Category: News

Nintendo’s president Satoru Iwata was more mouthy than most presidents are about their upcoming, but unannounced, products, and said that the upcoming DS will have an accelerometer. Or, some kind of motion sensor.

Here’s the quote:

[It will have] highly detailed graphics, and it will be necessary to have a sensor with the ability to read the movements of people playing.

The highly detailed graphics part is a given, but even so, is still pretty vague. It does mesh with the Nvidia Tegra rumors we heard back in October. The people’s movements part is a bit more interesting. Maybe some kind of accelerometer for tilt-based gaming (like in smartphones now) could be interesting, but unintrusive enough for it to still be a DS. [Kotaku]

By Charles S. Golvin, Contributor, Forrester Blog

We’ve just gotten data back from our most recent US Omnibus Survey, fielded in October and November of 2009, and it provides a snapshot of the US mobile phone market pretty darn close to the end of 2009.

Before examining the data, it’s important to note that the term smartphone, while widely used, doesn’t benefit from a uniform, industry-wide definition.

For Forrester, a smartphone is a mobile phone or connected handheld device that uses a high-level operating system, including iPhone OS, BlackBerry OS, Windows Mobile, PalmOS, WebOS, Symbian, and any flavor of Linux including Android.

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Google has finally rolled out a slick-looking mobile phone called the Nexus One–not just a phone but a superphone!

But it hasn’t just confined its ambitions to mere hardware and software design. It also wants to reinvent the way the mobile business works.

Heady stuff, but then again Google (GOOG) has already reinvented other industries (ask the old search engines) and is helping to reorder other ones (ask any newspaper publisher these days). 

The flip side: The Silicon Valley search giant does launch lots of other stuff too, but many of those products are now on the shelf of dusty tech curios.

Below are a few of the choicest nuggets in our slideshow. Some are first-place finishers; others had to be killed off and turned into mulch for the Google organic garden.

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By Bill Gurley, Partner, Benchmark Capital

In a recent New York Times (NYT) article, Kathryn Huberty, a Morgan Stanley (MS) analyst was quoted suggesting that Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone is the key catalyst for an important new technology trend. “Applications make the smartphone trend a revolutionary trend – one we haven’t seen in consumer technology for many years.” This argument rings true in that the “after iPhone” smartphone market is dramatically more interesting than the “pre-iPhone” smartphone market.

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Each day that passes by brings even more uncertainly in the Jaime Alguersuari situation at Scuderia Toro Rosso. It’s not rocket science to figure out that the problem with his contract extension is strictly related to sponsorship money, something that the young Spaniard seems to find very difficult latelly.

However, should his management crew fail to deliver the needed sponsorship in the next few days, it’s likely that the Faenza-based bosses will start looking elsewhere for a sec… (read more)

Following Google’s purchase of AdMob and news that Apple is buying Quattro Wireless, the mobile advertising industry has passed the $1 billion in value—which is quite the accomplishment given that the total U.S. mobile advertising market was only worth $416 million in 2009. In 2010, the U.S. market will equal about half, or $593 million, of what Google (NSDQ: GOOG) and Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) just spent, according to eMarketer.

The $1 billion-dollar figure comes from adding the $750 million Google paid for AdMob, and the rumored $270 million Apple paid for Quattro. To be fair, both Google and Apple are not just looking at the immediate revenue opportunity, but rather the total future value, so it’s not correct to compare the purchase prices to one year of revenues, but it works as a point of comparison.

The billion-dollar figure is also something for other startups in the space to salivate over because it has created a high valuation for companies in the space. Yesterday, when the news leaked out that Apple was sniffing around Quattro, the rumor mill accelerated with those crossing their fingers that the $270-something figure was correct. And today, a number of mobile ad networks provided glowing statements about how the two deals validate the space. AdMob stated: “We believe that Apple’s proposed acquisition of Quattro serves as yet another validation of the vibrant mobile advertising industry and can help accelerate the pace of innovation and competition in this space.” And, Jumptap’s CMO Paran Johar took it a step further: “If there is any doubt that 2010 is the year of Mobile Advertising, Apple just cleared up any speculation. For pessimists who thought the Google acquisition of Admob was a fluke, this reinforces that mobile advertising is here to stay.”

