Microsoft launches Windows 7 | Technology | Reuters

Technology Reuters

<---Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and the Microsoft television commercial star Kylie, the young girl who makes an instant slideshow, take the stage at Windows 7's Launch Party in New York, October 22, 2009. By Shannon Stapleton

Thu Oct 22, 2009. NEW YORK (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp launched Windows 7 on Thursday in its most important release for more than a decade, aiming to win back customers after the disappointing Vista and strengthen its grip on the PC market.

The world's largest software company, which powers more than 90 percent of personal computers, has received good reviews for the new operating system, which it hopes will grab back the impetus in new technology from rivals Apple Inc and Google Inc.

"It's the first really significant release of Windows in a decade," analyst Brendan Barnicle of Pacific Crest Securities told Reuters Television. "Given the missteps around Vista, people really questioned Microsoft's relevancy in the technology space. So this is a critical first step for Microsoft regaining that credibility."

The new system -- which is faster, less cluttered and has new touch-screen features -- comes almost three years after the launch of Vista, whose complexity frustrated many home users and turned off business customers.

The success of Windows -- which accounts for more than half of Microsoft's profit -- is crucial for Chief Executive Steve Ballmer to revive the company's image as the world's most important software firm.

"I have to say I'm chomping at the bit," Ballmer told an audience of Microsoft customers and partners in Toronto on Wednesday, adding that he is ready to make sales calls himself on Windows 7.

Sales won't immediately impact the bottom line of Microsoft, which is expected to post a lower quarterly profit on Friday.

CHEAPER THAN VISTA

Microsoft is charging $199.99 for the Home Premium version of Windows 7, or $119.99 for users seeking to upgrade from older versions of the operating system -- well below comparable prices for Vista.

It also has a range of offers in conjunction with retailer Best Buy and PC makers such as Dell Inc and Acer Inc.

For the first time, shoppers will be able to buy PCs loaded with the software direct from a branded Microsoft store, with the first of a planned chain set to open on Thursday in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The U.S. holiday season will soon reveal whether consumer PC sales get a kick from Windows 7, but success with corporations -- the key to Microsoft's financial power -- won't be clear until next year, analysts say.

"Come June of next year, we are going to get the real indication of the business-to-business marketplace," said Mark Simons, chief executive of the U.S. arm of Toshiba Corp, the world's No. 5 PC maker, on Wednesday.

Early indications are that companies are getting ready to switch to Windows 7.

"People like it," said Michael Capone, chief information officer for payroll services firm ADP, pointing out its quick start-up time and good user interface.

"There is a line outside my door from people wanting to get into the pilot program," said Capone, at a technology conference in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday.
His company typically waits at least 18 months to begin broad deployment of a new version of Windows, said Capone, but this time he could be more aggressive.

"In the surveys that we've done about half the CIOs (chief information officers) indicated that they would just use Windows 7 on existing PCs as opposed to replace the entire hardware," said Barnicle. "That would be very positive for Microsoft but maybe not so positive for the PC manufacturers."

SHARES UP

Good reviews, and a surge in technology stocks across the board, have lifted Microsoft shares about 80 percent since March. They hit their highest level in just over a year on Wednesday, closing at $26.58 on Nasdaq.

"This is a better operating system -- it does the job," said Lance Ulanoff, editor-in-chief of PCMag.com. "They've certainly got it a lot more right than they did with Vista."

A range of new PCs incorporating the software in all shapes and sizes from Hewlett-Packard Co, Dell and others are set to be unveiled on Thursday, in the hope of reigniting consumer spending before the holiday shopping season.

Global PC sales rose 2.3 percent in the third quarter compared to a year ago, according to research firm IDC, after two quarters of declines.

Market-watchers are betting on further recovery of computer sales next year, as the economy improves and businesses replace old machines, but opinion is divided on how strong the impact of Windows 7 will be.

"What's going to be really interesting is whether this spurs a hardware replacement cycle or it's just a Windows replacement cycle," said Barnicle, who estimates that more than 820 million PCs across the world run Windows.

(Reporting by Bill Rigby; Additional reporting by Jim Finkle, Wojtek Dabrowski, Bobbi Rebell and Gabriel Madway; Editing by Tiffany Wu and Richard Chang)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved.

Man staged nearly 100 car crashes in cash scam...

Wed Oct 21, 2009 ; LONDON (Reuters) - A Briton who cost the insurance industry some 1.6 million pounds by staging almost 100 car crashes as part of a scam to win fraudulent payouts, was jailed for 4-1/2 years on Wednesday.

Mohammed Patel, 24, charged 500 pounds a time to stage accidents which enabled fraudsters to claim an average of 17,000 pounds from their insurers.

Police said he staged at least 92 crashes between 2005 and 2008, each time persuading the other driver to believe they were at fault.

The plot was uncovered after workers in an office block by the main A34 road in Cheadle, near Manchester, became suspicious about a regular number of crashes taking place at a nearby roundabout.

AXA insurance, one of the firms caught up in the scam, investigated and contacted police. Detectives found that Patel deliberately caused crashes for his clients by braking suddenly so the vehicle behind could not avoid a collision.

The claimants then demanded compensation from the victim's insurance firm for personal injury, legal fees, courtesy cars, and often with the damage to the cars fabricated.

Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court heard that fraudsters were able to claim
on average 17,000 pounds from insurance firms for each of the crashes Patel caused, the Press Association reported.

Patel himself raked in around 46,000 pounds for his role, and from his earnings he treated his girlfriend to gifts, two luxury cars and foreign holidays, police said.

"Patel was prepared to put lives in danger to make money," said Sergeant Mark Beales.
"This abuse of the insurance claims system has implications for all law-abiding road users."

Patel, from Bolton, admitted 17 charges including conspiracy to defraud, dangerous driving and driving while disqualified.

Another 24 co-conspirators are also due to be sentenced for their role in the scam.

"The cost of insurance fraud adds on average 44 pounds to every policyholder's insurance premium annually," said John Beadle, chairman of the Insurance Fraud Bureau.
(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Steve Addison)

Cheating husbands should be whipped?

Reuters

Wed Oct 21, 2009. BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Reuters) - Most Bruneians want husbands who cheat on their wives to be whipped, according to a recent survey in the Muslim-majority country.

The survey, conducted by website brudirect (www.brudirect.com), found 76 percent of 272 respondents said men should be whipped for having affairs while only 55 percent said unfaithful wives should receive the same punishment.

"The result of the survey is an indication of the pent-up feelings that women harbor against irresponsible men," an unnamed social worker from Brunei was quoted as saying on the website.

The oil-rich state of Brunei, located on Borneo Island, has a population of almost 400,000 of which 66 percent are Muslim.

(Reporting by David Chance, editing by Sugita Katyal)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserve

Bank of America shopping Lehman claim...

Reuters

Thu Oct 8, 2009. NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) is selling a claim with a face value of about $800 million that it holds against bankrupt Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc (LEHMQ.PK), Bloomberg reported citing people familiar with the matter.

Hedge funds are the likely buyers, Bloomberg said on Thursday, citing people who asked not to be identified because the transaction is private.

Creditors from sovereign wealth funds to sports teams submitted more than 16,000 claims against Lehman before a September 22 deadline. Bank of America filed a $2.86 billion claim, and its Merrill Lynch International unit filed one for $1.54 billion it said was tied to swap agreements, Bloomberg said.

Lehman claims with similar terms are currently selling for about 37 cents on the dollar, the people told Bloomberg.

The largest claim Lehman faces, for at least $48.8 billion, was filed by Wilmington Trust Co as indenture trustee for various Lehman senior notes, Bloomberg said.

A Bank of America spokesman could not be reached for immediate comment late Thursday.


(Reporting by Ilaina Jonas; Editing by Lincoln Feast)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

And the most tastless idea of the week is...

