One day after Ron Paul grass roots supporters made political history by raising over 6 million dollars in a single day, the RonPaulReveres.com website released a new Ron Paul Canvassing DVD, selling over 60,000 copies in the first 72 hours. The DVD, also available for free online, introduces prospective supporters to presidential candidate Ron Paul's philosophy and key positions.

Original Article found here @ Ron Paul

Having high rankings on search engines is a great thing. However, it's also important that your web pages are displayed with an attractive description in the search results. If the description is not appealing to web surfers then they might not click the link.

How do Google, Yahoo and MSN/Live create the descriptions and snippets that are used in the search results?

How Google creates descriptions and snippets

Google seems to use the description from the meta description tag if you search for a page by its URL, or if the searched keywords do not appear within the found page.

If the found web page doesn't have a meta description tag then Google seems to use the sentence that contains the searched keyword as the description.

If a web page is listed in the Open Directory Project (DMOZ.org) then Google might also use the description that is used in the DMOZ directory.

How Yahoo creates descriptions and snippets

Yahoo seems to use only the first part of the meta description which is complemented by a text snippet from the searched page that contains the searched keyword.

If a web page doesn't have a meta description, Yahoo will use the description of the web page from Yahoo's directory (if the page is listed there).

If a web page has no meta description and is not listed in the Yahoo directory, then Yahoo will display sentences from the found web page that contain the searched keywords.

How MSN/Live creates descriptions and snippets

MSN/Live seems to use the first sentence that contains the searched keyword as the description. If the searched keyword does not appear on the page, MSN/Live seems to use the first sentence that appears on the page.

If available, MSN/Live will also use the DMOZ directory description in the results.


Read Entire Article Here @ How google and yahoo do it

How LCD makers lie to you about viewing angles by ZDNet's George Ou -- I was in a large computer store looking at computer LCD monitors and a lady was asking about which one was the better one to buy. A man (presumably her family) told her that the ones which indicated TFT (Thin Film Transistor) were the ones to buy. I then interjected that everything was TFT and it’s [...]

The ferry arrived, the gangway went down and 7-year-old Emma Powell rushed toward the Statue of Liberty. She climbed onto the grass around the star-shaped foundation. She put on a green foam crown with seven protruding rays. Turning so that her body was oriented just like Lady Liberty’s, Emma extended her right arm skyward with an imaginary torch. I snapped a picture. Then I took my niece’s hand, and we went off to buy some pretzels.

Other people were taking pictures, too, and not just the other tourists—Liberty Island, name notwithstanding, is one of the most heavily surveilled places in America. Dozens of cameras record hundreds of hours of video daily, a volume that strains the monitoring capability of guards. The National Park Service has enlisted extra help, and as Emma and I strolled around, we weren’t just being watched by people. We were being watched by machines.

Liberty Island’s video cameras all feed into a computer system. The park doesn’t disclose details, but fully equipped, the system is capable of running software that analyzes the imagery and automatically alerts human overseers to any suspicious events. The software can spot when somebody abandons a bag or backpack. It has the ability to discern between ferryboats, which are allowed to approach the island, and private vessels, which are not. And it can count bodies, detecting if somebody is trying to stay on the island after closing, or assessing when people are grouped too tightly together, which might indicate a fight or gang activity. “A camera with artificial intelligence can be there 24/7, doesn’t need a bathroom break, doesn’t need a lunch break and doesn’t go on vacation,” says Ian Ehrenberg, former vice president of Nice Systems, the program’s developer.

Most Americans would probably welcome such technology at what clearly is a marquee terrorist target. An ABC News/Washington Post poll in July 2007 found that 71 percent of Americans favor increased video surveillance. What people may not realize, however, is that advanced monitoring systems such as the one at the Statue of Liberty are proliferating around the country. High-profile national security efforts make the news—wiretapping phone conversations, Internet moni­toring—but state-of-the-art surveillance is increasingly being used in more every-day settings. By local police and businesses. In banks, schools and stores. There are an estimated 30 million surveillance cameras now deployed in the United States shooting 4 billion hours of footage a week. Americans are being watched, all of us, almost everywhere.

