NEWS Katy Perry Found Lady Gaga’s ‘Alejandro’ Video Offensive Thursday, August 5, 2010
•••Katy Perry found Lady Gaga’s ‘Alejandro’ video offensive … Oh, My God!!!
The ‘I Kissed A Girl’ hitmaker is ‘sensitive’ about the Christianity referencing promo – which features Gaga putting rosary beads in her mouth while dressed as a nun – and insists even her fiancé Russell Brand cannot get away with blasphemy.
Katy – whose parents are both Christian pastors – said: ‘I am sensitive to Russell taking the Lord’s name in vain and to Lady Gaga putting a rosary in her mouth. I think when you put sex and spirituality in the same bottle and shake it up, bad things happen. ‘Yes, I said I kissed a girl. But I didn’t say I kissed a girl while f◦◦◦ing a crucifix.’
Just as religion bashing makes her mad, the 25-year-old pop star is also infuriated by celebrities who claim they don’t read gossip about themselves on the internet.
She added to Rolling Stone magazine: ‘Any artist who says they don’t Google their name is a big fat liar. It’s a little gross when you look at other celebrities’ twitter feeds and see them posting about something they read about themselves on a Google Alert, it’s like, ‘Uh, maybe you should stop Googling yourself every day, the world does not spin around you. • Latest News & Headlines » Home «
NEWS Proposition 8, California’s ban on gay marriage, overturned by judge Thursday, August 05, 2010
•••Actress Portia de Rossi and her TV talk show wife Ellen DeGeneres have joined the celebration in the U.S. after a judge overturned California’s gay marriage ban.
Geelong-born de Rossi and DeGeneres married legally in 2008, shortly before Californians voted for Proposition 8, which ended gay marriage in the state and sparked furious public debate and a legal challenge.
Two gay couples launched the federal lawsuit challenging Proposition 8, claiming it violated their civil rights and, in San Francisco on Wednesday, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker ruled the voter-approved ban violated California’s constitution. ‘I am ecstatic that Proposition 8 has been overturned in the state of California. This is an incredibly exciting and historical day and a big step towards equal rights for all,’ de Rossi, the former star of U.S. TV series Ally McBeal and Arrested Development, wrote in a Tweet to fans.
DeGeneres wrote: ‘This just in: Equality won!’
Judge Vaughn’s ruling will not be the end of the debate or court battles, with the matter likely to be fought all the way to America’s highest court, the Supreme Court.
Gay couples would not immediately be allowed to marry in California. Judge Vaughn temporarily stayed his order until Friday, giving Proposition 8 backers time to file appeals and seek a long-term stay.
Protect Marriage, a coalition of religious and conservative groups that sponsored the ban, confirmed it would appeal the ruling to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which would likely be a preview to the final Supreme Court showdown.
In his ruling, Judge Vaughn wrote there was no rational basis for excluding gays and lesbians from marriage and Proposition 8 failed to ‘advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license’.
‘The evidence shows conclusively that moral and religious views form the only basis for a belief that same-sex couples are different from opposite-sex couples,’ Walker wrote. • Latest News & Headlines » Home «
NEWS Adult industry sees iPorn potential in new iPhone Porn just got interactive: Now Apple iPhone 4 users can make video calls to X-rated stars with Face Time Thursday, July 29, 2010
•••The adult industry is moving on the new iPhone, seeking models specifically for video sex chat on FaceTime.
So when Apple launched the iPhone 4 and its FaceTime video conference feature, it didn’t take long for adult-entertainment companies to develop video-sex chat services and start hiring workers through Craigslist.
With more than 3 million of the phones sold, the adult industry stands to make big money on this new way to reach out and touch someone – even if it puts Apple, which has always taken pains to keep its iPhone apps squeaky clean, in an awkward spot.
In at least five cities, Craigslist ads seek models specifically for video sex chat on FaceTime. Many of the ads even offer to throw in a free iPhone 4 for the new employees.
FaceTime lets people call another iPhone 4 user and have live video conversations over a Wi-Fi connection using the front-facing camera on the new model. In one TV ad, a soldier uses it to get a look at his faraway wife’s ultrasound pictures.
The adult industry wants its customers to share moments of an entirely different kind with its stars. And while the technology may be new, the idea is not. Porn providers have always been early adopters.
In the 1970s, the demand for explicit videos at home helped VCRs become widespread, and the industry was the first to embrace DVDs, too. Internet porn peddlers were some of the first to make wide use of streaming video and online credit card payments. ‘The first time someone created a camera there was someone who said, ‘Wouldn’t it be good for someone to take off their clothes in front of this camera? said Michael Gartenberg, vice-president at Interpret, a media research company.
And for years, cameras mounted on computers have helped connect people for racy online video sessions. But the portability and privacy of a cell phone makes FaceTime a new frontier for the industry.
