Tumblr Explosions, and Other Stories We Didn't Post [Left Behind]

So much news passes before our collective eyes every day that we couldn't possibly cover it all. Mostly because much of it isn't worth covering! But here are a some borderline tidbits we passed on, just in case. More »

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Bing Makes Triple-Column Play With New Interface Design

Microsoft unveiled an update to Bing on Thursday that strongly leverages social networks, including a redesigned interface to provide a three-column look. Responses to queries keyed into Bing will list experts and the user's friends, who can comment on the topic in the right panel. A new feature called "Snapshot" will display useful information about a specific place or topic in the middle column.

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The strange, intimate emails of the Obama campaign (Los Angeles Times)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

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John Travolta's Difficult Week: Another Sexual Harassment Claim

Actor's lawyer vehemently denies all three claims that have been made so far.
By Gil Kaufman

John Travolta
Photo: Getty Images

After two anonymous male masseurs came forward with claims alleging that John Travolta assaulted and sexually harassed them during rub downs, another man has come forward with a similar story.

The third alleged victim, the first to be publicly named, is Chilean cruise ship employee Fabian Zanzi, who, according to reports, says that Travolta accosted him in 2009 while he was working as a VIP liaison on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

Zanzi told ABC.es that Travolta allegedly offered him $12,000 to have sex, but that he spurned the "Pulp Fiction" star's advances. "He hugged me and asked me to do a massage," Zanzi said. The cruise ship worker has reportedly filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Travolta, but no evidence of that suit had emerged at press time.

The latest allegation capped a difficult week for the married star, who has long battled allegations that he is gay. The two anonymous masseurs filed a $2 million civil lawsuit
 against Travolta earlier in the week, which the actor's lawyer tagged as "a complete fiction and fabrication." Speaking on Travolta's behalf, attorney Marty Singer said, "None of the events claimed in the suit ever occurred. The plaintiff, who refuses to give their name, knows that the suit is a baseless lie. It is for that reason that the plaintiff hasn't been identified with a name even though it is required to do so."

Singer went on to say that Travolta, ,58, was not in California on the date when the first claimant -- who has since said he got the date wrong -- said the "Hairspray" actor allegedly made sexual advances towards him during a massage.

On Friday (May 11), Singer also denied the claims by Zanzi, accusing him of "hopping on the bandwagon" in search of "his 15 minutes of fame."

"This individual is simply hopping on the bandwagon to get his 15 minutes of fame by coming up with a story for the first time with something that supposedly happened over three years ago," Singer told the New York Daily News. "Nobody has ever heard from this guy before. No lawyer has contacted us."

Radar Online reported that the Atlanta resort where the second John Doe accuser claims Travolta made sexual advances has been asked to preserve the surveillance tape taken during that time in the event that it becomes evidence in the lawsuit.

Quoting an unidentified source close to the case, the gossip site reported, "The hotel has been notified by the masseur's attorney to preserve the surveillance video of the time when Travolta stayed there ... The surveillance video will be crucial evidence in the case because it shows Travolta going to the spa the next day after it is claimed the incident occurred, looking for the masseur, because he wanted to see him again, which is all detailed in the lawsuit. Travolta was told the masseur wasn't available and he left. The masseur was extremely upset when he left Travolta's room, which would have been captured on the camera in the hallway as well."

The 14-page suit filed by the first alleged victim last Friday in California's U.S. District Court, charges Travolta with assault, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that among other salacious activities, Travolta exposed himself and groped the masseur despite protests during a massage performed in Los Angeles in January 2011.

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iVillage chats with the Aussie star of What to Expect When You?re Expecting as she makes up her stories as she goes along

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New shear touch technology lets you skip a double-tap, push your device around (video)

Most every touchscreen in the market today can only register your finger input as coordinates; that's fine for most uses, but it leads to a lot of double-taps and occasionally convoluted gestures. A pair of researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, Chris Harrison and Scott Hudson, have suggested that shear touch might be a smarter solution. Instead of gliding over fixed glass, your finger could handle secondary tasks by pushing in a specific direction, or simply pushing harder, on a sliding display. Among the many examples of what shear touch could do, the research duo has raised the possibility of skipping through music by pushing left and right, or scrolling more slowly through your favorite website with a forceful dragging motion. The academic paper is still far away from producing a shipping device, although a Microsoft doctoral fellowship's partial contribution to funding the study indicates one direction the technology might go. You can take a peek at the future in a video after the jump -- just don't expect a tablet-based Van Gogh this soon.

