Wall Street rises on bank results, but Google sinks late (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Stocks rose for the third straight day on Thursday, sparked by results from Bank of America and Morgan Stanley and as the latest jobless claims dropped to a near four-year low.

The S&P 500 hit a fresh five-month high, with the industrials, consumer discretionary stocks and financials leading gains.

Tech shares advanced ahead of earnings from a number of bellwethers expected after the close.

But reports after the bell were mixed. Google (GOOG.O) fell short of Wall Street's lofty expectations, and its shares dropped 10 percent to $575.50.

"Google was the big disappointment because so much of their emphasis is developing products, specifically Android, where more dollars are going out than they anticipated," said Kim Forrest, senior equity research analyst at Fort Pitt Capital Group in Pittsburgh.

In the regular session, Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) climbed 2.4 percent to $6.96 after it reported it swung to a fourth-quarter profit from a year-ago loss. Morgan Stanley (MS.N) reported a loss that was narrower than expected, sparking a 5.4 percent jump in its stock to $18.28.

"We think (financials) have pretty much bottomed here in the U.S.," said Paul Simon, chief investment officer at Tactical Allocation Group in Birmingham, Michigan.

"They represent some compelling value. We think a lot of the bad news has been discounted, and you've seen stock prices rallying in the beginning of the year," said Simon, whose firm has been buying financials.

Financial shares have rallied since the start of the year. The S&P financial index (.GSPF) is up 8.1 percent so far for 2012, helping to push the S&P 500 up 4.5 percent for the year.

In the latest snapshot of the U.S. economy, data showed the number of Americans filing for new jobless benefits dropped to nearly a four-year low last week. It added to views that the economy is slowly moving forward.

The Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI) rose 45.03 points, or 0.36 percent, to end at 12,623.98. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index (.SPX) gained 6.46 points, or 0.49 percent, to 1,314.50. The Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC) climbed 18.62 points, or 0.67 percent, to close at 2,788.33.

Semiconductor stocks also advanced, with the PHLX SOX Index (.SOX) rising 1.9 percent. Xilinx Inc (XLNX.O) shot up 1 percent to $35.64 a day after issuing an upbeat forecast.

IBM UP LATE, AMEX SLIPS

Among other major tech companies reporting after the close, IBM (IBM.N) said it sees 10 percent earnings growth in 2012, and its shares rose 2.5 percent to $184.94.

Shares of Microsoft (MSFT.O) gained 1.9 percent to $28.64 in extended trading, and shares of Intel (INTC.O) added 0.5 percent to $25.75, both after reporting results.

American Express (AXP.N) also posted results after the bell, and its shares slid 1.9 percent in extended trading to $49.98.

In a sign of optimism about Europe, both Spain and France drew strong demand at government debt auctions.

With the S&P 500 having broken above the 1,300 level, it looks set to hit the 1,360-1,370 area, said Bruce Zaro, chief technical strategist at Delta Global Asset Management in Boston.

"That (area) represents the May 2011 high ... and I believe we will see that during this earnings season," Zaro said.

The Dow Jones Transportation Average (.DJT) gained 1.6 percent, with shares of Union Pacific Corp (UNP.N) rising 2.2 percent to $112.18 after reporting quarterly profit and revenue that beat estimates.

Volume totaled about 7.6 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE Amex and Nasdaq, above the daily average of 6.68 billion, and the highest since December 16.

Advancing stocks outnumbered declining ones by a ratio of about 2 to 1 on the New York Stock Exchange. On the Nasdaq, nearly three stocks rose for every two that fell.

(Reporting By Caroline Valetkevitch; Additional reporting by Ryan Vlastelica and Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Jan Paschal)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120119/bs_nm/us_markets_stocks

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Wikipedia editors question site's blackout

FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2011 file photo, Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia speaks during the opening session at the London Cyberspace Conference in London. Wikipedia will black out the English language version of its website Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, to protest anti-piracy legislation under consideration in Congress, the foundation behind the popular community-based online encyclopedia said in a statement Monday night. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, file pool)

FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2011 file photo, Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia speaks during the opening session at the London Cyberspace Conference in London. Wikipedia will black out the English language version of its website Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, to protest anti-piracy legislation under consideration in Congress, the foundation behind the popular community-based online encyclopedia said in a statement Monday night. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, file pool)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Can the world live without Wikipedia for a day? The shutdown of one of the Internet's most-visited sites is not sitting well with some of its volunteer editors, who say the protest of anti-piracy legislation could threaten the credibility of their work.

"My main concern is that it puts the organization in the role of advocacy, and that's a slippery slope," said editor Robert Lawton, a Michigan computer consultant who would prefer that the encyclopedia stick to being a neutral repository of knowledge. "Before we know it, we're blacked out because we want to save the whales."

Wikipedia's English-language site shut down at midnight Eastern Standard Time Tuesday and the organization said it would stay down for 24 hours.

Instead of encyclopedia articles, visitors to the site saw a stark black-and-white page with the message: "Imagine a world without free knowledge." It carried a link to information about the two congressional bills and details about how to reach lawmakers.

It is the first time the English site has been blacked out. Wikipedia's Italian site came down once briefly in protest to an Internet censorship bill put forward by the Berlusconi government. The bill did not advance.

