2011

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Italian Government Slaps Apple with $1.2 Million Fine

Apple has been hit with quite a hefty fine from a somewhat surprising place today, Italy. That's right, on December 27, 2011 the country of Italy fined the tech giant 900,000 euros, or roughly $1.2 million, for allegedly encouraging its customers to sign up for AppleCare, the official tech support of the company, without informing them that they would receive two years of free support after purchasing the service.

Reuters reported that Italy requires every company that does business in the country to offer two full years of absolutely free technical support to any and all Italian customers. AppleCare is an important after-purchase revenue generator for the company. Apple offers this protection service on every single one of its products, from iPads and iPhones to MacBooks and Apple All-in-Ones, though prices vary depending on which device you get the service for. Naturally getting tech support on your iPhone should cost a little less than getting it on your MacBook Air.

Towards the beginning of this year, Apple updated its iPhone plan. The all new AppleCare+ gives customers extended warranties and technical support for as long as two years. In addition to this, the new AppleCare+ also includes repairs on two incidents of accidental damage as opposed to the previous single repair offered. The service itself will cost iPhone users $99.

In addition to AppleCare+ for the iPhone, another AppleCare package for the iMac will run customers $169 with the MacBook Pro option costing $349. The cheapest service is for the iPod Touch, costing only $59.

Apple has yet to release any official statement on the fine by the Italian Government and there is no way of knowing if it will ask employees in Italian Apple stores to make it clear to customers that their products are covered for two years. However, this fine will barely scrape the top of Apple's revenue pile as the company has tens of billions of dollars just lining the walls of their headquarter's bathrooms for decoration.

Components Of A Server Computer

Server Computer

Computer Science

Source: CNET - Italy fines Apple $1.2 million over AppleCare practices

Thursday, December 15, 2011

New Features for Google Chrome v16

Google Chrome was just updated and the newest version brings an option to print any webpage using Cloud Print and multiple profile support for users who are on one computer to maintain separate settings. These new additions will become available with version 16 for Windows, Mac and Linux users when it is released.

Launching back in January, Google Cloud Print allows you to print to your home or office printer from almost any web-enabled device, though it was restricted to webpages with special Cloud Print buttons and specific Google apps like Docs or desktop apps like Cloud Print for Mac. With the new update any user can use Google Chrome to print to a Cloud Print-ready printer or computer acting as a Cloud Storage Print server.

Using Cloud Print is also very easy. All you have to do is select Print from Chrome's menu options under the wrench icon. This will take you to a print preview page where you can select "Print with Google Cloud Print" from the "Destination" dropdown menu on the left. Then select "Print" at the top of the print dialogue when you're good to go.

Another addition to the update is multiple profiles. Multiple profiles started appearing in Chrome's beta channel back in November as a way for multiple users to keep their bookmarks, Web apps and other settings separate. This can be particularly useful if you have more than one user trying to use the household computer but you can't be bothered to switch user profiles using the operating system of your computer.

In order to get started with Chrome's multiple profiles, click on Chrome's wrench icon and select "Preferences" to open the browser's settings page in a new tab. After that, click "Personal Stuff" on the left side of the screen. If that is too much work, you can always just type in "chrome://settings/personal" in an empty browser tab.

Once you do this, select "Users" and then "Add New User." A new browser tab will appear with a blank profile on it that has some generic name and one of Chrome's avatars. The active user's avatar will appear in the upper right corner of the Chrome browser for Mac users and the upper left corner for Windows users. In addition to that, you can edit each profile's username and avatar at "chrome://settings/personal".

Each user also has the ability to sign in separately to their Google account to sync Chrome settings stored online. This is useful if you want access to your Chrome settings on a PC that isn't yours. Just make sure you erase your profile on any computer that isn't yours because Chrome profiles are not secure and they don't have any password protection options so anyone using the same PC as you will have access to your browser settings.

Source: PC World - Google Chrome Adds Cloud Print Option, Multiple Profile Support

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Updated

Microsoft has just updated its Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 and posted a service pack with a plethora of new features and bug fixes according to a statement released by the company on Monday. The new features to Microsoft Exchange Service Pack 2 were designed based on feedback from customers, Microsoft said, and they reflect the expanding use of enterprise email, scheduling and associated functions across a wide range of devices and deployment scenarios.

One of the new features, known as Outlook Web Application (OWA) Mini, offers the user the ability to browse mailboxes and global address lists from low bandwidth and low resolution devices. This type of mini-internet browser can, in addition, be used as an alternative to synchronizing all Exchange data with the actual phone or mobile device, which can sometimes be prohibitive.

Another new feature allows administrators to segment enterprise global address lists (GAL) into smaller segments. By doing this, it allows administrators to create virtual groups. Previous versions of Microsoft Exchange also had this ability but this is the first time Exchange 2010 offers it in a way that doesn't require manual intervention from administrators.

In addition to these new features, the update includes the Hybrid Configuration Wizard designed for organizations wishing to deploy some mail accounts on Microsoft Office 365 and keep others on their internal systems. The wizard simplifies the process of archiving data and sharing things like calendar entries and secure mail across both the hosted and internal mail accounts.

The update also permits cross-site silent redirection for OWA, which could provide the basis for single sign-on across the entire enterprise platform. With a feature like this, an Outlook Web Application client request could be automatically transferred from one Active Directory implementation to another. In addition to that, the service pack includes multiple bug fixes and collects other features introduced in Service Pack 1 which was released back in August 2010.

Source: Server Computer World - Microsoft updates Exchange 2010

Monday, December 5, 2011

Computer History Museum Opens New Online Exhibit Dedicated to Steve Jobs

In what is perhaps the biggest show of remembrance for him since his death, the Computer History Museum has just launched an online exhibit completely dedicated to former Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs. Jobs, as many of you know, passed away back in October, a great loss for Apple and the world.

