http://www.globalmassmedia.com Read world's most important news! Wed, 09 Jan 2008 16:13:08 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Along with Toshiba, Microsoft is a big backer of HD DVD. But with Warner’s siding exclusively with Blu-ray Disc, some Xbox faithful look to Microsoft to answers regarding the high-definition future of the console. While Microsoft isn’t about to flip-flop to Blu-ray Disc any time soon, the company’s gaming group ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/report-microsoft-may-consider-xbox-360-blu-ray-disc-support/ The FCC is preparing to investigate accusations that cable provider Comcast is disrupting peer-to-peer file-sharing traffic on its network. A study conducted last year by the Electronic Frontier Foundation and independently verified by the Associated Press revealed that Comcast interferes with BitTorrent and Gnutella sessions by sending TCP "reset" packets ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/fcc-to-investigate-comcast-bittorrent-blocking/ The government faces a "major decision" on whether to approve a new generation of nuclear power stations, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has told MPs. He said ministers were also looking at possibilities including the greater use of more renewable energy sources. Speaking during prime minister's questions, he said the ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/nuclear-a-major-decision-brown/ TEL AVIV, Jan.9--President Bush on Wednesday launched his first visit to Israel since becoming president, exchanging warm words of support with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and others as he began a final push for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal before leaving office next year. Olmert told Bush the "bond between ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/bush-visits-israel-to-promote-mideast-peace/ JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Two Katyusha rockets were fired into northern Israel from Lebanon on Monday night, an Israeli police spokesman said. It's the first time in more than six months that such a rocket has been fired from Lebanon into Israel. Israeli munitions experts have examined the rockets, which landed ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/rockets-fired-into-israel-from-lebanon/ BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- European shops saw trading crash in November, the EU statistics agency said Tuesday, adding to signs that the economy may be slowing. But the president of the European Union insisted the bloc still had the momentum to keep expanding despite higher inflation and a credit crisis ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/european-shops-see-sales-crash/ The sprawling consortium of technology and media companies assembled to promote the HD DVD format of next-generation, high-definition discs could be close to collapse after a spate of defections to the rival Blu-ray Disc consortium. As many as 20 companies that are members of the HD DVD Promotion Group ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/will-paramounts-switch-to-blu-ray-spell-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-hd-dvd/ Bill Gates, who built his fortune equipping the personal computer, predicts that the keyboard and mouse will soon become relics. The founder of Microsoft Corp used his swansong to the technology industry on Sunday to spell out a vision of a “digital decade” of telephones, televisions and cars that ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/bill-gates-says-goodbye-to-your-mouse/ Apple has announced that it will cut the price it charges for music downloads in the UK from its iTunes music store within the next six months. The cut will bring the UK into line with the charges in the rest of Europe. Apple currently charges 79 pence ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/apple-to-cut-uk-download-prices/ MANCHESTER, N.H. - It has the feel and look of a transformative moment, this tidal wave of young voters buoying the disparate campaigns of Senators Barack Obama and John McCain. The shouts and wild applause, and willingness to knock on doors and work on telephone banks late in the evening ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/obama-mccain-appeal-to-youth/ JERUSALEM, Jan. 8--Two Katyusha rockets fired from Lebanon struck a northern Israeli town overnight causing no injuries, an Israeli police spokesman said, the first such attacks by Lebanese militants in six months. The attack came on the day before President Bush is scheduled to arrive in Israel in support of ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/israel-struck-by-rockets-fired-from-lebanon/ NEW YORK - Avon Products Inc. on Tuesday said it will cut 2,400 jobs as part of its multiyear restructuring plan, which will cost more than originally expected and ultimately save the beauty-products maker $430 million annually. The restructuring plan will cost $530 million, up from a previous estimate of ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/avon-to-cut-2400-in-restructuring-plan/ PARIS (Thomson Financial) - Viasat Inc said it has agreed with Eutelsat Communications, Loral Space & Communications Corp and Telesat to work together to expand broadband internet services via satellite. ViaSat and Eutelsat are cooperating around ViaSat's Ka-band SurfBeam networking system and a common wholesale business model to offer service ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/eutelsat-viasat-to-work-together-on-providing-internet-services/ BRUSSELS, Jan 8 (Reuters) - ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steelmaker, said on Tuesday it had signed a deal with Mauritania's Societe Nationale Industrielle et Miniere (SNIM) to develop an iron ore mining project. "Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding, SNIM and ArcelorMittal will jointly develop a large ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/arcelormittal-signs-mauritanian-iron-ore-deal/ Matsushita Electric Industrial said it would start selling internet-connected televisions in the US that can access Google's YouTube, marking the first partnership between a Japanese consumer electronics manufacturer and the world's leading search engine. The move is part of a broader push by Japan's consumer goods manufacturers to "add ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/matsushita-and-google-in-internet-tv-pact/ The backers of the Blu-ray high definition DVD system are predicting victory in the format wars with HD DVD. The two rival camps have divided consumers since the two incompatible systems were launched. But Blu-ray supporters are touting the decision by Warner Bros to shift allegiance as a tipping ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/blu-ray-supporters-scent-victory/ Copying music from a CD to a home computer could be made legal under new proposals from the UK government. Millions of people already "rip" discs to their computers and move the files to MP3 players, although the process is technically against copyright law. Intellectual property minister Lord ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/copying-cds-could-be-made-legal/ SanDisk today announced at CES a refresh to its Clip and View media player lines, but the updates don't bring much in the way of new features. Instead, they stress massive capacity boosts, with the View surging to a maximum capacity of 32GB of flash memory. The storage capacity of ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/sandisk-ups-ante-with-32gb-flash-player/ On Monday, Intel submitted a formal, written response to the Statement of Objections that the European Commission sent to the company this past July. The contents of Intel's response have yet to leak out, but the company has confirmed that it has also requested a hearing before the EC in ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/intel-responds-to-eu-antitrust-charges/ HONG KONG -- Japanese automotive sales fell last year to their lowest level in 35 years, as a declining population and shifting cultural values among younger consumers weighed on vehicle demand, according to reports Tuesday. Vehicle sales fell 7.6% to 3.434 million units, its fourth consecutive annual decline and ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/japanese-2007-auto-sales-slump-to-lowest-level-since-1972/ NEW YORK -- Philip Morris USA said Tuesday it had filed two lawsuits in federal court Monday against importers C.H. Rhodes and U.S. Sun Star Trading Inc., aimed at stopping the importation, distribution, and sale of counterfeit cigarettes and the unauthorized use of Philip Morris USA's trademarks. http://www.globalmassmedia.com/philip-morris-usa-files-suit-over-counterfeit-cigarettes/ ON Christmas Eve, flight MY100 landed at Stansted having flown overnight from New York’s John F Kennedy airport. The passengers disembarking from the Maxjet plane may not have known it, but they were about to enter aviation history. As the plane was taxiing, the airline’s board was getting ready for ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/luxury-airlines-struggle-to-climb/ Microsoft has offered to buy the Norwegian search software firm Fast Search & Transfer in a deal that values it at about $1.2bn (£607m). The price is 42% above Fast's closing share price on 4 January and the shares have risen close to the offer level. Fast's board of ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/microsoft-to-buy-fast-search-firm/ According to the Wall Street Journal Asia, Jobs and Co are in Japan working out the details for a domestic iPhone launch. It's no surprise then that Jobs was rumored to have just met with NTT DoCoMo's president, Masao Nakamur, to discuss the deal with the largest carrier in the ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/iphone-coming-to-japans-ntt-docomo/ BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Turkish troops that entered Iraq early Tuesday have returned to the Turkish side of the border, according to Kurdish Regional Government spokesman Jamal Abdullah. The troops