It’s been a busy year for NTT DoCoMo’s research and development division, with the company presenting a goldmine of future accessories at its CEATEC booth. We’re not seeing anything terribly exciting in the smartphone department, beyond a wider adoption of Android, but from the battery with a 10-minute charge time that we saw yesterday to the bad breath, hunger, body fat and food analyzers that you’ll find below, there are certainly quite a few gadgets worth checking out. We’re bundling a few of them here, so jump past the break for our hands-ons with three different health accessories (including a bad breath analyzer!) and a clever food analyzing app. Gallery: NTT Docomo Breath, Body Fat, Food Analyzers hands-on Continue reading NTT DoCoMo bad breath, body fat and food analyzers hands-on (video) NTT DoCoMo bad breath, body fat and food analyzers hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 08:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls were murdered by the order of rival record company bosses, according to an LAPD detective who investigated Tupac’s slaying in 1996. Gang informant Keffe Davis claims Sean Combs—then known as Puff Daddy—offered him $1 million to kill Tupac and Death Row records chief…
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Yukos executive Vasily Aleksanyan was jailed in 2006 and was refused leave to treat Aids and cancer A former Yukos oil executive whose struggle to win medical treatment for Aids and cancer came to symbolise the harshness of the Russian prison system, has died. Vasily Aleksanyan, a Harvard-educated lawyer who headed Yukos’s legal department and was briefly vice-president of the firm, was imprisoned in April 2006 as part of the sweep against the oil company. He was diagnosed with HIV shortly after his arrest, and later with tuberculosis and cancer of the liver, as well as severely limited vision. Prosecutors accused Aleksanyan of acting as an accomplice to embezzlement and money laundering, two of the charges levelled against his former boss Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Khodorkovsky was convicted of those charges last year , in a second trial his supporters say was designed to keep the former oligarch behind bars until at least 2017. Aleksanyan served as his lawyer after the tycoon’s arrest in 2003, on fraud and tax evasion charges. Aleksanyan waged a long struggle to win himself early release so he could seek treatment for the diseases that were killing him. As Russian courts considered his case, he was moved to a hospital bed, to which he was chained. His supporters said the conditions in which he was held were degrading and inhumane. In 2008, the European court of human rights in Strasbourg ordered Aleksanyan to be released on humanitarian grounds. A Russian court then demanded he post 50m roubles (£990,000) in bail. The charges against him were quietly dropped last year. Aleksanyan, 39, died at home of complications from Aids, his family told Dozhd, a Russian TV channel. Human rights activists have compared Aleksanyan’s treatment to that of Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer for the London-based investor William Browder, who was arrested while investigating alleged fraud by government officials. Magnitsky died in November 2009 after being denied treatment for a worsening stomach condition that he developed during his imprisonment in Butyrka prison, Moscow. On Tuesday, Russian journalists and bloggers began circulating a list of those involved in Aleksanyan’s arrest. The US and UK have issued informal visa bans for around 60 officials accused of involvement in the death of Magnitsky. Russia Europe Human rights Miriam Elder guardian.co.uk
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Jackson doctor’s phone records on display; Cowell regrets lofty ‘X Factor’ ratings projection; Chrissie Hynde closes Ohio eatery, citing economy. (Oct. 4)
Continue reading …Barbara Walters’ Use Of N-Word Leads To Tense Discussion With Sherri Shepherd (VIDEO)
October 4, 2011 No Comment
Barbara Walters, Sherri Shepherd and Whoopi Goldberg had a tense discussion on Monday about the use of the n word. (Watch Part 1 above, and scroll down for Part 2.) The conversation was centered around the controversy surrounding Rick Perry and a hunting camp he leased. The camp’s entrance contained a rock with the term “Niggerhead” on it for many years. The Washington Post broke the story of the rock, and presented conflicting narratives about Perry’s knowledge of the rock and his efforts to get rid of it. Goldberg used the n word (which was silenced throughout the conversation) first, while talking about Herman Cain’s use of the word during a Sunday interview. It was when Walters used the word, though, that things got awkward. “It’s very hard for me to say,” she said. “…It gives me chills.” Goldberg said it was useless to “pretend” that the word didn’t exist. “Let’s call it what it said!” she said. It was here that Shepherd cut in. “When I heard you say it, it was fine,” she told Goldberg. Turning to Walters, she continued, “I didn’t like the way you said it.” In explaining this, Shepherd used the word several more times. “I don’t know if it’s a semantics thing, but it’s something that goes through my body,” she said. “It’s because I’m white?” Walters said. Shepherd acknowledged that it was. “It’s something about hearing you say it,” she said. “…I don’t like it when you use the word…when you say it it’s a different connotation.” Goldberg returned to the broader issue about using the word, but Walters wrenched the conversation back. “If i’m reporting on this you mean i can’t use the word?” she said. “You can do anything you want!” Shepherd replied. “You’re Barbara Walters!” “I’m sorry, that has nothing to do with it, Sherri,” Walters said. “When you say the word I don’t like it,” Shepherd. “…When white people say it, it brings up feelings in me.” Goldberg said she didn’t care if Walters used the word, because she was relaying information. Walters appeared offended at Shepherd’s opposition. “We all should care about the same things and the fact that I don’t say something exactly the way Whoopi does–” “You can’t take away the way it makes me feel Barbara,” Shepherd said. “…But I never knew you felt this way and I find it just amazing,” Walters replied. The panel has had emotional discussions about the N word before — most notably in 2008, when Elisbaeth Hasselbeck began crying during a conversation with Goldberg about the word. Watch Part 2 (see Part 1 above):
Continue reading …On the Maddow Show, They Ask Why Isn’t Obama Using Drone Attacks in Boston?
