PITTSBURGH (93-7 THE FAN) ? What a difference one calendar year has made for No. 24 Pitt, which opens Big East play against No. 8 Cincinnati Monday at noon at The Pete.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Panther Hollow: Pitt Ready To Turn Calendar Page Against UC
PITTSBURGH (93-7 THE FAN) ? What a difference one calendar year has made for No. 24 Pitt, which opens Big East play against No. 8 Cincinnati Monday at noon at The Pete.
Car bombing leaves at least 19 dead, 25 injured in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – At least 19 people were killed by a car bomb in Pakistan on Sunday, the latest in a pattern of escalating attacks by militants in recent weeks.
Bristol Rovers new boys John-Joe O'Toole and Tom Hitchcock ready for relegation battle
New boys John-Joe O'Toole and Tom Hitchcock say that they are both ready for the challenges that lay ahead after agreeing to join John Ward's crusade to drag Bristol Rovers out of the relegation mire.
Both players arrived at Rovers' Cribbs Causeway training HQ this morning and are expected to make debuts in tomorrow crunch clash with Plymouth Argyle at the Memorial Stadium (1pm) – provided the paperwork to ratify both deals can be lodged with the Football League in time.
Ward, meanwhile, declared himself 'pleased' to have quickly added two new faces to his threadbare squad and believes that both players have the sort of spirit and desire required to help second-from-bottom Rovers out of their current predicament over the duration of their month-long loan deals.
O'Toole, a former Republic of Ireland Under-21 international, arrives with over 100 league games under his belt after debuting for Watford some five years ago – but has fallen down the pecking order at current club Colchester United following a spate of niggling injuries recently.
He said: "The gaffer at Colchester told me to go out and get some games because I haven't played that much over the last three or four months.
"It was quite an easy decision for me and I hope I can come here gets some games and some goals and be of some help to the team over the next few weeks. I've had a little bit of trouble with my groins this season, but I am fully fit now and looking forward to playing games regularly again.
"I know John Ward from our time together at Colchester and am fully aware of what exactly he will be expecting from me. It is a new challenge for me because I've never really been involved in a relegation battle before. I'm ready to roll my sleeves up and dig in for the cause and all I'm focusing on at the moment is to do well in the games I play in and then to wait and see what happens after that.
"I've heard that the club has a good fan-base and gets a few in at home games so I'm looking forward to experiencing that on Tuesday.
"The last time I started a game was over a month ago so it will be tough to get through the full 90 minutes, but I'll do whatever it takes to make a contribution because the team needs every point available to get out of the situation we are in at the minute."
QPR striker Hitchcock, 20, meanwhile, is at the other end of the spectrum in terms of where his career is at and is hoping the next few weeks will prove useful in his bid to eventually make the transition between reserve team regular to senior first-team professional.
The striker has yet to debut for QPR, but has had a short loan spell at Plymouth Argyle, where he played a handful of league games last season.
"I'm looking forward to what should be a good challenge for me," Hitchcock said. "My main aim is to get some experience under my belt and to score some goals to help Rovers out over the next few weeks.
"I found out about the interest from Rovers late last week and I had no hesitation in agreeing to come here. It is a good opportunity for a young player like me to get some games. Playing in the Under-21 league is good, but it is nothing in comparison to real senior league football. I hope that this little spell will act as a real stepping stone for me in my career."
He added: "I'm looking forward to the game on Tuesday. I was on loan at Plymouth last season and I enjoyed my time down there. Plymouth were in a similarly difficult situation to the one Rovers are in now so I hope that will stand me in good stead for the next few weeks.
"I haven't scored a league goal yet and I'm hoping that it might happen for me against Plymouth."
Peter Parker is dead but Spider-Man lives
Peter Parker, the web slinging alter ego of pop culture phenomenon Spider-Man has reached the end of the mortal coil, after 50 years of saving heroines and the world at large.
The biggest iPhone, iPad, and Apple news stories of 2012
As 2012 comes to an end it seems fitting to reflect back on the events that molded and shaped it, and in iMore's case, that means the biggest iPhone, iPad, and Apple news stories of the year. So, we cracked open the analytics, sorted by popularity, and compiled a list of the your top 5 favorite stories.
Interestingly, and awesomely, they were all stories iMore broke or helped break. Not all of them panned out exactly as we heard they would, but it looks like the broad strokes were all there. From the dates of events and launches to the designs and looks of the devices themselves, we gave you exactly what you wanted to read and share, and wow did you read and share it.
So here they are, your favorite news stories of 2012!
5. iPad 3 announcement March 7, quad-core, possible 4G LTE
iMore nailed the date for Apple's iPad 3 event in March, though when we kept hearing quad-core we mistakenly reported it as the A6 chipset as a while, and not just the graphics processor that ended up being in the A5X.
According to sources who have been reliable in the past, Apple currently plans to hold their iPad 3 announcement on Wednesday, March 7, 2012. Along with the 2048x1536 Retina display, the iPad 3 will feature a quad-core Apple A6 system-on-a-chip, and possibly 4G LTE networking.
