"Modern Family," Betty White come up big at SAG (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? Hollywood's actors picked veteran performers, Alec Baldwin, Betty White and the comedy "Modern Family" as three of their top TV winners at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday.

The offbeat "Modern Family" claimed its second straight win for best TV comedy, while Baldwin was named best actor in a TV comedy for the sixth year for his role as a TV executive on "30 Rock," and White, who turned 90-year-old earlier this month, took the comedy actress trophy for a second time in "Hot in Cleveland."

An obviously surprised White acknowledged her co-stars Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick.

The win "belongs with four of us," she said, then looked at her statuette with a gleam in her eye and a joke on her mind. "I'm dealing them right-in with this. I'm not going to let them keep this, but I will let them see it."

In other TV awards, Kate Winslet was named best actress in a small-screen movie or miniseries for "Mildred Pierce," and Paul Giamatti won the trophy for actor in a movie or mini-series with "Too Big to Fail."

While SAG honors TV performances, the group's film awards are more closely watched for their impact on Oscars because actors make up the biggest voting group at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which picks Oscar winners.

Film actors taking home early SAG honors included Christopher Plummer with the first film honor for supporting actor. Plummer, 82, who plays an elderly man who comes out of the closet as gay much to the chagrin of his family, thanked his fellow actors from the stage, calling them a wacky but wonderful bunch of artists.

"I just can't tell you what fun I've had being a member of the world's second oldest profession," Plummer joked on stage. "When they honor you, it's like being lit by the holy grail. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

The second film award went to Octavia Spencer for supporting actress in a movie, "The Help," that proved to be a surprise over Berenice Bejo of silent film romance, "The Artist."

RED CARPET FASHION

Many of Hollywood's biggest film stars including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Michelle Williams turned out on the red carpet, as did TV's Julianna Margulies, Lea Michelle and other TV actresses and actors.

As with previous Hollywood honors programs, many of the women showed off low-cut or strapless gowns. Some wore vintage or sequined dresses. Colors -- violets, reds and teals -- proved popular. The men wore tuxedos or stylish suits with bow ties.

Awards in top film categories will be given out later, and "The Artist," a romantic tale of a fading actor in the slumping silent movie era whose career is eclipsed by the woman he loves, aims to do well in two groups, ensemble cast and lead actor.

But it faces stiff competition from civil rights-era drama "The Help," which has four nominations, more than any movie, as well as from George Clooney-starring "The Descendants."

The actors in all three of those movies, along with the performers in Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" and the ladies of comedy "Bridesmaids," will compete for the night's top honor, best ensemble cast in a film.

In other SAG races, Clooney, playing a father struggling to keep his family together, squares off against Jean Dujardin of "Artist" fame and Brad Pitt for his role as a numbers-crunching baseball executive in "Moneyball." The other two nominees in that category are Demian Bichir in the little seen "A Better Life" and Leonardo DiCaprio for "J. Edgar."

The SAG race for best actress is seen as a tight one among Meryl Streep playing former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady," Viola Davis as a maid in "The Help" and Michelle Williams for her turn as Marilyn Monroe in "My Week with Marilyn."

Rounding out that category are Glenn Close in a gender-bending role as a butler in "Albert Nobbs" and Tilda Swinton as a troubled mother in dark drama, "We Need to Talk about Kevin."

The Oscars will be given out on February 26 in Hollywood.

(Reporting By Bob Tourtellotte and Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Sandra Maler and Stacey Joyce)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120130/film_nm/us_sagawards

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Brunner's first finance report tops $1.26 million

By Eli Yokley ? January 30, 2012Posted in: US Senate Race

John Brunner. (Photo/Brunner campaign)

? With a significant investment from the candidate himself, John Brunner?s U.S. Senate campaign will report raising $1.26 million in his first quarter as a declared candidate, according to campaign finance documents obtained exclusively by PoliticMo.

Brunner, a St. Louis businessman vying for the Republican nomination to take on U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill later this year, contributed just over $1.03 million to his own campaign.

Additionally, the campaign reported $229,067.24 in individual contributions, half of which came from individuals who gave less than $200.

?These are impressive numbers for a first-time candidate with no prior political fundraising experience,? said Brunner campaign manager Jon Seaton. ?Our first quarterly report makes the unequivocal statement that this campaign will have the necessary resources to defeat Claire McCaskill come November.?

Including his own investment, Brunner?s fundraising numbers in the last four months of 2012 were just $200,000 short of McCaskill?s own numbers. (She reported raising just over $1.4 million in individual contributions, with $5 million on hand.)

Brunner?s campaign spent nearly $1.1 million, some of that on campaign ads and staff, leaving them with $209,249 left on hand.

His Republican challengers, U.S. Rep. Todd Akin and former State Treasurer Sarah Steelman, have not yet released their fundraising totals.

(Printer friendly)

Source: http://politicmo.com/2012/01/30/brunners-first-finance-report-tops-1-26-million/

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Mexican envoy kidnapped, freed in Venezuela (Reuters)

CARACAS (Reuters) ? Mexico's envoy to Caracas was seized overnight then freed on Monday in the latest high-profile kidnapping in Venezuela, where violent crime is routinely listed as citizens' No. 1 worry.

In the classic style of "express" kidnappings that are rife in Venezuela, four armed men seized ambassador Carlos Pujalte and his wife in their car after a reception in the upscale Country Club zone of Caracas around midnight (0430 GMT), diplomats and officials said.

The kidnappers released the couple in a slum before dawn.

"We're so happy he is safe, I've been up following the case all night," said a senior European diplomat, whose own security has been increased in recent months.

Kidnappings, armed robberies and murders are common in the South American OPEC member nation that has enormous oil wealth alongside widespread poverty.

Venezuela's Attorney-General's office said a full investigation was underway.

Mexican Embassy spokesman Fernando Godinez said his boss was recovering fine after his release.

"His health is ok. He and his wife are giving statements (to the police) right now," Godinez told a local radio station. "We regret this situation deeply."

Senior diplomats from Chile and Belarus were also seized in similar incidents last year, according to diplomatic sources.

The Chilean consul, Juan Carlos Fernandez, was injured by a bullet, and beaten during his November kidnapping.

Robbery was the assumed motive of those incidents.

SCARY STATISTICS

"We don't know yet what happened last night, if they robbed the Mexican ambassador or asked for a ransom or what," said a foreign security expert at one of the embassies in Caracas, who was tracking the case closely. "It's a worrying trend though."

Late last year, Major League Baseball player Wilson Ramos, a catcher for the Washington Nationals, also was kidnapped for two days during a visit home, before being released during a raid by security forces on a mountain hideout.

Crime is arguably the top issue for voters in the run-up to an October presidential election.

Police are often involved, and murder rates make Caracas one of the most dangerous cities in the world, ranking with some war-zones.

Though rich and poor alike complain constantly about crime in Venezuela, the issue has traditionally not weighed heavily on President Hugo Chavez's approval ratings.

The latest poll released on Monday by the local Hinterlaces company gave him a 64-percent approval rating, with 50 percent of those surveyed saying they would vote for him in October.

