Serial terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India's financial capital, have left at least 100 dead and 280 wounded.
Teams of gunmen attacked two five-star hotels, a railway station, hospitals, and a restaurant famous for attracting tourists, the AP reports.
The gunmen specifically targeted Americans and Britons at the hotels and the restaurant, Leopold's. An unknown number of people were being held hostage as police raided the two hotels, the Taj and the Oberio. At least six of the gunmen have been killed since the attacks began at about 9:30 local time on Wednesday.
A Muslim terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
The government ordered schools and colleges closed on Thursday. But according to techgoss.com editor Dhananjay Varma, now in Delhi, the country's tech hubs are operating normally, and internal flights between Delhi and Mumbai were running as of 8am local time Thursday. International flights may not fly from Mumbai today, Varma said.
The England Cricket team is touring India for a series of one-day internationals. The fifth was held yesterday in Cuttack, on the country's east coast. According to Independent, the tour may be cut short. ®
Facebook Spammer Dinged for $873 Million
A federal court has awarded Facebook more than $873 million in damages against a spammer for showering the site's members with unsolicited advertisements that pushed sexually oriented products.
Judge Jeremy Fogel, of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, awarded statutory damages of more than $436.6 million against Adam Guerbuez and his company, Atlantis Blue Capital, and an equal sum in aggravated statutory damages.
The judgment also provides for Facebook to collect reasonable attorneys' fees and recover the costs of the lawsuit, and must file an application for this by Dec. 12.
Sam O'Rourke, Facebook's senior corporate counsel, told InternetNews.com that the social networking site does not expect to be able to collect anywhere near the amount awarded, but said the legal victory still sends a signal to all spammers that it will pursue them relentlessly.
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"There's no doubt that this guy isn't worth $873 million or any fraction of that amount," he said. "But we intend to go after him and collect whatever we can, even if it's a hundred dollars. We're committed to protecting our users against this stuff, and we'll target anybody that targets Facebook."
According to Facebook, this is the largest judgment yet for an action brought under the nearly five-year-old Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act, better known as the CAN-SPAM Act, which covers commercial e-mails and.
Facebook filed suit on Aug. 14 against Blue Atlantic and Guerbuez, a Canadian citizen, after following the trail of investigations prompted by an unusually high amount of spam in March and April, O'Rourke said. He added that Guerbuez is well-known in spamming circles, and once its attorneys heard of his involvement, they jumped on the case.
Guerbuez may have developed a reputation in other shady dealings besides spam, Facebook said. According to the site and coverage in the local Montreal Mirror, Guerbuez in recent years built a business on making and selling videos of people assaulting local vagrants and getting them to commit humiliating acts, and has also been a participant in racist skinhead groups.
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A private investigator employed by Facebook tracked Guerbuez down in Montreal, and served him with court papers, videotaping the process for evidence, O'Rourke said. Guerbuez failed to turn up in court on Sept. 3 to answer the summons, according to O'Rourke.
The long arm of social networking
Facebook's lawyers then filed an application for a default judgment on Nov. 7, O'Rourke said, and petitioned for an expedited hearing. "We had been given a hearing date in December, and decided to expedite that because we didn't want the defendant to hide his assets," O'Rourke said.
The expedited hearing was granted for Nov. 21, during which the court made its ruling. Details of the court filings are available online.
O'Rourke said there are other spam cases Facebook plans to pursue, but declined to disclose details.
Special ReportThe Privacy of Social NetworkingWith advertisers, developers and social sites all vying for a piece of the pie, social networking has become a big-bucks business. But at what cost? Additionally, the Guerbuez case is one of several high-profile lawsuits in which Facebook has been involved during the past two years. In June, it settled a lawsuit by ConnectU, which accused Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg of stealing the idea for Facebook from Harvard University classmates. ConnectU since filed an appeal contesting the settlement, which a judge ultimately threw out.
Facebook's controversial Beacon service, which automatically placed ads in members profiles based on their activities, also became a lightning rod for criticism. The company ultimately apologized in response to the outcry around Beacon, but the product still resulted in a pair of class-action lawsuits.
One had been filed in April against Blockbuster, a Beacon advertiser, making allegations of privacy violations related to how the service tracked members and placed ads on profiles. The second, a class-action federal lawsuit, was filed against Facebook over Beacon in a California court on Aug. 14.
The uproar over Beacon eventually led Facebook to change its approach to the service, requiring user opt-in.
Judge Jeremy Fogel, of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, awarded statutory damages of more than $436.6 million against Adam Guerbuez and his company, Atlantis Blue Capital, and an equal sum in aggravated statutory damages.
The judgment also provides for Facebook to collect reasonable attorneys' fees and recover the costs of the lawsuit, and must file an application for this by Dec. 12.
Sam O'Rourke, Facebook's senior corporate counsel, told InternetNews.com that the social networking site does not expect to be able to collect anywhere near the amount awarded, but said the legal victory still sends a signal to all spammers that it will pursue them relentlessly.
RELATED ARTICLES
Facebook Backpedals on BeaconFacebook Apologizes For Beacon BlundersConnectU Takes Facebook Founders To Court
For more stories on this topic:
"There's no doubt that this guy isn't worth $873 million or any fraction of that amount," he said. "But we intend to go after him and collect whatever we can, even if it's a hundred dollars. We're committed to protecting our users against this stuff, and we'll target anybody that targets Facebook."
According to Facebook, this is the largest judgment yet for an action brought under the nearly five-year-old Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act, better known as the CAN-SPAM Act, which covers commercial e-mails and.
Facebook filed suit on Aug. 14 against Blue Atlantic and Guerbuez, a Canadian citizen, after following the trail of investigations prompted by an unusually high amount of spam in March and April, O'Rourke said. He added that Guerbuez is well-known in spamming circles, and once its attorneys heard of his involvement, they jumped on the case.
Guerbuez may have developed a reputation in other shady dealings besides spam, Facebook said. According to the site and coverage in the local Montreal Mirror, Guerbuez in recent years built a business on making and selling videos of people assaulting local vagrants and getting them to commit humiliating acts, and has also been a participant in racist skinhead groups.
LATEST NEWSFlat Lines Seen for eCommerce Holiday SpendReport: Economy Won't Dim Apple's iPhoneID Thieves Hit Federal Credit Unions, ConsumersMainframe Breach at LensCrafters Parent Hits 59KHP, Cisco Weigh on Tech Stocks
A private investigator employed by Facebook tracked Guerbuez down in Montreal, and served him with court papers, videotaping the process for evidence, O'Rourke said. Guerbuez failed to turn up in court on Sept. 3 to answer the summons, according to O'Rourke.
The long arm of social networking
Facebook's lawyers then filed an application for a default judgment on Nov. 7, O'Rourke said, and petitioned for an expedited hearing. "We had been given a hearing date in December, and decided to expedite that because we didn't want the defendant to hide his assets," O'Rourke said.
The expedited hearing was granted for Nov. 21, during which the court made its ruling. Details of the court filings are available online.
O'Rourke said there are other spam cases Facebook plans to pursue, but declined to disclose details.
Special ReportThe Privacy of Social NetworkingWith advertisers, developers and social sites all vying for a piece of the pie, social networking has become a big-bucks business. But at what cost? Additionally, the Guerbuez case is one of several high-profile lawsuits in which Facebook has been involved during the past two years. In June, it settled a lawsuit by ConnectU, which accused Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg of stealing the idea for Facebook from Harvard University classmates. ConnectU since filed an appeal contesting the settlement, which a judge ultimately threw out.
Facebook's controversial Beacon service, which automatically placed ads in members profiles based on their activities, also became a lightning rod for criticism. The company ultimately apologized in response to the outcry around Beacon, but the product still resulted in a pair of class-action lawsuits.
One had been filed in April against Blockbuster, a Beacon advertiser, making allegations of privacy violations related to how the service tracked members and placed ads on profiles. The second, a class-action federal lawsuit, was filed against Facebook over Beacon in a California court on Aug. 14.
The uproar over Beacon eventually led Facebook to change its approach to the service, requiring user opt-in.
Nude Photos on iPhone a Wakeup Call
Be careful what you store on your mobile device. It's a long held maxim that came more clearly into focus this past week following reports of a lost Apple iPhone containing nude photos.
According to a story in the Associated Press, Phillip Sherman accidentally left his iPhone behind at a local McDonald's franchise in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
After he returned to retrieve it, he said he discovered nude photos of his wife that he'd stored on his iPhone had been illegally distributed on the Internet without his consent.
Now he and his wife, Tina, are suing the McDonald's Corp., the franchise owner and the store manager for $3 million in damages, according to the AP, for "suffering, embarrassment and the cost of having to move to a new home." The suit says that Sherman left the phone at the McDonald's in July and that employees promised to secure it until he returned.
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Whatever the outcome of the case, security experts say it's another example of how unauthorized access and distribution of inappropriate or confidential content can ignite corporate brand disasters and data security headaches.
"Photos like nude shots of someone's spouse are not the only sensitive data on a smartphone," Tom Cross, IBM X-force researcher, told InternetNews.com. The X-Force is a research group within IBM’s Internet Security Systems division.
"Users are carrying these devices everywhere as they use it for both work and life," explained Cross.
Security measures and a backup plan
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Whether the Arkansas incident bears out -- there have been some online reports it's a hoax -- companies can learn several lessons, Cross said.
The first is educating users about keeping sensitive and personal data off the device, said Cross. While users will nod and agree about why it's important, Cross said IT has to acknowledge that it will happen and should put security measures in place as a backup plan.
Cross recommends strong password protection policies, including one that shuts down a device once it goes inactive for five or ten seconds. Such automatic locking will stop unauthorized access to confidential information, he explained.
"You have to put policies in place and manage those policies. It's not just a matter of losing a $400 device. It's the case of losing invaluable data," he said.
The next step is instructing employees to notify IT immediately once a device goes missing. That way the smartphone can either be remotely locked or wiped clean. This could go a long way toward preventing such 'iPhone nude woman' scenarios, said Cross.
As the security expert noted, IT teams don't have the time to check smartphones for inappropriate content such as nude photos. But they should make the time to put good security policies and management strategies in place, he said.
According to a story in the Associated Press, Phillip Sherman accidentally left his iPhone behind at a local McDonald's franchise in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
After he returned to retrieve it, he said he discovered nude photos of his wife that he'd stored on his iPhone had been illegally distributed on the Internet without his consent.
Now he and his wife, Tina, are suing the McDonald's Corp., the franchise owner and the store manager for $3 million in damages, according to the AP, for "suffering, embarrassment and the cost of having to move to a new home." The suit says that Sherman left the phone at the McDonald's in July and that employees promised to secure it until he returned.
RELATED ARTICLES
Apple Updates Maps, Apps in iPhone Firmware 2.2Two More iPhone Lawsuits Hit the Courts
For more stories on this topic:
Whatever the outcome of the case, security experts say it's another example of how unauthorized access and distribution of inappropriate or confidential content can ignite corporate brand disasters and data security headaches.
"Photos like nude shots of someone's spouse are not the only sensitive data on a smartphone," Tom Cross, IBM X-force researcher, told InternetNews.com. The X-Force is a research group within IBM’s Internet Security Systems division.
"Users are carrying these devices everywhere as they use it for both work and life," explained Cross.
Security measures and a backup plan
LATEST NEWSFlat Lines Seen for eCommerce Holiday SpendReport: Economy Won't Dim Apple's iPhoneID Thieves Hit Federal Credit Unions, ConsumersMainframe Breach at LensCrafters Parent Hits 59KHP, Cisco Weigh on Tech Stocks
Whether the Arkansas incident bears out -- there have been some online reports it's a hoax -- companies can learn several lessons, Cross said.
The first is educating users about keeping sensitive and personal data off the device, said Cross. While users will nod and agree about why it's important, Cross said IT has to acknowledge that it will happen and should put security measures in place as a backup plan.
Cross recommends strong password protection policies, including one that shuts down a device once it goes inactive for five or ten seconds. Such automatic locking will stop unauthorized access to confidential information, he explained.
