If you haven’t bought your own Christmas present yet, Amazon has just made it a bit easier to treat yourself to a Snapdragon-powered Windows Mobile smartphone by offering the LG eXpo for only $99.99 with contract, and bundled in another $50 worth of Amazon gift vouchers.
Read more at Amazon here.
Via MSMobiles.com
So its now Boxing day, and time to tally up our presents. Did anyone get a Windows Mobile phones or accessory for Christmas?
I myself got a HTC HD2 a few weeks ago, ostensibly a Christmas present, but who can wait that long to open it up?
Let us all know what your haul is in the comments below.
Unlike in 2009, all Formula One teams this upcoming season will have to use in-house designed and developed machineries, as the International Automobile Federation (FIA) ruled out customer cars from 2010 onwards. Needless to say, Scuderia Toro Rosso was the team most affected by this rule book change, as the Faenza based outfit used to benefit from basic input from Red Bull’s Adrian Newey.
If, until now, Toro Rosso’s car was based on the initial work of Red Bull Technology – they … (read more)
Considering the fact that he’ll leave the Scuderia Ferrari after no less than 14 years in order to join their greatest F1 rivals Mercedes for the upcoming 3 years, it would be an understatement to say that the Italian tifosi are not happy with the situation.
Although Ferrari’s CEO Luca di Montezemolo insisted that he will continue to be friends with Schu despite his leaving for Mercedes GP, there is a large portion of the Italian fans that consider the 40-year old German a traitor… (read more)
I wanted to share an appitizer they made that I believe is totally unique. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this anywhere. But it’s fabulous!!!
Endives. Decent Size.
Goat cheese, flavored, preferably already sliced
prosciutto
sweet peppers
I am sorry. I am not a chef. I can’t be more specific than that. I am not sure what kind of peppers they were. Just small and sweet. Only a little heat to them.
You use one open leaf of the endive and place the slice of flavored goat cheese in the flat end of the leaf. Then you sprinkle small bits of prosciutto and small bits of these sweet peppers on top. That’s it.
Tastes freaking amazing! I didn’t even know what an endive was before this.
My wife made them today for appetizers before Christmas dinner and they were just as good.
The only good thing about the deadline for this week’s TechCrunch round-up falling on Christmas Day is the absolute certain fact that you won’t be reading the results. After all, with the holiday season in full swing, no one in their right mind will be reading TechCrunch. I certainly won’t.
Safe in that knowledge, I can pretty claim anything I like. That this week’s top story was Mark Zuckerberg being eaten by zebras, for example, or Al Qaeda investing in Twitter. Hell, I could probably claim that Spotify is profitable and it would still pass entirely without remark. Who would know? Just me and Google’s spider.
But I’m a professional – which is why I only missed my Christmas Day deadline by 24 hours – and as such I take seriously my responsibility to bring you this week’s top stories, regardless of whether you care or not. Hell, I’ve even come up with a festive theme in a vain attempt to keep you reading. Even though I know you’re not.
Here we go then…
On the first day of Christmas, TechCrunch gave to you….
One billion dollar exits
Sarah rounded off her South American research trip by profiling Wences Casares and examining the difference between billion dollar exits and what it means to feel “success”.
On the second day of Christmas, TechCrunch gave to you…
Two out of every ten companies suffering from “stealth disease”
Vivek tells stealth start-ups: Get Over Yourselves: Nobody Cares About Your Secrets.
On the third day of Christmas, TechCrunch gave to you…
Three years of Crunchies
The first tickets to the third annual Crunchies sold out very quickly, but there’s still plenty of time to vote for the winners across 18 categories before voting closes on January 6th.
On the fourth day of Christmas, TechCrunch gave to you…
Four screenings of Avatar
Or at least that’s how many Arrington has attended since the movie launched this week and he described it as ‘The iPhone Of Movies’.
On the fifth day of Christmas, TechCrunch gave to you…
Five hundred and fifty million dollars
Over half a billion dollars; the price that Yelp turned down when they walked away from selling to Google.