The shutdown adds to a growing body of critics who are speaking out against the legislation. But some editors are so uneasy with the move that they have blacked out their own user profile pages or resigned their administrative rights on the site to protest. Some likened the site's decision to fighting censorship with censorship.

One of the site's own "five pillars" of conduct says that Wikipedia "is written from a neutral point of view." The site strives to "avoid advocacy, and we characterize information and issues rather than debate them."

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales argues that the site can maintain neutrality in content even as it takes public positions on issues.

"The encyclopedia will always be neutral. The community need not be, not when the encyclopedia is threatened," he tweeted.

The Wikimedia Foundation, which administers the site, announced the blackout late Monday, after polling its community of volunteer contributors and editors and getting responses from 1,800 of them. The protest is aimed at the Stop Online Piracy Act in the House and the Protect Intellectual Property Act under consideration in the Senate.

"If passed, this legislation will harm the free and open Internet and bring about new tools for censorship of international websites inside the United States," the foundation said.

Both bills are designed to crack down on sales of pirated American products overseas, and they have the support of the film and music industry. Among the opponents are many Internet companies such as Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Twitter, eBay and AOL. They say the bills would hurt the industry and infringe on free-speech rights.

Social news website Reddit.com is shutting down for 12 hours on Wednesday, but most companies are staying up. Google Inc. said it will display its opposition to the bill on its home page in some fashion.

Dick Costollo, CEO of Twitter, said he opposes the legislation as well, but shutting down the service was out of the question.

"Closing a global business in reaction to single-issue national politics is foolish," Costollo tweeted.

Since Wikimedia depends on a small army of volunteers who create and update articles, it's particularly concerned about a lack of exemptions in the bills for sites where users might contribute copyrighted content. Today, it has no obligation under U.S. law except removing that content if a copyright holder complains. But under the House version of the bill, it could be shut down unless it polices its own pages.

The plans for the protest were moving forward even though the bill's prospects appeared to be dimming. On Saturday, Rep. Darrell Issa, a California Republican, said the bill would not move to the House floor for a vote unless consensus is reached. However, Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican, said work on the bill would resume next month.

The White House raised concerns over the weekend, pledging to work with Congress to battle piracy and counterfeiting while defending free expression, privacy and innovation in the Internet. The administration signaled it might use its veto power, if necessary.

That the bill seems unlikely to pass is another reason Lawton opposes the blackout.

"I think there are far more important things for the organization to focus aside from legislation that isn't likely to pass anyway," he said. He's been contributing to Wikipedia for eight years.

Danny Chia, another contributor to the site, said he had mixed feelings about the blackout. The neutrality applies to the content, but a lot of people interpret it as being about the site as a whole, said the Los Altos, Calif., software engineer.

In an online discussion, others raised the same point about the blackout: Appearances matter, and if the audience sees Wikipedia taking a stand, it might not believe the articles are objective, either.

Wikipedia has seen a small decline in participation, from a peak of 100,000 active editors a year ago to about 90,000 now. Wikimedia Foundation blames this mainly on outdated editing tools, and believes it can get the number growing again with software upgrades.

___

AP Technology Writer Mike Liedtke contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2012-01-18-Wikipedia-Credibility/id-951c417abf7b4b63ac3a6173b082bb73

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Study: Many women can skip frequent bone scans

ATLANTA (AP) ? New research could mean millions of older women can skip frequent screening tests for osteoporosis: If an initial bone scan shows no big problems, many can safely wait 15 years to have another one, the study suggests.

Government advisers and leading doctor groups urge osteoporosis screening, but no one has known how often that should happen. The findings offer the best information to date on that question, experts said.

"This is landmark, in the sense that it could allow us to move on to more precise guidelines," said Dr. Heidi Nelson, a researcher at the Oregon Health & Science University who is an expert on the topic.

At issues are bone mineral density tests, which usually are done through X-rays and cost around $250. It takes about 10 minutes and involves less radiation than what's emitted during a chest X-ray. Medicare pays for testing every two years.

The new study feeds concerns that the tests are done too often, at least for some women.

"It's an expenditure of time, it's exposure to radiation, and it's cost. And there's no reason to expose yourself to any risks if there's going to be no benefit," explained Dr. Virginia Moyer, who heads the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a government panel that issues testing guidelines.

The test measures how thick bones are in certain spots, usually focusing on the hip and lower spine. Doctors use it to gain early warning of osteoporosis, a bone-thinning disease that can be staved off with better diet and exercise and treated with bone-building drugs. Nearly half of all women older than 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

The government task force recommends that all women over 65 get a scan. The panel also recommends testing for younger postmenopausal women who seem at higher risk for fractures. But the task force has not said how often follow-up tests should be done, just that a couple years between tests are needed.

There are no immediate plans to update the task force's advice for osteoporosis screenings, but the new study will be an important consideration when the panel acts again, Moyer said.

The new, government-funded research involves nearly 5,000 women aged 67 years and older in a national health study that began in the 1980s. None had osteoporosis at the outset.

The researchers looked at how the women did on bone density tests, and watched for who got osteoporosis and when. They were followed for 15 years.

Based on that, the researchers concluded that women with a healthy initial test could wait as long as 15 years before getting a second screening. But women deemed at moderate risk should get tested about every five years. And women at high risk should get tested more often, perhaps even annually.