"Chavez supporters have a strong emotional attachment to him and this has led some of them to fail to assess the situation objectively despite the statistics and the growing evidence of the government's responsibility (for the crime problem)," said Venezuelan analyst Diego Moya-Ocampos of the IHS Global Insight thinktank.

Interior Minister Tareck El Aissami says Venezuela's official annual murder rate is around 48 per 100,000 residents, but non-governmental organizations put the figure higher.

The Venezuelan Violence Observatory, for example, said murders had doubled in the last decade to reach a record of more than 19,000 - or about 60 per 100,000 people - in 2011.

"But in Venezuela we have not had a war. How can this be explained?" the NGO asked in its latest publication, saying political polarization underpinned the problem.

(Additional reporting by Mario Naranjo; Editing by Paul Simao)

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

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Robert Pattinson 'A Really Cool Guy,' Reese Witherspoon Says

Don't miss 'MTV First: This Means War' at 7:56 p.m. ET Tuesday on MTV, followed by an in-depth chat on MTV.com.
By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

Reese Witherspoon
Photo: MTV News

In addition to her successes as an actress and her respectable reputation, Reese Witherspoon is the envy of millions of Twilighters after working alongside superstar heartthrob Robert Pattinson in not one, but two films — not to mention the fact that she's kissed him too.

When MTV News caught up with Witherspoon recently as part of "MTV First: This Means War," we asked her the first thing that comes to mind when she thinks of her "Water for Elephants" and "Vanity Fair" co-star.

"I would say [he is] the hardest-working person I've ever worked with, honestly," she said. "[He's] professional, hard-working, so appreciative, more grateful than I've ever seen anyone for where he is in life."

Pattinson dished details on how he prepped for his shirtless scene! Kristen Stewart got super embarrassed when looking back at her first MTV interview! Take a look back at the classic "MTV First: Breaking Dawn."

Given the fact that Witherspoon has been in the business for decades and experienced every facet of being famous, we asked her to weigh in on the current fan frenzy that surrounds Pattinson wherever he goes and how it may or may not affect a person.

"I've never experienced what he has — going to premieres and there's just millions of people waiting for him to touch them," she said. "I think it must be strange, but I don't even know how to process what he deals with and Kristen [Stewart] deals with. I don't know."

Justin Bieber revealed the secrets behind his "Mistletoe" music video and why his fans are perfect just the way they are in "MTV First: Justin Bieber."

The Oscar-winning actress said Pattinson handles his fame very well, despite the sometimes-chaotic circumstances. "[He's]a really cool guy," she said.

Don't miss our exclusive sit-down with Witherspoon during Tuesday's "MTV First: Reese Witherspoon." Tune in to MTV at 7:56 p.m. ET, when the actress will premiere a previously unseen clip from her upcoming film "This Means War," followed by an in-depth interview on MTV.com.

Before "MTV First: This Means War" hits MTV on Tuesday at 7:56 p.m. ET, check out Reese's first-ever, totally adorable MTV interview, when she opened up in 1991 at the age of 14 about what drew her to Hollywood. And make sure to stick with Reese's chat when it moves to MTV.com after an exclusive "This Means War" clip premieres Tuesday on MTV!

Related Photos

• 'Water For Elephants'

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1678093/reese-witherspoon-robert-pattinson.jhtml

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Iran says oil could reach $120 to $150 per barrel

An Iranian demonstrator holds a poster to support Iran's nuclear activities as he waits for arrival of delegates of International Atomic Energy Organization, IAEA, who were not appeared in public, at Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. A U.N. nuclear team arrived in Tehran early Sunday for a mission expected to focus on Iran's alleged attempt to develop nuclear weapons. The delegation includes two senior weapons experts, Jacques Baute of France and Neville Whiting of South Africa, suggesting that Iran may be prepared to address some issues related to the allegations. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

An Iranian demonstrator holds a poster to support Iran's nuclear activities as he waits for arrival of delegates of International Atomic Energy Organization, IAEA, who were not appeared in public, at Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. A U.N. nuclear team arrived in Tehran early Sunday for a mission expected to focus on Iran's alleged attempt to develop nuclear weapons. The delegation includes two senior weapons experts, Jacques Baute of France and Neville Whiting of South Africa, suggesting that Iran may be prepared to address some issues related to the allegations. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

An Iranian protester holds an anti-Israel poster for condemning activities of International Atomic Energy Organization, IAEA, at the Imam Khomeini airport, waiting for arrival of the agency's delegates, who were not appeared in public, on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. A U.N. nuclear team arrived in Tehran early Sunday for a mission expected to focus on Iran's alleged attempt to develop nuclear weapons. The U.N. nuclear agency delegation includes two senior weapons experts, Jacques Baute of France and Neville Whiting of South Africa, suggesting that Iran may be prepared to address some issues related to the allegations. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? The head of Iran's state oil company said Sunday that the price of crude will reach $120 to $150 per barrel, as officials in Tehran prepare to discuss a ban on crude sales to European Union countries in retaliation for an EU embargo.

Head of the National Iranian Oil Company Ahmad Qalehbani also said that Tehran would expand its capacity to refine crude domestically, instead of selling it on international markets.

The EU announced an embargo on Iranian oil last week to pressure Tehran on its controversial nuclear program.

The embargo is set to go into effect in the summer, but Iran says that it may cut the flow of crude to Europe early.

Iran says the EU accounts for only 18 percent of its output and that it can find new customers. It says the embargo will hurt the West more than Iran, in part by causing a spike in prices.

"It seems we will witness prices from $120 to $150 in the future," Qalehbani was quoted as saying by IRNA. He did not give a time frame for the prediction, nor any other details.

The price of benchmark U.S. crude on Friday was around $99.56 per barrel.

Qalehbani also said that Iran could find other customers for its crude in the short term, while in the longer term expanding its refining capacity to turn the crude into other petroleum products.

"The sale of some 18 percent of Iranian oil, to a market other than the EU, is quite possible. But our long term idea is to increase refining capacities to produce valuable products," he said.

Qalehbani's statement came as Iranian oil officials prepare to debate a ban on crude sales to European Union countries.

Many Iranian lawmakers and officials have called for an immediate ban on oil exports to the European bloc before the EU's ban fully goes into effect in July. They say this will hurt Europe before it can find alternative suppliers.

It also coincided with a visit by a U.N. nuclear team expected to focus on Iran's alleged attempt to develop nuclear weapons.

The United States and its allies argue that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons technology, while Tehran says the program is for purely peaceful purposes.

With some 3.5 million barrels of crude production, Iran is the second largest OPEC producer.

Some 80 percent of the country's foreign revenue comes from exporting around 2.2 million barrels of oil per day.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-29-ML-Iran-Oil/id-c0486e57c2fc4254b9e60a985a3660b4

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College presidents wary of Obama cost-control plan (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Public university presidents facing ever-increasing state budget cuts are raising concerns about President Barack Obama's plan to force colleges and universities to contain tuition prices or face losing federal dollars.

