Amazon says Kindle products had best holiday season ever (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) ? Amazon's Kindle products had their best holiday season ever, according to a statement released by the company on Thursday. More than a million Kindles flew off the shelves each week during the month December.

Amazon historically has been loathe to release specific sales data for its hardware, so this was a minor step forward as the company released figures -- albeit imprecise ones.

It also announced that three Kindle products occupied the top three spots on its bestseller charts.

The newly released Kindle Fire tablet topped the list, while the Kindle Touch and regular old Kindle clocked in at numbers two and three respectively. The Fire has been the bestselling and "most gifted" product on Amazon since it debuted 13 weeks ago.

Kindle sales have also been strong overseas, leading the pack in England, Germany, France Spain and Italy during the holidays.

"We are grateful to our customers worldwide for making this the best holiday ever for Kindle," Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com's founder and CEO said in a statement. "And in a huge milestone for independent publishing, we'd also like to congratulate Darcie Chan, the author of 'The Mill River Recluse,' and Chris Culver, the author of 'The Abbey,' for writing two of the bestselling Kindle books of the year."

There is no breakdown between the different Kindle products, so all of the figures remain vague. As MG Siegler of TechCrunch notes on his personal blog, Fire and Touch sales could range from 100,000 to 2 million (or even infinity).

Still, as Bezos noted, strong Kindle sales are good for Amazon in another way -- they boost book sales.

Gifting of Kindle books climbed 175 percent in the stretch between Black Friday and Christmas this year as opposed to 2012 with Christmas registering as the "biggest day ever for Kindle book downloads."

Even if the numbers are vague, the sales figures mean that the new devices are a success, if not on the level of the iPad).

By offering its tablets and e-readers for bargain prices, Amazon has cornered a new part of the market and created a new platform whereby to sell more media through the Amazon store.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111229/media_nm/us_kindle

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Allawi says Iraq headed for "sectarian autocracy" (Reuters)

BAGHDAD (Reuters) ? The head of the Sunni-backed Iraqiya political bloc said Iraq "stands on the brink of disaster" and issued a list of demands on Wednesday in a political crisis triggered by charges against a Sunni leader.

Iraqiya leader Iyad Allawi, in an editorial for the New York Times, said Iraq was heading towards a "sectarian autocracy that carries with it the threat of devastating civil war."

Sectarian tensions are running high in Iraq ten days after the last U.S. troops pulled out. Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has sought the arrest of Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, accused of running death squads.

The commentary, co-authored by Iraqiya officials Osama al-Nujaifi, the parliament speaker, and Rafie al-Esawi, the finance minister, said bloc leaders were being "hounded and threatened by Mr. Maliki, who is attempting to drive us out of Iraqi political life and create an authoritarian one-party state."

The political crisis, Iraq's worst in a year, threatens Maliki's fragile year-old coalition government, an alliance of Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish political blocs.

Nujaifi and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, on Tuesday proposed a national conference of political leaders to try to resolve the crisis and said allegations against Hashemi should be left to the courts.

But Allawi, in a separate statement, listed a series of demands before he would agree to any conference, including the release of "all detainees held on false charges" and the formation of a panel of top politicians to oversee and prevent interference in legal procedures.

Iraqiya has criticized a recent arrest campaign against hundreds of former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party over what some officials said was a plot to seize power after U.S. troops left.

Allawi also demanded the government implement an accord reached last year before the coalition government was formed that would have given him leadership of a new national policy council. Allawi has accused Maliki of reneging on the pact.

Allawi said "all options are still open" to resolve the crisis, including early elections and the possibility of a new candidate for prime minister.

Both Iraqiya and the Sadrist movement of anti-American Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have called for new elections, currently not due until 2014.

Iraq's latest crisis was triggered by the charges against Hashemi and Maliki's request to parliament to fire Sunni Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq. Hashemi and Mutlaq are two of the most senior figures in Iraqiya.

In the editorial, Allawi, a former prime minister, said Maliki had "laid siege to our party," surrounding leaders' homes and offices in Baghdad's Green Zone with government forces.

"...as Iraq once again teeters on the brink, we respectfully ask America's leaders to understand that unconditional support for Mr. Maliki is pushing Iraq down the path to civil war," the editorial said.

"Unless America acts rapidly to help create a successful unity government, Iraq is doomed."

U.S. and Iraqi officials have been engaged in a flurry of talks to try ease tensions in a crisis that could have wider impact in the region with Iraq's Sunni and Shi'ite neighbors.

(Additional reporting by Ahmed Rasheed)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111228/wl_nm/us_iraq_politics

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Video: Countdown to Iowa

Art Laffer, Laffer Investments explains why he endorses Newt Gingrich and his supply-side take on the economy, and a look at which GOP candidate is likely to take Iowa, with Steve Moore, "Return to Prosperity" author; Matt K. Lewis, Daily Caller; and T...

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/45810479/

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Ovarian cancer study proves drug delays disease progression, may improve survival

Public release date: 28-Dec-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jane Finlayson
jane.finlayson@uhn.ca
416-946-2846
University Health Network

(TORONTO, Canada Dec. 29, 2011) Treating ovarian cancer with the drug bevacizumab ("Avastin") delays the disease and may also improve survival, show the results of an international clinical trial co-led by Drs. Amit Oza of the Princess Margaret Cancer Program, University Health Network and Timothy Perren, St James's Institute of Oncology, Leeds, UK.

The findings, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, report that the drug halted the cancer's return for two months overall. However, for women with the highest risk disease, the delay was five to six months and in this group, the findings also indicate a strong trend to improved overall survival, which is being analysed until 2013.

"This is the first new drug in ovarian cancer in 15 years to improve outcome and I believe it should be considered as a potential new standard of care," says Dr. Oza, a medical oncologist who leads the Cancer Clinical Research Unit at Princess Margaret Hospital. He is also co-director of the hospital's Bras Family Drug Development Program and Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto.

The seven-year study began in 2004 and enrolled 1,528 women with ovarian cancer at 263 centres, including 20 in Canada. Avastin was added to chemotherapy treatment and given intravenously every three weeks for 12 months.

The drug blocks growth factors that promote new blood vessels formation in tumours, thereby "starving" the cancer. It is not a cure, explains Dr. Oza, but has a proven track record in delaying disease progression in other types of cancer including colorectal, lung, breast, kidney and brain.