4. Apple getting ready to ditch the traditional iPhone, iPad, and iPod dock connector
Way back in February, iMore brought you word that Apple would be replacing the traditional Dock connector. In September they did just that with the all-new Lightning connector.
iMore has learned that Apple is getting ready to ditch the dock connector as it's currently sized and implemented on iPods, iPhones, and iPads. The reason isn't anything political, like a desire to conform to the outdated micro USB standard, but typically Apple: to save space inside the iPhone 5 for what are now more important components.
3. iPad mini won't be much smaller, but will be a lot narrower, thinner, and lighter
In one of the funnest moments last year, Seth Weintraub from 9to5Mac, John Gruber of Daring Fireball, and iMore all posted about the radically thin and light new iPad mini form factor at around the same time.
Looking at it, the iPad mini may not seem radically smaller than the 9.7-inch iPad. And that's the point. It's not supposed to be a major compromise in screen size or usability. It is, however, thinner and lighter enough to make a substantial difference. Holding it with one hand will be easier, and holding it for prolonged periods of time will be much easier.
2. Leaks accurate, this is what the new iPhone will look like
Never mind the iPad mini. When the next iPhone is also going to be a designed iPhone, already high levels of interest simply skyrocket.
iMore has learned that recent parts leaks and dummy phones are accurate representations of what the new iPhone (iPhone 5,1) will look like when Apple announces it on September 12, 2012. Almost identical in design to the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, the major visible differences will include a 4-inch display with a 16:9 aspect ratio, a metallic plate across most the back, a centered FaceTime camera on the front, and a miniaturized Dock connector and relocated 3.5mm headset jack along the bottom.
1. Apple iPhone 5 and iPad mini event planned for September 12, iPhone 5 release date for September 21
In our most popular story of the year, iMore nailed the day for Apple's iPhone 5 and 2012 iPod event, though we incorrectly reported that new iPads would be along for the ride (they came a month later).
iMore has learned that Apple is planning to debut the new iPhone at a special event on Wednesday, September 12, 2012, with the release date to follow 9 days later on Friday, September 21. This information comes from sources who have proven accurate in the past.
Your favorite news story of 2012?
So those are them, the biggest iPhone, iPad, and Apple news stories of 2012 as voted on by your pageviews. But pageviews are only one metric. Did any other stories stand out to you as especially big and important? Apple's executive shuffle? Apple Maps fiasco? Retina coming to the Mac? 3 new iPad devices in one year? Apple updating almost their entire product lineup in the span of 3 months? What mattered the most to you?
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Teens offered chance to get into movies
THE British Film Institute (BFI) is offering Bristol teenagers the chance to get a first foot on the ladder of the movie industry.
Young film-makers, aged between 16 and 19, are being invited to take part in the BFI Film Academy Bristol.
The series of workshops, run by industry experts, will give young people the opportunity to pick up the practical skills and experience needed be part of the film industry of the future.
They will get an insiders' perspective on what its like to work in film from idea development to getting films on to the cinema screen.
There are 35 free academy places available, across the two centres – the Watershed and Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
The academy will take place from late January to mid-March during evenings and occasional weekends.
The deadline for applications is January 9. Travel bursaries are available. For further details, visit bfifab.org.uk
Young film-makers, aged between 16 and 19, are being invited to take part in the BFI Film Academy Bristol.
The series of workshops, run by industry experts, will give young people the opportunity to pick up the practical skills and experience needed be part of the film industry of the future.
They will get an insiders' perspective on what its like to work in film from idea development to getting films on to the cinema screen.
There are 35 free academy places available, across the two centres – the Watershed and Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
The academy will take place from late January to mid-March during evenings and occasional weekends.
The deadline for applications is January 9. Travel bursaries are available. For further details, visit bfifab.org.uk
How to flag an email message on iPhone and iPad
Sometimes you get an email that you want to easily find again later, maybe to follow up, maybe just to keep handy. Luckily, your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad Mail app comes with this functionality built right in. All you have to do to keep special track of a message is flag it. Then you can read, reply, or refer to again quickly and easily, whenever you need to.
- Launch the Mail app from the Home screen of your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad.
- Tap on the Inbox or other mail box that contains the message you'd like to flag.
- Tap the Edit button in the upper right hand corner.
- Tap on the message or messages you'd like to flag. They'll get highlighted.
- Tap on the Mark button in the lower right hand corner.
- Tap Flag.
- An icon will appear next to the message so you'll know it's flagged.
Once you have a message (or messages) flagged, a special Flagged mailbox will appear in your Mail account list. Tap on it to see a list of all your flagged messages.
If you ever want to unflag a message, you'll repeat the same steps as above and choose Unflag the second time around.
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PRESS DIGEST-New York Times business news - Dec 31
Dec 31 - The following are the top stories on the New York
Times business pages on Monday. Reuters has not verified these
stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. 
Times business pages on Monday. Reuters has not verified these
stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Medical board appeals to public to combat prescription overdoses
The Medical Board of California asks the public to report deaths in which doctors might have overprescribed drugs.