Wed Oct 14, 2009 "MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australian horse racing officials have been slammed for holding a dwarf racing competition called the 'Midget Cup' at a meeting in Melbourne to promote Victoria state's annual carnival. The race at the Cranbourne Cup Sunday...";

The race at the Cranbourne Cup Sunday involved three men charging down a 50-metres course with dwarfs dressed in jockey silks riding piggyback, and has been denounced by government officials and advocacy groups.

"Well look, there's often a fine line between a bit of fun and a silly stunt and I think this falls into the latter category," Victorian racing minister Rob Hulls told state radio.

"I mean the Midget's Cup for goodness sake. It's certainly no way of promoting this great Spring Carnival right around the world, right around Australia and right throughout Victoria."

The controversy comes days after an Australian talent show came under fire for airing a comedy troupe skit involving dancers wearing afro wigs and black-painted faces to impersonate late pop star Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5.

Stuart Laing, a marketing manager at Racing Victoria, said the dwarf race was intended to be "harmless fun," but apologized and said it would not be repeated.

"We understand that you can't please everyone and if anyone's offended by the events of Sunday then we apologize to them," he said.

(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Elsevier.nl - Economie - Dirk Scheringa heeft miljoenenschuld bij DSB Bank

Elsevier.nl

Dinsdag 13 Oktober 2009. DSB-bestuursvoorzitter Dirk Scheringa heeft 128 miljoen euro aan schulden bij de DSB-Bank. Dat geld gebruikte hij vermoedelijk voor zijn liefhebberijen: voetbalclub AZ, zijn museum voor moderne kunst, een landhuis in Friesland en een privévliegtuig.

Scheringa leende geld voor zijn persoonlijke hobby's Scheringa leende geld voor zijn persoonlijke hobby's

Alles over DSB

* De Nederlandsche Bank neemt bewind over van DSB Bank
* 'Voortbestaan DSB Bank zeer onzeker'
* 'Nederlandsche Bank ook schuldig aan DSB-affaire'
* Dirk Scheringa biedt DSB-klanten excuses aan
* Boete voor DSB Bank vanwege hoge hypotheken
* Klanten DSB kunnen niet bij hun spaargeld
* Ondertekening akkoord: Ultimatum voor DSB

Dat schrijft dagblad de Volkskrant dinsdag.

285 miljoen euro
Uit de jaarverslagen van 2006, tot en met 2008 blijkt dat DSB Bank elk jaar tientallen miljoenen euro’s overmaakte aan moedermaatschappij DSB Beheer. Scheringa is volledig eigenaar van DSB Beheer, dus in feite ging het om leningen en betalingen aan zichzelf.

Scheringa stond vorig jaar in de Quote 500 met een geschat vermogen van 285 miljoen euro. De bankier uit Wognum werd in 2005 volledig eigenaar van voetbalclub AZ en van het AZ-stadion. In ruil investeerde hij 108 miljoen euro in de club.

Stadion AZ
Scheringa staat via DSB Beheer tot eind dit jaar garant voor alle verliezen bij zijn sport- en kunstactiviteiten. Eind 2007 waren die al opgelopen tot ruim 66,4 miljoen euro. Het stadion van AZ heeft Scheringa zeker 7,7 miljoen euro verlies opgeleverd.

Voor zijn landhuis in Friesland betaalde Scheringa in 2002 1,8 miljoen euro. In 2007 werd voor het huis een verliespost van 1,4 miljoen euro opgenomen in het jaarverslag.

Kunst
Datzelfde jaar kocht Scheringa een vliegtuig voor 6,9 miljoen euro. Ook zette hij 23,4 miljoen euro opzij voor de bouw van een nieuw museum.

Door Arne Hankel

Skin cancer can be inherited: studies...

Health | Reuters

Sat Oct 10, 2009 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Want to reduce your risk of skin cancer? Wear sun screen, of course. But two new studies suggest that choosing your relatives carefully could also be helpful.

One found that having an identical twin with melanoma increased a person's own risk of developing the disease much more than having a fraternal twin with this type of skin cancer. The other found that having a sibling or parent with one of several different types of non-melanoma skin cancer increased risk as well.

Several studies have suggested melanoma and other skin cancers run in families, but it can be difficult to tease out the difference between the influence of genes and environment. In the Australian study, Dr. Sri N. Shekar of the University of Queensland in Brisbane and his colleagues attempted to do so by looking at twin pairs in which at least one sibling had been diagnosed with melanoma.

They searched through thousands of cases of melanoma reported in Queensland and New South Wales and found 125 twin pairs. In four of the 27 identical twin pairs, both had melanoma, while three of the 98 fraternal twin pairs had both been diagnosed with the deadly skin cancer.

Based on these numbers, having an identical twin with melanoma increased a person's own risk of the disease nearly 10-fold, while melanoma associated with having a non-identical twin with the disease was roughly doubled.

This suggests, the researchers say, that some of the increased melanoma risk can be attributed to genes, in particular interactions between genes. They estimate that genes account for about half of the differences in risk between two people.

In the second study, Dr. Shehnaz K. Hussain of the University of California Los Angeles and colleagues looked at the Swedish Family-Cancer Database to gauge the risk for several types of skin cancer among siblings and children of people diagnosed with these diseases.

They found that people with a sibling or parent diagnosed with some types of skin cancer were more likely to develop skin cancers of various types, not just the ones their relatives had. When tumors occurred at parts of the body more likely to have been exposed to the sun (such as the face, compared to the torso), the familial risk was stronger.

Based on the findings, Hussain and colleagues conclude, a person's family history can be used to gauge their own skin cancer risk, and genetic studies could be a useful way to identify potential targets for treating or preventing the disease.

SOURCE: Journal of Investigative Dermatology, September 2009.

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Marge Simpson makes cover of Playboy ...

Reuters

Sat Oct 10, 2009 LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "D'oh!" doesn't even start to cover it. Marge Simpson -- the blue beehived matriarch of America's most loved dysfunctional family - is Playboy magazine's November cover, the magazine said on Friday.

Simpson, tastefully concealing her assets behind a signature Playboy Bunny chair, is the first cartoon character ever to front the glossy adult magazine, joining the ranks of sex symbols like Marilyn Monroe and Cindy Crawford.

Playboy said the cover and a three-page picture spread inside was a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the "The Simpsons" and part of a plan to appeal to a younger generation of readers.

Scott Flanders, the recently-hired chief executive of Playboy Enterprises, told the Chicago Sun-Times in an interview that the Marge Simpson cover and centerfold was "somewhat tongue-in-cheek."

"It had never been done, and we thought it would be kind of hip, cool and unusual," Flanders told the newspaper. He said the magazine hoped to attract readers in their 20s compared to the average Playboy reader's age of 35.

Playboy also promises a story inside called "The Devil in Marge Simpson". The issue arrives on newsstands on October 16.

Playboy magazine's circulation has slipped in recent years in the face of competition from the Internet, which offers free and plentiful pictures of naked women online.

The magazine's circulation fell 9 percent as of the end of June 2009, according to figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

But Flanders told Reuters earlier this week that there were no plans to close the print edition. "Over my dead body will we quit producing the magazine in print," he said.

Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie have already been honored this year with a set of U.S. postal stamps marking the 20th anniversary of the longest-running comedy series on U.S. television.

Animated series "The Simpsons" debuted in December 1989 with a Christmas-themed episode called "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire." It has won 24 primetime Emmys and was renewed by Fox television earlier this year for two more seasons.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant: Editing by Alex Dobuzinskis)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

A "Windows"-to-help-you-forget...

Yahoo Finance by Walter S. Mossberg

Thursday, October 8, 2009. Microsoft's New Operating System Is Good Enough to Erase Bad Memory of Vista

In just two weeks, on Oct. 22, Microsoft's long operating-system nightmare will be over. The company will release Windows 7, a faster and much better operating system than the little-loved Windows Vista, which did a lot to harm both the company's reputation, and the productivity and blood pressure of its users. PC makers will rush to flood physical and online stores with new computers pre-loaded with Windows 7, and to offer the software to Vista owners who wish to upgrade.

