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Apple accused of making all iPhone accessories obsolete by changing design of its future device

Nancy Clayson
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Apple accused of making all iPhone accessories obsolete by changing design of its future device

Apple was accused yesterday of ripping off consumers as it emerged the next version of the iPhone could render all current accessories obsolete.

Outraged iPhone owners flocked online to complain about the reports that Apple has decided to radically alter the size of the connector in the next iPhone, which is expected to be launched in October.

Speakers, docks and other expensive accessories costing hundreds of dollars would be rendered useless by the move, along with cheaper add-ons such as chargers. Even cars with the current connector built in would need to be upgraded.

Technology blog TechCrunch said it confirmed the change by speaking with three separate manufacturers, although Apple has not commented on the plan.

Current iPhones, and all previous models, have used a 30-pin connector for power and to plug in accessories.

However, reports claim the next iPhone will use a smaller 19-pin version, rendering all current accessories useless. Leaked pictures claiming to be the new handset also show a smaller, rounder connector.

Some reports claim the new connector will allow a smaller, thinner iPhone to be made, while others claim it could lead to a cable attached by magnets.

Apple was accused yesterday of ripping off consumers as it emerged the next version of the iPhone could render all current accessories obsolete
Apple was accused yesterday of ripping off consumers as it emerged the next version of the iPhone could render all current accessories obsolete

According to blogger Robert Scoble, the move will also allow Apple tighter control over accessory makers.

Apple charges firms to create accessories as part of its “made for iPhone” scheme which approves add-ons, although the firm has never revealed how much it charges to join the scheme.

Manufacturers must also buy a special “authentication chip” for some of their accessories, a move by Apple to cut down on unapproved accessories, and it is believed the chip is even found in some iPhone headphones.

“It will be nearly impossible to make unlicensed devices,” said Robert Scoble.

“Unfortunately these design goals mean making obsolete the something like 10 power chargers in my home. Sigh.”

Sirio Brozzi of the website Awesome Robo hit out at the move, and blogged: “People are stunned by this possibility, myself included. I mean, why fix something that’s not broken?”

He believes the move is planned to give both Apple and accessory makers a huge new market.

“Have you guys ever heard of <<planned obsolescence>>?” he added.

“It’s a practice which encourages planning and designing a product so it’s only useful for a limited time, before becoming obsolete.”

Apple also advertised for staff to work the new connector earlier this year, advertising for a Lead Engineer, who the firm said will be “responsible for identifying appropriate connection technology requirements for new products and follow through with selection and development of suitable interconnect products”.

“This will often involve adaptation of existing connectors or complete new designs,” Apple said.

Along with a change in its dock connector, the iPhone 5 has also been rumored to be receiving a newly designed speaker grill, a different back cover and antenna that are molded into one piece, and most notably, a larger screen.

However, some believe Apple could – at a price – supply adapters to allow older accessories to work with the new handsets.

The new iPhone is also expected to have a larger 4″ screen using Apple’s retina display, which uses individual pixels so small the human eye cannot see them, making on-screen text appear like a printed page, and allowing graphics and video to be shown at resolutions higher than a high definition TV.

It will also include Apple’s own maps software, which the company revealed a few weeks ago. In a bid to compete with Google’s maps, Apple even revealed it has a fleet of planes and helicopters photographing the world to build up a 3D map.

The iPhone accessories which could become obsolete

Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 8 – $850

Bose Sounddock 10 – $600

B&W Zeppelin mini speaker – $300

 

 

Talibans attack Spozhmai Hotel in Lake Qargha near Kabul

Roy Siemens
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Talibans attack Spozhmai Hotel in Lake Qargha near Kabul

Taliban militants have attacked Spozhmai Hotel outside Kabul in the Lake Qargha area, triggering a deadly gun battle with Afghan security forces and a hostage crisis.

Three guards and one police officer were killed, as were three militants, but two are still fighting, according to the chief of Kabul police.

An unknown number of people have been taken hostage, including women and children, but 18 have been freed.

The Taliban claimed the attack. Lake Qargha is on the outskirts of Kabul and is favored by residents of the Afghan capital for day trips and family outings.

The gunmen, armed with rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine guns, launched the attack on the hotel late on Thursday, officials say.

Taliban militants have attacked Spozhmai Hotel outside Kabul in the Lake Qargha area, triggering a deadly gun battle with Afghan security forces and a hostage crisis
Taliban militants have attacked Spozhmai Hotel outside Kabul in the Lake Qargha area, triggering a deadly gun battle with Afghan security forces and a hostage crisis

“Police forces have besieged the hotel where people gathered for a picnic or wedding party,” Kabul deputy police chief Daoud Amin told the AFP news agency.

“We will be very careful so that not to harm to civilians,” he added.

Some guests reportedly jumped out of hotel windows to flee from the attackers.

An unknown number remain inside.

The US-led coalition is providing support to the Afghan security forces, who are trying to flush out the insurgents from the hotel.

Reuters news agency quotes the Taliban as saying they attacked the hotel because wealthy Afghans and foreigners used it for “wild parties”.

Violence has recently increased across the country, with at least three US soldiers and about 20 Afghans killed in a series of attacks over the past seven days.

The attacks come as NATO prepares to hand responsibility to Afghan forces when the alliance’s combat troops leave in 2014.

 

Boat with 200 on board sinks near Christmas Island, north-western Australia

Diane A. Wade
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Boat with 200 on board sinks near Christmas Island, north-western Australia

Rescuers are searching for dozens of people believed to be missing after a boat sank near Christmas Island, off north-western Australia.

Ships have so far picked 110 survivors from the sea, but officials believe about 200 people were on the boat. Three bodies have been recovered.

The ship, believed to be carrying asylum-seekers, capsized on Thursday.

Australian patrol vessels, merchant ships and aircraft have been helping with the rescue.

Christmas Island is closer to Indonesia than Australia, and is targeted by asylum-seekers hoping to get to Australia, often on boats that are over-loaded and poorly maintained.

Officials said the boat issued an emergency call and was later found to be in distress by an Australian surveillance plane.

Rescuers are searching for dozens of people believed to be missing after a boat sank near Christmas Island, off north-western Australia
Rescuers are searching for dozens of people believed to be missing after a boat sank near Christmas Island, off north-western Australia

“We’re still in that critical window where more lives could be saved,” Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said.

Everyone on board the boat was said to be male, with a 13-year-old boy among those rescued. Their nationalities remain unclear.

About 40 people were found clinging to the hull of the boat and more were found holding on to debris, Jason Clare said.

A spokeswoman from Australia’s Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said water temperatures were fair, which made finding more survivors more likely.

Those rescued have begun arriving at Christmas Island, where Australia has a large immigration detention centre. They were said to be in good health.

In recent years a flow of asylum-seekers, mainly from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Iraq, have been making their way to Australian territory by boat via Indonesia.

There have been a number of capsizes blamed on unseaworthy vessels carrying too many passengers.

About 50 asylum-seekers died when their boat broke up on rocks off Christmas Island in December 2010.

“This accident again underscores the dangerous nature of these hazardous journeys, and the desperate and dangerous measures people will resort to when they are fleeing persecution in their home countries,” the UN refugee agency said in a statement.

 

 

H5N1 bird flu virus mutations could cause deadly human pandemic

Kathryn R. Bown
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H5N1 bird flu virus mutations could cause deadly human pandemic

Scientists warn the H5N1 bird flu virus could change into a form able to spread rapidly between humans.

