Khan Academy launches on iPad: Is this education’s future?

By Emi Kolawole

Sal Khan and his team at Khan Academy have a class — or roughly 3,000 classes — you might want to take.

Okay, maybe you don’t want to take all of those classes, which could take years to get through (and not all of us need or want to prep for the GMAT). But Khan Academy’s YouTube video class database, which launched on the iPad on Sunday, gives any individual with a computer and sufficient Internet connection the opportunity to receive instruction on a variety of subjects, assuming they find the format and content of the classes palatable.

All the classes are taught by the site’s founder and executive editor, Salman “Sal” Khan, who brings a conversational tone to each of the videos. Unlike for-profit educational institutions that offer online classes for a fee, Khan Academy is a nonprofit group that offers all its classes free of charge, thanks in large part to big donors such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Google. (In the interest of full disclosure, my brother works for Google.)

This free access, combined with the breadth of the topics covered and conversational tone of the lessons, provides an accessible alternative to the traditional classroom on a number of complex subjects students traditionally struggle with, such as science and mathematics.

The iPad app, meanwhile, gives users the opportunity to download videos for offline viewing and jump through videos by navigating subtitles. Users can also log into a Khan Academy account to track their individual progress and receive credits for watching videos — making the learning experience like a game. The app is, as of the writing of this post, the sixth most popular free app in the iTunes store and the top app in the education section, with roughly 17,500 downloads since it was made available Sunday morning, according to a Khan Academy spokesperson.

Exercises, while not included in this version of the app, will be “coming soon,” according to the description on the Apple Web site. As Fast Company’s Greg Ferenstein observed Sunday, the Khan Academy iPad app is potentially significant in that it could cut into the cost associated with textbook purchases.

Khan, a former hedge fund analyst, started by posting math tutorials in his spare time on YouTube in 2004. In 2009, according to a July 2011 report by Wired’s Clive Thompson, Khan started making lessons full time with a donation from Ann Doerr, the wife of Silicon Valley investor John Doerr. Microsoft founder Bill Gates soon became a fan, casting a spotlight on Khan and his work.

E3 2009 previews: Activision, Capcom, EA, Ubisoft

We've now reached the heavy hitters in Game Hunters publisher previews ahead of the Electronic Entertainment Expo. The following four are responsible for a few of the big titles arriving this year and beyond. With that in mind, let's get right to the tales of the tape.

ALSO: Previews of Bethesda, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix
ALSO: Previews of 2K, Disney, Konami, Warner Bros.
ALSO: Previews of Eidos, LucasArts, MTV Games

Publisher: Activision

Best known for:Call of Duty, Guitar Hero

Two games to watch:
Modern Warfare 2: No surprise here. Expectations are riding high for Infinity Ward's follow up to arguably the best first-person shooter of this console generation. Modern Warfare 2 also marks the debut of cooperative play in the form of Special Forces mode.

Tony Hawk: Ride: The long-running skateboarding series -- now competing with Electronic Arts series Skate -- returns with a brand new peripheral. Wonder how much that will cost consumers.

Wild card:
Guitar Hero is everywhere, between Aerosmith, Metallica, World Tour and the upcoming Guitar Hero 5 and separate Van Halen game. Will consumers reach Hero overload?

Publisher: Capcom

Best known for: Resident Evil, Street Fighter

Two games to watch:
Dark Void: Sci-fi action game features a jet-packing, futuristic version of The Rocketeer. Beyond standard run-and-gun style action, players engage in vertical combat, including the ablility to hijack flying ships.

Lost Planet 2: Third-person shooter pits a group of heroes against aliens called the Akrid. The highlight of its predecessor was punishing enemies with mechanized assault vehicles called Vital Suits. Hopefully, combat outside the Vital Suit is more engaging.

Wild card:
Capcom has had an impressive year thus far with follow-ups for known commodities such as Resident Evil and Street Fighter. Will brand new franchise Dark Void exhibit enough personality to break through as their next big series?

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Best known for: Madden NFL, Burnout, Battlefield

Two games to watch:
Brutal Legend: Tim Schafer, the man behind Grim Fandango and Psychonauts, returns with the tale of a heavy metal roadie sucked into an alternate universe. Hero Eddie Riggs, voiced by actor Jack Black, uses guitar riffs to thrash enemies and command a growing army.

Mass Effect 2: The role-playing game known for its robust story and players' ability to dictate the dialogue returned with an incredible teaser in February. The big question will be whether studio BioWare has fixed the combat for the sequel.

Wild card:
Players have seen games based on movies and television shows. But how about one inspired by literature from the 14th century? That’s what EA has created in Dante's Inferno, a game based on the Divine Comedy. So just how does a game like this play?

