World News Events, Hot Accident News, Entertainment News Online, Current News Stories: January 2011

Blackberry Outage

Verizon acknowledges ongoing BlackBerry outages, says fix pending

Verizon Wireless acknowledged that BlackBerry users on its network have been facing delays and outages with e-mail and the data transfers this week, saying that fixes to its network were in the process of rolling out. The company said it was working alongside BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. to investigate the underlying cause of the outage.

"BlackBerry customers have been experiencing an issue with some delays," Verizon spokesman Ken Muche said. "We have escalated it with tech folks at RIM and our company on the network side."

A number of users online, many of whom say they're from California, have reported trouble receiving e-mail and surfing the Web on their devices.

Two days ago, celebrity blogger Perez Hilton joined the chorus of frustrated users when he tweeted that he would switch to a different carrier if Verizon didn't "get your BlackBerry issues fixed ASAP! Grrrr!"

Similar reports could be found across Twitter and in the blogosphere.

Verizon's Muche said the company didn't yet have a final analysis of the problem. Asked if the outage affected systems on which the upcoming Verizon iPhone would run, he said, "I haven't seen any evidence of that at all. I want to make sure that our root cause analysis is completed before I can give a definitive answer either way."

Verizon hasn't yet said if it will offer affected users a credit for the service interruption they experienced.

Posted by imran Saturday, January 29, 2011 1 comments

Caterpillar

Caterpillar 4Q Profit Surges On The Improved Demand; Results Beat

Caterpillar Inc.'s (CAT) fourth-quarter earnings soared as the heavy-machinery maker saw demand recover from the slumping levels a year earlier.

The results beat analysts' expectations, sending shares up 2.8% at $98.45 in premarket trading. The stock through Wednesday's close is up 79% in the past year.

For the new year, the company said it expects earnings near $6 a share and affirmed its October revenue view, while analysts forecast $5.86.

Chairman and Chief Executive Doug Oberhelman said "continued growth in developing countries, improving economies in North America and Europe, strong demand for mining products and the need for our dealers to add to inventories and replenish rental fleets should all contribute to higher sales in 2011. The increases are likely to be mitigated somewhat by small declines in later cycle industries, such as turbines and marine engines."

Strong earnings reports and recent forecasts from several United States. manufacturers suggest an industrial rebound remains robust--which bodes well for equipment makers such as Caterpillar. The company's performance improved sharply last year as construction and mining companies replenished equipment after cutting back in 2009.

Caterpillar embarked on several significant acquisitions last year, including its $7.6 billion deal for mining-equipment company Bucyrus International Inc. (BUCY) in Nov.

Caterpillar reported a profit of $968 million, or $1.47 a share, up from $232 million, or 36 cents a share, a year earlier. The prior year included 5 cents in charges.

The world's largest manufacturer of bulldozers, excavators, wheel loaders and other construction machinery, reported revenue surged 62% to $12.81 billion after tumbling 39% a year earlier.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters most recently forecast earnings of $1.27 on revenue of $11.63 billion.

Machinery and engine sales surged 69% after sliding 41% a year earlier.

The company forecast $3 billion in capital expenditures for this year, with more than half earmarked for the United States.

Posted by imran Thursday, January 27, 2011 0 comments

Human Torch

Marvel Comics kills of legendary Fantastic Four superhero The Human Torch

Marvel Comics is making a bold statement by killing off one of their original comic book superheroes nearly 50 years after his first appearance.

Johnny Storm, aka The Human Torch, sacrifices himself to the Earth from an army of Negative Zone monsters in Fantastic Four #587 on sale beginning Wednesday.

Series writer Jonathan Hickman decided months ago to kill off one of the superhero team's four core members, which also include Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman.

Hickman wanted to delve into the three remaining members' broken psyches and how they can recover from such a devastating loss.

Marvel revealed issue #588, which follows the team after the death of the Torch, will be the series' finale issue. What happens with the three remaining FF members following their comic’s cancellation has yet to be revealed.

Created by the legendary team of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the Fantastic Four debuted on newsstands in November 1961 as Marvel Comics' first comic book. The series changed the public's perception on comic superheroes by introducing characters with flaws and having to deal with both villains as well as every day life moments like mail and rent.

All may not be lost for fans of The Human Torch. Many a comic book character has come back from the nether regions.

Original X-Men Jean Grey "died" in 1980 only to return five years later. And in 1992 Superman was "killed" off to come back from over a year later.

Only time will tell if comic book readers will read the words "Flame on!" from the favorite hot-headed hero again.

Posted by imran Wednesday, January 26, 2011 0 comments

Harley Davidson

Harley-Davidson Rallies as The Loss Shrinks

Harley-Davidson Inc.'s fourth-quarter loss narrowed sharply as the motorcycle maker posted sharply lower restructuring-related expenses and its financial-services business returned to the profitability.

The adjusted loss wasn't as wide as analysts had feared and revenue beat estimates, prompting a rally in Harley shares Tues.

The company has been recreating itself as a smaller manufacturer, aiming to increase its presence outside the United States. as economic weakness has curbed demand for its high-end bikes. Harley last month introduced the first 2 motorcycles from its India factory, as it tries to expand in one of the world's fastest-growing two-wheeler markets and lower manufacturing costs.

The financing unit has been a bright spot in recent quarters as credit quality has improved. Harley tightened its lending standards in early 2009, making fewer loans to subprime borrowers and requiring larger down payments. In the latest quarter the segment posted a profit of $43.5 million, compared with a prior-year loss of $7.1 million.

