(InfoWorld) - A massive computing grid helps eBayÂ make changes to its auction Web site on the fly while maintaining a 99.94 percent up time, said Paul Strong, a distinguished research scientist there. While eBay designed most of its grid infrastructure, the company also wants to participate in standards-setting communities to bring more improvements to computer grid technology, Strong said Tuesday during the GridWorld conference in Washington, D.C. EBay's core business is hosting Web-based auctions, not in creating new grid technologies, he said. "We don't see ourselves as an IT development shop for development tools," he said. By working together on grid standards, participants can help "transitions be less painful," he added. On Monday, the Open Grid Forum standards body officially opened for business, delivering on its commitment made in June to detail its goals during GridWorld. EBay has made great strides in its back-end technology since the late '90s, but the company still wants more improvements, including the ability to change the site's code nearly instantaneously, Strong said. Right now, the company, with more than 15,000 servers in its production environment, distributes new application code to its Web site every two weeks, he said. EBay developers write about 100,000 lines of code each week, and using a traditional grid made up of about 350 Windows, Linux and Solaris computers, the site takes about 20 minutes to update with the new features, Strong said. With 104 million items listed for auction on eBay every day, the company needs to keep the site running while those changes are happening, he added. "We can't afford to take the site down," he said. "It's like changing the engines on a jumbo jet mid-flight." About $1,608 worth of merchandise sells on eBay every second, and a vehicle sells every two minutes on average, Strong said. A trading card sells every six seconds, and a pound of the Korean food kimchi sells every minute. The site has seen huge growth since the late '90s, he noted. Ebay.com has gone from 54 million page views a day in June 1999 to 874 million in December 2005, Strong said. The site sent out 35 million e-mail messages a day in December, compared to 1 million a day in June '99. And the site's up time went from about 97 percent to 99.94 percent in that time period. Still, the company would like more grid functionality, Strong said. EBay would like to get closer to that mythical 99.999 percent up time, he said. "We break almost anything we use," he said. "We're pretty much at the extreme limit of what you can do with off-the-shelf technology." And eBay doesn't want to wait to update the site every two weeks, he added. "We want to be faster; we want to be more agile," he said. "If someone comes up with a cool change that's not that big, I'd like to be able to roll it tomorrow." Improvements in grid computing is where community standards can help, he said. "We believe everyone has something to contribute," he said to the GridWorld audience. "We'd like to share ... with the community." GridWorld is organized by IDG, the parent company of IDG News Service.


AOL to offer free web based e-mail service

AOL will attempt to compete directly with the likes of Yahoo Inc., MSN and Google Inc. when it launches its own free Web-based e-mail service.


EMBARGOED UNTIL 9/11: Business Objects Adds SRC Software to BI Suite

Business Objects has integrated a suite of performance management tools gained through its acquisition of SRC Software with its own Business Objects XI business intelligence software.


Presidente Khelil,stabilizzazione solo in 2/o trimestre 2008


Investor kills colleagues in Pa. boardroom meeting

An investor disgruntled over a bad deal called six colleagues to a boardroom meeting before shooting dead execution-style three of them and eventually turning the gun on himself, police said on Tuesday.


Per la variazione delle tasse in testa l'Umbria


La settimana scorsa Capo Stato Israele si e' autosospeso


Citi and Goldman most exposed to loan writedowns: report

Citigroup  and Goldman Sachs  are the most exposed to further writedowns from leveraged loans in the first quarter, as the value of loans and bonds created to finance leveraged buyouts plunges, Bank of America said.


Iraq Truck Blast Ushers Rumsfeld Out of Town

A gas tanker truck wired with explosives blew up in a west Baghdad neighbourhood, killing one person, wounding 19 and lighting up the night sky with a fireball just hours after US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld left the Iraqi capital.


Film festival favorite "Maria Full of Grace," director-screenwriter Joshua Marston's first film, was awarded the Deauville Festival of American Film's top prize, the Grand Prix for Independent Film, on Sunday.


Two U.S. Soldiers Killed by Baghdad Car Bomb

A car bomb killed two American soldiers  and wounded eight when it exploded in Baghdad on Saturday, the  U.S. military said in a statement.


Former senator scheduled to speak in New Orleans -- appearance, billed as anti-poverty speech, now expected to serve as platform for ending Democrat's White House bid.


Some demographics and details about how Americans felt about the 2004 presidential election.


Fatturato a 20 mln, attive tre nuove societa'


With backwards compatibility, first-party games, and a cheaper price, Nintendo DS is the portable system to beat.


Majority of PeopleSoft shareholders accept Oracle bid

NOVEMBER 20, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - A majority of PeopleSoft Inc.'s shareholders gave Oracle Corp. the green light to continue its hostile bid for control of the company, tendering more than 60 percent


ATI develops PCI Express-based HyperMemory

ATI takes the concept of "shared memory" and utilizes next-generation technology to produce HyperMemory. Using PCI Express, this new technology reduces PC system costs by allowing its visual processors to use system memory for graphics processing.


Bancrofts reject lawyers' WSJ safeguard plan: report

The Bancroft family that controls Wall  Street Journal publisher Dow Jones & Co.  has rejected  its own lawyers' draft of a plan to protect the paper's  independence as too timid, according to the New York Times.


Islamic militants threatened to attack Germany and Austria unless the two European nations break ranks with the U.S. and withdraw their personnel from Afghanistan, according to a Web statement.


Spain Could Lose Beaches to Global Warming -Report

Global warming may cost Spain many of its famous beaches and could push summer temperatures over 50 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, according to research released on Tuesday.


Whereas Republicans hope to sway voters' minds with details on economic policy, national security and plans for Iraq at their party convention, they'll likely stress values in a bid


Surprising Few, Italyâs Government Collapses

Prime Minister Romano Prodi resigned after losing a confidence vote in the Senate,  ending his 20 turbulent months in office.


Iran vows "no surrender" in face of new sanctions

Iran's president voiced defiance on Wednesday as world powers prepared to put the finishing touches to new sanctions against the Islamic Republic, saying his country would not surrender.


Presidente Assemblea, 'io al suo posto mi dimetterei'


The co-founder of Nike Inc. Philip Knight has resigned from his position as chief executive officer, the company said on Thursday.


Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says his country is not heading for armed conflict with the US.


Maybe Santa will bring them UK police are to stop searching for the missing child benefit CDs early next week.â¦


Funerale di Camillo Valentini, le accuse del parroco di Roccaraso

C'era tutta Roccaraso ai funerali del sindaco Camillo Valentini, toltosi la vita domenica scorsa nel carcere di Sulmona, dopo essere stato arrestato con l'accusa di concussione. Il feretro, partito dalla sua abitazione nel centro del paese a pochi passi ...


Japan's Makoto Tamada took advantage of an early collision yesterday and outlasted world champion Valentino Rossi to win the MotoGP Grand Prix of Japan.


A military parade in Kiev marks the 60th anniversary of Ukraine's liberation from Nazi occupation.


Oltre ai tarocchi arriveranno in Giappone anche mele e kiwi


IRA Would Disarm if N.Irish Deal Is Struck - Adams

Gerry Adams, leader of the Irish Republican Army's (IRA) political ally Sinn Fein, signaled on Sunday that the guerrilla group was ready to give up its arms, but only if a new Northern Ireland peace deal can be struck.


Russian grocery owner to be space tourist

A grocery tycoon and politician who planted a flag on the North Pole's seabed last month will now go into orbit as the first Russian space tourist, leading business daily Vedomosti said on Monday.


Mild Weather Will Perk Up Fishing; Hiking is a Great Weekend Option

By Robert Sloan, The Beaumont Enterprise, Texas  Dec. 15--Fishing is in, hunting is out.   A forecast with highs in the mid 70s and morning lows in the mid 60s through Wednesday will definitely be in favor of fishing.


U.S. Refuses to Free 5 Captured Iranians Until at Least October

The United States will not release five Iranians detained in a U.S. military raid in northern Iraq until at least October, despite entreaties from the Iraqi government and pressure from Iran,  U.S. officials said. The delay is as much due to a communication and procedural foul-up within the U.S....


Maier Resists His Decline With 'Very Special' Victory

Hermann Maier finished first in the giant slalom for his first gold medal at the world championships since 1999.


Nokia counters with patent lawsuit against Qualcomm

Nokia and Qualcomm have entered a new round in their high-stakes fight over patent royalties, with the Finnish handset maker landing its first counter-punch.


La voce circolava da tempo, ma ora arriva una conferma che Ã¨ quasi ufficiale: la Disney si separerÃ  nel settembre 2005 dai fratelli Harvey e Bob Weinstein, i fondatori della casa di produzione Miramax. La


Blast in Afghanistan kills 2, injures 48

A roadside bomb in western Afghanistan left three civilians dead and 48 wounded, including 10 children, officials said Thursday.


Election Plays Small Role in Surging Oil Prices

Uncertainty ahead of the U.S.  presidential election is playing some role in high oil prices,  but don't expect a big energy sell-off after the ballots are  counted, oil experts said on Tuesday.


Zimbabwe opposition says victim of rights abuses

Zimbabwe's main opposition on Friday accused President Robert Mugabe's government of failing to stop political violence against its supporters in 2004 and said


The U.S. medical establishment appears to have turned a blind eye to the abuse of military medicine at the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba, doctors from around the world said in a letter published Friday in a prestigious British medical journal.


Pope Keeps Up Tradition of Spanish Steps

Waving from his white popemobile, Pope John Paul II blessed shoppers and tourists at the foot of the Spanish Steps on Wednesday as he began his busy holiday schedule with a traditional visit to the popular square in the heart of historic Rome.


Homebound Elderly Hit Hard by Depression

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDayNews) -- There's no racial distinction when it comes to depression in the homebound elderly, says a new study in the October issue of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.


Minor league hockey attendance up in NHL's troubled times

Attendance is up and some players with NHL experience welcome the playing time in the minors. Ten of the American Hockey League's top 13 scorers were on NHL rosters a year ago.


Nigerian rebels to end hostilities if leader freed: MEND armed group

The most prominent armed group in Nigeria's restive, oil-rich Niger Delta vowed Sunday to end hostilities if its leader detained for alleged arms trafficking in Angola is released.


Fed rate cut this week not a sure thing: report

A Federal Reserve interest rate cut this week is no sure thing and officials are not seriously considering a half-point reduction in overnight rates, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday without citing sources.


Roundup: Dorfmeister takes women's super-G

Michaela Dorfmeister, an Austrian, won the opening women's World Cup super giant slalom race of the season on Sunday at Lake Louise, Alberta.


Gunmen kill another Mexican state police chief

Gunmen killed the police chief of the central Mexican state of Hidalgo on Wednesday, the state attorney general's office said, the second high-profile police murder by drug hitmen in less than a week.


