Google To Acquire Motorola Mobility

Google announced early on Monday morning that it will acquire Motorola Mobility Holdings, marking the Mountain View Company’s first major move into ownership — rather than mere partnership — in the smartphone hardware space.

“The combination of Google and Motorola will not only supercharge Android, but will also enhance competition and offer consumers accelerating innovation, greater choice, and wonderful user experiences,” Google CEO Larry Page wrote in a post on the company’s official blog.

Google will acquire Motorola for approximately $40 per share in cash, or around $12.5 billion dollars, “a premium of 63% to the closing price of Motorola Mobility shares on Friday, August 12, 2011,” according to Google’s press release.

“This transaction offers significant value for Motorola Mobility’s stockholders and provides compelling new opportunities for our employees, customers, and partners around the world,” Motorola Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha said in a statement.


Over the past three years, the smartphone arms race between a handful of companies has been cutthroat. Research in Motion, once the dominant player in the handset space, has been bleeding share since the introduction of Apple’s iPhone and the Android operating system. A dwindling Palm was acquired by Hewlett-Packard in 2010, hoping the backing of a massive company will help its handsets and operating system gain share in the competitive space. And of course since Google and Apple entered the ring in 2007 and ‘08, respectively, nothing has been the same since.

But this is a hallmark moment for Google, a company which has not had a part in owning any of the hardware on which its operating system runs thus far. Apple, RIM and HP, by contrast, all own both the software and hardware aspects of their respective product offerings.

Google claims its Android operating system will remain open to all manufacturers, despite the plans for the acquisition.

“Our vision for Android is unchanged and Google remains firmly committed to Android as an open platform and a vibrant open source community,” Android head honcho Andy Rubin said in a statement. “We will continue to work with all of our valued Android partners to develop and distribute innovative Android-powered devices.”

“We welcome the news of today‘s acquisition, which demonstrates that Google is deeply committed to defending Android, its partners, and the entire ecosystem,” HTC CEO Peter Chou said in a statement. HTC, a fast-growing Taiwanese handset manufacturer, is a major rival to Motorola.

Part of the impetus behind the deal seems to be the history of ongoing patent lawsuits and headaches Google has faced with its Android platform. Recently, Apple, Microsoft and a consortium of other companies banded together to purchase the now defunct Nortel’s patent portfolio for a record $4.5 billion U.S., a move seen as potentially damaging to Google in terms of future potential litigation.

Read full story here;http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/08/google-motorola-acquisition/

Americans Can't Afford New Cars or Repairs

NEW YORK (MainStreet) -- In this economic crisis, it should come as no surprise Americans aren't in the market for a new car, but according to AAA, many owners can't even afford the necessary repairs on the cars they own.

A survey from the automotive group found that one in four American drivers could not pay for a car repair of $2,000 if faced with one today, while one in eight would be unable to pay for a repair bill of $1,000.

Americans are so cash-strapped they can't afford to buy new cars or even make necessary repairs on their current ones, a AAA survey finds.

AAA also found that more than half of American drivers said they are holding on to their older vehicles because they don't want the financial burden of a new one (which is unfortunate, considering some experts believe car prices and interest rates will remain low).

Additionally, a quarter of drivers said they have neglected repairs and maintenance on their vehicles in the past 12 months due to the economic woes.

"Economic conditions have taken their toll on many Americans, resulting in their neglecting their cars and leaving them at increased risk for very expensive repair bills," said Marshall L. Doney, AAA's vice president of automotive and financial services, in a press release. "Many Americans rely on their cars for their livelihood, and losing access to them could be financially devastating during an already troubling economic time."

AAA's findings are in line with what other studies have revealed about what's in (or not in) our bank accounts. In May, the National Bureau of Economic Research discovered that a majority of Americans would be hard pressed to come up with $2,000 on short notice.

This lack of funds can be problematic, since car repairs with that price tag can pop up unexpectedly. AAA said that while repair costs can vary greatly by make, model and type of repair, a broken transmission can set car owners back $2,000 to $4,000, while an engine repair can exceed $5,000. Major brake repairs can cost between $350 and $1,000, and a set of tires can cost anywhere from $300 to more than $1,000.

