nwi: Hammond schools join many in NWI to offer Mandarin Chinese http://t.co/I0GoMI4U

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Hammond schools join many in NWI to offer Mandarin Chinese bit.ly/vbw3O9 Il y a environ 5 heures via twitterfeed

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GSM phones vulnerable to hijack scams: researcher (Reuters)

BERLIN (Reuters) ? Flaws in a widely used wireless technology could allow hackers to gain remote control of phones and instruct them to send text messages or make calls, according to an expert on mobile phone security.

They could use the vulnerability in the GSM technology -- which is used by most telecom operators globally and by billions of people -- to make calls or send texts to expensive, premium phone and messaging services in scams, said Karsten Nohl, head of Berlin-based Security Research Labs.

Nohl is a well-regarded expert on mobile security who last year identified a bug in GSM technology that makes calls vulnerable to tapping. He says he is calling attention to these flaws to pressure the industry into beefing up the security of their products.

Mobile security is a hot issue because hackers are paying unprecedented attention to the devices as smartphone sales have outpaced sales of PCs.

Only a few flaws have been found in GSM technology - which stands for Global System for Mobile Communications - over its 20-year history. Industry lobby group GSMA said on Tuesday it did not expect the new findings to affect its views on the security of the technology.

"The GSMA and its mobile network operator members are confident in the security of existing 2G GSM networks and real attacks on real networks against real customers are most unlikely," it said in a statement, adding that newer technologies are safer and not impacted by the new research.

GSMA's statement "on anticipated GSM security announcements" did not make clear whether the industry group had actually seen Nohl's latest research.

Security experts have previously identified a small number of viruses designed to infect smartphones, allowing hackers to take control of the devices and force them to make calls or send text messages. But Nohl said he has discovered a way to leverage previously disclosed vulnerabilities in GSM technology that could potentially threaten hundreds of thousands of phones.

"We can do it to hundreds of thousands of phones in a short time frame," Nohl told Reuters ahead of a presentation on the topic at a hacking convention in Berlin on Tuesday.

SECTOR IN FOCUS

Smartphone malware is popping up at an unprecedented rate as people put more and more valuable information on the devices, using them to hold corporate secrets, conduct banking and function as digital wallets.

GSM became the dominant mobile technology globally in the late 1990s and even though new, faster mobile networks have been rolled out across the world, operators have stuck to their GSM networks to support older phones and to offer service when new networks fail.

The Berlin convention takes place just days after U.S. security think tank Strategic Forecasting Inc (Stratfor) said its website had been hacked and that some names of corporate subscribers had been made public. Activist hacker group Anonymous claimed responsibility.

Attacks on corporate landline phone systems are fairly common, often involving bogus premium-service phone lines that hackers set up in countries in Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia.

Fraudsters make calls to the numbers from hacked business phone systems or mobile phones, then collect their cash and move on before the activity is identified.

The phone users typically do not realize the problem until after they receive their bills, and telecommunications carriers often end up footing at least some of the costs.

Even though Nohl will not present all details of possible attacks at the conference, he said hackers will usually replicate the code needed for attacks within a few weeks.

T-MOBILE, SFR LEAD NEW RANKING

Mobile networks of Germany's T-Mobile and France's SFR offer their clients the best protection against online criminals wanting to intercept their calls or track their movements, according to a new ranking Nohl will unveil at his presentation.

The new ranking, at gsmmap.org, is conducted by security researchers, who hope this will heighten the awareness of operators and consumers on the vulnerability of their mobile communications.

Researchers reviewed 32 operators in 11 countries and rated their performance based on how easy it was for them to intercept the calls, impersonate someone's device or track the device.

"None of the networks protects users very well," Nohl said.

The sample is set to grow from 32 carriers dramatically next year as the tool enables anyone to participate in data gathering

by downloading measuring software to their phones.

Nohl said mobile telecom operators could easily improve their clients' security, in many cases by just updating their software.

Researchers reviewed operators in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Morocco, Slovakia, Switzerland and Thailand.

(Additional reporting by Jim Finkle; Editing by Matt Driskill, Vinu Pilakkott and Matthew Lewis)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/security/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111228/tc_nm/us_mobile_security

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gastromom: ?@DDrossman: @palmelb Don't forget the Rome Foundation slide set for an amazing library http://t.co/UMNxIqNO - go 2 computer based learning?

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Review: "Darkest Hour" full of dimwitted alien prey (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) ? Despite the fact that "The Darkest Hour" was smuggled into U.S. theaters on Christmas Day with no advance press screenings, I went in full of residual holiday good cheer, prepared to give this sci-fi movie the benefit of the doubt that all B-movies deserve.

By the time the closing credits came up, however, I felt drained of my Yule joy, dispirited by this aggressively idiotic movie.

It's the sort of film where our plucky band of survivors learns ways to resist their invisible alien foes, but then never use that information.

Case in point: heroes Sean (Emile Hirsch) and Ben (Max Minghella) figure out that they can avoid detection by hiding under a car. Then this bit of intel is never mentioned again, so instead of crawling under abandoned vehicles when trying to travel down roads, our heroes instead run around screaming, making themselves into perfect targets.

If these dimwits represent the hope of humanity, bring on the alien overlords.

