AP - Emerging markets are playing a bigger role in Procter & Gamble Co.'s growth in another sign that U.S. companies are courting new customers overseas as American shoppers get tapped out.

Reuters - Stocks slipped on Friday as data showed the U.S. economy grew less than expected in the fourth quarter, while some disappointing earnings added pressure to the market.

AP - Demi Moore smoked something before she was rushed to the hospital on Monday night and was "semi-conscious, barely," according to a caller on a 911 recording released Friday by Los Angeles fire officials.

AP - Ukraine's president showed no mercy Friday for imprisoned former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, despite increasing fears that her case will hurt his country's struggling economy and its relations with the European Union.

New Patagonia Pow Slayer Jacket from SKI Magazine on Vimeo.

No spacesuit required: The Lego man floated some 15 miles above sea level.

Why build a Gingrichian lunar colony, which would cost billions, when you can send a man nearly into space for only $400?

That's what Canadians Mathew Ho and Asad Muhammad did with an albeit plastic man from Lego and a modified weather balloon.

The 17-year-olds from Toronto bought an $85 weather balloon online and rigged it to a Styrofoam box equipped with three point-and-shoot cameras and a wide-angle video camera.

They threw in $160 worth of helium from a party supply store, a dash of superglue, and voila, a Legonaut was born.

The toy ascended 80,000 feet over Ontario, recording the awesome footage in the video below, before floating back to Earth some 97 minutes later on a homemade nylon parachute.

It landed near Rice Lake, some 75 miles away from the soccer field where it was launched. A GPS-enabled cell phone onboard told the boys where to go.

The project took about four months of planning on Saturdays, but it wasn't homework for the pair of 12th graders at the Agincourt Collegiate Institute.

Ho, who has dreams of being an entrepreneur, decided to try his hand at astral toy tourism after watching ... [Read more]

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Source: Cnet Science (2012-01-27 14:00:05)

The future of Nintendo could rely on the success of the Wii U.

Nintendo might change the name of its Wii U game console to something less like its predecessor, U.K. video game magazine Computer and Video Games reports, citing unnamed sources.

The Japanese game maker is under pressure to rebound from a disappointing Nintendo 3DS launch and heavy annual losses.

Clearly, Nintendo must avoid doing anything that might confuse consumers and prevent them from buying the successor to the Wii console when it arrives in time for the holidays. CVG says it believes the naming scheme and introduction of the Nintendo 3DS wasn't clear enough to consumers, citing an example of two U.K. retailers adding large red 3DS stickers to game boxes, as it looks similar to boxes used for DS games. The company supposedly aims to avoid a similar fate with the Wii U.

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  Source: Cnet Science (2012-01-27 14:00:05)

The Geneva XS is very good-sounding portable Bluetooth speaker with a rechargeable battery and built-in FM radio. It folds up into its case.

Led by products like the Jawbone Jambox and Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile Speaker, compact Bluetooth speakers are hot little items these days, and Geneva Lab has placed itself in the middle of the fray with its Sound System Model XS, which retails for $250 and comes in black, red, or white.

In case you've never heard of Geneva Lab, as its name implies, it's based in Switzerland, and has been making high-end iPod and iPhone audio systems since 2006. Most of its speakers--such as the Model L we reviewed back in 2007--are actually quite beefy, so it surprised me to see the company go extra-small with an XS model. However, I'm glad it did because, despite the somewhat inflated price tag, it's a very solid product.

Read the full review of the Model XS here. <... [Read more]

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Source: Cnet Science (2012-01-27 14:00:05)

AP - Spain's brutal unemployment rate soared to nearly 23 percent Friday and closed in on 50 percent for those under age 25, leaving more than 5 million people — or almost one out of every four — out of work as the country slides toward recession.

Reuters - Jon Rubinstein, who was instrumental in crafting Apple Inc's iPod music player, has left Hewlett Packard Co after two years on the job there.

If you're planning to buy an HDTV to watch the big game between New England and San Francisco, do yourself a favor and get something BIG.

Football looks best in high-def that's blown up monster-size. We've selected a few of the biggest HDTVs we've reviewed in the last year--call 'em our offensive line--and picked the best for you to size up. When a 50-incher is small, you know you're in the pros.

While you can spend as little as a grand on a 60-incher we'd recommend digging a little bit deeper for the improvements in picture quality. There's also a couple of tips for getting the best TV for your living space here. A TV's for life, not just for the holidays.

Panasonic TC-P65VT30 (65-inch) Superb all-around picture quality, anchored by the deepest plasma black levels of the year, make the Panasonic TC-PVT30 series one of the the best-performing TVs we've tested in 2011. Read the full review.

... [Read more]

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Source: Cnet Science (2012-01-27 14:00:05)

AP - Bloggers and activists from China, the Middle East and Latin America said Friday they were afraid that new Twitter policies could allow governments to censor messages, stifling free expression.

Dennis Wilson was the only member of The Beach Boys who actually surfed. The surfing spirit of the famous US band was in the heart of Dennis Wilson.

The founding drummer of The Beach had a troubled life, but lived it until the end with waves in his mind. "Hey, surfing's getting really big. You guys ought to write a song about it", Dennis once told his brother Brian and Mike Love, back in 1961.

Almost all Beach Boys' tunes had something to do with warm weather, sand, beach, waves, ocean, girls and parties. Dennis Wilson made sure the band kept in the track of the California surf lifestyle.

Dennis Wilson was born on the 4th December 1944, a few months before the end of the World War II. He hardly knew how to play drums, but his brother Brian bought him a few lessons until he did OK.

The best big wave surf spots in the world have a few things in common. They're only suited for experienced surfers, they only break once in a while and they can kill a rider in seconds.

Let's put things in perspective. A 50-foot wave (15 meters) carries about 1.7 MW of power across each meter of wave front, in a 15-second period scenario.

If you've decided to surf the biggest wave of your life, there are few things you should know. Get the right surf gear, ask for jet ski and boat support. And pray. Then, decide whether you're paddling into the wave or if being towed-in is the best option.

The biggest waves in the world are located in almost all continents. With the right swell and wind conditions you'll be lucky to ride four or five really monstrous waves.

The best big wave spots are dangerous and, in some cases, almost inaccessible without a boat or even helicopter. Carefully selecting which wave will open its face and the right moment for the take-off is compulsory. A mistake will probably cost you life.