On the sixth day of Christmas, TechCrunch gave to you…
Six-ty thousand nooks will be shipped by Barnes & Noble this year
…despite issues with shipping pre-orders.
On the seventh day of Christmas, TechCrunch gave to you…
Seven million more dollars raised by ChaCha
….despite issues with their entire business being a joke.
On the eighth day of Christmas, TechCrunch gave to you…
Eight million dollars raised by Livemocha
…in a round led by August Capital to allow the online language-learning community to build new partnership deals and work on product development.
On the ninth day of Christmas, TechCrunch gave to you…
Nine ‘rock-star’ names associated with WePay’s new group payments services
Levchin, McClure, Conway, Y Combinator…
On the tenth day of Christmas, TechCrunch gave to you…
Ten IPO Candidates for 2010
….and, from Europe, ten disappointing tech stories of 2009.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, TechCrunch gave to you…
Eleven billion valuation for Facebook
Up from the company’s $10billion valuation earlier this year.
And finally. On the twelfth day of Christmas, TechCrunch gave to you…
Twelve (at least) religions that I’ve certainly offended by suggesting that the entire world stops for Christmas. I look forward to the comments. Not that I’ll be reading them – after all, it’s Christmas!
Have a good week!
Crunch Network: CrunchGear drool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.
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Audi AG registered record sales in the Chinese car market through November. The German car brand managed to sell 140,000 vehicles in the Chinese mainland in the first 11 months of the year, accounting for a 29 percent increase year-on-year.
When compared to the 2008 results, which accounted for some 118,118 vehicles, the 2009 full-year results seem to consolidate Audi’s optimistic prognosis about upcoming years.
"The fast growth of the Chinese market this year… (read more)
En esa competencia por llevar los contenidos de televisión por internet a la tele del salón, Blusens tiene una propuesta bastante interesante, BluBrain. La idea es la de un centro multimedia con mucha conectividad (Wifi, Ethernet, PLC), grabación y reproducción simultánea, disco duro e integración con un sistema NAS doméstico (el servidor se vende aparte)… todo muy completo y con un diseño bien resuelto para colocar en el salón. El precio quizás se les haya ido un poco (400 euros a partir del 15 de Febrero) porque se les va a comparar con soluciones tipo set-top box básico e incluso con discos duros multimedia, aunque BluBrain sea bastante más completo y vaya más a un perfil de quien quiere un HTPC, pero no tener que preocuparse por soluciones a medida. Entendiendo este posicionamiento de producto, el precio es más razonable.
Aunque hablamos de un dispositivo abierto en el que reproducir contenidos descargados y por streaming, un aspecto importante es el lugar privilegiado que gana BluSens y que les ayudará a impulsar su blu:generation, con el que se quieren postular como un nuevo intermediario para vender contenidos. Claro que para que ese negocio tenga sentido necesitan una masa crítica difícilmente alcanzable con el precio de salida de 400 euros, que será complicado rebajar con las características que presenta BluBrain si no se subvenciona pensando en los futuros beneficios de la entrada en contenidos…
We’re not going so far as to suggest that this here patent application foreshadows the kind of keyboard that’ll be on a certain Apple tablet that may or may not be real, but if the suits in Cupertino do actually have such a device in the works, they’d be silly to not apply this technology to it. Dug up by Apple Insider, the latest app details a multitouch tactile keyboard that would boast a dynamic surface for helping typists keep track of where they’re at on the board. Essentially, the surface would utilize an “articulating frame” in order to raise and retract bumps to make typing without physical keys a wee bit easier, and while we’re certain that it would take some getting used to, it’s bound to be simpler than banging on a static surface that requires your eyes to be on it. Don’t go getting your hopes up, though — wouldn’t want to get them crushed when late January brings you an iPod touch with a camera, now would you?
