Acer K330

The Acer K330 ($600 street) is one of the first examples of what's rapidly turning into a new category of projectors. Much like most palmtops, it's built around red, green, and blue LEDs and a DLP chip. However, it's bigger and brighter, with a 500 lumen rating, and it offers a claimed WXGA (1,280 by 800) native resolution. It is, in short, a capable business projector. Acer also touts it as a home entertainment projector that you can set up quickly to watch movies or play games and then store away when you're not using it.

If the overall description sounds familiar, it may be because the K330 is so similar to the Optoma ML500 ($650 street, 3.5 stars), another sub-3 pound, 500 lumen projector. When I reviewed the ML500, I pointed out that both the price and brightness were modest by traditional sub-3 pound micro projector standards, and suggested that you could think of it as a budget priced micro projector. With the K330, and other similar projectors on the way, the budget micro projector is looking more and more like a significant category.

Basics
The K330 weighs 2.9 pounds?a bit more than the ML500 but light enough to carry around without a second thought?and it measures 1.8 by 8.6 by 6.6 inches (HWD). It comes with a soft carrying case that's large enough to hold the projector as well as its cables and credit card size remote.

Setup is standard, with the back panel offering a suitable array of connectors, including a VGA port for a computer or component video, an HDMI port for a computer or video source, and a composite video port. In addition, there are two miniplug jacks for AV input and audio out, both an SDcard slot and a USB Type A port for reading files from a memory card or USB memory key, and a mini USB port for connecting to a computer to transfer files to the 2GB internal memory,

The memory options help add to the projector's portability by letting you leave your computer or video source at home. According to Acer, the K330 can read more than 20 file formats, including PowerPoint, Word, and Excel files (up to Office 2010); PDF files; video files (MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and 5 other formats); image files (BMP and JPG); and audio files (MP1, WAV, and 7 more).

Brightness and Data Image Quality
The 500 lumen rating may sound anemic compared to lamp-based portable projectors, like the Editors' Choice NEC Display Solutions NP-M300WS ($1,099 direct, 4 stars), with its 3000 lumen rating. However, perception of brightness is logarithmic, so a 500 lumen image looks much more than one sixth as bright as a 3000 lumen image. As a practical matter, the K330 was bright enough to let me run my tests using the 2-meter (78-inch) wide image size I normally use with standard projectors, rather than the smaller images I wind up with when testing palmtops.

The projector also handled our suite of DisplayMate tests reasonably well. As with the ML500, however, I saw scaling artifacts?unwanted extra patterns added to patterned fills, like an area filled with dots?at the claimed native resolution. This simply shouldn't happen.

Scaling artifacts in an LCD or DLP display show up when the display has to add or drop pixels in an image to make it match the number of pixels in the display. The native resolution is supposed to tell you how many pixels are in the display, which also tells you what image resolution you need to use to avoid scaling. As with the ML500, the artifacts suggest that the K330's native resolution isn't 1,280 by 800. When I asked Acer about the artifacts, a company representative said he would check into them, but as of this writing, he has not offered any explanation for them.

Fortunately, the artifacts show only on images with fills of closely spaced dots or lines over a large area, so they won't be an issue for most people for very many images. However, the scaling is also likely responsible for the slight soft focus that I also noticed with text and fine details. On the plus side, the projector did well on most other tests, with suitably neutral grays indicating good color balance, and vibrant, well saturated colors.

One major surprise is that I saw little to no rainbow effect with data images. Rainbow artifacts are a potential issue for any single-chip DLP projector, because of the way the projectors create color. I'm fairly sensitive to the effect, but with the K330, I didn't see it in data images at all. I saw it in video images, but only occasionally and even then fleetingly enough that I might not have recognized them as rainbow artifacts if I weren't so familiar with the rainbow effect. Unless you're even more sensitive to seeing the rainbows than I am, they simply won't be an issue with the K330.

Video Image quality and Other Issues
Image quality for video is best described as usable. It's not something you'd want for a full-scale home theater, but it's appropriate for the kind of casual home use that Acer suggests the projector can be used for. Note, however, that although the K330 claims support for 3D, it's limited to PC-based 3D only.

The one noteworthy issue I saw besides the occasional rainbow was moderate loss of shadow detail (details based on shading in dark areas). The projector handled skin tones reasonably well, and I didn't see any motion artifacts, posterization (colors changing suddenly where they should change gradually), or other obvious problems.

It's worth mention also that the 2-watt mono speaker is loud enough to fill a small conference room, which is far better than most small projectors can manage. And don't overlook the savings you get on total cost of ownership with an LED light source. The 20,000 hour lifetime means the LEDs will last the life of the projector, so you won't have to shell out any money for replacement bulbs.

The Acer K330's mix of small size, low weight, brightness, and image quality makes it a more than reasonable pick if you need a highly portable projector. It should also be of particular interest to anyone who tends to avoid DLP projectors because of rainbow artifacts. The scaling artifacts keep it from being an Editors' Choice, but even with that problem it's attractive enough that if you're looking for a small but reasonably bright micro projector, the Acer K330 belongs on your short list.

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Obamas wrap up weekend with visit to museum (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The first family wrapped up a busy weekend with a walk Sunday to the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle and their daughters, Sasha and Malia, strolled a block from the White House to the museum.

The Corcoran's current exhibits include "30 Americans," which the museum describes as a showcase of "many of the most important African-American artists of the last three decades."

Earlier Sunday, Obama played basketball with his daughters at the Interior Department. Saturday night, the first couple attended the 99th Annual Alfalfa Club Dinner, an annual black-tie get-together of some of the capital's movers and shakers.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_museum

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Food Closet feeds pets, too | Davis Enterprise

Polly Nelson of the Woodland Food Closet, center, accepts a $540 donation from Goose, right, with Delores Blake and Sophie, left, with Ginny Day. For several years, students of The Cultured Canine, owned by Blake, have collected money to make a holiday donation to a pet-related charity. This year?s beneficiary is the Woodland Food Closet, which has been soliciting businesses for donations of pet food in an effort to keep struggling families and their pets together in tough economic times. The donation will help support those efforts. The Cultured Canine offers obedience and agility classes, private training and pet-sitting services. For more information, call (530) 574-5689. Wayne Tilcock/Enterprise photo

Short URL: http://www.davisenterprise.com/?p=131266

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Source: http://www.davisenterprise.com/local-news/food-closet-feeds-pets-too/

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Random pics of 3 of my pets ? Mike and Olive and Audrey ? Gretawire

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Mike, the cat, is yawning.

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And the dog? That is Olive:

Olive is our sneakiest pet. ?She is adorable but sneaky.

And below is 80 pound Audrey on the (where else?) couch:

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• Look who had surgery today!
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Source: http://gretawire.foxnewsinsider.com/2012/01/29/random-pics-of-two-of-my-pets-mike-and-olive/

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96% The Muppets

All Critics (170) | Top Critics (40) | Fresh (163) | Rotten (6)

It may not entirely work as a movie, but The Muppets shines as a piece of touching pop nostalgia.