‘A phone is such an intimate thing, you usually don’t lend it out or have someone else use it,’ said Quentin Boyer, a spokesman for Pink Visual, an adult production company.
Boyer said his company began planning for iPhone 4 video services almost as soon as the device hit stores. They should be ready in a matter of weeks. Boyer said the company will offer FaceTime sessions with some of the same women who appear in its videos – likely charging $5 or $6 a minute, payable by credit card.
‘It has a very personal feel – your mobile phone to hers,’ he said.
Online exhibitionism is only growing. Take Chatroulette, which randomly connects strangers for video chats. While the service isn’t explicitly sexual, it’s common for users to stumble upon people looking for more than just conversation.
So far, most online video sex chat services have let the customer see the performer, but not the other way around. FaceTime may change that.
‘We are seeing more and more that customers want to be watched as much as they want to watch,’ said Dan Hogue, owner of an adult chat company called CamWorld, which is planning FaceTime services. • Latest News & Headlines » Home «
NEWS Apple in panic at iPhone 4 ‘antenna-gate’? Apple offers free iPhone 4 cases to appease users Saturday, July 17, 2010
•••Apple Inc will give free protective cases to buyers of its latest iPhone to alleviate the so-called death grip problem.
Apple chief executive Steve Jobs announced the giveaway on Friday during a news conference at its headquarters, even as the company denied the iPhone 4 has an antenna problem that needs fixing. The more than 3 million people who have bought the iPhone 4 and new buyers through September 30 will all be eligible.
People who purchased the $29 ‘Bumper’ cases will be refunded.
Jobs began the event by saying, ‘We’re not perfect,’ but was quick to point out no mobile phone is perfect. He played a video showing competing smartphones, including a BlackBerry from Research in Motion, losing signal strength when held in certain ways.
Phones usually have an antenna inside the body. In designing the iPhone 4, Apple took a gamble on a new design, using parts of the phone’s outer casing as the antenna. That saved space inside the tightly packed body, but means covering a spot on the lower left edge of the case blocks wireless signal. Consumer Reports magazine said covering the spot with a case or even a piece of duct tape alleviates the problem. It refused to give the iPhone 4 its ‘recommended’ stamp of approval for this reason, and it had called on Apple on Monday to compensate buyers.
On Friday, in the company’s first remarks following the magazine’s report, Jobs said Apple was ‘stunned and upset and embarrassed’.
Jobs said the iPhone 4′s antenna issue isn’t widespread. He said just over five out of every thousand users have complained to Apple’s warranty service, and less than 2 percent have returned the device.
‘We’re not feeling right now that we have a giant problem we need to fix,’ Jobs said. ‘This has been blown so out of proportion that it’s incredible. I know it’s fun to have a story, but it’s less fun when you’re on the other end of it.’
Analysts have criticised Apple’s first responses to reports of reception problems as dismissive.
Jobs apologised to buyers who had less than perfect experiences. ‘We’re going to do whatever it takes to make them happy and if we can’t make them happy we’re going to give them a full refund and say we’re really sorry we inconvenienced you, and we’re going to do better next time.’
The refund applies even for those who have long-term contracts with AT&T Inc., the iPhone’s exclusive US wireless carrier.
Jobs, a cancer survivor, also addressed a question about his health on Friday.
‘I’m doing fine. I was even better earlier in the week (when) I was having a vacation in Hawaii, but I decided this was important enough to come back for,’ he said. ‘I’m doing great.’ • Latest News & Headlines » Home « • Source(s):Apple Inc.
NEWS Facebook Installs Panic Button For Children Monday, July 12, 2010
•••Young Facebook users will be able to report suspicious online behavior with the launch of a new ‘panic button’ targeting sex offenders.
Children can use the button to report abuse to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) and Facebook.
The application will automatically appear on the homepage of every user aged between 13 and 18.
The launch follows months of negotiation between Facebook and CEOP, the government law enforcement agency tasked with tracking down online sex offenders.
CEOP called for the panic button to be installed in November but Facebook has resisted the idea.
Bebo became the first network to add the button, followed by MySpace while Facebook maintained that its own reporting systems were adequate.
However pressure mounted on Facebook following the rape and murder of Ashleigh Hall, 17.
Ashleigh was killed by a 33-year-old convicted sex offender, posing as a teenage boy, whom she met on Facebook.
Forty-four police chiefs in England, Wales and Scotland, signed a letter backing CEOP’s call for a panic button on every Facebook page.
Users will be able to bookmark the Click CEOP service or add it as an application to find information about online safety.
Jim Gamble, chief executive of the CEOP Centre said: ‘Our dialogue with Facebook about adopting the Click CEOP button is well documented – today however is a good day for child protection.
‘We know from speaking to offenders that a visible deterrent could protect young people online.’
