Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Man killed in FBI custody
A FRIEND OF THE DEAD MAN TOLD THE ORLANDO SENTINEL AND ORLANDO TELEVISION STATIONS THAT HE WAS 27-YEAR-OLD IBRAGIM TODASHEV OF ORLANDO, A CHECHEN WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY LIVED IN BOSTON. TWO BROTHERS IDENTIFIED BY THE FBI AS SUSPECTS IN THE APRIL 15 BOMBINGS WERE ALSO ETHNIC CHECHENS WITH ROOTS IN RUSSIA'S VOLATILE NORTH CAUCASUS REGION.
5 dead, including gunman, in shooting rampage near Santa Monica College
A man with a semi-automatic rifle killed at least four people and wounded several others Friday as he carried out a deadly rampage across several blocks of a normally idyllic beachfront city before police shot him dead in the Santa Monica College Library.
Police said earlier that seven people were killed, including the gunman.
The violence began when the gunman, dressed in all black and wearing what appeared to be a ballistic jacket, opened fire on a house where the bodies of the gunman's father and brother were found, authorities said.
As the house burst into flames, the man wounded a woman in a car before moving toward the campus, spraying bullets as he went. Police said he opened fire on a city bus, a police car and other vehicles, as well as bystanders and pedestrians.
He killed three people on the street before shooting at an SUV leaving a campus parking lot. That vehicle's driver was killed and two passengers were wounded as the car crashed through a block wall.
From there, the gunman entered the campus, shooting a woman as he made his way toward the college's library, where students were studying for final exams.
"It appears that those who were encountered on the street were random victims," Santa Monica Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks said.
"We saw a woman get shot in the head," said administrative assistant Trena Johnson, who looked out the window of the dean's office, where she works, when she heard gunfire. "I haven't been able to stop shaking," she said.
Inside the library, students reported hearing gunfire and screams.
"I was totally scared to death and I can't believe it happened so fast," said Vincent Zhang, a 20-year-old economics major who said he heard a woman pleading, "No, no. Please, no."
The gunman continued to shoot at people in the library, Seabrooks said, but apparently didn't hit anybody there as dozens ran for the exits.
"The officers came in and directly engaged the suspect and he was shot and killed on the scene," she said.
Just 3 miles away, President Barack Obama was attending a fundraising luncheon. Secret Service spokesman Max Milien said the agency was aware of the shooting, which began just before noon, but it had no impact on the president's event.
The president was scheduled to take Marine One to the airport, but traveled by motorcade to avoid any impact on the ongoing local response to the shooting.
After the gunman was killed, police wearing helmets and armed with shotguns and rifles searched the campus for a second shooter. A man dressed entirely in black, the words "Life is a Gamble" on the back of his sweatshirt, was seen being led away in handcuffs.
Sgt. Richard Lewis, a Santa Monica police spokesman, said at a news conference Friday night that investigators had released a man who had been detained and questioned as a "person of interest."
The identities of the man detained and those who were killed were not immediately released.
Two officials briefed on the investigation told The Associated Press the two victims in the burned house were the gunman's father and brother.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the case.
Two women were admitted to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, said Dr. Marshall Morgan, the chief of emergency medicine. One was listed in critical condition after undergoing surgery. The other arrived in serious condition but was upgraded to fair condition Friday night.
Three other women went to UCLA Medical Center Santa Monica with relatively minor injuries, Morgan said. One had shrapnel-type injuries and the two others had injuries not related to gunfire, he said. All were treated and released.
Jerry Cunningham Rathner, who lives near the house that caught fire, said she heard gunshots and came out onto her porch to see a man shooting at the residence. Soon, the building erupted in flames and was billowing smoke.
The gunman, dressed in black and wearing an ammunition belt, pointed a rifle at a woman in a car and told her to pull over, Cunningham Rathner said. He then signaled to a second car, also driven by a woman, to slow down and began firing into the vehicle.
"He fired three to four shots into the car -- boom, boom, boom, right at her," said Cunningham Rathner, who went to the woman's aid and saw she was wounded in the shoulder.
She said the gunman then abducted the woman in the first car and drove away.
From there, the chaos shifted to Santa Monica College, located among homes and strip malls more than a mile inland from the city's famous Santa Monica Pier, Third Street Promenade and its expansive, sandy beaches.
The two-year college, spread out across 38 acres, has about 34,000 students.
Jimes Gillespie, 20, told The Associated Press he was in the library studying when he heard gunfire, and he and dozens of other students began fleeing the three-story building.
"As I was running down the stairs I saw one of the gunmen," said Gillespie, who described the shooter as a white man in his 20s, wearing cornrows in his hair and black overalls.
As he ran across campus, he said he saw a car in front of the English building that was riddled with bullet holes, had shattered windows and a baby's car seat in the back.
Student Noke Taumalolo told Fox News that he saw a female worker sorting recycling cans lying bloody on the ground with the gunman standing over her. According to the student, the gunman was wearing black tactical gear including a vest, SWAT-like fatigues and a riot helmet.
In a staff parking lot, college employee Joe Orcutt said he saw the gunman standing calmly with his weapon, looking as though he was trying to determine which people to shoot at.
"I turn around and that's when he's just standing there, like he's modeling for some ammo magazine," Orcutt said. "He was very calm just standing there, panning around, seeing who he could shoot, one bullet at a time, like target practice.
Police said earlier that seven people were killed, including the gunman.
The violence began when the gunman, dressed in all black and wearing what appeared to be a ballistic jacket, opened fire on a house where the bodies of the gunman's father and brother were found, authorities said.
