Apple iCloud

When I heard that iCloud?(free to $100 per year; $24.99 for iTunes Match), Apple's free data-syncing service, supported Windows machines, I was at first slack-jawed--and in a good way. Was it true? Could Mac users now access their Calendar, Contacts, iTunes music, photos, and other files from a PC? My open mouth tightened to a mere smile when I realized the answer was, "Well, sort of."

Apple's iCloud is a great service that does a number of things very well?namely, automatic back-ups of iOS devices?but shouldn't be confused with other file-syncing services along the lines of SugarSync (4.5 stars) and Dropbox (4 stars). Those two services, both PCMag Editors' Choice products, give you access to any files you mark to be synchronized from virtually any machine. For example, you can create and save a presentation on your office computer, sync it, and then access it from your home computer or mobile device by simply logging into the service. But what they don't do that iCloud does is synchronize your Apple apps, like Calendar, Contacts, and iTunes.

Apple's iCloud does synchronize some document files, but not any old thing you want. iCloud doesn't think about syncing documents per se. It thinks about syncing the data you have associated with an app. For example, iCloud can synchronize office files made with Apple productivity software iWork and let you access them anywhere an iWork app is installed. It also syncs images across your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and even a Windows PC. iCloud makes music you buy through iTunes accessible to you from any iTunes player, and with the optional add-on service iTunes Match ($24.99 per year), it will sync and store up to 25,000 music files (no matter how you got them) that you have in your iTunes library. But iCloud doesn't synchronize many other files that you create or edit in other apps.

Once you understand what iCloud can and can't do, you'll likely find that it's a valuable and worthwhile service nevertheless, but that doesn't mean you don't also need another file-syncing service. All Apple device owners should sign up for iCloud as soon as humanly possible, but know that it won't meet all your file-syncing needs.

iCloud Sign Up and Requirements
To get iCloud, you need an Apple ID plus at least one of the following devices:

• Mobile device running iOS5 (iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad, iPad 2, iPod touch 3rd or 4th generation; see How to Get Apple's iOS 5 for help)
• Mac computer running OS X Lion 10.7.2
• A Windows PC running Windows 7 or Vista SP2.

From a Mac running Lion, look under Preferences for the iCloud logo. Select it to dig into the options. On a Windows desktop or laptop, you'll want to surf over to apple.com/icloud/setup to download and install the local software. Additionally, there is a Web interface at iCloud.com where you can access some of your backed up information online, but it's not a very comprehensive system (more on that later).

For iPhones and iPads, look in Settings for the new iCloud icon that will appear after you update to iOS 5.

Tips for Backing Up Your iPhone and iPad
One part of iCloud that you should definitely take advantage of is automatic backup. From the iCloud page of the Settings panel, look toward the very bottom of the screen for the option Storage and Backup. Make sure "iCloud Backup" is switched on. Then, you'll want to poke around in the Manage Storage section, especially if you have a lot of apps, to further determine what should get backed up and what doesn't need to be. By turning off apps that are not important, you can save a lot of space. If saving space isn't your thing, you could just buy more space. Apple gives iCloud users 5GB to start, but you can buy up to 50GB more (making 55GB total) for $100 per year. iOS devices only back up over Wi-Fi so there's no worry about the service hogging data from your data plan.

A second feature to jump on upon installing iCloud is Find My iPhone or Find My iPad. Turn it on, and it can help you locate or remotely wipe a lost or stolen phone or tablet. There's also a Find My iPhone/iPad app, which you can use to locate lost devices, including Macs, provided you set up Find My Mac on your laptop or desktop.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/gBNUXTD8Nso/0,2817,2394611,00.asp

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Sudan frees South Sudan's oil tankers; row continues (Reuters)

KHARTOUM/JUBA (Reuters) ? Sudan has released four tankers loaded with South Sudanese oil in an effort to defuse a row over export transit fees, but southern officials said the move was not enough to reverse their decision to shut off crude supplies.

South Sudan seceded in July under a 2005 peace agreement that ended decades of civil war with Khartoum but the two sides have yet to resolve a long list of disputes. Disentangling the oil industries both depend upon is at the top of the agenda.

The landlocked new nation took control of about three quarters of the unified country's roughly 500,000 barrels a day in oil output, but it needs to export its crude through northern pipelines to the Red Sea port of Port Sudan.

Both sides have been unable to agree on a transit fee, prompting Khartoum to seize part of Juba's exports arriving at the port. In response, South Sudan shut down its oil production last week.

The ships that have been released were already loaded and Sudan had held them from sailing. Separately, Sudan has sold off at least one tanker of crude seized from the South and has offered two other cargoes.

In addition to the three, at least seven tankers are still waiting at the port to lift December and January cargoes, racking up demurrage costs of $20,000-$22,000 per day, traders and shipbrokers said.

Sudan's Oil Minister Awad al-Jaz said Khartoum had released the vessels held at Port Sudan in an effort to ease the tensions and pave the way for a deal, but that South Sudan had showed no sign of reversing its decision to shut off its output.

"We don't have any positive response from the other side," he told reporters at an oil industry conference in the Sudanese capital. "We're still open to cooperation but the other side has refused."

Jaz's southern counterpart Stephen Dhieu Dau confirmed four ships carrying 3.5 million barrels of crude for buyers Vitol and Sinopec had been released, but said ships were still waiting to load another 5.4 million barrels of southern crude.

"The ships are waiting," Dau said. "If they want to negotiate in good faith with us they should allow us to come and lift it."

Trading giant Vitol chartered two of the released tankers, an industry source familiar with the matter told Reuters, adding the two ships were carrying 1.6 million barrels of oil in total.

South Sudan government spokesman Barnaba Marial Benjamin said four more ships were still waiting to load at Port Sudan.

He also said the country was pushing ahead with plans to build two or three refineries and had signed a memorandum of understanding with a U.S. company as part of that.

"We have already signed with a major American company and they will start building as soon as possible and complete in four months," Benjamin told Reuters.

"It will start with 6,000 barrels and ramp up to a maximum of around 110,000 barrels per day by the end of the year."

LONG LIST OF DISPUTES

Analysts expect no quick breakthrough in the oil talks because the two countries' positions have remained far apart.

Khartoum is demanding $1 billion in rear payments and has said it wants $36 a barrel as a transit fee -- a demand that exceeds international norms by more than 10 times, according to some industry analysts.

Sudan also wants assistance with some of its $38 billion in external debt as it struggles to overcome a severe economic crisis exacerbated by the loss of oil revenues. Oil used to make up 90 percent of Sudan's exports.

