Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 Seriously?

Samsung  Galaxy Tab

Galaxy tab

Samsung is using the 'Goldilocks' strategy with the new 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab

Clearly, any non-iPad tablet is currently doomed. They’re shifted off to the side in electronics stores (just like Macs used to be) and nobody is buying them. People don’t say “I want a tablet. Let’s go to the store to see what they have.” Nope, people say “I want an iPad.” And then they buy one.
Now, Samsung may have hit on the secret formula, the iPad-killing feature that has until now eluded the best minds in consumer electronics. The seven-inch Galaxy Tab failed. The 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab fared no better. So behold: The Galaxy Tab 8.9. That’s right. Less screen size than an iPad, and less portable than an e-reader. How could it fail?
The other special sauce is LTE, for connecting to all the 4G networks that blanket the world today. The processor is similarly redundant: you get a dual-core chip running at 1.5GHz, so you can enjoy the built-in Adobe Flash plugin stuttering along at a slightly higher frame rate than usual.
Otherwise, not much is new. The screen has a 1280 × 800 resolution, the unit is 8.6mm (0.03 feet) thick and weighs a stout 455 grams (one pound). Expect to see this thing fly off the shelves when it launches (possibly) later this year.

Netflix users, time to pick a plan

The big question in Web video this week is how many Netflix customers will stick with the service in the face of an upcoming price increase.

 

 

But even those planning to continue with the service might want to make some decisions before time runs out and the decisions are made by the company.
In July, Netflix announced it would eliminate a popular hybrid plan. For $10 a month, users were allowed to rent one DVD at a time as well as obtain unlimited Web access to the company's streaming-video library. That's scheduled to disappear on Thursday.
This is a reminder that if you're a hybrid subscriber and do nothing by then, Netflix will assume you want both plans. That's certainly logical but it may be something you didn't think about. After Thursday, each plan will cost $7.99 per month, or $15.98 per month for both. If you want to go exclusively with one offer or the other, it's time to get a move on.
To make the changes or to cancel just visit your Netflix account page

ITunes' streaming music finally shows up

When Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the coming of iTunes Match at June's Worldwide Developers Conference, there wasn't a single word about a long-awaited streaming-music feature.

For over a year, music industry sources told CNET that Apple had sought licenses from the four major labels to build a cloud music service that would allow the company to scan a user's hard drive, and then stream their entire music library from Apple's servers back to the user via any Web-connected device.
On Monday, the streaming feature finally poked its head up. Apple launched the iTunes Match developer beta, and included in that is the ability to stream songs. Apple described it this way:

iTunes Match stores your complete music library in iCloud, allowing you to enjoy your collection anywhere, anytime, on any iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or computer.

Cloud music is supposed to save valuable storage space on users' mobile devices as well as give them ubiquitous access to their music libraries. The iTunes Match costs $25 a year (and scan and match up to 25,000 songs), and the feature also allows users to download songs to devices. Match is expected to be available to the public later this year.

Related links
• Apple gives devs early access to iTunes Match
• Tower Records to iTunes, NARM seeks revival
• Amazon offers unlimited Cloud music storage

The ability to offer consumers a scan-and-match feature is what cloud music services from Google and Amazon missed out on by choosing to forgo licensing music from the labels. Instead, users of those services must upload to those companies' servers each of their songs, which can be laborious if a large library is involved.
One more thing: the licenses that Apple acquired from the four major labels earlier this year included the scan and match. Why the company didn't included it in the June announcement is unknown. Apple reps weren't available for comment early Tuesday. It would seem that TechCrunch's MG Siegler was right that this was a case in which Apple underpromised and overdelivered.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-20099136-261/itunes-streaming-music-finally-shows-up/#ixzz1McJRdLQQ

Ferocious Hurricane Irene batters New York, moving north

Evacuations in NY, streets empty, transport shut down

Hurricane Irene heading to hurricane

* Giant, slow-moving storm raises fears of storm surge

* At least seven deaths blamed on Irene

By Ben Berkowitz and Dan Trotta

NEW YORK, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Hurricane Irene battered New York with ferocious winds and driving rain early on Sunday, shutting down the U.S. financial capital and most populous city, halting mass transit and causing massive power blackouts as it churned slowly northward along the East Coast.

New York City's normally bustling streets were eerily quiet after authorities ordered tens of thousands of residents to evacuate low-lying areas and shut down its subways, airports and buses. [ID:nN1E77Q042]

Commuters were left to try to flag down yellow taxis and livery cabs that patrolled largely deserted streets.

Irene, still a menacing 480-mile (780-km)-wide hurricane, was enveloping major centers in the northeast, threatening dangerous floods and surging tides.

From the Carolinas to Maine, tens of millions of people were in the path of Irene, which howled ashore in North Carolina at daybreak on Saturday, dumping torrential rain, felling trees and knocking out power.

