UK-Odd Summary (Reuters)

Philippine men bare all to save the earth

MANILA (Reuters) ? Dozens of men ran naked on Friday around a university campus in the Philippine capital, Manila, calling for cleaner rivers and greater efforts to save the earth. In what has become an annual tradition at the University of the Philippines, fraternity members dashed through the halls wearing only masks to hide their faces and carrying signs calling for environmental protection.

Rostock want sell-out virtual crowd in closed doors match

BERLIN (Reuters) - Hansa Rostock are hoping their German second-division match against Dynamo Dresden will be a sell-out Sunday even though they have been ordered to play behind closed doors. Rostock, who are bottom of the table with one win from their 18 matches, were punished by the German FA (DFB) after crowd trouble marred their 3-1 defeat to St Pauli last month when eight police officers were injured.

Greek man claims for 19 kids-none real, police say

ATHENS (Reuters) - A former Greek policeman who invented 19 fictional offspring to claim benefits for what would have been the largest family in Greece has been arrested for benefit fraud, police said. The former police officer, divorced and with no children of his own, quit his 1,000-euro-a-month (837.52 pounds) job in 2001 and has been living solely on benefits ever since, police said on Thursday.

Six-pack hunks - more than Singapore can bare?

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Shirtless men clad in red sweatpants have been lining up for days in Singapore's prime shopping district, part of an advertising gimmick revealing not just muscle but also a gradual unpeeling of the city state's puritanical ways. The feverish reception given the "shirtless greeters" by the Singapore public, both in real life and online, where it has gone viral in social media, signals how the notoriously conservative city-state has been loosening up in recent years, experts said.

Google donates $11.5 million to fight modern slavery

(Reuters) - Google Inc is donating $11.5 million (7.4 million pounds) in grants to fight modern slavery and its hold on 27 million people worldwide, the technology company said on Wednesday. The donation is believed to be one of the largest corporate initiatives ever to fight slavery.

Take off that tie to save energy, Chilean men told

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile's government wants men in the South American country to take off their ties to help fight global warming, hoping the campaign will save on air conditioning as summer starts in the southern hemisphere. "Let's all take our ties off this summer to save energy," Economy Minister Pablo Longueira says in television spots airing around the country.

Heir-apparent's hair's apparent in North Korea capital

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean heir-apparent Kim Jong-un's slicked-back, high-sided haircut is a fashion hit in Pyongyang where young men are apparently queuing up for a similar cut. Kim, believed to be in his late 20s and known as the "Young General," is packaged to look like his late grandfather, the secretive state's founder, Kim Il-sung.

Kids won't eat veggies? Try rewards, a study says

(Reuters) - If your preschoolers turn up their noses at carrots or celery, a small reward like a sticker for taking even a taste may help get them to eat previously shunned foods, a UK study said. Though it might seem obvious that a reward could tempt young children to eat their vegetables, the idea is actually controversial, researchers wrote in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Chinese man arrested for hiring wedding strippers

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese police have arrested a man who hired two strippers to perform at his son's wedding after the performance was mobbed by villagers, a newspaper reported on Wednesday. Zhang Cheng, from Xuzhou in eastern Jiangsu province, had originally wanted a band to play at the nuptials, but was then advised he could get performers whose show would have "special features," the Global Times said.

Take care selling the family silver, hard up Greeks told

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece published guidelines on Tuesday to protect its austerity-hit citizens from being ripped off by pawn shops buying their family gold and silver. The consumer protection agency issued the unusual notice as new pawn shops spring up across Athens to meet demand for instant cash in Greece's contracting economy. But crisis-hit families may be getting a poor deal from unscrupulous traders.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/environment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111216/od_uk_nm/oukoe_summary

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IDC: iPad maintains tablet dominance, HP's TouchPad fire sale burned brightly

While the Android tablets continue to roll in, Apple can still lay claim to the lion's share of the tablet market according to IDC's latest report. Its research suggests that the iPad holds onto 61.5 percent of the worldwide market share, down from 63.3 percent last quarter. Android devices in total also saw a slight contraction, down from 33.2 percent to 32.4 percent. This is partly explained by the HP TouchPad's final hurrah, which rocketed the ill-fated webOS tablet up to third place with a 5 percent of share of tablet sales and an estimated 903,354 devices sold. Samsung maintained its Honeycomb tablet crown, nabbing 5.6 percent of all tablet sales. The Korean manufacturer was closely tailed by Barnes and Noble's Nook Color with 4.5 percent and Asus, arriving at fifth place with a four percent share. Tablets in total sold less than the analysts had predicted, although E-readers outperformed estimates, with 6.5 million E-readers sold in the third quarter, up 165.9 percent from last year. IDC expects some disruptive new tablets will spice up the fourth quarter results and you can take a look at its findings and predictions at the full press release below.