The purity of the nostalgia turns this franchise film into a love letter to childhood.

You can rest easy - if you have previously loved the Muppets, you will likely currently love The Muppets.

The chorus of one of the songs declares, 'I've got everything that I need, right in front of me.' For 120 minutes, that's precisely how I felt.

[Filmmakers] hew close to the essential innocence informing the Muppets' silliness.

The Muppets is a triumph of simplicity, innocence and goofy jokes. It's a triumph of felt.

So genial, so joyous, and suffused with such a lip-smacking sweetness, that the occasional pacing issues and subplot hiccups simply don't seem to matter.

It's never cloying or too knowing. Cynicism and wariness are real world concerns that have no place among the foam and felt.

Brushing aside decades of nostalgia, this is a whip-smart postmodern romp with a warm heart to boot, and as such, it should please both life-long fans and new initiates to the Muppet universe.

invites viewers to become a bit like the dreamer Walter and, in (re)discovering and embracing their inner child (not to mention their inner muppet), to join a fantastic, funny family that never grows old, no matter how times may have changed.

The innocence is slightly twisted, the harmonious camaraderie is slightly corrosive and the characters are slightly eccentric

I smiled throughout this madcap joyous adventure in which the Muppets are funny, silly, colourful and totally endearing in what must be the happiest film of the New Year

MY inner child - the one who loved The Muppet Show, The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper - really wants to give this film five stars.

By focusing on the Muppets of The Muppet Show (1976-1981) rather than the independent Muppets of prior films, the writers open up an unexplored aspect of Muppet lore ripe for revival.

A nice throwback to the good old days of the Muppets.

Under James Bobin's direction, however, the outing feels cheap and strangely small-screen.

An altogether charming, smart and strangely moving little movie.

The Muppets may be one of the best films of the year, not judged as a children's film, or a family film, but instead, simply as a film.

The Muppets is really two movies. And one of those movies is quite good, albeit awfully similar to previous films.

Even balcony critics Waldorf and Statler would have a hard time faulting this Wonkaful delight.

I am a fan of The Muppets and I'm glad to see them making a comeback. Maybe if this movie is a hit, they'll make a sequel where they'll actually get to be the stars of their own film.

A good imitation of the Muppet style.

The Muppets is a celebration of all things Muppets -- filled with fun, laughter and moments of pure joy.

The Muppets heralds the return of Jim Henson's beloved furry creations, resurrected from pop-culture irrelevance and lovingly restored to their former greatness in a vibrant comedy-musical.

More Critic Reviews

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_muppets/

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Just Show Me: Great free to-do apps for your iPhone (Yahoo! News)

Welcome to?Just Show Me on?Tecca TV, where we show you tips and tricks for getting the most out of the?gadgets in your life. In today's episode we'll show you two amazing to-do apps for your?iPhone.

In addition to the Reminders app that comes on iOS 5 devices, these to-do apps will help you stay on task like never before! You'll be able to sync your to-dos with multiple devices; including on your web browser and on your iPhone. Check 'em out and?increase your productivity!

Take a look at these other episodes of Just Show Me that'll help you become an iPhone master:

For even more episodes of Just Show Me?check out our complete episode list. If you have any topics you'd like to see us cover, just drop us a line in the comments.

This article originally appeared on Tecca

More from Tecca:

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_technews/20120127/tc_yblog_technews/just-show-me-great-free-to-do-apps-for-your-iphone

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Oil gives up gains after US GDP lags estimates (AP)

NEW YORK ? Oil prices are flat with a report showed the U.S. economy grew at a slightly slower than expected pace in the fourth quarter.

The Commerce Department said Friday that the economy grew at a modest 2.8 percent in the final three months of last year. While that is the fastest growth in 2011, economists expected 3 percent growth.

Benchmark crude for March delivery was down 5 cents at $99.65 in early trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The price had risen above $100 a barrel earlier as the market continues to await the outcome of gamesmanship between Iran and Western nations.

Brent crude for March delivery rose 55 cents to $111.40 on the ICE Futures Exchange in London.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_bi_ge/oil_prices

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Chavez taps hardline generals for inner circle (AP)

CARACAS, Venezuela ? President Hugo Chavez has been filling top posts in Venezuela's armed forces with hardline political loyalists, raising concerns among critics that the military leaders might not accept the results of this year's election if it goes against him.

The man named defense minister this month, Gen. Henry Rangel Silva, has been the bluntest: "A hypothetical opposition government starting in 2012 would be selling out the country; the Armed Force is not going to accept that," he told a Venezuelan newspaper in 2010.

Rangel had joined Chavez in a 1992 attempt to overthrow the president of the time, as did Chavez's newly appointed Military Aviation commander, Gen. Jose Gregorio Perez Escalona. The new head of another key military branch, the National Guard, also is tightly tied to the leftist leader.

"With this maneuver, Chavez aims to consolidate loyalties within his most radical sector," said Rocio San Miguel, leader of the watchdog organization Citizen Control, which focuses on national security and defense issues.

She said Rangel's appointment seems aimed at intimidating opponents by "making it look like the most radical sector has the firepower, has the weapons of the republic and accompanies (Chavez) with absolute loyalty."

The changes in the military leadership emphasize a long-term commitment to Chavez's socialist-inspired policies at a time when some Venezuelans are wondering whether the president has fully beaten cancer, as he says he has. Chavez says tests have shown he is cancer-free following chemotherapy treatments last year.

As Chavez starts campaigning for the Oct. 7 election, a politicized military leadership allows him to reward his most loyal backers while also projecting an image of strength.

Chavez, who according to recent polls has approval ratings above 50 percent, has assured opponents he would hand over the presidency if defeated.

Yet opposition leaders have been alarmed by the open political allegiance of the newly appointed generals, and especially Rangel's outspoken support of Chavez's political movement. The opposition has urged Rangel to abide by the military's traditionally apolitical role.

The U.S. government has also accused Rangel of having ties to leftist Colombian rebels and aiding drug trafficking.

"They don't have a single bit of proof," Chavez said at Rangel's swearing-in last week, calling the accusations against him an attack on the military.

During his 13 years in office, Chavez has long promoted trusted officers and has increasingly sought to put his political stamp on the military command. Chavez survived a failed 2002 coup in which dissident military officers were involved, and has since tried to ensure tighter control.

Chavez also instituted a new official salute, "Socialist fatherland or death," which he later changed during his cancer struggle to "Independence and socialist fatherland."

Some former military officers have complained of being pushed aside and stripped of duties due to their dissent.

This month's reshuffling emphasized generals with whom Chavez has especially strong ties.