We have arrived at a unique moment in the history of surveillance. The price of both megapixels and gigabytes has plummeted, making it possible to collect a previously unimaginable quantity and quality of data. Advances in processing power and software, meanwhile, are beginning to allow computers to surmount the greatest limitation of traditional surveillance—the ability of eyeballs to effectively observe the activity on dozens of video screens simultaneously. Computers can’t do all the work by themselves, but they can expand the capabilities of humans exponentially.

Security expert Bruce Schneier says that it is naive to think that we can stop these technological advances, especially as they become more affordable and are hard-wired into everyday businesses. (I know of a local pizzeria that warns customers with a posted sign: “Stop stealing the spice shakers! We know who you are, we have 24-hour surveillance!”) But it is also reckless to let the advances proceed without a discussion of safeguards against privacy abuses. “Society is fundamentally changing and we aren’t having a conversation about it,” Schneier says. “We are entering the era of wholesale surveillance.”

Read Entire Article here @ New High-Tech cameras are watching you

By Bruce Horovitz and Laura Petrecca

Cedric Wouldfolk's mother-in-law doesn't know it yet, but a framed photo of her that graced the wall in the family's den was just replaced with a high-definition TV.

For the Wouldfolk family of Chicago -- and much of the rest of the nation -- this holiday is about HD.

Consumers are gaga over TVs with pictures so sharp they can count the piercings in Britney Spears' navel. Buyer interest has exploded as prices imploded: Some decent smaller high-definition sets even sell for under US$500.
HD = High Dollars for Vendors

However, the key driver for HDTV mania: the wow factor. Video with at least six times the detail of standard analog television.

"Watching HDTV is like wearing X-ray glasses," says ad psychologist Carol Moog. "Who doesn't want to have super powers?"

Beyond televisions, the HD monogram is marketing E-Mail Marketing Software - Free Trial. Click Here. magic, helping to sell just about anything electronic. Wanna buy high-definition DVDs and a player? Perhaps an HD camcorder? An HD game console? There's a bunch of HD cameras and digital picture frames. And, yes, HD radio.

That's made it an HD holiday. During the talk-show host Oprah Winfrey's annual "Favorite Things" show -- the gold standard of popular approval -- Winfrey not only gave audience Over 800,000 High Quality Domains Available For Your Business. Click Here. members $800 Samsung Latest News about Samsung HD camcorders, she also handed out $3,800 LG Electronics Latest News about LG Electronics refrigerators -- with high-definition TV screens in the doors.

"HD is the red Ferrari of TVs," says Cynthia Cohen, a retail consultant and president of Strategic Mindshare. "It's bigger, faster, brighter and clearer."

Two years ago, annual U.S. sales of HDTVs were less than $20 billion; they'll top $65 billion a year by 2009, projects Park Associates, a digital technology researcher.

Read Entire Article here @ High Def goes high profile

Mozilla Firefox - faster, more secure, easier to use and sporting a new look, this latest Firefox release sets a new standard for web browser innovation. Mozilla Firefox project (formerly Firebird, which was formerly Phoenix) is a redesign of Mozilla's browser component, written using the XUL user interface language and designed to be cross-platform. It is small, fast and easy to use, and offers many advantages over other web browsers, such as the tabbed browsing and the ability to block pop-up windows.


Mozilla Firefox 3 is focused on improved memory handling, performance, and stability, improved XUL, and new core components such as application data stored in SQLite. Mozilla Firefox 3 could break a few existing extensions and applications built on top of Firefox, and it will definitely include new optimizations if you like to build on the popular browser. Mozilla Firefox 3 should have additional JavaScript and SVG features if you're into that sort of thing.