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With Windows 7, PC users will at last have a strong, modern successor to the sturdy and familiar, but aged, Windows XP, which is still the most popular version of Windows, despite having come out in 2001. In the high-tech world, an eight-year-old operating system is the equivalent of a 20-year-old car. While XP works well for many people, it is relatively weak in areas such as security, networking and other features more important today than when XP was designed around 1999.

After using pre-release versions of Windows 7 for nine months, and intensively testing the final version for the past month on many different machines, I believe it is the best version of Windows Microsoft has produced. It's a boost to productivity and a pleasure to use. Despite a few drawbacks, I can heartily recommend Windows 7 to mainstream consumers.

Like the new Snow Leopard operating system released in August by Microsoft's archrival, Apple, Windows 7 is much more of an evolutionary than a revolutionary product. Its main goal was to fix the flaws in Vista and to finally give Microsoft customers a reason to move up from XP. But Windows 7 is packed with features and tweaks that make using your computer an easier and more satisfying experience.

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Windows 7 introduces real advances in organizing your programs and files, arranging your taskbar and desktop, and quickly viewing and launching the page or document you want, when you want it. It also has cool built-in touch-screen features.

It removes a lot of clutter. And it mostly banishes Vista's main flaws -- sluggishness; incompatibility with third-party software and hardware; heavy hardware requirements; and constant, annoying security warnings.

I tested Windows 7 on 11 different computers, ranging from tiny netbooks to standard laptops to a couple of big desktops. These included machines from Lenovo, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Acer, Asus, Toshiba and Sony. I even successfully ran it on an Apple Macintosh laptop. On some of these machines, Windows 7 was pre-loaded. On others, I had to upgrade from an earlier version of Windows.

In most cases, the installation took 45 minutes or less, and the new operating system worked snappily and well. But, I did encounter some drawbacks and problems. On a couple of these machines, glacial start-up and reboot times reminded me of Vista. And, on a couple of others, after upgrading, key features like the display or touchpad didn't work properly. Also, Windows 7 still requires add-on security software that has to be frequently updated. It's tedious and painful to upgrade an existing computer from XP to 7, and the variety of editions in which Windows 7 is offered is confusing.

Finally, Microsoft has stripped Windows 7 of familiar built-in applications, such as email, photo organizing, address book, calendar and video-editing programs. These can be downloaded free of charge, but they no longer come with the operating system, though some PC makers may choose to pre-load them.

In recent years, I, like many other reviewers, have argued that Apple's Mac OS X operating system is much better than Windows. That's no longer true. I still give the Mac OS a slight edge because it has a much easier and cheaper upgrade path; more built-in software programs; and far less vulnerability to viruses and other malicious software, which are overwhelmingly built to run on Windows.

Now, however, it's much more of a toss-up between the two rivals. Windows 7 beats the Mac OS in some areas, such as better previews and navigation right from the taskbar, easier organization of open windows on the desktop and touch-screen capabilities. So Apple will have to scramble now that the gift of a flawed Vista has been replaced with a reliable, elegant version of Windows.

Here are some of the key features of Windows 7.

New Taskbar: In Windows 7, the familiar taskbar has been reinvented and made taller. Instead of mainly being a place where icons of open windows temporarily appear, it now is a place where you can permanently "pin" the icons of frequently used programs anywhere along its length, and in any arrangement you choose. This is a concept borrowed from Apple's similar feature, the Dock. But Windows 7 takes the concept further.

For each running program, hovering over its taskbar icon pops up a small preview screen showing a mini-view of that program. This preview idea was in Vista. But, in Windows 7, it has been expanded in several ways. Now, every open window in that program is included separately in the preview. If you mouse over a window in the preview screen, it appears at full size on your desktop and all other windows on the desktop become transparent -- part of a feature called Aero Peek. Click on the window and it comes up, ready for use. You can even close windows from these previews, or play media in them.

I found this feature more natural and versatile than a similar feature in Snow Leopard called Dock Expose.

You can also use Aero Peek at any time to see your empty desktop, with open windows reduced to virtual panes of glass. To do this, you just hover over a small rectangle at the right edge of the taskbar.

Taskbar icons also provide Jump Lists -- pop-up menus listing frequent actions or recent files used.

Desktop Organization: A feature called Snap allows you to expand windows to full-screen size by just dragging them to the top of the screen, or to half-screen size by dragging them to the left or right edges of the screen. Another called Shake allows you to make all other windows but the one you're working on disappear by simply grabbing its title bar with the mouse and shaking it several times.

File Organization: In Windows Explorer, the left-hand column now includes a feature called Libraries. Each library -- Documents, Music, Pictures and Videos -- consolidates all files of those types regardless of which folder, or even which hard disk, they live in.

Networking: Windows 7 still isn't quite as natural at networking as I find the Mac to be, but it's better than Vista. For instance, now you can see all available wireless networks by just clicking on an icon in the taskbar. A new feature called HomeGroups is supposed to let you share files more easily among Windows 7 PCs on your home network. In my tests, it worked, but not consistently, and it required typing in long, arcane passwords.

Touch: Some of the same kinds of multitouch gestures made popular on the iPhone are now built into Windows 7. But these features won't likely become popular for a while because to get the most out of them, a computer needs a special type of touch screen that goes beyond most of the ones existing now. I tested this on one such laptop, a Lenovo, and was able to move windows around, to resize and flip through photos, and more.

Speed: In my tests, on every machine, Windows 7 ran swiftly and with far fewer of the delays typical in running Vista. All the laptops I tested resumed from sleep quickly and properly, unlike in Vista. Start-up and restart times were also improved. I chose six Windows 7 laptops from different makers to compare with a new MacBook Pro laptop. The Mac still started and restarted faster than most of the Windows 7 PCs. But the speed gap has narrowed considerably, and one of the Lenovos beat the Mac in restart time.

Nagging: In the name of security, Vista put up nagging warnings about a wide variety of tasks, driving people crazy. In Windows 7, you can now set this system so it nags you only when things are happening that you consider really worth the nag. Also, Microsoft has consolidated most of the alerts from the lower-right system tray into one icon, and they seemed less frequent.

Compatibility: I tried a wide variety of third-party software and all worked fine on every Windows 7 machine. These included Mozilla Firefox; Adobe Reader; Google's Picasa and Chrome; and Apple's iTunes and Safari.

I also tested several hardware devices, and, unlike Vista, Windows 7 handled all but one smoothly. These included a networked H-P printer, a Canon camera, an iPod nano, and at least five external flash drives and hard disks. The one failure was a Verizon USB cellular modem. Microsoft says you don't need external software to run these, but I found it was necessary, and even then had to use a trick I found on the Web to get it to work.

System Requirements: Nearly all Vista PCs, and newer or beefier XP machines, should be able to run Windows 7 fine. Even the netbooks I tested ran it speedily, especially with the Starter Edition, which lacks some of the powerful graphics effects in the operating system. (Other netbooks will be able to run other editions.)

If you have a standard PC, called a 32-bit PC, you'll need at least one gigabyte of memory, 16 gigabytes of free hard-disk space and a graphics system that can support Microsoft technologies called "DirectX 9 with WDDM 1.0." You'll also need a processor with a speed of at least one gigahertz. If you have a newer-style 64-bit PC, which can use more memory, you'll need at least two gigabytes of memory and 20 gigabytes of free hard disk space. In either case, you should double the minimum memory specification.

Installation, Editions and Price: There are four editions of Windows 7 of interest to consumers. One, a limited version called Starter, comes pre-loaded on netbooks. A second, called Business, is mainly for people who need to tap remotely into company networks (check with your company to see if you need this). A third, called Ultimate, is mainly for techies who want every feature of all other editions. Most average consumers will want Home Premium, which costs $120 for upgrades.

The system for upgrading is complicated, but Vista owners can upgrade to the exactly comparable edition of Windows 7 while keeping all files, settings and programs in place.

