Arab-American groups say Coke ad is racist

Reuters ? ? ? 11 hrs.

Arab-American groups have sharply criticized a Coca-Cola Super Bowl ad depicting an Arab walking through the desert with a camel, and one group said it would ask the beverage giant to change it before CBS airs the game on Sunday before an expected audience of more than 100 million U.S. viewers.?

"Why is it that Arabs are always shown as either oil-rich sheiks, terrorists, or belly dancers?" said Warren David, president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, or ADC.?

Coca-Cola released an online teaser of the commercial last week, showing the Arab walking through a desert. He soon sees cowboys, Las Vegas showgirls and a motley crew fashioned after the marauders of the apocalyptic "Mad Max" film race by him to reach a gigantic bottle of Coke.?

In its ad, Coke asks viewers to vote online on which characters should win the race. The online site does not allow a vote for the Arab character.?

"The Coke commercial for the Super Bowl is racist, portraying Arabs as backward and foolish Camel Jockeys, and they have no chance to win in the world," Imam Ali Siddiqui, president of the Muslim Institute for Interfaith Studies, said in an email.?

On Thursday,?Coca-Cola said it held what it described as a "productive conversation" with the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, in which it apologized and explained that it did not mean the ad to be derogatory. It also said that it didn't plan to change the commercial.

"We did express regret that the ad had been misunderstood," Coca-Cola spokeswoman Lauren Thompson told Reuters?in an email. "We are very concerned by these allegations and in no way is our ad meant to be derogatory to any group."?

The committee said it was pleased with the company's apology and explanation.

Ronald Goodstein, professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, said he was surprised by the image as well. "If Coke's vision is to be an arm's distance away from every customer, why would they want to offend the Arab world?" said Goodstein.?

Abed Ayoub, director of legal and policy affairs for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, said the commercial could harm Coke's business with the Arab community.?

"Coke should understand and respect their consumers and have a better understanding of the market they are sharing," he said.

The company has a large market share in the Middle East and North Africa, he noted, and many convenience stores and other retail outlets in the United States that offer Coke are owned by Arab-Americans.?

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/arab-american-groups-say-coke-super-bowl-ad-racist-1B8191874

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Video: Gore: ?Changes will continue to unfold?

>>> former senator, vice president and presidential nominee , al gore , is out with a new book, entitled "the future." and while he's getting credit for being out ahead on the issue of climate change for years, he is also facing some criticism for selling the tv network he owned to the al jazeera media empire, owned by the oil-producing nation of qatar. nbc's andrea mitchell talked to him about all of it.

>> reporter: floods. fires. historic drought. some of the dire consequences al gore warns about if we don't act on climate change .

>> do we still have time?

>> yes. some of the changes will continue to unfold for a long time. but the worst of it can still be avoided. but we do need to act quickly.

>> reporter: last week, a major commitment at the inaugural.

>> we will respond to the threat of climate change .

>> i think that is a form of commitment that has consequences. he will have to follow up on this.

>> reporter: but gore has been disappointed before. 2008 campaign promises on climate change were trumped by the economic crisis and died in the senate.

>> 37 inches of rain --

>> reporter: a lifelong environmental advocate, now gore is being challenged for his own energy deal. the sale of his fledgling cable network , current tv , to al jazeera , owned by the oil and gas -producing persian gulf nation of qatar for a reported $5 million.

>> i completely understand the criticism. and the point of view that you're reporting. but the fact is that al jazeera stands all around the world as a highly respected international news-gathering organization.

>> isn't there something inherently hypocritical about taking money, and a lot of money, from an oil producer?

>> the point you're making is one that i understand very, very clearly. i do disagree with it.

>> there has been such pent-up expense.

>> reporter: gore's life has taken a dramatic turn. after 40 years of marriage, he and tipper made a mutual decision to separate.

>> we have a wonderful relationship. we're very close friends. we had all the children and grandchildren for christmas.

>> reporter: gore was the last presidential candidate to take on the gun lobby and he paid a heavy price, even losing his home state of tennessee. now he says that the horrific tragedy at sandy hook elementary has to be the crossing of a line beyond which we finally have to act.

>> interesting to see the former vice president.

>> really is.

>> andrea mitchell , thank you, as

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50645899/

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French troops control key airport in north Mali

Chadian soldiers patrol the streets of Gao, northern Mali, Tuesday Jan. 29, 2013, days after Malian and French military forces closed in and retook the town from Islamist rebels. Earlier Tuesday, four suspected extremists were arrested after being found by a youth militia calling themselves the "Gao Patrolmen". Malian soldiers prevented the mob from lynching them. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Chadian soldiers patrol the streets of Gao, northern Mali, Tuesday Jan. 29, 2013, days after Malian and French military forces closed in and retook the town from Islamist rebels. Earlier Tuesday, four suspected extremists were arrested after being found by a youth militia calling themselves the "Gao Patrolmen". Malian soldiers prevented the mob from lynching them. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Chadian soldiers patrol the streets vacated by Islamic extremists in Gao, Northern Mali, Tuesday Jan. 29, 2013, days after Malian and French military forces closed in and retook the town from Islamist rebels. Earlier Tuesday, four suspected extremists were arrested after being found by a youth militia calling themselves the "Gao Patrolmen". Malian soldiers prevented the mob from lynching them. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Angry crowds shout at suspected Islamist extremists in the back of an army truck in Gao, northern Mali, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Four suspects were arrested after being found by a youth militia calling themselves the "Gao Patrolmen". Malian soldiers prevented the mob from lynching them. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

A Malian man walks by a fabric store in the central market in Gao, northern Mali, Tuesday Jan. 29, 2013, days after Malian and French military forces closed in and retook the town from Islamist rebels. Earlier Tuesday, four suspected extremists were arrested after being found by a youth militia calling themselves the "Gao Patrolmen". Malian soldiers prevented the mob from lynching them. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

A French soldier lights up a cigarette outside a food store in Gao, northern Mali, Tuesday Jan. 29, 2013, days after Malian and French military forces closed in and retook the town from Islamist rebels. Earlier Tuesday, four suspected extremists were arrested after being found by a youth militia calling themselves the "Gao Patrolmen". Malian soldiers prevented the mob from lynching them. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

SEVARE, Mali (AP) ? French forces have taken control of the airport in Kidal, seizing a key position in one of three provincial capitals the Islamist militants took over last year, officials said Wednesday. One Malian official said French troops even moved into the city, which was the last remaining urban stronghold of the Islamists in Mali.

French and Malian troops have recaptured two of the other provincial capitals, Timbuktu and Gao, in recent days, and been welcomed by overjoyed crowds. However, already concerns are emerging about whether the Islamists will try to return once France hands over the military operation to Mali and soldiers from neighboring countries.

Haminy Maiga, the interim president of the Kidal regional assembly, said French forces met no resistance when they arrived late Tuesday.

"The French arrived at 9:30 p.m. aboard four planes, which landed one after another. Afterwards they took the airport and then entered the town, and there was no combat," said Maiga, who had been in touch with people in the town by satellite phone as all the normal phone networks were down.