Continue reading IDC: iPad maintains tablet dominance, HP's TouchPad fire sale burned brightly

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Ohio boy who weighed 200 pounds to live with uncle

Attorney John Lawson, who represents the boy, speaks to the media after a court proceeding Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011, in Cleveland. An Ohio judge says a third-grader who was taken from his mother after his weight topped 200 pounds will be removed from foster care and placed in his uncle's custody. The judge says the boy's weight has dropped to 192 pounds while he's been in foster care for two months. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Attorney John Lawson, who represents the boy, speaks to the media after a court proceeding Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011, in Cleveland. An Ohio judge says a third-grader who was taken from his mother after his weight topped 200 pounds will be removed from foster care and placed in his uncle's custody. The judge says the boy's weight has dropped to 192 pounds while he's been in foster care for two months. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

(AP) ? A boy removed from his mother's custody over health concerns when his weight ballooned to more than 200 pounds will be taken from foster care and placed in the custody of an uncle, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Judge John Hoffman also said the boy, who celebrated his 9th birthday Wednesday but didn't appear in court, would be allowed a weeklong visit with his mother for Christmas. His name was withheld by Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court.

The mother left court without commenting, but the placement with her brother living in the Columbus area had been accepted by all sides before it was announced during a brief court hearing.

The court-appointed attorney representing the boy's interests, John Lawson, said he was sure the youngster would be happy with the agreement.

"This is only an interim plan because the real goal of everybody here is to get him back in his home with his mother and his sibling," a brother, Lawson said.

"He's a very smart boy and I think he's got goals about himself," Lawson said, including losing weight.

While in foster care, the boy's weight dropped from about 200 pounds to 192.

Mary Louise Madigan, speaking for the Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services agency that sought foster care for the boy over weight-related health issues, said having the uncle caring for the boy was part of the county's goal of getting him to a healthy weight and back with his mother.

"He's in a least restrictive placement with a family member and I think that's what the court was looking at," she said.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio joined the case on the boy's behalf and said he should be with his family.

"We think it's a fundamental liberty for a child to be brought up in his home among family and friends," said the ACLU's James Hardiman.

Taking a child from the home over weight issues could set a bad precedent, he said.

"We're concerned that if this were to establish a precedent that it would be a pretty dangerous precedent. So we take it as a basic fundamental civil liberties issue," Hardiman said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-12-14-Obese%20Third-Grader/id-710ab7c547ca4679a10999e1cccd56e2

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Gingrich spends weekend in Washington (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Just two weekends remain before the Iowa caucuses and Newt Gingrich, the Republican leading in the presidential race there, is spending this one about 1,000 miles away in Washington.

Periodic down time is not unusual for candidates who generally maintain a chaotic pace on the campaign trail.

But Gingrich is among the only candidates in a crowded and constantly evolving field to spend three full days away from voters less than 20 days before the first stop on the path to the Republican presidential nomination.

His chief rival, Mitt Romney, will spend Saturday in South Carolina ? a state Gingrich has high hopes for ? showcasing his latest high-profile endorsement, from South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

By contrast, Gingrich will spend part of Saturday watching his wife, Callista, perform at a Christmas concert in northern Virginia. He also plans a morning conference call for reporters to present his criticism of the federal judiciary and how he would, as his campaign puts it, "bring federal courts back within the constraints of the U.S. Constitution."

In addition to the weekend Christmas concert, Callista Gingrich also has a book signing scheduled for Saturday in Virginia. On Sunday, Gingrich is scheduled to appear on CBS' "Face the Nation" and participate in a telephone town hall with tea party supporters.

Gingrich's campaign declined to comment on his schedule. He has struggled with the perception that he's unwilling to work as hard as some candidates to connect with voters.

Several staffers quit his campaign in June after questioning his commitment. He raised eyebrows at the time for spending two weeks on a luxury cruise through Greece and Turkey with his wife.

Gingrich's commitment to retail campaigning in early states has drawn criticism recently. He was the only candidate who didn't make time to meet with the New Hampshire conservative group, We the People PAC, which is led by leading local activist and recent Republican congressional candidate Jennifer Horn.

"I think that one of the most important parts of the primary process is candidates being willing to interact with voters," Horn said.

But strategically, time away from the media spotlight might be helpful, particularly for a candidate whose statements land him in trouble periodically.

"Although the political consultants wouldn't agree, I think you do have to pace yourself," said Rick Tyler, who was among the Gingrich staffers who resigned in June. "People get tripped up because they don't get adequate rest. And Newt's proven to the political consultants that he actually knows what he's doing."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111217/ap_on_el_pr/us_gingrich

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Belgian city after deadly rampage asks 'Why?' (AP)

LIEGE, Belgium ? A card at a memorial to the victims asked the question haunting all of Belgium: "Why?"

Why did Nordine Amrani, a 33-year-old with a history of lawbreaking, sweep into this city's holiday shopping center to unleash a grenade-and-gun rampage that killed three people and wounded 123 others? Why did he then kill himself?

Deepening the mystery, police announced Wednesday that another body had been found, that of a 45-year-old woman, in a shed where Amrani grew cannabis close to his home.

Liege Prosecutor Daniele Reynders said, after searches of Amrani's house, terrorism could be excluded.

"It was a cleaning lady. This is how she met him yesterday morning," she said. "She dies, shot with a bullet in the head."