Facebook’s Joanna Shields added: ‘There is no single silver bullet to making the internet safer but by joining forces with CEOP we have developed a comprehensive solution which marries our expertise in technology with CEOP’s expertise in online safety.’
James Brokenshire, U.K. Minister for Crime Prevention said: ‘It’s a sad fact that we are now seeing more cases where sex offenders are using social networking sites to conceal their identities in order to contact children.’ • Latest News & Headlines » Home «
NEWS Toyota Recalling 138,874 Lexus Vehicles Thursday, July 8, 2010
•••Toyota Motor Corp on Tuesday filed a recall of 138,874 luxury Lexus vehicles sold in the United States to fix faulty engines in the latest quality problem to afflict the world’s No. 1 automaker. The move follows a recall of over 90,000 Lexus and other vehicles in Japan over the same problem, which was filed with the Japanese transport ministry on Monday.
The Japanese automaker said flaws in valve springs, a crucial engine component, could make the vehicle stall while in motion. Toyota confirmed in a statement it plans to file paperwork with the government on the recall next week.
The recall affects certain GS, IS and LS vehicles from the 2006-2008 model years powered by 4.6 and 5.0 liter V8 engines and 3.5 liter V6 engines. No accidents or injuries have been reported. Vehicles from the 2009 and 2010 model years are not affected.
Toyota had announced in Japan that it would recall 270,000 Lexus vehicles around the world to address the engine stalling problems. The global recall affects seven luxury Lexus sedan models as well as the popular Crown sedan, sold primarily in Japan. Of the 270,000 recalled cars, some 180,000 were sold overseas, including the United States, and 90,000 in Japan.
The company has received about 200 complaints in Japan but no accidents were reported there or abroad, said Toyota spokesman Hideaki Homma. Some drivers told Toyota that engines made a strange noise.
The automaker was already scrambling to repair its reputation after 8.5 million vehicles were recalled beginning in October because of problems with sticking accelerator pedals and other issues. Toyota was slapped with a record $16.4 million fine in the United States for acting too slowly to recall vehicles with defects.
Japan’s major daily Asahi said Friday the latest recall of 270,000 vehicles could cost Toyota around $227 million. Toyota could not confirm the report, which gave no sources.
Subject to the recall in the United States, filed with the Department of Transportation, are 2006-2008 Lexus models, including the top-of-the-line LS460 sedan, IS350, GS460, GS450h and the LS600hL models. Toyota plans to recall 270,000 vehicles worldwide due to the defective engine valve springs.
Toyota said owners will be notified of the recall by mail and dealers will repair the engine’s valve springs at no charge. The company said owners can continue to drive their vehicles. If they notice vibration, unusual engine sounds or rough idling, they should bring the car to a dealer for service.
Lexus general manager Mark Templin told dealers in an e-mail that “we understand the frustration and embarrassment these recalls cause and appreciate your reassuring Lexus owners that there is nothing more important to us than their safety, satisfaction with our products and confidence in you and the brand.”
Toyota dealers have repaired millions of vehicles following the massive global recalls, but the automaker still faces more than 200 lawsuits tied to accidents, the lower resale value of Toyota vehicles, and the drop in the company’s stock.
Toyota said last week it will recall 17,000 Lexus luxury hybrids after testing showed that fuel can spill during a rear-end crash.
U.S. regulators were working with scientists from NASA to investigate what caused some of Toyota’s vehicles to suddenly accelerate. That review is expected to be completed by late August.
Officials were also investigating whether Toyota waited nearly a year in 2005 to recall trucks and SUVs in the U.S. with defective steering rods, a case that could lead to additional fines.
• Customers who have any questions or concerns should contact their local Lexus dealer or Lexus Customer Satisfaction at 1-800-25LEXUS or 1-800-255-3987 or at www.lexus.com/recall. • Customers who have any further questions are asked to visitwww.lexus.caor contact Lexus Canada at 1-800-265-3987. • Latest News & Headlines » Home « • Source(s): Toyota Motor Corporation
NEWS Apple Bans iPhone Developer from App Store Thursday, July 8, 2010
•••Apple says it has banned a developer from its applications store after hundreds of hijacked user accounts were used to push his titles to best sellers.
Developer Thuat Nguyen has been banned for violating an Apple license agreement, “including fraudulent purchases,” Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller said Tuesday. About 400 iTunes users were affected, she said.
Technology blogs said some iTunes users unwittingly had their accounts used to buy Nguyen’s book apps, which at one point occupied 42 of the top 50 book apps sold in the store.
“A vast majority of these book apps were released in April, have little to no customer ratings or reviews, appear to be in Vietnamese … and may or may not be infringing on copyrighted work – we’re noticing a lot of Dragon Ball art here,” the blog Engadget.com said on Sunday. Apple’s app store offers paid and free applications for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
Apple’s store offers paid and free applications for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
Apple has 150 million registered users for its iTunes, iBook and App Store marketplaces for purchasing music, e-books, movies and television shows. More than 225,000 applications are in the App store, with more than 5 billion downloaded, according to Apple.