The research, published in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine, was led by Dr. Margaret Gourlay of the University of North Carolina. She worries that her findings might be misinterpreted and cause some women to wait longer than they should for their next test. She cited earlier research suggesting not enough women get the recommended initial scan.

The 15-year interval applies only to postmenopausal women judged to be at low risk for osteoporosis from the first screening, she noted, and perhaps fewer than half of U.S. women over 65 fall into that category.

But she said even for those women, other risk factors have to be considered: smoking, slim build, prior broken bones and taking medication that has an eroding effect on bones.

She also noted that osteoporosis becomes a greater risk in the oldest patients, so a woman with a moderate risk who is 85 or older might be better off getting tested every three years instead of every five.

___

Online:

New England Journal: http://www.nejm.org

Osteoporosis information: http://www.bones.nih.gov

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2012-01-18-US-MED-Osteoporosis-Screening/id-016d7b332f224350a601f86a22f150c9

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Logitech Fold Up Keyboard Makes Typing On The iPad 2 Easy And Expensive

There?s no such thing as touch typing on an iPad, which is why many power users opt for an external keyboard attachment to the Apple tablet. Logitech?s fold up keyboard is one of the most practically designed ones we?ve seen, even if it does cost $180.

The Bluetooth keyboard attaches to the back of your iPad 2, without interfering with a smart cover and offering an extra level of protection. Open it up and the full-size keyboard swings out, creating a natural stand for your tablet and pairing with your iPad automatically. Closing the keyboard automatically switches it off, saving the USB-rechargeable batteries.

It?s a great looking peripheral, but at 180 bucks you kind of expect it to have flashing lights and bells and whistles, don?t you?

[Logitech]

Source: http://feeds.gizmodo.com.au/~r/GizmodoAustralia/~3/u5wfiOAL70A/

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Fast finance auto sales and leasing options for new cars ...

Are you ready to turn out to be component of the new trend in automobile financing? Do you want to own a new car but steer clear of all of the hassle involved with Financing? Then you ought to consider rapidly finance auto sales. New vehicle quickly finance auto sales in Mi are speedily becoming a new well-known trend.

There are multiple positive aspects to financing a new auto that customers are taking advantage of now. One of these options is leasing a new vehicle. Leasing a new vehicle can lower your monthly payments fairly significantly. A new car lease has its benefits, but there are things that you need to think about prior to signing any of the final paperwork.

A new automobile lease will call for you to sign a contract for a specific length of time that ensures the monthly payments will all be produced on time. These contract lengths can last for 24 months or extend even up to 5 years. It?s relatively hard to get out of a new auto lease though. Understanding the exact consequences for early termination is very crucial to be conscious of. There are numerous leasing agents who will enable you to transfer your old contract onto a new lease contract.

Leasing a new vehicle only permits you to drive so many miles per year. If the mileage goes over the allotment then it can become extremely expensive for you. On the other hand you could also finance with quickly finance auto sales. Usually the leasing company will charge between 10 to 15 cents per mile that exceeds your allotment. If you think that you?ll want far more miles, discuss this prior to you sign the contract. Feasible provisions can be added but at the leasing company?s discretion.

It is understood that the leased vehicle will naturally have typical wear and tear. When the vehicles turned in and the quantity totals over 00.00 you?ll become responsible for the repairs. You can?t return the leased vehicle with dents and cracked windows and still expect the leasing firm to pay for all of it. Try to maintain your leased automobile in the finest driving condition and keep the typical maintenance up to date.

New car leases typically last for two years. At the end of this period you have the alternative to purchase the vehicle outright. You will get to buy the vehicle at its depreciated value at the time of turning it in. Nevertheless, read all the info on purchasing the leased vehicle at the end of the contract to fully grasp the terms and specifications just before you agree to get the vehicle.

A new car lease or finance auto sales in Mi will give you the opportunity to drive the vehicle you want. Drive away in that auto of your dreams with confidence.

Source: http://www.idieinclusiva.org/fast-finance-auto-sales-and-leasing-options-for-new-cars.htm

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Mexican leftist plans change on "monopolies", mining (Reuters)

TAPACHULA, Mexico (Reuters) ? Leftist presidential hopeful Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has pledged to break up Mexico's "monopolies" and press foreign mining firms for higher taxes and better wages if elected on July 1.

Lopez Obrador, often vilified by opponents as a threat to private enterprise, said wresting control of large sections of industry from just a few hands was vital to revitalizing the economy.

"This is all going to be corrected," Lopez Obrador, who narrowly lost the last presidential election in 2006, told Reuters in a weekend interview. "In comparative terms, you pay more here for construction materials, telecommunications, for interest on loans than in any other place."

Production of many goods and services, extending from bread and cement to Internet access and television, are dominated by just a few players in Mexico. Economists say the lack of competition has long been a drag on Latin America's second biggest economy.

Speaking in the southern city of Tapachula after a campaign rally, Lopez Obrador said his team had analyzed the data and found that Mexican consumers would save up to 10 percent of their income "if there were no monopolies in this country."

The former mayor of Mexico City came within a hair's breadth of taking office in 2006 and denounced the result as fraud, leading huge street protests in the capital when conservative Felipe Calderon was declared the victor.

