Singh Probes Foreign Link in Bombings
By MATTHEW ROSENBERG (Associated Press Writer), Monday October 31, 2005 4:46 PM
NEW DELHI (AP) - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told Pakistan's president Monday there were indications of a foreign link to the bombings that struck two New Delhi markets, and he reminded the Pakistani leader of his country's promise to fight terrorism, an official said.
In Pakistan, President Gen. Pervez Musharraf condemned the bombings that killed 59 people and injured 210 others Saturday as "a dastardly terrorist attack," and said Pakistan would fully cooperate in any investigation.
Pakistan-based Islamic militants have been suspected in the bombings, but Indian officials have been hesitant to immediately place blame. Indian analysts and newspapers, meanwhile, have pointed the finger at Pakistani-based groups fighting to wrest divided Kashmir from India.
A little-known group that police say has ties to militants in Kashmir claimed responsibility Sunday for the bombings. A third bomb that targeted a bus did not kill anyone but injured nine people.
Musharraf called Singh to express his condolences, and Singh told him that the investigation indicated "external linkages of terrorist groups" to the attacks, said Sanjaya Baru, a spokesman for the Indian leader. Singh also pointed out "Pakistan's commitment to ending cross-border terrorism", Baru said.
At a news conference near the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, Musharraf said: "Pakistan stands with India." He added that the deadly earthquake that devastated Kashmir was an opportunity for the countries to advance negotiations over their conflicting claims to the Himalayan region.
"I think this is an opportunity which we should utilize for moving ahead" on a final solution for Kashmir, he said, repeating his willingness to demilitarize the region.
The attacks came at a particularly sensitive moment as India and Pakistan hashed out an unprecedented agreement to partially open the heavily militarized frontier that divides the disputed territory of Kashmir to speed relief to victims of the region's Oct. 8 earthquake. The border deal was finalized early Sunday.
India and Pakistan have fought three wars since the subcontinent was partitioned at independence from Britain in 1947, two over Kashmir.
Accusations of Pakistani involvement in a 2001 attack on India's parliament put the nuclear-armed rivals on the brink of a fourth war. But they pulled back and both sides now appear intent on maintaining the momentum toward peace despite the latest attacks.
On Sunday, a man called a news agency in Indian Kashmir claiming the militant group Islamic Inquilab Mahaz, or Front for Islamic Uprising, had staged the bombings. New Delhi's deputy police chief, Karnail Singh, said the group has ties with the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, the most feared of the dozens of Kashmiri militant groups.
The caller, who identified himself as Ahmed Yaar Ghaznavi, said the bombings were "meant as a rebuff to the claims of Indian security groups" that militants had been wiped out by security crackdowns and the quake.
Police in Indian Kashmir said intelligence agencies were not familiar with the caller's name and the government refused to comment on the claim of responsibility.
On Monday, wary New Delhi residents returned to work, but the crowds were thin at the Sorojini Nagar market, one of the two markets targeted on the eve of the Hindu festival of lights, Diwali.
"Normally on this day, the day before Diwali, you won't get any place in my shop to stand," said Harsh Goplan, who runs a clothing store. "The fact that I am here taking to you, talking to other journalists, says it all - that there are no customers today."
At the market and throughout New Delhi, security was tight. Dozens of police patrolled the streets, most armed with assault weapons.
Sarojini Nagar - considered the city's favorite shopping hub - was busier on Sunday, with some shoppers saying they had come to defy the attackers.
"We came here to express solidarity,"' said Shibani Mahalanobis, a 66-year-old grandmother who has shopped in the market for 45 years.
Authorities said they already had gathered useful clues about the bombings. Police said they were questioning numerous people.
Police were looking for a man in his 20s who refused to buy a ticket on a bus and got off, leaving behind a large black bag, said Singh, the deputy police chief. The bag caused a panic onboard, prompting the driver and conductor to throw it from the bus just as it exploded, injuring them both and seven others.
The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party - India's main opposition party - has urged the government to review what it called its soft border" policy with Pakistan.
Under the deal struck Sunday, people will be able to cross the frontier in Kashmir at five points starting Nov. 7 to help get food, shelter and medicine to victims of the quake, which killed about 80,000 people and left 3 million homeless, mostly in Pakistan.
Read the full article here : Guardian Unlimited | World Latest | Singh Probes Foreign Link in Bombings
Monday, October 31, 2005
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
USATODAY.com - Rosa Parks, civil rights heroine, passes away at 92
Rosa Parks, civil rights heroine, passes away at 92
By Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 10/24/2005 10:32 PM
Rosa Parks, whose refusal a half-century ago to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Alabama launched a new era in the civil rights movement, died Monday. She was 92.
Parks died at her home of natural causes, said Karen Morgan, a spokeswoman for Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich.
Parks' act of disobedience against the segregation laws of the South united blacks behind a victorious boycott of the Montgomery bus system. It also vaulted into national prominence a young minister who led the boycott and who would soon inspire a nationwide movement for equal rights for blacks: the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
"It's a cliché to say she was the mother of the civil rights movement, but she really was," said Julian Bond, chairman of the board of the NAACP. "She set in motion a movement that hasn't ended."
Parks was a 42-year-old seamstress and a member of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in December 1955, when a white man demanded her seat on a city bus. She refused, despite rules requiring blacks to yield their seats to whites. She was jailed for her act of defiance and fined $14.
Speaking in 1992, she said history too often maintains "that my feet were hurting and I didn't know why I refused to stand up when they told me. But the real reason of my not standing up was I felt that I had a right to be treated as any other passenger. We had endured that kind of treatment for too long."
Her arrest triggered a 381-day boycott of the bus system organized by King. It led to a 1956 Supreme Court decision that said discrimination in public transportation was unconstitutional.
The movement culminated in the 1964 federal Civil Rights Act, which banned racial discrimination in public accommodations.
Read the full article at : USATODAY.com - Rosa Parks, civil rights heroine, passes away at 92
By Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 10/24/2005 10:32 PM
Rosa Parks, whose refusal a half-century ago to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Alabama launched a new era in the civil rights movement, died Monday. She was 92.
Parks died at her home of natural causes, said Karen Morgan, a spokeswoman for Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich.
Parks' act of disobedience against the segregation laws of the South united blacks behind a victorious boycott of the Montgomery bus system. It also vaulted into national prominence a young minister who led the boycott and who would soon inspire a nationwide movement for equal rights for blacks: the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
"It's a cliché to say she was the mother of the civil rights movement, but she really was," said Julian Bond, chairman of the board of the NAACP. "She set in motion a movement that hasn't ended."
Parks was a 42-year-old seamstress and a member of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in December 1955, when a white man demanded her seat on a city bus. She refused, despite rules requiring blacks to yield their seats to whites. She was jailed for her act of defiance and fined $14.
Speaking in 1992, she said history too often maintains "that my feet were hurting and I didn't know why I refused to stand up when they told me. But the real reason of my not standing up was I felt that I had a right to be treated as any other passenger. We had endured that kind of treatment for too long."
Her arrest triggered a 381-day boycott of the bus system organized by King. It led to a 1956 Supreme Court decision that said discrimination in public transportation was unconstitutional.
The movement culminated in the 1964 federal Civil Rights Act, which banned racial discrimination in public accommodations.
Read the full article at : USATODAY.com - Rosa Parks, civil rights heroine, passes away at 92
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Technology News: Security : Codes Make Printers Stool Pigeons
Codes Make Printers Stool Pigeons
By John P. Mello Jr., TechNewsWorld, 10/18/05 7:34 AM PT
While the codes may aid the Secret Service's fight against counterfeiting, the practice raises some larger issues for society, according to EFF Staff Attorney Lee Tien. "People who want to protect their anonymity -- whether they're whistleblowers or dissidents or journalists or whatever -- when they print something out, should know that there's an issue here," he said.
Clandestine codes used to track the output of some color laser printers have been cracked by a research team led by the Electronic Frontier Foundation Latest News about Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).
According to the organization, the codes are part of a deal cut by the U.S. Secret Service with some printer makers to help curb the counterfeiting of currency.
In a statement released yesterday, the EFF said the codes, which are invisible to the human eye but can be seen with a microscope or under blue light, reveal the date and time a page was printed as well as the printer's serial number.
Widespread Adoption
The EFF has published a list of printers that deploy the coding scheme at its EFF Printer Privacy Web site.
"The whole industry has agreed to do this tracking without regard to how expensive the printers are," EFF staff technologist Seth David Schoen told TechNewsWorld.
The EFF has broken codes on pages printed on Xerox (NYSE: XRX) Latest News about Xerox DocuColor printers, which cost tens of thousands of dollars, Schoen said. But code crackers saw similar dots on pages printed with Dell (Nasdaq: DELL) Latest News about Dell color lasers, which sell for US$299 to $399.
Privacy Issues
While the codes may aid the Secret Service's fight against counterfeiting, the practice raises some larger issues for society, according to EFF Staff Attorney Lee Tien.
"People who want to protect their anonymity -- whether they're whistleblowers or dissidents or journalists or whatever -- when they print something out, should know that there's an issue here," he told TechNewsWorld.
An even bigger issue, he argued, lies with how this protection scheme was implemented in the first place.
"What right does the government have to make backroom deals with makers of equipment to make it easier for people to be tracked or traced without their knowledge and without any public debate?" he asked rhetorically.
"When the government is essentially making design decisions that are intended to facilitate surveillance or tracking," he observed, "we think that raises some really serious, big picture policy issues."
Extraordinary Solution
Jonathan Zittrain, director Harvard Law School's Berkman Center for Internet Web Hosting and Web Design services from the original domain name registrar, Network Solutions. and Society in Cambridge, Mass., found the printer tracking scheme "pretty extraordinary."
"I think this particular implementation is not per se such a problem, but the general public ought to be told which particular forms of technology encode serial number or other information in its output, and have a choice about whether to use that technology," he told TechNewsWorld via e-mail.
"Counterfeiting is a serious problem," he continued, "and there ought to be some way to prevent its undue exacerbation through color printing technologies without compromising the anonymity of every single document the printer might ever be asked to print."
Those ways do exist. Since all printers have characteristics that distinguish them as fingerprints distinguish people, there are less Draconian ways to track documents, like those developed by Professor Edward J. Delp at Purdue University's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering in West Lafayette, Ind. "The techniques that we developed in our research projects are a little bit more costly," he told TechNewsWorld. "This is easy to do and easy to extract. Our method is a little harder to do."