As the house burst into flames, the man wounded a woman in a car before moving toward the campus, spraying bullets as he went. Police said he opened fire on a city bus, a police car and other vehicles, as well as bystanders and pedestrians.
He killed three people on the street before shooting at an SUV leaving a campus parking lot. That vehicle's driver was killed and two passengers were wounded as the car crashed through a block wall.
From there, the gunman entered the campus, shooting a woman as he made his way toward the college's library, where students were studying for final exams.
"It appears that those who were encountered on the street were random victims," Santa Monica Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks said.
"We saw a woman get shot in the head," said administrative assistant Trena Johnson, who looked out the window of the dean's office, where she works, when she heard gunfire. "I haven't been able to stop shaking," she said.
Inside the library, students reported hearing gunfire and screams.
"I was totally scared to death and I can't believe it happened so fast," said Vincent Zhang, a 20-year-old economics major who said he heard a woman pleading, "No, no. Please, no."
The gunman continued to shoot at people in the library, Seabrooks said, but apparently didn't hit anybody there as dozens ran for the exits.
"The officers came in and directly engaged the suspect and he was shot and killed on the scene," she said.
Just 3 miles away, President Barack Obama was attending a fundraising luncheon. Secret Service spokesman Max Milien said the agency was aware of the shooting, which began just before noon, but it had no impact on the president's event.
The president was scheduled to take Marine One to the airport, but traveled by motorcade to avoid any impact on the ongoing local response to the shooting.
After the gunman was killed, police wearing helmets and armed with shotguns and rifles searched the campus for a second shooter. A man dressed entirely in black, the words "Life is a Gamble" on the back of his sweatshirt, was seen being led away in handcuffs.
Sgt. Richard Lewis, a Santa Monica police spokesman, said at a news conference Friday night that investigators had released a man who had been detained and questioned as a "person of interest."
The identities of the man detained and those who were killed were not immediately released.
Two officials briefed on the investigation told The Associated Press the two victims in the burned house were the gunman's father and brother.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the case.
Two women were admitted to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, said Dr. Marshall Morgan, the chief of emergency medicine. One was listed in critical condition after undergoing surgery. The other arrived in serious condition but was upgraded to fair condition Friday night.
Three other women went to UCLA Medical Center Santa Monica with relatively minor injuries, Morgan said. One had shrapnel-type injuries and the two others had injuries not related to gunfire, he said. All were treated and released.
Jerry Cunningham Rathner, who lives near the house that caught fire, said she heard gunshots and came out onto her porch to see a man shooting at the residence. Soon, the building erupted in flames and was billowing smoke.
The gunman, dressed in black and wearing an ammunition belt, pointed a rifle at a woman in a car and told her to pull over, Cunningham Rathner said. He then signaled to a second car, also driven by a woman, to slow down and began firing into the vehicle.
"He fired three to four shots into the car -- boom, boom, boom, right at her," said Cunningham Rathner, who went to the woman's aid and saw she was wounded in the shoulder.
She said the gunman then abducted the woman in the first car and drove away.
From there, the chaos shifted to Santa Monica College, located among homes and strip malls more than a mile inland from the city's famous Santa Monica Pier, Third Street Promenade and its expansive, sandy beaches.
The two-year college, spread out across 38 acres, has about 34,000 students.
Jimes Gillespie, 20, told The Associated Press he was in the library studying when he heard gunfire, and he and dozens of other students began fleeing the three-story building.
"As I was running down the stairs I saw one of the gunmen," said Gillespie, who described the shooter as a white man in his 20s, wearing cornrows in his hair and black overalls.
As he ran across campus, he said he saw a car in front of the English building that was riddled with bullet holes, had shattered windows and a baby's car seat in the back.
Student Noke Taumalolo told Fox News that he saw a female worker sorting recycling cans lying bloody on the ground with the gunman standing over her. According to the student, the gunman was wearing black tactical gear including a vest, SWAT-like fatigues and a riot helmet.
In a staff parking lot, college employee Joe Orcutt said he saw the gunman standing calmly with his weapon, looking as though he was trying to determine which people to shoot at.
"I turn around and that's when he's just standing there, like he's modeling for some ammo magazine," Orcutt said. "He was very calm just standing there, panning around, seeing who he could shoot, one bullet at a time, like target practice.
McQuaid's Goal Sends Bruins to Stanley Cup Finals
Tuukka Rask knew how potent the Penguins offense was. He also knew he could shut them out.
"Every game starts with zero," the Bruins poised goalie said, "so you have a chance."
And two games ended with a zero for Pittsburgh as Boston completed a sweep with a 1-0 win on Friday night that sent it to its second Stanley Cup final, and maybe its second championship, in three years with a 4-0 series victory.
The Bruins will play the winner of the Western Conference finals. The Chicago Blackhawks lead the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 and can wrap it up Saturday night.
Rask's second shutout of the Eastern Conference finals continued his domination of the highest scoring team in the NHL. The Penguins big offensive threats — Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jarome Iginla and James Neal — didn't score a single point and Boston outscored Pittsburgh 12-2.
"We knew we had to be at our best to beat this team," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "That's exactly what happened."
Rask stopped 134 of 136 shots by a team that averaged 4.27 goals a game in its first two playoff series.
"I don't feel like they totally shut us down," Crosby said. "I feel like we got chances, but Rask made some big saves."
The few rebounds Rask allowed throughout the series were quickly cleared away by a defenseman or a forward getting back into the play. On offense and defense, the Bruins always seemed to be in the right spot at the right time. They made precise passes and got their sticks in the way of many passes the Penguins tried.