The Ferris Wheel at Liege's Christmas market started turning again Wednesday, hoping to restore some festive cheer, but the mood remained black as the coal that once drove this rustbelt city in eastern Belgium.

"The crowds won't show up," said Francoise Robert, a vendor selling miniature castles and Christmas items. "People are scared."

At the outdoor bus depot that Amrani attacked, a long parade of people bundled against the wind and rain paid tribute to the victims. Young women cried and families lit candles as shards of unswept glass still littered the pavement.

"Warum (why)?" asked one card, surrounded by toys, flowers and candles. The victims included a 1 1/2 year-old toddler and two teenage boys, both students. Five others are reported in critical condition.

Adelie Miguel, a 48-year-old resident of Spanish descent, placed a bouquet of white tulips against the shattered bus stop.

"We are all Liegeois, united in suffering," she said. "This was an act of a sick man."

Beyond the dead and injured, Reynders said 40 other people had to be treated for psychological trauma.

In the capital, Brussels, the government pledged to toughen the gun law and put stricter controls on multiple offenders on conditional release. Amrani, who had done jail time for offenses involving guns and drugs, had been called in for questioning Tuesday by police in a sexual abuse case.

Amrani's lawyer said his client had been particularly scared over the last few days that he would be jailed again. It is unclear, however, if this was the tipping point.

"He was extremely nervous," Jeann-Francois Dister told VRT network. "He was impulsive but what he did was unbelievable."

Even though he still had more grenades and more rounds of ammunition with him, Amrani turned a gun on himself and shot himself in the face.

Officials said he left his Liege home with a backpack, armed with hand grenades, a revolver and an FAL assault rifle. He walked alone onto a busy downtown square, then got onto a platform that gave him an ideal view of the area, bedecked with a Christmas tree and crowded with shoppers.

From there, he lobbed three hand grenades toward nearby bus shelters, explosions that scattered glass across a wide area. He then opened fire on the crowd, prompting a stampede as hundreds fled in panic. Some ran grasping the hands of young children who had come to see the Christmas market.

In Liege, a melting pot of immigrant communities whose members worked the blast furnaces and coal mines here for decades, some people feared a backlash: Amrani had a foreign heritage, even if he was Belgian-born. In Belgium, racial stereotypes tend to surface quickly when crime is involved.

"This man? I didn't know him. I just know that he is a Moroccan," said Amrani's neighbor Wihelmina Schwartz.

Cedric Christiaens, a 20-year-old language student living close to the square, said the outrage will only increase when more people realize that Amrani was able to walk the streets on conditional release despite previous jail time and convictions for illegal gun possession and drugs.

"It was a shock to learn that he could go about his business like that," said Christiaens.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111214/ap_on_re_eu/eu_belgium_attack

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Tipping in tough times: What you need to know

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According to a survey, 39 percent of childcare providers and 47 percent of housekeepers do not expect cash or a gift this year.

By Eve Tahmincioglu

When my father died nearly a decade ago, one of the sanitation workers who served our Queens, N.Y., neighborhood cried when he heard about his death.?

For years, my dad had been a generous tipper around the holidays, especially when it came to the trash guys, spreading the joy with crisp $50 bills and bottles of Johnnie Walker Red Label.?

Showing appreciation for hard work is the reason many of us give when it comes to holiday gratuities for service that rarely gets a thank you any other time of year. But during tough economic times, the practice has come under increasing scrutiny.?

We all understand that certain employees need tips to survive financially, including waiters and waitresses who get paid less with the idea gratuities will more than make up the difference. But with so many people struggling to make ends meet given years of stagnant wage growth ? if they have a job at all ? the mentality has become, ?hey, they?ve got a job, why do they need a holiday handout???

?You can tip yourself into the poor house,? said Carole Townsend, author of ?Southern Fried White Trash,? who has noticed more and more people bypassing tips this holiday season because of budget constraints and wondering why cash tips are even necessary.?

?I?m hearing that people are going out of their way to make things, like a tin of cookies for the nail lady, or a box of fudge for the mailman,? she explained. ?They can?t afford it. Everyone is holding everything so close now money wise, even people you?d think really don?t need to.??

Indeed, even many of the typical tip beneficiaries, including everyone from baby sitters to maids, don?t expect that much holiday cheer this season. According to a survey by SitterCity 39 percent of childcare providers and 47 percent of housekeepers do not expect cash or a gift this year.?

But that doesn?t mean they wouldn?t appreciate some cash. Among childcare providers polled 34 percent would like cash, if they get a gift at all, while only 4 percent would like a handmade gift. And 28 percent of housekeepers wouldn?t mind some dough, compared to 3 percent who want their bosses? creations.?

Everyone realizes times are tough, but bypassing tips for those you really depend on throughout the year may not be a great idea.?

Even though Townsend doesn?t tip garbage collectors or postal workers that serve her area, there?s one person she suggested people never forget. ?If you have a good hairdresser you have to do what ever you can to make them happy,? stressed Townsend. ?Mine is a miracle worker.??

