magnanimity corby: December 2012

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Apple?s $160K Copyright Fine In China Is A Pittance, But Could It Open The Door For Further Claims?

China is not exactly known for having a watertight regime when it comes to piracy and copyright violations, but it’s trying to change that perception, and here’s a case in point: a group of eight authors, calling themselves the China Written Works Copyright Society,?has won a case against Apple in Beijing for hosting apps that were in themselves violating the copyright on their works. Apple has in turn been ordered to pay 1 million yuan ($160,000) in compensation?– pennies to the iPhone giant and?only about 10 percent of how much the authors were trying to get out of Apple when they originally brought the case against it earlier in the year. The news comes at an interesting time for Apple in China. The region — the world’s biggest smartphone market at the moment — is a significant one for Apple, accounting for 15 percent of all of its revenues. But it’s also facing huge competition, primarily from low-priced Android device makers. In?Q4, Apple reported sales of $5.7 billion?in Greater China,?which was flat compared to Q3, but up 26 percent compared to a year ago. Apple has had also to grapple with contrasting (and not always positive) perceptions on?how well its newest handset, the iPhone 5,?has been selling in China since launching this month. It also comes as China is making ever more moves to improve the connection between Internet users and real-world identities. However, it’s very much a double-edged sword. A?law passed today requiring real-name identities for online users is one more way for China to track illicit content posters, but it could also be seen as a way for the country to further control how people use the Internet to express themselves, sometimes in acts of dissent against the country’s official lines of thought. For their part, the?China Written Works Copyright Society is unhappy with the amount of compensation ordered by the court. “We are disappointed at the judgment. Some of our best-selling authors only got 7,000 yuan. The judgment is a signal of encouraging piracy,” a representative of the group told Reuters. Still, the sum could be seen as?significant winnings in a country where the average monthly wage for a working class person is $190. And it opens the door further for Apple to face yet more such claims from other rights holders in the country. To date, this is the second time that Apple has lost a

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/5yBIZkgxN34/

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Friday, December 28, 2012

China seizes TVs, satellite equipment in Tibetan area

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese authorities have confiscated televisions from 300 monasteries in a heavily Tibetan part of the west of the country and dismantled satellite equipment that broadcast "anti-China" programs, prompted by Tibetan self-immolations in the region.

Some 94 Tibetans, including 81 this year, have set themselves on fire in protest against Chinese rule. Five self-immolations occurred in Tibetan-dominated Huangnan prefecture in Qinghai province, the state-run Qinghai news agency said on Thursday.

The government in Huangnan said its approach in tackling self-immolations comprised of "guiding public opinion on the Dalai issue", increasing patrols and "blocking outside harmful information", according to the news agency, which is managed by the Qinghai government.

"At this critical moment for maintaining social stability in Huangnan prefecture ... (we must) strengthen measures and fully fight the special battle against self-immolations," the article said.

"We do not know anything about it," an official from the Huangnan prefecture government told Reuters by telephone, when asked to confirm the report, before hanging up.

Beijing considers Nobel peace laureate the Dalai Lama, who fled China in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule, a separatist. The Dalai Lama says he is merely seeking greater autonomy for his Himalayan homeland.

The article said the prefecture's agricultural and pastoral areas had relied on certain satellite equipment "to watch and listen to overseas, anti-China programs".

The local government would invest 8.64 million yuan ($1.39 million) to install 50 transmitters that would broadcast 70 percent of the prefecture's television channels, the report said.

China has repeatedly denounced the Dalai Lama and exiled Tibetan groups for fomenting the self-immolations.

The United States and several other countries have called on China to end repressive policies and to negotiate with the Dalai Lama.

Beijing has defended its iron-fisted rule in Tibet, saying the remote region suffered from dire poverty, brutal exploitation of serfs and economic stagnation until 1950 when Communist troops "peacefully liberated" it.

($1 = 6.2353 yuan)

(Reporting by Sui-Lee Wee, Additional reporting by Huang Yan; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-seizes-tvs-satellite-equipment-tibetan-area-084634431.html

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HYPNOTISTS ? TAKE A TRANCE ON SUCCESS FOR 2013 ...