"The French are patrolling the town and two helicopters are patrolling overhead," he added.

In Paris, French army Col. Thierry Burkhard confirmed that the airport was taken overnight and described the operation in Kidal itself as "ongoing."

On Tuesday, a secular Tuareg rebel group had asserted that they were in control of Kidal and other small towns in northern Mali. Maiga said those fighters had left Kidal and were at the entry posts on the roads from Gao and Tessalit.

France, the former colonial ruler, began sending in troops, helicopters and warplanes on Jan. 11 to turn the tide after the armed Islamists began encroaching on the south, toward the capital. French and Malian troops seized Gao during the weekend, welcomed by joyous crowds. They took Timbuktu on Monday. The Islamists gave up both cities and retreated into the surrounding desert.

To help battle the Islamists in their desert hideouts, a U.S. military official says the Pentagon is considering setting up a drone base in northwest Africa to increase intelligence collection.

While most crowds in the freed cities have been joyous, months of resentment toward the Islamists already has erupted into violence in Gao.

Video footage filmed by an amateur cameraman and obtained by The Associated Press shows a mob attacking the symbol of the oppressive regime, the Islamic police headquarters.

Some celebrate cheering "I am Malian," while others armed with sticks and machetes attack suspected members of the Islamist regime. The graphic images show the mob as they mutilate the corpses of two young suspected jihadists lying dead in the street.

France's president said his country's forces would stay in Mali as long as necessary, but the French also have said they expect troops from African nations to take the lead as soon as they are able. There are now some 2,900 African soldiers in Mali, including 1,400 from Chad who are used to fighting in harsh, desert terrain like northern Mali.

Mali's military was severely affected by last year's coup and has a reputation for disorganization and bad discipline. Already Malian soldiers have been accused of fatally shooting civilians suspected of links to the Islamists. The military has promised to investigate the allegations.

___

Ahmed reported from Segou, Mali. Associated Press writer Lori Hinnant in Paris and Andrew Drake in Gao, Mali contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-01-30-AF-Mali-Fighting/id-74f60cd20cf84f3292611237bc28b281

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Giffords appeals for gun control

WASHINGTON (AP) ? In a dramatic appeal, wounded former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords urged Congress on Wednesday to enact tougher curbs on guns, saying, "too many children are dying" without them.

"The time is now. You must act. Be bold, be courageous, Americans are counting on you," she told the Senate Judiciary Committee at Congress' first gun control hearing since 20 elementary school children were shot to death in Newtown, Conn., late last year.

Giffords spoke haltingly, a result of the wounds suffered when she was shot in the head in an attempted assassination two years ago that left six others dead.

But in conflicting testimony a little more than an hour later, a top official of the National Rifle Association rejected bans on certain assault weapons and high capacity magazines advocated by President Barack Obama and gun control advocates in Congress.

Under persistent questioning from Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the panel's chairman, the NRA's Wayne LaPierre also conceded that in a reversal, his organization no longer supports universal background checks for gun purchasers. He said criminals wouldn't subject themselves to a background check and the current system is a failure because the administration doesn't prosecute potential violators aggressively.

"Back in '99 you said, 'no loopholes, nowhere,' " said Leahy, referring to testimony delivered more than a decade ago. "Now you do not support background checks for all."

Other Democrats on the panel disagreed with LaPierre.

"That's the point. The criminals will not go to purchase the guns because there'll be a background check. It will stop them from original purchase. You missed that point completely. It is basic," said Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois.

Giffords was not on the list of witnesses released in advance of the hearings, and in an unusual show of respect, members of the committee greeted her warmly outside the hearing room as she and her husband, former astronaut and retired Navy Capt. Mark Kelly, made their way inside. The former Democratic congresswoman was grievously wounded in an assassination attempt in Tucson, Ariz., a little more than two years ago, and has become a public advocate for gun control.

Kelly spoke as well, describing the effect on his wife of the events of two years ago.

"Gabby's gift for speech is a distant memory. She struggles to walk, and she is partially blind. Her right arm is completely paralyzed," he told a rapt committee room.

In the aftermath of the Newtown, Conn., massacre, Obama has issued a call for gun control legislation.

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat and member of the committee, has introduced a bill to ban numerous assault-style weapons as well as high-capacity ammunition magazines.

The prospects for Senate passage are not strong, in part because of opposition from the NRA and in part from a reluctance among rural-state Democrats ? Leahy among them ? to support limitations sought by some advocates of restrictions on firearms.

Republicans pledged to listen carefully, and no more.

Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, the panel's senior Republican, said that while the shootings in Arizona and Connecticut were terrible tragedies, they "should not be used to put forward every gun control measure that has been floating around for years.." He also said any serious discussion of the issue 'must include a complete re-examination of mental health as it related to mass shootings."

In an opening statement of his own, Leahy said it is "a simple matter of common sense" that there should be a strengthening of background checks and that doing so would not threaten gun owners' rights. The checks are currently required for gun purchases from licensed dealers but not at gun shows or other private transaction.

At the same time, he said the Constitution's second amendment "is secure and will remain secure and protection....No one can or will take those rights or our guns away," he said.

He added, "let us forego sloganeering, demagoguery and partisan recriminations. This is too important for that."

Giffords' appearance ? not only her words, but her obvious difficulty in speaking ? served to underscore the emotion surrounding the issue of gun curbs.

The gunman in Tucson, Jared Loughner, used a 9 mm Glock pistol with an extended ammunition magazine in the attack that wounded the former congresswoman and killed six. The handgun would not have been illegal under a federal assault weapons ban that lapsed more than seven years ago, but the magazine that held more than 30 bullets would have been prohibited.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., indicated that whatever the committee produced wouldn't necessarily be the final product, saying the package would be debated by the full Senate and senators would be allowed to propose "whatever amendments they want that deal with this issue."

Despite the horrific Newtown slayings, it remains unclear whether those advocating limits on gun availability will be able to overcome resistance by the NRA and lawmakers from states where gun ownership abounds. Question marks include not just many Republicans but also Democratic senators facing re-election in red-leaning states in 2014. They include Max Baucus of Montana, Mark Begich of Alaska and Mark Pryor of Arkansas.

Knowing that television cameras would beam images of the hearing nationally, both sides were drumming up supporters to attend Wednesday's session.

A page on an NRA-related website urged backers to arrive two hours early to get seats, bring no signs and dress appropriately. The liberal BoldProgressives.org urged its members to attend, saying the NRA "will try to pack the room with their supporters to deceive Congress into believing they are mainstream."

Earlier this month, President Barack Obama proposed a package that includes banning assault weapons, requiring background checks on all firearms purchases and limiting ammunition magazines to 10 rounds.

Giffords underwent a lengthy rehabilitation process and has regained some ability to speak, but has retired from Congress. A gun owner, she and her husband Mark Kelly, a retired astronaut, have formed a political action committee called Americans for Responsible Solutions to back lawmakers who support tighter gun restrictions.

