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Final federal approval was granted today by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to
Cape Wind, the company that has fought a nine year long battle to construct America’s first offshore wind farm in the waters off Cape Cod.

“I am approving the Cape Wind project with modifications to the proposed project that will help protect the historic cultural and environmental resources of Nantucket Sound,” said Salazar. Among the additional requirements, developers must reduce the scale of the project to minimize the visual impact by reducing the numbers of turbines proposed from 170 to 130. Additional marine ecological surveys will be required to limit the affect of submerged archeological resources.

This is a landmark decision marking the end of a nearly decade long process involving a multitude of regulatory and political hurdles.

“This will be the first of many projects up and down the Atlantic coast which I expect will come on-line in the years ahead as we build a new energy future for our country.” said Salazar.

Massachusetts late Senator Ted Kennedy fought hard before his death last summer to stop the project which is slated to be built in the waters he sailed with his famous brothers. Once erected, the turbines will be visible from the Kennedy family compound in Hyannis Port.

Massachusetts newly elected Republican Senator Scott Brown released a statement shortly after Salazar’s announcement saying: “I am strongly opposed to the administrations misguided decision to move forward with Cape Wind. While I support the concept of wind power as an alternative source of energy, Nantucket Sound is a national treasure that should be protected from industrialization.”

Not all high profile Massachusetts politicians share Kennedy’s and Brown’s opposition to Cape Wind. Governor Deval Patrick stood at Salazar’s side today hailing the project as a major breakthrough that will provide clean energy to much of the Cape and Islands.

“Today’s decision affirms that, on balance, Cape Wind is good for our environment and good for our energy needs,” said Patrick. “The United States is twenty years behind Europe on offshore wind and China is pulling ahead as fast as it can. America now has a chance to turn that around.”

With approval in hand, Cape Wind hopes to begin construction on the billion dollar project by year’s end and complete building by 2012, creating jobs and ultimately providing enough energy to power 75% of the homes on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.

“Secretary Salazar’s decision today to approve Cape Wind has launched the American offshore wind industry. It allows our nation to harness an abundant and inexhaustible clean energy source for greater energy independence, a healthier environment and green jobs,” said Cape Wind President Jim Gordon.

Opponents of Cape Wind have argued the project is too expensive. They say the turbines and construction will negatively impact the fragile marine environment in Nantucket Sound. Some have argued air and sea navigation would be affected. Others say the Cape’s thriving tourism industry would be stunted and that long-treasured ocean views would be destroyed.

While supporters of Cape Wind often dismiss opponents concerns as NIMBY (not in my backyard) complaints, several Native American tribes have argued the turbines will disturb spiritual sun rituals.

The concerns have been addressed by scientific and government studies. A multitude of agencies have weighed in from the Coast Guard to the US Energy Department.
The greenlight from the Obama Administration should move the project forward but lawsuits could further slow progress.

It’s light, portable and can handle e-books. So why are some schools banning the iPad?

[Source: Higher Ed Morning]

A self-proclaimed Sanctuary City, San Francisco has long been a safe haven for illegal immigrants: They can live, work, and even get a government I.D. without fear of deportation.

Now, San Francisco is taking action to punish Arizona for cracking down on illegal aliens.

Mayor Gavin Newsom ordered an immediate ban on all non-essential travel there for city workers, and the Board of Supervisors has taken the first step toward an economic boycott: No contracts, no purchasing, and no conferences — like the one in Scottsdale next weekend for members of the the San Francisco Housing Authority.

“We as San Franciscans need to send a very clear message that this kind of discriminatory law is not going to be tolerated,”
says San Francisco Supervisor David Campos.

Similar sanctions are being considered by city leaders in Los Angeles, and there’s a proposal in Sacramento to cancel state contracts with Arizona businesses until the law is repealed. Thousands of California prisoners are currently housed in Arizona, and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to send more. He made it clear he does not want *that* contract threatened.

In San Francisco, department heads — before taking further action — are studying whether sanctions could backfire.

“One of the companies we do business with for the Jobs Now program that accepts and processes payments is in Arizona. So if we move injudiciously, if we don’t move prudently and smartly and effectively, we could be looking at a situation where 2,500 San Franciscans would lose their jobs,” says city spokesman, Tony Winnicker.

