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sirgabrial

Compiler - Wired Blogs - 0 views

blog.wired.com/...nbc-universal-d.html

show_9

shared by sirgabrial on 02 Sep 07 - Cached
  • NBC Universal Drops ITunes Downloads After Apple Refuses To Raise Prices
  • NBC Universal has decided not to renew its contract with Apple. Come December, popular NBC shows like Battlestar Galactica and The Office will no longer be available via the iTunes Store. NBC is currently the number one supplier of digital videos to the iTunes Store, accounting for more than 40 percent of downloads.
    • sirgabrial
      sirgabrial on 02 Sep 07
       
      *do you think this might cause other companies to do the same?
  • The NBC announcement follows an earlier decision by Universal music to also shun the iTunes Store when it made the move to DRM-free music sales. According to The New York Times, NBC is unhappy with the iTunes price structure and wants to offer bundled deals and increase prices, i.e. buy a movie you want and get a free TV show you don’t care about. For some reason, NBC believes bundles are what consumers really want.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Universal and Apple still have 90 days to work out their differences, but with the upcoming release of Hulu, NBC Universal's own stab at online television (in partnership with Fox) it seems unlikely that NBC will change its mind.
  • Apple has come out swinging with a press release that says the deal between the companies fell through after “Apple declined to pay more than double the wholesale price for each NBC TV episode, which would have resulted in the retail price to consumers increasing to $4.99 per episode from the current $1.99.
  • ABC, CBS, FOX and and some 50 cable networks will continue to offer downloads through iTunes at $1.99 per episode.
sirgabrial

Schwarzenegger pushes universal health care for California - 0 views

www.physorg.com/news107861978.html

show_9

shared by sirgabrial on 02 Sep 07 - Cached
  • Schwarzenegger pushes universal health care for California
  • Republican California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday spoke in favor of his plan to provide universal health care for all state residents, where he said some 6.7 million people live with no type of health insurance.
  • "Our health care system is broken, and the people expect us to fix it, and this is exactly what I'm trying to do," said Schwarzenegger
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Schwarzenegger is proposing a system that would be financed by employers, hospitals and the government.
  • In the United States health care needs are covered by employers, and those without jobs must pay a steep price to keep their health coverage or rely on the slow service at the emergency rooms of public hospitals.
  • Every business with more than 10 employees will be ordered to provide health care for their workers, or pay into the state health care system.
chasejw

IBM learns how to steer single atoms - USATODAY.com - 0 views

www.usatoday.com/...07-08-31-ibm-moves-atoms_N.htm

shared by chasejw on 02 Sep 07 - Cached
  • CHICAGO — Imagine cramming 30,000 full-length movies into a gadget the size of an iPod.
  • Scientists at IBM said Thursday they had moved closer to such a feat by learning how to steer single atoms in a way that could create building blocks for ultra-tiny storage devices.
  • known as magnetic anisotropy
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • said Cyrus Hirjibehedin, a scientist at IBM's Almaden Research Center in San Jose, California
  • "If you can keep that magnetic orientation stable over time, then you can use that to store information. That is how your hard drive works,"
  • Understanding and manipulating the behavior of atoms is critical to harnessing the power of nanotechnology, which deals with particles tens of thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair. "One of the most basic properties that every atom has is that it behaves like a little magnet,"
  • BM colleagues in Zurich, Switzerland, meanwhile, have stumbled on a way to manipulate molecules to switch on and off, a basic function needed in computer logic
  • Heinrich, who is familiar with the work, said the discovery is especially important because the switching action did not alter the framework of the molecule
  • Switches inside computer chips work like a light switch, turning on and off the flow of electrons that ultimately make up the electrical circuits of computer processors.
  • Molecular switches could be used to store information and would lead to super-fast, super-tiny computer chips.
chasejw

Germany wants to spy on suspects via Web - USATODAY.com - 0 views

www.usatoday.com/...31-germany-trojan-horses_N.htm

shared by chasejw on 02 Sep 07 - Cached
  • BERLIN — German officials on Friday defended a proposal to use "Trojan horse" software to secretly monitor potential terror suspects' hard drives, amid fierce debate over whether the measures violate civil liberties.
  • Carried in e-mails that appear to come from other government offices, the software would allow authorities to investigate suspects' Internet use and the data stored on their hard drives without their knowledge.
  • Use of the government-produced technology for spying on terror suspects "will cover a serious and scandalous hole in our information that has arisen through technical changes in recent years,
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • Germany's Federal Court of Justice
  • argued that the legal reasoning used to allow telephone surveillance and other electronic eavesdropping techniques should also be applied to evidence gathering over the Internet.
chasejw

