452-World

Teen Titans - The Complete Third Season (DVD)

2007-05-15T11:08:00.001-07:00

Teen Titans - The Complete Third Season is out, to all TEEN TITAN fans you know what to do, make sales good and save the show. TEEN TITANS GO!!!!!

Buy at amazon: Teen Titans - The Complete Third Season (DVD)

In a major city, Robin the Boy Wonder leads his own team of superheroes, The Teen Titans. With his teammates, the dark Raven, the powerful Cyborg, the flighty alien princess Starfire and the flippant Beast Boy; the team battles the forces of evil where ever they appear like the the enigmatic Slade, the diabolical Brother Blood or the malevolently cosmic Trigon.

PayPal receives banking licence

2007-05-15T11:06:00.001-07:00

The online payment service PayPal has received a banking licence in Luxembourg, promoting it to the status of a bank. As a consequence PayPal will move their headquarters to Luxembourg.

Since 2004 PayPal had the status of an Electronic Money Issuer supervised by the U.K. Financial Services Authority. Having an official bank status opens new prospects for the company: "This will allow us to actively scout retailers in different European countries. With our British licence, we could only do that in the U.K. itself, and in other countries we could only react to requests of the retailers themselves," Christopher Coonen, General Manager of PayPal Southern Europe and Benelux, explained.

The change will not affect existing customers dramatically says Coonen: "We are going to inform them of the new status, and they will have to accept our terms of service again." He also said that for now, there were no plans to use the new licence to offer traditional banking services, but the possibility was being evaluated by PayPal. Working with local partners would be an option to accomplish this, according to Coonen.

The British newspaper The Daily Telegraph speculates that the move is part of a strategy to compete with Google's payment service Google Checkout, which launched in the U.K. last month.

PayPal has 130 million users worldwide, and 35 million customers in Europe. Payments via its mother company eBay continue to make up 60% of PayPal's revenues. More than half of Britain's internet users have a PayPal account.

Japanese boy brings severed head of his mother to police station

2007-05-15T11:05:00.001-07:00

A boy from Aizuwakamatsu, Japan a town just north of Tokyo, has walked into the local police station with a sports bag which police say contained the severed head of his mother.

"If it's true, then it is horrendous," said Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki, the head spokesman for the Japanese government.

Police say that the 17-year-old boy told them that he killed his mother Monday night, and that he acted alone. Police later found the mother's remains inside the boy's apartment. Police say that an object much like a knife was used to sever her head.

There have been a series of murders involving the dismemberment of body parts in Japan in the past few months. A leg severed from an unknown body was found in Tokyo inside a trash bin on Monday. A woman, 32, was arrested in January when she admitted to murdering her husband, dismembering his body, then placed his remains around several spots in Tokyo.

User-generated content, other high-bandwidth websites blocked for U.S. soldiers

2007-05-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Department of Defense have announced that acccess to popular user generated content sites like MySpace and YouTube will be blocked on military computers. The block takes effect on Monday and will apply worldwide for all military personnel using Department of Defense computers.

The block is targeted at sites that contain user generated content. Including MySpace and YouTube, a total of 12 sites will be off limits according to Robert Weller of the Associated Press: Metacafe, iFilm, StupidVideos, FileCabi, BlackPlanet, Hi5, Pandora, MTV, 1.fm, live365 and Photobucket.

According to U.S. Strategic Command officials the block is due to "bandwidth/network issues" resulting in possible "clogging [of] the network".

The move is an apparent reversal of a earlier position held by the defense department. Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, the Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, told Carmen L. Gleason of the American Forces Press Service in mid-March: "We want the American public, from an unfiltered vantage point, to be able to see what coalition forces and Iraqi security forces are doing here in Iraq."

Teen Titans - The Complete Third Season (DVD)

2007-04-15T05:47:00.000-07:00

Teen Titans - The Complete First Season (DVD)

2007-03-24T22:23:00.000-07:00

The complete first season of Cartoon Network and WBTV's fine adaptation of Marv Wolfman and George Perez's '80s-era DC Comics title Teen Titans arrives in a 13-episode two-disc set. The attractive, anime-influenced episodes of the series' 2003 debut season pit the Titans--former Batman sidekick Robin, Beast Boy, Starfire, Cyborg, Terra, and Raven--against a horde of regular foes, including Slade (voiced by Ron Perlman), Trigon, Trident, Mad Mod, and many others. True to their age, the Titans also have to deal with issues about maturity, confidence, a hint of romance, and even a body-switch between two members. --Paul Gaita

Buy at Amazon.com: Teen Titans - The Complete First Season (DVD)

Help Save Teen Titans

Teen Titans - Trouble in Tokyo (Original Movie) (2007)

2007-03-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

For all those fans of the cartoon that want MORE TITANS and fought to SAVE THE SHOW, you need to buy this release. If sales are good, Warner Bros. will make more original Teen Titans Direct-To-DVD features. If sales are bad, say goodbye to Glen Murakami's Titans forever. So spread the word, and TITANS TOGETHER!
Buy at Amazon.com: Teen Titans - Trouble in Tokyo (Original Movie) (2007)

Plot Synopsis: America's coolest heroes head to Japan in their first animated movie, Teen Titans Tokyo, airing in late fall. When a high-tech ninja attacks Titans Tower, Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Raven and Beast Boy spring into action. Robin finds out that the ninja was sent by a mysterious and menacing Japanese criminal known as Brushogun, and the Teen Titans travel to Tokyo to track the villain down.

ATI RADEON 9550 256 MB AGP Video Upgrade Card

2007-03-24T20:53:00.000-07:00

The ATI Radeon 9550 256MB AGP card gives you the excpetional visual experience you've been looking for. If you're a value-minded gamer and PC enthusiast, you'll be impressed with the world of lush graphics and stutter-free gaming you'll have. With 4 pixel-rendering pipelines, you'll get the kind of dramatic image details you want, for better 3D gameplay and immersive video playback. 16 - 9 aspect ratio support in 1920x1080, 848x480 resolutions (Windows XP, 2000 and Me only) SmartShader 2.0 programmable vertex and pixel shaders SmoothVision 2.1 anti-aliasing modes (2x/4x/6x) Hyper Z III buffer for lossless compression and real-time shadow rendering MPEG-1, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 decode and encode acceleration FullStream video deblocking for Real, DivX and WMV9 formats Supports VESA PnP compatible displays Integrated TV support, up to 1024x768 resolution Connectors - 15-pin VGA port, 7-pin S-Video TV Out, 24-pin DVI-I port (1 each) Operating Systems - Windows XP, 2000, Me, 98SE Requires Intel Pentium 4, III, II, Celeron; AMD K6, Duron, Athlon, Athlon XP, AGP bus and 64MB system memory

Technical Details

* Model: 100-437105
* Item Package Quantity: 1
* Hardware Platform: PC
* video_output: Graphics adapter
* form_factor: Plug-in card
* video_output_interface: AGP 8x
* Graphics Coprocessor: ATI Radeon 9550
* memory_technology: DDR SDRAM
* Graphics Ram: 256 MB
* video_input: None
* television_interface: TV out

ATI Radeon X1600 Pro 512 MB PCI Express

2007-03-23T21:32:00.000-07:00

For outstanding digital entertainment and 3-D graphics, look no further than the Radeon X1600 Pro. The card is designed to transform your PC with astonishing graphics performance and visual quality, creating a lifelike high-definition (HD) viewing experience with 3-D games, DVD movies, and digital photography and video.

Performance, by the Numbers

Under the hood you'll find 157 million transistors on a 90nm fabrication process; 12 pixel shader processors; 5 vertex shader processors; 512 MB of 128-bit, 4-channel GDDR3 memory; and a native PCI Express x16 bus interface. The card also features a ring bus memory controller for 256-bit memory reads, which is optimized for performance at high-display resolutions.

The Radeon X1600 also supports impressive shader performance with Shader Model 3.0--now you can see incredible details never before visible. The X1600 also allows you to experience simultaneous high dynamic range rendering and advanced adaptive anti-aliasing for incredible enhancements to lighting contour and color details. Take the edge off of jagged wires and strands of hair, while experiencing photorealistic lighting.

Home Theater Compatibility
ATI's Avivo technology, which is integrated into the X1600, promises a high-definition visual experience, delivering sharper photos, smoother video, true-to-life image representation, and universal display connectivity for driving HD displays. High-definition images come to life with remarkable clarity and color. Plus, Avivo's universal connectivity allows you to create your ideal display setup. The technology also offers accelerated MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, WMV9, VC-1, and H.264 decoding, encoding, and transcoding. In the display support department you get an integrated dual-link DVI connector, plus compliance with HDMI and HDCP connections. There's even a component output for direct connections to HDTV displays.

CrossFire: Twice the Fun

With the purchase of a X1600 CrossFire Edition card, your X1600 can be upgraded to take advantage of ATI's CrossFire technology, giving you twice the power to throw at the most demanding games. Based on the same technology used with ATI-based commercial flight simulators, CrossFire soars into a new dimension of graphics capability with multiple graphics processing units (GPUs) working together in your PC. With two X1600 cards installed in your PCI Express-based PC, you can choose from three operating modes. First, Alternate Frame Rendering mode balances GPU tasks between the two cards for optimum performance. There's also a multiple load-sharing Scissor mode for compatibility with all games, as well as a Supertiling mode that divides the screen into multiple sectors that are selectively targeted by the two GPUs, offering the best load balancing between them. Note that to take advantage of CrossFire your computer must have a motherboard that is CrossFire-ready. The Radeon Xpress 200 CrossFire Edition and Intel i955X based dual-slot motherboards are supported platforms.

Technical Details

* Model number: 100-437509

* Controller: ATI Radeon X1600 Pro

* Bus type: PCI Express x16

* Memory size: 512 MB

* Memory technology: 128-bit 4-channel GDDR3

* Pixel shader processors: 12

* Vertex shader processors: 5

* RAMDAC: 400 MHz

* Engine clock: 500 MHz

* API supported: OpenGL 2.0

* Monitor supported: Dual

* Video acceleration: MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, WMV9, VC-1, H.264

* Maximum resolution: 2560 x 1600

* Connectors: 15-pin VGA, DVI-I, S-Video out

* TV out: Yes

ATI TV Wonder 650 High-Definition Personal Video Recorder for PC

2007-03-23T21:29:00.000-07:00

The ATI TV Wonder 650 High-Definition Personal Video Recorder for your PC is loaded with the very latest in digital TV technologies. You'll be able to schedule, watch, and record analog television, free-to-air HDTV, and FM radio stations from your home computer. This makes the TV Wonder 650 the ultimate media upgrade for your PC. Features include an advanced 3D comb filter, noise reduction, automatic color control, and edge enhancement to produce brilliant, sharp video that rivals any high-end consumer television set. This complete high-definition solution also allows you to watch the latest DVD titles, create your own DVDs, or convert your recorded television shows so you can take them with you on a portable media player. With all these media capabilities, the TV Wonder 650 expands your PC and brings your home computer out of the office and into the living room.

High-Quality Analog TV, Free-to-Air HDTV, and FM Radio on Your PC
TV Wonder 650 enhances standard analog TV and delivers sharp, clear video images that one would expect from today's high-end consumer televisions. The advanced 3D comb filter removes false colors and unsightly artifacts. Automatic gain control rapidly adjusts the brightness, automatic color control ensures that colors remain true to the actual image, and edge enhancement sharpens video to keep it clean and crisp. All of these advanced technologies are powered by the cutting-edge Theater 650 Pro processing core that produces the best possible viewing experience.

This product allows you to view free-to-air HDTV programming through the connection of an amplified antenna. Watch your favorite TV shows and sports programming in stunning, true-to-life, high definition. And since free-to-air HDTV (ATSC in North America) requires no monthly fees, you can watch with pleasure without damaging your pocketbook. (Please note that an amplified antenna is required to receive ATSC HDTV signals). In addition, to analog TV and free-to-air HDTV tuning capabilities, the TV Wonder 650 also allows you to tune in your favorite FM stations. Keep up on the latest news or listen to music while you work, send email, or surf the Internet--with the TV Wonder 650 all you favorite entertainment mediums come together with your PC.

Video Input/Capture and PVR Capabilities

TV Wonder 650 allows you to view or capture analog video from a camcorder or VCR through the audio/video input block. This function makes it easy to digitize your home videos and preserve your memories onto your PC's hard drive, or burn them to DVDs for friends and family. The Theater 650 Pro processing core utilizes noise reduction to sharpen the incoming analog video signal, and removes the static that can occur when sending analog video into your PC for capture. Whether you enable standard analog TV or free-to-air HDTV programming, TV Wonder 650 allows you to watch, pause live TV, or schedule and record your TV programs for later viewing, just like TiVo or other personal video recorders (PVR). This device is also capable of hardware MPEG-2 compression; it offloads the work from your CPU and produces a high-quality capture that can easily be transferred to DVD. The Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) makes it a breeze to find and schedule recordings of your favorite TV programs, or search for other programs by channel and genre.

User-Friendly Interface

The Catalyst Media Center is ATI's new 3D interface that makes it easy to access the enormous number of features on your TV Wonder 650. It's large, bright, easy-to-read buttons and clear, 3D icons pave a quick path to where you want to go. Beyond its user-friendly and aesthetically-pleasing interface, Catalyst Media Center packs the TV Wonder 650 with even more media capabilities. The built-in DVD decoder adds the ability to watch DVD movie titles; the DVD authoring software allows you to effortlessly create DVDs on your won that include themed menus and your favorite tunes; and, lastly, AVIVO Video Converter gives you the choice to either capture or convert video to a format that will enable transfer to a portable media player. The capture or convert feature is available in a number of formats, including MPEG-2, MPEG-4, Windows Media Video 9, AVI, DivX, or H.264 formats.

The TV Wonder 650 is designed with the Windows Media Center 2005 in mind. It is the perfect complement for this powerful media operating system, as it upgrades your PC to take full advantage of the abundance of media capabilities. In addition, the TV Wonder 650 is ready for the Windows Vista operating system. In fact, this device is even Windows Vista Premium ready, which ensures that you will be able to take full advantage of the TV Wonder 650's powerhouse media capabilities for years to come.

Note: An ATI Radeon 9600 or newer graphics card is recommended for optimal display output quality.

AMD ATI Radeon X1650 Pro 512MB AGP Graphics Card

2007-03-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

The Radeon X1650 Pro series delivers stunning 3D graphics, excellent performance, and all the extensive features of a high-end graphics processor. The X1650 Pro is capable of displaying a billion colors more than competing graphics processors, boasts one of the highest video performance scores in the industry, and can bring today's top games to life with outstanding shader performance and simultaneous high dynamic range lighting and full screen anti-aliasing. Experience cutting edge, 3D graphics with full screen anti-aliasing, high dynamic range lighting, and stunning shader performance. Listen to your game rather than your PC's fans with the X1650's improved cool-running technology. The Radeon X1650 delivers whisper quiet operation and cool performance while running graphically intense games and applications. Ultra-Threaded Shader Engine Support for Microsoft DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 3.0 programmable vertex and pixel shaders in hardware Full speed 128-bit floating point processing for all shader operations Up to 128 simultaneous pixel threads Up to 128-tap texture filtering Accelerated MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, WMV9, VC-1, and H.264 decoding and transcoding Fast, glitch-free mode switching Lossless Color Compression (up to 6 - 1) at all resolutions, including widescreen HDTV resolutions DVI 1.0 compliant, HDMI interoperable and HDCP ready Dual integrated 10-bit per channel 400 MHz DACs 3 - 2 pulldown (frame rate conversion) 16-bit per channel floating point HDR and 10-bit per channel DVI output YPrPb component output for direct drive of HDTV displays VGA mode support on all outputs Avivo Video and Display Platform Flexible display support High performance programmable video processor DXVA support Render to vertex buffer support Complete feature set also supported in OpenGL 2.0 64-bit floating point HDR rendering supported throughout the pipeline Temporal Anti-Aliasing mode

THE GAME IS ON! - Outstanding Digital Entertainment and 3D Graphics

The Radeon X1650 PRO delivers stunning 3D graphics, excellent performance, and all the extensive features of a high-end graphics card. Your system will be able to handle the latest games, high definition digital video, and Windows Vista™ with aplomb. The X1650 PRO is capable of displaying a billion colors more than competing graphics cards, boasts one of the highest video performance scores in the industry, and can bring today’s top games to life through outstanding shader performance and simultaneous high dynamic range lighting and full screen anti-aliasing, available only with ATI products. Radeon X1650 PRO graphics technology. Exceptional graphics performance.

Superior gaming performance and image quality

Experience cutting edge, 3D graphics with full screen anti-aliasing, high dynamic range lighting, and stunning shader performance.

Double your graphics potential

CrossFire is the ultimate multi-GPU gaming platform, enabling game-dominating power from ATI CrossFire ready motherboards and multiple ATI graphics cards.

Why see millions when you could see billions?

Witness your digital images burst with billion more colors in all of your graphics applications than you would with competing graphics boards.

Watch stunning, high-definition video on your PC

Enjoy industry leading high-definition video performance with ATI’s Avivo technology.

Prepare for a Window’s Vista Premium experience

Prepare your PC with a graphics card that beats Microsoft’s stated GPU requirements for a premium Windows Vista experience.

Features

* DirectX 9.0 and OpenGL 2.0
* CATALYST Software Drivers
* 12 Pixel Pipelines Architecture
* 8 Vertex Shader
* SMARTSHADER Technology
* VIDEOSHADER Technology
* SMOOTHVISION Technology
* HYPER Z III+ Technology
* Dual Display Support

Technical Details

* Model: 100-437809

* Item Package Quantity: 1

* Hardware Platform: PC

* Device Type: Graphics processor

* Bus Type: AGP 8X

* Memory: 512MB GDDR2-128bit

* Core Clock: 600 MHz

* Memory Clock: 1400 MHz

* RAMDACS: Dual 400 MHz

* API Support: DirectX 9.0, Shader Model 3.0 and OpenGL 2.0

* Output: Dual DVI, TV-Out

* Maximum 3D Graphics Resolution: 2560 x 1600

* System Requirements: Windows VXP/2000; Pentium IV or AMD Athlon, Athlon(r) 64, Athlon XP; 420 Watt ATX 2.0 or greater power supply; 512 MB or higher system memory; 90MB available hard disk space; CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive; PCI Express compatible system with a specialized 12v graphics card power connector

ATI Radeon X1600 Pro 512 MB AGP

2007-03-23T20:13:00.000-07:00

The ATI Radeon X1600 is here to deliver the ultimate gaming performance. This amazing graphics card will give you outstanding digital entertainment and 3D graphics, through its unique ultra-threaded architecture and Avivo video and display technology. Transform your PC with astonishing graphics performance and visual quality, creating a lifelike High Definition (HD) viewing experience with 3D games, DVD movies, digital photography and digital video. The Radeon X1600 is ideal for the working demands and entertainment pleasures of tomorrow. Native PCI Express x16 bus interface AGP 8x configurations also supported with AGP-PCI-E external bridge chip Lossless Z Compression (up to 48 - 1) 32-bit integer HDR (10 - 10 - 10 - 2) format supported throughout the pipeline Lossless Color Compression (up to 6 - 1) at all resolutions, including widescreen HDTV resolutions Vector adaptive per-pixel de-interlacing Accelerated MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, WMV9, VC-1, and H.264 decoding and transcoding DXVA support De-blocking and noise reduction filtering Motion compensation, IDCT, DCT and color space conversion 3 - 2 pulldown (frame rate conversion) Complete, independent color controls and video overlays for each display Drive two displays simultaneously with independent resolutions and refresh rates CrossFire Multi-GPU technology with 4 modes of operation - Alternate Frame Rendering (maximum performance), Supertiling (optimal load-balancing), Scissor (compatibility), Super AA 8x/10x/12x/14x (maximum image quality) DVI 1.0 compliant / HDMI interoperable and HDCP ready VGA mode support on all outputs Compatible with ATI TV/Video encoder products, including Theater 550

For outstanding digital entertainment and 3-D graphics, look no further than the Radeon X1600 Pro. The card is designed to transform your PC with astonishing graphics performance and visual quality, creating a lifelike high-definition (HD) viewing experience with 3-D games, DVD movies, and digital photography and video.

Performance, by the Numbers

Under the hood you'll find 157 million transistors on a 90nm fabrication process; 12 pixel shader processors; 5 vertex shader processors; 512 MB of 128-bit, 4-channel GDDR3 memory; and an external bridge chip that supports AGP 4x and 8x interfaces. The card also features a ring bus memory controller for 256-bit memory reads, which is optimized for performance at high-display resolutions.

The Radeon X1600 also supports impressive shader performance with Shader Model 3.0--now you can see incredible details never before visible. The X1600 also allows you to experience simultaneous high dynamic range rendering and advanced adaptive anti-aliasing for incredible enhancements to lighting contour and color details. Take the edge off of jagged wires and strands of hair, while experiencing photorealistic lighting.

Home Theater Compatibility

ATI's Avivo technology, which is integrated into the X1600, promises a high-definition visual experience, delivering sharper photos, smoother video, true-to-life image representation, and universal display connectivity for driving HD displays. High-definition images come to life with remarkable clarity and color. Plus, Avivo's universal connectivity allows you to create your ideal display setup. The technology also offers accelerated MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, WMV9, VC-1, and H.264 decoding, encoding, and transcoding. In the display support department you get an integrated dual-link DVI connector, plus compliance with HDMI and HDCP connections. There's even a component output for direct connections to HDTV displays.

Technical Details

* Model number: 100-437510
* Controller: ATI Radeon X1600 Pro
* Bus type: AGP 8X
* Memory size: 512 MB
* Memory technology: 128-bit 4-channel DDR
* Pixel shader processors: 12
* Vertex shader processors: 5
* RAMDAC: 400 MHz
* Engine clock: 500 MHz
* API supported: OpenGL 2.0
* Monitor supported: Dual
* Video acceleration: MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, WMV9, VC-1, H.264
* Maximum resolution: 2560 x 1600
* Connectors: 15-pin VGA, DVI-I, S-Video out
* TV out: Yes

Orange SPV M3100: Sophisticated style, impressive performance.

2007-02-22T06:40:00.001-08:00

Author: Bradley Ben

Since its inception in April 1994, Orange have came a long way. All the models introduced by Orange has an element of uniqueness and identity of its own. The recently released Orange SPV M3100 has done considerably well to live up to the high expectation after other successful models.

Orange SPV M3100 is essentially a handheld with functionality comparable to that of a laptop. This PDA features immense power of technologies like 3G, GPRS, EDGE, WiFi and HSDPA connectivity. The handheld has a large touchscreen that consumes most of the front and delivers more than 262k colours. Navigation through the stylus or the jog-dial is very easy and swift. But the most amazing trick up the sleeve of the Orange SPV M3100 is its sliding QWERTY keyboard. The display too changes from portrait to landscape mode as soon as the keypad is slide opened.

Being a Window Mobile 5.0 device, the Orange SPV M3100 has all Microsoft Office capabilities. Working on MS Word, Excel or PowerPoint is just like any computer. Sending and receiving your business and personal mail with attachments is no big deal. With the Orange SPV M3100, you can also edit attachments. Unfortunately, MSN messenger is missing from the feature list. 3G technology of the Orange SPV M3100 makes it possible for you to make and receive video calls. Conference calling is supported too.

The Orange SPV M3100 also give you your share of fun in work. You can capture great photographs with the integrated 2.0 megapixel camera. You can save your favourite tracks in the internal memory of 128 Mb which is expandable with external memory card and listen to them on the Window Media Player. If you're into gaming, download as many Java games as you want and play them to unwind.

If you have lived with the Orange SPV M3100 for a while, you will wonder how you ever did without it.

Ben Bradley is webmaster of
Mobile Phones.
For more information about
Orange SPV M3100, please visit www.orangemobileshop.co.uk.

This article is free for republishing
Source: http://www.articlealley.com

Nokia E50: the smart business solution

2007-02-22T06:39:00.002-08:00

Author: Keith Rickwood

Nokia's dominance in the business phone section is unquestionable. From the time when the 'business' class mobile phone was identified till today, Nokia have came up with many highly popular business phone models. Adding more strength to the wide spectrum of Nokia's business solution is their latest offering – the Nokia E50.

The Nokia E50 is a simple candy-bar dominated by silver coloured casing with black sections. The handset is neatly designed and looks as attractive as a business phone should be. The Nokia E50 is based on S60 platform (third edition) with Symbian Operating System 9.1. Handling of the device is very easy with its intuitive user interface and tactile keypad.

The Nokia E50 sports a large 240 x 320 pixel, TFT display with more than 262k colours. The screen also acts as the viewfinder for the integrated 1.3 megapixel camera. You can instantly shoot and share all your precious moments with your friends and family via MMS or even emails. Shooting high quality videos for up to an hour is also possible. Immortalize events and preserve them forever in the 70 Mb of dynamic memory of the Nokia E50. Hot swap of external memory card is enabled too.

You can host conference calls with up to 6 parties and even use the built in speaker phone for a group discussion over the telephone. Push to Talk is another way to keep in constant touch with your team with the Nokia E50. Send and receive your personal and business emails with attachments. With the Nokia E50, you can even edit popular formats of email attachments.

The Nokia E50 supports quad-band GSM network so is functional in the whole globe. Internet on the go is possible through EDGE, GPRS and a built in xHTML/HTML browser. Synchronize and exchange information with external devices through Bluetooth, Infrared and USB with the Nokia E50.

Be it work or play, the Nokia E50 is your perfect companion on the go.

Mobile Phone Deals

Nokia E50

This article is free for republishing
Source: http://www.articlealley.com

Occupation: Webmaster

Keith Rickwood is webmaster of http://www.mobilerainbow.co.uk/. This website deals in contract mobile phones and Sim free phones on major six mobile networks in UK. There are best mobile phones deals with latest handset and cheap mobile phone plans on popular mobile networks.

http://www.mobilerainbow.co.uk

Samsung SGH-X830 ( blush pink) – Season's hottest mini music phone

2007-02-22T06:39:00.001-08:00

Author: Keith Rickwood

In its endeavour to introduce cutting edge multimedia phone, Samsung launches yet another innovative set in the music segment - duly complimented with exhaustive features and an impressive look. Thus, if portability and exclusive trendy design is what you want, then Samsung SGH-X830 is the phone you should get. Launched as 'the mini Mp3 phone', this cell has a unique swing-open mechanism that makes it compact, and perfectly combines the features and functionalities of a phone as well as a mp3 player. This ipod looking phone is slim and narrow and is wisely engineered to provide an optimal mobile experience. When closed the phone functions like a perfect Mp3 player, with music player interface, horizontally displaying the details. And on swinging the phone open, keypads are exposed.

What appears to be a rotator control, is actually a conventional selector pad. The navigation through it is hassle free and also provides an easy selection. The phone has a huge internal memory of 1GB, good enough to cater all your download requirements. You can download audio files from CNN and BBC websites too, through podcasting functions. It also has a USB 2.0 connection to make transfer of large data quite viable. Samsung claims that up to 330 tracks (at 3 MB per file) can be easily carried in the mobile, but one would give around 250 tracks a green signal. The Mp3 player is of a good quality and is capable of playing AAC and WMA media formats as well.

Samsung SGH-X830 measures an incredibly compressed 84x30x19.9mm and weighs only about 75 grams. It also has EDGE data support along with usual features like PC synchronisation, JAVA and some PIM tools. Not to miss its 1.3 Megapixels camera and a Bluetooth.

Besides the funky, feminine blush pink, the phone is also available in other colours like orange, black and white.

Samsung X830

Samsung X830 Blush (Pink)

This article is free for republishing
Source: http://www.articlealley.com

Occupation: Webmaster

http://www.mobilerainbow.co.uk

Nokia N73: Shoot images with greater verity.

2007-02-22T06:36:00.002-08:00

Author: Bradley Ben

Nokia N-series mobile phones are multi-utility devices. Targeted towards people who love images and would like to have powerful imaging features in their handset, Nokia N73 also has a wider range of features to meet your everyday needs. Whether it is for office or for entertainment, Nokia N73 doesn't disappoint you on many accounts.

A prolific member of hugely popular Nokia N series family, the Nokia N73 clicks quality snaps with accurate colours and precise focus. The mobile phone features a 3.2-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics in addition to other imaging features. The handset allows users to have more control with a range of options to get images with desired colur effects and brightness. A large vibrant display makes viewing images which you have shot a real delight. The handset supports many sharing functions which allows you to do more with your images.

The N73 also boasts of a quality music player and stereo FM radio. The music player of the mobile phone supports both MP3 and WMA file format, and there's a bundled set of earphones to optimize the music capabilities.

Good news for business professionals. The Nokia N73 can be a handy device for you, with its office ytility functions like Office formats, document viewer, scheduling features and Exchange ActiveSync. A set of quality connectivity options including Bluetooth technology is just what you need when you are travelling away from your place.

The Nokia N73 boasts of a well spaced out keypad and a large screen which shows 170 characters at a time which is a deligh for people who love sending texts. You also have archiving facility to save unlimited number of messages and e-mail client which is as good as in any other handset.

Ben Bradley is webmaster of
Mobile Phone Deals.
For more information about
Nokia N73, please visit www.orangemobileshop.co.uk.

This article is free for republishing
Source: http://www.articlealley.com

Sony Ericsson W950i: You music – your world

2007-02-22T06:36:00.001-08:00

Author: Keith Rickwood

The Sony Ericsson W950i is yet another Walkman series phone, with something extra to offer for all those who just love music. Out and out, the Sony Ericsson W950i represents the hugely popular Walkman series, which has earned innumerable reviews since the release of very first Walkman phone. Empowered by all the latest Symbian software, this high profile gizmo is all set to create a huge buzz with loads to offer. Moreover, the other major mobile handset manufacturing companies have been also experiencing stiff competition after the advent of Sony Ericsson Walkman series. Loaded with substantial memory of 4 GB and also with the latest Walkman 2.0 media player, the Sony Ericsson W950i is not only good enough as a cool music phone, but it also elevates your overall mobile experience.

As far as designing and style is concerned, it is nonetheless a true enticer, which is very well perfected in a sleek purple case. To add more, it has been further treated with flashes of orange colour, which duly represents the Walkman family. Moreover, all other essential ingredients are there to make a perfect recipe for music lovers with touch sensitive big TFT QVGA display screen, which is quite capable to produce quality pictures and it also supports more than 262k colours. Being a very first Walkman phone, which comes with touch sensitive keys, the Sony Ericsson W950i is quite superior than the rest of the members in the Walkman family. For easy navigation, you can also use its Jog-dial wheel, which makes various things easier for you.

You would surely relish the music capabilities of the Sony Ericsson W950i, as this extra cool gizmo is endowed with the latest version of the Walkman media player. Hence, it gives you clear sound to enjoy the music, the way you want. Moreover, its music player can support music in various popular formats such as MP3, AAC, AAC+, WAV and m4a – more options, more fun. Besides listening to your favourite track, you can also get all the desired information about the song you are playing, as it also comes with the popular TrackID support feature. For better music experience, you can also arrange all your favourite songs in its music library, which is powered by 4 GB of flash memory. So, enjoy music to the fullest to feel the ecstasy with your Sony Ericsson W950i.

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Sony Ericsson W950i

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Nokia N80 - Just another N-Series phone...or is it?

2007-02-22T05:31:00.000-08:00

Author: Keith Rickwood

One of the most anticipated and over-hyped phone, Nokia N80 falls quite short of expectations for many. Theoretically, the phone's anatomy has been engineered to almost perfection, but when it's handed over to its users, this phone won't really be classified as 'the prized possession'. That is, if the user is not a typical user.

Nokia N80 has an innovative exterior, with a classy slide-up design. This makes the smartphone compact and attractive. But despite this effort, Nokia N80 fails to compete with 'the lords in the game' – Samsung. The slide-up mechanism of Nokia N80 is not as smooth and good as that of Samsung. Also, the slide opens by itself many a times, which might lead into automatic dialling. The only resort thus, becomes the manual keypad lock.