San Francisco business interests are also worried about a boycott backlash. “Would Arizona and other states that are more conservative than San Francisco retaliate, and stop sending conventions to San Francisco? Certainly, in a recession, we don’t want any retaliation,” says Kevin Westlye with the Golden Gate Restaurant Association.

But some city leaders want to broaden the attack, and are even calling on professional and collegiate sports organizations… Not to schedule events like the Superbowl, and All-Star games in the Grand Canyon State while this law is in effect.

It seems as if another Android device has just passed through the FCC, the Commtiva Blaze (F800). Here are the specs dissected from the FCC testing:

• Radio Band & Standard
  
  • GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
  • WCDMA/HSDPA 1700 / 2100
• 5MP Camera with flash
• Android 1.6
• 3.5 mm jack
• Connectivity
• GPS GPS / AGPS
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
• Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR 2.0 + EDR
• USB USB 2.0
  • Power
• Battery Rechargeable Li-Ion 1230mAh
• Power Adapter AC input: 100-240V, 50 / 60Hz, 0.2A max.
• DC output: 5V, 1A
• Temperature
  • Operating -15ºC to 55ºC
  • Non-operating / Storage -20ºC to 70ºC
  • Charging 0ºC to 40ºC
• Humidity
  • Operating 10% to 90% non-condensing
  • Non-operating / Storage 5% to 95% non-condensing

Judging by the photos, the device is headed to Cincinnati Bell, which uses T-Mobile bands. There is no information given on the internals such as storage or RAM/ROM, but upon further digging on FCC’s site, I found that it will ship with a Qualcomm MSM7227 chipset. What’s more, the addition of Android 1.6 and a 600 MHz processor will land this baby somewhere in the mid-range smartphone level. However, it does appear as if Commtiva has added their own twist to Android, and it actually looks pretty good.

Stay tuned, folks!  We’ll be sure to keep you updated as we discover more.

Via: Phandroid
FCC Information

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) released its statement this afternoon for its April meeting. The market is looking for it to answer questions such as: Will anyone join the dissents of maverick committee member Thomas Hoenig? Will the FOMC retain its “extended period” language regarding how long rates will remain exceptionally low? Will the Fed indicate it intends to soon begin selling some of the securities on its balance sheet? Its short April statement probably won’t satisfy the market’s hunger for all of this knowledge, but some answers are provided.

First and foremost, Kansas City Fed President Hoenig remained the lone dissenter. The reason he voted agains the policy action was the same as for the past few months: the Fed continues to use the “extended period” language to explain how long it will keep rates very low, much to Hoenig’s dismay. He remains concerned that the Fed won’t have as much flexibility to raise rates if inflation suddenly ramps up. He’s still the only committee member worried enough about this possibility to dissent, however.

To be sure, the Fed thinks the economy has continued to improve since March and sees a moderate recovery for a time. It notes that spending by business on equipment and software, and by households, has continued to improve. But it still sees consumers restraining themselves, due to high unemployment, low income growth, reduced wealth, and low credit. It also noted that businesses remain reluctant to add payrolls.

Since the Fed continues to get more and more optimistic about the economy with each statement this year, its decision to remain so dovish on rates is a little surprising. Even though no one expects the Fed to raise rates anytime soon, with each month that passes, Hoenig’s argument grows stronger and stronger. With strong first-quarter corporate earnings across-the-board and job growth starting in March, it’s curious that the Fed hasn’t eased its dedication to indefinite near-zero rates.

The FOMC statement revealed little else, however. It contains no mention of when or how the Fed intends to begin selling some of the many billions of dollars in assets it has accumulated on its balance sheet since the financial crisis. In fact, the statement doesn’t mention any plans or timeline to begin reining in the money supply. But given that inflation remains extremely low, perhaps this shouldn’t be a shock. Still, with such an enormous balance sheet, some might have expected the Fed to remind the market that some preparations have been made to soak up excess credit when the time comes. Perhaps the more detailed meeting minutes will provide greater insight when released in a few weeks.