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Sussex | Bearded wonders go head to head - 0 views

news.bbc.co.uk/...6972315.stm

shared by chasejw on 02 Sep 07 - Cached
  • Bearded wonders go head to head
  • Some of the world's most hirsute faces have gathered on the English south coast to see who has the fullest beard or the most stylish moustache.
  • World Beard and Moustache Championships in Brighton.
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • being hosted by The Handlebar Club which was set up
  • 60 years ago in a London theatre.
  • Categories include Dali moustache, goatee and full beard freestyle.
  • he contest's aim is to "encourage and celebrate standards of excellence in the growth, design and presentation of facial hair"
chasejw

» Are Mac users smug and arrogant? | The Apple Core | ZDNet.com - 0 views

blogs.zdnet.com/Apple

shared by chasejw on 02 Sep 07 - Cached
  • Are Mac users smug and arrogant?
  • I’ve found that Mac users can’t wait to use their machines (when they get home from work for example) whereas Windows users can’t wait to get away from their computers because they associate them with work.
  • The hoodie-wearing “I’m a Mac” guy (played by Justin Long, right) is only too happy to put down the “I’m a PC” guy (journo-humorist John Hodgman). Perhaps it’s Apple’s portrayal of Hodgman as a dim-witted nincompoop
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Perhaps if Apple used a spokesperson that was more humble and self-deprecating Windows users would be less offended.
chasejw

Want a job? Go West, where ads unanswered - Stocks & Economy - MSNBC.com - 0 views

www.msnbc.msn.com/20427902

shared by chasejw on 02 Sep 07 - Cached
  • Want a job? Go West, where ads unansweredRecord low unemployment has created tough conditions for businesses
  • The owner of a fast food joint in Montana’s booming oil patch found himself outsourcing the drive-thru window to a Texas telemarketing firm, not because it’s cheaper but because he can’t find workers.
  • HELENA, Mont.
  • ...11 more annotations...
  • John Francis, who owns the McDonald’s in Sidney, Mont., said he tried advertising in the local newspaper and even offered up to $10 an hour to compete with higher-paying oil field jobs.
  • “I don’t know what the answer is,” Francis said. “There’s just nobody around that wants to work.”
  • Unemployment rates have been as low as 2 percent this year in places like Montana, and nearly as low in neighboring states.
  • The state approached double-digit unemployment levels in the 1980s and began the slow crawl back in the early 1990s.
  • The U.S. Department of Labor reports the mountain West region — covering eight states along the Rocky Mountains — has the lowest overall unemployment rate in the nation. The region hit an all-time low of 3.4 percent in May.
  • The effects are everywhere. Logging equipment in Idaho sits idle as companies have a tough time finding workers. A shortage of lifeguards has forced Helena to shorten hours at children-only pools. A local paper in Jackson, Wyo., has page after page of help wanted ads.
  • Established baby boomers, including retirees, have been moving into Montana for the mountain views and recreation, bringing with them money for new homes that fuel construction job growth,
  • Montana wages have historically been among the lowest in the country, and still rank near the bottom.
  • Now, workers with more options in some places are unwilling to take $12-an-hour jobs.
  • The problem could get worse as more baby boomers retire, Swanson said. By 2030, Montana and Wyoming are predicted to have among the oldest populations in the U.S., with about 26 percent of residents 65 and older,
  • til 2012, bu
sirgabrial

$7.6 billion expected for New Orleans levees - USATODAY.com - 0 views

www.usatoday.com/...2007-08-23-new-orleans_N.htm

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shared by sirgabrial on 25 Aug 07 - Cached
  • State officials project Louisiana's portion would be about $2.6 billion, though, based on a historic 65-35% cost-share.
  • Gov. Kathleen Blanco and Louisiana Congress members said the president is expected to submit the request to Congress in February to upgrade the levees to protect against a 100-year flood.
  • State officials say the Bush administration will propose $7.6 billion for improving New Orleans levees next year, but Louisiana might not be able to afford its share.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • $7.6 billion expected for New Orleans levees
  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has sufficient funding to make repairs and improvements until fiscal year 2009
    • sirgabrial
      sirgabrial on 25 Aug 07
       