Sean and Max have come to Moscow to peddle an internet venture, but when their ideas get stolen, they head to a hot bar to drown their sorrows. There they run into Skyler (Joel Kinnaman), the stealer of the aforementioned ideas, and Natalie (Olivia Thirlby) and Anne (Rachael Taylor). The latter two apparently have the mutant power of having their hair and makeup look awesome even after a week of being chased by invisible aliens, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Those aliens appear as glowing orbs in the night sky, and they immediately set about making all the power go out and vaporizing any human being or dog who gets too close. The quintet of characters who have been given first names hide out in the nightclub kitchen, but after a few days of living on canned goods, they venture out into the abandoned streets.

They soon realize that while the aliens, who have wiped out most of the population, are invisible, they can be detected by the way they make electrical circuits light up in their presence. Sean comes up with the idea of wearing a light bulb around his neck as an early-warning device, but only Natalie follows suit. And then, run, run, vaporize, meet Nick Frost-ian electronics geek (Dato Bakhtadze as Sergei) with an anti-alien microwave gun, run, run, encounter homemade-weapons-brandishing good ol' boys who look like the cast of a Muscovite remake of "Bellflower."

Writer Jon Spaihts and director Chris Gorak seem unable to provide suspense, shocks, characters, or even memorable technobabble. Hirsch, Minghella and Thirlby have done interesting work in the past, and probably will in the future, but all they have to show for "The Darkest Hour" was the free trip to Russia.

In the final wash, this movie has three interesting things to offer: the empty, post-apocalyptic streets of modern-day Moscow, the unpredictable death of a major character, and a cat named after "Yo Gabba Gabba!" star DJ Lance Rock.

None of those things merits the interruption of your holiday.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111228/review_nm/us_darkesthour_review

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Asian stocks down on mixed US, Japan economic news

BANGKOK --?

World stocks markets fell Wednesday, with trading thinned by year-end holidays and mixed economic news out of the U.S. and Japan.

Benchmark oil hovered above $101 per barrel while the dollar fell against the euro and the yen.

European stocks dropped in early trading. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.2 percent to 5,501.25. Germany's DAX was 0.9 percent lower at 5,839.98 and France's CAC-40 lost 0.4 percent to 3,092.01. Wall Street also appeared headed for a lower opening. Dow Jones industrial futures rose 0.2 percent to 12,199 while S&P 500 futures dipped 0.3 percent to 1,256.60.

Earlier in Asia, trading was subdued, as it typically is between the Christmas holiday and New Year's.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 0.2 percent to close at 8,423.62. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 0.6 percent to 18,518.67, while South Korea's Kospi lost 0.9 percent to 1,825.12. Australia's S&P ASX 200 lost 1.3 percent to 4,088.80. Benchmarks in Singapore, Taiwan and Indonesia were also lower.

Japan's industrial output dropped a seasonally adjusted 2.6 percent last month - the first decline in two months. But the negative news was mitigated by expectations of rebounding manufacturing and production this month and next, which helped to mute stock market losses.

The Shanghai Composite Index reversed course after early losses, rising 0.2 percent to 2,170.01. But the smaller Shenzhen Composite Index sank 0.5 percent at 849.76.

Some investors were "dumping shares" because Beijing has failed to take steps they expected to stimulate slowing economic growth, said Peter Lai, investment manager for DBS Vickers in Hong Kong.

"Some investors believed there would be a reduction in interest rates or the bank reserve ratio. But this hasn't happened," Lai said.

Tokyo Electric Power plunged 11.8 percent, a day after Japanese Industry Minister Yukio Edano suggested that the embattled utility be put under temporary state control and warned the company against resorting to electricity bill hikes.

TEPCO operates the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, which was heavily damaged in the March earthquake and tsunami, and owes massive compensation payments to people and companies harmed by a nuclear disaster at the plant.

Hong Kong-listed property shares also slumped. China Overseas Land & Investment slid 3 percent. China Resources Land lost 2.7 percent.

China Mengniu Dairy, the country's biggest dairy company, plummeted 24 percent in Hong Kong after acknowledging that a cancer-causing toxin had been found in milk produced by the company. Mengniu apologized and said no tainted milk had made it to the market. The government blamed the problem on bad feed given to cows.

Retail shares also slid on growing anxiety over the global economy in 2012. Hong Kong-listed jewelry retailer Chow Sang Sang shed 4 percent. Australian department store chain David Jones fell 2.1 percent and Woolworth's lost 0.9 percent.

On Wall Street on Tuesday, the Dow Jones lost less than 0.1 percent to close at 12,291.35. The S&P 500 was up marginally to 1,265.43. The Nasdaq composite rose 0.3 percent to 2,625.20.

U.S. consumer confidence surged to an eight-month high, but home prices fell in 19 of the 20 cities tracked by the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index. That report dampened investors' enthusiasm about a jump in consumer confidence to the highest level since April.

Benchmark crude oil rose 2 cents to $101.36 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.66 to finish at $101.34 per barrel on the Nymex on Tuesday.

In currency trading, the euro fell to $1.3075 from $1.3069 late Tuesday in New York. The euro has been weak because of worries about Europe's government debt crisis. It is still trading just above an 11-month low of $1.2943 reached on Dec. 14.

The dollar fell to 77.73 yen from 77.85 yen.

Source: http://www.fortmilltimes.com/2011/12/28/1836396/asian-stocks-down-on-mixed-us.html

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Death Closes London's Oxford Street

ASSOCIATED PRESS

LONDON?Police said they are investigating the stabbing death of a young man on a London street crowded ...

ASSOCIATED PRESS

LONDON?Police said they are investigating the stabbing death of a young man on a London street crowded ...

Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203391104577122501478701204.html?mod=fox_australian

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TechGrinch Was Not Impressed By Google?s ?Jingle Bells? Doodle

Warning, I?m about to get real critical of something pretty minor. It?s midnight on Christmas and the world is largely at a standstill, so pardon my rant.