In the clincher, all the Bruins needed was one goal and defenseman Adam McQuaid provided it with a 45-foot slap shot from the right that went over goalie Tomas Vokoun's right arm at 5:01 of the third period.
Of Boston's 50 playoff goals, 15 have been scored by defensemen.
"I think first and foremost, we're obviously trying to be solid defensively," said McQuaid, who had one goal in 32 regular-season games but two in the playoffs. "It obviously feels good. It feels good to be able to contribute that way when you don't normally."
Rask provided the final flourish when he gloved Iginla's hard 40-foot shot as the final buzzer sounded.
Iginla had turned down a trade from Calgary to Boston before being dealt to Pittsburgh because he thought the Penguins had a better chance to win the Cup, but that turned out to be wrong.
The Penguins never led in the series.
"I just didn't play very well," he said. "That's when you want to play your best for the team."
McQuaid's goal sparked a chant of "We want the Cup!" from the capacity crowd. At the end of the game, the Bruins were one step closer to another title.
They were outplayed for much of regulation in Game 3. But they improved after that and won 2-1 on Patrice Bergeron's goal at 15:19 of the second overtime.
On Friday night, Boston's Milan Lucic admitted, "We were a little sluggish the first two periods ... and we said, 'We have to win a period to win a series.'"
They did just that.
The top-seeded Penguins were trying to overcome both the disciplined defense of the fourth-seeded Bruins and history. Only three teams had lost a series after winning the first three games. The last was the Bruins in the 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Penguins felt they were "put together to win the Stanley Cup. That's our expectation from Day One," coach Dan Bylsma said. "You're going to look at this as a missed opportunity."
"Every game starts with zero," the Bruins poised goalie said, "so you have a chance."
And two games ended with a zero for Pittsburgh as Boston completed a sweep with a 1-0 win on Friday night that sent it to its second Stanley Cup final, and maybe its second championship, in three years with a 4-0 series victory.
The Bruins will play the winner of the Western Conference finals. The Chicago Blackhawks lead the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 and can wrap it up Saturday night.
Rask's second shutout of the Eastern Conference finals continued his domination of the highest scoring team in the NHL. The Penguins big offensive threats — Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jarome Iginla and James Neal — didn't score a single point and Boston outscored Pittsburgh 12-2.
"We knew we had to be at our best to beat this team," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "That's exactly what happened."
Rask stopped 134 of 136 shots by a team that averaged 4.27 goals a game in its first two playoff series.
"I don't feel like they totally shut us down," Crosby said. "I feel like we got chances, but Rask made some big saves."
The few rebounds Rask allowed throughout the series were quickly cleared away by a defenseman or a forward getting back into the play. On offense and defense, the Bruins always seemed to be in the right spot at the right time. They made precise passes and got their sticks in the way of many passes the Penguins tried.
Of Boston's 50 playoff goals, 15 have been scored by defensemen.
"I think first and foremost, we're obviously trying to be solid defensively," said McQuaid, who had one goal in 32 regular-season games but two in the playoffs. "It obviously feels good. It feels good to be able to contribute that way when you don't normally."
Rask provided the final flourish when he gloved Iginla's hard 40-foot shot as the final buzzer sounded.
Iginla had turned down a trade from Calgary to Boston before being dealt to Pittsburgh because he thought the Penguins had a better chance to win the Cup, but that turned out to be wrong.
The Penguins never led in the series.
"I just didn't play very well," he said. "That's when you want to play your best for the team."
McQuaid's goal sparked a chant of "We want the Cup!" from the capacity crowd. At the end of the game, the Bruins were one step closer to another title.
They were outplayed for much of regulation in Game 3. But they improved after that and won 2-1 on Patrice Bergeron's goal at 15:19 of the second overtime.
On Friday night, Boston's Milan Lucic admitted, "We were a little sluggish the first two periods ... and we said, 'We have to win a period to win a series.'"
They did just that.
The top-seeded Penguins were trying to overcome both the disciplined defense of the fourth-seeded Bruins and history. Only three teams had lost a series after winning the first three games. The last was the Bruins in the 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Penguins felt they were "put together to win the Stanley Cup. That's our expectation from Day One," coach Dan Bylsma said. "You're going to look at this as a missed opportunity."
Doublespeak Denials Of PRISM Hid The Truth About Participation
“Direct Access” didn’t mean no access. “Back door” didn’t mean no door. “Only in accordance with the law” didn’t mean PRISM is illegal. And you didn’t need to have heard of a codename to have participated. Larry, Zuck, you didn’t spell out your denials of the NSA’s data spying program in plain english, and now we know why. You were obligated to help the government in its spying, but were muzzled.
[Update: This article and its headline have been edited,]
The New York Times says you knowingly participated in the NSA’s data monitoring program. In some cases, you were asked to create ”a locked mailbox and give the government the key”, to allow it to peer into private communications and web activity. Even if the exact words of your denials were accurate, they seemed to obscure the scope of your involvement with PRISM. Outlining as clearly as possible exactly what kind of data the government could attain would have gone a long way.
But you were probably cornered by Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act restrictions about what you could say about PRISM. And in fact, you might have beeen subtly trying to fight back by asking the government for more transparency. When you decode Mark’s statement “We strongly encourage all governments to be much more transparent about all programs aimed at keeping the public safe”, I hear “Our hands are cuffed. Only the government can reveal that we participated. We wish they would.”
Sadly, you really were working with the NSA to give it access to our private data, so your supposedly candid statements full of technicalities just broke our hearts, as the truth has come to light.