Illinois State University President Al Bowman says the reality is that deficits in many public schools can't be easily overcome with simple modifications. Bowman says he's happy to hear Obama call for state-level support of public universities but adds that, given the decreases in state aid, tying federal support to tuition is a product of "fuzzy math."

Obama spelled out his proposal Friday at the University of Michigan.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120128/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_college_costs

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Security chief during Mexico's 'dirty war' dies (AP)

MEXICO CITY ? Miguel Nazar Haro, who led Mexico's domestic spy agency and was accused of being behind the disappearances of alleged leftist guerrillas in the 1970s, has died at age 87.

His son, Jose Luis Nassar Daw, confirmed on Friday that Nazar Haro died late Thursday but didn't release a cause of death.

Nazar Haro headed Mexico's now-dissolved Federal Security Directorate from 1978 to 1982 at the height of the government's "dirty war" against leftist insurgents.

He was arrested in 2004 and put under house arrest on charges stemming from the disappearances of six farmers who were alleged members of a group called the Brigada Campesina de los Lacandones, an armed group that the government linked to at least one kidnapping.

A judge dismissed all charges against Nazar Haro in 2006.

The ruling was a setback for special prosecutor Ignacio Carrillo, who had been named by then President Vicente Fox to shed light on wrongful imprisonment, torture, forced disappearances and slayings of hundreds of radical leftists and farm and union leaders during the 1960s, '70s and '80s.

The most brutal phase of the "dirty war" was President Luis Echeverria's administration from 1970 to 1976, when the government implemented a plan to get rid of guerrillas blamed for a series of kidnappings and attacks on soldiers.

During all the years of the conflict, Mexico's presidency was controlled by the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, which moved to crush small bands of guerrillas seeking its overthrow. The PRI held the presidency for 71 years without interruption before losing the 2000 election to Fox, the candidate of the conservative National Action Party.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mexico/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120128/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_mexico_obit_nazar_haro

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Pimento Cheese: The Greatest Culinary Gift From The South

People are drawn to the South for many reasons -- its welcome drawl, the lively music, the gorgeous architecture -- but most of all, people love the South for its rich and soul-satisfying cuisine. From crispy fried chicken to smoked barbecue to sweet cornbread and tangy collard greens, there are a great many culinary riches in this region. But, there is one dish in particular that has captivated our hearts and stomachs here at Kitchen Daily, and that dish goes by the name of pimento cheese.

It's almost unfair that those who grew up in the South got to enjoy this spread their entire life. Kids are fed a quick lunch of white bread and pimento cheese sandwiches. The spread is served as a topping on baked potatoes (you won't miss the sour cream and chives), hotdogs and hamburgers. And a bowl of pimento cheese with a stack of saltines makes a great hors d'oeuvres, too.

Pimento cheese is a simple dish to recreate in your home kitchen. There are certainly variations to be found according to region and resource, but essentially it is just cheese (we like it with cheddar), mayonnaise, pimentos and salt. You mix it all together and the outcome is like nothing you would expect. It's rich and creamy, with just a little bit of spice -- all the ingredients come together in just the right way.

Some people use grated cheese, but another -- and arguably better -- option is to blend the ingredients together in a food processor until the cheese is just about the size of small course bread crumbs -- much like what you are looking for when you make a pie crust. This method provides an incredibly smooth and pleasant texture. Intrigued? Try the pimento cheese and bacon crostini recipe.

WATCH: Paul and Jamie Deen make pimento cheese.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/27/pimento-cheese_n_1237154.html

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Liam Neeson Talks Surviving Plane Crash In 'The Grey'

'Nobody's going to send out reconnaissance planes to try and find these guys because who cares?' actor explains.
By Kevin P. Sullivan

Liam Neeson in "The Grey"
Photo: Open Road Films

In most movies where the main characters find themselves stranded after a shipwreck or a plane crash, the survivors take solace in the fact that someone must be looking for them. "The Grey" isn't like most movies.

In the new film, which hits theaters Friday, Liam Neeson plays a member of an oil-drilling team that gets into a plane crash somewhere near the Arctic Circle during their journey home. Many die in the incident, and the remaining members soon realize that no one is coming for them. Unless you count the wolves.

Neeson told MTV News that the rougher edges of the characters in "The Grey" are what make the film something new and resonant. "They're definitely flotsam and jetsam of society. One of them says after the mishap with the airplane that 'Nobody's going to care about us,' " Neeson said. "Nobody's going to send out reconnaissance planes to try and find these guys because who cares? You know?"

During the course of the film, one of the characters makes reference to "Alive," the Ethan Hawke film about a rugby team stranded in the Andes. Neeson's co-star Frank Grillo described how their film and co-writer/director Joe Carnahan took a different road. "The element of survival is different because these are just much different men, as opposed to being civilized," he said. "They're not real civilized guys, and I think that's what Joe [Carnahan] tries to show you in the beginning of the film."

Even if the realization that no one will look for these men is devastating, Neeson believes that's ultimately what keeps the characters going. "It's from that sadness that they realize who they are and what they are and how they're just a speck of dust in society," Neeson said. "But that somehow empowers them to continue on with this crazy journey for freedom and solace and to get out of this predicament. It actually gives them strength, the fact that they're nondescript."

Will you see "The Grey" this weekend? Leave your comment below!

Check out everything we've got on "The Grey."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677964/liam-neeson-the-grey.jhtml

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Bruce Jenner: My teens don't need college

Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

?

By Us Weekly

Who needs a college degree when fame and fortune awaits?

Since their first appearance on "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" in 2007, Kendall and Kylie Jenner have become stars in their own right, thanks to lucrative modeling campaigns and a thriving teen fashion empire.

PHOTOS: Kardashians as kids

When Us Weekly spoke to their father Bruce Jenner at the Performance 3D demonstration in NYC Monday, the 62-year-old Olympian admitted his girls' careers are so busy they may not pursue higher education.

"If they want to go to college, certainly, I think it's a good idea. But I'm not the advocate of, 'You've got to go to college!'" Bruce said. "I think by the time they graduate from high school, they will probably be in a position to go right to working."

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Bruce defends Kendall's racy bikini photo shoot

Like their older sisters Kourtney, 32, Kim, 31, and Khloe, 27, Kendall and Kylie are becoming branded businesswomen, Bruce explained. "They've just developing their clothing line for Sears -- it's a little more teen-oriented, the clothing line. And they're working all the time on the show."

With two magazine covers under her belt (American Cheerleader and Teen Prom), Kendall, 16, is poised to become the next big supermodel, Bruce added.

VIDEO: Bruce freaks out when he finds out Kendall is on birth control

"She'll probably have a career by the time she's out of high school," Bruce told Us. "If that's what she wants to do, that's good. I don't know if college is going to be that important for her."

Do you agree the girls don't need college? Vote in our poll, and tell us on Facebook.

{"contentId":"10235644","totalVotes":"11770"}

Bruce Jenner's teens have millions. Do they need college?

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Source: http://todayentertainment.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/25/10235644-bruce-jenner-my-teens-dont-need-college

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Severe flooding, landslides kill 6 in Fiji

SUVA, Fiji (AP) ? Severe flooding and landslides in Fiji have killed six people and left hundreds more homeless.