crossed into northern Iraq apparently in pursuit of Kurdish rebels two days after the Turkish military launched an air and ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/turkish-troops-end-iraq-incursion/ KIEV, Ukraine (CNN) -- Ukraine's parliament elected pro-Western former premier Yulia Tymoshenko as its new prime minister on Tuesday, the Ukrinform national news agency reported. Tymoshenko won the vote with the minimum number of 226 votes, Ukrinform said. She had failed to win the election a week earlier after receiving only 225 ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/tymoshenko-elected-as-ukraines-pm/ BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) -- A Lebanese man was sentenced to 12 years in jail on Tuesday for last year's failed attempt to bomb German trains but three other defendants were acquitted, judicial officials and the defense lawyer said. The four were charged with planting crude bombs on two trains at the ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/lebanese-man-jailed-for-german-bomb-plot/ NEW YORK (AP) -- Match.com, an old standby of online dating, wants to make some new connections among the fast-growing number of Facebook users worldwide. Dating Web site Match.com, owned by media mogul Barry Diller's InterActiveCorp conglomerate, plans to launch two new features this week that bring greater social networking capabilities ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/matchcom-courts-facebook/ O2 is to trial an internet-based TV service next year after trialling a similar product in the Czech market, a test bed for the mobile phone company's wider ambitions. The Czech IPTV launch has proved a big success for O2 and its owner, Telefonica, since it launched in September 2006, attracting ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/o2-to-launch-internet-tv-in-britain-after-czech-trial-proves-successful/ LONDON -- ArcelorMittal said it's terminated an agreement to sell its Sparrows Point, Balitmore facility to E2 Acquisition, a venture of Esmark Inc. and Wheeling-Pittsburgh, because the venture couldn't secure financing. The steelmaker is still required to divest the facility as stipulated by the Department of Justice, and it said ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/arcelormittal-ends-deal-to-sell-baltimore-facility/ Nintendo is set to miss out on an estimated $1.3 billion (£650 million) in sales this Christmas by failing to meet demand for its Wii video games console. James Lin, a senior analyst at MDB Capital Group, believes that Nintendo could be selling twice the 1.8 million Wiis it is manufacturing ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/wii-shortages-will-cost-nintendo-13bn-in-sales/ On December 16, 1947, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain, two Bell Labs researchers, built the world's first transistor. Their device, called a point contract transistor, conducted electricity and amplified signals, a job then currently handled by bulky and delicate vacuum tubes and other components. Their colleague William Shockley followed soon after with ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/celebrating-60-years-of-transistors/ BALTIMORE — Mittal Steel Co. NV announced Sunday that it has terminated its agreement for the sale of the Sparrows Point steel mill near Baltimore to an international investment group led by Esmark Inc. due to the group's inability to secure financing. The move comes at the direction of the ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/mittal-terminates-mill-sale-deal/ SINGAPORE (AP) -- Oil prices rose Monday as another winter storm pummeled the U.S. with snow, sleet and freezing rain -- weather conditions that were expected to boost fuel demand. Around a foot (30 centimeters) of snow had fallen on parts of the Chicago area, with 10 inches (25 centimeters) ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/oil-prices-rise-as-storms-hit-us/ The row between China's largest drinks maker, Wahaha, and Danone has grown, with Wahaha's trade union saying it is suing the French firm. A lawsuit has been filed in Weifang, a city in eastern China's Shandong province, seeking 10m yuan ($1.4m; £0.7m) in damages. Danone has claimed Wahaha has been illegally selling ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/danones-china-dispute-continues/ MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Residue from a large oil spill in the Black Sea region will take more than a month and a half to completely clear, Russian officials said Thursday. The Ministry for Emergency Situations. ministry said improved weather was helping the effort to clear the spill, which environmentalists ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/oil-spill-may-take-months-to-clear/ The cable news network CNN Worldwide plans to increase its staff of correspondents by 10 percent as part of a multimillion-dollar investment to increase its ability to produce its own reports, the news network said yesterday. CNN Worldwide, a unit of Time Warner, said it would invest almost $10 million to ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/cnn-plans-expansion-overseas/ The Carlsberg and Heineken consortium raised its offer for Scottish & Newcastle by 30p a share today, valuing the Scottish-based brewer at £7.3 billion. Carlsberg called the new offer a “full and fair” price, pointing out that it valued the group at a considerable premium to its value as an independent ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/carlsberg-raises-stakes-at-scottish-newcastle/ German train drivers have gone on strike over pay. Freight drivers began a 62 hour strike at 1100 GMT, and are expected to be joined by passenger train drivers at 0100 GMT on Thursday. Drivers' union GDL is demanding a 31% pay rise, but the national rail operator Deutsche Bahn is not ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/german-train-drivers-go-on-strike/ Google is in late stages of talks with various wireless carriers, including Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile, about equipping cellphones with new software designed by the Internet giant, according to three people familiar with the discussions. It is one of several ventures Google is making into the wireless market as it tries ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/you-can-hear-google-now/ SAN FRANCISCO - Google Inc.'s stock price barreled through $700 for the first time Wednesday, propelled by a belief that the Internet search leader will become even more profitable as it plants its products and services in new markets. The Mountain View-based company's shares traded as high as $704.79 before falling ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/google-stock-price-soars-above-700/ Apple faces yet more flack from the Mac faithful over the discovery that the operating system won't run the latest version of Java. It's one of several beefs relating to the OS X upgrade that is sparking vitriol among the normally docile crowd. Leopard may have 300 new features, but it ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/apples-leopard-rejects-latest-version-of-java/ AFTER sticking its fingers in its ears and going la-la-la really loudly, HP has finally admitted that there are problems with the built-in Wi-fi on its 6000 and 9000 series Pavilion notebooks. For a while the HP forum, here, has been all a-buzz with problems about the lappies' Wi-fis not working. ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/hp-admits-wireless-laptop-problems/ This miniature budget notebook may not be preloaded with Windows, but it ably serves most on-the-go computing needs. To me, the ultrasmall, ultralightweight computer remains the Holy Grail. Unfortunately, you still pay a premium for miniaturization. The $399 Asus Eee PC 701 (available November 1) shatters that perception, though. For a ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/hands-on-with-the-asus-eee-701-pc/ U.K. mobile phone operator Huchison 3G UK on Monday rolled out the Skypephone, a handset designed to simplify use of the Skype VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) application. Huchison 3G, branded as "3" in the U.K., is offering free calls between Skype users through the 3G mobile phone, which goes on ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/skypephone-launches-in-uk/ Apple has posted a QuickTime version of the new user-created iPod touch television ad that began airing on Sunday evening. Based on student-created advertisement that was posted to Youtube, the ad spot was made "broadcast-ready" by Apple's advertising agency, TBWA/Chiat/Day, according to an online report. The commercial features a fast-paced ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/apple-posts-new-ipod-touch-tv-ad/ Simplifying hacks of v1.1.1 iPhones and iPod touches even further, beyond applications such as iJailBreak, a new website called Jailbreakme (iPhones/iPods only) offers a solution to unlock Apple's latest devices without first docking them to a computer. Upon directing Safari to the site, users are prompted to read directions and ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/hackers-simplify-jailbreak-for-iphone-ipod-touch/ The creators of APE (Application Enhancer) on Saturday denied that their application-enhancement framework is responsible for blue-screening Macs being upgraded to Leopard. Apple Inc., however, blamed the software in a support document advising users to delete APE from their machines. Within hours of Leopard's Friday debut, users began reporting a "blue ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/fingers-point-over-leopards-blue-screens/ Moscow's "Chessboard murderer" was formally sentenced to life imprisonment today ending one of Russia's worst serial killer cases. Alexander Pichushkin was convicted of murdering 48 people, but insisted he had killed 60 in his quest for one death for each square on a chessboard - a total of 64. The sentence ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/chessboard-killer-jailed-for-life/ The latest embarrassment for Apple's iPhone is a report from ecoadvocacy group Greenpeace which says the revolutionary new cell phone has traces of two toxic chemicals that have been eliminated by some of Apple's rivals from their products. The group arranged for an independent UK lab to test the phone's components. ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/the-iphone-is-toxic-warns-greenpeace/ Hark! Today marks the arrival of Intel's first 45nm desktop processor To coincide with the NVIDIA's GeForce 8800 GT launch scheduled for later today, Intel jumped the gun today with its immediate embargo lift on its high end 3.0 GHz 45nm quad-core Penryn QX9650 processor. The Extreme Edition QX9650 desktop processor is ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/intel-jumps-45nm-embargo/ Apple posted a support document over the weekend on its Web site addressing reports of interminable "blue screen" problems that caused some Mac users upgrading to Mac OS X Leopard no small degree of frustration. Some attempts to upgrade to Leopard were stymied after the installation process was almost complete and ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/apple-acknowledges-some-leopard-installation-problems/ On Monday, MTV Networks is set to unveil an initiative to connect its television, online, and mobile presences by helping music fans answer that crucial question--"Who the (expletive) sings that song?" In other words, MTV Networks, the Viacom division that encompasses the MTV, VH1, and CMT brands as well as a ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/mtv-networks-launches-online-lyrics-initiative/ NBC and News Corp.'s new internet video site, Hulu, is finally seeing the light of day. Today, Hulu finally launched the private beta of their site, which includes almost a hundred different TV series and movies. After a number of delays, Hulu has their site out the door in October, ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/web-tv-hulus-private-beta-goes-live/ In the wake of the discovery that Comcast is blocking some peer-to-peer traffic (and even blocking some Lotus Notes e-mails), the company is attempting to keep the PR machine well-oiled by giving customer tech support reps some talking points. And if they deviate from the script and admit that Comcast ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/comcast-to-employees-talking-about-blocking-p2p-can-get-you-fired/ California governor and former film star Arnold Schwarzenegger has told a magazine that marijuana is not a drug. The ex-Hollywood actor said in a GQ interview that he had not taken drugs, even though he was shown smoking a joint in 70s documentary Pumping Iron. "That is not a drug. It's a ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/schwarzenegger-speaks-on-drug-use/ SAN JOSE, California -- Apple Inc. no longer accepts cash for iPhone purchases and now limits sales of the cell phone to two per person in a move to stop people from reselling them. The new policy started Oct. 25, said Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris. Before then, there was no cash ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/apple-again-limits-iphone-sales/ BANGKOK – U.S. software giant Microsoft Corp. is moving deeper into the global health-care market with an agreement to buy the assets of a Thailand-based company that provides a package of clinical and back-office software, according to Microsoft officials. The Thai company, privately-held Global Care Solutions Thailand Ltd., designed and ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/microsoft-buys-thai-provider-of-health-care-software/ Confronted by mounting U.S. and U.N. pressure, Iran has been steadily shifting its trade from West to East and, with the benefit of record high oil prices, is likely to be able to withstand the new U.S. sanctions, according to U.S., European and Iranian analysts. China, a permanent member of the ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/iran-adapts-to-economic-pressure/ Acer could be world's third largest PC maker with Gateway acquisition complete Acer is known as the top PC vendor in Taiwan, but here in the United States Acer doesn't give much competition to likes of HP and Dell. In August, DailyTech reported that Acer announced it would purchase Gateway for $710 ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/acer-profits-up-on-high-laptop-computer-demand/ Oil prices have risen to fresh highs due to a combination of the weak dollar, supply concerns in Mexico and continued tensions in northern Iraq. In early Asian trading on Monday, US light crude broke through $93 a barrel for the first time, hitting $93.20 before easing back slightly to $93.06. London's ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/oil-prices-break-through-93-mark/ Romanian football is in mourning after former international and FC Arge? Pite?ti hero Nicolae Dobrin died of complications related to cancer at the age of 60. One-club man Aside from a single season at CS Târgovi?te in 1981/82, Dobrin dedicated his entire career to his local side, Arges, making his first appearances ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/dobrins-death-saddens-romania/ Paris Hilton's first major post-jail philanthropic effort – her planned trip to Rwanda – has been postponed by the foundation that organized it. "Due to the restructuring of the Playing for Good Foundation, the philanthropic trip to Rwanda that the foundation had previously planned with Paris Hilton has been postponed," the ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/paris-hiltons-trip-to-rwanda-is-postponed/ LOS ANGELES - Hit and run ... then pay as you go. Britney Spears is no longer facing hit-and-run charges since she paid off the other car's driver in the fender-bender, but she still has to deal with one count of driving without a license, a judge ruled Thursday. Spears ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/britney-spears-avoids-hit-and-run-trial/ NEW YORK - Michael Lohan wants to patch things up with his family. "Reconciliation and redemption — across the board," says Lohan, a born-again Christian. "Just all of us getting right with God." Lohan's 21-year-old daughter Lindsay, star of "Mean Girls," "Freaky Friday" and other films, has said that her ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/lindsays-father-hopes-for-redemption/ (CBS/AP) Thousands more residents were ordered to evacuate their homes Tuesday, bringing the number of people chased away by the wind-whipped flames that have engulfed Southern California to at least 300,000. As flames continued to light up the sky, most of these evacuees have no choice but to wait out what ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/no-relief-as-high-winds-fuel-wildfires/ SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- More than 320,000 people have fled wildfires that have destroyed more than 1,300 homes across Southern California, officials said Tuesday. Fears grew north of Los Angeles that the winds may fan three wildfires into one monster blaze, with too few resources available to fight it. More ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/fires-forces-320000-from-california-homes/ Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are already partners on a handful of huge projects – namely Maddox, Shiloh, Zahara and Pax – but now the pair are going into business together. Pitt, 43, and Jolie, 32, are teaming up for their first producing project, a new series for HBO, according to ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/brad-angelina-teaming-up-for-hbo-series/ Actress Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon and husband Michael Nilon welcomed twin boys, her rep tells PEOPLE. Jax Joseph Nilon was born at 8:30 p.m. Oct. 18 and weighed 4 lbs. 7 oz., and Jaid Thomas Nilon was born at 8:31 p.m. and weighed 4 lbs. 9 oz. "We're so in love with them," Beauvais-Nilon ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/garcelle-beauvais-nilon-welcomes-twins/ If laughter is the best medicine, Owen Wilson is well on his way to recovery. The actor showed his comic side again, joining brothers Luke and Andrew along with Jessica Simpson, Willie Nelson, Woody Harrelson and Dan Rather for a lawn mower-riding competition in Texas. The Bad Boy Lawn Mower Race, held ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/owen-wilsons-lawn-mower-ride-to-recovery/ Britney Spears has regained visitation rights of her sons, Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, PEOPLE has learned. The singer on Saturday was spotted driving with her children in Studio City, Calif., in her white Mercedes convertible, which was decorated with pumpkins on the dashboard. A presumed court-appointed monitor was seated in ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/britney-spears-regains-visitation-rights/ Marc Anthony raised eyebrows Friday night when he made a special song dedication to wife Jennifer Lopez at their Los Angeles concert. "It's a real personal song," Anthony said before belting out Journey's "Faithfully" inside a packed Staples Center. "This song has a whole new significance." It was when he sang the ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/marc-anthonys-revealing-dedication-to-jennifer-lopez/ Nickelodeon made a splash on the other side of the Atlantic on Saturday, debuting the U.K. edition of its Kids' Choice Awards in London. Notably absent were any big-name celebrities being doused in Nick's traditional green slime. That, of course, was good news for Emma Watson, who also was named Nickelodeon's ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/emma-watson-is-named-nickelodeons-best-actress/ Keep an eye out for a new name in the Desperate Housewives credits: Eva Longoria Parker. The actress, 32, has taken her husband Tony Parker's surname, she tells E! News. "I completely adopted the new name and I love it ... I'm a Parker now," she said Thursday at the Padres ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/eva-longoria-changes-her-last-name-to-parker/ WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) -- A New Zealand brewer is offering