Cyber Monday Deals 2012 at Amazon Include Big Ticket Electronics Items

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Cyber Monday Deals 2012

The Cyber Monday deals 2012 week started at Amazon.com Sunday, and with that customers are looking for big ticket electronics items they may have missed out on for Black Friday. Among the sales items Amazon is offering are big TV's, laptops, unlocked cellphones, software, and much more.
The Amazon electronics deals for Cyber Deals week include 25% off or more on select flatscreen television sets. Brand names featured in the sale include Panasonic, Samsung, and VIZIO. Certain sets are under $1000 while other smaller sets are going for under $500 as of Sunday. There's also a deal that's been mentioned for a 60-inch Samsung which will be coming up at some point in the week, reducing the price down to about $1482 after a rebate. Customers should browse the television sets available to make sure they get the best in terms of overall features for what they'll need the set for, such as inputs and outputs, and other capabilities.

Home audio is another category to check out as Amazon offers reduced prices in that electronics area as well. A Polk Audio TL1600 speaker system is reduced from $400 to $359.99. It features six speakers and 100 watts of sound, great for listening to music, enjoying movies or even making video game sessions really come to life. Also in the category are a Yamaha 5-disc CD changer marked down from $379.95 to $329.95, a Sony 7-inch portable DVD player marked down to $78.95, and a Coby 6.1 channel DVD home theater system. As of this report, that deal seems to have changed, as it was being shown for under $100, but now sells at just $100.

It appears that customers are snatching up some of the Lightning Deals rather quickly in the Cyber Deals electronics at Amazon. Examples include several headphone sets such as the STREET by 50 Cent, and Denon AH-D310 headphones which were 100% claimed at the time of this report. Other deals will be on the way tonight for headphones, as well as a Belkin PureAV Mini-Stereo Extension Cable and XtremeMac USB-SBT-11 Some Wireless Bluetooth Speaker. Customers will need to act fast on many of these deals as smart shoppers continue to snatch up the sales items quickly, especially those on a time-limited basis.

Is all the hype and hooplah worth it though? One business report from Forbes speculates that the days of "Cyber Monday" as it was coined not long ago, may be numbered. The reasoning is that people used to rely on faster internet connections at work to do their online shopping on the first workday after the busy Black Friday shopping time. The other reason is that there are also mobile devices with fast internet connections, allowing people to shop quickly on the go, whenever they want. Forbes jokes that "Mobile Monday" may soon take over for the Cyber Monday shopping day people currently talk about.

Do you think Cyber Monday is still a big deal, and are the deals good from what you've seen so far?

(Image Source: Amazon.com)

Notre Dame to Play for BCS Title

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Notre Dame Football

Manti Te’o and the Fighting Irish clinched a berth in the national championship with a win over USC.

The Journal provides minute-by-minute analysis of this rivalry game between No. 1 Notre Dame and Southern California. If the Fighting Irish win, they clinch a spot in the Bowl Championship Series title game. Pete McEntegart offers commentary on the game and ABC telecast.

More Information ..http://adf.ly/FGeTN

No winner of Powerball lottery: Jackpot jumps to $425 million

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Powerball

People lined up for Powerball tickets Saturday, the fourth largest Powerball in history. NBC's Thanh Troung reports.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- No one won a huge Powerball prize on Saturday night, and lottery officials said the jackpot would jump to a record $425 million for the next drawing -- and possibly higher.

The winning numbers were 22-32-37-44-50 with Powerball 34, according to the Powerball lottery's website. According the Powerball website, there were 10 winners of $1 million and one winner of $2 million.

