Police investigating ‘suspicious’ death of elderly woman in Miami home

Police are investigating details surrounding the death of an elderly woman found inside her home near midtown Miami.

Shortly after 4 p.m. Friday, Miami Police officers went to the home of Carmen Diaz, 78, whose adult son decided to visit her after not hearing from her in a few days, according to a news release. When he arrived, he found Diaz dead inside her home of 50 years at 120 NW 34 St.

Miami Police spokeswoman Kenia Reyes said although the death appeared “somewhat suspicious,” the department isn’t releasing details until the county medical examiner determines the cause of death.

WSVN-Channel 7 reported that the adult son found Diaz’s house ransacked and her body wrapped in a blanket in her bathroom.

Police confirmed the house was in disarray, but wouldn’t say if there had been a burglary.

The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner is currently investigating the scene.

This article will be updated as more information becomes available.

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Sony likely to unveil next PlayStation on Feb. 20

NEW YORK (AP) — Sony is poised to unveil the next PlayStation game console on Feb. 20, a date that would give the Japanese electronics company a head start over Microsoft‘s expected announcement of an Xbox 360 successor in June.

Sony Corp. invited journalists to an evening press event in New York City. The company has not said what it plans to show off, but signs indicate that it’ll be the PlayStation 4. Sony would only say that it “will deliver and speak about the future PlayStation business.”

Such a console would follow Nintendo‘s Wii U, which launched last fall, and precede Microsoft Corp.‘s next Xbox game console, which will likely be unveiled in June at the E3 video game conference in Los Angeles.

Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter said it’s a “super smart” move for Sony to pre-empt Microsoft. This way, the PlayStation 4 will get the spotlight without much competition.

The currently available PlayStation 3 went on sale in 2006, a year after the Xbox 360. But Xbox 360 has been more popular, largely because of its robust online service, Xbox Live, which allows people to play games with others online. The Wii is still the top seller among the three consoles, though it has lost momentum in recent years.

The Wii U was the first of the newest generation of video game consoles to launch, but sales so far have been disappointing. Nintendo Co.’s president, Satoru Iwata, acknowledged recently that the Wii U and the handheld Nintendo 3Ds didn’t do well over the holidays, but he ruled out a price cut for the new console.

All three console makers are trying to position their devices as entertainment hubs that go beyond games as they try to stay relevant in the age of smartphones and tablet computers. Such hubs can deliver TV shows, movies and music. The Wii U has a TV-watching feature called TVii. With it, the console’s touch-screen GamePad controller becomes a remote control for your TV and set-top box. TVii groups your favorite shows and sports events together, whether it’s on live TV or an Internet video service such as Hulu Plus. And it offers water-cooler moments you can chat about on social media.

Gaming News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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Buzzmakers: SAG Winners Pics and Nicole Kidman Explains Jimmy Kimmel Lap Dance

What had ET readers buzzing this week?

1. PICS: SAG Winners with their Statues!

Some of Hollywood's biggest stars gathered Sunday night to honor acting achievements at the 2013 Screen Actors Guild Awards. Anne Hathaway -- winner of the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for Les Misérables -- kicks off our gallery of the stars accepting their handsome statuettes!

Click here for all the pics!

2. Nicole Kidman on Her Lap Dance for Jimmy Kimmel

Nicole Kidman raised eyebrows during Matt Damon's Jimmy Kimmel Live! takeover when she greeted Kimmel -- who was strapped to a chair -- with a lap dance. On the SAG Awards red carpet, the Oscar winner explained the move to Nancy O'Dell.

Kidman described the dance as "impromptu," saying that she was just following the lead of another one of the night's guests.

"Robin Williams had done it before, so I thought, 'Well, why not?'" Kidman explained.

For years Kimmel has had a running joke where he ends every episode by apologizing to Matt Damon for running out of time for him. On last week's special episode of the late-night show -- nine years in the making -- Damon recruited some friends (which included Andy Garcia, Sheryl Crow, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Robert DeNiro, Sarah Silverman, Demi Moore and Oprah Winfrey.

3. Top-Earning 'American Idol' Alums

American Idol is in the business of making music stars, and in turn, has made lots of money for some of their contestants. Forbes released their list of the top-earning Idol alums of 2012 a few names on this list are sure to surprise you.

Click here for the entire list!

4. Jennifer Lawrence Suffers Wardrobe Malfunction

It seemed like disaster for Jennifer Lawrence when her dress came apart just as she was called up to accept the award for Best Actress during the 2013 SAG Awards.

The Silver Linings Playbook star's apparent wardrobe malfunction caught the eye of both Marion Cotillard and Nicole Kidman, whose reaction to the getup coming apart at the seams was caught on camera. No disaster, here, though -- it turns out the dress was designed that way! A source close to designer Dior told ET that the dress did not rip -- that it was made with different layers of tulle and satin.

This minor outfit hitch comes after it was announced that Lawrence, 22, has walking pneumonia, making this one of the best and worst weeks for the award-winning actress.

5. Kris Jenner Lands Talk Show

Are you ready for a daily dose of Kris Jenner?

The TV personality will test the talk show waters this summer when Fox premieres a preview episode of Kris, a one-hour entertainment talk show. "This is something I have wanted to do all my life so it's definitely a dream come true," Jenner said in a statement! "I can't wait for this new adventure to begin and look forward to working alongside Twentieth Television and the Fox Television Stations."

Kris will be rolled out in a similar fashion to how Bethenny Frankel's talk show was last summer, with the network testing the waters to see if there's an audience appetite for more of this famous family. According to a press release, the show will "offer daytime viewers a daily jolt of celebrity guests, fashion & beauty trends; plus a mix of lifestyle topics -- all through the distinctive and unpredictable perspective of Kris Jenner. Filmed in Los Angeles, CA, the pop culture driven talk show will bring a cool blast of fun and high energy to summer television."

The trial run of Kris will launch this summer, with the program available on select Fox-owned stations in markets, including New York and Los Angeles.

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Turkey: US Embassy bomber had been imprisoned on terror charge — but was released after hunger strike

ANKARA, Turkey — The suicide bomber who struck the U.S. Embassy in Ankara spent several years in prison on terrorism charges but was released on probation after being diagnosed with a hunger strike-related brain disorder, officials said Saturday.

The bomber, identified as 40-year-old leftist militant Ecevit Sanli, killed himself and a Turkish security guard on Friday, in what U.S. officials said was a terrorist attack. Sanli was armed with enough TNT to blow up a two-story building and also detonated a hand grenade, officials said.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that police believe the bomber was connected his nation's outlawed leftist militant group Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front, or DHKP-C. And on Saturday DHKP-C claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on a website linked to the group. It said Sanli carried out the act of "self-sacrifice" on behalf of the group.

The group called itself "immortal" and said, "Down with imperialism and the collaborating oligarchy." But it gave no reason for attacking the U.S. Embassy. The authenticity of the website was confirmed by a government terrorism expert who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with rules that bar government employees from speaking to reporters without prior authorization.

Turkey's private NTV television, meanwhile, said police detained three people on Saturday who may be connected to the U.S. Embassy attack during operations in Ankara and Istanbul. Two of the suspects were being questioned by police in Ankara, while the third was taken into custody in Istanbul and was being brought to Ankara.

NTV, citing unidentified security sources, said one of the suspects is a man whose identity Sanli allegedly used to enter Turkey illegally, while the second was suspected of forging identity papers. There was no information about the third suspect.

Earlier, Turkish Interior Minister Muammer Guler said Sanli had fled Turkey after he was released from jail in 2001, but managed to return to the country "illegally," using a fake ID. It was not clear how long before the attack he had returned to Turkey.

NTV said he is believed to have come to Turkey from Germany, crossing into Turkey from Greece. Police officials in Ankara could not immediately be reached for comment.

DHKP-C has claimed responsibility for assassinations and bombings since the 1970s, but it has been relatively quiet in recent years. Compared to al-Qaida, it has not been seen as a strong terrorist threat.

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Miami Beach hotels seek more political clout

When Miami Beach wanted local hotels to scale-back their popular rooftop parties and bars, Alexander Tachmes fought back.

An attorney who has represented Beach hotels on a myriad of issues, he “cobbled” together a group of his hotelier clients and went before the city commission to ask them to curb the proposed rules.

The hotels won.