The massacre in Newtown has also set off a national discussion about mental health care, with everyone from law enforcement leaders to the gun industry urging policymakers to focus on the issue as a way to help prevent similar mass shootings. The issue of mental health has arisen in four recent mass shootings, including Sandy Hook, the Tucson shooting, the incident in an Aurora, Colo., movie theater last year and Virginia Tech in 2007.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/giffords-appeals-gun-control-154328604--politics.html

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Video: Facebook Graph Search Update?

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/50643082/

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View topic - People Pets Miranda Lambert: Dog Betty Is a Daddy's ...

** Please go look at NEW little video interview and and rate it. I personally hearted it. **

People Pets Miranda Lambert: Dog Betty Is a Daddy's Girl
By Jessica Herndon

01/28/2013 at 04:30 PM EST

As a busy mom of six ? to pooches that is! ? Miranda Lambert often makes time for her furry brood by bringing some of her and husband Blake Shelton's pets on the road.

"I have two small dogs, Delta and Cher, so they are usually the ones who go on tour," she told PEOPLE.

Though sometimes, it's not always her the dogs want to be with.

"Betty is one of our dogs that we take on tour with us as well, but she's kind of a daddy's girl," Lambert said, "so she hangs out with Blake a lot."

But while the couple's pooches tend to play favorites, the Grammy nominee says she has no such preferences, referring to her home as a "full-on farm." "I have a huge passion for rescuing animals," she added.

That attitude is part of why the singer helped launch The Pedigree Feeding Project on Jan. 23 in Glendale, Calif., a new initiative by the company to supply one pet shelter in a worthy community with a year's worth of dog food. And having rescued a shelter pup, Lambert personally understands the campaign's importance.

"I have a Chihuahua that I got at a shelter at 4 weeks old and I have to remind her of her roots," she joked. "I tell her that she did not grow up in Bel Air. She came from a shelter in east Texas. I have to keep her humble."

http://www.peoplepets.com/people/pets/article/0,,20668860,00.html?utm_content=Kazi+Media+Group&utm_source=Kazi+Media+Group&utm_medium=Kazi+Media+Group&utm_campaign=Kazi+Media+Group&utm_term=Kazi+Media+Group

Source: http://www.mirandalambert.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=49507

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Nashville, Season 1

Eric Close, Connie Britton, and Hayden Panettiere in Nashville

Hi, Gunnar?s fugitive brother! It was a pleasure to meet you recently on Nashville, but I worry you won?t be around long. After all, the series has an incredibly high metabolism for its supporting players, introducing characters in a flash and dropping them like hot Southern biscuits. (Bye, Hailey. Bye, Sean.) Meanwhile, Nashville sometimes forgets its leads, in that they could mingle a lot more than they do and probably generate a lot more sharp drama.?

In an AV Club recap, Todd VanDerWerff sums all this up beautifully when he writes that plotlines on Nashville ?feel hermetically sealed off from each other? the stories are all taking place in bubble universes that never cross over.? And he takes as evidence the ?Wrong Song? celebration party, in Episode 11, during which encounters between characters who don?t normally associate?Rayna and Joleen, Juliette and Avery?end up feeling not satisfying but weird and unreal. As these interactions unspool, he says, ?it?s just not immediately clear what the show is going for or what we?re supposed to think or anything. It?s just another thing that happens.?

Nevertheless, two of those bizarre, disembodied t?te-?-t?tes stuck with me last week, not so much because they constituted great TV but because they raised interesting questions about how various characters reflect and relate to each other. Given that we viewed the conversation between Rayna and Joleen through Juliette?s eyes, this fleeting episode produces a neat triangle. One way of looking at it would be to see Rayna and Joleen as the base and Juliette as the apex: two potential mother figures and one daughter. During Thursday?s TV Club, June and I wondered whether Juliette?s mommy issues informed her hostility toward Rayna, a musical forebear. Seeing Joleen and Ma James together in one frame drove home the connection between them. (In their next conversation, maybe, they can bond over Juliette?s rudeness.)

At the same time, though, class holds the pair apart. Rayna equals old aristocratic Nashville, all graciousness and platinum-gold princess weeds. Joleen, dressed in brown and hoarding mini-hamburgers in her cocktail napkin, hails from a world of trailer parks and addiction. That Joleen?s overture to Rayna embarrasses her daughter on a deep and personal level hints at the emergence of a different dynamic. Nashville may present Rayna and Joleen as doubles, but it also submits Joleen as a surrogate for Juliette.

What I mean by this is that perhaps it makes more sense to group Jules and Jo together at the base of the triangle and to imagine Rayna at the apex. Mrs. Barnes, whose last name sounds like barns, embodies a past Juliette can?t quite outrun. When she chats up Rayna (who, yes, reigns), it?s her daughter as much as herself who?s on full, painful display. And the feeling that Joleen is somehow a (very, very unwelcome) mouthpiece or shadow self for Juliette at the party is compounded when Joleen later reveals that her daughter also used to idolize Rayna. Joleen distills Juliette?s vulnerabilities. No wonder Jules seems in such a hurry to disown her.

But?wait?are the true doppelg?ngers here Juliette and Rayna? Such a reading falls in line with the June Thomas theory of Nashville, which says the show?s main arc will involve Ms. James and Ms. Barnes realizing how much they have in common. (Their shared drive, charisma, and talent make them ?sisters under the skin,? writes June.) And that also seems right: Despite her mom complex, would Jules really resent Rayna?s privilege so hotly if she didn?t see the other woman as a direct competitor? Joleen is both Juliette?s mother and her alter ego (by way of the trailer park); Rayna, too, is at once mother figure and rival, a vision of who Juliette might be or become. (And, obviously, Juliette?s day-to-day lifestyle resembles Rayna?s a lot more than it does Joleen?s.)

And then there was Avery?s sad, sad attempt to ingratiate himself to Juliette. Mostly, this scene, in which the chin-teed rocker approaches the starlet and gets rejected, instructs us in the Ways of Avery. He is ambitious and full of himself, in addition to having horrible facial hair. I was prepared to file the moment under ?Nashville youth behaving badly? and move on, but an observation in the comments sparked an epiphany. User marijocook points out that Avery and Juliette mirror one another, too, in their self-importance and lack of consideration! What?s more, she explains, they could one day be soul mates. ?Avery will persevere and fight his way into stardom exactly the same way she [Juliette] has done, and he will weasel his way into her life? just as she?s insinuated herself in Deacon?s.

The prediction sounds horrifying, delicious?and plausible. Nashville may play host to many insulated narratives, but ultimately, as marijocook concludes, ?it?s a small city.?

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=fac01a01bc041784a90af3b5ec72966e

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Cops shoot dogs in front of Pennsylvania high school

By Hasani Gittens, News Editor, NBC News

A dog fight ended with a hail of bullets in a Philadelphia suburb, leaving residents shocked and looking for answers.

The incident started on Friday at around noon when a stray dog got into a pickup truck at a red light in Chester, Pa., and began fighting with another pooch, NBCPhiladelphia.com?reported.

