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Comcast's $4.4B Olympian bid a bold online bet (AP) : Technet |
- Comcast's $4.4B Olympian bid a bold online bet (AP)
- IMF targeted in cyberattack, extent not disclosed (AP)
- Exclusive: Who Won The E3 Buzz Battle? [INFOGRAPHIC] (Mashable)
- Weiner won't go; new photos surface on Internet (AP)
- Pressure mounts on Weiner as new photos emerge (AFP)
- How Apple and Android Copy Each Other (ContributorNetwork)
- Verizon iPad 2 recall ordered for 'small number' of tablets (Digital Trends)
- Digital Detectives: Custody Battle Leads to Facebook Double-Sting (Time.com)
- U.S. Funds Secret Internet for Dissidents in Repressive Countries (The Atlantic Wire)
- If you buy one photography app, make it 100 Cameras in 1 (Appolicious)
- Secret U.S. effort aims to help dissidents: report (Reuters)
- iCloud Communications sues Apple for trademark infringement (Digital Trends)
- Cellphone Executive Says 4G iPhone 5 On the Way (Mashable)
- Android faces more scrutiny as new devices from Samsung and Toshiba appear (Appolicious)
- Sex and Atlantic City: Casino resort heating up (AP)
| Comcast's $4.4B Olympian bid a bold online bet (AP) Posted: 12 Jun 2011 11:24 AM PDT LOS ANGELES – NBC lost more than $200 million the last time it showed the Winter Olympics, and it's bracing for similar losses in London next year. So, plenty of people scoffed when the network bid $4.4 billion — nearly a billion more than runner-up Fox — for the U.S. rights to carry the four games through 2020. Yet the price may prove right. The growth of Internet video and opportunities under NBC's new owner, Comcast Corp., should help cut losses significantly and perhaps make the Olympics profitable after the London Games. There's also an intangible promotional benefit to NBC. Consider this: Even at a loss, the Olympics generate huge audiences. About 185 million people saw some of the Olympics in Vancouver last year. The struggling broadcaster can promote new shows to those viewers as it tries to dig out of fourth place. NBC didn't pay all that much for the Olympics, considering that TV rights fees for other major sports such as Pac-12 college basketball have been doubling or tripling. For the 2014 and 2016 games, it's paying about the same as it has been. For the final two games in the deal, NBC is paying just 19 percent more. Morgan Stanley analyst Benjamin Swinburne called NBC's deal an "Olympic win at the right price." He said NBC should be able to cut its Olympic losses in half after London, as long as viewership doesn't change and advertising rates keep improving. Beyond that, NBC can create more ad opportunities by tapping sports channels added to the NBCUniversal family when Comcast took control in January. One is the Golf Channel — convenient for Comcast as golf joins the Olympics in 2016. Another is Versus, which Comcast is positioning as a competitor to ESPN, another Olympic bidder. NBCUniversal will have about 20 channels and more than 40 websites to cover the games. By contrast, it used five channels and one website in 2010, when it was controlled by General Electric Co. The Olympics coverage can also help Comcast get higher fees from other cable TV companies such as Time Warner Cable Inc. to carry those channels in their lineups. "It does not take too much to move it across the finish line in terms of getting more in the black," said Matthew Harrigan, an analyst with Wunderlich Securities. NBC should also benefit from sponsorship packages developed by the U.S. Olympic Committee two years ago when the advertising market looked grim. One such package creates a direct connection between the USOC, NBC and the sponsors — in this case, Citigroup, TD Ameritrade and a home-improvement company that still hasn't been determined. As part of the deal, the sponsors are committed to buying ads on NBC, giving the network a head start in selling commercials. Because NBC will get rights for at least nine more years, the USOC will be in a better position to make such long-term ad deals, USOC marketing chief Lisa Baird said. One unknown is how fast Comcast can increase revenue from online viewing. For the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, NBC ran an unprecedented 2,200 hours of coverage over the Internet. For some fans it still wasn't enough. The network was pilloried, for instance, for waiting more than half a day to televise the men's 100-meter final so it could show Usain Bolt's record-breaking run in prime time. Starting with the 2014 games in Sochi, Russia, NBC plans to carry every single event live in some format or another. It will repackage the best events for U.S. television audiences when evening arrives. Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBC Sports Group, told reporters last week that technology is changing so rapidly that the deal gives NBC the ability to exploit the games on every platform "now known or to be known or still to be conceived." Comcast has been steadily rolling out its Xfinity TV software, which allows subscribers to watch shows on different devices and over the Web. Comcast will likely try to use that to make more money from the games. Networks also have been increasing the amount of video ads accompanying online shows. Analysts believe Comcast has plenty of time and the right combination of channels, websites and subscribers to start cutting its losses in 2014. Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said he's confident the games will be profitable, helped by new technology and the long-term nature of the deal. Even for a company that made $3.6 billion in net income last year, losing $200 million every few years is not a strategy for success. The intangible value it gets for promoting NBC shows may have been a deciding factor in its bid. NBC, for instance, can use the Summer Games to promote promising new dramas or comedies on its fall lineups. That's similar to the way CBS launched its reality show "Undercover Boss" to audiences immediately after the Super Bowl last year. There's no good estimate on how much NBC shows might benefit from the promotional boost. Its competitors had less reason to seek it out. Almost every U.S. home already has The Walt Disney Co.'s ESPN. It's the market leader in getting fees from cable, satellite and other TV service providers. The boost to Disney's ABC network wasn't deemed enough to justify paying more, according to a person with knowledge of the bid. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the network was not releasing details of the proposal. News Corp.'s Fox, meanwhile, is already the leader in attracting viewers aged 18 to 49 — the group most sought by advertisers. That's partly because of its enduring hit, "American Idol." Ahead of its takeover, Comcast promised government regulators that it would invest to rebuild NBC. Carrying the Olympics fits with that strategy. "The Olympics are a ratings builder for all other TV shows," said sports agent Brant Feldman, managing partner of American Group Management. "NBC is a fourth-place network right now, but if you assume the programming is going to get better in the future, then the Olympics can be a jumping board to all that other viewership." ___ AP National Writer Eddie Pells in Denver and Sports Writer Rachel Cohen in New York contributed to this report. |
| IMF targeted in cyberattack, extent not disclosed (AP) Posted: 11 Jun 2011 09:59 PM PDT NEW YORK – The International Monetary Fund, already reeling from last month's arrest of its former leader, is investigating an attack on its computer system. IMF spokesman David Hawley said the organization is fully functional. He declined to provide further details on what he termed an "IT incident," including its scope or nature and whether any sensitive data were taken. The IMF has confidential information on countries in financial trouble. The New York Times cited unnamed IMF officials as saying the attack was sophisticated and serious. The IMF told staffers about it on Wednesday but hasn't made a public announcement. The IMF is already facing a public-relations headache after the arrest of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who resigned as IMF chief last month after being accused of sexually assaulting a maid in a New York hotel. French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, Mexican central bank chief Agustin Carstens and others are vying for the top job. Stanley Fischer, Israel's central bank chief, emerged as a candidate Saturday. It's not clear if hackers were targeting the IMF. Hackers sometimes try to distribute malicious software code widely and see which organizations it can infect. But they can also choose targets. Using a technique called "spear phishing," for instance, they can trick employees of a specific organization into clicking a link that then gives hackers access to its computer systems. Dave Jevans, chairman of computer security firm IronKey Inc., said he's concerned by an uptick in "hacktivism," where groups target organizations for political purposes. It's possible the IMF was the victim of such hacktivism. However, one official cited by the Times said the attack occurred over the last several months, before the troubles involving Strauss-Kahn. Concerns about the IMF attack were great enough that the World Bank cut a computer link that allows the two organizations to share non-sensitive information, according to a bank official. The move was taken out of "an abundance of caution," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the security issues around the incident. The IMF attack follows a string of major data breaches. In recent months, hackers have penetrated 100 million Sony PlayStation accounts, the networks of Lockheed Martin and the customer email databases of a company that does marketing for Best Buy and Target stores. Google has accused Chinese hackers of targeting the Gmail accounts of U.S. government officials. About 200,000 Citibank credit card customers in North America had their names, account numbers and email addresses stolen. |