The exhibit, known as "Steve Jobs: From Garage to World's Most Valuable Computer Company", features a plethora of photos and descriptions of objects from the museum's permanent collection. In addition to that, visitors will find vintage footage of Jobs from his younger years and Apple's humble beginnings.

One thing of particular interest in the exhibit is a 22 minute video of Jobs from 1980. In the video Jobs talks about the early days of Apple and, at one point, after citing some examples of how Apple computers were being used in agriculture and schools, Jobs confesses that he and co-founder Steve Wozniak "had absolutely no idea what people were going to do with these things when we started out. As a matter of fact, the two people it was designed for was Woz and myself because we couldn't afford to buy a computer kit on the market."

In a statement from the Computer History Museum's Senior Curator Dag Spicer, "In Jobs' own words, we hear how luck as well as skill played big roles in Apple's founding. We also see how focused, articulate and convincing Jobs could be, even at this early stage."

The story also runs through Jobs' entire life via pictures and allows visitors to see historic documents like one of the newsletters of Jobs and Wozniak's famed Homebrew Computer Club. Visitors are also able to look through confidential memorandum outlining Apple's public offering plans, as well as its original business plan for the Macintosh.

There are quite of few gems in this little collection for you to look around at, especially if reading Steve Jobs' biography didn't fully satisfy you. I highly recommend checking it out if you are a fan of Apple, Jobs himself or simply the story of what two ambitious minds can accomplish.

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Limestone Neutralization Acid Rain

Source: PC World - Computer History Museum Launches Online Steve Jobs Exhibit

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Western Digital's Deal to Acquire Hitachi's HDD Business Approved

Western Digital has just secured conditional approval from the European Union's competition regulator to purchase Hitachi's hard disk drive business for a grand total of $4.3 billion. This was only made possible, however, after Western Digital agreed to sell several of its production operations.

Western Digital, which just so happens to be the world's second largest competitor in the hard disk drive (HDD) sector, and Hitachi, which just so happens to be the third largest, unveiled the deal back in March. The deal itself is aimed at giving the United States company a competitive edge in developing next-generation information storage technology.

This decision by the European Commission confirmed a story published last week by Reuters. According to European Union Commissioner Joaquin Almunia in a recent statement, "The proposed divestiture will ensure that competition in the industry is fully restored before the merger is implemented."

Western Digital PDA did promise to sell essential production assets for the manufacturer of 3.5" disc drives, including a production plant, according to the Commission, which cited reduced competition in the sector after Seagate Technology bought Samsung Electronics' hard disk drive business recently. In addition to that the company agreed to transfer or license intellectual property rights to the business to be sold off. What's more is that Western Digital will also transfer staff and the supply of HDD components to the unit.

Western Digital is unable to complete the deal until it finds an appropriate buyer for the unit, which will then need to be approved by the regulator, according to the commission. If Western Digital is unable to find a suitable buyer, it stands to reason that this deal, although approved, will never actually come to fruition, which could be disappointing for both companies.

Source: Reuters - Western Digital cleared to buy Hitachi disk drive business

Friday, November 11, 2011

HDD Shortages to Spill Over into Q1 2012

Considering operations are disrupted at over a dozen hard disk drive (HDD) factories thanks to flooding in Thailand, PC manufacturers should begin preparing for significant supply shortages according to market research firm IDC. Worldwide HDD shipments could suffer almost a 20% decline starting in the middle of this month that could extend far into the first quarter of 2012 according to the firm.

Thailand accounts for somewhere between 40% and 45% of HDD production in the entire world. As of early November, almost half of Thailand's production was directly affected by flooding. Even though production at some factories was halted as a result of flooding, the industry also faces work stoppages due to poor access and power outages. The full extent of the damage to the industry will not be known until all the floodwaters recede, even though it is already clear that there will be supply shortages into the first quarter of 2012 according to IDC.

Research Vice President at IDC John Rydning stated earlier in the month that hard drive manufacturers will favor their high-margin products used in enterprise servers and storage systems. "But the HDD vendors can't neglect their smaller customers, whose business will continue to be important once capacity is fully restored." Prices for HDDs have already started to increase rapidly in some cases, some by more than 30%.

IDC noted that the industry should be able to restore drive production quickly once the waters recede, though today's shortages will continue to constrain supply for an extended period. Hard drive prices should stabilize by next June, according to IDC, and the industry should be back to normal by the second half of 2012. IDC also says that the decline in total shipments for the fourth quarter is expected to be "less than 10%" due to the fact that a large chunk of PC shipments have already taken place for this quarter.

Worst-case scenarios put the total loss for the first quarter of 2012 at around 20% though IDC said that there are opportunities for larger PC vendors to capture enterprise accounts from smaller competitors and accelerate industry consolidation, more specifically in faster growth markets.

According to Program Vice President for IDC's Worldwide Consumer Device Trackers Loren Loverade, "The HDD shortage will affect smaller PC vendors and lower-priced products most, including mini-notebooks, emerging markets and entry-level consumer PCs. However, even the largest vendors are expected to face HDD shortages, particularly for portable PCs where the market is more consolidated. Nevertheless, the shortage will relieve some pressure on pricing and margins and present some opportunities for strategic share gains among the larger players."

Source: Computer Network World - PC makers should 'brace' for drive shortages

Monday, October 24, 2011

Will March 2012 Give Us the iPad 3?

I wrote recently abut the iPad getting a possible discounted release and a new name (iPad Mini?) in the early part of 2012. While that was sure to spark the interests of iPad and tablet users a little bit, a new report should make that excitement grow exponentially.

According to a report from Macotakara, which cited "a reliable Asian source", the next generation iPad is being rushed into production thanks to Chinese New Year celebrations lasting from January 22nd through the 28th. Factories in China are all gearing up to produce the iPad 3 by the end of January 2012.

