Sony brings its Smart accessories to CES: SmartWatch, Smart Wireless Headset pro, SmartTags

Sony brought some huge announcements at CES: the Xperia S and the AT&T-bound Xperia ion look gorgeous but with so many Androids out there it might take a bit more to really draw attention. A nice little touch that might do just that is the couple of Smart accessories Sony brought along with the handsets to outsmart the competition.?

The new Sony ?Smart Extras? accessories include the new SmartWatch, Smart Wireless Headset pro and last but not least the Xperia SmartTags.

First comes the SmartWatch which is a successor to last year?s LiveView Bluetooth watch. It comes with a 1.3-inch OLED display and is 0.31? (8mm) thick. The screen has been upgraded and now it comes with a 128x128 pixel 65K touch panel. It?s divided into 9 areas where you can tap, in a 3x3 matrix.

The SmartWatch vibrates, has an accelerometer and is dust and splash protected and takes any 20mm wristband.

The Smart Wireless Headset pro is a Bluetooth wireless headphone set that will read your text messages or notify you about missed calls via text-to-speech. It?s more than just a standard Bluetooth headset, though, as it functions as a standard MP3 player with 2 gigs of internal memory and a microSD card slot. The device comes with a two-row display and uses BT 3.0.

Finally, the are embody one of the neatest ideas we?ve seen in a while - simplifying the way your smartphone behaves in different environments via NFC. What do we mean? The SmartTags are round badges with NFC support which you can have at work, at home, near your bed, pretty much everywhere. When you go to work for example, you just tap your phone to your work smart tag and your phone could fire up the Calendar app and go into silent mode for instance.

Now, all of this sounds awesome, but what?s even better is that Sony is also?

releasing the Smart Extension SDK, which allows developers to leverage the power of these accessories in their Android apps. Actually, this move shows that phone makers are increasingly starting to look outside the phone to augment the experience and that?s one direction we could be going into in the very near future. Do you like what you see so far from Sony?

Source: http://www.phonearena.com/news/Sony-brings-its-Smart-accessories-to-CES-SmartWatch-Smart-Wireless-Headset-pro-SmartTags_id25663

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Watching Canada geese

Driving past Kershaw Park I noticed hundreds of Canada Geese near the shore with another large v-formation flock on the way in for a landing. This is a great time to spend a few minutes observing these very large geese. When we have open water at this time of year flocks of Canada Geese will land here at the North end of the lake for rest, food and sometimes a nice bath.

Although their loud honking call can be annoying and they make a mess if they come up on the shore, they are still amazing to watch. They glide across the water seemingly effortlessly and are almost comical when they turn upside down to reach for food. Sometimes they reach their necks up to the sky and flap their wings?that?s when you see how great their wingspan is. It?s also fun to watch them use the lake as their own ?little? bird bath.

Basic information:

The Canada Goose has a black head and neck, a white ?chin strap? and a brown back. They have a 4-5? wingspan and can weigh up to 20 pounds. They are primarily herbivores but also eat small fish and insects.

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Source: http://www.mpnnow.com/blogs/x2079018039/Watching-Canada-geese

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Gingrich takes tougher tone in criticism of Romney (AP)

CONCORD, N.H. ? GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich pummeled front-running rival Mitt Romney as "a moderate Massachusetts Republican to the left of the vast majority" of their party, displaying a tough new tone in New Hampshire after a disappointing performance in Iowa's caucuses.

Gingrich launched a blistering attack on Romney in what is essentially the home turf of the former Massachusetts governor, who owns a house here.

The former House speaker said Romney had run a Senate race "to the left" of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and had transformed into a moderate to run for governor. What's more, Gingrich said, Romney was once an independent who repudiated Reagan-Bush policies and voted for "liberal" Paul Tsongas in his 1992 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

And Gingrich disputed the idea that Romney is the most electable candidate in the GOP field, arguing that three out of four Republicans rejected him in Iowa.

"The fact is, Gov. Romney has a very limited appeal in a conservative party," he said.

Gingrich effectively broke a pledge to run a positive campaign, although he didn't see it that way. The former House speaker contended that as long as he stuck to facts and accurately portrayed Romney's record ? in recent days he has called Romney a liar in regard to Gingrich's own record ? the strategy was not negative.

Gingrich was battered by a barrage of attack ads in Iowa that deflated his frontrunner status. A number of them were run by a political action committee backing Romney.

Gingrich is seeking to reboot his White House bid. He is campaigning in New Hampshire, which holds it primary Jan.10, but has his eye on South Carolina, the first Southern primary where evangelicals and social conservatives hold sway.

The pro-Gingrich super PAC Winning Our Future posted online a 2008 ad from John McCain's primary campaign highlighting Romney's flip-flops on abortion and gun rights and on being a Republican.

McCain endorsed Romney on Wednesday in New Hampshire. But in 2008 they were rivals for the GOP nomination for president and the McCain camp pummeled him for swapping positions.

"Mitt Romney's flip-flops truly are masterpieces," the ad concludes.

Gingrich didn't congratulate Romney Tuesday night in Iowa and declined an opportunity to do so Wednesday in New Hampshire.

"I know that's a rhetorical question," Gingrich told a reporter who asked why he hadn't offered the traditional postelection congratulations to the victor.

