And The OSCAR Goes To...

No film ran away with the night, however, as Hollywood -- home to the 80th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday Feb 24, gave a bruised movie industry a chance to refocus its ever-inward gaze on laurels instead of labor strife.

"No Country For Old Men" won the Oscar for best film and its makers, brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, were named best directors on Sunday, giving the bleak crime drama four of the world's top movie awards.

Members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored a wide range of movies, actors and actresses from several countries.

Britain's Daniel Day-Lewis won the Oscar for best actor as a sadistic oil prospector in the early 20th century whose rise to wealth and power comes at a deep cost to his soul.






France's Marion Cotillard was named best actress, Britain's Tilda Swinton took supporting actress and Spain's Javier Bardem won supporting actor. Cotillard earned her Academy Award portraying singer Edith Piaf in "La Vie en Rose" and became the first French actress to win the Oscar in that category since 1960.

"I'm speechless now," Cotillard said on stage, visibly surprised and overjoyed. "Thank you life, thank you love. It is true there (are) some angels in this city." Swinton won supporting actress playing an ethically challenged corporate lawyer in the thriller "Michael Clayton" and Bardem was given his award for portraying a sadistic killer in "No Country For Old Men."

The fourth Oscar for "No Country For Old Men" also went to the Coen brothers for best adapted screenplay by basing their movie on the Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name.

To read more about the events of this prestigious night, just visit www.oscar.com

Japan Launches Communications Satellite 'KIZUNA', Designed to Enable Super High-Speed Data Transmission

Granted, most of us here in India would turn our noses up at receiving in-home broadband via satellite -- after all, Cable and Broadband seem to be treating most of us quite alright. However, Japan is hoping to provide access to more regions in Asia-Pacific with its recently launched Kizuna. The experimental satellite is not yet intended for commercial use, but if all goes well, it will enable data transmissions of up to "1.2 gigabytes per second", at a low cost across Japan and 19 other locales in Southeast Asia. (Oh! Pleeeease let that also include India)

Unfortunately, we've no idea when it will escape the bondage of testing and actually be put to good use. Until such time we shall continue to communicate, the primitive way :_(

One Step For Man, One Giant Search For GOOGLE!

First it conquered cyberspace. Now, Google is setting its sights on outer space. Leave it to innovators to push the envelope… all the way to the MOON!

The company on Thursday announced the first 10 teams of competitors in its $30 million contest to send a spacecraft back to the moon to gain greater insights into the solar system and to find new sources of clean energy.

The Google Lunar X-Prize contest requires each team -- largely composed of scientists and business people -- to build a robotic craft that can roam across the moon's surface, beam video, images and data back to Earth and even tap into natural resources.

Google isn't paying the costs for the teams to develop the rockets; it's simply holding out the carrot of a top prize of $20 million to the team that builds a vessel that can land on the moon and accomplish its mission. Each team has to raise the money to construct a spacecraft on its own.

The contest, announced last fall, is being co-sponsored by the X Prize Foundation, a nonprofit organization that administers competitions to spur the development of technologies that aspire to solve dire problems around the world.

Google's contest might get a spacecraft on the moon before the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration does. The company said it will award a cash prize of $20 million by the end of 2012 to the contestant that lands a privately funded craft on the moon, roams the lunar surface for at least 50 meters (164 feet) and transmits a specified set of images and data back to Earth. By contrast, NASA has a deadline of 2020 to get another craft to the moon.

In addition to the first-place prize, Google will award $5 million to a runner-up. The company also plans to dole out another $5 million in "bonus prizes," likely spread among several entrants.

If my memory serves me correctly, the last spacecraft to land on the Moon was NASA's Apollo 12 mission, nearly 40 years ago. It's now time to re-create that historic moment.

The interest in space travel is back and in my opinion it is in the right hands. Big budgets that governments bring to the table are sometimes necessary to create technology and perform research. Now the ball is in the hands of the entrepreneurs and they have all the data and technology they need.

Science has had a bad marketing campaign and this is the perfect way to reignite the fire and wonder that we once held for man’s final frontier. This is an exciting time in our history and I simply can’t wait to see what happens next. I’m on the edge of my seat and I hope you’re with me !?!