Thanks to everyone who participated, and since Fixmo Tools has updated with even more enhancements, I thought I would announce the end of the contest and which stories made the cut. Thanks for participating and now I am going to announce our winners, drum roll please…and the winners are

Galambo shared:

Edwin V shared:

“Well I was trying to email my friend about this great weekend I had with this one girl. I wrote everything that happened including how she was a freak in bed and about the things she was willing to do in bed. Since I was in such a hurry I didn’t notice that I hadn’t sent it to him, but that I had sent it to my mom. I was really embarassed when I saw her and had to apologize.”

I thought those two stories were the most painful of them all, and kudos for being brave enough to share. I know there were probably others who refrained from such painful stories, but don’t worry, we’re all winners with Fixmo Tools. And we can all be spared further embarrassment from any such stories. Enjoy your copies and thanks for participating.

And you can still grab a copy of Fixmo Tools for half off till the end of the month, hurry!

Grab your copy of Fixmo Tools for only $9.99 till April 29th from the BlackBerry Sync Store here

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3. Fixmo Tools Updates To v1.0.2 And Is Out Of Beta Testing I find myself using Fixmo Tools a few times…

Don’t say we didn’t try to warn people. We posted yesterday that our benevolent benefactors at Consumers Union would be unleashing Bankzilla upon the innocent people of Washington, D.C., and we were not kidding. Just check out the video for the evidence.

By no coincidence, Bankzilla is rampaging through the streets of D.C. at the same time as the Senate attempts to vote on financial reform.

Whatever you might think of the hullaballoo in Washington right now, you can just enjoy the site of a grown man being swallowed whole by an inflatable monster:

[JURIST] Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry on Tuesday vetoed legislation that would have exempted buyers of Oklahoma-made guns from several regulatory precautions including federal criminal background checks. Henry believes that the proposed legislation would “endanger citizens and law enforcement officers” by abolishing “common sense regulations” like background checks and giving criminals easy access to a wide array of weapons. Henry also cited constitutional concerns. Because there is no way to ensure that Oklahoma-manufactured weapons will remain in the state, Henry said that the proposed legislation would likely be seen as violating the Commerce Clause and would therefore be declared unconstitutional if it were challenged in court. State Senator Randy Brogdon, an advocate for the bill, said that he was disappointed to learn that Henry had vetoed the legislation. Brogdon challenged Henry’s assertions that the law would give criminals easy access to firearms and went on to claim that the legislation would actually have “stopped further federal attempts to erode our Constitutional right to protect ourselves and our families.” It remains to be seen whether supporters of the bill in the state senate will garner the necessary support to override the veto.
The rights of states and municipalities to regulate firearms under the Second Amendment of the US Constitution have become controversial. Last month, a federal judge ruled that firearms regulations in Washington, DC, including a ban on assault weapons and a prohibition on large capacity ammunition feeding devices, do not violate the Second Amendment. In upholding the regulations, the judge cited the 2008 Supreme Court ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller, which struck down an outright ban on handgun ownership in Washington, DC. The Supreme Court recently heard arguments in McDonald v. City of Chicago to determine whether the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms applies to the states, and not just the District of Columbia.

Cute overload! They did it with Jersey Shore, they did it with Scarface, and now the world’s littlest reality fans are reenacting scenes from MTV’s departing unscripted smash, The Hills.

Speidi couldn’t hold a candle to this!

A Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) e o Grupo PSA Peugeot Citroën anunciaram ontem o início de uma nova parceria em torno de um utilitário esportivo (SUV) de tamanho compacto. O acordo prevê o desenvolvimento e a adaptação para as marcas Peugeot e Citroën de um SUV de tamanho pequeno, baseado em uma plataforma já existente da Mitsubishi.

Lançados no início de 2012 na Europa, os novos SUVs compactos serão dotados de estilos específicos para a Peugeot e para a Citroën e ao mesmo tempo vão compartilhar numerosos componentes com o veículo da Mitsubishi (denominado RVR, no Japão, e ASX, na Europa).

Os veículos serão propostos com tração em 2 ou nas 4 rodas. O volume previsto para a Peugeot e a Citroën alcançará 50.000 veículos por ano para ambas as marcas. O acordo prevê que a PSA Peugeot Citroën utilize seu motor a diesel 1.6 HDi FAP em seus próprios modelos. As emissões de CO2 pretendidas com este motor serão especialmente reduzidas para esse tipo de veículo, com um objetivo de 123g de CO2 /km, ou seja, menos de 4,7l por 100 quilômetros na versão 4×2.

