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Netflix settlement trims 14 pct off 4Q earnings (AP) : Technet |
- Netflix settlement trims 14 pct off 4Q earnings (AP)
- Review: Netflix and Hulu's new scripted originals (AP)
- Brazil files injunction against Twitter (AP)
- Red-hot valentines for the guys, gals, and geeks we love (Yahoo! News)
- Italian satellite is a laser disco ball for science (Yahoo! News)
- Knicks' Jeremy Lin Continues Domination of Social Media and NBA (Mashable)
- Malaysia deports Saudi blogger behind Prophet Mohammad tweets (Reuters)
- Norwegians seek A-ha! moment in North Korean music (AP)
- Japan's Fanuc to build machine tools factory: report (Reuters)
- Opinion: Will Windows on ARM challenge the iPad where Android has failed? (Digital Trends)
- Toymakers look to 80s, apps and Facebook for hits (Reuters)
- Dad Addresses Viral Laptop Shooting After Daughter's Facebook Post [QUOTES] (Mashable)
- iStain iPhone app can’t do your laundry, not much help for spills either (Appolicious)
- RUU leak and sources confirm quad-core HTC Endeavor to run Ice Cream Sandwich (Digital Trends)
- Lionsgate reaps big money from digital distribution of shows (Reuters)
- In glitch, some Citi iPad app users double-paid their bills, bank reveals (Appolicious)
- Google working to patch Wallet security holes (Appolicious)
- Sun arrests pile pressure on Murdoch media empire (Reuters)
| Netflix settlement trims 14 pct off 4Q earnings (AP) Posted: 10 Feb 2012 05:14 PM PST SAN FRANCISCO – Netflix pressed the rewind button on its fourth-quarter earnings after settling allegations that the video subscription service violated a consumer-privacy law. Accounting for the $9 million settlement resulted in a 14 percent decrease in the fourth-quarter net income that Netflix Inc. reported Jan. 25. The bottom line for the final three months of last year now comes to $35.2 million, or 64 cents per share, down from the previously reported $40.7 million, or 73 cents per share. The company, which is based in Los Gatos, disclosed the change in a regulatory filing late Friday. Netflix's stock price has surged 23 percent since the fourth-quarter results were released, partly because the company's earnings were substantially above analysts' average estimate of 57 cents per share. But investors mostly were impressed with Netflix's fourth-quarter gain of 600,000 subscribers — a number unaffected by Friday's accounting adjustment The upturn in subscribers indicated that Netflix had bounced back from a public-relations nightmare triggered by a 60 percent increase in its U.S. prices last September. Netflix expects to sustain a loss this year as it pays higher licensing fees for video and establishes its service in Latin America, the United Kingdom and Ireland. The $9 million legal settlement rids Netflix of another potential headache. A lawsuit on behalf of Virginia residents Jeff Milans and Peter Comstock alleged Netflix had been breaking a 24-year-old law by retaining records of the DVDs and Internet video that its subscribers watched for up to two years after they cancelled their plans. The complaint, filed in San Francisco federal court, cited the Video Privacy Protection Act, which was passed in 1988 to prevent video rental services from sharing information about what their current and former customers have been watching. The class-action lawsuit asserted Netflix violated a section of the law requiring personally identifiable information to be destroyed within a year "from the date that the information is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected." Retaining former customers' viewing records allows Netflix to restore their old video queues and make better recommendations if they reactivate their subscriptions. In a statement Friday, Netflix said it didn't make any admission of wrongdoing in the settlement. No other details were disclosed in a settlement notice filed Friday in federal court. In most class-action settlements, attorneys filing the case usually are paid a large portion of any money that is paid out. Sean Reis, an attorney representing Milans and Comstock, didn't immediately return phone calls Friday. Netflix has been lobbying Congress to revise the Video Privacy Protection so it can introduce a feature on Facebook's online social network that would allow its U.S. subscribers to automatically let their family and friends know what they have been watching. Netflix already offers the Facebook tool in the 46 other countries it operates, but all but more than 90 percent of its roughly 26 million subscribers are in the U.S. "This matter is unrelated to the company's concerns about the ambiguities contained in the VPPA," Netflix spokesman Steve Swasey said. Netflix shares closed Friday at $123.93, down 91 cents. |
| Review: Netflix and Hulu's new scripted originals (AP) Posted: 10 Feb 2012 09:49 AM PST NEW YORK – Within just over a week, Netflix and Hulu are both debuting their first stabs at original scripted programming. The shows amount to a milestone in Internet television, an early sign of the leveling between broadcasting and streaming. Programming options between TV and the Web are increasingly separated by little more than the "video source" button on your remote. But the most salient thing about the new offerings from Netflix and Hulu are just how "TV" they are. Earlier this week, Netflix released all eight episodes of "Lilyhammer," a fish-out-of-water drama starring Steve Van Zandt ("The Sopranos") as a New York mobster relocated to Norway. On Tuesday, Hulu will premiere "Battleground," a faux-documentary sitcom about the young operatives of a middling political campaign in