Gmail goes Multi-Lingual

As of Feb 13 2008, the Gmail team has begun rolling out a new version of Gmail that will now be available in 37 languages (& to think I was considered cool coz I could speak 4 languages). This version, available for IE7 and Firefox 2, has an entirely new code base, which allows the team to add new features more rapidly and share components with other Google applications (you will notice that they use the same rich text editor as Groups and Page Creator, and the contact manager can be seen in several Google apps). So if you were using English, you can now change your default language from the Settings menu to take advantage of a bunch of features that have recently launched in the preferred language, including:

* Colored labels
* Group chat
* Rich emoticons
* A new contact manager with a three-pane layout
* A number of smaller features, such as new shortcut keys and the ability to bookmark individual emails with your browser

One tiny side effect of this change is that it may disrupt some third-party Gmail extensions -- unsupported scripts that directly modify Gmail's code. If you don't use them, you don't need to worry about this.

Few of us will still have to wait in queue as the newest version of Gmail is not yet available for Croatian, Icelandic, Hebrew or Arabic, but you can continue using the older version in these languages. The newest version also is not yet available for Google Apps for your domain.

Hurry up Gmail !@#$

Jodha Akbar: Looming Controversy?

Quite contrary to my statement about the movie in my earlier blog, Jodha Akbar has made it to the headlines, but for all the wrong reasons.

Jodha Akbar, Ashutosh Gowariker’s latest directorial venture, released on 15th February 2008. Since the past couple of months, we have been hearing a controversy that the historical facts depicted in the movie are not correct. The film, starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, is said to be full of historical inaccuracies. Noted historians have claimed that the whole base of the movie, of the relationship between Jodha and Akbar, is completely faulty and incorrect. The Rajput groups of India are arguing that the name Jodha has been the name of wife of Jehangir who was son of Akbar (Jehangir was also called Salim).The Rajput Sabha chief has filed a case against the director of movie Jodha Akbar, Ashutosh Gowarikar, over presenting historical events in a twisted way.

They have cited books to point out that Jodha Bai was not the wife of Akbar, rather she was his daughter-in-law. In other words, Jodha Bai was the wife of Jehangir, aka Salim. Incensed by the distortion of the facts, the Rajput community of Rajasthan has threatened to not only boycott Jodha Akbar, but also stall its release in the state. As per the historical evidences, it was Jehangir who was married to the House of Jodhpur. The princess he thus married later came to be known as Jodhabai.

The Real Story
Historians claim that Akbar did forge an alliance with the Rajput family, when he married the daughter of Raja Bharmal of Amber. However, there is no evidence to suggest that she was called Jodhabai. Rather, she was later titled ‘Maryam Rahmani’ or ‘Mother of Rulers of the Universe’. Infact, Gowariker has himself claimed that there is some confusion regarding the name of the Rajput wife of Akbar. Nonetheless, he claims to have taken permission from the Royal Family of Jaipur to use the name Jodha Bai.

The Bottom Line (coz the Great One said so)
In the end, there is still no respite from the controversy into which Jodha Akbar has been drawn. If one goes strictly by the history books and evidences, the Rajput community seems to right in creating a fuss. The problem is that the issue has been raised too late. Had it been raised while the film was still being made, it would have made much more sense. Whether Jodha Akbar makes it to the box office or not and if it does, whether people accept it or not, is a question that only time can answer.

Shades of "ARMAGEDDON"

Every night I watch a movie on dvd before hitting the bed. That way I have something to discuss with my buddies at work the next day. Last night, I was running through my ol' dvd collection (considering the fact that I was done watching all the new ones... damn! that reminds me, I need to hit the dvd store this weekend) wondering which one do I watch on Valentine's eve & finally decided on Armageddon. And call it coincidence or divine intervention - the fact that I wake up next morning to read the papers & imagine my plight when I happened to come across this article.

