Health Tip: Eat Right During Pregnancy (HealthDay)

(HealthDay News) -- When you're pregnant, eating a balanced, healthy diet is important for you and your baby.

The American Dietetic Association lists these key nutrients for pregnant women:

• Folic acid, found in fortified breads and cereals, can help prevent spinal cord birth defects.
• Iron, found in chicken, fish, red meat and green leafy veggies, helps prevent iron-deficiency anemia during pregnancy.
• Calcium, found in dairy foods and calcium-fortified juices, aids in the development of baby's bones, teeth, nerves, muscles and heart.
• Whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats and low-fat dairy foods are also part of a balanced diet.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/health/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20111229/hl_hsn/healthtipeatrightduringpregnancy

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Amazon sold over a million Kindles per week in Dec.

By Rosa Golijan

Amazon

Amazon's Kindle devices are pretty darn popular and ranked highly on many Christmas wish lists this year, so we're not particularly surprised by the online retailers holiday sales statistics. Of course it sold millions of the devices.

While Amazon doesn't flat-out state?precisely how many Kindle devices it sold this holiday season, it does explain that its customers "purchased well over 1 million Kindle devices per week" throughout December. Some elementary school level multiplication suggests that this means the online retailer sold well over four million Kindle devices in the last month alone.

We wonder how many of those four million Kindle devices are Kindle Fire units. After all, that particular gadget has been at the top of Amazon's bestseller lists since its release in mid November. To meet industry projections, the Kindle Fire alone has to hit 3.9 million in sales?by year end. In other words, nearly a million per week of the tablet alone is almost expected during its debut month.

That thought aside, it's also worth noting that?the gifting ??gifting, not regular purchasing ??of Kindle ebooks was up 175 percent between Black Friday and Christmas Year (compared to the same time period last year). This means that ebooks are either becoming significantly more popular or that folks are simply putting of gift shopping until an electronically delivered item such as a Kindle ebook is their only remaining option.

Related stories:

Want more tech news, silly puns or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on?Twitter, subscribing to her?Facebook?posts, or circling her?on?Google+.

Source: http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/29/9802369-amazon-sold-over-a-million-kindles-per-week-in-dec

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Argentine President diagnose with thyroid cancer (AP)

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina ? President Cristina Fernandez has thyroid cancer, but test results showed Tuesday that it remains limited to a lobe in the right side of her neck and has not spread into her lymph nodes, her spokesman said.

Fernandez, 58, will undergo surgery on Jan. 4 and then take 20 days of medical leave, during which Vice President Amado Boudou will run the country. Meanwhile, she will keep up her normal routine, spokesman Alfredo Scoccimarro suggested, noting that she will appear at several events on Wednesday as planned.

Scoccimarro said the cancer was discovered during a routine exam on Dec. 22, and that Fernandez received the results from follow-up tests hours before the announcement.

This kind of thyroid cancer is highly survivable, with more than 95 percent of patients living at least 10 years after detection, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

The usual treatment is to surgically remove as much of the cancerous material as possible, and then follow up with radioactive iodide treatments, taken orally. This substance helps to destroy any remnants of the cancerous gland and provide for clearer images showing any additional cancer, the NIH said on its Web site.

After surgery, patients usually must take medicine ? levothyroxine sodium ? for the rest of their lives to replace a hormone that the thyroid glands produce. Blood tests every six to 12 months to measure thyroid levels also are recommended.

Fernandez is only the latest South American leader to be diagnosed with cancer. Presidents Fernando Lugo of Paraguay, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Dilma Rousseff of Brazil all have undergone treatments recently.

Presidential doctors Luis Buonomo and Marcelo Ballesteros said the operation will be led by Dr. Pedro Saco, chief of the surgery department at Hospital Austral and chief of the Head and Neck Service of the oncology institute at the University of Buenos Aires. Saco also trained in cancer centers in Houston and New York, the hospital said.

Thyroid surgery is not without risk: the NIH says a nerve that controls the vocal cords can be damaged, and doctors sometimes accidentally remove the parathyroid gland, which helps regulate blood calcium levels.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/cancer/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111228/ap_on_he_me/lt_argentina_president_s_health

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Obama sees approval rating rise. Is it the economy or something else? (The Christian Science Monitor)

President Obama has enjoyed a rebound in popularity, putting him in a stronger position to defend his presidency in next year's election campaign.

Of course, there's a long way to go between now and a 2012 vote that's still more than 10 months away.

But for Mr. Obama, the important thing for now is that his job approval ratings are moving generally up rather than down, despite attacks by Republican rivals and a still-weak economy.

The latest sign: Gallup polling shows the president garnering 46 percent approval from American adults, the highest level since July and a big run-up after starting the month of December at 41 percent.

RECOMMENDED: Six boosts and six liabilities for Obama's reelection bid

Various polls of Obama's job approval, averaged by the website RealClearPolitics, show the same recovery over the past month.

Why the reversal of fortunes, after a summer downdraft in public support?

One big factor is that presidential ratings can be, in part, a mirror of how people feel about the economy and their own prospects. And on that front, the consumer outlook is that the economy is weak but improving.

On Tuesday, a widely watched index of consumer confidence, released by the Conference Board in New York, rose for December to 64.5, up from 55.2 a month earlier. (A reading of 100 on the index would equal the optimism seen in 1985.)

"After two months of considerable gains, the Consumer Confidence Index is now back to levels seen last spring," said Lynn Franco, director of research at the Conference Board. "It is too soon to tell if this is a rebound from earlier declines or a sustainable shift in attitudes."

The revival of consumer confidence, in turn, has come as the job market has shown signs of progress, the stock market stabilized, and European nations have made progress toward quieting a financial crisis.

Another reason the Obama brand name has gained ground, political analysts say, is the partisan fight over renewing a payroll tax cut for US workers. Amid a partisan stand-off, the president appears to have successfully cast himself as standing for middle-class interests.

House Republicans have supported the idea of a full-year extension for the tax break, but until recently looked unwilling to strike a compromise on a plan moved by Democratic-controlled Senate.

Assuming an extension of the payroll tax cut comes through, Obama can tout a win for average Americans ? something he fought for and delivered that affects their bank accounts.

But if Obama is back in competitive territory, he remains vulnerable. As of the latest Gallup numbers (an average of its latest three days of polling), his disapproval rating is two points higher (48 percent) than his approval rating (46 percent).