a lifetime supply of free beer in exchange for the return of a laptop stolen in a break-in. Croucher Brewing Co. co-owner Paul Croucher said Friday the computer contains "all our financials" as well as label designs for new ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/lost-laptop-reward-beer-for-life/ Microsoft and Dassault Systemes have released a 3D building application for the Virtual Earth mapping program, the companies said Friday. Virtual Earth-3DVIA will let people create 3D structures with textures and colors and share them with one other online. The models can also be tagged with real-life addresses or town information ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/microsoft-virtual-earth-offers-3d-building-capability/ For a few months Comcast has been the subject of scattered reports that say it throttles BitTorrent traffic. TorrentFreak said in August that Comcast was surreptitiously interfering with file transfers by posing as one party and then, essentially, hanging up the phone. But when we contacted Comcast at the time, it ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/comcast-really-does-block-bittorrent-traffic-after-all/ WASHINGTON -- For the second time in two months, President Bush announced sanctions against Myanmar to punish the military-run government and its backers for the recent violent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. Bush ordered the Treasury Department Friday to freeze the financial assets of additional members of the repressive military junta. He ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/bush-imposes-new-sanctions-on-burma/ Crude oil prices briefly crossed above the $90-a-barrel threshold today on the New York Mercantile Exchange, setting a record and coming very close to an inflation-adjusted record, too. The price for November delivery fell back to $89 by noon, a level that still defied the predictions of many veteran oil analysts. ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/oil-prices-cross-90-per-barrel/ HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Asian indexes declined Friday on concerns that high energy prices could hurt global economic growth as crude-oil futures topped $90 a barrel for the first time and as exporters and financials lost ground in Japan. The futures contract for November delivery hit an intraday high of $90.02 ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/stocks-decline-as-crude-oil-hits-record-high/ BERLIN, Germany (AP) -- The 13-nation euro hit a new all-time high Friday against the U.S. dollar, breaking through the previous record, set a day earlier, as the U.S. currency remained under pressure. In morning European trading, the euro bought $1.4319 -- surpassing the mark of $1.4310 set Thursday -- ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/euro-hits-record-high-versus-dollar/ Britney Spears reported to a Los Angeles police station Monday night to face charges of hit and run and driving without a valid license, police said. Officer Mike Lopez said Spears turned herself in around 9 p.m. and left about 45 minutes later. Spears was fingerprinted and photographed, he said. "She ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/spears-turns-herself-in-to-la-police/ Talk about fantasy fashion: "It's Disney, princess-inspired and very fun," Nicky Hilton said of her spring Chick by Nicky Hilton collection that helped kick off Los Angeles fashion week. In attendance for Hilton's first runway show was the 24-year-old designer's personal Prince Charming (of nearly a year), David Katzenberg, also 24. ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/nicky-hiltons-beau-very-proud-of-her-fashion-show/ Colin Farrell has revealed that his 4-year-old son James suffers from a rare neuro-genetic disorder called Angelman Syndrome – but that he's a brave and happy child. "The only time I'm reminded that there is something different about him – that he has some deviation of what is perceived to be ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/colin-farrell-reveals-sons-health-battle/ After spending the summer in rehab, Lindsay Lohan is back in Los Angeles to shoot a movie. The onetime party girl, 21, arrived over the weekend and had a low-key evening with friends Sunday, seeing the movie Elizabeth: The Golden Age and visiting a tanning salon. Lohan was due this week on ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/lindsay-lohan-due-to-return-to-movie-set/ A 13-year-old hacker claims to have developed code that would let you put third-party applications on an iPod Touch without having to take a computer science class. AriX sent us a press release Sunday promoting iJailbreak, an automated program that allows third-party applications to run on the iPod Touch. It doesn't ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/teenager-claims-to-have-easy-ipod-touch-jailbreak/ BAGHDAD, Oct. 14 -- A veteran Washington Post special correspondent was shot to death Sunday in southwest Baghdad while on assignment, the first reporter for the newspaper to be killed during the Iraq war. Salih Saif Aldin, 32, was reporting on the violence that has plagued Baghdad's Sadiyah neighborhood Sunday afternoon ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/washington-post-correspondent-dies-in-iraq/ Google's share price last week broke through the $600 (£300) ceiling and looks set to rise even higher, with a strong set of results expected this week and the company poised to enter lucrative new markets. Not content with dominating the internet, the search giant is now believed to be planning ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/google-ready-to-take-on-apple-iphone-next-year/ Airbus is set to hand over its first finished A380 "superjumbo" to Singapore Airlines on Monday, 18 months behind schedule. The construction of the A380, able to carry up to 800 passengers, has been beset by persistent and costly delays. It has also been overshadowed by allegations of insider trading against managers ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/airbus-set-to-deliver-first-a380/ Apparently putting your iPhone in airplane mode is not the digital equivalent of returning your seatback to the upright position. A flight attendant for ATA Airlines recently asked a flier watching a movie midflight on the way to Hawaii to shut off his iPhone, not for the perfectly reasonable reason that ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/ata-airlines-detains-passenger-for-using-iphone-in-airplane-mode/ The video games industry is obsessed with the phrase "next generation", but what does it actually mean? What can gamers expect from any game given that name? It would be easy to dismiss the next generation gaming experience as simply eye candy. The latest games all look great but the potential ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/video-games-the-next-generation/ ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- With Turkish-U.S. relations strained, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that Turkey would not be deterred by the diplomatic consequences if it decides to stage a cross-border offensive into Iraq against Kurdish rebels. "If such an option is chosen, whatever its price, it will be ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/angry-turks-ready-to-cut-us-ties/ TOULOUSE, France -- Tom Enders, the fifth chief executive of Airbus in 27 months, insists the plane maker must focus on results, rather than try to balance competing European interests, if it is ever going to regain financial stability. "We need to prove that we are able to substantially improve ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/airbus-shapes-a-revival-plan/ The Russian President has stepped up pressure on the Bush administration to freeze plans for an anti-missile defence shield to be located in Europe, by threatening to pull out of a Cold War-era nuclear treaty and warning that the US determination to press ahead risked harming relations with Moscow. With the ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/putin-on-the-attack-over-us-missile-defence/ LONDON, England (AP) -- Nurses who didn't wash their hands and left patients lying in soiled beds were cited in an official report blaming mismanagement for the deaths of 90 people who contracted a bacterial infection in hospitals in southern England. "Significant failings" at all levels contributed to infections ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/superbug-kills-90-in-uk-hospitals/ US games giant Electronic Arts (EA) is to buy two video game studios for $855m (£422m) in a deal adding role-playing and action titles to its portfolio. EA is the world's biggest games publisher and will now acquire Bioware and Pandemic Studios. They are private firms that have been partners since a ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/electronic-arts-in-855m-purchase/ Pamela Anderson, a newlywed of less than a week, is shooting down rumors that she's going to have another child – again. "Please tell everybody – categorically I am not pregnant," Anderson told Las Vegas celebrity blogger Robin Leach. "It's just not true," the mother of two added to Leach, who interviewed ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/pamela-anderson-tell-everybody-im-not-pregnant/ When Lindsay Lohan leaves Utah to finish filming Dare To Love Me in Los Angeles, she will have round-the-clock help staying sober, her dad said. To insure the 21-year-old actress continues her recovery from alcohol and drug abuse, a sober companion, trained to be with people overcoming addictions, will be with ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/lindsay-lohan-doing-very-very-well-says-dad-michael/ As Britney Spears faced the judge in her kids' custody hearing on Thursday – winning a small victory by gaining supervised overnight visitation rights – her ex-husband Kevin Federline spent time shooting scenes in Wilmington, N.C., for episode seven of his guest spot on One Tree Hill. Later Thursday night, Federline ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/kevin-federline-films-one-tree-while-britneys-in-court/ Dirty Sexy Money star Samaire Armstrong has entered an "outpatient facility" due to "personal issues" but will continue to work on the show, her rep tells PEOPLE. "Samaire Armstrong decided to enter an outpatient facility to deal with some personal issues in a therapeutic atmosphere and is doing very well," the ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/samaire-armstrong-enters-outpatient-facility-for-personal-issues/ Jimmy Fallon is on cloud nine these days thanks to his recent engagement to Hollywood producer Nancy Juvonen. "I'm just really excited right now and just happy. I'm the luckiest guy on earth," the 33-year old actor tells PEOPLE. "She's the coolest girl in the world." He was among the celebs who ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/jimmy-fallon-says-hes-the-luckiest-guy-on-earth/ Britney Spears attended a custody hearing Thursday, addressed the judge in a "soft and respectful voice," and finally got some good news: she may now have overnight visits with her sons. The pop star, who appeared relaxed in blue jeans and sunglasses as she entered the courtroom – telling reporters, "I'm ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/a-respectful-britney-gets-more-time-with-children/ LOS ANGELES - Orlando Bloom was involved in a minor car crash on a Hollywood street early Friday morning, police said. Witnesses told police the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star was driving alone on Fountain Avenue when another vehicle cut him off and he hit a parked car, said Officer ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/orlando-bloom-in-minor-car-crash-in-la/ An injured Iraqi man and the families of three Iraqi civilians who were killed in the Sept. 16 shootings by Blackwater security contractors sued the company in federal court today, calling the incident a "massacre" and "senseless slaughter" that was the result of corporate policies in the war zone. Attorneys for ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/iraqi-shooting-victim-relatives-sue-blackwater/ LONDON, England (AP) -- A man who was among the first to arrive at the scene of the crash that killed Princess Diana told an inquest Wednesday that he thought it might have been a terrorist attack. His companion said her first reaction was that it was a movie set. ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/diana-witness-denies-murder-theory/ SIAB (International Salon of Automobiles Bucharest) is the biggest international cars exhibit in Eastern Europe that occurs one a year between 4-14 October in Bucharest, Romania. Best Coverage of SIAB 2007 [video, 65 minutes] SIAB Photo Galery ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/siab-2007-romanian-cars-exhibit/ WASHINGTON - Some sport utility vehicles don’t provide the protection in a side crash that one might expect from such large vehicles, according to tests released Thursday by the insurance industry. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave marginal scores in side-impact tests of 2008 versions of the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, Jeep ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/some-suvs-perform-poorly-in-side-crashes/ SAN JOSE, California (AP) -- Complaints over Apple Inc.'s use restrictions and recent software update for the iPhone have erupted in two lawsuits alleging Apple and its carrier partner, AT&T Inc., engaged in illegal monopolistic behavior. Two separate lawsuits were filed Friday in San Jose -- one in federal court and ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/lawsuits-target-iphone-att-deal/ SINGAPORE (AP) -- Oil prices rose Thursday in Asia, extending overnight gains on news of a surprise strike at Chevron Corp. facilities in Nigeria and another fire at BP PLC's Alaskan oil field. Light, sweet crude for November delivery climbed 31 cents to $81.61 a barrel in Asian electronic trading ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/oil-rises-above-81-in-asia/ Google powered more than half of all search requests carried out around the world in August, according to a report. A global study by analysts comScore revealed that more than 61 billion searches were performed by more than 750 million users in the month. Users performed more than 37 billion searches via ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/google-dominates-world-search/ Bucharest, Romania (Global Mass Media), In the episode 3 of the season 5 on NCIS you can see that everybody got an iPod classic 160GB, I wonder how much payed Apple for masked advertising. Ziva David Leroy Jethro Gibbs Tony DiNozzo Abby Sciuto Tim ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/new-ipod-classic-on-ncis/ BAGHDAD - Two suicide car bombers targeted a local police chief and a prominent Sunni sheik working with U.S. forces against al-Qaida in Iraq in a northern city on Tuesday, killing at least 19 people, authorities said. At least 42 people were killed or found dead across Iraq. The nearly simultaneous ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/coordinated-iraq-suicide-attacks-kill-19/ STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Two European scientists won the 2007 Nobel Prize in physics on Tuesday for a discovery that lets computers, iPods and other digital devices store reams of data on ever-shrinking hard disks. France's Albert Fert and German Peter Gruenberg independently discovered a physical effect in 1988 that has led ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/physics-nobel-goes-to-german-frenchman/ After admitting to steroid use, Marion Jones returned all five medals she won in the Sydney Olympics in 2000, her lawyer confirmed to PEOPLE. "She has returned the medals," attorney Henry DePippo said Monday. "She's not going to comment on the matter while it's pending in court but the medals were ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/marion-jones-returns-five-olympic-medals/ Thalía has welcomed her first child with her music executive husband Tommy Mottola, peopleenespanol.com reports. Sabrina Sakaë was born Sunday morning in New York and weighed 8 lbs. 4 oz. "Mother, father and baby Sabrina are all healthy and very happy and will be residing at their ranch in Colorado," the singer's ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/its-a-girl-for-singer-thalia/ Jennifer Lopez and Diane Sawyer danced around the question that begs to be asked – is the singer pregnant? – on Tuesday's Good Morning America. Speaking amid a crowd of people outside the ABC studio in the middle of Times Square, where Lopez, 38, performed a live concert to promote her ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/diane-sawyer-to-jlo-how-are-you/ A Wisconsin town was to have its state of lockdown lifted after a police chief said law enforcement is no longer looking for a suspect — believed to be with the local sheriff's office — who went on a killing spree early Sunday morning, gunning down at least five ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/at-least-5-youths-dead-after-shooting-in-wisconsin/ (AP) At least five people were killed early Sunday morning in a shooting rampage in northern Wisconsin, a county supervisor said. "It's a pretty tragic situation here," said Forest County Supervisor Tom Vollmar, who lives just outside Crandon, where the shootings occurred. "There are five or six people dead." Other details were ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/at-least-5-killed-in-wisconsin-shooting/ At least five people were killed early Sunday morning in a shooting rampage in northern Wisconsin, a county supervisor told The Associated Press. The shooter -- a law enforcement officer -- was later shot and killed, according to the Oconto County Sheriff's department. "It's a pretty tragic situation here," said ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/at-least-5-killed-in-wisconsin-shooting-rampage/ Pamela Anderson has said "I do" for the third time to longtime pal Rick Salomon. The pair tied the knot Saturday night in Las Vegas at the Mirage Hotel before Anderson's children and members of her family, sources confirm to PEOPLE. A conventional marriage it wasn't, as the nuptials actually took place ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/pamela-anderson-weds-rick-salomon/ Come to mama: Days after losing custody of her two kids, Britney Spears found some solace by reuniting with estranged mom Lynne Spears. "Brit really needed her mom," a source tells PEOPLE. "So Lynne flew out and they met." Spears will be needing all the support she can get. Documents released Thursday ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/britney-spears-reunites-with-her-mom-lynne/ Lindsay Lohan has checked out of the exclusive Cirque Lodge Treatment Center in Utah, where she has been since August, multiple sources, including both of her parents, confirm to PEOPLE. "She's finished the program," one source says. "Lindsay is done, but she may come back for outpatient treatment. She over-extended her ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/lindsay-lohan-leaves-rehab/ Britney Spears is not doing well with judges lately. The custody-battling pop star is now getting pounded in the court of public opinion for her new pole dancing video for the single "Gimme More" off her upcoming album, Blackout, to be released Nov. 13. "Our analysis: Looks like it was shot in ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/britney-spearss-pole-dancing-video-bada-bomb-with-critics/ Prince William and girlfriend Kate Middleton were photographed together for the first time since their split in spring. On Thursday night the two, both 25, went to London's Brinkley's restaurant before making their way to Boujis nightclub. The pair was later seen smiling and jumping into a waiting Range Rover before ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/prince-william-kate-middleton-hit-the-town-in-london/ Social networking site Bebo announced on Thursday that it has struck a deal with AIM, AOL's instant-messaging arm. Through this partnership, users of either service can