It was a learning experience, said Tachmes, who came to believe that the Beach needed a permanent group of industry heavyweights to take political action in the face of restrictive city policies.

With that in mind, Miami Beach’s hotel industry is taking on a decidedly political tone by reviving a previously-formed electioneering organization, just in time for election season on the sandbar.

The group is called Hospitality for a Better Miami Beach, and as an Electioneering Communication Organization (ECO), it can raise unlimited money to run ads, send fliers and make telephone calls about political issues. They’ve also created Miami Beach Hospitality Coalition, which Tachmes said will soon be registered as a non-profit.

Behind the organizations are Tachmes and big-name hoteliers Mike Palma, Executive Vice President of Hospitality for Brio Investment Group (which owns the Clevelander) and the Perry South Beach Hotel General Manager Tim Nardi.

“Political clout is something that will help to further the goals of the industry,” Tachmes said.

Hotels already have their interests represented by the Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association and the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau. But the association is tax-funded and the visitor’s bureau is tax-exempt, so neither can raise or spend money for political purposes.

Stuart Blumberg, who headed the hotel association for 15 years, thinks the industry has enough clout without having to wade into politics.

“You’re getting a group of hoteliers who’ve decided they want a voice in government. And that’s dangerous,” he said of the ECO.

An outspoken leader, Blumberg often took political stances and faced elected officials — and he often found success.

Blumberg led the charge to exempt pool decks and outdoor patios from a constitutional amendment banning smoking, and pushed to delay the start of the school year so that Florida teens could continue working at local hotels. At a farewell gathering after Blumberg announced his retirement, he didn’t hesitate to take a shot at then-Gov. Charlie Crist, calling him out on a proposed tax increase on car rentals.

“We were able to accomplish a lot of things because we weren’t tarnished by, ‘Yeah, I supported that guy or that guy,’” Blumberg said. “You stand and fall on the merits of an issue.”

Citing the huge impact the tourism industry has on Florida, he added: “We don’t need to spend money to win influence.”

According to state figures, the tourism industry has a $67.3 billion economic impact on Florida.

In Miami-Dade, the accommodation industry accounts for 3 percent of the county’s 1 million non-farm jobs, or about 27,000 positions. The industry also contributes about $1 billion in income a year in Miami-Dade, or about 2 percent of total wages.

With a November election in Miami Beach — in which a majority of the city’s commission seats up for grabs — now is the time to translate economic importance into political prominence, said Palma.

In a city where resident-activists are vocal and plentiful, and where residents are often at odds with party-seeking tourists, Palma said city leaders lately have tilted more in favor of residents rather than businesses

Added Tachmes: “The residents of the city benefit by having a thriving hotel industry...all we want is a seat at the table.”

The electioneering committee was registered last year and is currently not active, according to state records.

Tachmes said the group is in the process of recruiting members — whom he would not name — and creating a board, at which time the group will be re-opened. Members are planning to interview candidates to decide who to support in the upcoming elections.

Wendy Kallergis, president and CEO of the hotel association, pointed out that many of the ECO members are also members of her organization. She doesn’t think the new group will be a competitor.

“We’re not able to do some of the things they can do,” she said. “I think it’s going to strengthen the voice on the Beach.”

Miami Herald staff writer Douglas Hanks contributed to this report.

Follow @Cveiga on Twitter.

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Police investigating death of pedestrian killed while crossing I-95

Police are working with four witnesses to investigate the death of a pedestrian who was killed Thursday night as he tried to cross Interstate 95 in North Miami-Dade.

Shortly after 9 p.m. Thursday, Alan Bryan Rizzo, 51, tried to run east across the northbound lanes of I-95, just south of the 167th Street exit, said Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Jose Sanchez.

Rizzo was struck by several northbound vehicles and died.

Three of the vehicles stopped, Sanchez said: a black BMW 330I, a black Toyota Camry and a blue Honda Civic.

Troopers are investigating the crash as an accident and no charges were filed as of Friday evening.

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Coming soon to Facebook- more action, battle games

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – When nWay began a trial of its dark, sci-fi combat game “ChronoBlade” on Facebook last year, the San Francisco-based startup felt sure it had a hit on its hands.

“First of all, what comes is, ‘Wow, I had no idea you could actually do a game of this quality on Facebook,’” said Dave Jones, Chief Creative Officer of nWay, who has worked on “Grand Theft Auto.”

Then came some resistance: Jones admits some potential investors and partners questioned how an action-focused game with slick graphics can play to a Facebook audience more accustomed to “Farmville” and other less time-consuming casual games. Others wondered how the game — which launches this spring — would gain significant users and revenue on the social network.

But Facebook Inc is betting nWay and a clutch of other developers this year can extend console-style action games beyond Microsoft Corp‘s Xbox or Sony Corp’s PlayStation onto the world’s largest social network.

Facebook is spearheading the launch of 10 high-quality games created by third-party developers in 2013 that squarely target so-called hardcore gamers, an atypical audience overlooked thus far against the wealth of family-friendly offerings like Zynga Inc’s “Farmville” that now dominate the social network’s gaming landscape.

The effort, which began late last year but will accelerate in 2013, is part of Facebook’s ongoing objective of making sure its 1 billion-plus users log in and spend more time on the network, which in turn boosts ad revenue. Facebook also takes a cut of its applications’ revenue.

Facebook’s push into action and battle games follows a meeting in January between companies that make games like “first-person shooters” and Vice President Joe Biden to look for ways to curb gun violence in the wake of the Connecticut school shootings.

Based on the console gaming industry experience, hardcore gamers — typically men 18 to 30 years old — spend more time and effort to master fast-paced games such as first-person shooters (Microsoft’s “Halo”) or real-time strategy games (Activision Blizzard’s “StarCraft”).

“You’ll see a whole set of games hitting in the next two quarters in particular and throughout the year that really start to redefine what people think of Facebook games,” Sean Ryan, head of game partnerships at Facebook said in an interview.

Facebook will embrace games from “casual all the way up through first-person shooters, massively multiplayer online games, real-time strategy games – all those types of more core player-versus-player games.”

Just as hardcore gamers interact online and form clans in multiplayer games on console game networks like Xbox LIVE, Facebook can be that social layer needed to foster such gaming communities that help popularize titles, Jones said.

GAMING POPULATION

Over a quarter of Facebook’s 1.06 billion monthly active users play games, one of the largest gaming communities in the industry, and the social network hopes that can grow.

Facebook also aims to make more revenue from games. Revenue from the area was flat in the fourth quarter from a year ago, the company said on Wednesday without providing details.

The 8-year-old social network takes a 30 percent revenue share from game developers who offer their product free but then charge for virtual goods — like ammunition and power boosts.

On Wednesday, Facebook’s Chief Financial Officer David Ebersman told analysts on a post-earnings conference call that its “games ecosystem continues to show healthy signs of diversification” and suggested that games revenue would grow with increasing user engagement.

To grow its gaming business, Facebook has invested time and resources to work with developers since the summer to bring titles like u4iA’s first-person shooter “Offensive Combat” and Plaruim’s real-time strategy game “Stormfall: Age of War” alive, Ryan said.

“It doesn’t mean we’re walking away from other games, but there’s no question our focus for 2013 much of it will be about becoming a better platform for core gamers and developers who make those games.”

To help users discover them, Facebook added new action and strategy games categories on its App Center that also shows you friends from your list playing those games. It brought back notification messages from game apps — a feature that had been removed because users found the annoying — with certain restrictions that stop developers from spamming a gamer.

Developers also rely on word-of-mouth publicity and ads on Facebook’s advertising platform to draw in prospective gamers.

“Stormfall” has a player base of 4.5 million and hardcore games were proving to be far more lucrative, said Gabi Shalel, chief marketing officer Of Tel Aviv, Israel-based Plarium.

“Hardcore gamers pay more, play more and generate higher average revenue per user than traditional casual games.”

Kixeye, which makes the warfare-strategy game “War Commander,” said its gamers spend 20 times more than players of social games, helping it stay profitable over the past three years.

Going forward, nWay’s Jones says Facebook must have a defining title that comes along that establishes it as a hardcore gaming spot for gamers.

“Like ‘Super Mario’ did for Nintendo or ‘Halo’ on Microsoft, I think it just takes one title to come along, sort of as a benchmark to legitimize the whole thing,” he said.