When I visited Google.com this morning, I was as excited as the kids sprinting from bed to tree. But all I found was a lump of sonic coal. Oh joy, after months of Christmas music, I get to hear a crummy elevator music version of ?Jingle Bells? one more time? *sigh*

But wait, is it a game where I guess how to play the song on the colored keys? No. Can I remix it and make my own song using the tones? Nope. Can I at least share something to the legion of strangers who?ve added me to their Circles on Google+? Well there was no readily available permalink, and the metadata wasn?t changed so sharing Google.com into G+ didn?t produce a doodle preview.

Why the high expectations? I was impressed with the Thanksgiving doodle, mostly because a special button encouraged people to share their custom turkey to Google+. Considering the fledgling social network needs users and content, I thought that was a wise move.

The Polish doodle the day before offered a sci-fi comic puzzle game. The Father?s Day doodle was a useful PSA to call your Dad. And the 65th birthday tribute to Queen?s Freddie Mercury was the pinacle of awesome, featuring mustachioed bears riding bicycles. Today we got a crummy elevator music ?Jingle Bells?. I would have settled

I would have settled for some 8-bit tones, a more expansive light show, or something actually interactive and not just triggered. In previous years, the Christmas doodles have been basic but classy. This one built me up with its shiny buttons but didn?t follow through. Maybe children were more elated.

Oh sorry, am I being an overly entitled TechGrinch? Normally I?m a rather loving person, this is just some?constructive criticism. I know the doodle is a delightful little service Google does out of the goodness of its 30,000 hearts. I?m sure it has plenty else to worry about and should be permitted an occasional flop.

Still, Google needs loyalty and good will right now. It should be looking to make fanboys and fangirls out of all of us, because it?s launched some ambitious products in verticals with powerful?incumbents. If services like Google+ and Google Currents are going to challenge the Facebooks and Flipboards, Google needs people to love it.

Ask any parent ? on Christmas Day the stakes are high. Google just got the 6 year old a big shiny box with a pair of socks in it. When it comes to holiday doodles, Google should either keep it simple, or really make it shine. TechGrinch signing off.

Image Credit: Shipment Of Fail

Google provides search and advertising services, which together aim to organize and monetize the world?s information. In addition to its dominant search engine, it offers a plethora of online tools and platforms including: Gmail, Maps and YouTube. Most of its Web-based products are free, funded by Google?s highly integrated online advertising platforms AdWords and AdSense. Google promotes the idea that advertising should be highly targeted and relevant to users thus providing them with a rich source of information....

Learn more

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2011/12/25/jingle-bells-doodle/

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2011 Scrapbook: Memories From the Year in Sports

Every day this week, reporters and editors for The Times will recall the people, teams and moments that made the past year memorable. Readers can share their favorite moments of the year below.

The Return of a New King

Of course Novak Djokovic cared. How could he not? It was the semifinals of the United States Open, with an overflow crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium anticipating an imminent resolution to an exhausting match, an elegant ending for that most elegant of champions, Roger Federer. All Federer needed to secure victory was one more point, and up by 5-3, 40-15 in the fifth set, he had not one but two chances with his wicked serve to get it.

?I don?t know how it happened,? Djokovic said at the postmatch news conference, and neither did anyone else.

Down two match points, many players would take a somewhat conservative approach, intent on merely returning the ball before trying to leverage the point in their favor. Federer, for one.

But not Djokovic. Deep into one of the most dominant campaigns in tennis history (as of that day, he had lost a total of two matches), Djokovic had already done so much to leverage the entire season in his favor. He had adjusted his diet, his exercise regimen, even his serve. It somehow seemed dishonest to try for anything less than a steal-your-breath-away shot.

The serve from Federer zoomed toward the far corner at 108 miles per hour. The forehand return from Djokovic, short and compact and exquisite, whizzed back across the court at an angle that would stump a geometry teacher. It kissed the line.

His arms outstretched, Djokovic turned to the crowd and grinned. The fans had been rooting for Federer, for him to prove that his 11-tournament winless streak was more mirage than harbinger. But they knew brilliance when they saw it and saluted Djokovic with gusto. Djokovic won the next point, the next three games and the next match, in the final over Rafael Nadal, for his third Grand Slam title of 2011.

In a year filled with remarkable moments, Djokovic?s gamble that September afternoon served as the consummate coda, delivering a lesson that applies to life as much as sport: swing as if you mean it, swing as if you care.

? Ben Shpigel

The Raw Truth of Pro Football

We lost Peter Gent this fall. He was a decent wide receiver, but he was one heck of a storyteller. For my money, he is the father of jock lit.

His book ?North Dallas Forty? may have been the first adult novel I read. It was the tale of the fictional North Dallas Bulls, and it read an awful lot like the late 1960s Dallas Cowboys team that Gent had played and given his body for.

Seth Maxwell, the sly good ol? boy quarterback, was a dead ringer for Dandy Don Meredith. For a kid who learned to read by devouring the sports page on the kitchen table each morning and Sports Illustrated clandestinely by flashlight at night, ?North Dallas Forty? was like discovering ?Lord of the Rings.?

The classics would come later. Wild orgies, powerful drugs and a peek behind the curtain of the N.F.L. were irresistible.

That the Cowboys? president, Tex Schramm, and other league pooh-bahs dismissed it as lies only added to its allure.