Researchers have identified five genetic changes that could allow the virus to start a deadly pandemic.

Writing in the journal Science, they say it would be theoretically possible for these changes to occur in nature.

A US agency has tried unsuccessfully to ban publication of parts of the research fearing it could be used by terrorists to create a bioweapon.

According to Prof. Ron Fouchier from the Erasmus Medical Centre in the Netherlands, who led the research, publication of the work in full will give the wider scientific community the best possible chance to combat future flu pandemics.

“We hope to learn which viruses can cause pandemics and by knowing that we might be able to prevent them by enforcing strict eradication programmes,” he said.

He added that his work might also speed the development of vaccines and anti-viral drugs against a lethal form of bird flu that could spread rapidly among people.

The H5N1 virus has been responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of birds and has led to hundreds of millions more being slaughtered to stop its spread.

The virus is also deadly to humans but can only be transmitted by close contact with infected birds.

Scientists warn the H5N1 bird flu virus could change into a form able to spread rapidly between humans
Scientists warn the H5N1 bird flu virus could change into a form able to spread rapidly between humans

It is for this reason that relatively few people have died of bird flu. Latest World Health Organization (WHO) figures indicate 332 people have died of the illness since 2003.

Health officials are concerned though that the H5N1 virus could one day mutate into a form that could be spread between humans through coughs and sneezes through the air.

This could, they fear, result in a lethal pandemic that could spread rapidly across the world killing tens of millions of people.

It is only now that a study has confirmed that the emergence of such a deadly virus is theoretically possible.

A group led by Prof. Ron Fouchier wanted to find out which genetic changes were required to enable the H5N1 virus to mutate into a form that could be transmitted from person to person through the air.

His team compared the genetic structure of the bird flu virus with those responsible for earlier human flu pandemics.

The researchers found five key differences, which they reasoned could be the mutations required for airborne transmission of the virus.

They confirmed their theory was correct by genetically engineering those changes into the H5N1 virus which they found could then be spread between ferrets through coughing and sneezing.

A team from Cambridge University then looked to see whether such a mutation could emerge naturally and if so its likelihood.

The researchers studied the genetic structure of 3,000 bird viruses and 400 that occur in humans.

They found some of these viruses had two of the key changes needed to become airborne. Mathematical modeling suggested it was indeed possible for a virus to develop the three further changes required during the course of an epidemic.

It is the first time it has been shown that it is possible for bird flu to become airborne, but the research team was unable to determine precisely how likely this was to happen.

Prof. Derek Smith, who led the analysis, said more information was needed.

He said researchers required a better understanding of how flu viruses were transmitted between people in order to develop a clearer idea of the likelihood of the emergence of an airborne strain of bird flu.

“These are difficult things to find out,” said Prof. Derek Smith.

“What this work enables us to do is to prioritize particular experiments to obtain this information.”

It is clear though that the emergence of an airborne mutation of H5N1 is unlikely. Were it not it would have emerged already.

But researchers want to be able to calculate the risk of such a virus emerging more precisely in order to help public health officials in their contingency planning.

News of Prof. Ron Fouchier’s work, and another similar study by Yoshihiro Kawaoka published this May in the journal Nature, prompted the US National Security Advisory Board for Biotechnology (NSABB) to ask both journals last November to redact some sensitive parts of the research.

The NSABB believed the information could be used by terrorists to create a bioweapon.

The scientists who carried out the research, and the journals concerned, considered suggestions as to how the results could be redacted in the journals, but distributed to bona fide researchers who urgently needed the information.

But they concluded such a system was unworkable.

“You can’t share information with so many people in the field and keep it confidential,” according to Prof. Ron Fouchier.

Editor in chief of the journal Science, Dr. Bruce Alberts, said the publication of the research in both Science and Nature had “shone a spotlight” on the need to deal more effectively with research that could be misused by terrorists – so called “dual use research of concern” (DURC).

“It has become clear that we will need to work toward the establishment of a comprehensive, international system for assessing DURC, one that includes transparent procedures to allow selected access to any information omitted from a scientific publication to those with a need to know.”

But Prof. Ron Fouchier questioned whether a system of asking scientific journals to censor DURC work is ever workable or even appropriate.

“The general mode should be that science should be freely available so that the wider scientific community can build on the research,” he said.

“I have a hard time identifying research papers that you shouldn’t publish. So I’m not sure whether we should ever go down this alley.”

 

 

Workers sick during annual leave entitled to get extra time off, rules European Court of Justice

Clyde K. Valle
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Workers sick during annual leave entitled to get extra time off, rules European Court of Justice

Employees who fall sick during their annual leave are entitled to take corresponding paid leave at a later date, the EU’s top court has ruled.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling is legally binding throughout the EU.

Thursday’s ruling was prompted by a Spanish trade union case against a group of department stores.

“The right to paid annual leave cannot be interpreted restrictively,” the court says.

The court in Luxembourg said the EU Working Time Directive grants workers a right to at least four weeks’ paid annual leave “even where such leave coincides with periods of sick leave”.

Employees who fall sick during their annual leave are entitled to take corresponding paid leave at a later date, the EU's top court has ruled
Employees who fall sick during their annual leave are entitled to take corresponding paid leave at a later date, the EU's top court has ruled

The ECJ says “the point at which the temporary incapacity arose is irrelevant”.

“Consequently, a worker is entitled to take paid annual leave, which coincides with a period of sick leave, at a later point in time, irrespective of the point at which the incapacity for work arose.”

According to an earlier ECJ ruling, workers who fall sick before a period of annual leave can also reschedule that leave period so that it does not clash with their sick leave.

At least 15 EU countries use the opt-out, which enables workers voluntarily to work more than 48 hours a week.

An EU source said the ECJ ruling has full, immediate effect EU-wide, regardless of the type or size of employer.

Workers who believe their employer has infringed their right to paid annual leave can seek justice in their national courts.

Infringement cases against employers who violate the directive can also be brought by the European Commission or national governments.

In cases where workers fall sick towards the end of the year, and are unable to take all of their annual leave, they can under EU law carry over their unused leave into the next accounting period.

The ECJ has also ruled that the long-term sick have the right to accumulate at least a year of unused annual leave. But the ECJ says the amount is not open-ended and member states can set an upper limit.

 

 

Kripparrian completes Diablo III video game

Nancy Clayson
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Kripparrian completes Diablo III video game

Just over a month after the release of Diablo III, Kripparrian, a pro player, has managed to complete the game on its hardest setting.

Toronto-based Kripparrian posted a video on YouTube showing the hard fight against Diablo – the ultimate boss in the game.

To make the task harder, Kripparrian used the game’s “hard core” setting which left little room for error.

The achievement has been confirmed by the game’s developer, Blizzard.

The hugely popular Diablo III game casts players in the role of a hero who has to save the mythical world of Sanctuary from a demonic invasion.

Kripparrian made this job as hard as possible by playing the game’s Inferno mode which makes in-game enemies much tougher.

In addition, he used a “hard core” character. This meant that, if the character died once, the game would be over. He also got in-game help from another player called Krippi.

Just over a month after the release of Diablo III, Kripparrian, a pro player, has managed to complete the game on its hardest setting
Just over a month after the release of Diablo III, Kripparrian, a pro player, has managed to complete the game on its hardest setting

The final fight against Diablo, the ultimate boss in the game, took about 25 minutes and Kripparrian was jubilant once it was done.