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Source:http://www.thestreet.com/story/11218008

Iran Will Never Seek N-Weapons: Ahmadinejad

Describing nuclear arms as "inhuman weapons" of the past century, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today said his country will never seek atomic arsenal which is a waste of money.

"Never, never. We do not want nuclear weapons. We do not seek nuclear weapons. This is an inhuman weapon," Ahmadinejad said in an interview to English language Russia Today channel.

Responding to a question whether Iran could acquire a nuclear deterrent, at some point in the future, the Iranian leader declared, "Because of our beliefs we are against that. Firstly, our religion says it is prohibited. We are religious people. Secondly, nuclear weapons have no capability today.

If any country tries to build a nuclear bomb, they in fact waste their money and resources and they create great danger for themselves."

In his interview on the eve of Moscow's hectic diplomatic efforts to broker a deal between Tehran and the West over Iran's suspected nuclear weapons programme, Ahmadinejad said he was equally concerned about the nuclear programmes of many countries.

"We don't like it either that some countries have nuclear weapons. If we are going to be against nuclear weapons we must rise in opposition to current nuclear arsenals. There are now a lot of atomic arsenals in Belgium, Italy, in Germany, Japan. This places serious jeopardy against the international community", he said.

According to local media reports Secretary of Russia's National Security Council Nikolai Patrushev is reaching Tehran tomorrow on a two day visit for talks with Ahmadinejad, his Iranian counterpart Said Jalili and Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi.

Patrushev's Tehran visit is to be followed by Salehi's Moscow visit on August 16-17 for talks with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

"All nuclear activities in Iran are monitored by the IAEA. There have been no documents against Iran from the Agency. It's just a claim by the US that we are after nuclear weapon. But they have no evidence that Iran is diverting resources for that purpose, " Ahmadinejad stressed.

He said despite having huge nuclear stockpiles America could not win in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Could the nuclear weapons help the Israelis to gain victory in Lebanon and Gaza? Could nuclear weapons help the former Soviet Union from collapse? Nuclear weapons are the weapons of the previous century," the Iranian leader asked.

Ahmadinejad declared that Tehran pursues the policy with the goal "Nuclear energy for all and Nuclear weapons for none."

According to local media reports Secretary of Russia's National Security Council Nikolai Patrushev is reaching Tehran tomorrow on a two day visit for talks with Ahmadinejad, his Iranian counterpart Said Jalili and Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi.

Patrushev's Tehran visit is to be followed by Salehi's Moscow visit on August 16-17 for talks with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

SOURCE;http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?731303

Senior PKK rebel denies reports of his arrest

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - The deputy to jailed PKK leader Adullah Ocalan made a rare appearance on television on Sunday to deny an Iranian report that its forces had arrested the second in command of the Turkish Kurd rebel group.

A senior Iranian member of parliament said on Sunday that Iranian forces had captured the No. 2 commander of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), without giving a name.

Murat Karayilan, the PKK's field commander, told a Kurdish TV channel from his hideout in the Kandil mountains between Turkey and Iraq that he was fine and free.

"These stories are just made-up games by Turkey and Iran to demoralize the organization," Karayilan told Roj TV.

Earlier, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, head of Iran's parliament's foreign affairs committee, had told the semi-official Mehr news agency: "Our country's intelligence forces have carried out an important task and have arrested the second (highest) person in the PKK."

While Turkish media spread the news of the supposed arrest, which would have been a huge blow to the revel group, officials in both country were unable to confirm it.

Boroujerdi later said he had no direct knowledge of the matter.

"What I heard about this arrest was based on what Turkish media reported and nothing more," he told the Iranian students' news agency ISNA. "Whether it's right or wrong should be confirmed by the relevant body."

A Turkish television channel had reported on Saturday that Karayilan had been captured in Iran but later withdrew the story.

Iranian forces often clash with Kurdish guerrillas said to be members of Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), an offshoot of the PKK which took up arms in 1984 for an ethnic homeland in southeast Turkey and northwest Iran.

Home and Garden News and Notes

Q&A: IN SEARCH OF CINNAMON BEAR PLANT

Q: A few weeks ago I read about a plant called Cinnamon Bear Rudbeckia in a newspaper. The story said it's available at most Home Depot stores, but none of the stores I checked had ever heard of it. Can you help me find this plant?