The truth, however, is the truth, and here we are nearly 40 years after the novel?s 1973 publication, and what Gent told us about some of the outlaw elements, abuse of painkillers and football players? devotion to a violent game that wrecks their bodies still holds true.

?There was something about pro football,? he once said. ?It was violent, it was cruel. There was a part of the game that was literally insane. And I loved it.?

Not long after Gent died Sept. 30, the former N.F.L. defensive lineman Kris Jenkins confessed on these pages that part of his body remained numb and he still had brain fog after 10 bruising years in professional football.

He, too, has no regrets.

?Winning, the physical part, the mayhem, finding the line between insanity and sanity, that?s the exact reason why you play,? Jenkins said.

Earlier this month, Chicago Bears wide receiver Sam Hurd was arrested on federal drug charges.

Crippling injuries and bad behavior are not the sole domain of the N.F.L; other professional sports have had their turn in the headlines. Football, however, is what Gent knew and what he shared with us.

?Football players aren?t people, who leave home to try and play football,? Gent wrote. ?They are football players, who come home to try and play people.?

That is a pretty good insight. I appreciated him sharing it with me then, and reminding me of it now.

? Joe Drape

A Super Bowl to Include the World

In one sense, the most important football game of 2011 was played on July 16. In Vienna.

That was when the United States national football team lined up against Canada in the gold medal game at the world championships of American football.

You probably missed it.

Just as the world?s version of ?football? has its World Cup, so the American version has had its own quadrennial championship since 1999.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/ref/sports/memories-from-the-year-in-sports.html

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New sign of rising power for new North Korean leader's uncle (Reuters)

SEOUL (Reuters) ? North Korean state TV footage on Sunday showed Jang Song-thaek, the power behind the communist state's throne, wearing a military uniform with the insignia of a general, another sign of his rising influence after the death of Kim Jong-il.

The footage, which state TV said was taken on Saturday, showed Jang at the front of rows of top military officers who accompanied Kim Jong-un, the youngest son of Kim Jong-il and his anointed successor, paying their respects in front of Kim's body.

North Korea announced on Monday Kim Jong-il had died of a heart attack on December 17. His body is lying in state in a mausoleum in Pyongyang. He was believed to be 69.

His death sparked fears about succession in the reclusive communist state, which has been ruled by Kim's family since shortly after World War Two.

It also unnerved neighbors Japan and South Korea, as well as Seoul's key ally, the United States, as they wait to see how the succession plays out in the unpredictable hermit state.

Kim Jong-un was hailed by state media on Saturday as "supreme commander" of the North's 1.1 million-strong armed forces, the title held by his father.

While the younger Kim has been described as the "Great Successor," a senior source told Reuters this week Pyongyang will shift from a strongman dictatorship to a coterie of rulers including the military and Jang, Kim Jong-un's uncle.

Kim Jong-un, in his late 20s, has also been called by his official title of vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the North's ruling party.

Jang married the daughter of the country's autocratic founder, Kim Il-sung, in 1972, to join the ruling family.

A Seoul official familiar with North Korea affairs said it was the first time Jang has been shown on state TV wearing a military uniform. His appearance was interpreted as meaning he has secured a key role in the North's powerful military, which has pledged its allegiance to Kim Jong-un.

POWER BEHIND THE THRONE

Sources with close ties to North Korea and China have said Jang is the real power behind Pyongyang's succession process.

North Korea's state media have geared up their propaganda machine since Saturday in an apparent bid to smooth the untested Kim Jong-un's succession and show his grip on the military, which is trying to develop a nuclear arsenal.

The Japanese government will hold consultations with the governments of prefectures along the coast of the Sea of Japan to seek their support in accommodating North Koreans in case of a possible flood of refugees, Kyodo News said on Saturday.

Japan has already picked several public facilities in prefectures such as Niigata, Ishikawa and Fukuoka to serve as temporary shelters for North Korean refugees, Kyodo said, but the government needs to expand the list.

Experts say Tokyo has made contingency plans for possibly tens of thousands of refugees arriving at its ports but has not obtained local agreement to the plans, a potential headache.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda instructed government officials on Monday to make preparations for all possible contingencies. Noda is due to arrive in Beijing later on Sunday for talks with Chinese leaders, with North Korea expected to be high on the agenda.

China has been the North's major backer during decades of isolation and Noda will meet President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao during a two-day trip. They are expected to agree to work together TO maintain stability on the Korean peninsula.

The two Koreas are still technically at war after the 1950-53 Korean War ended with a ceasefire rather than an armistice.

(Additional reporting by Mari Saito in TOKYO; Editing by Paul Tait)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111225/wl_nm/us_korea_north_power

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Why 2011 Was a Very Good Year in Golf (The Wall Street Journal)

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Source: http://wik.io/info/US/306180901

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A Quebec outfitters journey canada goose coats will put you specifically in the rich and awe-inspiring Canadian forest. Towering Canadian conifers and lush broadleaved trees in the forest will immerse you in nature when you could have by no means seen or knowledgeable it ahead of. And there is no superior method to practical experience everything the terrific northern Canadian wilderness must present than that has a guided hunting excursion. North American black bears are a number of the greatest predators all around, especially up in Quebec. With bears weighing in at wherever from 200 to 400 kilos, you may see why it would be advisable to own an expert with you. You would not need to be canada goose jackets in the erroneous spot with the incorrect time when a person of these monsters happens lumbering up!Moose hunting is one canada goose parka more well-known supplying from outfitters. Moose vary all around the good Canadian frontier. Standing amongst six to 7 ft tall, with douleur weighing anyplace among 850 to one,000 lbs, this really is the accurate definition of 'big video game hunting'.A professional clothing store can make certain that you simply can benefit from the thrill of the hunt. They are able to help you discover canada goose sale your bear, regardless of whether it can be as a result of bait or even a 'spot and stalk' program. The moment you make your shot, they will allow you to retrieve it. Generally, a bear hunting package deal will incorporate issues like permits, licenses, manual fees, and trophy costs. Ensure that which the clothing store you seek the services of contains canada goose jacket items like this. But most significantly of all, ensure you may have entertaining and revel in anything that a professional outfitter can carry in your northern Canadian hunt.

