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2009 had its fair share of big releases and announcements, but we saw quite a few cancellations as well. The economy seemed to make publishers nervous and pull back on just about anything but the surest successes. So, as another part of our ongoing retrospective, we’re going to take a look at the games you might have been playing or looking forward to right now… if the plug hadn’t been pulled.

The most publicized canceled game this year wasn’t actually canceled at all, though we all thought it was. Duke Nukem Forever suffered a setback when 3D Realms shut its doors, and this was seen as the death knell for the longest-lasting vaporware in the industry. Reasons behind the move were plentiful, but it didn’t take long for 3D Realms to show itself again, pointing out that the studio as a whole wasn’t shut down, and it retained the rights to Duke Nukem Forever. The team working on Duke was let go, but we recently heard CEO Scott Miller state that it “doesn’t correlate to the demise of the project.” So Duke Nukem Forever isn’t dead, but it may well be in a deep coma.

Other canceled projects were only discovered in the aftermath of shuttered studios. When GRIN closed late in the year, it teased an “unreleased masterpiece that we were not allowed to finish.” Less than a week later, sources confirmed that the unfinished game was actually a western-developed Final Fantasy game being worked on with Square Enix. There was plenty of concept artwork to go around (above), but rumors spread that Square hadn’t paid GRIN for the work, instead arranging a deal to pay when the project was finished. That lack of funds may have helped lead to the studio’s closure.

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Move over, MiFi — this Sprint Overdrive dual-mode WiMAX / EV-DO mobile hotspot that just hit our inbox has taken over as our new object of broadband desire. Our tipster says internal training on the Sierra-built device has already begun, and that the unit itself features a microSD slot, support for location services, and has a 100-foot Wi-Fi range — but sadly we don’t have pricing or availability deets to share yet. We’re hoping we find out more at CES — and we’d bet that new dual-mode U301 WiMAX modem that leaked a couple weeks ago makes an appearance as well. Fingers crossed.

Sprint Overdrive dual-mode WiMAX / EV-DO mobile hotspot leaks into the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I’ve been hearing rumblings about C3, the carbon-focused stealthy startup from Thomas Siebel — the guy who sold Siebel Systems to Oracle for billions of dollars — for the past couple of months. But TechCrunch has the kicker on them this week. The company has filed several D-filings with the SEC in recent weeks, in […]

Yesterday I had a good conversation with Nivi, the co-author of the great Venture Hacks blog.  He recently added me to AngelList, a directory of angel and seed investors that Nivi curates.  Our discussion covered a variety of things, including trying to define the parameters that qualifies someone to call themselves an angel investor.

Historically, I’ve always said that someone can call themselves an angel investor only if they actually make angel investments!  I’ve been exposed to many “angel investors” who have actually never written a check for an equity investment.  These non-angels come in many shapes and sizes and often end up either offering to become “advisors” for equity (or worse – a retainer), “brokers” (where they help you raise money for a percentage raised), or employees (where the end up trying to get a job).  Now, there is nothing wrong with this, other than them presenting themselves as “angel investors.”  Oh, and some people just like to be in clubs with other people who presumably make investments hang out.

My historical viewpoint was an angel investor is defined as someone who makes at least one equity investment in a seed or early stage company each year of at least $25,000.  So, if an angel investor has been investing for four years, they have at least four separate investments of at least $25,000 each for a total of at least $100,000 invested.  Basically, if you can’t (or don’t) invest at least $25,000 per year, I don’t think you should call yourself an angel investor.

As we worked through the StartupVisa stuff, we realized this wasn’t a high enough threshold for the type of angel investors we thought should be able to sponsor a Startup visa.  So, we came up with the definition of a “Super Angel.”  A Super Angel is an angel investor who has been investing for at least three years and has made at least two equity investments of at least $50,000 each in each of the three years.  This is a total of at least six equity investments totaling at least $300,000.  Most of the people I consider Super Angels are substantially above this threshold.

What do you think of these definitions?  Too strict or too loose?  Any other thoughts on how to qualify someone as an angel investor?