Wisconsin. Each has a broadcast pedigree. "Lilyhammer" was produced for the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (a lesser known NBC) and began airing there in January. As a script, "Battleground" was initially purchased by Fox (whose corporate parent, News Corp., is a co-owner of Hulu, along with Walt Disney Co. and NBCUniversal). That both "Battleground" and "Lilyhammer" look and feel so much like broadcast shows is a signal of their high-quality (though "Lilyhammer" is notably better made) and their lack of innovation. These are ultimately just a couple of new shows among hundreds, only ones consumable through a new distribution method. The 50-minute-long "Lilyhammer," for which Van Sandt is also a producer and writer, is the more intriguing of the two. It often feels almost like a parody of a "Sopranos" spinoff: If we're going to have Silvio in Scandinavia, then how about Paulie Walnuts in Walla Walla? Or Uncle Junior in Jakarta? When "Frankie the Fixer" (Van Zandt) gives up a rival to the FBI, he opts for witness protection in Lillehammer, Norway. Remoteness is part of the attraction, as is its wintery allure: "Did you see the Olympics of `94?" he asks. "It was beautiful." In Norway, Frankie — now renamed Giovanni Hendriksen — cuts an amusing figure in parkas and sweaters. He easily grasps the language from audio tapes (Frankie speaks in English but most other character speak Norwegian, which is subtitled) and finds it quite easy to set up shop. Giovanni quickly gathers a girlfriend (Marian Saastad Ottesen), a nightclub and a few minions. The jokes mainly revolve around either Giovanni being out-of-place (a Mafioso on skis!) or the locals' reaction to his crudeness. One gets the sense that "Lilyhammer" would be funnier to Norwegians. Mostly, Giovanni is portrayed kindly, a straight-talking dose of manly aggression who runs roughshod over softer, peaceful Norwegian folk. It's entertaining enough, but about as subtle as "Sopranos on Ice!" "Battleground," judging by its first two episodes, is a light, watered-down knockoff of "The Office," moved a little further west and focusing on a slightly younger demographic. Its 13 episodes will debut every Tuesday. It stars Jay Hayden as Chris "Tak" Davis, campaign manager to Deirdre Samuels (Meighan Gerachis), who's running for a Wisconsin Senate seat. The show, about 22 minutes long, uses the "Office" format of interstitial interviews with the twist that they take place after the election — and thus carry foreshadowing of trouble to come. The timing of "Battleground" might seem good considering the current Republican presidential primaries, but any actual politics are left out. There's nothing that might offend either side of the political spectrum here, and also little to inspire either Democrats or Republicans. Instead, "Battleground" — whose producers include Marc Webb, the director of "(500) Days of Summer," as well as an "Office" episode — is a typical workplace comedy, only with the backdrop of campaign posters and buttons. No one over 25-years-old much matters — it's the "zany" young staff and volunteers who get all the screen time. It comes off something like a student fantasy of playful politics. Hayden expends more energy trying to look suave and knowing than funny. For Hulu and Netflix, the shows don't need to be masterpieces, just conversation-starters — drops of newness to freshen up their extensive libraries and garner media coverage in articles like this one. Neither "Lilyhammer" nor "Battleground" is good enough to send anyone rushing to sign up for a subscription. (Netflix's streaming service is $7.99 a month, as is Hulu Plus.) But in the gathering convergence of TV and Internet viewing, these shows represent an early salvo. Netflix's most anticipated shows — a David Fincher-produced adaptation of the British series "House of Cards" and new episodes of the cult comedy "Arrested Development" — are due later this year and in 2013. Hulu has plans for more original programming, including a documentary series from Richard Linklater ("Dazed and Confused"). Google Inc.'s YouTube is in the midst of rolling out more than 100 niche-oriented "channels" on its video platform. Yahoo will later this year release a sci-fi, animated series produced by Tom Hanks. And for the first time ever, even the Super Bowl was streamed online. More than 2.1 million viewers watched the game on either NBCSports.com or NFL.com. "Lilyhammer" and "Battleground" are, surely enough, just a beginning. ___ Follow Jake Coyle on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jake_coyle |
| Brazil files injunction against Twitter (AP) Posted: 10 Feb 2012 05:42 AM PST SAO PAULO – A request for an injunction to stop Twitter users from alerting drivers to police roadblocks, radar traps and drunk-driving checkpoints could make Brazil the first country to take Twitter up on its plan to censor content at governments' requests. Twitter unveiled plans last month that would allow country-specific censorship of tweets that might break local laws. "As far as we know this is the first time that a country has attempted to take Twitter up on their country-by-country take down," Eva Galperin of the San Francisco-based Electronic Frontier Foundation said in a telephone interview Thursday. Galperin, who described the foundation as "a digital liberties organization," predicted governments will be taking similar opportunities to censor Twitter traffic. "Twitter has given these countries the tool and now Brazil has chosen to use it," she said. Carlos Eduardo Rodrigues Alves, a spokesman for the federal prosecutor's office, said the injunction request was filed Monday. He said a