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Londonist Out Loud: A Podcast For London, 23 December 2011

Welcome to the latest episode of Londonist Out Loud, a podcast about London. You can listen in-browser, or?subscribe via iTunes?or?RSS.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This week?s episode is the second in a special four-part series visiting some of London?s most important institutions. Host N Quentin Woolf spends a day with the staff and crew of the London Air Ambulance. He witnesses first hand the incredible work done by the team, who fly out to deal with the most traumatic injuries around the capital many times a day.

This episode contains sections that some listeners may find disturbing. Note that the episode is longer than normal to better represent a day in the life of the London Air Ambulance.

See more photos from London Air Ambulance?s helipad at the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, taken during our recent site visit.?The centre costs ?13 million to run each year, and is almost entirely funded by donations. You can help the cause by?donating here.

Interested in sponsoring this podcast? Contact us on hello@londonist.com for more details.

Source: http://londonist.com/2011/12/londonist-out-loud-a-podcast-for-london-23-december-2011.php

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AsCorrespondent: Indian outcast millionaire mulls caste, riches http://t.co/pGfN9D43 #India

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Lawsuit claiming 'Wipeout' a copycat show settles

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? A Japanese television network has settled a lawsuit with ABC and a leading reality TV production company over allegations that the series "Wipeout" is a ripoff of several Japanese game shows.

The Tokyo Broadcasting System sued ABC in late 2008, claiming the obstacle-course game show closely resembles several Japanese shows. It alleged "Wipeout" violated its copyrights to shows such as "Takeshi's Castle," ''Most Extreme Elimination Challenge" and "Ninja Warrior."

The Japanese network later sued Dutch entertainment giant Endemol, which produces "Wipeout."

The companies settled the case Nov. 30 after meeting with a federal magistrate judge in Los Angeles. No settlement terms were filed with the court.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2011-12-21-'Wipeout'%20Lawsuit/id-85c0c69301884bb7aa95825280dc14b5

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Japan releases 40-year nuke plant cleanup plan (AP)

TOKYO ? Japan released a lengthy roadmap Wednesday to clean up and fully decommission a nuclear plant that went into meltdown after it was struck by a huge tsunami, a process the government said would take as many as 40 years.

Nuclear crisis minister Goshi Hosono acknowledged that decommissioning three wrecked reactors plus spent fuel rods at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant was an "unprecedented project," and that the process was not "totally foreseeable."

"But we must do it even though we may face difficulties along the way," Hosono told a press conference.

Trade Minister Yukio Edano promised that authorities would move through the process "firmly while ensuring safety at the plant."

He also vowed to pay attention to the concerns of tens of thousands of residents displaced by the crisis when the plant was knocked out by Japan's March 11 earthquake and tsunami, in the world's worst nuclear crisis since the Chernobyl accident in 1986.

Under the plan, approved earlier Wednesday following consultation with experts and nuclear regulators, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. will start removing spent fuel rods within two years from their pools located on the top floor of each of their reactor buildings.

After that is completed, TEPCO will start removing the melted fuel, most of which is believed to have fallen through the bottom of the core or even down to the bottom of the larger, beaker-shaped containment vessel, a process that is expected to be completed 25 years from now. The location and conditions of the molten fuel is not exactly known.

Completely decommissioning the plant would require five to 10 more years after the fuel debris removal, making the entire process up to 40 years, according to the roadmap.

The process still require development of robots and technology that can get much of the work remotely because of extremely nigh radiation levels inside the reactor buildings.

The decades-long process also would place an enormous financial burden on TEPCO. The ministers said that the total cost estimate can not be provided immediately, but promised that there will be no delay because of financial reasons.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda announced last Friday that the plant has achieved "cold shutdown conditions," meaning the plant had been brought to stability in the nine months since the accident.

The announcement officially paves the way for a new phase that will eventually allow some evacuees back to less-contaminated areas currently off limits.

Experts say the plant 140 miles (230 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo is running with makeshift equipment and remains vulnerable to cold weather and earthquakes.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/weather/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111221/ap_on_re_as/as_japan_nuclear_crisis

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Activist fund Starboard takes AOL stake (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Activist hedge fund Starboard Value has taken a 4.5 percent stake in AOL Inc and requested a meeting with the Internet company's Chief Executive and board.

The fund said Wednesday that AOL is deeply undervalued and it blamed the company's massive operating losses in its display business. It also expressed concern over further acquisitions and investments into money-losing growth initiatives like Patch.

Starboard, which estimated that AOL may be losing more than $500 million per year in its display business alone, asked for an in-person meeting with the board to discuss how the company's operating performance and its valuation can be improved.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111221/tc_nm/us_aol_starboard

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[OOC] Halo: The Last Effort :UNDER CONSTRUCTION:

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What will you do when you're sentenced to death on a twisted gameshow in which you must travel 50 miles through the wastes of America and battle a strange plague which twists humans into viscous beasts?
The Stranded
When a freak plane accident strands you and multiple other survivors on a deserted island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, tensions rise, bonds will be made, and hope will be lost.

