Sunday, November 15, 2009

Price Is Heavier, But These Laptops Are Very Sleek

PC makers this fall are trying to get consumers who want small laptops to move up from low-profit netbooks to larger, costlier models called "ultrathin" or "thin and light." These models are lighter and thinner than many regular laptops, but they have bigger screens and keyboards than most netbooks do.

The slim portables tend to start at around $500 and many fall into the $600 to $900 range. You can easily find bigger, heavier laptops for less. But the manufacturers are hoping mobile consumers will be willing to pay a premium for sleekness and long battery life.

I've been testing three examples of the new class: the Toshiba Satellite T135, the Hewlett-Packard Pavilion dm3t and the Lenovo IdeaPad U350. All came equipped with bright 13-inch screens, power-sipping Intel processors and Windows 7 Home Premium. The particular configurations lent me by the manufacturers for testing were priced at $600 for the Toshiba, $840 for the HP and $700 for the Lenovo.

I found the trio a mixed bag, with notable pros and cons for each. These trade-offs left me unable to declare a clear winner. The one you'd like best would depend on your own weighting of various qualities, like the feel of a keyboard or touchpad.

Nevertheless, I found that all three were capable, easy-to-carry laptops. In my tests, each easily handled common consumer tasks at acceptable speeds. The three weighed between 3.5 and 4.2 pounds. All were about an inch thick, or a bit less, at their thinnest points

I ran all three through my tough battery test, where I turn off all power-saving features, set the screen to maximum brightness, leave Wi-Fi on and play a continuous loop of music.

The Toshiba and the HP turned in excellent results in this battery test, while the Lenovo was disappointing, mainly because it comes with a smaller standard battery. In a re-test, with a $50 optional larger battery, the Lenovo also did very well, but at the cost of added weight and thickness.

In normal use, with power-saving turned on, the Toshiba and HP could easily last for a full work day of typical activities, and the Lenovo could, too, with the optional battery.


Toshiba Satellite T135

This is a sleek, glossy machine that starts at around 3.9 pounds for the 13-inch models. It got the best battery life of the three with a standard battery: five hours and 38 minutes, which I estimate would easily translate into more than seven hours in normal use. It also cost the least, at $600, of the three I tried. My test model came with three gigabytes of memory and a 250-gigabyte hard disk. It was very fast at resuming from sleep, but took more than two minutes to perform a restart with just three common programs running, and nearly two minutes to start up cold.

My main beef with the Toshiba is its keyboard and touchpad buttons. The keyboard felt too rubbery and flexible, and the buttons under the touchpad were in the form of a single, slippery, hard-to-use bar.


HP Pavilion dm3t

This laptop, the most expensive of my test models by far, at $840, was also the heaviest, at 4.2 pounds. The chassis is metal, instead of plastic. Its battery life clocked in at five hours and two minutes in my test, which means you could easily exceed six hours in normal use. My test model came with 3 GB of memory and a huge 500 GB hard disk.

The keyboard felt solid, but the fatal flaw of the dm3 for me was its metallic touchpad, which made the cursor move slowly and even stop at times. Like the Toshiba, the HP took a long time to get going: almost 2.5 minutes for a restart and about two minutes for a cold start.

The HP dm3 also is available for about $100 less when equipped with AMD processors, though HP says those have weaker battery life.


Lenovo IdeaPad U350

In many ways, I liked the U350 best. It was sturdy, but thinner overall than the others because it lacked a bulging battery. The keyboard is firm and well designed, and the touchpad and buttons are comfortable and easy to use. It came with 4 GB of memory and a 320 GB hard disk for its $700 price. It was the only one of the three to restart in under two minutes. It also weighed the least, about 3.5 pounds.

But the IdeaPad's downfall is its small, flat battery, which offered only two hours and 38 minutes of life, or maybe 3.5 to four hours in normal use. With the optional $50 battery, the battery life in my test zoomed up to nearly six hours, which means maybe 7.5 or eight hours in normal use. But that extra battery brought the computer's weight to four pounds and made it thicker.