"We now know that using Avastin in ovarian cancer for even this short time improves outcomes," says Dr. Oza. "The next step is to determine if giving it for a longer period would be of even greater benefit."

Similar findings from a U.S. study are also reported in this issue of the journal. Dr. Oza says the major difference between the two studies is that the women in the American study were given twice as much Avastin. "So the question now is would half the dose for double the duration improve outcomes even more? This is an area to investigate further."

###

The Canadian Cancer Society estimates 2,600 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed this year and 1,750 women will die of the disease.

The research was funded and led by the Medical Research Council UK, with women from 11 countries participating in the study. The study was conducted in Canada by the NCIC Clinical Trials Group (NCIC CTG) at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario in collaboration with the Medical Research Council UK. Dr. Oza's research is also supported by The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation.

Princess Margaret Hospital and Ontario Cancer Institute, the hospital's research arm, have achieved an international reputation as global leaders in the fight against cancer. Princess Margaret Hospital is a member of the University Health Network, which also includes Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. All are research hospitals affiliated with the University of Toronto. For more information, go to www.uhn.ca

---

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?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 28-Dec-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jane Finlayson
jane.finlayson@uhn.ca
416-946-2846
University Health Network

(TORONTO, Canada Dec. 29, 2011) Treating ovarian cancer with the drug bevacizumab ("Avastin") delays the disease and may also improve survival, show the results of an international clinical trial co-led by Drs. Amit Oza of the Princess Margaret Cancer Program, University Health Network and Timothy Perren, St James's Institute of Oncology, Leeds, UK.

The findings, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, report that the drug halted the cancer's return for two months overall. However, for women with the highest risk disease, the delay was five to six months and in this group, the findings also indicate a strong trend to improved overall survival, which is being analysed until 2013.

"This is the first new drug in ovarian cancer in 15 years to improve outcome and I believe it should be considered as a potential new standard of care," says Dr. Oza, a medical oncologist who leads the Cancer Clinical Research Unit at Princess Margaret Hospital. He is also co-director of the hospital's Bras Family Drug Development Program and Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto.

The seven-year study began in 2004 and enrolled 1,528 women with ovarian cancer at 263 centres, including 20 in Canada. Avastin was added to chemotherapy treatment and given intravenously every three weeks for 12 months.

The drug blocks growth factors that promote new blood vessels formation in tumours, thereby "starving" the cancer. It is not a cure, explains Dr. Oza, but has a proven track record in delaying disease progression in other types of cancer including colorectal, lung, breast, kidney and brain.

"We now know that using Avastin in ovarian cancer for even this short time improves outcomes," says Dr. Oza. "The next step is to determine if giving it for a longer period would be of even greater benefit."

Similar findings from a U.S. study are also reported in this issue of the journal. Dr. Oza says the major difference between the two studies is that the women in the American study were given twice as much Avastin. "So the question now is would half the dose for double the duration improve outcomes even more? This is an area to investigate further."

###

The Canadian Cancer Society estimates 2,600 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed this year and 1,750 women will die of the disease.

The research was funded and led by the Medical Research Council UK, with women from 11 countries participating in the study. The study was conducted in Canada by the NCIC Clinical Trials Group (NCIC CTG) at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario in collaboration with the Medical Research Council UK. Dr. Oza's research is also supported by The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation.

Princess Margaret Hospital and Ontario Cancer Institute, the hospital's research arm, have achieved an international reputation as global leaders in the fight against cancer. Princess Margaret Hospital is a member of the University Health Network, which also includes Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. All are research hospitals affiliated with the University of Toronto. For more information, go to www.uhn.ca

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-12/uhn-ocs122311.php

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Two French servicemen shot dead by Afghan soldier (Reuters)

PARIS (Reuters) ? Two French servicemen were killed on Thursday when an Afghan army soldier shot at them deliberately while their unit was engaged in a support mission for Afghanistan's forces in the Tagab valley, President Nicolas Sarkozy's office said.

The deaths bring the total number of French soldiers killed in Afghanistan to 78 since France joined the NATO-led operation in 2001.

Sarkozy's office stressed France's commitment to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, according to a statement. Prime Minister Francois Fillon condemned the "cowardly assassination" in a separate statement.

(Reporting By Daniel Flynn Editing by Maria Golovnina)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111229/wl_nm/us_afghanistan_france

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The 80-20 Rule as it Applies to Crowdfund Investing | Startup ...

According to Wikipedia, The?Pareto principle?also known as the?80-20 rule states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. ?The validity of the 80-20 rule can be seen throughout the economy.

Why is the 80-20 rule important to consider in relation to the Crowdfunding bills that are moving through congress? ?Because where Congress sets the Crowdfund Investing limits, will determine if this legislation will create or destroy jobs and innovation. The Startup Exemption framework originally suggested $10,000 or 10% of an investors Adjusted Gross Income (AGI).? Our rationale for the $10,000/10% AGI was to cap the maximum an individual could invest based on their income but also cap the total amount anyone could put into one endeavor at $10,000. This was to provide significant investor protection for unaccredited investors who choose to invest in this high-risk asset class yet allow higher net worth individuals for flexibility to use their cash as they see fit.

The current bills before Congress each limit the maximum amount an investor can risk at different levels.? The $10,000/10% AGI we advocate matches what is in HR2930.? The Senate bills take different and more dramatically smaller positions; between $500 & $1,000. ??If these lower caps from the Senate bills are enacted, it will kill the value of this legislation and will dramatically limit or eliminate the possibility of any new jobs or innovation being created via Crowdfund Investing.

Applying the 80-20 rule to crowdfunding, the theory would assume that 80% of the crowd will provide the majority of the count of contributions but the 20% of the crowd will provide 80% of the dollar value of the financing.? If this theory is true, then it is crucial that the 20% of the investors that will provide 80% of the investment dollars are able to provide larger dollar investments.

To prove this, we reached out to several of the major crowdfunding platforms and asked them for statistics on a few of their larger projects.? We specifically asked for the larger projects because we anticipate the average amount entrepreneurs will seek in their initial rounds will be $50,000.? Here?s what the data showed.