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United Rentals to buy RSC for $1.9B

NEW YORK (AP) ? United Rentals Inc. said Friday it has agreed to buy rival equipment rental company RSC Holdings Inc. for about $1.9 billion in cash and stock.

Shares of RSC surged 55 percent in afternoon trading Friday while United Rentals rose more than 3 percent.

United Rentals, based in Greenwich, Conn., said the deal is expected to accelerate its growth with industrial customers, lower costs and provide a less volatile revenue stream. It said it has already identified $200 million in potential cost savings.

The $18-per-share offered price is a 58 percent premium to RSC's closing price on Thursday. RSC shares climbed $6.30, or 55.3 percent, to $17.67 in afternoon trading. United Rental shares rose 92 cents, or 3.5 percent, to $27.95.

The deal has been approved by both companies' boards and is expected to be completed in the first six months of 2012.

When the deal closes, each outstanding share of RSC common stock will be converted into the right to receive $10.80 in cash and 0.2783 of a share of United Rentals common stock. But the deal is subject to certain closing conditions, including regulatory approval and clearance of any antitrust hurdles.

To help finance it, United plans to buy back up to $200 million in stock within six to twelve months after the close.

United is the world's largest equipment rental company, with a network of 541 rental locations in 48 states and 10 Canadian provinces. The company has about 7,500 employees.

RSC Holdings, which is based in Scottsdale, Ariz., has a network of 452 branches across 42 states and three provinces in Western Canada. It has more than 4,600 employees.

RSC services the industrial, maintenance and non-residential construction markets while United serves construction and industrial customers, utilities, municipalities, homeowners and others.

The president and CEO of United Rentals, Michael Kneeland, and its chairman, Jenne Britell, will keep their positions at the combined company.

Including the assumption of debt, the deal is worth $4.2 billion.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-12-16-United%20Rentals-RSC%20Holdings-Acquisition/id-83065ae3123247ab9eb64617b1a3ba69

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Josh Krajcik: Attacking Souls, Singing Beautiful Prayers

Josh Krajcik brought Paula Abdul to tears on The X Factor last night. Granted, this is about as difficult as getting Lindsay Lohan to have a drink. But still.

The heartfelt crooner belted out a couple of songs on the semifinals, once again proving his versatility via a piano-based version of "Hallelujah" and a livelier version of "Come Together."

The former prompted Abdul to tell Josh he "attacks our souls," while the latter caused Nicole Scherzinger to compare the contestant to a "beautiful prayer." It's safe to say they're big fans. Are you? Watch Krajcik in double action now.

Josh Krajcik - Hallelujah

Josh Krajcik - Come Together

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/josh-krajcik-attacking-souls-singing-beautiful-prayers/

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Zynga falters in debut, sheds doubt on IPO market (Reuters)

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) ? Online games developer Zynga Inc scored badly as it went public on Friday, dashing hopes for the year's hottest tech IPO, as investors frowned on its over-reliance on Facebook, dimming growth prospects, and outsized control by CEO Mark Pincus.

Zynga's stock fell 5 percent below its $10 initial public offering price to close at $9.50 on Nasdaq on Friday, dealing losses to IPO buyers used to racking up gains on a stock's first day of trading.

Investors had eagerly awaited the IPO as a way to get a slice of Facebook's growth before the leading social networking website goes public, possibly in 2012. Zynga makes money on Facebook by selling virtual items such as jewelry and poker chips in its games such as "FarmVille" and "CityVille."

At least one analyst said on Friday that some investors may have been turned off by Chief Executive Mark Pincus' large voting stake and control over the company. He has a special class of shares that grants him 37 percent voting power even though his equity stake is much lower, and public shareholders will have less than 2 percent of votes.

"We believe that having a CEO/owner-controlled board is particularly dangerous for investors in young companies," said Cowen and Co analyst Doug Creutz.

Creutz, who has a neutral rating on the stock, added that history is full of examples of CEOs who have built young companies but cannot manage them when they mature.

Asked about his voting shares, Pincus told Reuters he decided to retain such huge control over Zynga because he believed from the start that he was the best person to lead the company.

"Investors who want to see the company deliver long-term value are going to be better served by the fact that I can continue to ensure the company keeps its focus on the long term and we don't let short-term swings and opportunities reduce that," he said in an interview.

Based on Friday's closing share price, the value of Pincus' holdings fell to $1.05 billion from $1.1 billion at the IPO price.

Friday's flop stunned investors who had expected a strong showing because the company is profitable, unlike other recent high profile Internet IPOs such as Groupon and Pandora.

"I was stunned when I saw this. This is a disaster for them. The way you're supposed to price deals is to give investors a 15 percent IPO discount to compensate them for the risk of backing a relatively new company," said Dan Niles, chief investment officer of AlphaOne Capital Partners, who did not buy shares.

"It makes me wonder about the underlying health of the market. IPOs like this can change the whole tenor of the market," he added.

Investors said Zynga's stock performance could hurt other private companies in the pipeline such as Yelp and even Facebook. Some investors regard Zynga's IPO as a proxy for Facebook, because 95 percent of its $828 million in revenue in the past nine months comes from Mark Zuckerberg's social network.

"Now we have an exciting IPO and people don't want it and that's a big concern for when Facebook comes out," said Jeff Sica, president and chief investment officer of SICA Wealth Management.

The cooling off in the IPO markets could hurt Facebook's estimated $100 billion valuation, BGC analyst Colin Gillis said.

