Violent storms ravage US, at least 45 killed

Askewville, North Carolina:  A tornado-spewing storm system that killed at least 45 people across half the country unleashed its worst fury on North Carolina, where homes broke apart, trees snapped and livestock were swept into the air. Residents in the capital city and rural hamlets alike on Sunday mourned the dead, marvelled at their own survival and began to clean up devastated neighbourhoods.

Observers reported more than 60 tornadoes across North Carolina on Saturday, but most of the state's 21 confirmed deaths occurred in two rural counties. A thunderstorm spawned a tornado that killed four people in south-eastern Bladen County, and then kept dropping tornadoes as it hopscotched more than 150 miles, eventually moving into Bertie County and killing 11 more.

Heavy winds swept some homes from their foundations, demolished others and flipped cars on tiny rural roads between Askewville and Colerain, Bertie County Manager Zee Lamb said. At least three of those who died were from the same family, he said.

The winds ripped to shreds the doublewide mobile home in Askewville where Justin Dunlow had sought shelter for his 3-year-old daughter, 5-year-old son and himself. The 23-year-old roofer, whose own mobile home nearby also was destroyed; lay on both children as the storm did its worst.

Rebels flee key Libyan town Ajdabiya

Ajdabiya, Libya:  Rebel fighters fled Ajdabiya on Sunday after a rocket and artillery attack by government forces that were reportedly on the western outskirts.

Scores of rebel pickup trucks and other vehicles could be seen leaving the eastern approaches of Ajdabiya, headed toward the rebel capital of Benghazi, about 85 miles north. Explosions could be heard in the city.

Their flight seemed to bring to an end a claimed rebel push that had taken them to the outskirts of the oil refinery town of Brega, about another 40 miles further west of Ajdabiya.

Many of the fighters in the vehicles blamed Nato for failing to give them enough support, and also said they had insufficient heavy weapons to match the weaponry of forces loyal to Col. Moammar el-Gaddafi.

Nine-month plan is set for crippled Japan nuclear plant

Tokyo:  Tokyo Electric Power Company said Sunday that it hopes to bring the reactors at its hobbled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into a stable state known as cold shutdown within the next nine months, during which the three damaged reactor buildings at the facility will be covered.

The goals are part of a two-part plan that represents Tokyo Electric's most concrete timetable yet for controlling the reactors and improving safety conditions at the plant, which was damaged by 15-meter-high tsunami waves on March 11.

At least on paper, the program marks a turning point in the company's struggles to shut down the reactors. For weeks, workers have fought to cool the reactors and spent fuel pools by pouring water on them. The deluge has created other problems, including a flood of contaminated water that seeped into the site and into the ocean.

Bahrain to prosecute civil servants over protests

Manama, Bahrain:  More than a hundred civil servants in Bahrain were summarily fired for participating in anti-government protests, the state news agency said on Sunday, in the latest crackdown on the opposition.

The Bahrain News Agency said on Sunday that 111 employees of the Education Ministry had been punished for participating in the street marches and strikes last month, demanding greater political freedoms and equal rights for the Shiite majority in the tiny, but strategically important Gulf island nation.

The employees will also be prosecuted for "flagrant violations" of the country's civil service law, the state-run news agency said, adding that last month's Teachers' Union strike was politically motivated and aimed at "crippling schools."

France blocks train from Italy in migrant spat

Rome:  A train carrying Tunisian immigrants from Italy was halted at the French border Sunday in an escalation of an international dispute over the fate of North African migrants fleeing political unrest for refuge in Europe.

A spokesman for the Italian rail company, Maurizio Furia, told The Associated Press in Rome that the train carrying migrants and political activists who support them wasn't being allowed to pass into Menton, France, from the Italian border station of Ventimiglia.

Italy has been giving temporary residence permits to many of the roughly 26,000 Tunisians who have gone to Italy to escape unrest in northern Africa in recent weeks. Many of the Tunisians have family ties or friends in France, and the Italian government says the permits should allow the Tunisians to go there under travel accords allowing visa-free travel among many European countries.

Hillary Clinton visits Japan in a show of support

Tokyo:  U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Sunday that America would stand by Japan, saying she was confident the country will fully recover from its tsunami and nuclear disasters.

"We are very confident that Japan will recover and will be a very strong economic and global player for years and decades to come," Clinton told Prime Minister Naoto Kan during a brief visit to Tokyo intended as a morale boost to the crucial U.S. ally.

Kan thanked Clinton for U.S. help with the crises triggered by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake on March 11 that unleashed a massive tsunami, wrecking cooling and power systems at a nuclear plant that has been leaking radiation ever since.

As inmates 23 and 24, stunned Mubaraks adjust

Cairo:  The prison is called Tora Farm, but there is nothing agricultural about it. It is a two-story block of poured concrete, and for years its massive gray walls have held those deemed enemies of the powerful.