Cops were called when the dogs couldn't be separated, and when they arrived, witnesses were stunned at the reaction. One officer shot at the dogs five times with a pistol, then another fired one blast from a shotgun.?

And this all went down right in front of Chester High School.

---

Tehran Freeman, a dog owner himself who lives down the block from the shooting, captured the incident on video with his cell phone and was outraged at the handling of the situation.

"I don't care how bad they try to make Chester seem, this is not a war zone, you don't do things like that," he told NBCPhiladelphia.com.?

"I thought them as the police should be held to a higher standard and would have some type of procedure for breaking it up than actually pulling out your pistols in front of the high school."

Freeman told NBCNews.com that the bigger, more aggressive dog seemed to be a?pit bull?and had a leash, but the other smaller dog didn't. It was unclear who the owners were.

He said when he saw the police the "last thing that I thought would happen" is that they would open fire with their guns.

"It wasn't secure at all, I know bullets can?ricochet?and anything else -- you're trying to shoot two animals in the back of a metal vehicle, that bullet can go anywhere."

Chester police told NBCPhiladelphia.com that the incident was under investigation and at the time the animal control officer in the city was unavailable.?

Freeman added that some of the cops involved seemed as upset as anyone.?

"One of the officers actually looked very, very shaken up about it," he said.?

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/29/16758026-cops-shoot-dogs-in-front-of-pennsylvania-high-school?lite

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The Always Up-To-Date Guide to Rooting the Most Popular Android Phones

We love Android, but rooting your phone can give you the opportunity to do so much more than your phone can do out of the box?whether its wireless tethering, speeding it up with overclocking, or customizing the look of your phone with themes. Here's how to root some of the most popular phones with minimal effort.

Rooting, for those of you that don't know, means giving yourself root permissions on your phone. It's similar running programs as administrators in Windows, or running a command with sudo in Linux. With a rooted phone, you can run more apps (like backup or tethering apps), as well as flash custom ROMs to your phone, which add all sorts of extra features. If you're on the fence about rooting, check out our top 10 root-only apps that make it worth the hassle.

There are a ton of different Android phones out there, and while some rooting methods might work for multiple phones, there is no one-size-fits-all guide for rooting every phone out there. As such, we can't show you how to root every phone in existence, especially since we can't test every method. So we're going to post methods for the ten most popular Android phones among our readers and the ones you voted as the five best, and keep it updated as new phones come out (in fact, we recently just updated it with five new phones for 2013). If your phone isn't on the list, be sure to check the Where to Go if Your Phone Isn't Listed section for suggestions on where you can find more info pertaining to your specific device.

If your phone is on the list but the rooting method is outdated, send me an email at whitson+rootingguide@lifehacker.com with a link to the updated method. I can't test most of the phones on this list, and keeping up with root methods is very difficult, so we're relying on you to help us out a bit. Telling me a method didn't work for you won't help me keep the guide up to date. The process may have not worked for any number of reasons, even if it's up to date, so only email me if you can verify that a new method is working (or that there is no new method). Please don't email me asking me how to root your unlisted phone. I don't know how to do it. I only own one phone, and I've just used the resources at the end of this guide to find the listed rooting methods. See the Where to Go if Your Phone Isn't Listed section for more information on unlisted phones.

Glossary of Rooting Terms

As you learn more about the rooting process, you'll probably run into a bunch of terms that can be confusing. Here are some of the most important ones and what they mean.

Rooting Terms

• Root: Rooting means you have root access to your device?that is, it can run the sudo command, and has enhanced privileges allowing it to run apps like Wireless Tether or SetCPU. You can root either by installing the Superuser application?which many of the below root processes include?or by flashing a custom ROM that has root access included.
• ROM: A ROM is a modified version of Android. It may contain extra features, a different look, speed enhancements, or even a version of Android that hasn't been released yet. We won't discuss ROMs in depth here, but if you want to use one once you're rooted, you can read more about doing that here.
• Flash: Flashing essentially means installing something on your device, whether it be a ROM, a kernel, or something else that comes in the form of a ZIP file. Sometimes the rooting process requires flashing ZIP file, sometimes it doesn't.
• Bootloader: Your bootloader is the lowest level of software on your phone, running all the code that's necessary to start up your operating system. Most bootloaders come locked, which keeps you from rooting your phone. Unlocking your bootloader doesn't root your phone directly, but it does allow you to root, then flash custom ROMs if you so desire.
• Recovery: Your recovery is the software on your phone that lets you make backups, flash ROMs, and perform other system-level tasks. The default recoveries can't do much, but you can flash a custom recovery?like ClockworkMod?after you've unlocked your bootloader that will give you much more control over your device. This is often an integral part of the rooting process.
• ADB: ADB stands for Android Debug Bridge, and it's a command line tool for your computer that can communicate with an Android device you've connected to it. It's part of the Android Software Developers Kit (SDK). Many of the root tools below use ADB, whether you're typing the commands yourself or not. Unless the instructions call for installing the SDK and running ADB commands, you won't need to mess with it?you'll just need to know that it's what most of the tools use to root your phone.
• S-OFF: HTC phones use a feature called Signature Verification in HBOOT, their bootloader. By default, your phone has S-ON, which means it blocks you from flashing radio images?the code that manages your data, Wi-Fi, and GPS connections. Switching your phone to S-OFF lets you flash new radios. Rooting doesn't require S-OFF, but many rooting tools will give you S-OFF in addition to root access, which is nice.
• RUU and SBF: ROM Upgrade Utilities (for HTC phones) and System Boot Files (for Motorola phones) are files direct from the manufacturer that change the software on your phone. RUU and SBF files are how the manufacturers deliver your over-the-air upgrades, and modders often post leaked RUU and SBF files for flashing when the updates haven't been released yet. They're also handy when downgrading your phone, if a rooting method isn't available for the newest software version yet. You can flash RUUs right from your HTC phone, but Motorola users will need a Windows program called RSD Lite to flash SBF files.

Rooting Methods

Here you'll find what we think are the best rooting methods for the 10 most popular phones among Lifehacker readers. We won't go through the nitty gritty details of each method, since we can't test them ourselves, but we will tell you what you need and what each method entails. Before rooting, we recommend you read up a bit more on your phone, and we've provided some links for further reading at the end of each description. Click on your phone's thumbnail below for more.

Where to Go If Your Phone Isn't Listed

Just because your phone isn't listed doesn't mean it isn't rootable (in fact, some of the above methods might work on other phones). Some rooting tools root multiple phones, and HTC's official unlocking method will unlock the bootloader of nearly any HTC phone?which gets you part of the way toward rooting (you'll need to look up more information on how to flash a recovery to your specific device). It's also worth mentioning that there can be multiple methods out there. HTC's official route isn't always the easiest method, so if your phone has a one-click tool available, it's usually better to use that because it's quicker, will give you S-OFF, and won't leave a digital "watermark" on your phone that permanently voids your warranty. Lastly, SuperOneClick is a great one-click app that roots a ton of phones, especially older ones, so do a bit of googling and see if it works for yours?because it's just about the easiest root method out there.