"You have to put policies in place and manage those policies. It's not just a matter of losing a $400 device. It's the case of losing invaluable data," he said.
The next step is instructing employees to notify IT immediately once a device goes missing. That way the smartphone can either be remotely locked or wiped clean. This could go a long way toward preventing such 'iPhone nude woman' scenarios, said Cross.
As the security expert noted, IT teams don't have the time to check smartphones for inappropriate content such as nude photos. But they should make the time to put good security policies and management strategies in place, he said.
'Pregnant man' is expecting AGAIN, four months after the birth of his first child
A man who was born a woman but gave birth after having a sex-change operation is expecting a second child.American Thomas Beatie had his breasts removed, lived outwardly as a man and legally changed his gender to male.
Once known as Tracy Lagondino, the 34-year-old said he retained his femalesex organs because he intended to give birth one day.
Beatie and wife Nancy, of Oregon, US, made worldwide headlines earlier this year when he announced his pregnancy in gay magazine The Advocate.
The couple took the controversial step because Nancy had undergone a hysterectomy and they wanted a biological child.
In June, Beatie gave birth to a daughter, Susan Juliette, having been inseminated at home by his wife Nancy, 46, with sperm from a donor.
Veteran US broadcaster Barbara Walters exclusively interviewed Beatie and wife Nancy for a special show aired on Friday night on ABC.
But Walters revealed that the couple are expecting another child.
She said: 'I asked him if he was taking testosterone again and he said no. Because he was pregnant again.'
ABC confirmed that Beatie, 34, also told Walters: 'I feel good. Everything is right on track.'
During the interview, Beatie revealed that he had a natural birth on June 29 this year and that his wife cut the baby’s umbilical cord.
Nancy, 46, has been able to express milk and has been breastfeeding the baby.
She already has two grown-up daughters from her first marriage.
He became legally male after undergoing sex change surgery in 2002 and hormone treatment, but opted to keep his female reproductive organs.
Beatie told Walters that they regard themselves as a normal, heterosexual family.
He said: 'We are a man, woman and child.
'Pregnant man' is expecting AGAIN, four months after the birth of his first child
By Alex LloydLast updated at 1:59 AM on 14th November 2008
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A man who was born a woman but gave birth after having a sex-change operation is expecting a second child.
American Thomas Beatie had his breasts removed, lived outwardly as a man and legally changed his gender to male.
Once known as Tracy Lagondino, the 34-year-old said he retained his femalesex organs because he intended to give birth one day.
Beatie and wife Nancy, of Oregon, US, made worldwide headlines earlier this year when he announced his pregnancy in gay magazine The Advocate.
Expecting again: Thomas Beatie, pictured while pregnant with his first child Susan, is expecting a baby in June
The couple took the controversial step because Nancy had undergone a hysterectomy and they wanted a biological child.
In June, Beatie gave birth to a daughter, Susan Juliette, having been inseminated at home by his wife Nancy, 46, with sperm from a donor.
Veteran US broadcaster Barbara Walters exclusively interviewed Beatie and wife Nancy for a special show aired on Friday night on ABC.
But Walters revealed that the couple are expecting another child.
She said: 'I asked him if he was taking testosterone again and he said no. Because he was pregnant again.'
ABC confirmed that Beatie, 34, also told Walters: 'I feel good. Everything is right on track.'
During the interview, Beatie revealed that he had a natural birth on June 29 this year and that his wife cut the baby’s umbilical cord.
Nancy, 46, has been able to express milk and has been breastfeeding the baby.
She already has two grown-up daughters from her first marriage.
He became legally male after undergoing sex change surgery in 2002 and hormone treatment, but opted to keep his female reproductive organs.
Beatie told Walters that they regard themselves as a normal, heterosexual family.
He said: 'We are a man, woman and child.
Baby joy: Beatie with his baby daughter Susan Juliette in July
'It's ironic that we are so different but yet, we're just a family, just the same as anyone else.
I am my daughter's father, and that's all I'll ever be to her.'
He acknowledged that Susan, who was named after his late mother, may face teasing at school but said that was not a good reason not to have a child.
'We'll just have to raise her with enough strength and resiliency in order to with stand anything that the world throws at her,' he said.
'We're gonna raise her acknowledging that diversity exists in the world and be respectful of other people.
'I think that you're not living a full authentic life unless you're being true to yourself.
'And in this life, we got to choose who we want to be and how we're gonna live our lives.
'And that includes being a pregnant man.'
Beatie also paid tribute to his wife Nancy, who he married in 2003.
He said: 'Nancy is a very unique person.
'She loves and likes people because of who they are, on the inside.
'She was not attracted to me because I was female or male, but because I was just me.'
Nancy added: 'I don't like labels.
'You know, I'm just in love with this person. This person was female in the beginning and is now male. This is who I'm attracted to.'
Of mice and men: 10 sex lessons from the wild
Ahh, science. The glorious search for truth. Sexploration stands second to none in its admiration for the lab-coated monks of the scientific community, their adherence to esoteric protocols, their exotic worship of PowerPoint, their reliance on “models” for sex.
Now when you or I think of “models” for sex we might think of Adriana Lima or that guy in the Calvin Klein underwear ads with the abs that no man possesses outside the pages of GQ. But that’s because we were liberal arts majors. When a scientist thinks of a model, he or she thinks of nematode worms, or rats, or zebra fish or monkeys.
Or, if we’re talking about sex, deer mice. Last week, a study titled “Coping and copulation may help calculate diabetes risk” was published, and Sexploration, ever on the watch for news that promises better health through sex, began reading the accompanying press release with the rising hope that more and better sex will be found to lower our risk of diabetes.
“Discussion of a man’s background, attitude and sexual history isn’t just the fodder of ‘Sex and the City’ episodes — in the future, it could also be a way of evaluating his risk of diabetes,” it began.
But then it said that “males of a calmer, more monogamous species [of deer mouse] had a higher level of stress hormones and a superior ability to regulate blood sugar in comparison to males of a less calm, less monogamous species.” This led researchers to conclude that “superior stress tolerance and blood sugar regulation is related to monogamy in these mice.”
The implication, of course, is that men ought to get themselves married because loyal mice regulate blood sugar better than their randy cousins. While I admired the way the writer of the press release labored to create a link between mice and men, I wondered what would happen if people based their sex and relationship lives on the results of animal studies.
So, in the interest of reader service, Sexploration reviewed recent scientific literature and culled the best advice we could find by directly extrapolating from animals to people. Here are the lessons to be learned.
1. Do not turn sex into warfare.According to a pair of British scientists, “sexual conflict is ubiquitous across taxa” and nobody winds up happy. These biologists studied Trinidadian guppies and found that “male sexual harassment drives females into habitats that they otherwise do not prefer to occupy” — sort of like all-female gyms and the Lifetime channel.
2. Avoid weaponizing your penis.“The spectacular evolution of male genitalia that impose physical injury on females during mating has often been suggested to be a product of sexually antagonistic co-evolution,” wrote Swedish scientists. As you might expect, females are reluctant to mate with males wielding pain-inducing penises. This creates a risk of extinction. So while women may like the looks of that “spectacular” thing he carts around, we might all be better off if they chose those of us who are meekly average, you know, for the sake of humanity’s future. Oh, and beware of “spiny male genitalia [which] causes more harm to females during copulation.”
3. Try woman-on-top.Couldn’t all men take a lesson from the Mexican experiment showing that “when female rats are allowed to pace (control) the rate of sexual stimulation they receive … the aversive properties of mating are reduced”? After all, this column receives a lot of complaining letters from women in which the word “jackhammer” is used.
4. For a great afterglow, choose an orgy.Members of this same team of biologists also reported that “under semi-natural conditions sexual behavior in rats is highly promiscuous; they mate in groups and repeatedly change partners in the middle of copulation. This behavioral sequence allows both male and female to control the rate of sexual interaction, assuring the induction of a reward state outlasting the actual performance of coital responses.”
5. Gifts don’t always work.According to a British team, “nuptial gifts fail to resolve a sexual conflict.” Admittedly, the nuptial gifts they are talking about are compounds found in the ejaculate of a bush cricket, but still, I think we can all learn something here. While it may have worked for Kobe Bryant, gifts won’t necessarily fix a screwup.
6. Bulk up, dudes.In wild sheep living on an island off the coast of Scotland, “greater horn length, body size and good condition each independently influence a male’s ability to monopolize receptive females … we also find that larger testes are independently associated with both higher copulation rates and increased siring success.” Sigh.
7. Invest in lingerie and makeup.Of course women have pressure to be attractive too because, said Mexican biologists, while males may be motivated to have sex by nature, we might skip acting on that motivation in favor of watching “Star Trek” reruns if we do not have “an appropriate stimulus, a sexual incentive.”
Male rats can make do with the mere presence of a “sexually receptive female,” but men over the age of 25 might need a little booster and, being more visual than rats, said the scientists, might prefer an image of a sexual partner. Thus primed, we might “activate approach behaviors.” Whether this behavior amounts to “How about it, babe?” or a night at the Ritz-Carlton “will be determined by motivation and by the quality of the incentive stimulus, its attractivity.”
8. Don’t let her take this measurement.Animal biologists love prairie voles because unlike most rodents, they are often monogamous. The males are dutiful little critters right out of a Disney movie. So which guy gets the girl? And how does the girl choose? Well, she looks for the distance between his anus and his genitals, called ano-genital distance. “Not only did preferred males have significantly longer AGD and larger testes than nonpreferred males, but AGD was directly related to the testes’ size, seminal vesicle size and the number of sperm stored. We … discovered that males that were members of a pair bond had longer AGD than single males.”
The researchers did not say if a house on the beach compensates for short AGD.
9. It won’t help to pee on her house.“Mate choice is likely based on a complex suite of characters, but at least in prairie voles, the frequency of scent marking by males does not appear to be one of them.” Whew!
Click for related content
Intimate lawsuits: From bedroom to courtroomLove and war: He's deployed, his wife is flirting Sexploration: Sexy anime goes mainstream Tell us: Can you save money by shacking up?
10. When all else fails, genetically alter us.Unlike their close cousins, meadow voles really get around. They are, in the words of one scientist, “socially promiscuous.” But by transferring just one gene into the brains of meadow voles, “we substantially increase partner preference formation. … We show that a change in the expression of a single gene in the larger context of pre-existing genetic and neural circuits can profoundly alter social behavior.”
Now when you or I think of “models” for sex we might think of Adriana Lima or that guy in the Calvin Klein underwear ads with the abs that no man possesses outside the pages of GQ. But that’s because we were liberal arts majors. When a scientist thinks of a model, he or she thinks of nematode worms, or rats, or zebra fish or monkeys.
Or, if we’re talking about sex, deer mice. Last week, a study titled “Coping and copulation may help calculate diabetes risk” was published, and Sexploration, ever on the watch for news that promises better health through sex, began reading the accompanying press release with the rising hope that more and better sex will be found to lower our risk of diabetes.
“Discussion of a man’s background, attitude and sexual history isn’t just the fodder of ‘Sex and the City’ episodes — in the future, it could also be a way of evaluating his risk of diabetes,” it began.
But then it said that “males of a calmer, more monogamous species [of deer mouse] had a higher level of stress hormones and a superior ability to regulate blood sugar in comparison to males of a less calm, less monogamous species.” This led researchers to conclude that “superior stress tolerance and blood sugar regulation is related to monogamy in these mice.”
The implication, of course, is that men ought to get themselves married because loyal mice regulate blood sugar better than their randy cousins. While I admired the way the writer of the press release labored to create a link between mice and men, I wondered what would happen if people based their sex and relationship lives on the results of animal studies.
So, in the interest of reader service, Sexploration reviewed recent scientific literature and culled the best advice we could find by directly extrapolating from animals to people. Here are the lessons to be learned.
