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Madonna is the latest celebrity putting money behind the relief efforts in Haiti following the massive earthquake that rocked the island on Tuesday. The Queen of Pop has donated $250,000 to the Red Cross to help rebuild the devastated nation.

“My prayers are with the people of Haiti,” she says. “I can’t imagine the terrible pain and suffering they are experiencing. Sadly the depths of the tragedy are just becoming known and the need for our support grows more urgent with every passing moment. I have given a donation of $250,000 to assist Haiti’s earthquake victims through Partners in Health (www.pih.org), one of Haiti’s leading health care providers. I urge all of my friends and fans around the world to join me collectively to match my contribution or give in any way you can. We must act now. Thank you for your support.”

The pop star is no stranger to giving back. Madonna is head of the Raising Malawi Foundation, and often lends financial and other aid to that region of Africa.

YouTube may be on its way to becoming profitable, but it’s not quite there yet. One sure way to achieve that is by driving up revenue, which, this being Google, means advertising. A patent filling has popped up which may indicate one way Google plans to bring in more advertisers to the video site, by making it easier for small advertisers… (read more)

The U.S. State Department told reporters today that it will deliver a formal statement to the Chinese government in the next few days, denouncing a “highly sophisticated and targeted attack” through which the Gmail accounts of Chinese political activists were tapped. Google has already threatened to pull out of China, which would mean closing its offices there and shutting down the google.cn website.

Now, the U.S. government has gotten involved. Reuters reports that an unnamed senior diplomat met with a Chinese diplomat on Thursday. In the next few days, the U.S. will deliver a démarche — a formal diplomatic communication from one country to another — expressing America’s disapproval of the break-ins.

A State Department spokesman said at a press conference this morning, “It will express our concern for this incident and request information from China as to an explanation of how it happened and what they plan to do about it.”

Separately, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told Bloomberg that exiting China is “not something we’re thinking about” at Microsoft.

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On today’s edition of the never-ending Apple rumor roundup, we take a quick detour into the murky realm of the United States patent database, topped off with a charming unsourced tip and some delightful analyst conjecture. Let’s blaze.

The rumor: A recent Apple patent application for a capacitive touchscreen-specific stylus may or may not mean The Tablet uses a stylus for input.
Our take: We’ve already promised to eat our hat if Apple puts a removable battery in the iPhone, so what’s next? A shoe? We will eat a shoe if Steve Jobs introduces a product that requires the use of a stylus. Besides, this product already exists: it’s called the Pogo Stylus, and it’s not exactly rocking minds (although we are intrigued by Inklet). Apple likes to file silly broad patent applications and see what it can get away with — it’s never been wise to read too much into them.

Our take: This would be like a dream come true for the consumer, and a crazy heroin nightmare for Apple to actually implement — can you imagine an iPod with a freaking CableCARD slot? Neither can we. Besides, it’s not like Apple to push content sales from anything other than the iTunes Store, and it’s especially not like Apple to extend functionality to older iPods when it can just release a newer one in a slightly different metallic finish. Next!

Continue reading Apple rumor roundup: iPhone patent 4.0 edition

Apple rumor roundup: iPhone patent 4.0 edition originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silverstat7 Zigbee-packin’ thermostat to debut this fall for $600? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Activist is a loaded term, I know, and that's not really what I mean.  What I have in mind is the Appellate Body's apparent willingness in China - Publications to address issues that it could have avoided, and its establishment of standards that make issue avoidance more difficult.

First, there was the issue of the use of arguendo assumptions to avoid difficult issues, in this case the question of whether GATT Article XX applies outside the context of claims under the GATT.  The Panel had assumed arguendo that the Article XX defense was available in relation to claims under China's "trading rights commitments" in its Accession Protocol.  Then, after finding that the substantive aspects of Article XX were not satisfied, it said there was no need to resolve the question of Article XX's availability.  The Appellate Body itself had used this technique in a recent case (the Customs Bond case — see paras. 308-310, 319), on a similar issue even, so it seemed likely that it would approve of the Panel's use of an arguendo assumption.  Instead, the Appellate Body criticized the use of this technique here and put strict limits on the use of the technique generally. (See paras. 213-215)  As a result, it seems to have made issue avoidance in this way more difficult (and setting an example for that here by addressing the issue in question).