[Thanks, Chris]

Continue reading New shear touch technology lets you skip a double-tap, push your device around (video)

New shear touch technology lets you skip a double-tap, push your device around (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 01:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Riding Along In Red Bull's Stunt Plane Won't Help Your Fear Of Flying [Video]

You can strap a GoPro camera to literally anything and the footage will be mesmerizing. But when you strap them all over Red Bull's air racing plane while it's being piloted by champion Kirby Chambliss, well then you've got a real excuse to put away that spreadsheet for a few minutes. More »

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Blast near UN car shows fragility of Syria truce

DARAA, Syria (AP) ? A roadside bomb hit a Syrian military truck Wednesday just seconds after the head of the U.N. observer team drove by, demonstrating the fragility of the international plan to end the country's bloodshed.

In Washington, meanwhile, President Barack Obama took steps to extend sanctions against the government of President Bashar Assad, saying Syria poses an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to U.S. national security and diplomatic goals.

Wednesday's attack, which wounded several Syrian soldiers, emphasized the limits of the international community's plan to use unarmed observers to promote a cease-fire between government troops and rebels trying to topple Assad.

The team of 70 U.N. military observers now in Syria should grow to more than 100 in the coming days. It is unclear when the full team of 300 will arrive. They are to oversee a U.N.-brokered cease-fire that was intended to allow for talks on a political solution to the conflict but began unraveling shortly after it was due to take effect on April 12.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon condemned the attack, saying the continuing violence undermines the plan, which is "possibly the only remaining chance to stabilize the country and avert a civil war."

The peace plan has been troubled from the start, with government troops shelling opposition areas and rebels attacking military convoys and checkpoints despite the cease-fire. Many civilians have grown critical of the plan, saying it does not protect them from regime forces.

Although the daily death toll has dropped in recent days, international envoy Kofi Annan said Tuesday that the level of violence is unacceptable and that the plan's failure could lead to civil war.

Wednesday's blast, witnessed by a reporter from The Associated Press who was traveling with the United Nations, provided a close-up example of the attacks on security forces that have become almost daily events.

The bomb went off as Maj. Gen. Robert Mood, the Norwegian head of the U.N. observer team, drove from the capital, Damascus, to the southern city of Daraa, where Syria's uprising began.

The explosion, about 100 meters (330 feet) behind the convoy, shattered the windows of the Syrian military truck and sent up a cloud of smoke and red sand. The truck sped into the city, where several bloodied soldiers were rushed to a hospital.

Speaking to reporters later, Mood said it was unclear whom the bomb was targeting.

"For me the important thing is really not speculating about who was the target, what was the target, but it is to make the point that this is what the Syrian people (are) seeing every day and it needs to stop," he said. "Whoever is doing it and whoever is supporting it."

No one claimed responsibility for the bombing. The regime blames such attacks on terrorists it says are stoking the anti-Assad uprising.

An exiled rebel leader, Col. Riad al-Asaad, warned that armed groups in the country would resume attacks because the government had flouted the cease-fire, the London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported Wednesday. Al-Asaad told the paper that "our people are demanding that we defend them."

Syria's conflict started in March 2011 with mass protests calling for political reform. The government swiftly cracked down, dispatching tanks, troops, snipers and pro-government thugs to quash dissent, and many members of the opposition took up arms to defend themselves and attack government troops. Many soldiers also switched sides.

The U.N said weeks ago that more than 9,000 people had been killed. Hundreds more have died since.

International diplomacy has failed to stop the violence, and the U.N. has ruled out military intervention of the type that helped bring down Libya's Moammar Gadhafi, in part out of fear that it could exacerbate the violence.