Sudan's oil minister Jaz blamed Juba for obstructing progress toward a deal, saying South Sudanese officials had refused to sign an African Union-brokered agreement that would have opened the way to defusing the row over the weekend.

"Sudan agreed to sign that. Unfortunately the other side refused to sign," he said.

Senior officials from both countries have also said they want to tie the oil issue into a deal that addresses violence on both sides of the poorly-marked border and finds a solution for the disputed border region of Abyei.

Abyei, rich in fertile grazing land, is a source of tension between north and south. Khartoum seized Abyei in May after an attack on a convoy of northern troops and U.N. peacekeepers that the world body blamed on southern forces.

South Sudanese officials have since said they would offer Khartoum oil at discounted prices and financial help if it gave up its claim to Abyei.

Oil provides about 98 percent of South Sudan's income and is vital to the impoverished country as it tries to develop infrastructure and institutions devastated by a war that killed an estimated 2 million people.

China is the biggest buyer of oil from Sudan and South Sudan -- it got about 5 percent of its oil from the two last year -- and the biggest investor in South Sudan's oilfields.

(Reporting by Amena Bakr in Dubai, Hereward Holland in Juba and Alexander Dziadosz in Khartoum; Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Manash Goswami and Angus MacSwan)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120130/wl_nm/us_sudan_oil

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Gingrich says space exploration in US tradition (AP)

STUART, Fla. ? Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich says critics of his call to ramp up U.S. space exploration don't understand the power of science, technology and entrepreneurship to change the future.

Campaign rival Mitt Romney was referring to Gingrich earlier this week when he said that if any business executive recommended spending huge sums on colonizing the moon, he'd fire him.

But Gingrich said Abraham Lincoln recommended building a transcontinental railroad at a time necessary technology didn't exist, and a decade later the job was done. And that when President Kennedy started a program to put a man on the moon in the early 1960s the same thing happened.

Gingrich spoke on the 26th anniversary of the explosion that destroyed the space shuttle Challenger 73 seconds into flight, killing all seven aboard.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/space/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120128/ap_on_sc/us_gingrich_space

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UK police arrest Murdoch tabloid staff

LONDON?? British police arrested four current and former staff of Rupert Murdoch's best-selling Sun tabloid plus a policeman on Saturday as part of an investigation into suspected payments by journalists to officers, police and the newspaper's publisher said.

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Police also searched the paper's London offices at publisher News International, News Corp.'s British arm, in a corruption probe linked to a continuing investigation into phone hacking at its now closed News of the World weekly tabloid.

News Corp.'s Management and Standards Committee, set up in the wake of the phone hacking scandal, said Saturday's operation was the result of information it had passed to police.

"News Corporation made a commitment last summer that unacceptable news gathering practices by individuals in the past would not be repeated," the committee said in a statement confirming the arrests of four "current and former employees" of the Sun.

The committee is conducting a lawyer-led internal review of News International's remaining titles, which also include The Times and The Sunday Times newspapers, as part of a drive to mend the reputational damage done by the phone hacking scandal.

The committee's investigation into The Sun was "well advanced," News International chief executive Tom Mockridge said in an email sent to staff.

"News International is confronting past mistakes and is making fundamental changes about how we operate which are essential for our business.

"Despite this very difficult news, we are determined that News International will emerge a stronger and more trusted organisation," he added.

Emails warned James Murdoch of phone hacking

News International was providing legal support for the four arrested "colleagues," Mockridge said.

The arrests included The Sun's crime editor Mike Sullivan, its head of news Chris Pharo, and former deputy editor Fergus Shanahan, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters.

Also arrested was the paper's former managing editor Graham Dudman, now a columnist and media writer, the source said.

Police said a 48-year-old man from north London and two other men from Essex, east of London, ages 48 and 56, were arrested at their homes. The fourth man, aged 42, was arrested after reporting to an east London police station.

A Sun reporter, who asked not to be named, said: "Everyone is a bit shocked, there is disbelief really. But there is a big difference between phone hacking and payments to the police."

A 29-year-old policeman serving with the Met Police's Territorial Policing Command, was arrested at the central London police station where he worked.

All five were being questioned on suspicion of corruption.

Operation Elveden
Police searched the arrested men's homes as well as The Sun's offices in Wapping, east London.

Thirteen people have now been arrested over allegations that journalists paid police in return for information.

Their detentions are part of Operation Elveden - one of three criminal investigations into news-gathering practices.

Last week, News International settled a string of legal claims after it admitted that people working for the tabloid had hacked in to the private phones of celebrities and others to find stories.

The phone hacking scandal drew attention to the level of political influence held by editors and executives at News International, and other newspapers in Britain.

It embarrassed British politicians for their close ties with newspaper executives and also the police, who repeatedly failed to investigate allegations of illegal phone hacking.

Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46174085/ns/world_news-europe/

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Connecticut killer sentenced to die for "unimaginable horror" (Reuters)

NEW HAVEN, Conn (Reuters) ? A judge formally sentenced Joshua Komisarjevsky to death for the murders of a mother and her two daughters during a brutal home invasion in Connecticut, saying he committed a crime of "unimaginable horror."

Judge Jon Blue on Friday told Komisarjevsky, 31, that he alone was to blame for his new address on death row after the 2007 triple murders of Jennifer Hawke-Petit, 48, and her daughters Hayley Petit, 17, and Michaela Petit, 11, and beating of husband and father Dr. William Petit Jr.

"This is a terrible sentence but one you have written for yourself," Blue told Komisarjevsky in New Haven Superior Court.

"Your crime was one of unimaginable horror and sadness," the judge said. "Your fate is now in the hands of others. May God have mercy on your soul."

He set an execution date of July 20, 2012, pending an appeal, which could drag out the matter for years.

Before the judge spoke, Komisarjevsky, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, denied he killed or raped anyone.

But he told the judge, "The clock is now ticking and I owe a debt I cannot repay."

Komisarjevsky now joins his accomplice, Steven Hayes, 48, who was sentenced to death last year for killings in which Hawke-Petit was strangled and the girls died of smoke inhalation after the home was set afire. Hawke-Petit was raped and Michaela Petit was sexually assaulted.

The killer's portrayal of innocence was in stark contrast to the "evil" described by the sole survivor of the attack, Dr. Petit, who told the court how Komisarjevsky's actions had destroyed his family.

"July 23, 2007 was my own personal holocaust," said Petit, who was beaten unconscious but escaped. "Evil does live among us."