The permanent secretary of information for the South Pacific nation said Thursday that heavy rain since last weekend has forced 3,500 people into temporary shelters. Sharon Smith-Johns also says some people have lost all their possessions.

She says a landslide Wednesday killed a family of four, including two toddlers, in the remote Tukuraki village on the main island of Viti Levu. She says two farmers also died in separate incidents as they tried to rescue livestock on the islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.

Western regions of Viti Levu have been worst hit. Smith-Johns says a break in the weather Thursday is giving people hope that the worst is over.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-25-AS-Fiji-Floods/id-0b1229a61bac4af9b56d33511120a138

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Apple's Q1 hardware sales: 37 million iPhones, 15.43 million iPads, 5.2 million Macs, 15.4 million iPods

We touched on the numbers in our report on Apple's Q1 earnings, but the company's throwing out a lot of "record" figures so we thought we'd take a moment to focus on just how its hardware sales stack up. The standout number is, of course, the 37.04 million iPhones sold during the quarter, which is up 128 percent from the same quarter a year ago (and up from 17 million in the previous quarter, a jump of 117 percent). That notably puts Apple back ahead of Samsung, which sold a total of 35 million smartphones in its most recent quarter. And as if that wasn't enough, Apple's Tim Cook also said on the company's earnings call that it could have sold even more if it had more supply.

iPad sales also set a new record with 15.43 million units sold during the quarter, which is a 111 percent jump from the 7.3 million sold a year ago, and a 39 percent increase from the 11.1 million moved in Q4 2011. Once again, however, iPods are the one category that continues to decline in the face of the growth of smartphones. Apple sold a total of 15.4 million iPods -- over half of which were iPod touches -- which represents a 21 percent decline from the 19.4 million sold a year ago. The holiday shopping season did boost sales considerably from the 6.6 million sold in the previous quarter, though.

Mac sales were also on the upswing, totaling 5.2 million units -- a 26 percent increase year-over-year. Breaking things down further, that translates to 1.48 million desktops (including iMac, Mac Mini and Mac Pro), and 3.7 million laptops (including the basic MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro). As for the company's "hobby," the Apple TV, it rang up 1.4 million in sales for the quarter, and 2.8 million for the 2011 fiscal year. Fans of charts can get their fix after the break.

Continue reading Apple's Q1 hardware sales: 37 million iPhones, 15.43 million iPads, 5.2 million Macs, 15.4 million iPods

Apple's Q1 hardware sales: 37 million iPhones, 15.43 million iPads, 5.2 million Macs, 15.4 million iPods originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/24/apple-q1-2012-iphone-ipad-ipod-mac-hardware-sales/

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Video: What Romney?s tax returns say about him

Despite mild flu season, don't skip shots

So far this year, there have been far fewer flu reports, including the fever, coughing, aches and pains that usually make winter so miserable. But that doesn't mean people should be complacent about getting their flu shots, experts say.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/46122317#46122317

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Fantasy Shopper Confirms Its Hottness With $3.3m First Money From Accel And NEA

Fantasy Shopper is a social shopping game where players discover and share the latest fashion from real-world online and offline retailers. It's gained a lot of traction since it's launch last October, especially amongst women and we've heard on the grapevine that it was piquing the interest of investors for some months since emerging from the European Seed accelerator HackFWD. Today that intense interest has been confirmed with a first round of funding led by top tier venture firms Accel Partners and NEA (one of the key investors in Groupon) to enable it to build out engineering and expand into new cities other than London. With NEA co-leading the investment, clearly there is a big opportunity to scale in US cities and elsewhere. The investment is based on a convertible note not equity, which is standard practise when investors want in fast and the round is hotly contested.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/DVqMIhc1ajg/

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Sen. Grassley's Twitter account hacked over piracy bills (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley's Twitter account was hacked on Monday with bogus tweets attacking his stance on Internet anti-piracy legislation, his office said.

Grassley, an Iowa Republican and prolific tweeter, had at least eight false tweets posted as he was on a flight heading from Iowa to Washington, spokeswoman Jill Kozeny said.

His staff noticed his Twitter account had been broken into a few minutes after the first false tweet was posted and called Twitter to have the password changed, his office said.

Kozeny said one of the fake tweets said, "Dear Iowans, vote against ACTA, SOPA, and PIPA, because this man, Chuck Grassley, wants YOUR internet censored and all of that BS."

Grassley is the senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the bogus tweets dealt with legislation aimed at halting Internet piracy.

Grassley was among sponsors of the Protect IP Act, or PIPA,

but pulled his support for the anti-piracy measure last week.

Congressional anti-piracy legislation has generated fierce opposition within the technology community, with protests blanketing the Internet last Wednesday.

(Reporting By Ian Simpson; Editing by Greg McCune and Peter Cooney)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120123/wr_nm/us_hacking_senator_grassley

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Rapid Infant Growth Linked to Asthma in Study (HealthDay)

FRIDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Rapid growth during the first three months of life is associated with an increased risk of asthma symptoms in preschool children, a new study indicates.

The findings suggest that early infancy might be a critical period for the development of asthma, said the researchers at Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands.

They examined data collected from 5,125 children who were followed from the fetal stage until they were 4 years old.

The researchers found no link between fetal growth and asthma symptoms. But in children with normal fetal growth, accelerated weight gain from birth to 3 months of age was associated with increased risk of asthma symptoms, such as wheezing, shortness of breath, dry cough and persistent phlegm.

The study appears online ahead of print in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Previous research has shown an association between low birth weight and increased risk of asthma symptoms in children. This is the first study to examine specific fetal and infant growth patterns on asthma risk.

"Our results suggest that the relationship between infant weight gain and asthma symptoms is not due to the accelerated growth of fetal growth-restricted infants only," researcher Dr. Liesbeth Duijts said in a journal news release. "While the mechanisms underlying this relationship are unclear, accelerated weight growth in early life might adversely affect lung growth and might be associated with adverse changes in the immune system."

She added: "Further research is needed to replicate our findings and explore the mechanisms that contribute to the effects of growth acceleration in infancy on respiratory health. The effects of infant growth patterns on asthma phenotypes [observable characteristics] in later life should also be examined."