These thin, light, machines perform adequately and can last a long time unplugged. But I urge you to test them personally before choosing one, to make sure you're comfortable with their designs.

Michelle Wie Is a Winner on the LPGA Tour



After all the promises and the hype, after all the endorsements and the embarrassing gaffes, after all the celebrity-before-achievement insanity that has surrounded Michelle Wie for most of the last decade, we at last have this: Michelle Wie has won her first LPGA tournament.

Wie notched a two-stroke win over Paula Creamer at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Guadalajara, Mexico, marking a new high point in a 10-year career that began when she qualified for a USGA event at age 10.

It wasn't an easy win, and Wie had every opportunity to give this one away. Creamer and Cristie Kerr were even with Wie as late as the 12th hole on the final day, but this time around it was the others, not Wie, who faded in the stretch. And all of a sudden, Michelle Wie's story looks much different today than it did four days ago.

Because she had so much so soon for so little effort, Wie has naturally attracted legions of detractors who critique her every misstep. And it's easy to see why; she got untold millions based on potential alone, and then appeared to squander that potential time after time. But right around this time last year, she buckled down, played her way onto the LPGA, and now here we are.

Sure, this is just one win. She could easily go into a tailspin. But combine this with her outstanding, undefeated play at the Solheim Cup and a newfound sense of perspective on the course, and you could be looking at that rarest of all sports breeds – a prodigy who lives up to her potential.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Wynonna Judd Slams Swift's CMA Win



At last night's CMA Awards show, host Brad Paisley likened the country community to one big family--"George Strait plus eight," he joked.
And, truth be told, he's not too far off the mark. Nashville is an insular and protective community--sure, it's full of gossip and pettiness and all the other things you find in any tight-knit group. But, as Paisley humorously noted, most of the time everyone gets along pretty well.
Most of the time.

What's up now, you ask? Well, country legend Wynonna Judd (a presenter at last night's show) has declared that Taylor Swift--who won the CMA's top honor, Entertainer of the Year--is nowhere near ready for so much success.
The country legend, one-half of famed mother-daughter duo the Judds, spoke to USA Today before the awards show, commenting in regards to Swift's extraordinary sweep of 2009: "You want my honest comment? It’s too much too soon."
"Mom [Naomi Judd] and I rode in a car for the first year of our career to visit radio stations," Judd continued. "There was a making of the star, there was a rising up, and the fans went with us.
"Now it’s over coffee breaks, the success, almost. It's like the girl who wins an Oscar and she's under 20. What do you do from here?"
Well, well. Truth be told, many music fans out there--rightly or wrongly--are saying basically the same thing. However, this sort of commentary tends to not go over very well in the country world.

Remember back in 2006, when Faith Hill gasped a theatrical "WHAT?" on camera in response to Carrie Underwood's CMA Female Vocalist of the Year win? Hill claimed to be just joking around, but the validity of her humor came under scrutiny and the incident made out-of-proportion national waves. (It blew through the roof on Yahoo!'s Buzz Index, which tracks hotly searched stories on the web--and even national broadcaster Don Imus talked about it on his show.)
Carrie Underwood, now Taylor Swift.
For what it's worth, Hill presented Swift with her Entertainer of the Year award, and did so most graciously. (Swift, who has cited Hill as her childhood idol, was incandescent at the moment.)

Also, just as an aside--what is it with the Judds and rising young talent? Naomi Judd recently put twin-sister duo Kate & Kacey (who, incidentally, are on Swift's record label) through the wringer during their stint on CMT's reality series Can You Duet. According to the twins, Judd, a judge on the program, was so hard on the pair that they ended up writing a song about the incident titled "You're Not My Judge."
Kacey Coppola termed the experience with Naomi to be "disappointing."
"Kate and I have looked up to the Judds for as long as I can remember," she told Yahoo! Music.

No need for the sour grapes, Judds. If anyone's proven their mettle in the entertainment industry, and can afford to be benevolent to the newcomers--it's you guys.

And, take a lesson from Faith Hill (and, hey, George Jones--who got skewered last week for his comments about "new country"). Watch it.
There's no problem with stating an honest opinion, but like I said, this sort of thing just tends not to float too smoothly with the country fans at large.