1. Do not turn sex into warfare.According to a pair of British scientists, “sexual conflict is ubiquitous across taxa” and nobody winds up happy. These biologists studied Trinidadian guppies and found that “male sexual harassment drives females into habitats that they otherwise do not prefer to occupy” — sort of like all-female gyms and the Lifetime channel.
2. Avoid weaponizing your penis.“The spectacular evolution of male genitalia that impose physical injury on females during mating has often been suggested to be a product of sexually antagonistic co-evolution,” wrote Swedish scientists. As you might expect, females are reluctant to mate with males wielding pain-inducing penises. This creates a risk of extinction. So while women may like the looks of that “spectacular” thing he carts around, we might all be better off if they chose those of us who are meekly average, you know, for the sake of humanity’s future. Oh, and beware of “spiny male genitalia [which] causes more harm to females during copulation.”
3. Try woman-on-top.Couldn’t all men take a lesson from the Mexican experiment showing that “when female rats are allowed to pace (control) the rate of sexual stimulation they receive … the aversive properties of mating are reduced”? After all, this column receives a lot of complaining letters from women in which the word “jackhammer” is used.
4. For a great afterglow, choose an orgy.Members of this same team of biologists also reported that “under semi-natural conditions sexual behavior in rats is highly promiscuous; they mate in groups and repeatedly change partners in the middle of copulation. This behavioral sequence allows both male and female to control the rate of sexual interaction, assuring the induction of a reward state outlasting the actual performance of coital responses.”
5. Gifts don’t always work.According to a British team, “nuptial gifts fail to resolve a sexual conflict.” Admittedly, the nuptial gifts they are talking about are compounds found in the ejaculate of a bush cricket, but still, I think we can all learn something here. While it may have worked for Kobe Bryant, gifts won’t necessarily fix a screwup.
6. Bulk up, dudes.In wild sheep living on an island off the coast of Scotland, “greater horn length, body size and good condition each independently influence a male’s ability to monopolize receptive females … we also find that larger testes are independently associated with both higher copulation rates and increased siring success.” Sigh.
7. Invest in lingerie and makeup.Of course women have pressure to be attractive too because, said Mexican biologists, while males may be motivated to have sex by nature, we might skip acting on that motivation in favor of watching “Star Trek” reruns if we do not have “an appropriate stimulus, a sexual incentive.”
Male rats can make do with the mere presence of a “sexually receptive female,” but men over the age of 25 might need a little booster and, being more visual than rats, said the scientists, might prefer an image of a sexual partner. Thus primed, we might “activate approach behaviors.” Whether this behavior amounts to “How about it, babe?” or a night at the Ritz-Carlton “will be determined by motivation and by the quality of the incentive stimulus, its attractivity.”
8. Don’t let her take this measurement.Animal biologists love prairie voles because unlike most rodents, they are often monogamous. The males are dutiful little critters right out of a Disney movie. So which guy gets the girl? And how does the girl choose? Well, she looks for the distance between his anus and his genitals, called ano-genital distance. “Not only did preferred males have significantly longer AGD and larger testes than nonpreferred males, but AGD was directly related to the testes’ size, seminal vesicle size and the number of sperm stored. We … discovered that males that were members of a pair bond had longer AGD than single males.”
The researchers did not say if a house on the beach compensates for short AGD.
9. It won’t help to pee on her house.“Mate choice is likely based on a complex suite of characters, but at least in prairie voles, the frequency of scent marking by males does not appear to be one of them.” Whew!
Click for related content
Intimate lawsuits: From bedroom to courtroomLove and war: He's deployed, his wife is flirting Sexploration: Sexy anime goes mainstream Tell us: Can you save money by shacking up?
10. When all else fails, genetically alter us.Unlike their close cousins, meadow voles really get around. They are, in the words of one scientist, “socially promiscuous.” But by transferring just one gene into the brains of meadow voles, “we substantially increase partner preference formation. … We show that a change in the expression of a single gene in the larger context of pre-existing genetic and neural circuits can profoundly alter social behavior.”
eBay bans sale of Obama inauguration tickets
eBay has agreed to ban ticket sales for US President-elect Barack Obama's upcoming inauguration ceremony on its websites.
The online auction house arrived at the decision at the insistence of representatives from the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (which, as you may suspect by their name, takes inaugural ceremonies pretty seriously).
Head of the committee, California Senator Dianne Feinstein, recently has been advocating against online scalping of inauguration tickets amidst an overwhelming public demand.
Only 240,000 tickets for the January 20 event are provided free to the public through members of Congress and the inauguration committee.
Feinstein said the overwhelming demand to attend the swearing-in ceremony has caused online scalping at sites like eBay's ticket venture StubHub and Craigslist for prices reaching as much as $40,000.
The inaugural committee sent out a warning last week that swearing-in tickets are only issued the week before the event and to "view any offers of tickets for sale with great skepticism.
After attending a meeting with the inaugural committee, eBay has agreed that banning ticket sales to the event is "in the best interest of all concerned."
An eBay rep told us it would police the ticket sales by way of its general methods and "state of the art anti-fraud technology."
"I want to thank eBay/StubHub for not allowing the sale of inaugural swearing-in ceremony tickets on any of its websites," Feinstein said today in a statement. "They have led the way and I hope other Internet companies will follow."
May as well follow while it's still an option. Feinstein said Monday she's drafting legislation that would make it a crime to scalp inaugural tickets. Those caught selling tickets would be charged with a misdemeanor and receive a "very hefty penalty." ®
The online auction house arrived at the decision at the insistence of representatives from the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (which, as you may suspect by their name, takes inaugural ceremonies pretty seriously).
Head of the committee, California Senator Dianne Feinstein, recently has been advocating against online scalping of inauguration tickets amidst an overwhelming public demand.
Only 240,000 tickets for the January 20 event are provided free to the public through members of Congress and the inauguration committee.
Feinstein said the overwhelming demand to attend the swearing-in ceremony has caused online scalping at sites like eBay's ticket venture StubHub and Craigslist for prices reaching as much as $40,000.
The inaugural committee sent out a warning last week that swearing-in tickets are only issued the week before the event and to "view any offers of tickets for sale with great skepticism.
After attending a meeting with the inaugural committee, eBay has agreed that banning ticket sales to the event is "in the best interest of all concerned."
An eBay rep told us it would police the ticket sales by way of its general methods and "state of the art anti-fraud technology."
"I want to thank eBay/StubHub for not allowing the sale of inaugural swearing-in ceremony tickets on any of its websites," Feinstein said today in a statement. "They have led the way and I hope other Internet companies will follow."
May as well follow while it's still an option. Feinstein said Monday she's drafting legislation that would make it a crime to scalp inaugural tickets. Those caught selling tickets would be charged with a misdemeanor and receive a "very hefty penalty." ®
Lil Wayne Performs With Kid Rock At CMA Awards -- But Doesn't Say A Word
As he did at the VMAs in September, Lil Wayne joined Kid Rock onstage for a performance of the remix of Rock's "All Summer Long" at the Country Music Association Awards. But this time there was no verse from Weezy — in fact, he barely made a sound at all. He just acted as part of the band, bringing out his guitar and strumming the strings inaudibly alongside Kid Rock's guitarist.
Not having the New Orleans Fireman rhyme was a curious move, considering that Weezy's people put out a press release late Wednesday afternoon trumpeting the fact that Wayne was the first hip-hop act ever to perform on the CMAs.
A source close to the situation told MTV News on Thursday that Wayne didn't rap in order to keep things fresh — that the duo did not want to copy what they had done at the VMAs and figured Weezy playing guitar was a fly new take on their collaboration.
Watching on TV, you didn't even see Wayne until somewhere around the song's two-minute mark, when Kid came over and gave him five. Both performers wore Tennessee Titans jerseys: Kid with the number two on his, but instead of Rob Biranos' name on the back, Rock had his own name; Wayne sported a #28 Chris Johnson Jersey.
Big CMT winners included Kenny Chesney (who took home his fourth Entertainer of the Year award, tying Garth Brooks for the most wins in the category), George Strait (Single and Album of the Year, making him the biggest award-winner in CMA history) and Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland (the group won Vocal Duo of the Year, and Nettles won Song of the Year for Sugarland's "Stay").
The show was hosted by Carrie Underwood (who won Female Vocalist of the Year for the third consecutive time) and Brad Paisley. Taylor Swift performed her hit "Love Story" (and borrowed Miley Cyrus' boyfriend for the performance), and Shania Twain made her first major public appearance after a long absence.
Not having the New Orleans Fireman rhyme was a curious move, considering that Weezy's people put out a press release late Wednesday afternoon trumpeting the fact that Wayne was the first hip-hop act ever to perform on the CMAs.
A source close to the situation told MTV News on Thursday that Wayne didn't rap in order to keep things fresh — that the duo did not want to copy what they had done at the VMAs and figured Weezy playing guitar was a fly new take on their collaboration.
Watching on TV, you didn't even see Wayne until somewhere around the song's two-minute mark, when Kid came over and gave him five. Both performers wore Tennessee Titans jerseys: Kid with the number two on his, but instead of Rob Biranos' name on the back, Rock had his own name; Wayne sported a #28 Chris Johnson Jersey.
Big CMT winners included Kenny Chesney (who took home his fourth Entertainer of the Year award, tying Garth Brooks for the most wins in the category), George Strait (Single and Album of the Year, making him the biggest award-winner in CMA history) and Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland (the group won Vocal Duo of the Year, and Nettles won Song of the Year for Sugarland's "Stay").
The show was hosted by Carrie Underwood (who won Female Vocalist of the Year for the third consecutive time) and Brad Paisley. Taylor Swift performed her hit "Love Story" (and borrowed Miley Cyrus' boyfriend for the performance), and Shania Twain made her first major public appearance after a long absence.
Google CEO on Obama tech czar job: No thanks
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said Friday he would not serve as technology czar in Barack Obama's administration if he was asked.
"I love working at Google and I'm very happy to stay at Google, so the answer is no," Schmidt said in response to a question from CNBC host Jim Cramer in an appearance on his television show.
Schmidt, who was one of the president-elect's most high-profile supporters, was in Chicago Friday as part of Obama's 17-person economic transition economic advisory board. The group met to discuss how to deal with the ongoing financial crisis.
Schmidt said he detected a sense of urgency in Obama, who he expects to "listen carefully" and act. The meeting was one of "great seriousness," he said.
Schmidt favors a new stimulus package that is more carefully focused than the previous effort. He said the first stimulus plan was "a bad decision on their part. A much better decision is to give out money that solves some other problem, like infrastructure."
He also said Obama shares his belief that green technology can help to revitalize the economy. Laid-off autoworkers in Michigan could be put back to work building batteries for use in hybrid vehicles, Schmidt offered.
Google has been active in investing in green technology companies, and Schmidt has expressed a deep personal interest in the area.
When asked about the current state of advertising, Schmidt acknowledged that times were tough. Google is the dominant player in Internet search advertising.
"Advertising is one of the first things that get cut, and its almost always a mistake, because you advertise to get revenue."
However, Schmidt said he expects advertising to bounce back quickly.
Shares of Google closed the regular session down 8 cents at
$331.14.
"I love working at Google and I'm very happy to stay at Google, so the answer is no," Schmidt said in response to a question from CNBC host Jim Cramer in an appearance on his television show.
Schmidt, who was one of the president-elect's most high-profile supporters, was in Chicago Friday as part of Obama's 17-person economic transition economic advisory board. The group met to discuss how to deal with the ongoing financial crisis.
Schmidt said he detected a sense of urgency in Obama, who he expects to "listen carefully" and act. The meeting was one of "great seriousness," he said.
Schmidt favors a new stimulus package that is more carefully focused than the previous effort. He said the first stimulus plan was "a bad decision on their part. A much better decision is to give out money that solves some other problem, like infrastructure."
He also said Obama shares his belief that green technology can help to revitalize the economy. Laid-off autoworkers in Michigan could be put back to work building batteries for use in hybrid vehicles, Schmidt offered.
Google has been active in investing in green technology companies, and Schmidt has expressed a deep personal interest in the area.