Assuming that the source is reliable (An unreliable source on the internet test speed? I don't believe it...), the new iPad is said to include a redesigned dock connector that features the same number of pins but in a smaller shape than the one the current iPad uses. If this is true, the new connector could pose a serious problem with existing products that plug into the dock.

In addition to the new connector, the tablet's screen will also remain the same size, even though the source didn't mention if Apple would increase it to Retina Display levels or continue on with the current resolution.

This report isn't the first, however, it joins a small number of previous iPad 3 rumors that have already surfaced. Different sites and sources have been in constant debate as to whether or not the new iPad would offer a 2,048 x 1,536 display. A move like that would give the tablet the same resolution as the current iPhone 4 and 4S as well as the iPod Touch 4G.

As far as a launch windows goes, you are probably looking at a March 2012 release date, especially considering the fact that Apple unveiled the original iPad in April of 2010 and the iPad 2 in March of 2011. Nevertheless, the Linley Group, a chip consulting firm, believes that Apple will outfit the iPad 3 with an A6 processor. This could also potentially push the launch back until June 2012 or later.

Source: CNET - iPad 3 could launch in March, with connector issues, report says

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Samsung Introduces New Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus

Samsung has just confirmed that another variation of its Samsung Galaxy Tab will be hitting stores soon. This new device, known as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, will begin selling on November 13, 2011 at many U.S. retailers for a surprisingly reasonable $399.99 according to a statement released by Samsung.

The 16GB tablet, complete with 7" screen, is focused more on home entertainment than business usage, coming complete with a Peel Smart Remote TV app that allows you to tap on the screen in order to quickly find and watch television shows on any manufacturer's TV or home entertainment system.

In addition to that, built-in infrared in the tablet allows you to control a home theater or television setup. The best part is that you don't need any extra cables or hardware, just what you already have in your living room and the tablet, in order to control the TV functions. The Peel remote app allows you to have full control over your TV or entertainment system regardless if it is Samsung brand or not.

Aside from controlling your DVD player, Blu-Ray player, set-top box or TV, the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus will also connect to Facebook and Twitter allowing you to share information about what is being watched. According to Chief Experience Officer for Peel Greg Lindley, "Peel's vision is eliminating the barriers between you and your favorite shows."

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus runs on a 1.2GHz dual-core processor as well as Android 3.2 Honeycomb for an operating system. The device is also only .39" thick and only weighs 12.1 ounces.

Samsung has a plethora of tablets that come with either WiFi only or WiFi and 3G/4G connectivity. According to the website, the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus features both cellular and WiFi capabilities though Samsung has yet to announce which U.S. wireless carriers will support the tablet.

The original Galaxy Tab ran on Android 2.2 and upgraded to 2.3 back in May. It too had a 7" touch screen but was slightly larger and heavier and only came with a 1GHz processor. Sales of the Samsung Galaxy Tab Plus will begin on November 13 nationwide at Best Buy, Amazon, tiger Direct, Fry's and other outlets with pre-orders becoming available on October 23.

How Edit Pdf

Insomnia - Solution for Better Night Sleep

Breast Cancer Staging

Source: Computer World - Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus to ship Nov. 13 for $400

Friday, October 14, 2011

Toshiba Introduces Tiny Enterprise Hard Drives

Toshiba's Storage Products Business Unit has just announced a high-capacity 2.5" high-performance enterprise-class drive. Known as the Toshiba MK01GRRB/R series, this drive supports the exacting requirements for compute-intensive environments witha 15,000 RPM spin speed, a 6Gb/s SAS interface and a maximum capacity of 300GB1. In addition to that, this drive also offers drive-based encryption in order to help companies manage data security.

According to Vice President of Marketing at Toshiba's Storage Products Business Unit Joel Hagberg, "Enterprise customers are increasingly satisfying their performance and capacity needs with power efficient small form factor drives. Enterprise drives with the latest self-encryption features are helping data centers to more cost-effectively achieve compliance with information security mandates. Toshiba small form factor enterprise drives deliver the performance, capacity and security features IT administrators require for today's mission critical server storage and cloud appliance markets."

The third-generation 2.5-inch 15,000 RPM enterprise drives leverage an enhanced power condition state that reduces the spin of your hard drive in idle states. In addition to that, it also significantly lowers power consumption which also means lower heat dissipation, increasing system stability and less energy usage. As a part of Toshiba's commitment to improved security, this drive also features self-encryption technology that is designed for the Trusted Computing Group "Enterprise SSC" specification.

According to John Rydning, IDC's Research Vice President for Hard Disk Drives, "Increasing the capacity of the 2.5-inch enterprise class HDDs is expanding the market opportunity for this form factor given its inherent power and data density advantages as compared to 3.5-inch models. Toshiba's new MK01GRRB/R series drives give server and storage system customers the capacity they want with the performance they need, as well as the ability to secure data on the drive with Toshiba's SED technology option." Shipments of the Toshiba MK01GRRB/R Series are scheduled to begin in volume in Q1 2012.

Source: Engadget - Toshiba introduces tine enterprise hard disk drive with big speed and big cloud storage

Monday, October 10, 2011

London 2012: Powered By Acer

We have known for

some time that the London 2012 Olympics will be in part powered by Acer. What we are just now finding out is the details on how they are going to supply the athletes, in house functions and guard stations. It looks like Acer will be providing some 11,000 computers to be used next summer, as well as providing the scanners that the security gates are using. This should provide a big boost to the Acer name and the company as a whole.