judge was expected to announce in the next few days whether he will issue the order against Twitter users. The attorney general's office said in a statement that tweeted alerts about police operations jeopardize efforts to reduce traffic accidents and curb auto thefts and the transportation of drugs and weapons. According to the statement, traffic accidents throughout Brazil kill 55,000 people each year and cost the country 24.6 billion reals, or about $14.3 billion. If the judge rules in favor of the injunction, anyone who violates it could be hit with a daily fine of 500,000 reals ($291,000), the statement said. San Francisco-based Twitter Inc. said in an email that it had "nothing to share on this issue." Under Twitter's new policy, a tweet breaking a law in one country can be taken down there at a government's request. But it adds that censored tweets will still be seen elsewhere. Twitter has said it will post a censorship notice whenever a tweet is removed and will post the removal requests it receives. It said it has no plans to remove tweets unless it receives a request from government officials, companies or another outside party that believes the message is illegal. |
| Red-hot valentines for the guys, gals, and geeks we love (Yahoo! News) Posted: 10 Feb 2012 01:39 PM PST |
| Italian satellite is a laser disco ball for science (Yahoo! News) Posted: 10 Feb 2012 10:15 AM PST |
| Knicks' Jeremy Lin Continues Domination of Social Media and NBA (Mashable) Posted: 11 Feb 2012 02:10 PM PST
[More from Mashable: Top 10 Twitter Pics of the Week [PICS]] His name and the hashtag #Linsanity have trended on Twitter multiple days in the past week. He has added more than 130,000 followers on the network over that time span as well, according to the stat-tracking website TwitterCounter.com. He's added about 40,000 of those followers just since outdueling Bryant on Friday, according to the site. He's even inspired spinoff accounts, such as the Pinterest. An underground rapper posted a tribute rap to YouTube on Tuesday. Two days later, the well-known rapper Jin posted a tribute of his own. [More from Mashable: 5 Services to Help You Earn Money From Your Twitter Account] How much has the digital hysteria exploded since Mashable first wrote about Lin earlier this week? On Friday night, the tech news website All Things D, which typically gives sports a wide berth, published a service piece titled, "Who Put Sports in My Twitter Again? The Jeremy Lin Explainer." Lin has a number of things in common with Tim Tebow. Tebow, quarterback of the Denver Broncos, was the last professional athlete to take the Internet by storm, and inspired one especially viral meme last fall. Both he and Lin are devout Christians. Both are seen as model citizens who "play the right way" and offer a counterpoint to many of the boorish aspects of pro sports. Both are seen as heavy underdogs at the professional level. The son of Taiwanese immigrants, Lin was an un-recruited high school player in Palo Alto, California. After none of his dream schools offered a scholarship, he played four years at Harvard University, leading the fabled academic institution to new heights on the hardwood. He went un-drafted out of Harvard but made the Golden State Warriors as a free agent, becoming the NBA's first Asian-American player since 1947, then bounced around some more before the Knicks picked him up. Indeed, Lin's status as the rare Asian-American NBA player has contributed to his popularity on social media -- but led to some ugly moments as well. Lin's Chinese name, Lin Shuhao, was among Monday's most-searched terms on Sina Weibo, a Chinese service similar to Twitter, according to The Wall Street Journal. Then, on Friday night, scores of people called for Fox Sports columnist Jason Whitlock to be fired after he posted this tweet. What do you think of #Linsanity so far? How long do you think it will last? Let us know in the comments. 1. |
| Malaysia deports Saudi blogger behind Prophet Mohammad tweets (Reuters) Posted: 12 Feb 2012 01:30 AM PST KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia deported a Saudi Arabian blogger on Sunday, police said, despite fears voiced by human rights groups that he could face execution in his home country over Twitter comments he made that were deemed insulting to the Prophet Mohammad. Hamza Kashgari, a 23-year-old columnist, sparked outrage in the oil-rich kingdom with comments posted on the Prophet's birthday a week ago that led some Islamic clerics to call for him to face the death penalty. Kashgari fled the country, but was arrested by police in majority-Muslim Malaysia on Thursday as he transited through Kuala Lumpur international airport. "The Saudi writer was repatriated to his home country this Sunday morning," a police spokesman told Reuters. "This is an internal Saudi matter that we cannot comment on." Malaysia has a close affinity with many Middle Eastern nations through their shared religion. The Southeast Asian nation is also a U.S. ally and a leading global voice for moderate Islam, meaning that the decision to extradite Kashgari is certain to be controversial. "Saudi clerics have already made up their mind that Kashgari is an apostate who must face punishment," Christoph Wilcke, senior Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement on Friday. "The Malaysian government should not be complicit in sealing Kashgari's fate by sending him back." Kashgari's lawyer in Malaysia, Mohammad Noor, told Reuters by telephone that he had obtained a court order to prevent the deportation, but had not been allowed to see his client. "If the government of Malaysia deports him to Saudi Arabia, disrespecting