He said he missed his late night chats with his wife and their partnership raising their daughters, who he will never walk down the wedding aisle and who will never bear the grandchildren he would have loved to have known.

Outside the courthouse, Petit's father spoke of the slow emotional recovery of his son, who is now engaged to be married.

"He's starting to come back a little bit now to what he was. He never will come all the way back," William Petit Sr. told reporters after the sentencing.

"To know Bill, the brilliant young doctor that he was, the happy young man, the good father, brother, cousin, uncle, all of those things, and son, and then to see him after this is just heartbreaking."

A jury convicted Komisarjevsky last fall, then sentenced him to death.

Komisarjevsky targeted Hawke-Petit and her younger daughter at a local grocery store and followed them home, he confessed during the investigation. He later returned with Hayes in the early morning, while the family was sleeping, and bashed Petit with a baseball bat and tied him to a pole in the basement.

After ransacking the home for valuables and finding little, they two men tied the girls to their beds and concocted a plan to take Hawke-Petit to the bank to withdraw $15,000.

Despite his last-minute denial at the sentencing, Komisarjevsky admitted to investigators that he molested Michaela while her mother was at the bank, according to police.

With the police circling the home, Hayes raped and strangled Hawke-Petit and the two men doused the family room and the girls' beds with gasoline.

Dr. Petit escaped through bulkhead doors in the basement as the home went up in flames.

Police caught Komisarjevsky and Hayes as they tried to flee.

During the trial, prosecutors laid blame for the predatory nature of the crime and the escalating violence on Komisarjevsky.

Defense attorneys said Komisarjevsky never intended for anyone to die and suffered mental health problems stemming from his upbringing by rigidly religious parents as well as from suffering several concussions and years of childhood sexual assault at the hands of a foster child in the family home.

Komisarjevsky's sentencing brings to 11 the number of men on the Connecticut's death row, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

Connecticut has executed only one person, in 2005, since the death penalty was reinstated in the United States in 1976, the center said.

(Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst, Barbara Goldberg and Paul Thomasch)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120127/us_nm/us_crime_homeinvasion

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Abbott breezes to big lead at skating nationals

Jeremy Abbott salutes the crowd after finishing his routine in the men's short program event at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, Calif., Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Jeremy Abbott salutes the crowd after finishing his routine in the men's short program event at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, Calif., Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Jeremy Abbott, left, celebrates after seeing his scores next to coach Yuka Sato after competing in the men's short program event at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, Calif., Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Jeremy Abbott competes in the men's short program event at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, Calif., Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Jeremy Abbott competes in the men's short program event at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, Calif., Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Jeremy Abbott competes in the men's short program event at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, Calif., Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) ? Jeremy Abbott took the ice with a rakish grin, popping his suspenders as he skated to center ice and fixing the audience with a wink.

"I said, 'Let's put on a show, let's have some fun," he said.

He certainly did.

Abbott's easy, breezy performance to a swing medley scored a whopping 90.23 points at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Friday night, a personal best and a mark that puts him in world champion Patrick Chan's territory. The two-time national champion leads training partner Adam Rippon by a commanding 7.29 points going into Sunday's free skate.

"It was a lot of fun," Abbott said. "I did the skate I wanted to do and I'm in the place I wanted to be."

Earlier Friday, Meryl Davis and Charlie White took a big step toward their fourth straight ice dance title, winning the short dance with a score of 76.89. That gave them a four-point lead over Maia and Alex Shibutani going into Saturday's free dance.

Abbott is one of the most technically sound skaters in the world, with beautiful edges that carve the ice like a master craftsman and perfect body control. He's also one of the few skaters who has managed to maintain the balance between the performance quality that makes figure skating so entertaining and the tough physical tricks the system now demands.

But he's had a tendency to fall apart on the big stage, flopping at the 2009 world championships and again at the Vancouver Olympics. When it happened again last year when a third U.S. title was his for the taking, Abbott decided he'd had enough.

He no longer cares what anyone thinks about him, much less any nasty things that are said. He's skating for himself and his own enjoyment, concerned only with achieving the goals he's set.

The attitude adjustment is clearly working.

Abbott opened with a huge triple flip-triple toe loop combination that was silky smooth, and followed with a triple axel that coaches might want to use as an example for their students. He seemed to be dancing he was so light on his feet, and even those sitting way up in the rafters could see his newfound confidence.

The audience was on its feet before he finished, and Abbott couldn't have stopped grinning if he tried. When he heard his marks, he shook his head and said, "Unbelievable." He was still savoring the score when a fan yelled out, "You're awesome!" prompting Abbott to grin and point back at him.

"They're not Patrick Chan points at Canadians, but they're Patrick Chan points in an international competition," Abbott said, referring to the generous marks Chan got at the Canadian championships earlier this month.

The performance is a good omen for Abbott, who won the short program both times he won the U.S. title. But while his spot in the standings is the same, this feels nothing like those other times.

"I feel much more mature and much more prepared for this championship than I did for the other two that I won," he said. "This time, my focus is just on skating the best I can skate. It hasn't been about winning. It's not to do anything but skate two programs I love to skate and secure a spot on the (world) team and continue my season so I can achieve the goals I've set."

Abbott's performance would have been tough for anyone to top, and no one came close. In fact, most of the supposed contenders looked more like pretenders, with splats and spills galore. Richard Dornbush, last year's silver medalist, was a mess, botching every one of his jumps. Brandon Mroz, the runner-up in 2009, fell on a quad toe and also brushed the ice with his free leg on his triple lutz-double toe combination.

Rippon and Armin Mahbanoozadeh, who was third, were the few bright spots.

Big things have been expected of Rippon since his spectacular junior career. He swept the major titles in 2008 ? U.S., world and Grand Prix final ? and followed it with another junior world title in 2009. But Rippon hasn't been able to duplicate that success as a senior, with fifth place his best finish at nationals.

"The expectations were hard to deal with at first," he said. "I felt like I was supposed to have the same success right away as a senior."

The struggles sent him bouncing from coach to coach in both Canada and the United States before he finally landed with Yuka Sato and Jason Dungjen in Detroit last June. But it took a bit of a meltdown during the Grand Prix season before Rippon turned a corner.

"I didn't know who I was as a skater anymore," he said. "I put myself in their hands and just trusted them, and it's paid off."