Publisher: Ubisoft

Best known for: Tom Clancy franchise (Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six, Splinter Cell)

Two games to watch:
Assassin's Creed II: The third-person action game shifts gears from Jerusalem during the era of the Crusades to the Italian Renaissance. Leonardo Da Vinci's flying machine is among many of the new items at the disposal of assassin Ezio.

Red Steel 2: Some critics slammed the first Red Steel, a Nintendo Wii launch title, for rough motion controls. But that may improve for the sequel with the introduction of Wii MotionPlus.

Wild card:
It's been a while since we've heard from one of the flagship Tom Clancy franchises, particularly Splinter Cell. Ubisoft's CEO recently hinted the stealth series would return this holiday. Will Sam Fisher make a comeback at E3?

Readers, what games off this list are you most excited for?

By Brett Molina
Photos (from top): Tony Hawk: Ride (Activsion); Dark Void (Capcom); Brutal Legend (EA); Assassin's Creed II (Ubisoft)

Create Fake Magazine Covers with your own picture at MagMyPic.com

RIM Launches BlackBerry App World

Its over-the-air store for Blackberry applications puts Research In Motion on par with Apple's App Store and Google's Android Market.

By Marin Perez

BlackBerry users now have an app store of their own, as Research In Motion has launched its BlackBerry App World for discovering and buying new mobile programs.
App World offers an over-the-air way for BlackBerry users to find, download, purchase, and install applications. RIM said it has lined up thousands of developers to contribute content, and has organized the store by categories that include entertainment, news, music and video, and travel. App World launched with programs from the likes of The New York Times, Facebook, MySpace, Bloomberg, Major League Baseball, and more.

More Mobility InsightsWhite PapersMobile Analytics and Customer Experience Management GuideMobile Health CareWebcastsBlueprinting the Mobile InternetReportsThe Perils Of Going Mobile802.11v Moves WLAN Control Down The LineVideos

Melkote also explores how its approaching 802.11n, and why the controllers are the key
Developers get to keep 80% of the revenue from any sold app, which is 10% more than they get from Apple's App Store for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Content creators have to pay $200 a year to put up to 10 apps in the virtual store, which is a bit more than developers pay to enter Apple's store or Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT)'s upcoming app store.

While there are multiple free apps in the store, users can purchase apps using a PayPal account. By clicking on the "purchase" button, a secure login page for PayPal pops up to complete the transaction. Unlike the iPhone, where 99 cents is a popular price point, the minimum price for App World apps is $2.99. It's unclear how this higher price point will affect adoption, or if the use of PayPal will be a hindrance.

Organizations that have deployed BlackBerry Enterprise Server or BlackBerry Professional Software will retain control of which applications can be downloaded to BlackBerry smartphones within their corporate deployments.

The move shows the growing importance of apps for smartphones; soon every major platform will have a way for users to download apps over the air to their handsets.

iPhone OS 3.0 beta 2 now available

by Jason D. O'Grady

Apple has posted iPhone OS 3.0 beta 2 (build 7A259g) in the iPhone Dev Center. The download is only available to registered iPhone developers and weighs in at 2.13GB.

According to Ars Technica the second public developer build of iPhone 3.0 contains minor updates, bug fixes and no new functionality. Sources tell Ars that Apple is warning developers to avoid its tethering and MMS features because they “are not supported, and should not be used.”

As with the the previous developer build (7A238j) Apple warns:

Devices updated to iPhone 3.0 beta can not be restored to earlier versions of iPhone OS. Devices will be able to upgrade to future beta releases and the final iPhone OS 3.0 software.

Also it’s wise to avoid the temptation to install an unlicensed version of iPhone 3.0 as it has been known to turn your iPhone into an iBrick.

Conficker worm is no April Fool's joke

I have an apple and I don't know if it will be affected like most PCs will be. I don't think I have anything to worry about since their security is much better than PCs. I do have a lot of friends though who are freaking out about the Conficker worm and will not even be getting online tomorrow.

By McNelly Torres | South Florida Sun-sentinel

Cyber security experts are warning that a new variation of Conficker, a fast-spreading computer worm also known as Downadup, could attack millions of computers on Wednesday -- April Fool's Day.

Personal computers and laptops already infected with Conficker could automatically be linked to the servers operated by the hackers.

Esteban O. Farao, a consultant with Enterprise Risk Management, a Miami security consulting company, said the worm is not destroying files or stealing data, but it has the capability to do so.

"The main concern about this worm is that it is capable of downloading additional code from the hacker's Web site or through a peer-to-peer connection," Farao said. "Consequently it can bring more functionalities or receive instructions."

Experts say it's unknown whether the worm will cause havoc or merely turn out to be an April's Fool prank. But people can protect their computers by using security software.

Howard Schmidt, a former White House cyber security adviser, said computer users need to download an application of Microsoft software to detect and disable the worm.

Experts also advise keeping your security applications and operating systems updated.