One of the lightest smartphones available - weighs around 134g - Nokia N80 has successfully carved a niche in the genre of light smartphones. Being a 3G smartphone, it takes good care of personal and business requirements. The phone offers a wide array of multiple softwares, excellent functionality and good connectivity. It also has a wireless LAN, enabling fast connection to a PC, broadband internet and other Wi-Fi devices. But the blot here is its slow pace, both in boot up and in operation.

It has a superior LCD display and video quality. But despite having a 3 Megapixels camera, it cannot compete with Nokia N90 and Sony Ericsson W900i (both having 2 Megapixels camera). And if music runs through your blood, this phone is a celebration for you. It comes with an advance music player, great audio quality, stereo handset and a great storage capacity.

Concept wise Nokia N80 is par excellence and we just hope that the firmware upgrades will make it more reliable and user-friendly.

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Nokia N80

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Motorola L6: Great design and quality entertainment

2007-02-22T05:24:00.000-08:00

Author: Keith Rickwood

If you want your mobile phone to look good, to be equipped with entertaining features like multimedia imaging and games then Motorola L6 is an option worth thinking about. The handset has been asthetically designed to meet the requirements of style conscious consumers and at the same it has a wide range of features to give acess to quality entertainment whenever, wherver you wish to.

The mobile phone comes with an integrated VGA camera with 4x zoom, video timer, video capture and playback which makes it easy for you to freeze some of the precious moments in your life. The image quality is good enough. Share your images and videos with your near and dear ones with Bluetooth technology enabled in your Motorola L6 handset.

Use advanced messaging options like MMS, SMS and Instant Messaging(IM) to buzz your friends and add spice in your relationships. With MMS you can also attach images and sounds to create greater imapct with your images. With push to talk feature you have many ways of getting connected. Download wallpapers, screensavers, latest mp3 and polyphonic ringtones and express your mood to the world.

A vibrant colour screen in the Motorola L6 mobile phone allows you to view all your images and videos with greater clarity. An intuitive key board with dedicated keys for different functions across menu helps you navigate swiftly. Download latest games in your mobile phone and make those long travelling hours short and interesting.

The handset has enough memory space to store a good number of images, videos and other desired content. The mobile phone boasts of good call management and personal information mangaement functions. With hands-free speaker the handset allows you talk freely while you are doing other things. With verstaile options to remain connected, the handset offers you a great mobile experience.

Motorola L6

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Chow Yun-fat to star in Pirates of the Caribbean 3

2006-09-10T03:21:00.000-07:00

According to Variety, Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer have enlisted Chow Yun-fat for Pirates of the Caribbean 3.

Chow will play Capt. Sao Feng, a notorious pirate who plays a major role in the second sequel to 2003's Disney blockbuster.

It is the Hong Kong native's first English-language role since Bulletproof Monk in 2003.

Pirates 2 and 3 are shooting back-to-back, with production skedded through January. The shoot is currently in a scheduled hiatus so helmer Gore Verbinski can ready portions of Pirates 2, formally monikered Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, for post-production, with an eye toward a July 2006 release. Pirates 3 is skedded for summer 2007.

Shooting stopped June 10 and will resume in mid-August in Los Angeles, shifting back to Caribbean locations later in the year. Some Pirates 2 footage remains to be shot, but most of the remaining shooting days will be devoted to Pirates 3.

"weird" things in Grudge 2 set

2006-09-10T02:57:00.000-07:00

An interesting story is developing around the set of The Grudge 2. Apparently, student filmmaker Jason Cutler was allowed by Sony to come to Tokyo and shoot his senior thesis about the making of this film. It seems that he got to Tokyo, started shooting footage in and around the set, and compiled various talking head footage with the cast and crew. Cutler even managed to capture the actors in some highly candid moments and had begun blogging about his experiences online. Everything was going fine and then after five posts, Jason Cutler turned up missing.

Now apparently Cutler's roommate, who police only listed in their reports as ScottieK49, has actually been trying to find his friend (he even went so far as to pick up where Jason left off in his blog). It is unclear where Jason Cutler's parents are in all of this, and when questioned, members of the cast and crew of The Grudge 2 seem to acknowledge that he was in Tokyo shooting footage, but that they hadn't seen him in a while. It had been assumed that Cutler had gotten all the assets that he needed, and was now returning to the US to put it all together for his aforementioned senior thesis. When we tried to get in touch with his camera operator, the production office of The Grudge 2 could give us no information. It seems Cutler had contacted the operator via the internet and had arranged everything outside of The Grudge 2 production. When asked how Jason Cutler, a filmmaker with no credits to his name was able to gain access to the set of this movie, nobody in the production office seemed to have any explanations.

In an effort to help find Jason, Sony has made his roommate's blog available at sonypictures.com/movies/thegrudge2/blog/ so that anyone, if they have any information about Jason's whereabouts, can get in touch to help in the investigation. It seems that Cutler's roommate has been going through all of his footage and his logistical information from Tokyo. He seems to be trying to create a timeline of events that might explain where Jason went before he disappeared. Sadly, you can't actually contact the roommate via the blog, even though it is still active and he's continuing to post information.

One of the interesting points of note from the blog is that it seems Cutler was staying in the Gyokuro Hotel then he moved over to the Ikebana Hotel for two days. As nobody was with him when he did this, and it doesn't seem like Cutler's roommate found any video footage explaining this sudden location change, we have no explanation for why this occurred. One of the theories is that Cutler may have been involved with some people in Tokyo, and he ultimately disappeared with them, but based on his production footage that doesn't make sense. He seemed more than eager to cover the shooting of The Grudge 2 and, based on the footage he'd shot, had captured many interesting moments on tape.

Another point in the roommate's blog is him mentioning some erratic behavior from Jason. Apparently, Cutler shot some footage of himself that the roommate found before he turned all this information over to authorities. Here is an excerpt from his blog:

"This morning I watched 60 minutes of nothing but Jason pointing the camera at his bathroom mirror. He didn't say anything, he just stood there rolling tape."

While covering this story we had resisted looking into any "supernatural" causes for Jason Cutler's disappearance. It just didn't seem like an avenue to go down, but as the clues on the roommates blog continued to become more and more disjointed, we began wondering if perhaps there might not be something to the "supernatural" theory. We're not saying that that's definitely what happened, the investigation is still on going, but there's some footage of The Grudge 2 star Amber Tamblyn (and other actors like Matthew Knight), that certainly seem to suggest that there was something about the set, an in making The Grudge 2 in particular, that was getting to them.

During her interview, Tamblyn seems both distracted and nervous. She even says that she's "ready to be done" with this film and even talks about "this experience" being "tiring." Then, during her interview the light seems to come in and out in the room. After this, Tamblyn is very on edge and mentions being the "only one left here. Everybody's gone... I'm just kind of alone." Then, one of Cutler's lights seems to explode, and as the camera moves around a bit, a dark, oval-like image seems to appear on the wall behind Tamblyn. After this she abruptly leaves the room.

We're continuing to follow this story as more information becomes available. The fact that Sony has only posted the roommate's blog, and not gone public with more information about the disappearance of Jason Cutler, is also odd. It would seem if more people knew that he had vanished (and if they knew the circumstances), more information would turn up and they would, hopefully, find him quicker. We will certainly keep you updated as we get more information on this evolving story.

10 Ways to Make the Switch from Summer to School

2006-09-05T03:16:00.000-07:00

1. Restart Routines. Kids need time to adjust, so provide a head start. About two weeks before school starts, make bedtime earlier and dust off the alarm clock. Aim to serve meals at approximately the same times your child will be eating throughout the school year. To make sure your morning timing is right, stage a test run. Have him ready to go by the time the bus or carpool would arrive — then remind him he still has a few days of summer left!

2. Go Over Ground Rules. Decide when and where she'll do homework. Be sure to cover tricky topics: can she watch TV after she finishes her work? How late can friends visit on school nights? When's the caffeine cut-off? What about chores? Establishing guidelines and going over them together will make sure you're on the same page once school's in session. Some families even draw up a written contract spelling out everyone's expectations.

3. De-stress Dressing. Let your child choose special first-day clothes — a souvenir shirt from a park you visited this summer or a new dress to match her best friend's. To avoid arguing over school-appropriate clothes, bring the fall wardrobe front and center. Replace sandals and swimsuits with socks, sneakers, and lightweight sweaters.

4. Develop a Game Plan — Together. Discuss goals for the upcoming year, triumphs from the year before, and some skills he would like to improve. Goals might include:

Making three new friends, or sitting at a different lunch table every week
Becoming captain of the chess team or a spelling bee finalist
Making the honor roll
Helping a new student adjust
Listen, and ask questions. Setting his own priorities will make them more meaningful. Throughout the year, track his progress and encourage his efforts.

5. Keep Passions in Play. If your child became a weaving whiz at summer camp or a diving champ at the local pool, keep it going. Integrate new summer hobbies into the school year by finding after-school clubs or groups that will let her continue to do the cool new things she tried this summer!

6. Summon the Learning Spirit. Assign creative "homework" as summer wanes: Ask him to identify a paw print in the park or photograph something that changes colors. Make family flashcards and quiz each other: What was the farthest you went from home this summer? What plans were rained out? Who got the most bug bites?

7. Take a Family Field Trip. Plan one last fact-packed trip to top off months of water parks and baseball games. You don't have to go far: Visit a nature sanctuary to learn about different plants and trees, or examine an old ship down at the docks. Whether you pick an aquarium or a modern art museum, the combination of fun and learning is sure to get kids back in school spirit.

8. Set Up a Homework Area. Create a quiet, well-lit space for study. Prevent first day freak-outs by hauling out the necessities: backpack, dictionary, atlas, calculator, art supplies, paper, and pencils. Make it personal and fun, but free from distractions.

9. Sharpen Skills. Add more factual brain-bending activities into the everyday mix. Sudoku games, crossword puzzles, word searches, and trivia all encourage your child to sit still, focus, and complete a task from start to finish.

10. Go for a Test Run. Take a trip to school and get familiar with the new classroom. Make sure to find the cafeteria, gym, theater, and library. Don't forget about bathrooms! It's also a good time to size up cubbies, try out lockers, and locate a pay phone. The first trip back might prompt an attack of the end-of-summer bummers, so stop for a fun treat on the way home and remind her that is she well prepared.

Steve Irwin

2006-09-04T05:51:00.000-07:00

On 4 September 2006, Irwin was fatally pierced in the chest by a stingray off the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia while filming a segment for his daughter Bindi Irwin's underwater documentary called Deadly Sea Creatures. The BBC reported that this was only the second known fatality in Australian history from a stingray attack.

Shortly after 11:00 a.m. local time (01:00 UTC), Irwin was filming in the Low Isles, Queensland near Port Douglas, north of Cairns, Queensland, Australia, where he was stung either through his heart or through the left side of his chest and suffered cardiac arrest. After he was stung, his crew called for medical help and the Queensland Rescue Helicopter responded, taking him to Cairns Base Hospital. However, Irwin was pronounced dead at noon. The Queensland Police Service notified his family and released a statement for the media concerning the event.

The Scream

2006-09-02T07:19:00.000-07:00

The Scream (Skrik, 1893) is a seminal expressionist painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. Regarded by many as his most important work, it is said by some to symbolize modern man taken by an attack of existential angst, with the skyline inspired by the red twilights seen after the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa.[1] The landscape in the background is Oslofjord, viewed from the hill of Ekeberg. The Norwegian word skrik is usually translated as "scream", but is cognate with the English shriek. Occasionally, the painting has been called The Cry.

There is a tempera on cardboard version (measuring 83.5 x 66 cm) formerly in the Munch Museum, Oslo, Norway (see gallery), and an oil, tempera, and pastel on cardboard (measuring 91 x 73.5 cm) in the National Gallery (shown to right), also in Oslo. A third version is also owned by the Munch Museum, and a fourth is owned by Petter Olsen. Munch later also translated the picture into a lithograph (see gallery), so the image could be reproduced in reviews all over the world. Since 1994, two separate versions of The Scream have been stolen by art thieves, but both were eventually recovered.

Thefts

On 12 February 1994 the National Gallery's Scream was stolen, the same day that the 1994 Winter Olympics opened in Lillehammer. The painting had been moved to a ground floor display as part of the Olympic festivities, and the presence of international media made the theft a sensation. An early claim of responsibility by a Norwegian anti-abortion group turned out to be false. After three months, the painting was offered back to the Norwegian government for a ransom of USD $1 million. The ransom was refused, but the painting was nevertheless recovered on 7 May 1994, following a sting operation organised by the Norwegian police with assistance from the British Police and the Getty Museum.

On August 22, 2004, the Munch Museum's Scream was stolen at gunpoint, along with Munch's Madonna. Museum officials expressed hope that they would see the painting again, theorizing that perhaps the thieves would seek ransom money. On April 8, 2005, Norwegian police arrested a suspect in connection with the theft. On April 28, 2005, it was rumoured that the two paintings had been burnt by the thieves to conceal evidence. On June 1, 2005, the City Government of Oslo offered a reward of 2 million kroner (about USD $320,000) for information that could help locate the paintings. In early 2006, six men with previous criminal records were scheduled to go on trial, variously charged with either helping to plan or execute the robbery. Three of the men were convicted and sentenced to between four and eight years in prison in May of 2006. Two of the convicted art thieves, Björn Hoen, 37, and Petter Tharaldsen, 34, were also ordered to pay 750 million kroner (US $122 million) to the City of Oslo which is where the paintings were previously located. The Munch Museum itself was closed for 10 months for a $6 million security overhaul.

Recovery

On August 31, 2006, Norwegian police announced that the paintings had been recovered again from a raid, and the paintings were said to be in a better-than-expected condition with only a minor scratch and two minor holes. "We are 100 percent certain they are the originals," police chief Iver Stensrud told a news conference. "The damage was much less than feared."

On September 1, 2006, Munch Museum director Ingebjoerg Ydstie said that the condition of the paintings was much better than expected and that the damages could be repaired.

Trump fires Apprentice co-star

2006-09-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

Donald Trump has reportedly fired one of the executives famous for her role as a tough-talking judge on the hit US reality show 'The Apprentice'.

Carolyn Kepcher is being replaced on the show by his daughter and is no longer with the company, a Trump representative told the New York Post.

The representative declined further comment, but the New York Post said Donald Trump's TV sidekick was fired after spending too much time cultivating her own celebrity with speaking engagements.

Kepcher had been with the property tycoon for more than 10 years, most recently serving as chief operating officer of Trump National Golf Club in Westchester, New York, and helping manage another Trump golf club in New Jersey.

Trump's daughter, Ivanka, will replace Kepcher on 'The Apprentice,' and his son, Donald Jr, will replace the show's other judge, George Ross, the Post said.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701

2006-08-13T12:44:00.000-07:00

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 is a resolution intended to resolve the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict. It was unanimously approved by the United Nations Security Council on 11 August 2006. The Lebanese government, which includes two members of Hezbollah, unanimously approved the Security Council Resolution on 12 August. The same day, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said that his militia would honour the call for a cease-fire. He also said that once the Israeli offensive stops, Hezbollah's reaction will stop. On 13 August the Israeli Cabinet voted 24-0 in favor of the resolution, with one abstention. U.N Secretary General Kofi Annan said that the U.N. brokered cease-fire will begin on Monday 14th August at 0800 local time.

The resolution was based on a draft originally prepared by France and the United States. The draft resolution called for the "full cessation of hostilities" between Israel and Hezbollah, but was strongly criticized by Lebanon and the Arab League for not requiring Israel to withdraw immediately from southern Lebanon and for allowing Israel to continue operations against Hezbollah.

As a counter-move, Lebanon received the support from the Arab League to try to get parts of the Siniora Plan, presented by the Lebanese government on 27 July, included in the draft resolution. A delegation from the League flew to New York City on 8 August and met with various UN representatives and the draft's chief architects, France and the USA. This resulted in a shift in France's position and eventually forced a re-draft of the proposal.

The main differences from the original draft proposal are that the 15,000 soldiers assigned from the Lebanese Army are to have a central role, with a much strengthened UNIFIL force (from current 2,000 to possibly 15,000 soldiers) assisting them in fully implementing the relevant provisions of the Taif Accords and resolutions 1559 and 1680 (taken on 17 May 2006; urging Lebanon to speed up the disarming of Hezbollah; and urging Syria to help in this, as well as urging Syria to help Lebanon settle their common border, i.e. Shebaa Farms), including disarmament of Hezbollah. The resolution, however, makes it clear that the Lebanese decide when and if they require UNIFIL's help in these matters. The resolution also says that Israeli forces shall withdraw in parallel with the combined Lebanese and UNIFIL forces moving into the conflict area, and no paramilitary forces, including (and implying) Hezbollah, will be south of the Litani River (OP8).

Leaders around the world praised the agreement while noting this was not the end of the crisis.

Summary of Resolution 1701

* Full cessation of hostilities (OP1)

* Israel to withdraw all of its forces from Lebanon (OP2)

* Fully implementing the relevant provisions of the Taif Accords and resolutions 1559 and 1680 urging Lebanon to speed up the disarming of Hezbollah. (OP3)

* Full control of Lebanon by the government of Lebanon (OP3)

* No paramilitary forces, including (and implying) Hezbollah, will be south of the Litani River (OP8).

Typhoon Saomai

2006-08-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

Typhoon Saomai (designated Typhoon Juan by PAGASA and Super Typhoon Saomai by the JTWC) was a powerful typhoon that affected areas of Taiwan and eastern China. It was the eighth tropical storm, fifth typhoon, and third super typhoon of the 2006 Pacific typhoon season recognized by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, Saomai was the seventh tropical storm and fifth typhoon of the season. The name "Saomai" was submitted by Vietnam, and is the Vietnamese word for "morning star", a reference to the planet Venus.

The typhoon brought heavy rain and wind to areas of the Mariana Islands, the Philippines, Taiwan, and eastern China, and was responsible for at least 106 deaths and $1.5 billion (2006 USD) in damage. Saomai affected many of the same areas affected by Tropical Storm Bilis a month earlier, and Chinese forecasters described it as the most powerful typhoon to strike China since 1956.

Storm history

A tropical disturbance formed east of Chuuk on July 31 and gradually increased in organization over the next several days as it moved northwestward. By August 4, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert on the system, and later that day it was designated a tropical depression by both the JTWC and the Japan Meteorological Agency. The depression strengthened into a tropical storm on August 5, and the JMA designated it as Tropical Storm Saomai.

Saomai continued moving toward the northwest and passed over the Mariana Islands on August 6 while continuing to strengthen,[4] and was upgraded to a severe tropical storm by the JMA later that day. The storm then began organizing and intensifying more rapidly, becoming a typhoon early on August 7. Saomai moved into the area of responsibility of PAGASA on August 8, and was designated Typhoon Juan. Rapid intensification continued, and Saomai reached its peak intensity of 95 knots (175 km/h, 110 mph) on August 9.

After passing to the south of Okinawa, Saomai turned westward and brushed the northern coast of Taiwan early on August 10, before making landfall in Zhejiang, China later that day. Rapid weakening ensued as the typhoon moved further inland, and Saomai weakened into a tropical depression on August 11, dissipating later that day.

Preparations

The United States National Weather Service issued a tropical storm warning for Guam as Tropical Storm Saomai approached the island on August 6. Military bases in northern Guam entered Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1, while the rest of the island was placed under Condition of Readiness 2. Several bases were temporarily closed.

The Taiwanese Central Weather Bureau issued land and marine typhoon warnings for areas of northern Taiwan in anticipation of Saomai's outer bands. The warnings had been upgraded from lesser warnings issued for Tropical Storm Bopha, which made landfall in southern Taiwan the day before.

In mainland China, 990,000 people in Zhejiang and 569,000 people in Fujian were evacuated to shelters prior to Saomai's landfall. Over 20,000 soldiers and police were mobilized to aid in cleanup and rescue efforts.

Impact

Mariana Islands

While still a tropical storm, Saomai passed over Guam, bringing rain and wind to the island, but no damage or deaths were reported.

Philippines

As with Tropical Storm Bilis a month earlier, Saomai's outer rainbands affected areas of the Philippines. Over 400 homes were destroyed by storm surge, and two people were killed. At least seven people were reported missing.

Taiwan

The core of the typhoon passed to the north of Taiwan, but the island still experienced heavy rain and wind that disrupted traffic and cancelled flights to and from Taipei, but no serious damage or casualties were reported.

People's Republic of China

The greatest loss of life occurred in Zhejiang, where Saomai made landfall. The typhoon was responsible for at least 81 deaths in the province, mostly in Wenzhou, the provincial capital. Over 18,000 homes were destroyed, and major highways in the province were flooded out. Saomai was responsible for 4.9 billion yuan in damage in Zhejiang.

Seventeen people were killed in the neighboring province of Fujian. Strong winds and flooding destroyed 37,000 houses and flooded 38,000 hectares (94,000 acres) of farmland, and economic damage amounted to 6.3 billion yuan.

Another two people were killed in Jiangxi. One person was washed away in floodwaters while inspecting damage, while another person was killed when a damaged building collapsed. Six reservoirs in the province were destroyed, and 348 million yuan in damage was reported.

Magellan probe

2006-08-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

The Magellan spacecraft carried out a radar-mapping mission from 1989-1994, orbiting Venus from 1990-1994. It created the first (and currently the best) near-photographic quality, ultra-high resolution mapping of the planet's surface features. Prior Venus missions had created low resolution radar globes of general, continent-sized formations. Magellan, however, finally allowed detailed imaging and analysis of craters, hills, ridges, and other geologic formations, to a degree comparable to the visible-light photographic mapping of other planets. Magellan's global radar map will remain the most detailed Venus map in existence for the forseeable future, as there are currently no plans for any robotic mission to try and surpass its resolution.

It was named after the sixteenth-century Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. Magellan was the first planetary spacecraft to be launched by a space shuttle when it was carried aloft by the shuttle Atlantis from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 4, 1989, on a mission designated STS-30. Atlantis took Magellan into low Earth orbit, where it was released from the shuttle's cargo bay. A solid-fuel motor called the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) then fired, sending Magellan on a 15-month cruise looping around the Sun 1-1/2 times before it arrived at its orbit around Venus on August 10, 1990. In 1994 it plunged to the surface as planned and partly vaporized; some sections are thought to have hit the planet's surface.
Contents

Mission overview

Magellan's initial orbit was highly elliptical, taking it as close as 294 kilometres (182 miles) from Venus and as far away as 8,543 km (5,296 mi). The orbit was a polar one, meaning that the spacecraft moved from south to north or vice versa during each looping pass, flying over Venus' north and south poles. Magellan completed one orbit every 3 hours, 15 minutes.

During the part of its orbit closest to Venus, Magellan's radar mapper imaged a swath of the planet's surface approximately 17 to 28 km (10 to 17 mi) wide. At the end of each orbit, the spacecraft radioed back to Earth a map of a long ribbon-like strip of the planet's surface captured on that orbit. Venus itself rotates once every 243 Earth days. As the planet rotated under the spacecraft, Magellan collected strip after strip of radar image data, eventually covering the entire globe at the end of the 243-day orbital cycle.

By the end of its first such eight-month orbital cycle between September 1990 and May 1991, Magellan had sent to Earth detailed images of 84 percent of Venus' surface. The spacecraft then conducted radar mapping on two more eight-month cycles from May 1991 to September 1992. This allowed it to capture detailed maps of 98 percent of the planet's surface. The follow-on cycles also allowed scientists to look for any changes in the surface from one year to the next. In addition, because the "look angle" of the radar was slightly different from one cycle to the next, scientists could construct three-dimensional views of Venus' surface.

During Magellan's fourth eight-month orbital cycle at Venus from September 1992 to May 1993, the spacecraft collected data on the planet's gravity field. During this cycle, Magellan did not use its radar mapper but instead transmitted a constant radio signal to Earth. If it passed over an area of Venus with higher than normal gravity, the spacecraft would slightly speed up in its orbit. This would cause the frequency of Magellan's radio signal to change very slightly due to the Doppler effect -- much like the pitch of a siren changes as an ambulance passes. Thanks to the ability of radio receivers in the NASA/JPL Deep Space Network to measure frequencies extremely accurately, scientists could build up a detailed gravity map of Venus.

At the end of Magellan's fourth orbital cycle in May 1993, flight controllers lowered the spacecraft's orbit using a then-untried technique called aerobraking. This maneuver sent Magellan dipping into Venus' atmosphere once every orbit; the atmospheric drag on the spacecraft slowed down Magellan and lowered its orbit. After the aerobraking was completed between May 25 and August 3, 1993, Magellan's orbit then took it as close as 180 km (112 mi) from Venus and as far away as 541 km (336 mi). Magellan also circled Venus more quickly, completing an orbit once every 94 minutes. This new, more circularized orbit allowed Magellan to collect better gravity data in the higher northern and southern latitudes near Venus' poles.

After the end of that fifth orbital cycle in April 1994, Magellan began a sixth and final orbital cycle, collecting more gravity data and conducting radar and radio science experiments. By the end of the mission, Magellan had captured high-resolution gravity data for an estimated 95 percent of the planet's surface.

In September 1994, Magellan's orbit was lowered once more in another test called a "windmill experiment". In this test, the spacecraft's solar panels were turned to a configuration resembling the blades of a windmill, and Magellan's orbit was lowered into the thin outer reaches of Venus' dense atmosphere. Flight controllers then measured the amount of torque control required to maintain Magellan's orientation and keep it from spinning. This experiment gave scientists data on the behaviour of molecules in Venus' upper atmosphere, and lead engineers new information useful in designing spacecraft.

On October 11, 1994, Magellan's orbit was lowered a final time and radio contact was lost the next day. Within two days after that maneuver, the spacecraft became caught in the atmosphere and plunged to the surface. Although much of Magellan was vaporized, some sections are thought to have hit the planet's surface intact.

Spacecraft design

Built partially with spare parts from other missions, the Magellan spacecraft was 4.6 metres (15.4 feet) long, topped with a 3.7 m (12 ft) high-gain antenna. Mated to its retrorocket and fully tanked with propellants, the spacecraft weighed a total of 3,460 kilograms (7,612 pounds) at launch.

The high-gain antenna, used for both communication and radar imaging, was a spare from the NASA/JPL Voyager mission to the outer planets, as were Magellan's 10-sided main structure and a set of thrusters. The command data computer system, attitude control computer and power distribution units are spares from the Galileo mission to Jupiter. Magellan's medium-gain antenna is from the NASA/JPL Mariner 9 project. Martin Marietta Astronautics was the prime contractor for the Magellan spacecraft, while Hughes Space & Communications was the prime contractor for the radar system. It is widely believed that Magellan was based upon the NRO's Lacrosse terrestrial radar imaging reconnaissance satellite, as they were both manufactured at Martin Marietta's Denver facility and utilize essentially the same sensor technology.

Magellan was powered by two square solar panels, each measuring 2.5 m (8.2 ft) on a side; together they supplied 1,200 watts of power (100 watt per m²). Over the course of the mission the solar panels gradually degraded, as expected; by the end of the mission in the fall of 1994 it was necessary to manage power usage carefully to keep the spacecraft operating.

Because Venus was shrouded by a dense, opaque atmosphere, conventional optical cameras could not be used to image its surface. Instead, Magellan's imaging radar used bursts of microwave energy somewhat like a camera flash to illuminate the planet's surface.

Magellan's high-gain antenna sent out millions of pulses each second toward the planet; the antenna then collected the echoes returned to the spacecraft when the radar pulses bounce off Venus' surface. The radar pulses were not sent directly downward but rather at a slight angle to the side of the spacecraft, the radar is thus sometimes called "side-looking radar". In addition, special processing techniques were used on the radar data to result in higher resolution as if the radar had a larger antenna, or "aperture"; the technique is thus often called "synthetic aperture radar", or SAR.

Synthetic aperture radar was first used by NASA on JPL's Seasat oceanographic satellite in 1978; it was later developed more extensively on the Spaceborne Imaging Radar (SIR) missions on the space shuttle in 1981, 1984 and 1994. An imaging radar was also used as part of the NASA/JPL Cassini mission to Saturn in 1997 to map the surface of the ringed planet's major moon Titan.

Besides its use in imaging, Magellan's radar system was also used to collect altimetry data showing the elevations of various surface features. In this mode, pulses were sent directly downward and Magellan measured the time it took a radar pulse to reach Venus and return in order to determine the distance between the spacecraft and the planet.

Mission results

Study of the Magellan high-resolution global images is providing evidence to better understand Venusian geology and the role of impacts, volcanism, and tectonism in the formation of Venusian surface structures. The surface of Venus is mostly covered by volcanic materials. Volcanic surface features, such as vast lava plains, fields of small lava domes, and large shield volcanoes are common. There are few impact craters on Venus, suggesting that the surface is, in general, geologically young - less than 800 million years old. The presence of lava channels over 6,000 kilometers long suggests river-like flows of extremely low-viscosity lava that probably erupted at a high rate. Large pancake-shaped volcanic domes suggest the presence of a type of lava produced by extensive evolution of crustal rocks.

The typical signs of terrestrial plate tectonics - continental drift and basin floor spreading - are not in evidence on Venus. The planet's tectonics is dominated by a system of global rift zones and numerous broad, low domical structures called coronae, produced by the upwelling and subsidence of magma from the mantle.

Although Venus has a dense atmosphere, the surface reveals no evidence of substantial wind erosion, and only evidence of limited wind transport of dust and sand. This contrasts with Mars, where there is a thin atmosphere, but substantial evidence of wind erosion and transport of dust and sand.

Mayon Volcano

2006-08-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

Mayon Volcano is an active volcano in the Philippines in the province of Albay in the Bicol Region. Its almost perfectly-shaped cone is considered by many to be the Philippine equivalent of Mount Fuji in Japan. A few kilometres to the south of the volcano is Legazpi City.

Mayon is classified by volcanologists as a stratovolcano (composite volcano). Its symmetric cone was formed through alternate pyroclastic and lava flows. Mayon is the most active volcano in the country, having erupted around 50 times for the past 400 years. It is located between the Eurasian and the Philippine Plate, at a convergent plate boundary: where a continental plate meets an oceanic plate, the lighter continental plate overrides the oceanic plate, forcing it down; magma is formed where the rock melts.

Eruptions

Mayon is one of the 22 active volcanoes in the Philippines: Babuyan Claro, Banahaw, Bulusan, Mount Biliran, Bud Dajo, Cagua, Camiguin de Babuyanes, Didicas, Hibok-Hibok, Iraya, Mount Iriga, Mount Kanlaon, Leonard Kniaseff, Makaturing, Matutum, Musuan, Mount Parker, Pinatubo, Ragang, Smith Volcano, Taal. They are all part of the so-called "Pacific ring of fire."

Mayon has had forty-seven eruptions in recorded history; the first recorded eruption was in 1616, the latest (prior to 2006) being a mild outpouring of lava in June 2001. The most destructive eruption of Mayon occurred on February 1, 1814. At that time lava flows buried the town of Cagsawa and 1,200 people perished. Only the bell tower of the town's church remained above the new surface. Pyroclastic flows killed 77 people, mainly farmers, in Mayon’s last fatal eruption in 1993. No casualties were recorded from the 1984 eruption after more than 73,000 people were evacuated from the danger zones as recommended by scientists of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

2006 activity

* July 18, 2006: The number and size of incandescent rockfalls from the active lava dome, as well as sulfur oxide emissions, are increasing, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, which maintains that pyroclastic flows or an explosive eruption could occur any time now.

* August 7, 2006: The Philippine government ordered the evacuation of about 20,000 people living near the volcano, stating that an eruption was feared soon. Volcanologists have detected 21 low-frequency volcanic earthquakes since early Sunday morning.

* August 8, 2006: The government is expected to move some 34,276 people to 31 state-run shelters.

2006 transatlantic aircraft plot

2006-08-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

On 10 August 2006 the London Metropolitan Police announced that a terrorist plot to detonate bombs on a number of flights from the United Kingdom to cities in the United States had been disrupted in its final stages. High security measures were put in place at all UK airports, including a banning of all non-essential hand luggage. Security was also increased at many airports around the world, with a large number of flights into the UK being cancelled.

