Bette Midler is more than a woman -- she's like an army. We're not just talking about the power of her singing voice; she's also a dancer, an actress, a comedienne, and a well-known humanitarian, and a champion of both the arts and the Earth.

Since 1995, she's been working on her New York Restoration Project (NYRP -- she founded it), which has been helping NYC get greener and cleaner. Just recently, Bette herself planted the 250,000th NYRP tree in a Queens neighborhood and unveiled a new garden near Yankee Stadium. Now, she's auctioning off some very unique experiences with celebrities on CharityFolks.com, experiences which would make unbeatable holiday gifts.

Among the current gifts available are:

• Meet John Stamos Backstage at Bye Bye Birdie & Enjoy 2 VIP House Seats - $1,500.00
• Private Lesson with Tennis Great John McEnroe & Roundtrip Travel on JetBlue Airways! - $2,750.00
• Meet Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Steve Winwood, One of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time According to Rolling Stone, with 2 VIP Tix to a 2010 European Show Date - $1,500.00

Those are current bid prices; buyouts are available at higher numbers. All the proceeds will benefit NYRP, which plans to plant 1 million trees by 2017 (and totally will). Other items include a chance to meet Cher, a walk-on role with Steve Carrell and Paul Rudd, a getaway to Richard Branson's Necker Island, and more. She's convinced nearly 100 of her celebrity friends to contribute, so keep your eye on the NYRP CharityFolks page to see what's up for auction next.

"We've turned 55 vacant lots into beautiful community gardens and planted more than 250,000 trees, and we're just getting started, so I hope you'll join in the merriment by placing a bid today!" says Midler.

Filed under: Auctions, Charity, Big Givers

Bette Midler Helps Restore New York originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you're into real life bunny wabbits and other such wildlife, but not a fan of the cold, wet and windy outdoors, what do you do? We'd say just boot up the console and shoot you some pixelated peoples, but Steve Norris' idea might be just a tad more practical. He has authored the above mobile snap-station, which is equipped with an infrared video camera, a Nikon DSLR, and pairs of motors, 10Ah batteries, and solar panels. Power flows from the latter into the former to turn wildlife stalking into a pleasurable pastime for even the most indoorsy of folks. Video demonstration of the hardware after the break.

Continue reading CoolerBot photographs nature, gets its power from it

CoolerBot photographs nature, gets its power from it originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As promised, Spike's 2009 Video Game Awards delivered the first footage (in-game, 'natch) of Halo: Reach to the masses. More Spartans? Check! Female Spartans? Check check! A skullfaced Spartan? Wait ... what?! Since the show just aired, we've got a low-res version of the trailer for you after the break and will have a prettied up version as soon as it's available.

Halo: Reach gameplay premieres with multiple Spartans (and some ladies!) [update: now with hi-res] originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 12 Dec 2009 22:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well lookie here. A little phone by the name of "NEXUSONE" just slipped through the FCC as model number PB99100 built by HTC. The filing also confirms a few more details including microSD expansion, 802.11b/g WiFi, and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR. But the real news comes from looking at the radios: quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE with UMTS/HSUPA on 850/1700/1900 frequencies. In other words, this 3G phone is capable of both 2Mbps up and 7.2Mbps down for both the T-Mobile and AT&T networks in the US of A. If this device is sold unlocked (as rumored), at a reasonable price (as hoped), and with a jaw dropping user experience (as tweeted), well, it could be very disruptive to the status quo. Then again, that's a lot of ifs.

Update: We're going to pull this back a bit. So far the FCC has posted a trio of reports this morning for the Nexus One but the outcome is inconclusive based on our own continued research and from the discussion in our comments. According to the bands listed (I, IV, and VIII) we're definitely looking at a T-Mobile USA device as well as applicability on European networks (among others). The whole AT&T range is in doubt as the test lab incorrectly lists 815-880MHz frequencies as part of band VIII. Hold tight as we dig deeper.

