Google Glass, the wearable camera/display combo that has everyone excited, isn't available for sale just yet ? but that's not stopping at least one eBay user from auctioning off a device he or she can't even hand over to you.
"I've been selected as an early adapter [sic] for Google's upcoming release," an auction listing read on Wednesday, "you are buying a brand new unopened pair of Google's Project Glass glasses." The seller references Google's #ifihadglass application process, the only way for folks to enter the company's Google Glass Explorer program if they hadn't pre-ordered a device during the Google I/O 2012 conference last June, and explains that he'll be able to pick up the shiny new gadget thanks to his application being among the 8,000 chosen ones.
And that's where one of the many issues with the auction listing begin.
You see, Google won't be notifying the individuals selected as part of the #ifihadglass application process until mid- to late March, meaning that the seller couldn't possibly know that he or she will be eligible to purchase one of the very first publicly available Glass units for $1,500. Additionally, the #ifihadglass terms strictly forbid those who are invited to purchase Glass from transferring their invitations. You can bet that the terms of purchase will include similar stipulations.
"So what if it's against Google's rules? Like anyone will ever find out," you might say. But the reality is that Google Glass will, like most mobile Android devices, be associated with a Google account. Meaning that it shouldn't be difficult for the company to catch on if a member of the Glass Explorer program decides to hand his or her gadget to someone else.
As far as the auction initially mentioned goes, there are plenty of other things that make it scream "Scam!" and make me worry for the person who bid $15,900 on it. Like the fact that the seller's previous auctions include a "mason jar with trapped human soul."
Unsurprisingly, the auction disappeared from eBay before it ran its course.
Want more tech news or interesting links? You'll get plenty of both if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on Twitter, subscribing to her Facebook posts, or circling her on Google+.
If you are asking yourself, ?Is he cheating?? you probably sense something is off in your relationship. Too often women doubt themselves in favor of accepting a cheater's lies. But "Is he cheating?" is a brave question to ask. It means you trust your own instincts instead of the lies he's offering.
Facing the reality of your relationship can be difficult. However, it also can help you see your relationship more clearly. The following six steps can help you grow emotionally, whether or not he is actually cheating on you:
1. Identify your feelings. You are the expert on yourself. If you're so busy that you are unaware of your feelings, you are missing out on a precious gift. You are unique and have inherent worth just for being you. You deserve to be cherished and treated respectfully -- physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Start by identifying what you are feeling. Usually, anger is the tip of the iceberg. There are deeper feelings which fuel it. Try to identify those feelings. Journaling is a great tool to help you vent and identify those deeper feelings. Sometimes drawing a picture of the feeling can help you to express the feeling in a way words cannot capture.
2. Talk to your partner about your concerns and feelings. Once you have identified the deeper feelings, talk to your partner about how his behavior affects you. Your anger is justified but your man will not hear anything you say in an angry tone of voice. Speak about your deeper feelings in a tone that he can hear. You will feel better about yourself if you communicate in a respectful way. Do this for yourself, not for him. Think about how you can stand up for yourself, address his behavior and maintain your self-esteem in the process.
3. Watch his reaction and body language. If your man is cheating, he may respond by denying it, blaming you or he may respond angrily. Look for the following behaviors: Is he posturing over you (for power and control) or looking at the floor (out of shame and deceit) or is he humble and sorry for his behavior?
4. Provide physical evidence of the cheating. You may have credit card statements with mysterious charges, photos, sexting dialogue on his phone, hidden email accounts, or apps on his phone to hook up with others for affairs. Show him the evidence. He may deny it until the evidence is actually shown to him.
5. Ask for honesty. After you have confronted him with the evidence of his cheating, ask him to be honest with you. You may want to employ a sex addiction therapist if there is a lot of acting out on his part or a family therapist if is a one-time affair. He may or may not want help with his behavior.
6. Set appropriate physical and emotional boundaries for your personal self-care. Be prepared to set physical and emotional boundaries to keep yourself safe. If he has visited strip clubs or had any sexual interaction with another person, you need to get STD testing for your own knowledge.