      *do you think that we should be repairing these even though they are living in an area that is WAY below sea level? *it raises insurance rates *the state of Louisiana should pay for all of it
sirgabrial

Format War: HD DVD Paid $150 million to Studios for "Promotional Consideration" - Gizmodo - 0 views

gizmodo.com/...ional-consideration-291491.php

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shared by sirgabrial on 25 Aug 07 - Cached
  • The reason we made this decision is simple. After a year of fully experiencing and exploring both formats, we decided to exclusively support HD DVD because of the quality, value and potential the format offers. Beyond that, whenever we conduct co-marketing, production deals or other agreements, we never discuss business terms.
  • "Whenever we conduct co-marketing, production deals or other agreements, we never discuss business terms."
  • HD DVD camp paid Paramount $50 million and DreamWorks Animation $100 million for "promotional consideration.
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • Paramount and Dreamworks went HD DVD exclusive
  • little green friends
    • sirgabrial
      sirgabrial on 25 Aug 07
       
      i liked blue ray tech
      *it is more expensive at this point
      *kinda like the ps3

  • HD DVD Paid $150 million to Studios for "Promotional Consideration"
  • Sony and Team Blu-ray,
sirgabrial

Scientists: Artificial life likely in 3 to 10 years - CNN.com - 0 views

www.cnn.com/...index.html

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shared by sirgabrial on 25 Aug 07 - Cached
  • Scientists: Artificial life likely in 3 to 10 years
  • Experts expect an announcement within three to 10 years from someone in the now little-known field of "wet artificial life."
  • That first cell of synthetic life -- made from the basic chemicals in DNA -- may not seem like much to non-scientists.
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • several scientists believe man-made life forms will one day offer the potential for solving a variety of problems, from fighting diseases to locking up greenhouse gases to eating toxic waste.
  • A container, or membrane, for the cell to keep bad molecules out, allow good ones, and the ability to multiply.
  • A genetic system that controls the functions of the cell, enabling it to reproduce and mutate in response to environmental changes.
  • A metabolism that extracts raw materials from the environment as food and then changes it into energy.
  • "When these things are created, they're going to be so weak, it'll be a huge achievement if you can keep them alive for an hour in the lab,"
sirgabrial

YouTube videos to carry 'overlay' ads - CNN.com - 0 views

www.cnn.com/...index.html

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shared by sirgabrial on 25 Aug 07 - Cached
  • YouTube videos to carry 'overlay' ads
  • Starting Wednesday, the popular video-sharing site plans to feature semitransparent "overlay" ads at the bottom of selected video clips.
  • The ad disappears after about 10 seconds if the viewer does nothing; the featured clip automatically pauses if the viewer clicks on the overlay to launch the full pitch.
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • YouTube said it was trying to avoid pre-rolls that precede the main feature at sites like Microsoft Corp.'s MSN
  • internal tests show more than 70 percent of people give up when they see a pre-roll. By contrast, less than 10 percent decide to close an overlay, which they can exit by clicking on an "X" in a corner.
  • The overlay format also gives advertisers more flexibility, he said, because they aren't constrained to keeping a video ad at 15 or 30 seconds to avoid defection.
  • YouTube, which Google Inc. bought last year for $1.76 billion
    • sirgabrial
      sirgabrial on 25 Aug 07
       
      *I don't see this as a big deal *it's their company and if they want to put ads on the videos let em *if ppl don't like this then people aren't going to go to the site
  • YouTube generated about $15 million in revenue last year
  • $20 per thousand viewers
sirgabrial

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Pet camel kills Australian woman - 0 views

news.bbc.co.uk/...6954728.stm

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shared by sirgabrial on 25 Aug 07 - Cached
  • A woman in Australia has been killed by her pet camel after the animal may have tried to have sex with her.
  • Pet camel kills Australian woman
  • The woman was found dead at the family's sheep and cattle ranch near the town of Mitchell in Queensland.
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • The woman had been given the camel as a 60th birthday present earlier this year because of her love of exotic pets.
  • 10 months old
  • weighed 152kg (336lbs)
  • It knocked her to the ground, lay on top of her and displayed what the police delicately described as possible mating behaviour.
  • Young camels are not normally aggressive but can become more threatening if treated and raised as pets.
sirgabrial