Second, related to the first point, the Appellate Body then took on the issue of whether GATT Article XX applies to a claim outside the GATT context.  This issue could be a very controversial one in some upcoming cases under the TBT Agreement if the defending party decides to invoke Article XX (for example, the EC – Seal Products case and the U.S. – Tuna case), so it would not have been surprising if the Appellate Body had decided to avoid the issue for now.  Instead, it jumped right in.  Well, maybe just dipped its toe in, but still, it addressed an issue it might have been expected to avoid.

Third, with regard to the Panel's "analytical approach" to "necessity" under GATT Article XX(a), the United States expressed "some concerns" regarding the Panel's approach.  In response to questioning, the United States "clarified that it is not raising a claim of error with respect to the way in which the Panel applied the 'necessity' test" (and the Appellate Body noted that the United States "did not specifically identify this concern in its Notice of Other Appeal"), but rather "it would welcome clarification from the Appellate Body that an Article XX analysis should be approached in an integrated fashion," rather than the two-step approach used by the Panel.  So did the Appellate Body tell the United States that it could only address allegations of error, and could not simply "clarify" any "concerns" participants might have?  No, it went ahead and clarified the issue.  (See paras. 237-249)

Finally, with regard to its interpretation of "Sound recording distribution services" in China's GATS Schedule, the Appellate Body said:

400. Having reached a conclusion on the interpretation of China's commitment on "Sound
recording distribution services" under Article 31 of the Vienna Convention, we observe that we would not need to proceed to an examination of supplementary means of interpretation pursuant to Article 32 of the Vienna Convention to decide this appeal. The Panel, however, considered that recourse to supplementary means of interpretation was useful to confirm its preliminary conclusion based on the application of Article 31 and proceeded to examine the preparatory work of the treaty and the circumstances of the conclusion of the GATS pursuant to Article 32 of the Vienna Convention. China has appealed the Panel's application of Article 32. We therefore address the issues raised by China in respect of the Panel's analysis of supplementary means of interpretation pursuant to Article 32 of the Vienna Convention.

So, even though it would not need to address Article 32 in order to decide the appeal, the Appellate Body did so anyway.

I'm not sure what all this means, if anything, for how the Appellate Body approaches cases in the future, but it certainly makes these reports more interesting!

More live tracks will be coming to the Rock Band Music Store next week via a six-track pack featuring Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. French band Phoenix will also be making their Rock Band debut alongside a

Gov. Pat Quinn today announced a $1.7 million state grant for the Illinois Community College Sustainability Network (ICCSN) to expand green educational and training offerings throughout Illinois’ community college network.

Part of the funding will be used to establish Green Jobs Centers at three Illinois campuses, including Southwestern Illinois College’s (SWIC) Belleville Campus.

“Investing in green job training will ensure Illinois’ long-term success in one of the country’s fastest-growing industries and will allow us to build upon our position as a leader in sustainability,” said Gov. Quinn.

“This grant furthers our commitment to building a cleaner, greener Illinois and training a workforce that’s prepared to meet the demands of a green 21st century.”

The ICCSN is a consortium of community colleges geared toward advancing career development in energy efficiency and renewable energy.

The state is providing $1.7 million this fiscal year to the 48 Illinois community colleges to develop innovative programs that will stimulate the adoption of energy efficiency and renewable energy practices in Illinois homes and businesses, and train people for energy efficiency and renewable energy jobs.

In addition to a Green Job Center at SWIC, the grant funds centers at the College of Lake County in Grayslake and Wilbur Wright College in Chicago.

The centers will partner with educational institutions, businesses, community-based organizations, and building and trades organizations to implement programs to prepare individuals for careers in the green industry. The job training component of the program will focus on energy efficiency and conservation for homes and small businesses.

Workers will be trained in weatherization, energy audits and other strategies that reduce energy consumption, utility bills and carbon emissions.

To date, over 18,000 Illinois residents have benefitted from programs being offered through the ICCSN. The initiative is administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

The Masvingo regional court has sentenced a member of the Mazhongwe rhino poaching gang to 17 years in prison for killing an endangered rhino.

Justice – at last: Zimbabwe rhino poacher Tichaona Mutyairi has been sentenced to 17 years in jail for killing a rhino and firing on police in October 2009.

After years of letting the killers walk free, could this case finally be the turning point in the war against rhino poaching in Zimbabwe?

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Conditions in Port Au Prince remain extremely hazardous due to collapsed infrastructure, lack of resources and medical care and the imminent threat of infectious disease. The Centers for Disease Control has provided a checklist that could be crucial to survival for any relief workers who may be heading to Haiti, now or in the near future.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is proposing to implement a new rule this year that can help improve our understanding of sea turtles and how the fishing industry interacts with them. This is good news because the current data on “sea turtle interactions” isn’t very plentiful in most fisheries. The rule would be important because managers need to understand the activities that affect sea turtles so they can develop effective conservation programs that recover threatened and endangered populations, such as Loggerhead sea turtles.