Iranian Boats May Not Have Made Radio Threat, Pentagon Says

The Pentagon said yesterday that the apparent radio threat to bomb U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf last weekend may not have come from the five Iranian Revolutionary Guard speedboats that approached them -- and may not even have been intended against U.S. targets.


Rice raises rights concerns as Libya hails ties

Libya's foreign minister declared an end to confrontation with the United States on Thursday in a rare visit to Washington by a top Libyan diplomat aimed at cementing ties between the former foes.


SF mayor seeks cooling-off period in hotel contract dispute

SAN FRANCISCO San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has asked labor leaders and the management of fourteen hotels for a ninety-day cooling-off period in their contract dispute.


Shares of Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. tumbled in Tuesday trading after Standard & Poor's said it would drop the grocery store chain from its S&P 500 index later this week.


Gritty Romanian tale of abortion and sacrifice wins Cannes Palme d'Or

Arts & entertainment: A disturbing tale of illegal abortion in communist-era Romania has won the Cannes film festival's top prize.


Benedetto XVI interviene implicitamente sul dibattito in corso sui Dico ed ha espresso preoccupazione per i provvedimenti che riguardano "la vita, la famiglia e il matrimonio"                                            Coppie di fatto, il Papa ai politici "Solo leggi conformi al diritto naturale"


John Mayer and Madeleine Peyroux have new offerings out this week.


Tip of the Iceberg: Young Men Who Have Sex With Men, the Internet, and HIV Risk

By Garofalo, Robert Herrick, Amy; Mustanski, Brian S; Donenberg, Geri Rachel  Objectives. We examined the prevalence of Internet use for meeting sexual partners (Internet partners) and HIV risk behaviors associated with this use among young men who have sex with men (aged 16-24 years).


Proposals for EU-wide penalties for counterfeiting face a key vote in the European parliament.


Bus bombed in southeast Iran killing at least 11

A booby-trapped car blew up a bus owned by the Revolutionary Guards on Wednesday, killing at least 11 people, in a border city in southeast Iran where security forces and drug smugglers often clash, state media reported.


Feds seek formal extension of Microsoft antitrust deal

Judge asked to approve extra two years--with the option of three more--for portions of landmark settlement critics say have been implemented too slowly.


Per bancarotta fraudolenta nel fallimento della finanziaria


MODENA, Italy  - Thousands of mourners filed past the open coffin of Luciano Pavarotti in the cathedral of his Italian hometown on Friday, in an emotional farewell to the singer whose death prompted tributes from around the world.


DMCA Limited by Sixth Circuit Appeals Court

The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way. I really dont know why a printer manufacturer should have exclusive rights on producing ink that work with their printers.


Microsoft bids $44.6 billion to buy Yahoo

Microsoft Corp offered  to buy Yahoo Inc for $44.6 billion, in a bold bid to transform  two ailing Internet businesses into a worthy competitor for  market leader Google Inc.


Many Swedes Say OK to Skip Work if Tired

In a country already plagued by skyrocketing sick leave costs, a new survey found that 40 percent of the population thinks it's acceptable to skip work because they feel tired or have trouble getting along with their colleagues.


American fans to hear Chelsea matches live

English champions Chelsea, fresh from   a third successive pre-season tour of the U.S., have signed a   deal with Sirius Satellite Radio, which will broadcast their   Premier League games live to North America.


'Classrooms for the Future' Educators Offer Success Stories, Urge Continued Funding

To: EDUCATION EDITORS  Contact: Michael Race of Pennsylvania Department of Education, +1- 717-783-9802   HARRISBURG, Pa., June 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Educators who have seen how Governor Edward G.


Roboticists are using the lessons of 1930s human physiology to build the world's fastest walking robot.


A driver is killed and another man is fighting for his life after two separate road accidents in West Lothian.


Thai policeman suspected of shooting Britons surrenders: police

A Thai policeman suspected of shooting dead two British tourists last month gave himself up, police said.


New Yorkâs attorney general is looking into whether insurers overcharged patients for out-of-network doctors.


India has successfully test-fired a naval version of its Prithvi-III nuclear-capable missile, defence sources say. The launch took place on Wednesday in the Bay of Bengal off Chandipur in the state of Orissa.


President Bush yesterday nominated Samuel W. Bodman, the deputy secretary of the Treasury Department, to be the new energy secretary, turning to


How business intelligence tools can help improve pizza delivery

The Papa Gino's restaurant chain is using BI software to try to improve its ability to accurately tell customers when their pizzas will be delivered to them.


The DivX codec makes a play for set-top boxes

The little codec that could, DivX, announced a series of partnerships today that will use the protocol in set-top boxes for Internet Protocol Television (IPTV).


Iraq Forces Advance on Najaf Shrine, Battle Rages

NAJAF, Iraq  - Iraqi security forces moved to  within 400 meters (yards) of a holy shrine in Najaf on Tuesday,  just hours after the government warned Shi'ite rebels inside  they would be killed if they did not surrender.


Concept gadgets rule, editors drool, and wireless, hands-free tech takes over. Here are our picks for the best--and worst--of this year's show.


Meningitis shot boosts immunity in infants: study

A new type of meningitis vaccine boosted the immunity of infants as young as six months, offering a potential new weapon against this deadly disease, British and Canadian researchers said on Tuesday.


Vice President Dick Cheney has a blood clot in his left leg, tests revealed Monday. He will be treated with blood thinning medication for several months


Republicans Expand Hold on Congress, Oust Daschle

Republicans expanded their hold on Congress in Tuesday's elections and Democrat Tom Daschle became the first Senate leader in a half century to be voted out of office, according to network projections.


Texas Woman's Death Probed for Mad Cow Tie

The family of a Beaumont woman is waiting for test results to find out if she died from a form of an affliction connected to mad cow disease.


Pakistan kills Al-Qaeda kingpin wanted in Pearl case, bid on ...

ISLAMABAD : Pakistani security forces killed an Al-Qaeda kingpin allegedly behind an assassination attempt on President Pervez Musharraf and indicted in the murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl, a security official said.


Twenty-nine patients who took  AstraZeneca Plc's AZN.L AZN.N anti-cholesterol drug Crestor  have developed kidney damage, a U.S. consumer group said on  Friday as it called again for a ban on the medicine.


Casi sempre piu' precoci, ricoverata una bimba di 10 anni


Projector Display--It's Not Just About DLP Technology

The main front-projection technology competing with Texas Instruments' DLP is 3LCD, now revving up its fight for more recognition.


By Barry, Patrick  BIOMEDICINE The pancreas doesn't include stem cells that become insulin producers. Instead, the cells that make the hormone proliferate by dividing, researchers have discovered. The finding could have implications for future diabetes treatments.


Two big government-funded studies on back surgery for painful herniated disks show no clear-cut reason to choose an operation over other treatment. The pain and physical function of the patients, who were suffering from a condition called sciatica, improved significantly after two years whether or not they had surgery. However, neither strategy offered complete relief.


Boycott of top companies plotted after last planned day of street protests over disputed election


Chrysler lures away key Toyota executive

Chrysler LLC on Thursday named longtime Toyota Motor Corp  executive Jim Press as vice-chairman and president, which analysts said showed Chrysler's new private owners were serious about a longer-term turnaround plan for the automaker.


Cingular gets DOJ approval for AT&T Wireless acquisition

Cingular Wireless LLC has reached an agreement with the US Department of Justice that will allow the company's proposed $41 billion acquisition of AT&T Wireless to proceed on schedule.


Si chiude se tutte le imprese si siederanno al tavolo


S.D. governor, feds reach deal on warden

A game warden accused of intimidating hunters can continue supervisory work, but will no longer enforce hunting and fishing laws, officials said Wednesday.


Health, wealth predict quality of life for older adults

TORONTO (Reuters Life!) - Financial resources, health and experiencing meaning in life are factors that directly influence a baby boomer's quality of life, according to a new study by Canadian researchers.


American Hamm Claims Men's Gymnastics All-Round Crown

Paul Hamm etched his name into the record books as he became the first American man to win the Olympic gymnastics all-round crown Wednesday.


Dems, GOP Claim Lead Going Into 2nd Debate

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. Oct. 7, 2004 - President Bush needs to do a lot more than improve his body language for Friday night's second debate, says Democrat John Edwards.


TOULOUSE, France  - Planemaker Airbus threw a huge  media party on Tuesday for the A380 -- overweight, overbudget  and still on the ground, but hailed as the world's largest  airliner which its designers say will reshape aviation.


Concert celebrates Diana's 46th birthday

LONDON  — Waving their arms in the air and dancing with 70,000 fans at London's Wembley Stadium, princes William and Harry celebrated the life of their mother, Princess Diana, on what would have been her 46th birthday Sunday at a concert they organized.


Pope Thanks Followers on 26th Anniversary

Pope John Paul II thanked well-wishers Sunday for their messages and prayers as he celebrated the 26th anniversary of his election as pontiff.


Hasbro fires off legal letters over Scrabulous

Scrabble owner spells out copyright law to Facebook Hasbro Inc, which owns the US and Canadian rights to Scrabble, has asked Facebook to remove its online version "Scrabulous", Reuters reports.â¦


Ministerial aide Jim Devine quits over plans to renew the UK's Trident nuclear weapons.


Fox will post episodes this week of returning series such as 'âPrison Breakâ' and 'âBones,â' along with new shows such as 'âK-Ville.â'


âThe Kite Runnerâ Film Outlawed in Afghanistan

The Culture Ministry has quietly banned the import of the film based on the best-selling novel about childhood betrayal, ethnic tension and sexual predation in Afghanistan.


Top Concert Promoter Sets Up a Challenge to Ticketmaster

Concert giant Live Nation is aiming to ramp up its ticket-selling operation, potentially positioning itself to compete with its longtime contractor, Ticketmaster.


Stereotypes keep depressed men from care

NEW YORK  - Depressed older men are much less likely than depressed older women to recognize their depression and seek treatment for it, a study confirms.


Jerry Yang makes his first move as chief executive of Yahoo, buying the college sports website Rivals.com.


MetLife Inc. on Monday agreed to  acquire Travelers Life & Annuity from Citigroup Inc. for $11.5  billion, bolstering its product reach while sounding  Citigroup's retreat from the one-stop financial supermarket  concept.


A Trainer Takes It Slow and Saddles Fast Horses

Shug McGaughey has won the Midsummer Derby three times. He waited nine years to saddle another one, and now his horse must run down this yearâs Kentucky Derby winner.