Typically, sitting presidents who win reelection have had approval ratings above 50, Gallup says.

A lot will depend on where Obama's presidency heads from here, how the Republican campaign against him shapes up, and how the economy performs. For now, the race for president looks like it could be close.

A mid-December matchup by Gallup's shows voters opting for Obama over Mitt Romney as a Republican nominee by a 50-to-48 margin. The poll got the same result for another hypothetical matchup, Obama versus Newt Gingrich.

RECOMMENDED: Six boosts and six liabilities for Obama's reelection bid

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20111227/ts_csm/442228

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Kraft vending machine teases children with adult-only pudding dispenser (video)

We've seen odd and law-swerving vending machines before, but none as meanspirited as Kraft's collaboration with Intel that only gives pudding samples to adults. The unimaginatively titled iSample denies the youthful its sweet nectar by taking a facial scan and determining dessert deservedness based on biometric data, like how far apart your facial features are. Part experiment, part publicity stunt, Intel is trying out technologies that could recommend products based on age. The company also claims it may retrofit the technology into existing machines to let companies study who's buying its products; Kraft is clearly in it just to deny children some pudding. To see if you have spent enough time at the fountain of youth, head down to Chicago's Shedd Aquarium or New York's South Street Seaport, and take your place in the line of parents ordering one for their progeny. Check the promo video after the break to see the machine wiping disappointment all over the kids' little faces.

Continue reading Kraft vending machine teases children with adult-only pudding dispenser (video)

Kraft vending machine teases children with adult-only pudding dispenser (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Dec 2011 21:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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appSmitten Reveals Its Most Popular Apps for iPhone, iPad and Android ? 2011 All Stars

?

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ ??Established in September 2011, appSmitten (www.appSmitten.com) has quickly become a trusted resource among smartphone and tablet users worldwide.? appSmitten delivers curated app recommendations directly to?

Read more

Source: http://www.appnewsbureau.com/1632/appsmitten-reveals-its-most-popular-apps-for-iphone-ipad-and-android-2011-all-stars/

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Bell Canada will stop throttling your P2P traffic, might charge instead

Since the CRTC took a swipe at net neutrality a few years back, Bell Canada internet customers have maligned its P2P packet-shaping ways. From March 1st, however, users can file-share at the speeds nature (or your ISP) intended. In a letter to the aforementioned regulator, Bell points out that improvements to its network and the proliferation of video streaming mean that the more nefarious traffic just isn't denting its capacity like it used to. As such, the firm will withdraw all P2P shaping for both residential and wholesale customers. So, those ISPs buying their bandwidth from Bell could see the amount they need go up, and with talk of a capacity-based billing model, this could mean charges passed on to users. At least, for now, all that legitimate sharing you do will go unhampered.

Bell Canada will stop throttling your P2P traffic, might charge instead originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Dec 2011 08:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/mHJC9J7lUaw/

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China, Japan unveil deals to tighten finance ties

BEIJING (AP) -- Chinese and Japanese leaders have unveiled initiatives to tighten financial links between East Asia's economic giants and sometime rivals - measures that could expand use of China's tightly controlled currency abroad.

During a visit to Beijing by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, the two governments said in a surprise announcement Sunday they will encourage use of their own currencies in bilateral trade, which now is conducted mostly in U.S. dollars.

They also agreed to support the sale of bonds denominated in China's yuan by Japanese companies in Tokyo and foreign markets and by the state-owned Japan Bank of International Cooperation in mainland China's markets, which are closed to most foreign investors.

The pledges were a striking step for China and Japan, which are the world's second- and third-largest economies and are bound by billions of dollars in trade but whose political relations often are strained over conflicting territorial claims and other disputes.

"To support the growing economic and financial ties between China and Japan, the leaders of China and Japan have agreed to enhance mutual cooperation in financial markets of both countries and encourage financial transactions between the two countries," the governments said in identically worded statements.

They said Japan's government also planned to purchase Chinese government bonds, and an application process for official approval of that was under way.

The governments gave no timetable for practical steps to put the pledges into action or the size of possible bond offerings. Commercial banks still have to create yuan-denominated letters of credit and other tools before traders in Japan can use the currency.

The moves might reduce the dominance of the U.S. dollar in East Asia, the world's fastest-growing region. The Kyodo News agency cited a Japanese official who told reporters some 60 percent of trade between Japan and China is now settled in dollars, which requires companies to convert money between yen, dollars and yuan, adding to their costs.

Beijing controls the yuan's exchange rate and the flow of money into and out of China's booming economy. But the government has begun allowing limited use of yuan for trade. It said this month that some companies that obtain Chinese currency abroad will be allowed to invest it in mainland financial markets.

Most trade in yuan is conducted through Hong Kong, where Beijing also has created a market for yuan-denominated bonds that McDonald's Corp. and some other foreign companies have used to raise money to invest in their mainland operations.

The easing of controls on bond sales could help to reduce costs for Japanese companies that need to raise money to invest in their China operations.

The communist government keeps China's bond and other financial markets sealed off from global financial flows. That helped the country avoid the turmoil of the 2008 global financial crisis but has slowed the development of markets that Chinese leaders want to support economic development.

The latest pledges also might help to promote moves to allow the yuan to trade more freely on currency markets.

The United States and other trading partners complain that Beijing's currency controls keep the yuan undervalued, giving China's exporters an unfair price advantage and hurting foreign competitors at a time when the global economy is struggling.

Source: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_JAPAN_FINANCE_DEALS?SITE=VASTR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

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Overseas troops get Christmas visit from GG

Canadians stationed overseas received a special visit over Christmas.

The Governor General spent the holidays visiting Canadian soldiers and civilians in Italy and Afghanistan.

"The sacrifice of troops and civilians who are away from their families and friends at this time of the year is tremendous, and I wish them the best of luck in the completion of their missions," David Johnston said in a statement.

Gov. Gen. David Johnston, left, addresses Canadian troops on Christmas Day at Camp Blackhorse in Kabul. (Chris Ward/Department of National Defence)

He was joined on the trip by Defence Minister Peter MacKay and Gen. Walt Natynczyk, chief of Canada's defence staff.

Johnston was already headed overseas for the state funeral of former Czech president Vaclav Havel, who died earlier this month.