"The edge of the hurricane has finally got upon us," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told the more than eight million people who live in New York as he warned that tropical storm-force winds would hit the city.

Times Square, often called the crossroads of the world, was sparsely populated, mostly with visitors, as Irene rolled into the city with full force.

"We just came to see how few people are in Times Square and then we're going back," said Cheryl Gibson, who was vacationing in the city and had planned to go to the other side of the Hudson River on Sunday. "We can't get to New Jersey and I'm not sure it's any better there," she said.

Bloomberg warned New Yorkers Irene was a life-threatening storm and urged them to stay indoors to avoid flying debris, flooding or the risk of being electrocuted by downed power lines. "It is dangerous out there," he said, but added later:

"New York is the greatest city in the world and we will weather this storm."

Some 370,000 city residents were ordered to leave their homes in low-lying areas, many of them in parts of the boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan.

But many were unwilling to evacuate. Nicholas Vigliotti, 24, an auditor who lives in a high-rise building along the Brooklyn waterfront, said he saw no point. "Even if there was a flood, I live on the fifth floor," he said.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

TAKE A LOOK on Irene [ID:nSTORM]

Reuters Hurricane Tracker r.reuters.com/san78n

National Hurricane Center www.nhc.noaa.gov

Skeetobite Weather www.skeetobiteweather.com

Weather Underground www.wunderground.com/tropical

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STORM SURGE FEARS

Flood waters forced officials in Hoboken, just across the Hudson River from Manhattan, to evacuate a storm shelter, the mayor of Hoboken, Dawn Zimmer, said on Twitter.

"Hoboken faces worst case scenario. Flooding has begun. Moving Wallace Shelter residents to state shelter in east Rutherford," the mayor's tweet said.

The Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center forecast a storm surge of up to 8 feet (2.5 meters) for Long Island and metropolitan New York. That could top the flood walls protecting the south end of Manhattan if it comes at high tide around 8 a.m. (noon GMT).

With winds of 8O miles per hour (130 km per hour), Irene was a Category 1 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson intensity scale. By 11 p.m. (0300 GMT), the center of the storm was 70 miles (115 km) south southwest of Ocean City, Maryland, and 255 miles (415 km) south southwest of New York City.

As it moved into New York, the hurricane center said it was expected to remain a hurricane and weaken only after making its second landfall in New England.

It added that Irene's winds could have a stronger impact on the higher floors of skyscrapers.

Summer vacationers fled beach towns and resort islands on Saturday. More than a million people left the New Jersey shore and glitzy Atlantic City casinos were dark and empty.

This year has been one of the most extreme for weather in U.S. history, with $35 billion in losses so far from floods, tornadoes and heat waves.

SEVEN DEATHS REPORTED

President Barack Obama, who cut his vacation short on the Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard to return to the White House, was keeping a close eye on preparations for the hurricane. [ID:nN1E77Q0D3]

After moving across North Carolina with less punch than expected but still threatening, the hurricane re-emerged over inshore waters on its route northward, hugging the coast.

At least seven deaths were reported in North Carolina, Virginia and Florida. Several million people were under evacuation orders on the U.S. East Coast.

Irene left several million people without power in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware and widespread blackouts were reported in New York.

When Irene hit the North Carolina coast at daybreak, winds howled through the power lines, rain fell in sheets and streets were flooded or littered with signs and tree branches.

Hundreds of thousands of people in Irene's path evacuated their homes, many taking refuge in official shelters.

"Things can be replaced, but life can't be," said Robert Hudson, a 64-year-old military retiree, who sought refuge at a shelter in Milford High School in Delaware.

North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue said there may be "a major hit" to tobacco crops, poultry and livestock in her state.

Shoppers stripped supermarkets and hardware stores of food, water, flashlights, batteries and generators.

Torrential rain hit downtown Washington but expected high winds had still not reached the city after midnight and restaurants remained open, some of them almost full.

Irene was the first hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland since Ike pounded Texas in 2008. Emergency workers were mindful of Hurricane Katrina, which swamped New Orleans, killed up to 1,800 people and caused $80 billion in damage in 2005. (Additional reporting by Joe Rauch and Jim Brumm in Wilmington, N.C.; Pascal Fletcher in Miami; Tom Hals in Delaware, Basil Katz and Jonathan Allen in New York; Susan Cornwell and John Crawley in Washington; Michael Fitzpatrick in Long Branch, New Jersey; Writing by Jane Sutton and Pascal Fletcher; Editing by Christopher Wilson and Todd Eastham)