Features in Firefox include:
- Easy migration: Switching to Firefox has never been easier now that Firefox imports data like Favorites, history, settings, cookies and passwords from Internet Explorer. Firefox can also import settings from Mozilla 1.x, Netscape and Opera.
Smaller Download: Continuing efforts to make this the most efficient browser, the Windows version of Firefox is now only a 4.7 MB download, making downloading Firefox a breeze for dial-up and broadband users alike.
New Default Theme: A new default theme provides a bright new look for Windows and Linux users.
SmartUpdate: A new SmartUpdate feature notifies users of new versions of Firefox to ensure that the browser is always up to date.
Help: A new online help system makes this one powerful, friendly browser.
Extension/Theme Manager: New Extension and Theme Managers provide a convenient and secure way to manage and update the hundreds of add-ons that set Firefox apart from other browsers.
ozilla Firefox also includes numerous bug fixes and incremental improvements, including faster page load speed.
- Popup Blocking: Stop annoying popup ads in their tracks with Firefox's built in popup blocker.
- Tabbed Browsing: View more than one web page in a single window with this time saving feature. Open links in the background so that they're ready for viewing when you're ready to read them.
- Smarter Search: Google Search is built right into the toolbar, and there are a plethora of other search tools including Keywords (type "dict " in the Location Bar), and FastFind (start typing the first few letters of some text in the page and Firefox takes you there).
Privacy and Security: Built with your Security in mind, Firefox keeps your computer safe from malicious spyware by not loading harmful ActiveX controls. A comprehensive set of privacy tools keep your online activity your business.
- Hassle-Free Downloading: Files you download are automatically saved to your Desktop so they're easy to find. Fewer prompts mean files download quicker.
- Fits Like a Glove: Simple and intuitive, yet fully featured, Firefox has all the functions you're used to - Bookmarks, History, Full Screen, Text Zooming to make pages with small text easier to read, etc.
- S M L XL XXL XXXL: Firefox is the most customizable browser on the planet. Customize your toolbars to add additional buttons, install new Extensions that add new features, add new Themes to browse with style, and use the adaptive search system to allow you to search an infinite number of engines. Firefox is as big or small as you want.
- Setup's a Snap: At only 4.7MB (Windows), Firefox only takes minutes to download over a fast connection. The installer gets you set up quickly, and the new Easy Transition system imports all of your settings - Favorites, passwords and other data from Internet Explorer and other browsers - so you can start surfing right away.
- A Developer's Best Friend: Firefox comes with a standard set of developer tools including a powerful JavaScript and CSS error/warning console, and an optional Document Inspector that gives unheard of insight into how your pages work.

Download it here @ Firefox 3.0 Beta 2

Mario Andretti
By ROGER HART


Mario Andretti, now 67, is tan and fit, and only gray hair and facial character lines hint at his age. It's hard to believe that more than a decade has passed since he's been a regular in the cockpit, yet his name remains synonymous with racing's highest levels, among both ardent fans and the general public. Andretti is the greatest race driver of our time, having won in just about every series in which he's competed.

He is nothing if not forward-thinking, a trait that served him well in forming his racing career and armed him for on-track battles. He used foresight again as he began to wrap up that career in 1994. That's when he stumbled on something that would become his new passion: a winery in California's Napa Valley. As he traveled the world racing cars, Andretti renewed a love of wine that began when he was a child in Italy.

"I grew up drinking wine," Andretti said between sips of his own chardonnay in the yard of his winery. "In fact, that was about all we had on the table. Would I have preferred a soda pop? Yes, I would. It was 90/10, water to wine, to flavor it.

"I really started to pay attention to wine when I was in my 30s. I became more curious about wine through my travels. In South Africa in the early '70s, we would always go to good restaurants, and I wanted to order French wine, but some of the people I was with said, 'No, no, order the South African wines.' You try them, and you see they make good wines, too. So in Argentina, I ordered Argentine wines, and so forth. I enjoy the ethnic specialties of food everywhere; you can never go wrong with those. It's the same with the wines."