More information

The American Lung Association has more about children and asthma.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/diseases/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120121/hl_hsn/rapidinfantgrowthlinkedtoasthmainstudy

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This Week's Top Downloads [Download Roundup]

Jan 21, 2012 5:00 PM 16,105 2

• Boxer is a Free DOS Game Emulator for your Mac (Mac) Computer games have come a long way since the days of Doom, Zork, Tie Fighter, and Castle Wolfenstein, but many of us who grew up with those games would like to replay them. Boxer is a free app that will let you play any DOS game on your Mac.
• iBoostUp Cleans Out Your Mac's System File Clutter in a Minute (Mac) iBoostUp cleans out the crap on your drive and fine-tunes your system for better performance. It's simple, it's quick, and it's free.
• AntiCrop "Uncrops" Your Photos by Extending the Picture's Background (iOS) If you've ever taken a hasty photo on your phone and didn't leave enough room on the outside, AntiCrop is the app can "uncrop" those photos by filling in the edges with just a few swipes.
• Untethered Jailbreak for iPhone 4S and iOS 5 Is Finally Here (iOS) iPhone-hacking group Chronic Dev Team just released the first untethered jailbreak for the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 running iOS 5.0.1. We've explained why a tethered jailbreak can be such a hassle, which is why we've been waiting to recommend jailbreaking your up-to-date iPhone. Luckily, that wait is over.
• Clean My Desktop Sorts Files Into Content Specific Folders (Mac) A desktop filled with hundreds of files in a variety of formats can be a headache to clean up, but Clean My Desktop makes it easy by sorting everything into content specific folders based on the file type.
• MindNode Is a Mind Mapping App that Makes Brainstorming Simple and Easy (Mac/iOS) Regardless of the type of work that you do, brainstorming is an important part of generating new ideas and new approaches to getting your work done more efficiently. Mind mapping is a brainstorming technique that helps you get all of your interconnected thoughts out in a diagram, and there are a number of complicated tools designed to help you do it. MindNode for Mac and iOS is pricey, but it's one of the best tools we've seen for the job.
• Pomodroido Is an Elegant Pomodoro Timer for Your Android Phone (Pomodroido) If you're a fan of the Pomodoro productivity technique, you know that part of the philosophy is to work in short, focused, timed bursts and then take periodic breaks to relax. To do this, you'll need a timer, and Pomodroido is a free app that turns your Android phone into one that follows you everywhere.
• Forismatic Is a Free App that Helps You Relax and Keeps You Inspired Every Day (Mac) Computers are supposed to make our work easier, but in reality they often just bring us more work and stress us out. Give your Mac the opportunity to help you relax for a change with Forismatic, a free app that sits in the menubar until you need a little inspiration to help you keep going, and will remind you to take a break now and again to relax.
• Breathing Zone Guides You Towards Slower Breathing to Help Reduce Stress and Anxiety (Mac/iOS) Breathing Zone is a simple app that helps slow your breathing rhythm to calm you down and make you feel more relaxed. If you're a bit stressed or anxious, it's a good way to help you alleviate those feelings in just a few minutes.
• WatchMe Is a Desktop Timer that Keeps Track of Multiple Alarms at Once (Windows) Unfortunately, few of us have the luxury of only keeping track of one thing at a time. There are plenty of great timers available to help you keep track of how long you've been working or when you need to take a break, but if you need to track multiple times or set more than one timer, you may be out of luck. WatchMe is a timer that allows you to set multiple alerts and multiple timers so you're alerted at different times for different things.

Related Stories

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/94J0DABeIrw/this-weeks-top-downloads

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Iomega Helium Portable Hard Drive (1TB)

Iomega's Helium Portable Hard Drive (1TB) ($199.99 list) is the latest in a long line of external hard drives the company has designed for Mac users. Rather than simply formatting an external for use with Mac OS and shipping it to Apple Stores as it did with the eGo line, Iomega did all that only after designing a case that compliments the silver aluminum coloring of the latest Macs. The drive matches all currently shipping Macs, but it's really designed to compliment the MacBook Air, as that system primarily connects via USB 2.0, and that's the only interface you'll find on this drive. It's a decent-enough drive, but there are other alternatives if you're not married to the design.

Design and Features
The Helium is a pocket-size drive that looks like an aluminum slab, and feels that way too?it's surprisingly hefty in the hand. It has an embossed Iomega logo on one side, but is otherwise almost featureless. There's a mini USB port and drive activity light on one edge and a sticker with the model and serial numbers on the bottom. The matte aluminum finish approximates the look on unibody MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptops as well as the Mac mini and iMac desktops, so you know which crowd this drive is aimed at. It's sturdy enough to take a few knocks in you commute bag (36-inch drop rating), though that's about a foot and change less than, say, the LaCie Rugged Mini (500GB) ($114.99 list, 3.5 stars), which has an extra rubber bumper for protection (51-inch drop rating).

The drive works with Apple's Time Machine backup software, which is built into Mac OS X 10.5 and up. Because the majority of the drive's users won't need any additional software, the 1TB is sent blank, formatted for HFS+ so it's ready to back up your Mac right out of the box. The drive comes with a pamphlet with a link to Iomega's download page, so you can grab other free utilities, including QuikProtect backup software, but unless you're reformatting the drive for use on a Windows machine, you'll likely never need to go there. The drive comes with a three-year limited warranty, which is better than the average one-year warranty. The Helium comes with a Y-shaped USB cable, so you can plug it into a second USB port in case the main plug doesn't draw enough power to spin the drive. This extra safety measure is good for users who have to transfer files to older Macs that don't have full-powered USB ports.

Performance
The Helium was an average performer: It took 42 seconds to write our 1.22GB test folder. The last Iomega eGo BlackBelt Mac Edition ($199.99 list, 4 stars) we tested was significantly faster at 35 seconds over USB 2.0 and 22 seconds over FireWire 800. The Seagate GoFlex Ultra-portable Drive for Mac (1.5TB) ($219.99 list, 3.5 stars) took 37 seconds with USB 2.0 and 24 seconds with FireWire 800. The Helium also returned average throughput scores on the AJA System test: 37MBps read and 27MBps write. We didn't test the Seagate or the eGo BlackBelt with AJA System Test, but these are average scores for USB 2.0 throughput.

The Iomega Helium Portable Hard Drive (1TB) will appeal mainly to owners of older MacBooks and MacBook Airs equipped only with USB 2.0 ports. Newer MacBook Pro and Air laptops have the much faster Thunderbolt port onboard, while all MacBook Pros and Mac desktops have FireWire 800 ports, which connect to drives that are a lot more economical and faster than those using USB 2.0. The Seagate GoFlex Ultra-portable Drive for Mac (1.5TB) has a lot more features than the Helium, including an adaptable interface for FireWire 800 and USB 3.0. The Seagate is also a much better buy on a dollar-per-gigabyte basis, as the drive has 500GB more capacity and has a list price that is only $20 more expensive. The older Iomega eGo Blackbelt shares the Helium's capacity and price, but adds FireWire 800. Unless you're willing to forgo faster interfaces for the Helium's smaller case, it's not as easy a sale.

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Buffalo MiniStation Cobalt USB 3.0 with several other hard drive side by side.

More hard drive reviews:
??? Iomega Helium Portable Hard Drive (1TB)
??? Iomega Mac Companion (3TB)
??? LaCie Little Big Disk Thunderbolt (240GB SSD)
??? Seagate Momentus XT (750GB)
??? LaCie Rugged Mini (500GB)
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/GaDEPHdWezY/0,2817,2399089,00.asp

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China's New Year: there be dragons, but not enough train tickets

This weekend, hundreds of millions of Chinese will return to hometowns to celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Dragon. But the annual pilgrimage is marked by the annual struggle at the train station.

Is this any way to run a railroad? Some 235 million Chinese travelers have their doubts.