Update 2: Only WCDMA Band IV was tested in the Part 22H / 24E / 27 Report, leading us to believe that the Nexus One is going to be HSPA 900 / 1700 / 2100 (a pretty common tri-band 3G setup) plus quadband EDGE. Sorry, AT&T, but that's how the cookie crumbles.

Continue reading HTC Nexus One blessed by the FCC (updated)

HTC Nexus One blessed by the FCC (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 04:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click with conviction to see larger images Paying more for a fancier version of Splinter Cell: Conviction is no longer an exclusively North American privilege. Ubisoft just announced a Collector's Edition of the stealth sequel for "all" European, Middle Eastern, Asian, and Pacific territories -- and it comes with different stuff than the North American version!

The rest of the world's Collector's Edition will include the usual steel-book case and soundtrack, and also the distinguished-looking Sam Fisher statue seen above, frozen forever in the act of almost stepping on his night vision goggles. The pack also includes in-game bonuses like an Infiltration Mode, a special "Shadow Armor" skin, and "early access" to the SC300, SR2 and MP5 weapons.

Head into our gallery to see images of both the Xbox 360 and PC sets.

Splinter Cell: Conviction Collector's Edition revealed for the rest of the world originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Economy, Investing

In Asia Monday, China's Shanghai Composite Index gained 1.7% to close at 3,303 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index added 0.8% to end the day at 22,086. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 Index was nearly unchanged, slipping 0.02% to 10,106. U.S. markets are also set to rise.

News that neighboring emirate Abu Dhabi will supply $10 billion to help Dubai pay off debts, which have rattled investors who fear that the enormity of the desert kingdom's debt would create a second wave of financial turmoil, sent shares in Dubai investors higher. Hong Kong-listed HSBC (HBC), a major lender to Dubai World, surged 1.7%. Standard Chartered (SCBFF), which Bloomberg reports has made $18 billion of loans in the Middle East, shot up 3.9%.

Continue reading Abu Dhabi lifeline spurs recovery in Asian markets

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Patch 3.3 has been out for two days now, and we're starting to see lots of reactions to the various new encounters pour in. Drawing from bloggers' posts, forum threads, and the reactions of a random sampling of players I've pugged with (the new LFG system is great), this is a short gloss on what I'm seeing so far:

• Forge of Souls is the easiest of the new 5-mans. The most common gripe is that group members don't pay attention to their raid warnings and move in as necessary for Bronjahm, or stop DPS on Devourer of Souls if they get Mirrored Soul.
• Pit of Saron is pretty cool, though quite sad at the end (at least if you're Horde). The trash pulls full of casters are on the tough side if people aren't good about interrupting or moving out of Hellfire on heroic. Also, don't bank on getting Don't Look Up in a pug.

Continue reading First impressions: Icecrown Citadel raid and 5-mans

Filed under: Patches, Analysis / Opinion, Instances, Raiding, Bosses

First impressions: Icecrown Citadel raid and 5-mans originally appeared on WoW.com on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PR Newswire - 2009 NASCAR Tissot Pit Road Precision Award Champions.
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Filed under: Blogging, Web services, Microblogging

Megablogging, meet microblogging. WordPress now supports posting to and reading your WordPress blogs through any Twitter client that allows custom APIs. Following a WordPress blog on Twitter means you get snippets and links to new posts, just like you'd get any other tweet. Connecting your own WordPress blog to Twitter means you can tweet and blog simultaneously.

WordPress' Matt Mullenweg wrote a blog post explaining how to connect Twitter and Wordpress using Tweetie 2 on the iPhone. Basically, you just need to find your Twitter client's Custom API settings (for Tweetie 2, they're behind the little gear icon on the Add Account screen) and enter https://twitter-api.wordpress.com/ as the API root.

