Archive for September, 2006
Anna, Lawyer Hold Commitment
Anna Nicole Smith and her longtime lawyer and confidant, Howard K. Stern, held a commitment ceremony in the Bahamas Thursday, her attorney, Michael Scott, tells the Associated Press.
“It was low-key, on a boat,” a source close to the couple tells PEOPLE. “It was a simple ceremony, exchanging vows.”
According to a press release issued by TrimSpa, the diet-product company for which Smith is spokesperson, the couple “made a commitment before God to be there for one another, to be each other’s strength during this difficult time. Although the ceremony was officiated, it was not a wedding and no marriage certificate was issued.”
On Tuesday Stern said on Larry King Live that he is the father of Smith’s baby daughter Dannielynn Hope, born Sept. 7 – just three days before Smith’s 20-year-old son, Daniel, died while visiting his mother in the hospital.
Stern told King of his relationship with Smith, “We love each other …
Sony announces worldwide recall of notebook computer batteries
WASHINGTON — Sony Corp. on Thursday announced a worldwide recall and free replacement of Sony-made batteries in laptop computers after several incidences of them catching fire.
The announcement, made in the United States, came the same day IBM and China’s Lenovo announced a recall of 526,000 Sony-made batteries in notebook computers after a battery overheated and caught fire. Apple and Dell have already recalled 5.9 million Sony-made batteries.
With the worldwide recall, it is likely the reputation of the Sony brand will be damaged and business results will be affected negatively.
The company has not yet announced which batteries will be replaced or how many will be recalled, but it did say that it will provide details in the near future after consulting the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Lenovo and IBM announced that they were recalling Sony-made batteries in ThinkPad notebook computers produced since February 2005. A total of 357,500 sold outside the …
HP targets gamers with VoodooPC acquisition
Hewlett-Packard has taken a page from Dell’s acquisition playbook with a definitive agreement to acquire one of the best-known high-end gaming PC vendors, VoodooPC.
HP officials said on Thursday the company plans to form a separate business unit within its Personal Systems Group focused on the gaming business. Rahul Sood, president and CTO of VoodooPC, Calgary, Canada, will become chief technologist for the unit, while CEO Ravi Sood will be the unit’s director of strategy.
They will report to Phil McKinney, who will become the general manager of the unit. McKinney will also continue his role as CTO of HP’s Personal Systems Group.
The move by HP follows Dell’s acquisition this March of Alienware, . one of the other top gaming PC vendors.
The acquisition of Alienware was Dell’s back-door entry into the AMD world. Previously, Dell had depended exclusively on Intel for CPUs. Since then, however, Dell has brought AMD processors into its …
Three strikes for Chelsea, Liverpool
DIDIER DROGBA scored a hat-trick in Chelsea’s 3-1 win at Levski Sofia yesterday and European champion FC Barcelona needed a late equaliser at Werder Bremen.
Drogba scored in the 39th, 52nd and 68th minutes, while group A rival Barcelona needed Lionel Messi to score in the 89th minute to cancel captain Carles Puyol’s own goal.
“OK, I scored three goals and I am very happy, but the most important thing in the Champions League is to win away,” Drogba said.
Two-time champion Inter Milan lost 2-0 to Bayern Munich and finished the match with nine players. It was Inter’s second loss in Europe and leaves the Italian champion in trouble in group B.
Drogba scored his first goal when John Obi Mikel’s shot was blocked by Levski goalkeeper Georgi Petkov. The Ivory Coast striker’s second came after he chested a long pass and netted under Petkov. Midfielder Frank Lampard set up Drogba for …
Sony Ericsson Introduces Bluetooth Watch By Fossil
Fossil, Inc. and Sony Ericsson are planning to to roll out several lines of Bluetooth wireless technology-enabled watches.
Fossil will be introducing the ABACUS MobileWear and FOSSIL Caller ID watches and Sony Ericsson will be introducing its own line of jointly developed products. All watches will seamlessly link to most Sony Ericsson Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones.
The companies see the device no longer a timepiece, but a discreet user interface to personal mobile communication that will become an essential part of handling calls and controlling the media player on a mobile phone.