Latest Apple patent app details multitouch tactile keyboard originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 Dec 2009 04:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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BAIC recently purchased several Saab assets and, as a result, the Chinese manufacturer is looking into ways to develop four new models and three turbo-engines based on the acquired technology. General Motors announced in mid-December that it decided to sell certain Saab 9-3, current 9-5 and powertrain technology and tooling to Beijing Automotive Industry Holdings Co. Ltd (BAIC).
The Chinese manufacturer was one of the those interested to take control of Saab but only together with… (read more)
You have probably come across exotic-sounding terms such as “chakra”, “prana”, “aura”, and “tantra” in your course of reading books on spirituality, sex, and healing in the New Age literature section of the bookstore. But what’s the real scoop behind these exotic vocabularies?
Are All Energy Healings the Same?
Chakra or energy center is a term used in Pranic healing, an ancient Hindu system of energy healing. “Prana” means life energy. “Aura” is another terminology traced to Pranic healing. Aura is a non-physical body that consists of energy, which exists along with our physical body. The aura that covers our body is said to have seven layers pertaining to the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of an individual as manifested by energy. Studying the color and thickness of auras give ideas on the state of health of individuals. Six colors are associated with aura and interpreted into six personalities. These colors are all present in an individual but one or two are more pronounced.
Green – ambitious achiever
Blue – spiritual peacemaker
White – unconventional chameleon
Red – activist
Orange – creative communicator
Violet – psychic
Although Tantra is popularly associated with the peculiar practice of sex and spirituality, it is another method of energy healing. It comes from the word “tan” which means to spread or expand. The concept of connectedness is a recurring theme in Tantric writings on sex and spirituality. As a method of healing, spirituality and sex figure prominently. It is presupposed that the union of man and woman can reach spiritual levels during orgasm, which removes the body and mind off collected impurities. These impurities being negative energies can in turn manifest as physical illnesses.
Unlike Pranic and Tantric healings, which have Hindu origins, Reiki originated from Japan. It is relatively younger than Pranic and Tantric healings having been rediscovered in the early 1900’s. Reiki stands for universal energy, an energy brought forth by higher intelligence. Students of Reiki are taught how to tap this energy to heal physical, emotional, and mental illnesses.
Although Pranic, Tantra, and Reiki are all systems of energy healing, they differ in the type of energy tapped for healing: life energy, sexual energy, and universal energy respectively.
The concepts of the connectedness of mind, body, and spirit; the connection of individuals to all living and nonliving things around them and to the universe; and how energy impacts physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being are some of the salient similarities of these three healing methods.
Why Do People Turn to Energy Healing?
Pranic, Tantric, and Reiki are considered alternative methods of healing. In spite of the availability and relative accessibility of modern medicine, how come more and more people are being drawned to them? Here are some possible reasons:
· Energy healing worked where modern medicine failed.
For several reasons both explainable and unexplainable, modern medical treatment failed to heal ailments and conditions in several if not many persons. Research or data may not be able to support this statement. But for the families of the dying as well as for the dying patient, they would take the risk of using alternative methods ranging from herbals and organics, faith healers, witch doctors, and New Age healing techniques just to be get well.
· People perceive modern medicine to be isolating.
Medical treatments are oftentimes focused on the disease and its causative agent, which can make a patient feel isolated and treated like a mere host of the disease. Although recent developments in hospital practice are gradually promoting the holistic treatment of a patient, the perception still persists. Unlike in energy healing, since energy and spirituality are intimately linked, the patient feels that all aspects of his health are being attended to.
· Energy healing is non-obtrusive and natural thus it is safer.
Repeated surgical procedures are physically and emotionally traumatic for most patients. It is but a logical and attractive option to both patient and families to look for less stressful health interventions. Moreover, with the rising popularity of New Age religions, going natural is the way to go.
· Energy healing is a good way of relieving stress.
Meditation is part and parcel of energy healing methods and this is an added come-on for highly stressed people. Moreover, sophisticated equipment is not required thus it becomes all the more convenient for students and future students of energy healing.