Harley reported a loss of $46.8 million, or 20 cents a share, compared with a prior-year loss of $218.7 million, or 94 cents. Excluding items, restructuring-related and debt extinguishment charges, the loss was 18 cents. Revenue increased 20% to $917.1 million after plunging 40% a year earlier.

Gross margin rose to 29.6% from 20.3% amid a favorable product mix and currency fluctuations.

Harley-Davidson motorcycle shipments grew 24% from a year earlier after falling 53% a year earlier.

The company forecast 2011 motorcycle shipments of 221,000 to 228,000 up from 210,494 in 2010. For the current quarter it sees shipments of 51,000 to 56,000 motorcycles in line with 53,674 reported a year earlier.

It also projected 2011 capital spending of $210 million to $230 million, compared with capital spending of $170.8 million last year. It also lowered its costs estimates for its restructuring program begun in 2009 by $10 million to $25 million.

Posted by imran Tuesday, January 25, 2011 0 comments

David Guetta

David Guetta 'Had A Blast' Filming With Web Sensation Keenan Cahill

When will David Guetta begin recording with the U2? We can't confirm just yet, but on Tues (January 25), the French hitmaker added yet another name to an already stellar list of collaborators. Only this time, he's not pairing up with Akon, Black Eyed Peas or Madonna, but Internet sensation Keenan Cahill.

In just over a year, the Chicago 15-year-old has become a Web phenomenon by filming himself lip-synching pop songs from his bedroom. Ke$ha, Usher, Willow Smith, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Pink are just a few artists who have gotten the Cahill treatment; his deliveries of "Like a G6," "Only Girl (In the World)" and "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" have more than seven million views. Thus far, his version of Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" is the most popular, with more than 27 millions views.

Late last year, Cahill appeared on "Chelsea Lately," where the bespectacled teen gave host Chelsea Handler his digits and premiered his clip of 50 Cent and Jeremih's "Down on Me," in which Fif appears. He also appeared on MTV's New Year's Eve special donning 2011 shades in a vid set to Pink's "Raise Your Glass."

Cahill premiered his latest achievement, featuring David Guetta, on Tues, set to a medley of Guetta's hit songs ("Sexy Chick," "Memories," "When Love Takes Over," "Gettin' Over You" and his BEP classic "I Gotta Feeling"). When MTV News caught up with Guetta last week, he had just returned from Chicago after filming the clip with Cahill in his bedroom, and he was still beaming from the experience.

"I had a blast," Guetta said. "I went to Chicago, and we just shot that video. It's really cool. It's really funny, and he's a really clever kid. Keenan is really a YouTube phenomenon. It's unbelievable. He's only fifteen, and he really knows what he's doing. His expressions are really funny and interesting."

"I was behind him. Sometimes I was there, sometimes I wasn't. It was about him, really. I think that's better like that," he said. "I just wanted to show support, and I thought it was a cool thing. I'm sure people are going to love this."

And if Cahill weren't big enough already, Guetta certainly knows a place where he is set to become a whole lot more famous.

"I'm sure people are going to love this. Probably, he's going to become really big now in France," Guetta laughed.

Posted by imran 0 comments

Moscow Airport

Deadly Blast Strikes in the Moscow’s Main Airport

An explosion rocked an international terminal of Moscow’s busiest airport on the Monday afternoon. There were conflicting reports on the number of dead and injured, but the toll appeared to be rising rapidly. The authorities were seeking to determine the cause.

Moscow police were put on terror alert, the RT TV station reported.

Russia’s Interfax Agency initially reported that the blast in the airport, Domodedovo, killed as many as ten and left many more injured. Russia’s Investigative Committee said there were at least 20 casualties, without differentiating between injured and dead. The Health Ministry reported that 31 peoples had been killed and 130 injured, according to Ria Novosti.

A spokeswoman from the airport said the explosion occurred in the arrivals hall.

Russian news agencies, citing witnesses, said airport halls were filled with so much smoke that it was difficult to count the dead. International arrivals were being diverted to nearby, according to local news media reports.

The explosion occurred at 4:32 p.m. local time, according to RT TV.

The airport, southeast of the capital, is Russia’s largest hub for international travelers, with more than 20 million passengers passing through last year.

Posted by imran Monday, January 24, 2011 0 comments

Cutler

Caption this: Jay Cutler walks the sideline

At Page 2, we know you are funny, so share your gift. We will find a great photo, and you provide the caption.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler walks on the sideline during the second half of the Bears' 21-14 loss in the NFC Championship game to the Green Bay Packers. Cutler left the game with a knee injury.

Posted by imran 0 comments

Ireland

Ireland's Green Party quits government of the Brian Cowen

The Republic of Ireland's Green Party is pulling out of the ruling coalition, a move expected to bring forward the general election due on the 11 March.

The party's announcement, after a meeting in Dublin, follows a decision on Saturday by PM Brian Cowmen to quit as leader of his Fianna Fail party.

Mr Cowen had said he would stay on as PM until the election, a move opponents had described as "farcical".

The Greens' decision wipes out the ruling coalition's two-seat majority.

Fianna Fail had urged the Greens to stay in government to ensure financial legislation - which is key to Ireland's international bail-out package - was passed before the election.

Ireland was forced to accept the 85bn euro ($113bn; £72bn) EU and IMF bail-out in November last year.

The Greens will join the opposition benches immediately.