| Exclusive: Who Won The E3 Buzz Battle? [INFOGRAPHIC] (Mashable) Posted: 11 Jun 2011 07:55 AM PDT Now that Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft have sung their spiels at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011 (E3), let's find out which company, publisher and celeb got the most buzz during the week. Webtrends compiled these figures measuring buzz on Twitter, blogs and other social media sources, gathered from Monday, June 6 through Friday, June 10 at 10 a.m. PST. [More from Mashable: Magician Separates Lies & Truth With 3 iPods [VIDEO]] Who won the buzz battle? Was it Microsoft, which didn't have any new hardware to show off but flaunted some highly anticipated games? Or maybe it was Sony grabbing the big buzz with its reveal of the PlayStation Vita. Or could it have been Nintendo with its groundbreaking Wii U? Do you think the amount of buzz each gaming platform got during the week was equal to the importance (and quality) of the products they announced? [More from Mashable: Cellphone Executive Says 4G iPhone 5 On the Way]
This story originally published on Mashable here. |
| Weiner won't go; new photos surface on Internet (AP) Posted: 12 Jun 2011 06:19 PM PDT WASHINGTON – The second-ranking House Democrat on Sunday joined the party leadership in urging Rep. Anthony Weiner to quit because of his sexting scandal, a request the New York lawmaker has sidestepped in favor of a temporary leave of absence. The Republican Party chairman criticized Democratic leaders for not taking a more forceful stand earlier on the affair, which has overshadowed much of the legislative business on Capitol Hill over the past week. Weiner has acknowledged exchanging messages and photos, ranging from sexually suggestive to explicit, with several women online. The latest to surface appeared on the gossip website TMZ. The photos posted Sunday were purportedly taken in the House members' gym and show a shirtless Weiner with a towel around his waist and his hand on his crotch. In one photo he is naked and holding the towel over his crotch. TMZ said the photos were sent online to at least one woman. Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 House Democrat, spoke of Weiner's "bizarre and unacceptable behavior" in sending inappropriate pictures of himself to young women. Hoyer said it would be "extraordinarily difficult" for Weiner to continue to represent his constituents effectively. In New York, foes and supporters of Weiner confronted each other. "He's not fit to be our congressman," said Jim Scott, 61, one of about two dozen constituents who rallied in front of Weiner's office in the Kew Gardens section of Queens. "People are sick of him, especially his attitude." Half a dozen Weiner supporters gathered a few yards away. College student Olivia Lurrie, 18, said Weiner was a good leader who made a mistake. Weiner announced Saturday that he was entering professional treatment at an undisclosed location and wanted a leave of absence from Congress. A statement from an aide did not say where he would receive treatment or what type was involved. That announcement came right after House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the national party head, said Weiner must go. Weiner said at news conference last Monday that he had lied in previously saying that he had not sent any photos. Pelosi immediately called for an ethics committee investigation. But it was not until the weekend that leaders said he should step down. Hoyer said the ethics committee process to decide if Weiner had committed an expellable offense would take time and "I really don't know if we have that time." He said he didn't see how Weiner could stay in office. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said Weiner should resign. "We've got important work to do and this is a ridiculous distraction," he said in an appearance with Hoyer on "Face the Nation" on CBS. Lawmakers marching Sunday in New York's Puerto Rican Day parade were less demanding. "I think it could have been handled better," Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., said when asked whether he stood with Pelosi in calling for Weiner's resignation. Rangel, who was censured by the House last year for ethics violations, was also asked if he thought it was a good idea for Weiner to take time off to enter treatment. "He is the one that knows the best, he and his wife," Rangel responded. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., declined to comment any further, saying, "Those of us who have been longtime friends of Anthony are heartbroken, and I'm just going to try to enjoy the parade today." On NBC's "Meet the Press," Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus criticized Pelosi and other Democrats for not acting sooner. "It seemed to me that for the first 10 days in this circus ... the only job that Nancy Pelosi was interested in saving was Anthony Weiner's," he said. That drew a sharp retort from Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., who accused Republicans of a double standard. She said that Republican leaders didn't call for the resignation of Sen. David Vitter, R-La., when he got caught up in a prostitution scandal, and that Priebus had not publicly sought the resignation of former Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., who stepped down this year over an affair with a staffer's wife. Wasserman Schultz said party officials initially gave Weiner "some breathing room" to reach the conclusion that he needed to step down on his own, but decided to toughen their stance Saturday after it became apparent he would not do so. David B. Cohen, a political science professor at the University of Akron, said Sunday: "Had Anthony Weiner not been a rising star in the party and such a hero to progressives, he would have already been gone. But the fact that he is a national figure that has a national base of support bought him some time." A leave of absence may be Weiner's only chance to rehabilitate his career, Cohen said. "Remorse isn't going to cut it in this case. Buy some time, and some time out of the public spotlight." ___ Associated Press writer Karen Zraick and AP Radio correspondent Julie Walker in New York, and AP writer Rik Stevens in Albany, N.Y., contributed to this report. |
| Pressure mounts on Weiner as new photos emerge (AFP) Posted: 12 Jun 2011 01:50 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AFP) – Democrats on Sunday stepped up calls for US Congressman Anthony Weiner to resign over his lewd online exchanges with women, as new dirty photos allegedly tweeted by the politician surfaced. The latest pictures, published by the TMZ gossip news website and allegedly tweeted to at least one woman, show Weiner photographing himself with his cellphone in suggestive positions, including in a towel clutching his crotch. In a potentially career-ending twist, they also appear to have been taken in the House of Representatives gymnasium, said the report, which suggested this could be the final straw that forces his resignation. After lying point-blank about his X-rated Internet liaisons for days, even suggesting that hackers had infiltrated his Twitter account, Weiner called a nationally televised press conference on Monday and made a tearful admission. He said he had been sending pictures online and sexting with six women, but refused to stand down as a New York congressman, saying he had not met any of the women, nor had he had a physical relationship outside his marriage. By Friday, it appeared that the congressman may have weathered the worst of the storm but it then emerged that he had been exchanging private messages, again through the micro-blogging site Twitter, with a 17-year-old girl. Although none of the messages were deemed inappropriate by the parents of the high school girl, Democrats appeared to close ranks, and party leaders, including former speaker Nancy Pelosi, called on him to go the following day. In a bid to save his career, Weiner announced on Saturday that he was taking a "short leave of absence" from Congress to seek treatment. "Congressman Weiner departed this morning to seek professional treatment to focus on becoming a better husband and healthier person," spokeswoman Risa Heller said in a statement. But the latest batch of photos, including the fact that he used the House gym as the backdrop for his sexual deviance, appeared to be too much for Democratic leaders. "This is bizarre, unacceptable behavior," said number two House Democrat Steny Hoyer. "It seems to me extraordinarily difficult that he can proceed to represent his constituents in an effective way given the circumstances this bizarre behavior has led to," Hoyer told CBS's "Face the Nation" program. "I would hope that Mr. Weiner would use this opportunity to reflect upon whether or not he can effectively proceed. I don't see how he can, and I hope he would make that judgment." Democrats are on the defensive in their handling of the scandal, after Republicans dispatched a GOP lawmaker from New York caught in similar scandal this year within hours after the scandal broke. Republican Christopher Lee in February was forced by party elders to resign after it emerged that he sent various flirtatious emails to a woman he met on Craigslist. Lee's amorous messages included one in which the