The terms you used disguised what was going on. Direct access means unrestricted access with no intermediary, but the government didn’t need to be standing in the server rooms to get what it wanted. A back door means access to data without its host’s knowledge or consent, but you were well aware of the NSA’s snooping. The NSA’s actions are likely protected by law, so saying you’re only honoring prying that’s legal didn’t mean no prying. And why would the government tell you the juicy codename or details of its data spying program? All it had to say is it needed your data.
Now these excuses ring hollow. The average citizen doesn’t know the difference. They heard “we didn’t help the NSA”, and you did, so their trust in you has disintegrated.
That’s a threat to your business, and our way of life. I like that all my friends use Google Docs. I like that I can invite any of my friends to a Facebook Event. Seeing them ditch the building blocks of the web you’ve developed because they don’t believe anything you say anymore will be a great inconvenience. And that inconvenience pales in importance to the actual liberty PRISM strips away from us.
Then again, your silence would have been taken as an admission of guilt. What an awful position our government put you in.
[Update 12:45am PST 6/8/13: This article and its headline have been edited as I think the title "Doublespeak Denials Of Prism Participation Were Careful Lies" went a bit far. The execs weren't lying, but by denying specifics rather than discussing their participation in PRISM on a high level, I think they obscured their involvement. However, their companies are legally required to provide private information requested by the government, and were legally restricted in how they could explain the process, so I feel the blame rests more on the NSA than the tech giants. For more information, read my follow-up "Tech Giants Built Segrated Systems For NSA Instead Of Firehoses To Protect Innocent Users From PRISM"]
[Update: This article and its headline have been edited,]
The New York Times says you knowingly participated in the NSA’s data monitoring program. In some cases, you were asked to create ”a locked mailbox and give the government the key”, to allow it to peer into private communications and web activity. Even if the exact words of your denials were accurate, they seemed to obscure the scope of your involvement with PRISM. Outlining as clearly as possible exactly what kind of data the government could attain would have gone a long way.
But you were probably cornered by Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act restrictions about what you could say about PRISM. And in fact, you might have beeen subtly trying to fight back by asking the government for more transparency. When you decode Mark’s statement “We strongly encourage all governments to be much more transparent about all programs aimed at keeping the public safe”, I hear “Our hands are cuffed. Only the government can reveal that we participated. We wish they would.”
Sadly, you really were working with the NSA to give it access to our private data, so your supposedly candid statements full of technicalities just broke our hearts, as the truth has come to light.
The terms you used disguised what was going on. Direct access means unrestricted access with no intermediary, but the government didn’t need to be standing in the server rooms to get what it wanted. A back door means access to data without its host’s knowledge or consent, but you were well aware of the NSA’s snooping. The NSA’s actions are likely protected by law, so saying you’re only honoring prying that’s legal didn’t mean no prying. And why would the government tell you the juicy codename or details of its data spying program? All it had to say is it needed your data.
Now these excuses ring hollow. The average citizen doesn’t know the difference. They heard “we didn’t help the NSA”, and you did, so their trust in you has disintegrated.
That’s a threat to your business, and our way of life. I like that all my friends use Google Docs. I like that I can invite any of my friends to a Facebook Event. Seeing them ditch the building blocks of the web you’ve developed because they don’t believe anything you say anymore will be a great inconvenience. And that inconvenience pales in importance to the actual liberty PRISM strips away from us.
Then again, your silence would have been taken as an admission of guilt. What an awful position our government put you in.
[Update 12:45am PST 6/8/13: This article and its headline have been edited as I think the title "Doublespeak Denials Of Prism Participation Were Careful Lies" went a bit far. The execs weren't lying, but by denying specifics rather than discussing their participation in PRISM on a high level, I think they obscured their involvement. However, their companies are legally required to provide private information requested by the government, and were legally restricted in how they could explain the process, so I feel the blame rests more on the NSA than the tech giants. For more information, read my follow-up "Tech Giants Built Segrated Systems For NSA Instead Of Firehoses To Protect Innocent Users From PRISM"]
Apple Loop: Cook Unveils Mission Statement, iOS 7 Gets Colorful, New iPhone In The Fall
Keeping you in the loop about some of the things that happened around Apple this week.
Color palette redux? Apple’s new version of the iOS mobile operating system – iOS 7 – features a new colors, a new font and new icons. It’s the first time the OS was created under the direction of design chief Jony Ive, who was named head of human interface last year. Rather than take the stage at WWDC, Ive explained the design goals behind iOS 7 in a seven-and-a-half-minute video (below). There are lots of opinions on the new OS – Senator John McCain is a fan already and thanked Apple for being so quick to incorporate the feature (automatic iPhone app updates) he asked Cook for during that Senate subcommittee hearing on taxes back in May. But most reviewers will wait until the fall when it’s released to offer their final verdict. I couldn’t help feeling that the new color palette seemed somehow familiar. When I got home, I dug out a bag I got back in May 1991 from Apple to celebrate the release of its System 7 operating system for the Mac. I knew I’d seen those reds and pinks before.
The iPhone countdown begins. The release of iOS 7 in “the fall” means that the new version of the iPhone will also be released then, since Apple typically ties the release of its newest smartphone to the latest OS. For the past year or more, there’s been speculation that Apple is working on higher-end iPhones with bigger screens as well as lower-priced models as part of a strategy to expand the audience for the device — just as it did with the iPod. So expect to see many stories in the coming months speculating on what those bigger and less-expensive models will look like. This week’s rumor: Apple may release the iPhone in different colors. Just remember the takeaway: new iPhone in the fall.