A more recent report is showing that Acer will be providing around 10,000 desktop PC’s, another 1,000 laptops, and a little under a thousand servers. Acer will be sticking with their Veriton L670Gs, which is not exactly a powerhouse computer by any means. At the highest tier these PC’s only come with Windows Vista (which will be loaded for the games), Intel’s Core 2 Quad, 4 GB of DDR2, and a serial ATA. The laptops, on the other hand, are their TravelMate 6593Gs running Windows 7 but still stuck with the dual core chips. Sure Usain Bolt can run 100 meters in 9.58, but the technology he is using is from 2007.

It is also worth mentioning that Acer will be sporting anywhere from 300 to 400 employees on staff to help with all technical issues. Among those staff members only a small margin of them (3% or less) will be from outside of Britain, but most are extremely well trained, with a majority even working on the Vancouver 2010 games.

Good luck, fellow techies working the games, good luck.

Sources:

Itpro.co.uk - Going for Gold - IT at the London Olympics

Theregister.co.uk - London 2012 Olympics: 17000 athletes, 11000 computers

Acer - TravelMate 6593 Series Quick Guide – PDF

Acer – Veriton L670 Series Quick Guide – PDF

Monday, October 3, 2011

Napster to be Acquired by Rhapsody

One of the oldest internet subscription music services on the web, Rhapsody, has finally, and officially, acquired Napster subscribers as well as a host of other assets from Best Buy. However, Best Buy will retain a minority stake in Rhapsody according to a joint statement from both companies.

The acquisition is expected to close on November 30 according to the companies. Best Buy is unloading a music service that really struggled before being acquired by Rhapsody and seemingly disappeared afterwards. Financial terms of the deal have not officially been released though it does not appear that Best Buy's investment in Napster has paid off.

The electronics retailer acquired a revamped version of Napster back in 2008 which allowed the company to officially enter into the online music sector. Napster started off as the pioneer file-sharing service back in the day. The service allowed users to share songs with each other via the internet. However, lawsuits filed by multiple recording companies nearly destroyed the company, eventually leading to the selling of the trademark and brand.

Three years ago Best Buy launched an all-cash tender offer for outstanding Napster shares priced at $2.65 per share; the full acquisition was valued at $121 million. That number represented a $54 million net of approximately $67 million in cash and short-term investments. Napster recognized that it had 700,000 members when Best Buy acquired the service though it is unclear as to how many the company has now.

Despite Napster's failure, Rhapsody appears to be years ahead of its time. Over the past ten years Rhapsody worked on getting consumers interested in subscription music services. Now the entire music industry is attempting to make that business model work.

Rhapsody was owned, in part, by RealNetworks and Viacom, though those companies spun off the service back in April 2010. Since then, managers for Rhapsody have been trying to prevent upstart "all-you-can-eat" services from taking all the credit. Spotify, MOG and some other digital music services are just some of the many services that charge a monthly fee for premium services, just like Rhapsody.

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Web Hosting Dedicated Server

Source: CNET - Rhapsody to acquire Napster (scoop)

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Mozilla Debating a 5-Week Release Schedule for Firefox

I think it is safe to say that the new six week rapid release cycle for Mozilla Firefox internet browser has drawn a lot of controversy since it was announced and put into effect. However, it seems as if Mozilla likes the negative press because it seems as if there could be more to come from this rapid release cycle.

In a recent thread noticed on a developer mailing list, anybody and everybody involved in the effort has been debating the possibility of shortening the cycle even more. These developers are considering shortening the already short six week cycle to a five week cycle or even shorter than that.

According to Mozilla Software Companies Engineer Josh Aas, "Our transition to releasing every six weeks went really well. We're getting fixes to users much more quickly than we used to, but can we get fixes to users even faster? Moving to a five week cycle would mean a fix going into mozilla-central would get to users three weeks faster."

So shortening the short cycle that people are already complaining about sounds like a good idea? To Aas it does. "That's a big deal," Aas added. "It's an upgrade in responsiveness that we can't afford not to pass on if we can pull it off. I suspect the only way to know if we can do it is to try - we can always back off if it doesn't work out."

However, not everybody is objecting to the idea of shortening the cycle. Firefox Release Manager Christian Legnitto stated, "Yes, I absolutely think in the future we will shorten the cycle--but it won't be soon. We have some work to do to make six weeks smooth from a process, tool and product side. When we get six weeks down to a science, we can shorten as needed."

New Internet Download Manager Final

Jellyfish Fish Attack CWP

Eid Adha Sms

Source: PC World - Mozilla Mulls a 5-Week Firefox Release Cycle

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Selecting the Right Mortgage

Choosing the right mortgage is something very crucial, because with so many home loan and mortgage choices open in the market of real estate, you require confirming the right mortgage is suitable for your requirements. In order to confirm that you walk away fulfilled with your mortgage you must do a profound research and must obtain as much information as possible.

The tips mentioned below can assist you in choosing the right mortgage:

Initially while choosing the mortgage, check your current financial condition and estimate the condition of your future financial status too.

Calculate number of days you are planning to stay in the home and check out if you are not feeling uneasy with mortgage payments that keeps changing according to the market.

Following this, determine how much can you expect from the lender by contacting a mortgage calculator. Since, mortgage calculators will give you a brief idea about the working of financial organization, it is very important that you consider in living expenditure, insurance,

Because mortgage calculators give a common outline of how much a financial organization will loan you, it is vital that you also factor in living expenses, insurance, upholding and any other debts you may have to reimburse to get a more conventional approximation of what you can afford to spend on a mortgage every month without any difficulty. This will assist ensure the right mortgage choice.

Confirm in advance about the amount of deposit you are going to make, to avoid hassles later. Usually, by depositing large amount on purchasing home you bring down the mortgage expenses and the interest percentage you are going to pay for the long period. If you are disbursing less than 20% of the expenses of your home then paying for mortgage insurance has to be taken into the account.