Initiated in Copiers
Although reports about the codes, which appear as yellow dot patterns in a 15-by-8 matrix, were revealed in the press last fall, the practice appears to have been going on for some time. A Xerox researcher told PC World, for example, last year that his company pioneered the coding scheme with its color copiers. Several nations balked at allowing the copiers to be sold within their borders because they feared the machines would be used to counterfeit currency, he explained.
When contacted by TechNewsWorld, Xerox declined to comment on its use of stealth codes to track printer output.
"Xerox Corporation is the world's leading expert on the copying process -- after all, we invented it," Bill McKee, a spokesman for the company, said via e-mail.
"However," he continued, "as you can imagine for security Security, strength, a lower TCO: find out about all the advantages of IBM Middleware on Linux. reasons, we cannot disclose any additional details.
"Please rest assured that Xerox does not routinely share any information about its customers. We, like any manufacturer, assist investigating agencies, when asked," he added.
Doesn't Track PCs
As for the Secret Service, it sees the coding scheme as important part on its war on counterfeiters.
"The Secret Service has worked in conjunction with not only government agencies but with industry partners in coming up with preventive measures for this type of equipment to make it more difficult to use illegally to produce counterfeit currency," spokesperson Eric Zahren told TechNewsWorld.
"It is a very specific technology," he added, "and it in no way tracks what's on or how a personal computer is being used."
Read the full article at : Technology News: Security : Codes Make Printers Stool Pigeons
By John P. Mello Jr., TechNewsWorld, 10/18/05 7:34 AM PT
While the codes may aid the Secret Service's fight against counterfeiting, the practice raises some larger issues for society, according to EFF Staff Attorney Lee Tien. "People who want to protect their anonymity -- whether they're whistleblowers or dissidents or journalists or whatever -- when they print something out, should know that there's an issue here," he said.
Clandestine codes used to track the output of some color laser printers have been cracked by a research team led by the Electronic Frontier Foundation Latest News about Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).
According to the organization, the codes are part of a deal cut by the U.S. Secret Service with some printer makers to help curb the counterfeiting of currency.
In a statement released yesterday, the EFF said the codes, which are invisible to the human eye but can be seen with a microscope or under blue light, reveal the date and time a page was printed as well as the printer's serial number.
Widespread Adoption
The EFF has published a list of printers that deploy the coding scheme at its EFF Printer Privacy Web site.
"The whole industry has agreed to do this tracking without regard to how expensive the printers are," EFF staff technologist Seth David Schoen told TechNewsWorld.
The EFF has broken codes on pages printed on Xerox (NYSE: XRX) Latest News about Xerox DocuColor printers, which cost tens of thousands of dollars, Schoen said. But code crackers saw similar dots on pages printed with Dell (Nasdaq: DELL) Latest News about Dell color lasers, which sell for US$299 to $399.
Privacy Issues
While the codes may aid the Secret Service's fight against counterfeiting, the practice raises some larger issues for society, according to EFF Staff Attorney Lee Tien.
"People who want to protect their anonymity -- whether they're whistleblowers or dissidents or journalists or whatever -- when they print something out, should know that there's an issue here," he told TechNewsWorld.
An even bigger issue, he argued, lies with how this protection scheme was implemented in the first place.
"What right does the government have to make backroom deals with makers of equipment to make it easier for people to be tracked or traced without their knowledge and without any public debate?" he asked rhetorically.
"When the government is essentially making design decisions that are intended to facilitate surveillance or tracking," he observed, "we think that raises some really serious, big picture policy issues."
Extraordinary Solution
Jonathan Zittrain, director Harvard Law School's Berkman Center for Internet Web Hosting and Web Design services from the original domain name registrar, Network Solutions. and Society in Cambridge, Mass., found the printer tracking scheme "pretty extraordinary."
"I think this particular implementation is not per se such a problem, but the general public ought to be told which particular forms of technology encode serial number or other information in its output, and have a choice about whether to use that technology," he told TechNewsWorld via e-mail.
"Counterfeiting is a serious problem," he continued, "and there ought to be some way to prevent its undue exacerbation through color printing technologies without compromising the anonymity of every single document the printer might ever be asked to print."
Those ways do exist. Since all printers have characteristics that distinguish them as fingerprints distinguish people, there are less Draconian ways to track documents, like those developed by Professor Edward J. Delp at Purdue University's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering in West Lafayette, Ind. "The techniques that we developed in our research projects are a little bit more costly," he told TechNewsWorld. "This is easy to do and easy to extract. Our method is a little harder to do."
Initiated in Copiers
Although reports about the codes, which appear as yellow dot patterns in a 15-by-8 matrix, were revealed in the press last fall, the practice appears to have been going on for some time. A Xerox researcher told PC World, for example, last year that his company pioneered the coding scheme with its color copiers. Several nations balked at allowing the copiers to be sold within their borders because they feared the machines would be used to counterfeit currency, he explained.
When contacted by TechNewsWorld, Xerox declined to comment on its use of stealth codes to track printer output.
"Xerox Corporation is the world's leading expert on the copying process -- after all, we invented it," Bill McKee, a spokesman for the company, said via e-mail.
"However," he continued, "as you can imagine for security Security, strength, a lower TCO: find out about all the advantages of IBM Middleware on Linux. reasons, we cannot disclose any additional details.
"Please rest assured that Xerox does not routinely share any information about its customers. We, like any manufacturer, assist investigating agencies, when asked," he added.
Doesn't Track PCs
As for the Secret Service, it sees the coding scheme as important part on its war on counterfeiters.
"The Secret Service has worked in conjunction with not only government agencies but with industry partners in coming up with preventive measures for this type of equipment to make it more difficult to use illegally to produce counterfeit currency," spokesperson Eric Zahren told TechNewsWorld.
"It is a very specific technology," he added, "and it in no way tracks what's on or how a personal computer is being used."
Read the full article at : Technology News: Security : Codes Make Printers Stool Pigeons
Hewlett Urges Compromise in Battle Over New Formats for DVD - New York Times
Hewlett Urges Compromise in Battle Over New Formats for DVD
By KEN BELSON, October 20, 2005
The Hewlett-Packard Company, a member of the Blu-ray Disc Association developing the next-generation DVD, urged the group yesterday to adopt software that has already been included in the rival format.
While still supporting the Blu-ray format, Hewlett took the unusual step of announcing its request as the board members of the Blu-ray group met in Los Angeles. The move signaled a potential rift in the Blu-ray camp between consumer electronics giants like Sony, Panasonic and Samsung, and computer makers like Hewlett and Dell.
In a pointed ultimatum, Hewlett said that if the additional technology was not added to the Blu-ray format, it would consider switching allegiances and backing the rival standard, Toshiba's HD-DVD.
"At the end of the day, H.P. will support the optical formats that support this technology, so we would have to look at alternatives" if the Blu-ray group rejects its request, said Maureen Weber, the general manager of personal storage at Hewlett and the chair of the promotions committee for the Blu-ray Disc Association.
Hewlett wants the Blu-ray group to incorporate the software because it allows consumers to legally copy DVD's onto their PC's, transfer movies to other devices and watch video in a greater variety of ways.
Microsoft's new Vista operating system is expected to work easily with this software. As a result, Hewlett and other computer makers could install Vista in their PC's and avoid having to spend the time and money to install and test the alternative software called BD Java.
But after remaining neutral for several years, Microsoft and Intel last month backed the HD-DVD standard being developed by Toshiba. The move made it politically more difficult for the Blu-ray group to work with Microsoft.
Ms. Weber said Hewlett was "shocked" by Microsoft's decision to throw its weight behind the HD-DVD standard, and it forced her company to reconsider its priorities. She said Hewlett was trying to broker a solution to the deepening format war by proposing that the Blu-ray companies use Microsoft's software.
Hewlett hopes that the Blu-ray group votes on its request in the month or two.
"We need to start to making our high-definition plans," Ms. Weber said.
The showdown is emblematic of a broader struggle between the computer and consumer electronics industries. Computer companies are trying to make inroads into the entertainment industry by making it easier for consumers to copy, store and transfer music and video.
In general, consumer electronics manufacturers, backed by movie studios and music companies, have resisted those efforts and created technology that tries to limit what consumers can do with their content.
Read the full article at : Hewlett Urges Compromise in Battle Over New Formats for DVD - New York Times
By KEN BELSON, October 20, 2005
The Hewlett-Packard Company, a member of the Blu-ray Disc Association developing the next-generation DVD, urged the group yesterday to adopt software that has already been included in the rival format.
While still supporting the Blu-ray format, Hewlett took the unusual step of announcing its request as the board members of the Blu-ray group met in Los Angeles. The move signaled a potential rift in the Blu-ray camp between consumer electronics giants like Sony, Panasonic and Samsung, and computer makers like Hewlett and Dell.
In a pointed ultimatum, Hewlett said that if the additional technology was not added to the Blu-ray format, it would consider switching allegiances and backing the rival standard, Toshiba's HD-DVD.
"At the end of the day, H.P. will support the optical formats that support this technology, so we would have to look at alternatives" if the Blu-ray group rejects its request, said Maureen Weber, the general manager of personal storage at Hewlett and the chair of the promotions committee for the Blu-ray Disc Association.
Hewlett wants the Blu-ray group to incorporate the software because it allows consumers to legally copy DVD's onto their PC's, transfer movies to other devices and watch video in a greater variety of ways.
Microsoft's new Vista operating system is expected to work easily with this software. As a result, Hewlett and other computer makers could install Vista in their PC's and avoid having to spend the time and money to install and test the alternative software called BD Java.
But after remaining neutral for several years, Microsoft and Intel last month backed the HD-DVD standard being developed by Toshiba. The move made it politically more difficult for the Blu-ray group to work with Microsoft.
Ms. Weber said Hewlett was "shocked" by Microsoft's decision to throw its weight behind the HD-DVD standard, and it forced her company to reconsider its priorities. She said Hewlett was trying to broker a solution to the deepening format war by proposing that the Blu-ray companies use Microsoft's software.
Hewlett hopes that the Blu-ray group votes on its request in the month or two.
"We need to start to making our high-definition plans," Ms. Weber said.
The showdown is emblematic of a broader struggle between the computer and consumer electronics industries. Computer companies are trying to make inroads into the entertainment industry by making it easier for consumers to copy, store and transfer music and video.
In general, consumer electronics manufacturers, backed by movie studios and music companies, have resisted those efforts and created technology that tries to limit what consumers can do with their content.