But the party said it would still support the finance bill and hoped Fianna Fail would fast-track the legislation so it could be approved speedily.

Green Party leader John Gormley, talking after a meeting in a Dublin hotel, said: "Our patience has reached an end. We have decided that we can no longer continue in government."

The BBC's Ireland correspondent Mark Simpson says it's now highly likely an election will be held in February.

He says Mr Cowen has 2 options - either fall on his sword and call an immediate election or go to the opposition parties and try to get their support for the finance bill and an agreement on the date for the new election.

Posted by imran Sunday, January 23, 2011 0 comments

Jimmer

Fredette, BYU shoot down CSU at the sold-out Moby

It was as if Jimmer Fredette was running downhill, Tim Miles said, and a wall of the CSU players were waiting at the bottom to stop him.

Fredette, the Brigham Young senior and nation's leading scorer, exploded for 42 points Saturday night to carry the ninth-ranked Cougars to a 94-85 win over Colorado State University before the first sellout crowd of 8,745 at Moby Arena in 8 years.

Fourteen of Fredette's career games of 30 or more points, BYU coach Dave Rose pointed out, have come on the road.

"I like being aggressive and kind of quieting the crowd a little bit," said Fredette, a 6-foot-2 senior and one of the leading candidates for national player-of-the-year honors. "It's a good feeling to be able to come into a building where it's kind of you vs. the world and being able to play well and have your team cheering for you. It's a cool feeling."

Facing Fredette, though, is somewhat of a helpless feeling for the opponent, though. Fredette not only hit eleven of 24 shots form the floor, including 4 of 9 3-pointers, he also shot 17 free throws and made 16.

He's got the ballhandling skills, Miles said, of Harlem Globetrotters legend Curly Neal, coupled with the ability to make almost any shot from almost anywhere on the floor. Add in his aggressive drives to the hoop, and there’s not much an opponent can do to slow him down, let alone stop him.

“When he gets a step advantage, he’s already looking at the second line of defense, so when he’s so good getting past the first line and the second line and getting to the free-throw line, that just makes him that much tougher to guard,” CSU guard Wes Eikmeier said. “It almost doesn’t even matter how many shots he makes, because he gets to the free-throw line so much. He hits some back-breaking free throws.”

Fueled by 62.5 percent shooting (20 of 32) in the 1st half and 21 points from Fredette, the Cougars (19-1, 5-0 Mountain West Conference) raced out to a 55-40 halftime lead, then hit just enough big shots down the stretch to hold off the upset-minded Rams (13-6, 3-2). Kyle Collinsworth added 16 points and 6 assists, and Jackson Emery also had 16 points for BYU.

Posted by imran 0 comments

Keith Olbermann

MSNBC, Olbermann Call It Quits, Cancel Show

Cable host Keith Olbermann and the news channel MSNBC abruptly parted ways Fri night, as the network announced that his contract had ended and the last installment of his show would air that evening.

The surprise announcement strips MSNBC of its most-watched evening anchor after an increasingly tempestuous relationship, coming less than 3 months after the network briefly suspended the fiery host.

"MSNBC thanks Keith for his integral role in MSNBC's success and we wish him well in his future endeavors," the network said in an emailed statement just before the end of Mr. Olbermann's program.

MSNBC and Mr. Olbermann have been discussing ending his contract for some time, according to a person familiar with the matter. Neither side offered an explanation for their split. On the air, Mr. Olbermann said Friday would be his last show, and thanked viewers and staff.

The quick change set off a game of musical chairs, as MSNBC moved to fill the hole Mr. Olbermann will leave behind. The network said its 10 p.m. host Lawrence O'Donnell would move into Mr. Olbermann's 8 p.m. slot beginning on Monday.

Ed Schultz, who's hosted a 6 p.m. show on MSNBC since 2009, will take over Mr. O'Donnell's 10 p.m. time slot.

Executives have said tensions between Mr. Olbermann and the network have been running high since their spat in November, when the host was suspended for making 3 donations to Democratic candidates without seeking approval beforehand.

Mr. Olbermann missed 2 broadcasts during his suspension. MSNBC asked Mr. Olbermann to make a public apology for running afoul of its ethics rules before reinstating him, according to a person familiar with the matter. But Mr. Olbermann resisted so long as MSNBC kept him suspended, the person said.

Posted by imran Saturday, January 22, 2011 0 comments

Google News

Outgoing Google CEO Eric richer by $335m

Boston, Jan 21: Outgoing Google CEO Eric Schmidt has handed over the mantle of CEO to the Google's co-founder Larry Page and will be breathing easy from now on. Who would not want an extra moolah while keeping you feet up and taking it easy. This is exactly what Eric Schmidt has in mind when he will dispose $335 millions worth of Google shares. Rumours are abuzz that he will sell a large chunk of his holdings soon.

Schmidt apparently intends to sell a major chunk of more than half a million Google shares he owns. He has formulated a stock-trading plan in a filing with the US Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC) and will sell close to 534,000 shares of Google Class A stock next year.

A member of the Forbes list of the world's richest, Eric will see his wallet swell by a whopping $334.7 millions, if he were to sell the stock at today's closing price of $626.77. In spite of this, the amount will only be a small chunk in his huge kitty of Google shares worth 9.2 million.

Even if he forgoes the large chunk of shares he will still proudly hold 2.9% of Google’s outstanding capital stock, own 2.7% of Google and hold 9.1% of the company’s voting power due to his ownership of Google’s Class B common stock.

