Try a?refreshing?swig of New Year's Eve science

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Scientists found that several factors were key to the fluid dynamics of wine swirling.

By Alan Boyle

I don't advise playing any drinking games on New Year's Eve, but when scientists play with their drinks, the results can make for interesting cocktail-party conversation.

Here's a recap of research relating to the physics and chemistry of liquids in a glass:

Tweak your twirl: Swirling red wine in the glass aerates the vintage and facilitates the release of all those wonderful aromas that distinguish a Rothschild from rotgut. The ideal is to have one smooth wave breaking around the bowl of the glass, and?this year physicists at the ?cole Polytechnique F?d?rale de Lausanne in Switzerland?figured out the fluid dynamics of the perfect swirl.

They used glasses of different shapes plus a healthy supply of cheap merlot to study the factors that determined the shape of the wave rolling around the glass. Three factors emerged, as described in this ScienceNOW summary: the ratio of the level of the wine poured in to the diameter of the glass; the ratio of the diameter of the glass to the width of the circular shaking; and the ratio of gravitational force pushing downward to the centrifugal force pushing outward.

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A smooth wave can be achieved in glasses of widely varying sizes, as long as the three ratios are preserved. To get a feel for the right level of slosh, study the video below. Be careful not to swirl too vigorously, though: The researchers found that when the merlot was accelerated at 40 percent of the force of gravity, the slosh turned into an unwelcome splash.

Baby your bubbly: French researchers reported last year that the best way to baby?that New Year's Eve champagne is to pour it gently down the side?of your glass. This is one kind of wine you don't want to slosh: If you do, a lot of the carbonated bubbles are released before you bring the glass to your lips. And it's the bubbles that make champagne so pleasurable.?The researchers found that?champagne is best served when it's cold (39 degrees Fahrenheit, or 3.8 degrees Celsius). Warmer temperatures cause faster CO2 loss. And besides, who wants to drink warm champagne?

When it comes to serving champagne, narrow-mouthed flutes are currently preferred to wide. saucer-shaped glasses for similar reasons. The greater surface area of the saucer bowl leads to faster CO2 dissipation.

The same research group found that smooth-walled flutes tend to tone down the bubbles in?poured champagne, while scratches in the glass promote bubble nucleation. Some glassmakers intentionally put microscratches in the?inner surface to?create showier special effects. If you want to do?something similar, try wiping the inside of the flute with a cloth towel; the?tiny fibers that are left behind produce a similar effect on nucleation. This video from the American Chemical Society tells you more about the chemistry of champagne:

Shaken or stirred? Physics and chemistry often determine whether an alcoholic drink takes flight or flops, as Harvard physicists Naveen Sinha and David Weitz explain this month in a report on cocktail physics for PhysicsWorld (free access with registration).

Straight shots of aquavit, vodka or other spirits are best served cold ? zero degrees F, or -18 degrees C ? because that reduces the burning sensation you get in the throat and chest when you toss the shot down the hatch. But?low temperatures also make it harder to savor the taste and aroma of other ingredients, which is why mixed drinks are usually served at higher temperatures.

A nice chill helps balance the taste of a gin martini, though. If it's anywhere close to room temperature, the gin?tends to?overwhelm the vermouth.

Speaking of martinis, The Straight Dope provides some words of wisdom about the "shaken-vs.-stirred" debate. The way Cecil's pals tell it, a gin martini is best stirred, not shaken???because shaking dissolves more air into the mix,?"bruising" the gin and?supposedly giving the martini more of a bitter taste.

On the other hand, a vodka martini (which some drinkers refuse to?recognize as a martini at all) is best served as cold as possible, and shaking?with?ice is a?more effective?way to cool down the drink. Also, shaking breaks down?the oils in the vermouth more completely.?In case you've forgotten,?Agent 007 James Bond preferred his martinis with vodka???and "shaken, not stirred." A decade ago, researchers found that shaking deactivates the hydrogen peroxide in?a martini?better than stirring does, producing more of an?antioxidant effect.?They?concluded that "007's profound state of health may be due, at least in part, to compliant bartenders."

If?you're making a manhattan, don't follow 007's lead. Sinha and Weitz observe that "a manhattan, which contains whisky, vermouth and bitters, can become cloudy when shaken."

"This results from small air bubbles introduced into the beverage while shaking, which are then stabilized by the bitters," they write. "A stirred manhattan, in contrast, is clear, which is why it is typically served stirred, not shaken, unlike James Bond's martinis."

For more about the physics of mixology, including a high-tech recipe for a hot and cold gin fizz, check out the full report from Physics World. Whatever you do, drink responsibly ... and have a happy and safe New Year's Eve.

More about the science of alcoholic drinks:

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Alan Boyle is msnbc.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

Source: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/30/9839500-sip-some-science-on-new-years-eve

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Chinese senior diplomat visits Iran amid tensions (Reuters)

BEIJING (Reuters) ? Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun visited Iran for talks, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, during growing tensions over Tehran's threat to choke off Middle Eastern oil shipments in retaliation against proposed Western sanctions.

In keeping with Beijing's public sensitivity over Iran -- a major oil supplier to China -- the ministry statement gave only opaque clues about what Zhai and his hosts discussed during his two-day visit that ended on Thursday.

"Both sides exchanged views on Sino-Iranian relations and regional issues," said the brief announcement on the Chinese Foreign Ministry's website (www.mfa.gov.cn) dated Thursday.

Zhai met Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and other officials, the announcement said.

The senior Chinese diplomat's visit came after Tehran threatened to retaliate against proposed Western sanctions by choking off oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passage for Middle Eastern suppliers.

Tehran's threat followed the European Union's decision to tighten sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme, as well as moves by the United States to tighten unilateral sanctions.

"China hopes that peace and stability can be maintained in the strait," the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a briefing on Thursday in answer to a question about escalating tensions that have pushed up oil prices.