WordPress can also attach geotagging information from Twitter to your posts, if your client supports it. If you've got multiple blogs, you can go to the profile settings in your WordPress dashboard and choose which one to associate with each of your Twitter accounts. We're used to thinking of tweeting and blogging as two separate things, but the WordPress team sees them as closely related, and API support is a pretty cool extension of that philosophy.

Wordpress enables posting and reading via Twitter API originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continuing our series on the seasonal smorgasbord of over-the-top exclusives offered by that glossy chronicle of the filthy rich Robb Report, we present their $2 million single malt Scotch experience. The profligate publication's gift package includes the following: a private tour of the Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown, Scotland, conducted by their malt master Biran Kinsman, where the recipient and a guest will learn firsthand how the famed single malt is produced before selecting a personal vintage cask of their own; a rare bottle of Glenfiddich 50 Year Old (above); two nights' accommodation at Ballindalloch Castle, home since 1546 to the Macpherson-Grant family, who will host a dinner in the recipient's honor; first-class roundtrip air travel for two from any U.S. city to Edinburgh; one night's stay and dinner at Edinburgh's renowned Prestonfield Hotel, plus a guided tour of Edinburgh Castle; private roundtrip helicopter rides from Edinburgh across the Scottish Highlands to the Glenfiddich Distillery; and a private tour of the historic Johnston's Woolen Mill and a traditional Scottish lunch with the owner.

Filed under: Journeys, Spirits

The $2 Million Scotch Whisky Gift Experience originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR Welcome KB to ownership in the truck series: http://bit.ly/4odGwT0 comments Source: www.nascar.com NASCAR.COM - Kyle Busch Motorsports to run Truck.
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Filed under: Utilities, Productivity, Apple, Freeware

The Pomodoro technique is a time-management productivity technique that involves giving yourself a set amount of time to work on a specific task, and then a short rest period. Finding timers that are specifically suited to this task can be troublesome, but our buddy Steven Sande over at TUAW has already done the hard work for us. And it turns out the best Mac tool for performing the Pomodoro Technique is called simply Pomodoro.

At its most basic level, Pomodoro is a timer. But because it's intended to be used in a productivity methodology, it includes some extra features that can be really useful. For example, you can actually set up Pomodoro names (which are essentially task names), so that when each cycle comes around your computer actually prompts you for what you should be working on. Each pomodoro is then logged, so you can go back and see what you've been working on.

There are all sorts of customizations that allow you to make Pomodoro work the way that you like to work - you can dive into the preferences to find them. As an unobtrusive menu-bar timer, Pomodoro has become my newest and most beloved productivity timer.

Pomodoro - a productivity timer for your Mac originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple - Download Squad - Macintosh - TUAW - Time management
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Yes you read that right, despite internet video growing at a rapid pace, 99 percent of video viewed in America is still done the old fashioned way. And although this is pretty crazy in and of itself, what's even more shocking is that while we've all but completely abounded linear TV, most only use their DVRs to watch about an hour of TV a week. But what this report really seems to prove more than anything else is that just like TV didn't kill radio, the internet and DVRs aren't going to kill TV as we know it, and instead the total number of hours wasted in front of one of the three screens is just going to keep getting higher and higher until the whole world comes crashing down -- or something like that.

Nielsen Three Screen Report: 99 percent of video still viewed on a TV originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mandated by the FCC, Firewire ports have been commonplace, and sadly mostly unused, on our HD DVRs for some time, but recent requests by Intel and TiVo to forego their inclusion have brought the situation to a head. Multichannel News reports the 1394 Trade Association is calling Intel's waiver request "too broad" and cited its wide deployment as reasons it should still be included. Beyond some driver hacks to enable transfers of DVR'd programming, it seems like Ethernet and USB are getting the lion's share of use on boxes, wile emerging DLNA and MoCa tech makes moving content around even easier, is anyone actually getting a benefit from the extra port on their boxes as we go into 2010?