News was out in Jan 2010 that the Goggle co-founders will each sell 5 million shares over five years. The gross sale amounting to $6.27 billion in today’s rate. Eric's current stake still falls short of his other two counterparts, Larry Page and Sergey Brin.

Posted by imran Friday, January 21, 2011 0 comments

Carlina White

Kidnapped Baby Reunites with Family, 23 Years Later!

Carlina White, the baby kidnapped from a NY City hospital 23 years ago, has reunited with her biological family. The story of how she solved her own missing person cold case.

23 years ago, Carlina White’s mother brought her to the hospital when she was a baby because she was sick… the baby was kidnapped by a woman posing as a nurse.

As she got older, Carlina White, raised with the name Nejdra Nance, started to question things about her life. She found no physical resemblance to her family and became suspicious.

“Nejdra Nance was very suspicious of who she was and what family raised her,” Lt. Christopher Zimmerman of the New York Police Department said. “There was no paperwork to follow her such as a birth certificate or social security card. In her late teens she became suspicious of who she was.”

Carlina White started piecing things together by going online and looking at missing children sites, finding a photo of baby Carlina and a composite of what the child would look like at 19.

Police are now searching for the woman who kidnapped Carlina White.

Posted by imran Thursday, January 20, 2011 0 comments

Coachella 2011

American Idol Season 10 premiere, Coachella 2011 lineup announced and the Amazing Race 18 welcomes back past losing teams.

American Idol Season 10 premieres tonight on FOX and it is now time to see if Steven Tyler and the Jennifer Lopez live up to the hype. The 2011 Coachella Music Festival performer lineup (Arcade Fire, Wiz Khalifa, Kings of Leon) has been announced and The Amazing Race 18 tackles “unfinished business” on CBS.

First up is the highly anticipated 2-night premiere event of American Idol 2011. It is now time to prove that all of this hype meets our expectations as Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez join Randy Jackson on the judge’s panel. With numerous changes to the American Idol format, this season should be quite interesting if the two new judges don’t fall flat. I have been a fan of the show since it debuted and Kelly Clarkson won the first season. I really hope FOX has not screwed it up and the Idol mania continues for years to come. Make sure you tune in tonight for the “American Idol” premiere at 8|7c on FOX.

Continuing with music news, the 2011 Coachella Music Festival has released its official lineup. Let’s just say it is freaking amazing and the 3-day event is a must if you are an avid music fan. The Coachella 2011 lineup includes: Kanye West, Arcade Fire, Kings of Leon, Cee-Lo Green, Interpol, The Strokes, Wiz Khalifa, Duran Duran, Lauryn Hill and a ton more that I don’t have room to list. (Click the picture in this post to enlarge it and get the full list) The 2011 Coachella Music Festival will take place on April 15-17. For ticket information, visit the Official Coachella Website.

Last but not least is the hit TV show The Amazing Race on CBS. Amazing Race 17 just finished not too long ago and the first all-female team crosses the finish line for first place. For the Amazing Race 18, we will get to see all of our favorite teams who lost come back and battle it out. Aptly titled The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business, teams will be given a second chance as they once again race around the world for the grand prize. The new season of Amazing Race will premiere on February 20th at 8|7c on CBS.

Posted by imran Wednesday, January 19, 2011 0 comments

Billy Walters

Billy Walters: 60 Minutes Focuses On the Successes Of Vegas Gambler

Billy Walters, the famous Las Vegas gambler who has been the subject of numerous federal investigations due to his high winning percentage, was featured as the subject of a sixty Minutes biopic on Sunday night.

Walters has won millions off of casinos around Las Vegas over the years, and CBS' news show decided it was time to take a look at the man behind the success.

Walters first made headlines in the 1980's as part of the infamous "Computer Group", who fed data into computers to help make predictions of sports outcomes. They won millions off the Vegas bookmakers, who reported them to the federal government.

Walters was indicted four times for beating the house too much, and managed to prove he was on the up-and-up each time.

Now, at age 64, he has become such an influential figure that his bets can change and influence Vegas' lines on a particular game.

Posted by imran Monday, January 17, 2011 0 comments

Extenze

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Posted by imran Saturday, January 15, 2011 0 comments

Wes Welker

Jerod Mayo on D&H: Wes Welker is a ‘funny guy’
Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo joined Dale and Holley on Friday, discussing the team’s upcoming playoff game against the Jets. He joked that was ready to give “Belichick-approved answers” in the interview, and when asked whether he felt Wes Welker had the Belichick-approved answers the day before, responded “obviously not.”

Welker made 11 subtle references to feet in Thursday’s press conference, often saying the Pats had to put their “best foot forward” and even referring to the squad as “little foot soldiers.”

“He’s pretty good. He’s a funny guy,” Mayo said. “He was just answering the questions. That’s all I’m going to say. He was just answering the questions.”

On the return of Brandon Spikes, who served a four-game suspension for violating the league’s susbstance abuse policy, Mayo said his fellow inside linebacker looks good.

“You can tell he’s been working out, staying in shape,” Mayo said. “He’s look good. … He looks like he’s ready to go.”

Posted by imran Friday, January 14, 2011 0 comments

Peter Fonda

Police: Actor Peter Fonda finds dead body in the car in Los Angeles
Los Angeles police say actor Peter Fonda discovered a dead body in a car and they are investigating the death.