the court order, this is clearly contempt of court, unlawful and unacceptable," he said. The Star newspaper quoted Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein as saying that Kashgari had been repatriated and that the charges against him would be decided by Saudi authorities. "Malaysia has a longstanding arrangement by which individuals wanted by one country are extradited when detained by the other," he was quoted as saying. Blasphemy is a crime punishable by execution under Saudi Arabia's strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law. It is not a capital crime in Malaysia. Reuters could not verify Kashgari's comments because he later deleted them, but media reported that one of them reflected his contradictory views of the Prophet - that he both loved and hated him. Kashgari later said in an interview that he was being made a "scapegoat for a larger conflict" over his comments. (Additional reporting by Niluksi Koswanage in Kuala Lumpur and Asma Alsharif in Dubai, Editing by Ron Popeski) |
| Norwegians seek A-ha! moment in North Korean music (AP) Posted: 11 Feb 2012 01:39 PM PST OSLO, Norway – It's not the face of North Korea the world is used to: five young musicians adding a playful twist to one of the most popular Western pop songs of the 1980s. On Saturday, an accordion quintet that gained unexpected YouTube fame with their cover of A-ha's megahit "Take on Me" performed the song live at an arts festival in Kirkenes, on Norway's Arctic border with Russia. "For many it is a revelation that North Koreans open up and play Western pop music with such great joy," said Norwegian artist Morten Traavik, who recorded the video during a visit to the Kum Song school of music in Pyongyang in December. It has since been viewed more than 1 million times on YouTube. The ensemble accepted his invitation to come to Norway, and their chords formed the musical backdrop Saturday as 250 Norwegian border guards holding colored flipboards tried to create a small-scale version of the giant human mosaics performed at North Korean mass games. It was choreographed by two North Korean directors, but instead of the patriotic motifs typical to those events, the display in Kirkenes featured local images, such as polar bears and reindeer herders, Traavik said. It's part of an art project that he's labeled "The Promised Land." "My idea is to challenge our perceptions of North Koreans, which is extremely negative and stigmatized," he said. "I have a lot of good friends in North Korea. Like other people, they are proud of their country and nature. They are among the friendliest people I have gotten to know." However, he said North Koreans are marked by a "siege" mentality, from being cut off from the rest of the world by their own authoritarian regime. "It is important that they experience a very positive response during their visit here," he said. "That they feel welcomed and taken care of." |
| Japan's Fanuc to build machine tools factory: report (Reuters) Posted: 11 Feb 2012 06:23 PM PST TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan industrial robot maker Fanuc Ltd (6954.T) plans to build a new factory near Tokyo to double its domestic output capacity of machine tools to produce parts of smart phones by the end of the year, the Nikkei financial daily reported on Sunday. Fanuc will boost domestic output aimed at meeting rising global demand for smart phones, the Nikkei said. The company hopes to raise price competitiveness by concentrating its production operation in Japan, the newspaper said, doubling production of a machine tool that can make frames for smart phones to 5,000 units per month by December, the Nikkei reported without citing sources. The company recently has increased production capacity of the machine tools to 2,500 units from 1,600, the Nikkei said. The factory will be built in Ibaraki prefecture, located about 130 kilometers (80.8 miles) northeast of Tokyo. Fanuc forecasted last month that its group net profit will rise by 24.8 percent to 150 billion yen ($1.93 billion) during the financial year ending in March. (Reporting by Chikafumi Hodo; Editing by Ed Lane) |
| Opinion: Will Windows on ARM challenge the iPad where Android has failed? (Digital Trends) Posted: 11 Feb 2012 08:45 AM PST
WOA sounds like what you might tell a horse when you want it to stop, but it's also the working acronym for Windows on ARM, which Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky recently detailed in a revealing blog post. I'm clearly going to have some fun with the acronym, but the new details of the operating system have some pretty heavy implications, too.There really are some little nuggets in Steven's Blog post that suggest this could be a game changer on a lot of fronts.It might even make tablets as we know them obsolete. Let's cover some of the more interesting highlights.
ARM vs. x86From Sinofsky's blog post, it appears that Windows 8 clearly has two distinct configurations.The ARM side isn't ported to the x86 side, nor the x86 side to the ARM side.Both versions of the product are optimized from the hardware layer on up for distinct usage models.If you want high portability, you go the ARM route. If you want high performance, you go the x86route.WOA won't support virtualization, for instance.The ARM version appears to get a unique value bundle as well, with key Office applications (except Outlook) shipping with the product.This, on paper, makes any Windows ARM tablet look more complete, at least from the standpoint of productivity apps, than either Android or iOS. (Yes, Google has a productivity suite, but it is hosted and hasn't proven to be that competitive.)