For the first time in several seasons, Rippon looked like the budding star he was always supposed to be. His performance to Russian folk music was both refined and in perfect character. He opened with a huge triple flip-triple toe loop combination, and his triple axel was even more impressive. The jump has been his downfall ? often literally ? in the past, but he landed it with such solid edge quality and smoothness that kids learning how to skate should YouTube it.

He had the crowd oohing and aahing over his Rippon triple lutz, done with both hands above his head, and his Russian split jump brought down the house. Fans were on their feet before his music ended, and Rippon shook his fists. When he saw his score, a new personal best, Rippon threw his head back and threw a couple little roundhouse punches.

"I had felt a little defeated before the short program in years past and I said I wasn't going to do that today," he said. "I have to go out there and fight for my career. Not just against other skaters, but for myself. I need to do this to give myself confidence again and I'm just really proud of myself."

Mahbanoozadeh had the misfortune of skating right after Abbott, but it didn't faze him a bit. He skated cleanly, and is just two points behind Rippon.

Davis and White have been unbeatable since finishing second to Olympic champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir at the 2010 world championships. They won the United States' first world title in dance last spring, and edged the Canadians again last month in the Grand Prix finals.

And as talented as the Shibutanis are, they're no match for Davis and White. At least, not yet.

Though every team skates to the same type of music in the short dance ? Latin is this year's choice ? Davis and White don't look close to anyone else. Their program was so intoxicating you were afraid to take your eyes off of them for fear you'd miss something original and unusual. Their edge quality was simply superb, and their speed would put Usain Bolt to shame.

But it's their presence that is truly captivating. Davis and White wear the title of champions easily, oozing confidence and self-assuredness.

___

Follow Nancy Armour at http://www.twitter.com/nrarmour

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-28-US%20Championships/id-52176fb996ac446b9f14ca7353cc7e12

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Demi Moore 'Breakdown Isn't Surprising,' Expert Says

One celebrity watcher weighs in on the actress' latest personal woes.
By Jocelyn Vena

Demi Moore in September
Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images

As more details about Demi Moore's recent hospitalization emerge, celebrity watchers are getting an inside look at the actress' personal life since her split with Ashton Kutcher in November. While some revelations may seem too personal, one expert told MTV News this sort of nothing's-off-limits coverage comes with the territory.

"When you're a celebrity, it's open season for the press to scrutinize every aspect of your life, specifically your personal life. Most celebrities are used to being under the microscope like this, but when the scrutiny involves their personal relationships, especially a split, everything is magnified," celebrity magazine editor David Caplan told MTV News on Friday, just as the 911 call from the night of her health scare hit the Web.

"The scrutiny, the press coverage ... can be very stressful for a celebrity, because the majority of the information being disseminated about the relationship and the split in the press is often highly critical of the celebrity," he added.

Photos: Demi Moore's career evolution.

When one bit of bad news — like a divorce or substance abuse — comes to light, the media has a field day trying to uncover even more dirt.

"As the press seeks to explain why the split occurred, skeletons in a stars' closet are revealed, and demons are revealed. In the case of Demi and Ashton, she was basically humiliated since it came to light that Ashton was blatantly cheating on Demi, with younger women, making Demi look like she was manipulated in the relationship — let alone reports claiming they had an open marriage," Caplan said. "Once this was revealed, the floodgates were open and stories emerged of Demi's alleged low self-esteem, how her partying put strain on the marriage and other aspects about her life. For someone who already seems to be on an emotional roller coaster, this doesn't bode well for Demi's mental health and well-being."

As the Demi story continues to hold the public's interest, expect the focus to also fall on her famous ex. "It's also exacerbated by the fact that Ashton seems to be going on with his life and enjoying himself," Caplan noted. "Combining all this together takes such a mental toll, a breakdown isn't surprising."

Related Photos

• Demi Moore Through The Years

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1678062/demi-moore-911-call-experts.jhtml

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Ron Johnson, Cindy Crawford, Ashley Olsen and more at the JCPenney launch event

Today at Pier 57 in New York City, Ashley and MaryKate Olsen and fellow jcpenney design partners Cindy Crawford, Martha Stewart and Nanette Lepore joined jcpenney CEO Ron Johnson and President Michael Francis for the official unveiling of the brand’s fresh new look! One of the biggest surprises came via video with the announcement from [...]

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Gingrich vows to establish a colony on the moon (AP)

COCOA, Fla. ? Newt Gingrich is promising to establish a permanent base on the moon by 2020 if he's elected president.

Gingrich, the former House speaker, told an overflow crowd gathered on Florida's space coast Wednesday that he wants to develop a robust commercial space industry in line with the airline boom of the 1930s. He also wants to expand exploration of Mars.

The pronouncements appeared to thrill the crowd of roughly 700 people. Florida's space coast is still suffering from a recent round of federal cuts to the space program.

But how would Gingrich pay for it?

The Republican presidential contender says he wants to offer prizes to help stimulate investment by the private sector.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_on_el_pr/us_gingrich_moon

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Panasonic Lumix GX1 Review [Cameras]

The Panasonic GF1 helped convince a lot of photographers that a compact shooter could feel delightfully professional. The Lumix DMC-GX1 is Panasonic's most evolved Micro Four Thirds camera yet, and it delivers huge on that promise—but is it enough? More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/vdAeViEklEY/panasonic-lumix-gx1-review

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Durable goods data points to economic momentum (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? New orders for U.S. manufactured goods rose in December and a gauge of future business investment rebounded, showing the economy ended the year with more momentum than previously thought.

Other reports on Thursday showed new claims for jobless benefits rose moderately last week, suggesting the labor market was healing only slowly, while new U.S. single-family home sales unexpectedly fell in December.

The Commerce Department said orders for durable goods climbed 3.0 percent last month, boosted by a surge in aircraft orders. Economists had forecast orders rising 2.0 percent.

"There's some momentum here," said Jacob Oubina, an economist at RBC Capital Markets in New York. "Heading into the first quarter, the momentum is going to be pretty decent."

Durable goods range from toasters to big-ticket items like aircraft which are meant to last three years and more.

The data suggested U.S. companies could be growing more willing to invest the $2 trillion pile of cash they amassed in recent years. The U.S. Federal Reserve warned on Wednesday that business investment had cooled.

Orders for capital goods outside defense and excluding aircraft, which are a proxy for business spending plans, climbed a steeper-than-expected 2.9 percent. They had declined the previous two months.

