hours of standby.

Performance
It's kind of hard to pinpoint what the Zik actually sounds like, since it's very tweakable, thanks to the customizable EQ. To be blunt, without the EQ, the Zik does not sound very good, to me at least. It is far too bass heavy, with weird spikes around the hi-mid region that have an unpleasant effect on vocals and the attack of stringed instruments and some percussion. However: There is never any distortion at top volumes, even on deep bass tracks, and you can fine-tune the EQ so much as to almost completely eliminate the harshness of the sound signature.

Furthermore, while you can use the Zik in passive mode (without being powered up), it might as well be a different pair of headphones. No power gives you a more or less bass-free, treble-heavy frequency response, while powering up makes things overly-bass-heavy. Obviously, you can only use the headphones passively when the included 3.5mm cable is connected to your sound source. (By the way, in wired mode, the Zik will mute your music, but not pause it. At least this was the case with an older MacBook?with headphones off, sound disappeared, but the song in iTunes continued to play.) Being able to use the headphones wired, and even passively, albeit with diminishing returns, is a plus. But the bottom line here is: The Zik has an identity crisis, sonically speaking.

With no EQ adjustment, and powered up, the Zik manages a dubious feat: It is simultaneously muddy (lacking definition in the low-mid range) and tinny (overly tweaked and harsh in the hi-mid range). Not exactly $400 sound. But a visit to the free app, and some tweaking (I lowered the deep bass, boosted the mid-bass frequencies, cut the high-mids, and boosted the highs?in each case, not by much) turns the Zik's capable drivers into nice-sounding headphones.

I could go through my usual descriptions of how classical, pop, rock, hip hop, and folk music sound through the Zik, but it seems pointless. Trust me: if you care about sound quality, you'll be adjusting the Zik from its default setting immediately. If adjustment were impossible, the Zik's rating would probably be a 3.0, saved from a worse rating by its excellent, groundbreaking design. But since the default setting can be so easily tweaked and tuned, and even turned into a frequency response that borders on flat (or booming, if you wish), it's pointless to rate and review this headphone pair in a vacuum. Basically, if you lack an iOS or Android device, don't bother with the Zik, because the app is the single-most important piece of the puzzle when it comes to its audio performance.

But let's not forget about noise cancellation. When you first place the Zik on your head, the world appears to go on mute. Is the noise cancellation as stark (no pun intended) as, say, the Bose QuietComfort 15's? No. but it's still quite effective, and while there is some noticeable hiss added to the equation, it's not nearly as noticeable as it is on pairs with less effective NC circuitry. The circuitry here is above average?not the best, but in a pair that also happens to be wireless and full of secret magic tricks, certainly more than acceptable.

Who is the Zik for? Travelers, I'd guess?those with Bluetooth mobile devices, a desire for active noise cancellation, and, let's face it, those who want a very stylish and feature-loaded product. The Zik won't disappoint this crowd.

However, $400 is a lot of money, and if you're more of a sound snob than a feature-fiend, there are other headphones in this realm to consider. If noise cancellation is the most important thing to you, the aforementioned Bose QuietComfort 15 is superior. If you're looking for great noise cancellation as well as excellent audio performance, the AKG K 490 NC is a borderline masterpiece. And if you couldn't care less about noise cancellation but would love a wireless headphone pair that sounds great, consider the Logitech UE 9000.

If?all of this sounds very nice, but what you really want is a wireless option for a lot less money, consider the simple-but-effective Sennheiser MM 100?there's no noise cancellation, but at moderate levels it offers solid wireless audio at a fraction of the price.?

For those of you who love the sleek design and clever features that Apple has built into its products over the years, the Parrot Zik offers that level of appeal, answering needs you didn't think you had, and doing so automatically. I wish it sounded better out of the box, but kudos to Philippe Starck?the Zik is a magnum opus of design.

More Headphone Reviews:
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??? Beats by Dr. Dre Powerbeats
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/Ka1dZkz6BMY/0,2817,2414525,00.asp

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Samsung?s Big Q4 2012: $52.4 Billion In Revenue Is Nice, But Operating Profit Surged 89% Year-Over-Year To $8.27 Billion

Samsung already gave us a hint of what to expect in its latest quarterly financials, but now the Korean consumer electronics titan has released its earnings for all to see. Here's the gist of the company's fiscal Q4 2012 figures: Samsung reported a whopping 56.06 trillion won (which works out to $52.4 billion) in revenue, along with 8.84 trillion won (roughly $8.27 billion) in operating profit.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/0-NA1UThrtE/

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Damon 'hijacks' Kimmel's ABC show

NEW YORK (AP) ? Matt Damon had his revenge.

The butt of a long-running joke on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," the actor opened Thursday night's show as a kidnapper who tied Kimmel to a chair with duct tape and gagged him with his own tie.

"There's a new host in town and his initials are M.D.," Damon said. "That's right, the doctor is in."

For years, Kimmel has joked at the end of his show that he ran out of time and was unable to bring Damon on as a guest. Kimmel was the silent one Thursday, watching from the back of the stage as Damon did his job.

Damon tormented Kimmel by bringing on a succession of big-name guests. Robin Williams stopped by to finish the monologue. Ben Affleck had a walk-on role. Sheryl Crow was the bandleader and performed her new single. Nicole Kidman, Gary Oldman, Amy Adams, Reese Witherspoon and Demi Moore all crowded the talk show's couch.

"I've been waiting for this moment for a long, long time," Damon said. "This is like when I lost my virginity, except this is going to last way longer than one second."

Damon's guest hosting turn came at a key time for Kimmel. ABC earlier this month moved the show to 11:35 p.m. ET and PT after a decade of airing it a half hour later, putting him in direct competition with Jay Leno and David Letterman.