When asked about the current state of advertising, Schmidt acknowledged that times were tough. Google is the dominant player in Internet search advertising.
"Advertising is one of the first things that get cut, and its almost always a mistake, because you advertise to get revenue."
However, Schmidt said he expects advertising to bounce back quickly.
Shares of Google closed the regular session down 8 cents at
$331.14.
Sir Alex Ferguson fumes at Manchester United away days
Sir Alex Ferguson has complained that Manchester United’s bid for a third consecutive Barclays Premier League title is being undermined by an unbalanced fixture list. United have taken a solitary point from their meetings with Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool, their main challengers for the title, but Ferguson believes that his team have been “handicapped” by an unforgiving programme.
Having seen United beaten 2-1 away to Arsenal on Saturday, a result that leaves them eight points adrift of Chelsea and Liverpool, albeit with a game in hand, Ferguson bemoaned the fact that one of his team’s most important fixtures had been scheduled three days after a Champions League match away to Celtic.
All six of United’s six Champions League group matches have been or will be followed by tough away assignments – against Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers, Everton, Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur – and Ferguson believes that the situation is unfair, even though he said that fatigue did not appear to be a contributing factor on Saturday.
“They say the league is not handicapped, but I’m not so sure,” Ferguson said. “Having every game away from home following a European tie is not easy. Going from Celtic on Wednesday to play at Arsenal the following Saturday lunchtime is hard, although, funnily enough, I didn’t think it was a problem on this occasion.”
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If playing away from home immediately after a Champions League fixture is indeed a disadvantage Рas Jos̩ Mourinho, the former Chelsea manager, frequently complained Рit is a schedule that has also handicapped Arsenal, five of whose group games are succeeded by away matches in the league, and played into the hands of Chelsea and Liverpool, who have been handed five and four home fixtures respectively in the Premier League immediately after their six group matches in Europe.
Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, was delighted that his team made the most of their home advantage, claiming a much-needed victory with two goals from Samir Nasri, who has no doubt that his team are serious contenders for the Premier League title. “We are back in it, but we always thought we were in it anyway, even before that game,” Nasri said. “We know what we can do and we can definitely achieve the title this season.
“It was important to win this game against United. We know that the title can be achieved by the games against the other big teams and we have shown now that we can do it. The most important thing is to keep going like that and not be too complacent.”
Cesc FÃ bregas was similarly upbeat about Arsenal’s prospects, though he was eager to play down the idea that the club had been in crisis until Saturday. “People get carried away sometimes,” the midfield player said. “If you ask Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United, they will all say the same thing because we don’t know who will win it. We have played 11 or 12 games, which is nothing. We are at the start. We know there will be a lot of teams at the top at the end of the season and we want to be one of them. But we want to win it and, by beating United, we have shown we have the quality to win it.”
Having seen United beaten 2-1 away to Arsenal on Saturday, a result that leaves them eight points adrift of Chelsea and Liverpool, albeit with a game in hand, Ferguson bemoaned the fact that one of his team’s most important fixtures had been scheduled three days after a Champions League match away to Celtic.
All six of United’s six Champions League group matches have been or will be followed by tough away assignments – against Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers, Everton, Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur – and Ferguson believes that the situation is unfair, even though he said that fatigue did not appear to be a contributing factor on Saturday.
“They say the league is not handicapped, but I’m not so sure,” Ferguson said. “Having every game away from home following a European tie is not easy. Going from Celtic on Wednesday to play at Arsenal the following Saturday lunchtime is hard, although, funnily enough, I didn’t think it was a problem on this occasion.”
Related Links
Nasri helps get Wenger back on track
Ferguson facing ban from touchline
Ferguson wants peace with Arsenal
If playing away from home immediately after a Champions League fixture is indeed a disadvantage Рas Jos̩ Mourinho, the former Chelsea manager, frequently complained Рit is a schedule that has also handicapped Arsenal, five of whose group games are succeeded by away matches in the league, and played into the hands of Chelsea and Liverpool, who have been handed five and four home fixtures respectively in the Premier League immediately after their six group matches in Europe.
Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, was delighted that his team made the most of their home advantage, claiming a much-needed victory with two goals from Samir Nasri, who has no doubt that his team are serious contenders for the Premier League title. “We are back in it, but we always thought we were in it anyway, even before that game,” Nasri said. “We know what we can do and we can definitely achieve the title this season.
“It was important to win this game against United. We know that the title can be achieved by the games against the other big teams and we have shown now that we can do it. The most important thing is to keep going like that and not be too complacent.”
Cesc FÃ bregas was similarly upbeat about Arsenal’s prospects, though he was eager to play down the idea that the club had been in crisis until Saturday. “People get carried away sometimes,” the midfield player said. “If you ask Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United, they will all say the same thing because we don’t know who will win it. We have played 11 or 12 games, which is nothing. We are at the start. We know there will be a lot of teams at the top at the end of the season and we want to be one of them. But we want to win it and, by beating United, we have shown we have the quality to win it.”
Microsoft CEO: No interest in buying Yahoo
Yahoo Inc. shares dived nearly 13 percent after the chief executive of Microsoft Corp. said Friday the software giant is not interested in renewing its bid for the struggling Internet company.
Microsoft's Steve Ballmer told a business lunch in Sydney that he had moved on after Yahoo rejected its takeover bid in the spring. He did suggest a partnership in the search engine market is possible.
"We made an offer, we made another offer, and it was clear that Yahoo didn't want to sell the business to us and we moved on," Ballmer said. "We are not interested in going back and re-looking at an acquisition. I don't know why they would be either, frankly. They turned us down at $33 a share."
Yahoo shares fell $1.76 to close Friday at $12.20.
Yahoo's co-founder and chief executive, Jerry Yang, said Wednesday that Microsoft should make another bid for his company, which runs the world's No. 2 search engine. His appeal came after top search engine Google Inc. backed out of an Internet advertising partnership with Yahoo to avoid a challenge from the U.S. Justice Department, which said it would sue to block the deal on antitrust grounds.
Yahoo had been counting on the Google Inc. deal to boost its finances and placate shareholders still incensed by management's decision to reject the $47.5 billion takeover bid from Microsoft six months ago.
"I'm sure there are still some opportunities for some kind of partnership around search, but I think (an) acquisition is a thing of the past," Ballmer said.
He also told the Australian audience that Microsoft saw an opportunity to reinvent the online search process.
"If anybody thinks the future of search is going to look like the present search, that's crazy," Ballmer said. "The user interface on search hasn't changed for six years. You still get the same dull, boring 10 blue links, for God's sake. Can't we do any better than that?"
Microsoft shares gained 3 percent to $21.50.
Microsoft's Steve Ballmer told a business lunch in Sydney that he had moved on after Yahoo rejected its takeover bid in the spring. He did suggest a partnership in the search engine market is possible.
"We made an offer, we made another offer, and it was clear that Yahoo didn't want to sell the business to us and we moved on," Ballmer said. "We are not interested in going back and re-looking at an acquisition. I don't know why they would be either, frankly. They turned us down at $33 a share."
Yahoo shares fell $1.76 to close Friday at $12.20.
Yahoo's co-founder and chief executive, Jerry Yang, said Wednesday that Microsoft should make another bid for his company, which runs the world's No. 2 search engine. His appeal came after top search engine Google Inc. backed out of an Internet advertising partnership with Yahoo to avoid a challenge from the U.S. Justice Department, which said it would sue to block the deal on antitrust grounds.
Yahoo had been counting on the Google Inc. deal to boost its finances and placate shareholders still incensed by management's decision to reject the $47.5 billion takeover bid from Microsoft six months ago.
"I'm sure there are still some opportunities for some kind of partnership around search, but I think (an) acquisition is a thing of the past," Ballmer said.
He also told the Australian audience that Microsoft saw an opportunity to reinvent the online search process.
"If anybody thinks the future of search is going to look like the present search, that's crazy," Ballmer said. "The user interface on search hasn't changed for six years. You still get the same dull, boring 10 blue links, for God's sake. Can't we do any better than that?"
Microsoft shares gained 3 percent to $21.50.
Craigslist Cracks Down on Illicit Sex Ads
Craigslist has teamed with states' law enforcement officials and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to crack down on prostitution and other criminal activity facilitated by ads on its popular classified site.
The three-pronged approach involves technical improvements to the site's screening and tracking mechanisms, changes to the ad policy of Craigslist's erotic services section, and an aggressive legal push -- in a joint initiative with 40 states' attorneys general -- to punish businesses selling software that helps criminals evade the site's terms of service.
Craigslist said it would meet periodically with the participating attorneys general, providing them with information about companies and individuals that it observes violating its policies. The groups hope that the new safeguards will deter prostitutes from using Craigslist to solicit business and keep human traffickers and sexual predators away from the site.
"The incidence of crime on Craigslist is actually exceedingly low, considering the tens of millions of legitimate ads posted each month by well-intentioned users," Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster said in a company blog post. "But no amount of criminal activity is acceptable, and as Craigslist has grown, we have become aware of instances where our free services were being misused to facilitate illegal activities."
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The new initiative follows previous partnerships that state law enforcement officials reached with social networks MySpace and Facebook to keep sexual predators off of those sites, indicating the increasing prevalence of online criminal activity.
"The criminals engaged in the sexual trafficking of children no longer parade them on the streets of America's cities, NCMEC President and CEO Ernie Allen said in a statement. "Today, they market them via the Internet, enabling customers to shop for a child from the privacy of their own homes or hotel rooms."
Craigslist recently began requiring advertisers to submit a working phone number before posting listings to the erotic services section. The phone-verification requirement cut the number of ads by 80 percent, and with the new agreement, Craigslist will begin charging a fee for listings to that section, which will entail a credit-card validation.
The company expects these steps to improve accountability and deter most criminals from trying to publish ads on the site. Any illicit ads that get published will be removed and Craigslist will not refund the fee, instead donating the net proceeds of those ads to charity.
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As a technical safeguard, Craigslist is developing new digital tags that will enable parental-screening software to block access to the erotic services section. It is also refining its internal protocols for blocking ads containing code words or euphemisms that often refer to illegal activity.
Going forward, users will be able to flag posts that include pornography or other content prohibited by Craigslist's terms of service. Any ad that reached a threshold amount of flags will be automatically removed.
On the legal front, Craigslist has filed lawsuits against 14 companies that it has identified as selling software or services to help criminals circumvent the phone verification and other safety mechanisms.
The company has also sent cease-and-desist letters to other companies and individuals that it has observed undermining its policies.
The states' effort was led by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who often takes an active stance on Internet rights and privacy issues.
"We'll continue to fight illicit and illegal activity on the Internet, especially threatening the safety and wellbeing of children," Blumenthal said in a statement. "The dark side of Internet must be stopped from eclipsing its immense potential for good."
The District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam joined the 40 states participating in the effort.
The three-pronged approach involves technical improvements to the site's screening and tracking mechanisms, changes to the ad policy of Craigslist's erotic services section, and an aggressive legal push -- in a joint initiative with 40 states' attorneys general -- to punish businesses selling software that helps criminals evade the site's terms of service.
Craigslist said it would meet periodically with the participating attorneys general, providing them with information about companies and individuals that it observes violating its policies. The groups hope that the new safeguards will deter prostitutes from using Craigslist to solicit business and keep human traffickers and sexual predators away from the site.
"The incidence of crime on Craigslist is actually exceedingly low, considering the tens of millions of legitimate ads posted each month by well-intentioned users," Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster said in a company blog post. "But no amount of criminal activity is acceptable, and as Craigslist has grown, we have become aware of instances where our free services were being misused to facilitate illegal activities."
RELATED ARTICLES
Study Gives States Poor Marks on Cyber CrimeMySpace Gets Serious About Protecting Children OnlineCyber Crime Grows More Dangerous, SophisticatedSenators Want More Protection For Social NetworksKIDS Act: How Far is The Law's Online Reach?Nabbed For Craigslist Murder-For-Hire Ad
For more stories on this topic:
The new initiative follows previous partnerships that state law enforcement officials reached with social networks MySpace and Facebook to keep sexual predators off of those sites, indicating the increasing prevalence of online criminal activity.