It’s not to say that the flurry of mergers occurring is not valid, or that they won’t bleed into similar technologies (like the merger of the two analytics firms Flurry and Pinch Media). It also wouldn’t be strange to see others enter the race with companies like Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT), Yahoo (NSDQ: YHOO), or the big ad agencies, buying up their own properties.

Even if the acclaimed Chevrolet Volt is still some one year away from its market launch, American manufacturer GM already scrambles to make its entrance onto the market as easy as possible. The latest in a long line of gizmos launched in expectation of the Volt arrival is the OnStar Mobile Application, a piece of software which will allow Volt owners "24/7 connection and control of vehicle functions and OnStar features remotely."

OnStar’s system is compatible with Motoro… (read more)

The American division of Japanese carmaker Nissan today announced that December brought an increase of 18.2 percent in sales over the same period last year. Specifically, the company sold a total of 73,404 vehicles in December, up from 62,101 units in the same month of 2008.

More importantly, Nissan posted 2009 sales of 770,103 vehicles in North America, a decrease of 19.1 percent as compared to the previous year when it managed to deliver a total of 951,930 units.

… (read more)

Here’s a rendering of the Opel Astra Sports Tourer, with the Astra station wagon expected to be one of the most important Opel models to appear in 2010. After the Insignia adopted the “sports tourer” name, the Astra will also take it up, while the car itself is expected to be assembled at the Vauxhall facilities of Ellesmere Port in England.

The Astra Sports Tourer should see Opel increase sales on the back of the successful new Astra, which has already achieved more than 45,000 orders. The Opel Astra range will extend from the standard hatchback model, to the station wagon and also an Astra coupé, which could appear under the historic “Calibra” name.

Source | Autoweek.nl

Periodically when using Twitter you tend to get a lot of junk in your Twitter stream. Also, Twitter is overrun by spammers galore, and people who don’t have anything relevant to say. Plus, there are those who sign up for Twitter once say something, then drop off the face of the planet.

A while back I introduced some of you to a pretty cool tool called Mutuality. It did three following three things for you in bulk:

• Un-follow all who do not follow you back
• Un-follow all
• Follow all who follow you

The other day I was introduced to an even better tool for un-following spam bots and time wasters. It is called TheTwitCleaner. This tool does the following according to their page:

• Analyses all the people you follow
• Finds time wasters, spammers, the boring, bots etc
• Creates a detailed report of everyone you’re following
• Increases the integrity & authenticity of your brand or personal image
• Clears up the ‘background noise’ of Twitter
• Enables you to focus your time & energy (whether you’re on Twitter for friendship, business, or both)
• Un-follow people & blame it on us! *wink*

I ran the tool, and true to form they sent me a DM with a link to my detailed report. It showed me the spammers I was following, those who post nothing but links, people who haven’t been active for months, and a few others. I did a bulk clean-up with just a click on the button. It also un-follows people a little at a time so as not to trigger the mass un-follow alarm on Twitter’s end. All-in-all, not too shabby.

What tools do you like to use to keep your Twitter stream flowing smoothly and garbage free? Let us know in the comments!

Basketball must bounce back from painful loss to Cal

Stanford (6-7, 0-1 Pac-10) faces a team Wednesday that won’t make the NCAA Tournament, the NIT or even the Pac-10 Tournament this season. Yet USC (10-4, 2-0 Pac-10) is probably one of the best teams in the Pac-10 and presents a great challenge when it comes to Maples Pavilion tonight.

Senior Landry Fields has been carrying the Cardinal on his back throughout the season, averaging 23.2 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. Fields will be looking to lead Stanford to its first Pac-10 win of the season tonight. (CHRIS SEEWALD/The Stanford Daily)

The shocking news of its postseason nullification came Sunday for the Trojans, when the school announced it was sanctioning the program by forfeiting victories and money, reducing scholarships and forbidding postseason play this season. The sanctions arose from a scandal surrounding former USC star O.J. Mayo, who allegedly received more than $200,000 in benefits from L.A. promoter Rodney Guillory.