Read the full article at : Hewlett Urges Compromise in Battle Over New Formats for DVD - New York Times
The Apple parade marches on - Alpha - Blog.CNET.com - CNET.com
The Apple parade marches on
Posted by Rich Brown, October 19, 2005, 10:39 AM PDT
On the heels of last week's new iPods, iTunes 6, and the new iMac G5 come a burly new Power Mac G5 and new specs for its G4 PowerBook laptops, announced today at the PhotoPlus Expo 2005 in New York.
The highlight is easily the new Power Mac G5 Quad. Apple's flagship desktop computer now comes with two 2.5GHz dual-core CPUs (each with 1MB of L2 cache), giving the system four processing cores for performance gains of, according to Apple, up to 76 percent compared to the previous generation's dual-core 2.7GHz Power Mac G5. Also of note is the move to PCI Express, embraced more here than on any other platform we've seen to date. Not only does the Power Mac G5 Quad come with the standard x16 PCI Express slot for graphics, you also get two x4 slots and a separate x8 slot, which Apple says lets you include "the latest video I/O, audio DSP, and Fibre Channel expansion cards." Other upgrades include an Intel-esque move to 533MHz of DDR2 memory and SuperDrive DVD burners, as well as support for up to 1TB of hard drive storage between two 500GB 7,200rpm Serial ATA hard drives. Prices start at $3,299 without monitor.
The new PowerBook announcement is less exciting. The only major update is a screen-resolution bump across all models. The 15-incher (now $1,999) goes to 1,440x960 (previously 1,280x854), and the 17-inch model ($2,499) is now 1,680x1,050 (up from 1,440x900). The 12-inch model (now $1,499) doesn't get a new resolution, but it does benefit from a universal screen brightness increase (which, according to Apple, accompanies longer battery life), as well as new PowerBook default specs, which include the SuperDrive DVD burner and dual-link DVI output to support Apple's Cinema HD displays.
Read the full article at : The Apple parade marches on - Alpha - Blog.CNET.com - CNET.com
Posted by Rich Brown, October 19, 2005, 10:39 AM PDT
On the heels of last week's new iPods, iTunes 6, and the new iMac G5 come a burly new Power Mac G5 and new specs for its G4 PowerBook laptops, announced today at the PhotoPlus Expo 2005 in New York.
The highlight is easily the new Power Mac G5 Quad. Apple's flagship desktop computer now comes with two 2.5GHz dual-core CPUs (each with 1MB of L2 cache), giving the system four processing cores for performance gains of, according to Apple, up to 76 percent compared to the previous generation's dual-core 2.7GHz Power Mac G5. Also of note is the move to PCI Express, embraced more here than on any other platform we've seen to date. Not only does the Power Mac G5 Quad come with the standard x16 PCI Express slot for graphics, you also get two x4 slots and a separate x8 slot, which Apple says lets you include "the latest video I/O, audio DSP, and Fibre Channel expansion cards." Other upgrades include an Intel-esque move to 533MHz of DDR2 memory and SuperDrive DVD burners, as well as support for up to 1TB of hard drive storage between two 500GB 7,200rpm Serial ATA hard drives. Prices start at $3,299 without monitor.
The new PowerBook announcement is less exciting. The only major update is a screen-resolution bump across all models. The 15-incher (now $1,999) goes to 1,440x960 (previously 1,280x854), and the 17-inch model ($2,499) is now 1,680x1,050 (up from 1,440x900). The 12-inch model (now $1,499) doesn't get a new resolution, but it does benefit from a universal screen brightness increase (which, according to Apple, accompanies longer battery life), as well as new PowerBook default specs, which include the SuperDrive DVD burner and dual-link DVI output to support Apple's Cinema HD displays.
Read the full article at : The Apple parade marches on - Alpha - Blog.CNET.com - CNET.com
USATODAY.com - Breast cancer drug hailed
Breast cancer drug hailed
By Rita Rubin, USA TODAY, Posted 10/19/2005 5:04 PM
Herceptin, a drug already used to treat certain advanced breast cancers, also works against an aggressive type of early breast cancer, according to three studies published today involving 5,000 women.
Some doctors are hailing the findings as a major advance in treating breast cancer — the second-most-deadly cancer in U.S. women, behind lung cancer — although results apply to only a small subset of patients.
"Clearly, the results ... are not evolutionary but revolutionary," Gabriel Hortobagyi, director of the breast cancer program at Houston's M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, writes in an editorial that accompanies the studies in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Jo Anne Zujewski, who directs breast cancer therapy research at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which financed two of the studies, says the findings support her belief that breast cancer has become curable in increasing numbers of women. "I am using the 'cure' word," Zujewski said Wednesday, adding that "it's not like we now have a cure and yesterday we didn't. This is one more group of women who used to have a poor prognosis and now have a good prognosis."
Read the full article at : USATODAY.com - Breast cancer drug hailed
By Rita Rubin, USA TODAY, Posted 10/19/2005 5:04 PM
Herceptin, a drug already used to treat certain advanced breast cancers, also works against an aggressive type of early breast cancer, according to three studies published today involving 5,000 women.
Some doctors are hailing the findings as a major advance in treating breast cancer — the second-most-deadly cancer in U.S. women, behind lung cancer — although results apply to only a small subset of patients.
"Clearly, the results ... are not evolutionary but revolutionary," Gabriel Hortobagyi, director of the breast cancer program at Houston's M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, writes in an editorial that accompanies the studies in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Jo Anne Zujewski, who directs breast cancer therapy research at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which financed two of the studies, says the findings support her belief that breast cancer has become curable in increasing numbers of women. "I am using the 'cure' word," Zujewski said Wednesday, adding that "it's not like we now have a cure and yesterday we didn't. This is one more group of women who used to have a poor prognosis and now have a good prognosis."
Read the full article at : USATODAY.com - Breast cancer drug hailed
Saturday, October 15, 2005
HoustonChronicle.com - Hollywood wonders: Will a blond Bond sell?
Hollywood wonders: Will a blond Bond sell?
Daniel Craig fits the role of a grittier, younger secret agent
By LOUIS B. PARKS, Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
Oct. 14, 2005, 10:37PM
The choice of English actor Daniel Craig as the new James Bond represents more than a casting change for the incredibly successful 43-year-old film series.
Producers for the series have indicated they want to take Bond in a new direction, away from the special effects, juvenile humor and outrageous action sequences long associated with the series that has made more than $4 billion worldwide.
At Friday's London introduction of Craig as the sixth 007, GoldenEye director Martin Campbell, who will be at the helm of the next Bond film, Casino Royale, said it would present "a tougher and grittier" Bond "with more characters and (fewer) gadgets."
Following on the successful rejuvenation of the Batman series with this summer's Batman Begins, Campbell said this story would show Bond earning his license to kill.
That demands not just a new actor but a younger one.
Craig is 37, a good bit older than the 28- to 30-year-old Campbell originally wanted, but much younger than 54-year-old outgoing Bond Pierce Brosnan.
Aside from the blond hair, Craig is, like the Bond created by author Ian Fleming, ruggedly handsome, but not pretty.
Fleming said Bond resembled Hoagy Carmichael, a popular pianist of Fleming's day, and Craig has a similar thin, rather beaten face. He looks ready to fight, less ready to slip into a tuxedo.
Ironically, Irishman Brosnan had long pushed for a grittier, more human Bond, and even campaigned to get Quentin Tarantino to direct. Bond films, however, have always been "producer movies."
Back to his roots
By making the switch to Craig, Eon Productions and half-siblings Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are taking a great artistic, if not financial, risk.
Brosnan made the successful but stagnant series big box office. Though it was highly criticized for its comic book tone, Brosnan's last Bond move, Die Another Day, grossed $425 million worldwide at the box office.
With Casino Royale, based on Fleming's first James Bond book (1953), Eon hopes to take the character back to his roots as a secret agent who feels love, fear and self-doubt, and away from the cartoon superhero and sex machine.
Through months of public speculation on who would be the next 007, Craig's name consistently popped up.
In the end, even for James Bond, getting the job depends on who you know.
"I know ... Broccoli, I've known her for years," Craig told the Houston Chronicle earlier this year while shooting a movie in Texas.
Casino Royale, No. 21 in the Bond film series, begins shooting in January, for a fall 2006 release.
Locations include the Czech Republic, the Bahamas, Italy and at Pinewood Studios near London, with a budget well over $100 million. Before Casino Royale opens, audiences will see Craig in a lead role in Steven Spielberg's Munich, opening in December.
Craig has been romantically linked in the past to model Kate Moss and German actress Heike Makatsch and recently was rumored to be involved with his Layer Cake co-star Sienna Miller. He is divorced and has a daughter with a former girlfriend.
At Friday's news conference in London he declined to discuss his personal life.
In Texas earlier this year to shoot Have You Heard, a film about Truman Capote, Craig told the Chronicle he wasn't sure he wanted to be Bond.
"That's the truth of it," he said. "If it was to get to the point where it was offered, I would give it serious consideration."
Now for a new Bond Girl
At the news conference to introduce Craig, director Campbell, who had reportedly pushed for a younger actor, said the script would have minor adjustments to accommodate the 37-year-old star.
Now that the Bond role has been cast, the search is on for an actress to play Vesper Lynd, the woman who wins Bond's love and damages his psyche.
If the choice of Craig has shaken the fans of 007, perhaps they'll be stirred by the choice of the next Bond Girl.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Read the full article at : HoustonChronicle.com - Hollywood wonders: Will a blond Bond sell?
Daniel Craig fits the role of a grittier, younger secret agent
By LOUIS B. PARKS, Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
Oct. 14, 2005, 10:37PM
The choice of English actor Daniel Craig as the new James Bond represents more than a casting change for the incredibly successful 43-year-old film series.
Producers for the series have indicated they want to take Bond in a new direction, away from the special effects, juvenile humor and outrageous action sequences long associated with the series that has made more than $4 billion worldwide.At Friday's London introduction of Craig as the sixth 007, GoldenEye director Martin Campbell, who will be at the helm of the next Bond film, Casino Royale, said it would present "a tougher and grittier" Bond "with more characters and (fewer) gadgets."
Following on the successful rejuvenation of the Batman series with this summer's Batman Begins, Campbell said this story would show Bond earning his license to kill.
That demands not just a new actor but a younger one.
Craig is 37, a good bit older than the 28- to 30-year-old Campbell originally wanted, but much younger than 54-year-old outgoing Bond Pierce Brosnan.
Aside from the blond hair, Craig is, like the Bond created by author Ian Fleming, ruggedly handsome, but not pretty.
Fleming said Bond resembled Hoagy Carmichael, a popular pianist of Fleming's day, and Craig has a similar thin, rather beaten face. He looks ready to fight, less ready to slip into a tuxedo.