"The most interesting thing about this worm is that every time someone finds out a way to get rid of the worm, it reinvents itself with more rigor and better technology," Schmidt said.

Authorities have not identified the culprits behind the worm or their intentions. Microsoft has offered a $250,000 reward to bring the Conficker creator to justice.

The Conficker worm, which has infected 10 million computers outside the United States, is a program that exploits weaknesses in Microsoft's Windows operating system including Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008.

The worm surfaced last November in computers on weak networks such as those in coffee shops, airport or offices. The second variation can spread via shared networks, including removable drives such as USB devices.

This worm also blocks infected systems from downloading new security software or receiving updates for security software. After attacking, it connects to a server where it receives instructions to propagate and gather personal information. Conficker creates a back door in the system where the worm can download and install additional programs.

Albert Whale, owner of ABS Computer Technology Inc., a Pittsburgh company that offers computer consulting services, said experts think the hackers are making money by getting information to send spam or attack people they don't like.

"Hackers spend 24 hours a day perfecting their craft," Whale said. "People don't even spend an hour a week securing their computers."

Staff researcher Barbara Hijek contributed to this report.

Conficker worm come April 1

In an event that hits the computer world only once every few years, security experts are racing against time to mitigate the impact of a bit of malware which is set to wreak havoc on a hard-coded date. As is often the case, that date is April 1.

Malware creators love to target April Fool's Day with their wares, and the latest worm, called Conficker C, could be one of the most damaging attacks we've seen in years.

Conficker first bubbled up in late 2008 and began making headlines in January as known infections topped 9 million computers. Now in its third variant, Conficker C, the worm has grown incredibly complicated, powerful, and virulent... though no one is quite sure exactly what it will do when D-Day arrives.

Thanks in part to a quarter-million-dollar bounty on the head of the writer of the worm, offered by Microsoft, security researchers are aggressively digging into the worm's code as they attempt to engineer a cure or find the writer before the deadline. What's known so far is that on April 1, all infected computers will come under the control of a master machine located somewhere across the web, at which point anything's possible. Will the zombie machines become denial of service attack pawns, steal personal information, wipe hard drives, or simply manifest more traditional malware pop-ups and extortion-like come-ons designed to sell you phony security software? No one knows.

Conficker is clever in the way it hides its tracks because it uses an enormous number of URLs to communicate with HQ. The first version of Conficker used just 250 addresses each day -- which security researchers and ICANN simply bought and/or disabled -- but Conficker C will up the ante to 50,000 addresses a day when it goes active, a number which simply can't be tracked and disabled by hand.

At this point, you should be extra vigilant about protecting your PC: Patch Windows completely through Windows Update and update your anti-malware software as well. Make sure your antivirus software is actually running too, as Conficker may have disabled it.

Microsoft also offers a free online safety scan here, which should be able to detect all Conficker versions.

Sony Bravia LCD HDTV, Logitech Harmony Advanced Universal Remote, Lenovo IdeaPad laptop

A Sony 32-inch Class BRAVIA KDL-32M4000 LCD HDTV, a Logitech Harmony 510 Advanced Universal Remote Control, and a Lenovo IdeaPad laptop. Here are Gadget Gal’s daily deals for Wednesday, March 25:

1. Woot is offering a great deal today on the Sony 32-inch Class BRAVIA KDL-32M4000 LCD HDTV. Normally $749.99, Woot is dropping the price down to $479.99. The deal is for today only, so hurry.

[read the review] [find the deal]

2. Get the Logitech Harmony 510 Advanced Universal Remote Control from Amazon.com today for only $47.99. The remote normally costs $99.99, saving you a whole 52 percent off of the original price.

[read the review] [find the deal]

3. You’ve got some time on this one, but you can get the Lenovo IdeaPad S10e 4187 - Atom N270 1.6 GHz - 10.1-inch TFT for $299.99 after mail-in rebate from OnSale.com until April 30, 2009. The laptop includes features such as 1GB memory, 160GB SATA HDD + 4GB SSD, QuickStart technology, 10.1 LED, camera, and Windows XP Home. Find it a few dollars cheaper at CostCentral.com for $297.40.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs Takes Medical Leave of Absence

Well this doesn't sound good at all for Apple. I know that Apple Stock has dropped almost 10 % in after hours trading which is to be expected right after news like this. It will be interesting how Apple moves foreward from this. They should have some new gizmo in their back pocket that they can unveil while Jobs is out so it will show more confidence that Apple can survive without Jobs in the Long run. And who knows maybe Apple has that up their sleeve. It will also be interesting to see if Apple now goes through Layoffs or if Jobs even comes back at all. It doesn't sound good for the future of the company. But Jobs should of made a strong foundation that should have Apple running lightyears after he passes anyways.