Iowa Lottery spokeswoman Mary Neubauer said the jackpot for Wednesday's drawing could go even higher than the estimated $425 million because sales pick up in the days before record drawings.
Saturday's jackpot was the fourth-largest in the game's history. The previous top Powerball prize was $365 million, won in 2006 by eight ConAgra Foods workers on a single ticket in Lincoln, Neb.
The prospect of a big payoff had pulled in Black Friday shoppers in many cities.
Chicago resident Clyde Gadlin, 65, emerged from the bustle of holiday shoppers on Chicago's Michigan Avenue, to stop in at a 7-Eleven to buy his daily batch of Lottery tickets, including Powerball.
For him, the game is a chance to dream — a single winner's cash payout would be nearly $213 million before taxes — and he tries not to let the long odds burst his bubble.
Lottery officials say they're unsure what effect Thanksgiving and beginning of Christmas shopping season will have on sales, which normally pick up in the days before high-dollar drawings.
Gadlin said that if he won, he would return to his grandfather's farm in Heidelberg, Miss., where he spent part of his childhood.
"I would go down there again and probably do a little bit of farming," he said, recalling the roaming deer and 380 acres of potatoes, corn, watermelons and sugar cane. Gadlin hasn't been there for more than 20 years.
Since Powerball tickets doubled in price to $2 in January, the number of tickets sold has decreased, but the sales revenue has made up for it, increasing by about 35 percent, said Norm Lingle, chairman of the Powerball board of directors.
And as the price went up, so did the jackpots, enticing thousands across the country to play.
"Christmas is coming and $325 million would come in handy," said Tim Abel, 63, who was buying a Powerball ticket at New York's Port Authority Bus Terminal. The Broadway stagehand said he usually plays whenever the jackpot goes over $100 million.
Recent Powerball winners include an Iowa couple that won a whopping $202 million on Sept. 26. A week later, a Delaware resident picked all six numbers for a $50 million payday.
Cashiers at a DeliMart convenience store in Iowa City said they expect a last-minute rush Saturday. The store sells $200 to $300 worth of Powerball tickets on an average day, but assistant manager Scott Falkenhan said he anticipates that will more than double.
Falkenhan, 32, was planning to buy his own ticket after his shift ended.
"I'd buy a new truck and a new boat," he said. "Then I'd go on my own fishing tour."
The current jackpot is the fourth largest in the game's history, with chances of winning at about one in 175 million. Many dream of winning it big and hope they will be that lucky someone with the golden ticket. NBC's Mark Potter reports.
Lingle, who is also the executive director of the South Dakota Lottery, says this weekend will be "telling."
"To my knowledge we've never had a large jackpot run like this fall over a major holiday," he said.
Frank Scorvino of Toms River, N.J., is in charge of buying lottery tickets — including Powerball — for a group of about a dozen fellow construction workers. If they win, he said, most of them would purchase new houses and cars, and some might go on a cruise.
South Bend, Ind., resident Dameon Smith says he'd retire from his job at the Hummer plant in Mishawaka, Ind. He said he'd share with family, friends and people he doesn't know.
Chad Robinson, 41, a chef at a Cleveland restaurant, had an option during his break Friday: Put down $2 on Powerball game or go next door to Ohio's first casino. He bet on the lottery, saying that much cash would change his life "drastically."
"I figure I'll make a lot of people happy with it, not just myself, spread the love and live my life out — parents, loved ones, kids, co-workers, charities," he said.
Terry Fowler, 50, of Conneaut, Ohio, was visiting family in Tennessee for the holiday and stopped in a gas station in Brentwood on Friday morning to buy Powerball tickets. He's a regular player.
"I want to see more than one person hit it so they can share the wealth," said Fowler, a sales representative with a food service company. "I don't think any one person needs $325 million. If 7-10 people hit that, they will live like kings."

Larry Hagman, 'Dallas' Star, Dead at 81

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Larry Hagman

American actor, director and producer, Larry Hagman, best known for his role as "J.R. Ewing" from the TV series
Dallas poses for a photo in front of a backdrop with an image of downtown Dallas, during a reception at the University of Texas at Tyler, following his presentation of "Confessions" on Nov. 10, 2012. Hagman has died at the age of 81, his family said Saturday Nov. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Dr. Scott M. Lieberman)

Larry Hagman, who emerged in the 1960s as the slightly befuddled astronaut in "I Dream of Jeannie," then became a major star in the 1980s primetime soap "Dallas," playing evil oil baron J.R. Ewing, has died. He was 81.

Hagman's cause of death was due to complications related to his battle with cancer according to his family.

Linda Gray, who played Hagman's on-screen wife on "Dallas" was at the actor's bedside when he died.

"He brought joy to everyone he knew. He was creative, generous, funny, loving and talented, and I will miss him enormously. He was an original and lived life to the fullest," Gray said in a statement released through her publicist.

Warner Bros."Dallas" executive producers Cynthia Cidre and Michael M. Robin, and the show's cast and crew released the following statement today: "Larry Hagman was a giant, a larger-than-life personality whose iconic performance as J.R. Ewing will endure as one of the most indelible in entertainment history. He truly loved portraying this globally recognized character, and he leaves a legacy of entertainment, generosity and grace. Everyone at Warner Bros. and in the "Dallas" family is deeply saddened by Larry's passing, and our thoughts are with his family and dear friends during this difficult time."

Hagman inherited the acting gene from his mother, Broadway musical legend Mary Martin. He'd had roles in television programs 20 years prior to "Dallas," including "I Dream of Jeannie" from 1965-70.

"Dallas," which debuted in 1978 on CBS and had an astonishing 13-year run, centered on the Ewings, a family of Texas oil barons who had money, cattle, and more scandals and power struggles than the Kardashians.


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The original strategy behind "Dallas" was to focus on the newly-married Bobby and Pam Ewing. But Hagman made his role more than the producers had intended, and he quickly became the focus of the program.

When TNT revived the program earlier this year, he was the undisputed power villain.

"All of us at TNT are deeply saddened at the news of Larry Hagman's passing. He was a wonderful human being and an extremely gifted actor," TNT officials said in a statement. "We will be forever thankful that a whole new generation of people got to know and appreciate Larry through his performance as J.R. Ewing. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this very difficult time.

VIEW: "Dallas" Then and Now

But though he may be best known as a villain, Hagman used his fame to try to give back.

In addition to actively supporting charities like the National Kidney Foundation and, in what might seem an irony, efforts to develop solar power, Hagman just last month announced the formation The Larry Hagman Foundation, to fund education programs promoting the fine arts and creative learning opportunities for economically disadvantaged children in Dallas.

Hagman began his acting career in the late 1950s, but it wasn't until "I Dream of Jeannie" premiered in 1965 that he found himself a star. He played Anthony Nelson, an astronaut who during a mission finds an unusual bottle, and when he opens it, out pops a genie named Jeannie -- Barbara Eden.

Through the series' five-year run, Jeannie found new ways to make Hagman's life difficult, as she tried to serve her "master."

Though Hagman continued to work regularly after "I Dream of Jeannie" ended in 1970, it wasn't until "Dallas" hit the air in 1978, that he again struck a chord with audiences.