China has driven global oil demand growth for a decade and has increasingly relied on shipments from the Middle East. China bought 547,000 barrels per day of crude from Iran through to October this year, up from 426,000 barrels per day for all of 2010. Only Saudi Arabia and Angola sell more than Iran to China.

International tensions with Iran have increased since a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency in November concluded Tehran appears to have worked on designing a nuclear weapon and may still be pursuing research to that end.

Iran denies this and says it is developing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Iran has expanded its nuclear activities despite four rounds of U.N. sanctions since 2006 over its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment and give access to U.N. nuclear inspectors.

As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, China has the power to veto resolutions mandating such sanctions. But Beijing has instead voted for them, while working to ensure its oil and trade ties are not threatened.

(Reporting by Chris Buckley; Editing by Ron Popeski)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/china/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111230/wl_nm/us_china_iran

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Lava flood kills 4 near Indonesian volcano (AP)

TERNATE, Indonesia ? Officials say fast-moving mudflows streaming from the mouth of a volcano in eastern Indonesia have killed four villagers. About 1,000 others have fled their homes.

Mount Gamalama, located in the Molucca Islands, sprang back to life this month with a powerful, non-fatal eruption.

Government spokesman Yusuf Sunnya said Wednesday that days of heavy rains triggered flows of cold lava, rocks and other debris that slammed into villages near the base Tuesday night.

He said four people were killed and more than a dozen others were hospitalized with injuries ranging from broken bones to head wounds.

Indonesia is a vast archipelago with millions of people living on mountains or near fertile flood plains. Seasonal downpours here often cause landslides.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111228/ap_on_re_as/as_indonesia_lava_flood

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Lonely Planet: The World's Most Unusual Beaches (PHOTOS) (Huffington post)

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Japan hopes Europe will boost rescue mechanism: sources (Reuters)

TOKYO (Reuters) ? Europe should boost the total firepower of its rescue fund and frontload its funding to send a positive signal to investors and international partners that it is determined to solve its debt crisis, Japanese officials said on Monday.

Japan has repeatedly expressed its willingness to help Europe contain its debt crisis, but has also stressed it wanted to see a convincing action plan before making any firm commitments.

"Japan like other non-euro countries is prepared to do something, but unless European countries take decisive action it is hard to make those steps effective," a senior Japanese government official said.

Lifting the combined size of the current bailout fund (EFSF) and the new permanent European Stability Mechanism (ESM) beyond the current 500 billion euros would be a major step and an encouraging signal.

"We expect European countries will review the combined ceiling of 500 billion euro of EFSF (European Financial Stability Fund) and ESM in a very positive manner," the official told Reuters.

European leaders agreed in Brussels earlier this month to accelerate the launch of the ESM by a year to mid-2012 with an effective lending capacity of 500 billion euros ($650 billion), but questions have arisen about the size and timing of contributions.

Japanese officials said that while bringing forward the launch of the fund was positive, a more ambitious ceiling might be needed given that Europe had little success in bringing in outside investors to boost the firepower of the EFSF fund.

"The leveraging of EFSF money by investors' money doesn't look like materializing very well. That's why they are frontloading the ESM and the review of the ceiling of 500 billion euro is very important," said the official, who declined to be named.

"European countries may think what they've already decided is a major step forward, but markets want Europe to act more decisively."

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble signaled over the weekend that Europe's biggest economy and its main paymaster could boost its contribution to the fund and support its swift launch, although any decisions would have to be made in January.

Since the beginning of the crisis more than two years ago, European leaders have orchestrated bailouts of Greece, Ireland and Portugal, set up a euro zone rescue fund and earlier this month agreed to boost the International Monetary Fund's resources by 150 billion euros.

Still, throughout the crisis that has also shaken Italy and Spain, investors have repeatedly been left with the impression that whatever was agreed in Brussels was too little, too late.

Japan, the United States, Canada and others have voiced their frustration with Europe's piecemeal progress and repeatedly called for bold steps that would create effective "firewalls" around the euro zone's weaker, heavily indebted economies.

Another Japanese government official reiterated on Monday that Tokyo, which led an international effort to boost the IMF's coffers after the Lehman crisis, was open to contributing more but that its decision depended on Europe's actions.

Officials in Tokyo said markets needed to see both effective defenses in the form of funds sufficient enough to cover the crisis-hit nations' financing needs and commitments to fiscal discipline.

"Fiscal discipline is very important. Even if we provide firewalls we need fiscal discipline," the official said.

While Tokyo has repeatedly voiced concern about developments in Europe, its plans to buy Chinese government debt did not reflect lack of confidence in the euro or U.S. dollar assets, another official said.

He said the plans, discussed during Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's visit to Beijing, aimed at strengthening economic ties between the two nations rather than diversifying Japan's exchange reserves, mostly made up of dollar and euro assets.

"The idea is not to depart from the dollar or U.S. government bonds or the euro, so it should not be interpreted as diversification of our portfolio," the official said.

"I don't have any doubts about creditworthiness of the dollar or U.S. government bonds. The dollar will remain the most important currency for the foreseeable future."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111226/bs_nm/us_japan_eurozone

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Kim Jong Il's son strengthens power with new post (AP)

PYONGYANG, North Korea ? North Korea identified Kim Jong Il's son as head of a top ruling party body Monday, a post that gives him authority over political matters in addition to the military control attributed to him in recent days.

Kim Jong Un has rapidly gained prominence since the death of his father on Dec. 17, with the state media showering new titles on him almost daily.

On Saturday, state media referred to the younger Kim as "supreme leader" of North Korea's 1.2 million-strong armed forces and said the military's top leaders had pledged their loyalty to him. On Monday, the Rodong Sinmun newspaper described him as head of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party ? a post that appears to make him the top official in the ruling party.