It is always suggested to do a little research before finalizing your decision. Through internet or through other information desks find out what different rated are for different types of mortgages. Different institutions offer diversified rates and schemes, it is good to shop around to look who is providing the best rates with the finest and easy repayment terms.

Purchasing a house can be both exciting and irresistible. By selecting the right mortgage you can keep yourself away from stress caused due to huge monetary decision that you may ever make in your life.

Which is the best life insurance?

We have already come to know about the impact of life insurances in our lives. The people today have become very conscious and as such, they are not willing to take any chance. People in the present day fear losses and as such, they do not wish to take or rather face risks. The advents of the insurance schemes have facilitated the people to reduce these risks to a considerable extent.
However, it is to be noted here that although you can minimize the losses and risks arising in your lives, you cannot completely avoid the losses or the risks. The risks are an inherent part of our lives and as such, they can never be avoided. However, many a times, we have been faced with a number of questions regarding the life insurances. The most frequently asked question with reference to the life insurances is that, which is the best life insurance? in other words, most of the people want to know which life insurance policy is the best.

Though the question seems quite simple but it is not. Always spent some time to choose which is the best life insurance or where should you invest. All the life insurances offer the same benefits to the insured, and as such, it becomes very difficult to take sides. However, still, it is always recommended that you go for those life insurance schemes, which promises to offer you the maximum return on your investments. Nevertheless, there are certain conditions that should be fulfilled by every life insurance scheme.

The principle of indemnity is not to be taken into account in the case of life insurances. The first condition to be fulfilled by the life insurance companies is that unlike other insurance policies, the life insurance policies must not be in accordance with the principle of indemnity. That is, in other words, the principle of indemnity is not being taken into account in the case of life insurances.

Second Wipe-Maker Issues Recall After Bacteria Detected

A second company that makes and distributes alcohol prep wipes to prevent infection has issued a large recall because of potential bacterial contamination. The firm shares a common supplier with a Wisconsin wipe-maker whose products have been blamed for illnesses and death, a spokeswoman said.

More

Obama's Fatal Conceit

Politico is out with a few excerpts from the new Ron Suskind book, Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President. Suskind is no economist (much less an Austrian). His poor economic understanding causes him to weave his story in odd directions, often ignoring time bombs he has dropped. (See my review of his book, The Price of Loyalty)

That said, he is good with facts and the inside scoop. They just need to be understood in better context. Here's an important Politico excerpt:

O]n February 14 [2011], the president meditated on the most important things he’d learned as president … ‘The area in my presidency where I think my management and understanding of the presidency evolved most, and where I think we made the most mistakes, was less on the policy front and more on the communications front. I think one of the criticisms that is absolutely legitimate about my first two years was that I was very comfortable with a technocratic approach to government … a series of problems to be solved. …Carter, Clinton and I all have sort of the disease of being policy wonks … I think that if you get too consumed with that you lose sight of the larger issue …

Tony Bennett On 9/11 Attacks: ‘They Flew The Plane In, But We Caused It’

American icon Tony Bennett took to the airwaves at Sirius Radio to promote his new album, “Duets II,” but it’s what he said about war, peace, terrorism, and who was to blame for the Sept. 11 terror attacks that could get people talking.

Sitting down with Howard Stern on Monday, the 85-year-old singer dodged questions about his sex life and prior drug use. He did so with a laugh, but matters about the U.S. military and 9/11 were fair game, and on these topics the Grammy winner held little back.

Buzz Aldrin’s New Flame 30 Years His Junior

After the scandal of a messy divorce, it appears that astronaut Buzz Aldrin is moving on with a woman 30 years his junior, and his ex-wife of 23 years is calling the woman a “predator.”

Aldrin is reportedly dating Michelle Sucillon, 51, a former senior event marketing manager for Borders. Sucillon oversaw West Coast events, including author appearances, where she met Aldrin, according to the New York Post.

ADHD Meds Delay Puberty in Boys, Study Suggests

A medication taken by millions of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may delay puberty, at least temporarily, according to a new study in animals.

High doses of the drug methylphenidate — the active ingredient in Ritalin and other ADHD medications — reduced testes size and delayed descent of the testes in male monkeys younger than 5 years old, compared with monkeys not given the drug. The drug also reduced their testosterone levels at both low and high doses.

Music Fan Owes $675,000 for Illegal Downloads, Court Rules

Enjoy that song: It'll cost you.
In 2009, a Boston jury downgraded a ruling against Joel Tenenbaum for illegally downloading music files from $675,000 to just $67,500, deeming the original penalty "unconstitutionally excessive."
Not so fast, an appeals court has ruled.
On Friday, following pleas for further leniency from Tenenbaum and indignant filings from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), a federal appeals court revisited the ruling -- and decided Tenenbaum ought to pay.

San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Controversially Made in China

When it was built in 1936, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge was a Depression-era project that put scores of Americans to work. When its $6.3 billion replacement opens in two years, it will be an international affair from the bottom up, an example of massive outsourcing that has drawn both praise and criticism.

Find the Right Home Insurance to Cover Your Property and Assets

Before you buy a policy to coverage a home, it is important to understand the different types of policies.

Home Insurance
This covers a dwelling, usually a house, that you and your family life in. You will need to protect the building, other structures on your property, and the property you keep inside of that home. You will also need liability insurance in case a visitor claims they were injured on your property. In the case of damage, theft, or injury, you will want an insurer on your side. A good policy should protect content for the replacement value, and not just the current value. Items like a tv set or computer can cost thousands of dollars to replace, but may have depreciated to garage sale prices. A good policy should also provide some relocation help in case you need to live somewhere else for a preiod of time while the home is being repaired. You will probably need to cover your home for a higher value than you purchased it at, especially if it is an older home. Your actual purchase price will probably not be enough to rebuild your home.