Sarah Palin In Book: McCain Aides Kept Me 'Bottled Up'



The rumors are true, according to Sarah Palin: The McCain-Palin campaign was not a happy family. In Palin's new memoir, "Going Rogue," she confirms reports of tension between her aides and those of the 2008 Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain. The vice presidential candidate confirms that she had wanted to speak on election night, but was denied the chance and says she was kept "bottled up" from reporters during the campaign.

Palin also writes harshly of CBS anchor Katie Couric, whom she describes as "badgering" and biased. Palin's series of interviews with Couric were widely regarded as disastrous, leaving the impression of an ill-informed candidate who was unsuited for the job.

The 413-page book with 16 pages of color photos but no index comes out Tuesday, Nov. 17. The Associated Press purchased a copy Thursday. "Going Rogue," with a first printing of 1.5 million copies, has been at or near the top of Amazon.com and other best-seller lists for weeks, ever since publisher HarperCollins announced that the book had been completed quickly and the release date was being moved up from next spring.

The book follows Palin from childhood to her departure last summer as Alaska governor. It includes much of what her admirers, and detractors, expected: tributes to family and faith and patriotism, and attacks against the media and other perceived opponents.

She writes about the "jaded aura" of professional campaign aides and how McCain's entourage limited her access to the media, leading to allegations — unfounded, she says — that she was avoiding reporters.

And she says that most of her legal bills were generated defending what she called frivolous ethics complaints, but she reveals that about one-tenth of the $500,000 was a bill she received to pay for the McCain campaign vetting her for the VP nod.

She said when she asked the McCain campaign if it would help her financially, she was told McCain's camp would have paid all the bills if he'd won; since he lost, the vetting legal bills were her responsibility.

Written with Lynn Vincent, "Going Rogue" is folksy in tone and homespun. For example, Palin says her efforts to award a license for a massive natural gas transmission line through Alaska was turning a pipe dream into a pipeline. She writes in awe about how the McCain campaign had hired a New York stylist who had also worked on Couric.

Taken aback by all the fussing, she wondered who was paying for the $150,000 worth of fancy clothes given to her and her family members by the campaign. Family members were told it was being taken care of or was "part of the convention." The designer clothing, hairstyling and accessories later grew into a controversy.

Palin shares behind-the-scene moments when the nation learned her teen daughter Bristol was pregnant, how she rewrote the statement prepared for her by the McCain campaign — only to watch in horror as a TV news anchor read the original McCain camp statement, which, in Palin's view, glarmorized and endorsed her daughter's situation.

Palin laments that she wasn't allowed to bring up loads of family members to the stage while McCain gave his election night concession speech, the vice presidential candidate having found out minutes earlier that she wouldn't be permitted to give her own speech.

She writes that ABC newsman Charles Gibson, who had an early interview with her, seemed bored by "substantive issues" stemming from her time as governor and that while speaking with her he "peered skeptically" at her over his glasses like a disapproving principal.

She writes at length about Couric. She says that the idea to meet with Couric came from McCain campaign aide Nicolle Wallace, who told Palin that Couric — also a working mother — liked and admired her. It would be a favor to Couric, too, whom Palin notes had the lowest ratings of the network anchors. Wallace said Couric suffered from low self-esteem. And Palin replied that she almost began to "feel sorry" for Couric.

She alleges that Couric and CBS left out her more "substantive" remarks and settled for "gotcha" moments. She writes that Couric had a "partisan agenda" and a condescending manner. Couric was "badgering," biased and far easier on Couric's Democratic counterpart, Joe Biden.

She writes warmly of her childhood and her mother's "nurturing, hospitable" personality. Her priorities were set early — faith (she would read Scripture each night before bed), hunting, current events and sports (she even dreamed of being a broadcaster alongside Howard Cosell). She remembers being a voracious reader, favorites including John Steinbeck's "The Pearl" and George Orwell's "Animal Farm." Long before Tina Fey parodied her on "Saturday Night Live," Palin enjoyed watching the show as a girl.