Rollable screen helps tired cellphone eyes

(InfoWorld) - If you're one of those wireless users who like small handsets but detest small displays, you'll like this: a cellular device with a rollable display. Polymer Vision and the mobile arm of Telecom Italia are collaborating to develop and launch the world's first mobile device with a rollable display, which will be able to receive all types of information, including maps, newspapers and even electronic books. The companies will show a prototype at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona next week and plan a commercial launch later this year. The product follows up on a rollable-display concept deviceÂ presented by Polymer VisionÂ 18 months ago at the IFA Consumer Electronics Trade Fair in Berlin. The rollable polymer-display technology enables mobile devices to incorporate a display that is larger than the device itself. Although the new device is similar in size to a typical cell phone, it has a display that extends up to 5 inches and may be stored away after use by folding it. The display has 16 gray levels combined with high contrast and high reflectivity for a paper-like reading experience, even in bright sunlight. Planned future developments include color and the ability to display moving images. The device will have a minium of 4GB of storage, with data to be transmitted over of the cellular network of Telecom Italia or broadcast using DVB-H IP (Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld Internet Protocol) data-casting. Telecom Italia will market the product exclusively in Italy, while Polymer Vision will sell it elsewhere.


Sex Offenders Called to Halloween Meeting

Scores of child molesters and other sex offenders in Virginia will have to report to their probation offices for three hours Halloween night to keep them away from trick-or-treaters.


LOS ANGELES - A man who had two children with his former sixth-grade teacher said the two have been meeting daily since her release from prison last month and would like to marry.    Mary Kay Letourneau, 42, served 7 1/2 years in prison for child rape for her relationship with Vili Fualaau, who was 12 when their relationship began at a Seattle-area school...


It's the sound of dial-up Internet access we'll miss the most. That long, high-pitched screech followed -- usually, hopefully -- by a muffled explosion of static that signaled success.


Wenger pays after FA finds fault with defence

A LINE could be finally drawn under the Battle of the Buffet yesterday - at least until Manchester United travel to Highbury on February 1 â-fter ArsÃ¨ne


Miss your chance to buy some water from a cup once used by Elvis Presley? Don't be disappointed — now you can bid on a chance to see, but not own, the cup that held the water.


Arnold Schwarzenegger has never met his match. Rival bodybuilders blocking his quest for a Mr. Universe title? Girly men. Predators from outer space?


The interim car, which Jaguar continued to develop throughout the time the sale of the team to Red Bull was being agreed, will be on track for three days from next Wednesday, with driver(s) yet to be confirmed.


EU Rejects Sarkozy's Call for Standard Tax Rates, Aid Cuts

European Union regulators rejected a call by French Finance Minister Nicolas Sarkozy for an EU-wide corporate tax code to prevent low-tax Eastern European economies from poaching jobs from the west.


Wired's How To Wiki: Shred Like a God in Guitar Hero 3

Mastered every chord? Check. Perfected your hold, memorized every pattern and conquered every level? Check, check and check. In August 2007, Wired guided you to maximum star power in our How To Rock at Guitar Hero -- now it's your turn. Follow this link to the How To Wiki and tell us how you rock at RedOctane's latest, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.


Nokia, Vodafone join forces to simplify mobile phone software

HELSINKI : Finnish mobile phone giant Nokia and British mobile operator Vodafone said they would collaborate to simplify mobile phone software using the Java computer language, paving the way for cheaper mobile phones in the long run.


Fondazione Ismu, regolari oltre 3 milioni


BHP Billiton is set to reveal much higher-than-expected gold reserves at an Australian site, a report says.


Pope Benedict XVI named four new saints Sunday from France, Malta, the Netherlands and Poland at a ceremony in St. Peter's Square attended by several heads of state and thousands of faithful.The presidents of Ireland, Malta, Poland and the Philippines attended the canonization Mass for the three priests and a nun, whom Benedict praised as models for Catholics to emulate.'Let us be attracted by their example, let us be guided by their teachings,' he told the crowd, which filled St. Peter's Square for the two-hour Mass despite rain. Read more


Tower Automotive Inc. , a large supplier of truck frames and body structures that has been struggling with a cash shortage, on Wednesday filed for bankruptcy protection from creditors.


Yanks and Baseball Meet as Report Ties Giambi to Steroids

The Yankees may try to take action against Jason Giambi in the wake of a damaging report that he illegally used steroids.


Nigeria's main labour union said it would go ahead with its general strike called for Wednesday after the government refused to reverse a 15 percent hike in the price of petrol.


Dunbar Mayor Praises Workers for Response to Water, Gas Leaks

Dunbar city officials praised city workers and emergency crews for their efforts to control the situation when water and natural gas lines nearly required residents to evacuate.


Oakland last Sunday, a triumph that pulled them into a third-place ...

the Raiders in the division. Kansas City must win three of its last four to. Nashville during the 2000 season. That game marked the Chiefs' lone trip to.


Cotto stays unbeaten with convincing win over Quintana

Undefeated Miguel Cotto stopped fellow  Puerto Rican Carlos Quintana after five rounds to win the  vacant WBA welterweight title in Atlantic City, New Jersey on  Saturday.


Beatles beat the Bard as cultural reference point

Arts & entertainment: Shakespeare's 400-year reign as the world's primary transmitter of the English language ends.


Christopher Reeve, Hollywood's "Superman," Who Never Abandoned ...

Christopher Reeve, the actor whose work on soaps and on stage was eclipsed when he played the Man of Steel in the motion picture "Superman," and its sequels, died of heart failure Oct. 10 in a Mount Kisco, NY, hospital.


A parliamentary election victory for Taiwan's opposition coalition will boost investor confidence and the financial markets on Monday, analysts said.


A new version of the Zafi e-mail worm is spreading Christmas wishes along with its malicious code, according to antivirus software companies.


Leading economists say US taxpayers may have to pay for a pensions shortfall at the agency that protects pensions funds.


London's Notting Hill Carnival to open to steel band throng

London's Notting Hill Carnival which is celebrating its 40th year was due to swing into action with a steel band contest setting the tone for three days of Caribbean music.


Livorno, 21:14 - CALCIO, LIVORNO; SPINELLI: DELUSO DA GIOCATORI E CAMOLESE

Il presidente del Livorno, Aldo Spinelli, è avvilito dopo l'ennesima debacle. "I giocatori pi...


Football thugs have been barred from football grounds after being caught trying to sneak out of the country to watch England's clash with Spain.


Just buy a license, and do what you will The EU has released a policy document calling for frequencies to be allocated with no restriction put on what they can be used for.â¦


Sailor dies after airlift from Canadian submarine off coast of ...

But a day later, it was major blaze that led to the death of a Canadian submariner, sending ripples of shock and dismay through Halifax's large military community.


Black Eyed Peas singer joins "Wolverine" cast

Black Eyed Peas singer  Will.i.am will make his feature acting debut in "X-Men Origins:  Wolverine," the "X-Men" spinoff starring Hugh Jackman.


php|architect: PHPCon 2004 & MySQL ComCon

php|architect has a new posting this morning serving as a reminder to all of those wanting to go to the International PHP Conference (and MySQL ComCon Europe 2004) - time is running out to register.


N.1 Microsoft dona 306 mln dlr per 'rivoluzione verde'


Getty Images, Reuters win World Press Photo prizes

An image of a group of young Lebanese driving a car through bombed-out South Beirut, taken by Spencer Platt of Getty Images Inc., won the top World Press Photo prize for news photography on Friday.


A new think tank specializing in gay issues wants a say in the U.S. debate over same-sex marriage and other matters, seeking to counter the influence of religious conservatives by beating them at their own game.


Lamb sold in Asda supermarkets have been recalled because of the possible presence of veterinary drugs, the Food Standards Agency says.


A campaign is being launched warning businesses about the penalties for employing illegal migrant workers.


In More Cases, Combat Trauma Is Taking the Stand

Prosecutors, judges and juries are increasingly prodded to assess the role of combat trauma in crimes by veterans.


An alert posted on the company's Web site outlined the patches that should be posted to fix numerous security holes in a number of applications.


Microsoft and Amazon couple to fight spam

Microsoft Corp. and Amazon.com Inc., two Seattle-based technology rivals, came to cooperation against deceptive and fraudulent e-mail.


WASHINGTON - The two astronauts on board the international space station are cutting back on their food as supplies are running shorter than expected in advance of the planned arrival of a Russian supply ship on Christmas Day.


Diamondbacks Acquire Haren and Trade Closer Valverde

The Arizona Diamondbacks sent six players to Oakland for their ace Dan Haren and then got three from Houston in return for Jose Valverde. The two deals Friday involved 12 players.


Samsung launches tiny memory card for mobiles

In a flash, Samsung has unveiled its latest removable storage product, and it's only a quarter of the size of a standard multimedia memory card.


Court allows singer R. Kelly to stay free

A judge on Friday allowed R. Kelly to  remain free on bond pending his trial on child pornography  charges, even though the R&B singer missed a court appearance  this week.


New York, 11:48 - BASEBALL, NY YANKEES: INGAGGIATI DUE CINESI

I New York Yankees hanno ingaggiato due giocatori cinesi di 19 anni, il lanciatore mancino Kai Liu e...


Virgin Group to enter online music market.

Richard Branson's Virgin group said today that it would be entering the market of online music, a move which will put Virgin against other music services such as Apple iTunes, MSN Music and many other pay-per-song music services.


The Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi left Malta this morning for Tripoli to hold high-level talks with Libyan authorities.


Iraq war film Turtles Can Fly - about a village awaiting the US invasion - has won the top prize at Spain's San Sebastian Film Festival.


Japan's prime minister rejects Iraqi militants' demands for a troop pullout after a Japanese man is seized.


Calcium supplements unlikely to prevent fractures

Calcium supplements given to healthy   children to improve their bone density are unlikely to prevent   broken bones, researchers said on Friday.


Incumbent seen winning Md. House primary

A six-term incumbent congressman emerged Saturday as the apparent winner of a hotly contested primary after officials finished counting more than 11,000 provisional ballots.


Michael D. Capellas will become chief executive officer of credit card transaction processor First Data after the company is acquired by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.


Segno meno anche per l'oro sui mercati asiatici


A letter left on the body of murdered Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh contained a death threat against liberal Dutch politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali.


Londra, 15:09 - CALCIO, CHELSEA: CECH TORNERA' AD ALLENARSI A GENNAIO

Petr Cech tornerà ad allenarsi regolarmente a gennaio. Il portiere del Chelsea, 24 anni, sta ...


Meltdown: Arctic wildlife is on the brink of catastrophe

Polar bears could be decades from extinction, a survey into global warming has found. Steve Connor reports on the crisis that threatens the polar ice-cap.


Athens - Six weeks of sporting celebration ended on a sombre note on Tuesday as the closing ceremony of the Paralympics was cut back because of a deadly school bus crash.


Advanced Micro Devices on Thursday unveiled a low-cost Internet access device aimed at first-time users in India, Mexico and the Caribbean.


Npower unveils plans to build the first new coal-fired power station in the UK for two decades.