October 4, 2011 No CommentThe successful mission to kill Islamic radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki naturally drew disgust on the left, even against President Obama. On Friday night’s Rachel Maddow show, the critic was Spencer Ackerman of Wired magazine, who in the JournoList expose by the Daily Caller clearly proved he wasn’t a pacifist, when he gleefully talked of throwing anti-terrorism expert Michael Ledeen into the wall or through a window: “I’ll bet a little spot of violence would shut him right the f— up, as with most bullies.” He wondered why Obama wouldn't have drone attacks in Massachusetts, where the latest Islamic-radical plotter of D.C. violence was based. On the radio, comedian John Fugelsang tried to joke that the deceased owed him money, and Thom Hartmann blamed Bush: “I think that Anwar al-Awlaki would not even exist as a phenomenon had George Bush not responded to 9/11 by going nuts.” Ackerman wanted to establish that al-Awlaki was distasteful, but dismissed the idea that the government had enough evidence to justify attacks: ACKERMAN: They're clearly guilty of incitement. You can see on any of Awlaki's disgusting, poisonous videos how they're trying to get Americans to kill their fellow Americans. On the other hand, there's absolutely no evidence ever been offered that either man was part of an operational cell of al Qaeda or part of an unfolding plot, it's just pure assertions. And to kill an American without any recourse to due process of law absent that basic evidence is crossing a Rubicon in the war on terrorism. MADDOW: In terms of that Rubicon and whether there are others, if the U.S. government can justify this action overseas, what about here in the US? I mean, we know the FBI's also tracking people with possible ties to al Qaeda and other forms of extremism. Does, how close is this to the government claiming the right to kill first and ask questions later of U.S. citizens in the United States? ACKERMAN: Right. I don't understand what the differentiating criterion could be. You know, why in Sana'a and not Schnectady? Why in Yemen and not Yuma? If the important factor is that an American citizen can be targeted for destruction, why not just fly a drone over the next, you know, plot the, you know, like we heard this week, that guy from Massachusetts was apparently trying to pull off. Why even bother arresting an American citizen at all and then you're down the exceptionally tricky, murky and ugly constitutional path? Maddow ended the segment by honoring Ackerman for his clarifying wisdom. She clearly has a bad case of political schizophrenia on this issue. The “Sybil” segment began with Maddow showing old clips of Rudy Giuliani and John McCain saying Obama had a pre-9/11 mentality. Then, like a good DNC press agent, she listed about 20 terrorists who’ve been killed in the Obama era, and replayed the GOP clips for effect. From there, she promptly displayed the pre-9/11 mentality in wanting terrorists to have “due process,” not drone attacks. Message: Obama's plenty tough on terrorists, you Republican liars!