Ask him to sleep in a different room or leave your residence. Tell him you need time to think and process the knowledge of his cheating. Most people choose to wait six months to a year before making a big life decision like breaking up. The time will give you a chance to process your feelings and give him time to prove to you he wants to stop the behavior and continue a relationship with you.
There is hope for couples to work things out after being cheated on. It does require excruciating work for both people in therapy. You both chose each other for a reason and that reason is still there. Do you remember what brought you both together? Ask yourself if it is worth the risk, vulnerability and pain to work it out. The worst end result is breaking up but the rewards of trying to work on the relationship can be deeply rewarding and deepen the emotional and sexual intimacy between the two of you.
If you would like more information to make your Couple-ship Thrive please sign up for my newsletter. You may also connect with me on my website Teresa Maples LMHC, CSAT and on Twitter.
More Stories On YourTango: 10 Couples That Stayed Together Despite Cheating Scandals
Apple (AAPL) shares got a boost Tuesday afternoon on rumors that the company may announce a split on Wednesday during its annual shareholder meeting. The rumor comes from former money manager and current TheStreet.com contributor?Douglas Kass, who did not disclose his source. ?High above the Alps my Gnome is hearing a rumor that Apple will announce a stock split at tomorrow?s shareholder meeting,? Kass wrote in a post on Twitter, providing no further details. Apple shares rose more than 1.4% on the rumor after nearing a new closing low.
Hey there :) I'm still catching up on my reviews for 2012. I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever get to the 2013 books ^_^; However, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, so hopefully, very soon :)
Enjoy!
Lord Stillwell's Excellent Engagements by Victoria Alexander published by Kensington in November 2012
Allow me to explain...
Some say I do not take my engagements seriously. Nonsense. What man with no interest in marriage would find himself proposing not once, but three times? And each time, I?ve felt certain that this, at last, is the absolutely, positively, perfect woman.
Miss Felicia Whitingdon, for instance, has youth, beauty, style, grace?and a handsome fortune. Lady Lucille Eustice is a widow of impeccable social standing, and a balm to my soul. Then there is Miss Caroline Hibbit, sweet and charming in every way. Any one of these intoxicating treasures could make a man happy. Any one of them could be an ideal wife. But which?if any of them?will it be?
Genre: Historical romance Series: Prequel to The Importance of Being Wicked
The Story: In What Happens at Christmas, we were introduced to Winfield Elliott, Viscount Stillwell, and learned that he had three failed engagements under his belt. As you can guess from the title of this short novella, well in Lord Stillwell's Excellent Engagements, we find out why these three engagements never resulted in weddings.
My Opinion: Oh my, did I enjoy this novella!! I thought that Winfield was one of the highlights of What Happens at Christmas, just such a fun character, and I was thrilled to find out he was getting his own book. And then, I found out about this novella and I just couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I thought this would give us a good glimpse of his personality... and guess what? I was right :)
All in all, I thought Lord Stillwell's Excellent Engagements was a charming novella. I enjoyed getting to know Winfield, what kind of man he was. I liked that he was your typical historical hero: handsome, wealthy, a bit of a wicked reputation, witty and charming. So why three failed engagements?! What happened? It was also interesting to see the growth and the maturity Winfield gained after each failed engagement. It wasn't as if he was repeating the same mistake. Not at all. Each time, he took into account why it failed and tried to find a bride that suit him better... and still no wedding. Best of all is Winfield's behavior afterwards, each time, he was the perfect gentleman.
I also enjoyed the insights we got on the dynamics of the Elliotts: Winfield's relationships with his father, mother and cousin. His family was very tight and they supported him, his parents tried to steer him at times, but ultimately, it was always Winfield's decisions and choices. It's nice to see a non-dysfunctional family from time to time :)
Finally, I thought it was a very good idea on Ms Alexander's part to write this novella. I think it was clever of her, because readers got to know Winfield better, but also learned the details of each engagement. I'm not sure it would have been possible for Ms Alexander to include all these details in The Importance of Being Wicked without cluttering the storyline, making it too much.