Ironically, Irishman Brosnan had long pushed for a grittier, more human Bond, and even campaigned to get Quentin Tarantino to direct. Bond films, however, have always been "producer movies."
Back to his roots
By making the switch to Craig, Eon Productions and half-siblings Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are taking a great artistic, if not financial, risk.
Brosnan made the successful but stagnant series big box office. Though it was highly criticized for its comic book tone, Brosnan's last Bond move, Die Another Day, grossed $425 million worldwide at the box office.
With Casino Royale, based on Fleming's first James Bond book (1953), Eon hopes to take the character back to his roots as a secret agent who feels love, fear and self-doubt, and away from the cartoon superhero and sex machine.
Through months of public speculation on who would be the next 007, Craig's name consistently popped up.
In the end, even for James Bond, getting the job depends on who you know.
"I know ... Broccoli, I've known her for years," Craig told the Houston Chronicle earlier this year while shooting a movie in Texas.
Casino Royale, No. 21 in the Bond film series, begins shooting in January, for a fall 2006 release.
Locations include the Czech Republic, the Bahamas, Italy and at Pinewood Studios near London, with a budget well over $100 million. Before Casino Royale opens, audiences will see Craig in a lead role in Steven Spielberg's Munich, opening in December.
Craig has been romantically linked in the past to model Kate Moss and German actress Heike Makatsch and recently was rumored to be involved with his Layer Cake co-star Sienna Miller. He is divorced and has a daughter with a former girlfriend.
At Friday's news conference in London he declined to discuss his personal life.
In Texas earlier this year to shoot Have You Heard, a film about Truman Capote, Craig told the Chronicle he wasn't sure he wanted to be Bond.
"That's the truth of it," he said. "If it was to get to the point where it was offered, I would give it serious consideration."
Now for a new Bond Girl
At the news conference to introduce Craig, director Campbell, who had reportedly pushed for a younger actor, said the script would have minor adjustments to accommodate the 37-year-old star.
Now that the Bond role has been cast, the search is on for an actress to play Vesper Lynd, the woman who wins Bond's love and damages his psyche.
If the choice of Craig has shaken the fans of 007, perhaps they'll be stirred by the choice of the next Bond Girl.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Read the full article at : HoustonChronicle.com - Hollywood wonders: Will a blond Bond sell?
Strait of Messina
Strait of Messina
The Strait of Messina Bridge Project, if completed, would stand as one of the landmark bridges of the 21st century. It would be the longest suspension bridge ever built. The Strait of Messina divides the island of Sicily from Calabria in southern Italy, and is 3 km wide. While the overall length is not a big problem, the economics, water depth, wind, and earthquakes all have to be accounted for. To avoid the problem of the deep water, the solution was to design the longest suspension bridge ever. It will have a 3,300-meter main span and 180-meter side spans (an overall length of 3.7 kilometers). The main piers will be founded in 120 meters of water. The aerodynamic features of the bridge will allow it to withstand winds up to 216 km per hour. The bridge will also be able to face magnitude 7.1 earthquakes without damage. The only obstacle left is the funding. The bridge is expected to cost $5 billion and take 11 years to build. The bridge will be 60 meters wide and will have twelve lanes for traffic and two lanes in the middle for trains. This will allow up to 140,000 vehicles and 200 trains to cross per day, reducing transit times of up to 12 hours down to minutes.
This image was acquired by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), aboard NASA's Terra satellite, on June 14, 2002.
Image courtesy NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team
Get the original article at : Earth Observatory, NASA
The Strait of Messina Bridge Project, if completed, would stand as one of the landmark bridges of the 21st century. It would be the longest suspension bridge ever built. The Strait of Messina divides the island of Sicily from Calabria in southern Italy, and is 3 km wide. While the overall length is not a big problem, the economics, water depth, wind, and earthquakes all have to be accounted for. To avoid the problem of the deep water, the solution was to design the longest suspension bridge ever. It will have a 3,300-meter main span and 180-meter side spans (an overall length of 3.7 kilometers). The main piers will be founded in 120 meters of water. The aerodynamic features of the bridge will allow it to withstand winds up to 216 km per hour. The bridge will also be able to face magnitude 7.1 earthquakes without damage. The only obstacle left is the funding. The bridge is expected to cost $5 billion and take 11 years to build. The bridge will be 60 meters wide and will have twelve lanes for traffic and two lanes in the middle for trains. This will allow up to 140,000 vehicles and 200 trains to cross per day, reducing transit times of up to 12 hours down to minutes.
This image was acquired by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), aboard NASA's Terra satellite, on June 14, 2002.
Image courtesy NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team
Get the original article at : Earth Observatory, NASA
BBC NEWS | Business | Sicily bridge constructor named
Sicily bridge constructor named
Wednesday, 12 October 2005, 13:33 GMT 14:33 UK
Italy has chosen a winner for the 4.4bn euro ($5.3bn; £3bn) contract to build the world's longest suspension bridge that will link Sicily to the mainland.
A group led by Italian construction firm Impregilo will start work next year and is expected to finish by 2012.
Spanning the Messina Straits, the bridge will be almost 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) long and cut the two-hour journey time by ferry and train.
The controversial project has been on the drawing board since the 1960s.
Mixed views
One of the biggest construction projects ever undertaken in Europe, the bridge has split opinion in Italy.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has trumpeted the project as a vital driver of development in the south, which will finally make Italy one nation by linking Sicily to the mainland.
The size of the project also will underline Italy's engineering prowess, polishing its somewhat tarnished image as a struggling economy and European problem area.
For critics its is nothing more than a vote-winning white elephant that will waste billions of euros, and put further strain on Italy's already over-stretched state spending.
They also point to the dangers associated with building a bridge in an area that has been hit by earthquakes.
Big plans
Whatever the outcome, there is no doubting the project's ambition.
The bridge will carry a double six-lane highway and four tracks for a high-speed railway line.
The other members of the winning group include Japan's Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries, Spain's Sacyr Vallehermoso and a number of smaller Italian companies.
Only one other group, led by Italy's Astaldi, was still in the running for the contract.
Impregilo shares were suspended following the announcement, while Astaldi's fell more than 3%
Read the full article at : BBC NEWS | Business | Sicily bridge constructor named
See also from BBC site :
18 Jun 04 | UK : Italy's bridge over troubled water
15 Apr 04 | Business : Tender launched for Sicily bridge
06 Jun 02 | Europe : Sicilian bridge to go ahead
Wednesday, 12 October 2005, 13:33 GMT 14:33 UK
Italy has chosen a winner for the 4.4bn euro ($5.3bn; £3bn) contract to build the world's longest suspension bridge that will link Sicily to the mainland.
A group led by Italian construction firm Impregilo will start work next year and is expected to finish by 2012.
Spanning the Messina Straits, the bridge will be almost 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) long and cut the two-hour journey time by ferry and train.
The controversial project has been on the drawing board since the 1960s.
Mixed views
One of the biggest construction projects ever undertaken in Europe, the bridge has split opinion in Italy.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has trumpeted the project as a vital driver of development in the south, which will finally make Italy one nation by linking Sicily to the mainland.
The size of the project also will underline Italy's engineering prowess, polishing its somewhat tarnished image as a struggling economy and European problem area.
For critics its is nothing more than a vote-winning white elephant that will waste billions of euros, and put further strain on Italy's already over-stretched state spending.
They also point to the dangers associated with building a bridge in an area that has been hit by earthquakes.
Big plans
Whatever the outcome, there is no doubting the project's ambition.
The bridge will carry a double six-lane highway and four tracks for a high-speed railway line.
The other members of the winning group include Japan's Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries, Spain's Sacyr Vallehermoso and a number of smaller Italian companies.
Only one other group, led by Italy's Astaldi, was still in the running for the contract.
Impregilo shares were suspended following the announcement, while Astaldi's fell more than 3%
Read the full article at : BBC NEWS | Business | Sicily bridge constructor named
See also from BBC site :
18 Jun 04 | UK : Italy's bridge over troubled water
15 Apr 04 | Business : Tender launched for Sicily bridge
06 Jun 02 | Europe : Sicilian bridge to go ahead
Friday, October 07, 2005
FOXNews.com - U.S. & World - Police: Remains Found Are Missing Va. Student's
Police: Remains Found Are Missing Va. Student's
Friday, October 07, 2005, FOX News, AP
RICHMOND, Va. — The body found in a wooded area has been positively identified as that of Taylor Marie Behl (search), police said Thursday.
The identification was made through dental records and the investigation is continuing, Richmond Police Chief Rodney Monroe said during a news conference.
"The scope of this case has narrowed significantly," he said, but authorities were confident they'd resolve it soon.
Police have not determined the cause of death, but said Thursday that the remains have been sent to the medical examiner for analysis.
Behl, 17, was last seen Sept. 5, when she left her Virginia Commonwealth University (search) dorm with her mobile phone, a small amount of cash, a student ID and her car keys. She told her roommate she would be back in a few hours.
Earlier Thursday, Behl's mother said she feared the worst about the remains unearthed the previous day.
"I'm sure you can imagine the shock and horror I feel knowing that the body found is most likely my baby's," Janet Pelasara said at a news conference outside her home in Vienna, Va.
The teen's car was found two weeks later, less than two miles from her dorm. Her car's license plates had been replaced with Ohio plates reported stolen several weeks earlier.
A task force investigating Behl's disappearance found a decomposed body in rural Mathews County on Wednesday. The body was found buried off a dirt path about 75 miles east of Richmond. It was not clear how long it had been there.
A 38-year-old amateur photographer who was one of the last people to see Behl before she disappeared is being held without bond on child pornography charges. The photographer, Ben Fawley, has not been charged in the Behl case.
Fawley had a romantic relationship with the teen, his attorney, Chris Collins, has said. A telephone message left for Collins was not immediately returned Thursday.
Pelasara's attorney, George Peterson, said at the news conference that he believes the strongest suspect is already in custody. He said one of Fawley's ex-girlfriends owns a property near where the body was found.
Fawley was questioned by police in Behl's disappearance and classified as a person of interest at one point during the investigation. He was arraigned last week on 16 counts of possession of child pornography.
Detectives later seized more than 70 items from Fawley's home, including a box of bones, a machete and part of a box spring bearing a reddish-brown stain, according to a search warrant.
Behl's family was planning to make funeral arrangements later Thursday, Peterson said.