(Reporting By Malathi Nayak; editing by Andrew Hay)

Tech News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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Side Effects NY Premiere 2013

Sorry Niners fans, come Sunday, you won't have People's Sexiest Man Alive in your corner.

At the New York premiere of his new movie Side Effects, the 32-year-old actor, donning a Dolce & Gabbana suit, revealed to ET that while he loves the 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, and thinks they have a "sick offense, and they're on fire right now... they're probably favored to win a little bit," he admits ultimately, "I kinda want the [Baltimore Ravens] to win."

As far as Super Bowl plans go, Tatum will actually be in the Big Easy on Sunday, in the middle of the madness.

PICS: Stars Predict the Super Bowl Winner

"I'm gonna be there in [New Orleans]. I'll be at Saints & Sinners, my bar down on Bourbon Street." Saints & Sinners opened in November 2012.

Side Effects is a thriller surrounding the pharmaceutical industry, that pairs Channing for a third and final time with director Steven Soderbergh, who announced his retirement from directing after this film.

"I wish there could be a fourth [film together], but he's apparently done.... This movie is special, and it's kind of one that he's always wanted to make."

See Also: Beyonce Shows Off All-Girl Bowl Band

Soderbergh previously worked with Channing in filming Haywire, and Magic Mike.

Watch the video above for more on the movie, in theaters February 8, and Channing on his co-star Jude Law's disarming accent.

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Career crook held on bail; allegedly targeted Asians

A career crook wanted for targeting Asians in eight violent East Harlem muggings was ordered held on one of the alleged attacks today, with the rest remaining under investigation.

Jason Commisso, 34, committed the eight attacks on Asian men and woman late last month, prosecutors say.

"The people are still investigating, as are the police, the hate crimes aspect, as all of the victims are of Asian descent," assistant district attorney Sioban Carty said of Commisso's alleged spree in Manhattan Criminal Court.

Commisso was ordered held in lieu of $150,000 bond or $75,000 cash bail on the one robbery he has so far been charged in -- that of an Asian woman inside an elevator at 1641 Madison Avenue on Jan. 24.

In that robbery, Commisso allegedly punched his victim in the face -- breaking her cheekbone and cutting her eye and chin -- as he stole her purse and cell phone, according to the complaint against him.

Commisso is due back in Manhattan Criminal Court on Feb. 6.

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Miami’s Commissioner Sarnoff gets earful from constituents

Six years ago, Coconut Grove Village Council Chairman Marc Sarnoff won a seat on the Miami City Commission after he helped lead a neighborhood fight against a Home Depot store at U.S. 1 and McDonald Street.

But on Thursday night, Commissioner Marc Sarnoff fielded angry questions from Grove council members and residents who demanded to know why he didn’t fight a trolley-bus garage now under construction in a residential section of the West Grove, just a mile from the Home Depot site.

“Mr. Sarnoff, I remember this pamphlet you put out on another project, and you were against it, and you said in your pamphlet — you said it couldn’t happen because it was a historic corridor. But in this case I don’t see your vehemence,” said Toya Johnson, owner of Barber Doll’s Community Barber Shop on Grand Avenue.

Johnson was a part of a standing-room-only crowd at a meeting in the commission chambers at Miami City Hall in the Grove Thursday night. Sarnoff called the meeting to explain his views on the garage, in the 3300 block of Douglas Road.

The garage will serve trolleys owned by the nearby city of Coral Gables. A development company, Astor, agreed to build the garage for the Gables after that city approved a mixed-use luxury apartment building on a block that includes the existing trolley garage.

Miami never held a public hearing on the garage because, according to Sarnoff and city staffers, the developer did not need a zoning change or other approval that would have required a hearing. Neighbors disagree, and several abutting property owners filed a lawsuit against the city shortly before Thursday’s meeting, asking a judge to stop the project.

Sarnoff, meanwhile, said the outcomes in the Home Depot and trolley garage cases were not that different. In both cases, he said, the builders proposed projects they had a right to build under existing zoning.

“Home Depot is there, it exists, because it could come in as a matter of right,” Sarnoff said. “All we could do is control the size.”

After the neighbors protested, Home Depot decided to go with a smaller store. Similarly, Sarnoff argued, he was able to persuade Astor to take steps to reduce the effect of the garage on the neighborhood. For instance, the developer agreed to completely enclose and air-condition the building to reduce fumes, to incorporate Bahamian architectural features into the building to match the West Grove’s history, and contribute more than $200,000 for a football field at Armbrister Park on Jefferson Street.

He also presented information to show that fumes and noise from the garage will not be a threat to health or the environment.

But the crowd was unmoved.

“The football field to me is like a twisted version of a field of dreams,” said Pierre Sands, president of the Village West Homeowners and Tenants Association. “Build a park and we’ll be magically happy. You’re buying Manhattan for trinkets.”

And Grove Village Council member Pat Sessions took issue with Sarnoff and the city’s insistence that the new “Miami 21” development rules gave Astor a right to build the garage without a public hearing.

“I’m a developer by trade ... and I will tell you there is nothing in Miami 21 that gives the right to build this building,” Sessions said. “What it says in commercial districts, the uses that are not permitted are crystal clear — government vehicle maintenance facilities. How the city let this go through ... is beyond me. ... I’m offended by it. It sure wouldn’t be next to Mayfair.”

The Village Council is an elected board but it has little real power beyond the ability to advocate. The Grove is a part of the city of Miami.

Coral Gables City Attorney Craig Leen also was at the meeting, and assured residents that his city expects a garage that complies with all applicable regulations.

“We view this as a very important matter,” Leen said. “Ultimately, we have a contract with Astor. Under the contract, they have to deliver a building that meets all laws and regulations. We have seen your lawsuit and we are concerned about it. If the building doesn’t meet the regulations, we will not accept it.

“At some point we will have to decide whether this is a legal building or not. I have spoken with the commissioners and the city manager, and the city is very concerned. We did not want to force anything on the community.”

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Judge throws out $3.1 million award against Related developers

A Miami-Dade judge on Thursday tossed out a $3.1 million verdict against The Related Group developers only moments after a jury found the developers had wrongfully manipulated the zoning process in a 2007 condo deal.

The decision came after a month-long trial in a lawsuit filed by the Vizcayans, a support group for the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, who had accused Related and its partners of engaging in a conspiracy to win political support for a controversial waterfront condo project next to Mercy Hospital in Coconut Grove. The Vizcayans were seeking more than $1.3 million to recover the legal costs of their successful fight to overturn the Miami City Commission’s approval of the project.

The jury sided with the Vizcayans, finding that the developers committed more than two dozen wrongful acts in pursuit of the projects — from behind-the-scenes meetings with city commissioners to secret deals to pay $8 million to win the support of nearby neighborhood groups.

But Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Daryl Trawick later threw out the jury’s verdict and found in favor of the developers. He said the Vizcayans failed to prove that the developers’ actions “targeted” the Vizcayans, and added that the developers’ conduct was allowed under their rights to petition the government and go to court.

Related’s lawyers, John Shubin and Israel Reyes, argued that the developers’ actions were aimed only at winning approval for the three-tower project, not at harming the Vizcayans. Related’s chairman, Jorge Perez, told jurors he was “totally surprised” when the Vizcayans publicly objected to the project. The Vizcayans feared the condo towers would obstruct views from the Vizcaya, a historic landmark.

Shubin and Reyes argued that the verdict would have essentially punished the developers for exercising their rights to petition the government for zoning and land-use changes.

“For a judge, doing the right thing and following the law are one in the same, and that’s what Judge Trawick did in this case,” said Reyes, himself a former judge.

But Maria Utrera, the jury foreperson, said she was puzzled by the judge’s decision, which left some jurors weeping when they learned of it later.

“I’m really upset about it. I think that justice was not served,” said Utrera, a computer programmer from Homestead. “We think they did manipulate the political system. The evidence showed that what they did was wrong.”

Lawyers for the Vizcayans said they were disappointed with the judge’s ruling, and they plan to appeal the judge’s decision.

“The jury agreed with us totally,” said Vizcayan board member John Hinson. “I would like to think the jury’s verdict sends a message throughout the community that the actions by these defendants are wrong and shouldn’t be tolerated.”

The Vizcayans’ lawsuit was brought under a novel legal theory known as the “wrongful acts” doctrine. They argued that the wrongful acts of the developers forced them to go court to challenge the city’s zoning changes for the project. An appeals court later found that the zoning changes violated state law, and that the vote was tainted by improper communications between Perez and then-Miami Mayor Manny Diaz.