Skip to next paragraph

Every year at the Chinese New Year the Ministry of Railways has the same problem: carrying the hundreds of millions of people who want to go home to celebrate the new year, China?s biggest holiday with their families. And every year it is a nightmare.

Passengers have long complained about endless lines at ticket offices or about paying high prices to scalpers who corner the market; and that?s before they even get on the train to brave agonizingly long and cramped journeys. Being with family at new year is like Thanksgiving and Christmas wrapped into one for Chinese.?

So this year, as China prepares to usher in the Year of the Dragon on Sunday, the Ministry offered holidaymakers the chance to buy their tickets online.

That would have been a good idea, except that its server collapsed under the strain.

On Jan. 9, the ticket booking website took 1.4 billion hits, the Ministry said.

The ensuing crash left a lot of disgruntled customers.?

?I tried on the Internet for a whole day but I never managed to log on,? says Fan Zhixin, who works in a website?s finance department, as she lined up for a ticket outside Beijing?s central station on Thursday.

Eventually, she recounted, she had reached the sales office on the phone, ?but by the time I got through all the seats had been sold, so I had to buy a standing only ticket.?

Since her journey to Ulanhot, in Inner Mongolia, was going to take 20 hours and the idea of standing in a crowded corridor for that long was too appalling, Ms. Fan was making one last bid for a seat.

As she dreaded, there were none. ?This will be very terrible,? she says, wheeling her imitation Louis Vuitton suitcase through the crowd toward the platform.

Ma Anjia, a migrant construction worker heading for his hometown in Shanxi, 16 hours West of Beijing, had secured a seat, but no thanks to the new Internet booking system. In fact, that had made it harder for him.

?I don?t know how to use the Internet,? Mr. Ma laughs. ?I queued up.?

But because tickets became available online two days before they were sold at railroad ticket offices, he kept finding the agencies had sold out. ?I went to five or six different places and waited hours at each one before I managed to buy the tickets I needed,? Ma says.

Still, at least he should be home before the weekend.

Travelers leaving things until the last minute have something else to worry about: Weather forecasters are warning that a wave of snow and rain over the coming days could make travel even more tricky.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/buJoeKDkNlM/China-s-New-Year-there-be-dragons-but-not-enough-train-tickets

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UN sets stage for blazing fast new mobile devices (AP)

GENEVA ? A United Nations telecom meeting has approved the next generation of mobile technology, which experts say will make devices 500 times faster than 3G smartphones and eliminate the wait time between the tap of a finger and the appearance of a Web page.

The technology will be used immediately for planning changes to equipment but it could take two years to show up on consumers smartphone, tablets and other devices because of the time it takes to get to production, International Telecommunication Union spokesman Sanjay Acharya said Thursday.

The differences between present technology and the new standards for IMT-Advanced are like comparing dial-up Internet to fiber-optic cables, say officials at the U.N. agency responsible for information and communication technology.

"This means absolutely no time to get a page open," said Francois Rancy, head of the agency's radiocommunication bureau.

The technology hasn't been available until now because the U.N. must first approve of the international standards for its use.

The IMT-Advanced system uses radio-frequency spectrum much more efficiently, and devices built with it will need less bandwidth to access the Internet, stream videos and transfer data. That means those devices could deliver blazing fast messages, video chats and even high-definition TV.

The new standards for what some call "true" 4G, or fourth generation of mobile wireless standards, were approved by the ITU Radiocommunication Assembly at its meeting this week in Geneva. ITU set the requirements for 4G service in 2009.

In December 2010, ITU said some current technologies such as LTE and WiMax could be billed as forerunners to 4G, even though they don't meet the requirements of the IMT-Advanced system.

The 2G, 3G and 4G families of standards have been set by the International Telecommunication Union to define the services and download speed provided by networks.

The current 3G mobile technology, known as International Mobile Telecommunications, has been widely used since 2000.

Rancy said the new IMT-Advanced systems will deliver "a much higher quality and a much higher bit rate, typically of the order of 100 megabits per second."

A bit is a measure of data, so the new technology would allow devices to obtain data fast enough that most TV shows could be downloaded within about 20 seconds, and CDs within about a minute.

"This is a huge leap," Rancy said. "This is what people are really asking for now."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_on_hi_te/eu_un_mobile_technology

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Confidence in eurozone improves despite downgrades (AP)

PARIS ? France and Spain on Thursday sailed through their first bond market tests since Standard & Poor's downgraded their credit ratings last week, a sign that politicians and central bankers have at least temporarily stemmed the spread of Europe's debt crisis.

Worries about the 17-nation eurozone have receded since the start of the year, with stocks rallying consistently and bond yields ? the rate countries pay to borrow ? sliding.

Analysts warn, however, that those gains may simply be riding an absence of bad news ? a looming recession could hinder efforts to slash deficits while Greece depends on a deal with banks to avoid a disastrous default this spring.

Spain and France held successful short-term debt auctions earlier in the week. Spain's success is at least partially thanks to the European Central Bank's massive injection of cheap money into the financial sector in December and its regular purchases of Spanish and Italian debt.

But the latest auctions on Thursday were for longer-term bonds and were considered the first real tests of confidence in those countries.

Both easily hit their targets thanks to strong demand, while the borrowing rates fell, an indication investors are still happy to invest in them and have largely shrugged off S&P's decision to downgrade nine eurozone countries because of concerns over Europe's ability to get a grip on the crisis.

The auction results also boosted confidence in the region's banks, particularly those that are heavily exposed to bonds in countries like Greece and Italy.

Shares in France's Societe Generale soared 12 percent, Italy's UniCredit 11 percent and Deutsche Bank 8 percent. Germany's Commerzbank jumped 12 percent after it said it would be able to increase its capital cushions without government help.

Despite the raft of good news, Howard Wheeldon, an analyst with BGC Partners, warned that "time is running out" to find a true solution to Europe's problems, which he said lies only with increased support in bond markets from the European Central Bank. The bank has intervened only in limited ways, saying its mandate does not allow it to go on the kind of bond-buying spree that the U.S. Federal Reserve has, for instance.

"The solution to Europe's crisis must come through partner agreement that enables the European Central Bank to be given a proper mandate to act," he said. "Meanwhile all that Europe has essentially agreed so far is what in air traffic parlance would be regarded as achieving a holding pattern."

Greece's ability to avoid default is one of the main unresolved issues.

The Greek government this week restarted debt negotiations with its private creditors to persuade them to take at least 50 percent losses on their Greek bonds.

The talks had faltered recently but will need to produce a deal if Greece is to avoid default this spring ? the European countries ponying up the money for bailout loans have said they won't make up the difference.

Greece is in a unique situation because it's clear it can never pay back all the money it owes, and so is asking banks to forgive some of its debt.

A rise in government borrowing rates has been at the heart of Europe's debt crisis, and three countries ? Greece, Ireland and Portugal ? have been forced to seek bailout loans to avoid bankruptcy when they could no longer afford to raise money in markets.

There had been concerns last summer that Spain and Italy would be the next to be squeezed out of markets and that the crisis would then knock at France's door. Pressure has eased considerably since then, but Spain is still struggling with a swollen deficit and eurozone-high 21.5 percent unemployment rate.