Tonight’s game at Maples Pavilion will be the first time USC has taken the court since the punishment was announced. The Trojans were on a roll before Sunday, winning eight games (including a 22-point victory over then-No. 8 Tennessee). The 7 p.m. Pac-10 home opener for the Cardinal will be an important game for both teams, as Stanford will try to get on track after a 26-point loss at Cal to start conference play, while the Trojans will try to play through the pain of having their budding postseason hopes shot down prematurely.

The Trojans were clearly rattled by the massive punishment, which had little or nothing to do with any of the current players or the current head coach Kevin O’Neill. How they are able to recuperate after taking such a blow will go a long way in determining the outcome of Wednesday’s game.

“It was the hardest thing I’ve had to do,” O’Neill said to the Los Angeles Times. “You’re talking to a guy who’s been fired four or five times — and you’re not really a coach in this business until you’ve been fired — but telling our team that yesterday was much harder than ever getting fired.

“I hope I don’t ever have to do that again, because when you break young people’s dreams and hearts, that’s hard to do,” he added.

That said, Stanford has plenty of issues of its own to still work out, though most of those have taken place on the court. The Cardinal had a rough winter break, going 1-4 over that period. The team gave up an average of 89 points in its last three games, with its only win over the break coming against James Madison at home by the score of 80-76. In its Pac-10 opener, Stanford was trounced by the rival Golden Bears, 92-66.

If anything, the Cardinal could take its cue from the Trojans when it comes to defense. USC has the best team defense by far in the Pac-10, as its opponents average only 54.5 points a game. The Trojans allowed just 50 points to Arizona while locking Arizona State down to a measly 37, so Stanford will have its hands full when it comes to putting the ball in the basket.

Another main issue Stanford will have to work out is finding production from players other than senior forward Landry Fields and sophomore guard Jeremy Green. Fields and Green have both been stellar so far this season — Fields will probably be named First-Team All Pac-10 the way his season has been going, as he is averaging 23.2 points and 9.1 rebounds a game. Green, who was suspended briefly for an offseason incident before rejoining the team for its game against Oral Roberts, has been averaging 16.7 points and 4 rebounds a game.

Both get a large percentage of their points from their jump shot, so if either of the two has an off night shooting the ball it could get ugly for the Cardinal. In any case, though, Stanford still has something to play for this season. Players on the USC basketball team, guilty of no wrongdoing, are not blessed with the privilege of saying that for themselves.

Sophomore sprinter/hurdler Amaechi Morton (right) is just one of many key returners to this year’s track and field team, on both the men’s and women’s sides. The team begins its season next weekend at the University of Washington Indoor Preview. (Stanford Daily File Photo)

Track and field begins with high expectations

After a season of shattering records and further developing the indoor program, the Stanford track and field team is geared up and ready to attack another season.

With a successful season in which every single Cardinal athlete who competed at NCAA Indoor Nationals earned All-American honors, the team will hope to do so once more, in addition to securing top positions in all events. The women captured the MPSF title last season, the first time since 2006. As a testament to the depth of the women’s team, they placed in nearly every single event. Following this spectacular performance, the women proceeded to continue their success with numerous top finishes at the NCAA Indoor National Championships.

The Cardinal will definitely miss some of last year’s seniors, including Lauren Centrowitz, Alicia Follmar, Idara Otu and Claire Cormier-Thielke. However, the returners for the Stanford women form an intimidating force. The group consists of, but is not limited to, junior Arantxa King, sophomore Mia Lattanzi, sophomore Laurynne Chetelat and junior Whitney Liehr.

“I am very excited and anxious for this upcoming indoor season,” King said. “The team is heading into the season with a strong freshman class, a tough quarter of preseason training and an overall new positive and competitive mentality.”

With a massive recruiting class of 14 freshmen women, the team will certainly pose a stiff threat to the competition.

“The freshmen girls will help the team win the MPSF title this year,” said freshman Karynn Dunn, whose individual goal is to qualify for the NCAA Championships in long jump and the 100-meter hurdles.