Dole's outburst made first VP showdown a memorable one

The first vice presidential debate was not held until 1976, and produced the biggest news story of any future such event. That might have been why the VP candidates did not debate in 1980.


Decision on British citizenship for Gurkhas due in weeks: Blair

Britain is to announce in the coming weeks whether it will extend full citizenship to Gurkha soldiers from Nepal serving in its armed forces, Prime Minister Tony Blair revealed.


Record European Profits for Shell, but Quarter Disappoints

Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell Plc posted record European company earnings of $27.6 billion in 2007, but fourth-quarter profit missed forecasts.


Day after Adobe patches Acrobat, Russian exploits target vulnerable systems.


The US threatens tough penalties against international energy companies that do business with Iran.


US swimmers wrap up meet with golden harvest

The United States swim team sealed the swimming competition of the Athens Olympics in the same way it opened it - with a world record and another gold medal for Michael Phelps.


Judges: Anti-Clinton film is advertising

The early reviews are in, and three federal judges appeared in agreement Wednesday that a movie lambasting Hillary Clinton seemed an awful lot like a 90-minute campaign advertisement.


Roma, 18:03 - CALCIO, SERIE C2: RISULTATI NONA GIORNATA

Risultati e classifiche della 9/a giornata del campionato di serie C2.


It would appear to be time for Mayor Menino to get the Duck Boats ready. Red Sox Rolling Rally II should jam the streets of Boston this week.


The Shakespeare curriculum is shaken up after teachers have their say on which plays should be taught.


Sri Lanka's navy says it has recovered claymore mine parts after sinking Tamil Tiger boats off the north-west coast.


Percept signs Neil Nitin Mukesh for 3 films

Neil Nitin Mukesh is now on board with Percept Picture Company for three films.


Blair tells Europeans to wake up to reality of Bush victory: Times

European leaders must emerge from their "state of denial" and wake up to the reality of George W. Bush's re-election as US president, British Prime Minister Tony Blair told The Times newspaper.


Six board members quit India's Reliance group unit, send shares ...

BOMBAY  - A family ownership battle at India's biggest private business conglomerate Reliance intensified after six directors of subsidiary Reliance Energy quit, sending group company shares tumbling.


Ian Paisley Jr welcomes a ruling that there is no evidence to suggest he broke Assembly rules.


Stakes of Sunday's election look high for Iraq and world.


Iraq Rebuilding Short on Qualified Civilians

In Diyala, the vast province northeast of Baghdad where Sunnis and Shiites are battling for primacy with mortars and nighttime abductions, the U.S. government has contracted the job of promoting democracy to a Pakistani citizen who has never lived or worked in a democracy.


Packers and Vikings play for NFC North title

BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) - Only two division titles have yet to be decided in the NFL heading into the final two weeks. The Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings engage in a showdown for one of them on Christmas Eve.


US Photographer Mydans, Pioneer at Life, Dies

Magazine photojournalist Carl Mydans, a pioneer of photo essays at Life magazine in the 1930s, has died at age 97.


Yuta Tabuse has been released by the  Phoenix Suns less than two months after becoming the first  Japanese player to appear in the NBA.


A government review is ordered into whether floods in parts of England could have been prevented.


R. Kelly, "Double Up" (Jive): In song, R. Kelly's sexual shenanigans are so outrageous, they border on parody.


Ci sono andamenti stagionali, dato molto buono


NEW YORK Oct 22, 2004 - A federal appeals court has rejected running back Maurice Clarett's longshot bid to get the court to reconsider his lawsuit challenging the NFL's eligibility rule for the draft.


UN tribunal grants Milosevic's defense lawyers' appeal to dismiss...

The International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) Friday granted the appeal of the ICTY-appointed lawyers for Slobodan Milosevic against their appointment.


I'll go out on a sappy limb: the three debates between George Bush and John Kerry will go down as the most important, the most relevant and most well done since televised debates began with the epic clashes of John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon.


Presidente del Cavallino, battuti tutti i record di vendite


The Supreme Court on Monday refused to consider a dispute involving actress Elizabeth Taylor over ownership of a Vincent van Gogh painting. The painting is claimed by descendants of a Jewish woman who fled Nazi Germany.  The painting, worth mi...


Blockbuster bids for rival in video rental industry

NEW YORK : Blockbuster, the leading US video rental chain, made a bid to swallow rival Hollywood Entertainment spotlighting the sector facing tough times due to emerging technology.


Russia's Yashin signs one-year deal with Yaroslavl

Former New York Islanders captain Alexei Yashin has signed a one-year contract with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, the Russian Superleague club said on Friday.


Romania Presidential Challenger Quits Due to Health

Romania's main opposition candidate for the Nov. 28 presidential election, Theodor Stolojan, announced Saturday he was withdrawing from the race due to health problems.


The Act of God Defense: Why Hurricane Katrina & Noah's Flood Don't Qualify

By Kaplan, Casey P "For my part, I am about to bring the flood-waters upon the earth- to destroy all flesh under the sky in which there is a breath of life; everything on earth shall perish."1  I.


Blog: Photo of the news trucks lined up along 5th Ave. for the iPhone.


Theft charges filed against four former Microsoft workers

NOVEMBER 15, 2004  - Four former Microsoft Corp. employees have been charged with theft, conspiracy, mail fraud and money laundering in connection with the alleged theft and resale of $32 million of Microsoft software.


Possessed: Flea Market Kitsch, Tinged With Menace

ÂWrecks,Â by Neil LaBute, playwright and filmmaker, is now in a sold-out run at the Public Theater in Manhattan through Nov. 19.


The government has made little progress in bringing child sex abusers to justice, a  charity claims.


Non ci sono piÃ¹ ostacoli per i prossimi passi di Ankara verso l'Unione europea, almeno secondo Guenter Verheugen, commissario europeo all'Allargamento, soddisfatto, evidentemente, dalle ultime performance della Turchia.


UN panel concerned about missing nuclear equipment

UNITED NATIONS -- The UN nuclear watchdog group expressed concern yesterday about the disappearance from Iraq's nuclear facilities of high-precision equipment that could be used to make nuclear weapons.


Parmalat, the bankrupt Italian dairy and food company, is suing two of its former auditors, claiming damages of at least $10 billion.


Howard can't rescue Phils as D'backs win

Ryan Howard couldn't save the Phillies from losing to Randy Johnson on this night. After beating Arizona earlier this month with a pinch-hit grand slam, Howard lined into a double play as a pinch-hitter in the ninth off closer Jose Valverde to end a Philadelphia rally.


TCEQ recommends changes to enforcement policies

AUSTIN -- The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality released a draft report today that makes several recommendations aimed at improving the agency's ability to enforce environmental laws.


The Motley Fool - The Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL - News) rumor mill has been hard at work lately, with plenty of folks prognosticating about what exactly Steve Jobs would announce today in the company's "It's Showtime" event. I found the actual announcements mostly underwhelming, with some potential bright spots on the horizon.


Six insurgents, one soldier killed in Afghanistan fighting

Six Taliban militants and an Afghan army soldier have been killed in clashes across insurgency-hit Afghanistan over the past few days, the Afghan defence ministry said.


Rogue servers point users to impostor sites

'DNS-liars' Researchers have uncovered a large network of rogue servers that threatens end users by silently feeding them counterfeit versions of trusted websites.â¦


A cockpit video recorded in Iraq will not be played at a hearing despite a coroner's attack on the MoD.


The second-largest U.S. mattress company yesterday announced plans to acquire Mattress Discounters, of Upper Marlboro, as part of a quest to become the nation's top bedding retailer.


Food safety ripe for oversight change: lawmakers

U.S. lawmakers vowed on Monday to make food safety a top priority when the new Democratic-led Congress convenes in January following a recent series of high-profile illnesses caused by the potentially deadly E. coli bacteria.


Apple in iTunes.co.uk cybersquatting row

Apple has been accused of bullying tactics in its battle to force a small UK firm to hand over ownership of the iTunes.co.uk web address.


Russian oil giant Yukos has no Texas ties beyond a few million dollars in bank accounts and a displaced chief financial officer and shouldn't be able to seek bankruptcy protection in Houston, Deutsche Bank said in a court filing yesterday.


Kidnap throws spotlight on barren corner of Ethiopia

BERAHILE, Ethiopia  - The mysterious kidnapping of five Europeans and eight locals has put the international spotlight on a remote, barren and searingly hot corner of Ethiopia left behind by the modern world.


This fall's presidential debates will pit George W. Bush's folksy manner and big-picture brand of policymaking against John Kerry's more cerebral outlook and nuanced world view. Each is a proven debater who knows, only too well, what personal pitfalls to avoid: Bush must stifle the smirk, for instance, and Kerry must cut short his rhetorical rambling.


Israel Turns Up Heat on Palestinian Hunger Strike

Israel declared psychological war on  hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners Monday, saying it would  barbecue meat outside their cells to try to break their will.


Sydney, 14:52 - RUGBY, TRI NATIONS: AUSTRALIA-SUD AFRICA 25-17

L'Australia ha battuto il Sud Africa 25-17 (7-17) in un incontro valido per il Tri Nations. Per i pa...


Nuoto azzurro, che colpo Marin è oro nei misti

Agli europei di Helsinki il veneto trionfa nei 400 stabilendo il nuovo record italiano. Battuti il ceko Cseh e il greco Drymonakos


More Aftershocks as Japan Aids Quake Victims

Japan resumed rescue efforts at first light on Monday as aftershocks rattled the area where the country's deadliest earthquake in nine years killed at least 23


Retailer Kmart Holdings Corp. KMRT.O  on Monday finalized a deal to sell 18 of its stores to Home  Depot Inc. HD.N for $271 million.


A long-delayed and  nearly canceled upgrade to the Hubble Space Telescope will have  to wait until NASA completes delivery of three modules to the  International Space Station, officials said on Tuesday.


WASHINGTON - Consumers returned to the malls in July after taking a breather in June, although worries about the future could make the rebound short-lived.


Two German journalists are shot dead by unidentified attackers in northern Afghanistan, Afghan police say.


Annoys Teases US fans with ex-soldier's new album Not wanting to go back to bedlam, James Hillier Blount aka James Blunt is to see his latest album sold to US fans through MySpace.â¦


: The Bush administration today protested Russiaâs auction of Yukosâ main oil production unit and warned it could have a âchilling effectâ on foreign investment in Russia.


Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton on Sunday renewed her pledge to ensure the United States fulfills its obligations to veterans.


Calcio, Champions; Roma: Cassano non convocato

Antonio Cassano non figura nell'elenco dei giocatori convocati da Luigi Del Neri per il match casalingo di Champions League che la Roma giocherÃ  domani sera (ore 20.45 a porte chiuse) il Bayer Leverkusen. Torna, dopo un lungo stop, Cristian Chivu.