Jon peters ordered to pay damages on sexual harrasment claim

Hollywood producer Jon Peters was ordered Friday to pay $822,000 in damages to a former personal assistant after a Los Angeles jury found that she was sexually harassed and subjected to a hostile work environment.
Jurors also decided that Peters, 66, the former boyfriend of singer Barbra Streisand, acted with malice, a finding that triggers a further court hearing to determine if punitive damages should be awarded to Shelly Morita, who sued the producer and his company, J.P. Organization Inc., in December 2006.
Morita, 44, alleged that Peters inappropriately touched her at his Malibu home, crawled into bed with her at an Australian hotel and exposed himself to her and her then-2-year-old daughter in an outdoor restroom at his Santa Barbara ranch.
Morita, who worked for Peters for a year starting in February 2005, also claimed that the producer’s influence in Hollywood prevented her from obtaining another job after she quit his firm.
Defense attorneys contended that Morita had signed a release of all claims against Peters in January 2006, and they asserted that she had no witnesses to prove her allegations of sexual harassment.
Peters was a successful hairstylist in his family’s salon, where he made contacts in the movie industry. He went on to become the producer or the executive producer of such films as "Caddyshack," "Rain Man," "Bonfire of the Vanities" and "Superman Returns."

5 Top executives who will run Aplle after steve jobs departure

Steve jobs

              
The departure of Steve Jobs from the role of CEO leaves Apple Inc. with a deep bench of executives who have been with the company for more than a dozen years — an unusual lineup for a company in the fast-moving technology world.
Here’s a who’s who of the top names in Apple:

.

Tim Cook, the new CEO, was chief operating officer and has filled in for Jobs during his medical leaves. He joined Apple Inc. in 1998 as senior vice president of worldwide operations and has been credited with tuning Apple’s manufacturing process to solve chronic product delays and supply problems. As the guy who kept things humming in the background, Cook hasn’t participated much in product launches.
Before Apple, Cook worked in supply chain management at Compaq Computer, now part of Hewlett-Packard Co., and IBM Corp. He has an MBA from Duke University.

 Peter Oppenheimer is Apple’s chief financial officer, a position that in many companies is a stepping stone to the CEO position. But at Apple, financials seem to take a back seat to technology and design. Oppenheimer wasn’t mentioned in the speculation over who would take over as CEO after Jobs, before it became clear that Cook was the crown prince. Oppenheimer started at Apple in 1996. He has an MBA from the University of Santa Clara.

Philip Schiller is the head of product marketing and frequently participates in Apple’s trademark product launch events. Yet he’s worked in the shadow of Jobs, who’s been a highly visible front man for the company and deeply involved in the company’s marketing and presentation — Jobs’ even been known to answer e-mails from customers. Schiller’s career has followed a similar trajectory to Jobs: He started worked there in the 80s, left to work at other companies, then returned in 1997 when Jobs did. He graduated from Boston College with a major in biology.

 Jonathan Ive has led Apple’s industrial design team, responsible for the look and feel of the hardware, since 1996. That means he predates Jobs’ return to the company in 1997. Ive has guided the design of iconic products such as the original iMac, the iPod and the iPhone. He’s the winner of several design awards. In a 2007 interview with the Design Museum in Britain, he says Apple’s design process is characterized by “fanatical care beyond the obvious stuff: the obsessive attention to details that are often overlooked, like cables and power adaptors.”
 Scott Forstall heads Apple’s development of software for the iPhone and iPad and helps demonstrate their features at launch events. He worked with Jobs at Next, the company Jobs founded after leaving Apple in the 1980s, and joined Apple when it bought Next in 1997. Forstall is one of the architects of the current Mac operating system, OS X. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Stanford University