But this kind of reads like the ARM platform is the volume offering.According to Sinofsky, "In large part [the work of adapting to a new hardware platform] accrues to the x86/64 platformespecially cutting edge products, such as the new low power Atom processors, demonstrated by Intel at CES."To me that says that x86 will get some or most, but not all, of this goodness.If ARM is now primary, likely explains why AMD is suddenly a huge ARM fan. It will be interesting to see how Microsoft markets this difference so it isn't confusing.
ARM upgradesWOA will also ship with a full suite of traditional Windows capabilities like printing, which has proven a bit problematic with Apple devices (it sometimes looks like Apple no longer believes printers exist).Microsoft is also clearly building in a rather significant gaming capabilities.This has proven to be a rather compelling aspect of Android tablets based on Nvidia'sTegra 3 hardware, like the Asus Transformer Prime (checkout his video). It kind of kicks the iPad's butt, and it appears Microsoft is aggressively going after this opportunity.Previously, Microsoft had spoken of some level of Xbox integration, and clearly the Windows Phone platform has become Microsoft's handheld gaming alternative, much as Google and Apple have done with their platforms. Windows on ARM will also arrive after many of the improvements to ARM that have really made the platform more competitive. Microsoft doesn't have to carry forward as much of the legacy code either, which may actually put it (at least for this release), in a more advantageous position. Unlike Apple or Google, Microsoft engineers don't have to worry about breaking some critical third-party app with updates.They should be able to push the performance envelope a bit harder, which is always an advantage given to the latest player to enter a technology platform segment. One interesting comment buried in the blog post was the use of a soft GPU driver, which would present a more attractive screen when the system crashed.I'm not so sure prettier screens when the system crashes will make us all feel better.I've seen stranger things though, and I do think it will create an impression of refinement. Not as good as good of an impression as if it didn't crash in the first place, but kind of an interesting improvement.As with the difference between a Lexus and a Chevy, sometimes the little things like this add up.
Microsoft is loving some ARMOne thing is absolutely clear,which is that Microsoft has gone full out with the ARM version of Windows 8.It has created a ground-up, redesigned offering that is uniquely tuned for ARM, and appears to have advantages over the x86 alternative(which is more closely related to the server platform going forward).In effect, Microsoft has recreated the separation that used to exist between Windows 95 and Windows NT in a product that will be more user focused on one side, and more professional focused on the other.I think this reflects that Microsoft finally understands just what a big competitive risk both Apple and Google are becoming. With the right marketing and funding (Microsoft continues to massively underfund its Windows Phone effort), this thing could be an iPad killer, much like Windows 95 almost snuffed out Mac OS before Steve Jobs returned (and you'll note Steve is unfortunately not at Apple anymore).Granted, Apple is at the top of its game this time around, and the last time it was already in trouble, but still, history does have a habit of repeating itself. iPad killer or no, Microsoft appears to be bringing its "A" game, and if it can fully support marketing for once, the fourth quarter will be a bloody battle between the major players.It's good news for me though; I'll finally get a tablet with a great productivity suite.Who says a little competition isn't a good thing?
Guest contributor Rob Enderle is the founder and principal analyst for the Enderle Group, and one of the most frequently quoted tech pundits in the world. Opinion pieces denote the opinions of the author, and do not necessarily represent the views of Digital Trends. This article was originally posted on Digital Trends More from Digital Trends Microsoft exec thinks tablets may be a fad, talks of new laser retina display Beneath the Surface: How Microsoft is missing the boat on tabletop computing This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Toymakers look to 80s, apps and Facebook for hits (Reuters) Posted: 12 Feb 2012 02:14 PM PST NEW YORK (Reuters) – Coming off a year in which U.S. toy sales fell 2 percent, toymakers and buyers at the 109th American Toy Fair in New York are looking for the elusive runaway hit that failed to materialize in 2011. The industry has reached back to the past hoping Ninja turtles and caring stuffed bears from the 1980s, accessories that play with the hottest gadgets of today and a cuddly dog that has scored fame on Facebook, will turn around flagging sales this year. "Although the down economy still presents many challenges, at the end of the day, kids will always want the latest and greatest toys. Technology and value will continue to be key factors in purchasing decisions," Jeremy