The show was originally only supposed to be a five-episode miniseries, but the show caught on so quickly, that it was extended and eventually became a series that would become the highest rated TV show of all time.

Unlike many TV stars, who find themselves playing variations on the same character over and over, the Hagman viewers saw in J.R. Ewing was worlds away from Major Nelson.

While the astronaut was always at wits end, trying to keep Jeannie a secret and trying to prove to the base psychiatrist that he was sane, Ewing was a man who seemed completely in control of his world, wheeling and dealing, backstabbing and cheating on his wife.

PHOTOS: Notable Deaths in 2012

Day After Black Friday Deals and Freebies 2012 - Small Business Saturday Freebies Compete With Black Saturday Deals at Kohl’s, Macy’s, Target, Michael’s, Meijer (KSS, M, TGT)

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Day After Black Friday Deals and Freebies 2012 - Small Business Saturday Freebies Compete With Black Saturday Deals at Kohl’s, Macy’s, Target, Michael’s, Meijer (KSS, M, TGT)

Just because Black Friday deals are over, doesn't mean that "Black Friday" pricing has ended. The day after Black Friday is just another part of Black Weekend for many major retail chains that have deals and discounts continuing on Saturday and even into Sunday. But the biggest Black Weekend news for November 24, 2012 is Small Business Saturday.

What is Small Business Saturday? It's one of those great fabricated retail events which gives American shoppers another good excuse to spend money and acquire stuff specifically from small businesses. The purpose of Small Business Saturday is to give some marketing support to businesses that can't afford mass media advertising or extreme loss leader discounts to compete with the big chain Black Friday bombardment.

It's really a nice idea, but American Christmas shoppers are in the mood for deep discounts, not retail charity this time of year. If small businesses can't compete, why should shoppers forego the deals and discounts that spill over from Black Friday into Black Weekend just to putz around in some small retail shop to make a pity purchase?

Two words. American Express.

American Express has designated itself the sponsor of "Shop Small," which is its clever advertising slogan for Small Business Saturday on Saturday, November 24, 2012. What this means for shoppers - specifically American Express cardholding shoppers - is that you can get a $25 rebate when you spend at least $25 at a qualified Small Business Saturday retailer.

How do you know which stores are qualified American Express Shop Small retailers? In general, they are the retail stores which accept American Express, of course. But Small Business Saturday is not limited to purchases at retail shops. It includes purchases at restaurants, attractions, entertainment, mini storage, car washes, and even legal services.

For instance, if you happen to be in Walt Disney World area of Orlando, FL on Small Business Saturday, you could get $25 freebies at Bargain World, Bongos Cuban Cafe, and the Zen Zone, to name just a few. If you're in downtown Orlando, Florida your possible $25 freebies could be redeemed at downtown Orlando and Church St. shops and restaurants as well as J. Tech Support, Lifesuccess Academy, and Orlando After School All Stars. if you happen to be shopping around Disneyland in Anaheim, California, you can get $25 freebies at businesses like Discount Tickets and Tours, Ghiardelli in California Disney and the Mickey and Me Outlet,

So essentially, wherever you are on Small Business Saturday, there are piles of AMEX-accepting businesses where you can get $25 of something for free. Presumably, if the business has taken the time to register as an official American Express Shop Small retailer, then they are planning to be open for business during this one-day-only Small Business Saturday November 24th event.

Specifically you can find out where Small Business Saturday stores are near you with a nifty little Shop Small store locator from American Express... click here...

Certainly this Small Business Saturday event is of great benefit to the not-so-small business of the American Express corporation. With every swipe of an AMEX card, a nifty little fee goes directly to American Express. And given the size of those fees, AMEX needs to provide a little end-of-year kickback to the source of their small business swipes. All in all, on the surface, Small Business Saturday seems like a win-win cross promotion, and a good example of how businesses can cooperate instead of compete so that everybody wins.

Here's the most important piece of information American Express cardholders need to know. You MUST register your American Express card on the American Express website BEFORE you make your purchase in order to get your $25 rebate. And American Express claims that there is a "limited" number of enrollments that they will allow. Which means you need to click here to register your American Express card now, before American Express reaches the altruistic limit of its rebate budget for this promotion.

It's also important to know that you only get one $25 rebate for the whole day. You don't get a $25 rebate for every place where you make a $25 purchase. This is an important thing to understand, otherwise you will get an unwanted holiday surprise with your next AMEX statement, and spend a lot of time backtracking with returns.

It's also important to know that you don't get this $25 rebate at every place that accepts American Express. If you decide to whip out your AMEX to pay for a Kohl's Nightowl Deal on Saturday evening, you won't get a $25 rebate from AMEX because Kohl's (KSS) hardly qualifies as a "small business." The promo is designed to get you into the doors of those backbone-of-America-Main-Street small businesses, not mega retail chains.

But, speaking of mega retail chains in general and Kohl's specifically, if you're not completely burnt out from your Black Friday binges, there are still deals to be had on Saturday and Sunday, sometimes referred to as Black Weekend or Pre-Cyber Monday. There are many of the major retail chains like Target, (TGT) Burlington Coat Factory, and IKEA that are extending their Black Friday deals all weekend (while supplies last, of course).

There are also plenty of retail chains like Macy's, (M) Michaels, Meijer and Kohl's that are launching completely new Black Saturday deals, discounts, and doorbuster sales for Black Weekend shoppers on Saturday, November 24, 2012. Of all these, Kohl's seems to be the most aggressive in working to keep shoppers spending.