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U.S. tablet shipments soar during holidays, threaten to surpass PCs

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook’s prediction that tablets would one day outsell personal computers appears to be coming true.

Holiday season shipments of tablet computers touched a record 52.5 million, up 75 percent from a year ago, as consumers snapped up a wide range of the touch-enabled mobile devices and lower priced offerings, according to International Data Corp (IDC), which tracks both markets.

Growth of the tablet market handily outpaced that of personal computers, with PC shipments sliding 6.4 percent to 89.8 million in the October-December period.

In another sign of the rise of tablets, Apple, the No. 1 seller of tablets, shipped 22 million of them in the fourth quarter, compared with 15 million personal computers shipped by No. 1 PC seller Hewlett-Packard Co during the same period.

But increasing competition means that Apple’s one-time stranglehold on the tablet market continues to loosen. The market share of its iPad fell to 43.1 percent in the fourth quarter from 51.7 percent the previous year, IDC said.

Samsung Electronics, the No. 2 seller of tablets with its flagship Galaxy brand, captured 15.1 percent of the market, more than double its 7.3 percent share a year earlier.

Software maker Microsoft Corp, which launched its Surface with Windows RT tablet during the holidays, shipped about 900,000 units, IDC said.

Microsoft has been banking on Surface to showcase its new Windows 8 software to compete with Google Inc‘s Android-based tablets and the iPad.

Amazon.com Inc, despite having a wider range of products for the holidays, saw its share slip to 11.5 percent from 15.9 percent. Asian manufacturer Asus, which makes the Google-branded Nexus 7 tablet, saw a its share increase to 5.8 percent from 2 percent, IDC said.

IDC’s figures underscore the sliding fortunes of PC makers such as HP and Dell Inc, which is now in the process of taking itself private.

“New product launches from the category’s top vendors, as well as new entrant Microsoft, led to a surge in consumer interest and very robust shipments totals during the holiday season,” said Tom Mainelli, research director, tablets, at IDC.

“The record-breaking quarter stands in stark contrast to the PC market, which saw shipments decline during the quarter for the first time in more than five years,” Mainelli said.

(Reporting By Poornima Gupta; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

Tech News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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30 Rock's Tracy Morgan Baby News

While Tracy Morgan and the rest of the 30 Rock cast is bidding farewell tonight, the 44-year-old comic is preparing to say hello to a new child.

PICS: Celebs and Their Cute Kids!

Us Weekly reports that Morgan and fiancee, Megan Wollover, 26, are expecting their first child together. This will mark Morgan's fourth child, as he raised three adult sons with ex-wife Sabrina.

Morgan split from Sabrina in 2009 after 23 years of marriage and announced his engagement to Wollover in September 2011.

Although there's no word yet on the gender of the baby, the Emmy-nominated actor recently opened up to Rolling Stone, saying that he hoped to one day raise a baby girl.

RELATED: Essential 30 Rock Finale Guide

"You know what happiness is? Happiness is a simple thing, man," he said. "It's having something to look forward to."

You can catch Morgan in the series finale of 30 Rock tonight at 8/7c on NBC.

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Man convicted in murder of pregnant ex-girlfriend

A Queens man was convicted today for the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend and her toddler.

Jimmy Humphrey was found guilty of strangling Linda Anderson to death and setting her lifeless body on fire. The fire ultimately killed her 2-year-old son, Aiden Hayes, as he searched for his mother through the smoke in their St. Albans apartment.

"I'm not happy about the verdict, I really don't know how to feel. My little sister, Aiden and Gabriel are all gone," said Anderson's heartbroken older brother Rob, 40, outside of Queens Supreme Court.

The 6-foot 2, muscular Humphrey, 25, choked back tears as the forewoman read eight "guilty" verdicts to the court.

Humphrey will be sentenced on March 6.

Anderson, 25, was seven months pregnant with Humphrey's son -- to be named Gabriel -- when their complicated relationship escalated to a crime of passion on July 13, 2010.

Humphrey testified that after their altercation he went home to for a few hours to call his girlfriend and called 911 to report the fire from a pay phone three blocks away.

"I'll be alright, I love ya'll," said Humphrey, who faces up to 50 years in prison, to his family.

Both of Anderson's brothers are expected to give impact statements.

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Mompreneur jumps into the ‘Shark Tank’

It all started with a 4 a.m. email nearly a year ago: “Do you think a baby bib could change the world? I do...”

Then Susie Taylor included a link to her website, bibbitec.com, and off it went to Shark Tank, the popular ABC television show where entrepreneurs pitch their companies to investors on the show — and by extension, 7 million viewers.

Four months later, as the “mompreneur” was leaving her Biscayne Park home to pick up her kids from school, she got a call from the show asking her to pitch on the spot. Driving with her phone on her shoulder, she told the Bibbitec story.

Shark Tank bit. After a few more back and forths, her segment was filmed last summer.

Friday night, Taylor is scheduled to be on the show pitching Bibbitec’s main product, “The Ultimate Bib,” a patented generously sized, stain-resistant and fast-drying child’s bib made in the USA — Hialeah, to be exact. Bibbitec’s $30 bib can be a burp cloth, changing pad, breast feeding shield, full body bib, place mat, art smock and more, Taylor says.

We won’t be getting any details on what happens Friday night when she and her husband, Stephen Taylor, get into the tank with Daymond John, Mark Cuban and the other celebrity sharks; Taylor has been contractually sworn to secrecy. But whatever the outcome, she believes it will be worth it for the marketing pop.

Taylor was inspired to create her bib after a long and very messy plane ride with her two young sons and started Bibbitec in 2008. She and her team — her husband is CFO, her sister, Heather McCabe, handles sales and marketing, her uncle, Richard Page, is in charge of production, and her aunt, Marcia Kreitman, advises on design — have expanded the line to include The Ultimate Smock for older children and the Ultimate Mini for babies. Coming soon: a smock for adults.

Taylor already got a taste of what a national TV show appearance can do for sales. In September, Bibbitec’s sales jumped 40 percent after she was on an ABC World News "Made in America" segment. “Within 30 seconds, we started getting sales from all over the country and they didn’t even mention our name on the air,” Taylor says. She said that confirmed her belief that a Shark Tank appearance would be worth it.

Plus, Taylor has been hooked on Shark Tank since the first time she watched it in 2008 as she was developing her product. Trained in theater, she admits she didn’t know much about business and learned from the show. She would practice how she would answer the questions.

“I’m all about empowering women who are sitting on the couch watching, because that’s what I was four years ago,” says Taylor. “All I wanted to do was to be on Shark Tank because I believed if I got on Shark Tank the world will see what I am trying to do and that’s all I need. I know it’s a great product.”

Will that theater training come in handy Friday night? Stay tuned. Shark Tank airs at 9 p.m. on ABC and Taylor hopes viewers will join in on Twitter using the hashtag #sharkbib.

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Police search for suspect who robbed Lauderhill Babies R’ Us

Lauderhill police are searching for the suspect who held up a Babies R’ Us department store two weeks ago.

Police said on Jan. 14 around 8:30 p.m., a gunman entered the Babies R’ Us at 7350 W. Commercial Blvd.

In the course of the robbery, the suspect jumped over the cash register, pointed a gun at the cashier and demanded money.

No one was injured during the robbery.

The suspect then fled with an undisclosed amount of money.

Anyone with information related to the incident, or identity/whereabouts of the suspect can contact De. Atina Johnson at (954) 717-4627 or Broward Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS (8477), or text the tip to TIP411 and enter LPD at the beginning of the anonymous tip.

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Are Weak Wii U Sales a Bellwether of Shifting Game Demographics?

Nintendo expects to sell fewer Wii U and 3DS units than originally claimed, according to reports this morning. The company says it sold three million Wii U units through December, but slashed its forecast of 5.5 million Wii U units sold by the end of March to just four million in all. On the Wii U software side, Nintendo is now forecasting 16 million units in the same timeframe, a number that’s down by roughly a third from original expectations.

The 3DS takes a similar hit in the standings: down from 17.5 million units predicted through March to just 15 million units and a commensurate drop in 3DS software sales.