"The criminals engaged in the sexual trafficking of children no longer parade them on the streets of America's cities, NCMEC President and CEO Ernie Allen said in a statement. "Today, they market them via the Internet, enabling customers to shop for a child from the privacy of their own homes or hotel rooms."
Craigslist recently began requiring advertisers to submit a working phone number before posting listings to the erotic services section. The phone-verification requirement cut the number of ads by 80 percent, and with the new agreement, Craigslist will begin charging a fee for listings to that section, which will entail a credit-card validation.
The company expects these steps to improve accountability and deter most criminals from trying to publish ads on the site. Any illicit ads that get published will be removed and Craigslist will not refund the fee, instead donating the net proceeds of those ads to charity.
LATEST NEWSJudge Orders Apple Exec to Stop WorkBlue Coat Improves Packet AccelerationWindows Server 2008's Enterprise AmbitionsiPhone Tops in Satisfaction for Business UsersHuffington: 'Obama Not Elected Without Internet'
As a technical safeguard, Craigslist is developing new digital tags that will enable parental-screening software to block access to the erotic services section. It is also refining its internal protocols for blocking ads containing code words or euphemisms that often refer to illegal activity.
Going forward, users will be able to flag posts that include pornography or other content prohibited by Craigslist's terms of service. Any ad that reached a threshold amount of flags will be automatically removed.
On the legal front, Craigslist has filed lawsuits against 14 companies that it has identified as selling software or services to help criminals circumvent the phone verification and other safety mechanisms.
The company has also sent cease-and-desist letters to other companies and individuals that it has observed undermining its policies.
The states' effort was led by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who often takes an active stance on Internet rights and privacy issues.
"We'll continue to fight illicit and illegal activity on the Internet, especially threatening the safety and wellbeing of children," Blumenthal said in a statement. "The dark side of Internet must be stopped from eclipsing its immense potential for good."
The District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam joined the 40 states participating in the effort.
Facebook: We're Not Focused on Making Money
Facebook, the fast-growing consumer social networking site, doesn't need money, its CEO said at the Web 2.0 Summit.
Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg said his company isn't worried about revenue for now. It's flush with Microsoft cash, and besides, it already does make money.
"Growth is our top priority," said Zuckerberg, in an onstage interview Thursday with the event's program chair, John Battelle. "We're not focused on optimizing for revenue. That doesn't mean we don't have a revenue strategy."
He pointed out that Facebook has two revenue channels, direct ad sales to brand advertisers and a self-service online ad platform that lets advertisers buy ads with a credit card. Facebook works with two-thirds of the top U.S. advertisers, and approximately 25 percent of the country's retailers created Facebook pages in 2008 to promote their offerings, according to a survey by Shop.org, a unit of the National Retail Federation. Facebook also has "thousands and thousands" of marketers buying self-service ads.
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Earlier this week, Facebook announced a deal with Salesforce.com that will enable enterprises to build social networking features into Salesforce apps. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed.
Battelle asked Zuckerberg about criticism that Facebook is a walled garden that doesn't allow users to move their profiles to other social networks, something that Google's OpenSocial initiative is designed to do. MySpace, Yahoo and AOL have signed on to the OpenSocial initiative, but Facebook has resisted.
Hoping to beat OpenSocial
Zuckerberg hinted that his company might hope to beat out OpenSocial to become the standard for online identity. He told the audience, "A lot of people say they like using our interface better. Whether or not ours will become the open standard, our first goal is to get people on Facebook and make them comfortable sharing information online."
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Zuckerberg's conversation with Battelle lurched along, characterized by early silences and one-syllable answers. The audience at the San Francisco technology conference was much more polite than it was when former Businessweek reporter Sarah Lacey tried to get him to open up at South by Southwest Interactive Confab this past spring. Lacey was attacked viciously via Twitter and live bloggers for her interviewing approach.
Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg said his company isn't worried about revenue for now. It's flush with Microsoft cash, and besides, it already does make money.
"Growth is our top priority," said Zuckerberg, in an onstage interview Thursday with the event's program chair, John Battelle. "We're not focused on optimizing for revenue. That doesn't mean we don't have a revenue strategy."
He pointed out that Facebook has two revenue channels, direct ad sales to brand advertisers and a self-service online ad platform that lets advertisers buy ads with a credit card. Facebook works with two-thirds of the top U.S. advertisers, and approximately 25 percent of the country's retailers created Facebook pages in 2008 to promote their offerings, according to a survey by Shop.org, a unit of the National Retail Federation. Facebook also has "thousands and thousands" of marketers buying self-service ads.
RELATED ARTICLES
Facebook Worm Redux Taps Google SitesHow Facebook Is Destroying the 'Nuclear Family'
For more stories on this topic:
Earlier this week, Facebook announced a deal with Salesforce.com that will enable enterprises to build social networking features into Salesforce apps. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed.
Battelle asked Zuckerberg about criticism that Facebook is a walled garden that doesn't allow users to move their profiles to other social networks, something that Google's OpenSocial initiative is designed to do. MySpace, Yahoo and AOL have signed on to the OpenSocial initiative, but Facebook has resisted.
Hoping to beat OpenSocial
Zuckerberg hinted that his company might hope to beat out OpenSocial to become the standard for online identity. He told the audience, "A lot of people say they like using our interface better. Whether or not ours will become the open standard, our first goal is to get people on Facebook and make them comfortable sharing information online."
LATEST NEWSJudge Orders Apple Exec to Stop WorkBlue Coat Improves Packet AccelerationWindows Server 2008's Enterprise AmbitionsiPhone Tops in Satisfaction for Business UsersHuffington: 'Obama Not Elected Without Internet'
Zuckerberg's conversation with Battelle lurched along, characterized by early silences and one-syllable answers. The audience at the San Francisco technology conference was much more polite than it was when former Businessweek reporter Sarah Lacey tried to get him to open up at South by Southwest Interactive Confab this past spring. Lacey was attacked viciously via Twitter and live bloggers for her interviewing approach.
What Obama's Election Really Means to Black America
Much of black America is still struggling to grasp the full meaning of Barack Obama's election to the presidency. The overall mood is awash with pride but shaded with angst and the larger question: Now what?
Will a Black President Really Heal the Racial Divide?
The Five Faces of Barack Obama
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How Jeremiah Wright Found Religion
On Wednesday, the Harvard University scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. appeared on Oprah Winfrey's celebratory post-election special. After learning the news, Gates says, "we jumped up, we wept, we hooped and hollered." It is hard to overestimate the historical significance of the election of the first black U.S. President. For many blacks, and certainly for much of the country and world, Obama's victory is an extraordinary step toward the redemption of America's original 400-year-old sin. It is astonishing not least for its quickness, coming just 145 years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation effectively ending slavery and four decades after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. And it is even more astonishing for its decisiveness — Obama carried Virginia, once the home of the Confederacy, a place whose laws just five decades ago would have made the interracial union of his parents illegal. (See pictures of Barack Obama's family tree.)
"Just a little more than 10 years ago," Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin told TIME this week, "it was inconceivable to any of us that we would see an African American win a national party's ticket and then compete effectively. It's mind-boggling," she continued, "how much this means about the opportunities available to all people — Asians, Latinos and other people who've historically been locked out of the system." (See pictures of Election 2008 in the heart of the Civil Rights struggle.)
What is perhaps most surprising about many blacks' support of Obama is that it was not immediate or easy. Many African Americans were initially skeptical about Obama's candidacy, partly because they regarded him as somehow inauthentically black due to his upbringing in Hawaii and Indonesia, as well as his last name, which even the President-elect has described as "funny sounding."
Black support of Obama soared after he won last winter's Iowa caucuses. But there were moments in this campaign when Obama was forced to manage the issue of race deftly and explain the unexplainable to a largely white electorate. Consider the case of his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. Obama joined Wright's Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago in the 1980s, when Obama was an obscure community organizer. Trinity gave Obama an entrée to the city's thriving black middle class, and Obama came to view Wright in particular as a mentor. Yet earlier this year, Obama was compelled for political reasons to leave the church. The public criticism stemmed from controversial comments about the U.S. by Wright that proved too harsh to the ears of outsiders, many who are not aware of the nuances of the black religious-cultural experience, or of the fact that black churches have traditionally been a place for coping with the legacy of racism in this country. When Obama left Trinity, he suggested that the scrutiny he faced because of Wright's sermons would follow him to whatever church he and his family chose to attend as the First Family. That will be especially true if the Obamas choose another traditional black church, where the rhetoric on matters of social policy and everyday life — not just on racism — may sound radical to much of the country.
See pictures of 60 years of election night drama.
See pictures of Barack Obama's campaign behind the scenes.
Will a Black President Really Heal the Racial Divide?
The Five Faces of Barack Obama
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The Origin of Obama’s Pastor Problem
Obama’s Church Moves On After Exit
How Jeremiah Wright Found Religion
On Wednesday, the Harvard University scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. appeared on Oprah Winfrey's celebratory post-election special. After learning the news, Gates says, "we jumped up, we wept, we hooped and hollered." It is hard to overestimate the historical significance of the election of the first black U.S. President. For many blacks, and certainly for much of the country and world, Obama's victory is an extraordinary step toward the redemption of America's original 400-year-old sin. It is astonishing not least for its quickness, coming just 145 years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation effectively ending slavery and four decades after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. And it is even more astonishing for its decisiveness — Obama carried Virginia, once the home of the Confederacy, a place whose laws just five decades ago would have made the interracial union of his parents illegal. (See pictures of Barack Obama's family tree.)
"Just a little more than 10 years ago," Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin told TIME this week, "it was inconceivable to any of us that we would see an African American win a national party's ticket and then compete effectively. It's mind-boggling," she continued, "how much this means about the opportunities available to all people — Asians, Latinos and other people who've historically been locked out of the system." (See pictures of Election 2008 in the heart of the Civil Rights struggle.)
What is perhaps most surprising about many blacks' support of Obama is that it was not immediate or easy. Many African Americans were initially skeptical about Obama's candidacy, partly because they regarded him as somehow inauthentically black due to his upbringing in Hawaii and Indonesia, as well as his last name, which even the President-elect has described as "funny sounding."
Black support of Obama soared after he won last winter's Iowa caucuses. But there were moments in this campaign when Obama was forced to manage the issue of race deftly and explain the unexplainable to a largely white electorate. Consider the case of his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. Obama joined Wright's Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago in the 1980s, when Obama was an obscure community organizer. Trinity gave Obama an entrée to the city's thriving black middle class, and Obama came to view Wright in particular as a mentor. Yet earlier this year, Obama was compelled for political reasons to leave the church. The public criticism stemmed from controversial comments about the U.S. by Wright that proved too harsh to the ears of outsiders, many who are not aware of the nuances of the black religious-cultural experience, or of the fact that black churches have traditionally been a place for coping with the legacy of racism in this country. When Obama left Trinity, he suggested that the scrutiny he faced because of Wright's sermons would follow him to whatever church he and his family chose to attend as the First Family. That will be especially true if the Obamas choose another traditional black church, where the rhetoric on matters of social policy and everyday life — not just on racism — may sound radical to much of the country.
See pictures of 60 years of election night drama.
See pictures of Barack Obama's campaign behind the scenes.
World reaction to Obama victory: Elation
If history records a sudden surge in carbon emissions on Wednesday, it may be due to the collective exhalation of relief and joy by the hundreds of millions -- perhaps billions -- of people around the globe who watched, waited and prayed for Barack Obama to be elected president of the United States.In country after country, elation over Obama's victory was palpable, the hunger for a change of American leadership as strong outside the U.S. as in it. And there was wonderment that, in the world's most powerful democracy, a man with African roots and the middle name Hussein, an upstart fighter who took on political heavyweights, could capture the highest office in the land.