Without much competition at all, Kohl's will have the earliest store opening times on Black Saturday, opening its doors at 6:00 AM, with Earlybird Specials from 6:00 AM to 1:00 AM. Kohl's will also stay open until midnight on Black Saturday, and will run an extra set of special Nightowl Deals from 3:00 pm to midnight, with merchandise from just about every department on sale up to 65% off.

Kohl's is also very smart with its marketing promo to get shoppers to come back in that lull week after Black Friday, which some retailers (or maybe just journalists) are referring to as Cyber Week (the week after Cyber Monday). Both on Black Friday and Black Saturday, Kohl's shoppers get $15 in Kohl's cash for every $50 they spend. So the bottom line is that shoppers are getting 30% off their entire purchase, on top of the special discounted price. Sort of.

The catch is that you have to come back to Kohl's and spend your Kohl's cash at a Kohl's store between November 26 and December 3rd. But the good news is that there's no pricing restrictions, which means that you can spend your $15 of Kohl's cash on a $15 item and walk out of the store with a freebie. Of course Kohl's will be working really hard to make sure there's not much you can purchase at a $15 price point in order to pry that little bit of extra out of your wallet. But that's the fun part of the Christmas holiday shopping dance, right?

Apple ordered to disclose HTC pact terms

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Apple has been ordered by a federal judge to disclose licensing terms of a settlement with HTC Corp. as part of its patent lawsuit against Samsung Electronics Co.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Grewal in San Jose said in an order Wednesday that financial terms of licensing agreements for other third parties have been disclosed in the patent-infringement case between Apple and Samsung. He ordered Apple to produce a copy of the agreement under an "attorneys-eyes-only" designation, meaning it won't be publicly available.

In August, Apple won a $1.05 billion patent-infringement verdict against Samsung after a jury trial in San Jose. U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh scheduled a Dec. 6 hearing for Apple's bid for a permanent U.S. sales ban on eight Samsung smartphone models and the Tab 10.1 tablet computer. She will also consider Samsung's bid to get the verdict thrown out based on claims of juror misconduct.

PHARMACEUTICALS
Map rises on FDA review bid
Shares of Map Pharmaceuticals rose the most in almost three years after its resubmission for an inhaled migraine medication was accepted by regulators.

The stock gained 20 percent to close at $15.42 Friday, the largest single-day jump since January 2010. The Mountain View company had declined 2.7 percent this year.

In March, the Food and Drug Administration rejected Map's drug, Levadex, mostly because of manufacturing issues, Chief Executive Officer Tim Nelson said at the time. The agency accepted the company's resubmitted bid on Wednesday, with a date for potential approval by April 15, Map said.

Levadex is an inhaled form of dihydroergotamine, a 60-year-old migraine drug usually given by injection.

ENERGY
Spain's Repsol sues Chevron
Chevron has five days to respond to a lawsuit from Spain's Repsol oil company for entering into an agreement with former Repsol subsidiary YPF to develop reserves in Argentina, documents from the Spanish court where the case is filed show.

The Mercantile Court in Madrid gave the San Ramon company 20 working days from Oct. 26 to answer the suit or risk being excluded from the process, the documents show.

The court agreed to consider the case in the same decision, saying it has the jurisdiction to do so.

Repsol is suing Chevron after it signed a memorandum of understanding with YPF to study tapping wells in Vaca Muerta shale formation. The deal was made after Argentina expropriated Repsol's majority stake in YPF, a decision the Spanish company says is illegal and for which it is seeking $10.5 billion in compensation from the Argentine government.

Nintendo’s Wii U Aims to Court Casual and Hardcore Gamers

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Today will either go down in gaming history as the point at which Nintendo performed a spectacular return to form and defiantly placed itself back on top of the video game console food chain, or the moment that the historic game company made a spectacular mistake.

Nintendo’s Wii U console, above, and touch-pad controller sit on display during an interview with Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo 7974.OK +1.73% of America Inc., in New York, U.S., on Friday, Sept. 14, 2012.

I don’t mean this in terms of the initial sales of its newly-released Wii U console, which are already expected to exceed retailers’ capacity to meet feverish demand. But Nintendo is making a pricey gamble to reinvent its iconic console shortly after the revolution it inspired in home entertainment and gaming with the original Wii in 2006. The bet could just as easily dump the Wii in the pile of abandoned Nintendo gadgets like the Virtual Boy or even the Game Boy.

It’s easy to see why Nintendo is feeling to pinch to uproot itself. The company recently cut its full-year profit outlook by a staggering 70 percent due to weak sales of its current devices. And besides commercial powerhouses like Call of Duty and Halo 4, developers across the game industry are feeling pressured to either evolve to an increasingly “casual” and mobile marketplace or go extinct.

The big three console developers—Nintendo itself Microsoft MSFT -0.53%, and Sony 6758.TO +3.28%—are all meeting this newfound pressure in different ways. Microsoft is buying up top talent or poaching ideas from everything from Hollywood to cloud storage firms to integrate the Xbox 360 (and its successor, expected to come out sometime next year) within the rest of the company’s large inventory of gadgets and software programs. Sony invested heavily in producing a tremendously powerful mobile gaming console, the Playstation Vita. Like all recent gaming devices made by Sony, its release was overpriced and poorly timed even though many critics fawned over its many stunning qualities.