Also, shipments of orders within that category, which go into the calculation of gross domestic product, rose 2.9 percent after declining 1.0 percent in November.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Graphic on jobless claims:

http://link.reuters.com/xah36s

Graphic on durable goods:

http://link.reuters.com/heh36s

Graphic on new home sales:

http://link.reuters.com/juh36s

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>

SLOW HEALING

The overall increase in orders was buoyed by an 18.9 percent jump in orders for civilian aircraft. Boeing received 287 orders for aircraft during the month, according to the plane maker's website, up from 96 in November.

Investors in U.S. stocks appeared to take little notice of the data, with the Standard & Poor's 500 index (.SPX) off slightly in early afternoon. U.S. Treasury debt prices rose as fears grew that the European debt crisis was heating up again.

In a separate report, the Conference Board said its index of future U.S. economic activity rose to a five-month high in December as labor market conditions improved.

The Labor Department data showed new U.S. claims for unemployment benefits rose last week but the underlying trend continued to point to improving labor market conditions.

Initial claims for state unemployment aid increased 21,000 to 377,000. The four-week moving average for initial claims, which provides a better view of trends, fell 2,500 to 377,500.

"We're still very much established below 400,000, continuing to suggest that there is modest improvement in the labor market," said Lindsey Piegza, an economist at FTN Financial in New York.

On Wednesday, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said the U.S. central bank could do more to help growth if the economy falters, and the Fed indicated interest rates would likely remain near zero until late 2014.

Among the darker clouds looming over the U.S. economy is a sovereign debt crisis in Europe that is widely seen triggering a recession in the euro zone.

Greece was due to resume tortuous negotiations on a debt swap with private creditors in Athens on Thursday, with the European Central Bank thrown into the mix after IMF chief Christine Lagarde said public sector holders of Greek debt may need to take losses too.

Increased consumer spending and efforts by companies to restock their shelves likely led the U.S. economy to accelerate at the end of 2011 although many economists expect some of that strength to wane early this year.

A report due Friday is expected to show the economy grew at a 3.0 percent annual rate in the fourth quarter, up from 1.8 percent in the previous period.

The Commerce Department also released a report showing new U.S. single-family home sales unexpectedly fell in December for the first time in four months, while the median home price dropped, dampening some of the hopes the housing sector will boost the economy this year.

The housing market remains constrained by high unemployment, falling prices and an oversupply of unsold homes following a bust that triggered the 2007-09 recession.

Still, there were a record low 157,000 new homes on the market last month. That could fuel additional speculation the housing sector was on the cusp of a recovery.

(Additional reporting by Lucia Mutikani in Washington and Emily Flitter and Karen Brettell in New York; Editing by Andrea Ricci)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120126/bs_nm/us_economy

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A year after uprising, Egyptians celebrate and protest (Reuters)

CAIRO (Reuters) ? Tens of thousands massed in Cairo's Tahrir Square and other Egyptian cities on Wednesday, a year after an uprising erupted that toppled Hosni Mubarak, spurred on revolts across the region and exposed rifts in the Arab world's most populous state.

United last year by popular anger at Mubarak and his 30-year rule, Egyptians gathering on the January 25 anniversary were in high spirits but divided between activists demanding a swift end to army rule and Islamists celebrating their dramatic change in fortunes after emerging victors in a parliamentary election.

One group of mostly youths in Tahrir stood near a street where protesters clashed in November and December with police and the army, chanting "Down with military rule" and "Revolution until victory, revolution in all of Egypt's streets."

With the 83-year-old Mubarak on trial for his life but a new parliament installed this week that is dominated by his Islamist adversaries, some of the youthful activists who turned to the Internet to launch last year's revolt are disenchanted, weary of army rule but fearful the Islamists may also stifle their hopes.

Protesters mistrust the military council that took charge on February 11 last year when Mubarak was driven out and which is led by his defense minister for two decades, Field Marshall Mohamed Hussein Tantawi. The army has vowed to relinquish power after a presidential poll in June.

At the other side of Tahrir, a vast plaza where protesters fought fierce battles with police during the 18-day uprising last year, supporters of the once banned Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists grouped to celebrate.

"I'm very happy with the anniversary of January 25. We never dreamed of this. The revolution's victory was reaped with the elected parliament," said Khaled Mohamed, 41, a member of the Brotherhood whose Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) secured the biggest bloc in parliament after the first free vote in decades.

A member of the Brotherhood's party now sits on the speaker's chair, an idea unimaginable a year ago when the lower house was a compliant, rubber-stamp body stuffed full of Mubarak's supporters. The assembly also has a strong contingent of ultraconservative Salafi Muslims.

However, some liberal activists fear the Brotherhood and other Islamists are colluding with the army to entrench their position in mainstream politics at the expense of a deeper purge of the old order. Islamists dismiss talk of any such alliance.

The United States, a close ally of Egypt under Mubarak, praised "several historic milestones in its transition to democracy" this week, including the convening of parliament.

"While many challenges remain, Egypt has come a long way in the past year, and we hope that all Egyptians will commemorate this anniversary with the spirit of peace and unity that prevailed last January," a White House statement said.

AUTOCRATIC WAYS

But pro-democracy activists doubt the army's intentions and fear it wants to cling on to power from behind the scenes even after a president is elected. Some cast envious glances toward Tunisia, whose successful revolt last January inspired the Egyptians and which has now moved directly to civilian rule.

The activists in Egypt point to a surge in military trials of civilians and the use of violence against protesters as signs of autocratic ways similar to three decades under Mubarak.

When the army was ordered onto the streets after days of clashes with police during the uprising, the troops were hailed and cheered. Many Egyptians have since watched in horror as soldiers have dragged, beaten and fired tear gas at demonstrators demanding that the army return to its barracks.

Tantawi defended the military during a televised speech on Tuesday: "The nation and the armed forces had one aim: for Egypt to become a democratic state," he said.

Along with demonstrations in Cairo, Egyptians also gathered in the northern city of Alexandria and in Suez, scene of some of the fiercest violence during the revolt and also the place where the first death was reported during the uprising.

"We didn't come out to celebrate. We came out to protest against the military council and to tell it to leave power immediately and hand over power to civilians," said Mohamed Ismail, 27, in Suez, a port city east of Cairo.

There were no official numbers for Wednesday's turnout. But some witness estimates put the number in Tahrir at 150,000 or more although there was a constant flow of people in and out of the square. Thousands were also out in other areas of Cairo.

Demands for justice for the "martyrs of the revolution" was one of the unifying calls for all demonstrators on Wednesday. Banners with pictures of those killed in the uprising were hung from lamp-posts in Tahrir.

