Author: Serkadis

We already spent a bunch of time debunking many of the claims in the IFPI’s new “Piracy Bad!!!!” report. But the folks over at TorrentFreak have dug up a bit more info. Apparently the research for the report was put together by Forrester, and the underlying research showed that when it comes to the growth in digital music sales, those who partake of unauthorized file sharing are also the best customers of authorized digital music. No, this is not saying that file sharing automatically leads people to buy, or that all file sharers buy. Obviously, that’s not the case. But it does suggest that demonizing those people might not be the smartest thing.

But the IFPI report doesn’t mention any of that. Instead, it claims that people file share for one reason and one reason alone: because it’s free. If that were the case, though, then why would any of those who partake also buy? And why would they be the industry’s best customers for digital sales? It seems like the IFPI should be embracing them to see how it can get them to choose to buy more — but instead, it totally ignores what its own researchers found, insists that it’s just because content is free, and then spends most of the report demonizing its best customers and asking governments of the world to kick those people offline.

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In this clip from Thursday’s Tonight Show, Pee-wee Herman explains the Conan, Leno, Tonight Show mess as only he can. After reaching a $45 million deal with NBC this week, Conan will host the long-running late night program for a final time on Friday. Jay Leno will return to his post as host of The Tonight Show on March 1.

When Obama came into office, his chief mission was to end the financial crisis, which he did by bringing in a very Wall Street-friendly team lead by Tim Geithner.

But saving Wall Street has never been politically popular, and everything came to a head last week. It started with the bank tax on Jan 12. And then came the lightening bolt from Massachusetts, which told Obama that the time to pivot away from Wall Street was NOW.

So Obama immediately followed up with the announcement of a huge, sweeping Volcker-inspired proposal to separate banks from risky activities, and that’s when Wall Street really started freaking out.

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See Also:

• Show Geithner And Bernanke The Door
• Carney On Geithner: Secretary Loophole Just Became Secretary Lame Duck
• Is It Just Us, Or Did Tim Geithner Get Fired Yesterday?

Beyonce was photographed leaving Paris in a private jet earlier today. She was probably on her way to London.

01.22 – Leaving Paris in a private jet

Filed under: Sedan, Jaguar, UK

The Jaguar XJ is is a near clean-sheet design for the 2011 model year with all-new sheet metal, interior bits and powertrains. All that change leads to a new price tag when the biggest cat hits UK dealerships this April, and the MSRP ranges wildly depending on what you’re looking for. UK site Autocar reports that the XJ will range from £53,775 ($86,741 in U.S. funds, though that’s not directly comparable) for the 3.0 diesel Luxury model to £90,455 ($145,638 U.S.) for the “base” 5.0 Supersport LWB. Those prices will climb based on the options chosen, and we’re sure plenty of models will crest the £100,000 mark. The middling XJ 5.0 V8 Premium Luxury comes in at £64,355 ($103,579 U.S).

Jaguar will reportedly sell three different versions of the XJ, with powertrain options ranging from five versions of the 3.0-liter diesel model to four versions with the petrol-powered 5.0-liter V8 and finally two different supercharged 5.0-liter Supersport models. All models will reportedly be available with both standard and long wheelbases, with the longer Jags coming with a £3,000 price premium.

Keep in mind that UK pricing very often has very little to do with the XJ MSRP we’re likely to see here in the U.S. due to the much higher value of the British Pound versus the U.S. dollar and the UK’s wonky Value Added Tax. In other words, don’t read much into the pricing unless you live on a very large island just north of mainland Europe. Head over to Autocar to see cross-pond pricing for all ’11 XJ models.

[Source: Autocar]

Report: Jaguar XJ to cost from £53,775 in UK originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kim Kardashian has filed for a temporary restraining order against a man the socialite says has been stalking and harassing her since September. Kim, 29, is seeking legal protection from Dennis Shaun Bowman, an obsessed fan who believes he is dating the reality star.

Houston, we have a psycho…..

According to documents filed in Los Angeles Superior court on January 19 ,Bowman began Tweeting Kardashian last September and proceeded to move from Georgia to a neighborhood near her home in Calabasas, California.

Kardashian claims Bowman — who she describes as “bizarre” — began showing up at her appearances in the L.A.-area.