Now they hold the full tableau of state power under President Hosni Mubarak: Gamal Mubarak, a prince of the political scene, now prisoner No. 23, and his older brother, Alaa, leader among the business elite, prisoner No. 24; the prime minister, Ahmed Nazif, a patrician man who once said Egyptians were not ready for democracy; Zakaria Azmi, the president's closest confidant; Fathi Sorour, the party loyalist and speaker of Parliament; and more.

They make docile inmates, their captors say, still stunned to find themselves behind bars. They eat food brought from outside, the right of any detainee who has not been convicted. But Gamal appears badly shaken and often refuses to eat. He shares a cell with Alaa.

Kate's parents to spend 100,000 pounds on her wedding

London:  With their daughter set to marry Prince William, parents of Kate Middleton will be spending about 100,000 pounds to pay for expenses like bridal gowns and hotel suites bills.

According to a report in 'The Sunday Times', Carole and Michael Middleton, mother and father of Kate will also contribute to the cost of an evening reception and disco hosted by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace, apart from paying bills for hotel suites, bridal gowns, bridemaids dresses, the maid of honour's outfit and the honeymoon.

Kate's parents have made millions from their mail order party business.

They will pay for several suites at the Goring hotel in Belgravia including 4,000 pounds-a-night two-bedroom, five-room suite for Kate and her sister Pippa, the maid of honour.

One-room Belgravia suites costing 1,140 pounds each including Vat will be taken for Carole and Michael, their son James, Kate's brother, plus a number of other close relatives and friends.

The Goring is not far from Buckingham Palace.

The hotel bill alone is expected to touch 20,000 pounds, including dinner, breakfast and drinks.

Other expenses include 30,000 pounds for Kate's bridal gowns and 20,000 pounds for Pippa's dress.

Prince Charles will cover most of the other costs and the Queen will host the lunchtime reception.

The cost of Prince Charles' wedding to Lady Diana in 1981 was estimated to have been 30 million pounds, but most of the security costs were picked up by the taxpayer.

Even Charles's modest wedding to his second wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, may have cost 5 million pounds.

An official spokesman for Prince Charles said, "The Middletons have offered to contribute to the cost of the wedding. How much they contribute is a private matter".

HP introduces ePrint service app for iOS; allows on the go printing for Apple iPhone users

HP today has introduced the ePrint service application for iOS devices. With the app, available free from the App Store, those using the Apple iPhone can send their documents, emails, presentations and more to be printed at HP ePrint Mobile Print Locations across the globe, like at FedEx Office stores or the lobby of participating Hilton Hotels.

Bruce Dahlgren, senior vice president, Managed Enterprise Solutions, Imaging and Printing Group, HP said, "By 2014, 90 percent of global Fortune 1000 companies will implement cloud printing services for mobile personnel, showing what HP has known for years - mobility is not a trend, it's a way of life. We are committed to anticipating our customer needs and delivering innovative solutions like HP ePrint Enterprise for our enterprise customers that need simple, secure mobile access to printing."

Now that the app has been launched, Apple iPhone users are able to print to any networked enterprise printer. HP's ePrint Enterprise Administrative Server software makes sure that the information being printed stays within the company's network.

While on the go, iPhone users will be able to see a directory of potential print locations and then use the GPS on the handset to get directions to the closest HP ePrint Mobile Print Location. These locations include the 1,800 FedEx Office stores where smartphone printing was started last year for use on BlackBerry phones using the HP ePrint solution. Now, with the iOS app, the largest retail printing network can be accessed by iPhone users.

Brian Philips, president and ceo of FedEx Office said, "With these ePrint enhancements, iPhone users can now print documents directly from their devices to our stores using our FedEx Office Print & Go service. We are the only national print retailer to offer smartphone printing - making us the clear leader in the marketplace with our extensive portfolio of products and services."

source: HP via Engadget

HP's ePrint service app allows Apple iPhone users to print on the go

Funny BlackBerry PlayBook comic with RIM's Mike Lazaridis

We told you recently about RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis' issues with interviewers. First, while being interviewed by the New York Times, he lashed out, asking why people didn't appreciate all the progress they've made over the years. Then, with the BBC, he stormed out of an interview when the correspondent asked him about their security issues in India and the Middle East.

While the BlackBerry PlayBook has been eagerly awaited by consumers and RIM shareholders, early reviews are mixed. And the clever little comic below captures RIM's recent mood fairly well.