married father of a young child flexes his bare chest and arm muscles. But those pictures were mild compared to the ones sent by Weiner. If Weiner rides out calls for his resignation, he could stand for reelection next November, and polls of his New York district showed that he continues to have considerable support from his constituents. Hoyer in his television interview underscored the political stalemate, suggesting that however distasteful his actions, removing Weiner against his will could involve a protracted and messy legal battle. "Any process, a judicial process through the ethics committee, is going to take time. I really don't know that we have that time." Democrats consider the scandal all the more sad because Weiner is married to Huma Abedin, a hugely popular aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Former president Bill Clinton presided over their July 2010 nuptials. Abedin, 35, is also pregnant with the couple's first child. |
| How Apple and Android Copy Each Other (ContributorNetwork) Posted: 12 Jun 2011 12:18 PM PDT Contribute content like this. Start here. The iPad may be a "magical, revolutionary product." But sometimes it seems like there's nothing new under the sun, whether in the Android or Apple worlds. Here are some of the most egregious examples of copycatting! Android Android device manufacturers like Samsung have long copied Apple's style, almost to a T. Witness the photos and illustrations on All Things Digital, which show Samsung devices that look nearly identical to Apple's except for the logo. Meanwhile, the company's new Galaxy Tab tablets are basically generic-brand iPads, with the biggest difference (besides their Android operating system) being that they come in three different sizes. Of course, all Android tablet makers struggle to differentiate their wares from the iPad, since they all can be described as "like an iPad, but". Even in the smartphone world, even with Android's increasing market share, the iPhone is still the benchmark. That's no accident; Android itself has always been a copycat. Before the iPhone came out, the prototype Android device aped the BlackBerry, but now they all have multitouch screens and rows of app icons. Does Android have to be this way? I don't think so. HTC uses its HTC Sense overlay to create an extremely classy experience on its Android phones, one that's in many ways improved over the original. Meanwhile, Barnes and Noble redesigned Android's interface from the ground up for its Nook series of tablets, not just to be "original" but in order to make using a Nook easy and fun. So far, its strategy seems to be paying off. Apple Apple has a reputation for innovating, and for delivering an original experience. But Steve Jobs once quoted Picasso, saying that "great artists steal." And with the latest update to iOS, the operating system that powers the iPhone and iPad, he seems to have taken that suggestion to heart. Out of all Android's features that set it apart from Apple's products, Apple has chosen to copy a few of them. The new pull-down notification area, which makes attention-seeking apps wait their turn instead of just giving you pop-ups, has been in Android from the beginning. And iOS devices no longer require a PC or Mac to sync to with iTunes; instead, they use the iCloud service, similar to the way Android devices can sync with Google's web apps. Can copycats be good kitties, too? For what it's worth, I agree with the quote that Steve Jobs repeated. No one creates anything truly original; everything people create is a reflection of their experiences, and a refinement of what they have used and designed before. Android and Apple's products are no different, nor should they be. So I'm not happy with Apple for launching patent lawsuits left and right, any more than I am with Microsoft's protection racket for Android device manufacturers. At the same time, though, I'm bemused when I have to write articles introducing new Android tablets as "like an iPad, but". And I get excited when I see new and original things coming out, like the Nook or like Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 devices, just because they're a fresh take on a familiar experience. Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008. |
| Verizon iPad 2 recall ordered for 'small number' of tablets (Digital Trends) Posted: 12 Jun 2011 07:04 PM PDT
"Duplicate MEID codes were flashed onto an extremely small number of iPad units for the Verizon 3G network," an Apple spokesperson told Reuters. Every tablet is hardcoded with an MEID, or mobile equipment identifier, which works sort of like a serial number for accessing a wireless network service. The code is sent out to the carrier, which verifies its authenticity before allowing the tablet online. The trick, of course, is that no two devices can share the same MEID. Apple caught the issue, but not quickly enough to prevent a few affected units from slipping out. The actual numbers haven't been revealed, but suffice to say, if you recently purchased a 3G iPad 2 from Verizon and find yourself unable to connect or getting kicked offline quickly, you might well have a bum MEID. Apple is of course replacing any malfunctioning devices, so just give a buzz to the help line or stop by your nearest retail store to secure your replacement. |