"Pentagon is planning to shoot down a broken spy satellite expected to hit the Earth in early March"

U.S. officials said Thursday that the option preferred by the Bush administration will be to fire a missile from a U.S. Navy cruiser, and shoot down the satellite before it enters Earth's atmosphere. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the options will not be publicly discussed until a later Pentagon briefing. The costs involved in this operation range could be anywhere between $40 - $60 million. The missile itself cost $10 million. The disabled satellite is expected to hit the Earth the first week of March. Officials said the Navy would likely shoot it down before then, using a special missile modified for the task. Other details about the missile and the targeting were not immediately available. But the decision involves several U.S. agencies, including the National Security Agency, the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department. Shooting down a satellite is particularly sensitive because of the controversy surrounding China's anti-satellite test last year, when Beijing shot down one of its defunct weather satellites, drawing immediate criticism from the United States and other countries.

A key concern at that time was the debris created by the Chinese satellite's destruction -- and that will also be a focus now, as the United States determines exactly when and under what circumstances to shoot down its errant satellite. The military will have to choose a time and a location that will avoid to the greatest degree any damage to other satellites in the sky. Also, there is the possibility that large pieces could remain, and either stay in orbit where they can collide with other satellites or possibly fall to Earth. It is not known where the satellite will hit. But officials familiar with the situation say about half of the 5,000-pound spacecraft is expected to survive its blazing descent through the atmosphere and will scatter debris -- some of it potentially hazardous -- over several hundred miles. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. The satellite is outfitted with thrusters -- small engines used to position it in space. They contain the toxic rocket fuel hydrazine, which can cause harm to anyone who comes into contact with it.
Russia, in the meanwhile, claim that this is just a ploy for US to test their missile.

Bruce Willis, on the other hand, I heard has temporarily disconnected his cell phone service ;-)

JODHAA AKBAR: India's door to Hollywood

I always wonder... why can't we have more such films that showcase the Indian culture. After all, we are a culturally rich country with a legacy to be proud of. Instead all our Bollywood directors can ever think of is - boy meets girl, falls in love, sing a song or two & then the climax is the face off with the bad guyz who's brain cells only pale in comparison to that of the director.

As I was saying...
providing a window to the effervescent and rich tradition of culture of a country can best be done by the medium of cinema, as it is the walking and talking exposition of the vibrancy that a country has. China has been able to do this through multitude of films being made on a large scale by turning out one leaf of history or the other and using the grandeur of cinema to tell the world about the mystique called China. It was done by four films, which told the world what China was all about and the films that achieved the same include CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON, HOUSEOF FLYING DRAGONS, HERO and THE PROMISE. These four films became epochal, as they were able to attain a synergy by choosing the aesthetics of Hollywood and combining it with Chinese culture, tradition and heritage.

For India also this epochal moment seems to have arrived with the release of JODHAA AKBAR.

It is the sheer grandeur of the film and the choice of the subject that provides the confidence that the film would be able to make a definite mark at the international level. This would also pave the way for more historical films emanating from the drawing board of the Hindi film industry to tell to the world the richness of culture that India possess.

The portents are auspicious as UTV, which is the producer of the film, has as its CEO Ronnie Screwvala who has already been featured on the cover of the Newsweek as being one of the stars from the sub-continent who would be going to change the course of world cinema. JODHAA AKBAR may just do the same.

The confidence arises from the grandeur of the scale on which the film has been mounted. It has one of the most recognizable faces at the international level in the form of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan.

It is the sheer grandeur of the historical films, which make them a hit among the audience, as the grandeur is able to hark back the audience to the memories of the past. It has been done successfully in various Hollywood films, and has rekindled the interest in history after the films were received. The most recent example is that of THE GLADIATOR. Number of Shakespearean plays could become successful and get new converts only on account of various screen adaptations from time to time. In India also the same interest in Bhagat Singh was evinced after two films in succession based on the life of Bhagat Singh were released.

Another positive feature in case of JODHAA AKBAR is about the choice of character which is one of the least controversial characters in the history and which has had fan following across all generations, caste and creed. Being a popular character, there is very miniscule chance of it being associated with any controversy.

It is owing to the way JODHAA AKBAR has shaped up that more and more filmmakers in India are turning their focus to history to pick out characters and give them a new lease of life through celluloid drama.

With 1000s of movies being produced every year, only few of them manage to truly captivate the audience be it for its sheer ingenuity or in this case reliving the history of our country.

Happy Chinese New year folks!!

This is the year of the rat...like me..so i hope its gonna be my year...God that was so lame...start over? Never mind..