General Motors has officially taken away the Dec. 31 deadline for bids for its Saab brand and said that it will restart some production lines in January after a shutdown. Originally GM had given itself until the end of the month to consider bids for the loss-making Swedish brand as it moves forward with winding down the company.

Spyker Cars CEO Victor Muller said yesterday that he is hopeful to win the bid for Saab. He said that Spyker has extended its bid until Jan. 7 and that he believes there are multiple bidders for Saab.

Shutting down Saab would eliminate around 3,400 jobs and affect 1,100 dealerships.

Saab spokesman Eric Geers said that the company will restart some production lines again in January for its new 9-5 sedan.

“We have the orders and we have to deliver them as usual. We also have the orders for the 9-3 and others. The factory has to continue again,” Geers said. ”We are preparing the wind-down process. At the same time we are open to options, to bids that come in. Therefore the deadline has also been dropped,” Geers said.

– By: Omar Rana

Source: Reuters

Organovo and Invetech announce new 3-D organ and tissue printer.

Our pals over at That’s Fit recently asked their readers some questions about their friends, whether they need to lose weight, how much and if they would tell them such a thing to their face. The results are interesting in that they reveal what we’re all thinking when it comes to friends and fat.

Many need to lose, but we won’t let it come between us

Just 10 percent of the nearly half a million people who answered the survey said they have no friends who need to lose weight, while 10 percent said they had one friend who could stand to lose a few and 64 percent said between two and five of their friends needed to slim down.

Five percent of respondents said all of their friends were too heavy. Fifty-six percent of those who said they had friends who needed to slim thought their pals could lose 20 pounds or more. But most people — 95 percent of those surveyed — said they wouldn’t let a little extra weight get in the way of their friendships.

And it would take a lot for most people to even broach the subject of weight with a friend: 49 percent said they’d never mention that a friend ought to lose weight, with 23 percent saying the friend would need to lose more than 20 pounds before they’d mention it.

Just 2 percent of people said they’d talk about weight with a friend who needed to lose just five pounds; no doubt those people are also among the 5 percent who would let weight end a friendship.

Heavy friends make some of us feel better

While half of the people who answered the survey said they didn’t feel better about their weight when around their heavy friends, 27 percent said they felt better and 22 percent admitted to feeling better about their own weight if their friends are heavier than they are.

Thirty-two percent said they felt more attractive or had higher self-esteem when around their heavy friends.

Still, friends can sometimes be a good influence when it comes to picking up healthy habits. Sixty percent of respondents said they watch what they eat more when they’re with a friend who makes healthier choices, and 32 percent sometimes eat better with such a friend.

On the other hand, 44 percent said they eat more bad foods when around friends who also engage in such behavior, and another 48 percent sometimes do. Twenty-six percent said they think their friends sabotage their weight-loss efforts by eating unhealthy food in front of them, and 13 percent by telling them they shouldn’t diet.

(By Sarah E. White for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News)

From the RSS feed of CalorieLab News (REF3076322B7)

Online survey gets to honest truth about friends and weight loss

It seems that Clayton Morris, from FoxNews, has confirmed from a “source inside Apple” that there will be a “big” event in January 26th. This source also stated that the event will focus on the mobility space, which could actually mean a lot of different things. That is if there is if this event even is real.

Could this mean mobility as in an updated iPhone or the announcement of the iSlate/iGuide/iPad/iPod Touch DX? Or mobility could even mean new notebooks equipped with the new architecture Intel is rumored to launch next week. Or maybe there will even be a new iPod Hi-Fi. That thing was somewhat mobile.

So right now, all know for sure is we don’t know a damn thing. Until we get an invitation, let’s file this one in the rumor drawer along with the Wii HD and John Biggs making the Apple Tablet in his basement. [FoxNews via MacRumors]

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Amazon has just released its “Best of 2009″ lists, showing the top-selling devices, books, DVDs, and such from this, the final year of the aughts. And although 2009 has not brought us hovercycles or Lunar colonies, it has brought us love-stricken vampires and a great number of replacements for paper-based book products, both of which sold extremely well. Do you like drawing conclusions from lists? Then buddy, this one’s for you.