| Digital Detectives: Custody Battle Leads to Facebook Double-Sting (Time.com) Posted: 12 Jun 2011 02:30 PM PDT |
| U.S. Funds Secret Internet for Dissidents in Repressive Countries (The Atlantic Wire) Posted: 12 Jun 2011 11:49 AM PDT A recurring event in the Arab Spring was the shutting down of the internet by incumbent regimes, acts which were met with such outrage by the global community that they in part led the U.N. to declare internet access a basic human right. The Obama administration is now leading an effort to create a “shadow” internet and mobile phone systems that dissidents can use in the event that their government shuts down web access, as Hosni Mubarak's regime did in Egypt, and President Bashar al-Assad recently did in Syria. The New York Times describes the State Department's efforts, which vary from developing James Bond-worthy high-tech gadgets to uncovering cell phones hidden by borders. Here are some of the ways the U.S. is looking to safeguard internet access across the world. Related: Netflix Is Winning the Internet Internet in a Suitcase. A $2 million State Department grant is being used to develop a prototype "Internet in a suitcase," that the Times notes is like something "out of a spy novel." The suitcase project will rely on a version of “mesh network” technology, which can connect devices like cellphones or computers, creating a web without a centralized hub. Thus, each innocuous-looking suitcase acts as a mini-tower that can bypass the official network. “We’re going to build a separate infrastructure where the technology is nearly impossible to shut down, to control, to surveil,” said Sascha Meinrath, who is leading the “Internet in a suitcase” project. Related: What We've Learned So Far from Radical Transparency Related: A New Filter Can Tell Porn from Non-Porn Based on the Audio Related: The Bill the Administration Wants to See Protecting Internet Users Related: Seven Ways to Draw the Internet |
| If you buy one photography app, make it 100 Cameras in 1 (Appolicious) Posted: 12 Jun 2011 10:30 AM PDT |
| Secret U.S. effort aims to help dissidents: report (Reuters) Posted: 12 Jun 2011 01:23 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Obama administration is leading a global effort to establish "shadow" Internet and cellphone systems to help dissidents undermine authoritarian governments, the New York Times reported on Sunday. The effort has quickened since former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's government shut down the country's Internet in the last days of his rule, said the Times report, which cited planning documents, classified diplomatic cables and sources. The Internet has been used in recent months by anti-government protesters in North Africa and the Middle East to help coordinate demonstrations. Some governments have responded by disabling Internet access. In one project, the U.S. State Department and Pentagon have spent at least $50 million to create an independent cellphone network in Afghanistan using towers on military bases in the country, the Times said, citing unnamed U.S. officials. The operation is aimed at counteracting the Taliban insurgency's ability to shut down official Afghan services, the Times said. The State Department is also financing creation of stealth wireless networks to enable activists to communicate beyond the reach of governments in countries like Iran, Syria and Libya, the Times said, citing participants in the projects. Another project focuses on development of an "Internet in a suitcase" that could be smuggled across a border and deployed to allow wireless communication with a link to the global Internet, the Times reported. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is backing the U.S. effort, according to the report. "We see more and more people around the globe using the Internet, mobile phones and other technologies to make their voices heard as they protest against injustice and seek to realize their aspirations," the Times quoted Clinton as saying in an email response to a query on the subject. U.S. diplomats also are meeting with operatives who have been burying Chinese cellphones near the border with North Korea, where they can be dug up and used to make furtive calls, the Times reported. (Writing by Paul Simao; Editing by Eric Beech) |
| iCloud Communications sues Apple for trademark infringement (Digital Trends) Posted: 12 Jun 2011 07:25 PM PDT