Padawer, EVP of Marketing for Jakks Pacific Inc. In 2011, gadgets like iPads and smartphones were top consumer sellers, and toy companies big and small are betting on "AppCessories," playthings that come to life when hooked up to popular devices such as Apple Inc's iPad, iPhone and iPod, to woo tech-savvy kids who have grown up playing on their parents' smartphones or their own gaming consoles. "It's a nice way to bridge the generation gap because a lot of these games are games that adults are going to have fun playing too," said Adrienne Appell, toy trends specialist with the Toy Industry Association, which runs the four-day toy fair and expects more than 33,000 people. That is up almost 4 percent from last year. For example, Mattel Inc showed off its "Apptivity" line. It included many items such as the Hot Wheels Apptivity Car that allows kids to use iPads as race tracks. Mattel said a special anti-scratch technology on the vehicle ensures iPad screen surfaces go unscathed. "In keeping with today's tech-savvy families, this new category merges physical toy play with tablets," said Chuck Scothon, senior vice president of marketing at Mattel's North America unit. Hasbro Inc has its "zAPPed" gaming platform. Privately held rivals such as Spin Master, Crayola, WowWee and Discovery Bay also had offerings in the appCessories arena. But hits from the past, as well as toys made from basic fabric and stuffing, also vied for attention. Nickelodeon and Playmates Toys revealed a new line of action figures, vehicles, ninja gear and other toys inspired by Nickelodeon's new CG-animated "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," which is set to premiere in the Fall. The turtles first hit the small screen in 1987, according to their official website. American Greetings Corp is relaunching another 80's hit, Care Bear plush dolls, which are celebrating their 30th anniversary. Other plush toys were on display as well. Gund, one of the oldest plush toy makers in the United States, unveiled what could potentially be a runaway hit with dog lovers. It launched the first plush version of the "Boo," a Pomeranian that has over 3 million Facebook fans. Priced at $20, the plush toy won't be available in stores until spring, but thousands have already preordered it on the company's website. "We saw Boo on Facebook. We thought it will translate really well," Vince Smart, vice president of marketing at Gund, a division of Enesco LLC. Gund contacted Boo's owner, who has chosen to be anonymous, on Facebook. Cuddle Barn launched Beaver Plush, a collection of plush characters that come to life by singing popular songs. The 12-inch plush beaver features Justin Bieber's hit song "Baby," and a baseball cap tilted to the side. Then there is Lego, the Danish toy maker whose colorful building blocks do well even during weak economic times. Lego unveiled three new DUPLO concepts that were designed specifically for the U.S. market. It includes items such as "Read & Build", a series of preschool board books and a collection of DUPLO bricks that, together, hope to make 'read to me' time more fun. Lego also displayed a new line for girls and a host of toys themed on movies such as "Lord of the Rings," "The Hobbit," and Marvel and DC Universe super heroes. Shopper dynamics are still impacted by the economy, but we haven't seen any alarming trends in consumers trading down," said Soren Torp Laursen, president of Lego Americas. There was also no dearth of toys supporting good causes. MGA Entertainment is supporting the fight against cancer by launching new hairless versions of their hit doll brands, Bratz and Moxie Girlz, while Growums gardening kits from Preferred Commerce Inc encourage children to grow their own vegetables and eat healthy. There was also a huge selection of toys based on movies, especially the two films from Marvel that are coming out this year: "The Avengers" and "The Amazing Spider-Man." (Reporting By Dhanya Skariachan; Editing by Bernard Orr) |
| Dad Addresses Viral Laptop Shooting After Daughter's Facebook Post [QUOTES] (Mashable) Posted: 11 Feb 2012 10:53 AM PST
[More from Mashable: Google to Get Scary With Anne Rice] She thought she'd hid it from her parents using privacy settings, but her father works in IT and found the note anyway, he said, when he was uploading photos to the family dog's profile page. (She didn't think to hide it from the dog.) So he decided to reprimand her publicly, saying in the video that "since you want to hide it from everyone, I'm going to share it with everybody." He posted an eight-minute video to YouTube on Wednesday, refuting her key points and reading the entire note aloud while smoking a cigarette and sitting in a wooden chair in a grassy field. After about seven minutes of preamble, he gets up, points the camera at a laptop on the ground, introduces a pistol into the frame -- "This right here is my .45" -- and blasts away. [More from Mashable: French Prez Nicolas Sarkozy Turns On, Fills Up His Facebook Timeline] Not surprisingly, the video took off. When Mashable wrote about it the day after it was posted, it had just over 5,000 YouTube views. Now it has 15 million.