Prior to the funeral, he, MacKay and Natynczyk visited with Canadian military personnel in Italy.

The approximately 250 sailors and air crew of the HMCS Vancouver joined a NATO counter-terrorism effort in the Mediterranean in November, after being deployed as part of the international mission in Libya.

Afterwards, the three men travelled to Afghanistan to celebrate Christmas with Canadians now stationed in Kabul.

The Governor General met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and other senior Afghan officials to discuss Canada's contribution to Afghanistan, while MacKay met with U.S. Gen. John R. Allen, who is commanding the international military presence there.

"Canadian Forces members have worked tirelessly, at home and abroad, to save lives, provide security, and promote peace," MacKay said in a statement.

Dignitaries don Santa hats

Liberal Leader Bob Rae also took part in the trip to Kabul, donning Santa hats with MacKay and Johnston for a photo with soldiers.

Canadians are carrying out their duties with the utmost professionalism and distinction, Rae said in a statement.

"Especially during the holiday season, we recognize and appreciate their continued hard work and sacrifice as they celebrate away from their loved ones," he said.

The trip to Afghanistan had become an annual Christmas ritual for MacKay and Canada's top soldiers, who in past years spent the time at the base in Kandahar that used to be home to over 2,500 Canadian troops.

This year, around 950 Canadian troops are stationed in and around Kabul, providing classroom instruction to Afghan soldiers and police and trainers and also mentoring Afghan medical staff.

A soldier has been killed as part of the mission, which the government initially described as "low risk" but later acknowledged "involves significant risks."

Master Cpl. Byron Greff of the 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry was killed when the vehicle he was riding in was struck by a powerful suicide car bomber on Oct. 29.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/12/25/governor-general-visits-canadian-personnel.html?cmp=rss

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Seth_Everett: @marquis66 Community is great & I'm ticked its on hiatus. But I was talking about a comedy I can watch on @netflix while I do late nites.

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@marquis66 Community is great & I'm ticked its on hiatus. But I was talking about a comedy I can watch on @netflix while I do late nites. Il y a environ 4 heures via TweetDeck en r?ponse ? marquis66

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UnderworldMagz: 30 Really Beautiful Christmas IPhone Wallpapers | Ozone Eleven http://t.co/VatZeweO via @ozoneeleven

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Palace says Prince Philip given heart stent

File - Britain's Prince Philip arrives at Government House in Canberra, Australia, in this Friday, Oct. 21, 2011 file photo. Queen Elizabeth II's husband has been taken to the hospital after experiencing chest pains, British royal officials said Friday Dec 23, 2011. A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip was taken from Sandringham, the queen's sprawling estate in rural Norfolk, to the cardiac unit at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge for "precautionary tests." (AP Photo / Torsten Blackwood, Pool, file)

File - Britain's Prince Philip arrives at Government House in Canberra, Australia, in this Friday, Oct. 21, 2011 file photo. Queen Elizabeth II's husband has been taken to the hospital after experiencing chest pains, British royal officials said Friday Dec 23, 2011. A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip was taken from Sandringham, the queen's sprawling estate in rural Norfolk, to the cardiac unit at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge for "precautionary tests." (AP Photo / Torsten Blackwood, Pool, file)

File - President Barack Obama, center, and Britain's Prince Philip, right, walk to view the Guard of Honor of the Scots Guard during an official arrival ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London, in this Tuesday, May 24, 2011 file photo. Queen Elizabeth II's husband has been taken to the hospital after experiencing chest pains, British royal officials said Friday Dec 23, 2011. A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip was taken from Sandringham, the queen's sprawling estate in rural Norfolk, to the cardiac unit at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge for "precautionary tests." (AP Photo / Carolyn Kaster, file)

File - Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, right, lead the annual procession of members of the Order of the Garter from Windsor Castle to St. George's Chapel in Windsor, England in this Monday, June 15, 1998 file photo. Queen Elizabeth II's husband has been taken to the hospital after experiencing chest pains, British royal officials said Friday Dec. 23 2011. A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip was taken from Sandringham, the queen's sprawling estate in rural Norfolk, to the cardiac unit at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge for "precautionary tests." (AP Photo / Alastair Grant, Pool, File)

File - Members of Britain's Royal family follow the coffin of the Queen Mother en route to her funeral in Westminster Abbey in London in this Tuesday, April 9, 2002, file photo. They are from left: Prince Andrew, Prince Charles, Prince Philip, Princess Anne and Prince Edward. Queen Elizabeth II's husband has been taken to the hospital after experiencing chest pains, British royal officials said Friday Dec. 23 2011. A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip was taken from Sandringham, the queen's sprawling estate in rural Norfolk, to the cardiac unit at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge for "precautionary tests." (AP Photo / Santiago Lyon, Pool File)

LONDON (AP) ? Queen Elizabeth II's husband has undergone treatment for a blocked coronary artery, British royal officials said Friday.

Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip, 90, was taken from Sandringham, the queen's sprawling estate in rural Norfolk, to the cardiac unit at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge earlier Friday for "precautionary tests" after suffering chest pains.

The palace refused to confirm if Philip had suffered a heart attack, saying only that tests at the hospital showed a blocked coronary artery was causing Philip's discomfort.

"This was treated successfully by the minimally invasive procedure of coronary stenting," the palace said in a statement. "Prince Philip will remain in hospital under observation for a short period."

Doctors said Philip could have suffered a heart attack, but without more information it was impossible to know for sure.

Coronary stenting is standard procedure both to fend off a heart attack or save a patient already in the midst of one, said Dr. Allan Schwartz, chief of cardiology at New York-Presbyterian, Columbia University Medical Center.

"It is a big spectrum, there's no way of knowing what applies to him," Schwartz said. "Saying you're taken to the hospital with chest pain is like saying you're taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound. It could be a grazing shot that's not significant or it could be something that's serious. Either way with the right treatment, you're O.K."

Schwartz said Philip's trim figure and athleticism bode well for his recovery.

Dr. Jonathan Tobis, director of interventional cardiology at UCLA, said coronary stenting is much less invasive than surgery because it is typically done through a catheter method, inserting a balloon down a blocked artery, blowing it up to open the blockage, then putting in a stent to keep the artery wall open.