Sgt. Carlton Cook at the West Los Angeles Community Police Station says the "Easy Rider" actor called 911 on the Wednesday after he spotted a car parked on the side of Sunset Boulevard. Cook says the 70-year-old Fonda is absolutely not a suspect but did not have any more details.

The call was first reported by TMZ, which says Fonda got out of his car and found the man slumped over in the front seat.

Posted by imran Thursday, January 13, 2011 0 comments

The Chipmunks

Which Chipmunk wears glasses? It is the search of the hour after airing of the Fox TV’s Quiz Show

The Chipmunks visited our living rooms on the TV show Million Dollar Money Drop? With that we could see huge flow of searches on the internet looking for the answer to the question asked on the popular quiz show and the question was “Which Chipmunk Wore Glasses?” The options given included the chipmunks Alvin, Simon or Theodore.

The people interested in knowing the answer just wanted to confirm their doubts as most of them knew it which Chipmunk wears glasses and the answer is quite easy! It’s of course Simon Chipmunk.

Of late the Chipmunks have been in limelight because of other reasons also as the owner of Alvin and Chipmunks franchise has sued EMI Music in controversy involving the failure of later in paying appropriate royalties to the franchise on a boxed set of Chipmunks music featuring 24 songs.

Chipmunks were developed in 1958 by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. and after him his son Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. is heading the company.

Posted by imran Wednesday, January 12, 2011 0 comments

Auburn University

Does A National Championship Overshadow This Year's Scandal?
Auburn University has had a very up and the down year, but it ended in the best way possible, with Cam Newton winning the Heisman Trophy and then going on and leading the Tigers to a national championship victory over the Oregon Ducks.

It was a year that involved the drama of a pay-for-play scandal that seemingly never went away for the Tigers and after the game, nothing seemed further from the minds of everyone in attendance.

"Winning a championship for the Auburn family, I can't really describe it right now," Auburn coach Gene Chizik said to the media. "To try would probably cheapen it."

However, we have seen how these scandals play out in the past and I'm sure it won't be the last time we hear of it and eventually maybe it will lead to sanctions against the program or maybe the season will be vacated. Then again, maybe the school will be found to have done nothing wrong as it has said all along, with the only transgressions coming from Cecil Newton.

There's a lot of questions that haven't been answered and after seeing the way the media handled it the first time around, I'm sure we'll hear about it sooner rather than later.

Posted by imran Tuesday, January 11, 2011 0 comments

Cherry Creek School District

Cherry Creek School Conducting Review On the Nutrition

The Cherry Creek School District Board of Education is conducting a major review of the district nutrition policy at its regular meeting on the Monday.

Scott Siegfried, who was the Cherry Creek Assistant Superintendent is scheduled to deliver the special report on diet and nutrition during the January 10 meeting. The presentation is less than a month after President Barack Obama signed the “Health, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010″ into law.

Federal legislation is designed to increase access to healthy food for low-income children and authorizing $ 4.5 billions in new funding for nutrition programs.

There is a presentation from Assistant Superintendent Eric Flor on Thinking Maps, a new tool for teachers in the district. The meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. at Cottonwood Creek Elementary School, 11200 E. Orchard Ave. in Englewood.

Posted by imran Monday, January 10, 2011 0 comments

Is Facebook Shutting Down

Facebook is Shutting Down Rumor Goes Viral: Site Said To Be Ending March 15, 2011

It's not clear how it started, but a ridiculous rumor that Facebook is shutting down is spreading fast on the social networks.

The hot rumor -- evidenced by Google Trends and gaining traction on Twitter -- says that on March 15, 2011, Facebook will be closing down. Not taking a day off, not undergoing maintenance, but ending entirely.

The rumor has led to such frantic tweets as, "Facebook will be shutting down on March 2011? I hope not!" and "So the rumor is Facebook is shutting down....please don't jump to twitter and ruin my social networking experience" (@jjelksboss).

Facebook users are also concerned. Says one: "Facebook is shutting down on March 15, 2011 for good D: Is there any way we can stop this!?!?" And a group has already started to stop Facebook from shutting down.

Ironically, Yahoo announced last month that its "Yahoo Video" will be closing down on the date in question, March 15, 2011, and videos can be seen for the last time on March 14. But that hardly means it's taking the rest of the Internet down with it.

Just a day ago, an opinion piece published on CNN said that the recent Goldman Sachs investment was the "beginning of the end" for Facebook. That post went viral with more than 5,000 Facebook "likes" and could be partially to blame for the ensuing panic.

Whatever the reason for this rumor, it's safe to say that as a site with more than 500,000 millions users and a $500 millons investment from Goldman Sachs recently, Facebook won't be shutting down anytime soon.

Posted by imran Saturday, January 8, 2011 0 comments

Los Lobos

The Fillmore Hosts Birthday Bash For The Bill Graham

San Francisco's most venerable rock club gathers such luminaries LA Latin-rock heroes Los Lobos and the local songwriter Jackie Green to pay tribute to the late Bay Area promoter Bill Graham Saturday night, celebrating what would have been Graham's 80th birthday. The party serves as chance for friends and family of this giant in local rock history to get together and remember the pioneering and sometimes prickly figure while raising funds for the Bill Graham Memorial Foundation.

Los Angeles-based band Los Lobos has been igniting stages with an incendiary mix of roots-rock, traditional Latin sounds, soulful grooves and heady experimentation for over 30 years. Drawing equally from rock, Tex-Mex, country, R&B, blues, and traditional Spanish and Mexican folk music, Los Lobos grew from its East LA bar origins to earn a reputation as 1 of the most creative groups to emerge from the '80s.