Read the full article at : FOXNews.com - U.S. & World - Police: Remains Found Are Missing Va. Student's
Friday, October 07, 2005, FOX News, AP
RICHMOND, Va. — The body found in a wooded area has been positively identified as that of Taylor Marie Behl (search), police said Thursday.
The identification was made through dental records and the investigation is continuing, Richmond Police Chief Rodney Monroe said during a news conference.
"The scope of this case has narrowed significantly," he said, but authorities were confident they'd resolve it soon.Police have not determined the cause of death, but said Thursday that the remains have been sent to the medical examiner for analysis.
Behl, 17, was last seen Sept. 5, when she left her Virginia Commonwealth University (search) dorm with her mobile phone, a small amount of cash, a student ID and her car keys. She told her roommate she would be back in a few hours.
Earlier Thursday, Behl's mother said she feared the worst about the remains unearthed the previous day.
"I'm sure you can imagine the shock and horror I feel knowing that the body found is most likely my baby's," Janet Pelasara said at a news conference outside her home in Vienna, Va.The teen's car was found two weeks later, less than two miles from her dorm. Her car's license plates had been replaced with Ohio plates reported stolen several weeks earlier.
A task force investigating Behl's disappearance found a decomposed body in rural Mathews County on Wednesday. The body was found buried off a dirt path about 75 miles east of Richmond. It was not clear how long it had been there.
A 38-year-old amateur photographer who was one of the last people to see Behl before she disappeared is being held without bond on child pornography charges. The photographer, Ben Fawley, has not been charged in the Behl case.
Fawley had a romantic relationship with the teen, his attorney, Chris Collins, has said. A telephone message left for Collins was not immediately returned Thursday.
Pelasara's attorney, George Peterson, said at the news conference that he believes the strongest suspect is already in custody. He said one of Fawley's ex-girlfriends owns a property near where the body was found.
Fawley was questioned by police in Behl's disappearance and classified as a person of interest at one point during the investigation. He was arraigned last week on 16 counts of possession of child pornography.
Detectives later seized more than 70 items from Fawley's home, including a box of bones, a machete and part of a box spring bearing a reddish-brown stain, according to a search warrant.Behl's family was planning to make funeral arrangements later Thursday, Peterson said.
Read the full article at : FOXNews.com - U.S. & World - Police: Remains Found Are Missing Va. Student's
FOXNews.com - U.S. & World - Python Tries to Eat Alligator, Explodes
Python Tries to Eat Alligator, Explodes
Wednesday, October 05, 2005 Associated Press
MIAMI, Fla. — Alligators have clashed with nonnative pythons before in Everglades National Park. But when a 6-foot gator tangled with a 13-foot python recently, the result wasn't pretty.
The snake apparently tried to swallow the gator whole — and then exploded. Scientists stumbled upon the gory remains last week.
The species have battled with increasing frequency — scientists have documented four encounters in the last three years. The encroachment of Burmese pythons into the Everglades could threaten an $8 billion restoration project and endanger smaller species, said Frank Mazzotti, a University of Florida wildlife professor.
The gators have had to share their territory with a python population that has swelled over the past 20 years after owners dropped off pythons they no longer wanted in the Everglades. The Asian snakes have thrived in the wet, hot climate.
"Encounters like that are almost never seen in the wild. ... And we here are, it's happened for the fourth time," Mazzotti said. In the other cases, the alligator won or the battle was an apparent draw.
"They were probably evenly matched in size," Mazzotti said of the latest battle. "If the python got a good grip on the alligator before the alligator got a good grip on him, he could win."
Read the full article at : FOXNews.com - U.S. & World - Python Tries to Eat Alligator, Explodes
Wednesday, October 05, 2005 Associated Press
MIAMI, Fla. — Alligators have clashed with nonnative pythons before in Everglades National Park. But when a 6-foot gator tangled with a 13-foot python recently, the result wasn't pretty.
The snake apparently tried to swallow the gator whole — and then exploded. Scientists stumbled upon the gory remains last week.
The species have battled with increasing frequency — scientists have documented four encounters in the last three years. The encroachment of Burmese pythons into the Everglades could threaten an $8 billion restoration project and endanger smaller species, said Frank Mazzotti, a University of Florida wildlife professor.The gators have had to share their territory with a python population that has swelled over the past 20 years after owners dropped off pythons they no longer wanted in the Everglades. The Asian snakes have thrived in the wet, hot climate.
"Encounters like that are almost never seen in the wild. ... And we here are, it's happened for the fourth time," Mazzotti said. In the other cases, the alligator won or the battle was an apparent draw.
"They were probably evenly matched in size," Mazzotti said of the latest battle. "If the python got a good grip on the alligator before the alligator got a good grip on him, he could win."
Read the full article at : FOXNews.com - U.S. & World - Python Tries to Eat Alligator, Explodes
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Possible New Clue Develops In Case Of Missing Taylor Behl - The Post Chronicle
Possible New Clue Develops In Case Of Missing Taylor Behl
by Mike Baron, Sep 28, 2005
There appears to be a new clue in the disappearance of Virginia college student Taylor Behl. Richmond Police are asking anyone who can shed some light about a stolen Virginia license plate -- that could be connected to Behl's disappearance -- to contact the authorities. The plate is "GRN ERTH."
The personalized plate was stolen in Richmond around the same time the 17-year-old Virginia Commonwealth University freshman disappeared, and "preliminary information" indicates that the two events may be connected, police said, according to published reports.
Police also said the stolen plate was placed on a different car. They want to know what kind of car, where and when it was seen and if possible, a description of who was driving it. If you can provide any information, they are asking you to please call (804) 514-TIPS.
The person it was stolen from is not connected to the case, Richmond police spokeswoman Cynthia Price said, according to the AP. Citing the ongoing investigation, she declined to release further details.
Fawley No Longer Person Of Interest
According to police in Richmond, Va., 38-year-old photagrapher Ben Fawley, a self-described license-plate collector who got the nickname "Skulz" for the number of human skulls he has drawn, made and collected is no longer a 'person of interest' in the disappearance of Virginia Commonwealth University freshman Taylor Behl.
Police spokeswoman Kirsten Nelson said it's just a matter of semantics. She said Fawley is still someone police are interested in and that he's "still a part of this case," according to published reports
Fawley was initially called a 'person of interest' because police wanted to interview him.
Fawley, who has admitted to being intimate with Behl, was thrown into the local media spotlight because of photographs he posted on an Internet art Web site featuring a fully clothed Behl modeling. During their investigation, police seized evidence including a reported seven computers from the photographer's home.
Fawley was arraigned Monday on 16 counts of possession of child pornography and ordered held without bond.
Police say they found the evidence while searching Fawley's home for items that might belong to Behl, such as clothing.
Fawley's computers contained at least 30 movies depicting sexual acts with children between 10 and 14 years old — and as young as 1 to 2 years old.
Fawley, reportedly wrote in his profile on OneModelPlace.com: "Gotta have some fun before I start looking my age."
Behl, a 17-year-old freshman from Vienna, Va., was last seen Sept. 5 leaving her dorm. She was reported missing two days later.
She is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 135 pounds. Police said she was last seen wearing blue jeans and a black hooded sweatshirt.
Anyone with information should call Richmond City Police Department at (877) 244-4357, Virginia State Police at (800) 822-4453 or (804) 828-1196.
Last week, police said they had several persons of interest in the case. Richmond police spokeswoman Cynthia Price says that now they have none.
Second Car Found
Richmond Police said they have impounded a second car in connection with their investigation into Behl.
This car, a tan Nissan Altima, was recovered by police approximately two days ago. It is being examined by forensic teams for any trace of the 17-year-old.
Kirsten Nelson said that investigators are interested in the vehicle because Behl is believed to have been in it sometime prior to her disappearance. Nelson did not disclose where the car was recovered or to whom it is registered.
"Right now, it's a very small piece of a very big puzzle," said Nelson, according to published reports.
George Peterson, an attorney for Behl's mother, Janet Pelasara, said he believes police were alerted to look for the vehicle as a result of interviews and evidence gathered from a search of Behl's own car, a white Ford Escort.
That car, was found two weeks later, about two miles away. The car's Virginia plates were reportedly replaced by a set of Ohio tags that had been reported stolen in Richmond.
Read the full article at : Possible New Clue Develops In Case Of Missing Taylor Behl - The Post Chronicle
by Mike Baron, Sep 28, 2005
There appears to be a new clue in the disappearance of Virginia college student Taylor Behl. Richmond Police are asking anyone who can shed some light about a stolen Virginia license plate -- that could be connected to Behl's disappearance -- to contact the authorities. The plate is "GRN ERTH."
The personalized plate was stolen in Richmond around the same time the 17-year-old Virginia Commonwealth University freshman disappeared, and "preliminary information" indicates that the two events may be connected, police said, according to published reports.Police also said the stolen plate was placed on a different car. They want to know what kind of car, where and when it was seen and if possible, a description of who was driving it. If you can provide any information, they are asking you to please call (804) 514-TIPS.
The person it was stolen from is not connected to the case, Richmond police spokeswoman Cynthia Price said, according to the AP. Citing the ongoing investigation, she declined to release further details.
Fawley No Longer Person Of Interest
According to police in Richmond, Va., 38-year-old photagrapher Ben Fawley, a self-described license-plate collector who got the nickname "Skulz" for the number of human skulls he has drawn, made and collected is no longer a 'person of interest' in the disappearance of Virginia Commonwealth University freshman Taylor Behl.
Police spokeswoman Kirsten Nelson said it's just a matter of semantics. She said Fawley is still someone police are interested in and that he's "still a part of this case," according to published reports
Fawley was initially called a 'person of interest' because police wanted to interview him.
Fawley, who has admitted to being intimate with Behl, was thrown into the local media spotlight because of photographs he posted on an Internet art Web site featuring a fully clothed Behl modeling. During their investigation, police seized evidence including a reported seven computers from the photographer's home.
Fawley was arraigned Monday on 16 counts of possession of child pornography and ordered held without bond.
Police say they found the evidence while searching Fawley's home for items that might belong to Behl, such as clothing.
Fawley's computers contained at least 30 movies depicting sexual acts with children between 10 and 14 years old — and as young as 1 to 2 years old.
Fawley, reportedly wrote in his profile on OneModelPlace.com: "Gotta have some fun before I start looking my age."
Behl, a 17-year-old freshman from Vienna, Va., was last seen Sept. 5 leaving her dorm. She was reported missing two days later.
She is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 135 pounds. Police said she was last seen wearing blue jeans and a black hooded sweatshirt.
Anyone with information should call Richmond City Police Department at (877) 244-4357, Virginia State Police at (800) 822-4453 or (804) 828-1196.