My Grade: A. I simply really enjoyed Lord Stillwell's Excellent Engagements - the writing, the characters and the story being told :) After reading this, all I could think was how lovely it would be to see Winfield finally fall in love and I just couldn't wait to get my hands on The Importance of Being Wicked. So mission accomplished for Ms Alexander with this novella :)
The Importance of Being Wicked by Victoria Alexander
published by Kensington in January 2013
For Winfield Elliott, Viscount Stillwell, finding a prospective bride always seemed easy. Perhaps too easy. With three broken engagements to his name, Win is the subject of endless gossip. Yet his current mission is quite noble: to hire a company to repair his family?s fire-damaged country house. Nothing disreputable in that?until the firm?s representative turns out to be a very desirable widow.
Lady Miranda Garrett expected a man of Win?s reputation to be flirtatious, even charming. But the awkward truth is that she finds him thoroughly irresistible. While Miranda resides at Millworth to oversee the work, Win occupies her days, her dreams?and soon, her bed. For the first time, the wicked Win has fallen in love. And what began as a scandalous proposition may yet become a very different proposal...
Genre: Historical romance Series: Millworth Manor, Book #1/Sinful Family Secrets, Book #3/connected to What Happens at Christmas The Story: The blurb is fairly accurate. Winfield Elliott's country home estate, Fairborough Hall, was badly damaged during a fire and he wants to restore it to its glory. For such an important task, it is primordial for Winfield to select the best architectural firm. However, among his options, only Garret and Tempest would give him a guarantee that the ballroom would be ready by late June which would allow Winfield's family to host their annual ball made even more important by the Queen's presence.
Miranda, Lady Garret, is a widow and has been in charge of her late husband's architectural firm ever since his death. The truth though is that Miranda was involved with the firm even before her husband's death as she was responsible for the designs of the majority of the plans. However, this is a secret she intends to keep as she doesn't know how her proper aristocratic family, the Hadley-Attwaters, would react if they knew she was a business woman. Usually, she has an employee who would make the liaison between the client and herself; however, due to some circumstance, he wouldn't be available and Miranda would had to be the one overseeing the work at Fairborough Hall. Miranda is quite apprehensive at the idea of working with Winfield, after all, the disreputable lord has three broken engagements to his name, but the Fairborough Hall is an important project which could open many doors for her firm...
At first, Miranda and Winfield don't really hit it off, but as time goes, attraction grows... Will this woman be the right one for Winfield?
My Opinion: After reading Lord Stillwell's Excellent Engagements, I just couldn't wait to get my hands on The Importance of Being Wicked and as such, the expectations were very high. So let see how the book worked out for me :)
As it turns out, there was a lot of elements in The Importance of Being Wicked that I enjoyed :) ?Obviously, there was the main characters, Miranda and Winfield. It's interesting because in The Importance of Being Wicked, we were shown a different side of Winfield, one that I didn't really expect. Oh, he was still quite charming - but the thing is Miranda saw right through him LOL - and he was also conservative and a bit stodgy. That really surprised me because we hadn't seen that in What Happens at Christmas and Lord Stillwell's Excellent Engagements. Still, it made sense since he took his responsibilities quite seriously... and that's something I liked about Winfield. He embraced his responsibilities, it's where he took refuge after his first broken engagements. It never felt like he was forced into it because he was the heir or because it was expected of him... There was also quite some pride in his accomplishments and therefore, while this new side of him was unexpected, it fit. As for Miranda, I quite liked her... but her personality was a bit mute in comparison to Winfield. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that Miranda was finally finding herself. For years, she's lived a double life: the proper lady with her family and the savvy businesswoman, and she's kept those two lives very separate... but with Winfield, she finally could be the woman she's become. I also liked the fact that she acknowledged she's changed from whom she was when she first married. Anyway, all to say that I think Ms Alexander came up with good characters :)
I also quite enjoyed the romance. I liked it because Miranda and Winfield really took their time, got to know each other. This was very important given that Miranda and Winfield didn't hit it off immediately and it made the romance more believable. I also very much enjoyed Miranda and Winfield's interactions because it was interesting and witty. LOL, I gotta say, I loved how Miranda and Winfield each tried to get the upper hand and it was fun to see Miranda succeeds :) It was also a joy to see Winfield fall in love, just as I predicted it was going to be. Just because he didn't expect it to happen with Miranda and had to work hard at it LOL. I think ?better in her review