(MORE: Apple to Sell 128GB iPad Starting Next Tuesday)

You can look at this any number of ways. From a numbers standpoint, there’s no doubt that the Wii U lags behind its predecessor in raw sales when you contrast launch windows. But the Wii arrived at just the right time: It was the world’s first fully motion-control-driven game system — a system that went on to capture the imaginations of consumers who’d never really engaged with a game console before. Whatever you thought of the Wii, however much you actually played it in the years that followed, it did more to popularize gaming as a mainstream pastime than any gaming-related device in history.

The Wii U, by contrast, is an evolutionary step forward designed to appeal more to traditional gamers. Though even lacking the Wii’s novelty, the Wii U GamePad is a far more intrepid technological concoction than, say, either Microsoft or Sony’s imitative motion-control approaches. And suggestions that Nintendo’s just mining Apple territory with the Wii U’s tablet-style controller seem shortsighted: With its two-screen dynamic and hybrid haptic/deterministic controls, the Wii U GamePad couldn’t be less like an iPad. Or, put another way, the Wii U is as much a riff on the iPad as the iPad is just a riff on Nintendo’s original dual-screen DS — a handheld that predated Apple’s tablet by six years.

Another explanation for the Wii U’s slow start could be pricing. The Wii U hardly seems a bargain by Nintendo’s own standards. The GameCube sold for $ 200 at rollout in 2001 (no pack-in), while the Wii cost $ 250 at launch and included a game. The Wii U, by comparison, starts at $ 300 for the stripped down model sans game, then jumps $ 50 if you want a decent amount of storage and something to play — a pack-in (Nintendoland) that frankly lacks the distinctive “so that’s what all the hype’s about” flair of Wii Sports.

But let’s cut to the chase: Whither mobile gaming? Isn’t the Wii U’s sluggish start because, well, hello smartphones and tablets? Not so fast: The data we have on this is inconclusive and potentially misleading.

According to NPD research, of the roughly 212 million people playing games in the United States last year, mobile gamers only slightly outranked core gamers. The number of core gamers shrank slightly in 2012 (NPD attributes this in part to the extra-long life cycle of the current consoles) while the number of mobile gamers was up a tick, it’s true. But how many people bought a Wii U because they needed a phone? An Xbox 360 to sync with their computer’s day-planner? Conversely, how many people bought a smartphone or tablet because all they wanted was to play games like Angry Birds or Temple Run 2?

(MORE: Nintendo Wii U Review: A Tale of Two Screens)

How many mobile gamers are buying souped up phones or tablets just to play games, in other words? Anyone? Or is the mobile gaming angle more of a perk, like the Philips head or mini-scissors in a Swiss Army Knife?

I’m not saying mobile gaming isn’t big — because it is. But just as sales of a game like Wii Sports were deceptively high because you couldn’t not buy it when picking up a Wii, talking about the prevalence of mobile gaming in a pre-fab market gets tricky. Is playing games on phones or tablets siphoning gamers from PCs and consoles? It’s impossible to say at this point because we lack the data.

Nintendo can’t be all things to all people any more than Apple’s been to gamers with its iPhone or iPad. If I want to play a game like Ni No Kuni or Guild Wars 2 or Devil May Cry, I wouldn’t look to my smartphone or tablet. Likewise, I have no interest in playing stuff like Angry Birds or Fruit Ninja or Cut the Rope – the same old increasingly tiresome mobile top-sellers for years — on a console or PC. I don’t want to sell the mobile/tablet gaming market short, not with titles like Battle of the Bulge and Radiant Defense or others like Space Hulk, Shadowrun Returns and Warhammer Quest on the horizon, but concluding that the Wii U or 3DS’s slightly-lower-than-expected sales can be attributed to a shift in gamer tastes — from core to mobile/tablet gaming — oversimplifies things in my view.

What we may be looking at in these reduced Nintendo sales numbers — and what I’d expect to continue to see with the launch of new systems from Microsoft and Sony — is segmentation of a market that experienced a kind of cross-demographic boom in the mid-to-late 2000s. Before iPhones and iPads, casual gamers had the PC. The Wii was essentially a way to bring that sort of gamer into the living room. But we’d be torturing indulgence to claim the shift that occurred after 2006 was tantamount to a conversion. Casual gamers, if you’ll pardon that label, are by definition uncommitted gamers. And with buyers already spending considerably more for something like the iPad (and considerably less on that platform for games), would it be such a surprise to find a much pickier audience for a system like the Wii U in 2013 than existed in 2006?

I have no idea what sorts of devices the kind of more core-oriented games I like to play are going to live on a decade from now. All it’d take, for instance, is for Apple to flip a few switches and double down on gaming to shake up the market in ways that could make what happened with the Wii seem tame. But that won’t mean the demise of traditional gamers any more than the rise of touchscreens entails the downfall of deterministic interfaces like keyboards, mice and gamepads. Core gamers aren’t this tiny minority on the verge of extinction, after all.

Far from it, in fact: Revenue contributions from core gamers still outpace all others, reports NPD, which calls the core gaming demographic “vital to the future of the industry.” From a financial standpoint, in other words, whatever the reasons for the Wii U’s lower-than-expected sales, the ball remains clearly in core gaming’s court.

MORE: Murfie Converts Your CDs into a Lossless Online Library, Lets You Sell and Trade Your Music

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After the crash, Manhattan home prices still sky high

Even after the economic crash, you still can’t afford to buy a home in Manhattan.

The average sale price of apartments of all types soared 66 percent in the past decade, from $850,340 in 2003 to $1,417,080 last year, a new Douglas Elliman study found.

It was actually worse back in 2008 when the economy was tanking — and the average sales price was just under $1.6 million.

The average rose a paltry 0.7 percent last year but get ready for a jump because there’s so little housing on the market.

“Inventory is at or near record lows in most neighborhoods,” said analyst Jonathan Miller, who prepared the report. “It’s a national phenomenon as tight credit continues to keep sellers, who don’t qualify as buyers, from listing their properties.”

Lois Weiss

Condos in Battery Park City went up 10.7 percent per square foot last year.

As a result, the listing inventory plunged 34.2 percent to the lowest level in 12 years.

“The upward pressure on housing prices starts now,” Miller said.

Average prices for condos and co-ops are 12 percent from the 2008 peak. And townhouses are down a stunning 25 percent.

Bust since 2009 the Manjattan real estate market has become much less volatile.

The number of sales increased by a modest 3.4 percent to 10,508 last year, compared with 10,161 in 2011, 10,060 in 2010 — and only 7,430 in 2009.

“For the past three years Manhattan has shown remarkable stability in terms of sales and prices, making it one of the best performing housing markets in the US,” Miller, of Miller Samuel Inc., said/

But there’s a lot of fluctuation from neighborhood to neighborhood in sales prices, the study found.

For example, condos in Battery Park City went up 10.7 percent per square foot last year and co-cops in Greenwich Village soared 9.8 percent.

But co-ops in Lincoln Center fell 10.1 percent per square foot, thanks to an addition of new units. Co-ops on East End Avenue dropped 18 percent.

“We often think of Manhattan as a single market when in fact it is a collection of different neighborhoods and price points that have behaved differently over the decade,” Miller said.

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Cruise industry group announces additional expansion, marketing initiatives

The newly expanded Cruise Lines International Association on Wednesday announced even more global growth as well as fresh promotional tools.

At a press conference in New York City, Christine Duffy, the trade group’s president and CEO, said the number of people who cruised globally last year is estimated at 20.3 million. That number is expected to reach almost 21 million in 2013.

Duffy said CLIA has launched a new YouTube channel called Cruise Industry TV, which focuses on new destinations, ships, tips about cruising and other information about the industry. It is not open for consumers to post videos.

The association has also started a public relations campaign called Cruise Forward, which has a presence on Facebook. The goal is to highlight positive cruise line initiatives, including innovations to help protect the environment, investment in port infrastructures and destinations, charitable activities and the economic impact of cruising.

“We think that this is a very important and exciting way to tell the story of this global industry and its commitment and the work it does in communities that we serve,” Duffy said.

In a separate announcement on Wednesday, CLIA announced the addition of a new cruise group in Europe. In mid-December, the association said it would merge with other industry groups around the world to become one giant organization. The Dutch Cruise Council, with 16 member lines, recently agreed to join and will be called CLIA Netherlands. The association is also developing a German cruise council to be called CLIA Germany and councils in Italy and Spain.