iCloud Communications contends that the use of its name in Apple's product has impacted business negatively. There's also an implication that the new service mirrors what iCC provides, though that seems like a stretch. Both iCloud and VoIP exist on and stream content over the Internet, but one stores music and the other makes phone calls. Unless there's some aspect of iCC's business being overlooked, that's going to be a tough connection to make in a court of law. The dispute over the name is something Apple's going to have to deal with. According to iCC's website, the company was established in 2009. Long before iCloud was even a whisper. From a layman's perspective at least, it seems like there's definitely a case to be made here. |
| Cellphone Executive Says 4G iPhone 5 On the Way (Mashable) Posted: 11 Jun 2011 05:40 AM PDT Apparently Apple's steel barrier of secrecy hasn't reached the United Arab Emirates, where cellular carrier Etisalat told the Gulf News Apple will roll out a 4G "iPhone 5" later this year. Ali Al Ahmad, Chief Corporate Communication Officer of Etisalat said to the Gulf News: [More from Mashable: Magician Separates Lies & Truth With 3 iPods [VIDEO]] "Yes, we are in talks with most smartphone manufacturers including Apple on the rollout of the 4G handset, iPhone 5 later this year. As the first telecom organization to roll out the 4G network, LTE, in the Middle East, we have already started talking to them for the handsets and chipsets in them." So is this the case of a clueless executive who doesn't realize he's revealing secrets, or not realizing the technology for cramming 4G circuitry into the currently known iPhone form factor doesn't quite exist yet in sufficient numbers for such a popular device? And hasn't he heard that analysts say it'll be called the iPhone 4S? [More from Mashable: 10 Must-Follow Fake Twitter Celebs [PICS]] While this is an enticing tidbit of information, we have our doubts, as does our source for this story, TUAW. Apple might be able to somehow pull together the technology for 4G connectivity by this Fall, but there's another possible problem underneath this unconfirmed rumor: Maybe Apple thinks that 4G coverage isn't widespread enough yet for a mainstream, mass-market product such as the iPhone. We're thinking Apple will wait for both the hardware and a more-complete 4G network buildout before releasing a 4G iPhone. Meanwhile, there's no shortage of rumors about what the next iPhone will bring. This story originally published on Mashable here. |
| Android faces more scrutiny as new devices from Samsung and Toshiba appear (Appolicious) Posted: 12 Jun 2011 05:00 AM PDT |
| Sex and Atlantic City: Casino resort heating up (AP) Posted: 12 Jun 2011 11:04 AM PDT ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Miss America and her tiara are gone, replaced by lingerie-wearing blackjack dealers, beverage servers in bustiers or fishnets, a million-dollar steakhouse/gentlemen's club and soon a "Naked Circus." Three casinos have bikini beach bars on the sand. Outside the gambling halls, there are a half-dozen strip clubs and a sex swingers/voyeurs club; (Coming up: "Men's Shirt and High Heels Night," the suggested attire for women.) Even the famous New York strip club Scores wants to open a branch in an Atlantic City casino. It's all part of an effort to attract new business and fight off competition from casinos in neighboring states. The emphasis on sexiness is designed to appeal to a younger — and hopefully more free-spending — crowd. Ever since gambling started in the nation's second-largest casino market in 1978, Atlantic City has been torn over whether to market itself as a family resort, or as Sin City East. Guess which side is winning? "In our industry, the casino and entertainment and hospitality business, you want to provide things that are pleasing and exciting and fun," said Dennis Gomes, co-owner of Resorts Hotel Casino. "One of the things that most people find pleasing, exciting and fun is sex." His casino is testing the boundaries of Atlantic City, which for all its history as a bawdy vice destination at the turn of the century — witness the HBO hit series "Boardwalk Empire" about crooked politicians, brothels and speakeasies — has been rather tame when it comes to sex as a marketing tool. The low-cut flapper dresses Resorts is making its female beverage servers wear have already generated two lawsuits from older women who say they were fired for being judged insufficiently sexy in them. Resorts raised some eyebrows, and the ire of New Jersey's public transit agency, when it put up a billboard featuring a dancer's bare bottom to promote a stage show. And next month, Gomes promises, the casino will host a nightly "Naked Circus" in a parking lot tent. The Tropicana Casino and