The best way to research your phone, though, would be to check out the All Things Root section of your phone's forum at Android Forums. If you find your phone's subforum and click on All Things Root, there's almost always a sticky post with info on rooting methods, ROMs, and other special troubleshooting tips that could apply to your specific phone. Looking up your phone on the XDA Developers forums is always a great idea too, and the CyanogenMod Wiki often has lots of information on rooting and flashing ROMs as well (even if you aren't flashing CyanogenMod). With a bit of research, you should be able to find at least one guide that works for your specific device.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/9PL6xQffbqE/the-always-up+to+date-guide-to-rooting-any-android-phone

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Poor Sleep Prevents Brain From Storing Memories

I was going to post anonymous, but recovered my ancient log-in so that you'd at least have a "face" for this drive-by. I don't even know why I'm posting, other than my brother did something similar, but at least he had the minimum courage to tell his wife the reasons as he was leaving. I'd never been quite so disappointed in him when I heard he just walked away... So, what you wrote hit something in my heart of hearts, so, here goes random helpful internet guy...

I'm so sorry to hear how you were hurt. I don't know why people do hurtful things like that. There's no excuse for abandoning someone that cares for you and that you've cared for in the past.

I'm sorry the hurt is still with you. I hope you're getting help, and if not, PLEASE get help. Some may say it's appropriate for you to have problems while you "mourn" the loss of your loved one, but if you've been in so much pain that it STILL troubles your sleep, for over a year, that's not "normal mourning."

Your brain can do amazingly bad things to you, and like most brain disorders, it's really hard to realize that you may need help. The mind loves to lie to itself, to reassure itself that while things aren't "right," they're not *THAT* bad. But it might just be. You may need more than just *struggle* to get through this. I'm not talking meds (though they may help too, they did for my own issues), I'm talking a licensed therapist at the least, a shrink if you can get one.

This is a link [seculartherapy.org] to a project that looks to connect people with therapists who practice based on Evidence and published data. I'm specifically posting a link to non-religious therapists, not to cause trouble, but because even if you may be religious, and may indeed find a good religious therapist, it's also possible their beliefs may conflict with yours, and may cause more pain than balm. I think it makes sense to start with a therapist that doesn't even have religion as a component, then discuss introducing that as part of your therapy later, should you desire it.

As alone as you may feel, as worthless and petty as far, FAR too many people are, there are *good* people out there. People who can more than make up for the scumbags out there, who will trip over themselves to help you, if they just know you are in need.

If you're not sure you need help, if you think you're *probably* ok, or *mostly* ok, try to get help anyways... if you really are fine, than the worst that can happen is they agree with you, right?

This was a much bigger post than I intended, stranger/friend. And you may never see it or read it. I hope you do. I hope that you're not alone with your pain, and if you are, that maybe for a moment my words make you feel less so. And if you need it, I hope you decide my completely unsolicited advice is, instead of insulting, a kind-of tool, another way for you to help yourself.

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/LYNseFnfWgU/story01.htm

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Apple TV Update - Business Insider

Apple has released an updated for its Apple TV that unlocks some long-awaited features.

The big new feature is the previously-rumored Bluetooth keyboard support, which should make it much easier to log into Hulu and search for things on Netflix.

Other than that, users will get an improved iTunes in the Cloud service, and a feature called Up Next, which lets you build a queue of music to play on the fly.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-tv-update-2013-1

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Pruett ties Haywood's record as Ganassi wins Rolex

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) ? Humbled a year ago when both its cars failed to make the podium, Chip Ganassi Racing returned to the Rolex 24 at Daytona determined to pick up another victory watch.

An eyebrow-raising lineup change that involved Juan Pablo Montoya showed just how serious the team was about winning, and it delivered Sunday with its fifth win in 10 appearances in the prestigious sports car race. The victory was the fifth for lead driver Scott Pruett, tying Hurley Haywood's record for wins in the twice-around-the-clock race at Daytona International Speedway.

"Having gotten to know Hurley real well over the years by racing with him and just as a friend, and to have him there at the end was pretty special," Pruett said.

The winning team of three-time defending Grand-Am drivers Pruett and Memo Rojas, along with Montoya and IndyCar driver Charlie Kimball, making his Rolex debut, beat the Max Angelelli-led VelocityWW team by almost 22 seconds.

It was Montoya who closed out the win, driving the final stint and waging a strong battle in the final hour with defending champion AJ Allmendinger. Ganassi's No. 01 BMW Riley had a clear horsepower advantage, and once Montoya got past Allmendinger, the win was his for the taking.

But the Ganassi team figured it was four laps short on fuel, and Montoya needed to build a lead of at least 40 seconds to hold off Angelelli and Allmendinger when he was forced to stop for gas. The Colombian did it by turning laps close to qualifying pace, and breezed to his third Rolex victory.

"It was a lot of pressure; I thought we have a decent lead, we're just going to go out there and ride for two and a half hours," Montoya said. "And then you realize there's a caution and another caution and another caution, and with the way the rules are and the speed the car had, it's like you didn't want to get into a ... contest with anybody. You had to be smart about when you passed them.

"We were kind of concerned about the (Shank) car, what they were going to do with fuel because they told me they could make it until the end and that we were going to have to push, and we pushed like crazy and opened up a hell of a gap. It was fun."

Montoya's other two wins were with Pruett on the No. 01 car in 2007 and 2008, but he spent the last three years driving for the No. 02 Ganassi "star car" and came away empty-handed each time. When the Ganassi cars were left off the Rolex podium last season for the first time since 2005, team management went to work on the cars and setting up a lineup that gave them two chances to win.

Montoya admitted he thought the switch was "a weird move," but owner Chip Ganassi and team manager Mike Hull insisted it wasn't a demotion for the driver who has been stuck in a lengthy slump in his full-time NASCAR job.

Ganassi said the Montoya move was Hull's call, but he also questioned it when the decision was made.

"I read that as you did, and I asked him about it, and he said it was to balance the thing out," Ganassi said. "We needed to balance it out. We also had Charlie Kimball in that car, and we wanted to give those guys every opportunity to win, as well, and we thought the 02 car was obviously very strong, and so we thought we had two good shots at it here."

The No. 02 car, driven by Indy 500 winners Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon, Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray and sports car ace Joey Hand, was strong until McMurray hit the wall exiting pit road following an early morning driver change. The damage to the steering may have contributed to the mechanical failure that knocked the car out of the race with four hours remaining.

"It's hard. This is different than crashing in a regular event," McMurray said. "When it's just you, it's not the same as having three other teammates and the amount of people we've had down here for testing. It is very embarrassing, very humbling, very heartbreaking to be the guy that does that. You don't want to be that guy."

In all, Ganassi's two cars combined to lead an overwhelming majority of the 709 laps. The No. 01 team led 421 laps in a race that had 24 drivers combine for a record 77 lead changes.

But the attention was on Montoya, who is clearly under pressure to perform this year, the final year of his contract with Ganassi.

"I think you always race for your job. It's normal," Montoya shrugged.