The quartet of multi-instrumentalists Dave Hidalgo and Louie Perez, guitarist Cesar Rosas and bassist Conrad Lozano first started playing together in 1973. Ten years later, the band recoreded its debut album and grew to a 5 piece with the addition of former Blasters sax man (and future producer of note) Steve Berlin. Critical favorites from the beginning, Los Lobos managed to write great songs in a myriad of musical styles without ever sounding forced.

The outfit achieved its greatest mainstream success with the soundtrack to 'La Bamba' in 1987, but the series of forward-thinking albums released since (particularly the experimental 'Kiko' and 2002's soulful 'Good Morning Aztlan') have cemented Los Lobos' reputation as one of the best bands in America.

The group plays classic cuts and tunes from it's latest album 'Tin Can Trust' when it headlines this concert. Local singer/songwriter Jackie Greene, who is probably best known outside of the Bay Area for his time with Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh's band, will also perform a solo set. Area bluegrass outfit Poor Man's Whiskey opens the show.

A raffle for great prizes and a silent auction in the Fillmore's upstairs poster room will feature one-of-a-kind items for the annual fundraiser, including a guitar autographed by Los Lobos, signed Fillmore and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass posters and amazing photos from rock lensmen Jay Blakesberg, Ken Friedman and Joel Bernstein.

Posted by imran 0 comments

Target Logo

Target Logo Goes Minimal – New Branding Trend?

Being the branding and marketing fanatic that I am, I seem to the always notice intricacies that a normal (sane) person would typically overlook. In this instance, it happens to be the Target logo revision.

I’m not exactly sure when the change took place, but Target has removed text from their logo and is now relying on the good ole’ target icon (bullseye) as captain of the ship. Does this remind you of another logo revision that recently took place? Well, it should.

On January 5th, Starbucks announced a logo revision that, surprisingly, did exactly what Target has done. Text was removed from the logo and the Starbucks “siren” is now featured in all its glory.

When branding in this day and age, is less more? This is an excellent question that deserves input from designers and marketers around the world. Lastly, if you have a chance, check out Target.com and you will see what I mentioned above. Nowhere does it say Target on the header and this is indicative of an established, successful brand.

Aaron Schoenberger is Founder of The Brainchild Group — an innovative online advertising agency that specializes in Social Media Marketing and Search Engine Optimization (SEO). He’s known for his work with celebrity clients, top restaurants, automotive manufacturers, professional athletes and Fortune 500 companies.

Posted by imran Friday, January 7, 2011 0 comments

Spas

Hyatt Spas Begin 2011 with Exciting Spa Packages

To tempt more travelers begin their year with a trip to the San Diego, the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina is offering a “Sunshine on Sale” package. The offer begun January 2, 2011 and goes through June 30, 2011. Travelers who book the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay’s “Sunshine on Sale” package for at least 2 nights will receive a 3rd night free – offering guests over 30 percent savings. In addition, the hotel’s eco-friendly spa will offer special season treatments, at very attractive prices. The offer ends last day of January.

Blue Marble Spa at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina, San Diego

The Blue Marble Spa will offer 2 winter packages:

* Winter Ritual Massage ($180) — The 90 minutes massage begins with a cinnamon and clove exfoliation to warm and renew the body followed by lavender and peppermint infused massage to soothe muscle tension.
* Winter Ritual Facial ($125) — The 60 minutes facial restores radiance to dry, dull skin using natural pear enzymes. The treatment continues with a concentrated plant stem cell serum designed to slow down the aging of cells and inflammation while accelerating skin suppleness, hydration and free radical protection.

The Blue Marble Spa was named one of the “Top Ten Spas Around the World” by Organic Spa magazine. The spa promotes ecologically friendly practices focused on inspiring the spirit and building positive health, using natural products and resources harvested from the land and sea. The goal is to offer guests the beauty and purity of life-promoting properties derived from nature.

Posted by imran Thursday, January 6, 2011 0 comments

Mega Millions Winner

Who is the Mega Million Winner? And What Are the Payouts?

Thousands of people lined up in 41 states and Washington, DC, before the Mega Millions drawing Tuesday in hopes of buying the winning ticket in a lottery game and 355 millions jackpots. The award is the fourth in the history of the US and second in the history of Mega Millions, said Lottery spokeswoman Cindy Esquer of Arizona. Raffle prizes of $ 390 millions in March 2007 and remains the richest nation on record.

“We have a pretty good flow of traffic since the purchase of tickets going,” said Bill Evans, owner of Beaver Dam Service Station northwestern Arizona. “As the day progresses, we will a line at the door, I’m sure.”

100s of people took to the tiny towns of Arizona Littlefield and Beaver Dam, passing through the state of Nevada and Utah, where Mega Millions tickets are not sold.

Rosie at Cafe on U.S. 93 north of Kingman near the Nevada line, hundreds of leads in the weekend to buy tickets for Mega Millions and the game was probably a rehearsal Tuesday because of the new bypass dam Hoover, which opened in October and easy travel across the state line of Nevada and Arizona.

“The line was out the door,” with 500 or more online at times on Saturday and Sunday, said a waitress and cashier Christine Millim.

Mega Millions is the game similar to Powerball – players try to win by matching 5 numbers and the “Mega Ball.” Tickets are $ 1.

Larry White, who bought a ticket to Atlanta, said he would use the money to help his family if he said the price several million dollars.