Finally, what worked the best for me in The Importance of Being Wicked was the dynamics between all the characters and their relationships. I'm not just talking about the H/H, but everyone: Winfield with his cousin, with his parents, Miranda with her sister, with Winfield's mother, etc. The interactions were just fun and really set the tone of the book. They made the story more entertaining with all the LOL moments they provided :) Also, it's nice to have two normal families. Okay, not totally normal as I think some members were a bit quirky, but at least, functional families whose members all got along well and with no dark secrets. It was a very nice backdrop for Miranda and Winfield and allowed them to shine :)
However, as much as I enjoyed The Importance of Being Wicked, I can't help but feel something was missing. Perhaps it's because expectations were very high and I was sooo excited to read this book - anticipation can really kill a book ^_^; At this point though, it's still hard for me to pinpoint exactly what was missing. Maybe more scenes between Miranda and Winfield at the beginning of their relationship to show us how they overcame their first impressions... Maybe recognition from Miranda's part that Winfield wasn't such a scoundrel and was the wronged party in all three broken engagements. Even now, I still can't pinpoint what was missing, but I know it kept The Importance of Being Wicked from being a true wowzer.
My Grade: B. This grade is how I felt after reading The Importance of Being Wicked; however, as I mentioned above, anticipation can kill a book and that's what happened a little for me. It didn't ruin the book, but it took something away :( I suspect was I to re-read the book, I'd enjoy it a lot more, because all in all, The Importance of Being Wicked was a very good book :) It had good characters, a satisfying, slow-building romance and witty dialogues :) I'm definitively looking forward to the next book in the series!!
NEW YORK (AP) ? Americans seem to be more confident in the economy than they have been in the past few months. But that doesn't mean they're willing to spend more money.
Consumer confidence rebounded in February, reversing three straight months of declines, according to The Conference Board, a private research group. But analysts and economists say that doesn't necessarily mean that they're going to be more likely to open up their pocketbooks and wallets.
"Consumers are feeling better, but they don't feel a whole lot better," says Mark Vitner, an economist at Wells Fargo.
The way Americans feel about the economy has gone through peaks and valleys as they've tried to reconcile improving stock and housing markets with new financial challenges. They've had to deal with a 2 percentage point increase in Social security taxes that started last month, rising gas price and worries that lawmakers won't resolve a budget impasse in Washington that threatens to trigger automatic $85 billion in spending cuts.
The Conference Board's consumer confidence indicator shows that Americans are feeling a little better about the economy, but they're still skittish. The index is closely watched by economists because consumer spending accounts for 70 percent of U.S. economic activity
The figure is well below the 90 reading that indicates a healthy economy, but at 69.6 is up from the revised 58.4 in January and the 60.5 analysts polled by research firm FactSet expected. It was the highest reading since November 2012 when the index was at 71.5.
The Conference Board's survey, which was conducted from Feb. 1 through Feb. 14 on a preliminary sample of 2,300 shoppers, shows that Americans are feeling better about the job and income prospects.
The number of people anticipating more jobs rose to 16.7 percent from 14.4 percent, while those expecting fewer jobs declined to 21.5 percent from 26.7 percent. The proportion of consumers expecting their incomes to increase rose to 15.7 percent from 13.5 percent, while those anticipating a decrease fell to 19.6 percent from 23.3 percent.
The more positive outlook comes amid a mix of good and bad economic news.
Some major retailers reported that sales last month rose higher-than-expected. But a string of big stores, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to Zales Corp. have signaled that shoppers already have been pulling back in recent weeks because of payroll tax increase.
At the same time, the stock market is still rallying. And the job market, while still tough, is rebounding. In January, employers added 157,000 jobs. And annual revisions included in the Labor Department's January employment report showed the economy added 600,000 more jobs in 2011 and 2012 than previously thought. But the unemployment rate rose to 7.9 percent in January from 7.8 percent in December.
