Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011: bags and cases

Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! We're well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties surrounding the seasonal shopping experience, so we're here to help you sort out this year's tech treasures. Below is today's bevy of curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season.

Santa may be able to toss a few thousand laptops in his bright red sack with nary a scratch to be seen -- but you sure can't. You'll want to keep those goods sparkly and new for as long as possible, and that's what today's gift selections are all about - getting your tech from A to B in the safest, most stylish way possible. There's plenty of choice for transporting your goodies, ranging from the bland to the bizarre, from rucksacks to courier bags, silicone to silk -- there is literally something for everyone. Finding a one-size-fits-all solution is going to be nigh-on impossible, but we're hopeful that what we've got here will be just the ticket to re-wrap what you just unboxed.

Continue reading Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011: bags and cases

Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011: bags and cases originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/23/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-bags-and-cases/

rick perry paterno oakland raiders carson palmer al davis edmund fitzgerald vincent brown

Stock sharply lower on European woes

By msnbc.com news services

NEW YORK ? Europe's spreading debt woes and slower manufacturing in China pushed stocks sharply lower Wednesday. The Dow Jones industrial average fell about 235 points.

Traders worldwide were spooked by the poor results at an auction of German debt, which drew too few bids to sell all of the 10-year notes being offered. Germany has Europe's strongest economy, and traders have bought its debt as a safe place to store value during turbulent times.

The weak buying suggests that Europe's crisis might be infecting strong nations that are crucial to keeping the euro currency afloat. Germany bears much of the burden of bailing out weaker neighbors such as Greece and Portugal.

Borrowing costs for Italy and Spain rose from levels that already were considered dangerously high. Europe lacks the resources to bail out those countries, which have its third- and fourth-biggest economies.

According to preliminary calculations, the Dow fell 234.64 points, or?2.05 percent, to 11,258.08. The Dow has now given back more than half of its big October rally. It jumped 9.5 percent last month, the biggest gain since 2002.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 26.19 points, or 2.20 percent, to 1,161.85. All 10 industry groups fell sharply, led by energy companies, materials makers and banks. The index is headed for its sixth straight decline, the longest losing streak since August.

The Nasdaq composite index lost 61.20, or 2.43 percent, to 2,460.08.

The dollar rose sharply against the euro as investors moved money into assets considered to be relatively safe. The euro fell below $1.34, from $1.35 late Tuesday.

Fears about Europe also dragged U.S. bank stocks lower. Investors were unnerved by the Federal Reserve's announcement late Tuesday of a fresh round of stress tests of the biggest banks, said Peter Tchir, who runs the hedge fund TF Market Advisors.

The Fed said 31 banks will be tested to see how they would withstand a recession that would push unemployment above 13 percent by early 2013. The jobless rate now stands at about 9 percent.

The announcement undermined weeks of market-boosting talk by Fed officials, Tchir said. The stress tests, apparently related to fears about European exposure, exposed a darker view of the market held by some central bank officials, he said.

"They went ahead and put weakness into the market for the first time" in months, Tchir said. "No one was that afraid, and now all of a sudden, they're saying 'Our own Fed is worried.' That really spooked people."

Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc. and Morgan Stanley each lost between 3.5 percent and 4 percent. JPMorgan Chase & Co. declined 2.9 percent.

Asian markets fell earlier after a survey showed that manufacturing appears to be slowing in China. A day earlier, the U.S. government had lowered its estimate of third-quarter economic growth.

Relatively few shares were traded as many U.S. market participants got an early start on Thursday's Thanksgiving holiday. U.S. markets will be closed on Thursday and will have shortened hours on Friday.

In corporate news, Deere & Co. rose 3.6 percent after the company reported net income growth of 46 percent. Deere credited strong sales of farm equipment.

Groupon Inc. plunged 14 percent to $17.22, trading below its initial price of $20 for the first time. The online deals company went public less than three weeks ago.

Companies that make raw materials were hurt by signals of slower growth in China and worries that Europe might fall into recession. Aluminum maker Alcoa Inc. declined 3.9 percent. It switched off with Bank of America as the biggest loser among the Dow's 30 components. United States Steel Corp. dropped 5.8 percent.

Boston Scientific Inc. rose 1.3 percent after the government approved use of a drug-coated stent for patients with clogged arteries. The stent's approval came earlier than analysts expected.

The U.S. government released a mixed batch of economic reports before the market opened. Concerns about developments overseas appeared to overshadow a handful of hopeful signals.

Slightly more people applied for unemployment benefits last week, a sign that layoffs continue. However, the broader trend is positive. The four-week average fell for the eighth time in nine weeks.

Consumer spending grew by the least in four months. Yet incomes rose a bit more than expected. Orders for long-lasting manufactured products fell for a second month and business investment dropped off. But without commercial aircraft orders, a volatile category, orders actually increased.

Discussing whether the European debt crisis is at a turning point or a breaking point, with Michael Woolfolk, BNY Mellon, and CNBC's Steve Liesman.

?

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/23/8979829-stock-sharply-lower-on-european-woes

aj burnett jason wu jason wu the fall the fall kellen winslow ben folds

LeapFrog Tag Reading System

The LeapFrog Tag Reading System ($39.99 list) is a halfway point between an interactive website and a physical book. The Tag Reader uses physical books with a pen-like stylus to help kids read stories, solve puzzles, and sound out words that they?re learning to read. The stylus is actually an optical pen with a built-in speaker to give your child audible feedback during reading and play sessions. It?s pretty neat, but there are a couple drawbacks to its use.

The Tag Reader stylus fits easily in a child or adult hand, and works even if you don?t hold it perfectly straight. However, there definitely is a ?more correct? way to hold it that's both more ergonomic and lets the internal sensor see what you?re pointing at more accurately. This is because the stylus body is slightly curved, and the sensor at the tip of the stylus works best when the pointed end is above the word you want to point at. Once you hold it right, the stylus responds quickly and accurately. It has obviously been playtested with kids, since the Tag Reader was able to keep up with my four-year-old son?s rapid tapping on several words in succession. Even faster than many well designed interactive websites, the Tag Reader reacted to split-second shifts from one word to another. It can read words at New York City speech speeds or the more leisurely pace of a toddler trying to read a passage for the first time. This is one of its strengths, as your child can go as fast or as slow as he wants.

The Tag Reader I reviewed came with a book with sample pages from several titles, including pages featuring Disney characters, other licensed characters like Scooby Doo, and Leapfrog?s mascot Little Leap. The sample book can give you an idea of how the system works for your child, but to get the full potential you?ll need to buy the full priced books. Books on learning to read, write, and use basic mathematics are supplemented by maps that teach geography, science, and social studies. The books are aimed at the 4-to-8-year-old crowd, including prep for kindergarten. The presentation and knowledge were interesting enough to temporarily transfix my 12-year-old daughter as well, particularly the geography pages. The Tag Reader holds 32MB of data, enough for about a dozen or so books and activities. You?ll need to connect the Tag Reader to your PC or Mac to download the audio to the stylus? internal memory via a USB cable. All of the audio is accessible online, though you won?t be able to hear the audio unless you buy the corresponding physical book. It?s an interesting take on the old handle and razor blades model, but it does work. There are over 40 titles and map sets currently available for purchase.

Are there any drawbacks aside from the need to download audio? Well, the PC and Mac conduit programs are free, but they require the use of Adobe Flash, which can be temperamental on some systems. There?s also the animation factor: When you use a learning website or software on a computer, that learning experience is likely to be embellished with sound effects and animation. You?ll get the sound effects with the Tag Reader, but you won?t get the animation. The audio is certainly more effective than simply reading a book, but it can?t compete for attention like an animated website or console game. Make sure you?re letting your child use Tag in a room away from the TV or an easily accessible computer.

The Leapfrog Tag Reading System is a well designed, well supported way for your child to learn how to read at his or her own pace. It takes the constant adult supervision out of the equation, so the child can repeat a single word or audio sequence as many times as is necessary (to him or her). This is a good thing when your child?s favorite character is based on a goofy cartoon. Or named Walter the Farting Dog.

More Toy Reviews:
??? VTech Kidizoom Camera

??? LeapFrog Tag Reading System
??? Lite Sprites Prisma and Lite Wand
??? Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Apptivity Case
??? VTech V.Reader Interactive E-Reading System
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/N2AW8f5hj6E/0,2817,2396772,00.asp

selena daylight savings bobolink bobolink breeders cup hamilton park brian wilson

Google's iOS search app gets a major overhaul, brings instant goodies to iPad users

Dismayed that Google's previous iOS tablet app was merely a thin wrapper around a glorified web view? That duress ends today, as the company's just released a significant overhaul to its mobile search app -- one that, frankly, makes it worthy of your home screen. Headlining the release is the ability to view search results in a slidable tab, enabling you to quickly oscillate between search results and those you've tapped. Also present are instant searches, which pre-load results as you type, and previews which visually display findings in a spiffy carousel. If you're already sold, take it for a spin at the source links below, but before you go, peep the changelog past the break.

Continue reading Google's iOS search app gets a major overhaul, brings instant goodies to iPad users

Google's iOS search app gets a major overhaul, brings instant goodies to iPad users originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink AllThingsD  |  sourceGoogle Mobile Blog, Google Search (App Store)  | Email this | Comments


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/VybLXXzkz-g/

coptic breaking bad season finale breaking bad season finale jets patriots breaking bad breaking bad atlanta falcons

List of winners at the American Music Awards (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Complete list of winners at Sunday's 39th annual American Music Awards, presented at the Nokia Theatre:

? Adult Contemporary Artist: Adele

? Alternative Rock Artist: Foo Fighters

? Contemporary Inspirational Artist: Casting Crowns

? Country Female Artist: Taylor Swift

? Country Male Artist: Blake Shelton

? Country Band, Duo or Group: Lady Antebellum

? Country Album: Taylor Swift, "Speak Now"

? Latin Music Artist: Jennifer Lopez

? Pop/Rock Female Artist: Adele

? Pop/Rock Male Artist: Bruno Mars

? Pop/Rock Band, Duo or Group: Maroon 5

? Pop/Rock Album: Adele, "21"

? Rap/Hip-Hop Artist: Nicki Minaj

? Rap/Hip-Hop Album: Nicki Minaj, "Pink Friday"

? Soul/R&B Female Artist: Beyonce

? Soul/R&B Male Artist: Usher

? Soul/R&B Album: Rihanna, "Loud."

? Artist of the Year: Taylor Swift

? New Artist of the Year: Hot Chelle Rae

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111121/ap_en_ot/us_american_music_awards_list

growing pains cupertino htc flyer review westboro stevejobs stevejobs steve jobs commencement speech

Protesters reject concessions by Egypt's military (AP)

CAIRO ? Egypt's military ruler promised Tuesday to speed up a presidential election to the first half of 2012 and said the armed forces were prepared to hold a referendum on immediately shifting power to civilians ? concessions swiftly rejected by tens of thousands of protesters in Tahrir Square, who chanted, "Leave! Leave!"

The latest standoff plunged the country deeper into crisis less than a week before parliamentary elections, the first since the ouster nine months ago of longtime authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak.

In a televised address to the nation, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi rejected all criticism of the military's handling of the transitional period and sought to cast himself and the generals on the military council he heads as the nation's foremost patriots. Significantly, he made no mention of the throngs of protesters gathered in Tahrir Square to demand that he step down immediately in favor of an interim civilian council.

Tantawi spoke as protesters fought army soldiers and police for a fourth day in streets leading to the iconic square that was the birthplace of Egypt's uprising, particularly near the heavily fortified Interior Ministry, which is in charge of police. Nearly 30 people have been killed in the violence, mostly in Cairo, and at least 2,000 have been wounded.

"Our demands are clear," said Khaled El-Sayed, a protester from the Youth Revolution Coalition and a candidate in the Nov. 28 parliamentary election. "We want the military council to step down and hand over authority to a national salvation government with full authority."

The military previously floated the end of next year or early 2013 as the likely dates for the presidential election, which is widely being seen as the last stop in the process of transferring power. But Tantawi did not mention a specific date for the vote or when the military would return to its barracks.

Furthermore, his offer for the military to step down immediately if the people so wished in a referendum was vague at best, but it also mirrored the generals' aversion to the youth groups that engineered the 18-day uprising that ousted Mubarak and which are again behind the massive, anti-military protest in Tahrir Square.

His referendum proposal suggests that Tantawi has no faith that the crowds in the streets of Cairo and other cities represent of the nation's will.

The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's strongest and best organized group, is not taking part in the ongoing protests in a move that is widely interpreted to be a reflection of its desire not to do anything that could derail a parliamentary election it is sure to dominate.

The Brotherhood and the military have long been suspected of having a secret rapport although both sides vehemently deny it. If a referendum is held, the Brotherhood has the resources to influence the balloting by its ability to mobilize supporters and, for the right price, portray a vote favorable to the military as the duty of Muslims.

Belal Fadl, a prominent columnist who has grown increasingly critical of the military after initially supporting it, said the solution for Egypt is to hold a presidential election immediately.

"The referendum proposed by the field marshal would have worked if there was no revolution, and no hundreds of thousands in the streets, and tens of dead and thousands of wounded. Fear God for the sake of Egypt," he wrote on his Twitter account. "I had hoped Tantawi's speech would be reconciliatory and consensual. But he chose a defiant speech."

Tantawi's address also bore a striking resemblance to Mubarak's televised speeches during the uprising, when the ousted leader made one concession after another ? only to be rejected by protesters as too little, too late. Mubarak said he made many sacrifices for Egypt, that he never cherished power and that he was hurt by the criticism from demonstrators.

On Tuesday, Tantawi rejected what he called attempts to taint the reputation of the armed forces.

"We have no aspiration to rule. ... The armed forces reject totally these attempts that target the military," a grim-looking Tantawi said.

The former defense minister under Mubarak said the criticism of the military council was meant to weaken the armed forces and "bring down the Egyptian state."

"The armed forces, represented by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, has no desire to rule and puts the country's interests above all," he said. "It is ready to hand over responsibility immediately and return to its original duty of defending the country if the people want that, and through a public referendum if it is necessary."

Repeating a charge often made by fellow generals on the military council, Tantawi accused "forces working in the dark" of inciting sedition and driving a wedge between the people and the armed forces.

As with Mubarak, Tantawi's words fell on deaf ears in Tahrir Square.

"We are getting deja vu of Mubarak. It was a terrible speech and it means nothing. We aren't leaving until the military council steps down," said protester Nevine Abu Gheit, 29.

Referring to Tantawi, the crowd chanted: "We are not leaving. He leaves."

"The people want to bring down the field marshal," they shouted in scenes starkly familiar to the days in January and February that led to Mubarak's ouster.

"What does he exactly mean by a referendum?" asked one protester, 50-year-old lawyer Hossam Mohsen. "We have already held a referendum by being here in the square. Egypt is right here."

As Tantawi spoke, protesters and police continued their street battles in the longest uninterrupted spate of violence since the uprising. Tantawi said he and the military council regretted the loss of life, but he fell short of offering an apology for the part the army and the police played in the clashes.

Rights groups said the excessive use of force by the security forces was responsible for the high number of dead and wounded.

"We condemn the excessive force used by police," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in Washington. "We strongly urge the Egyptian government to exercise maximum restraint, discipline its forces and protect the universal rights of all Egyptians to peacefully express themselves."

The massive crowd in the square did not begin to thin out until late Tuesday night. Unlike similar gatherings in January, there were no podiums or speakers but rather a large number of people chanting slogans and milling around the massive plaza waving Egypt's red, white and black flag.

A stuffed military uniform was hung from a central light pole with a cardboard sign on its neck saying "Execute the field marshal." People cheered when the effigy went up and state TV showed some hitting it with sticks.

The protesters formed a corridor in the middle of the crowds with a human chain, allowing easy access to motorcycles and ambulances ferrying the wounded to several nearby field hospitals.

The latest unrest began Saturday when security forces violently evicted a few hundred protesters who had camped in Tahrir. The perceived use of excessive force angered activists, who began to flock to the scene. A joint army and police attempt to clear the square failed Sunday evening, leaving protesters more determined to dig in.

The clashes played out amid charges that the military was trying to cling to power even after the election of new parliament and president. The military recently proposed that a "guardianship" role for itself be enshrined in the next constitution and that it would enjoy immunity from any civilian oversight.

Further confusing the political situation, the military-backed civilian government on Monday submitted a mass resignation in response to the turmoil. Tantawi said he has accepted the resignation.

The political uncertainty and prospect of continued violence dealt a punishing blow to an already battered economy. Egypt's benchmark index plunged more than 5 percent, the third straight day of declines. Banks closed early and many workplaces sent employees home early for fear of deteriorating security.

A youth group that played a key role in the anti-Mubarak uprising said it decided to stay in the square until the military handed over power to a civilian presidential council. The April 6 group said that besides a representative of the military, the council should include pro-reform leader and Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei.

"The military council has failed to manage the transitional period, and the generals' hands are tainted by the blood of the nation's youth and have been collaborating with the counterrevolution," the group said in a statement.

Aboul-Ela Madi and Mohammed Selim el-Awa, two politicians who attended a five-hour crisis meeting Tuesday with the military rulers, said the generals wanted to hand over power to a civilian government by July 1 and intended to replace Prime Minister Essam Sharaf's civilian Cabinet with a "national salvation" government.

He and el-Awa were among 12 political party representatives and presidential hopefuls who met with the council. However, none of the youthful, liberal groups behind the uprising attended. ElBaradei also was absent.

Madi and el-Awa also said the military agreed to release all protesters detained since Saturday and to put on trial any police and army officers responsible for the deaths of demonstrators.

The Interior Ministry said protesters were continuing to try to storm its headquarters. It said some protesters climbed over buildings near the ministry and lobbed firebombs into the compound. Others, it said, set fire to cars outside the ministry and opened fire on policemen, wounding five.

The ministry denied allegations that police were using live ammunition against the protesters.

In the northern Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, thousands of protesters fought intense battles with security forces, who fired tear gas and rubber bullets. The protesters hurled stones and firebombs.

In Assiut in the south, armed men attacked a police station and took weapons and ammunition. Thousands of demonstrators clashed with security forces. Protesters hurled stones and firebombs at the security forces, who responded with tear gas that caused several people to collapse.

___

Associated Press reporters Sarah El Deeb, Maggie Michael, Ben Hubbard and Aya Batrawy contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111122/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_egypt

pumpkin carvings mcrib pumpkin seeds mark herzlich malawi malawi angela davis