Investigators probe suicide attack on UN in Nigeria

Investigators probe suicide attack on UN in Nigeria

 Investigators on Saturday probed a suicide attack at UN headquarters in Nigeria after the bomber managed to penetrate tight security and ram his car into the building, killing at least 19 people.
Top UN officials, including the world body's security chief, were due to arrive in Nigeria on Saturday night and rescue workers combed through rubble at the building to ensure no one remained trapped.
Emergency officials visited area hospitals to check on casualties amid calls for blood donations. Dozens were wounded with various degrees of injuries, and a doctor at the national hospital called the situation "overwhelming."
A man claiming to be a spokesman for the Nigerian Islamist sect known as Boko Haram said in a phone call to an AFP journalist that the group carried out Friday's attack.
The veracity of his claims could not be confirmed and police said all possibilities were being considered.
The sect has not previously been known to target international organisations, but there have been growing concerns over whether it has formed links with extremist groups outside of Nigeria, including Al-Qaeda's north African branch.
The death toll from the huge bomb that blew out the first two floors of the building climbed to 19, according to emergency management agency spokesman Yushau Shuaib, one more than a previous toll provided by police.
It was believed that everyone had now been evacuated from the building, with a number of people rescued after apparently having been stuck in a lift for hours on Friday afternoon, said Shuaib.
But rescue teams arrived at the compound on Saturday morning saying they wanted to be sure no one was left inside.
"There could still be some people under the rubble," a member of the rescue team who did not want to be named told AFP.
One of the victims was earlier confirmed as a 30-year-old Norwegian woman, and the rescue team member said she had been pulled from under a collapsed wall at the reception area on the building's ground floor following an effort involving five people on Friday.
The building houses some 26 UN agencies and departments, with hundreds of employees with a variety of nationalities believed to have worked there. It was among the bloodiest attacks targeting the United Nations globally.
United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the attack and dispatched Deputy UN Secretary General Asha-Rose Migiro and UN security chief Greg Starr to Nigeria.
"They are arriving tonight," UN spokesman in Nigeria Charles Nosa Osazuwa said. He declined to provide further details for now.
Questions have been already been raised at the UN over how the bomber managed to make his way through two gates before ramming into the building.
Police spokesman Yemi Ajayi said it was too early to say who the main suspect in the bombing would be.
"Let the end of the investigation reveal that," he said. "We're taking several approaches to the investigation, so we don't want to put our mind in one place. That alone may jeopardise the investigation."
Security was increased throughout the capital, with key areas under 24-hour guard and checkpoints mounted. Police had also been put on alert nationwide in Africa's most populous nation and its largest oil producer.
A bomb blast that rocked a car park at national police headquarters in Abuja in June and killed at least two people was claimed by Boko Haram. Police first said it was the result of a suicide blast before later retracting their statement, saying they could not be sure.
Most of the attacks blamed on the sect have occurred in the country's northeast, but a number have been carried out elsewhere, including the previous explosion in Abuja as well as several in Suleija near the capital.
The Islamist sect launched an uprising in 2009, put down by a brutal military assault that left hundreds dead.
It went dormant for about a year before re-emerging in 2010 with a series of assassinations of security personnel and politicians, as well as religious and community leaders.
Nigeria's 150 million population is roughly divided in half between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south.

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by Aaron Richardson (RSS feed) on Apr 29th, 2011 at 9:33AM

Rolls Royce Phantom App – Click above for high-res image gallery
Rolls Royce is letting owners and enthusiasts unleash their creative juices on the 2011 Phantom with a new app for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. The program lets would-be buyers and reams build their very own, fully-customized version of the hyper luxury sedan, complete with a frightening 44,000 exterior color options. If, somehow, you can't find a shade you like, you can use your device's camera to take a picture of the exact hue you're looking for, and the app will apply it to your virtual Phantom.

True, this may not be the most utilitarian app out there, but it could definitely occupy a good portion of a long layover or school play without all the racket of Angry Birds. Once you've nailed down the perfect color for your Roller, you can scroll through photo galleries of interior piping choices, wood grains and options to make sure everything matches up just so.

The best part of this virtual Rolls builder is that it's completely free from the App Store, which means even street urchins like us can afford to build our dream Roller, however unattainable the car may be in the metal.

[Source: Rolls Royce]by Jeff Glucker (RSS feed) on Apr 29th, 2011 at 9:01AM

Tornadoes are wreaking havoc in the southern United States, causing Mercedes-Benz and Toyota to put the brakes on production at each of their respective Alabama manufacturing facilities. Mercedes-Benz builds GL-Class, M-Class and R-Class vehicles in Tuscaloosa, while Toyota's Huntsville plant produces V6 and V8 engines for the Tundra and Tacoma pickup trucks and the Sequoia sport utility vehicle.

Both facilities are closed at the moment, and power outages are affecting many areas in the South. Reps for Toyota and Mercedes have stated that their plants will remain closed through the weekend.

[Source: Automotive News | Image: Butch Dill/AP]

by Jeff Glucker (RSS feed) on Apr 29th, 2011 at 8:27AM

What happens to former movie cars? If they weren't turned into a balled-up hunk during the on-screen action then they'll most likely find their way to a sales lot. A good place to find vehicles for sale is AutoTrader.com, so it's no surprise that a few star cars have found a home on site's servers.

With the release of Fast Five (the fifth installment in The Fast and the Furious franchise), the folks at AutoTrader decided to pull out a few fast and curious vehicles that have graced the silver screen. The list ranges from a 1996 Acura Integra GS-R to a replica 1973 Chevrolet Camaro F-Bomb. Head on over to AutoTrader.com to sample the furious machines.

[Source: AutoTrader.com]

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) on Apr 29th, 2011 at 7:57AM

Bentley edition Carte Blanche book – Click above for high-res image gallery
While you might associate James Bond with Aston Martin, it's been a few years since we've seen 007 piloting his DBS on the silver screen. And it'll be at least another year until the 23rd Bond film makes its debut, if not longer. In between, fans can keep up on the spy's adventures through the pages of new Bond novels, in which the secret agent drives a Bentley. And so to commemorate the launch of the latest volume, Crewe has designed a special edition enclosure for the occasion.