By combining style with technology, Fossil and Sony Ericsson believe they have created a way to incorporate the convenience of the Bluetooth technology with a fashionable and socially acceptable way to manage a mobile phone.
Watches are continuing to evolve. “Watches are the perfect ‘glanceable’ display. They are simple to use, fashionable, and well accepted,†said Bill Geiser, Vice President of watch technology …
Inzamam banned for four one-day matches
Pakistan cricket captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has been suspended for bringing the game into disrepute, but his clearance on a ball tampering charge raises questions about the actions of Australian umpire Darrell Hair.
Inzamam was suspended for four one-day internationals for bringing the game into disrepute, relating to his actions as captain during last month’s England-Pakistan fourth Test when he refused to bring his team onto The Oval after it had been punished for ball tampering.
It was a relatively lenient punishment, as he could have received a suspension of up to four Tests and eight one-dayers, plus a fine.
Inzamam has 24 hours to lodge a possible appeal against that finding and if he does not, he will miss Pakistan’s opening matches in the Champions Trophy in India.
International Cricket Council referee Ranjan Madugalle, who conducted the hearing at The Oval, cleared Inzamam of ball tampering.
He had examined the match ball and found …
Owens Says He Didn’t Attempt Suicide
Terrell Owens has done a lot of things to draw attention to himself the last six years. His latest turn in the spotlight is one he’d rather forget. Swallowing a bottle full of pain killers? Attempted suicide? Depression? No, no, no, T.O. said, calling the saga that swirled around him Wednesday a big misunderstanding.
“I want to apologize to the organization for this being a distraction,” Owens said at the end of a confusing half day capped by his explanation of what happened. “This is definitely an unfortunate situation.”
Owens said he expected to practice Thursday for the first time since breaking his right hand a week ago Sunday. If all goes well, he thinks he can play for the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in Tennessee.
Owens is listed as questionable, same as he was Tuesday afternoon, hours before an ambulance took him to an emergency room and he …
Tracinda Tells GM That It May Buy 12 Million Shares (Update3)
Sept. 28 (Bloomberg) — Billionaire Kirk Kerkorian’s Tracinda Corp. told General Motors Corp. it may buy 12 million more GM shares to support the “strong opportunity” for an alliance with Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA.
Tracinda, which spurred GM into discussions about the alliance earlier this year, included a copy of a letter to GM Chief Executive Officer Rick Wagoner in a U.S. regulatory filing after Wagoner and Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn both said today their companies don’t need the alliance to thrive.
Kerkorian’s plan adds pressure on Wagoner, 53. The GM chief said he wants to focus on his own strategy to restructure the world’s largest automaker after losing $10.6 billion last year, though the alliance talks will continue until Oct. 15. Kerkorian is GM’s fourth-largest investor, with a 9.9 percent stake.
“That’s a nice way to keep the pressure on,” said Pete Hastings, a fixed-income analyst at Morgan Keegan Inc. …
‘Ugly Betty’ is a beautiful new TV program
It would be easy to call “Ugly Betty” beautiful.Charming. Heartwarming. Lovely.
And, while it would also be pretty hokey to use those words, all of them would be appropriate.
“Ugly Betty” is ABC’s new hourlong comedy with a dramatic twist (I refuse to say “dramedy,” for now). It premieres at 8 tonight on KOMO-TV, Channel 4.
It’s an American adaptation of a Spanish-language telenovela, “Yo Soy Betty La Fea,” that started in Columbia and was a hit in many other Latin countries.
It’s easy to see why.
Betty Suarez, who is delightfully played by America Ferrara (“The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”), is a classic fish out of water when she lands a job as the assistant to the executive editor of a fashion magazine.
Betty isn’t, shall we say, classically beautiful and she’s a little round around the edges – keep in mind, this is Hollywood’s version of round around the edges. She has a …
Two men and a baby each says is his own
New York: A former boyfriend of Anna Nicole Smith says he is the father of the former Playboy playmate’s newborn daughter – and he is seeking a DNA test to prove it.
In an interview on Us magazine’s website, Larry Birkhead, a photographer, described as laughable claims by Smith’s lawyer, Howard Stern, that he was the father of Dannie Ray Hope, born in the Bahamas on September 7.
