Hobbies: Handmade lotion bars make great gifts

BY CATHIE FILIAN / Scripps Howard News Service

Handmade lotion bars feel amazing on chapped hands and help heal those little cracks, dry spots and rough edges. Handmade lotion bars are a perfect gift for a crafter, gardener or anyone with dry hands. They feel amazing on chapped hands and help heal those little cracks, dry spots and rough edges.

Lotion bars look similar to a bar of soap but are made of solidified lotion. To use the bar, you just rub the bar into your hands (without water). Next, rub your hands together to smooth the lotion into the dry skin. Within minutes your hands will begin to feel softer.

This recipe is boutique quality without the price tag. Once you have gathered your supplies and dive into the making, you will be surprised at how many bars you can make.

Similar types of bars sell for as much as $20 at bath-and-body shops. Most of the supplies can be picked up at craft and hobby shops. Online retailers can be a huge source for supplies and essential oils. I personally like thesage.com for bases and scents.

For this design I used a rectangular soap mold, but you can use any shape you desire. You can even make this recipe and pour it into a small jar or pot.

Jazz up homemade lotion bars with personalized packaging. Zip-type baggies adorned with custom stickers is a quick way to package them. Adorned travel soapboxes are good containers for people who are on the go. Lotion bars can be wrapped with kraft paper and twine for a natural look. Cello bags lined with parchment paper and tied with a bow is another quick and easy gift-wrap idea.

Supplies: Glass measuring cup

Small saucepan

Popsicle stick for stirring

3 tablespoons beeswax pellets

2 tablespoons regular cocoa butter

3 tablespoons shea butter

2 tablespoons sweet almond oil

2 tablespoons calendula oil

1/4 teaspoon vitamin E acetate

Essential oil -- optional

Soap bar mold

Steps:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a very clean glass measuring cup. Place inside a large pot. Fill the sides of the pot halfway up with water to create a double boiler.

2. Heat on medium and stir until all the ingredients (except the essential oil) are blended. This should take a minute or two.

3. Remove from heat and add a few drops of essential oil for scent if desired. Only add a few drops at a time until your desired scent is reached.

4. Pour into a mold and allow to cool on a cookie rack for about 30 minutes. Pop the bar out of the mold. The bar should feel firm when properly cooled.

5. To package as a gift, wrap in a cello bag and tie or staple on a handmade gift tag, silk flower and a decorative ribbon.

When Your Hobby Becomes a Business

Written By Susan Schreter,FOXBusiness

Q: I am planning to retire next year and want to pursue my canoe-making hobby as a business. My wife is against it thinks I don’t know enough about what can go wrong. What should I know before I startup?

A: There is a media image of entrepreneurship that seems to favor the work of eager, 20-something innovators. Overlooked in the story are semi-retired, second-career entrepreneurs who have finally earned the opportunity to work on projects that carry greater creative satisfaction than their former salaried jobs.

The reason I used the phrase “earned the right” is because their 30 or 40 years of salaried service have bought them some savings and other forms of retirement income to help pay the bills while they pursue new entrepreneurial endeavors.

I know a lot of younger people who can’t start new businesses because they don’t have any other source of living while the business works toward a profit. You and your wife do which reduces some of the more stressful aspects of startup entrepreneurship. Your use of the word "hobby" caught my eye. There are a few words and types of business operations that tend to attract the attention of IRS agents. A hobby-oriented business is one of them.

If the IRS rules your sideline business is more of a hobby than a legitimate business, then it will take away certain business deductions and offsets to other income. IRS targets tend to include home-based animal breeders, collectible traders, and artists.

The best way to avoid IRS attention is to report a profit – preferably in any three of five consecutive years, plus: -If you ever speak with an IRS agent, avoid the word "hobby" in your discussions. Keep the word off of Web sites as well. -Prepare a business plan that clearly demonstrates the objective of making a profit. All new businesses should have a business plan. -Open a business checking account to process income and expenses. -Prepare financial statements throughout the year to demonstrate ongoing attention to business results. Your business should be more than a spring-time tally of tax deductions.

Just because the IRS may look at the viability of business deductions doesn’t mean that you should not take every legitimate tax deduction you can. According to the IRS’ most recent Statistical Oversight Institute data for 2009, the audit rate for all personal tax returns is 2%. If you can legitimately save $500, $1,000 or $5,000 in annual tax obligations by keeping good records and maybe even taking a home-office deduction, then do it. At 2% of all personal tax returns filed in the U.S., the odds are overwhelmingly on your side that you won’t be audited. However, the chances of an audit increase further if the tax return (single or joint filing) reports gross income over $100,000.

At last you are in an enviable position to channel all your mature wisdom, management skills and observations about customer needs into a lucrative business. Best of all, you and your wife will own all the financial benefits of your hard work. Challenge yourself to put as little hard cash into your startup as possible to maximize your potential equity reward.

Susan Schreter is a 20-year veteran of the venture finance community and small business policy advocate. Her educational work is dedicated to improving startup longevity and operating performance in rural, urban and suburban America. She is the founder of www.takecommand.org, a community service organization that offers the largest centralized database of startup and small business funding sources in the U.S.

Honda Announces Overview of Display for the 42nd Tokyo Motor Show 2011

Tokyo, Nov 10, 2011 (JCN Newswire via COMTEX) -- Seven Next-Generation Electromotive Honda Motor Co. Ltd announced its lineup of production and concept-model automobiles, motorcycles, power products, and other highlights for its display at the 42nd Tokyo Motor Show 2011, which will take place at Tokyo Big Sight from Saturday, December 3 through Sunday, December 11, 2011.

At this motor show, with the booth concept of "What makes people feel good?" Honda will propose an exciting and thrilling mobility life of the future that it envisions as a company providing personal mobility to people all around the world. The display will include a lineup of the next-generation electromotive concept models including two-, three- and four-wheeled commuter vehicles designed for easy and fun mobility in future cities, mid-to-long distance commuters designed to enrich life and enhance the freedom and fun of mobility, and sporty models that pursue the joy of driving/riding.

Furthermore, at the automobile section, N Concept, a new mini-vehicle series that emphasizes the creation of ample space, will be showcased, including introduction of the first production model in the series, N BOX. At the motorcycle section, a variety of models will be on display, including planned production models such as NC700S, INTEGRA and NC700X, which will be equipped with Honda's newly-developed global 700cc motorcycle engine. Also on display will be the planned production model of the CRF250L which offers both an ease of use in everyday life and the fun of off-road riding. Covering the largest floor area of any single brand at the show, the Honda booth will showcase a diverse lineup of products unique to Honda.

As a part of "SMART MOBILITY CITY 2011", a themed project the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc. (JAMA) will hold at the motor show venue, Honda will showcase the FCX Clarity advanced fuel cell electric vehicle, EV-neo electric scooter, EV-MONPAL electric cart, as well as the Honda Smart Home System which features several Honda-developed energy production technologies, including a gas engine cogeneration unit and a solar powered system to reduce household and mobility CO2 emissions. The progress Honda has been making in testing program of these technologies also will be showcased.

Since the establishment of the company, Honda's goal has been to make people happy through its technologies and through the creation of products that are useful in people's daily lives. Driven by these dreams and passion, Honda has been committed to the research and development of mobility which focuses on people. With a passion to create and deliver mobility filled with fun and good feelings for people, Honda's challenge as a manufacturer of mobility products will continue into the future.

Electromotive concept models Automobiles AC-X: A next-generation plug-in hybrid vehicle which offers a more comfortable and enjoyable time in the vehicle during all driving situations, from urban to long-distance driving. With the choices of an "engine drive mode" for more aggressive driving or an "automatic drive mode" for more relaxed driving, the vehicle broadens the joy of mobility.

MICRO COMMUTER CONCEPT: A micro-sized, futuristic, electric city commuter which will become a highly accessible form of mobility for more people. This vehicle will offer the joy of a new type of communications between people and mobility and an exterior that the owner can enjoy customizing more casually. The collaboration of Honda's motorcycle and automobile R&D centers made it possible to load the MOTOR COMPO two-wheel EV commuter in this vehicle.

SMALL SPORTS EV CONCEPT (tentative name): A next-generation EV sports model which maximizes the fun of driving while achieving excellent environmental performance.

Motorcycles MOTOR COMPO: A compact EV commuter which offers the casual and convenient mobility of a two-wheeler, but also strives to be useful even when it is not being ridden. This model can be loaded in the MICRO COMMUTER CONCEPT, with the battery that drives this commuter detachable and designed to be used as a power source in everyday life.

E-CANOPY: A quiet and comfortable next-generation commuter developed by installing an EV system on Honda's unique three-wheeled scooter. In addition to personal use, this vehicle can be utilized for business use such as a delivery service by adopting a rear trunk which can be built-in.

RC-E: An EV version of a super sports bike that pursues the joy of riding. A powerful and smooth ride unique to an EV model is achieved with the 250cc-class compact body.

Power products TOWNWALKER: Urban mobility which pursues simplicity and nimbleness that enables anyone to enjoy mobility in urban areas more casually. It can easily be loaded on a car by folding away the steering and seat.

Small Business Saturday a chance to shop local

By Darla Slipke

By 8:15 a.m. Friday, the parking lot at Wade Designs Jewelry was packed with shoppers eager to get 30 percent off a single item during a special one-hour morning sale.

“It was a mad dash to get everyone rung up,” said Rita Wade, who owns the business with her husband.

They offered a number of discounts and incentives for Black Friday shoppers throughout the day, including breakfast and a drawing giveaway.

Today, their business is participating in Small Business Saturday, a national initiative aimed at supporting small businesses during one of the year’s biggest shopping weekends.

Business and community leaders teamed up to promote the event by encouraging people to shop at smaller, independent businesses. Often those businesses are overlooked this weekend as people clamor for big ticket item sales at chain stores or online sales that are part of Cyber Monday, local business leaders said.

American Express started Small Business Saturday last year. Businesses throughout the United States participated. The initiative has gained momentum through social media networks. More than 2.5 million people “like” a Facebook page dedicated to the event.

To help fuel interest, American Express is again offering a $25 credit for qualifying people who use their American Express card to make a purchase of $25 or more at a local business today. People must register online to qualify for the credit, and registration is limited. For more information, go to smallbusinesssaturday.com.

About 48 percent of businesses in North Carolina are small businesses, said Sherry Johnson, interim CEO of the Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce. Small businesses have generated about 65 percent of new jobs during the past 17 years, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Johnson encouraged people to look within their own communities first for their shopping needs.

“You can make a difference if you spend your dollars locally,” she said.

Shopping locally helps support the community and promotes job and economic growth, Johnson said.

Many local business owners also support community organizations and charities, said Clint Williams, director of membership development for Freedom Credit Union. About six years ago, he helped establish a marketing campaign called Shop Local.

“We were seeing money bleed out of the area,” Williams said.

Small businesses often are overshadowed, Williams said. He encouraged people to take notice of the local stores around them.

“There are a lot of great treasures in the area that people tend to take for granted,” Williams said.

Wade said small businesses have faced many challenges during the economic downturn. She said Friday was a good day, and she was hoping for another good turnout today. “We’re seeing people we haven’t seen in a long time,” Wade said.

Microsoft Preps Kinect for PCs Hardware, Firmware

By Damon Poeter

Microsoft is adjusting firmware and optimizing certain hardware components to ready its Kinect motion-sensing input device for PCs running Windows, the company said Tuesday. Microsoft currently sells Kinect as a peripheral for its Xbox 360 game consoles, but has announced a Kinect for Windows commercial program that begins in early 2012.

"Coupled with the numerous upgrades and improvements our team is making to the Software Development Kit (SDK) and runtime, the new hardware delivers features and functionality that Windows developers and Microsoft customers have been asking for," Craig Eisler, general manager of Kinect for Windows, wrote in a blog post.

"Simple changes include shortening the USB cable to ensure reliability across a broad range of computers and the inclusion of a small dongle to improve coexistence with other USB peripherals," Eisler elaborated. "Of particular interest to developers will be the new firmware which enables the depth camera to see objects as close as 50 centimeters in front of the device without losing accuracy or precision, with graceful degradation down to 40 centimeters. 'Near Mode' will enable a whole new class of 'close up' applications, beyond the living room scenarios for Kinect for Xbox 360. This is one of the most requested features from the many developers and companies participating in our Kinect for Windows pilot program and folks commenting on our forums, and we're pleased to deliver this, and more, at launch."

The announcement comes the same day that Microsoft acquired VideoSurf for $70 million with an eye towards integrating the San Mateo, Calif.-based company's online video search technology into its Xbox Live ecosystem.

VideoSurf, founded in 2006, "offers a back-end computer vision technology that 'sees' frames inside videos to make discovering content fast, easy and accurate," according to a statement released by the two companies Tuesday.

"VideoSurf's content analytics technology will enhance the search and discovery of entertainment content across our platform," said Alex Garden, director of Xbox Live for Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business. "This holiday we will launch voice search across our entertainment partners on Xbox Live. Over time, as we integrate VideoSurf's technology into our system, we are excited about the potential to have content tagged in real time to increase the speed and relevance of the search results.

Microsoft said the acquisition would "make it easier for world-class video partners to take full advantage of advanced features such as voice search enabled by Kinect for Xbox 360." The software giant plans to integrate voice search powered by its own Bing search engine with Kinect.

It's all part of a sweeping overhaul Microsoft is readying for its Xbox system and Xbox Live gaming network, set for Dec. 6, which also includes a major revamp of the Xbox Live navigation system.

Microsoft also said it is bringing "nearly 40 world-leading TV and entertainment providers to Xbox Live" in the next few months, including Bravo, Comcast, HBO GO, Verizon FiOS, and Syfy in the U.S.; BBC in the U.K.; Telefónica in Spain; Rogers On Demand in Canada; Televisa in Mexico; ZDF in Germany; and Mediaset in Italy. "Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Division is at the leading edge of connected entertainment," said Lior Delgo, CEO and co-founder of VideoSurf, in the joint statement with Microsoft. "We are incredibly excited to be working together on our mutual passion for creating amazing consumer experiences and reinventing how consumers search, discover and enjoy content on their televisions."

Health Canada slow to warn of drug risks, auditor general says

OTTAWA—The federal health department is taking far too long to warn Canadians about the significant risks posed by some prescription and over-the-counter drugs, the auditor general said Tuesday.

“It can take up to two years to review the safety issue and to communicate the results to Canadians,” Interim Auditor General John Wiersema told reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday. “We think that is too long.

Canadians spent about $31 billion on pharmaceutical products last year, but an audit of Health Canada tabled to the House of Commons on Tuesday shows the regulatory process meant to keep them safe is often clouded by secrecy and long delays.

The audit revealed that while Health Canada is usually quick to review submissions to approve new brand-name prescription drugs, it routinely does not meet its own standards when it comes to the amount of time it takes to review generic and over-the-counter drugs, and chemical or labelling changes to drugs already on the market.

It can take even longer for drug manufacturers — and the public — to learn of any changes because officials who work in one section of the department are not communicating that information to their colleagues in another.

The report cites the example of Topiramate (brand name Topamax), a drug prescribed for epilepsy, migraine headaches, several psychiatric conditions and to promote weight loss that was found to be associated with birth defects in August 2009.

It took six months after being notified in September 2009 for the brand-name manufacturer to update its label with the birth defects warning, but it took another 10 months for Health Canada officials responsible for generic drugs to find out about the change. As a result, auditors found that only one of a dozen generic Topiramate manufacturers had updated the product monograph by this May.

Wiersema blamed a lack of resources and a mounting workload that he hopes will be offset by new user fees that pharmaceutical companies are being charged to have their products approved by Health Canada.

New Democrat MP and health critic Libby Davies said the findings give Canadians little reason to feel confident the federal government is staying on top of the pharmaceutical industry.

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said during question period on Tuesday that Health Canada agreed with all 10 recommendations and has already begun making changes.

The report also criticized Health Canada for not following through on commitments to publish a list of authorized clinical trials.

The report describes how parents discovered advertisements that claimed Health Canada authorized an out-of-country clinical trial their child was taking part in were false only after filing a complaint with the department over safety concerns.

The report also noted that while Health Canada has increased the amount of information it makes public about the drugs it approves, auditors were troubled by the secrecy surrounding the review of new drugs, particularly those fast-tracked to market under a conditional approval.

Auditors also found that Health Canada is still collecting adverse reaction reports — about 30,000 domestically and 330,000 from other countries last year — via fax and courier, which is labour intensive and means officials are not analyzing them for emerging trends as closely as they should.

Russell Williams, president of the pharmaceutical industry association Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (Rx&D), said manufacturers would be reviewing the recommendations to see how they could “further contribute to a stronger and more effective drug review system”.

Feature: Life getting hard in Syria as Western sanctions start to bite

English.news.cn 2011-11-26 05:54:09 DAMASCUS, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- There have been repetitive placatory statements made by senior Syrian officials over the past couple of weeks that the cooking gas crisis would end within few days in the country.

However, the crisis is still unsolvable and has even sent signals that the consequences of the European and American sanctions have started to rebound on the ordinary Syrians not the Syrian President and his inner circle as they have primarily meant to.

Syrians, who had endured several economic slumps in the past, have started to get used to social and economic boom in the country that has begun to take shape throughout the last ten years with the gradual transformation of the Syrian economy from its socialist system to that of an open market.

The looming economic crisis would be the biggest challenge for most Syrians after an era of affluence where consumer and luxurious goods were abundant.

A decade ago, it was not strange to see the Syrians line up and carry buckets of different colors in front of a gas distribution center. But such a scene had almost become non-existent over the past few years.

This unpleasant scene has returned to the country recently and Syrians have started feeling the heat of the EU and US sanctions imposed on the country allegedly for the government's bloody crackdown on protesters who took to streets more than eight months ago demanding reforms and later on calling for the toppling of the Syrian regime.

Syrians complain, especially in Damascus suburbs, of the shortage in diesel, which is indispensable for heating in winter, and the cooking gas.

While standing in the long line to have his buckets refilled with diesel, Hamad Marouf, 46, of Sehnaya area, just outside Damascus, told Xinhua that waiting in line to get diesel has become one of his worst nightmares.

Abu Ali, 65, with big mustache, was standing with seven buckets by his side. He told Xinhua that he has seven houses and that he needs bucket to each house.

At another area in the capital Damascus, a young teenager was sarcastic when Xinhua reporters asked him to lead them to the gas distribution center. "You came late ... if you want a gas cylinder you need to come at 6 a.m. to get a turn because people line up from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. to get one," he said.

Some Syrian officials insist that the shortage in the cooking gas was to be blamed on some greedy distributors of gas cylinders, who hide them to raise prices and capitalize on the crisis.

Last week, Syrian Oil Minister Sufian Allaw stressed that the gas crisis in Syria would end within four days, blaming the recent shortage in gas cylinders that is essential for cooking on threats by armed groups to attack freight trains that transfer gas from the northwestern coastal town of Banias to the gas filling station in the Damascus suburb of Adra.

Allaw, speaking in an interview broadcasted by the Syrian TV, confirmed that two freight trains carrying gas arrived in Adra over the past two days to meet gas needs in Damascus, its suburbs and Quneitra, some 67 km south of Damascus.

He said the Banias train ensures 80 percent of gas needs in Damascus. The minister pointed out that threats of assaulting trains have led to the suspension of train trips from the north to Damascus since two weeks ago, triggering off a decline in the daily output from 65,000 to 40,000 gas cylinders.

Allaw said the ministry has raised the ceiling of daily production to its maximum level to reach between 63000 and 65000 gas cylinders.

On Tuesday, the cabinet convened to discuss the shortage in diesel and to seek "radical solutions" to the crisis, according to Syria's official news agency. A number of solutions were recommended but none has been put into force so far.

Few months ago, the government has, in response to pressing popular demands, lowered the diesel prices from 25 Syrian pounds per litter to 15 pounds, pushing up the consumption of this item and triggering off its smuggling to neighboring countries.

In September, the EU imposed an embargo on crude oil imports from Syria and banned EU firms from new investment in its oil industry.

Syria produces about 350,000 barrels of oil per day as well as 13.5 cubic meters of natural gas. Its daily consumption is much higher than this figure and it used to meet the shortage via importing gas from Egypt.

Syrian economy minister Mohamad Nedal Alchaar told the press recently that the country was going through "the worst crisis in the recent history of Syria.

It's still likely that the crisis would further aggravate when fellow Arab countries fulfill their threats and impose sanctions on Syria for its alleged failure to implement a recent plan recommended by the Arab League to end the eight-month-old crisis in the country.

Thousands join walk

Nissar Hoath

ABU DHABI - Thousands of people of all ages took to the Yas Marina Circuit for a walkathon for good health on Friday afternoon. The ‘Walk for Life’ held under the patronage of Shaikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Nahyan, wife of the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, was held to raise awareness about diabetes. The event was organised by Imperial College London Diabetes Centre (ICLDC).

A huge number of families of different nationalities and backgrounds started pouring in to the world class F1 circuit from 3pm to register for the annual five-kilometre walkathon.

The event started after 3.30pm with interactive family entertainment, including fun, fitness activities, musical acts, drumming and more, while the walk started at 5pm.

“It is a great event with a lots of fun and health awareness. The most interesting about this event is it is for all. Here, you can see the young and old of both genders. There are small children, aged people and there are people with special needs to spread the message of how to keep yourself fit and have fun at the same time,” said Ginny, Filipina mother of two.

“Though we expected 15,000 people, about 10,000 men, women and children came for this awareness walk today (Friday). In fact, this number is still far greater than what we had last year,” said an official of ICLDC.

“Walk for Life encourages a healthy lifestyle by adopting a 30-minute brisk walk each day,” says an ICLDC message on display. On the organisers’ instructions, most of the participants were well prepared for the walk with comfortable walking shoes, flasks and bottles of mineral water to drink as they walked to avoid dehydration.

The organisers set up a corner where mineral water was available for the participants free of charge at the start line in easy-to-carry bottles in addition to water stations en route. “If you feel tired, uneasy or unwell, alert your fellow walkers and seek the help of the first walkathon guide you see,” was another instruction from ICLDC.

The participants were advised in advance to take plenty of rest the night before and do some light exercise to tone those muscles before the walk.

There were also special arrangements for children. Several corners were set up at the site for children to play and have fun under the watchful eyes of a team of guides and caretakers tasked for the job.

With this year’s successful walk, the organisers expect the next year’s event to be even bigger with a bigger participation.

RIM unveils three new BlackBerry 7 smartphones in India

India Infoline News Service / 18:16 , Nov 24, 2011

These three new BlackBerry 7 based smartphones offer impressively slim and stylish designs with enhanced communications, multimedia, productivity and social connectivity features.

Research In Motion (RIM) announced the launch of three new BlackBerry 7 OS smartphones in India. The BlackBerry Bold 9790 combines the iconic BlackBerry keyboard with a high resolution touch display in a slim and narrow design. The BlackBerry Curve 9350 is the first CDMA-based BlackBerry 7 smartphone to be launched in India. The BlackBerry Curve 9380 is the first-ever BlackBerry Curve smartphone with an all-touch display. These three new BlackBerry 7 based smartphones offer impressively slim and stylish designs with enhanced communications, multimedia, productivity and social connectivity features.

"We are pleased with the response that the new BlackBerry 7 operating system is receiving from customers in India and we are very excited to introduce these three new BlackBerry 7 based models here,” said Krishnadeep Baruah, Director of Marketing for India at Research In Motion. “These new BlackBerry Bold and BlackBerry Curve smartphones offer compact designs with faster performance, enhanced browsing and richer multimedia, as well as NFC support.”

BlackBerry Bold 9790 with Touch Display and Keyboard True to the BlackBerry Bold brand, the new BlackBerry Bold 9790 smartphone is powerful, full-featured and built with premium materials and finishes. It combines a high-resolution and highly responsive touch display with a highly tactile keyboard and a precise optical track pad, but comes in a narrow design that is easy to carry and exceptionally comfortable to hold. With the BlackBerry 7 OS and a powerful 1 GHz processor, the Bold 9790 delivers fast, smooth performance for highly responsive touch-based navigation, web browsing, multimedia and document management. It includes 8GB onboard memory and an expandable memory card slot that supports up to 32 GB of additional storage.

BlackBerry Curve 9350 with Keyboard The new BlackBerry Curve 9350 smartphone is a slim, stylish and simply beautiful smartphone. It is ergonomically designed with a comfortable and iconic keyboard for fast, accurate typing and an optical track pad for easy, one-handed navigation. GPS and Wi-Fi® support are included, as well as a 5 MP camera with flash and video recording so that memories can be captured and instantly shared on social networks. The micro SD/SDHC slot supports up to 32 GB memory cards for additional media storage.

All-Touch BlackBerry Curve 9380 The beautifully crafted BlackBerry Curve 9380 is the first all-touch smartphone in the BlackBerry Curve family. It is both stylish and easy-to-use, featuring a brilliant 3.2” high resolution all-touch display, intuitive virtual keyboard and optical track pad. The BlackBerry Curve 9380 smartphone comes with preinstalled social networking applications such as BBM™ (BlackBerry Messenger), Facebook, Twitter, and Social Feeds which are deeply integrated within the BlackBerry Curve smartphone experience. The handset's 5MP camera with flash and video recording allows users to easily capture and share their favorite moments.

Powerful BlackBerry 7 OS The new BlackBerry 7 OS provides a faster and richer user experience with improved browsing, voice-activated searches and support for Augmented Reality and NFC (Near Field Communications). It also includes the ability to manage personal content separately from corporate content, and comes with a variety of personal and productivity apps out of the box.

BlackBerry 7 also introduces an enhanced browser that provides a significantly faster, more fluid web browsing experience. The browser includes a new JIT (just in time) JavaScript compiler to improve the load time speed of web pages and it offers optimized HTML5 performance for incredible gaming and video experiences. The popular universal search capability has also been enhanced with support for voice-activated search, so users can simply speak to begin searching their device and the web for information.

The BlackBerry Bold 9790, BlackBerry Curve 9350 and BlackBerry Curve 9380 smartphones include built-in support for Augmented Reality and NFC, allowing users to connect with the world around them in fresh new ways. With Augmented Reality, users can use the Wikitude application to find nearby BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) contacts in real-time, read reviews on restaurants close to them, or get the story behind an interesting landmark or points of interest. NFC also enables many new and exciting capabilities, including the ability to pair accessories or read SmartPoster tags with a simple tap of the smartphone.

BlackBerry 7 OS also includes a number of other pre-loaded applications and integrated functionality for increased productivity, sharing, and collaboration right out of the box. The Premium version of Documents To Go is included free of charge, offering users powerful document editing features as well as a native PDF document viewer. BlackBerry Protect is also pre-loaded*, offering customers the peace of mind that personal data can be backed up and secured in the cloud. BlackBerry Balance (see announcement - May 2, 2011) is integrated in BlackBerry 7, allowing users to enjoy the full BlackBerry smartphone experience for both work and personal purposes without compromising the IT department’s need for advanced security and IT controls. The Social Feeds (2.0) app has been extended to capture updates from media and favorites all in one consolidated view. The Facebook for BlackBerry smartphones (2.0) app introduces features like Facebook chat and BBM integration that makes it easier for users to connect with their Facebook friends in real time.

Availability The BlackBerry Bold 9790, BlackBerry Curve 9350 and BlackBerry Curve 9380 smartphones are expected to be available nationally starting the week of December 1st 2011.

Lions' Jim Schwartz indicates no plans to punish Ndamukong Suh

Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz got so incensed with a personal foul committed by Gosder Cherilus at the end of a season-opening win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that he benched Cherilus for the Week 2 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

But Schwartz, in an interview on SiriusXM NFL radio today, doesn’t sound like he’ll be doling out equal justice to Ndamukong Suh for the personal foul that got him kicked out of Thursday's game and cost the Lions points.

“The league is, obviously, going to look at it, and if there’s discipline involved in a case like that, it will come from the NFL,” Schwartz said.

Suh stomped on the arm of Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith midway through the third quarter of the Lions’ 27-15 Thanksgiving loss.

Suh was penalized and ejected, and the NFL said it will review the play for potential discipline next week. A fine or suspension is possible.

The Lions organization addressed Suh’s actions in a press release on Friday: “The on-field conduct exhibited by Ndamukong Suh that led to his ejection from yesterday’s game was unacceptable and failed to meet the high level of sportsmanship we expect from our players.

“Ndamukong has made many positive contributions to the Lions on and off the field. We expect his behavior going forward to consistently reflect that high standard of professionalism.

“We have been in contact with Commissioner Goodell’s office and were advised that, like any on-field matter, Thursday’s incident is subject to review by the League office and that any subsequent discipline would be determined by the League office.

After the Lions had stopped Green Bay on third-and-goal to force a field-goal attempt, Suh’s penalty gave the Packers an automatic first down at the 1-yard line. Fullback John Kuhn scored two plays later.

Cherilus was flagged for unnecessary roughness when he hit linebacker Geno Hayes and dived late on a pile with 1:16 left and the Lions trying to kill the clock in a 27-20 victory over Tampa Bay.

After that game, Schwartz called the penalty “stupid” and fumed that “our defense shouldn’t have been in that situation” of having to stop a last-minute drive that could have tied the game. The next week, Corey Hilliard replaced Cherilus at right tackle.

Schwartz explained his decision to bench Cherilus by saying, “The way we finished last week wasn’t our best presentation, and Gosder plays a lot of good football for us and will continue to play a lot of good football for us, but it’s just one of those things that we can’t allow to happen.

While Suh’s penalty was more egregious, Schwartz never criticized the stomping act itself. He said Thursday he didn’t see the incident happen live nor watch the replay, and today on Sirius, he said his view “was pretty well blocked” on the field.

“I think the more important thing there is that that was a situation that we had just had a stop ... and had a chance to get off with just a field goal there, and what Ndamukong did is he put his teammates in a bad position,” Schwartz said. “We had to go right back on the field and have first-and-goal, ended up giving up a touchdown. And we can’t lose our composure at times like that.

“Regardless of what happens, anything else, there’s no excuse for losing our composure on the field. You want to play with passion, you want to play as hard and as physical as you can from snap to whistle, but you never want to do anything to put your team in a bad spot. And Ndamukong did that in two ways. No. 1, we had to go play another snap and end up giving up a touchdown, but then also he wasn’t available for the rest of the game. So we can’t afford that from a great player like Ndamukong.

Schwartz said he and Suh "spent a lot of time together" today but declined to share details of their conversation.

"We do after just about every game," Schwartz said. "There’s going to be things that come up and things like that that we need to address. We did spend time together, but I think I’ll just leave it at that.

Black Friday online deals lure shoppers to make it a cyber Black Friday

Black Friday online deals are available on everything from laptops to loudspeakers. Some bargains are short-lived. Others will last through the weekend, into Cyber Monday, and beyond.

From computers to clothing and movies, some of the most attractive and accessible Black Friday shopping deals were online rather than in retail stores. And Americans flocked online to catch the falling opportunities.

The deals are available at many of the same stores that promote heavy Black Friday traffic in their physical locations, such as Best Buy and Walmart.

Radio Shack offered $100 off an Xbox 360 gaming platform with Kinect Motion Sensor, bringing its price to $199.99.

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Walmart put televisions on sale online ahead of Black Friday, allowing customers the chance to skip the in-store crowds.

Best Buy has its own online price cuts for TVs and other gadgets, as well as for cheaper goods.

A host of "$3.99 or less" videos included numerous 99-cent DVDs. On Friday morning, the $1 movies included "The Derby Stallion" with Zac Efron and "Charlie Wilson's War" with Tom Hanks. By Friday afternoon, the feel-good horse story was "sold out online," while you could still click "add to cart" for "Charlie Wilson's War.

Although industry marketing emphasizes online sales for Cyber Monday after Thanksgiving, the reality is that by Black Friday retailers are off to the races with their cyber discounting.

Actually, an industry survey conducted by BIGresearch found that 8 in 10 online retailers will have special promotions on Monday, but even more (9 in 10) were offering deals at some point during the Thanksgiving weekend.

The retailing industry's CyberMonday.com website shows featured deals now as well as on Monday, and other websites specialize in helping consumers navigate their options.

Some, like ConsumerSearch.com and Decide.com, help people research products and whether new models are on the way. Others, like Dealnews.com and TGIBlackFriday.com offer a window on the deals available on specific products at specific stores.

WFMY, a North Carolina TV station, posted a wealth of links to deals (organized in categories such as kids’ apparel) on its website. A few clicks and you'll be able to see if "Charlie Wilson's War" is still a 99-cent DVD at Best Buy.

The TV station's Black Friday guide notes that for some websites you need to log in or have a discount code before the lowest prices appear.

Another tip from online-shopping experts: Following the Twitter feeds of stores that sell things you're interested in is one ideal way to stay up on the latest deals.

RIM Software Glitch Hits BlackBerry Bold 9900 Phones

Research In Motion has promised to deliver a software update to fix bricked Bold 9900/9930s. RIM has also sliced the price of the PlayBook tablet to $199.

By Eric Zeman InformationWeek

Owners of the Research In Motion BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 have reported that their devices are bricking. Most often users say that in the morning, after their BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 has been plugged in to charge all night, the device won't wake from sleep. A RIM spokesperson confirmed to CNBC that the problem does exist. The spokesperson said, "A limited number of customers have reported an issue where their device does not power on," and that RIM is "actively working on a software update to resolve this issue.

RIM typically distributes software updates through its carrier partners, and the company did not provide a timeframe indicating when the fix might be provided. It is possible that the fix will be available to some variants of the Bold before others. The Bold is sold by AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile USA, and Verizon Wireless in the U.S.

Kevin Michaluk, who runs BlackBerry enthusiast site CrackBerry.com, said of the problem, "Instead of your BlackBerry booting up properly, something goes wrong. You might get a JVM or App Error message, the phone might go into an endless reboot cycle, or occasionally it'll just sit there blinking red lights with the display never really turning on. Whichever way it manifests itself, I consider it nuked or bricked. Until fixed, your BlackBerry is useless. I'm really starting to wonder if BlackBerry 7 has some weird issues that allow it to brick a little easier than it should. I received quite a few tweets where people have also bricked their 9900s. And even on the Crack Team we've seen it happen more than it should."

[ Want to avoid Android App stinkers? See 10 Android App Flops. ] Thankfully RIM has at least acknowledged the issue and is working to resolve it. In other RIM news, the company has reduced the price of its 16-GB PlayBook tablet from the standard $499 price to a more palatable and budget-friendly $199. The lower price is available in the U.S. from retailers Best Buy, BlackBerry (Wireless Giant) Stores, Office Depot, Radio Shack, and Wal-Mart. The promotion is available for a limited time, while supplies last. The 32-GB and 64-GB models cost $100 and $200 more, respectively.

RIM has discounted the PlayBook in the past, but hasn't offered such a deep price cut since September. RIM is also still offering business customers three PlayBooks for the price of two--plus reduced prices on select accessories--when purchased through legit business sales channels.

Survey: Indonesians killed 750 orangutans in year

(AP) JAKARTA, Indonesia - Villagers living on the Indonesian side of Borneo killed at least 750 endangered orangutans over a yearlong period, some to protect crops from being raided and others for their meat, a new survey shows. Such practices, never before quantified, are now believed to pose a more serious threat to the existence of the red apes than previously thought, Erik Meijaard, the main author of the report that appeared in the journal PLoSOne, said Monday.

Indonesia — home to 90 percent of the orangutans left in the wild — was blanketed with plush rain forests less than 50 years ago, but half those trees have since been cleared in the rush to supply the world with timber, pulp, paper and more recently, palm oil.

As a result, most of the remaining 50,000 to 60,000 apes live in scattered, degraded forests, putting them in frequent, and often deadly, conflict with humans.

"But our surveys also indicate that killing of orangutans is happening deep inside forested areas, where orangutans are hunted just like any other species," Meijaard said. "This may be an uncomfortable truth, but not one that we can any longer ignore.

The Nature Conservancy and 19 other private organizations, including the WWF and the Association of Indonesian Primate Experts and Observers, carried out the survey to get a better understanding of orangutan killings and their underlying causes.

They interviewed 6,983 people in 687 villages in three provinces of Kalimantan — the Indonesian side of Borneo, which is shared also with Malaysia and Brunei — between April 2008 and September 2009.

Figures from the interviews were extrapolated to the target population of men 15 years and older, since only 11 women reported killing orangutans. This indicated that at least 750 apes had been killed during the previous year.

Neil Makinuddin, program manager of The Nature Conservancy, said they were surprised how many respondents reported killing and then eating orangutans — just over half.

Some were consumed after being killed for entering crops or because people were afraid of the animals, the study showed. Others were hunted outright for their meat.

The authors were quick to stress, however, that the people who admitted to killing orangutans said they'd only done so once or twice over the course of their lives.

"Orangutans are not part of people's day-to-day diet," said Meijaard, a senior adviser for the People and Nature Consulting International.

Indonesian Forestry Ministry spokesman Ahmad Fauzi Masyhud said his office has not yet received the report, which he described as "bombastic.

"We have to recheck whether it is true or not," he said. "But frankly I doubt it." But Meijaard said it's time to face up to the facts.

"We used robust scientific methods to assess the social dimensions of orangutan conservation," he said. "Unless we assume that most of the survey respondents lied, we have to accept the hunting issue as an uncomfortable truth that needs to be addressed if we want to save the orangutan.

He said he's seen far too many orangutan skulls, skins and chopped off hands, and heard too many firsthand accounts of people having killed or eaten orangutans, to believe it isn't happening.

Gabrielle Giffords serves Thanksgiving meal at military base

Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly helped serve the Thanksgiving meal at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

By MATT YORK, Associated Press / November 24, 2011

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords helped serve a Thanksgiving meal to service members and retirees at a military base in her hometown of Tucson, Ariz.

Giffords arrived in the dining hall at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base at midday Thursday wearing a ball cap and an apron with her nickname of "Gabby" sewn on the front. She was accompanied by her retired astronaut husband, Mark Kelly, who also donned an apron.

Giffords used only her left hand as she served, a sign that physical damage remains from the injuries she suffered when she was shot in January.

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Kelly supported her from her left side as she worked the turkey station on the serving line. He served ham.

Afterward, she mingled with service members, exchanging pleasantries and mostly one word greetings and responses.

She did tell Airman 1st Class Millie Gray, of Kansas City, Mo., "Happy Thanksgiving, thank you for your service.

Gray said she had intended to only grab a plate and head back to her dorm to eat, until she heard that Giffords was going to be there.

"She's such an inspiration and her story is so inspirational, it really made me proud. I felt very proud and very humble," Gray said. "It just feels really good to see that she is out here supporting the troops, and just continuing to be an inspiration and a strong role model for Americans in general.

"She was very warm, asked how our meal was, which, of course, was amazing. The food is awesome," Gray said. "She and her husband were very, just delightful and asked a lot of questions. It was just very warm-hearted, and I told her she was an inspiration and she was very thankful for that.

Giffords and Kelly left after less than an hour. Giffords has been undergoing intensive rehabilitation at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston as she recovers from a gunshot wound to the head. She was among 19 people shot Jan. 8 as she met with constituents outside a Tucson supermarket. Six people died.

The congresswoman arrived in Tucson on Tuesday evening from Houston for a private visit with her parents and other family members and friends.

"It's always special to have a member of Congress come and spend time with the troops and show support," said Brig Gen Jon Norman, acting commander of the Acting commander of the 12th Air Forces, Southern. "But after everything that she's been through, it's a little bit more special.

Giffords' staff said base officials originally asked a member of the congresswoman's staff to take part in the annual Thanksgiving dinner. When the staff member told Giffords about the event, the congresswoman decided she wanted to go herself.

Giffords previously returned to Tucson for the Father's Day and Labor Day weekends.

Kindle Fire vs iPad: How to decide

by Erica Sadun

If there's any real comparison to be made between Apples and orange, it's the iPad and Kindle Fire use cases. After having spent a couple of weeks with Kindle, there's much to be said for the device. I'm quite fond of mine, frankly. But to paraphrase the late Sen. Bentsen, I know iPad, I served with iPad, and the Kindle Fire is not the iPad.

As we enter into the holiday shopping season, a lot of people are asking me: should I buy a Kindle Fire or an iPad? Here's a run-down to help explain how you can make that choice, and you can also watch TUAW TV Live at 5 PM ET today (or later when the video is embedded) to see Steve Sande and me talk about this very topic.

At just under $200, the Kindle Fire offers many of the same surface features the iPad does: a small mobile device powered by a touch screen interface. However, the Kindle Fire functions primarily as an Amazon multimedia consumption device.

An accessory to the Amazon Prime service, the Fire offers a huge library of streaming movies and TV shows, tight integration with your Amazon Cloud music account and your Kindle ebook library. If you are a big Amazon customer and you subscribe to Prime, you'll love the way you can seamlessly access this media.

The Fire's wins include its size, portability, low cost factor, and streaming media integration. I can easily put my Fire in my purse (not my backpack, my purse) and pull it out to read books using a significantly bigger screen than my iPhone.

The drawbacks are these. First, there's no 3G on offer for the Fire. You can only consume streaming TV and movies when you're located at a Wi-Fi hotspot. Although you can purchase and download video, music, apps, and books the Fire goes "network dark" (so to speak), away from those hotspots you can only enjoy the material stored locally on the device.

Second, the apps and book reader are acceptable but they are not compelling reasons to purchase the device. The apps aren't as good as those you find on the iPhone or iPad, and the book reader isn't as good as the eInk rendering you get on traditional Kindles. The screen is shiny, no getting around that.

That eInk and size factor is the big win for traditional Kindles. If you want to read books outside with a screen that remains readable despite sun glare, you're not going to do better than a standard Kindle. What you don't get includes apps, video, full web browsing and so forth, items brought to the table by the Kindle Fire.

Then there's the iPad. The most expensive of this bunch, it does everything well but it does it with a shiny screen and a larger form factor. My knee jerk response when it comes to the iPad is this: if you don't have one and you don't know why you need one, just go and buy one. In a couple of weeks, you'll know why this is the best mobile device in your life ever. (You'll want to pick up an iPhone a few weeks after that. The iPad is a gateway drug.)

The iPad excels at many things: movie watching, game playing, book reading, checking in at work, editing documents, downloading apps, etc. If the current iPad 2 entry price is too high for you, go ahead and buy a second-hand original iPad for about the same cost as a Kindle Fire.

That doesn't mean I don't recommend the original or Fire Kindles. I do. Their price points are insanely good, and the hardware fits well into your life for either book reading (eInk) or Prime customer enhancement (Fire). If you're parenting a bookworm, consider a traditional Kindle. If you want to watch streaming videos at the gym (with local Wi-Fi), pick up a Fire.

What I'm saying though, is neither one replaces the iPad -- and neither should. Life with both iPad and Kindle is great if you can swing the costs.

Galaxy Nexus: An In-Your-Face Android Phone

Thanksgiving is coming, but techies are salivating over something that doesn't involve turkey and stuffing: Ice Cream Sandwich—the operating system of the newest Google phone, the Galaxy Nexus.

The Galaxy Nexus from Samsung is the first device to run Google's Android 4.0 operating system, known by its dessert code name. Ice Cream Sandwich is designed to be a blend of the Android phone and tablet operating systems that irons out many geeky wrinkles. Android's former annoying reliance on menus to perform tasks is reduced with the inclusion of more user-friendly icons, and these dynamically change according to whatever program is opened.

It has familiar swiping gestures across apps, of which there are over 300,000 available in the Android Market, as well as playful new features like facial recognition to unlock the phone. Several existing Android devices from HTC and Motorola will receive free software updates so that they, too, can run this OS.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is stylish, with it's 4.65 inch display and svelte profile.

It has familiar swiping gestures across apps, of which there are over 300,000 available in the Android Market, as well as playful new features like facial recognition to unlock the phone. Several existing Android devices from HTC and Motorola will receive free software updates so that they, too, can run this OS.

There's much speculation that the Galaxy Nexus will be available in the U.S. in the next two weeks, since its release in the U.K. last week. A Verizon spokeswoman says it will be out sometime before the end of the year and it will run on the carrier's 4G network. It could cost as much as $300 if it's treated like some other recent Android phones considered flagship models.

I got my hands on a U.K. version of the Galaxy Nexus and enjoyed using Ice Cream Sandwich, which is the most well-rounded version of Android yet. My phone's battery lasted nearly a full day under heavy testing.

But some of Android's inelegant traits remain, like the confusing way it organizes Widgets (icons representing programs) and restricts their placement on home screens according to the icons' various shapes and sizes. And its folders for apps look cluttered.

The Galaxy Nexus itself is stylishly designed. Its giant 4.65-inch display may be overkill for some people. But its svelte build, which measures just over three-tenths of an inch thick, balances it out. Its rear- and front-facing cameras capture 5- and 1.3-megapixel images, respectively, and it records video in full 1080p HD quality. A built-in barometer helps with more precise GPS detection, and an NFC (near field communication) chip enables swapping data with other NFC-enabled Android phones, a process called Android Beam.

I found the facial-recognition feature to be unreliable. To set this up, I held the Galaxy Nexus up as if I was about to take a photo of myself with the front-facing camera, and a traced image of my face appeared on the screen. I also set up a back-up unlocking option: tracing a pattern on the screen. Whenever I wanted to use the phone, I held it up to my face and if facial recognition worked, it unlocked.

But this only worked half the time, sometimes because of low lighting, whether outside at night, in restaurants or even in my own kitchen. Other times it just didn't recognize me. When I stood on city streets and held the phone up to my face to unlock it, I looked as if I was taking a photo of the people around me. And it's impossible to slyly check your phone under the table during meetings or dinners using this unlocking method.

A facial-recognition feature unlocks the phone.

Google warns users this isn't necessarily the safest method for locking a phone. Case in point: I was able to unlock the phone by holding a photo of my face up to its lock screen. But a Google engineer noted most people who find lost phones don't know what the phone's owner looks like.

Like Microsoft's Windows Phones and the iPhone, the Galaxy Nexus can be unlocked just for using its camera, or unlocked fully to access the rest of the phone's features. When calls come in, a large image representing the caller appears on the screen along with options to drag an on-screen icon to ignore, answer, or send a text reply.

In Ice Cream Sandwich, app folders can be created by dragging app icons on top of one another. These icons seem to stack up in a messy pile; in one folder I made, called "Social," only the blue beak of Twitter's bird icon was visible.

In place of the Android Menu button, a small three-dot icon appears in all apps and this opens the menu. More icons at the bottom of each app screen perform actions, such as an envelope with a plus sign beside it in Gmail that opens a screen for composing an email. A Multitasking soft key displays all opened apps in one tap. Small images show the screen last opened on these apps like a webpage or a search term in a box. And the Android Market icon is now easier to find in the top right corner of the App Tray.

The photo gallery feels more lush and magazine-like than the text lists of albums in previous versions of Android. Thumbnail images representing albums appear side-by-side and fill the phone's screen in a checkerboard fashion. Albums from my Flickr account were automatically pulled in here, and any photos I captured on the phone were automatically sent to my Google+ account using Instant Upload, a feature also available on other iterations of Android.

Ice Cream Sandwich has more options for photo editing and adds silly effects and backgrounds to videos. You can even make a time-lapse video.

Typing on this phone felt more accurate than in the past, and text can be dragged and dropped to different places using a gesture to swipe down and up. Items in the drop-down Notifications menu can be deleted with a swipe right.

If you've been curious about Android, the release of Ice Cream Sandwich will mark a good time to jump in.

J.R. Martinez: Winning 'Dancing with the Stars' is an honor, icing on the cake

By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

J.R. Martinez says being crowned Dancing with the Stars' thirteenth-season champion with professional partner Karina Smirnoff was an incredible yet nerve-racking moment in his life.

"I said to Karina actually -- I looked back at her and said, 'Can they just tell us already?!' Because it seemed like the moment was just lasting forever when they were building up the suspense. But it's amazing. We've all put in months of work into this and that's the ultimate goal, so to be able to hold up [the mirrorball trophy] is a tremendous honor. So, it was just the icing on the cake," the Iraqi war veteran and former All My Children soap star said during a Wednesday morning appearance on Good Morning America.

While Martinez -- who appeared on GMA alongside Smirnoff, Ricki Lake and her partner Derek Hough and Rob Kardashian and his partner Cheryl Burke -- felt winning Dancing with the Stars was the cherry on top of the cake, Smirnoff said she was especially thrilled about their victory because she earned her first mirrorball trophy.

"It feels amazing. I think I was yelling so loud I lost my voice, but it is an amazing feeling and what a person to share it with!" Smirnoff, who had competed in the finals before but never actually won the title, said.

Kardashian, who finished as the runner-up during Tuesday night's season finale, said Martinez was the right man to win the competition but all the finalists deserved recognition for their hard work.

"I literally did the best that I could do in my book. I literally couldn't have asked myself to have done any better. I went as far as I could go and J.R. deserves that trophy, but we all worked so hard. So, I feel like we're all here together," the Keeping Up with the Kardashians sibling explained.

Burke agreed with Kardashian and said he had grown as a person and a dancer throughout the season, while adding he was the best partner she had ever been paired up with on the show.

"Absolutely. This journey has been so unique. Just being able to be a part of Rob's transformation has really meant a lot to me," Burke said.

Lake -- who came in third place -- explained that Dancing with the Stars was an emotional rollercoaster for her, but she believed she was "absolutely" in the best hands by being partnered with Hough.

"It's such a journey. It's such a process that I'm used to sort of growing up on TV and people seeing me and my hardships, but this really is putting everything on the line. Your body is at its limit. You get emotionally caught up in it," the former talk show host said.

"You want to win, but you also just want to -- it's very scary to do these moves in front of 20 million people and forgetting your steps is something you think about all the time. But I'm really so grateful. I had the best partner. I'm sorry guys. Derek Hough is the man. I really learned so much. I respect him so much and he made me look good every week.

Hough also had nothing but good things to say about Lake in return. "She was great. She was fantastic. She really exceeded my expectations, her own and everybody else's I think. I mean, look at her right now. She looks fantastic and I'm just so proud of her, so proud," the three-time Dancing with the Stars champion said.

Thanksgiving Day serves up Jimmy, John’s Harbaugh Bowl

BY GWEN KNAPP San Francisco Chronicle

The Brothers Harbaugh have perfected their act. John plays the dutiful big brother, once beloved by his schoolteachers, now hitting just the right sentimental notes when discussing the NFL’s unprecedented fraternal coaching matchup on Thanksgiving night. Jim plays the devilishly headstrong younger brother, stubbornly resisting efforts to make a football game about something more than football.

“There’s just not a lot of time to really even think about the warm and fuzzy reunions, or the nostalgia of it all,” Jim said Monday, after listing the flaws that his 49ers must correct between Sunday’s win over Arizona and Thursday’s game in Baltimore.

On a national conference call from the East Coast, John conceded that he couldn’t help thinking beyond the usual football concerns, even in a matchup of two division leaders.

“Kind of underneath everything, it’s an amazing thing. To say that you’re not thinking about it probably wouldn’t be real,” he said. “It’s a historic thing. It’s very special. I couldn’t be more proud for our parents or for Jim. I just think it’s really neat.

The brothers probably would hate that comparison, partly because it’s a simplistic character sketch, but mostly because they hate comparisons. They both avoid making them and use virtually identical language to explain their resistance. Comparisons end up diminishing one party or the other.

They routinely borrow from each other in their jobs. John pioneered the idea of handing out blue work shirts with name patches. The 49ers now wear the same style. Vic Fangio worked on the Ravens’ coaching staff until Jim hired him as Stanford’s defensive coordinator and then brought him to the 49ers. Jim uses the term “armadillo skin” to discuss an athlete’s mental toughness; John also says it and has a plastic armadillo in his office at the Ravens’ headquarters.

Jim has turned the Harbaugh family’s call-and-response motto — “Who’s got it better than us? Nobody” — into the defining slogan of the 49ers’ remarkable revival

“I’m sorry he got to it first,” John said.

During their conference calls, conducted two hours and 2,800 miles apart, the brothers seemed very much in sync. They both recalled an American Legion baseball game in Ann Arbor, Mich., as their only competition against each other. John’s team won 1-0. Despite his allergy to nostalgia, Jim delivered more details about that confrontation, including the observations that his brother’s Baskin-Robbins team was older, had nicer uniforms and did more recruiting.

Only 15 months apart -- John is 49, Jim turns 48 in late December — they also got to play on the same teams. As Jim became a far superior football player, in both college and the pros, John apparently didn’t indulge in jealousy.

“That wasn’t even a consideration,” he said. “If you can’t root for your brother, I don’t know who you can possibly root for in the world. I was always just so proud of what he was doing. I always felt that he was the most underrated quarterback who ever played.

Jim says his brother routinely pushed coaches to bring in his kid brother. “He’s knocked down hurdles for me my whole life,” Jim said. “Still doing it today, the way I look at it.

Despite his success as a college coach, Jim said he believed that John’s work in Baltimore polished his stature.

“Taking his team to the playoffs three straight years in a row. I think in a lot of ways I was looked at as a better coach,” he said. “Look what John has done, here’s his younger brother, etc. Not too different than when we were in high school and every teacher [said,] ‘Oh, you’re John’s brother, John’s such a great youngster, we all love John.

And how did the teachers speak of Jim later? “I was always glad when my dad [Jack, a longtime college coach] would take a job and move somewhere else,” Jim said with a grin, “because by the time I went through there, I’d pretty much worn out my welcome.”

The younger Harbaugh eagerly paints himself as antisocial. The elder wryly told San Francisco reporters: “I don’t know if you guys are buying everything there. ... He’s got lots of friends.”

On Thursday, the two will be rivals in a way that no brothers have experienced. Rex and Rob Ryan have coached against each other, but not with both in the lead role. Peyton and Eli Manning have competed, turning their parents’ nerves raw. The Harbaugh parents, Jack and Jackie, tentatively plan to take pictures before kickoff and then leave the stadium to watch the game in private.

For John, it will be a first in a very personal way. Asked whether there was an element of the matchup he’d find emotionally difficult, he said: “I don’t know if I’ve really thought about it. Maybe there is. ... I’ve never rooted against him, really ever.”

Honda’s North American plants producing more

BLOOMBERG NEWS

Honda Motor Co., the carmaker that has abandoned full-year profit forecasts due to floods in Thailand, said plants in North America are exceeding production plans announced last week.

Honda’s six plants in the U.S. and Canada are running at 50 percent to 75 percent of planned output, exceeding the 50 percent rate the automaker expected as of Oct. 31, said Ed Miller, a company spokesman. Production will exceed the 50 percent rate at some U.S. plants through Nov. 23, Tokyo-based Honda said today in a statement. Honda won’t make vehicles Nov. 18 in addition to a “non-production day” Nov. 11.

Thailand’s worst floods in half a century are disrupting parts production and deferring plans by Honda and Toyota Motor Corp., Asia’s biggest carmaker, to boost production and rebuild inventories that were depleted by Japan’s March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

“We’re getting enough parts from alternative sources and from the original sources that we can confidently say we don’t have to do 50 percent much longer,” Miller said today in a phone interview.

Honda has said 87 percent of its cars and trucks sold in the U.S. were produced in North America last year. Most parts for those vehicles are purchased in North America while “a few critical electric parts” are bought from Thailand, the automaker said last week. John Mendel, who leads Honda’s U.S. sales efforts, had said in an Oct. 31 e-mail to dealers that normal output may not resume until mid- to late-December.

A redesigned version of the automaker’s CR-V small sport- utility vehicle will be introduced on schedule in December, Honda said today. The company had said Oct. 31 that the on-sale date for the model may be delayed by “several weeks.” Deliveries of the model climbed 11 percent this year through October to 180,361, according to Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey- based Autodata Corp.

Honda doesn’t plan any layoffs at its North American plants, the company said in today’s statement.

Honda’s American depositary receipts fell 1.9 percent to $29.94 at 11:36 a.m. MST.

Hyundai, Nissan lead Asian brands; Toyota, Honda weak

Hyundai and Nissan reported strong October sales, while Toyota slumped and Honda was even with last year.

The sales tallies reflect supply problems at Toyota and Honda after the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan disrupted shipments of vehicles and parts. Nissan escaped, and Hyundai, headquartered in South Korea, largely was unaffected.

Hyundai: October sales were up 23% from a year earlier, pushing the automaker's sales for 10 months to 545,316, up from the 12-month record of 538,226 last year.

Even though the U.S. economy hasn't fully healed, the "environment appears to be stabilizing," making shoppers more likely to become buyers, said Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai Motor America's executive vice president of national sales.

The Sonata midsize sedan was up a modest 3.9%, but remained the company's best seller. The redesigned Elantra compact was a strong second.

The company's quirky Veloster three-door small car, not on sale a year ago, contributed to the gains.

Hyundai often brags about its line of cars rated 40 miles per gallon on the highway, and said 37% of the vehicles it sold in October were 40-mpg models.

It said that the overall average fuel economy of all the cars and trucks it sold in October was 37 mpg using government regulators' formula for corporate average fuel economy (CAFE), which computed to an average window-sticker rating of 27.8 mpg in combined city/highway driving.

And the rest?: Kia: Hyundai's corporate affiliate, but marketed and operated separately in the U.S., reported record October sales.

Nissan North America: Sales of its Infiniti luxury division, which gets most vehicles from Japan, tumbled 13.5% in October. But the Nissan brand, mainly sourced from North America and less affected by the Japan tragedy, was up 22.1% and set an October record. Edmunds.com pointed out that Nissan "significantly outspends" its Japan-brand rivals on incentives.

The Nissan Versa small car, buoyed by a new design, also set an October record. As is the case with the Volkswagen Jetta, critics dislike the redesign, but actual buyers don't.

Rogue compact SUV was up 13.2%. Leaf battery car, not on sale a year ago, notched 849 sales in the month. Honda: Nearly flat sales at the Acura luxury brand and declines in Honda-brand car sales were balanced by truck-driven increases for the Honda brand to bring the overall October tally almost exactly even with a year ago.

