Author: Serkadis

Police say they found 10,000 pirated DVDs in a raid of a Wheeling house.

Mount Prospect and Wheeling Police got a tip about an illegal DVD recording and selling business on East Merle Lane.

They used a search warrant and found the huge cache of DVDs. 

In addition, police say they found 15 DVD duplicating machines and about $3,000 in cash.

42-year-old David Perez was arrested and charged with Felony Unlawful Use of Audio Visual Recordings.  Bond is set at $10,000.

The Motion Picture Association of America says pirating costs the industry billions of dollars.

The MPAA’s Anti-Piracy Unit assisted in the Wheeling raid.

Read the original article from FOX Chicago News.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Filed under: Motorsports, Lotus, Racing

After 15 years, one of the most successful names in Formula One returns to the grid with the launch of the Lotus T127. Note that we said “name,” not necessarily “team,” since Lotus F1 Racing is not officially affiliated with Group Lotus, the carmaker and engineering firm. There is a somewhat tenuous relationship, since the team that began as Litespeed is largely backed by the Malaysian government, and Malaysian automaker Proton owns Lotus. The team actually acquired the rights to the Lotus name for F1 racing purposes from David Hunt, brother of the late world champion, James Hunt.

While the team is new, it’s staffed by F1 vets, including technical director Mike Gascoyne and drivers Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen. Lotus F1 Racing also operates out of the Racing Technology Norfolk (RTN) facility where the 2003 Le Mans-winning Bentley Speed 8 was developed and built.

There’s an upside to the relative lack of major sponsors for the reborn Lotus racing team: the car is liveried in the traditional green and yellow colors used up until the late 1960s. Just as those late-’60s Lotus Type 49s introduced the Cosworth DFV to F1, the T127 will be one of several cars using the latest Cosworth V8 this year. Hopefully, things work out better than the last time we saw Lotus on the track. Fans can follow the team at its new website, http://www.lotusracing.my. There’s a video of the T127’s first shakedown run at Silverstone after the jump.

[Source: Lotus F1 Racing]

Continue reading Video: Lotus returns to Formula One with the launch of the T127

Video: Lotus returns to Formula One with the launch of the T127 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Feb 2010 19:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: SUV, Nissan, Middle East, Luxury, Off-Road

Nissan pulled the wraps off the all-new, upsized Patrol SUV today in Abu Dhabi, and the big Toyota Land Cruiser competitor has ripped a page from its rival. Gone is the ruggedly utilitarian Patrol that looked right at home in white paint with a giant “UN” on each door. In its place, Nissan has delivered a decidedly more upscale, leather-lined, TV-screened blingwagon. You know, just like Toyota.

Power comes from a direct-injected 5.6-liter V8 that’s good for 400 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque. That engine is mated to a seven-speed automatic and a new electronic four-wheel-drive system with four driver-selectable modes (pavement, sand, rock, and snow). The truck rides on a new four-wheel independent suspension, and incorporates features such as a hydraulic body roll mitigation system, hill start assist, and hill descent control.

Inside, there’s a roomier cabin with premium features and better overall material quality. Nifty new tech includes what Nissan calls a “curtain vent” – openings above each window that fire cool air straight down to form a layer of air-conditioned insulation between each passenger and the glass. (This is clearly a product of the extensive market research Nissan says it performed in the Middle East when planning the vehicle.)

So, will we see the Patrol here? For sure. We already have confirmation that the Infinitized version bows next month as the 2011 QX56 at the New York Auto Show. And this one? It’d make a fine Armada if you ask us.

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading All-new Nissan Patrol unveiled in the UAE

All-new Nissan Patrol unveiled in the UAE originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Feb 2010 18:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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By Claire Ngozo LILONGWE, Feb 13 (IPS) He fishes by night and sells his catch by day. He's the breadwinner for his family of six. Maliko Malombe is nine years old.

"He is the man of this house and has to provide for us," says his mother, Tadala. "What are we going to eat if he attends school?"

Maliko, from Malawi’s lake district of Mangochi, has never seen the inside of a classroom. He is the youngest child in his household, the only boy among four sisters.