On Crowdcube, the UK?s first and largest crowdfunding platform that just successfully funded the first ?1 million (approx. $1.57M) project (need we say any more about how powerful crowdfunding will be), the data revealed the following:

• From a group of projects that raised collectively $280,800, individuals who invested less than $1,000 accounted for 81.2% of the total number of investors.
• The remaining 18.8% of investors, who invested greater than $1,000, accounted for 93.8% of the total financing!

Indiegogo, one of the largest donation-based crowdfunding platforms which has been around longer was able to pull data from a much larger data set.? (They have funded over 25,000 projects).

• The data indicated the more money one raises, the more reliant on $500+ contributions one is.
• For campaigns that raised between $500 ? $5,000, 24% of funding came from $500+ contributions.
• For campaigns that raised?over $5,000, 46% of total funding came from $500+ contributions.
• For campaigns that raised?over $10,000, 50% of total funding came from $500+ contributions.
• For campaigns that raised?over $20,000, 53% of total funding came from $500+ contributions.
• For campaigns that raised?over $50,000, 65% of total funding came from $500+ contributions

Profounder, one of the first to try equity-based crowdfunding but forced to augment its model for the time being, was able to share these statistics from all projects funded on their site:

• 24% of the total number of investors contributed less than $1K.? These individuals delivered just 4% of all funding raised.
• 76% of individuals who invested greater than $1,000 delivered 96% of all funds raised.
• The average investment was a little over $1,700/ investor.
• These statistics closely match what Crowdcube discovered.

The data demonstrates how important it is to allow investors the opportunity to make investment decisions at a level that is appropriate to their income/net worth, while capping the total investment level for all unaccredited investors. $10,000 or 10% of AGI (whichever is smaller) should be that limit.? The larger contributions are critically important to successfully funding companies.? If overly restrictive limits of $500, $1,000 or even $5,000 are enacted it would have a grossly negative impact in the potential for crowdfunding.

What this theory leaves out though is the importance of the small dollar donations from something other than money ? a voice and a potential customer base.? While 20% of a crowd might provide 80% of the financing, if it weren?t for the 80% who expressed interest in a company in the first place by pledging small dollar funds, those larger investors would not be stepping up to the plate with 80% of the financing.? There is validity to the voice the 80% puts behind their dollars because it shows that there is interest from the crowd for the product.? Market research like that prior to launching is invaluable and something any traditional financier would look for.

We urge the Senate to enact the investment limits from our framework: $10,000/10% AGI (Whichever is lower).

?

?

Tags: Congressman McHenry, crowd, crowd fund, crowd fund investing, crowd funding, crowdfunding, HR 2930, Sherwood Neiss

Source: http://www.startupexemption.com/archives/205

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HEINEKEN USA Appoints Jeffrey Colbert as Region Vice President Sales, Central Region

Dec 26 2011 --- HEINEKEN USA announces the appointment of Jeffrey Colbert as Region Vice President Sales, Central Region, effective immediately. In his new role, Colbert will report to Scott Blazek, Senior Vice President of Sales, and will be responsible for driving HUSA performance and delivering results through the effective management of regional resources.

?Jeff brings a strong history of leadership and success in the beverage industry to the HEINEKEN USA Sales Management Team,? said Blazek. ?We are thrilled to welcome him to the helm of our Central Region, where he will lead a team of more than 80 sales and marketing professionals to drive business results and establish a success-oriented culture in the region.?

At HEINEKEN USA, Colbert will be responsible for establishing Central Region objectives, strategies and tactics, and guiding account planning. He will oversee relationships with HEINEKEN distributor partners and key regional accounts, as well as assess and improve the effectiveness of retail executions that support brand development to ensure delivery of company objectives.

Colbert brings more than 26 years of sales and marketing management experience to HEINEKEN USA. Most recently, Colbert served as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Tenth & Blake Beer Company in Chicago, IL, where he oversaw the company?s overall commercial strategy and business development which included sales, brand marketing, innovation, channel marketing and customer solutions as well as the organizations internally focused learning and development goals.

Prior to Tenth & Blake, Colbert held several positions of increased responsibility in the beer industry including Region VP, Southwest for MillerCoors; Area VP, South Central Region for Coors Brewing Company; Region VP, Southern Region for MolsonCoors; and General Manager Southwest Region for the Miller Brewing Company. Prior to working in the beer industry, Colbert held sales and general management positions with Coca-Cola Enterprises in Massachusetts.

Colbert holds a Bachelor degree from The University of New Hampshire, Whittemore School of Business and Economics. He will be based in HEINEKEN USA?s Chicago, IL office.

Source: http://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/news/HEINEKEN-USA-Appoints-Jeffrey-Colbert-as-Region-Vice-President-Sales-Central-Region.html

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Arab monitors arrive in Syria

BEIRUT, Lebanon?? Government tanks pounded neighborhoods of Homs on Monday, killing more than 30 people, city residents said, as Arab officials arrived in Syria to monitor compliance with a peace plan aimed at ending the crackdown on an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

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Fifty monitors and 10 other officials from the Arab League arrived from Egypt on a private plane, the first international intervention on the ground to end nine months of violence between government troops and opponents of Assad.

Some monitors are due on Tuesday to visit Homs, scene of the worst violence, where there has been no sign of Assad carrying out a plan agreed with the Arab League to halt his offensive.

Amateur video posted on the Internet by activists showed tanks in the streets in the Baba Amr district. One fired its main gun and another appeared to launch bombs from a mortar.

Mangled bodies lay in pools of blood on a narrow street, the video showed. Power lines had collapsed and cars were burnt and blasted, as if shelled by tank or mortar rounds.

STORY: Syrian opposition calls for UN role to end crisis

"What's happening is a slaughter," said Fadi, a resident living near Baba Amr neighborhood. He said it was being hit with mortar bombs and heavy machinegun fire.

An armed insurgency is eclipsing civilian protests in Syria. This has raised the prospect of a sectarian war pitting the Sunni Muslim majority, the driving force of the protest movement, against minorities that have mostly stayed loyal to the government, particularly the Alawite sect to which Assad belongs.

Fighting in Homs has intensified since a double suicide bombing in Damascus on Friday that killed 44 people.

Four army defectors were killed by security forces in a town near the Turkish border on Monday, an activist network said. Nine soldiers killed in fighting in Homs were buried, state media reported.

Homs resident Fadi told Reuters that residents and fighters were trapped by trenches dug by the army.

"Neither the people nor the gunmen or army defectors are able to flee. The army has been descending on the area for the past two days."