Those protests damaged his popularity and recent polls have shown Lopez Obrador with support of between 15 and 25 percent, way behind front-runner Enrique Pena Nieto of the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party. However, the gap is starting to close.

ENTRENCHED INTERESTS

Touring the country relentlessly for the past five years, Lopez Obrador has sought to temper his image as a left-wing firebrand by courting the business community, encouraging private investment and promising greater prosperity.

He is also ready to use some of Mexico's most powerful businessmen to try and break up the entrenched interests of others.

Chief among the moguls is the world's richest man, Carlos Slim, the dominant force in Mexico's telecoms sector, who worked with the Mexico City government to redevelop parts of the capital when Lopez Obrador was mayor in 2000-2005.

Calderon's government has so far denied Slim the chance to enter Mexico's television market, which is dominated by Emilio Azcarraga of Televisa and Ricardo Salinas Pliego of TV Azteca.

The tycoons have struggled to gain access into each others strongholds but Lopez Obrador said he would not stand in their way if it resulted in greater choice for the Mexican consumer.

"If Slim or any other citizen wants to become involved in the television business, they can. The same applies if Azcarraga or Salinas Pliego or anybody else wants to get involved in the telephone business," he 58-year-old said.

Fostering competition is a daunting task for Mexico.

The country has the highest monthly subscription costs for basic broadband Internet connections and the slowest advertised download speeds in the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), according to data from September 2010.

And despite the fact that half of the country lives below the poverty line, Mexicans pay among the highest prices for bread and cereals in the 34-nation OECD.

Nevertheless, progress has been made and Slim's telecoms companies have been forced to make concessions under Calderon.

Last year, the telecoms regulator ordered Slim's mobile giant America Movil to make changes that resulted in a 71 percent drop in interconnection charges. Slim also cut charges on fixed line calls from January.

NO EXPROPRIATIONS

Lopez Obrador said foreign mining companies, among which Canadians predominate, had been treated too generously by previous governments, denying Mexicans their fair share of the benefits from the country's natural resources.

Pay was the first issue that needed addressing, he said.

"So that they pay Mexican miners - if not the same as what they pay a Canadian miner - in a way that takes into account that there is a great inequality," Lopez Obrador said.

Foreign mining firms would also be asked to clean up their environmental practices, which were destroying and contaminating the areas where they work, he added.

"And the third thing we want to convince them of is that they pay the same taxes as they pay in Canada. In Canada, they have to pay 12 percent for extracting minerals. Here, nothing. We're going to put these issues on the table. But we won't revoke concessions. We're not going to expropriate," he said.

Canadian mining firms operating in Mexico include Goldcorp and Pan American Silver.

Mining tax rates for projects in Canada are determined at the provincial level and are based on profits. They vary from 3 percent to 17 percent. Companies operating in Canada must also pay income tax on the provincial and federal level.

Lopez Obrador said his government would not revoke any concessions made to investors in state oil firm Pemex, which Calderon has begun to open up to outside investment.

"But we won't submit any more (concessions)," he said. If elected, he said his administration would build five new big oil refineries in three years so that Mexico could stop exporting crude oil and instead sell the finished product.

But Lopez Obrador stressed that foreign investment would be more than welcome under his presidency.

"We need it. I was mayor of Mexico City and that's when we had the most foreign investment coming to the city," he said.

(Additional reporting by Julie Gordon; Editing by Kieran Murray)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mexico/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120116/wl_nm/us_mexico_election_lopezobrador

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Epstein not counting Cubs out for next season

/

By ANDREW SELIGMAN

updated 8:29 p.m. ET Jan. 14, 2012

CHICAGO - For all the talk about the Chicago Cubs' future, Theo Epstein isn't ready to write them off for next season.

The club's new president of baseball operations says the Cubs just might surprise a few people even though there are question marks on the roster and holes in the farm system.

Epstein sees each season as a "sacred opportunity to win" and insists the Cubs "have more talent than we're given credit for."

"Check back in the middle of the season," Epstein said Saturday during a question-and-answer session with fans at the Cubs Convention. "We might just have the ability to really surprise some people, do some damage in the National League Central."

Chicago is undergoing a major overhaul, and a quick turnaround appears unlikely. There were some rumblings the Cubs were eyeing Prince Fielder, particularly after they hired manager Dale Sveum from Milwaukee's staff, but don't count on that.

"There haven't been any discussions with us with Prince," said Sveum, the Brewers' hitting coach the past three seasons after serving as their bench coach and third-base coach. "He's a heck of a player. He's probably one of my favorite guys that I've ever coached, but that's just not going to happen. We have a first baseman in Bryan LaHair and (prospect Anthony) Rizzo waiting in the wings as well. We're doing OK with big power, left-handed hitters right now."

They're OK in their fans' eyes, too.

There's a big sense of optimism surrounding the Cubs as they try to break a championship drought that dates to 1908. Long-suffering fans are hopeful that Epstein along with new general manager Jed Hoyer can turn things around and help bring home that elusive title, just as they did in Boston.

They see a plan. They see a roster getting overhauled. They see reason to have hope, and right there with them are the owners, the Ricketts family.

Chairman Tom Ricketts said, "2011 wasn't what we wanted it to be on the field, but off the field, we've added some people that I think will get the organization going in the right direction. And I think we have a bright future."