Of the three, Nintendo’s strategy with the Wii U is by far the most surprising. Seeing casual mobile gaming and “core” console gaming circle each other warily, the company decided to simply mush the two together. And it did so by creating the GamePad, a new controller that feels like a combination of an iPad Mini and an Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 controller.

The GamePad has all the standard features of a console controller: two nub-like joysticks, a directional pad and four alphabetical buttons. But they now rest on either side of a 6.2 inch touchscreen tablet surface. It’s a big change, both literally and figuratively. The GamePad feels cumbersome in my hands compared to the sleek efficiency of something like the Playstation 3 Dualshock controller, and it weighs a little over a pound. This isn’t heavy by any means, but it still puts the controller in a new weight class—it’s more than twice the weight of the Nintendo 3DS, the company’s mobile console (the 3DS XL, which was released earlier this year, is slightly heavier but still lighter than the GamePad). And that’s not even considering how the GamePad will fit in the hands of the many children clamoring for the device.

But all that aside, touchscreen devices are enormously popular, and tablets like the iPad have already opened up unique possibilities for a new breed of videogames. So what’s the problem with just building that into a new console? Because the GamePad is also oversized in another way—one that has already influenced the design of Nintendo’s next generation of games.

What made the original Wii Wand (or Wiimote) such a bold controller was the fact that it threw away the dual-stick standard entirely to focus on revolutionary motion-controlled gameplay. It seemed simple and pared-down compared to the 360 or PS3, but that was its unique charm. And compared to the Nintendo 64 and Gamecube controllers of Nintendo’s past, it was a breath of fresh air that left Sony and Microsoft scrambling to create rival products.

That innovation set the Wii apart from the repetitive offerings of its competitors. As the videogame scholar Jesper Juul wrote in his book “A Casual Revolution,” Nintendo realized that Sony and Microsoft were locked in an arms race to win over the entrenched market for “hardcore” gamers with a predictable set of features—better graphics, faster processing speeds, longer and more blockbuster movie-like games. Rather than chipping away at this demographic, Nintendo created a new market entirely.

With the GamePad, Nintendo instead seems to have caved in to pressure, perceived or real as it may be. And the company now finds itself in awkward position of trying to recast itself as a serious, gaming-centric company that can make its own “hardcore” titles just a few years after it proved that there was another was another, equally valid way to make consoles.

Some launch titles continue the Wii’s tradition by using the GamePad to its best potential, particularly the “asymmetric gameplay” that allows users to juggle the events unfolding on the main TV screen with additional material displayed on the GamePad alone. The new Super Mario Bros. U gives the player holding the GamePad a macro perspective of a level to assist other players, for instance, while Madden NFL 13 lets you sketch out plays with a stylus instead of punching in buttons.

But for every creative use, there’s a potential pitfall. I recently previewed two of Namco’s launch Wii U titles, Tank! Tank! Tank! and Tekken Tag Tournament 2, both of which compromised on game quality to fit in the Wii U’s new 6.2-inch framework. Tekken is essentially a re-skinned version of the existing game with some Nintendo-friendly stickers taped on, and the only touchscreen feature I noticed was a list of the most complicated moves that you could complete with the press of a single icon. As a fighting game, the entire challenge of Tekken rests on pulling off these same moves, so one would think that the touchscreen shortcut defeats the entire purpose of playing. If anything, including a pseudo-cheat-sheet seems to admit that the size of the GamePad impinges on the requisite dexterity to actually play the game. Simply put, I don’t see a lot of veteran Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 fans rushing to compete in Wii U’s multiplayer environment any time soon.

Tank! Tank! Tank! is an addictive arcade-style game in its own right. But when I played with another writer, I ran into the oddest GamePad dilemma I’ve seen so far. Instead of splitting the television screen in two (split-screen gaming, previously the standard for local multiplayer console games), it shunted me to viewing solely on the GamePad. This created an uncomfortable audio effect, since both the GamePad and TV were voicing the same excited cheers and explosions at the same time. And it left me wondering why, with a giant flat-screen television sitting a few feet away from me, I was consigned to tinkering with a tiny tablet in the first place.

Prior to the explosion of game consoles, PC gamers who wanted to play multiplayer with a close friends rather than wade into the ferociously competitive and often hostile environment of online multiplayer had to set up elaborate multi-computer gaming rigs through a local area network (LAN). So-called “LAN parties” are certainly fun, but the experience of being glued to a PC screen for hours at a time doesn’t seem like a party to many but the most dedicated gamers. The Wii, in large part, was what changed that—building games and controllers that were simple enough for grandparents and children alike to enjoy, and enjoy together. The Wii U’s gamepad doesn’t exactly return to the cult status of LAN parties, but it does the next best thing by asking an already distracted audience to stare in different directions.

If anything, this very concern is probably why Nintendo only made the Wii U compatible with a single GamePad. But as a tablet and a game controller, it still forces a compromise on the strength of both devices. The short battery life and wireless range keep it from being a full-fledged mobile unit—especially when compared to something like the Playstation Vita, which you can use as a controller for certain PS3 games at home and still take with you on the subway for your commute.

Wedding consoles and tablets has never been an easy task. One botched attempt by THQ to create a drawing tablet almost singlehandedly destroyed the company with $100 million in lost revenue. The Vita and Xbox’s new Smartglass mobile app are stepping gingerly into the field, but the Wii U has embraced it wholesale.