While we suspect it might be tacky to jab a CEO this directly, we think the comic captures a pretty serious problem with RIM right now. Mike Lazaridis is surely worried about losing ground to Android and iOS, but he can't afford to let his frustration show. What would happen if a nation's leader visibly panicked every time there was a problem with the economy? The economy would get even worse. In the same way, Lazaridis needs to exude some optimism before his attitude frightens away the shareholders.

source: The Joy of Tech via Wall Street Journal

Jesse Jackson Jr. blames iPads for American unemployment

Apple has grown accustomed to the limelight, but that comes with an undue amount of negative attention. For example, while many companies' manufacturers probably have health and safety violations, we only seem to hear about Apple's. But Apple's critics are starting to reach.

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) is partially blaming the Apple iPad for the current 9% unemployment rate in the U.S. Jackson suggested that the iPad is "probably responsible for eliminating thousands of jobs." Only weeks ago, Jackson stood before the House and supported giving an iPad to every student in America. That's quite the change of heart.

Jackson then lamented the loss of paper publishing companies: "Chicago State University in my congressional district, in freshman class, they're not being given textbooks any longer. They're all being given iPads as they enter school." When you merely read that statement, it sounds like a positive thing. But Jackson is concerned for the loss of jobs at paper publishers.

At the heart of his argument, Jackson was lamenting outsourcing, and its relationship to the unemployment rate. But his arguments seemed to only criticize the technology, as if the wireless industry is somehow tearing apart a sacred publishing tradition. Congratulations, Apple. You have been criticized for doing your job too well.

source: Real Clear Politics via PCMag

HP Veer Launch Party Event scheduled for May 2nd

The smallest webOS device, the HP Veer, will be the guest of honor at a Launch Party in Anaheim on May 2nd. As we reported, the Veer is about the size of a credit card with a 2.6 inch display coming in with a resolution of 320 x 400 pixels. The Qualcomm 7230 Snapdragon, clocked at 800MHz, will power the handset which is so small that both a headphone jack and a micro-USB port will not fit on the model.

Despite its munchkin-esque stature, the Veer is equipped with a slide-out portrait QWERTY keyboard while a 5MP camera is on the back. The phone offers 8GB of storage along with 512MB of RAM. Powering the device will be webOS 2.2.

While the original introduction of the HP Veer failed to mention a specific carrier that the handset will be on, one person signing up for the Launch Event was told to bring an AT&T or Best Buy business card. This would seem to imply that the HP Veer will be released on AT&T, and with this party coming the first week of May, the actual launch shouldn't be too long afterward.

source: PreCentral

The HP Veer Launch Party will take place May 2nd in Anaheim

Dual-Screen Kyocera Echo on sale today at Sprint

The dual-screen Kyocera Echo is being launched today by Sprint. The device got off to a poor start when the Sprint faithful gave it a lukewarm reception when it was introduced. Back then, Sprint customers were hoping for the announcement of a high-end Android device and were taken back by the unique device they were shown.

The Kyocera Echo does have some meat on its bones-a 1GHz Snapdragon chip is on board, a 5MP camera on back, and Android 2.2 under the hood. The display is where the action is, however. Two 3.5 inch screens can be used in various combinations including as a single 4.7 inch display. Both screens have a 480 x 800 resolution.

Sprint is offering the Echo for $199 after a $100 rebate and a signed 2-year pact. Will the phone get a better reception from Sprint customers now that it has been launched?

source: AndroidCentral

Did Anna Hazare''s fast turn into a show?

New Delhi : Anna Hazare''s fast against corruption found many supportive voices within the film world but many were left wondering whether it was cause or the crowd that drew Bollywood celebrities to the issue.
The movement and its anti-corruption slogan caught the fancy of the public but like most of the public events, it had its share of publicity seekers.
It was also one of the rare events when Bollywood celebs jumped over each other to pledge their support to the 73-year-old activist and his five-day fast.
Aamir Khan wrote a letter to the Prime Minister. Anupam Kher, Pritish Nandy and Tom Alter not only tweeted but also visited the protest site in Delhi. Director Farah Khan, who was in the city for a reality show, visited Hazare so did Madhur Bhandarkar, whose visit was informed to the media organisations in advance.
Rest of B-town expressed their solidarity with Hazare on twitter. Celebs like Hritik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Kher, Bhatt, Juhi Chawla, Neetu Chandra, Shekhar Kapur, Rahul Bose, Manoj Bajpai and many other posted messages through twitter, blogs and press releases.
But was the outpouring of celebrity support genuine or mere lip-service from Bollywood?
Actor Anupam Kher feels that the movement should not be viewed cynically.
"A long time back I stopped bothering about people''s reaction. I do what I think is right for the country and the future generation. As regard to getting publicity out of it, I think every actor should have been there, they could also have got some publicity," Kher said.
Kher is also happy with the way media took up the issue.
"Media did a great job and I think we should not be cynical about people''s intentions. It is very sad that when people do something good and we try to make them feel defensive about it," he added.
But many within the industry were left wondering about the intention of some of the celebrities and their sympathy. Some also questioned media''s role in extracting comments from film stars for sound bites.
Mega star Amitabh Bachchan was forced to react after a blogger questioned him for not taking a stand on the issue.
An irked Big B wondered about media''s role in the entire episode, before saying, "I do not have to preach and shout out my allegiance towards my country from every roof top every day."