Also, Google has a great new logo for the Chinese New Year ( Rat Year ). We have a logo with rats and a chinse symbol ( Wu Zi ). Yes, starting today, 7 February 2008 we are in the Rat Year, 2008. See the Google Logo below! It’s nice!!

if you wanna see it here's the URL: www.google.cn

2 New Worms 'Play Hard To Get' This Valentine's!

PandaLabs, Panda Security's laboratory for detecting and analyzing malware, has detected 2 new worms, Nuwar.OL and Valentin.E, which use the topic of St. Valentine's Day to spread.

Nuwar.OL arrives on computers by email with subjects like "I Love You Soo Much", "Inside My Heart" or "You In My Dreams". The text of the email includes a link to a website that downloads the malicious code. The page is very simple and looks like a romantic greeting card, with a large pink heart.

Once it has infected a computer, the worm sends out a large amount of emails to the infected user's contacts, in order to spread. This also creates a heavy load on networks and slows down the computer.

Valentin.E is very similar to this. Like the Nuwar worm, it spreads by email in messages with subjects like "Searching for true Love" or "True Love" and an attached file called "friends4u". If the targeted user opens the file, a copy of the worm gets downloaded on the user's computer.

The malicious code installs on the computer as a file with the .scr extension. If the user runs it, Valentin.E shows a new desktop background to trick them, while it makes several copies of itself on the computer. Then, the worm sends out emails with copies of itself from the infected computer to spread and infect more users.

Providing tips to avoid falling victim to one of these malicious codes, PandaLabs suggests users not to open any emails or run attached files that come from unknown sources. They also advise not to click any links included in email messages, even though they may come from reliable sources. Instead, they recommend type out the link in the address bar.


Well I personally recommend staying on alert for files that claim to be Valentine's greeting cards, romantic videos, etc. and also having an effective security solution installed on your computer, capable of detecting both known and new malware worms.

Arise, it's SIR SACHIN !!!

Sachin Tendulkar: India's little maestro could be in line for the ultimate gong – and just reward for one of cricket's all-time greats. 'The little maestro remains one of the best the game has seen in a nation where cricket is a passion.'

On his visit to India last week, English Prime Minister Gordon Brown said in a meeting with the Indian Premier that he would like to propose the name of Sachin Tendulkar for the top British honour, a knighthood.

If acknowledged by the awards panel, Tendulkar would be the first Indian sportsman to be knighted. It's an interesting topic of debate. There are those who say it brings humiliation to a nation once ruled by the British. At a point of time when we have celebrated 60 years of Indian independence it would be odd if we consider such a trivial issue. Indians have in the past accepted honours from Pakistan. Would such an argument hold there, too?

The honour would be a gesture of respect and admiration for Tendulkar's goodwill and contribution to cricket – the little maestro remains one of the best the game has seen in a nation where cricket is a passion. There is nothing wrong in Sachin accepting the honour. He is arguably the best batsman the world has seen. It was only a matter of time before such a reward arrived. Maybe Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar will be candidates in the future.

It's just the sport and the sportsman being honoured for his or her contribution – nothing else,. So let’s move on and let the individual in question decide upon what he feels is the right thing to do if the knighthood is offered.

Should Sachin accept a knighthood if offered?
Post a comment.

First man on Everest, Sir 'Ed', passes away

Sir Edmund Hillary, the unassuming beekeeper who conquered Mount Everest to win renown as one of the 20th century's greatest adventurers, died on Friday January 11, New Zealand's prime minister announced. He was 88.

The gangling New Zealander devoted much of his life to aiding the mountain people of Nepal and took his fame in stride, preferring to be called "Ed" and considering himself just an ordinary man.

"Sir Ed described himself as an average New Zealander with modest abilities," Prime Minister Helen Clark said in a statement. "In reality, he was a colossus. He was a heroic figure who not only 'knocked off' Everest but lived a life of determination, humility, and generosity."

"The legendary mountaineer, adventurer, and philanthropist is the best-known New Zealander ever to have lived," she said.

Hillary died at Auckland Hospital at 9 am on Friday (01:30 IST), of a heart attack, the Auckland District Health Board said in a statement. He had been ailing for several years.