Apple, based in Cupertino, California, rose $1.69 to $248.63 at 4 pm EDT in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. The shares have gained 18 percent this year. • Latest News & Headlines » Home « • Source(s):Apple Inc.
NEWS Introducing the New YouTube Mobile Website Thursday, July 8, 2010
•••YouTube has upgraded its mobile website to make it more convenient and appealing to watch videos on touch-screen devices such as Apple Inc.’s iPhone and Motorola Inc.’s Droid X.
The improvements unveiled Wednesday are designed to make it easier for smart phone users to navigate YouTube’s vast video library. The fine-tuning also enables YouTube’s mobile website to stream videos in higher resolution than clips served up through YouTube applications installed on smart phones.
There is still at least one significant problem to be worked out: YouTube says the mobile website encounters some bugs on the hot-selling iPhone 4 phone. Those issues are expected to be resolved within the next few weeks. Apple sells the iPhone 4 with a YouTube application already installed on it. The new YouTube for mobile provides an updated navigation and UI for easier browsing. The home screen is similar to what you find in the Facebook iPhone app – there are rows of icons for different options such as Browse, Favorites, Playlists, Settings and Home. YouTube Mobile Product Manager Andrey Doronichev told us that the product is designed for touchscreen devices especially, which make up the vast majority of YouTube mobile video views.
The biggest and most important change comes in the form of HQ streams. If you’ve ever watched YouTube videos on the iPhone app, you know that the quality isn’t that great. That’s because it utilizes an old stream format for second generation networks. The new YouTube mobile site is designed for today’s networks though, including the HQ streaming option that’s currently available in the Android version of the YouTube app. There’s a huge quality difference when you watch videos in both formats.
YouTube, owned by Google Inc., is sprucing up its mobile website as part of its effort to create a “video operating system” that works on any gadget with a screen. Mobile phones are a particularly important target for YouTube. In five years, the site expects more people to be surfing the Web on mobile phones than on desktop computers.
As it stands now, YouTube says it’s showing more than 100 million videos per day on mobile devices. That’s roughly the same number of YouTube clips that were being watched on office and home computers when Google bought the site for $1.76 billion in late 2006. YouTube says people now watch more than 2 billion daily videos through all its distribution channels. • Latest News & Headlines » Home « • Source(s):YouTube, LLC
NEWS Mozilla stokes Firefox 4 with first beta build Wednesday, July 7, 2010
•••Mozilla released its web explorer Firefox 4‘s beta version Wednesday, PC World reported.
Firefox explorer, considered to be the largest rival of Microsoft Windows’ Internet Explorer, has upgraded to its newest version with multiple technologies in line with future Internet developing trend.
The beta version imitated Google chrome and a few other browsers by putting the tabs on top and providing webpage crash protection features.
Mozilla provides its Firefox users with versions used in operation system including Microsoft Windows, Apple’s Mac and the Linux OS.
The newly released beta version of Firefox is expected to widely compete with IE as the most popular Internet browser in the scientific arena. • Latest News & Headlines » Home « • Source(s): Mozilla Corporation
NEWS Google’s China webpage licence under review Wednesday, July 7, 2010
•••Google Inc’s application to renew its Chinese Website license (Internet Content Provider license) is currently under review, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said yesterday.
But the ministry didn’t give a deadline for the license review.
It was the Chinese regulator’s latest response regarding the fate of Google China, which recently stopped redirecting automatically web searchers on China’s mainland to its Hong Kong site and applied to renew its license in the world’s largest Internet market last month.
“Google’s annual check-in is under way but there’s no detailed deadline for the result because its submission is relatively late,” said ministry spokesperson Wang Lijian.
The ministry is the body responsible for renewing and reviewing Internet content provider licenses.
Google shut down its mainland-based search engine on March 22 and rerouted users to its Hong Kong site.
It stopped the automatic redirect because regulators told the company its Internet license would not be renewed if it kept it going.
“We re-applied for the license at the end of last month and we are waiting for the results now,” said Marsha Wang, Google China’s spokesperson.
At present, only “music,” “translate” and “shopping” links, in Chinese, appear on the Google China webpage.
Visitors to google.cn will also see a tab that says, in English, “We have moved to google.com.hk.”
Clicking on that takes users to the Chinese-language site in Hong Kong.
Google clearly doesn’t want to give up the Chinese market, with more than 300 million netizens on the mainland. On the other hand, it has said it does not want to subject its Web searches to what it considers censorship under Chinese law. • Latest News & Headlines » Home «
NEWS Schwarzenegger’s minimum wage plan foiled by old technology Saturday, July 3, 2010
•••Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s attempt to impose the federal minimum wage on state workers is being foiled by California’s out-of-date technology.