Plot

Paul Stephenson, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, has said that it is believed that the plot had the aim of blowing up as many as ten aircraft in mid-flight from the United Kingdom to the United States, using bombs carried in the hand luggage of passengers. According to news reports, aircraft from United Airlines, Continental Airlines, and American Airlines departing from Heathrow and Gatwick to New York City, Washington, D.C., Miami and California were among those planned to be blown up. BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera said the plot was thought to have involved a series of "waves" of simultaneous attacks, targeting three planes each time.

Police stated that they had been observing this plot for months, and had to reveal the investigation after finding information which suggested an attack was imminent. Twenty-one British citizens were arrested, while the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) believes that there could have been as many as 50 people involved. According to ABC News, two significant arrests in Pakistan may have significantly increased the pace of the investigation, and many of the plotters appear to have been of Pakistani descent.

Paul Beaver, a UK terrorism expert, has said that it appears possible al-Qaeda was behind the plot, which comes only weeks after the group threatened to attack UK aviation. The US Department for Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff stated the plot was well advanced, in the final stages of planning before execution, and that it was "suggestive of an al-Qaeda plot".

According to news reports, it has been confirmed that 9 aircraft were planned to be blown up.

It has been reported that British officials found that the terrorists planned to use liquid explosives. Liquid explosive materials, based on hydrogen peroxide, possibly combined with sulfuric acid, were to be used to avoid detection by baggage screening devices designed to detect solid explosives.

Security reaction

The terror alert level was raised by Britain's Joint Terrorist Analysis Centre from 'severe' to 'critical', signalling an attack was believed to be imminent. Security at all UK airports was raised to the highest level, with all luggage having to go into the aircraft's hold (including books, newspapers and glasses cases). No hand luggage (carry-on luggage) is allowed except for very few essentials such as travel documents and wallets. Passengers travelling with small children are permitted to carry baby food but must taste it in front of staff. U.S. Homeland Security has banned all liquids and gels except baby food in carry-on luggage on all flights.

The DHS level in the United States was raised to 'severe' for all flights to or from the U.K. The terror level for all other domestic or non-British international flights in the United States has been raised to High. Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has placed National Guard members in Boston Logan International Airport. He also has placed gate checkpoints, in addition to concourse checkpoints. The hightened security terror level was deemed "unprecedented". According to the press secretary of Homeland Security, security measures have been raised so that they may learn more about the situation, and so that they may avoid any additional terror plots.

It was confirmed by Paul Stephenson that 21 people were arrested in London, Birmingham, and the Thames Valley in an overnight operation. Two of the arrests were made in the Birmingham area, where firearms officers were not involved, and at least one arrest was made in High Wycombe. The BBC has reported that the key people involved in the plot are British born. In a press conference, UK Home Secretary Dr. John Reid stated that he believes the key persons in the plot are in custody but does not rule out additional arrests.

Reid claimed that this was a "very significant plot" with the aim of taking "down a number of aircraft through mid-flight explosions". "We are doing everything possible to disrupt any further terrorist activity," he said. "This will mean major disruption at all UK airports." This follows comments yesterday made by Reid concerning the need to take terror threats to the UK seriously.

Consequences for the public

Flight cancellations

Some inbound flights to London Heathrow Airport have been cancelled most notably the Thursday short-haul flights of British Airways. Some flights in and out of London Gatwick Airport have been suspended, although US Airways flights are flying as normal out of Gatwick according to the airline's helpline. An incomplete list of airlines either reporting cancellations, or about whom cancellations have been reported follows:

* Aer Lingus has cancelled 18 flights between Ireland and Heathrow, until at least 15:00 IST.[20] The airline has recommended that only absolutely essential travel is undertaken to the UK. The airline resumed flights between Ireland and Heathrow before 16:30 IST.

* Air France said it has cancelled five flights from Heathrow to Paris.

* British Airways has cancelled all short-haul (European) inbound and outbound flights to and from London Heathrow for the rest of the day.

"Customers due to depart from UK airports who do not wish to travel today [10 August 2006] or tomorrow can rebook up until 1 December 2006 or obtain a refund. Any customers whose flights have been cancelled can rebook or obtain a refund. "

* EasyJet has suspended all flights in and out of London Gatwick, Stansted and Luton. Flights from many other airports have also been cancelled.

* Spanish carrier Iberia has cancelled flights to the UK.

* Lufthansa has cancelled all flights to the UK.

* Greek airline Olympic Airlines has grounded all flights to London Heathrow. Late in the afternoon of the same day, it was announced by Greek television that an A340-300 would leave for London at 6:30pm with the passengers of the airline's two earlier flights that were grounded, while the 7pm flight would depart on time.

* At least 94 Ryanair flights from the UK or Ireland have been cancelled.

* SAS has cancelled all flights to the UK from Scandinavia until at least 15:00 BST.

" -Passengers who are booked to fly SAS up until 13 Aug 2006, may re-book their flights with the following rules:

* must be booked in the same class, or the next highest available class, within the same cabin.
* rule valid for up to a maximum of 3 months from the original flight date.

-All passengers on flights delayed more than 5 hours, will receive a full refund, if the passenger chooses not to fly."

* TAP Portugal is allowing passengers a full refund: "...flights from London are subject to severe delay. Passengers traveling today who wish to cancel their flight will receive a full refund of their ticket (irrespective of conditions) or be allowed to rebook for an equivalent flight at a later date."

* Virgin Trains are accepting plane tickets on London to Manchester routes.

Invisibility at the flick of a switch

2006-08-09T21:23:00.000-07:00

Adverts for x-ray specs have tantalised kids throughout the decades. Sadly the reality is always a pair of useless plastic glasses, but this could all change due to a breakthrough made at Imperial College London. By exploiting the way that atoms move in solids the researchers have made solid materials turn completely transparent. 'This real life x-ray specs effect relies on a property of matter that is usually ignored that the electrons it contains move in a wave-like way', says Chris Phillips. 'What we have learnt is how to control these waves directly'.
The secret to this breakthrough at Imperial College London is specially patterned crystals made up of nanoscale boxes that hold electrons. 'Basically we have made 'designer atoms'', says Chris. 'By choosing the size and shape of our little boxes, we can use the rules of quantum mechanics to choose the energy levels of the electrons that are trapped inside them'. When light is shone on these crystals it becomes entangled at a molecular level rather than being absorbed, causing the material to become transparent. 'You can think of the effect as similar to the way that the peaks and troughs of water waves cancel each other out to create calm water', explains Mark Frogley. 'In the materials created it is the wave patterns of the electrons that cancel each other allowing light to travel through the material and making it transparent'. At the moment the effect can only be produced in a lab under specific conditions but future applications could include seeing through rubble at earthquake sites, or looking at parts of the body obscured by bone.
Despite the almost magical feat of making solids transparent the key finding of this research is the fundamental physical effect creating the transparency. This effect has potential in the development of new efficient lasers, data security and quantum computing.
A stumbling block for the development of lasers has always been the need to create something called population inversion in the material that amplifies the light, normally glass or crystal. 'Einstein showed that, to make lasers, you need to excite the molecules into this population inversion condition, where they no longer absorb light', explains Mark. The breakthrough at Imperial College London demonstrates that light can now be amplified without the need to create population inversion. This contradicts Einstein's long-standing rule, and opens up the way for the development of a whole new range of lasers.
Data security could be improved due to the discovery that as light passes through these crystals it slows right down and could potentially be stopped and stored. Chris explains, 'When we send information as light pulses down optical fibres, it can only be accessed by making a form of measurement, which disturbs the information. This technology means we could send light signals through a network without having to disturb them ourselves. So, if confidential information was being spied on, the disturbance would show up and we could nab the eavesdropper with 100% certainty'.

Dr Mark Frogley and Professor Chris Phillips
Imperial College London

Dr James Dynes
University College London

Dr Mattias Beck
ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Prof. Jerome Faist
University of Neuchatel, Switzerland

Giant Camel Spiders in Iraq

2006-06-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

The photo below of giant Iraqi camel spiders reportedly comes from a soldier, stationed in the desert near Baghdad, Iraq, who was bitten by a giant camel spider that was hiding in his sleeping bag. Fortunately, the giant desert camel spiders in Iraq aren't venomous... (they're not really even giant spiders at all) but they're BIG and FAST (they can run around 10MPH).

The photo shows two giant Iraqi desert camel spiders attached together, and the camera angle makes the giant spiders look a tad larger than they really are (giant camel spiders from the Iraq desert are about the size of an adult's hand). They also tend to seek out shade during the daytime, so it's not terribly unusual to see giant spiders charging across the Iraqi desert at you -- only to come to a screeching halt when they reach your shadow.

The Apprentice 5

2006-02-25T21:29:00.000-08:00

The Apprentice 5 is the fifth series of The Apprentice, with Donald Trump as the Executive Producer and Host. Applications were available online (as in previous episodes) and filming occurred in the summer or fall of 2005.

The Apprentice 5 will premiere on Monday February 27, 2006 right after the game show Deal or No Deal. NBC, which is facing a ratings slump, has decided to put this season of the show on Monday nights (as opposed to its old Thursday 9pm ET slot). The network hopes to build the show's audience by making this move, as the program has witnessed a fairly substantial erosion in ratings since The Apprentice 1. This is the show's first permanent timeslot move since that edition.

Furthermore, Donald Trump's children, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. will be joining him in the boardroom this season when either George or Carolyn is unavailable (a remark by Martha Stewart that Ivanka would be replacing Carolyn was horribly out of context).

One thing that is known about series five is that Jack McConnell, the First Minister of Scotland, makes an appearance in one of the episodes.

General Motors will promote the new 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe on the show; newswires in Youngstown, Ohio, mentioned that eleven Chevrolet National Dealer Council members will judge the marketing of the two teams of the new truck.

Candidates

In this season, candidates are not exclusively American: the cast contains cast members from Russia, the UK, and Canada.

* Allie, 30, Medical Sales Manager, (Columbia, South Carolina)
* Andrea, 31, Sticker Company Owner, (San Diego, California)
* Brent, 30, Attorney, (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
* Bryce, 28, Home Builder, (Kansas City, Missouri)
* Charmaine, 27, Real Estate Consultant, (Nashville, Tennessee)
* Dan, 31, Clothing Company Owner, (Miami, Florida)
* Lee, 22, Business Analyst, (Brooklyn, New York)
* Lenny, 37, Trading Company Owner, (Russia)
* Leslie, 28, Realtor, (Houma, Louisiana)
* Michael, 29, Management Consultant, (New York City, New York)
* Pepi, 25, Attorney, (Miami, Florida)
* Roxanne, 26, Appellate Attorney, (Austin, Texas)
* Sean, 33, Recruitment Consultant, (London, England)
* Stacy, 38, Criminal Defense Attorney, (Long Island, New York)
* Summer, 30, Restaurant Owner, (Huntington Beach, California)
* Tammy, 33, Wealth Manager, (Edison, New Jersey)
* Tarek, 27, Hi-Tech Manager, (New Bedford, Massachusetts)
* Theresa, 36, Psychotherapist, (Barrington, Illinois)

Cat Tales: Separating Fact From Fiction

2006-02-24T04:52:00.000-08:00

Despite their popularity, myths about cats persist. Separating fact from fiction provides a greater understanding of how to meet their special needs.

A falling cat always lands on its feet
When a cat falls a short distance, it often twists itself around to right itself and land on its feet. However, falls from heights can cause severe injury or death.

A window without a screen or with an insecurely fastened screen is a life-threatening hazard. Other accidents happen when an air conditioner is removed from the window for cleaning or repair. Balconies are also a danger. A cat may fall from a balcony rail as it chases an insect.

Securely fastened screens and being alert to other high-rise dangers help prevent serious injuries resulting from falls.

Cats have nine lives
This myth probably started as the result of a cat�s flexible skeleton that allows squeezing and twisting to negotiate narrow and awkward places.

The factors that influence a cat�s longevity are proper diet and care, including regular visits to the veterinarian, and the cat�s genetic makeup.

The average life span for a neutered cat who is housed inside is estimated to be from 12 to 14 years. The maximum life span is said to be 35 years. The roaming cat�s life expectancy is usually less than that of a cat housed indoors. This may relate to a more stressful lifestyle as the results of accidents, fighting and exposure to weather extremes.

Cats can see in the dark
Cats cannot see in total darkness, but they can see much better at night with minimum light than humans can. Their vision in dim light is very sensitive.

Protecting a cat�s vision is one of the reasons a cat should never be fed dog food. Unlike dogs, cats cannot manufacture the amino acid taurine. Lack of taurine in the cat�s diet can cause vision problems. Cats require a higher level of protein in their diet than dogs.

All cats like fish
There is no particular food that all cats like. This is why cat foods are available in a variety of flavors and textures. Once you find nutritionally complete and balanced cat food your cat enjoys, stay with it. Frequent diet changes may create a finicky eater and cause digestive upsets. Be certain the package label states that the product has undergone feeding trials in accordance with the Association of American Feed Control officials (AAFCO) protocol.

Neutered cats become fat and lazy
Although neutered cats may become obese, this condition can be prevented. If the cat begins to gain weight, eliminate food from the table and, if necessary, reduce the amount of cat food offered. Cats can be encouraged to exercise through play. If there are questions about a cat�s body condition, a veterinarian should be consulted.

Spaying and neutering have many benefits. Spaying a female cat before her first heat cycle can help prevent mammary tumors and uterine infections.

World’s Fattest Cat

2006-02-24T04:42:00.000-08:00

The cat Katy, which lives in the city of Asbest in the Ural region of Russia, weighs 23 kilos. Despite is relatively young age – the cat is only five years old – the pet has lost her interest in everything, save food. Katy is not interested in male cats, because she spends all of her days sleeping - this is her major daily occupation.

The owner of the Siamese cat works on an application for the Guinness Book currently. The thing is about the fact that the fattest cat in the world is considered to be some Australian cat named Himmy. The Australian cat weighs 21 kilos and 300 grams. However, the Russian cat is almost two kilograms heavier. The cat’s owner told reporters that the length of her pet’s body is 69 centimeters, the cat is 69 centimeters around her waist, her whiskers are 15 centimeters long and her appetite is 1.5 sausages a minute.

White Rose

2006-02-21T23:43:00.000-08:00

White Rose (German: die Weiße Rose) was a World War II resistance group in Germany that called for nonviolent resistance against the Nazi regime.

The White Rose consisted of five students, all in their early twenties, at Munich University. Hans Scholl and his sister Sophie led the rest of the group, including Christoph Probst, Alexander Schmorell and Willi Graf. They were joined by a professor, Kurt Huber, who drafted the final two leaflets. All six members of this group were arrested, tried, convicted, and executed by beheading.

The group of Munich students prepared and distributed six leaflets between June 1942 to February 1943. A seventh leaflet was found in possession of the students at the time of their arrest by the Gestapo.

The men of the White Rose were war veterans, who had fought on the French and Russian fronts. They were influenced by the German Youth Movement, of which Hans Scholl and Christoph Probst were members. They had witnessed the German atrocities, both on the battlefield and against the civilian population in the East, and sensed that the reversal of fortune that the Wehrmacht suffered at Stalingrad would eventually lead to Germany's defeat. They rejected the fascism and militarism of Adolf Hitler's Germany and believed in a federated Europe that adhered to Christian principles of tolerance and justice. Quoting extensively from the Bible, Lao Zi, Aristotle and Novalis, as well as Goethe and Schiller, they appealed to what they considered the German intelligentsia, believing that they would be intrinsically opposed to Nazism. At first, the leaflets were sent out in mailings from cities in Bavaria and Austria, since the members believed that southern Germany would be more receptive to their anti-militarist message.

At the end of July 1942, the male students in the group were deployed to the Eastern Front for military service in the between-terms academic break. In late fall the men returned and the White Rose resumed its resistance activities. In January 1943, using a hand-operated duplicating machine, the group is thought to have produced between 6000 and 9000 copies of their fifth leaflet, "Appeal to all Germans!", which was distributed via courier runs to many cities (where they were mailed). Copies appeared in Stuttgart, Cologne, Vienna, Freiburg, Chemnitz, Hamburg and Berlin. Composed by Hans Scholl with improvements by Huber, the leaflet warned that Hitler was leading Germany into the abyss; with the gathering might of the Allies, defeat was now certain. The reader was urged to "Support the resistance movement!" in the struggle for "Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, protection of the individual citizen from the arbitrary action of criminal dictator-states". These were the principles that would form "the foundations of the new Europe."

The leaflets caused a sensation, and the Gestapo initiated an intensive search for the publishers.

On the nights of the 3rd, 8th and 15th of February 1943, the slogans "Freedom" and "Down with Hitler" appeared on the walls of the University and other buildings in Munich. Alexander Schmorell, Hans Scholl and Willi Graf had painted them with tar (similar graffiti that appeared in the surrounding area at this time may have been painted by emboldened imitators).

The shattering German defeat at Stalingrad at the beginning of February provided the occasion for the group's sixth leaflet, written by Huber. Addressed to "Fellow students!," it announced that the "day of reckoning" had come for "the most contemptible tyrant our people has ever endured". As the German people had looked to university students to help break Napoleon in 1813, it now looked to them to break the National Socialist terror. "The dead of Stalingrad adjure us!"

On February 18, 1943, coincidentally the same day that Nazi propaganda minister Josef Goebbels called on the German people embrace total war in his Sportpalast speech, the Scholls brought a suitcase full of leaflets to the university. They hurriedly dropped stacks of copies in the empty corridors for students to find when they flooded out of lecture rooms. Leaving before the class break, the Scholls noticed that some copies remained in the suitcase and decided it would be a pity not to distribute them. They returned to the atrium, climbed the staircase to the top floor, and Sophie flung the last remaining leaflets into the air. This spontaneous action was observed by the custodian Jakob Schmied. The police were called and Hans and Sophie were taken into Gestapo custody. The other active members were soon arrested, and the group and everyone associated with them were brought in for interrogation.

The Scholls and Probst were the first to stand trial before the Volksgerichtshof — the so-called People's Court that tried political offenses against the Nazi German state — on February 22, 1943. They were found guilty of treason and Roland Freisler, head judge of the court, sentenced them to death. The three were executed by guillotine the same day. The other key members of the group were also beheaded later that summer. Friends and colleagues of the White Rose, who helped in the preparation and distribution of leaflets and in collecting money for the widow and young children of Probst, were sentenced to prison terms ranging from six months to ten years.

With the fall of Nazi Germany, the White Rose came to represent opposition to tyranny in the German psyche, seen to have been without interest in personal power or self-aggrandizement. Their story became so well-known that the composer Carl Orff claimed (by some accounts falsely) to his Allied interrogators that he was a founding member of the White Rose and was released. While he was personally acquainted with Huber, there is a lack of other evidence (other than Orff's word) that Orff was involved in the movement, and he may well have made his claim to escape imprisonment.

The square where the central hall of Munich University is located has been named "Geschwister-Scholl-Platz" after Hans and Sophie Scholl, the square next to it "Professor-Huber-Platz." Many schools, streets and places all over Germany were named in memory of the members of the White Rose.

The group's activities were the subject of two German films: Die weiße Rose from 1982, directed by Michael Verhoeven and released in the United States (subtitled) as "The White Rose"; and Sophie Scholl – Die letzten Tage from 2005, directed by Marc Rothemund.

Quotes

* Last words of Sophie Scholl: "...your heads will fall as well."

* Alles wirklich Wertvolle kommt nicht aus dem Ehrgeiz, und dem Pflichtgefühl, sondern aus der Liebe und Devotion gegenüber Menschen oder objektiven Dingen. (Nothing truly valuable arises from ambition or from a mere sense of duty, it stems rather from love and devotion toward men and toward objective things.)

Albert Einstein, 1947

Dolly the sheep

2006-02-21T23:29:00.001-08:00

Dolly (5 July 1996 – 14 February 2003), a ewe, was the first mammal to have been successfully cloned from an adult cell. She was cloned at the Roslin Institute in Scotland and lived there until her death when she was 6. Her birth was announced on 22 February 1997.

The sheep was originally code-named "6LL3". The name "Dolly" came from a suggestion by the stockmen who helped with her birth, in honour of Dolly Parton, because it was a mammary cell that was cloned. The technique that was made famous by her birth is somatic cell nuclear transfer, in which a cell is placed in a de-nucleated ovum, the two cells fuse and then develop into an embryo. When Dolly was cloned in 1996 from a cell taken from a six-year-old ewe, she became the centre of much controversy that still exists today.

On 9 April 2003 her stuffed remains were placed at Edinburgh's Royal Museum, part of the National Museums of Scotland.

Creating Dolly

Dolly was created by a research team lead by Ian Wilmut at the Roslin Institute in Scotland. The goal of the research was the reliable reproduction of animals genetically modified to produce therapeutic proteins in their milk. Wilmut's team had already created two sheep clones from embryonic cells grown in culture called Megan and Morag, the work was published in Nature in 1996. Dolly was a Finn Dorset lamb, created from fully differentiated adult mammary cells using a technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer, her creation was described in a Nature publication in 1997. Dolly was the first mammalian clone produced from an adult cell. She was produced by the process of somatic cell nuclear transfer.

Controversy

In 1999 research was published in the journal Nature suggesting that Dolly may have been susceptible to premature aging, due to shortened telomeres in her cells. It was speculated that these were passed on from her parent, who was six years old when the genetic material was taken from her, so that Dolly may have been genetically six years old at birth. This is because telomere length is reduced after each cell division, which requires DNA replication before mitosis occurs. The polymerase, part of the replication machinery, cannot reach the end of the chromosome being replicated and clips a little of the telomere at the end off every time replication occurs. However, Dr. John Thomas indicated that most cloned animals actually have telomeres of normal length and in serial clones the telomeres are actually getting longer in each successive generation. This is because the enzyme telomerase is active in those clones, which keeps the telomeres from shortening. However, telomerase, which is present in many bacteria, can be responsible for causing mutation through its enzymatic activity, which leads to cancer. In fact, many human cancer cells produce telomerase in the course of carcinogenesis, which is not normally present in most adult human cells.

Possible signs of this were reported in January 2002, when Dolly was five years old. She had developed a potentially debilitating form of arthritis at an unusually early age. This supported the theory of premature senescence, although Dr. Dai Grove-White of the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Liverpool University was reported as saying, "Conceivably arthritis could be due to the cloning but equally it could not be. For all we know, she may have damaged her leg jumping over a gate and developed arthritis."

The arthritis further fueled worry among some that this form of cloning may not be appropriate for mammals, and there is now a consensus both within and outside the scientific community that at this point the risk of unforeseen effects of cloning on the clone makes experiments in human reproductive cloning premature and unethical.

Supporters of this method of cloning counter that the technique used to clone Dolly simply needs to be refined. However, others contend that with very limited understanding of the nascent field of applied genetics, scientists cannot, and should not, attempt to control the action of so many genes at once. Many outside the scientific community have stated that this is vindication for their initial assertions that any form of cloning is ethically wrong and should be banned.

Death

On February 14, 2003 it was announced that Dolly had a progressive lung disease. A necropsy confirmed she had sheep pulmonary adenomatosis, a fairly common disease of sheep. Roslin scientists stated that they did not think there was a connection with Dolly being a clone, and that other sheep on the farm had similar ailments. Such lung diseases are especially a danger for sheep kept indoors, as Dolly had to be for security reasons.

Legacy

After the cloning was successfully demonstrated by Dolly's creators, many other large mammals have been cloned, including horses and bulls. Cloning is sometimes considered a promising tool for preserving endangered species, usually by those who do not work in species conservation. Most animal conservation professionals point out that cloning does not alleviate the problems of loss of genetic diversity (see inbreeding) and habitat, must be considered an experimental technology for the time being, and all in all would only rarely be worth the cost, which on a per-individual basis far exceeds conventional techniques such as captive breeding or embryo transfer. The 2000-2001 attempt to clone a gaur failed, with the animal, "Noah", dying 2 days after birth, and the attempt to clone argali sheep did not produce viable embryos. The attempt to clone a banteng bull was more successful, as were the attempts to clone mouflon, both resulting in viable offspring. The banteng example is a case illustrating the circumstances under which the uncertainties of cloning attempts are outweighed by the benefits: the cell donator was an adult of a rare genotype combination which had been killed in a fight; the single surviving cloned individual now is integrated into the herd at San Diego Zoo and healthy (it had to undergo orchiopexy, but this was probably due to an inbreeding and not a cloning problem).

There have been some attempts and many suggestions to clone extinct animals, but those that have seen any research (thylacine, huia, Pyrenean Ibex and mammut) have so far resulted in failures. Altogether, the only real benefit of cloning for animal conservation exists in some cases of large mammals where embryo transfer techniques are already established and the issue at hand is preservation of a rare genetic lineage, as in the case of the San Diego banteng.

Pregnancy Symptoms

2006-02-21T23:25:00.000-08:00

Pregnancy symptoms differ from woman to woman and pregnancy to pregnancy; however, one of the most significant pregnancy symptoms is a delayed or missed menstrual cycle. Understanding pregnancy symptoms is important because each symptom may be related to something other than pregnancy. Some women experience pregnancy symptoms within a week of conception. For other women, symptoms may develop over a few weeks or may not be present at all. Below is a listing of some of the most common pregnancy symptoms.

Implantation Bleeding:

Implantation bleeding can be one of the earliest pregnancy symptoms. About 6-12 days after conception, the embryo implants itself into the uterine wall. Some women will experience spotting as well as some cramping.

Other Explanations: Actual menstruation, altered menstruation, changes in birth control pill, infection, or abrasion from intercourse.

Delay/Difference in Menstruation:

A delayed or missed menstruation is the most common pregnancy symptom leading a woman to test for pregnancy. When you become pregnant, your next period should be missed. Many women can bleed while they are pregnant, but typically the bleeding will be shorter or lighter than a normal period. This symptom is commonly explained by other reasons. If you have been sexually active and have missed a period, it is recommended that you take a test.

Other Explanations: Excessive weight gain/loss, fatigue, hormonal problems, tension, stress, ceasing to take the birth control pill, or breast-feeding.

Swollen/Tender Breasts:

Swollen or tender breasts is a pregnancy symptom which may begin as early as 1-2 weeks after conception. Women may notice changes in their breasts; they may be tender to the touch, sore, or swollen.

Other Explanations: Hormonal imbalance, birth control pills, impending menstruation (PMS) can also cause your breasts to be swollen or tender.

Fatigue/Tiredness:

Feeling fatigued or more tired is a pregnancy symptom which can also start as early as the first week after conception.

Other Explanations: Stress, exhaustion, depression, common cold or flu, or other illnesses can also leave you feeling tired or fatigued.

Nausea/Morning Sickness:

This well-known pregnancy symptom will often show up between 2-8 weeks after conception. Some women are fortunate to not deal with morning sickness at all, while others will feel nauseous throughout most of their pregnancy.

Other Explanations: Food poisoning, stress, or other stomach disorders can also cause you to feel queasy.

Backaches:

Lower backaches may be a symptom that occurs early in pregnancy; however, it is common to experience a dull backache throughout an entire pregnancy.

Other Explanations: Impending menstruation, stress, other back problems, and physical or mental strains.

Headaches:

The sudden rise of hormones in your body can cause you to have headaches early in pregnancy.

Other Explanations: Dehydration, caffeine withdrawal, impending menstruation, eye strain, or other ailments can be the source of frequent or chronic headaches.

Frequent Urination:

Around 6-8 weeks after conception, you may find yourself making a few extra trips to the bathroom.

Other Explanations: Urinary tract infection, diabetes, increasing liquid intake, or taking excessive diuretics.

Darkening of Areolas:

If you are pregnant, the skin around your nipples may get darker.

Other Explanations: Hormonal imbalance unrelated to pregnancy or may be a leftover effect from a previous pregnancy.

Food Cravings:

While you may not have a strong desire to eat pickles and ice cream, many women will feel cravings for certain foods when they are pregnant. This can last throughout your entire pregnancy.

Other Explanations: Poor diet, lack of a certain nutrient, stress, depression, or impending menstruation.

Stone explains 11 September movie

2006-02-21T18:28:00.000-08:00

Director Oliver Stone has described making a movie about the 11 September attacks as "a very humbling experience".

But the Oscar-winning filmmaker denied the drama - to be entitled World Trade Center - would have a political agenda.

Speaking at the Bangkok International Film Festival, Stone called the feature a "24-hour document" in the lives of two New York Port Authority officers who became trapped under the rubble of the Twin Towers.

"They were trapped at the heart of the destruction, near an elevator shaft," he said. "They survived 24 hours under extraordinary circumstances.

"It's an investigation into how they survived - how they mentally made it under those terrible conditions."

The officers, Sergeant John McLoughlin and his younger colleague Will Jimeno, are played by Nicolas Cage and Crash star Michael Pena respectively.

They were part of a group of five officers who entered the South Tower shortly before it collapsed. The other three were killed.

Filming took place in New York and New Jersey, though the Ground Zero site itself was recreated in Los Angeles.

"We didn't want to offend people in Lower Manhattan," said the 59-year-old director.

Despite this, Stone says the shoot replicated the men's ordeal as closely as possible.

'Austere' movie

"I've had a cough in my chest for six weeks now, because the last four weeks has all been smoke," he explained.

"It was all dark holes, smoke and destruction, with only millimetres to work in. It was awful."

The film, he added, was "a very austere, technical attempt to be realistic about what happened - to show it as it really was".

Released in the UK on 29 September, World Trade Center also looks at the officers' wives - played by Maria Bello and Maggie Gyllenhaal - as they anxiously await news of their husbands.

"It was wonderful to go back to working-class people - cops, firemen and their families - and see what their lives were like."

However, when asked whether the world in general and America in particular was ready for a drama about the 9/11 attacks, the director was dismissive.

"I would hate that to be the main question about the movie, though I sense that is what's going to happen," he told the BBC News website.

"I'm not in the business of knowing whether America is ready. You just hope it will be."

As the director of JFK, Nixon and Born on the Fourth of July, Stone has been feted and castigated in equal measure.

Platoon, based on his experiences as a young soldier in Vietnam, won four Oscars in 1987, while JFK won two more five years later.

However, his 1994 film Natural Born Killers - a satire about two itinerant serial killers based on a script by Quentin Tarantino - was widely criticised for its violence.

And his last movie Alexander, an epic study of the ancient Macedonian leader starring Colin Farrell, received some stinging reviews and flopped at the US box office.

Despite such career setbacks, the former New York University Film School graduate has pledged to carry on regardless.

"I'm not the only director who has had to deal with rejection, failure and defeat," he said.

"But either you get a gun, load it and shoot yourself in the head, or you carry on doing what you love."

Indeed, the three-time Academy Award recipient only admits to one regret after more than three decades in the industry.

"My biggest mistake was not to direct Evita," he said. "I had two windows of opportunities to make it, first with Meryl Streep and then with Michelle Pfeiffer.

"We came so close to making it, so it was a real heartbreaker for me."

The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical was eventually filmed in 1996 by British director Alan Parker, with Madonna in the title role. Stone, though, believes the singer was not quite up to the part.

"The thing with Eva Peron was she was both a hooker and a saint," he explained.

"Madonna could do the hooker, but she couldn't do the saint."

Guantanamo actors held at airport

2006-02-21T18:26:00.000-08:00

The actors who star in movie The Road to Guantanamo were questioned by police at Luton airport under anti-terrorism legislation, it has emerged.

The men, who play British inmates at the detention camp, were returning from the Berlin Film Festival where the movie won a Silver Bear award.

One of the actors, Rizwan Ahmed, said a police officer asked him if he intended to make any more "political" films.

The men were released quickly and not arrested, said Bedfordshire police.

Inquiry

"Six people were stopped under the Terrorism Act. This is something that happens all the time and obviously at airports and train stations," said a spokeswoman.

"There is a heightened state of security since the London bombings. Public safety is paramount."

Actor Farhad Harun was also questioned, along with Shafiq Rusul and Rhuhel Ahmed, the men whose detention in Guantanamo is chronicled in the film.

Mr Ahmed also alleges that he was verbally abused by a police officer and had his mobile phone taken from him for a short period.

The actor also claims that he was told by police that he could be held for up to 48 hours without access to a lawyer.