* Electronics: Kindle Wireless Reading Device
* Books: “The Lost Symbol” by Dan Brown
* Kindle Books: “The Lost Symbol” by Dan Brown
* DVD: “Twilight”
* Video On Demand: “Twilight”
* Music: “I Dreamed a Dream” by Susan Boyle
* MP3 Album: “No Line on the Horizon” by U2
* MP3 Song: “I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas
* Video Games: Wii
* Computers: ASUS Eee PC 1005HA 10.1-Inch Black Netbook
* Software: Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007
* Home & Garden: Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator
* Grocery: Coffee People, Donut Shop K-Cups for Keurig Brewers
* Gourmet Food: 50’s Decade Box Gift Basket
* Health & Personal Care: Omron HJ-112 Digital Pocket Pedometer
* Beauty: Bare Escentuals bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation
* Toys: Scrabble Slam Cards
* Baby: Vulli Sophie the Giraffe Teether
* Clothing & Accessories: Levi’s Men’s 550 Relaxed Fit Jean
* Shoes and Handbags (Amazon.com and Endless.com): Crocs Cayman Sandal
* Jewelry: Sterling Silver Marcasite & Garnet Glass Heart Pendant
* Watches: Casio Men’s Sea Analog Illuminator Dual LED Dive Watch
* Sports & Outdoors: P90X Extreme Home Fitness Workout Program
* Home Improvement: Toro Ultra 12 Amp Variable Speed Electric Blower/Vacuum
* Automotive: Battery Tender 021-0123 Battery Tender Junior 12V Battery Charger

That’s the best selling item in each of their categories. As you can see it’s a good mix of the obvious and the banal. Well, what were you expecting?

But let’s look a little more closely at the categories that actually interest us. In electronics, the vanilla Kindle v2 is followed by two iPod touch models, the Flip UltraHD, the Kindle DX, and a Blu-ray player. I think that speaks well of adoption rates for new technologies. The DX is surprising, though, considering it’s extremely expensive.

In software, there’s the usual boring mix of Office, financial stuff, and upgrades (Windows 7 edging out Snow Leopard). Lots of netbooks in the computer category. I’m thinking a lot of those went out as gifts. Unsurprisingly, iPhone accessories dominate the phones category. Whatever you may say about that phone, it’s eminently accessorizable. And of course, in video games, the Wii is king.

The last thing I would like to point out is that under most gifted items, we have:

Clothing & Accessories: The Mountain Three Wolf Moon Short Sleeve Tee

Meme power!

You can check out the rest of their exciting lists at the official release.

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With Google days away from unveiling its unlocked, HTC-built smartphone, the devil is in the details. The Nexus One handset, which has been revealed to have some intriguing features, is said to pack a $530 price tag. But without an exclusive phone carrier and multiple price plans, consumer reaction is hard to predict.

“It will all depend on how the device is rolled out,” said Kirk Parsons, senior director of wireless service analysis at JD Power and Associates. “Will it be picked up by a carrier or sold separately? What are the price points for the device? All these decisions will definitely impact consumer reaction and, ultimately, its popularity.”

As a case in point, Parsons added, “the iPhone did not pick up mass appeal until they dropped the device price to $199 — from previously $399.”

Launch Imminent

As it stands now, the Nexus One, expected to be launched on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Jan. 7, is expected be sold directly by Google. Or with a two-year plan from T-Mobile, the device could cost $180, plus $39.99 a month. With unlimited texting and data, the monthly cost would be closer to $79.

It remains to be seen what other plans will be available for the smartphone, which uses Google’s Android mobile operating system.

Google held a press gathering Tuesday to talk about how Android has “spurred innovation in the market.” The Wall Street Journal and other sources have said the company will roll out the homegrown Nexus One in early January.

That would take a page from the playbook of Apple, which introduced the iPhone right before the consumer show in 2007. A launch would rival Apple’s anticipated announcement of a tablet computer, said to be called the iSlate, also in January.

Good Reviews

Sneak previews of the Nexus One have earned…

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The latest version of Palm’s webOS is out, but a reduction in orders to suppliers had investors worried Wednesday. The release of webOS 1.3.5 for Sprint Nextel’s Palm Pre and Pixi customers isn’t expected to ease Palm’s financial woes, but makes it easier for users to download applications from the App Catalog.