On Wednesday, Obama notified Congress that he is extending a "national emergency" that allows the president to impose a variety of punishments and controls against Syria. The renewal came two days before the state of emergency was set to expire.

An amateur video posted online Wednesday showed a U.N. observer telling a resident in the town of Talbiseh that the team had come to investigate a recent attack and file a report.

The resident said that was not enough, that the conflict has been going on for over a year and there were still army checkpoints around the city. Another video Wednesday from the same city showed the observers walking up to a government tank.

"Why hasn't the army evacuated?" the resident asked. "The first clause of the Annan plan is that the army withdraw from cities. So where is the army withdrawal?"

___

Hubbard reported from Beirut.

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This Tactical Vest Is Your Not-So-Impractical Deal of the Day [Dealzmodo]

Conversation starters. Everyone needs one, especially at a party. It's best to arrive with a few topical points up your sleeve, ready to pull them out at the right moment. Some go for sports facts, some news trivia, a couple political topics to drop. And some people choose to bring ridiculous identifiers so they stand out and are approached. A hat or overly-visible shoes, others bring an abrasive personality. But show up in a tactical vest, and everyone will want to know what your deal is. More »

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For Success, You Should Commit to Continuing Self-Improvement |

It does not matter if you are a manager for another person?s business, or a company owner yourself, you have to keep ahead of new trends and changes in the market place and the general business environment. It is obvious that with technology changing exactly how people do business, it is possible to be left behind if you don?t adapt to this new world which provides opportunities for those who are ready to grasp it. It?s a simple matter to boost your skills and abilities as a business owner and manager if you will just realize that you must keep on growing as a person and learn new skills. You can accept no less. In this article we are going to take a look at ways that you can commit yourself to self improvement and expand your knowledge.

One of the most vital skills you can learn is public speaking. You need to be able to properly communicate with your clients and your staff. Communicating the information about a new product, for instance, is more efficient ? and a lot easier ? if you have a place where you can present the data to everybody all at once, in the same place. Sadly, a majority of business owners and managers, are scared of public speaking. It would be an enormous benefit to them if they take a course in public speaking, or join a group like Toastmasters, and develop their skills in this area. Their organizations or their careers will improve dramatically. You?ve undoubtedly been in the presence of a public speaker who kept the crowd mesmerized and exuded self-confidence. Can you remember what this experience was like?

It is not just your people skills that you need to constantly improve but also how changes in technology are having an effect on companies and how people buy products. New trends in marketing ? such as social media and mobile ? must be paid attention to. If you don?t, your rival certainly will and you?ll be left behind. If you embrace these new technologies and make it your primary goal to learn all about them, you can start to use the benefits to advance your organization or career. You may want to consider using the services of consultants or trainers who can help your whole team learn the new technology that can affect your business.

Having a mentor or business coach to help you learn more advanced skills ? and identify areas you could be weak in ? is always a good investment in your profession or your company. We all have areas that are tougher for us to grasp than other areas and this is where a business coach or expert can be a good advantage to grasping the material we have to know fast and correctly. Another advantage of talking to a business coach is that usually he or she is able to pinpoint other areas of weakness that you can strengthen to be even more effective. Take a positive mindset towards learning these new technologies, and know it can only forward your progress, and future success, in your business or career.

The people who succeed in business and management are those who realize their goals by looking at self-improvement and the acquisition of new skills as one of the primary ingredients to success. In a similar manner, you have to make a commitment to increasing your knowledge and abilities to help you realize success.

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CTIA 2012: a look back at our favorite devices

CTIA 2012 is wrapping up and we thought we'd spend a few minutes reminiscing about some of the more interesting devices we had a chance to see for the first time or that were launched here. Unfortunately for us -- and thereby for you, too -- the show lacked the bite we've seen at previous events, in fact it barely registered a nibble. We did catch up with five products we'd like to highlight so follow on after the break for our recap.

Continue reading CTIA 2012: a look back at our favorite devices

CTIA 2012: a look back at our favorite devices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 15:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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