Whether or not Americans will spend remains to be seen. Many economists think consumer spending has slowed in response to higher tax burdens but will rebound later in the year. But they also worry that the budget fights in Washington will persist for much of 2013 and drag on economic growth.
----
AP Economics writer Chris Rugaber contributed to this report.
The soldier as sexual aggressorPublic release date: 26-Feb-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Thomas Keilman thke@rcn.no The Research Council of Norway
"Sexual violence in war-time is criminal behaviour, but can nonetheless come to be seen by soldiers as something acceptable," states Inger Skjelsbk, who authored the study.
"Political psychology differs from clinical psychology in that it does not examine the deviant behaviour of the individual, but rather the context of the deviant situation in which the individual is acting. I have focused on individuals in extreme situations, which obviously applies to war."
Inger Skjelsbk is Deputy Director at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). The study of sexual violence committed by military personnel during the Bosnian War was funded under the Programme for Gender Research (KJONNSFORSKNING) at the Research Council of Norway and was published in book form under the title The Political Psychology of War Rape by Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Barbarians not honourable defenders
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia is the first court to systematically prosecute perpetrators of war rape. Dr Skjelbk's is the first study of convictions for sexual violence during war, which makes it a pioneering effort in more ways than one.
"I have studied the victims of rape before, but in order to gain more insight into why sexual violence takes place and what should be done to prevent it we need to know more about the perpetrators as well," Dr Skjelsbk explains.
Although she was not able to interview the convicted criminals directly, she has studied the judgments handed down closely in order to understand the actions of soldiers when they are behaving in the guise of being a soldier.
"The judgments provide a rich source of new and striking profiles of soldiers. The honourable defender of both country and countryman is seldom present. The picture of the soldiers that emerges is one of barbarians who have lost all sense of what is civilised behaviour in an atmosphere of absolute moral decline. The judgments from the war in Bosnia illustrate the intense indignation of the international community regarding these soldiers' actions," says Dr Skjelsbk.
Many show no remorse
Based on the judgments, she has distinguished between three categories of war-time aggressors: the romantic hero, the opportunist and the repentant sinner. The first does not even consider his actions to be wrong. He holds his victims captive and often enters into what he refers to as a "love relationship".
"The second category, the opportunist, takes advantage of the situation and often will admit to no wrongdoing afterwards. These are typically soldiers who served as guards in concentration camps and who abuse many individuals in a variety of contexts."
The last type of aggressor feels deep remorse for what he has done and, afterwards, is unable to come to terms with the misdeeds he has committed and been convicted for, explains Dr Skjelsbk.
Nearly half of the 161 cases tried in the court involved sexual violence. Twenty-eight persons received convictions with nine convicted for having committed rape themselves. The number of sentences is not high given that official statistics show that at least 11 000 people were subjected to sexual violence in Bosnia. The victims were not limited to women; men comprise a large proportion of those assaulted as well.
Possible to learn more from Bosnia
"The majority of those found guilty were not convicted for having committed the assault themselves, but for complicity because as superiors they should have been aware of what was happening and intervened. I think it is encouraging that military leaders are held responsible in this way for crimes committed by men under their charge," Inger Skjelsbk says.
"One lesson we can take with us from the war in Bosnia is that more stringent requirements must be imposed to ensure good military leadership. War is a chaotic situation. This makes it especially important to make clear what is acceptable behaviour and what is not when training soldiers. Sexual violence is always an unacceptable, criminal act. In Bosnia, soldiers became aggressors by virtue of their being a soldier. They were never taught otherwise," Dr Skjelsbk points out.
Much can still be learned by studying the aftermath of the war in Bosnia. Many of the convicted soldiers were given a hero's welcome upon their return home. Many of the victims have not received the war pensions they are entitled to. Why is this?
Inger Skjelsbk will continue her efforts on these topics in a new project she will be heading. The project has been granted support under the FRIPRO funding scheme for independent projects at the Research Council.