“I’ll take care of my family – to buy new houses, new cars and travel a bit,” he said.

Others said they would use the money to start foundations, retirement or vacation.

Sheila Twine in Atlanta said she would pay her and her daughter bills and help people in need.

“With all this money, I could help many people,” she said.

The cash option jackpot amounts to about 224 millions. Besides the jackpot, prices range from $ 2 to $ 250,000.

The game expanded last year under an agreement with cross-selling Powerball to become available in 41 states and Washington, DC

Posted by imran Tuesday, January 4, 2011 0 comments

Deanna Pappas

DeAnna Pappas:The Brad Womack’s Bachelor Woman Scorned (Video)

Season 15 of “The Bachelor” is going to be interesting, and it sure started out with a bang! DeAnna Pappas and the Jenni Croft confronted Brad Womack about their controversial end to the 2007 show. Want to get all the juicy details, with more photos and video of the “face-off?” Keep reading below!

When he was the man handing out the roses a few years ago, he ended the season by choosing neither of the final women. They were devastated and he was heavily criticized. Both women moved on, however, and they came back to share their thoughts with the man who hurt them, before he met the new set of bachelorettes.

As the show opened last night host Chris Harrison had a talk with the returning man about his journey since he was at the mansion last. Brad Womack opened up about how after counseling he is a changed man and feels like he is now ready to find love. But if he thought things would go completely smooth, he signed up for the wrong show.

Harrison then introduced Deanna Pappas and Jenni Croft! You could tell he was very anxious, and he twitched and kept adjusting his tie. They talked about how they felt and how they have moved on (one is engaged, the other married). Croft basically said she isn’t sure how it will work since all his potential women will know what he did before, but that she wishes him the happiness she has found. The other rejected woman was a little more blunt, and described how he was the 1st man she opened up to, and she got burned! Don’t miss that clip below.

I am just curious about what the women trying to find love on the reality show will react over time to Brad Womack. Will they expect to be scorned like Jenni Croft and DeAnna Pappas? Be sure to stay tuned this season for all the updates! Good luck bachelorettes!

Posted by imran 0 comments

Eva Gabor

Zsa Zsa Gabor, Not Eva Gabor to the Have Leg Amputated

Zsa Zsa Gabor, not her sister Eva Gabor, is having her leg amputated as part of an attempt to save the life of the Hungarian-born actress. Many people, over the years confuse the feisty actress with her sister, but they do have a striking resemblance.

On Sunday, Gabor's health became an issue of life and death. The 93-year-old actress, who has been confined to a wheelchair since a horrifying accident in 2002, was discovered to have a lesion on her leg that was not responding to medication.

The treatment, up to this point, was a monitoring protocol. However, doctors discovered the lesion had grown to a foot in size, and ordered her hospitalized to amputate her leg. In doing so, it would save her life. Again, Zsa Zsa Gabor, not Eva Gabor is facing amputation.

She had been in poor health for 6 months following hip replacement surgery, and has been in and out of the hospital for worsening conditions. Just a few months ago, she was sent home to spend her final days. While in the hospital, she requested a priest perform her last rites. Thankfully, she is still among the living. Her current husband says "she is strong".

Who is Zsa Zsa Gabor?

According to her biography, the 5'4" celebrity, born as Sari Gabor, was born in Budapest, Hungary. At some point, she followed her sister Eva Gabor to Hollywood where they both would pursue a career in acting. Her first film, Lovely to Look at, sealed her as an actress, although she did not receive top billing.

Later, she would appear in a string of films, again not billed at the top, but enough to garner respect as an artist. She would go on to make cameo appearances in movies playing herself. Over the years she has grown to be known as a very sophisticated, money-loving entertainer, who invented the speed-marriage concept. Gabor is reported to have been married 8 or more times.

Who is Eva Gabor?

She was the younger sister by just a few years, but was often mistaken for being Zsa Zsa Gabor. They did have a striking resemblance, almost twins even. However, apart from that, the 2 Gabor sisters were nothing alike. They may have looked alike, both starred in movies, and had multiple marriages, but the younger Eva was considered to be the "good Gabor" of the bunch.

She was more refined, didn't long for the opulent lifestyle that her older sibling epitomized. Instead, she lived a somewhat quiet life, or watered-down version of big sis.

Eva Gabor is best known for her role in the situation comedy, Green Acres (1965) in a role alongside Eddie Albert as his socialite turned farm wife. Sadly, she died in 1995 from complications of food poisoning.

According to Zsa Zsa Gabor's treatment team, the feisty actress stands a good chance of recovering well upon successful amputation of her infected leg. However, they do point out that it is a risky operation.

Posted by imran Monday, January 3, 2011 0 comments

Iphone Alarm Not Working

Verizon iPhone 4 release and why iPhone alarm not working

The good news for the iPhone lover is that it is also arriving on Verizon. This is not something new. Since the iPhone landed in the industry the buzz has been that it would make its arrival soon. Actually when iPhone was to hit the market, there were many reports showing that Apple was roping in Verizon for this device.

But at the 11th hour the California-based firm changed its mind and announced that it would go with its old partner AT&T. However, but things didn’t end there as reports on and off surfaced about Verizon iPhone. Later on many users got fed up with the rumors and lost all hope in it. But once more reports have popped up claiming that Verizon iPhone is on its way.

According to industry insiders, it is just a few weeks away. This time newspapers and blogs are citing a person familiar with Apple's plans "who isn't authorized to discuss them publicly." Bloomberg has been the 1st news agency to report about it.