He said president Crane Kenney was the one who actually requested permission from Boston to speak to Epstein, and after negotiations began, they flew him in for a clandestine meeting in Chicago. The secret got out when a fan spotted Epstein at a Starbucks and told the Chicago Tribune.

"We were so secret," Ricketts said. "We flew him in secretly, we picked him up secretly, all these things. And then he hops out of the car to get an iced coffee. If you're going to go to Starbucks, why didn't you just fly in on United and put up a billboard?"

That misstep aside, Ricketts knew he was the man for the job. The task is no small one.

Management has already started gutting the roster, with Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Pena and Carlos Zambrano gone. The Cubs have been stocking up on prospects along with young and inexpensive players with major league experience, beefing up the farm system while hoping low-risk investments pay big dividends.

"We'll be scratching and clawing, trying to acquire as many assets as we can," Epstein said. "Very bluntly, we don't have enough of them. We don't have enough good players. We don't have enough young players. We don't have enough players whose contributions on the field exceed or match their salary, so we're going to be scrapping and clawing to acquire those guys as we feel that they can maximize our competitiveness now and create that foundation for long-term success."

The Cubs have made a big commitment to their minor league system and scouting. They have an academy in the Dominican Republic in the works, hoping to tap into a fertile market, and although Epstein said the system is deeper than he expected, it is a bit thin at the higher levels.

"There aren't necessarily a lot of high-impact players that are close to the big leagues," Epstein said. "If there were, it would be one of the best systems in baseball. We're not. There's a lot of room for improvement, a lot of work to do to get where we want to be, but there are a number of interesting players. ... We do have a lot of depth, albeit at the lower levels. I think with a few more acquisitions and prospects and a solid draft, you're going to see our system start to creep up into the upper third ? which is a nice place to be."

NOTES: Tom Ricketts had little to say about a sexual assault allegation against star shortstop Starlin Castro, other than he hopes it gets resolved quickly. ... The Cubs announced they are adding the "Budweiser Patio" in the right-field bleacher section for the upcoming season. The plan calls for a 75-foot long LED board that will show information such as the pitch count along with a player's picture and statistics. The patio will accommodate groups of 50, 100 or 150 guests with seats and standing-room only tickets that will include all-inclusive food and beverage packages. ... Kenney, the president of business operations, also said the Cubs remain committed to renovating Wrigley Field rather than building a new ballpark. "We're here for good," he said.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45998084/ns/sports-baseball/

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Samsung N Service unveiled at CES: Time Warner Cable, DirecTV, Comcast and Verizon onboard

Well, what have we here? Looks as if Samsung's cooking up quite the content partnership here at CES 2012, with Verizon, DirecTV, Time Warner Cable and Comcast (at least) onboard. From a content creation standpoint, NBC Universal is evidently signed on to crack open its coffers and let the material pour fourth, and we're guessing we'll hear of quite a few more once the announcement gets official. As of now, the so-called N Service looks to be one that'll enable select pay-TV subscribers to stream content onto Samsung devices -- hopefully whilst far, far away from home. At least for FiOS TV users, those who take advantage of N Service will be able to "access live streaming FiOS TV channels, as well as Flex View commercial movies and TV shows from one's Samsung Smart TV or Blu-ray player." It'll obviously work with multi-room households, too. Have a peek at the detail shots below, and keep it locked right here as we learn more.

Gallery: Samsung N Service unveiled at CES 2012

Samsung N Service unveiled at CES: Time Warner Cable, DirecTV, Comcast and Verizon onboard originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/09/samsung-n-service-twc-comcast-directv-verizon-partnership/

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Expert: Secret X-37B plane not spying on China

Contrary to rampant speculation, the United States military's secretive X-37B space plane is most likely not spying on a prototype Chinese space module, experts say.

According to a recent report by the BBC, a new article in Spaceflight Magazine suggests that the robotic X-37B space plane might be surveilling China's recently launched space laboratory Tiangong 1. As evidence, the article notes apparently striking similarities in the orbits of the two spacecraft. But in reality, these orbits are quite different, other analysts contend, making it extremely unlikely that the X-37B is keeping an eye on Tiangong 1.

"I would go as far as to say, 'no chance,' " said Brian Weeden, a technical adviser with the Secure World Foundation and a former orbital analyst with the U.S. Air Force. "It's not practical."

Differences in the orbits
The Air Force launched the experimental X-37B on a classified mission in March 2011, putting the vehicle into space for just the second time ever. The spacecraft is known as the Orbital Test Vehicle 2, or OTV-2. [ Photos: Air Force's 2nd Secret X-37B Mission ]

China's space agency launched its unmanned Tiangong 1 space lab in September and is using the vessel to carry out orbital docking tests, which are considered key to the nation's goal of building a manned space station by 2020.

The Air Force doesn't make details of the X-37B's orbit or mission public, but amateur astronomers have been keeping a close eye on the space plane's movements.

These and other observations have shown that the X-37B and Tiangong 1 have broadly similar orbits. Both are currently about 180 miles above our planet, with an inclination of roughly 43 degrees with respect to the equator (meaning their orbits range from 43 degrees south latitude to 43 degrees north latitude).

