Romney Leads Obama in Florida: Polling Trending Emerging (Joe Gandelman/The Moderate Voice)
Joe Gandelman / The Moderate Voice:
Romney Leads Obama in Florida: Polling Trending Emerging — A new Quinnipiac University Poll in Florida reflects two overall trends: Romney is starting to pull ahead or gaining on Barack Obama in many polls and independent voters are moving towards Romney. It's early in campaign 2012 but … Read more...
memeorandum, Today, 1:10pm
Noise begone! New tech banishes camera noise from video soundtracks
You heard it here first: Zoom and AF-motor noise in video soundtracks could soon become a thing of the past.
A real limitation of movie recording with digital cameras is that motor noise from zoom and autofocus systems is glaringly obvious in video soundtracks. Dedicated camcorders use special motors and sound-deadening in the camera body to eliminate this problem, but they typically have more space to play with than's available to digicam makers, so such measures are easier to implement. When it comes to cameras with interchangeable lenses, many lenses you might want to use weren't... Read more...
Imaging Resource News Page, Today, 1:07pm
Colin Powell Trashes Mitt Romney's Team Of Foreign Policy Advisers (Jennifer Bendery/The Huffington Post)
Jennifer Bendery / The Huffington Post:
Colin Powell Trashes Mitt Romney's Team Of Foreign Policy Advisers … REACT: — FOLLOW: — Colin Powell, Mitt Romney, Elections 2012, Video, Colin Powell Obama, Colin Powell Mitt Romney, Colin Powell President Obama, Colin Powell Romney, Mitt Romney Foreign Policy, Politics News Read more...
memeorandum, Today, 1:05pm
Free speech moment: Standing with Stacy McCain, Patterico, Liberty Chick, and Aaron Walker (Ed Morrissey/Hot Air)
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Free speech moment: Standing with Stacy McCain, Patterico, Liberty Chick, and Aaron Walker — I know what it's like to find out that you've been targeted for violence — real violence, as in being targeted for death by an extremist who has picked out his target based on nothing more than writing about politics. Read more...
memeorandum, Today, 1:05pm
Actually, the Obama spending binge really did happen (James Pethokoukis/The Enterprise Blog)
James Pethokoukis / The Enterprise Blog:
Actually, the Obama spending binge really did happen — Until Barack Obama took office in 2009, the United States had never spent more than 23.5% of GDP, with the exception of the World War II years of 1942-1946. Here's the Obama spending record: — 25.2% of GDP in 2009 — 24.1% of GDP in... Read more...
memeorandum, Today, 12:55pm
Pakistan jails 'Bin Laden' doctor
A Pakistani doctor is sentenced to at least 30 years in jail for a false vaccination programme which helped the CIA find Osama Bin Laden. Read more...
BBC News - Home, Today, 12:51pm
Wingsuit flyer lands chute-free
A stuntman lands safely after making what is thought to be the world's first wingsuit flight without deploying a parachute. Read more...
BBC News - Home, Today, 12:45pm
Opening the Book(Book) on Twelve South: between the covers of a Mac-exclusive accessory maker
The year is 2009. In history books, it'll widely be recognized as the year that most of America -- heck, the world -- would prefer to forget. Job after job was lost, bank after bank fell, and humanity as we knew it plunged into "the worst recession since the Great Depression." It's also the year that Palm attempted a comeback with webOS, and as it turns out, the year that yet another accessory company was Read more...
Engadget, Today, 12:45pm
DealBook: Facebook Shares Rise
After a rocky three days as a publicly traded company, Facebook sees a 4 percent gain in its shares in midday trading on Wednesday. Read more...
NYT > Home Page, Today, 12:43pm
Doctor Who Helped Find Bin Laden Given Jail Term, Official Says
A Pakistani doctor who helped the C.I.A. locate Osama Bin Laden using a vaccination campaign as cover was convicted of treason and given 33 years in prison, a Pakistani official said. Read more...
NYT > Home Page, Today, 12:43pm
Rabies case confirmed in London
A London patient is confirmed as having rabies after being bitten by a dog in South Asia, the Health Protection Agency says. Read more...
BBC News - Home, Today, 12:43pm
BAE signs £1.9bn Saudi jet deal
British defence giant BAE signs a £1.9bn ($3bn) deal with Saudi Arabia to supply Hawk trainer jets, safeguarding over 200 UK jobs. Read more...
BBC News - Home, Today, 12:40pm
Secret Service Chief Testifies About Scandal
Mark Sullivan said there was not national security breach because agents didn’t have specifics about the president’s Colombia trip. Read more...
NYT > Home Page, Today, 12:33pm
Arts A-list gathers for the Queen
Sir Derek Jacobi, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Paul McCartney and David Hockney are among the leading cultural figures joining the Queen at a reception in London. Read more...