Landlord Insurance
If you own a home, but rent it out to another person, you will need to protect it too. You will still need to cover the building and other structures on your property. Do not forget about property that belongs to you that you keep onsite. Examples could be tools or builtin appliances that come with the rental property. You will want some liability protection too. You should not need to cover the contents of the home that belong to the tenant though. They should have their own coverage for that.

Renters Insurance
This is usually very affordable because it only covers the property inside the home that actually belongs to the renter. The landlord should cover the building. A good policy should also provide relocation assistance if the structure is damaged so you cannot live in it. You will also have some liability insurance in case a visitor claims that your actions injured them. Many renters skip coverage because they do not think they need it, but I have seen several examples of this that cost the renter a lot of money. If your property is damaged by a storm, or if you have property stolen, you can still lose thousands of dollars. Beyond that, severe damage may mean you have to move at a time when you were not financially prepared for it.

Condo Insurance
This policy is a bit different because all home owners share a building. So even though you own your home, you probably do not need to cover the actual building or outside structures. The homeowners association in your building should carry a policy for that.

So your policy will be similar to a renters insurance policy even though you are an owner. You will want to cover your property, get help if you need to relocate, and have liability insurance in caswe a visitor is injured.

Health Insurance Plan for You and Your Family

A good health insurance plan can save you a lot of money once the unexpected does happen. The first thing you should do is to weed through the options that are available to you and your family. If you have a credible job then you will most likely have health benefits, which means your company shoulders a portion of your medical expenses. You could also sign up for a private or government health insurance plan that will cover your medical bills. Note, however, that there are some limitations to the kinds of medical procedures that health insurance companies will pay for.

If you opt for a private health insurance plan, make sure you protect yourself from further payments by keeping a record of all your contracts. Compare and try to find the best individual plan that covers all the important medical procedures, hospital benefits and most importantly, a plan which suits your needs.

Some insurance plans require you to use their internal list of health care professionals and hospitals. If you are currently seeing physicians that you would like to keep seeing, verify and determine if you are covered for consultation and treatment subsidies with them.

Sometimes private agencies try to make you apply for health insurance just to make you pay. Health insurance is still a business after all, therefore, you have to read through your contract carefully and know what medical procedures and hospital benefits you are going to be covered for. Depending on your budget, you'll usually get what you pay for. But you don't want to pay the same amount for a plan that does not provide certain coverage when another does.

If you do not have time to research, contact and schedule to meet an insurance broker form a different company each. Take a day off to schedule the meetings one after the other. This way, you can examine each plan thoroughly, obtain the best quotes and ask them all the questions that you need to fully understand.

Could the Vatican Go To Court For Human-Rights Abuses?

When a group of victims of pedophile priests announced on Sept. 13 that they would ask the International Criminal Court (ICC) to try the Pope on charges of crimes against humanity, the Vatican was quick to dismiss the petition as a "ludicrous publicity stunt."

After all, prosecutors would have to prove that Pope Benedict XVI, in allegedly neglecting to address pervasive sex abuse in the Catholic Church, belongs in the company of Serbia's Slobodan Milosevic, Liberia's Charles Taylor and the perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide.

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Salisbury Area Chamber Of Commerce 1st Annual Freedom 5K & Bike Ride

Salisbury Police Department Press Releases

On September 19, 2011 at approximately 10:55 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the three hundred (300) block of South Salisbury Boulevard for the report of a domestic assault. Upon arrival the officers met with an adult female victim who advised that she had been involved in a verbal argument with the below listed suspect, who was known to her. The argument escalated into a physical confrontation and resulted in the suspect pushing the victim down to the ground and holding her down while striking her. The victim was transported to the Peninsula Regional Medical Center for minor injuries and was released after treatment.

ARRESTED: David Wayne Bailey, 41 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Second degree assault
False imprisonment
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100036906

On September 20, 2011 at approximately 3:29 am, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to a residence on the one hundred (100) block of Lehigh Avenue for the report of a domestic assault. Upon arrival the officers met with an adult female victim who advised that she had been involved in a verbal argument with the below listed suspect, who also occupied the residence. During the argument, the victim attempted to leave the residence but was struck by the suspect with a metal kitchen chair. After several attempts, the victim was able to escape from the suspect and leave the residence. The victim did not require medical attention.

ARRESTED: Vernon Junius Trotter, 49 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: First degree assault
Second degree assault
Reckless endangerment

DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100036941

New TV Season, And Fewer Viewers

Pay-TV subscriber losses, and younger viewers watching online, spell trouble

As a college student, Jordan Geddis took cable TV for granted. MTV, Comedy Central, and ESPN were just part of the dorm tab at Syracuse University. Even when she moved off campus, Geddis split the bill with roommates. Now, on her own in a tough economy, the 25-year-old General Dynamics (GD) engineer in Groton, Conn., no longer pays. “When I had cable I followed a couple shows, but the rest was garbage to me,” Geddis says. “Online I can watch the few programs I actually care about.”

With more young adults tuning out this TV season, the industry is confronting a generation of viewers who say they won’t pay the typical $75 monthly cable or satellite bill. Nielsen (NLSN), whose TV ratings influence ad rates, in May cut the estimated number of U.S. TV households by 1 percent, to 114.7 million, the first drop since 1990. College towns such as Boston, Madison, Wisc., and Austin, Tex., posted some of the biggest declines, suggesting some fans of Family Guy are watching on Hulu Plus or Netflix (NFLX) for $7.99 a month, a fraction of a cable bill.

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Why Hunger Is Still With Us

Editor's Note: This piece is one in a series of replies to Frances Moore Lappé’s essay on the food movement today.