Unfortunately, XP owners, the biggest body of Windows users, won't be able to do that. They'll have to wipe out their hard disks after backing up their files elsewhere, then install Windows 7, then restore their personal files, then re-install all their programs from the original CDs or downloaded installer files. Then, they have to install all the patches and upgrades to those programs from over the years.

Microsoft includes an Easy Transfer wizard to help with this, but it moves only personal files, not programs. This painful XP upgrade process is one of the worst things about Windows 7 and will likely drive many XP owners to either stick with what they've got or wait and buy a new one.

In my tests, both types of installations went OK, though the latter could take a long time.

Bottom line: Windows 7 is a very good, versatile operating system that should help Microsoft bury the memory of Vista and make PC users happy.

Birth control pill could put women off macho men?...

Reuters By Georgina Cooper

Thu Oct 8, 2009. LONDON (Reuters) - Why do some women's hearts race over the feminine features of Orlando Bloom while others are more attracted to macho men like Daniel Craig?

Being on the contraceptive pill could be the reason, according to British scientists.

Researchers said that women whose hormones are chemically controlled are less likely to seek out muscular, rugged men.

Whereas, they say, ovulating women not on the pill "exhibit a preference for more masculine features, are particularly attracted to men showing dominance and male-male competitiveness and prefer partners who are genetically dissimilar to themselves."

Women on the pill tend to pick more effeminate men who look like themselves. This could lead to problems conceiving, according to the study conducted at the University of Sheffield.

"There is evidence that genetic similarity between couples might be linked with infertility," said the study, published in the Trends in Ecology and Evolution medical journal.

The birth control pill could also throw a spanner in the works of the laws of natural attraction as it prevents women giving off monthly fertility signals believed to be subtly alluring to men.

"Ovulation is associated with a profound shift in some female physical characteristics, behaviors and perceptions related to male attraction," the report said.

(Editing by Steve Addison)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Bonnie, bonnie Scott finds romance

Golfer Pacific By Bernie McGuire

Australia, August 2009 Aug 2009. QUEENSLAND star Adam Scott received a boost on the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond when Serbian tennis beauty Ana Ivanovic turned up to watch him contest the Barclays Scottish Open.

Scott was spotted at Wimbledon watching Ivanovic compete and their relationship was confirmed when she travelled north to Scotland to support her Queensland-born boyfriend. Scott has had a hectic time off the golf course since splitting up with his long-term girlfriend and that has been reflected in his golf.

He had plunged from a height of third and heir apparent in the majors to a lowly 43rd in the world on arrival in Scotland. But on a day when Ricky Ponting and Simon Katich both scored tons for Australia on the second day of the First Ashes Test, Scott tapped into the support of Ivanovic to shoot an opening 65. The effort along the shores of the famed Scottish loch helped to erase a miserable run of missing the halfway cut in six of 13 US PGA Tour events, including six weekends off in succession from the end of March to the end of May.

Scott’s best finish in the States this season was in his second event when he finished runner-up in the Sony Open in Hawaii.

Scott hasn’t won in the States since capturing the Bryon Nelson Classic mid last year while his last victory in Europe was capturing the 2008 Qatar Masters when he produced a sizzling course record final round of 61.
“I’ve had my moments when I’ve felt down,” Scott admitted.

“I haven’t played well since finishing sixth in Qatar in January but I’ve tried to stay positive and really believed I was working on the right stuff.

“Finally, just before the US Open last month, I got the swing in the right position. It’s been frustrating but I am convinced I’m going to come out of this a better player.”

However, during his slump, attention focused on the Gold Coaster’s private life. If the hurt of jamming his little finger in a car door, then injuring his leg in the surf last December wasn’t painful enough, a five-year relationship with Swede Marie Kpjzar came to an end.

Scott had been snapped in the surf with actress Kate Hudson and his name has long been linked with Russian tennis great Maria Sharapova. It was at Wimbledon earlier this year where Scott’s romance with Ivanovic seemed official. He sat in the stands smiling and applauding the Serbian-born and former World No.1.

However Scott played down the relationship after his Scottish Open first round, saying: “We are both private people.

“Everyone knows what has gone on in my life in the past year but I’m not saying that had a direct impact on me playing poorly at the start of the year.

“I went to one tournament just not wanting to be there, and as much as I tried, it was like fighting my own mind. My game was terrible. I hadn’t practised. I was sorting things out (his relationship). I just felt crap.
“But it is nice to be in a good frame of mind in all areas of my life. She is a top sports star, too, and so knows what I am going through. I am a tennis fan so I probably enjoy watching her more than she enjoys being here watching me play golf.”

Ivanovic did, however, express her pleasure in walking the bonnie bonnie banks and seeing her ‘friend’ record five birdies. Earlier this year, the 21-year-old split with Spanish tennis star Fernando Verdasco before dating arguably Australia’s most eligible golfing bachelor. She said: “I am really enjoying my time here in Scotland, and, of course, I am here supporting Adam.”

Ironically a year earlier, Greg Norman brought former world No.1 and new wife Chris Evert to the British Open at Royal Birkdale where he went within a whisker of collecting a third claret jug.

More kids have autism than thought: U.S. study | Health

Health | Reuters: By Megan Brooks

Mon Oct 5, 2009NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - You may have heard the oft-quoted statistic that autism affects 1 in 150 US children. Turns out it's more like 1 in 91 -- and about 1 in 58 boys, according to new figures released Sunday.

That's an estimated 673,000 US children -- or approximately 1 percent of all U.S. kids, the researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, and Harvard Medical School, Boston report in the journal Pediatrics.

Bob Wright, co-founder of the autism advocacy group Autism Speaks, told Reuters Health he's not at all surprised by the new figures. 'We've been screaming about the numbers going up; now there is a relatively complete recognition of it.'

'The statistical aspect of autism is just staggering,' he said, and not enough is being done about it. 'If we had 1 in 58 boys getting swine flu, the country would be crazy,' Wright said.

Autism is a brain disorder characterized by problems with social interaction, repetitive behavior and other symptoms. People with a mild version called Asperger's syndrome usually function relatively well in society, although they have problems relating to others. People with the most extreme symptoms may be unable to speak and may also suffer severe mental illness and retardation.

No one knows what causes autism -- it's generally thought to have genetic and environmental triggers -- and there is currently no good treatment.

Autism is 'an urgent public health concern,' Dr. Ileana Arias, deputy director of CDC, told reporters on a conference call Friday ahead of public release of the data.

The new data, she said, 'confirm that a concerted effort and a substantial national response is warranted in addressing the issue.'

On September 30, U.S. President Barack Obama promised a large infusion of funds into research on autism, as part of plans to spend $5 billion on medical and scientific research, medical supplies and upgrading laboratory capacity.

The new figures on autism cases stem from a 2007 telephone survey conducted jointly by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and CDC.

More than 78,000 parents of children between the ages of 3 and 17 were asked whether they had ever been told by a health care provider that their child had autism, Asperger's syndrome, or another 'autism spectrum disorder' (ASD).

Based on these parent reports, the prevalence of ASD in 2007 was 110 per 10,000 children aged 3 to 17 (or 1 in 91). The new estimates are far higher than previous estimates of 66 autism cases per 10,000 children (or 1 in 150).

'We are extremely concerned about the apparent increase,' Dr. Arias said, but she urged caution in interpreting it. 'Unfortunately, the information that we currently have doesn't allow us to give a true account of whether the apparent increase is an actual increase or the result of changes in the way we describe or diagnose ASD,' she explained.

More inclusive survey questions, increased public awareness, and improved screening and diagnosis of autism are all possible reasons for the higher numbers, Dr. Michael D. Kogan of HRSA and colleagues report in Pediatrics.

They also report that boys were much more likely than girls to have autism, which has been shown previously, and white children were more likely than black children or multiracial children to have the disorder.

Parents of half the children with autism described the condition as 'mild.' Another third of parents described their child's condition as moderate, and the remaining parents described it as severe.