Hillary's life was marked by grand achievements, high adventure, discovery, excitement -- and by his personal humility. Humble to the point that he only admitted being the first man atop Everest long after the death of Tenzing Norgay, the mountain guide with whom he stood arm in arm on the summit on May 29, 1953.

He had pride in his feats. Returning to base camp as the man who took the first step onto the top of the world's highest peak, he declared, "We knocked the bastard off."

The accomplishment as part of a British climbing expedition even added luster to the coronation of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II four days later.

She knighted the angular, self-deprecating Hillary, who was just 33, as one of her first acts.

But he was more proud of is decades-long campaign to set up schools and health clinics in Nepal, Norgay's homeland.

He wrote of the pair's final ascent to the top of the world: "Another few weary steps and there was nothing above us but the sky. There was no false cornice, no final pinnacle. We were standing together on the summit. There was enough space for about six people. We had conquered Everest.

"Awe, wonder, humility, pride, exaltation – these surely ought to be the confused emotions of the first men to stand on the highest peak on Earth, after so many others had failed," Hillary noted.

"But my dominant reactions were relief and surprise. Relief because the long grind was over and the unattainable had been attained. And surprise, because it had happened to me, old Ed Hillary, the beekeeper, once the star pupil of the Tuakau District School, but no great shakes at Auckland Grammar (high school) and a no-hoper at university, first to the top of Everest. I just didn't believe it."

The pair spent just 15 minutes on the summit, taking photographs as evidence of their achievement, before starting the arduous descent.

Hillary's philosophy of life was simple, "Adventuring can be for the ordinary person with ordinary qualities, such as I regard myself," he said in a 1975 interview.

Close friends described him as having unbounded enthusiasm for both life and adventure.

"We all have dreams -- but Ed has dreams, then he's got this incredible drive, and goes ahead and does it," long-time friend Jim Wilson said in 1993.

Australia loses, Bollywood box office wins

England fast bowling duo Sajid Mahmood and Simon Jones are among several Test cricketers set for on-screen roles in a new Bollywood movie about cricket.

'Victory' is a film which charts the story of a boy fulfiling his dream of playing for India.

Shooting will start this month in Australia, during the ongoing Australia-India series and will feature several current and retired international cricketers from around the world.

"I was quite surprised when approached to be involved, but it's a great opportunity to do something very different," said Lancashire quickee Mahmood.

Mahmood will fly to Sydney on January 9 to film his scenes before returning on January 15. He will then continue to train with Lancashire before flying to India in February to take part in a specialist bowling camp run by England fast bowling coach Kevin Shine.

"I don't have a big role in the movie: I just play myself and bowl - that can't be too difficult."

Australians Brett Lee, Allan Border, Mike Hussey and Jason Gillespie as well as New Zealanders Craig McMillan, Daryl Tuffey, Nathan Astle and Martin Crowe, plus members of the current India team are also set to feature in 'Victory'.

Several top Indian players, including Harbhajan Singh, who was suspended for three matches after allegedly calling Andrew Symonds a monkey, would be filmed, either in Australia or India.

And the controversy would do no harm to the box-office success of the movie, which will arrive in Sydney with sub-titles later this year and is expected to generate worldwide receipts many times its budget of between $7 million and $8 million.

No release date has yet been announced for 'Victory'. This will not be the first time a Bollywood film has had a cricket theme. In 2001 the climax of 'Lagaan', set in the late 19th century, featured a cricket match between Indian villagers and British Army officers. It received an Oscar nomination for best foreign language film.

Oops! now Britney's lost her car

LOS ANGELES - It was just another night on the town Monday, and then another headline in the tabloids on Tuesday, for Britney Spears after the pop star had her car towed away and her visit to a high-end hotel triggered a scuffle between a photographer and a security guard.

The scuffle resulted in police being called to the Four Seasons Hotel near Beverly Hills about 90 minutes after they had a private towing company haul Spears' car away. But Officer Karen Smith said the pop star wasn't to blame for the Four Seasons dust-up.

"She was leaving the hotel when one of the paparazzi and a security guard at the hotel had a scuffle," Smith said.

Police took a battery report but the photographer had left the hotel by the time officers arrived and no one was arrested. The hotel's head of security did not respond to a message for comment.