Two-way fight
Other residents said the fighters have still been able to inflict casualties on the army.

"The violence is definitely two-sided," said a Homs resident who gave his name only as Mohammed to protect his safety. "I've been seeing ambulances filled with wounded soldiers passing by my window in the past days. They're getting shot somehow."

Parts of Homs are defended by the Free Syrian Army, made up of defectors from the regular armed forces, who say they have tried to protect civilians.

Story: Syrian opposition calls for UN role to end crisis

"There are many casualties," activist Yazen Homsi told the Avaaz opposition group from Homs. "It is very difficult to access them and provide treatment as a result of the heavy shelling throughout the neighborhood."

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented names of those reported killed in Monday's clashes. It also reported three people killed on the outskirts of Hama, north of Homs, as security forces fired on protests.

It also said at least 10 and likely dozens of rebel fighters were killed in clashes with security forces in the Damascus suburb of Douma. It estimated a similar casualty toll on the government side.

It said explosions went off in Doumaas the army clashed with rebel fighters.

The Syrian government has banned most access by independent media, making it difficult to verify accounts of events.

Government transport for monitors
The head of the observer mission, Sudanese General Mustafa al-Dabi, arrived in Damascus on Saturday.

"Our Syrian brothers are cooperating very well and without any restrictions so far," Dabi told Reuters.

Video: Another vicious Syrian crackdown

But he added that Syrian forces would be providing transportation for the observers - a move which may anger the anti-Assad opposition and draw accusations of censorship.

The first group of monitors will be divided into five 10-man teams going to five locations. Those that are expected to visit Homs on Tuesday will try to assess whether Assad is withdrawing tanks and troops from Syria's third largest city as promised.

Delegates said they will try to keep an element of surprise.

"We will inform the Syrian side the areas we will visit on the same day so that there will be no room to direct monitors or change realities on the ground by either side," said monitor Mohamed Salem al-Kaaby from the United Arab Emirates.

The mission's mandate is to confirm that the Syrian government is carrying out the Arab League initiative by withdrawing the military from cities, releasing prisoners and allowing Arab and allowing international media to visit.

Despite the scenes of ravaged streets, Syrian state television has been regularly showing other areas of Homs, a city of one million, looking peaceful.

The United Nations says at least 5,000 Syrians have been killed since the revolt broke out in March, inspired by other Arab uprisings this year.

The Syrian authorities blame the violence on foreign-backed armed Islamists who they say have killed 2,000 members of the security forces. After six weeks of stalling, Damascus signed a protocol this month to admit the Arab League monitors.

Assad, 46, succeeded his father in 2000 to carry on 41 years of family rule. He has responded to calls to step down with a mixture of force and promises of reform, announcing an end to a state of emergency and promising a parliamentary election in February.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45790450/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/

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mokargas: RT @connectandroid: ASUS Not Phased By Hasbro Lawsuit ? Continues Rolling Out Transformer Primes http://t.co/PuBfg1ev #android

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Gratitude Scales. Take A Few Seconds To Say ?I Love You?

Tell someone they're special, remind them you care, share a memory, say "I love you" -- it's easier than ever. Thanks to mobile devices and social networks, love is becoming more scalable. Tweet or status update how you're thankful for their friendship. Text, Skype, message, or email how their support has meant the world to you. Wall post, @reply, +1, upvote the people who make your life more fun. In just a few seconds, you've strengthened your relationships and made someone's day. Today, everyday, take a moment and tell them. We stand above a bottomless well of gratitude...

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Japan urges China to help keep North Korea in check (Reuters)

BEIJING (Reuters) ? Japan urged China on Monday to shoulder a big role in ensuring North Korea avoids volatility after the death of its leader, Kim Jong-il.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda also urged Chinese President Hu Jintao to share information about developments in North Korea, where the succession of Kim's youngest son, Kim Jong-un, has fanned speculation about who will really control the secretive one-party state and its nuclear program.

"It is important that we will not let the death of the chairman of the National Defense Commission Kim have a negative impact on the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula," Noda was quoted by a Japanese official as telling Hu while on a visit to in Beijing.

Kim Jong-il's many positions included head of the important military commission.

"Under these circumstance, the role of China, which is the chair country of the six-party talks and has a big influence on North Korea, is extremely important," said Noda, according to the official who briefed reporters but declined to be identified.

The so-called six-party talks involve the two Koreas, China, Japan, the United States and Russia and are aimed at getting North Korea to give up its efforts to develop nuclear weapons.

The Japanese prime minister is the first regional leader to visit China since Kim Jong-il's death was announced a week ago.

China is the North's only major ally and the North has long relied on China for diplomatic and economic support.

Chinese state news agency Xinhua said Hu told Noda that it was in the interests of all sides to maintain stability on the Korean peninsula.

"China is ready to make joint efforts with all relevant parties, including Japan, to maintain peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and to achieve lasting peace, security and order on the peninsula and (in) northeast Asia," Xinhua cited Hu as saying.

Noda urged China to be forthcoming about what it learned about the North's transition.

"I would like vigorous information sharing between Japan and China, and intend to address the situation calmly and properly," the Japanese official cited Noda as telling Hu on the second and final day of his visit.

North Korea has alarmed the region with two plutonium-based nuclear test blasts, a succession of military altercations, and declarations that it was developing uranium enrichment, which could open another path to assembling atomic weapons.

Constraining North Korea is especially important for Japan, which is within range of the North's missiles and wants it to resolve the issue of the fate of Japanese citizens kidnapped and taken to North Korea to help train spies decades ago.

But China is wary about upsetting North Korea, especially during a delicate transition, and has restricted its public comments about the implications of Kim's death to broad calls for stability and calm.

"Both sides agreed that preserving the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula serves the interests of all sides," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in its account of talks on Sunday between Noda and Premier Wen Jiabao.

(Additional reporting by Chris Buckley and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/nkorea/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111226/wl_nm/us_china_japan_korea

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N. Korea: Military Generals Real Rulers, not Kim Jong Un (Time.com)

The policy under Kim Jong Il, North Korea's late Dear Leader, could not have had a name that was more straightforward: "military first politics." For most of Kim's 17-year reign as dictator, North Korea's military -- the Korean People's Army, or KPA -- got pretty much whatever it wanted. Even during the crippling famine, which killed tens of thousands in the late '90s, food was diverted to the military. Better a soldier with a full stomach, even if almost everyone else were starving, Kim seemed to think. "His position toward the military was one of weakness," says Christopher Hill, formerly the chief U.S. negotiator to the six-party nuclear talks.