Did too. Did not. The Department of Justice’s case against Apple over e-book price fixing continued this week in New York federal court. The DOJ introduced an e-mail written by Steve Jobs and addressed to iTunes chief Eddy Cue, which the government said proves its case that Apple was colluding with publishers to force Amazon to adopt a new pricing scheme for e-books. The only thing is that Apple got up and said what the DOJ presented was a “draft” e-mail that Jobs never sent. The company then introduced the e-mail that Jobs actually did send to Cue, which lacks the reference to forcing Amazon to switch its pricing. Cnet has both emails here, and you can find all the government’s exhibits here. Cue, a key figure in the alleged price-fixing scheme, was in the courtroom yesterday to testify, and he said Jobs was reluctant to offer e-books on the iPad at all before agreeing to the idea a few months before the tablet was introduced. The trial before U .S. District Judge Denise Cote, who will decide the case without a jury, continues next week. The other interesting piece out of the courtroom this week: Apple says it has about a 20 percent share of the e-book market.
Steve Jobs stuff. JOBS, the Steve Jobs biopic starring Ashton Kutcher, is set to be released on Aug. 16. ….Musician Kanye West described himself this week as the Steve Jobs of the Internet. “I think what Kanye West is going to mean is something similar to what Steve Jobs means,” West told the New York Times. “ I am undoubtedly, you know, Steve of Internet, downtown, fashion, culture. Period. By a long jump. I honestly feel that because Steve has passed, you know, it’s like when Biggie passed and Jay-Z was allowed to become Jay-Z.” Uh huh…And lastly, Apple fan sites were quick to note that Apple seems to be paying subtle tribute to Jobs in iOS 7: The heavy rectangular frames used for the “Add to Reading List” icon has been replaced with Jobs’ rimless spectacles.
Watch it from YouTube.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpZmIiIXuZ0&feature=player_embedded
Designed by Apple in Cupertino. For those of us who attended the Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this week, it wasn’t the new operating systems, updated MacBook Air or Mac Pro preview that stood out. It was the mission statement and TV ad unveiled by CEO Tim Cook. 
Why? Well, for much of the past 16 years, Apple has been about show, not tell. They showed new products — candy-colored iMacs, the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad — and we could see immediately how different, how elegant, how innovative they were. And even though showman Steve Jobs was a master at making users covet Apple’s technology, his superlatives – Amazing! Cool! Magical! – were really unnecessary because the products spoke for themselves. That’s why the new messaging is kind of curious. In both videos, Apple talks about what it takes for a product to bear the “Made by Apple in California” label rather than show its tech in action. Here’s the text from the 90-second mission statement, called “Intention.” Video above.
Why? Well, for much of the past 16 years, Apple has been about show, not tell. They showed new products — candy-colored iMacs, the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad — and we could see immediately how different, how elegant, how innovative they were. And even though showman Steve Jobs was a master at making users covet Apple’s technology, his superlatives – Amazing! Cool! Magical! – were really unnecessary because the products spoke for themselves. That’s why the new messaging is kind of curious. In both videos, Apple talks about what it takes for a product to bear the “Made by Apple in California” label rather than show its tech in action. Here’s the text from the 90-second mission statement, called “Intention.” Video above.if everyone/ is busy making everything/how can anyone perfect anything?/we start to confuse convenience/with joy/abundance with choice./designing something requires/focus/the first thing we ask is/what do people want to feel?/delight/surprise/love/connection/then we begin to craft around our intention/it takes time…/there are thousand no’s/for every yes./we simplify/we perfect/we start over/until everything we touch/enhances each life/it touches./only then do we sign our work./Designed by Apple in CaliforniaI asked some marketing experts what they thought about Apple’s approach. Former Apple ad man Ken Segall says the ad, called “Our Signature,” is “filler” messaging until Apple delivers new products later this year. “If they had great products to talk about, we wouldn’t be seeing those ads. It is a bit defensive because they’re under attack, not just from Samsung, but also from all the critics out there because there are no new products. I think it is defensive – ‘We may not have new products, but we really work hard on these things. We don’t put our signature on it until it’s right.’” Hayes Roth of Landor Associates gives Apple kudos for the ad because it “supports how integrated Apple products are in one’s life. They really do enhance people’s lives, connecting across borders, cultures, languages, and experiences – whether in your personal or professional life – Apple has found a way to be a part of it. It truly is a lifestyle brand for the digital age, and while they may have a hiccup here and there, Apple remains a cult brand, and its consumers are some of the most loyal in the world. This ad does a great job of underscoring that, and bringing it to life in a real, tangible way.” Roth also says the ad and mission statement show that “it’s a new era” under Tim Cook. “It is really a signal of a very different attitude. Steve Jobs would have choked on that. He would probably have fired someone. It doesn’t make Tim Cook’s approach wrong. It just means it’s a new era.”
Color palette redux? Apple’s new version of the iOS mobile operating system – iOS 7 – features a new colors, a new font and new icons. It’s the first time the OS was created under the direction of design chief Jony Ive, who was named head of human interface last year. Rather than take the stage at WWDC, Ive explained the design goals behind iOS 7 in a seven-and-a-half-minute video (below). There are lots of opinions on the new OS – Senator John McCain is a fan already and thanked Apple for being so quick to incorporate the feature (automatic iPhone app updates) he asked Cook for during that Senate subcommittee hearing on taxes back in May. But most reviewers will wait until the fall when it’s released to offer their final verdict. I couldn’t help feeling that the new color palette seemed somehow familiar. When I got home, I dug out a bag I got back in May 1991 from Apple to celebrate the release of its System 7 operating system for the Mac. I knew I’d seen those reds and pinks before.