Kim Jong Il, who ruled North Korea for 17 years, wielded power as head of three main state organs: the Workers' Party, the Korean People's Army and the National Defense Commission. His father, North Korea founder Kim Il Sung remains the nation's "eternal president" long after his 1994 death.

The Kim family has extended its control over the country of 24 million people to a third generation with Kim Jong Un, who is in his late 20s and was revealed last year as his father's choice among three sons for successor.

He was named a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party, but was expected to ascend to new military and political posts while being groomed to become the next leader.

Monday's reference to his new title was in commentary in the Rodong Sinmun newspaper, the mouthpiece of the Workers' Party, urging soldiers to dedicate their lives "to protect the party's Central Committee headed by respected Comrade Kim Jong Un." The editorial called on the people to become "eternal revolutionary comrades" with Kim Jong Un, "the sun of the 21st century."

The language echoed slogans used years ago to rally support for Kim Jong Il, and made clear the son is quickly moving toward leadership of the Workers' Party, one of the country's highest positions, in addition to the military.

North Korea refers to Kim Il Sung as the "sun" of the nation and his birthday is celebrated as the "Day of the Sun," and state media have sought to emphasize Kim Jong Un's role in carrying out the Kim family legacy throughout his succession movement.

His titles are slight variations of those held by his father, but appear to carry the same weight. It was unclear whether the nation's constitution had been changed to reflect the transfer of leadership as when Kim Jong Il took power after his father's death.

A day earlier, state TV showed footage of Kim Jong Un's uncle and key patron, Jang Song Thaek, in a military uniform with a general's insignia. It was the first time that Jang, who was promoted last year to vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party along with Kim Jong Un, was shown on state TV in military garb.

Mourning continued, meanwhile, despite frigid winter weather, in the final days before Kim Jong Il's funeral is set to take place Wednesday and a memorial Thursday.

People continued lining up Monday in central Kim Il Sung Square, where a massive portrait that usually features Kim Il Sung has been replaced by one of Kim Jong Il, to bow before his smiling image and to lay funereal flowers. Heated buses stood by to give mourners a respite from the cold, and hot tea and water were distributed from beverage kiosks.

South Koreans were among the mourners in Pyongyang. The widow of former President Kim Dae-jung, who held a landmark summit with Kim Jong Il in 2000, and Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun, whose late husband had ties to the North, each led delegations that drove across the heavily fortified border to Pyongyang.

They were greeted by North Korean officials during a stop at a factory park in the North Korean border town of Kaesong, according to footage from AP Television News in North Korea. North Korea sent delegations to Seoul when the women's husbands died.

Meanwhile, a South Korean activist was also in Pyongyang to pay respects to Kim Jong Il but without South Korean government permission, her colleagues said in a statement. For South Koreans, making unauthorized trips to North Korea is punishable by up to three years in prison, according to Seoul's Unification Ministry.

The Korean peninsula remains in a technical state of war because the three-year Korean war ended in a truce in 1953, not a peace treaty.

___

Associated Press writers Foster Klug, Hyung-jin Kim and Jiyoung Won in Seoul, South Korea, and AP Korea bureau chief Jean H. Lee, contributed to this report. Follow AP's Korea coverage at twitter.com/newsjean and twitter.com/APKlug.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/nkorea/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111226/ap_on_re_as/as_kim_jong_il

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Former South Korean first lady heads North for condolences (Reuters)

PAJU, South Korea (Reuters) ? The widow of former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, the author of a now-jettisoned engagement policy with North Korea, crossed the fortified land border between the two sides on Monday to pay her respects to deceased dictator Kim Jong-il.

Ties between the North and South have been frozen since the election of conservative South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in 2008, who cut aid in a bid to force the North to abandon a nuclear programme and bring it to the negotiating table.

A thirteen-member delegation, led by Lee Hee-ho, the widow of former president Kim Dae-jung who masterminded the so-called "Sunshine Policy" of engagement with the North, crossed the border by car and will pay their respects at the bier of Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang.

"I hope my visit to North Korea will help improve South-North Korea relations," Yoon Chul-koo, an aide to Lee, quoted her as saying at an immigration office at the southern border of the De-Militarized Zone.

Lee, who met Kim Jong-il in Pyongynag in 2000 in the first inter-Korean summit since the end of the Korean War in 1953, will stay for two days and will not attend the December 28 funeral.

Most South Koreans are banned from going to the North under the current government's policy and South Korea, which remains technically at war with the North, is not sending an official delegation to mourn Kim, who died earlier this month.

Asked by reporters at the crossing point whether the delegation plans to meet North Korea's new leader, Kim Jong-un, Yoon said the visit was for "pure condolence."

Kim Jong-un, who is in his late 20s, is the third of his line to rule the impoverished North, although he is likely to share power with a coterie.

A second group of mourners from South Korea led by the widow of one of South Korea's biggest conglomerates that has investments in the North was also headed to Pyongyang.

Hyun Jeong-eun, the wife of the Hyundai business group's late former chairman Chung Mong-hun, led a delegation of five people.

Hyun's father-in-law was Hyundai founder Chung Ju-yung, who established Hyundai Asan Corp in 1999 as a major investor in North Korea's Mt. Kumgang tourist resort busness.

The business has been suspended since the fatal shooting in 2008 of a South Korean tourist at the resort.

Hyundai Asan is also involved in the Kaesong Industrial Park project in the North, one of the impoverished North's few sources of foreign currency.

(Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111226/wl_nm/us_korea_north_kim

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Nissan Murano vs Ford Edge (Last post on 12/26/2011 at 09:04 AM PST)

Things to do:

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Harassment of young girl deepens Israel?s debate on ultra-Orthodox Jews

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stepped up pledges to curb Jewish zealotry in Israel on Sunday after an 8-year-old girl complained of being menaced by ultra-Orthodox men who deemed her dress immodest.

While his conservative government insists such incidents are fringe phenomena in the mostly secular country, Mr. Netanyahu?s repeated announcements on the matter reflected concern about widening religious and political schisms.