Little wonder, then, that nearly everyone who tries to figure out what is happening in the world's most isolated regime believes that, in the wake of Kim's sudden death on Dec. 17, it is the military brass who will be firmly in control of the country, even as the young Kim Jong Un formally becomes what the Koreans call the suryong (supreme leader). "The military," says Hill, "will clearly be a critical factor in determining whether the [Kim] family dynasty survives." (See "After Kim Jong Il: A Look at the Kim Family Tree.")

Some analysts have argued that the North Korean brass were already deeply resentful that Kim Jong Un, in his late 20s, was last year given four stars and a position as vice chairman of the Central Military Committee "without having served a day in the military," as Victor Cha, who ran Asia policy on George W. Bush's National Security Council, recently put it. "Such a system," Cha says, "simply cannot hold."

This may overstate the regime's fragility, precisely because it underrates just how deeply rooted the Kim family dynasty is in North Korea and how deeply the KPA's interests are aligned with its continuation. The key man to watch, analysts say, is Vice Marshal Ri Yong Ho, chief of the General Staff in Pyongyang and, like Kim Jong Un, a chairman of the Central Military Committee, the key military policymaking body in the country. (See pictures of North Koreans mourning the death of Kim Jong Il.)

Ri, 69, is a third-generation elite who over the years established a close relationship with Kim Jong Il, and over the past two yeas was photographed at various public events seated alongside the late Dear Leader. He is also said to be close to Kim's sister as well as his brother-in-law Chang Sung Taek, the man who some believe is now Kim Jong Un's "regent," the power behind the throne who will be calling the shots. Ri is also a graduate of the Kim Il Sung Military Academy, as is Kim Jong Un. Diplomats and intelligence analysts believe there is no scenario under which the young Kim could have been elevated to the position of successor over the past two years without the brass's approval. "He's there because the military officials believe they can control him, at least for several years, and there's no other institution that can hold the place together," says an East Asia?based intelligence official. On Thursday, in fact, Reuters -- quoting an unnamed official with "close ties" to Beijing and Pyongyang -- reported that a "collective leadership'' arrangement has already been agreed to by Kim Jong Un and top military officials. (TIME has been unable to confirm this.) "The military has pledged its allegiance to Kim Jong Un," Reuters quoted its source as saying.

Most likely, that is vice versa. The military's powerful position in North Korean society can hardly be overestimated. Not only is it the overseer of the country's nuclear program -- the ultimate guarantor of Pyongyang's security -- but it is also its largest employer. There are over 1.1 million soldiers in the KPA's five branches, or nearly 20% of the male population between the ages of 17 and 54. It is also, therefore, the country's most powerful economic entity, the largest consumer of goods in the country as well as an exporter of missiles and nuclear technology via the shadowy Second Economic Committee, run by a man about whom little is known in the outside word -- Park Se Bong -- except for his reputed close ties with the ruling Kim clan. "Again, the boy would not be in this position if people like Park had strenuously objected," says the intelligence source. "People are reacting too much to the so-called suddenness of Kim Jong Il's death. This is a guy who had a severe stroke three years ago. For a while there, he looked like death warmed over. The idea that the regime didn't have its ducks in a row, that everyone assumed the Dear Leader was going to be around for another decade or more, doesn't withstand scrutiny. And the regime very much includes the military." (See "Kim Jong Il's Most Dangerous Legacy: A Thriving Nuclear-Export Business.")

It's also critical to understand, a variety of sources say, that North Korea is nothing if not a "kleptocracy," as Hill puts it. The centrality of the KPA means that senior military officials get their beaks wet as much as anyone, calling in favors (economic and otherwise) whenever they choose. Consider a small, recent example: a TIME correspondent visited a newly opened university in Pyongyang a few weeks ago, one in which the students were pretty much all elite, politically connected kids. How connected? Remember that all other college students in North Korea this year were not attending classes; they were out on construction sites, building monuments and memorials in anticipation of the glorious 100th anniversary of Kim Il Sung's birth in April 1912. All college students, that is, except those at the Science and Technology University that TIME visited.

There, a senior officer in the KPA with the rank of general recently visited the school's president, in order to arrange a place for his son. No freezing-cold construction sites for him, 100th anniversary of the Great Leader be damned. Loyalty to the Kim dynasty among the brass extends only so far; they do pretty much what they want, and it may well be that the young, inexperienced Kim Jong Un works for them now, not the other way around.

See pictures of North Korea's heir apparent, Kim Jong Un.

See TIME's Top 10 Everything of 2011.

View this article on Time.com

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/nkorea/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/time/20111224/wl_time/08599210298500

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PFT: If Giants win, Eagles-'Boys means nothing

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Still nine games back with 43 to go, I need a minor miracle to catch Rosenthal.? But I?m not going to start pulling out Hail Mary-type maneuvers by doing something like Picking the Chiefs to beat the Packers.

I mean, that would be kooky.

Rosenthal and I emerged from that crazy, upside-down Week 15 at 9-7 each.? For the year, he?s 151-73.? I?m 142-82.

Texans at Colts

Florio?s take:? Not long ago, it was presumed that the Colts would beat the Texans.? That was before the Colts lost Peyton Manning ? and before the Texans found their defense.? The ongoing absence of defensive coordinator Wade Phillips makes this one less of a sure thing for Houston, but the Colts surely won?t be looking to risk losing the Andrew Luck pick.

Florio?s pick:? Texans 28, Colts 13.

Rosenthal?s take: The Texans were reminded last week that their margin for error isn?t huge with T.J. Yates at quarterback. But that won?t be a problem this week. Houston?s defense will want to make amends after getting manhandled against Carolina. Expect 35 rushing attempts by the Texans.

Rosenthal?s pick: Texans 26, Colts 10.

Browns at Ravens

Florio?s take:? The Browns are one of the few inferior teams the Ravens managed to beat on the road.? This time, the Browns come to Baltimore, where the team that used to play in Cleveland has lost once in the last two seasons.? With the division title only two wins away, the Ravens won?t be blowing their chance to play a postseason game at home for the first time in the John Harbaugh/Joe Flacco tenure.