This week, a state appellate court sided with the Republican governor in his attempt to force 200,000 state workers to be paid $7.25 an hour while California’s budget impasse drags on.
But state Controller John Chiang says he can’t comply because the changeover is too complex for the state’s computerised payroll system. The system was designed more than 60 years ago and was last revamped in 1970.
Technology experts say the system could be updated to accommodate Schwarzenegger’s order, but it would take months to do so.
The controller’s office says it would take another six months to reprogram the system again once a state budget is eventually signed. • Latest News & Headlines » Home «
NEWS Apple iPhone 4 release plagued by signal issue: Quick Fix for iPhone 4 Antenna Problem Saturday, June 26, 2010
•••There is anger among new iPhone 4 owners after it emerged that the device loses signal when held in the user’s left hand.
Apple’s latest phone only went on sale on Thursday but already the company has been inundated with complaints from users who have found themselves unable to make calls.
One disgruntled customer emailed the company and received a response from the chief executive himself, Steve Jobs.
But Mr Jobs was not too sympathetic with his advice, he wrote: ‘Just avoid holding it in that way.’
The problem appears to occur when the phone is held in the left palm which then covers part of the stainless steel band that contains some of the antennae.
The loss of signal has been a hot topic on Twitter with many people tweeting on the issue.
‘Pretty amazing the way the signal degrades on the iPhone 4 when held in your left hand,’ wrote @StevenMatthews1.
‘So it sounds like the iphone 4 is rubbish for left handers with signal dropping. Will have to learn to be right-handed,’ @Lollipop26 said.
And @MattJWilliams39 has decided against investing in the phone altogether: ‘Style over substance – iPhone 4 has sensitive areas that when held cause signal strength to drop. Cancel my order…’
In a statement Apple said: ‘Gripping any mobile phone will result in some attenuation of its antenna performance, with certain places being worse than others depending on the placement of the antennas.’
The American company now sells ‘bumpers’ that protect the stainless steel parts of the phone and stops the user’s skin from touching the sensitive antennae.
However, the good news is the problem is not affecting everyone and the majority of people who queued for hours to get their hands on the latest model are satisfied customers.
Ben Paton, 23, was first to buy the iPhone 4 from the flagship store on Regent Street on Thursday after queuing for 16 hours.
But a man who flew in from Dubai and had queued for double that amount of time thought he would be first through the store’s doors.
Alex Lee, 27, headed the 500-strong queue for 32 hours but had his hopes dashed when the store allowed internet pre-order customers ahead of him.
He said he will write to Steve Jobs to complain.
Here is The Video on how to do a Quick fix on your IPhone Antenna Reception Problem:
• Latest News & Headlines » Home « • Source(s): Apple Inc.& Twitter
NEWS Global tribute marks year since Michael Jackson’s death Saturday, June 26, 2010
•••Michael Jackson fans across the world have paused to remember the man they called the King of Pop today on the first anniversary of his death. Thousands have filed silently through the gates of Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles, where Jackson’s body is entombed in the mausoleum. In Jackson’s hometown of Gary in Indiana Jackson’s mother Katherine has unveiled a monument in the front yard of the modest home where her children grew up, while in Japan hundreds of people have lit candles in Jackson’s memory. Jackson died on June 25 2009 at age 50 just before he was to begin a comeback tour.
Dr Conrad Murray who allegedly provided Jackson with a powerful mix of sedatives has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in relation to the death. • Latest News & Headlines » Home «
NEWS Toyota recalls Lexus HS250h hybrid for fuel spills Friday, June 25, 2010
•••Toyota said on Friday it will recall 17,000 Lexus luxury hybrids after testing showed that fuel can spill during a rear end crash.
The Japanese automaker said tests conducted for the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration found that fuel leaked during a rear impact crash at 50 miles per hour on a 2010 HS250h sedan. The test, conducted by a NHTSA contractor, showed that fuel spilled as the vehicle spun around after impact. (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 10V285000)
Toyota’s own testing has not shown any spillage, but a spokesman said the company plans to issue a voluntary recall as it continues to try to replicate the government’s results. It is notifying dealers to stop selling the car.
Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, has attempted to rebound from a series of recalls tied to reports of unintended acceleration and other defects. The U.S. administration penalized Toyota with a record $16.4 million fine for acting too slowly on the recalls.
Dealers have repaired millions of vehicles, but the auto giant faces more than 200 lawsuits connected to accidents and the lower resale value of vehicles.
Earlier this week, Toyota Motor Corp president Akio Toyoda, the grandson of the automaker’s founder, apologized to shareholders for the trouble caused by the recalls. He said the company was doing its best to improve quality control.
Toyota said it has not identified a fix for the reported problems of fuel spillage.