Tobis said that any procedure carries risks, but advances in coronary medicine over the past 30 years means the procedure can be done "remarkably safely ? even in people in their 90s."

"Nowadays, patients typically go home the next day," Tobis said.

A spokeswoman for the palace would not say if other members of the royal family were Philip, who is also known as the Duke of Edinburgh. She spoke on customary condition of anonymity. A hospital spokeswoman referred all calls to the palace.

Papworth Hospital's website says it is the U.K.'s largest specialist cardiothoracic hospital and the country's main heart and lung transplant center, offering services such as cardiology, respiratory medicine and cardiothoracic surgery and transplantation.

Philip had been at Sandringham since Monday for the royal family's Christmas festivities, Buckingham Palace said.

It was unclear how Philip's hospitalization would alter the royal family's plans for the weekend, which typically include a public appearance before church services and then a private family lunch.

Philip has been known to enjoy good health throughout his life and rarely misses royal engagements. Upon his 90th birthday in June, he announced plans to cut back his official duties.

He came down with a cold in October and canceled an overnight visit to Italy to recover. That illness came shortly after Philip accompanied the queen on a busy 11-day official royal tour of Australia.

Philip also spent three days in the hospital in 2008 for treatment of a chest infection after suffering a bad cold.

The colorful and often outspoken husband of Elizabeth has been a familiar figure at his wife's side for decades. He has championed numerous charities over the years, but is advising the ones he heads to start planning an orderly transition as he plots the end of his working life.

The royal family's traditional Christmas celebration will be followed by a year's worth of festivities to mark the queen's 60th year on the throne.

Elizabeth and Philip have been planning to mark the event with a series of tours throughout England to culminate with a celebration in London in early June that will include an unprecedented pageant on the River Thames with up to 1,000 boats taking part.

Most of the senior royals, including Prince William and his wife, now formally known as the Duchess of Cambridge, will be dispatched across the globe to help the aging monarch celebrate her Diamond Jubilee.

A member of the Greek royal family, Philip is descended from Danish and German royalty. He joined the Royal Navy in 1939 and saw active service throughout World War II.

Philip married Elizabeth in 1947, when she was still a princess. He gave up his naval career when she became queen.

Philip is a great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria.

___

Cassandra Vinograd can be reached at http://twitter.com/CassVinograd

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-12-23-EU-Britain-Prince-Philip/id-fa17a3fefa6243e1937be7b0d809e339

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Apple nears German court rebuff in row with Samsung (Reuters)

DUESSELDORF, Germany (Reuters) ? A German court rejected Apple's claims that Samsung Electronics' reworked tablet PC still looks like a copycat version of the iPad, in a preliminary assessment.

Apple is fighting several rival makers of smartphones and tablet PCs in courts worldwide over intellectual property.

Its battle with Samsung, which is Apple's supplier as well as a competitor, has been especially bitter, with some 30 legal cases in 10 countries.

"According to the court's assessment, the defendant has moved away sufficiently from the legally protected design," Judge Johanna Brueckner-Hofmann said in court on Thursday.

Brueckner-Hofmann added that a ruling was slated for February 9.

In response to an earlier court ruling in Apple's favour, Samsung had redesigned its Galaxy Tab 10.1 for the German market only and named it Galaxy Tab 10.1N.

But Apple challenged the reworked version as well, seeking an injunction that would ban Samsung from marketing the product in Europe's largest consumer market.

Samsung, for its part, earlier this week filed new claims in a separate dispute related to telecommunications standard technology with Apple for alleged patent infringements in Germany.

(Reporting by Matthias Inverardi; Writing by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Helen Massy-Beresford)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/applecomputer/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111222/tc_nm/us_apple_samsung_galaxy

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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for vice president?

Chris Christie broke the hearts of many Republicans when he declined to run for president, but his GOP fans may yet see him in the White House ? as the veep.

The New Jersey governor told Fox News that it would be "presumptuous" to disqualify himself from contention for the vice-presidential nomination so early in the race.

"I think it's awful to say I won't do something when it hasn't been offered," Christie said.

Christie discarded the possibility of seeking the GOP presidential nomination back in October, saying his work in New Jersey was too important to leave behind.

While the Republican darling refused to disqualify himself from consideration for vice president, he also reaffirmed his interest in New Jersey's top political spot.

"I think it's going to be President-elect Romney and some other vice president-elect, and Chris Christie the governor of New Jersey," Christie said, speculating on the outcome of the 2012 race.

"I love my job," the New Jersey governor added.

Christie threw his support behind Mitt Romney back in October, becoming one of the first major Republican politicians to endorse the former Massachusetts governor.

Romney enjoys the support of the Republican establishment and jumped out to an early lead for the nomination, but he has struggled since August to climb back to the top of national opinion polls.

An average of national polling data by Real Clear Politics finds that Romney trails frontrunner Newt Gingrich by 3.8 percentage points.

Christie, who has a reputation for not pulling punches, also told Fox he thought Romney should display more emotion.

"Americans don't want an angry president, but they want to see a president who understands their fear and their anger," Christie said. "What my advice to him [Romney\] has been:'show it,'"

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/nj-gov-chris-christie-running-vice-president-gop-article-1.995836?localLinksEnabled=false

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Chinese 'water army' hijacks online product reviews

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Source: www.newscientist.com --- Thursday, December 22, 2011
New research may be able to tell which online product reviews are from genuine users, and which were penned by paid professionals ...

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Holiday showdown over payroll tax tests Obama, GOP

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio walks of the floor of the House chamber on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011, in Washington. The House rejected legislation to extend a payroll tax cut and jobless benefits for two months, drawing a swift rebuke from President Barack Obama that Republicans were threatening higher taxes on 160 million workers on Jan. 1. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio walks of the floor of the House chamber on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011, in Washington. The House rejected legislation to extend a payroll tax cut and jobless benefits for two months, drawing a swift rebuke from President Barack Obama that Republicans were threatening higher taxes on 160 million workers on Jan. 1. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D- Calif., walks of the floor of the House chamber on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011 in Washington. The House rejected legislation to extend a payroll tax cut and jobless benefits for two months, drawing a swift rebuke from President Barack Obama that Republicans were threatening higher taxes on 160 million workers on Jan. 1. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

House Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., walks of the floor of the House chamber Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011, in Washington. The Tuesday rejected legislation to extend a payroll tax cut and jobless benefits for two months, drawing a swift rebuke from President Barack Obama that Republicans were threatening higher taxes on 160 million workers on Jan. 1. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Stuck in a stalemate, President Barack Obama and his Republican rivals are slugging it out in Washington rather than reaching for a holiday season accord to prevent payroll taxes from going up on 160 million workers.