Many are angry that no one has yet been found responsible for the deaths of 850 people during the uprising. A trial of Mubarak, his interior minister and others officials continues.

"Martyrs, sleep and rest. We will complete the struggle," chanted protesters in Alexandria.

Despite unity on that issue, there were signs of friction even late on Tuesday as people began congregating in Tahrir, pitching tents in winter rain.

"The military council is Mubarak," said Amr al-Zamlout, a 31-year-old protester clutching a sign declaring "there is no change" and stating his aim was to topple the army rulers.

Mohamed Othman, an accountant, stopped to put forward a different view based on the idea that Egypt needs stability for economic recovery, not more protests: "The council will leave power in any case. Sure, the revolution is incomplete, but it doesn't mean we should obstruct life," he said. His criticism quickly drew a crowd and touched off an argument.

In an apparent attempt to appease reformist demands, the military council has in recent days pardoned some 2,000 people convicted in military courts since Mubarak was deposed. On Tuesday it announced a partial lifting of a state of emergency.

But it kept a clause saying emergency laws in place since 1981 would still apply in cases of "thuggery," a vague term that triggered calls for clarification from Washington and more criticism from human rights groups.

(Additional reporting by Dina Zayed, Yasmine Saleh and Shaimaa Fayed in Cairo and Laura MacInnis in Washington; Writing by Tom Perry and Edmund Blair; Editing by Alastair Macdonald)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120125/wl_nm/us_egypt_anniversary

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Remember, They Hate us for Our Freedom (Balloon Juice)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/190665058?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Degree Overview: Online Communications Degree ? MTC ? Medical ...

Learn all about the online communications degree, including its benefits, possible programs offered and more.

The market for experts and leaders in communication is increasingly expanding, and its growth is expected to continue in many years.
Do you know what you can do with a communications degree?

A communications degree can prepare you for a variety of career opportunities, whether you plan on an ambitious job in the business field or an education profession, this degree allows you to work at your own time, at the comfort of your home.

When studying online communication studies, you will learn and experience new things, such as strategies for a successful communication, which can be applied immediately when you work.
You?ll also learn to communicate changes, strategies for conflict resolution, and how to gain commitment and reduce resistance.
In addition, you will experience the latest technologies as well as their purpose in the communication setting.

Many online communications degree programs center on the general curriculum in the communication field.
This usually focuses on professional and business applications.
Communications programs are developed for students who desire to obtain an undergraduate education in this field, earning a bachelor?s or associate?s degree.

Online communication programs are usually available as an undergraduate course for interested students.
An Internet curriculum, for instance, is designed for an associate?s degree in communication after almost two years of coursework.
The more popular option is the bachelor?s degree since the online setting lets students choose and attend their classes only when they are available.

There are online communications degree programs that are designed for graduate students who have already completed an undergraduate program and want to pursue further education.
Plenty of masters in communication programs are designed for specialized forms of communications.
These include graphic design, networking and other similar technology classes designed for those interested in computer technology.

Most people take a masters degree in communication since a doctorate is more demanding if taken through an Internet curriculum.
The postgraduate requirement needed may include a great amount of research and submission of a dissertation or thesis that should be presented and defended.
Take note that only a few schools offer online programs for postgraduate communication degree, hence this curriculum may be hard to find.

Some fields of research or types of communication can be the focus of other programs, particularly those at vocational or technical schools.
For instance, network communications may involve various computer systems and the establishment of networks so they are able to communicate and share data.
This type of communication degree does not center on human expressions and interactions but covers data transmission protocols and technologies used for communication.

When choosing the online program that fits you, start by choosing an associate degree, bachelor?s degree or a professional certification.
Whatever program you choose, the coursework should focus not only on theory but on practical application as well.
In addition, you may pursue an area of concentration for your degree and among the available specializations are human resources, public relations, conflict management, technical writing, organizational communication, educational leadership and administration, and more.

One unique advantage of many online degree programs in communications is the option to speed up your coursework and earn the degree fast.
It allows you to make use of your credentials immediately in the work setting.
Getting a communications degree online gives you the skills, knowledge, experience and expertise that communication experts need today.

The constant evolution of technological advances has opened up the market for every communications major.
An online communications degree allows working professionals to obtain the training they need without going to a campus.
Furthermore, online classes are becoming increasingly well-known at all educational levels.

Source: http://www.medicaltourismchina.org/education/degree-overview-online-communications-degree/

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Video: RIM Shareholder Defends CEO Shuffle

Vic Alboini, a Research in Motion shareholder and also president & CEO of Jaguar Financial, discusses why Research in Motion needed a change in management.

Related Links:

Business & financial news headlines from msnbc.com

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/46102790/

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Police question witnesses in Hollywood severed head (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? Authorities have identified the man whose severed head, hands and feet were found in the hills below the famed Hollywood sign overlooking Los Angeles, but declined to release his name on Friday as homicide detectives questioned witnesses in the bizarre case.

Two women walking dogs stumbled upon the decapitated head in Griffith Park earlier this week, and a search later turned up the hands and feet, which Los Angeles police said came from the same person.

Investigators have so far been unable to say how the man, whose age had been estimated at between 40 and 60, died or came to be dismembered, but a Los Angeles police spokesman said his identity had been established.

"We have identified the victim but we have not released that," Lieutenant Andrew Neiman said. He said homicide detectives were questioning witnesses and potential suspects but that no arrests had been made.

Neiman declined to comment on reports in the local media that a search warrant had been served at an apartment building in Hollywood in connection with the case.

"Most homicide investigations involve the service of search warrants and various locations, and certainly that is something that will probably be part of this investigation," he said.

Police said detectives had canvassed the area near the 4,200-acre Griffith Park in the heart of Los Angeles looking for clues or potential witnesses before the section of the park where the body parts were found reopened to the public on Friday.

Commander Andrew Smith said he believed that a bodyguard for actor Brad Pitt was among those witnesses interviewed but said the man was not considered a suspect.

The sensational case began on Tuesday when a mother and daughter walking dogs came across the head in a plastic bag and reported it to park rangers. The hands were found the following day in the same general area, one by a cadaver-sniffing dog and the other by a crime scene investigator.

Later on Wednesday, a coroner investigator discovered the feet, together, in the same area.

Neiman said investigators theorize that the head, hands and feet were hidden together in the park and later scattered by animals.

"The hands and feet were found in the same general area and the head was in a different location," he said. "We believe an animal may have pulled that body part and the first hand away."

Police have found no link between the Hollywood Hills case and a torso found in Arizona missing a head, hands and feet, and said there was no evidence the man was a victim of organized crime or a serial killer.