More related to this story

?In a Western, liberal democracy, the public realm is open and safe for all, men and women both, and neither harassment nor discrimination have any place there,? the prime minister told his cabinet in broadcast remarks.

He said he had ordered law enforcement authorities to crack down on ?whoever spits, whoever lifts a hand (in violence), whoever harasses? and to remove street signs segregating men from women in some ultra-Orthodox districts.

The statement appeared to have been prompted by an expose aired on Israel?s top-rated weekend television news about spiralling intra-Jewish friction in Beit Shemesh, a town of about 87,000 people near Jerusalem.

Eight-year-old Naama Margolese told Channel Two TV she was terrified of walking to her moderate Orthodox school because of passersby who wanted her ?to dress like a Haredi? ? the Hebrew term for the ascetic, black-coated Jews who are in ?awe? of God.

?I?m afraid I might get hurt or something,? the girl said.

Margolese?s mother Hadassa, an American immigrant who wore a headscarf and skirt in deference to religious Jewish tradition, said the sidewalk abuse could include spitting, curses like ?whores? and ?bastards? and calls to ?clear out of here.?

Channel Two showed a Beit Shemesh street sign ordering women to keep to one side, away from a synagogue. A few ultra-Orthodox men who were interviewed disavowed religiously motivated aggression toward women. Others sought to justify it. Some shunned the TV crew, shouting at the journalists to leave.

The report resonated in Israel given recent media focus on the impact of ultra-Orthodox gender segregation on public transport and in the conscript military, where some religious troops boycott women instructors and entertainers.

The ultra-Orthodox make up only about 10 per cent of Israel?s population of 7.7 million. But their high birthrates and bloc voting patterns have helped them secure welfare benefits and wider influence. One of Mr. Netanyahu?s biggest partners in the coalition government, Shas, is a party run by rabbis.

According to Channel Two, the Beit Shemesh story has generated momentum for a demonstration against ultra-Orthodox violence in the town, scheduled for Tuesday.

?Beit Shemesh shocked Netanyahu not because of new facts but because of old facts that were recounted by a lovely little blond-haired girl with blue eyes,? said Nahum Barnea, senior commentator for the biggest-selling newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.

?But their thuggery, just like the thuggery in the settlement outposts, paralyses other people in their midst who are less extreme, who warn the establishment, from the prime minister down. The tail wags the dog.?

Reuters

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheGlobeAndMail-International/~3/3OU4DBdZWd8/

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PHOTOS: Dogs Up For Adoption At The Washington Humane Society

?

Take a look at these photos, courtesy of the?Washington Humane Society, of dogs currently available for adoption at the WHS Georgia Avenue location.

To find out more information about the Georgia Avenue shelter or more information about any of the dogs you see above, visit the?Washington Humane Society's website.

Source: http://pennquarter.wusa9.com/photo-gallery/pets/85364-photos-dogs-adoption-washington-humane-society

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Nokia N9 gets unofficial UI tweak, makes MeeGo lie down and play landscape

Nokia's MeeGo'd pillowcase smartphone has been given a 90-degree twist. This new landscape mode works across the three main navigation screens and can be accessed through N9Tweak, an unofficial mod that can be downloaded through the phone's web browser. Any compatible apps will also launch lengthways, all of which should help alleviate those N900 pangs.

Continue reading Nokia N9 gets unofficial UI tweak, makes MeeGo lie down and play landscape

Nokia N9 gets unofficial UI tweak, makes MeeGo lie down and play landscape originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/23/nokia-n9-gets-unofficial-ui-tweak-makes-meego-lie-down-and-play/

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Auto Talk: First Chinese car imported to North America built by? Honda?

The very first production car from China has made it to North America, though it?s not what you might think. In an effort to move more of its production out of Japan, Honda has begun manufacturing Fit models in the People?s Republic and importing them to Canada. There?s no indication that the vehicles will make their way to the U.S. in the future, however. While there are plenty of automakers who operate plants in China, only a fraction of the vehicles built there are made for export. Last year, only three percent were sent outside of the country?s borders.

Funk Flex

Honda and other Japanese manufacturers have begun investigating production facilities outside of the U.S. to combat the rising Yen, and Honda says that the company will begin producing Fit models in Mexico for U.S. customers soon. According to The New York Times, Honda may be reticent to test the American waters with a Chinese-built vehicle for fear of risking the company?s reputation for quality and reliability. That?s despite the fact that the company says Chinese-built Fit models are held to the same production quality standards as any Honda vehicle built elsewhere in the world.
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Ranking the best iPhone apps of 2011

Welcome to your Personalized User Bar. Here, you can manage your account, sign up for newsletters, navigate to site sections, and share interesting content on social networks. You also can receive alerts on upcoming events, new products, or subscription/account activities.

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Judge rules Stanford competent to stand trial

HOUSTON (AP) ? Jailed Texas financier R. Allen Stanford is mentally competent to stand trial on charges he bilked investors out of $7 billion in a massive Ponzi scheme, a judge ruled Thursday

U.S. District Judge David Hittner's decision came after a nearly three-day competency hearing for the disgraced financier. The trial is set for Jan. 23. Hittner said he will rule next week on a request from Stanford's attorneys to delay the trial until April.

"We're disappointed. We hope he gets healthy," Ali Fazel, one of Stanford's attorneys said after the ruling.

Prosecutors declined to comment. A gag order is preventing attorneys from discussing the case.

Stanford had been declared incompetent in January due to an anti-anxiety drug addiction he developed while jailed in Houston. He spent more than eight months at a federal prison hospital in Butner, N.C., getting treatment for his addiction and being evaluated to determine if he had any long-term effects from being injured in a September 2009 jail fight.

A forensic psychologist who helped treat Stanford at the prison hospital testified the financier is now competent, can think clearly after being taken off the drug and has not suffered brain damage from the jail fight.