Approximately 38 percent of children seemed to have 'lost' their autism -- their parents said they had once been told that their child had an autistic disorder but their child did not currently have the condition.

It's possible, the researchers say, that autism was initially suspected but subsequently ruled out and never truly diagnosed. The high rate of 'lost' cases of autism among very young children (age 3 to 5) supports this line of thinking.

It's also possible that some children with 'developmental' issues and learning disabilities may have been initially diagnosed with autism to qualify for special education and other services.

Children who had 'lost' their autism were more likely to be diagnosed with other developmental or mental health conditions, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety problems, or behavioral problems.

'We are hopeful,' Arias said, 'that the new data will raise awareness about (autism), will help improve early identification and intervention, will provide information for policy and service planning, and most importantly help us meet the growing needs of individual families and communities who are affected by autism and other developmental disorders.'

SOURCE: Pediatrics, October 2009.

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved"

Miss Singapore World resigns after lingerie fraud

Reuters

Wed Sep 30, 2009. SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Beauty queen Miss Singapore World has given up her crown after it emerged that she had stolen credit cards to go on a shopping spree for lingerie.

Ris Low had come under public pressure to be stripped of her 2009 title, after local media reported she stole seven credit cards last year while working at a medical clinic, buying goods worth about S$8,000 ($5,662) including gold anklets and phones.

Organizers of the pageant ERM World Marketing said she had resigned Tuesday of her own accord. She will no longer represent Singapore at the Miss World finals to be held in South Africa in December, but her replacement has not yet been decided.

Low had also been criticized for her poor English, mispronouncing "bikini" in a recent video, leading others in multicultural Singapore to spring to her defense and soul-searching on websites about the national character.

"If there was a beauty contest for countries, how do you think Singapore would fare on the world stage? We seem to have the aesthetic qualifications. But with a very ugly personality," said blogger Solofigure09 on the Straits Times newspaper's website.

(Reporting by Neil Chatterjee; Editing by Alex Richardson)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Should all men be screened for prostate cancer? | Health | Reuters

Reuters By Anthony J. Brown, MD

Fri Sep 25, 2009 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Screening all men for prostate cancer using a currently available common blood test is not worthwhile, according to a new study.

The study suggests that doctors need better tests before they can recommend large-scale screening, study co-author Dr. Mattias Johansson told Reuters Health. "In particular, tools that help distinguish rapidly growing and potentially lethal tumors from slow growing tumors are warranted in order to minimize overdiagnosis and overtreatment."

Johansson, from the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, and his colleagues looked at more than 500 men with prostate cancer and more than 1000 case without it with similar characteristics.

They found that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) - a common blood test used to detect the disease - could not reliably distinguish between slow-growing prostate cancers that were not likely to cause any harm, and those that were likely to become aggressive and deadly.

The authors did, however, find that a very low PSA level -- below 1.0 nanograms per milliliter of blood -- virtually rules out prostate cancer. Given that many men would have higher values, however, it would be unclear what to do with many results.

In an analysis accompanying the study in the BMJ, Dr. Jennifer Stark, from Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, and colleagues examined the benefits and harms of PSA screening and concluded that at present there is simply not enough data to support population-based screening.

Moreover, they note, further studies with more precise measures are needed to gauge the financial and psychological toll of false positive PSA results, overdiagnosis, and overtreatment of prostate cancer.

Before men undergo PSA screening, they should be fully informed of the benefits, harms, and uncertainty associated with the test, Dr. Stark and colleagues emphasize.

SOURCE: BMJ, Online First September 25, 2009.

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Poland okays forcible castration for pedophiles...

Reuters

Fri Sep 25, 2009 WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland on Friday approved a law making chemical castration mandatory for pedophiles in some cases, sparking criticism from human rights groups.

Under the law, sponsored by Poland's center-right government, pedophiles convicted of raping children under the age of 15 years or a close relative would have to undergo chemical therapy on their release from prison.

"The purpose of this action is to improve the mental health of the convict, to lower his libido and thereby to reduce the risk of another crime being committed by the same person," the government said in a statement.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said late last year he wanted obligatory castration for pedophiles, whom he branded 'degenerates'. Tusk said he did not believe "one can use the term 'human' for such individuals, such creatures."

"Therefore I don't think protection of human rights should refer to these kind of events," Tusk also said.

His remarks drew criticism from human rights groups but he never retracted them.

"Introducing any mandatory treatment raises doubts as such a requirement is never reasonable and life can always produce cases that lawmakers could never have even dreamt of," said Piotr Kladoczny from the Helsinki Foundation of Human Rights.

"If somebody is of sound mind, we punish him. If he is sick, we try to cure him -- that's how it works in Polish law. This bill introduces both approaches. As far as I know, this makes our law the strictest in Europe on this issue," Kladoczny said.

The bill, which also increases prison sentences for rape and incest, must still be approved by the upper chamber of parliament. This is seen as a formality as Tusk's Civic Platform party holds a majority of its 100 seats.

(Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Louise Ireland)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Clinical trial of new HIV vaccine...

Clinical trial of new HIV vaccine

Saturday, September 26, 2009. A clinical trial of a new HIV vaccine has proved effective in cutting the infection rate of the virus that leads to Aids.

The US Army carried out tests on 16,000 HIV-negative volunteers in Thailand.

It found that infections were prevented in over a third of the 8,000 people who received the vaccine, compared with the other 8,000 who were given the placebo.

The study, which started in 2003, used a combination of two vaccines, both of which have proved to have little or no effect on infection rates when used as single doses in previous trials.

In the final analysis, 74 placebo recipients became infected with HIV compared to 51 in the vaccine regimen group.

Although a difference of 23 people is not huge, the 31.2% decrease has given scientists hope that in the future there could be a way of preventing the spread of this highly contagious virus which infects around 6,800 people a day.

Lieutenant General Eric Schoomaker, Surgeon General, US Army said: 'We are very excited and pleased with the outcome of this trial and congratulate all those who participated in it.'

The purpose of the study was to evaluate how well the vaccine could prevent infection as well as reduce the amount of HIV in the blood of someone who has already tested positive.

The research found the vaccine had no effect on the amount of virus in the blood of volunteers who became HIV-infected during the study.

Although the findings show potential for a successful vaccine in the future, scientists say more research needs to be done into how this particular vaccine reduced the risk of infection.

Sky News health correspondent Thomas Moore said: 'This is the first time we have seen such a big effect from an Aids vaccine trial.'

But he added that the results 'were not significant enough for you to be confident relying on this vaccine to protect yourself from a deadly disease'.

There is currently no cure for Aids but anti-retroviral drugs can be taken to limit the symptoms.

Colonel Nelson Michael, Director, Division of Retrovirology, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and Director, US Military HIV Research Program (MHRP) said: 'These results show that development of a safe and effective preventive HIV vaccine is possible.'

More detailed results of this study will be presented next month at the Aids Vaccine Conference in Paris, France.

Body Worlds plans cadaver show dedicated to sex..

By Jason Rhodes

Friday, 11 Sep 2009. ZURICH (Reuters) - German anatomists plan a new show dedicated solely to dead bodies having sex as part of the Body Worlds exhibitions.

Gunther von Hagens and his wife Angelina Whalley show corpses prepared using a technique invented by von Hagens called "plastination," that removes water from specimens and preserves them with silicon rubber or epoxy resin.

"It's not my intention to show certain sexual poses. My goal is really to show the anatomy and the function," Body Worlds creative director Whalley told Reuters in an interview, adding the sex exhibition may open next year.

Body Worlds exhibitions, visited by 27 million people across the world, have been criticized for presenting entire corpses, stripped of skin to reveal the muscles and organs underneath, in lifelike and often theatrical positions.

Von Hagens has already triggered uproar with a new exhibit which shows just two copulating corpses.

German politicians called the current "Cycle of Life" show charting conception to old age "revolting" and "unacceptable" when it showed in Berlin earlier this year because it included copulating cadavers.