“I have asked for a DNA test,” Mr Birkhead said. He was confident of the result. “I know I am the father of the child. I look forward to having a relationship with my new daughter.”
He said he was not surprised Mr Stern had said he was the father, “but I am laughing at it.”
Mr Stern told CNN’s Larry King Live on Tuesday that he was the “proud father” of the girl, and he planned to marry Smith “at some point”.
“Right now we have …
Honda unveils diesel system to rival gasoline cars
The car maker that floored the world in the 1970s with the first gasoline engine to meet U.S. clean air guidelines without a catalytic converter said it has developed a new and simple diesel powertrain that is as clean as gasoline-fuelled cars.
The technology marks a big step forward for Honda at a time when rivals are racing to come up with ways to clear the world’s strictest emissions regulations, called Tier II Bin 5, that the United States will usher in next year.
Diesel engines, which now power half of Europe’s new cars, are slowly gaining traction with fuel-conscious consumers around the world since they typically get 30 percent better mileage than gasoline cars. Their weakness has been the higher exhaust levels of nitrogen oxide (NOx), a greenhouse gas.
Honda said on Monday its new diesel drivetrain features a unique method that generates and stores ammonia within a two-layer catalytic converter to …
Ohio car dealership blasted for jihad ad
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A car dealership’s planned radio advertisement that declared “a jihad on the automotive market” has drawn sharp criticism for its content but will not be changed, the business said Saturday.
Several stations rejected the Dennis Mitsubishi spot, which says sales representatives wearing “burqas” – head-to-toe traditional dress for Islamic women – will sell vehicles that can “comfortably seat 12 jihadists in the back.”
“Our prices are lower than the evildoers’ every day. Just ask the pope!” the ad says. “Friday is fatwa Friday, with free rubber swords for the kiddies.” A fatwa is a religious edict.
Dealership president Keith Dennis said the ad does not disrespect any religion or culture. He said it was “fair game” to poke “a little fun at radical extremists.”
“It was our intention to craft something around some of the buzzwords of the day and give everyone a good chuckle and be a little bit of …
Film composer Arnold dies at 84
The tormented but irrepressible career of Sir Malcolm Arnold, the most recorded British composer of all time and the first to win an Oscar, ended last night with his death at the age of 84.Arnold, who won an Academy Award for his score for The Bridge on the River Kwai, passed away in hospital in Norfolk after suffering a chest infection.
Hours later, his newest work, a ballet version of The Three Musketeers, premiered at the Alhambra in Bradford, West Yorkshire. A special dedication to Arnold’s memory was made before the performance.
Source : http://arts.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1879937,00.html
Many doubt bin Laden death report
PARIS — A leaked French intelligence memo reporting that Osama bin Laden died of illness last month caused a flurry of speculation Saturday, but skeptical French, U.S. and Arab officials said they had no information confirming the report.
French President Jacques Chirac told journalists that the intelligence report “has by no means been confirmed.” And a French security official cautioned that the memo was based on uncorroborated intelligence from a single source.
“We are not confirming whatever has been said in this report because we consider it a source among other sources,” said the French security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Our services, like others around the world, don’t use just one source for reaching such a conclusion. They need multiple sources. We don’t think this is a reliable report at this stage.”
The latest rumblings about the elusive al Qaeda leader came from an unlikely source. A small regional newspaper. …
Howard Hits No. 58 as Phillies Win Again
Ryan Howard hit his major league-leading 58th homer last night, and the Philadelphia Phillies continued their playoff push with a 5-2 victory over the visiting Florida Marlins.
Howard, who is close to becoming only the sixth player to reach 60 home runs, lined a three-run shot off Ricky Nolasco into the seats in left-center in the third inning.
The Phillies (80-73) are half a game behind Los Angeles in the wild-card standings. Philadelphia is 34-19 since July 29, the day before trading outfielder Bobby Abreu to the Yankees as part of a midseason roster purge. Cole Hamels (9-8) pitched six and two-thirds strong innings.
DODGERS 2, DIAMONDBACKS 0 Derek Lowe pitched seven sharp innings, J .D. Drew broke a scoreless tie with a leadoff homer in the seventh and host Los Angeles remained half a game behind San Diego in the National League West.
Source : http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/23/sports/baseball/23nl.html
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