He says he was initially questioned at the airport's baggage pick-up area and taken to a separate room when he demanded to know why.

Human rights organisation Reprieve, who Mr Ahmed has asked to speak on his behalf, called Thursday's incident an "ugly farce".

Suspects

They have called for an urgent inquiry into what happened while one of the film's producers, Melissa Parmenter, said the detention was outrageous.

Bedfordshire police have said they will issue another statement specifically concerning the allegations made by Mr Ahmed and Reprieve.

The Road to Guantanamo, directed by British film-maker Michael Winterbottom, tells the story of the Tipton Three.

The men from the West Midlands went to Pakistan to arrange a wedding and eventually found themselves at the US camp.

They were picked up in Afghanistan and believed to be terrorist suspects and were eventually released from Guantanamo Bay in 2004 without charge.

The film, shot in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, was made at a cost of £1.5m.

Profits surge for Dell Computer

2006-02-21T18:21:00.000-08:00

Profits at the world's biggest computer maker, Dell, surged more than 50% in the fourth quarter thanks to stronger-than-expected sales growth.

Dell said it earned $1.01bn (£580m) in the quarter, up 52% from the $667m posted in the previous year.

Profits growth was fuelled by strong sales to business and international customers, where sales increased by 21%, Dell said.

The upturn follows two disappointing quarters of slowing sales growth.

Price cutting and restructuring charges also dogged the company in its second and third quarter.

For the year ending 3 February, Dell earned $3.57bn, up from $3.04bn.

Analysts believe Dell still faces several challenges, however, including the ongoing decline in PC prices.

Shares in Dell Computer were trading 19 cents higher, or 0.6%, at $32.41 on Thursday.

Google defends China search site

2006-02-21T18:20:00.000-08:00

Google has denied accusations that its new Chinese-language search engine is operating without a licence.

It follows a report in the Beijing News that Google did not have the correct paperwork for its China site.

The web giant has rejected the allegation, saying it was operating under the licence of its business partner, Ganji.com.

Google's China service blocks politically sensitive material to comply with Chinese censorship rules.

Local partner

The Chinese government enforces strict laws on internet use, blocking content it considers a threat, including references to the Tiananmen Square massacre and notable dissidents.

Google.cn, launched last month, complies with these guidelines.

But Chinese newspapers have accused Google of not having the Internet Content Provider (ICP) licence needed to operate in China.

The Beijing News said that the situation had "attracted the attention" of Chinese regulators.

A Google spokeswoman denied the reports, saying it was operating under the licence of its local partner.

"Google has a partnership with Ganji.com through which Google has the required licence to operate Google.cn," said Google spokeswoman Debbie Frost.

Other foreign technology companies such as eBay and Yahoo also operate in China using the licences of their local partners.

'Uninvited guest'

Google's policy of telling users which pages are censored has also drawn the wrath of some newspapers.

"Does a business operating in China need to constantly tell customers that it's abiding by the laws of the land?" asked the China Business Times, comparing Google to an uninvited guest.

Google, together with other major technology firms, has also come under fire in the US for helping China censor the internet.

Earlier this month, members of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus said four US firms were putting profits before American principles of free speech.

Technology companies have defended their actions in China, saying they have to comply with local laws.

The firms are keen to gain a foothold in China's fast-growing internet industry, with more than 100 million people online.

2006 full of broadband promise

2006-02-21T18:13:00.000-08:00

In the Chinese calendar the symbol changes every year. 2006 will be the year of the dog but in the world of technology, broadband has remained top dog for the last five years.

The trajectory for broadband has been on a sharp upward curve during that time.

Next year looks like continuing this trend, with more people turning to broadband, even more increases to the speeds available to people and a wider variety of broadband-enabled services.

Speed alone will not be enough and the key things will be to develop the services that broadband allows, say analysts.

Jupiter analyst Ian Fogg predicted it will be a year of conflict in the two key areas of broadband development - TV and telephony.

"They will be the battlegrounds for 2006 as tensions rise between what internet service providers and third party organisations will offer," he said.

Technology on tap

There has been concern about a second wave of the digital divide, with those in remoter areas stuck with slower speeds, and this is one issue that will be need to be closely watched as speed springs up in more urban areas.

The limitations of super-fast broadband were highlighted in a report in November by analyst firm Point Topic which cast doubt on how much the technology could offer.

Even for those living in areas enabled by the technology, the performance of ADSL2+ is related to how far people live from their local telephone exchange and what quality their telephone line is.

Point Topic calculated that as few as 5% of the UK population would actually get speeds above 18Mbps.

The lesson for consumers in 2006 appears to be not to believe all the hype that is bound to surround so-called superfast services.

Lines should be tested before they buy into any new service to check what speed they can support.

Despite this, 2006 should prove yet another definitive year for broadband.

Consumer's appetite for the technology shows no signs of abating. According to research firm Datamonitor, demand for high-speed services will not slow down until the following year, by which time around 60% of households will have the technology on tap.

Victim families 'need more help'

2006-02-21T18:09:00.000-08:00

Families of murder and manslaughter victims need more sensitive treatment by police, courts and support groups, a survey suggests.

Victim Support questioned 41 of the 1,000 bereaved relatives it had helped over the last year.

Some felt they were being offered the wrong kind of help by groups like Victim Support itself.

The study suggested many victims show signs of post-traumatic stress, and need help with basic day-to-day tasks.

Domestic matters like paying household bills and feeding pets can easily be overlooked during the chaos and grieving that follows a bereavement, the charity said.

The study found that relatives had often had to cope with turmoil when a killing had occurred in the family home and it had been sealed off as a crime scene.

Many would have appreciated somebody who would take charge of the clearing up when they returned, as well as screening telephone calls, the survey suggested.

Traumatic identification

The survey also found that victims whose cases became part of the criminal justice system found difficulty in coping, because following through the process could slow down reactions to the tragedy, and intensify feelings of powerlessness and anger.

One mother said she wanted ongoing contact with the police.

She told support workers: "Even if they have nothing to tell me, I have questions."

Another wanted more help around the time of identifying the body.

She told researchers: "You know how you see on TV what happens when someone identifies a body? It was nothing like that.

"They took me into a little room and he was there, in front of me, but I wasn't allowed to touch him."

Victim Support says it will use the results of the study to change how its volunteers are trained to improve family liaison services.

Court system

Rose Dixon, from the charity Support After Murder and Manslaughter, said that the police were more aware of the needs of victims.

"This is the sort of thing we have been saying for quite some time, but we haven't had the research to back us up," she said.

"On the whole the police are actually doing a lot of training for their police family liaison officers.

"But it's the general court system where I think that families feel they're unsupported."

The Home Office says that relatives who are unhappy with the way they are treated will soon be able to complain directly to a Victims Commissioner, who will be appointed in the next few months.

Iran-Russian nuclear talks close

2006-02-21T18:06:00.000-08:00

Iranian and Russian officials have ended two days of talks on a Russian plan to enrich uranium on its territory for use in Iran's reactors.

It is not clear what the talks may have achieved as the Iranian delegation prepared to leave Moscow on Tuesday.

A senior Iranian official described the talks as "positive and constructive" and said they would continue.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said it was too early to declare the talks a failure.

Russian atomic agency head Sergei Kiriyenko is expected to visit Iran on Thursday for further discussions.

Separately, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Tehran would no longer hold nuclear talks with the EU-3 of Britain, France and Germany.

He said Iran attached greater weight to negotiations with Moscow on a Russian compromise plan.

"Our contacts with the European Union will no longer be held with the EU-3, but with the different countries of the European Union," Mr Mottaki said a day after talks with EU officials in Brussels.

'Last chance'

The Russian proposal was being seen by many as a last chance for Iran to compromise with the UN nuclear agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency.

On 6 March the agency is due to issue a report that might move the whole issue to the UN Security Council.

Iran has previously insisted that it will not give up the right to enrich uranium on its own territory.

The agency reported Iran to the security council in January over a lack of co-operation and transparency in its nuclear activities.

Western powers are concerned Iran aims to develop nuclear weapons, but Tehran says its programme is not military.

Iran resumed small-scale uranium enrichment earlier this month.

Enrichment can produce fuel for either civilian nuclear reactors or nuclear bombs.

The nuclear crisis has intensified since Iran resumed nuclear activity last summer after a two-and-a-half year freeze.

Wachowski brothers

2006-02-21T06:18:00.000-08:00

Laurence "Larry" Wachowski (born June 21, 1965) and Andrew "Andy" Wachowski (born December 29, 1967) are Polish American film directors most famous for the Matrix series.

Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, the Wachowskis jokingly claim to have begun their collaboration as toddlers. They at a time went to Kellogg Elementary School, in Chicago's Beverly Area. Both dropped out of college to pursue show business and both overcame some major hurdles on their way to success. Before entering show business, they ran a carpentry business in Chicago while creating comic books in their free time.

Since their hit with The Matrix, studios are clamoring for whatever else they have ever worked on. Trimark has bought an unproduced script they wrote years ago, Carnivore, a creepy tale about a boarding house whose residents keep disappearing. The brothers will executive-produce it, while horror veteran George A. Romero (Dawn of the Dead) will likely direct.

The brothers admit to a love for telling multi-part stories. "Because we grew up on comic books and the Tolkien trilogy, one of the things we're interested in is bringing serial fiction to cinema," Larry explains. "If you could have a film where you don't get to the hour-and-a-half mark and know, 'Okay, here it comes, the big wrap-up,' but instead you have no idea how the movie's going to end, I think that would be very exciting." Andy puts his desire to shake up viewers a bit more bluntly. "We think movies are fairly boring and predictable. We want to screw with audience's expectations."

Their mother was a nurse and their father a businessman. Both brothers graduated from Whitney Young High, a public high school known for its performing arts and science curriculum, in 1983 and '85. They weren't seen as stand outs at Whitney Young - students recall them playing Dungeons & Dragons and working in the school's theater and TV program, but they were always behind the scenes. Afterwards, Andy went to Emerson College in Boston. He was a top student in his introductory film class but dropped out because of failing a test says former professor, Claire Andrade-Watkins. Larry went to Bard in upstate New York. After dropping out of college, both entered the carpentry business, and began to unleash their ideas for the Matrix Trilogy.

Personal lives

In 2003, Larry's wife of nine years, Thea Bloom, divorced him on the grounds that she felt there had been dishonesty in their personal and financial lives, and sought financial remedy. It has been speculated that this "personal dishonesty" is related to the long-standing rumor about Larry being transgendered. Following his separation from Thea Bloom, he has been romantically linked to the famous ex-professional dominatrix, Ilsa Strix.

Comic books

Prior to working in the film industry, the Wachowski brothers wrote comic books for Marvel Comics' Razorline imprint, namely Ectokid (created by horror novelist Clive Barker) in 1993.

In 2004, they created Burlyman Entertainment and have released comic books based on The Matrix as well two original bi-monthly series:

* Shaolin Cowboy - created, written, and art by Geoff Darrow (with the Wachowski Brothers contributing an opening ass-ologue to each issue)
* Doc Frankenstein - created by Geoff Darrow and Steve Skroce, written by the Wachowski Brothers, and art by Steve Skroce.

During Skroce's run on the Marvel Comics series Gambit, he helped create a pair of bounty hunters, the Mengo Brothers (Stanislaus and Gregori Mengochauschras), as adversaries, who resemble the Wachowskis.

Filmography

* V for Vendetta (2006) (written, based on the graphic novel of the same name by Alan Moore) – Unreleased, March 17, 2006.
* The Matrix Revolutions (2003) (written & directed)
* The Matrix Reloaded (2003) (written & directed)
* The Matrix (1999) (written & directed)
* Bound (1996) (written & directed)
* Assassins (1995) (story, screenplay credits)
* Carnivore – unreleased
* Plastic Man – unreleased
* Primavista – online

Hugo Weaving

2006-02-21T06:16:00.000-08:00

Hugo Wallace Weaving (born April 4, 1960) is an Australian film and stage actor.

Early Life Background

Hugo Weaving was born in Nigeria to parents Wallace and Anne. He spent his childhood in South Africa and then moved to the UK in his teens. Whilst in England he attended the prestigious academically selective boarding school, Queen Elizabeth's Hospital, commonly known as QEH school in Bristol. He arrived in Australia in 1976 and attended Sydney's Knox Grammar School. Weaving then graduated from NIDA in 1981.

Professional Life

Weaving's first major role was in the television series Bodyline in 1984. Weaving starred in the Australian film The Dirtwater Dynasty in 1988 and later starred opposite Nicole Kidman in the 1989 film Bangkok Hilton. In 1991 Weaving received the Australian Film Institute's award for "Best Actor" for his performance in the low-budget Proof. He also appeared as Sir John in the 1993 Yahoo Serious comedy, Reckless Kelly, a lampoon of the famous Australian outlaw Ned Kelly. However, Weaving first received attention overseas with the international hit Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in 1994. In 1998, Weaving received the award for "Best Actor" from the Montreal Film Festival for his performance in The Interview.

It was his role as the enigmatic Agent Smith in the 1999 blockbuster The Matrix which made Weaving a globally recognized face. Weaving reprised the role of Agent Smith in the 2003 sequels to The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. Weaving has continued his success in the role of the elf-lord Elrond in the three-film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings released between 2001 and 2003.

Weaving was the main actor in Andrew Kotatko's Everything Goes (2004) and plays one of the leading roles in the 2006 film V for Vendetta.

As of October 2005 he is currently in Bali filming The Bali Project which is a movie about the 2002 Bali Bombing.

Weaving is also providing the main voice over talent for The Lord of the Rings PC game, The Battle for Middle-Earth II.

Personal Life

Weaving lives in Sydney with his wife Katrina Greenwood and his two children Holly and Harry. Despite his career in film, Weaving has continued working as a stage actor, regularly appearing in productions by the Sydney Theatre Company.

V for Vendetta

2006-02-21T04:15:00.000-08:00

V for Vendetta is a ten-issue comic book limited series or maxiseries, later collected as a graphic novel, written by Alan Moore and illustrated mostly by David Lloyd, set in a dystopian future Britain where a mysterious anarchist works to destroy the fascist government and profoundly affects the people he encounters. He simply goes by 'V'; no one is quite sure of his identity, as his mask is never removed.

Themes of the Book

The series is set in a future Britain where, in the chaos following a limited nuclear war that left the country mostly physically intact, a fascist single-party state has arisen. It resembles the Nazi regime—including government-controlled media, secret police, a planned economy and concentration camps for racial and sexual minorities—but with a British cultural flavour, and a greater reliance on technology, especially closed-circuit television monitoring in the mode of George Orwell's 1984. (Closed-circuit television had not yet become common in the UK at the time Moore wrote the series. Today, London has the world's highest concentration of CCTV.) When the series begins, political conflict has ended, the death camps have finished their work and been closed, and the public is largely complacent, until "V"—a terrorist and self-proclaimed anarchist, who wears a Guy Fawkes mask and has an improbable array of abilities and resources—begins an elaborate, violent, and theatrical campaign to bring down the government.

V himself is something of a cipher, whose history is only hinted at; it is strongly suggested that he is physically and mentally abnormal. The bulk of the story is told from the viewpoints of other characters: V's admirer and apprentice Evey, a sixteen-year old match factory worker; Eric Finch, a world-weary policeman who is hunting V; and several contenders for power within the fascist party. V's destructive acts are morally ambiguous, and a central theme of the series is the rationalization of atrocities in the name of a higher goal, whether it is stability or freedom. The character is a mixture of an actual advocate of anarchism and the traditional stereotype of the anarchist as a terrorist and advocate of anarchy in the sense of chaos.

There are many references to the letter V and number 5 (which is V in Roman numerals). For example, V is seen reading and quoting from Thomas Pynchon's novel, V. and Beethoven's fifth symphony is featured. (The first four notes can be represented as the letter V in Morse code.) V always introduces himself with a five-syllable phrase: "You can call me V." The phrase, "Remember remember the fifth of November" is also referenced. It is the first line of a nursery rhyme detailing the exploits of Guy Fawkes. The name of every chapter begins with the letter V. Also, "V" could stem from his past as the "Prisoner of Room Five", as later revealed in the series.

The series was Moore's first use of the densely detailed narrative and multiple plot lines that would feature heavily in Watchmen. The backgrounds of panels are often crammed with clues and red herrings; literary allusions and wordplay are prominent in the chapter titles and in V's speech (which always takes the form of iambic pentameter, a poetic meter reliant on five stressed syllables per line).

The structure of the book also bears a resemblence to Gaston Leroux's Phantom of the Opera, with several direct parallels. The Shadow Gallery doubles for the Phantom's Lair, and Evey's abduction and education mirrors that of Christine Daae's.

Plot

Volume 1: Europe After The Reign

Consists of: Chapter One, The Villain; Chapter Two, The Voice; Chapter Three, Victims; Chapter Four, Vaudeville; Chapter Five, Versions; Chapter Six, The Vision; Chapter Seven, Virtue Victorious; Chapter Eight, The Valley; Chapter Nine, Violence; Chapter Ten, Venom; and Chapter Eleven, The Vortex.

November 5, 1997, London. V rescues a young woman, Evey Hammond, from a gang of police agents - known as "Fingermen" - who are about to rape and kill her as punishment for her attempts to solicit them. After blowing up the now-closed Houses of Parliament, V takes Evey to his secret lair, which he calls "the Shadow Gallery." Evey tells V her life story, describing the nuclear war of the late 1980s and the fascist coup in which her father became a political prisoner.

The investigation into the bombing is assigned to Eric Finch, an experienced investigator who serves the government out of a love of order rather than political conviction. Through him we meet other figures in the corrupt Party, including the Leader, Adam James Susan, a recluse who is fixated on the police state's computer system, "Fate."

V next blows up the The Old Bailey, and confronts three Party figures to accuse them of past crimes: Lewis Prothero, the propaganda broadcaster who serves as the "voice of Fate"; Bishop Lilliman, the Party's representative in the clergy, who V kills by forcing him at knifepoint to consume a cyanide-laced communion wafer; and Delia Surridge, a seemingly apolitical doctor who had a personal relationship with Finch. Through torture, and the destruction of his collection of dolls, V drives Prothero insane before killing the others. Finch's research, partly done with Dr. Surridge's diary, reveals that all three victims were officers at the infamous Larkhill Resettlement Camp, and that over the previous several years, every other staff member from the camp has died, apparently killed by V - the vendetta of the title. V is the only survivor of the camp, and no records exist of his real name. All that is known is that he was subjected to medical experiments in the camp, similar to those of Josef Mengele, which apparently caused V's transformation into a brilliant and obsessive avenger.

Volume 2: This Vicious Cabaret

Consists of: Prelude; Chapter 1, The Vanishing; Chapter 2, The Veil; Chapter 3, Video; Chapter 4, A Vocational Viewpoint; Chapter 5, The Vacation; Chapter 6, Variety; Chapter 7, Visitors; Chapter 8, Vengeance; Chapter 9, Vicissitude; Chapter 10, Vermin; Chapter 11, Valerie; Chapter 12, Verdict; Chapter 13, Values; and Chapter 14, Vignettes.

Six months later, V breaks into the broadcast centre for the Party, to broadcast an anarchist speech that calls on the people to take charge of their own lives; he escapes by a cruel and fatal ruse, which leads to Eric Finch being suspended.

Evey has developed a strong attachment to V, but also begun to challenge his morality. After a confrontation in the Shadow Gallery, she finds herself abandoned on a street, unable to find V. She is taken in by Gordon, a petty criminal, and they cross paths unknowingly with Rose Almond, the widow of a policeman killed by V; Rose has been forced to work as a burlesque dancer and has consequently developed a strong hatred for the Party. Creedy, a petty criminal-turned-leader of the secret police, begins organising a private militia, hoping to use V's destabilization of the Party to mount a coup against the Leader. V, maintaining surveillance on all of these various factions, appears to be manipulating them against each other.

When Gordon is murdered by a gangster in Creedy's employ, Evey attempts revenge but is arrested, detained, and tortured. In her cell, Evey finds the memoir of a former inmate, Valerie, an actress who was imprisoned for being a lesbian. Evey's interrogator gives her a choice of collaboration or death; inspired by Valerie's defiance, she refuses to give in, and is told she is free. To her shock, Evey learns that her imprisonment was a hoax constructed by V, to put her through a spiritual ordeal like the one that shaped him. He reveals that Valerie was another Larkhill prisoner, who died in the cell next to his; the memoir that Evey read is exactly the same one that V read. Evey's anger gives way to acceptance of her identity and freedom.

Volume 3: The Land of Do-As-You Please

Consists of: Prologue; Chapter 1, Vox Populi; Chapter 2, Verwirrung; Chapter 3, Various Valentines; Chapter 4, Vestiges; Chapter 5, The Valediction; Chapter 6, Vectors; Chapter 7, Vindication; Chapter 8, Vultures; Chapter 9, The Vigil; Chapter 10, The Volcano; and Chapter 11, Valhalla. The series also includes two interludes, Vertigo and Vincent.

November 1998. V destroys the Party's communication and surveillance centre (housed in Post Office Tower), spurring a wave of wanton violence and hedonism which is violently suppressed by Creedy's street gangs. Meanwhile, V notes that this is not the end result he wants—mere chaos in The Land of Take What You Want—but rather an interim period which he intends to follow up with the establishment of true anarchy, a voluntarily orderly society. Finch's assistant Dominic realises that V has had access to the Fate computer since the very beginning, explaining his seeming foresight; this news accelerates the mental collapse of the Leader.

Finch travels to the abandoned site of Larkhill, on the Wiltshire Downs, where he takes LSD. His hallucinations lead him to an intuitive understanding of V, and returning to London, he discovers that the Shadow Gallery is hidden in Victoria Station, part of the abandoned London Underground. Finch enters the underground and mortally wounds V, who escapes to die in Evey's arms. Evey considers unmasking V, but decides not to learn his identity; instead, she assumes it, donning one of his spare costumes. Meanwhile, Rose Almond's private vendetta has led her to assassinate the Leader. In the ensuing chaos, Creedy's own men kill him, while Finch reports the news that V is dead. When Evey appears to the crowd as V, a general insurrection begins.

Evey completes V's final terrorist act, the destruction of 10 Downing Street by giving her mentor a "viking funeral" with an explosive-laden Underground carriage containing his body set to detonate at the desired location. She rescues Dominic from the mob and takes him back to the Shadow Gallery, implying that she intends to train him as her successor, having vowed to help the people to create. Having removed the totalitarian old regime, there's no longer a need for destruction. Finch observes the chaos raging in the city before heading to the countryside. All forms of authority in Britain are now gone; its future is left uncertain.

Related works

David J. of the band Bauhaus, who has collaborated with Moore on other projects, recorded a version of V's song "This Vicious Cabaret" and other music inspired by the book, which appeared on an EP titled V for Vendetta. The British band Jocasta used Moore's dialogue in their song "The Land of Do-As-You-Please".

A film adaptation was announced in January 2005, to be directed by James McTeigue (first assistant director on The Matrix films) from a screenplay by the Wachowski brothers. Natalie Portman will star as Evey and Hugo Weaving as V (replacing James Purefoy) alongside Stephen Rea, John Hurt, Sinead Cusack, Tim Pigott-Smith and Stephen Fry. Originally slated for a 4 November 2005 release in the USA, it will now be released on March 17, 2006.

The Swedish production company Stockholms Blodbad staged a live theatrical adaptation of the graphic novel in 2000 under the title Landet där man gör som man vill, which translates as The Land of Do-As-You-Please. This contained pre-recorded video clips of scenes from the graphic novel, such as the bombing of the Houses of Parliament, a scene from the racist sci-fi TV show Storm Saxon, scenes of torture at Larkhill, and Finch's revelation at the camp.

Natalie Portman

2006-02-21T03:41:00.000-08:00

Biography

From her first film, Luc Besson's "The Professional" (1994), the slim, dark, olive-skinned and somewhat exotic looking Natalie Portman was tagged with star quality, and as she matured the actress proved her potential both as an Oscar-nominated dramatic actress and as a pop moive icon with her role as the regal Padme Amidala in the "Star Wars" prequels.

She played an orphan apprenticed to a "cleaner" or hit man (Jean Reno) who serves as her mentor, and she as his savior. "The Professional" proved an auspicious debut, winning Portman attention and positive notices, her performance particularly applauded, even by those who found the movie itself shocking. The young actress followed with a turn as Al Pacino's stepdaughter, suffering the rejection of her real father, in Michael Mann's "Heat" (1995). A smaller, less expository role than her previous effort, "Heat" showcased Portman's natural ability, the actress capably evincing her character's desperate dysfunction with very little dialogue or screen time. Next she had a scene-stealing turn as a wise-beyond-her-years young girl who establishes a tender and honest friendship with Timothy Hutton's conflicted pianist in Ted Demme's "Beautiful Girls" (1996). Again Portman received rave reviews which in turn led to increased opportunities. She had two memorable but less pivotal roles that same year, appearing in Woody Allen's odd musical "Everyone Says I Love You" and as the bright and collected daughter of the besieged United States president (Jack Nicholson) in Tim Burton's wacky "Mars Attacks!"

While the type of roles the actress has taken on (generally tough but sensitive old souls) reflected her own grounded maturity, perhaps even more telling are the parts she has declined. At age 14, Portman was approached for the starring role in Adrian Lyne's controversial remake "Lolita", but reluctant to agree to the required nudity and heeding her father's advice to avoid doing things on screen she had not yet experienced in real life, opted to pass on the role. Later she reportedly dropped out of Robert Redford's "The Horse Whisperer" (1998), a film in which she was to play a 13-year-old, because she could no longer relate to the young character. Instead she headed to Broadway to star in the revised version of "The Diary of Anne Frank", lending a refreshing humanism to the historical legend, portraying her as a somewhat disagreeable, silly and vain young girl, a much more interesting characterization than her saintly reputation. Portman received positive notices for her Broadway debut, critics noting her grace as well as her unfettered talent and youthful exuberance.

Next up for the actress was the role that would make her an international star, that of Queen Amidala in the much-hyped prequel "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" (1999). Portman joined the legendary saga as this wise and responsible teenaged leader, the future mother of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. She was also signed to reprise the role in the two subsequent prequels set for release in 2002 ("Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones") and 2005, a weighty decision for any young girl, especially considering Portman's focus on education and her admission that acting may not be where her future lies. Also in 1999, she starred opposite Susan Sarandon in the Wayne Wang adaptation of Mona Simpson's novel "Anywhere But Here", a culture shock tale tracing the ups and downs of a mother and daughter who move from small town Michigan to Beverly Hills, California.

Although the provocative nature of some of her earlier roles (including the questionable relationships her character has with much older men in both "The Professional" and "Beautiful Girls") has caused some to ask what kind of parents this actress has, the reality is that the well-spoken and charming Portman and her family have apparently made every effort to keep her from being exploited on screen and off. "Portman" is a stage name; the real family name has been shielded from the press. Wayne Wang reportedly cut some of her character's more explicitly sexual scenes from the script of "Anywhere But Here" at the request of the family. In an attempt to keep her childhood and education as normal as possible, Portman commuted to her Long Island high school to Broadway while performing in "The Diary of Anne Frank". After filming her newly mature and romantic turn as Amidala--paired opposite future Darth Vader Hayden Christensen in a surprisingly chemistry-impaired match-up—in the second "Star Wars" prequel, she took a lengthy break before returning to screen again in director Anthony Minghella's "Cold Mountain" (2003) in a haunting supporting turn as a young Civil War widow with an infant child encountered by Jude Law who bears her own deep psychological scars from her loss in the conflict.

She delivered her most charming adult performance yet as the open-hearted, free-spirited Sam, the love interest in writer/director/star Zach Braff's winning indie "Garden State" (2004)—indeed, approached as Braff's first choice to play the character, it was Portman's interest in the project that earned it funding. Playing a darker variation on the "Garden State" character, Portman continued her move in more mature roles in Mike Nichols' oft-brutal battle-of-the-sexes "Closer" (2004), playing a stripper who become involved in a messy, flip-flopping quadrangle involving two couples (Portman, Jude Law, Julia Roberts and Clive Owen). In a much-buzzed-about incident, Portman allowed Nichols to film a brief nude scene with her character, but after finding the nudity distracting, Nichols replaced the scene with a more discreetly filmed version at her request. The actress' compelling performance earned her a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture. Hot off her Golden Globe win, Portman earned a spot at the Academy Awards with a nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Returning to the familiar galaxy far, far away for "Star Wars: Episode III - The Revenge of the Sith" (2005) Portman provided tragic closure for the prequel trilogy even though she and her character were not particularly well-served by George Lucas' script.

* Also Credited As:
Natalie Hershlag
* Born:
on 06/09/81 in Jerusalem, Israel
* Job Titles:
Actor, Model

Family

* Father: Avner.
* Mother:

Significant Others

* Companion: Lukas Haas. met in 1996 while working on "Everyone Says I Love You"; reportedly dating in 2001

Education

* Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, psychology, 2003

Milestones

* 1988 Moved with family first to Washington, DC, then to Connecticut (date approximate)
* 1991 Was discovered by a modeling scout in a Long Island, New York pizza parlor
* 1993 Stage debut as an understudy in the off-broadway musical "Ruthless;" Britney Spears was also in this play (date approximate)
* 1994 Made impressive film debut in Luc Besson's "The Professional"
* 1995 Played Al Pacino's troubled stepdaughter in "Heat"
* 1996 Co-starred in "Beautiful Girls"; also appeared in Woody Allen's "Everyone Says I Love You" and Tim Burton's "Mars Attacks!"
* 1997 Starred as title character on stage in "The Diary of Anne Frank", marking her Broadway debut
* 1999 Played the young Queen in George Lucas' "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace"
* 1999 Starred opposite Susan Sarandon in "Anywhere But Here"
* 2000 Starred as a pregnant 17-year-old who is abandoned by her boyfriend at a Wal-Mart in "Where the Heart Is"
* 2001 Returned to the stage as co-star of the New York Shakespeare Festival's production of "The Seagull" in Central Park; directed by Mike Nichols (June-July)
* 2002 Reprised role of Queen Amidala in "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones"
* 2003 Starred with Nicole Kidman and Jude law in "Cold Mountain"
* 2004 Cast in Zach Braff's directorial debut "Garden State"
* 2004 Cast opposite Jude Law and Julia Roberts in "Closer" directed by Mike Nichols and based on the play by Patrick Marber; earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress
* 2005 Reprised role of Queen Amidala in "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith"
* Began acting with the Usdan Theatre Arts Camp
* Born in Israel
* Cast as Goya's muse Ines, falsely accused of heresy in Milos Forman's "Goya's Ghosts," which tells the story of the last years of the Spanish Inquisition (lensed 2005)
* Cast as an action hero in "V for Vendetta" (lensed 2005)
* Family settled on New York's Long Island

Keane

2006-02-21T01:40:00.000-08:00

Keane is an English band from Battle, East Sussex.

Former Line-up

Tom Chaplin-vocals
Tim Rice-Oxley-bass
Richard Hughes-drums
Dominic Scott-guitar

Present Line-up

Tom Chaplin-vocals
Tim Rice-Oxley-piano
Richard Hughes-drums

History

Early years through 2004

All the members of Keane were at Tonbridge School in Kent. They started out in college in 1997 as a covers band, playing songs by U2, Oasis, and The Beatles but soon wanted to perform their own material, and released two short-run EPs. Simon Williams of Fierce Panda Records was asked by a mutual friend to attend a Keane gig at the Betsey Trotwood in London and was so impressed that he offered to issue the band's next single. After another single on Fierce Panda, they signed to Island and released the single "Somewhere Only We Know", which reached number three in the U.K. in February 2004. Their album Hopes and Fears followed in May. It reached number one and was the second-biggest selling album of the year in the U.K., after the Scissor Sisters, losing the top spot on the final day of the year.

Success

The band won two awards at the 2005 Brit Awards — Best British album for Hopes and Fears and the British breakthrough act award, as voted by listeners of BBC Radio 1. In May 2005, they received the Ivor Novello award as songwriters of the year. "Everybody's Changing" was nominated for the song of the year but the award was given to The Streets "Dry Your Eyes".