Catch the NFL draft on selected Verizon handsets

Despite the fact that NFL players and team owners can't see eye to eye as they try to prevent the 2011-12 season from being canceled, the NFL draft will go on starting April 28th and lasting through the 30th. And thanks to Verizon's exclusive NFL Mobile app, the same time that a draftee gets the call about what team has drafted him, you will find out that information right on your Verizon branded handset.

Every pick and every trade will be sent to your phone. And you will also receive analysis from NFL experts who have studied the draft and know the players better than they know the back of their handset. Video highlights will show the draftees in action so that the picks become more than just a name and college.

To get the NFL Mobile app and follow the draft, simply text NFL to 8915. Or, head over to the source link and follow the directions on how to have the app installed on your Verizon phone. A link to a list of compatible phones can also be found at the source link.

source: Verizon via AndroidGuys

Catch all aspects of the upcoming NFL draft with the NFL Mobile app available on many Verizon branded phones

My job is done if Indo-Pak ties normalise, says Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

On Board PM's Special Plane:  Asked to list five things he would want to improve in the Indo-Pak ties, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has said he would consider his job done if ties between the two countries normalise.

"Well, I think five is too much. If I can succeed in normalising relations between India and Pakistan as they should prevail between two normal states, I would consider my job well done," Dr Singh said.

The Prime Minister was speaking to the reporters on board his special plane while returning from the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) Summit in China. Among its significant outcomes were the decision to send a high-level Indian military delegation to China and setting up of a new mechanism for managing peace on the borders. South Africa attended the summit for the first time.

He also sounded optimistic on the India-China relations after his meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao earlier this week.

"With regard to defence exchanges, my expectation is that they would be continued and also there was a proposal from the Chinese side when Mr Wen Jiabao came to India to look at the new mechanisms to maintain peace and tranquility on the border. Work is in progress, I hope concrete results will be visible in the near future," Dr Singh said.

About the new mechanism for border management, Dr Singh said it was Chinese proposal made during the visit of their Premier Wen Jiabao to New Delhi last December.
Giving a sense of the meeting with Mr Hu Jintao on Wednesday in Sanya (China), Dr Singh said they had talked about a wide range of issues, including trade imbalance and the Chinese President had agreed that his country too has a "responsibility" to deal with the problem.

"It was a very cordial meeting. We discussed bilateral issues and trade imbalance. We also discussed other relevant issues to international situation and possibility of cooperation between our two countries in international fora a like G-20, WTO and UN Security Council," he told accompanying journalists while returning from a five-day two-nation tour of China and Kazakhstan.

PM hopes new mechanism on border with China will bear results soon

On Board PM's Special Plane:  Sounding optimistic on the India-China relations after his meeting with President Hu Jintao earlier this week, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tonight expressed hope that the decision to set up a new bilateral mechanism on border management would bear "concrete results" in the near future.

Giving a sense of the meeting with Hu on Wednesday in Sanya, China, Singh said they had talked about a wide-range of issues, including trade imbalance and the Chinese President had agreed that his country too has a "responsibility" to deal with the problem.

"It was a very cordial meeting. We discussed bilateral issues and trade imbalance. We also discussed other relevant issues to international situation and possibility of cooperation between our two countries in international fora like G-20, WTO and UN Security Council," he told accompanying journalists while returning from a five-day two-nation tour of China and Kazakhstan.

Singh and Hu met on the sidelines of the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) Summit and among its significant outcomes were the decision to send a high-level Indian military delegation to China and setting up of a new mechanism for managing peace on the borders.

With regard to defence exchanges which are set to be resumed after a pause of about nine months, Singh said, "my expectation is that they will be continued."

India had suspended high-level defence exchanges in July last year after China refused proper visa to the then Northern Army Commander Lt Gen B S Jaswal as he was serving in Jammu and Kashmir. This was seen by India as questioning its sovereignty.

About the new mechanism for border management, Singh said it was a Chinese proposal made during the visit of Premier Wen Jiabao to New Delhi in December last.

"This is work in progress. I hope some concrete results will be visible in the near future," he remarked.

On the issue of growing trade imbalance in favour of China, Singh said he had raised the issue with Hu, saying that India imports goods and services which gives rise to the imbalance and the Chinese President recognised that it was a "problem".

Referring to India's desire for greater access to Chinese markets, the Prime Minister said he had specifically mentioned two areas - pharmaceutical industry and IT -- where Chinese could do more.

"I can't say he (Hu) did say precisely about these two areas but he did say that he recognises that China also has a responsibility to tackle the problem of trade imbalance," Singh said.