Esta é a quarta cooperação entre os dois parceiros, no seguimento do acordo sobre os SUV Mitsubishi Outlander, Peugeot 4007 e Citroën C-Crosser em 2005, da construção de uma fábrica conjunta na Rússia que acabou de ser inaugurada, e da comercialização na Europa no fim de 2010 dos veículos elétricos Peugeot iOn e Citroën C-Zéro baseados no Mitsubishi i-MiEV*.

*Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle, baseado no modelo de minicarro «i»

Fonte: Peugeot Citroën do Brasil Automóveis

The most terrifying words I’ve seen written so far about the growing crisis in Greece were penned by Yves Smith yesterday:  “So the whole idea that the financial crisis was over is being called into doubt. Recall that the Great Depression nadir was the sovereign debt default phase. And the EU’s erratic responses (obvious hesitancy followed by finesses rather than decisive responses) is going to prove even more detrimental as the Club Med crisis grinds on.”

The Great Depression was composed of two separate panics.  As you can see from contemporary accounts–and I highly recommend that anyone who is interested in the Great Depression read the archives of that blog along with Benjamin Roth’s diary of the Great Depression–in 1930 people thought they’d seen the worst of things. 

Unfortunately, the economic conditions created by the first panic were now eating away at the foundations of financial institutions and governments, notably the failure of Creditanstalt in Austria.  The Austrian government, mired in its own problems, couldn’t forestall bankruptcy; though the bank was ultimately bought by a Norwegian bank, the contagion had already spread.  To Germany.  Which was one of the reasons that the Nazis came to power.  It’s also, ultimately, one of the reasons that we had our second banking crisis, which pushed America to the bottom of the Great Depression, and brought FDR to power here.

Not that I think we’re going to get another Third Reich out of this, or even another Great Depression.  But it means we should be wary of the infamous “double dip” that a lot of economists have been expecting.  The United States is in comparatively good shape, but the euro is in crisis, and already-weak European banks seem to be massively exposed to Greece’s huge debt load.  They’re even more exposed to the debt of the other PIIGS, which is far too large for it all to be bailed out.  The size of the rescue package that Greece needs is already going to take a fairly substantial chunk of the IMF’s war chest.

And yet, like a lot of analysts, I don’t see much chance that a bailout is going to work.  As Felix Salmon points out, even a substantial IMF intervention isn’t going to bring yields down to their pre-crisis levels, because the new debt is going to jump in front of other creditors–so while it reduces the odds of default, it also increases the haircut that debtors will have to take if the bailout actually happens.

It’s not clear that Greece has the political will for the austerity measures it’s going to have to make even if its debt yields come back down–and the higher they stay, the smaller the chance.  This is about the calculation its creditors are making, which is why yields are now in the 20% range.  Which, perversely, makes it more likely that they’re going to lose their money.

A teacher friend of mine sent me a link to this story from the New York Times about how middle schoolers at Riverdale Country School recently went two days without texting as a sort of mental health experiment. I actually have some friends who went to Riverdale. Smart guys. But that’s another story.

Reading the NYTimes piece made me feel what I’ve been feeling for months now myself: The always-on life style is addictive and utterly unhealthy (more like years, I’m sure my family would say). The first line of the piece resonated with me on a very personal – and very depressing – level:

Julia Sokoloff, 14, woke up around 8 on Sunday morning and reached for her phone the way hard-core smokers reach for their cigarettes, before they’re even fully conscious.

Julia, I’m with you: My name is Noah Kravitz, and I am an information addict.

I, too, reach for my phone first thing in the morning. All too often it’s also the last thing I look at before going to sleep at night. I know that “checking messages is like drinking a can of Red Bull, relaxation-wise,” to quote some article I read a long time ago. But I do it anyway.

Ironic that I love gadgets, cover technology for a living, and am speaking out against the smartphone lifestyle. But it’s true. I have a huge self-control problem when it comes to checking Email, Twitter, RSS feeds, and most everything else on my phone. Tablet computers, with their big screens and easy to hold form factors are only making it worse. Reading stuff on iPad is so fun, I find myself wanting to do it for no good reason. I pick the thing up, check my messages, and then sit there in bed wondering, “Okay, what else can I look at?” It’s not like there’s specific information I’m after – it’s more like I feel the urge to use the thing and then try to justify the act later.