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Source: http://klearthoughtsmentalismhypnosis.wordpress.com/2012/12/28/hypnotists-take-a-trance-on-success-for-2013/

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Tribune editorial: Time for compromise on fiscal cliff talks (tbo)

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Thursday, December 27, 2012

Tourists Visiting Tikal During Maya Celebrations Damage Ruins

View 'Gran Jaguar' Mayan temple at the Tikal archaeological site in Peten departament, 560 kms north of Guatemala City, on December 20, 2012. Ceremonies will be held here to celebrate the end of the Mayan cycle known as Bak'tun 13 and the start of the new Maya Era on December 21.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/27/tourists-visiting-tikal-d_n_2369674.html

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Nubia Z5 unveiled in China with quad-core chip, 5-inch 1080p display and 7.6mm thickness

Much like many Chinese smartphone brands these days, ZTE sub-brand Nubia had prematurely given away the main selling points of its Z5 ahead of its Beijing launch today, but there were still some surprises. As you probably already know, here's yet another five-inch 1080p Android phone featuring Qualcomm's 1.5GHz quad-core APQ8064, 2GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage, along with a 13-megapixel F2.2 main camera (with five-element optics by Konica Minolta, plus separate touch focus and touch exposure in the app) and a two-megapixel front-facing camera. For multimedia consumption, the Z5 supports WiFi Display and MHL output should you wish to beam content to a larger screen; whereas on the audio side you are spoiled with either Yamaha or Dolby Digital Plus. But wait, there's more!

Gallery: Nubia Z5 hands-on

Gallery: Nubia Z5 press event

Continue reading Nubia Z5 unveiled in China with quad-core chip, 5-inch 1080p display and 7.6mm thickness

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Comments

Source: Nubia

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/lC3qYMGwdE8/

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Farm Real Estate in Edina MN

For those who may have the entrepreneurial spirit, discovering farm and ranch in Edina MN could be the perfect scenario. Exactly what you might or could not recognize is that this kind of life is basically a means to combine both family members and work. Make no doubt about it, life on the farm and ranch in Edina MN is a real business. It is difficult work, either, but many people would not return to living any other way.

Sorts of Farm and Ranch in Edina MN

For beginners, there are numerous different kinds of farm and ranch in Edina MN. These could include dairy farms, cattle ranches, expanding crops (of many different ranges), orchards and even a poultry farm or ranch. Which type you choose is right for you will certainly depend upon how much land is readily available, its place and a number of other aspects.

There are a number of other types of land which are closely associated with farm and ranch in Edina MN. For example, you might be considering searching land or wood land or even land for grazing a herd of livestock. There are even real estate agents that concentrate on some of these kinds of farm and ranch in Edina MN.

The Family Farm and Ranch in Edina MN

While many of the trends are against the small family farm and ranch in Edina MN, there are still many people participated in this type of lifestyle. There is something about having the ability to live off the land, consuming just what you expand and / or raise, plus having the ability to sell enough of this to support your family at the same time.

The family farm and ranch in Edina MN is also a business enterprise. Before determining to enter this sort of lifestyle it is best to understand exactly what to expect. There will certainly be prices as you start to farm or raise pets. It is also vital to understand exactly what your crops or items will be sold for. Of course there are always changes in any market, featuring crops and cattle and anything else which can be produced on a farm and ranch in Edina MN.

Advantages of Life on the Farm and Ranch in Edina MN

There are a number of superb perks to life on the farm and ranch in Edina MN. For starters, you must be anticipating consuming most of just what you expand and raise. This must usually convert into a much healthier diet and style of life. Picture having the ability to consume your very own fresh grown fruits and vegetables, consume milk from your very own cows, fresh eggs and meat from your very own livestock. Compared to the hormone feed beef and antibiotic and pesticide loaded vegetables and fruit, you are likely to lose a great deal of weight and feel a lot more energetic and healthy.

Yet another benefit of life on the farm and ranch in Edina MN is that you (and your household) will be closer to nature. You will likely see much more selection of plant and animal life than it would be possible to note while in the city. It is also much simpler to cherish nature by much more closely noting her cycles and weather patterns.

All of your household will be instilled with the ideals of hard work and taught excellent healthy American values. Hard work is definitely not the enemy of those living on the farm and ranch in Edina MN. On top of this, you will find out how to operate all different kinds of machinery and equipment. Plus, there will not be any sort of need to go to the gym for a good workout, since farm life is enough of a workout!

For many people, being away from the hustle and bustle of the city is an additional fantastic advantage of being on the farm and ranch in Edina MN. There will certainly not be any sort of traffic, no more 9 to 5, no more day-to-day commute and being hurried, having to rush all over. You will be independent and pretty much able to do things precisely the way you want; no boss is examining your shoulder.

Drawbacks of Life on the Farm and Ranch in Edina MN

Perhaps many of the benefits do not apply or not have you too excited about life on the farm and ranch in Edina MN? Definitely there are additionally some negatives to think about before jumping into this sort of lifestyle.

For lots of people, not being in the urban area might be thought about a drawback of life on the farm and ranch in Edina MN. Some individuals truly delight in being in the city and the busyness of everything going on. If this is you, than it might be tough to live on the farm and ranch in Edina MN.

An additional possible downside is needing to rely on your own efforts. Some people just were not created to be business owners. If the concept of not having an income hanging around each week appears just frightening, life on the farm and ranch in Edina MN could be hard.

Some individuals are merely unable to deal with the daily grind of farm work. It requires waking early, doing duties every day and seeing to it that all of the work gets done when it should. It is challenging being on the farm and ranch in Edina MN, knowing that it all depends on your efforts. In this sort of life it is important to make your own security.

Finding Your Farm and Ranch in Edina MN

Finding land to use for your farm and ranch in Edina MN can be as straightforward as calling a reputable real estate company. There are even particular companies which focus on this type of land. Of course, the cost selection you are looking at will also have a bearing on just what type of land might be readily available.

Many individuals have the dream of getting closer to nature and leaving the urban area to offer their families a much more wholesome life. Discovering your very own farm and ranch in Edina MN could be simply exactly what you have actually been looking for. There are many benefits of this kind of way of life, however it is definitely not for everyone and must only be done after really cautious consideration and research.

Source: http://find-your-perfect-home.com/farms/minneapolis-mn/farm-real-estate-in-edina-mn/

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Sunday, December 23, 2012

Police: Idaho senator arrested, charged with DUI

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) ? U.S. Sen. Michael Crapo was arrested early Sunday morning and charged with driving under the influence in a Washington, D.C., suburb, authorities said.

Police in Alexandria, Va., said Sunday that the Idaho Republican was pulled over after his vehicle ran a red light. Police spokesman Jody Donaldson said Crapo failed field sobriety tests and was arrested at about 12:45 a.m. He was transported to the Alexandria jail and released on an unsecured $1,000 bond at about 5 a.m..

"There was no refusal (to take blood alcohol tests), no accident, no injuries," Donaldson said. "Just a traffic stop that resulted in a DUI."

Police said Crapo, who was alone in his vehicle, registered a blood alcohol content of .110. The legal limit in Virginia, which has strict drunken driving laws, is .08.

The 61-year-old Crapo (KRAY'-poh) has a Jan. 4 court date.

"I am deeply sorry for the actions that resulted in this circumstance," Crapo said in a statement Sunday night. "I made a mistake for which I apologize to my family, my Idaho constituents and any others who have put their trust in me. I accept total responsibility and will deal with whatever penalty comes my way in this matter. I will also undertake measures to ensure that this circumstance is never repeated."

A Crapo spokesman declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding his arrest.

Currently in his third term, Crapo has been in the Senate since 1998, and served for six years in the U.S. House of Representatives before that. He was easily re-elected in 2010, and won't have to run again until 2016.

In Congress, Crapo has built a reputation as a staunch social and fiscal conservative. It was expected he would take over the top Republican spot next year on the Senate Banking Committee. He also serves on the Senate's budget and finance panels. Crapo was a member of the so-called "Gang of Six" senators that worked in 2011 toward a deficit-reduction deal that was never adopted by Congress.

A Mormon who grew up in Idaho Falls, Idaho, Crapo was named a bishop in the church at age 31. He is an attorney who graduated from Brigham Young University and Harvard Law School. He has five children with his wife, Susan, and three grandchildren.

The Mormon Church prohibits the use of alcohol, as well as caffeine and other mind-altering substances. The state has a significant Mormon population.

Crapo has told the Associated Press in past interviews that he abstains from drinking alcohol.

___

Associated Press writers Norman Gomlak in Atlanta and Josh Lederman in Washington contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/police-us-sen-crapo-arrested-charged-dui-022309038.html

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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Grinch takes holiday care packages for overseas troops

A Sacramento group that sends out hundreds of Christmas care packages to America's troops serving abroad has fallen victim to a Grinch.

Dec. 17 was the cut-off day for Move America Forward to get 350 care packages to the post office with the guarantee they'd be there by Christmas. As the boxes sat in a trailer Dec. 16, waiting to be shipped the next day, some Christmas ne'er do well broke the trailer's lock and stole 25 of the packages, all of them intended for soldiers in Afghanistan.

Scott Raab, outreach coordinator for Move America Forward, said the contents of the boxes were probably worth around $5,000, but the cost isn't the issue. The care packages were intended to give soldiers a reminder of the comforts of home, he said. And, since the boxes were all individually addressed, there will be 25 soldiers going without this year.

"We pack pretty much everything in there," Raab told ABCnews.com, "deodorant, coffee, candy. But also notes from school kids here at home thanking them for their service, Christmas cards, everything we can."

Raab, who is himself a veteran of the U.S. Navy, said the packages really mean a lot to soldiers serving overseas who miss the creature comforts we take for granted at home.

"This can mean the whole world to these troops. We send packages year-round, but during the holidays it's even more special. And we get some of the packages out to specific soldiers whose family is not able, for whatever reason, to send them anything."

The packages were all clearly marked for military personnel and contain literature about Move America Forward, Raab said, so whoever the culprit is knows precisely who they've stolen from.

Raab is working with various organizations and accepting donations through MoveAmericaForward.org to replace the stolen items and help ensure the soldiers whose packages were stolen get their Christmas gifts, even if they are a few days late.

Though disappointed, Raab said he remains confident his organization will get all the losses covered.

"These people are the definition of a Grinch," he said, "it is disheartening for those of us who worked so hard to get all these Christmas packages together. But we've had an overwhelming response from people wanting to help out and it just shows how much support there is out there for our troops."

Richard Engel, NBC News team freed from captors in Syria

NBC News file

Richard Engel at the end of a reporting trip in Syria in July of this year.

By Mike Brunker, NBC News

NBC News? Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel and members of his network production team were freed from captors in Syria after a firefight at a checkpoint on Monday, five days after they were taken prisoner, NBC News said early Tuesday.

?After being kidnapped and held for five days inside Syria by an unknown group, NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel and his production crew members have been freed unharmed. We are pleased to report they are safely out of the country,? the network said in a statement.

The captors were unidentified and were not believed to be loyal to the Assad regime.

Engel, 39, along with other employees the network did not identify, disappeared shortly after crossing into northwest Syria from Turkey on Thursday. The network had not been able to contact them until learning that they had been freed on Monday.

The network said there was no claim of responsibility, no contact with the captors and no request for ransom during the time the crew was missing.

After entering Syria, Engel and his team were abducted, tossed into the back of a truck and blindfolded before being transported to an unknown location believed to be near the small town of Ma?arrat Misrin. During their captivity, they were blindfolded and bound, but otherwise not physically harmed, the network said.

Early Monday evening local time, the prisoners were being moved to a new location in a vehicle when their captors ran into a checkpoint manned by members of the Ahrar al-Sham brigade, a Syrian rebel group. There was a confrontation and a firefight ensued.? Two of the captors were killed, while an unknown number of others escaped, the network said.

The NBC News crew was unharmed in the incident. They remained in Syria until Tuesday morning when they made their way to the border and re-entered Turkey, the network said. They were to be evaluated and debriefed, but had communicated that everyone was in good health.