So as results came tumbling in on their radios, TV screens and cellphones, many outside the United States saw it as their moment as much as America's, and Obama's victory as their own."A lot of people told me they had tears in their eyes last night. I was one of them," Randa Habib, a Jordanian writer and political analyst, said Wednesday. "I saw his speech. I was very moved. This is a lesson to us all, that blacks and whites in America can have such a shameful past between them, yet they come together and learn how to live together."The Middle East, she said, has always wanted to look to the U.S. as a beacon, despite differences over the Arab- Israeli conflict, the Iraq war and other issues."There's a feeling of hope that things will be right in America," Habib said. "Obama can make you once again respect the U.S. for its values and democracy and all those things we had forgotten about over the last eight years."No one yet knows what Obama's foreign policy will look like, and the celebratory mood over his triumph in many places was tempered by questions about his plans for U.S. troops in Iraq, his role in Middle East peace talks and his commitment to free trade, among other issues.But such doubts aside, legions of jubilant supporters set off firecrackers in El Salvador, danced in Liberia and drank shots in Japan. Good wishes went streaming Obama-ward from homemakers in Indonesia, the world's most-populous Muslim nation, where Obama spent some of his early childhood, and from Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who also beat long odds to lead his country."Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place," said one letter addressed simply to "Senator Barack Obama, Chicago."Its author: Nelson Mandela, the first black president of South Africa, writing to the first black president-to-be of the United States. Africa has embraced Obama as something of a native son, though it was his father who was born in Kenya, not Obama himself.Those inspired by Obama's origins and accomplishments include French political activist Patrick Lozes, the son of an immigrant from the African nation of Benin."This election is going to improve the image the U.S.A. has in our neighborhoods," Lozes said of France's heavily Muslim working-class enclaves. "The American dream comes back to life."Tens of thousands of Europeans turned out to catch a glimpse of Obama during his tour of the continent over the summer. Many are counting on him to restore a more harmonious relationship between the U.S. and Europe, after recent years of tension over the war in Iraq and matters such as climate change.A similar hope lives in Mexico, where former Foreign Secretary Jorge Castañeda wrote in Wednesday's Reforma newspaper: "Obama won, the map of the United States was transformed and for Mexico an extraordinary opportunity has opened . . . because it will be infinitely simpler to be a neighbor, partner and friend of the United States with Obama."Supporters of the Republican presidential runner-up, John McCain, were not impossible to find Wednesday. Just very much harder.
So as results came tumbling in on their radios, TV screens and cellphones, many outside the United States saw it as their moment as much as America's, and Obama's victory as their own."A lot of people told me they had tears in their eyes last night. I was one of them," Randa Habib, a Jordanian writer and political analyst, said Wednesday. "I saw his speech. I was very moved. This is a lesson to us all, that blacks and whites in America can have such a shameful past between them, yet they come together and learn how to live together."The Middle East, she said, has always wanted to look to the U.S. as a beacon, despite differences over the Arab- Israeli conflict, the Iraq war and other issues."There's a feeling of hope that things will be right in America," Habib said. "Obama can make you once again respect the U.S. for its values and democracy and all those things we had forgotten about over the last eight years."No one yet knows what Obama's foreign policy will look like, and the celebratory mood over his triumph in many places was tempered by questions about his plans for U.S. troops in Iraq, his role in Middle East peace talks and his commitment to free trade, among other issues.But such doubts aside, legions of jubilant supporters set off firecrackers in El Salvador, danced in Liberia and drank shots in Japan. Good wishes went streaming Obama-ward from homemakers in Indonesia, the world's most-populous Muslim nation, where Obama spent some of his early childhood, and from Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who also beat long odds to lead his country."Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place," said one letter addressed simply to "Senator Barack Obama, Chicago."Its author: Nelson Mandela, the first black president of South Africa, writing to the first black president-to-be of the United States. Africa has embraced Obama as something of a native son, though it was his father who was born in Kenya, not Obama himself.Those inspired by Obama's origins and accomplishments include French political activist Patrick Lozes, the son of an immigrant from the African nation of Benin."This election is going to improve the image the U.S.A. has in our neighborhoods," Lozes said of France's heavily Muslim working-class enclaves. "The American dream comes back to life."Tens of thousands of Europeans turned out to catch a glimpse of Obama during his tour of the continent over the summer. Many are counting on him to restore a more harmonious relationship between the U.S. and Europe, after recent years of tension over the war in Iraq and matters such as climate change.A similar hope lives in Mexico, where former Foreign Secretary Jorge Castañeda wrote in Wednesday's Reforma newspaper: "Obama won, the map of the United States was transformed and for Mexico an extraordinary opportunity has opened . . . because it will be infinitely simpler to be a neighbor, partner and friend of the United States with Obama."Supporters of the Republican presidential runner-up, John McCain, were not impossible to find Wednesday. Just very much harder.
Facebook's political squad looks overseas
Social network Facebook hopes to replicate the phenomenal success of its 2008 U.S. presidential election outreach and coverage in other countries, outreach and marketing director Randi Zuckerberg told CNET News on Thursday.
"This week is definitely all the post-election aftermath, but I'm definitely looking forward to jumping right into some of the international politics (and) international elections," said Zuckerberg (who is, in case you were wondering, CEO Mark Zuckerberg's sister). "It's a little more fun to work on some of those because they don't draw out their elections for a year and a half."
It's a logical conclusion for the social network, as numbers indicate that three-quarters of the site's users are now outside its native U.S.
Right now, Facebook is in election heaven. According to its official blog, more than 5.4 million users clicked an "I Voted" widget that shared the news with members of their friends' list. Some 1.7 million used the "Causes" application to encourage their friends to vote. Out of Facebook's 125 million members, 15 million of those aged 18 or older logged into the site on Election Day. Mark Zuckerberg said Thursday at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, members distributed 200,000 copies in a single day of a "virtual gift" advertisement created by The New York Times that depicted its election results headline.
Randi Zuckerberg said to CNET News that two of the countries where Facebook is hoping to jump into election media are the U.K., where Facebook actually has greater penetration than in the U.S., and Germany. It's going to be a learning process, Zuckerberg added. "There are legal restrictions that are different in every single country. I was even learning about the U.S. legal restrictions down to the last second, some of the things like with Ben & Jerry's and Starbucks giving stuff away for free on our site."
The two had launched high-profile campaigns, advertised on Facebook, in which free Ben & Jerry's ice cream or Starbucks coffee was offered to anyone who voted. Giving incentives in exchange for a vote is technically illegal in the U.S., something that most people were not aware of until Starbucks had to announce that it would give a free tall coffee to anyone on Tuesday, regardless of vote.
"In the U.K., for example, there are certain rules about showing advertising around political content," Zuckerberg continued. "We'll definitely have to get in there and learn the lay of the land."
"This week is definitely all the post-election aftermath, but I'm definitely looking forward to jumping right into some of the international politics (and) international elections," said Zuckerberg (who is, in case you were wondering, CEO Mark Zuckerberg's sister). "It's a little more fun to work on some of those because they don't draw out their elections for a year and a half."
It's a logical conclusion for the social network, as numbers indicate that three-quarters of the site's users are now outside its native U.S.
Right now, Facebook is in election heaven. According to its official blog, more than 5.4 million users clicked an "I Voted" widget that shared the news with members of their friends' list. Some 1.7 million used the "Causes" application to encourage their friends to vote. Out of Facebook's 125 million members, 15 million of those aged 18 or older logged into the site on Election Day. Mark Zuckerberg said Thursday at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, members distributed 200,000 copies in a single day of a "virtual gift" advertisement created by The New York Times that depicted its election results headline.
Randi Zuckerberg said to CNET News that two of the countries where Facebook is hoping to jump into election media are the U.K., where Facebook actually has greater penetration than in the U.S., and Germany. It's going to be a learning process, Zuckerberg added. "There are legal restrictions that are different in every single country. I was even learning about the U.S. legal restrictions down to the last second, some of the things like with Ben & Jerry's and Starbucks giving stuff away for free on our site."
The two had launched high-profile campaigns, advertised on Facebook, in which free Ben & Jerry's ice cream or Starbucks coffee was offered to anyone who voted. Giving incentives in exchange for a vote is technically illegal in the U.S., something that most people were not aware of until Starbucks had to announce that it would give a free tall coffee to anyone on Tuesday, regardless of vote.
"In the U.K., for example, there are certain rules about showing advertising around political content," Zuckerberg continued. "We'll definitely have to get in there and learn the lay of the land."
Obama wins historic US election
Democratic Senator Barack Obama has been elected the first black president of the United States, according to projected results.
There were scenes of delight at a park in Chicago where tens of thousands of Obama supporters had gathered.
Mr Obama is expected to address the crowd soon.
His rival John McCain accepted defeat, saying "I deeply admire and commend" Mr Obama. He called on his supporters to lend the next president their goodwill.
Mr Obama captured the key battleground states of Pennsylvania and Ohio, before passing the essential figure of 270 electoral college votes at 0400 GMT, when projections showed he had also taken California and a slew of other states.
He has so far held most of the states that voted Democrat in 2004, as well as seizing at least six from the Republicans, including Florida and Virginia.
Several other key swing states are hanging in the balance.
In Indiana and North Carolina, with most of the vote counted, there was less than 0.5% between the two candidates.
However, the popular vote remains close. At 0345 GMT it stood at 50.7% for the Democratic Senator from Illinois, against 48.2% for Arizona Senator McCain.
The main developments include:
Mr Obama is projected to have seized Ohio, New Mexico, Iowa and Virginia - all Republican wins in 2004.
He is also projected to have won: Vermont, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Delaware, Massachusetts, District of Columbia, Maryland, Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, Rhode Island.
Mr McCain is projected to have won: Kentucky, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Kansas, North Dakota, Wyoming, Georgia, Louisiana, West Virginia, Texas, Mississippi, Utah.
Turnout was reported to be extremely high - in some places "unprecedented".
The Democrats made early gains in the Senate race, seizing seats from the Republicans in Virginia, North Carolina, New Hampshire and New Mexico.
Exit polls suggest the economy was the major deciding factor for six out of 10 voters.
Nine out of 10 said the candidates' race was not important to their vote, the Associated Press reported. Almost as many said age did not matter.
Several states reported a high turnout. It was predicted 130 million Americans, or more, would vote - more than for any election since 1960.
Many Americans said they felt they were voting in a historic election, not least because of the possibility of choosing the first African-American president.
Faton Fall, 40, a black voter queuing at a Baptist church in Chicago, said: "It means a lot to me. I'm overwhelmed. I can't say more."
Congressional race
There are also elections to renew the entire US House of Representatives and a third of US Senate seats.
Democrats are expected to expand majorities in both chambers.
They need to gain nine Senate seats to reach a 60-seat majority that would give them extra legislative power.
In the presidential vote, under the US Electoral College system, states are allocated votes based on their representation in Congress.
In almost every state, the winner gets all these college votes.
To become president, a candidate needs to win a majority across the country - 270 college votes out of a possible 538.
The presidential election has been the most expensive in US history - costing $2.4bn, according to the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics.
There were scenes of delight at a park in Chicago where tens of thousands of Obama supporters had gathered.
Mr Obama is expected to address the crowd soon.
His rival John McCain accepted defeat, saying "I deeply admire and commend" Mr Obama. He called on his supporters to lend the next president their goodwill.
Mr Obama captured the key battleground states of Pennsylvania and Ohio, before passing the essential figure of 270 electoral college votes at 0400 GMT, when projections showed he had also taken California and a slew of other states.
He has so far held most of the states that voted Democrat in 2004, as well as seizing at least six from the Republicans, including Florida and Virginia.
Several other key swing states are hanging in the balance.
In Indiana and North Carolina, with most of the vote counted, there was less than 0.5% between the two candidates.
However, the popular vote remains close. At 0345 GMT it stood at 50.7% for the Democratic Senator from Illinois, against 48.2% for Arizona Senator McCain.
The main developments include:
Mr Obama is projected to have seized Ohio, New Mexico, Iowa and Virginia - all Republican wins in 2004.