By Mike Musgrove and Peter Whoriskey

Washington Post Staff Writers

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs today announced that he will take a leave of absence as a result of health concerns.

"During the past week I have learned that my health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought," Jobs wrote in an e-mail sent to all Apple employees.

He said he intends to return to the company at the end of June.

Speculation about Jobs's health has swayed the company's share prices during the past year as his increasingly gaunt appearance left some investors worried. The iconic tech leader, who is often viewed as the main driving force for his company's recent successes, was treated for pancreatic cancer several years ago.

Jobs did not deliver a keynote at the recent Mac-centric trade show this year, citing a hormone imbalance. The company's share price rose 4 percent on the news, a result of investor relief that Jobs was not suffering a recurrence of cancer.

Apple products, particularly the iPod and iPhone, have gained a rare kind of loyalty from customers, and much of the credit is given to Jobs's demanding leadership. He is reputedly relentless in his demands that Apple engineers make products that simplify technology, an approach that often gives the company's products a minimalist chic.

In 2004, Jobs received a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and had surgery, which apparently was successful. Last June, however, Jobs appeared gaunt and the uncertainty over his health created new worries for investors. Stock prices suffered as a result.

Concern about Jobs's health heightened Dec. 16, when the company announced that he would not attend Macworld, a conference that he has addressed in his trademark black turtleneck for several years. Instead, the company sent marketing chief Philip Schiller to make a presentation.

Apple's stock fell as much as 10 percent after the company made that announcement.

Jobs was forced to address the rumors last week. In recent months, Jobs and the Apple board had declined to provide more information about the chief executive's health.

"Unfortunately, my decision to have Phil deliver the Macworld keynote set off another flurry of rumors about my health, with some even publishing stories of me on my deathbed," he wrote on Jan. 5. "I've decided to share something very personal with the Apple community so that we can all relax and enjoy the show tomorrow.

"As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008," his note said. "The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors."

Jobs said that the cause of his troubles was a "hormone imbalance."

But many health professionals said then that hormone imbalance is not a specific medical diagnosis

While Jobs is away from the company he founded, Apple will be steered by chief operating officer Tim Cook.

As Mac launches products, hacker reports that Steve Jobs has died

Wow I wonder who is behind this. Can somebody tell me where Bill Gates was at this time. I wonder if this was just another hacker trying to be funny, corporate espionage, or somebody who was trying to short on Apple stock and found a way to try and make some big money. Anyway you slice it, it is pretty bad that you are trying to tell the world that the person who brought us the ipod is dead. Steve Jobs is alilve of course.

by Mitch Marconi

Surfacing rumors of Steve Jobs death have been going around the internet as of late. MacRumors, one of many cover sites for Apple's annual Macworld prodcut launches, was apparently hacked.

The people who hacked MacRumors made false news of Steve Jobs' death. Valleywag.com had posted an image of what the hacked page looked like. Steve Jobs is still alive, despite is weight loss he is working on himself currently according to reports.

Could the hackers been trying to spook people? Many fix the stocks? Who knows, but hopefully the criminals are caught.

Samsung unveils world's slimmest TV

I can't wait to see this TV in action. Hopefully one day I will have one. Even though I don't really need a new TV. I like my LCD right now just fine. I wonder if this is going to start a new wave of TV that are going to start being made. I also wonder how heavy the new Samsung TV weighs.

SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea's Samsung Electronics on Monday unveiled what it says is the world's slimmest LCD (liquid crystal display) TV.

The new product, measuring only 6.5 millimetres (0.26 inch) thick, is thinner than any other existing TV set, and even slimmer than most mobile handsets, Samsung said in a statement.

Its thickness is one seventh of Samsung's "Bordeaux 850" LCD TVs, which is currently the thinnest on the market, the company said.

The new product, which adopts an LED (light emitting diode) backlighting system, will be on display at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas from January 8 to 11, Samsung added.

Macworld 2009 rumors

This will be Apple's last Macworld for now. So hopefully they will have some very interesting things to come out with. Go out with a bang as they say. But then again many people might not be expecting much since Steve Jobs won't be delivering the keynote.

Apple’s (AAPL) last Macworld Conference and Expo opens Monday at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, but the real action starts Tuesday at 9 a.m. PT (12 noon ET) with senior vice president Phil Schiller’s opening remarks — the first Macworld keynote not delivered by Steve Jobs since 1997.

Nobody’s expecting breakthrough products that rise to the level of the iMac (Macworld 1998), the iBook (1999), iTunes (2001) or the iPhone (2007), but this Expo is not without its drama, speculation and hype.

Our top 10 favorite Macworld rumors:

10. Snow Leopard release date. We know a lot about Mac OS X 10.6, thanks to Jobs’ June 2008 announcement that it was coming, Apple’s official description of the product and a steady stream of leaks from the developer community. What we don’t know is when it will ship.