Zynga's reliance on the platform was supposed to attract investors looking to bet on Facebook's growth. With Facebook's IPO expected to be at least several months away, Zynga is one of the few indirect ways to bet on the website's future.

Facebook takes a 30 percent cut of the revenue Zynga derives from the social network, which features more than 222 million monthly active Zynga users.

Zynga CEO Pincus said he was looking beyond the share price drop and said the company went public at the right time.

"We're going to focus on the products and business results we deliver in the next four to eight quarters and hope the stock market values and appreciates that as they see us deliver it," he said.

In San Francisco, hundreds of employees got to work early to watch Pincus ring the bell to open Nasdaq trading and wore T-shirts saying "I love play" featuring the ZNGA trading symbol printed on the sleeves. Cinnamon buns and hot cocoa were served before the ceremony.

CONCERNS WEIGH

The company, which competes with Electronic Arts, sold 100 million shares of Class A common stock at $10 per share in the IPO, roughly 11 percent of its shares on a diluted basis, at the top end of the $8.50 to $10 indicative range.

The IPO values Zynga at $8.9 billion. In November, the company had been valued at roughly $14 billion, according to an internal estimate in a regulatory filing.

But that lowered valuation may still have been too rich for some, said Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia.

Zynga's near $9 billion valuation is less than videogame maker Activision Blizzard Inc's $13.6 billion and higher than Electronic Arts Inc's $6.7 billion. In the last four quarters, Activision and Electronic Arts generated more revenue than Zynga.

Analysts and investors have also expressed concern over how it profits from less than 3 percent of its players who buy items in its free games.

Plus, its reliance on Facebook appears unhealthy to investors who want to see Zynga diversify its revenue sources. Pincus on Friday said the company's 13 million daily users of its mobile games is a good start, and doesn't trail its daily users on Facebook as much as people assume. Zynga had 50.5 million daily users on Facebook on Friday, according to AppData, a website which tracks Facebook applications.

Yet Zynga's growth rate of bookings - the money it makes up front when users buy items, is slowing - which most analysts said is a red flag and could hurt Zynga's future revenue.

Zynga is the second online games company selling virtual items to slip in its trading debut this week. On Wednesday, Nexon Co shares fell following its $1.2 billion IPO, which was Japan's biggest offering this year.

At $1 billion in proceeds, Zynga's IPO is still the largest from a U.S. Internet company since Google Inc raised $1.9 billion in 2004.

(Reporting By Liana B. Baker in New York and Alistair Barr in San Francisco)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111216/bs_nm/us_zynga

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Newspaper founder killed in Russia's Dagestan (Reuters)

MAKHACHKALA, Russia (Reuters) ? The founder of a newspaper that investigated government corruption was shot dead in Russia's North Caucasus region, in what an international watchdog called "a lethal blow to press freedom."

A gunman shot Gadzhimurat Kamalov as he was leaving the offices of the newspaper Chernovik in the capital of Dagestan province shortly before midnight on Thursday, the regional Interior Ministry said.

Police said Kamalov was shot eight times and was pronounced dead on the way to hospital.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said journalists at Chernovik, known for reporting on corruption in the provincial administration, had been "routinely persecuted for their work".

"The assassination of Gadzhimurat Kamalov is a massive loss for independent journalism in the North Caucasus, Russia's most dangerous place for reporters," the advocacy group's regional coordinator Nina Ognianova said in a statement.

Russian journalists who investigate corruption face serious risks, particularly in the provinces, where authorities are less likely to face scrutiny over attacks on journalists.

Predominantly Muslim Dagestan is plagued by violence stemming from an Islamist insurgency rooted in the 1990s separatist wars in neighboring Chechnya as well as conflicts over business and political power.

There have been 19 unsolved murders of journalists in Russia since 2000, including the 2006 killing of Kremlin critic Anna Politkovskaya, according to the CPJ.

It lists Russia as eighth on its "Impunity Index", a list of states where journalists are killed regularly and governments fail to solve the crimes.

(Writing by Steve Gutterman; Editing by Tim Pearce)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111216/wl_nm/us_russia_journalist_shooting

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NATO's Lost Drone Had Its GPS System Hacked By Iranian Engineers [Airplanes]

Earlier this month, NATO lost a spy drone in Iran. Initially NATO admitted that its pilots lost control of the craft, but new reports suggest that the Iranian military hacked its GPS systems. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/SJ4KYu1nQ8E/natos-lost-drone-had-its-gps-system-hacked-by-iranian-engineers

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Humongous plane to serve as flying launch pad for space tourists

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen announced plans to construct a giant aircraft to launch rockets into orbit, eventually for paying passengers.

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen announced today (Dec. 13) that he is teaming up again with aerospace design mogul Burt Rutan to develop what the pair is calling a revolutionary approach to private space travel for people, cargo or satellites.

Skip to next paragraph

The billionaire investor and philanthropist unveiled the new company Stratolaunch Systems, which aims to create airport-like operations for space travel. The company, headquartered in Huntsville, Ala., will use a giant twin-boom aircraft to launch a rocket and space capsule from the air to carry commercial and government payloads, and eventually paying passengers, into orbit. The first flight is expected to occur within five years.

Once the launch system is proven to be safe and reliable, manned flights will follow, Stratolaunch Systems officials said.

"I have long dreamed about taking the next big step in private space flight after the success of SpaceShipOne ? to offer a flexible, orbital space delivery system," Allen said in a statement. "We are at the dawn of radical change in the space launch industry. Stratolaunch Systems is pioneering an innovative solution that will revolutionize space travel."