Starting and ending the day in front of a little screen? Not good. In the morning I wind up distracted from my family, and switched into amped-up work mode way too quickly. At night I wind up unable to get to sleep because the glowing screen has infected my mind and body with negative energy of some sort or another. Honestly, it’s a big drag.

Go read the article, even if you’re not a kid and don’t have kids of your own. Like any good “children’s story,” there’s plenty in there for us adults, too. My favorite line from the piece?

Fewer than half of the 250 middle school students at Riverdale participated in the experiment, but Julia, for one, found it valuable. Among the revelations was the envious reaction of her father, who pointed at his own BlackBerry and told her, “I’d give anything to put this down.”

Smartphones are awesome. But like all good things, they’re to be used in moderation. Right? What say you – is there such thing as too much of a good thing when it comes to the always-connected lifestyle?

Last week’s police raid on Gizmodo blogger Jason Chen’s house, in response to a request from Apple Inc., has led many to wonder why government resources are being spent on a spat between Apple and Gizmodo.

But here at EFF, we are also wondering if we’ve just seen the future of copyright enforcement. Although the Gizmodo seizure doesn’t appear to be rooted in copyright, having cops kicking in doors over what seems like a private dispute reminded us of recent efforts by the big content industries to get law enforcement to go after “copyright thieves.”

Usually, copyright law requires copyright owners to do and pay for their own enforcement efforts – they don’t get the windfall of a limited monopoly, the hammer of statutory damages, and the ability to require the public to bankroll the enforcement for them. But the big content industries are trying to reverse that presumption, demanding (via wish lists sent to the new IP Czar last month) that federal agencies devote more resources to finding and catching “copyright thieves.” For example, the Motion Picture Association of American, the Recording Industry Association of America and others filed joint comments arguing among other things, that:

The planned release of a blockbuster motion picture should be acknowledged as an event that attracts the focused efforts of copyright thieves, who will seek to obtain and distribute pre-release versions and/or to undermine legitimate release by unauthorized distribution through other channels . . . An interagency task force should work with industry to coordinate and make advance plans to try to interdict these most damaging forms of copyright theft, and to react swiftly with enforcement actions where necessary.

In other words, while the movie studios are reporting record profits, we should deputize the FBI and Department of Homeland Security to provide taxpayer-supported muscle for summer blockbuster films.

This submission also urged state and local police to get involved in copyright policing, using “state labeling laws”: “State labeling laws that define unauthorized online file sharing and streaming as a felony would provide state and local law enforcement with jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute online theft of intellectual property.”

The International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA), which represents most of the entertainment industry’s biggest players, also wants to see a chilling expansion of law enforcement involvement in copyright enforcement, including:

• empowering government agents to prosecute alleged infringements, whether or not a copyright owner has actually complained;
• expanded “information sharing” between copyright owners and law enforcement, including border officials, i.e., a direct two-way pipeline between Big Media and the cops;
• issuance and execution of search warrants without notice to the alleged infringer.

The Software Information Industry Association supports many similar measures, and also suggests that convicted infringers should be required to make public video confessions, to be posted online and “used for education in schools and in training programs.”

If this wish list strikes you as disturbing, it should. Any government enforcement of copyrights should be focused on large scale, commercial infringements that can’t be adequately deterred by civil lawsuits, using the already powerful existing legal tools. The Gizmodo seizure reminds us that not only are our tax dollars at stake, but also our civil liberties. Whether you’re a blogger or a simple citizen, take note: if copyright policing becomes a regular item on the law enforcement agenda, you can expect more bogus search warrants, and more doors to be broken down.