The band are currently the patrons of War Child. In September 2005 they contributed a cover of Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" to Help: a Day in the Life — an album aiming to repeat the success of 1995's The Help Album by becoming the fastest online album ever produced. Keane also did a cover of the Walker Brothers' "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)" for the War Child website.

Keane gained some visibility in the United States in Fall 2005 by opening some shows for U2; onstage they claimed Achtung Baby as one of their biggest influences. A couple of new songs were played as well as their best-known material.

According to the Keane fansite keane.at, they have been working on their second album since April 2005, produced by Andy Green. Recording has been taking place in Rye, East Sussex (where Hopes and Fears was recorded) and, more recently, in New York City. The album is widely expected to be released in May of 2006.

Keane had also been nominated for a Grammy in the Best New Artist category along with Sugarland, John Legend, Ciara, and Fall Out Boy at the 48th Annual Grammy awards in Los Angeles. They lost the award to John Legend.

'Image Consultant' controversy

In 2005, it emerged that the band had employed Moving Brands, a London-based branding company, six months before releasing a single as image consultants. This involved shaping the band to (allegedly) appeal to the right market by creating identities and ideas which Keane were meant to embody. The branding ranged from the band's dress code to a special shade of green which would appear on their record sleeves. The British newspaper The Guardian discussed this in an article in the summer of 2005.

Tim was quoted as saying on their offical forum:

"...We're pretty angry about the article in The Guardian today by Alexis Petridis in which he bizarrely chooses to use Keane as an illustration of how all bands today are manufactured....The suggestion that Moving Brands had anything to do with creating an image or ethos for the band is offensive and ridiculous. The idea that we might have been sat down to conduct mock interviews is bordering on hilarious. Our one tentative brush with someone who brought us free clothes to wear felt so awkward and uncomfortable that we vowed never to do it again. Finally, Alex lake is not an employee of Moving Brands, nor is he any kind of image consultant; he is a trusted friend, sometime roadie and independent photographer who has taken many excellent shots of the band and with us has designed most of our record sleeves...Our image, if we have one, has been shaped only by me, Tom and Richard and the songs we write..."

Discography

Albums

* Hopes and Fears (Island) — released on 10 May 2004 (U.K. charts: #1; U.S. Chart: #45)
* Live recordings 2004 (Island) — released on 3 May 2005; only released in some countries.

[live recordings 2005] Keane Strangers DVD

Singles

Non-album singles

* "Call Me What You Like" (Zoomorphic) — released in February 2000
* "Wolf at the Door" (Zoomorphic) — released in June 2001

Hopes and Fears singles

* "Everybody's Changing" (Fierce Panda) — released on 12 May 2003 (U.K. chart: #122)
* "This is the Last Time" (Fierce Panda) — released on 13 October 2003 (ineligible to chart due to web-link contained on CD, was at #58 in the midweeks, then the Official Charts Company withdrew the single at the end of the week)
* "Somewhere Only We Know" (Island) — released on 16 February 2004 (U.K. chart: #3; U.S. chart: #50)
* "Everybody's Changing" (Island) — released on 3 May 2004 (U.K. chart: #4)
* "Bedshaped" (Island) — released on 16 August 2004 (U.K. chart: #10)
* "This is the Last Time" (Island) — released on 22 November 2004 (U.K. chart: #18)
* "Bend And Break" (Island) — released on 25 July 2005; only released in some countries

DVDs

* "Keane: Strangers" (Island) — a two-disc DVD documentary/video anthology released on 14th November 2005 (UK) & 15th November 2005 (US) in both jewel and digipak versions.

Trivia

* The band take their name from a friend called Cherry Keane who inspired confidence in their musical ability when everyone else thought they should give up.

2006 Winter Olympics

2006-02-21T01:09:00.000-08:00

The 2006 Olympic Winter Games are currently being held in Turin (Torino), Italy. The Games began February 10, 2006 and will last until February 26, 2006. It is the second time that Italy has hosted the Olympic Winter Games, as it hosted the VII Olympic Winter Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo in 1956, and the third time overall that Italy will have hosted an Olympic Games, as it also hosted the Games of the XVII Olympiad in Rome in 1960.

The official logo displays the name "Torino", the Italian name of the city called "Turin" in English (and in the local Piedmontese). The Olympic mascots of Torino 2006 are Neve ("snow" in Italian), a female snowball, and Gliz, a male ice cube. The official motto of the XX Olympic Winter Games is "Passion lives here."

Results

Medals table

(Host nation highlighted; sorted in terms of most gold medals.)

2006 Winter Olympics medal count
Pos	Country				Total
1		7	7	4	18
2		7	5	3	15
2		7	5	3	15
4		7	2	5	14
5		3	6	5	14
6		3	3	1	7
7		3	1	2	6
8		3	0	4	7
9		3	0	0	3
10		2	7	8	17

RadioShack

2006-02-20T19:37:00.000-08:00

RadioShack Corporation (formerly Tandy Corporation) (NYSE: RSH) runs a chain of electronics retail stores in the United States, as well as parts of Europe and South America. As of 2003, it has more than 7,000 stores in the USA and reported net sales and operating revenues of $4.6 billion. It will reopen stores in Canada after losing its former subsidiary InterTAN (independent since 1986) to a purchase by Circuit City in 2004. The head office of RadioShack is located in Fort Worth, Texas.

RadioShack's proprietary brands include Optimus (video equipment — discontinued, resurfacing at Christmas '05), Realistic (sound equipment — discontinued), Archer (wiring and antennas — discontinued), and Enercell (batteries and power accessories).

The first 40 years

The company was started as Radio Shack in 1921 in Boston, Massachusetts, by two brothers, Theodore and Milton Deutschmann, who wanted to provide equipment for the cutting-edge field of amateur, or ham, radio. The store's name was taken from the name of the small structure that housed a ship's radio equipment at the time. ("Radio Shack" also refers to the room where a ham has his/her equipment.)

The company issued its first catalog in the early 1940s and then entered the high-fidelity music market. In 1954, Radio Shack began selling its own private-label products under the brand name Realistic. After expanding to nine stores plus an extensive mail-order business, the company fell on hard times in the 1960s.

The Tandy years

In 1963 it was bought by the Tandy Corporation (which was originally a leather goods corporation) and renamed Tandy Radio Shack. Tandy eventually got rid of everything but electronics. Tandy also operated a chain similar to Radio Shack in the UK during the 1970s and 1980s, but under the Tandy name.

During the 1960s, Radio Shack marketed its free battery card; a wallet-sized cardboard card, free, which entitled the bearer to free flashlight batteries when presented at one of their stores. The cards became a well-known meme of the time, symbolic of what later came to be known as the nerd.

In 1977, Radio Shack introduced the TRS-80, one of the first mass-produced personal computers. Affectionately known as the Trash-80, the machine became a big hit. In the late 1980s, Radio Shack made the transition between its proprietary lines of 8-bit computers to its line of more-or-less IBM-compatible Tandy series of computers. However, shrinking margins and lack of economies of scale led Radio Shack to exit the computer manufacturing market by the mid-1990s.

Radio Shack had another big hit with products designed to take advantage of the Family Radio Service, a short-range walkie-talkie system. Since the mid-1990s, the company has attempted to move into the consumer small components markets, focusing on marketing wireless phones.

Its slogan since 1994 has been "You've got questions, we've got answers."

RadioShack Corp.

In May 2000 the company dropped the Tandy name altogether, instead opting for RadioShack contracted into one CamelCase word. The logo had been changed from the 70's-style bullethole lettering to the current stylized R in 1996.

Also in 2000, the company-owned Realistic and Optimus brands were discontinued when the company entered into an agreement to carry RCA products, although RadioShack hasn't made products under the Realistic name since the early 1990's. When the RCA contract ended in 2004, RadioShack added their own Accurian brand, and then reintroduced the Optimus brand in 2005 on low end products, and has since been discontinued. RS still has its own brand of batteries, Enercell.

Many Radio Shack stores still carry products dating as far back as the 1980's. Older Radio Shack products feature the old logo, or an older Realistic or Archer brand name. It is not uncommon to see a few generations of packaging variations on slower moving products.

Until 2002, RadioShack routinely asked for the names and addresses of customers who made purchases so they could be added to the mailing list. Personal information is still requested when purchasing a cellular phone, service plan, mail order part, Direct2U item (which is a fee-free special ordering of a product not in stock), returning an item, or paying with a check. Names and addresses are also required when purchasing or redeeming a gift card. RadioShack customers may still opt to join the mailing list for monthly sale flyers.

In February 2006, RadioShack announced plans last week to close 400 to 700 company-operated stores and liquidate slow-moving inventory. It estimated it could incur costs of $55 million to $100 million on inventory write-downs and store closures this year, though some costs may bleed into 2007. [1]

CEO Resumé scandal

On February 20, 2006, the company announced that its CEO, David Edmondson, had resigned over questions raised about his resumé. He was immediately replaced by Claire Babrowski, former chief operating officer.

Edmondson, who became RadioShack's CEO last May after being groomed for the spot, admitted last week that he had "clearly" misstated his academic record on his resumé and on the company's Web site. RadioShack has promised to hire a lawyer to investigate the matter surrounding Edmondson.

RadioShack said last week that fourth-quarter earnings had fallen 62 percent after a switch in wireless providers led to an inventory write-down. The news sent the company's shares to an almost three-year low.

The company has updated its website, but Edmondson's resume is still availible online.

International operations

Operations in Canada

Pre 2005

The Canadian counterpart of RadioShack, also known as Radio Shack, was run by a company called InterTAN, acquired in 2004 by Circuit City. However, RadioShack sued InterTAN one week after the purchase, claiming InterTAN had breached the terms of their agreement. On March 24, 2005, a U.S. district court judge ruled in favor of Radio Shack and cancelled their agreement, meaning that all 950 Radio Shack stores in Canada must stop using the brand name in any of their products, packaging or advertising by June 30, 2005. As a result, all of the InterTAN stores were rebranded under the name The Source by Circuit City and RadioShack Corporation plans to open its own stores in Canada under the RadioShack name.

Post 2005

After preventing InterTAN from using the Radio Shack trademark, the company announced its intention to re-enter the Canadian market itself with a Canadian division. InterTAN is pursuing court action to prevent Radio Shack from using the trademark in Canada until the original 2010 expiry date of the original licensing agreement. The company had planned to have 20 to 30 stores operating in Canada as Radio Shack by the end of 2005, mostly in the Toronto area, but progress has been slower than this. As of February, 2006, nine company owned stores had been opened and 14 dealer stores across were operating under the name Radio Shack, signing new agreements with Radioshack Corporation.

Operations in France

InterTAN operated Tandy stores in France, selling standard RadioShack brands, Realistic, Optimus, and Archer. Sales people sometimes came from the French-speaking Québec. The French subsidiary went bankrupt and closed by the end of December 1993. Sales representatives blamed this on the practice of selling non-store brands (such as IBM laptops) with margins that were too low.

Trivia

* The Caribbean district (Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands) is currently no. 1 in sales and profit.
* The busiest and highest grossing store in the world is also in Puerto Rico, located in Plaza Las Americas mall which is also the most profitable mall by square foot in the world.
* RadioShack is currently the leading wireless retailer in the US. They sell more wireless phones than any other company.
* As of January 1st 2006, RadioShack is no longer selling Verizon Wireless, and has transitioned to sales of Cingular phones in all markets where it is available.

'Godfather' Actor Killed by Bus in NYC

2006-02-20T19:35:00.000-08:00

Richard Bright, a character actor who appeared in all three "Godfather" movies and more recently on "The Sopranos," was struck and killed by a bus, police said.

Bright, 68, was hit by a private Academy Bus as he crossed the street at about 6:30 p.m. Saturday in his Manhattan neighborhood, police Detective Bernard Gifford said.

There were no arrests as of Sunday but police said the investigation was continuing. The bus driver told police he was not aware that he had hit anyone.

Bright played mob enforcer Al Neri in the "Godfather" movies, a bodyguard to the Corleone family patriarchs played by Marlon Brando and Al Pacino.

He played a con artist hustling Ali McGraw in 1972's "The Getaway" and acted in dozens of other films such as Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in America" and "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" and in TV shows such as "Hill Street Blues."

"He always said it was the work that was the reward," said Brett Smiley, a friend and fellow actor.

Bright was arrested in 1965 on an obscenity charge for language he used in a San Francisco production of poet Michael McClure's two-person play "The Beard," which was shut down.

The American Civil Liberties Union took up the case and the charges against Bright were later dismissed in what was considered a precedent for artistic expression rights.

IKEA

2006-02-20T19:31:00.000-08:00

IKEA is a Swedish home furnishings retailer. It has 229 stores in 33 countries, most of them in Europe, the rest in the United States, Canada, Asia and Australia. More than 20 opened during 2005. IKEA is one of the few store chains to have locations both in Israel and in other Middle Eastern nations.

IKEA is generally pronounced (IPA /i'ke.a/) but in many English-speaking regions, it is pronounced (IPA /aɪ'ki:ə/) rhyming with the word "idea".

The IKEA catalogue, containing about 12,000 products, is printed in 160 million copies (2006) worldwide, and distributed free of charge.

IKEA is famous for its affordable furniture which consumers are required to assemble for themselves.

History

IKEA was founded in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad, then 17. The company name is a composite of the first letters in his name and the names of the property and the village in which he grew up: Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd. This acronym is incidentally similar to the Greek word οικία [oikia] (home) and to the Finnish word oikea (correct).

Originally, IKEA sold pens, wallets, picture frames, table runners, watches, jewelry and nylon stockings or practically anything Kamprad found a need for that he could fill with a product at a reduced price. Furniture was first added to the IKEA product range in 1947 and, in 1955, IKEA began to design its own furniture. The company motto is: "Well designed affordable quality furniture to the many people".

At first, Kamprad sold his goods out of his home and by mail order, but eventually a store was opened in the nearby town of Älmhult. It was also the location for the first IKEA "warehouse" store which came to serve as a model for IKEA establishments elsewhere and on March 23, 1963, the first store outside Sweden was opened in Asker, a Norwegian municipality outside Oslo. (The store was located in the same building which houses the Bellevue hotel, about two km from the present site at Billingstad/Slependen, which opened in 1975. The store in Asker is currently undergoing a major expansion and remodeling.)

Products

IKEA furniture is well known for its modern (often unusual) design. Also, because much of it is self-assembly furniture (also known as "flat-pack"), it is designed to be assembled by the consumer rather than being sold pre-assembled. IKEA claims this permits them to reduce costs and use of packaging by not shipping air—the volume of a bookcase, for example, is considerably less if it is shipped unassembled rather than assembled.

IKEA also claims to have pioneered the use of more sustainable approaches to mass consumer culture. Its founder calls it "democratic design," meaning that the company applies an integrated approach to manufacturing and design (see also environmental design). Responding to the explosion of human population—and material expectations—in the 20th century, the company has mastered economies of scale, capturing material streams and creating manufacturing processes that hold costs and resource use down, such as the extensive use of particle board. The intended result is flexible, adaptable home furnishings, scaleable both to larger homes and smaller dwellings.

IKEA has also expanded their product base to include flat-pack houses, in an effort to cut prices involved in a first-time buyer's home. The product, named BoKlok was launched in Sweden in 1996 in a joint venture with Skanska. Now working in the Nordic countries and in UK, sites confirmed in England include London, Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool.

Every IKEA product is identified by a name, either Swedish in origin or Swedish-sounding. Most names have an etymology regarding their function or appearance ((German)) :

* Upholstered furniture, coffee tables, rattan furniture, bookshelves, media storage, doorknobs: Swedish placenames

* Beds, wardrobes, hall furniture: Norwegian placenames

* Dining tables and chairs: Finnish placenames

* Bookcase ranges: Occupations

* Bathroom articles: Scandinavian lakes, rivers and bays

* Kitchens: grammatical terms, sometimes also other names

* Chairs, desks: men’s names

* Materials, curtains: women’s names

* Garden furniture: Swedish islands

* Carpets: Danish placenames

* Lighting: terms from music, chemistry, meteorology, measures, weights, seasons, months, days, boats, sailors’ language

* Bedlinen, bedcovers, pillows/cushions: flowers, plants, precious stones

* Children’s items: mammals, birds, adjectives

* Curtain accessories: mathematical and geometrical terms

* Kitchen utensils: foreign words, spices, herbs, fish, mushrooms, fruits or berries, functional descriptions

* Boxes, wall decoration, pictures and frames, clocks: colloquial expressions, also Swedish placenames

For example, AKTION is a name for a pepper mill, DINERA for tableware, KASSETT for media storage. The entire office furniture line is named EFFEKTIV.

Company founder Ingvar Kamprad, who is dyslexic, found that naming the furniture with a name, rather than a product code, made the names easier to remember.

Community impact

IKEA's goals of sustainability and environmental design in their merchandise may be trumped by the impact a new IKEA store can have on a community:

Like all big-box stores, IKEA stores draw consumers from a very large area. Although they were in the U.S. before the United Kingdom and other European countries, IKEA had very few stores until recently. Because they have few stores, they often drew consumers from out-of-state. The handful of American cities which accepted IKEA stores were delighted by the subsequent surge in sales tax revenue, yet dismayed at the accompanying surge in traffic congestion.

For example, when an IKEA opened in April 2000 in Emeryville, California, the traffic was so severe that most local traffic lights were rendered useless. Emeryville police were forced to manually direct traffic daily for three months. When an IKEA opened in Tempe, Arizona in November 2004, the traffic jams on Interstate 10 were so severe that the Arizona Department of Public Safety had to close the nearest off-ramp to the store just to spread out the traffic among other nearby off-ramps.

IKEA's most popular store in Brent Park, London frequently has traffic jams on the weekends.

A new store opened in Edmonton, North London at midnight on 10 February 2005. It attracted over 6,000 visitors due to huge opening discounts in the first three opening hours and resulted in a number of casualties as people were crushed in the rush to get into the store. The store was closed after only 30 minutes (due to the large number of customers, there were inadequate security staff and police). The store was re-opened at 5pm on 11 February 2005 with no additional incident.

In Saudi Arabia three people were crushed to death in September 2004 when IKEA offered a limited number of $150 vouchers for free.

Minding the above problems, the store at Atlantic Station in Atlanta opened on 29 June 2005 with 20 off-duty police officers directing traffic. That store is its first in the Southeast U.S., its third-largest in North America, and the only one to serve grits. The first person in line had been there a week.

The Stoughton, Massachusetts store opened on 9 November 2005. Nearby highways were at a standstill; approaching the store from less than 1 mile took upwards of an hour. IKEA employees indicated that on the first Saturday of operation, the Stoughton store would have sales of $1-1.2M. Over 300,000 visitors were expected on the first weekend of operation.

IKEA was vetoed planning permission for a further store in England in 2004 (to be based in Stockport in Greater Manchester) by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. It applied for judicial review but lost in 2005. In January 2006 it announced plans to create 10 extra smaller outlets, to be based in city centres. The first of these will be in Coventry.

Store format

Newer IKEA stores are usually very large blue boxes with few windows. They are often designed around a mandatory "one-way" layout which forces consumers to traverse nearly all parts of the store before reaching the cashier or check-out stands. The sequence involves going through furniture showrooms (showroom) and housewares (market-hall) first, then the warehouse where one collects flatpacks for products seen in the showrooms, and then the cashier.

This design is intended to make customers encounter products which they might not have thought to look for, but has the disadvantage of inconveniencing consumers who already know what they want to buy and just want to return to the warehouse area.

Recently, in some stores, shortcuts have been introduced between various sections, making travel time through the store much shorter if necessary. However, though they may be indicated on store maps, these shortcuts are often not obvious so an inexperienced IKEA shopper is likely to overlook them and travel through the whole layout of the store. In addition, the shortcuts are heavily criticized for not being long enough for convenience.

Whilst the original design involved the warehouse on the lower level and the showroom and markethall on the upper, some stores are single-level bungalow-style stores while many U.S. stores place the showroom upstairs and the marketplace and warehouse both downstairs. Some stores operate separate additional warehouses for the larger or less popular flatpacks to keep the size of the customer warehouse down (and therefore less daunting) and allow more stock to be kept on-site at any given time. Unfortunately, this occasionally results in customers being unable to find the goods they paid for at the cashier without direction from staff and the impression of queueing twice (once at the cashier, once at the external warehouse). However, there are few complaints about being able to collect goods quicker from the customer warehouses.

Many stores include restaurants serving typically Swedish food, and beverages such as lingonberry juice. The restaurant area is usually the one place in the store where there are large windows. Outside of Sweden, these restaurants are sometimes complemented by mini-shops selling Swedish-made, Swedish-style groceries. As would be expected with IKEA, you can buy IKEA's specialities, such as Swedish meatballs, in parts (i.e. the ingredients) at these stores and assemble it (that is, simple, straightforward food preparation) at home.

Most IKEA stores also offer an "as-is" area at the end of the warehouse just prior to the cashiers. Returned, damaged and formerly showcased products which are not in "as new" condition are displayed here, and sold with a discount, but also with a "no-returns" policy.

In Hong Kong, where shop space is limited and costly, IKEA has opened four outlets across the country, which are actually part of conveniently located shopping malls. They are relatively tiny, compared to common "large blue box" store design, yet most of them are still in the "one-way" layout. However, the newest outlet in Telford Plaza does not follow this template, and the three independent floors can be accessed freely from each. Following IKEA tradition, though, the only cashier is located on the lowest floor.

Corporate structure

Despite IKEA's Swedish roots, the owner/franchiser of the IKEA concept is a Dutch company, Inter IKEA Systems BV. The operator/franchisee of the majority of the stores worldwide is a separate entity, the IKEA Group, a private group of companies owned by a Dutch charitable foundation.

Of the 202 IKEA stores in 32 countries, 180 are run by the IKEA Group. The remaining 22 are run by franchisees outside of the IKEA Group.

INGKA Holding BV is the ultimate parent company for all IKEA Group companies, including the industrial group Swedwood. INGKA Holding BV is wholly owned by Stichting INGKA Foundation, which is a foundation registered in the Netherlands.

This complicated structure is seen by some as an attempt to avoid Sweden's high taxation at the time. Another reason could be to make it difficult to acquire IKEA.

Criticisms

Some criticisms of IKEA:

* In the 1990s, there were several complaints arising from IKEA's British television advertising campaigns:
o “Stop being so English”: In which a “Swedish psychologist” claims the British are uptight due to their taste in “English” furniture. (complaints were dismissed).
o An advertisement where a management consultant suggests how much more furniture a company could buy, if it fired an office worker. (complaints were dismisssed but IKEA voluntarily withdrew the advert)
o A campaign under the slogan, "Just pack up, ship out, find a place of your own. And for all your new things, you know where to come. Make a fresh start," got complaints that it was trivializing marriage breakups and showing a homosexual relationship. (complaints were dismissed)
o An advertisement in which a boss tells members of his staff to smell each other's armpits.

Diversity

IKEA was named one of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers in 2004 by Working Mothers magazine.

Design reform

As pointed out by circuit lecturer Will Novosedlik, IKEA embodies the principles of design reform begun by William Morris and John Ruskin. "Socialistic" in nature, IKEA attempts to elevate public taste by providing quality goods at affordable prices.

IKEA's debut in each country

* 1958 Sweden — Älmhult
* 1963 Norway — Asker (Nesbru)
* 1969 Denmark — Copenhagen (Ballerup)
* 1973 Switzerland — Zürich (Spreitenbach)
* 1974 Germany — Munich (Eching)
* 1975 Australia — Sydney (Artarmon)
* 1975 Hong Kong — Kowloon (Tsim Sha Tsui)
* 1976 Canada — Vancouver (Richmond)
* 1977 Austria — Vienna (Vösendorf)
* 1978 Netherlands — Rotterdam (Sliedrecht)
* 1978 Singapore — Queenstown
* 1980 Spain — Gran Canaria (Las Palmas)
* 1981 Iceland — Reykjavík
* 1981 France — Paris (Bobigny)
* 1983 Saudi Arabia — Jeddah
* 1984 Belgium — Brussels (Zaventem and Ternat)
* 1984 Kuwait — Kuwait City
* 1985 United States — Philadelphia (Plymouth Meeting)
* 1987 United Kingdom — Manchester (Warrington)
* 1989 Italy — Milan (Cinisello Balsamo)
* 1990 Hungary — Budapest
* 1991 Poland — Platan
* 1991 Czech Republic — Prague (Zličín)
* 1991 United Arab Emirates — Dubai
* 1992 Slovakia — Bratislava
* 1994 Taiwan — Taipei
* 1996 Finland — Espoo
* 1996 Malaysia — Kuala Lumpur (Mutiara Damansara)
* 1998 China — Beijing
* 2000 Russia — Moscow (Chimki)
* 2001 Israel — Netanya
* 2001 Greece — Thessaloniki
* 2004 Portugal — Lisbon
* 2005 Turkey — Istanbul
* 2006 Japan — Funabashi
* 2006 Ireland — Dublin

Circuit City

2006-02-20T19:29:00.000-08:00

Circuit City (NYSE: CC) is the second largest electronics retailer in the United States. Based in Richmond, Virginia, its over 600 stores located throughout the country have departments like Audio and Video, Camcorders and Photo, Home and Office, Music and Movies, and Toys and Games. The chain of stores also has services such as Express In-Store Pickup (24-24 Pick-up Guarantee), and Price Match Plus Guarantee.

On February 11, 2005, a hedge fund headquartered in Boston, Highfields Capital, offered to takeover Circuit City for $17 a share, arguing that existing management had failed to maximize shareholder value.

On March 7, Circuit City's board rejected this offer, but doubled its own share buy back program.

Circuit City owns The Source by Circuit City (formerly Radio Shack) chain in Canada.

Circuit City started and owned the CarMax Group as a wholly owned subsidiary until fall 2002, when CarMax, Inc. was spun off as a separate corporation

Diversity

Circuit City scored a 29% on the 2004 Corporate Equality Index by the Human Rights Campaign.

Circuit City-Owned Brand Names

* Centrios
* ESA
* Liquid Video
* NexxTech
* Verge

Slogans

* "Where Service is State of the Art" (????-1995)
* "Price, Selection, and Service"
* "Imagine That" (2001)
* "We're with You" (2001-2004)
* "Just What I Needed" (2004-Present)
* "Circuit City makes it Simple" (2005 Holiday Season)

Trivia

Sometime in the late 1970's, when the company that was to become Circuit City was seeking a new name for its stores, a marketing firm was hired to find suitable names. One of the firm's principals mentioned this to his nephew, a Pennsylvania electrical engineer, who quickly thought of the name Circuit City. The engineer signed a release form and was paid $50 for his suggestion.

Delta Goodrem

2006-02-19T07:38:00.000-08:00

Delta Lea Goodrem (born in Sydney on November 9, 1984) is an Australian musician, singer, and actress. She was launched into popularity starring as Nina Tucker on the popular television soap opera Neighbours. She has released two number one albums, Innocent Eyes and Mistaken Identity, enjoying the second most weeks of an Australian album in the number one position in Australia, and has had seven number one singles in Australia.

Early Life

Born in Sydney on November 9, 1984, Goodrem had an interest in music from a very young age, despite coming from a sports-based family. She attended Hills Grammar in the Sydney suburb of Dural, where she took up piano as a hobby and focused on her music. She strived to be a performer, delivering mini-concerts in her street for neighbours, friends and relatives to watch her sing and dance.

Goodrem appeared in numerous television commercials and shows in Australia. At the age of seven, Goodrem appeared in an American commercial for Galoob Toys with her friend Bec Cartwright. She also was signed up to be the Nesquik girl. Goodrem has also made cameos in Australian television episodes of Hey Dad...!, A Country Practice and Police Rescue.

At the age of 12, Goodrem recorded a demo CD with five songs she had written. She included her version of the Australian national anthem and sent the CD to managers around Australia. It landed in the hands of the legendary Australian manager, Glenn Wheatley, the man who guided the Little River Band and John Farnham to mega success. In 2001, when Goodrem was 15, she signed to Sony Records Australia, and recorded an album of tracks, some self-penned, some written for her, and some bought in by the label. Sony launched her career with an unsuccessful 'bubblegum' pop single in November 2001, called "I Don't Care", which peaked at #64 on the ARIA Music Charts . The track was a cover of a single originally recorded by Angela Via, which was never released outside of America. The music video for "I Don't Care" is included on her first DVD, entitled "Delta" in Australia, and "Innocent Eyes" internationally.

Innocent Eyes

In 2002, whilst starring in Neighbours, Goodrem released her official first single, entitled "Born To Try". A drastic change from her debut single, the adult contemporary Piano pop track debuted at #3, and climbed to the number one spot. This was fuelled by the song's inclusion in the show, in which her character, Nina Tucker, was also trying to launch a music career.

Goodrem soon became a household name, and Australia's newest sweetheart, with a girl-next-door image that rivalled that of Britney Spears in her early career.

After winning a Silver Logie for "Most Popular New Female Talent" for her role of Nina Tucker in Neighbours, Goodrem released her second single, "Lost Without You". It debuted at #1, staying there for two weeks. She also released her debut single outside of Australia at this time, releasing "Born To Try" in the UK, where it debuted at #3.

Her debut album Innocent Eyes was released on March 3, 2003, producing a record five #1 singles in Australia. She has writing credits on nearly every song on the album, including tracks written solely by her, making her the only international act or Australian female performer in history to be credited as performer and writer on four ARIA #1 hits.

The third single from the album was the title track; "Innocent Eyes". It debuted at #2, and peaked at #1 after two weeks at #2. In the UK, "Lost Without You," and the album, "Innocent Eyes" were being released, with the single debuting at #4, and the album debuting at #2, where it went onto sell over 750,000 copies.

In June 2003, Goodrem appeared on Channel V, an Australian lifestyle/music cable TV channel, performing a mini-concert of seven songs from her album (which had already been certified 6x Platinum at the time). The concert was well received, and was included on her DVD, "Delta"/"Innocent Eyes".

Cancer

On July 8, 2003, Goodrem announced that she had Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a form of cancer, shocking fans in Australia and the UK. In the weeks and months after the announcement, sales of her album rose by 40%, remaining at #1 six months after its release. Goodrem's management team were criticised for using her illness to attract favourable media coverage. Goodrem later revealed: "I was sitting there trying to get my head around the fact I could die and I was being told that I could somehow use this to my advantage."

There were even rumours that the cancer was a deliberate hoax to gain publicity. Although completely unfounded, these had likely stemmed from the fact that she had continued to make public appearances, and very much remained in the public eye, for several months after the diagnosis. It is worth bearing in mind, however, that Goodrem had already achieved major chart success prior to her illness with four successive #1 releases to her name.

Early on in her treatment, Goodrem recorded a few new songs, and a video clip for her fourth single, "Not Me, Not I". When asked why Goodrem worked so hard to promote the album in spite of her illness, she said, '"Not Me, Not I" is so special to me that I had to film a clip for it, just as I did for the other singles from the album.'

When "Not Me, Not I" reached #1 on the Australian charts, she became the only female artist to have four #1 singles from her debut album, besting the previous effort of three #1's from Kylie Minogue's Kylie album. "Innocent Eyes" was also released in the UK, where it debuted at #2.

On October 4 of that year, while Goodrem was still undergoing treatment, it was announced that she would not renew her contract with manager Glenn Wheatley. Goodrem's mother, Lea Goodrem, subsequently replaced Wheatley.

Goodrem capped off a professionally successful, though personally traumatic, year by winning a seven ARIA Music Awards on October 21, 2003, which nearly broke the previous record of ten, held by Savage Garden. She was too unwell to perform at the ARIAs, although she did attend, wearing a wig. Darren Hayes, formerly of Savage Garden, performed her second number one hit, "Lost Without You," as a moving tribute to her.

In the first week of December 2003 Innocent Eyes broke John Farnham's Australian record of 25 consecutive weeks at #1 (Whispering Jack (1986)). In total, Innocent Eyes spent 29 weeks at #1, tied with Neil Diamond's Hot August Night (1972), as the second longest charting number-one album in Australian history. Innocent Eyes has been certified over 14x platinum in Australia alone, with sales in the United Kingdom reaching nearly 1 million, having debuted at #3 in the album chart.