The achievement was completed prior to the application of the latest patch for the game which makes monsters easier to kill.

“With this patch, the bosses, the mobs, they become easier,” he said in the video of the kill.

“We didn’t want to beat it that way. We wanted to beat the game when it was hard, at the hardest point possible. So it was a race against time.”

One of Blizzard’s community managers confirmed the achievement soon after and offered congratulations via Twitter.

 [youtube y-DjYYZitRU]

AWARE2 gigapixel camera creates images with unprecedented detail

Nancy Clayson
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AWARE2 gigapixel camera creates images with unprecedented detail

US engineers have unveiled AWARE2, a new camera capable of creating images with “unprecedented detail”.

The prototype machine is capable of taking pictures with resolutions of up 50 gigapixels, equivalent to 50,000 megapixels, according to the team from Duke University in North Carolina.

The new camera works by synchronizing 98 tiny cameras in a single device.

The machine is likely to be used first for military surveillance.

The camera was developed by a team led by engineer David Brady and Michael J. Fitzpatrick, professor of Electric Engineering at Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering, along with scientists from the University of Arizona, and the University of California.

They received funding from DARPA – the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

AWARE2 prototype machine is capable of taking pictures with resolutions of up 50 gigapixels, equivalent to 50,000 megapixels
AWARE2 prototype machine is capable of taking pictures with resolutions of up 50 gigapixels, equivalent to 50,000 megapixels

The prototype camera itself is two-and-half feet square and 20 inches deep.

“Each one of the microcameras captures information from a specific area of the field of view,” David Brady said.

“A computer processor essentially stitches all this information into a single highly detailed image. In many instances, the camera can capture images of things that photographers cannot see themselves but can then detect when the image is viewed later.”

Most consumer cameras currently on the market are capable of taking photographs ranging from eight to 40 megapixels.

Pixels are basically individual “dots” of data – and the higher the number of pixels, the better resolution of the image.

The researchers believe that within five years, as the electronic components of the cameras become miniaturized and more efficient, the next generation of gigapixel cameras should be available to the general public.

“The camera is so large now because of the electronic control boards and the need to add components to keep it from overheating,” David Brady said.

“As more efficient and compact electronics are developed, the age of hand-held gigapixel photography should follow.”

 

 

Queen of Sheba legend origins written in Ethiopians DNA

James J. Williams
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Queen of Sheba legend origins written in Ethiopians DNA

Scientists claim they found that clues to the origins of the Queen of Sheba legend are written in the DNA of some Africans.

Genetic research suggests Ethiopians mixed with Egyptian, Israeli or Syrian populations about 3,000 years ago.

This is the time the queen, mentioned in great religious works, is said to have ruled the kingdom of Sheba.

The research, published in The American Journal of Human Genetics, also sheds light on human migration out of Africa 60,000 years ago.

According to fossil evidence, human history goes back longer in Ethiopia than anywhere else in the world. But little has been known until now about the human genetics of Ethiopians.

Professor Chris Tyler-Smith of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge, UK, a researcher on the study, said: “Genetics can tell us about historical events.

“By analyzing the genetics of Ethiopia and several other regions we can see that there was gene flow into Ethiopia, probably from the Levant, around 3,000 years ago, and this fits perfectly with the story of the Queen of Sheba.”

Scientists claim they found that clues to the origins of the Queen of Sheba legend are written in the DNA of some Africans
Scientists claim they found that clues to the origins of the Queen of Sheba legend are written in the DNA of some Africans

Lead researcher Luca Pagani of the University of Cambridge and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute added: “The genetic evidence is in support of the legend of the Queen of Sheba.”

More than 200 individuals from 10 Ethiopian and two neighboring African populations were analyzed in the largest genetic investigation of its kind on Ethiopian populations.

About a million genetic letters in each genome were studied. Previous Ethiopian genetic studies have focused on smaller sections of the human genome and mitochondrial DNA, which passes along the maternal line.

Dr. Sarah Tishcoff of the Department of Genetics and Biology at the University of Pennsylvania, said Ethiopia would be an important region to study in the future.

Commenting on the study, she said: “Ethiopia is a very diverse region culturally and linguistically but, until now, we’ve known little about genetic diversity in the region.

“This paper sheds light on the very interesting recent and ancient population history of a region that played an important role in both recent and ancient human migration events.

“In particular, the inference of timing and location of admixture with populations from the Levant is very interesting and is a unique example of how genetic data can be integrated with historical data.”

The scientists acknowledge that there are uncertainties about dating, with a probable margin of error of a few hundred years either side of 3,000 years.

They plan to look at all three billion genetic letters of DNA in the genome of individual Ethiopians to learn more about human genetic diversity and evolution.

 

Lone star tick causes meat allergy in adults

Kathryn R. Bown
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Lone star tick causes meat allergy in adults

Hundreds of people in the U.S. have mysteriously developed meat allergy over the last few months.

And this rash of meat allergies, currently sweeping the East Coast of America, appears to have been caused by one single, little species of tick.

The lone star tick (Amblyomma Americanum), which is named for the tiny white spot on its back, may look harmless, and only causes a tiny little prick on your skin – but what follows next is a complete and potentially life-long, aversion to meat.

Dr. Scott Commins, the assistant professor of medicine at the University of Virginia, said the animals’ saliva trickles into the wound and causes the violent reaction – which can cause potentially deadly allergic reactions.

He said: “People will eat beef and then anywhere from three to six hours later start having a reaction; anything from hives to full-blown anaphylactic shock.

“And most people want to avoid having the reaction, so they try to stay away from the food that triggers it.”

The lone star tick (Amblyomma Americanum) only causes a tiny little prick on your skin, but what follows next is a complete and potentially life-long, aversion to meat
The lone star tick (Amblyomma Americanum) only causes a tiny little prick on your skin, but what follows next is a complete and potentially life-long, aversion to meat

He said he had seen about 400 cases, of which 90% of the patients had a history of tick bites.

Studies are now being carried out to confirm that the theory and Dr. Scott Commins added: “It’s hard to prove – We’re still searching for the mechanism.”

Dr. Scott Commins plans to research into the effects of the tick saliva on the human body’s natural antibodies for alpha-gel, which is contained in red meat, lamb and pork.

He said the antibodies in the blood rise after lone star tick bites – and hopefully experiments will prove this is the mechanisms causing the allergies.

Allergies usually first appear in children and rarely start in adults. The most common allergies include peanuts and pet hair.

But for adults who have been meat-eaters all their lives, suddenly developing this allergy could be difficult.

Dr. Scott Commins added: “Some people are totally destroyed. Others say: <<maybe I’m better off without it>>.”

 

Ann Curry back at work on Today show hours after reports she will be fired as co-host

Diane A. Wade
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Ann Curry back at work on Today show hours after reports she will be fired as co-host

Ann Curry has showed up at work hours after news surfaced that she would be fired next month as co-host of NBC’s Today show.

Reports surfaced Wednesday afternoon that Ann Curry, who took over the anchor chair June 9, 2011, would be removed from her spot as Matt Lauer’s co-host.

But on Thursday morning, Ann Curry was back next to Matt Lauer, acting like nothing had happened.

Ann Curry has taken the blame from many at NBC for the Today show’s ratings decline. The program lost the top spot among network morning shows this spring, a position it had held, unbroken, since 1995.