Read Entire Article here @ Mario Andretti

By TERESA M. WALKER, AP Sports Writer 2 hours, 26 minutes ago

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Memphis Tigers were dominant in the matchup of unbeatens. Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 24 points, Robert Dozier added 19 and the second-ranked Tigers beat No. 5 Georgetown 85-71 on Saturday, extending the nation's second-longest home winning streak to 37 games.

Freshman guard Derrick Rose had 18 points for Memphis, while Joey Dorsey had 11 points and 13 rebounds, grabbing 11 boards in the second half. The Tigers improved to 10-0, their best start since winning their first 10 in 2003-2004.

Memphis coach John Calipari wanted and needed tougher opponents this season to help offset the Conference USA schedule his Tigers play starting in January. He got exactly what he wanted with a bit of history for good measure.

This was the first time the Tigers played in a game on their home court with both teams ranked in the top five. They had only played in such a game twice before and not since the 1995-96 season when the then-No. 3 Tigers went to top-ranked Massachusetts and lost to a team coached by Calipari.

Preseason All-American Roy Hibbert had a season-low six points for Georgetown (8-1). Austin Freeman had a team-high 14 points for the Hoyas, while DaJuan Summers had 13 and Patrick Ewing Jr. 10.

Memphis had played then-No. 24 Southern California on Dec. 4 in New York.

This was the first time Georgetown had faced a ranked opponent this season and only the third road game for the Hoyas. There was a sellout crowd of 18,864 — more than usual because Memphis added a few extra seats for this morning matinee and the Tigers' first home game in 24 days.

Georgetown hadn't played since routing Radford 110-51 on Dec. 15. Memphis won at Cincinnati on Wednesday night.

The Hoyas led by as many as eight points in the first half, but Memphis took control in the second by hitting the boards, outrebounding the Hoyas 43-30. It was a season-low for Georgetown.

Dorsey, who picked up his second foul less than eight minutes into the first half, helped the Tigers dominate the boards in the second. He had seven within the first 4:20. Memphis missed 11 of its first 12 shots and trailed 46-45 on a steal and layup by Chris Wright with 15:40 to go.

But Jessie Sapp missed on a drive, and the Tigers finally heated up with nine straight points.

Dozier hit a jumper that put Memphis ahead to stay. Douglas-Roberts hit a jumper, a 3-pointer and dunked on the fast-break after Antonio Anderson stole the ball from Sapp for a 54-46 lead with 12:18 left.

The Tigers just kept padding their lead after that, reaching double digits on two free throws by Douglas-Roberts with 7:03 to go. They got it up to as many as 17 twice and finished 17-of-22 from the free throw line in the second half.

Georgetown's last eight-point lead was 35-27 on a fast-break layup by Ewing.

The Tigers settled down and started hitting some shots. Rose, who said he came to Memphis to play in big games like this, started them off with a three-point play with 3:45 left.

Douglas-Roberts rebounded a missed 3 by Rose under the basket and laid it up for a 41-40 lead with 49 seconds to go. Dozier added a dunk off a pass from Kemp for the halftime lead.

Original Article found here @ Tigers Vs Hoyas

CIENFUEGOS, Cuba (AFP) - Supermodel Naomi Campbell added a touch of glamour to a regional summit in Cuba, getting a first-hand look at homes donated by Venezuela for Cuban workers at a refurbished oil refinery.

Wearing a beige dress and big sunglasses, Campbell, 37, was accompanied by Vice Foreign Minister Alejandro Gonzalez during her visit Friday to the southern city of Cienfuegos, according to a photographer at the scene.

Stepping foot in one of the modest, prefabricated homes, the British model said it was "very pretty" and walked up to a platform to get a panoramic view of the "Simon Bolivar" settlement.

The housing is for workers at a Soviet-era refinery whose refurbishment was sponsored by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's oil-rich government.

Chavez and interim Cuban president Raul Castro presided Friday over the official opening of the refinery at the end of the Petrocaribe summit, an initiative created by Venezuela to provide oil to Caribbean neighbors at preferential prices.

Campbell met with Chavez two months ago in what British gossip columns called an "interview" commissioned by Britain's GQ magazine.