Doctors at the prison hospital and prosecutors accused Stanford of faking symptoms of amnesia. He says he can't remember all events in his life prior to the prison fight.

During closing arguments after testimony in the hearing had concluded earlier Thursday, prosecutor Gregg Costa said Stanford was exaggerating or faking memory loss and 14 other disorders the financier's medical experts had diagnosed him with in an attempt to "game the system" and avoid trial for a $7 billion fraud.

"He wants to con his way out of this case the same way he conned investors for 20 years. Your honor, don't let him con his way out of this case," Costa said.

But four medical experts who testified on Stanford's behalf, including a neurologist and two forensic psychiatrists, said the financier suffered a traumatic brain injury in the jail fight that left him with severe memory loss and unable to think or communicate clearly.

"Every expert that has seen him says there is something wrong with him," Fazel said during closing arguments. "He wants to fight the case. He just wants to be able to help his lawyers. He is not running away from anything."

Stanford's medical experts said his brain injury, along with a major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder from the jail fight, has left him unable to assist his defense attorneys and to be ready for trial.

Those experts also testified that his treatment for other medical conditions, including heart and liver problems, complicated his brain injury and memory loss.

Stanford and three former executives of his now-defunct Stanford Financial Group are accused of orchestrating a colossal pyramid scheme that advised clients from 113 countries to invest more than $7 billion in certificates of deposit, or CDs, at the Stanford International Bank on the Caribbean island of Antigua, promising huge returns.

Authorities say Stanford and the executives fabricated the bank's records, bribed Antiguan regulators with investors' money from a secret Swiss bank account and misused funds to pay for Stanford's lavish lifestyle.

Stanford became a billionaire whose financial empire stretched across the U.S., the Caribbean and Latin America. His attorneys say he ran a legitimate business. He has been jailed since he was indicted in June 2009 by a federal grand jury in Houston, where his companies were headquartered.

He faces 14 counts, including wire and mail fraud.

Earlier Thursday, a prison official at the Houston federal detention center, where Stanford is being held, told Hittner doctors at the facility had become concerned Stanford might be suicidal after one of the financier's medical experts had testified about such concerns.

The official said doctors examined Stanford Wednesday evening and determined he is not suicidal but will continue to evaluate him.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-12-22-Stanford-Mental%20Competency/id-b95ab0ca1b014b4fa49aa212ad518697

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Hitwise: Pinterest Grows Nearly 40-Fold Past Six Months

Pinterest's growth over the past six months has been nothing short of astounding. We've noted this before, but some new data today from Hitwise confirms the trend. Last week, Pinterest attracted 11 million visits, up almost 40-fold from just six months ago. Pinterest is now one of the top 10 social networking sites Hitwise tracks. These stats are estimates of visits, not visitors, so you'd have to divide by how many visits per visitor Pinterest gets in a week to get the number of people going to the site. Pinterest is daily habit for many people, which is why it's pageviews are going through the roof. Hitwise doesn't break out estimates for visitors, but comScore has Pinterest at 4.9 monthly uniques in November, up from 3.3 million in October.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/N8AQbuBfmIc/

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Hobbled Big Ben overmatched

Getty Images

Seven NFL teams have already clinched playoff berths, and four more teams can clinch this week.

The NFL has released the Week 16 playoff scenarios, which show that the Cowboys can clinch the NFC East and the Falcons and Lions can clinch the two NFC wild-card berths, while the Broncos can clinch the AFC West.

In the NFC, the Packers and 49ers have clinched their division while the Saints have clinched at least a wild card. The Panthers, Vikings, Rams, Buccaneers and Redskins are all mathematically eliminated. That?s what we know. What we don?t know is which of the other scenarios will play out.

The Packers will clinch home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs if the 49ers lose to the Seahawks on Saturday, or if the Packers beat the Bears on Sunday night. The 49ers clinch a first-round bye if they win and if the Saints lose to the Falcons on Monday night.

The Saints clinch the NFC South if they beat the Falcons. The Falcons clinch a wild card and remain alive in the NFC South if they beat the Saints. Even if they lose to the Saints, the Falcons can clinch a wild card if the Bears and Cardinals both lose, and either the Cowboys or the Giants lose.

The Lions can clinch a wild card if they beat the Chargers, and they can even clinch a wild card if they lose to the Chargers, although they?ll need a lot of help in the form of the Bears, Cardinals and Seahawks all losing, plus one of the Cowboys, Giants or Saints losing.

The Cowboys clinch the NFC East if they beat the Eagles and the Giants lose to the Jets.

In the AFC, the Texans and Patriots have clinched their divisions, while the Ravens and Steelers have clinched a trip to the playoffs. The Bills, Browns, Colts, Dolphins and Jaguars are mathematically eliminated.

New England can clinch a first-round bye with a win and a loss by the Texans, or a win and losses by both the Steelers and the Ravens. The Patriots clinch home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs if they win and all three of those teams lose.

The Ravens clinch the AFC North if they beat the Browns and the Steelers lose at home to the Rams, and they clinch a first-round bye if that happens plus the Texans lose to the Colts on Thursday night.

The Broncos clinch the AFC West if they win and the Raiders lose, and they clinch a playoff berth if they win and the Jets, Bengals and Titans all lose.

If you?re a fan of one of the teams that can clinch, your rooting interests are clear. But if you?re just a fan of football, you?re probably rooting against all the teams that can clinch in Week 16 ? because the more playoff spots that are still in play after Week 16, the more fun Week 17 will be.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/12/20/hobbled-roethlisberger-struggles-as-49ers-beat-steelers/related/

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'Barefoot Bandit' pleads guilty in US court

COUPEVILLE, Wash.?? The young U.S. thief who gained an international following as the "Barefoot Bandit" for stealing planes, boats and cars and breaking into homes and businesses pleaded guilty Friday to several felonies in Washington state.