She met her future husband, Todd Palin, in 1982. He was good-looking and mature, like no one she had ever known. He was quiet, gruff, strong, spiritual.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Anne Pressly Autopsy


"FILE - In this June 26, 2008 file photo released by KATV Television, of news anchor Anne Pressly in Little Rock, Ark. The man accused of killing television personality Anne Pressly changed from scavenger to predator when he found the woman sleeping near the laptop computer she had on her bed, a prosecutor told jurors Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009."

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A man who told police he had been hoping to steal a laptop was convicted of capital murder Wednesday in the beating of an Arkansas TV anchorwoman so brutal that her face was shattered and she never regained consciousness.

The panel was to reconvene later Wednesday to weigh whether Curtis Lavelle Vance should be executed or sentenced to life in prison without parole for the Oct. 20, 2008, attack on Anne Pressly at her Little Rock bungalow.

Vance, 29, of Marianna, was also convicted of residential burglary along with rape and theft of property.

After the verdicts were read, Pressly's mother, Patti Cannady, raised a hand and said, "Praise God. Praise God." She burst into sobs.

Once the jurors had left, Vance gestured toward the empty jury box, pointed to his eyes and ears and shook his head.

Pressly, 26, was an anchor at KATV and had a bit part in the President Bush biopic "W." Cannady, unable to reach Pressly by telephone for her daily wake-up call, had found her daughter shortly before she was due for the "Daybreak" program.

In closing arguments, deputy prosecutor John Johnson had recounted graphic testimony that left some in the courtroom in tears. At one point, he held up two photos of Pressly: Her KATV publicity shot, and one from her autopsy showing her nose pushed to one side.

"He made this person look like this," Johnson said. A medical examiner had testified that the front of Pressly's face was broken "like an egg."

In various confessions made to police, Vance said he went to Pressly's neighborhood looking to steal laptop computers. After entering her home through a Dutch door she left open for her dogs, Johnson said, Vance found the computer he sought — and Pressly.

"It was just him and her," Johnson told jurors. "Can you imagine that? Him standing over her?

"She feels that fear; that paralyzing fear we've all had nightmares about," Johnson said.

Citing one of Vance's confessions, Johnson said the man lost control after she started to fight him.

"He began to hit her over and over," Johnson said.

Police witnesses said DNA evidence linked Vance to Pressly's death and to a Marianna rape case in which he has pleaded not guilty. The defense has said police duped Vance into confessing and giving officers a DNA sample to compare with evidence in the case.

HP 3COM

As he sat at the Cisco Partner Velocity conference in Paris, The VAR Guy pondered news of Hewlett-Packard buying 3Com for $2.7 billion. Does the HP-3Com combo make any sense? And will Cisco Systems return fire by working more closely with Lenovo? Here are some answers.

First, let’s start with some glaring challenges facing the HP-3Com combo. Alas, 3Com doesn’t have much of a channel story. Many VARs abandoned 3Com’s networking business as 3Com itself abandoned its channel chief in March 2008.

Some pundits say the HP-3Com combo creates a networking giant. But let’s keep the spin under control. It takes Cisco Systems about two weeks to match 3Com’s annual revenues ($1.3 billion).

Still, HP’s ProCurve networking team gets some key technology and international reach from the 3Com buyout. For starters, 3Com has a range of IP telephony, routers, switches, network management, security and wireless offerings. But perhaps more importantly, 3Com’s H3C business unit has a strong presence in China.

As Yankee Group told The New York Times in May 2008:

“H3C is their growth path, not traditional 3Com stuff in the U.S.,” said Zeus Kerravala, network equipment analyst at Yankee Group in Boston. “Their brand has really been tarnished here.”

Calling In Reinforcements?
Now, for the ultimate irony: Lenovo, China’s largest PC maker, is quietly negotiating a potential networking and PC partnership with Cisco Systems. Did Cisco call Lenovo or did Lenovo call Cisco? The answer doesn’t matter. The potential partners have a mutual enemy here in Hewlett-Packard.

Charla Nash, Chimp Attack Victim, Shows Face On Oprah

Charla Nash, the Connecticut woman mauled by a 200 pound chimpanzee in February, appeared on "Oprah" Wednesday to reveal her face and share heartbreaking details on her life since the attack.