Detailed information about this recall is available through Lexus Customer Satisfaction at 1-800-25 LEXUS or 1-800-255-3987 or at www.lexus.com/recall. • Latest News & Headlines » Home «
NEWS U.K. police probing alleged Google privacy breach U.K. Police Investigating Alleged Google Privacy Breach Through Public Wi-Fi Networks Tuesday, 22 June 2010
•••Britain has become the latest country to open an investigation into whether Google violated communication and privacy laws by mistakenly gathering data over public Wi-Fi networks.
London’s Metropolitan Police says it is looking into complaints that the search engine’s ‘Street View’ project picked up people’s online activities through unprotected networks.
It says it is determining what offences, if any, were committed.
Privacy International, a London-based privacy watchdog that filed the case with police, says it had received complaints from members of the public who feared their personal data could be at risk.
The French independent privacy watchdog CNIL said last week that Google, following a complaint, had handed over personal data sucked up by its technicians.
The attorney general of the U.S. state of Connecticut is also looking into whether Google broke the law.
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced on Monday that his office will lead a multi-state probe of “Google’s deeply disturbing invasion of personal privacy.”
“Street View cannot mean Complete View – invading home and business computer networks and vacuuming up personal information and communications,” Blumenthal said.
Similar probes have begun in Germany, Australia and New Zealand, where police are investigating Google and some of the internet giant’s employees for collecting private information while they photographed streets for the Google Maps website. • Latest News & Headlines » Home «
NEWS U.S. States step up ante against Google over wireless data Tuesday, 22 June 2010
•••The attorney general of a U.S. state is looking into whether Google broke the law by capturing people’s personal data from wireless networks.
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced on Monday that his office will lead a multistate probe of “Google’s deeply disturbing invasion of personal privacy,” which has drawn ire and scrutiny in an array of countries.
“Street View cannot mean Complete View – invading home and business computer networks and vacuuming up personal information and communications,” Blumenthal said.
Similar probes have begun in U.K., Germany, Australia and New Zealand, where police are investigating Google and some of the internet giant’s employees for collecting private information while they photographed streets for the Google Maps website.
Blumenthal said people had a right to know what information Google gleaned, how it was done and why.
He also wanted the internet giant to detail what safeguards are in place to fix the situation.
“While we hope Google will continue to cooperate, its response so far raises as many questions as it answers,” Blumenthal said.
“Our investigation will consider whether laws may have been broken and whether changes to state and federal statutes may be necessary.”
Blumenthal has asked Google to explain how and when it learned its Street View bicycles and cars were capturing data from unencrypted wireless networks and why they recorded the quality of wireless networks they passed. • Latest News & Headlines » Home «
NEWS Lakers victory parade 2010: Lakers crowned NBA kings again Tuesday, June 22, 2010
•••The LA Lakers are the NBA Champions after taking out game seven of their finals series against the Boston Celtics 83-79 in Los Angeles.
It’s the Lakers’ fifth championship in 11 years and their second in as many seasons, with Kobe Bryant taking out the Finals MVP award in back-to-back seasons.
It was also sweet revenge for LA, who were beaten by the Celtics in the NBA finals two years ago.
The Lakers’ star-studded fan base were suitably happy with the win although several fans took the celebrations a bit too far, starting fires, throwing rocks and bottles at police and jumping on cars in the street.
The plan was to have the Lakers players discuss the season while riding atop a flat-bed truck during Monday’s championship parade. Their answers would then be broadcast to the adoring throng of fans that lined a two-mile route along Figueroa Street.
But whatever Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and the rest of the players said Monday afternoon was lost amid the constant cheering and chanting that greeted the Lakers as the city celebrated the team’s latest NBA championship.
“When you’re playing, you don’t really get a chance to see those who are at home or at a local bar watching the game, supporting and screaming and cheering,” Kobe Bryant said before the parade. “Now you get a chance to put a face to it.”
And there certainly were plenty of faces see – many painted in Lakers colors. The crowd, estimated at more than 1 million, created a purple-and-gold sea on both sides of the street, on top of bus stops, fences and restaurants from Staples Center to USC.
The crowd, many of whom had stood there for five hours, cheered hysterically as the truck holding the Lakers players rolled by. Some fans were even brought to tears by the sight of their heroes.
For more than an hour, the noise was deafening as fans, including a construction crew that had stopped working, chanted “Kobe! Kobe! Kobe! and “MVP! MVP!” Some begged Gasol “look over here” for a picture, while others just wanted Lamar to smile.
There were some who yelled for Sasha Vujacic to marry them, while others simply held up signs with the same request. Vujacic seemed to enjoy the attention, screaming back at the fans and applauding them. Bryant said one woman nearly fainted when she saw the Slovenian guard.
On the other side of the street, one young girl made a sign asking guard Shannon Brown to call her and had included her phone number.
Still other fans simply saluted the 2010 NBA champions with Lakers flags, banners and home-made signs. One promoted Derek Fisher for President (in Spanish), another said “Back to Back without Shaq” and yet another read “This is Kobe’s Town.”