Now Bentley, of course, is in the business of making cars, not books, so you know that when they were brought on board to make this unique edition of the latest Bond novel, Carte Blanche, it'd have to be something a little more unique than the paperback you'd find at your local drug store. And indeed it is: the special edition is printed in red and black ink on ivory paper, book-ended, as it were, by red leather endpapers, and covered in white Nappa leather into which the title and logos are embossed.

Very nice and all, but what really sets this edition apart is the polished aluminum case – crafted on a machine specially commissioned for the task – which represents the form of the new Continental GT that Bond drives in the story. And for one last special touch, the pages are pierced by a "bullet hole", in which sits an individually-numbered and polished 9mm round. Only 500 examples will be made, each fetching £1,000 (approximately $1,650). Follow the jump for the official press release, and check out the images in the gallery below for a closer look.

[Source: Bentley] Read more ?

by Chris Shunk (RSS feed) on Apr 28th, 2011 at 7:58PM

2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 – Click above to watch the video after the jump
The 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 certainly has the stats of a kick-ass track car. Who can argue with a naturally aspirated, 4.0-liter flat-six with 500 horsepower, an 8,250 rpm redline and a Nürburgring time of 7:27? Just as exciting is the fact that the GT3 RS 4.0 weighs only 2,998 pounds soaking wet, thanks to a host of weight-saving measures like light-weight carpet and scads of carbon fiber. And when was the last time you saw a street-legal production car with front dive plates for added down-force?

You know what else we like? Video of the GT3 RS 4.0 on the track. After the jump is video of the 997 911's final iteration tearing up the Porsche development test track in Germany. While you're watching, you can also learn more about the 4.0 from Porsche GT boss Andreas Preuninger. It's too bad that we're only $184,948 short of the GT3 RS 4.0's starting price of $185k, because we'd sure like to be one of the 600 owners to have this 911 in our long-term garage. Hit the jump to enjoy the sights and sounds.

[Source: YouTube] Read more ?

by Chris Shunk (RSS feed) on Apr 28th, 2011 at 7:25PM

X Games 16 SuperRally – Click above for high-res image gallery
RallyCross and the X Games were made for one another, and X Games 17 will feature one of the coolest tracks ever. The games, which will run from July 28 through July 31, will include a first-ever rally street circuit in downtown Los Angeles.

Three-time rally gold medalist and Top Gear U.S. host Tanner Foust sounds pretty excited about the development, and we can't blame him. "Being in the car, ripping through streets, cranking the handbrake through intersections while door-to-door and jumping next to buildings is going to be truly epic! I can't wait!"

We're guessing ESPN can't wait either, as the shots from the competition will likely be awe-inspiring. And the sports news network will have the event very well covered, with 25 hours of high definition coverage and another 18 hours of 3D coverage.

And, of course, the X Games wouldn't be the X Games without dirt bikes, so you can expect plenty of Enduro X coverage. There will also be eight new Moto X competitions, which will take place inside The STAPLES Center. Sounds like a good time. Hit the jump to read over the ESPN press release, and check out our high-res image galleries below for some of the rally action from last year.

Photos copyright ©2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

[Source: Motor World Hype] Read more ?

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) on Apr 28th, 2011 at 7:21PM

Lexus may be onto something here, if for no other reason that it's better to drive than most everything else the marque offers, and that it's the cheapest way to park an L-badge in your driveway.

Wonder what life would be like if you and your significant other managed to fork over the ransom necessary to bring not one, but two examples of the Lamborghini Aventador home?

by Zach Bowman (RSS feed) on Apr 28th, 2011 at 6:57PM

If you have no interest in motorcycles, mechanics or old machinery, it's probably best you skip this post. You see, the short film after the jump is perhaps the best depiction of the highs and lows associated with those three horsemen that we've ever seen on screen. The video features plenty of lengthy shots of a Triumph motorcycle single dashing across the open country side. It's exactly what every motorcyclist thinks of when the words "perfect" and "ride" worm their way into conversation. There's no traffic and no foul weather – just miles of meandering asphalt and nowhere to be.

But our hero rider runs into a bit of a mechanical hiccup when he stops for a spell. Fuel floods the cylinder, and despite his best efforts, he's reduced to a raving ball of frustration after frantically trying to get the bike to start. As the crew at Visordown accurately point out, the scene is the visual embodiment of Robert M Pirsig's famous line, "If the machine produces tranquility it's right. If it disturbs you it's wrong until either the machine or your mind is changed."

We won't spoil the ending for you, but if you've ever found yourself in a similar situation, you know the elation of victory all too well. Hit the jump to check out Blazer for yourself.

Note: Language makes this one Not Safe For Work.