He is also projected to have won: Vermont, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Delaware, Massachusetts, District of Columbia, Maryland, Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, Rhode Island.
Mr McCain is projected to have won: Kentucky, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Kansas, North Dakota, Wyoming, Georgia, Louisiana, West Virginia, Texas, Mississippi, Utah.
Turnout was reported to be extremely high - in some places "unprecedented".
The Democrats made early gains in the Senate race, seizing seats from the Republicans in Virginia, North Carolina, New Hampshire and New Mexico.
Exit polls suggest the economy was the major deciding factor for six out of 10 voters.
Nine out of 10 said the candidates' race was not important to their vote, the Associated Press reported. Almost as many said age did not matter.
Several states reported a high turnout. It was predicted 130 million Americans, or more, would vote - more than for any election since 1960.
Many Americans said they felt they were voting in a historic election, not least because of the possibility of choosing the first African-American president.
Faton Fall, 40, a black voter queuing at a Baptist church in Chicago, said: "It means a lot to me. I'm overwhelmed. I can't say more."
Congressional race
There are also elections to renew the entire US House of Representatives and a third of US Senate seats.
Democrats are expected to expand majorities in both chambers.
They need to gain nine Senate seats to reach a 60-seat majority that would give them extra legislative power.
In the presidential vote, under the US Electoral College system, states are allocated votes based on their representation in Congress.
In almost every state, the winner gets all these college votes.
To become president, a candidate needs to win a majority across the country - 270 college votes out of a possible 538.
The presidential election has been the most expensive in US history - costing $2.4bn, according to the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics.
Africans rev up to celebrate an Obama victory
Barack Obama's Kenyan family erupted in cheers Wednesday, singing "we are going to the White House," as he became the first African-American elected president.
In the western village of Kogelo, where the Democratic candidate's late father was born, police had tightened security to prevent hordes of media and others from entering the rural homestead of Obama's step-grandmother, Sarah.
But the elderly woman and several other relatives came outside Wednesday to cheer for Obama in a country where the Democrat is seen as a "son of the soil."
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
KISUMU, Kenya (AP) — Africans stayed up at all-night parties or woke before dawn Wednesday, gathering around televisions and radios as Barack Obama took the lead in his election bid to become the first black U.S. president.
"I'm not tired even, though I have been watching the results through the night," Josiah Otupa, 30, said early Wednesday in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. "Our man is in the lead but we are still praying hard."
In Nairobi's Kibera shantytown, one of the largest slums in Africa, hundreds gathered around a massive bonfire of burning tires. Residents joyfully held up Obama posters, blew whistles and waved American flags.
"We will be here until morning, and we will continue with celebrations if Obama wins," said organizer Sam Ouma, 32. "If Obama loses I don't know what this crowd will do."
Obama, the son of an economist from Kenya, is wildly popular across Africa. Many people hope an Obama presidency will help this vast continent, the poorest in the world. Some are looking for more U.S. aid to Africa, others simply bask in the glory of a successful black politician with African roots.
"Obama, being partly African, has the moral obligation to intervene in Africa," said Samuel Conteh, managing editor of The New Citizen newspaper in Freetown, Sierra Leone. "The aspirations of Africans are very high, believing that he will change the social and economic situations of Africans."
Those hopes come even after President George W. Bush made a special effort to combat disease and promote democracy in Africa.
Obama was born in Hawaii, where he spent most of his childhood reared by his mother, a white American from Kansas. He barely knew his late father. But that has not stopped "Obamamania" from sweeping the continent, and particularly Kenya, where his picture adorns billboards and minibuses.
In the western village of Kogelo, where the Democratic candidate's late father was born, police tightened security Tuesday to prevent hordes of media and others from entering the rural homestead of Obama's step-grandmother, Sarah.
Earlier in the day, Sarah Obama attended an open-air religious service where local bishop Ogonyo Ngende offered prayers for the candidate's maternal grandmother, 86-year-old Madelyn Payne Dunham, who died late Sunday in Hawaii.
"I think this is one person he could have wanted to be there and witness him becoming the president of the United States of America," Obama's uncle, Said Obama, said in Kogelo, referring to Dunham.
In Uganda, hundreds of university students booked a hall on campus in the capital, Kampala, to watch the results.
"We will feast if Obama wins," said Makerere University student Robert Rutaro.
Kenya's two main newspapers ran Obama stories on the front page. The Standard newspaper also offered a 16-page "Obama Magic Souvenir Pullout" with photos.
The mass daily newspapers in Nigeria, Africa's most-populous nation, were running rare multipage inserts with U.S. electoral coverage. Headlines in The Sun called Obama a "Black Phoenix" and declared in advance of an expected Obama victory: "One Giant Leap for Mankind."
In the western village of Kogelo, where the Democratic candidate's late father was born, police had tightened security to prevent hordes of media and others from entering the rural homestead of Obama's step-grandmother, Sarah.
But the elderly woman and several other relatives came outside Wednesday to cheer for Obama in a country where the Democrat is seen as a "son of the soil."
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
KISUMU, Kenya (AP) — Africans stayed up at all-night parties or woke before dawn Wednesday, gathering around televisions and radios as Barack Obama took the lead in his election bid to become the first black U.S. president.
"I'm not tired even, though I have been watching the results through the night," Josiah Otupa, 30, said early Wednesday in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. "Our man is in the lead but we are still praying hard."
In Nairobi's Kibera shantytown, one of the largest slums in Africa, hundreds gathered around a massive bonfire of burning tires. Residents joyfully held up Obama posters, blew whistles and waved American flags.
"We will be here until morning, and we will continue with celebrations if Obama wins," said organizer Sam Ouma, 32. "If Obama loses I don't know what this crowd will do."
Obama, the son of an economist from Kenya, is wildly popular across Africa. Many people hope an Obama presidency will help this vast continent, the poorest in the world. Some are looking for more U.S. aid to Africa, others simply bask in the glory of a successful black politician with African roots.
"Obama, being partly African, has the moral obligation to intervene in Africa," said Samuel Conteh, managing editor of The New Citizen newspaper in Freetown, Sierra Leone. "The aspirations of Africans are very high, believing that he will change the social and economic situations of Africans."
Those hopes come even after President George W. Bush made a special effort to combat disease and promote democracy in Africa.
Obama was born in Hawaii, where he spent most of his childhood reared by his mother, a white American from Kansas. He barely knew his late father. But that has not stopped "Obamamania" from sweeping the continent, and particularly Kenya, where his picture adorns billboards and minibuses.
In the western village of Kogelo, where the Democratic candidate's late father was born, police tightened security Tuesday to prevent hordes of media and others from entering the rural homestead of Obama's step-grandmother, Sarah.
Earlier in the day, Sarah Obama attended an open-air religious service where local bishop Ogonyo Ngende offered prayers for the candidate's maternal grandmother, 86-year-old Madelyn Payne Dunham, who died late Sunday in Hawaii.
"I think this is one person he could have wanted to be there and witness him becoming the president of the United States of America," Obama's uncle, Said Obama, said in Kogelo, referring to Dunham.
In Uganda, hundreds of university students booked a hall on campus in the capital, Kampala, to watch the results.
"We will feast if Obama wins," said Makerere University student Robert Rutaro.
Kenya's two main newspapers ran Obama stories on the front page. The Standard newspaper also offered a 16-page "Obama Magic Souvenir Pullout" with photos.
The mass daily newspapers in Nigeria, Africa's most-populous nation, were running rare multipage inserts with U.S. electoral coverage. Headlines in The Sun called Obama a "Black Phoenix" and declared in advance of an expected Obama victory: "One Giant Leap for Mankind."
Barack Obama voted America's first black president in historic landslide victory over McCain
Barack Obama became America’s first black president early today.
The Democrat scored a crucial breakthrough win in Ohio to take a commanding lead in the White House race, leaving Republican John McCain fighting for his political life in a string of close battleground states.
The huge victory, along with a win in Pennsylvania, which was targeted by McCain as his best hope of stealing a Democratic-leaning state, moved Obama to the brink of a historic White House win. He was also projected by Fox News to capture New Mexico's five electoral votes, another state won by Bush in 2004.
The combined 25 electoral votes in states won by Bush would be enough to put Obama over the 270 Electoral College votes if there are no major upsets by McCain
'At this point we need a miracle,' a McCain aide was quoted as saying on the CBS News web site.
A win by Obama, 47, son of a black father from Kenya and white mother from Kansas, would make him the first black U.S. president and mark a milestone in U.S. history 45 years after the height of the civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King.
The Democrat scored a crucial breakthrough win in Ohio to take a commanding lead in the White House race, leaving Republican John McCain fighting for his political life in a string of close battleground states.
The huge victory, along with a win in Pennsylvania, which was targeted by McCain as his best hope of stealing a Democratic-leaning state, moved Obama to the brink of a historic White House win. He was also projected by Fox News to capture New Mexico's five electoral votes, another state won by Bush in 2004.
The combined 25 electoral votes in states won by Bush would be enough to put Obama over the 270 Electoral College votes if there are no major upsets by McCain
'At this point we need a miracle,' a McCain aide was quoted as saying on the CBS News web site.
A win by Obama, 47, son of a black father from Kenya and white mother from Kansas, would make him the first black U.S. president and mark a milestone in U.S. history 45 years after the height of the civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King.
OBAMA ELECTED US PRESIDENT
Democrat Barack Obama wrote his name indelibly into the pages of American history Tuesday, engineering a social and political upheaval to become the country's first black president-elect in a runaway victory over Republican John McCain.
The 47-year-old Illinois senator, son of a white mother from Kansas and an African father from Kenya, mined a deep vein of national discontent, promising Americans hope and change throughout a nearly flawless 21-month campaign for the White House.
Obama stepped through a door opened 145 years ago when President Abraham Lincoln, a fellow Illinois politician, issued the Emancipation Proclamation that freed African-Americans from enslavement in the rebellious South in the midst of a wrenching civil war.
The powerful orator lays claim to the White House on Jan. 20, only 43 years after the country enacted a law that banned the disenfranchisement of blacks in many Southern states where poll taxes and literacy tests were common at the time.
The 47-year-old Illinois senator, son of a white mother from Kansas and an African father from Kenya, mined a deep vein of national discontent, promising Americans hope and change throughout a nearly flawless 21-month campaign for the White House.
Obama stepped through a door opened 145 years ago when President Abraham Lincoln, a fellow Illinois politician, issued the Emancipation Proclamation that freed African-Americans from enslavement in the rebellious South in the midst of a wrenching civil war.
The powerful orator lays claim to the White House on Jan. 20, only 43 years after the country enacted a law that banned the disenfranchisement of blacks in many Southern states where poll taxes and literacy tests were common at the time.
McCain and Obama hit key states
Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain raced through the battleground states of Ohio and Pennsylvania on Sunday, with McCain struggling to overtake Obama's lead in the final 48 hours of a gruelling White House campaign.
Obama warned supporters against overconfidence during rallies in Ohio, one of about a dozen crucial battleground states that will decide Tuesday's election to succeed unpopular President George W. Bush.
The Illinois senator leads McCain in national opinion polls and in many key Republican-leaning states as a two-year campaign that has cost more than $2 billion (1.2 billion pounds) draws to a close.
"Don't believe for a second that this election is over," Obama told a crowd of more than 60,000 in Columbus. Another 80,000 greeted him in Cleveland, where rocker Bruce Springsteen warmed up the audience and introduced Obama.
"We can't afford to slow down, sit back, or let up for one day, one minute, or one second in these last few days," said Obama, who would be the first black U.S. president.
McCain reached out to undecided voters in Pennsylvania, his best and perhaps last hope of stealing a Democratic-leaning state from Obama as the two candidates search for the 270 electoral votes needed for victory.
He also visited Peterborough, New Hampshire, another state won by Democrats in 2004 and where he scored key wins in 2000 and earlier this year in the primary.
The Arizona senator is battling to overcome a strong challenge from Obama in about a dozen states won by Bush in 2004, and he and his top aides said he was closing the gap at the end.
