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Found under: motorola, backdlip, hands on, video, android, google, os, nexus one, n1, eclair,

Motorola has a new Android phone sneaking around called the Backflip and it doesnt look half bad unfortunately the handset is similar to the Motorola Cliq in specs so dont expect a powerful phone I suspect the Backflip is targeted at teenagers and those who need a smartphone running Android on the cheap.The biggest difference the Backflip has compared to the Cliq is the obvious QWERTY keyboard that doesnt slide out from what i can tell the keyboard is located at the back of the ph

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WATM gives us a preview of Florsheim by Duckie Brown’s Autumn/Winter 2010 collection. Fresh from a very sought after 2009 collection, the range returns with more classic silhouettes and more unique color combinations. If you’re around the NYC area on Jan. 18 or 19, make sure to visit (capsule) to see all the models.

Continue reading for more images.

Source: WATM

Letters to the Editor Column

Jeffrey Lowe’s column, “Tort Reform ‘Savings’ Ring Hallow” (Dec. 30, 2009) on tort reform and the federal health care proposal was remarkable — for what it left out.

He failed to mention the report issued only last October by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which concluded that reforms including already-tested limits on malpractice jury awards, a statute of limitations on malpractice claims, and replacing joint-and-several liability with a fair-share rule, if implemented nationwide, could reduce total federal budget deficits by $54 billion over 10 years.

Mr. Lowe must have been aware of the Congressional Budget Office, because he cites the office’s five-year-old report on medical malpractice costs. He raises that report’s estimate of a 2 percent cost saving, which he dismisses as representing “only” $3.6 billion out of $2.3 trillion in total health care spending.

Even allowing for a portion of these legal-related totals going to legitimate compensation for patients, the billions still going into wasteful litigation and defensive medicine would buy, for example, a huge number of vaccines and medicines for our children for many years to come.

John H. Sullivan
President, Civil Justice Assoc. of California

Trazendo bastantes novidades este ano a GMC surpreendeu colocando um compacto como a grande estrela do Salão de Detroit.

Ainda não foi confirmado se o modelo será fabricado em grande escala para a comercialização, mas sendo aprovado pela marca, o modelo será o menor vendido pela marca que fabrica caminhões e camionetes grandes.

Por ser um compacto o modelo tem um bom espaço em seu interior, excelente para as grandes cidades. Já sua dianteira será bastante alta, estilo os caminhões da GMC que dá um ar de musculoso ao carro, além disso as portas abrem no estilo “suicida”.

De baixo do capô o modelo conta com um motor de 1.4 litros Turbo que será utilizado tambem pelo Cruze vendido na america. A GMC afirmou que o modelo não passa de um prototipo, mas que tem grandes chances de ser comercializado.

Fonte: Motor Pasion

At an event like the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, gadgets are like candy and the creme de la creme are the thinnest TVs, like the ones in the LG (SEO: 066570) booth, or the coolest and most advanced technology, like 3D-video recording and playback. So, when Sprint (NYSE: S) made a big deal out of its brand new wi-fi router that runs on both its 3G and 4G network, many rolled their eyes and moved on to the next thing.

But Sprint’s splashy press conference represented much more than a the roll-out of a modem that’s capable of connecting all of your wi-fi devices to either its 3G or 4G network – it was the official coming out party for Sprint’s consumer launch of 4G. In an interview, Sprint’s President Steve Elfman told mocoNews: “Our communications group is showing a little leg…You’ve just seen the biggest thing we’ve done on 4G. We’ll do a lot more. We’ve got to go on the road and are still explaining.”

To be sure, Sprint could have done a better job of getting the message out. The 8 p.m. event was a bit muddled and left already-tired journalists wondering why Steve Ballmer was there if he wasn’t going to announce anything. Not to mention, cooking demonstrations by Chef Mario Batali and a Comedy routine by Frank Caliendo only provided more distractions from the real message.

Here was the point: Sprint’s 4G network is ready for prime time, and now there’s devices in the market that consumers will actually clamor for…Up until now, it’s been a little unclear what the network, which is actually being built by Sprint’s joint venture partner, Clearwire (NSDQ: CLWR), is for when consumers just started understanding the benefits of 3G. So, an important part of the event was showing how the network would be marketed. Elfman: “The concept we are selling is that this is not like 3G, where you are going to get your next cool phone, it’s a lifestyle. Consumers are not prepared to pay another monthly recurring charge for each electronics device.” Instead, the Overdrive modem will connect five of your wi-fi-enabled devices at a time for a set price.