###
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?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
The soldier as sexual aggressorPublic release date: 26-Feb-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Thomas Keilman thke@rcn.no The Research Council of Norway
"Sexual violence in war-time is criminal behaviour, but can nonetheless come to be seen by soldiers as something acceptable," states Inger Skjelsbk, who authored the study.
"Political psychology differs from clinical psychology in that it does not examine the deviant behaviour of the individual, but rather the context of the deviant situation in which the individual is acting. I have focused on individuals in extreme situations, which obviously applies to war."
Inger Skjelsbk is Deputy Director at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). The study of sexual violence committed by military personnel during the Bosnian War was funded under the Programme for Gender Research (KJONNSFORSKNING) at the Research Council of Norway and was published in book form under the title The Political Psychology of War Rape by Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Barbarians not honourable defenders
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia is the first court to systematically prosecute perpetrators of war rape. Dr Skjelbk's is the first study of convictions for sexual violence during war, which makes it a pioneering effort in more ways than one.
"I have studied the victims of rape before, but in order to gain more insight into why sexual violence takes place and what should be done to prevent it we need to know more about the perpetrators as well," Dr Skjelsbk explains.
Although she was not able to interview the convicted criminals directly, she has studied the judgments handed down closely in order to understand the actions of soldiers when they are behaving in the guise of being a soldier.
"The judgments provide a rich source of new and striking profiles of soldiers. The honourable defender of both country and countryman is seldom present. The picture of the soldiers that emerges is one of barbarians who have lost all sense of what is civilised behaviour in an atmosphere of absolute moral decline. The judgments from the war in Bosnia illustrate the intense indignation of the international community regarding these soldiers' actions," says Dr Skjelsbk.
Many show no remorse
Based on the judgments, she has distinguished between three categories of war-time aggressors: the romantic hero, the opportunist and the repentant sinner. The first does not even consider his actions to be wrong. He holds his victims captive and often enters into what he refers to as a "love relationship".
"The second category, the opportunist, takes advantage of the situation and often will admit to no wrongdoing afterwards. These are typically soldiers who served as guards in concentration camps and who abuse many individuals in a variety of contexts."
The last type of aggressor feels deep remorse for what he has done and, afterwards, is unable to come to terms with the misdeeds he has committed and been convicted for, explains Dr Skjelsbk.
Nearly half of the 161 cases tried in the court involved sexual violence. Twenty-eight persons received convictions with nine convicted for having committed rape themselves. The number of sentences is not high given that official statistics show that at least 11 000 people were subjected to sexual violence in Bosnia. The victims were not limited to women; men comprise a large proportion of those assaulted as well.
Possible to learn more from Bosnia
"The majority of those found guilty were not convicted for having committed the assault themselves, but for complicity because as superiors they should have been aware of what was happening and intervened. I think it is encouraging that military leaders are held responsible in this way for crimes committed by men under their charge," Inger Skjelsbk says.
"One lesson we can take with us from the war in Bosnia is that more stringent requirements must be imposed to ensure good military leadership. War is a chaotic situation. This makes it especially important to make clear what is acceptable behaviour and what is not when training soldiers. Sexual violence is always an unacceptable, criminal act. In Bosnia, soldiers became aggressors by virtue of their being a soldier. They were never taught otherwise," Dr Skjelsbk points out.
Much can still be learned by studying the aftermath of the war in Bosnia. Many of the convicted soldiers were given a hero's welcome upon their return home. Many of the victims have not received the war pensions they are entitled to. Why is this?
Inger Skjelsbk will continue her efforts on these topics in a new project she will be heading. The project has been granted support under the FRIPRO funding scheme for independent projects at the Research Council.
###
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
We happened to have a PadFone 2 with us at ASUS' MWC event, so it was only natural for us to put it next to the brand-spanking-new PadFone Infinity for a few photos. Unlike the jump from the original PadFone to the PadFone 2, the latest generation ditches the polycarbonate body with the iconic zen pattern in favor of an aerospace-grade aluminum unibody. Placing the PadFone Infinity and its shorter predecessor side by side you can see that the former is actually slimmer over all, and we dig the premium feel as well. Other notable differences include a new position for the loudspeaker, which is now on the top right side of the bezel instead of the back; and the 13-megapixel camera is now off-center.