Rangel, a former chief of the country's civilian intelligence agency, participated in the failed 1992 coup led by Chavez, who was then a lieutenant colonel.

Perez Escalona, Chavez's newly appointed Military Aviation chief, also was involved in the 1992 coup, as was Gen. Euclides Amador Campos Aponte, whom Chavez appointed army chief in 2010.

The new commander of the National Guard, Gen. Juan Francisco Romero Figueroa, is a former deputy minister for citizen security who has been involved in operations to disperse opposition protests.

Last month, Chavez replaced his longtime chief of the military intelligence agency, Gen. Hugo Carvajal, choosing Gen. Wilfredo Figueroa Chacin, who had been in charge of presidential security.

San Miguel said that while the new military commanders are staunchly pro-Chavez, the bulk of the military remains apolitical and would likely favor respecting the electoral result, even if it goes against Chavez.

If the opposition were to win by a narrow margin, she said, "it could happen that this apex of the military high command leans toward the status quo, that's to say Chavez staying in power, all of which opens the floodgates to very dangerous situations."

As the campaign heats up ahead of a Feb. 12 opposition primary, Chavez's challengers have denounced the political slant in Chavez's military appointments.

"What these actions are intended to do is generate fear," opposition contender Maria Corina Machado said.

The president has stood by Rangel through a series of controversies.

In 2007, when scandal erupted over the discovery of a suitcase filled with $800,000 in cash being smuggled from Venezuela to Argentina, witnesses testified in U.S. court that Rangel had been involved in an attempted cover-up.

In 2008, the U.S. Treasury Department accused Rangel and two other members of Chavez's inner circle of helping leftist Colombian rebels by supplying arms and aiding drug trafficking operations.

Rangel's name again surfaced in documents found on computers belonging to Raul Reyes, a leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, who was killed in a 2008 Colombian bombardment of a rebel camp.

One 2007 message between the rebels, which was among files released last year, described Rangel as a "good friend" of the rebel commander Timoleon "Timochenko" Jimenez, who has since been named the rebels' chief. Chavez has suggested he believes the documents are politically motivated fabrications.

Chavez's ally and mentor Fidel Castro has also defended Rangel, saying in an essay published Thursday that the general is "an intelligent and sincere man, capable and at the same time modest."

The changes in military leadership have coincided with other unexpected announcements by Chavez. He said that Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro and Vice President Elias Jaua will be candidates for state governors, appearing to relegate them to less-powerful roles.

Meanwhile, Diosdado Cabello, a former military officer and vice president, took over earlier this month as the new National Assembly president. Chavez said Cabello had been named due to support within his socialist party.

As for the newly promoted generals, Chavez says they lead a military that is becoming progressively "more revolutionary, socialist, committed."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_venezuela_chavez_military

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An electrical engineer and a biologist walk into a bar? (Unqualified Offerings)

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

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Mitt Romney taxes show 'very high' charitable giving tied to Mormon church (The Christian Science Monitor)

New York ? Mitt Romney makes a lot of money. But he and his wife, Ann, also give away a significant amount of their wealth to charity and especially their church.

On Tuesday, when he released his income tax returns, Mr. Romney, a multimillionaire and presidential candidate, revealed that while he reported he made $42.5 million over the past two years, he also gave away $7 million.

While Romney is not thought of as a great philanthropist, his rate of giving is considered high. For example, in 2010 he gave $2.9 million or 14 percent of his income to charity. A typical person gives 2 to 3 percent of their income. And people who made $10 million or more typically gave 6.5 percent to charity, according to&nbsp;Roberton Williams of the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center in Washington.

Mitt Romney gaffes: 8 times the button-down candidate should have buttoned up

?Romney?s rate is very high,? says Mr. Williams.

Part of the reason for the high rate of giving is Romney???s contributions to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the&nbsp;Mormon church. According to the church, members are expected to tithe 10 percent of their income. In Romney???s case, in 2010 he gave $1.5 million, closer to 7 percent of his adjusted gross income. In 2011, he gave $2.6 million, or 12.4 percent of his income.

But Romney and his wife also gave a considerable amount of money ??? some $1.5 million in 2010 and $500,000 in 2011 ??? to other charities, mainly through the Tyler Charitable Foundation, apparently named for a street Romney and his wife lived on in Belmont, Mass. In 2010, the foundation had more than $10 million in assets.&nbsp;

In 2010, the largest beneficiaries of the Tyler Charitable Foundation included the Mormon Church ($145,000), the Friends of George W. Bush Library ($100,000), and the Center for Treatment of Pediatric MS ($75,000). However, the foundation also made contributions to organizations including the US Equestrian Team Foundation ($10,000), Harvard Business School ($10,000), and Homes for Our Troops ($20,000).

In past years, some of Romney???s contributions have gone to conservative groups such as the Heritage Foundation, the Becket Fund (for religious rights legal aid), and the Federalist Society, which seeks reform of the current legal system. In 2007, he wrote a check to Citizens for Limited Taxation, a Marblehead, Mass., organization that strives to limit taxes and the size of government.

Mitt Romney gaffes: 8 times the button-down candidate should have buttoned up

Get daily or weekly updates from CSMonitor.com&nbsp;delivered to your inbox. Sign up today.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/religion/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20120125/ts_csm/455930

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How Jessica Chastain Found Out About Her Oscar Nod

It's not exactly good manners to answer your cell phone while sitting in the front row of a fashion show, but even designer Giorgio Armani himself would forgive Jessica Chastain for picking up her mobile: She was being told about her Academy Award nomination for The Help!

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/jessica-chastain-found-out-about-her-oscar-nod-fashion-show/1-a-421901?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Ajessica-chastain-found-out-about-her-oscar-nod-fashion-show-421901

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Teen passengers: 'The other distraction' for teen drivers

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

A pair of studies by The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and State Farm? identify factors that may lead teens to drive with multiple peer passengers and, then, how those passengers may affect their driver's behavior just before a serious crash. The studies were published today in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Experts have long known that peer passengers increase teen driver crash risk. What hasn't been well understood was how they increase crash risk. "These studies help us understand the factors that may predispose teens to drive with multiple friends and how those passengers may contribute to crashes by distracting the driver and promoting risky driving behaviors, such as speeding, tailgating, or weaving," said study author Allison Curry, PhD, director of epidemiology at the Center for Injury Research and Prevention. "Knowing this, we can develop programs that work in tandem with current Graduated Driver Licensing laws that limit the number of passengers for teens during their first year of driving."

The first study surveyed 198 teen drivers and found that teens who are most likely to drive with multiple passengers shared the following characteristics: considered themselves "thrill-seekers," perceived their parents as not setting rules or monitoring their whereabouts, and possessed a weak perception of the risks associated with driving in general.

"The good news is that that these teens make up the minority," said Jessica Mirman, PhD, study author and a behavioral researcher. "Teens in this study generally reported strong perceptions of the risks of driving, low frequencies of driving with multiple passengers, and strong beliefs that their parents monitored their behavior and set rules."