He stepped up Saturday and Sunday as the No. 01 team had to balance out Kimball's inexperience. It was the first time racing in a car with a roof on it for Kimball, who has diabetes and uses his fight with the disease as his platform.

"Having these guys as teammates takes a heck of a lot off my shoulders because I knew that I could settle in, and as long as I was smart and didn't make too many big mistakes and kept us in the race, they'd put us in a position to win at the end," said Kimball, who had one turn in the car for two late-night stints.

The Chevrolet team of Angelelli, defending IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay and Jordan Taylor finished second for team owner Wayne Taylor ? redemption after an engine failure 22 minutes in last year's event ended the team's day. But Angelelli was bothered by engine restrictions to their Chevy that gave the Ganassi BMW's a clear power advantage.

"We have something restricted, OK? Just like driving with handcuffs; you can't do it, can't drive," he said. "Montoya and the 01 car is another league, is an A class. We are B class."

Defending race winner Michael Shank Racing twice came back from seven laps down to finish third in a Ford. It was a disappointing finish for team owner Shank, but a moral victory considering the hole the team clawed out of to make it to the podium.

Allmendinger, racing at Daytona for the first time since NASCAR suspended him for failing a random drug test hours before the July race here, teamed with fellow NASCAR driver Marcos Ambrose, IndyCar driver Justin Wilson and Grand-Am regulars John Pew and Ozz Negri for the finish.

Ambrose was added to last year's winning lineup after Negri broke his leg a month ago during offseason training, but Negri was able to return to the car this weekend for limited driving duties a mere six days after his cast was removed.

"We were saying that on the way over, John and I, how if you'd have told us after the first hour we could have a chance of finishing third, we would have been over the moon," Wilson said. "As we were on the podium, we were thinking, well, there's nothing quite like being first, but we just have to be grateful for the chance we had."

Audi Sport Customer Racing won the GT class in an Audi R8 with drivers Filipe Albuquergue, Oliver Jarvis, Edoardo Mortara and Dion von Moltke.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pruett-ties-haywoods-record-ganassi-wins-rolex-205304337--spt.html

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Cameron deputy slams EU vote, polls show boost for PM

LONDON (Reuters) - Nick Clegg, leader of the junior party in Britain's ruling coalition, denounced David Cameron's pledge to hold a referendum on quitting the European Union, as polls on Sunday indicated the prime minister's move may gain him votes.

"It is not in the national interest when we have this fragile recovery," said Clegg, whose Liberal Democrats strongly favor closer EU ties, in contrast to many members of Cameron's Conservative party. "I don't think it helps at all."

He dismissed as "implausible" Cameron's plan to take back powers from Brussels before a referendum on a new treaty by 2017 that would let voters take Britain out. EU leaders have shown little wish to grant Cameron concessions and Clegg said EU talks would distract ministers from efforts to revive the economy.

Cameron, he told the BBC, would damage economic growth if he spent "years flying around from one European capital to the next, fiddling around with the terms of Britain's membership".

The LibDems are languishing in the polls and are unlikely to leave the coalition before an election in 2015, but the EU issue has added to strains. Cameron, who says he wants Britain to stay in the EU, last week promised a referendum if he is re-elected. It is less clear what may happen if treaties remain unchanged.

The first opinion polls published since he made his pledge of an "in-out" vote, however, showed that the prime minister may be succeeding in reversing a drift from the Conservatives to a party which campaigns for Britain to leave the European Union.

A Survation poll in the Mail on Sunday, which showed Labour unchanged and in the lead on 38 percent, put the Conservatives on 31 percent, up two points, while the UK Independence Party was down by the same margin, on 14 percent. UKIP's surge from just 3 percent in the 2010 election has raised the prospect of a split on the right that could condemn Cameron to defeat.

Another poll, by ComRes in the Independent on Sunday, showed an even more marked "Brussels bounce" for the prime minister, with the Conservatives gaining five points from last month to 33 percent and UKIP losing four points to be on 10 percent. Again, ComRes put Labour in the lead, down a point on 39 percent.

Cameron's European move worries the United States and EU allies, which want Britain to stay in the bloc. Many business leaders say it creates dangerous uncertainty.

Many Conservatives, whose party toppled previous premiers over European policy, welcomed a referendum after 2015. However, without improvement in an economy which shrank by 0.3 percent in the last quarter, Cameron's re-election is far from certain.

(Editing by Alastair Macdonald)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cameron-deputy-slams-eu-vote-polls-show-boost-142321841--business.html

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Open thread: March for Life 2013 (Michellemalkin)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/279566056?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Democratic support for Hagel grows

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Democratic support for Chuck Hagel's nomination for defense secretary grew on Thursday as the former Republican senator allayed concerns about his past statements on Israel and Iran.

Sens. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Chris Coons of Delaware and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire said they met with Hagel this week and were reassured by his commitment to Israel's security.

Hagel would replace Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who is stepping down. Despite early misgivings, about a dozen Democrats have announced they would vote for his nomination, and none has declared opposition to President Barack Obama's choice.

Six Republicans have said they would vote against Hagel, with some stating their opposition before Obama announced his pick on Jan. 7.

"Senator Hagel clarified his position on Iran sanctions and Israel, and I am confident he is firmly committed to ensuring a strong U.S.-Israel relationship," Lautenberg said, adding that he and his colleagues will be watching closely "to ensure that issues of concern do not emerge as he takes on this critical position."

Separately, 13 former secretaries of defense and state as well as national security advisers sent a letter to members of the Senate strongly endorsing Hagel. Among them was former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who has worked for Republican and Democratic administrations, and George Schultz and Brent Scowcroft, veterans of GOP administrations.

"For those of us honored to have served as members of a president's national security team, Sen. Hagel clearly understands the essence and the burdens of leadership required of this high office," the former officials wrote.

Hagel, who served two terms as Nebraska senator, has faced opposition from GOP-leaning outside groups over his past statements about the power of the "Jewish lobby" of pro-Israel groups and his doubts about the effectiveness of unilateral sanctions on Iran.

Not one GOP lawmaker has endorsed the nominee. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., writing in an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal on Thursday, all but announced his opposition.

"When we are faced with unpredictable national security crises, we can't afford to have a secretary of defense who has unpredictable judgment," Barrasso wrote.

Other lawmakers have said they are waiting for Hagel's confirmation hearing next Thursday in the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Democrats hold a 55-45 edge in the Senate and would have the votes to confirm Hagel.

"Chuck is a combat veteran and foot soldier who has a unique understanding of the challenges faced by our men and women in uniform, and a practical leader who understands the need for common sense in military spending and national security strategy," Manchin said in a statement.

Coons said he believes Hagel "will be a strong and effective secretary of defense, and I will be proud to vote for his confirmation."

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who met with Hagel on Thursday, said he had satisfied her concerns and she felt his responses were sincere. A member of the Armed Services Committee, she said she would reserve judgment until after the hearing but described Hagel as well-qualified for the job.

Their statements came shortly after Sen. John Kerry, the president's choice for secretary of state, found himself defending Hagel at his confirmation hearing.