Goodrem released her debut DVD entitled Delta (Innocent Eyes internationally) which was a success in music DVD charts in Australia and the UK, featuring music videos, her Channel V mini-concert, behind the scenes footage and more. The DVD broke Australian records, selling in excess of half a million copies. She also released "Not Me, Not I" in the UK, where it went top 20, as a Christmas single, backed with two Christmas B-sides. "Predictable" was also released as the final single from "Innocent Eyes" in Australia, again hitting the #1 spot. A promo single of a remix of "Throw It Away", co-written by Cathy Dennis and former Take That star Gary Barlow was released to UK media early the following year, but was not released commercially.

After cancer

After announcing in late December/early January that she was in remission, Goodrem began to go back into the studio and write and record new songs, for her second album. There were rumours at the time that she was dating tennis player, Mark Philippoussis. The rumours proved to be true, and the couple seemed to be smitten with each other. Goodrem had previously been romantically linked with fellow Neighbours star Blair McDonough.

In January 2004, Goodrem attended the 2004 Australian Open at length, where she prominently supported her boyfriend, Australian player, Mark Philippoussis. She continued her support during the Wimbledon tournament, and later, the Athens Olympics.

Hating Alison Ashley

In February 2004 it was announced Goodrem had won the title role in the Australian comedy film Hating Alison Ashley, the movie based on the novel Hating Alison Ashley by Robin Klein, a prominent Australian author. The film subsequently performed poorly at the box office in comparison to movies that were screening at the time.

It earned less than $2 million despite being based on a successful book and screening in 180 Australian cinemas during the Easter holidays.

While Hating Alison Ashley was seen by 60,000 people in its first weekend, takings dropped 28% the following week, suggesting that word of mouth was rather negative.

Critics also generally gave negative reviews to the movie; Some critics claiming that Goodrem's acting was too robotic and detached; however they did highly credit actress Saskia Burmeister, who played Erica Yurken, for her role in the movie.

Out Of The Blue

In October, Goodrem released the debut single from her second album, Mistaken Identity. The song, written with UK writer/producer, Guy Chambers (former cohort of Robbie Williams) was called "Out Of The Blue". The single was well received by the public, and shot to #1, and subsequently went platinum. In the UK, "Out Of The Blue" debuted at #9, also charting in Germany and other European countries. Goodrem also performed "Out Of The Blue" for the first time at the 2004 ARIA awards. In October, shortly after the single's release, Goodrem's relationship with Philippoussis was over after Paris Hilton allegedly announced to the media that she was Philippoussis' new love interest, much to the surprise of Goodrem and her fans. This was later confirmed by Philippoussis, though he stated that Hilton was not the cause of the break-up.

Mistaken Identity

Goodrem's second album Mistaken Identity was released on November 7, 2004 and debuted at #1 in Australia, also charting in the UK, Germany and Switzerland. The album saw Goodrem once again working with songwriters such as Cathy Dennis, Gary Barlow and Matthew Gerrard ("Lost Without You") among others including Billy Mann (who has worked with P!nk and Jessica Simpson).

In Australia, "Mistaken Identity" the album's title track, debuted and peaked at #7 in January 2005. The track was not promoted as Goodrem was in the UK at the time, promoting "Almost Here" with Brian McFadden. "Mistaken Identity" went Gold, but did not stay in the chart for as long as her previous singles. In the UK, "Almost Here" debuted at #3, her equal best, although no further singles were released from "Mistaken Identity". "Almost Here" also debuted at #1 in Australia, going Platinum.
On May 29, 2005, she released her fourth single from "Mistaken Identity" - the up-tempo track, "A Little Too Late". It debuted and peaked at #13, whilst Goodrem was touring the country. A fifth single, the ballad "Be Strong", was released on September 26, albeit as a digital-only release. The B-Sides featured live performances of "Be Strong" and "Last Night On Earth" from the tour. Goodrem also became the face of Pepsi cola in Australia, recording a follow up to a campaign that had starred Britney Spears, P!nk, Enrique Iglesias and Beyoncé Knowles.

Brian McFadden

On the "Mistaken Identity" album, Goodrem also collaborated with Irish singer Brian McFadden, formerly of boyband Westlife on a duet entitled "Almost Here". In early January 2005, newspaper reports suggested the pair were romantically engaged after being photographed together on a beach resort in South Africa, although both denied this. A week later on January 10, 2005, the Sunday Mirror reported that McFadden had admitted the relationship.

The couple underwent weeks of tabloid scrutiny, focusing particularly on the fallout of McFadden's marriage with former Atomic Kitten star Kerry Katona. Press speculation suggested that Goodrem and McFadden had embarked on their affair before McFadden had seperated with Katona. This was denied by both Goodrem and McFadden. A great deal of negative press followed the couple's announcement, including reports of the duo being booed off the stage at a Childline concert in Dublin, Ireland.

The negative press and tabloid rumour continued in the UK, made worse following increase in public affection for Katona after her victory on TV show I'm a celebrity get me out of here.
Rumours in April 2005 suggested that McFadden had proposed to Goodrem, although he denied this.

Breaking the American Market

In April 2005, Goodrem's international record contract was extended to the USA, with Columbia Records, an imprint of Sony Music, licensing the USA rights to her music. Reports soon began to circulate that Columbia had issued an ultimatum to Goodrem to drop her manager - mother Lea Goodrem . The rumour was denied by Goodrem and her mother, who stated that Lea was to remain as Delta's manager in Australia, and that Delta had always had plans to get a seperate manager in the US .

The Visualise Tour

In July 2005, Goodrem took part in her first headline tour, the "Visualise" tour, first performed in Perth, and subsequently in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and other major Australian cities. The tour features a mixed set of tracks from both her #1 albums and more. The tour's opening act was an up-and-coming Canadian artist, seventeen-year-old Kyle Riabko. Brian Mcfadden, also performed with her on certain tour dates, duetting on "Almost Here" and "Flying Without Wings," a track he had recorded with his former band Westlife (it was also released in the USA by American Idol winner Ruben Studdard).

The tour came under criticism when tickets were put on sale for $100 Australian dollars; higher than most international acts touring in Australia at around the same time. It was thought that the price contributed to the slow sales at first, alongside the fact that people did not know what to expect from her show. By the time the concerts were due to take place, many venues were sold out, after tickets were reduced to $60, with the Adelaide show attracting almost 10,000 fans. After the tour concluded over 80,000 tickets had been bought in total, making the "Visualise" tour being one of Australia's highest selling local tours.

The "Visualise" tour DVD was released on Sunday, November 13, debuting at #1 on the ARIA sales chart and becoming the second DVD by Goodrem to reach number 1. The "Visualise" DVD features her live concert, recorded on July 24 at the Sydney Superdome, as well as a tour documentary, concert clips and a photo gallery. A clip for "The Analyst", recorded specifically for use as a backdrop to the concert performance, is also included.

Charity Work

Goodrem is a member of RADD (Recording Artists, Actors And Athletes Against Drunk Driving), a group of celebrities using their position to rally, and raise awareness of the risks of drink driving. She has recorded a message, which has aired on Australian radio, about the risks of drink driving. Goodrem also uses her experience with cancer to raise awareness for other young people affected by the disease, helping to launch a UK web site specifically aimed at young teenagers affected, in mid 2005.

Goodrem is a well-known ambassador for Research Australia's Thank You Day, which celebrates the country's health and medical researchers. She makes regular appearances at local charity events; on November 7, 2005, Goodrem received a Thank You Day Celebrity Advocacy Award "in recognition of her efforts in raising funds and awareness for Australian medical research and charities."

Born To Try

In December 2004, Goodrem announced she was planning to relocate to the United States in an attempt to break into the US market. In early 2005, Goodrem appeared on the North American soap opera North Shore.

On June 28, 2005, a new USA mix of Goodrem's hit "Lost Without You" was released to digital download stores, such as iTunes, receiving early spins on Adult Contemporary radio stations across the United States. It was officially released to CHR/Pop stations on August 30. She also attended the 2005 American Music Awards, and won the award for Highest Selling Australian Artist at the World Music Awards.

Her USA album, which will be released in the winter of 2006 (delayed from October 2005 and January 2006), will be a hybrid of her first two albums, entitled Born To Try, after her first UK single. The album will feature several tracks from each of her albums, including "Almost Here," "Mistaken Identity," "Not Me, Not I" and "Out Of The Blue," many being remixed and changed for the US audience. In addition, she has filmed new videos for both "Lost Without You" and "Born To Try", which will be the second USA single. The album will be available on both standard CD and also on DualDisc format, which will feature video footage, such as a specially recorded live acoustic set, featuring "Last Night On Earth" (a track written with Billy Mann), which does not otherwise appear on the album tracklist. She has also written an exclusive track for America entitled "Never Fades Away".

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Goodrem was dissatisfied with the lack of airplay for her singles on U.S. radio stations, and opted to wait until Columbia Records publicized her more for a CD release.

Beyond

In a bid to break into the US market, Columbia lined up an impressive trail of promotion, all coinciding with the release of Born To Try. Early performances given at the Today Show, the World Music Awards, and Bloomingdale Dinner for Colonic Cancer Treatment (to predominantly American audiences) have been very well received. Goodrem even rated a special mention in Billboard magazine, with the writer calling her a "tigress of talent". She also appeared on the show, North Shore, as a famous celebrity, performing album tracks, sparking interest.

Trivia

* Goodrem has been said to have an English accent, but linguistics experts state it as a "Cultivated Australian" accent.
* Goodrem is a chocoholic, favouring Cadbury's Top Deck.
* Goodrem is extremely fond of her little girl dog, Bobbi, as last seen on Sunset Blvd in December, 2005.
* Goodrem sometimes posts on her official forum.
* Goodrem had a fish named Goody, a variant of Goodrem.
* At 13 she was asked to move to the United States to persure a career in cross-country skiing.

Awards

2003:

* 4 ARIA No.1 Awards
* 7 ARIA Awards
* 1 MTV Video Music Award
* 1 Channel [V] Oz Arist Of The Year Award

2004:

* 3 ARIA No.1 Awards
* 1 ARIA Award
* 1 World Music Award: Highest Selling Australian Artist

2005:

* 3 ARIA No.1 Awards
* 2 MTV Australia Video Music Awards
* The John Farnham Award
* 1 World Music Award: Highest Selling Australian Artist

Discography

Albums

* "Innocent Eyes" - (2003) Australia #1 14x Platinum (Australian), UK #2 (x2 Platinum)
* "Mistaken Identity" - (2004) Australia #1 5x Platinum, UK #25
* "Born To Try" - (2006) USA Release Only

Singles

* "I Don't Care" - (2001) Australia #64

From "Innocent Eyes":

* "Born To Try" - (2002) Australia #1 (Platinum x3) , UK #3, NZ #1, NETHERLANDS #19, IRE #13
* "Lost Without You" - (2003) Australia #1 (Platinum x2) , UK #4, NZ #1,Netherlands #42 SPAIN #10, SWE #37, GER #27, IRE #15
* "Innocent Eyes" - (2003) Australia #1 (Platinum) , UK #9, NZ #14
* "Not Me, Not I" - (2003) Australia #1 (Platinum), UK #18, NZ #11
* "Predictable" - (2003) Australia #1 (Platinum x2), NZ #2

From "Mistaken Identity":

* " Out Of The Blue" - (2004) Australia #1 (Platinum), UK #9 , GRE #14, NZ #14, IRE #15
* "Mistaken Identity" - (2005) Australia #7 (Gold)
* "Almost Here" (duet with Brian McFadden) - (2005) Australia #1 (Platinum) , UK #3, IRE #1, DEN #2 , IND #19, NORWAY #3, SWEDEN #29, GER #32, AUSTRIA #34, CHINA #4
* "A Little Too Late" - (2005) Australia #13
* "Be Strong" - (2005) (Digital Release Only)

From Born To Try:

* "Lost Without You" - US #18 (Adult Contemporary)
* "Born To Try" - US #202 (Adult Contemporary)

Videos/DVDs

* "Delta"/"Innocent Eyes" - (2003) Australia #1 (Platinum x12)
* "The Visualise Tour" - (November 14 2005) Australia #1 (Platinum x4)

Miscellaneous Discography

* "Say", an unreleased song recorded at the age of 15
* "Do You Hear What I Hear?" featured on the "Spirit of Christmas" CD of 2002 - an Australian-made CD, in which proceeds go towards the Salvation Army
* "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" featured on the "Spirit of Christmas" CD of 2003

* "I Can Sing a Rainbow" - (2004), Advertisement Song for [10]Tourism Australia (Aired internationally in the USA, Europe, Hong Kong & Singapore; not commercially released)
* "Four Short Words" - (2005), A song recorded for the promotion of the soft drink, "Pepsi Cola"

Filmography

Movies

* "Hating Alison Ashley" - 2005 (#4 on the Australian Movie Charts)

Television

* "Neighbours" - Nina Tucker 2002-2003, 2004, 2005
* " North Shore" - Taylor Ward 2004

Philip Seymour Hoffman

2006-02-19T07:37:00.000-08:00

Philip Seymour Hoffman (born July 23, 1967) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor.

Personal life

Hoffman was born in Fairport, New York to a former Xerox executive and Marilyn O'Connor, a family court judge. His father was Protestant and his mother was Catholic, but he was not raised heavily in either religion.

His brother is screenwriter Gordy Hoffman; Philip played the lead in the 2002 film Love Liza that was written by Gordy.

He entered the prestigious undergraduate training program at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and received his BFA in drama in 1989.

He is in a relationship with costume designer Mimi O´Donnell. The two had a son, Cooper Alexander, in 2003.

Film career

Hoffman made his film debut in 1991 with Scent of a Woman as a backstabbing classmate to Chris O'Donnell. Hoffman later credited that film with kickstarting his film career, as he was stocking shelves at a city grocery at the time before landing the role. Hoffman has established a successful film career playing supporting roles; notably, he has appeared in all four of Paul Thomas Anderson's feature films to date. He starred as "himself" in The Last Party, a documentary about the 2000 elections. He starred in Owning Mahowny in 2003 to solid reviews.

In addition to his film career, Hoffman has been recognized for his work in theater. He has twice been nominated for Broadway's Tony Award: as Best Actor (Play) in 2000 for a revival of Sam Shepard's True West, and for Best Actor (Featured Role - Play) in 2003 for a revival of Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night. Hoffman has also distinguished himself as a director with Off-Broadway projects such as Rebecca Gilman's "Glory of Living," and Stephen Adly Guirgis's "Jesus Hopped the A Train" and "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot." Hoffman is Co-Artistic Director of New York City's LAByrinth Theater Company, along with actor John Ortiz.

In 2006 he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama for his performance as Truman Capote in Capote. For this role Hoffman was awarded Best Actor by at least 10 film critic associations, including the National Board of Review, Toronto Film Critics, and Los Angeles Film Critics. He won the SAG award for his performance in Capote.

On January 31st, 2006, he received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his portrayal of the title character in Capote.

In 2006, he will appear as the primary antagonist in Mission: Impossible III.

Hoffman is being considered for the role of The Penguin in the upcoming Batman Begins sequel.

Selected filmography

* Mission: Impossible III (2006) The Villain
* Capote (2005) - Truman Capote
* Empire Falls (2005) (mini) TV Series - Charlie Mayne
* Strangers with Candy (2005) - Henry, Board Of Education
* Along Came Polly (2004) - Sandy Lyle
* Cold Mountain (2003) - Reverend Veasey
* Mattress Man Commercial (2003) (V) - Dean Trumbell
* Owning Mahowny (2003) - Dan Mahowny
* 25th Hour (2002) - Jacob Elinsky
* Red Dragon (2002) - Freddy Lounds
* Punch-Drunk Love (2002) - Dean Trumbell
* Love Liza (2002) - Wilson Joel
* Almost Famous (2000) - Lester Bangs
* State and Main (2000) - Joseph Turner White
* The Last Party (2000) - Himself
* The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) - Freddie Miles
* Magnolia (1999) - Phil Parma
* Flawless (1999) - Rusty Zimmerman
* Patch Adams (1998) - Mitch Roman
* Happiness (1998) - Allen
* The Big Lebowski (1998) - Brandt
* Next Stop Wonderland (1998) - Sean
* Montana (1998) - Duncan
* Culture (1998) - Bill
* Boogie Nights (1997) - Scotty J.
* Twister (1996) - Dustin Davis
* Sydney (1996) (as Phillip Seymour Hoffman) - Young Craps Player
* The Fifteen Minute Hamlet (1995) (as Philip S. Hoffman) - Bernardo, Horatio & Laertes
* Nobody's Fool (1994) - Officer Raymer
* When a Man Loves a Woman (1994) - Gary
* The Yearling (1994) (TV) - Buck
* The Getaway (1994) (as Philip Hoffman) - Frank Hansen
* Money for Nothing (1993/I) (as Philip S. Hoffman) - Cochran
* My Boyfriend's Back (1993) (as Philip Hoffman) - Chuck Bronski
* Joey Breaker (1993) - Wiley McCall
* Scent of a Woman (1992) (as Philip S. Hoffman) - George Willis, Jr.
* Leap of Faith (1992) - Matt
* My New Gun (1992) - Chris
* Szuler (1992)
* Triple Bogey on a Par Five Hole (1991) (as Phil Hoffman) - Klutch

John Michael Montgomery

2006-02-19T07:36:00.000-08:00

ohn Michael Montgomery is an award-winning country singer. He has attained 1 Gold Album and 2 Platinum Albums, along with top 10 hit songs on the country music charts. He was born on January 20, 1965 at Ephraim-McDowell Hospital in Danville, Kentucky to Harold and Carol “Snookie” Montgomery.

Childhood

In Life’s a Dance: The Story of John Michael Montgomery, Paul Prather describes John Michael’s childhood as a difficult start in life (9-27). His parents were poor. They had to move “27 times in 20 years, often because they could not pay the rent” (Prather 19). When John Michael was two years old, he had an accident that caused him to bite the end of his tongue off. He needed medical attention but the hospital would not treat him because his parents had no insurance and could not afford to pay for the treatment. John Michael’s grandfather helped out. After sewing John Michael’s tongue back on, doctors said they did not know if he would ever be able to talk clearly. At age 4 his speech became clear (Prather 9-10). Beginning in the fifth grade, John Michael was made fun of because of his clothes. He went from being an “A” student to failing the sixth grade due to the humiliation (Prather 21).

Musical Background

John Michael comes from a home filled with music. In an interview with Steve Dougherty for People (May 15, 1995 issue), John Michael says “I can’t remember a day there wasn’t a guitar or drums being played at my house” (Current Biography 2000). His parents were musicians at night, aside from their day jobs as meat cutters. They had a band called “Harold Montgomery and the Kentucky River Express.” At age 15 John Michael joined the family band as a rhythm guitarist and contributed to the singing (Prather 23; Current Biography 2000). Eddie, his brother, was also in the band (Prather 23). Later John Michael and Eddie formed their own band, “Early Tymz” (Prather 29). Eventually John Michael went solo, and Eddie joined with Troy Gentry to form the country duo, Montgomery Gentry.

Other Talents

According to his eighth grade teacher, Cindy Rogers, he is an artist. “He once drew a train on its tracks, as if it were rolling toward the person viewing the drawing,” Ms. Rogers states. He also played center and forward on the school’s basketball team (Prather 21). Abilene Boots featured him in an advertising campaign in 1995. The advertising campaign featured magazine ads in various popular country magazines (Fairchild Publications, Inc 5).

Hit Albums and Songs

In 1992, he had his first hit album “Life’s a Dance”. The song of the same name hit number 3 on the country music charts, “shooting the album into gold status”. “I Love the Way You Love Me” became number 1 for three weeks in a row (Armoudian 20). “Beer and Bones” reached number 21 (Prather 94). His next album in 1994, “Kickin’ It Up”, arrived at number 1 on Billboard Magazine’s country album list and on Billboard 200 pop album list. It produced three number 1 hit singles: “Be My Baby Tonight”, “I Swear”, and “If You’ve Got Love”. “Rope the Moon” reached number 4. He also held a spot on CMT’s 1994 top 2 videos for “I Swear” (Morris 24). The “John Michael Montgomery” album hit number 1 on the country charts in 1995 (Prather 94). It also went quadruple platinum and produced 4 top-10 singles, including “Sold (The Grundy County Auction).” “What I Do Best” was a platinum album seller in 1996 (Current Biography 2000). In 1997, he was one of the most played artists of the year, according to Billboard. He was on the list of BMI’s Most Performed Songs of the Year” in 1998 for “Angel in My Eyes” and 1999 for “Cover You in Kisses” (Billboard 1998, 1999).

Awards

In 1994 he obtained the American Music Award “Best New Country Artist”; TNN Music City News Awards “Star of Tomorrow”; American Songwriter Magazine’s “Country Artist of the Year”; Billboard Magazine’s “Single of the Year” for “I Swear”; Radio and Records Magazine’s “Single of the Year” for “I Swear”; Academy of Country Music Awards “New Male Vocalist of the Year” and “Song of the Year” for “I Love the Way You Love Me”; CMA’s “Single of the Year” for “I Swear”; and CMA Horizon Award (Prather 94). In 1995 he was awarded a Grammy for “Best Country Song” for “I Swear” and Academy of Country Music Awards “Song of the Year” and “Single Record of the Year” for “I Swear” (Prather 94).

Current Affairs

John Michael took some time off in 1996, due to his 1995 surgery for a swollen gland in his throat. It had been causing vocal problems for a couple of years. His comeback album in 1998 was “Leave A Mark” (Price 1998). Since that, he has released five more albums. These days he is taking more time off to spend with his wife, daughter and son. He has limited his touring schedule to half of a year so he can spend time with his family and write songs. He considers himself just a regular guy. “You’ll see me at Kroger, Walmart, K-Mart, Target and Winn-Dixie” he conveys. On CountryStars.com, he is quoted as saying “There’s times I’ll go for days, and I’ll forget what I do for a living … I’ll just stop and go, wow—all of these things that I can do, and the things I have are because of everything that’s happened to me … So I wake up every day just humbled that I have life so good … I never forget where I came from, and what I have will never go unappreciated” (Current Biography 2000).

In February 2006, Montgomery made an inauspicious re-entry into the public consciousness after being arrested in his hometown of Lexington, Kentucky under suspicion of drunk driving. Montgomery was also reported to have weapons and an inappropriately contained prescription drug in his possession. Coincidentally, the singer is lending his name to an outdoor show, to be held in Bardstown, Kentucky, in April 2006. Planners expect the event to bring Kentuckians from as far as Somerset and Munfordville, with proceeds to benefit several charities, including Quails Unlimited.

Partial Discography

* Life's A Dance (1992)
* Kickin' It Up (1994)
* John Michael Montgomery (1995)
* What I Do Best (1996)
* Greatest Hits (1997)
* Leave A Mark (1998)
* Home To You (1999)
* Brand New Me (2000)
* Pictures (2002)
* Mr. Snowman (2003)
* Letters From Home (2004)

Stewart, Old Spice team up for eight Busch races

2006-02-19T07:31:00.000-08:00

CINCINNATI -- Reigning Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart will be teaming up with Old Spice for eight Busch Series races in 2006, the company announced this week.

The No. 33 Old Spice Chevrolet Monte Carlo will appear in eight races and make its Busch Series debut in the Hershey's Kissables 300 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday.

In addition to getting behind the wheel of the Old Spice car, Stewart is working with Old Spice to give fans the towel off his shoulder through the Victory Sweat Towel Auction program.

After every victory this season, including Nextel Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck Series races, Stewart will immediately autograph and hand over his Old Spice towel in the winner's circle for an auction to benefit The Victory Junction Gang Camp.

Trucks: Martin throws caution to the win

2006-02-19T07:30:00.000-08:00

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Mark Martin found rare success at his least favorite track Friday night.

Martin won the season-opening Craftsman Truck series race at Daytona International Speedway, picking up his fourth victory at the famed track in 111 races.

Driving a partial truck series schedule, Martin took the lead with 13 laps remaining, got a fortuitous caution flag in overtime and cruised into Victory Lane.

Sort of.

Martin once gave away a Busch Series victory when he turned onto pit road before taking the checkered flag in a similar situation.

"I've messed this up before," Martin radioed while completing the final two laps under caution. "This race isn't over with yet."

Toyota teammates Todd Bodine and Ted Musgrave finished second and third. Bodine closed last season with three consecutive wins, and Musgrave is the defending series champion.

But Martin has more experience at Daytona than the two of them combined -- just very few victories.

Martin's only other wins at Daytona came in the Budweiser Shootout exhibition race (1999) and in the IROC series (2003, 2005).

He had hoped to add to his total earlier Friday in the IROC event, but crashed out early and finished last. It gave him plenty of time to prepare for his fourth truck race in his long and storied career. He has won half of those starts in the truck series. His other victory came in his second start, at North Wilkesboro in 1996.

Martin led 42 of 102 laps and was in control until a late caution reset the field. Martin was shuffled back to ninth, then powered his way back to the front.

He was back in first when a caution came out with three laps to go, setting up a green-white-checker finish. The restart was for naught, as Ron Hornaday Jr. spun out and wrecked several other trucks. That instantly froze the field, meaning Martin only had to complete the final two laps under yellow for the win.

"Kind of made it easy on me here at the end without me having to fight for it," Martin said.

Musgrave said if the race would have finished under green, he would have teamed up with Bodine to run Martin down.

"Mark got his Christmas present because we had a plan," Musgrave said. "It's a last-lap deal where you just use the brakes real quick, let him shoot out, and then we come charging like a freight train."

'Geritol Gang' ready to ride for MB2 Motorsports

2006-02-19T07:13:00.000-08:00

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Bill Elliott's the elder statesman of MB2 Motorsports' trio of drivers competing in Sunday's Daytona 500 but neither he nor his veteran teammates, Sterling Marlin and Joe Nemechek, are feeling any of age's effects.

Elliott, 50, and Marlin, 48, have each won a pair of Daytona 500s while Nemechek, who's the baby of the group at 42, is a former Daytona pole and Busch race winner.

On the eve of the 48th edition of the Great American Race, Elliott, who's driving the No. 36 Chevrolet; Nemechek, who pilots the No. 01 Chevy; and Marlin, who'll debut in the No. 14 Chevy sat down to discuss how they feel about the great age debate and a few other hot topics around the Nextel Cup garage.

Q: People are making jokes about you guys' ages, but I'm sure that, to you it's just a number and age is just a state of mind, isn't that so?

Nemechek: I'm not 50 -- Bill's the damned old-timer. To me, it's just a number and I don't even look at it. I feel like I'm about 30 right now, and I know Sterling feels like he's about 30, too.

Marlin: I think it's something the press likes to bring up, because it just gives them something to talk about.

Elliott: Pretty much, it is just a state of mind. At least I think so. I mean, (Ken) Schrader's older than I am, by six months. I think what it is, is that a lot of these guys started a little later and they're hanging around a little longer.

I think it gets to a point where it ain't how you feel; you just kind of get tired of the aggravation, more than anything.

Q: What do you guys do to relax during Speedweeks, since it's kind of a goofy schedule?

Marlin: We used to race every day. Now, I went home for two days and worked on some real estate stuff and came back, and we've usually got something to do or somewhere to go every night.

There's a lot of slow time. We used to practice in the mornings, like, four hours a day on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. It's just real slow now, but you've got to be here, so you just hang out here at the track.

I just go over to the Busch garage or stay here.

Nemechek: We had six hours of practice leading up to qualifying and two hours of practice for the race. So things are a lot different since I started coming here.

We used to practice something every day. But I've got double duty this week, running the Busch car, so I've got more stuff going on than Sterling does.

Q: How would you sum up your Speedweeks so far?

Marlin: We've all had fast cars, but we don't have anything much to show for it, so far.

Nemechek: It's very encouraging, but disappointing at the same time is probably the right word for it. Our cars have been fast and we qualified right there -- 13th and 14th for Sterling and myself.

We ran extremely well in the (Gatorade Duels) 150s. Heck, I was holding my own out there by myself in the outside lane in trying to make a pass, and I know Sterling worked the high lane by himself for a long time.

We've got fast cars; we just don't have any results to show for it.

Elliott: I'd say excellent. Our goal was to get into the Daytona 500. And I felt like our 500 car was better than our Shootout car but our Shootout car actually drove better in the race -- it just didn't run as good.

So now we need to get the car back to where we can go better on the long runs, and so hopefully we can get that squared away before Sunday.

Q: In the Gatorade 150, do you feel like that was the biggest shortcoming you had, getting a consistent long-run car?

Elliott: Yeah, and not being around it in a while -- because I haven't run the 500 for the last couple years -- we're just a little bit behind in getting where we need to be.

But we're good. We've got ... all day Sunday to work it out.

Q: In the 150, people who were sitting there watching didn't necessarily understand the strategy, since you were in the race and by finishing ahead of Mike Skinner, you knocked him out of the 500. But were you just trying to race and get the best possible starting position?

Elliott: That's correct -- that's all that it is. If I put one guy out, I'm putting somebody else in, so now I put the guy on speed (Kirk Shelmerdine) into the race by me racing my way into it.

So there are certain things you can't help. You can't control everything in life and you're going to do the best that you can do and that's all you can do.

Q: Seems like every Speedweeks there's a buzzword, and in 2006, it's "bump drafting." What's your take on all that and how have you experienced it.

Elliott: It seems like it's harder to get to the guy's bumper, for most of the guys, than the last time I was in this deal.

So I don't know. And now NASCAR's got the 'no bump zones' so that makes a difference, too -- or, I guess, out of bounds or whatever you want to call it.

Nemechek: Everybody was pretty cool and calm and collected out there (in the 150.) I got hit a couple times and I pushed people a couple times.

I mean, it's just common sense and you don't do it in the corners, and then you're fine. You hit somebody when they're straight, you don't hit them when they're crooked so you get them crossed-up.

It's all common sense and it shouldn't be a NASCAR deal, but it's the small percentage of drivers who have ruined it for everybody.

Q: Is there any concern over how NASCAR might enforce that?

Elliott: Well, there's always a concern whenever anybody gets involved. Is it my perception that he moved up on me or did I come down on him? What's the perception, and then how are you going to rule on that?

So you might have an instant replay, but I've never seen them in a race really change the judgment or what they did as far as a call or whatever. It's just too hard to do and too hard to figure out.

Q: The cars aren't out of control, so when these things occur, is it the drivers' fault?

Marlin: In the first (Duels) we got three-deep after the first deal and it was pretty wild with guys crossed-up and sideways and that cost me four or five spots, because I had to lift.

(Martin) Truex (Jr.) liked to have wrecked all of us and he nearly put me in the fence. I gave up a lot of spots, but it's hard when you try to go three-deep. I hope it's 85 degrees Sunday so that will get the track slick and you can't be three-deep.

Nemechek: That's what I was hoping for (in the Duels) and that's what we were geared up for, was the hot sun. I didn't even know it was supposed to rain so hopefully it'll be hot on Sunday and, if that track's slippery, yeah, you don't want to be getting three-deep -- at least not for long.

Q: Speedweeks obviously is a different animal, so as you come out of Daytona what are you looking at as you go to California?

Marlin: When we tested at Las Vegas, I wasn't real happy with my car because it didn't really have a lot of grip, which was a problem for a lot of guys.

What I saw with our car, was that we slowed down eight-tenths of a second a lap over 20 laps -- and a lot of guys slowed down as much as a second-and-a-half in 20 laps.

But our car just didn't have any grip. So we'll carry a different car back there that will have a little more downforce so it should be a lot better. And Joe's team is building him another one, too.

Nemechek: Yeah, you're just trying to make as much downforce as you can. That's why they call it a test. We had a plan going in there and we worked at our plan.

I don't think we got everything accomplished that we needed to -- but we got a good direction on what we needed to do for our bodies and chassis stuff -- and that's what it's all about.

We left here last year and went to California and I dominated the race until we broke a motor. So I'm looking for the same thing to happen this year.

I think the rules are much tighter, now, and I think all the teams have got much more equal equipment so I think it's going to be a tougher race.