9. Unibody 17-inch MacBook Pro. By several accounts, this machine was supposed to be released in October, along with the new unibody 13-inch MacBook and 15-inch MacBook Pro. But display issues and problems with the optical drive reportedly pushed its release back “several months” — which brings us to next week’s Expo. UPDATE: Seth Weintraub at 9to5Mac adds this twist: the new 17-inch Pro will sport a superslim longer-lasting nonremovable battery pack.

8. Revamped iWork. The big news on New Year’s Eve was the “truckload” of information dumped on various rumor sites about iWork — Apple’s homegrown answer to Microsoft (MSFT) Office. The thrust of it was that what’s now a suite of desktop applications — Pages, Numbers and Keynote — is about to be transformed into a collection of Web-based apps like the .Mac Web Gallery, suitable for cloud computing.

7. 32 GB iPhone. Whispers that Apple was set to double the memory of the top-end iPhone have been floating around since September, but AT&T’s (T) post-Christmas $99 iPhone sale and word that Apple had sewed up the lion’s share Samsung’s flash memory production all point to a January release.

6. 64 GB iPod touch. Rumors of this memory upgrade go back even further. It was supposed to happen in August, then in September, and then before Christmas. With memory prices falling, time is more than ripe.

5. New Mac mini. Rumors of the most affordable Mac’s imminent demise have given way to a flood of new specs, among them 2.0 or 2.3 GHz Core 2 Duo processors, NVIDIA graphics platform, dual display outputs and dual drives that can be configured every which way.

4. New iMac. Some inspired sleuthing in the extension files that shipped with the new MacBooks found references to NVIDIA chipsets for both a Mac mini and a new iMac — along with hints that the reconfigured all-in-one desktop was supposed to ship in November but got pushed into 2009 by unexpected delays. DigiTimes now reports that Apple has ordered shipments of 800,000 per month.

3. New iPod shuffle. FBR Capital Markets’ Craig Berger, whose track record AppleInsider describes as “questionable,” expects Apple to release a new and smaller version of the iPod shuffle sometime in the first calendar quarter — which started on Thursday. AppleInsider adds that it has picked up chatter of a new shuffle that would be flat as a credit card but thick enough at one end to fit a headphone jack.

2. New Apple TV/Time Capsule. This one also comes from an analyst. Shaw Wu, a veteran Apple watcher newly ensconsed at Kaufman Bros., wrote last week about the possibility that Apple will introduce a new consumer device — “an enhanced version of Apple TV and/or Time Capsule” — that would give users access to their media content, SlingBox style, from anywhere on the Internet.

1. Steve Jobs. Show or no-show, Apple’s CEO is both Macworld 2009’s No. 1 rumor and No. 1 source of rumors — whether it be that he’s stepping down, that his health is failing, that he doesn’t feel there’s enough news in Nos. 1-9 to justify a Steve Jobs keynote, or that he just doesn’t feel like playing in Macworld’s sandbox anymore. We favor the theory that he’s set the stage brilliantly for a surprise cameo appearance.

Below the line:

• iPhone nano. Despite all the chatter — and spy photos — not this Macworld. Maybe later this year.
• iPod tablet. Maybe later this year. Maybe never.

Is there truth to any of this? We’ll be flying to San Francisco Monday to find out. Tune in to this space early Tuesday for our Macworld 2009 live blog.

[Photo courtesy of setteB.IT.]

Below the fold: How Phil Schiller could hit a home run next Tuesday, as imagined on The Mac Observer’s Apple Finance Board by one of the regulars, retired Air Force pilot Pat Smellie.

From AFB:

Mr Schiller will do great. He is being coached by one of the best presenters in the business and whether SJ shows or not he will have been over every inch of the presentation.

Start with Itunes Over 6B songs sold., 400M Applications, 300M TV shows WOW. Bring up the Music execs and announce release of Itunes Plus for all tracks same great price.

Back to Schiller Mac sales growth over 10M new MACs in 2008. Demo new IMac, MAC Mini, Mac Pro in Feb with Intel I7 and Mac Book Pro 17’ Quad Core.

Switch to Snow Leopard speed comparison of the new hardware on Leopard vs Snow Leopard. Wow! Free upgrade to Snow Leopard with new Mac purchase. Available in June

Software demo of new ILife/Iwork Suite on mobile me. Free to all Mobile Me subscribers.

On to Iphone 20M sold to date. Joined on stage by China Mobile CEO. Announce new Iphone for China/Korea GSM/TD-SCDMA $99 price also available US non 3G via Walmart. Demo couple new software features.