"I know Chuck Hagel. I think he is a strong patriotic former senator, and he will be a strong secretary of defense," Kerry said of Hagel, who, like Kerry, served in Vietnam.

Republican Sen. Bob Corker questioned Kerry about Hagel's support for an 80 percent reduction of U.S. nuclear weapons. Possible reductions and modernization of the nuclear arsenal are major issues for the Tennessee lawmaker, who has the Y-12 nuclear facility in his state.

Corker has expressed concerns about Hagel, questioning whether the Republican's "overall temperament" makes his suitable for the job.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/democratic-support-hagel-grows-232254328--politics.html

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Do Yourself A Favor By Following These Great Self Improvement Tips!

TIP! Your personal development goals should be specific enough to lead the way to success. Having goals will allow you to better problem solve on how to get there.

Working on your self improvement presents challenges, but they are not insurmountable. There are also many facets to this. You can improve physically by eating a healthier diet and exercising. There are certainly many different ways to develop yourself personally. Use the advice in this article to help you make any type of personal change. Not only will this make you feel more positive about yourself, but others in your life will see how you?ve changed as well.

TIP! You can?t change unless you make a directed, continuous effort to do so. You have to determine exactly what you want and consciously decide to work toward it.

If you find yourself consistently falling short of self-imposed goals and guidelines, step back and assess the possible problems. Take a little time to research what others have done when their goals were similar. You might be able to mimic some of their ideas or learn from their successes. You might need to be more realistic or gain the proper information you need to succeed.

TIP! Keep in mind the power of complimenting other people. When you make an effort to treat others kindly, it becomes easier to think of yourself in kinder terms.

Discover what is standing between you and your goals. Sometimes, this can be a difficult job for you to see on your own. Once you can pinpoint your own weaknesses, it is easier to accept them, act on them, and change them. Removing obstacles in your life can help you get a clearer picture of what?s to come.

TIP! By becoming more healthy inside and out, you will be setting yourself up for success. Good health makes anyone feel happier.

For many people, faith and love are the core components of personal development. Faith seldom exists without the accompanying emotion of love. Therefore, you should never just be idle on your faith. Serve others when they need help, and commit yourself to doing things that demonstrate your love.

TIP! To grow over the years, you have to have a great attitude. When you carry a poor attitude, it will directly affect your mood and develop a negative aura.

Be prepared to list your ideas wherever you are. Pack some paper with you when you go out. Scribble detailed notes when something comes to you, and then carry them out whenever your creativity is piqued.

TIP! You can try writing yourself a motivational speech. Get a postcard and fill it with positives about yourself, your personality and your accomplishments.

Always strive to live a life of wisdom and virtue. Learn from your experiences because it can help you realize the difference between circumstances you can change, and those you cannot. Modesty will help you work within your limits. Learning from the past and exercising wisdom, makes for a brighter future.

TIP! Other than the Ivy League, most employers don?t really care where you graduated from, so long as you got the degree and have the necessary skills. The exceptions to this include high-finance type jobs, in which graduation from an Ivy League school adds cachet to your credentials.

In order to grow as a person, you need to give your life direction. Long-term goals are very helpful, and they can have a huge impact on how you view the world.

TIP! Consider your personal character attributes when determining what you want to change. Your aesthetics can be changed quicker than your personality can! Top of the line clothing or model-looks does not always make you a better person.

Do you consume more alcohol than you should? Are there other such vices harming your body such as smoking or recreational drug use? Our bodies are important to maintain, and should be treated with care. If you are serious about improving your life, it is important to eliminate the habits which cause your body harm. Carefully examine your attitudes and actions and identify areas for improvement.

TIP! Focus on making your time spent working as productive as possible. One simple solution is to go on more breaks while you work.

The aim of this article was to help you learn some ways to better yourself. You can use them and many others to get started today. No matter your age, self improvement should be something we all strive towards.

http://coreyotten.com/empowerblog

95098" title="Do Yourself A Favor By Following These Great Self Improvement Tips!" url="http://coreyotten.com/do-yourself-a-favor-by-following-these-great-self-improvement-tips.html">

Source: http://coreyotten.com/do-yourself-a-favor-by-following-these-great-self-improvement-tips.html

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Cisco's Flirtation With Consumers Is Over, as Belkin Buys Linksys ...

Looking back, it?s hard to figure out what networking giant Cisco Systems ever wanted with consumer goods, anyway. But now the distraction of trying to sell stuff to consumers and not companies is gone.

Word just hit the wires that Belkin, the company behind numerous consumer accessory products like Web cams, power strips, cables, phone cases and such, just announced that it will buy Cisco?s consumer home networking unit, Linksys. Financial terms aren?t being disclosed, at least not by Belkin as yet, though the price may show up in a Cisco filing sooner or later. However, the company, which has an existing consumer networking business, says the deal will give it a 30 percent foothold in the retail home and small-business networking market, where competitors who come to mind include the likes of Netgear, Apple and D-Link.

The sale essentially completes the process that Cisco started in 2011 when it shut down Pure Digital, a high-profile consumer brand it acquired that was best known as the maker of the popular line of Flip Digital video cameras. Another consumer product to get the ax at Cisco in recent months: The Umi home video conferencing product.

Here?s Belkin?s announcement:

BELKIN ANNOUNCES INTENT TO ACQUIRE CISCO?S HOME NETWORKING BUSINESS UNIT

Acquisition to Bolster Belkin?s Position in the Home Networking Market, Building on the Strong Linksys Brand and Innovative Suite of Product and Software Solutions

Playa Vista, Calif. ? January 24, 2013 ? Belkin, a private company based in Playa Vista, Calif., with operations and sales in more than 100 countries, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Cisco?s Home Networking Business Unit, including its proven products, technology, well-known Linksys brand and talented employees. With global operations, Linksys? main office is located in Irvine, Calif.

?We?re very excited about this announcement,? said Chet Pipkin, CEO of Belkin. ?Our two organizations share many core beliefs ? we have similar beginnings and share a passion for meeting the real needs of our customers through the strengths of an entrepreneurial culture. Belkin?s ultimate goal is to be the global leader in the connected home and wireless networking space and this acquisition is an important step to realizing that vision.?

Belkin intends to maintain the Linksys brand and will offer support for Linksys products as part of this transaction. All valid warranties will be honored by Belkin for current and future Linksys products. After the transaction closes, Belkin will account for approximately 30 percent of the U.S. retail home and small business networking market.

?Linksys pioneered wireless connectivity capability around the globe, and has a strong brand renowned for its premium market position, the strength of its installed base and its proven dependability. Linksys users benefit from peace of mind in their home networking environment. At Belkin we have developed great insight into consumer needs, and the experiences, solutions and products we bring to the market, including our WeMo home automation platform, will help us to grow Linksys? market presence,? Pipkin said.

?Linksys is one of the leading home networking providers and has created a market-leading suite of products and services to meet customer needs,? said Hilton Romanski, VP Corporate Business Development, Cisco. ?While part of Cisco, Linksys has continuously innovated, while strengthening the brand and expanding its market leadership. As part of Cisco?s commitment to service providers, we are pleased about this strategic relationship with Belkin to build on Linksys? position of strength.?