The guys guarding the velvet rope at downtown’s hottest nightspot may be tough–but at least they don’t spit like these llama bouncers. The BBC reports that two llamas, Willy and Jack, have been drafted to protect the eggs and chicks of wading birds at the Merseyside nature park in Britain–in particular, they’ll guard lapwing and redshank birds, which are threatened species in England. Researchers say that the highly territorial llamas will kick up a fuss if intruders drop by, and will scare away foxes and other predators looking to snack on eggs or chicks. With the llamas on watch, the park officers hope, the young birds will have a shot at survival. This is not the first time that llamas have been deployed to protect livestock. The llama and its relative the alpaca have previous work experience protecting lambs and sheep from predators. Alpacas, in fact, come with great references—having been employed by the Prince of Wales to protect his lambs from foxes during lambing season at his Gloucestershire estate. Looking at the llamas’ resumes, it’s their bouncing skills that stand out. The BBC describes:
It is hoped their slightly erratic behavior, along with the groaning noises and the sound they make when afraid or …

By Scott M. Fulton, III, Betanews

A spokesperson for Microsoft’s legal department confirmed to Betanews this afternoon that a precise legal interpretation of the company’s patent agreement announced late yesterday with phone maker HTC is accurate, but interpretations of that announcement that imply Microsoft will charge royalties to HTC for its use of the Android operating system, are inaccurate.

“This agreement covers HTC’s use of Microsoft technology that may appear in Android,” the spokesperson told Betanews, affirming a specific interpretation of the language that we sought clarification on. As the announcement reads, “Microsoft Corp. and HTC Corp. have signed a patent agreement that provides broad coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio for HTC’s mobile phones running the Android mobile platform. Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will receive royalties from HTC.” (emphasis ours)

Our interpretation, which Microsoft affirmed, is that HTC will pay royalties to Microsoft for the use of technologies in phones that may (or may not) be adapted for use with Android…or, for that matter, any other mobile OS. Such an agreement enables HTC, for instance, to repurpose phones that were originally engineered for Windows Mobile, and also conceivably reuse software technologies such as HTC’s Sense UI (which the manufacturer is already doing), in Android-based phones.

The agreement takes the opposite approach from Apple, which sued HTC last month, claiming that it had misappropriated certain patented technologies from iPhone. Now, with an agreement in hand that effectively acknowledges Microsoft permitted HTC to use certain categories of its technologies — categories for which Apple claims exclusive rights — HTC may be able to counter-claim that those claims are not exclusive since Microsoft holds patents for which HTC pays royalties.

So the agreement could help HTC in its fight against Apple. But it does not, as the Associated Press suggested earlier today, make Microsoft a party to the suit, nor does it bring Android into that mess.

The legal distinction here may seem trivial, but from another angle, it’s actually colossal: The agreement permits HTC, as Microsoft confirmed to Betanews, to continue to use the technologies it’s already using and for which it’s already paying and will continue to pay royalties, in other phones besides the Windows Mobile-based models. From that angle, that means Microsoft is not permitting HTC to use the Microsoft technology that appears in Android (assuming it does appear there at all). It means Android may be adapted by HTC for use in other phones that have Microsoft technology.

That’s not to say Microsoft does not have outstanding concerns about Android’s use of possibly patented technologies, as the company’s deputy general counsel, Horacio Gutierrez, told Betanews in a statement late this morning. There certainly are concerns, and they may yet be resolved.

“Microsoft has a decades-long record of investment in software platforms. As a result, we have built a significant patent portfolio in this field, and we have a responsibility to our customers, partners, and shareholders to ensure that competitors do not free ride on our innovations,” Gutierrez told us. “We have also consistently taken a proactive approach to licensing to resolve IP infringement by other companies, and have been talking with several device manufacturers to address our concerns relative to the Android mobile platform.”

Though Gutierrez did not provide names, of course, one of those other manufacturers may be Motorola. Last year at this time, Motorola suspended its plans to release a certain class of phone, code-named “Heron,” for Windows Mobile 6.5, opting to release it during the latter half of 2009 under Android. It never did so, perhaps because an agreement such as the one reached yesterday with HTC, has yet to be drawn.

In June 2007, Microsoft entered into a license agreement with LG, which at the time was said to cover the use of Microsoft technologies in devices that may include Linux. That broad agreement may have been a model for the HTC agreement yesterday, and it may also be covering LG right now. LG officially announced its first Android phones just today, the SU2300 slider and the SU950 widescreen, for debut this spring in South Korea and possibly Europe.

Unfortunately for the conspiracy theorists, the HTC/Microsoft agreement does not appear to be a line-in-the-sand battle against Apple or Google. Rather, it’s good news for Android, as it means Microsoft is willing to extend its technology to other platforms (naturally, for a price). The presumption that Microsoft is taking sides against Android supporters, or that it’s forcing them to pay Microsoft for their use of Android, is false.