Wearing handcuffs and an orange jail uniform in Coupeville, Colton Harris-Moore, 20, softly answered affirmatively Friday when the judge asked if he understood his rights. He said guilty when the judge asked how he wanted to plead.

He pleaded guilty to a total of 16 counts from Island County, including identity theft, theft of firearm and residential burglary. Then the hearing continued with Harris-Moore pleading guilty to 17 counts from San Juan County.

Several victims and a few curious citizens watched inside the courtroom, along with Harris-Moore's aunt.

Afterward he sat next to his attorney, John Henry Browne, with his eyes downcast, looking younger than his 20 years.

"He was a menace," prosecutor Greg Banks said. "His burglaries threatened and distressed people ... They didn't know if they came back from vacation their houses would have been broken into."

Prosecutors planned ask for a sentence of just under 10 years, while his lawyers were seeking a six-year term.

Notorious run from law
Harris-Moore's daring run from the law earned him international notoriety, not to mention a movie deal to help repay his victims, after he flew a stolen plane from Indiana to the Bahamas in July 2010, crash-landed it near a mangrove swamp and was arrested by Bahamian authorities in a hail of bullets.

Friday's proceedings before Judge Vickie Churchill consolidated cases against Harris-Moore in three Washington counties. He has already pleaded guilty to federal charges in Seattle and will be sentenced for those crimes early next year. He will serve his state and federal sentences at the same time.

State prosecutors planned to ask for a nine-and-a-half year sentence Friday, while Harris-Moore's attorneys, John Henry Browne and Emma Scanlan, are seeking a six-year term, citing his bleak childhood in a Camano Island trailer with an alcoholic mother and a series of her convict boyfriends. They laid out the details of his upbringing in psychiatric and mitigation reports filed with the court.

"Colt blames no one but himself," wrote Pamela L. Rogers, a mitigation investigator who reviewed Harris-Moore's case. "He made bad choices and takes full responsibility and expects to be held accountable for those bad choices. ... He desperately hopes to one day have a career and a family and make contributions he can feel good about ? and he's willing to work hard for that."

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'A rakish teenager'
Harris-Moore's first conviction came at age 12, in 2004, for possession of stolen property, and according to the report, his first experience with burglary came when he broke into the homes of his classmates to steal food because his mother spent most of her Social Security income on beer and cigarettes ? something she has denied.

Over the next three years he was convicted of theft, burglary, malicious mischief and assault, among other crimes. At one point he was arrested when a detective posed as a pizza-delivery driver.

In 2007, the boy was sentenced to three years in a juvenile lockup after pleading guilty to three burglary counts in Island County. But he fled the minimum-security facility in April 2008 and was soon back to his old tricks, breaking into unoccupied vacation homes, stealing food and sometimes staying there.

As red-faced investigators repeatedly failed to catch him, his antics escalated: He began stealing planes from small, rural airports and crash-landing them ? at least five in all.

"What was characterized by the media as the swashbuckling adventures of a rakish teenager were in fact the actions of a depressed, possibly suicidal young man with waxing and waning post-traumatic stress disorder (following his first plane crash in November 2008)," wrote Dr. Richard S. Adler, a psychiatrist who evaluated him for the defense lawyers.

Msnbc.com staff and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45696590/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

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The Iraq War was Justified (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | The last American soldiers are departing Iraq, leaving the Iraqi people a republic that has been won with considerable blood and treasure. Whether they can keep that republic on their own is still a question unanswered.

There is another question, perhaps inevitable, being asked. Was it worth it?

The New York Times, of course, naturally says not. One would expect the left leaning Times to come to that conclusion. But one has to consider that in the nine years of campaigning in Iraq, from the moment the first armored formation crossed the border with Kuwait to the moment the last soldiers returned, 4802 coalition troops, including 4484 Americans, were killed, according to Icasualties. The monetary cost was $800 billion, according to the Christian Science Monitor.

In determining whether the Iraq War was worth it, one needs to make an exercise into the counter factual. The question to be asked is, what if we had not invaded Iraq and attempted to continue the policy post Gulf War of containing Saddam Hussein?

WikiLeaks revealed, according to the New York Post, that Iraq possessed chemical weapons when the coalition troops entered that country in 2003. Weapons caches have been found for years since the invasion. That Iraq moved large amounts of WMDs to Syria in advance of the invasion remain a matter of dispute, according to the Washington Times. Barack Obama's own Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, believes this took place. Satellite imagery of truck convoys suggests that something was moved into Syria just before the invasion.

It is not unreasonable to assume that had the Saddam Hussein regime survived, it would have been armed with chemical weapons. One could also imagine such a regime reconstituting its nuclear bomb program after the U.N. inspection regime collapsed. How soon afterwards Iraq could have obtained nuclear weapons would depend on how soon it could have obtained fissile materials.

Could a failure to put an end to Hussein's regime in 2003 have resulted in a worst outcome than the eight and a half year long insurgency that followed? A case can be made that a Saddam Hussein regime that survived into the second decade of this century would have been armed with chemical and nuclear weapons and would have been willing to use them to advance Hussein's dream of hegemony in the Middle East. The Iraq War may well have prevented this nightmare.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111217/pl_ac/10700149_the_iraq_war_was_justified

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Police defuse 6 homemade bombs in Bangkok (AP)

BANGKOK ? Thai police say they have defused six homemade bombs found in Bangkok and arrested one suspect.

Police say they found the bombs early Friday in three locations in eastern Bangkok after they followed the suspect before arresting him.

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubumrung said some of the bombs were similar to one found on a traffic island in front of the Government Lottery Office on Dec. 6. Police safely disposed of that bomb.

Chalerm has ordered security tightened during the New Year's season.