“The women’s team has an enormous amount of potential,” King added. “I am confident that we will do well this season. We are focused and are really looking forward to bringing home a team title.”

This will be King’s first completely healthy season since her freshman year.

“Personally, I am looking to have a breakthrough season,” she affirmed. “I am concentrated on jumping consistently for the ultimate goal of performing well at NCAAs.”

The men will be returning some top performers from last year, including sophomore Chris Derrick, who placed fourth at Nationals last year in the 5,000 meters with a time of 13:48.26. Derrick will be joined by teammate Elliott Heath, a redshirt sophomore who placed third in the 3,000 meters at Nationals with a time of 7:54.59.

The men’s team will miss the leadership and dominance in the hurdles of 2009 graduate Myles Bradley. However, the team boasts a large class of 17 recruits, providing great depth for the Cardinal men.

“The track team has a lot of young talent this year looking to do big things in NCAAs,” said senior Justin Reed.

Other top returners for the men include sophomore Amaechi Morton, who had an incredible outdoor season last year, as well as senior Ryan Fisicaro. With a strong foundation of seniors and leaders on the team, built upon with the fresh energy of the freshmen, the men will prove a dominant force in the league and have their eyes set on a championship title.

The men and women will go into action for the indoor season on the weekend of Jan. 16, competing in Seattle at the University of Washington Indoor Preview.

Cardinal hopes to erase pain of last year’s near miss

For the members of the 2009 Stanford women’s gymnastics team, 0.075 is not a lucky number. It was by this very narrow margin, 0.075 of a point, that the squad missed qualifying at last year’s NCAA preliminaries, thus losing a spot in the Super Six team finals. A fraction of a point had stood between them and their goal of reaching the championship, yet failure to come through in the clutch resigned the disheartened Cardinal athletes to seats in the bleachers, as they watched the top six teams compete on the floor below.

Senior Co-captain Carly Janiga will lead a young but talented Stanford gymnastics team in the 2010 season, with the goal of reaching the nation’s Final Six and competing for the national championship. (Stanford Daily File Photo)

It was this frustrating finale to last year’s season, however, that has so far proven to be the best thing that could have happened to the Farm’s gymnastics program. This year’s team knows exactly what is at stake and the gymnasts are back with an intense fire and optimistic outlook on the road ahead. Their motivation to realize their full potential is stronger than ever and their goal is clear: be one of the six teams that competes on the last day of the season

First, however, the team plans to focus on what head coach Kristen Smyth calls a “meet-by-meet basis.” This will require clean execution of all 24 routines per meet, as well as a strong focus on the aspects of the competition that the gymnasts can control.

And the team has no time to waste, as the first meet of the season will undoubtedly be the most significant. This coming weekend, it will head to Georgia to face the five-time defending national champions in a stadium filled with 10,000 fans. Though the competition will certainly be a challenge, Coach Smyth sees it as the perfect opportunity to immediately “test ourselves against the best.” Because of grueling preseason workouts and contributions from several key returning team members, the girls can definitely show Georgia how it’s done on the Farm.

Senior co-captain Carly Janiga is one such critical returner, who her coach deems “one of the top all-rounders in the nation.” Janiga is a not only a six-time All-American, but also the reigning Pac-10 conference balance beam champion. Her new floor routine will tremendously contribute to the team’s efforts this year, but more importantly, so will her strong leadership skills. Smyth describes Janiga’s presence to her teammates as “calming,” which sets the tone for workouts and the team’s overall mentality.

Junior Shelley Alexander and senior Allyse Ishino are the two remaining co-captains and Smyth has high expectations for both, noting Alexander’s remarkable work ethic and passion, as well as Ishino’s “show-stopping” floor routines. Ashley Morgan, a standout freshman, is also expected to create a serious impact on the team with her spectacular talents on the beam and solid vault and floor performances.

But as the entire team acknowledges, their success this year will not be a product of individual efforts. Rather, they will utilize what Janiga calls their “unique team chemistry” to earn each win.