In different sectors of the massive hall Sprint rented, it built several scenarios around different themes. One area looked like a dorm, where a student could connect an iPod Touch, use Skype to make phone calls, and stream a move from Hulu or Netflix (NSDQ: NFLX) to their laptop. In the home, Sprint demonstrated how you can bypass your cable provider and stream HD movies to your TV; connect your Xbox 360 to the internet, and move pictures from your camera to a digital picture frame. In the theoretical office, you can video conference and download large files, and while on the go, you can watch movies on your laptop, connect a portable gaming device, like a PSP, and download music to your Zune. The Overdrive will be available starting Jan. 10 and will cost $99 with a two-year contract. The monthly contract will run you about $60 for service. That is the same price Sprint is currently charging for a 3G-only contract. Elfman explained that it is able to offer such low prices because the traffic is running on Clearwire’s network, not Sprint’s, which is a huge cost savings (even if they have to share a piece of the revenues with Clearwire).

Sprint’s CEO Dan Hesse, who also made a brief appearance at the event, said: “2010 is the year of Sprint 4G. By the end of the year, we’ll cover about 120 million people. It’s not just about speed—although it can be up to three times faster. 4G means four times the value, four times the amount of gigabytes you get monthly. If your device has wi-fi, Sprint wants you to be free to connect that wi-fi device anywhere.”

Related

• Qualcomm’s Brew Platform Gains Speed With Commitments From AT&T And Sprint
• Sprint Hosts Star-Studded Event To Show Off 3G/4G Wi-Fi Router

Los Angeles: 
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is requesting the public’s
help to identify and locate a suspect responsible for a hit-and-run
traffic incident that seriously injured two girls.

On December 28, 2009, at about 5:59 p.m., a 14-year-old girl and her
3-year-old niece were crossing Main Street just north of 43rd Street
when a two-door, white vehicle struck both pedestrians, throwing them
about 40 feet.  Both victims suffered serious injuries and were
transported to a local hospital for treatment.  The driver continued
driving north on Main Street, failing to stop and identify herself or
provide aid to the injured victims.    

The driver was described as a female with no further descriptors.  The
hit-and-run vehicle is described as an older two-door, white sedan with
a stop lamp on the middle of the back window. It may also have
collision damage to the right front headlamp or right front side-light
cover.  

Video of the crime and suspect’s vehicle was captured by surveillance cameras and is available at www.lapdtv.org.

Anyone with information of this incident contact LAPD Central Traffic
Division (CTD) Detectives Jose De Leon or Josephine Mapson at (213)
972-1845 or the CTD watch commander at (213) 972-1853.  During
non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to
1-877-LAPD-24-7.  Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call
Crimestoppers at 800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477).  Tipsters may also
contact Crimestoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on
most keypads) with a cell phone. All text messages should begin with
the letters “LAPD.” Tipsters may also go to LAPDOnline.org, click on
"webtips" and follow the prompts.

 

Combining an urban-industrial design aesthetic with flexible functionality, the GMC Granite ‘urban utility vehicle’ concept was introduced at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit today. “We think of the Granite as the automotive equivalent of an urban loft apartment,” said GMC’s Cross-Brand Design Director Dave Lyon. “The exterior has an unmistakable industrial look, but the interior is warm and personalized.” Though the Granite is the smallest GMC ever, it has been designed to feel bigger with a large cargo space and its flipping/folding seats and four doors, hinged on each side to open like a set of French doors. There’s no pillar between the front and rear doors, making the Granite easier to enter, exit and load, even with bulky items. . Power comes from a 1.4L turbocharged engine matched with a six-speed transmission…

Tags: Concept,
Detroit Auto Show 2010,
GMC,
GMC Granite Concept,
naias 2010

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Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal

While sucking down one of our favorite stimulants in the frigid air outside Cobo Hall, we heard a lone voice across the street scream, “Screw the tea-baggers!” Naturally, we had to investigate.

Unlike the Tea Party protesters assembling outside General Motors’ Renaissance Center to voice their criticisms about the government’s bailout of General Motors and Chrysler, this ragtag militia of union officials and automaker employees assembled to support the Fed’s financial infusion.

“We’re here to thank Barack Obama for his support of the automakers,” George Hardy, the vice president of UAW Local 174 told us, going on to say that the cash injection has helped him and his members retain their jobs in one of the worst employment environments in 30 years.

Hardy was adamant that the government’s detractors refused to see the benefits of the bailouts, simply saying “The Tea Party has it wrong.”