Last week, police said they had several persons of interest in the case. Richmond police spokeswoman Cynthia Price says that now they have none.
Second Car Found
Richmond Police said they have impounded a second car in connection with their investigation into Behl.
This car, a tan Nissan Altima, was recovered by police approximately two days ago. It is being examined by forensic teams for any trace of the 17-year-old.
Kirsten Nelson said that investigators are interested in the vehicle because Behl is believed to have been in it sometime prior to her disappearance. Nelson did not disclose where the car was recovered or to whom it is registered.
"Right now, it's a very small piece of a very big puzzle," said Nelson, according to published reports.
George Peterson, an attorney for Behl's mother, Janet Pelasara, said he believes police were alerted to look for the vehicle as a result of interviews and evidence gathered from a search of Behl's own car, a white Ford Escort.
That car, was found two weeks later, about two miles away. The car's Virginia plates were reportedly replaced by a set of Ohio tags that had been reported stolen in Richmond.
Read the full article at : Possible New Clue Develops In Case Of Missing Taylor Behl - The Post Chronicle
Police Find Taylor Behl's Car - News - Vienna/Oakton Connection - Connection Newspapers
Police Find Taylor Behl's Car
Off-duty officer finds car in Richmond.
By Lea Mae Rice, September 21, 2005
Richmond Police have found the car of a Madison High School graduate who has been missing since Monday, Sept. 5, and have identified a person of interest in the case.
On Saturday, Sept. 17, at about 8:30 a.m., an off-duty Richmond Police officer was walking his dog in the 500 block of Mulberry St. in the city of Richmond when he saw a white Escort with a Town of Vienna sticker on it, said a police release. The license plates did not match those belonging to Taylor Behl, 17, of the 200 block of Commons Drive in Vienna, said the release.
The officer checked the VIN number of the car, which matched Taylor's, and determined that it was the missing car. The Ohio plates that had replaced Taylor's Virginia plates were off a car that was reported stolen by a VCU student before Taylor's disappearance, said Richmond Police spokesperson Kirsten Nelson. The plates were not registered to Taylor's car, said the release.
Police conducted surveillance on the car for 12 hours, waiting for someone to approach it, but no one did. On Saturday, at 9:15 p.m., police turned the car over to the FBI for processing. Since then, said Nelson, officers have been canvassing the area where the car was found.
Police are interviewing a 38-year-old Richmond man who was one of the last people to see Taylor before she disappeared, said Nelson. The man, a photographer, had a relationship with Taylor, said Nelson, and police have searched his house and taken items that might help with the case.
"He had very definite ties to [Taylor], and was one of the last people to see her," said Nelson.
The Richmond man is not a suspect, she said, but a "person of interest." The police are "talking to a lot of people" like this one, said Nelson.
Richmond Police took over the leads on the case on Thursday, Sept. 15, from police at Virginia Commonwealth University, where Taylor was a student, said Nelson.
"The investigation is still in full force," said Nelson. "We are talking to anybody who was in contact with [Taylor]. We are going to the places she had been."
The search was upgraded to criminal investigation status, said a Richmond Police Department release, because the case involves a juvenile, the length of time that has passed without solid leads, and the increase in leads caused by media coverage. A task force of Richmond and VCU Police, Virginia State Police, the state Attorney General's Office, and the FBI, is now following leads.
Read the full article at : Police Find Taylor Behl's Car - News - Vienna/Oakton Connection - Connection Newspapers
Off-duty officer finds car in Richmond.
By Lea Mae Rice, September 21, 2005
Richmond Police have found the car of a Madison High School graduate who has been missing since Monday, Sept. 5, and have identified a person of interest in the case.
On Saturday, Sept. 17, at about 8:30 a.m., an off-duty Richmond Police officer was walking his dog in the 500 block of Mulberry St. in the city of Richmond when he saw a white Escort with a Town of Vienna sticker on it, said a police release. The license plates did not match those belonging to Taylor Behl, 17, of the 200 block of Commons Drive in Vienna, said the release.The officer checked the VIN number of the car, which matched Taylor's, and determined that it was the missing car. The Ohio plates that had replaced Taylor's Virginia plates were off a car that was reported stolen by a VCU student before Taylor's disappearance, said Richmond Police spokesperson Kirsten Nelson. The plates were not registered to Taylor's car, said the release.
Police conducted surveillance on the car for 12 hours, waiting for someone to approach it, but no one did. On Saturday, at 9:15 p.m., police turned the car over to the FBI for processing. Since then, said Nelson, officers have been canvassing the area where the car was found.
Police are interviewing a 38-year-old Richmond man who was one of the last people to see Taylor before she disappeared, said Nelson. The man, a photographer, had a relationship with Taylor, said Nelson, and police have searched his house and taken items that might help with the case.
"He had very definite ties to [Taylor], and was one of the last people to see her," said Nelson.
The Richmond man is not a suspect, she said, but a "person of interest." The police are "talking to a lot of people" like this one, said Nelson.
Richmond Police took over the leads on the case on Thursday, Sept. 15, from police at Virginia Commonwealth University, where Taylor was a student, said Nelson.
"The investigation is still in full force," said Nelson. "We are talking to anybody who was in contact with [Taylor]. We are going to the places she had been."
The search was upgraded to criminal investigation status, said a Richmond Police Department release, because the case involves a juvenile, the length of time that has passed without solid leads, and the increase in leads caused by media coverage. A task force of Richmond and VCU Police, Virginia State Police, the state Attorney General's Office, and the FBI, is now following leads.
Read the full article at : Police Find Taylor Behl's Car - News - Vienna/Oakton Connection - Connection Newspapers
Monday, October 03, 2005
Missing Student's Online Musings Aid Search
Missing Student's Online Musings Aid Search
Blogs Give Richmond Police an Intimate Look Into Lives of Teen and Her Friends
By Jamie Stockwell, Washington Post Staff Writer, Monday, October 3, 2005
Before she disappeared from a Richmond university four weeks ago, Taylor Marie Behl recorded her moods, her crushes, her insecurities in 50 entries she posted online over the span of 12 months. In language both spare and pensive, she detailed rites of passage, from earning her driver's license to preparing for university.
With her chronicles, Behl, 17, of Vienna gained entry into a vast virtual community, a very public arena in which her writings were there for anyone to see at any time, a personal diary with no key.
Now police also are privy to the disagreements that Behl had with her parents, her emotions on any given day, even her sexual exploits. By combing through the missing student's online journal and profiles, they learned not only about her favorite musicians and movies but also about the many people with whom she was acquainted on the Internet -- users with such online identities as "Citizen Cope" and "Chaos."
Behl's online musings have served as a portal into her world, a priceless resource for those investigating her disappearance from Virginia Commonwealth University. Because these days, when someone goes missing or becomes a crime victim, the police not only search the person's home and phone records for clues, they also scour cyberspace.
Read the full article at : Missing Student's Online Musings Aid Search
Blogs Give Richmond Police an Intimate Look Into Lives of Teen and Her Friends
By Jamie Stockwell, Washington Post Staff Writer, Monday, October 3, 2005
Taylor Behl was last seen Sept. 5. Visitors to her blog have posted numerous messages, imploring the teenager to come home. Police suspect that Behl might have been abducted. (Family Photo)
Before she disappeared from a Richmond university four weeks ago, Taylor Marie Behl recorded her moods, her crushes, her insecurities in 50 entries she posted online over the span of 12 months. In language both spare and pensive, she detailed rites of passage, from earning her driver's license to preparing for university.
With her chronicles, Behl, 17, of Vienna gained entry into a vast virtual community, a very public arena in which her writings were there for anyone to see at any time, a personal diary with no key.
Now police also are privy to the disagreements that Behl had with her parents, her emotions on any given day, even her sexual exploits. By combing through the missing student's online journal and profiles, they learned not only about her favorite musicians and movies but also about the many people with whom she was acquainted on the Internet -- users with such online identities as "Citizen Cope" and "Chaos."
Behl's online musings have served as a portal into her world, a priceless resource for those investigating her disappearance from Virginia Commonwealth University. Because these days, when someone goes missing or becomes a crime victim, the police not only search the person's home and phone records for clues, they also scour cyberspace.
Read the full article at : Missing Student's Online Musings Aid Search
2005 Oct 03: Annular Solar Eclipse
2005 Oct 03: Annular Solar Eclipse
From NASA
The second solar eclipse of 2005 is confined to the Eastern Hemisphere. The track of the annular eclipse crosses the Iberian Peninsula and stretches across the African continent. Europe, Western Asia, the Middle East, India and most of Africa will fall within the Moon's penumbral shadow.
The path of the annular eclipse begins in the North Atlantic at 08:41 UT where the Moon's antumbral shadow meets Earth and forms 222 kilometre wide corridor. Rushing southeast, the antumbra quickly reaches the coast of Spain and Portugal (08:51 UT). At this location, the path is 195 kilometres wide and the central duration of the annular phase is 04m 07s. Porto, Portugal lies just outside the southern limit of the central track and will witness a partial eclipse of magnitude 0.943 with the Sun 24° above the horizon. Bisecting the Iberian Peninsula , the antumbra engulfs Madrid (08:56 UT) which lies near the central line. The annular phase will last 04m 11s from this capital city with 90% of the Sun's surface being obscured by the Moon. Along the Spanish Mediterranean coast, the city of Valencia also enjoys 03m 38s annular phase at a solar elevation of 32°.
Isla de Ibiza straddles the northern path limit as the shadow crosses the Western Mediterranean. Upon reaching the African continent, Algiers lies within the shadow's trajectory (09:05 UT) and will experience an annularity of 03m 51s with the Sun 36° high. Following a southeastern course, the antumbra passes through southern Tunisia and central Libya where the Moon's umbral shadow will return six months later during the total eclipse of 2006 Mar 29. After briefly skirting through northern Chad, the antumbra sweeps across central Sudan where greatest eclipse occurs at 10:31:42 UT. The annular duration is 4m 31s, the path width is 162 kilometres and the Sun is 71° above the desolate desert landscape.
Read more information at : NASA : Eclipses During 2005
ABC News: Thousands Gather to View Rare Eclipse
Thousands From Portugal to Africa Don Protective Eyeglasses to Watch Rare and Spectacular Eclipse
By MAR ROMAN, Associated Press Writer
MADRID, Spain Oct 3, 2005 — Thousands of people from northern Portugal to the heart of Africa donned protective eyeglasses Monday to watch the moon cover the sun like a black plate in a rare and spectacular eclipse.