Tim Conneally contributed significant facts and reporting for this story.

Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2010

One of the biggest gripes about the Android-based Archos 5 tablet is the hoops one must jump to install apps.  With no official Android Market support, crafty users are forced to hack their tablets or side-load apps. That’s not the easiest thing to do when there are nearly 50,000 apps out there.  A known workaround called Market4Archos allowed users to access free applications in the market.  Paid apps, however, were left in the dust.  Until a recent firmware update that is. 

I don’t know why, but suddenly I’m getting paid-for apps listed under Android Market after the update. Cool!

Users with firmware version 1.7.99 have been reporting that paid apps are showing up in the Android Market.  Be advised, you must still have a hacked Archos 5 to get to these applications.  The firmware doesn’t simply add the Android Market to the device.

Source: liliputing

Might We Suggest…

• Archos Unveils Two Devices For Budget Conscious
  Archos has officially unveiled their new 7-inch Home Tablet and the price may surprise you.  For less than $200, customers can grab this mobile internet device (MID) with a 600MHz processor, 2GB stora…

Howard Lovy wrote:

Business incubator Ann Arbor SPARK is asking Michigan startups to take their best shots at five open spots in a business pitch competition it plans to host on June 4, the group announced today.

The winner will get up to $50,000 in business acceleration services and a one-year incubator lease at SPARK East in Ypsilanti, MI. The competition is co-sponsored by the Eastside Innovation Campus (EIC), which hosts small businesses.

“The EIC collaboration is helping to expand the region’s entrepreneurial success by delivering critical services to startups,” Michael A. Finney, CEO of Ann Arbor SPARK, said in a prepared statement. “The pitch competition is a celebration of that success to date and signifies a continued commitment by SPARK East and its partners to growing startup businesses.”

The event will showcase five “innovation-based entrepreneurs” who will have three minutes each to pitch a panel of judges who are “noted funding and business experts,” the group said. The winner has to set up shop at the SPARK East business incubator. Applications are due by close of business May 14 and finalists will be notified by May 21.

An online application is available here. Those who want to attend the free event can register here.

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UNDERWRITERS AND PARTNERS

If you’re in Canada and have a hankering for some twisted, flippy Android keyboard action, know that the Motorola Backflip is now available on Telus. It runs a very respectable $399 off-contract and goes as low as $249 with the Canadian-standard three-year deal. [Telus] Thanks, Jon!

In recent days, the blog buzz in the Indiana Senate race has been about a poll nobody’s seen. Erick Erickson of Redstate described it this way:

“There is a rumor of a poll that went out in Indiana that was then not made public. Well, heck, I only call it a rumor because it happened but nobody wants to talk about it. My guess is, based on the Coats campaign’s behavior, the poll was either done for them or the results then given to them, making it an NRSC poll. That it has not been leaked means it could not be good news for Dan Coats.”

It turns out there IS a poll. It IS coming out tomorrow (April 29th). It IS a Survey USA poll (as many speculated/guessed/reported). But it IS NOT a Dan Coats internal poll. It was commissioned by the (take a deep breath before saying this aloud) Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics at Indiana University-Purdue University Ft. Wayne.

The release of the poll is scheduled for Thursday “morning”. When I get it. I WILL post it.

This poll will be out just five-days before Primary Day (May 4th). The five-candidate GOP battle for the party nomination between Coats, Marlin Stutzman, John Hostettler, Richard Behney and Don Bates, Jr. has divided the Republican vote so well that many party regulars refuse to be quoted on their guess as to who might give the victory speech Tuesday night.

The winner gets Democrat Brad Ellsworth in the general election come November.

This afternoon, the Federal Open Markets Committee, the board of the Federal Reserve that determines monetary policy and interest rates, announced it has decided to keep the target federal funds rate between 0.0 and 0.25 percent, as expected.

The language in the statement was virtually identical to that in last month’s, indicating no change in Fed policy. All of the FOMC members voted to keep rates the same, save for Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City President Thomas Hoenig, a vocal inflation hawk who has voted for rate increases at the past two meetings. The minutes say Hoenig believes that keeping interest rates low for “an extended period” is “no longer warranted because it could lead to a build-up of future imbalances and increase risks to longer run macroeconomic and financial stability.”