A: You're referring to a wire story that originated in Newport News, Va. It's possible the plant is widely available there, but not here.

Lisa Heredia of Viva!, the company that produces Cinnamon Bear Rudbeckia, said the plant is new this year, and very few growers in the Akron, Ohio, region grew it. She expects wider distribution next year.

Cinnamon Bear Rudbeckia is the brand name Viva! uses for the plant, but it's also available in seed form under the name Rudbeckia 'Becky Cinnamon Bicolor.' I couldn't find either plants or seeds in the Akron area but you could order seeds from any of a number of mail-order sources to start your own plants next spring, if you wish.

In addition, an Ohio nursery expects to sell the plant next year. It suggested you call in early spring to ask whether the plant is available.

WHAT'S NEW: DEVICE CLEANS PAINT ROLLERS MORE EFFECTIVELY

A new device helps you clean paint rollers faster and more effectively.

The Rejuv-a-Roller is a cylindrical container that attaches to a faucet. Your roller slips into the container, where water is directed right to the roller's nap.

In about 30 seconds, it can clean a roller thoroughly enough to be used with a different paint color, the company says.

The device was selected one of the best do-it-yourself painting tools for 2011 by Family Handyman magazine.

To repair bad credit,Q&A: IN SEARCH OF CINNAMON BEAR PLANT

Q: A few weeks ago I read about a plant called Cinnamon Bear Rudbeckia in a newspaper. The story said it's available at most Home Depot stores, but none of the stores I checked had ever heard of it. Can you help me find this plant?

A: You're referring to a wire story that originated in Newport News, Va. It's possible the plant is widely available there, but not here.

Lisa Heredia of Viva!, the company that produces Cinnamon Bear Rudbeckia, said the plant is new this year, and very few growers in the Akron, Ohio, region grew it. She expects wider distribution next year.

Cinnamon Bear Rudbeckia is the brand name Viva! uses for the plant, but it's also available in seed form under the name Rudbeckia 'Becky Cinnamon Bicolor.' I couldn't find either plants or seeds in the Akron area but you could order seeds from any of a number of mail-order sources to start your own plants next spring, if you wish.

In addition, an Ohio nursery expects to sell the plant next year. It suggested you call in early spring to ask whether the plant is available.

WHAT'S NEW: DEVICE CLEANS PAINT ROLLERS MORE EFFECTIVELY

A new device helps you clean paint rollers faster and more effectively.

The Rejuv-a-Roller is a cylindrical container that attaches to a faucet. Your roller slips into the container, where water is directed right to the roller's nap.

In about 30 seconds, it can clean a roller thoroughly enough to be used with a different paint color, the company says.

today

The device was selected one of the best do-it-yourself painting tools for 2011 by Family Handyman magazine.

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Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/08/11/3070199/home-and-garden-news-and-notes.html

300,000 Users Join Age Of Conan: Unchained In Less Than A Month

Age of Conan has really gone through the paces when it comes to being a success story. It wasn’t like the game came out, had a few hiccups and then went on to mount massive accolades within the industry. No, instead of Age of Conan released to a lot of fanfare and then seen a lot of fans drop off from the fair, and then eventually had to overcome a host of bugs, glitches and performance issues.

Nevertheless, since its launch back in 2008, and after spending a few years ironing out the kinks, adding new content and fixing up many of the core gameplay elements, Funcom turned Age of Conan into a hybrid free-to-play and subscriber-based MMO that has spelled huge success for the company in a short amount of time.

Executive Producer and Game Director Craig Morrison commented in the press release, saying…

"We are delighted to see the success of ‘Age of Conan: Unchained’”, ... "We have been working hard to show that we are one of the best, and most unique, MMO experiences on the market. Our focus now is to deliver even more content and new experiences to players, starting with the movie tie-in Adventure Pack that is launching in the near future!”

The game has seen a whopping fourfold overturn in server activity and more than 300,000 users have joined up (or re-joined back) to see what the free-to-play version of Age of Conan: Unchained. The game really is tight these days, offering MMO combat that is rivaled by no other game out there, including brutal finishing moves and amazingly smooth animations.
Read more about Age of Conan.
source:www.cinemablend.com