By the reaction Bryant received as the truck rolled by the sign was right.
No other player received as much attention as Bryant, who stood alongside his wife, Vanessa, and his two young daughters during the parade. This is Bryant’s fifth such celebration and he seemed to be enjoying it as much as the first one in 2000.
Still, he said that this title was “the best one by far because it was the hardest one to get.” The Lakers defeated their longtime nemesis, the Boston Celtics, in a decisive seventh game to win their 16th championship.
The two-mile celebration was largely peaceful as thousands of LAPD officers lined the street. The parade included a fire truck that carried the Laker Girls and a rig carrying former Lakers greats such as Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and A.C. Green.
Unlike last year’s celebration, there wasn’t a rally at the end.
“The energy was so crazy, it almost made me go insane,” said Ron Artest, who hoisted his young daughter onto his shoulders for much of the parade. “I almost wanted to jump into the crowd. Maybe I will do that next year.”
Phil Jackson missed the celebration because of medical appointments he had scheduled and could not be changed, according to Lakers spokesman John Black. Jackson has said his decision to return as coach depends largely on his health.
But the Lakers coach was there in spirit. Lakers executive and Jackson’s girlfriend Jeanie Buss wore a yellow cap with the Roman numeral “X” on it, along with a note that read “+1″ – signifying Jackson’s 11 NBA titles he has won as coach. • Latest News & Headlines » Home « • Source(s): NBA Media Ventures, LLC, Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network & Los Angeles Times
NEWS Man Guns Down Stepdaughter’s Family at Del Taco, then Kills Himself Sunday, June 20, 2010
•••A man has walked into a Southern California fast food restaurant and shot his stepdaughter and her family of four as they ate lunch together, killing the woman’s husband and eight-year-old son before fatally shooting himself, police says.
The 56-year-old man arrived at the Del Taco restaurant in San Bernardino on a bike at about 01:14 pm PDT on Saturday, walked over to a table and opened fire at his 29-year-old stepdaughter, her 33-year-old husband (Alex Trujillo), their two sons, ages 5 and 6 (Adrian), police spokesman Lt. Jarrod Burguan said. The woman’s husband was declared dead at the restaurant and the eight-year-old was declared dead at a hospital, San Bernardino Fire Department spokesman Steve Tracey said.
The woman and the six-year-old boy were hospitalized in critical condition, Tracey said. The names of the victims and the shooter weren’t released. Police said several other people were in the restaurant, but the gunman clearly walked in seeking the four victims. They said the gunman had a long and violent criminal record, but did not give further details.
Owners of nearby businesses said horrified patrons streamed out of the restaurant after the shots were fired.
‘I saw some people yelling and all of a sudden I heard ‘boom, boom, boom, boom’,’ Jorge Garcia, who works at a recycling trailer in the same parking lot as the restaurant, told the Riverside Press-Enterprise. ‘I saw two employees run out of the employee door and then I saw eight or 10 people run out of the restaurant and across the street.’ • Latest News & Headlines » Home « • Source(s): KTLA – TV
NEWS Lakers win NBA title in Game Seven thriller Friday, June 18, 2010
•••The Los Angeles Lakers came from behind to beat the Boston Celtics 83-79 in the decisive seventh game of the NBA finals and claim back-to-back titles.
Kobe Bryant battled through an uncharacteristically tough evening to lead all scorers but Pau Gasol took the plaudits, the seven-foot Spaniard recording 19 points and 17 rebounds.
Ron Artest added 20 points as the hosts recovered from a long-time deficit which peaked at 13 points to triumph at the Staples Center.
A final-quarter surge took them ahead for the first time since they briefly led 25-23 in the second, and a pair of free throws from Sasha Vujacic – the Slovenian’s first points of the game – took them out to a decisive two-score margin.A final-quarter surge took them ahead for the first time since they briefly led 25-23 in the second, and a pair of free throws from Sasha Vujacic – the Slovenian’s first points of the game – took them out to a decisive two-score margin.
Boston was without centre Kendrick Perkins, who sprained his right knee in game six of the series, but it embarked on a 13-3 run in the final five minutes of the first period to lead 23-14 at the first interval.
Bryant had taken five shots and over eight minutes to open his account but he briefly clicked to underpin a 9-0 streak which levelled the match for the Lakers.
The match proved a physical encounter and, when the Celtics’ Kevin Garnett – who impressed with 17 points on the night – was sent crashing into the front row of the crowd, Hollywood star and Lakers fan Jack Nicholson had to produce a neat sidestep to avoid being caught up in the collision.
The visitors took almost five minutes to score in the second period but recovered to go in at half-time 40-34 to the good, with Bryant having contributed just eight points on three of 14 field goals.
A Rajon Rondo two-pointer saw the lead move into double figures for the first time at 47-36 and the same player then added a further two en route to 14 for the game.