The New York Times reported that NBC executives were preparing for Ann Curry not to show up on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Today show producers contacted Hoda Kotb, who co-hosts the fourth hour of the program, and told her to be ready to go on the air at 7:00 a.m.

But Ann Curry, who reportedly makes $2 million a year, was there, acting like normal.

“Good morning Twitterverse,” she tweeted to her 1.2 million followers on Thursday.

“Good morning. From hot to hotter. You thought yesterday was a scorcher? In many places in the East today, it’s going to get even hotter,” she said at the opening of the show.

On Thursday morning, Ann Curry was back next to Matt Lauer, acting like nothing had happened
On Thursday morning, Ann Curry was back next to Matt Lauer, acting like nothing had happened

Later in the program she appeared alongside Matt Lauer, Al Roker and Natalie Morales – one of the women who has been mentioned as her possible replacement.

Her tweet, sent out about 8:00 a.m., received dozens of responses from her fans, who offered her their support.

The Times reported on Wednesday that Ann Curry will be kicked off the show before the Summer Olympics begin July 27.

Ann Curry has been criticized for not being as flexible or quite as quick-witted as Matt Lauer or Katie Couric, who had the hosting job for 15 years before leaving in 2006.

Katie Couric was replaced by Vieira.

Matt Lauer, who recently received a reported $30 million annual contract to stay at NBC is reportedly one of the people working to push Ann Curry out.

NBC producers are beginning to panic as ABC’s Good Morning America has begun trading off with the Today show for the top network morning show.

Ann Curry’s more prominent role in the morning show has received the blame for this slump.

Negotiations are currently underway with network executives to move Ann Curry into a new job, likely as a foreign correspondent.

But, she’s apparently not leaving without a fight.

“She got her dream job, and she doesn’t want to let it go,” a source told the Times.

Savannah Guthrie, who co-hosts the show’s third hour, is at the top of the list of Ann Curry’s possible replacements.

Natalie Morales, Today‘s news anchor, and Meredith Vieira, who left the co-host role last year, have been mentioned in talks for the position, news outlets reported.

A decision about Ann Curry’s departure from the show could be made before the Summer Olympics begins in later this summer.

Several staff members who work on the show have blamed Ann Curry as the reason for the decline in ratings after she took over the co-host job, according to the New York Times.

Today lost in the ratings this spring for the first time since 1995 after a string of 852 consecutive weeks.

Since then, Today and Good Morning America have been trading wins.

Some reports suggest the longtime member of the Today show may become a foreign correspondent at the network.

For Ann Curry, however, the reality of ending her time on the program has been difficult.

Attorney Robert B. Barnett is representing Ann Curry in the discussions.

The lawyer is known for having represented Christiane Amanpour in her talks with ABC as she left the news program This Week.

Ann Curry began working as news anchor for the Today show in 1997, a position she held onto until she was promoted to share the hosting role with Matt Lauer.

She has an extensive background in global reporting.

Ann Curry began a career at NBC in 1990 as part of the NBC News team.

 

Higher-fat salad dressings help your body to absorb more carotenoids from vegetables

Kathryn R. Bown
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Higher-fat salad dressings help your body to absorb more carotenoids from vegetables

A new study shows that choosing a low-fat dressing for your salad might help you keep your weight down because it has fewer calories, but you could lose some other health benefits.

The study found higher-fat dressings help the body absorb more carotenoids, compounds in vegetables linked with a reduced risk of illnesses including cancer and heart disease.

Researchers from Iowa State University fed 29 people salads dressed with butter, high in saturated fat, canola oil for monounsaturated fat, and corn oil for polyunsaturated fat.

Each salad was dished up with 3 grams, 8 grams or 20 grams of fat from dressings to see if fat dosage made a difference to the overall results.

The participants had their blood tested for absorption of fat-soluble carotenoids, which are compounds associated with a reduced risk of several chronic and degenerative diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

The study found higher-fat dressings help the body absorb more carotenoids, compounds in vegetables linked with a reduced risk of illnesses including cancer and heart disease
The study found higher-fat dressings help the body absorb more carotenoids, compounds in vegetables linked with a reduced risk of illnesses including cancer and heart disease

With all but the canola oil, made from genetically modified rapeseed, the more fat that was used the more carotenoids were absorbed, says the study in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.

Canola oil promoted the same carotenoid absorption with three grams of fat as with 20 g, suggesting it may be a healthy choice for weight watchers. Olive oil is also rich in monounsaturated fat.

Professor Mario Ferruzzi of Purdue University said: “If you want to utilise more from your fruits and vegetables, you have to pair them correctly with fat-based dressings.

“If you have a salad with a fat-free dressing, there is a reduction in calories, but you lose some of the benefits of the vegetables.”

Results showed corn oil was the most dependent on dose, with the more fat on the salad, the more carotenoids the participants absorbed.

The butter rich in saturated fat was also dependent on dose when drizzled on the salads, but not to a lesser extent.

Canola oil and olive-oil based dressings promoted the same carotenoid absorption at three grams of fat, as they did at 20 grams – suggesting this would be a good choice of dressing for people watching their weight but wanting to remain healthy.

The researchers are taking the study further by trying to understand how meal patterns affect nutrient absorption – determining whether people absorb more nutrients if they eat vegetables at one time or spread throughout the day.

Prof. Mario Ferruzzi added: “Even at the lower fat level, you can absorb a significant amount of carotenoids with monounsaturated fat-rich canola oil.

“Overall, pairing with fat matters.

“You can absorb significant amounts of carotenoids with saturated or polyunsaturated fats at low levels, but you would see more carotenoid absorption as you increase the amounts of those fats on a salad.”

 

LeRoy Neiman, official painter of the Olympics, dies at 91

Sonia Pantiss
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LeRoy Neiman, official painter of the Olympics, dies at 91

Artist LeRoy Neiman, an official painter of five Olympiads famed for his instant renditions of sporting action, has died in New York aged 91.

One of the world’s most commercially successful contemporary artists, LeRoy Neiman’s colorful paintings were as distinctive as his handlebar moustache.

LeRoy Neiman captured events as diverse as the Super Bowl, the Grand National and the Cannes Film Festival.

Some of his most famous paintings were of the boxer Muhammad Ali.

His publicist Gail Parenteau confirmed his death at a Manhattan hospital but did not disclose the cause.

Artist LeRoy Neiman, an official painter of five Olympiads famed for his instant renditions of sporting action, has died in New York aged 91
Artist LeRoy Neiman, an official painter of five Olympiads famed for his instant renditions of sporting action, has died in New York aged 91

LeRoy Neiman – who is survived by his wife Janet Byrne – had continued to paint despite having his right leg amputated in April 2010 following a vascular problem.

“I’ve had a lucky life,” he told the Associated Press in 2008.

“I’ve zeroed in on what you would call action and excellence.

“Everybody who does anything to try to succeed has to give the best of themselves, and art has made me pull the best out of myself.”

In 1972 LeRoy Neiman sketched the world chess championship between Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer in Reykjavik, Iceland, live on television.

He also produced live drawings of the Olympics for television and was the official computer artist of the Super Bowl for US network CBS.

LeRoy Neiman also had a decades-long association with Playboy magazine, which started in 1953 following a chance meeting with Hugh Hefner.