However, the orbits of the X-37B and Tiangong 1 differ greatly ? by about 100 degrees ? in a parameter called right ascension, which describes where a craft crosses the equator, Weeden said. So the two satellites actually take disparate paths around the globe, with their orbits intersecting just twice per circuit.

That means that the X-37B and Tiangong 1 could theoretically approach each other a maximum of two times per orbit, if the timing works out perfectly. And even then, they'd scream past each other at very high speeds ? not exactly optimum conditions for a spy mission.

1. More space news from msnbc.com

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      Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: A photographer goes on a road trip from Pennsylvania to the Florida Keys ? and returns with some treasured pictures of the Quadrantid meteor shower.

   2. Expert: Secret X-37B plane not spying on China
   3. NASA picks winter rest stop for Mars rover
   4. Giant moon crater detailed in up-close photos

Weeden compared the satellites' motions to two cars on separate roads that intersect at two different points.

"And there's no stoplight," he told Space.com. "You're just blowing through the intersection at 7 kilometers a second."

Another analyst contacted by Space.com echoed Weeden's reasoning, saying the two vehicles' orbits do not support the assertion that the X-37B is spying on Tiangong 1.

While the United States may well be interested in Tiangong 1, the government has better information-gathering tools at its disposal than the X-37B for the job, Weeden added.

"The U.S. has this whole network of ground-based telescopes and radars, several of which can do imaging ? either radar or optical imaging of space objects ? that are better suited for this," he said.

What's the X-37B doing up there?
So if the X-37B isn't keeping tabs on Tiangong 1, what is it up to? The Air Force has said repeatedly that the space plane's primary mission is to test out new technologies. Weeden, who published a report in 2010 that investigated the X-37B and its likely missions, thinks this rather vague description is probably accurate.

He reckons the X-37B is likely trying out some new spy gear, perhaps instruments optimized to observe in wavelengths outside of the visible-light spectrum.

The space plane's orbit also offers some possible clues about its activities. Rather than looping around the Earth in a polar orbit, which enables a good look at every spot on the globe, the X-37B is flying repeatedly over the stretch from 43 degrees north latitude to 43 degrees south.

"It's probably using that new technology to observe the Middle East and Afghanistan ? those are the places," Weeden said.

The Air Force has said the X-37B was designed for space missions lasting a maximum of 270 days. The first X-37B flight launched in April 2010 and landed that December, coming in under the nine-month limit. However, the current mission has been aloft for more than 10 months, so the military may be putting the vehicle through something of an endurance test.

"I think that they are looking to push the second one," Weeden said. "Because it is an experimental vehicle, they kind of want to see what its limits are."

The X-37B looks a bit like NASA's recently retired space shuttle, but it's far smaller. The X-37B is about 29 feet long and 15 feet wide, with a payload bay about the size of a pickup truck bed. Two X-37B vehicles could fit inside the payload bay of a space shuttle.

The spacecraft's orbital longevity is enabled by its solar array, which generates power after deploying from its payload bay.

You can follow Space.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter:@michaeldwall. Follow Space.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter@Spacedotcomand on Facebook.

? 2012 Space.com. All rights reserved. More from Space.com.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45906628/ns/technology_and_science-space/

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Impossible crystals 'from space'

3 January 2012 Last updated at 09:09 ET

Examples of a crystal previously thought to be impossible in nature may have come from space, a study shows.

Quasicrystals have an unusual structure - in between those of crystals and glasses.

Until two years ago, quasicrystals had only been created in the lab - then geologists found them in rocks from Russia's Koryak mountains.

In PNAS journal, a team says the chemistry of the Russian crystals suggests they arrived in meteorites.

Quasicrystals were first described in the 1980s by Israeli researcher Daniel Schechtman, who was awarded last year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery.

Schechtman's ideas were initially treated with doubt or scorn by some of his peers, who thought the structures were "impossible".

Rule breaker

Quasicrystals break some of the rules of symmetry that apply to conventional crystalline structures. They also exhibit different physical and electrical properties.

In 2009, Luca Bindi, from the University of Florence, Italy, and his colleagues reported finding quasicrystals in mineral samples from the Koryak mountains in Russia's far east.

The mineral - an alloy of aluminium, copper, and iron - showed that quasicrystals could form and remain stable under natural conditions. But the natural process that created the structures remained an open question.

Now, Dr Bindi, Paul Steinhardt from Princeton University and others claim that tests point to an extra-terrestrial origin for the Russian minerals.

They used the technique of mass spectrometry to measure different forms - or isotopes - of the element oxygen contained in parts of the rock sample.

The pattern of oxygen isotopes was unlike any known minerals that originated on Earth. It was instead closer to that sometimes found in a type of meteorite known as a carbonaceous chondrite.

The samples also contained a type of silica which only forms at very high pressures. This suggests it either formed in the Earth's mantle, or was formed in a high-velocity impact, such as that which occurs when a meteorite hits the Earth's surface.

"Our evidence indicates that quasicrystals can form naturally under astrophysical conditions and remain stable over cosmic timescales," the team writes in PNAS.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/science-environment-16393296

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Windows Phone getting four fresh Xbox Live gaming titles, optimized for Mango

It looks like our friends over at Microsoft have outed a quartet of new Xbox Live games that will be delivered to the Windows Phone Marketplace in the not-too-distant future. Being billed as "optimized for the newest Windows Phone 7.5," the aforementioned -- and somewhat familiar -- titles include: Age of Zombies by Halfbrick, Bullet Asylum by UberGeekGames, geoDefense Swarm by Critical Thought, and Tamagotchi by Namco.

