kimblr.com

Long experience has taught me to be leery of new software. It’s much better to wait and let everyone else find the bugs before even thinking of changing my set-up.
In the case of Mozilla Firefox 3 I made an exception, spurred in part by the hype surrounding its attempt to set a one-day download record. (Mission accomplished.)
After nearly a day living with the new Firefox, it’s very nice. Very, very nice.
I must admit that Firefox 2 often frustrated me, crashing at inopportune moments. (I can break anything.) So far (knock on wood) Firefox 3 is sailing through like a champ.
One thing I often do is bring up a host of tabs while writing a story, as many as two dozen. Firefox 2 hiccuped badly. Firefox 3 seems to handle it.
Firefox 2 would sometimes forget that I like big text for these old eyes. Firefox 3 hasn’t forgotten yet. (This is now called the Zoom feature. It used to be called increase or decrease text size.)
One reason I was reluctant to be a beta-tester for Firefox 3 was because I have add-ons, some of which I paid for, and the beta versions did not support them. It took me five minutes to get them working in Firefox 3.
There are new security settings on the Advanced tab under Tools, which are very, very nice. I especially like being warned if the page tries to re-load — a favorite phisher trick foiled.
You can customize the controls on toolbars through a single screen accessed from the View menu. The Page Source under View is also very clear now — makes it easy to see how pages are made.
Entering unfamiliar Web pages is now easier. As soon as you start entering an address, the new Firefox starts guessing at your meaning. Keep typing and it’s bound to guess right, so you click on that entry and don’t go wrong.

blogs.zdnet.com

As New Yorkers, we know there¹s a special corner, section, underbelly, or what have you, that fanatically revolves around fashion. In the past, it existed on an avoidable plane, in its own publications, district and avenue, restricted to unleashing its madness to just two weeks a year.
My, how things have changed.
On TV the airwaves are inundated with the likes of ‘America¹s Next Top Model,’ ‘Project Runway,’ and ‘Ugly Betty.’ Even the comparatively snotty literary world has been forced to take notice, crowding bookshelves with fashion-focused fiction, hoping to be the next ‘The Devil Wears Prada.’
“There are a lot of books trying to be the next ‘Prada,’ says Publisher¹s Weekly Editor in Chief Sara Nelson. “It¹s cyclical.”
Two new additions to the cycle, as it were, are “Model: A Memoir,” by 20-year-old runway model Cheryl Diamond, and the soon-to-be released, “Catwalk,” by “The Cheetah Girls” author, Deborah Gregory.
Gregory, who got her start covering fashion for Essence magazine, says society¹s style-obsessed climate inspired “Catwalk,” which is set in an elite New York high school for fashion and follows the antics of ambitious teenage fashionistas.
“There is absolutely no question that [fashion-oriented reality TV] has literally put the fashion industry on the map,” says Gregory. “Younger people now look at the fashion industry as one of the ten most glamorous industries.”
Diamond, whose debut novel chronicles her colorful first years trying to break in the modeling biz, agrees. “I think any multi-billion dollar industry that deals in beautiful teenage girls, clothes and crazy characters [is] intoxicating,” she says. “It has everything.”
And while Gregory and Diamond agree on the appeal of the glitz and glamour, both authors surprisingly tackle the less glamorous, more true-to-life aspects of the industry, contrary to much of what is written and depicted in mainstream media.