Palm has had 10 consecutive quarterly losses, and its new webOS faces significant competition. Palm investors worry that webOS may not be the preferred platform for Palm’s wireless-carrier partners or end users. And Palm’s recent cuts in orders to suppliers left investors feeling shaky.

While Palm expects webOS to lead its product road map and services and be a key differentiator, it’s a new OS and the company doesn’t yet have the experience to determine its commercial viability. “We also have not had the advantage of working with and refining the OS over a long period of time, especially under commercial conditions,” Palm said in its Dec. 23 quarterly report.

New Carriers?

Palm and its investors are dependent on Palm’s Pre and Pixi smartphones to take it to the next level, since revenues from Palm’s legacy products are declining. Currently the smartphones are sold exclusively through Sprint, but analysts expect Palm to announce a relationship with Verizon Wireless and possibly AT&T at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. Some are even predicting Palm will announce a new smartphone.

Investors are also worried about significant competition from other mobile operating systems, including Apple’s iPhone, Nokia’s Symbian, Research In Motion’s BlackBerry, and Linux-based operating systems, including Google’s Android.

“If Palm webOS or the operating systems that we license in our current or future products do not continue to be competitive, our revenues, results of operations, and operating cash flows could be adversely affected,” the company reported. “If our Palm webOS service offerings do not scale…

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The global economic downturn spurred declines in physical immigration — the movement of people across borders — in 2008 and 2009. But a new Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas report says “virtual” immigration — moving the work rather than the workers — continued to grow.

“Most likely, the difference stems from the jobs the two types of immigrants typically do,” authors Michael Cox, Richard Alm and Justyna Dymerska write in the Dallas Fed’s Economic Letter. “Physical immigrants work in construction and other highly cyclical industries. Virtual immigrants are more likely to work in the services economy. It has traditionally been less sensitive than goods to cyclical fluctuations, largely because services aren’t subject to the kind of inventory bulges that make goods production unstable.”

Still, virtual immigration increased at a slower pace during the downturn. “Hard times might pressure companies to cut costs, quickening offshoring’s pace,” they write. “At the same time, companies might pull back on offshoring because of cuts in IT budgets and plentiful labor close to home.”   For instance, India’s exports in software and IT services are forecast to continue expanding. But the projected growth rate of 17% for 2009 is less than half the pace of the prior four years.

The authors walk through data on labor flows during the latest wave of globalization that began in 1980 — as developing nations entered the global marketplace, transportation costs fell and information technology advanced — and into the recent downturn. As the world recovers from the recession, “the long-term factors supporting cross-border integration of trade, finance and labor are likely to reemerge, although it may take time to fully restore globalization’s momentum,” they write. “The outlook could change if hard times linger and countries succumb to protectionist temptations, setting off a destructive process of deglobalization.”

Filed under: Retail, Software, iWork

While no one was looking, the Apple iWork suite jumped 50% in sales this year over 2008 levels. The retail sales analysts at the NPD Group say much of the current popularity of the program stem from the sales of Snow Leopard, which bundled the productivity apps for U.S. $169.00 for a single-user version and $229.00 for a family set.

AppleInsider quotes Steven Baker, NPD’s V.P. of industry analysis, saying “These have been, I think, pretty successful products for them (Apple), generating a lot of pretty decent average selling prices and decent revenue numbers.”

I really like the iWork apps. My last book was mostly written on Pages, then sent off to the publisher as an RTF formatted file. Keynote is very powerful, and doesn’t have the tired old look of PowerPoint.

Apple is apparently working on moving a good deal of iWork to the cloud, and Microsoft is taking the same path with Office.

[via AppleInsider]

TUAWiWork a quiet hit with sales up 50% this year originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Gaming, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Touch Arcade has word that one of 2008’s best iPhone games (our 2009 list is coming out this week), Fieldrunners [iTunes link, $2.99], has released an update (1.3), in which they’ve released two new maps available as in-app purchases, and they’ve included OpenFeint 2.4 functionality, with messaging, chat, and everything else the in-game social network portends.