Thursday's special program aimed for the same water-cooler status as a memorably lewd short film Damon made for the show a few years ago with Kimmel's then-girlfriend, Sarah Silverman. It went viral and remains probably the best-known skit in the show's history.

To twist the knife even further, Damon brought Silverman on as his final guest Thursday night, with Kimmel looking on forlornly as she likened their five-year relationship to an unfortunate trip to a hot dog vendor.

"Is there anything you'd like to say to Jimmy?" Damon asked.

"No, I'm good," Silverman replied.

Then came the sweetest revenge of all, with Damon promising to ungag Kimmel in the show's final minutes.

"Wait," he said. "I'm sorry. We're out of time."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/damon-hijacks-kimmels-abc-show-073334898.html

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No. 1 Duke routed by No. 25 Miami 90-63

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) ? With a steady din coming from the sea of orange behind the visitors' basket, No. 1 Duke had a tough time making a shot.

The Blue Devils went more than 8 minutes without a field goal in the first half Wednesday night, and a sellout became a blowout for No. 25 Miami, which delighted a boisterous crowd with a 90-63 victory.

The defeat was the third-worst ever for a No. 1 team. The last time Duke lost a regular-season game by a bigger margin was in January 1984.

"It wasn't demoralizing; they played better," Blue Devils guard Rasheed Sulaimon said. "I believe we have them on the schedule again."

"We expected them to be terrific, and we have to match terrific, and then you have a terrific game," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "What you had was a terrific win for them, but not a terrific game. We didn't hold our end of the bargain."

Miami (14-3, 5-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) beat a No. 1 team for the first time, taking control with a stunning 25-1 run midway through the opening half. The Blue Devils missed 13 consecutive shots despite numerous good looks, while four Hurricanes hit 3-pointers during the run that transformed a 14-13 deficit into a 38-15 lead.

Duke (16-2, 3-2) fell to 0-2 when playing on an opponent's court. The Blue Devils' other loss came at North Carolina State, a defeat that cost them the No. 1 ranking.

They regained the top spot this week but seemed rattled by the capacity crowd, only the 10th in 10 years at Miami's on-campus arena. Students began lining up for seats outside the arena almost 24 hours before tipoff, a rarity for the attendance-challenged Hurricanes.

"I don't know how you can sit outside for a basketball game for that long," Miami guard Durand Scott said. "That made me want to win for them even more."

The Hurricanes, who are alone atop the league standings, won their sixth consecutive game. They beat Duke for the second straight time ? but only the fourth time in the 19-game series.

Miami had been 0-6 against No. 1 teams. Coach Jim Larranaga also beat a No. 1 team for the first time.

"This is a great memory," Larranaga said.

Scott scored a season-high 25 points for the Hurricanes, and Kenny Kadji added a season-high 22. Shane Larkin had 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and Durham, N.C. native Julian Gamble had 10 rebounds and four blocked shots.

Miami senior center Reggie Johnson came off the bench in his first action since being sidelined with a broken left thumb Dec. 18. He had two points and five rebounds in 16 minutes.

The Hurricanes, ranked this week for the first time in three years, improved to 8-0 at home.

Seth Curry, Tyler Thornton and Quinn Cook went a combined 1 for 29 for the Blue Devils, who shot a season-low 30 percent. Sulaimon led them with 16 points.

Duke went 4 for 23 from 3-point range, while Miami went 9 for 19 and shot 57 percent overall.

"Especially in the first couple of minutes, we got a lot of great shots," Blue Devils forward Mason Plumlee said. "You're going to miss some, but you have to keep shooting. The biggest mistake you can make is questioning your shot because you're missing open shots."

Kadji made two 3s during the Hurricanes' first-half spurt, then capped it with a three-point play. Duke shot 22 percent in the first half, including two for 11 on 3-pointers, and trailed 42-19 at halftime.

There was no letup by the Hurricanes to start the second half. They scored the first seven points for a shocking 49-19 lead, and punctuated the drubbing with five dunks in the final 10 minutes.

"Some teams come out in the second half flat and think they have the game won," Larkin said, "but we stayed with it with the same energy in the second half. We played great the whole game."

A Duke mistake ? one in a long series ? early in the second half had Krzyzewski red-faced and on the court, screaming at his team. But he couldn't inspire a turnaround.

"Over-rated," fans chanted with 3 minutes left. When the game ended, they poured onto the court and mobbed their team.

"The crowd I'm sure helped them some," Krzyzewski said. "But they didn't need much help."

Back in North Carolina, fans of the Tar Heels savored the loss by their rivals. When the final score of the Duke game was posted on the video board at the North Carolina-Georgia Tech game, students chanted, "Go to hell, Duke!"

___

AP Sports Writer Joedy McCreary in Chapel Hill, N.C., contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/no-1-duke-routed-no-25-miami-90-021117874--spt.html

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50575031/

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Egypt to vaccinate after polio found in sewer

CAIRO (AP) ? Egypt's Health Ministry will carry out a vaccination campaign for children in several Cairo areas after polio was recently found in the capital's sewage.

The World Health Organization says a wild poliovirus was discovered in samples taken from sewage in the impoverished Cairo districts of Ezbet el-Haggana and Dar el-Salam and is believed to have been transmitted from Pakistan.

The Egyptian Health Ministry's head of preventive medicine says the ministry will start vaccinating children under 5 in those neighborhoods on Feb. 3. The campaign will be broadened around Cairo in the first week of March, Amr Qandil said Thursday.

Egypt was declared polio free after its last case in May 2004, and Qandil said no new cases have been reported.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-vaccinate-polio-found-sewer-170027617.html

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