Q: Joe, for you with a new Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS with a new nose and tail, how close was the setup you tested versus what you ran last year?

Nemechek: What was interesting last year was that we dominated the race in the spring and then in the second race we didn't run that good.

So we saw that things changed, even between races. I think that putting a new nose and tail on there has helped the downforce numbers a little bit. I thought we had a pretty good package in '05 and I think it's a little bit better in '06.

I think all of the teams have worked really hard over the winter to get more downforce so I think everybody's pretty equal.

Q: Sterling, you mentioned how much your car dropped off on a long run at the test, so would you rather have a car that started off a little slow but was more consistent over a long run, rather than drop as much as a second-and-a-half?

Marlin: Oh yeah. You can give up a little bit. In the first five or six laps, you can give up a little bit, but you've got to run 60 more laps before you've got to pit and you'll make it all back up.

Nemechek: You'll make it all back up plus a little bit more.

Q: Sterling, in the little time you've had in the Chevrolet, how would you compare it to the 2005 Dodge Charger, which a lot of teams had trouble with, particularly in traffic?

Marlin: Well, I really haven't driven the Chevrolet in race traffic much. But my car drove really great (in the Duels), the motor run great and it handled great. It was the best car I've had here in a long time.

But it's not like getting out of one car and you're getting in another car an hour later to see what you've got. But still, it seems like it's a lot better than last year.

NASCAR 06: Total Team Control

2006-02-19T07:08:00.000-08:00

NASCAR 06: Total Team Control is a racing simulation published by EA Sports in August 2005 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. It is the ninth installment in EA Sports' NASCAR series. The product features Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson on the cover.

NASCAR 06 follows the series' recent tradition of being subtitled with the major new feature of that edition. Total Team Control derives from the new teammate features: one can switch control from their driver to another car on their team during a race, and can command the teammate to follow, block or work with the player. It also implements Logitech USB audio technology, allowing the player to order their crew chief with a headset or microphone. The rest of the game retains the modes and features brought into the series by NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup, making NASCAR 06 very similar to its predecessor.

The game recieved positive ratings from many reviewers who praised the new teamplay features, adding to an already abundant amount of content. It is likewise criticized by fans and reviewers for subpar graphics, unrealistic damage, and not making the strides to the series NASCAR 2005 did; John Davidson, a reviewer on 1UP, called the features "gratuitous" and believes that they "[provide] a constant feeling of detachment" from the racing experience.

Drivers

The following is a list of all the real drivers in NASCAR 06. (Note: Ø indicates a part-time driver that is not included in every race.)

NEXTEL Cup

* #00 Kenny Wallace
* #01 Joe Nemechek
* #08 Shane Hmiel
* #0 Mike Bliss
* #1 Martin Truex Jr.
* #2 Rusty Wallace
* #5 Kyle Busch
* #6 Mark Martin
* #8 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
* #9 Kasey Kahne
* #10 Scott Riggs

* #11 Jason Leffler
* #12 Ryan Newman
* #14 John Andretti
* #15 Michael Waltrip
* #16 Greg Biffle
* #17 Matt Kenseth
* #18 Bobby Labonte
* #19 Jeremy Mayfield
* #20 Tony Stewart
* #21 Ricky Rudd
* #22 Scott Wimmer

* #24 Jeff Gordon
* #25 Brian Vickers
* #29 Kevin Harvick
* #31 Jeff Burton
* #36 Boris Said
* #38 Elliott Sadler
* #40 Sterling Marlin
* #41 Casey Mears
* #42 Jamie McMurray
* #43 Jeff Green
* #44 Terry Labonte

* #45 Kyle Petty
* #48 Jimmie Johnson
* #49 Ken Schrader
* #50 Jimmy Spencer
* #77 Travis Kvapil
* #88 Dale Jarrett
* #97 Kurt Busch
* #99 Carl Edwards

Busch Series

* #2 Clint Bowyer
* #5 Kyle BuschØ
* #6 Erin Crocker
* #8 Martin Truex Jr.Ø
* #9 Mark MartinØ
* #10 Michel Jourdain

* #17 Matt KensethØ
* #18 J.J. Yeley
* #19 Bobby Labonte
* #20 Denny HamlinØ
* #21 Brandon Miller
* #22 Kenny Wallace

* #32 Shane Hmiel
* #33 Tony Raines
* #33 Tony StewartØ
* #39 Ryan NewmanØ
* #57 Brian VickersØ
* #60 Carl EdwardsØ

* #64 Jamie McMurrayØ
* #79 Kasey KahneØ
* #79 Jeremy MayfieldØ
* #81 Dale Earnhardt Jr.Ø
* #90 Elliott SadlerØ

Craftsman Truck Series

* #04 Bobby Hamilton
* #6 Ron Hornaday
* #8 Deborah Renshaw

* #9 Shigeaki Hattori
* #10 Terry Cook
* #18 Chase Montgomery

* #22 Bill Lester
* #30 Chad Chaffin
* #38 Brandon Whitt

* #50 Todd Kluever
* #92 Kevin Harvick
* #99 Ricky Craven

Whelen Modifieds

* #19 Ray Evernham
* #66 Matt Martin

Evernham and Martin do not compete in the real-life Modified Series. All other drivers in the Modified Series are fantasy drivers who do not exist.

Unlockable Drivers

* #3 Dale Earnhardt
* #88 The Big Brown Truck

Removed Drivers

Many screenshots and videos for the game showed Bill Elliott driving the #91 Stanley Tools Dodge for NEXTEL Cup, but he ended up not being in the final version of the game for unknown reasons. In the Custom Car Garage, the #91 is unavailable for NEXTEL Cup which may prove that Elliott was removed late in the development stages. Also, the #11 is unavailable for the Busch Series which may indicate that Paul Menard was originally going to be in the game as well.

Features

While the game is, for the most part, similar to its NASCAR 2005 counterpart, it adds features subjective to the subtitle: teamplay. The player can swap cars with a teammate mid-race and give commands to the crew chief. NASCAR 2006 also features voice-recognition commands for teammates, the crew chief, or menus.

This edition of EA's program brings back in-car cameras, gone since 2004.

NASCAR 06 has a lower frame rate than previous NASCAR games. While still considered to be smooth overall, the graphics sometime "double up".

With a headset, you can call out commands to your crew chief to virtually do everything. The game's soundtrack tries to appeal to the masses of southern United States NASCAR fans, with artists like Joe Satriani.

Manchester United F.C.

2006-02-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

Manchester United Football Club is an English football club, based at Old Trafford Football Ground located just outside of the city boundaries of Manchester, Lancashire. The club is one of the most successful clubs in England, having won the FA Premier League/Football League fifteen times, FA Cup eleven times and the European Cup/UEFA Champions League twice. The club has had the highest average attendance in English football for the majority of the past fifty seasons.

The club was formed as Newton Heath (L&YR) F.C. in 1878 as the works team of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway depot at Newton Heath. After nearing bankuptcy in 1902, the club was taken over by J.H. Davies who changed its name to Manchester United. United appointed Sir Matt Busby as manager after the Second World War, and his then-unheard-of policy of producing most of the players through the club's youth team brought great success, with the club winning the Football League in 1956 and 1957. This success was halted by the Munich air disaster of 1958, in which eight of the club's players died. It was thought that the club might fold, but once Busby had recovered from his injuries he built another great team which went on to win the football league in 1965 and 1967, and became the first English winners of the European Cup in 1968.

The club did not see great success again until the 1990s and early 2000s, when Sir Alex Ferguson guided them to eight league championships in eleven years. In 1999, Manchester United became the first team to win the FA Premier League, the FA Cup and the European Cup in the same season — a record that has still not been equalled. The club had been run as a Public Limited Company since 1991, and a takeover was a real possiblility. An attempted takeover by Rupert Murdoch had been blocked by the British Government in 1999, but in 2005 Malcolm Glazer completed a hostile takeover of the club, despite considerable protests from many of United's supporters.

History

Early years (1878-1945)

The club were formed as Newton Heath (Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway) (Newton Heath (L&YR) for short) by a group of Manchester railway workers in 1878. The name was soon shortened to Newton Heath and became locally known as 'the Heathens' (hence the later nickname of 'the Red Devils'). They were founder members of the Football Alliance in 1889 and joined the Football League in 1892 when it merged with the Football Alliance.

The earliest known film of Manchester United is the 2–0 victory at Burnley on 6 December 1902, filmed by Mitchell and Kenyon.

The club faced bankruptcy in 1902 and was rescued by J.H. Davies who paid off the club's debts and changed the name to Manchester United, changing the team's colours from gold and green to red and white. With their new name, they won the league in 1908 and the FA Cup on April 26, 1909 against Bristol City at Crystal Palace. Then with financial assistance from Davies, United moved from Bank Street to a new stadium at Old Trafford in 1910. They won the Championship for the second time in 1911.

The team struggled between the first and second world wars, and by time the second world war began they were £70,000 in debt.

The Busby years (1945-1969)

Matt Busby was appointed manager in 1945 and took a then-unheard of approach to his job, joining the players for training as well as performing administrative tasks. He was immediately successful, with the club finishing second in the league in 1947 and winning the FA Cup in 1948.

He adopted a policy of bringing in players from the youth team whenever possible, and the team won the league in 1956 with an average age of only 22. The following season, they won the league again and reached the FA Cup final, losing to Aston Villa. They also became the first English team to compete in the European Cup, and reached the semi-final.

Tragedy struck the following season, when the plane carrying the team home from a European Cup match crashed on take off at a refuelling stop in Munich. The Munich air disaster of 6 February 1958 claimed the lives of eight players and another fifteen passengers. There was talk of the club folding but, with Jimmy Murphy taking over as manager while Matt Busby recovered from his injuries, the club continued playing with a makeshift side. They somehow reached the FA Cup final again, where they lost to Bolton.

Busby rebuilt the team throughout the early 1960s, signing players such as Denis Law and Pat Crerand. The team won the FA Cup in 1963, then won the league in 1965 and 1967 and the European Cup in 1968, the first English Club to do so. This team was notable for containing three European Footballers of the Year: Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and George Best. Busby resigned as manager in 1969 and was replaced by the reserve-team coach and former United player Wilf McGuinness.

1969-1986

United struggled to replace Busby, and the team struggled under Wilf McGuinness and Frank O'Farrell before Tommy Docherty became manager at the end of 1972. Docherty, or 'the Doc', saved United from relegation that season but United were relegated in 1974. The team won promotion at the first attempt and reached the FA Cup final in 1976, but were beaten by Southampton. They reached the final again in 1977, beating Liverpool and preventing their opponents from completing the first ever treble, which United would go on to win in 1999. In spite of this success, and his popularity with the supporters, Docherty was sacked soon after the final when he was found to have had an affair with the physiotherapist's wife.

Dave Sexton replaced Docherty as manager in the summer of 1977, and made the team play in a more defensive formation. This style was unpopular with supporters, who were used to the attacking football preferred by Docherty and Busby, and after failing to win a trophy Sexton was sacked in 1981.

He was replaced by the flamboyant Ron Atkinson who immediately broke the British record transfer fee to sign Bryan Robson from West Brom. Atkinson's team featured new signings such as Jesper Olsen and Gordon Strachan playing alongside the former youth-team players Norman Whiteside and Mark Hughes. United won the FA Cup in 1983 and 1985 and were overwhelming favourites to win the league in the 1985-86 season after winning their first ten league games, opening a ten-point gap over their rivals as early as October. The team's form collapsed, however, and United finished the season in fourth place. The poor form continued into the following season, and with United on the edge of the First Division's relegation zone, Atkinson was sacked.

The Alex Ferguson era, pre-treble (1986-1998)

Alex Ferguson replaced Atkinson and guided the club to an 11th place finish. The following season (1987-88), United finished second, with Brian McClair becoming the first United player since George Best to score twenty league goals in a season.

However, United struggled badly throughout 1989, with many of Ferguson's signings not reaching the expectations of the fans. There was speculation that Ferguson would be sacked at the beginning of 1990 but a win in the third round of the FA Cup over Nottingham Forest kept the season alive and United went on to win the competition.

United won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1990-91, beating that season's Spanish champions Barcelona in the final, but the following season was a disappointment for United as a late season slump saw them miss out on the league to rivals Leeds United. Meanwhile in 1991 the club had floated on the London Stock Exchange with a valuation of £18 million, thus bringing its finances into the public eye as never before.

The arrival of Eric Cantona in November 1992 provided the crucial spark for United, and they finished the 1992-93 season as Champions for the first time since 1967. They won the double (the league and the FA Cup) for the first time the following season, but legendary manager and club president Matt Busby died that year, on 20 January 1994.

In 1994-95, Cantona received an eight month suspension for jumping into the crowd and assulting Crystal Palace supporter Matthew Simmons. Drawing their last league match and losing to Everton in the FA Cup final left United as runners-up in both the league and FA Cup. Ferguson then outraged the supporters by selling key players and replacing them with players from the club's youth team, including David Beckham and Paul Scholes. The new players, several of whom quickly became regular internationals, did surprisingly well and United won the double again in 1995-96.

They won the league in 1997, and Eric Cantona, announced his retirement from football at the age of 30, several years earlier than most players. They started the following season (1997-98) well but their results were affected by a series of injuries and they finished the season in second place, behind the double winning champions Arsenal.

The treble (1998-99)

1998-99 was the most successful season in the club's history as United became the first English team to win The Treble - the league, the FA Cup and the Champions League in the same season. (See The Treble for an explanation of different types of "Treble" or Manchester United Treble for a more in-depth look at the 1998-1999 season.) The final of the Champions League, widely regarded as the one of the greatest finals ever, was especially exciting as United were trailing 1-0 with one minute to go, but two goals from corners in stoppage time gave them a win over Bayern Munich (The only team ever to have come from behind to win a Champions League final in normal time.) The club's first choice central-midfielders, Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, missed the match through suspension. Ferguson was knighted for his contributions to British football as a result.

After the treble (1999-present)

United won the league by record margins in 2000 and 2001 but the press saw these seasons as failures as they failed to regain the European Cup. Ferguson adopted more defensive tactics to make United harder to beat in Europe but it was not a success and United finished the season in third place in 2002. They regained the league the following season (2002-03) and started the following season well, but their form dropped significantly when Rio Ferdinand received an eight month suspension for missing a drugs test. They did win the 2004 F.A. Cup, however, knocking out Arsenal (that season's eventual champions) on their way to the final.

The 2004-05 season was characterised by a failure to score goals, mainly due to the injury of striker Ruud van Nistelrooy and United finished the season trophyless and in third place in the league. This time, even the "consolation prize" of the F.A. Cup eluded them — although they completely outplayed Arsenal and had a Rio Ferdinand goal disallowed in one of the most one-sided finals ever seen and were beaten on penalties. Off the pitch, the main story was the possibility of the club being taken over and at the end of the season, Tampa businessman Malcolm Glazer acquired a controlling interest in the club. United made a poor start to the 2005-06 season, with team captain Roy Keane leaving the club to join his boyhood heroes Celtic after publicly criticising several of his teammates, and the club failed to qualify for the knock-out phase of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in over a decade.

In the January 2006 transfer window, the club signed Nemanja Vidic from Spartak Moscow, a Serbia-Montenegran defender and a member of the national side's "famous four" defensive line that conceded only one goal in all of it's World Cup Qualifying games. Another January signing was Patrice Evra from AS Monaco, who turned down both Liverpool and Arsenal to move to Old Trafford.

As of February 11th 2006, United are 12 points behind Chelsea (after Chelsea deservedly lost 0-3 to Middlesbrough) in the Premiership title race and will need something little short of a miracle if they are to prevent Jose Mourinho's giants from retaining the title. But they are about to face Wigan Athletic in the League Cup final and have qualified for the F.A Cup Fifth Round, so there is still a good chance of United salvaging something from the 2005-06 season.

The Malcolm Glazer takeover

Main article: Malcolm Glazer takeover of Manchester United

On May 13, 2005, the United States of America businessman Malcolm Glazer acquired a controlling interest in the club in a takeover valuing it at approximately £800 million ($1.47 billion). On May 16, he increased his share to the 75% necessary to delist the club from the Stock Exchange, taking it private again, and announced his intention to do so within 20 days. On 7 June he appointed his sons Joel, Avrum, and Bryan to the board with Joel becoming Exectuive Co Chairman, Avram Non Exective Co Chairman and Bryan a Non Executive Director, at the same time Sir Roy Gardner resigned the chairmanship, and two other non-executive directors resigned.

Some United fans have expressed concern that in the fallout from the Glazer takeover, which left the club £265 million in debt, Manchester United will no longer have the money to compete in the transfer market with the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea. The Glazers have promised that Sir Alex Ferguson will still be able to purchase "big-name" players.

Support

Before the Second World War, few English football supporters travelled to away games because of the time and cost. As United and City played home matches on alternate Saturdays, many Mancunians would watch United one week and City the next. After the war, a stronger rivalry developed and it became more common for a supporter to choose one team to follow exclusively.

When United won the league in 1956, they had the highest average home attendance in the league, a record that had been held by Newcastle for the previous few years. Following the Munich air disaster in 1958, more people from outside Manchester began to support United and, as travel became quicker and cheaper, many started to go to matches. This swelled United’s support and is one reason why United have had the highest league attendances in English football for almost every season since then, even as a second division side in 1974-75.

A 2002 report, Do You Come From Manchester? indicate that Manchester City have a higher proportion of season ticket holders living in the Manchester area, althogh they sold fewer season tickets overall. The club estimates they have 675 million fans around the world, with 80 million fans in Asia alone.

In the late 1990s and early part of the 2000s, an increasing source of concern for many United supporters was the possibility of the club being taken over. The supporters’ group IMUSA (Independent Manchester United Supporters' Association) were extremely active in opposing a proposed takeover by Rupert Murdoch in 1999. Another pressure group, Shareholders United Against Murdoch (which became Shareholders United and is now the Manchester United Supporters Trust) was formed at around this time to encourage supporters to buy shares in the club, partly to enable supporters to have a greater say in the issues that concern them, such as ticket prices and allocation, and partly to reduce the risk of an unwanted party buying enough shares to take over the club. However, this scheme failed to prevent Malcolm Glazer from becoming the majority shareholder in the club. Many supporters were outraged, and some formed a new club called F.C. United of Manchester. The new club plays in the North West Counties League Second Division, and attracts an average attendance of almost 3000.

Although the full effects of Glazer's takeover on the club's support are not yet known, the club has claimed a record number of season ticket sales, however, given the many empty seats in the ground in some European games and lack of freedom of information from the club, this is as yet unverified.

Top stars picked in alien search

2006-02-18T23:54:00.000-08:00

An US astronomer has drawn up a shortlist of the stars most likely to harbour intelligent life.

Scientists have been listening out for radio signals from other solar systems in the hope of detecting civilisations other than our own.

Margaret Turnbull at the Carnegie Institution in Washington DC looked at criteria such as the star's age and the amount of iron in its atmosphere.

Her top candidate was beta CVn, a Sun-like star 26 light-years away.

Dr Turnbull had previously identified about 17,000 stellar systems that she thought could be inhabited.

From these, she has selected five stars that look most likely to support intelligent extraterrestrial life forms - if they exist.

"I've chosen five to advertise the very best places to move to if we had to, or to point the telescope at," she told the BBC.

Shortlist

Seti, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, is an exploratory science that seeks evidence of life in the universe by looking for some signature of its technology.

Astronomers principally do this by using telescopes to look for radio signals from distant stars.

But the enormity of the task means that scientists have been looking for ways to narrow down the search.

"There are bazillions of stars in the sky to look at, but we can't look at every single one with the scrutiny that we'd like to," said Dr Turnbull.

"We have been able to prioritise our search so that we are looking at stars that are most like the ones around which we live. We need to know which ones to spend our telescope time on."

Several of the criteria she used were related to age.

For stars to be considered in the shortlist, they had to be at least three billion years old - long enough for planets to form and for complex life to develop.

"Fully-formed advanced civilisations don't just spring up overnight. On planet Earth, it took billions of years for civilisation to arise."

Looking for Goldilocks

Candidate stars also had to have at least 50% of the iron content of the Sun.

If the atmosphere of a star is low in iron, it is likely there were not enough heavy metals present early in its existence for planets to form from.

Dr Turnbull threw out variable stars prone to lots of solar flares because they tend to be young.

Stars more than 1.5 times the mass of the Sun do not tend to live long enough to produce so-called "habitable zones".

This is the area around the star where a planet within the zone can support copious amounts of liquid water on the surface - a key requirement for life.

Put the planet too close and the heat will evaporate the water, put it too far away and any water freezes.

Budget cuts

The Carnegie Institution researcher also removed from her shortlist any stars with a companion.

These companion stars can interfere with the habitable zone.

Astronomers have put together a set of principles - called the Seti principles - that outline what should be done if a signal from an extraterrestrial civilisation is ever detected.

"The scientific community - and the world - is told right away," said Gill Tarter, from the Seti Institute in California.

"Before a decision is made to send a message back everyone will consult - that's in the ideal world."

The search for life in other stellar systems has been hit by cuts in the 2007 Nasa budget.

Dr Turnbull announced details of her work at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in St Louis, US.

Power cuts and candlelight in Madagascar

2006-02-18T23:53:00.000-08:00

Constant power cuts and rising energy prices are a sensitive issue in Madagascar as most are having to make do with candles.

Since last year when the state's ailing energy company, Jirama, was forced to cut back its consumption of diesel for its thermic generators, or face bankruptcy owing to rising fuel costs and huge debts, severe power shortages have become standard.

And they have crippled business and sparked protests - companies have complained loudly and students fed up with doing their homework by candlelight have rioted and heckled President Marc Ravalomanana over the constant blackouts.

Lalaina, an internet cafe owner in downtown Antananarivo, has had to rely on the bar in his cafe to attract customers as often his seven computer screens are lit up by nothing more than candle light.

He explains, "When it [power cut] happens in peak time it really hurts us because 50% of our customers basically come only for the internet. So it's a bit of a drag for us. Plus its killing the atmosphere, obviously."

Rescue

Donors agreed on a rescue package in February to keep Jirama afloat for some months.

But the company's future, and the energy supply for the world's fourth biggest island, are far from certain.

Even when the power is on, only 15% of Malagasy have access to it - a figure the government wants to increase but lacks the means to do so.

Power crises are hardly unique though. Many African countries suffer them, and many worse than here.

Comorian student, Olivier, says power cuts have made life tough, but that they need to be kept in perspective.

"Where I come from we used to miss power everyday, I mean for like a year we didn't have any power. Really, they don't realise how lucky they are."

Losses

Madagascar's businesses don't feel quite so lucky though.

Many, like the shrimp fishing business, the island's third biggest export, experienced heavy losses last year on the back of power shortages.

Bertrand Couteaux, the general secretary of Unima, the biggest shrimp export company says: "The impact of the Jirama crisis on the shrimp industry has been that we have to produce our own energy.

"We have no choice, we have generators because we have freezers in a cold chain and we cannot have any shortage of energy supplies. It's a high price for us.

"Our operating cost is increasing with the problem of energy. We face big problems."

Thanks to a recent influx of emergency donor money, the power cuts that hurt business so badly last year are getting rarer.

Subsidies

But what is the origin of Madagascar's power crisis? The answer is shockingly simple.

During its flirtation with Marxism that began in the 1970s, the state effectively subsidised electricity prices that it couldn't afford.

As Jirama spokesperson, Dominic Ratsimbazafy, explains: "The problem is financial. Through the years, we have always sold electricity cheaper than the cost of production. The result: the financial situation of the company is in a big deficit.

"It's a question of first redressing our financial situation for two years. And, then we can talk about developing the company."

Light or not

Measures to redress Jirama's long term financial health include hefty price increases, cracking down on electricity thieves who hook themselves up to power lines using dangerous do-it-yourself methods, and a move away from expensive petrol generators to hydroelectric power.

Unsurprisingly, price increases are the least popular. Yet more increases are due soon.

And Olivier probably speaks for most when he says, "No, no, no. People are really crying everywhere. Myself, I'm paying twice the price I used to pay. There are people who are going to make the choice between having light and not to have it - because they can't pay their bill."

Potential

Less controversial but much harder to implement are the plans for hydroelectric power, which has enormous potential but currently serves less than half of Madagascar's needs.

Christian Lempelius, a sponsored hydropower project worker, outlined the advantages, "It's a local resource. No need to import sophisticated equipment as for, for instance, wind generators. The rest is a channel in the water, from a river, and you just drop it somewhere.

"Hydropower in the long run will also be cheaper."

If this is the case though, why haven't they done this earlier?

Hydropower needs a lot of time, and a massive initial capital investment.

But if the government is to have any hope of meeting current energy demands, let alone bringing power to rural areas and move beyond the current poor 15% rate of access, then it is surely one they will have to make.

Much may also depend on whether donors are ultimately prepared to foot the bill.

Until they do, the Malagasy will have to make do with power cuts and candlelight.

Japanese economy picks up speed

2006-02-18T23:52:00.000-08:00

Japan's economy grew at a faster pace than expected in the final three months of 2005, boosted by a pick-up in exports, official figures show.

Gross domestic product rose by 1.4% during the fourth quarter, topping market forecasts for a figure of 1.2%.

On an annualised basis, the world's second-biggest economy grew by 5.5%, the Cabinet Office reported.

The upbeat GDP data provided the latest indicator pointing to a sustained recovery for the Japanese economy.

Booming demand

A key business survey on Thursday revealed that confidence among Japan's manufacturers was continuing to grow.

Earlier in the week, the government reported that Japan's current account surplus - the difference between the export and import of goods and services - rose in December for the fourth straight month.

The strong GDP data will add to expectations that Japan's central bank will shift its policy of keeping interest rates close to zero per cent.

Japan has been struggling against falling consumer prices, which encourage shoppers to put off spending whilst swelling the real value of companies' debt.

But a recent jump in domestic demand, along with fresh figures showing that exports to Japan's main markets in China and the US rebounded, has helped turn the economy around.

"It's a clear stamp of confirmation that the economy is growing very strongly," said economist Stefan Worrall at Credit Suisse.

"Although in certain areas, consumption perhaps, we might see some take-back in the first quarter, definitely the economy is driving on all cylinders."

Cost rises hit US producer prices

2006-02-18T23:51:00.000-08:00

Higher food, car and electricity costs pushed US producer prices up by more than expected in January, figures show.

The producer price index rose by 0.3% during the month, above forecasts for a 0.2% rise, the Labor Department said.

The closely-watched index measures wholesale inflation at factories, farms and refineries across the US.

Separate figures also suggested that US consumer sentiment unexpectedly weakened in early February, hit by low stock prices and higher gasoline costs.

The University of Michigan's preliminary consumer sentiment index for February fell to 87.4 from 91.2 in January, Reuters reported.

Analysts had expected the index - which is used as a gauge of future US consumer spending patterns - to creep up to 91.5.

Meanwhile, the so-called core producer price index, which excludes food and energy costs, rose by 0.4% - the largest monthly increase since January last year, the Labor Department reported.

Venezuela basks in oil 'bonanza'

2006-02-18T23:49:00.001-08:00

Venezuela's government led by President Hugo Chavez is benefiting from what can only be described as an oil bonanza.

A barrel of Venezuelan crude oil is currently worth more than $50 and the country's proven petroleum reserves of around 78bn barrels are in pretty good shape too.

So at the current official rate production of 3.3 million barrels a day, Venezuela has a guaranteed supply of 78 years of crude oil.

For the past year or so the government has started spending much of the wealth generated from oil sales on projects abroad.

Experts believe that President Chavez has spent some $5bn on energy ventures outside Venezuela - including new or jointly operated oil refineries in Cuba, Uruguay and Brazil.

The driving force behind Venezuela's spending spree is the desire to integrate South America's energy sector, to become more self-sufficient and less dependent on the United States as a trading partner. The Venezuelan government says the overriding goal is economic integration for Latin America.

Hand-outs

"It was an absurd situation where for the past 100 years of oil production here in Venezuela, we didn't ship a single barrel of petroleum to the Caribbean, Brazil, Argentina or Uruguay," Venezuela's Oil Minister, Rafael Ramirez, told BBC News in an exclusive interview.

"But now with the government of President Chavez, we have set up a system of shipping cheap oil to other Latin American countries, in return for agricultural and industrial products or even medical services."

Venezuela is indeed providing subsidised oil to several countries, including Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Cuba and Uruguay.

Local media say Cuba receives around 100,000 barrels of cheap Venezuelan oil a day and in return is loaning some 20,000 Cuban medics who provide free health care to Venezuela's shanty towns.

Other handouts from Venezuela's oil riches include a brand new hospital in Uruguay and the country made offers of millions of dollars of aid for the victims of Hurricane Katrina in the US, as well as cheap heating oil for poor families in Boston and New York.

'Sphere of influence'

Some political analysts warn that Venezuela's generosity comes with strings attached.

Jose Toro-Hardy, a former director at the state-owned oil company PDVSA and an outspoken critic of President Chavez said: "Mr Chavez hands out oil and cash like there's no tomorrow - but in return he expects loyalty and solidarity from the presidents of some those countries he is supplying."

"Oil is being used to create or even buy a Venezuelan sphere of influence in Latin America and the Caribbean," Mr Toro-Hardy told BBC News.

However, Mr Chavez and his ministers are increasingly putting natural gas at the forefront of their long term strategy for the next 20 years.

The oil minister - who is also the chief of PDVSA - predicts that gas may eventually supplant oil as his country's main export.

Venezuela, with its 148 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, has the largest proven gas reserves in Latin America.

"Oil will gradually run out around the world and more and more countries will turn to gas. Latin America will also have to switch to gas. In fact it's much more efficient to generate energy using gas than with oil," Mr Ramirez said.

Long way to go

Venezuela is addressing that issue by spearheading a mammoth $20bn project to build a gas pipeline.

The seven-year construction programme - which is also being supported by Brazil and Argentina - would see the pipeline run all the way from Venezuela in the north to Patagonia at the southern tip of South America.

The pipeline programme is still in the planning phase, but the 8,000km gas connection would help cover most if not all of South America's gas demands, if it ever became a reality.

"Argentina is a net importer of gas and much of its industry is based on gas. Argentina will need a lot more of it in the future. Brazil also has very small gas reserves. Chile is so desperate for gas it's considering importing it from Australia," Mr Ramirez said.

Against that background, the only logical thing for the Venezuelan government is to start building the pipeline as soon as all the engineering surveys have been completed.

However, some energy analysts believe that the project will become too expensive, as the pipeline would have to go underneath several big rivers and cut a swathe through the Amazon rainforest which also worries several environmental groups.

Retirement age 'should reach 85'

2006-02-18T23:49:00.000-08:00

The age of retirement should be raised to 85 by 2050 because of trends in life expectancy, a US biologist has said.

Shripad Tuljapurkar of Stanford University says anti-ageing advances could raise life expectancy by a year each year over the next two decades.

That will put a strain on economies around the world if current retirement ages are maintained, he warned.

He also told a science meeting in St Louis that 50-year or 75-year mortgages may not be unusual in the future.

Dr Tuljapurkar was speaking at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in the Missouri city.

"People are going to do things they didn't get round to in their working lives. Current institutions are really not equipped at the moment to deal with such long lives," Dr Tuljapurkar said.

"We are going to have to plan a lot more carefully, which people are not very good at."

Lifestyle trends

The Stanford researcher has been looking at relationships between historical trends in ageing, population growth and economic activity.

Based on this, he came up with a scenario in which anti-ageing technologies will increase the most common age of death by one year per year between 2010 and 2030.

Dr Tuljapurkar then applied this scenario to four countries: the US, China, Sweden and India.

He found that his projected trends in life expectancy would have profound effects on the economy, lifestyle and population demographics.

"It might be possible to go through two mortgages, for example, or even have 50-year or 75-year mortgages," Dr Tuljapurkar explained.

In the US, the cost of social security and medical care would almost double if people retired at 65 under Tuljapurkar's scenario.

But an increase in the retirement age to 85 would bring costs down to today's levels.

However these trends would also create a "permanent underclass" of countries where opportunities for increased life expectancy were not the same as in the industrialised world.