“We have a special ability to give and receive constructive criticism that most other teams do not have,” Janiga said. “We are able to listen to what our teammates have to say and we can feel comfortable saying anything to each other without getting a negative response.”

In fact, team bonding has been an important aspect of this season, as the coaches and the players treat each other as members of a close-knit family. This is consistently emphasized by Smyth, who always tries to ensure that a fun and comfortable energy is being maintained in the gym. Her success is certainly evident as she enters her ninth season as head coach: she has been named Pac-10 Coach of the Year four times.

Yet this year in particular is special, because never before has a class made three Super Sixes in its four years at Stanford. This year’s seniors could be the first. Furthermore, as a whole, the team is younger than in past years, including several sophomores who were unable to compete last season due to injuries, as well as three freshmen who are entirely new to the realm of collegiate gymnastics. Yet Coach Smyth sees the team’s youth as a strong suit; it will be hard for competing teams to keep up with the Cardinal spirit and enthusiasm.

Thus, looking forward, the 2010 team is well deserving of four sold out home meets in Burnham Pavilion. It is an exciting time to be a part of the up and coming program and with dynamic performances and no shortage of all-around talent, it doesn’t seem that 0.075 points will stand in the way of anything that Stanford women’s gymnastics sets out to accomplish

Sophomore Bradley Klahn will be an instrumental part of the 2010 men’s tennis team, likely playing singles and number one doubles. Klahn and the Card have high hopes for this year after losing in the Round of 16 in last year’s NCAA Tournament. (Stanford Daily File Photo)

You hear stories of the Stanford men’s tennis team traveling to Hawaii over Thanksgiving break and you invariably become jealous.

You see tennis players wearing their free Nike shorts, shirts, sweats and shoes and you say to yourself, damn, I wish I were on the team.

You watch the team steamroll over opponents in the Taube Tennis Center, arguably the premiere collegiate stadium in the nation and become even more envious.

Then you sit in class and overhear a player discussing the twice-weekly 7:00 a.m. workouts and you forget why you ever wanted to play on the team.

That is the life of a Stanford men’s tennis player.

The Cardinal, returning its top four players, enters the 2010 season with lofty expectations. Last season, Stanford had its national title dream dashed by a loss to USC in the Round of 16 at the NCAA Tournament.

This season, Stanford does not plan on changing much. Sophomores Bradley Klahn and Ryan Thacher, junior Alex Clayton and senior Richard Wire, the team’s top ranked players, lead the charge for the Cardinal’s 19th national championship.

Four new freshmen will also enter the fray: Matt Kandath, Denis Lin, Sam Ecker and Walker Kehrer.

Stanford only loses three players from last year’s squad: Matt Bruch, Blake Muller and Jeff Zeller. Bruch, the Pac-10 singles champion his freshman and senior year, is an especially big loss.

Clayton is excited about the combination of new talent and experienced veterans.

“We have a few new freshmen who are going to make an impact immediately,” he said. “We had a really young team last year. Everyone comes in a year older and year more mature.”

As of now most of the roster is set. Klahn, Clayton, Thacher, Wire, Kandath and Lin will most likely be the singles lineup.

Doubles is a little more wide-open. Klahn and Thacher, the No. 1 ranked doubles team in the nation and winners of the National Indoor Championships, will assuredly be the No. 1 for Stanford. After that, there are five players — Clayton, Wire, Kandath, Lin and junior Ted Kelly — competing for the four spots on the two other doubles team.

Whatever the lineups end up being, the Cardinal will not have an easy road to the NCAA Championships. Standing in the way of a dream season for Stanford are the perennial powers: USC, UCLA, Baylor, Texas, Ohio State, Mississippi and Virginia.

Stanford gets it first test of the season Jan. 15-19 at the Sherwood Cup, which features some of the best teams in the nation, including USC and UCLA. While the tournament does not matter in terms of conference play, the Cup traditionally serves as a litmus test for the Cardinal.

“It’s a good way to see where we are as a team,” Wire said.

Stanford has already had one quick test — a match against University of Hawaii over Thanksgiving Break. Even without Klahn, who was out with a minor injury, the Cardinal easily defeated the Warriors 7-0.