Clearly, no one wants a bad haircut, but can holiday tips really guarantee good service in the future??

Etiquette expert Mary Mitchell thinks so.

?Tip really means to ensure prompt payment,? said Mitchell, author of ?The Complete Idiot?s Guide to Etiquette.? ?A tip is something that we do to both acknowledge we appreciate good service and to assure that it will continue.??

That said, she?s not an advocate of holiday tipping everyone in sight. If you have a service done regularly, such as having your nails done or your shoes shined, and you typically tip after every visit, there?s no need to tip yet again at the end of the year, she advised.

Her general tipping guidance includes:

  • Not tipping the mailman or woman, or teachers, because in most cases they?re not supposed to take cash gifts
  • $20 for the trash collector
  • A week?s pay equivalent for people who do regular work for you such as your personal trainer, or a cleaning lady or gentleman

If you?ve always doled out the big bucks during the holiday and are embarrassed that you can?t be as generous this year, Mitchell recommends the honest approach. ?Most of us can afford to take a few minutes and write a handwritten note,? she noted. She suggested something like this: ?I hope you know how much all your good services have meant to me throughout the year. Just as soon as I get another job I will celebrate my prosperity with you.??

Such genuine communications, she maintained, will go a long way in developing those strong relationships with the people that make our lives better every day.?

Growing up, I always thought it was strange that our trashcan was the only one on our block that the sanitation crew moved from off the curb to the side of our house, even during snowstorms. As it turns out, a little generosity, and some Scotch, does go a long way.?

More from msnbc.com:

Source: http://lifeinc.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/14/9449171-tipping-in-tough-times-heres-what-you-need-to-know

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Toshiba Portégé Z835-P330

The Toshiba Port?g? Z835-P330 is the newest member of the Port?g? line, and Toshiba's first ultrabook. Available exclusively through Best Buy, with other configurations coming soon through Toshiba, the Port?g? Z835-P330 is currently the cheapest of the new slim laptop category of ultrabooks, selling for $799.99 (list). Aside from price the Z835-P330 has three other things going for it: A featherweight chassis, an unusually full feature set, and a long-lasting battery that will take you through an entire workday. Whether or not those highlights are enough to make you overlook its middling performance and mediocre graphics capability is up to you.

Design
The Z835-P330 sports a dark grey magnesium alloy chassis, providing a light but sturdy base. The lid is also covered in magnesium, but is layered on top of a flexible?some might say flimsy?plastic bezel. Inside the magnesium chassis, Toshiba has also reinforced the structure with a honeycomb-patterned plastic ribbing. As a result the Z835-P330 manages to feel far more stable than the Acer Aspire S3 ($899.99 direct, 3.5 stars), which also went with a magnesium and plastic approach. Neither, however, can match the look and feel of the solid aluminum chassis on the Editors' Choice Asus Zenbook UX31 ($1,099 direct, 4 stars). While you're carrying the Z835-P330 around, watch out for its corners. The sharp 90-degree corners, reinforced with magnesium, are just sharp enough to hurt if they were to jab somebody. While people may occasionally chop their food with the MacBook Air as a joke, most ultrabooks have rounded corners.

The Z835-P330's solid feel is especially surprising given its size (0.6 by 12.4 by 8.9 inches, HWD) and weight?just 2.4 pounds. That's a half-pound lighter than the 2.9-pound Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (Thunderbolt) ($1,299.99 direct, 4 stars), Acer Aspire S3 (2.94 pounds), and far lighter than the Asus Zenbook UX31 (2.86 pounds).

The chiclet-style keyboard is made of plastic, while the palm rest is brushed magnesium, with a plastic deck. The keyboard uses the same island-style keys seen on Acer Aspire S3, but the Z835-P330's keys have a black glossy finish to them, which I didn't care for. The keys themselves are also surrounded with plastic instead of magnesium. As a result, the keyboard flexes quite a bit during regular typing. The keyboard is spill resistant and also has a backlight, which is ideal in low-light situations. The accompanying multitouch trackpad is small but responsive, with a light texture across its surface. The separate right and left mouse buttons are a little too firm for my tastes, but they are also covered in a glossy chrome finish, which shows every fingerprint. It's a puzzling choice for the two most often touched buttons on the unit.

The Z835-P330 sports a 13.3-inch widescreen display, with 1,366-by-768 resolution?the same size and resolution offered on the Acer S3, but lower than the 1,600-by-900 resolution on the Asus UX31. Like the Acer S3, the screen is backlit (400 nits) for visibility in environments with lots of ambient light. Unlike the Acer S3, the Z835-P330 also offers fairly wide viewing angles, providing clear visibility for yourself and anyone else you want to share the screen with. The screen, while extremely thin, also feels fragile. The slender lid warps and bends at the slightest pressure, and the hinge is just loose enough to wobble at any motion.

The built-in speakers feature Waves MaxxAudio, but even with software enhancement they leave something to be desired. The speakers were disappointing, with low overall volume, and a flat sound that thins out as it gets louder. There's also very little low end, meaning you'll want an external speaker system to hear any bass at all.