now easily invite friends to the other. More specifically, Bebo users who have provided the site with their AIM usernames will now see an AIM ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/bebo-teams-up-with-aim-but-wont-abandon-windows-live/ Gateway on Thursday announced the XHD3000, a 30-inch widescreen monitor that the company is touting as the world's first "quad-HD" display capable of rendering 2560x1600 pixels. www.gateway.com or 1-800-GATEWAY, as well as technology and electronics retailers that sell Gateway products. It is priced at $1,699.99. Of late, OEMs like Dell have tried ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/gateway-quad-hd-lcd-monitor-includes-a-ton-of-features/ MOSCOW - Goose-stepping guards and medal-bedecked space veterans laid flowers at the Kremlin wall tomb of the father of the Soviet space program Thursday as Russia celebrated the 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite. The name of Sergei Korolyov, the visionary rocket scientist whose brains ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/russians-celebrate-sputnik-day-in-srussians-celebrate-sputnik-day-in-styletyle/ NEW YORK - Sample addresses in nearly a dozen languages will be added to the Internet's central directories as early as next week, paving the way for Web surfers around the world to get online without knowing any English. At this point, the 11 domain names are meant primarily for software ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/sample-non-english-domains-coming-soon/ Well that was quick. As news spread throughout the Mac web earlier this week about new aluminum iMacs freezing up, Apple took notice. In a statement issued to Macworld, an Apple spokesperson said that the company is aware of the problem: "A small number of iMac users have made us ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/apple-promises-fix-for-imac-freezing-problem/ Radiohead's official website was back online last night after overwhelming demand for the band's new album caused it to crash. Traffic on the site slowed to a crawl after the rock group told fans on Monday that they could pre-order the new release, In Rainbows, from www.radiohead.com at any price ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/radiohead-website-crashes-as-fans-rush-to-order-album/ Novell released OpenSuse 10.3 Thursday, its latest free version of the open-source operating system. For those who need a refresher, OpenSuse is the faster-moving but mostly unsupported version of Linux from Novell and various outside contributors. It competes most directly with Linux versions such as Canonical's Ubuntu and Red Hat's Fedora. ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/novell-dishes-up-opensuse-103/ Apple may be gearing up to release Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) on October 26th according to information from sources at Apple Inc. AppleInsider reports that the announcements are likely to arrive any time between the 22nd and 27th of the month. Though the operating system has not yet achieved ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/leopard-may-ship-october-26th/ Nokia's recent $8.1 billion purchase of Navteq is evidence of continued consolidation among map data providers, and will pave the way for cell phone-based GPS systems to replace portable and vehicular mapping devices, according to analysts and industry executives. On Monday, Nokia agreed to pay $8.1 billion in cash for Navteq ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/nokia-deal-may-spell-death-for-gps-devices/ In a counterattack on rival Intel, chip designer ARM Holdings said it will collaborate with six other tech companies to help make Linux-based smart cell phones and other devices easier to use. ARM, based in Great Britain, unveiled the collaboration at its ARM Developers Conference at the San Jose McEnery ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/arm-plans-linux-based-chip-platform/ MOSCOW, Russia (AP) -- When Sputnik took off 50 years ago, the world gazed at the heavens in awe and apprehension, watching what seemed like the unveiling of a sustained Soviet effort to conquer space and score a stunning Cold War triumph. But 50 years later, it emerges that ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/sputnik-one-mans-dream/ The giant Airbus A380 completed its second U.S. tour today when it landed at San Francisco International Airport. The largest airliner in the skies landed at about 9:30 a.m. this morning after completing a flight from Cincinnati and Bradley International Airport in Connecticut. We weren't on hand to document the ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/san-francisco-welcomes-the-a380/ Pioneering research into a "gay bomb" that makes enemy troops "sexually irresistible" to each other has scooped one of this year's Ig Nobel Prizes. Other winners included work on treating hamster jetlag with impotency drugs, extracting vanilla from cow dung, and the side-effects of sword swallowing. The awards, founded in 1991, mark ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/gay-bomb-scoops-ig-nobel-award/ What is going on at the FCC? The agency established the rules for the upcoming 700MHz spectrum auction back in August, but it turns out that these were not so much "rules" as "suggestions for discussion." Verizon, AT&T, and Frontline Wireless have all since petitioned the FCC to change the rules ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/google-attacks-verizons-attempt-to-water-down-700mhz-open-access-rules/ Writing your own operating system can be anything from a summer hobby project to a full-fledged commercial endeavor taking many years to complete. One might think that with so many operating systems in existence today, that there is little or no need for new work on the subject. A company ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/amazon-reveals-its-distributed-storage-dynamo/ Iraq has ordered $100 million worth of light military equipment from China for its police force, contending that the United States was unable to provide the materiel and is too slow to deliver arms shipments, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said yesterday. The China deal, not previously made public, has alarmed military ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/iraqis-to-pay-china-100-million-for-weapons-for-police/ Microsoft Corp.'s quest to be a player in health-information services faces a broader challenge already rankling the health-care industry: how to collect information that many consumers don't even share with their families. [MSHEALTH] Yesterday, Microsoft announced a Web site called HealthVault designed as a central place for consumers to store their health-related ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/microsofts-health-push-faces-obstacles/ The chances of BAA making good on threats to cancel its £3.5bn redevelopment plans for Heathrow Airport rose sharply yesterday after the Competition Commission recommended a slashing of the profits it is allowed to reap from Europe's busiest airport. In a highly critical statement that accused BAA of acting "against the ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/heathrow-plans-at-risk-as-baa-faces-attack-on-profits/ In its first courtroom challenge after four years of lawsuits, the music industry scored a legal victory for its practice of suing alleged file sharers. In the case in federal district court in Duluth, Minn., a Minnesota woman was found liable for willful copyright infringement. The jury awarded the music companies ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/music-industry-wins/ LONDON, England (CNN) -- The driver of the limousine in which Princess Diana and her lover Dodi Fayed were killed spent time in a bar shortly before the 1997 Paris crash, a jury at an inquest into her death has heard. But the jury also watched video from security cameras ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/diana-driver-drinking-before-crash/ The UK's wireless net credentials have been boosted with the launch of a wi-fi sharing community by BT. BT has backed a global wireless sharing service called Fon, billing it as the "world's largest wi-fi community". The firm's three million broadband customers will be able to share their wi-fi with others in ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/wi-fi-sharing-plan-launched-in-uk/ Blackberry maker Research In Motion (RIM) has seen its second-quarter profits more than double on the back of surging subscriber numbers. For the three months to 1 September, the Canadian firm made a net profit of $287.7m (£141m), compared with $140.2m for the same period in 2006. RIM said the profit jump, ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/demand-jump-lifts-blackberry-firm/ The cost of renting a house in England and Wales is cheaper than the cost of buying it with a mortgage, say market analysts Hometrack. Private rents in 2006 were two-thirds the cost of a 100% mortgage on a two- or three-bedroom house, for a young household on average incomes. For many ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/renting-now-cheaper-than-buying/ BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Owen Wilson returned to the public eye Thursday night, making an appearance at the Los Angeles premiere of "The Darjeeling Limited." Sporting a shaggy blond beard and a dark jacket, Wilson was joined by fellow cast mates Adrien Brody, Anjelica Huston, Jason Schwartzman and filmmaker Wes ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/owen-wilson-returns-to-public-eye/ HONG KONG (Reuters) - One of Hong Kong cinema's defining and enigmatic figures, Run Run Shaw, popularized Chinese kung-fu films in the West and helped turn Hong Kong into a "Hollywood East" over an 80-year career. Shaw, a Hong Kong film mogul who celebrates his 100th birthday this month -- ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/iconic-hong-kong-film-moguls-influence-ripples-on/ LOS ANGELES - Snoop who? A judge hearing a lawsuit brought by Snoop Dogg against his former record label said Thursday she didn't realize it involved the famous rapper because court papers refer to him by his real name, Calvin Broadus. He talking about here," Superior Court Judge Helen I. Bendix ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/judge-realizes-case-involves-snoop-dogg/ DALLAS - A member of the pop group Hanson underwent surgery Thursday to remove a blood clot in his lungs after suffering chest and shoulder pain following a concert this week, the band's publicist said. Isaac Hanson, 26, was diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome, said spokesman Ken Phillips. Also known ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/hanson-group-member-undergoes-surgery/ Britney Spears will release her first music video in more than two years this coming Monday. The video – for the song "Gimme More" – will premiere on MTV's TRL at 3:30 p.m. ET., a rep for the network confirms to PEOPLE. Although details about the final version of it are being ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/new-britney-video-set-to-air/ Britney Spears must complete three joint counseling sessions with ex-husband Kevin Federline by their next hearing date of Oct. 26, a court ruled Wednesday. Documents released Thursday reveal other stricter measures L.A. Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon handed down the previous day, particularly pertaining to Spears. The commissioner specified that "a missed ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/judge-tightens-orders-on-britney-spears/ Britney Spears was issued an interim license Tuesday from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, an agency spokesman says. "She has fulfilled her requirements for a California driver's license," said the DMV's Mike Marando. L.A. Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon, who's overseeing her custody case, had ordered her to show proof that ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/britney-gets-a-california-drivers-license/ Brad Pitt says he's at peace with his religious faith – but it wasn't always that way. In high school, "I had crises of faith," Pitt, 43, tells Parade. "I'd go to Christian revivals and be moved by the Holy Spirit, and I'd go to rock concerts and feel the same fervor," ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/brad-opens-up-about-his-faith/ Ellen DeGeneres wants to help keep breast cancer out of the closet. Recalling what it was like in the 1970s, when her mother, Betty, was undergoing treatment for the disease, the talk show host, 49, tells USA Today, "Everything was a dirty little secret back then." With October being Breast Cancer Awareness ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/ellen-degeneres-helped-mom-with-cancer-fight/ The supermodel curse continues as 22-year-old Albert Reed received his walking papers from Dancing With The Stars Tuesday night. Reed, whose face has graced campaigns for Diesel and Abercrombie & Fitch, follows on the heels of swimsuit model Josie Maran, who was eliminated from the first week of the competition last Wednesday. While ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/albert-reed-voted-off-dancing-with-the-stars/ LONDON, England (CNN) -- It may never be known for certain whether Princess Diana was pregnant when she died in a Paris car crash, a British coroner said Wednesday. Lord Justice Scott Baker told the jury at the inquest into the deaths of the princess and her lover Dodi Fayed ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/coroner-diana-pregnancy-claim-unprovable/ SAN JOSE, California (AP) -- A New York woman is so angry at Apple Inc. for lopping $200 off the price of the iPhone that she's filed a lawsuit seeking $1 million in damages. Dongmei Li of Queens, New York, claimed the company violated price discrimination laws when it ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/iphone-owner-sues-apple-for-1-million/ MOSCOW, Russia (AP) -- Russian natural gas monopoly OAO Gazprom said Tuesday that it will decrease supplies to Ukraine if its neighbor fails to pay more than $1.3 billion in debt this month. The threat raised the specter of a renewed dispute between Russia and Ukraine that could affect European supplies, ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/gazprom-may-reduce-gas-to-ukraine/ Microsoft has launched three new models of its Zune digital media player in an effort to compete with Apple's iPod. The players - which come in 4GB, 8GB and 80GB models - have wi-fi so users can automatically download music, photos, and video from their computer. Microsoft is also launching a social ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/new-zunes-to-take-on-apples-ipod/ Eva Longoria's much-talked-about "sex tape" hit the Internet on Tuesday – but it's not what bloggers and tabloids initially hinted. Turns out everyone got "Punk'd": Longoria's video was the latest spoof to show up on Will Ferrell's Funny or Die Web site. "I'm so amused. It's so funny. Oh my gosh. I've ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/eva-longorias-sex-tape-hits-the-internet/ Britney Spears is "very optimistic" that she'll get her sons back as she completes the judge's checklist, the singer's close friend Sam Lufti tells PEOPLE. Lufti, whom Kevin Federline's camp attempted to subpoena in the ongoing custody battle, reminded PEOPLE in an e-mail that Federline getting custody is "temporary." "We ... signed ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/pal-britney-spears-is-very-optimistic-shell-get-sons-back/ Halle Berry says she was meant to be a mother – but the 41-year-old Oscar-winner and expectant mom has had a tough time getting there. "I'm sort of superstitious, so I saved all of the negative [pregnancy] tests in a drawer," Berry reveals on the Oprah Winfrey Show Tuesday, talking about ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/halle-berry-talks-about-her-struggle-to-get-pregnant/ Britney Spears temporarily lost custody of her two sons because she was accused of not taking a random drug and alcohol test and she couldn't provide a California driver's license, her lawyer tells PEOPLE. After a closed-door hearing Monday, a judge ordered that, starting Wednesday, Kevin Federline will get physical custody ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/britneys-lawyer-reveals-reasons-behind-custody-ruling/ KABUL (Reuters) - A suicide bomber blew himself up alongside a bus in Kabul on Tuesday, killing at least 11 victims including policemen and civilians, Afghan officials said. It was the second such attack in the capital in four days. The front of the bus was blown apart by the ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/bomber-kills-at-least-11-on-afghan-bus/ Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and audio product maker Bang & Olufsen on Tuesday unveiled their latest joint music-mobile phone, Serenata, which holds 4G bytes of songs and has a number of other music features similar to the iPhone. The handsets will go on sale in Europe by the end of the ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/samsung-unveils-its-iphone-rival/ MICROSOFT'S HALO 3 has been getting a thorough dissecting this week, even as rumours of a split from its creators continue to slither from the lips of naysayers. Halo 3 is one of the fastest-selling games ever created, and also one of the highest scoring when it comes to critical reception. ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/halo-3-not-quite-hd/ WORRIED Iphoners who have used hacks were left in the deep end when Apple sent out a firmware upgrade which turned their phones into shiny, pretty bricks. However, hackers have figured out how to roll back the upgrade, reports Macworld. Instructions, available here on an iPhone development wiki, have been tested ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/hackers-roll-back-iphone-firmware/ (CNN) -- NATO ships rescued two survivors and spotted three bodies off the coast of a small Red Sea island Monday morning, following a spectacular volcanic eruption the night before, a NATO commander said. he Yemeni Coast Guard rescued 21 of the 29 Yemeni military personnel who were on the island ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/three-killed-as-volcano-erupts/ Nasdaq Stock Market Inc. has agreed to acquire the Boston Stock Exchange and related assets for about $61 million, giving investors a second source of price quotes. In a statement, Nasdaq President and Chief Executive Bob Greifeld said the deal will extend the company's offerings and allow it to offer a ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/nasdaq-to-acquire-boston-stock-exchange/ HTC HAS launched in London its Q4 2007 product line-up of new mobiles. This consisted of a new extension to the touch family, the firm's first enterprise phone, a mobile computing device and an update to an existing handset. First out was the ever-so imaginatively named HTC P6500. This is the ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/htc-gets-serious-with-new-phone-line/ A line of religious mobile phone products has been launched by a Monmouthshire firm - including downloading the Bile for £6. Teimlo launched the service called Ecumen to deliver daily prayers, wallpaper and ring tones. Erik Fok, head of sales and marketing, said he believed young people would appreciate the service. "The market ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/bible-download-for-mobile-phone/ I wrote recently (here) about the OLPC project's plan to begin selling the XO laptop in a special one-for-two deal: buyers pay $400 for two, receive one, and get a tax deduction for the other, which is then delivered to a child in a developing nation. As I said, I think ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/another-low-cost-linux-laptop-gets-a-price-hike/ Samsung has thrown its weight entirely behind its dual-format Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD player and will de-emphasis its BD-only offerings, online reports suggest. However, the two-format machine, the BD-U5000, may have been delayed. Separate reports point to a December release in the US, with the European debut taking place early ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/samsung-delays-dual-format-blu-ray-hd-dvd-player/ Any iPhone hacking now seems like a fairly risky venture for most average customers, particularly after seeing the effects of the 1.1.1 firmware. But as it turns out, it's not just iPhone owners that are losing out due to the new firmware. Although most businesses are relying on AJAX apps ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/for-some-iphone-111-firmware-is-bad-for-business/ UK troops in Basra are to be cut by 1,000 by the end of the year, Gordon Brown has said on his first visit to Iraq since becoming prime minister. Mr Brown also confirmed Basra province could be handed over to full Iraqi control within the next two months. Britain currently has ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/uk-troops-in-basra-cut-by-1000/ After the controversial appearance of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at Columbia University last week, an Iranian university yesterday invited President Bush to travel to Iran and speak on campus about a range of issues, including the Holocaust, terrorism, human rights and U.S. foreign policy, the Fars News Agency reported yesterday. The invitation ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/an-iranian-university-invites-bush-to-speak/ Syrian President Bashar al-Assad yesterday rejected his nation's participation in U.S.