On New Year's Eve in 2006, eight bombs exploded through the night in eight Bangkok locations. Three people were killed and 38 wounded. No suspects were arrested for those blasts.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111216/ap_on_re_as/as_thailand_bombs

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New operating system for space: High-tech tycoons

In this artist's rendering provided by Stratolaunch Systems, a planned plane that would launch cargo and astronauts into space is seen. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and aerospace pioneer Burt Rutan are building the plane, in the latest of several ventures fueled by technology tycoons clamoring to write America's next chapter in spaceflight. Their plans, unveiled Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011, in Seattle, call for a twin-fuselage aircraft with wings longer than a football field to carry a rocket high into the atmosphere and drop it, avoiding the need for a launch pad and the expense of additional rocket fuel. Allen, who teamed up with Rutan in 2004 to send the first privately financed, manned spacecraft into space, said his new project would "keep America at the forefront of space exploration" and give a new generation of children something to dream about. (AP Photo/Strautolaunch Systems)

In this artist's rendering provided by Stratolaunch Systems, a planned plane that would launch cargo and astronauts into space is seen. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and aerospace pioneer Burt Rutan are building the plane, in the latest of several ventures fueled by technology tycoons clamoring to write America's next chapter in spaceflight. Their plans, unveiled Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011, in Seattle, call for a twin-fuselage aircraft with wings longer than a football field to carry a rocket high into the atmosphere and drop it, avoiding the need for a launch pad and the expense of additional rocket fuel. Allen, who teamed up with Rutan in 2004 to send the first privately financed, manned spacecraft into space, said his new project would "keep America at the forefront of space exploration" and give a new generation of children something to dream about. (AP Photo/Strautolaunch Systems)

In this artist's rendering provided by Stratolaunch Systems, a planned plane that would launch cargo and astronauts into space is seen. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and aerospace pioneer Burt Rutan are building the plane, in the latest of several ventures fueled by technology tycoons clamoring to write America's next chapter in spaceflight. Their plans, unveiled Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011, in Seattle, call for a twin-fuselage aircraft with wings longer than a football field to carry a rocket high into the atmosphere and drop it, avoiding the need for a launch pad and the expense of additional rocket fuel. Allen, who teamed up with Rutan in 2004 to send the first privately financed, manned spacecraft into space, said his new project would "keep America at the forefront of space exploration" and give a new generation of children something to dream about. (AP Photo/Strautolaunch Systems)

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, left, shakes hands with aerospace pioneer Burt Rutan as Rutan dissusses how the two came to an agreement to build a giant airplane and spaceship, at a news conference Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011, in Seattle. Allen and Rutan announced Tuesday they're building a giant airplane and spaceship to zip people and cargo into orbit, but unlike traditional rockets and government spaceships, the new commercial spaceship will drop from a high-flying airplane instead of blasting off from a launch pad. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, right, shares a laugh with aerospace pioneer Burt Rutan during a news conference about their agreement to build a giant airplane and spaceship, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011, in Seattle. Allen and Rutan announced Tuesday they're building a giant airplane and spaceship to zip people and cargo into orbit, but unlike traditional rockets and government spaceships, the new commercial spaceship will drop from a high-flying airplane instead of blasting off from a launch pad. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen speaks during a news conference about his partnership in building a giant airplane and spaceship, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011, in Seattle. Allen and aerospace pioneer Burt Rutan announced they're building a giant airplane and spaceship to zip people and cargo into orbit, but unlike traditional rockets and government spaceships, the new commercial spaceship will drop from a high-flying airplane instead of blasting off from a launch pad. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

SEATTLE (AP) ? The tycoons of cyberspace are looking to bankroll America's resurgence in outer space, reviving "Star Trek" dreams that first interested them in science.

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen made the latest step Tuesday, unveiling plans for a new commercial spaceship that, instead of blasting off a launch pad, would be carried high into the atmosphere by the widest plane ever built before it fires its rockets.

He joins Silicon Valley powerhouses Elon Musk of PayPal and Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com Inc. in a new private space race that attempts to fill the gap left when the U.S. government ended the space shuttle program.

Musk, whose Space Exploration Technologies will send its Dragon capsule to dock with the International Space Station in February, will provide the capsule and booster rocket for Allen's venture, which is called Stratolaunch. Bezos is building a rival private spaceship.

Allen is working with aerospace pioneer Burt Rutan, who collaborated with the tycoon in 2004 to win a $10 million prize for the first flight of a private spaceship that went into space but not orbit.

Allen says his enormous airplane and spaceship system will go to "the next big step: a private orbital space platform business."

The new system is "a radical change" in how people can get to space, and it will "keep America at the forefront of space exploration," Allen said.

Their plane will have a 380-foot wingspan ? longer than a football field and wider than the biggest aircraft ever, Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose.

It will launch a space capsule equipped with a booster rocket, which will send the spacecraft into orbit. This method saves money by not using rocket fuel to get off the ground. The spaceship may hold as many as six people.

"When I was growing up, America's space program was the symbol of aspiration," said Allen, who mentioned his love of science fiction and early human spaceflights. "For me, the fascination with space never ended. I never stopped dreaming what might be possible."

For those attracted to difficult technical challenges, space is the ultimate challenge, Allen said.

"It's also the ultimate adventure. We all grew up devouring science fiction and watching Mercury and Gemini, Apollo and the space shuttle. And now we are able to be involved in moving things to the next level," he said, adding that he admires people like Simonyi who have gone into space to experience it.

Allen is not alone in having such dreams, and the money to gamble on making them come true.

Bezos set up the secretive private space company Blue Origin, which has received $3.7 million in NASA start-up funds to develop a rocket to carry astronauts. Its August flight test ended in failure.

"Space was the inspiration that got people into high-tech ... at least individuals in their 40s and 50s," said Peter Diamandis, who created the space prize Allen won earlier and is a high-tech mogul-turned space business leader himself. "Now they're coming full circle."

Diamandis helped found a company that sends tourists to space for at least $25 million a ride, and seven of the eight rides involved high-tech executives living out their space dreams. One is a former Microsoft colleague of Allen's, Charles Simonyi, who paid at least $20 million apiece for two rides into orbit and attended Allen's Tuesday news conference, saying he wouldn't mind a third flight.