Honda-brand stars: Refreshed Pilot big SUV, up 52.6%; CR-V compact SUV, soon to be replaced with a full redesign, was up 7.1%.

Toyota Motor: Combined sales of the Toyota and luxury Lexus brands tumbled 7.9% from the year-ago period.

The Lexus CT, a small hybrid hatchback that wasn't on sale a year ago, did well, as did the Toyota-brand Tacoma compact pickup and the Toyota Yaris small car.

Nothing else at Lexus or Toyota did, though the company is improving month-to-month, Edmunds.com notes, and the redesigned 2012 Camry seems off to a good start.

Camry is the best-selling Toyota and the best-selling car in the U.S. most months.

2012 Kawasaki Ninja 650R

by Team ZigWheels

Certainly, the new 2012 version of the Kawasaki Ninja 650R shown recently is expected to come to India as well sometime next year, as the earlier model’s production will cease with the launch of this new version. Even more radical and aggressive than ever before, staying true to the Ninja moniker on its flanks, the 2012 Ninja 650R gets a new frame, new swingarm, tweaks to the motor and a very tastefully done cosmetic makeover that looks stunning and unlike anything seen on our Indian roads. There is no word on whether the pricing will remain same or it will change with the new model, although it is expected to get a bit expensive with the inclusion of better components and new tit-bits on the 2012 model.

Mexican Drug Cartel Tries To Silence Internet by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's hyperviolent Zetas drug cartel appears to be launching what may be one of the first campaigns by an organized crime group to silence commentary on the Internet.

The cartel has already attacked rivals, journalists and other perceived enemies. Now, the target is an online chat room, Nuevo Laredo en Vivo, that allows users to comment on the activities of the Zetas and others in the city on the border with Texas.

Already, three apparent site users have been slain, and a fourth victim may have been discovered Wednesday, when a man's decapitated body was found with what residents said was a banner suggesting he was killed for posting on the site. Chat room users said they could not immediately confirm the victim's identity, because people all post under aliases.

Despite such precautions, users are highly vulnerable, and the Zetas could be tracking them from clues they leave online, experts said Thursday.

A female chat room user was found decapitated in September with a similar message as the one found Wednesday and at the exact same spot, with a message signed with the letter "Z," which refers to the Zetas. Residents couldn't fully read the latest message, because the dead man's body was laid on top of it, in what appeared to be a more hurried execution.

"I don't know of anything like this having happened anywhere else in the world," said Jorge Chabat, an expert in safety and drug trafficking at the Center for Research and Teaching in Economics in Mexico. "It is certainly new and worrisome ... it is a frontal confrontation against the public; it is not just a confrontation with the government anymore.

Drug cartels in Mexico have frequently attacked traditional print newspapers, by tossing explosives at their offices or killing, kidnapping or threatening reporters. Violence against journalists in Tamaulipas state, where Nuevo Laredo is located, has led local media to censor themselves, leaving residents on their own to separate fact from pervasive rumors spread on social networks.

Juan Carlos Romero, who helps lead the press freedom group Article 19, said local newspapers have often stopped publishing crime reports out of fear, leading residents to turn more to the Internet for information like that posted Thursday on Nuevo Laredo en Vivo: where gunshots have been heard, where vehicles suspected of carrying cartel lookouts have been seen, which streets are safe to travel.

"What are people doing in the face of the lack of information, the kind of information you need to make decisions: Where can I drive? Can I leave the house?" said Romero. "People are forging new channels of communication on the Internet, social networks, Twitter, blogs, Facebook.

Drug cartels appear to have learned that such Internet sites reach far more readers than northeastern Mexico's small regional newspapers and have adjusted their attacks accordingly.

"We are witnessing a new behavior of criminal forces in the country," said Erick Fernandez, a communications professor at the IberoAmerican University in Mexico City. "We are in a new phase.

Romero agreed. "It appears to me that organized crime is trying to get common citizens to stop real-time coverage of violence," he said, saying that "the intimidation is having a multiplier effect.

Some of the site users vowed to forge on despite the two decapitations and the September slayings of two other people whose bodies were found hanging from an overpass in Nuevo Laredo with a message threatening: "This is what will happen" to trouble-making Internet users. That message was also signed with a "Z.

"I am ready to lay down my life for the cause, if the soldiers take heed of my reports ... (if) the risk (serves) for something," said one user who posted under the tag "Anon5182.

Despite heightened security awareness among the site's users Thursday, with warnings not to share personal information with anyone, they remain tremendously vulnerable, said Matt Harrigan, chief executive of the San Diego, California-based security firm Critical Assets.

A trail of information like cookies, server addresses, login and account information was easy visible for some users.

"I know enough about (one user) that I'm uncomfortable with how much I know about (him) just from visiting the site," said Harrigan. "Just from having looked up information about him, the number of things I know about the guy is pretty staggering.

Harrigan said it would be relatively easy, with the money the Zetas have from running drugs, to track down posters.

"If you're a Mexican cartel with hundreds of millions of dollars, there certainly are security experts in Mexico or former hackers, or whoever they are, that I'm certain they're for hire," he said.

Plenty of great new gadgets available for purchase this holiday season

Thursday, November 17, 2011 By Roxanna Pitones

As the holiday shopping seasons kicks off with eager shoppers rushing to stores in the early hours of the morning on Black Friday, you may still be wondering what to get the tech lover on your list or even pondering what you hope to see under the tree this year with your name on it.

This year’s most popular items include tablets, e-readers, smartphones, and games that are sure to please the technology enthusiast in your life.

By far, one of the most coveted items this holiday season is the Amazon Kindle Fire, which is considered the Apple iPad’s first real competitor. Not only serving as an e-reader, the recently launched device is the first full color, touch screen gadget made by the company. Priced at $199, it could be the best Kindle manufactured by Amazon to date.

While Kindles are popular reading devices, the Kindle Fire serves a broader purpose than to just hold reading material. With the ability to surf through web pages, watch movies and TV shows, check e-mail, and play games, reading might be the last thing on your mind.

Measuring seven inches diagonally, it’s slim and portable design makes the Kindle Fire easy to take just about anywhere and it’s simple design consisting of only one power switch and two jacks, one for headphones and the other for power, makes the device easy to operate.

While the Kindle Fire may be an affordable alternative to the $500 Apple iPad 2, some shoppers may prefer the Barnes & Noble’s Nook Tablet.

Priced slightly higher than the Kindle Fire, the Nook Tablet will set you back about $250, but has twice the memory capacity than the Kindle Fire, with an expansion slot for even more storage space. On the other hand, the Nook Tablet does not come with Amazon apps, but will stream movies through Netflix and TV shows through Hulu.

For those who prefer to talk rather than read, there are a variety of new smartphones available this season as well.

The Samsung Galaxy S II is currently one of the thinnest smartphones in the market and rivals the trendy iPhone 4. With an eight megapixel camera, complete with HD recording capabilities, every moment you capture will be clear as crystal.

The crisp, vibrant screen along with an Android operating system provides customers with a sleek looking phone that has all the amenities you expect from a smartphone. Priced at $199, the Samsung Galaxy S II is available through multiple service providers like Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T. It seems as though companies are on a race to make to the thinnest phone possible and in this competition the Motorola Droid Razr has been able to hold its own for some time now.

Since 2004, the Motorola Razr revolutionized mobile phone design by creating popular slim devices that have influenced the look of nearly all other cell phone manufacturing companies, and the newest version of the phone is no different.

Considered the thinnest smartphone in the world, the Motorola Droid Razr also includes an eight megapixel camera with a water repellant surface, and a processor that ensures blazing speeds while surfing the web and downloading files.

Also priced at $199, the only drawback to the Razr is that it is only available through Verizon.

If you’re looking to impress the gamers on your list and can’t wait for the February release of Sony’s PlayStation Vita to come out, perhaps the Nintendo 3DS might be something to keep in mind.

The portable console is equipped with a 3D camera for photos and video, streams Netflix and Hulu, and most importantly, allows gamers access to 3D games. Nintendo is releasing several 3D titles for the console, but the device is also compatible with other DS games. The starting price for the Nintendo 3DS is $169.99.

After all the reading, talking and gaming, music might be your only escape and for the music lover that is always on the go, an Apple iPod Shuffle is the way to go.

Although the mp3 player made its debut in 2005, the practical, two gigabyte device, which has a 15 hour battery life and easily clips onto clothing for portability, still makes the perfect stocking stuffer.

Even better, the $49 price tag won’t break your bank.