If we believe the report then it is understood that Verizon iPhone is going to come after next week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Till now many reports have been published on this issue. However, the million dollar question is: what will happen to AT&T?

Will its die-hard fans move to Verizon? This and other questions are being debated in the industry. Right now there is confusion. However, those who are aware of the things in the industry are of the opinion that many AT&T customers would move to Verizon. Besides, Verizon fans who had been waiting for it are also happy with the report.

An article published in the Bloomberg that quotes John Hodulik, an analyst at UBS AG in New York, chances are that 2.3 million iPhones in 2011 (down from 15.6 millions in 2010). That is not a good news for AT&T that earlier was chided for failed to give quality service.

Meanwhile the iPhone's non-recurring alarms stopped working for a staggering 2 days after the clocks struck midnight to usher in 2011. Instead, thousands of smart phone owners got a surprise lie-in and many were forced to blame the glitch for being late for work.

Posted by imran Sunday, January 2, 2011 0 comments

Frankie Edgar

UFC 125 Post-Fight News & Notes: Randy Couture to Face Lyoto Machida at the UFC 129?
A UFC Lightweight title fight between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard highlighted the very first MMA event of 2011 as the 2 fighters -- unfairly predicted by many to go to a stale Unanimous Decision -- fought to a split draw in Las Vegas, but that was not the only highlight of UFC 125.

No, as it turns out, Fanhouse MMA reported live at the event that Randy "The Natural" Couture will in fact get 1 of the non-title bouts that he's been hoping for as he faces former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida at UFC 129

Couture confirmed the fight itself at the event tonight, though bout agreements have yet to be distributed.

Couture will look to keep a 3-fight win streak alive as one of the most iconic figures in MMA faces one of its brightest young warriors.

While Couture has recently posted victories over Brandon Vera, Mark Coleman, and Boxing Legend James Toney, Machida rides a 2 fight skid after suffering his 1st pro loss at UFC 113 at the hands of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

The streak of bad luck continued as Quinton "Rampage" Jackson handed Machida his first loss by decision at UFC 123 in MIchigan, though to be fair, the fight ended as a split decision.z

Machida needs to either defeat the legend when the UFC comes to Toronto, Ontario for the first time, or he needs to make for one hell of a barnburner before being handed a third loss in a row.

Likewise, Couture cannot let Machida's unorthodox striking throw his own Dirty Boxing game off.

The break down of this type of fight could mold beautifully into its own column but until the fight is confirmed, all we can say is that this fight is one of the most potentially-possible fights of the new year,

I for one hope that this fight does get signed to the UFC 129 card.

Posted by imran 0 comments

La Roux

Our take on the La Roux phenomenon

As we look back over 2010, one of the more compelling phenomena in the world of electronic music has been the behemothic rise of La Roux.

The British electro-pop duo is reminiscent of the early Erasure, and embodies a definitively old-school synth style. They also sound like any number of other solid synth-pop bands on the scene right now. What they possess, which those other bands do not, is a mainstream success we haven’t seen from a band like this in a dog’s age.

Already a huge success in the UK and across Europe (chart success it shared with bands like Goldfrapp), it was also a big hit in the US, traditionally hostile territory for electronic bands chart-wise. “Bulletproof” spent 15 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (peaking at #8) and was a seriously ubiquitous song this spring (shifting a staggering 500,000 digital units by April). “In For the Kill” made it another hit when it was played on an episode of “Entourage”.

Softsynth fancies itself as having a good ear for electronic music and can usually predict with some success the degree of mainstream embrace a band might have, but the degree to which La Roux have succeeded on this metric is far beyond anything we could ever, ever have anticipated.

So why them?

We don’t pretend to have any mystical truths at our disposal but the question needs posing. There are scores of bands that sound like La Roux. In many cases a lot like La Roux. Is there a unique competitive advantage of the song? Is it label support? Is it singer Ellie Jackson’s awesome, awesome hair? Why not the similar-in-spirit Parralox? Or Future/Perfect? Or Northern Kind? Each is a synth-pop duo with a compelling female vocalist and a similar over-arching sound, so why this band, why now? We’ve postulated on the resurgence of electronic music, a movement we’re continuing to see all over the world these last two years, but the heights to which La Roux has soared (they were on The View for god’s sake! As we write this on December 31, they are scheduled to appear on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve!) goes above and beyond.

They have a unique opportunity to seize on the moment but Jackson has already made those career killer noises so many in their position make – she has arrogantly pontificated that “synth music is over” and that she’s now ‘done’ playing with synthesizers: “I don’t want to make synth music for the rest of my fucking life. It was a time when I was into that, but whatever, it’s done with, it’s gone. The whole genre is so over. It was my thing and I’m bored with it. If I see anything more ‘80s-themed, I’m going to bust.” Well fuck you very much Ms. Jackson. When MGMT abandoned the sound that make them a success they turned out a forgettable, pretentious album that went nowhere. Bands that succeed with a certain sound and then turn their nose up it usually go gently into that good night. If so, so be it.

They made a great album and helped move the cause of electronic music a lot further down the field and their place in the history of the genre is well secured. If they piss it away, it’s too bad and in the meantime, many others will be lining up to figure out what magic they were able to weave as they crossed over into the mainstream. We don’t know what it was exactly but it made for one of the more interesting stories in music in 2010.

Posted by imran Saturday, January 1, 2011 0 comments

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