The iPhone countdown begins. The release of iOS 7 in “the fall” means that the new version of the iPhone will also be released then, since Apple typically ties the release of its newest smartphone to the latest OS. For the past year or more, there’s been speculation that Apple is working on higher-end iPhones with bigger screens as well as lower-priced models as part of a strategy to expand the audience for the device — just as it did with the iPod. So expect to see many stories in the coming months speculating on what those bigger and less-expensive models will look like. This week’s rumor: Apple may release the iPhone in different colors. Just remember the takeaway: new iPhone in the fall.
Did too. Did not. The Department of Justice’s case against Apple over e-book price fixing continued this week in New York federal court. The DOJ introduced an e-mail written by Steve Jobs and addressed to iTunes chief Eddy Cue, which the government said proves its case that Apple was colluding with publishers to force Amazon to adopt a new pricing scheme for e-books. The only thing is that Apple got up and said what the DOJ presented was a “draft” e-mail that Jobs never sent. The company then introduced the e-mail that Jobs actually did send to Cue, which lacks the reference to forcing Amazon to switch its pricing. Cnet has both emails here, and you can find all the government’s exhibits here. Cue, a key figure in the alleged price-fixing scheme, was in the courtroom yesterday to testify, and he said Jobs was reluctant to offer e-books on the iPad at all before agreeing to the idea a few months before the tablet was introduced. The trial before U .S. District Judge Denise Cote, who will decide the case without a jury, continues next week. The other interesting piece out of the courtroom this week: Apple says it has about a 20 percent share of the e-book market.
Steve Jobs stuff. JOBS, the Steve Jobs biopic starring Ashton Kutcher, is set to be released on Aug. 16. ….Musician Kanye West described himself this week as the Steve Jobs of the Internet. “I think what Kanye West is going to mean is something similar to what Steve Jobs means,” West told the New York Times. “ I am undoubtedly, you know, Steve of Internet, downtown, fashion, culture. Period. By a long jump. I honestly feel that because Steve has passed, you know, it’s like when Biggie passed and Jay-Z was allowed to become Jay-Z.” Uh huh…And lastly, Apple fan sites were quick to note that Apple seems to be paying subtle tribute to Jobs in iOS 7: The heavy rectangular frames used for the “Add to Reading List” icon has been replaced with Jobs’ rimless spectacles.
New generation of Arab singers
Nancy Ajram
Arab music has a long tradition of Oud — a local variety of lute — and soulful longing. It is the foundation of classical Arab music. Umm Kulthum of Egypt was phenomenally popular throughout the Arab world. Many regard Al-Atlal (The Ruins) as her best song. She died in 1975.
Nouhad Wadi Haddad a Lebanese female singer popularly known as Fairuz or Turquoise closely followed her in eminence. While classical songs were Umm Kulthum’s forte Fairuz excelled in modern Arabic songs also projecting the Lebanese heritage. Her all time popular song A’tini al-Nay is cherished by every Arab.
They are followed by new bunch of talented and popular young singers, both male and female. They are Amr Diab, Nancy Ajram, Tamer Hosny, Mohammed Hamaki, Elissar Zakaria Khouri, Sherine Ahmed Abdul Wahab, Kadim Al Sahir, Cairokee a band group and Wael Kfoury.
Among the lot, Amr Abdel Basset Abdel Azeez Diab (Amr Diab) of Egypt is a versatile performer; Diab is both a singer and composer. He has received many awards as the best-selling Arab recording artist. Music connoisseurs commend Diab for blending a Mediterranean Music style combining Arab sound and diction with Western cadence and instruments.
Amr Diab’s 1996 album “Nour El Ain” (Light of the Eye-Sight) became a sensation in the music world. “Habibi” from the album drew music lovers like infatuation worldwide in countries like Pakistan, India (performed by Nachiketa in Bengali with lyrics of his own), Afghanistan, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. The album sold 3 million copies! In 1998, he received the World Music Award from the Prince of Monaco. Diab became a living legend. His album “Amarain” (Two Moons) of 1999 is rated as his best. Amarain featured Diab in a duet “Qalbi” with Algeria’s “Didi” famed Khaled based in France.
Nancy Nabil Ajram (Nancy Ajram) of Lebanon is an immensely popular pop star in Arab music. Nancy came into the limelight in 2003 with the big success of her lead single “Akhasmak Ah”. With her fourth album “Ah w Noss” (Yes, and a half)) she became the pop icon of Arab world. Coca Cola made Nancy their official celebrity spokesperson. The commercial was a hit — “Oul Tany Kida?” (Say that again?). The success continued and her fifth album “Ya Tabtab Wa Dalla” is believed to be her best. Ajram’s crowning moment came when her best-selling album “Betfakkar Fi Eih” won the first World Music Award .as the best-selling Middle Eastern Artist.
Tamer Hosny Abbas Farghaly (Tamer Hosny) of Egypt is idolized as the Star of Generation. He is a highly endowed talent – singer, actor, composer, director and songwriter. In 2004 his second album “Hob” (Love) a romantic one featured a catchy solo “Arrab Habibi”. Its success earned him the nickname “King of Generation”. The solo song kept on running in music channels. The 8th album “Elly Gai Ahla” (2011) found great popularity and he found his bride in his fellow Moroccan singer Bassma Boussil.
Mohammed Ibrahim Mohammed El-Hamaki (Mohammed Hamaki) of Egypt is known as the Master of Pop Music. He is in his thirties. His virtuosity extends to musical instruments; he can play both guitar and piano. He shot into fame with his album “Kheles El Kalam” (All The Words Have Finished!). The song “Wahda Wahda” (One by One) became very popular.