The tax increases, as well as cuts to Medicare doctors' fees and a lapse in jobless benefits, are due Jan. 1. They are looming even though the combatants agree that they shouldn't happen. Instead, the warring factions have painted themselves into a corner.

House Republicans are demanding that the Senate join negotiations to produce an agreement within days; Senate Democrats insist no talks will take place before the House approves a stopgap measure to buy more time.

A House vote Tuesday scuttled a bipartisan Senate deal for a two-month extension of all three policies: the payroll tax cuts, jobless benefits and Medicare fees.

After the House killed the Senate measure on a 229-193 vote, Obama signaled he'll use his presidential megaphone to try to force Republicans controlling the House into submission.

"Now let's be clear," Obama said at the White House. "The bipartisan compromise that was reached on Saturday is the only viable way to prevent a tax hike on Jan. 1. The only one."

The Obama campaign promptly took to Twitter and Facebook to fight it out. With their candidate's poll numbers rising, Democratic operatives seemed almost giddy at the prospect of a prolonged battle.

"The response was overwhelming," said a White House official requiring anonymity to discuss Obama's political efforts.

Republican lawmakers relished the battle as well, though some of them are too inexperienced to know that presidents ? regardless of party ? usually win such high-profile fights, like President Bill Clinton did over a 1995-96 government shutdown or President George W. Bush did in skirmishes on anti-terror policies.

House Republicans instead rallied around a plan passed last week that would have extended the payroll tax cut for one year. But that version also contained spending cuts opposed by Democrats and tighter rules for jobless benefits.

If legislation isn't passed by New Year's Day, payroll taxes will go up by almost $20 a week for a worker making a $50,000 salary. Almost 2 million people could lose unemployment benefits as well, and doctors would bear big cuts in Medicare payments.

Whatever the stakes, there was little indication that Republicans would get their wish for negotiations with the Senate any time soon. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., issued a statement saying he would be happy to resume talks on a yearlong measure ? "but not before" the House ratifies the two-month bill and sends it to Obama for his signature.

Given Obama's remarks and Reid's refusal to negotiate, it was unclear what leverage Republicans had in the year-end standoff. It appeared likely the partisan disagreement could easily persist past Christmas and into the final week of the year.

A little-noticed element of the brawl was that the House-Senate parliamentary situation, which can be a critical factor, is all messed up. The Senate adjourned Saturday until Jan. 23 except for so-called pro forma sessions in which legislative business ? like responding to the House moves ? is basically impossible unless all 100 senators agree. That's never a sure thing.

The standoff was sowing confusion among business executives, who were running out of time to adapt to any new payroll tax regimen. Even the Senate's proposed two-month extension was creating headaches because it contained a two-tiered system geared to ensuring that higher-income earners paid a higher rate on some of their wages, according to a trade group.

"There's not time enough to do that in an orderly fashion," said Pete A. Isberg, president of the National Payroll Reporting Consortium trade group. "We're two weeks away from 2012." He wrote a letter to congressional leaders this week warning that the Senate bill "could create substantial problems, confusion and costs."

Meanwhile, Medicare announced Tuesday that, as it has in the past when doctors' reimbursements have been cut through congressional inaction, it would withhold physicians' payments for two weeks in January to avoid passing on a 27 percent cut in Medicare fees. The hope is that the problem gets fixed by then.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-12-21-Congress-Payroll%20Tax/id-a6fd14f486234a46ae4b12b5898b398c

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High-speed chase from Pa. into N.Y. results in standoff (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)

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Cleveland casino gets 16,000 job applications in 4 days (Reuters)

CLEVELAND (Reuters) ? A soon-to-open Cleveland casino was bombarded with job applications from 16,000 people in just four days after announcing openings for 750 positions, a casino official said on Saturday.

Due to the high volume of responses, the Horseshoe Casino took down about half of the job openings on Friday and is now shifting through the resumes to find qualified candidates.

"We are utilizing employees all across the county to review applicants," Jennifer Kulczycki of Rock Gaming, parent company of the casino, told Reuters Saturday.

"We were blown out of the water by the numbers but we announced we would hire 90 percent of our staff from the Cleveland area and we are sure we will meet that goal."

This is the second round of job postings the casino, slated to open in March, has put on its website.

Ohio voters approved four casinos in the state in November 2009. Dan Gilbert, owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers professional basketball team, also owns Rock Gaming, and partnered with Caesars Entertainment Corp. to build the casino in Cleveland.

According to Kulczycki, the most sought-after positions during this round were security, cage cashier, food and beverage workers and administrative assistants.

In September, the casino posted more than 600 job openings and 12,000 people applied over the course of one month. Eventually that number was whittled down to 4,000 and more than 600 are currently receiving free training.

According to Kulczycki, employees will sort through the applications from this round and invite about 4,000 to in-person interviews. Those who do well will be receive a conditional job offer.

(Editing by Mary Wisniewski and Jerry Norton)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111217/us_nm/us_jobs_casino_ohio

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CBS edges out Fox for overall nightly ratings win (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) ? Fox and CBS competed in a close race for first place in the Wednesday night ratings, with "X Factor" and "Criminal Minds" sharing the night's top numbers but CBS eking out an overall victory for the night, according to preliminary numbers.

Both "X Factor," on Fox from 8 to 9:30, and "Criminal Minds," on CBS at 9, drew a 3.4 rating/9 share in the adults 18-49 demographic, though "Criminal Minds" was easily the most-viewed program of the night with 12.7 million total viewers, compared to 10.6 million for "The X Factor."

CBS took the win thanks to strong performances from "Survivor" and "CSI," which took the third and fourth-place spots, respectively. "Survivor" at 8 drew a 3.1/9 with 10.7 million total viewers, while "CSI" at 10 surged 20 percent over last week, taking a 3.0/8 -- its best showing since the second week of the season -- and 12.1 million total viewers. Combined with "Criminal Minds," those numbers gave CBS an average 3.1/8 in the demographic, narrowly besting Fox's 3.0/8 average. CBS was also the most-watched network of the night with an average 11.8 million total viewers.