The expanded CLIA now has 55 member cruise lines, more than twice as many as the 26 it represented in 2012. The latest, European operator Tauck River Cruises, joined earlier this month.

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South Miami police supplier hires chief's son

The Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics said last week that the South Miami Police Department can continue to purchase equipment from Lou’s Police Distributors, a company that recently hired the police chief’s son.

“The son has no direct or indirect financial ownership in the company and will not be involved in the local contract, or profit from it,” the commission on ethics said in a press release.

Chief Orlando Martinez de Castro had asked for the opinion.

The opinion comes at time when a majority of the commission wants Martinez de Castro out of a job. The chief has a case pending with the commission on ethics, after investigators reported finding evidence there were a few transactions involving the police department and his wife’s business. Also, Mayor Philip Stoddard has been accusing the chief of breaking state rules when he signed off on a $9,998 gun repair expense that used state forfeiture funds to pay for gun repairs at Lou’s Police Distributors.

Stoddard said that the police department broke Florida rules of use, because the purchase was an operating expense and it was not part of an “extraordinary” program.

Meanwhile, the chief’s eldest son, Christopher Martinez de Castro, is the new vice president of international sales at Lou’s Police Distributors, which has been a South Miami supplier for about two years, has contracts with many departments in Miami-Dade County and also sells weapons and tactical equipment in Central and South America.

“It’s an entirely different department. Where the city will piggyback on a bigger contract to get a better deal, I work with clients from around the world,” the chief’s son said. “I have nothing to do with sales to South Miami – absolutely nothing. It is just being brought up because they [commissioners] want to attack him.”

Stoddard and his supporters have been poring over public records related to the chief’s use of public funds. Most recently, Stoddard threatened to file a lawsuit against the city, after Maj. Ana Baixauli refused to release records related to ongoing criminal investigations, which are exempt from the state’s public records law.

Commissioners have accused the chief of abusing his position to target those who oppose him, after two commissioners’ friends were arrested — including Commissioner Bob Welsh’s friend who was a homeless Canadian undocumented migrant with a criminal record.

Commissioner Walter Harris said Martinez de Castro has continued to show a special interest in cases involving politicians’ friends and family. The chief has said that his officers have only been doing their job when the politicians’ friends and family have broken the law, because “any special treatment” would mean breaking the law.

On Jan. 5, Harris’ wife, Eda Sagi Harris, who has been active in South Miami politics for years, damaged a parked silver Honda Odyssey while backing out of a parking space at the Dadeland Station Mall garage in Southeast Miami-Dade. She was driving the commissioner’s blue Toyota Corolla and told police that she “scratched” the car but left the scene, because she didn’t “hit it.”

Several cars from Miami-Dade police and South Miami police showed up at her home, after surveillance video identified her. Miami-Dade police cited her for “leaving the scene of an accident,” which is a misdemeanor. The police reports referred to the incident as a hit-and-run and estimated the “minor” damage at $500.

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RIM faces its day of reckoning with BlackBerry 10 launch

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The innovative line of BlackBerry smartphones that Research In Motion Ltd will formally unveil on Wednesday has already succeeded on one crucial count – getting RIM back in the conversation.

The new BlackBerry 10 has created a buzz among technology watchers and financial analysts, thanks to nifty features that may set it apart in an overcrowded smartphone market. RIM stock has almost tripled over the past four months on hopes the devices can restore RIM to sustained prosperity.

Reviewers like the browser speed and the intuitive keyboard on RIM’s new touchscreen. A feature called BlackBerry Balance, which keeps corporate and personal data separate, could help RIM rebuild its traditional base of big business customers.

It’s a welcome start for RIM, the smartphone pioneer that has teetered on the brink of irrelevance. But success will come only if consumer and business customers embrace the new technology in the weeks and months after CEO Thorsten Heins takes the wraps off the phone at a glitzy New York launch.

RIM is gambling its survival on the much-delayed BlackBerry 10, hoping to claw its way back into an industry now dominated by Apple Inc’s iPhone and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd’s Galaxy.

The timing may be just right. The new phone hits the market just as the iPhone’s remarkable run is showing some signs of slowing.

“I really do believe that the consumer market as a whole is ready for something new,” said Kevin Burden, head of mobility at Strategy Analytics, an industry consulting firm.

“I have to believe that there is some level of user fatigue that plays into the longevity of some of these platforms,” he added, referring to Google Inc’s Android and Apple’s iOS, which are both more than five years old. “RIM is probably timing it right.”

U.S. BATTLEGROUND

To be sure, RIM shares are about 90 percent below a 2008 peak near $ 150 a share and the company still has a tough fight ahead. It may take investors some time to determine whether RIM’s big gamble on an untested technology has paid off.

RIM’s market share collapsed in the three years ahead of the launch. Strategy Analytics data shows RIM’s global share of the smartphone market was about 3.4 percent in the fourth quarter, down from around 20 percent just three years ago.

While RIM has done well in developing markets, it has hemorrhaged customers in the United States, a market that sets technology trends. RIM’s fourth-quarter North American market share fell to 2 percent from more than 40 percent three years ago.

Acknowledging that it is crucial to win back U.S. customers, RIM will hold its main BlackBerry 10 launch in New York, although there are simultaneous events in six cities across the globe.

Underscoring the point, RIM is splurging on a costly Super Bowl ad to tout its new devices and attempt to brighten its faded image in the U.S. market.

BIG QUESTIONS

Over 150 carriers already have tested the new devices and RIM has said the launch will be the largest ever global rollout of a new platform.

The two big questions the market expects RIM to answer on Wednesday are when the phones – a full touch-screen device and one with a traditional physical keyboard – will hit store shelves, and how much they will cost.

The company is expected to unveil specifics on pricing and availability in different regions at the launch.

“The Street is expecting mid-February for a launch. Anything earlier than that is a positive, anything later will be viewed as negative,” said RBC Dominion Securities analyst Paul Treiber.

That said, there are few mysteries to be cleared up on Wednesday. Leaked photos and specifications of the devices have been splashed across the tech world.

“We’ve had the beta devices for a few weeks and in terms of the devices, they are right up there with the competition,” said Andy Ambrozic, head of IT Infrastructure at Ricoh Canada. “The Balance feature is crucial for corporations that are becoming increasingly concerned about data security.”

Scotiabank analyst Gus Papageorgiou feels RIM has a good chance of a comeback. He says the new BB10 operating system outpaces Apple’s iOS platform and Google’s market-leading Android system in every category except app selection and content.

“There is, we believe, huge potential for the platform and devices to bring people back to BlackBerry or draw entirely new users into the platform,” said Papageorgiou, who has a “sector outperform” rating on the stock.

BlackBerry 10 will not be able to compete on the number of apps, but RIM says its operating system will have the largest application library for any new platform at launch, with more than 70,000 apps available.

It has already gathered big-name music and video partners for its BlackBerry 10 storefront, including Walt Disney Studios and Sony Pictures, Universal Music and Warner Music Group.

Wireless carriers already report strong demand for the new devices. Rogers Communications Inc, Canada’s top wireless carrier and the first globally to take pre-orders for the new devices, said orders are already in the thousands.

“Our customers are excited,” said John Boynton, Rogers’ head of marketing, adding that some users are holding off on upgrades in anticipation of the BB10 launch.

(Additional reporting by Alastair Sharp and Allison Martell in Toronto; Editing by Frank McGurty, Janet Guttsman and Andre Grenon)

Gadgets News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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EXCLUSIVE: Dr. Phil on the Manti Hoax Perpetrator

ET sat down exclusively with Dr. Phil to discuss his interview with Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, the mastermind behind the Manti Te'o dating hoax.

RELATED: Te'o Breaks His Silence About 'Fake' Girlfriend

Dr. Phil believes that for Tuiasosopo, "This was a deep, romantic connection that was two-way between Ronaiah and Manti and between Manti and Ronaiah with the understanding that Manti did not know this was a man."

For more, tune in to ET tonight. Check your local listings.

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Long Island huband and wife in murder-suicide; man was upset about her social life & killed her

A Long Island man upset about his lawyer wife’s new social life after she lost weight fatally shot her in their bedroom yesterday — then turned the gun on himself, family members said.

Police identified the Elmont couple as Karen Rodgers Dennis, 46 – a mother of three grown children -- and her husband, Audley Dennis, 58, who worked in shipping.