-brokered talks on Middle East peace unless issues critical to Damascus, such as the Golan Heights, are included. Syria's first high-level statement on the peace talks, planned for next month, may be an attempt to widen discussions aimed largely at a ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/syria-sets-conditions-for-role-in-peace-talks/ Police arrested a Bosnian man yesterday after he tried to enter the US Embassy in Vienna with a backpack containing explosives, nails and Islamic literature, authorities said. The suspect was taken into police custody after he was seen dropping the bag and fleeing on foot, Vienna police spokeswoman Michaela Raz said. No ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/bomber-caught-at-us-embassy/ Sprint Nextel is picking a fight with the country's largest phone companies over the price it pays for access to their fastest networks. The industry skirmish has swelled into a political battle that will find an audience in front of members of Congress today. Sprint, of Reston, along with some competitors, ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/sprint-presses-for-cheaper-access-to-broadband-lines/ SAN JOSE, Calif. - A New York woman is so angry at Apple Inc. for lopping $200 off the price of the iPhone that she's filed a lawsuit seeking $1 million in damages. Dongmei Li of Queens, N.Y., claimed the company violated price discrimination laws when it slashed the price of ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/woman-sues-for-1-million-over-iphone-cost-cut/ OAK BROOK, Ill. - McDonald's Corp. plans to make specialty coffee drinks available in all of its U.S. restaurants by the end of 2008, according to a published report Monday. The world's largest fast-food chain has been talking openly for nearly a year about plans to add such drinks as lattes ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/mcdonald%e2%80%99s-plans-specialty-coffee-drinks-in-%e2%80%9908/ Could the worst be over? That was the question investors asked yesterday as UBS revealed its worst-case scenario for the effects of the credit crunch. Switzerland's largest bank wrote down SFr4bn (£1.67bn) at its fixed-income business, took an axe to its executive team and announced 1,500 investment banking job cuts. UBS said ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/ubs-pays-the-price/ Nokia is to pay $8.1 billion (£4 billion) for Navteq, an American digital map supplier, in an attempt to develop new revenue streams and to defend its No 1 position in the mobile phone market against internet groups such as Google. The acquisition marks the group’s largest takeover and its latest ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/defensive-nokia-pays-8bn-for-digital-map-company/ Yahoo! has upgraded its search engine to tackle consumers' "internet search fatigue" — and close the gap with Google, the sector’s runaway leader. As part of its makeover, the revamped Yahoo! search engine will suggest ways to phrase a search as a user types into the query box and will produce ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/yahoo-upgrades-to-searches-that-work/ The online auction firm said Skype was worth $900m (£450m) less than it paid for it and set aside $530m to meet future pay-outs to some shareholders. Together that amounts to a loss of value of $1.43bn, compared to the $2.6bn price paid for Skype in 2005. Skype founders Niklas Zennstrom and ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/ebay-cuts-back-its-value-of-skype/ Sony has agreed to form a joint venture to design memory chips with the German firm Qimonda. Memory chips are used to store information on products such as mobile phones and digital cameras. Sony's decision to agree a joint venture highlights the growing trend of chip makers sharing the large costs of ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/sony-in-memory-chip-joint-venture/ UK cigarette sales fell by 11% during July, the first month of the smoking ban in England, compared with a year earlier, research suggests. The findings from AC Nielsen include all sales outlets. The firm's previous figures showed a drop of 7%, but only covered sales in pubs and clubs. AC Nielsen ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/cigarette-sales-slump-after-ban/ Keith Urban was en route to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Sydney on Monday when he got into a motorcycle accident while being followed by a photographer, he said in a statement. "Today's incident was the result of one person's desire to do his job and my desire to maintain my ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/keith-urban-motorcycle-accident-caused-by-paparazzi/ Lindsay Lohan will spend five days at a secluded lodge in the Utah mountains with her father Michael. "It can only help her recovery," Lohan's mom Dina tells PEOPLE in an e-mail. "It's time to mend." She adds, "He is visiting Lindsay alone because we are giving her dad a chance to ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/lindsays-dad-returning-for-5-day-visit/ UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari has met Burma's military leaders and detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, diplomatic sources say. Mr Gambari is attempting to mediate between the junta and the opposition, and end a bloody crackdown on mass pro-democracy protests. The sources said Mr Gambari almost certainly met senior general Than ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/un-envoy-meets-burmese-leaders/ Twelve tourists have been wounded in a bomb blast in a park near the main mosque in the Maldives capital of Male, the UK Foreign Office has said. Two Britons, two Japanese and eight Chinese tourists were hurt by the bomb - reported to have been homemade. Local media said the blast ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/tourists-hurt-in-maldives-blast/ Reconstruction work will begin next month on a revered shrine in the Iraqi city of Samarra blown up in the current conflict, UN cultural body Unesco says. The al-Askari shrine, one of Iraq's most sacred Shia sites, was partly destroyed in two attacks over two years by suspected Sunni militants. Thousands have ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/iraqi-sacred-site-to-be-rebuilt/ Mobile phone calls within the EU have become cheaper under new limits set by the European Commission. The Commission has established limits on the amount mobile phone companies can charge their customers. Operators can now charge a maximum of around 34 pence a minute for making calls, and 17 pence to receive ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/eu-mobile-phone-charges-reduced/ NEW YORK (AP) -- Here's something Madonna can really celebrate: a nomination to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Madge joins heartland rocker John Mellencamp, the puckish rappers Beastie Boys and premier dance acts Donna Summer and Chic among the nine nominees for the hall. The five leading ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/madonna-beasties-lead-rock-hall-nominees/ Microsoft/Windows Update Program Manager Nate Clinton has just posted on an issue we've learned of that affects some users of Windows Update repairing their systems using a Windows XP CD. The symptom is that some Windows XP customers are unable to install updates via the latest version of Windows Update ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/windows-update-failure-after-repairing-from-xp-cd/ n Apple software update is disabling iPhones that have been unlocked by owners who wanted to choose which mobile network to use. Earlier this week Apple said a planned update would leave the device "permanently inoperable". Thousands of iPhone owners hacked their expensive gadget in order to unlock it for use with ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/apple-iphone-warning-proves-true/ Customer demand has forced Microsoft to extend the shelf life of Windows XP by five months. Microsoft was scheduled to stop selling the six-year-old operating system on 30 January 2008 to leave the field clear for Vista. Now the date on which many sellers of XP will no longer be able to ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/microsoft-bows-to-pressure-on-xp/ More than 100,000 old books previously unavailable to the public will go online thanks to a mass digitisation programme at the British Library. The programme focuses on 19th Century books, many of which are unknown as few were reprinted after first editions. The library believes online access to the titles will help ... http://www.globalmassmedia.com/british-library-books-go-digital/