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In UK, Guy Fawkes is remembered by protesters (AP) : Technet |
- In UK, Guy Fawkes is remembered by protesters (AP)
- Relativity calls its Snow White 'Mirror Mirror' (AP)
- Steve Jobs 'Lost Interview' coming to theaters (AP)
- 45 New Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed (Mashable)
- Barnes & Noble may launch new Nook, cut some prices (Reuters)
- China's tech firms back Beijing in controls on Internet (Reuters)
- Survey: Sexual harassment pervasive in grades 7-12 (AP)
- Best Buy to buy Carphone out of U.S. venture: source (Reuters)
- Quote Roundup: Lynchburg, Va., Area Residents Speak Out Against Bank Fees (ContributorNetwork)
- Earthquake in Oklahoma Sets Record (ContributorNetwork)
- Augmented reality apps could become a little too real (Appolicious)
- Mid-October launch suggests Merry iPhone Xmas season (Appolicious)
| In UK, Guy Fawkes is remembered by protesters (AP) Posted: 05 Nov 2011 03:41 PM PDT LONDON – About 200 protesters, many from London's anti-capitalist Occupy movement, marched to Parliament on Guy Fawkes Day, the annual commemoration of the English revolutionary who tried to blow up the building in the 17th century. Many of Saturday's protesters were wearing a grinning, somewhat sinister mask of Guy Fawkes that has become an icon of the Occupy Movement around the world. The rally was largely peaceful, but the group was kept from getting close to Parliament by a heavy police presence. Some activists said that donning the masks is a way of reminding governments that authority can be challenged by the masses. "I think people are giving a polite nod to a kind of violent radicalism," said Laurie Penny, a blogger and frequent protester. Many of the demonstrators had marched from St. Paul's Cathedral in London, where the Occupy movement has set up camp for weeks to protest social inequality and the excesses of the banking industry. Two protesters were arrested for suspected criminal damage and unlawful protest, police said. Saturday's rally coincided with Guy Fawkes' Day, which is celebrated every year in Britain on Nov. 5 to mark the failure of the plot hatched by Fawkes and 12 other conspirators to destroy Parliament with explosives in 1605, assassinate King James I and install a Catholic monarch in the botched "Gunpowder Plot." The conspiracy fell apart when authorities found out about it and caught Fawkes guarding barrels of gunpowder in the cellar of Parliament. Fawkes was tried as a traitor, and the king's narrow escape has been celebrated every year on Nov. 5, with fireworks and the burning of effigies known as "guys" across the country. But some regard Fawkes as a folk hero, and Saturday's protesters have a similar political message to his: Rebel against state power. In Britain and elsewhere, Fawkes' story — or rather a popular culture version of it — has been seized upon as a potent symbol by two increasingly popular anti-government movements. Stylized Guy Fawkes plastic masks, with a clownish, sinister mustachioed smile and features loosely based on drawings of the revolutionary, have been worn by hundreds of antiestablishment protesters from the Occupy Wall Street movement from New York to Hong Kong. Before that, members of the international rogue collective of "hackivists" known as Anonymous had worn the now instantly recognizable masks during protests against the Church of Scientology. The masks owed their popularity not so much to Fawkes' story, but to the comic book-turned-movie "V for Vendetta," which features a violent, anarchist freedom fighter who fashions himself a modern day Guy Fawkes and rebels against a fascist government. The end of the movie included a scene in which thousands all wearing the masks marched on Parliament, watching it explode spectacularly. On Saturday, Penny said the masked activists are sending home the message in "V". "It's about the power of a shared idea in overcoming state control," she said. Meanwhile Anonymous, which has made a name for itself by launching cyber attacks on government and large corporate websites, also seized on Guy Fawkes Day by backing an online campaign urging people to collectively withdraw their money from large banks Saturday in a bid to show their anger against the banking sector. Activists have dubbed Saturday "Bank Transfer Day" and "Operation Cashback." In Britain, the nursery rhyme "Remember, remember, the fifth of November/Gunpowder, treason and plot" is familiar to most as a warning that treason would never be forgiven. But modern Guy Fawkes Days — also called Bonfire Night — rarely evoke the violent story, and instead typically focus on fun fairs and fireworks. (This version CORRECTS Corrects "anarchist" to "revolutionary." This story is part of AP's general news and financial services.) |