The second study analyzed a nationally-representative sample of 677 teen drivers involved in serious crashes to compare the likelihood of driver distraction and risk-taking behaviors just prior to the crash when teens drive with peer passengers and when they drive alone.

"Both male and female teen drivers with peer passengers were more likely to be distracted just before a crash as compared to teens who crashed while driving alone," explained Dr. Curry. "Among the teens who said they were distracted by something inside the vehicle before they crashed, 71 percent of males and 47 percent of females said they were distracted directly by the actions of their passengers."

Additionally, the researchers found males with passengers were almost six times more likely to perform an illegal maneuver and more than twice as likely to drive aggressively just before a crash, as compared to males driving alone. Females rarely drove aggressively prior to a crash, regardless of whether they had passengers in the car.

"Most teens take driving seriously and act responsibly behind the wheel. However, some may not realize how passengers can directly affect their driving," said Dr. Mirman. "Teen passengers can intentionally and unintentionally encourage unsafe driving. Because it can be difficult for new drivers to navigate the rules of the road and manage passengers, it's best to keep the number of passengers to a minimum for the first year."

The study authors also emphasized the important role parents play in supporting safe driving among teens and their passengers. They recommend parents set a house rule of no non-sibling teen passengers for the first six months of driving and only one non-sibling passenger for the second six months.

"It's critical that parents stay involved in their teens' driving beyond the learner permit phase. This includes continuing to monitor their driving activities and to review ways teens can be safe drivers and passengers," said Chris Mullen, research director at State Farm. "Combined with Graduated Driver Licensing laws that limit passengers for the first year of driving, involved parents are an effective strategy to protect teens from a dangerous and preventable crash risk ? driving with their friends."

###

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: http://www.chop.edu

Thanks to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/116994/Teen_passengers___The_other_distraction__for_teen_drivers

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Greece hopeful of debt deal despite interest cap

Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos waits for the start of a meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels on Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. European finance ministers will try on Monday to give new momentum to talks on a Greek debt relief deal that is crucial to avoid a default, but a European diplomat warned that a final agreement may have to wait until a leaders' summit next week. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos waits for the start of a meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels on Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. European finance ministers will try on Monday to give new momentum to talks on a Greek debt relief deal that is crucial to avoid a default, but a European diplomat warned that a final agreement may have to wait until a leaders' summit next week. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

British Finance Minister George Osborne, right, speaks with French Finance Minister Francois Baroin during a meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. Greece's finance minister believes his country will be able to reach a deal with private bondholders to cut its debt, despite tougher terms set by its eurozone partners. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, left, speaks with British Finance Minister George Osborne, center, and Danish Finance Minister Margrethe Vestager during a meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. Greece's finance minister believes his country will be able to reach a deal with private bondholders to cut its debt, despite tougher terms set by its eurozone partners. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Danish Finance Minister Margrethe Vestager, right, speaks with French Finance Minister Francois Baroin during a meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. Greece's finance minister believes his country will be able to reach a deal with private bondholders to cut its debt, despite tougher terms set by its eurozone partners. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, left, speaks with Poland's Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski during a meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. Greece's finance minister believes his country will be able to reach a deal with private bondholders to cut its debt, despite tougher terms set by its eurozone partners. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

BRUSSELS (AP) ? Europe and private investors were gearing up for tough negotiations on how to cut Greece's massive debt Tuesday, after the finance ministers adopted a tough stance on how much rescue money they would pump into the Greek economy.

On the front line of Europe's sovereign debt crisis, Athens is trying to get its private creditors ? banks and other investment firms ? to swap their Greek government bonds for new ones with half their face value, thereby slicing some euro100 billion ($130 billion) off its debt. The new bonds would also push the repayment deadlines 20 to 30 years into the future.

However, the main stumbling block over the past few weeks to securing this deal has been the interest rate these new bonds would carry. A high interest rate could buffer losses for investors, but would also require the eurozone and the International Monetary Fund to put up more than the euro130 billion in rescue loans they promised in late October.

In the early hours of Tuesday, politicians representing the 17 countries that use the euro as their currency drew a firm line on the Greek debt restructuring.

Jean-Claude Juncker, the Luxembourg prime minister who chaired a meeting of finance ministers on efforts to fight the crisis, said the average interest rate over the lifetime of the new Greek bonds must "clearly below 4 percent," with an average rate of less than 3.5 percent for the period until 2020 ? far below the 4 percent demanded by the Institute of International Finance, which has been leading the negotiations for the private bondholders.

The caps on the interest rates underline that the eurozone and the IMF are unwilling to increase new rescue loans above the promised euro130 billion, even though Greece's economic situation has deteriorated. After already granting Greece a euro110 billion bailout in May 2010, the eurozone and the IMF are threatening to withhold further funding for the country, which has repeatedly failed to hit budget and reform targets required in return for the financial aid.

The interest rate caps will also seriously test the willingness of private bondholders to agree to a debt deal voluntarily. IIF head Charles Dallara over the weekend had characterized the bondholders' most recent offer as the best possible, adding that lower interest rates would not be acceptable for private bondholders.

But German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble dismissed Dallara's statements as a normal part of difficult negotiations. "We continue the negotiations (with investors) as happily, but also as little susceptible to blackmail as possible," he told reporters. "That exists in every bazaar ? a final offer ? one shouldn't let oneself be overly impressed by that."

The alternative to a voluntary deal would be to force losses on to investors ? a move that the eurozone has so far been unwilling to make. Some officials fear that a forced default could trigger panic on financial markets and hurt bigger countries like Italy, Spain or even France.

But several ministers indicated that they might be willing to accept a forced default if it puts Athens in a position where it can eventually repay its remaining debt ? including the rescue loans from the eurozone and the IMF. The eurozone has said that Greece's debt is sustainable if it falls to some 120 percent of gross domestic product by 2020. Without a restructuring it would reach close to 200 percent by the end of the year.

They put the onus to reach that level not only the private creditors but also on Greece's reform and austerity efforts.

"Greece and the banks have to do more in order to reach a sustainable debt level," Dutch Finance Minister Jan Kees de Jager told reporters as he arrived for a second day of meetings with his European counterparts. "We have to await the discussions about that because a sustainable debt level is absolutely a precondition for the next (rescue) program."

Schaeuble also insisted that firm support for new austerity measures from all major Greek parties ? also after elections expected in April ? was a precondition for a new bailout.

"Whatever needs to happen we can only do if its independent from the elections in Greece," he said.

Greek stocks dropped Tuesday, shedding a collective 3 percent one day after optimism on the debt writedown deal sparked a 5 percent rally.

Meanwhile, updated budget execution figures released by the Greek Finance Ministry showed that despite massive spending cuts, the country's fiscal deficit for 2011 was actually higher than in 2010.