Why are these touchscreen-tickling titles familiar, you ask? Three of the four have been proving their mettle on other mobile platforms. GeoDefense Swarm and Tamagotchi are currently available in the iOS App Store; Age of Zombies is available in both the Android Market and iOS App Store; and Bullet Asylum has been in the works for some time -- we were treated to a video preview last summer, which you'll find below. No word yet on release dates, but the foursome's mere presence on Microsoft's site makes us think that we won't have to wait all that long before initiating the download sequence.

Continue reading Windows Phone getting four fresh Xbox Live gaming titles, optimized for Mango

Windows Phone getting four fresh Xbox Live gaming titles, optimized for Mango originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/_4EuKlVj-AI/

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This week on Xbox Live: 'NFL Blitz'

NFL Blitz headlines this week's Xbox Live update.

The classic arcade football action combines with modern gameplay and modes in a brand new NFL Blitz. Download it for 1200 MS Points (?10.20 / $15).

Also available for download this week are Super Street Fighter IV, Backbreaker, Record of Agarest War Zero and Naughty Bear.

> Read last week's Xbox Live update

The update in full:

Games

• NFL Blitz (1200 MS points / ?10.20 / $15)

Games On Demand

• Super Street Fighter IV (?19.99 / $29.99)
  
• Backbreaker (?14.99 / $19.99)
  
• Record of Agarest War Zero (only US) ($29.99)
  
• Naughty Bear (?39.99 / $19.99)

Games Demos

• Rise of Nightmares
  
• Gears of War 3 - Shipwreck Demo

Downloadable Content

Forza 4

• 2011 Audi RS5 (160 Microsoft Points / ?1.36 / $2)
  
• 1986 Dodge Shelby Omni GLHS (160 Microsoft Points / ?1.36 / $2)
  
• 2011 Honda #33 Level 5 Motorsports Lola (240 MS Points / ?2.04 / $3)
  
• 1970 Alfa Romeo Montreal (160 Microsoft Points / ?1.36 / $2)
  
• 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS (160 Microsoft Points / ?1.36 / $2)
  
• 2012 Honda Civic Si Coupe (Free)
  
• 1973 Ford Pinto (160 Microsoft Points / ?1.36 / $2)
  
• 2000 Fiat Coupe 20V Turbo (160 Microsoft Points / ?1.36 / $2)
  
• 2011 Lamborghini #08 West Yokohama Gallardo (240 MS Points / ?2.04 / $3)
  
• January Jalopnik Pack (560 MS points / ?4.80 / $7)

Just Dance 3

• Touch Me Want Me (240 MS Points / ?2.04 / $3)
  
• Dun N Dusted (240 MS Points / ?2.04 / $3)
  
• Beat Match Until I'm Blue (240 MS Points / ?2.04 / $3)
  
• I Like to Move It (Radio Mix) (240 MS Points / ?2.04 / $3)
  
• Sweet Pack #1 (480 MS points / ?4.08 / $6)

UFC Trainer

• Urijah Faber Workout Pack (800 MS Points / ?6.80 / $10)

Yoostar on MTV

• The Real World: San Diego 3 Pack (400 MS points / ?3.40 / $5)
  
• San Diego: 2 Daddies and a Pig Plan (160 Microsoft Points / ?1.36 / $2)
  
• San Diego: The Blown Date (160 Microsoft Points / ?1.36 / $2)
  
• San Diego: To-the-10th-Power Pretty (160 Microsoft Points / ?1.36 / $2)
  
• Don't Cha (160 Microsoft Points / ?1.36 / $2)
  
• Don't Cha (Lip-dub (160 Microsoft Points / ?1.36 / $2)

Rock Band 3

• '2112: Discovery, Presentation' - Rush (160 Microsoft Points / ?1.36 / $2)
  
• '2112: Oracle: The Dream, Soliloquy, Grand Finale' - Rush (160 Microsoft Points / ?1.36 / $2)
  
• '2112: Overture, The Temples of Syrinx' - Rush (160 Microsoft Points / ?1.36 / $2)
  
• '2112' - Rush (440 MS Points / ?3.70 / $5.50)

Deal of the Week

Dance Central

• 'I Gotta Feeling' - The Black Eyed Peas (160 Microsoft Points / ?1.36 / $2)
  
• Dance Pack 01 (640 MS Points / ?5.44 / $8)
  
• Dance Pack 02 (640 MS Points / ?5.44 / $8)
  
• Dance Pack 03 (640 MS Points / ?5.44 / $8)
  
• Dance Pack 04 (640 MS Points / ?5.44 / $8)
  
• Marathon Pack (1400 MS Points / ?11.90 / $17.50)
  
• Dance Pack 05 (480 MS points / ?4.08 / $6)
  
• Dance Pack 06 (960 MS Points / ?8.16 / $12)
  
• Dance Pack 07 (960 MS Points / ?8.16 / $12)
  
• Marathon Pack 02 (1500 MS Points / ?12.75 / $18.75)

Source: http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/32545/f/492401/p/1/s/20a3c63a/l/0L0Sdigitalspy0O0Cgaming0Cnews0Ca3582450Cthis0Eweek0Eon0Exbox0Elive0Enfl0Eblitz0Bhtml0Drss/story01.htm

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Obama scores repeat victory in Iowa Coffee Bean Caucus (Daily Caller)

Although official?results from the Iowa caucuses won?t be finalized until late Tuesday night, President Barack Obama scored an early victory Monday by winning the most coffee beans.