Police said Spears left her 2008 Mercedes-Benz on busy Sunset Boulevard, near the University of California, Los Angeles campus, about 8 p.m. Monday because of a flat tire.

"She left it unattended and it was blocking traffic, so it was towed," Smith said.

It was unlikely Spears would be ticketed because the car was disabled, but police said she would have to pay a towing and impound fee to get it back. The vehicle was taken to Quicksilver Towing, where an employee who answered the phone Tuesday said he didn't know if it was still there.

"We had several Mercedes towed last night," he said, adding storage charges are $35.20 a day.

According to the celebrity Web site TMZ.com, Spears caught a ride home from a member of the horde of paparazzi who follow her everywhere. Then it was off to the Four Seasons.

The car and hotel incidents were only minor bumps in the road for Spears, who is involved in a bitter, public custody dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline over the couple's sons, 1-year-old Jayden James and 2-year-old Sean Preston.

Spears was hospitalized last week after an hours-long standoff at her home that was triggered by the custody battle. The next day, a court commissioner gave sole physical and legal custody of the boys to Federline and suspended Spears' visitation rights.

Here's what's hot today.

1.	pearl harbor day
2.	who won the olympic ...
3.	olentangy local scho...
4.	hope solo
5.	wdtn
6.	whio
7.	december 7
8.	10 tv
9.	ford recall
10.	10tv.com
11.	cydney bernard
12.	olentangy liberty hi...
13.	wxii
14.	speed racer trailer
15.	a day that will live...
16.	ohio school closings
17.	december 7th
18.	greg schiano
19.	ashanti
20.	eva mendes peta

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Donny Most, All You Need to Know

Donny Most, Ralph Malph on Happy Days as you know died in 2006
when his experimental electric car exploded on the LA freeway. "Al's",
the car, was an experiment that included a methane-powered
zeppelin-type balloon that could travel up to 200 miles, and a
solar-powered bicycle helmet that assisted the rider in climbing hills.
Comedy
newspaper/website The Onion credited him as the U.S. Secretary of
Retro. This is a good page about Donny Most so I recommend you visit
it: Donny Most.

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YouTube: Http/1.1 Service Unavailable

Seems like YouTube is having
some problems this morning… An hour or so back I was looking at
some videos shot in Antarctica, but now all I get is an error message -
Http/1.1 Service Unavailable.

Update: It’s back!

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KisMAC dev calls it quits

Reader Andrew dropped a note that Michael Rossberg, developer of KisMAC, the wireless network sniffer based on Kismet, has declared the project discontinued. I can't get the project's website to load (most likely because it's been Slashdotted), but apparently the reason Rossberg gave was that a change in Germany's laws would make it dangerous for him to continue working on it. The law apparently makes it illegal for anyone to sniff out a password that "allows access to data", and since that's a big part of KisMAC's function, Rossberg is calling it quits.

But he is asking for interested parties to continue his work, in the EU or the US, so if the site ever returns, feel free to grab the source and check it out yourself.

Of course, from what Slashdot commenters are saying, this isn't much of a loss anyway-- the program hasn't seen any real updates in a long time, and apparently it didn't even work with the new MacBooks. In terms of network finders, there's lots more to choose from (including iStumbler, which I didn't mention in the other article), but in terms of cracking WEP and WPA keys (legally, of course), are there any other OS X specific options out there?

Update: Clarification: the program will run on MacBooks, but it doesn't do anything but find networks, which is just a fraction of the intended functionality.

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10 Cyber Monday Deals Worth Checking Out

You didn't want to stand out in the cold for your deals on electronics, risking death by trample to save a few bucks? We can't blame you. So here are ten great deals you can get from the comfort of your own home during the internet's version of Black Friday, Cyber Monday. Hit the jump for goodies like a $50 HD DVD player (UPDATE: questionable deal) and discounted iPods.


RCA HDV5000 HD DVD Player
Location: Staples.com
Price: $50
Info: It's a refurb, and it's a 1st gen HD DVD player, but it's rumored to run $50 cheaper than Staple's usual price. And it's a low commitment way to get into the HD DVD game. Note: model number is an HD DVD player, even though description looks like upconverter. Could be bogus, but more deals below!