Last year's fiscal deficit hit euro21.72 billion ($28.27 billion) ? euro270 million ($350 million) more than in 2010.

Revenues were euro910 million ($1.18 billion) below target, but the ministry said this was offset by higher-than-anticipated spending cuts of euro896 million ($1.16 billion).

These figures are on a cash basis, and exclude some categories of spending taken into account in calculating the final budget deficit for 2011 ? which Greece has pledged to cut to about euro20 billion ($26 billion).

__

Nicolas Paphitis in Athens, Greece, contributed to this story.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-24-EU-Europe-Financial-Crisis/id-678decfe9afc48d5b67f78b054befde3

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This Week's Top Downloads [Download Roundup]

Jan 21, 2012 5:00 PM 17,306 2

• Boxer is a Free DOS Game Emulator for your Mac (Mac) Computer games have come a long way since the days of Doom, Zork, Tie Fighter, and Castle Wolfenstein, but many of us who grew up with those games would like to replay them. Boxer is a free app that will let you play any DOS game on your Mac.
• iBoostUp Cleans Out Your Mac's System File Clutter in a Minute (Mac) iBoostUp cleans out the crap on your drive and fine-tunes your system for better performance. It's simple, it's quick, and it's free.
• AntiCrop "Uncrops" Your Photos by Extending the Picture's Background (iOS) If you've ever taken a hasty photo on your phone and didn't leave enough room on the outside, AntiCrop is the app can "uncrop" those photos by filling in the edges with just a few swipes.
• Untethered Jailbreak for iPhone 4S and iOS 5 Is Finally Here (iOS) iPhone-hacking group Chronic Dev Team just released the first untethered jailbreak for the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 running iOS 5.0.1. We've explained why a tethered jailbreak can be such a hassle, which is why we've been waiting to recommend jailbreaking your up-to-date iPhone. Luckily, that wait is over.
• Clean My Desktop Sorts Files Into Content Specific Folders (Mac) A desktop filled with hundreds of files in a variety of formats can be a headache to clean up, but Clean My Desktop makes it easy by sorting everything into content specific folders based on the file type.
• MindNode Is a Mind Mapping App that Makes Brainstorming Simple and Easy (Mac/iOS) Regardless of the type of work that you do, brainstorming is an important part of generating new ideas and new approaches to getting your work done more efficiently. Mind mapping is a brainstorming technique that helps you get all of your interconnected thoughts out in a diagram, and there are a number of complicated tools designed to help you do it. MindNode for Mac and iOS is pricey, but it's one of the best tools we've seen for the job.
• Pomodroido Is an Elegant Pomodoro Timer for Your Android Phone (Pomodroido) If you're a fan of the Pomodoro productivity technique, you know that part of the philosophy is to work in short, focused, timed bursts and then take periodic breaks to relax. To do this, you'll need a timer, and Pomodroido is a free app that turns your Android phone into one that follows you everywhere.
• Forismatic Is a Free App that Helps You Relax and Keeps You Inspired Every Day (Mac) Computers are supposed to make our work easier, but in reality they often just bring us more work and stress us out. Give your Mac the opportunity to help you relax for a change with Forismatic, a free app that sits in the menubar until you need a little inspiration to help you keep going, and will remind you to take a break now and again to relax.
• Breathing Zone Guides You Towards Slower Breathing to Help Reduce Stress and Anxiety (Mac/iOS) Breathing Zone is a simple app that helps slow your breathing rhythm to calm you down and make you feel more relaxed. If you're a bit stressed or anxious, it's a good way to help you alleviate those feelings in just a few minutes.
• WatchMe Is a Desktop Timer that Keeps Track of Multiple Alarms at Once (Windows) Unfortunately, few of us have the luxury of only keeping track of one thing at a time. There are plenty of great timers available to help you keep track of how long you've been working or when you need to take a break, but if you need to track multiple times or set more than one timer, you may be out of luck. WatchMe is a timer that allows you to set multiple alerts and multiple timers so you're alerted at different times for different things.

Related Stories

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/94J0DABeIrw/this-weeks-top-downloads

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Putin warns ethnic tensions risk tearing Russia apart (Reuters)

MOSCOW (Reuters) ? Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has warned ethnic tensions could tear Russia apart, saying he would toughen migration rules on reassuming the presidency and keep a tight rein on Russia's regions to prevent it following the Soviet Union into oblivion.

Putin, in power since 2000 and favored to win a six-year presidential term in March, described a Soviet-style vision of a country in which the rights of ethnic minorities would be respected but Russian language and culture would dominate.

"With the collapse of the country (the Soviet Union), we were on the edge -- and in some regions over the edge -- of civil war," Putin wrote in an article published in Nezavisimaya Gazeta Monday, referring to two separatist wars in Chechnya since the 1991 Soviet breakup.

"With great effort, with great sacrifice we were able to douse these fires. But that doesn't mean that the problem is gone," he wrote in the second of a series of articles promoting his leadership goals ahead of March 4 elections.

A little more than a month before the vote, Putin appeared determined to denounce xenophobia without alienating members of the ethnic Russian, mostly Orthodox Christian majority, some of whom fear labor migration and higher birth rates among Russia's Muslims may leave them a minority in their own country.

Moscow is a flash point for ethnic tensions and the site of thousands-strong protests by nationalists angry over migration and government subsidies to the mostly Muslim North Caucasus.

Comparing nationalism to a disease, Putin took aim at ethnic Russian militants, who have been among the 59-year-old prime minister's most vociferous critics, joining in mass protests over disputed parliamentary elections last month.

"If a multiethnic society is infected by nationalism, it loses its strength and durability," Putin said. "We need to understand what far-reaching effects can be caused by attempts to inflame national enmity and hatred."

RUSSIAN CULTURE

But he also emphasized that minorities in what he called a multi-ethnic society must live under the umbrella of Russian culture, and migrants must take measures to integrate such as passing exams in Russian language and history.

"The Russian people, the Russian culture is the glue holding together the unique fabric of this civilization," Putin wrote.

Putin's most detailed proposals called for authorities to be given more power to vet migrants based on their professional skill level, for students to be asked to read some 100 national classics and for the creation of a new government body tasked with inter-ethnic policy.

He also said the best way to stem migration was by creating favorable conditions for citizens to work in their native regions or nations, and argued in support of state spending on poor regions such as the mostly Muslim North Caucasus.

He also plugged his plan for a Eurasian Union linking Russia with other ex-Soviet republics including those in Central Asia, saying closer economic ties would help curb migration by helping to develop the economies of neighboring states.

In a sign Putin has few plans to reverse a consolidation of power in Moscow, which opponents say has weakened political competition and turned regions into vassals, Putin said he could not allow regional political parties because some could be created along ethnic lines, calling it a "direct path to separatism."

"What is omitted is even more important than what is included (in the article)," said Nikolai Petrov, a political analyst with the Moscow Carnegie Center, told Reuters.