Florio?s pick:? Ravens 31, Browns 17.

Rosenthal?s take: Seneca Wallace looked like a slight upgrade from Colt McCoy.? Peyton Hillis is slightly healthier and more effective than he was earlier in the season.? So I?ll predict the Browns will make this slightly more interesting than the last time these two teams played.

Rosenthal?s pick: Ravens 27, Browns 17.

Broncos at Bills

Florio?s take:? Tebowmania takes Buffalo, where the Bills have seen a 4-1 start disintegrate, via seven straight losses.? With a trip to New England looming, this one gives the Bills their last, best shot at winning another game.? Though a playoff berth seems inevitable for the Broncos, it?ll have to wait until Week 17.

Florio?s pick:? Bills 24, Broncos 20.

Rosenthal?s take: Timing is everything. If the Bills started the season at 0-7, losing by an average of 18 points per week, Chan Gailey would be on the hot seat. But the Bills started fast before the bottom fell out, so no one has noticed that Buffalo is arguably the worst team in football at the moment.

Rosenthal?s pick: Broncos 23, Bills 16.

Buccaneers at Panthers

Florio?s take:? The Panthers have gotten better on the fly.? The Bucs have fallen apart, with eight straight losses.? Though anything can happen when teams from the same division square off, the Bucs haven?t made much of anything happen this year.? The Panthers won?t need to annex Puerto Rico or any other U.S. territories to win this one on Saturday.

Florio?s pick:? Panthers 34, Buccaneers 23.

Rosenthal?s take: The Bucs also have an argument for the worst team of the second half.? They?ve lost eight straight, with the last three by 21 points per game. Tampa is no longer even the up-and-coming ?Youngry? team in the division with the cool franchise quarterback; that?s now Carolina.

Rosenthal?s pick: Panthers 36, Buccaneers 23.

Cardinals at Bengals

Florio?s take:? One of the best games of the weekend will unfold before another way-less-than-capacity crowd in Cincinnati.? The Cardinals have won six of seven, and the Bengals still find themselves in the thick of things in the AFC wild-card chase.? But the Bengals have lost some of their punch in recent weeks, barely beating a pair of bad teams and losing four games to playoff contenders.? The Cardinals may not make it to the postseason, but it won?t be because they failed to handle their business.

Florio?s pick:? Cardinals 20, Bengals 17.

Rosenthal?s take: A legitimate quarterback controversy between Kevin Kolb and John Skelton is a surprising development. Arizona winning six of seven games in insane final possession fashion is even more surprising. The streak of luck ends against a Bengals team that was the surprise of the early season.

Rosenthal?s pick: Bengals 28, Cardinals 24.

Raiders at Chiefs

Florio?s take:? Chiefs players want to win for interim coach Romeo Crennel.? If they?d wanted to win as badly for former head coach Todd Haley, Crennel wouldn?t have the job he currently holds.? Kyle Orton and company keep making an unlikely push to the playoffs, as the Raiders continue to wonder how good they could have been if Darren McFadden hadn?t injured his foot the last time they played the team from Kansas City.

Florio?s pick:? Chiefs 24, Raiders 17.

Rosenthal?s take: Suddenly this game means a great deal. Both teams are trying to stay alive in the AFC West race. Romeo Crennel is trying to win a job. Hue Jackson is trying to justify his trade for Carson Palmer. Unfortunately, I fear that all the drama in the AFC West race will be over after this week.

Rosenthal?s pick: Chiefs 30, Raiders 20.

Dolphins at Patriots

Florio?s take:? Yes, the Dolphins aren?t as bad as they were when they lost seven straight games.? Yes, the Dolphins played the Patriots tough in Week One.? But the Patriots are two home wins away from the No. 1 seed for the second straight year.? Defensive warts and all, the Pats won?t be choking ? at least until they host the Jets or the Ravens in January.

Florio?s pick:? Patriots 35, Dolphins 23.

Rosenthal?s take: The Dolphins are 5-2 in their last seven games. The defense that got strafed in Week One by Tom Brady has improved greatly. Karlos Dansby, Kevin Burnett, and Vontae Davis are all playing much better for Miami. This is a dangerous game for the Patriots as they try to lock up the No. 1 seed.

Rosenthal?s pick: Patriots 26, Dolphins 24.

Giants at Jets

Florio?s take:? I?ve said for days that, if there were a way for both teams to lose this one, that?s what would happen.? (Maybe that means a tie is coming.)? The Giants have the better team on paper, but on paper the Giants shouldn?t have lost five of six games.? Recent trends have the Jets pulling things together and getting to the playoffs and the Giants completing a slide out of postseason contention.? Though all reason and common sense points to a Giants win, neither team?s performance this year has meshed with reason and common sense.

Florio?s pick:? Jets 17, Giants 14.

Rosenthal?s take: The Giants don?t have much if they don?t have a pass rush. And they don?t have much of a pass rush right now. At least the Jets have one reliable strength: Their pass defense. That should be enough to stop a Giants team that relies too much on Eli Manning.

Rosenthal?s pick: Jets 22, Giants 17.

Rams at Steelers

Florio?s take:? Against any other team, the question of whether the Steelers would use Ben Roethlisberger or Charlie Batch at quarterback would matter.? But these are the Rams.? The 2-12 Rams.? The hopelessly hapless Rams.? The Steelers would be likely to win this one even with one of the St. Louis backup quarterbacks taking the snaps for the home team.

Florio?s pick:? Steelers 20, Rams 3.

Rosenthal?s take: Charlie Batch is 37 years old. He was once teammates with Barry Sanders. At some point, the Steelers are going to roll him out there, and he just won?t be able to play the position anymore. Batch looked rough in his brief appearance two weeks ago. On the plus side: The Rams look rough every week.

Rosenthal?s pick: Steelers 16, Rams 6.

Jaguars at Titans

Florio?s take:? Though the Titans lost to the winless Colts last week, the Jaguars have been looking even worse in recent weeks, notwithstanding the contributions of Maurice Jones-Drew.? So with Matt Hasselbeck, Jake Locker, or even Vince Young at quarterback, the Titans should be able to take care of business ? despite the fact that the Jaguars pulled off the win the last time around.

Florio?s pick:? Titans 27, Jaguars 14.