Following "The X Factor," Fox ran "I Hate My Teenage Daughter," which pulled a 1.9/5 and 5.2 million total viewers. Overall the network averaged 9.3 million total viewers over the night.

ABC's "Barbara Walters: 10 Most Fascinating People of 2011" at 9:30 was down 28 percent compared to last year's telecast with a 2.3/6 and 8.3 million total viewers.

ABC ran repeats the rest of Wednesday night, and NBC ran repeats throughout the evening.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111215/tv_nm/us_tvratings

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Ex-Pa. prof, Okla. teacher held in child porn case (AP)

OKLAHOMA CITY ? An Oklahoma prosecutor said Friday he "fully expects" more young victims to emerge in the case of a former third-grade teacher accused of making child pornography involving her students and sharing it online with a retired college professor in Pennsylvania.

Former McLoud school teacher Kimberly Ann Crain, 48, and retired Pennsylvania professor of early childhood development Gary Doby, 65, were charged Thursday in the case in which prosecutors allege Crain took photographs of as many as 14 young girls while they were changing in her classroom and at her home and shared them with Doby. Crain also is accused of setting up video chats on her school computer between her students and a man named "Uncle G," who authorities say was Doby.

"Any person who has a child that's been a student of Mrs. Crain has been on pins and needles wondering if their child is a victim," said Pottawatomie County District Attorney Richard Smothermon. "We've had at least three or four more parents contact us. Potentially there are many more victims.

"Until we have identified every victim, the investigation will continue."

Crain, who resigned in November, was charged with 23 felony counts, including eight counts of manufacturing juvenile pornography, 10 counts of lewd molestation and aggravated possession of juvenile pornography. Doby, who was arrested Thursday outside his Bloomsburg, Pa. home, was charged with eight counts of manufacturing juvenile pornography and one count of conspiracy to manufacture juvenile pornography.

Crain and Doby were being held Friday on $1 million each. If convicted on all counts, Crain could be sentenced to life in prison, while Doby could face up to 170 years, Smothermon said.

Doby was being held in Columbia County Prison near Bloomsburg University, the state-owned school about 90 miles northwest of Philadelphia from which he retired in 2008. Pennsylvania court officials said Friday they have no record of an attorney for Doby and that an extradition hearing hadn't been scheduled.

A not-guilty plea was entered on Crain's behalf during her arraignment Thursday in Pottawatomie County. Her attorney, Cregg Webb, did not return a phone message Friday left at his office in Shawnee.

Smothermon said he's also discussing the possibility of federal charges, but that Oklahoma statutes carry lengthier sentences.

"We want to make sure we can get the maximum amount of time that we can," he said.

The case first came to light in November when the parents of a 9-year-old girl contacted police after their daughter attended a pizza party at Crain's McLoud home. The girl told police Crain had several girls change into Christmas-themed bras and panties and then took pictures of them decorating a Christmas tree and made a video of them doing a cheer dance, according to a police affidavit.

Police later uncovered more than 100 sexually explicit photographs of young girls from Crain's cellphone, computers and digital cameras, authorities said.

Officers who interviewed Doby at his home in Pennsylvania earlier this week said he admitted his relationship with Crain and that he communicated with her via Skype and received photos of young girls in their underwear, according to the affidavit.

Crain and Doby apparently met when she was a student and he was a professor at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee between 1985 and 1987, Smothermon said. Although Smothermon did not disclose the nature of their relationship, court records show investigators found evidence of numerous "sexual chats" between the two on Crain's computer.

"Our community is distressed by the alleged crimes," Marty O'Gwynn, assistant to the president at OBU said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families."

George Wright, an attorney for the families of some of the alleged victims in the case, said both parents and the children are "traumatized."

"They're horrified daily," Wright said. "It seems like every day we hear something that was worse than the day before. It's an onslaught."

___

Associated Press writer Joseph Mandak in Pittsburgh contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111216/ap_on_re_us/us_ex_professor_child_porn

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Poll: Most Americans want payroll tax extension (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Most Americans want Congress to vote to continue the payroll tax reduction, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll that comes as Democrats and Republicans wrestle over whether to extend the cut through 2012.

It's the latest instance in which lawmakers on Capitol Hill have allowed partisan sniping to hold up a measure to put in place a policy that most Americans support, like ending the Bush tax cuts, cap and trade, and a surcharge on millionaires.

The dragged-out debate over whether to extend an expiring payroll tax reduction is one of many developments that have kept voters furious with their leaders all year. On the brink of the 2012 presidential and congressional elections, virtually all Americans are disappointed and frustrated with the political scene and nearly 6 in 10 say they are angry, the AP-GfK survey showed.

"It seems like there are parties that only want to get their agenda done," said liquor store owner James Jacobsen, 47, of East Hartford, Conn. "They're catering to special interests and not Americans. They are not representing the individual American."

Nearly 6 in 10 respondents say they want Congress to pass the extension, according to the poll. Letting the payroll tax break expire would cost a family making $50,000 about $1,000.

Yet, Republicans and Democrats are rejecting each other's proposals and trying to make law from what's left, a tactic they've used all year on debates over the budget and the nation's debt. The stalemates have caused a decline in confidence so severe that 15 percent of all adults and 32 percent of political independents say they don't trust either party to manage the federal budget deficit.

Economic discontent has spilled over into the political sphere all year and could influence the 2012 presidential and congressional elections. Occupy Wall Street and other protests against inequality have grabbed some attention from politicians, with Democrats the most supportive. Last week, a group of demonstrators camped out on the National Mall, crashed stately holiday parties and marched on Capitol Hill, demanding that Congress extend the payroll tax and insurance for the long-term unemployed.

On the payroll tax deduction, 58 percent of respondents said they want Congress to extend the break, while 35 percent want it to expire.

Democrats and independents are the strongest supporters of continuing the tax cut, while Republicans were evenly divided. But the difference is more partisan than ideological: Conservatives supported an extension, 54 percent to the 42 percent who prefer to let the reduction expire.

Those with annual incomes below $50,000 more strongly support the extension compared with higher-income respondents, and seniors were more likely than younger adults to back the extension.

On Wednesday, there was little sign Congress was listening.