| Relativity calls its Snow White 'Mirror Mirror' (AP) Posted: 04 Nov 2011 04:39 PM PDT LOS ANGELES – The first of two live-action Snow White movies set for release next year is getting a slightly ironic title: "Mirror Mirror." That's the name Relativity Media has picked for its comedy-action adventure starring Julia Roberts as the Evil Queen, Armie Hammer as the prince and Lily Collins as Snow White. The movie is set for release March 16. Less than three months later, on June 1, Comcast Corp.'s Universal Pictures is set to release its action flick starring Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth in the title roles of "Snow White and the Huntsman." In Universal's version, Charlize Theron is the Evil Queen. Although both movies make use of the fairy tale made famous by the Brothers Grimm, the studios are saying they're different enough and spaced far enough apart to both succeed. Hollywood usually resolves fights over titles through the Motion Picture Association of America's Title Registration Bureau, a voluntary system shared by major studios for registering movie titles and handling objections. Universal had set "Snow White" in its title much earlier and Relativity didn't succeed in its bid to also use the heroine's name in the title of its movie. |
| Steve Jobs 'Lost Interview' coming to theaters (AP) Posted: 04 Nov 2011 03:12 PM PDT SAN FRANCISCO – Fans of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs will get a chance to see previously unreleased interview footage of him when "Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview" hits theaters later this month. The 70-minute interview was recorded in the `90s before Jobs returned to Apple Inc. He and co-founder Steve Wozniak started Apple in 1976 and left in 1985. Jobs returned in 1997 and is credited with rescuing Apple from financial dire straits. Ten minutes of the interview appeared in the 1995 PBS miniseries "Triumph of the Nerds." The master tapes disappeared but an unedited interview copy was recently found. The interview will be shown at Landmark theaters in 19 cities around the country beginning Nov. 16. Jobs died Oct. 5 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 56. |
| 45 New Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed (Mashable) Posted: 05 Nov 2011 11:17 AM PDT This week at Mashable, we jumped (or barrel rolled) right into November, buzzing about the great Kardashian divorce of 2011 and already preparing to rock the holiday season. Still reminiscing over last weekend's Halloween shenanigans? Or if you were left unfulfilled because of the snow, we have a few things for you below. If you've been too busy doing push-ups to get ready for the mobs of Black Friday, we've got the weekly features roundup packaged nicely for you right here. [More from Mashable: What Facebook's New Features Mean for Journalists]
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"Do a barrel roll" has become a trending topic on Twitter and elsewhere, thanks to an Easter egg on Google Search. Social Media
[More from Mashable: The Evolving Role of Social Media in News Organizations [LIVE BLOG]]
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Image courtesy of Flickr, webtreats This story originally published on Mashable here. |
| Barnes & Noble may launch new Nook, cut some prices (Reuters) Posted: 06 Nov 2011 09:15 PM PST (Reuters) – Barnes & Noble Inc will introduce on Monday what analysts and the blogosphere predict will be improved, and in some cases, cheaper versions of its Nook devices to compete for holiday tablet sales. The largest U.S. bookstore chain's Nook has been a hit since its launch in 2009, but the retailer is under pressure from Amazon.com Inc, which in September introduced the Kindle Fire, its first tablet, to challenge the tablet-like Nook Color and slashed the price on its basic Kindle. Technology blog Engadget claimed in a post on Thursday to know that Barnes & Noble would unveil its first tablet, for $249 at the launch in New York. It earlier said, citing leaked presentation slides, that Barnes & Noble would lower the price on its touchscreen e-reader, launched in May, to $99 from $139, matching that of the Kindle Touch. A Barnes & Noble spokeswoman declined to comment. Whatever the company presents on Monday, analysts said