"Space has a draw for humanity," not just high-tech billionaires, Simonyi said, but he acknowledged that most people don't have the cash to take that trip.

Space experts welcome the burst of high-tech interest in a technology that 50 years ago spurred the development of computers.

"Space travel the way we used to do it has a '50s and '60s ring to it," said retired George Washington University space policy professor John Logsdon. "These guys have a vision of revitalizing a sector that makes it 21st century."

But Logsdon said the size of the capsule and rocket going to space seemed kind of small to him, only carrying 13,000 pounds. It didn't seem like a game-changer, he said.

Stratolaunch's air-launch method is already used by an older rocket company, Orbital Sciences Corp., to launch satellites. It's also the same method used by the first plane to break the sound barrier more than 50 years ago.

Stratolaunch, to be based in Huntsville, Ala., bills its method of getting to space as "any orbit, any time." Rutan will build the carrier aircraft, which will use six 747 engines. The first unmanned test flight is tentatively scheduled for 2016.

NASA, in a statement, welcomed Allen to the space business, saying his plan "has the potential to make future access to low-Earth orbit more competitive, timely, and less expensive."

Unlike its competitors, Allen's company isn't relying on start-up money from NASA, which is encouraging private companies to take the load of hauling cargo and astronauts to low Earth orbit and the International Space Station. The space agency, which retired the space shuttle fleet earlier this year, plans to leave that more routine work to private companies and concentrate on deep space human exploration of an asteroid, the moon and even Mars.

Allen said his interest comes not just because of the end of the shuttle program or changes in government funding for space, but he does see an incredible opportunity right now for the private sector to move the needle on space travel.

Allen's company is looking at making money from tourists and launching small communications satellites, as well as from NASA and the Defense Department, said former NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, a Stratolaunch board member who spoke at a Tuesday news conference.

Just three months ago, Griffin was testifying before Congress that he thought the Obama administration's reliance on private companies for space travel "does not withstand a conventional business case analysis."

This is different because it's private money, with no help or dependence on government dollars, said Griffin, who served under President George W. Bush.

Allen and Rutan collaborated on 2004's SpaceShipOne, which was also launched in the air from a special aircraft in back-to-back flights. Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic licensed the technology and is developing SpaceShipTwo to carry tourists to space. But Allen's first efforts were more a hobby, while this would be more a business, Logsdon said.

SpaceShipOne cost $28 million, but this will cost much more, officials said.

Allen left Microsoft Corp. in 1983, and has pursued many varied interests since then. He's the owner of the Seattle Seahawks football team as well as the NBA's Portland Trailblazers. He also founded a Seattle museum that emphasizes science fiction.

Allen said this venture fits with his technology bent.

"I'm a huge fan of anything to push the boundaries of science," Allen said.

___

Borenstein contributed to this report from Washington.

___

Online:

Stratolaunch Systems: http://www.stratolaunch.com

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2011-12-13-New%20Space/id-05c4810ff8b940fa8414e62b1748a8e3

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Dual-core Meizu MX fully unveiled, launching on January 1st with HSPA+

After some teases and leaks, Meizu's finally unveiled its next flagship phone MX to keep China entertained for 2012. While the quad core flavor won't be here until next year, this dual core model will be available in mainland China starting from ¥2,999 ($470) on January 1st (like with the M9 last year), and Hong Kong is still expecting an early January release. The full spec list now includes a 4-inch 960 x 640 ASV display, 1.4GHz Samsung Exynos 4210 dual core chip, 1GB of LPDDR2 RAM, 16GB of storage (32GB version to launch later), 0.3 megapixel front-facing camera, a secondary mic for noise cancellation and a 1,600mAh battery. Oh, that circular button at the bottom? It's just a physical home button instead of an optical trackpad as previously rumored.

Globetrotters will be pleased to know that the 10.3mm-thick MX will pack pentaband 3G with HSPA+, so all you need is a Micro SIM to get the phone working. As for software, it'll come with Meizu's heavily customized Android 2.3.5 initially but will eventually get the 4.0 update, as already promised by CEO Jack Wong. On the multimedia front you'll again find native support for FLAC audio plus various video formats like MKV, MP4 and AVI; along with a micro-USB port that supports S/PDIF digital output, USB host plus MHL; and an eight megapixel f/2.2 backside-illuminated camera (which does smile detection and panorama shot) with 1080p 30fps recording. Head on over to Meizu's website for the full lowdown -- it'll be a good way to practise your Chinese, too.

Update: Press release added after the break.

Gallery: Dual-core Meizu MX fully unveiled, launching on January 1st with HSPA+ and pentaband 3G

Continue reading Dual-core Meizu MX fully unveiled, launching on January 1st with HSPA+

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Lindsay Lohan Playboy Photos on Ellen

Lindsay Lohan: Yes to ‘Ellen’ Lindsay Lohan will make her first “Ellen” talk show appearance since 2009 on Thursday, Dec. 15, per Perez Hilton. Why is she appearing on Ellen? To promote her January 2012 Playboy Marilyn Monroe feel spread which will hit the stands later this month. Lindsay will be debuting the pictures on the talk show. Lohan is also attempting to relaunch her clothing line 6126. Lohan will also address her legal troubles in a comical way that only Ellen will be able to get her to. Lindsay will also address her latest lengthy jail time of four and half hours last month for violating probation. Recently published was talk that Lohan will appear on the next Celebrity Big Brother in the UK which Lohan confirms this is totally not the case. This would be impossible for Lindsay to pull off even if she wanted to given that she is working towards fulfilling her community service hours and is not allowed to leave the state of California without the approval of her probation officer. Lohan has also stated that this appearance on Ellen will be her only appearance on a talk show to promote her spread on Playboy. [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/0iNRm1rBW_Y/

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