Nash who turned 56 Tuesday revealed "the remnants of her missing eyes, nose and lips," as ABC News described it.

Nash told Oprah that she feels no pain but that she tries not to touch her face so as to avoid knowing the full extent of her injuries.

"I don't ask a whole lot about my injuries... I know that I have my forehead," she said. She now drinks her meals "with a straw through a small hole where her mouth used to be," ABC added.

Nash lost both her hands in the attack, as well as her nose, an eyelid, and lips. Doctors removed her eyes due to an infection, and only recently did she learn she'll no longer be able to see.

"Only . . . in the past couple of weeks did she realize that she no longer had eyes, because she had been saying that she was hoping to be able to see at some point," Oprah said, according to the New York Post.

Nash now walks around her Cleveland hospital — from which she might be released soon — in a veil.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Carrie Prejean Sex Tape Scandal



After reports started circulating that former Miss California Carrie Prejean had a sex tape, the beauty queen confessed, saying making that tape was the "biggest mistake of my life."

“It was me by myself. There was no one else with me. I was not having sex,” Prejean revealed on the 'Today' show.

Prejean said she made the video of herself when she was 17 years old and that it was for her long-distance boyfriend at the time. "I was a teenager," she said. "I cared about him. I trusted him. I think now they call it ‘sexting.’ Did I think it would come back now and haunt me? No. But I think that a lot of young people can learn from this. Nothing is private anymore. Nothing is private." said Prejean.

Monday, November 9, 2009

WHO: AIDS Leading Cause of Death, Disease in Women

GENEVA – In its first study of women's health around the globe, the World Health Organization said Monday that the AIDS virus is the leading cause of death and disease among women between the ages of 15 and 44.

Unsafe sex is the leading risk factor in developing countries for these women of childbearing age, with others including lack of access to contraceptives and iron deficiency, the WHO said. Throughout the world, one in five deaths among women in this age group is linked to unsafe sex, according to the U.N. agency.

"Women who do not know how to protect themselves from such infections, or who are unable to do so, face increased risks of death or illness," WHO said in a 91-page report. "So do those who cannot protect themselves from unwanted pregnancy or control their fertility because of lack of access to contraception."

The data were included in a report that attempts to highlight the unequal health treatment a female faces from childbirth through infancy and adolescence into maturity and old age.

WHO chief Dr. Margaret Chan noted that women enjoy a biological advantage because they tend to live six to eight years longer than men. But in many parts of the world they suffer serious disadvantages because of poverty, poorer access to health care and cultural norms that put a priority on the well-being of men, she said.

Chan called it a "preventable tragedy" that nearly 15 percent of deaths in adult women occur in maternity, according to the statistics from 2004. She said the discrimination extends throughout a women's life, from girlhood diseases that aren't identified because they are not sicknesses affecting boys, to clinical trials and medicines developed on the basis of curing adult males.

"We will not see a significant improvement in the health of women until they are no longer recognized as second-class citizens in many parts of the world," Chan told journalists in Geneva.

Google to Buy AdMob!



Google today announced that it is buying AdMob, the upstart mobile advertising company based in Mountain View, Calif., for $750 million in stock. On AdMob’s blog, Google’s Susan Wojcicki, VP of product management, and Vic Gundotra, VP of engineering, write:

For publishers of mobile websites and applications, this deal will mean better products and tools and more effective monetization of their content — allowing them to focus more on their users and less on how to generate revenue.

For advertisers who want to reach users when they are engaged with mobile content, this deal will bring better, more relevant ads and greater reach. It will also mean more interesting, engaging ad formats.


AdMob has long been the dominant pure-play ad company in mobile, gaining traction as a kind of automated ad clearinghouse for inventory on the mobile web. The company has also expanded into mobile app advertising, which has exploded thanks to uptake of superphones such as the iPhone and Android handsets. Google, meanwhile, has primarily focused its mobile ad business on search.