Rosenthal?s take: Analysts have crushed Blaine Gabbert for his weak pocket presence all year. So interim coach Mel Tucker overcompensated by calling Gabbert ?courageous? and ?super-tough? this week. The Jaguars might be better off with a coach that recognizes Gabbert?s faults and tries to improve upon them.

Rosenthal?s pick: Titans 27, Jaguars 17.

Vikings at Redskins

Florio?s take:? Last year, the Vikings played their butts off against the Redskins in D.C., hopeful of helping Leslie Frazier lose the ?interim? tag.? This year, most Vikings don?t seem to care about Frazier or anyone else.? On a weekly basis, it shows.? It?s likely to show again on Saturday.

Florio?s pick:? Redskins 23, Vikings 10.

Rosenthal?s take: The Vikings feel like a 3-13 team, but their last win is more likely to come next week against the Bears. The Redskins feel exactly like a 6-10 type of team. They will hit their magic number on Sunday. This ?analysis? made more sense in my head.

Rosenthal?s pick: Redskins 26, Vikings 17.

Chargers at Lions

Florio?s take:? Norv Turner?s team has launched another impressive late-season run.? But the Lions have rediscovered their explosiveness on offense.? It?s time for Detroit to nail down its first playoff berth in more than a decade ? and to do so not by the skin of their teeth but by flexing some Motown muscle.

Florio?s pick:? Lions 35, Chargers 17.

Rosenthal?s take: Both quarterbacks in this game are playing very well.? Matthew Stafford saves his best stuff for the fourth quarter, while Philip Rivers has simply been on fire for three weeks. The Lions are 4-5 since beating the Bears on Monday Night Football. I?m not convinced they can beat good teams. The Chargers finally are a good team.

Rosenthal?s pick: Chargers 33, Lions 30.

Eagles at Cowboys

Florio?s take:? Jerry Jones fears the Eagles.? And for good reason.? Philly has found its groove, perhaps too late.? But not late enough for the Dream Team to complete a sweep of America?s Team.

Florio?s pick:? Eagles 33, Cowboys 27.

Rosenthal?s take: I predicted the Eagles would miss the playoffs at the beginning of the year. Despite a 6-8 record, they are somehow still alive and look like the best team in the division. I?m trying not to fall for it. It?s all part of an elaborate plan for Andy Reid to torture Eagles fans in the most painful way possible.

Rosenthal?s pick: Cowboys 30, Eagles 27.

49ers at Seahawks

Florio?s take:? The Jim Harbaugh-Pete Carroll rivalry is renewed, weeks after we?d all forgotten about it.? But even if the Seahawks can?t get the help they need to make it to the playoffs, they can throw a wrench into the Niners? plans for an easier path to Indy by killing Harbaugh?s shot at a bye.

Florio?s pick:? Seahawks 23, 49ers 17.

Rosenthal?s take: This is a dangerous game for the 49ers on a short week. Seattle?s defense continues to improve, while Tarvaris Jackson is playing his football of the season. (Without both his starting wideouts.) Both teams play a style designed to keep the game close. That favors the home team.

Rosenthal?s pick: Seahawks 17, 49ers 13.

Bears at Packers

Florio?s take:? Not long ago, this looked like it could be one of the best games of the year.? Now, it?ll mainly be an opportunity for the Packers to get the bad taste out of their mouths that came from losing to the Chiefs.

Florio?s pick:? Packers 35, Bears 13.

Rosenthal?s take: Josh McCown was coaching high school football four weeks ago. On Christmas night, he?ll show that he?s better than Caleb Hanie, and that it doesn?t really make a difference. The Packers have solved bigger injury problems than a few missing tackles.

Rosenthal?s pick: Packers 31, Bears 14.

Falcons at Saints

Florio?s take:? The Falcons beat the Saints in New Orleans last year.? Somehow.? This year, the Saints are unstoppable in the Superdome, thanks to a record-smashing season from Drew Brees.? But the Falcons have the firepower to keep it interesting.? Get your popcorn ready.? And your abacus.

Florio?s pick:? Saints 45, Falcons 38.

Rosenthal?s take: Exactly three points decided the last four games in this series. Atlanta will do enough to remind everyone the Saints? defense really hasn?t improved much. But the Falcons won?t do enough to hand New Orleans their first home loss of the year.

Rosenthal?s pick: Saints 34, Falcons 31.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/12/22/if-giants-beat-jets-eagles-cowboys-becomes-meaningless/related/

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LAD creditors oppose Fox effort to halt sale order (AP)

DOVER, Del. ? Creditors of the Los Angeles Dodgers are joining the team in urging a federal district judge not to halt implementation of a bankruptcy court order authorizing the Dodgers to begin a process for selling television rights to future games.

In a filing Wednesday, the committee said there's no guarantee that a sale of the team without the TV rights will result in Dodgers creditors being paid in full.

The committee noted that the Dodgers face several unreconciled claims, including a lawsuit filed on behalf of a San Francisco Giants fan who is represented on the creditors committee and was critically injured in an assault outside Dodger Stadium on opening day.

Fox is challenging the proposed media rights sale, saying it violates the company's rights under an existing contract with the Dodgers.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111221/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bbn_dodgers_bankruptcy

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Fitch threatens to downgrade U.S. debt from AAA

What?s happening in the headlines can affect you as an investor. Here?s what?s going on, what you need to know, and what you should do, writes The Motley Fool.

The cold, hard facts
Reuters is reporting that Fitch, one of the big three credit rating agencies, is threatening to downgrade U.S. sovereign debt from AAA, citing the recent failure of the congressional super-committee to agree on at least $1.2 trillion in deficit-reduction measures. Fitch had already lowered the country?s outlook from ?stable? to ?negative.?

Some context
?The high and rising federal and general government debt burden is not consistent with the U.S. retaining its ?AAA? status despite its other fundamental sovereign credit strengths,? the ratings agency said.

In a new fiscal projection, Fitch said at least $3.5 trillion of additional deficit reduction measures will be required to stabilise the federal debt held by the public at around 90% of gross domestic product in the latter half of the current decade. Fitch added that there would be no decision to cut the current rating, however, until 2013.

What?s next
On Aug. 5, Standard & Poor?s downgraded U.S. sovereign debt from AAA to AA+ in a historic move that followed hard on the heels of the summer?s theatre-of-the-absurd debt-ceiling debate. Yet despite predictions of apocalyptic consequences, nothing happened. In fact, post-downgrade, investors rushed into U.S. Treasuries looking for a safe haven, driving yields down to record lows. Go figure.