In an appeal for the public's help in stemming the epidemic of prescription drug deaths, the Medical Board of California is asking people whose relatives died of overdoses to contact the board if they believe excessive prescribing or other physician misconduct contributed to the deaths.
In an appeal for the public's help in stemming the epidemic of prescription drug deaths, the Medical Board of California is asking people whose relatives died of overdoses to contact the board if they believe excessive prescribing or other physician misconduct contributed to the deaths.
Honda pleased with ?13 engine progress
Honda is pleased with the development progress that has been made with its IndyCar engine as it prepares for the 2013 season. IndyCar regulations require manufacturers to homologate their engines by January 18, after which many areas of the powerplant will be subject to a development freeze during the year.
'Django Unchained': The 'Despicable' Inside Story Of Samuel L. Jackson's Role
Actor shares his experience of being one-half of a 'two-headed monster' in Quentin Tarantino's latest.
By Kevin P. Sullivan, with reporting by Josh Horowitz
Samuel L. Jackson and Kerry Washington in "Django Unchained"
Photo: The Weinstein Company
Samsung's Android tablet/smartphone hybrid will debut in mid-February
AT T says it will begin pre-sales of Samsung's Galaxy Note mini-tablet/smartphone on Feb. 17 for $300 plus contract. To be hyped during the Super Bowl via video shot on its own eight megapixel camera, the Android 2.3-based gadget features a 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED display, a 1.5GHz, dual-core processor, and a stylus....
GP3 to race in Abu Dhabi in 2013
GP3 will race in Abu Dhabi for the first time in 2013, with the Yas Marina circuit hosting the season finale. Series organisers revealed the calendar for next year on Wednesday, featuring seven Formula 1 support rounds and an unconfirmed standalone race on June 14-16
Obama skeptical of NRA proposal to put more guns in schools
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said in an interview broadcast on Sunday he hopes to get new U.S. gun control measures passed during the first year of his second term and is skeptical of a proposal by the National Rifle Association (NRA) gun lobby to put armed guards in schools. 
YouTube Flushes Bot Views, Annoints VEVO Channels
T?is the end of the year and all across YouTube, videos - primarily music- are being scrubbed clean of fraudulent views. Except one set of channels. VEVO, the one with a special partnership with YouTube, has remained untouched. Obvious VEVO power-play much, YouTube?
YouTube has long had issues with botting - the practice of paying for fake views, much in the same way people buy fake Facebook likes or fake Twitter followers. In a bold move before the Christmas holiday, the Google-owned site stripped billions of views from the channels belonging to Universal Music Group, Sony BMG and RCA Records. Hundreds of examples of music-related content were removed as well.
Tallying Up The Fake Views
The music channel with the most fraudulent views removed was Universal Music Group, with the tally coming out to just over 1 billion (1,015,813,000), according to third-party analytics site SocialBlade. Sony BMG lost a little over 850 million views, while the RCA channel dropped 159 million.
As first reported by the Daily Dot, this year-end cleaning of fake views also hit hundreds of other non-musical YouTubers, which led many to wonder in related Google forums whether this was the work of a bug. In a forum post, YouTube confirmed users had violated the Terms of Service item 4 section H, which states: ?You agree not to use or launch any automated system, including without limitation, "robots."
YouTube did not respond to the Daily Dot?s requests for comment on the removal of views and videos from Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, and RCA Records, nor did they respond to ReadWrite?s. Tech blog Tom?s Guide however, got a confirmation from Google that the music channels had indeed violated the ToS.
Claims Of Bias
Netherlands-based web celebrity and gamer Athene Wins - who is a bit of a YouTube watchdog - called the take-down of fake views from certain channels ?biased? in a vlog addressing Daily Dot?s article, given that he believes botting has also occurred on VEVO channels.
?They?re just making sure all big labels and artists are forced to go with VEVO,? says Athene Wins, who points out Chris Brown and Britney Spears VEVO channels were untouched as far as the removal of botted views.
?Don?t tell me that you are going to be botting views for Chris Brown TV? but you ?stop botting? at Chris Brown?s VEVO,? he added.
The removal of botted views on only certain music channels does look suspicious, but the comment the Daily Dot received from Universal confirmed they have been focusing on pushing content into their VEVO channel, instead of their original YouTube channel. VEVO, after all, charges very high ad rates.
It is also possible that the millions of fake views on Universal Music Group, Sony BMG and RCA Records was done to make channels appear more popular than they were, since they were created in 2006, before the music video conglomerate VEVO (which includes Universal, Sony BMG and RCA Records talent) launched in 2009. Reddit, for example, relied on fake users to make the site appear more popular than it was, when it first started out.
YouTube's funneling music into one central distributing network, VEVO, also makes sense for simplicity, as all music on the site can then be under one umbrella. This re-organizing of music content also means VEVO is staying on YouTube; back in July VEVO threatened to leave the Google-owned video sharing site unless they lowered their fees.
Keeping the botted views on VEVO (if they do in fact, exist), then, makes sense from a business investment standpoint. Inflating the VEVO traffic keeps a nice justification going for those VEVO channels' high ad rates, all the better for everyone's bottom line.
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