As Google pointed out, the deal follows a handful of similar acquisitions by traditional online companies looking to move into mobile: AOL bought Third Screen Media more than two years ago, Yahoo picked up Actionality several months later and Microsoft bought its way onto the field with the pickup of ScreenTonic. But Google’s move raises the stakes for all the players in the game, and fires a warning shot across the bow of smaller mobile startups. Expect Google to move quickly to integrate AdMob’s business with its own mobile ad division as the company’s Android platform picks up steam.

While Google certainly paid a premium for not buying in earlier — or for establishing a thriving mobile ad placement business of its own — the tie-up appears to be a good fit. UBS analyst Brian J. Pitz speculated that Google is likely to integrate AdMob’s technology, clients and publishers into its AdSense network, which launched a mobile component two years ago. And J.P. Morgan said the acquisition “makes perfect strategic sense,” allowing Google to leverage AdMob’s technology to serve and analyze emerging ad formats:

"In our opinion, Google has invested heavily in growing the mobile Internet business through its development of Android and inclusion of mobile ads on AdWords,” the firm wrote in a research note. “The acquisition of AdMob should allow Google to monetize its support of the development and use of mobile Internet content further."

AdMob doesn’t disclose revenues, but J.P. Morgan estimates the company generates between $45 million and $60 million in revenue on an annual basis. The company has raised $47.2 million in venture capital from Accel Partners, Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Sequoia Partners, and it has seen its number of monthly ad requests increase sixfold over the last two years, reaching 10.2 billion in September.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Google Pushes Droid With Rare Ad On Homepage

Do you see something strange in this screenshot of Google's homepage today? No, not Bert and Ernie (it's Sesame Street's 40th birthday). It's that ad for the Verizon Droid right there under the search box (today is also Droid Day). Although, the juxtaposition does make it seem like Bert and Ernie are trying to get you to buy a Droid.

Google's homepage is normally an ad-free zone. No more than 28 words are allowed on it, and Google is always trying to find ways to make it even sparer.

But the company does make exceptions now and then to promote a partner's product, such as it did with Firefox back in the day, and with the launches of Chrome and the very first Android phone from T-Mobile a year ago. And at least this Droid ad does not break the 28-word rule. The page weighs in at 27 words.

The ad goes to this Google landing page, which then links to Verizon's Droid page. I guess they want to lose some folks along the way. Still, I'd love to see the clickthrough rates on that promotion.

Geisy Arruda Photo



Meet Geisy Arruda, Brazil’s latest celebrity after she was expelled from a University for the crime of wearing a miniskirt.

The Bandeirante University in Sao Bernardo do Campo said Geisy Arruda was expelled on the grounds that she disrespected “ethical principles, academic dignity and morality” when she wore a short, pink dress to class.

Before you think that the University acted alone, it should be noted that a sizable number of students at the University heckled and screamed abuse at her when she wore the mini-skirt to school. Video posted to YouTube was picked up by Brazilian media, who have been running with the story ever since.

To add insult to injury though, the University has published ads attacking her and calling her out for “inadequate clothing” and “posing for pictures and provoking other students.”

You get the feeling that the Brazil you see in movies (mini-bikini’s etc) isn’t quite the same as the Brazil in real life, don’t you. Two Geisy Arruda videos from YouTube as follows: both are in Portuguese, but you can get the general idea.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Rihanna's interview with 20/20: details of Chris Brown assault



Rihanna talks with 20/20 Friday night, November 6, 2009 about the details of Chris Brown’s assault against her. The young singer shares intimate details of what led to the fight and the frightening blankness that she saw in Brown’s eyes as he assaulted her.

The argument started when Rihanna says she caught Brown lying about a text message he received from another woman as they were leaving a Grammy Awards party.

Rihanna says in the 20/20 interview that Brown wouldn’t tell the truth and she “wouldn’t drop it.”

“I couldn’t take that he kept lying to me, and he couldn’t take that I wouldn’t drop it. …It escalated into him being violent towards me. And it was ugly,” stated Rihanna.

Rihanna said she knew she couldn’t get out of the car and walk away in a gown and bloody face. She said the entire night “was not part of my plan.”