But Lamar Odom was to the fore as LA cut the gap to 57-53 by the end of the third quarter and a free throw from Artest levelled the scores at 61-61.
Another 9-0 run took them 70-64 ahead but the game remained in the balance as both teams traded three-pointers.
But Vujacic held his nerve at the crucial moment and Rondo’s missed three-pointer allowed Odom to hurl the ball long to Bryant and safety.
Bryant finished with 21 points, eight of which came in the fourth quarter, and collected the Bill Russell Award as finals series MVP for the second time as well as winning his fifth title.
He said: ‘This is the sweetest (title). We’ve been downplaying the rivalry with the Celtics but there’s no question, this one’s by far the sweetest because it’s against them – and because it’s the hardest.’
And he reserved special mention for team-mate Gasol, adding: ‘I can’t say enough about ‘Spain’. That guy’s unbelievable, a hell of a player – we wouldn’t have won it without him.’
Of 18 decisive seventh games in finals history, 14 have now been won by the hosts, while every match in this series has been won by the team with the most rebounds – Los Angeles dominating that statistic 53-40 on Thursday night.
Coach Phil Jackson felt both were crucial factors, and said: ‘I don’t know it we’d have won this game without these fans – thank you!’
‘(My advice to the team was) keep rebounding the ball, keep getting those loose balls.’
Speculation has surrounded Jackson’s future – as well as that of opposite number Doc Rivers – and he would not be drawn on whether he will stay with the franchise and attempt to win a third successive title for the third time in his career.
‘I’ve got to take some time and think about this,’ he said. ‘This was great, I’ll wait to make that decision in a week.’
Owner Dr Jerry Buss, meanwhile, felt the hostility towards his team fired it up.
He said: ‘I think we want it more. Everybody abuses LA – ‘beat LA, beat LA’ – I think it gives us a lot of energy.’
Jubilant celebrations over the Los Angeles Lakers’ dramatic win in the NBA championship turned rowdy in scattered sections of the city, with raucous revelers hurling rocks and bottles at officers, setting fires and jumping on vehicles.
Los Angeles city firefighters responded to 37 incidents within a half-mile radius of Staples Center in a three-hour period following the game, spokesman Brian Humphrey said. There were 15 rubbish fires, one vegetation fire, three vehicle fires and 18 medical aid requests for people ill or injured, Humphrey said. Eight people were transported by ambulance to hospitals. Humphrey didn’t know the nature or extent of the injuries, but said some were “quite serious.” One police officer suffered a broken nose after someone threw an object at him, Police Chief Charlie Beck said. • Latest News & Headlines » Home « • Source(s): NBA Media Ventures, LLC, Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network
NEWS AOL sells Bebo for scrap – and a $275 million tax break Thursday, June 17, 2010
•••AOL Inc is paring back its ambitions in online social networking, selling a website called Bebo that it bought a little more than two years ago for $.850 million. when AOL was still part of Time Warner Inc. Bebo, which was launched in 2005, has failed to match the huge popularity of sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
It has been strong in foreign markets, though, including Britain.
AOL tried to take advantage of that to drive traffic to its other ad-supported web properties, but the site has been losing ground.
Worldwide, it had about 12.6 million users in April, less than half of the 26.9 million it had in the same month a year ago, according to comScore Inc.
In the U.S., Bebo was down to 4.9 million from 10.2 million a year earlier. In the same period, Facebook has grown to 121.8 million users in the US from 67.5 million.
AOL said in April it planned to shut Bebo or sell it. The company said on Wednesday the buyer is the private investment firm, Criterion Capital Partners LLC.
The California firm did not say how much it is paying, but analysts have speculated that the site would fetch just a small fraction of what AOL paid for it. In a note AOL CEO Tim Armstrong sent to employees on Thursday, he said the deal provides a ‘meaningful’ tax deduction for AOL.
AOL said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission it expects to log a tax benefit of $275 million to $325 million in the April-June quarter. The company also said it will assess whether it needs to write down the value of its business overall for the quarter.
In his note, Armstrong also said the sale would let Bebo users continue to use the service.
‘Criterion Capital Partners are specialists in facilitating growth plans and turnarounds and are well-placed to drive Bebo’s effort to strengthen its foothold within the highly competitive social networking arena,’ he wrote.
In April, AOL unloaded another service that it had acquired for more money. It agreed to sell its ICQ instant messaging business for $187.5 million in cash to Russian internet investor Digital Sky Technologies. In 1998, AOL, then known as America Online, paid at least $US287 million to buy Mirabilis, the Israeli company behind ICQ.
AOL shares fell 8 cents to $22.20 in afternoon trading. • Latest News & Headlines » Home «
‘Yes, I said I kissed a girl. But I didn’t say I kissed a girl while f◦◦◦ing a crucifix.’