One More Thing
Finally lights dim and SJ appears on stage with a NetBook and Tablet. He says he can’t decide which to build so he will let America decide. Call in numbers or text Netbook/Tablet. Voting will continue until end of Mac World

Lights come up curtain opens SJ on stage with Sir Paul singing Let It Be announcing the release of the Beatles catalog

It great to dream big. Reality is its a show as much as anything. Apple will deliver many great things this year but probably a lot of them will not be announced at Mac World. — pats

Track Santa All day - Norad Tracking Santa

The military personnel charged with being the eyes in the sky are certainly acting like he does — and they've been joined on the Internet by millions of believers.

Even doubters have reason to pause when they hear the North American Aerospace Defense Command — or NORAD, which monitors air and space threats against the U.S. and Canada — is in charge of the annual Christmas mission to keep children informed of Santa's worldwide journey to their homes.

"They challenge it, but only to a point," said Senior Master Sgt. Sharon Ryder-Platts, 49, who for five years has been a Santa tracker, taking calls from those wanting to know the location of jolly old St. Nick.

According to NORAD, Santa began his latest flight early Wednesday at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean. Historically, Santa visits the South Pacific first, then New Zealand and Australia. NORAD points out that only Santa knows his route.

Last year, NORAD's Santa tracking center answered 94,000 calls and responded to 10,000 e-mails. About 10.6 million visitors went to the Web site, which can be viewed in English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Japanese and Chinese.

NORAD's holiday tradition can by traced to 1955, when a Colorado Springs newspaper printed a Sears, Roebuck & Co. ad telling children of a phone number to talk to Santa. The number was one digit off, and the first child to get through reached the Continental Air Defense Command, NORAD's predecessor.

Col. Harry W. Shoup answered.

Shoup's daughter, Terri Van Keuren, said her dad, now 91, was surprised to hear that the little voice on the other end thought he was Santa.

"Dad thought, `What the heck? This must be some kind of code,'" said Van Keuren, 59.

Shoup, described by his daughter as "just a nut about Christmas," didn't want to break the boy's heart, so he sounded a booming "Ho, ho, ho!" and pretended to be Santa Claus.

Enough calls followed that Shoup assigned an officer to answer them while the problem was fixed. But Shoup and the staff he was directing to "locate" Santa on radar ended up embracing the idea. NORAD picked up the tradition when it was formed 50 years ago.

"If we didn't do it, truly I don't know who else would track Santa," Maj. Stacia Reddish said.

The task that began with no computers and only a 60-by-80-foot glass map of North America now includes two big screens on a wall showing the world and information on each country Santa Claus visits. It took off with the Web site's 1997 launch, Reddish said.

Now, curious youngsters can follow Santa's path online with a Google two-dimensional map or in 3D using Google Earth, where he can be seen flying through different landscapes in his sleigh.

NORAD officials are hesitant to list all the potential sites Santa will visit with certainty.

"Historically, Santa has loved the Great Wall of China. He loves the (Space) Needle in Seattle. He of course loves the Eiffel Tower," Reddish said. "But his path is completely unpredictable, so we won't know."

Ryder-Platts, 49, who has a 17-year-old son, said taking calls from children helps her keep her Christmas spirit.

"For someone like myself, my son is older, you know it just keeps you in touch with the spirit of Santa Claus," she said. "I miss out on that at home so this keeps me close to Santa. I believe! It keeps me in touch with other believers."

On the Net:

• http://www.noradsanta.org

Lenovo IdeaPad S9 Available in the U.S.

I think that it might be alittle to late though to make any serious cash off this product. Sure it is a great product, but no one is really buying anything right now. They are probably going to have to come down in price before they see any real revenue from the IdeaPad.

It was in August that Lenovo first announced it was entering the netbook PC market with its new IdeaPad S10 and S9 netbooks, although at the time the IdeaPad S9 was not scheduled to come Stateside. It took a few months, but the IdeaPad S9 eventually did make it, as online retailers in the United States are now listing it for purchase.

The Lenovo IdeaPad S9 comes equipped with an Intel Atom N270 processor (1.6 GHz single-core), Intel GMA 950 integrated graphics, 512 MB of DDR2 memory and a 4 GB SLC-based SSD. The LED back-lit display is 8.9-inches in size, has a resolution of 1024 by 600 and includes a 0.3-megapixel webcam integrated into the bevel around the display. The system also comes with a useful OneKey Rescue System button, stereo speakers, 802.11g WiFi, Bluetooth, 10/100 Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, an ExpressCard slot, media card reader and VGA output.

From the photos, the IdeaPad S9 look like a mini Thinkpad notebook, weighing just 2.43-pounds and measuring no more than 1.1-inches thick. The operating system that is included is Linpus Linux Lite, which should be fine if you plan on using the netbook for just general tasks. There is no mention of which battery is included, so expect only a couple hours of battery life. As for price, the IdeaPad S9 is listed for $344.99 at Geeks.com and for $359.46 at Buy.com.