“Basically, she was really enjoying her life at the time and it didn’t sit too pretty with him,” said Karen’s brother, Ken Rodgers. “She was going out with the girls and friends.”

Neighbors said the pair was often heard arguing -- and suspected the reason was Karen’s stunning new figure.

“Maybe there was jealousy. She looked great. She was going out a lot,” said neighbor Simone Dolabaille, 35.

She did not have words as kind for Audley, whom she called “generally unpleasant.”

“He would kick stuff into my driveway. He would never say good morning or goodnight,” Dolabaille said.

Ken Rogers said his sister wasn’t cheating on her husband.

“It was mostly girls nights out,” he said. “Maybe he saw his world just breaking up in front of him and he couldn’t take it.”

Nassau County Det. Sgt. James Skopek said Karen was found shot several times in the upper torso in her bedroom. Audley was found dead of a shotgun blast to the chest.

“They had their altercations. They would argue and yell, have outbursts. They would just be cursing. They argued about money. It would turn into something stupid about stuff for the house, groceries,” said 19-yr-old Dejon Nemorin, who is pals with Aidan – one of the couple’s sons.

They have three children: Aidan, 16, Aaron, 19 and Maya, 21. The 19-year-old son attends Villanova on a soccer scholarship an the 21-year-old goes to Williams College.

Police said they had been called to the home for domestic violence issues over the years, but said the most recent call was five years ago.

“We don’t know what provoked it,” Skopek said of the shooting.

On her Facebook page, Karen, an attorney, can be seen flaunting her new figure and received several encouraging compliments about her recent weight loss.

"You go girl!!" posted Sonya Rogers-Blyden.

"You look great. Keep up the good work. I am working myself also. I lost 49 lbs in in months, dropped 4 dress size, working on 5. God Bless, elaine," wrote Elaine A Johnson.

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Jackson Health System board approves union deal by 4-2 vote

After a testy discussion, the board of the Jackson Health System approved by a vote of 4-2 a global agreement intended to resolve several major tensions between management and SEIU Local 1991.

The deal now goes to the Miami-Dade Board of County of Commissioners for final approval.

The agreement, reached earlier this month, means management will stop exploring outsourcing physician and some other services in the Jackson Memorial adult ER., but might still explore getting outsiders to provide pediatric services at Jackson Memorial as well as all ER services at Jackson North and South.

Other parts of the agreement involved Jackson nurses’ shift schedules and leave time. Some nurses who had been reduced to part-time will get their full-time status back.

At its Monday board meeting, Chair Marcos Lapciuc called the deal “fair and balanced” that resolved many problems, including formal union grievances and a federal lawsuit filed by SEIU.

“I’m really troubled,” said board member Michael Bileca, a healthcare executive and a Republican legislator. He said he wished that concessions to the union were based on Jackson’s performance. He’s troubled that the system still has only 12 days of cash on hand and “pent-up capital demands.”

Bileca feared that a feeling is “starting to creep in ... [that] we have arrived, we can revisit things, we can take our foot off the gas.”

Stephen Nuell, a board member and attorney, said he was concerned about some legal aspects of the settlement. He and Bileca voted no.

Lapciuc, Joaquin del Cueto, Darryl Sharpton and Mojdeh L. Khaghan voted yes.

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Fleeing purse-snatching suspect crashes, dies in Hollywood intersection

A suspect in a purse-snatching died Monday when he crashed his getaway car into several vehicles as he fled from police.

The suspect, whose name has not been released, died on the scene, his car mangled in the violent crash.

“At the time of the accident, the suspect was fleeing police,’’ said Hollywood Sgt. Lester “Gene” Cochenour. It’s unclear how fast the suspect or the officers were traveling at the time.

The four-vehicle accident occurred at around 4 p.m. at the intersection of Taft Street and Park Road, police said.

The fleeing suspect apparently blew a red light and slammed into several cars in the intersection, flipping over a white van and sparking a vehicle fire.

The incident began on Johnson Street where police said the suspect allegedly snatched a woman’s purse, jumped in the Impala and fled with his female passenger. The purse-snatching victim was not seriously injured.

A be-on-the-look out for the Impala was issued and a police cruiser spotted the car near Interstate 95 and began following the suspect, who threw the purse and then its contents out of the window as he sped away from the police unit, Cochenour said.

At the intersection, the driver apparently took the red light and caused the violent crash.

The driver of the van became trapped and a female office had to break a rear window to pull the trapped driver out as vehicles began to smoke.

The officer suffered an arm injury and was treated at the scene.

The van driver and the suspect’s female passenger were both transported to local hospitals.

This article will be updated as more information is available.

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What the ‘Bqhatevwr’ Did Scott Brown Tweet?

What do politicians do after losing their re-election bids? Take to Twitter, of course. Former Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts has been doing just that.

Brown has been tweeting about his everyday life post-politics, posting blurbs about house chores, football, and his family, but Brown’s tweets are somewhat less refined than those tweeted by his skilled staffers when he was serving in Congress.

On his verified Twitter account on Friday morning, the former senator tweeted about seeing his daughter, Ayla perform at Pejamajo Café in Holliston.

“Yes. Get ready.” The tweet read, but without the finesse of Brown’s tweeting staff, one of his followers misunderstood the message.

“Oh we are. You have no idea how ready #MaPoli is to vote to keep you in the private sector & out of #MASen” @MattinSomerville tweeted back.

Brown responded with a series of three tweets delivered after midnight.

“Your brilliant Matt,” he first tweeted.

“Whatever,” followed.

And finally Brown tweeted, “Bqhatevwr.”

Though he deleted his tweets, “Bqhatevwr” trended on Twitter nearly as quickly as #eastwooding.

The trending typo drew both bipartisan support and mockery. Some taunted the former senator for his late night slip-up, creating Internet memes and “Bqhatevwr” quips, while others defended Brown, saying that he is just an average Joe who committed a typical Twitter faux pas.

But what most Twitter enthusiast failed to recognize what that Brown’s first “Your brilliant” tweet was grammatically incorrect, too.

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Ashton Kutcher Talks Playing Steve Jobs

Ashton Kutcher takes on the most highly anticipated role of his career in jOBS, in which he plays legendary Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. But in a new interview with ET at the film's Sundance premiere, he shares that he's confident in his portrayal of such an iconic figure.

"Yeah, I do," Kutcher says when asked if he feels good about his performance. "I feel like my performance is my portrayal of who I found Steve Jobs to be through hundreds of hours of research, and work and talking to his friends and really connecting as deeply as I could with who he is."

Pics: Love Gone Bad -- Ashton & Demi In Happier Times

Though he did admit he was actually nervous at the film's big premiere.

"I'm really, really nervous," he smiles. "This guy, I admire and is one of my heroes, and I hope people feel like I did him justice, that's all."

As for what he hopes people take away from the film, Kutcher hopes it inspires entrepreneurship, specifically amongst the younger generation.

Video: Ashton Kutcher Becomes 'JOBS'

"I think if I look across the country and I see job rates and our economy in general, the one thing that we can really do is help ourselves by raising a generation of entrepreneurs. And so I think this movie celebrates one of the greatest entrepreneurs that ever lived. And I hope that the movie actually inspires young people to take a shot -- to actually build something and to look at the world as a place that you don't live in -- but as a place that you create."

Check out the video to hear what Kutcher himself has learned from Jobs and to hear from The Book of Mormon star Josh Gad, who plays Jobs' fellow Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. JOBS, which chronicles 30 of the most defining years of Jobs' life, hits theaters April 19.

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Weiner probing possibility of political run

It looks like Anthony Weiner is testing the waters for a possible run for city comptroller this year.

At least two politically-connected individuals in Manhattan have received calls from a pollster asking about a possible match-up between the former Brooklyn Congressman and Scott Stringer, the Manhattan Borough President who is considered the heavy favorite in the race.

"It was strictly about Scott and Weiner," said one woman who took the survey on Sunday.

She said the pollster asked if she could back Weiner in light of the infamous sexting scandal that drove him from office in 2011.

When the woman said she was a Stringer supporter, the questions turned negative.

"If you knew he wanted outer borough people to pay a fee to come into Manhattan would that change your mind?" the pollster asked, according to the woman.

"If you knew that he had the support of the corrupt Brooklyn Democratic machine would that change your mind?"