"There is no mention of federalism here and the idea here is that a centralized state should be stronger in order to prevent disintegration," he said.

Tens of thousands of people rallied in Moscow against the contested vote on December 24 and the opposition plans new rally on February 4 to protest Putin's planned return.

(Additional reporting by Thomas Grove)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120123/wl_nm/us_russia_putin

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PFT: Jim Harbaugh says 'this team is not defeated'

Reuters

Tom Brady had one of his most memorable post-game moments on the AFC title game podium last night.

?Well, I sucked pretty bad today, but our defense saved us,? Brady said. ?And I?m going to try to go out and do a better job in a couple weeks.?

It was an interesting moment. Brady was obviously thrilled to go to the Super Bowl, but his press conference later showed that ?the night was almost bittersweet. Brady was still bothered by his performance. He missed too many open passes and made two big mistakes on interceptions.

Going home to Giselle apparently didn?t make things any better. Brady said his interception to Matthew Slater bothered him the most.

?That was probably the play that kept me up all night last night,? he said on WEEI this morning via ESPNBoston.com.

After the game, Brady went up to Patriots owner Robert Kraft and promised that he?d play better in the Super Bowl. Kraft didn?t sound too worried about his quarterback.

We wonder if Brady, aware of his own football mortality, was almost too amped up for Sunday?s game. Brady turns 35 this year and he knows these chances don?t come around every year.

?Not that I?ve ever taken for granted being there, because I certainly haven?t, but you really realize how hard it is to get there,? Brady said.

Brady says he still can?t watch highlights from the team?s loss in Super Bowl 42 because it was so painful. Now he will get a chance to make amends for the worst loss of his career in a legacy-altering rematch against the Giants.

Just a guess, but we doubt he sucks pretty bad again.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/22/jim-harbaugh-this-team-is-not-defeated/related/

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Mailing it in: In South Carolina, a trip to the post box says everything about the GOP campaign (The Ticket)

The barrage of campaign mail in South Carolina.

ELGIN, S.C.--It can take my mail-lady more than the average 10 seconds to fill my box these days. Earlier this week, she even had to roll back, because she thought she might have missed something. I was able to walk out to greet her before she got through cramming everything in.

"Make sure all my campaign stuff is there," I said.

"Oh absolutely," she said. "We have to suffer to put it in, and you have to suffer to take it out."

That day's mess of campaign pottage brought the usual: two flyers from Mitt Romney, one from Ron Paul and, bless his heart, a flyer from Rick Perry--who had already dropped out of the race and endorsed Newt Gingrich.

His flyer had a different message. It urged me not to waste my vote on Newt Gingrich, or Rick Santorum.

After resigning from Congress, the flyer said, Gingrich made $1.6 million from Freddie Mac, a lending institution that "helped create the housing crisis." Gingrich advised both lenders, "in his capacity as a 'historian,'" the flyer added. "But Americans have had enough history with insiders who use their previous service to make a quick buck."

Also, Santorum "sold out his conservative principles" when he backed Sen. Arlen Specter, who turned Democrat and helped pass Obamacare.

It was, obviously, too little and way too late, but the bad timing of this missive offers some insight into just how nervous campaigns become in the final clinch.

Looking at that sad little flyer from Perry, I could sense the sheer sweaty anxiety as his campaign finally crumbled. Surely a flurry of phone calls went back and forth: Have you sent out that Perry flyer? No? Well hold off, let me call headquarters ... Yes, they're saying don't send it ?no, they're saying do send it, yes, go, get to the P.O. by five ? Hi, me again, you didn't already send it, did you? You did? Damn?

If you let your campaign mail pile up for a week instead of throwing it away, and stop clicking the channel when attack ads come on--both of which I did for the sole purpose of writing this article--the daily barrage serves as a barometer of who's leading, who is closing in, who has the most cash, and who is desperate.

The flyer was the first piece of mail I'd seen from Perry in weeks. Newt Gingrich, who at this writing is either threatening Romney's lead or has overtaken it, hasn't been much of a mail guy either: two flyers, both hitting Romney, one for his "Pro-Abortion Record" and one for his deficit-reduction plan. Not only that, Romney is the "second most dangerous man in America."

Yes, it's that time in the campaign. If you have red meat, please throw it to the crowd.

I haven't received squat from Santorum (but you can't miss him on TV, either boosting himself in his own ads or being attacked in someone else's). The only real players in the mailbox battle, so far as I can tell, are Mitt Romney and Ron Paul?the leading candidate and the man in third.

The Romney flyers are confident. They are the work of someone shoring up his base. Although the former Massachusetts governor is trying to remind everyone that he is not a so-called "Washington insider," he is also letting people know that he has the approval of the establishment. He has the endorsement of South Carolina's governor, Nikki Haley, and he kinda sorta has the blessing of Jim DeMint, South Carolina's U.S. senator from the tea party. (Actually, DeMint hasn't endorsed anyone, but he did say something Romneyish in 2007, and again in 2012. Both quotes are on one of the flyers.)

Romney's attack mail focuses squarely on Gingrich and Santorum, easily and effectively using images to make his case: Newt's scowling, porcine head versus? Romney's tall, Lincolnesque bearing; ?Santorum biting his lip in frustration versus smiling, confident Romney, backed by an American flag and an applauding Nikki Haley.

Romney doesn't, so far as I can tell, even acknowledge Ron Paul, although Paul obviously can't afford not to notice Romney. The other day I got a letter from Paul: "Do you believe Palmetto State workers should be forced to pay a union boss just to have a job and feed their families?"

Although Paul lets his libertarian freak flag fly during debates, on the home front he knows that you can't really win my state without appealing to the hard right: against unions, against abortion, against Obamacare. A few days ago, he sent a long letter detailing his anti-abortion stance. Just after that, he sent a DVD.? He says everything pro-lifing, climate change-denying, immigrant-loathing voters want to hear: Romney "said abortion should be legal"; Gingrich "wants to give illegal aliens citizenship"; Perry "endorsed environmental fraud Al Gore for President." He's a 76-year- old man with a one-time title shot, and it shows.

By its nature, the TV campaign is louder and more relentless, as every commercial break on the Today show and the local evening news is filled with voices cancelling each other out, as each candidate proclaims he's the only one who can beat Obama.

Ron Paul goes after Gingrich and Santorum as "serial hypocrites" who "can't be trusted." Gingrich likewise attacks Romney as a pro-abortion governor who "can't be trusted." Romney's Restore America's Future Super PAC, in an ad of perhaps questionable effectiveness, hits Gingrich because he keeps on admitting to making mistakes-- a bad thing, apparently. More to the point, Paul outlines Gingrich's contradictions, using clips of Rush Limbaugh, Megyn Kelly and Ed Schultz, while a creepy Phillip Glass-like score plays ominously in the background.