He regularly contributed to the magazine’s Man at His Leisure feature.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Hugh Hefner wrote: “Long time friend & resident Playboy artist LeRoy Neiman has passed away at the age of 91. R.I.P.”

 

Vanessa Paradis to receive $150M pay-off from Johnny Depp

Lisa.Felice
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0
Vanessa Paradis to receive $150M pay-off from Johnny Depp

According to new reports, Vanessa Paradis is set to receive from her 14-year long partner Johnny Depp one of the biggest pay-off between a non-married couple.

Johnny Depp, 49, is said to be paying Vanessa Paradis $150million in a bid to keep the split as amicable as possible for the sake of their children.

Johnny Depp is reported to be worth at least $320million and has an extensive property portfolio.

The couple has a mansion and apartment in Los Angeles and owns the island of Little Hall’s Pond Cay in the Bahamas.

In Europe, the couple’s main home is in Plan-de-la-Tour in southern France, as well as a house in Paris, a canalside palazzo in Venice and Johnny Depp is said to have been the mystery buyer of a house in the Norfolk village of Burnham Market.

Although the pair and their children Lily-Rose, 13, and Jack, nine, were based in their Hollywood home in recent years, Vanessa Paradis, 39, was spotted house-hunting in Beverly Hills a few weeks ago.

Vanessa Paradis is set to receive from her 14-year long partner Johnny Depp one of the biggest pay-off between a non-married couple
Vanessa Paradis is set to receive from her 14-year long partner Johnny Depp one of the biggest pay-off between a non-married couple

Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis only confirmed their split on Tuesday following months of speculation, but it is believed they had been living separate lives for months.

Last month, Vanessa Paradis visited a number of properties with price tags of between $7 million and $11 million.

She appeared glum as she looked around the properties on May 23 and there was no mistaking the strain of the relationship breakdown has taken its toll.

The French star was seen looking at a number of properties in Malibu and Beverly Hills including a seven bedroom home which is listed at $7,995,000.

The home boasts 7,580 square feet, eight separate bathrooms, media and game rooms, a wet and a dry saunas, a pool and spa.

Vanessa Paradis was also seen looking at a six bedroom home which cost a cool $10,995,000.

The master bedroom offers two separate baths, two terraces and a study and the property also has a separate guest house.

Two weeks ago, Johnny Depp was seen cutting a lonely figure as he hopped onto a jet on his way to New Mexico.

As late as last month Johnny Depp had denied there was any rift between himself and Vanessa Paradis, despite reports stating that they were living separate lives dating back to January.

 

Kim Kardashian denies wearing shapewear garment beneath Stella McCartney dress

Lisa.Felice
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0
Kim Kardashian denies wearing shapewear garment beneath Stella McCartney dress

Kim Kardashian denied that she wore a shapewear garment beneath the black Stella McCartney dress she was spotted in two nights ago in Paris.

Kim Kardashian, 31, wrote on her blog yesterday: “That’s exactly how I bought it with those nude panels inside. So no Spanx here!”

Despite her denial, the reality star has long proved a fan of shapewear.

Kim Kardashian has been photographed on several occasions flashing versions of Spanx-like garments underneath her clothing.

The nude material, or something very similar to a Spanx product, was spotted wrapped around her upper thigh as she stepped out in a black and white dress for a business meeting in Los Angeles in March.

It had happened just one month prior when the star had been photographed attending a church service.

Kim Kardashian denied that she wore a shapewear garment beneath the black Stella McCartney dress she was spotted in two nights ago in Paris
Kim Kardashian denied that she wore a shapewear garment beneath the black Stella McCartney dress she was spotted in two nights ago in Paris

Although Kim Kardashian may have not intentionally set out to criticize the multi-million dollar brand, Spanx defended its products as a response to her denial.

A spokesman for the company wrote in a letter to Racked.com that its customers should proudly let their “Spanx shape show!”

The statement continued: “Whether it’s a Slimmer & Shine slip or a Stella McCartney dress with a Spanx-inspired liner, we say let your Spanx show.”

Many had assumed that Kim Kardashian had again worn the shapewear, only this time underneath the Stella McCartney dress as a familiar beige garment peeked out from beneath it.

Furthermore, the dress has been spotted without the beige underlay on multiple celebrities in recent times, such as Gisele Bundchen, Kate Winslet and Vogue Japan editor Anna Dello Russo, which further grew suspicion.

According to Kim Kardashian, she received the dress with the beige panel already attached to it.

She said: “I wore this gorgeous polka dot Stella McCartney dress out yesterday and I’ve seen some publications saying I’m flashing my Spanx or control underwear underneath the dress.

“Stella made a full collection with these sheer panels on the side, and this is how my dress came. Xo”

Coco Perez, the gossip website, had first made note of the beige garment beneath the black dress.

The post was titled: That’s Not How You Wear Spanx, Kim.

It read: “Kim Kardashian flashed more than just her underpants in Paris on Monday, she flashed her whole damn Spanx!”

 

Bobby Brown and Alicia Etheridge enjoy honeymoon on Oahu Island’s beach in Hawaii

Lisa.Felice
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Bobby Brown and Alicia Etheridge enjoy honeymoon on Oahu Island’s beach in Hawaii

Newlyweds Bobby Brown and Alicia Etheridge were spotted hanging out on the beaches of Hawaii’s Oahu island for their honeymoon yesterday.

Alicia Etheridge flaunted her curves with a bandeau two-piece while Bobby Brown, 43, wore swim trunks, as they enjoyed quality time together taking romantic walks along the shore.

Bobby Brown and Alicia Etheridge swapped vows on Monday in Honolulu surrounded by friends and family, except Bobbi Kristina, his daughter with Whitney Houston.

Newlyweds Bobby Brown and Alicia Etheridge were spotted hanging out on the beaches of Hawaii's Oahu island for their honeymoon yesterday
Newlyweds Bobby Brown and Alicia Etheridge were spotted hanging out on the beaches of Hawaii's Oahu island for their honeymoon yesterday

Bobbi Kristina Brown, 19, was said to be shooting scenes for her Lifetime reality show, The Houston Chronicles.

However, Bobby Brown and Alicia Etheridge’ solo time together will be cut short because the musician will have to return to the stage with his New Edition peeps for their 30th anniversary tour.

 

Cissy Houston to perform tribute to Whitney at BET Awards

Lisa.Felice
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0
Cissy Houston to perform tribute to Whitney at BET Awards

Cissy Houston will perform a tribute to her late daughter Whitney Houston alongside other female singers at the upcoming BET Awards.

A source familiar with BET’s plans said Tuesday that Cissy Houston will take the stage at the July 1 awards show to honor her daughter.

Cissy Houston, 78, will be joined by “a few top divas,” the source said, though the source could not give their names.

The source spoke on condition of anonymity because the tribute has not been officially announced.

Cissy Houston will perform a tribute to her late daughter Whitney Houston alongside other female singers at the upcoming BET Awards
Cissy Houston will perform a tribute to her late daughter Whitney Houston alongside other female singers at the upcoming BET Awards

Whitney Houston died at age 48 in February in her hotel room in Beverly Hills. Authorities called her death an accidental drowning, complicated by heart disease and cocaine use.

The BET Awards airs live from The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Kanye West, Beyonce and Jay-Z are the top nominees.

 

Bobby Brown marries Alicia Etheridge in Hawaii

Lisa.Felice
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0
Bobby Brown marries Alicia Etheridge in Hawaii

Bobby Brown has married his manager Alicia Etheridge on Monday in a small ceremony in Hawaii.