There's very little room for air flow in this slim chassis, so you may notice the Z835-P330 getting uncomfortably hot. During testing, the Toshiba got very hot?up to 102-degrees Fahrenheit on the keyboard and 110-degrees on the underside (as measured with a Fluke IR thermometer). Granted, our testing process may push the components a bit harder than the average user would, but you still might want to watch out for a possible case of toasted leg syndrome.

Features
The slim profile of an ultrabook is often attained by stripping the feature set down to the bare minimum. Not so on the Z835-P330. Rather it's outfitted with the best selection of ports we've seen on an ultrabook thus far, taking advantage of the extra fraction of an inch on the hinge edge to put a full-size HDMI port and two USB 2.0 ports?one of which is equipped with Toshiba's Sleep'n'Charge technology. In addition to the pair of ports on the back, there's also a faster USB 3.0 port on the right hand side, accompanied by a case-lock slot on the right and SD card slot and jacks for headphones and a microphone on the left. Set above the screen is a 1.3-megapixel webcam.

A Gigabit Ethernet port on the back is a rare find on an ultrabook, since most rely exclusively on 802.11n Wi-Fi. Unexpectedly, the Z835-P330 comes with WiDi 2.0, Intel's wireless streaming solution that allows you to stream HD content to any HDTV through a Netgear Push2TV adapter (a $99 dollar extra). It's an unexpected feature in this form factor and price range, seen only in the much more expensive Lenovo IdeaPad U300s ($1,199, not yet rated).

The Z835-P330 has a 128GB solid-state dive (SSD), which is large enough to accommodate the operating system, a healthy number of programs, and a modest selection of media. But if you're a prolific downloader of music or movies, you'll definitely want to add a speedy USB 3.0 portable hard drive. Because flash memory provides the speed and responsiveness needed for Intel's Rapid Start Technology (one of the defining characteristics of the ultrabook category) SSDs are the rule, rather than the exception. Thus far, the only ultrabook to offer a larger mechanical drive is the Acer S3, which offers 500GB of storage on a spinning drive plus the flash memory needed for Rapid Start. The Z835-P330 leverages its SSD to achieve a cold boot time of 22 seconds, and a 2-second restart.

As a Best Buy configuration, the Z835-P330 comes pre-loaded with the Best Buy PC App, which minimizes the amount of bloatware installed on the hard drive while still providing access to a wide range of programs. Also included on the drive are Google Chrome, Microsoft Office Starter 2010, and a 30-day trial of Norton Internet Security. You'll also get a number of Toshiba-branded programs and utilities, like Toshiba BookPlace, Toshiba BulletinBoard, and Toshiba ReelTime.

Toshiba covers the Z835-P330 with its standard one-year warranty, but Best Buy offers further protection via its extended service plans. Their basic service plan extends the manufacturer's warranty from 1-year to 2-years ($149.99) and additional accident and spill protection can be included for another $120.

Performance
The Z835-P330 is equipped with a low-voltage dual-core Intel Core i3-2367M processor paired with 4GB of RAM. It's a significant step up from the AMD and Intel Atom CPUs found in traditional netbooks, but it's not as powerful as the Core i5s that have appeared in the Macbook Air 13-inch, the Asus UX31, or the Acer S3. This difference is best seen in the results of our PCMark 7 benchmark test, where the Z835-P330 scored 2,496 points, putting it ahead of the Acer S3 (1,899), but behind the Asus UX31 (3,531) and MacBook Air (3,186). The Z835-P330 was also the slowest of the bunch on our Cinebench R11.5 rendering test, where its score of 1.33 points fell just a fraction of a point behind the Samsung Series 9 (1.36), and was seriously outpaced by the Asus UX31 (2.19) and Acer S3 (1.93). It provided mixed results in multimedia tasks, completing Handbrake in 3 minutes 29 seconds. The only slower competitor was the Samsung Series 9 (4:45), while the Acer S3 (2:36), Asus UX31 (2:19), and MacBook Air (2:09) finished in under three minutes. Photoshop was an entirely different story: The Z835-P330 took 8 minutes 17 seconds, lagging behind the slowest competitor, the Samsung Series 9 (NP900X3A) ($1,599 street, 4 stars) (5:53) by more than 2 minutes.

Without a dedicated graphics processor, you won't be using the Z835-P330 for any sort of gaming, except perhaps the latest Facebook flash offerings. The integrated Intel graphics were unable to support 3DMark 06, and stuttered through our gaming tests like a poorly timed slideshow. It ran both games at medium detail settings and 1024-by-768 resolution, but only scored 14 frames per second in Crysis and 16fps in Lost Planet 2.

Toshiba's claimed battery life of up to 8 hours for the Z835-P330 was pretty accurate. In MobileMark 2007, its 47W battery lasted 7 hours 35 minutes . That's a full hour longer than the 6:32 offered by the Asus UX31 (with a 50Wh battery), and an additional 2 hours longer than either the MacBook Air (5:46 with a 50Wh batter) or Acer S3 (5:20 with a 36Wh batter). Unlike other manufacturers, Toshiba hasn't made any claims regarding standby time.