[Source: Visordown] Read more ?

by Zach Bowman (RSS feed) on Apr 28th, 2011 at 6:28PM

Get excited, kids. The Driver franchise is back with a new chapter, and this time the story takes the damage to San Francisco. Our good friends over at Joystiq got to spend a little time behind the controller of the game ahead of its launch. The storyline picks up after the conclusion of Driv3r, which means we're done playing around in the late '70s. Ubisoft Reflections has gone through the trouble of rendering a fair portion of down town, Marin County, East Bay and Treasure Island for our tormenting pleasure, though according to Joystiq, that's not the most interesting part of the gameplay.

Early in the action, our hero Tanner winds up in a coma and spends the rest of the story line haunting San Francisco and possessing random drivers to track down the infamous Jericho. Apparently players can snap up any vehicle they see simply by lining up a reticle and pressing a button. It sounds a little shaky to us, but that doesn't mean we won't light a few hours of our life on fire by flopping down on the couch with Driver: San Fracisco when it lands this August. Hit the jump for a video.

[Source: Joystiq] Read more ?

by Aaron Richardson (RSS feed) on Apr 28th, 2011 at 5:58PM

2012 Subaru Impreza – Click above for high-res image gallery
According to Ward's Auto, Subaru brass are expecting the 2012 Impreza to sell around 60,000 units a year, or half again as many as the car's current 40,000-unit total. Subaru executive vice president of North America Tom Doll says the car fills gaps in the company's lineup that prevented it from being as competitive as it could have been.

Subaru claims the new Impreza will return 36 miles per gallon on the highway, a figure that would put the car on the top of the all-wheel-drive pile for fuel economy. The gas mileage figures come courtesy of a new-for-2012 2.0-liter boxer four-cylinder reigning in 148 horsepower. The upcoming Impreza will also be lighter than the outgoing model, making fuel-sipping a little easier.

With all the new tweaks, Subaru is hoping Impreza sales can push the brand's overall total from 264,000 vehicles last year to closer to 300,000. That's a heady goal to be sure, but the company is confident enough in the new car's appeal to make a bold prediction. Only time will tell if such hopefulness is well founded.

Live photos copyright ©2011 Jeff Glucker/AOL

[Source: Ward's Auto – sub. req.]

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How to make Iphone applications

With the iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK), programmers can make your ideas reality - even if you yourself don't know the difference between a C-pointer  and a SQLite database. 


More than 200 iPhone application projects have already  been posted on Elance.com. Check out these tips in this article to get  your project kick-started. 


We focus on the development of applications for the Apple iPhone, and we asked Nick Dalton, iPhone SDK specialist, to give Elance buyers a few tips on how to scope and post an iPhone Application project. Here’s what he had to say: 


The iPhone is an amazing device that invites creativity. If you’re an iPhone owner I’m sure you’ve said to yourself: ‘I wish I could do that on my iPhone, or I have a great idea for an iPhone application’. 


With the iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK), programmers can make your ideas reality – even if you yourself don’t know the difference between a C-pointer and a SQLite database. But before you go ahead and post your application idea to the buzzing iPhone project area on www.Elance,com. here are some pointers to get your project kick-started: 




Study the Masters
Apple has already spent a lot of time thinking about how to present information and build interactive applications on the iPhone. The applications that come with the iPhone are the results of this research. Study them in great detail and try to apply as many of the user interface metaphors as possible to your application. 


Not only will Apple be flattered if you imitate the user interface in their applications, but they actually mandate it to a great level of detail as described in their Human Interface Guidelines. 




Dream in Color Screens
Most applications for the iPhone will be very visual. Therefore it makes sense to provide your requirements as screen images or sketches. You don’t have to be a graphics artist to do this effectively. An iPhone programmer is looking for the following information:

- The type of layout each screen should have


- The buttons on the screens


- The actions associated with each button

The exact shape and format of your screen sketches is secondary. As long as they are readable, it’s a great way to communicate your application design to a programmer. 




Be Realistic About Your Budget
Look at other iPhone projects posted on Elance to get a sense for the bid amounts on these projects. Read the descriptions of these projects to see if they seem to be larger or smaller projects than what you have in mind. If you set your budget to under $500 for something that is realistically going to take a programmer two months to implement, you are not likely to attract many bidders. 


From a programming perspective, some things are easy to do on the iPhone, while other seemingly simple things are very time consuming. For example the beautiful cover-flow animation used in the music application on the iPhone should be simple to use in other applications. Unfortunately you can’t. If you want this animation within your application it will have to be written from scratch, probably costing a one month of work. 


If you talk to an approved iPhone developer early in your application design process you can learn how to get most out of your budget by avoiding the things that are really difficult to do on the iPhone. 