The iconic Hollywood sign on Mount Lee above Los Angeles was built in the 1920s to promote a housing development and originally read "Hollywoodland." The last few letters deteriorated in the 1940s and the part that remained was restored in 1978.

Griffith Park, which sits in the hills above metropolitan Los Angeles, is the largest municipal park with an urban wilderness area in the United States, according to a city website.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Cynthia Johnston)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120121/us_nm/us_crime_head_hollywood

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Scientists Call for 60-Day Suspension of Mutant Flu Research

Image: MEDICAL RF.COM/SPL

Reprinted from Nature magazine

As controversy rages around the scientists who created mutant strains of the H5N1 avian influenza virus, leading flu researchers have called for a 60-day voluntary pause on such work. The call comes in a statement jointly published today in Nature (R. A. M. Fouchier et al. Nature 481, 443; 2012) and Science.

On 20 December, the United States government ? acting on advice from the US National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) ? asked both journals to publish only the main conclusions of two flu studies, but not to reveal details "that could enable replication of the experiments by those who would seek to do harm" (see 'Call to censor flu studies draws fire'). The journals and the authors have agreed to this redaction, on the condition that a mechanism is established to disseminate the information to legitimate flu researchers on a need-to-know basis.

The US government, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other bodies are now frantically trying to put together this mechanism, along with a framework for international oversight of such research. The signatories of today's statement, including the key authors behind the controversial research, say that the pause is intended to allow time for this discussion. "We realize that organizations and governments around the world need time to find the best solutions for opportunities and challenges that stem from the work," they write.

The scientists add that they intend to organize an international forum to debate the risks and benefits of the research. "We recognize that we and the rest of the scientific community need to clearly explain the benefits of this important research and the measures taken to minimize its possible risks," they write.

"Scientists need to have their voices heard in this debate," says Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, lead investigator on the paper submitted to Nature and a signatory of today's statement. "We hope that by having a calm and reasoned discussion of the facts, scientists and biosecurity experts can reach a better understanding and find ways to enable the research to go forward while minimizing risks."

Bioterrorism is just one potential risk of such research. More worrying to some researchers is that if a mutant virus were to accidentally escape from the lab, it could cause a H5N1 pandemic. The authors of the statement say that they hope to "assure" the public that the viruses are in safe hands in secure containment facilities. Such research is currently classed as requiring biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) enhanced containment facilities, but many scientists argue that it should be done only in BSL-4 labs, which have the highest biosafety rating (see 'Fears grow over lab-bred flu').

"I am very much in favour of having a pause," says Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). He concedes that the length of the pause is not long, but that researchers were concerned about having an open-ended moratorium. "60 days as a start I think is reasonable, and after 60 days we will re-evaluate it," he says.

"The pause is welcome in the sense that hopefully it will relieve some of the immediate urgency in terms of trying to chart a course forward," agrees Michael Osterholm, who heads the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy in Minneapolis, and is a member of the NSABB.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=6ab5bf83484e3ac7e878186de1a659ed

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Venture capital investments up 19 percent in 4Q

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Funding for startups rose 19 percent in the fourth quarter as venture capitalists fueled money into more companies in the Internet, clean technology and other sectors.

According to a study released Friday, startup investments grew to $6.57 billion in the October-December quarter from $5.52 billion in the same period in 2010. The volume of deals, though, did not keep up with the amount of money invested. There were 844 deals completed in the fourth quarter, down from 861 a year earlier.

Called the MoneyTree report, the study was conducted by PriceWaterHouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association based on data from Thomson Reuters.

For all of 2011, venture investments jumped 22 percent to $28.43 billion, in 3,673 deals. That's up from $23.26 billion in 2010, when the money went to 3,526 deals.

Venture capitalists piped $133.9 million into 80 seed-stage companies in the fourth quarter. That's down from $233.2 million going to 90 such startups in the fourth quarter of 2010. The decline suggests some caution on the part of venture capitalists looking at the newest, often most risky, startup investments.

A total of 364 early-stage companies snapped up $2.27 billion in venture funding during the quarter. That compares with $1.48 billion going to 318 early-stage startups in the last three months of 2010. The report said 222 companies in the expansion stage received $2.36 billion in funding, compared with 270 companies snagging about the same amount a year earlier. In the later stage, 178 startups received $1.8 billion in the fourth quarter, while $1.4 billion went to 183 companies a year earlier.

By industry, software companies received the most funding with $1.76 billion snagged in the fourth quarter, followed by biotechnology with $1.27 billion.

San Francisco-based internet storage locker Dropbox Inc. got the single-largest investment during the quarter, $250 million. In second place was Better Place Inc., which is based in Palo Alto and builds infrastructure and systems for electric vehicles, with $200 million.

John S. Taylor, head of research at the National Venture Capital Association, said the figures show "cautious optimism."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2012-01-20-Venture%20Investments/id-7a1f46e5058d4255a5c53c8c2c336027

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Francesco Schettino, Italian Cruise Ship Captain, Claims He "Tripped" Into Lifeboat

The saga of the ill-fated Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia took a bizarre new twist as its captain, Francesco Schettino, says he FELL into a lifeboat and did not abandon ship.

The captain claims he tripped on deck and tumbled overboard, only to wind up in a lifeboat during a panicky passenger escape, and did not abandon the vessel as accused.

The captain's newly disclosed account, reported by the newspaper La Repubblica, came as divers were forced to suspend rescue efforts around the half-submerged vessel.

Not helping his cause? An audio recording of officials ordering him to get back on:

Italian Cruise Ship Captain Audio Tape

The ship's instability, coupled with unideal forecasts of stormy winds off the Tuscany coast, raised fears the hull could slide into deeper water and sink for good.

Italy's environment minister, Corrado Clini, said structural damage to portions of the ship could cause "potentially dangerous consequences for the environment."

The Italian authorities revised the missing figure Wednesday to 26. The official death toll still stands at 11, and Francesco Schettino has plenty of explaining to do.

He reiterated that he did not plan to leave the ship as it tilted toward the water.

"The passengers were pouring onto the decks, taking the lifeboats by assault," he said. "I didn't even have a life jacket because I had given it to one of the passengers."

"I was trying to get people to get into the boats in an orderly fashion. Suddenly, the ship was at a 60- to 70-degree angle. I tripped and I ended up in one of the boats."

"That's how I found myself there."

Schettino, 51, has been placed under house arrest. Criminal charges of manslaughter and abandoning ship are expected to be filed by prosecutors against him.