Detroit 2010: Anti-Tea Party Protesters make their voices heard in the cold originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Colorado man who admitted orchestrating the Balloon Boy Hoax last fall reported to jail Monday to begin a 90-day jail sentence. Richard Heene drew national attention last October, when his 6-year-old son Falcon was believed to be trapped in a flying saucer-like balloon soaring over the Rockies.

He pleaded guilty in November to a felony count of attempting to influence a public servant.

Richard turned himself at the Larimer County Detention Center in Fort Collins, Colorado on Monday morning. Prosecutors said he and his wife, Mayumi Heene, staged their son’s disappearance to generate publicity for themselves because they wanted to star in a television reality show. During an appearance on CNN’s Larry King Live last week, Heene denied that the Balloon Boy Saga was a hoax and insisted he and his wife only plead guilty to save her from deportation back to her native Japan.

Mayumi will begin serving a 30-day jail term later this year.

12 January 2010, Denmark. The Danish Minister for the Environment, Troels Lund Poulsen, sent out a special New Year’s greetings card to all the 98 mayors of Denmark. The Minister decided to wish a happy new year to each of them to congratulate them with their elections in November 2009, but also to draw their attention to the beginning of the International Year of Biodiversity.

In the message, the Minister stressed the importance of conserving local habitats to preserve a diverse environment. He encouraged mayors to take good care of habitats and start working on targeted management, especially in areas which are subject to invasive species such as hogweed.

Almost 1/3 of Danish municipalities have signed the Countdown 2010 Declaration. Since Denmark has become a partner of the network, it has proactively promoted biodiversity conservation to local governments and organizations.

Click here to see the card.

Filed under: Hardware, iPhone

Now there’s a nicely-documented fact that you can throw back in the face of that annoying friend of yours who got a Verizon Droid and who keeps saying “It’s just like an iPhone!”

According to a report cited on AppleInsider this morning, the touchscreen accuracy of the iPhone is much better than that of three Android phones: the Motorola Droid pushed by Verizon, the HTC Droid Eris, and the new Google Nexus One. Why is that important? Well, when you’re trying to tap a link on a website, for example, chances are very good that you’re going to be successful on the iPhone and not on the the Android phones.

The tests, performed by MOTO Development Group (no relation to Motorola), measured touchscreen accuracy with a simple test. On each device, a drawing app was launched and a tester drew straight diagonal lines in both directions across the screens with a finger. iPhones showed straight lines in situations with both light and medium finger pressure, while the Android phones showed zig-zag wavy lines across the screen. MOTO stated:

“On inferior touchscreens, it’s basically impossible to draw straight lines. Instead, the lines look jagged or zig-zag, no matter how slowly you go, because the sensor size is too big, the touch-sampling rate is too low, and/or the algorithms that convert gestures into images are too non-linear to faithfully represent user inputs. This is important because quick keyboard use and light flicks on the screen really push the limits of the touch panel’s ability to sense.”

Several user comments on the MOTO site validate the findings. Have any TUAW readers been able to compare touchscreen accuracy on an iPhone and an Android device? Leave a comment below.

[via AppleInsider]

TUAWDroid doesn’t. Have touchscreen accuracy, that is… originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As we reported last week, Firefox’s latest version of 3.6, release candidate 1, has been released to the general public. This time around, however, Mozilla has issued a more general release, as the new version will not only be available for download but also part of an automatic update for those already running Firefox. The release is one more sign that we’re getting closer by the day to a full-on sparkly new version of Firefox.

For those of you worried about updating, Mozilla has assured us that “over 75% of the thousands of Firefox Add-ons have now been upgraded by their authors to be compatible with Firefox 3.6,” so go ahead and take that leap. But what will you find on the other side?

Sponsor

Firefox 3.6 RC1 Features

In addition with offering this release as an automatic update, Mozilla has offered a synopsis of what it sees as the most important new features to be found in what the company hopes to be a near final version.

• Users can change the browser’s appearance with a single click using Personas.

• Firefox 3.6 alerts users about out of date plugins to keep them safe.
• Changes to how third-party software integrates with Firefox to increase stability.
• Improved automatic form fill provides better options from your form history.
• Open, native video can now be displayed full screen, and supports poster frames.
• Support for the WOFF font format.
• Improved JavaScript performance, overall browser responsiveness and startup time.
• The ability to run scripts asynchronously to speed up page load times.
• Support for the HTML5 File API
• Support for new CSS, DOM and HTML5 web technologies.

While wallpapering Firefox with the latest blockbuster movie may be an attractive addition, we are looking forward to a faster and more stable Firefox. Loading scripts asynchronously should speed up some page load-times dramatically by letting faster scripts run while slower ones continue to do their work in the background – something our computers have been doing for a long time now. And the changes to third-party software integration should offer a huge boost to the browser’s stability by keeping the core components of the browser safe from being modified.

For the web developers out there, increased support for CSS, DOM and HTML5 is always a welcome addition, and the addition of the WOFF font format may further help page load-times and give web designers a greater range of choice.

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By Lorraine Luk, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal

China Mobile Ltd. may have been the worst performing blue chip stock in Hong Kong last year, but now may be an opportune time for investors to revisit the stock.

An attractive dividend yield, cheaper valuation compared to its competitors, China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd. and China Telecom Corp., as well as improving growth prospects with the launch of more advanced third-generation telecom services likely means a much better year for the telecom operator in 2010.

“Undeniably, China Mobile’s net profit growth has slowed down. But at current low valuation, we see values in the stock given its strong brand and huge subscriber base,” said Kevin Yim, an analyst at Guococapital.

Shares of China Mobile, the world’s biggest telecom operator by subscribers, have largely underperformed the broader market due to worries over rising competition after a government-mandated industry restructuring merged China’s six telecom operators into three nationwide full-service operators in late 2008. Due mainly on those concerns, its shares fell 6.4 percent in 2009, while the benchmark Hang Seng Index rose 52 percent. The company’s shares rose 0.5 percent Monday, to 74.85 Hong Kong dollars (US$9.65) each. But at current levels, China Mobile is trading around 10 times 2010 price-to-earnings multiple, much lower than China Unicom (Hong Kong)’s 30 times and China Telecom’s 15 times.

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In November, AOL CEO Tim Armstrong said he needed 2,500 “volunteers” to give up their jobs, but not enough of them got the message — only 1,100 walked away on their own.

Now Armstrong is entering the second phase of his corporate slimdown, and is firing some 1,000+ employees.

AOL officials say the company has begun notifying European employees of its plans to shut down many of its offices there, and has started tapping some American workers as well. The bulk of the US layoffs are slated for this Wednesday, the company says.

The goal is to cut the company’s payroll costs by a third.

The layoffs have been in motion for many months: Armstrong came board as CEO last spring, and it’s been clear since then that he would need to cut costs either before or after the company spun off from Time Warner (TWX).

The company hasn’t released a breakdown of cuts by territory or by department. But I’m told that the company’s editorial/content production staff, which Armstrong and his lieutenants have been emphasizing as a priority in recent months, will not remain untouched.

Here’s AOL statement explaining the cuts:

Since we’ve talked in the past about AOL’s restructuring effort, I want to update you. As you know, in November, we announced that the company would take a $200 million charge and that we planned to decrease the size of our global workforce by one-third. Late last year, we offered Voluntary Separation Program to enable employees to decide what was in their best personal and professional interest. We had approximately 1,100 employees opt to join the Voluntary program. At that time we announced the Voluntary program we noted that if we didn’t reach our target reduction of a third we would need to follow the voluntary program with an involuntary action. We did not reach that target.

The next phase of our restructuring plan will include an involuntary layoff.  Our process internationally varies by country and is subject to local laws. We began meeting with employees throughout Europe today. For example meetings have already taken place in the UK, Germany and France, and we announced plans to shut down many of our offices in Europe, beginning with those in Spain and Sweden.  In addition, we will be beginning the consultative process with the Workers’ Councils in relevant countries this week.

In the United States, we will begin notifying a limited number of individuals impacted by the involuntary layoff today, with the majority of notifications taking place in the U.S. on Wednesday, January 13.  As of this point, this layoff will not trigger the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) in any of our locations.  For many of the employees impacted in the U.S., Wednesday will be their last day in the office.

As you know from covering the company, since April, we have been moving through a process that started with strategy, then focused on structure, and has most recently been centered on aligning our costs with the company’s strategy and structure. As a part of this process, we’ve looked at every aspect of this business. We evaluated our competitive position and product portfolio in every market – and we asked the hard questions about areas that were no longer core to the strategy and our profit profiles in the businesses and countries where we operate.

We will be offering packages to impacted employees in the U.S. that will include severance, benefits and outplacement assistance, among other things.

All of our cost alignment work is about ensuring AOL’s sustainability and future success. Project Everest is the completion of phase one of AOL’s turnaround.

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