“Mr. Bowman is apparently under the delusion that I was and am interested in some sort of romantic relationship with him. Mr. Bowman sends me numerous messages each day telling me, for example, that we are in love, that we will go to dinner together, and that he is going to marry me,” the fearful Keeping Up With The Kardashians stunner said in the court filing.

A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 3 to determine if a temporary restraining order will be issued.

“Hero of the Runet” prize is awarded this year to the following Internet memes of Russian Internet: computer games reviewer Ilya Maddison, cute Cat Manul and Russian flamboyant intellectual Anatoly Vasserman.

From Zero Hedge >

Recently Goldman Sachs has been attempting to downplay the impact of prop trading on its operations, with various executives, among them both Lloyd Blankfein and David Viniar, claiming that proprietary trading accounts for a mere 10% of total revenue. This is likely a major misrepresentation and a substantial underestimation of the true impact of prop trading to the firm if an earlier analysis by third party credit analysis firm CreditSights is correct.

According to CS analysts, Goldman’s true prop exposure is at least 30% and probably inbetween 30% and 40%. This would imply that the proposed ban will have a truly material impact on Goldman, much more so than Goldman’s executives claim.

Continue reading at ZeroHedge >

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See Also:

• Trade Prop Trading’s Death
• Prop Trading Is Like Pornography
• Privately, Tim Geithner Is Not On Board, And Doesn’t Get How Prop Trading Is The Problem

In response to our post, 9 Confessions Of A Former Sports Authority Manager, SA Customer Service Manager Mike Ashton, who works in the corporate office, contacted Consumerist to let us know that customers can call him first, at 800-666-8143 or 720-270-6267, or emailing [email protected], before using the other contact information in the old post. Here is the message he left:

Pagani’s founder has confirmed that the company will launch its Zonda replacement, the C9, at the end of 2010. Horacio Pagani told reporters that the C9 will be powered by an AMG derived 6.0L V12 engine making 690-hp and 737 lb-ft of torque.

He said that the car will be completely different in terms of design, weight, materials and dynamics and will feature 3,770 new parts. The chassis of the C9 will be carbon-titanium, with the electronics sourced from Bosch and exclusive tires from Pirelli.

The Pagani C9 will be sold in the United States since it will meet strict crash safety tests and California emissions law. Pagani hopes to build 40 units a year at price of 900,000 euros ($1,272,624 USD).

– By: Omar Rana

Source: AutoCar

From the people who brought you “I’m F-king Ben Affleck,” comes the latest viral smash — a Ken Burns-style “documentary” on the late night battle brewing between Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien. ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel presented the new mockumentary, Late Night War, to audiences on Thursday night’s Kimmel Live.

Robert Pattinson has a new technique for hiding from the paparazzi… vampire fuzz!

The Twilight Saga heartbreaker was snapped with a mass of unruly hair covering his face as he walked in London on Friday, where he will participate in the Hope for Haiti Now telethon airing this evening. It is believed that Pattz is going all-Wolfman on us for his role in the frontier action flick Unbound Captives, presently in pre-production.

Do you like Rob’s new beard?

Cadillac quietly cut prices on its new 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon earlier this month to make the model more competitive with its SRX crossover.

“People would come in, see the price of the SRX and lose interest in the wagon,” John Howell, vice president in charge of Cadillac products worldwide said.

Prices for the base 3.0L V6 rear-wheel-drive model now start at $39,150 including shipping, down from $40,485. The Cadillac SRX starts at $34,155. A loaded AWD version comes in a little over $50,000.

2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon:

– By: Omar Rana

Source: USAToday – DriveOn

The executive assistant of a Los Alamitos youth crisis shelter was sentenced today to four years in state prison for embezzling more than $435,000 from the shelter and splurging on an extravagant personal lifestyle, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.

Lydia Kathleen Fitzgerald, 48, formerly of Los Alamitos, pleaded guilty in December to 23 felony counts of forgery, 16 felony counts of falsifying a book of records, three felony counts of computer access fraud, three felony counts of filing false tax returns, and one felony count each of grand theft, fraudulently using an access card, second-degree commercial burglary and willfully failing to file a tax return.

Fitzgerald has been ordered to pay more than $390,000 in restitution to the Casa Youth Shelter, a charitable organization in Los Alamitos that provides temporary shelter and counseling for runaways and youth in crisis.