His widowed mother believes it is her son's duty to provide for the family. None of his sisters, aged between 10 to 17, go to school either – the two youngest help their mother with household chores while the older ones work a plot of land for food to eat.

"We are living comfortably and have three meals a day because all my children help to provide for our daily needs," says Tadala Malombe. 

Malawi introduced free basic education in 1994, and the number of pupils enrolled in primary schools rose quickly from 1.9 to 3.2 million – and there are still more children out there.

Current figures from the ministry of education indicate that up to 20 percent of Malawian children aged between six and 13 do not attend primary school. The Creative Centre for Community Mobilisation (CRECCOM), a Malawian civil society organisation advocating for improved education standards, says there should be a law compelling children to attend school.

"The major problem we have is that universal primary education is not compulsory although it is free. Some communities do not really feel compelled to send their children because there’s no law that forces them to do that," George Jobe, executive director of CRECCOM told IPS.

Solution a problem?

There are no plans to make education compulsory, but If such a law were passed tomorrow, what would it mean for Maliko?

To begin with, an eleven kilometre trek to the nearest school. There he would find three blocks of classes, not nearly enough to hold all the students. Most classes, says teacher Godfrey Nkhoma, are held under trees or thatched shelters.

"There are no classes when it rains and this means that we do not teach them enough," says Nkhoma.

Nkhoma says the school is also short of staff. "It is common to have up to 100 pupils being taught by one teacher. It is very difficult for one teacher to teach so many pupils at one go. The standards of education are very low. The teaching and learning materials are never enough."


Unfortunately, the state of affairs in this corner of the lake district is not unique. The Civil Society Coalition for Quality Basic Education (CSCQBE), which groups NGOs, the teachers' union and religious organisations to monitor and influence government policy on education, says Malawi needs 12,000 more teachers.

The coalition reports that drop-out and repetition rates are very high in primary schools. In 2009, a CSCQBE report found 20 percent of pupils in Standard One repeated the grade at least once; 24 percent dropped out of school entirely, overwhelmed by the obstacles to learning.

"The school is really far from some villages and this deters many children from attending school regularly," Nkhoma, told IPS. 

Government acting on problems

The education minister, George Chaponda, told Parliament on Feb. 9, 2009, that government will ensure that education standards improve, beginning with reducing the teacher to pupil ratio. Currently there is just one teacher for every 90 students; the government aims to reduce this to 1:60 by 2013, and to 1:40 by 2017.

"We will make sure that students are all getting quality education because education is the key to everything," said Chaponda.

Education was allocated 167 million dollars, 12 percent of the 2009-2010 budget. Only agriculture received more. The budget statement directs the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to improve provision of teaching, learning materials, and teacher training.

There are plans to open a new teacher training college and introduce "double shifting", a system in which overcrowding in selected primary and secondary schools will be relieved by pupils starting lessons at different times.

CRECCOM's Jobe says Malawi has a long way to go, but is encouraged by the steps being taken.

"There’s some light at the end of the tunnel. We can make it. We need to ensure that all plans are implemented," says Jobe.

Filed under: Aftermarket, Hatchback, Volkswagen

MTM has completed two more versions of the Volkswagen Golf, and with the pleasant power increases come what appear to be pleasant prices. The petrol-powered Golf GTI gets a maximum of 310 horses and 302 pound-feet of torque if you opt for the ultimate stage of tune. That gives it 40 more hp and 44 more lb-ft than the Golf R, plus the same 0-to-60 time, in a package that costs thousands less.

The GTD gets bumps of 35 hp and 22 lb-ft, with a sprint to 62 mph that shaves 0.7 seconds. MTM lists the price for the upgrades as just €800 ($1,086 U.S.), only it hasn’t said which upgrade that price applies to. Have a look at the company’s press release after the jump and a gander at the cars themselves in the high-res gallery below.

[Source: MTM]

Continue reading MTM turns up the wick on Volkswagen GTI and GTD

MTM turns up the wick on Volkswagen GTI and GTD originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Feb 2010 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Article Tags: Cartoon

Some of you have been asking where Al Gore is these days…Well, he has been found!

— Alan Caruba

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This week we added three new events to the ReadWriteWeb calendar – all of which are in San Francisco. That makes seven conferences in the Bay Area in the next three months. It also makes for a California events-plosion on our world map of Web tech events.

You can download this calendar as an iCal (and Google Calendar-importable) file, or import individual events using the link beside each entry. Know of something cool taking place that should appear here? Let us know in the comments below or contact us.

Sponsor

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18 February 2010: Silicon Valley, California

Future of Funding

Active limited partners, top rated venture capitalists, and successful entrepreneurs are invited to Silicon Valley on February 18, 2010 to discuss the Future of Funding. The venture capital bubble has burst, and change is coming. Now is the time to have a constructive dialog about the future with all of the stakeholders at the table.

Don’t miss the opportunity to partake in this exclusive event hosted by TheFunded. Please visit www.futureoffunding.com to see speaker and event details.

ReadWriteWeb readers use the code “RWW” and get 10% off.

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22 – 24 February 2010: Miami, Florida

The Future of Web Apps Miami

The Future of Web Apps Miami is a three day event for Web application developers and entrepreneurs, and includes tutorials, inspiration and workshops taught by leading figures at the cutting edge of today’s Web. Companies at the event include Twitter, Facebook, Mint.com, Palm, FreshBooks, Reddit and Mozilla. Topics include HTML5, jQuery, online marketing, funding strategies, measuring the success of your Web app, and Facebook Connect. Find more information at http://carsonified.com

ReadWriteWeb readers use the code “RWW” and get $50 off.

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25 February 2010: Miami, Florida

Miami VC and Angel Event

At FundingPost‘s next event, a panel of investors who will focus on early-stage venture investing. We will be discussing trends in early-stage investing, sectors that these Angels and VCs look at, things that are most important to them when they are considering an investment and the best and worst things an entrepreneur can do to get their attention. Entrepreneur summaries will be given to the investor speakers and attendees – all of the investors will get your company description and contact info!

Additionally, there will be an optional pitching workshop lunch where we will completely deconstruct your elevator pitch, and work with you on formulating a clean and concise elevator pitch giving the important information that investors need to hear to make an educated decision on your company! Then you get to give your new elevator pitch in person to the panel of investors during the event! Click here for more information.

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4 March 2010: Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley VC and Angel Conference

At FundingPost‘s next event, a panel of investors who will focus on early-stage venture investing. We will be discussing trends in early-stage investing, sectors that these Angels and VCs look at, things that are most important to them when they are considering an investment and the best and worst things an entrepreneur can do to get their attention. Entrepreneur summaries will be given to the investor speakers and attendees – all of the investors will get your company description and contact info!

Additionally, there will be an optional pitching workshop lunch where we will completely deconstruct your elevator pitch, and work with you on formulating a clean and concise elevator pitch giving the important information that investors need to hear to make an educated decision on your company! Then you get to give your new elevator pitch in person to the panel of investors during the event! Click here for more information.

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11 March 2010: Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles VC and Angel Event

At FundingPost‘s next event, a panel of investors who will focus on early-stage venture investing. We will be discussing trends in early-stage investing, sectors that these Angels and VCs look at, things that are most important to them when they are considering an investment and the best and worst things an entrepreneur can do to get their attention. Entrepreneur summaries will be given to the investor speakers and attendees – all of the investors will get your company description and contact info!

Additionally, there will be an optional pitching workshop lunch where we will completely deconstruct your elevator pitch, and work with you on formulating a clean and concise elevator pitch giving the important information that investors need to hear to make an educated decision on your company! Then you get to give your new elevator pitch in person to the panel of investors during the event! Click here for more information.

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15 – 16 March 2010: London, England

2nd Annual Social Networking World Forum — London

The 2nd Annual Social Networking World Forum takes place at the Olympia Conference Centre in London. The two-day event features four dedicated conference streams:

1. Social Networking World Forum
2. Enterprise social media
3. Social TV World Forum
4. Mobile Social Networking Forum

The event features key speakers from global brands, organizations, social networking publishers and developers, pioneering social media leaders, top agencies, content producers, and more.

• Full workshop program within exhibition area
• Evening networking reception
• Pre-show online meeting planner for delegates
• Free pass for exhibition only

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26 March 2010: San Francisco, California

Freemium Summit

The first Freemium Summit is a one day event focused on exploring what it takes to succeed under the freemium business model. Across all segments of the media landscape, entrepreneurs and executives are pioneering models that combine a free offering with a premium, paid offering. This hybrid business model is one of the most exciting areas of business model innovation impacting the world of media and the Freemium Summit will explore the most important topics on the minds of leading practitioners.

Confirmed Speakers: Toni Schneider, Automattic (WordPress); Matt Brezina, Xobni; Aaron Levie, Box.net; Phil Libin, Evernote; Tom Conrad, Pandora; Drew Houston, Dropbox; Ranjith Kumaran, YouSendIt; Ben Chestnut, Mailchimp; Lance Walley, Chargify; Isaac Hall, Recurly; and Lincoln Murphy, Sixteen Ventures.

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7 – 9 April 2010: Sydney, Australia

ConnectNow

ConnectNow brings together international specialists and thought leaders in social media, emerging technologies and their intersection with business. Learn how the realtime web, location based services, augmented reality, ubiquitous computing and personalised services are changing marketing and communications. Understand the importance of trust in relationship marketing and what is “social currency”. For more info email [email protected].

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16 April 2010: Mountain View, California

Under the Radar: Cloud

Under the Radar: Cloud is must-attend event for dealmakers and heads of IT from large enterprises, SMBs, service providers, carriers and media companies who are responsible for helping their companies leverage new technology and innovation in the fast-evolving IT ecosystem. Join us for the 15th Under the Radar conference, featuring a hand-picked selection of the world’s most innovative cloud startups among 350 top tech, media, telcom and finance executives. For ticket and more information, visit http://undertheradarblog.com.

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16 – 17 April 2010: Royal Oak, Michigan

FutureMidwest

FutureMidwest is the region’s largest technology and knowledge conference. Founded by Adrian Pittman, Jordan Wolfe and Zach Lipson, FutureMidwest is the fusion of two successful conferences held in Michigan in 2009 – the Module Midwest Digital Conference and TechNow.

Both conferences highlighted how technology and digital tools have dramatically changed the way we do business and the effect this transition has had on companies. FutureMidwest kicks things up a notch with presentations, group breakout sessions, relationship-building opportunities and influencers who are taking action to redefine business in the digital age. Register here.

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19 – 21 April 2010: San Francisco, California

DrupalCon

DrupalCon is the premier conference focused on Drupal, the award-winning open source content management framework that is galvanizing social publishing and web development today. For a registration fee of $195, attendees get three full days of sessions led by the best and brightest Drupal experts.

Drupal has been downloaded over 2 million times since its inception, and project growth has doubled annually for several years. Drupal is used to deliver a wide variety of application types including blogs, wikis, community networks, digital media portals, and web content publishing and management.

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26 April 2010: San Francisco, California

Future of Money and Technology Summit

The Future of Money & Technology Summit will bring together the best and brightest thinkers around money, including visionaries, entrepreneurial business people, developers, press, investors, authors, solution/service providers, and organizations who work where cash and commerce collide. We meet to discuss the evolving ecosystem around money in a proactive, conducive to dealmaking environment. Featured speakers include Jolie O’Dell from ReadWriteWeb, as well as representatives from Wells Fargo Bank, Kiva, SharesPost, Jambool, Founders Fund, Outright.com, SoftTech VC, and many more.

Use discount code “rww” to get 10% off registration.

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11 May 2010: San Francisco, California

FinovateSpring

FinovateSpring 2010 will again showcase the most cutting-edge financial and banking technology innovations to Silicon Valley and the world. With Finovate’s signature mix of short, fast-paced onstage demos (no slides are allowed) from handpicked companies and intimate networking time with their executives, this conference packs a ton of unique value into a single day.

Come see the cutting edge of banking and financial technology and network with hundreds of the leading financial executives, venture capitalists, press, industry analysts, bloggers and fintech entrepreneurs. Early bird registration rates are available.

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5 October 2010: New York City

FinovateFall

FinovateFall will return to Manhattan on Tuesday, October 5 to showcase dozens of the biggest and most innovative new ideas in financial and banking technology from established leaders and hot young companies. The Fall event is the original and largest Finovate and features a single day packed with our special blend of short, fast-paced onstage demos (no slides are allowed) and intimate networking time with top executives from the innovative demoing companies.

FinovateFall is a unique chance to see the future of finance and banking before your competition and find the edge you need in today’s market. Early bird registration rates are available.

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Download this entire events calendar in iCal format.

Discuss

Press Release: AnyDATA Corporation, a global leader in the design and manufacture of wireless communications devices, announces two leading-edge Windows smartphones for carrier distribution, the ASP-318 and the ASP-518. Both devices are loaded with multimedia features that provide consumers with a rich entertainment experience on AnyDATA smartphones.

The ASP-318 is a low-cost and affordable Windows Mobile smartphone for cellular subscribers, such as students and enterprise workers who previously may have only considered a mid-tier feature phone. The AnyDATA smartphone utilizes the media-rich Mediatek MT6516 application processor that is designed for entry-level smartphones. It provides a rich multimedia experience for cellular subscribers on existing 2G GSM networks.

The ASP-318 smartphone features Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional, a 3.2-inch color touch screen, GPS to support navigation and LBS applications, an accelerometer, dual SIM, EDGE/GPRS modem, a micro SD slot for memory expansion, and an FM radio. The ASP-318 also has a 3.2 megapixel camera with built-in flash, autofocus, and macro-mode to focus on close-up images.

Based on its recent partnership with SRS Labs, AnyDATA plans to further enhance the ASP-318 with SRS TruMedia, which improves the audio performance with remarkable depth and clarity. The ASP-318 operates globally on quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Mhz bands. The AnyDATA ASP-318 will be commercially available in 2nd quarter, 2010 and will be marketed as the iMedia smartphone.

The ASP-518 is a 3G dual mode smartphone currently marketed by China Telecom utilizing the well-known Phillips brand. The phone has a striking design with tapered edges that look sharp and assist in gripping the phone. The ASP-518 smartphone features Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional, GPS navigation, a brilliant 3.2-inch WVGA screen, WiFi, 4 gigabytes of memory, as well as a micro SD memory slot.

The ASP-518 is optimal for travellers or subscribers with two phone numbers since it supports dual SIMs and dual standby. The phone operates simultaneously on 3G CDMA EVDO Rev A networks as well as GSM 900/1800 networks. The smartphone also has dual cameras, namely a 5 megapixel auto-focus camera for taking high-quality photos and a front-facing camera to enable mobile video-conferencing. The ASP-518 features the MSM7627 3G processor from Qualcomm.

The ASP-518 will also be equipped with superb audio that utilizes SRS technology. Audio performance has become a significant purchasing factor as consumers shop for more sophisticated phones. In a recent MarketTools study conducted in November 2009, 92 percent of survey respondents indicated the quality of sound is important or very important when purchasing a mobile phone.

“We have listened to our carrier customers and provide smartphones that can boost subscription revenues and reduce churn,” said Dr. Soon B. Shin, CEO of AnyDATA. “Our carrier customers desire high-end and entry-level smartphones that they can brand and provide a compelling multimedia experience for smartphone applications.”

AnyDATA will be demonstrating these world-class smartphones along with other products such as 3G USB modems, 3G modules, an Interactive Display Appliance (IDA), and a 3G connected camera security system in its booth at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The AnyDATA booth number is Hall 2, booth C102.

For additional AnyDATA product information you can also visit www.anydata.com.

About AnyDATA Corporation

AnyDATA Corporation is a global leader in the design and manufacture of wireless communications devices, including real-time tracking devices, modems, and smartphones. AnyDATA products have been certified by more than 56 carriers in 45 countries. The company distributes its products worldwide through wireless carriers and OEMs. AnyDATA was selected by Deloitte in 2008 as one of the 500 fastest-growing companies in North America. AnyDATA is also listed on Deloitte’s Orange County, California Fast 50, as one of the fastest-growing companies in that technology-intensive region. AnyDATA was also selected as a 2009 Fierce 15 company by Fierce Wireless for AnyDATA’s creativity and innovation in the wireless market. AnyDATA provides wireless solutions for a smarter world.

Article Tags: AfricaGate, Christopher Booker, Headline Story

A farmer in the Maghreb in Morocco, where the IPCC claims that harvests could decline by half in the next decade Photo: ALAMY

One more alarming claim in the IPCC’s 2007 report is disintegrating under closer examination

Ever more question marks have been raised in recent weeks over the reputations of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and of its chairman, Dr Rajendra Pachauri. But the latest example to emerge is arguably the most bizarre and scandalous of all. It centres on a very specific scare story which was included in the IPCC’s 2007 report, although it was completely at odds with the scientific evidence – including that produced by the British expert in charge of the relevant section of the report. Even more tellingly, however, this particular claim has repeatedly been championed by Dr Pachauri himself.

Only last week Dr Pachauri was specifically denying that the appearance of this claim in two IPCC reports, including one of which he was the editor, was an error. Yet it has now come to light that the IPCC, ignoring the evidence of its own experts, deliberately published the claim for propaganda purposes.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

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Article Tags: YouTube

Meet your latest boogeyman,and BOW IN FEAR BEFORE HIM!!!…and don’t forget to forfeit your national sovereignty to fight the invisible enemy…

Sent in by Maurizio Gioli, Global Strategy Director WeatherAction.com

YouTube from January 4th 2008

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By Aimable Twahirwa KIGALI, Feb 13 (IPS) Eighteen-year-old David Kimenyi* is sure he infected his girlfriend with HIV. They had unprotected sex many times, even after he discovered he was HIV-positive.

"I am afraid that I would have infected my girlfriend with HIV/AIDS," he said.

"We used to enjoy a good time together and we trusting each other to have unprotected sex," Kimenyi said of the girlfriend he began dating in 2008, not long after he went for an HIV test.

"After several times (of) having unprotected sex, I decided to tell her that I had AIDS," Kimenyi said.

That was six months ago. Kimenyi’s girlfriend has left him since then.

In Rwanda, the HIV prevalence rate is estimated at 3.1 percent according to the 2008 Demographic and Health Survey conducted by government. But concern has been raised among health officials that not enough is being done to contain the pandemic among teenagers.

While the national campaign to fight HIV/AIDS is on course with special focus on the prevention of the transmission of HIV from mother to child, efforts to contain the pandemic among teenagers seem to be dampening, a medical expert from San Francisco, a medical centre based in Kigali that coordinates all activities related to voluntary testing for HIV/AIDS, said.

A country-wide joint programme involving various stakeholders has been launched to tackle the rate of infection and increasing risky sexual behaviour among teenagers, officials from the National AIDS Control Commission (CNLS) said this week.

According to the results of a CNLS behavioural survey conducted in 2000, only 10 percent of the country’s sexually active youth use condoms.

"If teenagers are eager to have sex outside of their marital status, it is also important to educate them about how to reduce the risk of being infected with HIV," Dr. Anitha Asimwe, the executive secretary of CNLS said.

Asimwe told local media that HIV infections in the country currently stand at one percent among youth aged between 15-24 years.

"In most cases, these teenagers don’t sometimes feel concerned to go for voluntary testing. The most discouraging issue is because most parents don't want to talk to their children about sex, relationships and other related facts," Asimwe said.

Kimenyi explained he had only gone for testing after contracting STDs.

"I decided to go for the test voluntarily because of certain diseases that I started to suffer from, particularly shingles, skin diseases and pneumonia," Kimenyi said.

At Nakumatt, one of the main supermarkets in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, around 100 young people, mostly teenagers, come to enjoy a light moment. They share drinks, sitting around several plastic tables in the main entrance hall. They sit close together, close enough so that they can touch one another.

This was one of Kimenyi’s hangouts. Most of the young boys and girls frequenting public places like the new supermarket in Kigali are interested in having a good time.

And if a girl and boy meet, like each other, and end up going home with each other afterwards, there is a high possibility they will have unprotected sex.

Official figures from government state the the lowest prevalence of HIV, at 0.5 percent, is among teenagers aged between 15-19 years. But Bonaventure Ntagengwa, the coordinator of a youth centre for reproductive health based in Kigali, observes that most teenagers appear to have lost their fear of the disease.