If you are not too picky about screen size, Lenovo.com is selling the larger IdeaPad S10 for just $349. It features the same Intel Atom N270 processor, 512 MB of DDR2 memory, an 80 GB 5400 RPM HDD, integrated webcam and Windows XP Home. Although the display on the IdeaPad S10 is about an inch larger, it comes with the same screen resolution of 1024 by 600.

Microsoft, Mozilla Release Browser Fixes: Download Patches Here

It's been a week of browser security holes and patches. Here are links to the official patches to fix your Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers.

JR Raphael, PC World

PC World
Wednesday, December 17, 2008; 5:19 PM

Microsoft's Internet Explorer security patch is now available, as is a security update for Mozilla's Firefox browser. Here's a breakdown of what you need and where you can get it.

Microsoft's IE patch, coded KB960714 and part of Security Bulletin MS08-078, is considered a critical update for all Internet Explorer users. It fixes the much-publicized Internet Explorer flaw found last week that can let remote attackers gain access to your passwords and personal information. The fix is recommended for users of IE5, IE6, IE7, and IE8 beta 2.

? Read the official Microsoft Security Bulletin

? Read the detailed description for IT professionals

? Download the IE patch now

Mozilla's security updates come in the form of new Firefox versions: Firefox 3.0.5 for 3x users, and Firefox 2.0.0.19 for 2x users.

The 3.0.5 update fixes a handful of security issues found in the 3.0.4 browser and repairs several stability problems as well. It also adds extra language support, improves the installation process, fixes some accessibility problems, and strengthens the Firefox crash reporter tool.

The 2.0.0.19 update handles only the basic security issues. It is the last planned update for the 2x series of Firefox, and Mozilla is recommending any remaining 2x users upgrade to the 3.0.5 version soon.

? Read the official 2.0.0.19 release notes

? Download the Firefox 2.0.0.19 update now

? Read the official 3.0.5 release notes

? Download the Firefox 3.0.5 update now

Microsoft faces new Xbox 360 reliability accusations

I knew Xbox had a problem when everytime you would touch the console it would scratch your games. I have been lucky enough not to have lost any games. My friend has lost a butt load of them though. He has to always buy the insurance now on them so he is not 50 bucks a pop.

Fix would have cost 50c per machine, suit claims

By Mike Smith

Remember last week's story about Jason Johnson, the Illinois man who sued Microsoft over his Xbox 360's alleged habit of scratching his game DVDs?

Documents unsealed in his court case revealed Microsoft discovered its Xbox 360 could scratch discs before it went on sale in 2005, and even got as far as considering three possible solutions to the problem, the Seattle Tech Report revealed today.

The characteristic circular scratches can occur whenever the orientation of the console -- which is designed to be used in either a horizontal or vertical position -- is changed while the drive is spinning. Johnson filed his suit after his console scratched three store-bought game discs, and is seeking $50,000 in punitive damages.

Testimony obtained from a Microsoft program manager indicates that Microsoft became aware of the problem months before the 360's launch when retail demonstration consoles malfunctioned. The company examined three solutions: strengthening the magnets that hold the discs in place, slowing the rotational speed of the discs, and installing rubber bumpers to cushion the discs, but rejected them all. Installing the bumpers could have cost as little as $0.50 per console, the suit claims.

It's not the first time Microsoft has come under fire for alleged foreknowledge of Xbox 360 hardware issues, either. Back in September, an expose penned by VentureBeat writer Dean Takahashi claimed systemic failures in Microsoft's design and quality assurance processes lead to the Xbox 360's now-infamous overheating "Red Ring of Death" failures.

Burger King Cologne Body Spray: Want To Smell Like A Juicy Burger?

I don't think that I am going to buy Burger King cologne. It reminds me of the Family Guy where Peter got Body spray for sick cats. Why would you want to smell liked cooked dead meat? If you wanted to smell like that then go work in a butchers shop with Paulie. I think it is kind of weird and some people will buy it for the shock value. All though I can see the advantage if you are a chubby chaser. It will be like shooting fish in a barrell now with the burger king cologne.

by Jack Ryan

Have you always wanted to smell like a hot juicy burger from Burger King? Burger King is making that dream come true without you have to rub those burgers on yourself. Burger King is attacking the fashion world with it's new men's body spray

called "Flame".

Now forgive me for thinking this is a bit weird, but I want to meet the people of Burger King who came up with this idea. I suppose it's not too bad considering how many times we smell others and they smell like crap. Maybe they will smell like burgers now, personally if a woman wore this she probably wouldn't be able to get rid of me.

Now if you've ever been jealous of the delicious smelling burgers, now all you need is some ketchup and two buns and your set. Cheese Optional for extra greatness. For just 4 dollars from New York you can start off your day with the smell of delicious burgers.