The Toshiba Port?g? Z835-P330 may not be the best ultrabook on the market, but it does stand out due to its light weight, exceptional feature set, and category-leading battery life. The Editors' Choice Asus Zenbook UX31 still reigns supreme among ultrabooks because of its solid construction, stellar audio, and better performance, but it's $300 more. If you favor portability over performance, the Z835-P330 is a solid choice.

BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS:

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Toshiba Port?g? Z835-P330 with several other laptops side by side.

More laptop reviews:
??? Toshiba Port?g? Z835-P330
??? Dell Latitude E6420-ATG
??? Acer Aspire One AO722-0828
??? Acer Aspire AS5750-6667
??? Acer Aspire TimelineX AS4830T-6841
?? more

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Spain votes for change to combat crisis (Reuters)

MADRID (Reuters) ? Spaniards reeling from an economic crisis voted on Sunday in an election expected to throw out the ruling Socialists and bring in a center-right party which promises only harsher austerity measures.

A grim mood dominated as people went to the polls against a background of soaring unemployment, cuts in public spending and a debt crisis that has put Spain in the front line of the euro zone's fight for survival.

"Being a civil servant I'm not optimistic," said Jose Vasquez, 45, who was among the early voters in the capital Madrid.

"We can choose the sauce they will cook us in, but we're still going to be cooked."

Pre-election opinion polls gave the conservative People's Party (PP), led by Mariano Rajoy, an unassailable lead over the Socialists, who have led Spain from boom to bust in seven years.

Voters are angry with the Socialists for failing to act swiftly to prevent the slide in the euro zone's fourth-largest economy and then for belatedly bringing in austerity measures that have slashed wages, benefits and jobs.

Yet people now seem resigned to further cuts, including in health and education, in the midst of a European debt crisis that has toppled the governments of Ireland, Portugal, Greece and Italy and pushed Spain's borrowing costs to critical levels.

Spain's bleak economic outlook hung over the election campaign. One in five Spanish workers are without a job and its economy is threatening to slip into recession next year for the second time in three years.

"Something's got to change here in Spain, with 5 million people on the dole, this can't go on. People like us just want to work." Juan Antonio Fernandez, 60, an unemployed construction worker said as he voted in rain-swept Madrid.

Rajoy, who led his party in two previous failed parliamentary election campaigns, is likely to win an absolute majority giving him a clear mandate to enforce the deep and painful cuts seen as necessary to balance Spain's books.

"I'm prepared to do what Spaniards want," Rajoy said after he voted in the wealthy Madrid neighborhood of Aravaca.

The 56-year-old will not be sworn in until December but he is likely to swiftly lay out his plans during the government handover to reassure fraught markets.

Underlining the fragile situation, Spain's borrowing costs hit euro-era highs during the election campaign, almost reaching the 7 percent level at which other euro zone nations like Ireland and Greece sought international bail-outs. Growth has stalled.

"If we had not had an election in Spain, the markets would have changed the government as they did in Greece and Italy," said voter Antonio Diaz, 38, a local government administrator.

"The first problems the new government is going to confront are unemployment and the markets -- who are what governs us. It's going to be very complicated to solve Spain's problems."

CHEAP CREDIT THEN CRASH

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero decided against running for a third term as his approval ratings sank. The Socialists then chose veteran politician Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba as their leader for the campaign, but he struggled to differentiate himself from Zapatero.

The left-wing party took power in a 2004 election held three days after an Islamist attack on Madrid commuter trains which killed 191 people. Conservative Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar wrongly blamed blamed Basque separatist group ETA, prompting a voter backlash. Rajoy was the unsuccessful PP candidate.

Sunday's election took place on the 36th anniversary of the death of dictator General Francisco Franco, who had ruled Spain since the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War.

Following the restoration of democracy, Spain joined the European Union in 1986 and the euro in 1999, enjoying years of prosperity and a real estate boom driven by cheap credit.

When the property market crashed in 2007 the government, companies and consumers all found themselves over their heads in debt.

"The best social policy is to create jobs," said voter Luis Escobar, a 50-year-old hotel worker."

"The guys in power haven't done anything so if you want things to change you have to do something," he said, adding that he would vote for the People's Party.

The crisis has hit some regions, notably southern Andalucia, heartland of Spain's tourist industry, worse than others.

In the Basque Country, people were voting for the first time in years without the threat of violence, after ETA announced last month that it was giving up its armed struggle.

The traditionally prosperous northeastern region has been relatively unscathed by the economic storm and most voters were expected to back pro-independence parties.

"For the time being I've got a pretty good pension and the crisis hasn't affected me yet. Of course it will reach me," said 81-year-old Laureano Agirremota in the industrial city of Bilbao. "I've always voted the same, for the Basque Nationalist Party."

By mid-afternoon, on a day when rain swept the country, turn-out among Spain's 36 million potential voters was 59 percent, officials said.