Continue reading …Dalai Lama to be absent from Desmond Tutu birthday after visa controversy
October 4, 2011 No Comment
Tibetan spiritual leader’s office and activists suggest South Africa caved in to pressure from China to hold up entry visa The Dalai Lama says he has been forced to pull out of Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s 80th birthday celebrations because South Africa did not grant him an entry visa. Civil rights campaigners reacted furiously to the news, claiming that South Africa had buckled under pressure from China, its biggest trading partner, which regards the Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist. Tutu had invited his fellow Nobel peace laureate to deliver a lecture to mark his milestone birthday in Cape Town on Friday. Officials from the archbishop emeritus’s office started the visa application process in June but were hit by a series of bureaucratic delays . On Tuesday, the Dalai Lama’s office finally gave up. “His Holiness was to depart for South Africa on 6 October, 2011, but visas have not been granted yet,” it said. “We are, therefore, now convinced that for whatever reason or reasons, the South African government finds it inconvenient to issue a visa to His Holiness the Dalai Lama.” A candlelit vigil outside the South African parliament in Cape Town on Monday night drew around 250 protesters demanding that the Tibetan spiritual leader be allowed into the country. Instead there was bitter disappointment on Tuesday morning, when it was announced the eight-day trip had been called off. Civil rights campaigners blamed the government with expressions of anger and shame. Nomfundo Walaza, chief executive of the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre , said: “I’m shocked and dismayed that they would let it come to this point. I still had hope after the vigil last night that we would wake up this morning to hear the visa had been issued. “It’s a shame. I think it’s the darkest moment in the history of this country for this to be allowed to happen. We worked so hard on this, we put our heart and soul into it. For a religous leader of the Dalai Lama’s standing to be refused is not acceptable. It’s sad that this is what our democracy is all about.” She had not yet spoken to Tutu, Walaza added, “but I’m sure he is devastated.” Ela Gandhi , who had planned to present the Dalai Lama with a peace prize in the name of her grandfather, Mahatma Gandhi, said: “I’m very disappointed. We were looking forward to him coming and to presenting the award. “I really feel the whole situation has been handled so badly. It’s discourteous for a person of his stature to be told to wait for so long. For a person of peace to be treated like this is wrong.” She continued: “Everybody thinks this is because of pressure from China. It’s very sad that another country is allowed to dictate terms to our government. It’s going back to aparteid times. I am ashamed of my own country.” Activists who had been campaigning for the 76-year-old spiritual leader’s visit joined the condemnation. Hennie van Vuuren, director of the Institute for Security Studies in Cape Town, said: “I’m deeply disappointed that the South African government didn’t find the wisdom to do the right thing. It makes no sense given that the Dalai Lama recently went to Brazil and Mexico. It shows the issue cannot be about China alone. “South African foreign policy is increasingly showing incoherence. It undermines the strong human rights record of this country. It flies in the face of the desire of most South Africans to uphold our constitutional democracy.” South African foreign ministry officials have consistently denied accusations they were bowing to pressure from Beijing. Asked for his reaction to the Dalai Lama’s decision, spokesman Clayson Monyela said: “We don’t have a reaction. He’s cancelled his trip and that’s it. “We have not said no. We’ve not refused him a visa; the visa was still being processed. It’s only on 20 September that he submitted his full paperwork. In some countries, a visa can take two months. I don’t know why people are criticising the government.” The Dalai Lama visited South Africa in 1996, meeting the then president, Nelson Mandela, but was prevented from attending a Nobel laureates’ conference in the country two years ago , when the government said his visit would distract from preparations for the football World Cup. At the time, Tutu called the decision disgraceful, and accused the authorities of bowing to pressure from China. Dalai Lama South Africa Africa Desmond Tutu David Smith guardian.co.uk
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Damien Fowkes pleads guilty to slashing Soham killer’s throat and admits manslaughter of child killer Colin Hatch A fellow prisoner has admitted trying to kill the Soham murderer, Ian Huntley. Damien Fowkes, 35, pleaded guilty at Hull crown court to slashing Huntley’s throat in Frankland prison, Durham, in March last year. Fowkes, from Northampton, also admitted the manslaughter of the child killer Colin Hatch, who was strangled at Full Sutton prison near York in February this year. He was initially charged with Hatch’s murder but his guilty plea to manslaughter was accepted on the grounds of diminished responsibility. Fowkes appeared before the court on Tuesday in a sealed dock surrounded by five prison officers. An application for him to come into court in handcuffs was rejected by the judge. The prisoner spoke to confirm his name and enter his pleas. He denied murdering Hatch but admitted manslaughter. Graham Reeds, prosecuting, said this plea was acceptable. The court heard how Fowkes shows “strong psychopathic traits”. Crime Prisons and probation Soham murders UK criminal justice guardian.co.uk
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Ryan Gosling and Jeffrey Wright talk about what they’ve learned during the making of their new political thriller, ‘The Ides of March.’ (Oct . 4)
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