amny.com

Hours: Breakfast 6:30 to 11 a.m. weekdays, 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekends; lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays; dinner 5 to 10 p.m. daily; bar menu 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.
Atmosphere: The historic Ivy Tower’s wowzer potential isn’t fully realized.
Service: Uneven. For every smooth pro, there’s an eager but untested neophyte.
Sound level: Given all the hard concrete surfaces, the gentle acoustics are a welcome surprise.
Recommended dishes: Charred ahi tuna, crab, sausages, terrine, soups, arugula salad, arctic char, rib-eye, gnocchi, Reuben sandwich, pizzas, chocolate tart, lemon baba.
Wine list: A marvelous, user-friendly assortment, especially the well chosen roster of three dozen labels sold by the bottle or in 3- or 6-ounce pours. Lovely handcrafted cocktails.
Price range: Appetizers $7 to $26 and entrees $13 to $49 at dinner; soups and salads $7 to $16, sandwiches $8 to $12 and entrees $9 to $16 at lunch; desserts $8 to $9. Breakfast buffet $16, or $22 with entree.
No one else cooks like Steven Brown.
First impressions from his dinner menu at Porter & Frye, the new restaurant inside the Hotel Ivy + Residences in downtown Minneapolis, might understandably be otherwise. At least given its opening salvo, an ahi tuna appetizer. Hasn’t that been done, oh, a thousand times?
Not like this, a joyous example of Brown’s unique ability to twist the familiar into the novel. He barely chars the yellowfin before fanning slices of it against a pile of wrinkly, finger-like Japanese peppers, their hot bite tempered by the coolly acidic pang of preserved lemon. While your taste buds are reveling in the maverick combination, your eyes are soaking up the color-wheel relationship between the tuna’s crimson and the peppers’ deep avocado. Then your tongue catches a final kicker, the tickle of lime-scented salt. It’s a synopsis of the novel that Brown and his gifted crew seem to be writing: "Love at First Taste."

startribune.com

We had several friends sitting in on this panel feeding us info as the reveal it. There’s a lot of ground to cover and I did my best to scribble it down as they relayed their notes. We hope to have pictures soon. News is still tricking in, so keep checking back for more updates throughout the day!!! Huge thanks to Arsenio3 for on-site reporting!
The BIG news first!
The SDCC exclusives:
1.JLU 10” and 4” Giganta 2-pack $20. Looks like the 4” figure is the Back Canary body with a new head. The 10” is the Wonder Woman body with a new head. Both have a dress that fits over the body.
2. DCUC LOBO! And his DOG! It’s the Lobo with dreads look. The room went bananas at this reveal. Lobo will also be $20. No bike,just the main man, his pooch, and some bitchin’ chains!
The Dark Knight- There are 5” regular and deluxe figures as well as the 6” Movie Masters line. There’s an unmasked batman chase in the MM line.
JLU- This is a line for the fans now and we will be rewarded for sticking with the line this long. The line is a Target exclusive starting in August of 2008. They are working on the international distribution still.
Possibility of more non-JLU characters in 2009, but not 2008. Trying to do more pack-in accessories like Wonderpig.
There will be all new 6 packs, 3packs and singles.
16 new figures and repaints in 2008
Wave 1 singles- Redecoed/relreleased Hawkman with Mace, Kilowog with Lantern (didn’t see anything else different), Superman in Black and silver (like resurrection suit, but with same head/short hair and a black cape. I think it came with some kryptonite?) Stargirl with cosmic rod (same as Starman’s), Superfriends/Dick Sprang redecoed Batman- light blue cape and cowl, yellow oval around chest bat), black on forehead.

actionfigureinsider.com

“Idol Gives Back” (Fox, 7:30 p.m.) will succeed in being the longest edition of “American Idol” ever, starting a half-hour before prime time to fit in every celebrity promised for this 2 1/2 -hour telethon.
It was all taped Sunday at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, where Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Robin Williams, Peyton and Eli Manning, Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman all showed up on stage.
Fergie joins Heart to sing “Barracuda,” amid a roster of live performers that include Miley Cyrus, Snoop Dogg, Mariah Carey and Carrie Underwood, among others.
Calls tonight won’t be to vote, but to pledge donations for the charities: the Children’s Defense Fund, the Children’s Health Fund, the Global Fund, Make It Right, Malaria No More and Save the Children’s U.S. programs.
“The World Was Ours” (CPTV, 8 p.m.), a remembrance of the vibrant Jewish town of Vilna, Poland, before it was wiped out by Nazi Germany (it’s now known as Vilnius, Lithuania).
It’s produced by Mira Jedwabnik Van Doren of Cornwall and includes comment from Trinity Professor Samuel Kassow.
It’s a season finale for
We encourage you to share your thoughts about our stories. However, comments that are obscene, overly personal, racist or otherwise inappropriate will be removed. Because the messages are posted instantly and anonymously, Courant.com cannot vouch for their accuracy or authenticity. Report abusive posts by clicking the link found at the upper right of each item. — Courant.com