Xbox 360 Premium Bundle
Location: Walmart.com
Price: $399
Includes: It's the Xbox 360 Premium with Forza and Marvel Ultimate Alliance, but you get an extra wireless controller and your choice of games from a pool of some decent titles, including Mass Effect, along with an Xbox 360 messenger bag.

iPods Galore
Location: Bestbuy.com
Price: 16gb touch - $379, 160gb Classic - $332, 8gb Nano - $189
Info: Starts today and goes through next Sunday. Best deal on an iPod w/o student discount or refurb.

10% Off At Circuit City
Location: CircuitCity.com, In-store pickup only
Price: Save 10% on any order of $249 or more.

20% Cash Back At Paypal Retailers
Location: 15 Retailers including Barnes & Noble, HP, eToys.com, Overstock and Sharper Image.
Info: Get 20% cash back up to $50.

1TB Western Digital myBook external HD
Location: ZipZoomFly.com
Price: $219
Info: That's a lot of porn, my friends.

Viewsonic 26" LCD HDTV
Location: Staples.com
Price: $399
Info: That's over $100 savings compared to standard online prices.

HP Photosmart C6280 All in One Printer
Location: Staples.com
Price: $100
Info: Also about $100 off standard online prices.

Plantronics 330 Bluetooth headset
Location: BestBuy.com
Price: $25
Info: Save over $25, get your Bluetooth on.

ClubIT Deals
Location: ClubIT.com
Info: We don't know what they'll have for sale yet, but deals should hit Monday morning at 12:30 AM PST.

Source : http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/cyber-monday-deals/10-cyber-monday-deals-worth-checking-out-326145.php

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'Cyber Monday' means big sale in store

Cy Monday is here.

From noon to 4 p.m. ET, everyone who goes to the MLB.com Shop can take 20 percent off the total order. It is going to be a big day for holiday shopping all over the Internet, and baseball fans tend to know what they want.

You want a good ballpark dog and a World Series championship.

You want to find incredible holiday gifts and incredible savings.

This is the day on the calendar known since 2005 as "Cyber Monday" -- a day when many people return to their office computers following a long Thanksgiving break and jump into the online holiday shopping boom. This four-hour sale is one way to celebrate that, and it also will be just the start of something unique here.

It will be like the ultimate ceremonial first pitch for baseball shoppers, followed by 16 days of sales called "Hits for the Holidays" at the MLB.com Shop. Start with this monster sale and then look on Tuesday for the gradual rollout.

Judging by the early returns, this may be an even bigger day than expected. Retail spending on the Internet during the Thanksgiving weekend was up markedly from a year ago, according to data compiled by comScore Inc. Online spending was higher over the actual holiday, up 29 percent to $272 million from last year's Thanksgiving Day. For so-called Black Friday, ecommerce sales amounted to $531 million, a 22-percent gain from 2006. ComScore expects "Cyber Monday," the first workday after the holiday weekend, to post sales exceeding $700 million.

"Consumers will continue to shift more of their holiday gift spending from stores to sites this year," Jeffrey Grau, a senior analyst for eMarketer, wrote in a recent report. He said figures show the trend toward online shopping "will insulate retail ecommerce from the economic jitters expected to dampen retail industry sales during the critical months of November and December." According to eMarketer data, online holiday sales are expected to total $31 billion compared with $26.2 billion last year.

It will seem like just about everyone is at the store on Monday at the MLB.com Shop, only you won't realize it, of course. It is the ultimate in convenience, no long lines, no square-footage restrictions for stock, no grouchy cashiers or patrons, just you trying to decide how to make the most of that 20-percent off today.

According to Wikipedia, this is the origin of "Cyber Monday:"

"The term 'Cyber Monday' is a neologism invented by Shop.org, part of the U.S. trade association National Retail Federation. It was first used within the ecommerce community during the 2005 holiday season. According to Scott Silverman, the head of Shop.org, the term was coined based on research showing that 77 percent of online retailers reported a significant increase in sales on the Monday after Thanksgiving in 2004."