You'd think the smaller PadFone 2 would easily fit into the bigger bay in the new PadFone Station (using the same special micro-USB socket), but interestingly, it didn't work for us. We might give it another go when we eventually get hold of a review unit, of course (it's OK, Jonney, we'll be gentle).
Kim Jong Un's hip, young reign over North Korea continues today as the mobile operator Koryolink officially turns on its data services, opening the gate to Instagram, Foursquare, and Twitter, among other social apps. More »
Kanye West has never been one to bite his tongue, but diss Jay-Z ... that's a different story.?Putting the duo's 2011-2012 "Watch the Throne" tour to the side, the loquacious rapper hit the stage during his show in London Saturday and sounded off about Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake's "Suit & Tie."
Pregnant Kim Kardashian says Kanye West has taught me the value of privacy
"I got love for Hov, but I ain't f------- with that 'Suit &Tie,'" Kim Kardashian's baby daddy told the crowd as an instrumental "Clique" played in the background, which features him and Jay-Z.
And that was just the beginning of Kanye's rant about the music industry.
(Note: Video contains swearing.)
"I hate business people," West rapped, according to Billboard. "People get on the phone with me and tell me, 'What kind of business can you do, though? What type of business are you doing? What's the numbers? How much did you sell? What's the radio spins? How much shampoo can you sell with your face on it and sh--. Remind me again why we in this sh---. Can you remind me again why we in this sh--? Since when (is) making music about getting rich? Since when was making art about getting rich? ... Remind me again why we in this sh--."
Oh, yes, there was even more during the 10-minute rapped speech.
Pregnant Kim Kardashian and Kanye West celebrate Valentine's Day with romantic dinner
"Can I sell a drink for you, please?" West continued. "So you can help me put on a better show. Please corporations. Can you please support me? I swear I'm a nice n---- now. I swear I'll put the pink polo back on. I swear to you. Please. Just for three million dollars. I need it so bad. I need a new pool in my backyard. I tell my fans your sh-- is cool. And if they believe in me they should also believe in you. What's my public rating now? Are they liking me again? They forgot about the whole Beyonce thing right? Okay, cool."
Last week, Jay-Z and Timberlake officially announced that they will embark on a tour together, performing in 12 cities this summer.
Something tells us West won't be making an appearance.
It's tough keeping up with Kimye. Check out the couple's best pics!
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks on Monday suffered their biggest drop since November after a strong showing in Italian elections by groups opposed to the country's economic reforms triggered worry that Europe's debt problems could once again destabilize the global economy.
The decline marks the biggest percentage drop for the benchmark Standard & Poor's 500 Index since November7, and drove the S&P down to its lowest close since January 18. The CBOE Volatility Index <.vix> or VIX, Wall Street's favorite barometer of fear, surged 34 percent, its biggest jump since August 18, 2011.
Selling accelerated late in the trading session after the S&P 500 fell below the 1,500 level, which has acted as a significant support point. Monday marked the S&P's first close under 1,500 since February 4.
Italy's center-left coalition holds a slim lead over former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's center-right bloc in the election for the lower house of parliament, three TV projections indicated. But any government must also command a majority in the Senate, a race that is decided by region.
The resulting gridlock in parliament could lead to new elections and cast into doubt Italy's ability to pay down its debt.
"Europe hasn't gone away as an issue, it is going to hang around, and it is rearing its ugly head today," said Stephen Massocca, managing director of Wedbush Morgan in San Francisco.
"If someone gets elected who is simply not going to play by the rules, what are they going to do? It puts them in a real quandary here because their financial support, their monetary support is all stipulated by the fact that these austerity programs are going to be in place."
Earlier polls pointing to a center-left victory boosted stocks in Milan and other European markets, and also helped lift the S&P 500 to a session high of 1,525.84 on optimism that Italy would continue down its austerity path.
After a strong start to the year, equities have retreated more recently. The S&P 500's slight fall last week was its first weekly drop after a seven-week string of gains.