Don’t Be Too Original
iPhone users already know how to do certain tasks on their phones by convention. For example, if you tap an item in a list that has a > icon next to it, you expect to be taken to another screen with more information about that item. If your application needs similar functionality, don’t be creative and come up with a new way to solve the same problem. Use the conventions already established by Apple. 


New conventions are difficult to establish especially with the touch interface because there is no way to discover how your application works on the iPhone. Unlike a website where you can hover with the mouse pointer over areas that look like you can interact with them and a tool tip or the status bar will reveal some clues to you. 


Know Your Limitations
The current version of the iPhone SDK, which is used to write applications for the iPhone, has many restrictions and limitations. Some of them are common sense, e.g. you can’t send text messages from an application. Imagine an application that sends out thousands of text messages without your knowledge, who is going to pay the phone bill for that? 


Other restrictions are maddening: applications cannot access the log of phone calls, or interact in any way with the calendar or the music stored on the iPhone. 


To Apple’s credit, the iPhone SDK is an amazing piece of software especially given that it was publicly released as a Beta just three months ago. Some of the shortcomings listed above will likely be addressed in future releases of the SDK. 


As a buyer with an idea for an iPhone application, you should educate yourself about these limitations before you spend too much time designing an application that is impossible to implement. Talk to a developer or company that specializes in iPhone development (and there are many available on Elance) and they can help you get on the right track from the start.

Bitdeffender is malware get rid of it

If you turn on your computer and you find you suddenly have a new anti-spyware program installed that you do not remember installing called bitdefender 2011. There is some bad news. This will not protect your computer at all and in fact malware that will cause nothing but problems for your computer, its security and even your personal data, unless you take steps to get rid of bitdefender 2011 quickly.


The malware cleverly plays on the name of the real bitdefender program which is a genuine program. The interface or display id different though and it calls itself bitdefender 2011.


This malware gets on your computer when you visit websites that have been compromised by this malware or through pop up messages that tell you that your computer is infected and you need to install this to stop it.


The real bitdefender software will not install by itself or send you warning messages of any type, the only way to install it is to download it from their site. If you suddenly see an icon for the bitdefender 2011 virus appearing on your taskbar and messages appearing on your screen that your computer has to be scanned you can be sure this is not genuine if you did not install the software yourself.


If you visit a site and suddenly see a pop up saying your computer is infected ignore it. The messages you see are automated and random and the only way any software will know what is on your computer is by being installed on your computer and scanning it, not from the internet.


What can you do if your computer is infected with this malware?


If this is installed on your computer it will start up when windows starts. This means unless you know how to stop it you will find it very hard to stop it and get rid of the bitdefender 2011 virus at all. 
This is what you need to do.


#1 start your computer in safe mode with networking. This is the only way to stop this malware from running. To do this restart your PC and then press the F8 key on your keyboard before you see the windows startup screen. You may need to do this several times, and you will then see a list of options on your screen. Select safe mode with networking and press return.


#2 Once in safe mode start the task manager by pressing the CTRL-ALT-DEL keys together. Once task manager opens go to the processes tab and look for the following.


Bitdefender.exe


If you see this running stop it by clicking on it and then clicking on end process at the bottom of the task manager screen.


#3 Once you have done this search for a folder called bitdefender 2011. Delete all the files inside it and then delete the folder itself.


Search for any files called bitdefender 2011 and bitdefender and delete them.


#4 Search for the following registry keys and delete them.


HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\EVAEC2


HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\MonEC2


HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run "BitDefender 2011" = 'C:\Program Files\BitDefender 2011\bitdefender.exe'


Find the following registry key and change it from


HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings "ProxyEnable" = '0'


To


HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings "ProxyEnable" = '1'


To find these registry keys you need to start the registry editor. To do this go to the windows start button and then run and type in regedit and press enter.


Once you have changed and removed these entries and gone through the other steps you should restart your computer. Once you have done this you should be able to get rid of the bitdefender 2011 virus quickly. If you still have this malware on your PC go to the next step.


#5 Restart your PC in safe mode using the steps above. Once in safe mode download a system and registry scanner. This will carry out the same steps as above but do it for you automatically. This method is the safest if you do not know how to carry out the above steps or the malware is still there. If your computer is infected with the this malware follow these steps or scan your computer now and get rid of the bitdefender 2011 virus quickly.

How to keep your Computer Batter Healthy

Computer battery is not easy. These are very expensive because they are lithium ion. If you do not keep batteries in good condition, so the dead center, must be replaced regularly. Laptop batteries are healthy and continue for years without incident for years, can last more than one computer. Batteries of the patient, but must be changed before it is fortunate enough to live in a year or two. Now, if the battery needs to be taken to maintain health are: 

Here are some tips to keep your batteries away from good health. Has the handling of your batteries is always time. You are $ 100 enough, every few months or as long as the stone and drop a new battery for more, so you can make the life of the battery's end, more difficult to facilitate the use of computers needed should consider the following tips.