The woman, a political pro, said she just laughed at the mention of the Brooklyn Democratic organization, which hasn't been a powerful machine for decades.

Weiner is sitting on a warchest of $3.9 million, raised when he was a leading contender for mayor in 2009.

Political insiders say he's been itching to get back into politics following his nationally-famous fall.

"I don't see how he beats Stringer," said one Democratic operative. "Now Public Advocate, he may have a chance. It's a weak field and he's got a lot of money."

Weiner did not return calls.

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Miami Herald Business Plan Challenge opens for entries

Entrepreneurs, please don’t let the name of our contest scare you.

As we launch our 15th annual Miami Herald Business Plan Challenge today, we are putting out our annual call for entries. But we aren’t looking for long, laboriously detailed business plans. Quite the contrary.

More and more, today’s investors in very early stage companies want to see a succinct presentation of your concept and how you plan to turn it into a success. We do, too.

If you have a business idea or an operating startup that is less than two years old, you can enter the Challenge, our annual celebration of South Florida entrepreneurship. Sponsored by the Pino Global Entrepreneurship Center at Florida International University, our contest has three tracks — a Community Track, open to all South Floridians; an FIU Track, open to students and alumni of that university; and a High School Track, co-sponsored by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship.

Your entry may be up to three pages and you may attach one additional page for a photo, rendering, diagram or spreadsheet if you wish. Think of it as a meaty executive summary. Experts in all aspects of entrepreneurship — serial entrepreneurs, executives, investors, advisors and finance specialists (see judge bios on MiamiHerald.com/challenge) — will judge your short plan. In doing so, they will be looking at your product or service’s value to the customer, market opportunity, business model, management team and your marketing and financial strategies. See the rules on page 22, which also include tips on preparing your entry.

Your entry is due by 11:59 p.m. March 11. Entries should be sent to challenge@miamiherald.com, fiuchallenge@miamiherald.com or highschoolchallenge@miamiherald.com.

Don’t worry, we’re here to help!

“Frame your business from your customer’s perspective and not yours. Rather than diving into a detailed explanation of your product or service, a more compelling way to tell your business story is to clearly share the problem that you are solving for your customers and how your business is different, better, faster, cooler, cheaper, smarter,” says Melissa Krinzman, managing director of Venture Architects and a veteran Challenge judge.

On Feb 26 at 6:30 p.m. at Miami Dade College, we’ll host a free Business Plan Bootcamp, where you can bring your working plan with you for advice from experts, including Krinzman. Find the sign-up link on MiamiHerald.com/challenge.

And each week in Business Monday and on MiamiHerald.com/challenge, we’ll be bringing you advice and answering your questions. You can post your questions on the Q&A on MiamiHerald.com/challenge or email your questions to me at ndahlberg@miamiherald.com. Follow @ndahlberg on Twitter.

The top six finalists in the Community and FIU Tracks will present their 90-second elevator pitches for our popular video contest. Last year our People’s Pick contest drew more than 18,000 votes.

On May 6, in a special section of Business Monday, we will profile the winners — the judges’ top three selections in each track plus the People’s Pick winners. Along the way, we will unveil semifinalists and finalists to keep the suspense building.

Today, though, we are looking back on the entrepreneurial journeys of our 2012 winners. Funding was a nearly universal challenge, and many faced setbacks in developing their platforms. Throughout the entry period, we’ll also look back on other winners from the past 14 years.

Show us what you’ve got. Let’s make this the best Challenge yet.

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Brush fire threatens homes in Southwest Miami-Dade

Firefighters are battling a brush fire in Southwest Miami-Dade as crews continue to keep the flames from spreading to nearby homes.

The fire broke out at 1:07 p.m. Sunday in the area of 112th Avenue and 224th Street. As of 5:09 p.m., no homes are being threatened, said fire department officials.

Streets in the area have been blocked off, according to CBS4.

While the fire department has not called for mandatory evacuations of nearby homes, several homeowners are voluntarily leaving the area. The Florida Department of Forestry said the cause of the fire is still unknown.

This story will be updated as more details become available

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Silver Linings Playbook's Road to the Oscars

ET takes an inside look at critical darling, Silver Linings Playbook, which is up for a whopping eight Oscars, and is the first film in 31 years to receive Oscar nominees in all four acting categories.

Directed by David O. Russell (The Fighter, Flirting with Disaster), Silver Linings Playbook casts Bradley as Pat Solitano, a grown man living with his mother (Jacki Weaver) and father (Robert De Niro) after losing his house, job and wife -- and spending eight months in a state mental institution on a plea bargain.

Determined to rebuild his life and reunite with his wife, Pat meets a mysterious girl named Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) who has her own set of issues. She offers to help him reconnect with his wife if he'll do something very important for her in return, and as their deal plays out, silver linings begin to appear in their lives.

Watch the video to hear Bradley Cooper, who also executive produced the film, discuss his character, and to find out the unusual way that Jennifer Lawrence auditioned for her role. Silver Linings Playbook is in theaters now.

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Schools safety agent shot in Brooklyn; he's expected to survive

An off-duty school-safety agent was shot in the chest in Brooklyn tonight, sources said.

A masked man walked up to the city worker around 5:46 p.m. as the victim sat alone in his black Infiniti at 256 East 51st St. near Clarkson Avenue in East Flatbush and blasted him once, sources said.

The wounded man was rushed to Kings County Hospital. His condition was not immediately available, but first responders said they expect him to survive.

Although school-safety agents wear uniforms similar to NYPD cops and are Police Department employees, they do not carry weapons.

kconley@nypost.com

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Miami Lakes company growing its brand of skin care products

For decades, Vivant Skin Care has formulated creams, serums, cleansers and tonics to treat such dermatological conditions as acne, aging and hyperpigmentation.

Family owned and linked to Dr. James E. Fulton, who co-developed the anti-aging formula Retin-A, the company built its reputation with medically tested therapies aimed at improving skin.

Now, like a complexion that has undergone the metamorphosis of time, Vivant is altering its manufacturing and sales structure and adding products, emerging from the economic downturn with a new plan for the future.

“Now we’re stabilized and looking forward to growth,” said Fulton’s daughter, Chief Executive, Kelly Fulton-Kendrick.

Founded in 1990, Vivant produces a line of 30 skin care products, all formulated in-house, and priced from $15 to $100. The products target both females and males, ages 13 and up.

“Our target market is people who have serious skin care problems and need solutions,” Fulton-Kendrick said. “Vitamin A is the best for affecting change in the skin.”

The clinical skin care products, packaged simply in white bottles and amber glass containers, have remained the company’s mainstay, as the business has transformed.

In mid-2011, Vivant decided to adjust its sales structure, to sell, for the first time, to online retailers like DermStore.com, SkinCareRX.com and amazon.com, as well as to make its products available on its own website, vivantskincare.com. It was a major change in course after more than 20 years of having its products sold only at spas and doctors’ offices.

“So now, we’re a mix of wholesale to skin care professionals and Internet retailers, and we’re selling directly to consumers through our own website,” Fulton-Kendrick said.

Mike Nelson, marketing manager at SkinCareRx.com, said Vivant, which it has sold since November, has “done very well for a new brand to our site,” surpassing some brands that have been on its site for over a year. He declined to provide figures.

SkinCareRX took on only 5 percent of the brands that approached it last year, he said, and had undertaken a rigorous review of Vivant.

“They have a good loyalty base and get great reviews,” Nelson said.

Along with changes in its sales system, in January 2012, Vivant moved from Medley to Miami Lakes, doubling its space to 11,000 square feet to accommodate manufacturing, which it brought in house to reduce costs. It had outsourced manufacturing to a lab in Costa Mesa, Calif., that it had previously owned and later sold.

Inside its warehouse space in a commercial business complex, a small staff handles manufacturing, shipping and packaging. All orders are taken by customer service and fulfilled onsite. A room used as an educational center allows vendors and aestheticians to learn about the products.

Martina Echeveria, international trade specialist at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Miami U.S. Export Assistance Center, who is helping Vivant get a distributor in the Dominican Republic, said she recently nominated the company for a South Florida Manufacturer of the Year award. The awards are given by the South Florida Manufacturers Association.

“Their products are good and 100 percent U.S. made,” she said.

At Vivant’s offices, a lab area is used by Dr. Fulton for research and development. He also maintains a practice at Flores Dermatology in South Miami.

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