The way a plastinate is exhibited can vary from country to country to reflect local sensibilities. A vote of local employees decided that one of the copulating female cadavers should wear fewer clothes in Zurich than was the case in Berlin.

"Switzerland is the first country that already said from the outset that we could show whatever we wanted," said von Hagens.

"Zurich is ready ... but it's maybe not so easy in every other town," he said. "We have discussed whether it is proper to show homosexuality and in what way. This is a very delicate subject."

Von Hagens and Whalley said they both intended to donate their bodies for plastination, but would not leave instructions about how to display them, dismissing this as vanity.

"I find it a great opportunity to give something to others by donating my body, namely self-awareness," said Whalley.

Von Hagens said he and some other body donors even saw plastination as an alternative to burial or cremation, giving them more certainty about would happen to their bodies after death.

"Cremation for me is hell," he said.

(Editing by Paul Casciato)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Que shiraz, shiraz!...

Wed Sep 9, 2009 SYDNEY (Reuters) - An Australian wine that was once considered a non-collectable item has sold at a record price, surpassing the country's most acclaimed vintage as wine lovers target rare bottles from the last century.

At the annual Penfolds Wine Auction this weekend, the Penfolds 1957 Shiraz St. Henri was hammered off for A$8,110 ($6,991) a bottle, the highest price ever paid for a St. Henri.

Bottles of 1955, 1959 and 1971 St. Henri also beat the records for the same vintages of the famous Penfolds Grange, widely recognized as Australia's most coveted and expensive wine.

"The result is extraordinary, probably ten times what they expected to bring, we don't see that very often," Stewart Langton of Langton's wine auction house told Reuters.

"I don't think any wine is intrinsically worth A$8,000 a bottle and basically people who spend that on a bottle aren't going to drink that wine, they put it away, it's a trophy," said Winsor Dobbin of "Food and Wine" magazine.

While Penfolds Grange was seen as a collectable wine, St. Henri was usually drunk, making older bottles of it quite rare.

St. Henri's first commercial vintage was 1957 and it gained a new lease of life in the 1990s as wine connoisseurs started to appreciate its distinctive style.

"People are focusing on those hard to find rare bottles that occasionally come up, so we are seeing price rises across the board from the wines from the 50s and early 60s," Langton said.

Penfolds, one of Australia's oldest wineries with an extensive product range, was founded in 1844 by British physician Christopher Rawson Penfold. The winery is now part of the beverage giant Foster's Group.

(Editing by Miral Fahmy)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Even modest fitness may extend lifespan | Health | Reuters

Health Reuters By Amy Norton

Fri Aug 21, 2009. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who stay even moderately fit as they age may live longer than those who are out-of-shape, a new study suggests.

The study, of nearly 4,400 healthy U.S. adults, found that the roughly 20 percent with the lowest physical fitness levels were twice as likely to die over the next nine years as the 20 percent with the next-lowest fitness levels.

That was with factors like obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes taken into account -- underscoring the importance of physical fitness itself, researchers report in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.

"Our findings suggest that sedentary lifestyle, rather than differences in cardiovascular risk factors or age, may explain (the) two-fold higher mortality rates in the least-fit versus slightly more fit healthy individuals," lead researcher Dr. Sandra Mandic, of the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, noted in an email to Reuters Health.

She pointed out that nearly two-thirds of the least-fit study participants were not getting the minimum recommended amount of exercise -- at least 30 minutes of moderate activity, like brisk walking, on five or more days a week.

"These results emphasize the importance of improving and maintaining high fitness levels by engaging in regular physical activity," Mandic said, "particularly in poorly fit individuals."

The study included 4,384 middle-aged and older adults whose fitness levels were assessed during exercise treadmill tests sometime between 1986 and 2006; they were then followed for an average of about nine years.

When Mandic's team separated the participants into five groups based on fitness levels, they found that one-quarter of the least-fit men and women had died during the study period, versus 13 percent of those who were slightly more in shape.

Among adults in the most-fit group, only 6 percent died during the follow-up period.

Overall, the five groups showed little difference in their reported exercise habits over their adult lives. Where they did differ was their activity levels in recent years.

"Since it is recent physical activity that offers protection," Mandic said, "it is important to maintain regular physical activity throughout life."

And since fitness is linked to longevity regardless of weight and health conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol, exercise is important for all, according to Mandic.

That, she said, includes people who are thin and in generally good health.

SOURCE: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, August 2009.

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

10 Windows XP services you should never disable...

Between the Lines ZDNet.com Posted by Larry Dignan @ 2:15 am

August 24th, 2009 10 Windows XP services you should never disable

There are dozens of guides out there that help you determine which services you can safely disable on your Windows XP desktop. Disabling unnecessary services can improve system performance and overall system security, as the system’s attack surface is reduced. However, these lists rarely indicate which services you should not disable. All of the services that run on a Window system serve a specific purpose and many of the services are critical to the proper and expected functioning of the desktop computing environment. In this article, you’ll learn about 10 critical Windows XP services you shouldn’t disable (and why).

Note: This article is also available as a PDF download. For a quick how-to video on the basics, see Disable and enable Windows XP services.

1: DNS Client
This service resolves and caches DNS names, allowing the system to communicate with canonical names rather than strictly by IP address. DNS is the reason that you can, in a Web browser, type http://www.techrepublic.com rather than having to remember that http://216.239.113.101 is the site’s IP address.

If you stop this service, you will disable your computer’s ability to resolve names to IP addresses, basically rendering Web browsing all but impossible.

2: Network Connections
The Network Connections service manages the network and dial-up connections for your computer, including network status notification and configuration. These days, a standalone, non-networked PC is just about as useful as an abacus — maybe less so. The Network Connections service is the element responsible for making sure that your computer can communicate with other computers and with the Internet.

If this service is disabled, network configuration is not possible. New network connections can’t be created and services that need network information will fail.

3: Plug and Play
The Plug and Play service (formerly known as the “Plug and Pray” service, due to its past unreliability), is kicked off whenever new hardware is added to the computer. This service detects the new hardware and attempts to automatically configure it for use with the computer. The Plug and Play service is often confused with the Universal Plug and Play service (uPNP), which is a way that the Windows XP computer can detect new network resources (as opposed to local hardware resources). The Plug and Play service is pretty critical as, without it, your system can become unstable and will not recognize new hardware. On the other hand, uPNP is not generally necessary and can be disabled without worry. Along with uPNP, disable the SSDP Discovery Service, as it goes hand-in-hand with uPNP.

Historical note: Way back in 2001, uPNP was implicated in some pretty serious security breaches, as described here.

If you disable Plug and Play, your computer will be unstable and incapable of detecting hardware changes.

4: Print Spooler
Just about every computer out there needs to print at some point. If you want your computer to be able to print, don’t plan on disabling the Print Spooler service. It manages all printing activities for your system. You may think that lack of a printer makes it safe to disable the Print Spooler service. While that’s technically true, there’s really no point in doing so; after all, if you ever do decide to get a printer, you’ll need to remember to re-enable the service, and you might end up frustrating yourself.

When the Print Spooler service is not running, printing on the local machine is not possible.

5: Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
Windows is a pretty complex beast, and many of its underlying processes need to communicate with one another. The service that makes this possible is the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) service. RPC allows processes to communicate with one another and across the network with each other. A ton of other critical services, including the Print Spooler and the Network Connections service, depend on the RPC service to function. If you want to see what bad things happen when you disable this service, look at the comments on this link.

Bad news. The system will not boot. Don’t disable this service.

6: Workstation
As is the case for many services, the Workstation service is responsible for handling connections to remote network resources. Specifically, this service provides network connections and communications capability for resources found using Microsoft Network services. Years ago, I would have said that disabling this service was a good idea, but that was before the rise of the home network and everything that goes along with it, including shared printers, remote Windows Media devices, Windows Home Server, and much more. Today, you don’t gain much by eliminating this service, but you lose a lot.

Disable the Workstation service and your computer will be unable to connect to remote Microsoft Network resources.