Obama warned supporters against overconfidence during rallies in Ohio, one of about a dozen crucial battleground states that will decide Tuesday's election to succeed unpopular President George W. Bush.
The Illinois senator leads McCain in national opinion polls and in many key Republican-leaning states as a two-year campaign that has cost more than $2 billion (1.2 billion pounds) draws to a close.
"Don't believe for a second that this election is over," Obama told a crowd of more than 60,000 in Columbus. Another 80,000 greeted him in Cleveland, where rocker Bruce Springsteen warmed up the audience and introduced Obama.
"We can't afford to slow down, sit back, or let up for one day, one minute, or one second in these last few days," said Obama, who would be the first black U.S. president.
McCain reached out to undecided voters in Pennsylvania, his best and perhaps last hope of stealing a Democratic-leaning state from Obama as the two candidates search for the 270 electoral votes needed for victory.
He also visited Peterborough, New Hampshire, another state won by Democrats in 2004 and where he scored key wins in 2000 and earlier this year in the primary.
The Arizona senator is battling to overcome a strong challenge from Obama in about a dozen states won by Bush in 2004, and he and his top aides said he was closing the gap at the end.
Lewis Hamilton's girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger celebrates Formula One title win
Lewis Hamilton celebrated becoming Formula One world champion by partying with his pop star girlfriend, Nicole Scherzinger, lead singer of The Pussycat Dolls.
Scherzinger was trackside to watch Hamilton's amazing victory in the Brazilian Grand Prix. "I nearly broke down, it was so thrilling. I thank God," she said afterwards as she showered Hamilton with kisses.
The pair met at the MTV Europe Awards in Munich last November and have been inseparable ever since. At 30, Scherzinger is seven years older than the racing driver.
She says: "I love his soul. When I saw him for the first time, I was located in an enormous crowd. He asked me, 'How do you deal with all this bustle?' I said to him, 'Stay close to your family. It gives you everything that you need and keeps your feet on ground.' At that time I didn't suspect that Lewis is exactly the same family person as me. We are soul mates."
Hamilton previously dated Miss Grenada beauty queen Vivia Burkhardt and was spotted out in the company of supermodel Naomi Campbell, although he insists: "There's most certainly nothing going on between me and Naomi.
"She's like a big sister. Anyway, she's way too old for me."
His first girlfriend was Jodia Ma, a restaurant receptionist whom he met while a student in Hertfordshire. They were together for four years but split when Hamilton started in Formula One.
Scherzinger has been welcomed into the Hamilton family and stays regularly at the F1 star's home in Switzerland.
The only thing he doesn't like about Scherzinger is her driving. "I have a Bentley but Lewis doesn't like it. He's scared of my driving. I don't know why," she says.
The Hawaiian-born singer – full name Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente Scherzinger – owes her exotic looks to a Filipino father and Hawaiian/Russian mother.
After attending stage school and singing backing vocals for rock band Days Of The New, she got her big break in the television talent show Popstars, becoming a member of all-girl group Eden's Crush.
When the band split, Scherzinger briefly went solo before joining the Pussycat Dolls in 2003.
The Dolls started out as a burlesque dance troupe, performing with the likes of Christina Aguilera and Carmen Electra, before moving into the music business.
Their debut single, Don't Cha, topped the UK charts in 2005 and was nominated for a Grammy.
Scherzinger embarked on a solo career again in 2007 and released an album, Her Name Is Nicole, but it failed to match the group's success.
Scherzinger was trackside to watch Hamilton's amazing victory in the Brazilian Grand Prix. "I nearly broke down, it was so thrilling. I thank God," she said afterwards as she showered Hamilton with kisses.
The pair met at the MTV Europe Awards in Munich last November and have been inseparable ever since. At 30, Scherzinger is seven years older than the racing driver.
She says: "I love his soul. When I saw him for the first time, I was located in an enormous crowd. He asked me, 'How do you deal with all this bustle?' I said to him, 'Stay close to your family. It gives you everything that you need and keeps your feet on ground.' At that time I didn't suspect that Lewis is exactly the same family person as me. We are soul mates."
Hamilton previously dated Miss Grenada beauty queen Vivia Burkhardt and was spotted out in the company of supermodel Naomi Campbell, although he insists: "There's most certainly nothing going on between me and Naomi.
"She's like a big sister. Anyway, she's way too old for me."
His first girlfriend was Jodia Ma, a restaurant receptionist whom he met while a student in Hertfordshire. They were together for four years but split when Hamilton started in Formula One.
Scherzinger has been welcomed into the Hamilton family and stays regularly at the F1 star's home in Switzerland.
The only thing he doesn't like about Scherzinger is her driving. "I have a Bentley but Lewis doesn't like it. He's scared of my driving. I don't know why," she says.
The Hawaiian-born singer – full name Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente Scherzinger – owes her exotic looks to a Filipino father and Hawaiian/Russian mother.
After attending stage school and singing backing vocals for rock band Days Of The New, she got her big break in the television talent show Popstars, becoming a member of all-girl group Eden's Crush.
When the band split, Scherzinger briefly went solo before joining the Pussycat Dolls in 2003.
The Dolls started out as a burlesque dance troupe, performing with the likes of Christina Aguilera and Carmen Electra, before moving into the music business.
Their debut single, Don't Cha, topped the UK charts in 2005 and was nominated for a Grammy.
Scherzinger embarked on a solo career again in 2007 and released an album, Her Name Is Nicole, but it failed to match the group's success.
Hamilton makes history after Brazil thriller
Britain's Lewis Hamilton has become the youngest-ever Formula One world champion by winning the 2008 title in a thrilling finish at Interlagos on Sunday.
Lewis Hamilton wins the Formula One world title after an incredible final race at Interlagos.
The McLaren driver needed only to finish inside the top five at the Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo's Interlagos circuit to claim the crown, but it happened in the most dramatic of circumstances.
In the end, he needed to make a pass two corners from the finish line to claim the title by a solitary point 98 to 97.
Hamilton was comfortably sitting in fourth three laps from the end, but a heavy rain shower changed the race.
Forced to go to the pits to change tires, Hamilton was passed by Sebastien Vettel and Timo Glock -- leaving him in sixth position and potentially costing him the world title.
However, Glock's decision not to change to wet tires slowed him down on the final lap, allowing Hamilton to pass and finish fifth -- enough for the championship.
Hamilton's nearest rival, Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who sat seven points adrift coming into the final round, won the race.
Spurred on by a massive home crowd, Massa charged to a comfortable victory, however, it was never going to be enough to win the championship unless Hamilton finshed outside the top five.
The result left the crowd unhappy and Massa mortified as they initially believed the Ferrari driver had taken the crown.
Hamilton wins the title at a record age of 23 years and 300 days.
See photos of the dramatic day's action
After the race an emotional Hamilton told waiting media: "It's pretty much impossible to put into words how I feel. I'm speechless. It has been such a long journey and I am thrilled to be able to do this for everyone."
Hamilton said the shower of rain before the end put what had been a finely calculated finish into jeopardy. "Before it started to rain I was comfortable, but then it started to drizzle. I saw Sebastian and he got in front of me and then I was told to come in to change tires.
Don't Miss
See a photo gallery of the dramatic day
The Circuit
"Then I got past Glock and when I did it was just amazing. It was one of the toughest races of my life," Hamilton said.
Massa praised the efforts of Hamilton, but was visibly emotional at the result. "We did everything fantastically and I am so proud about that race and I'm so proud about the team and the people here. But then we came up just one point short."
The drama began shortly before the race when a heavy downpour of rain in Sao Paulo caught the teams unaware as they headed to the track for a warm-up lap.
Officials eventually delayed the start while the teams headed back to the pits to change to wet tires.
When the race did get underway the front of the grid all made a clean start. Massa held strong at the front and Hamilton managed to hold his fourth place on the grid as team-mate Heikki Kovalainen nursed him through the first corner.
But it was not such a smooth run for veteran Briton David Coulthard. Racing in his final grand prix, Coulthard was involved in a crash with the Williams cars of Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima. The accident ended his race and a long and successful career in Formula One.
Massa managed to hold his lead firmly through the early stages, and through the change to dry tires as the track dried and weather held clear.
He eventually went on to win and claim the consolation of the constuctors' championship for Ferrari, but he and the Brazilian crowd were left hugely disappointed.
Lewis Hamilton wins the Formula One world title after an incredible final race at Interlagos.
The McLaren driver needed only to finish inside the top five at the Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo's Interlagos circuit to claim the crown, but it happened in the most dramatic of circumstances.
In the end, he needed to make a pass two corners from the finish line to claim the title by a solitary point 98 to 97.
Hamilton was comfortably sitting in fourth three laps from the end, but a heavy rain shower changed the race.
Forced to go to the pits to change tires, Hamilton was passed by Sebastien Vettel and Timo Glock -- leaving him in sixth position and potentially costing him the world title.
However, Glock's decision not to change to wet tires slowed him down on the final lap, allowing Hamilton to pass and finish fifth -- enough for the championship.
Hamilton's nearest rival, Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who sat seven points adrift coming into the final round, won the race.
Spurred on by a massive home crowd, Massa charged to a comfortable victory, however, it was never going to be enough to win the championship unless Hamilton finshed outside the top five.
The result left the crowd unhappy and Massa mortified as they initially believed the Ferrari driver had taken the crown.
Hamilton wins the title at a record age of 23 years and 300 days.
See photos of the dramatic day's action
After the race an emotional Hamilton told waiting media: "It's pretty much impossible to put into words how I feel. I'm speechless. It has been such a long journey and I am thrilled to be able to do this for everyone."
Hamilton said the shower of rain before the end put what had been a finely calculated finish into jeopardy. "Before it started to rain I was comfortable, but then it started to drizzle. I saw Sebastian and he got in front of me and then I was told to come in to change tires.
Don't Miss
See a photo gallery of the dramatic day
The Circuit
"Then I got past Glock and when I did it was just amazing. It was one of the toughest races of my life," Hamilton said.
Massa praised the efforts of Hamilton, but was visibly emotional at the result. "We did everything fantastically and I am so proud about that race and I'm so proud about the team and the people here. But then we came up just one point short."
The drama began shortly before the race when a heavy downpour of rain in Sao Paulo caught the teams unaware as they headed to the track for a warm-up lap.
Officials eventually delayed the start while the teams headed back to the pits to change to wet tires.
When the race did get underway the front of the grid all made a clean start. Massa held strong at the front and Hamilton managed to hold his fourth place on the grid as team-mate Heikki Kovalainen nursed him through the first corner.
But it was not such a smooth run for veteran Briton David Coulthard. Racing in his final grand prix, Coulthard was involved in a crash with the Williams cars of Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima. The accident ended his race and a long and successful career in Formula One.
Massa managed to hold his lead firmly through the early stages, and through the change to dry tires as the track dried and weather held clear.
He eventually went on to win and claim the consolation of the constuctors' championship for Ferrari, but he and the Brazilian crowd were left hugely disappointed.
Rihanna Takes Chris Brown To Her Homeland Barbados
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Rihanna continues to spark rumours that she is dating Chris Brown, by taking him to her homeland of Barbados.The couple has constantly played down rumours of a romance stating they are just good friends, but pictures of them canoodling in hot tubs and clubs tell a different story.Lovers or not, the pair are currently holidaying in Barbados, home to the Umbrella singer, where she will no doubt take her ‘friend’ Chris to meet her parents. Will they approve? Who knows!Do you think Rihanna and Chris should go public with their relationship? Be sure to leave your comments below.
Eminem's New Album Set for December?
Mark your calendars with a big red sharpie. Eminem's new album, The Relapse, is slated for December 23rd, if Amazon.com's release schedule is to be believed. Here's what we know for sure: Dr. Dre will handle a bulk of the production on Relapse, which is a welcome development. I think we can all agree that Eminem is a much better rapper than he is a producer. So, it's a good idea to let the hip-hop doctor work his magic while Slim concentrates on his rhymes.
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