Pocket a Flip Ultra pocket camcorder for $59.99

This thing is very cool. And more importantly the price is right. It is not much for a camcorder of any type. I bet a lot of private investigators will add this to their arsenal of little devices they use to find cheating wives. I wouldn't be surprised to see something like this in a James Bond Movie soon either. Not the pink one though.

Posted by Rick Broida

Get the fun, friendly Flip Ultra in your choice of colors.

(Credit: Woot.com)

I don't like to go to the Woot well too often, but today's deal is an outright winner (and it let me indulge my love of alliteration). Today only, you can get a recertified Pure Digital Flip Video Ultra F230 pocket camcorder for $59.99, plus $5 for two-day shipping (which just squeaks you in under the Chanukah wire). You even get to pick the color.

In case you're unfamiliar with it, the Flip Video Ultra records VGA-quality video to internal memory, then plugs into your PC via a stowaway USB plug for easy uploading to friends, relatives, YouTube, etc. (Admirably simple built-in software makes this possible.)

The F230 model holds only 30 minutes of video, which is actually fine for the kinds of short-burst clips you're likely to shoot with this thing anyway.

And let's be honest: It's a toy. You wouldn't use this to record, say, a wedding, but it's fantastic for goofing around with friends, sharing cute clips of the kids with faraway relatives, and the like.

Because this is a refurb, it carries a 90-day warranty--but, really, what's to break? The Flip Ultra makes for an awesome stocking stuffer, IMHO, and at $59.99 it's quite a bit cheaper than you'll find it elsewhere. These will sell out before the day is done, I expect. Maybe before lunchtime.

Sirius XM's Lifetime Subscription Discount

May be time for me to buy me sirius. I I have a bunch of their stock, but hopefully they make it through the economic downturn. Then I will be rich rich rich. Not really.

Having trouble with your bottom line? Well, that's true of many companies, and that includes Sirius XM. Hoping to boost their sales during this holiday season, Sirius XM is offering a discount on Sirius Lifetime Subscriptions, for a limited time.

There are two choices in the Sirius XM lifetime subscription promotion:

$100 off the Lifetime Subscription, or $150 off the Lifetime Subscripton + The Best of XM Package, bundled.

It's unclear how long the Sirius XM Lifetime Subscription discount promotion will last. Also, as far as we know, it's only "redeemable" via phone, at (866) 519-7474.

Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio completed their merger in late July. The two had been in limbo for 16 months prior to the narrow FCC approval, of 3-2.

deal hack - Dealhack.com for last minute shopping needs

I am actually very lucky to have got my Christmas shopping done back in November. But for everyone who still needs to do some shopping like my dad then go to DealHack.com.

With Christmas only 10 days away, the deadlines to get gifts and letters into the mail so that they'll arrive in time for the holiday are upon us. The Postal Service anticipates that Dec. 15, will be the busiest mailing day of the year.

Vera Gibbons has reminders about holiday shipping deadlines for the major carriers and the right way to pack your gifts to make sure they arrive in one piece.

Gibbons said for those of us mailing gifts, it's better to mail early to in order to save money. Procrastinating will cost the shipper. If you wait until next week it is prohibitively expensive.

Holiday Shipping Deadlines

U.S. Postal Service
Ground: Dec. 16
Priority mail: Dec. 20
Express mail: Dec. 23

FedEx
Ground: Dec. 17
Two Day: Dec. 22
Overnight: Dec. 23

UPS
Ground: Dec. 15
Three day: Dec. 19
Express: Dec. 22
Next Day air: Dec. 23

Most standard online shipping offers expire on or before Dec. 19. Although quite a few sooner than that. Go to dealhack.com/deadlines for a quick-reference guide to the delivery deadlines of over 150 major online retailers.

Holiday shipping tips

1. Wrap each item separately with two inches of cushioning -- bubble wrap, air pillows, packing peanuts. One biggest mistakes people make: underestimating the amount of packing needed. If you need supplies, a good site to go to is uline.com

2. Avoid old boxes. If a box has been shipped around a lot, it loses its strength/integrity. You want to use a new corrugated box that's designed for shipping and label it inside and out.

3 Use the right tape. No duct tape, no masking tape, no cellophane tape, no string (conveyor belt can snag it). Use professional-grade packing tape, two inches wide. The adhesive on other tapes can break down...

4. All food should be sealed in an airtight container or plastic bag before putting them in gift box and shipping box. Meats, cheeses, fruits, should ship on a Mon, Tues. or Wed., ideally via next day air. Mark them "perishable."

5. It's OK to go to the professionals with odd-shaped boxes. You can try to double box and make sure to blunt corners, wrap edges with foam or cardboard, or you can leave it to the pros -- UPS stores, Fed Ex, Kinkos, DHL authorized shipping centers -- packing experts are there to make sure gifts are properly packed and will arrive on time and in one piece.