The two new maps are called Skyway and Frostbite. Skyway boasts a metal floor with a few holes in it, which limit where you can place your units in the tower defense classic. Frostbite is a snowfield with a base in the middle to defend from attackers on all sides. Seems like both offer up some interesting twists on the gameplay — they’re 99 cents each (a fact that has the most recent iTunes reviews up in arms), but if you ask us, two bucks for new content is cheap, especially if you’re a big Fieldrunners fan already.

The update itself is a free download for paid users, though, so if you want that OpenFeint functionality, hit up the App Store and load the game up yet again.

TUAWFieldrunners updated to 1.3, offers two new maps as in-app purchases originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bowl bonanza with two more games today. Groundhog Day you might ask yourself? Nope, two different teams.

The first of both matchups is going to be The Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl which will feature The Bowling Green Falcons against The Idaho Vandals. The later game and the second match up will be The # 20 ranked Arizona Wildcats vs The # 22 ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl. All four of these teams have some good prospects that will declare for the 2010 NFL Draft. Below  we will look at both games, key players, stats, and other information regarding the games.

IDAHO VANDALS VS BOWLING GREEN FLACONS

# 20 ARIZONA WILDCATS VS # 22 NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS

ROADY’S HUMANITARIAN BOWL PREVIEW

This will mark the first ever meeting between these two Aerial Assasins. The (7-5, 4-4) Idaho Vandals finished 4th in the WAC while The (7-5, 6-2) Bowling Green Falcons finished 3rd in the MAC- East. Both teams have exceptional passing games; the Falcons are ranked 8th overall in the nation with 310 yards in the air per game, and the Vandals are ranked 11th in the nation with 290 yards in the air per game. There shouldn’t be a lack of excitement with all the pigskin that will flying though the air in this one.

THE IDAHO VANDALS

Key players to watch for the Vandals:

[# 10] Nathan Enderle QB 6’5 223 (Junior):

Comp Rate 62.3%, 2666 Yards, 9.4 Yds/Att, 18 TD’s

[# 23] DeMaundray Woolridge RB 5’9″ 220 (Senior):

149 Attempts, 853 Yards, 5.7 Avg, 16 TD’s

[# 22] Max Komar WR 5’10” 202 (Senior):

62 Catches, 1036 Yards, 16.7 Avg, 10 TD’s

[# 88] Daniel Hardy WR 6’2″ 211 (Junior):

38 Catches, 674 Yards, 17.7 Avg, 3 TD’s

[# 2] Maurice Shaw WR 6’2″ 188 (Junior):

28 Catches, 605 Yards, 21.6 Avg, 6 TD’s

[# 77] Mike Iupati G 6’6″ 330 (Senior):

Number one rated prospect at Guard.

[# 34] Joesph Dickson LB 6’1″ 229 (Junior):

72 Tackles, 2 Sacks, 2 INT’s, 113 Yards, 1 TD

Led by Coach: Rob Akey

 

THE BOWLING GREEN FALCONS

Key players to watch for the Falcons:

[# 13] Tyler Sheehan QB 6’4″ 227 (Senior):

Comp Rate 64.4%, 3664 Yards, 6.9 Yds/Att, 23 TD’s

[# 1] Willie Geter RB 5’7″ 167 (Junior):

162 Attempts, 609 Yards, 3.7 Avg, 7 TD’s

[# 7] Freddie Barnes WR 6’0″ 210 (Senior):

138 Catches, 1551 Yards, 11.2 Avg, 16 TD’s

[# 12] Chris Wright WR 5’10” 181 (Senior):

39 Catches, 510 Yards, 13.1 Avg, 1 TD

[# 9] Adrian Hodges WR 5’11” 183 (Sophomore):

45 Catches, 410 Yards, 9.1 Avg, 2 TD’s

[# 31] Roger Williams DB 5’11” 197 (Senior):

4 INT’s, 17 Yards

Led by Coach: Dave Clawsen

 

WHEN: 1:30 PM PST, 4:30 PM ET

WHERE: BRONCO STADIUM, BOISE, IDAHO

TV: ESPN, ESPN-HD, ESPN360

SATELITE: SIRIUS, XM

 