According to Facebook posts by Jordan, he has since received more media inquiries than he can handle, sponsorship requests, and a deluge of both hateful and supportive messages from people eager to provide feedback on his parenting methods. Jordan addressed the laptop shooting and subsequent hullaballoo in a recent Facebook post that begins, "Attention Media Outlets:" While we appreciate the interest you're all putting forth to get in touch with us regarding the video, we're not going to go on your talk show, not going to call in to your radio show, and not going to be in your TV miniseries. Some of you think I made an acceptable parenting decision, and others think I didn't. However, I can't think of any way myself or my daughter can respond to a media outlet that won't be twisted out of context. The Dallas news TV news already showed that in their brief five-minute interview with the psychologist. Jordan goes on to say that exploiting the media glare would send his daughter the wrong message "that it's OK to profit at the expense of someone else's embarrassment or misfortune, and that's not how I was raised, nor how she has been raised." Jordan says in the post that he will make any further comments through his Facebook page, not through the media. "My daughter isn't hurt, emotionally scarred, or otherwise damaged," he writes, "but that kind of publicity has never seemed to be to have a positive effect on any child or family." In subsequent posts, Jordan sheds more light on the zoo his life has become, further explains the reasoning behind his laptop assassination, solicits funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and promotes a social selling website he's been helping to build. Many of his posts have received well over a thousand comments. Here, in the gallery below, are several snippets of what Tommy Jordan has had to say over the past couple days. For the full versions, head on over to his Facebook page. What do you think about this video going viral and Jordan's following response? Let us know in the comments. 1. "Never again..." In a post from Friday, Jordan says he was unprepared for the attention the video attracted. Click here to view this gallery. This story originally published on Mashable here. |
| iStain iPhone app can’t do your laundry, not much help for spills either (Appolicious) Posted: 12 Feb 2012 10:30 AM PST |
| RUU leak and sources confirm quad-core HTC Endeavor to run Ice Cream Sandwich (Digital Trends) Posted: 12 Feb 2012 12:10 PM PST
The rate at which mobile is catching up to laptops and desktops is astounding. While most details surrounding the renamed HTC Endeavor (once known as the HTC Edge) were revealed in November, MoDaCo's sources and a leaked ROM Update Utility for the Endeavor have confirmed our suspicions. Until now, two pieces to the puzzle remained out of place: Will the Endeavor would run on Honeycomb or Ice Cream Sandwich? And will it run Sense 4.0? MoDaCo's sources have revealed that the device will run on Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.3, and will be one of the first devices include HTC's latest user interface, Sense 4.0. But while expectant fans are waiting for the official reveal at this year's Mobile World Conference, the latest Apple injunction to ban the sales of Samsung's Galaxy Nexus may be a cause for concern. The lawsuit filed against Samsung was revealed to be a direct attack on Google's latest OS, Ice Cream Sandwich. If HTC does run ICE on the Endeavor, Apple could, if felt threatened, decide to file a preliminary injunction against the Taiwanese smartphone maker to block sales of the device. If the courts favor Apple in their patent suit against Samsung, it is likely that they will turn their attention to HTC, who filed a patent suit against Apple back in September. In the meantime, as the anticipation builds, you can download the unreleased test ROM Update Utility for the HTC Endeavor, leaked onto xdadevelopers here: HTC Endeavor RUU To date, the following are the specs you should be expecting on the HTC Endeavor:
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| Lionsgate reaps big money from digital distribution of shows (Reuters) Posted: 12 Feb 2012 03:50 PM PST LOS ANGELES, Feb 12 (TheWrap.com) – Lionsgate's most recent quarter was hardly cause for celebration -- revenue fell 23 percent at the company -- but its digital and video-on-demand revenue was certainly impressive. Digital and on demand revenue jumped 80 percent to $62.4 million during its third fiscal quarter. Theatrical brought in only $8.4 million during the period. Licensing deals for the studio's television programming, particularly the licensing of the first five seasons of "Weeds" to digital platforms, kept the money flowing over the three-month period. Vancouver-based Lionsgate has licensing deals with Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. "We've created a whole new revenue stream for serialized shows," Lionsgate co-chairman and chief executive officer Jon Feltheimer told analysts on Friday. Overall revenue dropped to $323 million during a period in which the studio released no new films. There was a decrease of nearly $100 million from the same quarter last year. Lionsgate also announced losses of $1.7 million. "The Hunger Games," its hotly anticipated adaptation of Suzanne Collins' best-selling novel, cannot come soon enough for the studio. Box-office prognosticators are predicting big things for the movie, but in the short term Lionsgate can comfort itself with having adroitly manipulated emerging home entertainment platforms. In recent quarters, digital revenue and video-on-demand have actually been more consistent performers than theatrical releases. Revenue from Lionsgate's digital business increased 123 percent in the previous quarter to a record $65 million. Theatrical revenue was $22.3 million during the period, with "Abduction" and "Conan" both failing to hit it big. In October, Lionsgate released "Margin Call" on video-on-demand at the same time the well-reviewed Wall Street drama debuted in theaters. The Roadside Attractions movie has grossed over $5 million at the domestic box office -- a figure the studio said it expected to match on demand. It reportedly plans a similar release strategy with its recent Sundance acquisition "Arbitrage," a hedge-fund drama starring Richard Gere. |
| In glitch, some Citi iPad app users double-paid their bills, bank reveals (Appolicious) Posted: 12 Feb 2012 09:00 AM PST |
| Google working to patch Wallet security holes (Appolicious) Posted: 10 Feb 2012 11:31 AM PST |