BBC News - Home, Today, 12:25pm
Euro Watch: Stocks Fall as E.U. Leaders Gather in Brussels
European stocks fell almost 2 percent and the euro slipped ahead of another meeting to address the Greek crisis. Read more...
NYT > Home Page, Today, 12:22pm
AT&T launches Samsung Galaxy Appeal GoPhone, available at Walmart on June 5th for $150
What's in a name? For the Samsung Galaxy Appeal, everything. The moniker of AT&T's new Android GoPhone fits the manufacturer's current legal situation perfectly, though admittedly its side-slider QWERTY-packing form factor is the least likely of Sammy's lineup to catch the attention of Cupertino's team of suits. Joking aside, the 4.3-ounce Appeal offers Android 2.3, a 3.2-inch HVGA (that's 480 x 320) display, 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7225A processor, 3MP rear camera and 512MB of RAM. It's also made... Read more...
Engadget, Today, 12:22pm
FAKE EXPLICIT IMAGE OF S.E. CUPP REPORTEDLY APPEARS IN HUSTLER (GRAPHIC) (Madeleine Morgenstern/TheBlaze.com)
Madeleine Morgenstern / TheBlaze.com:
FAKE EXPLICIT IMAGE OF S.E. CUPP REPORTEDLY APPEARS IN HUSTLER (GRAPHIC) — The Blaze has been alerted to a fake explicit image apparently published in Hustler magazine depicting GBTV host and conservative commentator S.E. Cupp engaged in a sex act with what appears to be a penis in her... Read more...
memeorandum, Today, 12:20pm
US agents in 64 misconduct cases
Sixty-four allegations of sexual misconduct have been made against the US Secret Service over the past five years, a congressional panel hears. Read more...
BBC News - Home, Today, 12:17pm
Morgan explained hacking - Paxman
Ex-tabloid newspaper editor Piers Morgan explained how to access mobile phone voicemail messages, Jeremy Paxman tells the Leveson Inquiry. Read more...
BBC News - Home, Today, 12:13pm
YuMe Adds Another $10 Million From WestSummit Capital
Online video advertising startup YuMe has picked up another $10 million in financing from WestSummit Capital, closing out a $22 million strategic round that was originally announced last November. The round was led by Samsung Ventures and also included Translink Capital.
YuMe founder Jayant Kadambi confirmed the raise, and told me by email that the funding will be used primarily to expand into more connected devices. YuMe provides a platform for delivering ads against online videos, but has recently been adding... Read more...
TechCrunch, Today, 12:12pm
At CUNY’s Top Colleges, Black and Hispanic Freshmen Enrollments Drop
The change at CUNY’s top colleges among incoming freshmen comes a decade after the university ended open enrollment and confirms predictions made by opponents during the battle over admissions. Read more...
NYT > Home Page, Today, 12:11pm
Secret Service sex scandal: Several say they didn't break the rules (Washington Post)
Washington Post:
Secret Service sex scandal: Several say they didn't break the rules — Four Secret Service employees have decided to fight their dismissals for engaging in inappropriate conduct in Colombia last month, a development that could unravel what has been a swift and tidy resolution to an embarrassing scandal … Read more...
memeorandum, Today, 12:10pm
EU's austerity agenda challenged
European Union leaders meeting in Brussels on Wednesday will hear the new French president challenge the EU's German-led austerity drive. Read more...
BBC News - Home, Today, 12:06pm
4G disruption threatens millions
When 4G services start rolling out next year, two million homes will find it affects their TV signal, Freeview boss warns. Read more...
BBC News - Home, Today, 12:01pm
Google Search for iPhone gets the 2.0 remake, full-screen search and swipes aplenty
Google gave its official search app an iPad remake late last year, and now it's smaller iPhone and iPod touch devices getting the new UI's treatment. As of Google Search App 2.0, the smaller iOS devices see a big emphasis on full-screen navigation, with an automatic full-screen mode and a dedicated full-screen photo search making the most of the limited display real estate. You can now swipe back to search results like you could with the iPad, and it's overall much faster in the app to hop between different search types as well as web apps like Calendar or Read more...
Engadget, Today, 12:01pm
Mini-Tuesday - I'm a little embarassed by the fact that in twelve ... (Ed Kilgore/Washington Monthly)
Ed Kilgore / Washington Monthly:
Mini-Tuesday — I'm a little embarassed by the fact that in twelve or thirteen posts yesterday I didn't get around to mentioning it was a primary day in Kentucky and Arkansas. You will forgive me, I hope, a lack of excitement about the “story” of the president's weakness in these two states … Read more...
memeorandum, Today, 12:00pm
Shares hit by concern over Greece
World stock markets fall sharply ahead of an EU meeting, as concerns mount over Greece's future in the euro. Read more...
BBC News - Home, Today, 11:59am
New York Hardware Buffs Weigh In On China, Embracing Niches, And How To Start Making Things
Earlier this morning, our own John Biggs was joined on stage by a handful of New York-based makers who have made a name for themselves by building physical things (or in one case, building something that builds other things). Biggs kicked off the panel with a simple question: — can we bring manufacturing back?
Bre Pettis, CEO of Makerbot Industries, has two shifts of workers putting together all of his Makerbots in Brooklyn, and had a bit of advice for hardware creators looking to shift production to China. He recommended that until makers need to produce runs of 50,000-100,000 units, they’re much better off keeping the production process in the United States.... Read more...
TechCrunch, Today, 11:58am
In Edwards Case, Experts See Judge’s Words as Key
Legal analysts awaiting a verdict in the John Edwards federal corruption trial say the judge’s interpretation of the law could shape what the jurors might ultimately decide. Read more...
NYT > Home Page, Today, 11:55am
Sandoval asks federal court to toss marriage law challenge (Ed Vogel/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Ed Vogel / Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Sandoval asks federal court to toss marriage law challenge — CARSON CITY - Gov. Brian Sandoval has asked the federal court in Las Vegas to throw out a challenge of Nevada's constitutional amendment that limits marriage to heterosexual couples. — He said the states, not the federal government, set the rules for marriages. Read more...
memeorandum, Today, 11:45am
Gigabyte to unveil X11 on May 31st as lightest laptop ever, spooks us with talk of 'sixth element'
Gigabyte is clearly hoping to carve out a name for itself in a very crowded ultraportable space; it sent us word of a media event for a new X11 laptop in its native Taipei on May 31st, just a few days ahead of Computex. The PC designer claims that the X11 will be the "lightest notebook on Earth," a pretty audacious claim considering the featherweight competition. Most of the braggadocio, we suspect, is rooted in... Read more...
Engadget, Today, 11:43am
Club for Growth-backed Cotton wins Arkansas House primary (Cameron Joseph/Ballot Box)
Cameron Joseph / Ballot Box:
Club for Growth-backed Cotton wins Arkansas House primary — Army veteran Tom Cotton (R) handily won his primary over 2010 nominee Beth Anne Rankin Tuesday night, a win for the Club for Growth-backed candidate over a former staffer for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R). Read more...
memeorandum, Today, 11:40am
Egyptians vote in landmark poll
Egyptians are voting in the first free presidential election in their history, made possible by last year's Arab Spring uprising. Read more...
BBC News - Home, Today, 11:38am
Ina May Gaskin and the Battle for at-Home Births
Gaskin assisting a woman at the Farm, Jane Montanaro, during a delivery.Ina May Gaskin, the original home-birth evangelist, is finally winning converts in the mainstream. Read more...
NYT > Home Page, Today, 11:38am
Global Powers and Iran Meet in Baghdad
Leaders from the United States and five other countries resumed talks with Iran a day after Tehran signaled willingness to allow potentially intrusive inspections of military facilities. Read more...
NYT > Home Page, Today, 11:36am
Amazon Partners With Paramount, Brings Hundreds More Movies To Prime Instant Video Service
Amazon is continuing to grow its collection of streaming video titles at Amazon Prime Instant Video, and is today announcing another new agreement with Paramount Pictures bringing "hundreds" of new movies to the service. This deal isn't as large as March's partnership with Discovery, which saw some 3,000 new titles added, but it does introduce what are arguably more big-name movies. Included in the deal are titles like Mission: Impossible 3, Braveheart, Forrest Gump, Mean Girls, Nacho Libre and Clueless, to name a few, and Amazon... Read more...
TechCrunch, Today, 11:35am
GOP Mixed on Health Moves (Wall Street Journal)
Wall Street Journal:
GOP Mixed on Health Moves — Congressional Republicans are divided over what to do if the Supreme Court strikes down all or part of the health-care overhaul next month. — House Republican freshmen from moderate districts say they need to have credible alternatives to present to their constituents … Read more...
memeorandum, Today, 11:35am
WhosHere Launches Anonymous Video Chat
As evidenced by the success of Chatroulette, people get a kick out of seeing each other (anonymously) on video. Taking that to heart, WhosHere - an app that has allowed countless people to meet and greet each other in meatspace - has launched a video chat service that lets folks connect when and where they want. Read more...