courant.com

TEHRAN, Iran — President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced major progress in Iran’s push for nuclear power, saying Tuesday that his nation was installing thousands of new uranium-enriching centrifuges and testing a much faster version of the device.
Ahmadinejad said scientists were putting 6,000 new centrifuges into place, about twice the current number, and testing a new type that works five times faster.
That would represent a major expansion of uranium enrichment — a process that can produce either fuel for a nuclear reactor or material for a warhead. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice cautioned, however, that the claim could not be immediately substantiated.
Diplomats close to the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency say Iran has exaggerated its progress and seen problems operating the 3,000 centrifuges already in place. One diplomat said Ahmadinejad’s claims of a more-advanced centrifuge appeared to allude to a type known as the IR-2, which the agency and Iran said months ago that Iran had begun testing.
Iran’s nuclear ambitions worry the U.S. and its allies, which accuse Iran of using a civilian atomic-energy program to mask a drive for weapons of mass destruction. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ruled nuclear weapons are against Islam, and the country’s leaders insist their nuclear program is meant only to produce energy.
Ahmadinejad trumpeted the country’s nuclear accomplishments while inspecting the controversial enrichment facility in the central Iranian city of Natanz on the country’s third annual National Day of Nuclear Technology, which marks the anniversary of the day Iran began producing enriched uranium.
Iran’s state-controlled television and radio have been broadcasting promotional programs touting Iran’s nuclear achievements. In downtown Tehran, pro-government activists distributed sweets to passers-by in commemoration of the holiday.
Enriched uranium is produced by processing uranium gas through small, sensitive high-speed centrifuges. It can be used for producing fuel for a power plant or, if highly concentrated, fuel for a nuclear bomb.

seattletimes.nwsource.com

VIENNA, Austria - Iran has linked hundreds of centrifuges - machines to enrich uranium - reflecting a possible intention to speed up the process, diplomats linked to the International Agency for Atomic Energy said in interviews here this week. All of them asked for anonymity.
One diplomat said more than 300 centrifuges had been linked up in two separate units in an underground enrichment plant and a third unit was being assembled. He said the machines apparently are the sophisticated IR-2 centrifuge Tehran recently acknowledged testing.
But a second diplomat said that although the new work appeared to include advanced centrifuges, they were not IR-2s. A third said the machines were not running. Uranium enrichment can produce both fuel for power plants and the fissile core of nuclear warheads. - AP
TOKYO - Japanese police arrested a U.S. sailor yesterday in the stabbing death of a taxi driver near an American naval base outside Tokyo, fueling anger here over crimes allegedly involving U.S. troops.
Olatunbosun Ugbogu, 22, a Nigerian national, was arrested on murder and robbery charges, and had confessed, a local police spokesman said. Japanese officials reacted sharply to the arrest.
Public anger over the U.S. military presence is mounting after a series of allegations against U.S. servicemen. A 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a U.S. Marine in February on Okinawa, sparking protests. Prosecutors dropped charges against the Marine after the girl withdrew her complaint. In Yokosuka, a Japanese court convicted a U.S. sailor of robbing and fatally beating a 56-year-old Japanese woman and sentenced him to life in prison. - AP
DUBLIN, Ireland - The path quickly cleared yesterday for Finance Minister Brian Cowen to become Ireland’s next prime minister after the entire cabinet backed him to replace Bertie Ahern.
Cowen, 48, who is also deputy prime minister, was poised to be the only candidate after nominations close tomorrow for the next leader of Fianna Fail, Ireland’s perennial No. 1 party.