Actually, the reason is pretty simple. No matter what the ratings agencies say or do, investors around the globe know that the United States is still the safest place to put their money. While the markets have been up and down all year, the Dow Jones, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq are all operating at or near prerecession levels. We wish the same could be said of our S&P/ASX 200 (INDEXASX:XJO), down 13 per cent in 2011, or the All Ordinaries (INDEXASX:XAO), off 14 per cent.

And with a (tentative) U.S. economic recovery in motion, the long term is looking up, which is what we Fools focus on. So while the country certainly has to address its? mounting deficit, don?t lose too much sleep over the Fitch action. Besides, the U.S. have until 2013 to fix their debt problems. That?s plenty of time, right?

Of course, that?s not to say markets won?t continue on their volatile way in 2012. If you?re worried about a sharemarket crash, be sure to request this Motley Fool free report Read This Before The Market Crashes. It may save you thousands of dollars, and endless heartache.

More reading:

Billabong wipes out

Successful investing: Who cares?

Two small caps pursuing healthy growth

?

Source: http://www.fool.com.au/2011/12/investing/fitch-threatens-to-downgrade-u-s-debt-from-aaa/

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Shocker! Tablet ad requests up 700 percent during 2011

Good news: all those new tablets you see reported on these pages aren't being stolen by elves; they're entering the human population at large and -- most Christmassy of all -- they're displaying ads. Google told TechCrunch that its AdMob platform saw eight billion ad requests from tablets during the month of November, compared to one lonely billion back in December 2010. Total AdMob requests amount to roughly three billion per day, however, so tablet advertising is still sugary froth compared to that on smartphones.

Shocker! Tablet ad requests up 700 percent during 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/22/shocker-tablet-ad-requests-up-700-percent-during-2011/

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Chrome 15 overtakes IE 8 for top browser spot

Google

By Athima Chansanchai

If you're reading this on Chrome, you're part of a wave that has ditched Internet Explorer or Firefox and helped vault Google's browser to the top Web browser spot worldwide.

We've been watching for a while now as reports have shown a consistent rise in Chrome's popularity. We saw how in one report, it's already gone past Firefox, knowing it was just a matter of time before it usurped one of the longest reigning dynasties in the browser world, IE.

But wait, there is a caveat to this: Chrome 15 beat IE 8, specifically, this one week at the end of November, with 23.6 percent of the worldwide market, compared to IE 8's at 23.5 percent.?With all the versions of IE floating around, IE is still No. 1 in the world, but Chrome is right behind it.

StatCounter

Ireland-based?StatCounter???which posts Web analytics based on aggregate data it collects from a?sample exceeding 15 billion pageviews per month (including 4 billion in the U.S.),?collected from the StatCounter network of more than 3 million websites???released a statement?about Chrome 15's ascension, humbling the initial enthusiasm of any Google devotee when it also made it clear that in the?U.S., reports of IE's demise are still premature. According to StatCounter, It was still able to capture?27 percent of browser action last week, compared to 18.1 percent for Chrome 15.

Live Poll

Which Web browser are you using?

• 171054

  IE. Why mess with a classic?

  22%

• 171055

  Firefox. Mozilla all the way!

  34%

• 171056

  Chrome. So far it's working for me.

  39%

• 171057

  Safari. Ok, I'm old school, alright?!

  5%

VoteTotal Votes: 4875

(Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal.)

Different companies will issue different stats on just how much of a lead IE still has on Chrome, with companies such as?NetMarketShare?showing?IE's year-long steady free fall, but still at about 52 percent a month ago.?

Chrome has made a steady rise as IE declines, but Firefox still stands in its way. But not by much. And by StatCounter's measure, in the world outside the U.S., Chrome already brushed past Firefox in November, when it wrested the No. 2 spot with 25.69 percent of the worldwide market (up from 4.66 percent in November 2009) compared to Firefox's 25.23 percent.?

Will 2012 be the year that sees the fall of IE everywhere, including the U.S.? Take our poll and let us know which browser you're using.

More stories:

Check out Technolog on?Facebook, and on Twitter, follow?Athima Chansanchai, who is also trying to keep her head above water in the?Google+?stream.

Source: http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/16/9493722-chrome-15-overtakes-ie-8-for-top-browser-spot

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Nikki Haley endorsement for Romney: Will it help him in South Carolina?

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, a tea party favorite, praised Mitt Romney's business background in endorsing him for president Friday. She plans to campaign with him ahead of the state's Jan. 21 primary.

In a major coup, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has landed the presidential endorsement of South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

Skip to next paragraph

Governor Haley was a tea party favorite in the 2010 elections, and her backing was much sought after ? especially given South Carolina?s status as the third contest (Jan. 21) on the GOP nomination calendar. ?

In a statement released Friday morning by the Romney campaign, Haley praised Mr. Romney?s background as a businessman.

?He understands exactly how jobs are created,? Haley said. ?He is not a creature of Washington, and he knows what it means to make decisions ? real decisions ? not simply cast a vote.?

Haley endorsed Romney for president in 2008, and Romney campaigned for her when she ran for governor. Generally, the power of endorsements is debatable, but given that Haley plans to make appearances in the state with Romney, her backing could carry some weight.

Currently, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich enjoys a large lead in South Carolina polls, but analysts argue that his support is soft and that South Carolina is often swayed by the outcomes of the first two contests, Iowa and New Hampshire. Those races typically winnow the field and clarify the choice by the time South Carolina voters get their say.

Also in the backs of people?s minds is whether Romney would ask Haley to be his running mate, should he win the nomination. As a young woman of Indian-American heritage, she would add diversity to a Romney-led ticket. She could also help Romney shore up his credibility with conservative tea partyers. But, as with the choice of then-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as GOP nominee John McCain?s running mate in 2008, Haley would have to answer questions about whether she?s experienced enough to be next in line for the presidency. She turns 40 in January.

Haley was elected governor a year ago, and before that was a state legislator. Before going into politics, she was in business.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/98VmJJz0D68/Nikki-Haley-endorsement-for-Romney-Will-it-help-him-in-South-Carolina

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Giuliani Brings His Knife to Morning Shows to Carve Up Romney (ABC News)

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