"I suspect it's going to be a very lively campaign. I am delighted to be in New Hampshire to talk about big ideas, big solutions and a big contrast," he said.

___

Follow Shannon McCaffrey: http://www.twitter.com/smccaffrey13

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120104/ap_on_el_ge/us_gingrich

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Cisco's Alternative To Skype Has Quietly Been ... - Business Insider

Cisco has quietly pulled the plug on its ill-fated consumer home videoconferencing system, Umi. This could be the final blow to the company's once-grand consumer plans.

Umi was introduced a little over a year ago, in October, 2010. And it always seemed like the brainchild of a wealthy Cisco executive with no concept of what people are willing to pay for home video conferencing.

While Cisco has not formally announced the death of Umi, it ceased sale of the product to consumers, a Cisco spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider.

Umi offered full HD videoconferencing in 1080p (720 for recording). But it cost $600 for a three-piece set of hardware which included the camera, a controller, and a set-top box that linked Umi to the broadband connection. In March, Cisco introduced lower cost, lower bandwidth options. For $400 you could get a unit that only supported 720p.? But Umi also required a monthly service fee of $10 per month. For all that, Umi owners still had to supply their own HD TVs and pay for their own ISP connection.

Compare that to the required cost for Skype: free.

Last year, when Cisco shut down its Flip video camera unit, it moved Umi into its business Telepresence line under the care of Marthin De Beer. This was part of De Beer's new role to focus on emerging technologies. In March,? De Beer promised more investment in Umi to occur over the summer.

But today, a Cisco spokesperson confirmed that the company, "decided to no longer sell Cisco Umi hardware as a consumer offering.? While we are ending the sale of Umi, the Umi service remains unchanged. Existing customers will continue to be able to use the service to make calls to other ?mi subscribers or to Google video chat accounts."?

One of Umi's major consumer outlets was Best Buy. The retailer put UMI on a fire sale in its Outlet Center, where it sells discontinued items, and other things that it wants out of its warehouse already. Best Buy was offering two Umi setups for $400. But since Cisco has ceased offering new service contracts for Umi, it is questionable just how much of a bargain that really was.

Except for wireless routers known by the Linksys brand, (acquired in 2003 for $500 million), Cisco has pretty much stunk at building things consumers want.?After its awful 2011, the company seems to be less distracted with consumer products and re-focused again on enterprises and service providers.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/looks-like-ciscos-dumb-alternative-to-skype-has-quietly-been-killed-2012-1

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Why I love London, by Uma Thurman

"When it comes to wardrobe, make-up - really anything in the creative arts - the greatest crews are in London," she said in an interview with monthly magazine Harper's Bazaar.

Thurman, 41, a mother of two and the star of 1994 hit Pulp Fiction, said she felt her continuing success defied Hollywood convention.

"There?s a lot of aggressive talk in this business," she said. "You turn 18 and they say you won?t have a career at 20. You turn 24 and they say you won?t last till you?re 30. Now it?s like, if I?m so over, why are you talking to me now?"

She is now due to star alongside Twilight star and teenagers' favourite Robert Pattinson in Bel Ami, the story of a young man's rise to power in Paris through his manipulation of the city's wealthiest women.

"To answer the ubiquitous question about this movie, yes, Robert is good-looking in person, but he doesn?t have that diamond-sparkle skin like in those Dracula movies," she said of her co-star.

"He?s a very disciplined, very serious, very ambitious, very organised actor."

"It was a fun character, a nice, meaty, dramatic role, and who doesn?t love an excuse to wear a corset?" she added.

Source: http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/534871/s/1b80ffde/l/0L0Stelegraph0O0Cnews0Ccelebritynews0C89912630CWhy0EI0Elove0ELondon0Eby0EUma0EThurman0Bhtml/story01.htm

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Indian police arrest 2 men for sacrificing child (AP)

NEW DELHI ? Two men have been arrested in central India for allegedly killing a 7-year-old girl and cutting out her liver in a ritual sacrifice to ensure a better harvest, police said Monday.

Lalita Tati disappeared in October and her dismembered remains were found a week later, Rajendra Narayan Das, a senior police officer in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh state, told The Associated Press.

Police arrested two men, both poor farmers, last week and they told police they killed the girl to appease their gods and get a better harvest, Das said.

Tati was walking home after watching television at a neighbor's house when she was kidnapped, Das said. The two men confessed to cutting her open and removing her liver as an offering.

Das said the police had gathered enough evidence, apart from the confessions, to charge the two with murder. They would face life in prison or even the death sentence if convicted.

The men were described as "tribals," a term referring to the region's indigenous people, most of whom remain mired in poverty and illiteracy.

Human sacrifices are rare in India but get prominent attention every few years. A deep belief in traditional healers, or witch doctors, is common in mostly tribal Chhattisgarh.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120102/ap_on_re_as/as_india_human_sacrifice

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Rupert Murdoch Has Already Used Twitter To ... - Business Insider

Summary

Rupert Murdoch is the founder, chairman and CEO of News Corp., which includes, among others, Fox News and Movie Channel, BSkyB, National Geographic U.S., The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones and about 30 other news sources... More ?

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/rupert-murdoch-twitter-britain-2012-1

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