“Hawaii was a great warm-up,” Wire said. “We don’t want to draw too much from it, but we were pleased with the results.”

Stanford will quickly see how those results in Hawaii translate to the tougher Pac-10 competition. By the end of the year, the Cardinal players are hoping you will hear one more story: how they won the national championship.

Football is a game of momentum. Even in a blowout, a few plays can dictate the outcome. It’s with that in mind that we look at the six turning points of Stanford’s season — that is, the plays or sequences that dictated the course of a single game or beyond and ultimately, the Cardinal’s final 8-5 standing.

1. The Phantom Clip (at Wake Forest)
Background: Despite an offensively anemic second half, Stanford was driving with the score tied at the midway point of the fourth quarter. It was third-and-2 from the Cardinal 45-yard line.

The Play: Toby Gerhart, who was underutilized throughout the final 30 minutes, ran right and broke off a long, 39-yard run that would have given Stanford the ball at the Wake Forest 16-yard line with about four minutes to play. But a flag came out and Chris Marinelli was whistled for clipping, which brought the play back.

Aftermath: The problem? There was no evidence of such a penalty. None. Stanford could not convert third-and-long and had to punt; Wake Forest subsequently drove the length of the field and scored with two seconds left. The Cardinal left North Carolina with a 24-17 loss and an awful taste in their mouths. Marinelli called the flag “horrendous” and it was — national analysts were still talking about it weeks later which, given the relatively low stature of the game, was both surprising and telling.

2. The Drop (at Oregon State)
Background: After the Wake Forest loss, Stanford tore off three wins against San Jose State, a ranked Washington squad and an upstart UCLA team. The Cardinal entered Corvallis as the top team in the conference and an emphatic road win over the always-difficult Beavers could have added further legitimacy to their season.

The Play: Stanford started with the ball and on the initial play from scrimmage Andrew Luck ran a play-action pass and found a wide open, streaking Chris Owusu over the middle for what would have been a sure touchdown. Only Owusu dropped the pass.

Aftermath: Stanford punted five plays later and Oregon State opened the floodgates. By halftime, the Beavers were leading 31-7 and were never seriously threatened. Owusu’s touchdown wouldn’t have cured Stanford’s porous defense, but it would have been a dramatic offensive statement out of the gate, which goes a long way toward establishing a presence, if not a swagger. Instead, the Cardinal attack didn’t really get going until the second half.

3. Fourth Down (at Arizona)
Background: In a wild match up, Stanford had the ball with under six minutes left in the fourth quarter, leading by two. It was fourth down and two from the Arizona 8 yard line.

The Play: Instead of kicking a field goal to go up by a full score, coach Jim Harbaugh elected to go for it. Luck’s pass to Owusu fell incomplete and the Wildcats took over.

Aftermath: Arizona scored on their next possession. Stanford still had one more chance to win, but instead of needing just a field goal, they had to score a touchdown. The Cardinal turned it over on downs in the red zone and the Wildacts prevailed, 43-38.

4. The Sack (vs. No. 8 Oregon)
Background: Stanford controlled much of the game through three quarters. A Nate Whitaker field goal extended the Cardinal lead to 17 with three minutes to play in the third, but Oregon’s quick strike offense, which propelled them to a win over USC the week before, was always a threat. Indeed, after the Ducks quickly marched into Stanford territory, it looked as if they were going to make it just a two possession game with a full quarter left to play. The Oregon drive stalled at the Cardinal 39-yard line, but the Ducks elected to go for it.

The Play: Michael Thomas, blitzing from his nickel back spot, sacked Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli as time expired in the period.

Aftermath: Stanford took over on downs and promptly drove downfield for another Whitaker field goal to push the gap to 20 points. It proved necessary, as Oregon scored two quick touchdowns in the fourth quarter and cut the Cardinal lead to just six before Whitaker clinched it with another field goal.

5. The Play Calls (vs. California)
Background: After a Vince D’Amato field goal gave the Golden Bears a six point lead with under three minutes left, Stanford marched downfield in an effort to win the game. This was largely aided by a 29-yard pass reception by Gerhart, who carried defenders down to the Cal 13 yard line.

The Play: Luck had been struggling all game; Stanford needed to burn time so as not to give Cal any ability to win on a last second score; and Gerhart was jacked up from the previous play and had scored four touchdowns already. But despite everything pointing to a run, Harbaugh elected to go with two straight pass plays. The first was an uncatchable toss to Coby Fleener in the end zone; the second was a badly underthrown pass right into the hands of Cal linebacker Mike Mohamed.

Aftermath: Cal emerged with the Axe in one of the more painful finishes in recent memory. Harbaugh’s decision to pass is still questioned today and on an individual level, given the margin of the Heisman trophy voting, a fifth (and game winning) touchdown in a rivalry game would have added a little bit more spark to Gerhart’s campaign.

6. The Toss (vs. Notre Dame)
Background: Down eight points early in the fourth quarter, Stanford desperately needed a touchdown to keep pace with the Irish. The Cardinal made it down to the Notre Dame 18-yard line with just over nine minutes to play before the drive stalled.

The Play: Instead of kicking a field goal, Harbaugh went for it on fourth and four. The play appeared at first to be a toss to Gerhart, which looked doomed — Notre Dame read it well. But then he stopped, planted and threw toward the end zone, where he found Ryan Whalen for a touchdown.

Aftermath: Luck hit Jim Dray on the next play for the two-point conversion and Gerhart would eventually put the Cardinal ahead for good on a touchdown run with a minute left. The exhilarating victory was a fitting end to a thrilling, if not up-and-down regular season.

Wyndam Makowsky refuses to admit that the football season is over. Shed some light at makowsky “at” stanford.edu.

OCZ announced their new line of SSDs for the first part of 2010, and it includes an external USB 3.0 SSD that can transfer at speeds up to 357 megabytes per second.

The portable drive is expected to come in 64, 128 and 256-gigabyte sizes, but pricing and availability are still unknown. [Engadget]

The New England Soup Factory has a hardcover cookbook filled with customer favorites. New England Soup Factory Cookbook features easy-to-find ingredients, simple instructions and plenty of food photography to motivate you to get cooking.

New England Soup Factory Chef Marjorie is committed to sourcing only the best quality ingredients from local markets to simmer soup from scratch and capture seasonal flavors for a wholesome meal in a bowl. With the new cookbook, Marjorie’s homemade recipes are at your fingertips. The book would make a thoughtful Valentine’s present for the home chef and soup lover on your list.

I’ve included a recipe from the cookbook for Potato Crab and Gorgonzola Soup. It’s sure to keep you warm during this very cold winter!

Potato Crab and Gorgonzola Soup from New England Soup Factory Cookbook: More Than 100 Recipes from the Nation’s Best Purveyor of Fine Soup by Marjorie Druker

Ingredients

• 3T butter
• 4 whole garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 Spanish onion, peeled and diced
• 3 ribs celery, diced
• 6 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 6 C lobster stock
• 1 can (8oz) tomato paste
• 2 C sherry
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 t celery salt
• 2 C heavy cream
• 1 pound cooked crabmeat
• 1 C crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (reserve about 1/2C for garnish)
• ½ bunch chopped fresh basil (reserve about 1 T for garnish)
• 5 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 5 dashes Tabasco sauce
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

In a stockpot, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the garlic, onion, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add lobster stock, tomato paste, sherry, bay leaves and celery salt. Bring to a boil Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are soft and tender, 30-25 minutes.

Remove and discard the bay leaves. Remove from the heat and add the cream. Puree the soup in the pot using a hand blender or working in batches with a regular blender until smooth and creamy. Add crabmeat, cheese, basil, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. Stir well. Return the pot to the heat and simmer for an additional 5 minutes, adding a bit more sherry to taste. Garnish each serving with the crumbled cheese, and extra crabmeat and chopped basil.

Makes 10 servings.

(Image courtesy New England Soup Factory)

Post from: Blisstree

Recipe from New England Soup Factory