The Costa Concordia capsized off the Tuscan island of Giglio on January 13 after the ship detoured from its programmed route and slammed into a reef.

Carnival Corp., the parent company of Costa Cruises, announced an audit and review of all safety and emergency response procedures across all the company's lines.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/01/francesco-schettino-italian-cruise-ship-captain-claims-he-trippe/

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Egypt entrepreneurs see new dawn post-Revolution (Reuters)

CAIRO (Reuters) ? Two months after mass protests ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak last February, Ahmed Essam resigned from his job at a well-established software company to set up a six-person venture developing applications for smart phones.

The economic turmoil which engulfed the country after Mubarak was overthrown played a part in his decision, says Essam, 28. With many firms freezing investments and shedding jobs, his salaried post no longer looked as stable.

"I felt the current situation might not continue after the Revolution. Most of the old companies will not make it in the new era," he said.

But the euphoria of the Revolution was also a factor. With the end of 30 years of rule by Mubarak, during which much of Egypt's economy was dominated by state-run companies and businessmen linked to the Mubarak regime, Essam thinks hard work and commercial vision have a greater chance of succeeding.

"People had lost hope -- you would walk along the street and nothing was yours, nothing was under your control. The Revolution created a feeling that people can change the world for the better."

In a 1920s apartment building across the street from the Giza Zoo outside Cairo, Essam now works 15-hour days to develop an application which rearranges social network feeds such as Facebook and Twitter according to their relevance to the user. He hopes the application will be used not just in Egypt or other Arab countries but around the world.

FLOWERING

A year after Mubarak's ouster, economic conditions in Egypt remain grim. The risk of a currency devaluation, and continued uncertainty over how much power the military is willing to hand over to a democratic government, are deterring new projects by many large businesses, including foreign investors.

Unemployment officially stands at 11.8 percent, according to the latest data from the second quarter of 2011, but this figure understates the problem as it does not include people struggling in part-time jobs outside the formal economy. Economists estimate unemployment among young people at around 25 percent.

At the same time, the new political landscape is encouraging a flowering of entrepreneurial activity among some Egyptians. Around the country, thousands of young people are developing ventures based on original business ideas or laying plans to do so -- efforts that could, if they prove successful, eventually help to solve Egypt's unemployment problem.

There are no comprehensive statistics for the number of new ventures but Abdelrahman Magdy, chief executive of Egypreneur, which helps entrepreneurs find the contacts and services they need, promotes their ideas and provides training, says the change in the past 12 months has been dramatic.

Before the Revolution, Egypreneur had between 2,000 and 3,000 followers on Twitter; now it has about 20,000, Magdy said. The number of public conferences for entrepreneurs in Egypt's big cities has increased eightfold, he estimated.

As in Essam's case, there is a push factor behind the growth of entrepreneurship: seeking a long-term job in a government bureaucracy or a big corporation, traditional avenues for educated Egyptian youths, no longer seems as possible or as attractive with the government in disarray and the economy sagging.

But many entrepreneurs say the Revolution has also been a pull factor for young people: the protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square showed how, through cooperation and planning, it was possible to beat the established system.

Egypt had entrepreneurs and a growing information technology industry well before the Revolution, noted Ramez Mohamed, chief executive of Flat6Labs, a U.S.-style "startup accelerator" that was established last year to provide starting capital and support to ventures in their initial stage. But people's new sense of political empowerment is providing a boost, he said.

"The Revolution has affected the scene," he said. "People learned that they could set their hopes higher. They feel they can make it on their own, that anything is possible."

Many of the new entrepreneurs are focusing on software and information technology because those areas require relatively little capital, and in some cases because the anti-Mubarak protests, organized with the help of Facebook and Twitter, raised the profile of social media in Egypt.

But Magdy said he saw entrepreneurs operating in other areas too. One example is Mashaweer, a service which helps customers avoid the traffic in Egypt's gridlocked cities by running errands for them, from shopping and paying bills to arranging replacements for lost IDs.

With an average age of 26 among its staff, Mashaweer started in Alexandria in 2010 with three scooters and investment of 30,000 Egyptian pounds ($5,000). It launched in Cairo last month and now boasts 130 of its distinctive orange scooters, 15 cars and a speedboat. It aims eventually to operate airplanes.

Gilan Kamal, digital marketing manager at Mashaweer, said poor business conditions did not deter the firm's expansion as its cost base was lower in a sluggish economy. The political turmoil "motivates us because we want people in our generation to see how it is possible to increase productivity," she said.

OBSTACLES

There are big obstacles for entrepreneurs in Egypt. In the World Bank's annual 2012 rankings for ease of doing business, Egypt came 110th out of 183 economies: 21st for ease of starting a business, such as registering with the government and signing up to pay taxes, but 101st for obtaining electricity, 147th for enforcing contracts and 154th for handling construction permits.

"The pieces for the chess game are there. The board is not there yet," said Scott Gerber, a U.S.-based author who founded the Young Entrepreneur Council, a global group of entrepreneurs. He visited Egypt last year to meet businessmen and investors.

Egypt badly needs legal reforms -- "the tax laws are all over the place" -- as well as government support for entrepreneurs in areas such as public-private partnerships; "the banking system needs a complete overhaul" to prepare it to lend to smaller enterprises, Gerber said.

With Egypt's new, democratically elected parliament likely to remain distracted for months by political maneuvering and macroeconomic challenges such as coping with the state's budget deficit, the obstacles to new ventures may not be removed any time soon.

Ahmed El Alfi, chairman of Sawari Ventures, which invests Egyptian and foreign money in local start-ups and helped to fund Flat6Labs, acknowledges the difficulties. But he says the strong tradition of teaching engineering and computer science skills at universities gives Egypt huge potential.

According to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Egypt's exports in that sector grew at an average annual rate of 37 percent between 2007 and 2010, hitting $1.1 billion in 2010. It aims for $2 billion in 2013.

El Alfi said Egypt, with a population of over 80 million, by far the largest in the Arab world, had a chance to become the main source of innovation in information technology for the region. Israel's IT industry took off after a few globally recognized successes with start-ups in the 1990s, he noted.

"Over 50 percent of the good tech services guys in the Arab world are in Egypt," said El Alfi, who left the country in 1966 and returned from the United States in 2006 to pursue business opportunities. "They just need a chance to do their stuff."

(Editing by Sami Aboudi)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120118/lf_nm_life/us_egypt_entrepreneurs

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