Democrats who control the Senate rejected a GOP-ruled House plan to extend the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits, but only with cuts to spending and sped-up approval of an oil pipeline. The Senate is crafting its own proposal in response.

If an agreement is not reached by the end of the year, payroll taxes will jump on Jan. 1 from this year's 4.2 percent back to their normal level of 6.2 percent.

Americans are virtually out of patience, the polling shows. And their distrust crosses party lines.

"I really don't feel that they are having the best interests of us as a people," said Rogersville, Tenn., resident Andrea Stafford, 38, a single mother of two who has been unemployed since the summer.

"And when I say people," she added, "I don't mean millionaires and government officials. I'm talking about the normal person who gets up and fixes their children's lunch and has to take off work when their child is sick because we don't have nannies."

The AP-GfK poll found congressional approval near its all-time low and nearly all Americans disappointed with politics. Eighty-four percent of the respondents disapproved of the way Congress is doing its job, with at least 8 in 10 Republicans, Democrats and independents feeling that way.

As for how to balance the federal budget, more now favor cutting government services as the best means to bring federal spending into balance. Sixty percent think lawmakers should focus on budget cuts over tax increases. That figure had been as low as 53 percent in August, during the showdown over raising the country's debt limit.

The biggest shift on that question has come from independents. In the August poll, 37 percent said lawmakers should focus on increasing taxes and 42 percent said cutting services. Now, that divide stands at 28 percent for raising taxes and 59 percent for cutting services.

The Associated Press-GfK Poll was conducted Dec. 8-12 by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Corporate Communications. It involved landline and cell phone interviews with 1,000 adults nationwide and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

___

AP Deputy Director of Polling Jennifer Agiesta, writer Stacy Anderson and News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/uscongress/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111215/ap_on_go_co/us_ap_poll_congress_payroll_tax

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Audience has a favorite in 'X Factor' final four

Frank Micelotta / FOX.

'X Factor's' final four: Josh Krajcik, Melanie Amaro, Marcus Canty and Chris Rene

By Craig Berman, TODAY.com contributor

Nicole Scherzinger was the lightning rod for "X Factor" criticism this week, getting blasted for her indecision that sealed Rachel Crow?s elimination. But that doesn?t bother her. ?I can handle the boos a lot better because they make me stronger,? she told host Steve Jones.

Let?s hope so, because she got more of that this week, including from her fellow judges. When the host read a fan tweet that said ?Sometimes the judges just spew out random drivel just because they have to ?say something,?? L.A. theatrically pointed at her. And truthfully, only one of her comments this week was at all memorable, and that was because it was so ridiculous. We?ll get to that later.

But Nicole can be comforted by one fact: She won?t be in that position again as a judge. The contestant with the lowest number of votes goes home this week, so she can be as indecisive as she wants.

That change has to be good news for Marcus Canty. Canty?s still the odds-on favorite to go home, as the three-time Save Me Song Champion (tm L.A. Reid) hasn?t built up the fan support of the other three contenders. Also, America did him no favors by making him sing ?I?ll Make Love to You,? by Boyz II Men, which made him look like a wedding singer.

His follow-up, ?Careless Whisper,? was his most original performance of the competition, but not the kind of song that makes uncommitted fans of the show flock to him. ?The odds of him being among the top two vote getters is just about zero, but he doesn?t have to four-peat as the sing-off champion to survive. He just has to come in next-to-last.

Judging from the studio audience, that?s unlikely. The ?Chris Re-ne! Chris Re-ne!? chants were even louder than the booing Nicole got a week ago, though again America gave him a curious song to sing (we really want this guy covering Sugar Ray songs? Think, people!). But his second song was a risk that paid off, in Alicia Keys? ?No One,? and his story about making his late father proud tugged at the heartstrings. Nobody who supported him to this point would switch gears based on that.

Meanwhile, Simon Cowell did everything but get down on his knees and beg the viewers to keep Melanie Amaro around. From Mariah Carey?s ?Hero? to the classic ?Feeling Good,? she shone again on Wednesday, and her mentor urged the audience to pick up the phones and make sure she made next week?s finale. She deserves that, and will likely get it.

That leaves Josh Krajcik, who?s in an interesting position. On the one hand, Rachel Crow fans who aren?t happy with Nicole are unlikely to throw their support to her mentee, though obviously it?s not like he tells her who to vote for. On the other, the people gave him the best song to sing by picking ?Come Together,? which suited both his voice and his style.

Then he went with ?Hallelujah? as his second number. Here?s where Nicole lost a little bit of perspective. ??He?s never performed it before but it will be the best version that anyone?s ever heard of this song,? Nicole said.

Seriously, Nicole? Just don?t go there. He did fine, well enough that both Paula Abdul and Simon called him a favorite, but his version wasn?t even the best among reality show contestants, much less touching Leonard Cohen or Jeff Buckley. It was the best version anyone had ever heard, assuming it was the only version. But even so, it was probably enough to keep him safe and finally send Canty packing.

Who do you think will survive into the top three? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

?

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Playboy operations bunny-hopping to LA

Playboy File / AFP - GETTY IMAGES

A December 1953 photo shows Playboy founder Hugh Hefner with the magazine's first issue, featuring Marilyn Monroe.

By msnbc.com staff and NBC News

After 58 years as an institution synonymous with Chicago ? among other things ? Playboy is uprooting to a climate somewhat more appropriate for its Playmates' attire: Los Angeles.

Playboy, which Hugh Hefner founded in the Windy City in 1953, announced Tuesday that the magazine's editorial, art and photo departments would be relocating by next May.

"Some of the magazine's Chicago employees have been asked to relocate, while others have been asked to stay on in Chicago to ensure a seamless transition. Open key positions will be hired out of Los Angeles," the company said, according to NBC station WMAQ of Chicago.

---

A company spokeswoman told the Chicago Tribune that no decisions had been made about other departments at the Chicago headquarters, including human resources, public relations, legal, accounting and information technology.

Hefner took Playboy private in January as the company's circulation and staff dwindled. After hitting a circulation of more than 7 million in 1972, the magazine was down to 1.5 million last year, according to figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulation. The company cut its staff from 679 in 2008 to 530 last year.