Barnes & Noble would need to show a new product or at least a significant upgrade with strong new features to keep Barnes & Noble competitive, justify any higher prices and win customers. "You lock them into the Nook platform and promise them that new devices are also going to be coming out," said Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey. Barnes & Noble has faced years of shrinking book sales, so it has invested tens of millions of dollars to develop the Nook to reinvent itself as readers move to digital formats. It claims to now have about a quarter of the digital books market. Despite having modest financial means compared with Amazon, its Nook Color beat Kindle Fire to the market by a year, and its touchscreen reader was launched in May, months ahead of Amazon's. Amazon's aggressive pricing will put pressure on Barnes & Noble to follow suit on the devices it does not upgrade. "Amazon is in land grab mode," said Morningstar analyst Peter Wahlstrom. "Barnes & Noble doesn't want to be seen as a low-cost leader. They want to be viewed as a premium product." (Reporting by Phil Wahba; editing by Gunna Dickson) |
| China's tech firms back Beijing in controls on Internet (Reuters) Posted: 05 Nov 2011 09:36 PM PDT BEIJING (Reuters) – The heads of China's largest technology companies have endorsed Beijing's aim to intensify controls of online social media, pledging to "stop the spread of harmful information" on the Internet, state news agency Xinhua said on Sunday. Some 10 top executives, including Sina Corp's Charles Chao, Baidu's Robin Li and Alibaba's Jack Ma, participated in the three-day discussion that ended on Saturday in Beijing hosted by the State Internet Information Office, one of the country's Internet regulators, Xinhua said. China's Internet companies and Internet operators have "reached a common agreement" that they would "conscientiously safeguard the broadcasting of positive messages online," the report said. "Resolutely curb the spread of rumors online, online pornography, Internet fraud and the illegal spread of harmful information on the Internet," the report said. The meeting was presided over by Wang Chen, director of the State Council Information Office, the government's propaganda and information arm. The Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Miao Wei, said Internet companies must increase their investment in "tracking surveillance." In late October, Beijing vowed to strengthen Internet administration and promote content acceptable to the ruling party, according to a communique of a recent Communist Party party leadership conclave published in the official People's Daily. The announcement from the Party meeting builds on a stream of warnings in state media that has shown Beijing is nervous about the booming microblogs, called "weibo" in Chinese, and their potential to tear the seams of censorship and controls. China has repeatedly criticized microblogs for irresponsibility in spreading what it calls unfounded rumors, but analysts said the government is unlikely to shut down what has become an important valve for monitoring and easing social pressures. The business impact is likely to be muted, because investors have already taken into account growing official scrutiny of Chinese Internet companies, analysts said. Sina and other Chinese microblog operators already deploy technicians and software to monitor content and block and remove comment deemed unacceptable, especially about protests, official scandals and party leaders. (Reporting by Sui-Lee Wee; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani) |
| Survey: Sexual harassment pervasive in grades 7-12 (AP) Posted: 06 Nov 2011 09:02 PM PST |
| Best Buy to buy Carphone out of U.S. venture: source (Reuters) Posted: 06 Nov 2011 04:13 PM PST LONDON (Reuters) – Electricals retailer Best Buy Co Inc (BBY.N) has agreed to buy British partner Carphone Warehouse (CPW.L) out of their fast-growing mobile phone venture for over $1 billion, a person with knowledge of the deal said. The deal, first reported by Sky News, is expected to be announced on Monday alongside news the venture will also close its loss-making megastores business in Britain. The person said on Sunday that Carphone Warehouse would return some of the proceeds from the sale of its profit-share in Best Buy Mobile U.S. to investors, which include its founder and 29-percent shareholder Charles Dunstone. Carphone Warehouse declined to comment. Best Buy could not immediately be reached for comment. Best Buy agreed to buy 50 percent of Carphone