Research in Motion (RIM), the Canadian company that makes Blackberry devices, faces an August 31 deadline forgiving Indian government officials means for tracking and reading both Blackberry Enterprise e-mail and messages sent via Blackberry Messenger. India numbers among several Middle Eastern and Asian countries pressuring RIM to provide access to encrypted data in a...
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India expects decision on Blackberry Security
HBO owns the Emmys
Claire Danes starred in it. An all-star cast supported her. The movie told the powerful, poignant inspiring story of a woman with autism who overcame her challenges to become a prominent veterinarian and animal rights advocate. The movie garnered very little publicity, even less pre-Emmy buzz; and millions of American viewers tuned-in to something...
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“Farmville” joins list of internet addictions
Add “Farmville” to the rapidly-growing list of habit-forming amusements. Psychologists and other healthcare professionals have collected enough anecdotal and case-study data to inspire their warning: Excessive use of Farmville signals a need for intervention and treatment. Farmville, the innocent. sometimes educational and often wonderfully social farming game, best known as a Facebook application, joins...
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One million “g-calls” just for starters
“Wave” and “Buzz” may have tanked, but Google’s free phone service was certified golden on its very first day—very good news for Google officials who had begun to feel like the Rodney Dangerfields of the internet world, “they couldn’t get no respect.” On Wednesday, Google introduced its new feature that enables users to place...
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Pre-Emmy buzz grows louder
The glee club squares off against always-thirsty vampires Sunday night as the small-screen elite gather for the 62nd Emmy Awards. Jimmy Fallon will host the gala, which celebrates fashion and celebrity at least as much as it recognizes outstanding acting and fine production values. “Glee,” Fox Network’s runaway hit, numbers among the leading contenders...
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Celebrate the New Orleans Renaissance.
Since April 20, New Orleans has served as command post and center of attention for efforts to contain BP’s monumental oil spill—exactly the kind of attention New Orleans hoteliers and restaurateurs did not want to attract. With the flow of oil at least temporarily contained, the people of New Orleans heave a collective sigh...
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Debate rages over mandatory FM in handhelds.
Although it grabbed headlines, the debate over requiring new handheld devices to include FM radios really represents just the very tiny tip of a monstrous iceberg. The real controversy rages deeper, in a place somewhere ugliness, greed, and aggressive political lobbying remain much more difficult to photograph. The heart of rock ‘n roll is...
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Visit San Francisco. Right now.
Mark Twain once commented, “The coldest winter I ever spent was one summer in San Francisco.” Bay area residents can explain how warm inland air draws the cold and foggy marine layer onshore, keeping July and August high temperatures in the fifties. While the rest of North America swelters, “The City” remains bundled in...
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Jennifer Anniston’s big weekend Buzzmasters say box office for “The Switch” can make or break her career.
Inevitably someone will paraphrase Mark Twain, asserting that rumors of Jennifer Anniston’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. Allowing for the possibility of gross exaggeration, critics, producers, directors, and screenwriters nevertheless are paying careful attention to box office receipts for “The Switch,” using them as a barometer for the popular actress’s film future. Haydenne Beaumont,...
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Intel gobbles-up McAfee.
Hardly a monster in the mergers and acquisitions market, chip-maker Intel nonetheless gobbled-up security specialist McAfee this week, spending more than $7.5 billion(usd). Consistent with Intel’s initiative to manufacture high-performance circuitry for netbooks and hand-held devices, the move consummates a year-and-a-half collaboration between the two Santa Clara companies. Intel remains the world’s largest supplier...
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