(Additional reporting by Nigel Davies, Tomas Cobos, Fiona Ortiz, Sonia Dowsett in Madrid and Arantza Goyoaga in Bilbao, writing by Angus MacSwan, editing by Barry Moody)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111120/wl_nm/us_spain_election

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Kimbrel, Hellickson chosen rookies of the year (AP)

NEW YORK ? Craig Kimbrel overpowered hitters with his rocket right arm, then overwhelmed rivals in the NL Rookie of the Year voting.

If only, the Atlanta Braves' closer figured, his final outing could've gone better.

Kimbrel unanimously won the NL honor on Monday, with Tampa Bay pitcher Jeremy Hellickson a clear choice as the top rookie in the AL.

Kimbrel set a major league record for saves by a rookie with 46. He earned all 32 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America and outpointed Braves teammate Freddie Freeman.

"It definitely did surprise me," Kimbrel said on a conference call from his vacation in Hawaii. "I expected it to be close."

Kimbrel was dominant for much of the year, chosen as an NL All-Star during his streak of 38 straight appearances without allowing a run. But that streak ended in mid-September and the 23-year-old Kimbrel struggled as the Braves frittered away a 10 1/2-game lead in the NL wild-card race.

Kimbrel's eighth blown save of the year came in the final game of the season, when he walked three, gave up a hit and allowed the tying run in the ninth inning against Philadelphia. The Phillies went on to win in the 13th, costing the Braves a spot in a one-game playoff against St. Louis for the wild-card slot.

"I blew many saves throughout the year. It just so happened that one came in the last game of the year with everything on the line," he said. "My control was not there, I was all over the place."

"I'm going to get over it, but I'm not going to forget it," he said. "I need to fix it."

Kimbrel struck out 127 in only 77 innings and anchored Atlanta's outstanding bullpen, pitching 79 games. He was 4-3 with a 2.10 ERA, and his long scoreless span covered 37 2-3 innings.

"I did learn that the season is long," he said.

Kimbrel wound up tied for Milwaukee's John Axford for the NL lead in saves. He became the 10th unanimous NL rookie winner, and first since Albert Pujols in 2001. Kimbrel was the seventh Braves player to win the award that began in 1947, and first since Rafael Furcal in 2000.

Kimbrel, who pitched 21 games in 2010 but still retained his rookie eligibility, earned 160 points in the BBWAA balloting. Freeman, who hit .282 with 21 home runs and 76 RBIs, was second with 21 second-place votes and 70 points. Kimbrel and Freeman became the first pair of teammates to finish 1-2 in the NL rookie voting since Cubs outfielders Jerome Walton and Dwight Smith in 1989.

Philadelphia pitcher Vance Worley was third and Washington catcher Wilson Ramos was fourth. Ramos was kidnapped in Venezuela last week and freed Saturday when commandos raided the mountain hideout where he was being held.

Hellickson went 13-10 with a 2.95 ERA in helping the Rays take the AL wild-card spot. He drew 17 of 28 first-place votes and finished well ahead of Los Angeles Angels first baseman Mark Trumbo.

"It's something I really wanted to win," Hellickson said on a conference call from his home in Iowa. He said there were "three or four guys" equally deserving of the award.

The 24-year-old Hellickson was a big reason the Rays were able to erase a nine-game deficit against Boston in the last 3 1/2 weeks to win the AL wild-card spot. He was unbeaten in five starts against AL East teams in the final month, and finished 7-3 in games against division rivals.

On the next-to-last day, he kept the Rays close against the visiting New York Yankees. On his final pitch of the regular season, Hellickson got Russell Martin to ground into a triple play with the bases loaded, and the Rays went on to win.

Hellickson, incidentally, has a Yorkshire terrier called Jeter ? as in, Yankees star Derek Jeter. Hellickson's dad was a big Reggie Jackson fan, and the dog wound up with the name.

Hellickson is generously listed at 6-foot-1, but held up extremely well over 29 starts. He led all big league rookies in ERA, innings (189) and opponents' batting average (.210).

"I've believed in myself and had all the confidence in the world in myself," he said.

Like Kimbrel, Hellickson's final outing was rocky. Against Texas in Game 4 in the opening round of the AL playoffs, he gave up a leadoff home run to Ian Kinsler and two homers to Adrian Beltre and left after four innings as the Rangers clinched the series.

Hellickson, who went 4-0 in 10 for the Rays in 2010, joined Evan Longoria (2008) as Tampa Bay players to win the AL rookie honor. Hellickson finished with 102 points.

Trumbo drew five first-place votes and 63 points. Eric Hosmer, who hit .293 with 19 home runs and 78 RBIs after being called up by Kansas City in May, got four first-place votes and 38 points. Ivan Nova, 16-4 with a 3.70 ERA for the Yankees, got one first-place vote and was fourth with 30. Seattle second baseman Dustin Ackley drew the other first-place vote.

The AL Cy Young Award will be announced Tuesday. Detroit ace Justin Verlander is expected to easily win.