Bobby Brown’s wedding may seem abrupt considering the fact that ex-wife Whitney Houston died only months ago in February, but since he and Houston had been separated for several years prior to her death it isn’t all that shocking that on Monday Brown wed manager Alicia Etheridge in Hawaii.

According to People magazine, Bobby Brown and Alicia Etheridge took advantage of a New Edition performance in Honolulu to tie the knot on the Pacific island. The couple have got engaged (on stage) in 2010 and have one young son together.

Bobby Brown has married his manager Alicia Etheridge on Monday in a small ceremony in Hawaii
Bobby Brown has married his manager Alicia Etheridge on Monday in a small ceremony in Hawaii

Bobby Brown, 43, also has a daughter, 19-year-old Bobbi Kristina, with Whitney Houston and three more from previous relationships.

Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown were married for 15 years, during which time Whitney became addicted to drugs and alcohol.

Bobby Brown has repeatedly denied that he introduced Whitney Houston to drugs.

 

Egypt’s presidential election results delayed

Diane A. Wade
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Egypt’s presidential election results delayed

Egypt’s presidential poll results have been delayed by the election authorities, raising further tension across the country.

The results had been due to be announced on Thursday, but the election commission said it needed more time to look into complaints presented by the candidates.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammed Mursi and former PM Ahmed Shafiq both claim they won last weekend’s vote.

Thousands of opposition supporters are protesting in Cairo’s Tahrir Square.

They have gathered to demonstrate against the delay in announcing the poll result and also against the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) – the military council that has led the country since President Hosni Mubarak was ousted last year.

The Muslim Brotherhood called people into the square to voice their outrage over recent constitutional amendments which gave the SCAF sweeping political and legislative powers.

If the Muslim Brotherhood has won the election, there are doubts over whether the authorities would allow them to take power after fighting them for so many decades.

There is increasingly fevered speculation about whether the election will be cancelled or rigged, he adds.

Egypt's presidential poll results have been delayed by the election authorities, raising further tension across the country
Egypt's presidential poll results have been delayed by the election authorities, raising further tension across the country

Meanwhile, 84-year-old Hosni Mubarak remains in critical condition at an army hospital in Cairo.

He is said to have had a series of strokes and to be on a life-support machine, but there has been no official word on his condition.

Earlier this month, Hosni Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the death of protesters during last year’s revolution.

Correspondents say there are fears that Hosni Mubarak’s failing health could be used as a distraction as Egypt awaits the result of the hotly disputed election.

On Wednesday, the Higher Presidential Elections Commission (HPEC) said that some 400 election complaints had been filed by the two candidates.

The commission said it needed more time to investigate the complaints, without giving any new date for the announcement of the results.

However, media reports suggest that the poll winner could be declared over the weekend.

Nader Omran, a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, said the announcement should not have been delayed.

“It will bring more tension to the people – they should end the story tomorrow (Thursday),” he said.

Protests continued in Tahrir Square late into the night, with the Brotherhood saying they will mount a sit-in until the results are announced, and until the army gives up the sweeping powers it granted itself in a constitutional amendment last week.

Correspondents say Egypt appears to be in political and constitutional limbo.

In preliminary comments on the second round of the presidential election, a group of international election monitors headed by former US President Jimmy Carter voiced concerns about the “political and constitutional context” of the vote.

“I am deeply troubled by the undemocratic turn that Egypt’s transition has taken,” Jimmy Carter said.

On Saturday the SCAF had dissolved Egypt’s elected parliament – dominated by the Brotherhood – after a court ruling that last year’s legislative polls were unconstitutional.

Late on Sunday, hours after the polls closed in the presidential vote, the SCAF issued a constitutional declaration giving itself wide-ranging powers and limiting those of the incoming president.

The declaration effectively gave the SCAF legislative powers, control over the budget and over who writes the permanent constitution.

The SCAF’s moves were widely condemned by activists as amounting to a military coup.

 

Low or moderate level of alcohol in early pregnancy is not linked to developmental problems

Kathryn R. Bown
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Low or moderate level of alcohol in early pregnancy is not linked to developmental problems

According to new research, drinking a low or moderate level of alcohol in early pregnancy is not linked to developmental problems in five-year-olds.

The Danish research, published in the BJOG journal, suggested one to eight drinks a week was not linked to harm.

Heavy drinking during pregnancy is known to be linked to miscarriage, foetal alcohol syndrome and low birth weight.

The Danish researchers produced five papers on drinking in pregnancy.

More than 1,600 pregnant women took part, recruited at their first antenatal visit. Half were first-time mothers, and just under a third smoked during pregnancy.

They were asked about their alcohol intake.

Low average consumption was defined as one to four per week, moderate as five to eight drinks and high levels as nine or more per week.

According to new research, drinking a low or moderate level of alcohol in early pregnancy is not linked to developmental problems in five-year-olds
According to new research, drinking a low or moderate level of alcohol in early pregnancy is not linked to developmental problems in five-year-olds

Binge drinking, which women were also questioned about, was defined as having five or more drinks on one occasion. Pregnant women who did not drink during pregnancy were included in the research.

The scientists looked at the effects of alcohol on IQ, attention span, executive functions such as planning, organization, and self-control in the five-year-olds.

They found low to moderate weekly drinking in early pregnancy had no significant effect on neurodevelopment of children at the age of five – and neither did binge drinking.

There were no differences in IQ test results in children whose mothers drank one to four units per week or five to eight units per week in pregnancy compared with children of abstaining mothers.

But drinking more than nine drinks per week was associated with lower attention span among the children.

The lead authors of the work, Ulrik Schiøler Kesmodel of Aarhus University and Prof. Erik Lykke Mortensen of the University of Copenhagen, said: “High prenatal exposure to alcohol has consistently been associated with adverse effects on neurodevelopment.

“Areas such as intelligence, attention and executive functions have been found to be particularly vulnerable.

“Our findings show that low to moderate drinking is not associated with adverse effects on the children aged five.”

Patrick O’Brien, a spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and a consultant obstetrician in UK said the research was very well designed.

This was because it asked women about their alcohol intake at the time – rather than asking them to look back as past studies have done – and because it followed children for such a ling time and assessed such a range of developmental markers, he said.

The RCOG advises that women abstain from alcohol while pregnant, but if they do decide to drink evidence suggests “one or two units, once or twice a week, is acceptable after 12 weeks of pregnancy”.

Dr. Patrick O’Brien said: “These findings suggest low to moderate drinking has no significant effect on children aged five. However, this does not mean that women can use this as an excuse to indulge in more than the recommended amount in the UK.

“This evidence suggests that the UK guidance is erring on the side of caution – but that’s sensible in pregnancy.”

Women are advised to talk to their midwife or doctor if they have any concerns about the amount of alcohol they are drinking in pregnancy.

 

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are so close that he’s even bought her a horse

Lisa.Felice
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Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are so close that he’s even bought her a horse

Rumors about the nature of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard relationship have been swirling for some time, but it’s being reported that things “seem to be heating up” between them.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are said to be so close that bisexual Heard, 26, has been a “regular visitor” to the New Mexico set of The Lone Ranger where 49-year-old Depp is currently filming.