The battle between alternative healing and mainstream medicine continues as both present the benefits of their approach. But in the final analysis, what matters is the restoration of good health.
AMBOY, Calif. — Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced legislation in Congress on Monday to protect a million acres of the Mojave Desert in California by scuttling some 13 big solar plants and wind farms planned for the region. • But before the bill to …
The Eugene Water & Electric Board’s power supply just got a bit greener. The publicly owned utility, in cooperation with several other Pacific Northwest utilities, has brought a new batch of wind turbines online. Beginning last week, Harvest Wind …
Do you have even the slightest clue what you get when you shove a perfectly operational Mac mini, JBL Spot subwoofer and WMF1 coffeemaker into a perfectly defunct iMac DV case? The iMac CS, that’s what. In one of the most bizarre and aspirational mods we’ve seen in quite some time, one Klaus Diebel has managed to combine three devices that wouldn’t typically be shoved within the same enclosure… into the same enclosure. The result is a coffee-making media server that just so happens to boast its own inbuilt sound system, or in other words, exactly what you need to start a street corner java shop.The bad news is that a customized version will set you back at least €300 ($431), but the good news is that you can probably build your own for less. Just make sure you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into before embarking — we’ve got a vague idea that this won’t enhance the lives of many.
Barista-approved mod shoves a coffeemaker, Mac mini and subwoofer into an iMac DV case originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 Dec 2009 01:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The three year old filly Kays and Jays will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano and is trained by Mike Mitchell. The La Brea is a stakes for three year old fillies going 7 furlongs on the Santa Anita main track surface. Kays and Jays has been freshened for this race last winning a non graded stakes ran at Santa Anita at 7 furlongs on the main synthetic surface on November 8th. She posted a nice 93 Bris Net speed rating during that win. She has had a light work schedule this season competing in just her 6th race during her 3-year-old campaign. Kays and Jays has 3 wins and a second in her 5 races on the year.
Play #1 Kays And Jays to win Race 8 at Santa Anita 6-1 on the Morning Line
Post Time at 6:30PM Eastern Time televised by TVG
Courtesy of Tonys Picks
Homebrew coder A128 has recently released a new version of Seno DS Music Sequencer, an easy to use homebrew music live sequencer for the Nintendo DS that uses WAV samples or sounds recorded via the DS microphone.
It’s Christmas day, so we’re asking you to go a little easy on Peek here, but we’ve got a sneaking suspicion that our request will be cutely ignored in comments below. This week’s episode of How Would You Change features Peek’s latest handheld — you know, the one that only does Twitter. We didn’t find the creature too incredibly useful / valuable during our time with it, but that’s not to say it couldn’t be molded into a pristine object of desire. Speaking of which, how would you go about tweaking or overhauling the TwitterPeek? Make the screen resolution higher? Change the user interface? Add support for apps, email and calling? Make Peek pay you to use it? Sound off below!
How would you change the TwitterPeek? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Dec 2009 23:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We just literally heard Jesse Divinich predict the decline of video game releases on retail. Now, he’s got a few mroe predictions up his sleeve, this time targeting Grand Theft Auto. If his crystal ball turns out
If you are interested to know, 2009 saw 1,099 video games released officially to US retailers. That’s seven games short of the 1,092 video games released back in 2008. While that number isn’t all too staggering, Jesse
There are a lot of Christmas classics, many of which are now but a click away, in a cavalcade of online video clips available from movies and television.
While I style myself as a Scrooge, each and every one gets to me right where it counts–most especially the first I posted below: Judy Garland at the peak of her promise, singing, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” in the movie, “Meet Me in St. Louis.”
Every time I hear it, all is right with Judy and with the world
Which it wasn’t and it’s not, but the clip will make you believe it for a moment.
So, have yourself a Merry little Festivus now, and enjoy four others too:
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
“It’s a Wonderful Life” (colorized version, last scenes)
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (not the Jim Carrey horror show):
“The Brady Bunch” (Christmas minisode)
“Seinfeld” (”Festivus” episode)
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