THE PACIFIC LIFE HOLIDAY BOWL PREVIEW

Two ranked teams ususally means a lot of pro prospects. In this game we will see the number one rated player in the country in Ndamukong Suh, who took home six major national awards for defense in ’09. Suh threw Colt McCoy and the offensive line of Texas around like hay with a pitchfork and came very close in helping his team to a win the Big 12 Championship. The Arizona Wildcats will have an overwhelming helping of Suh and the rest of the Nebraska defense. The Wildcats have a pretty good looking defense themselves led by defensive minded Coach Mike Stoops. The Wildcats will have their best chance on the ground running in the opposite direction of Suh if they want a chance to win this bowl game. The game is a rematch of the 1998 Holiday Bowl, when the Wildcats overcame a third quarter deficit and defeated the Huskers 23-20 in front of 65,354 fans. The Wildcats finished this year with a (8-4, 6-3) record and placed 2nd in the Pac 10 and The Huskers finished in ’09 with a (9-4, 6-2) record which placed them 1st in the Big 12 North Division.

THE ARIZONA WILDCATS

Key players to watch for the Wildcats:

[# 8] Nick Foles QB 6’5″ 235 (Sophomore):

Comp Rate 66%, 2420 Yards, 6.4 Yds/Att, 19 TD’s

[# 2] Keola Antolin RB 5’8″ 186 (Sophomore):

103 Attempts, 568 Yards, 5.5 Avg, 4 TD’s

[# 5] Nic Grigsby RB 5’10” 190 (Junior):

75 Attempts, 559 Yards, 7.5 Avg, 5 TD’s

[# 82] Juron Criner WR 6’4″ 210 (Sophomore):

43 Catches, 580 Yards, 13.5 Avg, 9 TD’s

[# 84] Terrell Turner WR 6’2″ 190 (Senior):

47 catches, 450 Yards, 9.6 Avg, 4 TD

[# 24] Trevin Wade DB 5’11” 182 (Sophomore):

5 INT’s, 40 Yards, 1 TD

[# 1] Robert Golden DB 5’11” 190 (Sophmore):

2 INT’s, 93 Yards, 1 TD

Led by Coach: Mike Stoops

 

THE NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS

Key players to watch for the Huskers:

[# 10] Roy Helu RB 6’0″ 215 (Junior):

217 Attempts, 1139 yards, 5.2 Avg, 10 TD’s

[# 24] Niles Paul WR 6’1″ 210 (Junior):

36 Catches, 673 Yards, 18.7 Avg, 3 TD’s

[# 44] Mike McNeill TE 6’4″ 240 (Junior):

25 Catches, 240 Yards, 9.6 Avg, 4 TD’s

[# 93] Ndamukong Suh DT 6’4″ 300 (Senior):

82 Tackles, 12 sacks, 1 INT

Career totals: 212 tackles, 23 Sacks, 4 INT’s, 2 TD’s

[# 7] Dejon Gomes DB 6’0 190 (Senior):

4 INT’s, 45 Yards

[# 21] Prince Amakamara CB 6’1 195 (Junior):

5 INT’s, 63 Yards

[# 4] Larry Asante S 6’1″ 210 (Senior):

2 INT’s, 74 Yards, 1 TD

[# 33] Matt O’Hanlon S 5’11” (Senior):

5 INT’s, 68 Yards, 1 TD

Led by Coach: Bo Pelini

 

WHEN: 5:00 PM PST, 8:00 PM ET

WHERE: QUALCOMM STADIUM, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

TV: ESPN, ESPN-HD

SATELITE: SIRIUS, XM

Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Lexus, Rumormill

Another country heard from – this time, a mole in Lexus of Europe has announced via the corporate Twitter account that the LFA’s V10 will definitely not be going into the GS F. The supercar’s 10-pot wonder is “bespoke to LFA,” which is ur-English for something custom made, but in this case we’ll take to mean “None of you can have this engine if you don’t drive an LFA.”

You’ll note that the 106-character tweet deftly avoids confirming the existence of any sort of GS F in the first place – a car that has existed solely as a fairytale for nigh on three years – with the deflection, “not going to comment on those.” But at least now if the GS F does come, we know what it won’t have. But hey, they didn’t rule out a derivative, right? Hat tip to Stan!