"This is the cauldron," Henry McMaster, the state attorney general, told me last week at the University of South Carolina's Moore School of Business, where his candidate Jon Huntsman was fielding questions. "We're out of the frying-pan and into the fire, because South Carolina, historically, beginning in 1980, is the one who picked the president."

Last weekend, his man had picked up the endorsement of The State newspaper. He dropped out mere hours later.

That's how fast it goes in this ongoing battle for the vote of Current Resident, set to conclude today. The mail lady and I are looking forward to it.

Rodney Welch is a writer in South Carolina. He reviews books for the Free-Times in Columbia, S.C..

Read more coverage of the 2012 South Carolina primary at Yahoo News.

Other popular Yahoo! News stories:

? Chuck Norris endorses Newt Gingrich

? The 2012ers take a hard line against immigration--illegal and legal--in SC primary

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Want more of our best political stories? Visit The Ticket or connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or add us on Tumblr.

Handy with a camera? Join our Election 2012 Flickr group to submit your photos of the campaign in action.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theticket/20120121/el_yblog_theticket/mailing-it-in-in-south-carolina-a-trip-to-the-post-box-says-everything-about-the-gop-campaign

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PSU trustees hope to address alumni concerns (AP)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. ? Penn State's embattled Board of Trustees meets Friday for the first time since the chaotic week in November when shocking child sex abuse allegations were brought against a retired assistant football coach.

In the frantic first few days after authorities charged Jerry Sandusky, trustees ousted Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno and school President Graham Spanier, and pledged to uncover the truth. Their actions have since left some anguished alumni and former players questioning the trustees themselves.

After remaining mostly silent the last two months, trustees this week began to divulge the reasons behind their actions, hoping to sway skeptics and critics seeking change.

Leadership positions will be up for election at Friday's meeting, which is open to the public. Also listed on the agenda is an overview of athletic programs.

"We have lots of things that we need to do in terms of the board and how it operates, and I think you'll see some positive things come out of that," trustee Mark Dambly said Thursday.

Some critics of the trustees have called for wholesale changes in how the board operates in order to better promote transparency. Trustee Stephanie Deviney said governance and the administration are among the topics trustees plan to consider.

The issues have also drawn unprecedented interest among potential candidates for three alumni-elected seats on the board up for a vote this spring.

Typically, about six to 12 candidates express interest. But the group Penn Staters for Responsible Stewardship alone has received 30 applications seeking an endorsement. The group started in mid-November, growing out of what a spokeswoman said was a common frustration among members over a lack of due process at the school.

Comments this week by the trustees about why the board ousted Paterno on Nov. 9, four days after Sandusky was charged, failed to convince the alumni group, too.

Trustees interviewed Thursday by The Associated Press said they decided to force Paterno out in part because he didn't meet a moral obligation to do more to alert authorities about a child sex abuse allegation against Sandusky.

The trustees interviewed also cited statements from Paterno in the days and hours leading to his dismissal ? after nearly a half-century of leading the Nittany Lions ? that they felt challenged the trustees' authority. Board members saw that as inappropriate, particularly at a time of intense scrutiny over the Sandusky case.

Sandusky was charged with dozens of child sex abuse counts four days before Paterno was pushed out. The head coach had testified before a state grand jury about a 2002 allegation against Sandusky that was passed on to him by a graduate assistant.

A day after the graduate assistant, Mike McQueary, came to see him, Paterno relayed the accusations to his superiors, one of whom oversaw campus police. Board members didn't think that was enough.

"There's an obligation, a moral responsibility, for all adults to watch out for children, either your own or someone else," Dambly said. "It was in our opinion that Joe Paterno did not meet his moral obligation and for that reason ? me, personally for that reason, I felt he could no longer lead the university and it was unanimous."

But Dambly and three other trustees interviewed Thursday on the Penn State campus said they still intended to honor Paterno's accomplishments and contributions to the school. He won a Division I record 409 games over 46 seasons and the Paterno family has donated millions of dollars to the school.

"Obviously Joe Paterno is a worldwide icon and has done a tremendous amount for the university," trustee Joel Myers said. "We have sorrow and all kinds of emotions, empathy, sympathy for what has occurred. That's universal.

"But the university, this institution is greater than one person."

An attorney for Paterno on Thursday called the board's comments self-serving and unsupported by the facts. Paterno fully reported what he knew to the people responsible for campus investigations, lawyer Wick Sollers said.

"He did what he thought was right with the information he had at the time," Sollers said.

In a separate statement, Penn Staters for Responsible Stewardship said the board's comments have "done nothing but raise additional questions."

"We can conclude, that consequently, their hasty and panicked damage control efforts in the first days of November, and the uncomfortable position they found themselves in, being caught flat-footed, instead of in a proactive leadership position, led to the unjust firing of Joe Paterno, without so much as a conversation, let alone complete due process," the group's statement said.

The trustees described the long deliberations in the days leading up to Paterno's ouster as emotional and nerve wracking, echoing the confusion and anguish also felt among students and alumni as the scandal unfolded. They were shocked by the lurid details that had emerged about the case that week, after having been given a short briefing about Sandusky months earlier by Spanier and general counsel Cynthia Baldwin. That session lasted roughly 7 minutes and provided few insights, trustees said.

Paterno was dismissed the same day Spanier also departed under pressure. The board initiated an internal investigation into the Sandusky case and the role of Penn State officials.

Since then, some alumni and former players have been questioning the actions of the trustees ? criticism that boiled over in three town hall-style meetings last week hosted for alumni by new school President Rodney Erickson.

According to Dambly, trustees had been advised not to speak because of the ongoing investigations but changed their minds following the town hall sessions.

They began a series of interviews this week with media outlets. Also sitting in Thursday's interview with the AP was Lanny Davis, a prominent Washington attorney who has been retained by Erickson and the trustees as an adviser.

"We determined as a group that the Board of Trustees needed to answer the questions of what we knew, when we knew it and why we made the decisions that we made," Dambly said.

The trustees on Thursday cited three reasons for Paterno's immediate removal as head coach. Besides the moral obligation to do more in conjunction with reporting the 2002 allegation and statements issued by Paterno they felt may have challenged trustees' authority, the trustees also said there was concern that Paterno would not be able to properly represent the school if allowed to stay on as head coach the rest of the 2011 season.

According to The Washington Post, trustees vice chair John Surma told Paterno, "In the best interests of the university, you are terminated." Paterno hung up and repeated the words to his wife, who redialed the number.

"After 61 years he deserved better," Sue Paterno said. "He deserved better." Then she hung up.

According to Davis on Thursday, Surma never got the chance to say two more things that night: that he regretted having to tell him the decision over the phone; and that the school was going to honor his contract and retirement package as if he had retired at the end of 2011.