And Johnny Depp, who made an official announcement that he had split from partner of 14 years Vanessa Paradis on Tuesday, is even said to have bought Amber Heard a horse so they can ride together, according to a report in Globe magazine.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are said to be so close that she has been a “regular visitor” to the New Mexico set of The Lone Ranger where he is currently filming
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are said to be so close that she has been a “regular visitor” to the New Mexico set of The Lone Ranger where he is currently filming

Vanessa Paradis and Johnny Depp had not been pictured together in public for months, but the Dark Shadows star insisted last month that there was no truth to rumors of a split.

“The rumors are not true,” he told The Sun newspaper.

“They are absolutely not true.”

“No matter what I say about this, people believe the opposite. I can’t say enough about it not being over,” he said.

Despite Johnny Depp’s denials, a number of publications carried pictures and reports that he and Amber Heard enjoyed a trip together to Las Vegas on a private plane.

Johnny Depp was in town promoting Dark Shadows, and Vanessa Paradis was nowhere to be seen.

It’s unclear why Amber Heard was in the gambling town.

Amber Heard was alleged to have joined Johnny Depp in Vegas, and was pictured boarding his private plane the next day,

Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis have declined to appear at their respective premieres and public events together recently, with the French actress attending her premiere, of Café de Flore in Paris alone, and not accompanying the actor on promotional duties for Dark Shadows.

Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis are parents to Lily Rose,12, and ten-year-old Jack.

 

Apple ordered to pay damages to Samsung Electronics by a court in the Netherlands

Nancy Clayson
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Apple ordered to pay damages to Samsung Electronics by a court in the Netherlands

Giant tech company Apple has been ordered to pay damages to rival Samsung Electronics by a court in the Netherlands.

The court said that Apple had infringed a patent held by Samsung relating to the way phones and tablet PCs connect to the internet.

Apple, which recently became the world’s most valuable firm, has been facing various legal issues.

In a separate case, it was fined $2.3 million in Australia for its claims on 4G capabilities of the iPad.

And it is still not clear how much it may have to pay to Samsung in damages.

The Dutch court did not specify any amount, but the damages will be calculated based on sales of Apple’s iPhone and iPad in the Netherlands.

“Samsung welcomes the court’s ruling, which reaffirmed Apple’s free-riding of our technological innovation,” the South Korean manufacturer said.

“In accordance with the ruling, we will seek adequate compensation for the damages Apple and its products have caused.”

Apple has been ordered to pay damages to rival Samsung Electronics by a court in the Netherlands
Apple has been ordered to pay damages to rival Samsung Electronics by a court in the Netherlands

Samsung had claimed that Apple had infringed four of its patents. However, the Dutch court said that only one of those had been breached.

Apple and Samsung are two of the biggest manufacturers of smartphones and tablet PCs in the world.

However, the two firms have been involved in dozens of patent cases and disputes relating to designs of their respective products.

Analysts said that with so many cases being fought by the two firms in different countries, neither of the parties may emerge as the overall winner.

Last month, a judge in the US ordered the chief executives of both the firms to meet to try to settle their legal differences.

But the talks did not lead to any agreement and Apple has since sought a ban on sales of one of Samsung’s tablet computers and the latest range of its Galaxy smartphones.

Apple had enjoyed an early lead in the smartphone and tablet PC market with the launch of its iPhone and iPad devices.

However, Samsung has been steadily increasing its market share in the sector with the introduction of new gadgets.

Analysts said that given the increased competition, the two firms had been using the legal battles as a way to stop each other from increasing their market shares.

“Given that they are number one and two in the market right now, they are going to use any possible tool to slow down each other and patents could be one of those tools,” said Melissa Chau of IDC Asia Pacific.

However, she said that given the amount of time, money and energy that the two firms have spent on fighting these cases, they were likely to find a solution in the long run.

“In the past, when we look at how these things have evolved, they get settled in due course of time and businesses move on.”

There was more bad news for Apple.

A court in Australia has ruled that the firm had misled consumers with its claims over the capability of the latest version of the iPad to connect to Australia’s fourth generation (4G) cellular networks.

The court said that Apple had broken the country’s consumer laws by implying that the newest version of the iPad could connect with the networks, when it could not.

“The conduct concerned was deliberate and very serious,” Justice Mordy Bromberg was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

“It exposed a significant proportion of Australian consumers of tablet devices to a misleading representation.”

In addition to the $2.3 million fine, Apple was also asked to pay 300,000 Australia dollars ($305,000) in court costs.

 

Ruby Carter-Pikes, 64-year-old great grandmother, fitness champion at FitSciences

Clyde K. Valle
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Ruby Carter-Pikes, 64-year-old great grandmother, fitness champion at FitSciences

Ruby Carter-Pikes, also known as “Miss Ruby”, is a great grandmother with a six pack that even a college athlete would be jealous of and a cabinet of bikini competition trophies to prove it.

64-year-old fitness fanatic from Los Angeles, California, who calls herself a health expert and fitness guru, is a familiar face on the body-building and fitness competition circuit and most recently picked up two winning shields at the FitSciences Championships in Atlanta, Georgia.

Strutting the stage in a skimpy, string two-piece, Ruby Carter-Pikes scored a second place win for the category titled Women’s Figure, as well as claiming a prize as Women’s Super Masters Winner.

In Women’s Figure judges rated the contestant on her shoulders, latissimus dorsi and quadriceps.

“Abdominal development is very important as well,” spelled out the rules on the website.

“Definition with a limited amount of striated muscles.”

Ruby Carter-Pikes, also known as “Miss Ruby”, is a great grandmother with a six pack that even a college athlete would be jealous of and a cabinet of bikini competition trophies to prove it
Ruby Carter-Pikes, also known as “Miss Ruby”, is a great grandmother with a six pack that even a college athlete would be jealous of and a cabinet of bikini competition trophies to prove it

Other categories in the contest hosted by the healthy lifestyle management company, were Fit Mom, Female Fitness Model, Bikini Spokesmodel and Junior Fitness Spokesmodel.

Fresh from her victory at the Atlanta’s 14th Street Playhouse venue, the muscular great-grandmother told FitSciences competition organizers: “It was fantastic. Overall I’m having a blast.”

Her enjoyment of the event is hardly surprising for someone whose challengers are less than half her age.

Ruby Carter-Pikes has been eating well and exercising for years, inspired by the tragic health issues suffered by several family members, problems that she attributes on her blog to poor nutritional education during childhood.

“I am the oldest of twelve siblings and the first granddaughter of 45 grandchildren. We lived in a rural and remote area in Mississippi,” she explains on BodyProud.org.

Growing up on a farm, she continues, though the family was active and regularly held dances and horse riding games, the food produced from the land consisted primarily of white flour, sugar and meals were often fried.

She had also been born with a heart condition that affected her ease of breathing and so attention to health had always been a priority.

After having four children and seeing how precious life could be when she lost family to cholesterol complications and diabetes, she upped the ante and fitness became not just a priority but her life.

Though a post dated 2008 claims she ran a gym in Canoga Park, Los Angeles, Ruby’s Fitness Gym proved an elusive establishment, untraceable on the web.

What is certain however, is that this great-grandmother’s “dedication to the fitness industry”, as one impressed You Tube commentator put it, is nothing short of remarkable.

 [youtube KDr6u7DZMk8]

Adrian Nastase, Romania’s ex-PM, in suicide attempt

Diane A. Wade
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Adrian Nastase, Romania’s ex-PM, in suicide attempt

Former Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase has attempted to commit suicide by shooting himself in the head but he eventually shot his neck.