Resort, Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, and the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa all dress beverage servers and even some dealers in lingerie or similarly revealing, cleavage-enhancing costumes. Bally's Atlantic City has its iCandy Burlesque dancers at a casino lounge. If it seems like Atlantic City is trying to catch up to Las Vegas — the original Sin City — it is. The Diving Horse, a $1 million-plus gentlemen's club/steakhouse, opened two weeks ago with Vegas on its mind. "The Diving Horse is bringing the Las Vegas-style gentlemen's club to the Northeast," spokeswoman Shannon Niland said. "Vegas does that type of entertainment for a reason: sex sells." Atlantic City has had to walk a fine line in promoting itself as an edgier, sexier resort without alienating more conservative customers. Its current motto is "Always Turned On" — not quite as risque as "What Happens In Vegas Stays In Vegas." "We've always looked to promote Atlantic City as a sensual destination, and we started to push the envelope a little more," said Jeff Vasser, executive director of the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Bureau. "But you have to balance it. At the end of the day, we are still a community that existed long before it was a casino town. We could never get away with `What Happens Here Stays Here.'" Marc Meltzer, who runs a marketing agency and several gambling/travel websites, is encouraged Atlantic City is trying something different to draw attention to itself. Before moving to Las Vegas in November, the 37-year-old would visit Atlantic City every six weeks, favoring Harrah's Resort and the Borgata, whose scantily clad "Borgata Babes" were a highlight. "The eye candy was top-notch," he said. "It's what attracts a 20- or 30-year-old guy. If he can go somewhere and look at a good-looking girl, all other things being equal, he'll go look at the good-looking girl. I enjoy rolling dice with the old men and looking at a good-looking girl. That's a good combination." Bonita West, a human resources manager from Orange County, N.Y., says sexy casinos can't hurt. "I hope they do polish up the ladies a little more, give me a run for my money!" she joked. "I have seen some humdrum (servers), and after a while they begin to blend in with the carpets. Let's make them just as eye-popping as the machines: catchy outfits that I might even envy. Give me some ideas I might want to use to stimulate my husband of 27 years. Let's make the atmosphere sexy!" Not everyone agrees. "Any time we objectify women, see them as part of the furniture or the decor, we put all women at risk of the type of behavior that objectification brings, like rape, domestic violence and sexual abuse," said Erin O'Hanlon, an official with The Women's Center, located just outside Atlantic City. "These are someone's mothers, wives, cousins, sisters, daughters. Some of them are undoubtedly doing this in order to support their families. It sends the message that women who are dressed this way are commodities." One of Resorts' promotions pits customers against a costumed female employee at tic-tac-toe. Only here it's called "Chick-tac-toe" and customers are encouraged to see if they can "beat the bimbo." Joseph Monek, a 74-year-old retiree from Bethlehem, Pa., says sexing up Atlantic City is not what the resort needs. "The best bet is to improve the beach and the Boardwalk, and people will come, we hope, and bring some cash to the casinos," he said. In announcing a plan to help rescue Atlantic City from its 4 1/2-year downward spiral last summer, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he envisioned the gambling resort as a more family-friendly place, with Ferris wheels and amusement parks to complement the casinos. A spokesman for the governor declined to comment this week. The world famous Steel Pier has amusement rides and games, and there is a mini-golf course and an arcade on the Boardwalk, and an aquarium within driving distance. But there's decidedly less for families and kids to do here than there is for adults. New Jersey's casino regulations prohibit nudity and real or simulated sex acts in the gambling halls. To comply with that, Scores would have to partially cover its dancers in pasties and G-strings, unlike their totally nude counterparts in New York City, if it were to get approval to open inside the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort. Their application has been pending for nearly a year, with no timetable set for a decision from the state Division of Gaming Enforcement. For that same reason, Resorts' "Naked Circus" would also employ pasties and G-strings, though it would be restricted to those 21 and older. ___ Wayne Parry can be reached at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC |
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