It’s an interesting experiment, no doubt. But part of the fun of playing games has always been the fact that they demand one’s full attention compared to the incessant multi-tasking that increasingly sophisticated mobile devices so often encourages. The GamePad may make the second screen (or third or fourth, more realistically, if the player already has a smartphone and tablet) a core part of the gaming experience, but in doing so it risks forsaking the very screen that made the Wii U’s production possible in the first place.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal on the eve of the Wii U’s launch, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata insisted that creating this new hardware will ultimately encourage developers to create exclusive games that make use of the GamePad’s unique potential. And there is incredible untapped potential in the GamePad, just as there is in Smartglass and the Vita. As Kotaku’s editor in chief Stephen Totilo argues in the New York Times, “wise” gamers do not buy new consoles for their starting line-up but “for the games in the future.” The question is just how to support such an expensive venture until that promise can be realized.

But exclusivity is not as important for gaming hardware at this point as the quality of its service and the character of the community each console fosters. With the Wii, that community was the family itself—something far more powerful than Xbox Live Arcade or the Playstation Network could ever hope to create. The Wii U may still be built with the family in mind, but it’s now a family more interested in looking at their iPhones than actually making eye contact at the dinner table. A nod to a changed market, to be sure. But what was beautiful about the original Wii was the way it invited people to play with each together both physically and virtually, even if we were all still staring at the screen.

Jennifer Lacy says ex-girlfriend Chamique Holdsclaw arrested for assault; bond set at $100K

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November 17, 2012 ( ATLANTA) -- A judge in Atlanta on Friday set bond at $100,000 for ex-WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist Chamique Holdsclaw, who was in jail on assault and weapons charges.





She is accused of firing a shot into a car belonging to 29-year-old Jennifer Lacy, who plays for the Tulsa Shock. Police say the 35-year-old Holdsclaw also used a bat to smash the car's windows. Holdsclaw was in custody at the Fulton County Jail.

No one was injured in the assault. Lacy told police that Holdsclaw was an ex-girlfriend and they were Atlanta Dream teammates in 2009. Holdsclaw was ordered to wear a monitoring device and have no contact with Lacy.

She was ordered back to a Fulton County court Nov. 30 to face charges of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. A message to her attorney was not immediately returned.

Lacy earlier had issued a statement through the Shock.

"I want to thank my family, friends, fans and Shock family for their concern during this difficult time," Lacy said. "I have never felt more love from my fans in supporting me."

Holdsclaw led Tennessee to three consecutive national championships from 1996-98 before beginning a pro career that included six WNBA All-Star selections. She also played on the U.S. Olympic team that won the gold medal in the 2000 Games. She had 3,025 career points at Tennessee and remains the Southeastern Conference's career scoring leader.

In September, Holdsclaw returned to her alma mater to discuss her fight with clinical depression, which included a suicide attempt during her pro career.

Holdsclaw recounted how she attempted suicide in 2006 as a member of the Los Angeles Sparks by overdosing on the medication she was taking for clinical depression. She also wouldn't leave her Washington home for a few days in 2004, two years after the death of the grandmother who raised her.

She discussed these situations in a book, "Breaking Through: Beating The Odds Shot After Shot," that came out earlier this year.

What is next for Twinkies maker Hostess Brands?

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What is next for Twinkies maker Hostess Brands?

Nov. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Hostess Brands Inc., the bankrupt baker of Twinkies and Wonder bread, may attract bids for its brands from rival Flowers Foods Inc. and private equity firm C. Dean Metropoulos & Co. in a liquidation the company estimates will take about a year.

The 82-year-old maker of Hostess CupCakes, Ding Dongs and Ho Hos said yesterday it would fire more than 18,000 employees and go out of business after a weeklong strike by its bakers’ union. Metropoulos, owner of Pabst Brewing Co., said it may bid for Hostess’s ``iconic brands.’’ Flowers, maker of Nature’s Own bread and Tastykake snacks, could pursue some of its rival’s assets to expand its geographic reach and fill existing territory, wrote William Chappell, an analyst with SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

Flowers is “one of the most eligible acquirers” of Hostess assets and brands, Amit Sharma, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets Corp. in New York, said in a separate note, citing Flowers’ management, acquisitions and “relatively small” overlap with Hostess’s major markets and products. Flowers shares jumped 10 percent yesterday in New York trading.
“This is an unfortunate situation and we are very sad for all those impacted,” Keith Hancock, a spokesman for Thomasville, Georgia-based Flowers, said in an e-mailed statement. “We are staying focused on making sure our consumers and customers have the baked foods they need –- and on serving the market.”

‘Small Consolation’

Flowers probably won’t bid for all of the assets, the analysts said. Daren Metropoulos, a principal of the Greenwich, Connecticut-based private equity firm, said of Hostess in an e-mail yesterday that ``shedding the complications of the unions and old plants makes it even more attractive.”

Tom Becker, a spokesman for Hostess, declined to comment on potential asset bids. While Hostess has seen interest in pieces of the business, its labor contracts and pension obligations have deterred offers for the whole company, Chief Executive Officer Gregory F. Rayburn said yesterday. Hostess’s brands include Dolly Madison, Drake’s, Merita and Butternut.

“Hopefully, someone will buy the brands, and some of the brands can live on, but that’s a pretty small consolation for people who are out of work,” Rayburn said in an interview on Bloomberg Television. “Somebody might buy the brand but that doesn’t mean they’re going to buy” plants and equipment used to make the products.