The rule would work by identifying fisheries in state and federal waters that will be required, upon NMFS’ request, to take scientific observers on fishing trips to gather information about the number of sea turtles encountered and the types of interactions. Several fisheries would be put on a list, called an Annual Determination, and would be subject to carrying observers for 5 years. NMFS is proposing to include fisheries such as trawl fisheries and gillnet fisheries in this Annual Determination.

In addition to the use of observers, NMFS should consider using new technologies (such as at-sea video monitoring) that can be cost effective and may allow an increase in the level of monitoring, especially in fisheries where accommodating an observer is difficult. 

Good data will help NMFS evaluate existing sea turtle protections and develop better management measures. Regulations based on good data, sound science, and industry, accountability can improve management of sea turtles and help rebuild endangered populations.

Walmart is selling 12-month Xbox Live Gold cards for $30. The full retail price when purchased directly from Microsoft is $50.

If you’re still chugging along with the free Silver membership, here’s what upgrading to Gold gets you:

• Multiplayer games
• “TrueSkill matchmaking”
• Parties (not real-life parties)
• Gamer feedback (vote down jerky players)
• Netflix (you have to also have a Netflix membership)

Should the service be free? I vote for YES! But Microsoft will never listen to me. And $30 is better than $50, I guess.

Xbox Live 12-Month Gold Card [Walmart via dealnews]

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Dear Taco Bell,

It has come to my attention that you have recently created a Drive-Thru Diet. You are clearly taking bold new steps to change the way Americans view healthy eating, so I am writing this letter to express my gratitude and enthusiasm and to offer insight for further improvement.

I first noticed your “Drive-Thru Diet” ad on a billboard outside of a childrens’ extra-curricular learning studio in west Los Angeles. Ever the inquiring mind, I visited Tacobell.com for some heavy research. I read Christine Dougherty’s 80 word story about losing 50 lbs over 2 years with Taco Bell. Very convincing. Then I watched TV personality Chris Rose interview four paid actors, and every single actor praised Taco Bell’s seven healthy Fresco menu items. Next I learned from registered dietitian Ruth Carey that some food choices are nutritionally better than others. These people clearly weren’t lying. The Drive-Thru Diet looked legitimate, so I decided to make a Frescolution. I hit a road block when attempting to fill out my pledge. The form required me to fill out “what I know.” I attempted to write, “I live a healthy lifestyle based on the 10 immutable Primal laws validated by two million years of human evolution…,” but Taco Bell overrode that with, “My idea of exercise involves the all-you-can-eat buffet marathon.” Oh well, I suppose what I know isn’t nearly as important as eating Taco Bell Fresco menu items.

So here I am, having soaked up the thorough and detailed information on your website, almost ready to embark on my two year plan of eating Taco Bell food every day. However, I have a few simple questions before starting such an exciting, healthy journey.

First, I am slightly confused by the math of calorie reduction. I understand that a Fresco taco is 20 calories less than a regular taco (kudos for that feat of engineering!). If I am trying to reduce my daily consumption by 500 calories by eating Fresco tacos rather than regular tacos, does that mean I need to eat 25 Fresco tacos a day? (20 calorie reduction x 25 = 500 calorie reduction). That means I need to eat roughly six tacos a meal, including, of course, fourthmeal. Speaking of which…

I am still trying to work out the logistics of fourthmeal. If I eat fourthmeal after midnight, is it technically firstmeal? In calculating daily calories, which day does fourthmeal count for? If I eat fourthmeal at the stroke of midnight, does it count for both days or neither? And also, if I eat fourthmeal every day, when do I sleep?

Finally, what exactly did Christine eat? If I know the combination of Taco Bell choices she made, I would feel much more confident moving forward. Did she keep a food log?

Once you have answered my questions, I will be delighted to fulfill my Frescolution.