[Source: Lexus Europe Comm via Twitter]

From the Twitterverse: Lexus of Europe says LFA V10 is bespoke, not headed for GS F originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Whitney Houston’s recent erratic behavior has pals fearing the legendary diva has succumbed to the pressure of her musical comeback and may be using drugs again.

Say it ain’t so, Nippy!

The “Million Dollar Bill” singer may be indulging in drugs and alcohol again to cope with the stress of an international promo tour in support of her charttopping album, I Look To You, tattlers dish in the Jan. 11 issue of The National Enquirer.

Worried friends suggest she is exhibiting some sketchy behavior similar to when she was using. One friend claimed:

“Whitney seems to go from being a nervous wreck to being completely out of it in a short period of time – just like she did when she was freebasing and using crack cocaine. She is still drinking and with Whitney, alcohol and drugs have always gone hand-in-hand. She’s worked so hard to get back on top. It would be tragic for it to go up in smoke because she can’t stay clean.”
Now, under pressure to continue her comeback, the pop icon appears tense and overanxious, said the source, adding: “You can’t help worrying that she’s slipped back into some of her bad habits.”

The so-called Google Phone, which we know will be going by the Nexus One moniker, has been making headlines lately with bits of information making their way to the press one way or the other. First billed as an internal experiment by Google, the company didn’t really make a convincing case and the evidence kept piling up that it was heading to the consumer market soon enough. The final details and two almost ‘official’ confirmations poured in today, making the Nexus One pretty much a sure thing. Interestingly, the invitations Google sent out as well as the leaked screenshots of the phone’s landing page, which isn’t live yet, confirm Google’s upcoming logo major redesign.

Shortly after Google handed out the phone to its employees, poor quality images of the device and the interface started popping up online. But it’s only when the specs of the phone came out that things got really interesting. All the signs pointed that Nexus One would be the Android phone to own leaving the much-touted Motorola Droid in the dust.

Things quieted down after that, with the occasional video of the device and a perspective launch date. Now though, we’re treated to a deluge of information, from T-Mobile, which will carry the device, from Google and also from a couple of ‘leaks’.

We now know … (read more)

Male baldness is more common than most of us think – even men who are lucky enough to have a full head of hair lose between 50 and 150 individual hairs every day. For many men, this isn’t a big problem as the hair is simply regenerated and new hair replaces it; however an estimated 60% of men are affected by hair loss at some point during their lives.

 Male pattern baldness, also known as androgenic alopecia, is hereditary and is the main cause of hair loss in an estimated 95% of men. The condition often begins with a receding hairline and causes loss of hair on top of the head, but leaves the back and sides mostly unaffected. There isn’t really a known cure, although organic baldness treatment can help to control the loss of hair.

One of the disadvantages of conventional medicines that are designed to treat male pattern baldness is that they can have adverse side effects. Some of these can include a loss of interest in sex, headaches and an increased heart rate. Most treatment products don’t really have any side effects, although they should not be used without medical advice by women who may become pregnant.

 Organic male-baldness products – defined as any that are manufactured without any artificial or synthetic ingredients – have several advantages. They don’t usually irritate the scalp or hair, so are better for those with sensitive skin; they generally don’t have any side effects and don’t cause allergic reactions. And an added bonus – using them helps to protect the environment.

There are several organic and natural products that have been proven to be effective in helping with the treatment – including some containing unlikely ingredients. Crudoleum is a treatment containing unrefined crude oil, which is rubbed into the scalp and supposedly stimulates hair growth by increasing blood flow, although results aren’t apparent until after several months of use.

Various oils, which are easy to find at health food stores, are also good for treating baldness. Lavender, rosemary, peppermint oils and particularly emu oil have all been proven effective in treating hair loss. Emu oil is good for the treatment also as it stimulates any inactive hair follicles; it can be taken by applying the oil to the scalp, or by taking capsules.

Regular exercise and a healthy diet can also go a long way in preventing baldness in men. A healthy diet and exercise both help to increase blood circulation and stimulate new hair growth. And supplements such as vitamin B6, magnesium and zinc are all good to take to keep that full head of hair.

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