David Margulies, a spokesman for Bimbo Bakeries USA, didn’t respond to an e-mail seeking comment on that company’s potential interest in Hostess assets. Bimbo, based in Horsham, Pennsylvania, is the U.S. division of Mexico’s Grupo Bimbo SAB, the maker of Entenmann’s cakes and Thomas’ English muffins.

‘Death Spiral’

Even before the strike, Hostess endured years of declining sales as Americans turned to rivals’ snacks and breads, while ingredient costs and labor expenses climbed.

Tim Ramey, an analyst for D.A. Davidson & Co., said he expects Twinkies and other Hostess brands to disappear from the marketplace. Any buyer would need a distribution system to get the products into stores, he said.

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The Front Seven tackles the weekend's top games

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The Front Seven tackles the weekend's top games

7:56PM EST November 16. 2012 - The Front Seven couldn't help but notice a certain conference's conspicuous absence of big games this week.

1. SECtional I: Colossal contests in both divisions of the Pac-12 top the marquee this week. No. 1 Oregonhas arguably the toughest finishing stretch among the remaining Bowl Championship Series title contenders, beginning this week at home against No. 13 Stanford(8 p.m. ET, ABC). Stanford's power game that aims to give RB Stepfan Taylor room to operate will pose a serious challenge for the Ducks' banged-up defensive line. The Ducks are hopeful that DE Dion Jordan can return to action, but the Oregon secondary has been hit equally hard by the injury bug with S Avery Patterson (knee) joining the casualty list at California last week. Cardinal TE Zach Ertz will try to take advantage and provide QB Kevin Hogan a big target. QB Marcus Mariota and his speed-laden Oregon offense featuring RB Kenjon Barner and WR Josh Huff aren't concerned with possession time, but they'll need to take as many big gainers as they can all the way to the end zone. Stanford's active linebacker corps of Shayne Skov, Trent Murphy and Chase Thomas is well-equipped to keep the Ducks' speed bottled.

2. SECtional II: The Pac-12 South, meanwhile, has come down to the battle for the Victory Bell in Los Angeles, as No. 21 Southern California, the preseason favorite, heads to the Rose Bowl to meet one of the season's biggest surprises in No. 16 UCLA (3 p.m. ET, Fox). The good news for USC is its offense is functioning at the high level that was anticipated at the beginning of the season, thanks to QB Matt Barkley and WR Marqise Lee providing a constant big-play threat. WR Robert Woods on the other side along with RB Silas Redd back in action will make the Trojans hard to stop, but Bruins LB Anthony Barr blitzes often and could be a disruptive force. USC's defense has struggled against dynamic spread attacks, and UCLA's is working well with the backfield tandem of QB Brett Hundley and RB Johnathan Franklin. The Trojans' top tackler is S T.J. McDonald, who is going to need better gap support in front of him.

3. SECond tier: No. 24 Oklahoma State hosts No. 25 Texas Tech (3:30 p.m. ET, FSN) in what likely will amount to a fight for third place in the Big 12. The Cowboys offense has remained remarkably consistent despite needing to use three different QBs this season. Wes Lunt might be available this week, but Clint Chelf showed he could handle matters in his start last week against West Virginia. The presence of RB Joseph Randle and WR Josh Stewart also helps, though Texas Tech DT Kerry Hyder could cause trouble in the backfield. Red Raiders QB Seth Doege has produced plenty of yardage as well, with help from WR Eric Ward. Cowboys LBs Shaun Lewis and Keith Elkins will try to keep them out of sync.

4. SECond bid: No. 9 

Clemson's loss to Florida State will almost certainly keep the Tigers out of the ACC championship game. But the Tigers and QB Tajh Boyd appear to be well positioned for an at-large BCS bowl invitation. To stay there, they'll have to take care of business against North Carolina State (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC). The Wolfpack have been maddeningly inconsistent this season — a trait often associated with Clemson in recent years. Boyd has more weapons at his disposal, including WRs Sammie Watkins and DeAndre Hopkins as well as RB Andre Ellington, but he will have to keep his throws away from Wolfpack CB David Amerson. QB Mike Glennon is capable of keeping N.C. State in the game if he can avoid heat and if WRs Quintin Payton and Bryan Underwood take care of their end. Clemson DE Vic Beasley will come after him.

5. SECured:Ohio State's date with Wisconsin in Madison (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC) won't factor in the Big Ten title hunt with the Buckeyes ineligible and the Badgers' place in the championship game secured. But it will provide a spotlight for two of the league's top stars, Ohio State QB Braxton Miller and Wisconsin RB Montee Ball. Miller has a conference-high 2,919 yards of total offense, 1,753 by air. RB Carlos Hyde gives him another option out of the backfield. Ball started the season slowly but has exploded in recent weeks and now has 16 rushing TDs while improving his average to 122.6 yards a game. The Badgers' QB position has been depleted by injuries; Curt Phillips might have to go to the air more in his second start.

6. SECond-to-last: No. 19 Louisiana Tech has two games left in the disbanding Western Athletic Conference. The Bulldogs' toughest assignment might be this week's home tilt with Utah State (4 p.m. ET, check local listings). The Bulldogs are second to Oregon in the nation at 53.4 points a game. The triggerman is QB Colby Cameron who has 27 TD passes in 403 attempts this season without an interception. WR Quinton Patton is his main target, but the arsenal also features WR Myles White and freshman RB Kenneth Dixon, who has 24 rushing TDs. But the Aggies have the WAC's stingiest defense, with LB Zach Vigil and CB Will Davis always on the prowl for takeaway opportunities. Utah State also has its share of offensive producers, most notably QB Chuckie Keeton and RB Kerwynn Williams. Louisiana Tech surrenders its share of yards but also relies on creating turnovers, with SS Jamel Johnson often serving as the final stopper.