- Please use batteries. Often, people leave my computer at all. This is very good, normally batteries incorrectly used as a battery of disease. Like our bodies, battery power, must do exercises for health. 

- To always run completely before first use off, make sure that the battery charge. This is easy to start, you just plug in a number of health, are available on the go. 

- All of 2-3 weeks, just to be healthy is to charge the battery charge. If your laptop to use it for several hours and then give you a good load, it died, not harder. 

- If you are not using the battery or leaving the city for several weeks and dismissed from your computer. Please in the refrigerator or freezer to keep it clean. It can help keep the battery in good condition Wood Takeshi really seem a little strange. 

- Please put the batteries in extreme heat. Do not leave your laptop in a car or a place where extremes of heat. Clearly, the overall health of your laptop, you can benefit from the heat and battery life away from this is really bad. 

We are rising to the initial offering price range of the batteries off the ground. Also, Laptops, wires, power adapter, you can buy online part of the second hard drive model. Advice on the value of the blog off the battery, read Anybatt.com

Some of the legit business from home

1) Network Marketing: Also known as MLM. Some companies sell a range of products and services. If you like people and are good at selling, you should consider this possibility. Choose a trusted business with products they believe in Please note that you are buying your products, and will cost between $ 100 "start .." - $ 300 Do you want to invest in a website and online advertising. There will always be regarded as legitimate business opportunities in the country for less than $ 500


2) Affiliate marketing: This is very similar to network marketing, with one important exception. The products offered are not regular customers. You need to advertise more and find new customers who want the product. It is not difficult, does not take much capital, but there may be more work. Find a product (or more) as you like and try to sell online. 
. 


3) Freelancing: If you like to write, draw or create online sites to consider an independent career. There are many websites that connect to independent business owners and most of them are free to participate. This is one of the best possibilities for a legitimate home business under $ 500 because there is no cost to start and no running costs other than the Internet. 




4) Ezine Editorial: Do you have a hobby you love? Create and distribute a newsletter and share information with other enthusiasts. Advertising sales and affiliate products. It takes time to build your customer base, but worth it when you trust that readers feel they know and want to do business with you. 

5) to create your own product: Write a book, or create software that people can use. This can be done with some training and research. You can collaborate with other business owners to sell their products on their websites. There is enormous potential for a product that is in high demand and with appropriate support. 

There are many legitimate home business opportunities less than $ 500, and this is just a few examples. When you start looking for all possibilities, it is fascinating to follow in these possibilities can bring. Beware of scams, doing a very thorough search, and you will be able to find a job that suits your talents and desires. 

If you are looking for a full-time honest, ethical and legitimate household income, click here. 

For a free education, free education and free site generates revenue, visits www.WonderfulAtHomeOpportunity.com day. 

Xbox 360 New available in 4 To 250 gb

The new Xbox 360 Slim is huge compared to the PS3 and Wii, and if your wondering why, then read on and tell you. Its a lot of new features then the old Xbox 360, for example, has a new sleek design, built in Wi-Fi, a quiet and the big boom here, Kinect add on. There will certainly be a bit 'about this new system and its features to date, for now let me inform you on everything about the new Xbox 360.


For those of you who do not know what comes with the Xbox 360, let me tell you. E 'Xbox Live that allows you to connect with friends and people around the world to play with and contact each other. It also allows access to the gaming market where you can find new games to download, the music market in which you can access the Zune and last.fm, the video market that lets you watch videos from the following sites: Zune, which you watch, rent and buy HD video downloaded when Netflix offers movies to watch immediately, and ESPN where you can get more than 3,500 events. Plus you can create your own avatar, which is shown to you and your friends on Xbox Dashboard and you can customize / her from head to toe in clothing and accessories.


A new sleek black design for the Xbox 360 Slim is the facelift that has been done to the old clunky Xbox 360. The new Xbox 360 is a slim 17 percent smaller than the old Xbox 360 and now it is touch-sensitive to the tray and disc, plus there are now five USB ports, 2 front and 3 in the back.


The built-in WiFi allows you to access the Internet wirelessly and instantly delivers HD video, music, movies and more.


A good fan instead of the two fans no consistent makes the new Xbox 360 quieter thin, smooth and no chance of getting the red ring of death. The system will now shut down if it overheats.


Another good upgrade that the Xbox 360 Slim is the Kinect add-on. Kinect allows you to play without a controller and have more or less the game. You can check the games and movies with you to talk in it or moving your hand and you interact with it almost like yours in the whole set up.


For all of you who like the game as much as I can recommend this product. So if your ready for this, to get the new Xbox 360 Slim click the following links. Get a 360 4GB Slim! Get a 360 and 250GB Slim!