Amid the joy of local, seasonal ingredients and tides of young people with dirt freshly lodged under their fingernails, it feels unkind to point to the bigger problems within the food system. But it’s worth tempering an optimism of the will with a pessimism of the intellect. Despite the food movement’s gains over the past decade, it’s hard not to feel the latter outweighing the former.

For every White House organic garden, there’s an appointee to the US Trade Representative’s office from the pesticide industry. Sasha and Malia may be getting good grub, but the global South still gets stuck with chemicals.

Harvests remain strong, and people still go hungry. This isn’t because of population growth—there’s enough produced to feed everyone on a Small Planet’s diet. But the economics of crop production have increasingly left concerns about human eating in the dust.

First, we’re growing more crops than ever before not for direct human consumption, or even animal feed, but as biofuels, to keep cars on the road. Already, more than a tenth of the world’s total coarse grain output is used for fuel, and the OECD predicts that within a decade a third of all sugar cane grown on earth will be used not for sweetening but for combustion.

Luckily, there’s reason for optimism of the will here. La Via Campesina has taken aim at agrofuels in its small farmers Cooling Down the Planet campaign. The group has refuted agribusiness greenwash in the best way: by showing, with real living practice, exactly how to meet the climate crisis.

Yet, on the down side again, the only thing worse than burning food is speculating on it. As economist Jayati Ghosh has pointed out, one consequence of the 2000 Commodity Futures Modernization Act has been unregulated commodity futures trading reaching the $9 trillion mark at the end of 2007. There’s plenty of debate among economists about whether this has led to higher prices or increased price fluctuation. But there’s an emerging consensus that as crops are folded into various unregulated commodity indexes, the fate of food prices is becoming tethered to the moods of the broader world of commodities. The question of what, if anything, sits in the bowls of the poorest people has less to do with the availability of food than with the price of oil.

We’ve seen the global food movement take up cudgels against climate change, land speculation and agrofuels. Spurred by today’s multiple crises, capitalism has nonetheless accelerated its search for profit and found new ways of wringing money from our daily bread. A truly democratic food system will need to rewrite the rules of the financial system. That can’t happen without naming and confronting capitalism as the enemy of food sovereignty.

Filipino Teachers Find More Money, Challenges In Maryland

WASHINGTON -- U.S. schools have been recruiting teachers from the Philippines for some time. Many have come to Prince George's County, and in Baltimore classrooms, one in every ten teachers is Filipino.

In her documentary "The Learning," filmmaker Ramona Diaz follows four of them as they face their first difficult year in Baltimore schools.

"They have come to know their students really, really well," Diaz says, "and I think it's because the students trusted that they were going to stay, and the next year they'd see them again."

In inner city schools, high teacher turnover has taken a toll on both learning and discipline. "A lot of the kids ... are not used to their teachers coming back year after year after year," she says.

Leaving the Philippines for Maryland can increase a teacher's income 25 times, but it's not easy money.

"In the Philippines, cultural expectations are that kids should be seen but not heard, but in this culture, in the U.S., it's very different."

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Virginity Is Not Hot

If you want it then you shoulda put a ring on it...

It’s been a while since I really ticked someone off. I mean, I’ve been on a serious streak of low-keyness. This is a clear indication that I’m going soft. Not that I’mintentionally trying to incite a digital riot over here, but I do try to challenge conventional wisdom and get men and women open and honestly communicating. Soooooo….

..let’s talk virgins!

Dog Found On Waller Rd. & Spring Hill Rd.

This Pomeranian was found on a neighbors property. It is very clean and well groomed. Please contact Susan at 443-735-4461.

Mother, Daughter Reportedly Shot Outside Georgia Private School

Cops say husband of woman approached pair and opened fire, according to reports

A mom and her 10-year-old daughter were shot outside a private, religious school south of Atlanta, authorities said Tuesday.

Sgt. Jodi Shupe told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the two victims were rushed to different hospitals after the incident, which occurred at around 6:30 a.m. ET.

Shupe said the woman was dropping her daughter off at Little Mountain Christian Academy in Rockdale County when her husband approached them and began shooting, the Journal-Constitution reported. The woman reportedly ran inside the school and screamed for help.

Some Lawmakers Earn At Jobs On The Side

Members of Congress tripled their outside income between 2006 and 2010, as lawmakers earned a total of nearly $30 million last year outside of their official salaries.

The numbers come from an analysis by the Wall Street Journal, which used LegiStorm's database of personal financial disclosures to compare filings. The forms require lawmakers to disclose outside income along with other information.

According to the Journal, members of Congress earned at least $27.5 million last year. Rep. John Fleming (R-La.) topped the list with at least $6.3 million earned from Subway and UPS franchises. At the other end of the spectrum was former Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) who reported earning $280 from the sale of chestnuts. In 2006, outside income for senators and representatives totaled at least $7.8 million.

Buy American

Take a look at the agenda of the upcoming Take Back The American Dream Conference. There is a session on Tuesday titled, Strategy on State Level for Buy America Campaign.

This session will look at ways to trigger state-level procurement rules that say when states use taxpayer money to buy things, they should be buying American-made things, from American companies that employ American workers and pay American taxes.

The situation today is that some state-level procurement laws are very weak. As a result, a lot of tax dollars go to purchase goods made overseas instead of goods made in the USA. The impact of this often includes delays or cost overruns such as what happened with the San Francisco to Oakland California Bay Bridge, as well as the loss of jobs and revenue in the US.

The idea that national and state governments should "Buy American" isn't in any way a partisan issue. If you look at polling you find that Republicans as well as Democrats believe that at least now while we are in economic distress, and trading "partners" are selling to us but not buying from us, our tax dollars should be supporting American companies and jobs.

N.C. Lowe's Shooting Leaves Two Dead

(AP)

CONCORD, N.C. - A female employee of Lowe's Home Improvement and a man were shot to death inside a North Carolina store Monday and a company spokeswoman described the shootings as a domestic situation.