The incident occurred when police arrived at Adrian Nastase’s house to take him to prison, local media reports say.

Hours earlier Romania’s highest court had upheld a two-year prison sentence against Adrian Nastase on corruption charges.

Adrian Nastase, 62, who held office between 2000 and 2004, was convicted for illegally amassing about 1.5 million Euros ($1.9 million) for his 2004 election campaign.

Former Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase has attempted to commit suicide by shooting himself in the head but he eventually shot his neck
Former Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase has attempted to commit suicide by shooting himself in the head but he eventually shot his neck

He insisted that the charges were politically motivated.

Current Prime Minister Victor Ponta, a party colleague of Adrian Nastase, visited him in hospital after the incident.

Adrian Nastase’s condition was “under control”, Victor Ponta told the Associated Press news agency.

Having exhausted legal challenges available to him in Romania, Adrian Nastase’s lawyers indicated he may appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Adrian Nastase is the most senior political figure to be convicted by a court in Romania since the fall of communism in 1989.

The European Union has in recent years put pressure on Romania to crack down on corruption among public officials.

 

Windows Phone 8, updated version of Microsoft smartphone OS, unveiled

Nancy Clayson
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Windows Phone 8, updated version of Microsoft smartphone OS, unveiled

Microsoft has unveiled Windows Phone 8, the next version of its smartphone operating system.

Windows Phone 8 shares much of its code with the firm’s PC system, making it easier for developers to write programs for different types of devices.

The company said it should mean there would be some “amazing games” for handsets running its new release.

A tie-up with Nokia has already bought several Windows Phone devices to market, but sales lag some way behind models running Android or Apple’s iOS.

Microsoft said Nokia, Samsung, HTC and Huawei would all be making devices powered by the system upgrade.

Microsoft has unveiled Windows Phone 8, the next version of its smartphone operating system
Microsoft has unveiled Windows Phone 8, the next version of its smartphone operating system

Other new features announced at the Windows Phone Summit event in San Francisco included:

• Support for multi-core chips, allowing devices to turn on cores to access extra processing power when needed, and to switch off cores when not to preserve battery life

• The ability to work with different screen resolutions including the high definition 720p format

• Support for removable Micro SD cards allowing users to store more media files or install apps saved on the format

• A new “wallet” app allowing the phone to act as both credit and membership cards. It also supports NFC (near field communication) payments

• Built-in maps from Nokia’s Navteq division with turn-by-turn navigation

• A more customizable start screen allowing users the choice of three tile sizes to represent installed software and more color options

• A warning alert if the software believes a website contains malware or is otherwise unsafe

The update also allows internet call software based on VoIP (voice over internet protocol) and video chat technologies to run in the background.

This addresses a complaint that the firm’s own Skype program could not be used to receive calls while its owner was using another application – a function offered on rival platforms.

The firm said VoIP calls should now “feel like any other call” made or received by Windows Phone handsets.

Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 strongly resemble each other – at least when the PC system is run under its Metro interface – and Microsoft was keen to stress that their relationship goes deeper than appearance alone.

The two will share a range of components including graphic drivers, the DirectX collection of application programming interfaces (APIs) and the NT kernel that ties application software to the hardware it is installed on. They can also both support native code in the C and C++ programming languages.

Microsoft said this should not only make it easier to port software between the two environments, but should speed up the time it takes developers to recode programs originally built for iOS and Android.

Microsoft noted more than 100,000 apps had been released for Windows Phone 7.

By contrast there are more than 466,500 programs in the Android marketplace according to search site Appbrain, and “over 500,000” in Apple’s app store according to the iPhone maker.

Securing “marquee titles” is more important to some than raw numbers, and Microsoft addressed this too with news that Gameloft’s Nova 3 and Zynga’s Draw Something were coming to Windows Phone.

 

 

Giuliana Rancic baby shower: Giuliana and Bill Rancic announce they are having a boy

Lisa.Felice
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Giuliana Rancic baby shower: Giuliana and Bill Rancic announce they are having a boy

Giuliana and Bill Rancic used a creative way to let their friends know they were expecting a son at their guessing-themed Beverly Hills bash over the weekend.

The couple released blue balloons out of a giant box during the fun-filled event.

Looking like a ray of sunshine in a bright yellow dress, Giuliana Rancic jumped for joy as they made the big reveal.

“It was great to finally share it with everyone,” she told Life & Style whilst trying to hold back tears.

“I’ve always wanted a little Bill – my husband is the most gorgeous guy in the world and I want our baby to look exactly like him.”

During the party – which was organized by celebrity-planner-to-the-stars Mindy Weiss – guests feasted on ribs and sliders and sipped on Nicolas Feuillatte champagne and OneHope wine.

Colorful balloons, flowers and cabanas were dotted around the grounds of the mansion, reflecting the couple’s always bright and optimistic outlook on life.

Giuliana and Bill Rancic used a creative way to let their friends know they were expecting a son at their guessing-themed Beverly Hills bash over the weekend
Giuliana and Bill Rancic used a creative way to let their friends know they were expecting a son at their guessing-themed Beverly Hills bash over the weekend

Continuing on with the guessing theme of the party, the pair even cut into a pink and blue cake, revealing a turquoise sponge inside.

“The shower is exactly what I envisioned,” said Giuliana Rancic.

The TV host said she was relieved to be finally focusing on her baby, and that she was already feeling a strong connection to her unborn son.

“Now that the medical stuff is done, we can focus on the baby,” she said.

“Even though I’m not pregnant I’ve been dreaming about the baby. I had heard that I’d feel a connection, but I didn’t really believe it. I dream of the baby in a blue blanket and it’s the cutest little boy.”

After the party this past weekend, the excited duo also shared the news with fans, revealing they are soon to welcome a little boy – thanks to the help of their surrogate mother.

Giuliana Rancic tweeted: “Beyond excited to announce @BillRancic and I are having a……….BOY!!!!!”

The couple, who are expecting their new arrival later this summer, plan on being in the delivery room with their surrogate.

It has been a happy time for the couple, who have had their fair share of heartache.

Giuliana Rancic underwent a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer last year.

The stunning TV star recently spoke about the prospect of having either sex of baby.

Giuliana Rancic recently told People: “The reason being that when you have a mother-[son] bond, he’s like your prince – you don’t want to discipline him.

“And then there’s daddy’s little girl, he’ll never want to discipline her. But to be honest, chances are I will discipline, because I’m a crazy Italian chick.”

E! News recently published one of the couples’ adorable baby shower invitations featuring a guessing theme by headlining the invitation with a question: “Blue or Pink: What Do You Think?”

Underneath the playful question was a pink “g” for Giuliana Rancic in pink script and a “b” in blue for Bill. The front cover of the invitation gave the date of the party as June 17th, but the location wasn’t divulged.

The Rancic duo already knew the gender prior to their party.

“Here’s the thing,” Giuliana Rancic told E! News earlier this month.

“I don’t know how long we’re going to be able to keep it a secret, but it’s like the only thing in our lives right now that’s a secret… It’s fun having something between the two of us.”

Giuliana and Bill Rancic plan on trying for a second child once she’s clear of the cancer treatments in five years.

“Five years puts me at 42, and a lot of people have kids at 42. So I’m definitely going to try again,” she said.

 

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