She must also repay the state Franchise Tax Board more than $93,000 plus 10% interest from the date of loss, prosecutors said. According to prosecutors, Fitzgerald embezzled the funds between April 2004 and November 2007 by forging numerous checks to herself and charging personal expenses for herself and family members on a company credit card.

Fitzgerald used the money to remodel her home and purchase vacations, meals, clothes, a car, a boat and other luxury items, according to a statement from the district attorney’s office.

In an effort to cover up the theft, Fitzgerald altered the shelter’s books and records, transferred money into the facility’s payroll account from a line of credit she opened in the shelter’s name, and reimbursed the shelter’s accounts $45,000 in stolen funds.

The onetime executive assistant failed to pay taxes on the income from the stolen money, prosecutors said. Addressing the court during sentencing, Stephen Ellis, director of Casa Youth, said the shelter has endured a decrease in donations because of an erosion of trust caused by Fitzgerald’s misdeeds, prosecutors said.

— Ann M. Simmons

More breaking news in L.A. Now:

Theme, president named for 2011 Tournament of Roses

Storms leave blanket of snow on Southern California mountains

False report of teen swept into Santa Ana River prompted massive rescue effort

Antelope Valley Hospital seeks type O-negative blood donors to replenish diminishing supply

Storms shut portion of Gold Line, leave thousands without power

Thank goodness the market was open for only four days this week.

The Dow took an extreme beating, ending the week down over 4% at 10155 points.

NASDAQ: Not much better. Down 3.6% for the week with the S&P down 3.75%.

Commodities suffered the same fate as equities. Down, down, and down.

Oil: Down 2.4% to $74.27 a barrel.

Gold: Down 1% to $1092/ounce.

Silver: Down 3% to $17/ounce.

It’s tough to be a bull today.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Investors Rushed Back Into U.S. Equity ETFs In December
• China Now Has Enough Cash Built Up To Buy 20% Of The S&P 500
• The Complete Guide To Investing And Making Money Off The MAVINS

The announcement that Asus was getting into the eBook reader game was a bit of a surprise, but not an unwelcome one. Now that new hands-on pics have hit Flickr, it looks like our initial enthusiasm was founded.

What’s most alluring about the DR-950 is still the thinness—just .35-inches despite the 9-inch, 1024×768 display.

It’s also one of the first mass market black and white eBook reader’s I’ve seen that doesn’t use e-ink. Instead, Asus is using the unfortunately named SiPix Microcup electronic paper, which purports to be more a more energy efficient alternative.

Other specs include 2-4GB of storage, an SD card slot, Wi-Fi and HDSPA, a USB port and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Pricing and timing are still up in the air.

Honestly, there are a lot of these hitting the market these days, but given that pioneering Asus did in the early netbook days, we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt that they’re bringing something exciting. It certainly looks that way so far. [Asus UK Flickr via Engadget]

Filed under: Auctions

Last night while we were driving to the RM auction on the 101 loop in Phoenix, Arizona, traffic came to a sudden stop. Literally, a complete halt. We turned on the radio hoping to find out the reason for the delay, assuming a big rig had been blown over or a multiple car pileup had been caused by the rain. We finally found a local news station, only to hear that a tent had blown onto the freeway. While the people on the radio didn’t know any details, we instantly knew what must have happened.

Full details came in just a little bit later. High winds had collapsed two of the tents covering the cars at the nearby Russo and Steele auction, with one of them blowing onto the freeway. Fortunately, there were no deaths and only one reported minor injury, but plenty of gorgeous classic cars were damaged in the process. Right now no one seems to really know the extent of the damage since the local fire department isn’t allowing access to the area for safety reasons, but we’ll be sure to let you know about any updates we hear.

We’ve included two official statements from Russo and Steele as well as a two videos after the jump. The first is an outside view of one of the tents as it collapses onto the cars, and the second is video recorded during the auction when the announcement is made to evacuate the tents (jump ahead to 21 minutes). Be aware that there is some NSFW language in the second video. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Source: Russo and Steele, YouTube, Auto-Focus.us]

Continue reading Strong winds cause Russo and Steele auction tents to collapse (w/video)

Strong winds cause Russo and Steele auction tents to collapse (w/video) originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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