In the interview, Rihanna discusses how she broke things off with Brown and that her feelings today for him do not include hate. In fact, Rihanna stated, “I actually love and care about him. I want him to do well, have a great career, have a great life and grow up. And just take this as something you had to go through to grow up and learn.”

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Verizon Google Phone



Verizon Wireless customers tend to love the company’s fast 3G network. But many tech-oriented Verizon loyalists gripe about the carrier’s high-end smart phones, which haven’t matched the cachet and versatility of the Apple iPhone sold by AT&T. In fact, some Verizon customers have switched to AT&T simply to get an iPhone.
But this week, Verizon is rolling out a device that finally gives it a more credible alternative. This new $200 phone is the Motorola Droid and it’s the first Verizon model to run Google’s Android smart-phone operating system. I’ve been testing the Droid, and while it has some significant drawbacks, I regard it as a success overall. It’s the best super-smart phone Verizon offers, the best Motorola phone I’ve tested and the best hardware so far to run Android. I can recommend the Droid to Verizon loyalists who have lusted for a better smart phone, but don’t want to switch networks.

Like the iPhone, the Droid is really a powerful hand-held computer that happens to make phone calls, and is a platform for numerous third-party programs, or apps. Currently, Android offers over 12,000 apps. That is just a fraction of the 100,000 apps available for the iPhone, but it’s well above what the newer BlackBerry or Palm phones offer.

The Droid is also the first phone that runs the 2.0 version of Android, which sands off some of the rough edges of Google’s platform and adds some features—notably, a free voice-prompted turn-by-turn navigation program. Android still isn’t as slick or fluid as the iPhone’s OS, in my view, but it has some functionality Apple omits, including the ability to run multiple third-party apps simultaneously.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Tyra Banks Show!


Nearly two years after she was scrutinized for her weight and told critics to kiss her “fat ass,” Tyra Banks (hosted of The Tyra Show) is revealing how she lost nearly 30 pounds.

It wasn’t because of a diet.

“I do not believe in diets. I have been on diets in the past, and they are a bunch of bologna,” she says on The Tyra Show, airing Wednesday (check your local listings). “This is a lifestyle change. It’s not about being skinny. It’s about getting in the best shape that you can be.”

See stars who are tired of being called fat

The former supermodel, 35, says she has been working with nutritionist Heather Bauer, who has helped her re-evaluate her eating habits by keeping a food diary. (Banks also shares sample lunch and dinner menus, healthy fast food options and carbs to cut out.)

“I switched up my unhealthy eating habits for healthier eating habits, and I haven’t had a tummy attack since December ‘08,” she says.

See how Tyra Banks and other stars dressed for Halloween this year

Banks admits she still indulges — “some BBQ ribs and some ice cream and some Haagen Daaz” are her faves — but “just not every second.”

The trick?

“It’s about working with what you’ve got, and knowing, and learning what’s right for your body,” she says.

See Tyra Banks and other celebs’ surprise BFFs

The 5′ 9″ model — who reveals she has maintained her “34DD boobies” and her “round booty” — was careful to stress that she doesn’t want to lose her curves.

“I feel good about my curves and my imperfections — my booty, my boobs, my thighs — I embrace it all,” she says. “Now I really can say … kiss my fit — and still fat — ass.”

To find out more about her fitness plan, tune in to The Tyra Show on Wednesday at 4 p.m. on the CW network.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Alanis Morissette’s Time: NYC Marathon Results 2009



Canadian-American singer-songwriter, Alanis Morissette has completed her second race at the NYC Marathon, only a few weeks after running her first marathon. Alanis Morissette completed the New York City Marathon today with a unofficial time of 4:28:45.

Alanis official finishing time will be posted when it becomes available. The singer ran the first 5Km in 27 minutes, 32 seconds; she then crossed the halfway mark in 2:03:51, according to the unofficial race results.

She completed her first marathon in 4:17:03, which she ran to benefit the National Eating Disorder Association, Morissette said “An unbelievably harrowing and beautiful and moving and serene experience.” The star ran the NWC marathon to raise money for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, along with fellow celebrities David Blaine and Edward Norton.