?With complementary innovation and engineering strategies in the combined organization, Belkin will be able to create new opportunities for consumers, distribution partners and resellers, and will have the strongest retail presence in the U.S. networking marketplace. Belkin also will have access to a large installed base that will be able to upgrade their networking environment to take advantage of new technologies in the smartphone, tablet, notebook and home automation arenas,? Pipkin said. ?Additionally, Linksys will enhance Belkin?s capabilities to meet the needs of the service provider space and small business users.?

Belkin and Cisco intend to develop a strategic relationship on a variety of initiatives including retail distribution, strategic marketing and products for the service provider market. Having access to Cisco?s specialized software solutions across all of Belkin?s product lines will bring a more seamless user experience for customers. Merging the innovation capabilities of Linksys and Belkin provides a powerful platform from which to develop the next generation of home networking technology.

?At Belkin, we?re committed to enabling great experiences for users of today?s mobile and connected home technologies,? Pipkin said. ?The acquisition of Linksys and the combination of Belkin?s and Linksys? expertise and innovation will position us to meet the demands of today?s rapidly evolving advances in technology. We look forward to honoring the heritage of the Linksys brand and investing in the continuing evolution of its product portfolio. Together, we will provide a powerful, simple to use, and reliable wireless and networking platform for the markets we serve.?

Specific financial terms of the transaction are undisclosed. The transaction is subject to various standard closing conditions and is expected to close in March 2013.

Source: http://allthingsd.com/20130124/ciscos-flirtation-with-consumers-is-over-as-belkin-buys-linksys-unit/

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ScienceOnline2012 interview with Sarah Webb

Every year I ask some of the attendees of the ScienceOnline conferences to tell me (and my readers) more about themselves, their careers, current projects and their views on the use of the Web in science, science education or science communication. So now we continue with the participants of ScienceOnline2012. See all the interviews in this series here.

Today my guest is Sarah Webb.

Welcome to A Blog Around The Clock. Would you, please, tell my readers a little bit more about yourself? Where are you coming from (both geographically and philosophically)? What is your background? Any scientific education?

I?m a science journalist, but I came to science writing and journalism about 10 years ago while I was a chemistry Ph.D. student at Indiana University. Though I finished, I went straight into journalism internships after I defended my Ph.D.? at Discover magazine and as a AAAS Mass Media Fellow at WNBC-TV. I stayed in the New York City area for 8 years until my husband and I moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee last August.

Tell us a little more about your career trajectory so far: interesting projects past and present?

My brain has always been split between science and the humanities. In college, I double-majored in German and chemistry. I did a Fulbright fellowship in an organic chemistry lab in Giessen, Germany before I started my Ph.D. work.

When I decided to move away from research, I first explored science writing through a master?s level journalism course taught by Holly Stocking in the Indiana University School of Journalism. She pretty much hooked me on science journalism from day one. At the same time I was volunteering at a local hands-on science museum, WonderLab, so I?ve had my hands in informal science education, too.

After my Ph.D. defense and internships in New York, I took on various types of freelance work. One of my favorite projects was working with a team at the graphic design firm C&G Partners in Manhattan on the permanent astronomy exhibits at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. I worked as a content developer, gathering images, objects and research information for the exhibit writer. All my skills? my science background, my research skills and the ability to call scientists up on the phone to ask about their work? played into that project.

Since that work wrapped up in 2006, I?ve worked as a freelance science journalist, writer and editor.

What is taking up the most of your time and passion these days? What are your goals?

My big project lately has been a book and website with more than 30 close friends and colleagues. The Science Writers? Handbook: Everything You Need to Know to Pitch, Publish and Prosper in the Digital Age will be published by Da Capo Press in April 2013. I contributed one chapter on ?The Diversity of Science Writing,? how to build a balanced mix of work both inside and outside of traditional science journalism. I am also the editor in chief of our book?s newly launched blog and website. (Emily Gertz and I will be giving a BlitzTalk about the site at ScienceOnline 2013).

Like many freelance journalists, I keep my hands in many different projects. I spend the bulk of my time writing news and feature articles for journals and trade publications. But I have written about science for a variety of kids? publications, and I have written for many general interest science magazines including Discover, Science News, and ScientificAmerican.com

In terms of goals, I really want to spread my wings into more narrative writing? longer magazine pieces or even, potentially, a book of my own.

How does (if it does) blogging figure in your work? How about social networks, e.g., Twitter, Google Plus and Facebook? Do you find all this online activity to be a net positive (or even a necessity) in what you do?

I started my own blog 4 years ago. It?s an independent blog, Webb of Science, that has become my primary digital calling card and a way for me to introduce myself to readers, sources and the world at large. In setting up the website for The Science Writers? Handbook, I?m more of a project manager and editor, but I?m posting there, too.

Twitter is my primary social network for work. Facebook, for me, tends to be more about connecting with friends from all parts of my life. One of my goals this year is to build an active Google+ presence. I think social networks are increasingly important (if not essential!). Time management is always tricky, but it?s worth the investment.

Thank you. See you next week!

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2012 Home Sales: Best in 5 Years | AOL Real Estate

By Les Christie

Steady December home sales capped the best year for the U.S. real estate market in five years, according to an industry trade group report Tuesday. The National Association of Realtors said that December sales of previously-owned homes came in just slightly below November's sales pace, but up 12.8% from a year ago. That brought full-year sales to 4.65 million, up 9% from 2011 and the best year for home sales since 2007, when there were 5 million homes sold just before the start of the recession.

Sales are being helped by a combination of strong market fundamentals -- near record low mortgage rates, lower unemployment and a rebound in home prices, all of which are bringing in buyers into the market who had been waiting for it to hit bottom. The mortgage rates and years of depressed home prices have also combined to create the most affordable housing market on record, according to the Realtors group. And the Realtors are predicting strong sales should continue into 2013 and beyond. It has a forecast for 5.1 million existing home sales this year, and 5.4 million next year.

The improved demand for homes in December led to the inventory of homes for sale to fall to 1.82 million homes on the market, the lowest supply since January 2001. One factor in tightening supplies is a drop in foreclosures and other distressed home sales, which made up only 24% of home sales in December compared to 32% a year ago. The tighter supply, and the drop in distressed sales, have helped to lift home prices so that the median sales price for the year rose to $176,600, up 6.3% from 2011. That's the biggest gain in prices since the bubble year of 2005.

The rebound in the market for previously-owned homes is also showing up in the market for new homes, where sales rebounded to their highest levels since 2009, while housing starts reached the highest level since 2008.

See more on CNNMoney:
Hardest-Hit Foreclosure Neighborhoods
Big Home Sales, Big Tax Savings
America's Best Places to Live

More on AOL Real Estate:
Find out how to calculate mortgage payments.
Find homes for sale in your area.
Find foreclosures in your area.
See celebrity real estate.

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Source: http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2013/01/23/2012-home-sales/

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