"He's the best pitcher in the game," Hellickson said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111114/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bbo_rookies_of_the_year

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Smith defensive gem lifts 49ers over Giants 27-20

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) is sacked by San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis (52) in the third quarter of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) is sacked by San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis (52) in the third quarter of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

San Francisco 49ers' David Akers (2) reacts after making a field goal in the second quarter of an NFL football game against the New York Giants in San Francisco, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis (52) celebrates after sacking New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, bottom rear, in the third quarter of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) prepares to throw as San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith (99) moves in during the second quarter of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis (85) runs with a reception against New York Giants free safety Antrel Rolle (26) in the second quarter of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

(AP) ? Justin Smith emphatically pumped his fist following his game-saving defensive gem. Carlos Rogers danced after his second interception. And their coach, Jim Harbaugh, was perfectly polite in his postgame handshake before pointing and waving to a cheering crowd as he left the field at Candlestick Park.

It's been nearly a decade since the San Francisco 49ers could celebrate like this.

Smith batted down Eli Manning's pass in the closing seconds of the New York quarterback's latest comeback try, and San Francisco stopped the Giants on fourth down for a 27-20 victory in Sunday's NFC showdown to boost their chances of a possible first-round playoff bye.

"I just walked off the field with joy inside. Right now, we're 8-1," said Rogers, who made two interceptions for the first time in his seven-year career. "We stuck to it to the end, and last minute of the game made a play."

With his team trailing, Manning completed a pair of long fourth-down passes and got the Giants to the red zone with 1:53 to go. Unlike last week's rally by New York (6-3) at New England, Smith thwarted the final chance with a leaping right-handed smack of the ball on fourth-and-2 from the 10.

The 49ers (8-1) ? with a commanding five-game cushion in the division ? won this one without relying on star running back Frank Gore, whose franchise-record streak of five straight games with 100 yards rushing ended with a knee injury and his first career game with zero yards.

Harbaugh's NFC West-leading Niners rolled off their seventh straight victory to extend their best start since 1997, and matched the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers for the most wins in the NFL. San Francisco also leads New Orleans (7-3) for playoff positioning.

"It was a big win for us. As we continue to win we're getting on a bigger stage, and that's exactly what we want, we want to continue to climb and get on bigger stages," quarterback Alex Smith said. "That's it. You're as good as your record, and you're as good as your last game. And we beat a really good football team."

Vernon Davis leaped from the 4-yard line over safety Kenny Phillips into the end zone to complete a go-ahead 31-yard touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter.

Kendall Hunter ran for a 27-yard touchdown in the fourth, moments after Rogers made his second interception of the day.

David Akers kicked four field goals, setting up one with a surprise onside kick, and Smith led the 49ers back late yet again.

This marked the most meaningful win for the franchise since the 49ers rallied from 24 points down to stun the Giants 39-38 in the NFC wild-card game here in January 2003 ? San Francisco's last trip to the playoffs.

"I don't take any credit. It's these men. These mighty, strong men," Harbaugh said. "They deserve the credit."

After Manning threw a go-ahead 13-yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham late in the third quarter, Smith went to work. Manning then hit Hakeem Nicks for a 32-yard TD with 8:37 remaining before getting that last chance.

Manning completed an 18-yard pass to Manningham on fourth-and-6 and then a 10-yarder to Victor Cruz on fourth-and-5 on the last-ditch drive. Manning just overthrew Manningham in the end zone with 2:52 left.

"I'm very disappointed," coach Tom Coughlin said. "I thought we were in perfect control. I thought we would get there, score and send it into overtime and win it in overtime. We've done well in those situations and I expected to do well again."

While it's the 49ers defense that has been so dominant stopping the run ? now 31 straight games without allowing a 100-yard rusher ? the Giants had to think they had solved San Francisco by stopping Gore.

But Smith completed at least three passes to four different receivers, including tight end Delanie Walker's six receptions for 69 yards.

It was a day of defense and a late-game passing show. San Francisco had 77 total yards rushing to 93 for New York.

"Now teams know what Alex can do under pressure," Walker said. "We felt like this was a playoff-caliber game and he came through for us."

The first half featured seven possessions, five field goals and no punts.

Gore, the two-time Pro Bowler, already was nursing a tender right ankle that has bothered him on several occasions this season before hurting his knee Sunday and watching much of the second half in a red jacket on the sideline.

"Someone twisted me up. I felt like I could have played," Gore said.

Gore has 7,196 yards rushing and needs 149 more to pass late Hall of Famer Joe Perry (7,344) for the most in franchise history.

Manning finished 26 for 40 for 311 yards and two TDs with two interceptions.

Akers kicked first-half field goals of 36, 52 and 39 yards and then a 28-yarder to open the second half for his third game of the season with four field goals, and he converted from beyond 50 yards for a franchise-record fifth time in as many chances.

Notes: The Giants forced a turnover in their 22nd straight game. ... Giants LB Michael Boley didn't play in the second half because of a hamstring injury. He will be revaluated Monday. ... Giants CB Aaron Ross sustained a bruised quadriceps and his status was unclear.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-11-13-Giants-49ers/id-64d6feaf181d4943b4389c6ea76e9cc8

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