Big Fifth Lifts Chicago Over Kansas City

Jermaine Dye, Danny Richar and Josh Fields homer in an 11-run fifth inning as the White Sox defeat the Royals.


Highlights from the SEW Blog: August 20, 2007

Featured posts to the Search Engine Watch blog in the past week, along with recent search-related headlines from around the Web.


Democrats fail (at least for now) to protect Net users from taxes

Democrats have had since January to schedule a vote on a bill that would protect Internet users from access taxes. They still haven't done so, and a temporary moratorium expires in just a few weeks.


Bernie Ecclestone makes a very good friend and a very bad enemy. One of Britain's richest residents, with a personal fortune estimated at more than Â£3bn, he is a man who always keeps his rivals guessing.


Nascera' uno dei piu' grandi operatori turistici europei


Thatcher's US bathroom farce revealed in new documents

As British premier, Margaret Thatcher may have forged a strong "special relationship" with the US, but an early visit did not always offer a warm introduction to the nation, documents released Friday show.


Few presents on offer as Arsenal face Spurs in Premiership

This might be the season for festive cheer, but expect little in the way of charity or goodwill in Saturday's 156th north London derby.


Three Palestinians were killed Thursday in the collapse of a tunnel they were digging on the border between Rafah in southern Gaza and Egypt.


MIAMI (Sports Network) - Dwyane Wade scored a game-high 28,  Shaquille O'Neal added 27 and Miami held off San Antonio,  96-92, in a battle of conference heavyweights at  AmericanAirlines Arena.


Tiger Woods fired a five-under-par 65 to join overnight leader Jay Haas on 201 after three roundsof the Tour Championship at Atlanta Saturday.


50 killed as Indian trains collide head-on

Up to 50 people were killed and more than 150 were injured in northern India yesterday when two trains collided head-on. The crash happened on a rural branch line 90 miles east of the holy Sikh city of Amritsar.


Americans step up attacks against Fallujah as showdown with ...

More than 10,000 US soldiers and marines have taken positions around Fallujah for an expected assault, as US jets pummelled insurgent targets Friday and troops blocked key roads.


Survey Makes New Estimate of Iraqi Deaths Since 2003

A new survey estimates that 151,000 Iraqis died of violence in the three years following the U.S.-led invasion of the country. Roughly 9 out of 10 of those deaths were a consequence of U.S. military operations, insurgent attacks and sectarian warfare.


Oracle Corp. ORCL.O said on  Wednesday it has taken control of PeopleSoft Inc. PSFT.O, now  that about 75 percent of PeopleSoft's shareholders have  tendered their shares.


FDA and Merck Vioxx Probe by House Energy and Commerce Committee

The House Energy and Commerce Committee is investigating how Vioxx was approved and then taken off the market. It has written to Lester Crawford, FDA, and Ray Gilmartin, CEO of Merck, requesting documents about Vioxx.


Hostage Ken Bigley is feared dead after a Middle East TV station reported that he had been killed by his al Qaida captors. British diplomats were urgently investigating the reports on Abu Dhabi Television.


Farmers vow to prevent garden demolition

Workers tore down fences Wednesday inside a 14-acre urban garden while evicted farmers and their supporters kept watch and vowed to prevent bulldozing of the inner-city greenspace.


The son of former Liberian President  Charles Taylor is charged in the US over alleged torture in Liberia.


Iraq's Cabinet Backs Contentious Oil Measure

BAGHDAD, Feb. 26 -- Iraq's cabinet approved draft legislation Monday that would enable the government to manage the country's vast oil resources and distribute revenue throughout the country, a step toward meeting a U.S. demand that the country's parliament pass such a law.


Complaints about potential mortgage fraud are up during the subprime mortgage crisis, and the FBI has opened criminal investigations of 14 companies related to sub-prime mortgage loans, the agency said Tuesday.


A Blogger for Edwards Resigns After Complaints

Days after Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards decided against firing two liberal bloggers with a history of inflammatory writing, one resigned last night with a blast at  "right wing shills" for driving her out of the campaign.


Timeline of past 25 years in Afghanistan

1979: The Soviet Union sends troops into Afghanistan to support a pro-Moscow regime, sparking a decade-long war with anti-communist forces supplied and trained by the United States.


Olympics-Sprinters Serve Up Greatest Race on Earth

American sprinter Justin Gatlin won the  closest Olympic 100 meters in history as the fastest men on  earth staged a sporting spectacle that thrilled the world.


Police arrest around six people protesting at the South Hook LNG terminal  over a new gas pipeline's construction.


Google Inc.'s initial public offering of stock remained on hold Tuesday after the Securities and Exchange Commission delayed final approval of the company's prospectus. The  delay did not appear to involve any major new issues, and the company continued to maintain  that its IPO is on track. -The Washington Post


Eclipse exec: Platform upgrade a blank slate

(InfoWorld) - Mike Milinkovich, executive director of the Eclipse Foundation for open source developer tools, is a frequent interview subject at InfoWorld. Given the popularity of Eclipse and its having attracted just about every major computer technology company, perhaps frequent updates from Milinkovich are appropriate. InfoWorld editor at large Paul Krill met with Milinkovich at the EclipseCon 2007 conference in Santa Clara, Calif., last week to get perspectives on Eclipse and issues such as the recent open-sourcing of Java. IW: We talked this morning for a few minutes about the theoretical Eclipse 4.0 platform.Â  What do you think might be in that? Youâre already covering about 80 different technology areas, so whatâs left to add to it and what might you expand on in Eclipse 4.0? (The current release of Eclipse Platform is version 3.2.) Milinkovich: The idea of doing an Eclipse 4.0 is mostly focused on the platform, so itâs not so much about expanding the coverage of Eclipse, as you put it. Itâs about the core technology that those 80 different projects build on top of. And frankly, at this point, I donât know, weâre really just starting the conversation about what the community thinks would be useful additions. IW: What constitutes the core platform? Milinkovich: Currently, the Eclipse project consists of a number of different frameworks, but they can be basically grouped into four different areas.Â  Thereâs Equinox, which is the basic core runtime for Eclipse. Thereâs the tools platform, which is the basic infrastructure for building Eclipse-based tools. Thereâs the JDT, or the Java Development Tools project, which is the Java IDE that most people think of when they think of Eclipse. And then finally, thereâs the PDE, the Plug-in Development Environment, which is the tool that you use for creating Eclipse plug-ins. IW: Where do you think you might go with the platform? Do you want to make it more scalable and add more languages? What do you think might end up in there? Milinkovich: I donât know. IW: When might there be an Eclipse 4.0?Â  I think you said not for a couple years. Milinkovich: Yes, not for a couple years. This is the very beginning of the conversation. The first question is, does the Eclipse community even think that doing a 4.0 would be a good idea? So these are very, very early days, and itâs very exploratory at this point. IW: Do you think it is a good idea? Milinkovich: I think probably, yes. On balance, itâs a good idea. IW: Why? Milinkovich: Because you donât want to be stagnant. You want to make sure that youâre evolving your platform. In any software project, itâs important to make sure that youâre constantly working to keep the technology fresh and current. But we need to get feedback from the community before we make any decisions. (Editor's note: At an EclipseCon session held after this interview, attendees suggested a multitude of improvements for Eclipse 4.0. A blog on that session can be accessed here.) IW: Eclipse has been around since 2001 and was broken off into its own organization in 2004. What would you say is the value of the economy around Eclipse? How many products are being sold based on Eclipse? Milinkovich: Let me preface this by saying that these are my somewhat informed guesses. We donât have hard numbers on a lot of these different things. But in terms of the number of products that are built on Eclipse, itâs clearly in the hundreds if not, perhaps, even in the low thousands. In the embedded space alone there are probably hundreds of products. I have a Google Alert for Eclipse embedded, and Iâm constantly getting bombarded by new products in that space. In terms of the overall dollar value, I donât really know, but Iâm pretty confident that itâs well over $1 billion, in terms of the size of the entire ecosystem. And Iâd love to find somebody whoâs willing to do a free study to give us better numbers. IW: You mentioned this morning that Eclipse may become as big with runtimes as it has been with tools. Could you talk about that? Milinkovich: This is really around taking the Eclipse platform, which is this OSGi-based (Open Services Gateway initiative) plug-in model, and starting to see people build applications with it rather than simply tools. If you go back to Eclipse 3.0, thatâs the first release, this was in 2004. That was the first release was shipped, [featuring] the Rich Client Platform. The first Eclipse runtime at that point was on the desktop. Since then, weâve had the embedded Rich Client Platform Project to bring that technology to devices, and we have several different projects at Eclipse that are bringing the same technology to the server. So we see a lot of growth and a lot of interest in leveraging this technology in applications and in products. And I think Oracleâs announcement this morning is a great example of the building of momentum around this idea. IW: The Oracle TopLink announcement? Milinkovich: Yes, the Eclipse Persistence Project. IW: The two big holdouts from joining Eclipse are Sun Microsoft and Microsoft. We discussed Microsoft this morning, as you know. Do you see those two companies eventually joining Eclipse? Milinkovich: Well, first of all, the door is always open. Weâd love to have them. There havenât been any recent discussions with either group, so I donât think thereâs any change with either company. I think the one thing thatâs happened recently is Eclipse joined the Java Community Process. But there hasnât been any interest in Sun participating in Eclipse that Iâm aware of. IW: Also this morning we discussed OSGi. Could you just reiterate the importance of OSGi to Eclipse? Milinkovich: OSGi is the open standard that we base the Eclipse runtime on top of. So Eclipse Equinox, for example, is an implementation of the OSGi specification, and it is the heart of everything that we do at Eclipse. One of the things about Eclipse [that] makes it a little bit unique is that we have an architectural constant that goes through all the projects at Eclipse. Everything we do at Eclipse is about building plug-ins, which are effectively OSGi bundles, and so thereâs this very strong link between everything we do at Eclipse and fostering greater adoption of the OSGi specifications. Basically everything we do at Eclipse is extending and growing the OSGi community. IW: What is the purpose of the OSGi developer conference thatâs happening concurrent with this one? Milinkovich: There are so many interrelationships between the two groups, and thereâs so much interest within the Eclipse community about OSGi. We decided that there was going to be enough overlap in content that it would make sense to have them come here, and they were definitely interested in doing that. IW: I think I read that there about 1,300 attendees at EclipseCon. Milinkovich: Yes. IW: I've been looking at attendee badges. It seems like most of them are from different commercial software vendors. Is that the makeup of most of the attendees here? Milinkovich: The demographic, if you will, for EclipseCon is developers either working on the Eclipse platform or using the Eclipse platform to build products. And so that is probably the bulk of the badges youâll see here at EclipseCon. IW: What are the goals for your organization in the next year or so? Do you expect to just complete some of the projects or continue with a lot of the projects youâre going for? Milinkovich: We are an open source community, so itâs about the code. And so the goals for our organization this year are primarily around taking the projects that are just getting started and making sure that they get their first releases out the door, and [with] the projects that are more established, making sure that they continue to grow their group of adopters and make sure that they continue to build product-ready technologyÂ  The big event every year at Eclipse is when we ship our annual release train, and this year the Eclipse Europe release train going out in June has currently 22 projects. IW: And thatâs about providing unified releases of everything at the same time? Milinkovich: Itâs not a single large software release. Itâs 22 Eclipse projects shipping on the same day. And thatâs still very valuable to the Eclipse community because they have been at least somewhat tested in terms of their ability to load up into the same workbench and work together, but the primary reason why we do it is so that commercial adopters of the technology can have all of the projects that they need to build their products. IW: Do you think the concept of open source has reduced or raised revenues for software companies? Iâve had it mentioned to me that open source reduces revenues for everybody. Milinkovich: On the whole, I would say that open source has been a very large benefit for software companies and the software industry as a whole. Yes, for any one particular company you can say their revenue went down. But for every company like that you can find other companies whose revenue has gone up. People have made some very large businesses around open source. So I think that itâs been a good thing for the industry. It allows people to build more innovative products because they can focus on their differentiating value, the thing that matters to their customers, and spend less time building the infrastructure underneath them. I think itâs actually accelerated the rate of innovation within the software industry. And the other thing Iâd point out is that there are a number of very large companies whose business model would basically not work without open source. IW: What companies would those be? Milinkovich: Google would be a good example. The software costs alone of outfitting however many thousands of servers Google has would be astronomical if they didnât have the ability to create an open source stack to run on those machines. So I think thatâs probably the best example, or the most obvious example. IW: Whatâs Eclipseâs take on the open sourcing of Java? Milinkovich: I think it was a good move. Itâs good for Java to become part of the mainstream of open source development. One of the knocks against Java for the last couple of years has been because it was a proprietary technology, that it was not something that many free software and open source people were interested in using. [Free Software Foundation President] Richard Stallman wrote the "Java Trap" article, for example. By making it open source, it brings it into a broader community and reinvigorates the ecosystem around it, and it hopefully will attract even more developers and greater innovation.