Warehouse's retail operations for $2.1 billion in May 2008 to act as a launchpad for its expansion into Europe and to tap the British firm's expertise in mobile phones. While Best Buy Mobile has exceeded expectations, with profits more than doubling in the year ended March, the plan for a chain of Best Buy-branded stores in Europe, has flopped. Hit by an economic downturn, low brand recognition and stiff competition from incumbent electrical goods retailers like Dixons (DXNS.L), the venture opened just 11 megastores in Britain before halting their expansion earlier this year. Closing the stores, which employ around 1,000 staff, would be the latest retreat by Best Buy from international markets as it looks to focus on its main business in the face of competition from discounters and online rivals. Earlier this year, the group exited Best Buy-branded stores in China and also dropped plans to expand in Turkey. Analysts have said closing the megastores, which lost 62 million pounds ($99 million) in the year ended March, could cost around 50-80 million pounds. They expect Best Buy and Carphone Warehouse to focus instead on expanding their smaller format Wireless World format stores in Europe. (Reporting by Mark Potter; Editing by Matt Scuffham and Gunna Dickson) |
| Quote Roundup: Lynchburg, Va., Area Residents Speak Out Against Bank Fees (ContributorNetwork) Posted: 06 Nov 2011 09:21 AM PST |
| Earthquake in Oklahoma Sets Record (ContributorNetwork) Posted: 06 Nov 2011 01:46 PM PST Contribute content like this. Start here. People who live in Oklahoma are well acquainted with the fury of Mother Nature in the form of tornadoes. Fewer residents have experienced the ongoing small tremors that areas of the state experience from time to time. It's unlikely any Oklahoman would consider experiencing an earthquake whose magnitude would eclipse any in recorded state history -- but that's what happened at 10:53 p.m. CDT Saturday. Two Earthquakes in Less Than 24-Hour Period The first earthquake occurred at 2:12 a.m., measuring a magnitude 4.7 in Lincoln County. I live approximately 40 miles from the epicenter and was awake when I simultaneously heard a deep rumbling sound and my house slightly shift. A hanging light fixture in the dining room gently swayed. It was an eerie feeling, causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand up. By standards of earthquakes, it was of moderate magnitude; by standards of Oklahomans, it provoked some anxiety. The second earthquake occurred some 20 hours later at the same epicenter, measuring a magnitude of 5.6. Again, the rumbling and the shaking were experienced simultaneously, this time not only causing the hanging light fixture to sway, but dishes rattled in the cupboards and china hutch and the ground beneath the house felt as if it were softly undulating. This quake's effects lasted about one minute -- a brief period in day-to-day activity, but an extended period of time under the circumstances. Extended Regions Felt Effects of Oklahoma Earthquake A geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey, Jessica Turner, stated that the 4.7 magnitude quake was felt in states surrounding Oklahoma, including Texas and Missouri. The larger 5.6 magnitude quake was felt as far north as some parts of Illinois and Wisconsin. Turner explained the quakes are occurring along a known fault line, but experts have no idea at this time as to what is causing the increase in seismic activity. The quake was a relatively shallow one by earthquake standards, located 3 miles below ground. Comparison of Oklahoma Earthquake to East Coast Earthquake The USGS compared the recent Oklahoma quake to that of the one experienced by the East Coast region on Aug. 23. The East Coast quake, centered in Virginia, was of a 5.8 magnitude and felt from the southern states to Canada. Like the Oklahoma earthquake, there was no major damage from the East Coast quake, although the Washington Monument and the National Cathedral experienced some damage. Smack dab in the middle of the baby boomer generation, L.L. Woodard is a proud resident of "The Red Man" state. With what he hopes is an everyman's view of life's concerns both in his state and throughout the nation, Woodard presents facts and opinions based on common-sense solutions. |
| Augmented reality apps could become a little too real (Appolicious) Posted: 06 Nov 2011 02:00 PM PST |
| Mid-October launch suggests Merry iPhone Xmas season (Appolicious) Posted: 06 Nov 2011 11:30 AM PST |
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