Elissar Zakaria Khouri (Elissa) is a Lebanese pop singer. Elissa became a phenomenon with her W’akherta Ma’ak. It included a popular duet “Betghib Betrouh”. The video clip of her equally successful album “Ayshalak” was done in France by French Director Fabrice Begotti.
The popularity of this new generation of singers shows that Arab world has great love for music and has a wealth of talents to keep it alive. The legacy of Umm Kulthum and Fairuz continues.
WAR TRIAL - Mojaheed to hang
Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed waves while being taken to International Crimes Tribunal-2 Wednesday morning for pronouncement of verdict in war crimes case. Photo: Focus Bangla
A special court in Dhaka has awarded death penalty to Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed for offences during Bangladesh’s war of independence 42 years back.
Five out of seven charges have been proved beyond doubt, Justice Obaidul Hassan, head judge of International Crimes Tribunal-2, announced in a jam-packed courtroom Wednesday afternoon.
The Jamaat linchpin, who led the infamous Al-Badr force in killing intellectuals of the land at the fag end of the 1971 Liberation War, received death penalty for three charges, and life sentence and five-year imprisonment for two others.
Standing in the dock wearing a Panjabi, the 65-year-old shook his head in disapproval of the judgement.
This is the sixth verdict in the sensational war crimes trial that was initiated 40 years into the country’s birth, which the Jamaat was strongly against and instrumental to negate.
His party has enforced a countrywide daylong hartal (shutdown) to protest the verdict.
Mojaheed’s verdict came couple of days after another war crimes tribunal, ICT-1, awarded former Jamaat chief Ghulam Azam 90 years jail.
Tight security was arranged in and around the ICT-2 building as the court prepared to deliver judgement on Mojaheed Wednesday.
A contingent of securitymen guarded the Jamaat top leader as he was taken to the prison cell of the court at 9:42am in a white microbus.
He was taken to the tribunal dock just one hour later.
The court started its proceedings at 10:48am.
After a brief description of the case, Justice Md Shahinur Islam, a judge on the three-member panel, started reading out from the 209-page verdict.
A 37-page excerpt was read out.
BACKGROUND
Mojaheed, a former technocrat minister of the last BNP-led alliance government, was arrested on June 29, 2010, in connection with hurting religious sentiments of Muslims.
The investigation agency, designated to probe war crimes, started investigation his alleged crimes during the war on July 21, 2010, and completed its probe in October, 2011.
Mojaheed was shown arrested in the war crimes case on August 2, 2010.
On January 16, 2012, the prosecution submitted 34 charges against him and the tribunal took the charges into cognisance on January 26.
The case was transferred to Tribunal-2 on April 25, 2012.
On June 21, 2012, Mojaheed, who was a top leader of Islami Chhatra Sangha, the student wing of Jamaat in 1971, was indicted on seven charges.
As per the indictment order, Mojaheed in October 1971 was elected provincial president of Chhatra Sangha and became the chief of Al-Badr, an auxiliary force of the Pakistan army that was especially responsible for the planned killings of the intellectuals at the fag-end of the nine-month-long war.
Al-Badr was an “action section” and “armed wing” of Jamaat and was formed mainly with the members of Islami Chhatra Sangha, the Tribunal-2 observed during the proceeding of another war crime suspect Jamaat leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman’s verdict.
As many as 17 prosecution witnesses including the investigation officer of the case testified against Mojaheed, while his younger son gave testimony as the lone defence witness.
The prosecution and the defence placed closing arguments between May 7 and June 5.
Earlier on June 5, the tribunal kept the Mojaheed case CAV (Curia Advisari Vult, a Latin legal term meaning verdict would be delivered anytime).
WAR TRIAL PROGRESS REPORT
The two tribunals dealing with the war crimes cases have so far delivered verdicts in five cases.
The Tribunal-1 on July 15 awarded 90-year jail to former Jamaat-e-Islami chief Ghulam Azam for his war time offences.
The Tribunal-2 awarded expelled Jamaat leader Abul Kalam Azad and Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Muhammad Kamaruzzaman death sentence and another Assistant Secretary General Abdul Quader Mollah life sentence, while the Tribunal-1 awarded Jamaat leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee capital punishment.
Chile journalist Jhendelyn Nunez shows her bra after Alexis Sanchez goal against Brazil
Chilean stunner Jhendelyn Nunez showed her colours when star forward Alexis Sanchez scored the equaliser against Brazil - by flashing her bra.
The journalist was clearly delighted when Sanchez fired home to cancel out David Luiz's opener
Stunner: Jhendelyn Nunez shows her support for the Chile national team
Single show: Unfortunately Chile were only able to find the net once, and lost on penalties
Inspiration: Alexis slots home the goal that led to Nunez's topless celebration in Belo Horizonte
Nunez lifted her shirt to show a bra emblazoned with the Chile flag.
Brazil went on to win the game on penalties after the visitors hit the crossbar in the last minute of extra time - who knows how Nunez would have celebrated if her side had won!
Europe’s refugee crisis: Addressing the root causes of the mass migration is the only solution
Recently people woke up to heart-breaking images of a lifeless Syrian toddler who had drowned along with 11 others as the group tried to make its way to Greece. The images were a stark reminder of the massive tragedy that is unfolding on the shores of Europe as thousands of Syrians, Iraqis, Afghans and Africans undertake an extremely hazardous journey to seek asylum in the West. The mass migration has been described as the largest refugee crisis since World War II. What has compounded matters further is that Europe itself is dealing with an economic downturn and high levels of unemployment.