Wall Street skids as jobs data stirs recession fear

U.S. stocks tumbled on Friday, with the Nasdaq logging its sharpest decline in nearly a year, after data showing rising unemployment stoked expectations of a recession.


Maurizio Ternavasio - ÂPADRE PIO, LA STORIA DEL SANTO CON LE STIGMATEÂ - Ed. Lindau Roma (Agenzia Fides) - Â«Un uomo di preghiera e di sofferenzaÂ»: la definizione che Papa Paolo VI diede di Padre Pio tre anni dopo la sua morte rappresenta probabilmente la sintesi migliore della straordinaria avventura terrena del santo con le stigmat...


Abbas to prod Bush on West Bank settlements

BETHLEHEM, West Bank  - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Monday he would ask President George W. Bush, who visits the Middle East this week, to curb Israel's West Bank settlements for the sake of peace.


Sydney, 10:47 - Tennis, Sydney: Dementieva si ritira, Stosur in finale

Samantha Stosur Ã¨ la prima finalista del torneo Wta di Sydney (cemento, 585mila dollari). L'australi...


Panasonic cameras offer auto auto auto mode

Blog: For those happy to cede initiative to the camera, a trio of new Panasonic compact models offers to automatically select scene types such as portrait or macro.


Ken Jennings of Salt Lake City broke the quiz-show money record Wednesday when he won $45,099, bringing his total to $2,197,000. Kevin Olmstead previously held the record of $2,180,000 set in 2001 on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?


Federer Sets Up Final with Roddick at Kooyong Classic

World number one Roger Federer showed  he was hitting top form at the right time as he demolished Tim  Henman 6-4, 6-2 at the Kooyong Classic Friday to set up a  mouthwatering final with Andy Roddick.


Blair meets Sri Lanka leader amid Tamil turmoil

Prime Minister Tony Blair has met Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse for private talks on the political situation in Sri Lanka, a spokeswoman for Blair said.


Salt Lake City, UT (Sports Network) - The Jazz announced Tuesday that the club will retire John Stockton's No. 12 on November 22, 2004, when Utah hosts the New Orleans Hornets.


Utah's mountains, valleys under a 'soup'

Utah's world-class mountain peaks have been barely visible at times from the floor of the Salt Lake valley. A winter storm that won't quit? No, it's nasty pollution that just won't blow away.


Moggi: Â«Dico bugie per il bene della JuveÂ»

Percorso netto, o quasi. Nel giorno della presentazione ufficiale di Ibrahimovic e Cannavaro, Moggi si Â«scusa per le famose bugie, necessarie - ridacchia - perchÃ© se dico tutto finisce che le trattative


CBS warns of censorship if bare breast edict stays

The U.S. penalty on CBS for televising singer Janet Jackson's breast during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show will effectively censor U.S. broadcasting if it is upheld, the network argued on Tuesday.


Qualcomm lawyers reprimanded in Broadcom case

A federal judge took action against Qualcomm and six of its outside attorneys on Monday for hiding 46,000 documents in a lawsuit the company filed -- and lost -- against rival Broadcom.


The legend of Michael Vick appeared to be on the verge of ballooning yet again as he dropped back to pass in the game's waning moments.


Sept. 11 remains identified by DNA tests

A new round of DNA testing on bone fragments recovered from the World Trade Center site has identified the remains of a 34-year-old woman who was on the airplane that crashed into the north tower on Sept. 11, 2001.


Summer vacation is roughly 120 days away. But once it arrives, it will bring 104 glorious days before school starts again.


A drug may help alleviate the learning difficulties associated with Down's Syndrome.


HRT may prevent heart symptoms in younger women

Younger women who start taking estrogen as soon as they enter menopause may be protected from heart disease, researchers said on Wednesday.


POLITICS:     Blair Bids Farewell to Africa

JOHANNESBURG, Jun 2 (IPS) - Opinions appear divided about outgoing British  Prime Minister Tony Blair's legacy concerning Africa -- this  as the leader ended his last official visit to the continent  Friday. The five-day trip took him to Libya, Sierra Leone and  South Africa.


Broadway stagehands vote to strike over proposed changes for union members, but for now the shows will go on.


Israel's Olmert seen surviving war report

Israeli newspapers forecast Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's survival on Thursday after a report criticized the army and his government's conduct during a 2006 war in Lebanon but offered him a political reprieve.


Sony to cut PS3 cost with cheaper chips: paper

Sony Corp. (6758.T) plans to lower the  production cost of its PlayStation 3 (PS3) game consoles by  using less expensive chips, aiming to turn the operations  profitable between September and next March, the Nikkei  business daily reported on Friday.


I read an interview a few years back - shortly before the release of "Oceanâs 11," where director Steven Soderbergh detailed his ideal heist flick.


Triumphant Olympics end with pride and relief

A nervous world learned the Greek word for thank you and repeated it endlessly at an astonishingly successful Athens Olympics that quelled fears, surprised skeptics and greatly honored the birthplace of the games.


Londra, 10:35 - CALCIO, INGHILTERRA: NUOVO FURTO IN CASA VAN DER MEYDE

Nuovo furto in casa van der Meyde. La residenza inglese dell'ex centrocampista dell'Inter, oggi all'...


Q: What's the Biggest Problem With How CEOs Are Paid Now?

By Greg Farrell, USA TODAY  A: Boards are not accountable to shareholders. Compensation is really about boards that haven't been responsible to shareholder concerns about the best way to create value.


CBC SPORTS ONLINE - He couldn't beat 'em, so Edgar Renteria figured he'd join 'em. The All-star shortstop has decided to leave the St.


A Big Maker of Flu Shots Finds Some Contaminated

he Chiron Corporation, a major manufacturer of influenza vaccine, said yesterday that it had detected a contamination problem in its new supply and was delaying release of nearly 50 million


Exelon's proposed purchase of a New Jersey company for about $12 billion will make Chicago the headquarters of the nation's largest utility.


Lost Boy dies without seeing his mother again

Chicago Tribune - Gabriel Boul, a Sudanese refugee who was torn from his family at the age of 7, clung to life for more than a month, fueled by the hope that he would see his mother again. He died last week surrounded by friends, but the person he most wanted there never came.


Milano, 14:29 - CALCIO, INTER; MANCINI NON ESCLUDE CESSIONE DI ADRIANO

L'Inter venderà Adriano? Roberto Mancini è possibilista: "Adriano è un campione...


It was simply a stunning victory. John Winston Howard led the ruling Liberal-National coalition to an easy fourth term victory in Saturday's Australian election that some pollsters had described as too close to call.


Off-Roaders Fight Ecos for Calif. Canyon

By GILLIAN FLACCUS  BALLARAT, Calif. - Whoever named Surprise Canyon got it right. Mere miles from bone-dry Death Valley, the canyon cradles two unexpected jewels: a gushing mountain stream and what's left of a once-bustling silver mining town.


Autodesk: Piracy in India Costs Us $367M

American design software developer Autodesk Inc. said Tuesday it is losing $367 million in potential revenues each year because of software piracy in India.


Taco Bell declares restaurants free of E. coli

Taco Bell said on Saturday its restaurants were free of E. coli now that it no longer planned to use green onions and it called for an industry review of the produce supply system in the United States.


Turkey's political and military leaders are to meet to discuss details of a possible strike against PKK rebels.


Padilla Ruled Fit for Trial on Terror Charges

It was a significant victory for the government in the high-profile criminal case of a United States citizen.


After Hannu Toivonen manned the crease for 40 minutes of Saturday night's 5-1 loss to the Devils, Bruins coach Dave Lewis said he had earned the right to be in a second game.


GLASGOW -- Defence Minister Bill Graham toured the disabled HMCS Chicoutimi submarine in Scotland on Monday, saying he could not rule out Canada launching legal action against the British over the problematic submarines taken over from the Royal Navy.


Ask the question a dozen times and you'll get a dozen answers. Or a dozen shrugs, because nobody really knows. Every two years at the Ryder Cup, the Americans send out a team that looks, on paper, unbeatable.


San Diego coach Marty Schottenheimer agreed yesterday to a two-year contract extension with the Chargers that runs through the 2007 season. Schottenheimer has one year remaining on his four-year deal, which he signed in January 2002 and paid him $2.5 million a season. Terms of the extension weren't immediately available.


Architecture Review: A New Way to See Art: The Modern, Completed

The new Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman education building at MoMA Â a taut composition of floating planes and elegant lines Â has a cool, self-confident air.


The founder of two of the tech industry's landmark news Web sites is off to try something different, hopefully having taught the rest of his staff how to scam free drinks off Intel.