As far as the name itself, we seem to be kind of stuck with that, even though it suggests days of Enron or sock puppet mascots and 56K modem connections. But as long as there's a 20 percent off sale, do you really care? Maybe we could at least agree on shortening it to "Cy Monday" going forward? After all, baseball fans -- who just shattered the overall Major League Baseball regular season attendance record with 78 million strong -- comprise a big part (maybe most?) of that consumer sector. We're into nicknames and "Cy" is universally known to all fans.

Denton True "Cy" Young. He won 511 games, and C.C. Sabathia and Jake Peavy just won the major pitching awards in his honor for their respective leagues. If you go to the MLB.com Shop between noon and 4, you will be able to find a Highland Mint Cleveland Indians Cy Young Gold Coin Photo Mint featuring two 24-karat gold coins. It sells for $89.99, so you will be able to chop 18 bucks off that price during the Cy Monday Sale.

And speaking of Highland Mint, you also can find a Gold and Color Team Commemorative Coin for every club -- for only $19.99 before knocking the 20 percent off. It is perhaps the greatest stocking stuffer ever, a must this afternoon.

There is more memorabilia galore at the MLB.com Shop, and 20 percent off is a good reason to consider now, especially considering the high value of some of those items.

You probably didn't really just drop off of the face of the Earth over the last four days. But whether you have been staying wired or whether you are just resurfacing online, the four-hour sale is not something you are going to want to miss.

Cy Monday is here, and then it is going to be one unbelievable savings promotion after another for your budget over this next month. Happy shopping.

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Backup quarterback A.J. Feeley falls short as Patriots beat Eagles 31-28

Backup A.J. Feeley nearly became the first quarterback to knock off the Patriots this season.

Like all the others New England has faced, he fell short.

But Feeley came a lot closer than the rest of them Sunday night, despite throwing interceptions on his last two passes that sealed the Patriots' 31-28 win over Philadelphia.

The Eagles apparently weren't intimidated by New England's domination of its previous 10 opponents.

"There wasn't a point out there where I felt I was confused," Feeley said. "We put ourselves in position to win and, unfortunately, I lost it for us."

He played in place of Donovan McNabb, who missed
the game due to ankle and thumb injuries but will start when he's
ready, possibly next Sunday against Seattle, coach Andy Reid said.

Making his first start since Dec. 2004 and the
14th of his career, Feeley completed 27 of 42 passes for 345 yards,
three touchdowns and three interceptions.

"He was calm and cool and slow and steady," tight end L.J. Smith said. "You've got to like his fire. We feed off that."

Feeley rebounded from his second pass, an interception that Asante Samuel returned 40 yards for the first touchdown of the game.

"It's not the way you want to start, but there's four quarters to play," Feeley said. "It wasn't on my mind after that."

He didn't turn the ball over again until his next-to-last pass.

With a second-and-4 at the Patriots 29-yard line
and the Eagles trailing 31-28, he was under pressure and lofted the
ball to the right side of the end zone toward Kevin Curtis. Samuel
intercepted.

"He tried to stick it in there and let go of it," Reid said. "It came out too soft."

The Eagles got the ball back after a punt but on
their next play with 18 seconds left, Feeley threw an interception to
James Sanders on the left sideline on a pass intended for Reggie Brown.

For much of the game, it was Philadelphia's
defense that caused problems. It put Tom Brady under some of the most
intense pressure he's felt all season. He was sacked three times,
matching his season-high.

"The only chance we had was to pressure," Eagles
defensive coordinator Jim Johnson said. "Even if we didn't get to him,
we had to throw off his timing and get him to move around in the
pocket."

Despite the loss, the Eagles (5-6) remain in the NFC playoff hunt and drew consolation from nearly beating the NFL's best team.

"If we keep playing the way we played today, we
can still win out," offensive tackle Shawn Andrews said. "We're a
physical group and we can play with anybody."

They certainly could play with the Patriots for
most of the game, after New England had beaten nine of its first 10
opponents by at least 17 points.

And Feeley played well enough to get the Eagles
within range for a field goal that would have tied the game with less
than four minutes to go. Then he got careless and threw the pass that
Samuel intercepted.

So he joined Peyton Manning, Tony Romo and eight other quarterbacks who couldn't beat the Patriots.

"A win would have been great, but we can't talk
about it," Feeley said. "It's tough. I take full responsibility for the
whole deal."

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