In such a scenario, Europe is facing a huge dilemma. The civil war in Syria and Iraq, the increasing violence in Afghanistan and the chaos in African nations like Libya have created millions of refugees who are trying to escape theatres of war and conflict. However, at the same time thousands of economic migrants are also tagging along in search of a better life.
Take the refugees from the African nation of Eritrea. Eritreans form the second largest group of refugees seeking asylum in Europe after Syrians. However, at present there’s no conflict in Eritrea. Yet people are leaving this small African nation because of a highly repressive government that has created a totalitarian regime. This presents a tricky situation for European countries. It’s one thing to accept asylum seekers fleeing conflict zones on humanitarian grounds. But accepting economic migrants at a time when many European countries are grappling with their own economic problems may be simply unfeasible.
This is precisely why many European countries such as Greece and Italy that have seen waves of refugees land on their shores are either waving them through to Germany and other northern European countries or blocking their journey further into Europe. What has added to the confusion is that under the Dublin Regulation refugees should be screened and their asylum applications processed in the countries where they arrive first. However, given the mass of humanity arriving on European shores many countries have stopped following the rules. Add to this the fact that countries like Germany and Sweden have opened their doors to refugees, especially from Syria, even though they aren’t the migrants’ first port of call.
In the midst of this chaos, many countries are even considering re-imposing border controls, reversing the open borders policy under the Schengen system for travel among 22 European Union countries. Plus, the ongoing influx of refugees is bound to provide a fillip to anti-immigration right-wing political groups in different parts of Europe. After all, assimilating such large numbers of people from diverse ethno-religious backgrounds, all at one go, is extremely difficult. Besides, there’s also the security risk of Islamic State terrorists/ sympathisers smuggling themselves into Europe among the refugees to carry out terrorist attacks.
All of this has given rise to calls for a common asylum policy for Europe to better manage and distribute the burden of incoming refugees. How Europe does this remains to be seen. Surely, it has to address the root of the problem – the ongoing civil war in Syria and Iraq as well as the genuine aspirations of the people in the Middle East and Africa. In fact, the two aren’t entirely unrelated. Fighting poverty in Africa, for example, would not only stem the outflow of economic migrants but also ensure that extremist groups like the Islamic State and its affiliates are unable to make inroads into vulnerable countries.
The North African nation of Morocco was able to grasp this reality quite early. As a result, it has initiated a series of economic cooperation programmes to boost development in the African countries of the Sahara and Sahel. Plus, Morocco has been actively pushing for international cooperation in fighting trans-national terrorism with special focus on the issue of foreign fighters. Against this backdrop, there’s a strong case for European nations to boost their cooperation with Morocco and jointly work on development programmes that seek to mitigate the economic, political and developmental distortions that are fuelling both conflicts and the mass migration to Europe.
In such a scenario, Europe is facing a huge dilemma. The civil war in Syria and Iraq, the increasing violence in Afghanistan and the chaos in African nations like Libya have created millions of refugees who are trying to escape theatres of war and conflict. However, at the same time thousands of economic migrants are also tagging along in search of a better life.
Take the refugees from the African nation of Eritrea. Eritreans form the second largest group of refugees seeking asylum in Europe after Syrians. However, at present there’s no conflict in Eritrea. Yet people are leaving this small African nation because of a highly repressive government that has created a totalitarian regime. This presents a tricky situation for European countries. It’s one thing to accept asylum seekers fleeing conflict zones on humanitarian grounds. But accepting economic migrants at a time when many European countries are grappling with their own economic problems may be simply unfeasible.
This is precisely why many European countries such as Greece and Italy that have seen waves of refugees land on their shores are either waving them through to Germany and other northern European countries or blocking their journey further into Europe. What has added to the confusion is that under the Dublin Regulation refugees should be screened and their asylum applications processed in the countries where they arrive first. However, given the mass of humanity arriving on European shores many countries have stopped following the rules. Add to this the fact that countries like Germany and Sweden have opened their doors to refugees, especially from Syria, even though they aren’t the migrants’ first port of call.
In the midst of this chaos, many countries are even considering re-imposing border controls, reversing the open borders policy under the Schengen system for travel among 22 European Union countries. Plus, the ongoing influx of refugees is bound to provide a fillip to anti-immigration right-wing political groups in different parts of Europe. After all, assimilating such large numbers of people from diverse ethno-religious backgrounds, all at one go, is extremely difficult. Besides, there’s also the security risk of Islamic State terrorists/ sympathisers smuggling themselves into Europe among the refugees to carry out terrorist attacks.
All of this has given rise to calls for a common asylum policy for Europe to better manage and distribute the burden of incoming refugees. How Europe does this remains to be seen. Surely, it has to address the root of the problem – the ongoing civil war in Syria and Iraq as well as the genuine aspirations of the people in the Middle East and Africa. In fact, the two aren’t entirely unrelated. Fighting poverty in Africa, for example, would not only stem the outflow of economic migrants but also ensure that extremist groups like the Islamic State and its affiliates are unable to make inroads into vulnerable countries.
The North African nation of Morocco was able to grasp this reality quite early. As a result, it has initiated a series of economic cooperation programmes to boost development in the African countries of the Sahara and Sahel. Plus, Morocco has been actively pushing for international cooperation in fighting trans-national terrorism with special focus on the issue of foreign fighters. Against this backdrop, there’s a strong case for European nations to boost their cooperation with Morocco and jointly work on development programmes that seek to mitigate the economic, political and developmental distortions that are fuelling both conflicts and the mass migration to Europe.
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