Office workers and school children met at Madrid's planetarium beneath a cloudless sky as the moon seemed to bite off the top of the sun, slide in front and leave behind a circle of fire. As the normally blinding light of the Spanish capital dimmed, the air chilled and the crowds whooped and applauded the first such event in 241 years.
"It was a beautiful sight. I won't see one again," said 68-year-old Isabel Balset. "I got very emotional and the tears just flowed."
During an annular eclipse, the moon travels between the Earth and the sun, leaving a bright, fiery rim. The moon was too small to blot out the sun completely, as in a total eclipse, because its elliptical orbit has taken it too far from the Earth.
Read the full article at : ABC News: Thousands Gather to View Rare Eclipse
By MAR ROMAN, Associated Press Writer
MADRID, Spain Oct 3, 2005 — Thousands of people from northern Portugal to the heart of Africa donned protective eyeglasses Monday to watch the moon cover the sun like a black plate in a rare and spectacular eclipse.
Office workers and school children met at Madrid's planetarium beneath a cloudless sky as the moon seemed to bite off the top of the sun, slide in front and leave behind a circle of fire. As the normally blinding light of the Spanish capital dimmed, the air chilled and the crowds whooped and applauded the first such event in 241 years.
"It was a beautiful sight. I won't see one again," said 68-year-old Isabel Balset. "I got very emotional and the tears just flowed."
During an annular eclipse, the moon travels between the Earth and the sun, leaving a bright, fiery rim. The moon was too small to blot out the sun completely, as in a total eclipse, because its elliptical orbit has taken it too far from the Earth.
Read the full article at : ABC News: Thousands Gather to View Rare Eclipse
Millions watch annular eclipse
Millions watch annular eclipse
03/10/2005 20:03 - (SA)
Madrid - Millions of people living in Europe, Africa and Asia watched on Monday as the moon passed across the face of the sun, causing an annular eclipse in which only a fiery solar rim could be seen.
The corridor in which this dramatic event could be seen was a narrow one, snaking from the North Atlantic, where it started at 08:41, across the Iberian peninsula and to northern and eastern Africa before petering out in the Indian Ocean at 12:22.
Countries that lie on this path included Portugal and Spain as well as Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, northern Chad, central Sudan, southwestern Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.
The inhabitants of Madrid were among the first to see the spectacle during which the sun was obscured for four minutes, the Spanish capital lying in the centre of the strip from which the phenomenon could be seen in its fullest form.
Read the full article at : Millions watch annular eclipse
03/10/2005 20:03 - (SA)
Madrid - Millions of people living in Europe, Africa and Asia watched on Monday as the moon passed across the face of the sun, causing an annular eclipse in which only a fiery solar rim could be seen.
The corridor in which this dramatic event could be seen was a narrow one, snaking from the North Atlantic, where it started at 08:41, across the Iberian peninsula and to northern and eastern Africa before petering out in the Indian Ocean at 12:22.
Countries that lie on this path included Portugal and Spain as well as Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, northern Chad, central Sudan, southwestern Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.
The inhabitants of Madrid were among the first to see the spectacle during which the sun was obscured for four minutes, the Spanish capital lying in the centre of the strip from which the phenomenon could be seen in its fullest form.
Read the full article at : Millions watch annular eclipse
High Oil Prices Met With Anger Worldwide
High Oil Prices Met With Anger Worldwide
Both Rich and Poor Countries Make Moves To Appease Citizens
By Paul Blustein and Craig Timberg, Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, October 3, 2005
Rising fuel prices are stoking popular anger around the world, throwing politicians on the defensive and forcing governments to resort to price freezes, tax cuts and other measures to soothe voter resentment.
The latest example came this weekend in Nigeria, where President Olusegun Obasanjo promised in a nationally televised Independence Day speech that the cost of gasoline would not increase further until the end of 2006, no matter what happened in global oil markets. He acted after furious demonstrations shut down whole sections of major cities around the country over the past several weeks.
Antagonism over the strains inflicted by escalating energy costs is a phenomenon that stretches from rich nations in Western Europe, where filling up a minivan costs upward of $100, to poor countries in Asia and Africa, where rising oil prices have driven up the cost of bus rides and kerosene used for cooking.
Read the full article at : High Oil Prices Met With Anger Worldwide
Sunday, October 02, 2005
The Hindu News Update Service
Only partial eclipse will be visible in India
Sunday, October 2, 2005 : 1645 Hrs
Lisbon, Oct 2. (AP): A rare and spectacular type of eclipse will dim the morning sky across a strip of southwestern Europe and eight African countries tomorrow with a partial eclipse also visible in India.
The eclipse's three-and-a-half-hour path first traverses Portugal and Spain, including the capital, Madrid.
The eclipse's narrow corridor will also travel across mostly deserted parts of Africa, encompassing Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.
Read the full article at: The Hindu News Update Service
Sunday, October 2, 2005 : 1645 Hrs
Lisbon, Oct 2. (AP): A rare and spectacular type of eclipse will dim the morning sky across a strip of southwestern Europe and eight African countries tomorrow with a partial eclipse also visible in India.
The eclipse's three-and-a-half-hour path first traverses Portugal and Spain, including the capital, Madrid.
The eclipse's narrow corridor will also travel across mostly deserted parts of Africa, encompassing Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.
Read the full article at: The Hindu News Update Service
ABC News: Paris Hilton breaks engagement -spokesman
Paris Hilton breaks engagement -spokesman
Reuters
Oct 2, 2005 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Paris Hilton is breaking off her five-month-old engagement with tycoon fianc?aris Latsis because "I feel I'm just not ready for marriage," the actress and hotel heiress said on Sunday through a spokesman.
"I have seen the breakups between people who love each other and rush into getting married too quickly and I do not want to make that mistake," Hilton said in a statement provided by Los Angeles-based spokesman Elliot Mintz.
Hilton, 24, announced the engagement with 26-year-old Paris Latsis, also known as Paris Kasidokostas and heir to a billion-dollar fortune based on Greek shipping and oil, in May.
Read the full article at : ABC News: Paris Hilton breaks engagement -spokesman
Reuters
Oct 2, 2005 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Paris Hilton is breaking off her five-month-old engagement with tycoon fianc?aris Latsis because "I feel I'm just not ready for marriage," the actress and hotel heiress said on Sunday through a spokesman.
"I have seen the breakups between people who love each other and rush into getting married too quickly and I do not want to make that mistake," Hilton said in a statement provided by Los Angeles-based spokesman Elliot Mintz.
Hilton, 24, announced the engagement with 26-year-old Paris Latsis, also known as Paris Kasidokostas and heir to a billion-dollar fortune based on Greek shipping and oil, in May.
Read the full article at : ABC News: Paris Hilton breaks engagement -spokesman
Google's grand plan for San Francisco : Mail & Guardian Online
Google's grand plan for San Francisco
Michael Liedtke | San Francisco, United States
Google wants to connect all of San Francisco to the internet with a free wireless service, creating a springboard for the online search-engine leader to leap into the telecommunications industry.
The Mountain View, California-based company filed an application late on Friday to provide a wireless, or Wi-Fi, service that would enable anyone in San Francisco to connect to the internet.
Google submitted its 100-page bid in response to a call for proposals from San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom, who is looking for a company to finance a free wireless network to lower the financial barriers to internet access in his city.
More than a dozen other bidders are competing with Google for the San Francisco project.
If Google is selected, it would provide a testing ground for a national Wi-Fi service -- something that many industry observers believe the company is pondering as a way to ensure people can connect to its search engine at any time, from just about anywhere.
"It makes sense for Google," said Chris Winfield, who runs a search-engine marketing firm, 10e20. "They say their mission is to organise the world's information, so the logical next step is to provide the access to it."
Google spokesperson Nate Tyler said on Saturday that the company does not currently have plans to offer a Wi-Fi service outside the San Francisco Bay area.
"Unwiring San Francisco is a way for Google to support our local Bay area community," Tyler said. "It is also an opportunity to make San Francisco a test ground for new location-based applications and services that enable people to find relevant information exactly when and where they need it."
During the past few months, Google has been quietly experimenting with Wi-Fi service in a few connection spots around the San Francisco Bay area and New York.
In another sign of its interest in internet access, Google recently bought an undisclosed stake in a Maryland start-up, the Current Communications Group, which is trying to provide high-speed connections through power lines.
While it remains unclear whether the company has the telecommunications expertise to build and maintain a Wi-Fi service, Google has both the financial clout and the incentive to get into the Wi-Fi business.
The company has nearly $7,1-billion in cash, having just raised $4,17-billion in stock offerings completed last month. That stock sale prompted several industry analysts to conclude Google might be preparing to build its own high-speed internet network.
Offering free Wi-Fi service could pay off for Google if the greater access gives the company more opportunities to field search requests and ultimately serve up more advertising -- the vehicle that provides virtually all of its profits.
Building its own wireless internet network connection also would help Google save money by reducing the fees that it pays to the telecommunications middlemen that provide a bridge between the company's data centres and internet service providers whenever web surfers make a search request.
Any free internet access service would threaten to siphon revenue from subscription internet service providers such as SBC Communications and Comcast that have invested heavily in high-speed connections that depend on phone lines and cable modems.
If Google's Wi-Fi service is set up to make Google's home page automatically the first stopping point, it also could divert traffic from many popular websites, including Yahoo, MSN and AOL. -- Sapa-AP
Read the full article at : Google's grand plan for San Francisco : Mail & Guardian Online
Michael Liedtke | San Francisco, United States
Google wants to connect all of San Francisco to the internet with a free wireless service, creating a springboard for the online search-engine leader to leap into the telecommunications industry.
The Mountain View, California-based company filed an application late on Friday to provide a wireless, or Wi-Fi, service that would enable anyone in San Francisco to connect to the internet.
Google submitted its 100-page bid in response to a call for proposals from San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom, who is looking for a company to finance a free wireless network to lower the financial barriers to internet access in his city.
More than a dozen other bidders are competing with Google for the San Francisco project.
If Google is selected, it would provide a testing ground for a national Wi-Fi service -- something that many industry observers believe the company is pondering as a way to ensure people can connect to its search engine at any time, from just about anywhere.
"It makes sense for Google," said Chris Winfield, who runs a search-engine marketing firm, 10e20. "They say their mission is to organise the world's information, so the logical next step is to provide the access to it."
Google spokesperson Nate Tyler said on Saturday that the company does not currently have plans to offer a Wi-Fi service outside the San Francisco Bay area.