The British Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that she hoped to secure an interview with Chavez's mentor and close ally, ailing Fidel Castro, with whom she had a private meeting in 1998.

The 81-year-old Cuban revolutionary has yet to appear in public since undergoing stomach surgery in July 2006.

Original Article Found Here @ Naomi Campbell

Josh Grossberg Sat Dec 22, 6:41 AM ET

Los Angeles (E! Online) - Christmas came early for Tom Sizemore, who just received another get-out-of-jail card.

The Saving Private Ryan soldier was released on Dec. 10 from Pleasant Valley State Prison, where he had been cooling his heels after violating the terms of his probation in a 2004 drug-possession case, according to Terry Thornton, spokesperson for the California State Department of Corrections.

"He had a hold from Los Angeles County and was released into the custody of deputies from the L.A. County Sheriff's Department," said Thornton.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Cynthia Rayvis in June ignored a teary mea culpa from the problem-prone actor and sentenced him to 16 months in jail for a May crystal-meth bust.

Rayvis did cut Sizemore some slack, crediting him for 213 days—shaving a little more than seven months off his prison term—for time served in rehab and good behavior.

Sizemore, 46, got another break in October, when he accepted a plea agreement for the May arrest. He pleaded no contest to one count of transporting drugs for personal use; in return, prosecutors dismissed five felony charges. Instead of serving more time in lockup, Sizemore was sentenced to a live-in drug-treatment program.

Should he fail to stay clean, he could get up to four years behind bars.

It's not known where exactly authorities took Sizemore after his release. A spokesman for the L.A. County Sheriff's Department said it's not uncommon for deputies to transport inmates to residential rehab.

In an interview with the Bakersfield Californian before his release, the Blackhawk Down star said things were looking up in his life and vowed to kick his habit.

"I got another chance," he said. "Some people might think I don't deserve one, but I'm glad the judge thought so, and I mean to make the most of it."

Original Article Found Here @ Sizemore Sprung Article

Mercedes' SLK roadster is getting a facelift for 2009, with around 650 parts that are either brand new or modified. Most obvious is the redesigned front end, which apes the style of the much larger McLaren SLR road car. The air dam has also been modified to give the whole nose a more pronounced arrow-like shape.

The designers have also revamped the rear end with a new diffuser-style lower section and added trapezoidal exhaust tail pipes and AMG-inspired, darkened tail lights. Around the side, the door mirrors are larger than before and feature LED indicators.

Inside the car there's a revised cabin with new instrument cluster and three-spoke sports steering wheel with multi-function buttons. Mercedes is also installing its latest audio and telematics package in the SLK for the first time. Standard integrated features include a Bluetooth hands-free system and an MP3 interface hidden in the glove box. The firm's Linguatronic voice-operated control system is on the options list for the first time.

All engines offer more power and torque, but less carbon dioxide emissions. As an example, the V-6 unit in the popular SLK 350 has the same 3.5-liter capacity, but now develops 305 hp, up 33 hp on the outgoing model.

Since its launch in 1997, close to five million SLKs have been sold around the world. The latest version hits showrooms from April, with prices to be announced early in the new year.

Original Article 2009 Benz

I3 Individuality
Aleksandra Sladek
The I3 is a personal mobility vehicle that is based on individuality and visualization. Wanting to design a vehicle that was an entertaining drive but also retained the stability of a car, a three-wheel layout was chosen. The design, with two wheels at the front and a single wheel at the rear, is quite innovative as the whole body tilts 40-degrees to enhance driving dynamics. The interior can be customized to conform to owner's tastes. Drive-by-wire technology keeps the design simple, minimizing visibility of functional components. Aleksandra won the Best Use of Design and Engineering award for her concept presented by Assystem, one of the exhibition sponsors.



Honda Bullet
Dave Humphreys
The Honda Bullet is based on a shotgun cocking system. As Humphreys explained: the difficulty he experienced while trying to enter his low-slung sports car at car parks needed to be addressed. He found that a solution could be found to improve ingress and egress without the door mechanism impeding access. His solution therefore is a door which slides back over the vehicle, incorporating the roof in its movement. Roughly the size of a Ford Mondeo at 4.65 meters long the concept could source power from a multitude of sources. The powerplant can be cooled through the massive air inlets at the rear.