In Monday's volatile session, banks and other financial stocks were among the worst performers on worries about the sector's exposure to Italy's massive debt. The KBW Bank Index <.bkx> fell 2.7 percent.
The CBOE Volatility Index <.vix> ended at 18.99, up 34.02 percent.
The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> dropped 216.40 points, or 1.55 percent, to 13,784.17 at the close. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> lost 27.75 points, or 1.83 percent, to 1,487.85. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> fell 45.57 points, or 1.44 percent, to 3,116.25.
Although the overall market lost ground on Monday, there were a few bright spots.
Barnes & Noble Inc shares shot up 11.5 percent to $15.06 after the bookseller's chairman offered to buy its declining retail business.
Amgen Inc shares climbed 3.1 percent to $89.55, after rival Affymax issued a voluntary recall of its only drug, an anemia treatment that competes with Amgen's top-selling red blood cell booster, Epogen. Affymax shares lost 85.4 percent to $2.42.
The FTSEurofirst-300 index of top European shares <.fteu3> edged up 0.04 percent and Italy's main FTSE MIB <.ftmib> ended up 0.7 percent after earlier gaining nearly 4 percent.
Political uncertainty on the home front, though, is also on Wall Street's mind.
U.S. equities will face a test with the looming debate over so-called sequestration - U.S. government budget cuts that will take effect starting on Friday if lawmakers fail to reach an agreement over spending and taxes. The White House issued warnings about the harm the cuts are likely to inflict on the economy if enacted.
"Sitting out there is the one-thousand-pound gorilla - the sequester issue - and certainly nothing is happening there," said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer of Solaris Group in Bedford Hills, New York.
Lowe's Companies Inc lost 4.8 percent to $35.86 after the home improvement retailer posted fourth-quarter earnings.
With 83 percent of the S&P 500 companies having reported results so far, 69 percent beat profit expectations, compared with a 62 percent average since 1994 and 65 percent over the past four quarters, according to Thomson Reuters data.
Fourth-quarter earnings for S&P 500 companies are estimated to have risen 6 percent, according to the data, above a 1.9 percent forecast at the start of the earnings season.
Volume was active with about 7.27 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE MKT and Nasdaq, above the daily average of 6.46 billion.
Declining stocks outnumbered advancing ones on both the NYSE and the Nasdaq by a ratio of about 4 to 1.
(Editing by Kenneth Barry, Nick Zieminski and Jan Paschal)
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? LG Electronics Inc. is aiming to raise its smartphone sales by more than half this year as it makes a shift from basic phones to high-end devices after lagging competitors for several years.
The South Korean company aims to sell more than 40 million smartphones in 2013, it said in a statement on Monday. LG shipped 26.3 million smartphones in 2012, fewer than HTC Corp. and Research In Motion Ltd. which each shipped more than 32 million smartphones.
To meet the sales goal, LG will release handsets in all price ranges from high-tier to affordable models and go all out in both developed and emerging markets.
"We aim to improve profitability and also to become a top-tier smartphone brand," Park Jong-seok, head of LG's mobile phone business, told reporters at a mobile industry fair in Barcelona, according to the statement.
LG faces similar challenges to other second-tier smartphone vendors. They are squeezed by the two smartphone giants ? Samsung Electronics Co. and Apple Inc. ? that are dominating most of the profit in the smartphone industry and also by Chinese makers that are expanding in the smartphone markets of fast-growing emerging countries.
But LG hopes to make its Optimus brand stand out by drawing on technologies from other parts of the LG empire. The company is the largest shareholder in LG Display Co. and has collaborated with other LG affiliates on batteries and cameras.
LG was the world's third-largest maker of cellphones in 2009 but was caught off guard by the popularity of smartphones. In the fourth quarter of 2012, LG sold fewer phones than Chinese rivals Huawei Technologies Ltd. and ZTE Corp., which are expanding shipments of their cheaper smartphones.
Its mobile communications division was profitable for the first time in three years last year as it moved its focus from basic phones to lucrative smartphones.
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Public release date: 26-Feb-2013
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