philly.com

Down dooby doo down down, comma comma
Down dooby doo down down …
SOME readers may be mystified by the above nonsense, but baby boomers won’t need any further introduction to Neil Sedaka than the opening sounds of his 1962 pop classic Breaking Up is Hard to Do.
During his 50 years in the music business, the singer-songwriter has had dozens of hits and sold millions of records; his songs have been covered by performers ranging from the Carpenters to Frank Sinatra. He even has a street named after him in Brooklyn, New York.
Few artists would have survived Sedaka’s roller-coaster career: after initial pop success at a very young age, he disappeared from the charts in the mid-1960s. He spent a decade in the wilderness: the "hungry years" when he performed at leagues clubs and had only two hit songs.
Then in 1975 he came back with a vengeance, returning to gold and platinum sales with his Solitaire album, the song Laughter in the Rain and the enormous international success of Grammy-winner Love Will Keep Us Together for the Captain and Tennille.
He describes himself as a fighter, a survivor and an optimist.
"Australia has been very wonderful to me over the years," he says by phone from New York. "I have a very warm relationship with Australia, it’s an ongoing love affair."
Sedaka never lost his enthusiasm for work and is looking forward to collaborating with orchestras across the country, performing old hits and new compositions. The tour begins with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, which will premiere Sedaka’s first classical piece, Joie de Vivre.
"It goes back to my roots," he says. "I started out as a classical pianist at Juilliard School in New York."
Born in 1939, Sedaka was a prodigy from a working class family in Brooklyn. He had ambitions to become a concert pianist and practised for hours each day on a second-hand piano. His parents were shocked when at 13 he began writing pop songs.

theaustralian.news.com.au

Sniping, eh? We’ve all done it. Well, virtually none us have done it, but if we had then we would have wanted night vision goggles, because then we could have done it after work in the dark rather than having to try and fit it in at lunchtime. Night vision is back in Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2, and you can see why it’s so influential in our exclusive Night Vision Eurogamer TV trailer - one of the key reasons being that you can combine it with a rifle scope.
Lead multiplayer game designer JP Cambiotti tells us that night vision goggles, returning from Vegas 1, “remain a really important gadget in many areas”. “You will have plenty of opportunities to use night vision,” Cambiotti explains, “specifically in the Nevada desert where night time means everything is pitch black and there are many long lines of sight to cover.
“You can keep your night vision on throughout most of the map, or use it when you get to certain spots that require you to see more details or enemies that you could not see without them. The ability to see well at night also allows you to play through the map in a more stealth manner.” And save money on lightbulbs.
But Cambiotti explains that it’s important to make use of other tools too; night vision allows you to see further into the dark than thermal imaging alone, but the latter can be used to accurately identify enemies in close proximity, so it’s worth keeping both handy to hunt down all the tangos. “Your night vision goggles are specially adapted to work with your snake cam, giving you a great tactical tool,” says Cambiotti. “If you’re using the snake cam and having trouble seeing, turning on your night vision goggles will allow you to observe properly, then plan and act according to the best strategy.”

eurogamer.net

PILING UP THE W’s
With their franchise record 21st consecutive victory, the Rockets are in the company of teams with the longest winning streaks in NBA history. The only single-season streaks of 17 or more wins:
• 1995-96 San Antonio Spurs
Note: The 1971-72 Lakers, 1970-71 Bucks and 1999-2000 Lakers won championships.
Sunday’s Lakers-Rockets game has been moved to 2:30 p.m. and will be broadcast nationally on ABC and locally on KTRK (Channel 13).
Mike Breen, Mark Jackson and former Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy will have the call on the game.
Originally scheduled for 6 p.m., the game also will air on KTXH (Channel 20) as part of Channel 20’s 13-game Rockets package.
Much has been made of the Rockets not facing the other teams at the top of the Western Conference standings during their 19-game winning streak, but they also have not faced the Hawks in Atlanta.
They get their chance tonight, with Tracy McGrady vowing not to become the latest victim of the Hawks’ home court.
“They’ve beaten some good teams,” McGrady said. “Once of these days the streak has to come to an end. It won’t come tomorrow.”
Dallas, Phoenix, Utah, Cleveland, Denver and the Lakers have lost in Atlanta this season. The Rockets have lost each of their past three games they have played in Philips Arena.

read_more