Firewire's future on DVRs is up for debate originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 06:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Action

2K Games has now issued their official press release announcing Spec Ops: The Line, their revival of the military shooter series from developer Yager. The press release offers up some actual storyline details for the first time, confirming that the game takes place in the city state of Dubai where for some unknown reason a massive series of sandstorms has devastated the region.

Your player character in the game is U.S. Army Captain Martin Walker. He leads a team of Delta Squad members into the city to try to rescue U.S. Army Colonel John Konrad and his squad who stayed behind to protect those who could not escape the sandstorms. Judging from the trailer shown on the Video Game Awards on Saturday night that rescue attempt does not go well. In addition to the game's single player campaign there will also be some kind of multiplayer element for Spec Ops: The Line although details are not mentioned. The game itself is not due for release until sometime in parent company Take Two Interactive's 2011 fiscal year which begins on November 1, 2010.

More info on Spec Ops: The Line's story revealed originally appeared on Big Download Blog on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Because nothing says "I ain't afraid of no recession" like plopping down an excess amount of Benjamins for a Bluetooth earpiece, Vertu has unveiled its V accessories collection. $780 gets you a Bluetooth 2.1-compliant earpiece with 6 hours of charge time (same one we saw hit the FCC recently, we suspect), $490 for a USB memory card reader that as a consolation prize comes with a 2GB microSD card, and as for the ballpoint pen, asking price is a cool $330. For all three purchases, it's recommended you purchase the special leather case for protection -- and if these gifts are already comfortably in your price range, hey, why not?

[Thanks, Shayjd]

Vertu V makes no concessions: $730 BT headset, $490 card reader, and $330 ballpoint pen originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 AP Sports Calendar CBSSports.com 10 _ Auto racing, NASCAR Sprint Cup, Subway Fresh Fit 500, Avondale, Ariz. 11 _ Ice Hockey, NHL last day of regular season. 11 _ Auto racing, IRL, ... UNDATED: Add 2010 Sports CalendarVictoria Advocate all 2 news articles »

Read More... [Source: nascar - Google News]

Lancôme has bestowed the first definition on Julia Roberts in the ongoing epic "Another Day, Another Celebrity Endorsement." Cynicism aside, Lancôme has, through the years, had a bevy of beautiful women endorsing its products -- Isabella Rossellini, Kate Winslet, Anne Hathaway, and numerous models. Roberts is the newest, according to a WWD exclusive:

"By her remarkable personality and career, Julia Roberts is an emblematic woman of her time," said Youcef Nabi, president of Lancôme International. "Her exceptional talent, her radiance, and her strong commitments perfectly echo Lancôme's values. We are convinced she will embody the brand in the most sublime way possible."

Lancôme executives declined to share details on the relationship between Roberts and the brand, including the amount the actress is being paid to sell the products, the length of her contract, and specific duties, saying more would be revealed early next year.

Roberts, who is said to command salaries upward of $20 million for her acting projects, is in post-production on two films - Eat, Pray, Love, and Valentine's Day.

The WWD article goes on to say that "getting Roberts - or any other star of her caliber - to appear in U.S. advertising a decade ago would have been a longshot, although many stars consented to appear in product advertising outside the U.S. ... however, the celebrity culture has become ubiquitous, and the stigma once associated with selling products to middle America seems to have disappeared."

Filed under: Celebrity Shopping, Cosmetics and Fragrance

Lancôme Selects Julia Roberts as "Global Ambassadress" originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR Nationwide Series � Michael Annett HardcoreRaceFans.com He once again competed in ARCA and made his NASCAR Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series debut. 2009 saw Annett run the full Nationwide Series ...

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A Toronto consultant who wants to build a huge $200-million racing complex in Fort Erie hopes to have it up and running as soon as 2011. 'That's a very tight target, I must admit,' said Azhar Mohammad, executive director of Emirates ...
Read More... [Source: nascar - Google Blog Search]