MD 14: WynnÃ¢ÂÂs In for Now, But Paper and Absentee Ballots Not Yet Counted

Seven-term Maryland Democratic Rep. Albert R. Wynn, faced with by far the toughest challenge of his congressional career, maintained a 2,991-vote lead over lawyer Donna Edwards in TuesdayÃ¢ÂÂs primary Ã¢ÂÂ 50 percent to 46 percent Ã¢ÂÂ as authorities in suburban WashingtonÃ¢ÂÂs 4th Congressional District finally concluded a prolonged vote count late Wednesday.


Terry Melcher, a Shaper of Calif. Surf Sound, Dies

Terry Melcher, a producer, composer and songwriter who worked with the Beach Boys and helped shape the '60s era California surf music sound, has died, according to his publicist. He was 62.


Presidential hopeful Barack Obama drew the loudest cheers of the eight Democratic candidates at a civil rights forum Thursday as he assailed the Bush administration's record on race relations.


Sleep loss equals weight gain, says US study

Los Angeles - People who run a chronic sleep deficit appear to be at increased risk for piling on the pounds, according to two studies released Monday that flesh out the association between sleep duration and weight gain.


Ukraine's secret service denies poisoning plot

KIEV - Ukraine's SBU security service denied on Thursday that it had any role in the poisoning of opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko, favourite to win Sunday's rerun of a presidential election.


Alcatel slaps Microsoft with patent infringement claim

Meanwhile, in the big leagues... Fresh from Steve Ballmer's claim Linux infringes on Microsoft IP, Microsoft has itself succumbed to another accusation it is illegally using someone else's technology.â¦


Accessory Makers Gear Up for iPhone Launch

Look for 'Works With iPhone' logo on iPhone accessories to make sure they are engineered to work properly with Apple's multimedia cell phone.


Tom Hanks poised to star in 'The Da Vinci Code'

LOS ANGELES - Oscar winner Tom Hanks is in talks to star in the big-screen adaptation of the Dan Brown novel The Da Vinci Code. Hanks, who won back-to-back Oscars in 1994 and 1995, is the first choice of director


Militia, Shiite Leaders Bicker Over Shrine

NAJAF, Iraq - Militants loyal to firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr remained in control of a revered Shiite shrine at the center of the crisis in Najaf on Saturday, as they bickered with top Shiite religious leaders over how to hand the holy site over.    Despite the standoff, Najaf remained largely calm Saturday...


Africa bright spot in Bush foreign policy legacy

President George W. Bush called Africa a "continent of potential" on Thursday as he prepared to visit one of the few regions where he can claim foreign policy successes in a legacy dominated by the Iraq war.


Many people in golf are asking that today. He certainly wasn't A-list and he wasn't Larry Nelson either. But you couldn't find a more solid guy to lead the United States into Ireland for the 2006 Ryder Cup Matches.


Russia to Tighten Passenger Requirements

MOSCOW Aug. 28, 2004 - Russian airlines will be required to document passengers more thoroughly following this week's twin plane crashes, a news agency reported Saturday, as the discovery of explosives stoked


Garuda Indonesia jet burns after airport crash

A jet from Indonesia's state carrier Garuda crashed and burst into flames on landing at Yogyakarta airport on Wednesday morning with 140 passengers and crew on board, according to Garuda officials.


Professor uses blog to get peer review of academic book

A University of California professors is asking bloggers to take part of a peer review of an academic book he is writing.


The late John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show will be succeeded in February by three shows hosted by three DJs.


L'ereditiera americana protagonista di un nuovo spot


Why wonât a magnet stick to stainless steel?


Colin Powell says the US will not desert tsunami survivors, as he visits Indonesia, where most lives were lost.


Also: Searching passengers' faces for subtle cues to terror. Read these stories and more from around the Web on News.com Extra.


The findings of the long-awaited official British police investigation into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, is expected to rule out murder when it is published today.Comment


Apple and the Beatles Make Peace Over Their Logos

The maker of the iPod and the guardian of the Beatles' music resolved their long-simmering dispute yesterday over who has the right to the Apple trademark.


British judge seen "no evidence" Diana was murdered

The judge investigating the death of  Princess Diana said on Monday she had not seen "a shred of  evidence" to back claims that the former wife of the British  heir-to-the-throne had been murdered.


Two British soldiers have died trying to save comrades following an ambush near the southern Iraqi city of Basra, a Ministry of Defence spokesman said.


By DAVID McHUGH DARMSTADT, Germany - Europe's first spacecraft to the moon smashed into a volcanic plain as planned Sunday, signaling in a bright flash the end of a successful mission to test a new propulsion system and navigation technology for flights to other planets.


Human remains found in Mukilteo identified

Human remains found in Mukilteo earlier this week were identified as those of a 49-year-old woman who disappeared from her condominium last summer, the Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office said today.


Parigi, 10:46 - CALCIO, FRANCIA: NO A DOMENECH E FINALE COPPA NON SI TOCCA

La federcalcio francese (FFF) ha deciso di non spostare la finale della Coppa nazionale cosÃ¬ come ch...


L'Ad Sassi: 'e' molto giusta per questo marchio'


E' un 26enne, la donna non e' mai uscita dallo stato di coma


We'll use some nifty tools to drill into the best of what the energy sector has to offer.


After living with the Redskin Reign of Daniel Snyder, the Wizards/Mystics of Abe Pollin, the Caps' Ted Leonsis and D.C. United's Phil Anschutz, viewing baseball's auction from the sidelines last week took some adjustment for Washington fans.


By Greeley Tribune, Colo.  Jun. 2--A truck driver who died Wednesday when his rig was hit by a train has been identified as a Brush resident.   Kurt Schilling, 52, grew up in Brush and was driving for Doty Farms when he died in the crash south of Gilcrest.


U.S. Company Hiring Seen Up from Year Ago

The pace of hiring for U.S. companies in the fourth quarter is expected to be consistent with the solid employment activity of the past six months, and much improved from a year ago, according to Manpower Inc. .


Angelina Jolie Named Sexiest Woman by Esquire

Angelina Jolie, who manages to  mesmerize men -- and fight off robot invaders -- with just one  eye in her latest movie, has been named the "sexiest woman  alive" in the latest edition of Esquire magazine.


Social Networking for the Socially Minded

The office of Razoo on Connecticut Avenue blends two distinct cultures common in Washington.


Gaza Kidnappers Free Israeli Arab Producer for CNN

Palestinian gunmen freed an Israeli Arab  producer for CNN television unharmed on Tuesday a day after  kidnapping him in the Gaza Strip. Riad Ali said his captors  told him they were members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a  militant group in Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's Fatah  movement. Spokesmen for the Brigades has denied involvement.


MOJAVE, Calif. - Hoping to build on the momentum sparked by a private rocket plane's dash into space, supporters of opening the heavens to civilians are turning the winner-take-all race into an annual competition that might further fuel imaginations...


Ucraina, Kuchma: prima riforme e poi nuovo governo

Il presidente ucraino uscente Leonid Kuchma ha oggi comunicato che nominerÃ  un nuovo governo, destituendo Viktor Yanukovic, soltanto dopo il varo delle riforme costituzionali concordate. Kuchma ha cosÃ¬ ingaggiato


A woman was shocked to learn Friday that a photo of what appeared to be her old driver's license showed up on an Islamic Web site along with a claim that she had been captured in southern Iraq and slain.


International troops kill 70 Taleban during a four-hour battle in southern Afghanistan, Nato says.


Officials in Bermuda were poised to issue a tropical storm watch or warning within the next 24 hours as Tropical Storm Florence chugged through the open Atlantic Friday, forecasters said.


Fifth Kingston Area Death Linked To Rare Brain Disease

KINGSTON, NY -- Health officials here say a woman's death in November was caused by Cruetzfeldt-Jacob disease, bringing to five the number of Ulster County residents who have died within the past year from the rare brain disorder.


The US stands by its claim of genocide in Darfur, in contrast to the findings of a United Nations report.


House Democratic leaders yesterday called on Republican Tom DeLay to step down as majority leader after the powerful Texan was rebuked two times in the last week by the House ethics committee.


More than 10,000 US military personnel have been wounded in Iraq, Pentagon figures show.


Parents insist that how kids turn out depends on when they were born. More and more, science agrees


Officials and volunteers broke ground Saturday on a $4 million support center for the families of severely wounded soldiers who seek treatment and rehabilitation here.


Arizona State is investigating whether the payment of a utility bill for suspended running back Loren Wade violated NCAA rules. The university is reviewing records within the athletic


Heavy clashes in Ramadi as troops buildup

offensive to retake the insurgent-held cities has begun on the eve of the US presidential election. company's office in Baghdad, the Interior Ministry said on Monday.


Five Best Practices for Streamlining Electronic Licensing Operations

(Source: Macrovision)  There is a significant increase in electronic licensing among software publishers. In this paper, Macrovision outlines the business processes that make up the license lifecycle. The paper concludes with a brief description of how Nokia successfully anticipated and addressed operational issues prior to launching electronic licensing in their products.


Avvio di segno negativo per Piazza Affari, in linea con le altre borse del vecchio Continente. Dopo i primi scambi il Mibtel segna -0,16%, Midex -0,12%, Numtel -0,24% e Spmib -0,21%. Sotto il segno meno le principali Piazze europee.


Hamas chief reveals his plans for Gaza peace

The man now controlling Gaza City talks exclusively to Mitchell Prothero about his plans.


About 800 friends and family members gathered Saturday to remember the humor and kindness of Jack Hensley, an American executed by terrorists in Iraq on his 49th birthday.


Tennis: Johansson and Soderling herald changing of the guard for ...

STOCKHOLM : Joachim Johansson, Sweden's next hope for a Top 10 spot, took the first step towards a potential seeded final with legend Andre Agassi as he defeated Adrian Garcia 6-4, 6-2 at the 632,750-euro Stockholm Open.


Executive handbags A slanging match has erupted between Oracle and SAP as the Silicon Valley giant tries to burnish its business apps credectials.â¦


Three UK bankers can be extradited to the US to face fraud charges related to a deal with Enron, a judge rules.


A reported boom in U.S. whooping cough cases is now being questioned after health officials discovered a regularly used lab test misdiagnosed cases in suspected outbreaks in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Tennessee.


The widow of murdered Alexander Litvinenko says the Russian authorities could have been behind his death.


Movie studios launch legal offensive against online pirates

LOS ANGELES - Hollywood studios said Thursday they will file hundreds of lawsuits later this month against individuals who swap pirated copies of movies over the Internet.


A UN investigation has found clear evidence that UN peacekeepers and civilian staff in Congo are guilty of sexual abuse and Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he is "absolutely outraged" by it.


Techs scramble to update software as Sunday's early switch to daylight-saving time threatens to spring computer systems forward into glitchville. By the Associated Press.


THE AMERICAN HOUSE OF REPS HAS VOTED AGAINST AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION TO BAN GAY MARRIAGE. The proposed gay marriage ban was defeated in the US House of Representatives on Thursday following a vote on amending the constitution.