The yield on Spain's 10-year bonds hit nearly 7 percent late last year, while Italy's traded well above that level, before an ECB bond-buying program helped to drive them down. Changes of government in both Madrid and Rome have also helped restore confidence in the countries' ability to pass reforms and reactivate their ailing economies.

On Thursday, Spain's Treasury raised euro6.6 billion ($8.5 billion) from markets, much more than its initial aim of between euro3.5 billion and euro4.5 billion, in debt maturing in 2016, 2019 and 2022.

The interest rate on the 10-year bonds was 5.40 percent, down from 5.54 percent in the last such auction in December, while demand was 2.2 times the amount on offer.

France's situation is far less serious than Spain's but as the eurozone's second-largest economy any hint that it is struggling to fund itself would be disastrous for market confidence in the euro. Last year, the benchmark yield on its 10-year bonds rose to near 4 percent, almost twice Germany's.

But the new year has brought that rate down closer to 3 percent and on Thursday, France easily sold euro9.5 billion ($12.2 billion) in bonds.

The interest rates on the two-year, three-year, four-year and 10-year bonds the Treasury sold all fell significantly. The rate on 30-year inflation-linked bonds held steady.

Though S&P's downgrade hasn't had a big impact in the markets, the loss of the AAA rating was a severe blow to France's self-image and is shaping up to be a major factor in presidential elections this spring.

President Nicolas Sarkozy's government has brushed it off as only a minor setback and noted that the other two major agencies have maintained France's AAA.

"In these circumstances, the only solution is calm, distance, courage, the courage to make decisions," Sarkozy told business leaders Thursday. "It's not the agencies that make state policy."

But the opposition Socialists, whose candidate Francois Hollande is leading polls, have been using it as a rallying cry, saying it reflects the failure of Sarkozy's policies.

___

Sylvie Corbet in Lyon, France, Daniel Woolls in Madrid and Derek Gatapoulos in Athens contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_europe_financial_crisis

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Crucial debt talks resume in Athens (AP)

ATHENS, Greece ? The Greek government resumed stalled talks with its private creditors in Athens on Wednesday in the hope of sealing a euro100 billion ($128 billion) debt relief deal needed to avoid a disastrous default this spring.

Charles Dallara, a top official at the Institute of International Finance, a global banking association, returned to Greece after negotiations stalled last week, and held a nearly three-hour meeting with Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos.

"A very crucial meeting, that lasted several hours, has just finished at the prime minister's office," Venizelos told Parliament shortly afterward. "The meetings between the Greek government and the IIF have resumed and they will continue (Thursday)."

Earlier, he said the talks "are without a doubt at a very sensitive stage."

The so-called private sector involvement, or PSI, deal is meant to write off half of the debt Greece owes private bondholders. Creditors would get most of the remaining debt in new bonds with extended repayment periods, as well as a cash payment.

"We want this (deal) to happen in a way that is safe for Greece ? with Greece in the eurozone ? and safe for the real economy and the financial system," Venizelos said.

Since May 2010, Greece has kept solvent with rescue loans from its European partners and the International Monetary Fund. In the event of bankruptcy, Greece would likely have to abandon the euro and revert to a devalued currency. Since the country imports more than it exports, the costs of fuel and basic consumer goods would skyrocket, further frustrating a population angered by two years of harsh austerity.

The PSI talks have mainly been held up by a disagreement on interest rates for the new bonds.

"The interest rate on the new loans is a key issue here," Dallara told CNN before Wednesday's meeting. "Some seem to have a view that we should actually extend the loans at interest rates even lower than what the IMF and (the Europeans) extend their loans at, and there's not much logic in that in our viewpoint."

Dallara urged the EU to make clear that a similar deal would not apply to other troubled eurozone countries. "Greece really is a unique situation," he said.

A Greek government official said Athens is still considering whether to impose so-called collective action clauses on its bonds. Such clauses could force private debt holders resisting a settlement to fall in line with the majority if an agreement is reached. The official asked not to be identified, citing the sensitive nature of the talks.

A second government official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said Athens estimates there could be an agreement by the end of the week.

Greece needs to clinch the deal quickly to qualify for more bailout loans before it faces a euro14.5 billion ($18.6 billion) bond repayment on March 20. The bond swap is a key part a new euro130 billion ($166 billion) bailout package in loans and bank support from international rescue creditors.

Recession-bound Greece needs to write off some of its borrowings, if it is to have a fighting chance of emerging from its debt hole.

It has so far relied on austerity measures, which were a condition for it to receive the emergency loans. The Greek government has cut pensions and salaries, raised taxes and sold some state property.

Yanis Varoufakis, a professor of economics at the University of Athens, argued that even with a debt deal Greece could do little to eventually avoid default.

"Let the truth be revealed. Let's have a default because Greece is insolvent and insolvent entities have to default. It's a law of nature and of society and of reason, and we should simply succumb to that," Varoufakis told AP Television.

"If European leaders are worried about the effect this will have on banks, they might as well recapitalize them, not continue to drip-feed the Greek state," he said.

Dallara, the Institute of International Finance official, said that if Greece is forced to default, it will be messy. "I personally believe that there is no such thing as an orderly default for Greece," he told CNN. "If there is a default, it is likely to be very disorderly."

As austerity measures have cut deeply into incomes and unemployment has risen, unions have held frequent strikes and protests over the past two years.

Unions and employers were to start talks on Wednesday on reducing labors costs, but the negotiations were disrupted when protesters from a Communist-backed labor union occupied the central building where the meetings were to take place.

EU-IMF debt inspectors are back in Athens this week to monitor progress of those reforms aimed at slashing the country's high budget deficits.

__

Derek Gatopoulos and Theodora Tongas in Athens contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120118/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_greece_financial_crisis

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LL Cool J Named First Grammys Host in 7 Years

The Grammys are about to get a heck of a lot Cool-er.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/ll-cool-j-grammys-host/1-a-420145?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3All-cool-j-grammys-host-420145

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1300-Year-Old Flask Holds Mayan Tobacco Remains

60-Second Science | More Science

A chemical analysis found evidence of nicotine in a Mayan flask dating back to 700 AD. Sophie Bushwick reports.

January 17, 2012

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People have used tobacco for well over a thousand years. And researchers recently found unique physical evidence of the ancient habit. They detected traces of tobacco in a 1300-year-old Mayan container. The work is in the journal Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry. [Dmitri V. Zagorevski and Jennifer A. Loughmiller-Newman, The detection of nicotine in a Late Mayan period flask by gas chromatography and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry methods]

Based on hieroglyphics and images of people smoking, archaeologists assumed that the Mayans used tobacco. In the hope of finding physical remains, the researchers examined the inside of a particular clay flask dating back to the year 700 AD. Analysis of the flask revealed the presence of nicotine, as well as a few products of nicotine oxidation.

The chemical analysis owes some of its success to a dirty container?because the inside of the flask was not cleaned, the nicotine residue remained uncontaminated. It also helped that the flask had a single purpose, and was not reused to hold multiple products. But the most important aid to this discovery was undoubtedly some Mayan writing on the container. Which roughly translated means: container for tobacco.