7: Network Location Awareness (NLA)
As was the case with the Workstation service, disabling the Network Location Awareness service might have made sense a few years ago — at least for a standalone, non-networked computer. With today’s WiFi-everywhere culture, mobility has become a primary driver. The Network Location Awareness service is responsible for collecting and storing network configuration and location information and notifying applications when this information changes. For example, as you make the move from the local coffee shop’s wireless network back home to your wired docking station, NLA makes sure that applications are aware of the change. Further, some other services depend on this service’s availability.

Your computer will not be able to fully connect to and use wireless networks. Problems abound!

8: DHCP Client
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a critical service that makes the task of getting computers on the network nearly effortless. Before the days of DHCP, poor network administrators had to manually assign network addresses to every computer. Over the years, DHCP has been extended to automatically assign all kinds of information to computers from a central configuration repository. DHCP allows the system to automatically obtain IP addressing information, WINS server information, routing information, and so forth; it’s required to update records in dynamic DNS systems, such as Microsoft’s Active Directory-integrated DNS service. This is one service that, if disabled, won’t necessarily cripple your computer but will make administration much more difficult.

Without the DHCP Client service, you’ll need to manually assign static IP addresses to every Windows XP system on your network. If you use DHCP to assign other parameters, such as WINS information, you’ll need to provide that information manually as well.

9: Cryptographic Services
Every month, Microsoft provides new fixes and updates on what has become known as “Patch Tuesday” because the updates are released on the first Tuesday of the month. Why do I bring this up? Well, one service supported by Cryptographic Services happens to be Automatic Updates. Further, Cryptographic Services provides three other management services: Catalog Database Service, which confirms the signatures of Windows files; Protected Root Service, which adds and removes Trusted Root Certification Authority certificates from this computer; and Key Service, which helps enroll this computer for certificates. Finally, Cryptographic Services also supports some elements of Task Manager.

Disable Cryptographic Services at your peril! Automatic Updates will not function and you will have problems with Task Manager as well as other security mechanisms.

10: Automatic Updates
Keeping your machine current with patches is pretty darn important, and that’s where Automatic Updates comes into play. When Automatic Updates is enabled, your computer stays current with new updates from Microsoft. When disabled, you have to manually get updates by visiting Microsoft’s update site.

New security updates will not be automatically installed to your computer.


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Stolen dogs found in Peru medical school lab...

Reuters By Madelyn Fairbanks

Fri Aug 21, 2009. LIMA (Reuters) - At least two stolen dogs were found in an operating room used for dissections at the medical school of South America's oldest university, but its dean denied relying on dognappers to collect specimens for classes.

The University of San Marcos does not have access to enough human cadavers for its students, so they sometimes cut open dogs instead.

Carmen Valverde's dog Tomas was stolen by two men while she was walking in the working-class Brena district of Lima, and a friend who works at the school's teaching hospital spotted him by chance in a surgery room where dogs are dissected.

Valverde donned a lab coat and snuck into the hospital to rescue Tomas. Video her friend shot a week ago, aired on local television, shows him sedated, splayed, and strapped to a stainless steel table -- just moments away from the knife.

After local newspapers published the story, other people missing dogs rushed to the hospital's door and one owner found her dog Chico.

"The University of San Marcos still hasn't apologized for what it has done," Valverde told Reuters Thursday.

Ricardo Rubios, dean of the medical school, acknowledged that stolen dogs had wound up in the surgery room, but said the school only uses strays for classes.

"I assure you we would have returned the dog. All our experimental surgeries are done to dogs that don't have owners," Rubios told Reuters.

Romila Briones, a member of ASPPA, a Peruvian animal rights group, said the law does not protect strays.

"In Europe, they don't kill animals for education, they use dummies. Unfortunately, animals are just property in the eyes of the law here, like furniture," Briones said.

(Additional reporting by Carlos Valdez; editing by Terry Wade and Mohammad Zargham)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Millions face shrinking Social Security payments...

Yahoo! News By Associated Press Writer Stephen Ohlemacher.

Sun Aug 23,2009. WASHINGTON – Millions of older people face shrinking Social Security checks next year, the first time in a generation that payments would not rise. The trustees who oversee Social Security are projecting there won't be a cost of living adjustment (COLA) for the next two years. That hasn't happened since automatic increases were adopted in 1975.

By law, Social Security benefits cannot go down. Nevertheless, monthly payments would drop for millions of people in the Medicare prescription drug program because the premiums, which often are deducted from Social Security payments, are scheduled to go up slightly.

"I will promise you, they count on that COLA," said Barbara Kennelly, a former Democratic congresswoman from Connecticut who now heads the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. "To some people, it might not be a big deal. But to seniors, especially with their health care costs, it is a big deal."

Cost of living adjustments are pegged to inflation, which has been negative this year, largely because energy prices are below 2008 levels.

Advocates say older people still face higher prices because they spend a disproportionate amount of their income on health care, where costs rise faster than inflation. Many also have suffered from declining home values and shrinking stock portfolios just as they are relying on those assets for income.

"For many elderly, they don't feel that inflation is low because their expenses are still going up," said David Certner, legislative policy director for AARP. "Anyone who has savings and investments has seen some serious losses."

About 50 million retired and disabled Americans receive Social Security benefits. The average monthly benefit for retirees is $1,153 this year. All beneficiaries received a 5.8 percent increase in January, the largest since 1982.

More than 32 million people are in the Medicare prescription drug program. Average monthly premiums are set to go from $28 this year to $30 next year, though they vary by plan. About 6 million people in the program have premiums deducted from their monthly Social Security payments, according to the Social Security Administration.

Millions of people with Medicare Part B coverage for doctors' visits also have their premiums deducted from Social Security payments. Part B premiums are expected to rise as well. But under the law, the increase cannot be larger than the increase in Social Security benefits for most recipients.

There is no such hold-harmless provision for drug premiums.

Kennelly's group wants Congress to increase Social Security benefits next year, even though the formula doesn't call for it. She would like to see either a 1 percent increase in monthly payments or a one-time payment of $150.

The cost of a one-time payment, a little less than $8 billion, could be covered by increasing the amount of income subjected to Social Security taxes, Kennelly said. Workers only pay Social Security taxes on the first $106,800 of income, a limit that rises each year with the average national wage.

But the limit only increases if monthly benefits increase.

Critics argue that Social Security recipients shouldn't get an increase when inflation is negative. They note that recipients got a big increase in January — after energy prices had started to fall. They also note that Social Security recipients received one-time $250 payments in the spring as part of the government's economic stimulus package.

Consumer prices are down from 2008 levels, giving Social Security recipients more purchasing power, even if their benefits stay the same, said Andrew G. Biggs, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank.

"Seniors may perceive that they are being hurt because there is no COLA, but they are in fact not getting hurt," Biggs said. "Congress has to be able to tell people they are not getting everything they want."

Social Security is also facing long-term financial problems. The retirement program is projected to start paying out more money than it receives in 2016. Without changes, the retirement fund will be depleted in 2037, according to the Social Security trustees' annual report this year.

President Barack Obama has said he would like tackle Social Security next year, after Congress finishes work on health care, climate change and new financial regulations.

Lawmakers are preoccupied by health care, making it difficult to address other tough issues. Advocates for older people hope their efforts will get a boost in October, when the Social Security Administration officially announces that there will not be an increase in benefits next year.

"I think a lot of seniors do not know what's coming down the pike, and I believe that when they hear that, they're going to be upset," said Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont who is working on a proposal for one-time payments for Social Security recipients.

"It is my view that seniors are going to need help this year, and it would not be acceptable for Congress to simply turn its back," he said.

Putpockets give a little extra cash...

Reuters

Wed Aug 19, 2009 LONDON (Reuters) - Visitors to London always have to be on the look out for pickpockets, but now there's another, more positive phenomenon on the loose -- putpockets.

Aware that people are suffering in the economic crisis, 20 former pickpockets have turned over a new leaf and are now trawling London's tourist sites slipping money back into unsuspecting pockets.