NBC News said it ?expressed its gratitude to those who worked to gather information and secure the release of our colleagues.?

Engel is widely regarded as one of America?s leading foreign correspondents for his coverage of wars, revolutions and political transitions around the world over the last 15 years. Most recently, he was recognized for his outstanding reporting on the 2011 revolution in Egypt, the conflict in Libya and unrest throughout the Arab world.?

One of the only Western journalists to cover the entire war in Iraq , Engel was named chief foreign correspondent of NBC News in April 2008. He joined the network in May 2003.

The Syrian civil war began in March 2011, when demonstrators took to the streets to show support for the so-called Arab Spring uprisings sweeping across the Middle East and north Africa and to demand the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad of the ruling Ba?ath Party. The following month, Assad deployed the Syrian army to quell the uprising, ordering troops to open fire on demonstrators. But despite the harsh crackdown, Assad?s troops and militias loyal to the government were unable to quell what soon became an armed uprising.

In the intervening months, the security situation in the country has continued to deteriorate amid increasingly fierce fighting between Syrian troops and a loose confederation of outgunned but increasingly emboldened rebel forces. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimated in November that more than 40,000 people had died in the fighting.

More world stories from NBC News:

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/18/15985279-richard-engel-and-nbc-news-team-freed-from-captors-in-syria?lite

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Charity warns of ?1,500 bill for day care for cancer patients

Charity warns of ?1,500 bill for day care for cancer patients

By Evelyn Ring

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Cancer patients will be hit with a ?1,500 bill as public hospitals are now demanding daycare fees, it has emerged.

There is a charge of ?75 a night for in-patient services in public hospitals, capped at ?750.

Hospitals are also entitled to impose the ?75 charge on day services but, until recently, most exempted cancer patients.

The Irish Cancer Society is concerned that cancer patients whose treatment phase spans two calendar years will have to pay ?1,500.

About 30,000 people in Ireland are diagnosed with cancer every year and the number is expected to rise to over 40,000 per year by 2020.

The society?s spokeswoman, Kathleen O?Meara, said it is possible that a cancer patient could reach the ?750 ceiling in one year as an in-patient and be charged again the next year for day services.

"Anybody who would be diagnosed with cancer in the middle of the year would certainly be in that situation," she said.

Nursing services manager with the society Joan Kelly said most chemotherapy regimes would be at least six months and some would be up to one year.

Ms Kelly said a patient diagnosed with cancer sometime after the middle of a year would cross over into the next, where they could be charged ?750 a second time if the hospital demanded it.

The charge does not apply to medical card holders and those with private medical insurance.

The society said many people undergoing standard treatment for cancer would not have a card or insurance. "A lot of people have given up private medical insurance but may be still over the income limit for the medical card," said Ms O?Meara.

The medical card is means tested and is usually only given to cancer patients with an immediate need because of seriously ill health.

The HSE sometimes reduces or waives the charge in cases of hardship.

The society said some cancer patients waiting for medical cards were receiving letters from debt collection agencies demanding payment of the charges.

Ms O?Meara said the HSE?s use of debt collection agencies to chase the non-payment of bills could be having additional psycho-social effects on patients.

The society provides over ?1m a year to cancer patients needing financial help ? about 5% of its total annual spend and most of which is directed at patient services.

Ms O?Meara said applications to the charity?s financial aid scheme had increased by 36% in the last three years. She pointed out that 1,700 people applied for a payment under the scheme because they were struggling to cope financially.

Queries about cancer costs, such as heating and travel, are now the third most frequent type of call to the National Cancer Helpline (1800 200 700).

"If someone is self-employed, young, without private health insurance, not eligible for a medical card, or doesn?t have savings, they are left in a very vulnerable position of being unable to manage basic expenses, such as heating and travel to hospital for treatment," said Ms O?Meara. "We are hearing from an increasing number of these people."

The top three reasons for needing financial help are heating and fuel (50%), travel expenses (25%), and childcare (7%).

The Irish Cancer Society said the financial supports for patients were a last resort ? it tried to help people explore the other options available to them.

? This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Tuesday, December 18, 2012

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Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/ieireland/~3/1d_KzUUYQBw/

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