TechCrunch, Today, 11:30am
A Gift For Snickering Pundits: A Map (Alec MacGillis/The New Republic)
Alec MacGillis / The New Republic:
A Gift For Snickering Pundits: A Map — In what has become a regular ritual this spring, the punditocracy is cracking itself up tonight over Barack Obama's embarrassingly poor performance in Democratic primaries in Appalachia and the Upland South. Two weeks ago 41 percent of Democratic primary voters … Read more...
memeorandum, Today, 11:30am
Retro Beer Company Churchkey, A New Tech Investor Darling, Will Expand To San Francisco Next Month
Beer may or may not be the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about TechCrunch Disrupt, but today, CrunchFund's MG Siegler took the stage at our New York conference to talk to Churchkey's founders: Adrian Grenier, who is well-known for his role in the TV series Entourage, Justin Hawkins and Ryan Sowards. Churchkey, which was founded in 2010 and is based in the Pacific Northwest with offices in the beer-loving cities of Seattle, Wash. and Portland, Ore., recently attracted a number of tech... Read more...
TechCrunch, Today, 11:29am
Egyptians Vote in Presidential Poll
After weeks of speculation, debate and argument, Egyptians went to the polls on Wednesday, choosing among a dozen presidential candidates after decades of authoritarian rule. Read more...
NYT > Home Page, Today, 11:26am
Father Doesn't Know Best - Your parents spill a few secrets as they get older. (Maureen Dowd/New York Times)
Maureen Dowd / New York Times:
Father Doesn't Know Best — Your parents spill a few secrets as they get older. — One night at dinner with my mom, I ventured that the rhythm method had worked well for her, given that there were six years between my sister Peggy and my brother Kevin, and six more between Kevin and me. Read more...
memeorandum, Today, 11:20am
New York Legislation Would Ban Anonymous Online Speech (David Kravets/Wired)
David Kravets / Wired:
New York Legislation Would Ban Anonymous Online Speech — Did you hear the one about New York state lawmakers who forgot about the First Amendment in the name of combating cyberbullying and “baseless political attacks”? — Proposed legislation in both chambers would require New York-based websites … Read more...
memeorandum, Today, 11:20am
Several George Zimmerman witnesses change their accounts (Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Sentinel:
Several George Zimmerman witnesses change their accounts — Evidence released last week in the second-degree-murder case against George Zimmerman shows four key witnesses made major changes in what they say they saw and heard the night he fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford. Read more...
memeorandum, Today, 11:15am
Rovio’s FB App, Angry Birds Friends, Flies Out Of Beta With Tournament Mode, New Levels & More
Well, well, well. As if you couldn't get your fix of sling-shotting irascible fowl on every other mobile and social platform known to man, Rovio announced this morning that Angry Birds for Facebook (officially known as Angry Birds Friends) has finally done flown the coop and left the warm nest of its beta. Avian double-speak aside, what does that mean exactly?
It means that, having gone through the requisite user testing, tweaking, and multi-billion-dollar IPO-ing, Rovio's Facebook app is ready... Read more...
TechCrunch, Today, 11:11am
U.S. Launches Digital Roadmap To Open Up Government Data And Court Developers
There's all sorts of data that the government has, but very little of it is actually accessible by developers. But the U.S. Government is trying to change that: Wednesday at TechCrunch Disrupt, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Todd Park and Chief Information Officer Steven VanRoekel announced a new initiative within the government to open up data that was previously locked up in government documents and arcane backend systems. That will allow developers to create new applications and services based on that data.
With the launch of the new digital road map, the U.S. government is hoping to increase the way that users can access data in many different ways. It's also designed to decrease inefficiency in... Read more...
TechCrunch, Today, 11:07am
Social Bicycles announces availability by end of summer, we go hands-on (video)
When last saw the Social Bicycles (SoBi), there wasn't a heck of a lot to report on. The whole thing was little more than a concept, a Kickstarter page and an early prototype. Flash forward just under a year later, and it's beginning to look a lot like a real, consumer-facing product. The New York startup showed off its bike and a couple of apps today at TechCrunch Disrupt. The concept here is not too dissimilar from a Read more...
Engadget, Today, 11:06am
Qwiki Launches A Publishing Platform For ABC News And Others
Qwiki, the startup that won Disrupt in 2010, is announcing a new platform today for bloggers and other online publishers.
The company's initial product basically assembled a multimedia "story" around Wikipedia articles, with images, videos, maps, and more. But the vision was bigger — to present a new kind of information experience. Read more...
TechCrunch, Today, 11:05am
What Did Barbara Streisand Know... (FilmLadd Blogs)
FilmLadd Blogs:
What Did Barbara Streisand Know... And When Did She Know It? — Share it! — Journalist Forced to Flee Home by Streisand-Funded Domestic Terrorist Bomber! — Juicy headline, eh? Guaranteed to bring in the page views. I can't imagine I'm the only one who's thought of this angle to the story. Read more...
memeorandum, Today, 11:05am