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JVC GC-PX10

JVC is marketing its GC-PX10 ($899.95 list) as a hybrid camera?one designed to merge the functions of a camcorder with a digital still camera. In reality, it is more of a 1080p video camera that happens to take nice 12-megapixel stills. A dead giveaway is the inclusion of 32GB of internal flash memory, a feature that is almost never seen in digital cameras. The controls are laid out in a way that make more sense for video use, and can be a bit awkward to use for stills in anything but automatic mode. Its menu interface must be navigated via a touch-screen interface, which makes it very difficult to adjust settings with which photographers often fiddle.

Design and Features
The GC-PX10's design is rather unique among camcorders, as it is a departure from both handheld shoot-and-share and traditional palmcorder designs. It measures 2.7 by 5.2 by 4.8 inches and weighs 1 pound, 3.2 ounces. It dwarfs our very-compact Edtitors' Choice pocket camcorder, the Sony Bloggie Touch 8GB ($199.99, 4 stars), which is only 2.1 by 4.3 by 0.6 inches and weighs a mere 4.2 ounces?almost a full pound less than the JVC. Nor can you take it on extreme sporting adventures, as you can with the compact Kodak Playsport Zx5 ($179.95, 4 stars) and Contour+ ($499.99, 3 stars) helmet camera.

The camera that the GC-PX10 resembles most is the Sony NEX-5N ($699.99, 4.5 stars), which also has thin body, deep handgrip, and long lens. Unlike the NEX-5N, you won't able to change lenses. The JVC's fixed 10x Konica Minolta HD zoom lens is firmly, and permanently, attached. When shooting video the lens covers a 43-433mm f/2.8-4.5 (35mm equivalent) field of view, which is great for telephoto recording, but can be a bit limiting in when shooting in tight spaces. The field of view changes a bit when shooting stills, which are in 4:3 aspect ratio rather than 16:9. The camera covers a slightly wider 37-374mm range, which is still limiting when trying to snap group shots in average-sized rooms. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150 ($499.99, 3.5 stars) is a better option for wide-angle shooting, its lens covers a 25-600mm field of view and the camera is capable of capturing some very nice HD video footage.

The rear of the camera is dominated by a 3-inch, 230k-dot touch-screen LCD. It is hinged, but can only be tilted along one axis, in one direction. This makes it possible to tilt the screen so that you can use the camera at your waist or with the lens facing you, but you can't tilt it so that you can use the camera over your head. This is a bit limiting, as lifting the camera up to record footage can be quite helpful in crowded environments, such as concerts and sporting events. The LCD isn't as sharp as some, and is prone to glare in bright light. Its ability to tilt should help to alleviate that, but a dual-hinge system would be better for this purpose.

There are some physical controls on the camera, including a zoom rocker, video record button, and shutter release for stills. Additional controls on the left side of the lens include a mode dial, flash control, exposure adjustment toggle, and a control wheel. These will come in handy when shooting, but sadly will not allow you to navigate through menus. All menu adjustments are through touch only, which can slow down access to certain helpful settings, including focus assist, ISO adjustment, and white balance.

The GC-PX10 features an omnidrectional built-in stereo mic which captures clear audio from all directions. The sound of the lens zooming in and out is not audible on the audio track, but there is a cold shoe located on the top of the lens if you'd like to add a better microphone or other accessory, like a self-powered video light. ?Ports to plug in the mic and other cables are located under a flap on the left side of the lens. The camera sports a headphone jack, mini USB, and mini HDMI ports. There is no dedicated battery charger, instead you plug the camera into a wall outlet to charge and power it. If 32GB of built-in memory isn't enough to suit your needs, you can add storage via a standard memory card slot that supports SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards.

Performance, Video Quality, and Conclusions
The camera is a bit slow to start up, taking a full 4.7 seconds to turn on and take a photo. It does a bit better in terms of shutter lag, taking only 0.1 second between pressing the shutter and grabbing a shot. Its recycle time is also quite impressive. It can shoot a photo once every 0.3 second continuously, and also supports high-speed burst shooting. You can grab 100 shots in either 13.1 seconds or 3.3 seconds depending on the speed chosen, although there is a long recovery time?up to 28 seconds?after grabbing a large number of shots in a short amount of time. This puts it in the same class as the Panasonic FZ150, which is a bit speedier thanks to a 2-second startup, but matches the 0.1 second shutter lag. The FZ150 can shoot continuously with a 0.2 second delay between photos, and also supports capturing a burst of 12 images with a 0.1-second gap between each photo.

I used the Imatest software suite to measure the quality of the GC-PX10's photos in terms of sharpness and noise. The camera recorded 1,640 lines per picture height of sharpness, which is a bit shy of the 1,800-line mark that denotes a sharp image. It is in line with the results of the Panasonic FZ150, which grabbed 1,700 lines. In terms of image noise, the PX10 scored respectably, keeping noise under 1.5 percent through ISO 800. This will let you shoot in less-than-perfect light, especially when you have the lens at its widest focal length, a setting at which its lens is able to capture quite a bit of light thanks to its large f/2.8 aperture.

The strength of the camera is its video quality. It records 1080p60 footage at a 36 megabit per second sampling rate. The footage is crisp and detailed, and motion is smooth. Files are stored in MP4 format, which can be edited in popular applications. You'll be able to record up to 2 hours of footage onto the camera's internal memory at highest quality. You can increase that recording time by an hour by dropping the bitrate to 24 megabits per second, or to 5.6 hours by recording in 720p.

There's also a super-slow motion mode, which captures video at 300 frames per second and slows it down to 60 frames. For every five seconds of footage that you shoot, one second is recorded in the video. The resolution is limited to 640 by 380 in this mode, but the results can be quite stunning when shooting wildlife or sports.

If you're primarily interested in video, the GC-PX10 is not without faults, but overall it's a solid (albeit pricey) camcorder. Its 1080p footage looks great and is full of detail, and it records in the standard MP4 format for easy editing and sharing. It also captures nice stills, although experienced photographers will feel a bit hindered by the need to use its touch screen to change certain settings. If you're more interested in still photos, you may want to consider the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150, which offers a wider zoom range and still captures very-good-quality HD video. If you're happy with a shorter zoom, consider the Sony NEX-5N, which records 1080p footage and ships with a lens that covers a 27-82mm field of view. It's $200 less, is a top performer, and offers more features including the versatility of interchangeable lenses.

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