7. SECondary: OK, we don't normally do this, but the Front Seven is going to sneak an extra safety into the box this week. There are two games in Ohio worthy of attention. Both kick off at noon ET, and you'll have to check local listings or the web to find them. The first is a key Big East showdown as No. 20 Rutgers visits Cincinnati. The Scarlet Knights have a date with Louisville remaining on their slate and must get past this road trip to make that one meaningful. But the Bearcats, who spent time in the top 25, are eager to get back. Cincinnati has switched to senior Brendon Kay at quarterback in place of interception-prone Munchie Legaux. But it will be up to RB George Winn to produce on the ground and keep S Khaseem Greene, the top playmaker on Rutgers' stingy defense, busy. Scarlet Knights QB Gary Nova must also focus on error prevention, particularly if RB Jawan Jamison (ankle) is unable to go. LB Greg Blair does a bit of everything for the Cincinnati defense.

Finally, Kent State plays at Bowling Green in a Mid-American East clash that almost certainly will determine who will face Northern Illinois in the conference title game. The Golden Flashes can lock up the division with a win, while the Falcons would need only to get past Buffalo next Friday to punch their ticket to Detroit. Kent State features exciting RB/KR Dri Archer, who has a league-high 19 TDs and would be a lock for MAC player of the year if it weren't for Northern Illinois QB Jordan Lynch. QB Spencer Keith will have to provide some aerial cover against Falcons DT Chris Jones, who fronts the top group of stoppers in the conference. Bowling Green also prefers to keep it on the ground with RB Anthon Samuel, who is sure to encounter Golden Flashes LB Luke Batton regularly. Falcons QB Matt Schilz must be careful if he has to go to the air.

One Piece Film Z - One Piece Movie 12

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One Piece Film Z - One Piece Movie 12

Fuji TV announced last week that a television anime special, One Piece Episode of Luffy: Hand Island no Bōken (One Piece Episode of Luffy: The Hand Island Adventure), will air on Saturday, December 15th, 2012 at 9:00pm. (The One Piece television anime series normally airs on Sunday mornings.)

This Hand Island no Bōken special is separate from the four consecutive television episodes that will start airing on December 2nd with a tie-in story to the upcoming One Piece Film Z. (The film will also open on December 15th, 2012.)

As in the film, original manga creator Eiichiro Oda is supervising the Hand Island no Bōken special with its new story. Hiroyuki Morita and Mitsuru Hongo are co-directing the special, and singer/designer Shizuka Kudou is collaborating with Oda on the costume designs.

The story of the Hand Island no Bōken special is set a little before the events of One Piece Film Z

Lychee Light Club's Anime, Stage Play Cast Revealed

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Lychee Light Club's Anime, Stage Play Cast Revealed

The "Litchi Hikari Club Secret Base" website revealed on Friday that the cast for the stage play adaptation and the Litchi DE Hikari Club television anime adaptation of Usamaru Furuya's Lychee Light Club manga will be the same.

The cast is as follows:

Zera - Ryou Kimura

 Tamiya - Akiyoshi Nakao

 Jaibo - Yuki Tamaki

 Raizou - Hisanori Satō

 Akobu - Yuya Misyashita

 Dentaku - Kōichirō Tomioka

 Kaneda - Daisuke Hirose

 Dafu - Mao Katō

 Lychee - Ore no Graffiti

Niko - Norihisa Hiranuma

The television anime series of comedy shorts will premiere on Tokyo MX on October 1. Motoichi Adachi (Sockie's Frontier Quest original creator) is handling the screenplay, and Nelke Planning and Kachidoki Studio (Panda no Tapu Tapu, Nukko.) are handling the series' production.

The stage play will run 14 times from December 14-25 at Kinokuniya Hall in Tokyo. Junko Emoto is directing and writing the script for the play. Tickets will cost 6,500 yen (about US$83) and will go on sale on October 14.

The story revolves around nine students at an all-boys school who create a god-like Lychee machine — that runs on lychee fruits — to seek out the beautiful women of the world. However, the machine eventually becomes self-aware "and is soon equally capable of measuring beauty and executing justice."

Usamaru Furuya's one-volume Lychee Light Club manga ran in Ohta Publishing's Manga Erotics F magazine from 2005 to 2006. The North American manga publisher Vertical released the manga in April 2011. Furuya also drew the Bokura no Hikari Club (Our Hikari Club) prequel manga, which ended earlier this year. The manga was published online for free in Ohta Publishing's Pocopoco web manga magazine.

naruto shippuden november 2012 schedule

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naruto shippuden november 2012 schedule

We get awesome battles this month while Naruto and Bee head to the battlefield!

 Episode 286 "Things You Can't Get Back" (取り戻せないもの) November 1, 2012

 Episode 287 "One Worth Betting On" (賭けるに値する者) November 1, 2012

 Episode 288 "Danger: Jinpachi and Kushimaru!" (脅威、甚八・串丸コンビ!!) November 8, 2012



Episode 289 "The Lightning Blade: Ameyuri Ringo!" (雷刀!! 林檎雨由利) November 15, 2012

(to be updated later)