This isn't Allen's first foray into the realm of private space travel.

Allen first partnered with Rutan, founder of the aerospace design company Scaled Composites, to bankroll the construction of a manned vehicle capable of reaching the edge of space. In 2004, the?SpaceShipOne suborbital rocket plane?became the first privately built manned craft to reach suborbital space.

In October of that year, SpaceShipOne was piloted to suborbital altitudes of more than 360,000 feet (112 kilometers) on back-to-back flights that helped Rutan and Allen snag the $10 million Ansari X prize.?

Stratolaunch systems will use an aircraft developed by?Scaled Composites?that is expected to be the largest aircraft ever flown, Stratolaunch officials said.

"Paul and I pioneered private space travel with SpaceShipOne, which led to Virgin Galactic?s commercial suborbitalSpaceShipTwo Program," Rutan, who will join Stratolaunch Systems as a board member, said in a statement. "Now, we will have the opportunity to extend that capability to orbit and beyond. Paul has proven himself a visionary with the will, commitment and courage to continue pushing the boundaries of space technology. We are well aware of the challenges ahead, but we have put together an incredible research team that will draw inspiration from Paul?s vision." [Images: Paul Allen's Giant Stratolaunch Air Launch Pad?]

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/KzPaqBvwI4k/Humongous-plane-to-serve-as-flying-launch-pad-for-space-tourists

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Tebow, Broncos do it again, beat Vikings 35-32 (AP)

MINNEAPOLIS ? Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos were close to being knocked out again. They haven't flinched in more than a month.

Tebow led yet another late rally, passing for a season-best 202 yards and two third-quarter touchdowns to help the unflappable Broncos win their fifth straight game with a 35-32 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

Matt Prater kicked two field goals in the final 93 seconds for the Broncos (7-5), who moved into a first-place tie in the AFC West with a loss by the Oakland Raiders. Christian Ponder set Minnesota's single-game rookie record with 381 yards passing, including a pair of touchdowns to Percy Harvin, but his sideline throw with 1:33 remaining was intercepted by Andre Goodman to set up the winner.

Harvin had a career-high 156 yards for the Vikings (2-10), who lost their fourth in a row.

After serving as the backbone of Denver's resurgence, putting Tebow in position for all those comebacks, the Broncos got gobbled up by Ponder, Harvin and Toby Gerhart, who gained 91 yards on 21 carries. But they picked off Ponder twice, recovered his fumble and applied enough pressure to equalize the game.

Demaryius Thomas caught four passes for 144 yards and both touchdowns for the Broncos, who raised their record to 6-1 since Tebow took over for Kyle Orton as the starter. Tebow completed 10 of 15 passes.

Four of those victories have come by either four or three points.

The Broncos didn't score on offense in the first half, totaling 48 yards on 19 plays. Tebow lost a fumble that gave the Vikings three points. But an eight-point deficit was hardly too tall for this strong-minded team -- and the determined young quarterback.

After a dizzying display of back-and-forth touchdowns, with both Ponder and Tebow putting together their best games as pros, Ryan Longwell's third field goal of the game with 3:06 left put the Vikings back in front by three.

So it was teed up for Tebow.

Tebow threw a wobbler that still landed on target, when a wide-open Thomas hauled in a 40-yard completion. Thomas couldn't bring in the third-down pass at the goal line, but Prater tied the game with a 46-yarder before Ponder's second glaring mistake.

That negated a beautiful game between Ponder and Harvin, who was just as wide open as Thomas all afternoon.

The do-it-all wide receiver raced 48 yards for his second score early in the fourth quarter to put the Vikings up 29-21, thanks to a textbook block by Ryan D'Imperio and a missed tackle by Kyle McCarthy. That was the first fourth-quarter touchdown given up by the Broncos in five games. They averaged 15 points allowed over their previous four games.

But there went the Broncos again. Tebow hit Thomas for 42 yards, and Willis McGahee rumbled into the end zone from 24 yards out. Then Tebow took the snap on the 2-point conversion and rolled to his right and over the goal line to tie the game at 29.

Ponder was every bit the rookie during an awful first quarter. He cost his team an easy three points by losing a fumble at the 15 when Brian Dawkins punched the ball out and threw an interception that Mario Haggan ? starting in place of injured linebacker Von Miller ? returned for a walk-in 16-yard touchdown. In Ponder's defense, he hardly had any time to throw against a heavy blitz.

But he found a better groove before halftime and fired a 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Rudolph.

Then Jared Allen, who picked up a safety for stopping McGahee in the end zone on the first play for the Broncos, chased Tebow out of the pocket and stripped the ball as he sacked him with 39 seconds left in the second quarter, setting up Longwell for his second field goal to give the Vikings a 15-7 lead.

Tebow didn't wait for the closing minutes to start the rally. The Broncos drove 78 yards for a score right after halftime to cut the lead to 15-14 on the first touchdown to Thomas. McGahee tore up the Vikings between the tackles on that possession and finished with 111 yards on 20 attempts.

Ponder, a college rival of the former Florida star Tebow while at Florida State, responded right away, though. He completed a 52-yard touchdown pass to Harvin, another Gators star, when Chris Harris fell down trying to cover the out route, letting Harvin race untouched to put the Vikings back up by eight.

Quan Cosby's kickoff return past midfield put the Broncos back in position, though, and the next big play was all Tebow. Pushed out of the pocket with no one open, he ran left and delivered on on-target across-his-body throw to Thomas, who ran the rest of the way for a 41-yard score.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111204/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_broncos_vikings

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