?Sophie Bushwick

[The above text is a transcript of this podcast]?
?

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=34792d0c276ac504c92cd994498c9c44

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Emily Maynard Is the New Bachelorette! (omg!)

Emily Maynard's life just got a whole lot rosier!

The North Carolina single mom -- who was famously proposed to by Brad Womack on ABC's The Bachelor in March 2011 -- is ready to move on after their nasty split, and will search for love again as the network's newest Bachelorette, multiple sources confirm in the new Us Weekly.

PHOTOS: Revisit Emily's time on The Bachelor

Maynard, 25, has signed on for the show's eighth season, and will start filming in March. It was a "change of heart" for Maynard after months of playing hard-to-get with ABC, a Maynard pal tells Us. "She's looking for a man -- not a little boy."

Though Bachelor and Bachelorette fans are used to seeing the show's exploits carried out in a posh Los Angeles mansion where the contestants bunk together, a second insider says production for the series will relocate to Charlotte, N.C., where Maynard raises her young daughter, Ricki.

VIDEO: Emily's ex Brad bonds with her adorable litle girl

"The guys will be flying to her. We're switching things up a bit," hints an insider.

Maynard's upcoming search for love begins nearly one year after she and Womack, 38, called off their engagement. Shortly after their split, Maynard endured a barrage angry calls from her ex, but insisted there was no chance of a reconciliation.

PHOTOS: Hollywood's ugliest splits

"I wanted to be married and have more children, but I doubted he was going to still want to be with me," she told Bachelor host Chris Harrison in an emotional July 2011 interview. "As a single mom, I don't have the luxury of saying "we'll figure it out when we get there." I need that reassurance that he'd want to be with me six weeks down the road much less six years."

For more on why Maynard said yes and what to expect on the new season, check out the new Us Weekly, on stands Friday.

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_emily_maynard_bachelorette165330148/44218886/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/emily-maynard-bachelorette-165330148.html

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Democrat seeks GOP names on Countrywide VIP loan list (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? The top Democratic member of a congressional oversight panel turned up the heat on its Republican chairman on Tuesday to identify the four GOP lawmakers who got special treatment in the controversial "Friends of Angelo" mortgage program run by the now-defunct Countrywide Financial Corp.

Representative Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to the panel's chairman, Representative Darrell Issa, a California Republican, in which he pressed for disclosure of all four GOP congressmen's names. In the letter, Cummings took issue with how Issa has handled the investigation into the Countrywide VIP loan program.

"In response to your subpoena, the Committee obtained information about four previously unknown instances in which Members of Congress received VIP loans, including three current Republican House Members and one former Republican House Member. After discovering that all of these Members are Republicans, you sent a letter on December 16, 2011, referring their cases to the House Ethics Committee," Cummings wrote in the letter dated January 17th to Issa.

The "Friends of Angelo" program's name refers to Angelo Mozilo, the former chairman and CEO of Countrywide, the California-based lender that became a dominant player in the mortgage business during the housing boom. In October 2010, Mozilo agreed to pay $67.5 million in a combined penalty and "disgorgement of ill-gotten gains" to settle SEC charges of fraud and insider trading related to Countrywide's risky subprime mortgage lending practices. At the time, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said the $22.5 million fine was the largest ever paid in an SEC settlement by a senior executive of a publicly traded company.

Issa has waged a high-profile campaign for three years to obtain mortgage files of members of Congress who received special treatment from Countrywide.

POTENTIAL FOR A POLITICAL FIRESTORM

Disclosures about members of Congress getting discounted loans and other financial perks have the potential for a huge backlash in an election year.

Veteran GOP Representatives Howard McKeon and Elton Gallegly, both Republicans of California, have admitted their names are on a list of members of the U.S. House of Representatives who received discounted loans from Countrywide, according to the Saturday edition of The Wall Street Journal.

Cummings criticized Issa for reversing course during the investigation after previously saying he would disclose the names of any lawmakers who received VIP loans. Instead, after receiving information about four previously unknown instances of politicians winning favor from the mortgage lender last month, Issa sent the names to the House Ethics Committee.

"Since you failed to consult with me before taking these actions, I have several questions about how you want to proceed with the investigation," Cummings wrote.

The Maryland Democrat called on Issa to name the two remaining loan recipients. Cummings also wanted to know why Issa planned to interview Countrywide officials who were involved in the "Friends of Angelo" loan dealings.

"Rather than publicly identifying the four additional Members who received Countrywide loans or attempting to determine whether they took any official actions on behalf of Countrywide, you chose instead to refer their cases to the Ethics Committee," Cummings wrote.

"These sudden shifts raise key questions about how you plan to proceed with this investigation," he added.

Cummings also asked if Issa intends to schedule public hearings on the investigation and whether he will call on Mozilo to testify.

A spokesman for Issa was not immediately available for comment late on Tuesday.

After the housing bust and widespread defaults on subprime mortgages, the failing Countrywide was acquired by Bank of America in 2008.

(Reporting By Margaret Chadbourn; Editing by Jan Paschal)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120118/pl_nm/us_usa_countrywide_congress

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China's number of Web users rises to 513 million (AP)

BEIJING ? The number of Internet users in China has surged past 500 million as millions of new Web surfers go online using mobile phones and tablet computers, an industry group reported Monday.

The popularity of the Internet in China has driven the explosive growth of profitable Web companies and made fortunes for some Chinese entrepreneurs despite government controls on what the public can see online.

The number of mainland Internet users rose to 513 million in December, up 12 percent from a year earlier, the government-sanctioned China Internet Network Information Center said.

Among them, the number who go online using handheld devices rose 17.5 percent over a year earlier to 356 million.

The popularity of wireless Internet was reflected Friday in a scramble by Chinese gadget fans and scalpers to buy Apple Inc.'s latest iPhone 4S, which sold out within hours of its China launch.

Angry customers shouted and threw eggs at Apple's flagship Beijing outlet after the company failed to open the store, citing the size of the crowd. Apple postponed further iPhone 4S sales at its mainland stores for safety reasons but said they will be sold online and through its local carrier, China Unicom Ltd.

The communist government encourages Internet use for business and education but tries to block access to material it deems pornographic or subversive.

The governnment is strengthening its control over popular microblogs after a bullet train crash last July that killed 40 people prompted an online outpouring of criticism of the official response.

Microblog services have been ordered to monitor postings content more closely and remove objectionable material, while news media were barred from reporting online material without firsthand verification.

Despite such controls, popular online services such as portals Sina.com and Sohu.com, video websites Youku.com and Tudou.com and search engine Baidu report growing traffic and revenues.

Outlets owned by the ruling Communist Party or by the government also have jumped into the market, launching their own search engines and other services.

On Friday, regulators approved an initial public stock offering by the online arm of the ruling party newspaper People's Daily, people.com, on the Shanghai Stock Exchange to raise 527 million yuan ($85 million).

___

China Internet Network Information Center: http://www.cnnic.net.cn

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120116/ap_on_hi_te/as_china_internet_population

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