| Sun arrests pile pressure on Murdoch media empire (Reuters) Posted: 12 Feb 2012 04:22 PM PST LONDON (Reuters) – Rupert Murdoch is under pressure over his Sun tabloid after the arrests of several senior staff in a corruption probe, but whistleblowers inside his media empire may pose more of a threat than the public outrage that forced the closure of its sister paper. Murdoch closed his News of the World weekly after allegations last year it hacked the phone of a murdered schoolgirl prompted a public outcry. Advertisers cancelled contracts and Prime Minister David Cameron set up a inquiry into media practices. News Corporation boss Murdoch closed the newspaper and flew to London to handle the crisis, which triggered such hostility in Britain's parliament bid that he was forced to give up his bid to take over lucrative pay-TV operator BSkyB. The veteran media mogul is due to fly to London later this week as another scandal engulfs one of his British newspapers, but he is likely to handle the Sun crisis differently given the public response to the paper's alleged actions is muted. Police have arrested nine current and former Sun staff in the past two weeks, including the deputy editor and other senior employees, as part of an investigation into the bribing of police and other public officials for information. The arrests came after News Corp passed information to police, angering employees, some of whom are already briefing against Murdoch. But while the News of the World (NoW) scandal led to a chorus of condemnation from the public and politicians of all stripes, there has been a low-key response to the Sun arrests. In a sharp contrast to the mood that prevailed at the height of the NoW scandal last summer, the British minister responsible for the media on Sunday praised Murdoch for increasing British media plurality through his Sky satellite broadcasting network. "Rupert Murdoch, through the investment he made in Sky for example, has massively increased choice in the UK and given us one of the most competitive broadcasting markets in Europe," Jeremy Hunt told the BBC. He also praised newspapers, including the News of the World, for uncovering criminals and holding politicians to account. "People remember how important our newspapers are. I think about the MP (member of parliament) expenses scandal .... People are realizing how important a free press is in our democracy," he added. Last year, Cameron labeled allegations that the News of the World hacked into the phone of murdered school girl Milly Dowler as "really appalling," "truly dreadful" and called for a "vigorous investigation." PUBLIC INTEREST DEFENCE? "The backlash on bribing policemen is not going to be on the same scale as hacking into private phone messages," said Ivor Gaber, political journalism professor at City University London. "The Sun is a bigger proposition than the News of the World. It makes more money. It has more clout and it's six days a week," he added. Gaber said possible payments to police or other officials may be covered by a public interest defense that was not available in the News of the World hacking case. "I think there's more of a debate to be had. It's less black and white," he said. Hunt praised the Daily Telegraph for its stories about MP expenses even though it had paid a mole for the information on leaked computer disks. In a statement late on Saturday, the chief executive of News Corp's British newspaper division News International Tom Mockridge indicated Murdoch was far from throwing in the towel. "Some of the individuals arrested have been instrumental in breaking important stories about public bodies, for example the scandal of our under resourced troops in Iraq .... We must take care not to pre-judge the outcome of the police interviews," he said. Two of those arrested along with the Sun employees on Saturday in connection with illegal journalist payments were a defense ministry employee and a member of the armed forces, a source said. THREAT FROM WITHIN Nevertheless, Murdoch critics say the pressure on News Corp should not be underestimated, especially as some disgruntled News International staff are briefing against him. The arrest of Sun staff in the last fortnight was the result of information supplied to the police by News Corp's Management and Standards Committee (MSC), a fact-finding group the firm set up in a bid to rescue its reputation. A source at News International's Wapping office in London said staff were in uproar at what they feel is News Corp sacrificing ordinary employees to protect top executives. Many staff during the NoW episode said Murdoch was trying to protect his News Corp executive son and presumptive heir James, and Murdoch confidante and former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks. "The company has turned against the staff," said the Wapping source on condition of anonymity. Lawmaker Tom Watson, one of Murdoch's most trenchant critics who last year questioned him and his executive son James over phone-hacking at a parliamentary committee hearing, said a number of News International staff had asked him for help, including two since the arrest of Sun employees. "A number of staff within News International are talking to me privately .... What you're seeing now is greater willingness of staff on the frontline .... to talk about the conditions they worked under and it's not pleasant listening," he told Reuters. He said they told him of a culture of bullying by senior staff and a high pressure office culture that led to journalists doing things they were extremely uncomfortable with. "We are now seeing three of Rupert Murdoch's newspapers investigated for different things ranging from phone hacking to email hacking to potentially bribing public officials," he said, referring to email hacking at Murdoch's highbrow daily The Times. "There comes a point where you have to say 'How has this institution potentially allowed these things to go on for so long?'. And that's down to the leadership of Rupert Murdoch." (Additional reporting by Kate Holton and Mark Hosenball; Editing by Jon Boyle) |
Welcome to the Linternet. After a 38-point outing to lead the New York Knicks over Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, point guard Jeremy Lin has tightened the stranglehold he's had on the World Wide Web since his improbable surge to NBA stardom began just several days ago. 
The tech-savvy, gun-toting father who blasted
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