The names of the victims and their relationship to each other were not immediately released, spokeswoman Karen Cobb said. The shooting happened at a store in Concord, which is about 20 miles northeast of Charlotte.

None of the other workers or customers inside the store were hurt. Cobb didn't know how many people were inside the store at the time of the shooting.

Perry Pumps Up Pressure on Obama Over Israel

Perry Pumps Up Pressure on Obama Over Israel

“We are indignant that certain Middle Eastern leaders have discarded the principle of direct negotiations between the sovereign nation of Israel and the Palestinian leadership. And we are equally indignant that the Obama administration's Middle East policy of appeasement has encouraged such an ominous act of bad faith."

-- Advance remarks of Texas Gov. Rick Perry in New York on the Palestinian bid for statehood.

President Obama is trying to simultaneously shore up his sliding stature with Jewish-Americans and retain his status as one of the leading proponents of the ongoing uprisings in the Middle East, even as the movement proves perilous for Israel.

Caption This Photo 9-20-11

Anne Arundel County Vaccinates Against Rabies By Helicopter

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Anne Arundel County health officials are taking to the air to vaccinate raccoons for rabies.

Health officials say they are distributing about 70,000 bait packs containing the rabies vaccine by helicopter this year.

Oops: Pot-Smoking Elmo Already Claimed @Qwikster On Twitter

Netflix might have flubbed on its due diligence when checking out if there were any a priori uses of the name "Qwikster." (Whether or not just picking that name itself is a flub is another discussion.) It seems there was already an entity out there using Qwikster, and it'll make it hard for the DVD by mail service to have a good Twitter profile. Yep, @Qwikster is a joint-smoking Elmo who gets bored in English class, harbors negative feelings about his ex-girlfriend, and recently attained level 25 in the Original Gangstaz game for iPhone.

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Copy "Wedding Crashers" Prank, Get Charged With A Felony

In the movie Wedding Crashers, Owen Wilson's character pours eye drops into an enemy's drink to put him out of commission and is rewarded with audience laughter. In real life, a Wisconsin college student does the same to her roommate and is charged with a felony that stuck her with 90 days in prison and 30 months of probation.

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QUOTES OF THE DAY 9-20-11

“One thing is clear: The Founding Fathers never intended a nation where citizens would pay nearly half of everything they earn to the government.”
― Ron Paul

“I’m convinced that you never have to give up liberties to be safe. I think you’re less safe when you give up your liberties.”
― Ron Paul

“Mr. Speaker, I once again find myself compelled to vote against the annual budget resolution for a very simple reason: it makes government bigger.”
― Ron Paul

“Setting a good example is a far better way to spread ideals than through force of arms.”
― Ron Paul

“Truth is treason in the empire of lies.”
― Ron Paul, The Revolution: A Manifesto

Why Was Congress Forced To Subpoena Head Of Obama's Budget Office To Get Info On Solyndra?

As more developments arise in the Solyndra case, we find the specifics of how it was none other than Jacob Lew, the head of the Office Management Bureau, elsewhere known as the guy who puts together all those forecasts that Obama pulls out of his hat as seeing growth of 3.7% in 2012 here [7] and budget savings of $4 trillion there [8], got subpoenaed, and not just over anything, but over the deal that is rapidly becoming Obama's Solargate: Solyndra. As a recap: the man who is the "expert" on how the US will get out of its multi-trillion deficit had to be subpoenaed by Congress to explain his secretive actions that ended up most likely harming US taxpayers for reasons still unknown (but not for long), and what is far worse, Congress has to subpoena the head of the OMB because it failed to exercise proper oversight of the stimulus money in the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act... and all this under the tutelage of a White House which recently won an award for Anti-Secrecy [9]....which was present to the president by among other Gary Bass [10]of OMB Watch [11]...And somehow we are expected to believe that fiscal stimulus in America has even a remote chance of being allocated productively (a fatal Keynesian flaw which Andy Lees described earlier [12]) instead of pumping up crony capitalism schemes that enrich vested interests, and which drown in opacity and obscurity over which not even Congress has any supervision?
Lew subpoena link here [13].

And where it gets fun is reading through the slides that have been prepared as part of the production for current and future testimony... and believe us, there will be much more future testimony, as republicans have smelled blood shooting straight out of a punctured artery and are now circling around a president who probably doesn't even realize the danger he is in...

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EXTREME MAKEOVER: Home Edition

Fusion Brings "Extreme" to Salisbury University

Dear Campus Community,

Salisbury University students, faculty, staff and alumni have a wonderful history of outreach and engagement. I am delighted to invite you to participate in a community program that has garnered nationwide recognition: ABC’s Emmy Award-winning Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

The University has been asked to partner in the project along with one of the mid-Atlantic’s leading “green” builders. On Thursday, September 22, SU will host a pep rally for the campus and community. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition senior producer Milan Vasic will provide an overview of the process. In addition, the family-friendly rally will feature fun and games for children and young people, the SU cheerleaders, Sammy the Sea Gull, live music and video.

A press release with more information is available: Pep Rally Press Release (PDF). Please mark your calendars now:

Thursday, September 22
5:30 p.m.
Maggs Gym (inside and out)

The project will have an EXTREME impact on one family’s quality of life. I hope you will consider attending to hear more about becoming involved in this remarkable community event.

Janet Dudley-Eshbach, Ph.D.
President

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Editors Notes: Yes, we do know where they plan on building the next home. HOWEVER, we absolutely do NOT agree with this project. What YOU the taxpayer do NOT know is that this group is asking to be exempt from any impact fees as well as security 24 hours a day for several days, totaling more than $55,000.00 in security alone. Yeah, the liberals aren't going to tell you the whole scoop but you heard it here first on Salisbury News.