Additionally, while I have no criticism of your company or your dietary philosophy, I do see room for improvement in your quest to convert American eaters into healthy decision makers. Below, I’ve listed a few possible menu adjustments…

1. A “Sans Queso!”option

After close scrutiny of your seven Fresco menu items, I discovered the secret to your revolutionary way of creating healthy foods: You replace the cheese with tomatoes. I’m no food lab scientist, but with careful engineering it seems you could apply the Cheese Removal Principle to not just seven menu items, but to every single product you offer. Call it “Sans Queso!” and you’ve got an entire menu full of super-healthy foods. Want a healthy Mexican pizza? Sans Qeuso! it. Sans queso! that volcano nachos and you’ve turned a 1,000 calorie item into a 920 calorie health food. It’s not a reduction of quantity, it’s an upgrade of health. You can even charge an extra thirty cents to Sans Queso! a food. The new anti-supersize.

2. A calorie total at purchase – All your food items have calorie amounts the same as they have prices. How hard would it be to include a function on the cash register that adds up the total calories of the foods purchased and prints it on the receipt? Heck, take it a step further and tell the customer directly, “Your total is $8.76 and your calorie total is 2,400. Would you like to Sans Queso! your meal for an extra thirty cents?” Bam. Satisfied customer, more profit, and less wasted ingredients. Is that genius or what?

3. Salsa – I’m not one to make rude accusations, but it does occur to me that you are a Mexican restaurant without a salsa bar. I do respect your little border sauce packets of modified food starch, autolyzed yeast extract, sugar, onion juice, and xantham gum, but including a secondary option of fresh chopped tomatoes, onions, and tomatillas could improve both taste and the amount of nutrients your customers consume. So get yourself a salsa bar. People like salsa and they like bars, it’s a win-win.

4. An “UnFried Salad” – The traditional Taco Bell Mexican salad sits in an edible bowl of fried enriched bleached flour and corn. That fried bowl sits in a second, plastic bowl. I suggest removing the edible bowl and placing the salad directly into the plastic bowl. You may have concerns about the way customers will react to this “one bowl” concept. The problem can be solved easily by using a “do not eat this bowl” warning label. Fill the plastic bowl with a bed of lettuce, grilled chicken, salsa from your newly installed salsa bar, and a couple slices of avocado (the fresh kind, not the green stuff I’ve seen your employees squeeze out of a caulking gun) That’s a healthy menu item if ever there was one. Sans Queso! that salad for thirty cents and make it even healthier.

5. Water – I can’t help but notice the 32 oz cup of Diet Pepsi that accompanies all the pictures of your Fresco menu foods. Have you considered creating a 32 oz cup that says, “Water!” I’ve never seen a fast food water cup before. Taco Bell could be the first.

6. Rename all products according to the Gordita methodology

I’d never heard of a Gordita before you added one to your menu. I had to pull out the old translation dictionary to learn that “gordita” is Spanish for “chubby.” What a brilliant concept! Right there in the name of the food you’ve included a warning for how the food will make you look and feel. I love it! You should rename other menu items to include similar warnings. A nacho bell grande could be called an “estomago grande,” a caramel empanada could be a “caramel diabetica,” and a mexican pizza could simply be “El Diarrea.”

7. A weekly taco limit – Like the bartender who cuts off the alcoholic, set a hard limit on the number of tacos a customer can buy. Consult Ruth Carey, your registered dietitian, and figure out how many tacos a week someone must eat to remain healthy. Never sell a customer more than that number.

Last, but certainly not least…

8. TELL PEOPLE WHERE YOUR MEAT COMES FROM – Consumers are fickle, skeptical doubters, and I’m sure you’ve heard some of the rumors and urban legends surrounding the origins of your meat. To jog your memory, there have been claims that your meat is of lower quality than dog food meat; that it contains feces; that there are fingernail fragments, human blood, ash, worm, copper wire residue, cellophane, and bits of Jimmy Hoffa floating around in your meat. While I’m fairly certain these accusations are false, I was unable to find any information on your website as to meat origin and quality. I even called your hotline, with no further success. Why not replace one of the 3 giant 5 layer burrito posters on each store using the third to show a picture of the grass fed, grass finished cows that I’m sure you use to make those burritos.

I do realize making these changes may take a small upfront investment. Because I feel as responsible for America’s health as I’m sure you do, I am willing to put my money where my mouth is. If you make all eight of the suggested changes, I will donate $10,000 to a charity of your choice (perhaps the American Diabetes Association?). Thank you for reading my letter and for creating a diet that does not require me to leave my car. Maybe one day you will take the next step by creating a “Delivery Diet” so I won’t have to leave my house.

Yours in good health,

Mark Sisson

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For your enjoyment, we found this satellite-based video of global air travel to be quite beautiful, especially as you pay attention to the waves of flights in relation to the movement of daylight.

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