Dambly insisted Paterno was not fired, although he never appeared as coach again. He remains a tenured faculty member.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_on_sp_ot/us_penn_state_trustees

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Monkey long believed extinct found in Indonesia

In this undated photo released by Ethical Expeditions, Miller's Grizzled Langurs sit on a tree branch in Wehea forest in eastern Borneo, Indonesia. Scientists working in the dense jungles of Borneo have rediscovered the large, gray monkey so rare it was believed by many to be extinct. (AP Photo/Ethical Expeditions, Eric Fell) MANDATORY CREDIT, NO SALES

In this undated photo released by Ethical Expeditions, Miller's Grizzled Langurs sit on a tree branch in Wehea forest in eastern Borneo, Indonesia. Scientists working in the dense jungles of Borneo have rediscovered the large, gray monkey so rare it was believed by many to be extinct. (AP Photo/Ethical Expeditions, Eric Fell) MANDATORY CREDIT, NO SALES

In this undated photo released by Ethical Expeditions, a Miller's Grizzled Langur sits on the forest floor in Wehea forest in eastern Borneo, Indonesia. Scientists working in the dense jungles of Borneo have rediscovered the large, gray monkey so rare it was believed by many to be extinct. (AP Photo/Ethical Expeditions, Eric Fell) MANDATORY CREDIT, NO SALES

In this undated photo released by Ethical Expeditions, a Miller's Grizzled Langur sits on a tree branch in Wehea forest in eastern Borneo, Indonesia. Scientists working in the dense jungles of Borneo have rediscovered the large, gray monkey so rare it was believed by many to be extinct. (AP Photo/Ethical Expeditions, Eric Fell) MANDATORY CREDIT, NO SALES

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) ? Scientists working in the dense jungles of Indonesia have "rediscovered" a large, gray monkey so rare it was believed by many to be extinct.

They were all the more baffled to find the Miller's Grizzled Langur ? its black face framed by a fluffy, Dracula-esque white collar ? in an area well outside its previously recorded home range.

The team set up camera traps in the Wehea Forest on the eastern tip of Borneo island in June, hoping to captures images of clouded leopards, orangutans and other wildlife known to congregate at several mineral salt licks.

The pictures that came back caught them all by surprise: groups of monkeys none had ever seen.

With virtually no photographs of the grizzled langurs in existence, it at first was a challenge to confirm their suspicions, said Brent Loken, a Ph.D. student at Simon Fraser University in Canada, and one of the lead researchers.

The only images out there were museum sketches.

"We were all pretty ecstatic, the fact that, wow, this monkey still lives, and also that it's in Wehea," said Loken.

The monkey, which has hooded eyes and a pinkish nose and lips, once roamed the northeastern part of Borneo, as well as the islands of Sumatra and Java and the Thai-Malay peninsula. But concerns were voiced several years ago that they may be extinct.

Forests where the monkeys once lived had been destroyed by fires, human encroachment and conversion of land for agriculture and mining and an extensive field survey in 2005 turned up empty.

"For me the discovery of this monkey is representative of so many species in Indonesia," Loken told The Associated Press by telephone.

"There are so many animals we know so little about and their home ranges are disappearing so quickly," he said. "It feels like a lot of these animals are going to quickly enter extinction."

The next step will be returning to the 90,000 acre (38,000 hectare) forest to try to find out how many grizzly langurs there are, according to the team of local and international scientists, who published their findings in the American Journal of Primatology on Friday.

They appear in more than 4,000 images captured over a two-month period, said Loken, but it's possible one or two families kept returning.

"We are trying to find out all we can," he said. "But it really feels like a race against time."

Experts not involved in the study were hugely encouraged.

"It's indeed a highly enigmatic species," said Erik Meijaard, a conservation scientist who spent more than eight years doing field research in the area.

In the past they were hunted to near extinction for their meat and bezoar "stones," he said, which can, on occasion, be found in their guts.

Bezoars, as Harry Potter fans know from lectures given by Prof. Snape to first year students, are believed by some to neutralize poison.

Meijaard said the animal has long been considered a subspecies of the Hose's Leaf Monkey, which also occurs on the Malaysian side of Borneo, but it now looks like that may not be the case.

"We think it might actually be a distinct species," he said, "which would make the Wehea discovery even more important."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2012-01-20-AS-Indonesia-Extinct-Monkey/id-0b9926eaa31c48199b3a52e1cd37a608

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Microsoft 2Q beats Street despite soft PC market (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Microsoft Corp. battled through a weak PC market to post flat earnings in the final quarter of 2011, boosting sales of servers, Xbox games and its Office productivity software while trimming losses at its Bing search engine.

The quarter wasn't as bad as some industry analysts feared, given that flooding in Thailand constricted the supply of hard disk drives used in personal computers. Microsoft also witnessed a wave of consumers buying Apple Inc.'s popular iPad, which cut into sales of miniature laptop PCs known as netbooks.

Still, Microsoft's earnings modestly topped expectations. That was largely thanks to strong business demand for software and services, and an upbeat holiday season for the Xbox game console and the accompanying Kinect motion controller.

Its shares rose 70 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $28.82 in after-hours trading Thursday.

Net income in the company's second quarter through December came to $6.62 billion, down slightly from the $6.63 billion a year ago. Earnings per share came to 78 cents, up a penny from a year ago, as the outstanding share count fell.

Revenue rose 5 percent to $20.89 billion.

Analysts polled by FactSet were expecting slightly weaker earnings of 76 cents per share. Sales were below the $20.92 billion expected.

"People were afraid it was going to be much, much worse," said Colin Gillis, an analyst with BGC.

Gillis said cost controls and a second-consecutive quarter of reduced losses at Bing helped results. Continuing growth in its Office software division was also encouraging, he said.

The company said PC sales were down an estimated 2 percent to 4 percent from a year earlier. Netbook sales made up just 2 percent of the overall PC market, down from 8 percent a year ago as the iPad decimated the lightweight portable computer category.

Microsoft, based in Redmond, Wash., is now looking ahead to the release of Windows 8, an operating system that should work similarly over PCs and tablet computers.

It is also pinning hopes on a new category of PCs called Ultrabooks, which mimic Apple's MacBook Air in form, but which may also utilize a touch screen that would work on the upcoming Windows. A beta version of Windows 8 is due out late next month.

"We're on track, we feel really good about where we are on the product, and the next super important milestone is the beta release," said Bill Koefoed, Microsoft's general manager of investor relations.

Although analysts expect another weak quarter for PCs, sales are seen strengthening as the year goes on.

The big question is whether Microsoft can deliver results on a whole range of new products from its Windows Phone smartphone operating system to Windows 8 and its Office 365 suite of cloud-based productivity applications.

"It's a year of the product cycle" for Microsoft, said Josh Olson, a technology analyst for Edward Jones. "How well they bring those product offerings to market will say a lot about the Microsoft story this year."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_on_hi_te/us_earns_microsoft

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