Anything from 5 pounds ($8) to 20 pound notes is being surreptitiously deposited in unguarded pockets or open handbags in Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden and other busy spots.

The initiative, which runs until the end of August in London before being rolled out countrywide, is being funded by a broadbrand provider, which says it wants to brighten up people's lives in unusual ways.

"It feels good to give something back for a change -- and Britons certainly need it in the current economic climate," said Chris Fitch, a former pickpocket who now heads TalkTalk's putpocketing initiative.

"Every time I put money back in someone's pocket, I feel less guilty about the fact I spent many years taking it out."

London's police have been briefed about the plan, which will see at least 100,000 pounds given away.

(Reporting by Luke Baker; Editing by Kate Kelland)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Swiss seek Pope's blessing to stop glacier melting...

Reuters

Thu Aug 6, 2009. ZURICH (Reuters) - After centuries of praying for a local glacier to stop growing, Swiss villagers are now seeking an audience with Pope Benedict to get his blessing for prayers against the global warming that is causing it to recede.

In 1678, the inhabitants of the Alpine villages of Fieschertal and Fiesch made a formal vow to live virtuously and to pray against the growth of the Aletsch glacier, Europe's longest, which had caused a lake to flood into their homes.

To reinforce their prayers, they started holding an annual procession in 1862, when the glacier reached its longest during the mini-Ice Age Europe suffered in the mid-19th century.

But the villages now want to seek permission from Pope Benedict to change their vow as the glacier is melting fast due to climate change and have requested an audience with him.

"The residents of Fiesch and Fischertal hope that this will happen in September or October and are optimistic that the Holy Father will decide in their favor as he has repeatedly spoken out about climate change," they said in a statement.

Switzerland's glaciers shrank by 12 percent over the past decade, melting at their fastest rate due to rising temperatures and lighter snowfalls, a recent study showed.

Glaciers are a key source of water for hydro-electric plants in Switzerland as well as an important tourist attraction.

Researchers are predicting that the temperatures in the Swiss Alps will rise by 1.8 degrees Celsius in winter and by 2.7 degrees Celsius in the summer by 2050.

(Reporting by Emma Thomasson; Editing by Jon Boyle)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reser

Telstra admits denying rivals access to copper network - Computerworld

Computerworld By Daniel Bishton

ACCC action alledges misleading and deceptive conduct

06 August, 2009 11:51 .Telstra has admitted to allegations of misleading and deceptive conduct by denying rivals access to its copper network.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) alleged that Telstra denied competitors access to seven of its telephone exchanges by claiming there was insufficient capacity on its main distribution frames.

Telstra has admitted to an undisclosed number of the allegations, each of which holds a maximum penalty of $10 million under the Telecommunications Act.

The ACCC brought proceedings against Telstra in March, claiming 30 breaches of its standard obligations under the Trade Practices Act. The obligations state that Telstra must allow other carriers access to their Unconditioned Local Loop and Local Line services.

The Melbourne Federal Court has accepted evidence from Australian ISPs in support of the ACCC’s allegations at a directions hearing.

In May, the ACCC rejected Telstra’s December 2007 attempt to deny competitors access to its copper infrastructure and then extended its determination for a further five years in July.

The date for the next directions hearing has been set for October 2.

Protesters back woman in trousers case...

Reuters By Andrew Heavens

Tue Aug 4, 2009. KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Police used teargas to disperse protesters rallying in support of a Sudanese woman facing 40 lashes for wearing trousers in public Tuesday, a case that has become a public test of Sudan's indecency laws.

Lubna Hussein, a former journalist and U.N. press officer, was arrested with 12 other women during a party at a Khartoum restaurant in July and charged with being indecently dressed.

Women's groups have complained that the law gives no clear definition of indecent dress, leaving the decision of whether to arrest a woman up to individual police officers.

Dozens of men and ululating women gathered outside a Khartoum court room where Hussein appeared Tuesday, carrying banners with the message "No return to the dark ages" and "Lubna's case is a case for all Sudanese women."

Speaking after the hearing, Hussein said the judge had adjourned her case until September 7.

"They want to check with the U.N. whether I have immunity from prosecution. I don't know why they are doing this because I have already resigned from the United Nations. I think they just want to delay the case," she told Reuters.

Hussein said she resigned from her U.N. job last week to give up any legal immunity so that she could pursue the case to prove her innocence and challenge the decency law.

Journalists were allowed into the downtown court building, but a line of police prevented them from entering the room where the case was heard.

Hussein went on to greet her supporters, gathered on a traffic island, then led them on a march, blocking a busy road.

In a rare and short unauthorized rally, they flashed V-for- Victory signs and received supportive hoots from passing cars.

Armed riot police advanced toward the crowd, beating their shields with batons. Officers later fired teargas canisters into the air, forcing the crowd to disperse.

"We are against this law. It is against women, against Islam and against human rights," said Zainab Badradin, one of the women in the crowd.

"I want to send a message to the government to stop harassing women," said Nusayba Abdel Mahmoud, 20, who came to the rally wearing jeans. "This is what I wear. It is normal."

Indecency cases are not uncommon in Sudan, where there is a large cultural gap between the mostly Muslim and Arab-oriented north and the mainly Christian south.

Hussein has attracted attention by publicizing her case, posing for photos in her loose green trousers and inviting journalists to campaign against dress codes sporadically imposed in the capital.

"Her main argument is that her clothes are decent and that she did not break the law," defense lawyer Nabil Adib Abdalla told Reuters shortly before the hearing.

"Failing that, we will ask for a stay of the proceedings to challenge the trial in the constitutional court ... We are saying the law is so widely drafted that it contravenes her basic right, her right to a fair trial," he added.

Hussein told reporters 10 of the women arrested with her pleaded guilty and were whipped the day afterwards.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week said he was "deeply concerned" by the case.

(Additional reporting by Khaled Abdel Aziz; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Kiss warning issued for rock festival due to flu | Oddly Enough | Reuters

Reuters

Fri Jul 31, 2009. BERLIN (Reuters) - Fans attending one of the world's biggest heavy metal festivals in Germany were asked on Thursday to avoid "hugging, kissing on the cheek, and shaking hands" lest they spread the H1N1 influenza. On its website, the health ministry of Germany's northern Schleswig-Holstein region optimistically advised revelers to restrain from any such sociable behavior so as to minimize the infection risk at the Wacken Open Air festival, which runs until August 1.

It also recommended fans did not share bottles of beer.

"We know that kissing and what have you can't be ruled out," said ministry spokesman Oliver Breuer. "They're just tips."

Stalwart rockers Motorhead, Anthrax and Napalm Death are among the bands due to perform at the three-day festival, which organizers expect to attract about 75,000 fans.

More than 430 people worldwide have died from the flu and more than 94,000 people have been, or are, infected.

(Reporting by Dave Graham; Editing by Matthew Jones)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Kiss warning issued for rock festival due to flu...

Reuters

Underweight team told to eat at least 15 eggs a day ...

Reuters

Fri Jul 31, 2009.CHENNAI, India (Reuters) - India's unfancied rugby sevens side must bulk up if they hope to make an impact at next year's Commonwealth Games, eating seven meals and at least 15 eggs a day, the country's South African coach said on Friday.

"I have told them (his players) they must eat at least 15 eggs a day, six for breakfast and the remaining nine any time, any how, during the day," the country's South African coach Norman Laker told the Telegraph newspaper on Friday.

"The players have three meals a day and that's not enough. In South Africa, elite rugby players have seven meals a day."

India is rated a lowly 83rd out of the 95 teams in the International Rugby Board rankings which are currently headed by South Africa.

"Indian players weigh 72-77 kg on an average whereas the international players weigh between 88 and 100 kg. That is the weight difference you have to make up," Laker said ahead of the team's departure to South Africa for a training stint.

India is hosting the Commonwealth Games in October 2010.

(Reporting by Sanjay Rajan; Editing by Nigel Hunt.

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved.