HP Folio 13

One's too steep and one's too shallow, and they're the Achilles' heels of ultrabooks. What are they? Prices and keyboards, respectively, and HP goes a long way toward fixing them with its entry in the super-slim laptop sweepstakes, the HP Folio 13?$899.99 with Windows 7 Home Premium or $1,048.99 as tested with Windows 7 Professional, and equipped with one of the nicest keyboards in the class.

The HP Folio 13 is nice in other ways, too, from its Ethernet port to its memory card slot. It's a few ounces heavier and a few ticks of the benchmark stopwatch slower than some competitors, but the more you use it the less you'll care about that: Ultrabooks are about convenience and productivity, and the Folio 13 delivers so much of both that it squeaks past the Asus Zenbook UX31-RSL8 ($1,049 list, 4 stars) to become our new Editors' Choice in the category.

At $899.99 with Win 7 Home Premium, the Folio is the second most affordable ultrabook with a true solid-state drive instead of a spinning hard drive with solid-state booster like the Acer Aspire S3 ($899.99 direct, 3.5 stars). The most affordable, the Toshiba Portege Z835-P330 ($799.99 at Best Buy, 3.5 stars), makes do with a tepid Intel Core i3 processor versus the HP's perkier Core i5, as well as a thinner, more flex-prone screen and keyboard. The difference is worth the $100, even if the upgrade to Win 7 Professional is pricey at $149 (blame Microsoft, not HP).

Design
Though not carved out of an aluminum unibody like the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (Thunderbolt) ($1,299 direct, 4 stars) or Lenovo IdeaPad U300s ($1,495 direct, 4 stars), the Folio 13 makes good use of the metal, combining a brushed aluminum lid and palm rest with a grippable, soft-touch plastic bottom. It offers a mix of matte and glossy finishes, with a non-reflective bezel around the mirror-finish display and a glossy tray beneath the matte keys.

Between the aluminum construction and a large-for-the-category six-cell battery, the HP, while still quite light, is heavy for an ultrabook?3.25 pounds on PC Labs' scale, compared to about 2.9 pounds for most rivals and 2.5 pounds for the Toshiba Z835-P330. The difference is barely noticeable; you can still slip the 8.7 by 12.5 by 0.7-inch Folio into your briefcase and almost forget it's there. Meanwhile, the system is flex-, wiggle-, and wobble-free, whether you're grasping the screen by the corners or typing with it in your lap?something you can't say for many ultrabooks.

The 13.3-inch display offers the same 1,366 by 768 resolution as most ultrabooks (trailing the 1,440 by 900 of the MacBook Air and 1,600 by 900 of the Asus UX31). It's nicely sharp and passably bright if you keep the backlight cranked up to its top couple of settings, though white backgrounds aren't washday-miracle white and colors don't pop as they do on some competitive screens.

If the screen is only fair to good, however, the keyboard is very good to excellent, as long as you don't mind having Home, End, PgUp, and PgDn doubled up on the cursor arrows instead of given their own keys (and one quirk: full-sized left and right arrows bracketing half-sized up and down keys). Travel-wise, ultrabook keyboards are by definition shallower than those of thicker laptops, but the HP's soft-touch keys manage to provide good tactile response without the did-that-keystroke-register uncertainty of some rivals.

The keyboard is backlit, too (the F5 key toggles the handy backlight), like the Toshiba's and Apple's and unlike the Asus', and doesn't oblige you to press a Fn key to access the functions such as screen brightness and audio and media controls assigned to F1 through F10. It's accompanied by a touchpad whose silky-smooth gliding and tapping contrasts with fairly stiff mouse buttons.

Features
Deskbound users will look in vain for a Kensington lock slot, but they'll find a full-sized Gigabit Ethernet port as well as Wi-Fi for connecting to office networks plus Bluetooth for sharing data with smartphones. The Wi-Fi worked fine for Web surfing and Windows Update sessions. There are also one USB 2.0, one USB 3.0, and HDMI ports, as well as a headphone/microphone jack and the SD/MMC card slot that's missing from the Lenovo U300s and Dell Inspiron 13. The only thing missing is a VGA port for connecting older monitors and projectors, but HP sells an HDMI-to-VGA adapter for $40.

Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) is another presentation option, allowing you to beam the Folio's video and audio to an HDTV equipped with an aftermarket adapter, like the $99 Netgear Push2TV. The ultrabook's own audio is easily able to fill a room, with hearty, not-too-tinny sound through its above-the-keyboard speakers?which are worth turning up, because the Folio 13's cooling fan makes a faintly audible whir at most times.

Like all 13.3-inch ultrabooks, the Folio 13 lacks an optical drive; the 128GB Samsung solid-state drive is divided into a 97GB C: and 18GB D: or system recovery partition. Preloaded software, despite the Windows 7 Professional OS, skews toward the consumer side with links to movie and music sites and the WildTangent games that are the very definition of bloatware, though you'll also find Evernote, a 60-day trial of Norton Internet Security, and Microsoft Office Starter 2010. HP backs the Folio 13 with a one-year parts-and-labor warranty.

Performance
The Folio 13 is built around Intel's dual-core, four-thread Core i5-2467M "Sandy Bridge" processor, the same chip found in the Acer S3, with 4GB of DDR3 memory. Thanks in part to its pure SSD instead of hybrid storage solution, the Folio 13 soundly beat the Acer S3 in the PCMark 7 all-around performance benchmark test, scoring 3,146 to 1,899, although it in turn trailed the Asus Zenbook UX31's score of 3,531. The Folio managed cold start and resume-from-sleep times of 26 seconds and 3 seconds, respectively, in stopwatch tests.

The ultrabook posted competitive, if not head-of-the-class, numbers in our Handbrake video encoding (2 minutes 30 seconds) and Photoshop CS5 image manipulation (5 minutes 27 seconds) tests?easily besting the Core i3-powered Toshiba Z835-P330 (3:29 and 8:17, respectively), if a step behind the Core i5-based Asus UX31 and 13-inch Apple MacBook Air. The only area where it raised the white flag was in gaming graphics, posting an unplayable 14.3 frames per second in Lost Planet 2 and an unbearable 6.6 fps in Crysis. The MacBook Air and Core i7-powered Toshiba Portege Z830-S8302 led the field here with 21.2 and 19.7 fps, respectively, but even the Core i3 Toshiba Z835-P330 did better than the Folio 13 with 16.2 and 14.8 fps, respectively, on the gaming tests.

HP touts the Folio 13 as having a better than nine-hour battery life (and indeed, its 59Wh battery is the main reason for its slightly-excessive-compared-to-comrades weight). So we were disappointed when our first MobileMark 2007 run recorded a battery life of just over six hours. We tested the laptop two more times after a system restore, and unplugged runtime jumped to an average of 7 hours 33 minutes?short of HP's claim but better than the MacBook Air's 5:46 and virtually tying the Toshiba Z835-P330's ultrabook score of 7:35.

Actually, whether the HP Folio 13 is the longest-lasting ultrabook on the market is almost irrelevant. It isn't the thinnest or lightest or fastest. What it is, is one of the most immaculate designs we've seen, with clever attention to small details as well as thoughtful attention paid to big issues like connectivity and typing comfort. We could still wish for a brighter screen, but the Folio 13 deserves to become our new Editors' Choice for ultrabooks.

BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS:

COMPARISON TABLE:
Compare the HP Folio 13 with several other laptops side by side.

More laptop reviews:
??? HP Folio 13
??? Belkin ScreenCast
??? Acer Aspire TimelineX 5830TG-6614
??? Toshiba Portege Z830-S8302
??? HP Pavilion dm1-3010nr (Verizon)
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Video: Try these tasty, skinny Super Bowl snacks

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Islam critic's invite to West Point draws protest (AP)

WEST POINT, N.Y. ? A retired U.S. general who made comments denigrating Islam has been invited to speak to cadets at the U.S. Military Academy during a national prayer breakfast next month.

The Times Herald-Record of Middletown reports ( http://bit.ly/wyhEis) that Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin is among the speakers scheduled to attend the Feb. 8 event at West Point. Military academy officials say Boykin will speak to a gathering of Christian, Jewish and Muslim cadets.

Boykin served as an intelligence official during President George W. Bush's administration. In 2003, he made statements portraying the fight against terrorism as a Christian fight against Satan and suggesting that Muslims worship idols.

Boykin retired in 2007.

VoteVets.org, whose supporters include veterans and an Islamic group, has asked West Point's superintendent to drop Boykin from the prayer breakfast.

___

Information from: The Times Herald-Record, http://www.th-record.com

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/religion/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_re_us/us_west_point_speaker_islam

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Sony grows Cyber-shot family by three with DSC-WX50 and WX70, ultra-thin TX200V

Far more svelte than its lengthy product name, the Cyber-shot DSC-TX200V is Sony's new point-and-shoot flagship, packing an 18.2 megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor, 26mm 5x optical zoom lens, 1080/60p video capture and a 3.3-inch Xtra Fine TruBlack OLED touchscreen. Sony claims that the cam's BIONZ processor can help it capture stills and video with extremely low noise, and an improved focusing system can deliver speeds of about 0.13 seconds in daylight and 0.25 seconds in lower-light conditions. Its reflective durable housing enables waterproof shooting down to 16 feet, and can protect the camera from dust and freezing temperatures of 14 degrees Fahrenheit.

If price is more important to you than an ultra-thin design and top-of-the-line spec list, then the DSC-WX70 and DSC-WX50 might be of interest. Both cameras include 16.2 megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensors, 25mm 5x optical zoom lenses, 12 megapixel stills during video capture, and 1080/60i HD shooting. There are nine "Picture Effects" options, adopted from the NEX series and also found on the TX200V. Both the WX50 and WX70 have a nearly identical list of features, though the first model includes a 2.7-inch display, compared to a 3-inch touchscreen on the WX70. All three cameras are expected to ship in March in a variety of colors. The TX200V will be available in silver, red and violet finishes with a retail price of $500, while the WX70 and WX50 will run you $230 and $200, respectively. Hit up the press release just past the break for the full list of colors and specs.

Gallery: Sony Cybershot TX200V, WX50 and WX70 eyes-on

Gallery: Sony Cybershot TX200V, WX50 and WX70

Continue reading Sony grows Cyber-shot family by three with DSC-WX50 and WX70, ultra-thin TX200V

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Soldiers, rebels killed in battle for Damascus suburbs

The crisis in Syria takes a dramatic turn for the worse. NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports.

By msnbc.com's Alastair Jamieson and news services

At least 11 people were killed early on Sunday in separate attacks as Syria's government forces battle rebels for control of areas around the capital, Damascus, according to reports by the state news agency and activists.

The violence followed Saturday's announcement that the Arab League has halted its monitoring mission in the country, sharply criticizing the regime of President Bashar Assad for the escalating armed conflict.

The uprising against Assad has become increasingly militarized recently as some frustrated protesters and army defectors arm themselves against the regime. Last week, more than 70 were killled in a single day.

The rising bloodshed has added urgency to new attempts by Arab and Western countries to find a resolution to the 10 months of violence that according to the United Nations has killed at least 5,400 people as Assad seeks to crush persistent protests demanding an end to his rule.

But the initiatives continue to face two major obstacles: Damascus' rejection of an Arab peace plan which it says impinges on its sovereignty, and Russia's willingness to use its U.N. Security Council veto to protect Syria from sanctions.

Chris Doyle, director of the

Syria's state-run news agency SANA said "terrorists" ambushed a bus carrying soldiers on a road south of Damascus on Sunday morning, killing six soldiers and wounding six others.

It said an explosive device was detonated by remote control as the bus was traveling in the suburb of Sahnaya, some 12 miles (20 km) south of the capital. SANA says those killed include two first lieutenants. Six other soldiers were injured.

Meanwhile, Syrian government forces killed at least five civilians on Sunday in an attack to take back large suburbs of the capital Damascus that had fallen under rebel control, activists said.

Around 2,000 soldiers in buses and armored personnel carriers, along with at least 50 tanks and armored vehicles moved at dawn into the eastern Ghouta area on the edge of Damascus to reinforce troops surrounding the suburbs of Saqba, Hammouriya and Kfar Batnba, they said.

In recent days, Syrian government forces killed at least 33 people in a rebel town near the Lebanese border.

Rankous, a mountain town of 25,000 people, 19 miles (30 km) north of Damascus, has been under tank bombardment since Wednesday, when it was besieged by several thousand troops led by the elite Fourth Division, under the command of President Bashar al-Assad's brother Maher, they said.

A resident of the nearby town of Sednaya, who did not want to be identified, said the 33 were killed since Wednesday and that no casualty figures were yet available for Sunday.

"We have managed to get through to people there who say the bombardment has brought down at least 10 buildings," he said, adding that tens of soldiers have defected and went in to help defend the town.

"A tented army camp has been set up near the entrance of Rankous. Most of the town's residents have fled to nearby villages," he added.

There was no immediate comment from the Syrian authorities.

It was the second major attack on Rankous since November when it was stormed by troops after a demonstration demanding Assad's removal was broadcast on the Arab news channel al-Jazeera, activists said.

As foreign powers consider their next move, Russia has put itself in conflict with the West as it shields Assad's regime from United Nations sanctions and continues to provide it with weapons even as others impose arms embargoes.

Russia's defiance of international efforts to end Syrian President Bashar Assad's crackdown on protests is rooted in a calculation that it can keep a Mideast presence by propping up its last remaining ally in the region ? and has nothing to lose if it fails.

But Moscow's relations with Washington are already strained amid controversy over U.S. missile defense plans and other disputes. And Prime Minister Vladimir Putin seems eager to defy the U.S. as he campaigns to reclaim the presidency in March elections.

"It would make no sense for Russia to drop its support for Assad," said Ruslan Pukhov, head of the independent Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies. "He is Russia's last remaining ally in the Middle East, allowing it to preserve some influence in the region."

Moscow may also hope that Assad can hang on to power with its help and repay Moscow with more weapons contracts and other lucrative deals.

And observers note that even as it has nothing to lose from backing Assad, it has nothing to gain from switching course and supporting the opposition.

"Russia has crossed the Rubicon," said Igor Korotchenko, head of the Center for Analysis of Global Weapons Trade.

He said Russia will always be marked as the patron of the Assad regime regardless of the conflict's outcome, so there's little incentive to build bridges with the protesters.

"Russia will be seen as the dictator's ally. If Assad's regime is driven from power, it will mean an end to Russia's presence," said Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of the magazine Russia in Global Affairs.

Syria has been Moscow's top ally in the Middle East since Soviet times, when it was led by the incumbent's father, Hafez Assad. The Kremlin saw it as a bulwark for countering U.S. influence in the region and heavily armed Syria against Israel.

While Russia's relations with Israel have improved greatly since the Soviet collapse, ties with Damascus helped Russia retain its clout as a member of the Quartet of international mediators trying to negotiate peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

After Bashar Assad succeeded his father in 2000, Russia sought to boost ties by agreeing to annul 73 percent of Syria's Soviet-era debt. In the mid-2000s, Putin said Russia would re-establish its place in the Mideast via "the Syria route."

The most powerful Russian weapon reportedly delivered to Syria is the Bastion anti-ship missile complex intended to protect its coast. The Bastion is armed with supersonic Yakhont cruise missiles that can sink any warship at a range of 300 kilometers (186 miles) and are extremely difficult to intercept, providing a strong deterrent against any attack from the sea.

Reuters, the Associated Press and msnbc.com's Alastair Jamieson contributed to this report.

Source: http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/29/10262653-soldiers-rebels-killed-in-fight-to-control-damascus-suburbs

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This Bag Will Make You Feel Like You Live In a Cartoon [Bags]

Sometimes, life feels a bit too three-dimensional. All that depth perception, it gets tiring. Well, if you're after a break, maybe you could get one of these bags and convince yourself that you live in some kind of 2-D cartoon instead. More »

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Accused California hair salon shooter to stand trial in October (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? A former tugboat worker will stand trial in October on charges of killing his ex-wife and seven others at a California hair salon in the largest mass slaying in Orange County history, a judge ruled on Friday.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Thomas Goethals scheduled the trial of Scott Evans Dekraai, 42, to begin on October 15, almost exactly a year after the October 12, 2011, shooting rampage.

Prosecutors, however, expressed doubt that the trial would begin on time.

Prosecutors said Dekraai, who has pleaded not guilty to eight counts of murder, was locked in a bitter child custody battle with his ex-wife Michelle Fournier when he walked into Salon Meritage in Seal Beach carrying three guns and opened fire.

Fournier, 48, was killed, along with salon owner Randy Fannin, 62, and five other people inside the salon. Prosecutors said Dekraai shot his victims at close range, several of them multiple times as they lay dying.

Harriet Stretz, 73, who was in a chair having her hair styled by her daughter, Laura Lee Elody, at the time of the shooting, survived her wounds. Elody, 46, was among the dead.

After leaving the salon, Dekraai shot dead 64-year-old David Caouette, who was sitting in his sport utility vehicle parked outside the salon, prosecutors said.

Dekraai was arrested just blocks from the bloody scene in Seal Beach, a bucolic beachside community about 20 miles southeast of Los Angeles that had experienced only four homicides in the past decade.

(Reporting By Mary Slosson; Editing by Cynthia Johnston)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120128/us_nm/us_crime_salon_shooting

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What if we could predict tornadoes a month out? Scientists make strides.

Scientists have only a fledging ability now, but a new approach to prediction could eventually allow forecasters to identify portions of states facing high risk for tornadoes in an upcoming month.

Scientists have developed a fledgling ability to predict monthly tornado activity in the US up to one month in advance.

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The technique, which uses existing weather-forecasting tools, is not yet ready for prime time. But in initial tests, the approach showed "statistically significant skill" in predicting regional tornado activity during most months of the year, including the peak of the spring tornado season, the researchers say.

If the approach can be honed sufficiently, eventually it could allow forecasters to identify portions of states facing the highest risk for tornadoes in an upcoming month.

In addition, the technique could help scientists explore a potential direct relationship between global warming and tornado activity. So far, such efforts have focused largely on the relationship between global warming and conditions that can spawn severe thunderstorms, which may or may not trigger tornadoes.

Though the results so far are modest, "this is exciting, because it's a hard problem," says Michael Tippett, a researcher with Columbia University's International Research Institute for Climate and Society, who lead the team.

The effort represents "an important early step" along the road to seasonal forecasts of tornado activity, says Harold Brooks, a researcher at the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Okla.

One potential audience for such forecasts would be federal and state emergency managers, Dr. Brooks suggests.

"If you were able to say: 'The second half of April is going to be really, really bad,' " it could provide extra lead time to marshal emergency supplies or ratchet up efforts to ensure more people know how to respond to tornado watches and warnings when they are issued, he explains.

Ordinarily, Dr. Tippett spends his time developing or improving ways to make extended-range forecasts of tropical cyclones, or swings in natural climate cycles such as El Ni?o or the Arctic Oscillation.?But that changed last April, when the US experienced its worst tornado outbreak on record. The three-day outbreak from April 25 to 28 spawned 359 tornadoes in 21 states, including four tornadoes that reached EF5, the most destructive category. The outbreak and the thunderstorms that spawned them inflicted at least $11 billion in damage and killed 322 people.

At the time, Tippett says, he noted that forecasters at the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., "had identified large regions where they thought there was going to be trouble, maybe four or five days in advance."

That implied the presence of large-scale, predictable features in the atmosphere that favor the formation of severe storms.

Researchers have applied the same general concept to produce seasonal hurricane forecasts. Tippett says it dawned on him that key atmospheric features also may encourage tornado-spawning storms to form.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/rCndxLpet88/What-if-we-could-predict-tornadoes-a-month-out-Scientists-make-strides

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The Pelican iPad case does one thing, and it does it very well: It makes your iPad look like a Dell laptop c.1995. Kidding. It also protects the iPad within from pretty much anything you can throw at it. Pelican is famous for its super-tough camera cases, shockproof, dustproof and waterproof plastic boxes that can [...]

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Super PACs' money could tip balance of power in Congress (CNN)

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VIDEO: Inside the Homes of 5 Football Greats

With Super Bowl XLVI fast approaching, REALTOR.com brings you a look at five current and former gridiron greats who played the real estate market over the past year. Besides a penchant for hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, the players also seem to have a keen eye for prime real estate. CHECK OUT BLOG: http://www.realtor.com/blogs/2012/01/13/a-bakers-dozen-of-luxury-pro-football-homes-photos/

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Marine faces 3 months in brig for Iraqi deaths (AP)

CAMP PENDLETON, California ? Military prosecutors worked for more than six years to bring Marine Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich to trial on manslaughter charges that could have sent him away to prison for life.

But only weeks after the long-awaited trial started, they offered Wuterich a deal that stopped the proceedings and could mean little to no jail time for the squad leader who ordered his men to "shoot first, ask questions later," resulting in one of the Iraq War's worst attacks on civilians by U.S. troops.

The 31-year-old Marine, who was originally accused of unpremeditated murder, pleaded guilty Monday to negligent dereliction of duty for leading the squad that killed 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha in 2005 during raids after a roadside bomb exploded, killing a fellow Marine and wounding two others.

Wuterich who was indicted in 19 of the 24 deaths now faces no more than three months in confinement.

It was a stunning outcome for the last defendant in the case once compared to the My Lai massacre in Vietnam. The seven other Marines initially charged were exonerated or had their cases dropped.

Military judge Lt. Col. David Jones will hear arguments from both sides Tuesday at Camp Pendleton, Calif., before sentencing him.

Legal experts say the case was fraught by errors made by investigators and the prosecution that let it drag on for years. The prosecution was also hampered by squad mates who admitted they had lied to investigators initially and later testified in exchange for having their cases dropped, bringing into question their credibility.

In addition, Wuterich was seen as taking the fall for senior leaders and more seasoned combat veterans, analysts say. It was his first time in combat when he led the squad on Nov. 19, 2005.

Brian Rooney, an attorney for another former defendant, said cases like Haditha are difficult to prosecute because a military jury is unlikely to question decisions made in combat unless wrongdoing is clear-cut and egregious, like rape.

"If it's a gray area, fog-of-war, you can't put yourself in a Marine's situation where he's legitimately trying to do the best he can," said Rooney, who represented Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, the highest-ranking Marine charged in the case. "When you're in a town like Haditha or Fallujah, you've got bad guys trying to kill you and trying to do it in very surreptitious ways. Marines understand it's a crazy environment. You've got to do the best you can with what you've got."

Marine Corps spokesman Lt. Col. Joseph Kloppel said the deal was not a reflection or in any way connected to how the prosecution felt their case was going in the trial.

The Haditha incident is considered among the war's defining moments, further tainting America's reputation when it was already at a low point after the release of photos of prisoner abuse by U.S. soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison.

It still fuels anger in Iraq today.

Kamil al-Dulaimi, a Sunni lawmaker from the Anbar provincial capital of Ramadi, called the plea agreement proof that "Americans still deal with Iraqis without any respect."

"It's just another barbaric act of Americans against Iraqis," al-Dulaimi told The Associated Press. "They spill the blood of Iraqis and get this worthless sentence for the savage crime against innocent civilians."

Wuterich, the father of three children, had faced the possibility of life behind bars when he was charged with nine counts of manslaughter, which now will be dropped. Besides now facing a maximum of three months in confinement, he could also lose two-thirds of his pay and see his rank demoted to private when he's sentenced.

.Wuterich, his family and his attorneys declined to comment Monday after he entered the plea. Prosecutors also declined to comment on the plea deal.

During the trial before a jury of combat Marines who served in Iraq, prosecutors argued he lost control after seeing the body of his friend blown apart by the bomb and led his men on a rampage in which they stormed two nearby homes, blasting their way in with gunfire and grenades. Among the dead was a man in a wheelchair.

In the deal, Wuterich admitted that his orders misled his men to believe they could shoot without hesitation and not follow the rules of engagement that required troops to positively identify their targets before they raided the homes.

He told the judge that caused "tragic events."

"I think we all understood what we were doing so I probably just should have said nothing," Wuterich told the judge.

He said his orders were based on the guidance of his platoon commander at the time, and that the squad did not take any gunfire during the 45-minute raid.

Many of his squad mates testified that they do not believe to this day that they did anything wrong because they feared insurgents were inside hiding.

Haditha prompted commanders to demand troops be more careful in distinguishing between civilians and combatants.

Former Navy officer David Glazier said the case shows such rules are essential to helping the United States prevail in an armed conflict.

"The reality is that this incident has had significant consequences for the U.S. in Iraq," said Glazier, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. "It probably fueled the resistance and so it probably ended up costing additional soldiers and Marines their lives later on."

___

Associated Press writers Barbara Surk and Mazin Yahya in Baghdad, and Elliot Spagat in San Diego and Raquel Dillon in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_re_us/us_marines_haditha

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Cornelius Animal Shelter pets of the week | Pets

Posted on 23 January 2012.

?

Ranger and Pepper

The Cornelius Animal Shelter has pets available for adoption. For more information about these or other adoptable pets, please contact the Cornelius Police Department. The shelter is open Tuesday-Friday 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. and 5:00-7:00 p.m. It is also open on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Read on for more about this week?s pets.Ranger is a handsome, adult, male lab mix who was recently picked up as a stray in Cornelius. He has a short, brown coat and soft, golden brown eyes. He is friendly and playful and loves to chase a ball. He is a big, strong guy and would do great in a home where he could get lots of exercise.? Please stop by to meet him.
?
Pepper is a handsome, 6-month-old black and grey, male, tabby kitten who has been at the shelter for several months now and needs to find his forever home. He has very interesting black and grey stripes and speckles on his belly. He is friendly and curious and would make a great family pet.? We would love to find him a home where he has plenty of room to explore and play.

General information about the Cornelius Animal Shelter as well as a list of available animals can be found at http://www.cornelius.org/animalshelter. CAS is looking for volunteers. Information on how to get started volunteering is also available at the site.

Source: http://davidsonnews.net/pets/2012/01/23/cornelius-animal-shelter-pets-of-the-week-102/

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Santorum says he's pressing on to Florida (AP)

CHARLESTON, S.C. ? Vowing to go forward, Republican Rick Santorum cast his disappointing third-place finish in this state's primary as a hiccup and pledged Saturday to continue campaigning in a race he called "wide open."

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich claimed the top spot in this state's first-in-the-South primary and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney claimed second. Undeterred, Santorum did not acknowledge the deficits he faces ? chiefly money and momentum ? and insisted he would press forward with a campaign that increasingly looked to be on its last legs.

"Let me assure you we will go to Florida and we will go to Arizona," he said before supporters interrupted him with cheers of "We pick Rick."

"I ask you: it's a wide-open race. Join the fight," he urged them at an election night rally at the Citadel.

Santorum eked out a narrow win in lead-off Iowa but lost in a blow-out to Mitt Romney in New Hampshire. Santorum had cast South Carolina as a place where he could start a well-financed, traditional campaign, yet he came up well short to Gingrich.

"Three states. Three different winners. What a great country," Santorum said.

For months, Santorum has cast himself as the candidate who can best compare his record with President Barack Obama and pitched himself as the most consistent conservative in the race. The former Pennsylvania senator urged Republicans to stand up for social conservative values and promised to continue his campaign with that unapologetic and, at times, aggressive message.

"This campaign was not going to be about tearing everybody down. It was going to be about negative ads," he said. "It was not going to be about anything other than painting a bold vision for our country. One that believed in the working class values that my grandfather taught to me."

The disadvantages that plagued Santorum early on ? lack of money, shell operations, negligible advertising ? gave way to a more professional campaign here. He had the money to air ads, hire staff and cover as much ground as possible with a private airplane. Many of his senior advisers had deep roots to the state and in recent days he beamed confidently that South Carolina could give him his second win in an early state.

That win didn't come Saturday and his advisers were shuffling to reset the campaign yet again, this time in costly Florida. His aides planned for him to greet voters near Fort Lauderdale on Sunday and then prepare for two debates in the coming week.

But Florida is a costly state where the campaigns are fought on television ads, not diners and storefronts that were the center of Santorum's strategy to this point. The sheer size of Florida is a challenge for candidates to navigate, although Santorum's tentative plans call for him to focus on just one media market a day.

Santorum's outside allies seemed poised to bankroll supportive ads ? at least for now.

"The longer we can keep his candidacy going, the more people can see his qualities," said Foster Friess, a Wyoming businessman and a major contributor to the Red, White and Blue Fund, an outside "super" political committee supporting Santorum. "If you look at Republicans, they always run these old war horses. Santorum is different."

__

Associated Press writer Jack Gillum contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120122/ap_on_el_pr/us_santorum

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Gingrich's former company releases contract

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) ? Under pressure, Newt Gingrich arranged the release of a contract Monday night showing the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. paid his consulting firm a $25,000 monthly retainer fee in 2006, for a total of $300,000.

The agreement calls for "consulting and related services" but makes no mention of lobbying.

Gingrich has likened his work for the federally backed mortgage giant known as Freddie Mac to that of a historian, and later a strategic adviser. His top rival for the Republican presidential nomination, Mitt Romney, says he was lobbying.

Monday's disclosure touched off fireworks between the two contenders during a prime-time debate.

"This contract proves you were not a historian. You were a consultant," Romney said. "And you were hired by the chief lobbyist of Freddie Mac."

Gingrich chafed at the suggestion he was "influence peddling" and turned the issue back on his opponent.

"Gov. Romney has done consulting work for years," the former House speaker said. "I've never suggested his consulting work was lobbying."

Gingrich's work for Freddie Mac was disclosed long ago, but controversy has flared in the 48 hours since he trounced Romney in the South Carolina Republican presidential primary. The contract with Gingrich's former firm listed Freddie Mac's director of public policy ? jargon for lobbyist ? as the project executive.

Throughout the early voting states, Gingrich has faced questions from voters concerned about his work for Freddie Mac at town halls. A pro-Romney attacked him on the issue in Iowa. Reporters began asking if he would release the contracts in New Hampshire.

The next primary is set for Jan. 31 in Florida, a state particularly hard hit by the housing crisis of 2008, and one where Gingrich's connections with Freddie Mac may carry a political stigma.

The material was released by the Center for Health Transformation, which Gingrich helped create, and has since sold. The Center for Health Transformation and the Gingrich campaign share a lawyer, Stefan Passantino. He did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Its disclosure came about two hours before a campaign debate in Tampa, and the timing suggested Gingrich was hoping to blunt any attack Romney might make at the event.

Romney has been ramping up criticism for not making the details public sooner. Gingrich said it wasn't only up to him because he no longer controls the firm named in the contract and confidentiality clauses were at play.

The disclosure came amid a volley between the Romney and Gingrich campaigns about who is hiding information voters may want. After facing pressure himself, Romney intends to release some tax records on Tuesday, about a week after Gingrich made his tax returns public.

Gingrich has said previously that firms he ran received about $1.6 million from Freddie Mac for consulting services over several years, and he personally pocketed $35,000 a year. Only the contract covering 2006 was released.

A person who worked closely with Freddie Mac during the years Gingrich was receiving money said Monday night that the former House speaker was employed by the company from 1999 to 2002 by the company's then-chief political executive to review policy proposals created in the hope they would make Freddie Mac more appealing to Republicans.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of fear of retaliation, said that Gingrich was hired again in 2006 by the company's new chief political executive Hollis McLoughlin ? he still works there ? to speak and write on the benefits of Freddie Mac. He was paid $300,000 for 2006, and received some additional money in 2007.

In all, he was employed by the political arm of the company for approximately $1.7 million for the sole purpose of convincing fellow Republicans that Freddie Mac was a force for good in America. The person who provided the information on Gingrich's employment pointed to the open-ended nature of the 2006 contract that was released Monday.

Romney's campaign said it wasn't satisfied with only the contract. "He's got to come clean on Freddie Mac. He put out a contract today for a single year even though he's been providing services to Freddie Mac for multiple years," said senior Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom. "That contract raises more questions than it answers."

Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond said there are no plans for additional disclosures.

___

Associated Press writers Pete Yost in Washington and Shannon McCaffrey in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-23-Gingrich-Freddie%20Mac/id-2708f4074fcb4aa88f6dcf3b4d5eafd5

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6.2 quake hits off coast of southern Mexico

MEXICO CITY (AP) ? A magnitude-6.2 earthquake that hit off the coast of the southern Mexican state of Chiapas on Saturday shook as far away as El Salvador but brought no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The quake at 12:47 p.m. local time (1:47 p.m. EST; 18:47 GMT) broke windows in the Chiapas state capital of Tuxtla Gutierrez and sent frightened residents into the streets in numerous cities. It was felt from the Mexican state of Veracruz, through Pacific regions of Guatemala and into El Salvador.

"It was quite long and felt with a lot of force," said Carlos Lopez Mendoza, spokesman with the Red Cross in El Salvador.

The temblor, which some said felt like waves, also shook the Mexican cities of Comitan and Tapachula, said Jose Manuel Aragon, spokesman for the Chiapas Civil Protection agency.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter was in the Pacific Ocean about 35 miles (57 kilometers) southwest of the city of Mapastepec, on the coast near the border with Guatemala. It had a depth of 41 miles (66 kilometers.)

"People here wanted to run," said Juan Carlos Hernandez, a restaurant owner in Mapastepec. "Luckily it was nothing bigger than a scare."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-21-LT-Mexico-Earthquake/id-c8564cb4306a45c3825f36c8203b5149

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IKEA flatpacks its way through downturn (AP)

ZAVENTEM, Belgium ? It takes Mikael Ohlsson five minutes ? and the help of one other person ? to assemble IKEA's Ektorp sofa.

After 33 years at the Swedish home-ware chain, the 54-year-old chief executive is an expert at configuring IKEA's famous flat-pack furniture.

But Ohlsson is not bragging about the fact that he can beat the assembly time the company itself advertises by some 10 minutes. What makes him proud is that the Ektorp can be flat-packed at all.

Seated on a "Blekinge white" example of the Ektorp in a cozily furnished exhibition room at an IKEA store in Zaventem, Belgium, Ohlsson recounts how, until recently, the popular couch also came packed in one of the company's biggest cardboard boxes ? a pain for customers to squeeze into their cars or carry up narrow staircases.

But then in 2010, IKEA's product designers came up with a way of breaking the Ektorp into different pieces. The results was a package half its former size, which the company claims took some 7,477 trucks off the roads and cut its yearly CO2 emissions by 4,700 tons. Savings in production and transport costs knocked euro100 ($128) off the price IKEA charges its customers, Ohlsson pointed out.

It's innovations like these, the CEO says, that make IKEA so successful even in the uncertain economic times that some of its biggest markets are facing.

On Friday, IKEA reported a 10.3 percent jump in net profit to euro2.97 billion ($3.81 billion) for the year ended Aug. 31, even though it cut prices by 2.6 percent. Revenue rose 6.9 percent to euro25.17 billion in the same period and Ohlsson says the sales pace has been accelerating since then ? even as stock markets around the world have taken a dive amid the worsening financial crisis in Europe.

"We are becoming a more natural choice when people are looking after their spending or are concerned about the future," says Ohlsson, his black trousers, black sweater and half-rimmed glasses all possessing the understatement of a Billy bookcase.

"A lot of people see that home is a very important place, maybe the most important place in their lives."

While sales have fallen in some Southern European countries like Greece, Ohlsson says IKEA has gained market share in all of them.

Over the past decade, the company expanded into big emerging markets like Russia and China, although 79 percent of its sales are still generated in Europe. In the next two or three years, IKEA wants to open stores in Serbia and Croatia and it has recently bought land in South Korea.

But the biggest opportunity may lie in India, a fast-growing country of around 1.2 billion people, that Ohlsson says IKEA has been eyeing "patiently but also impatiently" for years.

"The impatience is that of course there are a lot of people that are moving into the city, have better incomes and want to furnish their homes and that's why there is space for us," says Ohlsson. "And patient because we wanted FDI (foreign direct investment) legislation to change."

That change happened last week, when the Indian Commerce Ministry announced it would allow foreign companies that sell products under a single-brand name, such as IKEA, to own 100 percent of their stores there.

Ohlsson and his chief financial officer, Soeren Hansen, say the company is still studying the fine print, to make sure, for instance, that requirements to source a certain percentage of products locally won't interrupt its cherished value chain, where it controls design, production, storage and retail.

In contrast to other companies, which are under pressure to quickly produce new value for shareholders, IKEA can move more slowly. The retailer is not traded on the stock market, but is owned by a foundation controlled by the family of its octogenarian founder Ingvar Kamprad.

That structure not only protects IKEA from being split up or taken over, but, says Ohlsson, allows him to make investments in new markets or store upgrades that may not pay off for several years.

Throughout the conversation, the CEO stresses IKEA's eco-friendly policies and humble origins in a poor area of Sweden. In the Zaventem store on the outskirts of Brussels, solar panels on the roof provide up to 20 percent of the energy. The company owns several wind parks and one of its Berlin stores uses local wastewater to control internal temperatures.

IKEA has come a long way from its start in the Smaland region in Southern Sweden. Today it employs 131,000 people in 41 countries and its 287 stores drew in 655 million customers last year.

Ohlsson says he believes the urge to upgrade and become more comfortable does not seem to recede during an economic downturn. Asked whether IKEA's business was "recession-proof," Ohlsson laughs somewhat embarrassed.

"I wouldn't say it like that and it would not be humble to say it," he said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_earns_ikea

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Ill. man in joking mood despite nail in brain

Gail Glaenzer, speaks about her fiance, Dante Autullo's injury in the lobby of Advocate Christ Medical Center Friday, Jan. 20, 2012 in Oak Lawn, Ill., a day after he underwent surgery to remove a 3 1/4 inch nail lodged in his brain after accidentally shooting himself with a nail gun. Autullo is listed in fair condition, and Glaenzer is still trying to process just how lucky the father of her four children was. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

Gail Glaenzer, speaks about her fiance, Dante Autullo's injury in the lobby of Advocate Christ Medical Center Friday, Jan. 20, 2012 in Oak Lawn, Ill., a day after he underwent surgery to remove a 3 1/4 inch nail lodged in his brain after accidentally shooting himself with a nail gun. Autullo is listed in fair condition, and Glaenzer is still trying to process just how lucky the father of her four children was. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

OAK LAWN, Ill. (AP) ? Gail Glaenzer still can't believe that her fiance unknowingly shot a nail into his skull, let alone that he posted a picture of the X-ray on Facebook during his ambulance ride between hospitals for surgery.

But she was joking about the circumstances Friday, a day after doctors successfully removed the 3 ?-inch nail from Dante Autullo's brain.

"Dante says, 'I want it to make a necklace out of it,'" Glaenzer said.

Glaenzer sat Friday in the lobby of Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. where Autullo, 32, of Orland Park, was listed in fair condition in the hospital's intensive care unit. She was still trying to process just how lucky the father of her four children was.

"He feels good. He moved all his limbs, he's talking normal, he remembers everything," said Glaenzer, 33. "It's amazing, a miracle."

Autullo was in his workshop using the nail gun Tuesday when it recoiled near his head, Glaenzer said.

He felt what he thought was the point of the gun hit his head. But what really happened was that when the gun came in contact with his head, the sensor recognized a flat surface and fired, she said.

"I looked at it when he got home, and it just looked like (his head) was cut open," she said.

With nothing to indicate that a nail had not simply "whizzed by his ear," as Autullo explained to her, she cleaned it with peroxide.

While there are pain-sensitive nerves on a person's skull, there aren't any within the brain itself. That's why he would have felt the nail strike the skull, but he wouldn't have felt it penetrate the brain.

Neither thought much about it, and Autullo went on with his day, even plowing a bit of snow. But the next day when he awoke from a nap, feeling nauseated, Glaenzer sensed something was wrong and suggested they go to the hospital.

At first Autullo refused, but he relented after the two picked up their son at school Wednesday evening.

A couple hours later an X-ray was taken, and there in the middle of his brain was a nail. Doctors told Autullo and Glaenzer that the nail came within millimeters from the part of the brain that controls motor function. He was rushed by ambulance to the other hospital for more specialized care.

Hospital spokesman Mike Maggio said the surgery took two hours, and the part of the skull that was removed for surgery was replaced with a titanium mesh. The surgeon didn't want to put that part of the skull back in place, fearing it might have been contaminated by the nail, he said.

Glaenzer said that while Autullo hasn't really talked about how scared he was about what might have happened, he did express a recognition about coming close to death.

"He was joking with me, (after surgery), 'We need to get the Discovery Channel up here to tape this,'" she recalled him saying. "'I'm one of those medical miracles.'"

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2012-01-20-ODD-Nail%20in%20the%20Brain/id-cc4572394f224aba98a9d73cf60ce08e

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Cuba rejects US criticism over prisoner's death (AP)

HAVANA ? The Cuban government is hitting back at Washington for its criticism over the death of a jailed dissident who was described by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience on hunger strike.

The Cuban Foreign Ministry lambasted the White House and the U.S. State Department for comments that "yet again demonstrate the permanent policy of aggression and meddling in Cuba's internal affairs, and are astonishing for their hypocrisy and double standard."

The statement issued late Friday accused the United States of torture, extrajudicial executions and police brutality, and asked where was the outcry from Washington when a 52-year-old Indian citizen died of malnutrition Jan. 3 after going on hunger strike in an Illinois jail.

The woman was being held on a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest after struggling with deputies who tried to arrest her for failing to show up for jury duty. She suffered from mental health problems and had been behaving erratically recently, according to her lawyer, family and friends, The Chicago Tribune reported.

"In a colossal act of cynicism, the American government dares to condemn Cuba while it closes its eyes and remains quiet about flagrant violations of human rights," said the statement signed by Josefina Vidal, the Foreign Ministry's director of North American affairs.

Wilman Villar, 31, died Thursday night from complications of pneumonia after a 50-day hunger strike to protest his four-year sentence for assault, resisting arrest and disrespecting authority, fellow dissidents said. He had been hospitalized since Jan. 14 and was in a coma.

Amnesty International said it had determined Villar was imprisoned for peaceful political activity and was preparing to issue an urgent action notice designating him as a prisoner of conscience. That would have made him the first inmate on the island to be recognized as such since the last of 75 government opponents arrested in 2003 walked free from Cuban lockups last spring. Amnesty designated three other Cubans as prisoners of conscience later Friday.

News of Villar's death prompted wide and immediate criticism in the United States, from Cuban-American members of Congress to the White House.

"Villar's senseless death highlights the ongoing repression of the Cuban people and the plight faced by brave individuals standing up for the universal rights of all Cubans," President Obama said in a statement.

The Cuban government denied that Villar was on hunger strike or was even truly a dissident, describing him as a "common criminal" who joined up with government opponents in hopes that he could evade justice in a domestic violence case.

"A regrettable occurrence, unusual in Cuba, has once again been distorted and manipulated by petty political interests to justify the policy of blockade against our country," Vidal said.

Cuban officials use the term "blockade" to refer to the nearly 50-year-old U.S. economic embargo. The country denies holding any political prisoners and characterizes dissidents as counterrevolutionary mercenaries who seek to undermine the communist-run government at Washington's bidding.

Villar is the second jailed dissident to die on hunger strike in two years. In February 2010, Orlando Zapata Tamayo, also considered a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty, died after refusing food for months.

In late December, President Raul Castro announced that Cuba would pardon 2,900 prisoners ahead of a March visit by Pope Benedict XVI, including some convicted of political crimes. The list included many women, elderly inmates, and young people without long criminal records.

Inmates convicted of serious crimes like homicide, spying or drug trafficking were not included in the amnesty.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120121/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_cuba_dissident_dies

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Ex-Miss USA appears in court on DUI charge

HIGHLAND PARK, Mich.?? Former Miss USA Rima Fakih on Wednesday made an initial appearance in a Detroit-area courtroom in a drunken driving case that lawyers said could be resolved with a plea deal.

Judge Brigette Officer set a March 14 trial date, but lawyers on both sides said they planned to talk in an attempt to end the case sooner.

Fakih, 26, declined to answer reporters' questions after the hearing, which was held in the Detroit enclave of Highland Park.

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"I apologize. My lawyer doesn't want me to talk."

Defense lawyer W. Otis Culpepper said he will prepare for a trial, but knows a plea bargain is possible. He said he anticipates that a "proper conclusion" will be reached.

"Of course she's remorseful," Culpepper said. "She's a model for young women. ... She's a woman of substantial character."

Video: Rima Fakih on pics: ?Not a stripper-pole contest? (on this page)

Before the hearing, assistant city attorney Mohammed A. Nasser told The Associated Press that he hadn't spoken to Culpepper about how they might resolve the case, and he told the judge a plea deal hadn't been offered.

Police said Fakih was driving 60 mph and weaving in and out of traffic without signaling when they pulled her over Dec. 3.

Officers reported finding an open bottle of champagne on the floor behind the driver's seat of her 2011 Jaguar.

Slideshow: Images from Miss USA's 2010 contest (on this page)

Fakih denied that she had been drinking, but one breath test put her blood alcohol content to be 0.20 percent and another put it slightly lower, but still above the state's legal limit of 0.08 percent.

Fakih was born in Lebanon and moved to the U.S. in 1993 with her family. After settling in New York, the family moved to Michigan in 2003. She won the Miss USA Pageant in May 2010, and her reign ended last June.

She was the first Miss Michigan to win the title since 1993 and the first Arab-American winner ever.

More on TODAY.com:
Wisconsinite wins 2012 Miss America crown
New Miss America struggled with family pain
Images of Miss America 2012 beauty pageant

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/46042581/ns/today-style/

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Video: College essays in 25 words or less

Some college admissions departments are now asking prospective students to provide very brief answers to playful questions, similar to a tweet. NBC?s Kevin Tibbles reports.

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/46032112/

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Judge clears Bruno Mars of cocaine charge

LOS ANGELES?? A Las Vegas judge on Wednesday dismissed the cocaine possession case against pop star Bruno Mars after he successfully completed court-ordered drug education classes and community service, even exceeding the amount of hours he was told to serve.

Clark County District Court Judge Jessie Walsh cleared Bruno of the charge, said Mary Ann Price, court information officer for the 8th Judicial District Court.

Mars, whose real name is Peter Hernandez, was arrested in September 2010 after a bathroom attendendant at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel caught him with "a baggy of white powder," later found to be cocaine, according to a police report at the time.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing cocaine and received a $2,000 fine, 200 hours of community service, drug counseling and was told to stay out of trouble during a year of informal probation. Bruno performed all the requirements and exceeded the 200 hours of service, his attorney told Reuters.

Mars' original guilty plea was nullified and will not show up on his record.

The "Grenade" singer, 26, burst onto music charts in 2010 after collaborating with rapper B.o.B on "Nothin' On You" and Gym Class Heroes' Travie McCoy on "Billionaire." He is currently nominated in six categories at the upcoming Grammy Awards in February.

Judge Walsh took over Mars' case after County Clark Deputy District Attorney David Schubert, who prosecuted Mars in early 2011, was arrested for buying cocaine himself a few months later.

Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/46046935/ns/today-entertainment/

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5 insanely thin and light laptops that are coming soon (Yahoo! News)

An army of ultrabooks on display

There's a whole new wave of gadgets right around the corner that you might not have even known you needed ? until now, of course. Meet the ultrabook, a class of super-slim, considerably powerful notebook computers that are cut from the same cloth as Apple's MacBook Air. "Ultrabook" might not be a word you've heard before, but the idea is meant to inspire a category of laptop that is nearly as mobile as a tablet, but that doesn't sacrifice power for portability ? the ultimate pitfall of the netbook.

Ultrabooks are on the way, but choosing between them won't be easy. Assuming you don't take the Mac route and opt for Apple's own offering, the members of this tidal wave of featherweight computers running Windows will share most of their features in common by definition. In fact, the term "ultrabook" is a trademarked term, owned by Intel. To qualify as an ultrabook, a notebook computer should hover around the $1,000 mark, be no more than .8" thick, weigh less than 3.1 lb., and boast a respectable battery life and an efficient?solid-state drive (SSD) rather than a traditional mechanical harddrive.

As you'll see, these rules were meant to be broken, but even some of the notebooks that stray a little from the mold are interesting enough to keep an eye out for. Here are five favorite ultrabooks, some available now and some on the way soon, and what sets them each apart from the pack.

Samsung Series 9 is a handsome, high-end choice

Samsung's sleek premium notebook

The new Samsung Series 9 is a shoo-in. Last year's Series 9 ultralight was already ahead of the curve ? in fact, it made a point of asserting itself as the lightest notebook on the market. Samsung has had a year to refine its ultra-portable model, and the new Series 9 is as polished and good-looking as it is powerful.

The Series 9 offers a surprisingly sharp, matte 1600 x 900 13" display, an SD card slot, Core i5 processor, and a 7-hour battery life. Of course, you'll pay $1,399 for the feature set, which is considerably more than the $1,000 target price point. If you have the cash and are taken (like we were) with the notebook's striking black alumninum, watch for the Series 9 from Samsung in February.

Dell's value-minded XPS 13 balances features with a friendly price tag

Dell's XPS 13

As Dell's budget-minded follow-up to its head-turning notebook the Adamo, the XPS 13 is no slouch. The XPS doesn't reinvent the wheel, but starting at $999, it really doesn't need to. The XPS 13 is comfortably rounded off (unlike the razor-sharp design of the Asus Zenbook), with a solid build, and a comfortable backlit keyboard. Notably, the XPS 13 crams more screen real estate into dimensions usually reserved for its 11" peers, thanks to a super-slim bezel around the Gorilla Glass screen and a thoughtful design.

At 3 lb. even, this light 13.3" laptop can clock in 8 hours of battery life, and it predictably packs a Core i5 processor and 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB harddrive in its starting configuration, much like its peers. The XPS 13 will be available in February, and offers a very nice blend of features for its reasonable price.

The HP Envy 14 Spectre may be a bit thick, but we loved its stylish glass exterior

HP Envy 14 Spectre is on the higher end of pricing but packs interest features like NFC support

The HP Envy 14 Spectre has a design, feature set, and price that put it in line with premium ultrabooks like the Samsung Series 9. The Envy 14 Spectre sports a mirror-like black Gorrila Glass lid, integrated support for NFC, and a 1600 x 900, ultra-sharp 14" Gorilla Glass screen. At .78" and 3.79 lb., the flashy notebook might not be as "ultra-portable" as many of its peers, but you're getting some seriously tough (and seriously good-looking) glass in the trade-off, not to mention Beats audio, and a reported 9-hour battery life. Like the majority of notebooks in its class, the ultrabook includes a mini-HDMI port, dual USB ports, and an SD card slot. HP's Envy 14 Spectre goes on sale February 8, and starts at $1,399 for a basic configuration with a Core i5 processor, 128GB SSD, and 4GB of RAM.

Asus Zenbook UX31 features an eye-catching, razor-sharp design

Asus 13" Zenbook

We found Asus's ultrabook somewhat ironically named. With its combo brushed/polished aluminum frame and jagged edges, the 13" Zenbook was striking for the severity of its design. While the Zenbook's angular look will boil down to a matter of preference, its insides stack up with the competition: the notebook packs a Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, one USB 2.0 port and a USB 3.0 port in the mix as well. Though the Zenbook has been knocked for its less-than-stellar trackpad, it does sport Bang & Olufsen speakers, which could set it apart from the pack if you like to rock out on the go via your ultraportable computer. The 13" Asus Zenbook is available now for $1,099.

Lenovo's U300s ultrabook offers a comfy keyboard paired with solid value

Lenovo Ideapad U300s

At under 3 lb. and just .58" thick across the board, the Lenovo IdeaPad U300s is in many ways a prototype of the ultrabook class. Lenovo put plenty of thought into the design of the little notebook's keyboard, and the pleasantly rounded keys don't have the same uncomfortably shallow feel to them as many of its peers that cut corners to shave off inches.

Beyond its thoughtful design, the IdeaPad U300s felt solid, and it offers the standard i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, all in a sub 3 lb. shell. While it doesn't sport an SD card slot, Lenovo's ultrabook is a solid choice in an 13" ultraportable, and it's available now for $1,199. Did we mention that it comes in orange?

This article was written by Taylor Hatmaker and originally appeared on Tecca

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