Check out more designs here 2007 Car Design Show

R. Kelly avoided having his bond revoked today (Dec. 21) in his child pornography case, but a Chicago judge admonished him for missing an earlier court hearing. The R&B superstar apologized to Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan, who set a May 9 trial date.

Kelly, 40, has pleaded not guilty to child pornography charges for allegedly videotaping sex acts with a young teenage girl in or before 2000.

He missed his Wednesday court appearance when his tour bus was delayed in Utah because its logbooks didn't document enough rest time for the driver. Gaughan said that in similar situations in the future, Kelly must fly to make his court dates on time.

He also ordered the singer to cancel a Jan. 13 concert to ensure that he makes a Jan. 14 court date.

Original Article Can Be Found Here R kellys upcoming case

In the history of Apple Computer (Nasdaq: AAPL) Latest News about Apple, it is possible that there has been a better year than 2007, but you would be hard-pressed to find it. Never mind that Apple's stock has soared (at least briefly) to over US$190. Never mind that its Mac market share has apparently grown from around 2 percent to over 8 percent. Never mind that it continues to dominate the MP3 player and music/video download markets.

The biggest Apple story for 2007 is the phenomenal number of great products it released. OK, perhaps not every product was great. However, they were all still exciting and generated significant buzz. What other company can say that?

Here's my look back at Apple's year. I offer my brief assessment of each new product -- with the benefit of end-of-year hindsight.
iPhone Calling

iPhone. The invention of the year. The gadget of the year. The you-name-it of the year. Could this product possibly live up to all this hype? Yes. Definitely.

Of course, it is not perfect. Where is voice dialing and built-in GPS Latest News about global positioning system, for starters? I am already salivating over the expected 3G Latest News about 3G iPhone 2.0 coming in 2008.

However, the 1.0 version is still as close to an out-of-the-park home run as anyone could wish for. For my money, it's the most groundbreaking product Apple has created since the original Mac in 1984. It's already hard for me to imagine how I managed without one. Whether I am looking up a location in Maps, checking movie times in Safari, listening to my voicemail with the incredible ease of its visual interface, sending a quick e-mail E-Mail Marketing Software - Free Trial. Click Here. message, enjoying music (which I do more often now that I always have an iPod with me), or playing one of the games I added after hacking the device, it seems that I am always using my iPhone for something.

Read Entire Article Here @ Apple's 2007: That Was the Year That Was

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By Rick Orlov, Staff Writer



The day after the death of his leukemia-stricken daughter, Krikor Sarkisyan accused his health insurer of taking her life by twice denying her a liver transplant.

At a news conference Friday morning, Sarkisyan wept as he talked about his 17-year-old daughter, Nataline, and his hiring of attorney Mark Geragos in hopes of getting authorities to bring criminal charges against Cigna Healthcare.

"They took my daughter away from me," the Northridge man said. "She was so strong and brave. I wish she was here today."

Nataline's brother, Bedig, donated bone marrow to his sister a month ago and said her death should touch every family.

"This could be your sister," he said. "It could be you."

Suffering from recurrent leukemia since she was 14, Nataline died Thursday night, less than 20 minutes after being taken off life-support systems.

The death of the teen came just hours after Cigna Healthcare - which had twice removed her from liver-transplant lists, saying the surgery was experimental - sent a notice that it had reversed its decision and would allow a transplant.

In a statement Thursday, the company said it was making a rare exception in reversing its decision.

"Based on the unique circumstances of this situation, and although it is outside the scope of the plan's coverage and despite the lack of medical evidence regarding the effectiveness of such treatment, Cigna HealthCare has decided to make an exception in
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this rare and unusual case and we will provide coverage should she proceed with the requested liver transplant," the statement said.

Read Entire Article @ Daily News