Advertising: Study Shows Fast Food Zombies Are Made At An Early Age - Consumerist - 0 views

consumerist.com/...ade-at-an-early-age-286588.php

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shared by sirgabrial on 11 Aug 07 - Cached
  • Study Shows Fast Food Zombies Are Made At An Early Age
  • A new study is reporting that very young children are highly susceptible to the daily onslaught of branded fast food advertising: "most 3- and 5-year-olds who taste-tested a variety of foods said they preferred the ones in the McDonald's wrapper -- even though the foods were exactly the same."
  • It didn't matter whether the food was a chicken nugget from Mickey D's or carrots and milk from the supermarket--when they were presented in branded McDonald's packaging, the kids thought they tasted better.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • The study also mentions that more than half the children in the study have TVs in their bedrooms, more than three-quarters have McDonald's toys at home, and one-third ate at McDonald's more than once a week. >
sirgabrial

RIAA faces possible class action over suing the innocent - 0 views

arstechnica.com/...s-first-class-action-suit.html

shared by sirgabrial on 17 Aug 07 - Cached
  • RIAA faces possible class action over suing the innocent
  • RIAA learned that its aggressive litigation tactics have placed it on the receiving end of a class action lawsuit.
  • After the case was dismissed, Andersen then sued the RIAA for malicious prosecution, and her attorney filed court documents in an Oregon federal court on Wednesday that seek to elevate the case to class action status.
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • Throughout the court battle, she maintained her total innocence, a claim given even more plausibility by the fact that she was charged with downloading numerous gangsta rap tracks.
  • Single mom Tanya Andersen, a defendant in a previous lawsuit brought by the RIAA, was one of the first to have her case dismissed with prejudice (it cannot be refiled at a later date).
  • "who were sued or were threatened with sued by Defendants for file-sharing, downloading or other similar activities, who have not actually engaged in actual copyright infringement."
  • Andersen alleges that the RIAA "has engaged in a coordinated enterprise to pursue a scheme of threatening and intimidating litigation in an attempt to maintain its music distribution monopoly."
  • claims against the RIAA have been tried by other defendants
  • first time that a judge has been asked to consolidate such lawsuits into a class action.
sirgabrial

BBC NEWS | Technology | Wikipedia 'shows CIA page edits' - 0 views

news.bbc.co.uk/...6947532.stm

shared by sirgabrial on 17 Aug 07 - Cached
  • Wikipedia 'shows CIA page edits'
  • An online tool that claims to reveal the identity of organisations that edit Wikipedia pages has revealed that the CIA was involved in editing entries.
  • It also purportedly shows that the Vatican has edited entries about Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams.
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • Wikipedia Scanner allegedly shows that workers on the agency's computers made edits to the page of Iran's president.
  • The tool, developed by US researchers, trawls a list of 5.3m edits and matches them to the net address of the editor.
  • include tweaks to the profile of former CIA chief Porter Goss and celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey.
  • The CIA has a vital mission in protecting the United States, and the focus of this agency is there, on that decisive work."
  • October 2005
  • Walden O'Dell, chief executive of the company, which revealed that he had been "a top fund-raiser" for George Bush.
sirgabrial

Couple tried to name baby @ | Oddly Enough | Reuters - 0 views

www.reuters.com/...idUSPEK36827920070816

shared by sirgabrial on 17 Aug 07 - Cached
  • Couple tried to name baby "@"
  • A Chinese couple tried to name their baby "@," claiming the character used in e-mail addresses echoed their love for the child
  • The unusual name stands out especially in Chinese, which has no alphabet and instead uses tens of thousands of multi-stroke characters to represent words.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • "The whole world uses it to write e-mail, and translated into Chinese it means 'love him'," the father explained
  • While "@" is familiar to Chinese e-mail users, they often use the English word "at" to sound it out -- which with a drawn out "T" sounds something like "ai ta," or "love him," to Mandarin speakers.
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