Many teenagers, like Kimenyi, also find it difficult to ask their sexual partners if they have been tested for HIV, or to even discuss their own status, health officials say.

Kimenyi admits he never told his girlfriend his status because he was trying to ‘ignore’ it.

"Raising the issue of (your) HIV status sometimes contribute(s) to (a) breakthrough in mutual confidence and friendship," Kimenyi told IPS. Though in his case, it did not.

Dr. Agnes Binagwaho, the permanent secretary in the Rwandan ministry of health, said emphasis should also be focused on several other campaigns such as male circumcision – which could contribute to reducing the rate of HIV infection especially among the youth.

"Rwandan youth must be free to make choices to reduce HIV/AIDS and they deserve to be in a community where safety is real," Binagwaho said.

Asimwe said teenagers needed to be sufficiently educated about HIV to reduce their risk of contracting the virus.

"Teenagers are the first target of HIV/AIDS because of insufficient sensitisation campaigns, thus (there is) a growing risk (of infection among teenagers) if no appropriate measures to reduce the rate transmission are taken," Asimwe said.

*Name changed to protect identity of minor.

Sony showed off a pretty cool app at CES that you can get for free and install on your iPhone or Touch iPod – a very easy, gesture-based way to navigate through XMB menus, access Gracenote database for movie info. However, I would not hurry to get it from the App Store unless you own one of the 2010 Blu-ray player line up. Yes, frankly I was pretty disappointed that I am unable to take advantage of it on my pricey flagship BD player BDP-S5000ES. One would think, Sony would release a revamped firmware upgrade for 2009 BD players and let a customer enjoy new features (internet video) as well as this simple BD Remote registration add on in your XMB menu. Alas, the engineers at Sony are not capable of it or more likely Sony’s marketing team would like you to jump on a new BD player. Enjoy the video footage below and see if that’s something you’d want to play with if you had that opportunity.

Oh yea, it won’t work with your PS3 either, even though PS3 has a BD Remote registration tool.

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Truck, Honda

A little confusion travels quickly. As long ago as last year and as recently as last week’s Chicago Auto Show, the bed-happy gents at PickupTrucks.com were told that a new Honda Ridgeline would be arriving sometime in 2011. Now the guys have been told by Honda, “That’s not the case.” The proper information: “there will be no significant change to the Ridgeline through the 2011 model year.”

That leaves the Honda pickup to soldier on through a 50-percent decline in sales and EPA numbers on the wrong side of frugality for at least another two years. And with a five-year-old design. Perhaps Honda wants to see how the truck market (and the auto market in general) does in the near term before it decides what the next Ridgeline should be. Or perhaps the company wants to get its core models in order, like those hybrids, before it makes another play at a small segment. We only have guesses – but there are certainly people out there who’d rather have a new Ridgeline.

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

Scratch that: Next generation Honda Ridgeline not coming in 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Feb 2010 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hey ya’ll, if you have not bought Sony’s Exclusive flOw game that will translucently take you through different levels and calm down your nerves from a busy week, there is no better time to get it for free while the offer is out there on PlayStation Network. If you like it, get Flower too, very chill game as well. Happy Valentine’s everyone!

There have been some rumors making its way around the web saying the LG eXpo has been discontinued. I had a talk with a rep and can therefore clarify the situation. The rumor says since the eXpo has not been available for some time now one, it must therefore be discontinued. That rumor jumps the gun before thinking about why this could be happening.

There are many reasons why the restocking of the LG eXpo is taking longer than desired time. The biggest we can think of is the device has a very high demand and when it becomes available, it quickly becomes unavailable due to high demands. The second reason I could think of is, since it is getting close to the holidays in china where the device is made, the production is a little slow, and the will not get the order in soon. Whatever the cause of this might be, the device is not discontinued and the reps just say to wait and it shall be available soon enough.

If you thought that the finger-cutting video (qjnet/playstation-3/video-leak-heavy-rain-finger-cutting-gameplay.html) was something, then check this out. Apparently, the weather isn’t the only thing heavy about Heavy Rain. When it comes to sex scenes (yes, there will be some lovin’),