"We can't even get retrovirals to some countries now," he told journalists.

US drug company wins Vioxx case

2006-02-18T23:48:00.000-08:00

US drug maker Merck has landed a major court victory after a federal jury cleared the firm of any responsibility for the death of a 53-year-old man.

Richard Irvin suffered a heart attack after taking Merck's once popular painkiller Vioxx for less than a month.

The firm argued that there was never any proven link between Vioxx and the heart attack.

This was the second court victory for Merck over the controversial drug, and the first in a federal court.

In November last year, a jury in New Jersey found Merck had given doctors adequate warning about possible health risks and did not commit consumer fraud in marketing the drug.

Second hearing

In the latest case Merck's lawyers contended that Mr Irvin's age, gender and diet all put him at risk for heart attacks.

It was the second time a jury had heard the case, brought by Mr Irvin's family.

In Houston, where the case was heard in November and December because of damage from Hurricane Katrina, jurors had been unable to reach a verdict.

Merck has faced a mass of Vioxx lawsuits, the drug it withdrew last year after a study found it may double the risk of heart attack or stroke.

In August last year, a Texas state jury found the company liable for the death of a man, and Merck was ordered to pay out $253m (£141m).

Oil workers kidnapped in Nigeria

2006-02-18T23:47:00.000-08:00

Nine foreign oil workers have been seized by armed militants from a barge in Nigeria's Niger Delta.

The group, including three Americans, two Thais, two Egyptians, a Briton and a Filipino, were on a pipelaying barge.

Shell's Forcados export terminal was also set on fire, and oil loading there has been suspended.

The attacks come a day after a militant commander told the BBC his group was declaring "total war" on all foreign oil interests in the Delta.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta gave oil companies and their employees until midnight on Friday night to leave the region.

In an e-mail quoted by Reuters news agency after Saturday's attack, the group threatened action "on a grander scale".

"We decided in response to pleas from our kin in these communities, to carry out strikes against oil and gas facilities in Delta state," the group said.

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo meanwhile has been meeting senior ministers and security chiefs to discuss the situation.

Dawn raid

The attack came at 0500 (0400GMT) on Saturday, on a barge off the Forcados oil facility.

Two soldiers from the military force which protects oil workers in the delta were reportedly injured.

"These individuals and facilities were well guarded by a large number of soldiers who resisted for an embarrassingly short period before escaping to ensure their personal safeties," said the militants in their e-mail statement.

The men were working for Willbros, a US engineering firm which is a Shell subcontractor, in the Forcados River, 50km (30 miles) west of Warri.

Forcados, located 5km (three miles) offshore and pumping 380,000 barrels per day, is one of the two main export facilities operated by Shell in Nigeria.

Loading at the terminal was suspended following the attack and the scale of damage is being assessed.

Wealth control

On Wednesday the Nigerian military used a helicopter to hit barges it said were being used by militants to smuggle stolen oil.

The rebels recently blew up two oil pipelines, held four foreign oil workers hostage and sabotaged two major oilfields.

The group wants greater control of the oil wealth produced on their land.

Nigeria is Africa's leading oil exporter and the fifth-biggest source of US oil imports, but despite its oil wealth, many Nigerians live in abject poverty.

Reality takes wing over bird flu

2006-02-18T23:45:00.000-08:00

During the second week in February, Western Europe reported its first cases of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian flu in wild birds.

Across Italy, Greece and Slovenia, more than 25 mute swans died; by Valentine's Day, the virus had also been found in wild swans in Austria and Germany.

Conservationists, poultry keepers and health officials are bracing themselves for more widespread outbreaks.

Fuelled in part by alarmist press reports and by the attempts of government agencies to draw blame away from farming, there are now calls for drastic measures against wild bird populations.

I believe these measures would put some species at risk of extinction, without having any effect on the spread of avian flu.

Catching the culprits

The likelihood is that the swans now dying in Western Europe had recently arrived from the Black Sea, driven south and west by freezing conditions that prevented them feeding.

They may have caught the disease from other wild birds; but this is unlikely given the tens of thousands of waterfowl that have tested negative for H5N1 over the last decade.

Much more likely is that before starting out, they picked up the virus from farms, either from infected poultry or their faeces. Mute swans often graze agricultural fields, and are likely to have come into contact with poultry manure spread as a fertiliser.

If wild birds had been spreading the disease across continents there would have been trails of outbreaks following migration routes; but this hasn't happened.

The "wild bird" theory for the spread of H5N1 also provides no explanation as to why certain countries on flight paths of birds from Asia remain flu-free, whilst their neighbours suffer repeated infections.

What is striking is that countries like Japan and South Korea, which imposed strict controls on the import and movement of domestic poultry after initial outbreaks, have suffered no further infections. Myanmar has never had an outbreak.

In fact, countries which have not yet developed a large-scale intensive poultry industry have also been largely spared. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that in Laos, 42 out of 45 outbreaks affected intensive poultry units.

Last Updated: Friday, 17 February 2006, 09:56 GMT
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Reality takes wing over bird flu
Leon Bennun.

VIEWPOINT
Leon Bennun

Vested interests mean wild birds are being blamed for the spread of avian flu, argues Dr Leon Bennun in this week's Green Room, whereas responsibility really lies with modern farming. Demands for culling and the destruction of nesting sites threaten, he says, to bring rare species to extinction, but will do nothing to halt the disease.

A dead swan lies on the shore in Azerbaijan. Image: AP
The role of migratory wild birds in the transmission of the disease has been exaggerated and sensationalised

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During the second week in February, Western Europe reported its first cases of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian flu in wild birds.

Across Italy, Greece and Slovenia, more than 25 mute swans died; by Valentine's Day, the virus had also been found in wild swans in Austria and Germany.

Conservationists, poultry keepers and health officials are bracing themselves for more widespread outbreaks.

Fuelled in part by alarmist press reports and by the attempts of government agencies to draw blame away from farming, there are now calls for drastic measures against wild bird populations.

I believe these measures would put some species at risk of extinction, without having any effect on the spread of avian flu.

Catching the culprits

The likelihood is that the swans now dying in Western Europe had recently arrived from the Black Sea, driven south and west by freezing conditions that prevented them feeding.

They may have caught the disease from other wild birds; but this is unlikely given the tens of thousands of waterfowl that have tested negative for H5N1 over the last decade.

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Bird flu
Much more likely is that before starting out, they picked up the virus from farms, either from infected poultry or their faeces. Mute swans often graze agricultural fields, and are likely to have come into contact with poultry manure spread as a fertiliser.

If wild birds had been spreading the disease across continents there would have been trails of outbreaks following migration routes; but this hasn't happened.

The "wild bird" theory for the spread of H5N1 also provides no explanation as to why certain countries on flight paths of birds from Asia remain flu-free, whilst their neighbours suffer repeated infections.

What is striking is that countries like Japan and South Korea, which imposed strict controls on the import and movement of domestic poultry after initial outbreaks, have suffered no further infections. Myanmar has never had an outbreak.

In fact, countries which have not yet developed a large-scale intensive poultry industry have also been largely spared. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that in Laos, 42 out of 45 outbreaks affected intensive poultry units.

Lethal evolution

Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses are very rare in wild birds.

But in intensively farmed poultry, the high density of birds and constant exposure to faeces, saliva and other secretions provide ideal conditions for the replication, mutation, recombination and selection through which highly lethal forms can evolve.

Add to this repeated misdiagnosis, industry and government cover-ups, and panic selling or processing of potentially infected birds, and we have the explanation for why H5N1 is now endemic in parts of South-East Asia.

Factor in the global nature of the poultry industry, and the international movement of live poultry and poultry products both before and after the Asian outbreaks, and we have the most plausible mechanism for the spread of the virus between places which are not connected by the flyways of migratory birds.

The timing and pattern of outbreaks has been largely inconsistent with wild bird movements; but they have often followed major trade routes.

The view that poultry movements have played a major role in the spread of the disease is supported by an analysis of viral strains recently published in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Some of the agencies attempting to monitor and control avian flu, such as the FAO, seem to have been reluctant to draw attention to the role of intensive agriculture, because of the impact on national economies and on access to cheap sources of protein.

Senseless destruction

For this and other reasons, the role of migratory wild birds in the transmission of the disease has been exaggerated, and further sensationalised in the press.

In some countries there has been a backlash against bird conservation, leading to calls for the culling of whole populations, draining of wetlands and destruction of nesting sites.

In fact, H5N1 outbreaks in wild birds have so far mostly burned themselves out without culls or other human interventions.

Some of the world's most threatened birds may be put at risk. But there is also the near-certainty of damage to ecosystem services on which people and economies depend.

Alarmingly for those who fear a human bird flu epidemic, such a distorted picture also means that the right questions are not being asked, and the most effective protection measures may not be undertaken.

BirdLife is calling for an independent inquiry into the spread of H5N1 which gives due weight to the role of the global poultry industry, and maps both official and unofficial poultry trade routes against the pattern of outbreaks.

It may also be time to take a long, hard look at the way the world feeds itself, and to decide whether the price paid for modern farming in terms of risks to human health and the Earth's biodiversity is too high.

Risk-takers 'escape Parkinson's'

2006-02-18T23:44:00.000-08:00

People who take more risks with their health - including smoking and drinking - are less likely to develop Parkinson's disease, a study suggests.

A team led by the University of London quizzed 212 people - half of whom had Parkinson's - and identified a risk-averse "Parkinsonian Personality".

Smokers and drinkers seemed to be protected - maybe because these habits denoted a risk-taking personality.

Parkinson's disease experts said the results should be treated with caution.

The study appeared in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

Parkinson's is a degenerative brain disorder which affects movement and becomes more common in older age.

Its causes remain unclear, but it is often associated with a shortage of brain chemical dopamine which controls connections between nerve cells.

Earlier studies suggest a link between smoking and caffeine intake and lower rates of Parkinson's.

And it has been suggested the dopamine system is protected by nicotine and caffeine.

Professor Andrew Lees of the University of London, who led the research, said: "If you have never smoked you have double the risk of Parkinson's disease but we do not know the reasons for that.

"It may be that there's something protective within cigarette smoking or it may be another factor.

"Certain personality characteristics of individuals destined to develop Parkinson's disease may make them less prone to start smoking."

'Unreliable'

The study found patients with Parkinson's disease had smoked less, drank less alcohol and caffeine.

They also scored lower on sensation-seeking and risk taking behaviour, and higher on anxiety and depression than the comparison group.

This prompted the authors to suggest their may be a link between low sensation-seeking behaviour and what might be termed a "Parkinsonian personality".

They draw on earlier studies which suggest Parkinson's disease patients tend to reject hedonistic behaviour, to be scrupulous, socially withdrawn and disinclined to take risks.

They suggested it may be the risk-averse nature of the Parkinsonian personality, rather than the physical effects of smoking, caffeine and alcohol on the brain that influences disease rates.

Professor Lees acknowledged that behaviour may be being affected by something going wrong in the dopamine system long before symptoms of the disease materialised.

'Individual condition'

However, he added that there was evidence that certain personality types were more likely to develop certain diseases.

Kieran Breen, research director at the Parkinson's Disease Society, said determining cause and effect in retrospective studies such as this is extremely difficult and highly unreliable.

He said: "As dopamine levels can start to fall many years before difficulties with movement become noticeable and before a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease is made, an assumption that the personality traits outlined in the study cause the condition is flawed.

"A more likely explanation would be that declining dopamine levels prior to the onset of the motor symptoms is associated with these behaviours."

He added that research which implies that people with Parkinson's have set characteristics or lifestyles must be treated with caution.

Dr Paul Wicks, research psychologist at the Institute of Psychiatry, said the theory was interesting but that it needed to be tested in a long-term study.

He added: "Needless to say for all the pleasure they bring there are a multitude of other health risks, associated with nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine.

"I hope we won't be seeing headlines suggesting everyone start binge-drinking, chain-smoking, and knocking back espressos to ward off Parkinson's disease."

Star Wars film wizards honoured

2006-02-18T23:43:00.000-08:00

Industrial Light and Magic, the special effects firm behind the Star Wars films, have been honoured by President George Bush.

The firm, founded by George Lucas, was one of seven recipients of the National Medal of Technology.

ILM is nominated for two academy awards for War of the Worlds and The Chronicles of Narnia.

Lucas attended the ceremony at the White House's East Room to receive the medal from the president.

ILM has also worked on recent blockbusters Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and the Chronicles of Riddick.

Light bulb

President Bush praised the American "spirit of discovery".

"Our greatest resource has always been the educated, hard-working, ambitious people who call this country their home," he said.

"From Thomas Edison's light bulb to Robert Ledley's CAT scan machine, most of America's revolutionary inventions began with men and women with a vision to see beyond what is and the desire to pursue what might be."

Other technology recipients were:

* Ralph Baer, engineering consultant, for work on interactive video games

* Roger Easton, founder of RoBarCo, for work on spacecraft tracking and navigation

* Gen-Probe for blood testing systems for viruses

* IBM Microelectronics for work on semiconductors

* Motorola for work on mobile phones

* Paccar for work on aerodynamic, lightweight trucks

Nokia and Sanyo plan phone tie-up

2006-02-18T23:42:00.000-08:00

Finland's Nokia and Japan's Sanyo have announced plans to form a joint venture to develop future mobile phones.

They aim to work together to make new mobile phones for the CDMA standard, the market leader in the US.

The deal, which they hope to finalise later this year, offers distinct benefits to both firms.

It will enable Nokia, which is dominant in Europe, to boost business in its weaker markets, while it could help Sanyo turn around its fortunes.

Last year Sanyo announced plans to cut 15% of its global workforce to reverse falling profits and halve its debts.

"Sanyo is in a weak financial position and has a dwindling amount of money and resources to put towards developing new handsets," said UBS analyst Fumio Osanai.

"Joining hands with a strong player like Nokia would be a positive move."

'Cost effective'

The deal will also allow the firms to share the high development costs for new phones.

Nokia, whose worldwide market share is about 34%, has so far struggled to gain a substantial share of both the North American and Japanese markets.

Although many Japanese operators use the standard common in 3G in Europe - and a unique standard called PDC for older phones - several mass-market carriers use the US-style CDMA.

Having access to Sanyo's CDMA technology should help it boost its share of these regions, while Sanyo in return should see an increase in its general global sales.

"You could almost characterise it as a partnership of two weaknesses," said Nick Ingelbrecht, an Australia-based analyst for Gartner.

"This is a fairly cost effective way [for Nokia] of extending its presence in the US market and in the CDMA business without making huge new rounds of investments."

Malicious worm aims to bite Apple

2006-02-18T23:41:00.000-08:00

Mac users are being warned about what has been described as one of the first viruses for Apple's OS X software.

The malicious program, known as Leap-A, tries to spread via Apple's iChat instant messaging program.

The worm disguises itself as images of Apple's forthcoming version of its operating system, called Leopard, and plunders buddy lists if installed.

Security firms said Leap-A was not widespread and was unlikely to catch out many Apple users.

No threat

The malicious program tries to trick users into installing it and does not exploit any security holes in Apple's OS X operating system. It travels in a file called "latestpics.tgz" and only version 10.4 of OS X is vulnerable to it.

Installing and running the worm requires users to go through several stages and this, along with bugs in Leap-A's code, have led security firms to play down the threat it poses.

"The important piece of advice for any iChat users running OS X 10.4 is not to accept file transfers, even if they come from someone on a buddy list," said Kevin Hogan, Symantec security response manager.

Symantec said Leap-A was a level 1 threat on its ranking system - the lowest level. Computer security firms McAfee and F-Secure also said it posed little threat.

The worm is interesting as it is one of the few written for Apple computers. The vast majority of viruses are written to attack Microsoft's Windows operating system.

"The Leap-A worm isn't in itself a significant threat, but it should act as a helpful reminder that malware can be written for any computer," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for anti-virus firm Sophos.

"Mac users cannot keep thinking that they are invulnerable to these threats."

Security firms said Leap-A should more properly be described as a worm or trojan rather than a virus because of the way it tries to spread.

In a statement released to the Wall Street Journal, Apple said Leap-A was not a virus but was "malicious software".

It urged users to only accept files from vendors and websites they know and trust.

Man charged over Oscar 'piracy'

2006-02-18T23:40:00.000-08:00

A man accused of uploading a copy of the biopic film Walk the Line has been charged with copyright infringement.

Luis Ochoa, 25, of Corona, California, faces up to a year in jail and a fine, if found guilty.

Prosecutors say Mr Ochoa uploaded a "screener" version of the Oscar- nominated film, which was intended for an Academy voter.

Mr Ochoa was arrested after the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) set up a web sting, they added.

Ceremony

It was set up after a web-user contacted the MPAA and told them Mr Ochoa allegedly mentioned in a chat room that he wanted to put the film online.

The MPAA responded with the fake film-swapping website, where Mr Ochoa allegedly uploaded the film on 21 December.

Assistant US Attorney Brian Hoffstadt said a digital watermark showed the copy of Johnny Cash biopic Mr Ochoa is accused of posting on the internet was a "screener" copy sent to an Academy voter.

He added it had allegedly been taken before it reached the intended recipient.

Walk the Line, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon is nominated for five Oscars, including best actor and actress.

The awards will be handed out in Los Angeles ceremony on 5 March.

Japan sends satellite into orbit

2006-02-18T23:38:00.000-08:00

A Japanese rocket carrying a satellite into orbit has launched successfully, the second Japanese launch in a month.

The H-2A rocket lifted off in southern Japan carrying a 4.6-ton satellite designed to control air traffic and track weather patterns.

Mission control at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) confirmed the satellite separated from the rocket.

Japan's space programme has revived after a series of failures and a series of successes by regional rival China.

The programme's ninth H2-A rocket, which forms the centrepiece of Japan's space programme, took off from the Tanegashima space centre in the southern region of Kagoshima at 1555 (0655 GMT).

New success

Mission scientists said that the MTSAT-2 satellite separated successfully from the rocket within 30 minutes of the launch.

"The rocket launch went successfully, but it will take several days before we can find our whether the satellite performs its initial steps and enters the orbit successfully," said Jaxa spokeswoman Nobuko Sato.

The satellite is due to be inserted into a geostationary orbit some 36,000km (22,300 miles) above the equator.

It will serve as a backup to an existing weather satellite as well as helping track the crowded skies of the Asia-Pacific region.

Jaxa launched a land observation satellite in January and is due to launch an astronomical satellite on a smaller rocket early next week.

The Japanese space programme saw its fortunes revive with an H-2A launch in January 2005, 15 months after an aborted attempt ended with controllers destroying a rocket and its payload of spy satellites.

A recent attempt to collect samples from a remote asteroid was only a partial success - the Hayabusa probe did touch down on the rock 290 million km (180 million miles) but may not have collected samples, Jaxa said.

Mobiles aid drive for development

2006-02-17T00:39:00.000-08:00

Mobiles phones that acts as a personal helper, media player and portable vault for events you capture in images or video tend to grab the headlines at events like the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona.

But at the same time, some at the annual mobile industry showcase are extolling the virtues of simplicity and the help such phones can give to the developing world.

"The mobile phone is the only viable technology that can bridge the digital divide," said Tom Phillips, chief government and regulatory affairs officer for the GSM Association, the industry body that oversees much of the mobile industry.

"It's the only solution that does not depend on billions and billions in aid money that would not be effectively invested even if it were available."

Cover charge

Mr Phillips said that there was huge potential for making use of mobiles to bridge the digital divide because much of the work to reach people in developing nations had already been done.

"About three-quarters of the world's population live in areas already covered by mobile networks," said Mr Phillips.

Despite this, little more than one-third of the globe's six billion people use a mobile.

Mr Phillips said the GSM Association was trying to reach many of those people who live beneath the shadow of the networks but do not have a phone by making affordable handsets specifically for developing markets.

US phone firm Motorola won the competition to create a handset for so-called emerging markets and its winning designs, the C113 and C113A, were unveiled in early 2006.

The handset costs only $30 and at the 3GSM World Congress, the GSM Association announced that it had orders for more than 12 million of them.

One scheme in South Africa uses the cheap handsets that allows a handset to become a mobile payphone. Under the Sharedphone scheme, entrepreneurs can let others make calls and send text messages using the handset.

Good business

Mr Phillips defended plans to get handsets into developing nations from accusations that these programs were just a cheap way for operators to double their customer base. Others have said that there are many other things citizens in developing nations need before a mobile phone.

To begin with, he said, mobile phones could be agents of social change by breaking down barriers that stop businesses and local economies flourishing.

In many developing nations, said Mr Phillips, farmers and fishermen no longer have to rely on the word of a middleman to find out where they can get the best price for crops or catch.

Instead they can call the markets direct and find out for themselves and get a better price for their goods.

"Mobiles are no longer a luxury," he said, "they are essential business tools."

Also, he said, most of the money spent on networks does not come from aid agencies but much of the tax paid by phone operators goes to governments and can help fund development. Corporate tax is one of the top three contributors to government funds in developing nations, said Mr Phillips.

The speed with which mobile networks can be set up can act as a foundation for other changes, said Mr Phillips. In many developing nations consumers can get hold of a mobile far more easily than they can a fixed line phone.

In Africa more than eight times as many mobile connections have been created in the last few years as fixed line links, said Mr Phillips.

The cost of connecting someone up to a mobile network was far lower than wiring them into the fixed line network, said Mr Phillips. A study showed that a fixed line connection cost about ten times as much as a mobile link.

"The role of telecoms is every single bit as important as electricity and basic infrastructure in enabling development of an economy," said Mr Phillips.

Shareholders to sue over GTA sex

2006-02-17T00:38:00.000-08:00

Take Two, the publisher of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, is facing more legal action over the game.

Separately, two law firms have filed class-action lawsuits on behalf of shareholders who they say lost money due to the controversy about the game.

Take Two faced widespread criticism in late 2005 when hidden sex scenes were found in the game.

The discovery prompted the release of a cleaned-up version of the game and led some stores to stop selling it.

Cost cutting

The row blew up over the so-called Hot Coffee modification to the PC version of the game which unlocked the scenes.

The unearthing of the scenes caused the US Entertainment Software Rating Board to make the game an Adults Only title. As a result many big stores which refuse to stock games with this rating pulled GTA: San Andreas off the shelves.

San Andreas publisher Take Two and the game's creator Rockstar came in for strong criticism from US politicians who demanded an investigation into the inclusion of the scenes.

The furore also resulted in the city attorney for Los Angeles taking legal action against Take Two alleging that no mention was made of the pornographic scenes in order to win a lower rating.

Now New York law firms Milberg Weiss Bershad & Schulman and Stull, Stull and Brody are filing class action lawsuits for people who owned stock in Take Two between the day when the game was released and the announcement of the LA lawsuit.

Take Two stock fell sharply on the day the LA lawsuit was announced.

A spokesman for Take Two declined to comment on the filing of the lawsuits.

In a separate development, a boycott of the GTA series of games has been demanded by the Sex Workers Outreach Project USA. The industry body objects to the game's violent attitude towards prostitutes.

In a statement the group said: "We wholeheartedly encourage citizens to vote with their dollars by refusing to purchase products which encourage the denigration and destruction of prostitutes."

Campaigners welcome smoking ban

2006-02-17T00:33:00.000-08:00

Health campaigners have welcomed a vote paving the way for a ban on smoking in all pubs, clubs and restaurants in England from the summer of 2007.

Deborah Arnott, of anti-smoking group Ash, said she was "amazed" and "very delighted" by the Commons decision.

MPs voted on Tuesday by a margin of 200 votes to impose a ban on smoking in all enclosed public spaces, despite months of wrangling over the issue.

Opponents say the ban is an infringement of civil liberties.

Hotel rooms exempt

Labour MPs were given a free vote amid fears they could rebel against plans to exempt private clubs and non-food pubs.

The total ban will extend to all enclosed areas except private homes, residential care homes, hospitals, prisons and hotel bedrooms.

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt said the change, which also brings in fines of £2,500 for not stopping people smoking in restricted areas, would "save thousands of people's lives".

Cancer Research UK said it was the biggest step forward in public health for half a century while the British Heart Foundation described the decision as "the best possible Valentine's gift from MPs to bar workers".

Public health minister Caroline Flint told BBC News: "We have this huge opportunity and we have got to make it work - to encourage more people to give up smoking, but also to create a different culture."

'Street smoking'

Simon Clark, director of smoking support group Forest, conceded that the pro-smoking lobby had "lost the battle but not necessarily the war".

"People will continue to smoke and the idea that people are all going to give up smoking simply because they can't smoke in a pub is nonsense," he told BBC News.

"One of the problems with the ban when it comes in, will be that people will move into the street, they'll smoke more at home, and it could end up being counter-productive."

Chris Ogden, director of trade and industry affairs at the Tobacco Manufacturers Association, expressed his "disappointment" at a decision which went against the government's own manifesto commitment.

"The fact is that many thousands, millions of adults will choose to smoke on an informed basis and we will continue to serve that market both domestically and globally," he said.

'Undemocratic'

Alan Bowes, executive chairman of London and Edinburgh Swallow Group - one of the UK's biggest hotel and pub groups - vowed to challenge the ban in the courts.

He is already set to launch a legal challenge in the Scottish Parliament to the smoking ban in Scotland which is due to come into force on 26 March.

Mr Bowes, whose group operates 150 hotels and 700 pubs, said: "We will fight this all the way to Europe as it will affect children because smokers will simply stay at home and light up in front of their kids."

A total smoking ban is due to come into force in Northern Ireland in April, next year. The Health Bill gives the Welsh Assembly the right to decide for itself whether to implement a ban it has already twice approved in principle.

Three choices

The Cabinet originally proposed exempting all pubs and clubs which did not serve food, but decided to offer MPs a free vote on a full ban after it became clear that many Labour MPs opposed the official proposal.

MPs overwhelmingly voted for a complete ban with Prime Minister Tony Blair and Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt effectively voting against their own policy.

Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said ministers had "put forward proposals which their own backbenchers thought were completely unworkable" but he hailed the result as "a very important step".

And Liberal Democrat health spokesman Steve Webb hailed the result as "good news for the health and safety of people who work in public places".

Simple test detects gullet cancer

2006-02-17T00:32:00.000-08:00

Researchers in Cambridge have developed a simple test for the fastest growing cancer in the western world.

The test for cancer of the gullet should eventually lead to earlier diagnosis of a disease that kills more than 7,000 people each year.

At present, the only way of checking for early signs is to push a tube down the gullet with a camera on it.

That is a risky and expensive procedure, and so doctors tend not to screen for the condition.

Dr Rebecca Fitzgerald, of the Medical Research Council, has developed a simpler technique.

It involves swallowing a spongy pill with a piece of string on it.

Once in the gullet, she pulls the pill out which gently scrapes cells from the gut wall which she then tests for early signs of the condition.

Dr Fitzgerald said: "Unfortunately most people aren't diagnosed - so they won't know they've got it - until they get their cancer, by which time its too late.

"So if we were able to diagnose it at that stage we may be able to cure them - indeed if we get people at the very early stages the cure rate is 80%."

Successful trial

Alan Bridge is one of the first people to try out the new pill on a string technique.

He said: "I didn't even feel it. They told me that it would hurt a bit when it was pulled out - but I didn't even know it was there."

Some people think that it is the pace of life that is to blame for the rise in this type of cancer.

Heartburn increases the risk of the disease. More than 7,000 people die each year.

And the number of cases have increased by 350% over the past 20 years.

Professor Ron Laskey, who also works at the MRC Cancer Unit in Cambridge, said it was a trend that is likely to continue.

"The thing that concerns us in particular at present is that its increased extraordinarily rapidly in the western world in the western world.

"It is the fastest growing cancer at present, and its not clear why.

"One possibility is that acid indigestion caused by high pressure lifestyles is a factor."

It will be a few years before the test is more widely available.

Old couples' health risks 'tied'

2006-02-17T00:30:00.000-08:00

The illness, hospitalisation and death of one partner can harm the well-being of the other, US researchers have said.

A nine-year study of 518,240 elderly couples found one partner dying or going into hospital raised the risk of the other dying within 30 days.

A husband's death risk rose 53% within 30 days of a wife dying, while a wife's mortality risk rose 61%, said the New England Journal of Medicine study.

But the study also found different diseases had different impacts.

For example, the hospitalisation of a wife for colon cancer or lung cancer had no effect on the husband, but with dementia, the death risk rose 22%, they found.

Similar effects were seen in women whose husbands were hospitalised, the researchers said.

If a wife was hospitalised with heart disease, her husband's risk of death was 12% higher than it would be if the wife was not sick at all.

Overall men had a 21% higher risk of death when their wife died compared with a 17% increase for a wife after her husband's death - the team termed the phenomenon the "widower effect".

The researchers from Harvard Medical School and the University of Pennsylvania studied the effects of illness in one spouse on the risk of illness in the other partner.

They recruited more than a million people in couples between the ages of 65 and 98.

During the nine-year study period 74% of husbands and 67% of wives were hospitalised at least once, while half of husbands and one in three wives died.

Stress and support

Nicholas Christakis, professor of Health Care Policy at Harvard University, said results showed that when a spouse is hospitalised, the partner's risk of death increased significantly and remained higher for up to two years.

But the greatest period of risk was within 30 days of a spouse's hospitalization or death, he said.

Over this time frame, hospitalisation in a spouse could confer to a partner almost as much risk of dying as the actual death of a spouse, he added.

Spousal illness or death may impose stress on a partner or deprive a partner of social, emotional, economic, or other practical support, Professor Christakis explained.

"When a spouse falls ill or dies, partners may increase harmful behaviour, such as drinking.

"Stress and lack of social support may also adversely affect immunologic measures [the immune system], so spousal hospitalisation may have physiological effects on partners," he added.

Alzheimer's Society chief executive Neil Hunt said the study highlighted the huge impact of caring for a loved one with dementia.

"Carers of people with dementia are subject to huge emotional and physical hardships which can compound illnesses, often more so than carers of other older people.

"It is important that carers receive appropriate practical and financial support to help deal with the strain of caring."

The research was sponsored by the National Institute of Ageing, a division on the US-based National Institutes of Health.

Action on fake drugs urged by WHO

2006-02-17T00:28:00.000-08:00

A global taskforce to fight drug counterfeiting needs to be set up, the World Health Organization has said.

Fake drugs are thought to account for one in 10 drugs sold worldwide, and medicines counterfeiting is a growing and lucrative business, it says.

It urged customs, police and drug enforcements agencies to shut down the sophisticated production networks.

The call comes as a meeting of regulatory, pharmaceutical and consumer representatives takes place in Rome.

Howard Zucker, the assistant director-general for the WHO for health technology and pharmaceuticals, said fake drugs could be deadly.

He said: "People don't die from carrying a fake handbag or wearing a fake t-shirt. They can die from taking a counterfeit medicine."

The WHO suggests that bar-coding medicines, increasing surveillance methods and improving both patient and healthcare worker education could help ensure fewer people take fake drugs.

The United Nations health agency also wants those charged with tracking down the culprits to work together and share more information.

Drugs counterfeiting is most common in developing countries where life-saving drugs can be sold on the streets.

But there are a growing number of cases of fake medicines being discovered in Europe - although these tend to be lifestyle drugs.

Potentially lethal

A spokeswoman for the WHO medicines and health technology department fake Tami-flu had been found in the Netherlands and Spain.

"The counterfeiters are getting more sophisticated and fake drugs are now even entering the official distribution systems," she warned.

She said there was also a need for a universal approach as in some countries drug counterfeiting was not even considered a crime or was thought of as an offence that was not very serious.

"But this is a crime that can kill people," she said.

A spokeswoman for the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency said there had been four cases of fake drugs being discovered in Britain the past 10 years. The last one was in July, she said.

Strategy

"There are nearly 650 million prescriptions issued in the UK every year so four cases in the last 10 years is minimal.

"But we recognise that there's an increasing problem, and have our own anti-counterfeiting strategy."

The agency also assists eastern European countries in their fight against drugs counterfeiting.

The spokeswoman added that a suspicious batch of anti-flu drug Tamiflu seized in the UK last month by the agency had turned out to be illegally imported rather than counterfeited.