Steven Theede, chief executive of the Russian oil company Yukos, sadly observed during a visit to Washington last week that most Western investors had convinced themselves that the persecution


Thirty-six kilometres into the men's Olympic marathon on Sunday, Vanderlei Lima's chances of winning were taken from him after he was tackled in bizarre manner by the Irish serial pest Cornelius Horan.


Rolf Harris leads a team of artists painting a huge version of Constable's Hay Wain in London's Trafalgar Square.


Suicide truck bomb kills at least 20 in Iraq

BAIJI, Iraq  - A suicide truck bomb killed at least 20 people and wounded 80 in the northern Iraqi city of Baiji on Tuesday, the police and U.S. military said.


Weinstein Company Makes a Deal With Guild Writers

The deal contains provisions that will allow it to be superseded by any agreement ultimately reached with the major companies through their bargaining group, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.


Wild Play Gives Eagles 21-7 Halftime Lead

A big break, and a perfectly positioned Freddie Mitchell, helped the Philadelphia Eagles take a 21-7 halftime lead over the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC divisional playoffs on Sunday.


BAGHDAD: At least 12 people, including an Italian hostage, were killed in Iraq on Thursday as violence continued. An Islamist group claimed that it had killed an Italian hostage identified as Salvatore Santoro


A strong storm system steamed toward the East Coast Friday after generating tornadoes, lightning and large hail from Canada to the Gulf Coast the day and night before.


Will superdelegates overrule Dem voters?

Some Democrats say they fear their party's method of picking a nominee might turn undemocratic, with it unlikely Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama will get the delegates needed for the nomination. Party rules call for superdelegates to tip the balance.


Steroid Inquiry Raises Doubts About Matthews

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Garry Matthews Jr. has been linked to a two-year investigation by the Albany County district attorney into an illegal steroid-distribution network.


The N.H.L., in an effort to make more of a connection with European countries other than signing their players, will send the Rangers and three other teams across the Atlantic to open next season.


Reid says U.S. strike on Iran would be destabilizing

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid rejected on Monday another prominent senator's call for a military strike against Iran, saying a U.S. attack would destabilize the Middle East.


IL COMMENTO                                          Quando vince il partito del mercato                                                                                di MASSIMO GIANNINI


Hospitals will be given a 15 minute target to get patients out of ambulances when they arrive at A&E.


St. Sebastian's Announces Honor Students

NEEDHAM - The following Quincy students are on the St. Sebastian's School honor roll for the second quarter:  JUNIORS  Michael G. Garland  SOPHOMORES  Christopher Brown.  GRADE 8  Stephen Brown, Nicholas Lee.


Pfizer can capitalize on drug withdrawal

Pfizer Inc., the world's biggest drugmaker, may benefit from Merck & Co.'s withdrawal of Vioxx because Pfizer's competing pain medicine Celebrex hasn't been linked to increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.


Researchers: Microsoft Changes PC Files Without Clearance

Microsoft apparently has started updating files on PCs running XP and Vista, even when users have disabled the operating systems' automatic update feature.


EYE ON POLITICS: Granholm's bid to collect taxes earlier could get ...

The governor's plan to move up county tax collections next year could unravel what was supposed to be a smooth, noncombative wrap-up of a new state budget.


Roma, 23:39 - BASKET, LOTTOMATICA; TOTI: LORBEK CI INTERESSA

Il presidente della Lottomatica Virtus Roma, Claudio Toti, in una intervista al sito


A new version of the Bagle computer virus is spreading rapidly around the internet.


Italy boss Marcello Lippi is counting in his charges to make the country forget their weekend loss to Slovenia when they face Belarus in UEFA World Cup qualifying action on Wednesday.


Torino, 10:50 - CALCIO, JUVE: NOCERINO INVESTITO DA FIAT 500, GIA' DIMESSO

Il centrocampista della Juventus, Antonio Nocerino, è stato investito ieri sera da una Fiat 5...


Aussies surprise Indians by their 'walking' act :

Sports India: Cricket > Chennai, Oct 14 : The Australians today surprised their hosts when two of their batsmen 'walked' without waiting for the umpire's decision on the opening day of the second cricket Test against India here in sharp contrast to their


Olindo Mare kicked a 51-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining Sunday night to give the Miami Dolphins a 10-7 win over the Cleveland Indians.


E' successo la scorsa notte a Napoli dopo rapina a un pub


European shares edged higher as oil prices fell to seven-week lows easing pressure on companies' margins, but activity was muted ahead of the Federal Reserve's decision on interest rates later Wednesday.


NEW YORK, Jan. 6 -- An interview with Benazir Bhutto before the former Pakistani prime minister was assassinated was important enough to keep on the cover of Parade magazine, the magazine's publisher said Sunday, even though the publication had gone to print and could not reflect news of Bhutto's...


German cyclist Erik Zabel becomes the latest cyclist to admit to using banned blood booster EPO while competing for Telekom in the 1990s.


Chinese officials blame unseasonably warm weather on global warming, as parts of Shaanxi face drought.


When a legal battle pitting Hillary Rodham Clinton's supporters against Barack Obama's erupted in Nevada this week, Sen. Harry Reid, the most powerful Democrat in the state, took heat for declining to play referee.


Judge orders release of warrant information in B.C. legislature raid

VANCOUVER (CP) - A B.C. government ministerial aide being probed for breach of trust was initially under investigation on allegations of money-laundering and corruption, newly released documents reveal.


Google's market dominance may convince U.S. and European regulators to let Microsoft through.


Rebecca De Mornay gets probation for driving drunk

Actress Rebecca De Mornay, best known for starring opposite Tom Cruise in the hit film "Risky Business," was sentenced to three years' probation on Tuesday after pleading no contest to drunken driving.


France ready to open up to Syria if it stays out of Lebanon

France is ready to open up in a "spectacular way" to Syria if it stops meddling in Lebanon, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said in a newspaper interview Sunday.


Ethnic violence flares over Kenya poll delay

KISUMU, Kenya  - Protests and looting flared in Kenyan opposition strongholds on Saturday as delays announcing a presidential election result prompted rigging claims in east Africa's economic power.


Dr. Francis Crick, a renowned radicular Biologist, died of cancer on July 29, 2004. Prof. D. Wilson Devaprasad, an ardent reader of SOM had the opportunity of listening to his talk on 'DNA Helix' at Hyderabad in 1981.


Insurance Probe Hits Home in D.C. Region

New York Attorney General has subpoened major players in the Washington area insurance market as part of an investigation into steering and bid-rigging.


A sixth man held after terror raids in Birmingham is due in court charged over an alleged kidnap plan.


Chiquita is boosting its business one banana at a time. The famed banana baron, with the help of Gen3 Partners Inc., a Boston firm, has found a way to keep individual bananas fresh longer so they can be sold in more places and not just in bunches at supermarkets.


The handling of the death of former reality TV star Anna Nicole Smith's son has touched off a scandal in the image-conscious Bahamas, with an outspoken coroner reassigned and some worrying the media frenzy could damage the vital tourist industry.


New York Times to stop charging for online content

(InfoWorld) - Two years after The New York Times started charging for access to some content on its Web site, the Gray Lady is changing tack and will make the content available for free. "The New York Times will stop charging for access to parts of its Web site, effective at midnight (12 a.m. ET) Tuesday night, reflecting a growing view in the industry that subscription fees cannot outweigh the potential ad revenue from increased traffic on a free site," the newspaper reported in a story on its Web site. Times Select, the name of the service that charged access to opinion pieces and some news stories, was available to print subscribers for free. Times Select had 787,400 subscribers, including 471,200 print subscribers who received access to the service for free. Of the remaining subscribers, 89,200 readers received free access on college campuses and 227,000 paid either $7.95 per month or $49.95 for the service, depending on which subscription option they chose. The New York Times report on the decision to end charges on the Web site, said the service generated about $10 millionÂ in annual revenue. In a statement, the paper said more users were coming to the site through search engines, instead of directly visiting NYTimes.com. Removing the subscription barrier to content available under Times Select will result in a boost in traffic and advertising revenue from that increase will replace the money that once came from subscriptions, it said. In addition to opening up its content to all visitors, The New York Times will also offer free access to its archives dating back to 1987, as well as access to stories published by the paper between 1851 and 1922. The site will still charge for access to stories published between 1923 and 1986. Print subscribers will get free access to the complete archives, the paper said.


NY's Spitzer Sues Over Unpaid Bathroom Attendants

After taking on greedy mutual fund  firms and lying Wall Street bankers, New York's crusading  attorney general aims to clean up a different mess: unpaid  restaurant bathroom attendants.


USA - Uragani, evacuazione 300 mila persone per Frances

Le autorita' della Florida hanno ordinato l'evacuazione di 300 mila persone, nella contea di Palm Beach, in vista dell'arrivo di Frances. L'ordine di evacuazione, che scattera' domani, riguarda gli abitanti


Shaded moon will be last eclipse of 2004

A total eclipse of the Moon will occur overnight Wednesday, an event that can turn Earth's satellite to a colourful shade ranging from deep red to dark brown and sometimes an existential grey.


Microsoft Signs Up 1st Licensee for Code

By AOIFE WHITE BRUSSELS, Belgium - Under threat of new multimillion fines, Microsoft Corp. said Thursday that it had signed up its first licensee for a scheme EU regulators told it to set up three years ago to share code that helps servers work with the Windows operating platform.


Suburban Hospital's Planned Expansion Riles Neighbors

Suburban Hospital in Bethesda is planning a $135 million expansion that could close down a neighborhood street and bulldoze more than a dozen homes, a proposal that has alarmed some residents, who fear the hospital could soon overtake the neighborhood.


Nine people are injured, two seriously, when a light aircraft crashes at a Kent aerodrome.


Oakville, ON (Sports Network) - Canadian Mike Weir posted a one-under 70 Saturday to take a three-shot lead after three rounds of the Canadian Open.


LOS ANGELES  Police have issued a warrant for a member of the rap group G-Unit as a suspect in the stabbing of a Los Angeles man at this week's Vibe Awards.


THE CRIME: Bonny Lee Bakley, wife of actor Robert Blake, was shot to death May 4, 2001, while Blake had gone to retrieve a gun from the restaurant where they had just dined.


3 shifts phones through Xtra-vision video stores

X-clusive While most companies are looking to rent films over their mobile phone networks, 3 has started selling phones through a film rental network.â¦


At least 47 people including 17 children die in Ecuador in a mountain bus crash near the capital Quito.


BNP eyes SocGen; France warns off foreign bids

BNP Paribas confirmed on Thursday that it  was studying a possible bid for Societe Generale, as its fellow  French bank reeled from rogue trading losses and France warned  off would-be foreign bidders.