At the famed Hamburg Inn No. 2 restaurant in Iowa City, customers filled jars with coffee beans at the cash register in what locals have dubbed the Iowa Coffee Bean Caucus, the Press-Citizen reported.

President Obama was the big winner, with 6,442 beans. He also won the unofficial bean-poll in 2008.

Even though Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann will likely come in last Tuesday, she won the greatest support among bean-dropping diners who voted for a GOP candidate, with 1,147. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney rounded out the top three with 847 coffee beans.

The Hamburg Inn invited all of the GOP candidates to meet some of its customers, but only Bachmann, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum paid the restaurant a visit.

Follow Taylor on Twitter

Read more stories from The Daily Caller

Candidate Buddy Roemer learns how the Iowa caucuses work on election night

Obama scores repeat victory in Iowa Coffee Bean Caucus

Ed Rollins to Michele Bachmann: Get out and endorse, or go into debt

Tea party icon whiles away time, alone, at Bachmann HQ

Obama buys Twitter ad for Iowa caucuses

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/dailycaller/20120104/pl_dailycaller/obamascoresrepeatvictoryiniowacoffeebeancaucus

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Lythgoe to revamp "Dance" after Fox cuts results show (Reuters)

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) ? "So You Think You Can Dance" judge and executive producer Nigel Lythgoe is planning to revamp the reality competition after Fox cut it from two nights a week to one for its next season.

"FOX have canceled the results show so I will have to change the format of #SYTYCD," Lyhgoe announced on Twitter. "At least we have another season at the end of MAY."

He added: I'm certainly not mad at FOX they have supported #SYTYCD FOR 9 seasons. With the help of (Fox president of alternative entertainment) Mike Darnell I think we have some great new ideas."

The show slipped in the ratings in its most recent season, its eighth, as NBC's "America's Got Talent," another reality competition, cut into its audience.

The show has weathered overhauls before: It started its seventh season by cutting its number of finalists from 20 to 10. The show also began pairing dancers with stars from past seasons and having dancers switch partners each week.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120102/tv_nm/us_sytycd_lythgoe

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Kathy Griffin Strips Off Dress During Times Square Ball Drop (VIDEO)

Kathy Griffin Strips Off Dress During Times Square Ball Drop (VIDEO)

Ginger comedian Kathy Griffin, who served as cohost of the Times Square ball drop with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, decided to clip off her dress during [...]

Kathy Griffin Strips Off Dress During Times Square Ball Drop (VIDEO) Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/stupidcelebrities/~3/TtiDlyVRlDQ/

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GymPact Launches To Help You Keep Your Fitness Resolutions (By Paying If You Don?t)

If you're anything like me, one of your New Years Resolutions may have been to get in better shape. There's no doubt that many of us could stand to live healthier lives, and it's no mistake that devices, services, and tools that help us achieve healthier lifestyles and decreased body masses are on the rise. (See John Biggs' predictions for hot gadgets in 2012 -- you'll notice two fitness gadgets at the top of the list.) Americans spend $50 billion each year on products and services designed to help us lose weight and get in shape. We've seen a host of startups proposing alternative methods to encourage us to stick with out fitness regimens, and today GymPact is launching a website and iPhone app that uses those old behavioral economics to help us to do just that.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/jQ7SDnLswZ4/

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Verizon reverses on $2 fee for one-time payments (AP)

NEW YORK ? After a customer backlash, Verizon Wireless on Friday dropped a plan to start charging $2 for every payment subscribers make over the phone or online with their credit or debit cards.

In a statement on its website Friday, the company said "customer feedback" prompted the decision to drop the "convenience fee" it wanted to introduce on Jan. 15.

Verizon wanted to steer people to electronic check payments, which are cheaper, and automatic credit card payments, which are more reliable.

A petition on Change.org against the fees had gathered more than 95,000 names by Friday afternoon, a day after Verizon, the country's largest cellphone company, announced the fees. The petition was set up by Molly Katchpole, who earlier this year started a successful campaign to make Bank of America drop a $5-per-month fee for debit-card use.

Payment processors for power companies usually charge "convenience fees" of up to $5 for every payment made by phone or online, but cellphone companies haven't taken the step yet. The furor against Verizon hints that they may have to wait further.

Verizon Wireless serves 91 million phones and other devices on accounts that pay the company directly, and more who pay indirectly through other companies. It's a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. of New York and Vodafone Group PLC of Britain.

___

Online:

Verizon's statement: http://news.verizonwireless.com/news/2011/12/pr2011-12-30.html

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111230/ap_on_hi_te/us_verizon_wireless_monthly_fees

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Open Thread (Balloon Juice)

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Rybak launches pre-caucus media blitz in Iowa (Star Tribune)

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