"Unwiring San Francisco is a way for Google to support our local Bay area community," Tyler said. "It is also an opportunity to make San Francisco a test ground for new location-based applications and services that enable people to find relevant information exactly when and where they need it."
During the past few months, Google has been quietly experimenting with Wi-Fi service in a few connection spots around the San Francisco Bay area and New York.
In another sign of its interest in internet access, Google recently bought an undisclosed stake in a Maryland start-up, the Current Communications Group, which is trying to provide high-speed connections through power lines.
While it remains unclear whether the company has the telecommunications expertise to build and maintain a Wi-Fi service, Google has both the financial clout and the incentive to get into the Wi-Fi business.
The company has nearly $7,1-billion in cash, having just raised $4,17-billion in stock offerings completed last month. That stock sale prompted several industry analysts to conclude Google might be preparing to build its own high-speed internet network.
Offering free Wi-Fi service could pay off for Google if the greater access gives the company more opportunities to field search requests and ultimately serve up more advertising -- the vehicle that provides virtually all of its profits.
Building its own wireless internet network connection also would help Google save money by reducing the fees that it pays to the telecommunications middlemen that provide a bridge between the company's data centres and internet service providers whenever web surfers make a search request.
Any free internet access service would threaten to siphon revenue from subscription internet service providers such as SBC Communications and Comcast that have invested heavily in high-speed connections that depend on phone lines and cable modems.
If Google's Wi-Fi service is set up to make Google's home page automatically the first stopping point, it also could divert traffic from many popular websites, including Yahoo, MSN and AOL. -- Sapa-AP
Read the full article at : Google's grand plan for San Francisco : Mail & Guardian Online
Japan Today - News - Dell, HP dispute info from Microsoft, Intel regarding Blu-ray format - Japan's Leading International News Network
Dell, HP dispute info from Microsoft, Intel regarding Blu-ray format
Saturday, October 1, 2005 at 05:00 JST
PALO ALTO, Calif — Blu-ray Disc Association members Dell and Hewlett Packard on Thursday disputed information cited by Microsoft and Intel earlier this week regarding the Blu-ray disc format for the next generation of DVDs.
"From a PC end-user perspective, Blu-ray is a superior format in every respect. It offers 67-150% more storage capacity, higher transfer rates, slim-line notebook compatibility, broadband connectivity and a proven interactive layer with BD-Java," said Maureen Weber, general manager of Hewlett Packard's Personal Storage Business. "The technical merits and consumer benefits of Blu-ray disc make it the ideal solution for HP's customers."
Virtually every computer company that has expressed a preference for a high definition disc format has chosen Blu-ray disc as the superior format for computer platforms and applications. Among the top-tier computer brands supporting Blu-ray are Apple, Dell, Hewlett Packard, Panasonic, Sony and LG.
"Every computer manufacturer in the BDA carefully reviewed both formats and ultimately chose Blu-ray as the superior solution for the meeting customer demands and providing the best possible end-use experience," said Weber. "It is surprising that Tuesday's announcement is not aligned with that of the vast majority of the computer industry and is contrary to our consumer research."
On Tuesday, after taking a neutral stance for months in the battle between the competing HD DVD and Blu-ray disc formats, the companies said they had joined the HD DVD Promotion Group that includes Toshiba Corp, Universal Studios and others.
Read the full article at : Japan Today - News - Dell, HP dispute info from Microsoft, Intel regarding Blu-ray format - Japan's Leading International News Network
Saturday, October 1, 2005 at 05:00 JST
PALO ALTO, Calif — Blu-ray Disc Association members Dell and Hewlett Packard on Thursday disputed information cited by Microsoft and Intel earlier this week regarding the Blu-ray disc format for the next generation of DVDs.
"From a PC end-user perspective, Blu-ray is a superior format in every respect. It offers 67-150% more storage capacity, higher transfer rates, slim-line notebook compatibility, broadband connectivity and a proven interactive layer with BD-Java," said Maureen Weber, general manager of Hewlett Packard's Personal Storage Business. "The technical merits and consumer benefits of Blu-ray disc make it the ideal solution for HP's customers."
Virtually every computer company that has expressed a preference for a high definition disc format has chosen Blu-ray disc as the superior format for computer platforms and applications. Among the top-tier computer brands supporting Blu-ray are Apple, Dell, Hewlett Packard, Panasonic, Sony and LG.
"Every computer manufacturer in the BDA carefully reviewed both formats and ultimately chose Blu-ray as the superior solution for the meeting customer demands and providing the best possible end-use experience," said Weber. "It is surprising that Tuesday's announcement is not aligned with that of the vast majority of the computer industry and is contrary to our consumer research."
On Tuesday, after taking a neutral stance for months in the battle between the competing HD DVD and Blu-ray disc formats, the companies said they had joined the HD DVD Promotion Group that includes Toshiba Corp, Universal Studios and others.
Read the full article at : Japan Today - News - Dell, HP dispute info from Microsoft, Intel regarding Blu-ray format - Japan's Leading International News Network
Japan Today - News - U.S. 'space tourist' blasts off aboard Soyuz - Japan's Leading International News Network
U.S. 'space tourist' blasts off aboard Soyuz
Sunday, October 2, 2005 at 06:19 JST
BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan — A Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan Saturday, taking American "space tourist" Greg Olsen and his fellow astronauts, a Russian and another American, off towards the International Space Station.
The rocket climbed faultlessly away from the Kazakh steppes carrying the Soyuz TMA-7 capsule and its fee-paying and professional crew.
Ten minutes later the capsule was placed in orbit, Russian mission control said.
On Friday, 59-year-old grandfather Olsen confessed to a few pre-launch nerves ahead of his $20 million trip, the fulfillment of months of tough preparation.
Olsen was accompanied by Russian cosmonaut Valery Tokarev and U.S. astronaut William McArthur on the trip to the ISS, where they will arrive on Monday, after a period adjusting to conditions.
Two other "space tourists" have preceded Olsen in what is becoming a profitable sideline for the Russian space program; American Dennis Tito in 2001 and South African Mark Shuttleworth in 2002.
Despite the hefty price-tag, Olsen can expect few creature comforts aboard the Soyuz, a low-frills workhorse.
He has also insisted there is a work component to his sojourn, as he plans to test out equipment developed by his company, a New Jersey-based firm that makes electronic sensors for military and civilian use.
After eight days in the ISS, he will leave his two crewmates and head back to earth with the space station's current occupants, Russian Sergei Krikalyov and American John Phillips.
Their capsule is due to bump down on the Kazakh steppe on Oct 11. Predicting the precise spot has in the past proved a hit-or-miss affair.
Olsen's family — three sisters, his daughter and grandson — were among the hundreds who witnessed the take-off. (Wire reports)
Read the full article at : Japan Today - News - U.S. 'space tourist' blasts off aboard Soyuz - Japan's Leading International News Network
Sunday, October 2, 2005 at 06:19 JST
BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan — A Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan Saturday, taking American "space tourist" Greg Olsen and his fellow astronauts, a Russian and another American, off towards the International Space Station.
The rocket climbed faultlessly away from the Kazakh steppes carrying the Soyuz TMA-7 capsule and its fee-paying and professional crew.
Ten minutes later the capsule was placed in orbit, Russian mission control said.
On Friday, 59-year-old grandfather Olsen confessed to a few pre-launch nerves ahead of his $20 million trip, the fulfillment of months of tough preparation.
Olsen was accompanied by Russian cosmonaut Valery Tokarev and U.S. astronaut William McArthur on the trip to the ISS, where they will arrive on Monday, after a period adjusting to conditions.
Two other "space tourists" have preceded Olsen in what is becoming a profitable sideline for the Russian space program; American Dennis Tito in 2001 and South African Mark Shuttleworth in 2002.
Despite the hefty price-tag, Olsen can expect few creature comforts aboard the Soyuz, a low-frills workhorse.
He has also insisted there is a work component to his sojourn, as he plans to test out equipment developed by his company, a New Jersey-based firm that makes electronic sensors for military and civilian use.
After eight days in the ISS, he will leave his two crewmates and head back to earth with the space station's current occupants, Russian Sergei Krikalyov and American John Phillips.
Their capsule is due to bump down on the Kazakh steppe on Oct 11. Predicting the precise spot has in the past proved a hit-or-miss affair.
Olsen's family — three sisters, his daughter and grandson — were among the hundreds who witnessed the take-off. (Wire reports)
Read the full article at : Japan Today - News - U.S. 'space tourist' blasts off aboard Soyuz - Japan's Leading International News Network
Video Captures Bali Suicide Bomber Moments Before Blast - Los Angeles Times
Video Captures Bali Suicide Bomber Moments Before Blast
By The Associated Press, October 2, 2005
BALI, Indonesia -- Southeast Asia's two most-wanted men appear to have masterminded the near-simultaneous suicide attacks on three crowded restaurants on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, officials said today, as a chilling video showed a suspected bomber strolling past dining customers moments before one of the blasts.
Twenty-six people were killed and another 100 wounded in the Saturday night carnage.
The Al-Qaeda-linked Malaysian fugitives, who were allegedly behind twin nightclub bombings on the same tropical island in 2002, and two other attacks in the capital Jakarta in 2003 and 2004, appear to have struck again, said Maj. Gen. Ansyaad Mbai, a top Indonesian anti-terror official.
"The modus operandi of Saturday's attacks is the same," he said, adding that Azahari bin Husin and Noordin Mohamed Top were not among the suspected bombers, whose decapitated remains were found at the scenes. All three were believed to be fitted with explosive belts, police say.
Read the full article at : Video Captures Bali Suicide Bomber Moments Before Blast - Los Angeles Times
By The Associated Press, October 2, 2005
BALI, Indonesia -- Southeast Asia's two most-wanted men appear to have masterminded the near-simultaneous suicide attacks on three crowded restaurants on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, officials said today, as a chilling video showed a suspected bomber strolling past dining customers moments before one of the blasts.
Twenty-six people were killed and another 100 wounded in the Saturday night carnage.
The Al-Qaeda-linked Malaysian fugitives, who were allegedly behind twin nightclub bombings on the same tropical island in 2002, and two other attacks in the capital Jakarta in 2003 and 2004, appear to have struck again, said Maj. Gen. Ansyaad Mbai, a top Indonesian anti-terror official.
"The modus operandi of Saturday's attacks is the same," he said, adding that Azahari bin Husin and Noordin Mohamed Top were not among the suspected bombers, whose decapitated remains were found at the scenes. All three were believed to be fitted with explosive belts, police say.
Read the full article at : Video Captures Bali Suicide Bomber Moments Before Blast - Los Angeles Times
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